June 14th has been designated as Flag Day in the United States. It’s a day to remember who we are, and why we are. It is, and should be, a non-political, non-partisan day to display our nation’s flag in honor of the freedoms and ideals on which our country was founded.

WKMaier, one of our 25 regular readers, has passed on some information regarding an activity in New Jersey to benefit homeless veterans:

At least one-third of the nation's homeless are veterans of the US Armed Services. In New Jersey, it is estimated that over 8,000 veterans sleep on the streets or in shelters on any given night.

"Hope for Veterans" is a transitional housing and rehabilitation program operated by a private non-profit organization in New Jersey called Community Hope. Through this program, honorably-discharged homeless veterans are offered safe housing, job opportunities and the chance to rebuild their lives.

The Somerset Hills YMCA presents its annual Flag Day 5K Run, with all proceeds from sponsorships and registrations donated to the "Hope for Veterans" program.

The VA facility in Lyons, New Jersey, where the housing units are located, hopes to make the Flag Day 5K Run a nationwide event, with all proceeds benefiting local veterans' organizations. Get your community involved in a national event and say thanks to those that served!

I know some of you don’t live in New Jersey, so you won’t be able to participate in this 5K run. If you felt a need to support this activity, contact Julia Bey Ahmet at the Community Hope Development Office (973-463-9600, ext 303 or by email to jbahmet@communityhope-nj.org.

What are you doing in your community to celebrate Flag Day? Support a vets outreach program?

(Thanks to WK for bringing this to ourn atention.)

I spoke with Tommie’s mother on Tuesday evening. She was a bit surprised, hearing from a total stranger. I imagine I’d feel defensive myself, if some unknown clown called me up to talk to me about my son. But we managed to get through the first four or five awkward minutes.

She was pretty down on him at first. She seemed to not understand why her son didn’t just come home and pop into a suit for instant success in civilian life. I told her about some of the programs and avenues of help available, and she actually had me slow down, so she could write them down.

I urged her to give her son some understanding – what he’s going through is undoubtedly tougher than what we all experienced 30 years ago. At least back then the VA was designed to help vets, and not push them out the door into the arm of private contactors.

So, if anything interesting develops, I’ll let you know

The Vietnam Veterans National Memorial was started in the Fall of 1968 by Victor Westphall, Ph.D. to honor his son, 1LT David Westphall, USMC, who died on May 22, 1968, in an ambush that also took the lives of 12 of his men. It’s located on US Rt 64, in Angel Fire, NM, and is operated jointly by the New Mexico State Parks Department and assisted by the state Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

It’s about 4 miles south of Angel Fire, on a hillside over looking some exquisite views of the Sangre de Christo mountains. It’s a beautiful, peaceful spot, kissed by the sun, whose rays are powerful above 8,000 feet, and a sweet breeze moving through the canyon pass.

Walking from the upper parking lot you pass through the garden, which is maintained by the Angel Fire Garden Club. I was told club members are there several times a week, planting, trimming, watering. It’s a lovely quiet spot, and the faint whisper of a small fountain lends a calming effect.

The Chapel is never locked. While it was being built, Dr Westphall locked up each evening, a creature of habit. One morning when he arrived he found a note asking “Why did you lock me out when I needed to come in?” The door has remained unlocked since that day.

There is also a Visitor’s Center dedicated in 1986,with a large assortment of memorabilia, photos and displays commemorating the War That Changed America.

The theater shows a continuous loop of the 1987 film “Dear America – Letters Home From Viet Nam.” Watching then film is eerie: quick cut strips of young men in green, clowning around in base camp, posing bravely with weapons or beer cans, intermixed with dirty frightened faces on patrol, or screaming in pain, waiting for a dustoff. Film cuts of reporters, men who risked their lives daily to go out in the bush with the troops so that they could do what reporters are supposed to do: report the truth to those back home.

There are 12 chairs in the theater, not especially comfortable. But then this is not an especially comfortable topic. Every other chair contains a full box of Kleenex.

Prints and paintings cover the walls of the theater. Since this is New Mexico, the artwork has a strong Native American influence. One remarkable piece, a carved cross, is one of the most interesting pieces I’ve ever seen.

One small part of the display in the Visitor’s Center drilled a hole right through my heart. These words were written by a soldier from Ft Lewis:

I was that which others did not want to be. I went where others feared to go, and did what others failed to do.

I asked nothing from those who gave nothing and reluctantly accepted the thought of eternal loneliness….should I fail.

I have seen the face of terror; felt the stinging cold of fear and enjoyed the sweet taste of a moment’s love.

I have cried, pained, and hoped…but most of all, I have lived times others would say were best forgotten.

At least someday I will be able to say that I was proud of what I was…a soldier.

There are a few photos at Lurch’s Page

UPDATE: There are quite a few webpages regarding this memorial.

http://www.angelfirememorial.com/

http://www.vietvet.org/angelfir.htm

http://www.vietvet.org/afmemori.htm

Traveling is an interesting experience. There’s always the chance to meet strange new peoples, encounter exotic cultures, partake of unusual foods – it’s a good thing, generally. Today I’m in Central Missouri, traveling along the old Rt 66, the federal highway that took people from the jobless depression in the rust belt, westward through the dust bowl of Kansas and Oklahoma, to the Promised Land of Southern California, as delineated long after the event by John Steinbeck in the “Grapes of Wrath. That’s a day or so in my future, but I’ve already met my Tom Joad, 2006 style.

Last night, after a long day of driving, I ate at a Cracker Barrel restaurant. Let’s face it, a meat, starch, two vegetables, and a muffins or biscuits for $10.00 – it’s not a bad deal. There was a young fellow sitting outside, wearing some torn cammies, a thin sweatshirt with the faded dark “ARMY” just visible, a red ballcap, and 4 day beard. He was just sitting in one of those porch rocking chairs, sort of staring at the parking lot. (When you’re my age, just about everyone’s a ”young fellow.”

As I passed him, I looked at his face. And then his eyes. I knew those eyes. I’d seen them before, 35 years and 8,000 miles ago. Under the growth of beard I saw he had quite a scar, starting up near the hairline, behind the ear, and stretching down the side of the neck, disappearing below the neckline of the sweatshirt, ending up – somewhere.

I nodded politely and he glanced at me. Glancing at him, and a non-committal “How are ya?” He nodded back without much interest. I should have just kept on going. I know better. I’m in Bush country, after all. No vet could ever go unfed, uncared for here.

“Waiting for someone?” I asked politely. He looked at me, and then asked me if I could spare a dollar.

“When’d you eat last?” I asked him. He grunted, “Yesterday.”

Oh damn.

So we went in to eat. The chicken and rice is the Saturday special at that place and we both had a damned good meal. Corn muffins were pretty good. I gave him both of mine and hustled the waiter for two more, telling him my dog back at the motel would be thrilled.

Tommie was an 11B and did 5 years active duty on a 6 year enlistment. He’d made corporal, which I suppose is pretty good for a young guy with a high school degree and no remarkable useful skills other than a strong back and a lot of willingness. The IED wounded three other guys from his squad – he and one other were discharged for medical reasons, after a few disheartening months, first in Germany, then Walter Reed Hospital, and finally Ft Leonard Wood. Discharged with some final pay and all the papers he needed to allow him to go to a VA Hospital and get put on a line, to wait till he can be seen by them for follow-up care.

We didn’t talk too much about Iraq. That's OK. I don't like talking about my war, either. It seems we both feel about the same although Tommie admitted he was gung-ho for the war at the beginning. One of the few times I saw him smile was when he talked about believing George Bush’s lies about Saddam and 9/11. Those were his words. He said that loud enough for the older couple at the next table to look up, the man’s eyes glaring disapproval, lips downturned in a classic grimace. Tommie caught his look and look and stared at the man.

