A step forward

Maybe he listened after all...

When I saw Senator Durbin this summer, I asked him about why he continued to vote to fund the war in Iraq. He gave me an answer about opposing the war, but wanting to support the troops in the field.

This morning, I see this from him:

The No. 2 Democrat in the U.S. Senate said on Friday he could no longer vote for funding the war in Iraq unless restrictions were attached that would begin winding down American involvement there.

"This Congress can't give President (George W.) Bush another blank check for Iraq," said Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin, who has always opposed the war but until now voted to fund it.

"I can't support an open-ended appropriation which allows this president to continue this failed policy," he said in a speech at the left-leaning Center for National Policy.

Durbin, from Illinois, said he and Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin were working on limits that could be attached to the next war funding bill, such as limiting troops to conducting counterterrorism operations and training Iraqi security forces.

It's progress.

Tell us something we didn't know, Sid.

"On Sept. 18, 2002, CIA director George Tenet briefed President Bush in the Oval Office on top-secret intelligence that Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction, according to two former senior CIA officers. Bush dismissed as worthless this information from the Iraqi foreign minister, a member of Saddam's inner circle, although it turned out to be accurate in every detail. Tenet never brought it up again. Nor was the intelligence included in the National Intelligence Estimate of October 2002, which stated categorically that Iraq possessed WMD. No one in Congress was aware of the secret intelligence that Saddam had no WMD as the House of Representatives and the Senate voted, a week after the submission of the NIE, on the Authorization for Use of Military Force in Iraq."

"Bush insisted it was simply what Saddam wanted him to think. "The president had no interest in the intelligence," said the CIA officer. The other officer said, "Bush didn't give a fuck about the intelligence. He had his mind made up." (link)

The world according to der Chimpenfuhrer

Leader of the free whirl breezes by

Misha Schubert - The Age (from Australia)
September 6, 2007

George Bush is a man who likes a short sentence. Which is not to say the President of the United States reduces ideas to bite-sized chunks. Or maybe it is.

Either way, during the course of his first 24 hours in Sydney, there were plenty of efficient exclamations. Like the exchange on the tarmac as Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile inquired how things were going in Iraq. "We're kicking ass," he declared. In a similarly thrifty oratory bent yesterday, he telegraphed his lunch order — "I'm a meat guy". Then he buttered up his host — "I admire your courage" — and insisted he was not playing a double game by hinting at moves to start cutting US troop numbers in Iraq: "Whatever you do, don't call me cute."

He also managed to remain gracious in the face of further niggling about the inconvenience to the people of inner Sydney. At a joint press conference with John Howard, Bush played comic to the PM's straight man. He grinned. He winked. He made eye contact with journalists as he argued that the Iraq war could be won. He joked around, and congratulated the PM on "your … like … grandfatherhood".

But there were a few faint hints of impatience. As Howard's opening statement dragged on, Bush pursed his lips and shifted his weight from foot to foot.

The rest of the day was a giddy social whirl. A bit of local rump at a lunchtime barbecue with the troops, and an hour of mountain biking in the North Shore suburb of St Ives. By nightfall, it was back onto a pleasure cruiser for a trip across the harbour to sign the visitors book at Admiralty House and dine with the Howards at Kirribilli House. Janette Howard greeted Bush at the door, thanking him for bringing rain.

And Bush owned the second killer line of the day, as he drew US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice into a photo to make up the foursome. "You can be my date," he purred, an invitation most straight men would kill to issue.

Posted without comment. For now.

Larry Craig--the gift that keeps on giving

I'm somewhat baffled by Tappy McWidestance's position here. I know that a Republican like him would rather be considered a child killer or a Klansman rather than being gay, but it seems like a very difficult road, both politically and legally.

From a political standpoint, his party sees him as toxic. They don't need him to "clear his name" to hold the seat, Idaho is as safely red on a statewide basis as any state in the union. he can't credibly speak on any of his pet "family" issues, and he is an obvious gift that keeps on giving to Senate democrats who, while unable to touch Idaho, can use his presence in the Senate as a bludgeon in swing state campaigns.

And legally? Judgment has been entered in the case. It is VERY difficult to withdraw a guilty plea after entry of judgment. That might happen in those cases where informed consent was absent (the drunken public defender who couldn't explain the consequences, the mentally challenged defendant who didn't understand the nature of his admission, but a college-educated United States senator? That is a tough sell.

