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August 31, 2007

PB Rescue Open Thread

Read them all. You have all weekend to do it.

On Labor Day, Americans Celebrate--But Also Struggle To Get Ahead

Americans are celebrating Labor Day this weekend, but even as we honor workers, new data from the Census Bureau shows that more and more Americans are struggling to get by.

Wages declined last year, as the number of Americans without health coverage rose to 47 million--including 600,000 more uninsured children. In honor of Labor Day, Governor Dean issued this statement:

"Americans across the country will observe Labor Day this weekend by honoring the contributions of America's working families. But under the failed leadership of President Bush and his Republican friends, wages have declined, the number of uninsured has increased, and gas and college costs have risen. Yet President Bush and his Republican allies continue to put their special interest friends ahead of American families.

"Democrats are keeping their promises to America's families. Under a Democratic Congress we have increased the minimum wage for the first time in over a decade, passed a bill to make college more affordable by cutting student loan interest rates, passed legislation to give health care to millions of low-income children and fought to protect workers' rights to bargain collectively and form unions. Instead of working with Democrats, Republicans prefer to block progress, and President Bush has threatened to veto legislation that is critical to America's working families.

"As we look towards 2008, the choice between the Republican and
Democratic presidential candidates is clear. All of the Democratic
candidates are committed to making sure the American Dream is available to everyone, while the Republican candidates want to continue President Bush's narrow special-interest agenda. Electing a Democratic president next year will ensure that America's working families come first."

Best. Present. Ever.

I just wanted to take this moment to thank the White House. With Karl Rove officially leaving today for good, I couldn't ask for a better birthday present.

Too bad I'm not old enough for a special greeting.

The Friday Five: Labor Day Weekend Edition

Every Friday we're highlighting five events happening around the country that we've found in PartyBuilder's Events system.

Here are 5 events happening around the country. If you don't see one in your neck of the woods, click here to search for one near you. Or better yet, create your own!

1. Help the Denver Host Committee at Taste of Colorado! (Denver, CO)
   

   The Denver Host Committee is reaching out to our fellow Coloradans to build a base of volunteers for the 2008 Convention! The Host Committee will be doing so at a four-day festival, the Taste of Colorado!

2. Upper Valley Pancakes and Politics (Idaho Falls, ID)
   

   Pancakes and Politics is an informal, no-host, meeting for Democrats from throughout the Upper Snake River Valley to meet, share ideas and speak "Democrat".

3. Labor Day Picnic (Wood Dale, IL)
   

   Free picnic sponsored by the Addison Township Democrats, co-sponsored by the York and Bloomingdale Township Democrats and Operation: Turn DuPage Blue.

4. Nevada Dem Veterans & Military Families Counter-Rally! (Carson City, NV)
   

   The Nevada Democratic Veterans & Military Families Caucus has asked us to join them in a counter rally. Please RSVP to info@nvdemocraticvets.com. If you would like a copy of the flier, please reply to this e-mail with the message Counter Rally Flier.

5. Rent-A-Politician Imitation Silent Auction (Oklahoma City, OK)
   

   Everyone from the public is invited to this FREE event! Each participant is encouraged to bring a permanent marker to write their IMITATION bid and a message to politicians on the plastic canvas to create a community mosaic.

Pentagon Officials Have Deep Concerns About Lack of Progress in Iraq

Top Pentagon generals are expected to tell Bush that they have deep concerns about his continued escalation in Iraq today, as yet another grim report is released about the state of Iraqi security forces.

An independent commission established by Congress to study Iraq's security forces will recommend starting over and reshaping the troubled 25,000-member police organization with a more elite force, a defense official said Friday.

...The report on Iraqi forces follows circulation of a draft report by the auditing arm of Congress that found the Iraqi government has failed to meet political and security goals. A third report--by the nation's intelligence agencies last week--found there has been some progress, but that violence remains high, the Iraqi government will become more precarious over the next six to 12 months and its security forces have not improved enough to operate without outside help.

The grim assessments of the situation in Iraq are not expected to change the "progress" report that the White House will deliver by September 15, which is widely expected to claim that the escalation is a success.

Craig To Resign?

No word on Vitter -- the GOP is still too busy wildly applauding him.

But the news from CNN is that according to their sources, Senator Craig is "likely to resign soon, possibly as early as Friday." If the Senator was relying on his friends to come to his defense, he was certainly mistaken.

In fact, the Republican National Committee even -- it appears, at least -- leaked word that they were prepared to call on him to resign. Such an move would increase the pressure on Craig.

All of this comes after tapes were released yesterday by police with their questioning of the Senator.

Friday Open Thread

Chat away...

August 30, 2007

PB Rescue Open Thread

Time for another round of posts, straight from PartyBuilder.

Angel makes the case as to Why Liberalism Makes Good Economic Sense, explaining “With a Democratic economic policy, you can stifle tyrants, you can stifle terrorism, and you can ensure the steady and promising growth for as long as you like.”

Tim examines President Bush’s misguided foreign policy address from last week in: Apocalypse Now Redux; Or On President Bush Comparing Iraq to Vietnam.

Chat away...

His 15 Minutes Are Up

Fred Thompson's not exactly a smash at the Box Office:

But since the heady days of late spring, when the Fred Thompson fever seemed to infect the GOP, Thompson's pre-campaign has been more "Gigli" than "Gone With the Wind."

He's posted lackluster fundraising numbers. He's faced repeated questions about his lobbying career, his years in politics, as well as his position on abortion.

An announcement rumored for June was pushed back to July, and now early September. His political speeches have been received coolly, with few grand pronouncements or policy proposals that have lived up to his hype.

Craig and the GOP

I always found this to be, well, wrong:

When Sen. David Vitter, R-La., showed up in Washington, D.C., again last week after hiding with the equivalent of a paper bag on his head, he was welcomed back to a closed Republican Senate luncheon with a loud standing ovation.

Things haven't exactly worked out the same way for Senator Craig, as you've seen. The Republican Senate Leadership pushed him out of his committee positions. And now some Republicans are demanding he step down.

I'll let you speculate as to why there's such a difference in reaction by the GOP.

Leaked Report on Iraq Reveals Almost No Progress

A draft of a leaked report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reveals that Iraq has failed to meet 15 of 18 benchmarks for political and military progress. From the Washington Post:

The strikingly negative GAO draft, which will be delivered to Congress in final form on Tuesday, comes as the White House prepares to deliver its own new benchmark report in the second week of September, along with congressional testimony from Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, and Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker.

The White House is expected to claim that the escalation in Iraq is showing signs of progress. But according to the leaked GAO report, even though attacks on U.S. troops have decreased, the attacks on Iraqi civilians remains the same--and the capabilities of Iraqi security forces are not improving.

Perhaps most significantly...

The person who provided the draft report to The Post said it was being conveyed from a government official who feared that its pessimistic conclusions would be watered down in the final version -- as some officials have said happened with security judgments in this month's National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq.

...which raises real questions about the credibility of the upcoming report from the White House in September.

Thursday Open Thread

Chat away...

August 29, 2007

PB Rescue Open Thread

Here's a sample of what's there:

- Anatomy Of A Media Manipulation, by D. Tree.
- National Debt Growing and Growing, by Sam Schoolsky.

Chat away...

We’re Too Busy For Health Care...Republican Candidates Skip Cancer Forum

The leading candidates in the race for the Republican presidential nomination skipped Lance Armstrong's forum on cancer last week.

The biggest names in the GOP presidential primary--Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain (Ariz.)--skipped the first-ever forum on cancer sponsored by Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong Foundation.

Two Republican candidates who appeared, Sen. Sam Brownback (Kan.) and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, promised to rejuvenate a "war on cancer" as president, but disagreed over the need for a federal ban on smoking in public places.

The absence of the first-tier candidates left the floor to Brownback and Huckabee, who are competing for the conservative votes that are so crucial in Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucus.

2 Years Later

Two years after Hurricane Katrina, we remember those individuals who lost their lives.

And we won't forget the response -- because we can't let it happen again.

Romney Didn't Raise Taxes--But Raised "Fees"

Mitt Romney likes to claim that he didn't raise taxes when he was governor of Massachusetts--but he did impose a number of "fees," including fee hikes on the blind, the mentally retarded and gun owners.

A survey of states by the National Conference of State Legislatures found Massachusetts led the nation during Romney's first year, raising fees and fines by $501 million. New York was second with $367 million. Nine other states raised fees and fines by more than $100 million.

During Romney's tenure, it became more expensive to:

...use an ice skating rink, register a boat, take the bar exam, get a duplicate driver's license, file a court case, install underground storage tanks, sell cigarettes or alcohol, comply with air quality rules and transport hazardous waste.

So is Romney misleading voters when he bills himself as the anti-tax candidate?

"It's a shell game," said Julian Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. "He can still say he didn't raise taxes, but fees are taxes by another name. It's a trick."

Another $50 Billion?

But not until after the rosy White House report comes out. The overall cost to date has been $330 billion.

Senator Harry Reid's response, through a spokesman: "It's long past time for giving blank checks to the administration."

Oh yeah, and one more Friedman:

"I don't see any surprises" coming out of the hearings, said an officer on the staff of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He said he expects Petraeus and Crocker to focus on tactical security gains in and around Baghdad in recent months and on shifts in tribal allegiances in favor of U.S. forces, and to argue that those improvements may open a window for greater political reconciliation in Iraq over the next six or seven months.

Wednesday Open Thread

Chat away...

August 28, 2007

PB Rescue Open Thread

Read them all.

And then chat away...

Number of Uninsured Rose Last Year

Troubling statistics on the uninsured from the Los Angeles Times:

The number of Americans without health insurance rose last year from 44.8 million, or 15.3% of the population, to 47 million, or 15.8%, the Census Bureau reported today.

...Of particular concern, the number of uninsured children rose for the second year in a row, after a long period in which it had been steadily declining, thanks to the expansion of government health coverage. More than 600,000 children joined the ranks of the uninsured in 2006, a change that the Census Bureau called statistically significant.

In both the House and the Senate, Democrats have passed legislation that would provide health coverage to 3 to 5 million more children over the next five years. The Bush administration has threatened to veto both bills.

General Reponsible for Walter Reed Still on Pentagon Payroll

Back in March, the Pentagon announced that Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley was resigning, effective immediately. Kiley was responsible for the Walter Reed Army Medical Center during the period when veterans returning from Iraq suffered horrific neglect at the facility.

But ThinkProgress learned that Kiley is still serving at the Pentagon from an official in the Department of the Army Public Affairs:

"He [Kiley] is no longer serving as the Army Surgeon General but is in a transition status pending his retirement... Currently Maj. Gen Kiley does not have a specific retirement date. He is no longer performing any duties related to The Surgeon General and is pending retirement."

Amanda at ThinkProgress explains why.

In order to retire as a three-star general, Kiley would have had to do at least three years of active-duty service in that grade. The higher the grade, the greater the retirement pay and benefits a general receives.

Kiley was appointed Army Surgeon General on Sept. 30, 2004. Therefore...the Army may still be holding open the door to the possibility that Kiley may serve through September and retire with the pay and benefits of a three-star general.

For shame.

March on Washington, Forty-Four Years Later

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom happened forty-four years ago today, on August 28, 1963. The march was attended by approximately 250,000 people. It was the largest demonstration ever seen in the nation's capital and widely regarded as one of the most successful.

Governor Howard Dean and DNC Black Caucus Chair Virgie Rollins issued the following statement in honor of the anniversary:

"The anniversary of the historic March on Washington serves to remind us of our commitment to freedom and equality in this country. Forty-four years ago people from various backgrounds and walks of life came together under the common belief and value that all people deserve to be treated equally. While the March on Washington is often seen as a civil rights movement it also stressed economic rights, including the right to jobs and equal pay.

"Under the Democratic Congress much has been done to further the same goals championed by the marchers. For the first time in 10 years, the Democratic Congress increased the minimum wage, giving a raise to millions of working Americans and their families. In addition, Democrats increased funding for student loans and cut the interest rates that students pay, helping to expand opportunity and make college more affordable for all young Americans.

"While Republicans continue to offer more of the same divisive rhetoric, Democrats are proud to have the strongest and most diverse presidential field yet with all candidates championing equal rights for all Americans. The Bush Republicans have fought against much of this progress but by electing a Democratic President and Congress in 2008, we can make even greater strides towards these values."

Guilty

Josh Marshall:

But once [Senator Craig] pled guilty, it really wasn't a he said/he said, as his press spokesman said yesterday. Craig had said under oath that he was guilty of the charge.

