October 7, 2006

Sex, politics, corruption, cover-up, infighting, and the added angle of the Internet

THE THINKING SPOT

Hastert Lied About Protecting a GOP Sexual Predator on the Internet. It's That Simple. And Now He Won't Comment, Using a Sham "Investigation" as An Excuse. If You Can't Trust the Republican Leadership to Protect Your Children From Online Sexual Predators, How Can You Trust Them to Protect the Nation?
http://tinyurl.com/fkuxu

DEFENSE CRUMBLING: Another Staffer Cites Earlier Role By Hastert’s Office…Rep. John M. Shimkus (R-Ill.) and the clerk of the House in November 2005 to confront Foley about troubling e-mails he had sent to a Louisiana boy.
http://tinyurl.com/fz7h6

Hastert's Whitewash "Investigation" is Aimed at Finding Out Who Exposed Him, Not Holding Him and the GOP House Leadership Accountable for Protecting a Sexual Predator.
http://tinyurl.com/s42p4

The Real Foley Scandal is Much Bigger than Foley - Republican Party's cover-up of a efforts to corrupt young pages, ineptness and possible foreknowledge of the 9-11 attacks, lies and misinformation used for an illegal and totally unwarranted invasion of Iraq?
http://tinyurl.com/p87ym

ALERT

New E. Coli Recall; 5,226 Pounds Of Ground Beef Across 7 States The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and Jim's Market and Locker, Inc. a Harlan, Iowa, firm, are recalling an estimated 5,226 pounds of ground beef that may be contaminated with E. coli.
http://tinyurl.com/ehee4

WAR

America ponders cutting Iraq in three parts - An independent commission set up by Congress with the approval of President George W Bush may recommend carving up Iraq into three highly autonomous regions http://tinyurl.com/o3ntg

Secret Letter From Iraq - A Marine's letter home, with its frank description of life in "Dante's inferno," has been circulating through generals' in-boxes. - "Biggest Outrage — Talking heads re the Iraq war, have thoughts are consistently simplistic and carefully politically slanted.
http://tinyurl.com/j2zqu

US Generals want US Defense Secretary Rumsfeld to resign
http://tinyurl.com/kabh5

US medic jailed over Iraq murder - But Petty Officer Melson J Bacos is expected to spend just one year in jail after agreeing to give evidence against seven marines charged with the murder.
http://tinyurl.com/hc7ut

Judge: Doctor a Conscientious Objector -A federal judge ruled Friday that the Army was wrong to deny a doctor's application for conscientious objector status, and ordered that she be discharged.
http://tinyurl.com/qsttf

Taliban Back, Using Iraq-Style Violence in Afghanistan. "One Iraq is bad enough," said Bruce Hoffman, a counterinsurgency expert at Georgetown University. "Given that our two main theaters of operations aren't going well, one has to question how well the U.S. understands counterinsurgency."
http://tinyurl.com/lwknv

Afghanistan five years later: poverty, violence, misery - Five years into the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, the country is far from won over - More than 3,000 people have been killed in rising violence this year. Suicide bombers are targeting ordinary Afghans and Western troops. Militants are assassinating key political figures, burning down schools and using roadside bombs to deadly effect.
http://tinyurl.com/lgzcs

Is Condi Rice Being Drug Tested? The most despised woman in the Middle East returned to the scene of the crime this week. Any way you cut it, Rice is a degenerate accessory to mass murder and is as accountable for the carnage in Lebanon and Gaza as Ehud Olmert. It’s one of the reasons she won’t be showing her face in Beirut any time soon.
http://tinyurl.com/kauap

Iraq's universities and schools near collapse as teachers and pupils flee: "The militias from all sides are in the universities. Classes are not happening because of the chaos, and colleagues are fleeing if they can," said Professor Saad Jawad, a lecturer in political science at Baghdad University.
http://tinyurl.com/hn6xh

Experts Warn of an Accidental Atomic War - A Pentagon project to modify its deadliest nuclear missile for use as a conventional weapon against targets such as North Korea and Iran could unwittingly spark an atomic war.
http://tinyurl.com/oukz3

Why They “Hate Us”: Bringing “Regime Change” and “Democracy” to Iran - The Iranian people have a long memory concerning 'regime change' and the installation, courtesy of the US, of one of the most brutal dictators of the 20th century, the Shah of Iran.
http://tinyurl.com/qhgpb

