July 2007 - Posts
Gonzo Gate :
What has looked like a flat-footed lie by the Attorney General to the Senate, was explained by the Administration -- until dinner-time tonight -- by its catch-all phrase, "sorry, it's classified." Our fifth story on the Countdown: suddenly, tonight, it isn't classified. In a ritual as old as the Bush Presidency itself, it has been declassified. This, after former judges and prosecutors... including former Justice Department staff... all of whom now serve in Congress... unveiled a resolution calling for the House to begin investigating the impeachment of Alberto Gonzales for abuses of the FISA surveillance laws, the "Thursday Night Massacre" of US attorneys, and for lying to Congress. But fortunately we have the explanation for that apparent lie. Fortunately and suddenly. And conveniently. The dispute concerns whether Mr. Gonzales lied when he repeatedly denied any internal disagreements about the government's warrantless, i-e, illegal, surveillance program. This morning, Tony Snow backed Mr. Gonzales-- with perhaps a subconscious caveat. CONTINUED >>
Why the guy up there...
give the guy down here $2,300?
CONTINUED >>
A wise man onece said "He is to propriety what the Marquis de Sade was to chastity. When it comes to money and power, he is carnivorous, all appetite, no taste
He's eating again today.
CONTINUED >>
Let's see a show of hands of those headed off to summer vacation today ...
and a show of hands for those who are not .
CONTINUED >>
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Gonzo-gate Continues : "I'm a big fan of Al's." Those, the words of Dick Cheney, to CBS radio this afternoon. Our fifth story on the Countdown -- he wasn't talking about Gore. Or Franken. The Vice President and the President, at this hour anyway, the only people left in the White House, perhaps even in Washington, who are willing to defend Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. CONTINUED >>
In the latest "is this guy serious?" moment of the 2008 Primary Campaign, former Massachussetts Governor Mitt Romney apparently isn't a fan of snowmen, and has all but said no to CNN's Republican YouTube debate .
He told CSPAN....
You know, I do think that there is a degree of respectfulness that ought to be associated with the process of selecting a nominee for each party, and I think from what I’ve heard that, that, that level of respectfulness was breached, you know I don’t that it makes sense to have people running for president, answering questions from, posed from snowmen. Uh, so, with things of that nature, I’d look for a format that’s a little more, uh, a little more respectful if possible.
Here he is on CSPAN via YouTube re: CNN and YouTube:
TPMCafe makes the case that Mitt doesn't like the YouTube because, well, YouTube hasn't been bery bery good to him.
This Week in Scandal : Tomorrow morning, Vice President Cheney will undergo surgery to have the battery replaced on his heart defibrillator. Which means in an exact reversal of last weekend's colonoscopy and invocation of the 25th Amendment: For a few hours, at least, George W. Bush will actually get to be president. Our fifth story on the Countdown: Let's hope he uses his "alone time" wisely...because today his administration was again reduced to trying to transform clear reality into foggy myth, with a dedication of language parsing that makes Bill Clinton look like a chronic generalizer. Drinks in Space The cliches of manned space flight all suddenly have new meaning tonight: "Flying High"..."The Right Stuff"... And especially "lift-off, we have lift-off." An independent NASA study suggesting at least twice, American astronauts have been boldly going where no man has gone before - while drunk. ODDBALL Rowling Along To our third story on the Countdown, and new revelations about Harry Potter. Once again, a warning if you are slowly savoring the final book, there are some spoilers ahead. As author JK Rowling tells Meredith Vieira just what the very end of the book was meant to be, and why she changed it. And gives us some insight into why the actor who plays the boy wizard in the movies, Daniel Radcliffe, would have said three weeks ago on "The Today Show" that he thought his character might die, but he wasn't certain, even though he had not yet read "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows". Simpsonize Me : At number two tonight: our nightly round-up of celebrity and entertainment news, Keeping Tabs 20 years after it debuted as a skit on the Tracey Ullman show 17 years after it became a full-length series...finally the Simpsons have made it on the big screen Opening across the country tonight after what seems like months of wily promotion. Of course, marketing a movie using corporate tie-ins is nothing new. WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD Fully Loaded? Lindsay Lohan's new movie "I Know Who Killed Me" has not been reviewed because no advance screenings were held for critics. Which means, of course, that however bad or good it might be, the film can't possibly be as watchable as her life. But in our number one story on the Countdown, we already know who's killing Lohan's career. That would be her. As eyewitnesses from the night of her arrest tell TMZ.com that Lohan commandeered the vehicle she used to chase her assistant. And that she said she couldn't get into trouble... because she's a celebrity. Well that worked out well.
