President Bush said on Friday he would veto legislation that would loosen restrictions on embryonic stem cell research and expressed concern about human cloning research in South Korea.

In the House of Representatives, supporters of embryonic research sponsored by Republican Rep. Mike Castle of Delaware and Democratic Rep. Diane DeGette of Colorado hope for a vote next week and believe it will be close. Bush said the bill would violate his principles. "I've made it very clear to the Congress that the use of federal money, taxpayers' money, to promote science which destroys life in order to save life -- I'm against that."

How much money is the President spending on his Social Security tour? How about the 9 billion that is missing in Iraq? South Korea's medical break through is the kind that the US should be making. It's not enough that we are losing so many jobs to foreign countries, but now we're lagging behind in medical research that could save millions of lives. The tired old argument that spews out of the "right to lifers"mouths is that the research hasn't produced any results yet. That's why it's called research.

Pissed off Patricia at BlondeSense writes: Bush to Kill Embryonic Stem Cell Research Funding in The Name of Life: Bush was all about “life” today as he threatened to veto a bill that would allow taxpayer money for embryonic stem cell research.

He basically says that if you have a horrific disease, tough shit. He’s not going to allow something akin to a minute blob of jelly to be murdered just so you can possibly have a few more years of life to enjoy. read on

WaPo 2003: Andrew S. Natsios, the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, said earlier this year that U.S. taxpayers would not have to pay more than $1.7 billion to reconstruct Iraq -- which turned out to be a gross understatement of the tens of billions of dollars the government now expects to spend.

Sadly, No! has a full story from 12/18/03

Here's the video of Natsios on Nightline. Click on "Nightline Project Iraq"

Still Fighting

Sit On It, GAO! The White House stood up for itself Tuesday, declaring that the GAO's assessment that the White House-produced PR clips may be illegal is hogwash. This is going to get ugly, and not because the GAO has no legal authority over the White House. No, it's going to get ugly because the GAO came out and spoke, and thus gave credibility to an issue that the administration desperately wants to keep hidden. It'll wind up in Congress, but already the outcry has been pretty big - you just don't use taxpayer money for this. Expect more blowback before the dust settles, and we couldn't be happier. There's so much innuendo and under the table dealing (check out Michael Shnayerson's article in Vanity Fair if you need more proof of sketchy PR dealings by the administration), but it's really comforting to see the White House blowing in the wind because of this.

BUSHCO. Soviet-Style News Management...even made the comic section

Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau

The folds at Public Campaign Action Fund have their version:

The shit is piling on DeLay, and even his own GOoPer pals are starting to get nervous. The Vanity Fair if you need more proof of sketchy PR dealings by the administration), but it's really comforting to see the White House blowing in the wind because of this.

Drudge reports that columnist Maggie Gallagher repeatedly defended President Bush's push for a $300 million initiative encouraging marriage as a way of strengthening families.

But Gallagher failed to mention that she had a $21,500 contract with the Department of Health and Human Services to help promote the president's proposal, reveals Howard Kurtz in Wednesday runs of the WASHINGTON POST.

"The Bush marriage initiative would emphasize the importance of marriage to poor couples" and "educate teens on the value of delaying childbearing until marriage," she wrote in National Review Online, for example, adding that this could "carry big payoffs down the road for taxpayers and children." Gallagher explains to Kurtz: "Did I violate journalistic ethics by not disclosing it? I don't know. You tell me." She said she would have "been happy to tell anyone who called me" about the contract but that "frankly, it never occurred to me" to disclose it.
National Review Editor Rich Lowry said of the HHS contract: "We would have preferred that she told us, and we would have disclosed it in her bio."

Group News Blog:

First term Congresswoman Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY20), in a highly-vulnerable district in New York's Hudson Valley, is being attacked, not for her politics, not for her stand against the Iraq war, not for the earmarks she's bringing home including money for rural broadband development.

Nope...

She's being attacked because she and her husband have conceived a child.

The Glenn Falls Post Star (Letters to the Editor)

"There are many occupations suitable for women and their physical attributes. Carrying a weapon while serving in the Armed Forces and firefighting are not suitable lines of work for women to prove that they are physically equal to men. How many male police officers feel comfortable with a 100 pound female backup?

And now, I have to add serving in the U.S. House and Senate as an occupation that may not be suitable for women.

Ms. Gillibrand's current pregnancy makes a strong case for my opinion. Ms. Gillibrand was elected to serve her constituency, and while she is away from her elected office she cannot perform those duties. The taxpayers who were duped into voting for her will have to pay for her medical benefits. Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Taxpayer, Ms. Gillibrand receives excellent health benefits, courtesy of her constituents. We will be without representation in Congress for a time leading up to and following the child's birth. There will be times when she and the new baby will visit doctors. You can add those days to the total that she will not be serving her constituents.

The current base salary (2006) for members of the House and Senate is $165,200 per year. I wonder if Ms. Gillibrand will do the right thing and reimburse the U.S. Treasury in the amount of $452.60, her daily salary, for each day that she is unable to perform her elected duties. For some reason, I doubt it.

RON BLACHUT
Queensbury"

Why does it feel that even though the calendar moves forward, we're collectively moving backwards in terms of enlightenment? I cannot believe that in the 21st century that anyone is seriously discussing any pregnancy in this manner. My goodness, Idiocracy really is our very near future.

The two supposed liberal FOX News analysts both supported Bush's decision to commute Scooter's sentence. Kirsten Powers in particular said that the whole ordeal was out of control and a waste of tax payers money. Laura Schwartz, the ex-Clinton party planner said she thought it was a brilliant move for Bush. Here's as stupid a statement as I've seen on the Libby fiasco:

Download | play Download | play

Schwartz: It was the right thing for him to do. He had to satisfy his base and he did that by commuting his sentence, but he didn't do a full blown pardon so he's not going to get as much of a hit from the left...No damage to the GOP

Yea, Scooter just being commuted really won me over to Bush on this one, Laura. OMG.

Powers: It's just the right thing to do. It's a complete waste of time. We knew who leaked in the first place. This whole thing has been a charade, it's a waste of tax payers' money---it's been a waste of time. And I'm sorry for all of the people on the left wing who have lived and breathed are probably hysterically crying right no, but this really was complete and utter waste and use of the government.

Powers, Malkin's BFF, has been on HotAir one too many times. This post by Tbogg will fill you in.

She also owes liberals an apology because O'Reilly (while on vacation for this spot) often calls her a liberal. She is not a liberal, but The Factor needs their audience to believe that so she can offset the extreme right wing postions of Malkin and his "chick segment," will seem "fair and balanced. If I'm wrong about her views I'll correct the record. (She did show promise on this H&C appearance.)

Schwartz frequently shows up on the Saturday morning FOX stock shows now. I didn't realize staging events for Bill Clinton would have helped train her to make highly informed stock picks...