Bush's Failed Policy of Kill, Kill, Kill - Robert Parry writes that: "America will bleed itself dry of available troops; it will spend itself into bankruptcy; it will transform itself into a grotesque caricature of what the United States once was. It will strip its citizens of their constitutional rights; it will imprison suspected 'terrorists' and 'sympathizers' without trial; it will spread death and destruction around the globe."
http://tinyurl.com/gemud

How al Qaeda Views a Long Iraq War - a letter that has been translated and released by the US military indicates that al Qaeda itself sees the continued American presence in Iraq as a boon for the terror network
http://tinyurl.com/zyj4l

Existence of "Al-Qaeda" Is Crap; Quite Literally
http://tinyurl.com/qt7r6

POLITICS

Bush Has 'Worst Job Growth of the Last 40 Years'
http://tinyurl.com/eca5m

Secret Papers Could Halt CIA Case - Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff intends to load up his criminal trial with information about nine national security matters, the names of foreign leaders and details about various terrorist groups, according to court filings in the Valerie Plame leak case
http://tinyurl.com/f4gdf

The Abramoff Scandal Gets Closer to Rove - Why Did Rove Aide Resign? - Ralston's name was mentioned 162 times in a 93-page congressional report on the influence wielded in the Bush White House by uber-lobbyist Jack Abramoff,
http://tinyurl.com/nhmp8

Last year, not long after Libby was indicted, ... the Democratic leadership was asking the president to reassure the public that he would not pardon Libby or anyone else ultimately convicted of a crime as a result of the CIA leak investigation. "The president never responded. ... And Vice President Cheney, when asked recently by Tim Russert on 'Meet the Press' whether the President should pardon Scooter Libby, refused to answer. ...
http://tinyurl.com/r5frl
http://tinyurl.com/m7d4h

FEDERAL/ LEGAL

Secret Papers Could Halt CIA Case - The trial would collapse if the intelligence agencies refuse to declassify the information.
http://tinyurl.com/g8a9k

Bush removal ended Guam investigation- A US grand jury in Guam opened an investigation of controversial lobbyist Jack Abramoff more than two years ago, but President Bush removed the supervising federal prosecutor, and the probe ended soon after.
http://tinyurl.com/duu9h

"President Bush ... is quietly trying to pardon himself of any crimes connected with the torture and mistreatment of U.S. detainees. "The 'pardon' is buried in Bush's ... legislation to create a new kind of military tribunal for cases involving top al-Qaida operatives.
http://tinyurl.com/jlfbt
http://tinyurl.com/prnh3

ELECTION

Midterm vote may be hard to trust -Across the country, new vote-counting technologies stand poised to defy an accurate tally. Thus, much hot air will stem from facts that may not be factual.
http://tinyurl.com/h4uko

Pelosi Talks of First 100 Hours is time enough to begin to "drain the swamp" of Republican corruption if the Democrats take the House - Day One: lobbyists and legislation Day Two:9-11 recommendations honored
http://tinyurl.com/oq238

Menendez and Kean in dead heat, polls show - A Reuters/Zogby poll showed Menendez ahead 45-35 percent, and a Fairleigh Dickinson University Public Mind poll had the senator in front, 42-37 percent. Those results contrast a poll released Wednesday by Republican firm Strategic Vision, which had Kean up 46-41, and a week-old WNBC-TV poll, which had the challenger ahead 42-37. The Hill

In House Races, More GOP Seats Are Seen at Risk - At least five more Republican Congressional seats are in serious contention, analysts said Friday, as signs that the Congressional page scandal are sapping the enthusiasm of a group essential to Republican victories in 2002 and 2004: religious conservatives.
http://tinyurl.com/fl8a9

GOP's Hold on Evangelicals Weakening - Come November, many conservative Evangelicals may vote for a Democrat for Congress. This means those Evangelicals who consistently vote Republican are starting to worry about the course of the Iraq War. Many also find the Internet messages from former congressman Mark Foley (R-Fla.) to teenage boys "pretty sickening."
http://tinyurl.com/l2tya

Jeb Bush Hides From Protesters In a Closet During Santorum Event...
http://tinyurl.com/r873z

Media largely ignored two polls showing decline in Bush approval, after touting two polls showing Bush increase
http://tinyurl.com/pangl

Jeb Bush chased out of Pittsburgh by steelworkers Friday
http://tinyurl.com/nn5dv

