The Commons

Bush's disapproval rating worst of any president in 70 years

2008-04-22T13:28:00.001-05:00

Bush's disapproval rating worst of any president in 70 yearsBy Susan PageUSA TODAY WASHINGTON — President Bush has set a record he'd presumably prefer to avoid: the highest disapproval rating of any president in the 70-year history of the Gallup Poll.In a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday, 28% of Americans approve of the job Bush is doing; 69% disapprove. The approval rating

Losing Our Will

2008-04-12T14:41:00.001-05:00

Losing Our WillBy BOB HERBERT I wonder what the answers would be if each American asked himself or herself the question: “How is the war in Iraq helping me?”While the U.S. government continues to pour precious human treasureand vast financial resources into this ugly war without end, it is allbut ignoring deeply entrenched problems that are weakening the countryhere at home.On the same day

Glenn Greenwald - The U.S. establishment media in a nutshell

2008-04-05T17:29:00.001-05:00

The U.S. establishment media in a nutshellGlen GreenwaldIn the past two weeks, the following events transpired. A Department of Justice memo, authored by John Yoo, was released which authorized torture and presidential lawbreaking. It was revealed that the Bush administration declared the Fourth Amendment of the Bill of Rights to be inapplicable to "domestic military operations" within the U.S.

Olbermann on End of Bill of Rights

2008-04-04T22:16:00.001-05:00

Paul Krugman - The B Word

2008-03-17T16:01:00.001-05:00

The B WordBy PAUL KRUGMANO.K., here it comes: The unthinkable is about to become the inevitable.Last week, Robert Rubin, the former Treasury secretary, and John Lipsky, a top official at the International Monetary Fund, both suggested that public funds might be needed to rescue the U.S. financial system. Mr. Lipsky insisted that he wasn’t talking about a bailout. But he was.It’s true that Henry

Republicans See Storm Clouds Gathering

2008-03-16T10:12:00.000-05:00

Republicans See Storm Clouds GatheringWeek of Bad News Highlights Difficult Challenges for GOP in Fall ElectionsBy Jonathan WeismanWashington Post Staff WriterSunday, March 16, 2008; A05While all eyes were on the presidential campaign and the demise of New York Gov. Eliot L. Spitzer (D) last week, Republicans on Capitol Hill were suffering a run of bad news that could hold dire implications for

Today's Must Read

2008-03-10T12:28:00.001-05:00

Today's Must ReadBy Paul Kiel - March 10, 2008, 9:45AMIt is the closest thing I've seen to a complete explanation of the surveillance program the Bush Administration has assembled.Siobhan Gorman of The Wall Street Journal reportsthis morning that the National Security Agency has assembled what someintelligence officials admit is a driftnet for domestic and foreigncommunications. Here's the way

Top Iraq contractor skirts US taxes offshore

2008-03-06T12:55:00.001-05:00

Top Iraq contractor skirts US taxes offshoreShell companies in Cayman Islands allow KBR to avoid Medicare, Social Security deductionsBy Farah Stockman, Globe Staff | March 6, 2008CAYMAN ISLANDS - Kellogg Brown & Root, the nation's top Iraq war contractor and until last year a subsidiary of HalliburtonCorp., has avoided paying hundreds of millions of dollars in federalMedicare and Social

Payday Lenders Boom Where Conservative Christians Exercise Political Power

2008-02-20T13:30:00.001-05:00

Payday Lenders Boom Where Conservative Christians Exercise Political PowerRobert Parham02-20-08The predatory practice of payday lenders flourishes in the Bible Belt, the very place where one would think that the piety and morality of church goers would oppose such ventures that charge the poor exorbitant interest rates exceeding those of "the old mafia loan sharking syndicates." That is not the

The Valentine’s Day Torture Trifecta

2008-02-17T19:31:00.000-05:00

The Valentine’s Day Torture TrifectaDEPARTMENT No CommentBY Scott HortonPUBLISHED February 16, 2008On Valentine’s Day the Bush Administration was out on a mission, straight from the Orwellian Ministry of Love. That ministry of course served in Nineteen Eighty-Four as the center for torture. And as the shortest month reached its middle point, three apologists appeared on behalf of the

Stalin's Defense of Torture

2008-02-17T19:22:00.000-05:00

Josef Stalin, 10 January 1939: To the Secretaries of oblast and regional party committees, To the CCs of national Communist parties, To the people's commissars of internal affairs, and to the heads of NKVD directorates It has become known to the VKP CC that the secretaries of oblast and regional party committees, in checking up on employees of NKVD directorates, have laid blame on

Bankers, like gangs, just get carried away

2008-02-17T13:23:00.000-05:00

Bankers, like gangs, just get carried awayBy John KayPublished: February 12 2008 18:15 | Last updated: February 12 2008 18:15“So long as the music is playing, you’ve got to keep dancing. We’re still dancing.” Chuck Prince, former chairman and chief executive of Citigroup, was interviewed by this paper only a month before the music stopped. A few weeks later he was out of a job. With these

Philip Giraldi: What FBI whistle-blower Sibel Edmonds found in translation

2008-02-17T12:40:00.000-05:00

Philip Giraldi: What FBI whistle-blower Sibel Edmonds found in translationFBI whistle-blower Sibel Edmonds has spilled her secrets, says PHILIP GIRALDI. Why is her story being covered up?12:00 AM CST on Sunday, February 17, 2008Most Americans have never heard of Sibel Edmonds, and if the U.S. government has its way, they never will.The former FBI translator turned whistle-blower tells a chilling

