From Holden: Forget It, Ibrahim, he won’t tell us what his plan is either. We look forward to the international community to stand beside us, and we believe that this is a humanitarian stance. And we hope that Mr. Bush will try to redo a Marshall Plan, calling it the Bush Plan, to help Iraq, to help the Iraqi people. Let’s see, add the Marshall Plan to the $300 billion we’ve already spent in Iraq – what’s that come to? Continue reading Jaafari Asks Bush For A Plan
From Holden: Barry Casselman’s op-ed in the Moonie Times suggests three alternative candidates to replace John Bolton as Chimpy’s UN Ambassador-designee. Continue reading Is This A Sign?
From Holden: Today’s gaggle reached a “critical moment” when one gaggler finally had enough of Scottie’s non-answers. Q Scott, I understand there is an anniversary date next Tuesday, but you’re saying that this speech is happening, in part, because this is a critical moment, a critical time — MR. McCLELLAN: That’s correct. Q — in Iraq. What’s more critical about this month and this moment than, say, a month ago or nine months ago? MR. McCLELLAN: This is a critical period. The transitional government is moving forward on drafting a constitution. [snip] Q Is this moment any more critical than … Continue reading Today on Holden’s Obsession with the Gaggle
From Holden: Here’s one… And here’s another. Continue reading Last Throws
From Holden: Dan Froomkin explains just what it is the Karl Rove hoped to achieve with his remarks before the New York Conservative Party, and why we should expect no appologies. Karl Rove didn’t get George W. Bush this far just by luck. Rove has a brilliant and so far unbeatable strategy when it comes to political warfare: He doesn’t defend his candidate’s weaknesses, he attacks his opponent’s strengths. Unapologetically. Consider the 2004 campaign, when Rove was faced with a Vietnam problem. A war hero was running against his boss, who had opted to stay well out of harm’s way. … Continue reading Froomkin on Rove
From Holden: Mine. Chimpy: “What’s 1,700 dead Americans between friends.</B REUTERS/Jim Bourg Continue reading Caption Contest
From Holden: Joe Biden tells Dick Cheney to give up the Bolton documents by the end of the day or kiss the nomination good-bye. “If they don’t have (the documents) by the end of the day, it’s finished.” Steve Clemons has the poop on all the negotiations between Biden anf Frist that have apparently been crushed by the White House, as well as the Republican defectors who have joined the Democrats in their demands that all of the documents should be truned over to the Senate. My guess is that a Friday Night Document Dump of damaging Bolton material is … Continue reading Deadline For Bolton
When you can say something like this, Karl, then you and I can have a conversation. Until then, shut the fuck up. God, I hate this war. A. Continue reading War Is Hell
From Holden: This may be the first in a long series of cases in which foreign courts step into the legal vaccuum left by US inaction in the face of the massive and obvious war crimes of the Bush assministration. An Italian judge ordered the arrests of 13 people in the purported CIA abduction of an imam, who then was sent to Egypt, the Milan prosecutor’s office said Friday. An Italian official said earlier the 13 were CIA officers involved in U.S. anti-terrorism efforts. The 13 are suspected of seizing Osama Moustafa Hassan Nasr, known as Abu Omar, on the … Continue reading Extraordinary Prosecution
From Holden: Insurgent attacks expected to increase. Rebel attacks in the capital are expected to rise in coming weeks despite US-Iraqi efforts to stem them, as insurgents try to play up insecurity in the country, a US military official said Friday. “I think there will be a lot of small attacks in the next couple of weeks with the Iraqi prime minister going to the United States,” Lieutenant Colonel Michael Pryor of the US 3rd Infantry Division’s Task Force Baghdad said. “The level of activity that we see today from a military standpoint, I think, will clearly decline. I think … Continue reading Last Throe Watch
From Holden: Breaking. Washington has, for the first time, acknowledged to the United Nations that prisoners have been tortured at US detention centres in Guantanamo Bay, as well as Afghanistan and Iraq, a UN source said. The acknowledgement was made in a report submitted to the UN Committee against Torture, said a member of the ten-person panel, speaking on on condition of anonymity. ‘They are no longer trying to duck this and have respected their obligation to inform the UN,’ the Committee member said. ‘They they will have to explain themselves (to the Committee). Nothing should be kept in the … Continue reading US Acknowledges Torture At GITMO, In Iraq and Afghanistan
Via Digby, this is almost as good as a Republican. But not quite. Go forth and find an R. A. Continue reading Holy Joe Says Rove Should Apologize
From Holden: Holden Wins Again… in California!! Field Poll of Californians Bush Job Approval Rating. Approve: 34% Disapprove: 57% Things are looking good for Team Holden in the national polls as well. Zogby Poll’s Bush Job Performance Rating. Excellent/Good: 44% Poor/Fair: 56% ARG Poll Bush Job Approval Rating. Approve: 42% Disapprove: 53% You better start counting your pennies, Athenae! Continue reading Less Than 40 By The 4th!