“Oh, boy,” I thought. “This is gonna be interesting.”

“What are you lookin’ at?” my friend (Oh yes! He was my friend now!) asked in a calm voice.

The old man put his head down, and we finished, I paid, we left. I felt good, for a change.

As it turns out, Missouri is kind of fortunate. There are quite a few VA hospitals and clinics, and not all of them have a 4 month waiting list. He was working his way out to the Harry Truman VA Clinic at Columbia, sort of in the middle of the state. He’d heard they didn’t turn vets away, there.

I’m kind of hoping he’s right. Mr Truman would bust a gut to hear troops were turned away at his facility.

Brian Ross and Richard Esposito are reporting today for ABC News about some new insights on the extra-constitutional NSA domestic spying operation”

A senior federal law enforcement official tells ABC News the government is tracking the phone numbers we call in an effort to root out confidential sources.

"It's time for you to get some new cell phones, quick," the source told us in an in-person conversation.

ABC News does not know how the government determined who we are calling, or whether our phone records were provided to the government as part of the recently-disclosed NSA collection of domestic phone calls.

Other sources have told us that phone calls and contacts by reporters for ABC News, along with the New York Times and the Washington Post, are being examined as part of a widespread CIA leak investigation.

Well, this is hardly surprising to those of us who have carefully watched the Bu$h malAdministration at work or the last 5 years. Bu$hCo has shown quite demonstrably just how much contempt they have for all the trappings of a democracy. So, it’s hardly astounding to finally have yet another insider whispering to reporters about their perilous position in a country hurriedly slouching along towards a Fascist dictatorship, trying desperately to stay one step ahead of Federal prosecutors and investigators.

Other sources have told us that phone calls and contacts by reporters for ABC News, along with the New York Times and the Washington Post, are being examined as part of a widespread CIA leak investigation.

One former official was asked to sign a document stating he was not a confidential source for New York Times reporter James Risen.
Our reports on the CIA's secret prisons in Romania and Poland were known to have upset CIA officials.

Of course, we speculated and warned about this here. And here.

Thanks to the hard-working Josh Marshall for the tip on this:

If that's true, then I think we can set aside any pretense that administration policy on all manner of electronic surveillance isn't being brought to bear on political opponents, media critics, the press, everybody.

I think part of the issue for many people on the administration's various forms of surveillance is not just that some of activities seem to be illegal or unconstitutional on their face. I think many people are probably willing to be open-minded, for better or worse, on pushing the constitutional envelope. But given the people in charge of the executive branch today, you just can't have any confidence that these tools will be restricted to targeting terrorists. Start grabbing up phone records to data-mine for terrorists and then the tools are just too tempting for your leak investigations. Once you do that, why not just keep an eye on your critics too? After all, they're the ones most likely to get the leaks, right? So, same difference. The folks around the president don't recognize any real distinctions among those they consider enemies.

DarkSyde makes some good observations about our broken political system, and the equally shattered “journalist” enablers:

It doesn't matter if it's apologists defending the latest incomprehensible Republican screw-up or Bush's schizophrenic immigration policy. The MO is predictably the same. Some right wing Bozo comes out on a carefully managed stage with a spiel so ridiculous that it would really be more appropriate if presented by a guy pedaling a unicycle and juggling GOP talking points to circus music in full clown regalia, while a mini-Karl Rove chatters around grinding an organ and holding out a cup. It doesn't matter if the clown falls off his unicycle over and over and drops all the talking points. Someone stage right-wing will throw him new talking points to juggle, and he'll just pretend they're the same ones he started with. It doesn't matter if the clown kills a few audience members in the process or sets the big tent on fire. None of that will be mentioned and the reviews will be rave.

Traditional media is apparently still suffering under the misunderstanding that the WH clowns and the GOP monkeys hold any allure for the ticket buying public, and the pundits will even help keep the audience distracted when plates fall and pretend that any cluster-fuck is actually all part of that great show. Few talking heads will mention that it's the same show from last week, last month, last year. Hardly a one of them will question why, almost five years after 9-11, we're just now talking seriously about controlling our borders. In fact they'll all clap furiously at the clown show because if they give the clown bad reviews, the circus might not give them back-tent access to the performers. And then they might have to actually engage in, you know, journalism and reporting.

People like Tweety Matthews, Little Timmy Russert, and George Stephanopoulis initially made their reputation as political insiders. They got very very lucky and scored big with the TV thing, and can’t be bothered actually examining issues, because the money is just too good, and they don’t want to rock the boat. A dispassionate observer who watched these shows over a period of time would be brain-dead not to have noticed that Republicans invariably get a pass, and get handed softball questions, while Progressives, Liberals, and Democrats (with the exception of Republican-made-men like Lieberman and Biden,) get dragged over the coals.

A cynical man would wonder where these enablers get the money to afford their luxurious lifestyle. They just can't get all their money just from the media employers.

Maureen Dowd would say that it would be irresponsible not to speculate aboyt Karl Rove going to prison.

Dood Abides updates the Rocky Horror Picture Show, making it topical for the New American Century. Not really work safe, so look at it at home, or something. I haven't clicked on it, but there seems to be an mp3 file attached.

It is time for a new word. 

 

Sometimes, regardless of what you may have heard, words fail me.  Sometimes I simply cannot find the correct word to express what I am feeling on a given issue.  Now is one of those times. 

 

The presidunce's approval rating is now down to 29%.  I figure that some small measure of that 29% are truly happy with Bush.  They probably have no war age children or, they would just call in a favor and their kids would not go anyway, and are quite likely extremely well off financially.  Doubtless they are even better off due to the tax cuts and blind eyes they receive from this (mis)administration in exchange for their large individual and organizational donations.  I don't know how many of those folk exist but just for the sake of argument, let's say that they represent 10%.(That is generous on my part because the percentages that are being thrown around in this case are percentages of Americans and there is no way that there are 30,000,000(thirty million) folks in the U.S. who are rich and influential enough to actually benefit from the Idiot-n-Thief's policies.)  So that would leave 19% whose continued support is nearly inexplicable.  Here is where my new word comes in.  It allows me to explicate.

 

Pathetriot – An individual who pathetically attributes blind loyalty to a national leader who is incapable, uncaring, abusive, and undeserving, to patriotism in an attempt to absolve themselves for the lack of anything laudable in their lives.

 

That 19%, or however many it really is, are clearly displaying pathetriotic behavior.  Feel free to use the word.  Attribute it or not, I know where it came from.

 

CAFKIA

[cross-posted from Meanderthal]

A reader commented on the previous story "Consequences" and to answer him properly really requires a further look at this current NSA scandal. (I say current, because it isn't the first, and probably not the last.)

In this current issue I have two different takes.

The first is that this is more than just handing over CDRs (call data records) because it has been described by insiders as “the largest database in the world.” The implication of that to me is that there are voice records (phone records) or text records (electronic/computer records) attached to the phone number dump. Let’s term the phone number list as “records” and the attached files of voice and text “recordings” for simplicity.

Why do I think the phone record dumps contain more than a CDR listing phone numbers and times calls were placed? The answer is right here.

AT&T provided National Security Agency eavesdroppers with full access to its customers' phone calls, and shunted its customers' internet traffic to data-mining equipment installed in a secret room in its San Francisco switching center, according to a former AT&T worker...

According to a statement released by Klein's attorney, an NSA agent showed up at the San Francisco switching center in 2002 to interview a management-level technician for a special job. In January 2003, Klein observed a new room being built adjacent to the room housing AT&T's #4ESS switching equipment, which is responsible for routing long distance and international calls...

"While doing my job, I learned that fiber optic cables from the secret room were tapping into the Worldnet (AT&T's internet service) circuits by splitting off a portion of the light signal," Klein wrote.

