Author: Trish
The Search for Iraq’s WMDs is Officially Over
The U.N. announced today, five years after our invasion of Iraq because we were told by our president that he knew for sure they had weapons of mass destruction, the search is over.
The resolution, approved by a vote of 14-0, terminated the mandate of the U.N. bodies responsible for overseeing the dismantling of Hussein’s programs to develop nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and long-range missiles…
Since 2005, the United States has been trying to get the Security Council to wrap up the work of the inspectors, who were pulled out of Iraq just before the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and were barred by the U.S. from returning.
So George, you can stop looking. Now can we bring our troops home?
Mitt’s Dog: “Dad is Not the Sharpest Knife in the Drawer”
The Boston Globe’s Scott Lehigh penned a pointed, but under the circumstances, quite restrained analysis of the Mitt Romney dog on the roof story.
If the question of what to do with Seamus was presented as a Harvard Business School case study, the remedy Mitt arrived at would not be widely seized upon as the most intelligent choice
For the last few mornings, I’ve lingered over the breakfast table, reading all about Mitt Romney, from his Michigan boyhood to his boffo business career to his determined days as chief of the 2002 Winter Olympics.
And what do I come away thinking?
One: Poor Seamus Romney.
And: Does a vacuum periodically settle in between the ears of the Mighty Mighty Mittster, rather like one of those low-pressure areas that sometimes stalls for days on end over New England?
Good questions, especially about someone who portrays himself as a sensible — if not outright clever — guy. As it was, the dog probably had reason to believe that Mormon was out of his freaking mind.
And who, really, can blame Seamus, riding up there alone and forgotten, eyeing each approaching overpass and anxiously wondering if Mitt had calculated the clearances correctly, while the rest of the Romneys were safely ensconced in the vehicle below, no doubt whiling away the hours with joyous renditions of “This land is your land, this land is my land”?
…I suspect that if the question of what to do with Seamus was presented as a Harvard Business School case study, the remedy Mitt arrived at would not be widely seized upon as the most intelligent choice…
The story made me wonder a little about the rest of the Romneys as well…I’d like to think that at some point during the trip, Tagg or Matt would have displayed enough of that brash iconoclasm to pipe up and inquire: “Say, Dad, do you hear that howling? Have you considered that Seamus may not be enjoying himself up there on top of the car?”
Lehigh suggests that if space inside the car was at such a premium, there was still one more possibility.
If the rooftop ride really was such a smart solution, at the very least Mitt could have taken a turn up there himself. Certainly he’s proved resolute in the face of risk, at least in the business world, and I have it on good report that the hair product he uses is guaranteed to hold fast in gusts of up to 70 miles an hour.
“Warrantless Wiretaps” Now Spun into “Warrant-Free Eavesdropping”
This reeks of classic Rove.
The AP — and therefore official mainstream media — wording for Bush/Cheney’s warrantless wiring taping program is suddenly the new and improved “warrant-free program” or alternatively, “warrant-free eavesdropping.”
“Warrantless” wiring taping sounds as if what you did was without a warrant, which would make it illegal. “Warrant-free” just means you were unfettered by warrants. That sounds so much nicer.
Think about it. Warrantless wiring taping sounds as if what you did was without a warrant, which would make it illegal. Warrant-free just means you were unfettered by warrants. That sounds so much nicer, doesn’t it? Like sugar-free is superior to sugarless, or law-free is better than illegal.
And eavesdropping is what Lucy did to Ethel when she was trying to find out what Ricky was getting for her birthday. Wiring tapping…well, that makes makes you think of Watergate.
Here was yesterday’s debut usage, picked up by CNN:
The Senate subpoenaed the White House and Vice President Dick Cheney’s office Wednesday, demanding documents and elevating the confrontation with President Bush over the administration’s warrant-free eavesdropping on Americans.
And here’s today’s, picked up by newspapers everywhere:
Just Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee subpoenaed the White House and Vice President Dick Cheney’s office, demanding documents pertaining to terrorism-era warrant-free eavesdropping. “It’s an outrageous request,” White House press secretary Tony Snow said.
I like that “terrorism-era” tacked in front. That tells you these are dangerous times we’re living in, and they call for desperate measures. Which it’s really not AP’s job to tell you.
Meanwhile at trustworthy Reuters, it’s still warrantless, plus it’s domestic spying:
The assertion of executive privilege to the congressional subpoenas for material related to the probe on the firings of the prosecutors comes one day after Leahy’s committee subpoenaed the White House for documents related to the administration’s warrantless domestic spying program.
Right on, Reuters.
