Once Again, My Political "Strategery" Advice

Offered for free (its approximate value) for Messrs. Kerry, Edwards and the Democratic Leadership.

The 9/11 Commission is bi-Partisan. The 10 Members of the Commission are going to be out there selling their ideas for reform.

Kerry and Edwards are already on record as supporting much of what the Commission stated. In my review of the Report (and its still not complete) the recommendations (which I have read) are sound.

The one area that polls show Bush sliding in, but still ahead of Kerry et al in is in dealing with terrorism.

We have an idea of how the Bush Administration and the GOP Congressional Majority will respond to the report:

The Pentagon and the C.I.A., Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge and some in Congress already oppose the commission's call for a new national intelligence director to supplant some of the functions of the director of central intelligence. President Bush himself praised the report as "very constructive," but top White House officials remained coolly noncommittal on specifics.

So Democrats, adopt the reforms as our own. The 9/11 Commission has a lot of clout right now, it is viewed as a work of both parties done in harmony. Take advantage of it, adopt its policy recommendations as things you WILL do. We know that the GOP will NOT do so.

While the Commission members are stating they will not actively campaign for anyone, that doesn't mean their pronouncements will not have political weight.

This has the advantage of making GOP attacks toward Democrats seem cheap and baseless, even to many who would be their supporters; second, it forces Bush to argue POLICY, and he may be many things, but articulate and a wonk he most certainly is NOT.

It is a winner IMO, a big fucking winner of an issue -- with the extra benefits of being sound policy that is most decidedly not a classic wedge issue.

Do It!

The Leaders Leakers

For the THIRD day in a row, the White House expanded the list of those within the Bush Administration who knew BEFORE the leak of an investigation into Berger to the Press. Strengthening the evidence of a preemptive, vindictive leak to take up a newscycle or two.

From today's Washington Post:

For the second day in a row, administration officials said yesterday that more of President Bush's aides knew about an investigation of former Clinton national security adviser Samuel R. "Sandy" Berger than the White House originally acknowledged.

The question is sensitive because Democrats have charged that Republicans leaked word of the investigation to try to taint next week's Democratic National Convention and to distract attention from criticisms of Bush in the report of the commission investigating the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

A senior administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that some National Security Council officials knew Berger -- who has resigned from his position as informal adviser to Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kerry -- was suspected of mishandling National Archives documents that were being sought by the commission.

National security adviser Condoleezza Rice, meeting reporters to discuss the commission's report, would not say when she was told of the probe.

"Sandy is somebody I've known a long time," Rice said. "And I think he's a good person, and I respect him. This is a criminal investigation. It's a serious matter. I'm just not going to comment about it."

The senior official said that a few NSC staff members who also report to the counsel's office had known about the inquiry.

That's three straight changes -- Story 1: Nobody Knew; Story 2: OK, a few in the White House Counsel's office knew; Story 3: Alright some on the NSC and the White House Counsel's office knew.

And now it gets really curious.

Meanwhile, an unrelated Washington Post Staff Editorial sums up how hackneyed and partisan the Republicans really are:

Still, it's hard not to be repulsed by the reaction to the affair by President Bush's campaign spokesmen and Republicans in Congress. They have suggested, without foundation, that Mr. Berger took the papers to benefit Mr. Kerry, who says that he knew nothing of the matter; House Majority Leader Tom DeLay has spoken, with gross hyperbole, of a "national security crisis." Having squelched congressional examination of a genuine national security scandal -- the involvement of U.S. military commanders in grave violations of the Geneva Conventions in Iraq -- House leaders, including Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.), have rushed to announce hearings on the Berger affair. As happened so often during the Clinton administration, they are treating a real but apparently limited case of misconduct as an opportunity to misuse congressional oversight powers to wage partisan warfare.

It's worth noting that news of the months-old investigation of Mr. Berger just happened to leak on the week before the Democratic convention, and two days before the release of the Sept. 11 commission's report -- which covers serious lapses by President Bush as well as President Bill Clinton. Officials at the Bush White House had been briefed on the Berger probe. Could that be a coincidence?

