BETTER HEADLINE, HOW YOU FALL FOR THE NEWS,
IN THE WORDS OF V. THIS IS ALL OUR FAULT.

Everything that comes out of bush/cheney/rove/rice's mouth is a LIE.
does not resemble the truth in any form.

Iraq may be the scariest menace of all menaces, but President Bush says all the terrorists will be killified 'cause "we're making progress."

From buzzflash.com: a link to a correntwire.com posting that quotes the Toledo Blade:

There is also the late-at-night, eerie concern that Mr. Bush has in his head some sort of scenario where, for reasons of national security - real or drummed up - the 2008 elections will have to be postponed and he will get to stay on.

My suspicions have at their base the feeling I have that, given their operating style now, this bunch will not leave the White House easily in 2009. - Former Ambassador Dan Simpson

http://www.correntewire.com/us_ambassador_concern_that_united_states_200...

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070718/OPINION04/707...

I think after the many years Tom Tomorrow has done the strip, a thrill to so many progressives each week, Joe Lunchbox now gets it.
This latest entry is lost on no one.

Cooking the intelligence, again
The latest government estimate of the terrorist threat is just a rehash of the same old script, produced under pressure to support the president's efforts to sell the Iraq war.
By Sidney Blumenthal

President Bush speaks at his July 12, 2007, press conference in Washington.

July 19, 2007 | One of the more memorable and revealing statements explaining the nature of the Bush administration buildup to the invasion of Iraq was offered in September 2002 by then White House chief of staff Andrew Card. "From a marketing point of view," he said, "you don't introduce new products in August." Five years later, a period longer than the Civil War and World War II, the administration is preparing to present its case for continuing the surge in Iraq. But rather than waiting for September, when Gen. David Petraeus is scheduled to deliver his report, the administration has moved up the marketing to July. MORE

The Iraq war is lost
Bush and his band of backers won't admit that -- but their strategy is already defined by the specter of American defeat.
Editor's note: This piece will appear in the August 16, 2007, issue of the New York Review of Books. It has appeared on TomDispatch.com.
By Peter Galbraith

July 18, 2007 | On May 30, the Coalition held a ceremony in the Kurdistan town of Erbil to mark its handover of security in Iraq's three Kurdish provinces from the Coalition to the Iraqi government. Gen. Benjamin Mixon, the U.S. commander for northern Iraq, praised the Iraqi government for overseeing all aspects of the handover. And he drew attention to the "benchmark" now achieved: With the handover, he said, Iraqis now controlled security in seven of Iraq's 18 provinces.

In fact, nothing was handed over. The only Coalition force in Kurdistan is the peshmerga, a disciplined army that fought alongside the Americans in the 2003 campaign to oust Saddam Hussein; it is loyal to the Kurdistan government in Erbil. The peshmerga provided security in the three Kurdish provinces before the handover and after. The Iraqi army has not been on Kurdistan's territory since 1996 and is effectively prohibited from being there. Nor did the Iraqi flag fly at the ceremony. It is banned in Kurdistan.

Although the Erbil handover was a sham that Prince Potemkin might have admired, it was not easily arranged. The Bush administration had wanted the handover to take place before the U.S. congressional elections in November. But it also wanted an Iraqi flag flown at the ceremony and some acknowledgment that Iraq, not Kurdistan, was in charge. The Kurds were prepared to include a reference to Iraq in the ceremony, but they were adamant that there be no Iraqi flags. It took months to work out a compromise ceremony with no flags at all. Thus the ceremony was followed by a military parade without a single flag -- an event so unusual that one observer thought it might merit mention in "Ripley's Believe it or Not."

Clavis @ 12:

A couple of days ago, Chris Matthews mockingly asked a liberal pundit how Mr. Unpopular, Dick Cheney, was able to win a debate against John Edwards in 2004?

My response would have been, "Because he lied, Chris, and you and your colleagues didn't do your jobs! Instead of doing research and exposing Cheney for lying about having never met Edwards before, you people dropped the ball and let everybody think Cheney won!"

I'm sick of the press being a corporate tool instead of the Fourth Estate our Founding Fathers enshrined it as being! The other three branches are too susceptible to corruption unless the fourth one does it's job, and it hasn't been lately!

There are many like minds and spirits here.

12, I would've responded with the truth: Cheney lost the debate and Edwards won it. It just wasn't reported by the MSM like that.