The split circuits included traffic from peering links connecting to other internet backbone providers, meaning that AT&T was also diverting traffic routed from its network to or from other domestic and international providers, according to Klein's statement.

The secret room also included data-mining equipment called a Narus STA 6400, "known to be used particularly by government intelligence agencies because of its ability to sift through large amounts of data looking for preprogrammed targets."

Now, granted, no human being, or group of humans could ever conceivably monitor or review all of this. That’s a given, but with the computer power available to NSA, there are several programs that can skim through the voice or electronic date recordings, with variable and adjustable search parameters. Remember, the Feds were doing this more than 10 years ago in a much simpler format under a program titled “Echelon.”

And, yes, we definitely want a search string available to search for “al-Quaeda” “attack,” “bombing,” “martyr” – you get the idea. Recordings containing these search results can red flag a telephone number for further, more intensive investigation, to include 24/7 real time monitoring. The image I’m seeing in that instance is from films: two cops sitting in a basement with a tape recorder. I’m OK with that, because I do not want another terrorist attack on the US, or anywhere lese for that matter5. I think all reasonable people can agree on that.

The second view is far more ominous. I write about the failings, failures, criminality and just plain incompetence I see in Bu$hCo, and the threat all of this poses to the America I grew up under – that’s the America the Founding Fathers envisioned.

Suppose we changed the search strings, looking for words like "stop Bush," "impeach Bush," or something I for one live in constant fear of, "assassinate." Politcal assasination is never a proper solution to a problem in a democracy. Such an action would tear our badly divided country asunder in a fatal division that would make the Civil War of 1860-1865 look like the Whiskey Rebellion. But I believe Mr Bush and Mr Cheney are becoming more and more paranoid in the face of ever-rising dislike and resistance to their policies. So I can envision circumstances in which they would believe in this hypothetical. After all, their automatic response to any perceived obstacle is to grab a hammer.

The use of this program for detection of strategic and tactical anti-terrorist threats is acceptable. Its perversion into a police tool to suppress political dissent is not acceptable.

So, as a hypothetical question: do you trust the George Bush, Karl Rove and Republican Party to only use this program for good?

Dropping the ball on 9/11 warnings, ignoring PDBs, fallout from Hurricane Katrina, rumors of stolen elections, Harriett Meirs, John “Anointed with Crisco” Ashcroft, Alberto “Abu” Gonzalez, torture at Gitmo, Abu Ghraib, and unnamed points east of the Oder River, thousands upon thousands of dead in a useless war in Iraq, a busted Treasury, massive tax giveaways to millionaires (and most especially to himself,) a doubling of the price of oil in the last 18 months, and now the NSA electronic wiretapping which was set up to “listen in on the bad guys” – all 200-odd million of them living inside the US…...

All these things have consequences, according to Steve Soto at The Left Coast:

With his base in disarray, the market suddenly concerned over inflation and oil prices, and another NSA scandal threatening to undermine his party heading into the 2006 midterms, it must be time to send the aircraft carriers to Iran and hope that no one notices. Except that our friend, retired Air Force Colonel Sam Gardiner, who has already run a simulated Iran war game for the Atlantic magazine back in 2004, has heard the rumblings as have others, and says the pre-positioning of assets for a June attack may have begun.

Time for another distraction, one that will once again put the swagger in Mr Bush’s haggard, timid step and a manly sock-bulge in his trousers as he resumes the mantle of “War President.”

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 - Months after the Sept. 11 attacks, President Bush secretly authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on Americans and others inside the United States to search for evidence of terrorist activity without the court-approved warrants ordinarily required for domestic spying, according to government officials.

Under a presidential order signed in 2002, the intelligence agency has monitored the international telephone calls and international e-mail messages of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people inside the United States without warrants over the past three years in an effort to track possible "dirty numbers" linked to Al Qaeda, the officials said. The agency, they said, still seeks warrants to monitor entirely domestic communications.

At the time this information became public people were shocked. There was a general consensus that wiretapping al-Quaida was a “good” thing, because, after all, “they hate our freedoms.” The general excuse given was that there was an immediacy or urgency in monitoring these communications, and that the 72 hour cushion of reaction time that the FISA law provided might not be enough time to prepare the paperwork necessary to fight the “evil-doers.”

Then, it became known that not only had Mr Bush authorized listening in to telephone and electronic communication between al-Quaida sources, but also between al-Quaida and news reporters, including Americans, and people were again shocked and a bit uncomfortable. But, of course, what is the sanctity of a reporter’s sources and the First Amendment when compared to the danger (repeated daily) of another 9/11?

Back in December, 2005 I, and others, like Jeff Huber, speculated that this was a blind; Mr Bush was interested in wiretapping every dissenting American voice that was critical of his malAdministration. Many of us felt extremely uncomfortable about this, but we were reassured that everything was fine – nothing to see here – move along, move along.

USATODAY, ummm today, in fact:

The National Security Agency has been secretly collecting the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, using data provided by AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth, people with direct knowledge of the arrangement told USA TODAY. The NSA program reaches into homes and businesses across the nation by amassing information about the calls of ordinary Americans — most of whom aren't suspected of any crime. This program does not involve the NSA listening to or recording conversations. But the spy agency is using the data to analyze calling patterns in an effort to detect terrorist activity, sources said in separate interviews.

So now we see, in classic Bu$hCo fashion that the goalposts have moved once again. First it was wiretapping al-Quaida, then a-Q and journalists, then Americans talking to people overseas, and now Americans talking to other Americans – but “only the phone call history,” implying that the words weren't really recorded ya know.

We hereby announce a contest: the reader who most closely guesses how long this latest lie will stand will win a prize - $25.00 given in your name to the progressive political movement, PAC, institution, or politician of your choice. The reader who is closest to the time and date when this latest bit of fertilizer collapses in the sunlight of whistleblowing gets the prize. No need to tell me your name. I’ll get it, along with your address, phone number, names and birthdates of yourself, your spouse, children and grandchildren from General Hayden.

Raw Story is reporting on a WaPo story indicating that Army reserve officers are being stop-lossed, just like the EM.

The Army Reserve, taxed by recruiting shortfalls and war-zone duty, has adopted a policy barring officers from leaving the service if their field is undermanned or they have not been deployed to Iraq, to Afghanistan or for homeland defense missions. The reserve has used the unpublicized policy, first adopted in 2004 and strengthened in a May 2005 memo signed by Lt. Gen. James R. Helmly, its commander, to disapprove the resignations of at least 400 reserve officers, according to Army figures.

"I don't think during a time of war you would want to let people go when you have a shortage of people," Army Reserve spokesman Steve Stromvall said when asked to comment on the memo, which surfaced during litigation over the policy. At least 10 reserve officers have sued the Army, saying they should be allowed to get out because they have finished their mandatory eight years of service.

This seems like one of those “on the one hand” and “on the other hand” stories. Reserve EM are being stop-lossed, pending activation of their units for deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan, so why not the officers too? OTOH, do we really want disaffected officers leading troops in a war zone?

Blocking reserve officers' resignations is one of several steps the Army has undertaken in recent years to keep soldiers beyond their original terms of service, as today's wars place unprecedented demands on the all-volunteer force. Under another practice, known as "stop-loss," thousands of active-duty Army and reserve soldiers have been temporarily prevented from leaving the military, either because their skills were needed or because their units were going overseas. As of January, more than 13,000 soldiers were being kept in the service under stop-loss, a policy criticized by some as a "backdoor draft," which the Army says it seeks to end.

But experts in military law say barring reserve officers from resigning is in some ways more expansive and open-ended than stop-loss. The policy applies to officers who do not fall under stop-loss.

At the heart of the controversy is whether a law stating that commissioned reserve officers are appointed "for an indefinite term and are held during the pleasure of the President" gives the government the power to force them to serve permanently -- as Army lawyers say -- or only to discharge them against their will.