One way or another, once he was arrested, the apparent facts, even if you think they aren't ones for which you should be criminally culpable, were ones that were not compatible with his continuing in public office -- given his politics and the state he represents. All he could do was plead out and hope against hope that no one ever noticed.

Iraq Weapons Purchases Linked to Fraud and Corruption

We recently reported that the Pentagon has lost track of about 190,000 AK-47 assault rifles and pistols given to Iraqi security forces in 2004 and 2005. Now we are learning about widespread corruption in the awarding of Iraq weapons contracts--with one case even tied to one of General Petraeus' top aides.

The investigation into contracts for matériel to Iraqi soldiers and police officers is part of an even larger series of criminal cases. As of Aug. 23, there were a total of 73 criminal investigations related to contract fraud in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan, Col. Dan Baggio, an Army spokesman said Monday. Twenty civilians and military personnel have been charged in federal court as a result of the inquiries, he said. The inquiries involve contracts valued at more than $5 billion, and Colonel Baggio said the charges so far involve more than $15 million in bribes.

Just last week, an Army major, his wife and his sister were indicted on charges that they accepted up to $9.6 million in bribes for Defense Department contracts in Iraq and Kuwait.

Elevating the Discourse

Here's what the Republican National Committee thinks of you, via their latest email: "The Democrats are hoping our troops fail in the War on Terror in the craven desire that it will boost their party's electoral fortunes in 2008."

It's disgusting rhetoric; it's also an attempt to blame the troops for the failures of the Bush administration.

Tuesday Open Thread

Chat away...

August 27, 2007

PB Rescue Open Thread

There's always something to read over at PartyBuilder.

• Robert Donovan takes note of a new Andy Borowitz article: "Attorney General Alberto Gonzales resigned today, effective immediately, telling reporters that he wanted to spend more time eavesdropping on his family."
• In Rove And Gonzales: Resignation Should Not Equal Off The Hook, John Fracchia echoes an important point.
• Put the birthday cake on hold, My Vote. Last August we had a "soft launch" of PartyBuilder, but we won't be celebrating its official birthday until September 5th.

The Democratic Party gives anybody the ability to write blog posts directly on our website over at PartyBuilder (PB). You can read what everybody has to say, or you can create your own account and start writing posts yourself.

This is an open thread. Chat away...

Michael Chertoff Blamed Katrina Victims For Not Evacuating

As we reported earlier today, Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff might be nominated to replace Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General.

This is what Chertoff said two years ago, after Hurricane Katrina:

"The critical thing was to get people out of there before the disaster," he said on NBC's Today program. "Some people chose not to obey that order. That was a mistake on their part."

On this blog, Jesse Berney reported on the plight of people who were unable to evacuate. And from the Associated Press:

Making matters worse, at least 100,000 people in the city lack the transportation to get out of town. Nagin said the Superdome might be used as a shelter of last resort for people who have no cars, with city bus pick-up points around New Orleans.

"I know they're saying 'Get out of town,' but I don't have any way to get out," said Hattie Johns, 74. "If you don't have no money, you can't go."

The Independent Inquiry

We've been writing about this a lot today, but there's one more point that must be made. Sidney Blumenthal asks, why did Gonzales resign? I won't speculate, but certainly this couldn't have convinced him to stay on:

But four senators — Russell Feingold of Wisconsin, Dianne Feinstein of California, Charles Schumer of New York and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island — have called for an independent inquiry into the veracity of the attorney general's testimony before Congress. [...]

The four are calling for the appointment of a special prosecutor, and have done so in a formal letter to the solicitor general. In the letter, they write "it is apparent that the attorney general has provided at a minimum half-truths and misleading statements."

As we've pointed out, we're not done searching for answers.

Honesty and Justice

More than anything else, the sense of "independence" from this White House is what has been missing from the Justice Department. A close second, however, would be "honesty."

So why are senior Bush administration officials floating the name of Michael Chertoff?

Let's take a quick look at his record on the issue:

• Despite being warned of levee failure by the National Hurricane Center Director on the afternoon of August 28th, he claimed to have not been notified until two days later.


• Even though he said the threat level of the hurricane wasn't clear until "day, day and a half before landfall," weather people were warning of "the nightmare scenario" four days before.


• After his department claimed to have rescued 4,500 people in three days, he said it was 10,000.


• He claimed that nobody could have predicted such a disaster, even though scientists and others have warned of such a situation.


• Police described the situation at the Superdome as "extremely dangerous," yet Chertoff characterized the Superdome as "secure."


• He says he was "extremely pleased with the response that every element of the federal government." Does this one even merit a thorough debunking?


• Perhaps worst of all, he blamed the victims. "I think the death toll may go into the thousands and, unfortunately, that's going to be attributable a lot to people who did not heed the advance warnings. Some people chose not to obey that order. That was a mistake on their part." The truth, of course, at least 100,000 people in the city did not have the transportation to leave the city.

This isn't even a comprehensive list. It's just a sample of what we've come to expect from Chertoff. One would hope the person to replace Gonzales would be more trustworthy, not less.

Not So Fast

This shouldn't be the last we hear from Alberto Gonzales. Finally, there's a moment of accountability, but that doesn't change the ongoing need for answers.

We'll have a new Attorney General. Hopefully, President Bush will nominate somebody who will understand his job is to be "the people's lawyer" -- not the president's.

And then the important work of finding out how so many things went wrong continues. From the fired US Attorneys to warrantless eavesdropping on Americans, much has gone wrong under the watch of Alberto Gonzales.

We can't ever let this happen again.

So I'm not saying goodbye to him just yet. In fact, Senator Leahy said today that he hopes this will be "a step toward getting to the truth about the level of political influence this White House wields over the Department of Justice." Congressman Conyers added: "The responsibility to uncover these facts is still on the Congress, and the Judiciary Committee in particular." And Senator Reid: "This resignation is not the end of the story. Congress must get to the bottom of this mess and follow the facts where they lead, into the White House."

Alberto Gonzales Resigns

This morning, reports that U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has resigned. From the New York Times via Think Progress:

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, whose tenure has been marred by controversy and accusations of perjury before Congress, has resigned. A senior administration official said he would announce the decision later this morning in Washington.

Mr. Gonzales, who had rebuffed calls for his resignation, submitted his to President Bush by telephone on Friday, the official said. His decision was not announced immediately announced, the official added, until after the president invited him and his wife to lunch at his ranch near here.

Sources say that Gonzales will be replaced by Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff.

Monday Open Thread

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August 26, 2007

Sunday Open Thread

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August 25, 2007

Saturday Open Thread

Chat away...

August 24, 2007

From the Archives

PB Rescue Open Thread

Read them all. You have all weekend to do it!

Chat away...

Another Resignation at the Justice Department

While Alberto Gonzales continues to say that all of his errors were simply "communication" errors, other senior Justice officials are dropping like flies.

[Wan] Kim follows a flurry of senior resignations in the past few months, including former Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty, his chief of staff Michael Elston, White House liaison Monica Goodling, chief of staff Kyle Sampson, Acting Associate Attorney General William Mercer, and Schlozman, who had moved to a spot in the office that oversees U.S. attorneys.

I hear Harry S. Truman had a sign on his desk with the inscription, "The buck stops with the Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division."

Clash

As AmericaBlog points out, "the battle lines are being drawn between military leaders and the Bush White House." With news today that the Joint Chiefs of Staff will request a drastically reduced number of troops in Iraq, the reasoning behind it is particularly compelling:

Administration and military officials say Marine Gen. Peter Pace is likely to convey concerns by the Joint Chiefs that keeping well in excess of 100,000 troops in Iraq through 2008 will severely strain the military.

It appears that the Joint Chiefs have proven correct when they warned against the escalation of the war. While President Bush claims that he listens to military officials, he continues to ignore this top General.

Giuliani Hires Media Team Behind "Call Me" Ads

Rudy Giuliani's campaign for the Republican presidential nomination has hired a media team with an ugly past, from the same firm responsible for the racially-charged "Call me" ads aired against Democrat Harold Ford in his Tennessee Senate race last year.

Run by the Republican National Committee against Democrat Harold Ford, who is black, the ad showed a white woman saying she had met Ford at a Playboy-sponsored party. As the ad ended, the woman, her shoulders bared, whispered into the camera, "Harold, call me."

Ford subsequently lost the race.

The team will be led by Heath Thompson, whose Dallas-based firm Scott Howell & Company also directed Bush's controversial 2000 campaign in South Carolina.

Friday Open Thread

Chat away...

August 23, 2007

PB Rescue Open Thread

With so much written every day at PartyBuilder, it's my pleasure to introduce you to some of what you'll find.

• Jim Callahan does the Grim Foreclosure Math, across the country and specifically in Florida.
• In Why "White Kids Are Happier" And Why The DNC Should Care, FreedomOfSpeech points to an "extensive survey of 1,280 people ages 13-24 by The Associated Press and MTV..."
• The perfect 2008 bumper sitcker, by xKCBEx.

The Democratic Party gives anybody the ability to write blog posts directly on our website over at PartyBuilder (PB). You can read what everybody has to say, or you can create your own account and start writing posts yourself.

This is an open thread. Chat away...

Home Foreclosures Jump 93 Percent in July

A new report shows home foreclosures jumped 93 percent in July from last year, even as average incomes for U.S. workers dropped for the fifth consecutive year. But there's more to the story:

The growth in total incomes was concentrated among those making more than $1 million. The number of such taxpayers grew by more than 26 percent, to 303,817 in 2005 from 239,685 in 2000.

These individuals, who constitute less than a quarter of 1 percent of all taxpayers, reaped almost 47 percent of the total income gains in 2005, compared with 2000.

As Tula Connell points out at the AFL-CIO blog, the nation's income growth--and the majority of tax breaks--went to those making more than $1 million. So what was the White House reaction? Spokesman Tony Fratto would only say that this

"is not a very interesting story."

For them, maybe.

Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ) Will Not Seek Re-Election

Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ), who is under investigation for corruption, will not seek re-election. From Roll Call:

Renzi's retirement announcement adds to a list of GOP Members planning to depart upon the conclusion of the 110th Congress, including Reps. Ray LaHood (Ill.), Deborah Pryce (Ohio) and Chip Pickering (Miss.), as well as former Speaker and Rep. Dennis Hastert (Ill.).

Federal agents raided Renzi's family business in April. Shortly afterwards, Renzi stepped down from his three committee assignments.

Vote Vets To Hold Collins Accountable

She's gaining a reputation for fearing accountability, but that isn't stopping VoteVets from launching this new ad campaign:

The Most Important Thing You'll Read Today

Jon Soltz asks the question: What if 1,000 Armored Vehicles Didn't Get to Troops and No One Cared?

Reuters: "U.S. troops in Iraq will receive at least 1,000 fewer special armored vehicles than expected this year due to the amount of time needed for shipment."

Rudy's Real Background On Terrorism

If you like the direction George W. Bush has taken the country, you're going to love four years of Rudy Giuliani. Time Magazine explains how Giuliani's "tough talk" is all bluster and talk and no substance.

Time magazine fact checks Giuliani's exaggerations on the trail about his record as a student of terrorism.

Giuliani and his aides have said he has been "studying Islamic terrorism" for 30 years. This is an exaggeration.

Jerome Hauer Giuliani's emergency-management chief from 1996 to 2000 shoots down the notion that Giualini's been a student of Islamic terrorism saying, "If he's been studying it for 30 years, he certainly never verbalized it to me."Time magazine found that in 80 speeches from 1993 to 2001, he made only one brief mention of terrorism.

In 2006 Giuliani was kicked off the Iraq Study group for missing meetings because of paid speeches. He has very little knowledge of foreign policy.

Giuliani had an unusual opportunity to cram foreign policy when he was invited to join the Iraq Study Group by the co-chairman, former Secretary of State James Baker III, in February 2006. Giuliani accepted, becoming one of just 10 people, including former Secretary of Defense William J. Perry and retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, in the congressionally mandated group. He participated in a conference call to discuss logistics but then did not attend the first two major meetings. On those days, he delivered paid speeches.

When it's come to personnel, he's had a history of flawed judgment.

One of the most damning criticisms of Giuliani, however, has been his record of flawed judgment on personnel. In 2004, Giuliani recommended that President George W. Bush nominate Bernard Kerik to run the Department of Homeland Security. Kerik was a police officer and Giuliani's driver before he was elevated to corrections commissioner and police chief. But the nomination collapsed when information about Kerik's past and possible ties to mob-related businesses began to filter out.
...

