Merry Fitzmas

Late word from Newsweek that Karl Rove and Dan Bartlett have been given subpoenas to testify in the Libby trial. Karl Rove has testified 5 times before the Grand Jury. He avoided charges, by the skin of his teeth. THIS is popcorn viewing. Get your fix at Firedoglake.

CBS News Fucktards Censoring Iraq News?

It seems that the reality of daily Iraq is not something the White House wants you to see. So who complies? That giant Liberal Media outlet, CBS News.

From CBS News correspondent Lara Logan:

From: lara logan
Subject: help

The story below only appeared on our CBS website and was not aired on CBS. It is a story that is largely being ignored, even though this istakingplace verysingle day in central Baghdad, two blocks from where our office is located.

Our crew had to be pulled out because we got a call saying they were about to be killed, and on their way out, a civilian man was shot dead in front of them as they ran.

I would be very grateful if any of you have a chance to watch this story and pass the link on to as many people you know as possible. It should be seen. And people should know about this.

If anyone has time to send a comment to CBS – about the story – not about my request, then that would help highlight that people are interested and this is not too gruesome to air, but rather too important to ignore.

Many, many thanks.

Video here.

You know what to do.

Inside Baseball

Blogger fried out for the entire blogosphere last night, apparently. I tried to liveblog the king's address for awhile, but finally had to give up just to watch the screen grabs. John McCain, looking ever so Presidential, fell asleep. Hillary and Obama were rock stars. Bush got groped. Cheney looked like he had eaten live bugs having to sit next to the 1st woman Speaker. I love politics.

This blog is for the 'average person', whom I consider to be someone who only occasionally pays attention to what's important to them. I stray from that once in awhile, but still.

The trial of Scooter Libby is Inside Baseball to the extreme. Only people who watch CSPAN for fun will think it's exciting (it's awesomely exciting, but I digress). However, even though the average person doesn't find it exciting, it does branch out into all kinds of things that are important: how we got to war, the power of the Vice President, the pressure brought to bear on the intelligence community. Do these things affect us day to day? Not directly, but they absolutely do indirectly. All of these things lead to how much money we pay for gas, secondary to political instability and our foolishness. That's just one example. There are others, but it's been a long day.

Anyway, what all this is leading to, is to direct you to the best liveblogging ever. Firedoglake is on fire, literally, encapsulating the trial into user-friendly snippets. Even what you might think to be the most dry, boring testimony is interesting. Because it has choice parts of gooey pleasure, like: Will Libby himself testify? How will the jury react to Dick Cheney's testimony? What's the strategy? Like I said, Inside Baseball to the extreme. Do yourself a favor and read a little. Who doesn't love a gooey center? It's addicting.

Liveblogging the SOTU

Gonna liveblog this until I can't stand it anymore...

Cheney just came in, to extremely lukewarm applause. He and Pelosi and trying to make nice waiting for mom to come in (Bush has to be mom, cuz Cheney is certainly dad).
The (mostly Democratic) Senate is taking longer and being received much more warmly than Cheney's entrance. He had a clear path to his chair. The Senators are shaking lots of hands.
Kerry just left the line to go over to say hi to Kendrick Meek, Democratic Representative from Florida.
John Tester, the new Democratic Senator from Montana just came in, smiling big.
And Cheney and Pelosi are still trying to make nice. lol
I can't wait to see Pelosi sitting behind Bush. 1st woman Speaker of the House in history, baby!
Hillary Clinton looks like a rock star. She's surrounded. Obama too, but to a lesser extent.
Here come da judges, in full dress uniform.
Cheney looks like he ate a bug.
Barbara Boxer, D-CA, shaking hands with John Roberts, Chief Justice. Should come in handy when Bush begs for bipartisanship when talking about supporting the troops.
Martha Radditz from ABC: Bush wants to change the subject away from Iraq for awhile.
Brian Williams from NBC: This year, Bush's approval rating is 50 points below what it was a few years ago (ouch).
House Minority Leader John Boner (nee Boehner) is behind him, and looks also like he's eaten a bug. He is distantly behind him, as well as politically.
Money shot coming. Shaking hands with Pelosi. Yeah, baby.
I'm gonna melt. Pelosi just did the official welcoming. God damn, I love this woman.
Kinda classy. Bush acknowledged the history of having Pelosi as Speaker.
He congratulated the "Democrat majority" and the republicans wouldn't applaude. Also classy.
Created 7.2 million news jobs. Pshaw. Clinton had 20 million.
Republicans love them some tax cuts.

Okay, I'm gonna go watch awhile. This is too entertaining. Here's to Speaker Pelosi!

I'm Sorry, What Was Your Name Again?

Bush approval at 28%.

Wasn't Nixon at something like 23% at his lowest? Heh.

Richardson Announces, Then Faces Trouble

Richardson announced today. Shorltly thereafter, he gets gets a question posed to him that he must answer soon. Once this makes the rounds of the cable nets, he won't get face time with Lou Dobbs or anyone else.

