(5/1/02) Israeli officials today admitted that behind-the-scenes maneuvering by the Bush Administration resulted in a deal to prevent UN investegators from finding the truth about Jenin.

As reported in The Guardian, an un-named Israeli spokesman said "If it had come to a security council vote, we had reason to feel confident that the Americans would not allow this investigation to be imposed on us against our will.  I think it is fair to say that events in Ramallah are not unconnected with that."

"Ramallah" refers to the compound where Israeli soldiers had held Yassir Arafat prisoner for the last few weeks.  As part of this deal, Arafat was released.

The Israelis had set impossible standards for the UN in order to stall the investigation.  The cabinet's demands were:

* Military and terrorism experts should be made full members of the investigating team

* The Israeli government should decidewho the investigators can talk to and which documents it can review

* The investigation should not reach any conclusions

* The evidence it gathers cannot be used in any war crimes prosecution

* The UN team must also examine the activities of Palestinian "terrorists" in the camp over recent months.

The net effect of this is that the Israelis and Dubya have blocked the world from knowing what happened in Jenin.  This is a double-edged sword; for since we do not know what happened, Israel has taken a pass on the opportunity to clear itself of accusations of a murderous massacre.  And as usual, when truth is being withheld, you can find Dubya in the middle of it.

Caution:  Insomnia May Be Hazardous to Your Sense of Well-Being

(4/27/02)  Last night, I woke up around 4 am and was having a bit of trouble getting back to sleep.  I turned on the TV and went surfing through one informercial after another, and finally ended up on Fox News, about the only channel with content.

The program was "The O'Reilly Factor", with former Senator John Kasich sitting in for O'Reilly.  I have never watched Fox News because their concept of "Fair and Balanced" is out of whack with reality.  Well, what I saw there was disturbing enough to cause me to write these comments.

Kasich's first guest was a middle-aged shaved-headed former Lieutenant Colonel who was advocating torture for the prisoners at Camp X-Ray.  Kasich opened the dialogue with a report that the current CIA Director has suggested using "truth serum" on the detainees to get them to talk.  The two men then went into  an ever-escalating exchange, where each tried to top the other with a more effective means of extracting information out of prisoners.  The conversation ended with the Lt. Colonel assuring Kasich that he had found physical and psychological torture to be the best way and that he had used it frequently in Viet Nam.

WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE?  Certainly any American, conservative or liberal, should be APPALLED by this macho, anti-Constitutional BULLSHIT.  If that's what so-called "conservatives" believe, this country is in some DEEP CACA, folks.

On to the next guest, a rotund and hairy member of the Council on Foreign Relations, which is a secret organization steeped in international intrigue.  They involve themselves in kingmaking, assassinations, corporate slaveholding, and the like.

This "gentlemen's" purpose was to stir up anti-European hatred by asserting a series of  TOTALLY FALSE sweeping generalizations about Europeans.  According to him, the Europeans are anti-American, lazy, dirty, non-religious, insanely jealous of Americans yet smugly feeling superior to us (you go figure that one out), ungrateful for American protection during the Cold War, ungrateful for the US bailing them out of  two World Wars, etc, etc, ad nauseum.  Kasich gleefully egged this fat-assed fool into wilder and wilder statements until the very last, when he said that deep in their heart of hearts, when the cameras aren't rolling, Europeans really LOVE Americans and will do anything for us.

I have NEVER heard such PURE, UNADULTERATED, TRIPE in my life!  The Europeans' beef  is NOT with Americans, it's with THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION.  It is the BUSH ADMINISTRATION that has come onto the scene, reviving the Cold War, ignoring treaties, violating trade agreements, bullying everybody, opting out of environmental responsibilities, and generally being UGLY AMERICANS.

If you have friends or acquaintences that are quoting mis-information from Fox (Faux) News, you owe it to yourself and your countrymen to SET THEM STRAIGHT ON THE FACTS.  And if you can stomach it, tune that garbage in once in a while to find out what "conservatives" believe.  You will be shocked. 

