Sad To Hear

We’ll leave this one on the top of the pile for a while, but feel free to scroll down.  There’s a lot of good material rounded up from today’s blogs.  But, this post deserves special attention. We’ve linked to Riverbend’s posts from Baghdad many times.  She lives there and seemed to post the truth about life in that troubled city.  Tonight comes word that she and her family are leaving.  Giving up on the future there..Read it all…

Riverbend is leaving Iraq

This just makes me so sad, though I doubt very much that I would have lasted as long as she and her family have. Baghdad Burning: "On a personal note, we’ve finally decided to leave. I guess I’ve known we would be leaving for a while now. We discussed it as a family dozens of times. At [...]

Tags: Baghdad, Iraq War, Baghdad Burning, Riverbend

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The Razorback Lawsuit

So, now there’s a fan who’s suing the University of Arkansas over the Houston Nutt/Mitch Mustain email story.  Can we just play football, please.  Enough with all of this…

E-mailgate considered

 That illegal exaction suit because UAF Chancellor John White didn’t adequately investigate the Teresa Prewett e-mail? Fughgeddaboudit. If plaintiff’s lawyer Eddie Christian sells the Arkansas Supreme Court on the theory that you can sue state employees for an illegal exaction for not doing their job with sufficient vigor, we don’t have [...]

Tags: Razorbacks, Houston Nutt, John White, Teresa Prewett

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CNN, Michael Ware and the War

Oh, the right side of the blogosphere is absolutely giddy over something Michael Ware said on CNN this morning.  I guess they were surprised that a reporter could actually look at an issue objectively.  Carpetbagger notes their confusion, and finds the real money quote…

‘Democracy isn’t mandatory’

A few weeks ago, conservatives excoriated CNN correspondent Michael Ware, who’s been reporting from Iraq for over four years now, because he dared to tell viewers that John McCain was completely wrong about Baghdad’s safe neighborhoods and Gen. Petraeus’ “non-armed Humvee.” Today, however, Ware appeared in-studio to discuss the war, and suddenly, the right loves [...]

Tags: CNN, Michael Ware, Iraq War

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Talking Out Of School

Bet the big bosses were a teeny bit surprised when Shep said this …

‘They don’t allow us to see the heroes who died in Iraq.’

Fox News anchor Shepard Smith, covering yesterday’s flag-draped coffin procession for the Blue Angels pilot who died in a crash last weekend: This is a scene we are not accustomed to see during war times. They don’t allow us to see the victims — uh, heroes who died for us in Iraq. We don’t get [...]

Tags: Shepard Smith, Fox News, Blue Angels, Iraq War

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Powereful Post

Supposedly, from a U.S. Marine.  If it’s legit, it’s amazingly powerful…

“A word is worth a thousand pictures”

by Cpl Cloy Richards, USMC 6 Marines 3 standing tall and proud in the foreground 3 crouching in the foreground 6 Marines posing in Fallujah, supposedly the “Graveyard of Americans” 6 young, strong men with battle hardened countenances. 6 marines in great health posing with rifles, deep in enemy territory How brave they look, [...]

Tags: Marines, Iraq War, Fallujah

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Those Two Little Words

"Mission Accompished"  You remember when President Bush spoke those words?  Most every night, Keith Olbermann reminds us exactly how many days ago that was.  We’re coming up on another anniversary and it’s going to dovetail with another crucial event…

‘Mission Accomplished’ revisited

With the Senate having passed its war spending bill this afternoon, the final version of the legislation will reach the Oval Office on Tuesday — the fourth anniversary of the president’s now-infamous “Mission Accomplished” speech. The speech continues to be a touchy subject for the White House. In January, Tony Snow insisted, with a straight face, [...]

Tags: Mission Accomplished, War Spending Bill

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Today’s Case of Foot-In-Mouth

Courtesy of John McCain.  It’s actually a "two-fer".

McCain To Murtha: ‘Lighten Up And Get A Life’

On Tuesday’s Daily Show, Jon Stewart asked Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) about his notorious recent shopping trip at a Baghdad market. McCain responded, “I had something picked out for you, too — a little IED to put on your desk.” Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) last night blasted McCain’s comment, calling it “outrageous” that he would [...]

