Waving Goodbye to Neorepublican Corruption in Ohio

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Prissy's friend, Victoria Parks is singer and songwriter of Bye-bye Blackwell. Listen, her song tells the story. Waving Goodbye to Ken Blackwell

In fact, a small group of Ohio women find it so funny they intend to perform this song, complete with white gloves and pill box hats for Ken as a parting gift. Or would that be more like a parting shot? ;-)

Our turn to point and laugh, Ken. That will teach you to cheat us out of our vote. Enjoy the show

Acers Now ATTN: TOP SUPER DUPER SECRET EXTRA for General Peter Pace and the Iraqi Survey Group ONLY PROPOSED LAWSUIT FOR A PEACEFUL, JUST AND TIMELY U.S. WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ

ACERSNow has prepared a draft lawsuit, which will be filed if the key elements of the Proposed Plan for a Peaceful, Just and Timely U.S. Withdrawal from Iraq are not initiated.

•Proposed Lawsuit for a Peaceful, Just and Timely U.S. Withdrawal from Iraq (revised 1 Dec 2006) [pdf]

Nothing in this document is intended to be a criticism of our courageous U.S. Military troops.

Skeleton Project 10 films the US Government would rather you not see.

1) Why We Fight 2) The Fog of War 3) The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of the American Dream 4) America: From Freedom to Fascism 5) Loose Change 6) 1984 7) V for Vendetta 8) An An Inconvenient Truth 9) Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers 10) The Corporation

Films or trailers available on site. Prissy doesn't really know if Uncle Sam doesn't want you to see them. But if he doesn't all the more reason to be curious...

One commenter wrote: I would add “The Power of Nightmares” by Adam Curtis and the BBC. This documentary traces of roots of the American Neoconservative Movement alongside the rise of radical Islam. It’s excellent and freely available at the Internet Archive

“The Power of Nightmares”

MSN News Secret US military documents, ASDF training program leaked online

The leaked U.S. documents describe the number of goods containers at bases in Iraq and Kuwait. The documents were dated June and July this year, and were marked secret when they were sent to multinational forces.

The leaked ASDF documents contain information on an anti-guerrilla training program, reports by nine ASDF members who took part in the Iraqi reconstruction mission and preparatory material for an anti-ballistic missile training session.

"I don't think the leakage of U.S. military documents will have a serious effect on current operations because the situation has changed," a top ASDF official said. "However, it could damage our relationship with the U.S. military."

CNN DHS official admits taking bribes to fake documents

A federal immigration official pleaded guilty Thursday to receiving more than $600,000 in bribes for falsifying documents for illegal immigrants.

Robert Schofield, 57, could face 25 years in federal prison when he is sentenced in February.

He pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, to issuing fraudulent documents to at least 184 illegal immigrants who falsely received U.S. citizenship.

"The breadth and scope of Mr. Schofield's fraud and corruption are truly stunning," said U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg.

CNN another worthless Bush administration official and former insurance defrauder turned national security advisor Stephen Hadley Hadley: Bush knows changes needed in Iraq

• National security adviser says Donald Rumsfeld memo "useful" • Rumsfeld presented options in controversial memo, Hadley says • Iraq Study Group to present its recommendations this week • Bush unlikely to act on any recommendations for weeks, Hadley says

Ex-CIA Worker Pleads Guilty To Burglary

A CIA employee for nearly 20 years admitted breaking into 10 homes near the spy agency's headquarters about a year ago and taking valuables and other items.

George C. Dalmas III, 48, pleaded guilty Wednesday to the burglaries, which each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Dalmas, who had no prior criminal record, has been fired from his CIA job as a mid-level administrator.

During the daylight burglaries in the McLean area, Dalmas took valuable items including Camp David cuff links, Cartier hoop earrings, a Tiffany gold scarab ring and a sapphire-diamond necklace. But the most curious objects from Dalmas' burglary expedition were less valuable - women's panties.

See why it takes Prissy so long between posts! For all her blogging friends. Hat tip to justice blogger S-Q.

UK Times an interesting development Dead Russian spy to be buried as a Muslim

Alexander Litvinenko, the former Russian intelligence agent poisoned in London, is to be buried according to Muslim tradition after converting to Islam on his deathbed.

The spy's father, Walter Litvinenko, said in an interview published today that his son - who was born an Orthodox Christian but had close links to Islamist rebels in Chechnya - made the request as he lay dying in University College Hospital.

"He said ’I want to be buried according to Muslim tradition’," Mr Litvinenko told Moscow's Kommersant daily.

"I said, ’Well son, as you wish. We already have one Muslim in our family - my daughter is married to a Muslim. The important thing is to believe in the Almighty. God is one.’

Bellaciao by Michael P Wright Brother of University of Oklahoma Bombe Joel Hinrichs Arrested for Threat

The Associated Press reports that the brother of a University of Oklahoma student who blew himself up last year on campus is now facing federal charges in Colorado. Thomas Hinrichs was charged Tuesday in Denver federal court with threatening to assault or murder an FBI agent. Review: Joel Hinrichs Most Likely Intended to Commit Mass Murder in October 2005

In a broadcast two weeks after Joel Hinrichs exploded the bomb and killed himself last October on the OU campus during a football game, CNN security analyst Pat D’Amuro pointed out that the FBI and ATF had agreed that "any bombing that took place would be presumed a terrorist attack until proven differently."

After the explosion, OU president David Boren got it backwards. Framtic to protect sales of football tickets, Boren "presumed" that the bombing was just a "lone suicide" by an "emotionally troubled" student, and he was broadcasting that message to the world within a few hours after the event.