The Federal Communications Commission is usually busy helping rich people buy up all the media outlets. But lately, they took some time out of their schedule to approve requests from two new TV stations for call letters that would have made Lenny Bruce proud. If a local columnist Wailuku, Maui, would soon be able to get their local news straight from KUNT. And when Arizona TV watchers had any questions about the programming on their new station, they could simply ask KWTF.
Kevin Bae, the man who puts the "vice" in "vice president" at KM Communications, owner of both stations, said he'll file to change the call letters. Spoilsport.
Keith reported on this tonight, but the AP write up is worth a read . This is just brutal.
SAN FRANCISCO -
Army medical examiners were suspicious about the close proximity of the three bullet holes in Pat Tillman's forehead and tried without success to get authorities to investigate whether the former NFL player's death amounted to a crime, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.
"The medical evidence did not match up with the, with the scenario as described," a doctor who examined Tillman's body after he was killed on the battlefield in Afghanistan in 2004 told investigators.
The doctors - whose names were blacked out - said that the bullet holes were so close together that it appeared the Army Ranger was cut down by an M-16 fired from a mere 10 yards or so away.
Ultimately, the Pentagon did conduct a criminal investigation, and asked Tillman's comrades whether he was disliked by his men and whether they had any reason to believe he was deliberately killed. The Pentagon eventually ruled that Tillman's death at the hands of his comrades was a friendly-fire accident
The Gonzo Investigation : More fascinating than a Senate Subpoena for Karl Rove, or even a possible Justice Department perjury investigation of the man running the Justice Department, Alberto Gonzales, or even the Director of the F-B-I seemingly agreeing that Mr. Gonzales was not truthful...Is the White House response to the dizzying day of scandal and deceit, about what is statistically the least popular administration since Richard Nixon's final week, and empirically the most corrupt since Richard Nixon's last cover-up: That the Democrats are refusing to do the "people's business"...Even if, one might note, defending the people from a rogue President and a lawless Executive Branch, would seem to be business item number one.The Edelman Letter : The Senator asks about troop withdrawal plans...The kind the Pentagon is already war-gaming. The Under Secretary of Defense writes back, saying the Senator is reinforcing "enemy propaganda." Today, his boss says nobody thinks she did that. Somehow, the Under Secretary is still employed. General Wesley Clark joins us.ODDBALL : Dog on the runway, and a basketball backboard that just won't cooperate."Dry Run" Post Mortem : A prominent office building in Washington housing the local headquarters of ABC News was evacuated today after workmen found a suspicious powder in the basement. Aspirin. The airport in Long Beach, California was evacuated today after the discovery of a "suspicious device." A video game. Our third story on the Countdown: you can't do anything but evacuate, and you can't keep it a secret when you do. But once again, if the government finds something initially suspicious in, say, airport baggage, does it have the right to reveal its suspicions, without revealing the later innocent explanations. What was theorized and proclaimed a possible terrorist "dry run" turns out to have been a leaky "cold pack" inside the luggage of a woman in her 60's. And once again we must examine the nexus of politics and terror. Danger Kitty: Part of it makes perfect, rational sense. Part of it, has the makings of an episode of "The Twilight Zone" or M. Night Shyamalan's next movie. Our number two story on the Countdown: if dogs can warn their owners when a seizure is imminent, and helper monkeys can aid their unconscious human masters, why shouldn't a cat in a Rhode Island nursing home, be able to sense when a patient... is about to die. On the other hand, this cat appears to be able to sense when a patient is about to die. WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD : The head of public works for a North Carolina town, Ann Coulter, and a certain large-headed FOX Host breaks his own lifetime record for worsties. Rowling is Talking : It's earned the author an estimated 1 point 12 billion dollars. It's earned the American publishers at least a billion dollars It's earned the movie makers around 4 billion dollars. And in our number one story on the Countdown tonight: Harry Potter is set to earn everybody even more.
