Can you imagine? McCain wants to be president but doesn't know how to use a computer

It must be a generational thing. The man is in his 70's. Or maybe it's an intelligence thing? He did finish at the bottom of his class. Whatever the reason, can you imagine a president who can't operate a computer?

McCain admits he is 'computer illiterate' and has to depend on his wife.

In the present day, how can one be fully informed if you do not use a computer? McCain is a dope.

Why congress sucks, Democrats capitulate on FISA

House Democrats put politics ahead of the Constitution.

105 House Democrats sold out the Constitution in an effort to take away a Republican talking point of fear if they opposed the FISA bill. Terrorists cannot overthrow the Constitution and establish a police state in America, only an American president enabled by an unprincipled Congress can do that. (Of course nearly all Republicans voted for the bill).

However, Democratic Senate patriots like Russ Feingold, Barack Obama, and Chris Dodd are joining with a few Republicans like Arlen Spector who care about the Constitution, are standing up for the rights of Americans.

This bill will effectively and unjustifiably grant immunity to companies that allegedly participated in an illegal wiretapping program – a program that more than 70 members of this body still know virtually nothing about. And this bill will grant the Bush Administration – the same administration that developed and operated this illegal program for more than five years – expansive new authorities to spy on Americans’ international communications. ... this bill doesn’t protect the privacy of Americans whose communications will be collected in vast new quantities. Under the bill, all that illegally obtained information on Americans can be retained and used. Once again, there are no consequences for illegal behavior.
-- Russ Feingold [D - WI]

Summing up the jist of the bill - it "protects" the civil liberties of American citizens by acknowledging that those civil liberties were being violated -- then declaring amnesty for the acts of the violators: the Bush Administration and the telecoms. The bill allows you to be prosecuted using secret evidence, presented secretly, banning review, explicitly banning judicial leeway to determine whether laws were violated, or civil liberties infringed upon. Of course you could be prosecuted by evidence is to be presented by the same people who broke the law and violated your rights to privacy in the first place.

As Senator Obama pointed out, there must be accountability where "someone's watching the watchers, where you don't have an administration that feels that it can make it's own determination about when warrantless wiretaps are used without a FISA court..."

Gov't report: Bush administration broke federal law - politicized DoJ hiring

The findings are in, the report is finished. The Department of Justice Inspector General has found definitively that the Bush administration broke federal law in politicizing hiring practices in the Dept. of Justice.

From the report (p.99):

The documentary evidence and witness interviews also support the conclusion that two members of the 2006 Screening Committee, [Bush appointees] Esther Slater McDonald and Michael Elston, took political or ideological affiliations into account in deselecting candidates in violation of Department policy and federal law. For example, the evidence showed that McDonald wrote disparaging statements about candidates’ liberal and Democratic Party affiliations on the applications she reviewed and that she voted to deselect candidates on that basis.

Interesting that before Elston resigned, he helped carry out the firings of eight U.S. attorneys, and "was accused of threatening at least four of the eight fired U.S. attorneys to keep quiet about their ousters." He was also accused of rejecting a large number of applicants to Justice Department positions because they were Democrats.

Will we see justice in our Dept. of Justice for these power hungry thugs - violators of Federal law? This is consistent with what was suspected in the political US attorney firings.

"This is the first smoking gun. We believe there will be more to come. This report shows clearly that politics and ideology replaced merit as the hiring criteria at one of our most prized civil service departments."

--Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee

A tribute to the great George Carlin

George Carlin cuts to the chase. One of the greatest comic geniuses of our time. Carlin died last week at age 71.

The thing about Carlin is that he often made total sense in his own outrageous and comic way. He wasn't afraid to touch on sensitive moral and political issues. Tell us what ya really think George!! Truth is power.

Here are a few of my favorite clips, incredibly funny, highly recommended!!

Pro-Life is anti-women

Sanctity of life


Religion

MASS SCHOOL OF LAW TO HOLD CONFERENCE ON BUSH WAR CRIMES

Remember Saddam's punishment?
If the Dean of the Massachusetts School of Law at Andover has his way, Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Yoo are going to swing. That is hang by the neck until dead - the death penalty - an appropriate punishment for war crimes.

Press release:

On September 13-14, 2008, Lawrence Velvel, the dean of the Massachusetts School of Law at Andover, plans to convene a 'convention' at the school's facilities; the attendees of which will plan strategies to prosecute members of the Bush administration for war crimes.

"This is not intended to be a mere discussion of violations of law that have occurred," said convener Lawrence Velvel, dean and cofounder of the school. "It is, rather, intended to be a planning conference at which plans will be laid and necessary organizational structures set up, to pursue the guilty as long as necessary and, if need be, to the ends of the Earth."

"We must try to hold Bush administration leaders accountable in courts of justice," Velvel said. "And we must insist on appropriate punishments, including, if guilt is found, the hangings visited upon top German and Japanese war-criminals in the 1940s. For Bush, Richard Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and John Yoo to spend years in jail or go to the gallows for their crimes would be a powerful lesson to future American leaders," Velvel said.

