28 Retired Generals want an end to "Don't ask, don't tell"

With the 14th anniversary of “Don’t ask, don’t tell” upon us, 28 retired generals and admirals are releasing a joint statement that condemns’ the practice according to the NY Times this morning. This couldn’t be better timing in my humble opinion. Gen. John M. Shalikashvili, who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff when the ridiculous policy was adopted,now argues for its repeal as well. From the NYT writeup:

“We respectfully urge Congress to repeal the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy,” the letter says. “Those of us signing this letter have dedicated our lives to defending the rights of our citizens to believe whatever they wish.”

The retired officers offer data showing that 65,000 gay men and lesbians now serve in the American armed forces and that there are more than one million gay veterans.

“They have served our nation honorably,” the letter states.

The letter’s release comes as rallies are scheduled on the Mall by groups calling for a change in the law, which is known as “don’t ask, don’t tell” because it bars the military from investigating soldiers’ sexual orientation if they keep it to themselves.

The only thing I wish to add is this: If they can die for our country, they sure as hell can come out of the friggin closet you homophobic s.o.b.’s.

As the dollar drops, so goes the US credit rating.

I slogged through my email's this morning..my mind on other things..when I hit on one from Newsweek that caught my attention. The title: 'In the Realm of the Dying Dollar' was enough for me to sit still and read it through. I have heard lately that europeans and canadians are flocking to our shores to shop their little brains out because our dollar is worth less than the Euro and Canadian currency. I realize the devaluation of the dollar isn't a good thing but noticed I haven't read too much on that topic lately.

So, I read the Newsweek writeup and its not pretty. It tells us that the Decider-in-Chief is ruining our lives in another way that isn't quite as obvious yet. The Newsweek article mentions another writeup in Vanity Fair by a Nobel laureate that rips BushCo a new one:

In a blistering essay in the current Vanity Fair, Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, a former World Bank economist, notes that Bush took a nation with a budget surplus upon assuming office and turned it into a global debtor, and he has underinvested in education and alternative energy. "In breathtaking disregard for the most basic rules of fiscal propriety, the administration continued to cut taxes even as it undertook expensive new spending programs and embarked on a financially ruinous 'war of choice' in Iraq. A budget surplus of 2.4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), which greeted Bush as he took office, turned into a deficit of 3.6 percent in the space of four years. The United States had not experienced a turnaround of this magnitude since the global crisis of World War II," Stiglitz writes. "Up to now, the conventional wisdom has been that Herbert Hoover, whose policies aggravated the Great Depression, is the odds-on claimant for the mantle 'worst president' when it comes to stewardship of the American economy. The economic effects of Bush's presidency are more insidious than those of Hoover, harder to reverse, and likely to be longer-lasting. There is no threat of America's being displaced from its position as the world's richest economy. But our grandchildren will still be living with, and struggling with, the economic consequences of Mr. Bush."

Oh great, not only will our grandchildren still be paying for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, they will also have to deal with an economy trashed by BushCo as well? So I turned my attention from the Newsweek article to the one penned by Joseph Stiglitz. Mr. Stiglitz compares Bush to Hoover and finds that Bush has screwed the pooch far worse than Hoover did on his best day.

Mr. Stiglitz has this to say about BushCo's tax cuts for the rich and how they have affected the middle and lower classes: “Inequality is now widening in America, and at a rate not seen in three-quarters of a century. A young male in his 30s today has an income, adjusted for inflation, that is 12 percent less than what his father was making 30 years ago. Some 5.3 million more Americans are living in poverty now than were living in poverty when Bush became president. America's class structure may not have arrived there yet, but it's heading in the direction of Brazil's and Mexico's.”(emphasis mine)

Thanks to Clinton, Bush inherited a surplus, which has now turned into a deficit. A big deficit my dear reader, when you consider the swing from surplus to deficit en total: “A budget surplus of 2.4 percent of gross domestic product (G.D.P.), which greeted Bush as he took office, turned into a deficit of 3.6 percent in the space of four years. The United States had not experienced a turnaround of this magnitude since the global crisis of World War II.”

Back to the value of the almighty dollar. Since 2001, the dollar has taken a 40% decrease in its value when measured against the euro. That is astronomical, even for my feeble, non-financial brain to comprehend. Lets talk about financing our debt via BushCo's method..borrowing from China and other countries. As Mr. Stiglitz puts it ever so cleverly:

Meanwhile, we have become dependent on other nations for the financing of our own debt. Today, China alone holds more than $1 trillion in public and private American I.O.U.'s. Cumulative borrowing from abroad during the six years of the Bush administration amounts to some $5 trillion. Most likely these creditors will not call in their loans—if they ever did, there would be a global financial crisis. But there is something bizarre and troubling about the richest country in the world not being able to live even remotely within its means. Just as Guantánamo and Abu Ghraib have eroded America's moral authority, so the Bush administration's fiscal housekeeping has eroded our economic authority.(emphasis mine)

Ah yes, our moral compass is fucked as most of us know by now..but to learn our economic authority is in the crapper as well, it just makes me want to punch something. Now that Mr. Stiglitz has depressed me to the point of hunting down a bottle of wine to put in the freezer, I searched his piece for signs that the apocalypse isn't upon us and that we can 'right' this ship that is being captained by the biggest fool our country has ever known. The following is what he had to say about fixing this friggin mess:

It means not spending money that we don't have, increasing taxes on the rich, reducing corporate welfare, strengthening the safety net for the less well off, and making greater investment in education, technology, and infrastructure.

When it comes to taxes, we should be trying to shift the burden away from things we view as good, such as labor and savings, to things we view as bad, such as pollution. With respect to the safety net, we need to remember that the more the government does to help workers improve their skills and get affordable health care the more we free up American businesses to compete in the global economy. Finally, we'll be a lot better off if we work with other countries to create fair and efficient global trade and financial systems. We'll have a better chance of getting others to open up their markets if we ourselves act less hypocritically—that is, if we open our own markets to their goods and stop subsidizing American agriculture.

Increasing taxes on the rich? Heresy man! Even the Democrats don't want to go down 'that road'. Ending corporate welfare which masquerades as Ag subsidies? Good lord he's crazy! But the interest we are paying, year after year, on the almost $4 trillion of increased debt burden—even at 5 percent, that's an annual payment of $200 billion. Money that could be used to provide health care to every man, woman and child in America just for starters.

