Nobody Could Have Predicted...

Bill Frist claims that he was fully brief on the top secret, controversial and illegal NSA surveillance program which side-stepped the provisions of FISA . Yet, when it comes to his own portfolio, he's completely in the dark about his HCA stock holdings even though his "Trustees" sent him letters advising about specific "blind trust" holdings.

To summarize: Top Secret = Fully Briefed, Appearance of Impropriety = Kept in the Dark

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be respected, and no Warrants need issue, upon gut instinct or political motivation, supported by "trust me" plea or specious rationalization, and generally alluding to the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Ann Coulter recently "jokingly" called for the assassination of Justice Stevens by using rat poison in his creme brulee Yeah, that's pretty funny. Almost as funny as the video of W not being able to find the WMD's under the furniture in the Oval Office. The sad part is that the MSM seems to take her seriously. I guess someone could "jokingly" suggest that rat poison be put in Coulter's quiche. At least it would be recognizable as a joke since real men don't eat quiche.

Supposedly, if information about meetings between White House staff and Jack Abramoff were made public, this would have a "chlling effect" on the ability to get candid advice from staffers. Basically same excuse for not naming participants in Cheney's Energy Task Force. Maybe advice that cannot be made public should not be followed.

"I mean, there's thousands of people that come through and get their pictures taken," Mr. Bush said. "I'm also mindful that we live in a world in which those pictures will be used for pure political purposes, and they're not relevant to the investigation."

So basically what you're saying is the photographs are being withheld for "pure political purposes." That is, you want to deny your opposition any ammunition to use against you. Very brave of you. I guess "bring em' on" is relative to whose ass is under fire.

Certainly, it would be unfortunate if the photos were shown endlessly and needlessly several hundreds or thousands of times like the video of Bill Clinton hugging Monica Lewinsky. Too much time, effort, and money have gone into the production of the "image" which is George W. Bush to have it diminished by some irrelevant photos.

Democracy and political freedom require transparency in government, he added. "Citizens and businesses must know that the town hall — the alcaldia — is free from bribery, cronyism, and all forms of corruption," the president said. "And by building governments that are more honest and fair, we will make freedom more meaningful for all our citizens." GWB Jan. 17, 2002

Bill of Rights (Pre 9/11 Mindset)

The Conventions of a number of the States having, at the time of adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added, and as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government will best insure the beneficent ends of its institution;

Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, two-thirds of both Houses concurring, that the following articles be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States, as amendments to the Constitution of the United States; all or any of which articles, when ratified by three-fourths of the said Legislatures, to be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the said Constitution, namely:


Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.


Amendment II

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.


Amendment III

No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.


Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.


Amendment V

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.


Amendment VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.


Amendment VII

In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.


Amendment VIII

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.


Amendment IX

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.


Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

The Bill of Rights (Post 9/11 Mindset)

The Conventions of a number of the States having, at the time of adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added, and as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government will best insure the beneficent ends of its institution;

Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, two-thirds of both Houses concurring, that the following articles be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States, as amendments to the Constitution of the United States; all or any of which articles, when ratified by three-fourths of the said Legislatures, to be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the said Constitution, namely:


Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.


Amendment II

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. As soon as the NRA vote becomes inconsequential, watch this disappear too.


Amendment III

No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.


Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.


Amendment V

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.


Amendment VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.


Amendment VII

In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.


Amendment VIII

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.


Amendment IX

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.


Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

Just like the Presidential Daily Brief of August 06, 2001, the White House gets advance warning of a potential catastrophe while President Brush Cutter is on vacation in Crawford.

White House Got Early Warning on Katrina

"The American people reject guilt by association." Mary Matalin on Meet the Press 01/22/06

"You can tell the character of a man by the company he keeps." George W. Bush during 2000 election campaign.

Crooks and Liars has a link to an excellent article on how best to answer to the attacks of Karl Rove, his lieutenants, and assorted media henchmen.

The MOQUOL

On This Week during the "Roundtable," ABC put up on the screen for several minutes "Democrats Unplugged." Whatever that means. They discussed Hillary Clinton and her "plantation" comment and Ray Nagin's comment about New Orleans and his inarticulate frustration that blacks are being disenfranchised in the rebuilding of New Orleans.

One thing that is perfectly clear from listening to any pundit discussion of Hillary Clinton; the GOP plan of attack on her is to cast her as a political opportunist whose views vary with the direction of the prevailing winds. Everything she says or does is being reported as a calculated political maneuver without discussion of its merits. The sheer preponderance of this "casting" leaves little doubt this is a preemptive strategy to ingrain this perception in the public subconscious. The strategy lays the ground work for the well-used "flip-flopper" charges sure to be leveled should she decide on a presidential bid.

As for Nagin: Why was he mentioned at all?

I taped Face the Nation because it's aired at the same time as This Week. After finding out that Pat Roberts and Joe Lieberman were the guests, I decided to erase the tape instead of watching it.

What better way to diminish your critics than to have America's Bad Guy Numero Uno purportedly using the same rhetoric as those critics. This seems to be the theme from Chris Matthews when he says that on OBL's latest tape, O sounds like Michael Moore. I heard a similar "theme" on a Clear Channel radio program out of Sacramento, only there, they compared O to Alec Baldwin.