McCain's "100 years in Iraq" problem

McCain sums up the confusion over his “100 years” remark by stating his case that he wants to stay in Iraq until no more Americans are getting killed, no matter how long it takes and how many Americans get killed achieving that goal—that is, the goal of not getting any more Americans killed. And once that goal is achieved, we’ll stay.

Got that?

Problem: McCain is a warrior that is dumb about war. No wonder he finished at the bottom of his class at the Naval Academy.

Like Bush, McCain thinks the solution is our presence in the Middle East. No, the problem is our presence in the Middle East. As long as we’re setting up shop in the heart of the Arab world, we’re not keeping America safer. Winning the War on Terror comes down to this: what will make us safer Arabs who are willing to die to kill Americans? There are a number of good answers to that question, but occupying their land for the next 100 years is not one of them.

Al Qaeda has us exactly where they want us, waging an expensive unilateral war, depleting our military in a war where there is no defense against suicide bombers, where our economy is being sucked dry slowly and surely while feeding the hate for America by our presence in Iraq - the best recruiting campaign that al Qaeda could hope for. That's what we can expect from John McCain.

Gen. Casey says the Army needs 3 or 4 years and substantial resources to recover from Iraq and that the “current demand for our forces exceeds the sustainable supply."

America is less safe today because of the strain two wars, that aren't anywhere near conclusion, are straining the military to a point that the US could not handle an additional conflict if one where to arise according to Army Gen. Cody in Senate hearings three years ago.

We could be hiring 10,000 new border patrol guards for a year to protect this country from illegals with the amount that is spend in Iraq EVERY DAY. Think about that and what is best to defend America.

Bush war crimes confirmed

After years of disclosures by government investigations, media accounts, and reports from human rights organizations, there is no longer any doubt as to whether the current administration has committed war crimes. The only question that remains to be answered is whether those who ordered the use of torture will be held to account.

-- Maj. General Antonio Taguba

A new report released by Physicians for Human Rights: Broken Laws, Broken Lives, presents irrefutable medical evidence that confirms first-hand accounts of men who endured torture by US personnel in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantánamo Bay. These men were never charged with any crime.

This year's Oscar winning documentary, Taxi to the Dark Side, also chronicles the Bush Administration's moral values on torture. The story is about the controversial death of an Afghan taxi driver named Dilawar. Dilawar was beaten to death by American soldiers while being held in detention at the Bagram Air Base.

Impeachment would not be a sufficient for such crimes. A war crimes tribunal is in order.

McCain graduated in BOTTOM ONE PERCENT in his Annapolis class

So he was captured and tortured, that makes him a war hero. So why doesn't the war hero sign Standard Form 180 releasing his entire military file?

An expose' written by Jeffrey Klein reveals McCain's questionable record. He takes issue with the NYT story about McCain 'declining a promotion to admiral to enter the senate.' Retired Admiral John R. Batzler, former commanding officer of the U.S.S. Nimitz, and retired Admiral Peter Booth both refute the story.

The article alleges over 600 pages of McCain's military record have not been released. So, how did a Annapolis grad at the bottom of his class get offered the most sought-after Navy assignment -- to become an aircraft carrier pilot? Only the most accomplished midshipmen who've competed furiously for the few carrier pilot openings get such assignments. After four abysmal academic years at Annapolis distinguished only by his misdeeds and malfeasance, no one with a record resembling McCain's would have been offered such a prized career path. The justification for this and subsequent plum assignments should be documented in McCain's naval file. But it isn't. Neither are the details of the loss of his fifth plane.

The article notes that John McCain and GW Bush have a commonality in their backgrounds:

Some of the unreleased pages in McCain's Navy file may not reflect well upon his qualifications for the presidency. From day one in the Navy, McCain screwed-up again and again, only to be forgiven because his father and grandfather were four-star admirals. McCain's sense of entitlement to privileged treatment bears an eerie resemblance to George W. Bush's.

Two biographies about McCain, both highly favorable, mention McCain's lack of accomplishment as a pilot. But there are zero evaluations available to the public regarding his placement and low standing among his colleagues. John McCain, by Robert Timberg mentions his "below par" performance as does the other book of the same title by John Karaagac that mentions "he was thus on the lower end of the flying totem pole."

So John, release your military records... all of them. Explain to us how a guy like you, someone who graduated in the bottom 1% of his class, got a highly prized assignment as a Navy carrier pilot? Also tell us why Navy Secretary John Lehman - who is also the National Security Adviser to McCain's 2008 presidential campaign, lied to the NYT about your supposed pending promotion to admiral?

Vietnam Vets Against McCain have produced this video that notes:

John McCain has admitted that he survived as a POW because he traded US military secrets and made Jane Fonda style radio broadcasts in exchange for better medical treatment.

Do we want a bottom 1%er as president? We deserve better.

