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Memo to Hillary: Road Trip!

Posted By: Marmann on 2008-06-04
In Reply to:

Memo to Hillary: Road trip to that place between King City and Coalingo


Dear Hillary:


I know you've been real busy with sniper fire and 3:00 a.m. phone calls, etc., but have you ever seen that commercial for AT&T internet service, where the guy says he's on the road between "King City and Coalingo" (sp?) (There are several commercials out there for this product, and the theme for them is people's "moments.")


In the one I'm referring to, there's a guy is standing near a big field with a bunch of cows, explaining how his service lets him do business anywhere, and after he's through explaining how it works and how his bid was the first one in, he gets a text message and says, "It looks like I got the account."


An old man appears and says, "Congratulations on your moment."


Hillary, PLEASE drive yourself have your chauffeur drive you (with or without your cell phone) to that field "between King City and Coalingo" and take a L-O-N-G walk through that field. (Be sure to fill up have one of your servants fill your gas tank first.) Pet a cow or two. Resist the urge to whip out that gun yer granddaddy taught you how to shoot if you become hungry for a filet mignon; maybe you could make a have your maid make a PBJ before your departure (you know, the kind of food that more and more of us hard-working white people are forced to rely on in today's economy). Along the way, don't be afraid to step into the very thing that comprises your soul. Take a deep breath (lots of them). Try to place yourself into Barack Obama's shoes (sans cow dung) and explore WHY it is that YOU believe you must control everything -- even when you're the loser. Why is it that YOU think YOU get to dictate the terms of everything, even if you don't have the right to do so?


You have repeatedly said you're "in it to win it." You didn't win it. Now pretend to have some grace and/or just some personal decency and do NOT try to strong-arm the person who DID win it. There are a lot of women who would be good Vice Presidential candidates, all of whom believe in and would be loyal to President Obama, none of them potential orphan-makers.


Take a good, long look at those cows, Hillary. Maybe you'll learn a thing or two about "moments." Hopefully, you'll even learn a thing or two about yourself.


Edited by Moderator for aggressive and strange language.




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Wonder if this is her first trip
nm
Mr. Obama's trip

I don’t have time to watch the news but I try to when I can.  Before Mr. Obama took the trip, they were talking a lot about Mr. McCain and how many trips he took.  I think it made Mr. Obama feel like he had to go there.  I remember Mr. McCain saw all those military people since he wants us to stay in Iraq.  Mr. Obama talks about diplomacy a lot so he met with all those leaders because he wants to stop the war.  I don’t understand why you are talking about Mrs. Obama.  The news people talk bad about her too.  She said she didn’t mean what some of those other people thought she said.  I don’t like to hear all the negative things.  They make everything more confusing.  I like to listen to the candidates tell who they are and what they would do if they are elected.  Mr. Obama talks about what he wants to do for the country on his web site and in his speeches.  I guess that advisor made a mistake but somebody corrected him.  I like the town hall meetings.  People get to ask questions there.  Thank your reply.


You guys are a trip...

Maybe I'll send him some money because I can't believe he's not spending more.  Oh maybe he's frugal...  Darn it! 


Dear Mr. President (Barack or is it Barry):


CHEERS!!! 


Sincerely,


A voter who is all for the CHANGE!!!!!!!!!!! 


O's trip to Riyadh

Did you see the gold necklace O got from King Abdullah?


Wow!  It is ver long and looks very heavy and it is at least 18k if not 24k.


The box alone is big as a table!


An appropriate gift for O !


Obamaramarama trip
Yeah, isn't that nice. I am glad we were asked to pay for this. I am not surprised. They are liars and they are the worst example of leadership this country has ever seen. What Americans are waiting for, I just don't know. They don't seem too concerned about Korea either. He will do what he did with the Pirates. After the Navy took over and cleaned up, he stepped up to the plate to act as if he was there all along; while he was actually mustering up his communist friends acceptance and friendship for his own hidden purposes. So much for his promises. I guess, NO HE CAN'T AND WON'T.
Did ya ever think it could be a school field trip?

Most high school kids don't get a chance to see a presidential until they are of voting age.


I don't put any faith in anything MSNBC writes or talks about. They are are for the O.


Obama's trip to Hawaii.
So you would have Obama take is chidren out of school in the middle of the week, fly them 4250 miles on a 10-hour plane trip for a jet-lagged 1 day sick bed visit with a bed-bound frail elder who was released from the hospital with a broken hip just 2 short months after they had spent quality time together on a private family vacation, when GM was probably looking a whole lot better than she does now? After that, you would have him turn right around the next day and take another 10-hour 4250 mile plane trip back home while trying to come up with answers about "what's wrong with grandma"?

There is a very strong possibilty that these children will have their lives changed forever next week should they become the nation's first family. They will be thrust into the bright glare of media scrutiny, pack up all their things, leave the only home they have ever known, say goodbye to all their friends and prepare to take off for DC in the middle of the holidays and move into the White House. Hopefully, they will not have to be greiving the loss of their grandmother in the middle of all that.

If these were my children, I would want to presevere the memory of the family vacation and protect them from premature greiving over the impending loss. I feel sorry for people who live in such a hateful frame of mind all the time that they could be so thoughtless as to not even consider what they might be doing with their own children in a similar circumstance.
Memo for the President
Memo for the President
    By Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity
    t r u t h o u t | Statement

    Wednesday 24 August 2005

    Memorandum for: The President

    From: Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity

    Subject: Recommendation: Try a Circle of "Wise Women"

    By way of re-introduction, we begin with a brief reminder of the analyses we provided you before the attack on Iraq. On the afternoon of February 5, 2003, following Colin Powell's speech before the UN Security Council that morning, we sent you our critique of his attempt to make the case for war. (You may recall that we gave him an "A" for assembling and listing the charges against Iraq and a "C-" for providing context and perspective.) Unlike Powell, we made no claim that our analysis was "irrefutable/undeniable." We did point out, though, that what he said fell far short of justification for war. We closed with these words: "We are convinced that you would be well served if you widened the discussion beyond the circle of those advisers clearly bent on a war for which we see no compelling reason and from which we believe the unintended consequences are likely to be catastrophic."

