HEY! Mr President! It's OK!

Even the Catholics are for it.

ThinkProgress

Quinnipiac poll: Majority of Americans believe Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell should be repealed.

In a new poll, the Quinnipiac Polling Institute has found that 56 percent of Americans, including 50 percent of voters with family in the military, believe that "the ban on openly gay men and women in the military should be repealed."

Respondents to the poll also rejected the idea that allowing gay men and women to serve openly in the military would be "divisive":

White Catholics say 64 - 29 percent that gays in the military should be allowed to come out, while white evangelical Christians support "don't ask; don't tell" 53 - 40 percent. Voters reject 58 - 35 percent, including 56 - 39 percent in military households, the argument that allowing openly gay men and women to serve would be divisive, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University survey of 2,041 registered voters nationwide finds.

On MSNBC earlier today, Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, explained why the poll is "one of the most extensive ever done." "We did over 2,000 interviews, which is double the size of most national polls," said Brown.

This is something that I voted for.

Let's make it happen.

Christianity Now 54% Christ-Free!

The troublesome pacifist from Nazareth apparently is losing his hold on his people.

According to a new study from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, those who attend church at least weekly are more prone to say that torture is justifiable. Suffice it to say that, in the eyes of those who support the use of torture, Khalid Sheikh Muhammad and Abu Zubaydah do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.A combined 54 percent of at-least-weekly church-goers say torture is either often or sometimes justifiable; for those who attend monthly or a few times a year, that figure is 51 percent; for those who do not attend, it is 42 percent.

Evangelicals, according to the survey, are more prone to saying torture is justifiable than members of the nation's other two main Christian groups: so-called "mainline" Protestants and white, non-Hispanic Catholics. Unaffiliateds--a conglomerated group of atheists, agnostics, and those who say their religion is "nothing in particular--support torture the least: 40 percent say it's justifiable often or sometimes.

George Carlin liked to point out that Christianity's main symbol is that of a torture device.

Suddenly that seems less ironic

A Wider View

Wherein college students ask better questions than the people we depend on for info ... and Condi acts like a person with a lot to hide....

How are we supposed to continue promoting America as this guiding light of democracy and how are we supposed to win hearts and minds in the world as long as we continue with these actions?

Well, first of all, you do what's right. That's the most important thing -- that you make a judgment of what's right. And in terms of enhanced interrogation, and rendition, and all the issues around the detainees. Abu Ghraib is, and everyone said, Abu Ghraib was not policy. Abu Ghraib was wrong and nobody would argue with...

Except that information that's come out since then speaks against that.

No, no, no -- the information that's come out since then continues to say that Abu Ghraib was wrong. Abu Ghraib was. But in terms of the enhanced interrogation and so forth, anything that was legal and was going to make this country safer, the president wanted to do. Nothing that was illegal. And nothing that was going to make the country less safe.

And I'll tell you something. Unless you were there in a position of responsibility after September 11th, you cannot possibly imagine the dilemmas that you faced in trying to protect Americans. And I know a lot of people are second-guessing now, but let me tell you what the second-guessing that would really have hurt me -- if the second-guessing had been about 3,000 more Americans dying because we didn't do everything we could to protect them.

If you were there in a position of authority, and watched Americans jump out of 80-story buildings because these murderous tyrants went after innocent people, then you were determined to do anything that you could that was legal to prevent that from happening again. And so I think people do understand that.

Now, as to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and so forth -- I agree with you. We have tried to use the trafficking in persons and all of those measures, human rights reports and so forth, to put a spotlight on the kinds of problems that you have in places like Saudi Arabia or Kuwait or Oman or other places. But you can't -- you don't have the luxury in foreign policy of saying, alright, I won't deal with that country because I don't like its human rights record. You don't have that luxury. So if you need Saudi Arabia to fight al Qaeda internally -- which is by the way where al Qaeda came from -- or if you need Saudi Arabia to be part of a coalition that's going to help bring a Palestinian state, you can't decide not to deal with Saudi Arabia because of its problems with human rights. Or, if you need to make sure that the Gulf is safe from Iranian influence -- you want to talk about human rights abusers? -- Iran.

I'm well aware.

Excuse me?

I'm well aware.

So, foreign policy is full of tough choices. Very tough choices. The world is not a bunch of easy choices in which you get to make ones that always feel good.

I'm aware, but...[I'm sorry, we have to move]

Let him finish, let him finish.

Even in World War II, as we faced Nazi Germany -- probably the greatest threat that America has ever faced -- even then...

With all due respect, Nazi Germany never attacked the homeland of the United States.

No, but they bombed our allies...

No. Just a second. Three thousand Americans died in the Twin Towers and the Pentagon.

500,000 died in World War II, and yet we did not torture the prisoners of war.

And we didn't torture anybody here either. Alright?

We tortured them in Guantanamo Bay.

No, no dear, you're wrong. Alright. You're wrong. We did not torture anyone. And Guantanamo Bay, by the way, was considered a model "medium security prison" by representatives of the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe who went there to see it. Did you know that?

Were they present for the interrogations?

No. Did you know that the Organization -- just answer me -- did you know that the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe said Guantanamo was a model medium security prison?

No, but I feel that changes nothing...

No -- Did you know that?

I did not know that, but that changes absolutely nothing.

Alright, no -- if you didn't know that, maybe before you make allegations about Guantanamo you should read.

Now, the ICRC also had access to Guantanamo, and they made no allegations about interrogations at Guantanamo. What they did say is that they believe indefinite detention, where people didn't know whether they'd come up for trial, which is why we tried with the military commissions system to let people come up for trial. Those trials were stayed by whom? Who kept us from holding the trials?

I can't answer that question.

Do your homework first.

I have a question...

Yes. The Supreme Court.

I read a recent report, recently, that said that you did a memo, you were the one who authorized torture to the -- I'm sorry, not torture, waterboarding. Is waterboarding torture?

The president instructed us that nothing we would do would be outside of our obligations, legal obligations, under the Convention Against torture. So that's -- and by the way, I didn't authorize anything. I conveyed the authorization of the administration to the agency. That they had policy authorization subject to the Justice Department's clearance. That's what I did.

Okay. Is waterboarding torture?

I just said -- the United States was told, we were told, nothing that violates our obligations under the Convention Against Torture. And so, by definition, if it was authorized by the president, it did not violate our obligations under the Conventions Against Torture.

