A Chilling Prospect

Another item regarding the dire plight of Pakistani/Kashmiri earthquake survivors.

The Independent is reporting that 'at least 500,000' Pakistani earthquake survivors are without any shelter against the Himalayan winter just 'days away.'

From The Independent:

[snip]...Aid workers are scrambling to get tents to survivors in high mountain areas where snow may arrive any day, but the international relief effort is failing.

The problem is a severe lack of funds. Relief agencies warn that if they do not get adequate shelters to survivors before snow falls, thousands will die.

A desperate plea made to The Independent on Sunday, from a village in the mountains above the Karakoram Highway in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province, illustrated the scale of the crisis.

"Please tell the British government to help us. Please tell anyone," Mohammed Idris said by telephone. "We have no tents and it is so cold at night. If we do not have tents soon the children will die."

Mr Idris said he was one of 4,000 villagers in Rajmerra with only 20 tents between them. On some nights, he added, temperatures already dip below freezing and water turns to ice. On other nights survivors are pelted with torrential rain, have nothing to sleep under and sit awake all night, shivering...[/snip]

Sobering.

Continuing..:

[snip]...Of an estimated three million people made homeless by the earthquake, only 10,000 are in official relief camps. Most remain in their often remote mountain villages, where aid is still struggling to get through. The charity World Vision last week said around 250,000 survivors had received no aid at all.

Aid agencies say they are doing what they can but governments have not put up enough money. The United Nations has received only $133m (£76m) towards an emergency appeal for $550m. It urgently needs $42m just to keep the current aid effort going.

Pakistan says that out of the $2bn pledged by foreign governments, it has received only $9.5m. The charity Oxfam says Britain has contributed only 24 per cent of what it says would be its "fair share", based on the size of its economy...[/snip]

The article goes on to discuss areas of light snowfall, where there is only four feet(!) of snow on the ground in winter, to places where the snows pile to over 10 feet(!). Even in the 'light areas' that's plenty to kill anyone inadequately protected. I've only given you a bit into the situation there. Read the article. Help if you can. I don't know which reputable NGOs are on the ground, but Reuters AlertNet has a menu searchable by various criteria.

Free Fall

The numbers speak for themselves.

You have to adore the headline: "Autumn of Discontent"

If this is Bush's 'Autumn,' what will the turning of the season bring?

It may yield to: "Winter of Conviction(s)"

How about: "Absolute Zero?"

I'm really reaching here ;)

Hard to add anything, really.

Off By An Order Of Magnitude

Some might consider these a minor point - and they may well be - but the Boston Herald online edition misrepresented the age of our newest crocodilian darling, Dakosaurus andiniensis.

Yikes! Godzilla was Jurassic park player
By Dawn Witlin

No need to sound the alarm in Tokyo, this fearsome reptile has been extinct for billions of years.

Billions of years? I know my fellow Americans have issues with accuracy in many areas - I am not excluding myself - but how did this ever make by an editor?

The Jurassic period lasted from approximately 206 to 144 million years ago. D. andiniensis has been reported by the journal Nature to have lived approximately 135 million years ago.(sorry no link, but New Scientist has the goods)

In Ms. Witlin's defense, Jurassic Park featured dinosaurs from the three periods making up the Mesozoic era. The Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic periods were all represented by species in the book(Michael Crichton knows better!)

(I guess 'Mesozoic Park' just doesn't have the same impact. Marketers, Sheesh!)

Then there is the issue that Jurassic Park dealt with dinosaurs. Our new friend is a crocodyliform(crocodilian form), not a dinosaur.

Lastly, there is the use of the word 'billions.' Given the above data, you can see how badly this'll play out with anyone with a very general knowledge of the Earth's age, and the complexity of life forms that inhabited it in the early days of our blue sphere(think single-celled organisms)

The lesson here is simple. The media often gets the story wrong. In this case, egregiously so..Caveat lector

Additional: Being the utter bastard that I am, I notified The Herald of the miscues :)

Would You PLEASE Tell Me Where To Go?

The aftermath of the Pakistan/Kashmir quake continues. According to this report in the Daily Times, survivors were 'baton-charged' by police essentially because the camp in which they were staying has inadequate sanitation facilities. They were told to leave, and they had the nerve to protest.

[snip]...A number of the demonstrators were arrested as they marched through the centre of the regional capital Muzaffarabad, said Shahid Hassan, Azad Kashmir police chief.

"They were ordered to leave the temporary camp because it was set up in the middle of the city and it did not have any proper sanitation or waste disposal facilities," Hassan said.

Pakistan’s President Musharraf visited the camp at Jalalabad Park, close to the banks of the River Neelum, one week ago when he came to Muzaffarabad for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr.

The protest comes as aid officials struggle to contain an outbreak of acute diarrhoea at Muzaffarabad’s main tent camp — in the sports ground of the city’s university — and a number of other spontaneous settlements. “We were shifting them to a proper camp with better living conditions but they did not agree,” police chief Hassan added. "Around 250 people protested, and police, in order to disperse them, used a mild baton charge. They arrested a few people and dispersed the rest of the crowd," he added.

They were stopped because they were heading towards a "sensitive area" where a US military hospital for quake victims was located, said Tahir Qureshi, the deputy police chief...[/snip]

(more at link)

Now, don't get me wrong. I think that the police were entirely justified in trying to stop outbreaks of disease from occurring, and that something needed to be done. However, if you read on, you'll find that all is not well.

Quick digression.

I'll bet those in the "sensitive area" have adequate sanitation facilities. Why put the reason for stopping the protestors near the end of the article? One can only guess. Propaganda is a good bet. Maybe theirs, maybe ours.

From another source, Reuters AlertNet, we find this:

[snip]..."We go in the open air," 12-year-old Rafit giggled, obviously embarrassed by the question, as his cousin Umcad, laughed out loud. "We don't use the toilets over there - it's too far," he complained, referring to the basic amenities on offer at the Dawa tented camp in Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir and home to over 1,000 quake victims.

In fact, both boys concede going outside was simply an easier option. "It's a problem for ladies, but not for us," they bragged.

But for aid workers, health officials and UN agencies on the ground, the problem is huge.

"We need to build about 200,000 toilets," Andrew MacLeod, head of the UN Emergency Coordination Centre, told IRIN in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.

"We have to aim for something like that - but that goal is a long way off," Larry Robertson, project officer and chief of water and environmental sanitation for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), said in Muzaffarabad.

