Mortgage Relief Falacies

It really isn’t all that it as touted to be.  We’ve posted some negative analysis before, but there’s continuing debate and discussion over what the Bush Administration and the Banks cooked up.

Straw Dogs

In today’s New York Times, Paul Krugman explains the Bush mortgage bailout plan, announced last week by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. The plan is, as a Times editorial put it yesterday, “too little, too late and too voluntary.” But from the administration’s point of view these failings aren’t bugs, they’re features. In fact, there’s a growing consensus [...]

Maddow and MSNBC

Lots of rumors about Rachel Maddow getting a slot on MSNBC.  Interestingly enough (to me, anyway) is the co-rumor that the pilot was taped with Bill Wolff.  He’s not only MSNBC’s VP of Prime Time programming, but he’s married to former (and still fill-in) anchor, Allison Stewart.  Incestuous little group, aren’t they?  Seriously, this all makes sense. Maddow has been a frequent, and excellent, guest on several MSNBC programs.

Pilot season?

TVNewser reports that MSNBC shot a pilot with Rachel Maddow and Bill Wolff. While shooting a pilot is not necessarily indicative of anything imminent - I got tipped 4-5 months before The Most debuted that they were shooting pilots for Alison Stewart but I sat on that news waiting to see if something would really [...]

Tube Time

The TV Tube we’re talking about.  NBC seems to be in a spiral.  Downward.  With the engines flaming.  Big cuts in the news division and no prime time numbers for the peacock’s programming. 

Concerns Voiced Over NBC’s Prime Time

According to an article in Mediaweek, “NBC has quietly begun reimbursing advertisers for fourth-quarter prime-time ratings shortfalls, averaging about $500,000 per advertiser, according to media buyers, marking the first time in years a network has taken such a step to compensate marketers for ratings deficiencies.” Networks typically offer “make-goods” in the form of additional commercial spots, [...]

KBR Coverup and Beyond

Just when you think things have settled down, just when it’s been a few days since we had big Halliburton/KBR headlines, that’s when it all hits the fan. Again.

Gang-Rape Cover-Up by U.S., Halliburton/KBR

Glimpses of a Huckabee presidency….And actually, pretty poor timing for Bush, having just criticized the Saudis for their insensitive handling of a rape case in their backward kingdom. It’s a small world after all. From ABC News: “A Houston, Texas woman says she was gang-raped by Halliburton/KBR coworkers in Baghdad, and the company and the U.S. government are covering up the incident. Jamie Leigh Jones, now 22, says that after she was raped by multiple men at a KBR camp in [...]

More astonishing details here: Nobody Could Have Predicted Halliburton Was Pro-Rape

…It’s the last thing she should have to expect, but sadly, it isn’t even surprising, is it? Pump up a bunch of guys, tell them they’re accountable to nobody, that they’re in a land of inhuman infidel, then put them to work in what’s considered man’s work? Some of them are going to act like there are no barriers to what they can take and who they can hurt. We saw it with [...]

Down in Australia, another rape case is drawing lots of attention:

Rape case ruling shocks Australia

A judge’s decision not to jail nine men guilty of raping a 10-year-old girl in an Aboriginal community has triggered outrage in Australia.  … In her ruling, Judge Sarah Bradley told them that the victim “probably agreed to have sex with all of you”. …She placed six of [...]

The Countdown to Iowa

Somebody needs to plug a big hole in Battleship Clinton.  It’s taking on water and starting to list.

Lots of talk of big trouble for Hillary

With just over three weeks to go until the Iowa Caucuses, the Democratic race is starting to get very interesting. One thing is clear: Hillary Clinton has lost momentum — and this is the worst possible time to lose it.  Today, Al Hunt at Bloomberg, and the latest update from Rasmussen Reports, provide a state of play on the Democratic side. Both sources indicate trouble for the Clinton campaign. And, let’s be realistic. Any candidate who [...]

Meanwhile, fellow Arkansan, Mike Huckabee, doesn’t seem to be hurting after a series of verbal missteps over the past week or so.

Huckabee Surge Continues, Giuliani Imploding

More numbers here:

Obama and HRC In Dead Heat In Early States; For The Gop, It’s Huck, Huck, Huck

More analysis of the Iowa situation, after the jump.

What’s Next?

Scooter drops his appeal.  Why?  Could he end up testifying before Congress?  Is there a pardon on the way? Lots of other questions, too…..

Scooter Libby drops appeal in CIA leak case.

Former Cheney chief of staff Scooter Libby, who was convicted earlier this year for obstruction of justice, “is dropping his appeal in the CIA leak case, his attorney said Monday.” Libby, whose sentence was commuted by President Bush in July, is said to be dropping the appeal because “the burden” is “too great to ask” [...]

The Other Side of the Surge

I understand there are pockets where things are getting better in Iraq, particularly in Baghdad.  And, yes, you probably can credit the surge with some of the improvement.  However, when you back out and look at the big picture, it’s not quite as rosy.

President Bush’s Surge Forcing Iraqi Children Into Prostitution

We already know that our evangelical Christian president’s invasion of Iraq caused the slaughter and displacement of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Christians, and his surge has worsened the dire humanitarian crisis for the Iraqi people. Digging deeper into the crisis you find that not only are the thousands of Iraqi refugees living in [...]

Let’s Go To The Videotape

Hmmmm.  It seems we may have just a bit of contradictory evidence here. 

I ask again… when were the CIA tapes destroyed?

