Olbermann’s Special Comment on Giuliani’s Fearmongering: How Dare You, Sir?
By: SilentPatriot

Dow, Nasdaq slide in early trading

Economic growth in 1Q slows to 1.3 pct.

FDA rejects Merck's Vioxx successor

Oil prices hover near $65 a barrel

Euro hits all-time high against dollar
or: dollar hits all-time low against euro...

First-quarter GDP growth weakest in four years

Wall St pauses for breath

Goodyear posts 1st-quarter loss

Congressional probe of student loans widens

Wal-Mart cutting managers at Sam's Club

dems ok funds for troops tho lieberman & 45 gops say 'nay'


prez still sez he'll veto


whole world is watching

here's an odd one

i happened to catch a few minutes of a house oversight committee meeting when the members were arguing about chairman henry waxman's desire to have sec of state rice testify about an apparently untrue statement she once made about the false report that iraq tried to buy uranium from niger.

i don't recall why, but at one point christopher shays said he did not vote for the war.

that's funny. the roll call record says he did.

i wonder if any of the other 295 yeas were really nays.

Rep. Kucinich (D-OH): Bid To Impeach VP Cheney Is "Practical"

po' wittue jawjee can't get aww he wants

he says the american people will blame dems if he vetoes troop funds over the pullout timeline.

but jawjee! the money's there! all you've got to do is sign for it. you can't have everything your way anymore.

i know it's hard. for 6 years every bill (but one) was just what you wanted. hell, all your life everybody gave you what you wanted. it's understandable you're spoiled. but the american people have spoken! they took away your rubberstamp majority. now you won't get it all your way, wrapped up like a xmas present tied with a pretty pink ribbon. your years of self-indulgence have ended. at the tender age of 60 you're learning the meaning of limitation.

you're going to have to learn to compromise.

poor baby!

last night's conversation between john mccain and jon stewart deteriorated into both men talking at the same time and drowning each other's words. (i could be wrong, but i thought stewart was trying to engage the senator, but mccain kept filibustering.)

before that, mccain's final argument for remaining in iraq had been emotional rather than logical: because our brave men and women believe the mission is 'worth it' and right and in defense of our liberty, &c.

they may very well believe that, but it doesn't justify continued use of force. our troops' perspective is limited to their individual experiences. morality, legality, economics, sociology, diplomacy, and politics are among the strategic factors that must be taken into account but of which the troops as a whole are largely unaware. their beliefs result from a combination of indoctrination and cognitive dissonance. they are not the strategists or policy makers who (we hope) have a broader view of what's happening in iraq and in america and who must evaluate how our use of force impacts both countries and the world.

mccain thinks he understands war, and he surely does know how it feels to be in one, but a combat pilot doesn't see the big picture, and a POW knows little of what's going down on the home front.

his failure to recognize the parallels between iraq and vietnam comes from that narrow viewpoint.

NRA Cartoon of NYC Mayor Raises Concerns

NRA, Democrats Work on Gun Bill

Lawmakers, NRA Discuss Background Checks

War Objector's Dad Becomes a Critic

Minimum Wage Hike, Tax Cuts Measure Attached to Iraq War Bill

vetoing the timetable: is bush playing hardball, poker, or chicken? does he even know the name of the game?

let's break down the possibilities:

scenario a:
1. gwb vetoes
2. dems fear public will blame them if troops run out of funds
3. they panic and pass new bill with no withdrawal demand.

that's what bush wants.

scenario b:
1. gwb vetoes
2. dems pass another bill with same timetable
3. bush scrapes together every last bit of agriculture, education, etc, money he can lay hands on, gives it to pentagon, and vetoes again
4. dems send another bill with same timeline
5. gwb knows he'll run out of war money if he doesn't sign but still hopes public will blame dems when troops run out of funds, so he vetoes again.

that's what bush wants dems to think will happen if they hang tough.

he's got nothin', folks! it's a bluff!

funny thing 'bout this guy, tho: he may not know he's got nothin'. he may think he's holdin' all the cards. he may even think he's playin' some other game.

it's like the classic english lit question: is hamlet crazy or pretending to be? the answer: both. but not too many scholars see that. it's too subtle for them.

the answer in bush's case may be unclear too, but—either way—hang in there, dems: sooner or later he's got to sign, because if he doesn't sign the war ends even sooner.

