Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Gas Wars

Kucinich to Speak for Full Hour on House Floor on Iraq Oil LawMay 22nd, 2007

May 22nd, 2007
We encourage you to comment on this press release, and the impact this may have on the presidential race for 2008. This is the first time Congress has had a full discussion on the privatization of Iraq’s oil since the beginning of the war. http://blog.pdamerica.org/?p=1117
WASHINGTON DC - WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2007 - At approximately 11:00 a.m. today, Congressman Dennis Kucinich will invoke a rarely used procedure to offer a privileged motion claiming one hour of time to speak on the floor of the House of Representatives about current legislative plans to privatize Iraq’s oil.
This will be the first time in Congress that there has been a full discussion of the covert efforts to accomplish privatization of Iraq’s oil through the supplemental spending bill.
Kucinich has alerted his colleagues to this concern in the past. Today he will do so on the floor of the House.
Kucinich argued against invading Iraq prior to the 2003 vote that authorized it. He published his case against it and helped persuade many of his colleagues to vote No. Kucinich challenged the legality of the war in court in an effort to prevent it. He proposed a detailed plan to end the occupation of Iraq over three years ago. His current plan is found in his bill HR 1234, which includes these findings:
“Any attempt to sell Iraqi oil assets during the United States occupation will be a significant stumbling block to peaceful resolution. There must be fairness in the distribution of oil resources in Iraq.”
Kucinich has voted against every new funding bill for the occupation, including the recent Supplemental. He supports using the power of the purse to end the war. He opposes any attack on Iran and proposes formally forswearing the use of so-called preventive war. He has proposed the creation of a Department of Peace to address international and domestic violence.
As with all House sessions, this speech will be televised on C-Span.

The increase in gas prices has cost U.S consumers an extra twenty billion dollars so far this year according to the Government Accountability Office. This added cost has taken money out of the economy that normally would have been spent on consumer products.

The GAO told Congress that a large amount of oil refining capacity and lower inventories have led to the rise in gas prices. Many feel the Iraq war has caused oil to be withheld from U.S consumers. Gas prices have risen $1.05 since early February. U.S gas prices are at an all time high and getting higher.

The Energy Departments reports that gasoline prices have risen 50% since January, which ranks as one of the largest ongoing increases recorded in U.S history. The high price of gasoline has hurt retail as sales have fallen 1.5% week by week.

Many are calling for the breaking up of oil companies and undoing the mega-mergers which may bring about more competition within the industry. Calls from consumers and business alike have fallen on deaf ears in the Bush administration.

Americans have watched oil prices rise as the Texas Oil Man became President. They have watched Exxon and Chevron rake in record profits while gasoline prices continue to rise. They have seen the economy increasingly slow to a limp, while U.S Corporations continue to flourish.

One of the many promises the Bush administration made when they overtly invaded Iraq, was that gas prices in the U.S would be much lower. These promises along with many other insincere boasts have never stimulated into truth.

If gasoline prices are to ever return to affordable levels, Congress must stop the Iraq war, force U.S oil companies to lower prices and limit profits that oil companies can make without major relief to the consumer.

The most crucial thing Americans can do to bring gas prices down rapidly is to simply remove the current "Commander In Chief and his catalog of corruption from office. The final step will be to keep oil men from residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

111 comments:

  1. The Bush administration is quietly on track to nearly double the number of combat troops in Iraq this year, an analysis of Pentagon deployment orders showed Monday.

    "Double Surge" Bush.

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  2. Even before the troop surge in Iraq is complete, the Bush administration is working on a Plan B, showing that war support and troops are wearing thin.

    Bush the great warrior didn't have a backup plan after all these years?

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  3. The Commander in Chimp must go, of this there is no doubt. But I believe the time has come for Government to invest heavily in renewable sources of energy, and I believe that the money for this investment should come from a tax on gasoline.

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  4. There is certainly an irony that these gas increases are occurring during the administration of a guy who should know a little about how the oil bidness works and could, I stress could hold the industry's feet to the fire...

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  5. Larry:

    Yes, you're absolutely correct, we need to get that monster out of office asap.. Impeachment works!

    Great post! ;)

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  6. I feel we should investigate every single Presidential candidate and see if they have any connection to oil.

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  7. CIA has received secret presidential approval to mount a covert "black" operation to destabilize the Iranian government, current and former officials in the intelligence community tell the Blotter on ABCNews.com.

    The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the subject, say President Bush has signed a "nonlethal presidential finding" that puts into motion a CIA plan that reportedly includes a coordinated campaign of propaganda, disinformation and manipulation of Iran's currency and international financial transactions.

    "I can't confirm or deny whether such a program exists or whether the president signed it, but it would be consistent with an overall American approach trying to find ways to put pressure on the regime," said Bruce Riedel, a recently retired CIA senior official who dealt with Iran and other countries in the region.

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  8. New Documents Confirm Gonzales Lied To Senator About Plan To Install Rove Protege As U.S. Attorney
    On Dec. 15, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) had their second phone conversation regarding the appointment of Karl Rove-protege Tim Griffin as the new U.S. attorney in Arkansas. In April 19 testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Gonzales said that when Pryor objected to Griffin’s appointment, Gonzales promised to find a different candidate:

    But I had told Senator Pryor: I wanted Mr. Griffin in for a period of time. Let’s see how he does.

    And then in subsequent conversation with Mr. Pryor, I asked him: Can you support Mr. Griffin as the nominee?