Thank you.

Alright.

A Cautionary Thought

Before we get too smug about the rank idiocy of the entire Leadership Class of the GOP, I have to ask one question:

Where would the Dems (and the country) be today if any of last year's Dem Candidates (other than BHO) had won? Please include all that we know now about the leadership skills, media savvy , Media Heat, scandal status, Freshness of ideas and relationships etc).

Are You As Witty As A Pundit?

Craig Crawford Channels His inner-Crowe-T-Robot

Nixon Lives

In Condi Rice?

"...so by definition, if it was authorized by the president, it did not violate our obligations under the Convention Against Torture," - Condi Rice.

This Is What James Dobson Has Warned Us About

And soon in Maine, too.

The New Hampshire Senate voted yesterday to allow same-sex couples to marry, setting the state in motion to become the fifth in the country to legalize same-sex marriage.

New Hampshire's House of Representatives has already approved the bill, but the Senate amended the language slightly before passing it on a 13-to-11 vote, meaning the House must approve the changes, reject them, or confer with the Senate before sending the bill to the governor.

With House approval expected, supporters and opponents are closely watching Governor John Lynch, a Democrat who has opposed same-sex marriage in the past and has not indicated whether he would sign or veto the latest measure.

New Bo Shots

'Cause Mr G. Baker would be mad if we didn't post 'em

French lawmakers reconsider Internet piracy bill

Sent from Express News
PARIS - French legislators reconsidered a bill Wednesday that would punish people who illegally download music and films by cutting off their Internet connections.

The bill was rejected in a surprise move earlier this month. Record labels and film companies had looked to the measure to boost ever-shrinking profits in the face of online file-sharing, which lets people swap music files without paying.
The Associated Press

Britain ends combat operations in Iraq

Sent from Express News
LONDON - British troops have ended six years of combat operations in Iraq, Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced Thursday, praising his military's accomplishments and sacrifices in a mission that was not popular at home.

Brown spoke after meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki at Brown's Downing Street office in London.
The Associated Press

Obama says waterboarding was torture

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama said Wednesday night that waterboarding authorized by former President George W. Bush was torture and that the information it gained from terror suspects could have been obtained by other means. "In some cases, it may be harder," he conceded at a White House news conference capping a whirlwind first 100 days in office.

Obama also expressed much greater optimism now than a month ago that Chrysler could remain a "going concern," possibly without filing for bankruptcy or with a "very quick" one. Obama did not say so, but Italian automaker Fiat Group SpA is expected to sign a partnership agreement with Chrysler LLC by Thursday as part of negotiations to keep the struggling U.S. automaker alive without bankruptcy protection.
By JENNIFER LOVEN AP White House Correspondent

Once Again, The Only Source Of Real Debate

JS. It should be getting embrrassing for actual reporters.

You must watch:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Cliff May Unedited Interview Pt. 1
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis First 100 Days

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Cliff May Unedited Interview Pt. 2
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis First 100 Days

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Cliff May Unedited Interview Pt. 3
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis First 100 Days

We're Not Better Now That We Know This

and now you're not either.

Wearing The Hair Of The Dog. Portraits Of People In Clothes Made From Their Pets' Fur.

These aren't just lovely portraits of people posing with their pets, but look a little closely and you'll see that the owners are wearing sweaters and vests that resemble the fur of their dogs. And they should because they were literally made from them.

Holder: 30 Gitmo inmates approved for release

Sent from Express News
BERLIN - About 30 detainees currently held at Guantanamo Bay have been cleared for release, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said Wednesday as he tried to persuade European allies to take some of them.

Meeting with reporters in Germany, Holder also signaled the Obama administration might cooperate with a Spanish investigation of former Bush administration officials over the treatment of terror suspects.

By DEVLIN BARRETT Associated Press Writer

Olbermann pressing on Hannity's waterboard offer

Sent from Express News
NEW YORK - The debate over torture is getting personal for two of cable TV's prime-time hosts.

After Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity made a seemingly impromptu offer last week to undergo waterboarding as a benefit for charity, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann leapt at it. He offered $1,000 to the families of U.S. troops for every second Hannity withstood the technique.

By DAVID BAUDER AP Television Writer

House, Senate on track to pass budget plan

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's Democratic allies in Congress are aiming to give him a gift to cap his 100th day in office: passage of a congressional budget plan that endorses much of his ambitious agenda, especially his plan to reform the U.S. health care system.

While a welcome victory, congressional passage of the budget would be only a first, relatively easy step toward Obama's goal of providing health care coverage for all Americans. Next would come arduous negotiations among lawmakers, the Obama administration and a vast array of interest groups.

By ANDREW TAYLOR Associated Press Writer

One More Spineless Creep Joins The Democratic Party

A New Butt Buddy for Joe Lieberman?

Specter Will Switch Parties

Sen. Arlen Specter will switch his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat and announced today that he will run for re-election in 2010 as a Democrat, according to the Washington Post.

Specter's decision would give Democrats a 60 seat filibuster proof majority in the Senate assuming Al Franken (D) is eventually sworn in as the next Senator from Minnesota.Said Specter: "I have decided to run for re-election in 2010 in the Democratic primary. I am ready, willing and anxious to take on all comers and have my candidacy for re-election determined in a general election."

100 Days of Polls

Jesus Protect Us From Your Followers

The one-of-a-kind Katherine-Jean Lopez, lover of Bush and bondage but not Porn, is worried that the freedom to see dirty things on the interwebs is endangering our liberty.

Or something,

What is this woman talking about?

The question about the government is revealing. Pornographers can dismiss this, but corporations know there is harm done by porn, even if it’s just to productivity. According to one 2007 survey, 65 percent of corporations use porn-detecting software. Divorce lawyers, clergy, and therapists can tell you the damaging role it’s playing in the married and unmarried lives of American couples.

The question about government is also, of course, alarming — to anyone who cares about freedom and the future of the Internet. Furthermore, as it affects our children and our families, it is a cultural copout of a solution.

It is a fetid swamp there between her ears. or somewhere.

What She Finally Must Realize is summed up here (I think the singing puppets aim right for her demographic):

Obama Now Coordinating With Al-QaedaTo Strike America

Red State's Erick Erickson was highly thought of in the last White House:

Is Obama Rushing Another Attack?
It is all a gamble on this question: at what point will the nation stop entertaining the proposition that it is all George Bush's fault?