"Have you behaved inappropriately or not in public settings with female members of your government administration, jokingly or not? Have you gestured to female public servants and political appointees--who work as colleagues with you--and made lewd gestures, specifically pointing to them and pointing at your crotch with a room full of media and other politicos in the room?

Personally, I find it deplorable that a member of my party is so publicly an asshat. It's clear from the link to the original article that the Lt. Governor didn't want to publicly call him out on his behavior. She has to work with the guy, and as Steve Clemons points out, he has a lot of potential. But come on. If these allegations are true, he has to bow out for the good of the party. Party above person, which he clearly has never understood. There are enough egomaniacs in the room.

Who Will This Serve?

Don't forget. On February 6th, George Tenet's book, At the Center of the Storm comes out.

This will generate a shitstorm of publicity for the book (I know, it's shocking), but also a shitstorm of asshats on my teevee telling me that Tenet is to blame for everything, including the crucifixion. There are no reviews available for this book yet, but I'm guessing George has a few things to say about the reality of the War On Terra. I suppose that Presidential Medal of Freedom high didn't last all that long. I imagine George will spread some blame around the atmosphere, but the asshats will be out in force to rebut every breath he takes. Which in a way is good for Bush, because it will take our eyes off Iraq/Iran. Maybe this is when they move another carrier group for the coming war with Iran.

We haven't had a good distraction from the mess we've created since...well, since Lindsay Lohan entered rehab.

Where The FUCK Is the Money Going?

This makes me so crazy:

"Sick or injured children who could otherwise be treated by simple means are left to die in hundreds because they do not have access to basic medicines or other resources," the doctors say. "Children who have lost hands, feet and limbs are left without prostheses. Children with grave psychological distress are left untreated," they add.

They say babies are being ventilated with a plastic tube in their noses and dying for want of an oxygen mask, while other babies are dying because of the lack of a phial of vitamin K or sterile needles, all costing about 95p. Hospitals have little hope of stopping fatal infections spreading from baby to baby because of the lack of surgical gloves, which cost about 3.5p a pair."

Where the fuck is the money going? We're sending gazillions of dollars to this country, and this is what we're doing with it? It's going in the pockets of the contractors. This is fucking inhumane. This is fucking criminal. The people who allow this to happen should be at Gitmo. God damn these people. Karma: it's a bitch.
Via Americablog.

Diabetic Coma Cuteness

What can I say, I'm a sucker for animal pics. StuffOnMyCat.

Blogging the Process

I've kept this to myself, except for the comments section at Firedoglake, responding to the post about Jane Hamsher's 3rd bout with breast cancer, very briefly. I found a lump in my breast a few weeks ago, and go soon for a diagnostic mammogram and an ultrasound.
I've kept silent for a couple of reasons, primarily the fear. Holy shit, the fear is amazing. Every single person I've spoken with (in real life, not on the internets) who has had an experience like this, says the same thing. Everyone I've spoken to has said that you just go to the scariest place possible automatically. Once you're in that place, it's hard to dislodge yourself from it. There are no accidents, and in the last month there's been an increase in the number of people I know or know of having this illness. It's hopefully coincidence that I found my lump when I did.
I came out of my fear recently. I've made some difficult decisions about what I will do if I am really sick. Amazingly, making those decisions has made the fear of the process disappear. I'm no longer stressed about the outcome, because I know the outcome will be what it is supposed to be. I process everything six ways from Sunday, so I'm confident that I won't have a last minute panic attack when I get my test results.
My blog is read by maybe 3 people (not really, but not far from the truth). I don't have international exposure. So I tip my hat to Jane and Christy at Firedoglake, because it will be through them that women everywhere will pay attention to their health care. Just by blogging Jane's process will make them stand up and take notice of themselves; and Christy posted I believe yesterday about the importance of getting mammograms.
This is a personal issue. This is also a political issue. Health care for women is seriously fucked up in general, and breast cancer specifically is highly political. I will post results when I am able emotionally, but for right now, support Firedoglake while they struggle through their own crisis. And get a mammogram. Now, back to the politics.

Darth Cheney Strikes Back

The BBC is reporting that back in 2003, Iran (yes, Iran) offered to: help stabilize Iraq, make its nuclear program more transparent, and give up support for Hezbollah.

"In return for its concessions, Tehran asked Washington to end its hostility, to end sanctions, and to disband the Iranian rebel group the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq and repatriate its members.

Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had allowed the rebel group to base itself in Iraq, putting it under US power after the invasion."

Who didn't want to play? Darth Cheney.

What's happened since 2003? That was the year the war started. We've lost over 3000 military members, Hezbollah is the de facto governing body of Lebanon, and we're itching to go to war with Iran because it wants to become a nuclear power.

