quote - einstein?

science without religion is lame.
religion without science is blind.

is that the quote i thought i heard on cbs' threshold?

the numbers

Nearly six in 10 Americans, 58%, said they had doubts about the president's honesty, a 13% rise in 18 months. Only 32% believed Mr Bush was handling ethical issues well, a significantly worse score than Bill Clinton achieved in his last scandal-besmirched year in office. His overall popularity has plunged to 39%, a new low for the Washington Post/ABC survey.
...

The latest popularity poll was published after Lewis "Scooter" Libby became the first White House aide for 130 years to be indicted in office. He appeared in court on Thursday to plead not guilty to five charges of lying to investigators.

At its core, the case concerns the evidence of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction assembled by Mr Libby - at the time the vice-president's chief of staff - and other White House officials to justify the war in Iraq. The president's top political adviser, Karl Rove, is still under investigation for his role in the case, which has refocused attention on the WMD debacle.

According to yesterday's poll, 55% of Americans think the president "intentionally misled the American public" in making the case for war, and 60% now believe it was not worth fighting. Yesterday, Mr Bush was asked whether Mr Rove would keep his job. He refused to discuss the issue on the grounds that the investigation was ongoing.

--source
there is only one way out of this for the man. and that's for an event to occur. God help us one and all.

message to howard dean:

get an agenda.
publish it.
stick to it.

do that, and you'll have them eating out of your hand

FARPOINT FACTOID

"One in 20 [D.C.] residents is infected with the AIDS virus, the highest rate of any major U.S. city."

--source

DIVIDE!

then CONQUER!

cbs is reporting a white house divided.
now would be the time for dean to move.

howard, are ya listenin?
make them so distracted that they don't know which end is up.

the CIA secret prisons

A leading human rights group on Wednesday identified Poland and Romania as the likely locations in eastern Europe of secret prisons where al-Qaeda suspects are interrogated by the Central Intelligence Agency.

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/86734122-4be9-11da-997b-0000779e2340.html

can't depose a fugitive

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 - Omar al-Faruq, a confidant of Osama bin Laden who was one of Al Qaeda's senior operatives in Southeast Asia, escaped from an American military prison in Afghanistan in July, a Pentagon official said Wednesday.

that's bad enough. but wait, here's the kicker:

Pentagon officials confirmed that he was one of the fugitives only after the information was disclosed this week in Texas at a military trial of an Army sergeant charged with maltreating detainees in Afghanistan. Mr. Faruq was identified by an alias at the time of the jailbreak.

His disappearance, a major source of embarrassment to American officials at the base, came to light on Tuesday when defense lawyers for Sgt. Alan Driver demanded to know where he was so that he could testify at the trial.

--nytimes

so, the dude was supposed to testify against someone in the military, and he just happens to escape from a military jail. you don't see the irony?

and they wonder why they hate us....

Citing residents of one Iraqi town, the Post mentions that about 20 people were killed late yesterday by two U.S. airstrikes. "The people gathered to rescue people whose house was bombed in the first strike," said one neighbor. "A short time after they gathered, another plane came and bombed the house again, killing most of them."

(from today's papers @ slate)

this is the 2nd time now that airstrikes have mistaken their targets. and they wonder why they hate us. is it not terror when they come out of nowhere and use weapons that are far into the future of what is available to the man on the street?

GREAT GOING DENVER!

Initiated Question 100
Marijuana Law 406/421 96.44%
Votes/Total Votes % Votes
YES 55035/ 102,964 53.45%
NO 47929/ 102,964 46.55%
Back to list of contests

http://www.denvergov.org/election/results.asp

and jus so we know

everybody, and i mean, EVERYbody is to blame for the fact that there is no report on how the administration portrayed the intel that went into going to war with iraq.

As it happens, the American Prospect recently looked at why the report has gone MIA; it saw Republican foot-dragging, Pentagon stonewalling, and Democratic incompetence.

--from today's papers

in today's WaPo:

this story about the CIA's secret prisons, and i guess it got bannered across the front page: *teehee*

The CIA has been hiding and interrogating some of its most important al Qaeda captives at a Soviet-era compound in Eastern Europe, according to U.S. and foreign officials familiar with the arrangement.

