As reported today on the nationally broadcast Ed Shultz Show part of the Jones Radio Network, former U.S. Weapons Inspector, Scott Ritter declared that the Bush administration helped subvert and manipulate the recent heralded election in Iraq. According to Ritter, who made the original charges in a joint appearance with journalist Dahr Jamil in Washington state, the Bush administration was determined to control the outcome of the Iraq vote at all costs. "The U.S.cooked the election in Iraq," claimed Ritter. Ritter went on to explain how the victory of the Shia was a forgone conclusion to Administration members.What wasn't a foregone conclusion was the percentage of victory. A majority victory of the Shia would give them control of the Parliament and under current Iraqi law allow the Iranian-influenced Mullahs to draw up the new Constitution. read on

The Raw Story interviewed Ritter and has more.

O'Briant said in a live interview Friday afternoon that the suspect put a gun to his head and wanted him to get into the car's trunk; he refused and the suspect took off in his car

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Citizens' journalism loses the Apple case... big time

via Buzzmachine

So the judge decided that Apple can go ahead and subpoena the the sites that reported on its business to find out their sources. Which is to say that bloggers are not protected by California's shield law. Which is to say that this judge just said that bloggers aren't journalists. Which is to say that we just started a program of certifying official journalists in this country. Which is to say that we lose. Big time. read on

via MaxSpeak : Nothing like a little peer review from a fellow conservative.

When I first saw Luskin on television a few months ago forcefully advocating private accounts, I did a double-take. The last time I remembered seeing or hearing about him previously was several years ago, but I did not remember much about him. A fast internet search brought it all back in a few seconds. For those not familiar with Luskin's past, in 1999 he started a mutual fund firm called MetaMarkets.com. The results were ugly; the company's two funds quickly lost a shocking percentage of investor funds, and had to be shuttered...read on

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Another example of the hypocrisy that surrounds this issue: Consider the case of the rapidly disappearing campaign fund of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn). Judging by the staggering losses Senator Frist's fund has incurred in its stock market investments, one might think he had the misfortune of investing in Don Luskin's funds. The Washington Post dissected this disaster here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26558-2004Dec1.html

According to the article, Frist's investment losses were so severe that the fund was unable to cover a large bank loan.

Suburban Guerrilla : SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN Adds a whole new meaning, doesn't it?

A boy no older than 11 was among the children held by the Army at Iraq (news - web sites)'s Abu Ghraib prison, the former U.S. commander of the facility told a general investigating abuses at the prison.read on

Digby says Wajda Expect? Here is the problem when you put a person known as a war criminal back into a war zone in a position of responsibility. When stuff likethis happens it looks really, really, bad. read on

The Carpetbagger says Obama speaks up But yesterday, even the mild-mannered Obama couldn't keep quiet.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) said Thursday that President Bush's argument for African Americans to support his Social Security plan is "offensive." ... Obama said the notion that Bush would tailor his Social Security appeal to blacks by talking about their shorter lifespans – without linking it to the causes of the death rate – was "stunning" and "puzzling." Obama said he would prefer the president not frame his Social Security argument "in racial terms." read on

Pandagon says Woo-Hah! I stopped reading Factcheck.org near the end of the 2004 election cycle because of this article. ...checked back in today with the newly reinvigorated Factcheck, which seems to have been converted into the Annenberg Center For Ignoring Valid Criticisms of Social Security Privatization. read on

The All Spin Zone says Media Chooses Santorum Opponent? There is good news here, in that Bob Casey is outpolling Rick Santorum, but we're a long way from having actual candidates, and I want to hear them all.

Rising Hegemon says Learn Something New Everyday DeLay Treated for Heart Condition

Daily Kos says No blog regulation The cross-partisan Online Coalition will present the FEC with our letter asking the FEC to tread carefully when promulgating rules on online political advocacy.

TBogg says Good news for people who love good writing In an attempt to make up for putting David "Bobo" Brooks on their editorial pages, the NY Times brings back Frank Rich to the Op-Eds.

Talk Left says CU and Ward Churchill Reach Money Deal Ward Churchill's lawyer has confirmed that there will be a final buyout agreement between the embattled Professor and the University of Colorado by the end of the weekend.

via MyDD

Even the highly scripted moments of Bush propaganda are open to revealing insights:

Good lord. Not only does this hand picked woman say that she would not invest in one of Bush's accounts because it wouldn't be "safe," Bush himself goes on to say that the US is on the brink of defaulting on its debt because of his insane budgets.

Someone should remind Bush of the 14th amendment to the Constitution.

Amen to that! Birthday blogging continues...

As you can see, I'm going around to other blogs today and posting what they are saying today.

from Blogenlust: It's the Beatitudes, Stupid

Here's an interesting article in the Washington Times about how Christian Evangelicals are lobbying Congress for even more power to influence public policy. A scary thought, no doubt, especially considering how much influence they already have. However, what bothers me the most is the pious posturing by politicians to secure the support of this demographic. read on

Let's put the Ten Commandments in all public places. Libraries, schools, stadiums, parks, malls, shopping centers, movie theaters...then when some mischievous teenagers start the graffi project on them the zealots can claim religious persecution by the seculars and spend three weeks on FNC and Scarborough Country.

THE YEAR IN REVIEW

via Kevin Drum....I've been in a rotten mood lately, a feeling that I blame on the 109th Congress. Here's a summary of their first few weeks of activity:

• Passed: A tort reform bill that makes it harder for ordinary citizens to sue corporations who harm them.
• Coming soon: A bankruptcy bill that will make it harder for distressed workers to declare bankruptcy and will increase credit card company profits by an estimated $1 billion.
• Coming soon: A transportation bill that adds two unpaid hours onto the work days of short-haul and long-haul truckers.
• In progress: Changes to Social Security that will almost certainly include benefit cuts for current workers.
• In progress: Making permanent a set of tax cuts that primarily helps the upper class.

And it's only the middle of March. Can anyone name even one thing the Bush administration has done this year — or is proposing to do — that would benefit ordinary workers? Do they even pretend to care any more?

UPDATE: I'm informed that the "unpaid hours" amendment to the transportation bill failed to pass in the House and probably won't in the Senate either. I feel better already!

Detectives Killed for Mob, Indictments Say

By WILLIAM K. RASHBAUM

Two retired New York City police detectives, onetime partners who had long been suspected of ties to organized crime, were charged by federal prosecutors yesterday with taking part in eight murders on behalf of the Mafia - most while one or both were still active members of the police force.

The charges, detailed in an indictment unsealed in Federal District Court in Brooklyn, were among the most startling allegations of police corruption in memory. read on

Paul Krugman appeared with Jon Stewart last night.

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Paul Talked about Social Security in conjunction with his new article:

Slanting Social Security:

Many people involved in the debate over Social Security's future worry that the 2005 trustees' report will be slanted in favor of privatization.

I don't expect to see books that are literally cooked: Stephen Goss, the agency's chief actuary, has an excellent reputation. But it's not out of the question. After all, in 2003 the chief actuary of Social Security's sister agency, which oversees Medicare, was told that he would be fired if he gave Congress accurate information about the cost of the Bush Medicare bill. read on

via Eschaton

Social Security Funeral March [Philly Blogging]

At 4pm today there's a funeral march from 12th and Market to Santorum's office. Jim Dean will be there.

via E&P: Head of USA Next Promises More Anti-AARP Ads, Despite Court Setback

This fight is far from over. Bush is spending a lot of his capitol on Social Security. Hopefully the AARP will not sit back and let USA NEXT smear them any further.