Tags: Jon Stewart, John McCain, John Murtha, IED

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Pryor and Gonzales

Looks like Gonzales didn’t impress Mark Pryor during their brief meeting..

After meeting with…

After meeting with AG Gonzales, Sen. Pryor (D-AR) still thinks Gonzales is a liar and should resign [...]

Tags: Mark Pryor, Alberto Gonzales, U. S. Attorneys, Attorney Purge

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Words of Warning

Dig deep. Or start walking/biking.

Watch out: Here comes $4 gasoline

Gasoline prices, already above $3 a gallon in some states, could charge higher this summer and hit $4 a gallon in some locations, according to one industry expert. Pump prices were supposed to peak below $3 a gallon this May, then drop off before the summer driving season [...]

Tags: Gasoline Prices, Economy

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Byrd on The Iraq War

We’ve seen a string of excellent orators in Congress this past week or so.  You can add the venerable Robert Byrd to the list…

Byrd Calls Bush Assertions On War "Hogwash"

Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) gave a great statement on the floor of the Senate this morning in the final debate before the Senate votes on the Emergency Supplemental Conference Report, which funds the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, but mandates withdrawal of American forces from the Iraqi civil war. Here’s Byrd: "“Mr. President, it has been four years since the President sent our troops into Iraq – - four long years. That is longer than it took to win World War II. More than 3,300 troops have sacrificed their [...]

Tags: Robert Byrd, Senate, Iraq, Afghanistan

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An Ethical and Legal Tightrope

That’s what’s being carefully walked in Washington right now. I’m thinking there could be a serious slip before long…

From Perino this…

From Perino this morning on the Hatch Act violating GOP campaign briefings … Reporter: How about this political interference with the Hatch Act? Perino: There wasn’t political interference within the Hatch Act. What you’re talking about is — Reporter: Use of the government agencies? Perino: It is perfectly lawful for the political appointees at the White House to provide informational [...]

Tags: Hatch Act, Dana Perino

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Meaningless Numbers

It’s quite simple, really.  If you’re going to parse the numbers before we see them, what good are they?

Iraq Casualty Numbers Doctored Attacks Near Mosu…

Since the Bush administration doesn’t actually have any good news on Iraq, they are just making it up. It confirms your worst suspicions. They haven’t been counting victims of car bombings when they say that violence is down in Iraq! Bush administration spokesmen and officials are just saying that fewer bodies are found in the streets, victims of death squads. But the number of victims of car bombing has actually increased in this period.  Meanwhile, the Iraqi government is withholding statistics on Iraqi casualties from the United Nations. It is official: [...]

Tags: Iraq War, Car Bombings, Baghdad

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Special Comment on Giuliani

Chalk up one more for Keith Olbermann.  Give the guy a couple of days off to buy a big, new, condo in NYC and he comes back loaded for bear.  More specifically, loaded for Rudy.

Olbermann: ‘Republicans equal life; Democrats equal death?’

Keith Olbermann’s Special Comment tonight was on Rudy Giuliani’s astounding remarks at the Lincoln Dinner in New Hampshire, that Giuliani used as a platform for fear-mongering Bush/Cheney style. It’s classic Olbermann with no holds barred… The transcript is as follows: A special comment about Rudolph Giuliani’s remarks at a Lincoln Day dinner in New Hampshire: Since [...]

Tags: Keith Olbermann, Special Comment, Rudy Giuliani, Countdown with Keith Olbermann

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What Journalism Is All About

Rather, what journalism SHOULD be all about.  It’s time we got back to basics.  If you missed the Bill Moyers documentary on PBS last night, you can watch it online here.  Why should you give up 90 minutes of your valuable time?  Because it’s just THAT GOOD.

Embarrassed and Ashamed

Any working journalist who failed to watch Bill Moyers’ devastating report Wednesday evening or who fails to catch it on-line ought to just walk away from the profession. Because those searing 90 minutes contain a cogent lesson in what it really means to serve the public in the first nation to inscribe freedom of the press in its founding document. Or rather what it means not to serve the public. Because, as Moyers makes clear, the story is what didn’t happen. And, to a very great extent, is still not happening. The press, in particular, the Washington press corps, didn’t [...]