    To jog your memory further, the thrust of our next two pre-war memoranda can be gleaned from their titles: "Cooking Intelligence for War" (March 12) and "Forgery, Hyperbole, Half-Truth: A Problem" (March 18). When the war started, we reasoned at first that you might had been oblivious to our cautions. However, last spring's disclosures in the "Downing Street Memo" containing the official minutes of Tony Blair's briefing on July 23, 2002 - and the particularly the bald acknowledgement that "the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy" of war on Iraq - show that the White House was well aware of how the intelligence was being cooked. We write you now in the hope that the sour results of the recipe - the current bedlam in Iraq - will incline you to seek and ponder wider opinion this time around.

    A Still Narrower Circle

    With the departure of Colin Powell, your circle of advisers has shrunk rather than widened. The amateur architects of the Iraq war, Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, seem still to have your ear. At a similar stage of the Vietnam War, President Lyndon Johnson woke up to the fact that he had been poorly served by his principal advisers and quickly appointed an informal group of "wise men" to provide fresh insight and advice. It turned out to be one of the smartest things Johnson did. He was brought to realize that the US could not prevail in Vietnam; that he was finished politically; and that the US needed to move to negotiations with the Vietnamese "insurgents."

    It is clear to those of us who witnessed at first hand the gross miscalculations on Vietnam that a similar juncture has now been reached on Iraq. We are astonished at the advice you have been getting - the vice president's recent assurance that the Iraqi resistance is "in its last throes," for example. (Shades of his assurances that US forces would be welcomed as "liberators" in Iraq.) And Secretary Rumsfeld's unreassuring reminders that "some things are unknowable" and the familiar bromide that "time will tell" are wearing thin. By now it is probably becoming clear to you that you need outside counsel.

    The good news is that some help is on its way. Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey has taken the initiative to schedule a hearing on September 15, where knowledgeable specialists on various aspects of the situation in Iraq will present their views. Unfortunately, it appears that this opportunity to learn will fall short of the extremely informative bipartisan hearings led by Sen. William Fullbright on Vietnam. The refusal thus far of the House Republican leadership to make a suitable conference room available suggests that the Woolsey hearing, like the one led by Congressman John Conyers on June 16, will lack the kind of bipartisan support so necessary if one is to deal sensibly with the Iraq problem.

    Meanwhile, we respectfully suggest that you could profit from the insights of the informal group of "wise women" right there in Crawford. You could hardly do better than to ride your bike down to Camp Casey. There you will find Gold Star mothers, Iraq (and Vietnam) war veterans, and others eager to share reality-based perspectives of the kind you are unlikely to hear from your small circle of yes-men and the yes-woman in Washington, none of whom have had direct experience of war. As you know, Cindy Sheehan has been waiting to get on your calendar. She is now back in Crawford and has resumed her Lazarus-at-the-Gate vigil in front of your ranch. We strongly suggest that you take time out from your vacation to meet with her and the other Gold Star mothers when you get back to Crawford later this week. This would be a useful way for you to acquire insight into the many shades of gray between the blacks and whites of Iraq, and to become more sensitized to the indignities that so often confound and infuriate the mothers, fathers, wives, and other relatives of soldiers killed and wounded there.

    Names and Faces

    Here are the names, ages, and hometowns of the eight soldiers, including Casey Sheehan, killed in the ambush in Sadr City, Baghdad on April 4, 2004:

    Specialist Robert R. Arsiaga, 25, San Antonio, Texas
    Specialist Ahmed A. Cason, 24, McCalla, Alabama
    Sergeant Yihjyh L. Chen, 31, Saipan, Marianas
    Specialist Israel Garza, 25, Lubbock, Texas
    Specialist Stephen D. Hiller, 25, Opelika, Alabama
    Corporal Forest J. Jostes, 22, Albion, Illinois
    Sergeant Michael W. Mitchell, 25, Porterville, California
    Specialist Casey A. Sheehan, 24, Vacaville, California

    Mike Mitchell's father, Bill, has been camped out for two weeks with Cindy Sheehan and others a short bike ride from your place. They have a lot of questions - big and small. You are aware of the big ones: In what sense were the deaths of Casey, Mike Mitchell and the others "worth it?" In what sense is the continued occupation of Iraq a "noble cause?" No doubt you have been given talking points on those. But the time has passed for sound bites and rhetoric. We are suggesting something much more real - and private.

    Questions

    There are less ambitious - one might call them more tactical - questions that are also accompanied by a lot of pain and frustration. Those eight fine soldiers were killed by forces loyal to the fiercely anti-American Muqtada al-Sadr, the young Shia cleric with a militant following, particularly in Baghdad's impoverished suburbs. The ambush was part of a violent uprising resulting from US Ambassador Paul Bremer's decision to close down Al Hawza, al-Sadr's newspaper, on March 28, 2004.

    And not only that. A senior aide of al-Sadr was arrested by US forces on April 3. The following day al-Sadr ordered his followers to "terrorize" occupation forces and this sparked the deadly street battles, including the ambush. Also on April 4, Bremer branded al-Sadr an "outlaw" and coalition spokesman Dan Senior said coalition forces planned to arrest him as well. In sum, before one can begin to understand the grief of Cindy, Bill, and the relatives of the other six soldiers killed, you need to know - as they do - what else was going on April 4, 2004.