But Giuliani's most surprising security adviser so far is his old friend former FBI director Louis Freeh. Freeh's stewardship of the FBI during the eight years before the bureau's most spectacular failure makes him an unusual choice."

Pentagon Late in Delivery of Lifesaving Vehicles

The Pentagon will only send 1,500 lifesaving armored vehicles to Iraq by the end of the year, far short of the goal of 3,500. Even worse, the Pentagon's Inspector General blames the delays on questionable contracting practices that may cost American lives.

The office examined $2.2 billion worth of contracts for armored vehicles and kits to upgrade them, according to a report made available to The Washington Post yesterday. Investigators found, among other things, that the Marine Corps issued $416.7 million in sole-source contracts to Force Protection of Ladson, S.C., for armored vehicles. A sole-source contract is a deal awarded without competitive bidding, usually because the Pentagon determines the firm is the only one able to deliver a service or because it needs an item quickly. Yet the report found that Marine officials knew of other potential bidders and that some advocates of competition were overruled.

The contracts continued even though Force Protection "did not perform as a responsible contractor and repeatedly failed to meet contractual delivery schedules for getting vehicles to the theater," the report said. Under one contract issued in 2005, Force Protection failed to deliver 98 percent of 122 mine-resistant vehicles on time despite getting $6.7 million from the Marines to upgrade its production facilities.

As we've reported before, armored MRAP vehicles save lives. As of May 7, 2007, no Marines had died in the more than 300 attacks in MRAP vehicles in Anbar province.

Thursday Open Thread

Chat away...

August 22, 2007

PB Rescue Open Thread

Normally at this time I give you your daily dose of your posts over at PartyBuilder, but today I want to simply highlight one.

Steve Wilson

Just as a side-note, there's so much good stuff over at PartyBuilder that I don't try to claim that the ones I list daily are "the best." The hope, in fact, is that by listing just a sample of the material, more of you will read the list of posts over there (and participate) regularly. So as much as I want to highlight good posts, it's also to make sure more people find posts that I don't highlight.

I hope this sheds some light on what PB Rescue is about. You all have so much to say, and I want to make sure your voice is heard. It's imperfect, but I think it's been a valuable addition to this blog.

This is an open thread. Chat away...

Some Electronic Voting Machines Never Certified

Julia Rosen at Calitics has the latest news on California's electronic voting machines. Now it turns out that ES&S sold voting machines to some counties before they were certified. Even worse, turns out that the company may have faked certification stickers on the back of some machines.

The law allows the state to fine the company up to $10,000 per uncertified system ($9.72m) and refund the counties all or part of the purchase price, which would amount to about $5 million. Plus, the state could ban ES&S from doing any business with the state. That could effect up to 14 more counties, including LA County.

But there's more...

the A200 machines had stickers on them...that identified them as having passed federal qualification testing, when they hadn't yet passed that testing.

Secretary of State Debra Bowen will be holding a hearing on the electronic voting machines--and the possible attempt to mislead California elections officials--on September 20.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party recently announced an unprecedented election protection project--to identify possible problems before Election Day. Read more about the project here.

Romney In A Day: Dodge, Avoid, Flip, Flop, Flip-Flop Again

Yesterday Mitt Romney made his first trip to Nevada, where residents got their first taste of his flip-flopping ways.

On Yucca Mountain, which the Bush Administration has designated as a place to store spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste, Romney attempted to dodge the issue:

Asked his position on Yucca Mountain, a project adamantly opposed by Nevada and most voters in the state, the former Massachusetts governor suggested that he might be sympathetic to Nevada's fight, but fell short of taking a firm stance.

Jon Ralston, columnist for Las Vegas Sun Politics, called his article "The silky smooth, almost human Mitt Romney."

• Immigration: When I asked him how his tough stance, amplified in a new radio ad, might fly here, where so many illegal immigrants work in key industries, he pivoted and said: "We’re not going to cut off our nose to spite our face. We’re not going to say we’re going to hurt our own economy. We’re going...to gradually and humanely replace illegal workers to the extent that they’re in an enterprise."

Humanely? That’s the kind of word that is used at animal shelters when talking about euthanasia and yet somehow here seems tough and sensitive.

• Health care: The man who signed a universal health care bill as governor with an admiring Teddy Kennedy looking on was having none of my suggestion that he and Hillary Clinton of 1994 were very simpatico.

...

• Gaming: This is the governor who first supported slot parlors and then, as his quest for the GOP nomination neared, became anti-gaming. Indeed, a few months ago he appointed a man named Tom Coates as a vice chairman of his National Faith and Values Steering Committee (who doesn’t need one of THOSE?). Coates is an Iowan who has said gaming has a "dark underbelly" and said he would be fine with choking off the industry in his state.

White House Front Group Buys $15 Million in Ads In Support of Escalation

A new group called "Freedom's Watch" launched today with a $15 million, five-week ad campaign in support of Bush's escalation in Iraq.

Although president Bradley A. Blakeman called the group "grassroots," it is funded by an inner-circle of high-profile, high-dollar Republicans who have long been friends and supporters of President Bush. From The Politico:

The board consists of [former senior White House aide Bradley] Blakeman; [former White House spokesman Ari] Fleischer; Mel Sembler, a Florida Republican who was Bush’s ambassador to Italy; William P. Weidner, president and chief operating officer of the Las Vegas Sands Corp.; and Matt Brooks, executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition.

The donors include Sembler; Anthony Gioia, a Buffalo businessman who was Bush’s ambassador to Malta; Kevin Moley, who was Bush’s ambassador to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva; Howard Leach, a former Republican National Committee finance chairman who was Bush’s ambassador to France; Dr. John Templeton of Pennsylvania, chairman and president of the John Templeton Foundation; Ed Snider, chairman of Comcast Spectacor, the huge Philadelphia sports and entertainment firm; Sheldon Adelson, chairman of the Las Vegas Sands Corp. and ranked by Forbes magazine as the third-wealthiest American; and Richard Fox, who is chairman of the Jewish Policy Center and was Pennsylvania State Chairman of the Reagan/Bush campaign in 1980.

Freedom’s Watch has bought ads in 33 television markets. In many cases, the ads will air in the districts of Republican incumbents who have wavered in their support for the Bush administration's Iraq war policies.

Fred Thompson: Not Much Of An Achiever While He Was In The Senate

The New York Times caucus blog does the research on Fred Thompson's Senate career and finds out that Thompson wasn't much of an achiever.

A scouring of the legislative website of the Library of Congress from 1995 to 2002, when Mr. Thompson was in the Senate, yields a total of five bills that became law for which he was the head sponsor. A sixth passed the Senate and was replaced by an identical House bill that was eventually signed by the president.

The bills include the naming of a post office and courthouse in Cookeville, Tenn., a private bill that granted permanent residency status to a young Bolivian girl getting treatment for cancer and her family and several other minor pieces of legislation. A quick comparison with Senator John McCain, his rival for the Republican presidential nomination, for the same period turns up 17 bills that became law for which Mr. McCain was the lead sponsor.

To be fair to Thompson he was an integral part of one major piece of legislation, the McCain Feingold campaign finance reform law, a law that he appears to be breaking.

John McCain Would Lose Arizona...In a Senate Race

He might want to start worrying about his day job.

A new poll finds Governor Janet Napolitano would beat Senator John McCain if the two went head-to-head in an election. In a hypothetical head-to-head race for McCain's Senate seat, those polled supported the governor 47 percent to 36 percent for McCain, with 17 percent undecided.

Maybe because he's missed over half his Senate votes so far.

Fred and the FEC

With an FEC Complaint filed against Fred Thompson for, among other things, raising money for amassing campaign funds to be spent after he becomes a candidate, you would think he'd try to do a better job hiding it.

Right now he has millions in the bank. The fact that he's still fundraising, while expecting to announce "in the near future," suggests one of two things:

1. He plans on spending the millions he has on hand in the couple of weeks, and these new contributions are also to be spent on exploratory activities before he declares.
2. He's raising money for after he "officially" declares he's a candidate.

None of this is necessary for the complaint to be valid, of course, given that there are other grounds also mentioned in the complaint.

But my point is that it's not about whether some magic dollar amount constitutes a violation. Rather, it's about his current actions fundraising beyond what he'll be using for exploratory actions, given he admits knowing his announcement will be "in the near future."

Heckuva Job?

"Richard Stickler is a very competent MSHA official."
- Sen. Orrin Hatch

Bush: Iraq Is Just Like Vietnam

Yes, this appears to be his message in a speech later today, in which he will defend his handling of the war in preparation of the September White House report by comparing it to the Vietnam War. It's an odd message for the White House, given the history. For that Josh Marshall has the details.

But even more, it's such a reversal from everything this administration has ever said about the subject. My favorite example, in April 2004 at a press conference:

Q Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, April is turning into the deadliest month in Iraq since the fall of Baghdad, and some people are comparing Iraq to Vietnam and talking about a quagmire. Polls show that support for your policy is declining and that fewer than half Americans now support it. What does that say to you and how do you answer the Vietnam comparison?

THE PRESIDENT: I think the analogy is false. I also happen to think that analogy sends the wrong message to our troops, and sends the wrong message to the enemy. Look, this is hard work. It's hard to advance freedom in a country that has been strangled by tyranny. And, yet, we must stay the course, because the end result is in our nation's interest.

Not only did he take issue with the analogy, but he added that those who use it aid the enemy.

In the past, he's argued against the comparison on numerous occassions, saying it's "a different situation" and there's no parallel.

His spokesman, Tony Snow, said the two are "not comparable." He continued, saying "I will let Americans tell you what their various lessons were from Vietnam. That's far too large a question for me to contemplate, let alone answer."

Yet that's exactly what President Bush is going to try to do it today. And he's going to do it in a way that completely ignores American history.

Some might even call that "revisionist."

White House Fights to Keep Millions of Emails Secret

In the latest development in the case of the "missing" White House emails, the Justice Department now claims that records about the emails are not public information:

The Justice Department said Tuesday that records about missing White House emails are not subject to public disclosure, the latest effort by the Bush administration to expand the boundaries of government secrecy.

Approximately 5 million White House emails are "missing" from March 2003 to October 2005. The emails are thought to contain important evidence about the outing of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity and the political purge of eight U.S. attorneys last year.

Wednesday Open Thread

Chat away...

August 21, 2007

PB Rescue Open Thread

Lots of good stuff over at PartyBuilder today. Here's a sample of what you'll find...

• Faith Shirley, who just friended me (I'm touched), lends a helping hand: Republicans - Link to go to your own blog. Heh.
• Jim Callahan gives us a heads up that Sen. Leahy (D, VT) Threatens Contempt Charges.
• Also in the news, CIA Executive Summary of 9/11 declassified today
• Angel says We Are Better Than This. Lots of discussion ensues.

The Democratic Party gives anybody the ability to write blog posts directly on our website over at PartyBuilder (PB). You can read what everybody has to say, or you can create your own account and start writing posts yourself.

This is an open thread. Chat away...

Democrats Outraise Republicans 2-to-1

Democrats are winning the first contest of the 2008 elections: the money race. From USA Today via Huffington Post:

The most vulnerable House Democrats--freshmen who won in districts that went for President Bush in 2004--raised an average of $600,000 in the first six months of this year, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. That's nearly double what Republican freshmen raised. If the trend continues, it will make it difficult for the GOP to reduce Democrats' 231-202 House majority.

The article adds that the median amount raised by Democratic freshmen is $503,643, compared to $203,988 by the 13 Republican freshmen.

Schlozman Leaves Justice Department

This is an incredibly important resignation.

Some of you might remember Schlozman from the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing where he was grilled for flagrantly ignoring the manual that he should have been following when he rushed indictments shortly before the election. As we've said before, this was seen as a Republican effort to remove the poor and elderly from voting rolls.

We've also noted that Schlozman "removed experienced attorneys under false pretenses and was blatant about his desire to fill the division with loyal Republicans. In some instances Schlozman intimidated employees who had not voted for President Bush."

Let's get some new people in the Civil Rights Division that will actually dedicate themselves to protecting the right to vote -- rather than block it.

Yankees Game vs. Ground Zero

Rudy Giuliani has been widely criticized for claiming he was "at ground zero as often, if not more, than most of the workers." Not only was this an insult to those heroes, but it was flat-out false. While rescue workers were pulling 12-hour shifts, Giuliani spent only a fraction of the amount of time others did.