Saudis Walk Over Dubya Like a Door Mat

(4/25/02)  The Saudi Crown Prince and his entourage rode into Dubya's Shit Creek Ranch like a scene out of a spaghetti western.  When the dust settled, the Prince & company left for home, and Dubya was left wondering if there were any openings in the soprano section of the church choir.

Crown Prince Abdullah, the Saudi leader, made it very clear to Dubya that he had better put the brakes on the Israelis or there would be "grave consequences."  Specifically mentioned were dangers to US interests in the Arab and Muslim world.  Further,  he warned the First Twit against trying military action against Iraq, saying it would not be in the interests of the region or the US.

Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal defended the Palestinian suicide bombers and ridiculed Bush on American national TV.  There is "no good terrorism", he said, adding "[but] there is a difference between a terroist act such as 11 September and a suicide operation carried out by a young woman or man for whom all avenues to a dignified life have been blocked."  Referring to a statement Dubya made earlier calling  Ariel Sharon a "man of peace", Saud taunted "Ariel Sharon a man of peace?  I don't even think Ariel Sharon believes that."

It should be obvious by now that the foreign policy of the most powerful nation in the history of the world is in the hands of an incompetent man-child who lacks the character and spine to be a world leader.

He needs to be impeached.

Senate Hands Dubya Crushing Defeat On ANWR Oil Drilling

(4/22/02)  The Dubya legislative steamroller has ground to a halt.  In a humiliating defeat, the Senate voted down the administration's key legislation to open the ANWR for oil exploration.  This proposal came from Dick Cheney's secret energy committee, for which the administration is being sued to release records of its deliberations.

Karen Hughes Quits

(4/22/02) Karen Hughes, Dubya's top advisor and longest-tenured staffer, announced her resignation today.  Citing personal reasons and her husband's law practice in Austin, Hughes pointedly denied that there were any other circumstances involved.

Dubya will miss Hughes.  As much as I dislike her personality and politics, she is an intelligent, strong, and savvy politico who has helped Dubya through a lot of jams.  Dubya needs someone like Karen Hughes to keep him out of trouble; it will be interesting to see who takes over her job.  No one will be able to fill her size 12 shoes.

****UPDATE*** (4/25) The rumor mill is saying Hughes fell on her sword over the lousy advice she gave Dubya concerning the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

Canadian Sorrow, Rage Build Over "Friendly Fire" Casualties

(4/19/02)  The pilot of the US aircraft that dropped the 500 pound bomb that killed 4 Canadian soldiers and wounded 8 thought he was acting in self-defense.  The pilot was on a routine patrol and saw muzzle flashes on the ground; unknown to him, he was flying over a live fire exercise, not being attacked.

The pilot asked for authorization to bomb the area; he was authorized to mark the area for a laser-guided bomb but not to drop the bomb.  The pilot marked the area and then flew over it a second time.  Seeing more muzzle flashes, he again asked for permission to drop the bomb.  He was denied permission unless he was acting in self-defense.  The pilot invoked his right to self-defense, mistakenly believing he was under attack.

The Canadian press is reporting that in order for the pilot, whom the Pentagon refuses to identify, to reasonably believe he was under attack, he would have had to seen tracer fire directed towards his aircraft.  No tracer rounds were involved in this training exercise.

RUMSFELD CIRCUMVENTS POSSE COMITATUS STATUTE 

(4/17/02)  In an unprecedented maneuver, the US Secretary of Defense has announced a military reorganization that FLAGRANTLY VIOLATES US law.  The Military Act of 1878, also known as the "Posse Comitatus" law, expressly forbids the US military from becoming involved in civilian law enforcement except under extraordinary circumstances.  One of those circumstances is when nuclear weapons are involved.

The Northern Command, or NorthCom in Cold War lingo, is not limited to US soil.  It also claims responsibility for other soverign nations, including Canada, Mexico, and portions of the Caribbean. 

This is an EXTREMELY dangerous violation of our Constitutional process and our rights as American civilians.  I URGE YOU TO CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND LET THEM KNOW YOU ARE NOT ROLLING OVER FOR THIS.