Will the future presidents have the balls to fix this mess BushCo has gotten us into without using more smoke and mirrors? I don't know..and apparently Mr. Stiglitz doesn't either. Friggin pathetic ain't it?

Trent Lott to resign his seat..

There are quite a few news outlets that are reporting Trent Lott will resign his seat today. Politico and Think Progress are two that have stated it so far via emails I rec'd from both of them. From the ThinkProgress writeup:

Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) is reportedly informing close allies that he plans to resign his Senate seat before the end of the year. NBC reports, "It's possible a formal announcement of his plans could take place as early as today." Politico adds, "If he resigns, Lott would become the sixth Republican senator to announce they were stepping down this election cycle."

Lott's term expires in 2012, therefore a resignation would trigger a special election for a replacement to serve the remainder of his term.

UPDATE IV: "While the exact reason Lott is stepping down before he finishes his term is unknown, the general speculation is that a quick departure immunizes Lott against tougher restrictions in a new lobbying law that takes effect at the end of the year. That law would require Senators to wait two-years before entering the lucrative world of lobbying Congress."

Its all about the money isn't it? Getting a high-paying job for one of the huge corporations he has already worked for..you know..instead of the people that voted for him? Greed..what a concept!

Ashcroft hits the motherload.

From TruthOut we get this, and its a friggin doozy:

When U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie announced a $311 million settlement to end a probe into kickbacks by leading manufacturers of knee and hip replacements, he touted the agreement as a groundbreaking development for consumers and the industry.

The deal also proved to be lucrative for Christie's old boss.

Former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft was one of five private attorneys whom Christie hand-picked to monitor the implant makers. Now Ashcroft's D.C.-based firm is poised to collect more than $52 million in 18 months, among the biggest payouts reported for a federal monitor.(emphasis mine)

Sweet Jesus in a speedo..thats some job Johnny. Congrats on fucking the American taxpayer out of a whole lotta cash for doing very little.

Tremendous upside to keeping your piehole shut about all the bullshit and bravado that went down whilst you worked for BushCo dude...seriously.

Tags: Ashcroft, Christopher Christie

Dave Matthews-All along the watchtower

Your Sunday Musical Interlude:

The Shopocalypse has begun!

I was thinking about how to title this post about the mass consumerism that starts the day after turkey day. Then I cracked open my emails and found this from Alternet. I went to the site linked in the article before I actually read the Alternet writeup. I thought it might be a joke after watching the trailer. It was hysterically funny while being so disgustingly true. But as the first two paragraphs in the Alternet piece tell us, its a true calling for Reverend Billy and his flock:

Bill Talen, known as Reverend Billy, doesn't mind making a fool of himself. He is happy to throw himself on the floor in a fit of religious ecstasy, perform cash register exorcisms or go caroling with the 35 members of the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir, singing such favorites as "Fill the malls with wealthy people," to the tune of "Deck the Halls." He does all this and much, much more in the new documentary about him and his Church of Stop Shopping, What Would Jesus Buy?

Ten years ago Talen came to New York and, struck by the commercialization in Times Square, wanted to do something. He saw the people getting the most attention were the street preachers, so getting into his role, he bought a clerical collar to go with his white caterer's jacket, dyed his hair blonde, combed it into a tall pompadour and started preaching against over-consumption.

Now Talen is known for his protests against, among others, Disney (the "High Church of Retail"), Victoria's Secret, and Starbucks. The coffee chain has banned Talen from going into any of the stores in California, and he is the subject of a memo to its employees, "What Should I Do If Reverend Billy Is In My Store?" When he decided to take his church across the country in two biodiesel buses in December 2005 to face the Christmas season head on and preach against the Shopocalypse, Filmmaker Rob VanAlkemade and his crew tagged along.

I think Reverend Billy has it right. "Fill the Malls with wealthy People" sung to the tune of "Deck the Halls" is perfect for the bullshit that begins today. The reason its called Black Friday is because, I think..the retailers hope to go into the Black financially, filling their coffers with other peoples money. Money that is most likely spent on people the consumers love and care about, but still..its so vulgar to me. If you feel as I do, then you must stop by Fran's blog and check out her post on this same subject..its a goodie and sure to rile you up as well as make you laugh just a bit.

Crossposted at UnCapitalist Journal

Insurgents = Saudi's

The NYT, tells us once again, that the main contingent of 'freedom fighters' from out of town so to speak.. in Iraq comes from..Wait for it.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia and Libya, both considered allies by the United States in its fight against terrorism, were the source of about 60 percent of the foreign fighters who came to Iraq in the past year to serve as suicide bombers or to facilitate other attacks, according to senior American military officials. The data come largely from a trove of documents and computers discovered in September, when American forces raided a tent camp in the desert near Sinjar, close to the Syrian border. The raid's target was an insurgent cell believed to be responsible for smuggling the vast majority of foreign fighters into Iraq.

They also go on to point out another obvious fact: The records also underscore how the insurgency in Iraq remains both overwhelmingly Iraqi and Sunni.-How many times does it have to be printed in black and white before BushCo will quit filling our ears with bs?

Your guess is as good as mine. But I do notice that Iran isn't even 'on the map' so to speak..

Crossposted at OutOfIraqBloggersCaucus

What new fresh hell awaits?

That is the question my friend Dark Black asks at his blog. His magnificent graphic is a great accompaniment to his post.

Protesters make Gonzo earn his $40K at UF

The entire story with videos is up at Sirens Chronicles. Check them out. Students boo Berto at the end of his speech, not to mention the two protesters that made it up to the stage in their orange jumpsuits. It was Berto's first foray into the 'real world' since he resigned in disgrace.

Something I can be thankful for tomorrow..students are still giving Gonzo massive crap.. I heart them all! BTW, his fee was culled from the student body as a whole..regardless if they wanted him there or not.

Jon Stewart and Scotty.

Lets trip down memory lane shall we? With the news that McClellan was jerked around by the fuckwits in the White House..lets watch some of Scotty's memorable quotes about PlameGate through the eyes of Jon Stewart.

Fat man in the bathtub..

A little video for your musical enjoyment. Little Feat whilst Lowell George was still alive..Have a nice long weekend my dear reader.