The best strategy would look something like taking a band-aid off quickly. Get the pain over fast. And if an attack happens quickly enough into the new administration, they can blame Bush.

So the Obama administration is working hard to release all the memos on interrogations, change all the policies Bush implemented, and clear out the old as fast as possible. Never mind that if it were done slowly over time, our terrorist enemies might not be so incited to attack.

If your working premise is that they are going to attack anyway, get them incited quickly, get it over with, and blame Bush. There is no other justification for so quickly making us less safe.

No Relief

Election Season Again?

Close Democratic Senate Race in Illinois

A Lake Research poll in Illinois found Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) edging the Democratic pack for U.S. Senate with 24%, followed by Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias at 22% and Sen. Roland Burris at 18% with another 36% undecided.Caveat: The poll was paid for by Schakowsky who is exploring a possible Senate bid.

FYI: I'm A Jan Man

Nothing More Need Be Said

An argument for Licensing Voters:

Many Conservatives Don't Think Colbert is Joking

An Ohio State University study finds that conservatives were more likely to report that Stephen Colbert "only pretends to be joking" on his Comedy Central television show "and genuinely meant what he said while liberals were more likely to report that Colbert used satire and was not serious when offering political statements."

Noted Right-Wing Paper Takes Stand On Civil Unions

What the hell is goin on at the Chicago Trib?

Legalize civil unions

... Unnoticed in the uproar is that most Americans favor extending the benefits and obligations of marriage to same-sex couples -- just as long as it goes by a different name. Call it marriage, and most people bridle. Call it a civil union, and some 55 percent of citizens are in favor.

It's safe to say public opinion in Illinois runs pretty much the same. Yet state lawmakers haven't gotten around to doing something that is both popular and valuable: providing state recognition of civil unions.

A bill sponsored by Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago), which appears to have a reasonable chance of passage, would change that. It would grant adult couples, gay or straight, the right to enter into civil unions that, under state law, would be equivalent to marriage in everything but name.

Who Knew?

Mr. King resurrected a guitar technique from the time of Bach to play a piece that was almost certainly never before tried on a ukulele, Bach’s Partita No. 3, and went on to play other difficult classical works with dazzling mastery. He opened pathways of sound unimaginable to those whose memories of the ukulele involve Arthur Godfrey, Elvis Presley and, of course, Tiny Tim.

The Journal of the Society for American Music last year called Mr. King “perhaps the orld’s only truly classical ‘ukulele virtuoso.’ ”

Mr. King’s death at 55 on April 3 at his home in St. Petersburg, Fla., sent shock waves through the ukulele universe, which has widened with enthusiasts now clustering on the Internet and at festivals around the country. His wife, Debi, said that Mr. King died of a heart attack, suddenly and completely unexpectedly.

The Law

All You need when discussing the legality of Torture is here.

Calif. approves nation's 1st low-carbon fuel rule

Sent from Express News
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California air regulators on Thursday adopted a first-in-the-nation mandate requiring low-carbon fuels, part of the state's wider effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The California Air Resources Board voted 9-1 to approve the standards, which are expected to create a new market for alternative fuels and could serve as a template for a national policy that has been advocated by President Barack Obama and Democrats in Congress.

By SAMANTHA YOUNG Associated Press Writer

Swiss heartland voters ban nude hiking in Alps

Sent from Express News
APPENZELL, Switzerland - Voters in the heart of the Swiss Alps on Sunday passed legislation banning naked hiking after dozens of mostly German nudists started rambling through their picturesque region.

By a show of hands citizens of the tiny canton (state) of Appenzell Inner Rhodes voted overwhelmingly at their traditional open-air annual assembly to impose a 200 Swiss franc ($176) fine on violators.

By HARRY ROSENBAUM Associated Press Writer

Man pretending to fall off bridge actually falls

Sent from Express News
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - Police said a 23-year-old man is in stable condition after he pretended that he was falling off a bridge over the Minnesota River, then actually fell off the bridge. Police got a call just before 5 a.m. Sunday from a 21-year-old man who said his friend fell off the Highway 77 bridge and into a marshy area about 30 feet below.

The caller said he was driving north when his friend, who he said had been drinking, told him to pull into the bridge's emergency lane so he could urinate.

The Associated Press

Taliban: Peace pact with Pakistan is 'worthless'

Sent from Express News
ISLAMABAD - Taliban militants said Monday their peace deal with the Pakistani government was "worthless" after authorities deployed helicopters and artillery against hide-outs of Islamist guerrillas seeking to extend their grip along the Afghan border.

A collapse of the pact would likely please Obama administration officials pressing Islamabad hard for more robust action against extremists threatening Pakistan's stability and U.S. and NATO troops in neighboring Afghanistan.

By ZARAR KHAN Associated Press Writer

Most families allow media to cover fallen soldiers

Sent from Express News
DOVER, Del. - In the weeks since the Pentagon ended an 18-year ban on media coverage of fallen soldiers returning to the U.S., most families given the option have allowed reporters and photographers to witness the solemn ceremonies that mark the arrival of flag-draped transfer cases.

Critics had warned that military families needed privacy and peace activists might exploit the images, but so far the coverage has not caused problems.

By RANDALL CHASE Associated Press Writer

Iowa becomes 3rd state where gays can legally wed

Sent from Express News
DES MOINES, Iowa - The only gay couple who were legally wed in Iowa are looking forward to getting some company. Iowa county clerks were to begin processing same-sex marriage applications Monday, following the Iowa Supreme Court's ruling on April 3 that legalized same sex-marriage. Iowa typically requires a three-day waiting period for marriages, but judges can waive that and allow immediate weddings.

Sean and Tim McQuillan of Ames took advantage of that when they persuaded a judge to grant them a waiver and marry immediately Aug. 31, 2007, during a few hours when gay marriage was legal in Iowa. A Polk County District Court judge who initially overturned the same-sex marriage ban quickly stayed his ruling pending an appeal.

By AMY LORENTZEN Associated Press Writer

Chrysler reaches labor deals in fight for survival

Sent from Express News
DETROIT - It looks like scrappy little Chrysler LLC might yet escape the auctioneer's gavel.

The smallest U.S.-based automaker cleared two major hurdles on Sunday in its quest for survival, reaching a concession agreement with the United Auto Workers and winning ratification of its cost-cutting deal with the Canadian Auto Workers.