Four members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have called on Solicitor General Paul Clement to appoint a Special Counsel to investigate Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on charges of perjury, saying in a letter to Mr. Clement this afternoon that "It has become apparent that the attorney general has provided at a minimum half-truths and misleading statements." Ya think? Oh, and it gets better dear Newshole readers. Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy also announced the subpoena Karl Rove, Turdblossom-in-Chief.
As for whether the Special Counsel investigation ever actually happens, we'd advise you to refer back to the title of this post.
Okay, not really. The Newshole is fully cognizant that Attorney General Gonzales is here to stay, but boy did he stick his foot in it this time… and then put his foot in his mouth. The fallout continues today over the discovery of documents released last year that contradict the AG’s sworn Senate testimony Tuesday. Judiciary Committee member Chuck Schumer calls the memo the smoking gun that Mr. Gonzales was not truthful: "It seemed clear to just about everyone on the committee that the attorney general was deceiving us when he said the dissent was about other intelligence activities and this memo is even more evidence that helps confirm our suspicions." In hindsight, Mr. Schumer’s questioning of the witness will prove to be a particularly important exchange. Here’s just a small sample:CONTINUED >>
Digging a Deeper Hole :
Breaking news at this hour of documentary evidence that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales lied to the Senate yesterday when he repeatedly testified that eight Congressional leaders were not briefed in 2004 about the administration's domestic spying program, but rather about another program. Our fifth story on the Countdown: the dramatic revelation, based on documents from the Bush Administration's own Director of National Intelligence, obscuring what had already been the first vote charging Criminal Contempt of Congress since 1998 against two of the President's other Senior staffers. Tonight, Keith's interview with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman. CONTINUED >>
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee joins Keith to talk about Alberto Gonazales and contempt of congress.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers escalated their battle with the White House on Wednesday by recommending contempt citations against an aide and a former aide of President George W. Bush who refused to cooperate in a probe of the firing of federal prosecutors.
On a 22-17 party-line vote, the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee urged the full House to seek contempt charges against White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former White House Counsel Harriet Miers for refusing to comply with subpoenas that demanded information about the dismissals.
If the full House approves contempt citations, the matter would be sent to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia to pursue grand jury indictments. Contempt of Congress carries a penalty of up to $1,000 fine and one year in prison.
Unless a compromise is reached, a court fight seems certain over Bush's claim that his right of executive privilege permits him to withhold documents or testimony from current or former aides.
McClatchy has an interesting article detailing the failed sales efforts of the Bush Presidency:
He's never really sold the country or Congress something it didn't already want. And when he's tried to sell something the people or the politicians didn't want, he's fallen flat.
They cite immigration, social security etc...however we're not sure that Congress and the American people were raring to go into another war in 2003 when Mr. Bush rolled out his Iraq War Plan. That said, the article is an interesting read.
this .
Rough Justice :
"Your credibility," the Senator says to the Attorney General, "has been breached to the point of being actionable." It would be one thing if it were Arlen Specter saying that to Janet Reno... Or even Pat Leahy saying that to Alberto Gonzales. But in our fifth story on the Countdown: our government of the people, by the president, for the president... is so far gone... That that was Republican Arlen Specter today, saying that to Republican Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. The good news is, the Attorney General wrote new material. First Casualty of War :
The supposed September deadline to decide for how much longer we stay in Iraq? Apparently the President has already decided. We probably should have double-checked that he meant September 2007...Because he didn't. ODDBALL : A plane makes an emergency landing on highway, rubber dolls and a dam explosion tonight.
Decision 2008 :
It's Jerry Seinfeld's joke. He still remembers when there was no "You Tube" -- only "We Tube." Our third story on the Countdown: perhaps the stand-out problem with the first "You-Tube" debate was that while the questions came from "You-Tubers"... they were still selected by "We-Tubers"... and most of the candidates' answers seemed like they'd already had several thousand "views" apiece. With one particular exception: the answer to the inquiry about whether a new President should be willing to use diplomacy first, instead of force.. whether to meet directly with the leaders of so called "rogue states" like Iran, Venezuela and North Korea..That answer has been answered itself with a charge of naievete and irresponsibility. Rowling Along: J.K.'s first interview since the big release of the big Harry Potter finale. Meredith Vieira does the honors.WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD Lock-up Lindsay Lohan : The ridiculous: Lindsay Lohan's assistant quits. Ms. Lohan, enraged, chases the assistant, and the assistant's mother. The deadly serious: Ms. Lohan gave chase in an S-U-V, while allegedly intoxicated. The ridiculous again: The place she chases them to is about half a block from police headquarters in Santa Monica, California. Our number one story on the Countdown, this, only eleven days after Ms. Lohan left rehab. And only eight weeks after her last alleged drunk driving incident over the Memorial Day weekend. Paris Hilton: move over... that is Lindsay Lohan in your rear view mirror. And I might mean that, literally.