Supreme law.org NOTICE AND DEMAND TO CONVEY VERIFIED CRIMINAL COMPLAINT, ON INFORMATION TO LAWFULLY CONVENED FEDERAL GRAND JURY

Greetings Mr. Fitzgerald:

In the course of reviewing standing court decisions which have been issued in litigation involving the federal criminal statutes at 18 U.S.C. sections 1504 and 3332, my office was very pleased to discover the correct and well documented decision In re Grand Jury Application, 617 F.Supp. 199 (USDC/SDNY 1985).

We regard this decision as binding judicial precedent throughout the judicial district of New York State, and therefore in lower Manhattan. See 28 U.S.C. 112.

A few of the most pertinent abstracts, as published in the United States Code Annotated (“USCA”) and United States Code Service (“USCS”), now follow, to wit:

Private litigant may obtain writ of mandamus to compel U.S. attorney to present facts concerning alleged criminal wrongdoing to grand jury.

By enacting 18 U.S.C. 3332(a) ... Congress intended to remove prosecutor’s discretion in deciding whether to present information to grand jury; he retains discretion with respect to how he acts and what he recommends concerning that information.

Plaintiffs were entitled to writ of mandamus to compel U.S. Attorney to present facts concerning alleged criminal wrongdoing of certain named defendants to grand jury, considering that grand jury statute [18 U.S.C. 3332(a)] gave plaintiffs a clear right to relief sought, that U.S. Attorney had duty to do the act in question, and that no other adequate remedy was available.

A fellow blogger reminds Prissy... the Wilsons' are using Fitz's filings, findings, and Fitz's press conference from the leak case and as precedent for their civil lawsuit.

Along with the Bolton resignation today, this is more good news! We'll see what comes of this interesting case. In a declaration this month, Fitzgerald said the statute of limitations “on certain substantive offenses that the grand jury is investigating” will expire on Dec. 3 and Dec. 13 of this year. (According to a Forbes article, Fitz complained these expiration dates were leaked)

New Haven Advocate Are George W. Bush lovers certifiable?

Lohse, a social work master’s student at Southern Connecticut State University, says he has proven what many progressives have probably suspected for years: a direct link between mental illness and support for President Bush.

Lohse says his study is no joke. The thesis draws on a survey of 69 psychiatric outpatients in three Connecticut locations during the 2004 presidential election. Lohse’s study, backed by SCSU Psychology professor Jaak Rakfeldt and statistician Misty Ginacola, found a correlation between the severity of a person’s psychosis and their preferences for president: The more psychotic the voter, the more likely they were to vote for Bush.

But before you go thinking all your conservative friends are psychotic, listen to Lohse’s explanation.

“Our study shows that psychotic patients prefer an authoritative leader,” Lohse says. “If your world is very mixed up, there’s something very comforting about someone telling you, ‘This is how it’s going to be.’”

Forbes Sailor Pleads Guilty to Espionage

A sailor accused of stealing a Navy laptop and peddling its classified contents to an undisclosed foreign government pleaded guilty Monday to espionage, desertion and other charges.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Ariel J. Weinmann, 22, of Salem, Ore., faces a sentence of life in prison without parole, a dishonorable discharge from the Navy and forfeiture of all pay.

Stupid kid-and why is it an "undisclosed foreign government" when even Granny knows it was Israel and Russia? The Navy let it slip months ago...

Time Losing Lebanon

Lebanon wasn't supposed to turn out this way. In March of last year, President George W. Bush was hailing Lebanon as a shining beacon of his Administration's "democracy agenda" for the Middle East. Close to 1 million Lebanese had flooded into Beirut to demand that Syria pull its troops out of Lebanon and end its 29-year domination of the country. The U.S. State Department coined the protests the Cedar Revolution, a more folksy title than the Lebanese term, Independence Intifadeh, which smacked of radicalism. But with six ministers having resigned since Nov. 11, sectarian tensions rising and government officials fearing for their lives, the vision of a new Lebanon is dimming fast--and with it, the Administration's bid to build a positive legacy in the Middle East beyond the wreckage of Iraq.

Smirking Chimp It's time, yet again, to call bullsh*t on Bush.

According to an Associated Press report, the president is bitter, "deeply disappointed that a handful of United States senators prevented Ambassador Bolton from receiving the up or down vote he deserved in the Senate."

"They chose to obstruct his confirmation, even though he enjoys majority support in the Senate...this stubborn obstructionism ill serves our country and discourages men and women of talent from serving their nation," he said.

Bullsh*t.

Bolton was forced to cut and run, a victim of his own inability to function as a tactful and patient diplomat, a fact recognized by both parties who let his appointment as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations die on the vine and force his resignation.

Salon A vote for more cooked intelligence?

But in the rush to discharge Rumsfeld, the Senate may not fully explore a blemish in Gates' dossier that seems particularly relevant now. A close examination of Gates' record, including little-known documents obtained by Salon from the National Security Archive, shows that as Gates was rising through the echelons of the CIA in the late 1980s to be CIA director in 1991, he was involved in the trafficking of intelligence reports that relied on compromised sources to show an exaggerated foreign threat. With the U.S. struggling for an exit strategy from Iraq and eyeing adversaries like Iran, President Bush has selected a man to head the Pentagon who was once in charge during an intelligence fiasco not unlike the one that unleashed the Iraq war.

In September 1995, CIA Inspector General Frederick Hitz recommended that Gates be held accountable for his role in hyperbolic intelligence reporting on the danger posed by the Soviet Union. In those reports, the CIA relied on sources the agency knew or should have known had been under Moscow's influence, Hitz found. At that time, though, a robust Soviet threat was music to the ears of some hard-liners in Washington, and the trumped-up intelligence made it into the hands of the president and Pentagon leaders.

