Senator McCain heading back to IRAQ

We are making progress in IRAQ. Not the type of progress expected, but progress is progress is progress.

Our troops now have control of about HALF of the capital of IRAQ, thanks to the GIs taking part of the SAMO.

Only FIFTY PERCENT to go.

The bad news is that our GIs take over a portion of the city, turn over the area to the incompetent IRAQI security apparatus, and a few days later the area is back in the hands of the insurgents.

Senator McCain is heading to IRAQ to check things out. We do not expect to see him walking around the markets buying cheap rugs. But we do expect to see him talking about ALL THE GOOD PROGRESS made since his last visit.

He is heading to IRAQ next Monday [his sixth trip to IRAQ]. He will expend the 4th of July in IRAQ, and will be at the reenlistment ceremony for a large number of GIs who decided to reenlist in the combat zone.

Good money move by part of the GIs reenlisting in IRAQ. All the reenlistment bonus is TAX FREE when you reenlist in the combat zone.

So, we will be on the lookout for all the GOOD NEWS coming from IRAQ via Senator McCain.

tlrb

It is YOU vs the US Government

Things are not looking good for career politicians. Things are not looking good for the Do-Nothing DEM-Controlled Congress.

As per the latest poll, the DEM-Controlled Congress is not doing too good after six months.

They [DEMs] are doing LOUSY, but better than the alternative [oh, oh, that's bad news for the GOP].

Latest polls are showing president GWB hanging tuff at 27 percent approval.

But the GOOD news for GWB is this, only 25 percent of those polled approved of the job the DEM-Controlled Congress is doing.

Check this out.

"We are now halfway through the first year of the 110th Congress," Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Virginia, said. "And there is no question that the failure on the part of the Democrats in terms of their midterm exam is really a letdown to the expectations of the American people.''

Democratic leaders are inclined to agree. "I'm not happy with Congress, either," Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said.

And the American people? Look at the grades. President Bush is doing terribly -- an average of 30 percent job approval in six recent polls. Congress is doing worse -- 25 percent on the average in five polls.

Why the low marks? Democrats point to one issue where not much seems to be getting done. "The war in Iraq is dragging down people's confidence in what's going on in this country," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said.

Republicans point to another issue. "One of the reasons that confidence is at an all-time low is because of the immigration bill," Sen. Jim DeMint, R-South Carolina, said.

So, are voters ready to change horses again and go back to a Republican Congress? Nope.

Bottom line, America is NOT happy with the DEMs, and America is NOT happy with the GOP.

This "Political Satire" type of guy [aka The Lowest Rated Blogger] feels vindicated, in our view there is NOT A DIME of difference between our two leading political parties.

Check the link for the rest of the story.

http://tinyurl.com/26j339

tlrb

On all those nukes

In reference to my note on "Holy cow, look at all those nukes" did you notice all the nuke nations on the Southern Hemisphere? NONE.

Have you noticed the lack of activity [with few exceptions] of warriors South of the Equator?

War is for all of those living on the Northern Hemisphere.

A couple of years ago, I read an article on the male to female ratio.

I was surprised to learn that [by a small fraction] MALES outnumbered FEMALES on the Southern Hemisphere.

Possible explanation is the fact that all the nasty wars [where a significant number of males get killed] happened [and are happening] on the Northern Hemisphere.

tlrb

Are the DEMs really making progress?

Are you kidding me? What is this man talking about? As per the Senate Majority Leader, his team have made a lot of progress in the past few months. What have the DEM accomplished? Not much.

It is time to blame the GOP.

While some Republicans are "saying the right things on Iraq," they need to back up their words with votes, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Saturday.

"Voting against a bill on a matter of principle is one thing," the Nevada senator said during the weekly Democratic radio address. "To go forward, we will need far more Republicans to put partisan politics aside and work with us for the American people."

While seeking their votes on defense legislation next week, Reid accused GOP lawmakers of blocking ethics reform and enactment of the 9/11 Commission recommendations.

"Republican obstruction has gotten so bad that now they're blocking bills that they actually support," Reid said.

While this man tries to sell DEMs accomplishments, GWB is FISHING and asking Americans to have PATIENCE with our IRAQ war policy. As per GWB, we have made significant progress in IRAQ in the past few months.

What are our politicians drinking or smoking?

http://tinyurl.com/yr6wv9

tlrb

DEMs to continue with their BAR plans

So, what is it? BAR or CAR [Blame And Run or Cut And Run]?

Now that some of the BAT members are jumping off the SAMO bandwagon, the DEM team is ready to push their "we need to get the F out of IRAQ" agenda.

The Speaker of the House is talking about introducing a bill calling for troops withdrawal within 120 days [this bill is not making any sense and in my opinion is DOA].

The same type of bill is expected from the Senate in July [that bill will be DOA].

It is time for the Do-Nothing DEM-Controlled Congress to give up on trying to win hearts and minds of the BAT members. It is NOT going to happen. Over the Decider's dead body !

Check this out.

Democratic leaders vowed Friday to keep up the pressure on President Bush to end the Iraq war with more votes next month on withdrawing U.S. troops.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would seek a vote on legislation instructing the Pentagon to begin pulling out U.S. troops within 120 days, similar to a provision Bush vetoed in the first version of a war spending bill Congress sent to him in May.

A comparable provision also is expected to come to the floor of the Senate in July. So far this year, Senate Democrats have been unable to get the 60 votes needed to overcome procedural hurdles to proposals to start a pullout from Iraq.

But Defense Secretary Robert Gates noted legislation from Congress called for progress reports on Iraq in July and September and suggested those should determine any decisions.

"It seems to me that Congress has laid out a sensible timetable and we ought to adhere to it," he told reporters at the Pentagon.

At a news conference with Reid, Pelosi said: "The Republicans have the 60-vote barrier. The president has the (veto) pen. But we have the support of the American people, who want this war to come to an end."

Click on the link for the rest of the story.

http://tinyurl.com/23qfl7

tlrb

BAD 3 months in IRAQ for our GIs

The weekend is here and things are NOT looking good for the home team. More American fatalities reported, and we are about to finish the deadliest quarter for our GIs in Iraq since Operation IRAQI Freedom began in March 2003.

We have lost 330 of our Bravest between April and June of this year. The month is not over, and the war is not over.

As long as we have GIs patrolling the street of IRAQ we will suffer casualties, because they have become the target.

That last statement made by DEM Representative Jack Murtha back in November 2005. Was Jack Murtha right?

The Do-Nothing Congress have given the SAMO's plan architects until September 15th 2007 to make significant progress in BAGHDAD or else.

A de facto deadline for progress. Our troops are well aware of that deadline.

The INSURGENTS are well aware of that September 15th 2007 deadline, and they are NOT going to make things easy for us [our ground commanders are expecting the INSURGENTS to increase their attacks as we reach the deadline].

We are facing a Jurassic Summer in IRAQ, however, I continue to support the SAMO [our LAST hope to save face in IRAQ].

If the SAMO fails, the Do-Nothing Congress will pressure The Cabal to shift to The BAR Plan [NOT a good option].

tlrb

Do NOT adjust your monitor !!!

Updated 6/28/07 at 2115 Pacific Time:

The COMMENTS option is now working properly [keeping fingers crossed here].

tlrb

___________________________________


Note, we are having some technical difficulties with the COMMENTS option on the blog.

Nothing to do with the http://www.lowestrated.com/ - the issue is at BLOGGER.

Do not adjust your monitor !!!

I will let you know when things are back to normal.

tlrb

US Senate just said NO to immigration AMNESTY

There will be no AMNESTY for illegal immigrants during GWB's watch.

So said the Do-Nothing DEM-Controlled Senate today.

The bill is DOA [again]. So, GWB's plan to LEGALIZE millions and millions of illegal immigrants will have to wait until AFTER the 2008 elections.

This is a very divisive bill and a large majority of US Senators just don't want to go there [they fear for their political survival, and you can not blame them because they are career politicians and they just want to win THEIR elections].

GWB was trying hard to accomplish SOMETHING [anything] during his eight years as president, his last hope was the immigration bill. But that last hope is now gone.

This administration is a total failure with zippo accomplishments.

So far this administration have FAILED on immigration policies, energy policies, health care for the needy policies, social security reform, balanced-budget initiatives, and is failing [and failing miserably] on foreign policy.

A word to the wise; performance matters.

Quote
The Senate drove a stake Thursday through President Bush's plan to legalize millions of unlawful immigrants, likely postponing major action on immigration until after the 2008 elections.

After the stinging political setback, Bush sounded resigned to defeat.

"Legal immigration is one of the top concerns of the American people, and Congress' failure to act on it is a disappointment," he said after an appearance in Newport, R.I. "A lot of us worked hard to see if we couldn't find common ground. It didn't work."

The bill's Senate supporters fell 14 votes short of the 60 needed to limit debate and clear the way for final passage of the legislation, which critics assailed as offering amnesty to illegal immigrants. The vote was 46 to 53 in favor of limiting the debate.

Some senators in both parties said the issue is so volatile that Congress is unlikely to revisit it this fall or next year, when the presidential election will increasingly dominate American politics.

Bush appeared glum as he spoke. His negotiators had expressed optimism the vote would go their way — or, at least be closer.
Unquote

Check the link for the rest of the story.

http://tinyurl.com/yo7zh7

tlrb

Buying Hearts And Minds of GOP Senators

It is full court press at the White House. The Alice in Wonderland Team is running in command over-ride mode trying to stop GOP defections.