Having been a relatively good boy in uniform, I’m not really too schooled in UCMJ, but I do know that officers are held to different standards than EM, and rightly so. The only disciplinary action I was ever faced with (that I’m willing to discuss publicly) was a “First Sergeant’s Article 15” for sleeping in one morning, and ditching reveille. Let me tell you: it’s a lot better getting your Art 15 from the First Sgt than from the CO. Unless corrected by Len Clevelin, or some other former JAG officer, I think a good point is made that a reserve commission can actually be for life.

Defense Department lawyers say that the federal law, including its use of the phrase "indefinite term," clearly gives the administration the authority to disapprove officer resignations. "The term 'indefinite' means what it says," they said in a filing in the Schwan case. "An indefinite term has no specific length, but is rather unlimited."

In addition, Army regulations have included broad language for several decades that could be used to restrict a reserve officer's ability to leave the service, including a 1987 rule that resignations may be accepted except during a national emergency proclaimed by the president or "other conditions which may necessitate such action."

There has been some discussion in other online magazines, including Jeff Huber’s Pen and Sword, regarding this issue. The issue can conceivably affect retirees, as well. See here. And here.

Not all Army Reserve officers fall under this policy. Those affected by it belong to the 167,000-strong force of "drilling reservists" assigned to units that train on weekends. Another category is the Individual Ready Reserve, made up of 110,000 soldiers who are not assigned to units and who are given the opportunity to resign after they complete eight years of service unless they are mobilized before then.

What really disturbs me most about this story is contained in the second paragraph of the story.

The reserve has used the unpublicized policy, first adopted in 2004 and strengthened in a May 2005 memo signed by Lt. Gen. James R. Helmly, its commander, to disapprove the resignations of at least 400 reserve officers, according to Army figures.

Unpublicized policy? Adopted 2 years ago? When I read that the first thing that came to mind was Dean Wormer’s memorable quote:

“Well, as of this moment, they're on DOUBLE SECRET PROBATION!”

Yahoo is reporting a Reuters story purporting to claim that a document published by the US military might be true, and might not be true, but this undated document says that the “Sunni Islamist guerrillas” are facing problems in Iraq.

The U.S. military published late on Monday what it said was a captured document that showed the militant group recognized it was weak and unpopular in Baghdad.

The document, an apparent review of the group's strategy in the capital where it has claimed some of postwar Iraq's bloodiest attacks, was seized with videos on April 16 near Yusufiya, just southeast of Baghdad, a U.S. statement said.

A translation of the undated, three-page document suggested al Qaeda was reviewing tactics in the city, currently focused on car bombs and other guerrilla tactics, and proposing improving its military capabilities to hold territory in any civil war.

Uhmmnmm….. yeah..,

Security experts reacted with caution and skepticism to its publication, noting a long-running public opinion battle between the United States and the Iraqi government it backs on the one side and Sunni Arab insurgents including al Qaeda on the other.

"I have a question mark to say the least," said Mustafa Alani, an Iraqi senior consultant of the Gulf Research Center based in Dubai.

"Who wrote this, we don't know."

"It is true that they (al Qaeda in Iraq) have problems but why produce such a document to highlight the problems?" he said.

"Why admit all the weaknesses in a written document?"

I just don’t know whether to laugh, cry, or go kick the dog. Last week we were treated to an alleged video of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, failing to properly operate a M249 SAW that the a-Q somehow miraculously obtained. Now, honest disclosure: I don’t know the weapon myself. I was and am familiar with that pig M-60 though, and the beloved Ma Deuce and know that this sort of weapon needs some intensive familiarization to use it properly. But, oh! The bemedalled and perfumed CENTCOM briefers did have a wonderful time ridiculing Zarqawi’s inability to clear what was apparently a jam. My, how we all did laugh. Faux News showed the video about 47,216 times over 24 hours, pointing out that this is obvious proof that a-Q is losing, and has no chance to win. Everyone please clap your hands, three times. LOUDER so Tinkerbelle will hear.

The document was mentioned in a news briefing last week at which the U.S. military also aired what it said were outtakes from a video promoting Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, al Qaeda's best known leader in Iraq, that was posted on the Internet.

A spokesman mocked the Jordanian's competence with a gun and his choice of American sports shoes, seen in the unedited film.

I did notice that the dude in the video in the black costume seemed to be able to walk perfectly, just like some guy with two perfectly good legs. This is the guy who Bu$hCo told us for three years had only one leg. I can’t understand why he had trouble handling one of the more complicated infantry weapons if he’s good enough to regenerate a leg. Can you?

So, I have no faith in this document allegedly translated by CENTCOM after they allegedly captured it along with the alleged videotape of the alleged al-Zarqawi. This comes from the guys who strain my credulity when they tell me today is Tuesday. They represent an administration that lies about everything. In a situation where a public statement must be made, and the truth will suffice quite handily, they will lie. Automatically. Reflexively. They can’t help themselves.

Let me repeat the key point:

"Why admit all the weaknesses in a written document?"

"There is a strategy to ridicule al Qaeda and Zarqawi," said Magnus Ranstorp at the Swedish National Defense College. "It could also be part of a U.S. psychological campaign."

"It is a question of isolating these forces and driving a wedge between them and the rest of the population," he added.

It’s pathetic. We started a war on false pretenses, beating up a third rate army, and have been fought to a standstill by the irregulars. Now we are reduced to trying to humiliate them with fraudulent documentation. I’ll bet George C Marshall, Dwight D Eisenhower and George Patton are rolling in their graves.

Rather surprisingly, there have been some positive changes in the way Bu$hCo mistreats our veterans. As reported by military.com:

The new Veterans Benefits Act changes many benefits for veterans. The Act changes the fees veterans must pay to participate in VA loans and extends the expiration date of existing benefits for reservists. Education benefits for survivors and dependents have increased by 13 percent. Eligible disabled veterans will see increased grants for automobiles and the necessary equipment needed to accommodate severe disabilities and increased housing grants. For a complete review, go to the Department of Veteran Affairs website, which provides a comprehensive list of benefits for military veterans and their families and stays current with pending legislation that affects benefits.

Veterans pursuing their educational goals are usually eligible for "educational assistance for students" in most states, including the District of Columbia. Educational benefits for veterans and their dependents, particularly the children of deceased and disabled veterans, are also available in some states. Military.com has developed an on-line general summary of educational benefits for veterans and their dependents. Click here to see the complete summary.

You have two steps to getting started on your education goals. The first is to find scholarships - it is never too early to begin looking for money for school. The second step is to use the Military.com "School Finder" to get free information from fully accredited "military family friendly" colleges and universities that are eager to serve the education needs of military families.

A bill which would allow veterans to hire lawyers to represent them in their efforts to obtain federal benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has been introduced by U.S. Senators Larry Craig (R-Idaho) and Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina). Under current law, all 24 million living veterans are prohibited from hiring a lawyer to help them navigate the Veterans Affairs system. It is only after a veteran has spent months and even years exhausting the extensive VA administrative process that the veteran then may retain counsel - a process that often takes 3 or more years to complete. Under the current appeals system, about 85 percent of veterans choose to be represented by Veterans' Service Organizations or state veterans agency personnel.

The current legislation authorizes a lawyer to charge no more than $10 for representation in veterans claims. That’s obviously a bad law, since you couldn’t even hire a poor-quality lawyer, such as, ohhh…say Glenn Reynolds for that kind of price. The system really left vets at a great disadvantage. I’m glad to see someone has stepped up to the plate to make the system slightly more balanced although I am incensed that there’s no Dem Senator working on this.

Vietnam Veterans of American has a good webpage devoted to how to get the best results in your claim.