    And you know, he made it clear to me that he would not support him, by not giving me a yes answer, and so I said: Well, then I cannot recommend him to the White House, because if you don’t support him, I know he will not be confirmed. We’ll look for someone else, and give me names that we ought to consider.

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  9. WASHINGTON, May 19 — The United States is continuing to make large payments of roughly $1 billion a year to Pakistan for what it calls reimbursements to the country’s military for conducting counterterrorism efforts along the border with Afghanistan, even though Pakistan’s president decided eight months ago to slash patrols through the area where Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters are most active.

    The monthly payments, called coalition support funds, are not widely advertised. Buried in public budget numbers, the payments are intended to reimburse Pakistan’s military for the cost of the operations. So far, Pakistan has received more than $5.6 billion under the program over five years, more than half of the total aid the United States has sent to the country since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, not counting covert funds.

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  10. Congress has approved about $450 billion to date for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, but economists also have been tabulating the long-term costs such as veterans' care. Economics correspondent Paul Solman explores the broader costs of the war.

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  11. People from 43 so-called "countries of interest" in the Middle East, South Asia and North Africa are sneaking into the United States, many by way of Texas, forming a human pipeline that exists largely outside the public consciousness but that has worried counterterrorism authorities since 9-11.

    These immigrants are known as "special-interest aliens." When caught, they can be subjected to FBI interrogation, detention holds that can last for months and, in rare instances, federal prison terms.

    The perceived danger is that they can evade being screened through terror-watch lists. The 43 countries of interest are singled out because terrorist groups operate there. Special-interest immigrants are coming all the time, from countries where U.S. military personnel are battling radical Islamist movements, such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and the Philippines. They come from countries where organized Islamic extremists have bombed U.S. interests, such as Kenya, Tanzania and Lebanon. They come from U.S.-designated state sponsors of terror, such as Iran, Syria and Sudan. And they come from Saudi Arabia, the nation that spawned most of the 9-11 hijackers. .....

    ..... According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection apprehension numbers, agents along both borders have caught more than 5,700 special-interest immigrants since 2001. But as many as 20,000 to 60,000 others are presumed to have slipped through, based on rule-of-thumb estimates typically used by homeland security agencies.

    "You'd like to think at least you're catching one out of 10," McCraw said. "But that's not good in baseball and it's certainly not good in counterterrorism."

    Other federal agencies besides the Border Patrol have caught thousands more of the crossers inland after it was discovered they were in the country illegally, including 34,000 detainees from Syria, Iran, Sudan and Libya between 2001 and 2005, according to a homeland security audit last year of U.S. detention centers for immigrants. Then there is an unknown number caught by Mexico — an inveterate partner, as it turns out.

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  12. Impeach then try and convict.

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  13. Pelosi and Reid make me want to regurgitate.

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  14. Come September, we will hear Pelosi and Reid say they aren't funding the war, then they will say there must be a timeline, then as usual they will cave in and give Bush everything he wants.

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  15. Impeach Bush and Cheney before Sept.

    They probably know something that Waxman and Leahy are working on.

    Indict and Impeach...

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  16. Now Pelosi is backtracking.

    She's saying she won't vote for the resolution.

    Never mind she was praising it a few hours ago.

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  17. Of course if the rest of the House does vote for it, then her token jesture opposition vote means little.

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  18. If Pelosi didn't like the bill she shouldn't have brought it to a vote.

    Reid and Pelosi love those war dollars coming their way, they just use the lives of the troops to get it.

    Just like Bush.

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  19. Defections now likely on Iraq bill

    By Mike Soraghan

    Liberal Democrats who reluctantly have backed House leaders on the Iraq spending bill may defect due to the leadership’s decision to eliminate any timeline for withdrawal from the legislation.

    That could force the leadership to rely on Republican votes to pass the war-spending bill, which is expected to come to the floor as early as Thursday.

    “The anti-war Democrats have reached their tipping point,” said Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.), a leader of the Out of Iraq caucus. “It’s going to take Republican votes to pass it.”

    Woolsey has voted consistently against Iraq supplemental spending bills, saying they don’t do enough to get the U.S. out of Iraq.

    Her observation is backed by comments by members like Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.). He was a surprise vote in favor of the original supplemental this year, but he said yesterday he cannot back the bill again without a timeline.
    Grijalva said: “I’ve supported it all the way to this point. I understand the work that went into it. But if the goal is accountability, I don’t think this gets us closer to that goal.”

    Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) said he expects enough Democrats to switch that leadership vote-counters will lose the margin of victory they have enjoyed so far.

    “I’m on the edge,” he said. “I’m not liking this. A lot of people have bought into the notion that you have to fund the troops. Funding the troops means more troops are going to die.”

    Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) indicated that just because he has voted for it before does not mean he will vote for it without a timeline.

    “Probably not,” Nadler said. “If it doesn’t have some sort of timeline, it’s going to be tough for me to vote for it.”

    Freshman Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.), who ran against the war and enthusiastically supported the first supplemental and its call for withdrawal, is also wavering. Asked whether he could support the new plan, he shook his head and said, “I don’t know.”

    If Democrats are looking for Republican votes, Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) thinks they can find them. He says he would be surprised if the proposal cannot garner 10 to 15 GOP votes.

    “If the bill is without timelines, there would be a few Republicans who have bases and military retirees in their districts who feel the need to support the troops,” Jones said.