Some of what we're working on for tonight....
One day after the Dems painted the town blue , President Bush heads to Charleston, SC today where he will make remarks on the war on terror...and, once and for all, explain the difference between Al Qaeda and Al Qaeda in Iraq. This should be good.
Speaking of last night...the Newshole tips its hat to CNN, who kept the questions interesting and the candidates on topic in last night's debate. And if you missed the debate, the candidate's own youtube-style ads were decent with the John Edwards ad stealing the show.
Lastly, today Alberto Gonzales denies former deputy attorney general James Comey's account of that showdown in the hospital in which Comey says Gonzales and Andy Card tried to persuade John Ashcroft (who was laid up in the intensive care unit) to reauthorize Bush's domestic surveillance program, which the Justice Dept. had just determined was illegal. Great stuff from Gonzo today...we'll recount it all tonight.
Dick Cheney and the Deathly Hallows : In the last week alone, he has reportedly all but shoved Secretary of State Rice out of the diplomacy business, if not the cabinet itself...And he's been acting president for 125 minutes...And he's had a lawsuit from Valerie Plame against himself and others, dismissed...And he saw his old friends at Halliburton report that their second-quarter income from last year doubled to one and a half billion dollars. Yet -- in our fifth story on the Countdown: Dick Cheney is newly portrayed as a power-obsessed prophet of doom. And that was by the most sympathetic biographer in the world.Sign Language : It's almost common-place to see dumb people link the names "Obama" and "Osama"...But what happens when the sign making that connection...Is held up by a Republican presidential candidate?
ODDBALL : Sneaky seagull, sneaky raccoon, hula robots.Space Junk : In the eighteen-fifties, pioneers littered the praries with tons of useless junk to lighten their conestoga wagons. In the nineteen-fifties you could toss garbage out the window of your Studebaker onto almost any mile of the brand-new inter-state highway system. So, you expect 21st century space travel should be any different? The third story in the Countdown.. astronauts aboard the international space station doing some light, as in weightless, house-cleaning today..
Bad Sports: Not a good time in pro basketball or pro football. Our number two story on the Countdown: He's already been indicted on dog-fighting charges -- there might yet be worse on the way -- his team is going to decide what to do about him tomorrow. WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD The Trouble with Tom That Tom Cruise the actor, is well-known as Tom Cruise, the scientologist, seems to be how he would have it. But the role of scientology's un-official poster boy has its drawbacks. There are the jokes...But also... serious curiosity about what the heck scientology is. In our number one story on the Countdown, a blunt answer, from the German Protestant Church... that scientology is a -- quote -- "totalitarian organization".
Some of what we're working on for tonight....
Defense Secretary Robert Gates has responded to Senator Hillary Clinton’s response to Under Secretary Eric Edelman’s response to the senator’s initial request for the administration’s plans to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq. (Got that?) In short, Mr. Gates says he is looking into the concerns raised in her letter and will get back to her early this week. While there is no doubt the defense secretary has a loose cannon on his hands in Mr. Edelman (Vice President Cheney never wanted Rummy gone; Edelman is a Cheney flunky) it remains to be seen how much he is able – and willing – to do about it . CONTINUED >>
We're sure the item about Romney's staffer playing dress-up with the phony badges will fly under the radar of the 24 hour newscycle, the pictures shown above will not. Honest
people (Wolf Blitzer's CNN graphics) can make honest
mistakes (Teddy Kennedy flubbing the name) about the unfortunate rhyming of "Osama" and "Obama". But when it's used as a partisan
punch-line or talking point (Roger Ailes takes a veiled poke at Obama) there's going to be a backlash.
