From Holden: For Little Scottie the phrase of the day is “plowing old ground”. Q Were you able to check into that report that Kim il-Jong sent a message — private message — MR. McCLELLAN: Kim Jong-il? Q Yes, that’s the one. (Laughter.) Sent a message to — MR. McCLELLAN: Mr. Kim Jong-il. Q Exactly, that’s the same one — in 2002 to President Bush? MR. McCLELLAN: I saw the report you were referring to. I guess it was a couple of individuals who had written an op/ed in the Washington Post today. I don’t know what your questions are … Continue reading Today on Holden’s Obsession with the Gaggle

From Holden: Atrios’ post reminds me of this incident. Image from Horkulated’s wonderful slideshow. Continue reading Flag Desecration

From Holden: Via Juan Cole – FINALLY, evidence of criminal activity under the auspices of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq is presented to a Virginia prosecutor. Stuart W. Bowen Jr., the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, said publicly for the first time yesterday that his office gave the information to the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Bowen would not provide details of the cases, which have the potential to set precedents in the largely untested legal realm of crimes committed by U.S. civilians in Iraq. “If we uncover information with respect to a contractor who … Continue reading The Criminal Provisional Authority

From Holden: Here’s mine. Chimpy: “Heh, you guys misspelled ‘newcular’.” <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050622/ids_photos_ts/r4127558420.jpg&quot;.REUTERS/Jason Reed Continue reading Afternoon at the Captions

From Holden: The CIA says, despite Chimpy’s numerous claims to the contrary, the War on Iraq has not made us safer. A new classified assessment by the Central Intelligence Agency says Iraq may prove to be an even more effective training ground for Islamic extremists than Afghanistan was in Al Qaeda’s early days, because it is serving as a real-world laboratory for urban combat. The assessment, completed last month and circulated among government agencies, was described in recent days by several Congressional and intelligence officials. The officials said it made clear that the war was likely to produce a dangerous … Continue reading Feeling Safer Yet?

From Holden: Dean speaks for me as well. Continue reading Dean Speaks for skippy

From Holden: Via John at AMERICAblog (who seems to have developed a healthy obsession with the gaggle, here and here) we learn that the good folks at Democratic Planks are keeping track of the mind-boggling number of planned layoffs announced in May. Continue reading My Bush Boom Goes Into The Federal Witness Protection Program

From Holden: I gotcher Rick Perry video right here, motherfucker. Click on this link then click on the “ABC13 report” video link in the box next to Governor Goodhair to see the good governor get down wit da street. Continue reading MoFo Video

From Holden: From First Draft To E&P To Kos, Oh My! From First Draft To E&P To Kos, Oh My! Continue reading I Detect A Pattern

From Holden: Is this what a last throe looks like? Continue reading Somebody Better Tell Dick

From Holden: Someone seems to think a public trial of Saddam Hussein is not such a great idea. Iraq’s justice minister accused the United States on Tuesday of trying to hinder the Iraqi investigation of Saddam Hussein by limiting his access to interrogators, and said “it seems there are lots of secrets they want to hide.” [snip] Shandal alleged that U.S. officials are trying to limit access to Saddam because they have their own secrets to protect, including funneling money and support to the Iraqi leader during his rule. “It seems there are lots of secrets they want to hide,” … Continue reading “It Seems There Are Lots of Secrets”

From Holden: Someone seems to think a public trial of Saddam Hussein is not such a great idea. Iraq’s justice minister accused the United States on Tuesday of trying to hinder the Iraqi investigation of Saddam Hussein by limiting his access to interrogators, and said ”it seems there are lots of secrets they want to hide.” [snip] Shandal alleged that U.S. officials are trying to limit access to Saddam because they have their own secrets to protect, including funneling money and support to the Iraqi leader during his rule. ”It seems there are lots of secrets they want to hide,” … Continue reading ”It Seems There Are Lots of Secrets”

From Holden: My homestate Governor Goodhair, who two weeks ago signed a gay marriage ban in a Baptist compound, sorta said a dirty word on camera. The Startlegram has the word. When California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recites his signature movie line, “Hasta la vista, baby,” crowds cheer. But Texas Gov. Rick Perry was cringing Tuesday after he was captured on a news video a day earlier using street slang for a common vulgarity at the end of an interview with a Houston TV reporter. “Adios, mofo,” the governor said into a live microphone and video camera after being interviewed at … Continue reading Adios, MoFo!