Two GOP Senators already on record sending a NO MAS. As per Senator John Warner, more GOP Senators are expected to follow, right after the 4th of July holiday.

Tomorrow the White House is sending members of The Alice in Wonderland Team to Capitol Hill to confront what has become a TUFF crowd on the IRAQ war. It is time for some dealing and wheeling. It is time to buy some hearts and minds.

How have things changed in the past couple of weeks! NOW a majority in Congress are calling for the troops to start heading home within a few months. GOP members of the House are calling for the ISG to go back to the drawing board and come up with some options on IRAQ.

Something strange is happening. The Alice in Wonderland Team spokesman is talking about our troops coming home in the not so distant future [the president sees troop withdrawals over the horizon]. What happened?

Check this out.

While the White House thought they had until September to deal with political fallout on the unpopular war, officials may have forgotten another critical date: the upcoming 2008 elections.

"This is an important moment if we are still to have a bipartisan policy to deal with Iraq," Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., said in an interview Wednesday.

If Congress and the White House wait until September to change course in Iraq, Lugar said "It'll be further advanced in the election cycle. It makes it more difficult for people to cooperate. ... If you ask if I have some anxiety about 2008, I do."

Lugar, the senior Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, plans to meet Thursday privately with Bush's national security adviser, Stephen Hadley.

Hadley requested the meeting after Lugar delivered a lengthy floor speech contending the president's war strategy won't have time to work and that U.S. troops should start leaving.

National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said Hadley's message Thursday on Capitol Hill will be "where we see things currently in Iraq and that we need to see what the commanders on the ground and the ambassador have to say in September."

White House spokesman Tony Snow said he sees little space between Lugar and the president, who Snow said sees troop withdrawals "over the horizon."

Are you kidding me? The president sees troop withdrawals "over the horizon?" What is Tony drinking or smoking? Anyway, click on the attached link for the rest of the story.

http://tinyurl.com/29pnno

tlrb

Holy cow, look at all those NUKES !!!

An eye opener. There is a nice chart on Newsweek showing all the nukes available on the planet. Nine countries with a total of 26,000 nuclear warheads.

More than 8,000 strategic weapons operational and READY FOR USE on short notice.

Why do WE [United States] need 4,663 strategic weapons? WHERE are we going to drop all those nukes?

Go to the link, place your mouse cursor over a given country, and check those numbers!

http://tinyurl.com/yucfsk

Also, take a look at our military budget [compare our military budget to the rest of the nuclear capable countries combined].

tlrb

Mrs Edwards ahead "One to Nothing"

Good exchange between Elizabeth Edwards and Anorexia Nervosa Coulter [ANC] on the attached video link.

Mrs Edwards is asking ANC to stop the personal attacks.

But those personal attacks against John Edwards and against every other DEM politician is NOT going to stop [because that's the way ANC makes her living].

In my opinion Mrs Edwards did a good job on this one. And the current score is Mrs Edwards ahead One to Nothing.

Note, the best thing to do is to IGNORE the ANC [her GOP followers are very happy with her, so, she is making a lot of money with her hate speech].

Here is the video.

http://tinyurl.com/ysanqz

This is NOT the last time we are going to hear from Mrs Edwards and the ANC on this issue.

tlrb

Some GOP leaders are joining Jack Murtha

We are going back to the future on this one.

NOW some of our GOP Senators are jumping on the "we need to get the heck out of IRAQ bandwagon."

GOP Senator George Voinovich said on Tuesday the U.S. should begin pulling troops out of IRAQ.

GOP Senator Richard Lugar said on Monday the GWB's war strategy is failing. He said on Tuesday [on The News Hour on PBS] our troops needs to be re-deployed.

Where were THEY back in November of 2005, when the GOP assailed DEM Representative John Murtha for calling for immediate withdrawal of US troops from IRAQ?

Can't remember? Here is this from the Washington Post [dated November 18th, 2005].

The top House Democrat on military spending matters stunned colleagues yesterday by calling for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, while many congressional Democrats reacted defiantly to President Bush's latest attack on his critics.

Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), a decorated Vietnam War veteran, said many of those troops are demoralized and poorly equipped and, after more than two years of war, are impeding Iraq's progress toward stability and self-governance.

"Our troops have become the primary target of the insurgency," Murtha said in a Capitol news conference that left him in tears. Islamic insurgents "are united against U.S. forces, and we have become a catalyst for violence," he said. ". . . It's time to bring them home."

Murtha's action, coupled with stinging rhetoric from the White House, was the catalyst for a remarkable outpouring of rage on Capitol Hill about Iraqi war policy, an issue that for months was relatively dormant but now is dominating congressional debate.

In sometimes vitriolic terms, Republican leaders accused Democrats of siding with terrorists, and Democrats countered that Bush deceived the nation in starting a war that he has no strategy for ending. The bitter exchanges came as polls show Americans are increasingly eager to have Iraqis assume control so U.S. troops can come home.

Well, John Murtha was years ahead of the GOP crowd. The man was used and abused by the GOP during the rest of 2005 and during the 2006 mid term election. But now, more than 1500 American fatalities later, some of the GOP leaders concur with him.

Here is a link the the November 18th, 2005 article.

http://tinyurl.com/bcc6g

Business as usual. We have made INSIGNIFICANT progress in US politics.

We post, and you decide.

tlrb

We are NOT having a good year in IRAQ

Not a good year in IRAQ. In every single month of 2007, our fatalities number have surpassed the 80 mark. ONE is one too many. We are NOT having a good month of June, and this month is not over.

Our GIs continue to die while trying to HELP the IRAQIS. But the IRAQIS are not cooperating with our cause.

Our military commanders NOW have serious doubts that IRAQI security forces will be able to hold the ground our troops are fighting for [and getting killed for]. This is NOT what GWB and the Alice in Wonderland team wanted to hear from our commanders on the ground.

Our troops have made SOME PROGRESS regaining crucial areas in Baghdad and Baqouba. However, the IRAQI army [and police] are totally useless in maintaining security on their own. After more than 4 years on this war, our troops continue to play the duty cop.

In the way the SAMO was supposed to work, our troops were to take over territory under the control of insurgents. After the area was cleared of insurgents [and properly secured], the IRAQIS were supposed to take over [and keep the area out of insurgents hands]. This is not happening.

The problem is incompetence, lack of pride, and corruption.

Soon the Alice in Wonderland team will have to make some decision. Continue with the SAMO as is [relying on the unreliable IRAQIS], modify the SAMO to by-pass the IRAQIS [more GIs playing the duty cop], or [as the last recourse], fallback to the BAR plan.

Recap, we are NOT having a good month in IRAQ. The weather is getting worst [no break for our GIs walking around in the heat]. And as long as we have a large number of troops conducting house to house operations in IRAQ we will suffer casualties. This war is for real.

tlrb

I support the SURGE and ACCELERATE plan

For the record, I support the surge, accelerate [and move out] plan currently "in progress" in IRAQ.

I have called the plan the SAMO [acro for surge, accelerate, and move out]. Note that the "move out" portion is not part of the official plan.

I use the "move out" portion because our troops are NOT STAYING put in the areas reclaimed from the insurgency, those areas are turned over to the incompetent IRAQI security apparatus.

And of course, a few days or a few weeks after the area is turned over, the insurgents return to regain the territory.

The only problem that I see with the SAMO is that we depend on the IRAQIS for this plan to be successful. And we know how incompetent those IRAQIS are.

Bottom line, the SURGE and ACCELERATE plan [call it PLAN A] is our last hope to SAVE FACE in IRAQ.

If PLAN A fails, we will fallback to PLAN B.

And oh by the way, from this day on, PLAN B will be known here as the BAR option [stands for Blame And Run option].

So, if the SAMO fails, we just go to the BAR !!!

tlrb

Jumping on the anti IRAQ bandwagon

This could become routine. Another GOP Senator is jumping on "the IRAQ war strategy is failing" bandwagon. Senator George Voinovich said today the U.S. should begin pulling troops out of IRAQ.

Senator George Voinovich joined Senator Richard Lugar as the second GOP lawmaker in the past two days to suggest GWB's war strategy is failing.

Warning to the LWWs. Don't believe it all. This could be a setup. This could be the RWWs plan of misinformation.

As I have said ad nauseam, the 2008 presidential election is for the GOP to lose. The only issue the DEM team can take some political advantage on [vs the GOP] is the IRAQ war.

The RWWs plan is to make the IRAQ war a NON-ISSUE in 2008. The GOP can make it a non-issue by making an early move [by distancing themselves from a failed policy and by calling for a change of strategy].

The RWWs plan could is working. The RWWs have fooled the DEM leadership. On the attached link you will read about the DEM leader praising GOP Senator Richard Lugar [calling his speech brilliant and courageous].

Again, don't believe it all. Check the attached link for the rest of the story.

http://tinyurl.com/yulb29

tlrb

GOP Senator Lugar says NO MAS to IRAQ

Running for cover on the IRAQ policy. Things are not looking good for GWB and his Cabal. One of the few respected members of the US Senate [on the GOP side of the house] says that our IRAQ strategy is not working and that we should downsize our military role in IRAQ.

Senator Richard Lugar could not wait until September to jump ship. He wants to be one of the first abandoning ship [he wants to make sure there are life-rafts available]. This is BAD news for the incompetent administration running the White House. Read on.

Quote

Sen. Richard Lugar, a senior Republican and a reliable vote for President Bush on the war, said Monday that Bush's Iraq strategy was not working and that the U.S. should downsize the military's role.

