From Scout: Great moments in TV (well one is)…. Deadwood last night: DORITY: “Do not put unauthorized cinnamon on that goddamn meeting table Jewel. That’s all we f**king need. Pony Blow today on the specifics of Saddam accepting a feeding tube: SNOW: I guess you say do you want a feeding tube and he says yes and I say OK we’re going to give you one. Ah this apparently was a consensual feeding tubing. (laughter of press corps) (**your move A.) UPDATE: Well A. answers……Everyone look up. No not at the ceiling…..look just below First Draft. That’s the brilliance of … Continue reading Unauthorized Cinnamon**

From Scout: Pony Blow said early in today’s press conference that the US will announce a “significant” commitment of humanitarian aid for Lebanon. At the end of the press conference he was asked this (starts at 33:42)….. QUESTION: On humanitarian supplies really quick. If this administration already knew of the severity of the situation with evacuating of Americans from that area, why not begin humanitarian supplies then instead of now? SNOW: Well number 1 April you have to ah, I mean, I love the second guessing. The United States is first to the scene and the question is why not … Continue reading Who’s first?

From Holden: You don’t stop to fix your hair. REUTERS/Adnan Hajj Continue reading When The Saudis Tell You To Get Your Ass To The Middle East…

From Holden: Via Bob Cesca we learn that Chimpy has “several” profane nicknames for Chief of Staff Josh Bolten. I suppose just about anything beats “Yosh”. WALLACE: Does the president have a nickname for you? BOLTEN: He does. The repeatable one is Yosh. WALLACE: What’s that mean? BOLTEN: I think it’s just a corruption of Josh. I’m not exactly sure where it came from. WALLACE: And is there an unrepeatable one? BOLTEN: Yes, there are several unrepeatable ones. WALLACE: Will you tell me about them during the commercial? BOLTEN: Yes, during the break. Continue reading Raising the Level of Discourse

From Holden: Warmonger. White House officials said President George W. Bush remains opposed to an immediate cease-fire to stop violence in the Middle East, despite personal pleas from ally Saudi Arabia that he help stop the bloodshed. Even pleasant thoughts of warm Saudi hands won’t quench his thirst. Continue reading Blood Lust Unslaked

From Holden: Chimpy’s massive unpopularity has placed his party in a bad position. No modern political party has weathered a midterm election with a president as low in the polls as George W. Bush. It is a reality of midterm elections that the party holding the White House often suffers big losses even if the president is popular. President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s approval rating was at 57 percent in 1958, but Republicans still lost 48 seats in the House. The best any party has done when its president has dipped below 50 percent was in 1978. That fall, President Jimmy … Continue reading Pony Power

From Holden: Today finds Rep. Katherine Harris’ Democratic opponent, incumbent Senator Bill Nelson, rolling in dough. Sen. Bill Nelson’s best-known Republican rival in Florida’s U.S. Senate race is churning through campaign staffers, trailing by 30 points in the polls and wounded by ties to a scandal-linked lobbyist. Yet the Democratic senator is shattering Florida fundraising records, raising more than $15 million for his reelection bid — already more than Republican Sen. Mel Martinez raised in his successful 2004 race. The haul puts Nelson in the mega-money stratosphere with just a handful of senators, including Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., who, locked … Continue reading Your Monday Morning Republican Juggernaut Update

From Holden: One should not speak of the Israeli War on Lebanon so much as the American War on Lebanon. The Bush administration is rushing a delivery of precision-guided bombs to Israel, which requested the expedited shipment last week after beginning its air campaign against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, American officials said Friday. The decision to quickly ship the weapons to Israel was made with little debate within the Bush administration, the officials said. Its disclosure threatens to anger Arab governments and others because of the appearance that the United States is actively aiding the Israeli bombing campaign in a … Continue reading Did Someone Say “Complicit”?

From Holden: One should not speak of the Israeli War on Lebanon so much as the American War on Lebanon. The Bush administration is rushing a delivery of precision-guided bombs to Israel, which requested the expedited shipment last week after beginning its air campaign against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, American officials said Friday. The decision to quickly ship the weapons to Israel was made with little debate within the Bush administration, the officials said. Its disclosure threatens to anger Arab governments and others because of the appearance that the United States is actively aiding the Israeli bombing campaign in a … Continue reading Did Someone Say ”Complicit”?