But now word comes that the amount of time Giuliani spent at Ground Zero in 2001 pales in comparison to time spent at Yankees Games. For some perspective, I put together this handy chart:

Bush Administration Cuts Kids From Health Insurance Program

The Bush administration is making it more difficult for states to provide health coverage to low-income children because of tough new rules defining eligibility. From the New York Times:

Administration officials outlined the new standards in a letter sent to state health officials on Friday evening, in the middle of a month-long Congressional recess. In interviews, they said the changes were aimed at returning the Children’s Health Insurance Program to its original focus on low-income children and to make sure the program did not become a substitute for private health coverage. (Emphasis mine)

Scarecrow at Firedoglake points out:

In other words, the Administration wants to deny SCHIP health coverage to possibly millions of low-to-medium income children solely to shield the private insurance companies from competition and to protect their profits.

SCHIP is a highly successful program, but there are still several million children with no coverage at all. The Democratic Congress has been developing legislation to expand coverage to most of these kids, but Bush has threatened to veto the bills.

The Rescue Effort Continues

The rescue effort to save the Crandall Canyon miners continues, and we're pulling for the safety of each of the six men. And our thoughts are also with the heroic rescue workers that died in a second cave-in at the mine.

At the same time, we need to make sure that the effort to save the lives of these workers continues while making sure we don't suffer an even greater loss of life.

Still, the questions remain. How did this happen? And how can we make sure it doesn't happen again? How is it that the recovery efforts have unfolded so tragically?

People have begun taking another look at Mine and Health Safety Administrator, Richard Stickler. It appears the twice-rejected "mine-safety czar" had trouble attaining the presidential appointment because of his weak safety record when he operated mines. Not only has he said that no new laws or regulations are needed for mine safety, but under his watch as an executive, mines he managed "incurred injury rates double the national average."

So how did he get the position? Recess appointment, of course, in order to avoid Congressional oversight.

And to learn why, we turn to Arianna Huffington, with a must-read piece that everybody should check out:

Putting foxes in charge of the henhouse has been standard operating procedure for Rove's hyper-politicized White House. The long list of industry hacks given key slots at federal agencies will forever stand as the ultimate tribute to Rove's effectiveness in turning the federal government into an arm of the Republican Party -- and a payback machine for those that funded it. [...]

In far too many cases, these cynical appointments that put the Party's interest above the public interest, have left our country less safe, our environment more polluted, our fellow citizens less healthy -- and, in the case of the Crandall Canyon Mine, three of them dead, and six others in all likelihood entombed in the mine forever.

Once again, the Bush administration ignores the Congress and politicizes a part of government that shouldn't be.

Tuesday Open Thread

Chat away...

August 20, 2007

PB Rescue Open Thread

Today on PartyBuilder, Elmo asks What Kind of Democrat are You?

The Democratic Party gives anybody the ability to write blog posts directly on our website over at PartyBuilder (PB). You can read what everybody has to say, or you can create your own account and start writing posts yourself.

This is an open thread. Chat away...

Kenya Reduces Child Deaths From Malaria

It's something as simple and inexpensive as a net. Yet look at the results:

Kenya cut child deaths from malaria by more than 40 percent over five years by handing out insecticide-treated mosquito nets, U.N. and Kenyan officials said Thursday. [...] Over the past five years, Kenya gave out 13.5 million treated nets with the percentage of children sleeping under them rising to 52 percent in 2006, from 5 percent in 2003, the health ministry said in a statement.

Health Minister Charity Ngilu said Kenya's program saved seven children for every 1,000 mosquito nets used.

The ONE Campaign blog has more.

GOP Desperate: Distributing Fake Pictures Of Democrats

How desperate are Republicans? In the bellwether state of Kentucky the Kentucky GOP is passing around a fake picture of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Steve Beshear.

GOP leaders said Thursday they will be distributing a fake photograph of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Steve Beshear standing beside a casino table with a drink in his hand.

...

The depiction has Beshear's head, with a sparkling front tooth, on someone else's body dressed in a white sports jacket, a white shirt with an open collar, holding a beverage while standing at what appears to be a roulette table covered with gambling chips.

Republican Ernie Fletcher, the current scandal plagued Governor of Kentucky is more than 20 points behind Steve Beshear in recent polling.

FEC Complaint Filed Against Fred Thompson

At News for the Left, there's word of an FEC complaint filed against Fred Thompson "for violation of Federal Election Law under the Commission's jurisdiction."

Specifically, it alleges that he:

• Raised funds in excess of what could reasonably be expected to be used for exploratory activities (or undertook activities designed to amass campaign funds that would be spent after he becomes a candidate).


• Made or authorized written or oral statements that refer to him as a candidate for a particular office.


• Conducted activities over a protracted period of time.

The examples of each of these points are numerous, and the entire complaint has been posted. By not filing as a candidate, Fred Thompson has avoided revealing his contributions and expenses, as well as filing his personal finances.

Flip-Flopping on... Language?

The Mitt Romney that Iowa gets to see:

Romney often sounds as if he has stepped out of a time machine from 1950s suburban America, golly-ing and gosh-ing his way across the nation, letting out the occasional "Holy cow!" after something really shocks him.

But is this the real Mitt Romney?

The brouhaha in blue began when Romney drove up to a traffic jam involving dozens of busloads of Olympic spectators, jumped out of his car and began directing traffic. He then weighed in on [Shaun] Knopp, who was hired by a SLOC contractor to help with security. Later, Knopp said Romney asked who the 'f---' he was and what the 'f---' he was doing. Romney added -- in Knopp's version -- 'We got the Olympics going on and we don't need this s--- going on.'

Understatement of the Year

"Sean is not a journalist."
- Bill Shine, Fox's senior vice president of programming

UPDATE:: Not that he's always being advertised that way...

Whether interviewing influential newsmakers or dissecting the issues of the day, Hannity's top-notch skills as a journalist and talk show host are clearly evident.

Congress Calls For Hearings Into Mine Safety

From ThinkProgress:

Yesterday, Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, and U.S. Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), the Chairwoman of the House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, signaled that they will conduct hearings into the administration’s response to this recent mine tragedy: [...] At the center of this tragic recovery process is the head of MSHA, Richard Stickler. In 2006, President Bush recess-appointed Stickler, a former Murray Energy executive, whom the Senate had twice rejected because the mines he managed “incurred injury rates double the national average.” Stickler has also stated that he believes no new laws or regulations are needed for mine safety.

By law, MSHA is supposed to be in charge of managing the Utah mine tragedy. But Stickler has largely stepped aside and allowed the mine’s owner, Bob Murray, to control the disaster. It took MSHA at least two days to gain public control of the situation. On Aug. 7 press briefing, Murray used a media appearance to criticize global warming proponents, and only later “emphasized that his heart and his priorities are with the trapped miners and their families.”

Monday Open Thread

Chat away...

August 19, 2007

Second Democratic Party Sponsored Debate On ABC News

The second DNC sponsored debate is taking place as we speak on This Week With George Stephanopoulos in Iowa. You can find out when This Week is on in your community by checking in at ABC News. (PDF)

Interested in how the Iowa Caucuses actually work? desmoinesdem, a MYDD user from Iowa explained in a four part diary at MYDD, you can read all four parts by following these link (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4).

Sunday Open Thread

The Democratic debate starts in the next couple hours. See local listings. And blog about it on PartyBuilder!

Chat away...

August 18, 2007

From the Archives

Saturday Open Thread

Chat away...

August 17, 2007

Friday Evening Open Thread

Chat away...

Majority of Americans Don't Trust White House to Report Accurately on Iraq

A new poll shows that a majority of Americans don't trust the report on the situation in Iraq that the White House will write and release in September--the so-called "Petraeus Report."

According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Thursday, 53 percent of people polled said they suspect that the military assessment of the situation will try to make it sound better than it actually is. Forty-three percent said they do trust the report.

CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said:

"It does seem to indicate that anyone associated with the Bush administration may be a less than credible messenger for the message that there is progress being made in Iraq."

The Friday Five

Every Friday we're highlighting five events happening around the country that we've found in PartyBuilder's Events system.

Here are 5 events happening around the country. If you don't see one in your neck of the woods, click here to search for one near you. Or better yet, create your own!

1. Debate on This Week (Troy, NY)
   

   ABC News in conjunction with the Iowa Democratic Party announced a debate streamed on This Week moderated by George Stephanopoulos.

2. SEIU Local 105 Comedy Fundraiser in Denver! (Denver, CO)
   

   Service Employees International Union is hosting a comedy fundraiser this Friday the 17th. SEIU local 105 in Denver deserves a large Democratic turnout. Let’s give it to them – they’re going to put on a great show!

3. Lane County - Leaburg Summer Festival (Leaburg, OR)
   

   Look for the DPLC booth for information about the Democratic Party and candidates. The festival will be held at the McKenzie Bible Fellowship Church, just past milepost 25.

4. Carson City Annual Steak Fry (Carson City, NV)
   

   The Carson City Democratic Women and Central Committee are holding their annual Steak Fry & Picnic. The event allows attendees to mingle with local elected officials and hear from the Democratic Presidential campaigns.

5. Back to Blue Concert (Lake Charles, LA)
   

   The Southwest Louisiana Young Democrats has a goal of getting 20% more young voters active for the 2007-2008 election season. Their big kick-off is a YDL Back To Blue Concert on August 18, 2007.

Another September Deadline

I had a nice chuckle last night during this exchange on Larry King Live yesterday:

KING: Can you still win this nomination?

MCCAIN: Oh, sure. Listen, Larry, we're doing well. We're back doing the town hall meetings, doing the things I do best. The money is coming in OK. We're going to -- look, in September and October, people are going to start focusing.

I don't underestimate any candidate; I'm just surprised McCain didn't respond that 'the next six months are critical.'

How Much Time Did Rudy Giuliani Spend At Ground Zero?

Rudy Giuliani is running for the Republican presidential nomination based on the fact that he was mayor of New York during the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. But he has angered rescue and recovery workers by comparing his experience to theirs.

Most recently he claimed that he was at the site "as often, if not more" than most recovery workers, and that his long hours at the site exposed him to "every health consequence that people have suffered."

So...

...how much time did Mayor Giuliani spend at ground zero?

A complete record of Mr. Giuliani’s exposure to the site is not available for the chaotic six days after the attack, when he was a frequent visitor. But an exhaustively detailed account from his mayoral archive, revised after the events to account for last-minute changes on scheduled stops, does exist for the period of Sept. 17 to Dec. 16, 2001. It shows he was there for a total of 29 hours in those three months, often for short periods or to visit locations adjacent to the rubble. In that same period, many rescue and recovery workers put in daily 12-hour shifts.

During those months, many firefighters worked weeks of consecutive 12-hour shifts on the rubble pile, interrupted only by nights sleeping on the floor of a nearby church.

FBI Director's Redacted Notes On Midnight Hospital Visit Released

Today from the Politico, the latest news about the incident in 2004, in which Alberto Gonzales and Andrew Card showed up at the hospital room of then-Attorney General John Ashcroft in the middle of the night to demand recertification of the Bush administration's illegal domestic spying program:

FBI Director Robert Mueller has turned over to the House Judiciary Committee his heavily redacted notes from a March 2004 incident during which top White House officials tried to get a hospitalized former Attorney General John Ashcroft to reauthorize the NSA's warrantless eavesdropping program.

Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers says the Mueller document "raises far more questions than it answers," and he promised further investigation into the incident.

The notes describe Ashcroft's condition during the meeting as "feeble, barely articulate, clearly stressed." You can read them for yourself here.

Mine Safety Czar Was Recess Appointment

Richard Stickler, the Bush administration's mine safety czar, is a former mining industry executive whose own mine safety record was so poor, senators from both parties rejected him twice as a nominee for his current job.

President George W. Bush resorted to a recess appointment in October 2006 to anoint Richard Stickler as the nation's mine safety czar after it became clear he could not receive enough support even in a GOP-controlled Senate.

And in a heartbreaking turn of events, three more miners died yesterday while trying to rescue the six trapped miners in the Crandall Canyon mine in Utah. The rescuers had been heroically digging for more than a week to reach their comrades.

Friday Open Thread

Chat away...

August 16, 2007

PB Rescue Open Thread

There's always something interesting to read over at PartyBuilder, but today I'm highlighting just one.

As a former Florida political blogger, I've can't help but flag this post by Jim Callahan: Gossip: Orlando Party Switcher (D to R) Indicted. While I won't prejudge, let me just note that before she was elected, she told the Orlando Sentinel she wanted to be in the state House in order to land a lucrative lobbying career.