The DoD has introduced a new armored suit for tests in Iraq. They are patterned on those worn by EOD specialists and provide a better protection level than the cammies the troops now wear under their Interceptor armor, which is provided by Point Blank, a Florida company owned by David H Brooks, a very generous donor to the Republican Party. These suits are quite unsatisfactory, providing limited or no protection to torso sides, and the US Marine Corps has estimated that at least 90 fatalities could have been avoided if the troops were protected by better armor, such as Pinnacle’s Dragon Skin, which is considered the ‘Rolls Royce’ of body armor, and is only available for general officers.

On the plus side, the armor suits contain a water layer, which is designed to provide a cooling effect. On the minus side, the damned water cooling system doesn’t work well. Ah well, new equipment, beta testing and all that. I’m sure Bu$hCo would have teething problems if they introduced the Mark IV battle axe. They never seem to get anything right the first time, unless it’s sticking their hands into someone else’s wallet.

The protective suit, based on those worn by bomb disposal officers, was intended to cut spiraling casualties for one of the most dangerous jobs in modern warfare. But some troops have complained that the armour and headgear is inelegant. Others say the water-cooling system, designed for the soaring temperatures of an Iraqi summer, regularly breaks down. Nonetheless, the suits being tested in combat by US military police units in northern Iraq have produced good results. Capt Larry Bergeron told the military newspaper Stars and Stripes that the armour was credited with saving the lives of three men sprayed with shrapnel from roadside bombs. "One soldier's visor stopped a piece of shrapnel that hit dead centre," he said. "If he had not had that suit on, the effects could have been catastrophic."

I can’t disagree with the fact that a piece of shrapnel in the face is catastrophic, and the clear plastic shield is likely to save the Veterans Administration a lot of money downstream, caring for yet another soldier maimed for life.

Gunners on Humvees have high casualty rates. While newly-installed armour protects those inside, the gunner stands with the upper half of his body exposed, making him far more vulnerable to roadside bombs and gunfire. Others have been crushed as vehicles overturn. But Specialist Michael Floyd, 19, said: "I am not a big fan of this thing. It is really hot and hard to move around in. I do feel safer, but only in an explosion. I would not feel safer in a rollover or in small-arms fire." Critics say the heavy suits also restrict movement during combat.

Suck it, up, Floyd. At least they’re doing something three years into Mr Bush’s most excellent imperial adventure.

The suits are currently being tested by some MP units in the North where there is a very serious rejection problem with the locals, who seem to feel they were better off before we arrived to steal their oil depose Saddam liberate them.

Follow the first link to the newspaper article if you want to see these suits. Yeah, they look goofy and I’m sure they’re cumbersome in the dismount. But HMMV gunners aren’t supposed to be dismounts unless you have to unass because your unit's on fire. But I’ll bet if they save your life you’d change your opinion.

The Bu$h maladministration has three more years to run (technically.) Yet, in the eyes of many on the left and center, and for quite a few moderates on the right, it’s basically over. Beset by high prices in energy, which in turn will drive other consumer prices higher, stagnant wages (actually, expressed in constant dollars of 2000, there is a negative wage growth for the middle class and poor,) George Bush can only point at one domestic success: he managed to lower his own taxes. And I’m sure that if one could examine the deep, dark, spiderweb-encrusted inner recesses of his mind one would discover that was all he cared about, anyway.

Conservatives like to brag about their financial acumen, about how they favor small government, market-driven economies, low taxes and of course, the famous global marketplace. George Bush, “their guy” has increased the size of the US Government by about 20% and can take credit for such erosion of civil rights, and trashing of the Constitution, that many true conservatives look askance at what has been done to the country. The global marketplace has driven down wages in a horrendous spiral; China has become the manufacturing center for the US, and now holds over 25% of our national debt. Things will continue in this vein until we do something the Chinese don’t like, and then they’ll cut off our allowance, bringing on the crash. We do have low taxes, however – for the wealthy. But that advantage for less than 1% of America comes at the cost of a terrible degradation of lifestyle for the other 99%. Things like railroads, highways, bridges don’t work right anymore, and aren’t getting fixed. But George Bush managed to get the estate Tax killed which means he’ll become wealthier when his daddy dies.

And then there’s the “right war” – Afghanistan, which Mr Bush ignored in order to pursue the “wrong war” – Iraq.

Conservatives – real conservatives, not the bug-eyed, drooling sex police of the Evangelical right – are not happy. They’ve probably not been happy for quite some time, but something, party loyalty, or fear of reprisal, a growing realization of the looming catastrophe, has spurred them to start speaking out.

Crooks & Liars points us to a winger radio talk host, Doug McIntyre at KABC-AM in Los Angeles, who’s tolling the bell on his mistake.

There’s nothing harder in public life than admitting you’re wrong. By the way, admitting you’re wrong can be even tougher in private life. If you don’t believe me, just ask Bill Clinton or Charlie Sheen. But when you go out on the limb in public, it’s out there where everyone can see it, or in my case, hear it. So, I’m saying today, I was wrong to have voted for George W. Bush. In historic terms, I believe George W. Bush is the worst two-term President in the history of the country. Worse than Grant. I also believe a case can be made that he’s the worst President, period. In 2000, I was a McCain guy. I wasn’t sure about the Texas Governor. He had name recognition and a lot of money behind him, but other than that? What? Still, I was sick of all the Clinton shenanigans and the thought of President Gore was… unthinkable. So, GWB became my guy. For the first few months he was just flubbing along like most new Presidents, no great shakes, but no disasters either. He cut taxes and I like tax cuts.

And then 9/11 happened.

And we did for the blink of an eye. I believed the President when he said we were going to hunt down Bin Laden and all those responsible for the 9-11 murders. I believed President Bush when he said we would go after the terrorists and the nations that harbored them. I supported the President when he sent our troops into Afghanistan, after all, that’s where the Taliban was, that’s where al-Qaida trained the killers, that’s where Bin Laden was. And I cheered when we quickly toppled the Taliban government, but winced when we let Bin Laden escape from Tora-Bora. Then, the talk turned to Iraq and I winced again.

Doug, if you didn’t like the idea, where were you when millions of people all around the world adamantly protested? Did you match in protest? No. Did you write your Congress sockpuppets to complain? Of course you didn’t.

But in the months and years since shock and awe I have been shocked repeatedly by a consistent litany of excuses, alibis, double-talk, inaccuracies, bogus predictions, and flat out lies. I have watched as the President and his administration changed the goals, redefined the reasons for going into Iraq, and fumbled the good will of the world and the focus necessary to catch the real killers of September 11th. [em added] I have watched the President say the commanders on the ground will make the battlefield decisions, and the war won’t be run from Washington. Yet, politics has consistently determined what the troops can and can’t do on the ground and any commander who did not go along with the administration was sacked, and in some cases, maligned.

After five years of carefully watching George W. Bush I’ve reached the conclusion he’s either grossly incompetent, or a hand puppet for a gaggle of detached theorists with their own private view of how the world works. Or both.

No, Doug, he’s just a incredibly malformed human with no sense of commitment or loyalty to anyone but himself.

Presidential failures. James Buchanan, Franklin Pierce, Jimmy Carter, Warren Harding-— the competition is fierce for the worst of the worst. Still, the damage this President has done is enormous. It will take decades to undo, and that’s assuming we do everything right from now on. His mistakes have global implications, while the other failed Presidents mostly authored domestic embarrassments.

Gee, Doug, those of us who breathe oxygen, over here on the left, have been saying this for five years, while you were happily touting the winger party line. You’re late to the game.

Katrina, Harriet Myers, The Dubai Port Deal, skyrocketing gas prices, shrinking wages for working people, staggering debt, astronomical foreign debt, outsourcing, open borders, contempt for the opinion of the American people, the war on science, media manipulation, faith based initiatives, a cavalier attitude toward fundamental freedoms-- this President has run the most arrogant and out-of-touch administration in my lifetime, perhaps, in any American’s lifetime.

