August 2007 - Posts
(Picture from Greg Baker/AP)
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Craig to Resign :
If his arrest on charges of lewd conduct in a public restroom did not prove to be the undoing of Republican Senator Larry Craig. Perhaps the renewed allegation that -- 25 years ago -- he had sex with a teenage Congressional page did. Our fifth story on the Countdown: Breaking news tonight: Senator Craig's office saying this afternoon he will address his future tomorrow. And The Associated Press reporting that that future is the past. That Senator Craig will announce his resignation at a Saturday morning news conference in Idaho. The Idaho Statesman newspaper with its own report that the Senator will end the week-long turmoil by leaving office. NBC News now confirming the reports that Senator Craig will announce his resignation tomorrow morning, in Boise. CONTINUED >>
(AP photo)
***UPDATE**** Craig will resign...the AP says:
BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- Idaho Republican Sen. Larry Craig will announce Saturday he will resign from the Senate amid a furor over his arrest and guilty plea in a police sex sting in an airport men's room, Republican officials said Friday.
Tomorrow morning (yes, on the Saturday of labor day weekend...the slowest news Saturday of the year) Senator Larry Craig will make some kind of announcement. Will he remind us he's not gay? Will he officially wish us a happy Labor Day? Will he endorse the Countdown Dragnet
re-enactment ?
Interestingly...the AP reports that the Idaho governor has already determined a replacement for the Senator should he resign.
The Bathroom Tape :
As resonant and visceral as the arrest of Republican Senator Larry Craig after alleged lewd advances towards another man in a Minneapolis airport public bathroom might be...As much of a firestorm, and a collective Republican butt-covering, that might have been provoked... There seemed to be no way for the panoramically bizarre saga to have gotten worse. Unless, perhaps, there was audio tape of Senator Craig's post-arrest interview with the police -- and unless, perhaps, that tape were to become public. Our fifth story on the Countdown: ta da! There is a tape. It has been released. We will play it for you -- with captions. First, the other Larry Craig In The Toilet Headlines. CONTINUED >>
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"You solicited me" - Senator Larry Craig (R) of Idaho to Investigative Sergeant Dave Karsnia at the Minneapolis Airport on June 11. We now have the full audio of his police interview so expect PLENTY more on this on Countdown tonight.
Two Years Later President Bush, who did not even mention Hurricane Katrina in his most recent State of the Union address this past January, today declaring in a visit to New Orleans that "better days are ahead" for that city. Given that independent studies reveal tonight that only about a fifth of the money supposed to be spent on levees, has been spent (just a third of the money supposedly already spent on homes), it is notable the President did not say how many years or decades ahead those "better days" are.CONTINUED >>
A British artist made this image of George W. Bush out of clippings from porno magazines. It's actually on DISPLAY in London.
**Clarification** (thanks bloggers). The above image is, of course, heavily blurred as befitting a family website such as ourselves. The real portrait reveals far more naughty bits. If you really want to see it, as the President would say, use "the google".
Craig's Denial Eleven months ago today... Congressman Mark Foley became an infamous man... eventually, most Republican leaders believe, helping their party lose control of Congress. Tonight, in the fifth story on our Countdown, Idaho Republican Senator Larry Craig taking a step some Republican insiders have suggested to NBC Washington Bureau Chief Tim Russert, could start him, and them, down the same path -- Not just belligerently denying he did anything wrong in a Minneapolis airport men's room despite his own guilty plea which he kept secret...but also angrily picking a fight with his own state's leading newspaper. Going 'Nucular': "Nuclear weapons"... "the shadow of nuclear holocaust"... Authorization to "confront... murderous activities." It is language like that, which cost President George Walker Bush, so much of his irreplacable credibility. So why did he use those very words, today, about Iran... in a speech to members of the American Legion... ODDBALL Who's Next? : When the 68th Attorney General of the United States, Richard Kleindienst, resigned at the height of the Watergate investigate, then President Nixon was so hard pressed to get any successor confirmed by the Democratic-controlled Senate, that he not only had to nominate perhaps the most liberal man in his administration, Defense Secretary Elliott Richardson. But both he and the Attorney General Designate, had to agree with Senate demands that Richardson would appoint a Special Watergate Prosecutor. Our third story on the Countdown: with a justice department in tatters, and an administration in disarray, you might think President Bush would also have to bend over backwards to get a replacement for Alberto Gonzales confirmed. Instead it looks like the only thing the President plans to bend backwards are three fingers and a thumb. Redemption Geography : Even in the gritty, dark world of beauty paegants, it was one for the ages. Lauren Caitlin Upton, Miss Teen South Carolina. Who long ago made the right choice. The contests with the tiaras. In lieu of, say, the national geography bee.
WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD : The next space shuttle launch, in October, will take to the International Space Station, an Italian-built multi-port node named "Harmony". But in our number one story on the Countdown, far more easily grasped is the shuttle's other payload. A light-saber! Not just any old, run of the mill light saber. But the one actually wielded by Luke Skywalker in his successful quest to defeat the Empire!
According to published reports
Mr. Johnson has no experience in law enforcement, the law, the military, counter-terrorism or intelligence. His current job involves oversight of management throughout the executive branch. Prior to that, he served during the Bush/Cheney transition by helping Mr. Bush to staff thousands of federal positions.
He served much the same role when Mr. Bush became governor, and then served as Mr. Bush's chief of staff. You can read his official government bio here .
Mr. Johnson does not appear to have any blemishes of ethics or competence on his public record. (That line was written before we stumbled upon this
To his credit, Frito-Lay has suffered not a single attack by al Qaeda.
His relationship with Mr. Bush is almost unique in Washington. The two men have been friends since they were 15 and met at Andover.
He recalls discussing Vietnam with Mr. Bush. Not the morality of it. That was "almost moot," he told the Associated Press. Their concern was getting out of the draft.
More to come, we suspect. Post your own links on Mr. Johnson's golden oldies. His role as personnel chief for Bush over the years could yield some interesting connections.
Fredo's Farewell: It was Alberto Gonzales who enabled the firing of nine US attorneys with no cause beyond naked political retribution. It was Alberto Gonzales who misled Congress about the administration's domestic spying activities. It was Alberto Gonzales who drafted the infamous torture memo that helped lead to the physical abuses at Abu Ghraib, and the Constitutional ones at Guantanamo Bay. Yet somehow -- in our fifth story on the Countdown -- the reason cited by President Bush today for the Attorney General's downfall: Congress has been unfairly attacking Mister Gonzales for political reasons. Gonzo & Sen. Craig : As critics gently remind Karl Rove and Alberto Gonzales not to let the White House screen door hit them in the butts on the way out... Is President Bush out of old, unqualified cronies, to stick into the most important jobs in the government? And a Republican senator arrested after a lewd conduct investigation in a men's room... ODDBALL : Even more nekkid news...and the hurdler that didn't hurdle.Vick, as in Sick : The crimes for which football star Michael Vick agreed to a plea bargain obviously constitute the over-arching horror in the story. But on Friday, Vick somehow managed to make it a little worse. While accepting a prison sentence of up to eighteen months, and acknowledging he bankrolled the entirety of an illegal dog-fighting operation, the document he signed stated specifically that he personally did not gamble on dog fights, personally did not receive proceeds from dog fights, and personally "did not kill any dogs." Suddenly, on top of the crime, here was an admission of guilt, that seemed to admit, very little guilt. Our third story on the Countdown: over the weekend, the sports world seemed to collectively demand something more contrite from Michael Vick. And this morning, to the surprise of many he apparently delivered. Britney & Child Abuse: The latest custody battle between Britney Spears and Kevin Fedderline may have taken an ugly turn. Our number two story on the Countdown -- Keeping Tabs. Now there is a possible element of child abuse.
WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD : US Military civilian relations department in Afghanistan, Sean Hannity and Brit Hume vie for top honors. It's Baaaack!! : You might have thought -- with all evidence on your side -- that "American Idol" had already peaked. Last season's ratings were down from the year before...and that Sanjaya kid nearly hijacked the entire show. But this morning in Philadelphia, there was another "Idol" audition. And in our number one story on the Countdown... the wanna bees numbered 17,000...which might make it the largest audition in "Idol" history. Happily... Countdown's very own "American Idol" Princess was there.