When confronted with Hitz's findings in 1995, Gates, who had since left the agency, deflected responsibility by pointing to his former employees' errors. In an Oct. 30, 1995, letter from Gates to then-CIA director John Deutch, Gates responded to the findings by blasting subordinates, while conceding that the flawed reports were "a serious breach of the integrity of the intelligence process." In that letter, Gates expressed his "unhappiness" with lower-level CIA officials who, in Gates' view, failed to "characterize accurately these source problems both to the CIA senior officials and to those in the policy agencies who received the intelligence reports." The letter was cosigned by two other former CIA directors also fingered by the inspector general: William Webster and James Woolsey. Deutch, who now supports Gates for secretary of defense, ultimately sided with Gates over the inspector general.

The CIA has never released the 1995 inspector general report. But in an interview, Hitz said that Gates should have been held accountable, because he was in charge. "The top guys at that period of time, in my opinion, were not held accountable for what happened on their watch," said Hitz, now a lecturer at the University of Virginia law school. "My theory is that if you are going to make sure everyone operates with integrity, you have to hold the heads of the organization responsible," he explained. "We can't have reports going forward to the president of the United States that were being fed to us by our chief enemy."

Quotes of the Day

”If there is no struggle there is no progress… Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground… They want rain without thunder and lightning… They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters… Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.” --Frederick Douglass

It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.--Franklin D. Roosevelt

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

"A study in the Washington Post says that women have better verbal skills than men. I just want to say to the authors of that study: Duh."--Conan O'Brien

"If you ever see me getting beaten by the police, put down the video camera and come help me."--Bobcat Goldthwait

Attention All GOP, Abandon Ship, We're Taking on Water Update

Talk about desperate, from the Cincinnati ENQUIRER

Governor's race turns ugly Blackwell campaign links Strickland to predators, hints he's gay BY JON CRAIG | ENQUIRER COLUMBUS BUREAU

COLUMBUS - With Republican Ken Blackwell trailing by double digits in almost every poll, Blackwell's campaign Tuesday tried to link his Democratic opponent to child sex predators - and the state Republican spokesman even raised questions about Ted Strickland's sexuality.

Blackwell and the state GOP say they are only questioning Strickland's integrity and judgment.

The Strickland campaign said the GOP ought to be "ashamed."

Yes they ought to be. Blackwell, Prissy knows you had your people looking for a "gay link." What does one expect from an African-American man willing to take money from white supremists...

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For Prissy's NY readers Different Drummer

Our Mission TO PROMOTE the free and uncensored exchange of ideas and information among military personnel and civilians. This includes, but isn't limited to, issues of war and peace, foreign policy, the military mission of our soldiers both at home and abroad, and the proper balance between the rights of citizen soldiers and military authority in a democratic society.

Different Drummer Cafe, 12 Paddock Arcade,1 Public Square, Watertown, NY 13601, Phone 315-728-0595 Grand Opening Friday, October 27, 2006 11:00 am.

Dearest Readers what do you think of Prissy's new boyfriend He's a real joker, so you can see why Prissy would like him.

Prissy is a prankster too.

Professor Juan Cole The End of Habeas Corpus

This law creates two classes of persons inside the United States, citizens with rights and non-citizens (12 million persons? Equivalent to the entire state of Michigan!) without rights.

Basically, Bush can issue them what the French kings used to call lettres de cachet: ' In French history, lettres de cachet were letters signed by the king of France, countersigned by one of his ministers, and closed with the royal seal, or cachet. They contained orders directly from the king, often to enforce arbitrary actions and judgements that could not be appealed. . .'

We Americans made a revolution against such arbitrary practices of the French and other Empires.

Habeas Corpus from Wikipedia:

This procedure, part of English common law, was considered important enough to be specifically mentioned in the United States Constitution, which says, "The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it." (Article One, section nine).

Reuters U.S. military says 11 soldiers killed in Iraq

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Eleven U.S. soldiers were killed on Tuesday, the U.S. military said on Wednesday, in one of the sharpest spikes in attacks on American forces battling soaring sectarian violence and a Sunni Arab insurgency.

The bloodshed brings to at least 69 the number of U.S. troops killed in October, an exceptionally high toll that is likely to bring renewed attention to the Iraq war in the run-up to U.S. congressional elections in November.

President George W. Bush's popularity has been hurt by growing discontent over the war and his Republican Party risks losing control of Congress in the November 7 vote.

At least 2,778 U.S. troops have died since the 2003 invasion. Many more Iraqis have been killed.

Enough is enough, bring them all home. The war is illegal and how can you win an illegal war? What measurement of progress shall we use? The DOD cannot seem to provide a satisfactory or coherent explanation or strategy.

Radar Online, hat tip to Fitz for finding the dirt;-) Kinky Porn-Loving Adulterers for Allen!VALUES SUMMIT Evans and Schelske in happier times with Dubya

And now comes word that among the conservative Allen's campaign contributors is, according to recently filed court documents, a porn-loving, adulterous, abusive drunk who likes to advertise on Craig's List for three-ways and anal sex and takes naked pictures of himself standing at attention.

The contributor in question is Craig T. Schelske, the latest sanctimonious Christian Republican to be outed as a wannabe Rick James. Schelske is the husband and former manager to Nashville singer and Dancing With the Stars contestant Sara Evans. He is also a failed Republican congressional candidate, the executive director of American Destiny, which seeks to teach children about "the role of God and Christianity in America's story," and chairman of CRAIGPAC, a vanity political action committee that gives to Republican candidates.

AP News Google to Convert HQ to Solar Power

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Google Inc. (GOOG) is converting its renowned headquarters to run partly on solar power, hoping to set an example for corporate America.

The Internet search leader announced what is believed to be the largest solar project undertaken by a U.S. company during a solar energy conference in Silicon Valley on Monday. Google believes the sun eventually can deliver as much as 30 percent of the power at its 1-million-square-foot campus in Mountain View - a suburb about 35 miles south of San Francisco.