From Holden: Yes, we are indeed living in interesting times when Alan Dershowitz borrows the main thrust of his latest opinion piece… The Israeli army has given well-publicized notice to civilians to leave those areas of southern Lebanon that have been turned into war zones. Those who voluntarily remain behind have become complicit. …from the ramblings of Atlas’ Juggs. I am not buying into the innocent civilians meme. If by ignorance, complicity, neglect or helplessness the Lebanese wouldn’t throw Hezbollah out and establish a strong government, then they must pay the price for the sins of Hizbollah. Continue reading Strange Days, Indeed

Skeery. I find finances the most untouchable of subjects. Sure, people will bitch about “the economy” or their salaries or their debts in general, but hardly anybody I know says, “Oh, fuck, I’ve got $18,000 in credit card debt and my mortgage payment just went up $400 in one month and I owe $10,000 on my car that has 90,000 miles on it already and is a plastic piece of shit.” The majority of my friends, I have no clue what they make, and I don’t tell them what I make or what my family income is. I know more … Continue reading Sunday Thread: Finances

From Scout: Meanwhile in other war news. The Guardian has a good article warning of anarchy in Afghanistan… The most senior British military commander in Afghanistan yesterday described the situation in the country as “close to anarchy” with feuding foreign agencies and unethical private security companies compounding problems caused by local corruption. The stark warning came from Lieutenant General David Richards, head of Nato’s international security force in Afghanistan, who warned that western forces there were short of equipment and were “running out of time” if they were going to meet the expectations of the Afghan people. And then there … Continue reading They control the night…..

To expand on something Digby’s getting at: The Bush administration are monsters. That is not hyperbole. There can be no other explanation as to why the secretary of state, the person in charge of American diplomacy, would be so crude and stupid. The level of their disinterest in any kind of substantive policy beyond “Oh, just cut it the fuck out and listen to us because we’ve got your best interests at heart and to prove it, we’re gonna blow you up” is not actually all that sobering if you realize that it’s not a lack of any kind. It’s … Continue reading Monstrous

Jesus. What Schlussel actually said: THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS IN LEBANON ARE HEZBOLLAH SUPPORTERS. Most of them are Shi’ite Muslims, many of whom hold dual U.S. and Lebanese citizenship. Many are anchor babies born here to Muslims in the U.S. illegally. Some are illegal aliens who became citizens through rubber-stamping Citizenship and Immigration Services (and its INS predecessor) coupled with political pressure by spineless politicians. Of the 25,000 American citizens and green-card holders in Lebanon, at least 7,000 are from Dearborn, Michigan, the heart of Islamic America, and especially Shia Islam America. These 7,000 are mostly Shi’ite Muslims who openly … Continue reading Scout Was Right

Quietly strangling government in the bathtub. Time to make some phone calls, send an e-mail, write a letter. Hat tip: Litz. A. Continue reading While You Were Out

Lest we ever think there’s anything they won’t use: “This conflict is a long way from over,” Cheney said at a fundraising appearance for a GOP congressional candidate. “It’s going to be a battle that will last for a very long time. It is absolutely essential that we stay the course.” Cheney’s visit to Tampa helped raise about $200,000 for the campaign of Gus Bilirakis, a state legislator who is running for the Tampa Bay area congressional seat his father, Michael, is vacating. “Gus is going to remember that the first order of business is to protect the American people … Continue reading Campaigning

From Scout: EL PASO Four U.S. soldiers accused of murdering suspected insurgents during a raid in Iraq said they were under orders to “kill all military age males,” according to sworn statements obtained by The Associated Press. The soldiers first took some of the men into custody because they were using two women and a toddler as human shields. They shot three of the men after the women and child were safe and say the men attacked them. “The ROE (rule of engagement) was to kill all military age males on Objective Murray,” Staff Sgt. Raymond L. Girouard told investigators, … Continue reading Hague Here We Come

From Scout: I just knew it. Remember those first 21 Americans evacuated last Sunday… BEIRUT, Lebanon Jul 16, 2006 (AP)— Two Marine Corps helicopters evacuated 21 Americans from Lebanon to Cyprus on Sunday, and U.S. officials urged others to wait for a formal evacuation plan before they try to leave. The U.S. citizens evacuated Sunday included a family of four with a sick child and four students, said Maura Harty, assistant secretary of state for consular affairs. Well it turns out those 4 students were of a certain class…. As it turns out, if you were an Ivy League student … Continue reading Class Move

From Scout: First you have to go to 2Millionth Web Log and read the story of Willy the cat who has a particular penchant for theft. It’s a great story. And here is a funny cat video that Michael from 2Millionth Web Log found on YouTube….. Continue reading Friday Cat Blogging…Cat Burglar Edition

From Holden:

The Bush Assministration continues to violate the basic rights of GITMO detainees.

On Thursday July 6, eight days after winning an important victory in the Supreme Court, Salim Hamdan met with his lawyers in Guantanamo to discuss legal strategy. After polishing off his favorite meal of Jamaican jerk chicken, Hamdan took hand-written, Arabic notes on a page of yellow legal paper, as his lawyers outlined a series of strategic questions. After the meeting, Hamdan’s notes were confiscated, according to a sworn affidavit given by Hamdan and obtained by TIME.

