6/6 News

McCain compounds wiretapping problem

A recent statement from the McCain campaign asserted McCain’s often-criticized view that Bush’s warrantless-wiretapping was lawful, bringing the hopeful President even closer to Bush’s executive power grabs.

The advisor, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, posted in the National Review that Bush’s authorization of NSA international and email monitoring was within the bounds of the Constitution. “Neither the administration nor the telecoms need apologize for actions that most people, except for the A.C.L.U. and trial lawyers, understand were constitutional and appropriate in the wake of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.”

The criticism has compounded because in a Boston Globe interview six months ago, McCain stated he would obey the 1978 statute requiring a warrant for spying.

NY Times

Democrats may back down on FISA

House Democrats may be ready to compromise on last year’s controversial FISA bill. A version including retroactive immunity for telecom companies managed to pass in the Senate but was stalled until winter recess by the House.

Recently House Intelligence Committee chair Silvestre Reyes said he was “fine” with the wording proposed by Senate Republicans that allows immunity.

The ACLU has responded quickly, stating “Congress should remember that the majority of Americans are against unwarranted and warrantless surveillance.”

Raw Story

Congress passed $3 trillion budget

Congress passed a $3 trillion budget yesterday, which included modest increases in domestic programs but was criticized for piling on the national debt. It’s the first budget passed in an election year since 2000, Democrat Steny Hower proclaims the first budget passed in an election year since 2000 “a demonstration of our ability to govern effectively.”

Republicans attacked the Democrats for loading onto Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security. “We shouldn’t be doing this to our children” says Rep. Paul Ryan.

Budget Committee Chairman John M. Spratt defended the budget. “President Bush told the country we could have it all: guns, butter and tax cuts, too, and never mind the deficits. It takes a long time to turn this battleship around, but that’s what we do in this budget.”

Washington Post

New poll reveals Iran diplomacy is favorable

A recent Public Agenda poll reports that nearly 50% of Americans say diplomacy with Iran is the best solution to the “current situation.” That’s a nearly 15% increase since last fall. The poll also reports that a mere 7% favor military action.

Think Progress

Bush lies about lying

If two wrongs make a right, do two lies make a truth? Not only did Bush lie about Iraq and WMDs, he lied last week when he said the intelligence was faulty.

In an interview with the Politico and Yahoo! News, President Bush blamed faulty intelligence.

“I don’t think so. … Intelligence communities all across the world shared the same assessment. And so I was disappointed to see how flawed our intelligence was.”

“Do I think somebody lied to me?” he said. “No, I don’t. I think it was just, you know, they analyzed the situation and came up with the wrong conclusion.”

Yes, they did analyze the situation. They came to the right conclusion. You ignored it and now you’re blaming intelligence,

Let’s take a look at the intelligence the Bush administration ignored going into Iraq:

1. As early as September 12, 2001, Bush administration officials quietly questioned the claims. Richard Clarke, Bush’s then counterterrorism advisor, responded to Bush’s query whether Hussein was linked to the attacks.

“But you know, we have looked several times for state sponsorship of al Qaeda and not found any real linkages to Iraq.”

2. Beginning November of 2001, Defense Undersecretary Douglas Feith led a team to explore the relationship between Iraq and Al-Qaeda. Almost a year later, the team briefed Colin Powell and then-CIA director George Tenet on their findings. On September 25th 2002, Bush linked the two:

“They’re both risks, they’re both dangerous. The difference, of course, is that Al Qaeda likes to hijack governments. Saddam Hussein is a dictator of a government. Al Qaeda hides, Saddam doesn’t, but the danger is, is that they work in concert. The danger is, is that Al Qaeda becomes an extension of Saddam’s madness and his hatred and his capacity to extend weapons of mass destruction around the world.”

In July of the same year, the Defense Intelligence Agency found “compelling evidence demonstrating direct cooperation between the government of Iraq and Al Qaeda has not been established, despite a large body of anecdotal information.”

In April 2001, the CIA drafted a report called Iraqi Support for Terrorism, that found “no credible information that Baghdad had foreknowledge of the 11 September attacks or any other al-Qaeda strike.”