Bush - one of the world's least trusted leaders

WPO: "A new WorldPublicOpinion.org poll of 20 nations around the world finds that none of the national leaders on the world stage inspire wide confidence. US President George W. Bush is one of the least trusted leaders..."

Is anyone surprised?

WorldPublicOpinion.org conducted the poll of 19,751 respondents in nations that comprise 60 percent of the world's population. This includes most of the largest nations--China, India, the United States, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Russia--as well as Mexico, Argentina, Britain, France, Spain, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Egypt, Jordan, Iran, Turkey, the Palestinian territories, South Korea and Thailand. Fielding was conducted between January 10 and May 6. The margins of error range from +/-2 to 4 percent.

Oversight Committee subpoenas FBI transcripts of Bush, Cheney interviews on Plame leak

This, combined with the Scott McClellan testimony coming up on Friday, should serve to document yet another impeachable offense (Article XIV) committed by Bush.

Below, GHW Bush describes the crime that his son's administration committed:

"I have nothing but contempt and anger for those who expose the names of our sources. They are, in my view, the most insidious of traitors."

-- GHW Bush

McCain's tax program screws average Americans, benefits multimillionares

If you make $112,000 a year or less, you will do better on taxes under Obama.

McCain says Obama is gonna raise your taxes... yes he will, but only if you make $2.9 million a year or more. Almost everyone else will do better.

Both candidates are proposing tax savings for most Americans. Here it is, cut and dry for 2009:

CNN

Tax savings if you make:
$38-$66,000 a year
McCain will save you -$319
Obama will save you -$1042

Tax savings if you make:
$66-$112,000 a year
McCain will save you -$1009
Obama will save you -$1290

Tax savings if you make:
$112 - $161,000 a year
McCain will save you -$2614
Obama will save you -$2204

Tax savings if you make:
Over $2.9 million a year
McCain will save you -$269,364
Obama will tax you +$701,885

OK, if you're greedy and make $3+ million a year, I can understand why you'd support McSame.

The WORLD wants Obama to be next US President

I just spoke with a friend who returned from Europe last week and told me "everyone he spoke to supports Obama as the next US President."
The most extensive survey to date on the subject - The Pew Global Attitudes Project - surveyed more than 24,000 people in 24 countries, March 17 to April 21 and found Obama to be the overwhelming choice around the world, the polls were virtually unanimous. Except for the US and Jordan that show equal support for both candidates, it's unanimous - the world has more confidence in Obama than McCain, and this difference is overwhelming in Europe.

Pew:

People around the world who have been paying attention to the American election express more confidence in Barack Obama than in John McCain to do the right thing regarding world affairs. McCain is rated lower than Obama in every country surveyed, except for the United States where his rating matches Obama's, as well as in Jordan... Obama's advantage over McCain is overwhelming in the Western European countries surveyed. The survey also finds a widespread belief that U.S. foreign policy "will change for the better" after the inauguration of a new American president next year.

The Houston Chronicle said it best with the headline:

If the world had a vote, it would be for Obama

What it means to VOTE REPUBLICAN

What it means to VOTE REPUBLICAN:

Bush approval goes DOWN DOWN DOWN - dragging McCain with him

Bush Approval Ratings Tumble to Another Record Low - McCain Approval Ratings Follow
In the traditionally Bush-friendly Rasmussen Reports, 48% of Americans now STRONGLY DISAPPROVE of Bush - a record. Overal, a total of 67% disapprove.

Rasmussen's all time low of 31% represents the high side. Other Bush approval ratings include:

Harris - 24% ; CBS - 25% ; NBC - 28% ; USA/Gallup - 28% ; Quinnipac - 28%

Rasmussen:

After falling to a record full-month low in May, George W. Bush’s report card from the American people fell even further during the first week of June.

For the seven days ending June 7, just 31% approved of the way the President is performing his job. Sixty-seven percent (67%) disapproved. Both figures are records.

Those figures include just 12% who Strongly Approve of the President’s performance. Four times as many—48%--Strongly Disapprove.

McCain's favorability rating drops 10 point since nomination

MSNBC:

In March, MccCains favorability rating was 49%-27%. Later that month, it was 45%-25%. In April, it was 40%-30%. And now in our latest NBC/WSJ poll, it’s 39%-34% -- that’s a drop of 10 points.

Wingnuts will point out that Congress approval ratings are also at an all-time low. So what? - Consider these NBC polls:

Generic congressional ballot:
Democrats 52%
Republicans 33%

Party favorability:
Democratic Party
43% approve
32% disapprove

Republican Party
28% approve
47% disapprove

More here and here. You want to see Congress polls go up? Impeach Bush.

Supreme Court ruling verifies Bush Impeachment Article XVII on unconstitutional detention

The Impeachment of GW Bush is a slam dunk case.

How much more verification of the charges do we need? Any one of the 35 Articles are grounds for Impeachment. The Supreme Court agrees:

AP: The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that foreign terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay have rights under the Constitution to challenge their detention in U.S. civilian courts. The justices handed the Bush administration its third setback at the high court since 2004 over its treatment of prisoners who are being held indefinitely and without charges at the U.S. naval base in Cuba.

Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the court, said, "The laws and Constitution are designed to survive, and remain in force, in extraordinary times." The court said not only that the detainees have rights under the Constitution, but that the system the administration has put in place to classify them as enemy combatants and review those decisions is inadequate.

Human rights groups have blasted Gitmo. There is ample evidence for torture. This year's Oscar Award winning documentary Taxi to the Dark Side chronicles the Bush Administration's policy of torture and rendition which apply to Impeachment Articles XVII, XVIII, XIX, and XX.

ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT OF PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH

Wouldn't it be great if the impeachment of GW Bush could be decided by a national referendum? Nevertheless, these Articles of Impeachment are now permanent part of the Congressional Record and Congressman Dennis Kucinich is an American Hero for presenting them. These 35 Articles make Clinton's Impeachment look like a parking ticket. They are simply too numerous and too well documented to ignore.

It is my pleasure, duty and honor to submit to you:

ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT OF PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH

INDEX

Article I
Creating a Secret Propaganda Campaign to Manufacture a False Case for War Against Iraq.

Article II
Falsely, Systematically, and with Criminal Intent Conflating the Attacks of September 11, 2001, With Misrepresentation of Iraq as a Security Threat as Part of Fraudulent Justification for a War of Aggression.

Article III
Misleading the American People and Members of Congress to Believe Iraq Possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction, to Manufacture a False Case for War.

Article IV
Misleading the American People and Members of Congress to Believe Iraq Posed an Imminent Threat to the United States.

Article V
Illegally Misspending Funds to Secretly Begin a War of Aggression.

Article VI
Invading Iraq in Violation of the Requirements of H. J. Res114.

Article VII
Invading Iraq Absent a Declaration of War.

Article VIII
Invading Iraq, A Sovereign Nation, in Violation of the UN Charter.

Article IX
Failing to Provide Troops With Body Armor and Vehicle Armor.

Article X
Falsifying Accounts of US Troop Deaths and Injuries for Political Purposes.

Article XI
Establishment of Permanent U.S. Military Bases in Iraq.

Article XII
Initiating a War Against Iraq for Control of That Nation's Natural Resources.

Article XIIII
Creating a Secret Task Force to Develop Energy and Military Policies With Respect to Iraq and Other Countries.

Article XIV
Misprision of a Felony, Misuse and Exposure of Classified Information And Obstruction of Justice in the Matter of Valerie Plame Wilson, Clandestine Agent of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Article XV
Providing Immunity from Prosecution for Criminal Contractors in Iraq.

Article XVI
Reckless Misspending and Waste of U.S. Tax Dollars in Connection With Iraq and US Contractors.

Article XVII
Illegal Detention: Detaining Indefinitely And Without Charge Persons Both U.S. Citizens and Foreign Captives.

Article XVIII
Torture: Secretly Authorizing, and Encouraging the Use of Torture Against Captives in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Other Places, as a Matter of Official Policy.

Article XIX
Rendition: Kidnapping People and Taking Them Against Their Will to "Black Sites" Located in Other Nations, Including Nations Known to Practice Torture.

Article XX
Imprisoning Children.

Article XXI
Misleading Congress and the American People About Threats from Iran, and Supporting Terrorist Organizations Within Iran, With the Goal of Overthrowing the Iranian Government.

Article XXII
Creating Secret Laws.

Article XXIII
Violation of the Posse Comitatus Act.

Article XXIV
Spying on American Citizens, Without a Court-Ordered Warrant, in Violation of the Law and the Fourth Amendment.

Article XXV
Directing Telecommunications Companies to Create an Illegal and Unconstitutional Database of the Private Telephone Numbers and Emails of American Citizens.

Article XXVI
Announcing the Intent to Violate Laws with Signing Statements.

Article XXVII
Failing to Comply with Congressional Subpoenas and Instructing Former Employees Not to Comply.

Article XXVIII
Tampering with Free and Fair Elections, Corruption of the Administration of Justice.

Article XXIX
Conspiracy to Violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Article XXX
Misleading Congress and the American People in an Attempt to Destroy Medicare.

Article XXXI
Katrina: Failure to Plan for the Predicted Disaster of Hurricane Katrina, Failure to Respond to a Civil Emergency.

Article XXXII
Misleading Congress and the American People, Systematically Undermining Efforts to Address Global Climate Change.

Article XXXIII
Repeatedly Ignored and Failed to Respond to High Level Intelligence Warnings of Planned Terrorist Attacks in the US, Prior to 911.

Article XXXIV
Obstruction of the Investigation into the Attacks of September 11, 2001.

Article XXXV
Endangering the Health of 911 First Responders.