What is it with these public servants and public restrooms ! As reported in Roll Call ...here's the latest on Idaho Senator Larry Craig's arrest in the john at a Minnesota airport.
"My experience has shown that individuals engaging in lewd conduct use their bags to block the view from the front of their stall," Karsnia stated in his report. "From my seated position, I could observe the shoes and ankles of Craig seated to the left of me."
Craig was wearing dress pants with black dress shoes.
"At 1216 hours, Craig tapped his right foot. I recognized this as a signal used by persons wishing to engage in lewd conduct. Craig tapped his toes several times and moves his foot closer to my foot. I moved my foot up and down slowly. While this was occurring, the male in the stall to my right was still present. I could hear several unknown persons in the restroom that appeared to use the restroom for its intended use. The presence of others did not seem to deter Craig as he moved his right foot so that it touched the side of my left foot which was within my stall area," the report states.
And the response from the Craig camp?
A spokesman for Craig described the incident as a "he said/he said misunderstanding," and said the office would release a fuller statement later Monday afternoon.
********UPDATE***********
Here's the much anticipated statement from Sen. Craig's office...they had months to craft this?
Senator Larry Craig stated, "At the time of this incident, I complained to the police that they were misconstruing my actions. I was not involved in any inappropriate conduct.
"I should have had the advice of counsel in resolving this matter. In hindsight, I should not have pled guilty. I was trying to handle this matter myself quickly and expeditiously."
That's right, no question mark after Gonzo. The date must be the Twelfth of Never here at the News Hole, because multiple news organization are reporting that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has resigned. Just picked up the phone on Friday and called the president. Just like that. (Kinda makes sense though that President Bush still never pulled the trigger;CONTINUED >>
The N-hole is well aware this is just a youngster...but the answer this young lady gives during the Miss Teen U.S.A. award show is astoundingly bad.
We didn't announce it...and it's not that big a deal, but we're going to do a real-time live blog for tonight's show. For all you folks on the West Coast, tune into Countdown AFTER the game for the big show.
War More Years
7:05 Crazy tech pile-up in the control room. The great Howard Fineman is the first guest, but for some reason we couldn't get his IFB (look it up) to work. It was down to the wire...but the great tech staff pulled through. Great effort. Are we using 'great' too much?
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Sunday Night...is football night. And Keith night .
Alison in for Keith tonight ...
Change of Pace: When a prominent Republican Senator like John Warner calls on President Bush to start bringing some troops home from Iraq -- that can be damaging enough. Now imagine what can happen when the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff advises the president to cut U-S forces there by as much as half. Our fifth story on the Countdown: A published report says we may not have to imagine that scenario for much longer.
Revisionist History Really perverse. That's what one historian calls the president's speech this week drawing on the lessons of wars past to sell staying in Iraq. He not only says he was misquoted... he says the adminstration is living in a fantasy land. ODDBALL Lust in Space : Going to outer space is pretty impressive, and there is still a very small club of people who have done it. But when astronaut Lisa Nowak went on another kind of trip...a road trip to end all road trips...she secured her place in infamy. And today she was back in court. Our third story on the Countdown: The woman who is accused of stalking a romantic rival, the woman who was a navy pilot who allegedly drove one-thousand miles in a diaper so she wouldn't have to take a bathroom break, today asked for permission to remove her G-P-S monitoring device. Otherwise known as an ankle bracelet. Crisis of Faith? : Our number two story.. in two weeks, we will mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Mother Theresa. The life and words of the legendary nun who dedicated her life to caring for the hopelessly sick and desperately poor remain a reminder of the power of faith. But it turns out even Mother Theresa questioned the strength of that power. Why do we know this? Her writings which were not supposed to see the light of day...have. 82 Minutes : Nicole Richie served 82 minutes of her four-day jail sentence yesterday afternoon. 82 minutes. But her reality show co-star Paris Hilton served 23 days of her own 45-day sentence. There's something not so simple about that math. And in our number one story on the Countdown, Ms. Hilton, of all people, is starting to look like she did hard time. While Ms. Richie -- at only 82 minutes -- has probably had hair appointments that lasted longer. Low lights take time people.