3. September 8th, 2002:

“We do know that he is actively pursuing a nuclear weapon. We do know there have been shipments going into . . . Iraq, for instance, of aluminum tubes that really are only suited to—high-quality aluminum tools that only really suited for nuclear weapons programs, centrifuge programs.”

In April 2001, the Energy Department concluded that “while the gas centrifuge application cannot be ruled out, we assess that the procurement activity more likely supports a different application, such as conventional ordnance production.” In September of 2002 when the CIA was preparing the NIE, the Department reminded them of their findings. The CIA ignored them.

4. In his September 28 radio address, Bush claimed:

The Iraqi regime possesses biological and chemical weapons, is rebuilding the facilities to make more and, according to the British government, could launch a biological or chemical attack in as little as 45 minutes after the order is given. The regime has long-standing and continuing ties to terrorist groups, and there are al Qaeda terrorists inside Iraq. This regime is seeking a nuclear bomb, and with fissile material could build one within a year.”

Until three weeks ago, there was no National Intelligence Estimate regarding Iraq and WMDS. The CIA scrambled to complete one, later debunked by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence: “Postwar findings do not support the 2002 National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) judgment that Iraq was reconstituting its nuclear weapons program.”

5. His 2003 State of the Union addresses mentioned Iraq buying Uranium from African countries.

“The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.”

As early as March 2002, the intelligence community was divided about the link. During that month the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research published a report named “Niger: Sale of Uranium to Iraq Is Unlikely.”

During July of that year, the Energy Department found “no information indicating that any of the uranium shipments arrived in Iraq” and the “amount of uranium specified far exceeds what Iraq would need even for a robust nuclear weapons program.”

The 2006 Senate Select Committee on Intelligence confirmed this:
“Postwar findings do not support the 2002 National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) assessment that Iraq was ‘vigorously trying to procure uranium ore and yellowcake’ from Africa. Postwar findings support the assessment in the NIE of the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) that claims of Iraqi pursuit of natural uranium in Africa are ‘highly dubious.”

6. On February 3, 2003 Colin Powell presented to the UN.

“My colleagues, every statement I make today is backed up by sources, solid sources. These are not assertions. What we’re giving you are facts and conclusions based on solid intelligence. I will cite some examples, and these are from human sources.”

He also claimed that “a senior terrorist operative telling how Iraq provided training in these weapons [of mass destruction] to Al Qaeda.”

Six days earlier, the CIA had concluded that the detainee “was not in a position to know if any training had taken place.”

No Mr. Bush, the intelligence was correct. What you took from that intelligence and told the American people is what’s flawed.

Thanks Center for Public Integrity!

var MyShoutItURL = “http://www.shoutwire.com/comments/162924″;

Cal Thomas: Democrats are liars (Ignores Bush)

This was in the Indy Star today:

Fraud: “deceit, trickery or breach of confidence, perpetrated for profit or to gain some unfair or dishonest advantage.”

The HBO movie “Recount” tells the story from the Democratic Party point of view that the 2000 presidential election was improperly won by George W. Bush because of the trickery of his fellow Republicans and the Supreme Court. That has been shown to be untrue by no less a source than the reliably liberal and pro-Democratic New York Times, but facts rarely influence propaganda.

Here’s a better example of fraud straight from the donkey’s mouth that you can bet will never be told on film. It comes courtesy of 12-term Congressman Paul Kanjorski. During a town meeting last August in his Pennsylvania district, Rep. Kanjorski made a remarkable statement about the 2006 election in which Democrats recaptured the majority. Rep. Kanjorski acknowledged that he and his fellow Democrats “sort of stretched the facts” about their intention to end the war in Iraq and bring American troops home.

A video of his remarks, now on YouTube, shows Kanjorski explaining that Democrats pushed the rhetoric about the war “as far as we can to the end of the fleet – didn’t say it, but we implied it – that if we won the congressional elections we could stop the war.” Democrats also promised to bring down gas prices if they won a majority. That worked out well, didn’t it?

“Now anybody who’s a good student of government,” continued Kanjorski in a condescending manner, “would know it wasn’t true.” I wonder how non-students of government felt about that insult? “But you know,” he said, “the temptation to want to win back the Congress – we sort of stretched the facts.”