Then, a fascinating online conversation after the broadcast -

McClatchy Reporters Answer Questions Online After Moyers’ PBS Report on Press and Iraq

Tags: Bill Moyers, PBS, Journalism, Iraq War

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Sobering Story

Absolutely gut-wrenching.  And, no, it’s not about the Iraq War.  It’s about women. In America.

Here There Be Monsters

Your parents may have told you there are no real monsters.  Your parents were wrong.  This week, Amnesty International issued a report that proves it. "One in three Native American or Alaska Native women will be raped at some point in their lives. Most do not seek justice because they know they will be met with inaction or indifference." Before you jump to a conclusion about the men in these communities, understand that the great majority of these horrific assaults are coming from outsiders.  Outsiders who understand that these women are [...]

Tags: Native American Women, Alaska Native Women, Rape

Tags: Amnesty International

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Attention-Getter

At least you can say that about David Broder’s column today.  It’s getting lots of attention.  Not necessarily good attention, though…

Broder goes over the edge

I suggested the other day that the Washington Post’s David Broder, generally considered the “dean” of the DC political establishment, has been off his game lately. As of today’s column, Broder seems to be playing a new game altogether. Here’s a Washington political riddle where you fill in the blanks: As Alberto Gonzales is to the [...]

Oh, man!  Does Paul Begala do a number on Broder…

Paul Begala: Columnist David Broder’s Attack on Harry Reid "arrogant, elitist, condescending"

One of the few regrets I have in life is that I allowed Ann Devroy of the Washington Post to talk me into apologizing for calling David Broder "a gasbag" in 1995. My admiration for Devroy trumped my contempt for Broder. Ann, sadly, is gone, but Broder remains. She was everything Broder is not: fearless, intellectually honest, scrupulously fair, and suspicious of power. Broder, of course, is a gasbag. The Hindenburg of pundits. But my respect for [...]

UPDATE: Entire Senate Democratic Caucus rebut Broder’s attack on Harry Reid

Tags: David Broder, Alberto Gonzales

Tags: Paul Begala

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Doomsday in Iraq

Newsweek lets the opposing views be heard.  Would Iraq fall apart if we pulled out?

Aide Casts Doubt on Bush’s Iraq Scenario

The president is suggesting that a troop withdrawal would turn Iraq into a battleground between regional powers. Not so, says a senior administration official [...]

And, the American people want us out of there…

Majority Back Timeline for Iraq Withdrawal

Pew Research survey: "With battle lines drawn over legislation funding the Iraq war, the public is showing little appetite for compromise. Overall, a solid majority of Americans (59%) continue to say they want their representative to support a bill calling for a U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq by August 2008, while just a third want their representative to vote against such legislation."  "What the two sides share is [...]

Tags: Iraq War, Bush Administration.

Tags: Pew Research

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Sit Back, Relax and Read

It’s good for you.

Today’s Must Read

The entire scheme has been laid out before us. The question now is whether Karl Rove will get away with it. Here’s the scheme, as revealed over the past month: Rove and his deputies traveled to various agencies throughout the [...]

Tags: Karl Rove, U.S. Attorneys

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Leading By Example

Let’s hope not.

U.S. Commander of Iraqi Prison Charged With Aiding the Enemy

Lt. Charles Steele, Commander of the 451st Police Detachment Unit at Camp Cropper, located at the Baghdad airport, which houses some of Saddam Hussein’s top deputies, has been charged with aiding the enemy, having improper sexual relations with a translator and a detainee’s daughter and possessing pornographic videos. The aiding the enemy charge stems partially from allegations he provided [...]

Tags: Charles Steele, Camp Cropper, Baghdad

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Remember The Ohio Vote?

2004.  Ohio.  Allegations of election fraud.  Valid allegation?  Read on, my friends.  Read on.

The Real Voter Fraud: How Bush Stole Ohio in 2004

It isn’t just the suppression of minority voters in Ohio’s 2004 election which I and others have documented before, or the justifiable suspicions that the electronic voting machines used in Ohio were rigged to register more votes for Bush and less for Kerry, which justify a Congressional investigation of the 2004 election. An investigation is also needed to look into how the votes in Ohio were counted, and the parties who counted them. Would it surprise you to learn that the same company which currently operates the servers for the [...]

Tags: 2004 Election, Voter Fraud, Ohio Vote

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