____________

ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT FOR PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH

Resolved, that President George W. Bush be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors, and that the following articles of impeachment be exhibited to the United States Senate:

Bush Impeachment Resolution introduced in House

AP Story:
Rep. Kucinich introduces Bush impeachment resolution

You wonder why Congress approval rating is so low? Because they have refused to hold the criminal Bush Administration accountable.

We can change that now.

Contact your Representative and endorse the Bush Impeachment Resolution. If you believe in justice, accountability, the rule of law, and our Constitution, it is the American thing to do.

TN Congressmen:
Representative Lincoln Davis (D - 04) 202-225-6831
Representative Jim Cooper (D - 05) 202-225-4311
Representative Bart Gordon (D - 06) 202-225-4231
Representative John S. Tanner (D - 08) 202-225-4714
Representative Steve Ira Cohen (D - 09) 202-225-3265

Who are you going to believe, someone who testifies under oath, or Bushies who run and hide when subpoenaed?

Scott McClellan will testify under oath June 20,
-- unlike the subpoenaed Bushies like Karl Rove, Josh Bolten, or Harriet Miers.

What does that tell you?

Who are you going to believe, someone who puts his hand on the Bible and testifies under oath, or someone like Karl Rove and the other Bushies who run from accountability like cockroaches from the light?

The Bush Administration has proven that lying is an 'Executive Privilege'

AP:

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush's former spokesman, Scott McClellan, will testify before a House committee next week about whether Vice President Dick Cheney ordered him to make misleading public statements about the leaking of CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity.

McClellan's lawyers said he has accepted House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers' invitation to testify June 20. The attorneys said McClellan will appear and be sworn during the proceedings.

Bush says about Abramoff: "I don't know him" - although investigation documented Bush met with Abramoff SIX times.

Oversight committee report: White House LIED about Abramoff influence

Bush says about Abramoff: "I don't know him" although the committee documented Bush met with convicted felon Jack Abramoff at least SIX times.

From the report:

Mr. Abramoff’s Contact with President Bush and Other White House Officials: The documents provided to the Committee include six photographs of Mr. Abramoff and members of his family meeting with President Bush, each taken on different occasions.

Isn't it amazing that with Bush administration lies documented almost daily, that authoritarians will tell you "Bush never lied" ? It really verifies everything I've said about authoritarians.

A House Oversight Committee report contradicts White House claims that convicted felon, Jack Abamoff had access to the highest reaches of the Bush administration and influenced numerous decisions within the executive branch.

From the report:

"The testimony and documents obtained by the Committee following the September 2006 Committee staff report confirm that Mr. Abramoff had access to the White House. Further, the record before the Committee contradicts White House claims that with respect to his White House contacts, Mr. Abramoff got “nothing out of it.” Not only did Mr. Abramoff achieve some positive results from his White House lobbying, but White House officials sought out the views of Mr. Abramoff and his colleagues on matters of official business."

Report titles of a few sections:

The White House Communicated with the Abramoff Team in Considering Candidates for Political Positions in the Administration (page 19)

Mr. Abramoff Influenced Decisions about Presidential Political Endorsements (page 21)

On page 32 - the Bush Administration lies are documented and summarized with this conclusion:

The White House Failed to Provide Public Accountability Regarding its Relationship with Jack Abramoff

You have to wonder what lies beneath the tip of the iceberg in this Republican Culture of Corruption.

Michelle and Barack's 'fist bump' called "terrorist fist jab" by Fox News

The NY Daily News calls it a 'fist bump of hope.'

Fox News calls it a 'terrorist fist jab'

Would you expect anything less from the 'fair and balanced' cable news source? Fox News calling itself 'fair and balanced' is like Bush supporters saying they support the troops.

The authoritarian conservative war on America

They say, if you don't support Bush, you're a Democrat who is giving "aid to the enemy," "invested in defeat," and "not supporting our troops." It is a partisan attack, 'us and them', where all Democrats are the enemy and in support of 'surrender.'

Did it ever occur to these authoritarians that lifelong Republicans - like military generals who'd seen a lifetime of military service have called the Iraq venture "a night mare without end" (Gen. R. Sanchez), and "the war in Iraq has fueled recruitment of violent Islamic extremists" (Gen. John Batiste). They also said about Bush: "there has been a glaring, unfortunate, display of incompetent strategic leadership within our national leaders" - Sanchez; and Bush has run a "failed strategy that is breaking our great Army" - Batiste.

Do these career Generals want to lose? Do they want to help the enemy? I can quote many more high ranking military that have spoken out. Included on this list are Generals Newbold, Eaton, Odom, Swannack, Zinni, Riggs, Clark and others. Many are life long Republicans. Below is a photo of General Charles Swannack, an Iraq vet and 30 year career soldier who spoke out against the incompetence of the Bush war plan. Does he look like a 'candy-ass liberal' invested in aiding the enemy?

And you Bush supporters have the balls to tell me I "don't support our troops"? If you support Bush, YOU certainly do not support the troops.