    [At a caucus meeting at press time, House Democratic leaders outlined their plan to get around liberal defections. The supplemental spending bill will be brought to the House floor as two amendments to the Senate bill. The first will be President Bush’s original Iraq supplemental request. It is expected to pass with the votes of many Republicans and conservative Democrats. The second, a domestic spending bill to include money for children’s health insurance, Gulf Coast hurricane relief, minimum wage and other items. They will be combined procedurally without a vote and sent to the Senate.

    “It’s a concession to reality,” said Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.).]

    The timeline for withdrawal of troops fell to the cutting-room floor as leaders sought to fashion a bill that President Bush could sign and that could be passed by the Memorial Day break. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said the House will not leave for that recess until a bill is sent to the president.

    Democratic Caucus briefings on the bill were delayed twice this week. A Monday night caucus meeting was canceled, and the regular Tuesday meeting ended before Iraq came up, after a long discussion on trade.

    The legislation is expected to include minimum-wage provisions and money for Gulf Coast hurricane relief and children’s health insurance, but it will exclude agricultural relief spending.

    “There will be an awful lot of things in the supplemental that members will consider very important,” Hoyer said.
    In the Senate, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) predicted that the final war-funding measure would incorporate the benchmarks-based provision authored by Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) and cosponsored by Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.).
    Supporters of the plan to remove timelines say it takes the question of whether Democrats will “fund the troops” off the table and opens the door to an uninhibited debate on Iraq policy in upcoming bills like the regular defense appropriations bill. Moran, for example, said he intends to vote for the supplemental “under the assumption that there will be stronger language” in future bills.

    “This bill will get us to funding the troops,” said Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.). “We’re going to come to an accommodation on funding the troops and keep the process going. Eventually, there will be a date certain.”
    Lawmakers say they have to work with President Bush on this bill to keep moving towards ending the war, Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.) said.

    “In the end, the president has the last say,” Ruppersberger said. “The most important thing is the endgame — getting our troops out.”

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  20. That is pathetic. Pelosi and Reid are going against the will of the voters, and against the will of many in their own Democratically controlled Congress to wrap themselves around Bush and war.

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  21. I'm sorry, but the gutless spineless Pelosi and Reed deserve nothing but our contempt.............they did possibly the stupidest tactical blunder they could have done..........by giving GWB a blank check they just COMPLETELY took the pressure off of the republicans who as the elections got closer would have felt enormous pressure to turn on Bush and end the war.

    They could have backed the repugs into a corner and divided them just like Rove has done all these years............and thats not even taking into account the fact that they COULD have ended the war but now they forfeit that power for and gained nothing for doing it............THAT was NOT a tactical sacrifice it was a tactical blunder by a pack of spineless cowardly fools!

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  22. Pelosi and Reid have just gave Bush a blank check to do whatever he wants, for the rest of his term.

    If they didn't stand up on this, they will stand up for nothing.

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  23. I am pissed at the dems for playing the game they played, because they had to KNOW that today was coming and they wouldn’t break the Rovian hold on the congressional GOP especially with Mitch the money man McConnell riding heard over the rest of the reichwing in the senate.

    If their plan was to run the time line till September then make a stand they should have done just that then get onto something productive. If they wanted to FIGHT then they should have stood their ground. But to pick a fight with Bush then FOLD is just the weakest they could do which they did.

    The fight is NOT over they just punted till this fall, when a good number of senators on the right (21) are up for re-election, and they have to face the 72% OF THE American people who hate this ILLEGAL IMMORAL WAR …and those senators have to cover their sorry asses, which means the dems have a much stronger hand to play come Sept-Oct time frame.

    If that is their plan they should have just accepted it announced it and played what they got dealt this spring.

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  24. September will find the same thing as today.

    Blustering and threats but in the end, they will cower in a corner, while Bush gives them that snarly smirk.

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  25. Larry sept will change things because quite a few re-pubies up for re-election will be shitting their knickers about the 72% of america which wanted this war over last fall.

    real politics are played this way, no matter how much we don't like it.

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  26. Clif:

    I sure didn't like what Pelosi and Reid have done. Earlier in the week they caved in on Bush's "free trade" deal and now millions more will lose their jobs.

    It seems they have forgotten who put them in power and why.

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  27. They punted on second down Clif...............they SHOULD have put out short term funding till August or September.............THEN backed the repugs into a corner to support either a pullout OR REAL benchmarks with teeth that if they arent achieved will trigger a pullout and lack of funding for the war.

    But the gutless Democrats took their levaerage over the repugs and pissed it away...........I dont think i've EVER seen a stupider more gutless move.....................WHY is everyone afraid of GWB .................He's a fricking moron yet everyone pisses their pants when it comes to confronting the buffoon!

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  28. Supreme Court ruling:

    The Hudson case basically gave police carte blanche to violate the knock-and-announce rule without having to worry about application of the exclusionary rule. This case says that innocent civilians should have to bear the humiliating, terrifying, and possibly dangerous costs of mistakes made by agents of the state. It's a horrible ruling.

    This case wasn't a forced-entry raid; the couple's son let the police into the home. But given the wording of the opinion and the 8-1 vote, it will almost certainly encourage city and state governments to fight suits stemming from wrong door raids in the future, instead of settling with victims.

    Neither ruling is consistent with a society that allegedly values individual rights, even without the express protections offered by the Fourth Amendment. This ruling in particular evokes Justice Scalia's flp aside in Hudson that the only purpose of requiring the police to give notice is to avoid the harm of "being seen in one's night clothes." That the Supreme Court can continue to issue rulings like this one in spite of the Fourth Amendment shows that the Castle Doctrine, freedom from unreasonable search, and privacy in general are all but dead in this country.