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer

Aerosmith to settle lawsuit with Maui performance

Sent from Express News
WAILUKU, Hawaii - Free tickets to see Aerosmith in Hawaii? Dream on, unless you happen to be one of 8,300 people left in the cold when the band canceled a sold-out concert in 2007.

Aerosmith has agreed to perform on Maui to settle a class-action lawsuit filed by fans who alleged the band pulled out of the show in favor of a larger concert in Chicago and a more lucrative private performance for Toyota dealers on Oahu.

The Associated Press

Holder tours historic torture site

Sent from Express News
LONDON - The Obama administration says it won't look backward in the debate over harsh interrogations. On Attorney General Eric Holder's first stop in Europe this week, he looked back centuries, visiting a historic torture site.

Holder arrived Sunday in London, the first of three European cities he will visit seeking allies' help to close Guantanamo Bay, fight terrorism, and catch cyber-criminals.

By DEVLIN BARRETT Associated Press Writer

STFU

Al Gore has learned a few lessons and uses them to dismantle the shakey posturing of a Republo-bot. Listen for the laughter

Thank God My Father Isn't Around To See This

Jim bought nothing but Pontiacs, a new one every two years. Until he retired. Then he bought a Caddy. I learned to drive on the model shown above.

April 24 (Bloomberg) -- General Motors Corp., facing the threat of a bankruptcy filing if it can’t meet a June 1 U.S. deadline, will preserve the GMC truck line and drop its 83-year- old Pontiac brand as part of a government-led recalibration of its business plan, people familiar with the decision said.

The Detroit automaker, which received an additional $2 billion in federal assistance on April 22, will keep the GMC, Chevrolet, Cadillac and Buick brands, after a review that included profitability with the Obama administration’s automotive task force, said the people, who asked not to be named because the decisions have not been announced.

GM may reveal next week the end of the make that produced the Grand Prix, Bonneville and Firebirds, they said.

Healthcare Reform In Our Lifetime?

Apparently, we'll have it by October 15.

Political Animal

The Hill reported this afternoon, "Democrats in Congress and the White House have struck a tentative budget deal that includes reconciliation instructions that will make it easier to push through healthcare reform this year."

Jonathan Cohn, citing Hill staffers, fleshes out the details.
It's been in the works for a while and now, according to senior Capitol Hill staffers, it's a done deal: The final budget resolution will include a "reconciliation instruction" for health care. That means the Democrats can pass health care reform with just fifty votes, instead of the sixty it takes to break a filibuster.

The deal was hatched late afternoon and last night, in a five-hour negotiating session at the office of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. A trio of White House officials were there: Rahm Emanuel, Peter Orszag, and Phil Schiliro. Also present, along with Reid, were House Budget Chairman John Spratt and Senate Budget Chairman Kent Conrad.

The reconciliation instruction specifies a date. That date, according to one congressional staffer, is October 15.

So, lawmakers in both parties who've said they want to see some bipartisan cooperation on health care will, apparently, get their chance. In fact, they'll have six months to work out a bill that enjoys broad support.

And if they can't reach a deal by October 15? At that point, according to Cohn's report, the Democratic majority can vote on a bill that Republicans won't be able to filibuster.

The Washington Post has more, noting, "Democrats contend they only want to use reconciliation as a fallback option and would prefer to move health care through the regular order. Republicans are highly skeptical the fast-track process won't be used if available."

And Jason Rosenbaum helps highlight the bottom line: "[T]he GOP has a choice: They can work with Democrats in good faith (something they have declined to do so far), or they can be ignored as Democrats pass the health reform this country so desperately needs with a simple majority vote in the Senate. Either way, progressives won a victory last night, and we're one step closer to winning quality, affordable health care for all."

I'll believe it when I see it. And I probably won't like it. Except that it will probably benefit me greatly at some awful longterm cost to the US

At Least She's A Democrat

Fredo's Justice Department wasn't entirely Partisan in it's manipulation of the law.

Gonzales Intervened on Harman Wiretap

The New York Times has more on the Jane Harman-wiretap story that CQ Politics broke this week:"The director of the Central Intelligence Agency concluded in late 2005 that a conversation picked up on a government wiretap was serious enough to require notifying Congressional leaders that Representative Jane Harman, Democrat of California, could become enmeshed in an investigation into Israeli influence in Washington, former government officials said Thursday. But Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales told the director of the agency, Porter J. Goss, to hold off on briefing lawmakers about the conversation, between Ms. Harman and an Israeli intelligence operative, despite a longstanding government policy to inform Congressional leaders quickly whenever a member of Congress could be a target of a national security investigation."

The reason: "To protect Ms. Harman because they saw her as a valuable administration ally in urging The New York Times not to publish an article about the National Security Agency's program of wiretapping without warrants."

Except when they were.

Rotten

Andrew Sullivan puts a coule of pieces together and ...

If you've ever wondered who[The NRO's Ed Whelan] is - he appears regularly at the Corner defending torture and opposing abortion (the culture of life!) -

In the spring of 2003, [the post of Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel, one of the 'Principals' who reviewed and approved our at that pint on-going torture policies] was held by M Edward Whelan III, an arch-Catholic who didn't just support torture but helped implement it. Whelan is the head of - wait for it - the Ethics and Public Policy Center.

Yes; the Ethics and Public Policy Center has a torturer as its president. You can't make this up.

The presence of devout Catholics authorizing the waterboarding of a human being 183 times in a row really does help put theoconservatism into a new perspective, doesn't it? Speaking of which, where are the Catholic bishops? They can manage to get into the news opposing a commencement speech by the president, but when incontrovertible evidence that the Bush administration tortured prisoners emerges, the silence from the top is deafening

And Bill Kristol's Still Employed Too

Talk about your lack of accountability

I forgot to note a very special anniversary [Wednesday]. April 22nd is the date on which Charles Krauthammer opined:

Hans Blix had five months to find weapons. He found nothing. We’ve had five weeks. Come back to me in five months. If we haven’t found any, we will have a credibility problem.

You’ve now had six years. How’s that credibility looking?

Best Ever?

Maybe.

Now Go!

Wake-Up!

Like An Early Birthday Present

BFF, Mr. SBofOH, has dreamed of this picture for months, if not years.

Toldja So

This goes away in, oh 2-3 years. Except when it doesn't. Like the case of the only 'Porty' that I've known.