CNN Reporting Republicans Finally Oppose Iraq Occupation
It’s finally happening. Republicans are starting to join the rest of us traitorous terrorist-loving surrender monkeys in opposing the ongoing occupation in Iraq.
Anti-war sentiment among Republican poll respondents has suddenly increased with 38 percent of Republicans now saying they oppose the war.
In the latest CNN-Opinion Research Corporation poll released Tuesday, 69 percent of those polled believe things are going badly in Iraq. Seventeen percent think the situation is improving.
Thirty percent of Americans polled say they favor the war, the lowest level of support on record. Two-thirds are opposed.
Anti-war sentiment among Republican poll respondents has suddenly increased with 38 percent of Republicans now saying they oppose the war.
Moreover, 63 percent of Americans are ready to withdraw at least some troops from Iraq. Forty-two percent of Republicans agree.
Fifty-four percent of Americans do not believe U.S. action in Iraq is morally justified.
The telephone poll of 1,029 adult Americans was conducted between June 22 and 24, 2007, and has a sampling error of plus-or-minus 3 percentage points.
Coulter Tries to Bait Terrorists into Killing Edwards
The bitch is back, and “bitch” is not a word I use often, believing both it sexist and insulting to female dogs. After all, “asshole” or “total fucker” will usually suffice and both are non gender-specific. But Ann Coulter, who said yesterday on Good Morning America, of all the inappropriate places, that she wishes John Edwards had been killed in a terrorist plot, fits the bill.
After famously calling Edwards a “faggot” in March, Coulter reached new lows even for her. And when Elizabeth Edwards was allowed to call in live to Hairball with Chris Matthews, Coulter showed herself painfully uncomfortable trying to defend the indefensible. How many times can one person toss her hair back or shift in her seat and recross her legs?
Quote du Jour
Pepsi“There is no religion without love, and people may talk as much as they like about their religion, but if it does not teach them to be good and kind to other animals as well as humans, it is all a sham.”
— Anna Sewell (1820-1878), Quaker, author of Black Beauty
Republican Mom Leaves Party to End Stop Loss
Blogger and lawyer Suzanne Miller with her son, Army Specialist Matthew “Cory” Beard
Michael Bloomberg isn’t the only one discarding the Republican party. A war mom who twice voted for Bush but defines his “stop loss” policy as indentured servitude has also left their ranks.
If, like me, you gritted your teeth when Cindy Sheehan spoke…well, don’t expect to feel warmer or fuzzier about Suzanne Miller, Jacksonville lawyer and mother of Army Specialist Matthew “Cory” Beard. Local alt weekly, Folio, whose stories are only available offline, interviewed Miller after she launched a blog called End Stop Loss Now.
Miller disputes that the open-ended occupation in Iraq qualifies for stop loss — the policy of rescinding the release of service members who have already served deployment terms and sending them back to battle, sometimes for three or four tours. Folio writer Jane Akre:
I was…responding to comments Laura Bush had made regarding how much she and the President suffered over the loss of our troops. I lay awake thinking about their suffering all night long and finally the solution to their problem came to me: BRING OUR BOYS AND GIRLS HOME.
Miller the attorney believes stop loss is an illegal and unconstitutional policy. The military vehemently disagrees, and points to paragraph 9c in the enlistment contract: “In the event of war, my enlistment in the Armed Forces continues until six (6) months after the war ends, unless my enlistment is ended sooner by the President of the United States.”
But Miller takes exception of the military’s definition of war, which she says is being defined loosely to mean any conflict. “I’m pretty sure we have not declared war on Iraq and I’m pretty sure they haven’t declared war on us,” she says firmly.
Officially, she’s right. The U.S. hasn’t officially declared war since World War II…
…in the now-famous “Mission Accomplished” speech of May 1, 2003, Pres. Bush declared the end of major combat operations in Iraq. “In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed,” he announced. “And now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing that country.”
Miller’s blogging style could best be termed, “full-contact.” She posts replies to almost every comment, which are mostly from active military or their families and are about 60 percent in favor of her wave-making and 40 percent of the “leave the decision-making to our leaders” variety. But Miller pulls no punches and her opinions are decidedly right-wing.
We are losing dozens of soldiers each month for a country that will never be civilized. For the most part, they are barbaric. The cultural difference is too great. We gave them the greatest gift on earth and that is “freedom” and look what they have one with it. Not one more of our soldiers needs to die trying to make these people get along. They are simply not worth it.
Nor does she regret voting for Bush.
If Gore had been elected, he would still be bunkered down somewhere worried about the 3 trees in Afghanistan and nothing would have been done. At least George Bush did something.
