War-pimping with a smile: of American exceptionalism, apple pie, and moral rot
Biography of Kathleen Parker excerpted from The Washington Post Writers Group page:
Now one of America's most popular opinion columnists, appearing in more than 350 newspapers, Parker is at home both inside and outside the Washington Beltway. But she came to column-writing the old-fashioned way, working her way up journalism’s ladder from smaller papers to larger ones. "I never set out to become a commentator – and do continue to resist the label 'pundit' – but I found that keeping my opinion out of my writing was impossible," says Parker. "One can only stand watching from the sidelines for so long without finally having to say, 'Um, excuse me, but you people are nuts.'"
Now one of America's most popular opinion columnists, appearing in more than 350 newspapers, Parker is at home both inside and outside the Washington Beltway. But she came to column-writing the old-fashioned way, working her way up journalism’s ladder from smaller papers to larger ones. "I never set out to become a commentator – and do continue to resist the label 'pundit' – but I found that keeping my opinion out of my writing was impossible," says Parker. "One can only stand watching from the sidelines for so long without finally having to say, 'Um, excuse me, but you people are nuts.'"
Detroit City Council votes to impeach Bush, Cheney
Detroit City Council approved 7-0 Wednesday a resolution sponsored by the wife of U.S. Rep. John Conyers to impeach President George Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney.
Congressman Conyers is the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, where any impeachment effort would commence, and a bitter opponent of the Bush administration and the war in Iraq. But he has said he does not intend to move forward with any impeachment effort -- following the lead of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Councilwoman Monica Conyers was unable to vote for her own resolution because she is in Hawaii for a national pension conference. Neither the congressman nor his wife, a first term councilwoman, could be reached Wednesday evening for comment.
The resolution says Bush and Cheney conspired to defraud the United States by "intentionally misleading Congress and the public regarding the threat from Iraq in order to justify the war."
Congressman Conyers is the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, where any impeachment effort would commence, and a bitter opponent of the Bush administration and the war in Iraq. But he has said he does not intend to move forward with any impeachment effort -- following the lead of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Councilwoman Monica Conyers was unable to vote for her own resolution because she is in Hawaii for a national pension conference. Neither the congressman nor his wife, a first term councilwoman, could be reached Wednesday evening for comment.
The resolution says Bush and Cheney conspired to defraud the United States by "intentionally misleading Congress and the public regarding the threat from Iraq in order to justify the war."
In the land of the free, and the home of the brave
Congressional Intent to Eliminate We the People from Our Own Elections --- Congressional Failure to Secure and Guarantee Basic Rights to All Americans
Americans Must Act Within Two Weeks to Restore Their Inalienable Right to Kick the Bums Out of Office
"The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them . . ." —Patrick Henry
"Give me Liberty, or Give me Death." ---Patrick Henry
WARNING: a bipartisan Congress will, in the next few days, attempt to violate your #1 Inalienable Right. Having talked to many folks, I've not yet found an American who says this warning is not well taken. Although each person I've talked to understands they're being cheated by this; they just tend to think that other Americans won't listen, or think Americans too busy to preserve their own most basic rights.
Americans Must Act Within Two Weeks to Restore Their Inalienable Right to Kick the Bums Out of Office
"The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them . . ." —Patrick Henry
"Give me Liberty, or Give me Death." ---Patrick Henry
WARNING: a bipartisan Congress will, in the next few days, attempt to violate your #1 Inalienable Right. Having talked to many folks, I've not yet found an American who says this warning is not well taken. Although each person I've talked to understands they're being cheated by this; they just tend to think that other Americans won't listen, or think Americans too busy to preserve their own most basic rights.
U.S. space first strike program well underway
In the House of Representatives last week Democratic Party Congress members lead the way to approve money for Star Wars research and development programs in the fiscal year 2008 budget.
Rejecting the recommendations of a sub-committee, Representatives Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) and John Larson (D-CT) restored $150 million to Pentagon boost phase missile defense programs, $48 million for future missile defense systems, including space sensors, $12 million more for sea-based sensors and language to allow $160 million for a highly controversial European missile defense site.
Joyfully cheering these moves to ensure continuation of space weapons research and development programs, a pro-space warfare organization called Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA) reported in an email that, "This shift of priorities from last week's initial Strategic Subcommittee's markup shows a bipartisan movement accepted by a Democratic Majority to put forward systems to address future threats and to continue to invest into our countries most advanced boost phase missile defense system, the Air Borne Laser."
Rejecting the recommendations of a sub-committee, Representatives Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) and John Larson (D-CT) restored $150 million to Pentagon boost phase missile defense programs, $48 million for future missile defense systems, including space sensors, $12 million more for sea-based sensors and language to allow $160 million for a highly controversial European missile defense site.
Joyfully cheering these moves to ensure continuation of space weapons research and development programs, a pro-space warfare organization called Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA) reported in an email that, "This shift of priorities from last week's initial Strategic Subcommittee's markup shows a bipartisan movement accepted by a Democratic Majority to put forward systems to address future threats and to continue to invest into our countries most advanced boost phase missile defense system, the Air Borne Laser."
