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Archive for February, 2008

it’s going to be a season of ‘blonde’ jokes…

… back after a sabbatical. I have mixed responses to the New York Times article about John McCain. When Clinton’s daliances [both before and during his Presidency] were constantly in the news, I found it annoying. One doesn’t have to look at Bill Clinton very long to know he’s a terminal flirt – boyish good […]

trust the Bush Administration? not on [or with] your life…

We Must Hold the Line Mike McConnell Our intelligence gathering abilities need to reflect the realities of the 21st century. . A Key Gap In Fighting Terrorism By Mike McConnell Friday, February 15, 2008 One of the most critical weapons in the fight against terrorists and other foreign intelligence threats – the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance […]

remember the iron curtain?

Bush Administration Hides More Data, Shuts Down Website Tracking U.S. Economic Indicators The U.S. economy is faltering. Family debt is on the rise, benefits are disappearing, the deficit is skyrocketing, and the mortgage crisis has worsened. Conservatives have attempted to deflect attention from the crisis, by blaming the media’s negative coverage and insisting the United […]

doing the right thing…

House Cites 2 Bush Aides for Contempt The House voted Thursday to issue contempt citations against the White House chief of staff and a former White House counsel for refusing to cooperate in an investigation into the mass firings of federal prosecutors. The vote to hold Joshua B. Bolten, the chief of staff, and Harriet […]

the big winner…

it’s not okay…

Senate Approves Spy Bill, Protects Telecom Immunity The Senate on Tuesday approved new rules for government eavesdropping on phone calls and e-mails, giving the White House much of the latitude it wanted and granting legal immunity to telecommunications companies that helped in the snooping after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Protection for the telecom companies […]

united…

Update on Kenya Update … The countryside is now consumed with violence. The Rift Valley is a no-go zone for Kikuyus, who have responded by burning the Luo sections of Naivasha. Both sides have erected roadblocks on all the main east-west highways and ripped up the rail lines running from Mombassa to Uganda, Kenya’s inland […]

many of his plans?…

Bush budget cuts fire money Lawmakers warn of massive layoffs at Forest Service President Bush’s 2009 budget plan would slash money for fire prevention and preparedness in the wake of last fall’s devastating wildfires in California, prompting an outcry from Democratic lawmakers who warned of massive layoffs at the Forest Service. Cuts to fire assistance […]

tied at the half…

I know it’s not a horse race or a football game. It’s about picking a Presidential candidate that can win in November and lead the country out of the dark hours of the Bush/Cheney Dynasty. I expect it’s the most important election of my lifetime. But it still feels like a football game. It’s half-time […]

a long time in coming…

Because They Said So Even by the dismal standards of what passes for a national debate on intelligence and civil liberties, last week was a really bad week. The Senate debated a bill that would make needed updates to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act – while needlessly expanding the president’s ability to spy on Americans […]