Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Take Me Out to the Ball Game...Updated Again!

Dearest Readers, Grab the popcorn. Watching what will unfold in the next month, will be unlike anything you could ever imagine in American history. Stay tuned.

Bush attending Opening Day to throw out ceremonial first pitch

CINCINNATI -- President George W. Bush will throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the Cincinnati Reds' Opening Day game against the Chicago Cubs.

The Reds and Cubs will play Monday, April 3 at 2:10 p.m. ET at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.

Bring signs! Let Dubya know he is not welcome in Ohio!

Thursday UPDATE: Bushies, the CPR for your GOP is just not working... This just in! Ex Federal Prosecutor, State Dept. Agent Indicted for Obstruction of Justice and Presenting False Evidence in Terrorism Trial

WASHINGTON, March 29 /U.S. Newswire/ -- A former federal prosecutor and a Department of State special agent were indicted by a federal grand jury today in Detroit on charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and making false declarations in the 2003 terrorism trial United States v. Koubriti in the Eastern District of Michigan, the Department of Justice announced today.

Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard G. Convertino, 45, of Canton, Mich., and Regional Security Officer Harry Raymond Smith III, 49, were named in the indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Detroit. The grand jury also charged Convertino with obstruction of justice in a second criminal case in the Eastern District of Michigan described only as United States v. John Doe.

Convertino was the lead federal prosecutor in Koubriti, a criminal case in Detroit, in which four defendants were charged with providing material support for terrorism and document fraud. Smith was an assistant Regional Security Officer with the Diplomatic Security Service of the Department of State at the American embassy in Amman, Jordan, from 1999 through July 2002. In that capacity, Smith assisted in the investigation of the Koubriti case and testified as a government witness at the Koubriti trial.

National Journal -Bushies, your day in the sun is done...PREWAR INTELLIGENCE Insulating Bush March 30, 2006

Karl Rove, President Bush's chief political adviser, cautioned other White House aides in the summer of 2003 that Bush's 2004 re-election prospects would be severely damaged if it was publicly disclosed that he had been personally warned that a key rationale for going to war had been challenged within the administration. Rove expressed his concerns shortly after an informal review of classified government records by then-Deputy National Security Adviser Stephen J. Hadley determined that Bush had been specifically advised that claims he later made in his 2003 State of the Union address -- that Iraq was procuring high-strength aluminum tubes to build a nuclear weapon -- might not be true, according to government records and interviews.

Hadley was particularly concerned that the public might learn of a classified one-page summary of a National Intelligence Estimate, specifically written for Bush in October 2002. The summary said that although "most agencies judge" that the aluminum tubes were "related to a uranium enrichment effort," the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research and the Energy Department's intelligence branch "believe that the tubes more likely are intended for conventional weapons."

Three months after receiving that assessment, the president stated without qualification in his January 28, 2003, State of the Union address: "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa. Our intelligence sources tell us that he has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes suitable for nuclear weapons production."

Three months? Not just a little liar, a BIG one.

Stephen Hadley, National Security Advisor Flashback-16 December 2004 (Hat tip to Special Prosecutor Bolixi for this article)

Unknown to the public at large, Stephen Hadley has carried on a brilliant career in the shadow of Brent Scowcroft and Condoleeza Rice. A business lawyer convicted of fraud, he became the lawyer of the largest arms manufacturer in the world, Lockheed Martin. He trained the candidate George W. Bush, wrote up the new nuclear doctrine, prepared the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, supervised new entries into NATO, and sold the invasion of Iraq. Ever faithful, he protected Bush the father from the Irangate scandal and Bush the son from the lies of the Iraq war. He now finds himself rewarded by becoming National Security Advisor.

And...

At the beginning of the 1980s, Mr. Steven Hadley set up an insurance fraud of close to 1.1 million dollars. He was discovered, found guilty by a court in Iowa, and forced to reimburse the money. To erase any trace to his crime, he changed his name to Stephen John Hadley.

When Ronald Reagan took the White House, Mr. Hadley stayed in the private sector. However, in 1986, the Irangate scandal broke. President Reagan appointed a commission of three wise men to look into it. It was composed of the Texan Senator John Tower, Edmund Muskie [1], and Brent Scowcroft who called once more Stephen J. Hadley to his side. In spite of the implausibility, the commission concluded that President Reagan and Vice-President Bush were innocent. They found that the financing of the Contras in Nicaragua through the trafficking of drugs and illegal weapons sales to Iran was a secret initiative of over-zealous members of the National Security Council, put into place without the knowledge of their superiors.