When Strains on Military Families Turn Deadly

2008-02-16T11:25:00.000-05:00

When Strains on Military Families Turn DeadlyBy LIZETTE ALVAREZ and DEBORAH SONTAGA few months after Sgt. William Edwards and his wife, Sgt. Erin Edwards, returned to a Texas Army base from separate missions in Iraq, he assaulted her mercilessly. He struck her, choked her, dragged her over a fence and slammed her into the sidewalk.As far as Erin Edwards was concerned, that would be the last time

How the spooks took over the news

2008-02-13T08:32:00.000-05:00

How the spooks took over the newsThe Independent (UK)In his controversial new book, Nick Davies argues that shadowy intelligence agencies are pumping out black propaganda to manipulate public opinion – and that the media simply swallow it wholesaleThe letter argued that al-Qa'ida, which is a Sunni network, should attack the Shia population of Iraq: "It is the only way to prolong the duration of

Glenn Greenwald - Amnesty Day for Bush and lawbreaking telecoms

2008-02-12T10:13:00.001-05:00

Tuesday February 12, 2008 07:01 ESTAmnesty Day for Bush and lawbreaking telecomsThe Senate today -- led by Jay Rockefeller, enabled by Harry Reid, and with the active support of at least 12 (and probably more) Democrats, in conjunction with an as-always lockstep GOP caucus -- will vote to legalize warrantless spying on the telephone calls and emails of Americans, and will also provide full

Glenn Greenwald - The WSJ editorial page lies about our surveillance laws

2008-02-11T13:24:00.000-05:00

The WSJ editorial page lies about our surveillance laws(updated below - Update II)There are very few opinion venues -- if there are any -- more brazenly fact-free than the Editorial Page of the Wall St. Journal. They have an Editorial this morning warning of all the grave dangers posed by efforts from the "anti-antiterror left" to limit the Leader's warrantless eavesdropping powers -- the most

Bush Ad Infinitum

2008-02-10T15:01:00.000-05:00

Bush Ad Infinitum by DevilstowerdailykosSun Feb 10, 2008 at 01:33:47 PM CSTWhile most calendars start on January 1 and end on December 31, I think I'm not alone in saying that the X's on my fridge are counting down toward January 20, 2009. I might mention the alarm set to go off at the stroke of noon, but that would seem obsessive. Still, while I may give a hearty cheer (and I'm trying to

Naomi Klein - Why the right loves a disaster

2008-01-28T08:27:00.001-05:00

Why the right loves a disasterIdeologues use times of crisis as an opportunity to foist their economic policies on desperate societies.By Naomi KleinJanuary 27, 2008Moody's, the credit-rating agency, claims the key to solving the United States' economic woes is slashing spending on Social Security. The National Assn. of Manufacturers says the fix is for the federal government to adopt the

FBI wiretaps dropped due to unpaid bills

2008-01-10T14:21:00.001-05:00

FBI wiretaps dropped due to unpaid billsBy Lara Jakes Jordan, Associated Press Writer | January 10, 2008WASHINGTON --Telephone companies have cut off FBIwiretaps used to eavesdrop on suspected criminals because of thebureau's repeated failures to pay phone bills on time.A Justice Department audit released Thursday blamed the lostconnections on the FBI's lax oversight of money used in

2005 Use of Gas by Blackwater Leaves Questions

2008-01-10T10:54:00.001-05:00

2005 Use of Gas by Blackwater Leaves QuestionsBy JAMES RISEN WASHINGTON — The helicopterwas hovering over a Baghdad checkpoint into the Green Zone, onetypically crowded with cars, Iraqi civilians and United States militarypersonnel. Suddenly, on that May day in 2005, the copter dropped CS gas, a riot-control substance the American military in Iraqcan use only under the strictest conditions

Bush's Final Year

2008-01-04T13:07:00.000-05:00

Bush's Final YearBy Dan FroomkinSpecial to washingtonpost.comWednesday, January 2, 2008; 12:38 PMAs President Bush begins his final year in office, the White House is aiming for one last major domestic legislative triumph: permanent expansion of government spy powers, including retroactive immunity for the telecom companies that assisted in warrantless surveillance.In an impromptu briefing aboard

Glenn Greenwald - 9/11 Commission: Our investigation was "obstructed"

2008-01-03T12:50:00.001-05:00

9/11 Commission: Our investigation was "obstructed" (*** Updated below - Outside prosecutor appointed Update II - Update III - Update IV - Update V) The bi-partisan co-chairmen of the 9/11 Commission, Tom Kean and Lee Hamilton, jointly published an Op-Ed in today's New York Times which contains some extremely emphatic and serious accusations against the CIA and the White House. The essence:[T]

The Great Divide

2007-12-31T14:08:00.001-05:00

The Great DivideBy PAUL KRUGMAN Yesterday The Timespublished a highly informative chart laying out the positions of thepresidential candidates on major issues. It was, I’d argue, a usefulreality check for those who believe that the next president can somehowusher in a new era of bipartisan cooperation. For what the chart made clear was the extent to which Democrats andRepublicans live in

Looking at America

2007-12-31T13:54:00.001-05:00

December 31, 2007NY Times EditorialLooking at America There are too many momentsthese days when we cannot recognize our country. Sunday was one ofthem, as we read the account in The Times of how men in some of themost trusted posts in the nation plotted to cover up the torture ofprisoners by Central Intelligence Agency interrogators by destroyingvideotapes of their sickening behavior. It was

