Man charged after videotaping police

quote[A city man is charged with violating state wiretap laws by recording a detective on his home security camera, while the detective was investigating the man’s sons.

Michael Gannon, 49, of 26 Morgan St., was arrested Tuesday night, after he brought a video to the police station to try to file a complaint against Detective Andrew Karlis, according to Gannon’s wife, Janet Gannon, and police reports filed in Nashua District Court.]

In keeping with today's profanity policy, those cops were a bunch of corrupt fucks.

Both Parties Join Hands to Sell Out America…Again

quote[Sadly, there were also 10 Democrats who sold out and voted for this trade pact. They were Baucus, Cantwell, Clinton, Kerry, Landrieu, Lieberman, Nelson (FL), Nelson (NE), Obama and Salazar. I was surprised to see Kerry among those - he had recently pledged to get more serious about reforming our trade policy. Hillary Clinton - well, let’s just keep these kinds of votes in mind when she runs for President.

Then there is Lieberman - a guy who has consistently voted to sellout American workers. I hope Ned Lamont hammers him for this latest sellout - and reminds Connecticut voters that Lieberman is so out of step that even Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) voted against this thing.]

Fuck Lieberman.

Can someone tell me why in Hell the AFL-CIO is endorsing him?

Sensitive Subject In The Senate

quote[Want to see a Democratic senator squirm? Don't ask about Iraq or gasoline prices. Ask about Joe Lieberman.

They edge toward the door, duck into the elevator, scoot down the hall to avoid the question: Will you support Joe Lieberman if he loses the Aug. 8 Senate primary to Ned Lamont and runs as an independent?

Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, D-Conn., laughs heartily and says, "My boy Joe's going to win the primary." Pressed on what would happen if he does not, Dodd gets more serious.

"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it," he said. "I learned not to answer questions like that until I have to."

Other longtime friends of Lieberman, a three-term colleague and the party's 2000 vice presidential nominee, also avoid looking too far ahead.

"At the moment we are supporting Joe Lieberman," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.]

They should all shut the fuck up and support whoever WE choose to run.

Apologies for language...

The Liebercampaignstaff!

quote[I have a well documented taste for the oddball, the garish, the chaotic, the eccentric.

That’s why I am just loving that improv comedy troupe that Joe Lieberman has hired as his campaign staff. In the words of Alfred Lord Tennyson:

They're creepy and they're kooky,
Mysterious and spooky,
They're altogether ooky,

The Liebercampaignstaff!

Yesterday, they were especially fun. First, they made the ordinarily level-headed Paul Bass very mad when they issued an altogether ooky anti-Lamont flyer which contained a falsehood which they falsely attributed to Bass. Isn’t it fun to watch Paul get so mad?

Then, they responded to a Lamont commercial which attempted to deceive the voters into believing that Lieberman's voice sometimes comes out of President Bush’s mouth, much in the vein of the now scientifically discredited documentary “Look Who’s Talking.”

In response, the Lieberman press secretary issued list of “facts,” a political term meaning “things which, if they were true, would make our jobs a lot easier.”]

LOL! This is really a great read. Colin McEnroe is may favorite Courant columnist (he also has his own radio show from 3-6 PM on 1080 WTIC-unfortunately, for me, that conflicts with the Ed Schultz show).

Court reporter: I saw judge's penis at least 15 times

quote[The court reporter for former Creek County District Judge Donald Thompson testified Monday that she saw his penis "at least 15 times" and that she saw him urinate into a wastebasket twice during trials.

Thompson is on trial on four felony counts of indecent exposure, which allege that he used a penis pump to masturbate while on the bench.

The court reporter, Lisa K. Foster, provided powerful and emotional testimony Monday about the "shocking and disgusting" things she saw from 2001 into 2003.

Foster was Thompson's court reporter for 15 years. He fired her in September 2003 for reportedly cooperating with an investigation of his alleged misconduct.

Foster also told jurors that she saw Thompson "shaving his scrotum" during closing arguments in an August 2003 murder trial.]

This is just seriously messed up. I hope she sues for sexual harrassment.

Israeli warplanes make "warning" flight over Syria

quote[Israeli warplanes flew low over one of President Bashar al-Assad's palaces on Wednesday to warn
Syria against supporting Palestinian militants who abducted an Israeli soldier, the Israeli army said.

Israeli media reports said four planes carried out the overflights near the city of Latakia at low altitude, early in the morning, causing several sonic booms.

They said Assad was at the palace at the time.]

This can't be good.