The secret facility is part of a covert prison system set up by the CIA nearly four years ago that at various times has included sites in eight countries, including Thailand, Afghanistan and several democracies in Eastern Europe, as well as a small center at the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba, according to current and former intelligence officials and diplomats from three continents.

The hidden global internment network is a central element in the CIA's unconventional war on terrorism. It depends on the cooperation of foreign intelligence services, and on keeping even basic information about the system secret from the public, foreign officials and nearly all members of Congress charged with overseeing the CIA's covert actions.

The existence and locations of the facilities -- referred to as "black sites" in classified White House, CIA, Justice Department and congressional documents -- are known to only a handful of officials in the United States and, usually, only to the president and a few top intelligence officers in each host country.

--source

FARPOINT FACTOID

this was a series i did when i was over at ia.talk.misc. the group has since gone down the toilet, but nonetheless, there's plenty more over there. today's entry comes from a letter writer to the des moines register:

It is appalling that Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley and his Republican cohorts, who have given themselves seven pay raises since the last minimum-wage increase, voted down the modest increase proposed by Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy.

yes, it IZZ appalling.

oh, and the source: Mark L. Smith, president, Iowa AFL-CIO, Des Moines

silly me

my neighbor caught me hanging my flag this morning.

from the 'I DIDN'T KNOW THAT" file

Diverting money into private accounts won't solve the structural problems in Social Security. Also, young people like Tolle would actually lose benefits over time, said Kingson, who is currently an associate social work professor at Syracuse University. People in their 30s would see a 30 percent reduction over time while teenagers would see their benefits decrease by 40 percent to 45 percent when they reach retirement age because of a method of calculating benefits by the rate of inflation, not wages.

--source

Letter Of The Day

By John Groninga, Mason City

The barrage of attack advertising from a group called Project Taxpayer Protection (PTP) has been interesting to observe and study.

... Long ago I learned that if the left hand is waving vigorously in the air, trying to attract my attention, the best thing I can do is check to see what the right hand is up to.

In this case the group PTP is headed by three guys from Mediacom and located in Des Moines, not Mason City. So these guys are looking out for my best financial interests? I don’t think so. With little competition, they’re about as concerned about the cable rates we pay as Exxon is about the price we pay at the gasoline pump. ...

One of their ads asks “Got Money to Burn?” So far I’ve received four slick ads from this group, and I’ve also seen a slick ad on TV. I can only conclude that they are the folks with money to burn — our money we rate-payers send them

A “yes” vote on Nov. 8 will allow our community to consider creating a public utility, a venture that has been highly successful in many other communities.

The next step after the yes vote would be a feasibility study which would examine the viability of such a creation. Following the results of that study, we taxpayers could vote to decide whether actually creating a public utility is a good idea.

Our ballot question really is quite simple: Who do we trust more, officials we elect in Mason City or executives of Great Big Cable Inc., located in Des Moines?

As both a utility rate payer and as a taxpayer, I intend to vote “yes” on Nov. 8. I encourage the rest of you informed voters to do the same.

attribution

the "well, DUH" Post Of The Day

headline: TheKansasCityChannel.com - Politics - Alito's Mom: 'Of Course, He's Against Abortion': "Alito's Mom: 'Of Course, He's Against Abortion'"

why conservatives need to stay out of health care

because they put their own ideology ahead of one's health.

The WP mentions that a new vaccine against cervical cancer, that could become available as early as next year, has sparked a controversy between health practitioners and conservative groups. The vaccine seems to be almost 100 percent effective in preventing the most serious types of the human papilloma virus that can cause cancer and some want to immunize as many pre-pubescent girls as possible. Because HPV is a sexually transmitted disease, however, some conservatives are concerned that large-scale vaccination among the young could be seen as encouraging pre-marital sex.

Letter Of The Day

I would like to assure Maxine Bechtel (Oct. 24 letter) that there is no law against strong Christians holding public office. Unfortunately, some see this as an invitation to legislate morality, confusing personal beliefs with public interest.

