Bush Farts Monkeys

Bush Proposes Goals on Greenhouse Gas Emissions - New York Times

And if you think he meant anything he said about greenhouse gas emissions, then you probably believe the title of this post as well.

Deficit Much Larger Than Stated

USATODAY.com:

The federal government recorded a $1.3 trillion loss last year — far more than the official $248 billion deficit — when corporate-style accounting standards are used, a USA TODAY analysis shows.

The loss reflects a continued deterioration in the finances of Social Security and government retirement programs for civil servants and military personnel. The loss — equal to $11,434 per household — is more than Americans paid in income taxes in 2006.

And Sharks Have Bits Of Humans In Them

News in Science - Humans have a bit of shark in them - 30/05/2007

NOOOOOOooooooo!

Battlestar Galactica's Next Is Last Season

Darn!

Plame Sues C.I.A. for Blocking Her Memoir - New York Times

Plame Sues C.I.A. for Blocking Her Memoir - New York Times:
"Valerie Wilson, the former intelligence operative at the heart of an investigation that reached into the White House, sued the Central Intelligence Agency in federal court in New York yesterday over its refusal to allow her to publish a memoir that would discuss how long she had worked for the agency."

Yikes!

My Way News - Group Warns Russia Nuclear Dump Unstable: "OSLO, Norway (AP) - A nuclear waste dump in the Russia Arctic may be in danger of exploding because of corrosion caused by salt water in enormous storage tanks, the Norwegian environmental group Bellona warned Friday."

Uhm, Okay....

Think Progress » Report: In Meeting, ‘Wild-Eyed’ Bush Thumped Chest While Repeating ‘I Am The President!’

Time for a vacation, maybe a nice, peaceful cell....

Nearly 30 DOJ Officials Threatened To Quit After Ashcroft Hospital Visit

Appalled by the White House's heavy-handed attempt to coerce the gravely ill attorney general, virtually the entire top leadership of the Justice Department is threatening to resign.



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Solar Gets A Boost

40% efficient solar cells to be used for solar electricity

Conservative Catholics Organize To Sink Rudy | The Huffington Post

The early success of Rudy Giuliani's presidential bid has provoked a groundswell of opposition from disparate forces including conservative Catholics, remnants of Pat Buchanan's presidential campaigns and regional political operatives seeking to break into the Republican firmament.



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Bye-bye, Rudy -- Part 2

Conservative Catholics Organize To Sink Rudy | The Huffington Post:

The early success of Rudy Giuliani's presidential bid has provoked a groundswell of opposition from disparate forces including conservative Catholics, remnants of Pat Buchanan's presidential campaigns and regional political operatives seeking to break into the Republican firmament.

The opposition is united in its determination to block Giuliani, a supporter of abortion rights and gay rights, from becoming the GOP's standard bearer. But lurking just beneath the surface is another motive for these anti-Giuliani conservatives: cash. The groups hope to benefit from a large constituency of donors willing to write big checks to bring down the former New York City mayor. The donors include backers of Giuliani's competitors as well as ideologues of the right.

The new organizations are relying on two fundraising models, both of which were highly successful in previous attacks. One is the drive in 2005 to force White House counsel Harriet Miers to withdraw her nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. That campaign, spearheaded by conservatives opposed to Miers, raised an estimated $2 million. The other is the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth campaign in 2004, which began with a modest budget but ended up raising millions in an effort to destroy John Kerry's reputation as a war hero.

Just feel the warmth!

Empty Wheel Pays Appropriate Homage To Saint Libby

The Next Hurrah: I Present to You: Saint Libby:

Do you suppose anyone has told Saint Reagan he has been usurped?

The portrayal of Libby's work on the highly partisan Cox Committee--effectively a post-Iran-Contra attempt to blame Democrats for giving the Chinese nukes when in fact the Iran-Contra conspiracists seem to have, is equally, um, creative. And if you're wondering, Chris Cox does appear to be one of Libby's 160 admirers, celebrating him all the time as a paragon of bipartisan spirit.

Then there is the extended effort to paint Libby as open-minded, willing to listen to ideas contrary to his own. Like those of Joe Wilson, apparently. Or those of the large number of sane people who knew that the Iraq War was a disaster waiting to happen. It sure looks like he listened to them.

Libby should go to jail for blocking Fitzgerald from getting to the other criminals in the White House. In fact, he should be held until he reveals the verifiable truth about what happened in the White House and who is truly responsible for the Plame leak; i.e., until he turns state's evidence on Cheney and Rove.