Inside the CIA's notorious "black sites"

2007-12-16T17:12:00.000-05:00

Inside the CIA's notorious "black sites"A Yemeni man never charged by the U.S. details 19 months of brutality and psychological torture -- the first in-depth, first-person account from inside the secret U.S. prisons. A Salon exclusive.By Mark BenjaminSalon.comDec. 15, 2007 | The CIA held Mohamed Farag Ahmad Bashmilah in several different cells when he was incarcerated in its network of secret

Report Says That the Rich Are Getting Richer Faster, Much Faster

2007-12-15T19:53:00.001-05:00

Report Says That the Rich Are Getting Richer Faster, Much Faster By DAVID CAY JOHNSTONThe increase in incomes of the top 1 percent of Americans from 2003 to 2005 exceeded the total income of the poorest 20 percent of Americans, data in a new report by the Congressional Budget Office shows. The poorest fifth of households had total income of $383.4 billion in 2005, while just the increase in

No Fence To Protect Against Foreclosures

2007-12-09T22:18:00.001-05:00

No Fence To Protect Against ForeclosuresDec. 4, 2007(The Nation) This column was written by Barbara Ehrenreich.Another utopia seems to be biting the dust. The socialist kibbutzim of Israel have vanished or gone increasingly capitalist, and now the paranoid residential ideal represented by gated communities may be in serious trouble. Never exactly cool - remember Jim Carrey in The Truman Show? -

Kevin Drum - What The Tapes Would Have Shown

2007-12-08T21:23:00.000-05:00

WHAT THE TAPES WOULD HAVE SHOWN....Yesterday we learned that in 2005, despite earlier warnings from Congress, the White House, and the Justice Department, the CIA destroyed two videotaped interrogations of al-Qaeda operatives who had been captured shortly after 9/11. Why? CIA director Michael Hayden says the tapes were destroyed because of fears that they might leak and give away the identity of

Acountability

2007-12-07T12:22:00.001-05:00

Acountabilityby Scout FinchYesterday, CBS News acquired the November 30th Inspector General Report on Iraq, also known as the "Management of the Iraq Security Forces Fund in Southwest Asia - Phase III.Incredibly enough, cash isn't the only thing missing from Iraq. Turns out those missing billions may have been driven away by fully armed "Iraqi Security Forces" in dumptrucks and tractor-trailers.

Hayden Says CIA Videotapes Destroyed

2007-12-07T08:34:00.000-05:00

Hayden Says CIA Videotapes Destroyed PAMELA HESS | December 6, 2007 11:

Military Families Question Iraq War as Support for Bush Slips

2007-12-07T08:29:00.000-05:00

Military Families Question Iraq War as Support for Bush Slips By Christopher Stern Dec. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Kent Fletcher, an Iraq war veteran, says he

Bush: Misleading at Best

2007-12-07T00:39:00.000-05:00

Bush: Misleading at BestBy Dan FroomkinSpecial to washingtonpost.comThursday, December 6, 2007; 1:47 PMThe White House acknowledged last night that President Bush learned in August that Iran might have shelved its nuclear weapons program, contradicting what the president said at his press conference earlier this week.Bush said Tuesday that was first briefed on a dramatic new intelligence report

A Pattern of Deception

2007-12-06T00:43:00.000-05:00

A Pattern of DeceptionBy Dan FroomkinSpecial to washingtonpost.comWednesday, December 5, 2007; 2:27 PMPresident Bush changed the way he talked about Iran in August: He stopped making explicit assertions about the existence of an Iranian nuclear weapons program.On Monday, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a new national intelligence estimate in which the nation's 16

Debunking Iran's Nuclear Program: Another 'Intelligence Failure' -- On the Part of the Press?

2007-12-05T08:24:00.000-05:00

Debunking Iran's Nuclear Program: Another 'Intelligence Failure' -- On the Part of the Press? Iraqi WMD redux: The release of the NIE throwing cold water on oft-repeated claims of a rampant Iranian nuclear weapons program has chastened public officials and policymakers who have promoted this line for years. But many in the media have made these same claims, often extravagantly. By Greg Mitchell

Good Riddance to Them All

2007-12-04T19:23:00.001-05:00

Good Riddance to Them All By Joseph L. Galloway McClatchy Newspapers Wednesday 21 November 2007 There was little for the unindicted co-conspirators of the Bush administration to give thanks for this week as the clock winds down on the 14 months they have left in power. With former White House press secretary Scott McClellan spilling the beans on who told him to lie to the

Iran report frustrates US hawks

2007-12-04T14:50:00.001-05:00

Iran report frustrates US hawksBy Adam BrookesBBC News, WashingtonIn an abrupt change of position, the US intelligence agencies now say they do not know if Iran intends to build a nuclear weapon.The unclassified version of a new National Intelligence Estimate, or NIE, released on Monday, said that Iran was "less determined to develop nuclear weapons than we have been judging since 2005".In May

Innovating Our Way to Financial Crisis

2007-12-03T07:49:00.001-05:00

Innovating Our Way to Financial CrisisBy PAUL KRUGMAN The financial crisis that began late last summer, then took a brief vacation in September and October, is back with a vengeance.How bad is it? Well, I’ve never seen financial insiders this spooked— not even during the Asian crisis of 1997-98, when economic dominoesseemed to be falling all around the world. This time, market players seem