Lieberman Lies, Leaps Into Gutter

quote[He did it with this new attack flyer mailed to Democratic voters...

Joe Lieberman's reelection campaign for U.S. Senate has already been widely criticized, even by conservatives sympathetic to the candidate, for its low-grade attack tactics on Ned Lamont, the challenger seeking to wrest the Democratic Party nomination from the three-term senator in an Aug. 8 primary. In terms of outright lying, gutter graphics, and utterly misleading twisting of fact, the Lieberman campaign may have hit a new Rove-ian/Atwater-ian milestone with the two-sided glossy direct-mail flyer which Democratic voters in Connecticut started receiving at their homes on Saturday. It was the second glossy direct-mailer the Lieberman campaign sent within a week.]

What an ass! This self-entitled prick HAS TO GO!

Support Ned Lamont! Vote for him on November 8th.

Look Who's Talking: President Bush or Senator Lieberman?

quote[We are going on the air with a brand new commercial, and we need your help to keep it on the air. While Senator Lieberman distorts facts and outright lies about Ned's record, we are going to hit back with the truth. For too long Senator Lieberman has parroted Republican talking points, giving "Democratic" cover to the president's failed policies. If it talks like George W. Bush and acts like George W. Bush, it's certainly not a Connecticut Democrat. Watch the commercial and help keep us on the air. ]

The transition at the end was creepy.

Support Ned Lamont.

Republican Congressional Hopeful Blames Troubles on the Devil

quote[Republican congressional hopeful John Jacob believes the devil is impeding his efforts to unseat five-term Rep. Chris Cannon.

"There's another force that wants to keep us from going to Washington, D.C.," Jacob told The Salt Lake Tribune. "It's the devil is what it is. I don't want you to print that, but it feels like that's what it is."

Jacob faces Cannon in Tuesday's primary election following a campaign battle that has focused on immigration. Cannon has supported a guest-worker program and Jacob has opposed it.

In other developments Thursday, Jacob denied having had a gambling addiction and acknowledged misstating the number of illegal immigrants at the state prison in Gunnison.]

I have no comment.

Limbaugh Detained at Palm Beach Airport

quote[Rush Limbaugh was detained for more than three hours Monday at Palm Beach International Airport after authorities said they found a bottle of Viagra in his possession without a prescription.

Customs officials found a prescription bottle labeled as Viagra in his luggage that didn't have Limbaugh's name on it, but that of two doctors, said Paul Miller, spokesman for the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.]

You can't make this shit up.

Wouldn't you think he'd be more careful, given his recent history???

Fox News To Rip Off Daily Show???

quote[FNC programming VP "Bill Shine is testing several pilots, and this is one of them," an FNC spokesperson says...

Last week, TVNewser asked if Fox was working on a show pilot styled after Jon Stewart's Daily Show on Comedy Central. Then yesterday, TVNewser asked if conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham was at FNC shooting something over the weekend.

The answers are yes and yes, and they're apparently related. An anonymous tipster says Ingraham's pilot is known as "Watch This Right Now." The tipster calls it "an absolutely terrible rip off of Daily Show" including a "music and video montage" and "mouth replacement of known news figures." (Huh?) "They want to keep it a secret so they hired all freelance tech people," the tipster adds. "The writers and producers should be embarassed to show this one to Roger."]

Good God! LOL!

Rove, Satan story causes confusion

quote[An article sporting the headline, "Rove, Satan plot GOP fall campaign strategy" in the St. Petersburg Times made it seem as though the story was printed as part of the paper's news section, RAW STORY has learned.]



But it is true, right?

A house Divided

quote[While many Nashvillians prepare to see Al Gore at his book signing and movie premiere in Green Hills today, a group of people has alternate plans.

HillaryNow.com members will be protesting Al Gore from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. today at the Green Hills Mall during the book signing at Davis Kidd Booksellers, also in Green Hills.


HillaryNow.com is an online group that supports the running of former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton in the 2008 presidential election.]

Democrats need to get their fucking priorities straight.

Apologies for the language...

Senators Santorum and Lieberman Produce Iraqi Mustard Canister for Disbelieving Press

Quote[After being rebuffed by the press yesterday for disclosing a two-month old report on the Army's continued destruction of deteriorated pre-1991 munitions containing evidence of mustard gas and sarin, Pennsylvania Republican Senator Rick Santorum accompanied by Connecticut Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman, as a sign of bipartisan support, produced one of the actual recovered canisters at a follow up press conference this morning. Santorum and Lieberman went on to reiterate that this was clearly evidence of the existence of weapons of mass destruction prior to the invasion of Iraq, therefore justifying the Bush administration's actions.]