WASHINGTON — First dog Bo is a "kind of crazy" puppy who likes to chew on people's feet, Michelle Obama told children visiting the White House on Thursday.

The first lady is spending a lot of time walking and training the 6-month-old Portuguese water dog who became a member of the president's family last week.
An energetic breed, Bo plays well into the night, as he did on Wednesday.

"It was like 10 o'clock. Everybody was asleep and we hear all this barking and jumping around," Mrs. Obama said. "The president and I came out and we thought somebody was out there. And it was just Bo. He was playing with his ball. And it was like there was another person in the house.

"He's kind of crazy, but he's still a puppy. So he likes to play a lot," she said.

as always, a special nod to Dog Lover Mr G Baker

Waterboard Jack Daniels, Jim Beam and All The Bartenders

9/11/01:

Almost 3,000 dead from coordinated Terror Attacks

Yearly: (According to the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta)

105,000 annual alcohol related deaths due to drunk drivers and related injuries or diseases.

Immaterial and Essential

Torture: Never OK, OK? It's efficacy is immaterial.

However, since Dick C wants to distract by saying it's effective, then let's have that discussion.

Because we'll win it.

Today, we get Ali Soufan, A REAL LIVE INTERROGATOR writing in the NY Times about what he did to/with Abu Zubaydah ... The target of the first torture memo.

One of the most striking parts of the memos is the false premises on which they are based. The first, dated August 2002, grants authorization to use harsh interrogation techniques on a high-ranking terrorist, Abu Zubaydah, on the grounds that previous methods hadn’t been working. The next three memos cite the successes of those methods as a justification for their continued use.

It is inaccurate, however, to say that Abu Zubaydah had been uncooperative. Along with another F.B.I. agent, and with several C.I.A. officers present, I questioned him from March to June 2002, before the harsh techniques were introduced later in August. Under traditional interrogation methods, he provided us with important actionable intelligence.

We discovered, for example, that Khalid Shaikh Mohammed was the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. ...[about] Jose Padilla, the so-called dirty bomber. ..

There was no actionable intelligence gained from using enhanced interrogation techniques on Abu Zubaydah that wasn’t, or couldn’t have been, gained from regular tactics. In addition, I saw that using these alternative methods on other terrorists backfired on more than a few occasions — all of which are still classified. The short sightedness behind the use of these techniques ignored the unreliability of the methods, the nature of the threat, the mentality and modus operandi of the terrorists, and due process.

Defenders of these techniques have claimed that they got Abu Zubaydah to give up information leading to the capture of Ramzi bin al-Shibh, a top aide to Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, and Mr. Padilla. This is false. The information that led to Mr. Shibh’s capture came primarily from a different terrorist operative who was interviewed using traditional methods. As for Mr. Padilla, the dates just don’t add up: the harsh techniques were approved in the memo of August 2002, Mr. Padilla had been arrested that May.

Ron Suskind's One Percent Doctrine (reporting via Kevin Drum) tells of this same time, Late spring/ early Summer 2002 (emphasis mine)

Abu Zubaydah, his captors discovered, turned out to be mentally ill and nothing like the pivotal figure they supposed him to be....Abu Zubaydah also appeared to know nothing about terrorist operations; rather, he was al-Qaeda's go-to guy for minor logistics....And yet somehow, in a speech delivered two weeks later, President Bush portrayed Abu Zubaydah as "one of the top operatives plotting and planning death and destruction on the United States."

....Which brings us back to the unbalanced Abu Zubaydah. "I said he was important," Bush reportedly told Tenet at one of their daily meetings. "You're not going to let me lose face on this, are you?" "No sir, Mr. President," Tenet replied. Bush "was fixated on how to get Zubaydah to tell us the truth," Suskind writes, and he asked one briefer, "Do some of these harsh methods really work?" Interrogators did their best to find out, Suskind reports. They strapped Abu Zubaydah to a water-board, which reproduces the agony of drowning. They threatened him with certain death. They withheld medication. They bombarded him with deafening noise and harsh lights, depriving him of sleep. Under that duress, he began to speak of plots of every variety — against shopping malls, banks, supermarkets, water systems, nuclear plants, apartment buildings, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty. With each new tale, "thousands of uniformed men and women raced in a panic to each...target." And so, Suskind writes, "the United States would torture a mentally disturbed man and then leap, screaming, at every word he uttered."

McClatchy Does It Again

Who had the only accurate reporting during the lead up to the Iraq War. Sure not NYTimes, WaPO or such. It was The McClatchy paper.

Today the look at the road to the torture memos

A former senior U.S. intelligence official familiar with the interrogation issue said that Cheney and former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld demanded that the interrogators find evidence of al Qaida-Iraq collaboration.

"There were two reasons why these interrogations were so persistent, and why extreme methods were used," the former senior intelligence official said on condition of anonymity because of the issue's sensitivity.

"The main one is that everyone was worried about some kind of follow-up attack (after 9/11). But for most of 2002 and into 2003, Cheney and Rumsfeld, especially, were also demanding proof of the links between al Qaida and Iraq that (former Iraqi exile leader Ahmed) Chalabi and others had told them were there."

It was during this period that CIA interrogators waterboarded two alleged top al Qaida detainees repeatedly — Abu Zubaydah at least 83 times in August 2002 and Khalid Sheik Muhammed 183 times in March 2003 — according to a newly released Justice Department document.

"There was constant pressure on the intelligence agencies and the interrogators to do whatever it took to get that information out of the detainees, especially the few high-value ones we had, and when people kept coming up empty, they were told by Cheney's and Rumsfeld's people to push harder," he continued.

"Cheney's and Rumsfeld's people were told repeatedly, by CIA . . . and by others, that there wasn't any reliable intelligence that pointed to operational ties between bin Laden and Saddam, and that no such ties were likely because the two were fundamentally enemies, not allies."

Senior administration officials, however, "blew that off and kept insisting that we'd overlooked something, that the interrogators weren't pushing hard enough, that there had to be something more we could do to get that information," he said.

'Refrigerator' Perry hospitalized in S. Carolina

Sent from Express News
CHICAGO - Former Chicago Bears defensive lineman William "The Refrigerator" Perry is in serious condition at a South Carolina hospital, a spokeswoman said Tuesday.

Perry, 46, was hospitalized to deal with complications from Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a chronic inflammation disorder of the peripheral nerves, the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune reported.
The Associated Press

Let's Get Active

We Can At Least Try to Get Jay Bybee out of the Federal Judiciary.

