From Tena: The Lawbreaker in the Oval Office by Bob Herbert The New York Times January 12, 2006 The country has set the bar so low for the performance of George W. Bush as president that it is effectively on the ground. No one expects very much from Mr. Bush. He’s currently breaking the law by spying on Americans in America without getting warrants, but for a lot of people that’s just George being George. Forget the complexities of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or even the Fourth Amendment’s safeguards against unwarranted (pun intended) government intrusion into matters that we … Continue reading America, it was nice knowing you.

From Holden: Little Scottie’s mom is having an identity crisis. She’s been Carole Keeton, Carole Keeton McClellan, Carole Keeton Rylander and Carole Keeton Strayhorn. But the thrice-married, onetime school teacher, Austin mayor and (for seven years now) Texas state comptroller has never been Carole Strahorn until her declaration of intent to run as an independent for governor was filed, that is. “Our office cannot recall a situation when a candidate misspelled their name on the top portion of the form and the affidavit itself, so we are currently looking into the situation,” said Scott Haywood, spokesman for the agency, which … Continue reading Pleased To Meet You , Hope You Guess My Name

From Holden: The Bush Assministration claims that individuals captured on the battlefields of Afghanistan are not POWs and therefore have no rights under the Geneva Conventions. So the Supreme Court said that the GITMO detainees do have the right to file habeus corpus appeals in US courts. Lindsey “Tearjerker” Graham and a deluded Carl Levin sponsored a bill passed in December restricting the right of future appeals, and now the Bush Assministration is claiming the new law is retroactive. The Bush administration took the unusual step yesterday of asking the Supreme Court to call off a landmark confrontation over the … Continue reading No Rights. Nuh-Uh

From Holden: The US Conference of Catholic Bishops agrees with Frank John Murtha and is calling for the withdrawl of US forces from Iraq as soon as possible. Declaring that the United States was at a crossroads in Iraq, the nation’s Roman Catholic bishops said Thursday the time had come to withdraw U.S. troops as fast as responsibly possible and to hand control of the country to Iraqis. “Our nation’s military forces should remain in Iraq only as long as it takes for a responsible transition, leaving sooner than later,” said Bishop Thomas G. Wenski of Orlando, Fla., speaking for … Continue reading Catholic Bishop Defeatniks

From Scout: Photos of the protest today in New Orleans for Bush’s visit. Here’s the background info from WDSU….. Four months after President George W. Bush stood in Jackson Square and vowed to rebuild New Orleans, protesters plan to jam the same square on Thursday during Bush’s ninth visit and demand the government rebuild broken levees stronger than before. Organizers said protesters will wear life jackets, a symbol of their flooded-out homes and a statement on the current lack of flood and lifesaving protection. (emphasis mine) They want CAT 5 hurricane protection. But they’re going to get CAT 3. Continue reading Got a Lifeline?

From Scout: Here’s an interesting question from the most recent CBS News poll on terrorism…. “During wartime, some presidents have either received or assumed special war powers, which give the president more authority to act independently when he feels it is necessary. In the current campaign against terrorism, is it a good idea or a bad idea for the president to have the authority to make changes in the rights usually guaranteed by the Constitution?” ………………..Good Idea…….Bad Idea…..Uncertain 1/2006……………36%………….57%………….7% 12/2001…………..64%…………29%………….7% That is almost a complete reversal in opinion. Perhaps it reflects the lessening of initial fears since 9/11 or people … Continue reading Polls

From Holden: REUTERS/Larry Downing Continue reading Offered Without Comment

From Holden: Yesterday’s faux town hall meeting in Kentucky was chock foll of juicy Bushisms. Brownie Watch Before I begin I do want to say I married well. I’m sorry the First Lady isn’t with me. She is a heck of a person. King of Irony, Part I You know, no President ever wants to be President during war. We Hold These Truths to be Self-Evident, Part I But Saddam Hussein was a sworn enemy of the United States. He was on the nations that sponsor terror list for a reason. I didn’t put him on the list; previous Presidents … Continue reading Your President Speaks!

From Holden: Yesterday Little Scottie characterized Chimpy’s little town hall meeting in Kentucky as a free exchange of ideas. Q Are those questions pre-screened, or — MR. McCLELLAN: No, they can ask whatever — the people at this event can ask whatever they want. But if your read the transcript it becomes obvious that the people posing the questions to Bush were screened. Despite the fact that the vast majority of Americans disapprove of the job he is doing not one of the eight people who asked questions challenged Bush or criticized him in any way. And if the questions … Continue reading Scottie Lied Again

From Scout: To say the Plan to Bring Back New Orleans is controversial and problematic is an understatement. In this post I’ll lay out the controversy and the following post looks at the plan and apparent problems. Reaction at a meeting to unveil the plan also unveiled the controversy …. The proposal also drew a pre-emptive Bronx cheer from City Council members, who held a news conference minutes before the unveiling to assail it. SNIP “We don’t want to wait four months,” said Jeb Bruneau, president of the Lakeview Civic Association. “We want to be able to go down to … Continue reading The Plan to Rebuild New Orleans Part I…The Controversy