Many politicians “stretch the facts” at some point in their careers, but this was more than that. While Republicans do the same thing on another level – like campaigning for spending cuts and then outspending Democrats when they become a majority – what Kanjorski has admitted to is outright fraud. Those who don’t believe in the war, which includes some Republicans, had a right to believe that if they cast their votes for Democrats in the 2006 election, a Democratic congressional majority would end the war. Instead, while huffing and puffing about it, Democrats have continued to approve funds for Iraq and Afghanistan, attaching numerous pet pork projects. Pork covers a multitude of sins.

Some Democrats have made their careers by lying about Republicans and their attempts at necessary reforms of Social Security. My Democratic friend, Bob Beckel, likes to tell the story of his mother who lived in Florida and called him after seeing campaign commercials, which he produced, that claimed Republicans were about to eliminate Social Security. Beckel says he told her, “Mom, don’t worry about it. You vote for Democrats on Tuesday and come Wednesday your Social Security will be back.”

Kanjorski has taken cynicism about Washington and politicians to a new and lower level.
No wonder the disapproval rating of Congress is higher than it is for President Bush.

In cases of fraud, the victim usually has redress in the courts. With political fraud, voters must seek redress at the polls. They should start – but not stop – with Rep. Kanjorski, who is faced with his first competitive race since 2002. But he has a lot of co-conspirators and even one who is not a “good student of government” ought to know when they’ve been duped by fraudulent political practices.

Cal Thomas attacks the Democrats for not living up to their election promise. The Democrats have the President fighting them, who vetoes every bill that tries to fulfill their election promise of getting out.

By attacking Democrats for lying, Thomas ignores the bigger, more fraudulent elephant in the room. Does Bush saying “The Iraqi regime possesses biological and chemical weapons” (9/26/02) sound familiar? Or maybe McCain’s claim that “We will win this conflict. We will win it easily.” (9/4/02) or Rumsfeld’s infamous “I can’t tell you if the use of force in Iraq today would last five days, or five weeks or five months. But it certainly isn’t going to last any longer than that.” (11/14/02)

Kanjorski honestly admits his party lied. Bush lies about lying by blaming faulty intelligence. “Intelligence communities all across the world shared the same assessment. And so I was disappointed to see how flawed our intelligence was.” (5/13/08) This contradicts a late September CIA testimony that found “no credible information that Baghdad had foreknowledge of the 11 September attacks or any other al-Qaeda strike.” Is that double fraud?

5/30 News

CIA says Al-Qaeda in trouble

Al-Qaeda is near defeat, according to CIA director Michael Hayden. He said the organization collapsing in its strongest areas, Saudia Arabia and Iraq. He also cited global advances as the religion of Islam distances itself from its extremists.

“Near strategic defeat of al Qaeda in Iraq. Near strategic defeat for al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia. Significant setbacks for al Qaeda globally — and here I’m going to use the word ‘ideologically,’ as a lot of the Islamic world pushes back on their form of Islam,” Hayden said this morning in a Washington Post interview.

Reuters

Bush releases climate change report

The White House bowed in to a court decision and released a climate change report online yesterday. The report reiterates much evidence like the spread of heat-loving pests and the effect of rising sea levels. It also projects the health effects of a warmer global climate.

The Scientific Assessment of the Effects of Global Change on the United States predicts heat waves will pose a threat to children and elderly adults. It estimates the spread of the spread of food and water-borne diseases plus animal-spread viruses like West Nile.

A 1990 law requires the president to submit to Congress a report on global climate and the environment every four years. The last report was released by the Clinton Administration. Bush releases a series of reports in 2003 but a circuit judge decided that didn’t fit the requirements.

NY Times

Bush authorized Libby leak

Scott McClellan’s controversial memoir hasn’t even been published yet, and is already creating a stir. It not only criticizes the administration but brings to light new information regarding the Scooter Libby leak case. According to the book, President Bush personally authorized Scooter Libby to leak classified information, including the identity of Valerie Plame, to select media sources.

The AP provides this excerpt:

The president was leaving an event in North Carolina, McClellan recalled, and as they walked to Air Force One a reporter yelled out a question: Had the president, who had repeatedly condemned the selective release of secret intelligence information, enabled Scooter Libby to leak classified information to The New York Times to bolster the administration’s arguments for war?