Yglesias:

ThinkProgress is starting up a campaign to gather petitions in support of the proposition that congress needs to hold impeachment hearings on Judge Jay Bybee, one of the key architects of the Bush-era torture regime. After noting that Bybee authorized various methods of torture, from slapping to “stress positions” to waterboarding we say:

These techniques are illegal by U.S. statute and international treaty to which the U.S. is a signatory. Bybee attempted to give legal cover to illegal acts, and thus broke the ethical, professional, and legal standards that should govern lawyers. For this, Judge Jay Bybee should be impeached. Congress needs to assert some accountability for these heinous acts.

You can sign onto the petition here.

The idea of Bybee sitting in judgment of other people’s alleged transgressions is, frankly, ridiculous. It would be absurd for his colleagues on the Ninth Circuit or the District Court judges he’s empowered to overrule to take his legal “expertise” seriously.

Sign!

Well, What Is It Then?

Mr Cool Clam (Update: Calm) and collected seems to be a bit all over the map this week.

Obama open to Hill probe of harsh interrogations

Breaking…
The Associated Press reports:

President Barack Obama is leaving the door to open to possible prosecution of Bush administration officials who devised harsh terrorism-era interrogation tactics.
He also said Tuesday that he worries about the impact of high-intensity hearings on how detainees were treated under former President George W. Bush. But Obama did say, nevertheless, he could support a Hill investigation if it were conducted in a bipartisan way.

Obama has said he doesn’t support charging CIA agents and interrogators who took part in waterboarding and other harsh interrogation tactics, acting on advice from superiors that such practices were legal. But he also said that it is up to the attorney general whether to prosecute Bush administration lawyers who wrote the memos approving these tactics

Our Alinsky

Rule 5: Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon. It’s hard to counterattack ridicule, and it infuriates the opposition, which then reacts to your advantage.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
We Don't Torture
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis Political Humor

Walking Rahm Back

OK, we admit it. We were more than a little disconcerted by The Rahmster's assurance on Sunday that investigation/prosecution was out for the Torture Creators as well as the torturers.

We were very very proud that Obama released the memos on Friday. Then ... Rahm takes the final move off the board on Sunday. Now that was a crusher.

Obama has seldom failed to follow through on the things I expect of him. He does play a much longer version of this game than we have become accustomed to seeing. I have felt that his plan is to gradually gain political backing from the citizens through unhurried strategic disclosures at the same time that he is (hopefully) solving all the other disasters created by the Bush Crime family. These disclosures also allow (or perhaps force) other arms of the government to act while The President remains openly committed to 'Looking Forward' and 'Healing'.

I don't see much gain in chasing after the CIA operatives who performed under guidance of the Bybee/Yoo/Bradbury Rules (International Treaty law may say otherwise).

It is important to remember that BHO always is looking to create cultural change that drives people to 'do the right thing'. While rapid investigation and prosecution of the last Admin is possible (and justified), what we actually achieve as a country in such prosecutions can vary widely depending on how much ownership the citizens feel for the issues at hand. That change moves at a much slower rate than the does the court system.

We have eight years.

So, I was relieved to read this in the New York Times today:

On Sunday, Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff, said on the ABC News program “This Week” that “those who devised policy” also “should not be prosecuted.” But administration officials said Monday that Mr. Emanuel had meant the officials who ordered the policies carried out, not the lawyers who provided the legal rationale.

Three Bush administration lawyers who signed memos, John C. Yoo, Jay S. Bybee and Steven G. Bradbury, are the subjects of a coming report by the Justice Department’s ethics office that officials say is sharply critical of their work. The ethics office has the power to recommend disbarment or other professional penalties or, less likely, to refer cases for criminal prosecution.

The administration has also not ruled out prosecuting anyone who exceeded the legal guidelines, and officials have discussed appointing a special prosecutor. One option might be giving the job to John H. Durham, a federal prosecutor who has spent 15 months investigating the C.I.A.’s destruction of videotapes of harsh interrogations.

Why Gay Marriage is Bad

via, who knows? billions and billion, alright?

1) Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.

2) Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.

3) Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.

4) Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can't marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.

5) Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Brittany Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.

6) Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren't full yet, and the world needs more children.

7) Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.

8) Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only one religion in America.

9) Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That's why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.

10) Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven't adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans.

Just Fucking Awful

This was a member of Reagan's 'Clear Eyed' Conservative Army?

Wonkette introduces:

Oh fignewtons, someone telephone the slaves at Grey Gardens, it seems a tenant has meandered through the gate during her noontime perambulations and landed on the television set! Here is Ms. Peggy Noonington on the George Stephanopoulos program alongside George Will. George Will! He must have forwarded Peggy e-mails about this torture memo business, and again, THAT IS NOT NICE, you know how she gets. She wants to forget she ever read the wretched things! O, the night terrors! “Some of life has to be mysterious,” she opines, poetically, about this issue of state-ordered torture. But mere crickets in the hedgerows, these lawyers… crickets in the…

Talk About Your Double Standard

NPR

CIA Exempt On Torture, But Not Lynndie England

But the lack of punishment for the severe interrogation actions that ravaged the nation's moral standing in the world has infuriated civil libertarians here and abroad.
And it has raised questions about punishments - including prison terms - already meted out to nine soldiers convicted in the 2004 abuse scandal at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

'This Is Not Justice'

"Every American should be outraged," says Roy T. Hardy, who represents Pfc. Lynndie England. The 22-year-old Army clerk became the international face of the Abu Ghraib scandal when photos of her in poses with naked Iraqi detainees shocked the world.

"Obama, who I love to death, is not going to punish CIA agents for doing what they were told to do," says Hardy, England's civilian lawyer, "when those torture memos gave them permission to do more than what was ever done at Abu Ghraib?"

Convicted in 2005 of maltreatment and conspiracy for posing in those pictures, including one in which she held a leash around a prisoner's neck, England has already served 1 1/2 years in military prisons, and an equal time on parole.

Now 25, she is living with her family and 4-year-old son in Ft. Ashby, W.Va., and is appealing her dishonorable discharge.

"This is not justice," Hardy says. England's military lawyer, Capt. Tim Thomas, could not be reached for comment Monday.

see more pwn and owned pictures

Official: Obama doesn't want interrogation charges

President Barack Obama does not intend to prosecute Bush administration officials who devised the policies that led to the harsh interrogation of suspected terrorists, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said Sunday.