So W makes a speech where he says he welcomes open debate as long as it is on his terms and the subject matter not include "irresponsible rhethoric." "Irresponsible rhetoric" meaning pointing out the lies, deceptions, ulterior motives and gross incompetence which are trademarks of any Bush initiative. Then, after an appropriate time, so as not to be suspicious, a tape appears from OBL and even though translated from a foreign language, O is supposed to be parroting the words of anti-war critics and known Bush-haters. See why people need to "watch what they say?"

Into the fray jumps dimwit John Cornyn. He says the tape is more evidence that the unconstitutional, illegal, warrantless wiretapping of American citizens must be allowed to continue.

A neat and tidy package with which to bash administration critics. Just like in comedy, it's all in the timing.

So just shut up out there or be labeled an un-American traitor who's giving aid and comfort to the enemy. You've been warned!

After a long absence, OBL returns with yet another conveniently timed tape. A news report says that OBL goes to great lengths to conceal his location by using multiple couriers to deliver his tapes to Al Jazzera, a process that takes nearly a month. In fact, the news reports suggest the tape was made in Nov-Dec with a date stamp in early December which supports this premise.

Then, in subsequent news reports, the questioned is raised about "Why now?" since OBL has been absent from the scene for so long. One promoted theory, it's in response to the attack in Pakistan last week which was an attempt to kill the OBL's number 2 man.

Okay, the damn thing was supposedly made over a month ago and it takes several weeks just to be delivered, but its supposed to be in response to last week's attacks. Just asking...

I hardly know Ken Lay. I hardly know Ahmed Chalabi. Most of all, I don't know Jack.

Anyone else notice the rightward shift of the Newshour with Jim Lehrer and the selective reporting?

that the Medicare drug plan forced down the throats of conservatives and progressives alike, using bribery and extortion, during the wee hours of the morning, based on fraudulent cost data would be as FUBAR as everything else this administration touches.

Three years ago, this article appeared in the Chicago Tribune and it is as relevant today as it was then.

"There will absolutely be no dissension"

With the latest chickenhawk attack on a decorated war veteran , John Murtha, the GOP slime machine rolls on. This is a party that actively attempts to stifle debate. Any critic is dealt with harshly and dishonestly. They are corrupt to the core and one has to start to wonder how they maintain the allegiance of the rank and file.

Martha-Ann Alito began crying after her husband was intensely questioned by democratic Senators.

Marth-Ann Alito began crying while her husband was lauded by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.

The timing could not have been better if it had been planned.

Amazingly, when it comes to attacks on U.S. Soldiers, AWOL says to "Bring Em' On!" Too bad he doesn't show the same "courage" when questioned about his veracity and competence.

And the other thing that I think it's important for people who watch the expenditures side of the equation is to understand we’re at war, Tim, and any time you commit your troops into harm's way, they must have the best equipment, the best training, and the best possible pay. That's where we owe it to their loved ones. George W. Bush Feb. 08, 2004

A secret Pentagon study has found that as many as 80 percent of the Marines who have been killed in Iraq from wounds to their upper body could have survived if they had had extra body armor. Such armor has been available since 2003, but until recently the Pentagon largely has declined to supply it to troops despite calls from the field for additional protection, according to military officials. San Francisco Chronicle Jan. 04, 2006

"I do think that there are those who have already decided to vote against your nomination and are looking for some reason to do so," said Sen. John Cornyn (news, bio, voting record), R-Texas. "And I think one of the reasons that they may claim is that you've been nonresponsive." Cornyn said he saw nothing to derail Alito's confirmation.

I guess it's okay to already have decided to vote for Alito, but not okay to have already decided to vote against his confirmation.

What a clown!

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When exactly did W change his mind in regard to quality of intelligence. You know, it just doesn't seem possible to be 'that' wrong without it being on purpose.

And I don't know Key Lay or Ahmed Chalabi either! Really, I don't know jack.

It's whether he/she did anything in return for the money. For example, say Dick Morris is out looking for a hooker (not really a stretch). There are 5 beautiful women sitting at a table in a local tavern. Dick buys a round of drinks for the table. One of the women seems particularly receptive to Dick but thinks he's too ugly to have sex with him for free and the act he's requesting is, shall we say, not on the regular menu. So, a price is agreed upon and they make arrangements to and do meet later. Before leaving, he buys the table another round of drinks and maybe some appetizers. As far as we know, all the women have accepted money in the form of drinks and food from Dick, but only one has agreed to act in contravention of the law. So, accepting money from Abramoff was not in itself wrongdoing, but accepting money for an official act is. Therein may lie the difference when the GOP tries to spin this as affecting both parties.

Thank God the adults are in charge. No telling how FUBAR things would be otherwise...

Ironic Times

Study: Half of All Teens 15-19Have Engaged in Oral Sex

Republican lawmakers call for their impeachment.

President Bush steps down from Air Force One as he returns to Washington to be in place to sign emergency legislation acting in the life-or-death case of Terri Schiavo. (AP)

After Congress holds a rare Sunday emergency session, Bush interrupts his vacation to sign the hastily enacted law in the early morning hours.

Bush, responds to the crisis in Mississippi and Louisiana caused by hurricane Katrina. Eventually, he and his top advisors decided to cut short their vacations.