T.T. can make even the pathetic amusing! How about reflecting the public that buys the crap over and over. The corporatist invests in the game and wins profits from going along. It's the boastfully, blissfully ignorant M.o.S. that falls for it over and over. Maybe it's the same ones that ask their wives forgiveness for the transgressions the wife discovers, thus god is in his little heaven and all's ... Meaning - we believe what we choose to believe, reality be damned.

Senator George Voinovich, a close ally of Mr Bush, delivered a withering assessment of the situation in Iraq, declaring that the Bush administration had "f****d up the war."

Then voidofnads votes AGAINST the Levin amendment. Repug hypocrisy made transparent.

Horst, here's a link to an article about some of those problems.
Senators Webb and McCaskill are asking for an investigation of "War Profiteering" in Iraq.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/18141.html

BaScOmBeSenator George Voinovich, a close ally of Mr Bush, delivered a withering assessment of the situation in Iraq

Then voidofnads votes AGAINST the Levin amendment. Repug hypocrisy made transparent.

Yeah, old George Imasonofabitch is a walking waste of sperm.

What made it really hard is , I had facts, they had Faux Noise.

War profiteering investigation would be great. But no one from the White House will bother to show up and if someone gets busted Chimpy will commute their sentence.

A Richard Head @ 30:

willylomanWar profiteering investigation would be great. But no one from the White House will bother to show up and if someone gets busted Chimpy will commute their sentence

You are likely right, but I can dream can't I. LOL
Besides, an investagation could take years and hopefully the chimp will be in front of the World Court with his own problems.

Amen.

> then there are a lot of people here named nobody.

I hate to self-promote (LOL!!!!), but here's 'Open Your Eyes' by Nobody's Business -

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_pEuhHEntVA

So now we're back to the "Iraq attacked us on 9/11" bullshit. The circle is complete!
The Nazis used to say "if you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it".
Nice try!

Stanley Rosenthal #33

Cool.
Thanks Stanley. Nice job. Glad to see some of us old farts can still jam.

/only wish I could do that
//i suck though, so no suprise

A Richard Head @ 28:

L.A. Confidential, nice link. #24

“As far as natural resources are concerned Russia's hand is very strong: It holds 6.6 percent of the worlds proven oil reserves and 26 percent of the world's gas reserves. In addition, it currently accounts for 12 percent of world oil and 21 of recent world gas production. In May 2007, Russia was the world's largest oil and gas producer.

Oh shit. Russia may be somewhere on the neocon hit list with this many natural resources.

Thanks for the link L.A. Confidential, good read. Funny that Henry is still in the background though(not surprising). I guess they don't want to parade him around up front.

My Pleasure

Like it reads . . The sudden appearance of Kissinger, Schultz, Rubin and Nunn suggests that the situation has gotten so worrisome that the Masters of the Empire are actually emerging from the shadows and getting directly involved. They have dropped the silly pretense that our celluloid-figurehead president is actually directing foreign policy at all. He isn’t.

A Richard Head @ 40:

I certainly am.
I'm a young old fart at Heart.

And, for me to watch FOX, they would have to water board me....twice, and I would still resist.

There should be more of us out there. I watch it once in a while so I can yell at them.

I would sure like to know exactly what comments Congressman Mel Watt of North Carolina said on the house floor, that he had to come out and recant his statement.
s
He was featured on C-Span discussing it and many of us watching this did not here or see it.

Me -
> I think that it’s getting to the point where the only people that are being fooled is those that want to be fooled.

BTW: the solution to that, is to convince them to not want to be fooled.

Listen to 'The Solution' by 'Yes' from their 'Open Your Eyes' cd ... (the Malloy show occasionally uses a part of that cd for a bumper, also BTW.)

How about these:

1. AL-QAEDA THREATENING THE AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE! Govt needs your firstborn to sacrifice to stop them!

2. USA DECIMATES AL-QAEDA! Generals say the Qaeda network has been significantly fractured!

3. AL-QAEDA IS BACK AND WILL ATTACK AMERICA AGAIN! Pentagon Brass says they have rebuilt their network of terror! Second-born children needed now to stop them!

4. USA DECIMATES AL-QAEDA AGAIN! White House declares "Mission accomplished (and this time it's for real!)"

5. BUT WAIT, AL-QAEDA HAS REGROUPED YET AGAIN! Everyone under 50 -man or woman, needed for immediate indefinite combat tours! No special equipment needed! We'll train you in just weeks! Really - it's fun, you get a great education, and we'll even baptize you for no extra charge!

Can u feeel the luv?

BJ #34. The College Republican Chickenhawk video is here.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/max-blumenthal/generation-chickenhawk-t_b_...