Obama last week authorized the release of a series of memos detailing the methods approved under President George W. Bush. In an accompanying statement, he said "it is our intention to assure those who carried out their duties relying in good faith upon legal advice from the Department of Justice, that they will not be subject to prosecution." He did not specifically address the policymakers.

Asked Sunday on ABC's "This Week" about the fate of those officials, Emanuel said the president believes they "should not be prosecuted either and that's not the place that we go."

His Brilliance Continues

Closet (?) Fascist Rudy G brilliantly thought he could become President by getting Ancient Transplanted NYers in Florida to vote for him, forgetting that they are 1) all Democrats and 2) people who left NY once already....

Anyway, two things today show that Rudy still has his finger on the pulse of the people:

Item 1.

RUDY GIULIANI is declaring war on gay marriage -- vowing to use his strong opposition of it against the Democrats if he runs for governor next year.

BUT HIS GUY PALS PLAN TO WED
The former mayor, in an extended interview with The Post, also predicted that Gov. Paterson's high-profile effort to legalize gay marriage would anger many New Yorkers and spark a revolt that could help sweep Republicans into office in 2010.

"This will create a grass-roots movement. This is the kind of issue that, in many ways, is somewhat beyond politics," said Giuliani, a two-term mayor who unsuccessfully sought the GOP presidential nomination last year.

"I think gay marriage will obviously be an issue for any Republican next year because Republicans are either in favor of the position I'm in favor of, civil unions, or in many cases Republicans don't even favor civil unions," he continued

Item 2.

The new Siena poll in New York State shows that a majority of registered voters here favor legalizing gay marriage -- a push that currently has the support of Gov. David Paterson and others, but is not guaranteed passage in the state Senate.
The numbers: 53% favor, 39% oppose, with a ±3.8% margin of error. The internals show all regions of the state (New York City, the suburbs and Upstate) support it by various margins.

Among religious sub-groups, only 41% of Protestants favor it to 53% against, Jews favor it 64%-32% -- and Catholics favor it by a 49%-41% plurality. In the racial cross-tabs, Whites are in favor 56%-36%, Latinos are for it 57%-31%, and African-Americans oppose it with 44% in favor to 49% against.

The interplay of racial and religious politics could very well determine whether this proposal sinks in the Senate, or ends up signed into law.

Should be another banner year for Rudy

Sunday morning talk shows showcasing more blacks

Sent from Express News
NEW YORK - During a "Meet the Press" round-table earlier this month, NBC's David Gregory turned to Rutgers University economist William Rodgers for an assessment of President Barack Obama's overseas trip. Rodgers said he'd give the president a grade of either A-minus or B-plus.

There was nothing remarkable about the discussion. Yet Rodgers' presence, his first time on "Meet the Press," illustrated a quiet effort at improving diversity on the Sunday morning political talk shows.
By DAVID BAUDER AP Television Writer

CNN to treat Obama's 100th day like election night

Sent from Express News
NEW YORK - CNN is marking President Barack Obama's 100th day in office with prime-time coverage that will recall last year's primary and general election nights, right down to John King's magic wall.

The network says it will compile a national report card of Obama's performance, using opinion polls and a series of viewer surveys.
The Associated Press

Exxon Mobil overtakes Wal-Mart to top Fortune 500

Sent from Express News
NEW YORK - Exxon Mobil Corp. unseated Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in the 2009 Fortune 500 list, shrugging off the oil price bubble and weathering what the magazine called the worst year ever for the country's largest publicly traded companies.

Fortune's closely watched list, released Sunday, ranked companies by their revenue in 2008. Irving, Texas-based Exxon took in $442.85 billion in revenue last year, up almost 19 percent from 2007. The company also raked in the biggest annual profit, earning $45.2 billion.
The Associated Press

Madonna injured in fall from horse in Hamptons

Sent from Express News
NEW YORK - Madonna is under the care of doctors after falling off a horse over the weekend - an accident she is blaming on the paparazzi.

A representative for the superstar said Madonna suffered "minor injuries" after she fell while horseback riding in the Hamptons, a playground for the rich and famous on the eastern end of Long Island, N.Y.
The Associated Press

AP IMPACT: Tons of released drugs taint US water

Sent from Express News
U.S. manufacturers, including major drugmakers, have legally released at least 271 million pounds of pharmaceuticals into waterways that often provide drinking water - contamination the federal government has consistently overlooked, according to an Associated Press investigation.

Hundreds of active pharmaceutical ingredients are used in a variety of manufacturing, including drugmaking: For example, lithium is used to make ceramics and treat bipolar disorder; nitroglycerin is a heart drug and also used in explosives; copper shows up in everything from pipes to contraceptives.
By JEFF DONN, MARTHA MENDOZA and JUSTIN PRITCHARD Associated Press Writers

White House says GOP should be more constructive

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama wants Republicans to return to Congress this week from their spring recess with a more constructive attitude toward health care, energy and other administration initiatives. GOP lawmakers say they have ideas, just not the ones the president may want.

"When you're the party of no, when you're the party of never, when you're the party of no new ideas, that's not constructive," White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said Sunday. "The challenge will be, will the Republicans come to the table with constructive ideas?"
By DOUGLASS K. DANIEL Associated Press Writer

Official: Obama doesn't want interrogation charges

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama does not intend to prosecute Bush administration officials who devised the policies that led to the harsh interrogation of suspected terrorists, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said Sunday.

Obama last week authorized the release of a series of memos detailing the methods approved under President George W. Bush. In an accompanying statement, he said "it is our intention to assure those who carried out their duties relying in good faith upon legal advice from the Department of Justice, that they will not be subject to prosecution." He did not specifically address the policymakers.
By DOUGLASS K. DANIEL Associated Press Writer

Obama aide takes dim view of anti-tax tea parties

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - Damn the tea bags. A top adviser to President Barack Obama takes a dim view of last week's anti-tax "tea parties," promoted by organizers in the spirit of the Boston Tea Party.

"The thing that bewilders me is this president just cut taxes for 95 percent of the American people. So I think the tea bags should be directed elsewhere because he certainly understands the burden that people face," David Axelrod said Sunday.
The Associated Press

Americans back legal aid to poll, new poll says

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - Americans strongly support government-paid legal services for the poor, says a poll commissioned by the Legal Services Corp.

