This man is not the President, he is a traitor to the Nation, he hates the troops and see Iraq as “our country’s destiny.”

You must read this from the Dallas Morning News Bolds are mine

…This, of course, is not the way the Bush administration sees it.

The White House sees terrorists as born, not created by history, bearing the mark of Cain, not the mark of circumstance. There is a scarlet “T” written on their foreheads at birth and the only answer is to destroy them. This kind of thinking, of course, relieves the thinker of any responsibility for the presence of the insurgent-terrorist-whatever in our innocent midst.

What’s more, there is not much real give in the administration’s policies. True, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other American diplomats met Memorial Day weekend with the Iranians in Baghdad (a good first move but limited, since the Iranians have most of the power because of our incredible stupidity in Iraq). But by all reports, President Bush is more convinced than ever of his righteousness.

Friends of his from Texas were shocked recently to find him nearly wild-eyed, thumping himself on the chest three times while he repeated “I am the president!” He also made it clear he was setting Iraq up so his successor could not get out of “our country’s destiny.”

The truth of the steadily deteriorating situation in the Middle East is, of course, quite different. The Palestinian people of 40 and even 30 years ago were formal, conservative people who remained closely tied to their families, clans and religious groups. Theirs was a highly stratified society, which has now been shattered.

What is been really a passing comment in the Main Stream Media is a big deal. The US Economy is not doing well at all. The US Government todau SLASHED it’s esimate of first quarter gtorth by over half, from 1.3 to a pathetic 0.6%.

From AP via Yahoo

Economic growth skidded to a near halt in the first quarter, with the worst showing in more than four years raising concerns about how long the country’s sluggish spell will last.

The Commerce Department reported Thursday that gross domestic product increased by just a 0.6 percent pace in the January-through-March period, much weaker than estimated a month ago. Government statisticians slashed by more than half their first estimate of a 1.3 percent growth rate for the quarter.

The main forces behind the downgrade: the bloated trade deficit and businesses cutting investment in supplies of the goods they hold in inventories.

“We got close, but the economy did not slip under the waves in the first quarter,” said Joel Naroff, president of Naroff Economic Advisors.

What largely prevented the economy from going under: consumers, who showed an even bigger appetite to spend.

For nearly a year, the economy has been enduring a stretch of subpar economic growth due mostly to a sharp housing slump. That in turn has made some businesses act more cautiously in their spending and investing.

The economy’s 0.6 percent growth rate in the opening quarter of this year marked a big loss of momentum from the 2.5 percent pace logged in the final quarter of last year.

I post this mainly for the pure sadistic pleasure…

Slate

… Teenagers who identify as “evangelical” or “born again” are highly likely to sound like the girl at the bar; 80 percent think sex should be saved for marriage. But thinking is not the same as doing. Evangelical teens are actually more likely to have lost their virginity than either mainline Protestants or Catholics. They tend to lose their virginity at a slightly younger age—16.3, compared with 16.7 for the other two faiths. And they are much more likely to have had three or more sexual partners by age 17: Regnerus reports that 13.7 percent of evangelicals have, compared with 8.9 percent for mainline Protestants.

I guess this is more proof that the Bush “Don’t Fuck ’till Married” program is throwing good money after bad.

I think there are more Republicans under investigation by the FBI than those that are not. The genius who explained to us that the internet “is not a big truck, but a series of tubes,” Red Stevens of Alaska is under investigation… If you ask me, Republican = Corruption

From Yahoo

Federal agents are looking into Sen. Ted Stevens’ role in the ongoing investigation into the remodeling of his Alaska home, according to two law enforcement officials familiar with the probe.

The two officials said Stevens was not considered a target of the investigation. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing inquiry.

The investigation has been open for some time, and is linked to the VECO Corp. bribery case that earlier this month produced guilty pleas from two of the oil-field service company’s top executives, the law enforcement officials said.

The FBI and Justice Department are investigating corruption in Alaska — which may extend to the state’s federally elected officials in Washington, the officials said.

Three contractors who worked on the remodeling project at Steven’s home in Girdwood, a resort town about 40 miles south of Anchorage, said the FBI asked them to turn over their records from the job, the Anchorage Daily News reported Tuesday. One also said he testified about the project before a federal grand jury in December.

The remodeling work in summer and fall 2000 more than doubled the size of the house, a four-bedroom structure that is Stevens’ official residence in Alaska.