The Democratic Party gives anybody the ability to write blog posts directly on our website over at PartyBuilder (PB). You can read what everybody has to say, or you can create your own account and start writing posts yourself.

This is an open thread. Chat away...

Bush Approved Use of Spy Satellites on Citizens

The Bush administration has approved a plan to spy on American citizens via satellites and aircraft sensors that can see through buildings and underground bunkers, even in bad weather.

A program approved by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Homeland Security will allow broader domestic use of secret overhead imagery beginning as early as this fall, with the expectation that state and local law enforcement officials will eventually be able to tap into technology once largely restricted to foreign surveillance.

Civil liberties advocates said yesterday that the government is crossing a line by using military assets in domestic law enforcement.

Rumsfeld Resigned Before Election Day 2006, But Bush Delayed Announcement

Donald Rumsfeld actually resigned the day before the November 2006 election, but Bush chose not to announce it until after Election Day. Is anyone surprised?

Donald Rumsfeld, architect of the unpopular Iraq war, resigned as defense secretary before last year's November election but his decision was not announced until after the voting, according to his resignation letter obtained by Reuters on Wednesday.

The letter was dated November 6, the day before voters, angered by Iraq, went to the polls and swept Republicans from power in Congress. According to a stamp on the letter, President George W. Bush saw it on election day.

Bush, however, did not announce that Rumsfeld would leave until the day after the election.

Leahy Requests A Real Investigation

Senator Leahy asked the Inspector General of the Justice Department to investigate not simply whether Alberto Gonzales might be guilty of criminal conduct -- which would be setting the bar absurdly low -- but whether he "engaged in any misconduct, engaged in conduct inappropriate for a cabinet officer and the nation's chief law enforcement officer, or violated any duty..."

Should the probe go forward, it could mean an end to the "so long as we say it's legal" dodge on matters of ethics and honesty in government from this administration.

TPM Muckraker calls the Justice Department Inspector General "a former prosecutor who's respected by Democrats and Republicans alike." Let's hope he can help people feel like they can trust that they're protected equally under the law, regardless of their politics, by taking a serious look at these questions.

Rudy Giuliani on Immigration: Rhetoric vs. Reality

Rudy Giuliani talks tough in South Carolina, promising that "we can end illegal immigration. But an aide to one of his rivals leaked a video of the former mayor taking a much more pragmatic stance:

"We're never ever going to be able to totally control immigration to a country that is as large as ours," Giuliani said in a speech at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government in 1996. "If you were to totally control immigration into the United States...you might very well destroy the economy of the United States because you'd have to inspect everything and everyone in every way possible." While adding that it's important to get a better sense of who was coming into the country, Giuliani said "you're never totally going to control it."

White House Contradicts Itself on Petraeus 'Report'

The Bush White House plans to write the September report itself--even though the report was supposed to be from General Petraeus on the results of Bush's escalation in Iraq. So the Bush White House will be writing its own report card--on the "success" of its own Iraq policies.

In response to the public outrage, an irked White House spokeswoman Dana Perino tried to claim yesterday during a press briefing that the report wasn't supposed to come from General Petraeus in the first place:

"Well, let me remind you of a couple of things. The Congress asked for these reports from the President; they asked for the President to report to the Congress."

But Bush directly contradicted the claims of his own spokeswoman during a press conference, July 12:

"I would ask members of Congress to give the general a chance to come back and to give us a full assessment of whether this is succeeding or not. And it's at that point in time that I will consult with members of Congress and make a decision about the way forward..."

During the same press conference, Bush says multiple times that he is waiting for the report "by General Petraeus" and that he is "going to wait for David [Petraeus] to come back...and give us the report on what he sees."

Read the full transcript here.

Senate Republicans Cited 'Report' from General Petraeus As Excuse for Waiting

Yesterday we learned that the much-anticipated September report from General Petraeus, which was supposed to accurately describe the results of Bush's escalation in Iraq, will actually be written by the Bush White House.

Most Senate Republicans have said that they are waiting to see the report before making a decision on withdrawal. But most Republicans had also said that they expected the report to be written by General Petraeus--not the White House spin machine. Over at Daily Kos, BarbinMD compiled the quotes straight from the Congressional Record, when these Republicans were filibustering the Defense Authorization Bill last month:

Senate Minority Leader McConnell:

"Let me remind the Senate of what we agreed to...We voted, and put into law, that General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker would report in September on progress. The benchmarks report and the timeline we set in May was clear. It gave us, the troops, and our allies, clarity on what was expected."

Senator McCain:

"The war will be discussed in September again--we all know that--when General Petraeus is ready to report to the Senate...General Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker will come to Washington in September to report on the status of their efforts and those of the Iraqis."

Senator Sessions:

"To press the point further, I strongly believe that whatever the inclinations of Senators on the conduct of the war in Iraq, to change our strategy now before we even hear from General Petraeus in September would be a colossal blunder for a host of reasons. To do so would be unthinkable...I am anxious to hear General Petraeus’s report."

Senator Coleman:

"Fifty-four days ago we sent a message to General Petraeus: Go forth with the surge, and then come back and report to us."

Senator Chambliss:

"I have never been more convinced that waiting for General Petraeus's report in September was more right than yesterday afternoon..."

Senator Craig:

"That's why when we confirmed General Petraeus unanimously in the Senate, we said to him very clearly, you go to Iraq in relation to a surge that is being implemented and you come back to us and give us your honest and fair assesement in September."

Senator Cornyn:

"But the fact is, Gen. David Petraeus...will come back and report to us in September."

Senator DeMint:

"The Democrats agreed on that funding, but they requested that we have a report from General Petraeus in the middle of September to find out what progress we were making. We all agreed to that."

Senator Bunning:

"I promised in person, in my office, to General Petraeus, that I would wait to hear his report this fall."

Next question: what will they say now that the "report" has been completely discredited?

Thursday Open Thread

Chat away...

August 15, 2007

PB Rescue Open Thread

Today on PartyBuilder:

• Bob Roszak, a retired veteran of the U.S. Air Force, discusses the importance of health-care benefits to our veterans and to those who serve.

• Steven Crockett has a unique take on the Karl Rove resignation with "Karl Rove: Democratic Secret Weapon."

• Fernandico talks about Latinos and the Democratic Party, writing that Democrats "see diversity as what it is, true democracy."

The Democratic Party gives anybody the ability to write blog posts directly on our website over at PartyBuilder (PB). You can read what everybody has to say, or you can create your own account and start writing posts yourself.

This is an open thread. Chat away...

Not Doing Arthur Branch Proud: Fred Circumvents Election Law With Online Advocacy

Lobbyist Fred Thompson lays out how his impression campaign finance law by circumventing the law which he helped write.

Since former Senator Fred D. Thompson of Tennessee has not yet declared his presidential candidacy, he cannot advertise on television, on radio or in newspapers to promote his political ambitions. But on the Internet, his supporters can turn to his official Web site, www.imwithfred.com, where they are solicited for donations and asked to spread the word to friends, hold fund-raising parties and call talk-radio programs on his behalf. Visitors to the site can watch his “FredCast” and read “the Fred File” to get his views on issues like the economy and immigration law. Mr. Thompson, a Republican, has been able to set up what looks like a stealth campaign on the Internet because federal election laws and enforcement have failed to catch up with the surge in campaigning in cyberspace. As a result, he has been able to promote his positions and raise money through his Web site, all while technically remaining a noncandidate. And that status enables him to remain on television on “Law and Order” reruns without NBC facing demands from other candidates for equal time. It exempts him from the more rigorous rules on reporting donors that declared candidates must adhere to.

Karl Rove Plans to Hunt Doves Post-White House

As soon as he leaves the White House at the end of this month, Karl Rove ironically plans to shoot doves--the international symbol of peace--during a weekend hunting trip in West Texas.

"He loves to go hunting," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino says.

No word on whether Cheney will join him.

Most Disliked Institution In America: The Republican Party

It may not be a surprise to our readers but a Pew poll finds that the American institution most disliked by voters is the Republican party.

After six years of George Bush, right-wing control of Congress, neoconservative dominance, endless liberty-infringement and lawbreaking at home, and the Iraq War, what is the most disliked institution in America? According to the new Pew Poll:

Notably, there is an erosion in the favorability of virtually every political and media institution in the United States, but the Republican Party is at the very bottom -- lower than the press, the judges, the liberals, the Congress and all of its other Evil bogeymen. Yet the Democrats continue to give them whatever they want, dreadfully fearful of their great power and popularity.

H/T- Pam at Americablog

"September Report" Will Be Written By White House

Buried deep in a Los Angeles Times article today, the truth about the "September Report" by General Petraeus that is supposed to accurately and fairly report on the results of escalation in Iraq:

Despite Bush's repeated statements that the report will reflect evaluations by Petraeus and Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, administration officials said it would actually be written by the White House, with inputs from officials throughout the government.

Bush has said repeatedly that he would decide whether to change his Iraq policies based on the report from Petraeus. Another fox-guarding-the-henhouse moment, courtesy Bush administration.

Wednesday Open Thread

Chat away...

August 14, 2007

PB Rescue Open Thread

Lots going on at PartyBuilder:

• Jim asks a question: "How many of the folks on the site were early Dean supporters in 2004?"
• Dick Cheney in 1994: Toppling Saddam would lead to "Quagmire." Adam has the video.
• And on the lighter side: Holy Cow! Leahy goes Hollywood.

The Democratic Party gives anybody the ability to write blog posts directly on our website over at PartyBuilder (PB). You can read what everybody has to say, or you can create your own account and start writing posts yourself.

This is an open thread. Chat away...

U.S. Life Expectancy Now 42nd in World

At the AFL-CIO blog, Tula Connell caught this:

Residents of Jordan, Guam and the Caymen Islands now have a longer life expectancy than those of us in this nation. The United States ranks 42nd in life expectancy--77.9 years--down from 11th place 20 years ago.

The article cites several factors for the decline, including obesity, racial disparities, the high infant mortality rate (compared with other industrialized nations), and most importantly, the fact that 45 million Americans don't have health insurance. Read more of Tula's post to see her analysis of the study.

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert May Be Retiring

From the Congressional Quarterly (no link yet) via MyDD:

Former House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., will not seek re-election next year, GOP sources say. A formal announcement is expected Friday.

MyDD's Jonathan Singer also explains why Hastert's Illinois 14th congressional district is "very winnable" for Democrats.

Open Source Research: Romney's $250 Million

The FEC posted millionaire Mitt Romney's financial disclosure form online. For the first time, we'll be able to see exactly where his $250 million dollar fortune is invested. But it's a big job, and we need your help. Please help us comb through the document to look for red flags, conflicts of interest, and other investments that look interesting.

We'll be poring over the documents here at the Democratic Party, looking at the investments, conflicts of interests, and where Mitt Romney's $250 million dollars are invested, but one thing we know is that there's a wisdom to crowds and there's a lot of expertise in the online progressive community. So join us in poring through the financial disclosure forms--then let us know what you find in this thread on the Democratic Party's blog.

Click here to get the documents.

Bush Administration Says Warrantless Eavesdropping Cannot Be Challenged

A U.S. appeals court is reviewing the legality of the Bush administration's Warrantless Eavesdropping Program, but the administration is now attempting to claim that the courts "must dismiss the cases" because they expose "national secrets."

Wired reports that two senior Justice Department officials speaking on condition of anonymity claimed that the Bush administration will invoke "the so-called 'state secrets privilege' in arguing that the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals must dismiss the cases because they threaten to expose information authorities say is essential to the nation's security."

As you might remember, last year a court ruled that the program was unconstitutional and otherwise illegal. Later, a court panel decided that those bringing the case didn't have the standing to do so, and decided not to rule on the merits of the case.

All of this appears to be a move away from the original Bush administration arguments that the program is legal due to the president's "well-recognized inherent constitutional authority as Commander in Chief." While they do not dispute that, instead they appear to be trying to win their case by avoiding any sort of ruling on the legality of the program.

Alberto Gonzales Could "Fast Track" Death Penalty Cases

Alberto Gonzales could soon have the authority to "fast track" death penalty cases. From the Los Angeles Times:

The Justice Department is putting the final touches on regulations that could give Atty. Gen. Alberto R. Gonzales important new sway over death penalty cases in California and other states, including the power to shorten the time that death row inmates have to appeal convictions to federal courts.

...Under the rules now being prepared, if a state requested it and Gonzales agreed, prosecutors could use "fast track" procedures that could shave years off the time that a death row inmate has to appeal to the federal courts after conviction in a state court.

