Reality Bites!

Been really taking it easy since getting to Florida but I do have to comment on the bounty of positive news in the past few days. I say positive because it all reinforces the positions of Barack Obama and those of us who have spent years calling for a reality check. Looks to me that the check is not only in the mail, but also going to nearly every household in the world - yep, even that house at 1600 Pennsylvania avenue.

1. Dialogue with Iran. The Bush Administration, after 7 1/2 years of ineffectively using the stick, has move to trying carrots with Iran. While they deny it, the discussion they are having are contradictory to what the Bush/McCain doctrine has been for years and lines up pretty closely with the Obama position.

2. Troop withdrawal from Iraq. While the Bush Administration hopes that calling the timeline a "time horizon" will fool people, it is apparent that they are looking to remove troops from Iraq and increase the presence in Afghanistan. Hmmm ... where have I heard that before.

3. Iraqi PM agrees with Obama position. His words: "U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right time frame for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes," - Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Imagine how the Reds would be jumping on this if Maliki had said "we need troops here indefinitely - please do make any plans to go". He didn't say that.

After 8 (I would say 28) years of falling under the spell of myth making and reality busting politicians - it appears that the American people are breaking free from this hypnotic illusion. The rest of the world, no longer fearing Bush's bombs and sensing the change in the USA (Obama's near nomination having a large part to do with it), are also becoming more free to speak truth to power and more willing to interact with a nation who's people seems to be regaining their sanity.

It is very late in coming - we'll see if it is too late - but I suppose it's better than if it had never come at all.

911 Only Changed Their Excuse

This story is shocking - even to hardened skeptics like me. It seems that the Bush Administration sought Americans private phone records BEFORE the 9-11 attacks. Those who have excused the destruction of our constitutional rights because of the attacks that day, now find themselves embarrassed once again by their defense of the Bush Administration's un-American activities. Oh by the way, Qwest denied the request from the government which was followed by their business being blackballed for some government contracts and their leader arrested on insider trading allegations.

The phone company Qwest Communications refused a proposal from the National Security Agency that the company’s lawyers considered illegal in February 2001, nearly seven months before the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, the former head of the company contends in newly unsealed court filings.
The executive, Joseph P. Nacchio, also asserts in the filings that the agency retaliated by depriving Qwest of lucrative outsourcing contracts.The filings were made as Mr. Nacchio fought charges of insider trading. He was ultimately convicted in April of 19 counts of insider trading and has been sentenced to six years in prison. He remains free while appealing the conviction.
Mr. Nacchio said last year that he had refused an N.S.A. request for customers’ call records in late 2001, after the Sept. 11 attacks, as the agency initiated domestic surveillance and data mining programs to monitor Al Qaeda communications.
But the documents unsealed Wednesday in federal court in Denver, first reported in The Rocky Mountain News on Thursday, claim for the first time that pressure on the company to participate in activities it saw as improper came as early as February, nearly seven months before the terrorist attacks.

Damage Done - Gonzo Gone

Alberto Gonzales has finally resigned, putting aside his selfish desire to further pad his resume. Of course, this is long overdue. Gonzo allowed the Justice Department to be run by political operatives who abused power in order to get "a permanent Republican majority". Gonzo was a puppet and figurehead who was there pretty much to serve four main purposes for George W. Bush. 1. It proved loyalty - Gonzo got Bush out of trouble a lot over the years, so the AG job was a personal reward. 2. He was easily manipulated - this allowed Karl Roves' people to run the department putting the interests of the Republican party over that of our nation. 3. It made Bush look inclusive - the main qualification in Bush's mind was that Gonzo was Hispanic. We all remember Bush pointing to Condi Rice and Colon Powell to prove he didn't hate blacks. Gonzo was there to show that he didn't hate Hispanics either. 4. It made Bush feel smart. Hard to believe but Gonzo was actually more shallow and less intellectually curious than George W. Bush. It must has been great for W to have someone around that actually was more dimwitted than himself.

Gonzo is a perfect analogy of the Bush administration and the current Republican party. He "believed" in the right things and refused to let facts ever get in the way of those ideals. He was a loyal crony who provided no criticism or oversight over the misdeeds of his sponsors or his party. And he was simply terrible in his job even as he harbored illusions of self grandeur. Adios Gonzo - go sign that fat contract with FOX news now so they can have another lackey to put front and center.

Country Music Tuesday

I'm not normally a country music fan but this little diddy is a real foot stomper and leg slapper. It does have adult language so you might want to keep the little kiddies away. Otherwise, just put a little pinch of chaw between your cheek and gum and get down at today's MQAblog ho-down.