May 30, 2005, the discredited Vice President of the United States, Dick Cheney said, “I think they’re in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency.”

Number of Americans troops that have dies from then to now: 1660

Why does anyone listen to this dick anymore?

From Mirron on America

A new report reveals that Dick Cheney, through his attorney, ordered the Secret Service not to keep logs of who visited his residence, and to purge any logs that they had. This would be a violation of the Presidential Records Act,which requires that records, such as visitor logs, be maintained, for both the President and VP. This comes after his involvement in the Valerie Plame fiasco.

What the hell have we become… Bush will not even allow the funerals (By the way, the number of funeral attended by Bush of an Iraq Vet, ZERO!)

NY Times (bolds are mine)

‘They are basically asking me to stand in front of a unit before I go out with them and say that in the event that they are wounded, I would like their consent,” he said. “We are already viewed by some as bloodsucking vultures, and making that kind of announcement would make you an immediate bad luck charm.”

“They are not letting us cover the reality of war,” he added. “I think this has got little to do with the families or the soldiers and everything to do with politics.”

….Until last year, no permission was required to publish photographs of the wounded, but families had to be notified of the soldier’s injury first. Now, not only is permission required, but any image of casualties that shows a recognizable name or unit is off-limits. And memorials for the fallen in Iraq can no longer be shown, even when the unit in question invites coverage.

So it is being reported that it is unlikely that any of the stated goals for the surge will be meet. I guess that leave only the unstated goals, but those are secret. I suspect they are something like: bilk a billion dollars from US Treasury Department, Create more chaos so that [fill in contractor name here] can steal, and also give Republicans more ammo to scare Americans into voting for them… So my thought is this, if the military is saying that we CAN NOT win, and the goals laid out by Bush when he jammed this surge down our collective gullets, will not be meet. The Democrats have have failed us, they have shown that will take it in the most dirty of ways, then why are we there? I think every life lost from this point out is murder. Why wait for the report, bring them home NOW!!!!!

The LA Times Has More.

U.S. military leaders in Iraq are increasingly convinced that most of the broad political goals President Bush laid out early this year in his announcement of a troop buildup will not be met this summer and are seeking ways to redefine success.

In September, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq, is scheduled to present Congress with an assessment of progress in Iraq. Military officers in Baghdad and outside advisors working with Petraeus doubt that the three major goals set by U.S. officials for the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki will be achieved by then.

Enactment of a new law to share Iraq’s oil revenue among Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish regions is the only goal they think might be achieved in time, and even that is considered a long shot. The two other key benchmarks are provincial elections and a deal to allow more Sunni Arabs into government jobs.

With overhauls by the central government stalled and with security in Baghdad still a distant goal, Petraeus’ advisors hope to focus on smaller achievements that they see as signs of progress, including local deals among Iraq’s rival factions to establish areas of peace in some provincial cities.

Well it is the day after Memorial Day, and 8 US Soldiers died in Iraq while we were at our Bar-B-Q’s, the 8 deaths 10 deaths are “making May the deadliest month of the year for U.S. troops in Iraq.” God Bless them, and may Bush’s War in Iraq be over by the next one, we can hope.

UPDATE: 10 Deaths, Washington Post Reports

May 26, 2007
Dublin, Ireland

Dear Democratic Congress,

Hello, my name is Cindy Sheehan and my son Casey Sheehan was killed on April 04, 2004 in Sadr City , Baghdad , Iraq . He was killed when the Republicans still were in control of Congress. Naively, I set off on my tireless campaign calling on Congress to rescind George’s authority to wage his war of terror while asking him “for what noble cause” did Casey and thousands of other have to die. Now, with Democrats in control of Congress, I have lost my optimistic naiveté and have become cynically pessimistic as I see you all caving into as one Daily Kos poster called: “Mr. 28%”

There is absolutely no sane or defensible reason for you to hand Bloody King George more money to condemn more of our brave, tired, and damaged soldiers and the people of Iraq to more death and carnage. You think giving him more money is politically expedient, but it is a moral abomination and every second the occupation of Iraq endures, you all have more blood on your hands.

