Saturday, June 09, 2007

Olbermann: Latest J.F.K. Terror Plot *DEBUNKED!*

JUNE 03, 2007 KEITH OLBERMANN



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Yet Another Crony Resigns

Think Progress » Commerce Department Inspector General resigns.:
Facing multiple investigations and an impending report recommending he be punished for violating the whistle-blower protection law, Commerce Department Inspector General Johnnie E. Frazier resigned yesterday. Frazier is “the subject of three separate government investigations into allegations that he misspent his budget and retaliated against employees who raised concerns about his actions.” His resignation is effective June 29.
Couldn't happen to a nicer guy, unless it was Rove or Abu or Dick or....

Friday, June 08, 2007

Steeplejacking -- How the Christian Right is Hijacking Mainstream Religion

FTA: An unprecedented look inside the battle for religion in America, Steeplejacking: How the Christian Right is Hijacking Mainstream Religion exposes how a strident theocratic minority is attacking—or "steeplejacking"—mainstream churches in order to eliminate progressive voices and take control of America's historic mainline denominations.



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A Torturer Repents?

The Tortured Lives of Interrogators - washingtonpost.com:
Then a soldier's aunt sent over several copies of Viktor E. Frankel's Holocaust memoir, 'Man's Search for Meaning.' Lagouranis found himself trying to pick up tips from the Nazis. He realized he had gone too far.

At that point, Lagouranis said, he moderated his techniques and submitted sworn statements to supervisors concerning prisoner abuse.

'I couldn't make sense of the moral system' in Iraq, he said. 'I couldn't figure out what was right and wrong. There were no rules. They literally said, 'Be creative.' '

Lagouranis blames the Bush administration: 'They say this is a different kind of war. Different rules for terrorists. Total crap.'
I read the same book by Frankel for freshman class in college. I don't remember thinking of the torture mentions as anything to learn from beyond the cruelty of man to man. But then, I'm not a torturer.

As to that, it would seem that inhuman situations easily lead to inhuman responses. Lagouranis is an American and was told by his superiors to "be creative" in the pursuit of information at all costs. Of course, the quality of information gained by torture is less than useful for anything other than being able to say it was gained. Like the use of torture in the Spanish Inquisition or any other witch-hunt conflagration, it becomes an end in itself. It is not a "true" interrogation technique since it does not produce useful information in most cases, and even the rare occasions when it does are so random as to be of no value anyway since they cannot be depended upon, or even evaluated, until verified by other means which would have sufficed in the first place.

The ends can never justify the means. Once we begin to use the methods we assign to our enemies, we become like them and have lost the real war.

Gonzales no-confidence vote set for Monday

Just like the headline says, the Senate's version of the Gonzales no-confidence vote has been set for Monday.



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Impeachment on a Roll

Since Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) filed his impeachment bill against Cheney back April 24, five other members of the House have signed on as co-sponsors



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Another Bush Crony Won't Give Up His Post

Complaints Heard About NASA Inspector General - washingtonpost.com:
The report of the Integrity Committee, made up of three inspectors general, a top FBI official and other senior ethics officers, said that Cobb had abused his authority by mistreating his staff. It also found that he had created the appearance of a lack of independence by lunching, drinking and golfing with top NASA officials. The committee, which was established by the executive branch, did not find substance to charges that Cobb had improperly overlooked safety complaints by whistle-blowers.

Cobb said the Integrity Committee's 'criticisms are not based on facts or law and are wrong.'

Inspectors general are appointed to serve as watchdogs for major federal agencies.
So, what is it with these people? It comes out that they acted without integrity, unethically, or outright broke the law, and all they have to do is refuse to leave? Where are the "teeth" in the checks and balances system? Is Justice so corrupted, and ethics so foreign to this government, that no crime goes punished? Are there any laws still in effect at the White House, its branch of government, or at Justice? What's happened to this country?!

Cheney's Law

Official: Cheney Urged Wiretaps - washingtonpost.com:
Comey's disclosures, made in response to written questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee, indicate that Cheney and his aides were more closely involved than previously known in a fierce internal battle over the legality of the warrantless surveillance program. The program allowed the National Security Agency to monitor phone calls and e-mails between the United States and overseas.

Comey said that Cheney's office later blocked the promotion of a senior Justice Department lawyer, Patrick Philbin, because of his role in raising concerns about the surveillance.
Where does the big Dick get off telling the Justice Department what is or is not legal? No wonder this country is sinking into despotism. Look who's giving the orders!

Godless in Union Square

A new book describes how the boomer generation is retreating from its ideals and becoming part of the militaristic majority. As the American Empire crumbles, everybody grabs for what they can. Some revelations from Nancy Pelosi's daughter make for some very grim, very important considerations for the too-near future.



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Thursday, June 07, 2007

Another Woman Journalist Killed In Afghanistan

Afghans Seek Men Who Killed Broadcaster as She Slept - New York Times

Whether it's the Taliban or just Islamist militants of some other ilk, this is disgraceful. What kind of "democracy" exists in Afghanistan, and where will it be a few years down the road if women are suppressed and forced to be subservient once again in the name of Islam or any other pretense?

Human rights, especially those of women, are trampled every day in most of the Middle East. Our invasions and occupations have not helped (and in the case of Iraq, have hurt). We need to raise the standard of living for the general population in this and other regions. Sanctions and war will not change the situation and only seem to make it worse.