Two-thirds of those polled for the American Bar Association by Harris Interactive said they favor federal funding for people who need legal assistance.
The Associated Press

Bolivia anti-drug chief: Cocaine processing rising

Sent from Express News
LA PAZ, Bolivia - Cocaine production is on the rise in Bolivia, with Colombian and Mexican cartels hiring intermediaries to process the locally made coca paste there rather than exporting it, says Bolivia's top anti-drug officer.

Cartels are contracting a growing number of middle men to process the paste into cocaine in Bolivia, saving time they would otherwise spend processing it themselves, anti-drug police chief Oscar Nina told The Associated Press on Thursday in an interview.
By CARLOS VALDEZ Associated Press Writer

Record Store Day celebrates indie retailers

Sent from Express News
PORTLAND, Maine - Despite the success of online retailers, explosion of Internet downloads and high-profile closings of Virgin Megastores and Tower Records stores, bricks-and-mortar record stores aren't all spinning toward oblivion.

Although hundreds of independent music retailers have gone out of business in recent years, about 2,000 are still around, and many are thriving.

By DAVID SHARP Associated Press Writer

An energized Paul McCartney opens Coachella fest

Sent from Express News
INDIO, Calif. - Energized by the desert air and memory of his late wife, a playful and passionate Paul McCartney riffed on "Foxy Lady," led an after-midnight "Hey Jude" singalong and dedicated songs to his former bandmates at the Coachella music festival that kicked off Friday.

McCartney took off his black jacket five songs in and didn't put it back on for the next 29, strutting the stage in boots, a white shirt and suspenders that he tugged at wryly.

By RYAN PEARSON AP Entertainment Writer

Obama 'seeks a new beginning' with Cuba, talks

Sent from Express News
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad - Trading their warmest words in a half-century, the United States and Cuba built momentum toward renewed ties on Friday, with President Barack Obama declaring he "seeks a new beginning" - including direct talks - with the island's communist regime. As leaders of the Americas gathered for a summit in this Caribbean nation, the head of the Organization of American States even said he'll ask his group to invite Cuba back after 47 years.

In remarks kicking off the weekend gathering of nations - of which Cuba was the only country in the region not represented - Obama repeated the kind of remarks toward the Castro regime that marked his campaign for the presidency.

By VIVIAN SEQUERA and BEN FELLER Associated Press Writers

Obama to ask agency heads for budget cuts

Sent from Express News
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama said Saturday he will ask all of his department and agency heads for specific proposals for cutting their budgets at his Cabinet meeting early next week as he searches for ways to streamline government spending.

Obama, who is attending the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad this weekend, said in his weekly radio and Internet address that he would make the request for cuts Monday at a Cabinet meeting.

By WILL LESTER Associated Press Writer

Salazar reviews 'midnight' endangered species rule

Sent from Express News
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says he will make a decision in the coming weeks on whether to overturn a controversial Bush administration regulation that limits the reach of the Endangered Species Act.

The outgoing administration finalized a rule in December that allows federal agencies to issue permits for mining, logging and other activities without consulting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service about endangered wildlife and plants.

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press Writer

A Great George

Obama envoy: Two-state solution is only solution

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — A Palestinian state alongside Israel is the only way to end the Mideast conflict, President Barack Obama's Mideast point man said Friday, sending a stern message to Israel's hardline leaders, who have expressed misgivings about a two-state solution.

Envoy George Mitchell, in the region on his third trip since Obama took office in late January, suggested the U.S. was eager to see quick progress after years of failed peace efforts.

Fame Is Hard - And worth at least $75

We'll Let Wonkette do the honors:

By the end of the election last year there were millions of these YouTubes where a liberal or a communist (or a moderate!) would hang outside Sarah Palin rallies — public domain! — and just roll the tape for a few minutes while people spat out hilarious racist violent nonsense about ACORN and the Muslim race. But the original couple of videos that started this trend were Blogger Interrupted’s “Sarah Palin Parking Lot” classics, one of which was embedded in a Huffington Post article the other day for the purpose of comparing it to the Teabagger crowds. Then came this new comment on the video’s YouTube page:

“I have asked you three times to take this fukkin video down. Now it is plastered all over that libnut webiste Huffington Post. TAKE THIS FUKKIN VIDEO DOWN NOW. P.S. I hope you know that you can get sued, and thrown in jail for using this video without our permission.”

Comical negotiations have ensued. KEEP ON READING HERE TO FIND OUT THE PRICE OF FAME

Bummer

Most Texans Want to Stay

Though Gov. Rick Perry (R) insists Texans are talking about secession in response to federal tax policy, a new Rasmussen Reports poll finds that 75% of Lone Star State voters would opt to remain in the United States. Only 18% would vote to secede, and 7% are not sure what they'd choose.

No Honor Amongst Murderers

From TPM

Sergeant Who Smeared Fellow Soldier, New Republic Writer Executed Four Iraqi Men

senior enlisted U.S. Army soldier--Master Sergeant John Hatley--was convicted two days ago by a military jury in Germany of executing four handcuffed, blindfolded Iraqi men by shooting them in the backs of their heads.

Many readers will recall the case of Scott Beauchamp--the Army Private who took his story of out-of-control soldiers in the line of duty to the pages of The New Republic and soon thereafter found himself on the receiving end of attacks from conservatives across the establishment and beyond.

Some of those conservatives, including the Weekly Standard's Michael Goldfarb, participated in a concerted (and inaccurate) effort to discredit Beauchamp and tar, for lack of patriotism, the notoriously dovish New Republic and, by association, liberals everywhere.

For his reporting, Goldfarb relied on some...let's call them 'questionable' sources and even got an assist, in a bizarre breach of protocol, from Beauchamp's First Sergeant, who took to the blogosphere to make the case against the beleaguered Private. "My soldiers [sic] conduct is consistently honorable."

This soldier has other underlining [sic] issues which I'm sure will come out in the course of the investigation. No one at any of the post we live at or frequent, remotely fit the descriptions of any of the persons depicted in this young man's fairy tale. I can't and won't divulge any information regarding this soldier, but I do sincerely appreciate all the support from the people back home. Again, this young man has a vivid imagination and I promise you that this by no means reflects the truth of what is happening here.

The name of that Non-Commissioned Officer might ring a bell: John Hatley. And he seems to have protested a bit too much. We excitedly await Goldfarb's statement on the issue.