A winger grows up, and joins the adults.

Digby has an article about the rampant evangelization of the Air Force:

The Air Force is investigating whether a two-star general violated military regulations by urging fellow Air Force Academy graduates to make campaign contributions to a Republican candidate for Congress in Colorado, Pentagon officials said yesterday.

Maj. Gen. Jack J. Catton Jr., who is on active duty at Langley Air Force Base, sent the fundraising appeal on Thursday from his official e-mail account to more than 200 fellow members of the academy's class of 1976, many of whom are also on active duty.

"We are certainly in need of Christian men with integrity and military experience in Congress," Catton wrote.

Defense Department rules prohibit active-duty officers from using their position to solicit campaign contributions or seek votes for a particular candidate. An Air Force spokesman said yesterday that "appropriate officials are inquiring into the facts surrounding these e-mails."

[ed: This article originated in the Washington Post. If you want to read it, you’ll have to go find it, because I will not link to the WaPo until Fred Hiatt resigns in disgrace for his efforts to turn this once great paper into the print propaganda arm of the Republican Party.]

"The lack of any Air Force presence within the Congress was particularly telling over the last few years," Rayburn wrote, referring to controversy over proselytizing at the Air Force Academy and new Air Force regulations on religious expression. "For those of us who are Christians, there is that whole other side of the coin that recognizes that we need more Christian influence in Congress."

Digby:

Something has gone terribly wrong with the Air Force. This stuff keeps coming up over and over again. It's apparently turned into a Christian Right organization openly affiliated with the Republican party --- probably affiliated with Focus on the Family which is located in Colorado Springs as is the Air Force Academy.

It's quite clear that the highest reaches of the Air Force simply do not understand that they cannot inflict their religious and political views on others. Their allegiance is to the constitution and the office of the president, not to a political party or their church. If they can't understand that they need to find another line of work. This is ridiculous.

A commenter points to an incisive article in the Austin Chronicle that discusses the entire Evangelical movement within the Air Force. It’s well worth a read if your preference is for having more than half the nation’s nuclear arsenal not controlled by people with a philosophical investment in bringing on the Rapture. Basically, it seems to me, that just because they believe the Second Coming is past due is no reason for the rest of us to allow them to bring on the end times.

The last thought I have about all of this is that if the people of America one day decide they have had enough of a corrupt totalitarian malAdministration, and take to the streets in massive protests, and Bu$hCo deemed these peaceful protests a “revolt,” the Army and its associated Reserve and National Guard units would quite likely refuse to fire on them. I think they’ve had just about a full plate of Bu$hCo’s dreams of overseas empire.

Ah, but the zoomies now….. I wonder how they’d feel about attacking unarmed American citizens on the ground, especially if it was presented to them as “libruls” and “Demoncrats” trying to “undo God’s work.”

There has been a lot of discussion over the last six months about blogs, their identity as a form of communication, and their place within the entire spectrum of what is commonly termed ‘journalism’ in the US. Many of us, of course are quite familiar with blogs, their purpose and output and possibly, even with their effect upon the journalism industry.

There are numerous types of blogs, but for my purposes I want to duscuss those with specific political content. That simplifies the matter for us. There are blogs on the left side of blogtopia and those on the right. (y!sctp) Each has some things in common and some dissimilarities.

While generalizations are always suspect, right blogs tend to follow the pattern of 21st century fascism, which now masquerades as ‘conservatism’ or the ‘Republican Party.’ They preach, instruct, distribute talking points and frames of reference. There are no comments, so there is no way for readers to respond, to communicate back to the writer. Strictly top-down. Shakespeare’s Sister examines this while discussing the impact of the ‘Fox effect’ on the American political and news industries. The American news industry, by the way, is not news, but more properly ‘infotainment’ and a topic for another day.

On the left side we generally find a more open and free-wheeling type of commentariat. The blogger may press a particular point, but the very fact of enabling comments assures that the article is debatable, and can be disputed. Many social scientists believe that two-way communication enables discussion, change, and improvement because history has shown there’s always someone out there with an idea to make a better mousetrap.

These differences in blog style easily show the differences between the two contending political philosophies in the US today.

Many blogs with specific political content also have a strong concentration of news content, and have become a major point of contention within the ‘journalism’ industry today. Members of that industry, who tend to think of themselves as ‘reporters’ or ‘journalists’ and ‘analysts’ are under the age of 40 and are the products of an American education system that has been seriously eroded over the past half century. Many tend to be quite ignorant of history in general and American history in particular. They have no firm grasp of the essentials of political and philosophical thought, and thus sadly are unable to detect the lies and deceptions so many American politicians seem to prefer. If you read left side blogs you’re undoubtedly aware of the actions and omissions of the American news industry in general. Corporate ownership has generated a drive for profit rather than truth and accuracy and life in America has suffered accordingly.

Thingamabob, writing at Daily Kos on May 5th, observed:

So much of the Bush Administration's vaunted political capital seems to have been spent trying to put lipstick on a pig, as they say, that we all seem to have missed a crucial evolution of how the media and White House conspire to manipulate contemporary culture. I used the "c" word (conspire) because there is no logical understanding of what has happened in this country in the past five plus years that does not involve the notion of the media and current White House working together, whether according to a plan or merely a set of common goals. ………….

Think about the news the last few days alone:
* Rumsfeld grilled about his lies, but it's the ulterior motives of his critics which is questioned;
* Rep. Kennedy scratches his car and the MSM stops the presses to investigate this serious breach;
* Goss resigns, no explanation offered, after only two years on the job, and CNN goes to great length to describe his role of "returning professionalism" to the CIA;
* Dick Cheney waxes philosophical about Russia's suppression of freedom while at the same time holding several prisoner's heads under water with his other hand, and the media sees no irony or hypocrisy; and
* Colbert points a finger at Bush and the media, so the media... pretends he doesn't exist.

The coincidence of Bu$hCo propaganda and the eagerness of our print and electronic industries to abet these leis has been remarked upon on the left. Loudly, repeatedly, pointedly, and to some extent uselessly, because rather than observe and apply some introspection, the media has instead reacted shrilly, obediently following the hatred and spew generated on the right. At some point a rational observer must choose between stupidity and outright servile connivance.

The media, most especially the delicate, cosseted hothouse flowers inside the Beltway seem unable to conceive of the fact that the rest of America, that 99.9% of people living outside the power centers of Washington and New York, despise them for their elitism, arrogance, and perceived utter cluelessness about the cancerous rot destroying American society from the inside.

The resignation of Porter Goss is presently being spun by the media as a positive thing. As thimgamabob observes:

So, today, CNN cast Goss as someone bringing "professionalism and stability" back to the CIA. What is the evidence that it was missing? The leaks which suggested that the White House was cherry-picking it's use of intelligence? Perhaps it was the fact that it was allowed to happen in the first place. Heavens! We wouldn't want to have to consider that possibility... ever. Goss resigned suddenly without explanation. That couldn't be significant, could it? Bush accepted his resignation, all the while refusing to accept the resignation of others, and so soon after putting Goss in that position in the first place. That couldn't be significant, now, could it? Meanwhile, CNN finds it impossible to ask the most obvious follow-up to the Rumsfeld incident--how many CIA personnel know that Rumsfeld has been lying, and given that fact, why is he still here??!

Meanwhile, the media, while so carelessly and clumsily fumbling the ball on what should be their primary function, protecting the American democracy, view blogs as a great danger, something to be ruthlessly controlled. Well, in a sense they’re right, because blogs, especially those on the left, are quick to call them on their bullshit.

