SSA: Blog |
6/24/06 'The Donald' blasts the war: Joining a growing chorus of influential voices that urge a withdrawl of U.S. troops from Iraq is possibly the biggest name of them all - Donald Trump. In a recent interview, The Donald expresses dismay with both the decision to go to war with Iraq and with the current situation on the ground now.
The Donald on Iraq: -
No word on whether he will use an anti-war platform if he runs for President in 2008. Maybe he could be Russ Feingold's running mate? Here's TD's political donations, coutesy of Open Secrets, from 2002--2006. 25K to the Democrats? Impressive. Who knew that The Donald was a Dem?
It's a lie! The more information that comes out about the "Miami 7" terror plot, the more ridiculous the case appears. In the midst of Alberto Gonzales and FBI officials going on about how this plot was "worse than 9/11", and there could have been an "imminent threat, new information is coming out that shows that these "threats of attacks" were just that, threats. There was no way that a group of Haitian immigrants with no ties with any other group, Al Qaeda or otherwise, with no weapons or explosives, and an eccentric leader known as "Prince Manna"could have blown up the Sears Tower. Yeah, that's right, no contact with any terrorist group. Despite what the Bush administration is implying with its talk of "Al Qaeda oaths" and contact with an Al Qeada representative, that is all a lie (big surprise). The "Al Qaeda rep" they made contact with was a government informant planted in the group. The informant was the one to initiate talk of "bombings" and getting weapons, according to the indictment. So this all could be a government lead-on, with the informant hatching all of the plans and the Miami 7 just nodding their heads in wistful agreement. A "terror plot" is not a government agent posing as "Al Qaeda" and spouting off talk of explosives, bombings, and "jihad". That's called a misleading lie. Even the FBI admits that this group was no immediate threat. "This group was more aspirational than operational," said John Pistole, the FBI's deputy director. But Al Gonzales is having none of that: "We clearly believe there's sufficient information, sufficient facts, to support this prosecution, and, therefore, we took action when we did because we believe we have an obligation to prevent America from another attack here." And Dick Cheney is keeping up the fear as well. "There are still people out there who are trying to do everything they can to kill Americans," Cheney said. "We have to defend ourselves against that threat." Sounds like this was simply a poll boosting move to shore up support for the war in Iraq. Rememebr the Osama tape before the 2004 election? Yeah.
6/23/06 "Wannabes"? The now infamous "Miami 7 terror plot" is getting a lot of publicity in the MSM today, with most trumpeting out their "terror" experts who are crowing about this like we captured Osama or something. But nothing really adds up in the whol deal. Like no weapons being found at the wharehouse were they apparently trained for "jihad". One reporter who is familiar with the case even described the suspects as "wannabes". The indictment is rather dramatic, stating that the fellows were planning to "levy war" against the U.S. But, again,"No explosives or weapons were found". There are serious doubts as to whether the DOJ can covict these guys, seeing as nothing was found, not even bomb-making equipment. They also admit that the "plot" was in its early stages - nowhere close to completion. Talking Points Memo makes another good point as to the idiocy of the Miami "terrorist plot" supposedly uncovered yesterday. From the indictment: In addition to conducting surveillance, the defendants allegedly provided the individual, whom they believed was an al Qaeda member, with a list of materials and equipment needed to wage jihad, including boots, uniforms, machine guns, radios and vehicles. Uniforms? Are they serious? So these guys would walk around downtown Chicago ready to blow up the Sears Tower in what, Osama bin-Laden T-shirts? And since when do you need boots to wage holy war. What, no open-toed sandals for the jihadists? And what the heck is up with the aliases used by these "terrorists"? "Prince Manna"? "Brother Sunni"? DOJ couldn't come up with something better? How about "Osama Mohammed Atta Kalid Sheik Mohammed Abu Baghdad bin-al Ramadan". That would grab people's attention.
Barack the spineless. Sen. Barack Obama, the apparent savior of the Democrats, is turning into a Hillary Clinton clone (perhaps in time to run as her Veep?). After much indecision as to his stance on the war in Iraq, with public comments being rather vague, Barack has come out firmly in favor of.....changing nothing in Iraq. In the Iraq vote in the Senate yesterday, Barack voted against the Kerry/Feingold legislation, which would have set a firm date - July 1, 2007 - for troop withdrawl from Iraq. He then proceeded to vote for a considerably weaker Democratic measure which would have called on the President to make a "troop-exit plan" by the end of the year. Which is basically nothing. Here's what B had to say:
"What is needed is a blueprint for an expeditious yet responsible exit from Iraq," he told the Senate on Wednesday. "A hard and fast, arbitrary deadline for withdrawal offers our commanders in the field, and our diplomats in the region, insufficient flexibility to implement that strategy."