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  29. Once I seen the bell of the Congressional ball defending her agreement to another Bush "free trade" deal,(trade U.S jobs for Corporate dollars)I had a feeling Iraq was history.

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  30. These people want to turn America into a fascist police state Larry where Freedom and liberty are merely something you chant while pledging alligiance to a flag rather than timeless to live by and cherish............and Pelosi instead of defending the Constitution and the freedom it symbolizes and protecting our soldiers tries to appease a pompous tyrant and wannabe dictator because she feels it is in HER best interests politically rather than the best interests of this country!

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  31. Associated Press | Michael Roston | May 22, 2007 05:34 PM

    The former executive assistant to White House political adviser Karl Rove is seeking immunity from prosecution before testifying about administration ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, a House investigative committee revealed Tuesday.

    Susan Ralston, the aide who resigned last fall, told lawyers for the committee this month she would provide information if protected from prosecution.

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  32. There are 13 million Americans on minimum wage.

    10 million of those on minimum wage are the breadwinner.

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  33. Nine US troops were killed on a single day around Iraq, the US military reported on Wednesday, bringing to 85 the number of servicemen killed in one of the most violent months of the war.

    Are you happy Bush?

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  34. Reuters Canada - 43 minutes ago
    By Paul Tait. BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Twenty people were killed by a suicide bomber in a crowded cafe northeast of Baghdad on Wednesday, while the US military reported the deaths of nine more soldiers in the past 48 hours.

    "Surge" on Bush.

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  35. By Garrett Therolf
    U.S. troops in Iraq face dangerous foes: snipers and bombs. A captain fears it may be 'their surge, not ours.'

    Bush can't even "surge" without it backfiring on him.

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  36. LONDON (Reuters) - Oil climbed towards $70 on Wednesday as U.S. warships put on a show of force off Iran's coast, coinciding with a United Nations agency report on the Islamic republic's nuclear programme.

    Bush's threats mean higher gas prices.

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  37. Monica Goodling is on CSPAN right now:

    http://www.c-span.org/watch/cs_cspan3_rm.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CS3

    Dennis Kucinich is on CSPAN too, discussing IRAQ privatization of oil.

    VERY IMPORTANT TO WATCH KUCINICH.

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  38. Great post Larry. While the solution to the problem is clear, part of the problem on gas prices is the intentional and criminal collusion on the part of the members of the Big Oil oligopoly to keep refining capacity low enough to reduce the supply of gasoline more than crude oil prices can justify.

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  39. Monica Goodling is testifying today............how much you wanna bet we have some tragedy or Britney Spears or someone like thats does something stupid and the MSM covers it 24/7 to divert and distract from the Goodling testimony!

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  40. KUNA: Opium - Iraq''s deadly new export

    Farmers in southern Iraq have started to grow opium poppies in their fields for the first time, sparking fears that Iraq might become a serious drugs producer along the lines of Afghanistan, it was revealed here Wednesday.

    HECK OF A JOB GEORGIE

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  41. Good thing they gave her imunity because,

    SHE ADMITTED BREAKING THE LAW;


    Goodling Admits to Political Hiring


    By Paul Kiel


    Both in her opening statement and in further testimony, Goodling admitted to weeding out candidates for assistant U.S. attorney positions because they were not Republicans.

    Under questioning from Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Goodling admitted that she did block the hiring of an assistant U.S. attorney in the D.C. U.S. attorney's office because she judged him too liberal. "I made a snap judgment and I regret it," she said. When Sanchez pressed as to how many times Goodling had done this, Goodling said she couldn't come up with a number, and that she didn't "feel like there were that many cases."

    Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) later pressed her on whether she had committed a crime. “I don’t believe that I intended to commit a crime," she said at first. Then, when he pressed, “I know I crossed the line of civil service rules."
    Did that mean she crossed the line of breaking the law, he asked? "I believe I crossed the line, but I didn’t mean to," she said.

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  42. Goodling Opening Statement


    By Paul Kiel

    Goodling dropped a number of bombshells in her opening statement. You can read it here.

    First, she threw back the responsibility for the misstatements to Congress to the deputy attorney general, saying that Paul McNulty had not been "fully candid about his knowledge of White House involvement in the replacement decision." She said that McNulty had even prevented Goodling from being in the same room during a closed door briefing to Congress, because her presence might raise questions about the White House.

    She also set the tone for her testimony today by saying that she did not know why the eight U.S. attorneys were fired. "I can describe what I and others discussed as the reasons for their removal, but I cannot guarantee that these reasons are the same as those contemplated by the final decision makers," she said. The person she says to ask about all this, she says, is Kyle Sampson.

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  43. The Surge is Failing and We're Hurting the Troops

    by
    Larry C Johnson

    Some brave soul in the U.S. military sent Pat Lang a memo issued Monday that shows the U.S. ability to support its troops is collapsing and very vulnerable to disruption.

    Download iraq_food_deliveries.[warning](pdf)
    The memo states:

    Due to a theater-wide delay in food delivery, menu selections will be limited for the near future. While every effort will be made to provide balanced meals, it may not be possible to offer the dishes you are used to seeing at each meal. Fresh fruits and salad bar items will also be severely limited or unavailable.