I brought this up YESTERDAY that the 9/11 Commission in regard to Congress said this specifically:

In recent years, traditional review of the administration of programs and the implementation of laws has been replaced by “a focus on personal investigations, possible scandals, and issues designed to generate media attention.”

This White House, like Congressional Republicans, loves pointed/directed leaks to HARM political opponents, amongst the individuals under investigation in the Plame leak are staffers from the NSC.

Dr. Strangelove

Chuckles Krauthammer, M.D.,

A few weeks ago I made a mean, but accurate crack about the man who never ceases to malpractice in diagnosing patients he has never seen. Attaturk thinks that is literally BUSH-league, including when a psychiatrist tries to analyze Chimpy on the same basis. It's much better when internet hacks like me do it.

But back to the lunatic "Hammer of the Germans", for those who didn't think it was appropo when I imagined Krauthammer standing up from his wheelchair and screaming "Mein Fuhrer I can valk" get a load of today's screech:

The country should be ripe for revolution. But the mullahs are very good at police-state tactics. The long-awaited revolution is not happening. Which makes the question of preemptive attack all the more urgent. Iran will go nuclear during the next presidential term. If nothing is done, a fanatical terrorist regime openly dedicated to the destruction of the "Great Satan" will have both nuclear weapons and the terrorists and missiles to deliver them. All that stands between us and that is either revolution or preemptive strike.

Both of which, by the way, are far more likely to succeed with 146,000 American troops and highly sophisticated aircraft standing by just a few miles away - in Iraq.

My diagnosis out of the DSM-IV: "Krauthammer, he's one crazy mama-jama"

An Endorsement from a Niles Crane Impersonator

Tom Oliphant, the man who wore bow ties before Tucker Carlson made it cool (OK, that last part is a big ol' lie) has a good article in American Prospect about Kerry.

In non-Bush America, a far more prevalent symbol of sentiment these days, rather than outright affection for Kerry, is the “Anybody But Bush” pin. Anybody But Bush avoids Kerry. It also contains more than a little bit of disdain and disrespect -- common attitudes in a modern Democratic Party that seems able to take the concept of unity only so far. Democrats (political writers, too) love second-guessing, relentless kibitzing, pseudo-biographical psychobabble. In today’s political culture, progressives tend to be neurotic, conservatives fanatical.

Never has a truer line been uttered about American Politics than the last line.

Yes, liberals are neurotic -- but better a neurotic than a crazy fuck. Putting rapture lovers in charge of foreign policy is like putting the neighborhood pyromaniac in charge of a five-gallon gas can and a blowtorch.

The best cure for this neurosis is not artificially induced adulation but a rational decision to recognize Kerry’s strengths. This is a contemplative, serious person -- well-grounded in progressive principles -- who has the good habit of getting interested in new ideas that survive scrutiny. His work habits reveal an iron butt for grunt work, as well as considerable experience in working across party lines. A non-Bush president will have to repair considerable damage abroad and at home, complex tasks that will resist grand fixes and reward the patience and tough negotiating that are Kerry attributes. But a non-Bush president will also have to think and act big and new, and the work Kerry has already done on a range of issues should inspire confidence.

He is a sober yet imaginative person for sobering, dangerous times, but his looks and wealth conceal the steel that got him this far and often cause him to be underestimated. It was a long, strange trip, hardly befitting someone with a first-class education who married money twice.

Oliphant finally sums it up, and to the favor of this blogger, like bloggers everywhere, gives me a lengthy post, without having to do much writing myself.

John Kerry is a good, tough man. He is curious, grounded after a public and personal life that has not always been pleasant, a fan of ideas whose practical side has usually kept him from policy wonkery, a natural progressive with the added fixation on what works that made FDR and JFK so interesting. I know it is chic to be disdainful, but the modern Democratic neurosis gets in the way of a solid case for affection. Without embarrassment, and after a very long journey, I really like this guy. As one of his top campaign officials, himself a convert since the primaries ended, told me recently, this is pure Merle Haggard. It’s not love, but it’s not bad.

Putting on My Political Strategy Beanie

Because who else would know political strategy better than an anonymous smartass?