TPM Cafe has comfirmed the veracity of the photos, and adds some further info and a response by the Romney Campaign.
*********UPDATE**********
Looks like Romney is not following the lead of the current President and weeding out the non-friendly audience members in his campaign stops. Here's Mitt Romney responding to an audience question regarding said picture.
Underling's Low Blow
: With the war in Iraq in its fifth year, here's evidence that these are toxic times: A straightforward request from a United States Senator, on the Armed Services Committee, to the Pentagon is met with a charge from the Pentagon that the Senator may be aiding the enemy in Iraq. Now, in our fifth story on the Countdown, that senator, Hillary Clinton , says oh yeah. And she wants to know if Defense Secretary Robert Gates agrees with his Under Secretary who made the charge that discussing withdrawal plans for Iraq quote "reinforces enemy propaganda ". The Bush Factor : The Democrats are beating the Republicans in a big way in the '08 money race. Is a backlash against President Bush at the root of the problem? ODDBALL : More Tour de France zaniness, women in bikinis mowing lawns, and the greatest mentos related clip ever.The GOP Horserace : If you think the paparazzi are the result of the multimedia, multiplatform, oversaturared marketplace...not true. Way back in 1958, an Italian photographer snapped an enraged King Farouk of Egypy overturning a table in a restaurant...and the rest is tabloid history. The word paparazzi comes froma fellini film, and is based on a particularly loud buzzing mosquito. And you know what you do to mosquitos? You swat them. So it would follow, that is exactly what some celebrities are doing now the the photographers who follow them everywhere. The latest, bloody example from NBC's Michael Okwu in LA.Harry Time: Keith is live at the Scholastic Book headquarters reading the first guy to ever read the last chapter of the Harry Potter series. Keith's Spoiler (unless he's completely wrong) : Keith's detailed version of what the ending in the Harry Potter series could be. It's a great package...trust us.
It's time for the Friday evening presidential campaign aide dump. This time it's Mitt Romney's guy quitting because...
A published report today says Garrity used fake badges so he and Romney's advance staff could get into closed areas and, at least once, avoid a highway toll.
But a spokeswoman for the law firm retained by Garrity says the campaign staff did not have badges, but a (quote) "round metal disc with the seal of the governor's office."
The AP goes on....
Garrity was already on leave from the campaign for allegedly impersonating a law enforcement officer in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
What else could a "round metal disc witht the seal of the governor's office" be? An ashtray? A bad frisbee? The Newshole guesses the law enforcement shake-down of this Romney aide went something like this . Anyeay...the full AP report after the jump.
CONTINUED >>
A nice study in contrasts today, offered by two wire-service stories that broke within minutes of each other. First, an example
On the other hand, today, we got an example
BP North America owns the Texas City plant that blowed up real good in September, 2005 . Fiften people died. More than 170 were injured. OSHA's $21.3 million fine back then had such a great impact... that less than two years later, OSHA has found BPP failed to ensure its fractionator conformed to code. "The hazard cited is that the inadequate pressure relief equipment could fail, leading to another catastrophic incident." In other words, more people could get fractionated.
A $21.3 million fine failed to fix things. But a $92,000 fine ought to. If anyone wants to dig up BPP's annual profits, please post them in our comments section.
This just in ...President Bush will undergo a 'routine colonoscopy' at Camp David tomorrow, formally leaving Vice President Cheney as the acting President for at least a few hours. This is the second time this has happened, the first coming in 2002. Here's the AP's recollection of how things went in 2002.
The 2002 procedure began at 7:09 a.m and ended at 7:29 a.m. Bush woke up two minutes later but did not resume his presidential office until 9:24 a.m., after Tubb conducted an overall examination. Tubb said he recommended the additional time to make sure the sedative had no aftereffects.
Here's to a speedy recovery, Mr. President.
Interesting comments from Rudy Giuliani to USA Today . 'America's Mayor' seems to be trying to delicately separate himself with the President's foreign policy...but can it work?
"I said it a long time ago … America is too consumed with Iraq ," he said. "We've got to be patient and committed (in Iraq), but we've got to multitask. We've got to have conversations beyond Iraq. We've got to talk about Iran — Iran is more dangerous than Iraq — and we have to get the job done in Afghanistan and in Pakistan."