This is the same guy who, in so many words, told Cindy Sheehan when protesting outside Dubya's Crawford, TX ranch she was making a fool of herself calling attention to the war like this. Hadley and the other neocons intended to keep this war on the back pages, so Americans could forget about it-just like they did in Vietnam...

Dearest Readers, Beware of men who attempt to disgrace Gold Star mothers-as they have much to deflect and project. Hadley-whom never donned the uniform- is in part responsible for the deaths, injuries and debt of this war. Tell all of your friends...he is guilty of insurance fraud. Birds of a feather, Granny says.

If the prosector had actually cleaned up the mess during Watergate and the Iran-Contra Affair- these goons would have been tossed out of public service long ago. "Public service" is not what they wanted anyway. Making a killing off the backs and blood of our soldiers are what this type is responsible for.

Prissy will petition to ban anyone convicted of a felony in office, from ever holding an office of public trust again...

US journalist is set free in Iraq

Iraqi police said Ms Carroll had been dropped off at the offices of the Iraqi Islamic Party in western Baghdad and was in good health.

Mr Bergenheim said it appeared that US troops played no part in Ms Carroll's release.

This really is some good news from Iraq.

From India Daily Mar. 29, 2006 Saudi Arabia on its way to make the nuclear bomb with the secret help of Pakistani nuke scientists

According to media reports, Saudi Arabia is working secretly on a nuclear programme, with help from Pakistani experts, the German magazine Cicero reports in its latest edition, citing western security sources.

And...

According to western security services, the magazine added, Saudi scientists have been working since the mid-1990s in Pakistan, a nuclear power since 1998 thanks to the work of the now-disgraced Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan.

But Dubya said no one else can have nukes. (Except Israel, a government with such a sterling record for truth that they don't even need to claim they have them) Got that? Forward any questions to the White House...

Zaman, a Turkish paper Violence in Iraq Forces Muslim Sects to Relocate

This domestic migration is taking place not only among cities but also among the Sunni and Shiite neighborhoods of the big cities, such as Bagdat (Baghdad).

Many tents and temporary settlements have been established to shelter the thousands of Iraqis who become homeless in the central and southern part of the country especially.

The International Organization for Migration predicts the sectarian migration is likely continue until Iraqi families are settled into areas where their sect dominates.

Reports in the media suggest that this movement will cause division in Iraq, a country on the threshold of civil war based on ethnic and sectarian conflict.

Flashback from the Prospect Phoenix Rising

The latest offensives, combined with the counterinsurgency efforts, seem partly aimed at convincing Rove that there's no choice but to continue to gamble that the Iraqi venture will pay off. "This is an unusual president," says Richard Perle, an AEI fellow, member of the Defense Policy Board and perhaps the chief architect of U.S. Iraq policy. "He risked his presidency to do this in Iraq." But Perle is worried that politics could trump policy. "I hope it doesn't become a political issue, because that would encourage all of those who want us to fail, all of those arrayed against us," he says. "If we were to retreat, I shudder to think of the wave of terrorism it would unleash."

Richard Perle, coward and one of the neocon architects of the war upon Iraq. Perle's nickname is "The Prince of Darkness" - He has a hole where his soul should be. Perle should pay heavily for his own contribution to world terrorism...

From the Australian US asked to cede Iraq control

IRAQ'S ruling parties have demanded US forces cede control of security as the government investigated a raid on a Shiite mosque complex that ministers said involved "cold blooded" killings by US-led troops.

US commanders rejected the charges and said their accusers faked evidence by moving bodies of gunmen killed fighting Iraqi troops in an office compound. It was not a mosque, they said.

And...

Despite confusions, one thing was certain: Shiite leaders are up in arms against the US forces who brought them to power by ousting Saddam Hussein's Sunni-dominated Baathist regime.

Why Should Anyone Worry About Whose Communications Bush and Cheney Are Intercepting, If It Helps To Find Terrorists? by John Dean

Both Republicans and Democrats have raised questions about the administration's defiance of the law in the name of fighting terrorism. One organization at the forefront of concern about this blatant lawbreaking is the ACLU - which recently convened a panel in Washington to discuss this subject. This broad-based dialogue, in which I participated, certainly added to my understanding. Not surprisingly, it raised issues that need further attention.