McClellan took the question to the president, telling Bush: “He’s saying you yourself were the one that authorized the leaking of this information.”

“And he said, ‘Yeah, I did.’ And I was kind of taken aback,” McClellan said.

“For me I came to the decision that at that point I needed to look for a way to move on, because it had undermined, I think, a lot of what we had said.”

Huffington Post

5/28 News

Bush planning Iran attack by August

The Bush Administration is planning an Iran air strike within the next two months, according to an anonymous source who appears to have talked to several other media outlets as well. Two US senators were briefed on the matter and plan to go public with their opposition the source says.

The source is a retired US diplomat and a former assistant Secretary of State. It says that the US is planning to air strike the headquarters of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps’ elite forces, the Quds. Likely targets include garrisons near the Iran-Iraq border.

Last year the Senate passed a non-binding resolution classifying Qud as a terrorist organization. The Bush Administration has also accused Iran of helping Iraqi insurgents and still insists on the potency of their probably now-defunct nuclear weapons program.

The source claimed that Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) would write a op-ed in the New York Times “within days.”

Asia Times

Former Press Secretary attacks Bush Administration

Former White House Press Secretary attacks Bush’s misinformation and propaganda regarding the Iraq War, the CIA leak case and the “Scooter” Libby case in his memoir hitting bookstores next week. He also attacks the press corps for going to easy on the Administration in the days following up to the war.

The tone is harsher than expected. McClellan was one of Bush’s first and most loyal aides but wastes little space on nostalgia and praise. He also attacks the Administration for their denial and lack of action regarding Hurricane Katrina.

“I had allowed myself to be deceived into unknowingly passing along a falsehood,” McClellan writes. “It would ultimately prove fatal to my ability to serve the president effectively. I didn’t learn that what I’d said was untrue until the media began to figure it out almost two years later,” he remarked about the Libby case.

Politico

McCain’s voting record in line with Bush

John McCain and George Bush have strikingly similar voting records, according to a recent CQ report. The report tracked when McCain was present to vote and when President Bush stated an explicit opinion of a bill since 2001.

Though McCain has been busy campaigning, he voted 100% in line with President Bush. The rest of the time his support borders between 90%-95%.

Progressive Media USA

5/26 News

Carter leaks Israeli nuke count

Former president Jimmy Carter said yesterday that Israel has 150 nuclear weapons and that the US should start talking to Iran about it’s nuclear program. It’s surprising because Israel, nor any US official has ever admitted that Israel has nukes.

Carter has been very involved in Israel-Palestine relations since he left office and has criticized Israeli settlers on the West Bank and Israel’s refusal to talk to Hamas.

Fox analyst jokes about Obama assassination

Hillary Clinton is not the only one taking flak for her Obama assassination comment. Sunday journalist Liz Trotta appeared on Fox News and made this comment:
Trotta: “And now we have what some are reading as a suggestion that
somebody knock off Osama, uh Obama. Well, both, if we could.”
Not only is this unbelievable after Clinton’s massive damage control regarding RFK, but Trotta went so far as to not only confuse Obama with Osama, but actually suggest that Obama be assassinated.

She apologized this morning:
“Yes, I am so sorry about what happened yesterday and the lame attempt at humor. I
feel all over myself, making it appear that I wished Barack Obama harm or any other
candidate, for that matter, and I sincerely regret it and apologize to anybody I have
offended. It is a very colorful political season, and many of us are making mistakes
and saying things we wish we had not said.”

McCain returns to immigration reform

John McCain has attracted his share of criticism for changing his beliefs, but apparently hasn’t had enough. Before the election heated up, McCain was the forerunner of bipartisan immigration reform. By November of last year, he tried to please unsold conservatives by abandoning his own bill. Now that he has the nomination wrapped up, he appears to be going to “maverick” McCain.

“I believe we have to secure our borders, and I think most Americans agree with that,
because it’s a matter of national security. But we must enact comprehensive immigration
reform. We must make it a top agenda item if we don’t do it before, and we probably
won’t, a little straight talk, as of January 2009.”