Exclusive: Rep. Maxine Waters speaks out for impeachment
Congresswoman and House Judiciary Committee Member Maxine Waters (D., Calif.) has spoken up in support of impeaching President Bush and Vice President Cheney. Waters said she advocates impeaching Cheney first, which is the same approach taken by Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D., Ohio) in his bill, H. Res. 333. Waters has not yet cosponsored that bill.
Audio of Rep. Waters' statement:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/downloads/watersimpeach.mp3
Rush Transcript:
"I was a member of Congress and I experienced the attempt by the opposite side of the aisle to impeach President Clinton. President Clinton's impeachment was attempted because of the affair supposedly with Monica Lewinsky. And if in fact they could bring together articles of impeachment against the President of the United States because of infidelity, certainly we must understand that that pales in comparison to what this President has done.
Audio of Rep. Waters' statement:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/downloads/watersimpeach.mp3
Rush Transcript:
"I was a member of Congress and I experienced the attempt by the opposite side of the aisle to impeach President Clinton. President Clinton's impeachment was attempted because of the affair supposedly with Monica Lewinsky. And if in fact they could bring together articles of impeachment against the President of the United States because of infidelity, certainly we must understand that that pales in comparison to what this President has done.
Who are the merchants of fear?
No response is more predictable than the reflexive squawk of the greenhouse fearmongers that anyone questioning their claims is in the pay of the energy companies. A second, equally predictable retort contrasts the ever-diminishing number of agnostics to the legions of scientists now born again to the "truth" that anthropogenic CO2 is responsible for the earth's warming trend.
Actually, the energy companies have long since adapted to prevailing fantasies, dutifully reciting the whole catechism about carbon-neutrality, sniggering jovially over Tom Friedman's rapturous endorsement of "clean coal," repositioning themselves as eager pioneers in the search for virtuous alternative fuels, settling comfortably into new homes, such as British Petroleum's "Energy Biosciences Institute" on the UC Berkeley campus.
Actually, the energy companies have long since adapted to prevailing fantasies, dutifully reciting the whole catechism about carbon-neutrality, sniggering jovially over Tom Friedman's rapturous endorsement of "clean coal," repositioning themselves as eager pioneers in the search for virtuous alternative fuels, settling comfortably into new homes, such as British Petroleum's "Energy Biosciences Institute" on the UC Berkeley campus.
Rescuing the Democrats
The war maker’s conceit and cruelest lie is that he’s protecting the women and children. Now moms around the world have had enough of it and are stepping forward to save their children, and while they’re at it the human race itself, from this lie — even if it means being led away in handcuffs.
If George Bush’s devastating war ends sooner rather than later, it will be because those with the most serious stake in its cessation — the mothers with children caught in its maw, the dazed sane citizens around the world — get angry or desperate enough to disrupt the functioning of the military-industrial-media complex. Without such an effort, the war will grind along like a perpetual-motion machine.
If George Bush’s devastating war ends sooner rather than later, it will be because those with the most serious stake in its cessation — the mothers with children caught in its maw, the dazed sane citizens around the world — get angry or desperate enough to disrupt the functioning of the military-industrial-media complex. Without such an effort, the war will grind along like a perpetual-motion machine.
Naked neo-cons: Perjury and the big, bad Wolfowitz
George Bush is trying to save Paul Wolfowitz' job as President of the World Bank even after the vulpine neo-con was caught slipping a load of World Bank loot to his love interest, Shaha Ali Riza.
Big deal. Yes, Wolfowitz shouldn't have been greasing his cookie sheet with government funds, but there are bigger reasons to toss The Wolf out the door.
Like, say, perjury and homicide? I haven't forgotten, Mr. Wolfowitz, that on March 27, 2003 you testified before the US Congress that the occupation of Iraq wouldn't cost the American taxpayer a penny.
You said, "There's a lot of money to pay for this that doesn't have to be U.S. taxpayer money." Oh, really?
When Wolfowitz laid down that line of jive, he and the Bushes knew that Americans just can't pass up a bargain, and here The Wolf was offering the sale of the century, a "free Iraq." Not "free" as in "self-governing" but "free" as in, we'll get their oil and their allegiance for nothing!
We can bomb Iraq and the Iraqis will pay for the bombs!
And where will the Iraqis, holding nothing but bushel-bags of Saddam dinars, get these billions of US dollars to pay for the Occupation?
Big deal. Yes, Wolfowitz shouldn't have been greasing his cookie sheet with government funds, but there are bigger reasons to toss The Wolf out the door.
Like, say, perjury and homicide? I haven't forgotten, Mr. Wolfowitz, that on March 27, 2003 you testified before the US Congress that the occupation of Iraq wouldn't cost the American taxpayer a penny.
You said, "There's a lot of money to pay for this that doesn't have to be U.S. taxpayer money." Oh, really?
When Wolfowitz laid down that line of jive, he and the Bushes knew that Americans just can't pass up a bargain, and here The Wolf was offering the sale of the century, a "free Iraq." Not "free" as in "self-governing" but "free" as in, we'll get their oil and their allegiance for nothing!
We can bomb Iraq and the Iraqis will pay for the bombs!
And where will the Iraqis, holding nothing but bushel-bags of Saddam dinars, get these billions of US dollars to pay for the Occupation?