The Holiday Schedule Is In Effect

The next couple of weeks I will be spending time with family, both nuclear and extended, I will be doing a little traveling and I will be trying to ignore the news and pretend that all is well in the world.

As a result I have no idea how much I will be posting.

If there isn't anything new here, just check out the links on the right hand side of this page. I am sure you will find some new content someplace over there.

and

Happy holidays (Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, New Year, Festivus, and what ever else I may have failed to list) to all.

Friday's Post

Worth Clicking Over and checking out.

Lynn at Big Fat Liberal point out that our children's history lessons, may be a little less that complete.


The name the quote game is being played, to good effect, at Badtux the Snarky Penguin.


A reminder from Oliver Willis just how wrong so many right wing talking heads are.

Tags
Facism Glenn Reynolds History

Another Bombshell

From reporters who still know how to do their job, the British media.

The Government's case for going to war in Iraq has been torn apart by the publication of previously suppressed evidence that Tony Blair lied over Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction.

{snip}

British officials warned US diplomats that bringing down the Iraqi dictator would lead to the chaos the world has since witnessed. "I remember on several occasions the UK team stating this view in terms during our discussions with the US

(bold mine)

I wonder if the US media will even notice this damning bit of new information about the lies and incompetence that has led us to where we are now at in Iraq.

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Iraq

Roy Moore, Clearly Unfit

To have ever been allowed to serve as a judge.

Aside from his actions revolving around his trying to force his religion onto everyone who entered his court, Roy is making it clear that he doesn't understand the bedrock legal principals this nation was built upon.

Roy has decided that a person of the Islamic faith should not be allowed to serve in congress. It appears that he has forgotten one small detail, article IV of the US Constitution.

no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.

And Roy's little proposal would seem to be a direct violation of this. Of course, Roy seems to have no problems with violating the constitution.

The gross stupidity of so many of the leaders of the right wing never fails to astound me.

And Roy, one last note. A congressperson is not required to swear upon anything when they give their oath. Keith Ellison (D-Mn) had made the choice to add a personal religious bond to his oath, but that is his choice, not a federal requirement. If a person is going to add a religious bond to an oath, it should be a bond that they embrace. To do otherwise would make the oath useless.


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Roy Moore Keith Ellison

Who Is Calling The Shots In The Iraq War?

President Bush, under the guise of seeking advice, is busy trying to find anyone who will recommend that we ignore the Baker Hamilton report, and say his course. Some may ask why.

It appears there may be a new player in this game, and they are offering some 'recommendations'.

Saudi Arabia has warned Washington it might provide financial aid to Iraqi Sunnis in any fighting against Shiites if the U.S. pulls its troops out of Iraq.

In addition, the Saudies have also made it clear that they do not favor the US entering into any talks with Iran.

Now the reason for VP Dick Cheney's last second trip to Saudi Arabia is clear. It also shines a new light on the sudden departure from DC of the Saudi Ambassador to the US. The Saudies are not pleased, and want to make sure George knows it.

His actions since this trip make it appear that he has noticed.

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Iraq Saudi Arabia

Iraq Is Still Aflame

The news coming from Iraq doesn't appear to change much from day to day.

The only time that it attracts much notice now, is when the death toll is massive and unignorable.

A powerful car bomb exploded in central Baghdad early Tuesday morning near a crowd of mostly Shiite day laborers, killing 59 people and wounding 149, Lt. Col. Mahmoud Abdul Aziz of the Iraqi Interior Ministry said.

In a separate incident in Mosul, a television cameraman working for the Associated Press was gunned down and killed while filming clashes between insurgents and police, the wire service reported.

It is a rare day when so many die at one attack. Most days the death toll is now the result of dozens of small attacks. Even when we don't get the graphic reminder that we got today, we must remember that while our government is focused on efforts that should have been in place years ago or finding experts who will tell us what we want to hear, we need to remember that every day hundred of Iraqis are dying. And as long as we continue to wander about without a viable plan this will not change.


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Iraq

Professional Incompetence

A few months ago it was discovered that many of those in leadership positions in our war on a battle tactic were clueless about the most basic details of the middle eastern conflict that we were sitting in the middle of.

It appears that at least one incoming Democratic leader is almost equally unequipped to offer true leadership.

In an interview with the editor on national security for Congressional Quarterly, the incoming Democratic chairman for the House Intelligence Committee was unable to answer "fundamental questions" related to the Middle East

This is inexcusable. I might have some degree of understanding if this were 1996, but we have been at war in this region for 5 years now. To not know the basic of who they players are, and how they interact by now shows an enormous degree of disinterest, or stupidity.

It is depressing to discover that so many of those who we send to DC to run the nation, are just not interested in doing it properly.

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Iraq Silvestre Reyes

The Fun Continues

The chest cold moved north.

At least it is almost over.

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Cold

But Still 100% Human

Your 'Do You Want the Terrorists to Win' Score: 100%

You are a terrorist-loving, Bush-bashing, "blame America first"-crowd traitor. You are in league with evil-doers who hate our freedoms. By all counts you are a liberal, and as such cleary desire the terrorists to succeed and impose their harsh theocratic restrictions on us all. You are fit to be hung for treason! Luckily George Bush is tapping your internet connection and is now aware of your thought-crime. Have a nice day.... in Guantanamo!

