Plame hearings reveal the truth

The hearings on the outing of Valerie Plame were held in Congress on Friday; we learned some very interesting things, mainly the TRUTH...

1. Dr. James Knodell, director of the Office of Security at the White House, revealed today that, to his knowledge, the White House has never ordered a probe, report, or sanctions as a result of the outing of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame!!! In other words, the outing of a CIA operative was not important to this administration (considering the outing was orchestrated by the administration). Knodell was just doing his job as one of those "loyal Bushies" by looking the other way.

2. CIA director Hayden recently confirmed that Plame was indeed covert! Hayden told Waxman the facts. This lays to rest all the right-wing talking points that no crime was committed because Plame was not covert.

3. Plame under oath: I was covert.

Putting it all together, we learned that she was a covert CIA operative, and the administration ignored the fact that she was outed. We also learned once and for all that Cheney, not Valerie Plame, wanted Wilson to go to Niger.

One can only hope these hearings result in this filthy administration being held accountable for the crimes they have committed in the name of war racketeering.

Headed for a showdown in the House

Democratic legislation to set timelines for the removal of troops from Iraq is headed for a showdown on the House floor next week, after the Appropriations Committee approved a $124 billion war funding bill yesterday that would end the U.S. role in the conflict by next year.

Let's examine the bill:

1. The bill requires starting a withdrawal from Iraq if benchmarks are not met by July 1st,
but, if the president deems progress is being made, the Iraqi government will have until October 1st to meet the benchmarks. The latest the withdrawal would begin would by by March 2008.

2. The bill also would mandate that troops could be deployed to Iraq only if they are deemed thoroughly trained and equipped. Soldiers would need at least one year's rest between deployments, although the president could get around those requirements by justifying a waiver in writing.

3. $900 million to treat post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries, extra money on military and veterans' health care, the war in Afghanistan, aviation, border and port security, Gulf Coast assistance and levee repairs, agricultural assistance, and wildfire fighting.

Gone from the spending bill is the revocation of Bush's wartime powers, and the requirement of Bush having to seek Congressional approval before any action is taken on Iran.

This bill is quite watered-down, and gives the president a lot of wiggle room, but will show America where Republicans stand when they vote against a bill that mandates proper training, rest and equipment for the troops and gives more money to veterans' health care. When the votes are in, we will see exactly who supports the troops.

Anti-war protest on anniversary of Iraq war

As the PNAC war in Iraq is beginning its fifth year, another anti-war protest was held. The protest was held by ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism), and it was broadcast live Saturday afternoon on C-SPAN. The inclement weather made this protest a bit smaller than the one in January; nonetheless, there was a nice crowd. Naturally, the same 20 pro-war Free Republic wackjobs cheered on the war in counter-protest. The night before, Christian Peace Witnesses for Iraq held a vigil against the war; 3000 Christian peace activists attended the vigil and 100 were arrested.

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Wounded sent back to Iraq....

disgusting. That is all I can say
Salon reports, a must read

One Dem bill advances, one shot down

The Democratic Iraq war proposal passed the test today as the House Appropriations Committee voted in favor of it, next stop the house than the senate. The final version of this hyped up bill included a time table for withdrawel in Iraq and the Murtha requests. Gone from the bill (as I mentioned in a previous post) is the congressional approval for a attack on Iran and the reversal of Bush's wartime powers previously granted before the Iraqi war.
Sadly enough Ranking Republican on the committee Jery lewis wanted Murtha's provisions removed. Murtha spoke struck back at lewis sick request

UPDATE: Senate voted against the bill for the troops to come home within 120 days

Today in the US attorney scandal

...and is it ever scandalous!!!