Whatever the exact figure, it's clear the challenge in building these latrines is daunting. With an estimated 4 million people defecating in the open and 1,500 mt of faeces being produced every day, communities were at high risk of an outbreak of communicable disease, UNICEF has warned...[/snip]

(again, more at link)

I have no idea at what level, if any, this tragedy in the making - after the initial quake tragedy - is being aired in the mainstream US press. My suspicion is, not nearly enough. My newswatchers me abreast of what the US MSM deems important for us to be thinking about, and they have yet to mention this to me. I've given up completely on television news.

Condi: Diplomat in Action!

Another round fired from the US Dept. of Hypocrisy? They distort, you decide.

From WaPo comes this gem:

MANAMA (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice took aim at Syria on Saturday over its human rights record, stepping up Washington's bid to isolate Damascus internationally.

The top U.S. diplomat used a conference in Bahrain attended by Arab leaders trying to promote economic and political reform, to criticize what she said was Syria's "arbitrary detention" of human rights activists.

"We continue to support the Syrian people's aspirations for liberty, democracy, and justice under the rule of law," said Rice in a sideways swipe at the government in Damascus.

"We would like to see an end to the arbitrary detentions of democratic and human rights activists -- including Kamal Labwani and all the prisoners of conscience from the Damascus Spring," she added.

Hard to know just how this is going to play out in the court of international opinion.

With Guantanamo Bay, secret CIA 'detention centers,' and some officials in the US government actively working to block anti-torture legislation - still fresh in the news - it would appear that the US will have difficulty claiming the 'moral high-ground' here.

Sure, lots of Americans only think about what's in the freshest news cycle, but outside our borders, people aren't so quick to forget.

I applaud Rice's efforts. However, I think that they are apt to fall upon an audience justifiably puzzled by the chasm between our word and our actions.

Saturday Morning Reading

A couple of articles submitted for your approval.

The first, another Murray Waas piece that adds a lot of color as to why it ain't over for Karl Rove. Libby's testimony is a piece of the puzzle, but there are lots of other things in play.(another catch by The Raw Story)

The second is this WaPo piece that provides the gentle reader with this elephant in the room(amongst other things)

President Bush and his national security adviser have answered critics of the Iraq war in recent days with a two-pronged argument: that Congress saw the same intelligence the administration did before the war, and that independent commissions have determined that the administration did not misrepresent the intelligence.

Neither assertion is wholly accurate.

The administration's overarching point is true: Intelligence agencies overwhelmingly believed that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, and very few members of Congress from either party were skeptical about this belief before the war began in 2003. Indeed, top lawmakers in both parties were emphatic and certain in their public statements.

But Bush and his aides had access to much more voluminous intelligence information than did lawmakers, who were dependent on the administration to provide the material. And the commissions cited by officials, though concluding that the administration did not pressure intelligence analysts to change their conclusions, were not authorized to determine whether the administration exaggerated or distorted those conclusions.

Why the White House keeps on trotting out this argument always troubles me. I wish I had a timeline for this albatross. I know that it extends a couple of years back at this juncture(as this is pre-java time, my sentences are poorly formed and stunted)

There is more at WaPo regarding other misdirections, most notably by Bush's National Security Advisor, Stephen Hadley. Go give it a read. (hat tip to Americablog)

Bush's Budgetary Boondoggle

This Bloomberg article spells nearly all the issues out in an easily digestible form.

Lots of facts, very few biased quotes, and an overall lack of drama make this a good primer on Bush's budget woes.

Bush's Veterans Day Speech, Or..

.."Still Obfuscating After All These Years."

Today Bush said this:

...[snip]And our debate at home must also be fair-minded. One of the hallmarks of a free society and what makes our country strong is that our political leaders can discuss their differences openly, even in times of war. When I made the decision to remove Saddam Hussein from power, Congress approved it with strong bipartisan support. I also recognize that some of our fellow citizens and elected officials didn't support the liberation of Iraq. And that is their right, and I respect it. As President and Commander-in-Chief, I accept the responsibilities, and the criticisms, and the consequences that come with such a solemn decision.

While it's perfectly legitimate to criticize my decision or the conduct of the war, it is deeply irresponsible to rewrite the history of how that war began. (Applause.) Some Democrats and anti-war critics are now claiming we manipulated the intelligence and misled the American people about why we went to war. These critics are fully aware that a bipartisan Senate investigation found no evidence of political pressure to change the intelligence community's judgments related to Iraq's weapons programs....[/snip]

Well, that's partly true. The rest of the story is that the Senate Intelligence Committee investigating whether or not the White House manipulated intelligence, and then bs'd Congress and you and me hasn't concluded part two of their report.

Apparently, George either forgot about, or didn't know about the Democrats reason(s) for the emergency closed Senate session of 1 Nov.

Update: Media Matters now has a bunch more material about this redirection on their site.

First Chavez, Now Dover, PA

Pat Robertson, that bastion of X-tian values has made yet another relevatory proclamation. This time it's not about assassinating a democratically elected president.

Robertson's wrath is directed at the voters of Dover, PA, that Tuesday voted to replace the 'IDers' on the school board with more enlightened individuals who dare hold the notion that evolution, not "God did it" is the best explanation for the diversity of flora and fauna we see today.

Here's Pat:

"I'd like to say to the good citizens of Dover: If there is a disaster in your area, don't turn to God, you just rejected Him from your city," Robertson said on his daily television show broadcast from Virginia, The 700 Club.

"And don't wonder why He hasn't helped you when problems begin, if they begin. I'm not saying they will, but if they do, just remember, you just voted God out of your city," he said.

Link to full read.

Does any sane person take this ignorant dunderhead seriously?

I don't mean to be harsh, but this guy is supposed to be a spokesperson for some supreme deity. That's a damnable shame.

Is the bombing of university research facilities next on the Robertson 'hit parade?'

pbs' Veterans Day Entry

I don't know how intellectually or emotionally satisfying uttering, "Happy Veterans Day" can be. It's a day meant for reflection. A day to to remember lives lost, saved, and broken, in the name of war. Hardly a reason for cheer.

It is in that spirit of reflection that I offer you a reading assignment on this the year of the sixtieth anniversary of the dropping of the only two true nuclear weapons ever used against fellow human beings during wartime.

The Bulletin of The Atomic Scientists offers three essays on their website. Each of the three attempts to answer different questions about the use of the A-bomb. They are all relatively short, and all are thought provoking.