Remember this footage of Alberto Gonzales' testimony before Congress? Should this guy really be making decisions about speeding up executions?

Tuesday Open Thread

Chat away...

August 13, 2007

PB Rescue Open Thread

PartyBuilder was active over the weekend, like always. Here's a sample:

• In something that may interest many of you, Douglas J. De Clue lets us know that Dan Rather to report on touchscreen voting on HDNet Tuesday the 14th of August.
• In a longer post, The Tipping Point in American Politics and Collapse of Neo-Conservatism details why Sam Sedaei doesn't believe that President's failures are due to his "abandonment of conservative principles."
• Rove resigned, notes Bentley Davis. Speculation ensues.

The Democratic Party gives anybody the ability to write blog posts directly on our website over at PartyBuilder (PB). You can read what everybody has to say, or you can create your own account and start writing posts yourself.

This is an open thread. Chat away...

Pundits Talk About "None Of The Above"

The bloggers over at Talking Points Memo have put together their weekly Sunday morning show roundup, which includes a roundup of many of Mitt Romney's many positions as well as a discussion about puppy-gate.

If you forward 5:25 minutes into the video, you'll get see that they've collected footage that affirms our favorite candidate in the Republican primary, "None of the Above."

The Other Thompson Calls It Quits

Oops. Forgot to mention that Tommy Thompson dropped out of the race for the Republican nomination after a disappointing sixth-place finish in the Iowa straw poll.

The 65-year-old former secretary of Health and Human Services said he was officially dropping out of the race. "I respect the decision of the voters," he said. Despite visiting all 99 Iowa counties, his campaign never got much traction, though he did push his colleagues to talk more about health care...In a brief statement he said he would take some time off before returning to the private sector and his nonprofit work.

Sen. Leahy Responds

With Rove leaving the White House, Senator Leahy just came out with the following statement (emphasis mine):

Earlier this month, Karl Rove failed to comply with the Judiciary Committee's subpoena to testify about the mass firings of United States Attorneys. Despite evidence that he played a central role in these firings, just as he did in the Libby case involving the outing of an undercover CIA agent and improper political briefings at over 20 government agencies, Mr. Rove acted as if he was above the law. That is wrong. Now that he is leaving the White House while under subpoena, I continue to ask what Mr. Rove and others at the White House are so desperate to hide. Mr. Rove's apparent attempts to manipulate elections and push out prosecutors citing bogus claims of voter fraud shows corruption of federal law enforcement for partisan political purposes, and the Senate Judiciary Committee will continue its investigation into this serious issue.

The list of senior White House and Justice Department officials who have resigned during the course of these congressional investigations continues to grow, and today, Mr. Rove added his name to that list. There is a cloud over this White House, and a gathering storm. A similar cloud envelopes Mr. Rove, even as he leaves the White House.

Straw Poll Reveals Weak Republican Field

If the Ames straw poll in Iowa revealed anything over the weekend, it was the weakness of the Republican field. From the Des Moines Register:

Only 14,302 people voted in the poll, far fewer than the 23,685 who cast ballots in the last big straw poll in 1999.

That's a sign Republicans are not happy with their choices. At least they aren't excited enough to brave the summer heat to vote for them.

Mitt Romney spent more than $2 million in television ads, but still received only 4,516 votes, which means his campaign spent at least $443 in ad money for each vote he received. That doesn't even take into account the cost of the free T-shirts, air-conditioned tents, buses for supporters, and months worth of salaries for 60 "super-volunteers" to "talk him up."

UPDATE: USA Today did more math. In comparison to Romney's costs (which actually may top $1,000 per vote when all costs are factored in):

* Third-place finisher Sam Brownback says he spent about $325,000 to win his 2,192 votes. That's $148.27 for each vote.

* Second-place finisher Mike Huckabee spent about $150,000 and received 2,587 votes. That's $57.98 per vote.

UPDATE II:

Kombiz points out that even though Republicans tried much harder to turn out people at the Ames straw poll, there were 40% less voters at Ames this year. How hard did they try?

In '99 Bush brought in 70 buses and earned 7,418 votes.
In '99 the Forbes campaign had 109 buses and received 4,921 votes.

In comparison, Romney had 125 buses shipping people to Ames, and garnered only 4,516 votes while Sam Brownback had 100 buses and garnered only 2,192 votes.

Karl Rove Resigning At the End of August

Karl Rove, Bush's senior political strategist and close friend, announced that he plans to leave the White House at the end of August, saying he's "got to do this for the sake of my family."

Rove was one of two officials responsible for leaking the identity of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame, which led to the perjury trial and conviction of Scooter Libby, former aide to Dick Cheney.

In an interview, Rove predicted Bush will regain his popularity, which has sunk to record lows because of the war in Iraq. Rove also predicted before the 2006 elections that Republicans would retain control of the House and Senate.

Monday Open Thread

Chat away...

August 12, 2007

Sunday Open Thread

Chat away...

August 11, 2007

From the Archives

A bit of foreshadowing occurred in 1963, when Richard Nixon was caught by a very different taping system -- his wife's. It led to this classic performance on The Tonight Show:

Saturday Open Thread

Chat away...

August 10, 2007

PB Rescue Open Thread

PartyBuilder!

• Upset by the decision by the Federal Reserve not to cut interest rates, Jim Callahan writes that Fed Actions favor Wall Street over Homeowners.
• In More Hot Topics on AFL-CIO Blog, Stephen Crockett links to some interesting pieces.
• And this has got to be my favorite of the day. Let's all give a nice welcome to Ben Evert -- the latest addition to the Democratic Party!

The Democratic Party gives anybody the ability to write blog posts directly on our website over at PartyBuilder (PB). You can read what everybody has to say, or you can create your own account and start writing posts yourself.

This is an open thread. Chat away...

None of the Above Gaining Momentum

Ahead of the Ames Straw Poll, we wanted to make sure the latest Republican candidate to enter the GOP field got his message out:

The Friday Five

Every Friday we're highlighting five events happening around the country that we've found in PartyBuilder's Events system.

Here are 5 events happening around the country. If you don't see one in your neck of the woods, click here to search for one near you. Or better yet, create your own!

1. Sustainable Living & Renew. Energy Roundup 2007 (Minden, NV)
   

   The Sustainable Living and Renewable Energy Roundup Committee invites you to participate in an event that has been long over due. Please come for an exciting 3-day learning experience: the 1st Annual Sustainable Living and Renewable Energy Roundup.

2. Action Alert - Millvale Clean Up Day (Millvale, PA)
   

   As you know, the Millvale community was hit once again by flood waters. Let's give Millvale a helping hand tomorrow morning and clean up what Mother Nature left behind.

3. Sneads Ferry Shrimp Festival (Sneads Ferry, NC)
   

   The Sneads Ferry Shrimp Festival is one of the largest festivals in Onslow County.

4. Sullivan Co. Democratic Women's Annual Picnic (Bluff City, TN)
   

   Guest Speaker: TN Democratic Party Chair, Gray Sasser.

5. Winning Pennsylvania - County by County (Pine Grove Mills, PA)
   

   SPECIAL GUEST: U. S. Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr.
   Member: United States Senate Agriculture Committee
   Chicken Barbeque and Live Musical Entertainment
   Cost $25.00 per ticket

Rudy to 9/11 Rescue Workers: "I'm One of Them."

Given his record, this is pretty low. No, he's not equal to those who sifted through the debris for over a year:

Might not be a good idea to run through his record of poor 9/11 decisions real quick:

• Giuliani said the air was safe after tests showed otherwise, overruling health experts.
• Giuliani's administration hid findings of contamination.
• Giuliani put Emergency Command Center close to vulnerable WTC.
• The use of vulnerable WTC space for Emergency Command Center gave rent money to a Giuliani campaign supporter.
• Giuliani's former Emergency Chief said Giuliani was ducking responsibility and rewriting history.
• Giuliani blamed Emergency Chief for Emergency Command Center location.

Somehow all of this makes him equal to the heroic rescue workers that worked with toxic levels of asbestos at Ground Zero?

Mitt Romney Buys Support in Iowa

Mitt Romney, who has loaned his own campaign $9 million dollars, will buy a victory tomorrow at the Iowa straw poll.

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has assembled an unrivaled operation for the event: a statewide corps of 60 "super-volunteers," who have been paid between $500 and $1,000 per month to talk him up; a fleet of buses; more than $2 million in television ads in Iowa; a sleek direct-mail campaign; and a consultant who has been paid nearly $200,000 to direct Romney's straw poll production, which will include barbecue billed as the best in the state.

But it's beginning to look like overkill. Rudy Giuliani and John McCain aren't even participating. Tommy Thompson spent $297 for an advertisement in the Denison Bulletin & Review. Sam Brownback's camp is distributing brown bracelets ("a great conversation-starter.") Huckabee promises giant watermelons.

Maybe Mitt is threatened by Newt's portable petting zoo.

Video Attacks Republican Obstructionists

We've written quite a bit about the Republicans threatening to block more legislation than ever in our nation's history. There's a new video by Campaign for America's Future about the Republicans killing legislation -- featuring Jason Alexander, it's worth noting.

Smoking and Taxes

Yes, as ThinkProgress points out, smoking declines as cigarette taxes increase. I think that should really go without saying. And this drives down the costs of health care significantly.

During the recent debate on SCHIP, the children's health insurance plan, one of the proposals was to help pay for it by increasing the tax on cigarettes. Yet here's an odd quote I dug up from Trent Lott during the debate:

"The fact is, when you tax something with that much of an increase, which takes it up to a full dollar from the current 39 cents, that is a huge increase. When you have that kind of increase, a dollar a pack on cigarettes, what you are going to get is less revenue. So at a time when the cost of the program is going up, the revenue that is actually going to be coming in is going down."

Does he propose lowering the tax to increase the number of smokers (and revenue)? And has he thought about what additional health care costs would result?

Bush: No to Bridges, Yes to Vacation

Yesterday Bush told reporters that he would not increase gas taxes to fix bridges badly in need of repairs, like the one that recently collapsed in Minneapolis. More than 73,000 bridges in the United States are rated "structurally deficient" by the Transportation Department.

Instead of proposing his own plan to repair the nation's infrastructure, Bush chose to attack the "spending priorities" of Congress. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) fired back:

"For the past six years, Democrats have worked to fund our nation's most critical priorities, including investing in our infrastructure. Unfortunately, President Bush has neglected these needs while turning surpluses into deficits. Now he wants to lecture us about proper investments for our country."

After his press conference, Bush left for vacation--again. So far he's taken 418 days of vacation since he became president.

Sen. Stevens Paid Only $130,000?

An interesting note from Senator Ted Stevens has emerged, stating that he "personally paid over $130,000" for the renovations that may have led to his house being raided by the FBI.

So why is this figure significant?

As the Anchorage Daily News points out, the carpentry alone was more than $100,000. In addition, there was a contractor who "raised" the house and built the foundation. There was also an "earth-moving" contractor who "prepared the ground." And on top of it all, there was "everything from design to plumbing and electric to a new roof."

The numbers don't add up. And if the money didn't come from Senator Stevens, then where did it come from?

"None of the Above" Campaign Launches in Iowa

During an Associated Press poll in July, registered Republicans chose "None of the Above" over any other candidates in the field--including Fred Thompson, John McCain, Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani.

Today the Democratic Party launched a new spoof site in support of "None of the Above," along with a paid ad in Ames, Iowa.

Favorite line: "Only one Republican candidate has a plan--and it’s None of the Above."

Senator Sees "Little Green Doctors"

This is just strange. Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) complained about "little green doctors" hitting him during an appearance at Fancy Farm, a Kentucky political event. Open Left has the clip.

Friday Open Thread

Chat away...

August 9, 2007

A Look at the Relationship Between McConnell and Chao

The tragedy at the Crandall Canyon mine in Utah, where six men are currently trapped underground, has brought to light the partnership between Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and his wife, Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao--and how they are aligned against the interests of working people. For example:

McConnell filed legislation for three years, starting in 1998, to curb the mandatory annual raise in wages of legal immigrant farmworkers under the government's H2A program. By 2001, the wage in Kentucky was $6.60 an hour, which struck some agricultural businesses as too high. (Agribusinesses have given McConnell more than $1 million for his campaigns--out of $21 million from all donors over 22 years, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.) But the bills kept failing.

In 2001, Chao ordered an indefinite delay in the release of an annual Labor Department wage report that triggered the farmworker raise. It was an insider move, not noticed by most Americans, but praised by McConnell's Republican congressional colleagues and business groups in letters obtained from Chao's office.