OK, so the 9/11 Report really hit on Congress and suggested substantial internal reform; committee reassignments, designations etc. This, of course, is a threat to the seniority system.

The Democrats getting control of the House this year, while not impossible, is a bit of a long-shot. Why not take a page out of Gingrich's book and take the lead in reform?

In the mode of "Contract with America" have all Democratic House Members and candidates, including the leadership, sign the "Covenant of Responsibility and Values" (or some such name) and promise to enact the recommendations of the Commission without reservation?

The GOP majority is not going to give much more than sound and fury to these things, their chairman are not going to cede power. A minority party has NO POWER and their only ability to exercise it is to get power. Why not play long ball and engage in good policy and good politics at the same time?

-- Gives the Dems a leg up in their one weak area, security.

Seems like a great idea to me.

Sickening: Bush Administration holds up Payments to Black Farmers

What tolerant people, no wonder the GOP does so well with minority voters:

Report Reveals Bush Administration Has Blocked Court-Approved Payments to Black Farmers

Aggressive legal tactics by the Bush administration have deliberately undermined a landmark 1997 civil rights settlement with African-American farmers, turning the claims process into another chapter in a long history of discriminatory treatment by the US Department of Agriculture.

A report released today by Environmental Working Group (EWG) and the National Black Farmers Association (NBFA) finds that almost nine out of 10 black farmers have been denied compensation for discrimination over USDA crop loans, even though U.S. District Court for the District Columbia -- in approving the settlement -- had described compensation payment as "automatic." Instead the USDA, under the leadership of President Bush's Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman, has withheld three-quarters of the $2.3 billion agreed to in the settlement.

"The USDA aggressively fought black farmers," said EWG's Ariane Callendar, a lead author of the report. The investigation found that USDA paid $12 million dollars to US Department of Justice lawyers for 56,000 hours spent contesting the claims of 129 black farmers.

"That means the Department of Justice spent on average 460 hours attacking each farmer," says Callendar. And these figures, she says, represent only a small portion of the time and energy expended to avoid paying the aggrieved farmers. USDA managed to deny payment to 82,000 of the 94,000 African-American farmers who sought restitution.

African-American farmers brought suit against USDA in 1997 in an historic civil rights case known as Pigford V. Glickman (now titled Pigford V. Veneman), claiming that USDA systematically discriminated against African-Americans by denying them crop loans readily made available to comparable white farmers.

The Reagan administration eliminated the USDA's Office of Civil Rights in 1982, leaving African-American farmers no avenue for appealing loan denials they believed to be discriminatory.

In 1996, the Clinton administration re-established USDA's office of Civil Rights, and in 1997 made an admission of discrimination in its own study of USDA operations. Finalized under Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman, the settlement was based on USDA's 1997 civil rights study, coupled with the absence of any recourse for black farmers to discriminatory practices from 1982 to 1996.

Over the past 20 years, the number of farms operated by African-Americans has plummeted from 54,367 in 1982 to 29,090 in 2002 (the suit included 94,000 farmers because many farms have more than one farmer). This dramatic decline, the report concludes, has been due in part to lack of equal access to USDA loans.

The report details "the willful obstruction of justice by USDA" and demands immediate action by Congress. "Only Congress can make whole the 82,000 farmers who were denied restitution arbitrarily, after USDA had agreed, in settling the case, that their discrimination claims were valid."

1,000 Posts

Rising Hegemon came into being in the latter half of March of this year.

In that time, DeDurkheim and I have managed to put up 1,000 posts.

Sadly, many of them have been our own work, rather than the more reliable cut and paste jobs. I do believe the post immediately prior to this one is pretty much Rising Hegemon, or at least me, Attaturk, in a nutshell. Whether that is a good thing or not is up to the reader.

In that time, we've managed to have a fairly regular series of visitors and commenters and we appreciate all of you.

As some of you may be aware, about a week ago, our original site had an incredible html breakdown. Though it is now fixed, the site will remain at this address. For those of you who haven't already you'll want to put a hyphen between "rising" and "hegemon" in your blogrolled links.

What does the future hold?

