RIP: David Halberstam
SFGate.com The San Mateo County Coroner says noted journalist and author David Halberstam has been killed in a car crash. Continue reading RIP: David Halberstam
Month: April 2007
9 US soldiers killed by car bombing at patrol base
From WaPo… BAGHDAD — Nine U.S. soldiers were killed and 20 were wounded Monday in a suicide car bombing against a patrol base northeast of Baghdad, the military said. An Iraqi civilian was also wounded in the attack on Task Force Lightning soldiers in Diyala province, a volatile area that has been the site of fierce fighting involving U.S. and Iraqi troops, Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias. This heartbreaking April 2nd NYT article reports on the fighting and dying in Diyala province and the use of patrol bases there, as in Baghdad, where such bases are considered the pillar of … Continue reading 9 US soldiers killed by car bombing at patrol base
Today On Holden’s Obsession With The Gaggle
Dana Peroxide channelled Little Scottie today.
Q But did the President actually see the testimony?
MS. PERINO: He got regular updates from us while we were on the road — we were on the road that day, on the way to Ohio.
Q So how can he say he has increased confidence if he got updates from other people? So he didn’t actually see the testimony, himself, because —
MS. PERINO: He got updates from us, and I think he saw some news coverage of it later that day.
Q But as Jim noted, I mean, Arlen Specter yesterday said that it was “very, very damaging to his own credibility.” So what did the President see — well, he didn’t see the testimony, but what did he hear that he —
MS. PERINO: What the President knows is that the Attorney General answered honestly, truthfully and was as responsive to Congress as he could possibly be during hours of testimony and in turning over all the documents, and then making people that work for him available to the Congress in order to answer their questions.
Flashback to September 29, 2003:
Q All right. Let me just follow up. You said this morning, “The President knows” that Karl Rove wasn’t involved. How does he know that?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I’ve made it very clear that it was a ridiculous suggestion in the first place. I saw some comments this morning from the person who made that suggestion, backing away from that. And I said it is simply not true. So, I mean, it’s public knowledge. I’ve said that it’s not true. And I have spoken with Karl Rove —
Q But how does —
MR. McCLELLAN: I’m not going to get into conversations that the President has with advisors or staff or anything of that nature; that’s not my practice.
Q But the President has a factual basis for knowing that Karl Rove —
MR. McCLELLAN: I said it publicly. I said that —
Q But I’m not asking what you said, I’m asking if the President has a factual basis for saying — for your statement that he knows Karl Rove —
MR. McCLELLAN: He’s aware of what I’ve said, that there is simply no truth to that suggestion. And I have spoken with Karl about it.
Q Does he know whether or not the Vice President’s Chief of Staff, Lewis Libby —
MR. McCLELLAN: If you have any specific information to bring to my attention — like I said, there has been nothing that’s been brought to our attention.
Continue reading “Today On Holden’s Obsession With The Gaggle”
Katrina Contracts went to Iffy Firms
Well no strippers or Louis Vuitton handbags are involved so we’ll have to see if this garners much attention from the media (h/t Dead Pelican)… (AP)FEMA exposed taxpayers to significant waste — and possibly violated federal law — by awarding $3.6 billion worth of Hurricane Katrina contracts to companies with poor credit histories and bad paperwork, investigators say. The new report by the Homeland Security Department’s office of inspector general, set to be released later this week, examines the propriety of 36 trailer contracts designated for small and local businesses in the stricken Gulf Coast region following the 2005 storm. … Continue reading Katrina Contracts went to Iffy Firms
Heckuva Job, Chimpy
Crap, where are the adults when you need them? After a Chinese interceptor smashed into a target satellite in January, Bush administration officials criticized the test as a destabilizing development. [snip] What administration officials did not say is that as the Chinese were preparing to launch their antisatellite weapon, American intelligence agencies had issued reports about the preparations being made at the Songlin test facility. In high-level discussions, senior Bush administration officials debated how to respond and even began to draft a protest, but ultimately decided to say nothing to Beijing until after the test. Three months after the Chinese … Continue reading Heckuva Job, Chimpy
Your President Speaks!
