NEO-CONNED

Abramoff E-Mail Plays Up Bush Contacts on Yahoo! News

2006-02-11T08:04:00.000-08:00

Print Story: Abramoff E-Mail Plays Up Bush Contacts on Yahoo! News

Abramoff E-Mail Plays Up Bush Contacts By PETE YOST, Associated Press Writer
Fri Feb 10, 7:59 PM ET

Jack Abramoff had brief conversations with President Bush almost a dozen times and the president knew him well enough to make joking references to Abramoff's family, according to an e-mail the fallen lobbyist sent a magazine editor.

Bush "joked with me about a bunch of things, including details of my kids," Abramoff recalled of his contacts with the president.

The recipient of the e-mail, Washingtonian magazine editor Kim Eisler, confirmed its contents.

Bush's contacts with Abramoff — who has pleaded guilty in a fraud and bribery case and is cooperating with a public corruption investigation — have become an issue because the president has said he doesn't recall ever meeting the lobbyist.

Time magazine and the Washingtonian have reported the existence of about a half-dozen photos showing Abramoff and Bush together.

The president acknowledged having his picture taken with Abramoff but suggested the photos were of no significance because he is photographed with so many people. Bush said there was no reason to publicly release the photographs.

"I frankly don't even remember having my picture taken with the guy," Bush told a news conference on Jan. 26. "I don't know him."

On Thursday, White House press secretary Scott McClellan said that "what the president said still stands."

Abramoff's e-mail states that Bush "has one of the best memories of any politician I have ever met." The e-mail said that Bush's ability to recall is one of his "trademarks, though of course he can't recall that he has a great memory!"

The e-mail adds, "Perhaps he has forgotten everything. Who knows."

On Friday, Eisler said that Abramoff made the comments more than two weeks ago in response to a question from the magazine editor, who wanted to double-check some information before appearing on a television show.

A liberal Web log, ThinkProgress, first disclosed the existence of the Abramoff-Eisler e-mails this week.

100,000+ Iraqi Civilians Killed Since Invasion

2005-12-12T13:44:00.000-08:00

According to this study/article dated 10-28-04 the civilian death toll exceeds 100,000; Click Here

CNN World News: Study puts Iraqi toll at 100,000; Click Here

Iraqbodycount; Click Here currently 30,892 civilians killed by military intervention in Iraq according to this site run by British and American academics.

Military Fatalities; Click Here

Incomplete List of Contractors Killed or Missing in Iraq; Click Here

AntiWar.com Casualties link; Click Here

Global Security.org casualties and injured data link; Click Here

If you are a George W. Bush supporter Click Here

VOTE TO IMPEACH BUSH AND SIGN PETITION Click Here

CNN.com - 'Can I quit now?' FEMA chief wrote as Katrina raged - Nov 3, 2005

2005-11-03T20:23:00.000-08:00

CNN.com - 'Can I quit now?' FEMA chief wrote as Katrina raged - Nov 3, 2005: "Can I quit now?' FEMA chief wrote as Katrina raged
E-mails give insight into Brown's leadership, attitude

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Louisiana congressman says e-mails written by the government's emergency response chief as Hurricane Katrina raged show a lack of concern for the unfolding tragedy and a failure in leadership.

Rep. Charlie Melancon, whose district south of New Orleans was devastated by the hurricane, posted a sampling of e-mails written by Federal Emergency Management chief Michael Brown on his Web site on Wednesday.

The Democratic lawmaker cited several e-mails that he said show Brown's failures. In one, as employees looked for direction and support on the ravaged Gulf Coast, Brown offered to 'tweak' the federal response.

Two days after Katrina hit, Marty Bahamonde, one of the only FEMA employees in New Orleans, wrote to Brown that 'the situation is past critical' and listed problems including many people near death and food and water running out at the Superdome.

Brown's entire response was: 'Thanks for the update. Anything specific I need to do or tweak?'" (more..... click on link above)

Reporter Says Libby Told Her About CIA Operative

2005-10-16T01:43:00.000-07:00

Reporter Says Libby Told Her About CIA Operative: "Reporter Says Libby Told Her About CIA Operative
Times' Miller Cites More Than One Instance

By Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, October 16, 2005; A01

Vice President Cheney's chief of staff discussed with New York Times correspondent Judith Miller the fact that the wife of a White House critic worked for the CIA on as many as three occasions before the woman, Valerie Plame, was publicly identified, according to a Times account published today.

During one of the 2003 conversations with I. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby, Miller said, she wrote a version of Plame's name in her notebook.

In a disclosure that could figure in special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald's investigation, Miller said she initially refused to testify about her discussions with Libby because she believed he was signaling her that she should not cooperate in the CIA leak investigation unless her account would clear him.

Miller said her lawyer Floyd Abrams told her that Libby's attorney, Joseph A. Tate, had related part of Libby's grand jury testimony and was 'pressing about what you would say. When I wouldn't give him an assurance that you would exonerate Libby, if you were to cooperate, he then immediately gave me this, 'Don't go there, or, we don't want you there.' '

Tate strongly denied such a conversation in an e-mail to the Times, calling the account 'outrageous' and insisting that 'I never once suggested that she should not testify. It was just the opposite.' He did not return a phone call from The Washington Post last night.

Miller was jailed for 85 days for refusing to testify about Libby, until she reached an accommodation last month with Fitzgerald. (more....click on link above)

CIA Leak Scandal: Judy Miller and the Times Speak - Yahoo! News

2005-10-16T01:41:00.000-07:00

CIA Leak Scandal: Judy Miller and the Times Speak - Yahoo! News: "CIA Leak Scandal: Judy Miller and the Times Speak

David Corn Sun Oct 16,12:16 AM ET

The Nation -- Finally, The New York Times and Judith Miller speak, and the paper and reporter leave their readers with as many questions as answers. In Sunday's edition, the Times publishes a lengthy account by three reporters (Don Van Natta Jr., Adam Liptak and Clifford Levy) of what it calls 'the Miller case' and a first-person account by Miller. Neither piece explains all." (more click on link above).......

William Bennett's Freudian Slip

2005-10-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

The News Tribune (Lite) - White House condemns Bennett's remarks: "White House condemns Bennett's remarks

The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House on Friday criticized former Education Secretary William Bennett for remarks linking the crime rate and the abortion of black babies.

'The president believes the comments were not appropriate,' White House press secretary Scott McClellan said.

Bennett, on his radio show, 'Morning in America,' was answering a caller's question when he took issue with the hypothesis put forth in a recent book that one reason crime is down is that abortion is up.

'But I do know that it's true that if you wanted to reduce crime, you could, if that were your sole purpose, you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down,' said Bennett, author of 'The Book of Virtues.'"

ABC News: DeLay Indicted in Campaign Finance Probe

2005-09-28T23:57:00.000-07:00

ABC News: DeLay Indicted in Campaign Finance Probe: "ABC News
DeLay Indicted in Campaign Finance Probe
Tom DeLay and Two Political Associates Charged With Conspiracy in Texas Campaign Finance Probe
The Associated Press

Sep. 28, 2005 - A Texas grand jury on Wednesday charged Rep. Tom DeLay and two political associates with conspiracy in a campaign finance scheme, an indictment that could force him to step down as House majority leader.

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Copyright © 2005 ABC News Internet Ventures
"

Frist sale of stocks focus of SEC probe -- The Washington Times

2005-09-24T23:12:00.000-07:00

Frist sale of stocks focus of SEC probe -- The Washington Times: "Frist sale of stocks focus of SEC probe
Published September 24, 2005
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Securities and Exchange Commission and federal prosecutors are investigating Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's sale of stock in HCA Inc., the hospital operating company founded by his family.
In a statement released yesterday, the Nashville, Tenn.-based company said federal prosecutors for the Southern District of New York issued a subpoena for documents that HCA thinks are related to the senator's sale of its stock.
Mr. Frist's office confirmed the SEC is looking into the sale.
The SEC also contacted HCA yesterday to informally request copies of the subpoenaed documents, HCA spokesman Jeff Prescott said. 'We, of course, will comply with that request.'
Mr. Frist, a Tennessee Republican, traded using only public information and only to eliminate the appearance of a conflict of interest, Frist spokesman Bob Stevenson said in e-mail yesterday.
'Not surprisingly, the Securities and Exchange Commission contacted Senator Frist's office after the story appeared in the press about the sale of his Hospital Corporation of America stock,' Mr. Stevenson said. 'The majority leader will provide the SEC any information that it needs with respect to this matter.' " (more click on link above)

President's Approval Rating Dips Below 40 - Yahoo! News

2005-09-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

President's Approval Rating Dips Below 40 - Yahoo! News: "President's Approval Rating Dips Below 40

By WILL LESTER, Associated Press Writer Sat Sep 10, 8:37 AM ET

WASHINGTON -
President Bush's job approval has dipped below 40 percent for the first time in the AP-Ipsos poll, reflecting widespread doubts about his handling of gasoline prices and the response to Hurricane Katrina." (more.. click on link above)

Transcript from MSNBC Tim Russert September 4, 2005

2005-09-05T00:19:00.000-07:00

Click on link here to read transcripts

Bush visit halts food delivery

2005-09-03T23:17:00.000-07:00

Saturday, September 03, 2005

Bush visit halts food delivery
By Michelle Krupa
Staff writer

Three tons of food ready for delivery by air to refugees in St. Bernard Parish and on Algiers Point sat on the Crescent City Connection bridge Friday afternoon as air traffic was halted because of President Bush’s visit to New Orleans, officials said.