And speaking of Rudy's foreign policy, what the heck is this pic all about?
Wonkette has details .
Special Kerry CONTINUED >>
Here's the entire transcript of Keith's 'Scapegoat' Special Comment from tonight...the video can be found here .
CONTINUED >>
Tonight on Countdown, Keith Olbermann delivers a special comment on the leaked Bush Administration letter that blames Senator Hillary Clinton, and all war dissenters, for this President's failures in Iraq:
Here's a preview...
The selection of the wrong war, in the wrong time, in the wrong place the most disastrous a geo-political tactic since Austria-Hungary attacked Serbia in 1914 and destroyed itself in the process that had nothing to do with the overwhelming crisis Iraq has become it isn't Mr. Bush's fault.
The criminal lack of planning for the war the total "jump-off-a-bridge-and-hope-you-can-fly" tone to the failure to anticipate what would follow the deposing of Saddam Hussein that had nothing to do with the chaos in which Iraq has been envelopped it isn't Mr. Bush's fault.
The utter, blinkered idiocy of "staying the course", of sending Americans to Iraq, and sending them a second time, and a third, and a fourth, until they get killed or maimed the utter de-prioritization of human life, simply so a politician can avoid having to admit a mistake that had nothing to do with the tens of thousand individual tragedies darkening the lives of American families, forever it isn't Mr. Bush's fault.
The continuing, relentless, remorseless, corrupt and cynical insistence that this conflict somehow is defeating, or containing, or just engaging the people who attacked us on 9/11 the total "Alice Through The Looking Glass" quality that ignores that in Iraq, we have made the world safer for Al-Qaeda it isn't Mr. Bush's fault!
The fault, brought down as if a sermon from this mount of hypocrisy and slaughter ,by an nearly anonymous Under-Secretary of Defense the fault has tonight been laid on the doorstep of Senator Hillary Clinton and, by extension, at the doorstep of every American the now vast majority of us who have dared to criticize this war or protest it or merely ask questions about it or simply, plaintively, innocently, honestly, plead "don't take my son; don't take my daughter."
Countdown Tonight, 8pm ET/5pm PT
From the AP:
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday dismissed former CIA operative Valerie Plame's lawsuit against members of the Bush administration in the CIA leak scandal.
Plame, the wife of former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, had accused Vice President Dick Cheney and others of conspiring to leak her identity in 2003. Plame said that violated her privacy rights and was illegal retribution for her husband's criticism of the administration.
What does this mean for Valerie Plame's search for justice? Keith will have much more on this tonight.
********UPDATE*********
Here's the plaintiff's response:
MELANIE SLOAN, LEGAL COUNSEL FOR JOE AND VALERIE WILSON, RESPONDS TO DISMISSAL OF CIVIL SUIT
Washington, DC -- Earlier today, District of Columbia District Court Judge John D. Bates dismissed Joe and Valerie Wilsons' civil suit against Vice President Dick Cheney, presidential aide Karl Rove, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby and Richard Armitage. While Judge Bates recognized that the Wilsons' claims "pose important questions relating to the propriety of actions undertaken by our highest government officials," he dismissed their suit on a threshold legal issue: that there is no constitutional remedy available to them.
While the Wilsons' lawyers are reviewing the decision, they anticipate filing an appeal. Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington ("CREW"), one of the Wilsons' lawyers, said today, "While we are obviously very disappointed by today's decision, we have always expected that this case would ultimately be decided by a higher court." Sloan continued, "We disagree with the court's holding and intend to pursue this case vigorously to protect all Americans from vindictive government officials who abuse their power for their own political ends."
A new NY Times/CBS News poll reveals that 61% of Americans say “the war should be funded only if there is a timetable for withdrawal” from Iraq .CONTINUED >>
MRAPs don't protect troops from what military officials are calling the newest threat to troops, explosively formed projectiles. A growing number of soldiers have been killed by the weapons, including some thought to be riding in MRAPs.
CONTINUED >>
All Nighter Day After : Where... if the great Frank Capra had directed it... last night's Senate all-nighter would have been a lot more entertaining. Where... had Francis Ford Coppola been at the helm... "going to the mattresses" would have involved far more than a few folding cots. Instead, tonight... in our fifth story on the Countdown... we are left with yet another Republican filibuster that has blocked an up-or-down vote... on a plan to bring U-S troops home from Iraq. CONTINUED >>
It's tough to see this...
without thinking of this...