The unusually blunt assessment deals a political blow to Bush, who has relied heavily on GOP support to stave off anti-war legislation.

It also comes as a surprise. Most Republicans have said they were willing to wait until September to see if Bush's recently ordered troop buildup in Iraq was working.

"In my judgment, the costs and risks of continuing down the current path outweigh the potential benefits that might be achieved," Lugar, R-Ind., said in a Senate floor speech. "Persisting indefinitely with the surge strategy will delay policy adjustments that have a better chance of protecting our vital interests over the long term."

Unquote

Blame And Run Strategy at work here. Expect to see the White House's Cabal running at full speed tomorrow coming with all type of excuses, but do NOT expect to see personal attacks against this respected US Senator [coming from the Cabal].

Expect to see heavy duty attacks coming from all sides of the RWW talk show hosts. Don't be surprise if the RWW talk show hosts start calling Senator Lugar a "Cut And Run Conservative."

Click on the attached link for rest of the story.

http://tinyurl.com/yvs8zk

tlrb

Hillary continues to lead the DEM pack

As I have said ad nauseam, I do not see Hillary making THE FINAL FOUR on the presidential primaries [as per my crystal ball the finalists are Edwards, Richardson, Huckabee, and Romney, but you should not bet your home on it].

Let's see how things are going on the weekly tracker done by Rasmussen. Check this out.

Quote

There are no surprises in this week’s polling on the race for the Democratic Presidential nomination. For the sixth straight week, New York Senator Hillary Clinton is in the mid-30s, Illinois Senator Barack Obama is in the mid-20s, and former North Carolina Senator John Edwards is in the mid-teens.

This week’s numbers are Clinton 37% Obama 25% and Edwards 13%. A week ago, it was Clinton 38% Obama 27% and Edwards 16%. Clinton has been within three points of the 35% level in seventeen of the last eighteen weekly updates. However, she has been at 35% or above for six of the past seven weeks. Prior to that, she had been under 35% for six weeks.

Clinton is viewed favorably by 80% of Democrats while 69% have a favorable opinion of Obama and 73% say the same about Edwards.

Unquote

One thing, Hillary is looking good against the GOP.

She leads McCain by 4 points in a general election match-up, but she continues to trail the GOP front-runner [Rudy] by a single point. This is all fine and dandy for polling purposes, but, the McCain/Hillary/Rudy trio is NOT making the finals !!!

Check the link for all the polling data - you will see some interesting numbers !!!

http://tinyurl.com/2zylny

tlrb

What al Qaeda Fighters?

In War Coverage, 'Insurgents' are quickly Morphing into 'Qaeda.' Okay shipmates, we are GUILTY as charge on this count. We keep using the bogus al Qaeda/al Qaida term here !!!

Check this out.

Quote

As E&P has noted in the past week, the U.S. military has increasingly referred to insurgents in Iraq as "al-Qaeda fighters" or "Qaeda militants."

When and why this is happening is not certain, although linking the insurgents to those who attacked us on 9/11 would appear to have certain benefits in the court of public opinion.

In the past, however, both military and outside observers have long stated that so-called "foreign fighters" or members of the group Al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia have made up only a tiny fraction of those who are actively battling the U.S. occupation.

Blogging at Salon.com this weekend, Glenn Greenwald has a lengthy take on this issue.

"What makes this practice all the more disturbing is how quickly and obediently the media has adopted the change in terms consciously issued by the Bush administration and their military officials responsible for presenting the Bush view of the war to the press," he concludes.

On Sunday, however, Mike Drummond from the Baghdad bureau of McClatchy, observes, "U.S. forces continue to battle Shiite militia in the south as well as Shiite militia and Sunni insurgents in Baghdad.

Yet America’s most wanted enemy at the moment is Sunni al Qaida in Iraq.

The Bush administration's recent shift toward calling the enemy in Iraq 'al Qaida' rather than an insurgency may reflect the difficulty in maintaining support for the war at home more than it does the nature of the enemy in Iraq.

Unquote

Click the link for the rest of the story.

http://tinyurl.com/2ugrvx

tlrb

Blame and Run Strategy

Blame and Run strategy. That is what Zbigniew Brezinski, former National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter, labeled our new strategy in IRAQ. He made those comments last year on The News Hour on PBS.

He knew what he was talking about. There is a lot of BLAME going on in the country, and now every Neocon is blaming the incompetent IRAQI Army for everything bad happening in IRAQ.

Here is a good report from Time magazine on the incompetence of the IRAQI security apparatus. Check this out.

Quote

Suicide bombers in Iraq have staged a deadly surge of their own, striking three targets on Monday — including the highly fortified Mansour Hotel in central Baghdad. Early reports put the combined death toll at 50, and climbing.

But how are militant groups sneaking their bombs and bombers past the giant security dragnet around Baghdad?

There are over 70,000 U.S. and Iraqi soldiers and Iraqi policemen spread across the city, conducting house-to-house searches and street patrols, walling off entire neighborhoods and setting up hundreds of checkpoints.

An ongoing TIME investigation has turned up several tactics insurgents use to evade detection and get past the security arrangements. Most of the tactics are designed to exploit the ineptitude of Iraqi security forces — the 30,000 soldiers and 21,000 police who are meant to support U.S. troops.

Lacking in training, equipment and motivation, the Iraqis are the soft underbelly of the surge. A U.S. military internal assessment of the surge in late May showed that they are often unable to perform the simplest tasks, like manning checkpoints. And insurgent groups take full advantage, easily slipping men and munitions in and out of neighborhoods guarded by Iraqi soldiers and police.

The simplest ruses work best, as the field commander of one insurgent group told me: "They never check cars with families, or children, or old people. If you have a woman passenger, you can drive past 50 checkpoints with a trunk full of C4, and you won't be stopped once."

Unquote

Read more about the incompetent IRAQI security apparatus on the attached link. There is a LOT of good reasons to BLAME our screw ups on the IRAQIS.

http://tinyurl.com/2x26t3

tlrb

Congratulations to AG Alberto Gonzales !!!

Congratulations to the "I don't remember and I don't recall" AG Gonzales. He just won "The Sitting Duck Award." But, WHY? Mike Argento, president of the society, explained Gonzales' selection, "We gave it to him but we can't remember why."

Okay, shipmates, check this out.

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales won American newspaper columnists' annual "Sitting Duck Award" for being an easy target.

"This is our way of saying thanks for the low-hanging fruit," said Samantha Bennett, vice president of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist.

Gonzales was widely ridiculed for his appearance before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee in April to answer questions about the firing of eight U.S. attorneys amid accusations they had been dismissed for political reasons.

Asked to explain his role in the firings, Gonzales said, "I don't recall" or "I have no recollection" 64 times, inviting criticism from even Republican senators, one of whom, Tom Coburn, called for his resignation.

Mike Argento, president of the society, explained Gonzales' selection, "We gave it to him but we can't remember why."

The Justice Department did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment on Monday.

Previous winners have included political commentator Ann Coulter, who was recognized in 2006 for "cheapening political discourse in America" and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in 2004.

Article attached.

http://tinyurl.com/2ewvn4

tlrb

Iwo Jima flag raiser dies at 86

In ref to my note about Flag Raisers, we are sad to report the death of one of the original flag raisers.

Check this from the Associated Press.

Charles W. Lindberg, one of the U.S. Marines who raised the first American flag over Iwo Jima during World War II, has died. He was 86.

Lindberg died Sunday at Fairview Southdale hospital in the Minneapolis suburb of Edina, said John Pose, director of the Morris Nilsen Funeral Home in Richfield, which is handling Lindberg's funeral.

Lindberg spent decades explaining that it was his patrol, not the one captured in the famous Associated Press photograph by Joe Rosenthal, that raised the first flag as U.S. forces fought to take the Japanese island.

In the late morning of Feb. 23, 1945, Lindberg fired his flame-thrower into enemy pillboxes at the base of Mount Suribachi and then joined five other Marines fighting their way to the top. He was awarded the Silver Star for bravery.

"Two of our men found this big, long pipe there," he said in an interview with The Associated Press in 2003. "We tied the flag to it, took it to the highest spot we could find and we raised it.

"Down below, the troops started to cheer, the ship's whistles went off, it was just something that you would never forget," he said. "It didn't last too long, because the enemy started coming out of the caves."

But there is more! Click here for the rest of the story!

tlrb

Not a good weekend in IRAQ

By any standards, NOT a good weekend in IRAQ for the good guys. We have lost way too many of our Bravest in the past 96 hours.

Our Bravest continue "to search and bag" the al Qaeda IFWs, but our military is now admitting that the high ranking IFWs managed to leave the area of Baqouba before the start of the latest operation.

This is becoming routine. Someone working for the coalition is giving the enemy information of upcoming operations.

Our ground commander in the area said our troops have cleared about 60 percent of western Baqouba of IFWs. He also said that IRAQI security forces are not quite up to the job yet of holding the gains long term.

As per Army Brigadier General Bednarek, it will take weeks or months before Iraqi security forces are ready to police the reclaimed area on their own.

Why do we keep getting the same assessment about the useless IRAQI security forces, after so many years of training?

We need to give them another six months, and then we will see some improvement - but, how many sets of six months do they need to get their stuff together?

We have made zippo progress on getting the IRAQIS to take care of their own. The country is now used to be "protected" by our troops, and it could be YEARS before they learn to take care of their own.

Time is NOT on our side. We do not have YEARS [or money] to waste baby-sitting IRAQIS.

tlbr

The numbers are in - GWB down the tubes

The numbers are in !!!