Powell Leaves Empty Handed, Goes Home to Report to Empty Headed

(4/17/02)  After meeting with the main players in the region, Powell has nothing to show for his efforts except a preliminary draft of a joint statement between the US and the PA.  To add insult to injury, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarek snubbed Powell by cancelling a meeting scheduled on his return trip.  Instead, he had Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher meet Powell; this is ironic in light of Powell's proposal to have the Israelis and Palestinians conduct their peace negotiations with lesser officials.  Talk about getting your nose rubbed in it.

Sharon whipped the Bush Conflagration like a dog.  If Dubya "meant what he said", he must have said "OK, go into the West Bank for 3 or 4 weeks and blow the beejeezus out of buildings, farms, and Palestinians.  Don't pay any attention to the US or our envoys, and by all means ignore the UN and international pressure.  In fact, if you could humiliate the US, we need to be more humble.  Oh, and while you're at it, detain 4 or 5 thousand Palestinians just for drill."

Dubya's Sec. of Army Subject of Federal EnronGate Investigation

(4/15/02)  It looks like the first domino in the EnronGate scandal is starting to teeter a bit.  Army Secretary Thomas E. White is being investigated for "possible" insider trading charges relating to sales of his Enron stock.

As reported by MSNBC, "Mr. White sold 405,710 shares of stock for $12.1 million.  He sold half of those shares during October, as Enron's accounting problems became known within the company, including the sale of 121,663 shares at $16.10 a share, on October 24, two days after Enron acknowledged a SEC inquiry....  He sold an additional 86,709 shares Oct. 30, the day before Enron [publicly] announced the SEC commission investigation had become a formal inquiry.

"Mr. White has told congressional investigators that he had 73 contacts with current or former Enron employees in the 10 months since he joined the administration".

White is also under investigation by the Pentagon for personal use of government property.  The investigation involves a stopover he made in Aspen to sell his $6.5 million vacation home when the military plane was only secheduled to take him round trip from Washington to Seattle.

White was vice chairman of Enron Energy Services when Dubya nominated him for Sec. of the Army.  He regularly flew to his confirmation hearings on Enron jets at Enron's expense, according to an April 5 article in the Washington Post.

Insider trading? Naw, no way.

Colin Powell's New Peace Plan Sucks, Disgusts Arabs

(4/15/02) Secretary of State Colin Powell has been jetting around the Middle East for 4 days now, getting his ass kicked every time his plane touches down.  On his first meeting with Morocco's King Muhammed VI, the King bluntly asked him why he was wasting time in Morocco when he should be in Israel stopping the Israeli attack.  It's gone downhill from there; Sharon obviously has no respect for Dubya and is calling all the shots.  He has made it clear that he alone will set the timetable for Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank, and he has refused to attend any meeting that includes Yassir Arafat.

So, here's Powell's BIG IDEA.  Why not have LOWER LEVEL officials meet to begin the negotiations?  That way Ariel won't have to be in the same room as Yassir!

Well, does it make any sense to you to have peace negotiations where the chief antagonists aren't speaking to each other?  It sure as hell doesn't make sense to me.  I'm not alone... Palestinian cabinet minister Hassan Asfour called the notion "silly".  Arab newspapers are reporting that this is a US stalling tactic to allow the Israelis continue their "mopping up" operations.  They are also printing stories about Israeli coverups of civilian massacres.

Meanwhile, the tension continues to rise and the anti-American sentiments are pouring out in the form of demonstrations.  In Bahrain, home of the US Gulf Fleet and a staunch US ally, 5000 protesters gathered to demand the deportation of the US consul.  (see photo).  In Lebanon, Powell's motorcade drove through a gauntlet of demonstrators carrying "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" signs to and from the airport.  It was all the sign people could do to stay out of the way of the Hizballah rockets that are opening a second front to this conflict. The Kuwaiti government is considering a ban on burning American flags.

So where is our Fearless Leader through all of this?  Hiding out at Camp David over the weekend and then a day-trip to Cedar Rapids, Iowa for a sound-bite opportunity at the local General Mills plant.  "Be assured", Dubya said, "that America is a great country."

His competence is underwhelming.

Federal Budget Hemmoraging Red Ink

Last year, Dubya said "excessive federal spending threatens economic vitality." So, this must be the fault of the Tax-And-Spend Democrats?  NOT THIS TIME.

