August 6, 2008 archive

Osama bin Laden's personal driver and bodyguard, who made the magisterial sum of $200 per month, 34-year-old Salim Ahmed Hamdan, who was held years without charges at Guantanamo Naval Base prison, has just been found guilty of lesser charges in the first of a series of planned “military commission” trials by the Bush Administration. Comprehensive news coverage of the Hamdan trial can be found at the Miami Herald.

Hamdan was found not guilty on two counts of conspiracy to foment terrorism in league with Al Qaeda. He was found guilty on five of eight charges of providing material support to terrorists. He has yet to be sentenced, and faces possible life imprisonment. In any case, the Bush Administration has already said that whatever the verdict or sentence, no “enemy combatant” will be released until the “war on terror” is over, i.e., until hell freezes over.

As of right now, Republican Gordon Smith, Elizabeth Dole, Ted Stevens, Bob Schaffer and Susan Collins are all skipping the GOP convention. Has this ever happened? We’ve had recent defectors like Zell “duel challenger” Miller, but have we ever had numerous incumbents skip out on honoring their party in such a public fashion?

Full disclosure, I am the netroots director for OR-Sen candidate Jeff Merkley

1. The Hill reports the White House lauds Iraq’s reconstructions efforts. “The White House on Wednesday said Iraq has taken over much of the cost for its reconstruction”.

   White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters: “They’ve already taken over a lot of their reconstruction cost, and I think the vast majority of it. They want to be able to do more, and they are doing more.”

   Meanwhile, the NY Times reports As Iraq surplus rises, little goes into rebuilding. Whoops!

   Soaring oil prices will leave the Iraqi government with a cumulative budget surplus of as much as $79 billion by year’s end, according to an American federal oversight agency. But Iraq has spent only a minute fraction of that on reconstruction costs, which are now largely borne by the United States.

   The unspent windfall, which covers surpluses from oil sales since 2005, appears likely to reinforce growing debate about the approximately $48 billion in American taxpayer money devoted to rebuilding Iraq since the American-led invasion.

   In one comparison, the United States has spent $23.2 billion in the critical areas of security, oil, electricity and water since the 2003 invasion, the report said. But from 2005 through April 2008, Iraq has spent just $3.9 billion on similar services.

   Now of course the Democrats are up in arms about this and the ‘leadership’ has severeal stern letters ready to be sent. The Hill reports Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) said, “It is inexcusable for U.S. taxpayers to continue to foot the bill for projects the Iraqis are fully capable of funding themselves… We should not be paying for Iraqi projects while Iraqi oil revenues continue to pile up in the bank, including outrageous profits from $4-a-gallon gas prices in the U.S.”

2. The LA Times reports a Amputee Marine returns to combat duty in Afghanistan.

   Just over a year ago, Cpl. Garrett Jones was one of thousands of Marines slogging through a tour of duty in Iraq. Today, he is deployed with the same unit in Afghanistan, but he serves now with an unusual distinction.

   On July 23, 2007, Jones was on foot patrol near the Iraqi city of Fallouja when he was injured by a roadside bomb. After the attack, his left leg was amputated above the knee. He developed infections and fevers. His weight dropped from 175 pounds to 125. At 21, Jones faced months of painful rehabilitation and a likely end to his service in the Marine Corps.

   One year later, Jones is walking smoothly on a prosthetic leg. He not only continues to serve on active duty, but he has worked his way back to a war zone, serving with his Marine battle buddies in Afghanistan.

   In previous wars, Jones would have been given a medical discharge. But today, “the Pentagon has made it possible for some amputees to return to duty — and for a few to deploy overseas again. Advances in medical care and high-tech prostheses have enabled amputees to function far better.”

   Jones wanted to return to duty and show others what is possible for amputees. “I want to be someone an injured Marine can talk to,” he said. “And I can tell them: ‘Times will be rough and not always easy as an amputee, but you can still make great things out of an unfortunate situation.’ That’s what I want to do.”

Four at Four continues with an essay by an Iraqi journalist in America and a story about a homeless camp on a millionaires’ island near Seattle.

Allison Kilkenny wrote one of her typically brilliant columns over at Huffington Post regarding the increasingly Republican-like cultishness being displayed by far too many Democrats.

Instead of shunning those who criticize Obama’s handling of FISA and offshore drilling, or those individuals who are considering voting for Ralph Nader come November, Democrats should address the causes of these symptoms of anger and mistrust within their own party, all of which stem from an ideologically sick candidate, who has begun to play fast and loose with his principles.

These disillusioned Democrats aren’t traitors, and don’t deserve the burden of the unfair and immature dismissal: “Well, ENJOY President McCain, asshole!” Such digressions are why Democrats are forever on the defensive and the Republicans, year-after-year, are permitted to set the agenda. Democrats have an identity crisis and continue to publicly shun their brand as the progressive, peace-loving party. Worse than trying to mimic Republicans, now the party has turned cannibalistic and Democrats are attacking Democrats. Obamaniacs hate the Nader Raiders, and the Nader Raiders resent the fact that they feel ostracized for being too liberal and too progressive…whatever those labels mean nowadays.

A party is only as good as its ideas, and if the Democrats turn into the two-dimensional cartoon characters on FOX news, the screaming idiots that shout sound bites at each other from across the table, then they might as well sculpt their hair into humorless coifs, throw crucifixes around their necks, and call themselves Neo-Conservatives.

Just some food for thought.

Irrefutable proof.

No one can deny the truthfulness of these photographs, taken ALL BY MYSELF.

This is a clear indication that Edwards was part of a conspiracy to keep people from knowing about his love child.

You’ve all been waiting patiently, so I’d like to finally, at long last, break the silence and reveal the photograph that CONCLUSIVELY SHOWS that Edwards is a scummy liar baby daddy.

The quality of the photo is not the best, I used black and white film.

Shocking photograph below the fold!

Original Blurb with Photos via nationalenquirer.com.

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