The ambitious project will require installing more than 9,200 solar panels on a high-tech mecca nicknamed the "Googleplex." After leasing the offices for several years, Google bought the campus for $319 million earlier this year.

Once they're in place next spring, the solar panels are expected to produce about 1.6 megawatts of electricity, or enough power to supply about 1,000 homes.

Go Google! Take note corporate America, lead follow or get outta Google's way! These Google guys make them look really out of date...as Bobby F. Kennedy said "corporate America is not a good steward of the land." And that's a bad business practice.

UK Times 'Consigliere' draws up routes out of Iraq for embattled President

The report of the Iraq Study Group, led by Mr Baker, is expected to propose significant changes to American strategy, including negotiating with Iran and Syria or even pulling US troops out of harm’s way to bases beyond Iraq’s borders.

The report will not be published until after votes have been counted, when President Bush will know if the Republicans have lost control of one or both Houses of Congress.

Even then there is considerable doubt whether an Administration that has invested so much American blood and treasure on the war will accept the advice from the bi-partisan ten-member commission.

“There will probably be some things in our report that the Administration might not like,” Mr Baker said last week. The former Secretary of State under the first President Bush — and the Bush family’s most trusted confidant — became co-chairman of the panel in March with strong backing from the White House at a time when officials might have hoped that he would endorse existing policy.

Click to enlarge any photo

How does your state rate? Wayne Madsen STATE BY STATE GOP SCANDAL SCORECARD Ohio is outdone only by Washington, D.C. in corruption, although Kentucky is close.

911 UK The British 9/11 Truth Campaign

The 9-11 Commission has ‘failed’ in its mandate to provide an independent, impartial, “full and complete accounting” of the attacks of September 11, 2001. We believe the Commission is wrong in crucial respects and the available evidence indicates that US officials authored or facilitated the attacks and their cover-up. We demand full disclosure and accountability through a further independent investigation. We demand answers to the questions. We seek the truth.

Some of the people whose testimony or writings challenge the official account: Michael Meacher MP, John Pilger (journalist), Richard Clarke, Republican Congressman Curt Weldon, Sibel Edmonds (FBI interpreter), Josef Bodansky, (director of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare), David Shayler (former MI5 officer), Morgan Reynolds (economist in GW Bush administration), Scott Ritter (UN Weapons Inspector), Republican Congressman Ron Paul (2, 3), Andreas von Buelow (2) (German government minister), Indira Singh (whistleblower), Max Cleland (Former 9/11 Commissioner), US Green Party (2), Fire Engineering Magazine, Greg Palast (BBC journalist), Catherine Austin Fitts, Charles Grassley (Republican Senator), David Schippers (Attorney), Peter Dale Scott (1),William Rodriguez, Gore Vidal (journalist), Cynthia McKinney (US Congress), former ISI director-general Lt-Gen Mahmud Ahmad, Dan Ellsberg (Former Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense (ISA), DOD), over 100 family members (1,2, 3), senior military, intelligence, and government critics of 9/11 Commission Report and many, many more

US public opinion: Zogby poll In a 2004 opinion poll conducted by Zogby International amongst New York City residents, 66% called for another full investigation of the "still unanswered questions"

"We must speak the truth about terror. Let us never tolerate outrageous conspiracy theories concerning the attacks of September the 11th, …" GW Bush at the UN 11/10/2001 Consider this statement when you watch this:

This should have been big news. Prosecutors doing such remarkable work should always be big news...Transcript of Deputy Attorney General Paul J. McNulty at the Press Conference on Bankruptcy Fraud

We are here today to mark the anniversary of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, and we're announcing the results of a major crackdown on bankruptcy fraud.

Over the past two months, the Department of Justice has charged more than 78 defendants in 36 districts with bankruptcy fraud and related counts, including 15 indictments and three criminal complaints just yesterday.

This initiative and these unprecedented enforcement results reflect the commitment and teamwork of the FBI, the United States Attorneys and the United States Trustees program. Together with our partners at the Postal Inspection Service, IRS, Criminal Investigation, the Offices of the Inspectors General for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Social Security Administration, and the United States Secret Service.

We are calling this large interagency effort Operation Truth or Consequences, because that's the essence of what's at stake when the bankruptcy process is abused. Tell the truth, or face the consequences.

Another GOP pervert strikes again...Political consultant sentenced for imprisoning students

A veteran GOP consultant was sentenced today to 5 to 10 years in prison for luring two male college students into his home on separate occasions, holding them captive in his spartan apartment and threatening them with Mafia retaliation if they contacted their friends or family.

A jury convicted Leon Abramovitz, of Shadyside, in July on charges of theft, coercion, false imprisonment, unauthorized practice of law, simple assault, indecent assault and making terroristic threats. His victims, 24-year-old and 22-year-old University of Pittsburgh students, were lured into his home with the promise of jobs tailored to their career goals.

He had pleaded guilty to coercing a teenage boy and a 27-year-old and holding them captive in 1999 and 2000.

The bespectacled defendant appeared before Common Pleas Judge Cheryl Allen in a wheelchair, his white beard making him look decades older than his 59 years. He told the judge he feared for his safety after inmates in his pod at Allegheny County Jail got their hands on a discovery folder from his trial and began calling him a "baby raper" and threatening to have inmates at the state prison "take care of him."

Yahoo Iran must be intimidated, says Israeli leader

MOSCOW (AFP) - Visiting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stepped up rhetoric against Iran, saying the its controversial nuclear program could be prevented through intimidation.

Speaking to reporters following meetings with President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, Olmert said he had told Putin that "there was no chance of preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear arms if Iran is not afraid.

"The Iranians should be afraid that something they don't want to happen will occur," he said.

