Bush Aims to Kill War Crimes Act - "The US War Crimes Act of 1996 makes it a felony to commit grave violations of the Geneva Conventions. The Washington Post recently reported that the Bush administration is quietly circulating draft legislation to eliminate crucial parts of the War Crimes Act. Observers on The Hill say the Administration plans to slip it through Congress this fall while there still is a guaranteed Republican majority--perhaps as part of the military appropriations bill, the proposals for Guantánamo tribunals or a new catch-all "anti-terrorism" package. Why are they doing it, and how can they be stopped?" -- I find this revolting.
Individuals, Small Groups Cited as Terrorist Threats - "A new counterterrorism strategy released yesterday by the White House describes al-Qaeda as a significantly degraded organization, but outlines potent threats from smaller networks and individuals motivated by al-Qaeda ideology, a lack of freedom and "twisted" propaganda about U.S. policy in the Middle East."
Robert Fisk: 'America's aggression is fuelling extremism', says Iran's ex-president - ""The policies of the neo-conservatives have created a war that creates more extremists and radicals," he told The Independent in Chicago. "The events of 9/11 gave them this ability to create fear and anxiety ... and to create new policies of their own and now events are creating an expansion of extremists on both sides. A struggle is under way to dominate this world multilaterally ... We are a witness to war - with suppression from one side and extremist reaction in the form of terror from the other.""
U.S. Losing Control Fast - "Despite massive military operations which destroyed most of Fallujah and much of cities like Haditha and al-Qa'im in Ramadi, real control of the city now seems to be in the hands of local resistance. In losing control of this province, the U.S. would have lost control over much of Iraq."
There is desperation in the air - "You know the White House is getting nervous when the president of the United States starts dropping the "f-bomb." ... It's not every day, you know, when you come face to face with the threat of a fascist. The word has resonance with Americans of a certain age, schooled that Italy's Benito Mussolini, Germany's Adolf Hitler and Spain's Francisco Franco were first-team-all-fascist. But Bush now is casting a much wider aspersion that includes those whom he decries broadly as "Islamic extremists." It is an interesting gambit, using the echoes of World War II to win approval during the war on terror. The pivot from "extremists" to "fascists" suggests that "extremist" wasn't cutting it in terms of ringing the voters' chimes and summoning support for the war in Iraq, which the president continues to say is the epicenter of the global war on terror. There is increasing evidence that a majority of Americans no longer agree with how the president connects those dots, or his success in fighting either battle."
Condi uses Civil War to slap Iraq critics - "Secretary of State Rice compared the Iraq war with the American Civil War, telling a magazine that slavery might have lasted longer in this country if the North had decided to end the fight early." -- Disgusting.
Democrats say U.S. less safe since 9/11 - "Democrats are going toe to toe with Republicans on national security in the final months before November's elections, calling for the ouster of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and claiming that America is less safe today than before the September 11 terrorist attacks." -- That's because we have more enemies today. But then again, maybe that was the point.
Dems to push for no-confidence vote on Rumsfeld - "The Senate on Wednesday is set to debate a resolution that cites "no confidence" in the Bush administration's national security policies or Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's "ability to carry out the job," a Democratic leadership aide said."
Newsman to Tony Snow: 'Don't Point Your Finger At Me!' - "A not especially eventful press briefing at the White House today turned rancorous with NBC's David Gregory telling Press Secretary Tony Snow, "Don't point your finger at me," and Snow accusing the newsman of being "rude" and delivering Democratic talking points. ... This exchange followed."
Fury as academics claim 9/11 was 'inside job' - "The 9/11 terrorist attack on America which left almost 3,000 people dead was an "inside job", according to a group of leading academics. Around 75 top professors and leading scientists believe the attacks were puppeteered by war mongers in the White House to justify the invasion and the occupation of oil-rich Arab countries."
Blair tells aides he quits May 31 - "He will call an eight-week leadership election and, once a successor has been chosen, go to Buckingham Palace and formally quit on July 26, 2007. That will be TEN YEARS AND 12 WEEKS in power."