LOL!

AT&T rewrites rules: Your data isn't yours

quote[AT&T has issued an updated privacy policy that takes effect Friday. The changes are significant because they appear to give the telecom giant more latitude when it comes to sharing customers' personal data with government officials.

The new policy says that AT&T -- not customers -- owns customers' confidential info and can use it "to protect its legitimate business interests, safeguard others, or respond to legal process."]

I'm a little pissed that we just agreed to a 12 month committment with ATT.

Senator Palpatine Sides With Republicans...Again

quote[A somber Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman stood alone on the Democratic side of the Senate Wednesday and broke with his colleagues on the Iraq war, announcing he would oppose today two Democratic-authored blueprints for pulling American troops out of Iraq.

Lieberman, the first and so far only Democrat to declare plans to vote against both measures, spoke near the end of a tense day of partisan debate over Iraq policy.

ADVERTISEMENT
Setting a deadline for redeployment or withdrawal, he said, could have dire consequences.

"I fear that it would also send another message to our terrorist enemies and to the sectarian militias in Iraq," Lieberman argued, "that America is not prepared to see this fight through until the Iraqis themselves can take over."]

Support Ned Lamont For Senate.

Southern San Andreas fault waiting to explode

quote[ The southern end of the San Andreas fault near Los Angeles, which has been still for more than two centuries, is under immense stress and could produce a massive earthquake at any moment, a scientist said on Wednesday.

Yuri Fialko, of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at La Jolla, California, said that given average annual movement rates in other areas of the fault, there could be enough pent-up energy in the southern end to trigger a cataclysmic jolt of up to 10 meters (32 ft).

"The observed strain rates confirm that the southern section of the San Andreas fault may be approaching the end of the interseismic phase of the earthquake cycle," he wrote in the science journal Nature.

A sudden lateral movement of 7 to 10 meters would be among the largest ever recorded.]

Scary stuff.

A Sad Story...

quote[Ahmed, Shafiq Rasul, and Asif Iqbal were boyhood friends on their way to a wedding in September 2001. Iqbal was to be married in Faisalabad, Pakistan. The wedding was arranged by his parents. Ahmed was to be best man.

But it wasn't to be. Afghan warlord and U.S. ally Rashid Dostum labeled them al Qaeda operatives and arrested all three. At the time, Dostum and others from the Northern Alliance were rounding prisoners up to hand over to the US as proof of their allegiance to US forces.

Along with what they say were hundreds of other detainees, the three were forced into containers so tight their chests pressed against their knees. Bullets pierced the walls, Ahmed says, killing some prisoners but allowing enough air in to keep others alive.

Mass graves found near Mazar-e-Sharif have since revealed that hundreds of prisoners captured by Dostum died before they ever made it into US custody. Stories of mass suffocation are not unique.]

Shut down Guantanamo NOW.

VIDEO: Cheney Reasserts That Iraqi Insurgency Entered Its ‘Last Throes’ In May 2005

quote[ REPORTER: About a year ago, you said that the insurgency in Iraq was in its final throes. Do you still believe this?

CHENEY: I do. What I was referring to was the series of events that took place in 1995 [sic – 2005]. I think the key turning point when we get back 10 years from now, say, and look back on this period of time and with respect to the campaign in Iraq, will be that series of events when the Iraqis increasingly took over responsibility for their own affairs. And there I point to the election in January of ‘05 when we set up the interim government, the drafting of the constitution in the summer of ’05, the national referendum in the fall of ‘05 when the Iraqis overwhelmingly approved that constitution, and then the vote last December when some 12 million Iraqis in defiance of the car bombers and the terrorists went to the polls and voted in overwhelming numbers to set up a new government under that constitution. And that process of course has been completed recently with the appointment by Prime Minister Maliki of ministers to fill those jobs. I think that will have been from a historical turning point, the period that we’ll be able to look at and say, that’s when we turned the corner, that’s when we began to get a handle on the long-term future of Iraq.]

This guy is insane.

Pardon talk for Libby begins

quote[Speculation about a pardon began in late October, soon after Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald unsealed the perjury indictment of Libby, and it continued last week after Fitzgerald chose not to charge Rove.

"I think ultimately, of course, there are going to be pardons," said Joseph diGenova, a former prosecutor and an old Washington hand who shares that view with many pundits.

"These are the kinds of cases in which historically presidents have given pardons," said the veteran Republican attorney.