I find it interesting that Bechtel compared President Bush with Thomas Jefferson. While Jefferson was clear on his views concerning the belief that we are "endowed by [our] Creator with certain inalienable rights," his actions spoke otherwise. At least if one considers the slaves he owned until the day he died as "human."

The justification of that act by claiming it happened in another era fails to acknowledge the abolitionists who knew the practice of slavery to be morally reprehensible even then.

-Scott Warner, West Des Moines.

attribution

talk about return on your investment

this is what makes me just sick. excuse me while i puke.

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Thirty Ohioans who raised a combined $4.1 million for President Bush's re-election campaign have received more than $1.2 billion in public funds for their companies and clients, a newspaper reported.

Since Bush took office in 2001, the federal government has given those companies more than $447 million in subsidies, contracts and other payments, according to records analyzed by The Blade. Ohio has awarded them about $800 million in the last six years, the paper reported Sunday.

Business leaders and lobbyists who raised money for Bush were called "Pioneers" if they raised at least $100,000 and "Rangers" if they raised $200,000; some also were given political appointments.

One of the fundraisers, coin dealer Tom Noe, was charged Thursday with illegally funneling $45,400 in contributions to Bush's re-election bid. Noe has denied wrongdoing in his fundraising and in his handling of a state investment fund, which prompted an investigation that led to Gov. Bob Taft's conviction on ethics charges...

http://www.cleveland.com/newsflash/cleveland/index.ssf?/base/news-20/1130700843224421.xml&storylist=cleveland

itchin for another war is he?

At least 10 people have reportedly been killed in a renewed US military offensive in Iraq's border area with Syria.

The US military said it had killed 10 fighters in the Hsaiba area near the Syrian border, in the latest military operation.

But residents and witnesses told Aljazeera that all the dead were civilians.

Speaking to Aljazeera, Iraqi journalist Atwar Bahjat said US forces pounded the area with heavy artillery.

Many homes and businesses have been destroyed during the shelling, she said.

Residents and witnesses are enraged by the destruction caused by the shelling and confirmed that all those killed in the latest assault were civilians, not fighters, she added.

--al-jazeera

and as someone pointed out earlier on another board:

...this is not just the start of any other War. This is the start of WWIII. If we invade Syria, Israel is going to get the itchy trigger finger to go after Iran. Russia will not allow that to happen and Palestine will go after Israel too. WWIII will be uglier than the two other wars combined. Pakistan has a fragile Government with Nukes. If the Taliban gets a hold of a single Nuke, or Iran is close to having one, Israel will be gone from the map. That's IMHO, but my visions have been known to come true.

dear Lord, I pray not. but that would be about the way i would see it unfold.

the only way his numbers will climb now

is from a catastrophic event. something similar to 9/11. and look at the blurb in today's papers about the very same thing:

While it agrees with the NYT that Bush faces something of an uphill climb, it does point out that the pundits counted Bush out once before, early in his first term when he appeared to be "bleeding influence," only to be given a new swell of support after Sept. 11.

notice the catastrophic event of 9/11 happened during a period of "bleeding influence" by bush. should there be another terrorist event, bush will no doubt enjoy the same lift he got the first time.

ooh, got a Quote from bob schieffer on cbs' face the nation.

"carrying water for anonymous character assassins is not what journalism is about"

Letter Of The Day

By CHARLENE PIPER, Mason City

I just wanted to say that I disagree with the fact that a town wants to ban certain people.

I feel that we need to protect our children. However, I know that not all people on the sex offender registry are on there because of crimes that included kids. So are we to treat them all the same? If we ban them, should we ban all criminals? Drug dealers, speeders and drunk drivers hurt our children every day, so all crimes affect our children.

I feel that people are blowing this out of proportion. We don’t have an island that we can put people on, so we need to find ways to live our lives and protect our children without infringing on someone else’s rights. If they have done what the courts have asked of them, are on the register and following all the rules, we shouldn’t single them out. If we do, what group will be next?

I am definitely in favor of pedophiles or anyone that hurts children being prosecuted to fullest extent of the law and feel that there should be consequences for their actions. But it is for the court to decide what consequences they receive.