(4/15/02)  The Washington Post reported today that the federal budget will increase a whopping 22% in adjusted dollars for the period of 1999 to 2003.  That period covers the last two years of Clinton's second term with a GOPER-controlled legislature and Dubya's first two years. Dubya outspends Bill Clinton by almost a 2 to 1 margin.

This increase is the largest since Lyndon Johnson tried to escalate the Viet Nam war and pay for the "Great Society" programs back in the 60s.  OMB Director Mitchell E. Daniels Jr. seems alarmed at the prospect.  "We cannot make the 'guns and butter' mistake", he said, referring to increasing both military and domestic spending at the same time revenues are falling.

It sure looks like voodoo economics to me.  Dubya is pushing us down the path of deficit spending, insisting on living in a separate reality when it comes to economics.  I guess that's what happens when you have swindled millions of fast bucks... you lose appreciation for the value of a dollar.

Colin Powell Gaffes His Way Through the Middle East

(4/12/02)  The way Colin Powell is telling it, we must have a complete idiot in the White House.  OH....  that's right, we DO.  Here are a couple of statements as reported by the press:

POWELL ON WHO MAKES US FOREIGN POLICY

"Powell said Tuesday during his emergency peace mission that boiling Arab anger at Israel and Washington over the plight of the Palestinians convinced President George W. Bush last week to step up US engagement in the region. 'The cauldron is really spilling over now which is why the president acted,' Powell told reporters en route from Cairo to Madrid, after earlier saying Israel's actions were threatening Israeli and US interests. "  (The Times of Jordan, 4/11/02)

POWELL ON WHY "WARS ON TERROR" WON'T WORK

"... General Powell made clear his own conviction that Israel's Operation Defensive Shield was futile.  'However long the Israeli incursion continues, the problems will still be there,' he said in Madrid.  'No matter how effective the Israeli Defence Forces believe they are being right now in rooting out terrorism and going after the other targets they have set for themselves, when it's over there will still be people who are willing to resort to violence and terror.'" (The Times of London, 4/12/02)

UN-FRIGGIN'-BELIEVEABLE.

Sharon Bloodies Dubya's Nose, Tells Powell to Hit the Road, Jack

(4/12/02)  Colin Powell was Dubya's ace-in-the-hole relief pitcher and he got knocked out of the ballpark before the inning really even started.  The former Gulf War hero's pleas fell on deaf ears, as Sharon left little doubt as to who is running the military campaign in the Palestinian territory. "I have warned the Americans that the Israeli Army will not withdraw from Bethlehem, Jenin, Nablus, and Ramallah until all the terrorist there have surrendered", Sharon said.

This defiance to Washington is widely seen as clear evidence that the US Middle East policy is an abysmal failure.  The Bush Administration sat by and did nothing for months as the violence and tension escalated to the present situation.  It should be no surprise that Israel has taken such a hard-line approach; they feel that the US has abdicated its role in the peace negotiations so they have no choice but to take matters into their own hands.

Opinion in the Arab World is increasingly strident.  Large pro-Palestinian and anti-American/Israeli demonstrations have broken out all over the region.  This is putting a tremendous strain on Dubya's anti-terror "coalition" with Arab nations as Israel is seen as the terrorist in their eyes.  In fact, a neutral observer would have trouble making the distinction in light of the death and devastation the Israeli Army is leaving in its wake.  Over 4000 Palestinians have been detained, entire cities ruined, and there are hundreds of casualties including civilians.

Powell is scheduled to meet with Yassir Arafat on Saturday, an event which Sharon called "a tragic mistake".  Although Powell has said that he may be in the region for quite some time, it seems likely that he'll be coming home rather soon.  The situation has gone beyond diplomacy and will never end without more spilling of blood.

TOO LITTLE TOO LATE:  SHARON GIVES DUBYA THE RASPBERRY, CONTINUES MILITARY SWEEP OF WEST BANK

(4/8/02)  Despite pleas and warnings from the Bush Administration, Israel says it will continue its armed forces attack on suspected terrorist sites in the West Bank until they are finished.  Tensions continue to rise in the region as Muslim nations are rocked by anti-American and anti-Israeli demonstrations.  Americans in Saudi Arabia have been warned to stay indoors.