Olmert went on to say that "I made it clear why in my opinion it is important that the Iranians are afraid," but he fell short of mentioning what measures that be taken against the Islamic state.

Try diplomacy! It works better and is longer lasting than intimidation.

OpEd News Voting against nuclear war with Iran

There were fears that the US would use nuclear weapons in the Iraq attack, which did not materialize, hence some will argue that the current fears of nuclear use against Iran may not materialize either. Some will argue that there were many other occasions in the past 60 years where the US appeared to come close to using nuclear weapons and did not, that the threshold for using nuclear weapons always was and remains extraordinarily high, and that the US nuclear "saber rattling" is just trickery to scare our opponents ( "madman theory"). These arguments are wrong. The US is much closer than it has ever been since Nagasaki to using nuclear weapons again. This year for the first time in its history the American Physical Society, representing 40,000 members of the profession that created nuclear weapons, issued a statement of deep concern on this matter: "The American Physical Society is deeply concerned about the possible use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states and for pre-emptive counter-proliferation purposes".

In the case of Iraq, our adversary was so weak that there was no way a US nuclear weapon use could have been justified in the eyes of the world. Iran is different: it possesses missiles that could strike US forces in Iraq and the Persian Gulf as well as Israeli cities, and a large conventional army. 150,000 US soldiers in Iraq will be at great risk if war with Iran erupts, and Americans will support a nuclear strike on Iran once the administration creates a situation where it can argue that such action will save a large number of American or allies' lives.

In previous US wars, nuclear use did not occur because it carried an unacceptably high risk of triggering a nuclear conflict with the Soviet Union or China. Because North Korea appears to have now a nuclear deterrent, and because of the possibility that China could get involved, there is no danger that the US will attack North Korea. In fact, Bush will use the fact that North Korea has joined the nuclear club, and charges that he was not "tough enough" on North Korea, as an argument to "justify" attacking Iran before it achieves that status, notwithstanding the fact that unlike North Korea Iran has stated no intention to follow that path nor is there any evidence that it is doing so. The nuclearization of North Korea only helps the plan to nuke Iran, which is why the administration did everything it could to encourage it.

No nuclear country is likely to intervene nor threaten to intervene when the US uses nuclear weapons against Iran, hence there is no military deterrent to such use. The US has now achieved vast nuclear superiority, and is about to demonstrate to the world that its 5-trillion nuclear arsenal is not "unusable".

Remember what happened last time they went to war?

Al-Jazeera Iraq panel to back talks with Syria, Iran

Baker heads the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan commission that since March has been researching and preparing ideas for changing course in Iraq.

"If our report is going to be worth anything, it has to be independent and it has to be our telling it like it is" "Everybody knows how close I am to the Bush family. But if our report is going to be worth anything, it has to be independent and it has to be our telling it like it is. And I'm here to tell you that's the way it's going to be, as far as I'm concerned," Baker said. So far, Bush's strategy has been to support Nuri al-Maliki, Iraq's prime minister, in the hope he can overcome sectarian differences in the country.

However, Bush is under strong pressure to consider changes in the wake of a new wave of US military deaths. Ten American soldiers were killed on Tuesday.

Asia Times AMERICA'S ACUPUNCTURE POINTS PART 1: Striking the US where it hurts

I Electro-magnetic Pulse (EMP) attack China and Russia are two potential US adversaries that have the capability for this kind of attack. An EMP attack can either come from an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), a long-range cruise missile, or an orbiting satellite armed with a nuclear or non-nuclear EMP warhead. A nuclear burst of one (or more) megaton some 400 kilometers over central United States (Omaha, Nebraska) can blanket the whole continental US with electro-magnetic pulse in less than one second.

An EMP attack will damage all electrical grids on the US mainland. It will disable computers and other similar electronic devices with microchips. Most businesses and industries will shut down. The entire US economy will practically grind to a halt. Satellites within line of sight of the EMP burst will also be damaged, adversely affecting military command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR). Land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles will be rendered unserviceable in their silos. Anti-ballistic missile defenses will suffer the same fate. In short – total blackout. And American society as we know it will be thrown back to the Dark Ages.

Of course, the US may decide to strike first, but China and Russia now have the means of striking back with submarine-launched ballistic missiles with the same or even more devastating results. But knowing China's strategy of "active defense", when war with the US becomes imminent, China will surely not allow itself to be targeted first. It will seize the initiative as mandated by its doctrine by striking first.

China has repeatedly announced that it will not be the first to use nuclear weapons. But as an old Chinese saying goes: "There can never be too much deception in war." If it means the survival of the whole Chinese nation that is at stake, China will surely not allow a public statement to tie its hands and prevent it from seizing the initiative. As another saying goes: "All is fair in love and war."

Well, it isn't fair when this country is lead by incompetents and China by commies...

Quotes of the Day

“A war regarded as inevitable or even probable, and therefore much prepared for, has a very good chance of eventually being fought”--Anais Nin quotes (French born American Author of novels and short stories, 1903-1977)

“The world is full enough of hurts and mischance without wars to multiply them.” --J.R.R. Tolkien (English Writer and Author of richly inventive epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings, 1892-1973)

“Chance is perhaps the pseudonym of God when he does not wish to sign his work.” --Anatole France (French Writer, member of the French Academy and Nobel Prize for Literature in 1921, 1844-1924)

“They can call me crazy if I fail, all the chance that I need, is one-in-a-million and they can call me brilliant if I succeed.”--Ani Difranco(American Singer, Song Writer and Guitarist. b.1970)

“I busted a mirror and got seven years bad luck, but my lawyer thinks he can get me five.”--Stephen Wright quotes (American Actor and Writer, b.1955)

Democracys Last Stand at the DC Coral

Prissy will give fair warning today- unlike this current form of anti-American government. What she witnessed in Washington and read in the latest international news has her on the warpath toward demanding her birthright-the Constitution- from this government.

