CLICK on the photo for a closeup of the GIZA PYRAMIDS which were constructed around 2500 BC as monumental tombs. The largest and oldest pyramid was originally over 480 feet high and is made of 5.7 million tons of limestone.
This is from the Smithsonian Institute's "Earth from Space" collection of satellite photos. EARTH FROM SPACE
QuickBird satellite, February 2002
DigitalGlobe
The world is so incredibly beautiful. We should all travel the globe and visit other cultures. I just read a terrific description of Bali by Elizabeth Gilbert in her mulit-milliion bestselling book "Eat, Pray, Love" which is her memoir of divorcing her husband, and traveling the world to find God, great sex, food and love -- not necesarily in that order.
Bali is not at all relaxed; they have so many religious ceremonies and rituals, they spend every waking hour busily trying to stay in balance by appeasing the Great Spirits. If you are wandering aimlessly in Bali, it makes people horribly uncomfortable. When you pass someone on the road, they will ask, "Where are you going?" and you better have a definitive answer. It freaks them out if you have no concrete purpose. Also, if you're not married, you are looked upon with pity and suspicion, as marriage is considered the most important rite of passage. The ancient priests handed down all these elaborate rituals to give the people structure and order. To me, this kind of hypervigilance is micro-managing and overcontrolling one's life leaves no room for creativity. But you have to respect their culture because they do not want to change. They are very happy staying in "balance" this way. I find it adorable to observe the customs of other cultures. It's not my business to change anyone. And I find it ridiculous that we are arrogant enough to think we can force Democracy down Iraq's throat at the point of a gun...
Or in the words of Stuart Smalley, "It's easier to wear slippers than to carpet the whole world."
Of course you know who Stuart Smalley is, right?
Suzie, I meant to thank you and say "hi."
ReplyDeleteSorry, it's hard to scroll through all the comments; I miss some once in awhile.
Will be free in August when I come out from the underground.
Ah, pyramids and daily affirmation. What more could a history geek and Al Franken fan want.
ReplyDeleteHi Lydia!
ReplyDeleteI know, I get lost in the comments too sometimes...
I understand that you're working on an important project. No worries Lydia. :)
The world is so incredibly beautiful. We should all travel the globe and visit other cultures.
ReplyDelete-----------------
Lydia:
Yes, we should and I plan to do just that someday! ;)
Suzie-Q said...
ReplyDeleteThe world is so incredibly beautiful. We should all travel the globe and visit other cultures.
-----------------
Lydia:
Yes, we should and I plan to do just that someday! ;)"
I agree there are SO many beautiful interesting places to see..............I've ALWAYS wanted to see the Pyramids and the Sphinx, but unfortunately after GWB's reign of evil, i'm a little hesitant to travel in the Middle East.
Its a shame that the next several generations will be hated and afraid to travel primarily for the attrocities commited by the tyrant GWB and his cabal of Neo Con war criminals and enemies of freedom and democracy.
If y'all know of some place on Earth Chimpy hasn't soiled, I'd like to book passage...
ReplyDeleteIf y'all know of some place on Earth Chimpy hasn't soiled, I'd like to book passage...
ReplyDeleteAny place which the chimpy was told to go F%^K himself when he asked them to aid his illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq.
But remember to tell the locals there your Canadian as they probably aren't to enamored with Americans right about now.
yeah, Clif, if I DID travel abroad thats EXACTLY what i'd do (pretend to be Canadian)
ReplyDeleteclif said...
ReplyDeleteBTW things just might heat up near Iran soon;
Enterprise Joins Fleet Near Iran Friday
A third US carrier, the nuclear-powered USS Enterprise Strike Group is speeding towards the Persian Gulf
The USS Enterprise CVN 65-Big E Strike Group, the US Navy’s largest air carrier, will join the USS Stennis and the USS Nimitz carriers, building up the largest sea, air, marine concentration the United States has ever deployed opposite Iran. This goes towards making good on the assurances of four carriers US Vice President Dick Cheney offered the Gulf and Middle East nations during his May tour of the region. Washington is considering deploying the fourth US carrier for the region in the Red Sea opposite Saudi Arabian western coast to secure the three US carriers in the Gulf from the rear as well as the Gulf of Aqaba and Suez Canal.
**********************************
Four carrier task forces is a hell of a lot of fire power, niot to mention quite a good number of US Marines in their Amphibious Assault groups.
I wonder what sneeky tricks ole dead eye has planned this time?"
Sine When Does Dick the Dunce Cheney command our Navy????
Seriously whats the obsession with Iran....are they THAT desperate to stay there that they are willing to risk destabilizing the how Middle East and our country as well by attacking Iran?
"No Modern President Has Experienced Such A Sustained Rejection By The American Public" »
ReplyDelete--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Washington Post | Peter Baker | July 1, 2007 11:26 PM
The reality has been daunting by any account. No modern president has experienced such a sustained rejection by the American public. Bush's approval rating slipped below 50 percent in Washington Post-ABC News polls in January 2005 and has not topped that level in the 30 months since. The last president mired under 50 percent so long was Harry S. Truman. Even Richard M. Nixon did not fall below 50 percent until April 1973, 16 months before he resigned.
BARTLEBEE said...
ReplyDeleteLynn@ZelleBlog said...
I agree that the left should stop whining about Coulter,
Stop whining and start mocking her."
Now THAT I agree with Coulter and Cheney are jokes they are laughingstocks that are so stupid they dont even warrant air time they need to be mocked.......putting those two on the air is kinda like giving Forrest Gump airtime only worse!
Problem is The MSM portray Coulter like some kind of brilliant intellectual pundit and Cheney like some incredibly competent and credible old warrior when he's a fear mongering jerk that loves torture and loathes freedom and democracy!
Lydia Cornell said "I find it adorable to observe the customs of other cultures. It's not my business to change anyone. And I find it ridiculous that we are arrogant enough to think we can force Democracy down Iraq's throat at the point of a gun..."
ReplyDeleteWell its Nice that SOMEONE feels that way Lydia, the only cultures Bush tolerates are the ones he can dominate or expoit............as for forcing democracy down Iraq's throat I STILL say thats the fair cloak they are using rather than the objective..........the objective has ALWAYS been overthrowing Saddam and installing a puppet government so we have bases there and can write the laws so American Oil companies can reap fortunes developing or buying their oil on the cheap!
Good point Mike.
ReplyDeleteRobert -- I knew you would get it!
Hi Clif, Bartlebe and Jolly Roger
Thanks for posting.
xoxo
Senator Richard Lugar, the most prominent Republican yet to break ranks with the US administration over Iraq, called Sunday for an "orderly" withdrawal of US troops in the coming months.
ReplyDeleteLooks like rats fleeing a sinking ship. Especially this war loving rat.
AP:
ReplyDeleteTwo US soldiers were killed in shooting attacks on their patrols in Baghdad, where American forces are carrying out an intensified crackdown to uproot insurgents, the military said Monday.
Another normal day in Iraq, courtesy of Bush.
As of Sunday, July 1, 2007, at least 3,577 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The figure includes seven military civilians. At least 2,934 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.
ReplyDeleteWhat a pathetic leader the U.S has.
Kilowatts, gallons — they all add up. Energy is now sucking money out of Americans' bank accounts at a record level — hitting $612 billion at an annual rate in the month of April, the last month of data. Over the past two years, energy bills as a share of income have risen and are now at their highest point since 1987, but still below the levels of the 1970s and early 1980s. For low-income households, some economists estimate energy consumption as a percentage of income is closing in on 10 percent.
ReplyDelete"It shows up in weaker real incomes, since it results in higher rates of inflation" says Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com. "If it rises much more, it will become a significant problem, particularly for lower-income households."