They are still human and therefore have the right to live where they choose. I have been on the side of the victim and on the side of a person who is registered.

We are all equal. We all deserve justice. So please, look at yourself and see if you should cast a stone. As Jesus said, “If anyone of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7 New International Version)

attribution

interesting italian job

i'm reprinting the entire article. from ANSA.it, the emphasis are mine:

(ANSA) - Rome, October 29 - In a television interview to be aired next week, Premier Silvio Berlusconi says he repeatedly tried to convince American President George W. Bush not to invade Iraq .

In the lengthy interview to be shown on private TV channel La7 on Monday, Berlusconi says that: "I was never convinced that war was the best way to make a country democratic and to bring it out of a bloody dictatorship .

"I tried many times to convince the American president not to wage war... I tried to find other ways and solutions, even through joint action with African leader (Libya's Muammar) Gaddafi .

"We didn't succeed and there was a military operation but I believed military action should have been avoided." The comments were released by La7 two days before Berlusconi was due to visit Washington .

The centre-right leader will hold talks with Bush during his one-day Monday visit .

Berlusconi is a staunch ally of Bush and took a pro-US line on Iraq despite opposition from the centre left and strong anti-war sentiment amongst the Italian public .

Italy did not participate in the 2003 war on Iraq but gave Washington permission to use its air space and transport infrastructure, and Italian bases for technical stop-over and refuelling needs .

It now has some 3,000 troops serving there, mainly as part of a British-led multinational stabilization force in the southern part of the country .

The Italian contingent is the fourth largest after those of the US, Britain and South Korea .

The exclusive interview with La7 was the longest interview given by Berlusconi, who is standing for re-election next year, in six months .

GOVT DENIES INVOLVEMENT IN FAKE IRAQ-NIGER DOCUMENTS. His comments on Iraq also came at a time when his government is denying accusations of involvement in the passing on of false documents to the United States which purported to show an attempt by Saddam Hussein's regime to buy uranium in Africa .

The documents, which accused Iraq of trying to buy up to 500 tons of uranium oxide or 'yellowcake' from Niger, were used by the US and Britain to help support the case for the 2003 toppling of the Iraqi strongman .

A series of in-depth articles in the La Repubblica daily this week alleged that Italy's military intelligence service Sismi handed the documents to the United States possibly under pressure from the Italian government .

The daily accused Sismi chief Nicolo Pollari of involvement in the case, saying that he met with America's then-deputy national security advisor Stephen J. Hadley on September 9, 2002 .

The government issued a fresh statement on Saturday denying the daily's allegations .

The statement said that La Repubblica's report on the alleged Hadley-Pollari meeting was "totally false" .

It said that a meeting took place on September 9, 2002 between Pollari and America's then-national security advisor Condoleezza Rice and that Hadley was present as part of the US delegation .

"The dialogue was exclusively between Condoleezza Rice and Pollari. The other people present witnessed the talks but did not speak themselves," the statement said .

"There was no reference, either direct or indirect, to the problems regarding the Iraq-Niger issue," it said .

Earlier this week, the government issued several statements denying any involvement in the case. It also firmly denied any Sismi involvement, saying that it played no "direct or indirect" role in the forging or distribution of the documents .

"There is a fatal limit to the (La Repubblica's) dossier - the news contained is unfounded and inexact," the government said .

{so the government espouses all that is 'unfounded and inexact eh?}
US and British allegations that Saddam Hussein sought to buy uranium for his nuclear weapons programme from Niger was used by the two allies to help support their case for waging war on Iraq .

{hardly}

Bush cited the uranium deal in his State of the Union address in January 2003, saying it was evidence that Saddam Hussein was trying to develop weapons of mass destruction .

The US admitted after the war that the uranium claim was false and Hadley took the blame for including the claim in Bush's State of the Union speech .

According to La Repubblica, the documents were forged in 2000 by a former Carabiniere policeman and ex-Sismi agent Rocco Martino for his own purposes with the help of contacts provided by a Sismi official and friend .