If this gang of thugs deprive us of our votes this November, expect massive civil disobedience in the streets. Old folks and our young people will be out in force, demanding our rights.

The angry young'uns will be burning things down in Prissy's opinion-keeping in mind she has worked with thousands of juvenile delinquents...How can we say they have no justification toward the anger of having their futures stolen ?

Note to politicians: It is becoming more and more difficult to convince young people laws should be followed when they see "leaders" flagrantly breaking them in front of the entire world-and then changing laws for crimes they commit retroactively. Leaders continue upon this course at their own peril.

Note to our justifiably angry young people- please stick to the non-violent tactics for now. As tempting as it may be to meet their violence against us head on, it would make us no better than them. We wish to prove most people want peace, even in the face of vehement disagreement. If defensive force must be used to take back our stolen government, that is the responsibility of our military-what's left of it anyway...

As

Constant points out, this cabal has left the United States open to intervention from foreign nations-purely from a legal standpoint.

The stunning lack of character and integrity tolerated in our officials, A.K.A. public servants and in some military brass, cannot continue indefinitely. They will find themselves answering for their continued destruction to the security of the United States-and the world. Thus, their scramble to legalize what the cabal have already committed under the guise of national security. Their catch all phrase didn't work for Nixon, either.

Prissy isn't gunning for her Dearest Readers, of course-but all of those who are in a position to stop what is happening and yet repeatedly do nothing, watching "Survivor" and preferring to look the other way.

The populace, as a whole-acts as though they are Dubya's abused children; while they may know Daddy Dubya is "no good", the fear is now ingrained into them as to when he will next raise his hand to rebuke them.

Be thankful to those true survivors, educated long ago in dealing with these bullies-as they know what to do with them. The world knows too, as their own history have witnessed such bullies rising to power, controlling the populace for a while-until they suffered the agonizing, but inevitable defeat. This bully has but one "friend" in this fight-Israel- and Prissy assures you they cannot and will not come to our rescue. No one looks forward to the chaos sure to ensue.

Say what you will about Dick Nixon, but he was at least cognizant enough to know when to step down. These goons are delusional- Prissy has been told by several evangelicals, this cabal is demon possessed.

Perhaps we should be calling a priest, instead of a prosecutor. The national security for the people of the United States (or anyplace else) was never a concern for these neorepublicans. It was of course all about money and power.

Their own personal safety is another story...their enemies are now many. Even once loyal allies hold them in disdain, even if they are too polite to say it aloud.

While other invasions such as Vietnam were just as foolish and just as destructive to the principals of our nation, this war brings with it a major difference.

The vindictive souls currently in charge, have enough weaponry (conventional and nuclear) at their disposal to kill each of us twelve times. (A true statistic!) They now have the ability make the earth uninhabitable for generations yet to come, if not destroy it completely. All out nuclear war would poison the water and food supply, as well as the air.

Keep in mind this Bush league has tossed out the "Mutual Assured Destruction theory" of warfare. If Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is as half as crazy as Bush, Rummy, Pace and Abizaid claim he is, we are in really big trouble.

Pace and Abizaid have completely abdicated their duty to the Constitution in favor of their civilian leader. How they have personally cheapened the knight in shining armor role our soldiers should be by forcing them in this illegal war.

However, they are foolish to believe they alone will escape the punishment of their continued course of highly illegal actions.

The president of Iran may or may not be "in their league." Prissy hasn't personally met him and cannot say.

But Prissy will say this; if there is a violent bully her neighborhood-one that already beat up her neighbors- she won't wait until he starts pounding relentlessly at the door, to load the gun. She'll be ready for him when he kicks that door in.

Likewise will Iran, Syria or any other country feeling the threat of Bushco. Bush has already proved pre-emptive, incompetently executed wars are his specialty and probably his legacy. Oh he would like to blame the military for his blunders, but we all know the tone is set at the top. This former AWOL soldier has bragged about his "commander-in-chief" status as a "war president" once too often.

Our top military brass submitting to him are fools too, if they think they should continue to follow his orders. Orders not only contrary to our own American standards, laws and treaties- including what Amnesty International calls human decency. The same Amnesty International they have all quoted like a broken record, when referring to Saddam-pre-invasion, that is.

This cabal has every desire to break the military and replace them with mercenaries. They haven't sworn an oath to uphold the constitution...

Dubya always wants to take the low road- the cheaters way-as he has done his entire life. (See MBA majors more likely to cheat-who needed a study to verify this? Look at the world of Wall Street for further examples)

Prissy will never be ashamed to call herself an American. But the shame this band of brotherhood will carry all of their days was their willingness to sell out their fellow citizens, our soldiers and the American way of life for profit.

Prissy saw a Vietnam vet at Camp Democracy, wearing a pin which said "I took George Bush Jr.'s place in Vietnam." Indeed...so many did.

Gloomy Outlook From Anwar Province In Iraq or why its time to leave and allow the Iraqi people to run their own country without Dubya's meddling...

PrissyBalls seemed to go over rather well at the House of representatives. No one threw Prissy out, dressed in an original 1966 hot pink suit, complete with pill box hat. Sure she got a few hostile looks, mostly from women. Perhaps they thought Prissy was unaware she was wearing outdated clothing...the men, oddly enough smiled. They "got it."

Indeed ladies, it was a joke- a costume if you will. Prissy is sure they must have been republicans, because her lady dem friends embraced the idea wholeheartedly. But its nearly common knowledge republican women with a sense of humor are in short supply. It's no wonder, can't completely blame the dears...Prissy blames their men!

Maybe this is a symptom of spending too much time with republican men that prefer hookers, opposed to their wives...or someone like mAnn Coulter. And let's face it, what kind of woman can compete with that?