Greg Palast reveals, on his website, the real links between Harriet Miers and Bush. Miers, former chairwoman of the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC), steered a no-bid contract for lottery services to GTech, a lottery-services company represented by Ben Barnes, the former Lieutennant Governor of Texas who helped get Georgie Boy into the Texas Air National Guard in order to avoid the draft. The only problem? The TLC's director had already completed a bidding process and selected a company to perform those services - and GTech was kept from bidding due to the director's concern over corruption at the company!!! Miers went to work - first firing the TLC director, then gave the contract to GTech. Making matters even worse, this no-bid contract's duration was... in perpetuity (trans: forever!). Barnes made $23 million off of this deal; in effect, Bush bought his silence on the Air National Guard matter, at least until Palast uncovered the truth in 2004.

So it is no surprise that Miers got cushy jobs from Bush, and a nomination to the Supreme Court - she knows where the bodies are buried, because she helps put them there! She's been helping Bush "bury the bodies" in the US attorney scandal as well, even encouraging him, two years ago, to axe ALL 93 US attorneys! This link also references the provision slipped into the Patriot Act by Sen. Arlen Spector (R-PA) that enables the replacement of US Attorneys with interim appointments that do not require Senate confirmation - a provision Spector claims was put in by one of his aides!

More information regarding US attorneys:

- Karl Rove tried to dissuade Sen. Peter Fitzgerald (R-IL) from nominating Patrick Fitzgerald (no relation) to the US Attorney post for Chicago, due to Patrick Fitzgerald's willingness to prosecute corruption. Rove told the senator, "[I]t ticked off our base." Your base? Who? Corrupt then-Gov. Ryan? Rep. J. Dennis Hastert? Hmm...

- Former Washington state Republican Party chairman Chris Vance reveals that he was in contact with the "White House political office" (read: Karl Rove and his cronies) regarding pressuring US Attorney John McKay to accuse Democrats of voter fraud in the Washington state gubernatorial election. Apparently, Vance and Rove wanted Dino Rossi, the GOP candidate, to win this election. Read an overview of the McKay firing at ThinkProgress.

- Bush is repeating claims that this purge of US attorneys is "customary," when, in fact, it is NOT.

- The Senate Judiciary Committee has issued subpoenas to five Justice Department officials, including recently-resigned Kyle Sampson. They are holding off, at least for one week, issuing subpoenas to Harriet Miers and Karl Rove. I suspect that the lower "soldiers" are going to take responsibility for this in an effort to effectively give Rove, Miers, and Gonzales a free pass to continue their unethical, and possibly illegal, activity.

- Republican Senator John Sununu has added his voice to the call for Alberto Gonzales to resign immediately. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid expects Gonzo to resign within the next few days.

More to come!

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed - the new scapegoat!

Wow, isn't it AMAZING how we always make "advances" in the "War" on Terror almost simultaneously with the exposure of potentially criminal activity by the Bush administration?

Apparently, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM) has confessed to a multitude of terrorist plots against not just the U.S., but its leaders, and other world leaders. Was he the shooter on the grassy knoll, too? Did he blow up the Challenger? Was he responsible for my failing an Art History exam in college, too?

There are a few problems with this situation:

1. The timing is uncannily similar to other such revelations. Keith Olbermann had his famous timeline of media distractions, and this fits the pattern. The media will now genuflect to the Bush cabal and report 24-7 on KSM's involvement in every major terrorist plot of the last 20 years.

2. This information may well have been tortured out of him, which makes such confessions instantly suspect. Read this ABC News story from 2005 regarding torture, including the fact that the interrogators were "impressed" that KSM could endure over 2 minutes of waterboarding, where CIA officers averaged 14 seconds before caving in! The CIA also kidnapped his 7- and 9-year-old sons, not only to interrogate them, but also use their captivity against KSM!

3. KSM will be tried under Bush's military tribunal system, which is going to be a virtually guaranteed conviction, with little ability for anyone - particularly KSM - to contest any "evidence," including any coercion used to obtain said confessions.