The White House remains mum on the president's intentions. Spokeswoman Dana Perino declined to comment Friday.

Bush has powerful incentives to pardon Libby, however. They range from rewarding past loyalty to ending the awkward revelations emerging from pretrial motions, a flow that could worsen in his trial next year.]

Of course they are...

Gore Refuses to Back Lieberman

quote[Interviewed on Bloomberg TV, Al Gore refused to endorse his former vice presidential running mate, Sen. Joe Lieberman (C-CT), in his re-election race.

Said Gore: "I am not involved. I typically do not get involved in Democratic primaries. Joe is my close friend, Joe and Hadassah are close to Tipper and me and it would be very difficult for me to ever oppose him. But I don't get involved in primaries typically. He's a great guy and he's right on a lot of other issues."

Of course, Gore did get involved in the 2004 Democratic presidential primaries and backed Howard Dean over Lieberman.]

Interesting...

Lieberman Will Primary

quote[If he does decide to run as a petitioning candidate, Lieberman will need to do more than collect signatures. He will need to reframe his campaign and give voters a persuasive rationale for his quitting the primary - other than a fear that anti-war and anti-Bush activists might deliver it to Lamont.

One problem is that Lieberman has been trying to discredit Lamont, a rich businessman, among Democrats by saying he was a frequent Republican ally while serving as a local official in Greenwich.

But if Lieberman quits the primary and bases his campaign on an appeal to Republicans, unaffiliated voters and conservative Democrats, he suddenly will have to argue that Lamont really is allied with a far-left minority within the Democratic Party.

"The message shifts overnight, and that's the hard part," said George Jepsen, a former Democratic state chairman and state Senate majority leader.

Or, as Lamont's campaign manager, Tom Swan, said: "Is Ned a Republican, or a `left-wing weirdo?'"]

The noose tightens. Lieberman's hanging himself, folks.

Former Connecticut Democratic Party Chair and State Senate Majority Leader George Jepsen Endorses Ned Lamont

quote[ I like Joe Lieberman -- whom I have known for more than 29 years.

However, there are just a lot of views of his, views in which he believes passionately and I admire Joe for his passion, that i don't share. There are issues beyond the war and his support for it that concern me, though the war is one of these.

The areas of difference between us range from his views about the Terry Schiavo case, medical assistance for rape victims, national gas facilities in the Rhode Island Sound, school vouchers, not having firmer and bolder lines for opposing certain Supreme Court nominees, and other policy matters.

This has become a matter of conscience for me, and I can't continue to support Joe Lieberman when there are so many areas of difference between his views and my own.

I have known Ned Lamont for 25 years. He is intellectually capable and accomplished and a very thoughtful person. He is not drive by raw ambition but rather by the desire to do good for this state and our country.

I know that he is willing to stand up to the Bush administration and work hard for a better and different agenda.

That is why I am strongly supporting Ned Lamont.]

Great news!

Even Pedophiles Agree, Bush Bad Pres.

quote[The Homeland Security aide also added that he met President Bush, and said of the President: "nice guy but not a good president ... he is not very bright and it is evident ... bush is a liar ... there were NO weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. total lie to go to war."]

Where's Bill Frist Now?

quote[Under a Texas law signed by then-Gov. George W. Bush in 1999, hospitals don't have to continue life support more than 10 days after their ethics board decides lifesaving measures are pointless. Families, however, have the right to look for a facility that will continue treatment.]

Culture of life, my ass.

China Makes Ultimate Punishment Mobile

quote[The country that executed more than four times as many convicts as the rest of the world combined last year is slowly phasing out public executions by firing squad in favor of lethal injections. Unlike the United States and Singapore, the only two other countries where death is administered by injection, China metes out capital punishment from specially equipped "death vans" that shuttle from town to town.]

Also gross.

Police find 2 bodies, 3 heads at car crash scene

quote[A man transporting his wife’s severed head in a pickup truck crashed into an oncoming car, killing a woman and her 4-year-old daughter, police said. The impact sent the head flying onto the road.

A Boise police officer was driving behind Alofa Time’s truck on a busy road when he noticed the man’s erratic driving and then watched him slam into the car, police spokeswoman Lynn Hightower said.

Time, 51, who was not injured, told officers he was involved in his wife’s death, investigators said.]

Gross.

Spiderman Outs Himself To The Press

quote[In the latest edition of the Marvel comic "Civil War" on sale, Spiderman does the unthinkable and removes his Spidey mask to publicly reveal his hidden identity.