The provisions, secured by U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, and state Agriculture Commissioner Bob Odom, baked in the afternoon sun as Bush surveyed damage across southeast Louisiana five days after Katrina made landfall as a Category 4 storm, said Melancon’s chief of staff, Casey O’Shea.

“We had arrangements to airlift food by helicopter to these folks, and now the food is sitting in trucks because they won’t let helicopters fly,” O’Shea said Friday afternoon.

The food was expected to be in the hands of storm survivors after the president left the devastated region Friday night, he said."

Iraq: Shiites bury nearly 1,000 from stampede

2005-09-02T23:27:00.000-07:00

Iraq: Shiites bury nearly 1,000 from stampede: "Iraq: Shiites bury nearly 1,000 from stampede
Robert H. Reid, Associated Press
September 2, 2005 IRAQ0902

BAGHDAD -- Wailing over the coffins of loved ones Thursday, Shiites buried the nearly 1,000 victims of Wednesday's bridge stampede, while politicians and ordinary Iraqis demanded that the government explain whether botched security controls may have played a part in the tragedy.

Tension and confusion persisted a day after the biggest loss of life in a single event in Iraq since the 2003 fall of Saddam Hussein. Gunfire erupted at the bridge during a protest march, killing a 12-year-old girl and wounding four other people." (more.. click on link above)

U.S. Newswire : Releases : "Did Time Intentionally Deceive its Readers in Plame Case?"

2005-08-31T00:32:00.000-07:00

U.S. Newswire : Releases : "Did Time Intentionally Deceive its Readers in Plame Case?": "Did Time Intentionally Deceive its Readers in Plame Case?
8/29/2005 1:39:00 PM

To: National Desk
Contact: Melissa Salmanowitz of Media Matters for America, 202-756-4109 or MSalmanowitz@mediamatters.org; Web: http://www.mediamatters.org
WASHINGTON, Aug. 29 /U.S. Newswire/ -- For some time, the central mystery in the Valerie Plame saga was which members of the White House staff leaked the undercover CIA operative's identity to reporters. Although there are still many unanswered questions, at least part of the mystery has been solved: Time magazine correspondent Matthew Cooper has testified that he was told about Plame by White House senior adviser Karl Rove and I. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff. Yet while Cooper and his editors at Time spent two years keeping Rove and Libby's -- and their own -- role a secret, they published articles that reported, without challenge, a statement from the White House that they knew to be false." (more... click on link above)

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Bush bypasses Senate to install neo-con at UN

2005-08-01T10:09:00.000-07:00

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Bush bypasses Senate to install neo-con at UN: "Bush bypasses Senate to install neo-con at UN

James Sturcke and agencies
Monday August 1, 2005

The US president, George Bush, today bypassed the senate and installed the controversial neo-conservative John Bolton as ambassador to the UN.

Mr Bush took advantage of his power to fill vacancies without senate approval while Congress is in recess. Under the constitution, Mr Bolton's recess appointment during the senators' August break will last until the next session of Congress, which begins in January 2007." (more... click on link above)

What Did the President Know?

2005-07-27T21:41:00.000-07:00

What Did the President Know?: "What Did the President Know?

By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Monday, July 25, 2005; 1:30 PM

Now that special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald is said to have expanded his investigation into the leak of a CIA agent's identity to encompass a possible White House coverup, what the president and the vice president knew would appear to be much more relevant.

Fitzgerald interviewed both President Bush and Vice President Cheney more than a year ago, at what seemed at the time like the tail end of his investigation into the leak of CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity.

Bush and Cheney were not placed under oath -- the reasoning apparently being that they had no direct involvement in the potential criminal activity under investigation: the leak itself. We don't know much about either interview, beyond the fact that Bush had his personal attorney at his side.

But now Fitzgerald's investigation appears to have turned its focus to discrepancies in the testimony of White House senior adviser Karl Rove and vice presidential chief of staff I. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby. Fitzgerald may be trying to determine whether evidence exists to bring perjury or obstruction of justice charges.

And that raises the issue of what -- if anything -- Rove and Libby told Bush and Cheney about their roles.

So does that mean Fitzgerald might call Bush and Cheney to testify before the grand jury -- under oath? Might he even have done so already? We have no idea, of course, because the White House isn't saying anything at all about the investigation anymore.

Either way, the CIA leak story is taking on more and more of the trappings of the classic Washington political scandal -- the saving grace for Bush being that his party controls Congress, and that thus far, Republicans have closed ranks behind him. (more click on link above)

Plame's Identity Marked As Secret

2005-07-20T21:52:00.000-07:00

Plame's Identity Marked As Secret: "Plame's Identity Marked As Secret
Memo Central to Probe Of Leak Was Written By State Dept. Analyst

By Walter Pincus and Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, July 21, 2005; A01

A classified State Department memorandum central to a federal leak investigation contained information about CIA officer Valerie Plame in a paragraph marked "(S)" for secret, a clear indication that any Bush administration official who read it should have been aware the information was classified, according to current and former government officials.

Plame -- who is referred to by her married name, Valerie Wilson, in the memo -- is mentioned in the second paragraph of the three-page document, which was written on June 10, 2003, by an analyst in the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR), according to a source who described the memo to The Washington Post.

The paragraph identifying her as the wife of former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV was clearly marked to show that it contained classified material at the "secret" level, two sources said. The CIA classifies as "secret" the names of officers whose identities are covert, according to former senior agency officials.

Anyone reading that paragraph should have been aware that it contained secret information, though that designation was not specifically attached to Plame's name and did not describe her status as covert, the sources said. It is a federal crime, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, for a federal official to knowingly disclose the identity of a covert CIA official if the person knows the government is trying to keep it secret.

Prosecutors attempting to determine whether senior government officials knowingly leaked Plame's identity as a covert CIA operative to the media are investigating whether White House officials gained access to information about her from the memo, according to two sources familiar with the investigation.

The memo may be important to answering three central questions in the Plame case: Who in the Bush administration knew about Plame's CIA role? Did they know the agency was trying to protect her identity? And, who leaked it to the media?

Almost all of the memo is devoted to describing why State Department intelligence experts did not believe claims that Saddam Hussein had in the recent past sought to purchase uranium from Niger. Only two sentences in the seven-sentence paragraph mention Wilson's wife.

The memo was delivered to Secretary of State Colin L. Powell on July 7, 2003, as he headed to Africa for a trip with President Bush aboard Air Force One. Plame was unmasked in a syndicated column by Robert D. Novak seven days later.

Wilson has said his wife's identity was revealed to retaliate against him for accusing the Bush administration of "twisting" intelligence to justify the Iraq war. In a July 6 opinion piece in the New York Times and in an interview with The Washington Post, he cited a secret mission he conducted in February 2002 for the CIA, when he determined there was no evidence that Iraq was seeking uranium for a nuclear weapons program in the African nation of Niger.

White House officials discussed Wilson's wife's CIA connection in telling at least two reporters that she helped arrange his trip, according to one of the reporters, Matthew Cooper of Time magazine, and a lawyer familiar with the case.

Prosecutors have shown interest in the memo, especially when they were questioning White House officials during the early days of the investigation, people familiar with the probe said.

Karl Rove, President Bush's deputy chief of staff, has testified that he learned Plame's name from Novak a few days before telling another reporter she worked at the CIA and played a role in her husband's mission, according to a lawyer familiar with Rove's account. Rove has also testified that the first time he saw the State Department memo was when "people in the special prosecutor's office" showed it to him, said Robert Luskin, his attorney.

"He had not seen it or heard about it before that time," Luskin said.

Several other administration officials were on the trip to Africa, including senior adviser Dan Bartlett, then-White House spokesman Ari Fleischer and others. Bartlett's attorney has refused to discuss the case, citing requests by the special counsel. Fleischer could not be reach for comment yesterday.

