BottleOfBlog

Republicans Recognize Bush Likely To Get Millions Of Americans Killed

The White House is already embroiled in negative news, from the Iraq prison abuse scandal to open doubts about an Iraqi handover of power, but now a fellow Republican and Indiana senator is challenging the president's foreign policy.

Indiana Senator Richard Lugar, who is a ranking Republican and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is questioning White House leadership on Iraq.

"Our security depends not on clever decision-making about when to go it alone, but on careful maintenance of our relations with other countries that insures the international community will be with us in a crisis,” says Senator Lugar who gave that critique during a commencement address at Tufts University.

He comments, "We are likely to experience acts of catastrophic terrorism that will undermine our economy, damage our society and kill hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people."

Senator Lugar says the US hasn't done enough to prevent terrorism. He called for a sustained program of rebuilding alliances, something he says is missing from the president's policies.

It's good to see Lugar realizes the incompetence and utter lack of any kind of coherent domestic or foreign policy by Bush.

But, Richard, come on!

Clever decision making??? Hoo-hoo!

We haven't heard a clever fucking thing out of Washington since Bill Clinton, on his way out the door, said, "Shit, Al, you got screwed."

Pretzels, Bike Riding, Clearing Brush

Fine. But what the hell explains that W.C. Fields nose?

Bush Suffers Cuts And Bruises While(Wink, Wink) Bike Riding

CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) - President Bush suffered cuts and bruises early Saturday afternoon when he fell while mountain biking on his ranch, White House spokesman Trent Duffy said.

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``He had minor abrasions and scratches on his chin, upper lip, nose, right hand and both knees,'' Duffy said. ``Dr. Tubbs, who was with him, cleaned his scratches, said he was fine. The Secret Service offered to drive him back to the house. He declined and finished his ride.''

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Duffy said Bush probably would be wearing a bandage on his chin during a party Saturday night for his daughter, Jenna, who graduated from the University of Texas earlier in the day. Bush left Crawford shortly after the bike mishap for the party in Austin.

Right.

Lacerations and bruises while eating pretzels. Embarrasing cuts while "clearing bush" on the ranch. And now abrasions on his chin, upper lip, nose, right hand and both knees while "bike riding".

And we all know what a big bike rider the president is. I can't tell you how tired I am of the stories and photo ops of president Bush riding around on his bike.

But, golly, it sure is funny how often this president gets his face banged up, how often the White House has to explain the bruises and cuts on the president. I mean, I don't think I can remember another president getting so many facial injuries during one term in the White House. And I can't remember so many facial injuries happening to a president in private, and while on his long, long vacations away from the prying eyes of the public.

And without the press around.

It's kind of weird though, you know. A long manly bike ride or some masculine "brush cleaning" seems like exactly the kind of thing this White House would invite journalists to see. But they didn't. And, wow, the president got all banged up again.

Gosh, it sure is a good thing the president(wink, wink) gave up drinking. Otherwise, people might think he's still a sloppy, falling down drunk, a guy who drinks so much he winds up with cuts and bruises on his face and knees and hands.

You know, the kind of guy he was his whole life. Before he (wink, wink) gave up drinking.

Free Press An Embarrassment To Free People

Journalists at Time magazine and NBC News were subpoenaed yesterday to appear before a federal grand jury investigating whether administration officials illegally leaked the name of an undercover CIA officer last summer.

Tim Russert, host of NBC's "Meet the Press," and Time reporter Matthew Cooper were subpoenaed by special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald. NBC said in a statement that it would fight the subpoena, as did a lawyer for Time.

"Time Inc.'s policy is to protect confidential sources," said Robin Bierstedt, deputy general counsel for the magazine.

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Under federal law, it is a crime to reveal a covert officer's identity if it is done with the intention of exposing the officer's undercover status.

This has been written about so many times, it's almost silly to write about it. But it's so infuriating that, well, what the hell.

The whole point of protecting confidential sources, even if they're breaking the law, is to encourage people to speak to the press for the public good.

For example, if your government is doing something illegal and it's classified, the idea of "confidential sources" encourages whistle blowers to step forward with information crucial to the transparency of democracy without fear of incarceration or retribution.

But never, ever was the concept of "confidential sources" contemplated to protect felons and encourage them to speak to the press.

I mean, if there was serial killer on the loose in your home town, and that killer contacted the local paper, identified himself, and spoke freely about his crimes, do you think for one second the idea of a "confidential source" applies?

No!

What purpose does it serve? What does it benefit the public? What First Amendment policy does it further?

And the very idea that NBC News knows the identity of a felon, who compromised national security--for no purpose benefitting our society--and continues to report on the Plame scandal--and continues to use terms like "allegedly" or "unknown administration official"--is absolutely appalling.

And it's even more appalling that the only motivation our "liberal" media has for being complicit in a felony crime is continuing "access" to this administration.

And it is a total perversion of the not only the concept of "confidential sources", but of the First Amendment itself.