I bid you peace.

Well, I usually avoid O'Really..

..But there are times when Bill O becomes the news. This is one of those times.

On 10 Nov. the ever informative Media Matters reported on the latest of O'Reilly's outrageous statements.

They've run with the headline: O'Reilly to San Francisco: "[I]f Al Qaeda comes in here and blows you up, we're not going to do anything about it. ... You want to blow up the Coit Tower? Go ahead"

Short transcript and audio at above link.

I rarely report on pundits. They tend to be ill-informed and extreme. But this crosses over the line that separates 'edgy' and plain poor judgement.

Is this Bill's attempt to one-up Ann Coulter's statement(paraphrasing here) that it was: 'Too bad Timothy McVeigh didn't blow-up the New York Times Building,' instead of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City?

That's Right-wing punditry today.

Why this blow-hard still has a job is beyond me.

Dear Karl, GO AWAY!

Karl Christian(true, look it up) Rove made a slight move back into the quasi-public arena yes-Turd-ay according to WaPO.

The Bush senior adviser, and as yet unconvicted-for-any-crime-relating-to-the-outing-of-a-CIA-operative Rove spoke for an interminably long 20 minutes at a meeting(?) of the Federalist Society, AKA The Conservative Hair Club for Men.

Ever the spinner, Herr Rove indicted four Democratic Senators as being the chief architects in a strategy to sully the White House's good name - as well as obstructing justice Bush's judicial appointees. It's those evil Democrats behind everything. EVERYTHING!

Here's the red meat from the WaPo piece:

In his 20-minute speech, Rove singled out four Democratic senators who have strongly criticized the White House in the CIA leak probe and have been staunch opponents of some of the Bush administration's judicial selections. The four are Sens. Charles Schumer of New York, Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, Richard Durbin of Illinois and Patrick Leahy of Vermont.

Rove suggested the four Democrats have met their match in the conservative agenda of the Federalist Society.

"Who would have thought that the powerful members of the world's most exclusive club would be so threatened by a movement of competent, principle-driven egghead lawyers?" Rove said to laughter.

Rove in turn was the beneficiary of a Federalist Society attack on his opponents.

"Karl Rove has pursued conservative policies," said co-chairman David McIntosh. "He's come into the cross-hairs of criticism from the liberal establishment here in Washington.

When the establishment can't defeat the power of one's ideas, "they crank up the engine of personal attack in order to distract the leaders," McIntosh suggested.

Rove is under investigation for his involvement in leaking the identity of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame, and Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis Libby, is under indictment. Rove and Libby were involved in leaking Plame's identity to the news media.

"Everybody's presumed innocent until convicted and a mere investigation shouldn't hinder anyone's political activities," attorney Stephen Yelverton, a two-decade Federalist Society member, said of Rove's appearance.

So according to McIntosh, it's the 'liberal establishment' that has Rove on the stove. Who knew?

Improperly handling of classified information is a-okay with Fed Soc. ostensibly if one is only under investigation for crimes against America, rather than having been convicted of said crimes.

That is, or course, unless you are a powerful partisan right-wing idealogue, in which case your conviction only occurred as the end result of the machinations of a sinister cabal of the dreaded 'liberal establishment,' and not as the end result of jurisprudence. I think I have it right.

Now, as far as these lefty senators sabotaging Bush's nominees, that's all preaching to the choir. It has been well established that it was pressure from ultra-conservative groups that resulted in Ms. Miers withdrawing her name from consideration. In addition, Karl, McIntosh, and Yelverton, are most certainly aware of the fact that Bush has had a greater percentage of his nominees that reached the Senate floor for a vote confirmed than Clinton.

May they all hang together..in the figurative sense.

What a Croc!

Dakosaurus andiniensis, better known to his/her friends as "That bad Mofo" has been nicknamed by paleontologists as, "Godzilla."

I kid you not.

*Cue National Geographic special theme music*

From the famed institution comes this:

Researchers have unearthed fossil evidence of a 135-million-year-old "sea monster" they're calling Godzilla.

A large skull of the animal was found in southern Argentina in an area that was once part of the Pacific Ocean.

Named Dakosaurus andiniensis, the creature is an entirely new species of ancient crocodile. It had a head like a carnivorous dinosaur and a tail like a fish. With its massive jaws and serrated teeth, it preyed on other marine reptiles.

Totally unique among marine crocodiles, "it is one of the most evolved members of the crocodilian family and also one of the most bizarre," said Diego Pol, a paleontologist at Ohio State University in Columbus, who served on the research team.

The research, led by Zulma Gasparini, a paleontologist at Argentina's Universidad Nacional de La Plata, was funded by the National Geographic Society. The discovery is described tomorrow in the journal Science and will appear on the cover of the December 2005 issue of National Geographic magazine.

Carnivorous Dinosaur

The creature's almost intact skull was found in 1996 in Argentina's Neuquén Basin, a region that was once a deep tropical bay of the Pacific Ocean. Prior to the find, researchers had only sketchy fossil evidence of the fearsome sea monster.

They have now established that the giant animal belongs to the crocodyliforms, which include today's crocodiles and their extinct relatives. Marine crocs were abundant during the Jurassic period some 200 million to 145 million years ago. At that time they were found worldwide.

A bit further along in the article we find this:

The researchers don't yet know what events triggered the relatively sudden emergence of Dakosaurus, nor do they know what caused it to go extinct.

The massive research team at pure bs may have found the answer to this vexing issue.

For the non-scientist out there(Kansas students, listen up), we offer this easy explanation. The crocodilian known as Dakosaurus andiniensis was created just in time to board Noah's ark. Hey, we all know how much The Lord likes a laugh, and lo, he created this super carnivore in what modern terms can best be appreciated as analagous to the television sit-com. "Hey, I'll make this super-duper gator type thing, that eats any critter smaller - or larger - than itself, dump a couple on The Ark and watch the fun!"

Well, the fun ended when Mr. and Mrs. Andiniensis(traditional family unit) ate everything on The Ark, then died of simple starvation. Now, we know what you're probably thinking: If Mr. and Mrs. A ate all the other animals on The Ark, then how come we have such a wonderful and diverse variety of fauna on the planet today?