Rove and Vice President Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, have been identified as people who discussed Wilson's wife with Cooper. Prosecutors are trying to determine the origin of their knowledge of Plame, including whether it was from the INR memo or from conversations with reporters.

The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that the memo made it clear that information about Wilson's wife was sensitive and should not be shared. Yesterday, sources provided greater detail on the memo to The Post.

The material in the memo about Wilson's wife was based on notes taken by an INR analyst who attended a Feb. 19, 2002, meeting at the CIA where Wilson's intelligence-gathering trip to Niger was discussed.

The memo was drafted June 10, 2003, for Undersecretary of State Marc Grossman, who asked to be brought up to date on INR's opposition to the White House view that Hussein was trying to buy uranium in Africa.

The description of Wilson's wife and her role in the Feb. 19, 2002, meeting at the CIA was considered "a footnote" in a background paragraph in the memo, according to an official who was aware of the process.

It records that the INR analyst at the meeting opposed Wilson's trip to Niger because the State Department, through other inquiries, already had disproved the allegation that Iraq was seeking uranium from Niger. Attached to the INR memo were the notes taken by the senior INR analyst who attended the 2002 meeting at the CIA.

On July 6, 2003, shortly after Wilson went public on NBC's "Meet the Press" and in The Post and the New York Times discussing his trip to Niger, the INR director at the time, Carl W. Ford Jr., was asked to explain Wilson's statements for Powell, according to sources familiar with the events. He went back and reprinted the June 10 memo but changed the addressee from Grossman to Powell.

Ford last year appeared before the federal grand jury investigating the leak and described the details surrounding the INR memo, the sources said. Yesterday he was on vacation in Arkansas, according to his office.

2005-07-18T14:32:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe this guy has an office in the White House

A Sidestep and a Backtrack

2005-07-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

A Sidestep and a Backtrack: "A Sidestep and a Backtrack

By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Monday, July 18, 2005; 3:33 PM

Does President Bush still intend to fire anyone found to be involved in the leak of Valerie Plame's identity as a CIA operative?

Simple question, really. After all, that's what he said on June 10, 2004 .

But now that Karl Rove, Bush's closest adviser, has been implicated in the leak, Bush's standard seems to have changed.

'If someone committed a crime, they will no longer work in my administration,' Bush announced today.

That's not very specific. And it's also not a real big concession.

In fact, even as the case continues to consume Washington, and even as more and more details about White House involvement in the leak continue to emerge from all quarters, Bush today continued the White House's public stonewall.

Here's the transcript of Bush's brief joint appearance with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh this morning.

The first question came from Terence Hunt of the Associated Press:

Hunt: 'Mr. President, you said you don't want to talk about an ongoing investigation, so I'd like to ask you, regardless of whether a crime was committed, do you still intend to fire anyone found to be involved in the CIA leak case? And are you displeased that Karl Rove told a reporter that Ambassador Joe Wilson's wife worked for the Agency on WMD issues?'

Bush: 'We have a serious ongoing investigation here. (Laughter.) And it's being played out in the press. And I think it's best that people wait until the investigation is complete before you jump to conclusions. And I will do so, as well. I don't know all the facts. I want to know all the facts. The best place for the facts to be done is by somebody who's spending time investigating it. I would like this to end as quickly as possible so we know the facts, and if someone committed a crime, they will no longer work in my administration."

Karl Rove, Cover Boy

It's a big day for Rove, who appears on both the covers of Time and Newsweek .

Howard Fineman anchors a hefty Newsweek cover describing "The World According to Karl Rove," where "you take the offensive, and stay there. You create a narrative that glosses over complex, mitigating facts to divide the world into friends and enemies, light and darkness, good and bad, Bush versus Saddam. You are loyal to a fault to your friends, merciless to your enemies. You keep your candidate's public rhetoric sunny and uplifting, finding others to do the attacking. You study the details, and learn more about your foes than they know about themselves. You use the jujitsu of media flow to flip the energy of your enemies against them. The Boss never discusses political mechanics in public. But in fact everything is political --- and everyone is fair game." (more...click on link above)

FT.com / Home UK - Second Bush official named in 'leak' probe

2005-07-18T00:47:00.000-07:00

FT.com / Home UK - Second Bush official named in 'leak' probe: "Second Bush official named in 'leak' probe
By Edward Alden in Washington
Published: July 18 2005 03:00 | Last updated: July 18 2005 03:00

US Vice-President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, Lewis I. 'Scooter' Libby, spoke to a Time magazine reporter prior to the leaking of the name of a covert CIA agent, the reporter has told a grand jury investigating the issue.

The testimony places a second top Bush official at the centre of a politically charged investigation into whether anyone in the administration broke US laws in an effort to undermine a high-profile critic of the Iraq war.

In an account of his testimony published yesterday, Mr Cooper said that neither Mr Libby nor Mr Rove revealed the name of the agent, nor did they mention her covert status. But the White House had previously denied that either man spoke to reporters about the issue. Mr Cooper also told NBC News yesterday that there might have been other sources as well for the stories.

The grand jury, which is due to complete its work in October, is investigating whether anyone in the administration leaked the name of Valerie Plame, a former covert agent who is married to former ambassador Joseph Wilson, in an effort to discredit Mr Wilson's claims that the administration lied when it said Iraq was seeking uranium from Africa for a nuclear weapons programme.

Ms Plame's name was published in July 2003 by Robert Novak, a conservative columnist who also spoke to Mr Rove, though no details have emerged about that conversation.

The investigation has reopened the controversy over whether the administration misled the US public in the run-up to the Iraq war. It "

CNN.com - It doesn't look good for Karl Rove - Jul 15, 2005

2005-07-16T00:32:00.000-07:00

CNN.com - It doesn't look good for Karl Rove - Jul 15, 2005: "t doesn't look good for Karl Rove

By John Dean
FindLawexternal link Columnist
Special to CNN.com

(FindLaw) -- As the scandal over the leak of CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity has continued to unfold, there is a renewed focus on Karl Rove -- the White House deputy chief of staff whom President Bush calls his political 'architect.'

Newsweek has reported that Matt Cooper, in an e-mail to his bureau chief at Time magazine, wrote that he had spoken 'to Rove on double super-secret background for about two min[ute]s before he went on vacation ...' In that conversation, Rove gave Cooper 'big warning' that Time should not 'get too far out on Wilson.'

Rove was referring, of course, to former Ambassador Joe Wilson's acknowledgment of his trip to Africa, where he discovered that Niger had not, in fact, provided uranium to Iraq that might be part of a weapons of mass destruction (WMD) program.

Cooper's email indicates that Rove told Cooper that Wilson's trip had not been authorized by CIA Director George Tenet or Vice President Dick Cheney; rather, Rove claimed, 'it was ... [W]ilson's wife, who apparently works at the agency on [WMD] issues who authorized the trip.' (Rove was wrong about the authorization.)

Only the special counsel, Patrick Fitzgerald, and his staff have all the facts on their investigation at this point, but there is increasing evidence that Rove (and others) may have violated one or more federal laws. At this time, it would be speculation to predict whether indictments will be forthcoming.
Identities Protection Act

As I pointed out when the Valerie Plame Wilson leak first surfaced, the Intelligence Identities And Protection Act is a complex law. For the law to apply to Rove, a numb"

Telegraph | News | Ten suicide bombers in one day bring more death to Baghdad streets

2005-07-16T00:18:00.000-07:00

Telegraph | News | Ten suicide bombers in one day bring more death to Baghdad streets: "Ten suicide bombers in one day bring more death to Baghdad streets
By Oliver Poole
(Filed: 16/07/2005)

Suicide bombers struck 10 times in Baghdad yesterday, killing at least 25 people.

Al-Qa'eda's Iraq wing claimed responsibility for five car bombings aimed at Iraqi and American forces.

Police said a further five bombings, including one targeting the home of President Jalal Talabani last night, were by insurgents.

Most of those killed were civilians. A further 100 people were wounded. Friday is the Muslim day of prayer, when streets in the city are generally quieter, which may have held down the casualty toll.

A bombing last night in the city's Sadiya district was the deadliest in a string of carefully co-ordinated attacks, killing 11 people including two policemen.

Earlier a suicide car bomber struck at an Iraqi army base in northern Baghdad, killing eight. Six policemen were killed when another car bomber rammed a police patrol in the west of the city.

Two Iraqi soldiers died when a suicide car bomber tried to drive through the gates of the former defence ministry building, now used as a barracks. Another suicide bomber blew up a car on a bridge overlooking the home of President Talabani, killing three guards.

In the central city of Samarra US troops were said to be fighting militants patrolling the streets with AK47s."