The New York Times reported that the demonstrations were key in pushing Dubya to try to stop the Israeli attacks.  This means that US foreign policy is now being dictated by demonstrators in foreign countries. 

Dubya issued a warning to the Israelis over last weekend;  the Israelis have chosen to ignore it.  When asked about it at a recent press conference, Dubya answered "I meant what I said".  Well, I see two problems with that.  First, someone has to decipher a meaning out of the wretched gobbledegook that Dubya spews from his piehole.  Second, since his track record is full of lies, one would have to determine whether or not he means it when he says he means it.

All in all, this is a national embarrassment,  a black eye for the prestige of the US.  Further, it will embolden our enemies to test our resolve, it will make our allies rethink their relationships with the US, and it only complicates and worsens the situation in the Middle East.

"Bush Doctrine" Crumbles As Mid East Threatens to Erupt in All-Out War

(4/5/02)  It is a short 8 months since Dubya addressed Congress with the remarks "Every nation in the region now has a decision to make.  Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists." Persons capable of rational thought with some historical perspective (like your editor) knew that Dubya's statement was a steaming pile of manure.  But, this message resonated strongly with those who were blinded with hatred, racism, and blood lust.

As it happens, Dubya's simple-minded definition of  black/white, Good-doers VS Evil-doers, and Us against Them leaves quite a few possibilities begging.  The Israeli-Palestinian problem is a perfect example.  According to the "Bush Doctrine", Palestinians should be considered to be terrorists and if you listened to the rest of Dubya's speech, the US ought to be bombing the beejeezus out of them and smoking them out of caves.  Instead, Dubya issued a stern warning to the Israelis to stop their military adventures on the West Bank and then sent an envoy to meet with Yassir Arafat.

The New  York Times reports that protests of Dubya's policies are flaring up all over the Muslim world, including a breach of the walls of the US Embassy in Bahrain.  According to the NYT, Dubya has folded under the pressure.  "American officials say the growing intensity of protests helped prompt Mr. Bush to announce a new plan to try to forge a cease-fire." www.nytimes.com

This U-turn in US policy has infuriated the Brits and left Tony Blair hanging out to dry.  Blair, who used to be Dubya's only ally in favor of military action against Iraq, has now backed away from Dubya's Iraq fetish due to the uproar at home.  Blair now says that we should do  something about Iraq, but not military action. 

UPDATE 4/8/02:  Several key members of Blair's cabinet today loudly reiterated their intentions to quit the government if  he pursues a shooting war against Iraq.

It has been tacitly accepted that Dubya has no support from Russia, China, Europe, or any Arab state to initiate military action against Iraq or any other part of his so-called "Evil Axis".  With the British backing out, the US stands alone with a cowboy at the helm of our Ship of State.  And it's gittin' ta be High Noon.

White House Tries Nixon-esque End Run to Thwart Court Order, GAO and NRDC Lawsuits

(3/25/02) In a move truly reminicent of  Tricky Dicky, the White House today attempted to circumvent the Freedom of Information Act and court orders by partial compliance with the court orders.  Approximately 11,000 pages of the requested 26,000 pages were released, and those 11,000 pages were heavily "redacted", meaning censored.  Approximately 1/3 of the released pages were blank except for the page number and perhaps the name of the document's author.

The Natural Resources Defense Council immediately filed court motions  demanding the missing materials.  Sharon Buccino, attorney for NRDC,  stated in her declaration to the court that the NRDC was stonewalled in its efforts to get a committment from the Dept. of Energy as to when they would release the papers.  In actuality, the censored documents were released to the press before the NRDC got their copy.  Further, the press were given a 23 page summary "spinning" the contents of the material which was not provided to the NRDC.

In its panicked hurry to put together something it could release, the White House let some interesting facts slip through and were caught in lies.  The Big Lie in this case is that Cheney's secret task force was trying to forge a balanced national energy policy to benefit the American people.  The facts say that the true agenda for the task force was to pander to the big campaign donors from the energy industry.