Bush Hits New Low in Latest Newsweek Poll. Dems Outpoll GOP on the "Values" Issue.
http://tinyurl.com/glhjm

Voters Say Scandals will Affect their Vote in Midterm Elections - The Diebold machines, however, remain steadfast in their choices.
http://tinyurl.com/fn2g7

Congressional candidate Fine (R. Minneapolis) had record expunged - Fine was charged with domestic violence in 1995 and nine years later had his record expunged, Fine, the Fifth District Republican candidate, said he never struck Wexler, his first ex-wife.
http://tinyurl.com/hufo9

Of course Lieberman defends Hastert
http://tinyurl.com/nmjgf

McCain's Double Talk Express Hits Stump For Congressman Who Covered For Foley
http://tinyurl.com/s3ftk

ECONOMY

The Cost of War: Hidden from Purview - As Comptroller General David Walker testified in July, “neither DOD nor Congress knows how much the war on terror is costing or how appropriated funds are being used.”
http://tinyurl.com/p6oeq

CONGRESS

Ethics Committee Member: “We’re Looking At A Great Number Of People”…
http://tinyurl.com/kkcgr

Predators in Congress? More than one?
http://tinyurl.com/ps9an

Who is Scott Palmer? If Fordham did warn Palmer about Foley a long time ago, what are the odds that Palmer did not tell Hastert? They don't just work together all day, they live together.
http://tinyurl.com/kz75d

Both Republicans on Ethics Panel Have $Money$ Ties to Hastert - Both Republicans on the House ethics subcommittee investigating the Mark Foley scandal have financial ties to Speaker Dennis Hastert, whose handling of the former congressman's lurid Internet messages to House pages is under scrutiny.
http://tinyurl.com/z8ssd

House ethics panel launches investigation into Foley scandal - The ethics committee cannot punish Foley because he is no longer a member of the House. But panelists vowed yesterday to look into the actions of current lawmakers, House officials and aides. “Any person who is found guilty of improper conduct involving sexual contact or communication with a page should immediately resign, be fired, or be subjected to a vote of expulsion,” he said. The Hill

Why would Pelosi nix Freeh as investigator of page program disaster? -Former FBI Director Louis Freeh would be asked by Hastert to conduct an investigation of the House page program and to recommend reforms of it. House Minority Leader Pelosi (D-Calif.) rejected Freeh’s proposed involvement, said House Republicans. (check out who went to great lengths to take Clinton down a while back....) The Hill

Can Democrat John Laesch Take Down Hastert? A carpenter, former soldier, and erstwhile gas station manager, Laesch, 32, has never held elected office.
http://tinyurl.com/k829o

Don't Worry, Democrats Won't Impeach Bush, Democrat Says – Conyers "has told me directly: 'I'm not going to conduct an impeachment.
http://tinyurl.com/nadyg

DOMESTIC

Bush Dismantles Child Care - "The 'Child Care Crisis' - the absence of anyone to care for America's children, elderly and disabled," writes Ruth Rosen, "has turned into the new millennium's version of the 'Problem That Has No Name.' It is the 800-pound elephant that sits in Congress, our homes and offices - gigantic, but ignored."
http://tinyurl.com/n2hh4

Thousands Nationwide Protest Bush - Hundreds of people called the Bush administration's policies a crime and held up yellow police tape in front of the White House on Thursday as part of a nationwide day of protest against the president. Demonstrators gathered for similar events in more than 200 cities to protest Bush on issues ranging from global warming to the war in Iraq.
http://tinyurl.com/hwovn

Bush: "You Can't Kick 12,000,000 People Out Of Your Country"
http://tinyurl.com/fje4b

Thousands Wrongly on Terror List - The U.S. transferred him without court approval to Syria where he was tortured and imprisoned for a year. A Canadian inquiry found that Arar should not have been on the list because he didn't do anything wrong.
http://tinyurl.com/lko8m

TSA's plans for crisis - The Transportation Security Administration may not be able to secure the nation's airports, transit systems and other vital operations during a terrorist attack, a government report released Thursday says. "If an agency that's designed to help the rest of the country recover can't itself recover from an attack, how helpful can it be to the rest of the country?"
http://tinyurl.com/rvj5d

Pentagon Confirms China's Anti-Satellite Laser Test - The Pentagon has confirmed that China has tested its anti-satellite laser and jammed a U.S. satellite but wouldn't say which satellite was involved.
http://tinyurl.com/oqw67