It's double-whammy Friday for the White House. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Peter Pace, is expected to advise President Bush to cut the number of U.S. troops in Iraq in half Now he tells us. Consider it his parting gift. This, one day after Republican John Warner said the Commander in Chief should announce plans to start bringing troops home by this Christmas . Hey, nobody said unilaterally invading another nation would be easy. Oh wait... the Bush administration did say it would it be easy.
Why did this pic get a 13-year-old kid 5 days in the hole (i.e. suspended from school?). Find out after the jump.
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Alison in for Keith tonight...
Warner Warns Bush : Three weeks before the Bush administration delivers its latest report on Iraq, today a top member of the Republican Party calls for the White House to make sure the U.S. commitment in Iraq does not remain open-ended. Our fifth story on the Countdown: Senator John Warner, the Senate's leading Republican on military matters says President Bush should start ordering some troops home... a s 16 of America's spy agencies conclude that Iraq's leaders cannot govern effectively. Decision 2008 : Being number three is no fun, just ask Melinda Doolittle and John Edwards who is making a mad dash for the front of the pack. Will his criticism of Senators Clinton and Obama stick with voters? ODDBALL : Brawl in the Bolivian Congress, and Flash News...some weirdo flashes a news camera. It doesn't get any more literal than that, right?Tales from the Pokey : It's official...Lindsay Lohan has reached a plea deal requiring her to spend one day in jail. A whole 24 hours. And in our third story on the Countdown, the question is once again raised. After two DUI busts within nine weeks, both involving alleged possession of cocaine...Is a celebrity getting special treatment? Mine Disaster: Number two tonight, there may be a little bit of justice for the families experiencing anguish and heartbreak. The latest on the fate of six missing miners in the Crandall Canyon Utah mine disaster. Today the senate committee that oversees mine safety said it would investigate the cause of that tragedy calling for hearings in early September. :Putin on the Fritz: Vladimir took his shirt off to reveal some ripply...something. Paul F. Tompkins will try and contain the drool from dripping out of his mouth as he breaks down this skin story.
This just crossed on the reuters wire...fresh off his visit to the region, Sen. John Warner (R, VA) is calling for the "first step" of withdrawal from Iraq.
BC-IRAQ-USA/WARNER (URGENT)
Republican senator: Bush should begin Iraq withdrawal
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Bush should announce on Sept. 15 an initial pullout of U.S. troops from Iraq to spur the Iraqi government to take steps toward political reconciliation, an influential Republican senator said Thursday.
Virginia Sen. John Warner said Bush should "announce on the 15th that in consultation with our senior military commanders he has decided to initiate the the first step in a withdrawal of our forces."
Name that barrel chested dog-tag wearing world leader (hint: it's not Jeff Gannon/Guckert).
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The Maliki plot thickens. The New York Times
has learned the White House is getting ready to release parts of a new intelligence report today titled "Prospects for Iraq Stability" that will say it's unlikely the Iraqi prime minister will ever be able to unite sectarian factions and meet political benchmarks that have been set. So all the extra American troops are buying him time to do what exactly...? We've put all eggs in Maliki's basket because...?
Alison in for Keith tonight...