Senator Kyl The Rat On FOIA Reform

Kyl Unmasked as 'Senator Secrecy' on FOIA Reform; Defends Big Government's First Line of Defense:

Sen. Jon Kyl, R-AZ, has conceded that he is the senator behind the secret hold on the proposed Open Government Reform Act of 2007, which would provide much-needed improvements in the federal Freedom of Information Act.

AP reports that Kyl explains his decision to place the secret hold on the bill as a result of 'uncharacteristically strong' objections from the Justice Department. Kyl will maintain his hold until supporters of the FOIA reform bill, which includes its primary architect, Sen. John Cornyn, R-TX, and opponents can work out their differences.

Yeah, like surrendering civil liberties and not expecting the government to respond to requests for information.

Notice that it's the Justice Department that raised the stink with Kyl to get him to block the reform bill. They are probably worried that with reform somebody might find out that they've secretly changed their name to the Voter Suppression In The Service Of The Class War And Saving The President From Impeachment Department.

Rove Doesn't Get His Way

Ex-aide to Rove resigns amid U.S. attorney flap - CNN.com:

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The former White House aide whose appointment to a U.S. attorney's post helped fuel the furor over the forced resignations of eight federal prosecutors will resign Friday, according to a news release.

Do you think, maybe, they were desperate to get somebody like Griffin into the U.S. attorney position in Little Rock because of a certain someone with the initials HRC running for president?

A congressional investigation into the firings is ongoing. E-mails released as part of the probe show that White House and Justice Department officials discussed for months how to get Griffin into the U.S. attorney's office in Little Rock.

The e-mails also revealed discussions about whether the Justice Department should tap a controversial provision of the Patriot Act allowing Gonzales to appoint U.S. attorneys without Senate confirmation.

They were certainly anxious to get this done. Something tells me it wasn't just because Rove thought he was a nice guy.

And The Worst News

My Way News - Bush Sees South Korea Model for Iraq:
"WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush envisions a long-term U.S. troop presence in Iraq similar to the one in South Korea where American forces have helped keep an uneasy peace for more than 50 years, the White House said Wednesday."

Except that S. Korean's aren't trying to blow us up or drive us out violently. Not yet, anyway.

Go, John!

My Way News - Edwards Wants Probe of High Gas Prices:
"SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards says a wave of mergers in the oil industry should be investigated by the Justice Department to see what impact they have had on soaring gasoline prices."I hope Edwards is a man of his word. I like most of his ideas about the economy, the middle-class and poor, the health system, and ending the occupation of Iraq. I just wish I could bring myself to trust anybody in politics these days to do the right things once they get into office. Still, I think he'd be way better than any Republican candidate, and most of the Democratic ones as well. He and Obama are my choice of best ticket, and I'm from New York State (hear me, Hillary? Cut your ties with Big Business and maybe we can reconcile)!

And More Bad News

U.S. Economic Growth Weakest in Over 4 Years - New York Times:
"The economy grew at less than half the rate first estimated in the first quarter, the Commerce Department said today in its revision of the nation’s gross domestic product."

And Some Bad News, Too

Melamine From U.S. Put in Feed - New York Times:

Ever since pet food contaminated with an industrial chemical was traced to shipments of wheat flour from China, American officials have concentrated on cracking down on imports.

It turns out the problem was closer to home, too.

Hey, Some Good News For A Change!

Coca-Cola and PepsiCo Agree to Curb Animal Tests - New York Times

Dems Trying To Right A Wrong

My Way News - Democrats Seek to Overturn Pay Ruling

Unbelievable!

Top NASA Official Doubts Global Warming:

Griffin's comments immediately drew stunned reaction from James Hansen, NASA's top climate scientist at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York.

'It's an incredibly arrogant and ignorant statement,' Hansen told ABC News. 'It indicates a complete ignorance of understanding the implications of climate change.'

Hansen believes Griffin's comments fly in the face of well-established scientific knowledge that hundreds of NASA scientists have contributed to.

'It's unbelievable,' said Hansen. 'I thought he had been misquoted. It's so unbelievable.'