Last week added to the misery. On Friday, the price of crude oil rang in at $70.68 a barrel, the first time in a year that it's been over $70. Just before the Fourth of July weekend, gasoline prices are about $2.96 a gallon nationally, up 11.3 cents from a year ago, or 3.9 percent higher. This is down from a peak of $3.22 set May 21.
Another result of the Bush economy.
Doggonit, people like me! But I must admit that I'm really afraid to travel away from this country now.
ReplyDeleteBAGHDAD:
ReplyDeleteAround 1,200 Iraqi civilians were killed in violence in June, a 36 percent drop from the previous month and the lowest monthly toll this year, according to Iraqi government figures obtained Sunday.
The decrease comes amid a U.S. troop increase in Baghdad that began in February and has been building since, with the military launching simultaneous offensives in mid-June aimed at uprooting insurgents in the capital and neighboring provinces to the northeast and south.
"Surge on" civilian deaths are down and U.S military deaths are way up.
Here is more good news for Bush and his ilk.
ReplyDeleteFALLUJA:
The U.S. military said it had uncovered 35 to 40 bodies in a mass grave south of Falluja, in Iraq's Sunni dominated Anbar province.
Reuters:
ReplyDeleteSenior Iranian leaders know about the operations of Iran's Qods Force in fomenting violence in Iraq, the U.S. military said on Monday, in some of the most direct accusations yet against Tehran over the chaos in Iraq.
Public lies toward World War III.
Free-Trade Alert:
ReplyDeleteGlobalization may be hurting low-skilled workers in the U.S. and Europe enough that politicians in both places may find it increasingly hard to sell voters on the benefits of free trade and open markets, says one of the world's leading economic institutes.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a Paris-based institute backed by the governments of 30 leading industrialized countries, is a staunch believer in free trade, which most economists believe makes all countries richer overall, including those with high wages.
But in its annual labor study, the OECD acknowledges growing popular unease about globalization — the growing integration of the world economy through trade and cross-border investment — and frets about a popular backlash if governments fail to ensure that lesser-skilled workers share the benefits.
Bush still plans on unveiling the North American Union, thus go millions of U.S jobs and many more American freedoms.
Lydia, I love this post. And I believe strongly in finding Peace through Travel. I've been a Travel Agent for nearly 16 years, and got into the business because I know that when I create an itinerary for someone, I am giving them an opportunity to experience another culture - to break bread with others - and to open their hearts.
ReplyDeleteDivajood - thank you! Travel is the best therapy.
ReplyDeleteLet's Talk - Please don't let fear stop you. I feel relieved of fear lately, though the world seems more dangerous, we can't let that stop us.
We lived in The Hague, Netherlands for awhile, and I loved the proximity to Paris, Belgium, London, Germany...
There are some great travel shows on the Travel Channel. I want my kids to see the world, so I refuse to live in fear.
What you focus on, GROWS.
Ah, Stuart Smalley...a delusion of that psychotic Fox "News" commentator, Bill O'Reilly...
ReplyDeleteWhen my father died, my mom took my brother sister and me on a road trip around Europe to mourn.
ReplyDeleteWe went to Bruges, Belgium - a medieval village where the the lost art of lace-making is done by nuns on looms.
"Nuns on looms" sounds like a comedy.
Here's the official description of Bruges:
Known as the Venice of the North, Bruges is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.
Walking along the maze of winding cobbled alleys and romantic canals, you imagine yourself to be in medieval times. The wealth of museums is a striking image of this city's stirring history.
It is also known for its chocolate. "All year round the rich aroma of chocolate wafts through the World Heritage city and countless creative confectioners make hundreds of kilograms of the city’s most famous chocolate, the ‘Brugsch Swaentje’ (Bruges Swan).
We also went to a casino on the North Sea -- Knokke-Hoppen. (sp?) It reminded me of a James Bond movie, more so than Monte Carlo.
Sadly, there are a lot of places in the world where we aren't as welcome as we once were. My husband got to see so many things when he was in the Navy and he has often talked of going back to these places and taking me to see them. We won't be going any time soon.
ReplyDeleteThat's sad Patricia. Don't you think the people are welcoming -- I mean the people themselves? They know we have a dictator and they must feel sorry for us.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I must say, when we lived in Holland, even back then, the Dutch had disdain for "stupid Amerikanski!"
My friend mispronounced the word "Scheviningen" while walking behind two Dutch guys. They turned around and practically spat at us.
Apparently you have to spit when you speak Dutch. It's very glutteral.
Robert Rouse - I left a comment at your family blog.
ReplyDeleteIf our footprint wasn't on Muslim soil, these suicide attacks would stop, for the most part.
ReplyDeleteRead Robert Dreyfuss' book THE DEVIL'S GAME if you get the chance. It is about how the U.S. helped unleash Islamic Fundamentalism over 30 years ago.
We should never have gone into Iraq.
Lydia Cornell said...
ReplyDeleteIf our footprint wasn't on Muslim soil, these suicide attacks would stop, for the most part.
Read Robert Dreyfuss' book THE DEVIL'S GAME if you get the chance. It is about how the U.S. helped unleash Islamic Fundamentalism over 30 years ago.
We should never have gone into Iraq."
Exactly if we werent tresspassing on their lands and interfering in their affairs most of the terrorism would not be occuring but the greedy Neo Cons are too dumb to realize or are so greedy they dont care.
Thats why i'll stay away from the Middle East......there are Plenty of cool places to travel to in North and South America and Europe
Lydia have you ever been to Peru, your kids would absolutely love Machu Pichu the Lost City of the Incas on the Mountain.......is such magical spiritual place.
ReplyDeleteLarry,
ReplyDeleteI answered your question at Reconstitution.
This is the question of the week from the Moron of the century.
ReplyDeleteWASHINGTON POST:
At the nadir of his presidency, George W. Bush is looking for answers. One at a time or in small groups, he summons leading authors, historians, philosophers and theologians to the White House to join him in the search.
Over sodas and sparkling water, he asks his questions: What is the nature of good and evil in the post-Sept. 11 world? What lessons does history have for a president facing the turmoil I'm facing? How will history judge what we've done? Why does the rest of the world seem to hate America? Or is it just me they hate?
These are the questions of a president who has endured the most drastic political collapse in a generation. Not generally known for intellectual curiosity, Bush is seeking out those who are, engaging in a philosophical exploration of the currents of history that have swept up his administration. For all the setbacks, he remains unflinching, rarely expressing doubt in his direction, yet trying to understand how he got off course.
Bush is wondering if the world hates him?
Get a clue to reality Bush.
AP:
ReplyDeleteJohn McCain's campaign, trailing top Republican rivals in money and polls, is undergoing a significant reorganization with staff cuts in every department, officials with knowledge of the shake-up said Monday.
Some 50 staffers or more are being let go, and senior aides will be subject to pay cuts as the Arizona senator's campaign bows to the reality of six months of subpar fundraising.
Another meltdown from a Bush loving war-monger.
AP:
ReplyDeleteFormer White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby cannot delay his 2 1/2-year prison term in the CIA leak case, a federal appeals court unanimously ruled Monday.
The decision is a dramatic setback for Libby, who likely will have to surrender to prison in weeks. The ruling puts pressure on President Bush, who has been sidestepping calls by Libby's allies to pardon the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney.
Poor Scooter. A jailin he will go.
Lydia, I saw your comment and I agree 100%. I DO have cute kids. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteBaghdad:
ReplyDeleteFive more U.S soldiers were killed in Iraq today.
Another bloody month of death.