2005-07-14T00:10:00.000-07:00

Rove -- Thug, Coward and Now, a Smoking Gun?: Margaret Carlson

2005-07-13T23:40:00.000-07:00

Bloomberg.com: Bloomberg Columnists: "Rove -- Thug, Coward and Now, a Smoking Gun?: Margaret Carlson

July 14 (Bloomberg) -- On TV recently, I called him a thug, this then-unknown leaker who watched from his privileged White House perch as my friend and colleague, Matt Cooper, went through hell to protect him.

Now that I know that the person is Karl Rove, I would like to revise and extend my remarks. Karl Rove is not a thug; he is a coward. Two years ago, he could have come clean, orchestrated his own redemption, saved millions in taxpayers' dollars, and spared everyone a lot of agony.

Instead, we've had a two-year investigation to find out what President George W. Bush could have walked across the hall and learned.

At one time, the president called the outing of the CIA agent married to former Ambassador Joe Wilson ``a very serious matter'' and said the person who did it should be fired. In certain circumstances, exposing an undercover agent is a crime. In any circumstances, it's wrong.

At least six reporters were leaked information suggesting that Wilson was a girlie man who needed his wife to get him a job. Rove and others were angry that Wilson had debunked their assertion that Saddam Hussein had tried to buy yellowcake uranium for his weapons of mass destruction, an assessment shared by George Tenet, CIA director at the time.

Scott's Smackdown

For months, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said it was ridiculous to suspect Rove. ``If anyone in this administration was involved in it, they would no longer be in this administration,'' he said. Statements like that turned a press briefing two days ago into a rare smackdown of McClellan, who was suddenly mum on Rove. When the 35th question in as many minutes came at him, his made-up face looked as gray as his suit. I thought he might cry.

It's high time heat shifted to the West Wing where it belongs. But that doesn't mean the reporters who were used by their sources are off the hook. Ironically, the reporter in jail, Judith Miller, didn't even write a story, perhaps because she was burned earlier for relying on anonymous sources who used her to plump for war against Saddam.

Her New York Times colleague Frank Rich noted in his column one Miller piece in particular -- ``a notoriously credulous front- page story about aluminum tubes'' -- that fueled the hawks around Bush. When the Times took the unusual step of apologizing for its WMD reporting, 10 of the 12 stories cited contained Miller's byline.

Long Goodbye

But all that's forgotten now as Miller pays the high price of prison. Cooper, who's not gone to jail, through no fault of his own, has less of a storybook ending to his ordeal. The ground shifted under him when his bosses at Time magazine turned over his e-mails, citing the gravity of the Supreme Court's rejection of the reporters' appeals, as well as shareholders.

Cooper had no secret source left to protect but he still stuck by his promise. On July 6, sure he'd be booked and fingerprinted later that day for not testifying about a moot point, he said a long goodbye to his wife and six-year-old son. But that morning Cooper's lawyer, after reading in the Wall Street Journal that Rove was happy to waive any confidentiality agreements, accepted one for Cooper. Although he surely had little new to say, Cooper testified yesterday.

Cooper's two-year nightmare may be over but Bush's is not. Rove is the guy Bush relies on to deep-six the smoking gun. What will he do now that Rove is the smoking gun?

Rove the Unique

No one's quite like Rove. Remember the 2000 presidential primary in South Carolina, when Bush was saved with a little help from rumors about John McCain's black child and drug-addled wife? It was Rove to the rescue last month when, amid sinking support for the war, he bolstered the commander in chief by claiming that after 9/11 Bush was ready to go to war while the Democrats were ready to go to therapy.

Without Rove to construct them, Republicans' talking points are atrocious. They cling to the fact that Rove didn't reveal the name of that woman, Valerie Plame. Sound familiar? All day the last two days, that's what they said.

So this is how the investigation of leaks ends, in new leaks, perhaps from the prosecutor investigating the leaks. Cooper kept a secret for two years. Someone around the prosecutor couldn't keep one for two days, so there came Newsweek, disclosing the Time e-mails that revealed Rove fingering Wilson's wife.

Rove may end up leaving the White House, but he'll do the same things, only in a different location for a lot more money. The Times may cleanse itself of its WMD reporting with the sacrifice of its reporter going to jail.

Perhaps some good will come of this. Surely, journalists have been reminded they should say no to those cowards trying to get revenge, dish dirt, and score points without putting their name on it. Protection goes to those who want to correct an injustice, not perpetrate one.

Guardian Unlimited | CIA Leak Quotes

2005-07-11T23:13:00.000-07:00

Guardian Unlimited | World Latest | CIA Leak Quotes: "CIA Leak Quotes

Monday July 11, 2005 10:31 PM

By The Associated Press

Some of the denials, other comments, at media briefings by White House spokesman Scott McClellan when asked by reporters whether President Bush's top political adviser, Karl Rove, was involved in the leak of a CIA officer's identity:

^Sept. 29, 2003

Q: You said this morning, quote, ``The president knows that Karl Rove wasn't involved.'' How does he know that?

A: Well, I've made it very clear that it was a ridiculous suggestion in the first place. ... I've said that it's not true. ... And I have spoken with Karl Rove.

Q: It doesn't take much for the president to ask a senior official working for him, to just lay the question out for a few people and end this controversy today.

A: Do you have specific information to bring to our attention? ... Are we supposed to chase down every anonymous report in the newspaper? We'd spend all our time doing that.''

Q: When you talked to Mr. Rove, did you discuss, ``Did you ever have this information?''

A: I've made it very clear, he was not involved, that there's no truth to the suggestion that he was.

^---

^Oct. 7, 2003

Q: You have said that you personally went to Scooter Libby (Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff), Karl Rove and Elliott Abrams (National Security Council official) to ask them if they were the leakers. Is that what happened? Why did you do that? And can you describe the conversations you had with them? What was the question you asked?

A: Unfortunately, in Washington, D.C., at a time like this there are a lot of rumors and innuendo. There are unsubstantiated accusations that are made. And that's exactly what happened in the case of these three individuals. They are good individuals. They are important members of our White House team. And that's why I spoke with them, so that I could come back to you and say that they were not in"

It Just Gets Worse - New York Times

2005-07-10T23:59:00.000-07:00

It Just Gets Worse - New York Times:

By BOB HERBERT
Published: July 11, 2005

Back in March 2004 President Bush had a great time displaying what he felt was a hilarious set of photos showing him searching the Oval Office for the weapons of mass destruction that hadn't been found in Iraq. It was a spoof he performed at the annual dinner of the Radio and Television Correspondents' Association.
Skip to next paragraph

The photos showed the president peering behind curtains and looking under furniture for the missing weapons. Mr. Bush offered mock captions for the photos, saying, 'Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be somewhere' and 'Nope, no weapons over there ... maybe under here?'" (more... click on link above)

Bush aide Rove was Time reporter's source-Newsweek - Yahoo! News

2005-07-10T23:50:00.000-07:00

Bush aide Rove was Time reporter's source-Newsweek - Yahoo! News: "Bush aide Rove was Time reporter's source-Newsweek

Sun Jul 10, 6:35 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top White House advisor Karl Rove was one of the secret sources that spoke to reporters about a covert
CIA operative whose identity was leaked to the media, Newsweek magazine reported in its latest edition." (more.. click on link above)

OfficialWire: Analyst: Cooper Documents Reveal Karl Rove As Source

2005-07-02T08:36:00.000-07:00

OfficialWire: Analyst: Cooper Documents Reveal Karl Rove As Source: "Analyst: Cooper Documents Reveal Karl Rove As Source
Time disclosure puts ‘turd blossom’ in the frame

by OfficialWire NewsDesk

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- (OfficialWire) -- 07/02/05 -- According to an article published Friday by Editor & Publisher, Assistant to the President, Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor Karl Rove (shown here) is the confidential source who outed Valerie Plame to reporters as a CIA operative.

E&P reported that during a syndicated McLaughlin Group political talk show, senior MSNBC political analyst Lawrence O'Donnell said: 'What we're going to go to now in the next stage, when Matt Cooper's e-mails, within Time Magazine, are handed over to the grand jury, the ultimate revelation, probably within the week of who his source is.

'And I know I'm going to get pulled into the grand jury for saying this but the source of...for Matt Cooper was Karl Rove, and that will be revealed in this document dump that Time magazine's going to do with the grand jury.'

Retired ambassador Joseph C. Wilson already named Rove, back in August 2003, as the White House insider who leaked his wife's identity to the press.

Given Rove's track record for dirty-tricks and questionable ethics, few will be surprised.

In February 2005, Bush said: 'Karl Rove is a long-time advisor and trusted member of my team. His hard work and dedication have been invaluable. I appreciate Karl's willingness to continue to serve my Administration in this new position.'

While we wait for confirmation by the grand jury following Time magazine's decision to hand over subpoenaed records, it will be interesting to see how George W. Bush responds to the likelihood that his turd blossom may be headed to a federal prison.