Hopefully in another 4 months I can begin to bitch about how Kerry is disappointing me, rather than looking at another 4 years of captioning Chimpy McFlightsuit's constant parade of ineptitude.

Cheers to all of you. I now present, my agnostic patriotic blessing:

If there is a higher power, may it think highly of America.

Great Point from Professor Smooth & Debonair

Professor Juan Cole, as we surely all know by now is pretty much EXAMPLE A of why the internet is a good thing [the other being all the available porn of course].

For the price of exactly zero, he provides us with regular insights into his field of expertise. If Professor Cole were called as an "expert" in a trial he'd be charging us hundreds an hour [just like Jenna Jameson for her specialty] but thanks to the internet he informs us for free.

OK, that last paragraph was to praise Professor Juan Cole, not to suggest he is the equivalent of a porn star (hey, Juan ...are they real?). High Brow vs. Low Brow [Attaturk is a schizophrenic, if simple, man].

Today Professor Cole [and not Jenna Jameson] informs us of this point from the 9/11 Commission, that point is BILL CLINTON tried and fate intervened cruelly.

As for the Clinton administration, let me say one thing in its defense. Clinton had worked out a deal with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in summer of 1999 that would have allowed the US to send a Special Ops team in after Bin Laden in Qandahar, based from Pakistan. I presume you need the Pakistan base for rescue operations in case anything went wrong. You also need Pakistani air space. The plan was all set and could have succeeded.

But in fall of 1999, Gen. Pervez Musharraf made a coup against Nawaz Sharif. The Pakistani army was rife with elements protective of the Taliban, and the new military government reneged on the deal. Musharraf told Clinton he couldn't use Pakistani soil or air space to send the team in against Bin Laden.

Look at a map and you try to figure out how, in fall of 1999, you could possibly pull off such an operation without Pakistani facilities. Of course, you could just go in by main force. But for those of you tempted in that direction, please look up Carter's Tabas operation. It should be easily googled.

Clinton tried, and tried hard. The gods weren't with us on that one.

So, the coming of a military despot Musharraf foiled Clinton's efforts. This same event, a military coup was praised by the Chimp when he was still a candidate.

The new Pakistani general, he's just been elected - not elected, this guy took over office," Mr Bush said.

"It appears this guy is going to bring stability to the country and I think that's good news for the sub-continent."

Why We MUST elect a Democratic Congress and then Hold their Feet to the Fire

This from page 105 of the Report (thanks to commenter Serge over at Atrios):

"Fourth, the oversight function of Congress has diminished over time. In recent years, traditional review of the administration of programs and the implementation of laws has been replaced by “a focus on personal investigations, possible scandals, and issues designed to generate media attention.”The unglamorous but essential work of oversight has been neglected, and few members past or present believe it is performed well. DCI Tenet told us:“We ran from threat to threat to threat. . . . [T]here was not a system in place to say,‘You got to go back and do this and this and this.’” Not just the DCI but the entire executive branch needed help from Congress in addressing the questions of counterterrorism strategy and policy, looking past day-to-day concerns.Members of Congress, however, also found their time spent on such everyday matters, or in looking back to investigate mistakes, and often missed the big questions—as did the executive branch. Staff tended as well to focus on parochial considerations, seeking to add or cut funding for individual (often small) programs, instead of emphasizing comprehensive oversight projects."

In other words the GOP's fascination with what is in people's PANTS rather than things like POLICY has been one big royal clusterfuck of failure.

For that (amongst other things) they should be punished by losing their majority.

AND THEN, as much as we might like to exact revenge, make sure that our Democrats that WE have helped elect don't do so and move on to actual policy.

Operation Bury the Story

In a rush meeting the same day the 9/11 Report is issued we get this revelation (hinted at in a prior Denver Post report discussed last night on this blog), much more abuse in Afghanistan and Iraq than previously admitted by the Pentagon.

The U.S. military has found 94 cases of confirmed or alleged abuse of prisoners by U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan since the fall of 2001, the Army's inspector general said Thursday in a long-awaited report made public at a hastily called Senate hearing.

The number is significantly higher than all other previous estimates given by the Pentagon, which had refused until now to give a total number of abuse allegations.