Today, after meeting with President Alan Garcia of Peru. Getting A Little Clarity The President has got a very clear vision of South America, and I really appreciated his advice and his counsel. It always helps for a person sitting here in the United States to get clarity of what the environment is like. Continue reading Your President Speaks!
Your President Speaks! Again!
Today, in Michigan. Obviously Not Looking In A Mirror I’ve watched a man begun to grow in office. Just Can’t Help Himself When The Hate Is Flowing Despite the initial signs of progress on the ground, despite the fact that many reinforcements have not even arrived, Democrat leadership of the Congress is pushing legislation that would undercut the strategy General David Petraeus has just started to pursue. Never Read A Map When we debate the war on terror, it can be convenient to divide up the fight by location — and so we hear about, “the war in Afghanistan,” and … Continue reading Your President Speaks! Again!
The Other Surge
I think Wall Street is out of it’s collective mind. Gas prices rose more than eight cents in the past two weeks to a national average of $2.87 per gallon of self-serve regular — and are expected to further rise — according to a national survey released on Sunday. That marks a rise of 69 cents at the pump since late January, Trilby Lundberg, publisher of “Lundberg Survey,” said. The “Lundberg Survey” tallies gas prices every two to three weeks at about 5,000 gas stations. Sure, corporate profits are up. But between the collapse of the housing market and the … Continue reading The Other Surge
Forgive them their transgression
Rich Lowry on mental health… Another alarmed professor went to her dean with worries about Cho. She was told that nothing could be done, so he was simply placed off to the side of the seminar, where he said nothing and his disturbing writings werenât read aloud. This is a microcosm of how weâve handled many of the mentally ill during the great deinstitutionalization of the past 30 years, when they have been left to their own devices â and often to the streets or prison â rather than treated. There are many reasons for this – the rise of … Continue reading Forgive them their transgression
And will the Media report this fact?
Times Picayune reports a new yearlong study which reviewed “elevation data captured by LIDAR, a precise light imaging detection technology” found half of New Orleans is NOT below sea level… “Contrary to popular perceptions, half of New Orleans is at or above sea level,” according to the study by Tulane and Xavier universities’ Center for Bioenvironmental Research. SNIP “Innumerable media reports following Hurricane Katrina described the topography of New Orleans as unconditionally below sea level,” the study notes. “This oversimplification is inaccurate by half, and its frequent repetition does a great disservice to the city.” Continue reading And will the Media report this fact?
Your President Speaks!
Yesterday in Tipp City, Ohio, an appearnce so bizarre that even the AP and Atrios took notice. A Country That Is A Complete Country My mission is to not only share with you what’s on my mind, and why I have made some of the decisions I have made, but another mission is to convince you that serving the public, that public service is worthwhile; that you can go into politics or you can feed the hungry or you can serve in the military, and it’s a fulfilling part of a person’s life, and a necessary part, in my judgment, … Continue reading Your President Speaks!