"

MSNBC Analyst Says Cooper Documents Reveal Karl Rove as Source in Plame Case

2005-07-02T08:34:00.000-07:00

MSNBC Analyst Says Cooper Documents Reveal Karl Rove as Source in Plame Case: "MSNBC Analyst Says Cooper Documents Reveal Karl Rove as Source in Plame Case

By E&P Staff

Published: July 01, 2005 11:30 PM ET

NEW YORK Now that Time Inc. has turned over documents to federal court, presumably revealing who its reporter, Matt Cooper, identified as his source in the Valerie Plame/CIA case, speculation runs rampant on the name of that source, and what might happen to him or her. Tonight, on the syndicated McLaughlin Group political talk show, Lawrence O'Donnell, senior MSNBC political analyst, claimed to know that name--and it is, according to him, top White House mastermind Karl Rove.

Here is the transcript of O'Donnell's remarks:

'What we're going to go to now in the next stage, when Matt Cooper's e-mails, within Time Magazine, are handed over to the grand jury, the ultimate revelation, probably within the week of who his source is.

'And I know I'm going to get pulled into the grand jury for saying this but the source of...for Matt Cooper was Karl Rove, and that will be revealed in this document dump that Time magazine's going to do with the grand jury.'

Other panelists then joined in discussing whether, if true, this would suggest a perjury rap for Rove, if he told the grand jury he did not leak to Cooper.

Cooper and New York Times reporter Judith Miller, held in contempt for refusing to name sources, tried Friday to stay out of jail by arguing for home detention instead after Time Inc. surrendered its reporter's notes to a prosecutor.

Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., said Friday that several unidentified Senate Republicans had placed a hold on a proposed resolution declaring support for Miller and Cooper.

``Cowards!'' Lautenberg said of the Republicans. ``Under the rules, they have a right to refuse to reveal who they are. Sound familiar?''

Lautenberg's resolution is co-sponsored by"

MediaChannel.org - A Global Network of More Than 1,000 Media Issues Groups

2005-06-23T17:24:00.000-07:00

MediaChannel.org - A Global Network of More Than 1,000 Media Issues Groups: "Who controls what we watch, read and listen to? This page features today's stories about media ownership. For more news headlines on the FCC and Big Media, sign up for our free Media Savvy daily newsletter or dig into the archives."

Chart Showing Who Owns The Media

2005-06-23T17:23:00.000-07:00

MediaChannel.org -- Media Ownership 2001

U.S. Campaign Produces Few Convictions on Terrorism Charges contrary to what Bush just said recently

2005-06-21T23:30:00.000-07:00

U.S. Campaign Produces Few Convictions on Terrorism Charges: "U.S. Campaign Produces Few Convictions on Terrorism Charges
Statistics Often Count Lesser Crimes

By Dan Eggen and Julie Tate
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, June 12, 2005; A01

First of two parts

On Thursday, President Bush stepped to a lectern at the Ohio State Highway Patrol Academy in Columbus to urge renewal of the USA Patriot Act and to boast of the government's success in prosecuting terrorists.

Flanked by Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, Bush said that 'federal terrorism investigations have resulted in charges against more than 400 suspects, and more than half of those charged have been convicted.'

Those statistics have been used repeatedly by Bush and other administration officials, including Gonzales and his predecessor, John D. Ashcroft, to characterize the government's efforts against terrorism.

But the numbers are misleading at best.

An analysis of the Justice Department's own list of terrorism prosecutions by The Washington Post shows that 39 people -- not 200, as officials have implied -- were convicted of crimes related to terrorism or national security.

Most of the others were convicted of relatively minor crimes such as making false statements and violating immigration law -- and had nothing to do with terrorism, the analysis shows. For the entire list, the median sentence was just 11 months.

Taken as a whole, the data indicate that the government's effort to identify terrorists in the United States has been less successful than authorities have often suggested. The statistics provide little support for the contention that authorities have discovered and prosecuted hundreds of terrorists here. Except for a small number of well-known cases -- such as truck driver Iyman Faris, who sought to take down the Brooklyn Bridge -- few of those arrested appear to have been involved in active plots inside the United States.
" (More... click on link above to- Go to Original)

100,000+ Iraqi Civilians Reported Killed In The Current Iraq War

2005-06-20T17:58:00.000-07:00

According to this study/article dated 10-28-04 the civilian death toll exceeds 100,000; Click Here

CNN World News: Study puts Iraqi toll at 100,000; Click Here

Iraqbodycount; Click Here currently 25,341 civilians killed by military intervention in Iraq according to this site run by British and American academics.

Military Fatalities; Click Here

Incomplete List of Contractors Killed or Missing in Iraq; Click Here

AntiWar.com Casualties link; Click Here

Global Security.org casualties and injured data link; Click Here

If you are a George W. Bush supporter Click Here

VOTE TO IMPEACH BUSH AND SIGN PETITION Click Here

HALIBURTON GETS $30 MILLION TO BUILD 220 BED PRISON EVEN THOUGH CHENEY IS STILL GETTING DEFERRED COMPENSATION FROM HALIBURTON THROUGH THE END OF 2005

2005-06-18T10:43:00.000-07:00

Kansas City Star | 06/18/2005 | Guantanamo Bay to get new prison: "Guantanamo Bay to get new prison

Halliburton subsidiary receives contract

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON �� A subsidiary of Houston-based Halliburton has been awarded $30 million to build an improved 220-bed prison for terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the Pentagon has announced." (More.. click on link above)

To read about Cheney's deferred compensation from Haliburton
Click Here

Reuters AlertNet - Britain memo worried U.S. lacked planning on Iraq

2005-06-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

Reuters AlertNet - Britain memo worried U.S. lacked planning on Iraq: "Britain memo worried U.S. lacked planning on Iraq
12 Jun 2005 13:55:08 GMT
Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON, June 12 (Reuters) - A memo produced for British Prime Minister Tony Blair eight months before the invasion of Iraq expressed concern any occupation of that country would be 'protracted and costly,' The Washington Post reported on Sunday.

The briefing paper indicated top British officials viewed the Bush administration as inevitably invading Iraq but said 'little thought' had been given to 'the aftermath and how to shape it,' the Post reported, quoting from the eight-page memo." (more.... click on link above)

American Civil Liberties Union : ACLU Says President Bush Misled Public on Patriot Act; Urges Congress to Bring Law In Line with the Constitution

2005-06-10T08:03:00.000-07:00

American Civil Liberties Union : ACLU Says President Bush Misled Public on Patriot Act; Urges Congress to Bring Law In Line with the Constitution: "ACLU Says President Bush Misled Public on Patriot Act; Urges Congress to Bring Law In Line with the Constitution

June 9, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Media@dcaclu.org
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union called the president�s address today on the Patriot Act to law enforcement personnel in Columbus, Ohio both misguided and disingenuous. Key parts of that law are set to 'sunset' or expire at the end of the year, and the administration is pushing to not only reauthorize the act, but to expand it." (more... Click on link above)

The Smoking Bullet in the Smoking Gun: Bush Began Iraq Invasion in 2002

2005-06-07T21:16:00.000-07:00

Pacifica.org: "The Smoking Bullet in the Smoking Gun: Bush Began Iraq Invasion in 2002
Democracy Now correspondent Jeremy Scahill reports on new documents that show President Bush began the invasion of Iraq more than half a year before Shock and Awe was launched. [includes rush transcript]
Writing in The Nation magazine, Democracy Now! correspondent Jeremy Scahill reports on Washington's undeclared air war against Iraq in 2002:"

Democracy Now! | After the Downing Street Memo: The Case for Impeachment Builds

2005-06-07T21:14:00.000-07:00

Democracy Now! | After the Downing Street Memo: The Case for Impeachment Builds: "Monday, June 6th, 2005
After the Downing Street Memo: The Case for Impeachment Builds" (Click on link above for more..)

Blair hit by new leak of secret war plan - Sunday Times - Times Online

2005-06-07T21:13:00.000-07:00

Blair hit by new leak of secret war plan - Sunday Times - Times Online: "The Sunday Times - Britain

May 01, 2005

Blair hit by new leak of secret war plan
Michael Smith

A SECRET document from the heart of government reveals today that Tony Blair privately committed Britain to war with Iraq and then set out to lure Saddam Hussein into providing the legal justification"

The Downing Street Memo Story Won't Die

2005-06-07T21:03:00.000-07:00

The Downing Street Memo Story Won't Die: "The Downing Street Memo Story Won't Die
By Jefferson Morley
washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 7, 2005; 9:18 AM
More than a month after its publication, the so-called Downing Street Memo remains among the top 10 most viewed articles on The Times of London site.
It's not hard to see why this remarkable document, published in The Times on May 1 (and reported in this column on May 3), continues to attract reader interest around the world, especially with British Prime Minister Tony Blair visiting Washington Tuesday." (more... click on link above)

Voter-Gate (Must Watch Video)

2005-06-01T01:40:00.000-07:00

Click Here

Very thorough investigation of Diebold and other electronic voting machines.