Pres. Bush Vows to Fight Any Changes to Medicare Drug Program


Medicare Trustees Say Funds Will Run Out in 2019

a few days ago i heard a bushwar supporter on tv say 80% of the iraqi antiquities looted from museums after the invasion have been returned.

the claim was that patriotic iraqis had stolen the artifacts to safeguard them, then returned them when it became safe.

these sources disagree: 1, 2, 3.

Virginia a Major Source for Illegal Guns

in-state karma's gonna get you, neh?

why do i keep hearing this was the biggest mass murder (or words to that effect) in US history?

are they joking?

you may've seen vultures already circling: some gundits claim tragedy could've been averted had students been allowed to carry firearms on campus.

yeah, or maybe cho—who i think wore body armor, didn't he?—would've taken out the armed ones first or avoided them and killed others. hypothetical is hypothetical.

gun nuts—to their eternal shame—got the assault weapon ban taken off the books, but in this case its relevant feature—banning high-capacity clips—would've made a marginal difference, at best. of course, it wouldn't've seemed marginal to a handful of kids who might've escaped as cho reloaded, but it still would've been an enormous massacre.

somewhere the system broke down: either the gun dealer didn't follow procedure or somebody didn't enter all the kid's legal and medical history into the database.

much as i'd like to hang seung-hui the kid round the gun lobby's neck, it looks like this is actually one of those cases of failure to enforce law—however true it may be that if they'd had their way that law wouldn't be on federal books and that they did get some of its teeth pulled when waiting periods got dropped.

my last feeble hope: that the poor demented kid will turn out to have been an NRA member in good standing.

i claim no special prescience on killing sprees or supreme court decisions, but VA tech happened just 32 days after i posted this still incomplete piece on guns, and my partial birth post a few months ago anticipated justice kennedy's vote.

the next section of my gun post will deal with state vs federal regulation. meanwhile, check out this early post.

what a crappy day. kinda day jus makes u wanna pick up ur 9mm n set a new kill record, ain' it?

33 dead and counting.

"The president believes that there is a right for people to bear arms, but that all laws must be followed," White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino said, noting that Bush and Education Secretary Margaret Spellings held a conference on school gun violence last October. "Certainly, bringing a gun into a school dormitory and shooting...is against the law and something someone should be held accountable for," Perino said.

but stronger laws? forget it!

from c-span:

· Sudan Approves Deployment of UN Peacekeepers in Darfur
well, whaddaya know? they caved at last!

· US Appeals to Iran in Case of Missing Former FBI Agent
US appeals to iran? US appeals to iran? the world has changed!

· Macau Bank That Held N Korean Funds Appeals US Blacklisting

· Washington, DC Holds Rally for Full Vote in US House
seriously, why don't they just make DC part of maryland for federal elections only?

· NYT: Former Clinton Donors Give to Obama (D-IL)
wow!

·Ex-Military Leaders Call Global Warming Nat'l Security Issue


from yahoo:

• Iraqi cleric al-Sadr's allies quit government
PM losing support

• Gonzales set to testify before Senate panel
Attorney firings

• US voices concern at breakup of Russian protests

• French election is key test for far-right Le Pen
Le Pen's bid

• New York adds 13 more lenders to student loan probe

• Scientists discover source of spiral galaxy's ghostly arms

• Indians outraged after Richard Gere kisses Bollywood actress
well, that's what they do in hollywood. then again, when in rome...

from c-span:

· E-mail uproar gives Dems ammo vs Rove (AP)
see my comment below under wolfowitz story.

· Texas inmate basis of Supreme Court case (AP)

· Democrats hope to get their way on Iraq (AP)
time's on their side: pentagon will run out of war money eventually. if dems stand firm, sooner or later bush will have to sign—timeline & all—to get it.

· Pelosi: A challenging first 100 days (AP)

· White House, Senate to probe lost e-mail (AP)


from yahoo:

• 37 die as car bomb hits near Iraq shrine
Bus station blast

• Democrats' Iraq timeline offers enemies a victory, Bush says
blaming his lost war on others. how mature!