"They just wanted us to be Bush automatons."

With a Democratic Congress providing some cover to intimidated public officials, we are just beginning to understand just how much a Republican run government mirrors the old Soviet Union. That's to say: Protect "The Party", hail the "Supreme Leader", and above all do not let any truth that goes against the Party or Leader be spoken aloud. Here is just the latest evidence of this widespread abuse of power by the communists .. I mean the other Reds ... the Republicans.

Price Floyd left the State Department on April 1, after 17 years. He said he was fed up with the relentless partisanship and the unwillingness to consider other points of view. His supervisor, a political appointee, kept "telling me to shut up," he said. Nothing like that had occurred under Presidents Bill Clinton or George H.W. Bush. "They just wanted us to be Bush automatons." Does that sound familiar? Earlier this month, former Surgeon General Richard Carmona told Congress that Bush Administration officials had repeatedly tried to weaken or suppress important public health reports because they clashed with administration dogma. He said he was ordered to mention Bush three times on every page of his speeches.

Why I Blog

When I started this blog during the summer of 2004 it was mostly to promote my upcoming election party. It was a great success! Then it evolved into making a case against George W. Bush and for John F. Kerry. It did not succeed. Then I used it to make the case that the Bush administration is incompetent, dishonest and operates contrary to the American way. Most people have FINALLY come around to this point of view. Now, I need to illustrate how the failures of the past 6 years are only one part of the overall problem. That’s to say that George W. Bush, while singularly the worst President ever, is only the latest tool of a political party who have destroyed (intentionally in my opinion) all that was once great in this country.

Why do they do that? The reasons are many. First and probably foremost there is “Greed”. We see that in the privatization wave called for by Republicans. Look at Iraq - funny how Republican companies and individual right wing ideologue have actually become millionaires from this fiasco. If you look at just about any policy of the Republicans - follow the money and you will see their supporters (often ONLY their supporters) benefiting. Next, there is “Cronyism”. Rewarding loyalty is essential to the party because to be fair or objective would be destructive to the secret meetings and deals; institutionalize lies and propaganda schemes that have characterized the rise of the modern GOP. “Hiding behind the flag, the troops and the Bible”. The right wing has been very effective in fanning the hatred of people who oppose abortion, gay rights by creating a fictional attack on Christianity. They have used the techniques of religious leaders to frame arguments as a good vs. evil, with them being good. Likewise they label anyone who does not tow the line as unpatriotic. Tapping into these basic human instincts and insisting on an overly simplistic world view protects them from a critical review of their policies.

I feel that most of America now see and reject this behavior from the Bush administration. However, I am not convinced that people realize that he is only the latest figurehead for this movement. If in 2008, we elect a Republican President or Congress you have to know that will do things the same way as always. We have to remember how the GOP establishment, religious leaders and right wing media turned a mean spirited, underachieving son of a former President into a straight talking, all American Christian coming to clean up Washington. We must not forget the way the Republican Congress let Bush do exactly what he wanted with no oversight or accountability even as evidence of his destructive actions were plain for all to see. My worry is that if people forget and elect Republicans in 2008, it may take another 6 years for people to again realize their errors. By then it will be far too late to save our country.

This news story is the latest example of what I am saying. The USA Today reports that Pentagon knew that troops were ill equipped yet did not act to correct it. Yes, it was the Bush Defense Department filled with loyal Republicans - many of which will be around for decades - running for office, lobbying or becoming right wing media stars. Also keep in mind that the Republican Congress did nothing to correct this and the right wing media did nothing to report this to the American people. If you think that somehow by 2008 these all these folks will change their stripes - then good for you. I don’t think so and I am not willing to risk it. Therefore, I blog on - in the hopes that I can do just a little bit to warn those who care about our future but do not yet know of the domestic dangers we face.

On Monday, USA TODAY reported that the Pentagon has known for years that vehicles called MRAPs could keep U.S. troops safer from most roadside bombs, but until recently it did little to deploy the vehicles to Iraq, even as hundreds of Americans died. ---snip--- The Defense Department could have launched a crash program as early as 2004 to build MRAPs and ship them to Iraq. It did not. Infuriatingly, officials approved construction of some MRAPs for Iraqi forces, while insisting that U.S. troops stick with armored Humvees. When Marines made an urgent request for 1,169 MRAPs in February 2005, the answer was to wait for development of a new combat vehicle — in 2012.