Retired Forest Planner Blasts Secret Forest Service Project - The Forest Service has begun bulldozing campgrounds under a secret policy to close recreation facilities. Retired Forest Service planner Dick Artley said: "Something very tragic is happening to our public land. This policy was cooked up in secret by the Forest Service in 2002 with absolutely no public involvement or congressional review."
http://tinyurl.com/zjqvy

ENVIRONMENT

17,000 Flee Hazardous Waste Plant Explosions in North Carolina - As many as 17,000 people were urged to flee their homes on the outskirts of Raleigh early Friday as flames shot from a burning hazardous waste plant and a chlorine cloud rose high over the area.
http://tinyurl.com/hjwn4

INTERNATIONAL

EU considers visa snub against US : The European Commission has suggested making US diplomats apply for visas, in retaliation for the US's refusal to waive visas for people of 10 EU states.
http://tinyurl.com/lmfw5

U.S. Financial Aid To Israel: Figures, Facts, and Impact
http://tinyurl.com/zk9un

Castro Has Terminal Cancer, Will Never Return To Power...
http://tinyurl.com/o6w6r

India may gain 10 million jobs from outsourcing - Microsoft Corp., IBM Corp. and local software companies such as Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. are hiring more in India to manage back-office operations and develop software programs for U.S. companies.
http://tinyurl.com/hft9p

North Korea's missile programme - North Korea can strike back if Bush and the Neocons pick a fight. Their missiles can hit Alaska, Hawaii, and the West Coast, and so far, the US ballistic missile defense is batting 200.
http://tinyurl.com/kfqhr

Nuclear bomb test 'just a day away' - NORTH KOREA could carry out a nuclear test as early as tomorrow, according to Chinese sources.Preparations to detonate a bomb at a 2,000 metre-deep abandoned coalmine close to the Chinese border have reportedly been completed,
http://tinyurl.com/knmjb

Survey shows opportunity for American businesses to strengthen bonds with young leaders in the Arab world –
http://tinyurl.com/h6abj

Great wall to seal off Iraq – The feeling in Saudi is that Iraq is way out of control with no possibility of stability," SAUDI Arabia plans to build a 900-kilometre, $700 million high-tech fence to seal off its troubled northern neighbour Iraq.
http://tinyurl.com/qrfde

Chavez denies being anti-US: What we are against is the imperial elite and that is very different. : Aljazeera Interviews President Chavez of Venezuela
http://tinyurl.com/jsspr

MILITARY

Marine Base Seeks Missing Laptop - A laptop computer loaded with personal information on 2,400 residents of the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base has been lost, authorities said Friday
http://tinyurl.com/ppe9m

MEDIA AND JOURNALISM

Impeachment Anyone? - David Swanson writes: "Never before has the system of government established by the US Constitution been as seriously threatened;
http://tinyurl.com/pgpef

Major Theater Chains Refuse To Screen *****Death Of A President...***** "It's quite a compelling political thriller. In many ways it is sympathetic to George Bush. It talks about a rush to judgment. In no way is it a call for violence."
http://tinyurl.com/m5tjk

Woodward on Bush and the Saudis
http://tinyurl.com/zsfq8

EDITORIALS - OPINIONS

Return of the War Criminal Return of the War Criminal - The fact that Kissinger has Bush's ear does not auger well for either the future of this country or that of the world. The Old War Criminal is back. I try not to hold grudges, but I must admit I have never lost one ounce of rancor toward Henry Kissinger, that cynical, slithery, self-absorbed pathological liar.
http://tinyurl.com/h7q85

HEALTH

Federal Agents Looking for Negligence at California Spinach Plants – Federal investigators trying to build a criminal case against two companies in the contaminated spinach outbreak are following a script first used a decade ago to prosecute a company whose E. coli-tainted apple juice killed a baby and sickened dozens of other people.
http://tinyurl.com/kqp4k

HUMAN RIGHTS

Indonesia Bans Doctors From Practicing Female Genital Mutilation - The Indonesian government announced this week that it is prohibiting doctors and nurses from performing female genital cutting. According to Reuters, some Indonesian groups encourage families to perform female genital mutilation, possibly to maintain chastity and virginity before marriage and to ensure faithfulness in the woman's marriage.
http://tinyurl.com/rltf3

SPECIAL INTEREST

Fundamentalist Pastor Forbids Teens and Adults in Congregation to Blog or Have Personal Websites.
http://tinyurl.com/pskk2