The answer is as plain as the nose on your face. God, realizing his mistake, conjured into existence another ark, less those irrepressible madcaps, the Andiniensis family. Hence Noah and the crew sailed into history as saviors of the planet. Almost a Little House on The Prairie type storyline. Except that the prairie was covered by miles of water. And there was no big boat. And no Michael Landon. Okay, so it's not a perfect 'arketype'(note the ancient spelling), but it's perfectly salvageable if you look beyond the facts to the Real Truth™.

This unknown chapter in the book of Genesis was pulled from The Bible prior to publication.

See, it all makes perfect sense if you know the end result and work backwards from there.

That's exactly how that Darwin fellow(Satan) dreamed up that ridiculous theory about 'decent with modification.' AKA Evilution!

Update on NH Audubon's Fiasco

First - and reprinted with permission of the author Ms. Ruth Smith, comes this dignified response to her dismissal from the NH Chapter of The Audubon Society:

I lost my job but still have my passion

By: RUTH SMITH

For the Monitor

It is my turn to say a deep and heartfelt thanks to each of you who has written to the editor, called, emailed, sent a card, greeted me with hugs or held me in your thoughts since I and seven others were laid off from New Hampshire Audubon.


I appreciate the support, affirmation and love that have come my way. In spite of being callously severed from a job that I loved and dedicated nearly 18 years of my life to, I feel blessed to be part of this remarkable community, which values strong connections with the earth and each other and is willing to speak out for those values.

Many have asked where I am. I'm harvesting my garden, stacking wood and painting my new "environmentally friendly"house in Canterbury as I listen to see where I'm being called to next. For parents concerned about what my layoff teaches their children, I share with you lessons I've gained from these chores.

From the potato patch I have observed that as you sow, shall you reap. Each potato planted in the spring produced many new potatoes. As I dig them up, I discover small ones, large ones and some in surprising places, each with the potential to produce more potatoes. My teaching has been like that through the years, but I am reaping a rich harvest now through the incredible support I'm receiving. Yet my work is fulfilled only when those whom I've reached pass on what they've learned. Keep it going.

The woodpile reminds me that living trees must be cut down to warm my home. Some things must end for new beginnings to occur. My time at Audubon is over, but there is much warmth yet to create. Spreading warmth through connections and community is something we all can do.

The walls of my new home are becoming brighter with paint. Paint covers many things, yet if the wallboard is damaged, paint will not improve it. The lesson here seems to be that we must not be fooled by outward appearances when deeper repairs are needed. As I've taught over the years, it is important to be a careful observer, think critically, ask tough questions.

One question worth asking is: Where is Audubon's mission? For many I was the face of Audubon, but Audubon is so much bigger than one person or one department. Its mission is at the heart of what many of us cherish about New Hampshire, and it must continue.

If you are angry over the decisions and actions of Audubon's management, there are many appropriate responses. Whether you end your contributions in protest or stand by the hardworking staff who remain is a personal choice. The key is to act and to speak out for what you care about.

I have tried to be a role model in this way because I truly believe the message on my license plate: "UNLESS someone like you cares a whole lot, nothing is going to get better, it's not." (From The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss). My job was not just to teach about nature but also to build relationships. I look forward to continuing those relationships with many of you as we keep caring, learning and working for what we believe in. Thanks again for sharing and enriching my journey.

We, well really it's just me now, isn't it - first reported on this travesty here.

Since then, the Concord Monitor has been inundated with letters from donors of both time and money to the NH Audubon Society. Many of the letter writers are withdawing suport from The Society. Nearly all of the balance of the rest of the letters published over the last two weeks are written by people still sitting on the fence as to whether or not withdraw their support.

I'd provide links to the Op-ed page letters, but The Monitor requires a paid subsciption to view any item over 7 days old. *sigh*

Let's Party Like It's 1984!

via Wonkette comes a fascinating bit of apparent cleaning up of an unusually candid answer from the famously evasive, Scotty McClellan.

She [Ms. Wonkette] has all the goods, so I'll not bother to expound about this issue here.

The White House still is apparently unaware that 'scrubbing' is pretty difficult in the era of 24/7 news coverage, and resourceful bloggers looking to scoop the media.

'The Memory Hole' just got a bit more restricted.

Yet again, hat tip to The Raw Story

Holy Wardrobe Malfunction!

The LA Times, amongst others is reporting on a study conducted by Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation that confirms that sex sells. At least on TV.

The Times decided to run with racy headline: Television Awash in Sex, Study Says
The report says 70% of shows include sexual content. The number has risen over the years.(the use if the word 'risen' here is purely coincidental, I'm sure ;))

Let's jump right to the last few paragraphs of the piece where that protector of the Traditional American Family™ Tony Perkins of the reactionary Family Research Council reigns supreme. Here's Tony's take:

Still, Tony Perkins, president of the Washington-based Family Research Council, said the Kaiser study underscored the belief among many parents that television was having a coarsening effect on their kids.

"It's not the same today as when I was growing up and parents left their kids in front of the TV to watch 'Captain Kangaroo,' " Perkins said. "The sex depicted on television does have an effect on kids. If we are what we eat, then we become what we watch."

An odd, but expected obsevation. I know that after being raised on Warner Brothers cartoons, I have a penchant for violence - in particular for throwing coyotes into canyon basins.

There are literally a dozen or so great things for the quote miner to cherry-pick from the article. Go. Read. Learn. Laugh.

Hey, when you've got government officials lying through their teeth, a war going on, erosions of civil liberties, and a global environmental disaster taking place synchronously, it's time to change the subject to what really ails society(heavy sarcasm)

Captain Kangaroo scarred me for life. 'The Cap'n. taught tolerance and respect for others. All others. For this I shall never forgive the late Bob Keeshan - and don't even get me started on Fred Rogers ;)

GOP in Bush League?

Reuters is reporting that the GOP defeats in the really off year elections held yesterday are a referendum of Bush's governance. Bush went to Virginia in an effort to shore up support for Jerry Kilgore. That Kilgore lost the governor's race in a solidly Red State may mean trouble ahead for the GOP.

Of some interest - maybe purely academic: Virginia had a Democratic governor, who is now replaced by a Democratic governor. But this fact is being lost in the ever-present search for spin.

Here's a bit from Reuters:

The loss in Virginia was a personal setback for Bush, who put his declining political capital on the line with an election-eve visit on behalf of Republican former attorney general Jerry Kilgore -- only to see him soundly defeated by Democratic Lt. Gov. Tim Kaine.

