McCain defends Bush's Iraq strategy - ""I believe that together these moves will give the Iraqis and Americans the best chance of success," said McCain, R-Ariz., a leading presidential contender for 2008." -- And you will not be getting my vote, John.
Democratic Congressman reintroduces bill for military draft in US - "Charles Rangel, the Democratic chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, reintroduced a bill on Thursday that would institute a military draft for all legal residents of the United States between the ages of 18 and 42. In his press release announcing the move, Rangel—a liberal Democrat who claims to oppose the war in Iraq—made clear that the central motivation for the bill is to alleviate the strains on the military, which will be further overextended as Bush moves to increase the number of troops in Iraq. A draft would also provide sufficient cannon fodder to use in Iran, Somalia, North Korea or any other country the United States decides to invade."
Poll: Americans Oppose Iraq Troop Surge - "Seventy percent of Americans oppose sending more troops to Iraq, according to a new poll that provides a devastatingly blunt response to President Bush's plan to bolster military forces there."
The 'Surge' Is A Red Herring - "The "surge" is merely a tactic to buy time while war with Iran and Syria can be orchestrated. The neoconservative/Israeli cabal feared that the pressure that Congress, the public, and the American foreign policy establishment were putting on Bush to de-escalate in Iraq would terminate their plan to achieve hegemony in the Middle East. Failure in Iraq would mean the end of the neoconservatives' influence. It would be impossible to start a new war with Iran after losing the war in Iraq."
Rice, Gates face Hill heat over Iraq plan - "Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates met hostility yesterday on Capitol Hill when they tried to defend President Bush's decision to send about 21,500 more combat troops to Iraq."
Gates: Appeal for Troops Came From U.S. Commanders in Iraq - "Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told a Senate panel today that in deciding to send additional U.S. forces to Iraq, President Bush heeded an appeal that initially came from U.S. commanders there, and he cautioned against dismissing the views of "military professionals.""
Bush's legacy: The president who cried wolf - "Most importantly, perhaps, Mr. Bush, the plan fails because it still depends on your credibility. You speak of mistakes and of the responsibility “resting” with you. But you do not admit to making those mistakes. And you offer us nothing to justify this clenched fist toward Iran and Syria. In fact, when you briefed news correspondents off-the-record before the speech, they were told, once again, “if you knew what we knew … if you saw what we saw … ” “If you knew what we knew” was how we got into this morass in Iraq in the first place."
Did the President Declare "Secret War" Against Syria and Iran? - "Washington intelligence, military and foreign policy circles are abuzz today with speculation that the President, yesterday or in recent days, sent a secret Executive Order to the Secretary of Defense and to the Director of the CIA to launch military operations against Syria and Iran. The President may have started a new secret, informal war against Syria and Iran without the consent of Congress or any broad discussion with the country."
Neither sanctions nor bombs will end the Iran nuclear crisis - "Here lies the crux of the Iranian nuclear dilemma. Threats to deny any country its inalienable rights, or the means to defend itself against nuclear neighbours, are always likely to fall on deaf ears. And to talk to Iranians in such terms is likely only to inflame their worst fears. If Iranians are to change their attitudes, America and its allies need to change theirs. They need to accept that Iran has as much right as any country to pursue a programme of civilian energy, and it cannot be blamed for pursuing nuclear weapons when it is surrounded by countries - Israel, Pakistan and the US - that have their own." -- If you always threaten with a big stick, then your victims will someday counter with a similar stick.
Pentagon abandons active-duty time limit - "The Pentagon has abandoned its limit on the time a citizen-soldier can be required to serve on active duty, officials said Thursday, a major change that reflects an Army stretched thin by longer-than-expected combat in Iraq. ... The Pentagon also announced it is proposing to Congress that the size of the Army be increased by 65,000, to 547,000 and that the Marine Corps, the smallest of the services, grow by 27,000, to 202,000, over the next five years. No cost estimate was provided, but officials said it would be at least several billion dollars."
This is a US torture camp - "Tony Blair calls it an "anomaly", but the evidence is overwhelming. Camp Delta, which still houses 470 men never convicted of any crime, is a torture camp. ... According to the Red Cross, the regime at Guantánamo causes psychological suffering that has driven inmates mad, with scores of suicide attempts and three inmates killing themselves last year. ... The FBI is highly sceptical about alleged confessions gained by its military colleagues. A May 2004 FBI memo branded intelligence gained from "special techniques" as "suspect at best". Indeed, one of the Tipton Three confessed to being in a video shot at an Afghan terror camp alongside Osama bin Laden - in fact, at the time he was working in an electronics store in the Midlands. ... A UN report has confirmed evidence of torture, and Amnesty International has declared Guantánamo "the gulag of our time". Guantánamo is not the only US torture camp. Bagram in Afghanistan has been dogged by stories of abuse, and there are secret US prisons around the world where it is widely feared new horrors are occuring. Human rights have been traded away in Guantánamo in the hope of gaining security, and it has not worked. One of the US's founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, stated: "He who trades liberty for security deserves neither and will lose both."" -- These are sad, sad days to be an American.