Jon Stewart and Tweety

Blue Dogs and Greenbacks

Reprinted from TomPaine.com-It's worth your time....this is why the Dem's are fast becoming my former party.
Al Meyerhoff
November 15, 2007


An attorney in Los Angeles, Al Meyerhoff is co-counsel for the class in the Enron shareholder litigation.

Perhaps Ralph Nader was right.

The leadership of the Democratic party recently had the rare opportunity to significantly recast the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). It was a highly watched choice in certain quarters—and in many boardrooms. Which Democrats would show up? Those favoring broad and systemic reform of our nation's markets? Or "Blue Dog" business Democrats, happy with shifting campaign contributions and seeming more like Republicans every day? Unfortunately for the country, it was the Blue Dogs by a mile.

Created as part of the New Deal, the SEC, with future Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas as its Chairman, was the ultimate Depression era watchdog—safeguarding the public from the fraud and dishonesty that so characterized Wall Street in those sad times and in these times too. For the better part of 70 years, the Commission did its job, but as markets changed and expanded, the Commission's powers often proved insufficient. Its role also lessened—especially during the roaring 90s, when deregulation reigned supreme. Happy to fill this regulatory gap, the fraudsters came out from under their collective rocks at Enron, Tyco, WorldCom, HealthSouth and elsewhere.

Then, of course, the cows came home. The market collapsed. Americans of every economic stripe – from small investors to multi-billion dollar institutional investors—lost hundreds of billions of dollars—their pensions, their life savings, their homes, their faith in the financial system. Confidence in the integrity of U.S. markets was rocked worldwide. Suddenly everyone—the Congress, the pundits, the investors, the bankers—were all asking the same question. How could our institutions fail us this badly? Where was the SEC? Asleep at the switch, that's where—an afterthought—understaffed, underfunded, out-gunned and by now often too cozy with The Street it was supposed to regulate.

Some of the harshest SEC critics were, of course, Democrats. The criticism was a tad muted, however; some of their own, like Clintonista Robert Rubin (now head of Citibank), had lobbied the Bush Administration on Enron's behalf.

Slowly, we have crawled back. Congress enacted Sarbanes-Oxley almost unanimously, signed with fanfare by born-again regulator George W. Bush. The Justice Department awoke—and the worst of the lot, Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling and Dennis Kozlowski and Bernie Ebbers and even poor Martha Stewart went off to prison. Class-action lawsuits brought record recoveries; at least some shareholders got some of their losses back. Even the financial media, for too long the cheerleader (some would say lap dog) of corporate America finally found its voice. It was morning in America.

But now the sun may be setting again. The reform balloon in Washington has burst. Clean up Wall Street? Have you seen those Democratic campaign coffers lately? Oversight hearings? Sure, but over how Sarbanes-Oxley is making American markets "uncompetitive" in our global economy.

Meanwhile, buffeted by the price of oil and the subprime mortgage meltdown, the market shifts, turns and bounces, more of a kangaroo than a bull or bear. And what clearer evidence could there be that markets don't regulate themselves than this subprime mess? It's the 20s all over again—mortgage brokers giving loans willy-nilly, banks turning them into bonds, some rated "AAA" based on next to nothing, them selling them to us—at a hefty fee.

The Democrats were faced with a dilemma in nominating candidates for these two SEC vacancies. Which breed to choose: pit bulls or cocker spaniels. Get tough or go for the green? Money barks.

Perhaps the two nominees eventually chosen, Luis Aguilar and Elisse Walter, will eventually grow into their jobs. But frankly, nothing in their background now will put the fear of God (or the SEC) in America's corporate boardrooms. Neither has a lick of experience in acting on behalf of investors. Aguilar, who will replace Roel Campos, was general counsel at Invesco and has questioned the effectiveness of Sarbanes-Oxley. Walters has spent her career inside the Beltway as a regulator.

What the SEC needed was a shakeup, not on-the-job training. The Democratic nominees should have sent a strong, clear message that there is a new sheriff in town. The last Republican appointment, after all, former conservative Republican Congressman Chris Cox, is a card-carrying champion of deregulation. Who on the SEC speaks for investors? Who will argue that we cannot trust brokers, bankers and corporate executives to give us a fair deal, especially in markets like these? Isn't that debate what democracy—and elections—are all about?

Consider just a few of the issues the reconfigured Commission will soon be called upon to decide:

* Will Sarbanes-Oxley (enacted in response to the excesses of the late 90s) be effectively implemented or instead rolled back to improve American market "competitiveness"?
* Will shareholders be provided greater ability to nominate members to corporate boards?
* Will the nation's major emitters of greenhouse gases be required to disclose their potential liability for climate change?

In a very real sense, this choice of these two SEC nominees was actually a litmus test for the Democrats and about far more than the Commission. For the past seven years, our government has been of the corporation, for the corporation and by the corporation. In response to that pro-big business agenda—and corresponding K Street cronyism—the voters threw the rascals out. DeLay, gone. Armey, gone. Abramoff, gone. Pombo, gone. The new Democratic majority came into office with (to use an overused term) a mandate. Clean house. No more business as usual. We're a democracy, not a plutocracy.

For the first months, the new Congress got the message. A fresh wind blew and real reforms happened—from the minimum wage to campaign finance reform. Now it seems that that wind is becoming a gentle breeze. Reforms impacting the rich and powerful, like taxing hedge funds or eliminating sugar subsidies, have come to a standstill. Those newly in power seem more concerned about keeping it than using it.

A year ago, many of us thought we took the country back from the robber barons. But Democrats are becoming Republicans before our eyes. The term for this is "Blue Dog." But given the power of money in filling these two SEC jobs, perhaps we need a new term for these Democrats: Green Dogs. Pass the mustard.

I am tired of hearing we have no other choice. They(the Dems) know that about the progressives and we have to show them that we do have choices..they just aren't going to like them.

Corruption and Pollution Du Jour..

"An American power company with close financial links to President George Bush has been named as one of the world's top producers of global warming pollution.

The first-ever worldwide database of such pollution also reveals the rapid growth in global-warming emissions by power plants in China, South Africa and India. Power plants already produce 40 per cent of US greenhouse gas and 25 per cent of the world's."