With Bush's popularity at the lowest level of his presidency, the results helped giddy Democrats claim momentum one year before elections to decide control of both chambers of the U.S. Congress and 36 governorships.

"Yesterday the election was a shot across the bow to George Bush," said New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, head of the Democratic Senate campaign committee, who called the results "a clear repudiation of Bush" and the Republican agenda.

Republicans cautioned against reading too much into the results, saying the elections produced no signs of widespread anti-incumbent sentiment. Redistricting initiatives that could have hurt incumbents in Ohio and California went down to defeat and no governors' offices changed parties.

The article has more 'fire and brimstone' declarations about the GOP's prospect in the mid-term elections, but let's not forget that much can change in a year.

The GOP loyalists are still saying that Bush can pull his second term out of the fire...But quite frankly, without Bush literally becoming a different person, I don't see this happening. The only press that the White House is getting can only be seen as negative by anyone remotely impartial. Without some sort of uber-dramatic sea-change in policy, and/or a dramatic event on the world stage, things look pretty bleak for Bush. But in the end, Bush will still be Bush - and that has to be a drag ;)

Now that doesn't mean that incumbent congressmen(congresspersons?) and senators will be swept aside in a Democratic tsunami in 2006, but it's most likely causing a lot of hand-wringing even at this early date.

CIA? CTA? What's the 'Diff?'

Okay, the 'CTA' Bit is from a page 31 article in today's Wapo(I'd call it an Op-Ed, but that may be splitting hairs) It's good.

First, a bit of background. I'll just grab some pieces from a non-controversial source, USA Today. *snicker*

In the first piece, we have VP Richard B. Cheney sparring with the Senate over an addition to a defense spending bill The non-torture 'rider,' which Cheney was protesting against, passed the Senate 90-9.

In the second, we have Bush defending American interrogation policy, averring, "We do not torture."

Now we finally get to this post's raison d'être. Jeffrey H. Smith, former general counsel for the CIA writes:

Americans do not join the CIA to commit torture. Yet that could be the result if a proposal advanced by Vice President Cheney becomes law.

When the abuses by U.S. servicemen and intelligence officers at Abu Ghraib surfaced last year, there was understandable outrage in this country and abroad. Internal investigations and congressional hearings revealed several causes of the abuse. One of the most important was confusion in the military and intelligence agencies as to what rules governed interrogations. A root cause of the confusion was the belief at the highest levels of the administration that the Geneva Conventions, which had governed our conduct for 60 years, were outmoded and should not constrain our treatment of prisoners. Regrettably, the career lawyers in the armed forces and the State Department who have guided our compliance with the Geneva Conventions for decades were cut out of these discussions.


In response, Sen. John McCain, himself a victim of brutal torture by the North Vietnamese, introduced an amendment to the 2006 Defense Appropriations Act that would, in essence, require all agencies of the U.S. government to comply with the Geneva Conventions and international law, which prohibit torture. Over strong administration objection, McCain's amendment passed 90 to 9. It will soon be considered by a conference committee with the House, which has no similar provision in its version of the bill. Enter the vice president.

Cheney and Porter Goss, director of the CIA, have proposed a modification of the McCain amendment that would permit the president to exempt the CIA from its strictures. McCain wisely rejected that proposal. So should the conferees.

If the administration's proposal passed, what would be the consequences? Why should we adhere to the Geneva Conventions when our terrorist enemies do not?

The answers are simple. First, we have long championed the Geneva Conventions because we want our citizens treated humanely when they are captured. Second, morally it is the right thing to do. If this amendment passes, what weight will our complaints have when other governments use their intelligence services to torture Americans?

For much more, just follow this link to Smith's excellent piece, and WaPo's exhibition of the headline: Central Torture Agency?

'Fallujah - The Hidden Massacre'

Link to Video(hat tip to The Raw Story)

This is an adjunctive post to this one

Caution: Extremely graphic images of war.

"I Cannot Self-Terminate...

...but my political career may already have."

CIA Wants Probe Into Prison Leak

...But hey, these facilities don't exist. *shrugs*

Getting to the point, WaPo reports that the CIA gas asked the Justice Dept. to look into the leak of classified of information regarding the secret prisons, which of course, do not exist.

WASHINGTON -- At the CIA's request, the Justice Department is weighing whether to open a criminal investigation into the leak of possibly classified information on secret prisons to The Washington Post.

A story the newspaper published on Nov. 2 touched on a number of sensitive national security issues, including the existence of secret CIA detention centers for suspected terrorists in Eastern European democrcies.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the issue deals with classified information, said the CIA's general counsel made the referral to the Justice Department shortly after the story appeared last week.

The department will decide whether to initiate a criminal investigation. The leak investigation into the disclosure of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame's identity came about through the same referral procedure and led to a five-count indictment against the vice president's now former chief of staff, I. Lewis Libby.

Post spokesman Eric Grant said Tuesday the newspaper had no comment.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice sidestepped questions about possible secret prisons, saying the United States was in a "different kind of war" and had an obligation to defend itself.

"We, our allies, others who have experienced attacks, have to find a way to protect our people," said Rice, who would not confirm the existence of secret prisons.

Just what the hell is one to take away from Sec. Rice's comments?

At least it wasn't a flat-out denial. This White House is slowly learning that the facts - at least in some cases - eventually come out.

********************************************

Dear Condi(get me rewrite) Rice,

The CIA has urged the DOJ to investigate the leaking of classified information regarding 'secret CIA detention facilities' to the press.

Would you care to make another statement, Ms. Rice?

Sincerely,

Thinking America

Evolution: In and Out

In what seems to be a clear referendum against the notion of 'intelligent design'(ID does not make the grade as anything but fanciful thinking) the Dover, PA US school board was de-selected by the 'reality based Pennsylvania community.' All eight members up for re-election were defeated.

Background to this story can be found here.

In the other evolution vs. fantasy debate, The Kansas Board of Dis-Information Education voted 6-4 in favor of teaching students 'doubts' about evolution. Obviously, the Kansas Board is blissfully unaware that any real scientist has doubts about their field(s) of study. That's what drives science. Sure, some scientists are dogmatic in thier beliefs..And this is troubling, but others are watchful and impress their colleagues by admitting that they are wrong.

Evolutionary mechanisms are very much in debate. What is rarely debated in the scientific community is that evolution is both a theory and also a fact.