As per the latest poll GWB is the WORST PRESIDENT since RICHARD NIXON !!

Good news for members of the GOP Apology Team. GWB's numbers are BETTER than those of the Do-Nothing-Congress.

GWB is hanging tuff at TWENTY SIX percent approval rating.

That is TWO points BELOW the worst approval rating attained by JIMMY CARTER during the last week of June 1979 [28 percent approval rating].

But, he is not the worst in history. That honor belongs to RICHARD NIXON during the first week of January 1974 [23 percent approval rating].

Okay, there is another piece of GOOD news.

GWB is well liked by GOP voters. SIXTY percent of them are giving GWB thumbs UP.

GWB and his team are sucking on the WAR ON IRAQ ratings. Only 23 percent are giving GWB [and his Cabal] thumbs up on the way they are running the war. A total of SEVENTY THREE percent just said NO to the way GWB [and his Cabal] are running the war.

But what about the Do-Nothing-Congress?

Good question, their approval rating stands at TWENTY FIVE [one point below GWB's approval rating].

Hang in there GWB, you have only THREE points to go before matching the WORST numbers of RICHARD NIXON.

Personal note from tlrb. As I have said ad nauseam, I consider this administration NIXONIAN [in their dirty tactics], and JIMMY CARTERESQUE [in performance]. This administration have failed [and failed miserably]. A large majority of Americans concur with my views.

Check the link for the rest of the story, there is a LOT of good information on the attached link.

http://tinyurl.com/3dbk6l

tlrb

The Structural Imbalance of Political Talk Radio

It is time for the so-called Progressive to stop whining about the Fairness Doctrine. Here we have a report from The Center for American Progress on how UNFAIR the system is. The system is designed to help "The Conservatives Cause." Or is it?

Conservative talk radio is everywhere on the radio dial! Is the GOP to be blamed for this? I don't think so. Progressive can start by blaming "Scandal-a-week-Slick Willie" for the explosion of the Conservative talk radio.

Anyway, here is this from the report.

As this report will document in detail, conservative talk radio undeniably dominates the format:

Our analysis in the spring of 2007 of the 257 news/talk stations owned by the top five commercial station owners reveals that 91 percent of the total weekday talk radio programming is conservative, and 9 percent is progressive.

Each weekday, 2,570 hours and 15 minutes of conservative talk are broadcast on these stations compared to 254 hours of progressive talk—10 times as much conservative talk as progressive talk.

A separate analysis of all of the news/talk stations in the top 10 radio markets reveals that 76 percent of the programming in these markets is conservative and 24 percent is progressive, although programming is more balanced in markets such as New York and Chicago.

This dynamic is repeated over and over again no matter how the data is analyzed, whether one looks at the number of stations, number of hours, power of stations, or the number of programs. While progressive talk is making inroads on commercial stations, conservative talk continues to be pushed out over the airwaves in greater multiples of hours than progressive talk is broadcast.

These empirical findings may not be surprising given general impressions about the format, but they are stark and raise serious questions about whether the companies licensed to broadcast over the public airwaves are serving the listening needs of all Americans.

There are many potential explanations for why this gap exists.

Nonsense. The reason WHY Conservative radio is beating the pants out of Progressive, is because Progressives can't get their stuff together. Can YOU mention THREE talk show hosts working on Progressive radio?

Right now the only THREE Progressive talk show hosts worth listening to are Ed Shultz, transmitting from Fargo ND; Jon Elliot, transmitting from San Diego CA; and Thom Hartmann, transmitting from Portland OR.

We can mention a TON of names of Conservative talk show hosts. Anyway, it is time for our Progressive compadres to stop whining and get with the program [that is, come up with something worth listening to].

Here are a couple of links, please check them out.

Article: http://tinyurl.com/2hz4kd

Report on pdf format: http://tinyurl.com/3yjvvl

tlrb

Time to STOP second-guessing the force size

The SAMO continues in IRAQ and there are sign of progress in SOME areas of that insignificant country. As the number of GIs went up, so did the number of critics of our force size.

We did not have enough troops from day one. Well, we are no longer in day one. Time to stop second-guessing our incompetent war planners. Lessons learned. The next time we will get it right. Check some of the second-guessers.

Second-guessers at home.

Retired Army Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey, who in 2003 was among the first to call public attention to the relatively small size of the U.S. invasion force, said that the new operation shows how outnumbered U.S. troops remain. "Why would we think that a temporary presence of 30,000 additional combat troops in a giant city would change the dynamics of a bitter civil war?" he said in an interview yesterday. "It's a fool's errand."

Second-guessers in Iraq.

An officer working in Arrowhead Ripper, the subsidiary offensive in Diyala province, said wearily, "We just do not have the forces in country right now to have the appropriate level of presence across the country."

More second-guessing at home.

Many counterinsurgency experts agree. Andrew F. Krepinevich Jr., the director of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a national security think tank, said flatly that Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, does not have enough troops. "I suspect General Petraeus is taking a risk here, but that's what commanders do," he said.

The issue of the number of troops has dogged the Bush administration and its generals since before the war began. Retired Gen. Colin L. Powell, then secretary of state, told Gen. Tommy R. Franks in September 2002 -- seven months before the U.S. invasion -- there were not enough troops in the war plan. Most famously, Gen. Eric K. Shinseki, then the Army's chief of staff, told a congressional hearing a month before the assault that the plan did not call for a sufficiently large occupation force.

Yet some who were sharply critical of the Bush administration back then judge the situation in another way now. "I think it is different -- better planned, and tied to the operations in Baghdad," said retired Army Maj. Gen. William L. Nash. He still maintains that the U.S. presence is at least 50,000 soldiers short but said that at least now "the troops we do have are being used economically and are being directed towards specific, important objectives."

More second-guessing in Iraq.

But some officers in Iraq sharply disagreed with the assertion that the United States finally has enough personnel to bring security to the country. "I believe we have enough U.S. troops for this specific operation," said a U.S. military strategist there, referring to Phantom Thunder. "I do not believe we've ever had enough troops to do all of the tasks we should be doing in Iraq."

For more on second-guessing, check the attached link.

http://tinyurl.com/2d4o6p

tlrb

Why Colin Powell spoke out

Good Op-ed here by Lawrence Wilkerson on former SecState Colin Powell.

Since former Secretary of State Colin Powell appeared on "Meet the Press" on June 10, I have had numerous inquiries as to why.

My answer has been that Powell understands the truth of Richard Nixon's words: "Whoever is president of the United States, and what he does, is going to determine the kind of world we have."

Since 2001, George Bush and Richard Cheney have determined a world that an increasing number of Americans - not to mention hosts of other people on the planet - find extremely disturbing and dangerous.

Start with the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. As Powell said, it has tarnished America's reputation so badly that dictators in Africa, Latin America and elsewhere now hurl Guantanamo back in our faces when we criticize their violations of human rights. Worse, friends and allies secretly applaud when they do.

And there is more. Click on the link for the rest of the story.

http://tinyurl.com/237arp

tlrb

Taking the fight to the enemy and making progress

We are making slow progress in IRAQ. But slow is better than none. The IFWs have taken a good whipping, with at least 68 al Qaeda IFWs placed at room temperature in the past four days of Operation Arrowhead Ripper.

We have made progress in some areas. Check this from General Odierno, he said that three developments suggest PROGRESS for US-led troops in IRAQ.

Attacks in Ramadi, where insurgents have long had a strong presence in what is the Sunni-dominated provincial capital, are at a two-year low, he said.

"Large-scale ... car and truck bombs are down because Iraqi security forces are doing their job," Odierno said.

Tribal and former insurgent groups are "reaching out to us and we are reaching back. They want to fight al Qaeda, and we think they can help us."

But Odierno also said that Iranian elements have been providing support to militants in Iraq to counter what the Bush administration calls a surge of more U.S. troops to Iraq. "I think as we talked about surging forces... I think maybe Iran decided to surge more money, conduct a bit more training and surge a few more weapons into Iraq at the same time," he said.

Oh by the way, General Odierno expect to see TROOPS REDUCTION in IRAQ by next Spring [if the Iraqi Security Apparatus can get their stuff together].

We have NOT made any progress on the misinformation war. We must continue to BUY hearts and minds of the good IRAQIs [this is money well invested].

More on the attached link.

http://tinyurl.com/ynwjzd

tlrb

The Flag Raisers

As you can see I have changed the photo of the month to what I believe to be the most inspiring photograph ever taken on a war zone.

In my opinion, this photograph is second to none.

There are six Flag Raisers on the photo. Four in the front line and two in back. The front four are (left to right) Ira Hayes, Franklin Sousley, John Bradley and Harlon Block. The back two are Michael Strank (behind Sousley) and Rene Gagnon (behind Bradley). Strank, Block and Sousley would die shortly afterwards. Bradley, Hayes and Gagnon became national heroes within weeks.

Click on the link below for short profiles of the six GIs in Joe Rosenthal's famous photograph of the flag raising on Mount Suribachi.

http://tinyurl.com/tzyhf

Name change.

And oh by the way, are you aware that Japan has renamed the island of Iwo Jima [last Monday] to the old name of Iwo To [pronounced ee-woh-toh]?

In Japanese the name looks and means the same as Iwo Jima [Sulfur Island], but has a different sound.

I support and HONOR our American Veterans.

tlrb

Wife of missing GI will NOT be deported

Here is a follow-up to my note on the wife a missing GI facing deportation.

Finally, we are making progress in our justice system. As reported by the Associated Press, the wife of one of our missing GIs in IRAQ is no longer facing deportation.