And so begins the story on CommonDreams.org. This is a disgusting tale of corruption and greed. Its always about those two things isn't it my dear reader? Check this out...

Southern's employees handed George Bush $217,047 to help him get elected, and they and the company have contributed an extraordinary $6.2m to Republican campaigns since 1990.(emphasis mine)

A single Southern Company plant in Juliette, Georgia already emits more carbon dioxide annually that Brazil's entire power sector. The company is in the top two of America's dirtiest utility polluters and sixth worst in the world.

Ain't that some shit my dear reader?

Crossposted at Sirens Chronicles.

Watch the Dem's debate conservation Saturday night

From the LCV(League of Conservation Voters) we get this news and event notice: This Saturday, November 17, presidential candidates will gather in Los Angeles for the first ever Presidential Forum on Global Warming and America's Energy Future. The ones that accepted the invite are Edwards, Hillary and Dennis Kucinich.

You can watch the live webcast at www.grist.org/webcast.

The event, which is sponsored by Grist and Living on Earth, will start this Saturday at 5:10 EST (2:10 PST) with remarks from Laurie David and a welcome address from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Each of the candidates will then get 30 minutes on stage to talk about their vision for solving our energy problems and answer questions on their policies.

Here's the schedule on Saturday, November 17:

5:30 EST-Congressman Dennis Kucinich
6:00 EST-Senator Hillary Clinton
6:30 EST-Senator John Edwards

tags: Candidate Debate, League of Conservation Voters

Hillary hearts big business which means she loves NAFTA with all her heart.

David Sirota has a piece up about Hillary's position on NAFTA and the new NAFTA expansion the Senate will vote on next week. He made a YouTube vid of her response last night in the latest round of Presidential debates held on CNN.



Hillary is a DINO for the most part. She is a Rethug in Democratic clothing on many of the important issues. NAFTA expansion is one of THE most important domestic issues facing us today. NAFTA has affected our workforce as no other bill passed by our congress ever has in the last decade or so.. imho.

38 Years ago today was Moratorium Day around the U.S.

It was called Moratorium Day and although the crowd at the largest march, held in DC, was low-balled at 250,000, it was more like half a million according to some estimates. The protest held a month earlier was larger but the message was still the same..people from all walks of life and all ages protested the war, the draft and Nixon. Individuals like Dr. Benjamin Spock came out against the war and spoke at many of the protests.

"What is the use of physicians like myself trying to help parents to bring up children healthy and happy, to have them killed in such numbers for a cause that is ignoble?"
-Dr. Benjamin Spock, pediatrician, author, antiwar activist

"The Establishment... has led us into the stupidest and cruelest war in all history. That war is a moral and political disaster -- a terrible cancer eating away at the soul of our nation."
-George McGovern

At that point in the Vietnam war, roughly 33,000 soldiers had been killed. A snip from an essay on the Vietnam Antiwar movement:

The antiwar movement reached its zenith under President Richard M. .Nixon. In October 1969, more than 2 million people participated in Vietnam Moratorium protests across the country. The following month, over 500,000 demonstrated in Washington and 150,000 in San Francisco. Militant protest, mainly youthful, continued to spread, leading many Americans to wonder whether the war was worth a split society. And other forms of antiwar activity persisted. The Nixon administration took a host of measures to blunt the movement, mainly mobilizing supporters, smearing the movement, tracking it, withdrawing U.S. troops from Vietnam, instituting a draft lottery, and eventually ending draft calls.

An interesting perspective on the Mobilization movement, dubbed the New Mobe can be found here. Its from the Harvard Crimson, a college newspaper that has continuously printed daily since 1873. Its about the day before, and how the students in charge attempted to plan the logistics for the expected 250,000 protesters. A snippet:

Today, stink bombs are no more a problem than housing, feeding, and marching 250,000 people this weekend. With a casualness that closely resembles disorganization. New Mobe volunteer workers are treating that as no problem at all.

Six Kent State students walk into the office explaining that they have food for 10,000 people coming in this afternoon and that they need a place to put it. A skinny blonde, who assumed control of the "logistics" office early Thursday, looks on the map, reads off the street address of a reception center, then picks up a ringing phone.

Ah, the good ol' days..coalitions were fractured just as they are today, but everyone agreed that the war must end.

Six months later, 4 students were killed at Kent State by the National Guard.

We ALL need to be this committed to ending the war.

From Big Brass Blog we get something that happened this weekend in WA. Bless them all, bless them for being committed enough to use the same tactics we did during the Vietnam war. All the emotions came flooding back to me as I watched this video..all the pain, the mace, the batons beating me on my back, hosing it up forever..it made me so emotional I can't even begin to tell you. My hands are still shaking as I write this. Bless you guys in Olympia WA..bless every man and woman that is so committed to ending this war. We need these types of civil disobedience actions in every city and every state. Clog up their friggin courtrooms.

Why don't we do this now? Why doesn't the Peace Movement go to this extreme for THIS war?

Is it because people don't give a damn enough this time around? You tell me my dear reader..you tell me. I would risk what I have left of my health to take part in these types of actions again..will you?



EDIT: here is the video of the police pepperspraying the protesters who are NOT resisting arrest or doing anything other than standing there protesting..cocksuckers.


Tags: civil disobedience, Olympia WA

FBI says Blackwater murdered 14 Iraqis

My oh my..isn't this something? Of course the word murder doesn't enter into the FBI report..but what else do you call killing unarmed civilians? From the NYT:

Federal agents investigating the Sept. 16 episode in which Blackwater security personnel shot and killed 17 Iraqi civilians have found that at least 14 of the shootings were unjustified and violated deadly-force rules in effect for security contractors in Iraq, according to civilian and military officials briefed on the case.

The F.B.I. investigation into the shootings in Baghdad is still under way, but the findings, which indicate that the company's employees recklessly used lethal force, are already under review by the Justice Department.

So the Iraqi's were correct when they called it murder of innocent civilians..interesting no? But hold on there..just because they are murderers doesn't mean they will be brought to justice my dear reader. From the article:

Prosecutors have yet to decide whether to seek indictments, and some officials have expressed pessimism that adequate criminal laws exist to enable them to charge any Blackwater employee with criminal wrongdoing. Spokesmen for the Justice Department and the F.B.I. declined to discuss the matter.