Just in the last few months, new studies have shown that the north polar ice cap which helps the planet cool itself is melting nearly three times faster than the most pessimistic computer models predicted. Unless we take action, summer ice could be completely gone in as little as 35 years. Similarly, at the other end of the planet, near the South Pole, scientists have found new evidence of snow melting in West Antarctica across an area as large as California.
ReplyDeleteThis is not a political issue. This is a moral issue, one that affects the survival of human civilization. It is not a question of left versus right; it is a question of right versus wrong. Put simply, it is wrong to destroy the habitability of our planet and ruin the prospects of every generation that follows ours.
You are so right Lydia, the world is beautiful; and we should enjoy it more.
ReplyDeleteLydia said I find it adorable to observe the customs of other cultures. It's not my business to change anyone. And I find it ridiculous that we are arrogant enough to think we can force Democracy down Iraq's throat at the point of a gun...
ReplyDeleteLydia, were democracy what we were peddling, I doubt that we would have had to force it. There's a reasonable possibility that with Saddam gone, Iraq would have adopted democratic government on their own. But Bush tried to install Chalabi as his puppet, and when that failed, Iraqis were soured on "democracy". If Bush were serious about democracy, he would stop trying to undermine it here at home.
TomCat said...
ReplyDeleteLydia said I find it adorable to observe the customs of other cultures. It's not my business to change anyone. And I find it ridiculous that we are arrogant enough to think we can force Democracy down Iraq's throat at the point of a gun...
Lydia, were democracy what we were peddling, I doubt that we would have had to force it. There's a reasonable possibility that with Saddam gone, Iraq would have adopted democratic government on their own. But Bush tried to install Chalabi as his puppet, and when that failed, Iraqis were soured on "democracy". If Bush were serious about democracy, he would stop trying to undermine it here at home."
Exactly right Tomcat, I couldnt have said that better !!!!!!!!!
Lydia Cornell said...
ReplyDeleteThat's sad Patricia. Don't you think the people are welcoming -- I mean the people themselves? They know we have a dictator and they must feel sorry for us.
Lydia,
Say what you will about the left and protests and dissent and even vote rigging.
We elected this jackass. Twice. We get no sympathy anywhere in the world. Period.
Hey guys, I am sorry I have been away for the past week I took my daughter to visit my parents
ReplyDeleteBush commutes the prison sentence of Scooter Libby.
ReplyDeleteProtecting the guilty so the guilty will protect Bush.
Pathetic.
No wonder the lying skunk kept his mouth SHUT, he knew this was coming, and the pardon will be given right after Nov 2008.
ReplyDeleteBush has just proved HE LIED in 2004 when he said any body who outed a CIA agent would be fired and held accountable.....
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBush lied about waiting to consider anything.
ReplyDeleteAnother Bush coverup and another Bush lie.
WASHINGTON - President Bush commuted the sentence of former aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby Monday, sparing him from a 2 1/2-year prison term in the CIA leak case. Bush left intact a $250,000 fine and two years probation for Libby, according to a senior White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision had not been announced.
ReplyDeleteBush's move came hours after a federal appeals panel ruled Libby could not delay his prison term in the CIA leak case. That decision put the pressure on the president, who had been sidestepping calls by Libby's allies to pardon the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney.
NBC News is trying to say Libby is still being heavily punished because he has to pay a $250,000 fine.
That is pocket change to the wealthy elite.
Hundreds if not thousands of people in Federal Prison for Obstruction of Justice,
ReplyDeleteOnly ONE has gotten his sentence commuted by the president;
Jeffery Toobin on CNN.
Looks like Bush is rewarding Scooter for something?
CNN is sugarcoating the freeing of Scooter Libby.
ReplyDeleteKeoth Olbermann will be the only honest voice.
Rewarding Scooter for keeping his secrets.
ReplyDeleteReuters:
ReplyDeleteU.S. President George W. Bush on Monday spared former vice presidential aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby from going to prison for 2 1/2 years for obstructing the CIA leak investigation, a White House official said.
Pathetic abuse of American justice.
Well since Bush has essentially commutted any sentence Osama would have received for 9-11 since he LET OSAMA ESCAPE, why not allow a man who was instrumental in the outing of a CIA asset working on weapons of mass destruction, go free also?
ReplyDeleteBet he wants to read MY PET GOAT about now.....
Bush may as well fling open the prisons throughout America and let them all out.
ReplyDeleteBush ain't no more worried about the almost 2 million prisoners in the US, only those who KNOW what crimes were committed and by whom, those people are going to get special treatment because when Nixon allowed the original Watergate burglars to go to prison, they TALKED one even wrote a letter to the trial judge which got that judge to ask the Justice department to look into the questions raised in that letter which began the Watergate saga for the country, Bush is making sure the same doesn't happen to him.
ReplyDeleteBush is only worried about RICH GOPers especially ones who know things which might bite HIS sorry ass.
I can't believe how the news has tried to sugarcoat this since Libby has to pay a meager fine by neo standards.
ReplyDeleteJust for the record.....
ReplyDeleteFor Clinton's lie, the Re-pubie dominated House voted to impeach, and we had a trial before the Senate with the intent of removing the president from office. But when one of Bush's lackeys does it, the re-pubioes demand it is to be minimized and forgiven.
F&%KEN Hypocrites all of them.
They are all phonies. The Republicans hate sex but love treason.
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of Americans are they?
President Bush is holding private meetings "over sodas and sparkling water" in which he asks trusted advisers -- "Why does the rest of the world seem to hate America? Or is it just me they hate?"
ReplyDeleteYES MR. BUSH THE ENTIRE COUNTRY AND THE ENTIRE WORLD HATES YOU.
Obviously to the re-pubies, lying about a blow job is so much worse than jeopardizing national security, lying to a federal grand jury and being convicted of multiple federal felonies.
ReplyDeleteRight Tiny the Liar?
Outstanding comment of the day;
ReplyDeleteDoes this mean Paris Hilton has more courage than a Bushie?
Obviously......................
Paris Hilton had more courage than Scooter and Bush himself.
ReplyDeleteYes Larry, it is too bad Paris Hilton has more testicular fortitude then scooter or any of the reichwing fooles have.
ReplyDeleteI would rather see Paris Hilton as President, than the gutless vamp that is there now.
ReplyDeleteThis is discouraging, but take heart. Libby was a small fish so to speak (I know, odd considering he was cheif of staff to the Vice President)and this clemency might just open the door for further investigation from Pat Fitzgerald, as well as hearings into the president.
ReplyDeleteThis may turn on Bush.
The repugs think they've won, and they did win this round. But this round may have cost them the war.
bartlebee,
ReplyDeleteI digress,
Libby and Dead Eye won this round,
The rest of the re-pubies LOST as time and the campaign trail will tell.
No Clif I agree. My point exactly.
ReplyDeleteThey won this round, but this one just might come back to bite them in the ass.
Which rests on their shoulders.
ReplyDeleteJoe Wilson just called Bush, "CORRUPT TO THE CORE".
ReplyDeleteGod bless Joe Wilson.
Check out the excellent post on Scooter Libby by one of Lydia's regular bloggers over at Journey's With Jood.
ReplyDeleteJourneys With Jood
BTW if prison for scooter for lying to a federal grand jury and the FBI was excessive, according to the idiot in the White House?
ReplyDeleteWhat the F&%K does he consider the people in Gitmo, Abu Ghraib and other black sites are getting for not being convicted of anything yet?
What the hell does he consider is happening to Jose Padilla?
He is totally clueless with this one.....
Anyone spending a weekend with his yes boys pondering this question, must be clueless:
ReplyDeletePresident Bush is holding private meetings "over sodas and sparkling water" in which he asks trusted advisers -- "Why does the rest of the world seem to hate America? Or is it just me they hate?"