Hot Links

Military News-Ohio has at least one National Guard battalion and Army reserve unit scheduled to step off in Afghanistan in 2007, leaving Ohio wide open without protection once again. In May of 2005, we had a mere 12% of the guard left in the state-mostly older guys with back problems and high blood pressure. Now they go too...There are about twenty US "military advisers" of high rank currently in Iran.

Reuters Pentagon dismisses September 11 intelligence claims

Former unit members and Weldon have held for more than a year that Able Danger discovered intelligence in 2000 on Atta and others that should have been a tip-off of the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people and led to the Bush administration's war on terrorism.

Shaffer has said Pentagon lawyers prevented the team from warning the FBI. Others associated with Able Danger, including the team's former leader, Navy Capt. Scott Phillpott, have made statements similar to Shaffer's.

According to the inspector's report, investigators interviewed four witnesses who claimed to have seen a chart depicting Atta and possibly other terrorists or "cells" involved in the attacks.

In addition, the inspector general concluded that the destruction of Able Danger documents was appropriate and complied with regulations and the data-mining program was not shuttered prematurely.

Weldon tried, but they went after him too. It is never a surprise when someone gives in to the Bushies. Tony Schaffer is a brave patriot and this is another case of Bushco dirty deeds against a truth teller. Prissy shudders to think what all will be discovered when the cabal is gone, considering what they have already been responsible for. It would be incidents such as these which make Prissy lose much patience with Fitz' and the snails pace of his case.

Good Lord Fitz, Prissy has enough unclassified information on her site to charge them-surely you have everything you need and then some by now. Like Nike says "Just Do IT!"

During her talk at Camp Democracy, former federal prosecutor Elizabeth del la Vega said she could potentially charge them , based on publicly available information, with "intent to defraud the United States government based upon the war in Iraq."

Via RAW Pentagon: Secret Unit Couldn't Stop 9/11

Able Danger couldn't stop 9/11, the Aug 6 PDB couldn't stop it- nor could the numerous foreign intelligence agencies which also warned of impending attack- because this administration either did not care or they wanted it to happen. If one looks at the "Project for the New American Century" conclusions are obvious...

Sure they could be drug out in front of the Hague-but the international criminal court does not allow the death penalty. All Prissy is saying is there are some very limited cases which cry out for just such a penalty...

Geocities- Listen to General Peter Pace's mouth tell us soldiers have a DUTY to disobey illegal and/or immoral orders...so what is HE waiting for? Peter Pace talks out of the side of his mouth regarding illegal orders

Findlaw Thoughts on the "Bringing Terrorists to Justice Act of 2006" by John Dean

When the use of tribunals was first suggested in 2001, I was among those who thought it a sound concept. The devil, however, arrived later with the details. It never occurred to me (and most people) that Bush & Co. would design a system more befitting a totalitarian state than a democratic nation that once led the world by its good example. Nor was it anticipated that Bush would play endless politics with terrorism.

Not surprisingly, the U.S. Supreme Court has struck down the makeshift, draconian procedures that the Bush Administration employed for military tribunals. Not unexpectedly, the high Court's ruling in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld closed down the tribunals. Hamdan also provided a blueprint for the type of system that would pass constitutional muster, thus providing both the Administration and the Congress with guidelines that would get the job done.

The Court found many problems with Bush's tribunals, in Hamdan: There was no legal basis for their existence, given that they had been created by order of the president without Congressional authority. In charging Hamdan with the crime of conspiracy, they had created an offense unknown to the laws of war. Moreover, and most fundamentally, the tribunals ignored the standards of the Geneva Conventions.

It is some kind of sick neorepublican joke to hear Gonzo wax on about the "vagueness of Geneva". How odd that in fifty years, not one other lawyer has complained of Geneva being "vague" -but Prissy bets most lawyers have tried at least one case, unlike Gonzo...

This is one more example regarding how Gonzo's legal system treats honest people. Its a shame Gonzo ever got to do more with his life than picking vegetables. At least then he would not have harmed so many...Chief Chambers can finally appeal her case to a Federal Appeals Court Bitterly Divided Board Split on Validity of Charges and Whistleblower Protection

The MSPB majority rejected whistleblower and First Amendment defenses, devoting only one paragraph to its reasoning as to why it decided the removal was justified. The dissent, by contrast, found Ms. Chambers’ comments to be protected under federal whistleblower law. Moreover, the dissent found that every one of the four remaining administrative charges against Ms. Chambers (two had been rejected in an earlier ruling) were either not supported by the evidence or were actions not constituting any offense at all.

“We will immediately and vigorously pursue an appeal of this extremely questionable ruling,” stated PEER General Counsel Richard Condit, a lawyer for Chambers, noting that the Board majority took nearly 18 months to issue its barely 24-page decision. “If this ruling is allowed to stand, it will be much more difficult for civil servants to report security breakdowns free from official reprisal – a development that will leave this country far less secure.”

The legal issues in the Chambers case revolve around whether a federal employee can be fired for telling the truth in the absence of explicit rules barring disclosure. The case marks the first time that a new category of “law enforcement sensitive” information has been used as a basis for discipline. In addition, the case involves the right of federal employees to communicate with Congress.

The MSPB majority decision ignored a number of the more than 40 legal errors raised in Chambers’ petition. The majority also skipped over consideration of whether the charges against Chambers are even offenses that merit discipline.

LA Times Bush Bows to Senators on Detainees The White House agrees to new rules banning the most controversial CIA tactics but allowing a secret interrogation program to continue.

In a major concession to Arizona Sen. John McCain and other Republicans, the administration dropped its efforts to have Congress redefine U.S. obligations under the Geneva Convention. The compromise bill in effect bans the most controversial CIA interrogation tactics, including water boarding, a form of simulated drowning, said those involved in the negotiations.