"I'm proud of who I am, and I'm here right now to prove it," the legendary webslinger tells a press conference called in New York's Times Square, before pulling off his mask and standing before the massed ranks of reporters as newspaper photographer Peter Parker.]

I don't know how I feel about this. But I want to get a copy of this edition.

Stephen Hawking says pope told him not to study beginning of universe

quote[Hawking, who didn't say when the meeting was held, quoted the pope as saying, "It's OK to study the universe and where it began. But we should not enquire into the beginning itelf because that was the moment of creation and the work of God."

The scientist then joked during a lecture in Hong Kong, "I was glad he didn't realize I had presented a paper at the conference suggesting how the universe began. I didn't fancy the thought of being handed over to the Inquisition like Galileo."]

If you ever get the chance to see him speak, it is well worth it. Even if you aren't all that up on science.

Lieberman Leaving The Party? Email from Jim Dean.

Dear Plunderer (I edited that part),

Have you seen the news in Connecticut? Hot off a DFA-List endorsement, Ned Lamont is surging. Two recent polls show him within striking distance of Joe Lieberman in the Connecticut Senate primary.1 He also recently won key endorsements from teachers' unions -- both AFT Connecticut and the Connecticut Education Association announced their support for Lamont this week.2

Senator Lieberman knows that Ned Lamont is for real. A few days ago, Lieberman told reporters that he is refusing to rule out leaving the Democratic Party to continue his run for re-election as an Independent. In fact, he told reporters that he is not "going to close out any options."3 While that's his prerogative, it's still outrageous. Joe Lieberman seems to believe that he is entitled to keep his Senate seat, and he's open to leaving the party to do so.

Like the vast majority of other Connecticut Democrats, myself included, Ned Lamont has promised to support the winner of the Democratic Primary, even if he doesn't emerge victorious. Please join me and urge Senator Lieberman do the same:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/standtogether-ct

Joe hasn't confirmed that he's planning to run as an Independent. But his campaign seems to be laying the groundwork, courting important Beltway insiders from both sides of the aisle. Amazingly, Senator Chuck Schumer, Chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), has said that the DSCC will not rule out supporting Lieberman if he runs as an Independent.4 The DSCC's mission is to elect Democrats to the Senate. Yet in this case, they would prefer to back an incumbent who leaves the party instead of a principled progressive who's proud to be a Democrat.

Primaries are healthy for the party, and Democrats in Connecticut will decide their nominee on August 8. The winner should receive the full support of all Democrats. We need to stand together in November. Please join me and ask the Beltway Democrats, including Joe Lieberman and Chuck Schumer, to do the same:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/standtogether-ct

Last week, over 400 Connecticut DFA and MoveOn members came out from around the state to attend our Ned Lamont endorsement rally in New Haven. After the rally, State Representative John Geragosian said, "I've been in politics 20 years, and I don't know anyone in this room." This is how we start a movement. Together, we're taking our country back.

Jim Dean
Chair

DSCC may back Lieberman even if he loses primary

quote[Schumer said that the DSCC "fully supports" Sen. Joe Lieberman in his primary bid, and he refused to rule out continuing that support if Lieberman were to run as an independent.

There were degrees of independence, Schumer said. "You can run as an independent, you can run as an independent Democrat who pledges to vote for Harry Reid as Majority Leader."

Schumer said he had neither sought nor recieved assurances from Lieberman that an independent bid would not ensue if Ned Lamont tightened the noose.]

This disgusts me.

Girls 'Savior' Getting More Time Than Her Molestor

quote[Last year, Hahn, a 26-year-old Los Gatos felon with a rap sheet full of residential burglaries, anonymously sent police some stolen photographs -- photos that showed a man molesting a toddler. Using the photographs, police found and arrested John Robertson ``Robbie'' Aitken. Last month, Aitken pleaded no contest to molestation charges and received a 30-year sentence.

But Hahn, who was later arrested for a burglary spree after he turned in the photos, is facing a prison term that could be longer than Aitken's. The latest series of burglaries was Hahn's ``third strike,'' and prosecutors have decided to seek a life sentence. His trial could begin this month.]

This is just sad...

Bush Mocks Blind Reporter

quote[THE PRESIDENT: Yes, Peter. Are you going to ask that question with shades on?

Q I can take them off.

THE PRESIDENT: I’m interested in the shade look, seriously.

Q All right, I’ll keep it, then.

THE PRESIDENT: For the viewers, there’s no sun. (Laughter.)