Rove Investigator Used Geeks on Call to Delete Computer Files

2007-11-28T16:12:00.000-05:00

Rove Investigator Used Geeks on Call to Delete Computer Files by DJShay Wed Nov 28, 2007 at 09:03:12 AM PSTScott Bloch, the head of the US Office of Special Counsel agency that was in charge of investigating violations of the Hatch Act is now being investigated for deleting files off his office computer. And he used Geeks on Call to do it. From the Wall Street

Journalism 101

2007-11-28T08:16:00.000-05:00

Journalism 101by Jon Swift Glenn Greenwald and other liberals in the blogosphere have been criticizing respected Time reporter Joe Klein for writing a piece about attempts to reform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) that had a few minor factual errors and accused the Democrats of giving "terrorists the same legal protections as Americans." Time's Managing

Everything that is rancid and corrupt with modern journalism: The Nutshell

2007-11-27T20:43:00.001-05:00

Everything that is rancid and corrupt with modern journalism: The Nutshell Glenn Greenwald Time Magazine has done a superb service for the country by illustrating everything that is rancid and corrupt with our political media. After I emailed Time.com Editor Josh Tyrangiel asking why the online version of Joe Klein's column remains online uncorrected given that -- as Managing Editor Rick

Natural disasters have quadrupled in two decades: study

2007-11-26T11:46:00.001-05:00

Natural disasters have quadrupled in two decades: studySun Nov 25, 9:33 AM ETMore than four times the number of natural disasters are occurring now than did two decades ago, British charity Oxfam said in a study Sunday that largely blamed global warming."Oxfam... says that rising green house gas emissions are the major cause of weather-related disasters and must be tackled," the organisation said

Time Magazine's FISA Fiasco shows how Beltway reporters mislead the country

2007-11-25T13:40:00.001-05:00

Time Magazine's FISA Fiasco shows how Beltway reporters mislead the countryGlenn GreenwaldOn Wednesday, I documented that Joe Klein's column in this week's Time Magazine contained multiple false statements about the new FISA bill -- The RESTORE Act -- passed by House Democrats last week. The most obvious and harmful inaccuracy was his claim that that bill "would require the surveillance of every

Economic and planetary collapse: Is it a therapeutic issue?

2007-11-25T11:36:00.001-05:00

Economic and planetary collapse: Is it a therapeutic issue? By Kathy McMahon, Psy.D. Panglossian Disorders and Their Subtypes Panglossian Disorder: “The neurotic tendency toward extreme optimism in the face of likely cultural and planetary collapse.”Temporal Subtypes: Scarlet O’Hara-ism- “I’ll just have to think about that tomorrow.” A strategy of denial that

Did McClellan Accuse Bush of Lying to Federal Prosecutors?

2007-11-24T18:12:00.001-05:00

Did McClellan Accuse Bush of Lying to Federal Prosecutors?Scott HortonHarpers

Resurgent Taliban in control of half of Afghanistan.

2007-11-23T16:25:00.001-05:00

Resurgent Taliban in control of half of Afghanistan. According to a new report, “The conflict in Afghanistan has reached ‘crisis proportions,’ with the resurgent Taliban present in more than half the country and closing in on Kabul.” A separate Oxfam report states that spending on aid for Afghans is only a tiny fraction of military expenditure:“As in Iraq, too much aid is absorbed by profits

20,000 vets' brain injuries not listed in Pentagon tally

2007-11-23T13:24:00.001-05:00

20,000 vets' brain injuries not listed in Pentagon tallyBy Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAYAtleast 20,000 U.S. troops who were not classified as wounded duringcombat in Iraq and Afghanistan have been found with signs of braininjuries, according to military and veterans records compiled by USATODAY.The data, provided by the Army, Navyand Department of Veterans Affairs, show that about five times as

Iraq's foreign militants 'come from US allies

2007-11-22T16:44:00.001-05:00

Iraq's foreign militants 'come from US allies'Peter WalkerThursday November 22, 2007Guardian UnlimitedAround60% of all foreign militants who entered Iraq to fight over the pastyear came from Saudi Arabia and Libya, according to files seized byAmerican forces at a desert camp.Thefiles listed the nationalities and biographical details of more than700 fighters who crossed into Iraq from August last

Happy Thanksgiving 2

2007-11-22T12:47:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T12:24:00.000-05:00

George Bush, Traitor and Liar in Chief

2007-11-21T19:04:00.001-05:00

George Bush, Traitor and Liar in Chief by L C Johnson Wed Nov 21, 2007 at 10:59:24 AM PSTBy L C Johnson (bio/blog)Former Presidential spokesliar, oops, I mean spokesman, ScottMcClellan, reminded us this week that the fish rots from the head. McClellan drops the truth bombshell that implicates George Bush andDick Cheney in the sordid outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson. CNN reports that:

McClellan ‘unknowingly passed along false information’

2007-11-21T10:55:00.001-05:00

McClellan ‘unknowingly passed along false information’ Posted November 20th, 2007 at 4:05 pm Share This | Spotlight | Permalink Whenthe Plame leak scandal broke, and Americans first began to learn thatthe White House has outed an undercover CIA agent during a war, it wasthen-press secretary Scott McClellan who had to lie. He told reporters(and the nation) that leaks of classified