1. Bush sent in troops to Iraq with out adequate body armor or vehicle armor resulting in mass casualties including 320,000 brain injuries. A 2006 study showed that 80% of marines killed from upper body wounds would have survived, if they'd had adequate body armor.

2. Bush's "Stop-Loss policy" had prevented at least 50,000 troops from leaving the military when their service was scheduled to end - just since 2006.

3. Bush used National Guard troops for his surge that was overburdening units already stretched to their limits according to both Republican and Democratic governors.

4. Bush is sending troops in without adequate training. Two army brigades had to forgo their desert training to accommodate Bush's escalation schedule. Soldiers who were classified as medically unfit to fight are now being sent to war.

5. Bush has opposed pay raises for military, time and time again.

6. Bush proposed cutting funding for military housing and medical facilities. In the fiscal year 2004 budget the President Bush proposed spending nearly $1.5 billion less on these critical facilities than the previous year. (House Appropriation Committees)

7. Bush proposed rolling back increases for imminent-danger pay. Soldiers on the front lines recieve a small monthly payment as compensation for being placed in imminent danger. Bush proposed cutting this fee from $225 a month to $150 a month. (Army Times)

8. Bush eliminated aid to schools located on military bases. He sliced $125 million in federal subsidies for education children of troops. The cuts affected "about 900,000 children nationwide and 63 percent of children in military families." (Seattle Times)

9. Bush has said he would veto the Webb bill providing troops with increased education benefits. The first president in history to veto a benefits bill for those who served.

And you Bush supporters have the balls to tell me I'm "aiding the enemy"?

When a Government report flatly states that an al Qaeda attack is now likely because the Bush Administration has not met US security goals to destroy the terrorist threat and close the al Qaeda's safe haven. Further, the report states that the Bush Administration has no plans to eliminate this known terrorist threat.

87 months after Richard Clarke first insisted that the Bush Administration develop a strategy to combat Al Qaeda, 62 months after the Bush Administration announced its intention to eliminate terrorist sanctuaries, 45 months after the 9/11 Commission called for the Administration to develop a strategy to eliminate terrorist sanctuaries, 258 days after Congress required the Administration to submit a strategy to combat terrorist safe havens in Pakistan within 90 days, the GAO releases a report (pdf) finding:

No comprehensive plan for meeting U.S. national security goals in the fight against terrorism has been developed, as stipulated by the National Strategy for Combating Terrorism (2003), called for by an independent commission (2004), and mandated by congressional legislation (2007).

Result: al Qaeda is stronger than ever

If you support Bush, you are either a misinformed idiot, you buy the unreasonable fear that is peddled to control you, or you are an authoritarian ass-kisser whose only interests are to yourself and your politics, not to the well being of America or our military - your only interests are to save face because you are not man enough to admit you made a mistake by supporting an incompetent president who has severely damaged America. And all they can talk about is Rev. Wright, Tony Rezko, and the GOP swiftboat du jour... while trying to rationalize any & all failings of the Bush administration while they hide and tap dance - trying every way possible to avoid oversight, investigations, and accountability til time runs out in the term.

We must succeed in Iraq and with new and competent leadership, we can hopefully repair the damage of the Bush years, abandon the isolationist arrogant foreign policy and look to the world to build more partners in the war on terror. Gen Batiste has praised the recent gains in Iraq but notes: "Ultimately, however, these military gains must be cemented with regional and global diplomacy, political reconciliation, and economic recovery...tools yet sufficiently utilized." Without diplomacy, a willingness to reach out and a comprehensive world view, victory will be only temporary. This war should not have lasted this long and should not have been shouldered soley on the backs of our military. We have paid a terrible price due to the policies of GW Bush.

Bush counter-terrorism advisor Richard Clarke says Bush lied - "these weren't close calls, they made things up"

Former Bush counter-terrorism director, Richard Clark on MSNBC comments on the new Senate Intelligence Committee Report on Iraq pre-war intelligence. Watch it:

"Statements by the president were not substantiated by intelligence ... statements by the president were contradicted by available intelligence. In other words, they made things up. They made them up and gave them to Colin Powell and others, who believed them. I think Colin Powell did not know that he was lying, but he was. He was given intelligence that people in the intelligence community at the time, knew were not true. This is not a case of 20/20 hindsight. This is a case of what was available then. The NIE on Iraq WMD was read by seven Senators before they voted to go to war. And one of them was chairman of the Intelligence Committee, Bob Graham who read it and went to the floor of the Senate and said, 'I've read it, I'm chairman of the Intelligence Committee, it's not persuasive, there's not a good case here for this war.' So, people had the opportunity at the time if they were reading the intelligence that was available to them. To say that this is something we only could have known years later, is just not true."

On McCain:

"He [McCain] is now justifying the intelligence claims of the president. Now we have the evidence, we have the proof, that four years too late that that those statements were flat out wrong, and these weren't close calls, they made things up"

Stories:

CNN, UPI , NYT, IHT, AFP

Republican talking point: "If Bush lied, the Democrats did too" - PROVEN BOGUS

Republican LIE #1: White House and Congressional Democrats saw the same intelligence

Congress members were not privy to the Presidential Daily Briefing (PDB) and many other intelligence sources. The Bush administration's public pronouncements concerning Iraq began long before any substantial intelligence analysis arrived on Capitol Hill.

