Untidy Lying Media Bastards

Sy Hersh tells us that the Bush administration made plans to covertly influence the outcome of the 2005 Iraqi election, attempting to win votes for specific candidates. Yes, I’m sure you’re all shocked.

Apparently Congress opposed this plan, so the White House had to do this covert action… uh, double ultra secret covertly. This just proves that either the Bush administration has never fucking cared about bringing democracy to Iraq, or that they define “democracy” much differently than the rest of us. Honestly, I think it’s both of the above.

Of course, the US has a long history of secretly supporting one candidate over another in foreign countries. And if that doesn’t work, overthrowing the opponent after he takes power. Or, destablizing the entire country, and then overthrowing the opponent. I once again recommend the book Killing Hope for examples.

Juan Cole reminds us of a long legacy of Western powers interfering in Middle Eastern democracy. To the point that I imagine many in the region think “democracy” means “the white people are gonna fuck with us again.”

From 1968 -- Cream, Sunshine Of Your Love

The Sunday Talking Head line-up is ready for reading. Newt Gingrich will be on This Week, no doubt explaining why he's on the off-again cycle of his flirtation with a presidential run -- fickle little odious bastard, isn't he? Bill Clinton is making the rounds following the Clinton Global Initiative Summit in NYC. Otherwise, it's a roundup of the usual suspects -- with the exception of a Seymour Hersh interview set for CNN which ought to be intriguing and scary at the same time.

What's catching your eye in the news or on the blogs this morning?

FireDogLake:

[The above clip is an excerpted bit from the Frontline examination of "The Torture Question." There are graphic images from photos taken at Abu Ghraib and elsewhere, as well as some disturbing information presented in this documentary...]

For the Bush Administration, first and foremost, it has been consistently about maintaining a public level of plausible deniability for each and every scandal that has arisen during their tenure in office. Over and over, the phrase we have heard is that an official could not look into particular charges because of "an ongoing criminal investigation."

What that has meant, for close to seven years now, is that when a substantial problem arises in any executive agency, that problem is left to fester - for days, months, even years - while members of the Bush Administration sit back and bide their time, and allow the problem to continue unabated under the cloak of plausible deniability - unless and until someone outside the Administration begins to ask the tough questions that need to be asked.

Seymour Hersh has a blistering example of that directly from former Gen. Antonio Taguba that everyone should read in full. But I want to warn you up front, it is infuriating and utterly disgusting. Read full article here...

Seymour Hersh spent a great deal of time on C-SPAN (at an academic conference on Thursday) explaining how this war was already lost, and there are no good choices available to either candidate. While we chase down control of the countryside, we don't even control Baghdad.

Daily Kos

Finally, someone writes something that Sy Hersh has been saying for a long time now.

Nieman Watchdog:

There is an alien influence, mostly unpublicized, running like an undercurrent beneath the Bush administration's Middle East policies. It may help explain George W. Bush's single-mindedness, his oblivious inability to face reality as his war in Iraq, his war against terror and his policies towards Arabs and Israeli have collapsed.

I say "alien," because I believe this to be the first time in modern American history that a president's religion, in this case his Christian fundamentalism, has become a decisive factor in his foreign and domestic policies. It’s a factor that has been under-reported, to say the least, and that begs for press attention....read on

In assigning the blame for the cartoon fatwa, it appears BUSHCO has conveniently overlooked some of the worst offenders. But we don't have a monopoly on idiotic politicians. Let's examine the controversy more closely...and here's a roundup of opinions on the subject from across the political spectrum. Apparently,one alt-weekly lost it's entire editorial staff over the issue.

The Existentialist Cowboy: For Bush, the "State" is Absolute

Nathan Callahan: If Seymour Hersh is worried, we're worried

YAY! The U.S. is more popular than Iran

Pharyngula one alt-weekly lost its entire editorial staff over the issue.

The Existentialist Cowboy: For Bush, the "State" is Absolute

Nathan Callahan: If Seymour Hersh is worried, we're worried

YAY! The U.S. is more popular than Iran

Pharyngula: The physical world does seem to trump religious delusions most effectively, doesn't it? Unless you're dealing with someone like this.

The Reality-Based Community: St. McCain has a history of slime and defend. Too bad he couldn't have expended some of his faux outrage on this, this, or this
: The physical world does seem to trump religious delusions most effectively, doesn't it? Unless you're dealing with someone like this.

The Reality-Based Community: St. McCain has a history of slime and defend. Too bad he couldn't have expended some of his faux outrage on this, this, or this

Sy Hersh on Today Show

Sy joined Matt Lauer to discuss his latest article in the New Yorker.

Download | play -WMP Download | play -QT

Hersh: This president is not going to back down on this war...

He talked in depth about John Murtha's speech and he feels that message is coming from our military generals. He also believes that people are too afraid to tell Bush the truth about the war.

Hersh: Bombing will go up as we go out...

Sy Hersh was riding on a train.

Seymor Hersh of The New Yorker magazine talks about short term commando raids the Pentagon might use to attack various spots in the middle east.

Video

Mr Hersh is saying that Iran is the target that they have in their sights first and foremost!

Pentagon Pushes Back Against Hersh Story on Iran - Without Denying It

You'll recall that Seymour Hersh in the New Yorker that the Bush Administration has been conducting secret missions in Iran since last summer, with the intent of mapping out military targets for a future war.

Today, the Pentagon pushed back and trashed Hersh, as they always do. They did everything to discredit Hersh's story.

Everything that is, except to deny the story.