Does he have a clue, or just doesn't care?
Keith Olberman NAILED Bush tonight as worst person in the world. He was brutal.
ReplyDeleteHe told Bush that he is no longer his (Olbermans,)or anyones President, that he's just president to small handful of people who still support him.
Tomorrow, he'll be doing a special comment, calling for the President, and Vice President, to step down.
Larry said...
ReplyDeletePresident Bush is holding private meetings "over sodas and sparkling water" in which he asks trusted advisers -- "Why does the rest of the world seem to hate America? Or is it just me they hate?"
---
Answer: No sir, its not just you they hate, you're just the reason they hate the rest of us.
Newsflash;
ReplyDeleteBush ain't worried about,
The rest of us
GREAT IDEA
ReplyDeleteNext bumper sticker:
Paris Hilton did more jail time than Scooter Libby!
I wouldnt say the repugs WON the battle............this was a battle we all KNEW was coming and was basically conceded to the Neo Con idiots.......but it still stings and is tough to swallow so to speak.
ReplyDeleteThe Idiot in Chief basically nust said its ok to lie lie if your a repug and/or a friend of his.............so where's the damn accountabliliy..................or at least the outrage over no accountability.
Bush can't figure out who the world hates, how will he win all these war he is starting.
ReplyDeleteMore of Rove's slimy political tactics........they CONSTANTLY release bad news on a weekend, Holiday, or after a terrorist scare or some other irrelevant boondoggle they spin into being important dominates the news and airwaves to deflect from their corruption and incompetence!
ReplyDelete2004:
ReplyDeleteIf there's a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is," Bush told reporters at an impromptu news conference during a fund-raising stop in Chicago, Illinois. "If the person has violated law, that person will be taken care of.
"I welcome the investigation. I am absolutely confident the Justice Department will do a good job.
"I want to know the truth," the president continued. "Leaks of classified information are bad things."
My how times have changed since 2004.
clif said...
ReplyDeleteGREAT IDEA
Next bumper sticker:
Paris Hilton did more jail time than Scooter Libby!
Yea. Imagine that.
Another call for war.
ReplyDeleteFollowing a statement issued by the American Forces Press Service accusing Iran's Quds Force of "training, funding and arming the Iraqi groups," as well as Hezbollah operatives in Iraq, Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) released a statement saying that Iran has declared war on America.
"Although no one desires a conflict with Iran, the fact is that the Iranian government by its actions has declared war on us," Lieberman wrote, while urging the United States to keep "open the possibility of using military force against the terrorist infrastructure inside Iran."
Better Idea freeway blog it, all over the country….
ReplyDeleteParis Hilton did more jail time than Scooter Libby!
Hanging from interstates all over America, the decider guy would regret his timing of trying to bury it over the fourth of July, cause millions of Americans could link that thought.
I guess Lying and committing perjury is OK if you belong to the right or should I say Reich political party and know the right people.............interesting though how the hippocritical idiots and idealogues seemed to have a REAL problem with Bill Clinton telling a little white lie about a private matter..........they even DEMANDED impeachment over that one little lie...................HMMMMMMMMMMMMif lies are impeachable there would de a damn Neo Con left in our government!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteBush and the Republicans are so morally righteous that they all hate sex, but love treason.
ReplyDeleteBush and Cheney should have been impeached 10 TIMES OVER for all the lies, crimes and violations of our Constitution, the Geneva Convention and International law...........If we had a strong Congress these thugs would be gone, Pelosi and Reed are weak and worthless!
ReplyDeletePelosi and Reid are once again claiming they will end the war.
ReplyDeleteLike Bush, we have heard all those tales before.
Diva Jood did a great job on her blog! :)
ReplyDeleteThis is a sad day for America when Justice has been undone once again by George W. Bush!
ReplyDeleteNever fear Suzie:
ReplyDeletePelosi will get some excellent photo ops out of this.
I guess most repugs PROBABLY do hate sex since they dont get any unless they pay for it Larry, also from the way they act, Many of them probably dont even KNOW what it is, since they are hatched from pods.
ReplyDeleteThey sure dont seem to mind sex if they can make a buck from it though.............those repug hippocrites!!!!!!!!!! LOL
Yeah, that was a great post by Divajood..............it temprarly lightened up the frustration!........for a few minutes at least.
ReplyDeleteSuzie has access to the DC Madame's records that were just released.
ReplyDeleteCheney is on the list.
Larry said...
ReplyDeleteSuzie has access to the DC Madame's records that were just released.
Cheney is on the list."
I said years ago that the only way that fat nazi could get any is to pay for it...............he'd be lucky to get any if he walked into a whore house with a $500 bill taped to his forehead.
Suzie-Q said...
ReplyDeleteThis is a sad day for America when Justice has been undone once again by George W. Bush!
Well hey there groovy chick... oh yea, sorry I had a comment about what you said.
While it may seem we lost a small battle, we may have seen the door open to a greater victory.
When Bush commuted Libby's sentence, he actually opened a door for possible investigation for conspiracy.
See, Cheney outs CIA agent. Bush can't be tied to it if Cheney and everyone claim they never told Bush.
Libby put himself out there lying to cover up for Cheney. Why?
Well, if its discovered that Bush already met with Libby, and promised to "take care of him", ten Libby acted with impunity lying to a Federal Grand Jury, and Bush was an accomplice to that, hence, CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT OBSTRUCTION, which is a high crime and a felony.
When one door closes, another opens.
Cheney probably pays to watch someone else.
ReplyDeleteWhat working girl would want that blob near her.
Here was Bush’s approach to commuting a sentence before his cronies got caught;
ReplyDeleteBush, on overturning on the deeply-held philosophy with which he presided over 152 executions in Texas:
I don’t believe my role [as governor] is to replace the verdict of a jury with my own, unless there are new facts or evidence of which a jury was unaware, or evidence that the trial was somehow unfair.
–The Poor Man
Typical reichwing hypocrisy in operation here folks,
nothing new,
move along,
nothing has changed in the criminal Bush enterprise of destroying this country,
nothing new,
move along.
Words never do seem to haunt this neojohn.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling we haven't seen the last of Patrick Fitzgerald.
ReplyDeleteBARTLEBEE said...
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling we haven't seen the last of Patrick Fitzgerald."
well I sure hope so.........but with weak spineless jellyfish like Pelosi in Congress......i'm becoming more cynical.
Jim Webb votes to fund the war, Pelosi and Reid hide behind Bush's apron strings.
ReplyDeleteBoth parties are pathetic.
clif said...
ReplyDeleteHere was Bush’s approach to commuting a sentence before his cronies got caught;
Bush, on overturning on the deeply-held philosophy with which he presided over 152 executions in Texas:
I don’t believe my role [as governor] is to replace the verdict of a jury with my own, unless there are new facts or evidence of which a jury was unaware, or evidence that the trial was somehow unfair.
–The Poor Man
Typical reichwing hypocrisy in operation here folks,
nothing new,
move along,
nothing has changed in the criminal Bush enterprise of destroying this country,
nothing new,
move along."
See Clif theres an election coming up, so we needd to poummel these idiots with their own blatant hippocrissy at EVERY opportunity...........particularly those running for President that spit on accountability and support 2 standards of justice
1) with a police state for the lowly plebians .
2) a second stand for the wealthy elite with powerful connections where justice and accountability are spit on!
Well Pelosi will do whatevers easiest.
ReplyDeleteAnd the President just made it a lot easier to impeach him.
If Fitz decides to put Libby back on the stand, offer him immunity in exchange for his testimony (so he can't take the 5th), and asks the right questions, Libby might not want to risk another conviction, because the President most likely won't get away with pardoning him again (it would prove conspiracy), so Libby might give up a damaging fact or two.