His team is mumbling about "constitutional" questions. Talk about another tough sell. He was properly advised of his Miranda rights, and there was no unreasonable search or seizure involved. I doubt that tapping and hand waving is protected "speech" when it relates to the solicitation of lewd conduct. if so, then you could go back and unwind every solicitation conviction on record. I also don't see any entrapment defense, when at least according to the police report, Craig was the instigator.

Another consideration is that this probably wasn't the good senator's first foray into this seamy world. Now that people beyond the flyover states know his name, there are stories to be told--and money to be made.

The clincher, though, would be that any withdrawal of the guilty plea could result in a trial, a tawdry public spectacle of the kind that muni court has never seen before. In open court, all bets are off, and the evidence is in, evidence that went away with a plea to a lesser charge. THAT could be fun.

Separated at birth?

I enjoyed seeing Appalachian State defeat Michigan on Saturday. My one question--why is Davy Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean on their logo?

My Trip to the ER

One of the great unreported epidemics in America today involves tragic eggplant accidents. I sliced a dime-sized patch through two layers of skin off the left index finger last evening in the kitchen. Normally, I don't head for the hospital on such occasions--not because I'm a tough it out sort, but because I am an abject afraid of needles coward. This time, though, Peg was in the kitchen when it happened. She saw the gusher open and wouldn't take no for an answer. Luckily, the hospital is three blocks away.

I was seen fairly quickly because my hand was wrapped in a visibly reddening kitchen towel (nothing serious, but quite a bleeder. They actually glued the darn thing shut!) I also thought, though, as I looked around, that my insurance card indicating that I was fully covered might have speeded the triage process.

What struck me, though, were the people waiting in the ER. The room was quite crowded, mostly Hispanic, with a few elderly world-weary poor white people sprinkled in (in other words, not reflective of the community served by this particular hospital). I gathered that many of these people had been there for hours. They were in the ER not because of an emergency, but because by law they could not be turned away. For many of these people, this was their only access to a physician. They utilized the ER out of necessity in a grossly inefficient allocation of medical resources that seems out of place in a nation of plenty.

Coming next summer to an airport near you...

Think the Minneapolis airport will hire extra security when THE GOP CONVENTION comes to town???

The Right and Senator Toe Tappy

I have been amazed to read and hear the responses of the right-wing blowholes to the embarrassing and way too damned funny story of our favorite creepy senator. They definitely had the talking points down, even though they were complete bull. Every damned one of them said the same ridiculous thing--those honorable Republicans drum the disgraced out of the corps, while Democrats embrace them.

They cite--Gerry Studds? First of all, he's dead now, and his alleged wrongdoing took place before 1983. Going back a quarter century to find a member of Congress who acted improperly as a person in a position of responsibility but committed no crime? I am NOT defending what Rep. Studds did, (as the parent of a 16-year old the "legal" distinction isn't all that comforting) but if that's the best you've got...

And then Barney Frank, for something someone did WHILE HE WASN'T HOME. Frank was reprimanded by the House, but that was it. I seem to remember the GOP-controlled House changing its rules to allow a criminal like Tom Delay to stay in his leadership position. It is so pathetic. And of course, try and get through an hour of right wing talk and not hear "CLINTON!"

I am not gay....

Sorry, just thought that was the thing to say these days.

Voices from a different era

My father on the Senator Craig thing:

“He’s sick, the man is sick. [Being gay] It’s a disease; it’s no different than diabetes.”

I have, for the record, corrected my father on the fact that there’s nothing wrong with being gay. Propositioning for sex in a men’s bathroom in an airport is probably not the best venue. A Turkish bath would be better, perhaps. Or a Turkish prison.

There is, however, plenty wrong with being a hypocrite and a liar. That really is what should be driving this thing. The party of family values. The saber-rattling, sanctity of marriage, one man, one woman, no abortions or contraception crowd is chock full of these people who, in their blustery harrumph, seem to be living a lie. “Pressured into pleading guilty?” His counterparts in the house like Jerry Lewis (lady!), Duke Cunningham and others knew how to lawyer up for major shit that could bring prison time. What’s the matter with pulling fifty grand from your campaign fund to just make it go away with some appropriate legal maneuvering and PR efforts? Because he was guilty.

Mark Foley, on the other hand, is sick. It’s the same argument over pederastery (and my spellchecker insists it’s not a word). Priests molesting children aren’t gay. They’re sick. People don’t accuse unordained, unelected child molesters of being gay or misunderstood or confused about their sexuality, do they? No, they’re registered sex offenders who are tracked and watched and prohibited from doing lots of things because, all together now, they took advantage of children.