U.N. Global Warming Report Sternly Warns Against Inaction

2007-11-17T13:16:00.001-05:00

U.N. Global Warming Report Sternly Warns Against InactionBy Doug StruckWashington Post Staff WriterSaturday, November 17, 2007; A03Global warming is destroying species, raising sea levels and threatening millions of poor people, the United Nations'top scientific panel will say today in a report that U.N. officialshope will help mobilize the world into taking tougher actions onclimate change.The

Bush is the biggest spender since LBJ

2007-11-16T17:47:00.000-05:00

Bush is the biggest spender since LBJDavid Lightman | McClatchy Newspaperslast updated: October 23, 2007 07:34:58 PMWASHINGTON — George W. Bush, despite all his recent bravado about being an apostle of small government and budget-slashing, is the biggest spending president since Lyndon B. Johnson. In fact, he's arguably an even bigger spender than LBJ.“He’s a big government guy,” said Stephen

Army Desertion Rate Highest Since 1980

2007-11-16T17:45:00.001-05:00

Army Desertion Rate Highest Since 1980By LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press WriterNov 16th, 2007 | WASHINGTON -- Soldiers strained by six years at war are deserting their posts at the highest rate since 1980, with the number of Army deserters this year showing an 80 percent increase since the United States invaded Iraq in 2003.While the totals are still far lower than they were during the Vietnam

Iraq, Afghanistan wars twice as expensive as expected, report says

2007-11-13T17:36:00.002-05:00

Iraq, Afghanistan wars twice as expensive as expected, report saysNick JulianoPublished: Tuesday November 13, 2007 del.icio.us reddit_url=window.location.href reddit_title='Iraq, Afghanistan wars twice as expensive as expected, report says' Print This Email This 'Hidden costs' behind skyrocketing price of war President Bush's six-year invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq will end up costing

CBS: 'Stunning' veteran suicide rate is twice that of non-veterans

2007-11-13T17:36:00.001-05:00

CBS: 'Stunning' veteran suicide rate is twice that of non-veterans 11/13/2007 @ 10:47 am Filed by David Edwards and Muriel Kane The problem of suicide among veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has recently been in the news, with the Department of Veteran Affairs promising to beef up its mental health services in response. Veterans

Dianne Feinstein -- Bush's key ally in the Senate -- to support telecom amnesty

2007-11-12T08:18:00.001-05:00

Dianne Feinstein -- Bush's key ally in the Senate -- to support telecom amnesty (updated below) Two months ago, Dianne Feinstein used her position on the SenateIntelligence Committee to enable passage of Bush's FISA amendments,granting the President vast new warrantless surveillance powers. Last month, Feinstein used her position on the Senate JudiciaryCommittee to ensure confirmation of Bush's

Frank Rich - The Coup at Home

2007-11-11T10:29:00.001-05:00

The Coup at HomeBy FRANK RICH AS Gen. Pervez Musharraf arrested judges, lawyers and human-rights activists in Pakistan last week,our Senate was busy demonstrating its own civic mettle. Chuck Schumerand Dianne Feinstein, liberal Democrats from America’s two most highlypopulated blue states, gave the thumbs up to Michael B. Mukasey, ensuring his confirmation as attorney general. So what if

Oil Price Rise Causes Global Shift in Wealth

2007-11-10T17:02:00.001-05:00

Oil Price Rise Causes Global Shift in WealthIran, Russia and Venezuela Feel the BenefitsBy Steven MufsonWashington Post Staff WriterSaturday, November 10, 2007; A01Highoil prices are fueling one of the biggest transfers of wealth inhistory. Oil consumers are paying $4 billion to $5 billion more forcrude oil every day than they did just five years ago, pumping morethan $2 trillion into the coffers

Rudy and Bernie: B.F.F.’s

2007-11-10T13:02:00.003-05:00

p-Ed ColumnistRudy and Bernie: B.F.F.’sBy GAIL COLLINS The past seven years havegiven us some helpful hints on what we want to avoid in the nextpresident. I’m starting to make a list.Quality to avoid No. 1: Loyalty.Whenever you read that a candidate “values loyalty above all else” —run for the hills. Loyalty is a terribly important consideration ifyou’re choosing a pet, but not a cabinet

Indicting Mr. Kerik

2007-11-10T13:02:00.001-05:00

Indicting Mr. Kerik Bernard Kerik’s indictmenton fraud and corruption charges is disturbing on its own, but it alsoraises broader issues. It is sobering to think how close Mr. Kerik cameto becoming secretary of the Homeland Security Department, and it isalso troubling that Rudolph Giuliani, a leading candidate forpresident, has been so close to him for so long, as a friend, boss andbusiness

Wrong Torture, Right For US Attorney General

2007-11-09T09:47:00.001-05:00

Glenn Greenwald on the vote to confirm Michael Mukasey:The most amazing quote was from chief Mukasey supporter ChuckSchumer, who, before voting for him, said that Mukasey is "wrong ontorture -- dead wrong." Marvel at that phrase: "wrong on torture." Sixyears ago, there wasn't even any such thing as being "wrong ontorture," because "torture" wasn't something we debated. It would havebeen

The Dollar has lost more than a third of its value since 2002

2007-11-07T17:38:00.001-05:00

The dollar’s slide: 1/3 down and falling faster We’ve posted this before - but as the ailing US currency dropsthrough $1.47 against the euro and $2.10 against sterling, it merits asecond (and updated) airing.The chart comes from Sempra Metals, who make a couple of additional points:The US dollar has now lost more than a third of its value (-35%) against a basket of major currencies since Feb

Bush Most Unpopular President Ever

2007-11-06T15:37:00.001-05:00

Buried in the last paragraph on p. 12A of the USA Today:Meanwhile, Bush reached an unwelcome record.By 64%-31%, Americans disapprove of the job he is doing. For the firsttime in the history of the Gallup Poll, 50% say they "stronglydisapprove" of the president. Richard Nixon had reached the previoushigh, 48%, just before an impeachment inquiry was launched in 1974.Powered by ScribeFire.