Two giant leaps for American students. One towards real discovery and critical thinking, and the other a dimming of the light that science gives us to make the most reasoned and best informed ideas about the universe in which we all live.

This is How to Win

via Time

Democrat Timothy M. Kaine's quick and convincing victory in the Virginia Governor's race Tuesday night gave his party a huge morale edge and fund-raising boost heading into next year's midterm congressional elections, and perhaps a lesson for the next Presidential race of '08: Democrats can talk about religion too.

The first ad that Kaine bought in his quest for the statehouse in Richmond was on a Christian radio station in rural Virginia. His first television spot of the fall told about his experience with Catholic missionaries, when he took a one-year leave from Harvard Law School to service as principal of a vocational school teaching carpentry and welding to teenagers in Honduras. Red, white and blue "Catholics for Kaine" bumper stickers proliferated in the Old Dominion. David Eichenbaum, Kaine's media strategist, tells TIME that he sees a recipe for national Democrats in Kaine's victory in Virginia, a GOP stronghold that President Bush won by 8 points in 2000 and 9 points in 2004. "Talking about his faith gave people a comfort level that he wasn't a big, scary liberal," Eichenbaum said. "We're trying to show voters that God isn't a Republican." Kaine echoed that in his acceptance speech: "We proved that faith in God is a value for all, and that we can all share, regardless of our partisan label."

It was a discouraging night for the White House. The other marquee contest was for Governor of New Jersey, where Sen. Jon S. Corzine, a Democrat, drubbed Republican benefits-management executive Doug Forrester. Across the Hudson, Republican Michael Bloomberg was easily reelected Mayor of New York City in a blowout of Democrat Fernando Ferrer.

I suppose a win is a win. I've made no secret of the fact that I have no god belief; nor any supernatural beliefs whatever. Yes, I'm well aware that most of my fellow Americans hold some form of religious belief..By some accounts, as much as 90%.

If this is a template for winning at any level of government, I cannot support such a scheme.

While it is a rational way to woo the religious right, 'running on religion' is, at face value, irrational.

Open the bubbly, and celebrate today. But if you're truly part of the 'reality based community,' you'll see this victory as a win-at-any-cost approach to which I do not ascribe.

If this post seems harsh, that is not my intention for making this entry. I'm neither sorry, nor apologetic for my non-belief. It seems to me that playing the god card to election victory leaves you an obligation to your constituency to do the 'godly' thing during the proposal, enactment, and veto, of legislation. To me, this is not the way to move the country forward. In fact, I could make a strong case that this is the way to move it in the opposite direction.

But today, we celebrate :)

Monitoring 'Willy Pete'

The CS Monitor has a well balanced article about the possibility of the US military using white Phosphorus(Willy Pete), as well as a newer napalm formula(MK77) in the assault on Fallujah, Iraq during a raid in November 2004.

It's quite balanced, and allows you to weigh the available evidence, and decide for yourself if the allegations are plausible - if not likely. Lots of good links and reading.

A caveat: The link to uruknet.info found in the text: 'new napalm formula' contains highly graphic imagery. Images of war are never pleasant, and these are exceptionally graphic!

With that, I'm off to moonlight!

John Boy At The UN

PNAC poster-child and US Ambassador, John R. Bolton again today demonstated just what a swell guy he is. In not voting to lift the 43 year old trade embargo against Cuba, he stood with the rest of the world nearly alone as a believer that we're still fighting the Cold War.

Sure, I saw the Cold War rationale for the blockade. We'll keep Communism out of the Western hemisphere. Is that really a threat anymore?

Bolton's vote followed the new line that Cuba is a human rights issue, and in the ever-changing rationale for maintaining the Cuban embargo that almost sounds plausible.

Bolton: Human Rights Warrior

Nah.

Why less than a month ago, he blocked a UN "envoy from briefing the Security Council on possible human rights violations" stating that "the council had to act against atrocities and not just talk about them."

I'm convinced.

Aw, heck. I'll leave it to the women again.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MADRE, An International Women's Human Rights Organization

August 2, 2005-New York-MADRE, an international women's human rights organization, strongly condemns the appointment yesterday of John Bolton, an extremist who has made a career of undermining the United Nations, to the position of US Ambassador to the UN. The underhanded appointment, made while the Senate was in recess, was a fitting reflection of the impatience for public scrutiny or dissent that has characterized both the Bush presidency and Bolton's career. Bolton's appointment is another step to the extreme right, taken with no regard for public opinion in the US or the world.

As US Ambassador to the UN, John Bolton poses an alarming threat to human rights around the world. He is contemptuous of international law and unapologetically supportive of the use of force-pre-emptive or otherwise-by the United States. The UN Charter defines the organization's most fundamental purpose as saving "succeeding generations from the scourge of war." But Bolton has argued for the US to have unrestricted "discretion in using force to advance its national interests," and has expressed support for using military force to overthrow the governments of North Korea, Syria, and Iran. He also opposes any limits on civilian access to weapons and has fought against restrictions on small-arms trade, landmines, biological weapons, child soldiers, and nuclear-weapons testing.

For non-governmental organizations like MADRE, Bolton's appointment will mean an escalated struggle to make the voices of community groups heard at the UN. Bolton has said, "we do not support the promotion of international advocacy activity by international or non-governmental organizations, particularly when those political or policy views advocated are not consistent with the views of all member states."

MADRE

The voting at the UN today to lift the trade embargo against Cuba was 182 to 4.

The four against votes were from the US, Israel, the Marshall Islands, and Palau(no joke) with Miconesia abstaining.

It was grand for Bush to install this Cold War throwback into the UN during a senatorial recess. Bolton is clearly the best person for the job.

Damned sad.

Please Note: I need to apologize for my recent rambling, incoherent entries. Things are a bit emotionally demanding here, and I know it's affecting not only my work, but also my blogging.

Just Plain Wrong

The Hill is reporting on an attack on an aide to Senator Chuck Grassley who chairs the Senate Finance Committee.

Emilia DiSanto, chief investigator for committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), arrived at her suburban Virginia home after work Wednesday about 6:30 p.m. As she was unloading belongings from her car, a 6-foot-1-inch white man dressed in black struck her repeatedly with an unidentified object believed to be a baseball bat.

After she screamed to her family inside the house, the assailant fled. DiSanto was transported to Inova Fair Oaks Hospital, where she was treated for significant upper-body injuries. Nine staples were needed to close her head wound.

DiSanto, who declined to comment, has reported back to work.