Yaderlin, the wife of Army Spec. Alex Jimenez, who has been missing since his unit was attacked by IFWs in IRAQ on May 12, had petitioned for the now infamous "Green Card" for his wife [came from the Dominican Republic illegally back in 2001].

Enter the career politicians.

Yesterday, Senators Edward Kennedy and John Kerry urged officials not to deport the GI's wife.

As per a Department of Homeland Security spokesman, the deportation case is closed, and there are no plans to reopen it.

tlrb

TUFF week for our GIs in IRAQ

We are making slow progress in SOME areas of IRAQ. Some of the Sunni Militias are helping the coalition on the fight against the al Qaida IFWs. Our military is investing a LOT of money [cash and weapons] on winning the hearts and minds of some of the militias. Hopefully those weapons will never be used against the good guys.

Note that we have changed the designation of those NOW helping us, we used to call them "Sunni Insurgents" but now they are designated as "Sunni Militias." Many of them have American blood on their hands, but we do not want to go there.

On the latest operation to exterminate the al Qaida IFWs, our military [with the help of some of those militiamen] have placed at room temperature 40 or 50 of them. Yes we are NOW in the business of counting enemy bodies.

Some of the areas are now under control of the good guys [but we know what happens after we leave those areas previously under the control of the good guys].

Bad news. On the American side of the house, we have lost at least fourteen of our Bravest in the past forty eight hours. Five of our Bravest were killed early today by IED on a single roadside bombing against a convoy.

Honestly, I was expecting the month of June 2007 to be a good month for our GIs in IRAQ. Again, I was proven wrong by the events on the ground. June 2007 is on pace to become our tenth consecutive month with seventy or more fatalities [we must stop this bad streak].

As I have said before, I continue to support the SAMO [search, accelerate, and move out], and I believe that WITH TIME we have a good chance to get things under control in Baghdad. But, again, "bullets alone are not going to win this war."

We need the incompetent IRAQI government to step up and do their part. It is time for "The American Candidate" ruling IRAQ to meet some of the benchmarks. "Benchmarks, what benchmarks, we don't need no stinkin' benchmarks."

We do NOT want to see our troops patrolling the streets of Baghdad for the next ten years.

tlrb

LOSING the misinformation war

Good Op-Ed here from The Christian Science Monitor on how the bad guys are beating us to the punch on the misinformation war. The IFWs are using the media big time to their advantage.

The IFWs are winning hearts and minds, thanks to the media.

As the struggle in Iraq between the insurgents on the one hand and US military and Iraqi security forces on the other reaches a climactic phase, it is clear that the insurgents, far from being a band of crude guerilla fighters, have taken the Al Qaeda leader's injunction to heart and have coupled the tactics of terror with a sophisticated knowledge and use of modern media.

Their command of the Internet, their use of television, their release and timing of material calculated to be picked up and used by Arab and Western TV outlets and news agencies, indicates a high degree of planning and professionalism.

The IFW control of the media was the number one issue on the former SecDef Rumsfeld's table [he said he could not sleep well at night thinking about how the bad guys were controlling the media].

And this is what some of our officers are saying:

Now some US military officers, too, charge that a clever enemy media campaign is gaining traction and that the US is losing the war in information about battlefield operations.

Check the link for the rest of the story.

http://tinyurl.com/2gmvbo

tlrb

An Immigration Judge with a HEART

A good case here for the PRO and CON on the immigration reform.

The wife of a soldier missing in IRAQ could face deportation.

Army Spec. Alex Jimenez [POW/MIA in IRAQ since May 12th 2007] had submitted an application for a GREEN CARD and legal residence for his wife Yaderlin.

Yaderlin [from the Dominican Republic] have resided illegally in the US since 2001.

That application for green card and legal residence alerted the authorities and they immediately took action [it is deportation time, boys !!!].

Enter the Judge with a heart.

An immigration judge put a temporary stop to the proceedings since Alex Jimenez was reported missing.

For all those politicians on the CON side of the immigration reform, I just wonder WHO is going to DEMAND that this woman be deported NOW.

Read more about it on the attached link.

http://tinyurl.com/yobm4c

tlrb

Malaya and Algeria: Lessons in Counterinsurgency

Good article written by Lt. Col. Stephen D. Sklenka, Commandant of the Marine Corps fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

I find this very interesting.

As the U.S.-led coalition force enters its fifth year in Iraq, a look back at two pivotal insurgencies from the mid-20th Century provides crucial lessons for our future actions in Iraq.

Both the British experience in Malaya and the French experience in Algeria contain exceptional insights that are worthy of reconsideration as we refine our counterinsurgency actions.

Though they differed in some important ways, those two counterinsurgencies show how the basic aims of most insurgencies, and therefore the strategies needed to defeat them, are fundamentally the same.

These similarities remain despite the technological modernization and profound advances in war fighting that have occurred since.

Both the British and the French recognized the indigenous populace as the center of gravity in their respective counterinsurgencies.

The British commander, Gen. Gerald Templer, and the French commander, Col. David Galula, were both enlightened military leaders who eschewed the popular thought of the time that mandated the application of martial power to subjugate insurgents.

Instead, both embraced a far more holistic attitude that acknowledged the necessity of having the indigenous populace achieve victory rather than relying exclusively on the interventional forces to accomplish that objective.

As I have said ad nauseam, bullets alone are NOT going to end the violence we are facing in IRAQ. There must be a political solution. But so far The American Candidate is just not making the grade. It is time for new faces in the IRAQI government.

But back to the article, please click on the link for the rest of a GOOD article on lessons learned from British and French occupations. There are a lot of similarities with what is happening to us in IRAQ!!! Check this out.

The similarities inherent in the nature of counterinsurgency mandated that the British and French focus on the same tasks: allaying the fears of the public and reestablishing the legitimacy of the central government. These lessons are applicable for contemporary counterinsurgencies.

http://tinyurl.com/2y4k5a

Updated at 1902 Pacific time - I have added another important link. Lessons learned by the French in Algeria [this applies to the current "occupation" of IRAQ]. Please check this out.

http://tinyurl.com/25fznb

tlrb

Taking the fight to the IFW

Good job by our GIs! About 10,000 of them, armed to their teeth, fought their way into some type of al-Qaida sanctuary located on the northeast of Baghdad yesterday.

The IFWs took a beating, the good guys killed at least 22 IFWs [yes, we are now in the business of counting enemy bodies because everyone is counting US bodies].

As per our military, Operation Arrowhead Ripper took place in the area of Baqouba [capital of Diyala province on the northeast of the capital], involving air assaults in the middle of the night.

Operation Arrowhead Ripper is part of the new and improved SAMO attacks on the north and south of Baghdad. The goal is to clean the area of Sunni/al-Qaida/Shia IFWs who had fled Baghdad and Anbar during the first few months of the SAMO.

The operation is expected to continue. The good thing, now with all the troops assigned to the SAMO in place, our military is going to previously "no go" areas in search of the IFWs.

The temperature in Iraq is getting HOT. Our troops have done their best under BAD conditions and there is no light at the end of the tunnel [not yet].

Another lesson learned on this war, the civilians running this war were totally unprepared for this type of insurgency [in 2003 they just could not believe that we had an insurgency in the making].

tlrb

The Lowest Rated Blog domain change

Updated at 2110 Pacific Time:

The new domain is now up and running. Welcome to:

http://lowestrated.com [and the www counterpart].

==============

Heads up.

We have used the mcpofig dot com domain name as the main entry point to The Lowest Rated Blog for the past couple of months.

In the next few hours [after the new domain name is activated] we will attempt to move it to a different domain.

If the move is successful you will be able to find it at:

http://lowestrated.com/ or http://www.lowestrated.com/

and if all else fails, you can find it via the Blogger site at:

http://politicom.blogspot.com/

Plus, to my friends getting notification about The Lowest Rated Blog via email, we will be using a different email [from gmail]. The new header [from line] will read from "The Lowest Rated Blog."

The current [at] cox email account is useless [for some reason we just can's stop the massive spam attacks on a daily basis].

Thanks for reading and thanks for your support.

tlrb

GWB beating DEM Congress to the punch

Here are some very interesting numbers from The Rasmussen Report.

Nineteen percent approval rating for the Failed DEM Congress.

Thirty-five percent approval rating for the Failed GOP President.

Things are looking good at the White House. There is no reason to be worry.

Voters are talking about the LOW approval rating for the president. But what about the SOLID nineteen percent approval rating now enjoyed by the do-nothing, cojoneles, no-bolas, DEM Congress?

And oh by the way, a month ago 26% of American voters believed that the DEM Congress was doing a good to excellent job [going down hill].

And the REAL bad news, among DEM voters, only 24% say the DEM Congress is doing a good or an excellent job [down eleven points from 35% a month ago].

Hard to believe, but true, overall only 8% of Americans believe it is very likely that DEM Congress will seriously address the important issues facing the nation this year.

And what about potus?

Well, for GWB, 35% of Americans approve of the way he is performing his job as President. But another 64% are NOT satisfied with his performance. His approval rating is 38% on the MEN side of the house, with only 32% approval rating on the WOMEN side of the house.

tlrb

The Light At The End Of The IRAQI Tunnel

There is no light at the end of the tunnel.

As a matter of facts, we do not expect to see the light for the next 8 to 10 years.

Members of the failed administration are running for cover after the not so rosy scenario painted yesterday by General Petraeus.