Five will get ya ten, Blackwater gets away with this..any takers? Also..this case could be dropped squarely in Mukasey's lap..can't wait to see him wiggle out of this one. As one investigator put it:

"I wouldn't call it a massacre, but to say it was unwarranted is an understatement."

Some of these innocent civilians were shot leaving the scene..which means most likely..in the back. Cold blooded killings my dear reader.

A separate military review of the Sept. 16 shootings concluded that all of the killings were unjustified and potentially criminal. One of the military investigators said the F.B.I. was being generous to Blackwater in characterizing any of the killings as justifiable. (emphasis mine)

Tags: Blackwater, federal contractors, getting away with murder

FYI; The Omnipotent Poobah is back!

The poor man had hosting problems..as in he used more than his alloted bandwidth and the dickheads cut him off. Took him 10 freaking days to get back online..only because the morons don't answer their phone evidently. Praise Jebus that my hosting company does not charge me to up my bandwidth..a wonderful local business that I can show up and scream at if Sirens Chronicles ever goes offline. So visit Poobie here.

Judge orders White House to save emails..

First, I do appreciate the judges ruling, but honestly..after all BushCo has done to toss our Constitution under the bus..does anyone really think he gives a shit about a judge's order? From Google/AFP:

A US federal judge has ordered the White House to preserve backup computer tapes of all its e-mail due to pending litigation over missing messages, a group involved in the lawsuit announced.

District Judge Henry Kennedy issued the formal order on Monday, the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a private pressure group, said in a statement.

The White House said the order was unecessary because its administrative office already has backup tapes, and was preserving all e-mail messages, the Washington Post reported Tuesday.

The lawsuit seeks to find whether millions of e-mail messages sent and received by White House officials between March 2003 and October 2005 have been lost, in violation of federal law.

The lawsuit includes another private group, the National Security Archives.

The plaintiffs believe that some of the lost e-mails may be related to, among other things, former attorney general Alberto Gonzales's controversial decision to fire nine US attorneys, allegedly for political reasons. The scandal led to Gonzales's resignation in August

Oh please..no one really knows why in the blue hell Berto finally stepped down as AG. There isn't enough time in the day to name all the bullshit he has pulled and/or is guilty of. But lets see how King George deals with this after he tosses a hissy fit about it first and bitches about 'activist judges'.

Tancredo the tool; Fear mongering at its worst

H/T to Firedoglake, who got it from TPM Election Central. This disgusting ad will hopefully never be broadcast over our tv airwaves.

Wasn't that something? Didn't it just scare the shit out of you m'dear reader? Jesus Christ on a crutch, Tancredo the Tool is so out there with the fear factoring..its a wonder this guy isn't locked in some psych hospital mumbling to himself..

Tags: Tancredo, Fear

Tags: Tancredo, Fear mongering, illegal immigration,

Band of Bloggers on the History Channel tonight!

Thanks to Robert @ LOC and Two Crow's for the heads up on this fantastic documentary. It's on at 6pm both Eastern and Pacific tonight on the History Channel. From Two Crow's blog description of the show:

On the History Channel, there's a program airing: Band of Bloggers.
The viewer is taken to Iraq in real time -- the troops are taking videos of their raids and other experiences and blogging them online as soon as they return to base [at the 'Internet Cafe']

THESE experiences aren't prettied up with editing and flags and lovely music in the background. Please see this if you can. And pass it on.
WE'VE GOT TO BRING THESE KIDS HOME.

Amen to your last line Two Crow's. Its must see tv people!

Tags: Band of Bloggers

Medical Marijuana Monday..

Irv Rosenfeld, one of only five Federal cannabis patients talks about medical mj.

Cannabis does relieve pain-UCSD study says

The website Science Daily has an article dated Oct 25, 2007 up about a recent study conducted at UC San Diego. This study specifically centered on neuropathic pain:

In the placebo controlled study of 15 subjects, a low dose of cannabis showed no effect, a medium dose provided moderate pain relief, and a high dose increased the pain response. The results suggest a "therapeutic window" for cannabis analgesia, according to lead researcher Mark Wallace, M.D., professor of anesthesiology at UCSD School of Medicine and Program Director for the UCSD Center for Pain Medicine.

The study used capsaicin, an alkaloid derived from hot chili peppers that is an irritant to the skin, to mimic the type of neuropathic pain experienced by patients with HIV/AIDS, diabetes or shingles -- brief, intense pain following by a longer-lasting secondary pain. The subjects were healthy volunteers who inhaled either medical cannabis or a placebo after pain was induced. The marijuana cigarettes were formulated under NIH supervision to contain either zero, two, four or eight percent delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC.)

Not to bore you with the details, but plenty of studies from Europe and Canada echo this same result; that cannabis can and should be used as an analgesic/pain reliever when it comes to different types of pain and the affects of other illnesses and diseases. This should not be something that needs to be studied ad-nauseum any longer my dear reader. Cannabis has virtually no long-lasting side effects nor will its constant use cause harm to other organs of the body, unlike many of the traditional medications prescribed to people with chronic pain such as myself. Cannabis has also been shown to be effective in reducing the nausea induced by cancer chemotherapy, stimulating appetite in AIDS patients, and reducing intraocular pressure in people with glaucoma. There is also appreciable evidence that marijuana reduces muscle spasticity in patients with neurological disorders. As for the ‘old wives tale’ that cannabis smoke is as dangerous to the lungs as tobacco smoke..bullshit my dear reader. There are also reports out there that blow that one right out of the water…not to mention there are numerous ways to ingest cannabis..but I digress. For HIV/AIDS sufferers, this news that cannabis helps neuropathic pain is welcome since their pain has a different methodology attached to it.

I suffer from a degenerative condition that so far has taken three of my lumbar discs from me, and is slowly destroying the three discs above those. It is bone against bone in my lower back; the discs are gone my dear reader. This creates a problem with the nerve root in my spinal column..just think about trying to shove 10 pounds of shit into a 5 pound bag…it doesn’t work well when constricted and my sciatic nerve causes me constant, debilitating pain as well down my left leg.

