Year: 2007

McCain Was for ‘Precipitous Withdrawal’ before He Was Against It

Jon Ponder

Sen. John McCain is out banging the drum for Bush-style perpetual war by strongly criticizing the Democrats’ plan to redeploy troops from Iraq, which, via Rove talking points, he calls a “precipitous withdrawal.”

Well, look who was for precipitous withdrawals in the 1990s:

October 1994 — McCain argued for the precipitous withdrawal of U.S. forces from Haiti: “In my view that does not mean as soon as order is restored to Haiti. It does not mean as soon as democracy is flourishing in Haiti. It does not mean as soon as we have established a viable nation in Haiti. As soon as possible means as soon we can get out of Haiti without losing any American lives.” [Senate Floor, 10/6/94]

October 1993 — McCain argued against giving any strategy the chance to succeed in Somalia: “Mr. President, can anyone seriously argue that another 6 months of United States forces in harm’s way means the difference between peace and prosperity in Somalia and war and starvation there? Is that very dim prospect worth one more American life? No, it is not.” [Senate Floor, 10/14/93]

GOP Rep. Renzi Alleged to Have Concealed $200k Payment

Pensito Editors

The Hill:

Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) failed to disclose a $200,000 payment he received from a business partner in 2005 in apparent violation of House ethics rules. Prosecutors could use the omission as evidence that Renzi intended to conceal a transaction he knew to be controversial or even improper.

The $200,000 was a payment from James Sandlin to settle a debt related to a previous business transaction involving land in northeast Arizona, one of the lawmaker’s attorneys, Grant Woods, told a newspaper last week.

However, Renzi did not disclose the payment in his 2005 required income filings with the House clerk.

Poll: 64% Support Dems’ War Timetable

Jon Ponder

CBS News poll:

Sixty-four percent of those surveyed favor setting a timetable for a U.S. troop pullout by 2008. The Senate passed legislation Thursday that would require the withdrawal of U.S. forces to begin by Oct. 1.

Most also believe Congress, not the president, should have the final word on setting troop levels in Iraq. But they do not want Democrats to cut off funding for the war if the president is unwilling to agree on a timetable.

Ryan Skipper Foundation Fundraiser April 29 in Auburndale, Fla.

Jon Ponder

The newly formed Ryan Skipper Foundation is holding a silent auction fundraiser on Sunday, April 29, at the Auburndale Civic Center at 119 West Park St. in Auburndale, Florida.

Activities include a mural painting at 3:00 p.m., with Harmonious Universe, and entertainment and the auction at 7:30 p.m. Performers will include Katherine Novots, Amy De Milo, Stephanie Shippae, Summer and more.

Entry is a $10.00 donation that will go to a scholarship fund in in Ryan’s memory at Traviss Career Center.

McCain On Gonzales — ‘Nobody Asked Me’

Buck Banks

In a post earlier today, I quoted John McCain as telling The Politico that nobody had asked him whether Attorney General Alberto Gonzales should resign. That no one would ask one of the putative GOP front-runners in the prez election what he thought about what is rapidly becoming a non-partisan issue struck an alert Editor Trish as odd. So she sent me back to the Internets to see what I could find.

‘That’s why I think the attorney general would be serving the man he admires and has been friends with for many, many years by stepping down.’
— John McCain

Indeed, either McCain’s memory is as bad as Gonzales’ or he is lying about being asked the question before yesterday when he said Gonzales should resign.

This quote ran in an April 20 story about gun control in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shootings:

Yesterday, McCain reiterated his strong support for the war in Iraq and was noncommittal on the future of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. McCain said he believes how Gonzales handled yesterday’s hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee will be a key factor in whether he should remain in office or resign.

This ran yesterday:

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., told reporters in New Hampshire as he officially declared his presidential candidacy that he would have more to say on Gonzales on Thursday. Then, he told CNN’s Larry King that he was “very disappointed” in Gonzales’ performance and, asked whether Gonzales should step down, said: “I think that out of loyalty to the president that that would probably be the best thing that he could do.”

But that’s all I could find. Maybe they didn’t ask, or maybe McCain just didn’t tell.