Ms. Pelosi, Speaker of the House, said after George signed the new weak as a newborn baby funding authorization bill: “Now, I think the president’s policy will begin to unravel.” Begin to unravel? How many more of our children will have to be killed and how much more of Iraq will have to be demolished before you all think enough unraveling has occurred? How many more crimes will BushCo be allowed to commit while their poll numbers are crumbling before you all gain the political “courage” to hold them accountable. If Iraq hasn’t unraveled in Ms. Pelosi’s mind, what will it take? With almost 700,000 Iraqis dead and four million refugees (which the US refuses to admit) how could it get worse? Well, it is getting worse and it can get much worse thanks to your complicity.

Being cynically pessimistic, it seems to me that this new vote to extend the war until the end of September, (and let’s face it, on October 1st, you will give him more money after some more theatrics, which you think are fooling the anti-war faction of your party) will feed right into the presidential primary season and you believe that if you just hang on until then, the Democrats will be able to re-take the White House. Didn’t you see how “well” that worked for John Kerry in 2004 when he played the politics of careful fence sitting and pandering? The American electorate are getting disgusted with weaklings who blow where the wind takes them while frittering away our precious lifeblood and borrowing money from our new owners, the Chinese.

I knew having a Democratic Congress would make no difference in grassroots action. That’s why we went to DC when you all were sworn in to tell you that we wanted the troops back from Iraq and BushCo held accountable while you pushed for ethics reform which is quite a hoot…don’t’ you think? We all know that it is affordable for you all to play this game of political mayhem because you have no children in harm’s way…let me tell you what it is like:

You watch your reluctant soldier march off to a war that neither you nor he agrees with. Once your soldier leaves the country all you can do is worry. You lie awake at night staring at the moon wondering if today will be the day that you get that dreaded knock on your door. You can’t concentrate, you can’t eat, and your entire life becomes consumed with apprehension while you are waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Then, when your worst fears are realized, you begin a life of constant pain, regret, and longing. Everyday is hard, but then you come up on “special” days…like upcoming Memorial Day. Memorial Day holds double pain for me because, not only are we supposed to honor our fallen troops, but Casey was born on Memorial Day in 1979. It used to be a day of celebration for us and now it is a day of despair. Our needlessly killed soldiers of this war and the past conflict in Vietnam have all left an unnecessary trail of sorrow and deep holes of absence that will never be filled.

So, Democratic Congress, with the current daily death toll of 3.72 troops per day, you have condemned 473 more to these early graves. 473 more lives wasted for your political greed: Thousands of broken hearts because of your cowardice and avarice. How can you even go to sleep at night or look at yourselves in a mirror? How do you put behind you the screaming mothers on both sides of the conflict? How does the agony you have created escape you? It will never escape me…I can’t run far enough or hide well enough to get away from it.

By the end of September, we will be about 80 troops short of another bloody milestone: 4000, and MoveOn.org will hold nationwide candlelight vigils and you all will be busy passing legislation that will snuff the lights out of thousands more human beings.

Congratulations Congress, you have bought yourself a few more months of an illegal and immoral bloodbath. And you know you mean to continue it indefinitely so “other presidents” can solve the horrid problem BushCo forced our world into.

It used to be George Bush’s war. You could have ended it honorably. Now it is yours and you all will descend into calumnious history with BushCo.

The Camp Casey Peace Institute is calling all citizens who are as disgusted as we are with you all to join us in Philadelphia on July 4th to try and figure a way out of this “two” party system that is bought and paid for by the war machine which has a stranglehold on every aspect of our lives. As for myself, I am leaving the Democratic Party. You have completely failed those who put you in power to change the direction our country is heading. We did not elect you to help sink our ship of state but to guide it to safe harbor.

We do not condone our government’s violent meddling in sovereign countries and we condemn the continued murderous occupation of Iraq .

We gave you a chance, you betrayed us.

Sincerely,
Cindy Sheehan
Founder and President of
Gold Star Families for Peace.

Founder and Director of
The Camp Casey Peace Institute

Eternally grieving mother of Casey Sheehan

American was once a proud beacon of human rights that the rest of the world looked up to, even strive to be, but those days are long over.  found in the Friday news dump was a report by the United Nations that the United States of America has broken international human rights laws.  This is what America has become under Bush, a nation that can now hold its head up prowd with the likes of North Korea, Cuba, Vietnam, China, and even little Uzbekistan. I remember the day when the United States could chastise other countries for the slightest human rights violation because our hands were clean, because our laws went out of their way to protect the rights of individuals, I guess human rights is so pre-September 11 thinking.  According to the UN report the United States has broken the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights treaty, a treaty signed by the United States.

the UN cited the United States’ use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” is nothing more than a form of torture and inhumane treatment, a direct violation of international law (if you’ll recall in last week’s Republican debate every one of the candidates seemed eager to share with the sick right wing how eager they wear to break international law).  The UN went on to say that President Bush’s classification of people as “unlawful enemy combatants” is nothing more than a “description of convenience” and is not defined at any point under international law.  This is where we are in Bush’s America, and it sickens me that we have come this far, and we are going to let a group of evil son of a bitches flush everything this country is worked so hard for down the toilet.