At the same time, the agreement gives Bush the legal protections he said were needed to preserve a secret CIA interrogation program. The compromise bill would allow Bush the latitude to employ interrogation tactics which go beyond legal limits set for the U.S. military.

Both McCain and Bush hailed the agreement, saying their most important priorities had been met.

"There is no doubt that the integrity and letter and spirit of the Geneva Conventions have been preserved," McCain said after hours of closed-door, often tense negotiations.

Legal protections to cover their rears-but Prissy hopes that still won't be enough. Torture is wrong, the military has many studies disproving it as a means of eliciting accurate information.

Seattle Times U.S. troop numbers in Iraq not likely to drop soon

In recent days, U.S. military commanders have delivered a bleak message about Iraq: The number of American troops there is not likely to be substantially reduced anytime soon.

Yet the force may have been strained near the breaking point by frequent deployments to the region, say experts. That means in the months to come, the Pentagon could face increased pressure to expand the size of the active-duty Army, or rely even more heavily on call-ups of National Guard and Reserve units.

Recruiting more soldiers would take time. But any kind of action might be welcomed by those already in uniform, many of whom have served multiple tours of duty in the Middle East. "As a matter of fairness, we should be trying to help these people," says Michael O'Hanlon, a military expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

Well, at least the folks at the Brookings Institute care about our soldiers...

TBR too interesting not to print... and no one has proved him wrong yet. Voice of the White House Sept 19 2006

Washington, D.C., September 19, 2006:” I recall some time back, when a light plane strayed into the “Forbidden Zone” around the White House, a panic evacuation of the staff was hilarious to watch. All kinds of panting chubbies, clutching pictures of Mom or their favorite plant, waddled away from the supposedly doomed Monkey Palace, tongues out, eyes bulging with fright. Now, everything is reversed. Now the fear-crazed ones are rushing into the White House, babbling with animal fear. A stray plane? No, the perception (rarely spoken of before) that the GOP will for sure lose the House and very probably the Senate in November has raised the equal probability that if the Democrats are successful, many now looting and shoving baskets full of bribe money into their car trunks will end up disgraced and poverty stricken. But Our Beloved Leader, George Bush is in an actual state of acute fear that he might be impeached (likely) and, even more frightening, hauled before the World Court as a war criminal! Joy to contemplate! But George will not be alone. From someone in the French Embassy, I learn that “certain current American supporters” are actually plotting to commit blasphemy and make Bush and his vicious and lunatic cronies pay the price. I was told, partially in jest, that if the IDF dared to invade Lebanon again with French “peacekeepers” in place, they are under orders to return fire and blast the IDF into small pieces. Note that the French have a competent air force and Israel would then get back in spades what they did to the innocent Lebanese civilians. My French friend said, over lunch, that it was fine for Israel to slaughter Arab children and old people in Palestine and Gaza but when they encounter real men, they run away, whimpering. Egypt is being pressured by the Muslim Brotherhood to abrogate their treaty with Israel and join the other Arab states. Hezbollah has, in only a few weeks, proved the IDF to be a paper tiger and paper burns brightly. (See Blake on this)”

GNN The Washington Times? Racist? Sexist?

A nasty succession battle is now heating up at the paper, punctuated by allegations of racism, sexism and unprofessional conduct, that has implications far beyond its fractious newsroom. According to several reliable inside sources, Preston Moon, the youngest son of Korean Unification Church leader and Times financier Sun Myung Moon, has initiated a search committee to find a replacement for editor in chief Wesley Pruden—a replacement who is not Pruden’s handpicked successor, managing editor Francis Coombs.

All of the above...but it takes after its owner.

Demos Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell and DJFS Director Barbara Riley Named as Defendants in Lawsuit

A federal lawsuit filed in Cleveland today charges that Ohio's Secretary of State, Kenneth Blackwell, and the Director of its Department of Job and Family Services (DJFS), Barbara Riley, have violated the rights of thousands of low-income Ohioans by failing to provide voter registration opportunities in public assistance offices as required by the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). The NVRA is a federal law enacted 13 years ago to encourage voter registration and turnout in elections.

The lawsuit, brought by Carrie Harkless, Tameca Mardis and the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), alleges that offices of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services failed to provide Ms. Harkless, Ms. Mardis and thousands of other low-income Ohioans with the opportunity to register to vote or change their voter registration address during visits to DJFS offices to apply for or recertify their eligibility for public assistance benefits. Plaintiffs are represented by attorneys from the National Voting Rights Institute, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Dechert LLP, Brian Mellor of Project Vote, and Cleveland attorney Donna Taylor Kolis.

Mr. Blackwell isn't as popular as his pollsters are paid to say.

ABC Bush 'Taken Aback' by Musharraf Comment

In an interview to air Sunday on CBS-TV's "60 Minutes" program, Musharraf said that after the attacks, Richard Armitage, then deputy secretary of state, told Pakistan's intelligence director that the United States would bomb his country if it didn't help fight terrorists.

He said that Armitage had told him, "Be prepared to go back to the Stone Age."

Armitage disputed the language attributed to him but did not deny the message was a strong one, according to CBS.

Dubya, give a vieled threat through one of his hit men? Say it ain't so...Are we to believe Musharraf kept this to himself, all this time?

Quotes of the Day

The Argument from Intimidation is a confession of intellectual impotence.--Ayn Rand (1905 - 1982), The Virtue of Selfishness, 1964

He who strikes the first blow admits he's lost the argument.--Chinese Proverb

The most perfidious way of harming a cause consists of defending it deliberately with faulty arguments.--Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900), The Gay Science, section 19

Truth is truth.To the end of reckoning.--William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), "Measure for Measure", Act 5 scene 1