The inspector general investigation, ordered Feb. 10 after the allegations of abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq came to the attention of top Army officials in Washington, concluded that there were no systemic problems that contributed to the abuse. In some cases, the report found, the abuse was abetted or facilitated by officers not following proper procedures.

Most of the alleged abuses — 45 of the 94 — happened at the point where the detainee was captured, said Lt. Gen. Paul Mikolashek, the Army's inspector general. Of those 45 cases, 20 involved allegations of physical abuse and the rest were allegations of theft or other crimes, he said.

Twenty-one cases of alleged abuse happened at detention centers such as Abu Ghraib, Mikolashek said. Another 19 happened at collection points where prisoners are gathered between their capture and their transfer to long-term prisons.

Only eight cases happened during or surrounding interrogations, Mikolashek said.

In contrast to its own findings that there were no systemic problems, however, the Army report also cites a February report from the International Committee for the Red Cross that alleged that "methods of ill treatment" were "used in a systematic way" by the U.S. military in Iraq.

So the pillaried "do gooders" of the Red Cross were correct and the military admits it was wrong. Are you now outraged you were outraged by the outrage Senator Inhofe?

I'm guess that as he has no record of "shame" he isn't.

9/11 Report Alternative Site

Our long-time Blogfriend, Anna of Annatopia has mirrored up a site for downloading the 9/11 Report if you would like (PDF format). As she reminds you on her main site, please save the document when you have it up rather than read it on her site...server taxing otherwise.

Naturally, I haven't read the whole thing and may not. But from a comment on Daily Kos (by Capt. Underpants) that contains some interesting meat, supporting Dick Clarke [who has criticized the 9/11 Commission for ignoring some more controversial questions] and making Wolfowitz look like a wackjob.

Go read.

The real reason to get Wilson?

David Corn has an interesting analysis on the real reason behind the W*misadministration's reason to get former ambassador Joe Wilson. Apparently there is an attempt to redefine Bush, the case for war, who Joe Wilson is, excuse -- even if unintentionally (yeah, sure) -- criminal behavior. Now, that is something that Chimpy knows all about lying about past criminal behavior. No wonder that the right wing media machine is trying to make the Wilson case go away. No surprise at all.

Call him Bushmael

In a move the Bush Administration, given its practice, will surely term the "Whale Preservation Initiative" it has reversed decades of precedent and moved to help bring about a resumption of commercial whaling.

The United States called for the management scheme to be completed and ready for consideration and adoption at next year's IWC meeting.

The move by the United States, traditionally an anti-whaling country, alarmed some environmentalists. A statement by the Humane Society of the United States, a member of an anti-whaling umbrella coalition called Whalewatch, called the move "inexplicable."

"This is the most serious effort to go back to commercial whaling since the ban was passed," said Patricia Forkan of the Humane Society.

It took 50 years for international whaling to be banned, and in one less than four year swoop the Bush Administration has managed to allow it to survive.

"Fuck Willy"; "Slaughter Shamu"; the only one to be saved will be"Mumbly Dick".

President Ahab has brought back the least popular animal hunt this side of baby seal clubbing.

Thar...he blows!

Doing Right by America

Apparently the democrats believe they have found a catchy slogan for the election, "Doing right by America." (Doesn't this sound like a Pat Buchanon book title?) I have to admit that I like the sound of it at first glance. But come on, is any slogan from a politician real? Chimpy McFlightsuit claimed to be a "compassionate conservative." I should point out that Michael Savage -- who wished that gays would die on his short lived MSNBC show -- claims to have originated the tag "compassionate conservative" which immediately makes me doubt the compassionate part of the phrase. Hell, I think even conservatives are opposed to Bush's and Savage's vision of America. W also argued that we had achieved "mission accomplished." Shoot, who thought that Clinton should keep talking about some darn "bridge to the 21st century?" I have looked all over the country and I have not found some damn bridge to the 21st century.

I wish the democrats the best of luck with their catch phrase, maybe it will mean something to them that they act on. We just have to hold their feet to the fire on doing right by the majority of Americans not just the wealthy or big corporations.