    The bottomline is that our troops depend on a ground supply line that runs from Kuwait to the various bases in Iraq. When I was in Iraq last year at the U.S. base in Balad I had the chance to eat four meals a day--breakfast, lunch, dinner, and midnight rations (midrats). If you like late nights the midrats were great--steak, eggs, pancakes. Pretty good food. Well, based on this memo, it looks like those were the good old days. We don't have enough convoys to give our troops three hot meals a day. We want them to step up the patrolling. We want them to search 24-7 for missing soldiers. But, by God, they don't deserve three hot meals a day.

    Excuse my rudeness, but that is f@%ked up. Way to go General Petraeus.



    As somebody who fought in Desert Storm and had to eat MRE's and T rats for a month, having a good hot fresh meal is important, but as usual Bush ET AL put the troops at the end of the line in their considerations........

    Tax cuts and gutless chicken hawk re-pubie wishes come first.

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  44. BTW if food convoys are getting hard to sustain, then ammo and essential supply convoys are vulnerable also .......

    getting close to helicopter time on the roofs of the green zone me thinks if things are this bad.......

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  45. 108 House Democrats co-sponsor Gonzales 'no confidence' motion

    Michael Roston


    The number of Congress members co-sponsoring a vote of no confidence for the Attorney General mushroomed to 108 within 48 hours of the introduction of the resolution by Reps. Adam Schiff (CA) and Artur Davis (AL) on Monday. Several prominent Democratic leaders are included on the list of Representatives who are seeking the legislative rebuke and subsequent resignation of Alberto Gonzales.

    "The extraordinary support for this House resolution so soon after introduction reflects an emerging consensus in Congress and across the country: Mr. Gonzales should step down," said Rep. Schiff in a statement released to RAW STORY. "The Justice Department needs a strong and independent voice, and someone of unimpeachable credibility. We must reluctantly conclude that the current Attorney General does not fit the bill."

    "I am encouraged that a steadily rising number of our colleagues want the House to assert itself in this debate, and I am pleased that they recognize that the institutional crisis at the Department of Justice demands a no confidence resolution," added Rep. Davis in the statement.

    Schiff and Davis's release indicated that 108 House members had sponsored the bill. The current list on the Library of Congress's Thomas database only included 107 at press time.

    But some major Democratic leaders were included on the list: Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), who helped shape the strategy to return the Democrats to the majority in November 2006; Rep. Charles Rangel, Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee; Rep. David Obey, Chairman of the Appropriations Committee; Rep. Louise Slaughter, Chairwoman of the Rules Committee; Rep. Henry Waxman, Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform; Rep. Ellen Tauscher, Chair of the New Democrat Coalition; and, Reps. Barbara Lee and Lynn Woolsey, Co-Chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

    However, no Republican Members of Congress are accounted for within the list of co-sponsors at this time.

    A list of the co-sponsors from Thomas is presented below.
    #

    Rep Abercrombie, Neil [HI-1] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Ackerman, Gary L. [NY-5] - 5/21/2007
    Rep Allen, Thomas H. [ME-1] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Altmire, Jason [PA-4] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Andrews, Robert E. [NJ-1] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Becerra, Xavier [CA-31] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Berkley, Shelley [NV-1] - 5/21/2007
    Rep Berry, Marion [AR-1] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Bishop, Timothy H. [NY-1] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Blumenauer, Earl [OR-3] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Boren, Dan [OK-2] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Boswell, Leonard L. [IA-3] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Boucher, Rick [VA-9] - 5/21/2007
    Rep Braley, Bruce L. [IA-1] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Capps, Lois [CA-23] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Cardoza, Dennis A. [CA-18] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Castor, Kathy [FL-11] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Chandler, Ben [KY-6] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Clarke, Yvette D. [NY-11] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Cohen, Steve [TN-9] - 5/21/2007
    Rep Costa, Jim [CA-20] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Crowley, Joseph [NY-7] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Davis, Artur [AL-7] - 5/21/2007
    Rep Davis, Danny K. [IL-7] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Davis, Susan A. [CA-53] - 5/22/2007
    Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Dingell, John D. [MI-15] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Ellison, Keith [MN-5] - 5/21/2007
    Rep Emanuel, Rahm [IL-5] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Engel, Eliot L. [NY-17] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Eshoo, Anna G. [CA-14] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Farr, Sam [CA-17] - 5/21/2007
    Rep Fattah, Chaka [PA-2] - 5/21/2007
    Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Frank, Barney [MA-4] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-7] - 5/21/2007
    Rep Hall, John J. [NY-19] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Higgins, Brian [NY-27] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. [NY-22] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Hirono, Mazie K. [HI-2] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Holt, Rush D. [NJ-12] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Honda, Michael M. [CA-15] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Israel, Steve [NY-2] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Jackson, Jesse L., Jr. [IL-2] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Johnson, Henry C. "Hank," Jr. [GA-4] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Kaptur, Marcy [OH-9] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Kennedy, Patrick J. [RI-1] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Kildee, Dale E. [MI-5] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Kind, Ron [WI-3] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Klein, Ron [FL-22] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Kucinich, Dennis J. [OH-10] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Larsen, Rick [WA-2] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Larson, John B. [CT-1] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Lee, Barbara [CA-9] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Levin, Sander M. [MI-12] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Lewis, John [GA-5] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Loebsack, David [IA-2] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Lowey, Nita M. [NY-18] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Lynch, Stephen F. [MA-9] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Markey, Edward J. [MA-7] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Matsui, Doris O. [CA-5] - 5/22/2007
    Rep McCarthy, Carolyn [NY-4] - 5/22/2007
    Rep McCollum, Betty [MN-4] - 5/22/2007
    Rep McGovern, James P. [MA-3] - 5/21/2007
    Rep Meehan, Martin T. [MA-5] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Meek, Kendrick B. [FL-17] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Miller, George [CA-7] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Moore, Dennis [KS-3] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Moran, James P. [VA-8] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Murphy, Patrick J. [PA-8] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Oberstar, James L. [MN-8] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Obey, David R. [WI-7] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Olver, John W. [MA-1] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Pallone, Frank, Jr. [NJ-6] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Pascrell, Bill, Jr. [NJ-8] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Payne, Donald M. [NJ-10] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Price, David E. [NC-4] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Rahall, Nick J., II [WV-3] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Rothman, Steven R. [NJ-9] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Roybal-Allard, Lucille [CA-34] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Rush, Bobby L. [IL-1] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. [IL-9] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Schwartz, Allyson Y. [PA-13] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Shea-Porter, Carol [NH-1] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Sherman, Brad [CA-27] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Sires, Albio [NJ-13] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Slaughter, Louise McIntosh [NY-28] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Smith, Adam [WA-9] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Solis, Hilda L. [CA-32] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Stark, Fortney Pete [CA-13] - 5/21/2007
    Rep Sutton, Betty [OH-13] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Tauscher, Ellen O. [CA-10] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Thompson, Mike [CA-1] - 5/21/2007
    Rep Tierney, John F. [MA-6] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Towns, Edolphus [NY-10] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Van Hollen, Chris [MD-8] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Velazquez, Nydia M. [NY-12] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Walz, Timothy J. [MN-1] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [FL-20] - 5/21/2007
    Rep Watson, Diane E. [CA-33] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Watt, Melvin L. [NC-12] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Waxman, Henry A. [CA-30] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Weiner, Anthony D. [NY-9] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Welch, Peter [VT] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Wexler, Robert [FL-19] - 5/22/2007
    Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. [CA-6] - 5/22/2007