These people hate their country. The only thing, the only thing they care about is money. War crimes tribunals or karma. I have to believe in both to be able to sleep at night, thinking of what they've done. But wait! Lindsay Lohan is in rehab! All will be well.

Fun With CSPAN

I know, I know. Get laid. Get a life. I get it already.

But...I took the afternoon off work and have been watching some fun on CSPAN. The average viewer might prefer a root canal, but this is some good politics. The Democrats wanted to put an end to the corporate welfare to oil companies, and the Republicans had a hissy fit. All afternoon they've been exerting parliamentary inquiries and points of order. Sucks to be out of power, boyz. And there's some weird personal point of order thing happening with a guy named Gomer, or somesuchthing, with Nancy Pelosi (the first female Speaker of the House, baby). The House passed the raising of the minimum wage, so this guy Gomer got upset that Nancy Pelosi won't include American Samoa because she has stock ownership in a company there. Then the delegate from American Samoa got up and called out Gomer from Texas. I don't know who the woman is acting as speaker right now, but she weilds a wicked gavel. Her learning curve seems a little steep, but she's keeping up and keeping the Republicans from having a coup. I am so in love with politics.

When Bad Things Happen To Good People

One of the best bloggers in the blogosphere, Jane Hamsher of Firedoglake, has breast cancer. For the 3rd time. I'm a huge admirer of hers, as will you be when you read the blog. I am a daily+ reader of the blog, and have enormous admiration for the tenacity they have regarding most things, but especially the Scooter Libby droolfest. If you're religious send prayers; if you're not, send positive energy. She's going to need it before she comes back and kicks some trial-of-the-century ass.

Flying Lazy Circles

It's a fun parlor game, but a game nonetheless, to speculate about the 2008 presidential election. Who will it be, both parties open to anyone. However, there is news from Colorado Pols that Senator Wayne Allard, R-Colorado, is set to announce his exit on Monday. Talk about wide open fields. Every politician down to the dog catcher has been waiting for an answer about Allard. Scott McInnis, Bob Schaeffer, Marilyn Musgrave: all are names thrown about on the Republican side. Talk about great politics. The dynamics of this race will be fodder for speculation for months. Yum.

Drooling

I realize I need to get laid, or get a life, or whatever. But damn, I am drooling over this:

"Both Cheney and Libby have repeatedly denied -- both publicly and to federal investigators -- that Cheney ever encouraged Libby specifically to leak information to the press about Plame. But since the early days of the leak probe in fall 2003, even before it was taken over by Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, investigators have maintained that Libby devised an elaborate cover story even though he must have known that contemporaneous records and the testimony of others was very likely to show that he was lying. Other than the motive to protect himself, the only other driving force behind Libby's actions, federal investigators have theorized, was to protect Cheney or other superiors, according to attorneys who have been involved in the CIA leak probe."

Trial starts Tuesday. Bring your own drool cup.

Pay No Attention To The Man Behind the Curtain

This is an interesting post from Steve Clemons about what's happening in the mideast right now. Watching Bush's speech last night with no small amount of snark, I didn't pay attention to the larger picture about Iran and Syria. Today comes word of a raid on an Iranian government office in Iraq by US forces. Blogs are abuzz that this constitutes an act of aggression against a foreign power. So I've read these stories, I've re-read Bush's speech. And I'm frankly freaked out, partly because I'm so flipping late to the party. I believed the media believed it when they would say that he was steadfast in his leadership. I thought they were as crazy as he was in supporting that he wouldn't face reality, but whatever. Now I believe he is not steadfast, he is not faith-based, he's getting down to the wire of the end of his presidency and he fully intends this war to be not about Iraq, but about Iran and Syria. Iraq was a means to an end to get into Iran and Syria. He's got two years left in office, which is the blink of an eye in geo-politics. He's not escalating, he's preparing to invade.

Deja Vu All Over Again

Very interesting read. This post from Will Bunch documents eerily how closely paralleled we are with Vietnam. I find it hard to believe that someone high up in the White House didn't make the connections between these speeches. Maybe they know and they just don't care. After all, there's oil money to be made.

Blogging the King's Address

Shorter Mr. Bush: If you're unpatriotic or stupid enough to think we've made mistakes, blame me. Otherwise, pay attention to the names of individual cities (it's supposed to show I'm reality based and not faith based on this topic) while I say the same flipping thing I've said in almost every other address to the nation about Iraq. Oh, and we're finally switching to a "clear and hold" strategery because we're adding a few thousand more people to the rotation. The democrats suck. I love Joe Lieberman. And we're never leaving. Ever.

It'd Be Funny If It Weren't So...You Know, Tragic

From War and Piece: The CIA is blocking Valerie Plame's book. They say because she was a non-official cover and can't even admit to working for the CIA. They will allow the White House to tell people she worked there, but she can't? On what planet do these people live? They took her career from her, now they interfere with her ability to earn a living. But it's okay, because we're at war. Or something.