The Manly man President ?

Gosh, I wonder if I can get a job with W? Although, is anyone really surprised by this?

Leaked Salary List Shows Bush's Highest-Paid Staff Is Mostly Male

By Dana Milbank
Tuesday, July 13, 2004; Page A13

The president's men are doing very well. The president's women are doing slightly less well, but still not bad.

With new White House salary figures leaked to The Washington Post and an Excel spreadsheet, crack researcher Margot Williams determined that men in the Bush White House earn an average of $76,624 a year. Women earn $59,917 on average. That means Bush women earn about 78 percent of what Bush men earn.

As it happens, that's almost exactly the national average for the gap in pay between the sexes, although it's a good bit below the 88 percent for the nearly 1 million professional and administrative employees in the federal workforce. Also, the White House has the advantage of making all its hires from scratch after the 2000 election.

At the White House, the gap has nothing to do with wage discrimination: Women and men with similar titles receive similar pay. Rather, it comes from the dominance of men in high-end jobs; of the 17 White House staffers earning $157,000 -- the top of
the pay scale this year -- 12 are men. That's roughly comparable to the 26 percent representation of women in the federal government's 7,000-person Senior Executive Service, according to the Partnership for Public Service.

Overall, working in the White House is quite a good living. The average salary, $67,075, is well above the latest available metropolitan Washington average of $48,420, and nearly double the national average of $36,764. But don't fret about the overpaid presidential adviser: Most of them could be earning far more as lawyers, lobbyists and corporate executives.

The list, as of June 12, has its share of surprises. The lowest paid of the 431 in the non-career "White House Office" (a collection of mostly political appointees and staff on loan from other agencies) is James A. Baker III, who as President Bush's envoy in search of Iraqi debt relief, has declined a salary. At the other extreme is
Stephen Friedman, Bush's top economic adviser who, despite a net worth in the tens of millions, collects a government salary of $157,000.

The top salary increased from $151,000 last year, but the ranks of the highest-paid decreased by one. The new head of Bush's USA Freedom Corps service initiative was given a lesser title and salary than her predecessor.

As in many workplaces, a good relationship with the boss seems to pay off. Israel Hernandez, who served as Bush's "body" man in Texas, attending to the governor's corporeal needs, now earns $141,000 as senior adviser Karl Rove's deputy. Gordon Johndroe, who served in a similar capacity during the campaign, now is earning $87,700 as press secretary to first lady Laura Bush. Blake Gottesman, the president's current personal aide, gets $54,400 for such tasks as guarding colleagues' access to Bush, accepting knickknacks handed to Bush and placing the president's speeches on lecterns.

Two of the 431 employees are unnamed because they come from intelligence agencies. The spooks get $125,972 and $118,384, respectively.

Though most job titles have narrow pay ranges, there are exceptions. One "ethics adviser," for example, earns $124,166 and another earns $31,277.

The lowest-paid employees -- staff assistants, gift analysts and the like -- earn about $30,000. Writers also get meager pay. Although speechwriting chief Michael Gerson gets $157,000, those who write letters to constituents earn about a fifth of that. Similarly, press secretary Scott McClellan earns $157,000, while his press assistants receive $32,800.

Salaries for all 431 officials can be found at
www.washingtonpost.com/whbriefing.

Kelli Arena -- She WAS There

Digby has a short post in regard to manufacturing hosiery related scandal today. Perhaps CNN's worst reporter (and that is saying something) Ms. Arena belongs more in that special talented news reporter world of Fox News, where a pretty orange glow is far more important than actual reporting chops [unless you are a gal who is also a Fundy Nut Job -- like the ever growing Rita Crosby].

Earlier this year, Ms. Arena reported that "SOME" people speculated that bin Laden and his supporters believed it would be better for them if John Kerry were elected President. Undoubtedly that came from, as Digby puts it, Ms. Arena's "special friend" in the Bush Administration.

Of course, no one knows what the hell bin Laden wants. However, I'm willing to bet you can make a pretty sound argument he'd like the guy who created the current Hornet's Nest that is far more convincing. That being said, I'd put money on the proposition that -- NO MATTER WHO IS PRESIDENT OSAMA WILL HATE 'EM JUST AS MUCH AS BUSH.