Q I guess it depends on your perspective. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: Touche. (Laughter.)]

Idiot.

Jason Leopold Stands By His Rove Indictment Story

[Audio Link]

He needs to divulge his sources.

Relentless Rain Means Skillions Of Skeeters

quote[So the first mosquito statistics came back last week, and Ted Andreadis didn't sound too encouraging.

"The numbers that are coming are very high," said the chief entomologist for the state Agricultural Experiment Station. The day before, he said, they counted more than 6,600 mosquitoes at their first trapping sites (they're trapping at 91 sites altogether). "That's about three times the normal amount for this time of the year."]

Sorry Karen.

Lamont Challenges Lieberman

quote[...I may be the underdog in this race, but I won't roll over every time the Bush/Cheney Administration demands it. So I have a challenge for our junior senator. Joe, let's both go to the Democratic primary on August 8th, and let the people of Connecticut decide. I'll pledge to back you one hundred percent if you win. And for the good of the party, you'll pledge to support me one hundred percent if I'm victorious. What do you say Senator? May the best Democrat win. I'm Ned Lamont, I'm running for the U.S. Senate, and I approve this message...]

I bet Lieberman avoids this challenge!

US 'planning to keep 50,000 troops in Iraq for many years'

quote[But despite fierce domestic pressure to reduce troop levels before November's critical mid-term elections, there were growing signals that Gen George Casey, America's Iraq commander, may raise troop levels in the short-term.

Mr Bush said in his weekend radio address that "violence in Iraq may escalate" as terrorists tried to prove that they had survived the loss of their leader.

American commanders are also worried by the situation in the Sunni areas at the heart of the insurgency, where American units have complained of a shortage of men.]

No shit!

'A LOT OF FORCE': Mystery object hits center

quote[He said he had recently listened to a radio show about meteor activity during this time of year and thought it might be an object from space.

He called Clay Crow, a UNLV geoscience professor, who said the object's description didn't sound like a meteor.

Gleicher's theory is that the rock might have fallen off a plane. Toilet waste that leaks from planes descends in the form of ice, but lucky for Gleicher his falling object isn't melting.]

For Karen. I just had too.

NOTE TO REPUBLICANS: THE PARTY'S OVER By Garrison Keillor

quote[You might not have always liked Republicans, but you could count on them to manage the bank. They might be lousy tippers, act snooty, talk through their noses, wear spats and splash mud on you as they race their Pierce-Arrows through the village, but you knew they could do the math. To see them produce a ninny and then follow him loyally into the swamp for five years is disconcerting, like seeing the Rolling Stones take up lite jazz. So here we are at an uneasy point in our history, mired in a costly war and getting nowhere, a supine Congress granting absolute power to a president who seems to get smaller and dimmer, and the best the Republicans can offer is San Franciscophobia? This is beyond pitiful. This is violently stupid.]

Great, short, article.

US super-embassy emerges in the heart of Baghdad

quote[On the west bank of the Tigris on the edge of Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone a forest of cranes marks the progress of Iraq's newest monument: a US embassy that will be the largest in the world.

Once an army of more than 3,500 construction workers have completed it in June 2007, the vast complex will be the new hub of the American administration in Iraq.

Protected by 15ft thick walls and ringed by military guards, it signals the seriousness of America's intentions to retain a large and long-term presence in the country. The £315 million building's existence is meant to be a secret. Any request for a comment from the US State Department is met with a terse rebuff, and a plea for a photo opportunity is deemed out of the question.]

Is there any question as to our intentions in Iraq?

The Washington Times Slimes Democrats With a Lie

quote[Wingers online, already high off their I-told-you-so buzz permeating from the killing of Abu Musab Zarqawi (a pro-war buzz we haven't sensed since Saddam was captured, his sons were killed, or his statute was toppled--take your pick) were cackling over a Washington Times article posted late Thursday afternoon.

Headline: "Democrats call Zarqawi killing a stunt."

First sentence: "Some Democrats, breaking ranks from their leadership, today said the death of terrorist leader Abu Musab Zarqawi in Iraq was a stunt to divert attention from an unpopular and hopeless war."

Matt Drudge immediately posted the article up high on his site, while Power Line, Michelle Malkin and legions from the 101st Fighting Keyboarders touted the piece as proof Democrats can't even back Bush, let alone the U.S. military, when a ruthless terrorist is finally knocked out. That's how crazy conspiratorial Democrats are, they think the killing of Zarqawi was a stunt.