The First Amendment, the free press, is intended to serve the people and preserve our democracy, not protect felons who are attempting to illegally silence and intimidate critics of the government.

I thought the utter foolishness and laziness, and scandal mongering, and inaccurate reporting during the Clinton years was the most embarrassing era of modern journalism. But these last four years have made the nineties look like a journalism school textbook for a free and professional press.

Bush Administration Usefull Idiots Of Axis Of Evil

WASHINGTON -- The Defense Intelligence Agency has concluded that a U.S.-funded arm of Ahmed Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress has been used for years by Iranian intelligence to pass disinformation to the United States and to collect highly sensitive American secrets, according to intelligence sources.

"Iranian intelligence has been manipulating the United States through Chalabi by furnishing through his Information Collection Program information to provoke the United States into getting rid of Saddam Hussein," said an intelligence source Friday who was briefed on the Defense Intelligence Agency's conclusions, which were based on a review of thousands of internal documents.

The Information Collection Program also "kept the Iranians informed about what we were doing" by passing classified U.S. documents and other sensitive information, he said. The program has received millions of dollars from the U.S. government over several years.

An administration official confirmed that "highly classified information had been provided [to the Iranians] through that channel.

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The Iraqi National Congress has received about $40 million in U.S. funds over the past four years, including $33 million from the State Department and $6 million from the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Bush Asks Cabinet Tough Questions

"Well, then, who does know what the fuck my plan is?"

Bush Meets With Berlusconi, Asks For Help

"Eye, tee, ay, el, why...yes! Italy. That's where I'm from! That's very good, Mr. President...and, well, yes, it does look very much like a...big cowboy boot..."

Limbaugh Mocks McCain's Sacrifice And Patriotism

RUSH MCCAIN IMPRESSION: "I'm not going to take any offense. I'm not going to -- BUT, if these SOBs want me out there campaigning with them they're going to stop criticizing me! Sacrifice? I was in the Hanoi Hilton! Where you been, Hastert, besides the dinner table? You know, it got a little testy out there." Let me just say (aside). I'm able to channel these people, folks. I know what they're really thinking. But here's this whole notion of "sacrifice." I'm getting fed up with this. First we hear it from the Democrats, "We're not sacrificing enough," then the gas price goes up and people are hurting, and the Democrats complain about that. I thought we're supposed to sacrifice! And then they want to raise taxes on everybody so they sacrifice even more, and McCain goes along with that, and then they want government to get even bigger, so everybody will sacrifice even more, and that equals patriotism.

Not here. Not in my book, not on this program.

My question for Rush is: what, in your book, does constitute patriotism? I mean, when he had the opportunity to serve his country in a war he supported, he avoided service with a pimple on his butt that hasn't prevented him from making a living sitting on his ass.

The man sits on his Four F ass all week long.

Doesn't seem to bother him.

So, serving in the military didn't amount to patriotism to Rush.

And he never did any kind of public service. And he didn't vote until he was 35 years old. So taking part in our democracy, even that small sacrifice, every couple of years was too much sacrifice for Rush.

And, he doesn't want to pay taxes to support our government, which, in case you're a moron, you'd know our government is us, the people.

And, of course, he's committed felony crimes and then battled furiously against paying any kind of debt to society.

So, again, my question is: Rush, just what, if anything, constitutes patriotism and sacrifice for your nation to you???

Apparently, to Rush, making $60 million dollars a year from ginning up the rubes, and not contributing a goddam thing to the nation that provides him with its public airwaves is patriotism. If only we could have more patriots like Rush, then we could have no army, no volunteers, no government, no voters, and no federal revenue.

But we would have a bunch of blowhards mocking people who do make sacrifices, who do their civic duty, who are good citizens.

What a fabulous country this would be. Wouldn't it?

But We're Still Going To Mars, Right?

Hastert Follows Rest Of GOP Leadership, Continues To Smear War Heroes

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In a rare public swipe at a fellow Republican, House Speaker Dennis Hastert on Wednesday questioned the GOP credentials of John McCain, a U.S. senator who has often challenged party orthodoxy.

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Hastert: "If you want to see the sacrifice, John McCain ought to visit our young men and women at Walter Reed and Bethesda. There's the sacrifice in this country. We're trying to make sure they have the ability to fight this war, that they have the wherewithal to be able to do it. And, at the same time, we have to react to keep this country strong."

Right, because McCain, a prisoner of war, tortured at the infamous Hanoi Hilton wouldn't know anything about sacrifice for his country.

But then, that's right, according to George W. Bush's 2000 campaign, McCain collaborated with the enemy.

"The Speaker is correct in that nothing we are called upon to do comes close to matching the heroism of our troops," McCain said.

"All we are called upon to do is not spend our nation into bankruptcy while our soldiers risk their lives. I fondly remember a time when real Republicans stood for fiscal responsibility. Apparently those days are long gone for some in our party."

Not just some, John. For the overwhelming majority of your party.