Iraq = Vietnam To quote the president on the state of the war: "The confused nature of this conflict cannot mask the fact that it is the new face of an old enemy. The contest is part of a wider pattern of aggressive purposes." Those words, coming from President Lyndon Johnson, another Texan, from another party, about another war, Vietnam, in April 1965. But in our fifth story on the Countdown: the current President, George W. Bush, expressed many of the same sentiments today, in a speech linking the Iraq war to the conflict in Vietnam. It all comes full circle. The Utah Mine Collapse, The Plot Thickens: It went from a tragedy to a catastrophe and now for some, to outrage. Is it even possible, the owner of the mine is considering opening up other sections of the same mountain for mining?ODDBALL The Book on Protestors The Bush administration has a detailed plan on how to deal with protesters. It is a manual, in fact, and apparently it is very handy. Public awareness that there are written instructions discribing clever ways to make the bad dissenters go away surfaced as the result of a lawsuit filed by two protestors who had been arrested. Our third story on the Countdown: the A-B-C's of marginalizing those pesky protesters courtesy of the administration. The Brad Pitt Interview: Our number two story tonight: fame, fortune and a few good ideas can be a powerful combination. If you are going to have photographers and TV cameras follow your every move, why not make those moves to help others and raise awareness for a cause. Brad Pitt and his baby's momma, Angelina Jolie, bought a house in New Orleans last January because they SAY they fell in love with the city. Now they are working to help build healthy homes for the city's displaced residents. Houses that are also healthy for the environment. Tales From Rehab In our number one story on the Countdown, Lindsay Lohan is either...A: doing great in rehab and really changing her life around. B: acting out by having relations with a male patient in the bathroom. Or, C: some sketchy combination of the two, if that's possible. But one thing's for sure: her lawyer has his act together because there's word that Lohan won't face any felony charges for her recent transgessions.
TV Newser has an interview with Keith re: the big Sunday show on NBC (7p ET, check your local listings).
Here's an excerpt:
"If something comes of it, it would be great," he says. "I have no expectations. My best analogy is that it's like a top minor league pitcher being brought up for one game to pitch inside the huge ballpark. You know in advance that it's a one-time thing."
Some of what we're working on for tonight...
Vietnam card again. Only, far more aggressively than he has ever played it before. According to excerpts released by the White House, Mr. Bush said withdrawal from Iraq could lead - repeat could lead - to the same killing of innocent lives in Iraq like we saw after leaving Vietnam. “One unmistakable legacy of Vietnam is that the price of America’s withdrawal was paid by millions of innocent citizens whose agonies would add to our vocabulary new terms like ‘boat people,’ ‘re-education camps,’ and ‘killing fields,’” the president said. Given the 700,000 Iraqi civilians , or so, who have died already, not to mention the fact the "Killing Fields" were in Cambodia , is this a comparison Mr. Bush really wants to invite?CONTINUED >>
The second anniversary of the Hurricane Katrina disaster is approaching, and it's nice to see that some haven't forgotten about the crescent city. Reuters has a good write-up of what actor Brad Pitt is doing, and how he's frustrated by the slow recovery. The full article is after the jump...and Ann Curry will have a two-part interview with Pitt starting tomorrow.
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Bush & Clinton Agree on Iraq? : One of the biggest stories of the 2008 Democratic presidential contest so far has been Senator Hillary Clinton's slow and steady transformation from a hawk on the war in Iraq to a dove. In our fifth story on the Countdown: An aviary happening. Either Mrs. Clinton is venturing back into hawk territory, or President Bush is showing early signs of morphing into a dove. Put it to you this way: In the past 24 hours she and Mr. Bush have apparently overlapped in some of their comments about Iraq. Mean Dean : After pounding Jamaica, Hurricane Dean slams into Mexico. We'll show you the damage left in its wake and find out how much stronger it will get as it heads back over water. This as the remnants of a fairly overlooked Tropical Storm called Erin turns deadly, triggering staggering flooding throughout the midwest. ODDBALL : The Cat Poop Coffee finally airs tonight, a guy dives 35 feet into 12 inches of water, and the oldest ever foot print is uncovered.In the Wake of Disaster : When we look back on the summer of '07, it could be called the summer mother nature did not take off. Earthquakes, wildfires, hurricanes, floods. One disaster after another. Some with stories of rescue and bravery...others with less happy endings. Our number two story, two very different efforts to save lives in peril. The first, an underground drama that gripped us for weeks trapped underground in the moutnains of Utah six men simply working in a coal mine. Three people died trying to save them. Today, one of them was buried.. a final form of mourning that most of the families may never expereince. Vixk Sacked: The old saying goes....how can you expect football players to be warriors on Sunday and Gentlemen on Monday. You can expect it because well...we are humans with free will who make our own decisions. Some people decide torturing dogs they buy to fight other dogs is what they want to do between Sundays. Some people will get to think about that in jail. Our number two story... the man who may blow a 130-million dollar contract for his role in a cruel and dumb dogfighting scheme. For Atlanta Falcon's quarterback Michael Vick, the next stop could be the P-F-L.. as in prison football league. The "High School Musical" Phenomenon : The most recent installment of "School Musical" which premiered this past weekend became the most watched basic cable program of all time. What's all the fuss about this Disnay Channel made for TV movie series? Here's the plot: Boy likes to sing. Girl likes to sing. Boy meets girl. Boy & girl try out for the high school musical and ---"Hey gang! Let's put on a show in the barn."