As per the general, conditions in IRAQ we will NOT see significant improvement in IRAQ by the month of September 2007 to justify a draw down of US Forces. As per the general we have a LOT of heavy lifting to do in IRAQ.

So, how long can we expect the counter insurgency operations to continue in IRAQ? The general gave a good example yesterday. Here is a quote from The Washington Post:

Asserting steady, albeit slow, military and political progress, Petraeus said that the "many, many challenges" would not be resolved "in a year or even two years." Similar counterinsurgency operations, he said, citing Britain's experience in Northern Ireland, "have gone at least nine or 10 years." He said he and Crocker would make "some recommendations on the way ahead" to Congress, and that it was realistic to assume "some form of long-term security arrangement" with Iraq.

So, America, are YOU ready support our troops in IRAQ for another TEN YEARS? Get ready, because it could happen. We are in IRAQ up to our neck, there are no easy solutions, and there is NO easy way out. At this point of the game we can NOT pack and run.

At least one of our presidential candidates is NOT willing to play hit and run in IRAQ for another ten years. Enter John Edwards. This was released today by John Edwards, in response to General Petreau's comments on “Fox News Sunday” that stabilizing Iraq could take as long as a decade:

“General Petraeus’ comments are just the latest example of the Bush Administration’s disconnect from the reality on the ground. In order to get the Iraqi people to take responsibility for their country, we must show them that we are serious about leaving, and the best way to do that is to actually start leaving. Instead of talking about keeping our troops in Iraq for another decade, the Administration should begin bringing our troops home to the hero’s welcome they deserve. “The American people have called for a new course in Iraq. It is time to end this war. Congress should correct its mistake and use its constitutional funding power to force an immediate withdrawal of 40-50,000 troops to stop the surge and force the Iraqis and regional powers to find a political solution, and require complete withdrawal of all combat troops within about a year.”

So, based on the statement by our senior military man in IRAQ, about current conditions on the ground, I will have to make some adjustments to my predictions.

I can no longer say that we will see "MEASURABLE progress" during the months of June and July of 2007.

As per some radio reports, members of the failed administration are hard at work [high level meeting at the White House] trying to come up with ideas on how to make some corrections to the SAMO [surge, accelerate, and move out].

Attached is the link to the article from The Washington Post.

http://tinyurl.com/yryk2n

tlrb

General Taguba forced out over Prison-Gate

Do the right thing regardless of the consequences. Remember the Prison-Gate? The infamous Abu Ghraib prison abuse by some of our military members. This was hot stuff in the Spring of 2004, and the good General Antonio Taguba was in the middle of the storm.

The good general knew what was coming after he conducted the investigation. He knew his career "was over." He kept the names of those helping him secret, in order to protect their careers.

I have included two good articles on what happened to the good general. Please take your time to read the article from The New Yorker.

This good man was ostracized and forced out of the service for doing the right thing.

Here is this from the Intl Herald Tribune.

quote

The army general who investigated the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal has said he was forced into retirement by civilian Pentagon officials because he had been "overzealous."

In an interview with The New Yorker, Major General Antonio Taguba said that former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other senior civilian and military officials had treated him brusquely after the investigation into the formerly American-run prison near Baghdad was completed in 2004.

He also said that in early 2006 he was ordered, without explanation, to retire within a year.

"They always shoot the messenger," Taguba said. "To be accused of being overzealous and disloyal - that cuts deep into me. I was ostracized for doing what I was asked to do."

In a brief interview Saturday in which he confirmed his comments to The New Yorker, Taguba said that Thomas Hall, the assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs, was the first to tell him, in January 2006, that he was being forced out.

"He called me in and said I was no longer part of the team," Taguba said. "When someone calls you in and says, 'I have to let you go,' and offers no explanation, you connect the dots."

That same month, he added, General Richard Cody, the army's vice chief of staff, told him that he would have to retire within a year.

Hall could not be reached for comment.

Taguba was assigned to the Office of Reserve Affairs at the Pentagon after completing the Abu Ghraib investigation. His March 2004 report on the scandal found that "numerous incidents of sadistic, blatant, and wanton criminal abuses were inflicted on several detainees" at Abu Ghraib by soldiers from the 372nd Military Police Company from October to December 2003.

unquote

Please check the links for the rest of the story. You want to read the whole article from the New Yorker, please take your time and read the whole thing.

Intl Herald Tribune article:
http://tinyurl.com/237cqw

The New Yorker article:
http://tinyurl.com/24th2s

tlrb

The "Uncrackable Code" Talkers

The Navajo Code Talkers [the only team in WWII with an uncrackable code] are finally getting a memorial outside the capitol in Phoenix Arizona, plus, the team will be featured in a US postage stamp. About time.

Good article here from Reuters.

The code talkers served in all six Marine divisions and took part in every assault carried out in the Pacific Theater, one of the toughest of the war.

Little recalls scrambling down a cargo net with his radio pack and rifle, leaping into a landing craft in the roiling ocean off the Marshall Islands in early 1944. Later he landed under fire on the beach head, sprinting for cover.

The Navajos sent and received messages as war planes raced overhead, artillery pounded and troops fought with fixed bayonets.

"You didn't know if you would live through it or not," veteran Jimmy Begay, 85, said of the bloody and relentless campaign.

One message he took from a Marine unit pinned down in the Solomon Islands read simply: "Send a tank with a flame thrower."

The Navajos' reputation grew as island after island fell, and was sealed at Iwo Jima, which the Marine Corps took back in a 35-day battle in which nearly 20,000 Japanese and 7,000 Americans died.

There, six Navajo code talkers worked around the clock, sending and receiving more than 800 vital messages without error in the first two days of the battle alone.

"Were it not for the Navajos, the Marines world never have taken Iwo Jima," Maj. Howard Connor, 5th Marine Division's signal officer, said after the war.

More about our Native American heroes on the attached link.

http://tinyurl.com/2b3uaq

tlrb

GOOD and BAD news from IRAQ

The good news - the SAMO continues, and as per the Pentagon we have completed the SURGE in IRAQ and now we have approximately 165,000 GIs on the ground [this includes those from the SAMO].

We expect things to get BETTER in the not so distant future. Regardless if they are better or not we will have a GOOD report from the ground in a just three months. Our good general Petraeus will be giving the SAMO report to Congress in mid September.

Here is this from the Washington Post.

Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, and other U.S. officials have argued that it was not fair to judge the surge strategy until all 28,500 troops arrived and had time to exert their influence on the ground. The announcement of that milestone came Friday.

The military is expected to do a preliminary assessment of the surge in July, and in September, Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker are to submit a joint assessment of the strategy to Congress.

While calling the 28,500 troop build-up "the surge" seems to have stuck, the name is a misnomer. In fact, the additional troops bring the total U.S. forces here to about 165,000, the most ever. But when put in the context of all U.S. and foreign coalition forces in Iraq, the extra troops bring the number roughly to where is was for most of 2004 and 2005, when the coalition fluctuated between 161,000 and 183,000 troops.

The main difference is that other countries that used to contribute about 25,000 troops now send just over 12,000. Military spokesman Garver said that about 21,000 of the additional U.S. troops are posted inside Baghdad, and the rest are stationed in the suburban belt around the city.

"To control Baghdad, you need to control the approach to Baghdad as well," Garver said. He noted, for instance, that "many car bomb factories are not inside the capital but in the belt around it, and they have a significant impact inside Baghdad."

U.S. military officials have complained that the surge got off to a slow start because Iraqi police and army units performed poorly and Iraqi officials did not provided all the units they had promised. Many of the units also are considered infiltrated by Shiite militias.

Read more about it on the attache link.

But first, the BAD news.

Please DO NOT blame the awesome members of our military for our screw ups in IRAQ. We lost five of our Bravest in IRAQ in the past 24 hours. As long as we stay in IRAQ we will suffer fatalities.

A very TUFF CALENDAR YEAR for our military in IRAQ [we have lost approximately 1050 GIs in IRAQ since June 1st of 2006]. As I have said ad nauseam, this war will NOT be WON by coalition bombs and bullets alone.

http://tinyurl.com/yvvczl

tlrb

Senator Reid - Another case of foot and mouth

Holy cow, he did it again. The man continues to suffer from Foot and Mouth.

Now, here on The Lowest Rated Blog we can make this type of statements, but is NOT a good idea for a member from the House or the Senate to make this type of statement.

Check this out.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid caused a stir Thursday when he said Gen. Peter Pace failed in his job of providing Congress a candid assessment on the Iraq war and that he was concerned Gen. David Petraeus might be guilty of the same.

Democrats typically have shied from stinging comments on military officers, instead focusing on President Bush and administration policies in Iraq.

Republicans responded vigorously to the change against Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq.

Each time the GOP is going down the tubes there comes Senator Reid to the rescue!!!

Check the link for the rest of the story.

http://tinyurl.com/22vmm3

tlrb

Today is FLAG DAY

Today is Flag Day [at my home EVERY day is Flag Day].

Please display Old Glory proudly [and attach a yellow ribbon if you have one].

Here is this from the National Flag Foundation:

On June 14th, 1885, Bernard J. Cigrand, a 19 year old teacher at Stony Hill School, placed a 10 inch, 38- star flag in a bottle on his desk then assigned essays on the flag and its significance.

This observance, commemorated Congresses adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the flag of the United States on June 14, 1777.

This observance was also the beginning of Cigrand’s long years of fervent and devoted effort to bring about national recognition and observance of Flag Day.

The crowning achievement of his life came at age fifty when President Wilson, on June 14, 1916, issued a proclamation calling for a nation wide observance of Flag Day.