Slight problem. The Washington Times completely manufactured the story. Meaning the Washington Times article does not quote a single Democrat who thinks the Zarqawi killing was a "stunt." The article, as far as I can tell, was a pure Democratic hit piece from the right-wing daily owned by the Rev. Sung Myung Moon, who fancies himself to be the son of God. I realize it's not exactly news when the Washington Times adopts unique journalism guidelines, but this instance really did seem to break new ground for the money-losing newspaper since the piece appeared at first glance, based on the whiplash speed with which it made the rounds online, to have been part of an orchestrated campaign to damage Congressional Democrats.]

I'm not surprised...

Lamont Shown Gaining Ground

quote[Lieberman leads Lamont among all Democrats, 57 percent to 32 percent, compared with 65 percent to 19 percent on May 2. Among Democrats judged likely to vote, Lamont has closed to within 15 percentage points, 55 percent to 40 percent.]

Support is growing.

Server Issues...

Just a note to anyone who reads this blog:

Blogger has been having serious server errors lately (to the point that I'm seriously considering moving to a different server).

If you can read this, then lucky you, the site loaded.

Unfortunately, it's nearly impossible for me to update at this time. Sorry.

-P

P.S. If this actually posts, I might try an update or two.

Bush National Guard bust unveiling said postponed from December of 2002 because of 'pending war' with Iraq

quote[The unveiling of a bronze bust commemorating President George W. Bush's service in the Texas Air National Guard was postponed initially from December of 2002 due to the "pending war" with Iraq at the time, according to an assistant to the renowned sculptor commissioned for the project.]

Interesting, given that we HADN'T decidedd to go to war yet.

Why Does This Hate Merchant Get Air Time???

quote[LAUER: On the 9-11 widows, an in particular a group that had been critical of the administration:

" These self-obsessed women seem genuinely unaware that 9-11 was an attack on our nation and acted like as if the terrorist attack only happened to them. They believe the entire country was required to marinate in their exquisite personal agony. Apparently, denouncing bush was part of the closure process."

And this part is the part I really need to talk to you about:

"These broads are millionaires, lionized on TV and in articles about them, reveling in their status as celebrities and stalked by griefparrazies. I have never seen people enjoying their husband’s death so much."

Because they dare to speak out?

COULTER: To speak out using the fact they are widows. This is the left's doctrine of infallibility. If they have a point to make about the 9-11 commission, about how to fight the war on terrorism, how about sending in somebody we are allowed to respond to> No-No-No. We always have to respond to someone who just had a family member die--

LAUER: But aren't they in the middle of the story?...

COULTER: ...Because then if we respond, oh you are questioning their authenticity. No, the story is...

LAUER: So grieve but grieve quietly?

LAUER: What I’m saying is I don’t think they have ever told you, you can't respond.

COULTER: Look, you are getting testy with me.

Lauer actually got to her at the end a little bit because he couldn't believe she would write something as repulsive as that. Wake up Matt, NBC and all the other networks. Ann was off from the beginning of the interview. She had trouble responding to Matt's questions about why Bush's poll numbers are in the tank. I'm glad he brought up her Harriet Miers statements.]

I'm glad Ed refused to let her on his show.

(She still thinks she's going to appear-according to her website).

Islamic Militia Seizes Somalia's Capital

quote[An Islamic militia with alleged links to al-Qaida seized Somalia's capital Monday after weeks of fighting with U.S.-backed secular warlords, raising fears that the nation could fall under the sway of Osama bin Laden's terrorist organization.

The advance unified the city for the first time in more than a decade and after 15 years of anarchy in this Horn of Africa nation. But it also posed a direct challenge to a fledging U.N.-backed Somali government.

"We won the fight against the enemy of Islam. Mogadishu is under control of its people," Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed, chairman of the Islamic Courts Union, said in a radio broadcast. The militia, which has formed an alliance that transcends clan, controls a 65-mile radius around the capital after fighting off a secular alliance of warlords.]

And yet, the Senate plans to waste three days on a "gay marriage" ammendment that everybody knows will NOT pass.

Snow Compares Gay Marriage Ban With ‘Civil Rights’ Legislation, Then Stumbles When Questioned

quote[At this afternoon’s press conference, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow compared the constitutional amendment banning gay marriage supported by President Bush to historic “civil rights” legislation. Later Snow was asked if he really meant to equate banning gay marriage with “civil rights.” Snow responded, “How do you define civil rights?”]

What a bumbling idiot!