First of all, King Richie, the rusty chainsaw is to your left. Kindly use it as you see fit. Yeah. Daley is telling Durbin what the latter Dick should apologize for. Yeah. The list of scandals on Daley’s watch has surpassed both my arms in length and in fact in cumulative weight would stun a team of oxen in its tracks, but you go, Boy King, you tell somebody else what they have to be ashamed of. Good God. Whenever someone mentions my mayoral spoiled brat as a presidential candidate I feel the nausea rising like it’s a warm day … Continue reading Unhappy Democrat

From Holden: I’m thinking the Bush kids could form their own platoon, or at least a crack squad. There certainly are plenty of them in the right age group, check it out: Of course there’s Jenna… She looks ready. There’s NotJenna… Yeah, she lied about her name and age on this ID but I hear the Army has lowered its standards, I’m sure they would take her. What about Neil’s boy Pierce Bush… (shown hear with Poppy and Marvin Bush), Pierce voted for his uncle in 2004 so despite his looks he’s old enough to defend freedom and democracy and … Continue reading The Bush Brigade!

From Holden: Kindly submitted by mmm… sultry. UPDATE: Drat, link expired. Find Mike Luckovich here. Continue reading Luckovich!

From Holden: This one is almost too good to be true. Q Is the President concerned about the recruitment being down in his home country, he can’t get — you know, some day you may give a war and no one will come? And, also, the second part of the question, is there any member of the Bush clan who is in the military service now, that you know of? MR. McCLELLAN: I’d have to go check; that’s a pretty large clan, as you — Q Would you do that? MR. McCLELLAN: — as you referred to. In terms of … Continue reading Gaggle Obsession Question of the Week

From Holden: In today’s gaggle George Voinovich is now a democrat, according to Little Scottie. Q Scott, will the President withdraw John Bolton, or will he make a recess appointment? MR. McCLELLAN: We continue to urge the Senate to give John Bolton an up or down vote. John Bolton deserves an up or down vote on the floor of the Senate. [snip] Q So how will you break the impasse? MR. McCLELLAN: We will continue to talk with the Senate leadership; we’ll continue to reach out to those who are interested and recognize that we have worked in good faith … Continue reading Today on Holden’s Obsession with the Gaggle

There’s nothing about this LA Times-Wiki-Editorial story that I don’t love: Nearly 1,000 users registered to participate in the rewriting of Friday’s lead editorial. Called “War and Consequences,” the piece argued for the U.S. to set goals for training Iraqis to replace U.S. troops in Iraq and for the firing of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld if those goals were not met. Although marred by some profanity by contributors, the experiment got off to a fairly high-minded start, said Michael Newman, deputy editor of the editorial page, who proposed the wikitorial idea. Voluntarily overseeing part of the discussion was Wikipedia … Continue reading Wacky Wiki Wokka Woo!

From Holden: Judith Miller and Matt Cooper may be bunking in the big house as soon as this weekend. Journalists Matthew Cooper and Judith Miller may find out as soon as this week whether the U.S. Supreme Court will hear their appeal of a contempt ruling for refusing to disclose who leaked the identity of a CIA agent to them — a decision that could send them to jail before the end of the month. The high court is set to consider the reporters’ requests for certiorari on Thursday, along with hundreds of other appeal cases, according to Attorney Floyd … Continue reading That Orange Jumpsuit Looks Good On You, Judy

From Holden: AFP/File/Brendan Smialowski Continue reading Ooooh, Scary!