Here's the Hillary Clinton quote to the VFW convention in Kansas City yesterday that's got the intenets buzzing...
"We have begun to change tactics in Iraq, and in some areas, particularly in Al-Anbar Province, It's working. We're just years too late changing our tactics. We can't ever let that happen again. We can't be fighting the last war...we have to be preparing to fight the new war."
Here's the video
And here's a question...what is the new war?
Technology has dealt a body blow in the ever long struggle between human beings and that dastardly invisible cloud known as the fart.
Amy Robach in for Keith tonight...
The Exit Interviews :
Karl Rove may be a short timer at the White House, but it seems he's already got an inside line on a new potential occupation: Reverse Psychologist. Our fifth story on the Countdown: The architect's week-long attack against Senator Hillary Clinton is far from subtle, probably far from over, and, possibly, far from original. Mean Dean : The first hurricane of the season is already a monster storm... in our fourth story on the Countdown tonight. As Hurricane Dean heads straight for Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula it's on course to make landfall early Tuesday morning possibly as a Category five storm. Thousands of tourists on the Mayan Riviera are evacuating and offshore oil rigs have been shut down as Dean takes aim. ODDBALL All Surged Out The most enduring piece of misinformation about Iraq is that it had something do with 9/11, even though the President and especially Vice President Cheney continue to connect the two. The latest example, today's White House hint that General Petraeus is likely to report to Congress on the effectiveness of the surge on September eleventh. Coincidence? Our fourth story tonight... more stark differences between reality and Bush-vision.. Nightmares Caught on Tape: Whether it was Mr. or Mrs. Murphy who first discovered Murphy's Law isn't clear but the law is: "If anything can go wrong.. it will." Our number two story tonight, a couple of good examples, starting with a perfect flight and an uneventful landing of a Taiwanese airliner in Tokyo. You're Hired? : There may be no common denominator on why so called celebrities appear on reality tv shows. Let's face it, in some cases, it's their last refuge. But if the motive is to buff up their image, they might want to think twice before allowing Donald Trump to play boss. In our number one story on the Countdown, The Donald is now recruiting -- for his celebrity version of "The Apprentice" -- Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan. The real estate baron thinks he could take the trio and "whip them into shape."
According to the AP, the Obama Girl video is creeping his kids out.
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Official press release after the jump.
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Remember that Bush-driven surveillance act that congress quickly passed so they could go on vacation? According to the New York Times , nobody read the fine print. So now, the Administration can get "certain types of physical searches on American soil and the collection of Americans’ business records". Without court approval.
At 10:31 ET this morning, Karl Rove was talking on THREE network channels at once, CBS, NBC and Fox.
Here's some of what he said:
-On Valerie Plame: "I'm not even certain to this day whether she fits under the description of a CIA operative"
-On why People who voted GOP in 2004 and voted Dem in 2006: the #1 reason was corruption, #2 reason was spending.
-On Saddam Hussein: "He was funding terrorists, he was supporting terrorists, harboring terrorists".
-On why he won't testify on the record to Congress: The Constitution.
Also, has anyone noticed how Karl Rove loves to quote those same polls that the President apparently pays no attention to?
You can watch his full performance on MTP here .
Remember the famous head butt that ended the career of French soccer star Zinedine Zidane in last year's world cup? (If not, see video above for a refresher). Well, the headbuttee has finally come forward in his autobiography to reveal just what he said to deserve it.
What is going on at LAX? For the seventh time this year, there's been what aviation officials politely call a "runway incursion". In layman's terms, it means that two passenger planes nearlly collided on the tarmac. This time, one plane was travelling at 150 mph. The other plane fortunately managed to stop just in time.
Category Four.