    You may wish to come prepared to answer specific questions like the following:

    1. Closing down newspapers and arresting key opposition figures seem a strange way to foster democracy. Please explain. And how could Ambassador Bremer possibly have thought that al-Sadr would simply acquiesce?

    2. Muqtada al-Sadr seems to have landed on his feet. At this point, he and other Shiite clerics appear on the verge of imposing an Islamic state with Shariah law and a very close relationship with Iran. With this kind of prospect, can you feel the frustration of Gold Star mothers when the extremist ultimately responsible for their sons' deaths assumes a leadership role in the new Iraq? Can you understand their strong wish to prevent the sacrifice of still more of our children for such dubious purpose?

    Perhaps you will have good answers to these and other such questions. Good answers or no, we believe a quiet, respectful session with the wise women and perhaps others at your doorstep would give you valuable new insights into the ironic conundrums and human dimensions of the war in Iraq.

    A member of our Steering Committee, Ann Wright, has been on site at Camp Casey from the outset and would be happy to facilitate such a session. A veteran Army colonel (and also a senior Foreign Service officer until she resigned in protest over the attack on Iraq), Ann has been keeping Camps Casey I and II running in a good-neighborly, orderly way. She is well known to your Secret Service agents, who can lead you to her. We strongly urge you not to miss this opportunity.

    /s/
    Gene Betit, Arlington, Virginia
    Sibel Edmonds, Alexandria, Virginia
    Larry Johnson, Bethesda, Maryland
    David MacMichael, Linden, Virginia
    Ray McGovern, Arlington, Virginia
    Coleen Rowley, Apple Valley, Minnesota
    Ann Wright, Honolulu, Hawaii

    Steering Group Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity


Oh, you didn't get the memo? O, of course!
nm
Newest memo..(sm)

I'm sure there will be many more to come. 


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/vp/30395296#30395296


In other words, they knew it was torture, they knew it was illegal and were warned that it was illegal, but went on with their plans anyway.


 


Here are a few facts from the memo.
According to the "memo" (cue sinister dun-duN-DUN music)

"A single "application" of water may not last for more than 40 seconds, with the duration of an "application" measured from the moment when water - of whatever quantity - is first poured onto the cloth until the moment the cloth is removed from the subject's face."

And there was, indeed, a doctor and a psychologist present at the interrogations to (as you so aptly put it) "rescue" the prisoners.

I'm not sure why you would just "assume" that "some are really drowned." Perhaps you know something the rest of us don't. Please share.

Bush couldn't orchestrate a trip to
the bathroom.
Errr, that was a trip abroad, not a campaign.
Remember when McSame dared him to go and then it backfired because O came out of it smelling like a rose and McSame ended up with egg all over his face? He even made a lame attempt to compete with O that week for media coverage by meeting the Dalai Lama in the middle of the primaries. Last time I checked, the Chinese don't vote either.

Obama was able to casually win the Iraqi govt support for his troop withdrawal plan, looked very diplomatic in Israel when he assured them of continued US support and managed to attract over 200,000 folks in Berlin without batting an eye. See what happened when McSame let campaign bluster, bravado and underestimation of his opponent cloud his strategic judgment?

A red flag would go up for you if the bread on the left side of the toaster came up before the right. You'd have to go measure all the angles and consult the Gemetrial and Bible Code implication of it all.

About that writing on the wall? Probably just another visual hallucination. Pay it no mind. It's not real.
Goodness I meant memo!

too much transcribing today!


2003 Rockefeller Memo

  


    The 2003 Rockefeller Memo:

Politicize the war, run down the country, sink Bush


Memo to My Critics on the Left: Get Over It.......sm.............



Memo to My Critics on the Left: Get Over It

Thursday, December 04, 2008

Mike Baker


This past week the PWB mailroom, which does extra duty as the foosball arena and beer locker, has been inundated with letters from our readers who reside on the left side of the teeter-totter. It appears that our recent columns on the new administration have irritated some who think we are fixating on President-elect Obama. Many, in language unprintable and at times not entirely well spelt, seem to think that the PWB is being churlish, harbors a grudge over the election results and should, in the words of one fellow, “… get over it.”

Frankly, I think these surly members of the liberal world have missed the nuanced approach we try to take here. If you’ll flip through the PWB archives held at the National Library of Congress, you’ll see that I didn’t have a dog in this hunt. Neither side blew my skirt up and once again there wasn’t a viable third-party candidate.

However, while I didn’t vote for him, I’m actually rooting for Obama and his administration to do well. A successful, efficient and well managed government is what we should all want. But wishing them well and hoping for the best doesn’t require us to not disagree or to not express differences.

After all, the PWB was established back in the spring of 1927 with one overriding purpose … to raise our hand or ask “huh?” anytime the crap-o-meter goes off. And if memory serves me correct, the left side of the liberal bench took eight years to “get over” Bush. During that time, if I’m not mistaken, there was constant criticism, whining and churlishness. So telling me I’m being churlish four weeks after the election does seem a bit hypocritical.


It is interesting to note that the nastiest mail we receive, on a regular basis, is from what I suppose we could call “hardcore liberals”. Look, you won, congratulations. Now tone down the rhetoric, not to mention the unimaginative really foul language, and, in the words of one of your own, “get over it.” Enjoy the moment. Soon you’ll be wondering how the administration ended up governing from the center.

The center. As in, the middle ground. That appears to be where the new administration is headed based on recent pronouncements and some of the cabinet selections. This selection process is our best opportunity to date to get a look at Obama’s management style. After all, the campaign season didn’t exactly give us a detailed picture of the man.