Where Have All The Weapons Gone (song)

2005-06-01T00:54:00.000-07:00

Click Here to hear

From -Bob River's Twisted Radio

USATODAY.com - Suicide bombs explode amid crowd of police

2005-05-31T12:12:00.000-07:00

USATODAY.com - Suicide bombs explode amid crowd of police:
By Steven Komarow and Mona Mahmoud, USA TODAY
BAGHDAD Two suicide bombers blew themselves up in a crowd of Iraqi police south of the capital Monday, killing at least 25 and wounding 120." (more... click on link above)

Yahoo! Sports - NFL - Former NFL player's family critical of way Army handled investigation of hi...

2005-05-23T06:35:00.000-07:00

Yahoo! Sports - NFL - Former NFL player's family critical of way Army handled investigation of hi...: "Former NFL player's family critical of way Army handled investigation of his death

May 23, 2005"

New pictures of Saddam printed

2005-05-21T01:06:00.000-07:00

New pictures of Saddam printed: "The Red Cross said the pictures may violate the Geneva Convention and the US military has launched an investigation in an attempt to find out who took the pictures. "

The Raw Story | Overseas Base report critical of Rumsfeld yanked from website

2005-05-15T23:54:00.000-07:00

The Raw Story | Overseas Base report critical of Rumsfeld yanked from website: "Overseas base report critical of Rumsfeld yanked from website"

Horsley apparently freely admitted to engaging in beastiality as a youngster."

2005-05-15T23:46:00.000-07:00

Daily Kos :: Political Analysis and other daily rants on the state of the nation.: "GOP Activists Admit Beastiality, but Not Gay Sex
by captnjaq
Tue May 10th, 2005 at 18:11:20 PDT

I had a hard time accepting this story as legitimate, I was so convinced that I was being Punk'd. As revolting as today's GOP platform is at times, I never thought the Santorumizing of sex would gain any momentum.
For those who aren't as newsgeeky as I am, PA Senator Rick Santorum has equated homosexual sex to beastiality, which is as shocking to the civilized world as it is sensible to the Deliverance Republican base.
But the ugly face of beastiality has reared again, in the form of aptly-named anti-abortion terrorism advocate Neal Horsley. On the FOX News Radio program 'The Alan Colmes Show,' Horsley apparently freely admitted to engaging in beastiality as a youngster."

Click Here to hear a short song about Horsley

Lies and Deceit

2005-05-15T23:42:00.000-07:00

(Click Here) Lies and Deceit: "from the jimlog archives: Lies and Deceit"

OUTFOXED: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism

2005-05-15T23:37:00.000-07:00

OUTFOXED: Watch the trailer, Click Here

Bush Urges Congress to Approve War Costs

2005-04-23T10:14:00.000-07:00

Bloomberg.com: Top Worldwide: "Bush Urges Congress to Approve War Costs, Cut Other Outlays
April 23 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush urged Congress to agree on new spending for the war on terrorism and asked lawmakers to restrain other government outlays to avoid swelling budget deficits that harm the U.S. economy. " (more.. click on link above)

Project for a new American Century - the Mein Kampf for the Fourth Reich

2005-03-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Project for a new American Century - the Mein Kampf for the Fourth Reich: "'The process of [military] transformation, even if it brings revolutionary change, is likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event -- like a new Pearl Harbor.'
- Rebuilding America�s Defenses, September 2000, Project for a New American Century "

IRAQ ONLY ONE PRIZE

2005-02-28T23:58:00.000-08:00

SEA-LEVELS throughout the New American Empire in the Next American Century:: "Iraq Only One 'Prize' in a 'Lifetime' of Wars
Documents Reveal Planning for U.S. Superpower Empire
and Invasion Began Years Ago, Like Set-up for ' 9/11 '
Billions of Dollars in Narcotics Another Goal"

The missing link? Partner of GOPUSA founder has checkered past as Republican moneyman

2005-02-21T23:39:00.000-08:00

The Raw Story | A rational voice � The missing link? Partner of GOPUSA founder has checkered past as Republican moneyman: (More; click on link above)

The Raw Story | The real questions about Gannon

2005-02-21T23:32:00.000-08:00

The Raw Story | The real questions about Gannon: "HARD JOURNALISM
Real questions about Gannon
Over the past few weeks, quite the scandal has blown up around a �reporter� known for asking particularly Republican-friendly questions in the White House Press Room. The reporter, who went by the name of Jeff Gannon, is actually named James Guckert, and worked for an organization called Talon News. (For ease of identification, I will refer to him as �Gannon.�) After Gannon was linked with several gay websites, he resigned from the notoriously anti-gay Talon, and many of his stories have been pulled from the site. The mess triggered issues that range across the political spectrum, from salacious details of his involvement with the gay escort business to questions of the White House�s relationship with the press." (more; click on link above)

TheNewsTribune.com | Tacoma, WA | Top Story

2005-02-19T13:57:00.000-08:00

TheNewsTribune.com | Tacoma, WA | Top Story: "55 dead in eight Iraq suicide bombings
By MAGGIE MICHAEL, Associated Press Writer
Saturday, February 19th, 2005 " (more... click on link above)

ABC News: Bush Requests $82B for Iraq, Afghan Wars

2005-02-16T23:22:00.000-08:00

ABC News: Bush Requests $82B for Iraq, Afghan Wars (click on link above... more)

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Sidney Blumenthal: A hireling, a fraud and a prostitute

2005-02-16T23:19:00.000-08:00

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Sidney Blumenthal: A hireling, a fraud and a prostitute: "A hireling, a fraud and a prostitute

Bush's agent in the press corps has given spin a new level of meaning

Sidney Blumenthal
Thursday February 17, 2005
The Guardian " (more... click on link above)

Bush administration blurs media boundary | csmonitor.com

2005-02-16T23:17:00.000-08:00

Bush administration blurs media boundary | csmonitor.com: "from the February 17, 2005 edition

Bush administration blurs media boundary

Controversy over a 'journalist' adds to the buzz about message control in capital." (more.. click on link above)

Programs Eliminated or Cut in the 2006 Bush Budget

2005-02-12T10:32:00.000-08:00

(Feb. 12) - Here are the 154 programs that President Bush wants to eliminate or cut in his 2006 budget proposal. Bush would terminate 99 programs and make major spending reductions in 55. Separately, the administration listed eight major reforms Bush proposed that also would produce spending cuts.

Of the terminations, Bush has recommended 59 of them before. Twenty-seven of the 55 programs targeted for spending reductions have been previously submitted to Congress.

(to see the list of 154 programs click here)

Bush's State of the Union Address (Full Text; Transcripts)

2005-02-03T09:04:00.000-08:00

Bush's State of the Union Address: "Bush's State of the Union Address
Wednesday, February 2, 2005" (more.. click link above)

CBS News | Go Ask Alberto | January 6, 2005�03:30:06

2005-02-02T14:54:00.000-08:00

CBS News | Go Ask Alberto | January 6, 2005�03:30:06: "More relevant to me about Gonzales' candidacy is the clemency evaluation work he did on behalf of George W. Bush when the latter was governor of Texas and the former was his counsel. As chronicled brilliantly by Alan Berlow in the Atlantic Monthly magazine in the summer of 2003, Gonzales 'repeatedly failed to apprise Bush of some of the most salient issues' in the dozens and dozens of cases he was asked to evaluate on behalf of the Governor.