    ********************************

    One quarter of the house membership sponsoring this, Gonzo needs to go

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  46. BREAKING NEWS: BUSH BRINGS OUT BIN LADEN TRUMP CARD AT COMMENCEMENT SPEECH --

    He just declassified some top secret info that "Bin Laden" was planning a major attack from inside Iraq in 2005.

    Can someone check out whether Bush will get away with this one? Does anyone on the left have an expose on this yet?

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  47. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  48. Looks like the Goo Goo is off his meds again......................

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  49. sorry Goo Goo your an IDIOT par extraordinaire, and deserve to be outed as the Gutless Chicken Hawk MORON you really are son.

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  50. ballsy said...

    I've seen Mike's dick and it's small


    Sorry Goo Goo, you were looking in a mirror widdle boy

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  51. Fmr Bush Official: Iraq probably can't be fixed

    In a story about U.S. contingency plans in Iraq, the UK newspaper The Guardian quoted a senior Bush Administration official:

    "Petraeus is brilliant. But he is the captain of a sinking ship," said a former senior administration official who questioned whether Iraq's divided political leadership could prevent a descent into chaos. "Iraq's government is a mobile phone number that doesn't answer. Iraq probably can't be fixed."

    One can only speculate who that former senior official was? Colin Powell? Richard Armitage? George Tenet?

    The article went on to add that the Bush Administration's 'plan B' is to "internationalize" the burden on Iraq.

    But that was the same strategy that John Kerry advised three years ago. Here is an excerpt from a Kerry speech from April of 2004:

    The immediate goal is to internationalize the transformation of Iraq, to get more foreign forces on the ground to share the risk and reduce the burden on our own forces. And that is the only way to succeed in the mission while ending the sense of an American occupation.

    Like with a fake wrestling match, the management of this war has been one big delayed reaction.

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  52. ballsy said...
    Mike's dick is so small, he got a hard-on , walked into a wall and broke his nose.


    *shaking head*

    You can't even get a joke straight...

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  53. Any word on the Goodling testimony? I've been swamped with work the past week or so...you know, keeping our economy humming and making decisions that affect us all...

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  54. Goodling admitted she "crossed a line" but the dumb Robertson trained lawyer could figger out if she BROKE a law, that was the best Bush ET AL could do in hiring lawyers for DOJ?

    Somebody who doesn't know when they break laws or not?

    She also testified McNulty didn't tell the "whole truth".

    And she was praised by the congressional reichwingers for breaking the law BTW.


    Former Justice Official Blames Deputy Attorney General in U.S. Attorneys' Controversy


    Ex-White Liaison Monica Goodling Admits She 'Crossed the Line'

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  55. I don't know if I can trust this president any more...... I try to.

    Chris Matthews
    Hardball

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  56. Its time to stop calling him Tweety now.

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  57. Matthews is a prime example of a good man who let himself be duped.

    But now, his eyes are open, and he's mad as hell.

    The Schwartz is strong with him.

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  58. But he was wrong about Rosie O'donnell I think.


    O'donnell was calling, "us" the terrorists. Not the troops. She was calling the collective "us" or the U.S. And she's right, at least from the Iraqi's perspective, and probably anyone who lives in that region. To them, we are the terrorists.

    We've taken a reasonably stable country, and turned it into a bloodsoaked wasteland, on par with some nightmare similar to the movie, "Escape from New York".

    If that isn't terrifying, I don't know what is.