In the previous weeks, the government had carted away over half a ton of similar materials from the cells of other prisoners — much of which, like Hamdan’s notes, ARE protected by attorney-client privilege. “In these notes the government knows all of my future legal strategy,” Hamdan writes in his affidavit. The government has said it seized the material as part of its investigation into the suicides of detainees at Guantanamo.

Continues, Read More…

Continue reading “Rule of Law”

From Holden: Or perhaps your president is simply an ignorant asshole. Q Mr. President, what do you hope Secretary Rice accomplishes on her trip to the Middle East, sir? THE PRESIDENT: I’m going to talk to her tomorrow when I — Sunday, when I get back to the White House. We’re going to have a good visit. Q What do you hope she accomplishes, sir? THE PRESIDENT: I said I would talk to her tomorrow. Um — is he going to talk to her Sunday or tomorrow? Continue reading The Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations?

From Holden: Dana Peroxide opened today’s traveling gaggle with several announcements about Chimpy’s schedule, including… Tuesday, the Prime Minister of Iraq will be here, and there will also be a joint availability, in addition to the meeting in the Oval. That should be interesting given Bush and Maliki’s widely divergent views on Israel’s attack on Lebanon. Hey, the president is a busy man, he does not have time to call the Prime Minister of Israel but he did have time for another world leader. Q Has the President phoned the Israeli Prime Minister yet, or does he have any plans … Continue reading Today on Holden’s Obsession with the Gaggle

From Holden: Hamid Karzai’s government plans to bring back the infamous Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. An Afghan government proposal to re-establish the notorious Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has raised concerns among U.S. human rights advocates. Under the Taliban, the virtue and vice department enforced restrictions on women and men through public beatings and imprisonment. [snip] When the U.S. government overthrew the Taliban in 2001, the virtue department was scrapped. Now the cabinet of President Hamid Karzai is asking the country’s elected parliament to re-instate the religion-based police force. … Continue reading Back By Popular Demand

From Holden: I had to wipe a little tear of sympathy from my eye when I read this over at Atlas’ Juggs* this morning. The Press secretary of the Embassy of Israel called. [sic] to cancel my trip to Israel. They recommend that I not go to Israel. Apparently they have canceled all my interviews and war coverage. Ugh. *watertiger’s creative sobriquet beats my “Atlas’ Rack” by a D-cup. Continue reading Persona Non Grata

From Holden: Juan Cole on Ethnic Cleansing: I repeat, this is nothing less than an ethnic cleansing of the Shiites of southern Lebanon, an assault on an entire civilian population’s way of life. Aside from ecology, it is no different from what Saddam Hussein did to the Marsh Arabs of southern Iraq, and the Israelis are doing it for exactly the same sorts of reasons that Saddam did. Human Shields: B’Tselem’s initial investigation indicates that, during an incursion by Israeli forces into Beit Hanun, in the northern Gaza Strip, on 17 July 2006, soldiers seized control of two buildings in … Continue reading Saddam in a Yarmaluke

The boys found a BIG takeout bag to play in. Stripe, after seeing a specialist (shut up) has been diagnosed with insulinoma. It’s actually a fairly common disease in ferrets. He’s been put on medication, which he dislikes, but which has turned him from a depressed ferret back into his old bouncy self, jumping and playing with his brothers and generally lighting the place up. The specialist is recommending surgery to remove the tumors in his pancreas as in the long-term the medication can exacerbate other problems, but we’re waiting to see how he responds to the meds first. If … Continue reading Friday Ferretblogging

From Holden: A win for the consitution. A federal judge on Thursday denied motions by the U.S. government and AT&T to stop a lawsuit over alleged participation by the carrier in an illegal wiretapping program by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA). Judge Vaughn R. Walker of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California denied the government’s motion for dismissal of the case or summary judgment on the basis that the case involved state secrets. He also denied AT&T’s motion to have the case dismissed. Continue reading Warrantless Eavesdropping Suit to Continue

From Holden: Hey, since when do terrorists appologize to their victims’ families? In a Thursday interview with Arabic-language news network Al-Jazeera, [Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan] Nasrallah accepted responsibility for the Wednesday attack [that killed two Israeli Arab children in northern Israel], while conceding that an apology to the family was not sufficient. “To the family that was hit in Nazareth — on my behalf and my brothers’, I apologize to this family,” he said. Meanwhile, the families of the two Israeli soldiers kidnapped by Hezbollah plead for a cease fire. “We want the killing to be stopped, both in Israel … Continue reading Upsetting the Paradigm

From Scout: From today’s Times Picayune editorial… Some members of Congress have been downright indignant about Louisiana’s requests for aid. Their message: Do you think we’re made of money? No, but they sure do act like it sometimes. Take the now-defunct Livestock Compensation Program, which was administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In 2002 and 2003, the two years it existed, the program spent $1.2 billion on so-called drought relief, according to The Washington Post. Of that, $635 million went to ranchers and dairy farmers in areas where there was no drought or only moderate dryness, the newspaper reported. … Continue reading Mooooo