Nonetheless, Ms. Arena has a tendency to be, shall we say, a complete and utter White House stooge. Her most recent report, as stated by Joe Wilson fetishist Bob Sommersby is:

ARENA (7/20/04): Law enforcement sources say Archives staff told FBI agents they saw Berger placing items in his jacket and pants. There was no camera in the room. Those sources also say one Archives staffer told agents Berger placed something in his socks which Berger associates heatedly deny.

OK,

-- Anonymous staffer
-- "Something"
-- In socks

And this becomes "Sandy Berger placed documents in his socks".

TAH--fucking--DAH!

And thus we present, Kelli Arena throughout "alternative" History!! (cue Roman Horn Section):


The East Coast of the Aegean app. 1200 B.C.:

"Wolf, sources from the Priam Administration tell me that the Greeks fled and in great fear left a large wooden DONKEY in tribute to their Trojan vanquishers. It's clear, they reported, that Poseidon is believed to clearly favor the rule of Priam to that of Agamemnon."

Western Coast of Greece 31 B.C.

"Wolf, sources close to Anthony's camp say that they fully expect the Roman Citizenry to realize that Octavian is not Ceasar and the Legions will perform badly on ships, clearly favoring Antony and his very popular Egyptian wife."

Worms, Germany, 1521

"Wolf, sources close to God tell me that there is speculation that the Almighty and/or Frederick the Wise prefers the Pope Leo the Tenth over the radical cleric Martin Luther and the latter will soon be smited."

Spain, 1588

"Wolf, sources close to King Phillip tell me that the Duke of Medina Sodonia was an inspired choice to lead a sea battle, and that fate will certainly prefer his command over that of liberal protestant Sir Francis Drake."

Richmond, Virginia Spring 1863

"Wolf, sources close to the Davis Administration say that a plan is afoot which will be clearly preferable to the oppressed wage slaves of the North and they will rally behind General Lee and his army to overthrow and defeat the liberal Abraham Lincoln."

Paris, 1894

"Wolf, sources close to the investigation tell me that before visiting the German military attache, Captain Dreyfus -- who as we know is JEWISH -- was seen placing papers in his socks".


Sarajevo 1914

"Wolf, sources close to the Archduke have speculated that the visit to Bosnia is sure to solidify the love the people have for them and stabilize the situation in Europe."

Coalition of the un-Willing

From the Los Angeles Times:

In another setback for U.S. efforts in Iraq, the United Nations has been unable to secure enough troops to protect a U.N. contingent headed to the country to help with elections and rebuilding.

When the U.N. Security Council voted six weeks ago to authorize a protective force, it expected contributors to step forward. But countries have balked at taking part in a force expected to include 1,000 troops and several dozen bodyguards. Diplomats said many nations were hesitating because of the dangers — including a wave of kidnappings — and costs as well as the continuing unpopularity of the U.S. invasion.

"It's a difficult problem for these countries, especially at a time when other countries [with troops in Iraq] are pulling out, or planning to leave ahead of schedule," a U.N. diplomat said. "Discussions are continuing. So far no one has stepped forward." ...

If other countries are unable to provide the troops, the job will fall to the U.S.-led coalition now patrolling the country. That outcome would be embarrassing for the Bush administration, which has been struggling all year to show it has international support for rebuilding Iraq...

But the United States has been facing major challenges attracting and maintaining international support for its Iraq effort. After a two-week hostage drama, the Philippines finished pulling out its 51 military personnel Monday, bowing to a militant group's demands for the withdrawal in exchange for a Philippine truck driver's life. Norway will withdraw its military personnel from Iraq this month, and New Zealand and Thailand are expecting to bring their forces home in September.

There are also signs that the U.S. is having difficulty drawing other kinds of international support. Countries that have pledged to put up cash to rebuild Iraq have been slow to provide it...

Nancy Soderberg, a U.S. envoy to the United Nations during the Clinton administration, said the reluctance to contribute troops showed that many countries "are not willing to go into a war that they didn't support and bail the United States out. They're just not going to do it."