News Round Up

The downside to attending a bunch of Yankee games is that I have to work like crazy all the other time. It's worth it. So I'll have to be brief today with the blog. As usual there is so much going on in the news. Here are a few stories worth noting.

Fundraising... Hillary Clinton has raised the most money of all Presidential candidates. No surprise. What is surprising is that Barack Obamba has almost matched her (some say even beat her) and Mitt Romney has far outpaced his GOP opponents. What does it all mean? Speculations abound but one result, in my opinion (and that I have not heard anyone else say) is that Romney and Obama have really made a strong argument to be (at least) their parties VP choice. It seems to me that by demonstrating such fundraising prowess, Obama and Romney will be seen as smart choices for the #2 slot if they don't win the nomination outright.

Of all countries in the world... Now it is time for Belgium to suffer. That's right, President Bush has "recessed" appointed a "Swift Boat" fundraiser to be ambassador to that European country. He could not have passed the Senate approval process because of his hateful partisanship, but Bush (of course) went around the confirmation process to place his crony in that position. A brief search netted me no results as to why we would want to punish Belgium by sending this hack over there.

Speaking of suffering...Republicans are hurting in the polls. John McCain has gone from maverick to weak candidate and even Hillary Clinton has seen her support wane. Why? Because they supported George W. Bush! Clinton, is the most striking example of just how far George W. Bush has spread his bad mojo. She wanted to support the President on Iraq. Hell, most of Congress supported the President- thats what people do in wartime - support the commander in chief. What nobody knew at the time was the stunning level of incompetence and dishonesty in the White House and just how far the Curse of the W would spread.

The Florida Gators won the basketball championship for the second year in a row. This, in the same year as they won the football crown. They are my rival school but I have to give credit where it is due. Good job Gators. I hope it lights a fire under the ass of my man (not) Dave Hart at FSU.

The whining out of the White House about Nancy Pelosi's visit to Syria sure is annoying. Especially since Republicans have gone there too. This bloggers give us four reason why her visit is a good thing.

Well off to a long day at work. Hope you all have a great one!

Key Bush aid say now says he was "In Denial"

This is a fascinating story of Matthew Dowd, a key Bush and Rove aid who lead the attacks against John Kerry in 2004. You should check it out. In this interview he explains that he was fooled into supporting George W. Bush and went along with things he should have known were wrong in what he now admits was a tragic mistake. This interview in not just about Iraq. It is about the entire Bush administration and the right wing machine that develops a false narrative just to fool the public and keep power. We need more former Bush supporters to step up and admit they were mistaken. Only they really have the power to help other Red Americans see the light. Here are some selected quotes from the article and here is another analysis that goes even deeper into the way the Republican party has been taken over by folks with no need for the truth. Great Sunday reading.

Mr. Dowd, a crucial part of a team that cast Senator John Kerry as a flip-flopper who could not be trusted with national security during wartime, said he had even written but never submitted an op-ed article titled “Kerry Was Right,” arguing that Mr. Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat and 2004 presidential candidate, was correct in calling last year for a withdrawal from Iraq. “I’m a big believer that in part what we’re called to do — to me, by God; other people call it karma — is to restore balance when things didn’t turn out the way they should have,” Mr. Dowd said. “Just being quiet is not an option when I was so publicly advocating an election.”

Mr. Dowd said, in retrospect, he was in denial.“When you fall in love like that,” he said, “and then you notice some things that don’t exactly go the way you thought, what do you do? Like in a relationship, you say ‘No no, no, it’ll be different.’ ”
He said he clung to the hope that Mr. Bush would get back to his Texas style of governing if he won. But he saw no change after the 2004 victory. He describes as further cause for doubt two events in the summer of 2005: the administration’s handling of Hurricane Katrina and the president’s refusal, around the same time that he was entertaining the bicyclist Lance Armstrong at his Crawford ranch, to meet with the war protester Cindy Sheehan, whose son died in Iraq. “I had finally come to the conclusion that maybe all these things along do add up,” he said. “That it’s not the same, it’s not the person I thought.”

Bush To Block Investigations

President Bush won't dare let his people testify under oath. Instead, Democrats investigating the politically motivated firings of US Attorneys are told by Bush to "put politics aside" and take the unsworn word of Karl Rove on his deep involvement in this fiasco. Yeah, right. So instead of coming clean - we have Bush's familiar refrain of "don't force me to be as asshole .... do things my way or risk a confrontation" That attitude has worked so well for the past 6 years hasn't it. I presume that is is only response to ANY difficult situation: Claim to be wanting to cooperate but then go to battle if things don't go exactly the way he outlines. Play by his rules or face the consequences. Isn't that attitude precisely how we got into Iraq? The Republican don't want to cooperate with this or any investigations into their shady behavior. That want to make a small effort to appear to cooperate to give their flock something to parrot, and then continue on doing whatever the hell they want. As Americans, we are subject to any number of domestic spying opportunities. We are told that not to worry unless "we have something to hide". Of course if you are a well placed member of the Republican Party the rules do not apply. Never have. Never will.