Someday I’d like to get to the point where the candidates have to announce their cabinet selections before the election. Not only does it give you better insight into who would be running your government, it says a lot about the presidential candidates.

I know some on the far right who were fully expecting to see folks like Charles Schumer, Barney Frank and Keith Olberman appointed to cabinet positions in the new administration. There were dire predictions of the government taking a hard left turn, maybe with AL Franken as Information Minister and Chris Matthews as Director of Media Compliance.

Given those expectations, surely conservative Republicans, while not being happy, can at least admit that the likes of Robert Gates, James Jones and even Hillary Clinton are solid, pragmatic individuals. While Gates' selection is likely more about providing cover and won’t be a long-term pick, it’s better than yanking him out and installing new leadership during a critical time.

In the political world, it’s much better to keep him around. If Iraq and/or Afghanistan worsens, Gates can always be tossed overboard as the party faithful scream “he’s a Bush guy, it’s all their fault.” They might even throw in a Palin joke while they’re at it. Keeping a sacrificial scapegoat on hand is just good strategy.

All in all, I was feeling pretty safe and sound with the national security selections. Right up until Eric Holder got the nod for Attorney General. By all accounts smart and certainly experienced, the concern is over his ability to be a realist rather than an idealist when dealing with some of the very tough issues affecting our national security.

Hopefully he’ll find the center when dealing with interrogation questions, intelligence collection matters, Guantanamo and the like. After all, it’s easy to take the high road when you’re not the person responsible for making the decisions. Sometimes the high road looks less attractive, not to mention less secure, once you get the full picture.

And we’re waiting to hear who might be named to run the Central Intelligence Agency, currently under the steady leadership of Michael Hayden. Here’s a thought… keep Hayden. If he doesn’t want to stay on, how about we select someone based on criteria other than “are they acceptable to CIA bashing liberals?”

Recently there was talk of naming John Brennan, a former senior agency officer, a smart and good man. That possibility was derailed when some liberal critics of the CIA cried that Brennan was connected to the agency’s detention and interrogation efforts. What a load of crap.

He, like everyone else at the agency, is against torture. Apparently his transgression was stating the obvious: that enhanced interrogation techniques can be effective and important in select cases. For this, the liberals deemed him unsuitable.

According to the logic used by these critics, anyone at the CIA during the past several years shouldn’t be considered for the director’s role. Did I already say what a load of crap? We’ve discussed this issue before, and it’s a topic that inevitably makes me smash the glass on the emergency bourbon cabinet.

Liberals frame the argument in a clever way … essentially saying that anything other than talking to a detainee is torture. They claim there are no enhanced techniques (such as stress positions, temperature variations, sleep disruption) … it’s either chatting or its torture. Now, that’s a fine debating technique if you’re in a debate on a leafy campus surrounded by lofty thoughts of world peace, unicorns and fuzzy warm puppies.

Unfortunately, the real world is a crappier place and sometimes involves violent jihadists and terrorists who would like to blow up as many innocent men, women and children as possible. If you think this is just a typical Republican scare tactic, review last week’s events in Mumbai. And that’s after Obama won the election. Apparently the terrorists involved in that attack didn’t get the memo that we can all get along now.

The point being, in carefully selected cases, there are times when the allowable interrogation techniques of the Army Field Manual aren’t going to get the job done. That doesn’t mean the next stop on the express is torture. Despite the carefully framed argument of the left, we don’t torture.

Between chatting and torture lies a small window of opportunity for enhanced interrogation techniques. They aren’t used often -- you’d be surprised how infrequently they have been used in the past -- but you better have them in your tool bag.

Here’s hoping the choice for CIA director, as well as for director of national intelligence, reflects the pragmatic, center-leaning approach taken with nominees such as Gates, Jones and Clinton. These positions are critical to our national security. Play politics with other positions if you want … I’m OK with a far-left secretary of transportation.

But fill the CIA and DNI slots with strong persons who have relevant experience in the world of intelligence and operations.

And frankly, if you don’t agree with me, get over it.

As always, we look forward to your comments, thoughts and insight. Send your emails to peoplesweeklybrief@hotmail.com

Till next week, stay safe.



http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,461686,00.html
They forgot to mention what it was for & Afghanistan was part of the trip-a lot for 1 wk

Indeed, in a February 17 article, the ANSA English Media Service reported (accessed from the Nexis database): "Since arriving in Italy on Saturday, Pelosi has visited the American air base at Aviano in northeast Italy and the American military cemetery in Florence and is due at the NATO Joint Forces Command in Naples Wednesday." Further, a February 19 press release issued by Pelosi's office stated: "Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Congressional delegation today were briefed by U.S. Admiral Mark Fitzgerald, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, and Commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples. Admiral Fitzgerald and his NATO staff provided information on NATO activities in the Balkans, the ongoing training of Iraqi Security Forces, and operations against pirates off the coast of Somalia." The release further stated: "On Saturday, Speaker Pelosi and the Congressional delegation visited Aviano Air Base where the Speaker pinned the Bronze Star Medal on Technical Sergeant Phoebus Lazaridis for extraordinary service in Afghanistan. The delegation paid their respects to the more than 4,400 American World War II soldiers buried at the Florence American Cemetery on the outskirts of Florence on Sunday."


On February 21, Pelosi released a statement about her trip to Afghanistan, in which she said, "For the past two days, I have led an eight Member House delegation to Afghanistan to visit U.S. troops," during which the delegation "met with U.S. military leaders, and the U.S. Diplomatic team in Kabul to better assess the best course of action to further our national security interests in preparation for the completion of President Obama's strategic review of the Afghanistan policy" and "met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who is sending his own advisors to Washington as part of the review process."