Yeah, We'll Get Back To You On That

Europe and U.S. Reach Climate Deal - New York Times:
"HEILIGENDAMM, Germany, June 7 — The United States agreed today to “seriously consider” a European proposal to combat global warming by halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, breaking a trans-Atlantic deadlock at a meeting here of the world’s richest industrial nations."

Don't expect anything concrete from this administration when it comes to cutting carbon emissions. It's just more smoke and mirrors (mostly smoke) to keep the base happy while the cartels continue to pump and make a fortune.

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

What About The Rule Of Law?

FTA: "Pardoning Libby would send the public the message that this White House thinks it is above the law. It's a point critics have made time and time again, whether it relates to the treatment of detainees, warrantless wiretapping or the purge of insufficiently partisan U.S. attorneys. But this time, the charge just might really stick."



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Pakistan Arrests Hundreds From Opposition Parties

Things are getting worse for "democracy" in Pakistan. FTA: "A government-led crackdown against the news media and the political opposition intensified here Tuesday, with hundreds of party workers arrested and television stations bracing for raids."



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Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Bush's Libby Dilemma

Bush Faces Libby Pardon Dilemma - washingtonpost.com:
The 2-1/2 year sentence imposed on former White House aide I. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby today puts new pressure on President Bush, who may soon confront the choice of triggering a fresh political storm by pardoning a convicted perjurer or letting one of the early architects of his administration head off to prison.

Libby, who served as assistant to the president and chief of staff to Vice President Cheney until his indictment in late 2005, was ordered to serve 30 months behind bars and pay a $250,000 fine for committing perjury and obstruction of justice in the CIA leak case. But most disturbing to the White House may be comments by the judge indicating that he is inclined to order Libby to begin serving the sentence right away.
So either way, BushCo gets the short end of the stick. Maybe Libby will wax more candid once he's had a few weeks in the cooler. I'm betting (hoping?) Bush pardons him, because it would be easier for him (and Cheney) to withstand the shit-storm a pardon causes than the shit-hurricane a singing Libby would set off.

Jefferson Steps Down

Jefferson Steps Down From House Panel - washingtonpost.com

No Kidding?

An Unacceptable Nominee - New York Times:
"President Bush’s latest appeals court nominee, Leslie Southwick, has a disturbing history of insensitivity to blacks and other minority groups. The Senate should reject this nomination and make clear to the White House that it will reject all future nominees who do not meet the high standards of fairness that are essential for such important posts."

Would BushCo ever nominate anybody to anything with an eye toward doing the right thing for the people? No, not likely. This is one more reason we should impeach BushCo now before any more damage can be done.

Nancy, You Got Some 'Splainin' To Do!

WP: Discontent over Iraq increasing, poll finds - washingtonpost.com Highlights - MSNBC.com:
"Growing frustration with the performance of the Democratic Congress, combined with widespread public pessimism over President Bush's temporary troop buildup in Iraq, has left satisfaction with the overall direction of the country at its lowest point in more than a decade, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll."

I have to admit, I'm getting pissed off with the Congressional Dems myself. They're listening to the DCCC too much and not enough to the DNC and their constituents. They know why we elected them, and they're not making it happen.

My two senators (I live in New York state) voted against the Iraq spending bill, but my congressperson, Kirsten Gillibrand, voted for it. She obviously wasn't listening. She should start doing so real soon if she wants to stay where she is for more than a term.

Scooter Going To Jail

My Way News - Libby Sentenced to 2 1/2 Years in Prison:
"WASHINGTON (AP) - Former White House aide I. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison Tuesday for lying and obstructing the CIA leak investigation."

Go F**k Yourself, Dick!

Court Rebuffs F.C.C. on Fines for Indecency - New York Times:
"If President Bush and Vice President Cheney can blurt out vulgar language, then the government cannot punish broadcast television stations for broadcasting the same words in similarly fleeting contexts."

Monday, June 04, 2007

Mushareff Cracks Down On Media In Pakistan

Current regulations related to television have been extended to the internet and mobile phones.Some regulations on who is allowed to be licensed to broadcast in Pakistan have been extended to cover "any foreign non-governmental organisation".



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I Love Vermont!

The Breakway Republic Of Vermont? , Small Cadre Of Writers And Academics Plots A Secession Strategy - CBS News:
"Disillusioned by what they call an empire about to fall, a small cadre of writers and academics is plotting political strategy and planting the seeds of separatism."

I hope they can get away with this. It gives me hope for this sad, sad world.

Reasons We Are In Iraq

The REAL reasons.



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U.S. Cutting Back On Climate Monitoring

U.S. scientists will soon lose much of their ability in space to monitor for global warming...As President Bush heads to a summit of industrial nations in Germany with a new initiative to reduce the greenhouse gases blamed for climate change, his administration is cutting back on efforts to measure their effects.



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Sunday, June 03, 2007

Was JFK Plot Another Overblown Distraction?

FTA: "Richard Kuprewicz, a pipeline expert and president of Accufacts Inc., an energy consulting firm that focuses on pipelines and tank farms, said the force of explosion would depend on the amount of fuel under pressure, but it would not travel up and down the line."



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Pray the Gay Away

George W. Bush has nominated a Surgeon General who promotes healing gays by praying away their lifestyle. Yup, you read that right: Bush's nominee for Surgeon General believes that gays should just pray harder to be cured of their choice. Except, of course, he doesn't want gays to minister or become church members...



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U.S. - India Nuke Deal Talks Breakdown

The US and India have failed to resolve differences over a proposed landmark deal on nuclear co-operation after three days of negotiations in Delhi.



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