• Pressure grows on Wolfowitz in promotion scandal
not just cream rises to the top: scum does too. & if you don't skim it off, it stays there...

• US Peace Corps volunteer missing in Philippines

• Police detain chess champion Kasparov in Russia protest

• Genetic engineers race to produce ethanol without corn
so much for iowa...

from c-span:

· Senate Votes to Allow More Iraqi & Afghan Refugees Into US

· CIA Director Says Agency's Seen Rapid Growth

· Iraqi Kurd Official Blasts Turkish Threat as "Dangerous"

· Australian PM John Howard Seeks Ban on HIV-Positive Immigrants

· US Military Detains Iranian Agents Over State Dept Objections

· CIA Director Claims Success at Stopping Leaks

· John Walker Lindh Transferred to Supermax Prison in Colorado

· Justice Department Sends Congress More Documents

· Trade Deficit Shrinks for Third Straight Month

· FEMA Throws Out, Gives Away $40 Million of Stockpiled Food
swell...

· Karl Rove Didn't Intentionally Delete E-Mails, Lawyer Says
heaven forfend!

from yahoo:

• Iraq parliament in session of terrorism 'defiance'
Attack

• US-led troops kill 35 Taliban militants in Afghanistan

• Wolfowitz friend says she's the victim
no. we are.
More on World Bank

• Chavez says Castro recovering well, resuming some duties

• Researchers explore scrapping Internet, starting over
can't wait for the beta version....

• Groups sue FDA over 'morning-after' pill ruling

• Britain announces winner of oddest book title prize

first prize: The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America: A Guide to Field Identification
2nd: Tattooed Mountain Women and Spoon Boxes of Daghestan
3rd: Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming Into Existence

the 3rd one's my favorite, but it's not a new idea: ancient talmudic sages reached the same conclusion. then they added "but since we exist, we may as well make the best of it."

btw, the article has some past years' winning titles worth checking out.

from npr:

Study: 'Abstinence Only' Goes Only So Far
hell! i knew that!

from c-span:

· US & Trading Partners Pledge to Complete World Trade Deal

· New Unemployment Claims Hit Two-Month High
this tho unemployment fell to 4.4% in march, a 5-year low, and there were 180,000 new jobs, the biggest gain in 3 months. guess what they blame it on: easter!

· Retired Gen. Says Health Care System Shortchanges Disabled Vets

· Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) Quits Hispanic Caucus

· Sen. Dodd (D-CT) Said He Would Return to Imus Show
smart...


from yahoo:

• Bush condemns attack on Iraq's parliament
Green Zone blast

• North Korea unlikely to shut reactor down by deadline

• Senate's top Democrat seeks vote on green energy bill

• Prosecutor apologizes to three Duke lacrosse players

• Mexican telecom magnate passes Buffett on world's rich list
ah, but did he give $30B to charity?

• Researchers pinpoint gene linked to obesity risk

• CBS fires Don Imus from radio show amid furor
More on Imus
Imus' Slur Meme (Sleme) by Cathleen Schine [from huffington post]
interesting. is imus racist or merely racially insensitive? does it matter? i suspect we've all got the memes schine is writing about, but we don't all unleash them indiscriminately. racism, sexism, and homophobia are phobias. they're caused by those memes. i imagine it's possible to be insensitive without actually being phobic, but when you give voice to those memes they get heard, and when they get heard repeatedly, they produce phobias in at least some of the hearers. it's a kind of codependency: repeaters of slurs are enablers of phobias, even if they're not phobes themselves, so we all need to heighten our awareness so we don't unconsciously contribute to the creation of phobias in unsuspecting minds. and don't forget how hurtful slurs can be to people talked about in that way.

free books online

from c-span:

· Sen. Tim Johnson's Office Made Wheelchair- Accessible

· Wash Post: Three Generals Have Declined Post of War "Czar"

· White House Confirms It Is Looking to Hire a War "Czar"

· US Military Says Iran Helping Iraqis Build Roadside Bombs

· Red Cross Warns of Worsening Humanitarian Situation in Iraq


from yahoo:

• US to extend troops' Iraq tours to 15 months
New policy

• Algeria bombings highlight Al-Qaida's presence in Africa

• Israel scrambles jets to intercept US airliner

• US spy chief says surveillance law needs update

• Catholic sex abuse claims drop for second year, report finds

• FedEx to pay $53.5M to settle racial-bias lawsuit

• Scientists discover ancient giant lake in Darfur

The weak have one weapon: the errors of those who think they are strong.
—Georges Bidault (1899-1983)
French resistance leader, statesman

why does detroit want to keep VT emission regulation trial secret?