I'm sick of both parties. I thought Jim Webb was a fighter, but he voted to fund the war. I don't get it.
ReplyDeletePelosi is a miserable failure.
The leaves of impeachment are beginning to rustle. People are talking, rumblings in congress.
ReplyDeleteToday was a big deal, which is why Bush did it on a holiday.
While it may seem we lost a small battle, we may have seen the door open to a greater victory.
ReplyDeleteWhen Bush commuted Libby's sentence, he actually opened a door for possible investigation for conspiracy.
See, Cheney outs CIA agent. Bush can't be tied to it if Cheney and everyone claim they never told Bush.
Libby put himself out there lying to cover up for Cheney. Why?
Well, if its discovered that Bush already met with Libby, and promised to "take care of him", ten Libby acted with impunity lying to a Federal Grand Jury, and Bush was an accomplice to that, hence, CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT OBSTRUCTION, which is a high crime and a felony.
When one door closes, another opens."
I sure would love to see it play out that way these SOB's deserve to go down for all the crimes and treason.......and i hate to be the voice of doom and gloom here, but I would think that would be damn hard to prove.
Consider this.
ReplyDeleteIs it possible that members of Congress, like Henry Waxman and Pat Leahey, wanted Bush to pardon Libby?
Suppose this is exactly what they wanted.
Don't toss in the towel just yet.
As long as Pelosi and Reid are on their photo thrones, there will be no impeachment.
ReplyDeleteBARTLEBEE said...
ReplyDeleteConsider this.
Is it possible that members of Congress, like Henry Waxman and Pat Leahey, wanted Bush to pardon Libby?
Suppose this is exactly what they wanted.
Don't toss in the towel just yet."
That could be true, I really like Waxman and Leahy!
Mike said...
ReplyDeletei hate to be the voice of doom and gloom here, but I would think that would be damn hard to prove.
See my 7:28 post for how that can come about.
I am not the one who thought this up. I heard it from John Dean on Countdown tonight. I also heard some other stuff about it on CNN.
We need to know that we're not the only ones who see whats going on, and my sense of it is, is that there are people in Congress and the Justice Dept right now working behind the scenes to work towards impeachment and removal from office.
In chess sometimes you sacrifice a rook or a knight to get the Queen, and ultimately, the King. Libby may have just been that sacrificed peice.
BARTLEBEE said...
ReplyDeleteThe leaves of impeachment are beginning to rustle. People are talking, rumblings in congress.
Today was a big deal, which is why Bush did it on a holiday."
Agreed, thats why him and Rove chose the cowardly and manipulative tactic of using a holiday to try to sneak it by..........like they ALWAYS do for bad news its always, a weekend a holiday or when something else is dominating the news!
Bartlebe saiIn chess sometimes you sacrifice a rook or a knight to get the Queen, and ultimately, the King. Libby may have just been that sacrificed peice."
ReplyDeleteLOL, thats right....................I just did that tonight as a matter of fact!
Bartlebe saiIn chess sometimes you sacrifice a rook or a knight to get the Queen, and ultimately, the King. Libby may have just been that sacrificed peice."
ReplyDeleteLOL, thats right....................I just did that tonight as a matter of fact!
I think Keith Olbermann is the only one in the American public with any spine.
ReplyDeleteLarry said...
ReplyDeleteAs long as Pelosi and Reid are on their photo thrones, there will be no impeachment.
Pelosi and Reid will do whats popular, and easy. Today may have made it a lot easier, and certainly a lot more popular, to impeach.
Bartlebe said "I am not the one who thought this up. I heard it from John Dean on Countdown tonight. I also heard some other stuff about it on CNN.
ReplyDeleteWe need to know that we're not the only ones who see whats going on, and my sense of it is, is that there are people in Congress and the Justice Dept right now working behind the scenes to work towards impeachment and removal from office."
Well if John Dean is saying that, then I have more hope........Dean knows first hand whats involved in taking down a president run amuk who thinks he's omnipotent and untouchable.........I hope there is stuff going on behind the scenes.......only thing is i've been hoping that for 5 years now and need to see action and results now!
Larry said...
ReplyDeleteI think Keith Olbermann is the only one in the American public with any spine.
Anyone blogging, speaking out, doing radio or books against this administration is showing spine.
If this thing turns, we'll all be on the shit list.
Pelosi and Reid have shot their wad with the Democrstic voters. They want someone who will fight.
ReplyDelete(head spinning) Once again I am late for the party in comments!
ReplyDeleteLetting Scooter go was ridiculous, after claiming to respect the system. Nice to know we stand by the safety of our operatives.
Crazy.
I agree that travel is wonderful, its strange that we dont seem to prioritize it as much as people in other countries though. People here dont tend to leave America. Or even their state. In Europe, travel is a part of life.
Lynn:
ReplyDeleteWe may all be planning a trip if we don't impeach Bush.
The DC Madam will give me her telephone records, if and when the Judge releases them. :)
ReplyDeleteBARTLEBEE said...
ReplyDeleteSuzie-Q said...
This is a sad day for America when Justice has been undone once again by George W. Bush!
Well hey there groovy chick... oh yea, sorry I had a comment about what you said.
While it may seem we lost a small battle, we may have seen the door open to a greater victory.
When Bush commuted Libby's sentence, he actually opened a door for possible investigation for conspiracy.
See, Cheney outs CIA agent. Bush can't be tied to it if Cheney and everyone claim they never told Bush.
Libby put himself out there lying to cover up for Cheney. Why?
Well, if its discovered that Bush already met with Libby, and promised to "take care of him", ten Libby acted with impunity lying to a Federal Grand Jury, and Bush was an accomplice to that, hence, CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT OBSTRUCTION, which is a high crime and a felony.
When one door closes, another opens.
7:10 PM
-------------------
Thanks Bartlebee for the encouraging words! :)
Lynn, in Europe they get 6 to 10 weeks vacation and frequently travel to North or South America or Australia for a month at a time ..........and the Neo Cons deride them like OUR way of life is so superior to theirs........they have more vacation and FAR less poverty and crime than we have.
ReplyDeleteBARTLEBEE said...
ReplyDeleteLarry said...
I think Keith Olbermann is the only one in the American public with any spine.
Anyone blogging, speaking out, doing radio or books against this administration is showing spine.
If this thing turns, we'll all be on the shit list."
Agreed again...........if Bush ever does declare martial law and seize total powrer he will complete the transformation into a police state and use his spy programs to DEAL with his enemies and any threats he may perceive.
Suzie is close to the breaking news of the DC Madam case.
ReplyDeleteThe martial law is on its way.
ReplyDeleteMike said...
ReplyDeleteLynn, in Europe they get 6 to 10 weeks vacation and frequently travel to North or South America or Australia for a month at a time ..........and the Neo Cons deride them like OUR way of life is so superior to theirs........they have more vacation and FAR less poverty and crime than we have.
Thats right, they also have public health care, and low crime rates, as well as all of the freedoms and libeties we enjoy.
Not to mention they've all but abolished poverty and homelessness in most European countries.
Know what the unemployment rate is in Switzerland?
ReplyDeleteAlmost ZERO.
They've also managed to stay out of every war, and have delicous chocolate served by buxom blonde women....
ReplyDeleteOk,I made that last part up.
Lydia said,
ReplyDeleteRead Robert Dreyfuss' book THE DEVIL'S GAME if you get the chance. It is about how the U.S. helped unleash Islamic Fundamentalism over 30 years ago.
You can credit the Reagan Administration with the creation of BOTH the Taliban and Al Qaeda.
