Defense officials from Russia and the United States last week helped block a new demand for an international probe into the Uzbekistan government’s shooting of hundreds of protesters last month, according to U.S. and diplomatic officials. British and other European officials had pushed to include language calling for an independent investigation in a communique issued by defense ministers of NATO … Read More
9/11 Wives
As someone who worked pro bono for several 9/11 survivors to receive compensation from the September 11 Victim’s Fund, I find these two stories (this one and this one) to be very discouraging. In the first story, the widow of the 9/11 victim stands to lose much of her husband’s pension. Her husband was a pilot of one of the … Read More
Snippets from The British Briefing Papers
As a counterpart to the Downing Street Memo, further briefing papers from Britain demonstrate, as this article trumpets, that the U.S. lacked a postwar Iraq plan, and that Blair’s advisors predicted instability in the region. They also cast light on some of the strength (or lack thereof) of the pre-war intelligence regarding Iraq. Some key quotes culled by Think Progress … Read More
Cox & Forkum Embarassment Watch
From their rant about the new Ground zero memorial complex, I’ll start with a moronic gaffe to demonstrate their ignorance: Keep in mind the context here: the “Guantanamo is a gulag” ACLU and other leftists groups are involved in the memorial. Uh, guys. That’s Amnesty International. Two entirely different bodies. But then they REALLY step in it: In fact, the … Read More
Boot-On-The-Ground Check-In Time
So what are our soldiers in Iraq saying? Is the bad guys, as Cheney said, “in its last throes?”? Do our fighting men and women (in their ever-decreasing numbers*) see the light at the end of the tunnel? Nope: "I know the party line. You know, the Department of Defense, the U.S. Army, five-star generals, four-star generals, President Bush, Donald … Read More
Pssst – George! It’s Time To Raise The Terror Alert Level!
Even I am surprised at the Bush sinking ship: Poll: Bush Job Approval Dips to New Low WASHINGTON—As the war in Iraq drags on, President Bush’s job approval and the public’s confidence in the direction he’s taking the nation are at their lowest levels since The Associated Press-Ipsos poll began in December 2003. About one-third of adults, 35 percent, said … Read More
Jesse’s Deathbed Conversion
In his new book, Jesse Helms admits he was wrong about AIDS back when he thought it was just a gay thing. He came to see the light thanks to his “friends”, who (he says) include Bono. Now, there’s a pairing I didn’t expect to see, like, ever. But Jesse can’t quite erase his racist past, try as he might: … Read More
If Dan Rather Had Done This…
Perspectives has exposed Bill O’Reilly for the lying fraud that he is. Specifically, O’Reilly creatively edited an interview with Joe Biden to make it seem like Biden had (to quote O’Reilly) “joined the abuse chorus and called for the shutting down of Guantanamo Bay”. Joe Biden said no such thing. The graphic below explains it all:
Factoid Du Jour
Bush’s approval rating (around 47%) is about twenty points lower than Clinton’s was around the time of his impeachment. Popular president, my ass.
Fox News Stupidity Of the Day
I know. It’s like shooting fish in a barrel, but this one I found particularly amusing. The “fair and balanced” network was attacking Democratic Chair Howard Dean yesterday. Dean, as you may know, made a comment to the effect that the Republican Party is overwhelming dominated by white Christians. Well, Brit Hume at Fox News was going to have none … Read More
More Much-Needed Perspective on the Ground Zero Memorial
Yup, the WTC memorial site and plaza is sure to be crawling with leftist propaganda: The hysterics of Malkin and others have focused entirely on who the International Freedom Center has turned to for advice. Here’s an idea: how about looking at who the International Freedom Center has actually endorsed. Turns out the IFC has been one of the great … Read More
I’m It
Lizard Queen at Bluebus.org* tagged me with this particular meme. (1) Number of books you own: Far too many, especially if you include Samuel French plays (which number in the hundreds). (2) Last book bought: A History of the World In Six Glasses by Tom Standage. It’s a look at world history and the impact on it from 6 beverages: … Read More
One Has To Wonder…
…why the enraged right is so, er, enraged about the construction of an International Freedom Center (or “IFC") at the site of the former World Trade Center. As stated in this fact sheet (PDF format), the mission of the IFC is to “strengthen our resolve to preserve freedom, and inspire an end to hatred, ignorance, and intolerance”. Now please tell … Read More
Corruption So Startling, Even GOP Stalwarts Take Notice
You know it’s bad when even GOP senators want to know why the White House is hiding information from Congress on what John Warner called “the most significant defense procurement mismanagement in contemporary history.” Both Warner and John McCain, as well as Carl Levin want to know why the White House is sending redacted emails and other materials to the … Read More
More Playing Politics With Science
More evidence of expert assessments being “massaged” at the White House here: A White House official who once led the oil industry’s fight against limits on greenhouse gases has repeatedly edited government climate reports in ways that play down links between such emissions and global warming, according to internal documents. In handwritten notes on drafts of several reports issued in … Read More