We have been down this road before (sm).
Here is a list of enactments passed under the 110th Congress. Precisely which of these do you hold responsible for breaking the bank?

1. February 2, 2007 — House Page Board Revision Act of 2007, Pub.L. 110-2, 121 Stat. 4
2. May 25, 2007 — U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007, Pub.L. 110-28, 121 Stat. 112, including Title VIII: Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007, 121 Stat. 188
3. June 14, 2007 — Preserving United States Attorney Independence Act of 2007, Pub.L. 110-34, 121 Stat. 224
4. July 26, 2007 — Foreign Investment and National Security Act of 2007, Pub.L. 110-49, 121 Stat. 246
6. August 3, 2007 — Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007, Pub.L. 110-53, 121 Stat. 266
7. August 5, 2007 — Protect America Act of 2007, Pub.L. 110-55,121 Stat. 552
8. September 14, 2007 — Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, Pub.L. 110-81, 121 Stat. 735
9. November 8, 2007 — Water Resources Development Act of 2007, Pub.L. 110-114, 121 Stat. 1041 - Veto Overridden
10. December 19, 2007 — Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, Pub.L. 110-140, 121 Stat. 1492
11. February 13, 2008 — Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, Pub.L. 110-185, 122 Stat. 613
12. May 21, 2008 — Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, Pub.L. 110-233, 122 Stat. 881
13. May 22, 2008 — Food and Energy Security Act of 2007 (2007 Farm Bill), Pub.L. 110-234, 122 Stat. 923
14. June 30, 2008 — Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008, Pub.L. 110-252, 122 Stat. 2323, including Title V: Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 ("G.I. Bill 2008")
15. July 10, 2008 — FISA Amendments Act of 2008, Pub.L. 110-261, 122 Stat. 2436
16. July 29, 2008 — Tom Lantos Block Burmese JADE (Junta's Anti-Democratic Efforts) Act of 2008, Pub.L. 110-286 122 Stat. 2632
17. July 30, 2008 — Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, Pub.L. 110-289, 122 Stat. 2654
18. October 3, 2008 — Public Law 110-343 (Pub.L. 110-343), including:
a. Div. A: Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, H.R. 1424;
b. Div. B: Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008; and
c. Div. C: Tax Extenders and Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act of 2008

We are already too far down the road...sm
Nothing will save us from a depression now. The only question is who can turn us around. Not who can turn us around the quickest, just who can turn us around period! A very heavy burden. It will take an extradinary person to get us out of this awful mess.
downing street memo investigation





Republican Congressman Breaks Ranks, Joins Demand for Documents on Downing Street Memos






Related stories: antiwar




src=http://www.politicalaffairs.net/images/1x1.gif 8-24-05, 10:58 am

Congressman Jim Leach (R, Iowa) has informed Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D, California) that he will co-sponsor her Resolution of Inquiry into Bush Administration communications with the U.K. about Iraq at the time of the Downing Street Memos.  Leach is the first Republican member of Congress to publicly support a demand for an inquiry into the Bush Administration's pre-war claims.  The 131 congress members who have signed Congressman John Conyers' letter to the President about the Downing Street Memo are all Democrats.  The 11 Senators who have asked the Senate Intelligence Committee to do the investigation it committed to in February 2004 but never did are all Democrats.
 
The Resolution, H. Res. 375, is a privileged resolution which must be brought to a vote in the House International Relations Committee by September 16th, or Lee is permitted to demand a vote of the full House.  Fifty-two Democrats, including Lee, have co-sponsored the Resolution.  Leach is the first Republican to join them, and he is a member of the International Relations Committee..
 
The International Relations Committee has 27 Republican members and 23 Democratic members.  Thus far 10 of the Democrats have co-sponsored the Resolution.  If the other 13 vote for it as well, then along with Leach, one more Republican vote will be needed for a tie, or two more for passage.
 
Leach has questioned Bush's war policies for years and was one of five Republicans in May to vote for Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey's amendment requiring an exit strategy.  Another of those five, Congressman Ron Paul of Texas, also serves on the International Relations Committee. 
 
Congressman Leach has broken the silence of the Republican Party on the Downing Street Minutes, said John Bonifaz, Co-Founder of the After Downing Street Coalition.  His willingness to co-sponsor Congresswoman Barbara Lee's Resolution of Inquiry is bound to make the White House nervous.  It is not possible for the President to paint this demand for documents as coming solely from his opponents.  This is a demand for the truth.  Did the president deliberately deceive and mislead the United States Congress and the American people about the basis for going to war against Iraq?  We as a people -- from Crawford to Des Moines to Washington, DC, regardless of our political persuasion, deserve to know the answer to that basic question.
 
Congress returns to Washington from its summer break on September 6, said David Swanson, Co-Founder of the After Downing Street Coalition.  The first 10 days will test the Democrats' ability to stand together and challenge the Bush Administration, as well as Republicans' willingness to break ranks on an issue where public opinion has diverged widely from White House policy.
 
The text of the Resolution, H. Res. 375, a list of current co-sponsors, and what you can do to help: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/902

From AfterDowningStreet.org


Uh oh, I didn't get the memo that he was God! Thanks for clarifying that...have some more O juice
//
It was a campaign trip abroad, dear sm....plain and simple.
perhaps he accomplished what you say he did, in your eyes. But it was definitely a political trip. A global political trip, no doubt about it.

McCain is ancient history. I'm kinda glad he didn't get elected, as he's shown his true colors of late.


And your third paragraph? Nice try, dear.
i wouldn't go down that road
When you start knocking down spouses, but especially children, of politicians that's pretty low. Not all families "look similar". My BIL was not his father's son, but he claims he looks the most like his father. There is a definite non-resemblance there but he doesn't see it.