Music
I tend to get one song, from iTunes or wherever, and it wears out my speakers. I listen over and over and over. A few months ago it was Hem’s “Carry Me Home.” Then it was Coldplay’s “Kingdom Come.” Lately it’s been this: A. Continue reading Music
Telegraph: Gore campaign team assembles in secret
From the Telegraph (via HuffPo)… Friends of Al Gore have secretly started assembling a campaign team in preparation for the former American vice-president to make a fresh bid for the White House. Two members of Mr Gore’s staff from his unsuccessful attempt in 2000 say they have been approached to see if they would be available to work with him again. Mr Gore, President Bill Clinton’s deputy, has said he wants to concentrate on publicising the need to combat climate change, a case made in his film, An Inconvenient Truth, which won him an Oscar this year. But, aware that … Continue reading Telegraph: Gore campaign team assembles in secret
Meta-Free-Phor-All
Gonzales Transcripts
I wish I’d saved the text of our chat, but here’s what was going on while we were making kitten noises and chimp jokes: “To me, there has to be consequences to accepting responsibility. And I would just say, Mr. Attorney General, it’s my considered opinion that the exact same standards should be applied to you in how this was handled. And it was handled incompetently. The communication was atrocious. It was inconsistent. It’s generous to say that there were misstatements. That’s a generous statement. And I believe you ought to suffer the consequences that these others have suffered. And … Continue reading Gonzales Transcripts
Today On Holden’s Obsession With The Gaggle
Oooooh! Dana hates thatquestion. Q Is he doing any interviews on potential new candidates for the AG — MS. PERINO: Not that I’m aware of, no. One of the things that the President did upon returning from his trip yesterday was spoke to the Attorney General, following his hours of testimony. The President was pleased that the hearing had finally been held; that the Attorney General was fully responsive to the Congress, answered hours worth of questions after providing thousands of pages of documents, and again proving that there was no credible allegation of wrongdoing. The Attorney General did apologize … Continue reading Today On Holden’s Obsession With The Gaggle
Friday Cat Blogging
Willie B now controls the remote… Continue reading Friday Cat Blogging
Dana Peroxide Is Bigger Bitch Than Pony Blow
Via Froomkin, I give you the repellant Dana Peroxide. From Dana Perino’s interview with CNN’s John Roberts this morning: John Roberts: “The hearing yesterday, would you say that ‘brutal’ would be an accurate way to describe it?” Perino: “Well I didn’t have an opportunity to see the whole hearing, I’ve heard different, varying accounts, I would think brutal might refer to Alec Baldwin’s voicemail message that he left to his daughter.” What the hell does Alec Baldwin’s privat voicemail message, leaked by his ex-wife’s attorney, have to do with our lying Attorney General? Continue reading Dana Peroxide Is Bigger Bitch Than Pony Blow
Friday Ferretblogging: The Recovery of Fox Edition
He’s indestructible. Not that we want him to be otherwise, but seriously, he’s almost a superhero at this point. Can leap for raisins in a single bound! Can … chase his tail a lot … okay, he has no superpowers, but he’s been home from the vet a week, has put on a tenth of a pound (they only weight two or three pounds as it is, so that’s a lot) and is starting to eat solid food from his dish again. Which is good news, because he freaking HATES his medication, so the sooner he’s off it, the better … Continue reading Friday Ferretblogging: The Recovery of Fox Edition
Bush Brigade Update
Neill Bush’s two oldest children form his first marriage – Pierce and Lauren – are both in their twenties yet neither one is serving their country in the Greatest War Evah. Worse yet, they made an appearance yesterday in France to celebrate the opening of some Commie department store. Model Lauren Bush (R), niece of U.S. President George W. Bush, poses with her brother Pierce at the first anniversary of the opening of the Pinko store in Paris April 19, 2007.REUTERS/Charles Platiau (FRANCE) Continue reading Bush Brigade Update
The Zombie AG
I still say Chimpy is too stubborn to fire Gonzales, and Alberto himself is too selfish and stupid to step down voluntarily. It will be interesting to see if the “adults” can convince one or the other that we need a new Attorney General. White House insiders tell CNN that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales hurt himself during testimony before a Senate committee Thursday on the firing of eight U.S. attorneys. The sources, involved in administration discussions about Gonzales, told White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux that two senior level White House aides who heard the testimony described Gonzales as “going down … Continue reading The Zombie AG
US military building 3 mile wall separating Sunnis, Shiites in Baghdad