We don't need a blueprint, we need a concrete plan. It's time for Barack to quit preparing for 2008 and get behind what is right for this country: Getting out of Iraq now.
A bit too much Kentucky bourbon for Ernie... Republican Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher has instituted a new policy for state workers viewing web sites; No political blogs. They go on the no-no list along with pornographic sites, illegal gambling sites, and hate group sites. “Visiting these sites is not an efficient use of state employee time,” says a Fletcher spokeswoman. Does the Guv really think that blogs are evil? Or is he just trying to stifle dissent over his much publicized ethics scandal, involving placing GOP cronies in dozens of important state positions. Will he ban newspapers next? He's just following W's lead. New blogs are apparently being added every day. Will SSA get on the list? UPDATE: A conservative blog gets a pass
6/21/06 The GOP has once again shot down a proposed raise in the minimum wage to $7.25 over three years. That is hardly a radical timetable. And yet the GOP trashes it immediately. How long will it take voters to realize that the conservative right is not "pro-family" or "pro-little guy". This seals it. To not allow even a small raise is appalling in the face of shrinking paychecks for workers, and the fact that nothing has been doen to the MW for 9 years. Let's get a little common sense here: There are numerous tax cuts for the wealthy, repealing taxes on just the wealthy, and huge tax breaks for big corporations. Yet nothing is done for the common American worker, the backbone of this country. The GOP can go on all day about the MW being just for "slackers", teenagers at fast food joints, and the like. But that is simply not true. Almost 70% of mimimum wage earners are adults over 20. Here's a quote from one of the GOP sharpshooters who knocked down this bill: "This is a classic debate between two different philosophies," said Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.). "One philosophy believes in the marketplace, competition and entrepreneurship, and the second is a philosophy that says government knows best."
W and the flag. President George W. Bush has twice defaced the American flag. Will he be punished under the new conservative "flag-protection" law? Writing on the U.S. flag has got to be pretty bad.
6/20/06 Pentagon lists homosexuality as disorder Hasn't this been put to rest? Say what you want about gays, but please don't repeat this homophobic and alarmist trash that was debunked decades ago. And this is from the Pentagon? Well, that is Rummy's domain after all. He probably inserted it to please Sam Brownback or something. A Pentagon document classifies homosexuality as a mental disorder, decades after mental health experts abandoned that position. The document outlines retirement or other discharge policies for service members with physical disabilities, and in a section on defects lists homosexuality alongside mental retardation and personality disorders.
The most horrifying thing about this is that it is not at all surprising. What's next, classifying Democrats in the military as "mentally retarded"? Actually, Rummy, it's GOPers who are mentally retarded. Absolutely.
Gallagher gets smoked by new allegations: How about the two little surprises thrown out yesterday by Tom Gallagher, GOP candidate for Fla Governor. Rampant marijuana use and a steamy extra-marital affair? That's big news. But really - that's okay. After all, what politician doesn't have some sort of sordid tale about youthful transgressions from, what, over 25 years ago? Smoking some pot and fooling around while married is hardly going to affect this guys political capabilities (which are zero to begin with). What's ridiculous about the whole thing is the way Gallagher, an ultra-conservative, has been parading himself around as the "pro-family" candidate, a guy that can be "trusted" to make the right decision "for families". Like making life and death decisions for your family, i.e. Terri Schiavo situation. Now, thanks to some great reporting by the (gasp!) Tampa Tribune, some very interesting court docs from his messy divorce in 1979 have suddenly surfaced, brimming with details of not only his drug use and the infamous affair, but with peppering Gallagher with credible allegations of physical abuse and a restraining order sought by his ex-wife. The only reason this info hadn' come out at the time was because a sympathetic (more like just plain "pathetic") kept the documents sealed: ``You're a public figure. You don't need any adverse publicity.'' Sure... And how's this for insanity. Immediately after the Gallagher dirt was brought to the surface, his GOP primary opponent, Att. Gen. Charlie Crist, admitted that he also smoked pot during "college". Now we know what's wrong with the GOP.
6/19/06 VP Dick Cheney repeats his infamous comments from May 2005 in which he said that the Iraqi insurgency was in its "last throes". While he didn't say that exact comment again, he most certainly agreed with his previous statement. This was today at the National Press Club in DC: REPORTER: About a year ago, you said that the insurgency in Iraq was in its final throes. Do you still believe this? CHENEY: I do. He then went on to yak about how he was really talking about "1995" etc. What? Come on Dick, don't dance around your stupid comments. You said the insurgency was done - cooked - and that was a lie. We've got 2500 + U.S. troops dead now. Will you ever realize what is really going on?
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