And the Democrats are going to send Bush a blank check? Are they okay with signing it in the blood of our soldiers?

itv

Seven US soldiers were killed in four separate attacks - mainly roadside bombings in Iraq on Tuesday.

The US military confirmed three were killed and four were wounded in the single worst attack when their patrol was hit by “multiple improvised explosive devices”.

Elsewhere, at a press conference held in Baghdad, US military spokesman Major General William Caldwell confirmed that the Iraqi police have found a body that may have been one of the missing soldiers.

Maj Caldwell said that they were yet to confirm the body’s identity and that families would be contacted before details released to the media.

I could not make this up if I tried. Paul Wolfowitz, the soon to be unemployed President of the World Bank, was fired for one reason and only one, He used his position as President of the bank to get his girlfriend a promotion and pay raise. Well I guess he is no longer useful to him, because she just broke up with him… He lost his job, and his f*ck buddy in the same week…

From the Malaysia Sun

Outgoing World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz hasnot only lost his job, but his girlfriend, too.

Wolfowitz was asked to resign from the World Bank over a controversial pay and promotion package that he had arranged for his brunette girlfriend, Shaha Ali Riza.

Sources were quoted by the New York Post as saying that Riza, a brilliant feminist with a promising diplomatic career, was upset by all the publicity and the implication that she was getting ahead with the help of a powerful man.

“She was furious about the embarrassment,” one source was quoted, as saying.

Last week, Wolfowitz bowed to mounting pressure over the cronyism scandal, agreeing to step down June 30. The announcement came nine months after Page Six first revealed how he’d ruffled the feathers of World Bank employees by dating, and then promoting, the Tunisian divorcee, who managed the bank’s External Relations and Outreach for the Middle East and North Africa Region.

After Wolfowitz joined the World Bank, Ali Riza was first transferred to a joint World Bank/U.S. Agency for International Development multinational investment project, and then to work on the bank’s South American interests.

“Apparently she never asked for a promotion and liked her old job,” our source said.

Both Wolfowitz and Riza have declined to comment on the breakup.

Why are we there again? Why are the Democrats going to hand Bush a blank check on this failed cluster fuck? Nine are dead in the past 48 hours, over 80 troops dead this month so far.

Rendering themselves utterly irrelevant after only a few months in power in Congress, the Democrats have handed Bush a stunning victory over the Iraq. They folded like a $2 chair. Democrats will fund the war with no benchmarks, no timetables, nothing… just a blank check! I am ashamed at the Democrats, it is a total failure of the American people.

From the Retuers

President George W. Bush won a battle over funding the Iraq war as congressional Democrats on Tuesday abandoned troop withdrawal efforts for now but pledged to fight with new legislation in July.

Senior congressional aides said a $100 billion war funding bill the U.S. Congress is trying to finish this week will not contain timetables for withdrawing most of the 147,000 U.S. troops from Iraq, as anti-war Democrats had hoped.

On May 1, Bush vetoed Congress’ first version of this year’s emergency war funds bill because it set an October 1 deadline for starting to pull out soldiers.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (news, bio, voting record), a Maryland Democrat, said that finishing touches on a new bill were still being worked on with the White House.

But acknowledging the political realities of the Democrats’ narrow control of Congress and a White House occupied by a Republican, Hoyer told reporters, “The president has made it very clear he’s not going to sign timelines (for withdrawing troops). We can’t pass timelines over his veto.”

That will be a disappointment for many Democrats who think they won control of Congress in last November’s elections largely because voters wanted to see an end to the four-year-old war in Iraq.

Hoyer said Democrats will continue pushing for a “change in direction” in Iraq, where at least 3,420 U.S. soldiers have been killed and more than 34,000 wounded.

What a major kick in the teeth, You failed us Dems…