And lest ye' think that this has nothing to do with BushCo and the wanton suppression of scientific truth -- as well as the subjugation of the quality of human life to corporate greed and profit -- consider this statement near the end of the article:

Last year, many NASA scientists were upset when reports surfaced that the agency had quietly deleted the phrase "to understand and protect our home planet" from the NASA mission statement. The scientists believe research on issues like climate change will suffer as NASA shifts priorities toward exploration missions to the moon and Mars.

Yeah, who cares about a little climate change here on Earth when WonderChimp is all excited about goin' to Mars?

THIS HAS TO BE ILLEGAL!

Minnesota case fits pattern in U.S. attorneys flap - Los Angeles Times

Okay, I'm no lawyer, but what Gonzales and the other cronies did about Heffelfinger's not going along with "voter fraud" investigations in order to suppress the native American vote and give Republican candidates a better chance of being elected MUST BE ILLEGAL in more ways than one. The civil rights issues alone should be more than enough to put away half of the Justice Department's top administrators.

Come on, Congress!!! Get it in gear, will you?! Jeezzzz!

No Kidding?

U.S., Iran near bottom of 'Peace Index' - World News - MSNBC.com:

WASHINGTON - The United States and Iran finished in a virtual dead heat, and way down the list, in a magazine's assessment of the peacefulness of 121 countries.

The United States placed 96th and Iran came in 97th on the global index released Wednesday by researchers at the Economist magazine.

Never would have guessed this would happen. I really thought Iran would be way ahead of the U.S. Much closes than I imagined.

It's About Time!

Some Hitherto Staunch G.O.P. Voters Souring on Iraq - New York Times

Iran Not The Only Source Of Weapons Being Used In Iraq

The First Post: Neighbours arm their proxies in Iraq's civil war:

What the American authorities are reluctant to admit, however, is that there are signs that the Sunnis of Saudi Arabia and their allies - including Jordan - have been equipping and training Sunni extremists in Iraq for some time now. Critically, not all the weaponry and munitions have been used against the militants' Shia and Kurdish Iraqi enemies. Some of them - including lethal roadside bombs - have been aimed at US forces.

'The growth of the official and unofficial Saudi and Jordanian support for the militants is one of the most worrying developments,' a senior British officer has told me privately after a visit to Iraq.

It's not difficult to understand why the Bushies don't bother to mention that their allies are also arming sectarian groups in Iraq, especially since some of these end up being used against American and coalition troops. The Bushies want people to concentrate on Iran and its drive for nuclear power, not on the support the Saudis and other Middle East players are giving to the Sunnis in Iraq.

I mean, what would people think if they were aware that some of the people who were actually responsible for the attacks of 9/11 were actively involved in making things worse for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, but were not shiites or alQaeda but rather those who prefer to pose as our allies in Middle East? Think you know who the real enemy is? Chances are, you're wrong, even when you're right.

IRAQ: From Worse to Worst?

IRAQ: From Worse to Worst?:
"ARBIL, Iraq, May 29 (IPS) - More than four months after the launch of the U.S. government's new Iraq strategy aimed at curbing violence in this war-torn country, the situation here shows no clear signs of improvement. Indeed, a recent report by a British think tank warns that Iraq is a 'failure' on the verge of 'collapse and fragmentation.' "

Cool!

Variety.com - NBC announces schedule, shows:

NBC announces schedule, shows
'Heroes' gets second series

I was complaining to the missus about my favorite shows going on hiatus and then losing their audience. Looks like NBC, at least, has figured out that the hiatus is a killer. Having a show's spinoff become the "filler" for a full season is a great idea, though having more episodes of the actual show would be nice. Anything as long as they don't break a good show's momentum and story line.

Plame Was Covert Agent At Time Of Leak -- MSNBC

No more denials! Valerie Plame was in fact a covert operative of the CIA when her name was leaked to the press by the White House. Despite attempt to bury this story with non-accurate description, the truth is out once and for all.



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Blood and oil: How the West will profit from Iraq's most precious commodity

The 'IoS' today reveals a draft for a new law that would give Western oil companies a massive share in the third largest reserves in the world. To the victors, the oil? That is how some experts view this unprecedented arrangement with a major Middle East oil producer that guarantees investors huge profits for the next 30 years



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Bush's Petro-Cartel Almost Has Iraq's Oil

Even as Iraq is on the verge of splintering into a sectarian civil war, four big oil companies are on the verge of locking up its massive, profitable reserves, known to everyone in the petroleum industry as "the prize.