For more on conservative chickenhawks, see Operation Yellow Elephant.

http://operationyellowelephant.blogspot.com/

No fun here in the inland empire, but great news if you are a street dealer, as the government 'blitzes.'

Feds digging deep in pot dispensary blitz

anyone know what the deal is with eshaton right now? The last post is "lindsey graham" winning the wanker of the day award.

How sad, but how true! Let no falsehood created by the Bush Administration be left unpublished!

I hope someone forwarded the cartoon to the Times and WaPo.

Daily Reading pt 1...

ABC goes inside the surge: 'Approaching his fifteenth month in Iraq, one soldier made a personal challenge to President Bush: 'I challenge the President or whoever has us here for 15 months to ride alongside me. I'll do another 15 months if he comes out here and rides along with me every day for 15 months. I'll do 15 more months. They don't even have to pay me extra.' '
- http://thinkprogress.org/2007/07/17/abc-goes-inside-the-surge/

Dem ads will slam GOPers who thwarted Iraq exit. About freaking time! - http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/2007/07/19/2007-07-19_dem_ads_...
"We're mainly going after the Republicans in Minnesota, Kentucky, New Hampshire and New Mexico" "They think it's hot in Washington. Wait until they get home. It's going to be like laying asphalt in August. They're going to feel it"

In 52-47 vote, Senate measure falls short to bring all American combat troops out of Iraq by the end of April 2008. - http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSWBT00728220070718
"'Independent' GOP Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, who 'normally votes with Democrats' but backs the war, joined Republicans in blocking the measure." CT Voters....you poor, poor bastards

Ubiquitous on "Pundit Casts," Smiling and Always Wrong, William Kristol is the BuzzFlash Media Putz of the Week. Bill Kristol loves to be perceived as a player in the Bush White House, which is kind of like feeling macho because you hang out at the Gotti crime family's poker club. But the problem with Kristol, Cheney, and Bush is that they always come up with a losing hand. With Kristol, you need a crowbar to separate the facts from the fiction, if you can find any facts in his endless, chipper blather.
- http://mediaputz.com/07/07/putz0719.html
The sole reason...the term...armchair warrior came into being (never served...but loves war..hmm...)

'Sicko' in Top 5 Grossing Docs of All Time -- This Weekend it's "'Sicko' Night in America!" - http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php?id=218
Tonight on Colbert Report - Michael Moore 11:30pm Comedy Central

Ohio Gov. Strickland (D) Strives to Cover More Children, Columbus Council Says Yes to Single-Payer Plan - http://scoop.epluribusmedia.org/story/2007/7/18/212213/824

Fair Elections Now - http://www.jimhightower.com/node/6168
We have yet to cast a single vote in the 2008 elections – but winners are already being picked. You're probably not one of the pickers, because this is an exclusive, anti-democratic process controlled by corporate executives, lobbyists, and rich people who make high-dollar campaign contributions. Less than one percent of the American people participate in this "wealth primary," yet they have a greater say in our political choices than the other 99 percent of us.

Daily Reading pt 3...

Murdoch Nears $5 Billion Purchase of Dow Jones. Soon America's Daily Newspaper About Busines Will Become Fiction. - http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3388703&page=1
Better start canceling your subscription to the print version of Fox Noise Channel....hey, its your wasted money after all...

Young Girl Tells Us What She Learned from Bush (great photo) - http://www.flickr.com/photos/clonpop/59178757/

Why Broadcast and Cable News Are Dying; Right-wing agendas and obsession with celebrities - http://allspinzone.com/wp/2007/07/18/why-broadcast-and-cable-news-are-dy...
Want progressive news, try - http://www.goleft.tv/

How about that bogus terrorist the bush administration promoted...just a perfect example of the type of news MSM gives us . BUT the main thing is........the republican media just eats it up and types it up or spews it out as news.

Big Dan @ 63:

“I think Livingston’s stepping down makes a very powerful argument that Clinton should resign as well and move beyond this mess,” said Vitter in the Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 12/20/98, referring to GOP Livingston stepping down due to "family values" indiscretions.

So, logically, Livingston's stepping down “makes a very powerful argument" that Vitter should resign as well and move beyond this mess,”, according to Vitter's own words!.

I just replaced "Clinton" with "Vitter", and used Vitter's own words!!!!!!!!!