Olbermann: The Presidency is Now a Criminal Conpsiracy

2007-11-06T09:33:00.000-05:00

Special Comment: On waterboarding and torture

Poll Finds Americans Pessimistic, Want Change

2007-11-04T11:05:00.001-05:00

Poll Finds Americans Pessimistic, Want ChangeWar, Economy, Politics Sour Views of Nation's DirectionBy Dan Balz and Jon CohenWashington Post Staff WritersSunday, November 4, 2007; A01Oneyear out from the 2008 election, Americans are deeply pessimistic andeager for a change in direction from the agenda and priorities of President Bush, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.Concern about

War protests: Why no coverage?

2007-10-31T12:13:00.001-05:00

War protests: Why no coverage? Newspapers have a duty to inform citizens about such democratic events. By Jerry Lanson Boston Coordinatedantiwar protests in at least 11 American cities this weekend raisedanew an interesting question about the nature of news coverage: Are themedia ignoring rallies against the Iraq war because of their lowturnout or is the turnout

Bush Ditchin’ Congress for Remainder of Term

2007-10-31T07:51:00.001-05:00

Bush Ditchin’ Congress for Remainder of Term by markthshark (dailykos)Wed Oct 31, 2007 at 07:22:10 AM CDTBush to White House steno pool: WE DON’T NEED NO STINKIN’ CONGRESS!(occams hatchet covered Bush's precious press conference earlier this morning quite eloquently here, and had some great strategy points for Democrats in '08, as well.)This diary, however, delves into Bush's new strategy to

Waterboarding is Torture, Period

2007-10-30T10:14:00.001-05:00

Waterboarding is Torture, Periodby Malcolm NanceI’d like to digress from my usual analysis of insurgent strategy and tactics to speak out on an issue of grave importance to Small Wars Journal readers. We, as a nation, are having a crisis of honor.Last week the Attorney General nominee Judge Michael Mukasey refused to define waterboarding terror suspects as torture. On the same day MSNBC

Paul Krugman - Fearing Fear Itself

2007-10-30T09:11:00.001-05:00

October 29, 2007Op-Ed ColumnistFearing Fear ItselfBy PAUL KRUGMANIn America’s darkest hour, Franklin Delano Roosevelt urged the nation not to succumb to “nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror.” But that was then.Today, many of the men who hope to be the next president — including all of the candidates with a significant chance of receiving the Republican nomination — have made unreasoning,

The Evangelical Crackup

2007-10-28T10:07:00.001-05:00

The Evangelical CrackupBy DAVID D. KIRKPATRICKThe hundred-foot white cross atop the Immanuel Baptist Church in downtown Wichita, Kan., casts a shadow over a neighborhood of payday lenders, pawnbrokers and pornographic video stores. To its parishioners, this has long been the front line of the culture war. Immanuel has stood for Southern Baptist traditionalism for more than half a century. Until

Frank Rich - Rudy, the Values Slayer

2007-10-27T23:17:00.001-05:00

Op-Ed ColumnistRudy, the Values SlayerBy FRANK RICHWITH the new president heading off to his Texas vacation during that slow news month of August 2001, I wrote a column about a man who would never be president: Rudy Giuliani. Banished from Gracie Mansion after dumping his second wife for Judith Nathan, New York’s lame-duck mayor had been bunking for two months with a gay couple. No brand-name

FEMA Meets the Press, Which Happens to Be . . . FEMA

2007-10-26T15:33:00.001-05:00

FEMA Meets the Press, Which Happens to Be . . . FEMABy Al KamenFriday, October 26, 2007; A19FEMA has truly learned the lessons of Katrina. Even its handling of the media has improved dramatically. For example, as the California wildfires raged Tuesday, Vice Adm. Harvey E. Johnson, the deputy administrator, had a 1 p.m. news briefing. Reporterswere given only 15 minutes' notice of the briefing,

Dems Hit White House Over Cut Testimony

2007-10-26T15:30:00.001-05:00

Dems Hit White House Over Cut Testimony By H. JOSEF HEBERT Associated Press Writer 5:16 PM EDT, October 25, 2007 WASHINGTON SeveralDemocrats on Thursday challenged White House officials' claim that theyremoved large parts of proposed congressional

Paul Krugman - A Catastrophe Foretold

2007-10-26T06:56:00.001-05:00

Catastrophe ForetoldBy PAUL KRUGMAN“Increased subprime lending has been associated with higher levels of delinquency, foreclosure and, in some cases, abusive lending practices.” So declared Edward M. Gramlich, a Federal Reserve official.These days a lot of people are saying things like that about subprime loans — mortgages issued to buyers who don’t meet the normal financial criteria for a home

Straitjacket Bush

2007-10-25T16:45:00.001-05:00

Straitjacket Bush The president's warmongering remarks on the Iranian threat suggest he is psychotic. Really. Rosa Brooks October 25, 2007Forget impeachment.Liberals,put it behind you. George W. Bush and Dick Cheney shouldn't be treatedlike criminals who deserve punishment. They should be treated likepsychotics who need treatment. Because they've clearly gonemad. Exhibit A: We're in