Long Live Old Glory !!!

tlrb

Attorney-Gate - it is subpoena time !!!

Finally the Cojoneless Congress is getting some guevos. After the embarrassing "no confidence on the AG vote" by the Senate [a total failure], Congress have issued subpoenas for TWO of the White House insiders.

Subpoenaed by Congress were issued yesterday for former White House counsel Harriet Miers and former political adviser Sara Taylor.

Can you say political showdown? Yes, between congressional powers and executive privilege.

The leaders of the judiciary committees [House and Senate] are STILL looking into the bogus reasons given by the DOJ for the firing of federal prosecutors last year.

Note that the White House did make an offer - letting Harriet Miers and Sara Taylor to be interviewed "without a transcript and without taking an oath."

Our Cojoneless Congress replied to the White House's offer was "No Deal."

About time. I want to see crooks and liars in front of Congress UNDER OATH. Let's see if we can get down to business and find the whole truth [can we handle the truth?].

It is time to call YOUR Congressman/Congresswoman, get them on the phone and give them an "Atta-Congressman" or an "Atta-Congresswoman" for showing some guevos with the latest set of subpoenas.

tlrb

GOP Joe calls for BOMBING Iran

Very interesting to see a Washington Desk Warrior calling for BOMBS over IRAN. Hopefully everyone here saw or read about his interview on CBS's Face the Nation.

So, this desk warrior wants to kick some !!!

Let's hear from a REAL warrior - General Wesley Clark:

Senator Lieberman's saber rattling does nothing to help dissuade Iran from aiding Shia militias in Iraq, or trying to obtain nuclear capabilities. In fact, it's highly irresponsible and counter-productive, and I urge him to stop.

This kind of rhetoric is irresponsible and only plays into the hands of President Ahmadinejad, and those who seek an excuse for military action. What we need now is full-fledged engagement with Iran.

We should be striving to bridge the gulf of almost 30 years of hostility and only when all else fails should there be any consideration of other options.

The Iranians are very much aware of US military capabilities.

They don't need Joe Lieberman to remind them that we are the militarily dominant power in the world today.

Only someone who never wore the uniform or thought seriously about national security would make threats at this point.

Right on the money !!!

Check this link for the rest of the story.

http://tinyurl.com/26hrcz

Check this link for MORE.

http://tinyurl.com/yovxtv

Now let me clarify something about our Washington Desk Warrior. This is from the second link.

Lieberman got military deferments during the Vietnam era because first he was in college and was later married with children.

tlrb

John Edwards - here is the latest video

Here is another good video [thanks MA for the link].

Check it out.

And, as I have said before, if you have a video about YOUR candidate [made by YOU] send me a link and we will post it here.

http://www.vsocial.com/video/?d=91522

tlrb

NOT looking good for OBAMA on this one

As I have discussed before, I do not see OBAMA making THE FINAL FOUR. That is one of the reasons for not writing muchos notes about this candidate.

As I have said before, I do not see him making it past the first round of primaries. Okay, there you have it, I said it again.

There is an article on the Chicago Sun Times which in my opinion is BAD NEWS for team OBAMA.

Here are some quotes.

As a state senator, Barack Obama wrote letters to city and state officials supporting his political patron Tony Rezko's successful bid to get more than $14 million from taxpayers to build apartments for senior citizens.

The deal included $855,000 in development fees for Rezko and his partner, Allison S. Davis, Obama's former boss, according to records from the project, which was four blocks outside Obama's state Senate district.

The letters appear to contradict a statement last December from Obama, who told the Chicago Tribune that, in all the years he's known Rezko, "I've never done any favors for him.''

On Tuesday, Bill Burton, press secretary for Obama's presidential campaign, said the letters Obama wrote in support of the development weren't intended as a favor to Rezko or Davis.

"This wasn't done as a favor for anyone," Burton said in a written statement. "It was done in the interests of the people in the community who have benefited from the project.

"I don't know that anyone specifically asked him to write this letter nine years ago," the statement said. "There was a consensus in the community about the positive impact the project would make and Obama supported it because it was going to help people in his district. . . . They had a wellness clinic and adult day-care services, as well as a series of social services for residents. It's a successful project. It's meant a lot to the community, and he's proud to have supported it.''

The development, called the Cottage View Terrace apartments, opened five years ago at 4801 S. Cottage Grove, providing 97 apartments for low-income senior citizens.

Asked about the Obama letters, Rezko's attorney, Joseph Duffy, said Tuesday, "Mr. Rezko never spoke with, nor sought a letter from, Senator Obama in connection with that project."

Davis couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday.

Already then, there you have it. See, I wrote something about candidate OBAMA. And soon I will write something about candidate CLINTON.

Check the link for the rest of the story.

http://tinyurl.com/yswykx

tlrb

We are making SLOW progress in IRAQ

I sit in front of this computer on a daily basis, several times each day, looking for GOOD NEWS coming from IRAQ. But the GOOD news are slow to come. I see a lot of BAD news. And I see a lot of news about SOME of our politicians talking about HOW GOOD things are looking in IRAQ.

But the majority of those painting a rosy scenario are members of the party in charge of the White House. You can't blame them. THEY came up with the idea of the invasion, and THEY planned for a quick war, with a quick exit [go in, kick some unowat, take charge, install the American Candidate, and move out - in only 120 days].

Again, can't blame THEM for their optimistic expectations during the pre-invasion phase of the operation. The only issue that I have with the CIVILIANS running this war is this: THEY have failed to tell John Q Public the truth [and THEY continue to lie].

You want to hear The Truth?

a. Regardless of all the LIES fed to you by part of our civilians running this war, our troops went in with good intentions.

b. Our troops tried their best to do the right thing.

c. Our troops did an outstanding job getting rid of the bad guys running the country.

d. Our troops continue to do an outstanding job under BAD conditions.

e. The civilians running this war made mistake after mistake.

f. The Generals running this war became part of the problem by allowing the civilians running this war to make stupid mistakes [if you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem].

g. This war will NOT be won by military action only, there MUST be a political solution.

h. It is up to the Iraqis to STOP all the killings taking place in Iraq, because as long as they continue to kill each other there will be no peace [regardless of the number of American troops on the ground].

i. This war is NOT going to be over in September 2007 [or immediately after]. I know everyone is talking about "waiting until September" but things are NOT going to change in the next 60 days unless a MIRACLE happens [and miracles are hard to come in Iraq]. Bottom line, our troops will be in Iraq for MANY months to come.

Now you know The Truth.

tlrb

Snafu in IRAQ

Situation normal, all fouled up. Bad news continues to flow from IRAQ. More civilian killings, more GI killings, and more explosions targeting the civilian and military establishment.

In Samarra, huge explosions destroyed two minarets at the Al-Askariya Mosque. This time US military officials are saying this was an inside job, and 15 members of the IRAQI security forces have been arrested.

Very interesting, it is believed that those US-trained security forces guarding the mosque either assisted or directly took part in helping members of al Qaeda place and detonate explosives at the mosque's minarets.

On the same subject, Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey have given Congress a bad report on the IRAQI security apparatus. He says about one in six Iraqi policemen [trained by US forces] has been killed, wounded, has deserted, or just disappeared.

As per Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey, some 32,000 IRAQI police had been lost from the newly trained force of 188,000 in the 18 months before January.

From 8-10,000 believed to be killed in action. From 6-8,000 wounded and unable to continue serving, and 5,000 are believed to have deserted. Remaining 7-8,000 are "unaccounted for" [it is possible that those are now fighting against the good guys].

Not a good trend. Soon we will see members of the coalition playing the role of policemen, as we just can NOT trust the incompetent/corrupt IRAQIS. In order for the SAMO to be successful we need the help of the IRAQI security apparatus.

tlrb

Not a BAD weekend in IRAQ

Well, I can say this now, we did not have a BAD weekend in IRAQ [for a change]. Yes, there are American fatalities, but not by large numbers. And please note, I did not say that we had a GOOD weekend in IRAQ.

There are signs of progress in SOME areas of IRAQ.

For example, on the Anbar province, some of the IFWs are crossing over to help the good guys. Some of the IFWs were sick and tired of the so-called al Qaeda in IRAQ insurgents [due to their nasty tactics] and are now cooperating with our GIs.

No, we are NOT saying that those IFWs are our friends, they are just fighting AGAINST our number one enemy in IRAQ.

Are we winning their hearts and minds?

Well, we are giving them mucho money for their help. In other words, we are BUYING hearts and minds, and that is OKAY!!!

Plus, some of the groups are getting our money and weapons [with the condition that they will NEVER use those weapons against the good guys, and of course we trust them !!!].

Let's hope for a GOOD month of June in IRAQ !!!

tlrb

General PACE, Sir, You are FIRED !!!

About time !!!

Back in November 7th, 2006, I wrote on The Lowest Rated Monologue [reply number 4611 - see attachment at the end of this note]:

"As I have said before, the following gang needs to be fired for the benefit of the military: Secretary Rumsfeld, General Pace, General Abizaid, and last but not least General Casey."

Do you believe in miracle?

All of those listed above were FIRED with the exception of General Pace. But the celebration is OVER. General Pace, Sir, YOU ARE FIRED !!!

And of by the way, he will be relieved by a US Navy admiral [the US Navy is taking over the global war on terror].

Check this out.

The Bush administration sidelined Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Friday, announcing plans to replace him as the nation's top military officer rather than reappoint him and risk a Senate confirmation struggle focusing on the Iraq War.

