As if you needed another reason

WASHINGTON - Even talking football, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice speaks diplomatically.

She made clear Friday that she wants the Indianapolis Colts to win Sunday's Super Bowl over the Chicago Bears, but her words were measured.

During a photo opportunity to tell Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov goodbye, the two refused to answer questions about the Middle East situation, the subject of Lavrov's visit. Then, as they turned away, a reporter asked Rice to forecast the Super Bowl outcome.

"I really like both Chicago and Indianapolis, but I think Indianapolis is going to win it," she said. Then, as if it were an afterthought, she added: "And that would be a good thing."

Quote of the Day

Janning, to be sure, is a tragic figure. We believe he *loathed* the evil he did. But compassion for the present torture of his soul must not beget forgetfulness of the torture and death of millions by the government of which he was a part. Janning's record and his fate illuminate the most shattering truth that has emerged from this trial. If he and the other defendants were all depraved perverts - if the leaders of the Third Reich were sadistic monsters and maniacs - these events would have no more moral significance than an earthquake or other natural catastrophes. But this trial has shown that under the stress of a national crisis, men - even able and extraordinary men - can delude themselves into the commission of crimes and atrocities so vast and heinous as to stagger the imagination. No one who has sat through this trial can ever forget. The sterilization of men because of their political beliefs... The murder of children... How *easily* that can happen! There are those in our country today, too, who speak of the "protection" of the country. Of "survival". The answer to that is: *survival as what*? A country isn't a rock. And it isn't an extension of one's self. *It's what it stands for, when standing for something is the most difficult!* Before the people of the world - let it now be noted in our decision here that this is what *we* stand for: *justice, truth... and the value of a single human being!* - Judge Dan Haywood, Judgement at Nuremburg

Alex, may I have "Stating the Obvious" for a trillion dollars, please?

A long-awaited National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq, presented to President Bush by the intelligence community yesterday, outlines an increasingly perilous situation in which the United States has little control and there is a strong possibility of further deterioration, according to sources familiar with the document (more) .

Wow, there's a shocker.

He's probably right....

During the Super Bowl media day nonsense, Bears wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad gave us this one, a shout-out to the troops:

To all the troops in Iraq and Iran, we love you and we’re with you!’’

I'd say he's probably right on this one.

Did you ever read something that just, well, made you question everything?

While waking up this morning, I was browsing some right-wing blogs via the Daou Report on Salon. I find it best to read some of these things when I'm not fully awake. One of the hot topics, apparently, is global climate change. Really, you say, after the Liar in Chief mentioned it in his State of the Union address, people who have previously doubted the mountain of scientific data telling us that human activity affects the environment are changing their minds? Or perhaps it's that they're aghast, as any thinking person should be, that the White House has been actively pressuring scientists to not release that data?

(I think you know where I'm going with this...)

Of course not. They're digging in their heels even harder, and in the process, are just going wacko. Yes, I'm comfortable using that word for people who write things like this:

"Paper recycling is probably responsible for a lot of CO2 remaining in the air and not being removed."

You see, you environmentalist activist nutjobs - if (and I mean if!) human activity is causing global climate change, it's because of your crazy recycling. Not the burning of coal. Not the burning of gasoline and oil. No! You, who are trying to "save" the earth, are killing it!

Quick - everyone jump in your Hummers and go to the paper recycling plants and burn them down - they're destroying the earth. That's the only way we can save ourselves.

Torture Boy Takes a Page from Joseph Heller

Apparently Torture Boy Gonzalez has agreed to release details of the illegal domestic spying program. What makes this story funny is the following quote from torture boy himself:

"It's important for us that they (congress) understand what we're doing (with the spying program). All they have to do is ask."

Of course, NO ONE in congress knew ANYTHING about the illegal spying on US citizens for months - if not years - after it was instituted shorty after 9/11. Even then, only a few highly placed GOP toadies and the ranking Democrat in the house and senate were let in on the EXISTENCE, but not the workings and/or scope, of the illegal fishing expedition. To make matters worse, they were FORBIDDEN from even acknowledging that the program existed.

So, how exactly was congress **supposed** to ask? It took a FEDERAL judge, an overwhelming electoral defeat, a change of leadership in BOTH the house and senate, AND two weeks of foot-dragging and stonewalling before saying: all they had to do was ask?

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There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle.

"That's some catch, that Catch-22," he [Yossarian] observed.
"It's the best there is," Doc Daneeka agreed.
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Note to Team Thinker

We have been "Google-ized," we're in the new format now. You will need to get a Google account to post.

UPDATE: It is pretty screwed up right now, bear with me.

Updated update--Better.

From the "Is this supposed to surprise me?" File

WASHINGTON (AP)- The U.S. government wasted tens of millions of dollars in Iraq reconstruction aid, including scores of unaccounted-for weapons and a never-used camp for housing police trainers with an Olympic-size swimming pool, investigators say.

The quarterly audit by Stuart Bowen Jr., the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, is the latest to paint a grim picture of waste, fraud and frustration in an Iraq war and reconstruction effort that has cost taxpayers more than $300 billion and left the region near civil war.

“The security situation in Iraq continues to deteriorate, hindering progress in all reconstruction sectors and threatening the overall reconstruction effort,” according to the 579-page report, which was being released Wednesday.

(more)

Inmates Running the Asylum

WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 — President Bush has signed a directive that gives the White House much greater control over the rules and policy statements that the government develops to protect public health, safety, the environment, civil rights and privacy.

In an executive order published last week in the Federal Register, Mr. Bush said that each agency must have a regulatory policy office run by a political appointee, to supervise the development of rules and documents providing guidance to regulated industries. The White House will thus have a gatekeeper in each agency to analyze the costs and the benefits of new rules and to make sure the agencies carry out the president’s priorities.

This strengthens the hand of the White House in shaping rules that have, in the past, often been generated by civil servants and scientific experts.

Yeah, that was a crazy idea having those wacky scientific experts involved in regulation. Everyone knows Bush appointees do a MUCH better job there!

We REALLY need to take the Senate in '08.

We need a solid majority where we don't need miscreants like Droopy:



Oh sorry, wrong Droopy:



He gives us this gem:

"I'm open to supporting a Democrat, Republican, or even an Independent [White House '08]if there's a strong one," the U.S. Senator from Connecticut told "Fox News Sunday." "You make a decision based on a whole range of issues. But obviously, the positions that some candidates have taken in Iraq troubles me. Obviously, I will be looking at what positions they take in the larger war against Islamist terrorism."

I want to beat him badly, humiliate him on committee assignments and let him turn Republican. He will then learn the bitter lesson Benedict Arnold learned upon moving to England--while people use traitors, no one LIKES them.