From Holden: Iraqi lawmakers want their country back. Iraqi lawmakers from across the political spectrum called for the withdrawal of foreign forces from their country in a letter released to the media June 19. [snip] Eighty-two Shiite, Kurdish, Sunni Arab, Christian and communist deputies made the call in a letter sent by Falah Hassan Shanshal of the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), the largest group in parliament, to speaker Hajem al-Hassani. Some of those who signed urged that a detailed timetable be established for the withdrawal. [snip] ”We have asked in several sessions for occupation troops to withdraw,” the letter said. … Continue reading The Unwelcome Mat

From Holden: $350 Billion and counting with no end in sight. Lawmakers in the United States were scheduled to vote on Monday to approve $45 billion US in additional funding for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, making the recent Middle East foray more expensive than the entire Korean War. Since the Sept. 11 attacks, Congress has approved $350 billion, mostly for combat and reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan. The amount, which includes $82 billion approved last month, is equal to the total amount in today’s dollars spent on the Korean conflict from 1950-53. More than 54,000 U.S. troops were killed … Continue reading Bush’s Folly Surpasses Costs of Korean War

From Holden: The details of how the Bush assministration handled tobacco litigation continue to seep out. Acting on a request from 50 Democratic lawmakers, the Justice Department’s Professional Responsibility Advisory Office has launched an investigation into whether political interference tainted the case. A group of senators have also asked Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales to remove Associate Attorney General Robert D. McCallum Jr. from involvement in the case. McCallum, a former partner of a firm that represented R.J. Reynolds, told career government lawyers to reduce their recommended penalties. He said that the change was necessary because the government could seek … Continue reading Save The Tobacco Execs!

From Holden: Atrios quotes… Bush on September 11: We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts, and those who harbor them. The gaggle asks: Q Scott, just for the record, following up on the bin Laden question, is the Bush doctrine — you’re either for us or against us — still in effect? Continue reading Atrios Controlls The Gaggle, Time Itself

From Holden: Poor Little Scottie was absolutely reamed silly in today’s gaggle, particularly on the subject of Iraq. One thing I want you to notice that the helpful White House transcribers provided a hot-link in the gaggle transcript today on the word “insurgency”, which you will see below. Funny thing is, when you click on the link you get a FILE NOT FOUND response or at least I did when I clicked it at 6 PM Central Dailight Time. Here’s the link: insurgency. I guess when it comes to the insurgency, they got nothing. Now, on with the gaggle! Let’s … Continue reading Obsession Extra: Insurgency Urgency

Quoth Sir Harry: “How bad do you want Bolton, George?” The tally left Bush facing stark choices — most of which could leave him appearing weak at a time he is facing sagging poll numbers and fighting lame-duck status six months into his final term. Wielding a seldom-used power, he could install Bolton during the Senate’s upcoming July 4 recess without the chamber’s approval. Under the Constitution, the so-called recess appointment would only last through the next one-year session of Congress — in Bolton’s case until January 2007. Should Bush decide against that, he could withdraw the nomination or authorize … Continue reading Happy Harry Photo: Bolton Blocked! Edition

From Holden: Now for the Bolton section of today’s today. And I tell you what – when Scottie lies, he lies BIG. Q Have you released all the information and documents on Bolton that you’re going to release at this point? MR. McCLELLAN: I appreciate the question, Steve. The President, first of all, as you heard him say, believes that John Bolton should have an up or down vote on the floor of the United States Senate. The Senate is moving forward this evening on the nomination. [snip] In terms of the efforts with the United States Senate, I think … Continue reading Today on Holden’s Obsession with the Gaggle, Bolton Edition

How much does it scare me that Stephen King makes this much sense: The media first turned the trial into a freak-show by emphasizing Jackson’s peculiarities rather than his humanity, and stoked the ratings with constant, trivializing coverage while other, far more important stories went under-reported or completely ignored in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, North Korea, and Washington, D.C. The press might respond by saying, “We gave the people what they wanted.” My response would be, “My job is to give them what they want. When he steps into a recording studio, it’s Michael Jackson’s job to give them what they … Continue reading Getting Dumber

From Holden: Once again, Chimpy is an international embarrassment. This time the occasion is his joint appearance with EU leaders at the White House. Q Mr. President, you spoke of common values were with Europe and the United States, and a strong Europe. Would you say that today, after the two summits between European Union and the United States, that the partnership has even become again a friendship between Europe and United States, and how you see the role of the Luxembourg presidency in that issue? PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, I appreciate that. First, the relations with Europe are important relations, … Continue reading Your President Speaks