Fox would very much like to give someone their T-shirt. Anybody hear back? Let us know. A. Continue reading Friday Ferretblogging: Ferret Research Edition
Of every Republican, on every talk show, on every channel, this Sunday morning: “Do you think Karl Rove went too far?” Of every Republican voter you know no matter how moderate: “Do you think I’m a traitor? Do you think I want our troops dead?” Of every Republican official at every public event from now until we get an answer: “Does Karl Rove speak for you?” John’s right. (I need a macro for that.) They wanted this fight. They planned it, they picked it, we swung right back. GOOD. I don’t know about you, but I want this fight. I … Continue reading The Question
You guys are something. Nobody’s gotten a denunciation yet, but it’s the first day. Daley didn’t lay into Durbin until later, when the pressure got to be too much. I agree with one of the commenters over at the crack den that Bloomberg or Pataki might be a good way to go, so if you’re a New Yorker, go for it. There will be a few days of furor, the Sunday shows, and there will be either an apology or a resignation. It’s too hot now, too much. Keep the pressure up. So far, according to what you’ve told me … Continue reading A Good Day’s Work
From Holden: The AP counts… 479 car bombs in Iraq since the handover of sovereignty on June 28, 2004…At least 2,174 people have been killed and 5,520 have been wounded. They also provide helpful monthly statistics: June 28-30, 2004: 2 car bombs; 9 killed; 2 wounded. July 2004: 11 car bombs; 139 killed; 303 wounded. August 2004: 12 car bombs; 44 killed; 175 wounded. September 2004: 26 car bombs; 202 killed; 667 wounded. October 2004: 43 car bombs; 149 killed; 392 wounded. November 2004: 48 car bombs; 165 killed; 414 wounded. December 2004: 27 car bombs; 196 killed; 424 wounded. … Continue reading Last Throes
Strike ’em out, throw ’em out! Well, I think a lot more needs to be said about Karl Rove’s motives, because they’re not the people’s motives, and if the President really believed his own words of unity, then he should fire Karl Rove. If the President of the United States knows the meaning of his own words, he should listen to the plea of Kristen Breitweiser, who lost her husband when the Twin Towers came crashing down: she said, “if you’re going to use 9/11, use it to make this nation safer than it was on 9/11. And that’s not … Continue reading Kerry: Fire Karl Rove
Jesus. Meanwhile, Corzine et al. show they knows right from wrong: Joined by his fellow senators from New Jersey and New York, Sen. Corzine released the following statement at an afternoon press conference on Capitol Hill: “September 11, 2001 was a day that forever changed this nation. The American people, bound by grief and patriotism, stood united in common cause: defeating terrorism and protecting the country we love. In fact, in the Senate, we unanimously stood behind the President and called for the use of all appropriate force against the terrorists who harmed this country and anyone who would aid … Continue reading Rove Ad Nauseum
From Holden: Bud Light Presents: Real American War Criminals (Real Amer-ican War Crim-in-als) Today we salute you, Mr. American War Criminal. (Mr. Kiss-in-ger and Mr. Bu-ush!) Whether it’s plotting the assasination of Chilean General Rene Schneider or implementing a policy of torture and disappearances, you’ve shown us that no moral code is inviolable. (WAR for oil!) While one of you rivals Pol Pot for the dubious honor of being the person responsible for the death of the largest number of innocent people in South East Asia… (Stack those SKULLS ever high-er!) The other is second only to Saddam Hussein in … Continue reading Real American War Criminals
From Holden: Welcome to my gaggle obsession, this edition is 100% rove-free. For starters, ABC’s Terry Moran just won’t let go of the last throe. Q Does the President agree with the Vice President that the Iraqi insurgents are in their last throes? MR. McCLELLAN: He agrees with — I think you should put his comments in context, Helpful Holden Note: Here is what Cheney said in context: “The level of activity that we see today from a military standpoint, I think, will clearly decline. I think they’re in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency.” And now … Continue reading Today on Holden’s Obsession with the Gaggle
From Holden: This edition of obsession is all Karl, all the time. And the phrase of the day is “different philosophies and different approaches”. Q Last night Karl Rove, in a speech, accused the Democrats of trying to send the terrorists into therapy and not responding appropriately to 9/11, whereas the Republicans, he felt, responded appropriately. He’s been called on to make an apology. Will Karl Rove will apologize, and is this elevating the discourse, the way you said the President will do? MR. McCLELLAN: Talking about different philosophies and different approaches? That’s what Karl Rove was talking about. He … Continue reading Today On Chimpy’s Obsession With Karl