I wish Ms. DiSanto a quick and full recovery. Hopefully, the perpetrator will be found, and justice served.

There's a lot more weirdness, so read the full article. Grassley, and/or Di Santo may be being targeted for their work - they've been pretty aggressive at investigating some pretty powerful groups.(hat tip to the ever-resourceful Josh at TPM)

Nobody deserves this kind of treatment. Jeebus.

"There Ought To Be Limits To Freedom"

That oft-quoted bit of sage advice was GW Bush remarking on what he apparently saw as crimes against his - I dunno 'manliness?' - on a now defunct non-pro-Bush website FKA gwbush.com(the link still works, but is a redirect to gwbush.com's module at stickergiant.com)

Either Bush is truly prophetic, or it is through his administration's 'initiatives' that we US Americans are demonstrably less free than prior to his taking office.

Our 44th ranking in the annual "World Press Freedom Index" taken alone is a dumb figure, but since the US fell "more than 20 places" in this years index, the trend isn't one that can be sanely viewed as positive.

Then there is the FBI's massive expansion of the use of 'National Security Letters', as well as Enemy Non-Combatant Status..Ad infinitum...And I just pulled those links from this front page.

Sorry about that introduction. It was long and tiresome.

To the topic at hand..

Bloomberg is reporting on a textile importation limiting agreement between the US and China. It's no secret that I'm no fan of WTO policy, but the so-called 'free-traders' are only interested in free trade if they are reasonably assured to be able to leverage it into personal/corporate profits for themselves without too much political fallout. These are of course the very people that pushed for the establishment of the WTO and it's many adjunctive 'trade normalization' treaties and agreements.

The article merely points out what the US position regarding textile trade is with China, and some background as to how and why we arrived at the new agreement.

If you follow this sort of thing, there may be nothing new for you. But, if you need a primer on just how protectionist the US can be - while still espousing the overwhelming benefits of REALLY FREE TRADE™ - the article may pique your curiousity into a more in-depth study of the relevant topics.

Note: The off-site Little Lefty Resource Center will soon have a vast array of neo-liberal trade policy sources for future exploration.

Just Vote!

You on the map?

I live in a small town outside of the small town of Concord, NH. I vote at town meeting.

Yes, they still do exist.

If you've an option that you can exercise today, just do it. It won't hurt...Much ;)

Women Drivers: It's the Estrogen

Far from being a disparaging post about the fairer sex, this is a post positively fair ;)

The BBC is reporting on a study that may indicate that women are better drivers due to biology.

From across the pond:

The female hormone oestrogen could give women the edge when it comes to tasks such as safe driving, say researchers.
Tests showed attention span and ability to learn rules were far better among women than men.

The Bradford University scientists told a hormone conference in London how tasks requiring mental flexibility favour women over men.

A woman's oestrogen levels may prime the part of the brain involved in such skills - the frontal lobe - they said.

They asked 43 men and women aged 18-35 to perform a battery of neuropsychological tests that assessed skills such as spatial recognition memory, rule learning, attention, planning and motor control.

The women were far better at being able to shift their attention from one stimulus to another, making it easier for them to perform everyday actions like driving and reading.

This might explain why girls find it easier than boys to concentrate at school and why women are more careful drivers, the researchers hypothesise.

Of course there is more at link. It's worth a read, as other research is also cited - and lo, it indicates that men may be better at, "spatial skills such as map reading and parking may be difficult for some women because they had too little testosterone in the womb."

Hmmm. Too little testosterone = shitty map reading.

Okay, the obvious question that needs to be addressed is this: Has a man ever consulted a map - or any means of navigation - other than intuition?

That is one for the ages.

Gitmo Driver Drives Supremes

I know it's a good thing to have Osama's driver in the joint, but I am somehow left wanting.

I should note that I know little about law. I've had attorneys sue a few clients for money owed over the years, but that, and some real estate law are the only things with which I have any experience. I'm not going to play legal expert. Okay? Good.

I'll let the CS Monitor set the table.

WASHINGTON -- A year and a half ago, the US Supreme Court delivered a blunt message to the White House: War is not a blank check entitling the president to violate the constitutional liberties of American citizens.

The decision resulted in the release of Yasser Hamdi, a dual US and Saudi citizen, who had been held indefinitely in a military prison without charge or access to a lawyer.

On Monday, the nation's highest court set the stage for the next major constitutional showdown over President Bush's ongoing war on terror. The issue is whether the president has the authority to put AlQaidaa suspects on trial before military commissions at the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

In agreeing to take up the appeal of Salim Ahmed Hamdan, the high court will examine government efforts to empanel a military-run war-crimes tribunal to weigh charges against Mr. Hamdan and three other terror suspects.

Such tribunals mark the first time in a half-century that the US government is relying on ad hoc military commissions to mete out justice rather than civil federal courts or the military justice system.

Of course, this White House appears to ignore 'blunt messages.' Be they in the form of a Supreme Court ruling, or a Presidential Daily Briefing stating that "bin Laden [is] Determined To Strike in US."

Vacationing is so much more fun than national security - unless your accomodations are at Camp X-Ray. But I digress.

A bit more:

The Hamdan case raises fundamental issues, including the scope of the president's power to detain and place on trial any foreign national deemed to be an enemy combatant. In urging the high court to take up the Hamdan case immediately, Hamdan's lawyer, Neal Katyal, drew upon a lesson from American history. He compared the Hamdan dispute to landmark Supreme Court case upholding the supremacy of civilian courts over an effort by President Abraham Lincoln to rely on military tribunals to quickly and efficiently prosecute suspected supporters of the Confederacy.

"At issue is whether the president can supersede established civilian and military judicial systems," Mr. Katyal says in his brief. "No graver question was ever considered by this court, nor one which more nearly concerns the rights of the whole people," he writes, quoting Ex Parte Milligan, an 1866 Supreme Court decision.

Of note to the curious, yet uninformed observer(that would be me):

1) Chief Justice John Roberts has recused himself from the case.

2) Allegedly, Hamdan was Osama's driver(motor vehicle, not camel - Osama only had one driver?) and is charged with being a member of al-Qaida.

Go ahead and read the article. It has lots of quotes from people with actual experience in matters of law. My concern is not only to point out that this White House cherry-picks what is or is not important - hence what to ignore - but to flag this case as one that seemingly has great implications for the governmental separation of powers. A fight which is being waged even as I type.