The Italian parliament's intelligence watchdog committee Copaco has announced that it is holding an inquiry into the La Repubblica allegations .

Pollari will be questioned by Copaco on November 3 .

and there ya have it folks. in a nutshell, berlosconi will be replaced come next election. we can only hope the italians are not using diebold systems.

the numbers

and this is only about the iraq war..... wanna bet the same numbers won't be there for other issues?

More than half the North Carolina military members surveyed in the latest Elon University poll don't like the way President Bush is handling his job and the war in Iraq.

The survey results were released today.

Of the 539 adults surveyed, nearly 53 percent of military members said they strongly disapproved or disapproved of Bush's handling of his job. And 56 percent of that same group said they strongly disapproved or disapproved of his handling of the Iraq war.

Overall, slightly more than 53 percent of those surveyed did not approve of Bush's job performance, while 57 percent didn't approve of his handling of the Iraq war.

--source

HYHPOCRISY ALERT

from the ending of today's papers, this lil' tidbit that proves republicans are hypocrites to the core.

Will Texas Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson stick to her guns? Hutchinson has been assailed lately for dismissing potential perjury charges against Libby, while back in 1999 she thought such crimes were a big deal when it was President Clinton being charged. In today's WSJ, she says: "Everyone needs to take a deep breath and not judge those involved. Today's announcement is the middle of the process, not the end."

Quote of the Day

"They should have taken care of this a long time ago. They should have done their own investigation. They're going to get very little sympathy on Capitol Hill, at least from me. . . . They brought this on themselves."
--House Government Reform Committee Chairman Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.)

attribution

it's not often i quote republicans for the honor of having QOTD, but today's a beaut.

read it and JUMP FOR JOY

http://news.google.com/nwshp?hl=en&tab=wn&ncl=http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_3161412

a song that i want played at my funeral

kitten moon, by fluke

over and over.

Letter of the WeeQ

It is curious that there is such a furor over evolution, creationism and intelligent design. The mechanism through which we became what we are may have scientific interest, but it in no way diminishes the awe we experience when we seriously contemplate ourselves.

Whether we were created in six days, 6,000 years or 60 million years does not in the least concern me, nor will I lose sleep wondering if humans evolved from primitive cells, monkeys or spontaneously appeared in the Garden of Eden.

We are physical and spiritual entities capable of communicating with one another and endowed with self-awareness, emotions and intelligence. This is all that really matters.

-Roger W. Tate, Windsor Heights.

--source

Letter Of The Day

Congressional Republicans want us to believe the federal programs they are trying to cut to supposedly pay for the Katrina rebuilding effort don't affect most of us. But, among other things, they are aiming to cut billions of dollars from student loans, including work-study.

I am a middle-income parent of three children - two of whom are in college. There is no way our children would be getting through the University of Iowa and Georgetown University (combined costs in excess of $50,000 per year) without government-backed loans and work-study funds.

These programs are "hand up" as opposed to "hand outs." They enable millions of Americans to achieve a decent quality of life and a better future.

Congress should reject the Republican budget because it goes against the basic values of the American dream.

-Peggy Huppert, Clive.

--source

what's wrong with this picture?

WASHINGTON --The Senate decided Wednesday the money wasn't there for a substantial spending boost for the federal home heating program, deflecting arguments that soaring energy prices could force the poor to choose between heat and food this winter.

--source

ConocoPhillips said today that its third-quarter profits almost doubled after a series of devastating hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico curbed domestic supplies and pushed up oil and natural gas prices to record highs.

--source

and they wonder where the gap is growing.

a good link to have around

http://www.perrspectives.com/resources/documents.htm#plame

and speaking of plamegate

there's an interesting thread here on just who this mr. X is.

i'm not holding out any one person for they could all be X...
THE EX-ADMINISTRATION.

Quote of the Day

My favorite part is the contrast between Fitz, the hero, a working class son of a doorman, who through brilliance and real hard work went on to Harvard and became a principled proscector and then * the blivet, who was born on third, thought he hit a home run, and has, through 'hard work' destroyed and driven into the ground almost everything he's ever touched, and is as incurious and unprincipled as it is possible to be. Wow, it's a novel but it's real.
--bunny planet

on the topic of fritz' forthcoming announcement in the PLAMEgate affair.

from the GOOD NEWS department:

(CNN) -- A majority would vote for a Democrat over President Bush if an election were held this year, according to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll released Tuesday.