The twin concepts of faux professionalism and subconscious fear and resentment over being painted in the daylight is their motivation here. If “citizen journalists” can be part of the “new media” what will they do? How will they justify themselves and protect their privileged positions, eagerly gobbling up scraps tossed to them from the dining tables of the powerful?
Media “news” as it exists today must either evolve into something more honest and useful or it will join the dinosaurs.

Cup O Joe has some thoughts about emotional and political maturity:

The GOP and it's supporters operate like seven-year-old bullies in a schoolyard on every conceivable issue, whether it's something trivial, like the Congressional Softball League, or something as important as going to war. And that's what seems to be going on in Iraq: here was this wonderful new toy they can send the military out to get for them, but now that it hasn't worked out as well as they want, they want to just wreck it and throw it in the trash.

………..

Bush and Cheney and Rove and Rumsfeld, children pretending to be adults, didn't get where they are by themselves: they have he support of millions of other little boys who either think they're big men or want to pretend they are. Me like car. Me like beat up brown people. Me hate fags. Well guess what, boys: the party's over. Especially when it comes to gas. You did everything you could do prevent us from finding ways for us to either make better use of what we have or to find some other form of energy, and now you're gonna pay the price. Gas is nearly three times as expensive as it was when Junior took over, and not only is it never, ever going to get that low again, it'll probably be twice what it is now by 2008. It doesn't matter how many brown people you kill, either. Or how many countries you invade. Or how much you try to pump yourself up.

The news of the day yesterday undoubtedly was the resignation of Porter Goss as Director, CIA. Mr Goss submitted his resignation to Mr Bush yesterday in what is viewed as a surprise. Frequently in personnel changes like this there are rumors beforehand, artfully leaked by those with an interest in the change. During the last 6 years those rumors that were leaked by selected representatives of the Bush malAdministration were released with a calculated political purpose in mind. Our “CEO President” does little work himself, but maintains an iron hand of control on information through selected designatees.

If this resignation is being viewed as a surprise, the fault lies with our corrupted and broken news industry. The clues were plainly present, and the surprise is entirely due to the reluctance of the print and electronic media to tell the truth about Bu$hCo. Mr Goss is eyeball-deep in what has been named “hookergate,” the sub-scandal that has developed from the Randy Cunningham conviction. This particular little story has Congressmen, lobbyists, defense contractors, prostitutes, the Watergate hotel and the Westin Grand hotel, and a unusual limousine company that is not permitted to pick up riders in certain jurisdictions. You won’t find better coverage of all this than that provided at Josh Marshall’s TPM Muckraker website. Justin Rood has been doing an excellent job on this story for weeks. As a side note, Kyle “Dusty” Foggo, whom Mr Goss took on board as Executive Director, CIA, was a long term running buddy of Mr Goss and is currently being studied in multiple investigations by the CIA Inspector General and at least two other Federal agencies for his role in hookergate and two other matters. Look for his resignation next week.

The departure of Porter Goss closes a page at CIA. Mr Bush brought him from Congress to the CIA to effect a sea change. An actual CIA field operative before his entry into Congress, Mr Goss was a most unusual Bush appointee: someone who actually had some degree of experience and skill at the position he was placed into. But Mr Goss was not designated as Director in order to update the Agency, or to increase its level of professionalism. His job was to drive out, or to minimize the small legion of long-term operators, analysts and coordinators who had experience and replace them with political appointees, thereby achieving the two objectives most desired by Mr Bush: unquestioned political control of the operational and intelligence departments, (and thereby unquestioned control of the product,) and minimization of CIA’s effect in the overall intelligence community.

Josh Marshall excerpts a key paragraph from an informative LA Times article:

Four former deputy directors of operations once tried to offer Goss advice about changing the clandestine service without setting off a rebellion, but Goss declined to speak to any of them, said former CIA officials who are aware of the communications. The perception that Goss was conducting a partisan witch hunt grew, too, as staffers asked about the party affiliation of officers who sent in cables or analyses on Iraq that contradicted the Defense Department's more optimistic scenarios.

The fact that CIA’s workload in the intelligence matters of the US has been curtailed in favor of increased effort by the Defense Department should be a strong clue that Mr Bush (and Mr Cheney and Mr Rumsfeld) plan many more wars over the next two decades. And why not? Iraq has worked out so well, after all. We can also look forward to more ad hoc “study groups” established by the National Security Committee and Mr Cheney’s Office of Special Plans, as cherry-picked and outright fraudulent “intelligence” is created to justify Mr Bush’s desire for overseas empire.

Disgusted by the Goss changes, twelve senior executives at CIA have either been forced out, or have chosen resignation and early retirement. The US has lost more than 350 years of accumulated experience in the field, to be replaced by political appointees and bobblehead yes-men. And why not? The plan worked so well in FEMA, didn’t it?

Hey, just got an email from our buddy Leonard Clark out in Arizona and he's getting with the program.

Hello Mr. Fish, I'm writing to give you a campaign update from Arizona. This Saturday (May 6th, 2006) is going to be a big day. That day, the State democratic party meeting is going to be held. This meeting will be held at the Pheonix Wyndham hotel. The main meeting will probably not start until late morning but there will be activities held before then. Progressive Democrats of America will be hosting an immigration panel which is open to the public. Some well known communities members will probably be there such as Ben Miranda.

People do not have to be members to attend the meeting. There will be much useful information there. Candidates are not supposed to speak to the whole audience at once but rather will be allowed to man tables at the meeting to meet people. I have contacted the state Democratic party and we will see if they are cooperative (because we know whom they are favoring in the U.S. Senate race. But, one word of caution many people who work in the party at lower levels support our grassroots campaign to win the U.S. Senate for the Clark campaign.)

I'm hoping any of our supporters who are in attendance will help us man our campaign booth because you know that the other guy's 2 million dollars is going to buy him lots of support. I will try to keep you updated on what's going on. By the way, if you or any of your friends can attend this meeting it will be very helpful. I will be there.

For any Arizonians (is that right?), if you're interested in meeting and greeting Leonard please drop by and report back.

Is it a long shot? Yeah, but this may be the year of the Long Shot. No kidding. I suspect that piles o'lobbyist/special interest cash won't be enough (it might even be a detriment if played right) to keep some incumbents in office.

Pass this on, I am.

cross-posted at Democratic Veteran

Steve Silver posted a diary entry yesterday at the Daily Kos relating a speech by Juval Aviv he attended several weeks ago in Tampa:

His basic premise was that there will be another attack soon -- most likely in the form of simultaneous bus/car/truck bombs in different cities -- and that America was not at all prepared for it.

Other things he stated:

-- There will probably not be another plane hijacking -- not because of increased airport security, which he called a "joke" -- but due to the fact that passengers would not allow hijackers to take control of the plane as they did on 9.11.

-- Airport security in the U.S. is more for making Americans feel better -- "window dressing", as he called it -- rather than providing real secruity, as the screeners are poorly paid and poorly trained.

-- Suspicious items, such as packages or suitcases left alone in crowded areas, are not dealt with immediately, if at all.

-- The U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq had created a whole new generation of terrorists, and were doing more harm than good in fighting terrorism. He gave an example of of the murder of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics, when he was a Massad security agent at the time. There was pressure to respond with a military attack, but he and others were able to convince them that there was a better approach. They lauched a covert operation to infiltrate the terrorist network, which eventually led to several arrests of the ones responsible for the original attack. It took several years, but it was fruitful, and did not involve the killing of innocent civilians -- which invariably creates new generations of terrorists -- as a military strike did.

He has told senior ranking officials in Homeland Security and other agencies of his recommendations in various high-level meetings, and he has been continually rebuffed. Fox News even asked him to "tone it down" when appearing on the network for interviews.

Well, we’ve known for years that Mr Bush is all about symbolism – form rather than function – the appearance of competence while concentrating solely on centralizing as much political power as possible in his own two grubby hands.