Yet the only love Miller has found has been among Democrats. She petitioned all the cable news talk shows, she said, but none of the conservatives would touch her. She was embraced instead by Alan Colmes, we venture to say, for her wit and sarcasm.
I was, again, on the Alan Colmes nationally syndicated radio show responding to comments Laura Bush had made regarding how much she and the President suffered over the loss of our troops. I lay awake thinking about their suffering all night long and finally the solution to their problem came to me: BRING OUR BOYS AND GIRLS HOME.
Florida’s Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson and California’s Democratic Rep. Lynn Woolsey have also responded to her campaign.
I was greatly honored that Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey chose to quote me on the House floor. I agreed with everything she said about the civil war in Iraq. Ten billion dollars would have brought our kids home. So to Congresswoman Woolsey, I say “thank you” for not only recognizing that this is a useless war but also recognizing the fact that the stop loss policy is a policy that needs to end. I no longer call myself a Republican. I am American. I will vote according to my conscience and not a party affiliation.
Pentagon Planned to Turn Enemy Troops Gay
The Pentagon’s 1994 plan to devise a “gay bomb” is making new headlines.
More significant than whether the Pentagon has really abandoned the plan is what their research proves: sexual orientation is biologically determined — not a lifestyle choice
The DOD requested $7.5 million over six years to develop the “weapon,” which they hoped would chemically alter straight enemy troops so they would become attracted to each other. Theoretically, the hostiles would become distracted by their new relationships and stop paying attention to blowing us up. Later, morale would suffer as Joe breaks up with Jim, and Jim’s friends all tell him he’s so much better off because everyone knows Joe is jerk. Then one of them starts going out with Joe. And so forth.
The official line is that almost as quickly as the idea was hatched, it was scuttled. But the Sunshine Project, which monitors such hair-brained Defense Department activity via the Freedom of Information Act, says that ain’t so.
[Sunshine Project Director Edward Hammond] went on to state that the Joint Non-lethal Weapons Directorate, based out of Quantico, actually used the “gay-bomb” idea as a marketing tool in a CD-ROM from 2001-2002 and that “the Pentagon… submitted it to the highest scientific review body in the country.”
More significant than whether the Pentagon has really abandoned the plan is what their research proves: sexual orientation is biologically determined — not a lifestyle choice. That fact could blow up more Republican and Christian right fund raising campaigns than the best placed bomb, gay or otherwise.
Official to Limbaugh: We Don’t Have to Do Business with You
Newsflash for Rush Limbaugh: When somebody says they don’t have to contract with a station that carries your show, that’s not a First Amendment issue for you.
A Broward (Ft. Lauderdale) commissioner suggested the county not renew its contract for emergency broadcasts on a station that transmits the wisdom of the fat one, since a lot of people (like me for instance) avoid such stations for that very reason. But Rush and his supporters are crying big, Viagra-enriched tears, saying it just ain’t fair.
WIOD Program Manager Ken Charles agreed. ”It’s a shame people would let politics get in the way of saving lives during a hurricane,” he said.
Under the partnership, the station agrees to broadcast county press conferences in their entirety; the county lists the station on all its preparedness information.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Commissioner John Rodstrom brought up First Amendment concerns. ”When we start censoring what people write on radio, TV or newspapers, that is a slippery slope,” he said.
I’m not sure when the last time a county press conference saved any lives but I’ll allow as to how that could happen. One thing’s for sure though, just not doing business with somebody is not a slippery slope. Nobody’s telling Rush what to say or trying to keep him from saying it.
”We don’t have to do business with them,” [Commissioner Stacy] Ritter declared…
Ritter said Wednesday that commissioners should have made partnership deals with three stations.
”To limit it to one probably was not the way we should have gone, especially one that some people won’t listen to,” she said.
That makes too much sense, Stacy, and it looks like the rabid Rush-ites, whipped into a frenzy by their leader, have won this round. The county will likely renew the contract with just the one, Limbaugh-infused station.
But wait. I saved the best for last. What do you suppose Rush — in between whining about how mean the commission was to consider taking its business elsewhere — concluded about the matter live on the air?
“It’s just amazing to watch liberals in action. They can’t stand competition.”
UPDATE FRIDAY, JUNE 15
Broward County Commissioner, District 3, Stacy Ritter
From today’s Miami Herald:
Rush Limbaugh declared Broward County Commissioner Stacy Ritter ”a babe” on his radio show Thursday, eyeing her photo in the newspaper.
”Liberal babes are rare,” he said. “That’s why they stand out. It’s in The Miami Herald. It’s not Photoshopped.”
We can forgive Rush, however, it’s just the Viagra talkin’. — Buck