We are told that the CIA tapes were destroyed in 2005. Now, what tapes are these DOJ lawyers examining in September and October of 2007? Please take a look at this memo, HERE, do you see anything that says that the tapes were a). destroyed and b). in 2005? I am sure someone has [...]

Oh, let’s take it up a notch, shall we? 

Source: Federal Prosecutor Says Other CIA Torture Videos Still Exist

Within hours, if not minutes, after the CIA announced it destroyed two videos made in 2002 of its agents torturing al Qaida suspects, Attorney Gen. Michael Mukasey should have ordered the CIA and all federal agencies to preserve any evidence related to the filming of torture sessions involving terror suspects. Over [...]

By the way, he mentios the 5 million missing White House emails.  It’s now 10 million.  Missing. Emails.  There’s more fun and frivolity, Washington-style, after the jump..

There Goes the Argument

Big, big story on ABC News tonight. Pretty much blows the CIA argument about the destroyed tapes out of the water.

CIA Interrogator Tells ABC He Supervised ‘Necessary’ Torture of Abu Zubaydah

Paging Michael Mukasey. The leader of the CIA interrogation team that handled Abu Zubaydah, head of al-Qaeda’s military committee, says he had Abu Zubaydah waterboarded — which was torture, and, he says, necessary to prevent “maybe dozens of attacks.” ABC has the bombshell interview: [...]

Countdown: CIA Agent Involved In Torture Tapes Now Says Waterboarding Is Torture

The #5 story on Monday’s Countdown delivered a bombshell - John Kiriakou, a former CIA agent who actually led the team of agents who appeared on the destroyed torture tapes has come forward in an interview with ABC to confirm the tapes DID show waterboarding and that while [...]

Wow.  Just wow.  That’s a huge interview.

Politics, Politics and More Politics

There are tons of “power rankings” floating around, purporting to rank politicians and political events in some type of logical order, but this one is right up there as being the best-written.  Hang on for a wild ride!!

Last Power Test Before Iowa

There are but a scant three weeks or so until the Iowa caucuses, and since most of that time is spent in revelry, merriment, general frivolity, and/or lines at Wal-Mart, I thought it was probably time for us to put up the last set of 2008 power rankings in the year 2007. The next time we revisit this, actual vote-like things will have happened in Iowa that everyone will declare have added meaning to the proceedings, though [...]

History Lesson

Let me try to figure this out.  We have a White House spokesperson who, apparently, has never taken a course in American history.  Not ancient history, but contemporary history. Just follow the link.  It says it all. And, no, it’s not a joke!

Perino: I Didn’t Know What The Cuban Missile Crisis Was

Even at her “day job”, Perino doesn’t always come off as a smooth, intelligent, person…

The Gift That Keeps On Giving: Some Concern, Concerning Concern

If you spend any time watching Dana Perino respond to reporters on the matters that matter to the nation, you begin to wonder to oneself: “My God, is it possible for mere mortals to divine the meticulous complexities of the President’s imagination?” Perino often seems at a loss to provide even the slightest insight into the man to whom she’s sworn “Once a Bushie, Always a Bushie” fealty. Well, let the record state that today, [...]

Still Under Water??

My goodness, but people certainly don’t pay attention to things.  I’ve stared at these poll results, but still find them impossible to believe. 

Poll: One-fourth believe parts of New Orleans still under water

A University of New Orleans poll of Americans outside of Louisiana suggests an amazing number of people are quite ill-informed regarding New Orleans. From the Houston Chronicle… Roughly one-fourth believed parts of New Orleans remain under water; one-third believed the [...]

That “Other” Debate

It was held Sunday night.  Most of you probably didn’t even know it was scheduled, much less search out a broadcast.  But, there were some interesting points made.

Two GOP Presidential Hopefuls Pledge Some Amnesty

They say that leopards can’t change their spots, the same is true of amnesty proponents: “CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Sen. John McCain and former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani stood alone among the Republican presidential candidates in last night’s Spanish-language debate in calling for some illegal aliens to be granted a path [...]

Tonight’s Must Read

Very well-done piece over at FireDogLake that does a superb job of explaining the appeal of Mike Huckabee.  If you’ve wondered why he seems to be getting support from some unlikely corners, this will help you understand.

Sunday Late Nite: I Meet a Hucklebee Voter

Sure, Rudi Giuliani is the President I most fear of the GOP candidates. But, based on last night’s conversation, Mike Huckabee is the candidate I most fear of the GOP candidates. I learned he has a crossover, underhanded, apolitical, stubborn, faith-based, unreal appeal unlike, perhaps, any of our Democratic candidates. And I’m scared of him. Thanks to the gentleman in the [...]

Dreary Monday

Seems like everybody had a busy weekend.  Most bloggers tonight are still posting notes from things that happened late last week or over the weekend. It is, I guess, THAT time of year!  I got the tree into the family room, but it’s not decorated.  The hours seem to fly by, and we have that little thing called “college graduation” roaring at us for Friday.   So, you may not see an abundance of posts this week, as I’ll likely be swamped with holiday preps and the graduation.

With all of that in mind, do make a point of stopping by or sign up for the RSS feed over —–> there in the column on the right side of the page.

We’re turning first tonight to The Carpetbagger  Report who noticed a fine bit of one-sided “discussion” that occurred Friday night.

The backwards defense for destroying the torture tapes

Late last week, we learned that the CIA destroyed videos of U.S. officials torturing detainees. The administration has said the destruction was necessary to protect the identity of those doing the torturing — a claim that no one can take seriously — while the reality-based world notes that the CIA appears to have obstructed justice. To [...]