For example, the White House's involvement in development of the aluminum tubes allegation shows how the administration's access to intelligence on Iraq differed from that of Congress.

This LIE is fully documented here.

Republican LIE #2: Quotes lifted from Democrats show a justification or willingness to go to war.

WRONG - they were quoted out of context and in the same speeches they warn of dire consequences of launching a unilateral invasion of Iraq
For example: Hillary's 10/10/02 speech that Republicans often quote about her acknowledgement of the danger of Saddam. What else did she say in that speech? This is what she said, do we hear wingnuts quote this part?

"If we were to attack Iraq now, alone or with few allies, it would set a precedent that could come back to haunt us.... a unilateral attack, while it cannot be ruled out, on the present facts is not a good option.... My vote is not, however, a vote for any new doctrine of pre-emption, or for uni-lateralism, or for the arrogance of American power or purpose -- all of which carry grave dangers for our nation, for the rule of international law and for the peace and security of people throughout the world."

In the often quoted John Kerry speech on 1/23/03 on the need to disarm Saddam, he also said:

"The Bush Administration has a plan for waging war but no plan for winning the peace. It has invested mightily in the tools of destruction but meagerly in the tools of peaceful construction. ...We need to make certain that we have not unnecessarily twisted so many arms, created so many reluctant partners, abused the trust of Congress, or strained so many relations, that the longer term and more immediate vital war on terror is made more difficult. And we should be particularly concerned that we do not go alone or essentially alone if we can avoid it, because the complications and costs of post-war Iraq would be far better managed and shared with United Nation's participation."

I could go on and on - but you get the picture.

The bottom line is - as I said in my previous post, there was credible intelligence that indicated Saddam had WMD, but it was overstated, cherry picked, manipulated and used deceptively to build a case for war. I can't wait to get the transcript of Richard Clarke's interview tonight on MSNBC. He verifies what McClellan said and what this new report said: conclusions which the Bush Administration delivered in public statements were NOT supported by the intelligence

The Democrats were lied to. The American people were lied to. There is no debate. The game is over. The Republican MO:

Admit nothing

Deny everything

Say "they did it too"

Bipartisan Senate intel report conclusively shows Bush lied to justify war

The next time you hear someone say, "well, they thought Saddam was a threat too"... tell them about this report. UPDATE: CNN Story:

"The Bush administration misused intelligence to build a case for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq... the White House exploited its ability to declassify intelligence selectively to bolster its case for war ... The report also found that the administration misled the American people about contacts between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda."

Slam dunk - Game Over - Bush LIED.

And some assholes say Scotty McClellen was lying to sell books, (i.e. A, B, C, D, E, F, G, idiot denialists etc...)

The report details Administration prewar statements that, on numerous occasions, misrepresented the intelligence and the threat from Iraq.

Although there was some prewar intel that supported the claim that Saddam possessed WMD, the Iraq war was packaged and sold to Americans in a deliberately deceptive way. The Committee’s report cites several conclusions in which the Administration’s public statements were NOT supported by the intelligence. They include:

Ø Statements and implications by the President and Secretary of State suggesting that Iraq and al-Qa’ida had a partnership, or that Iraq had provided al-Qa’ida with weapons training, were not substantiated by the intelligence.

Ø Statements by the President and the Vice President indicating that Saddam Hussein was prepared to give weapons of mass destruction to terrorist groups for attacks against the United States were contradicted by available intelligence information.

Ø Statements by President Bush and Vice President Cheney regarding the postwar situation in Iraq, in terms of the political, security, and economic, did not reflect the concerns and uncertainties expressed in the intelligence products.

Ø Statements by the President and Vice President prior to the October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate regarding Iraq’s chemical weapons production capability and activities did not reflect the intelligence community’s uncertainties as to whether such production was ongoing.

Ø The Secretary of Defense’s statement that the Iraqi government operated underground WMD facilities that were not vulnerable to conventional airstrikes because they were underground and deeply buried was not substantiated by available intelligence information.

Ø The Intelligence Community did not confirm that Muhammad Atta met an Iraqi intelligence officer in Prague in 2001 as the Vice President repeatedly claimed.

These findings completely undermine John McCain's claims that ‘every assessment’ justified war in Iraq. WRONG... LIAR.

Also, McCain told MSNBC’s Chris Matthews that “absolutely” a “large number of Iraqis” will “treat us as liberators.“ Bush/McSame ignored a pre-war intelligence report - a January 2003 Intelligence Community Assessment warned that “Iraq was a deeply divided society that likely would engage in violent conflict unless an occupying power prevented it.”