Plenty of chronic pain sufferers can no longer tolerate the traditional drugs prescribed for back and nerve pain. The known side effects of just one of the drugs I take daily are so lethal that I have to take additional drugs to counteract the anti-inflammatory medication not to mention the constant rotating of my pain medications to insure I do not become addicted to them. Pain medications like opioids and their derivatives have side effects that affect my body’s ability to metabolize my food correctly among other things. My liver has one hell of a time breaking down all the bullshit in man-made medications to boot.

Which brings me back to the pain-relieving properties of cannabis. It’s a natural occurring plant, and the human brain actually has receptors that interact with it to provide its pain-relieving properties ‘naturally’.

Yet we, as American’s, are forced to deal with a ridiculous set of federal laws that rate cannabis in the same class as morphine and it’s derivatives. We allow our federal government to do this without so much as a hearing. Our federal fuckwits at the helm will hold hearings on anything and everything..but not the classification of cannabis, a drug that has been shown to alleviate the suffering of patients with multiple sclerosis, AIDS, Alzheimer's disease and insomnia to name just a few in studies conducted in Canada and Europe.

Its wrong on every level..every stinking level. And when states such as my home state of California attempt to right the wrong..we get our dispensaries raided weekly by the DEA, just to remind us that THEY hold all the cards in spite of how California voters demanded an end to this bullshit over a decade ago.

Watch Irv Rosenfeld's Medical Marijuana Testimony at the top of my post. Listen to his common sense approach to the demonization of medical cannabis by our federal government. Another blogger is also blogging on the subject of cannabis, Robert Rouse at Left of Centrist. Please visit his blog for more on this subject.

medicinal cannabis, marijuana relieves pain, decriminalize marijuana, Irv Rosenfeld

Anti-war Vets allowed to march in some Parades..

Article reprinted from CommonDreams.org. Illustration from DarkWraith

Anti-War Veterans In Veterans Day Parade Jeered, Cheered
by Valerie Richardson

DENVER - Antiwar veterans passed out leaflets and carried signs opposing the war in Iraq yesterday after winning a last-minute right to march in this city's annual Veterans Day parade.About 50 marchers displayed peace signs and banners with messages like "Iraq is Just Vietnam in the Desert," "Bring Our Troops Home Where They Belong," and "Bush Lies."

They were greeted with bursts of applause by some parade-watchers and shouts of criticism by others.

"Go find another parade!" yelled one man.

"Leave your politics at home! This is about veterans, not politics," shouted Alex Cuellar, who attended the event with his wife and two young children.
He called the eleventh-hour decision to include the antiwar veterans groups in the parade "disgraceful."

"This is supposed to be for the veterans. It's not about whether the war was right. The soldiers don't choose the war," said Mr. Cuellar.

The United Veterans Council of Denver had excluded the antiwar groups, citing complaints about disruptions during last year's parade, until the city brokered a deal Friday afternoon allowing Veterans for Peace and Iraq Veterans Against the War to participate.

"We're happy to be included," said Frank Bessinger, founder of the Denver chapter of Veterans for Peace. "We've asked everyone to keep it respectful. Our intent has never been to disrupt or offend."

As the marchers passed the reviewing stand, a few parade-watchers asked why they hadn't displayed an American flag. The marchers carried organizational flags but not the Stars and Stripes.

"They weren't carrying an American flag and a couple of the veterans standing nearby asked why they weren't, but they didn't say anything," said Jerry Hageman, president of the United Veterans Council of Denver.

Otherwise, Mr. Hageman said, the event was a success. "It went off real well. They [antiwar veterans] did what they said they were going to do," he said.

In last year's parade, one antiwar marcher shouted at Sen. Ken Salazar, Colorado Democrat, as they passed the reviewing stand. The marchers also chanted antiwar slogans, resulting in complaints from some parade-watchers.

Mr. Hageman said the antiwar groups were excluded because the city's rules expressly forbid "politicking and soliciting" by marchers. But city officials agreed to allow the organizations to march after they promised not to "embarrass the city," said Mr. Bessinger.

Marchers didn't chant this year, but they did hand out copies of an article criticizing the war in Iraq, cards printed with the Bill of Rights, and postcards that said "Funding the War is Killing Our Troops."

The parade featured about 3,000 marchers, with the antiwar veterans bringing up the rear. "We're kind of like Santa Claus, coming at the end," said Mr. Bessinger.

Denver wasn't the only municipality wrestling with how to handle antiwar groups. In Boston, Veterans Day organizers struck a deal with Veterans for Peace that allows them to march at the end of the parade. In Long Beach, antiwar veterans were banned from marching in the city's parade after organizers said they wanted to keep politics out of the event. Long Beach City Attorney Bob Shannon backed parade organizers despite complaints from the groups.

Bonamassa does BB..

Smokin' Joe Bonamassa does BB's The Thrill is Gone..live.

Joe Bonamassa Live...

Who voted for Mukasey....

The final tally was 53 to 40, with six Democrats and one independent joining Republicans to vote in favor of Mukasey, which was the lowest level of support for any attorney general since 1952.

To see who the turncoats were, besides DiFi and Chuckie Schumer..click here. Let me save you the time..here they are:

Bayh (D-IN)
Carper (D-DE)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Nelson (D-NE)
Schumer (D-NY)

I am looking at my blog buddies from Indiana..you know who you are..you better turn Bayh's ass out the next election..he is a scumsucking waterboard-supporting man. I will be working to get DiFi's ass out of her seat..she has been there long enough, Damn DINO's.

Tags: Mukasey Vote, DINO

2.6 Billion for a Chopper that overheats in California?

Christ, this is federal fuckwittery at its best. It's also what our federal government does better than anything else; blow our tax dollars on 322 piecces of useless junk that now has to be retrofitted my dear reader.

The Army is spending $2.6 billion on a fleet of European-designed helicopters for homeland security and disaster-relief missions that cannot be used in hot weather because their cockpits overheat, according to an internal report obtained by The Associated Press. The internal report, prepared for the Army last summer, said the helicopter is effective in light-duty missions "but is not effective for use in hot environments or for medical evacuation of two litter patients requiring critical medical care."

They tested this over-priced piece of crap in Cali..which of course has the most consistently mild weather in the U.S. and... IT OVERHEATED HERE! The temperature in the Lakota rose to over 104 degrees.The Army says the communication, navigation and flight control systems can overheat and shut down at that point.

How nice..it's..so.. BushCo! According to the Army report, and I quote:

"is not effective for use in hot environments."