The NRDC has put all of the information they received from Dubya on their website.  They have a search engine for you to use; however, the material is presented in Adobe Acrobat format and the files are rather large.  It would be good to have a broadband connection if you are planning on browsing this material.  The address is http://www.nrdc.org/air/energy/taskforce/tfinx.asp

Dubya Shows the True Meaning of "Compassionate Conservatism"

(2/26/02)  Now that the national economy is in a shambles from Bush's phony "war" and his tax giveaway to the top 1%, Dubya figures it's time to turn up the screws on the poor.

Dubya's proposals are unrealistic and mean-spirited, with special efforts directed against unwed mothers.  Under current law, 50% of a state's welfare recipients must work 30 hours per week.  These are jobs that fall under the federal requirements for employer-provided benefits.  They, frankly, are the shit jobs that no one can make a living wage from and therefore are subsidized by the welfare system.  Dubya will raise the minimum hours requirement to 40 hours per week, thereby causing many of these jobs to disappear completely because the employer won't want to  be forced to provide benefits.  Further, the percentage requirement of 40 hour workers will be increased to 70% by the year 2007.  This is going to effectively remove millions of poor families off of welfare.

Dubya wants all these "welfare mothers" to have husbands, even if they are dope-dealing low-lifes or violent criminals who put them in constant fear for their lives and those of their children.   He is coughing up $300 million for "experimental" programs that encourage welfare recipients to get married.  Sounds like government-enforced morality to me.

AND A SPECIAL MESSAGE TO OUR HISPANIC VISITORS...

Dubya tries to come across as your compadre but he's nothing but a pince gringo.  If you are a legal immigrant to the US you can't get welfare for cinco annos.  Dubya thinks he can get your vote by speaking  pidgeon Spanish and dancing around with Ricky Martin.  But you should remember who Dubya's vatos are... the guys who run Enron and all the other corporations who won't hire you for an honest day's work in their factory but think you're pretty much ok for yard work.

Dubya Takes His "Evil Axis" Schtick On the Road

(2/19/02)  Arriving in South Korea to massive protests, Dubya is engaged in an Asian tour to convince anyone who will listen that North Korea, Iran, and Iraq are threats to world peace and should be pummelled to smithereens.

Earlier, in a speech to Japan's Diet, Dubya caused a national run on the Yen with one of his famous "Bushisms".  He mistakenly stated that he was in discussions with the Japanese Prime Minister concerning devaluation of the Yen.  This ignited a panic sell-off of the Yen in currency markets.

With a tour name of "Evil Axis", Dubya should be travelling with Rod Zombie and Marilyn Manson. 

White House Staff Locked In Bitter Dispute Over Campaign Finance Bill

(2/19/02)  Dubya is a long-time opponent of any legislation to limit "soft money" political contributions.  He repeatedly stated this position during the GOPER primaries when his opponent was John McCain, co-sponsor and champion of campaign finance reform legislation. 

It's funny how the political worm has turned.  The House recently passed the Shays-Meehan bill, despite attempts to amend and substitute it into a gutless piece of lip-service by Dick Armey and his minions.  Oddly, Dubya let the GOPER leadership know that they could NOT  count on a presidential veto. 

What caused Dubya to have this change of heart?  Is it the fact that soft political contributions for this non-presidential election cycle have already topped $160 million?  Is it because these contributions have passed those made in the 1997 election cycle by 50%?  Is it because GOPERs have out-raised the DEMS by $97 million to $62 million?

Of course not.  Dubya and his administration are so deeply immersed in Enrongate that he has no choice but to support reform.  Knowing that the legislation will certainly end up on his desk, he will simply sign it and then say that he has always supported reform and claim victory over the evildoers, especially Enron.

This may play in Podunk, but it is a doomed strategy of a desperate man and it will come back to haunt him... every day.  Rush Limbaugh is a staunch opponent of any ban on soft money.  A top staffer is quoted by Matt Drudge as saying "We'll lose Limbaugh over this."  Antother advisor reportedly said "We can't let this stand.  We ran against this in the campaign". 

Meanwhile, Dubya is caught between a rock and a hard place.  The rock is the will of the people to clean up the political system; the hard place is his years of selling his political power to corporations for personal gain.

 t