Every poll ever taken shows Iraqis and every nation in the world want the US out of Iraq. 72% do not support the presence of US forces in Iraq (latest poll q.#20) and majorities say the surge and continued presence of US has made things worse.

Well, we've heard this from Scotty, we've heard this from retired Generals, we've heard this from Richard Clarke, Paul O'Neil, and many others... and now from an exhaustive Senate investigation. Is it starting to sink in yet?? For most thinking individuals it is, but not for the authoritarians ... they will remain in denial.

(H/T: TP)

Obama leads McSame in national polls and electoral map

heh... and we're just gettin' started. Cool.

Very cool.

Which way is he going? down ... down ... down...

CBS: President Bush's approval rating is at its lowest level to date. Just 25 percent of Americans approve of the overall job Mr. Bush is doing as President, an all-time low for him and among the lowest approval ratings ever recorded for a President.

McCain's top advisor enables terrorists

Former Sen. Phil Gramm, called McCain's econ brain, is co-chair of McCain's campaign. Gramm, former chair of the Senate Banking Committee opposed President Clinton's attempt to facilitate tracing of terrorist and criminal money laundering. Since leaving the Senate, the fiercely pro-deregulation Phil Gramm, had been lobbying for Swiss bank UBS this spring - weakening America's ability to track terrorist money. UBS is also currently the focus of congressional and Justice Department investigations into schemes that allegedly enabled wealthy Americans to evade income taxes by stashing their money in overseas havens, according to several law-enforcement and banking officials in both the United States and Europe (Newsweek).

Gramm lobbied for UBS through April and associate John Savercool, is still registered to lobby legislators for UBS on numerous issues, including opposing a bill cosponsored by Sen. Barack Obama that would crack down on foreign tax havens.

Making it easier for bin Laden

MSNBC: The New York Times reported that a single senator had blocked legislation that would have helped US investigators track Osama bin Laden's financial network before 9/11. It was Phil Gramm who still defended these tax havens after 9/11, whose bank was still lobbying Congress on behalf of tax havens as recently as last year. In the Senate he blocked legislation that would have enabled the Bush administration to force foreign banks into cooperating on anti-terror measures before and after 9/11.

Chris Hayes on MSNBC:

"What this reveals is really a profound contradiction at the heart of the Republican coalition. It's home to the most sort of chest-beating, self-righteous moralists about foreign policy. ... At the same time, it's a party whose agenda is run by global conglomerates that pursue dollar and profit with no regard for any kind of sense of morality. ... It blows apart this entire moralistic rationale. Senator Obama proposed divestment legislation in the Senate and ... it was blocked by a Republican senator because it would have required the government to report on what businesses have dealing with Iran ... [McCain] was unwilling to lift a single finger to make it happen."

(H/T: RS)

Here we go - the question is: Change vs. McSame

Barack Obama will deliver his acceptance speech at the Democratic Convention on August 28th, appropriately on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech.

The battle lines are drawn - a new direction for America or more of the same?

What does America say ?

How does it look so far?

Barack Obama's speech last night and clinching the spot of 'presumptive nominee' was called a historic moment for America.

Meanwhile, McCain's dreadful speech last night was described as being filled with "inconsistency" by right wing pundit Mark Levin in NRO:

"...this speech is a mash and tough to digest. You have to get through the self-congratulatory praise of independence and commander-in-chief pose from the Senator, then you have to try to follow the inconsistency of some of his big-government ideas vs. his anti-big-government rhetoric, and his inconsistency even on his supposed strength..."

Not one single country in the world supports the US occupation of Iraq

The most recent comprehensive international poll on the subject - completed 7/26/07 - shows that of 23,000 people in 22 countries polled, not one single country supports the US occupation of Iraq. Further, the study shows anti-occupation sentiment growing as compared to a 2006 poll.

Overall:

A majority of citizens across the world (67%) think US-led forces should leave Iraq within a year, according to a BBC World Service poll of 23,000 people across 22 countries. Just one in four (23%) think foreign troops should remain in Iraq until security improves.

Muslim countries are among those who most strongly support an immediate US withdrawal from Iraq: Indonesia (65%), Turkey (64%), and Egypt (58%).

Even Israel supports withdrawal. 52% of Israelis want the US out immediately or within a year as compared with 40% who want the US out only when security improves. The Philippines and Kenya offer the most support for a US occupation with a slight majority opposing.



Change is in the air. The most recent Zogby Poll - the only poll that takes into account the candidacies of Bob Barr and Ralph Nader - shows Obama with a solid 10 point lead over McCain.

Bush also has hit a record low approval rating on Zogby of 23%.

McCain doesn't really want to be seen with Bush

McCain and Bush seen together publicly for the first time in 3 months - for just 26 seconds.

The Bush - McCain fund raiser last week was moved from the Phoenix Convention Center to a private residence because of poor ticket sales and a desire to keep the press away. Bush and McCain were seen in public after the fund raiser, but only for 26 seconds on an airport tarmac.

No wonder, polls show Bush with the highest disapproval of any president in modern American history.