The temp's in the Middle East soar to 116 friggin degrees for the summer sportsfans. The Temps in NOLA also rise to over a 100, as does many other parts of the U.S. Oh, and the cost of retrofitting? The retrofitting will cost at least $10 million and will come out of the Army's budget, according to the Army.

It should come out of someone's ass imho. The Lakota Indians are a proud tribe or northern dwelling folks. Guess someone should tell them that they now have a helicopter named after them that will only work in the cool north.

Tags: Lakota helicopter, Government waste, Your tax dollars at work

Norman Mailer passes at 84

He was a feisty man, who gave as good as he got. His writings included The Naked and the Dead, The Armies of the Night, The Executioner's Song, Miami and the Siege of Chicago and his 2003 Why are we at War?.

He loved life but hated feminism. He was married 6 times and won two Pulitzers. He attended Harvard where he got a degree in, of all things, engineering. He also smoked POT. :)

While Life magazine called his book, "An American Dream", "the big comeback of Norman Mailer," the author-journalist was chronicling major events of the day: an anti-war march on Washington, the 1968 political conventions, the Ali-Patterson fight, an Apollo moon shot.

His book Armies of the Night, was about the 1968 Pentagon Protests, which of course endeared him to me, inspite of his sexism. He won a Pulitzer for it as well. He also testified at the trial of the Chicago Seven. Some of his personal views below, courtesy of MSNBC:

The '70s: "the decade in which image became preeminent because nothing deeper was going on."
Poetry: A "natural activity ... a poem comes to one," whereas prose required making "an appointment with one's mind to write a few thousand words."
Journalism: irresponsible. "You can't be too certain about what happened."
Technology: "insidious, debilitating and depressing," and nobody in politics had an answer to "its impact on our spiritual well-being."

He had five daughters, three sons and a stepson. In early 2007 he released The Castle in the Forest, a novel about Hitler's early years, which interestingly enough was narrated by.. Satan.

He was a hard-drinking, hard-living man. Goodbye Mr. Mailer, thank you for your books and words..

Tags: Norman Mailer

Your Friday Political corruption post..

Ah yes..we start off today with the indictment of Bernard Kerik. Asshat was charged with at least major transgressions. From the NYT writeup:

A federal grand jury today indicted Bernard B. Kerik, the former New York police commissioner appointed by Rudolph W. Giuliani while he was mayor, on charges that include tax fraud, obstruction of justice and lying to the White House.

n announcing the indictment, Michael J. Garcia, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, said it was a "sad day when this office returns an indictment against a former law enforcement officer, particularly one who served in positions as high as those held by Bernard Kerik."

The charges against him together carry a maximum penalty of 142 years in prison and $4.7 million in fines. According to sentencing guidelines, he will most likely face lesser penalties.

The man was ALMOST the head of Homeland Security..thank god that didn't happen. Smarmy bastid that he is..

That's it for this week. Last week the federal contractor Brent Wilkes was found guilty on all counts..YAY!

Tags: Corruption in Government, Kerik indicted

Waisting no time, Mukasey sworn in..privately

It's interesting to me that BushCo chose to swear in their waterboarding-lovin' new Attorney General in a private ceremony. From an AP article:

Retired federal judge Michael Mukasey was sworn in Friday as the nation's 81st attorney general, filling a vacancy left when Alberto Gonzales resigned amid questions about his credibility.

Mukasey was sworn in at a private Justice Department ceremony about 16 hours after he narrowly won Senate confirmation. The oath was administered by Assistant Attorney General Lee Lofthus, who oversees the department's management and budget operations.

Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said Mukasey was joined by family members at the brief, closed-door ceremony. The ceremony took only about two to three minutes, and a small coterie of Justice staffers who attended it clapped afterwards, Roehrkasse said.

Such bullshit..this man's confirmation shows how little balls the Democrats have. The picture is of Muskasey swearing in before the Senate committee..to tell the truth. We all know how THAT turned out.

Tags: mukasey sworn in

1 out of 4 homeless are Vets

This disgusting fact is brought to you by a new report which will be released tomorrow. From the AP writeup:

Veterans make up one in four homeless people in the United States, though they are only 11 percent of the general adult population, according to a report to be released Thursday.

And homelessness is not just a problem among middle-age and elderly veterans. Younger veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are trickling into shelters and soup kitchens seeking services, treatment or help with finding a job.

The Veterans Affairs Department has identified 1,500 homeless veterans from the current wars and says 400 of them have participated in its programs specifically targeting homelessness.

The National Alliance to End Homelessness, a public education nonprofit, based the findings of its report on numbers from Veterans Affairs and the Census Bureau. 2005 data estimated that 194,254 homeless people out of 744,313 on any given night were veterans.

These numbers will most likely go up. Again, from the article:

Some advocates say the early presence of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan at shelters does not bode well for the future. It took roughly a decade for the lives of Vietnam veterans to unravel to the point that they started showing up among the homeless. Advocates worry that intense and repeated deployments leave newer veterans particularly vulnerable.

"We're going to be having a tsunami of them eventually because the mental health toll from this war is enormous," said Daniel Tooth, director of veterans affairs for Lancaster County, Pa.

So, we are not only killing more soldiers, those that manage to survive their multiple deployements to Iraq will have a harder time keeping themselves as part of the general population that works and supports themselves. They can survive the war, but can they survive back at home after multiple tours?

This is criminal to me. How about you?

Tags: homeless veterans, 1 in 4 homeless are vets

Giuliani and Robertson..wotta pair!

Chris Cillizza has a good post up at his WaPo blog about this new twist in the Presidential race. Chris has a more centrist take on this than I do..which is putting it mildly :P

I find it incredible that batshit crazy Pat Robertson is backing Giuliani. Why? Because Rudy is more left than Pat will ever be..and we know thats not saying much. Wonder what it cost ol' Rudy to get Pat's blessings...

Tags: Pat Robertson, Rudy Giuliani, Pat Robertson endorses Giuliani

Oil and Water don't mix...

H/T to CMD for linking to this Washington Post article. Seems the Smithsonian has put a hold on a donation of $5 Mil. The donor: American Petroleum Institute. From the WaPo writeup:

The Smithsonian Institution has taken the rare step of putting on hold a $5 million donation from the American Petroleum Institute after two members of the museum complex's Board of Regents, including a U.S. senator, balked at accepting oil-industry money for a major initiative on the world's oceans.