CONTINUED >>
Image from SF Chronicle
For all you N-hole baseball fans, the AP has an interesting article reminding us that as the Incredible Bulk, Barry Bonds, mopes towards his record breaking 756th home run his long time buddy and trainer remains in the slammer.
He can get out, of course, should he decide to testify about Bonds' alleged steroid use, but his attorney (Mark Geragos) says that aint gonna happen.
CONTINUED >>
This would be funnier, were it not for the 3,622 Americans who have been killed in Iraq . From Maria Bartiromo's interview with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Business Week magazine :
MB: Would you consider a position in business or on Wall Street?
CR: I don't know what I'll do long term. I'm a terrible long-term planner.
Some of what we're working on for tonight...
Some excellent day two analysis of the National Intelligence Estimate – a startling look at how thoroughly the Bush administration has failed in its war on terrorism... One that the White House is going to find difficult to sweep under the rug. The New York Times says for all intents and purposes it might as well be the summer of 2001 again (the NIE with the recycled title “Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S.”). The Washington Post raises questions about what the heck we are still doing in Iraq. While Slate’s Fred Kaplan points to the Hezbollah threat and says: "this amounts to a direct warning to the White House: Don't attack Iran." CONTINUED >>
The Newshole gets the distinct feeling that whoever is putting out those Rudy Giuliani ads where the guy driving a car yammers randomly to the camera are a direct descendant of the "Jimmy the Cab Driver" MTV from the early 90's.
Not sure what the heck we're talking about? Take the Pepsi Challenge after the jump.
CONTINUED >>
If one thing has become clear about the run-up to the run-up to the run-up to the primaries for Decision 2008, it's that the best way to sell your candidate is to have a sexy girl sing about your campaign on the Youtube. There has been Obama Girl , Giuliani Girl vs. Obama Girl , Hot 4 Hill and many more to come, we're sure. They are the darlings of the internets and a dream come true for the cable nets, who get to claim they're doing politics as they titillate viewers with the soft-core song stylings of a pretty young woman.
Well, a decidedly G-rated version of the "Candidate X-Girl" phenomena has emerged...and we think this could take a certain former Arkansas Governor to the head of the class. Ladies and gentleman...the Newhole gives you "Huckabee Girl".
Keith on assignment in LA...he'll be back tomorrow, Alison pinch hits tonight.
Original Al Qaeda Returns : Nearly six years after the 9-11 attacks...After four long years of war in Iraq...And after the many billions of dollars that have been spent on the war on terror...A new intelligence report, the work of all sixteen U-S spy agencies, warns that Al Qaeda is gaining strength... and is still determined to attack the U-S. Our fifth story on the Countdown: How is that even possible?CONTINUED >>
The Dems are keeping the Senate open all night to force a debate on the Levin-Reed amendment, which would bring the majority of troops home by next April. Senator Chuch Schumer will peel himself away from the debate to talk to us.
reports on another exceedingly high bill from a beauty salon that will surely derail a 2008 hopeful's White House bid. Mitt Romney is the victim this time...he used $300 in campaign funds to pay a place called Hidden Beauty to slap some make-up on him before a televised debate. The campaign (in an attempt to obfuscate the absurd payout???) disclosed the payment as "communications consulting" on their campaign finance report...because the payment came from the communications budget.
Ultimately it's really not a big deal...and it shouldn't and probably won't impact Romney;s campaign. That said, it sure is a good thing Romney never took a swipe at John Edwards for his haircut faux pas. Oh, he did ? Oops.
CONTINUED >>
Surge Defectors : It is one of the most fabled and valued axioms of our history. "You can fool all of the people some of the time..."And you can fool some of the people all of the time..."But you cannot fool all of the people, all of the time." It is seemingly disproved by the fact that while 99% of Americans would probably agree it was Abraham Lincoln who said that, there's no contemporary evidence that he ever did. Yet the truth of those words, outweigh even the myth who said them. Our fifth story on the Countdown: a new poll tonight, and in it, nearly two-thirds of the American public, is no longer being fooled, all the time, by President Bush's... surge in Iraq.CONTINUED >>