There’s a lot more where that came from. Read the article here.

Giuliani On Freedom

There's several profiles on Rudy Giuliani's time as mayor of New York City. The Village Voice has an article on how mishandled and bungled emergency preparedness during his time as mayor. Josh Johnson has a profile that includes the former mayors views on freedom.

"Freedom is not a concept in which people can do anything they want, be anything they can be. Freedom is about authority. Freedom is about the willingness of every single human being to cede to lawful authority a great deal of discretion about what you do."

Republican Candidates Still Talk Tough on War

Republican primary candidates still support Bush's policies on the Iraq war--even though 70% of Americans don't. From The Politico:

"A majority of the American public has turned sour on President Bush's policy in Iraq--but you wouldn't know it from listening to top Republican recruits for congressional races next year...

Indeed, support for the Iraq war has become a prerequisite for the Republican base, comparable to the role abortion and gay marriage played over the last decade."

Maybe someone should ask pro-war presidential candidate John McCain (now polling 1.8% among registered Republicans in Iowa) how that little strategy worked out for him.

McCain Loses to Everyone in Iowa...Including Democrats

One more example of the total disintegration of John McCain's presidential campaign:

McCain's support has collapsed in Iowa. His support among registered Republicans dropped from 14.4 percent in March to 1.8 percent in July-August.

And take a look at this:

UI political scientists note that McCain has been passed in popularity not only by former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., who earned 5.2 percent support, but also by a Democratic challenger, Obama, who is supported by 6.7 percent of Republicans.

So McCain even loses to Democrats among registered Republicans. Now that's bad.

John McCain Gets Charity Check...But No Endorsement

John McCain's struggling campaign for the Republican nomination received a charity check from former Secretary of State Colin Powell...but no endorsement.

Powell spokeswoman Peggy Cifrino confirmed to CNN that the retired General made the contribution after learning that the senator's campaign was low on funds, though she stressed this is not a formal endorsement of the candidate.

"John is a longtime friend of General Powell's," said Cifrino. "But he has not endorsed John McCain nor any other candidate."

Thursday Open Thread

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August 8, 2007

White House Continues Withholding Documents

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy announced a new August 20th deadline for the White House to comply with subpoenas. The documents in question concern the committee's investigation into the NSA's warrantless eavesdropping program. Leahy elaborates:

"Despite my patience and flexibility, you have rejected every proposal, produced none of the responsive documents, provided no basis for any claim of privilege and no accompanying log of withheld documents."

The White House has sought delays in handing over the wiretapping documents twice already while Congress has engaged in a very public battle with the White House over documents, testimonies, and claims of executive privilege in several separate matters, including the firing of nine U.S. attorneys.

Had the documents been ready by August 1st, as previously requested, they might have proved useful in last week's debate.

The Senate is getting tired of the Bush administration's games, as they fail to cooperate with the Congress.

Wasn't He The Governor Of Massachusetts?

You'd think the former governor of Massachusetts would know how many counties there are in his state.

A woman raised her hand. "Yes, please!" Romney said. "How many counties are in Massachusetts?" she asked. "Thirteen," he said. A few feet away, an aide shook his head and said, "Ten." "Oh, no, I think it's 13," Romney said. "Not like your 99." He paused for a moment. "Yeah, if you count Dukes County ... " he trailed off. "So, anyway, we have very, very few."

...A spokesman for Romney said he shortly thereafter, "corrected the record" to the right number of 14.

Republican Rep Thought About Arming Himself Against Constituents

Rep. Randy Kuhl (R-NY), under intense pressure from constituents for his support of Bush's failed policies in Iraq, said that he "thought about packing" firearms to fend off protesters. From a reporter at the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle:

"When I asked him if he had ever protested, he said "Yes, when I walked off the floor in Congress recently." I asked if that means he thinks the protesters have a right to do so and he again said "yes, just not over the line." He said that the types of protests have caused him to rethink security at his offices and that means securing doors. He said they are "more protective now" and that he "thought about packing."

During the current recess, Kuhl's offices have been swarmed several times by angry voters. Maybe instead of being scared of them, he should try listening to them?

Running for President or Warden?

Rudy's all for imprisoning US Citizens without review, and Romney's not far behind:

Ed Crane, president of the libertarian Cato Institute, reports asking former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani whether the president has the power to arrest U.S. citizens on U.S. soil and hold them without court review. According to Crane, Giuliani replied that he would want to use this authority infrequently—implying that the president has such authority to use.

Asked about Crane's account of her boss's view, a Giuliani spokeswoman said, "That sounds about right." Requests for elaboration met with no response.

Crane says he asked Romney the same question at a meeting of the Club for Growth, a conservative group. Romney, reports NationalReview.com blogger Ramesh Ponnuru, told Crane "he would want to hear the pros and cons from smart lawyers before he made up his mind," an account that Crane confirms. Romney has also said publicly that the Guantanamo Bay detention facility should be doubled in size because inmates "don't get the access to lawyers that they get when they're on our soil."

Bush Officials Spreading Misinformation About Children's Health Insurance

Department of Health and Human Services directors are sending copycat letters to newspapers across the country, spreading misinformation about the children's health insurance program, SCHIP, which is currently up for re-authorization. Bill Scher details this latest propaganda campaign by Bush administration officials at Huffington Post:

At minimum, in the southeast Chris Downing sent the letter to the Lincoln Tribune, Charlotte Observer, Beaufort Gazette, The News-Journal (Daytona Beach), The Ledger (Lakeland, FL) and Tallahassee Democrat. Maureen Lydon sent the same to the Indianapolis Star and Battle Creek Enquirer in the Midwest. Gordon Woodrow got it in the The Register-Herald (Beckley, WV), Charleston Gazette (WV) and Baltimore Sun. Out west, Tom Lorentzen placed the letter in the San Francisco Chronicle and Las Vegas Review-Journal.

All four somehow managed to come up with identical wording for the same dishonest points.

For instance, the letters claimed that Bush supports re-authorizing the program with enough new funding to ensure that no one currently enrolled loses coverage.

This is not true. In fact, Bush threatened to veto the program--and then supported a proposal that would have resulted in 200,000 children losing coverage by 2012.

Read more here.

Democrats Debate at AFL-CIO Forum in Chicago

The Democratic presidential field--minus Mike Gravel--debated yesterday evening at Soldier Field stadium in Chicago before a crowd of over 17,000 union members, at an AFL-CIO forum moderated by Keith Olbermann.

Afterwards, Governor Dean said:

"Tonight our strong field of Democratic candidates re-affirmed our party's commitment to stand with America's hard working families. From expanding health care coverage, to protecting the right of America's workers to organize and be a part of a union, to ensuring that workers have a secure retirement, to strengthening our economy and creating jobs at home, Democrats understand the challenges facing workers in our country.

"Democrats in Congress are fighting for America's working families, and in the last six months overcame Republican obstructionism to pass the first minimum wage increase in over a decade, make college more affordable for students, and give health care to millions of low-income children. But more needs to be done, like passing the Employee Free Choice Act to make sure that the right of workers to organize and start unions without fear of harassment or intimidation is protected. A Democratic president will continue this fight so that everyone can achieve the American Dream."

Wednesday Open Thread

Chat away...

August 7, 2007

PB Rescue Open Thread

Time for PartyBuilder Rescue, where I make special note of a couple of your posts.

• Cynthia Baughman asks everyone to Stop by the Dems Tent at the Reading Fair which is one of the many local events that seeks to get Democrats involved and registered to vote nationwide.
• Hispanics '08 - Health Disparity. “…Hispanics bear a disproportionate burden of disease, injury, death, and disability,” says Fernandico, who calls for equal healthcare access for all Americans.

The Democratic Party gives anybody the ability to write blog posts directly on our website over at PartyBuilder (PB). You can read what everybody has to say, or you can create your own account and start writing posts yourself.

This is an open thread. Chat away...

Top Giuliani Anti-Terrorism Aide: Giuliani Would Make A Terrible President

Giuliani's former Emergency Management director blamed Rudy Giuliani for making bad decisions when it came to emergency management.

Jerome Hauer, New York's emergency management director from 1996 to 2000, said Mr Giuliani was closely involved in locating the city's crisis control room in the World Trade Centre complex, even though it was a known terrorist target after the 1993 truck bomb attack which killed six people at the site.

The location proved disastrous in 2001 as the building was set ablaze in the collapse of the adjoining twin towers.

The condemnation by Mr Hauer, a leading US expert on biological and chemical terrorism, provides fresh ammunition to Mr Giuliani's foes, who want to undermine the widespread acclaim for his actions in the aftermath of al-Qaeda's attack on the towers. It follows similar criticism from the main firemen's union.

Hauser goes on to say that Giuliani doesn't have the traits of good or effective president.

"Rudy would make a terrible president and that is why I am speaking now," Mr Hauer told The Sunday Telegraph. "He's a control freak who micro-manages decision, he has a confrontational character trait and picks fights just to score points. He is the last thing this country needs as president right now."

Six Utah Miners Trapped Underground

Six Utah miners are still trapped underground today as rescuers work around the clock to reach them. The miners were buried either by an earthquake or by the dangerous practice of "retreat mining," which involves pulling out the last pieces of coal (the "pillars") that support the roof within one of the mine's rooms.

A UMWA spokesman said the union's thoughts and prayers are with the trapped miners and their families.

The Genwal mine, about 140 miles south of Salt Lake City, is a nonunion mine. CNN reported today that the mine has a history of dangerous work conditions:

The mine was cited at least 300 times total in the past three years--with 118 of those citations for violations serious enough to cause death, records show.

Today mine owner Bob Murray shouted at news helicopters, "There's no emergency here!" during a press conference. Huffington Post has the clip.

The Lexington Herald-Leader has a story on the connections between Bob Murray, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and mine safety--or the lack thereof. Read the story here.

Republicans Breathe Deeply, Cautiously Think About Doing A YouTube Debate

Apparently the Republican presidential candidates may not really think that being asked questions by real Americans is degrading to their image. UPI reports that there may yet be a Republican YouTube debate this year.

The number of Republican presidential hopefuls willing to debate on live TV and the YouTube Internet site has doubled from two to four.

Following the initial debate featuring Democrats last month, willingness to participate in the format among Republicans was thin, the Washington Post reported.

A Sept. 17 date for Republicans to answer videotaped Internet questions from voters on live television was originally set, but unidentified party sources told the Post it will now likely be in November or December.

Ron Paul, Tommy Thompson, John McCain and Mike Huckabee have all agreed to the debate. Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani still seem to be scared of the talking snowmen.

Temper, Temper

The Associated Press has this helpful guide to the temper of Rudy Giuliani while he had his radio show, which showcases the audio from some of the most out-of-control moments.

You'll want to go there to hear it, but here's a short list of Rudy's anger management issues:

_Giuliani reproached the mother of a robbery suspect shot dead by police detectives: ''Maybe you should ask yourself some questions about the way he was brought up and the things that happened to him. Trying to displace the responsibility for the criminal acts of your son onto these police officers is really unfair.''

_Responding to a caller upset that Giuliani yanked funding for a controversial art exhibit, he said: ''Anthony, you are so filled with anger and hatred at me. Take some Valium, Anthony! Anthony, calm down, baby! Take it easy!''

_He unleashed a tirade at an advocate for ferrets' rights, saying, ''There is something really, really very sad about you. You need help. You need somebody to help you. I know you feel insulted by that, but I'm being honest with you. This excessive concern with little weasels is a sickness.''

_When a caller upset about being cut off from food stamps and Medicaid called Giuliani a bad mayor and a criminal, Giuliani said: ''There's something that's really wrong with you. ... We'll send you psychiatric help, because you seriously need it.'' It turned out the caller, John Hynes, had Parkinson's disease.

Minneapolis Bridge is Evidence of Infrastructure Crisis

The tragic collapse of a Minneapolis bridge last week was evidence of a quiet crisis in America--the deteriorating infrastructure of cities.

MSNBC has an interactive map with a state-by-state analysis of bridge safety. As you read it, keep in mind that many states have been starved of federal funds for years under the Bush administration--and that conservative strategist Grover Norquist famously stated his goal is to get government "down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub."

Early 2007 Brings Record-Breaking Extreme Weather

Climate Progress, noting that the "weather is getting more extreme thanks to human-caused climate change," directs our attention to a report by the World Meteorological Organization. The report examines early 2007 and comes away with some conclusions that back up what scientists have been warning us about.