'A close examination of the Gonzales memoranda,' Berlow wrote, 'suggests that Governor Bush frequently approved executions based on only the most cursory briefings on the issues in dispute. In fact, in these documents Gonzales repeatedly failed to apprise the governor of crucial issues in the cases at hand, ineffective assistance of counsel, conflict of interest; mitigating evidence; even actual evidence of innocence.' " (more.. click on link above)

Democracy Now! | No Mercy: Gonzales Clemency Memos to Bush Facilitated Texas Executions

2005-02-02T14:47:00.000-08:00

Democracy Now! | No Mercy: Gonzales Clemency Memos to Bush Facilitated Texas Executions: "No Mercy: Gonzales Clemency Memos to Bush Facilitated Texas Executions"(more... click on link)

civilrights.org --

2005-02-02T14:45:00.000-08:00

civilrights.org -- Printer Friendly: "Gonzales's Clemency Memos Criticized
January 6, 2005

R. Jeffrey Smith
The Washington Post

'In 1995, a one-eyed drifter named Henry Lee Lucas was headed for execution by injection in a Texas prison for the murder of an unnamed woman, one of hundreds he confessed to killing in a crime spree lasting more than a decade. " (more... click on link above)

KR Washington Bureau | 02/02/2005 | Gonzales' fingerprints all over un-American behavior

2005-02-02T14:40:00.000-08:00

KR Washington Bureau | 02/02/2005 | Gonzales' fingerprints all over un-American behavior: "Gonzales' fingerprints all over un-American behavior

By JOSEPH L. GALLOWAY

Knight Ridder Newspapers

WASHINGTON - President Bush this week gets the attorney general he wanted for his Cabinet, Alberto Gonzales, a longtime Texas friend and his White House counsel during his first term.
Although a president is given wide latitude in choosing his own Cabinet no matter which party controls the Senate, the time may come when the question is asked: Did Republican senators do George Bush any favor when they voted to confirm Gonzales as the nation's chief of law enforcement? " (more.. click on link above)

CNN.com - Audit: U.S. lost track of $9 billion in Iraq funds - Jan 30, 2005

2005-01-31T09:26:00.000-08:00

CNN.com - Audit: U.S. lost track of $9 billion in Iraq funds - Jan 30, 2005: "Audit: U.S. lost track of $9 billion in Iraq funds
Pentagon, Bremer dispute inspector general's report "

Death and elections in Iraq

2005-01-27T23:38:00.000-08:00

On the same day that Condoleezza Rice was confirmed by the Senate and sworn in as Secretary of State, 37 U.S. soldiers lost their lives in the deadliest day of the war in Iraq.

The violence escalates every day, every hour, every minute. On Thursday, 19 Iraqis and a U.S. Marine were killed in fights with opponents who are blowing up buildings slated to be used as polling places in the Iraqi elections on Sunday.

More... Click Here

The voters ratified his Iraq policy, Bush says

2005-01-22T11:42:00.000-08:00

"WASHINGTON President George W. Bush has said that his re-election in November ratified the correctness of his approach in Iraq and provided an 'accountability moment' for those behind flawed judgments regarding the war there."
(more; Click Here--->)The voters ratified his Iraq policy, Bush says

If only it were true, Condoleezza (HamptonRoads.com/Pilot Online)

2005-01-22T11:33:00.000-08:00

If only it were true, Condoleezza (HamptonRoads.com/Pilot Online): "January 22, 2005

During her testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this week, Condoleezza Rice was grilled about when U.S. troops can come home from Iraq.
The president�s nominee for secretary of state, hewing closely to administration talking points, said America's 150,000 troops can return home when enough Iraqis are trained to take their place.
So how many Iraqis are ready for the job? No less a conservative authority than The Economist, the respected British magazine, put the number at 10,000 in a report this week. Other reports have put the number much lower.
Rice, who's supposed to know, pegged it closer to 120,000.
In other words, 30,000 more to go.
But if that's true, then why are so many of our troops still there? If we have made so much progress in building an Iraqi army, shouldn't we now be talking about a timetable for bringing our troops home? "

2005-01-16T23:14:00.000-08:00

Duh?

BBC NEWS | Americas | Fallout from WMD search failure

2005-01-12T22:12:00.000-08:00

Click Here: "The White House has now officially acknowledged what the Washington Post first reported and what many probably assumed was the case anyway - the US search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq is over, at least in any meaningful sense. "

VOA News - US Ends Search for Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq

2005-01-12T22:11:00.000-08:00

Click Here

2004-11-30T23:38:00.000-08:00

Charity blames invaders for Iraq 'health disaster'

2004-11-30T23:30:00.000-08:00

arah Left and agencies
Tuesday November 30, 2004

The US-led war in Iraq has created a healthcare disaster in a country where 20 years of war, mismanagement and sanctions had already left public health in a fragile state, a UK-based medical charity said today.

Medact reported that the health of Iraq's people had deteriorated since the 2003 invasion, both as a direct result of violence and through the collapse of medical facilities, public health provision and essential infrastructure such as water supplies. The report specifically blamed the tactics of the US-led occupying forces for exacerbating the country's health problems, particularly the decision to sideline the UN, which has traditionally handled humanitarian relief efforts.

Medact cited a nationwide survey of nearly 1,000 Iraqi households, published in the Lancet, as evidence that the war had caused around 100,000 deaths since the US and British invasion in April 2003. (more...)
Click Here

Interview with Jesse Jackson On Election Recount

2004-11-30T23:08:00.000-08:00

November 30, 2004

Amy Goodman Interviews Jesse Jackson on Election Recount
By Democracy Now!, Rush Transcript

AMY GOODMAN: Reverend Jesse Jackson, what have you been doing in Ohio?

Why do you feel that a recount could change the outcome of the presidential election?

JESSE JACKSON: Well, this is November 30 -- 28 days later and the election has not been certified. The judge will not order a recount because there has not yet been a count. Therefore, we need a full and thorough federal investigation. For example, in the spring of the year, a provisional ballot, you could vote any place in the county. By September, by November, Secretary of State had shifted it to you only vote in the precinct, and with some precincts changing, it created big frustrations. So 155,000 ballots haven’t still been counted. There are many thousands not yet processed -- overcount and undercount. You have a case in Warren, Ohio where they declared a Homeland Security alert. I mean no building in Warren is over three stories high, yet they locked out the press and independent observers. Another case that I found to be astounding which I am sure Cliff can talk about, is a black woman, Ellen Connally ran for state Supreme Court judge. In Cuyahoga County, in Cleveland where she is best known, Kerry got 170,000 more votes. Elsewhere in the state, around Hamilton County, Cincinnati, Butler, Clermont, where she is least well-known, she got 190,000 more votes than Kerry. Now, that smells. We need a thorough investigation with forensic computer experts to see were there any tampering in those machines where there's no ability to do an audit trail. Then we need to consider the recount. We first need to have a count. (more...)
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2004-11-28T00:41:00.000-08:00

hmmmm

The Original Bush Turkey Tour

2004-11-25T09:55:00.000-08:00

BUSH TURKEY PHOTOS LEAKED
Previously Unpublished Images from Bush's Iraq Turkey Delivery
Click Here

and to view photos from other George W. Bush Turkey Tours
Click Here

Pro-Slavery States Voted For Bush In 2004

2004-11-25T06:28:00.000-08:00

The states that were pro-slavery (see map at link below) before Civil War (1860-1865) almost all voted for Bush in 2004.
Click Here

Gregoire Calls for Hand Recount

2004-11-24T22:37:00.000-08:00

KVEW 42 - http://www.kvewtv.com/

The Seattle Times: Local News: Rossi wins in recount of governors race (BY A MERE 42 VOTES)

2004-11-24T22:28:00.000-08:00

The Seattle Times: Local News: Rossi wins in recount of governor's race: "Republican Dino Rossi won the election by just 42 votes over Democratic Attorney General Christine Gregoire. " (Washington State Governors race)

2004-11-24T02:00:00.000-08:00

2004-11-24T01:56:00.000-08:00

Election Angst Update: Clark Kent Vs the Media Wimps

2004-11-24T01:34:00.000-08:00

November 23, 2004

by Maureen Farrell

"The greatest threat to truth today may well be from my profession." -- Legendary reporter Carl Bernstein

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. While some in the mainstream media were finally paying attention to an important story as it was unfolding (rather than waiting three years, ala the New York Times), others were taking the usual safe and tired tact.

It all started on Monday, Nov. 7, when, inspired by a Cincinnati Enquirer story on how Warren County Ohio officials had "locked down" the administration building on election night and restricted open access to the vote count there, Keith Olbermann began reporting on voting irregularities across the country. "We have heard the message on the Voting Angst and will continue to cover it with all prudent speed," Olbermann later wrote on his blog, and sure enough, Countdown with Keith Olbermann doled out nightly nuggets -- not only concerning Votergate, but regarding the media itself. This exchange between Olbermann and Craig Crawford was especially satisfying: (more...)
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The Doll That Commemorates "Mission Accomplished"

2004-11-22T23:59:00.000-08:00

Bush's air craft carrier stunt took place in May of 2003 where he proclaimed "mission accomplished" with a massive banner saying such behind him during his speech on the air craft carrier. After this speech/stunt hundreds upon hundreds of American troops died in battle in Iraq and thousands upon thousands of Iraqi people would have died as well (including countless amounts of civilians). Amazing that this doll is for sale in America. KB Toys link
Bush sends our troops into harms way pre-emptively for a war based at it's very essence on lies and deceit and then has a doll released honoring him and his disgraceful stunt?