From Stars and Stripes… Soldiers building wall separating Sunnis, Shiites Three-mile structure in Baghdad is a disputed part of security plan… BAGHDAD — U.S. soldiers with the 82nd Airborne Division in a Baghdad district are “building a three-mile protective wall on the dividing line between a Sunni enclave and the surrounding Shiite neighborhood,” according to a U.S. military press release issued Wednesday. Troops with the 407th Brigade Support Battalion began constructing the wall on April 10 and will continue work “almost nightly until the wall is complete,” the release read. “The area the wall will protect is the largest predominately … Continue reading US military building 3 mile wall separating Sunnis, Shiites in Baghdad
UPDATE: Military spokesman admits construction of “The Great Wall of Adhamiya” in Baghdad separating Sunnis and Shiites
Yesterday I posted the Stars and Stripes article on US soldiers building a 3 mile wall in Baghdad that will separate Sunnis and Shiites. Now the LA Times reports on the wall. In the S&S article there was some dispute regarding the wall with the top spokesman for coalition forces in Iraq quoted as stating he was unaware such a wall was being built despite a news release from the military on its construction and information of US soldiers on the ground working on the wall. So it is interesting to read in the LA Times article the apparent backpedaling … Continue reading UPDATE: Military spokesman admits construction of “The Great Wall of Adhamiya” in Baghdad separating Sunnis and Shiites
Crack Van: Gonzales Testimony Edition
Watch here beginning at 9:30 EST. Update: Thanks for stopping by, everybody. I leave you with a photo of today’s hero: A. Continue reading Crack Van: Gonzales Testimony Edition
Today On Holden’s Obsession With The Gaggle
ShorterPeroxide: No. Q Dana, does Attorney General Gonzales’s testimony on Capitol Hill have any bearing whatsoever on his job status? MS. PERINO: As I’ve said many times, the President has full confidence in the Attorney General. [snip] Q So is it fair to say that no matter what the testimony, no matter what the back-and-forth, that the President plans to stick with Attorney General Gonzales? MS. PERINO: I think — yes. I think the President has full confidence in the Attorney General and whenever that changes for any public servant, we’ll let you know, and I see no indication of … Continue reading Today On Holden’s Obsession With The Gaggle
NBC receives “multimedia manifesto”
From Brian Williams at Daily Nightly blog… LATE DEVELOPMENT:NBC News has indeed received what I would call a “multimedia manifesto” from the gunman. We received it today, and immediately handed it over to Federal law enforcement authorities. We are still going over our own copy — its a lot of material — we are talking with law enforcement, our own standards people — and Pete Williams, our Justice Correspondent, will join me live on the broadcast to go through the material. UPDATE:MSNBC has a photo up online Continue reading NBC receives “multimedia manifesto”
Appointment Watch
While perusing the White House’s “Current News” page I came across the following announcement. Enrique J. Sosa, of Florida, to be a Member of the Reform Board (Amtrak) for a term of five years, vice Linwood Holton, term expired, which was sent to the Senate on January 9, 2007. Interest piqued, I wondered just who Enrique Sosa was and why his nomination would be withdrawn by the Assministration.Sourcewatch has the answer [emphasis added]. Enrique J. Sosa, of Florida, was nominated February 10, 2006, by President George W. Bush to be a Member of the AMTRAK Reform Board. Sosa replaces Linwood … Continue reading Appointment Watch
If Everything You Think You Know Makes Your Life Unbearable
He Did It All For The Nookie
Is there any depth to which Paul Wolfowitz will not stoop in order to sore [Ack!] shore up his relationship to Shaha Riza? The pressure on Paul Wolfowitz to resign as president of the World Bank intensified last night amid allegations the Pentagon had interfered in his girlfriend’s career at the bank as long ago as 2003. A private US contractor was reported yesterday to have alleged that the Pentagon ordered him to hire Shaha Ali Riza for a trip to Iraq shortly after the fall of Saddam Hussein. Mr Wolfowitz was the deputy defence secretary in the Pentagon at … Continue reading He Did It All For The Nookie
Never Trust A Republikkkan With Your Money
What ever happened to the sacred up-or-down vote? A pillar of the Democratic political program tumbled today when Republicans in the Senate blocked a proposal to allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices for millions of older Americans, a practice now forbidden by law. [snip] Fifty-five senators, including 6 Republicans, supported a Democratic motion to limit debate and proceed to consideration of the bill, while 42 senators voted against it. Such motions require a three-fifths majority under Senate rules. [snip] The House passed a bill requiring the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate drug prices by a vote … Continue reading Never Trust A Republikkkan With Your Money