Do You Want the Terrorists to Win?
Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

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Quiz

I Talk Like I Talk

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Inland North   You may think you speak "Standard English straight out of the dictionary" but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like "Are you from Wisconsin?" or "Are you from Chicago?" Chances are you call carbonated drinks "pop."
The South
The Midland
The Northeast
Philadelphia
The West
North Central
Boston
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

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Quiz

Friday's Links

A young creationist has been given a chance to ask questions of the folks at Pharyngula. There are a lot of post, but it is worth the time.


Over at Science, Shrimp and Grits the effort to allow unlimited lead pollution is discussed.


What is wrong with NARAL is considered at Digby's Hullabaloo.

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NARAL Creationism Environment

Shocking News

The Bush administration has lied to us about Iraq.

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration routinely has underreported the level of violence in Iraq in order to disguise its policy failings, the Iraq Study Group report said Wednesday.

The bipartisan group called on the Pentagon and the director of the U.S. intelligence community to immediately institute a new reporting system that provides "a more accurate picture of events on the ground."

Of course, you can not blame just the Bush administration for this deception. Some of the blame has to be placed on the Republican controlled Congress. Their failure to provide even the barest minimum of oversight is what has allowed George and his followers to lie to the American people.

The good news is now, after 5 years of war, the congress will again start to do it's job. Lets hope that the Democrats have the courage to do their job properly.

On second thought, maybe the idea of this President and his admnistration lying to the American public isn't that shocking.

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Iraq Congress

Another Bloody Day In Iraq

While the Iraq Study Group was busy explaining to some of the slower thinking members of the Bush administration and the Republican party that their plan for Iraq is a complete and total failure, 10 more US troops have died in combat.

We now have about 25 dead in Iraq in only 6 days. It looks like December has the potential to be another record setting month for US casualties. Unfortunately for some of the right wing talking heads, there are no US elections to blame this surge in violence on.



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Iraq

Dick Is Going To Be A Granddad (Again)

It seems that Mary Cheney and her partner Heather Poe are expecting their first little one. I am sure that Dick and Lynne Cheney are happy and excited, just as most parents are when their children start to grow their families.

I don't care one way or another, but I do wonder how the culture warriors who love to attack gays, gay 'lifestyles', the gay 'agenda', gay families, and those who support gay families are going to respond to this bit of news.

Do Mary and Dick and Lynne get the tar and feather treatment that is the norm in these cases, or do they, because of their high republican profile, get a pass?


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Cheney Gay Rights

History, Accountability and Iraq

Martin van Creveld is a well respected historian. His area of focus is military history, and works out of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He is so well respected that he is the only non American author on the US Army's list of required reading for officers. Last week he had a small piece published in The Forward, (linked here via Brad DeLong's blog) that included this little bit.

For misleading the American people, and launching the most foolish war since Emperor Augustus in 9 B.C sent his legions into Germany and lost them, Bush deserves to be impeached and, once he has been removed from office, put on trial along with the rest of the president's men. If convicted, they'll have plenty of time to mull over their sins.

The most foolish war, the largest military mistake, in over 2000 years.

That is a very bold statements, but one that a historian of his stature would not make recklessly. This addresses one point about this war that doesn't get much notice from the US media, accountability.

The Bush administration has been wrong about almost everything in and about Iraq. From the cost of the war to the reception we would get, from the number of men needed to the threat Saddam presented to the US. On almost every point, this administration has been wrong. That said, Bush is right about one thing. We are now in Iraq, and now must try to find a way to minimize the damage that the failed state Bush's people have created will cause.

Members of the Bush administration like to use this spin as a shield. They profess, yes things have not worked out as well as one would have hoped, but now we have no choice than to keep fighting the fight. The still insist that their ideas, their views, their plans are the only ones that are reasonable or even viable. The group that has been wrong about everything, still demands respect for their opinions.

As a result we are using up equipment faster that we can replace it. We already have 14 dead this month, reports of attacks on civilians are a daily occurrence, with death totals around 100 a day now the norm.

Holding those who are responsible for the nightmare we have created in Iraq may be the best first step we could take in finding a solution. Gross errors in judgment, especially errors that led to tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of deaths, should not go unpunished. Saddam has now spend his time in the dock, and been judged for his actions in Iraq. Maybe it is time to consider who in the US should be following in his footsteps.

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Iraq

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

The days are getting shorter, the nights longer, there is a nip in the air, and every kid in preschool is a walking experiment in infectious illnesses.

He has a small cough and a little bit of a runny nose. My chest fills like it is full of Cream of Wheat, and dental surgery may be less painful than the coughing I was doing last night.

At least it isn't a head cold.

Only 5 more months till the peak of the sharing season has passed.


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Colds

Friday's Collection Of Post

worth spending a little time reading.

Badtux the Snarky Penguin thinks that Jim Webb (D-Va.) may end up being a one term Senator. Badtux may be right.


A story that will bring tears of rage is presented at Seeding Spartanburg.


At Dispatches From The Culture War, Ed notes that Newt Gingrich appears to be launching his 2008 Presidential race on an end free speech platform.


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Education Gingrich Webb