The Saudis schooled them in madrassas of Wahhabism, ad the faculties were largely Muslim Brotherhood members who went to Saudi Arabia to avoid arrest and execution in their countries of origin. After the Saudi-funded schools taught them a lethal hybrid of Wahhabism and Muslim Brotherhood dogma, we armed them and sent them off to Afghanistan.
Now, of course, thousands of Americans have met their fates at the hands of Al Qaeda, and the Taliban is strong and on the march INSIDE Pakistan, where they may wind up with a sack full of nukes when "Busharraf" finally falls.
I've been thinking a lot about it lately. How much worse was the Soviet presence in Afghanistan than what we, ourselves, turned loose there?
Mike said,
ReplyDeleteAgreed again...........if Bush ever does declare martial law and seize total powrer he will complete the transformation into a police state and use his spy programs to DEAL with his enemies and any threats he may perceive.
I just don't see it. I do not believe the American military will back him if he tries it. I don't know if it will result in low-level civil war in some locales or not, but I do believe Chimpy will never pull this one off. He's destroyed the very instruments he'd have to use to enforce it, and he'd be asking a socioeconomic class of people he has persecuted mercilessly to be his enforcers.
Jolly:
ReplyDeleteI don't know if the military would stand up to Bush. They need leaders, and our military have Bush followers commanding the troops.
Larry some in the military are standing up to the leadership, and things are getting discussed,
ReplyDeleteA failure in generalship
By Lt. Col. Paul Yingling
For the second time in a generation, the United States faces the prospect of defeat at the hands of an insurgency. In April 1975, the U.S. fled the Republic of Vietnam, abandoning our allies to their fate at the hands of North Vietnamese communists. In 2007, Iraq's grave and deteriorating condition offers diminishing hope for an American victory and portends risk of an even wider and more destructive regional war.
These debacles are not attributable to individual failures, but rather to a crisis in an entire institution: America's general officer corps. America's generals have failed to prepare our armed forces for war and advise civilian authorities on the application of force to achieve the aims of policy. The argument that follows consists of three elements. First, generals have a responsibility to society to provide policymakers with a correct estimate of strategic probabilities. Second, America's generals in Vietnam and Iraq failed to perform this responsibility. Third, remedying the crisis in American generalship requires the intervention of Congress.
The rest is rather long, but he does lay out a very good argument, and of course, he does hint the general officers should have told Bush and Dumsfeld to fight the war correctally or find some other general to lead it, too bad Tommy Franks was such a kiss ass.
We fully recognize that the Constitution provides that commutation decisions are a matter of presidential prerogative and we do not comment on the exercise of that prerogative.
ReplyDeleteWe comment only on the statement in which the President termed the sentence imposed by the judge as “excessive.” The sentence in this case was imposed pursuant to the laws governing sentencings which occur every day throughout this country. In this case, an experienced federal judge considered extensive argument from the parties and then imposed a sentence consistent with the applicable laws. It is fundamental to the rule of law that all citizens stand before the bar of justice as equals. That principle guided the judge during both the trial and the sentencing.
Although the President’s decision eliminates Mr. Libby’s sentence of imprisonment, Mr. Libby remains convicted by a jury of serious felonies, and we will continue to seek to preserve those convictions through the appeals process.
PATRICK FITZGERALD
JULY 2, 2007
Told you we hadn't heard the last from FITZ.
ReplyDeleteClif:
ReplyDeleteI just assumed the troops were so beaten down that they wouldn't stand up unless some real leaders led the way.
Larry in the ranks there are many company and field grade officers who are willing to stand up for the troops in their commands, but when Dumsfeld was trying to RUN the pentagon and force his will on the military, he tried to quell that.
ReplyDeleteNow with Gates in charge there, the officers can return to asking to do what is best for the troops and military with in the limits of the mission.
But after 6 years of mismanagement, the corrective actions will take time.
Clif:
ReplyDeleteIf Bush imposes martial law, do you think the troops will refuse?
President George W. Bush did not consult with the Justice Department or special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald before commuting the sentence of former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, according to Tuesday’s Washington Post.
ReplyDeleteHe also rebuffed anyone appealing from Libby — limiting discussion “to a few close aides.”
“For the first time in his presidency, Bush made a decision to commute a sentence without going through a process of running requests through lawyers at the Justice Department, White House officials said,” according to the Post. “He also did not ask the chief prosecutor in the case, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, for his input, as routinely happens in cases routed through the Justice Department’s pardon attorney.”
YES
ReplyDeleteThey love this country, NOT that idiot, especially after 4 years of abuse, from that clueless twit.
That is probably what happens in other countries during coups.
ReplyDeleteThey have tyrants like Bush imposing his full will.
Here is what a phony Dick Lugar is:
ReplyDeleteEarlier this week, Sen. Dick Lugar (R-IN) delivered a major speech on the Senate floor calling “victory” in Iraq, as defined by President Bush, “almost impossible.” Abandoning his unyielding public support for the war, he called on the President to downsize the U.S. military presence in Iraq in order to “strengthen our position in the Middle East, and reduce the prospect of terrorism, regional war, and other calamities.”
Unfortunately, Lugar has no intention of acting on his rhetoric. Speaking this morning with NBC’s Matt Lauer, Lugar said that Congressional measures aimed at curtailing U.S. military involvement in Iraq, including “so-called timetables, benchmarks,” have “no particular legal consequence,” are “very partisan,” and “will not work.”
Just like Pelosi and Reid. All talk and no action.
Larry said...
ReplyDeleteClif:
If Bush imposes martial law, do you think the troops will refuse?
---
Absolutely.
That is what happened in Moscow in 1991, the Soviet troops cared more for their country then the id-jet hardliners, who refused to accept reality.
ReplyDeleteLarry said,
ReplyDeleteI don't know if the military would stand up to Bush. They need leaders, and our military have Bush followers commanding the troops.
It has been said that the CENTCOM commander has already said that there will be no attack on Iran during his watch.
My guess it it'd be easier for Chimpy to get the military to attack Iran than it would be for him to use them as a martial law force at home. Many younger officers (especially) are going to be Black, Latino, from difficult economic backgrounds, or all 3.
Bush will probably get Israel to attack Iran, then as Iran retaliates, Bush can go to war to "defend" Israel.
ReplyDeleteIt meets Bush's war objectives.
Tomorrow night, be sure to watch Keith Olberman. At the end, he'll be offering a special comment to Mr Bush and Mr Cheney, calling on them to RESIGN.
ReplyDeleteOlbermann is lucky the neocons haven't gotten him removed from TV.
ReplyDeleteLiberality:
ReplyDeleteYou are a Peace Patroller, also known as an anti-war liberal or hippie. You believe in putting an end to American imperial conquest, stopping wars that have already been lost, and supporting our troops by bringing them home.
In a statement issued Monday, Senator Joe Biden decried the commuted sentence for former vice presidential chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. "It is time for the American people to be heard," said Biden. "I call for all Americans to flood the White House with phone calls tomorrow expressing their outrage over this blatant disregard for the rule of law."
ReplyDeleteSean Hannity has left the Republican party and reregistered "independent" out of frustration with the party's failure to support conservative values. I feel Sean's frustration, but I'm willing to give it a little more time to see if the party makes some changes after the failure of the Amnesty Bill. If the Republican Party doesn't stand up and start promoting conservative values while fighting against the left's perversion of America, then like Hannity, I will be out of here and on the 'independent" rolls as well. It's not about Right vs. Left, it's about right vs. wrong and the Republican Party has been going in the wrong direction for too long now.
ReplyDeleteWhats he going to join the ultra racist neocon party?
Very interesting take by Juan Cole on the "Hizbullah connection" in Iraq;
ReplyDeleteIran is denying the charge.