Mine Disaster For eleven days, efforts to reach six stranded miners at Crandall County mine in Utah were hampered by movement of the very Mountain itself. Tonight, the whole underground search has been cancelled indefinitely, after three would-be rescue workers lost their lives trying to reach their stranded colleagues last night. The devastating loss coming as both the head of the federal mine safety (whom a Republican controlled Congress wouldn't approve) and the owner of the mine (who has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to Republican candidates) come under intense scrutiny for their active and passive actions against increased mine safety. CONTINUED >>
Apparently some of the folks at the CIA and FBI have nothing better to do than edit wikipedia entries on Gitmo and the Iraq war. Your tax dollars in action .
According to notes taken by FBI director Robert Mueller, Attorney General John Ashcroft was "feeble," "barely articulate" and "stressed" immediately after Alberto Gonzales and Andy Card paid him a hospital bed visit in 2004, secret NSA program authorization in hand. He even notes that Ashcroft's deputy was so concerned for his health of his boss after the confrontation, that he asked Mueller to bar anyone who wasn't a relative from entering the hospital room again. This directly contradicts Alberto Gonzales' sworn testimony who said Ashcroft was "lucid" and talkative. Wonder if congress will ever get to hear from Ashcroft himself on the matter .
The New York Times has a nifty graphic showing just how much time Rudy Giuliani actually spent at Ground Zero immediately following the attacks on September 11th. He has consistently claimed on the campaign trail that he faces comparable risks to the workers who dug through the rubble. Once he even claimed to have spent as much time at the site as they did. But records show he only spent 29 hours at the site from September 17th to December 16th 2001. Whereas workers often worked 12 hour shifts every single day.
Tragedy on Tragedy in Utah. Three rescue workers lost their lives at Crandall Canyon Mine in after ANOTHER cave-in while they were trying to reach the six miners stuck underground since August 6th. They were killed by the same seismic acitivity that cause the first cave-in 11 days ago. Mine officials are now debating whether to stop all underground activity.
Props to our former NBC colleague Kevin Sites, now with Yahoo News, for this story, about a website that hooks up women who want breast implants, with people who are willing to pay for said implants in return for photos and "interaction". Huh.
Ghost-written, Ghost-presented? It is sleazy enough that the endlessly-hyped "Petraeus Report" proves to be nothing more than the latest White House spin of that which four star General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker have ascertained about Iraq. It is sleazy enough that the White House maintains that its authorship, and not Petraeus's, was the plan all along and the rest of us just didn't understand that. But now tonight: another new high in low. Reports that the Administration also wanted to prevent Petraeus and Crocker from even delivering that report, and therefore from testifying in public. CONTINUED >>
Jenna Bush just got engaged to Mr. Henry Hager. The above photo was taken of the love-birds during a special dinner for Prince Charles & his wife in 2005. Mr. Hager proposed on Wednesday. Jenna Bush is currently writing a children's book with her Mom. Henry Hager is a former intern of Karl Rove's and part of the Bush/Cheney re-election team in 2004.
First, the "Petraeus Report" isn't even going to be written by General David Petraeus. Now comes word that the White House wants to limit his testimony on Capitol Hill next month to a closed-door hearing, leaving Condoleezza Rice and Robert Gates to present the ghost written report .
As if the government isn't doing enough spying thanks to whatever classified NSA surveillance programs are currently afoot, local law enforcement will soon be able to tap into the same high-tech spy-ware that the feds use. Courtesy of the Bush administration.
And in the 2008 race, Democrats are ahead. At least when it comes to funding. USA Today reporting that the leading Democratic candidates have raised four times as much as their counterparts did in 2003. And in the first half of this year, they raised $32 milion dollars from some of the top campaign sites in the country, compared with $13.8 million gathered by Republicans.
We miss ya, big guy. As do your legions of clones .
Not from the Pen of Petraeus It was the Roman Emperor and unintentional philosopher Marcus Aurelius who observed that we each encounter deceit, greed, falsehood, and failure, every day. And yet we're constantly stunned by it. "How ridiculous and what a stranger he is," he wrote, nearly 1900 years ago as he led an army through the forests of Germany, "who is surprised at anything which happens in 