From Scout: The Plan calls for a moratorium on building permits for 4 months. In that time residents must prove the sustainability of their neighborhoods before rebuilding will be allowed. If unable to prove sustainability they face a buyout program. They would receive 60% of their pre-Katrina equity if federal legislation goes through and a further 40% from block grants. That is if they are forced to sell. If not, they receive only 60% unless they chose to remain in New Orleans. Then they would receive the full 100%. The first and most obvious problem is the process of proving … Continue reading The Plan to Rebuild New Orleans Part II….Problems

From Holden: This assessment by a man who should know corresponds with what we’ve all read about Our Troops! in Iraq. A senior British officer has criticised the US army for its conduct in Iraq, accusing it of institutional racism, moral righteousness, misplaced optimism, and of being ill-suited to engage in counter-insurgency operations. The blistering critique, by Brigadier Nigel Aylwin-Foster, who was the second most senior officer responsible for training Iraqi security forces, reflects criticism and frustration voiced by British commanders of American military tactics. What is startling is the severity of his comments – and the decision by Military … Continue reading US Army In Iraq: Institutionally Racist, Counterproductively Violent

From Tena: <blockquote)Bush acknowledged differences over Iraq. "Whether you agree with me or not, we're doing the right thing," Bush said, adding that terrorists or insurgents fighting democratic reform in Iraq are "not going to shake my will." A 7-year-old boy’s question — “How can people help on the war on terror?” — gave Bush an opening to score some political points against his critics and try to keep Democrats from using Iraq as an issue in this year’s midterm elections. “It’s one thing to have a philosophical difference — and I can understand people being abhorrent about war. War … Continue reading Just pass those strychnine-laced cookies this way, will you?

From Tena: Judge: Baby on board is no excuse Pregnant woman claimed she was driving for two PHOENIX, Arizona (AP) — Fetuses do not count as passengers when it comes to determining who may drive in the carpool lane, a judge has ruled. Candace Dickinson was fined $367 for improper use of a carpool lane, but contended her unborn child qualified to use the lane. Motorists who use the lanes normally must carry at least one passenger during weekday rush hours. Municipal Judge Dennis Freeman rejected Dickinson’s argument Tuesday, applying a “common sense” definition in which an individual is someone … Continue reading In which I am thoroughly unamused.

From Holden: CBS just broadcast video footage of Mrs. Alito crying while Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham was speaking. Graham was saying something to the effect that Alito’s opponents were calling him a bigot when she broke down. Forget the talking points, it was a mean old Republican who made her cry. Where is the dignity? Continue reading Dignified Hearings

From Holden: Little Scottie sez today’s event in Kentucky will not be scripted. MR. McCLELLAN: And the President — well, first of all, let me back up. The event is being hosted by the Greater Louisville Inc., which is the Chamber of Commerce for Louisville.. [snip] Q Are those questions pre-screened, or — MR. McCLELLAN: No, they can ask whatever — the people at this event can ask whatever they want. We shall see. And on the Alito hearings, Scottie sez he doesn’t like the “misrepresentations”, except those of Alito himself. MR. McCLELLAN: This morning, I’ve noticed that there have … Continue reading Today on Holden’s Obsession with the Gaggle

From Holden: Hmmmm. Exactly two months after Bill O’Reilly invited terrorists to attack San Francisco police found and defused an “improvised explosive device” in a San Francisco Starbucks. Continue reading Did Someone Listen to O’Reilly

From Holden: I’m a bit surprised that the left side of the blogosphere is not all a-flutter over Jason Leopold’s Plame case revelation of yesterday. [S]ources knowledgeable about the case against Rove say that he was offered a plea deal in December and that Luskin had twice met with Fitzgerald during that time to discuss Rove’s legal status. Rove turned down the plea deal, which would likely have required him to provide Fitzgerald with information against other officials who were involved in Plame’s outing as well as testifying against those people, the sources said. Jane Hamsher did comment on the … Continue reading Karl in the Crosshairs

From Scout: The BBC has a good article on the rebuilding plan for New Orleans which is to be unveiled over the next 9 days. The plan sparked controversy a few weeks ago due to recommendations from the Urban Land Institute to focus on only rebuilding some areas which many feared would virtually eliminate black neighborhoods. In the BBC story is this…. The main author of the plan, Joseph Canizaro, says the commission will propose that the city should discourage homeowners from rebuilding in the hardest-hit areas, but will not forbid them from doing so. I did a post on … Continue reading If you never read anything else about Katrina/NOLA, Do Read This…

From Holden: C-O-R-R-U-P-T, find out what it means to me. The former House majority leader, Tom DeLay, tried to pressure the Bush administration into shutting down an Indian-owned casino that Jack Abramoff, the now-discredited lobbyist, had wanted closed. This was shortly after a tribal client of Abramoff’s donated to a DeLay political action committee, according to a letter received by the Associated Press. Where’s Aretha when you need her? Continue reading Sock It To Me Sock It To Me Sock It To Me…

From Holden: The rule of law gets a mandate. A majority of Americans want the Bush administration to get court approval before eavesdropping on people inside the United States, even if those calls might involve suspected terrorists, an AP-Ipsos poll shows. [snip] … 56 percent of respondents in an AP-Ipsos poll said the government should be required to first get a court warrant to eavesdrop on the overseas calls and e-mails of U.S. citizens when those communications are believed to be tied to terrorism. Agreeing with the White House, some 42 percent of those surveyed do not believe the court … Continue reading Don’t Spy on Me!