The longtime chairman of the regents' executive committee, Roger W. Sant, and Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), one of the six congressional regents, raised objections when the donation appeared on the board's agenda. Sant, a former energy industry executive who has donated millions of dollars to ocean conservation, said he is worried that the oil-and-gas money could taint the showcase "Ocean Initiative," which is scheduled to include a major exhibit hall and a multimedia Web site.

Good on ya gents! It warms the cockles of my lil black heart to hear this. No corporation should be able to buy good press by giving money to places like the Smithsonian. Sure, the Smithsonian needs donations of this magnitude..but still, you can't let these fuckwits from the Oil Industry play politics by generating 'good press' all because they tossed what amounts to for them, a few bucks at an Environmental exhibit. The exhibit in question is called "Ocean Hall" and its a Web site to showcase ocean research, a Sant Chair for Marine Science and related programs. The hall, which will be the largest exhibition space at the National Museum of Natural History, is to open next fall.

Why don't the mutha fuckas donate that money to the towns in Alaska that were financially wiped out because of the Valdez Oil Spill? Seems the pricks at Exxon refuse to pay the judgement rendered against them and have spent decades running it through the court systems..it's now going to be heard by the rightwing cartel known as the US Supreme Court.

Or put their money where their friggin mouths are and set up a fund to rehabilitate the animals caught in their damn oil spills. Tell the oil men you don't want their 'blood money'.

Bastids..

Tags: American Petroleum Industry, Smithsonian, Ocean Hall

DFA's Presidential Poll is out..

And..my man Dennis Kucinich won!! Al Gore came in second, which makes me smile as well. Here are the totals:

Dennis Kucinich 31.97% 49364
Al Gore 24.77% 38242
John Edwards 15.6% 24078
Barack Obama 13.86% 21403
Hillary Clinton 4.21% 6504
Bill Richardson 4.09% 6309
Other 2.05% 3171
Christopher Dodd 1.56% 2415
Joe Biden 1.12% 1723
Mike Gravel 0.77% 1182

Notice that Hillary comes in fifth! Progressive Dem's aren't buying what Hillary is selling apparently. At least the DFA Dem's are not. For their list and an interactive state map, click here. Sorry my list is whacked out..I am tired and don't care that it's not all neat and pretty. You want neat and pretty, check out the DFA site ok?

I hope this means Dennis will get votes..more than what the MSM polls are giving him. I want him to be well represented in the primary AND the general election. I want him to win..its a dream..but we are allowed to dream aren't we?

Tags: Democracy for America Poll, Kucinich

Blue after the Mukasey vote? Listen to some blues..

I have turned off the TV, no more politics today for moi..listening to some great blues from days gone by..Paul Butterfield Blues Band live doing Drifting Blues..



And a man that died much too soon..Rory Gallagher doing Bullfrog Blues

Muskasey nomination moves to Senate

They did it. Shumer and DiFi voted for Mukasey. From MSNBC:

The Judiciary Committee advanced Attorney General designate Michael Mukasey's nomination to the Senate floor Tuesday, virtually ensuring confirmation for a former judge ensnarled in bitter controversy over terrorism-era prisoner interrogations.

The 11-8 vote came only after two key Democrats accepted his assurance to enforce any law Congress might enact against waterboarding.

The White House and Senate Republicans called for a swift confirmation vote, which is expected by the end of next week.

Tags: Mukasey, Shumer, Feinstein

The story of Daniel Levin and KO's Special Comment

From ThinkProgress..on the eve of the vote on Mukasey..we hope..dare we pray, that this question will be at the forefront of the vote to deny this man the office of Attorney General of these United States; Is waterboarding torture Mr. Mukasey and do you support it? 24 Intel officials say DO NOT confirm this man in a letter to committee chair.

Last night, ABC World News reported that in 2004 then-acting assistant attorney general Daniel Levin was so concerned about the administration's use of waterboarding that he went to a military base near Washington and underwent the procedure himself.

Levin took over former Office of Legal Counsel Jack Goldsmith's job when he resigned and immediately began reassessing the administration's interrogation techniques. Levin released a new memo in Dec. 2004 that replaced the 2002 Bybee memo. Levin's memo declared that "Torture is abhorrent" but also cautioned in a footnote that his memo was not declaring the administration's previous opinions illegal. "The White House, with Alberto Gonzales as the White House counsel, insisted that this footnote be included in the memo."

ABC reported that after Levin personally experienced waterboarding, he told the White House that it could be considered torture:

After the experience, Levin told White House officials that even though he knew he wouldn't die, he found the experience terrifying and thought that it clearly simulated drowning.

Levin, who refused to comment for this story, concluded waterboarding could be illegal torture unless performed in a highly limited way and with close supervision. And, sources told ABC News, he believed the Bush Administration had failed to offer clear guidelines for its use.

Levin was working on a second memo that would have imposed tighter controls on the use of interrogation techniques such as waterboarding. While working on that memo, ABC reported "Levin was forced out of the Justice Department when Alberto Gonzales became Attorney General." Watch it:


ABC's Jan Crawford Greenburg reported, "Sources said Levin was seen as too independent by the Bush administration — not someone who could be counted on to endorse White House policies."

The Swamp's Mark Silva writes, "Perhaps Mukasey should take the water-board for a test-ride, too."

Keith Olbermann has a special comment tonight on torture, Mukasey and waterboarding..its a must see my dear reader. I will put the video up later, but for now..a piece of his SC:

On Daviel Levin, the former U.S. Acting Assistant Attorney General, who was himself waterboarded to determine whether or not the act constituted torture and was therefore counter to the claims of the Bush Admininstration that it was not.

Water-boarding, he said, is torture.

Legally, it is torture .

Practically, it is torture.

Ethically, it is torture .

And he wrote it down.

Wrote it down somewhere, where it could be contrasted with the words of this country's 43rd President: "The United States of America does not torture."

Made you into a liar, Mr. Bush.

Made you into, if anybody had the guts to pursue it, a criminal.
Entire transcript of KO's SC here on the msnbc website.

Tags: Daniel Levin, waterboarding, Mukasey