What I don’t understand is how this next round of attacks will be logically blamed on the Democrats and the media? I realize the use of the word “logic” would seem to be counterintuitive, but in fact Bu$hCo is very focused on the primary objective: a new dictatorship.

I'm sure this has been all around the internets, but I just heard it this morning, and decided to pass it around.

George W. Bush and a secret service agent are taking a stroll when
they come upon a little girl carrying a basket with a blanket over it.

Curious, Bush asks the girl, "What's in the basket?"

She replies, "New baby kittens," and she opens the basket to show him. "How nice," says Bush.

"What kind are they?" The little girl says, "Republicans." Bush
smiles, pats the little girl on the head and continues on.

Three weeks later, Bush is taking another stroll, this time with Karl
Rove.

They see the little girl again with the same basket. Bush
says, "Watch this, Karl; it's really cute."

They approach the little girl. He greets the little girl and
says "How are the kittens doing?" and "she says, "Fine." Then, smirking, he nudges Rove with his elbow and asks the little girl,

"And can you tell us what kind of kittens they are?" She replies, "Democrats."

Abashed, Bush says, "But three weeks ago you said they were Republicans!"

"I know," she says. "But now their eyes are open..."

The Veterans' Report has published a brief article indicating that the House of Representatives [!!!!!] has done something good for Vets.

A House panel has voted to block for at least two years any increases in TRICARE beneficiary cost-shares. It's the first formal step by Congress to derail the Bush administration's plan to raise fees, co-payments and deductibles for military retirees under age 65 and their families. Additionally, a January 2007 pay raise of 2.7 percent for Reserve and National Guard personnel was approved, as was a plan for an additional "targeted" raise for warrant officers and some senior enlisted. The complete article can be seen at Military.com

What's the catch?

Another US General has apparently decided honor, world peace, and honesty is more important than serving Bu$hCo. Via The Agonist we learn that LTG Victor Renuart, Director of Planning for the Joint Chiefs has been interviewed by the UK’s Daily Telegraph.

"Any action militarily is very complicated," Lt Gen Victor Renuart, the director of planning for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told The Daily Telegraph.

"And any action by any country will have second-order effects, and that is a strong case to continue the diplomatic process and make it work."

His comments are a rare public statement from the US military on what is the most contentious international issue of the day.

Initial reaction to LTG Renuart’s statement will most likely be positive. Most sane people understand that Iran does not have a nuclear capability, will not have a true capability for as much as 10 years, and is therefore not a true threat. A strong argument can be made that an Iran that has been attacked, and incensed, would wield a weapon far more lethal to the US and Western Europe than a nuclear arsenal. It could close the Straits of Hormuz.

While the White House insists that military action would be a last resort, hawks warn that diplomatic negotiations at the UN could be drawn out for months if not years, all the while allowing Iran to get closer to having a nuclear bomb.

John Bolton, America's hawkish ambassador to the UN, said America wanted a new resolution with Chapter Seven powers that would mandate Iran to comply with its demands to cease all enrichment activity.

"We would give them a short period to consider. Then we would consider sanctions."

However, Colonel Sam Gardiner, a retired USAF officer who has taught at three of the country’s most prestigious war colleges, and was a much-sought-after military analyst during Mr Bush’s illegal war on Iraq has warned that the Pentagon is fully in propaganda mode at all times, having taken the “framing issue” to heart in the information war.

As Gardiner further analyzed the coverage in the early days of the invasion, he saw what he believed was a pattern of misinformation being fed to the press. There was the report, carried by The Associated Press, CNN, and The New York Times, among many other news outlets, that Iraq was seeking uniforms worn by U.S. and British troops (“identical down to the last detail”) so that atrocities carried out on Iraqis by Saddam’s Fedayeen could be blamed on the coalition. There was the claim that prisoners of war had been executed by their Iraqi captors, and there was the announced surrender of Iraq’s entire Fifty-first Division. Government officials eventually eased off the POW assertion, and the story of the uniforms was never corroborated and soon disappeared. As for the Fifty-first Division, on March 21 a cascade of news stories, citing anonymous British and American military officials, reported its mass surrender. “Hordes of Iraqi soldiers, underfed and overwhelmed, surrendered Friday in the face of a state-of-the-art allied assault,” the AP reported. “An entire division gave itself up to the advancing allied forces, U.S. military officials said.” Unnamed “officials in Washington” told The Washington Post that the division had been taken “out of the fight for Basra.” Days later, however, coalition troops were still clashing with units of the Fifty-first there. And two days after it was reported that General Khaled Saleh al-Hashimi and the 8,000 men under his command had surrendered, the general was interviewed in Basra by Al Jazeera. “I am with my men . . . . We continue to defend the people and riches” of this city, he told the network. Was this the fog of war or was something else at play?

Gardiner eventually concluded that the flow of misinformation to the press was no accident. It was a well-coordinated campaign, intended not only to confound Iraqi combatants but to shape perceptions of the war back home.

Throughout the summer of 2003, Gardiner documented incidents that he saw as information-warfare campaigns directed both at targeted foreign populations and the American public. By the fall, he had collected his analysis into a lengthy treatise, called “Truth from These Podia,” which concluded that “the war was handled like a political campaign,” in which the emphasis was not on the truth but on the message.

As his paper circulated among government and military officials that fall, Gardiner says he received a call at home one night from a spokesman for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He told Gardiner that his conclusions were on target. “But I want you to know,” the spokesman added, “that it was civilians who did this.” [em added]

So, it would be wise to judge any adverse commentary from active duty general officers with an open mind. While our sensibilities and logic tell us that the anticipated strike against a non-nuclear-armed Iran would have catastrophic consequences for the Middle East, the world economy and the US in particular, it’s wise to bear in mind that Mr Cheney has opened a new study group – one focused on Iran. They will once again be inventing and cherry-picking “intelligence” to prove that Iran will have 50 skazillion megaton bombs and ICBMs sometime within the next three months and somehow or other they must be stopped because the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is the Hitler of 2006!!!!!!!!!!!

The only clue might be if LTG Renuart is attacked publicly, or offers a resignation. If he stays in, this is just more disinformation. Publication in the UK Telegraph would indicate the propaganda is aimed at Western Europe, because we all know the US media pay scant attention to what happens outside the US, unless there’s a pretty white girl missing somewhere.

Last night’s Nelson Report (subscription only) reported that:

Sources say that Undersecretary of State Nick Burns, an experienced diplomat, managed to keep a straight face while informing his German counterpart that “we will not reward Iran for bad behavior”. Other sources say Burns has been fighting an apparently losing battle with Undersecretary for non-proliferation Bob Joseph on a variety of issues, and that Vice President Cheney’s office seems to be sponsoring the hiring of exceptionally large numbers of political appointees, not career FSO’s, to staff the to-be-created Iran democracy projects to be run out of State.

The plan is to basically imitate the hysterical rush to war that we saw in regards to Iraq, coupled with the always-successful litany of lies enabled by our corrupt and ethically-bankrupt print and electronic media. Once again, many Americans will die to protect ExxonMobil’s and Cononco’s oil profits, as well as Halliburton’s world view.

Again.

Seven of Six guest posts at Low and Left:

In an unprecedented move to show their gratitude to those who have served their country honorably,

Lt. Gen. Terry Scott (U.S. Army, ret.), who is Chairman of the Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission (VDBC), wants to study vets who get Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) as well as VA compensation. The goal is an offset (reduction) in payments to veterans. The VDBC's charter doesn't allow this, so, in an unconstitutional move, he asked Congress to interpret their own law, to give him permission to do this. And, unbelievably, he's got that permission. Veterans...it's time to get angry.

Go there. Read the rest. Get active. Please.