One, in particular, that has been gnawing at me, is the question why anyone should worry about the government listening in on conversations if they are doing nothing wrong. This is an old question that often arises in issues relating to privacy. Yet frankly, it still annoys me every time it is asked.

Yes, they assume the people employing these methods will use them only with a noble cause. The statutes in the Patriot Act are ripe for abuse.

Statement of U.S. Senator Russ Feingold In Response to Chairman Specter'’s Comments Regarding the Scheduled Hearing on the Censure ResolutionMarch 28, 2006

There is no truth to the claim made today by Chairman Specter that I have asked for a postponement of Friday'’s hearing on the censure resolution and I am very puzzled how the Chairman could have reached that conclusion. I hope the Chairman is not backing away from his commitment to hold the hearing on Friday morning.

Charlie Sheen's Statement to the London Guardian

Observe the same data I have. Submit a formal request to the Pentagon or the DOD to release video PROOF that flight 77 did exactly as they claim. You will be stonewalled. You will be dismissed unconditionally. If there is nothing to hide - why are they hiding it? To avoid any confusion - I reiterate: Building Seven - Pentagon video documentation.

If any portion, or portions of this text is any way deleted or manipulated, you will only confirm what myself and countless others have suspected all along: Media complicity with no interest in the truth. A CNN poll at the time of this writing currently sits at 84 percent IN SUPPORT of my views.

Democrats website VIA Whatreallyhappened- well cited article "White House Memo" Drives a Stake into the Heart of White House LiesBy Bob Fertik

We marched by the millions before the war and predicted misery and horror, and we were right. When the Downing Street Memos proved Bush planned war all along, we created our own media (http://afterdowningstreet.org) to tell the story the Corporate Media refused to tell. When we got tired of being ignored, we commissioned our own polls and began a grassroots impeachment movement (http://impeachpac.org) to tell Congress and the media that we would ultimately hold Bush accountable for his lies.

And now we have reached a turning point in our "long march" for Truth. Everyone in the world knows in their heart that Bush lied. Soon everyone will say it out loud: Bush Lied. When millions of Americans say those two simple words - and the media finally joins us - Bush's reign of fear will come to a crashing halt.

That day cannot come soon enough for the people of America and the world.

Abramoff Gets Almost 6 Years in Prison

Abramoff pleaded guilty in January to conspiracy and wire fraud charges, acknowledging he faked documents to get a $60 million loan to buy the SunCruz fleet of gambling ships in 2000. He is also cooperating with a federal probe into influence peddling within the U.S. Congress.

And in the Yahoo update...

The same week Abramoff pleaded guilty to the SunCruz fraud, he entered guilty pleas to three federal charges as part of a wide-ranging corruption probe that could involve up to 20 members of Congress and aides, including former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas. No date has been set for his sentencing in that case.

To go from looking at 30 years and no deal to five years, 10 months- you can bet he is telling everything he knows. Which is alot!

Flashback but still interesting, from Think Progress Abramoff: The House That Jack Built A comprehensive look at the potential scope of the "biggest scandal in Congress in over a century"“. (For readers who want to see the big list of people involved with Ambramoff's dirty laundry)

A tasteless photo, funny all the same in light of the above-notice Jack in background

Senate Votes Down Outside Ethics Office Of course they did. They know they are incapable of being held to a creed of ethics.

On a 67 to 30 vote, the Senate defeated a bipartisan proposal to create an office of public integrity, which its backers said was designed to strengthen enforcement of Senate rules and bolster voters' trust in Congress in the aftermath of the guilty plea in January of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

From MSNBC - Do you agree with President Bush that real progress is being made in Iraq? * 23109 responses

Yes 18%

No 82%

Take note of the latest polls, Bushies. Dubya's brand of government is so pre-911...and wait until they find all there is to know about 911. Where will they and their supporters be welcome once those revelations come out? And they will, as there is no stopping this 911 freight train. Hollywood is convinced, it is a matter of time until the rest of America follows. There are already some excellent documentaries...google Loose Change.

Rumsfeld: U.S. Gets A 'D' In War Of Ideas

Rumsfeld made the remark in response to a question from a member of his audience at the Army War College, where he delivered a speech on the challenges facing the country in fighting a global war on terrorism.