Class VP arrested after coming late to graduation

quote[For Maquisha Cosey, vice president of Thornton Fractional North High School's class of 2006, graduation day is not one she'll soon forget.

And not for any of the sentimental reasons.

It's the day that Cosey, who was listed on Friday's graduation program as the leader of the pledge to the flag, was arrested and charged with criminal trespass and disorderly conduct after trying to participate in the ceremony despite being denied entry for being late.]

This just stinks.

Bar group will review Bush's legal challenges

quote[The board of governors of the American Bar Association voted unanimously yesterday to investigate whether President Bush has exceeded his constitutional authority in reserving the right to ignore more than 750 laws that have been enacted since he took office.

Meeting in New Orleans, the board of governors for the world's largest association of legal professionals approved the creation of an all-star legal panel with a number of members from both political parties.

They include a former federal appeals court chief judge, a former FBI director, and several prominent scholars -- to evaluate Bush's assertions that he has the power to ignore laws that conflict with his interpretation of the Constitution.]

Of course, nothing will come of this since if it ever makes it to the supreme court...well, you know what I mean.

Wal-Mart May Enter Ethanol Fuel Industry

quote[A spokesman for Wal-Mart said that the world's largest retailer may offer ethanol made from corn at its 383 U.S. gas stations but isn't ready yet to make any announcements in the field.

Amid the soaring gas prices the retailers' possibility to pump bio-ethanol is seen as a boost to the growing fuel industry.

According to a report by the Associated Press, the world's largest corporation brought together a group of industry, government and academic experts on alternative fuels in Washington last week to discuss how Wal-Mart could develop a network for supplying gas stations at its stores and Sam's Clubs with E-85 fuel.]

Trust me, I'm as anti-Wal Mart as you can get. But this is still good news.

(Even if they are only doing it to bow to market concerns, not because it's the right thing to do).

Olbermann exposes O'Reilly on Malmedy

quote[Olbermann: The bodies at Malmedy were not found until a month later. There were 84 of them, all, American soldiers. More than half showed gunshot wounds to their heads. Six had received fatal **blows** to the head. Nine were found with their arms still raised **above** their heads.

The fact that O'Reilly got these horrible facts completely backwards -- twice -- offended even his own usually compliant viewers. From his program **Wednesday** night...Wrong answer.]

O'reilly is such an ass.

Yahoo Boss Not Sure If He'd Collaborate With Nazis

quote[Critics at the Wall Street Journal's D: All Things Digital conference demanded that Yahoo chief Terry Semel explain... once again... the rationale for collaborating with Chinese authorities in ways that result in sending non-violent political protestors to long jail sentences.

They asked... once again... if Yahoo would have helped Nazi Germany the same way.

Semel patiently explained... once again... that he's simply a businessman following local laws.

Adding an extra dollop of sleazy moral equivalency, he weasled, "I don't feel good about what's happening in China today. I don't feel good about some of the things that happen in our own country."]

Telling, isn't it?

Q-Poll: Bush Is Worst President

quote[A Quinnipiac Poll released today gives President Bush one more reason to be concerned about his approval numbers: Lots of voters not only think he's doing a lousy job, but they rate him as the worst president since World War II.

And to add to the sting: They say Bill Clinton as one of the best.]

LOL!

Small Donors Aid Lamont

quote[Ned Lamont has invested $1 million in his campaign to wrest the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate away from Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, but that has not dampened a "Net roots" appeal to small donors.

The advocacy group Democracy for America e-mailed a fundraising solicitation to its 500,000 members at noon Tuesday. By late Wednesday afternoon, nearly 1,000 had responded, with an average contribution of $42.

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Tom Hughes, the executive director of Democracy for America, said the response was the strongest the organization has seen this year.]

Good news!

Support Ned Lamont.

Mistaken identity shifts grief after deadly accident

quote[The casket was closed for Whitney Cerak's funeral more than a month ago. Her mother, Colleen, declined to look at the body, battered as it was in a collision between a van and a tractor-trailer.

"They wanted to remember her the way she was," said Cerak's grandfather, Emil Frank.

Meanwhile, the family of Laura VanRyn, another victim of the crash, kept vigil by a hospital bed. The severely injured young woman was in a coma for a time, but the family's blog detailed the many small steps she made toward recovery: feeding herself applesauce, playing Connect Four with a therapist. (Watch what role the family played in identifying the survivor -- 2:50)

But as her condition improved, Laura Van Ryn's family realized they had the wrong woman, and Colleen Cerak realized she had not buried her daughter.]

File this in "the messed up story" department.