From Holden: Chimpy was back on the road again for yet another stop on the Baboon-a-palooza tour, this time visiting Silver Spring, Maryland. Joining him today was Nixon appologist and failed comedian Ben Fucking Stein. Today’s tour stop included the usual insanity – Chimpy denied that the Social Security Trust Fund exists, claimed that the non-existent fund would be “bankrupt” by 2040, and recruited a couple of clueless young folks who mistakenly believe that Social Security will never pay them a benefit. However, I found this exchange betwnee Chimpy and the indolent Stein most revealing. THE PRESIDENT: A lot of … Continue reading Baboon-a-palooza Slip of the Lip
CNN story. Not kind to Rove, this piece. According to commenter JC, Harry issues a barrage. Karl Rove should immediately and fully apologize for his remarks or he should resign. The lesson of September 11th is not different for conservatives, liberals or moderates. It is equally shared and was repeatedly demonstrated in the weeks and months following this tragedy as Americans of all backgrounds and their elected representatives rallied behind the victims and their families, united in our common determination to bring to justice those responsible for these terrible attacks. Keep those e-mails going! Update: This AP story smokes Rove: … Continue reading Rove Remarks Hit CNN
From Holden: Embattled Bush to Welcome Iraqi PM Hee. Continue reading Headline Watch
From Holden: Rummy Speaks, April 11, 2003 “I read eight headlines that talked about chaos, violence, unrest. And it just was Henny Penny ?- ‘The sky is falling.’ I’ve never seen anything like it!” Rumsfeld exclaimed. “The images you are seeing on television you are seeing over and over and over, and it’s the same picture of some person walking out of some building with a vase, and you see it 20 times and you think, ‘My goodness, were there that many vases?’” And again the next day. Looting, he added, was not uncommon for countries that experience significant social … Continue reading Single Vase, “Stuff” Financing Iraqi Insurgency
From Holden: Rummy Speaks, April 11, 2003 “I read eight headlines that talked about chaos, violence, unrest. And it just was Henny Penny ?- ‘The sky is falling.’ I’ve never seen anything like it!” Rumsfeld exclaimed. “The images you are seeing on television you are seeing over and over and over, and it’s the same picture of some person walking out of some building with a vase, and you see it 20 times and you think, ‘My goodness, were there that many vases?’” And again the next day. Looting, he added, was not uncommon for countries that experience significant social … Continue reading Single Vase, ”Stuff” Financing Iraqi Insurgency
Via Atrios: Enough. “Has there ever been a more revealing moment this year?” Mr. Rove asked. “Let me just put this in fairly simple terms: Al Jazeera now broadcasts the words of Senator Durbin to the Mideast, certainly putting our troops in greater danger. No more needs to be said about the motives of liberals.” Enough with this. I want you all to do something. If you are represented by a Republican in either house of Congress, I want you to send him or her an e-mail along the lines of the following: Dear Rep./Sen. [Name], According to the New … Continue reading A Contest – With Prize
All of you who are disheartened by the bluest of blue state Dems backing down in the face of opposition, go watch a red red stater school us all in how it’s done. Go watch the video clip of Rep. Taylor right now. God DAMN, that’s how Democrats act. Get this guy in on whatever dinner party is currently strategizing for 2006. Get his words on a t-shirt. Sign me up for his campaign, whenever and wherever and against whoever it might be. We pointed this guy out a while back because he was busting some Republican bullshit. Looks like … Continue reading Gene Gives Good Donkey
From Holden: Via Knobboy, Ruy Teixeira is down with Less Than Forty By The Fourth! <blockquote Can Bush’s First Sub-40 Approval Rating Be Far Away? The latest round of public polls confirms the continuing, across-the-board weakening of public confidence in Bush and his administration suggested by the early June Washington Post/ABC News poll. If present trends continue, it will not be long before Bush receives his first sub-40 overall approval rating, a traditional marker of an incumbent administration in serious trouble. My one disagreement with Ruy is the final sentence of his post: Bush below 40? You read it here … Continue reading Ruy Teixeira Joins Team Holden!