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Big OIL plan to rip off Iraq for 30 years cited on floor of House

For the first time, a congressman talks about the central role of the oil industry in causing and continuing the Iraq War, including pushing for oil contracts that take up to 70% of the oil profits out of the country (and the oil companies don't have a very good track record of sharing the wealth with us either, do they?)



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Kucinich Reminds Congress And The People What It's Oil About

The Truth About Oil and Iraq | Kucinich for President 2008:

This administration has led Congress into thinking that this bill is about fair distribution of oil revenues. In fact, as I mentioned earlier, except for three scant lines, the entire 33-page hydrocarbon law creates a structure to facilitate the privatization of Iraq oil.

Now, the war in Iraq is a stain on American history. Let us not further besmirch our Nation by participating in an outrageous exploitation of a nation which is in shambles due to the U.S. intervention.

And without the World Wide Web, I probably would have missed this. It's not that I didn't know this already, but that somebody in Congress made it clear to the floor that this is the case, yet they go on as if they never heard such a thing.

Revealed: Why Your Sons and Daughters Died in Iraq

Excellent analysis of the role of oil in the Iraq situation.



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A Precedent Of Sorts

ABC News: U.S. Military Wanted to Provoke War With Cuba:

In the early 1960s, America's top military leaders reportedly drafted plans to kill innocent people and commit acts of terrorism in U.S. cities to create public support for a war against Cuba.

Code named Operation Northwoods, the plans reportedly included the possible assassination of Cuban émigrés, sinking boats of Cuban refugees on the high seas, hijacking planes, blowing up a U.S. ship, and even orchestrating violent terrorism in U.S. cities.

I often hear my middle-class friends say things like, "that's just conspiracy talk," and "nobody would ever really think of doing such a thing," when the subjects of 9/11 or American fascism come up. Let's face it, weird, devious and despicable conspiracies have been a part of the American political landscape for decades, if not centuries. This country wouldn't even exist without the original conspiracy formed to rebel against the British and fight the Revolutionary War. Why is it so difficult for most people to imagine anything like this happening again now? Just look at the level of deceit and dissembling going on at this time with the attorney firings, or the domestic surveillance hearings, or the flack about Iraq.

When will the majority of Americans come to see that this administration and its military leadership are capable of anything when it comes to advancing their cause? It's happened or nearly happened in the past with ostensibly better people and better justifications in some cases; why wouldn't we expect it to happen now?

Top Rove Aide, Sara Taylor, Implicated In Attorney Scandal

The Raw Story | Top Rove aide, implicated in Attorneys firings, clears out officeLooks like another White House "honey" is about to take a fall for the administration. I wonder if this one will actually reveal anything substantial to the investigation, or just throw somebody else under the bus in a misguided attempt to save the boss. I guess we'll find out.

Troops Want To Come Home, Know It's Over

Doubts Grow as G.I.’s in Iraq Find Allies in Enemy Ranks - New York Times:

With few reliable surveys of soldiers’ attitudes, it is impossible to simply extrapolate from the small number of soldiers in Delta Company. But in interviews with more than a dozen soldiers over a one-week period with this 83-man unit, most said they were disillusioned by repeated deployments, by what they saw as the abysmal performance of Iraqi security forces and by a conflict that they considered a civil war, one they had no ability to stop.

They had seen shadowy militia commanders installed as Iraqi Army officers, they said, had come under increasing attack from roadside bombs — planted within sight of Iraqi Army checkpoints — and had fought against Iraqi soldiers whom they thought were their allies.

“In 2003, 2004, 100 percent of the soldiers wanted to be here, to fight this war,” said Sgt. First Class David Moore, a self-described “conservative Texas Republican” and platoon sergeant who strongly advocates an American withdrawal. “Now, 95 percent of my platoon agrees with me.”

The Repuglicans keep saying the troops want victory, that they don't want to leave before the job is over. Well, it IS over, and most of the troops know it and want to come home.

We had no business going there. We have no business being there. The only, repeat ONLY, people who want the war in Iraq to continue are the defense contractors, weapons makers, and oil sellers.

Supporting our troops means protecting them from the profiteers and bringing them home, taking care of them and rewarding them for their service. The Bush administration's idea of "support" is to wrongfully send them into harm's way, keep them there long past any useful purpose, and then abandon them once they return home and leave service.

Arrest everybody in the White House and Pentagon that helped make this happen and put them on trial for war crimes and crimes against the U.S. military and the American people. Do this now, and save some lives.