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  59. I guess what really worries me is that life, karma, fate, whatever..... has a way of rewarding people like us for our misdeeds.

    I am not looking forward to that.

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  60. Just because I was against the war, doesn't mean that reward will bypass my household.

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  61. I thought Rosie was calling Bush and Co. terrorists for making the troops attack Iraq.

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  62. George W Bush told Coast Guard graduates:
    "Here in America, we are living in the eye of a storm," he said. "All around us, dangerous winds are swirling and these winds could reach our shores at any moment."

    Bush didn't mention that he is the most dangerous storm we face "here in America."

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  63. The D.C. Madam, who is accused of running a high-price call-girl ring in Washington, the accused madam’s lawyer said on Tuesday," Emily Heil reports for Roll Call. "But then again, the veep isn’t on the list, he said — not necessarily."

    Heil continues, "What’s that? Montgomery Blair Sibley, lawyer to alleged madam Deborah Jeane Palfrey, tossed out the age-old 'can neither confirm nor deny' teaser line while appearing with his client at Nathan’s in Georgetown for one of the restaurant’s Q&A Café chatting sessions. But clearly, the headline-hyping Sibley was eager to fan the flames of the bizarre Cheney escort-service rumor, which has popped up in some far corners of the blogosphere."

    “'We are investigating some numbers in the McLean area ... and if that turns something up, he might be called as a witness,' Sibley said, referring to the Virginia neighborhood that the vice president once called home," Roll Call reports.

    A few weeks ago, DC gossip blog Wonkette gave "[t]hanks to the 700 people who sent in the latest 'anything’s possible' rumor from angry local blogger Wayne Madsen."

    "ABC News all but dropped the story when Cheney threatened to jam that prop phone three feet up the ass of Brian Ross," Wonkette mocked. "That’s why the formerly explosive scandal story instead got seven minutes at the end of whatever ABC News show Friday night."

    Cheney would have to pay a lot to get someone to sleep with his bloated carcass.

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  64. ABOARD USS JOHN C. STENNIS - Nine U.S. military ships entered the Gulf on Wednesday for a rare daylight assembly off Iran’s coast in what naval officials said was the largest such move since the 2003 Iraq war.

    Get ready for World war III

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  65. WASHINGTON - The House, eager to do something about record high gasoline prices in advance of the Memorial Day weekend, voted narrowly Wednesday to approve stiff penalties for those found guilty of gasoline price gouging.

    The bill directs the Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department to go after oil companies, traders or retail operators if they take “unfair advantage” or charge “unconscionably excessive” prices for gasoline and other fuels.

    The White House called the measure a form of price controls that could result in fuel shortages. It said President Bush would be urged to veto the legislation should it pass Congress

    Obviously Bush wants Americans to be gouged by oil companies.

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  66. By BETH FOUHY, Associated Press Writer
    42 minutes ago

    Democrat John Edwards Wednesday repudiated the notion that there is a "global war on terror," calling it an ideological doctrine advanced by the Bush administration that has strained American military resources and emboldened terrorists.

    In a defense policy speech to the Council on Foreign Relations, Edwards called the war on terror a "bumper sticker" slogan Bush had used to justify everything from abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison to the invasion of Iraq.

    "We need a post-Bush, post-9/11, post-Iraq military that is mission focused on protecting Americans from 21st-century threats, not misused for discredited ideological purposes," Edwards said. "By framing this as a war, we have walked right into the trap the terrorists have set — that we are engaged in some kind of clash of civilizations and a war on Islam.

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  67. From Daily Kos:

    We do know one thing. A very strong pattern has emerged and continues to emerge. A pattern that touches state republican party officials, national republican party officials, the Justice Department, the White House, Congress, and the very groups whose purpose is the HELP voting rights and ensure that all votes are counted – the Voting Rights Section, the Civil Rights Section, the Federal Elections Commission.

    All of this done by design. By the republican party. At all levels.

    It is a simple story to tell, as ugly and complicated as it is to untangle. The republican party has used its power to undermine and suppress the votes of those most likely to vote Democratic in order to keep power. It should spell doom for the republican party for decades to come.

    Is anyone brave enough to call a duck a duck, take this story and give it the exposure it deserves?

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  68. Congressman Conyers writes that "rising gas prices are not being driven by increases in the cost of oil. In fact, a barrel of oil is actually $7 cheaper than it was this time last year. How is it possible for gas prices to reach record highs while the price of oil remains relatively stable?" He blames the administration's failure to enforce anti-trust laws.

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  69. By Susan Crabtree
    May 23, 2007
    Former lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his associate Michael Scanlon have bought themselves more time as they cooperate with prosecutors amid renewed Justice Department activity in the case.

    On Monday, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia postponed the sentencing dates for Abramoff and Scanlon yet again. Abramoff and Scanlon were convicted of conspiring to bribe public officials more than a year ago, but the court has postponed the sentencing of each several times.



    A status conference on their sentencing was scheduled for June 5, but the court filed a motion Monday to defer the conference to sometime after Aug. 21.

    “Mr. Abramoff has been cooperating with government agents and prosecutors,” Justice Department prosecutors wrote. “The government anticipates that Mr. Abramoff’s cooperation will continue for the foreseeable future.

    Spill your guts Abramoff.

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  70. Keith Olberman is doing a special comment tonight, only this one will be to the democrats.

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  71. Worf:

    Good for Olbermann. I hope it is especially centered on Reid and Pelosi.

    The two biggest Democratic disappointments on 2007.