I’m in agreement with much of the Blogosphere today. How the fuck is David Vitter avoiding all of this hellfire and damnation and Craig is catching it? I guess because the Family Values crowd is okay with cheating on your wife with other women as opposed to cheating on your spouse with one of Those People. Those Heathens. Those…“Faggots”.

Maw, where’s m’ gun?

Jesus Christ on a popsicle stick…

Happy Anniversary

Peter posted this a year ago, and it's still as true today as it was then.





I wish I had something profound to say, but the words just get strangled by the hatred, disgust and contempt I feel when I see this.

The Bravery of Being Out of Range

The President, beating the drums for war

The other strain of radicalism in the Middle East is Shia extremism, supported and embodied by the regime that sits in Tehran. Iran has long been a source of trouble in the region. It is the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism. Iran backs Hezbollah who are trying to undermine the democratic government of Lebanon. Iran funds terrorist groups like Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which murder the innocent, and target Israel, and destabilize the Palestinian territories. Iran is sending arms to the Taliban in Afghanistan, which could be used to attack American and NATO troops. Iran has arrested visiting American scholars who have committed no crimes and pose no threat to their regime. And Iran's active pursuit of technology that could lead to nuclear weapons threatens to put a region already known for instability and violence under the shadow of a nuclear holocaust.

You have a natural tendency
To squeeze off a shot
You're good fun at parties
You wear the right masks
You're old but you still
Like a laugh in the locker room
You can't abide change
You're at home on the range

Iran's actions threaten the security of nations everywhere. And that is why the United States is rallying friends and allies around the world to isolate the regime, to impose economic sanctions. We will confront this danger before it is too late.

You opened your suitcase
Behind the old workings
To show off the magnum
You deafened the canyon
A comfort a friend
Only upstaged in the end
By the Uzi machine gun

I want our fellow citizens to consider what would happen if these forces of radicalism and extremism are allowed to drive us out of the Middle East. The region would be dramatically transformed in a way that could imperil the civilized world. Extremists of all strains would be emboldened by the knowledge that they forced America to retreat. Terrorists could have more safe havens to conduct attacks on Americans and our friends and allies. Iran could conclude that we were weak -- and could not stop them from gaining nuclear weapons. And once Iran had nuclear weapons, it would set off a nuclear arms race in the region.

Does the recoil remind you
Remind you of sex
Old man what the hell you gonna kill next
Old timer who you gonna kill next

Extremists would control a key part of the world's energy supply, could blackmail and sabotage the global economy. They could use billions of dollars of oil revenues to buy weapons and pursue their deadly ambitions. Our allies in the region would be under greater siege by the enemies of freedom. Early movements toward democracy in the region would be violently reversed. This scenario would be a disaster for the people of the Middle East, a danger to our friends and allies, and a direct threat to American peace and security. This is what the extremists plan. For the sake of our own security, we'll pursue our enemies, we'll persevere and we will prevail.

I looked over Jordan and what did I see
Saw a U.S. Marine in a pile of debris
I swam in your pools
And lay under your palm trees
I looked in the eyes of the Indian
Who lay on the Federal Building steps

In the short-term, we're using all elements of American power to protect the American people by taking the fight to the enemy. Our troops are carrying out operations day by day to bring the terrorists to justice. We're keeping the pressure on them. We're forcing them to move. Our law enforcement and intelligence professionals are working to cut off terrorist financing and disrupt their networks. Our diplomats are rallying our friends and allies throughout the region to share intelligence and to tighten security and to rout out the extremists hiding in their midst. Every day we work to protect the American people. Our strategy is this: We will fight them over there so we do not have to face them in the United States of America.

And through the range finder over the hill
I saw the frontline boys popping their pills
Sick of the mess they find
On their desert stage
And the bravery of being out of range
Yeah the question is vexed

Shia extremists, backed by Iran, are training Iraqis to carry out attacks on our forces and the Iraqi people. Members of the Qods Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are supplying extremist groups with funding and weapons, including sophisticated IEDs. And with the assistance of Hezbollah, they've provided training for these violent forces inside of Iraq. Recently, coalition forces seized 240-millimeter rockets that had been manufactured in Iran this year and that had been provided to Iraqi extremist groups by Iranian agents. The attacks on our bases and our troops by Iranian-supplied munitions have increased in the last few months -- despite pledges by Iran to help stabilize the security situation in Iraq.

Old man what the hell you gonna kill next
Old timer who you gonna kill next

Some say Iran's leaders are not aware of what members of their own regime are doing. Others say Iran's leaders are actively seeking to provoke the West. Either way, they cannot escape responsibility for aiding attacks against coalition forces and the murder of innocent Iraqis. The Iranian regime must halt these actions. And until it does, I will take actions necessary to protect our troops. I have authorized our military commanders in Iraq to confront Tehran's murderous activities.