Here are some questions that I feel need to be answered under oath:
Why were the original stories about the Attorney firings false? We were first told that it was because of job performance. Once there was even the simplest investigation we found out that was a lie. Gonzales admitted it within a couple days. Also a lie was that Harriet Miers came up with the plan. Now, they say it wasn't only her. Why the initial set of lies? They must have been trying to hide something.
Why was the new power to allow the Attorney General to appoint the Attorneys without Congressional oversight slipped into the Patriot Act? No one seemed to know it was there. For what purpose was it put in? There is already evidence that it was done purposefully for the reasons we see now. To replace non partisan judges with right wing sympathisers. If they used the tragedy of 9-11 to slip this into law then it really shows their unAmerican intentions.
Why were so many of the Attorneys fired working on criminal cases against Republicans? If the firings were done to punish and intimidate then there are some serious issues. Refusing to allow this to be answered under oath would seem to illustrate the Administrations fear that release of these set of fact would show the deep corruption of the White House and the Republican party as a whole.
Why was Karl Rove so deeply involved in the firings and hirings? Does this guy run the country? Sure looks that way to me. Rove seems to have handled this issue without Gonzales' knowledge and even placed a crony of his into one of theses important positions. The Republicans live by a spoils system. Loyalty leads to rewards. Did a dirty trickster get paid off with a high profile position in order to beef up his resume for future advancement in the Red machine. Youbetcha!
What about the Attorneys that remain? My God, if Republicans were fired just because they weren't Red enough - who did they leave on?!? Must be some real Republicans operatives out there attacking enemies and rewarding friends. Congress should launch into an investigation of the remaining attorneys to learn what damage this Red spoils system has done to our system of justice.

Meanwhile our idiot in chief says:

"It's not too late for Democrats to drop the partisanship and work together. Democrats now have to choose whether they will waste time and provoke an unnecessary confrontation, or whether they will join us in working to do the people's business." speech

Chicken Hawk Bush can't watch Saddam Video

Last night I watched the 60 Minutes interview with President Bush. Much of it was maddening, as usual watching this simple minded man talk frightens the Hell out of me. One part of the interview in particular though really galled me. (Check out the quick diary I wrote about it here last night generating 80+ comments.)
I was just watching the 60 Minutes interview of George Bush and saw the sorry proof of the chicken hawk syndrome afflicting the White House. CBS reporter Scott Pelley asked Bush a number of times if he has seen the Saddam Hussein hanging. Bush kept saying yeah, "parts" of it. Finally Pelly asked what parts. Bush said "the taunts but not" .. he couldn't quite say it looking sickened at the very thought. Pelly chimed in "Saddam going through the chute?" "Yes", admitted the man who is now sending 21,500 additional young Americans into peril. What a piece of work. He can't even watch his enemy be hanged on a grainy video but he can sleep soundly after sending 3,000 American and 15,000+ Iraqi to their unnecessary deaths! [transcript here]. It is also important to remember that George W. Bush set a record in carrying out executions during his 1 1/2 terms as Governor of Texas. He sent more than 140 people to death there. Yet he gets queasy just thinking about watching someone die! This guy is truly dillusional and dangerous.

21,500 Americans Sent To Bail Bush Out

The Bush speech last night [transcript] was quite a spectacle. If I didn't know better, I would assume that George W. Bush has finally come to realize that his misadventure in Iraq was a complete failure and that his critics, who have warned that EVERYTHING he has attempted in his life has been a catastrophe, are right. Born rich and with an influential name, Bush spent his adolescence and early adulthood flaunting his social status and acting irresponsibly. Of course he knew his name would always get him out of trouble. He was given businesses, repeatedly failed at them and was repeatedly bailed out by his family. He was weak governor of Texas, but had his reputation bolstered by Republican politicians and media stars willing to spin any version of truth to propel him to power. He snatched the 2000 election and arrogantly acted as if he were appointed King. His Iraq policy was based on some mystical vision of spreading democracy and it has also failed miserably. Who will bail him out this time? Well, last night he asked our overstressed military to rescue HIM from another one of his blunders.