Minister fights Bush library

A Methodist minister is launching a campaign to fight the construction of George Bush’s presidential library on Southern Methodist University’s campus. The minister says the agendas the Republican think tank will promote like interrogation conflict with Methodist teachings.

Jimmy Carter
Obama assassination
McCain immigration
Library

5/23 News

Senate adds veto-proof domestic provisions to Iraq spending bill

Yesterday the Senate ignored Bush’s pledge to veto extra provisions on the Iraq spending bill and added $10 billion more in domestic programs. 25 Senate Republicans broke ranks to provide veto-proof funding for fighting wildfires, heating for the poor and infrastructure repair. The Senate also voted 70-26 for Bush’s military operations bill while adding extensive G.I. benefits.

The House recently rejected an earlier spending bill but has endorsed the veteran and unemployed benefits in the new bill. However, its version omitted most domestic programs and included a slight upper-class tax increase to fund the GI bill. However, the House vote lacked a 2/3 majority and its bill will have to be compromised with the Senate version which, if the GI benefits are included, Bush will veto.

Myanmar to allow aid workers

According to U.N. officials, Myanmar’s military junta will admit foreign aid workers to harder-hit areas of the region. A cyclone three weeks ago left 2.4 million destitute and foreign aid has been trickling in. The government has also asked for 11.7 billion and will allow its Yangon airport to distribute aid packages.

McCain rejects Hagee’s comments, endorsement

John McCain told CNN’s Brian Todd Thursday that he rejected the comments and endorsement of the controversial Reverend John Hagee after Todd brought to McCain’s attention Hagee’s claim that Hitler was fulfilling God’s will by trying to exterminate them.

“Obviously, I find these remarks and others deeply offensive and indefensible, and I repudiate them. I did not know of them before Rev. Hagee’s endorsement, and I feel I must reject his endorsement as well.” said McCain in a statement to CNN. Hagee soon withdrew his endorsement and pledged to abstain from the 2008 presidential election.

FBI includes Guantanamo Bay in war crimes report

The FBI Inspector General released a 370-page report this week which included a “War Crimes” file regarding the torture the FBI witnessed at Guantanamo Bay prison. The administration ordered the FBI to stop writing the reports but a government official’s confirmation of what many already suspect adds to the war crime firestorm brewing over Guantanamo.

Spending bill

Myanmar

Hagee

War crimes

5/21 News

Ex-Guantanamo prisoner testifies in Congress

Only a handful of legislators listened to German-born Murat Kurnaz’s testimony of his imprisonment yesterday. Kurnaz was arrested by Pakistani authorities while visiting the region in 2001. US authorities “purchased” Kurnaz for $3000 and incarcerated him in Guantanamo Bay for five years, despite being determined to have no terrorist links in 2002.

Yesterday, he traveled to Congress to testify about his experience there but after technical difficulties only about half a dozen lawmakers remained to hear his story. Kurnaz recently published a book about the experience, “Five Years of My Life: An Innocent Man in Guantanamo.”

Bush promises Saudi nuclear support

President Bush pledged Monday to continue to assist Saudi Arabia with their nuclear power program, including providing enriched uranium and even protecting oil reserves. President Bush has attracted criticism for a possible double nuclear standard regarding Iran, and even recently admitted the majority of 9/11 attackers were Saudis.

Israel and Syria come to talking point

Israel and Syria announced they resumed peace talks early this morning after an eight-year break. Identical statements released by Israel, Syria and Turkey confirmed that the talks began earlier through Turkish mediators.

Many problems exist between Israel and Syria. Syria has been isolated from world diplomacy and been called an “axis of evil” by President Bush. Israel is concerned about Syrian support of Hezbollah and Palestinian militants. The US is unusually not involved in the peace talks.

Obama is clear fundraising winner

Barack Obama added to his impressive total of $268 million dollars with April donations topping $31 million. The monthly amount was a slight decrease from March’s $40 million but Obama still has the overall financial lead. Hillary Clinton raised $22 million the same month, her highest during this campaign and brought her total to $262 million. Obama’s strategy focuses on millions of small donors, a model Clinton has had to adopt after her early donors maxed out.

Guantanamo prisoner
Saudi enriching
Israel and Syria
Obama fundraising