Wexler: Impeach

Rep. Robert Wexler just told the Judiciary Committee that the testimony of Scott McClellan warrants opening up an impeachment investigation.

"These facts and your testimony, Mr. McClellan, are more than enough in my view to open up impeachment hearings."

Won't happen because it's so near the end of Bush's presidency, but it's the right thing to do. Same goes for the true evil one, Cheney. Too little too late.

From the Pen of: David Horsey

Cindy McCain Was A Drug Addict?

Now that the Ice Queen has opened her yap, she's fair game. Cindy McCain has one hell of a scandal in her past. In the mid-nineties she was addicted to prescription pain killers. Worse, she was stealing the drugs from the American Voluntary Medical Team, a third world relief organization she founded. Like most ridiculously rich people, she didn't have to go to jail for her crimes and was allowed to enter a rehab program rather than face criminal charges. The charity was shut down.

So when she takes jabs at Michelle Obama's patriotism, just remember Cindy has been drugged up for a few years and her judgement may be off.

Obama Gets 9/11, The GOP Does Not

As a denizen of NYC, I'm glad Obama knows this issue.

"The other side likes to use 9/11 as a political bludgeon. Well, let’s talk about 9/11.

The people who were responsible for murdering 3,000 Americans on 9/11 have not been brought to justice. They are Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda and their sponsors – the Taliban. They were in Afghanistan. And yet George Bush and John McCain decided in 2002 that we should take our eye off of Afghanistan so that we could invade and occupy a country that had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11. The case for war in Iraq was so thin that George Bush and John McCain had to hype the threat of Saddam Hussein, and make false promises that we’d be greeted as liberators. They misled the American people, and took us into a misguided war.

Here are the results of their policy. Osama bin Laden and his top leadership – the people who murdered 3000 Americans – have a safe-haven in northwest Pakistan, where they operate with such freedom of action that they can still put out hate-filled audiotapes to the outside world. That’s the result of the Bush-McCain approach to the war on terrorism."

The Right needs to be taught a lesson on this one. They continue to deny reality.

Obama's First National Ad

Operation Malicious Mortgage

As the rich were getting richer, the subprime market was ripe for greed. Cheap interests rates were not enough, bogus bank ratings were needed. No collateral, no income? No problem. Now the truth comes out how illegal and deceptive things were. The Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation announced today a national takedown of mortgage fraud schemes, the culmination of substantial coordinated efforts during the last three and a half months to identify, arrest and prosecute mortgage fraud violators through the United States. Two former Bear Stearns managers have been arrested, federal authorities said Thursday, becoming the first executives to face criminal charges in the wake of the subprime market debacle.

"The FBI estimates that approximately $1 billion in losses were inflicted by the mortgage fraud schemes employed in these cases."

More here.

White collar crime at it again.

Blood For Oil

Four Western oil companies — Exxon Mobil, Shell, Total, and BP, are in the final stages of “talks with Iraq’s Oil Ministry for no-bid contracts to service Iraq’s largest fields.” Their offers prevailed over others by more than 40 companies including companies in Russia, China and India.

NYT article

"There was suspicion among many in the Arab world and among parts of the American public that the United States had gone to war in Iraq precisely to secure the oil wealth these contracts seek to extract. The Bush administration has said that the war was necessary to combat terrorism. It is not clear what role the United States played in awarding the contracts; there are still American advisers to Iraq’s Oil Ministry."

Add to that the 50+ permanent military bases and you can see how Bush used our troops to help the oil companies. 4000+ dead troops, millions of dead and displaced Iraqis. Blood for oil. I understand they are helping Iraq rebuild its decrepit oil industry, but let's not pretend. The goal of all of this occupation was to privatize their oil fields. Period.

I'm sure this will be seen as a positive in the Arab world. Not.

Bush Administration Committed War Crimes

Abu Ghraib was a problem from day one. The US, through it's military, were torturing Iraqis. The Bush administration and enablers like Bill O'Reilly said is was not a systemic, top down problem, just a few "bad apples". They lied. A new Senate probe conclusively proves that Donald Rumsfeld and his senior lawyers began pushing for “harsh techniques” long before those infamous photos surfaced.

The report said:

"A Senate investigation unveiled today found that senior Pentagon officials began planning to use abusive tactics at Guantánamo Bay earlier than they previously acknowledged, borrowing from a programme that trained US troops to resist cruel interrogations.

New documents disclosed today show that lawyers in the army, navy and marines objected vigorously to the use of violent methods against detainees but were overruled by aides to the former US defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld."

Add to that Major General Anthony Teguba. He’s the army general that led the investigation into the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. In the Senate report the general says, “there is no longer any doubt that the current administration committed war crimes.” Teguba's 2004 investigation documented chilling abuses at Abu Ghraib, is thought to be the most senior official to have accused the administration of war crimes. "The commander in chief and those under him authorized a systematic regime of torture," he wrote.

As you're rolling all this info around in your mind, think of the 1000s of pictures of US troops torturing the Iraqis.

So the reality is that war crimes have taken place, torture was OK'ed by Rumsfeld, anyone trying to stop it was removed. Bush has said repeatedly that the United States doesn't condone torture.

Who do you believe?

New Bruno Movie In 2009

Now I have two dates to look forward to:

November 4, 2008, when Grampy McCain and his caramel treats are stomped back to the Golden Willows Retirement Home by Obama in a historic landslide.

May 15, 2009, the release date for Sacha Baron Cohen's new "Bruno" movie. I wonder if Austria will be as pissed as Kazakhstan was when Bruno-mania hits the world? For those not familiar, think Borat but gay and into fashion with a equally beguiling fake accent.

The trifecta of Ali G, Borat, and now Bruno, will be complete.

Wesley Clark On McCain Torture Flop

Clarke: "but on the other hand, he’s changed his position on torture. One point he says he was against it and now he’s in favor of it, He’s even come out against the Supreme Court decision that was made yesterday on the prisoners in Guantanamo, so you know, what does John McCain really believe? Who is he? Is he this straight talk express maverick that people thought he was in the late nineties or is he just a guy that wants to be president and he’s say what’s necessary to get the job."

The ex-POW who is for torture. The ex-POW who is for the use of force first, not as a last resort. Looks like you've learned a lot about occupying another country since your stay in Vietnam.

Texas Republicans - What Do You Expect

This was a pin handed out at a booth at this weekend’s Texas Republican convention. Are you surprised? It's the tolerated racism and never-to-your-face-slurs that make Texans, and Republicans in general, so charming. Pretty much the only they can say is McCain is an old white guy. More like an old white robot with wooden arms.

Via the Dallas News:

There were other pins that weren't necessarily conveying the positive, inclusive, united front that has been portrayed during the convention. One said, "Press 1 for English. Press 2 for Deportation" and another, "I will hold my nose when I vote for McCain"

More here