Hey bartender over here
Two more shots
And two more beers
Sir turn up the TV sound
The war has started on the ground

For all those who ask whether the fight in Iraq is worth it, imagine an Iraq where militia groups backed by Iran control large parts of the country. Imagine an Iraq where al Qaeda has established sanctuaries to safely plot future attacks on targets all over the world, including America. We've seen what these enemies will do when American forces are actively engaged in Iraq. And we can envision what they would do if we -- if they were emboldened by American forces in retreat.

Just love those laser guided bombs
They're really great
For righting wrongs
You hit the target
And win the game
From bars 3,000 miles away
3,000 miles away

The challenge in Iraq comes down to this: Either the forces of extremism succeed, or the forces of freedom succeed. Either our enemies advance their interests in Iraq, or we advance our interests. The most important and immediate way to counter the ambitions of al Qaeda and Iran and other forces of instability and terror is to win the fight in Iraq.

We play the game
With the bravery of being out of range
We zap and maim
With the bravery of being out of range
We strafe the train
With the bravery of being out of range
We gained terrain
With the bravery of being out of range
With the bravery of being out of range
We play the game
With the bravery of being out of range

"The Bravery of Being Out of Range", Roger Waters, 1992

Tim Johnson to run again

South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson, who has been absent from work since December because of a brain hemorrhage has announced that he will run for re-election in 2008.

Is it wrong to point out that regardless of what brain damage he may have suffered, he'll still be more functional than, well, every Republican in Congress?

He died for what?

From the AP:

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - A police officer died Monday after crashing his motorcycle while riding in a motorcade for President Bush's visit to the city for a fundraiser for Sen. Pete Domenici. After the crash, Rio Rancho Officer Germaine Casey was rushed to an Albuquerque hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

He died taking the president on a political trip to support a senator who was one of the key players in the reprehensible U.S. attorney firing SCANDAL.

My prayers are with the family, and to them--see this senator and president for what they are.

Retard America

I heard on the Bill Press radio show this morning that a grand totoal of SEVEN PERCENT of Americans could name our first four presidents in the proper order. OK, the first is a gimmee, the second was his veep and nos. 3 and 4 wrote the Declaration of Independence and the constitution! Not that tough????

The new AG, from the rumor mill

Ladies and gentlemen, Michael Chertoff.

Meanwhile, in Afghanistan (remember Afghanistan?)

h/t TPM:

The production of opium in Afghanistan has "soared to frightening record levels," according to a report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released in Kabul Monday.

Production levels of opium, from which the class A drug heroin is manufactured, are expected to reach 8,200 tons in 2007, up from 6,100 tons in 2006.

The amount of land used for the production of opium has also increased to 193,000 hectares from 165,000 in 2006, the report said.

Afghanistan is now responsible for 93 per cent of global opium production, according to the UNODC.

"The amount of Afghan land used for growing opium is now larger than the combined total under coca cultivation in Latin America - Colombia, Peru and Bolivia.

"No other country has produced narcotics on such a deadly scale since China in the 19th century," the report said.

The UNODC report highlighted differences between the relatively drug-free north and the "lawless" south of the country, where 80 per cent of the opium poppies were now being grown.

Opium production rose by 48 per cent in Helmand alone, the most volatile area of the country where the rebel Taliban are strong, making the province the world's biggest source of illegal drugs, the UNODC report said.

The province of 2.5 million people was producing more drugs than Colombia, the report said.

The Taliban was using funds from drug production to finance its insurgency.

Pay no attention to the terrorist behind the curtain.

We have a winner!

From TPM:

“Alberto Gonzales is the first Attorney General who thought the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth were three different things."

-- Rahm Emanuel, in a just-released statement on Gonzo's resignation.

...Another one bites the dust

Alberto Gonzales...gone.

First Turd Blossom, now Torture Boy. Is there no one else who will stand with the king until his last days? We know Tony Snow won't - after all, he only makes $168,000 per year, and that's barely a living wage.

The reports are that they'll nominate Michael "Hurricanes? Who cares about hurricanes - I only manage national disasters, and if no brown people are carrying bombs, it's not a disaster" Chertoff to replace him. I can only hope that the Dems grow a spine for that confirmation hearing.

Update: As usual, Glenn Greenwald has an excellent take on the situation.

Dandelion Whine

Frequent Thinking or Sitting commenter Bradley Bury has finally up and started his own blog, mysteriously titled Dandelion Whine.

Give him a look!