As for Chelsea? Oh please, I've heard her speak and she is too infatuated with her mother and how great she thinks her mother is she doesn't understnad the issues, and she doesn't sound all too intelligent. Makes me wonder where that education money went her parents spent on her education.

I think McCain's daughter is a pretty and doesn't look "challenged" as you call it, but to start commenting on who you think is pretty or not pretty or whose hair color is nice or not nice. I woun't go down that road, cos we could really get into Hillary's hair color and others.
notes from the low road...
hi folks, Joe and I are going to keep on campaigning (fiddling while Rome burns) and they will call us if they need us....hey! Wonder why they aren't calling???
Nah, just a big bump in the road. sm
There was another big recession in 1991. Bill Clinton cleaned it up during his presidency, and we ended up with a budget surplus.


We need responsible government again to get us back on top. It will happen, but it will take a while.

You really want to go down the lobbyist road?
can you say glass house?
Since you chose to go down this road...

...with me.  This is cut and pasted from the web site.  While this does not specifically name soft drinks, anything that rings up as taxable on the register is ineligible.  In Ohio, only foods for home consumption are nontaxable; restaurant food is taxable;  soft drinks are taxable; paper products, soap, etc. 


Okay, NOW you're excused!  And still not credible.  But thanks for playing! 


Households CAN use benefits to buy:


























Foods for the household to eat, such as:
  -- breads and cereals;
  -- fruits and vegetables;
  -- meats, fish and poultry; and
  -- dairy products.

Seeds and plants which produce food for the household to eat.


In some areas, restaurants can be authorized to accept benefits from qualified homeless, elderly, or disabled people in exchange for low-cost meals.


Households CANNOT use benefits to buy:































Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco;

Any nonfood items, such as:

  -- pet foods;
  -- soaps, paper products; and
  -- household supplies.

Vitamins and medicines.


Food that will be eaten in the store.


Hot foods.


Republicans are Stuck to Bush - See RNC Memo Link

Republicans are Stuck to Bush

In a memo to RNC chairman Ken Mehlman, GOP pollster Jan van Lohuizen argues that it's dangerous for Republican congressional candidates to distance themselves from President Bush.

President Bush drives our image and will do so until we have real national front-runners for the '08 nomination. Attacking the President is counter productive for all Republicans, not just the candidates launching the attacks. If he drops, we all drop.
Yeah, Iraq didn't attack us. There was a memo. nm
x
Three months after birth of baby Trip, SP's daughter and boyfriend kaput!
Now did anyone see that coming or is that just something out of the blue? My goodness, would have never believed that. They really seemed like good heads on their shoulders, graduates, college bound, career-minded, responsible. Really shocking to me.
sighhh...you just can't avoid the low road can you?
lol
Better the high horse than the low road....nm
nm
Just wait and see what happens a few years down the road. (nm)
x
Road runs both ways......... sm
Time will tell.
Obama is middle of the road?
That road must by at the Indianapolis 500, because it only seems to TURN TO THE LEFT.
Note that the democratic talking points memo of the week must contain sm
stuff about utilities, cuz I sure see it on here a lot.  I guess it was okay when Saddam was in power cuz people could flush their toilets and drown out the screams of those being tortured and raped.
GOP alert memo states intent to bust the union

With 3 million jobs hanging in the balance.


Countdown has obtained a memo entitled "Action Alert - Auto Bailout," and sent Wednesday at 9:12am, to Senate Republicans. The names of the sender(s) and recipient(s) have been redacted in the copy Countdown obtained. The Los Angeles Times reported that it was circulated among Senate Republicans. The brief memo outlines internal political strategy on the bailout, including the view that defeating the bailout represents a "first shot against organized labor." Senate Republicans blocked passage of the bailout late Thursday night, over its insistence on an immediate union pay cut. See the entire memo after the jump.


Subject: Action Alert -- Auto Bailout


Today at noon, Senators Ensign, Shelby, Coburn and DeMint will hold a press conference in the Senate Radio/TV Gallery.  They would appreciate our support through messaging and attending the press conference, if possible.  The message they want us to deliver is:


1.       This is the democrats first opportunity to payoff organized labor after the election.  This is a precursor to card check and other items.  Republicans should stand firm and take their first shot against organized labor, instead of taking their first blow from it.


2.       This rush to judgment is the same thing that happened with the TARP.  Members did not have an opportunity to read or digest the legislation and therefore could not understand the consequences of it.  We should not rush to pass this because Detroit says the sky is falling.


The sooner you can have press releases and documents like this in the hands of members and the press, the better.  Please contact me if you need additional information.  Again, the hardest thing for the democrats to do is get 60 votes.  If we can hold the Republicans, we can beat this.


http://thenewshole.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/12/12/1713569.aspx


I have no problem with US drilling its own oil, BUT 10-15 years down the road
or even 20 years, will we be in the same situation we are in today. The oil resources we have will not last forever at the rate we are using today, and I expect we will continue to increase the amount of oil needed to maintain the country.

So, yeah go ahead and start the US drilling, but once that is bankrupt we will still be in the same place unless other alternatives like hybrid cars, etc, are seriously used as an alternative.
The dems are taking the high road?
What little bubble do you live in and what are you smoking?  The dems have had dirty ads just as much as the pubs have.  The ad showing McCain's face and scares and talking about his health.....WAY uncalled for.  The only reason the dems haven't fully attacked Palin and that church was because they want to keep conservative Bible thumpers in their favor.  If they attack Palin for that, they lose the Bible thumpers.  They aren't taking the high road....they are just trying to keep voters who they normally wouldn't get.
Bush memo instructs officials: "Say I had honor and dignity."

I don't know whether to laugh or cry at this! "Honor" and "dignity" are NOT words that would come to mind to describe Bush.