The reason I bring up all this history is because it was important to me in forming my decision about his new Iraq plan. If this were a man who had a history of success or even a mixed bag - I would be more inclined to support him in this new strategy. But, lets face it - the guy is a dumb ass and surrounds himself with people who pretend otherwise. Even if this was the best idea in the world (which it is not) I think it would be fair to assume that Bush would find a way to screw it up. So, I am against the escalation plan. I cannot support putting the lives of 20,000 of Americas finest in the hands of George W. Bush. Especially when the plan rests on the word and deeds of Iraqi President Maliki - whos own legacy of failure is rather stunning.

Finally, the most troubling part of his speech to me was his statement indicating possible military action against Syria and Iran. I would not be surprised if this "surge" of his includes spreading the war to these two other nations. I am not sure anyone can do anything to stop this man from further damaging our nation. My only hope, the only possible silver lining in all this, would be that the American people grow up and realize that George W. Bush is just one cog in the Right Wing wheel that has been corroding the strength and reputation of the United States. Please remember that George W. Bush was groomed by these right wingers for years to be President. They had plans to invade Iraq for almost as long. Have no doubt that they are grooming others and planning other great visionary battles for the United States. So, if the election of 2006 turns out to be a warm up to a complete repudiation of the "Conservative" movement (hey - real conservatives - take back the name the GOP has stolen from you!) then perhaps some good can come of this dark chapter in our history. First, though we have to survive the remaining two years under their sphere of influence.

Corporate Media ignore Democratic response to Bush Speech

"One television observation: I know that NBC, CBS and ABC were anxious to get back to their entertainment fare. But given the gravity of the issue, couldn't they have allotted another 10 minutes before returning to the likes of "Deal or No Deal" and "Criminal Minds"? They also thumbed their nose at the concept of equal time by blowing off Dick Durbin's Democratic response". (source)

Bush to Call for Troop Escalation

"A draft of President Bush's Iraq policy speech says the aim is to have Iraqi forces in control of all security by November and for extra U.S troops to deploy by the end of this month, a U.S. official tells CNN."

President Bush will have a tough task convincing Congress and the vast majority of Americans that his idea of a troop escalation in Iraq is a good idea - although he'll do it no matter what. I will be watching and listening with an open mind. Clearly, his incompetence and dishonesty has gotten us into a huge mess. But, if we just leave Iraq to its own accord there will be chaos and, I believe, we could be at even greater risk than we are now. I don't know if a surge is the answer but I will hear what he and the Congressional leaders have to say. If I come to believe there is a way to salvage something from this fiasco then I'll be all for it. If, however, it is just a last ditch effort by Bush to save his reputation or to try to corner Democrats then I'll join the 60% of Americans against sending more troops. Feel free to comment.

The speech is Wednesday 9pm (EST).

More Bush Power Grabs Uncovered

There are a couple of troubling stories getting somewhat buried in the press with all the changes going on in Congress. These stories show a White House that not only tries to claim powers that would make a dictator blush but also doing so in sneaky slimy ways that should outrage anyone who cares about this country. History will judge George W. Bush as the most incompetent Presidents of all time. They should also put him in the category as President most disdainful of the people he is supposed to serve.

White House visitor records closed
The White House and the Secret Service quietly signed an agreement last spring in the midst of the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal declaring that records identifying visitors to the White House are not open to the public. The Bush administration didn't reveal the existence of the memorandum of understanding until last fall. The White House is using it to deal with a legal problem on a separate front, a ruling by a federal judge ordering the production of Secret Service logs identifying visitors to the office of Dick Cheney.

If you read the above story you will find mentioned how the visitors logs were demanded and received by these right wingers during the Clinton years. Part of the "Two Americas" we find our self in. One for Republicans and one for the rest of us. Which side do you want to be on? This next story (below) came out a couple days ago. Seems another one of his secret signing statements allow him to open up your mail. If the President is so sure that these huge power grabs are so necessary why does he do it so secretively? To me it simple shows that he doesn't care what the American people think, what the law says or anything else. He is the decider and whatever he wants to do he will do. It is not partisan to say that this man goes against everything that American stands for.

Bush quietly authorizes opening of Americans' mail
President Bush has quietly claimed sweeping new powers to open Americans' mail without a judge's warrant, the New York Daily News has learned. The president asserted his new authority when he signed a postal reform bill into law on Dec. 20. Bush then issued a "signing statement" that declared his right to open people's mail under emergency conditions.That claim is contrary to existing law and contradicted the bill he had just signed, say experts who have reviewed it.