I also hope to not fall into the legal black-hole reserved for 'enemy non-combatants.'

Lefty Resource Center, Etc.

I'm about to make about another change to the template. I'm putting the "Little Lefty Resource Center" in the left hand column (see bottom left).

Update: I've also just completed a few other minor tweaks for the sake of readability.

Three other minor things.

I'm on a link swapping drive. My Google PR is 5...not bad considering I took over a year off from actively blogging. So, if you've got a site that you think might be a match..or something cool, leave a comment, or drop me an email. Don't make me beg, dammit!

Secondly, Al Franken's new book, The Truth (with jokes) is a great listen..I have the audiobook. I suspect that the print version is a good read. Lots of good stuff in the book to use as a cudgel against Right-Wing BS.

Lastly, well, there is nothing more to say 'cept, "Happy Monday all!"

If You Have Done Nothing Wrong...

..You have plenty to fear. WaPo exposes 'National Security Letter' abuses

No oversight? No sunset clause? If you're the FBI..No problem.

The PATRIOT Act has to be amongst the most onerous pieces of legislation ever to rammed down the throats of a frightened citizenry.

Read the article. Get active!

Intelligent Design Case Now In Judge's Hands

I have really struggled to steer clear of anything religious. I have no religous - or any other supernatural beliefs.

But when religion and science clash on something as profound as evolutionary theory, a stand must be taken.

The NYT has this little that article anyone with scientific training can dissect(no pun intended) in an instant.

Here's the bit:

The scientists who advocate intelligent design explained that the complexity of biological organisms and the "purposeful arrangement of parts" are evidence that there is a designer. They said their theory is not religious because they are not claiming the designer is God, since that is untestable.

Well, I spent 8 years at university learning - in part anyway - what a 'scientific theory' is...and it is above all, testable.

End.
Of.
Argument.

Another Day, Another Poll

This one via ABS News

Flashy title: "Poll: Issues Favor Dems in 2006 Elections"

Then we get to the issues, and there is some odd editorial mixed in with the results. First, the results:

Opportunity is there for the Democrats: Capitalizing on George W. Bush's troubles, the party has a 12-point advantage over the Republicans in trust to handle the nation's main problems, and it leads in nine of 10 individual issues, with some huge gains from three years ago. In the tenth -- Bush's trademark, handling terrorism -- the Democrats run even.

Sampling, data collection and tabulation for this poll were done by TNS.

Indeed, 55 percent of Americans in this ABC News/Washington Post poll say they'd like to see the Democrats take control of Congress in 2006. And if the election were today, registered voters would favor the Democrat in their congressional district by 52-37 percent.

That 15-point margin is numerically the biggest for the Democrats since an ABC/Post poll in September 1984 (they ultimately lost 14 seats), although about the same as a 14-point Democratic lead in one poll in 1996 (when they gained nine).

Okay, great. Then there is this crown jewel of journalistic insight: "The Democrats' advantage on issues extends to some surprising areas -- Iraq and the economy, for example -- and show striking gains from late 2002."

Excuse me? This comes as a surprise to whom exactly? A question that will go unanswered for now.

Onward! To the charts!

Which Party Do You Trust to Handle... 
Democrats Republicans 
Economy   56%   34% 
Social Security   56   29 
Education   55   32 
Health Care   54   29 
Taxes   48   38 
Iraq   48   37 
Federal Budget   48   34 
Gas Prices   47   26 
Terrorism   42   42 
Ethics   42   36 


So does their edge in attributes: They hold a 10-point lead, 50-40 percent, as the
 party that "better represents your personal values."

Party Attributes 
Democrats Republicans 
Is more open to ideas of political moderates   60%   24% 
Is more concerned with needs of people like you   56   33 
Better represents your values   50   40 
Has stronger leaders   35   51

As always, I left the tables as found. No fancy formatting.

Okay, so the GOP is viewed as having stronger leaders, whilst this stronger leadership has fallen flat on virtually every issue? I think I have the interpretation right.

[Short digression]

If you've recently filled out a survey at a major retailer, the survey typically starts off with a general question about your shopping experience. Then the survey progresses to the specifics of your shopping experience. Then - and this is the important bit - the survey brings you back to the general question about your shopping experience after having qualified you by asking you specifics about your experience.

The qualifying questioning may cause inconsistencies between a shopper's initial response and their latter one. This provides the surveyor with a more accurate picture of your shopping experience than asking a simple series of random questions.
[/Short digression]

I'm certain that I'm the only one that finds it ironic that: GOP leaders - Great! GOP policy - Asinine!

With polls, it's the trend that matters. That said, if the GOP can't pull out of their tailspin, it looks pretty good for 'the other party' in 2006.

NYT Intel Bombshell

I was going to title this post: "Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn!" As I purchesed the NYT this morning prior to logging on and checking the front page online..Anyway, the Douglas Jehl piece that E&P referenced here, and we(well me actually) reported here is available online. *sigh*

There goes my coffee allowance for a day ;)

Moving right along, here is the NYT piece. The article is essentially a verbatim review of the information that E&P released yesterday. There is more detail, but the bullet points outlined by E&P are the major, relevant ones.

It'll be interesting to see if this issue is brought up on any of the Sunday 'news shows.' The tie-in to the Democrat's call for a closed session of the Senate makes for the obvious segue.

****************************************

Since I already 'spilled the beans' on the NYT's really big story, here's another from the Grey Lady concerning the White House's attempts to distance itself(themselves?) from the Plame outing case.

No spoiler here, just this bit near the end:

He[President Bush] will be away from Washington for much of the rest of the month. After returning from a trip to South America, Mr. Bush will leave for a week in Asia and then will spend Thanksgiving at his ranch in Texas.

When he returns, allies of the White House said, he hopes to regain traction by moving smoothly ahead with Judge Alito's nomination, shifting the focus to the policies he intends to emphasize next year, including reduced government spending and an overhaul of the immigration and border control systems, and making a more effective case for why victory in Iraq is vital.

The whole reduced gov't. spending issue has to viewed from the vantage point of: from what level? Hey, the National Debt. is only a touch over 8 TRILLION DOLLARS. Not to worry, I'm sure that George has a plan that'll not only cut taxes, but pass the debt onto generations yet unborn. And we know how precious the unborn are to the GOP...If that's not irony, then I don't kno...Okay, I forgot where I was going with that ;)

Remember, The Boondocks tonight.