"It would be a backward looking and very contentious process," Defense Secretary Robert Gates said at a Pentagon news conference where he announced he would recommend Adm. Mike Mullen to replace Pace.

Mullen is the chief of naval operations, and Gates praised him for having the "vision strategic insight and integrity to lead America's armed forces."

At the same time, he made clear he had made his decision with reluctance, saying he wished it had not been necessary.

"I am no stranger to contentious confirmations, and I do not shrink from them," Gates said at a hastily arranged news conference.

"However, I have decided that at this moment in our history, the nation, our men and women in uniform and Gen. Pace himself would not be well served by a divisive ordeal. ..."

About time. Let's get some new faces and new ideas. We need to win the war, and we need to win it soon !!!

Link to The Lowest Rated Monologue [See reply number 4611]:

http://tinyurl.com/28kyh2

Link to the article of "General Pace, You are FIRED" !!!

http://tinyurl.com/2f7t3q

tlrb

Immigration Compromise is DOA

Well, as expected, the immigration bill was DOA [dead on arrival]. And as of now this bill is dead big time. Here is the latest on the Immigration Compromise [a bill liked and hated by both sides of the isle].

A broad immigration bill to legalize millions of people in the U.S. unlawfully suffered a stunning setback in the Senate Thursday, costing President Bush perhaps his best opportunity to win a top domestic priority.

The bipartisan compromise championed by the president failed a crucial test when it could not attract even a simple majority for an effort to speed its passage.

Intense public concern over immigration across the country conspired with high political stakes to produce a roiling debate on the issue.

Ultimately, those forces overwhelmed a painstakingly forged liberal-to-conservative alliance that sought to insulate their compromise from partisanship.

Supporters could muster only 45 votes to limit debate and speed the bill to final passage, 15 short of what was needed on the procedural maneuver. Fifty senators voted against cutting off debate.

Not looking good for the supporters of the bogus bill. Now they will have to go back to the drawing board and come up with a winning bill. Check the link for the rest of the story.

http://tinyurl.com/33obnz

Plus, for a related piece of new, check the note about the Immigration Crackdown in New Haven CT [just wondering if any of our lawmakers was influenced by this incident].

tlrb

Immigration Crackdown in New Haven CT

Well, in ref to Undocumented immigrants welcome to New Haven CT. Well, not so fast.

Check what happened just hours after the city of NEW HAVEN said YES to a municipal identification card program that includes undocumented immigrants.

Defiant city and community leaders said Wednesday they would not be intimidated after federal immigration officials raided homes, mainly in Fair Haven, and took 29 alleged illegal immigrants into custody.

The early morning action came two days after New Haven became the first city in the country to approve a municipal ID card that would also be available to undocumented residents, and Mayor John DeStefano Jr. did not think it was a coincidence.

"This was a symbolic act of law enforcement by an agency that is not able to control its mission or how it executes its responsibilities. ... This was an act of intimidation," DeStefano said of the raid by six immigration officers.

This is a SHOW STOPPER in New Haven, and I will say this, the crackdown in New Haven WILL change the bogus immigration bill now in the works in Congress. Check the link for the rest of the story [a good one].

Immigration Crackdown In New Haven CT

tlrb

A look at the Decider's/Shooter's portfolios

For GWB [aka the Decider] and his cowboy compadre Dick Cheney [aka Shooter] the word of the day is capital PRESERVATION.

Both have reached the land of critical mass and at this point on their lives both need to KEEP what they have. So, why take any risks? They are playing it SAFE.

The Decider is invested extremely conservative, with 4.6 to 9.7 [million dollars] in low risk investments such as checking accounts, CDs, money markets, T-bills. On the stock side of the house, he has 205 thousand dollars invested in stock and balanced funds [only 2 to 4 percent in stock and balanced funds].

Not included in the Decider's portfolio are his ranch in Crawford [1 to 5 million dollars], and 1 to 5 million dollars in a blind trust. If those were counted as part of the portfolio then the allocation to stocks and stock funds would less than the 2 to 4 percent listed above.

Now to Shooter's portfolio. The man is looking more aggressive, with 28 percent of his portfolio in stocks, options, stock funds. Plus a large amount in bond funds and between 1.6 to 6.3 million dollars in the same type of low risk investments listed for the Decider. Not included is his land in Virginia [1 to 5 million dollars].

Shooter is going to do GOOD during a DECLINE of the USD and a rise on INFLATION. He is invested [5 to 25 million dollars] in American Century International Bond fund. Plus 65 to 71 percent of his stock funds are FOREIGN stock funds. The man likes Vanguard TIPS with [2.5 to 11 million dollars] invested in Vanguard Inflation-Protected Securities.

Now, both, the Decider and Shooter are in good financial shape. The Decider's listed assets are between 7.6 to 20.1 million dollars. Shooter's reported assets are between 21.4 to 100 million dollars. Both are expected to make mega bucks after leaving office [writing and speeches].

Again, the Decider/Shooter duo have NO NEED to take risk.

The name of the game in both camps is to PRESERVE what they have.

References attached.

http://tinyurl.com/2hypt8

http://tinyurl.com/2a4rcr

tlrb

What Global Warming?

Some things are changing in Washington. The RWWs used to ridicule all the GWWs and all the Global Warming believers.

But NOW our president is preaching Global Warming at the G8 meeting. Our president is taking the lead on the issue [however, his is NOT ready to say YES to the Kyoto accord].

Last week the Global Warming Crowd suffered a setback after the NASA administrator told NPR he was not sure if Global Warming is a problem we must wrestle with. The man was called an ignorant by some Global Warming scientists.

But today the NASA administrator gave his MEA CULPA, during a meeting with scientists and engineers he told the group that he regrets airing his personal views about Global Warming. A case of foot and mouth?

And what do I think about the Global Warming issue?

Well, I can see the results of Global Warming, but in my opinion Global Warming is caused by Mother Nature and will be fixed by Mother Nature.

tlrb

Did Not Serve

There is a good listing floating around cyberland on members of the US government with zippo military service. They are quick to send YOU or me to the front lines, but they were too busy to spend a couple of years in the military.

The list is a LONG one [It will not posted here, you can do a Google search for did not serve, and you will be surprised by the names included on the list].

And the saga continues, we have a BUNCH of wannabees with zippo military service. And some of them have a LARGE number of family members with zippo military service [again, because they had better things to do in life].

I recommend everyone take a look at the book written by Kathy Roth-Douquet and Frank Shaeffer, titled AWOL [about the unexcused absence of America's upper class from military service, and how it hurts our country].

Check this link: http://tinyurl.com/yw2zbz

Okay, let's go back to the Did Not Serve crowd [here is a good bunch]. NONE of them with military service.

Check this link: http://tinyurl.com/273eg8


tlrb

Undocumented Immigrants welcome to New Haven CT

This is going to be a good TEST CASE for immigration reform. The city of NEW HAVEN is saying YES to a municipal identification card program that includes undocumented immigrants.

The measure was passed yesterday by a vote of 25 to 1 [almost by unanimous vote].

Money for the program is coming from a grant from the First City Fund Corp. The money is to be used on a program making identification cards available to all residents of the city [to be used within city for services, including opening bank accounts].

It is estimated that the program will be extended to approximately 15,000 immigrants residing in the city.

This is a good number to remember. Only time will tell HOW MANY undocumented immigrants apply for the card.

And going back to the test case statement, America will be on the lookout to see HOW MANY of the undocumented immigrants actually apply for the NEW HAVEN identification card.

If this program is successful [based on a LARGE number of undocumented immigrants applying for the identification card], then there is HOPE for the national immigration reform [which requires for undocumented immigrants to come out of the shadows].

tlrb

We have some issues with TURKEY

Potential HOT potatoes at hand for the incompetent administration.

As per some news reports, our friends from TURKEY are crossing their southern border into IRAQ to chase some of the KURDISH guerrillas involved in attacking TURKEY from the northern IRAQI border.

This could be a dangerous game if it continues. We are talking about several thousands troops from TURKEY moving across the IRAQI border [they immediately went back to their side of the border].

Our administration needs to send a good warning to our friends from TURKEY.

The last thing we need is to have our GIs in the middle of a shooting war between TURKEY and KURDISH guerrillas.

tlrb

Another CROOK going to Jail

About time. The former chief of staff to Shooter Cheney is heading to JAIL for 2 1/2 years. It is time to celebrate!

Check this out.

Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, stood calmly before a packed courtroom as a federal judge said the evidence overwhelmingly proved his guilt.

"People who occupy these types of positions, where they have the welfare and security of nation in their hands, have a special obligation to not do anything that might create a problem," U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton said.

Walton did not set a date for Libby to report to prison. Though he saw no reason to let Libby remain free pending appeal, Walton said he would accept written arguments on the issue and rule later.

Libby was convicted in March of lying and obstructing an investigation into the 2003 leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity.

The highest-ranking White House official convicted in a government scandal since the
Iran-Contra affair, Libby has steadfastly maintained his innocence.

"It is respectfully my hope that the court will consider, along with the jury verdict, my whole life," Libby said in brief remarks to the judge.

Sitting with Libby's wife Harriet Grant during the sentencing were conservative commentators Mary Matalin, a former Cheney aide, and Victoria Toensing, a former deputy assistant attorney general during the Reagan administration.

Walton fined Libby $250,000 and placed him on probation for two years following his release from prison. Walton did not immediately address whether Libby could remain free pending appeal.

And now it is up to his good friend GWB to place his signature on his "pardon" papers and get this over with. Read more about it on the attached link.

http://tinyurl.com/2tu948

tlrb