"W"incompetence in action.

Of course, the Bushies have been touting the growing international cooperation issue -- unsuccessfully for months now.

What do they NOT lie about?

"Hey, Kids, did you hear about Sandy Berger's pants?"

Newsroom?

This picture has many obvious punchlines. But first, Drudge has a Newsroom? C'mon you fuckin' dope, post pictures and link to the Washington Times all you want, but don't act like you have News Bureaus Fedora Boy.



Jerry Falwell announces that God is taking his vengence upon Miami for all the "butt-sex".

More on "Jack" Idema and his Torture Techniques

What a bizarre chancre on the nads of life Jonathan Idema is. Idema you may recall, or have heard, is a former american soldier (a long time ago I might add) with some clear personality issues and a long-time con man. Idema is now standing trial in Kabul, Afghanistan for torturing individuals in his self-perceived role as Rambo.

But it gets even more bizarre.

Idema is claiming that he was working closely with the Pentagon while engaging in such matters.

The Pentagon's response has been "Nuh-Uh".

Well, for those (I'm looking at your Missouri Journalism Professor snob) who say bloggers are universally not journalists, I present to you "Flogging the Simian" who has written not a one or two part series on Idema -- BUT AN 8 PART -- series on the guy...and it's continuing. Wow, its very interesting.

Go read, what a complex, disturbing and unsavory character Idema is...but he is a unsavory character who may be being honest about one thing. You may remember yesterday, I stated the BBC named Rummy, well it is more complex than that (lengthy snippet from :

But who is the fucking official? You're in luck, because I know exactly who it is. So do all of the journalists who were there, and I'm deeply suspicious that they would not print her name.

Her name is Heather Anderson. We'll get to who she is in a minute, but it's important to know she is the acting Director of Security for Stephen Cambone.

Does the name Stephen Cambone ring a bell? It should. First, he's a long time personal friend of Rumsfeld, who created Cambone's job out of thin air in March 2003. The Undersecretary of Defense Intelligence (UDI) is sort of the head coordinator of all of the military's intelligence branches.

Cambone was also one of the principal witnesses into the Congressional hearings concerning prisoner abuse in Abu Ghraib. It was Cambone who authorized the interrogation tactics that were used in Abu Ghraib. If that weren't enough, Cambone's military assistant is General William "My God Is Bigger" Boykin, about whom I wrote an entire expose that will blow your everloving socks off.

Ok, so Anderson works for Cambone. It turns out one of her principal duties was to run the security checks on the thousands of mercenaries the Pentagon was hiring. Back in May 2004, Congressional lawmakers were bitching that she wasn't doing the security checks fast enough. She also testified to Congress and I'll give you a brief excerpt:

"The Department must have an affiliation with a private citizen before processing them for a personnel security clearance. For employees of DoD contractors, that relationship is established through the execution of a DoD Security Agreement, which is made a part of the contract with the company. Once the company has executed this agreement and is cleared, the company may process current employees or consultants for a background investigation if their duties will require access to classified information.

Approximately 85% of industry applicants are issued an interim clearance. For example, of the 152,059 requests for investigation from industry during FY03, approximately 85% of them were issued an interim clearance. An interim SECRET clearance authorizes access to SECRET information and most contractor employees can perform some functions with access to SECRET information, even if they ultimately require access to information of a higher level."

This story, as all stories with con men, is so complicated separating the wheat from the chaff is exhausting, but a great big tip of the Cap to Soj of Flogging the Simian for the work she is doing (I'm assuming it is a she given the picture on the Blog, and to paraphrase Oxycontin boy, when looking at the picture and the quality of the writing..."Hubba Hubba".)

Thanks to "Yankee in exile" for the reference.

Spinning Conundrum

Well, we know before the report is released the White House is saying "The Commission doesn't blame anybody". Spin, spin, spin.

But we know that once the report is actually available to the public that story will not last very long.

Here is the real vexing problem.

Do I actually read the report, or do I just let other bloggers read it and then act like I did (like 99.9% of all bloggers)?

Hmmmm.