Juan Cole - The collapse of Bush's foreign policy

2007-10-24T06:54:00.001-05:00

The collapse of Bush's foreign policyFrom Turkey to Iraq to Pakistan, the mounting chaos proves the White House is just winging it.By Juan ColeOct. 24, 2007 | The Bush administration once imagined that its presence in Afghanistan and Iraq would be anchored by friendly neighbors, Turkey to the west and Pakistan to the east. Last week, as the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan continued to

David Bromwich - Cheney's Law

2007-10-22T11:30:00.001-05:00

Cheney's LawDavid BromwichHuffington PostPosted October 20, 2007 | 06:35 PM (EST)Midway through the Frontline documentary Cheney's Law, which aired last Tuesday on PBS, a reporter summarizes a judgment the vice president conveyed to listeners in hiding in the hours after the bombings of September 11. "We will probably," he said, "have to be a country ruled by men rather than laws, in this period.

Old Enough Now to Ask How Dad Died at War

2007-10-21T17:18:00.001-05:00

Old Enough Now to Ask How Dad Died at WarBy LISA W. FODERAROLANCASTER, N.Y. — CamerynLee was only 3 years old when her father, Lance Cpl. Eric J. Orlowski, a Marine Corps reservist, was killed in an accidental shooting during the first days of the Iraq war. Now 8, she is suddenly hungry for information about the man she remembers only in sketchy vignettes: Did he like chicken wings as much as she

Frank Rich - Suicide Is Not Painless

2007-10-21T08:48:00.001-05:00

Suicide Is Not PainlessBy FRANK RICHIT was one of those stories lost in the newspaper’s inside pages. Last week a man you’ve never heard of — Charles D. Riechers, 47, the second-highest-ranking procurement officer in the United States Air Force — killed himself by running his car’s engine in his suburban Virginia garage.Mr. Riechers’s suicide occurred just two weeks after his appearance in a

Voters unhappy with Bush and Congress

2007-10-20T20:33:00.001-05:00

Voters unhappy with Bush and CongressWed Oct 17, 2007 4:32pm EDTBy John Whitesides, Political CorrespondentWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Deepening unhappiness with President George W. Bush and the U.S. Congress soured the mood of Americans and sent Bush's approval rating to another record low this month, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.The Reuters/Zogby Index, which measures the

Don't think of a sick child

2007-10-20T15:06:00.001-05:00

Don't think of a sick childPresident Bush wants to leave American families to the mercy of profit-run healthcare -- a practical and moral failure.By George Lakoff and Glenn W. SmithOct. 20, 2007 | George W. Bush doesn't want you to think of a sick child. Not Graeme Frost. Not Gemma Frost. Not Bethany Wilkerson. Not any of the real children affected.He wants you straining your eyes on the fine

CBS confirms 2006 Raw Story scoop: Plame's job was to keep nukes from Iran

2007-10-20T15:01:00.001-05:00

CBS confirms 2006 Raw Story scoop: Plame's job was to keep nukes from Iran10/20/2007 @ 12:43 pmFiled by Muriel Kane and Dave EdwardsCBS News has confirmed, in advance of a 60 Minutes interview with outed CIA agent Valerie Plame to be run this Sunday, that Plame "was involved in operations to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons."Advertisement"Our mission was to make sure that the bad guys,

Gonzales Investigated Subordinates Who Were Likely to Testify Against Him

2007-10-19T12:21:00.000-05:00

Gonzales Investigated Subordinates Who Were Likely To Testify Against HimMurry WaasAlberto Gonzales was briefed extensively about a criminal leak investigation despite the fact that he had reason to believe that several individuals under investigation in the matter were potential witnesses against him in separate Justice Department inquiries. While Attorney General, Gonzales oversaw the probe

McConnell versus truth

2007-10-18T08:46:00.001-05:00

McConnell versus truthMitch McConnell can't have it both ways.He can't luxuriate in a reputation for personal caution and political control, yet claim he knew nothing about the role his office tried to play in sliming a Baltimore boy and his family when they came forward in support of the SCHIP health care expansion.By now you know the story: Twelve-year-old Graeme Frost and his sister, Gemma,

Let Them Eat Vacation

2007-10-17T16:34:00.000-05:00

Let Them Eat Vacation by DHinMIWed Oct 17, 2007 at 01:21:37 PM CDTGeorge W. Bush, ironist: Bush Exhorts Congress to Work Harder WASHINGTON - President Bush on Wednesday accused Congress of dragging its feet on key pieces of legislation, urging quick action on budget and children's health measures.Yeah, that’s right, Bush says Congress isn’t working hard enough. His proof? That they haven’

Bush: I Don't Remember What I Was Doing in 1981

2007-10-17T15:31:00.000-05:00

In an attempt to decipher President Bush’s views on the recent Israeli airstrike inside Syria, NBC White House correspondent David Gregory asked the president at a press conference this morning whether he agreed with Israel’s decision to bomb the Osirak nuclear facility near Baghdad in 1981. Bush responded: Ah, Dave, you know I don’t remember what I was doing in 1981. I was living in Midland,