Tax the Rich, End the War - "The Democrats can tax our way out of the war. This would be a Victory Over Terror tax to be levied on incomes of $5 million a year or more. ... The people in this stratospheric income category have enjoyed the big tax cuts that have gone into effect while the nation has been attacked and been at war. Individuals making $1.25 million a year have gotten tax cuts of almost 20 percent, but many of these would be spared paying the Victory Over Terror tax, which only cuts in at the $5 million level. Needless to say, those paying this tax do not represent the Democrats' voter base. As these things go, this is politically pain-free. The tax is aimed at war profiteers, overpaid CEOs and grossly fat cats in general, most of whom carry a lot of weight at the White House. If there is any group of people in the world whom George Bush listens to, it is this bunch of billionaires. Call this a backdoor use of the power of the purse. And since the surcharge expires when the war on terror is won or declared over, those taxed will have a powerful incentive to tell the President it is time to get a move on." -- Good idea.
New U.S. Congress Shaping Up to Promote Israel Over All - "With Bush announcing he is escalating the war in Iraq, a war he and his neocon warmonger buddies started in order to promote the neocon dream of Israel over all and to promote Bush's political career, it appears the government is going to take Americans further down the dark and deadly road required to build and guarantee a Greater Israel of Biblical proportions."
US air strikes killed over 100 Somalians - "Clan elders and residents in southern Somalia said on Thursday that about 100 civilians were killed this week in US and Ethiopian air strikes on suspected al-Qaeda targets in the region." -- Our leaders love the smell of death in the morning.
What's news in America? Let's check the numbers. - "The study, launched Tuesday, will analyze and code 40-plus outlets from five media sectors and report weekly on which stories received the most attention. "The aim of it is to look at the news agenda of the American media - what they're choosing to cover and what they're choosing not to cover," says Amy Mitchell, PEJ's deputy director."
14 Carter Center Advisers Resign Over Former President Jimmy Carter's Book - "Fourteen members of a leadership group under former President Carter's think tank resigned Thursday over concerns that Carter's book on the Middle East does not represent "the Jimmy Carter we came to respect and support."" -- Hmmmm. Jimmy must have hit a little too close to the truth.
Gore's 'Truth' restricted at schools - ""Condoms don't belong in school, and neither does Al Gore. He's not a schoolteacher," said Frosty Hardison, a parent of seven who doesn't want the film shown at all. "The information that's being presented is a very cockeyed view of what the truth is," Hardison told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. "The Bible says that in the end times everything will burn up, but that perspective isn't in the DVD."" -- Jesus.
More guns equal more murders in U.S. states: study - "American states where more people own guns have higher murder rates, including murders of children, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health reported on Thursday."
China: 30 million men face bleak future as singles - "A report released here Thursday said there will be 30 million more males of marriageable age in China than females by the year 2020, which will make it difficult for men to find wives."
NSA and Microsoft Worked Together on Windows Vista Security - "The U.S. agency best known for eavesdropping on telephone calls had a hand in the development of Microsoft’s Vista operating system, Microsoft confirmed Tuesday."
Sergeant in trouble for Playboy spread - "An Air Force staff sergeant who posed nude for Playboy magazine has been relieved of her duties while the military investigates, officials said Thursday."
Pizza promotion met with death threats - "A pizza chain has been hit with death threats and hate mail after offering to accept Mexican pesos, becoming another flashpoint in the nation's debate over immigrants."
Lawyer Arrested for Kissing Employee - "A criminal defense attorney has been arrested on a disorderly conduct charge involving kissing as a crime. ... Crozier said the video will prove he meant nothing sexual by the kiss, which he described as a peck on the cheek. He says the incident is an example of political correctness run amok."
2 Mo. malls impose limits on teens - "Starting next month, shoppers younger than 17 will need adult supervision if they want to visit two mid-Missouri malls on Friday and Saturday nights."
House OKs bill expanding study of stem cells - "Thirty-seven Republicans joined 216 Democrats to pass the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, which would allow federal funding of research on stem cells from embryos slated for destruction at clinics."
Hybrid human-animal egg research 'not illegal' - "Research mixing animal eggs with human cells is not illegal under current laws and potentially falls under the remit of the UK's independent regulator of fertility treatment and embryo research, it was announced this morning."
Gossamer Gel Stands Up to Flame, Speeding Space Particles - "The next time you want protection from a blowtorch--or space dust--consider an aerogel."
Net contest hopes to be 'American Idol' of books - "A major U.S. book publisher is hoping its new Web-based writing contest can tap into the popularity of interactive competitions like hit television show American Idol."
Quote of the Day
"You can call yourself leader 'til your ass bleeds, but that doesn't make it true."
~ Eric Cartman, South Park
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