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  72. By Amy Goodman

    The Democratic Party leadership is stabbing its base in the back with secret “free trade” deals made behind closed doors with the White House. Now congressional Democrats may be on the verge of a significant split. While Democratic leaders and President Bush do the hard sell on bipartisan immigration reform, they are now pushing secret, anti-worker, anti-environment trade agreements that will only exacerbate U.S. immigration problems.

    The contentious agreements are bilateral trade deals between the U.S. and Peru, Panama, Colombia and South Korea. The deals were announced in a bipartisan press conference May 10, with principal credit going to Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee (long dubbed by some as the “Ways to be Mean” Committee). According to Inside U.S. Trade, as noted by blogger David Sirota, House Democrats admit that the White House is drafting the legal language of the trade deals.

    Thanks for helping Bush send our jobs to China, Pelosi and Reid.

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  73. Two of the missing U.S troops have been found dead in Iraq.

    Are you happy Bush?

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  74. Countdown is on. Keith Olbermann will deliver a "Special Comment" tonight on the spineless Democrats.

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  75. KABUL, May 23 (Reuters) - With foreign forces under fire for the deaths of Afghan civilians, NATO said on Wednesday that 85 people, including 40 civilians, have been killed so far this month by the Taliban's improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

    In roughly the same period, aerial strikes by U.S.-led coalition forces have killed at least 90 civilians, Afghan officials and witnesses say.

    Didn't Bush say he had already won the war in Afganistan?

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  76. Goodling threw Mcnulty and Gonzales under the bus today.

    She confessed.

    She confessed the Justice dept WAS using political affiliation to hire and fire attorneys.

    She also confirmed Gonzales lied about attending a specific meeting, and testified under oath that Mr Gonzales' testimony under oath, was "innacurate".

    oops

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  77. Goodling protected Karl Rove at the same time.

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  78. Well, not really. By confessing to the crime the democrats have been claiming they were guilty of, and that Gonzo and Bush and the neocons claimed wasn't there, she just took away their ability to claim the democrats are "making much ado about nothing".

    She gave them their smoking gun.

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  79. That means investigations, mass subpeonas, and some really uncomfortable questions for a lot of people, including Karl Rove.

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  80. Monica Goodling, a SENIOR level DOJ official, just confessed that the department was making decisions on hiring and firing US Attorney's based on "political affiliation".

    Which is ILLEGAL.

    She knows this.

    Which is why she asked for immunity from incriminating herself.

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  81. Rove will probably continue to refuse to testify like he has for the past 3 months.

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  82. Keith said it right tonight.

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  83. That was worth a nobel peace prize.

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  84. Reid, Pelosi, Hoyer FAILED.


    FAILED.

    With a capital F.

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  85. Hi Lydia and Guys!

    Looks like Gonzo and McNulty are toast.. possibly others as well.

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  86. Keith Olbermann:

    “We are financing the deaths of Americans in this heinous, illegal war.”

    I HAVE NEVER HEARD OLBERMANN SOUND THIS ANGRY AND THIS ON TARGET.

    READ NEW BLOG THREAD.

    I will post links later.
    Thanks

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  87. Olberman feels what we're all feeling.


    Pelosi and Reid are pathetic.

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  88. Absolutely pathetic.

    Now you know why I'm not a democrat.

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  89. Olbermann called for removal of Reid and Pelosi.

    Let the movement begin. Then on to removal of Bush.

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  90. Unfortunately Larry, like Olberman also said, people are dying here every day.

    Keith called for a democrat to step forward to end the war and thats what needs to happen now.

    Hell I don't care if its a republican. But we have been in Iraq for going on 5 years now, and its a disaster. A train wreck.

    And it needs to end.

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  91. Olbermann proved he isn't one sided. He attacked both sides tonight, and rightfully so.

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  92. I wish he'd run for president.

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  93. Imagine.

    A smart president.

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  94. What would we do with ourselves?

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  95. Yes, Olbermann would be a smart President. Washington would change in a hurry! LOL

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  96. Olbermann would have great press conferences, and his State of the Union speeches would be classic.

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  97. We could actually understand him and know that he speaks the truth.

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  98. Olbermann would also have some classic zingers for the Repugs.

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  99. Larry:

    He would be b*tch slapping them left and right!
    LMAO

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  100. Suzie:

    And that is just the spineless Democrats. It would be worse for the Repugs.

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  101. Ladies and Gentlemen we've just formed it.

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  102. He would have those Repugs crawling on their hands and knees! LOL

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  103. I'm ready for the Olbermann for President to begin. I wish Olbermann were ready.

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  104. Like I said, we've just formed it.

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  105. Think about how many would be behind Olbermann. He would rake in the anti-Bush/war vote.

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  106. He might throw those Repugs a bone once in awhile but otherwise they would be begging for every dollar!
    LOLMAO

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  107. The Repugs need to beg for every dollar since they dirtbags have it all anyway.

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  108. New thread is up about Olbermann and another crucial thing to read regarding Bush's ability to become a dictator.

    Please post on new thread instead of here.

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  109. OBI WAN WORFEUS said...
    Olberman feels what we're all feeling.


    Pelosi and Reid are pathetic."


    Yeah tou called from the beginning Worf...............You said Pelosi and Reed were spineless.........I said lets give em a chance and see.

    CLEARLY YOU were dead on right and I was wrong................Pelosi and Reed are totally pathetic spineless self serving cowards who dont deserve an ounce of support they sicken me.

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