Medal of Freedom, Anyone?

via BlondeSense: Did anyone else see Ben Bradlee on Ted Koppel tonight? Koppel asked Bradlee what he thought of Pat Buchanan's comments that Deep Throat Mark Felt was not ...
Bradlee didn't even allow Koppel to finish.
Bradlee said, why should I see Buchanan or Gordon Liddy practically fresh from prison talk about Mark Felt and morality.... Felt couldn't go to Attorney General John Mitchell--who is worse? Mitchell or Gonzalez? Because Mitchell helped plan Watergate with Liddy in his office at the Justice Department. read on

Following up on the Ron Suskind bombshell in his new book, I think the Medal of Freedom winner, you know -- the Slam Dunk King -- wouldn't forget this kind of information.

SUSKIND: What we now know from this investigation is that a secret mission was conducted in which a British manager, intelligence agent, met with the head of Iraqi intelligence in a secret location in Amman, Jordan. And what the Iraqi intelligence chief told the British-and essentially the Americans, because we're all in this together-is that there were no WMD in Iraq. And what that meant is that we knew everything that became so obvious by the summer after the invasion. And the president made a decision essentially to ignore that intelligence...

NPR: We have called key players in Ron Suskind's account...George Tenet says the Iraqi failed to persuade, and a White House spokesman adds that any information the Iraqi may have provided was, quote, "immaterial."

Jonathan has much more in the post.

Today through Wednesday, progressive talk show host Stephanie Miller gets her chance to shine in Imus's old slot on MSNBC. If this morning's show was any indication, she could easily impact their ratings in the same way Keith Olberman has.

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Former CIA officer Larry Johnson was Stephanie's guest this morning to give his reaction to George Tenet's appearance last night on 60 Minutes. Larry and a group of former intelligence officers have written a letter to Tenet demanding that he donate a portion of the proceeds from his new book to the families of soldiers who have died in Iraq and to give back the Medal of Freedom he was given by George Bush.

Watch the clip and if you like what you see, send a note to General Manager Dan Abrams and VP Bill Wolff at MSNBC. Let them know that you'd like to see Stephanie Miller on MSNBC in the mornings instead of another Fox wannabe like this guy. Remember, be polite. Personally, I would tune in five days a week....

I'm surprised this guy isn't on the short list for a Medal of Freedom.

AP via Houston Chronicle:

Tens of millions of dollars and repeated security reviews haven't stopped embarrassing security breakdowns in the government's nuclear weapons program - and now the man in charge has been sent packing.

Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman on Thursday ousted the head of the National Nuclear Security Administration, which maintains the nuclear weapons stockpile and oversees the nation's weapons research laboratories.

"I have decided it is time for new leadership at the NNSA," Bodman said in announcing that the agency's chief, Linton Brooks, would resign within the month.

Brooks, a former ambassador and arms control negotiator, said he accepted the decision, one he understood was "based on the principle of accountability that should govern all public service."

Continue reading »

SOTUblog: Like many of Bush's medal recipients, Nixon-apologist and BUSHCO cheerleader, William Safire has been 100% wrong in every way about Iraq. That's how it works in journamalism...if you're right, you get dumped, if you're reliably wrong, you get a Medal of Freedom and face time on television

Lawyers, Guns and Money: We can't afford NOT to have Universal Health Care

Mugsy’s Rap Sheet: Some predictions for 2007

CorrenteWire: After our Texas-stupid Preznit turns Iraq into a hell, he won't let the Iraqis escape here

The Satirical Political Report: Bob Woodward's ultimate scoop: A gallows interview with Saddam

HOLY CRAP: Don't know much about biology...Patterns of religious belief...Oy, now there's a Christian swinger group...Forget Keith Ellison, the new Congress boasts an even bigger religious milestone

At last, a Medal of Freedom that is truly and justly deserved:

Buck O'Neil awarded Medal of Freedom

Muhammad Ali gives Bush the crazy sign

Thursday Funnies

Atrios: Bush, who appeared almost playful, fastened the heavy medal around Muhammad Ali's neck and whispered something in the heavyweight champion's ear. Then, as if to say "bring it on," the president put up his dukes in a mock challenge. Ali, 63, who has Parkinson's disease and moves slowly, looked the president in the eye -- and, finger to head, did the "crazy" twirl for a couple of seconds.

Download | play -WMP QT coming (from ABC World News) (pic from First-Draft)

Download | play -QT

Here's the WaPo article: Medal of Freedom Ceremony Shows Ali as Fast as Ever.

On June 29, 2005, President Bush's administration took action to implement the WMD Commission's recommendations. The WMD Commission was formed pursuant to Executive Order 13328 in order to address the myriad "intelligence failures" the Bush administration claims resulted in the misdiagnosis of Iraq's WMD program, or better yet, the lack of WMD program. As far as we can tell, the WMD commission came back with 68 recommendations. Of those 68 recommendatons, the Bush administration has agreed to follow 65 recommendations. Funny thing though, as it relates to the very last recommendation, the Bush administration held that "Further Study" was needed. The final recommendation reads:

"The Director of National Intelligence should hold accountable the organizations that contributed to the flawed assessments of Iraq's WMD programs."
Why would the White House need "further study" in order to determine whether it is sound policy to "hold accountable those organizations that contributed to the flawed assessments of Iraq's WMD programs"? Is it possible that the White House doesn't want to execute the last recommendation because it would mean that former Head of the CIA George Tenet would be accountable? And didn't he win the "Medal of Freedom"?

I suppose that would be embarassing, considering the President bestowed that medal on him. Is it possible that the White House doesn't want to execute the last recommendation because it would mean holding itself accountable? Ah hah! BINGO! Something tells me that this administration will need more time than they have available to "further study" this matter. (via BullDog)

the search for WMD's has ended, and nothing will be found, I say it's time that President Bush be poised and ready to give out a new Medal of Freedom award. Hell, he feels that the invasion was worth it anyway, despite the fact that the primary rational for the war has been debunked. I pick Donald Rumsfeld. What say you? I mean if you're not going to be fired for a job badly done, you might as well get a medal. Even if it'a civilian one.