What many parents will neglect to tell their kids about this man is the fact that he was AWOL. Otherwise known as a "chickenhawk". Click Here

Can you imagine the amount of American kids that will have watched this disgraceful clown on their television sets for eight straight years before he is out of office (unless impeached)? For the parents out there who are naive or ignorant and think George is just a swell guy and do not guide their children about what a disgrace this man is.. well we are looking at a massively screwed up and upcoming generation waiting in the wings..

All my opinions,
J.O.

Shout

2004-11-22T11:48:00.000-08:00

"In violent times
You shouldn't have to sell your soul

In black and white
They really really ought to know

Those one track minds
That took you for a working boy

Kiss them goodbye
You shouldn't have to jump for joy
You shouldn't have to shout for joy"

(lyrics- Roland Orzabal)

CBS News - Iraq: The Uncounted

2004-11-22T11:00:00.000-08:00

CBS News | Iraq: The Uncounted | November 22, 2004: "CBS) Approximately 300,000 American men and women have served at one time or another in Iraq.

Most will return to the United States more or less intact. But some come home the hard way - on a stretcher, bloody and broken.

And, as Correspondent Bob Simon says, there are few bloodier or more broken than Chris Schneider. " (more...)

GOP- Morals/Values/Ethics (Links)

2004-11-21T10:27:00.000-08:00

Bill O'Reilly's little problem beyond spinning lie after lie after lie; Click Here

Rush Limbaugh's Drug Problem

Newt Gingrich; extra-marital affair while wife battles cancer and then divorces her

Video of George W. Bush flipping off camera long after he was a self-declared born again Christian

Dick Cheney tells Senator Patrick Leahy to "go f--k yourself" on the floor of the Senate

Study puts Iraqi civilian death toll at around 100,000 as of 10/29/04. The current Iraq war which was rushed into by Bush and co. even though Blix was pleading for another 2 months of inspections, but was kicked out (with all the other inspectors) makes me wonder if the death of 100,000 Iraqi civilians is in-line with GOP morals/values and ethics?

Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ) and Rep. Katherine Harris (R-FL) canoodling on the floor of the US House of Representatives!

(I will be adding more to this post. Email me if you have other examples/suggestions). J.O.

Iraq Unrest May Delay Elections, Officials Warn

2004-11-19T13:30:00.000-08:00

Nov. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Elections in Iraq scheduled to take place by Jan. 31 may be postponed by continued widespread violence or a coordinated boycott by Sunni Muslims, U.S. and Iraqi officials said. " (more...)
Click Here

MSNBC - Bush focus of protests at summit in Chile

2004-11-19T13:22:00.000-08:00

President joining other Pacific Rim leaders
The Associated Press
Updated: 2:04 p.m. ET Nov. 19, 2004

SANTIAGO, Chile - Police on Friday clashed with rock-throwing protesters demonstrating against President Bush's participation in a weekend summit of 21 Pacific Rim countries that they likened to a rich man’s club.

The street clashes market the fourth straight day of confrontations between police and protesters opposed to the two-day annual gathering of the leaders for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, hosted this year by Chile. (more...)
Click Here

'Stinking Evidence' of Possible Election Fraud Found in Florida

2004-11-19T07:06:00.000-08:00

November 18, 2004

There was something odd about the poll tapes.

A "poll tape" is the phrase used to describe a printout from an optical scan voting machine made the evening of an election, after the machine has read all the ballots and crunched the numbers on its internal computer. It shows the total results of the election in that location. The printout is signed by the polling officials present in that precinct/location, and then submitted to the county elections office as the official record of how the people in that particular precinct had voted. (Usually each location has only one single optical scanner/reader, and thus produces only one poll tape.) ... (more)
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BBC NEWS | Middle East | Fleeing Falluja: Families speak out

2004-11-18T23:09:00.000-08:00

"Thousands of Iraqis fled the city of Falluja in the weeks leading up to the assault on the city by US forces." (more...)
BBC NEWS | Middle East | Fleeing Falluja: Families speak out

Escape from Fallujah: refugees flood nearby towns

2004-11-18T23:08:00.000-08:00

"Escape from Fallujah: refugees flood nearby towns
By Kim Sengupta in Babil
18 November 2004
While United States forces mount the final military operations to pacify Fallujah, the people of the devastated city have taken refuge in outlying towns, many of them huddled in misery, without adequate food, water, medicine and shelter." (more...)
Click Here

Fallujah Residents Emerge, Find 'City of Mosques' in Ruins (washingtonpost.com)

2004-11-18T23:07:00.000-08:00

Fallujah Residents Emerge, Find 'City of Mosques' in Ruins
By Jackie Spinner
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 18, 2004; Page A01
FALLUJAH, Iraq, Nov. 17 -- The night the Americans came, Abu Saad hunkered in the little room at the back of his house in the center of the city, where he prayed that the bombs would not find him. He and his father, brother and nephew tried to drown the sound of the artillery with their prayers. Dear God, he chanted over and over, please protect us. " (more...)
Click Here:

Inside Fallujah: one family's diary of terror - [Sunday Herald]

2004-11-18T22:27:00.000-08:00

"Last week the US launched a major offensive on Fallujah using heavy artillery, bulldozers and tanks. The target was insurgents, but here one family reveals the horror of being caught in the conflict
By Dahr Jamail in Baghdad" (more...)
Click Here

UC Berkeley Study Questions Florida E-Vote Count

2004-11-18T14:13:00.000-08:00

"A research team at UC Berkeley will report that irregularities
associated with electronic voting machines may have awarded
130,000 - 260,000 or more excess votes to President George W. Bush in
Florida in the 2004 presidential election." (more...)
Click Here

Cooking With Goss - The new CIA chief's shakeups are bad news. By Fred Kaplan

2004-11-18T14:08:00.000-08:00

Nov. 17, 2004

What to make of Porter Goss and the turmoil at the Central Intelligence Agency? (more...)
Click Here

Deadly violence shakes Iraq

2004-11-18T10:58:00.000-08:00

18/11/2004 - (SA)
Click Here

IRAQ: Aid still urgently needed in Fallujah - OCHA IRIN

2004-11-17T23:05:00.000-08:00

FALLUJAH, 17 Nov 2004 (IRIN) - "Please tell them to come back, we don't have another person to help us, we need food and my children are sick, they have to try again," Rasha Omar, a mother of five in Fallujah, told IRIN after finding out that the Iraqi Red Crescent Society (IRCS) couldn't deliver food to the city.
Click Here

Ship Of Fools

2004-11-17T21:30:00.000-08:00

We're setting sail to the place on the map
From which no one has ever returned
Drawn by the promise of the joker and the fool
And by the light of the crosses that burn
Drawn by the promise of the women and the lace
And the gold and the cotton and pearls
It's the place where they keep all the darkness you need
You sail away from the light of the world on this trip baby

You will pay tomorrow
You're gonna pay tomorrow, yeh
You will pay tomorrow

Oh oh, save me, save me from tomorrow
I don't want to sail with this ship of fools
Oh, save me, save me from tomorrow
I don't want to sail with this ship of fools
I want to run and hide- right now

Avarice and greed
are gonna drive you over the endless sea
They will leave you drifting in the shallows
Or drowning in the oceans of history
Traveling the world, you're in search of no good
But I'm sure you'll build your Sodom
like you knew you would
Using all the good people for your galley slaves
As your little boat struggles through the warning waves
But you don't pay

You will pay tomorrow
You're gonna pay tomorrow, yeh,
You're gonna pay tomorrow oh

Oh oh save me, save me from tomorrow
I don't want to sail with this ship of fools
Oh oh save me, save me from tomorrow
I don't want to sail with this ship of fools
Where's it coming from. Oh where's it going to?
It's just a ship of fools

All aboard......

(Lyrics by Karl Wallinger; World Party (Private Revolution)
30 second audio sample from Amazon

Change to GOP rules would allow DeLay to keep post if indicted

2004-11-17T20:04:00.000-08:00

11-17-04
BY SARAH FRANK
Chicago Tribune

WASHINGTON - (KRT) - House Republicans voted Wednesday to protect Majority Leader Tom DeLay by changing a party rule that likely would have forced him to step down if he is indicted in a Texas political corruption investigation."
Click Here:

INDOlink - International News - Iraq Invasion Fueled Terrorism World-wide: Chirac

2004-11-17T19:49:00.000-08:00

"Paris, Nov. 17 (NNN): French President Jacques Chirac on Wednesday questioned the United States invasion of Iraq saying he is 'not at all sure' the world has become safer with the removal from power of troubled Gulf leader Saddam Hussein." (more...)
Click Here

BBC NEWS | Americas | Many detained in Chile protests

2004-11-17T13:29:00.000-08:00

BBC; Click Here: "Hundreds of students protesting against the Apec meeting in Chile and an upcoming visit by US President George W Bush have clashed with riot police. "