This is the rest of what McCain told The Politico yesterday, before he blabbed to Larry King:

“But the Justice Department is the last institution of government where there should be any politicization of any kind. We’re talking about the administration of Justice.

“That’s why I think that the situation has been very frustrating to a lot of people. But I also think it’s probably harmed the president. That’s why I think the attorney general would be serving the man he admires and has been friends with for many, many years by stepping down.”

Asked why the situation had been allowed to drag on so long, McCain said: “I really don’t know. You see these things happen and it’s pretty easy for you to figure out.” But he added that it can be less clear “inside the bubble.”

McCain also said ruefully that he had no insight into communication among the president’s inner circle. “As you know,” he said with a mischievous smile, “I’m not the most frequent visitor to the White House.”

And the way McCain’s campaign is going, it doesn’t look like his White House visit frequency is going to increase any time soon.

Tenet on CIA’s ‘Enhanced Interrogation Techniques’

Jon Ponder

George Tenet’s book, “At the Center of the Storm,” will be published soon, and the former CIA director (and Medal of Freedom winner) is kicking off the publicity campaign with an interview on 60 Minutes, on Sunday, April 29, 2007.

“Let me say that again to you. We don’t torture people. OK?”
— George Tenet

In an article about the CBS website, it appears that Tenet wrote the book more to clear his name than to settle scores, as many us hoped. At the top of his list is correcting the record about the story he advised the president that invading Iraq would be a “slam dunk.” He says the Bushies have misrepresented what happened in order to make him a fall guy for the WMD fiasco.

Much more interesting is what he has to say about accusations that the CIA tortured its terror suspects. He denies it (at least three times), insisting instead that “enhanced interrogation techniques” were used — and that they saved lives:

[…]

Is That Christ I Smell?

Trish

Want to literally smell divine? Thanks to a new perfume, which supposedly mimics the scent given off by Christ and the saints, you can!

The makers of “Virtue” say they were guided by the Lord in picking their product’s name, ingredients — including apricot, fig, pomegranate, frankincense, and myrrh — logo and bottle design. Who knew Jesus was such a marketing whiz?

We turned to the Bible and let Spirit guide us through the process of picking and choosing the right elements to include in the fragrance…

What was right? When the Spirit let us know, through both, an inner knowing and outer worldly confirmation. The worldly confirmation was a process of holding to our Inspirations, even when our “deadlines” were not met. Holding our Faith, when money and circumstances were not always in alignment with our intent to move ahead. Even, when our suppliers delayed us by either internal practices or personal bias.

Well isn’t that commendable? These folks soldiered on because it was their mission to bring a new perfume to the world. A perfume that costs only $80 per 1.7 ounce bottle. And for which Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and PayPal are accepted. I’m inspired!

The thing is, you want to smell right when you commune with your creator.

…if you choose to use is as it’s creators intended, it’s a simple matter. Spray your wrist(s) and prepare yourself to begin a spiritual practice that you are familiar with; prayer, meditation, contemplation, etc…

All the while, Feel, in the Stillness, the Presence that is your Spiritual Self. Smell your wrist. Let Virtue’s scent wrap this Awareness with it’s unique character that is slowly transitioning into your own Signature version of Virtue®. In time, your association with the fragrance will give you the ability to transition to a Spiritually Centered state, almost instantaneously. For Christians, we call this practicing the Presence of God, the Holy Spirit or Christ. Being Christ Centered.

Jesus should lead them to a good copywriter.

Fundraising opportunities are available, in case your church or faith-based initiative wants to buy into this hooey. In the meantime, the makers are getting on beauty pageant sponsor lists by awarding bottles to winners in the Miss Anaheim and Miss California contests.

The only fragrance I’m sniffing is horseshit — and bald greed.

Costly Collaboration: Mainstream Media Gave the Bush Administration a Pass on Run-Up to the Iraq War

Buck Banks

Perhaps Jon would not have been so surprised at the New York Post’s creative editing of an Associated Press story if he had watched the premiere of Bill Moyers’ new PBS series, “Buying the War,” last night. He would have still been angry and depressed after watching the parade of well-known journalists admit to giving the Bushites a pass on such important stories as Saddam’s ties to al Qaeda and 9/11, weapons of mass destruction and the Iraq war as an essential component of the neocons’ War on Terror.