4. As WIREDBlog's Danger Room points out, KSM's confession to virtually every terrorist plot in recent history may be a cover to secure the release of other legitimate terrorists, positing KSM in the "fall guy" role (a la Scooter Libby).

TalkLeft has a post compiling their KSM information. ThinkProgress compiles some recent information, including some links in this post.

KSM's confession may well be valid. If it is, there should be NO FEAR of having an open and fair trial for him. That is the American way!!!

Whistleblowers are not safe in Bush's America

Corporations are observing and following the actions of the Bush administration when it comes to whistleblowers: Cut them loose!

If you expose corruption or unsafe conditions at your workplace, you are supposed to be protected under federal law from reprisals by your employer. However, the Bush administration routinely removes people (usually through coerced "retirement") for revealing their malfeasance, so why should corporate America behave any differently?

Halliburton moving to Dubai!

Everybody favorite no bid contract receivers and company formerly headed by Cheney has decidedto more to Dubai. The question is why? To evade taxes? To do business with Iran?
Halliburton is the perfect example of war being a racquet

Mini-timeline on attorney firings! Stunning!

www.miccheckradio.org (free registration required) has posted a short timeline on the US attorney firing scandal! It's your one-stop-shop for everything you should know about what your government - and the Justice Department - has done against the justice system in America!

Meet the new boss...

...same as the old boss!

Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley's replacement, his former deputy Maj. Gen. Gale Pollock, seems to be Kiley-in-a-skirt. An e-mail of hers that was obtained by the Washington Post continues to blame the MEDIA for the situation at Walter Reed!!!

More Bush administration "blame the messenger" tactics! Disgraceful!

Dem bill a weak sellout

House Democrats are getting ready for a test vote on their Iraqi war proposal. The bill has now become a watered down, pandering piece of crap! Gone from the bill is the reversal of removing the wartime powers granted to Bush before the start of the Iraqi war. Even worse, gone is the provision requiring Congressional approval before any action against Iran, instead requiring Bush to get Congressional approval for SPENDING on any such action. Basically, the bill is GARBAGE!! The only good things the bill still does is request more money for training and equipment (which is a good thing) and more money for Afghanistan military operations.

Sadly, the filthy, filthy Republicans are still firmly opposed to more money for training and equipment for our troops. Vice President and mass-murdering, scumbag war racketeer Cheney called those requests "undermining the troops," and all of the typical right-wing talking points, at an AIPAC meeting the other day.

Nonetheless, this bill allows Bush to attack Iran without the approval of congress. Nancy Pelosi, you sold out in my book. You sold out to AIPAC, and you sold out to the threat of a Bush veto. We elected Democrats into power last year to STAND UP for change, yet you run from that change with your tail between your legs! Shameful!!!

MediaMatters roundup, 3/13/07

Just a few random things from MediaMatters that I think people should be alerted to.

- Nine newspapers have dropped Ann Coulter's column since her remark regarding John Edwards at the CPAC conference.

- We know Bill O'Lielly is an insensitive prick, but this is a new low for him!!!

- We also know Rush Limbaugh is a big fat idiot, but... wow. Liberals are aborting themselves out of the majority. This is just WAY too funny.

- Finally for today, more evidence that the New York Times is drifting further to the right. Climate change skeptics - read: liars paid by the oil industry - have been given credibility in a recent story by Times Science writer William Broad. Their comments were asserted uncritically, even though some of them - and their "ideas" about climate change - have been thoroughly debunked.

We're not dead...

...just hibernating, so to speak. :)

I've had a very busy weekend, with a lot of paying work and social activities. Two podcasts from Thursday are available, and a third will be up shortly.

Apologies to anyone tuning into Indie Airplay last night; we wound up foregoing a "best of," due to complications beyone everyone's control.

We will be back blogging today (look for some posts from me within the next few hours) and LIVE on the air Thursday night, in our usual 10:00PM-midnight Eastern US Daylight Time on Indie Airplay!!!

Peace,
Ralph