Congrats, Big Dan, I think you're the first one to to use that quote of Vitter's from 13 years ago. First, Bill Clinton didn't step down, did he? You no doubt are glad he didn't heed Vitter's advice. And Vitter wasn't talking about Clinton's one transgression of a BJ from an intern, it was for a whole host of transgressions, of which Clinton himself admitted he had a lifelong problem addressing.

scarlet p. @ 14:

actually, being a pundit is pretty easy:

http://freewayblogger.blogspot.com/2007/07/from-road.html

everyone should do this.

I looked at the pictures and noticed the wording "impeach" on four different poses. Ah - but three of those pictures looked as though they were posted on the SAME fence, just in different places. I'm a layperson when it comes to photography, but if it is clear to me, what would a genuine photographer say about your posting.
It's a good idea and I think we should all post something, BUT the average American is so tired of lies, coverups, etc., we cannot fall for this type of charade. Nuff said.

Did anyone catch Chris Matthews on Leno last night? It was unreal. He went off like I've never seen him. Went off on the war. Went off on journalists. Tweety has been pretty disappointing to me in the past but not last night. I'd love to find a video of it.......

Bush yesterday rejected entreaties by his Republican allies that he compromise with Democrats on legislation to renew a popular program that provides health coverage to poor children, saying that expanding the program would enlarge the role of the federal government at the expense of private insurance. Bush is a threat to the future of our children. He chooses insurance company profits over the welfare of our nation's youth. Impeach the S.O.B. now. 7/19

Breaking News from the "WTF?" Department:

U.S. says Iraqi militant nonexistent
The man known as Abu Omar Baghdadi is an actor and the group a front for Al Qaeda in Iraq, the military says.

By Tina Susman, Times Staff Writer
July 19, 2007

BAGHDAD — In March, he was declared captured. In May, he was declared killed, and his purported corpse was displayed on state-run TV. But on Wednesday, Abu Omar Baghdadi, the supposed leader of an Al Qaeda-affiliated group in Iraq, was declared nonexistent by U.S. military officials, who said he was a fictional character created to give an Iraqi face to a foreign-run terrorist organization.

An Iraqi actor has been used to read statements attributed to Baghdadi, who since October has been identified as the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq group, said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner.

Bergner said the new information came from a man captured July 4, described as the highest-ranking Iraqi within the Islamic State of Iraq.

He said the detainee, identified as Khalid Abdul Fatah Daud Mahmoud Mashadani, has served as a propaganda chief in the organization, a Sunni Muslim insurgent group that swears allegiance to Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraq19jul19,0,886772...

What's really missing are the people who believe it all despite seeing it time and again. The American People are the ones at fault here - they are responsible for their government, and they have allowed people to act like kings in office.

EVery politician in D.C. KNOWS that the "war" has been over for years, that the worlds super power crushed an already decimated military, with no air force , no navy, and no wmds .
So this dog and pony show is just to cover up the fact, THE FACT, the U.S. has planned for a long term OCCUPATION of Iraq, for a long time, long before the war criminal bUsh announced " shock And Awe".
Also keep in mind, why nobody is demanding a FULL withdrawal from Iraq, NOBODY (except Kucinich), and only parroting " bring the troops home" and of course SOME, SOME troops will come home, because after they kill enough resistance, they can leave 40 - 80 thousands, for the Embassy fortress, and the 14 high tech military bases, and they ain't going anywhere.
The bush cabal knows it , the dems know it and the american people will go along with a partial withdrawal , and permanent occupation.
In addition to the 40 - 80 permanent U.S. troops, over 100, 000 mercenaries will remain.
sooooo, over 200,000 occupation forces will be in Iraq, for evvvver and most americans won't mind, because they have always defended Imperialism and so long as the "debate", which is really a contrived dog and pony show by both parties, remains bringing SOME troops home, and not ending the BRUTAL and CRIMINAL occupation of a supposedly "sovereign" country, nothing will change.
The " war" has been really a huge success for the bush crime family, they established several bases as planned in PNAC, the privatized Iraq for U.S. corporations (&UK&Kuwait) to buy up their BANKS, WATER, TELECOM, the mercenary business is booming, not to mention Haliburton, and Bechtel will take over Iraq's Fresh WATER, dictating how and when they pay for their own natural resources, Monsanto has taken over Iraq's Agriculture, with THEIR seed supply. At the same time bush only needs to ride out, little fleas buzzing around with phony impeachment talk. IT AIN'T going to HAPPEN, Pelosi & Reid are against IMPEACHMENT and there isn't enough time now, since they should have started as soon as they took over congress. Fo-get-bout it !
Iraqi bodies keep piling up, and the witnesses of the BusH Crime Spree, are no longer witnesses, they are COMPLICIT.