In the latest poll, 55 percent of the respondents said that they would vote for the Democratic candidate if Bush were again running for the presidency this year.

--cnn

kudos to the editors at the post

their editorial starts out today with:

VICE PRESIDENT Cheney is aggressively pursuing an initiative that may be unprecedented for an elected official of the executive branch: He is proposing that Congress legally authorize human rights abuses by Americans. "Cruel, inhuman and degrading" treatment of prisoners is banned by an international treaty negotiated by the Reagan administration and ratified by the United States. The State Department annually issues a report criticizing other governments for violating it. Now Mr. Cheney is asking Congress to approve legal language that would allow the CIA to commit such abuses against foreign prisoners it is holding abroad. In other words, this vice president has become an open advocate of torture.

--source

under the headline: Vice President for Torture

from the 'doesn't it just make you sick' department

With major oil companies set to announce profits in the next few days, the LAT takes a moment to point out that the corporations are rolling in bling. The industry is on pace to net nearly $100 billion this year; more than twice their profits of two years ago.

--slate's today's papers

surprise surprise.

a tribute to all those who died

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/26/national/IRAQDEATHS_GRAPHIC.html

Letter Of The Day

After reading the the Globe Gazette on Sunday, Oct. 23, I was surprised to see a couple of stories on alcohol abuse and binge drinking.

The story cited that the Logos, the student newspaper at NIACC, ran a LogosFOCUS on alcohol use and abuse on college campuses in the Sept. 16 issue. I happen to be the editor of that paper and I have a few feelings to share, as I wrote all four stories that were on the two pages of the LogosFOCUS.

Alcohol abuse is a large problem among college students, not just in North Iowa, but around the U.S. It is also a dangerous drug that has many effects such as OWI, higher rate of committing sexual abuse, assaults and even death.

But one of the main points for this letter is what I found on another section of the same edition of the Globe; an article on Halloween alcoholic drinks. I believe this is sending a mixed message and I don’t believe those two stories should have been run together. If you are going to list the negative affects of alcohol abuse and binge drinking, don’t put recipes for alcoholic “fun” Halloween drinks on another page of the same paper. That is just not smart.
--By BENJAMIN J. BUCK, Clear Lake

attribution

another sad milestone

U.S. military death toll

in Iraq

reaches 2,000

incompetence defined

after a while, one has to wonder, do any of these people who make these no-bid contracts, ever have to face consequences?

After spending nearly $1 million, here's what they got: Six vehicles with bad armor and run-down mechanics. They also were a little more than slightly used: The newest model was a 1996; the oldest a 1994.

According to the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, the seventh auto is missing.

In a report released Monday, the inspector general said the Pentagon couldn't get its money back because it did such a bad job negotiating the no-bid deal.
--yahoo

the new medicare drug plan

is indicative of just how screwed up the republicons are when they come to serving up something for millions of Americans.

Even the government doesn't seem to understand what's going on. It recently mailed millions of copies of a Medicare handbook containing a mistake in explaining the drug benefit. Last week, a consumer service group called Medicare Rights Center warned seniors to avoid using the government Medicare drug-plan finder. "The tool is misleading at worst, useless at best," said the group's president Robert M. Hayes.

And just wait until these drug benefits get rolling. Nursing homes, for example, could end up with patients on many different plans with different insurers, suppliers and rules. The poor on Medicaid will be assigned a drug plan if they don't choose one themselves. Maybe that plan will cover their drugs. Maybe it won't. Doctors and pharmacists will need to wade through patients' plans to figure out what drugs are covered.

It's a mess. It's Congress' fault.
--source

you're damned right it's congress' fault. because congress is led by republicons who have nothing better to do than enjoy all their perks and spend their contributions from insurance agents.

Letter Of The Day

why did this one win? because it made me think.