What is INCREDIBLE to me is that Bush's "memoir," "A Charge to Keep" is referenced here. The original ghostwriter (and long-time Bush family friend) for that memoir was fired and his reputation tarnished (in usual Bush fashion) because Bush talked TOO much during his interviews with the writer, including how he wanted to invade Iraq back in 1999 -- 2 years before 9/11. I've posted that link on here before, but here it is again:


http://www.tompaine.com/articles/20050620/why_george_went_to_war.php


For Bush's staff, upbeat talking points on his tenure


Administration officials get a memo from the White House suggesting what to say about the last eight years: President Bush upheld 'the honor and the dignity of his office,' for one.


By Peter Nicholas
December 9, 2008


Reporting from Washington -- In case any Bush administration officials have trouble summing up the boss' record, the White House is providing a few helpful suggestions.

A two-page memo that has been sent to Cabinet members and other high-ranking officials offers a guide for discussing Bush's eight-year tenure during their public speeches.


Titled "Speech Topper on the Bush Record," the talking points state that Bush "kept the American people safe" after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, lifted the economy after 2001 through tax cuts, curbed AIDS in Africa and maintained "the honor and the dignity of his office."

The document presents the Bush record as an unalloyed success.

It mentions none of the episodes that detractors say have marred his presidency: the collapse of the housing market and major financial services companies, the flawed intelligence in the run-up to the Iraq war, the federal response to Hurricane Katrina or the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib.


In a section on the economy, speakers are invited to say that Bush cut taxes after 2001, setting the stage for years of job growth.

As for the current economic crisis, the memo says that Bush "responded with bold measures to prevent an economic meltdown."

The document is otherwise silent on the recession, which claimed 533,000 jobs in November, the highest number in 34 years.

A copy of the memo was obtained by The Times' Washington bureau. A spokesman for Bush said Monday that the White House routinely sends out suggestions to officials and allies on ways to talk about the administration's record.
"What we have in mind with these documents is we feel the president's many accomplishments haven't been given the attention they deserve and in some cases have been purposely ignored," said Carlton Carroll, a White House spokesman.

No one is required to recite the talking points laid out by the White House, Carroll said.

The memo closes with a reference to Bush's 1999 memoir, "A Charge to Keep":

"Above all, George W. Bush promised to uphold the honor and the dignity of his office. And through all the challenges and trials of his time in office, that is a charge that our president has kept."

One accomplishment cited is passage of the No Child Left Behind law, Bush's attempt to improve education. "He promised to raise standards and accountability in public schools -- and delivered the No Child Left Behind Act," the talking points read.

On the presidential campaign trail this year, Democratic candidates found that any criticism of No Child Left Behind was a surefire applause line.

President-elect Barack Obama promised to revamp the program, contending that it elevated test-taking at the expense of a well-rounded education.

Nicholas is a writer in our Washington bureau.

peter.nicholas@latimes.com


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-bush9-2008dec09,0,4145069.story


 


Heroe..like - He can't take the high horse and then claim the low road.

Bushisms


I appreciate that question because I, in the state of Texas, had heard a lot of discussion about a faith-based initiative eroding the important bridge between church and state.


I mean, there needs to be a wholesale effort against racial profiling, which is illiterate children.


See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda.


The law I sign today directs new funds and new focus to the task of collecting vital intelligence on terrorist threats and on weapons of mass production.


http://www.wisdomquotes.com/cat_bushisms.html


Any of you live in the midwest? Just in case you live down the road from me...

I live in Wisconsin and am often also in Minnesota.


No, I'm not a stalker or a weirdo (my opinion, anyway).


Would expect Obama to take high road. To expect this
One of many issues of valid concern is the fact that Palin would accept this nomination knowing full well (or maybe not) that when the broadcast media get done with this, Bristol's entire life for at least the next 5 years or so, will be red meat for publications like the Enquirer. Judgement. Priorities? The cat's out of the bag now, and I say that with no joy whatsover. In fact, across party lines, left or right, anybody with red blood coursing through beating hearts would stop and for one single moment experience the pain that poor girl must be feeling. Despite this, her mother has put her in the position to put a smiley face on no matter what, or go under the witness protection program, change her name and leave the country. Fair game? Of course not. National spotlight. You bet, and there is no turning back now.
Follow the yellow brick road....follow....
the yellow brick road. The great and powerful O will take care care of you. Watch out for those flying monkeys he is surrounding himself with tho....LOL. You folks kill me. This is ALL on you. You gave him the power. Remember that....
Hillary

I've actually been thinking of voting for her if she runs.  A year ago, I couldn't stand her.  I don't know if she's changed or if I've changed, but what I mostly think it is, is that the further right the neocons go, the further toward center she seems to wind up.


As far as respect, let's see... She has the ability to articulately and intelligent form SENTENCES using the English language.  That in and of itself is worthy of much more respect than what we've currently got.


She seems to have enormous strength without being a bully.  I can't recall her telling the rest of the world to "Bring it on." 


I'm somewhere between being a Democrat and Republican.  I tend to vote for someone because of issues, not because of party affiliation.  I've registered as an Independent because of that, and I'm glad I did because these days of Republicans and skyrocketing deficits, increasing intrusion of government into the personal lives of American citizens, etc. leaves me wondering just what Republican and Democrat means any more.


Republican seems to now mean a particular, narrow brand of Christianity (rather than a brand of politics), lying as a regular and customary part of doing business with the American people and the world, destroying the lives of people who disagree with them, completely stalling and bringing science to a screeching halt, forcing regime change on weaker countries through war, while showing weakness and backing down from true threats, such as North Korea.


And Democrats -- well, I just don't know any more what they stand for.