While all of those stories have since come to be labeled lies, the lack of skepticism from the press at the time and the incessant drumming of the Bush admin’s messages into the ears and minds of a shell-shocked populace have resulted in the grim fact that more than half of Americans still believe that Saddam had WMDs and links to al Qaeda. That’s what happens when the press abdicates its role as watchdog over freedom.

You can watch the 90-minute documentary here or read a transcript of it here. But be prepared to get angry and depressed by what you see and read.

Murdoch’s NY Post Fakes AP Story to Smear Dems and Promote Perpetual War

Jon Ponder

It may sound like my tin-foil hat talking but it really is fundamental to the right’s authoritarian agenda to keep the country in a perpetual state of war. But evidence of their true intent is rarely so brazenly exposed as it was this week by the intentional manipulation of a story at Rupert Murdoch’s flagship U.S. newspaper:

In the changed story, the Post added a quote from the White House saying Sen. Harry Reid and the Democrats would issue a death sentence “for millions of Iraqis.”

[The New York] Post completely rewrote [an Associated Press] story to make it a hit on Dems — than ran the piece with the imprimatur of the AP and Espo. While papers are free to edit AP copy, this complete makeover is nonetheless extraordinary — and extraordinarily revealing.

The lede from the original AP story:

A historic veto showdown assured, Democratic leaders agreed Monday on legislation that requires the first U.S. combat troops to be withdrawn from Iraq by Oct. 1 with a goal of a complete pullout six months later.

‘No more will Congress turn a blind eye to the Bush administration’s incompetence and dishonesty,’ Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said in a speech in which he accused the president of living in a state of denial about events in Iraq more than four years after the U.S.-led invasion.

The Post changed this to:

The White House warned yesterday that Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid’s new legislation requiring the first U.S. troops to be withdrawn from Iraq by Oct. 1 is a “death sentence” for millions of freedom-loving Iraqis.

The stinging comments from President Bush’s spokeswoman came just days after Reid declared the war is already “lost” and as negotiators for the House and Senate nailed down the details of the war bill, which also set a goal of completing the pullout by April 2008.

Dana Perino, the president’s spokeswoman, charged that Reid is in denial about the vicious nature of the enemy and about the U.S.-led plan to provide more security in Iraq.

Reid (Nev.) had earlier accused Bush of being in a “state of denial” about what’s happening in Iraq four years after America went to war.

Perino fumed about Reid, “He’s also in denial that a surrender date – he thinks it is a good idea. It is not a good idea. It is defeat.

“It is a death sentence for the millions of Iraqis who voted for a constitution, who voted for a government, who voted for a free and democratic society,” she added.

I thought I was unshockable by this crowd but they continue to amaze.

Crackpot McCain Piles on Gonzales

Buck Banks

From the Who Cares file: There are no sympathetic characters in this drama. Prez candidate and song stylist John McCain yesterday took an opportunity to try and position himself as a political outsider by calling for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ resignation. Why did it take him so long to say that he thinks Gonzo should go? Nobody asked him, he told The Politico yesterday.

“Out of loyalty to the president, he [Gonzales] should obviously step down,” McCain said. “He’s not serving the president well. I reached that conclusion a long time ago. I just haven’t been asked.”

Gee, the biggest political story in the news and nobody has asked one of the putative GOP presidential candidates what he thinks on the topic? Maybe nobody cares. Or maybe they are afraid he’ll start singing again.

In related news, the Senate Judiciary committee is mathematically challenged:

On Wednesday, the Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.), the panel’s topic Republican, wrote to Gonzales seeking more information.

“By some counts you failed to answer more than 100 questions, by other counts more than 70, but the most conservative count had you failing to provide answers well over 60 times,” the blistering letter says.

Giving Gonzales more opportunitites to lie and obfuscate won’t accomplish anything, but it does give the illusion that the Senate is doing something. And maybe McCain should come up with a new tune for the Gonzales case, say, to the tune of Warren Zevon’s “Send Lawyers, Guns and Money.”