The story about the Lebanese Hizbullah and Iran kidnapping US troops in Karbala, Iraq, seemed to me to hang an awful lot on the activities of one person. It is not surprising that a few Lebanese Shiites with a background in Hizbullah and good contacts in Iran have gone to Iraq to fight the US. What is surprising is how few they have been. It is also surprising that the US has lost relatively few men to fights with the Shiites.
The US has 19,000 persons in custody in Iraq, and hundreds of foreigners. Almost all of them are Sunni Arabs. They appear to have exactly one Lebanese Shiite.
Why put all this emphasis on this one guy and ignore the hundreds from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, etc.? It is to build a case against Iran in preparation to bombing it.
Iran is denying the charge.
SurveyUSA Shows Decisive Opposition To Commutation
ReplyDeleteBy Eric Kleefeld
SurveyUSA has released a poll done quickly tonight, measuring public reaction to the Libby commutation. The results among those respondents familiar with the case:
• 60% say the prison sentence should have been left in place.
• 21% agree with the commutation.
• 17% say Libby should have been pardoned entirely.
Among respondents, 55% were familiar with the case. And 40% of Republicans said the prison sentence should have been kept in place, along with 77% of Democrats and 56% of independents. The margin of error was 3.4%.
BTW on CNN this morning they said 80% of 40,000 people who voted on line in their question disagreed with the move by Bush to commute scooters prison sentence about LYING about the disclosure of a CIA asset working on weapons of Mass Destruction proliferation.
No wonder why Bush is less popular than Richard Nixon....
At least Fred Thompson keeps his lobbying dollars in his family;
ReplyDeleteOn Christmas Eve 1994, Fred D. Thompson Jr. was out of a job. A 34-year-old self-described late bloomer, Mr. Thompson had graduated from law school just two years before and practiced law only for his father, Fred D. Thompson Sr., who was about to be sworn in as a senator from Tennessee.
“I was out on the street, knocking on doors,” recalled the younger Mr. Thompson, who is known as Tony.
But attending Brentwood Methodist Church in Nashville that night, Tony Thompson ran into the departing incumbent senator, Harlan Mathews, a Democrat. Mr. Mathews invited Tony to join him in a Nashville lobbying business, a job that would let him capitalize on his father’s new position.
“I don’t just believe in the tooth fairy,” Mr. Mathews said. “A lot of people were seeking access — not necessarily unfair access, but seeking access — so Tony was employed in a number of areas where his father had made a reputation or his father’s advice or whatever was going to be valuable one of these days.”
Now the elder Mr. Thompson, who also worked as a lobbyist before and after his eight years in the Senate, is aiming for an even higher post, preparing a run for the Republican presidential nomination. In the folksy drawl that built him a lucrative sideline as a screen actor, Mr. Thompson is presenting himself as a reform-minded outsider taking on Washington, just as he did when he campaigned for the Senate as “Ol’ Fred” the “real live country lawyer,” and cruised Tennessee in a rented red pickup truck.
But the lobbying work that Tony Thompson and another son, Daniel, did after their father won his Senate seat suggests how far the family has traveled from Fred Thompson’s early career. Not only has he parlayed his own political background into a lobbying business — a fact his opponents have seized on to challenge his outsider image — but his sons have also made lobbying a family affair.
Mr. Thompson and his advisers declined to comment. Although clients valued Tony Thompson’s service because of the perception that he had access to his father, Mr. Mathews said, Senator Thompson was sensitive to the potential appearance of favoritism to his sons’ clients and sought to keep a distance. Rather than relying on his father, Tony Thompson relied mainly on political contacts in Tennessee he had made campaigning for his father, Mr. Mathews said.
George W. Bush is One Tough Hombre
ReplyDeleteby Paul Begala
Tough enough to execute Karla Fay Tucker -- and then laugh about it. Tough enough to sign a death warrant for a man whose lawyer slept through the trial -- and then snicker when asked about it in a debate. Even tough enough to execute a great-grandmother who murdered her husband -- after he abused her. A friend of mine at the time asked Bush to commute her sentence, telling him, "Betty Lou ain't a threat to no one she ain't married to." No dice.
Mr. Bush is tough enough to invade a country that was no risk to America, causing tens of thousands of civilian deaths and shedding precious American blood in the process. Tough enough to sanction torture. Tough enough to order an American citizen arrested and held without trial.
But if you're rich and right-wing and Republican, George is a real softie. As George W. Bush demonstrated in giving Scooter Libby a Get Out of Jail Free Card, he is only compassionate to conservatives.
What does it say about America in the age of Bush when Judith Miller spends more time in jail over the Valerie Plame smear than Scooter Libby?
One thing it says is that Mr. Bush and his partner in crime, Dick Cheney, believe they are above the law. The commutation of Libby confirms the belief that Mr. Libby lied to the FBI, perjured himself to the grand jury, and obstructed a federal criminal investigation in order to cover up the role Bush and Cheney played in smearing Joe Wilson and ruining the career of his CIA operative wife.
The arrogance of the act is astounding. In commuting Libby's sentence, Mr. Bush did not follow his own Justice Department's guidelines, which do not recommend commutations unless the convict has begun serving his or her sentence, and has dropped or exhausted all appeals. Of course, Mr. Bush is free to disregard those guidelines, as President Clinton did when he pardoned Marc Rich. The Rich pardon was wrong, in my opinion. But Marc Rich was a fugitive financier; Clinton did not benefit at all from Rich's crimes. Scooter Libby is a Bush-Cheney operative who may well have been doing Bush and Cheney's bidding when he obstructed the investigation into how and Valerie and Joe Wilson were smeared. (By the way, like many Democrats I spoke out publicly against the Rich pardon -- which Scooter Libby helped to arrange. Let's see how many Republicans have the character to speak out against this injustice.)
It's interesting that we still have the capacity to be shocked by the extra-legal acts of this crowd. They came to power by stealing an election, by staging a near-riot to stop the counting of ballots in Miami, and by virtue of a Supreme Court edict that has joined Dred Scott in the judicial hall of shame. From that day to this Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney have held the rule of law in contempt.
And we still have 567 days to go.
Good article Clif:
ReplyDeleteBush is tough on people who have no impact on his crimes, but he sure has a different view on his packrat in residence.
AP:
ReplyDeleteAs of Monday, July 2, 2007, at least 3,583 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The figure includes seven military civilians. At least 2,942 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.
The AP count is six higher than the Defense Department's tally, last updated Monday at 10 a.m. EDT.
The British military has reported 156 deaths; Italy, 33; Ukraine, 18; Poland, 20; Bulgaria, 13; Spain, 11; Denmark, seven; El Salvador, five; Slovakia, four; Latvia, three; Estonia, Netherlands, Thailand, two each; and Australia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Romania, South Korea, one death each.
___
The latest deaths reported by the military:
• A soldier was killed Monday by an explosion in Salahuddin province.
• Two soldiers and one Marine were killed Sunday in Anbar province.
• A soldier was killed Sunday by small-arms fire in southern Baghdad.
Bush wonders why the world hates him!
President Bush is holding private meetings "over sodas and sparkling water" in which he asks trusted advisers -- "Why does the rest of the world seem to hate America? Or is it just me they hate?"
ReplyDeleteYES MR. BUSH THE ENTIRE COUNTRY AND THE ENTIRE WORLD HATES YOU.
CAN YOU UNDERSTAND THIS MR. BUSH?
Lydia: Traveling is the only way to experience all that is around us to see and understand.
ReplyDeleteAnd to understand others, is to understand yourself.
Perhaps that's why this administration knows nothing about this or PEACE! ; (
You know, with the breaking news of Scooter Libby's clemency, someone should really put up a new article about it.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the biggest moments in our history, and Bush commuting Libby's sentence is a milestone in this whole thing.