In addition to going through a list of examples of extreme weather, the release states: "Climate change projections indicate it to be very likely that hot extremes, heat waves and heavy precipitation events will continue to become more frequent."

Republican Debate Filled With Exaggerations and Missteps

Factcheck.org sets the record straight after Sunday's Republican debate in Iowa:

The Republican presidential candidates debated – and sounded some more false notes:

* Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney falsely claimed U.S. job growth had been nearly 17 times faster than Europe's. Actually, European Union employment grew faster than that of the U.S. last year. Romney's figures come from a source who told FactCheck.org that he would no longer use them.

* Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani accused Democratic candidates of "appeasement" toward Islamic terrorists. In fact, leading Democratic candidates have spoken out strongly against terrorism.

* Sen. John McCain claimed American families spend $140 billion of their income preparing federal income tax returns. We find no support for that figure, which the Internal Revenue Service puts at $19 billion.

* Rep. Tom Tancredo claimed illegal immigrants "are taking a large part of our health care dollars." But the independent Rand Corp. estimates that undocumented immigrants account for 1.5 percent of health care spending or less.

You, Sir, Are No George Washington...Thompson Compares Himself to Founding Father

Fred Thompson, lobbyist and actor, apparently considers himself the second coming of George Washington:

Fred Thompson's new non-campaign bio--a feature of I'm With Fred dot com 2.0--is a fascinating read, inasmuch as it provides insight into how the non-candidate will seek to shape his narrative, turning weaknesses into strengths and smoothing over the rough edges. This part [see: Fred Today], however, really caught my eye:

"In the tradition of President George Washington, a leader Thompson had admired growing up, he walked away from an easy reelection victory to seek new challenges. He joined the American Enterprise Institute as a visiting scholar, traveled the country as speaker and served on a Wall Street advisory board."

George Washington? Really?

Well, maybe Fred Thompson cannot tell a lie-- except to the pro-lifers --like when he covered up his lobbying for an abortion rights group...

New Ethics Rules Have Lobbyists Scrambling

Last week, the House and Senate both passed tough new ethics rules to end the culture of corruption in Washington. The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act bars lawmakers and aides from accepting any gifts, meals or trips from lobbyists--and imposes penalties up to $200,000 and five years in prison on any lobbyist who provides such freebies.

Today the New York Times reported that the new rules are already causing anxiety for Washington lobbyists:

The new law has quickly sent a ripple of fear through K Street. It comes amid signs that federal prosecutors are taking a newly aggressive approach to corruption cases--including treating campaign contributions as potential bribes.

Bush has not said whether or not he will sign the bill, although Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK), under investigation for corruption, has already threatened to try to block it.

Gonzales Only Answers Questions Nobody Asked

Via Salon's War Room, this exchange occurred when Alberto Gonzales appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Kennedy: Has Karl Rove or anyone from his office given similar [political] briefings to the leadership in the Department of Justice?
Gonzales: Not that I'm aware of.
Kennedy: Well, you would know if he had.
Gonzales: I would think so. But I don't believe so, sir.

Turns out that this appears to be false. The Washington Post reported this weekend that "Justice Department officials attended at least a dozen political briefings at the White House since 2001."

So how does Alberto Gonzales respond? Obfuscation, of course. From his recent letter to Senator Leahy: "I am not aware of political briefings [...] occurring at the Department of Justice."

Yes, as Salon points out, that's the defense: make up a question that was never asked -- namely, where such meetings occurred. Clearly, Gonzales must have thought the committee was investigating the locations of conference rooms. I mean, what other explanation could there possibly be?

Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act

Governor Dean and DNC Voting Rights Institute Chair Donna Brazile issued a joint statement yesterday in honor of the 42nd anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act by President Lyndon Johnson:

"On the 42nd anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act, Democrats reaffirm our commitment as a Party that ensures that all eligible Americans are able to vote and have their vote counted without fear of intimidation or harassment. The passing of legendary civil rights attorney Oliver Hill this past weekend, who fought for and won desegregation in public schools, served as a reminder that the protection and advancement of the ideals that make our democracy and our country great require that individuals stand up and show the courage and strength to fight for what's right. Protecting the spirit of the Voting Rights Act requires such determination.

"When signing the Voting Rights Act, President Lyndon Johnson said that the 'right to vote is the basic right without which all others are meaningless. It gives people, people as individuals, control over their own destinies.' Yet more than forty years after its signing, the right to vote is still under assault. Under the Bush Administration, Republicans in the Justice Department have worked to systematically limit voting rights through restrictive ID laws and voter intimidation schemes that run counter to the values our country was founded on.

"As part of our ongoing effort to make it easier for Americans to
exercise their right to vote, Democrats are conducting a nationwide
survey to evaluate the election mechanics in each state. It is our goal to work to flag and prevent potential problems and election
administration issues that threaten to deprive citizens of their right to register, vote and have their vote counted. Once these issues are
identified, the DNC will work to resolve potential problems well in
advance of the 2008 election. Another critical part of ensuring voting
rights is electing a Democratic President in 2008. Democrats will ensure that our government works for all Americans, not just the privileged few."

Read more about the Democratic Party's new national voter protection effort here.

Tuesday Open Thread

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August 6, 2007

PB Rescue Open Thread

While we were gone, there was still a lot going on over at PartyBuilder. Here's a sample from the last few days:

• In order to break the cycle of young Hispanics trapped in low income jobs, Fernandico calls on everyone to encourage youths to finish high school and go on to college, in Hispanics '08 - High Dropouts.
• Bill Dickson asks us to consider the 110th Congress - Democratic Accomplishments, such as the raised minimum wage.

http://www.democrats.org/page/community/post/Dave%27s%20Place/CXlN

• In The future of transportation?, Davidual writes that the tragedy in Minnesota proves we need to not only improve the overall infrastructure of the United States, but also to revolutionize the whole transportation system.

The Democratic Party gives anybody the ability to write blog posts directly on our website over at PartyBuilder (PB). You can read what everybody has to say, or you can create your own account and start writing posts yourself.

This is an open thread. Chat away...

Rudy Giuliani: Serial-Exagerrator?

In the last two days Giuliani has shown he's uncomfortable with his record as Mayor in New York City. During the Republican debates yesterday and during a "policy" rollout today Giuliani made simple to fact check but big exaggerations about his record.

First he exaggerates the situation in New York City before he became mayor. So much so, that an NBC reporter called him out on the exaggeration.

Giuliani may have put a special emphasis on increasing adoptions during his 8 years as mayor, but he may not have been all that successful.

A review of an official New York City document conducted by Factcheck.org looking at adoptions over a ten-year span shows that although Giuliani increased adoptions at a rate higher than his predecessor David Dinkins, adoptions under Giuliani declined five out of the last six years he was in office. Perhaps the former mayor is overstating his accomplishments just a bit.

Then he exaggerated the rate of crime before he took office as Mayor.

Giuliani actually said before he became mayor of New York, people were afraid to go outside, or even buy groceries. What?? I am a native New Yorker and can tell you, I was never afraid to buy groceries. True, crime went down under Giuliani, the subways became safer, but afraid to buy groceries? That's a stretch -- one Giuliani, I suppose, hopes middle America will buy.

And he exaggerates his own record on taxes.

Critics say the ad exaggerates - and strictly speaking, they're right. After all, while the mayor of New York is an exceptionally powerful executive, there's little he can do about taxes without cooperation from the City Council and the State Legislature.

Oliver Hill, Civil Rights Pioneer (1907-2007)

Oliver W. Hill, a civil rights lawyer who was on the forefront of the fight to desegregate public schools, died Sunday at his home in Richmond, Virginia. He was 100 years old.

In 1940, Mr. Hill won his first civil rights case in Virginia, one that required equal pay for black and white teachers. Eight years later, he was the first black elected to the Richmond City Council since Reconstruction.

He was later involved in the series of lawsuits against racially segregated public schools that became the Supreme Court’s landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision, a decision that was threatened earlier this year by narrow 5-4 rulings against desegregation.

CREW Files DOJ Complaint Against Boehner

Did House Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner break the law and endanger national security by releasing classified information?

CREW certainly thinks so, and has filed a complaint (PDF) with the Department of Justice asking for an investigation into the matter. Specifically, they request "the Counterespionage Section of the National Security Division [to] commence an immediate investigation."

Here's the alleged violation:

18 U.S.C. § 793(d) provides that anyone with lawful possession of information relating to the national defense, which could be used to the injury of the United States, who willfully communicates that information to any person not entitled to receive it, is subject to up to ten years imprisonment.

And a flashback (also via CREW): "When you break the law in pursuit of a political opponent, you've gone too far. Members of Congress have a responsibility not only to obey the laws of the country and the rules of our institution, but also to defend the integrity of those laws and rules when they are violated." - Rep. Boehner

Democrats Pass Important Energy Bills

On August 4, House Democrats passed crucial energy legislation, the New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act.

The bill includes the Udall Renewable Energy Sources Amendment, which requires utilities to produce 15 percent of their electricity from clean and renewable sources like wind and solar by 2020.

Other highlights include making the federal government carbon neutral by 2050, creating "green collar" jobs in solar panel manufacturing and green construction, investing in biofuels, and paying for green initiatives by repealing $16 billion in tax breaks for oil and gas companies.

More details from The Gavel here.

Romney's Sons Serve Country "By Helping Me Get Elected"

At a campaign stop in Iowa today, Mitt Romney defended the fact that his five sons have not enlisted in the military by saying they are serving the country by "helping me get elected."

"The good news is that we have a volunteer Army and that's the way we're going to keep it," Romney told some 200 people gathered in an abbey near the Mississippi River that had been converted into a hotel. "My sons are all adults and they've made decisions about their careers and they've chosen not to serve in the military and active duty and I respect their decision in that regard."

He added: "One of the ways my sons are showing support for our nation is helping me get elected because they think I'd be a great president."

Romney's five sons, ages 26-37, have worked in the past as real estate developers, sports marketers and advertising executives. All five are now active with their father's campaign. Son Josh, 36, just completed a tour of Iowa in a recreational vehicle. Romney said about the tour:

"I respect that and respect all those and the way they serve this great country."

Over 30 Percent of Weapons Distributed to Iraqi Security Forces Not Accounted For

Due to a haphazard distribution of weapons to Iraqi security forces, the Pentagon now can't account for hundreds of millions of dollars worth of weapons. From the Washington Post:

The Pentagon has lost track of about 190,000 AK-47 assault rifles and pistols given to Iraqi security forces in 2004 and 2005, according to a new government report, raising fears that some of those weapons have fallen into the hands of insurgents fighting U.S. forces in Iraq.

The report from the Government Accountability Office indicates that U.S. military officials do not know what happened to 30 percent of the weapons the United States distributed to Iraqi forces from 2004 through early this year as part of an effort to train and equip the troops. The highest previous estimate of unaccounted-for weapons was 14,000, in a report issued last year by the inspector general for Iraq reconstruction.

The security training program at that time was led by General David Petraeus, who now commands all U.S. forces in Iraq.

According to a bipartisan report from late June, the Pentagon has spent $19 billion overall on training and equipping Iraqi security forces--and now largely can't account for how the money was spent.

Monday Open Thread

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August 5, 2007

Sunday Open Thread

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August 4, 2007

From the Archives

Saturday Open Thread

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August 3, 2007

Rudy's "Non-Plan"

From always-insightful Ezra Klein:

Failure of the press aside, let's examine this "vision." What Giuliani offered is this: A tax exclusion of up to $15,000 for families, and $7,500 for individuals, to help pay for health care. What Giuliani is relying on is people reading those numbers -- $15,000 and $7,500 -- without noticing that they don't denote the amount of money he's offering them, but the amount of money he's not taxing them on. And when we plug it into my magical Rudy Translation Machine (constructed with the help of friendly neighborhood economist, Dean Baker), we can watch how $15,000 can easily become … zero.

Let's stipulate a family of four -- a mom, a dad, and two children. The type of family Republicans like. And let's say your household income is $30,000 a year. Giuliani's tax exclusion will save you … nothing. Your income isn't taxable anyway. Bring it up to $40,000 … and it's still nothing. Your child tax credits are crossing out your taxable income. Indeed, according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 55 percent of the uninsured don't earn enough money to have any taxable income. This proposal -- unless changed from a straight exclusion to a refundable tax credit -- will do literally nothing for them.

Friday Open Thread

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August 2, 2007

Thursday Open Thread

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August 1, 2007

Wednesday Open Thread

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