From Scout: Looks like the Republicans may have a hard time filling the Leadership position. But hey there’s no Republican Culture of Corruption ………. Rep. Roy Blunt and the man he wants to succeed as House majority leader, Tom Delay, shared similar connections to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and to corporate lobbyists. Blunt, R-Mo., wrote at least three letters helpful to Abramoff clients while collecting money from them. He swapped donations between his and DeLay’s political groups, ultimately enriching the Missouri political campaign of his son Matt. And Blunt’s wife and another son, Andrew, lobby for many of the same … Continue reading Blunt Buzz…..

From Scout: Yeah we knew it but it took a lawsuit for FEMA to finally admit they don’t know what the F#@k is going on……. Under pressure from a federal lawsuit, the Federal Emergency Management Agency acknowledged yesterday that it does not know which Hurricane Katrina victims are living in more than 25,000 subsidized hotel rooms nationwide, or whether they have sought or been denied other FEMA aid. SNIP The judge ordered FEMA to continue hotel lodging for at least two weeks once a decision is made for occupants whose eligibility for rental housing assistance has not been determined, or … Continue reading Hell If We Know

From Scout: There is a fight going on in the military of which civilians may be unaware. WaPo had a good article on it last August which I recommend for the background and for details relating to what occured this week. Suffice to say here is the conflict….. Much of the conflict is in two areas that, until now, have been nearly invisible to civilians: how the military hires its ministers and how they word their public prayers. Evangelical chaplains — who are rising in numbers and clout amid a decline in Catholic priests and mainline Protestant ministers — are … Continue reading Twisting their Arm in the Name of Christ…..

From Holden: A Plame Case update from Jason Leopold. Although there have not been rumblings regarding Fitzgerald’s probe into the Plame leak since he met with the grand jury hearing evidence in the case more than a month ago, the sources said that Fitzgerald has been quietly building his case against Rove and has been interviewing witnesses, in some cases for the second and third time, who have provided him with information related to Rove’s role in the leak. [snip] [S]ources knowledgeable about the case against Rove say that he was offered a plea deal in December and that Luskin … Continue reading Rove Turns Down Plea Deal

From Holden: Oh hell, more progress in Iraq. Q On Iraq, the President said today we were going to have complete victory. And in view of the daily attrition, people dying — Iraqis, Americans — every day in Iraq, has he weighed the human cost and is he willing to go to the end at any price? MR. McCLELLAN: Well, and I think that the Iraqi people have demonstrated that they want to live in freedom, that they want to chart their own future. Where our focus is right now, Helen, is on continuing to move forward and support the … Continue reading Today on Holden’s Obsession with the Gaggle

From Scout: Kate O’Beirne was on Hardball last night to pimp her crappy book with an even crappier title…… “Women Who Make the World Worse: How Their Radical Feminist Assault is Ruining our Schools, Families, Military and Sports.” NORA O’DONNELL: Thank you, Kate. So who are these women who make the world worse? Give me the roster? KATE O’BEIRNE, NATIONAL REVIEW: I do name names. I find you have to name names because my feminist friends deny that they stand for certain things. Ok stop right there. Kate has feminist friends? LOL! Shouldn’t she save herself from such friends as … Continue reading Kate, Kate, Kate….

From Holden: Having dodged his own foreign war, how ironic that Chimpy spoke to the Veterans of Foreign Wars today. The Underwhere? Oath As veterans and soon to be veterans, you have placed the nation’s security before your own lives. You took an oath to defend our flag and our freedom, and you kept that oath underseas and under fire. The Terrorists Made Us Do It Yet the terrorists have made it clear that Iraq is the central front in their war against humanity. And so we must recognize Iraq as the central front in the war against the terrorists. … Continue reading Your President Speaks!

From Scout: amanda at Pandagon wrote a post yesterday on the loathing and resentment directed towards women who would like to keep their right to basic liberties. I thought it was quite good and restrained yet she got this comment from Wally…. Ya know Amanda, you would make a helluva lot more sense and your point of view would be more palatible to those on the other side of the fence if you would tone down the paranoia and the anger. I値l leave the matter of your utter disregard for gender equity for another day. Thank God Wally pointed this … Continue reading Kittens and sugar and spice and everything nice……

From Holden: Litttle Russ didn’t want to talk to Pat Fitzgerald because we was afraid of losing his access his Assministration sources. Lawyers for NBC News reporter Tim Russert suspected in the spring of 2004 that his testimony could snare Vice President Cheney’s top aide, I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, in a lie and Russert resisted testifying at the time about private conversations with Libby, according to court papers released yesterday. Russert was aware that a special prosecutor probing the leak of a CIA operative’s name knew of his summer 2003 telephone conversation with Libby, and that Libby had released him … Continue reading Tim-MEH the Model Citizen