By JACK PAGE, Plymouth

What is wrong with the Democrats? George “Bring ’em On” Bush’s nomination of Harriet Miers for the Supreme Court is a counterfeit nomination, probably thought up by Karl Rove.

The White house wants her voted down so that Bush can then nominate Alberto “Torture ’Em” Gonzales, the attorney general, for that position.

Wake up, America. Support Miers and turn the tables on Bush, and wipe that smirk off his face.
--source

incompetence defined

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon paid $20 apiece for plastic ice cube trays that once cost it 85 cents. It paid a supplier more than $81 apiece for coffeemakers that it bought for years for just $29 from the manufacturer.

That's because instead of getting competitive bids or buying directly from manufacturers like it used to, the Pentagon is using middlemen who set their own prices. It's the equivalent of shopping for weekly groceries at a convenience store.

And it's costing taxpayers 20 percent more than the old system, a Knight Ridder investigation found.

--source

who can doubt that rummy is running amok with the people's money.

we created al-zarqawi

and now we're gonna have to live with him. another bush legacy.

U.S. intelligence officials say Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has expanded his terrorism campaign in Iraq to extremists in two dozen terror groups scattered across almost 40 countries, creating a network that rivals Osama bin Laden's.
--source

Letter Of The Day

Talk about flip-flopping and being immoral and hypocritical, consider the debate over the Supreme Court nomination of Harriet Miers.

During previous judicial confirmation debates, especially including the nomination of Chief Justice John Roberts, right-wing leaders insisted that any mention of a nominee's faith — or even indirect implication that his or her faith might influence judicial opinions — would be evidence of rank religious bigotry. But now, President Bush and leaders of the religious right rallying around the nomination of Miers cite her religious beliefs and the church she attends as reasons to believe she will oppose abortion rights — and to bolster support for her among activists on the far right.

What's wrong for John Roberts can't be right for Harriet Miers.

-Frank P. Belcastro, Dubuque.

attribution

Quote of the Day

"I hear you, I understand your concerns. Times are tough, but we're going to get through it."
--Senator William Frist (speaker at the Iowa Republican Party's annual Ronald Reagan dinner on 10/22/05

attribution

he couldn't hear our concerns if he was standing right next to you. he doesn't give a flying fuck about anything other than himself, the republicon party (he's not your father's republican), and money. i'd sure like to know where the rumor of him being a cat killer came from.

Paragraph of the Day

Government auditors found that Unisys, the company building the Transportation Security Administration's airport-to-airport communications system, billed the government in allegedly unauthorized ways. For example, the company requested and received $131/hour in reimbursement for workers that it actually paid about $50/hour. It billed thousands of hours of overtime "at a 100 percent profit" and altered timesheets months after workers filled them out. The company admitted to the Post that it lumped "hard-to-categorize" workers in the highest-wage category but claims that the overtime was proper and that it was correcting worker errors in the timesheets. For its part, the TSA admitted that, in its rush to get the contract moving, it didn't monitor expenses well. (In 2003 the government had only 25 people overseeing the $1 billion contract; today there are 242 people.) Elsewhere in the piece, anonymous government officials admit that they deliberately low-balled the contract's price (it will eventually cost $3 billion) to please Congress.

--today's papers

so she's 'judy' miller now? and not 'judith'?

watching MTP, as much as it agonizes me, and they're talkin about ms miller. frank rich is pitted against george packer, and some conservative mouthpiece 'i'm the victim here' and it's something i wanna grab some quotes from - later on when the transcript hits.

oh it's "i'm a victim, i'm a victim" time again

a letter writer in the des moines register who, as you expected, can't seem to get 'invited' to the hottest game in town:

If, however, it embraces those who do not endorse a homosexual lifestyle, and welcomes them to the table at its forums to preach a similar message, then bullying, on all levels, will be seriously addressed.

Until it does, the school districts, the businesses, the civil rights commissions and the newspapers that endorse these forums have, in essence, joined the task force in saying that those in the conservative community are not welcome.

—Mike Hartwig, vice president, community affairs, Iowa Family Policy Center, Pleasant Hill.

--attribution