[listen or read]

from c-span:

· UN Global Warming Report Forecasts Massive Food Shortages

· Gingrich Says Regulation Is Not Best Way to Fight Climate Change
as we all know from experience, industry always does what's best. just look at detroit!

· Sen. Kerry (D-MA) Says Gov't Should Regulate Greenhouse Gases
commie!

· EPA Issues Rules to Increase Use of Renewable Fuels

· Mitt Romney Criticizes Speaker Pelosi's Syria Visit
sure took long enough to jump on the bundwagon.


from yahoo:

• 16 US soldiers hurt in Baghdad battle
Fierce fighting

• New subpoena heats up fight over fired prosecutors

• Four suspected bombers killed in Casablanca
Suicide blast

• US spy chief seeks to expand surveillance authority
they call it "liberalizing" FISA.

• Citigroup reportedly plans to cut five percent of work force

• Stem cell treatment shows promise for type 1 diabetes

from c-span:

· Obama Opts Out of Fox News-Sponsored Debate

· NM Gov Richardson Tours US Warship Captured by North Korea

· New York Moves Its Presidential Primary to February 5

· Sen Lieberman's (I-CT) Cmte to Mix Dems & GOPs Together

· Top Democrats Say They Will Not Cut War Funding

· GOP Leaders Urge Speaker Pelosi to Call House Back Early

· Wolfowitz Takes "Full Responsibility" For Staffer's Salary

· World Bank President Cites Employee Confidentiality in Probe

· Pentagon Drafts Rules to Ban Predatory Lending

· White House Files Trade Protests Against China


from yahoo:

• Thousands of Shiites call for US to leave Iraq

• Pentagon alerts National Guard troops for Iraq duty

• Giuliani's legal past hints at political future

• Cocoa, not tea, lowers blood pressure, study says

• Bush touts guest worker program plan
Deportation threat

• Iran says it has started enriching uranium
More on Iran
Iran says enriching on 'industrial scale'

• Turkish PM warns Iraqi Kurds against interference

• Military experience rare among '08 candidates
Campaign '08

• One in three patients gets poor ovarian cancer treatment

• Capsule carrying US billionaire docks at space station

• Snow forces Indians to play games in Milwaukee
Snowed out

TV Show Reveals Eye Contact is Top Cop Tactic

from yahoo:

• US warplanes attack Sadr militants in Iraq
More troops

• Bush presses Democrats to approve Iraq bill without timetable

• Sunni-Shiite clashes in Pakistan leave 40 dead

• Top US envoy visits Somalia in support of cease-fire

• Judge rules Florida high-school's gay-rights club can meet

• Force of quake lifts Solomons island, exposing coral reefs


from c-span:

·Rep. Obey credited for House war bill (AP)


·Ga. slave ownership could sway debate (AP)


·Gonzales aide resigns; no reason given (AP)


·Gingrich seeks candidate with solutions (AP)


·Pelosi defends diplomatic trip to Syria (AP)

bill richardson's daily show appearance also got rerun this week.

he told of his meeting with saddam hussein during the '90s.

governor, here's a flash: the reason those iraqi guards just about jumped out of their skin when you touched saddam is that showing somebody the bottom of your shoe is not the worst possible insult you think it is. the worst possible insult is touching somebody with your left hand.

you're lucky they didn't slit your throat.

the laughable reaction of dittoheads among C-SPAN viewers to nancy pelosi's remark during her damascus visit (that israel would talk to syria) revealed their ignorance of the nuances of diplomacy. they went beyond gloating over israeli PM olmert's supposed rejection of her statement and as far as accusing her of treason for negotiating against US interests.