HOW BLAIR WILL GO - "A SENSATIONAL memo leaked to the Mirror reveals how Labour experts are planning Tony Blair's exit from No10. The retirement blueprint aims to promote the "triumph of Blairism" and allow the PM to quit on a wave of euphoria after 10 years in office. The secret strategy - drawn up by a small group of loyalists - is well under way."
Iran Head Wants Liberal Teachers Ousted - "Iran's hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called Tuesday for a purge of liberal and secular teachers from the country's universities, urging students to return to 1980s-style radicalism."
Poll says dislike of Bush is strong - "Other results from the poll make it easy to peg the central cause of Bush's lack of popularity."
Katherine Harris wins GOP nomination - "Harris faces an uphill battle in her bid to unseat Nelson, though. Polls have shown the Democrat more than 30 points ahead of Harris in a general election matchup."
No News Not the Best News For Katie Couric's Debut - "A title change would seem to be in order. Maybe "The CBS Evening No-News." Or "The CBS Evening Magazine." Or "30 Minutes.""
Google to offer news archive going back 300 years - " Internet giant Google Inc., is expected to announce that it will offer a free archive service enabling Internet users to search for printed articles back to the 1700s, US newspapers reported."
The Undeclared War on America's Middle Class - "Under the guise of free market capitalism, conservative policies have made 80-hour work weeks the norm. Working harder for less money means middle class families are getting screwed. You can't be middle class if you earn the minimum wage in America today. The American dream and the American reality have collided. In America we have always said that if you work hard and play by the rules, you can take care of yourself and your family. But the minimum wage is just $5.15 per hour. With a 40-hour workweek, that comes to a gross income of $9,888 per year. Nobody can support a family, own a home, buy health insurance, or retire decently on $9,888 per year! What's more, 30 million Americans -- one in four U.S. workers -- make less than $9 per hour, or just $17,280 a year. That's not a living wage either."
Cardinal says Vatican informers spied on Pope John Paul for Communist bloc - "Priests working in the Vatican for Poland's secret services during the Communist era extensively spied on Pope John Paul II, a Polish cardinal was quoted as saying Tuesday."
Evangelist drowns trying to walk on water - ""He told churchgoers he'd had a revelation that if he had enough faith, he could walk on water like Jesus," an eyewitness told the Glasgow Daily Record. "He took his congregation to the beach saying he would walk across the Komo estuary, which takes 20 minutes by boat. He walked into the water, which soon passed over his head and he never came back.""
The Top 30 Problems with the Big Bang
Will Vista stall Net traffic? - "Thanks to new directory software, Windows Vista could put a greater load on Internet servers. But experts disagree over whether we're headed for a prime-time traffic jam or insignificant slowdown."
Digital divide separates students - "Many more white children use the Internet than do Hispanic and black students, a reminder that going online is hardly a way of life for everyone. Two of every three white students -- 67 percent -- use the Internet, but less than half of blacks and Hispanics do, according to federal data released Tuesday. For Hispanics the figure is 44 percent; for blacks, it's 47 percent."
Back From the Dead - "A small but passionate group of doctors say that electricity applied deep in the brain can jolt patients out of irreversible comas. That's when the real problems begin."
Vegas mayor wants a mob museum; any questions? - "Mayor Oscar Goodman, the flamboyant, gin-sipping, sports-gambling, showgirl-squiring executive of Sin City, is caught in a contradiction. For years, he had told the world, "There is no mob." This was when he was a defense lawyer who represented mobsters and even had a cameo playing himself in Martin Scorsese's "Casino." Goodman said there were no mobsters - just alleged mobsters. Now, as mayor, he wants to take a National Historic Landmark, the old federal courthouse where he tried his first case, and turn it into a mob museum - and there's no alleged about it. Many of Goodman's constituents and some former FBI agents are appalled by the idea, but Goodman insists he's just recognizing Vegas' founding fathers. Or godfathers. "The mob founded us, and I never apologized for them because I represented them, and they made me a rich man," he said."
Quote of the Day
"It's hard to be around someone when they really, really annoy you."
~ Amy Anselmo
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