John Conyers is investigating the commutation of Libby's Sentence..............
ReplyDeleteI just saw that Mike.
ReplyDeleteI told you last night this thing wasn't over by a longshot.
Commuting that sentence just might turn out to be the one that sinks the Bush admin.
It was a dumb move to be sure.
Another item to prove Bush ET AL care nothing about this country;
ReplyDeleteHush-Hush: Rove's Security Clearance Renewal
Should White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove be privy to the nation's most sensitive secrets? Did he break trust with President Bush and the nation when he told syndicated columnist Robert D. Novak about Valerie Plame's classified job with the CIA? Did he further erode that trust in 2003 when he told then-White House press secretary Scott McClellan that, as McClellan put it, there was "no truth" to rumors that he played a role in the disclosure of Plame's identity?
Rove, of course, was investigated by special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald in the CIA leak case but was never charged. His security clearance was renewed after a reinvestigation in late 2006, which has puzzled Rep . Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
In a letter sent last week to White House Counsel Fred F. Fielding, Waxman alleged that Rove's actions amounted to a violation of presidential guidelines that say "deliberate or negligent disclosure" of classified information can disqualify a staffer from future access to such material. Also being less than forthcoming, even about unintentional breaches, can be cause for revoking a security clearance.
"Under these standards, it is hard to see how Mr. Rove would qualify for renewal of his security clearance," Waxman wrote.
White House spokesman Tony Fratto said he could not discuss details but that Rove's "clearance was appropriately renewed as part of the regular process that occurs every five years."
WTF? Karl Rove gets Security Clearance Renewal even after telling Bob Novak about Valerie Plame's classified job with the CIA?
Security isn't what the Busheviks are all about, unless it's their own security.
BTW, today marks the fourth anniversary of one of Bush's most memorable and, he has said, most regrettable lines. Asked about insurgent attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq, the president responded with what many observers perceived as a taunt: "Bring 'em on."
ReplyDeleteWell as Forest Gump said;
stupid is as stupid does,
Bush is the classic example Forest Gump had in mind....
The Very least that should come out of this Commutation for Libby should be changing the US Constitution so a President MAY NOT EVER pardon a member of his OWN administration to obstruct justice.........That is CLEARLY a conflict of interest NO Judge would EVER be allowed to preside over a trial that involved a member of his staff, or close friend or family, he would be obligated to recuse himself.
ReplyDeleteOnce the Democrats take back the White House they should immediately do that as well as repeal the Patriot Act.
There is outrage over the Libby commutation........almost EVERY Congressman , both federal, State and local are voicing outrage publicly over this and Claiming The Bush Administration thinks they are above the law.
ReplyDeleteCan you tell me if what I've got is the real White House phonebook, in case the switchboard's down when I call about Scooter?
ReplyDeleteSubmitted by lambert
[I’ve been told the answer is “Yes,” by an authoritative source, although YMMV because numbers do change. Welcome, Wonkette readers. Welcome, Raw Story readers. If you call, please feel free to check back here, and leave the results of your courteous, polite, civil, and dignified conversation in comments!]
See The White House Phone Directory (May 18, 2007). Because I figure the regular switchboard might be busy tomorrow, but if you’ve got the White House phone directory, you can just work your way down until somebody picks up. (Actually, in the spirit of CD interviewing people, it might be more interesting and fun to say “Hi! I write for ______________. Do you think that Libby’s commuted sentence involved obstruction of justice? Why or why not?”)
Most of the numbers in the Directory match what I’ve been able to glean from open sources, so it looks authentic. The offices are taken from the White House site, and the numbers are formatted like so: 1-202-555-1212 / 1-202-555-1212, where the first number is via internet search, and the second, italic number is from the Directory:
The offices included in the Executive Office of the President.
1. Council of Economic Advisers: (202) 456-1414 / (202) 395-5084
2. Council on Environmental Quality: (202) 395-5750 / (202) 456-6224
3. Office of Administration: (202)456-7921 / (202) 456-2861
4. Office of Management and Budget: (202) 395-4840 / (202) 395-4840
5. Office of National Drug Control Policy: (202) 395-6738
6. Office of Science & Technology Policy: (202) 456-6021 / (202) 456-7116
7. President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board: (202) 456-2352
8. United States Trade Representative: (202) 395-7360 / (202) 395-3230
The offices included in the White House Office.
1. Domestic Policy Council: (202) 456-1111 / (202) 456-5594
2. Homeland Security Council: (202) 456-1700
3. National Economic Council: (202) 456-1414 / (202) 456-2800
4. Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives: (202) 456-6708 / (202) 456-6708
5. Office of the First Lady: (202) 456-7074 / (202) 456-7064
6. Office of National AIDS Policy : (202) 456-7320 / (202) 456-7320
7. Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board: (202) 456-1066
8. USA Freedom Corps: 1-877-872-2677 / 1-877-USA-CORPS
9. White House Fellows Office: (202) 395-4522 / (202) 395-4522
10. White House Military Office: / (202) 757-2151
And the Vice Presidential Entity, whatever branch he ends up in:
1. Shooter: (202) 456-9000 / (202) 456-1414
2. Shooter’s Moll, Lynne: (202) 456-7489
Naturally, if you call the White House to express your disapprobation in the matter of I. Lewis Libby, you will be courteous, and remember that our public servants have important work to do.
Remember be polite, the person answering the phone didn't commute scooters sentence they just work for him.
President Bush today refused to rule out a pardon for I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, one day after he spared the former White House aide prison time by commuting the 30-month sentence imposed after Libby's perjury conviction in the CIA leak case.
ReplyDelete"As to the future, I rule nothing in and nothing out," the president told reporters after visiting wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. A full pardon would wipe clean Libby's criminal record.
Next year full pardon.
In a White House press conference on Tuesday morning, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow appeared to suggest that Vice President Dick Cheney's views may have been considered by President George W. Bush as he deliberated on whether to commute or pardon the conviction of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.
ReplyDeleteNow they are trying to get the blame off of Bush.
Even with the his grant of presidential clemency, I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, the convicted former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, and others involved in the CIA leak investigation may still have to face off in court with former Ambassador Joseph Wilson and his wife, Valerie Plame, who accuse them and other White House officials of conspiring to destroy Plame’s career at the CIA.
ReplyDeleteClif, thank you for these phone numbers. Will you repost them on the new blog thread on Scooter Libby?
ReplyDeleteThanks
White House spokesman Tony Snow on Tuesday defended President Bush’s decision to commute I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby’s prison sentence, saying the president viewed the sentence as “inappropriate.”
ReplyDeleteAmerica views Bush's presidency as inapporpriate.
He can't pardon Libby, at least not yet.
ReplyDeleteRight now, Libby's commutation (and the still-intact conviction) means his Fourth Amendment rights are still in effect, meaning he couldn't be tried again. Should Bush pardon Libby, Fitzgerald could drop the other shoe.
The legal battle continues in U.S. District Court, where Wilson and Plame have filed a civil suit.
ReplyDeleteThe lawsuit accuses Libby, Cheney, White House senior counselor Karl Rove and former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage of revealing Plame’s CIA identity in seeking revenge against Wilson for criticizing the Bush administration’s motives in Iraq. Libby was convicted of lying about his role in covering up the leak, which was eventually traced to Armitage.
Wilson expressed his anger at President Bush’s decision to commute Libby’s sentence in an interview Tuesday on NBC’s TODAY.
“I believe the president has utterly subverted the rule of law and the system of justice that has undergirded this country of ours for the past 220 years,” Wilson said.
New scooter thread is up.
ReplyDelete