in fact pelosi did not negotiate. what she did was open a door, pick up a ball, and pass it to olmert. analyze his response and you'll see he did not say he wouldn't talk. he said there are preconditions to talking. that means he will talk if syria makes some moves first. in other words, he put the ball in syrian president assad's court.

if assad doesn't drop it, we might see progress.

family values?

i'm sorry i never mentioned this before.

it defies common sense to deploy mothers of young children to combat zones.

i recall thinking that the first time i heard of a young american mother killed in iraq. and the next time. unfortunately i hadn't begun to blog yet.

i'm not against women having military careers, but when they have little kids at home it's crazy to put them in harm's way. are we really so short on personnel or so panicked by terrorism that we've overlooked that simple principle? even if you're totally gung ho for this suicidal war, your basic notions of 'why we fight' ought to tell you not to imperil young mothers.

i regret i forgot about it till the president of iran beat me to the punch.

with jon stewart off for passover, comedy central reran the recent daily show episode featuring stewart's interview of john bolton.

the doubly bushy bolton responded to a query on his former boss's refusal to let karl rove and harriet miers testify on the record about US attorney firings. he used the defense of executive privilege we first heard during the john roberts' supreme court confirmation process and have been hearing a lot more lately: presidential advisors might not speak freely if their words could someday be made public.

so it would inhibit them? from what? giving good advice????

these white house clowns seem to think the folk they work with are bashful little kids who blush and suck their thumbs when they get asked a question.

seriously, if you got hired to advise the president of the united states, would knowing other folk would find out what you say stop you from giving the best advice you could? i don't think so!

i've about had it with these weirdoes! what planet are they from?

Report Finds No Direct Cooperation Between Hussein & al-Qaeda

VP Cheney Claims al-Qaeda "Present Before We Invaded Iraq"

there is something seriously wrong with that man.

AP: Full National Guard Combat Brigades to Serve Again in Iraq

from c-span:

AP: Justice Dept Aide Monica Goodling Resigns

Sen. Leahy (D-VT) Wants Written Account From Attorney General
rotsaruck, pat!

Sen. Obama (D-IL) Says He Will Unveil Housing Plan for Veterans

White House Backs GOP Stem-Cell Bill
then it can't be much good.

Sen. Brownback Wants Welfare Laws Changed to Encourage Marriage
how do we know jesus was single? because he didn't say "know the truth, and the truth will make you free...unless you're married."


from yahoo:

• British sailors say they were bound, threatened
Sailors speak

• US, Iraqi forces sweep through volatile city
Far from safe

• Pilgrims mark Good Friday in Jerusalem
Footsteps of Jesus?

• Senate Democrats delay Gonzales hearing

• Disney parks open wedding packages to gay couples

• Cinnamon doesn't help control diabetes, despite earlier findings


from ny times:

Federal Official in Student Loans Held Loan Stock

from c-span:

· Syria Claims to Have Helped Resolve Iran-Britain Dispute

· Pres. Bush Makes Three Recess Appointments

· New Hampshire House Passes Bill Allowing Gay Civil Unions

· Sec. Chertoff: European Muslims Could Be Next Attackers

· Tommy Thompson Wants Iraqi Gov't Vote on US Troops


from yahoo:

• Iran calls release of British sailors 'a gift'
Media savvy

• Bush: Iraq withdrawal is a 'dangerous' strategy

• Friendly fire may have killed two US soldiers in Iraq

• Top Gonzales aide refuses to talk to House panel

• 'Rebate cards' help homeowners reduce mortgage principal

from c-span:

· Hillary Clinton sets fundraising record (AP)

· Pressure mounts on Bush as ex-aide criticizes Iraq strategy (AFP)

· Pelosi conveying Israel message to Syria (AP)

· Obama says Congress will fund Iraq war (AP)

· McCain sees improvement in Iraq (AP)


from yahoo:

• Iranian channel aims to air 'confessions' of two sailors

• Obama says Congress will fund Iraq war
Election 2008

• Olmert calls for peace summit with Arab leaders

• John Paul sainthood reaches milestone
Palm Sunday

• Katrina fraud stretches far beyond Gulf Coast