The Real Iraq We Knew

2007-10-16T10:10:00.001-05:00

The Real Iraq We KnewBy 12 former Army captainsTuesday, October 16, 2007; 12:00 AMToday marks five years since the authorizationof military force in Iraq, setting Operation Iraqi Freedom in motion.Five years on, the Iraq war is as undermanned and under-resourced as itwas from the start. And, five years on, Iraq is in shambles.AsArmy captains who served in Baghdad and beyond, we've seen

Paul Krugman - Gore Derangement Syndrome

2007-10-15T09:56:00.001-05:00

Gore Derangement SyndromeBy PAUL KRUGMANOn the day after Al Gore shared the Nobel Peace Prize, The Wall Street Journal’s editors couldn’t even bring themselves to mention Mr. Gore’s name. Instead, they devoted their editorial to a long list of people they thought deserved the prize more.And at National Review Online, Iain Murray suggested that the prize should have been shared with “that

Frank Rich - The ‘Good Germans’ Among Us

2007-10-14T10:17:00.000-05:00

The ‘Good Germans’ Among UsBy FRANK RICH“BUSH lies” doesn’t cut it anymore. It’s time to confront the darker reality that we are lying to ourselves.Ten days ago The Times unearthed yet another round of secret Department of Justice memos countenancing torture. President Bush gave his standard response: “This government does not torture people.” Of course, it all depends on what the meaning of “

Qwest CEO Not Alone in Alleging NSA Started Domestic Phone Record Program 7 Months Before 9/11

2007-10-13T20:43:00.001-05:00

Qwest CEO Not Alone in Alleging NSA Started Domestic Phone Record Program 7 Months Before 9/11By Ryan Singel EmailOctober 12, 2007 | 4:23:55 PMCategories: NSA, Surveillance Startling statements from former Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio's defense documents alleging the National Security Agency began building a massive call records database seven months before 9/11 aren't the only accusations that the

Former CEO Says U.S. Punished Phone Firm

2007-10-13T20:41:00.001-05:00

Former CEO Says U.S. Punished Phone FirmQwest Feared NSA Plan Was Illegal, Filing SaysBy Ellen Nakashima and Dan EggenWashington Post Staff WritersSaturday, October 13, 2007; A01A former Qwest Communications International executive, appealing a conviction for insider trading, has alleged that the government withdrew opportunities for contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars after Qwest

Paul Krugman - Sliming Graeme Frost

2007-10-13T12:36:00.001-05:00

Sliming Graeme FrostBy PAUL KRUGMANTwo weeks ago, the Democratic response to President Bush’s weekly radio address was delivered by a 12-year-old, Graeme Frost. Graeme, who along with his sister received severe brain injuries in a 2004 car crash and continues to need physical therapy, is a beneficiary of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Mr. Bush has vetoed a bipartisan bill that

Does Blackwater Play By Its Own Rules in Iraq?

2007-10-11T17:40:00.001-05:00

Does Blackwater Play By Its Own Rules in Iraq?An arrogant attitude only adds fuel to the criticism.By Rod Nordland and Mark HosenballNewsweekOct. 15, 2007 issue - The colonel was furious. "Can you believe it? They actually drew their weapons on U.S. soldiers." He was describing a 2006 car accident, in which an SUV full of Blackwater operatives had crashed into a U.S. Army Humvee on a street in

National Guard Troops Denied Benefits After Longest Deployment Of Iraq War

2007-10-05T17:05:00.000-05:00

National Guard Troops Denied Benefits After Longest Deployment Of Iraq War Rhonda Erskine, Online Content Producer Last Updated: 10/3/2007 5:32:02 PMMINNEAPOLIS, MN (NBC) -- When they came home from Iraq, 2,600 members of the Minnesota National Guard had been deployed longer than any other ground combat unit. The tour lasted 22 months and had been extended as part of President Bush's surge.1st

Paul Krugman - Conservatives Are Such Jokers

2007-10-05T00:27:00.000-05:00

Conservatives Are Such JokersBy PAUL KRUGMANIn 1960, John F. Kennedy, who had been shocked by the hunger he saw in West Virginia, made the fight against hunger a theme of his presidential campaign. After his election he created the modern food stamp program, which today helps millions of Americans get enough to eat.But Ronald Reagan thought the issue of hunger in the world’s richest nation was

Glenn Greenwald - The latest revelations of lawbreaking, torture and extremism

2007-10-04T09:25:00.000-05:00

The latest revelations of lawbreaking, torture and extremismGlenn GreenwaldMuch outrage has been provoked by the generally excellent New York Times article this morning revealing the Bush administration's recent violations of legal restrictions on the use of torture and other "severe interrogation techniques." And, in one sense, the outrage is both understandable and appropriate. Today's

Secret U.S. Endorsement of Severe Interrogations

2007-10-04T08:49:00.000-05:00

Secret U.S. Endorsement of Severe InterrogationsBy SCOTT SHANE, DAVID JOHNSTON and JAMES RISENWASHINGTON, Oct. 3 — When the Justice Department publicly declared torture “abhorrent” in a legal opinion in December 2004, the Bush administration appeared to have abandoned its assertion of nearly unlimited presidential authority to order brutal interrogations.But soon after Alberto R. Gonzales’s

Sinking in a Swamp Full of Blackwater

2007-10-03T16:36:00.001-05:00

Sinking in a Swamp Full of BlackwaterBy MAUREEN DOWDWashington“He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster,” Nietzsche said. “And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.”We’re gazing into the abyss all right, and Blackwater is gazing back.Besides having an army for hire, brave kids who are paid to fight so that most Americans are not