Again, as far as Hillary is concerned, she left a bad taste in my mouth when she seemed to put down stay-at-home moms with her comment about choosing her career over staying home and "having teas."  I feel being a mother is probably the most important job there is, and I didn't appreciate that comment.  However, recently she's looking a lot better to me.


I also would like to see more from Giuliani.  I think he demonstrated excellent leadership during the 9/11 tragedy, and he seems to be more moderate when it comes to the personal lives of people.


My DREAM President would have been Colin Powell.  I can't recall seeing such grace, dignity and intelligence in a politician.  He also has firsthand combat experience in foreign lands and might not be so hasty to jeopardize soldiers' lives as someone who didn't have the guts to put his own life on the line yet seems to find the lives of our young people readily disposable for nation building, rather than defending America.


I truly don't think we can do any WORSE than what we have now.  If we can just all hold our breath and tread lightly, we just might be able to survive the next three years, not because of this president but IN SPITE of him. 


Hillary just might be someone who would actually put Americans' safety and America, in general, FIRST.  Wouldn't that be a nice change?


If it had been Hillary...

Personally, I don't care what Laura did when she was 17, even if she was driving drunk. But, republicans are relentless and we can't let this go without mentioning the certain media frenzy if this had been Hillary who killed her first fiance.


If it had been Hillary:


Barbara Olson would have a best seller on it.
Ann Coulter would have a best seller on it.
Peggy Noonan would have a best seller on it.
Laura Ingraham would have a best seller on it.
Laura Schlessinger would have a best seller on it.
David Limbaugh would have a best seller on it.
Christopher Hitchens would have a best seller on it.
Dick Morris would have a best seller on it.
Bob Woodward would have a best seller on it.
Christopher Ruddy would have a best seller on it.
Ben Stein would have a best seller on it.
Gail Sheehy would have a best seller on it
Neal Boortz would have a best seller on it.
David P. Schippers would have a best seller on it.
David Maraniss would have a best seller on it.
Mike Barnacle would claim he was in the car with Hillary.
Joe Klein would write a best seller on it, but swear he didn't
Judas Stephanopolous Maximus would have a best seller on it.
Joe Eszterhas would fabricate quotes from Hillary's vagina.
Michael Isikoff would swear the conversation was "off the record"
but then turn around and print every word (plus some he made up.)
Kenneth Starr would write an impeachment referral over it.
Susan McDougal would still have to do time in prison,
and Julie Hiatt Steele would still lose her house.


The vulgar Pigboy would pound on her 15 hours a week until 2009.
O'Reilly would pound on Hillary for months and years.
Hannity would pound on Hillary for months and years.
(and Colmes would remain silent while he did...)
Paula Zahn would pound on Hillary for months and years.
Brit Hume would have weekly "Special reports" called "Accident? You Decide!"
Juan Willaims and Mara Liason would agree Hillary belongs in prison.


CNN would create a spin off network to cover it 24/7.
Tim would mention it every Sunday until he died.
Chris would pound on Hillary for months and years,
but no guest would ever get to answer any questions about it.
Cokie Roberts would mention it every week, then giggle.
Henry Hyde would scream, "The flag is falling."


Richard Mellon Scaife would pay David Brock $80,000 to talk to the cops who were paid $80,000 to say "We thought we smelled liquor, but everyone in Arkansas knows there'd be hell to pay if we wrote this up as a drunk driving accident."
The American Spectator would then run a front page story on it, and somehow Paula Jones would run into the spotlight screaming, "Hillary was trying to kill me - and missed," then the 
mainstream media would've made Paula a star on this story instead of the other one.
Then every night, Larry King and his "panel of experts" would search for the connection between Hillary's accident and Clinton's penis - as he always does.


...but since it was Bush's wife, Karl Rove gave orders not to bring it up.


Better keep an eye on Hillary as well...
Ironically, Hillary – who is evidently now opposed to military action – said in February that "no option can be taken off the table" when dealing with Iran.

"U.S. policy must be clear and unequivocal,” she told a crowd of Israel supporters. “We cannot, we should not, we must not permit Iran to build or acquire nuclear weapons. In dealing with this threat ... no option can be taken off the table."

Either she has flip-flopped or she was pandering to the pro-Israel crowd to get their votes. Which was it I wonder?
Hillary
I do not think Obama has enough experience to be president.  Two years in the senate, spent his third year on the campaign trail, not enough experience for me.  Also do not believe he sat in a church for 20 years and never heard the preacher say the things we heard on the TV.  He also talks but never explains how he will do things.  Not sure about the black issue.  Would have voted for Colin Powell if he had run back sometime ago. Some people will never vote for a black person, just like some men would rather vote for a turnip rather than vote for a female.  It is a man thing.
Hillary
I am not happy with any of the candidates. That being said, I do think Hillary should be in the White House. I detested her at first but compared to Obama (all smoke and mirrors, no substance) and McCain (Mr. Ego personified) I believe she truly does love this country. I also feel when another terrorist attack occurs on us, and I feel it will, she will be a good person in office to deal with this. Obama would be a disaster with his inexperience.
Anyone else getting fed up with Hillary?
I used to have a lot respect for Hillary, and while I favored Obama for the nomination I was fine with her being the nominee instead.  Now she is on this "crusade" to make the votes of MI and FL count as they are, in her favor of course.  Is there any doubt in anyone's mind that if those states had favored Obama that she wouldn't be down there pushing hard for the votes to count?  She keeps trying to spin this as not changing the rules or not about her, but it's about the voters being heard!  Funny how she didn't have any complaints when the ruling was first made that their votes wouldn't count.  She insults everyone's intelligence with her arguments and I am just fed up with her.
Hillary
Love Hillary. Hope she gets VEEP!