"If I were grading I would say we probably deserve a 'D' or a 'D-plus' as a country as to how well we're doing in the battle of ideas that's taking place in the world today," he told his questioner. "I'm not going to suggest that it's easy, but we have not found the formula as a country" for countering the extremists' message.

Rumsfeld's audience consisted of more than 300 war college students and faculty members.

That really takes nerve, blaming the Army for Rummy's mistakes.

Rummy, the "D" was for thee and not "we"...As the U.S. Army War College warned you and your neocons. They told you all about terrorism causes and using a pre-emptive war doctrine-and that your plan was not strategically sound.

Prissy gives you a big fat "F". You failed the course as well as the test. And Geez Rummy, it was an open book test! The Army gets a huge A++ for restraint...

Your friend didn't test well, either. See below:

(Click to enlarge any photo)

Military Veterans and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

A good resource. Prissy will tell you, having studied Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)is that it appears to be the result of biochemical changes which occur under periods of extreme and dangerous (or momentary) stressors. Usually when ones life is endangered. Achilles of Vietnam is a good book to understand better about combat related PTSD. Treatment is very effective, so why suffer? Much like diabetes, Prissy promises you wouldn't miss it.

UK Times Online 3-19-06 "Impeach Bush" chorus grows

Feingold gave notice that the party should stop "cowering" before Bush on national security issues."If there's any Democrat out there who can't say the president has no right to make up his own laws, I don't know if that Democrat really is the right (presidential) candidate," he said.

Plenty of his Senate colleagues ducked for cover, fearful of alienating either party activists or swing voters. The eavesdropping issue is one of the few hot-button topics where Bush has public support. One leading supporter of Hillary Clinton acknowledged ruefully: "It's hard to beat the argument, "If Al-Qaeda is on the line, we want to be listening".

Hillary, Prissy used to be a fan until you started acting too much like one of the boys. No vote for you...you've done nothing to support our troops, plenty for the war.

From The Oregonian VIA News2UOregon suit tests Bush wiretaps

An Ashland charity's case, called a strong challenge, seeks to have the secret spying declared illegal.

The suit seeks damages and a declaration that the wiretapping program is illegal. Half a dozen other lawsuits around the nation challenge the "Terrorist Surveillance Program," but only the Oregon case claims to have specific evidence of it.

"I think it is the most important of all those lawsuits. This goes to the head of the line," said Christopher H. Pyle, a constitutional law expert and a professor at Mt. Holyoke College in Massachusetts. "These plaintiffs can prove that they were spied on."

The suit could redefine how much authority a president has to defend against threats to national security.

Wave bye-bye to Dubya and Gonzo...the Constitution and F.I.S.A. have already defined the authority of the president and a court challenge is oh-so-welcome.

Ladies and Gentlemen: I present to you- a certified "moonbat"

Some Gay Couples Adopt to Molest, State Rep Says (Obviously she knows nothing about the foster care system either)

Rep. Debra Maggart, R-Hendersonville, said she still believes homosexual couples should not be allowed to adopt children. In fact, in addition to e-mail correspondence with a master's student at Vanderbilt publicized recently, in which she said as much, she has also said homosexual couples may molest the children they adopt.

And...(Dr.)Harris said a career in pediatrics has shown children of gay and lesbian parents turn out just fine.

Maggert said it's just the opposite, and the research she's read comes from a variety of sources, including the ACLU and Focus on the Family, a Christian group.

Ms. Maggert should probably try more reputable sources, like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association.

Quotes of the Day

Don't call everyone you don't like, Hitler. Bush is not Hitler. For one thing, Hitler was a decorated frontline combat veteran. Also, in the election that brought him to power in 1933, Hitler got more votes than the other candidates.-- Bill Maher

Stupid is forever, ignorance can be fixed.--Don Wood

Nothing astonishes men so much as common sense and plain dealing.--Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882), 'Art,' 1841

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

Everyone rises to their level of incompetence.--Laurence J. Peter (1919 - 1988), "The Peter Principle"

Men have become the tools of their tools.--Henry David Thoreau

It is never too late to give up your prejudices.--Henry David Thoreau

The Prissy Patriot will return Friday with Nancy's post "Lies by The Bush Adminstration". Check back for hot news updates.