canine eleven

WAR
* hershs iran article http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?050124fa_fact

* heres a quote from the hersh article that is prolly the scariest: " the former high-level intelligence official told me: “Next, we’re going to have the Iranian campaign. We’ve declared war and the bad guys, wherever they are, are the enemy. This is the last hurrah—we’ve got four years, and want to come out of this saying we won the war on terrorism.”" they want to win TWOT in 4 years. done and dusted. the only way to do that is to kill everyone.

* the pentagon 'slams' hershs story ""The Iranian regime's apparent nuclear ambitions and its demonstrated support for terrorist organizations is a global challenge that deserves much more serious treatment than Seymour Hersh provides" the Pentagon's chief spokesman, Lawrence DiRita, said in a statement." http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=7346834

* the nyt hasnt touched hershs story - except carrying reuters article 'debunking' it

* "On Jan. 30, Iraqis will go to the polls to vote in a democratic election for the first time. On Jan. 31, every American who believes we should have never been there in the first place should take to the streets in massive, good-old-fashioned anti-war demonstrations that will ratchet up the pressure to get out." http://www.suntimes.com/output/washington/cst-edt-laura17.html


* apparently zark did march11 and sep11 (and prolly the tsunami and AIDS) http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6834730/





SOCSEC
* i know that i said that id stay away from socsec - cos its not a really big issue for me for obvious reasons - but ill put my toe in the water every now & again - interestingly, 34's lies are becoming so bald-faced, that even some journalists appear to actually calling him on it. heres a nice bit from josh on socsec -
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2005_01_16.php#004458

* even harry reid all but called him a liar on sundayteeve

* & heres rollingstone interviewing krug http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/_/id/6822964?rnd=1105920434954&has-player=true&version=6.0.12.1040

AMDOM
* bumiller "At the same time, Mr. Betts describes a president more concerned than he lets on about the perception among some critics that Vice President Dick Cheney is running the country. When Mr. Bush spoke to the commission investigating the attacks of Sept. 11, Mr. Betts said that the president took along Mr. Cheney not to present a consistent story but to show the panel that Mr. Bush was in charge. "What he told me was that he wanted people to see how deeply he understood all this," Mr. Betts said, "and how he was calling all the shots."" make.it.stop.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/14/politics/14betts.html

* AP math. headline: "Poll: Americans Hopeful on 2nd Bush Term"
"Ahead of Bush's inauguration on Thursday, six in 10 people said they feel hopeful about his second term and 47 percent said they were worried. Most said they were neither angry nor excited about his final four years in office."
"Half of those questioned in the AP poll said relations with other countries are worse than they were four years ago, while four in 10 said they are the same. One-quarter of Republicans said relations with other countries are worse."
"Public perceptions of the president's personal strengths are his biggest asset today.
Almost two-thirds of those polled described Bush as likable, strong and intelligent. A majority said he is dependable and honest. People were evenly split on whether Bush is arrogant"
("It's best to be hopeful about the next four years," said Kellie Shanahan, a Republican and a teacher from Wilmington, N.C. "If we're not, it won't be good for our country.")
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050117/ap_on_go_pr_wh/inaugural_poll_14

* "although the Democrats have policy differences with Gonzales, they have found nothing that would automatically disqualify him." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14260-2005Jan16.html

* wapo ed " At a time when nominees for the Cabinet can be disqualified because of their failure to pay taxes on a nanny's salary, this reluctance to hold Mr. Gonzales accountable is shameful. He does not deserve to be confirmed as attorney general." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12606-2005Jan15.html

* anti-c.rice's nomination hearings start today
"As national security adviser, and one of Mr. Bush's closest confidants and most frequent after-hours friends, Ms. Rice has held a position of extraordinary influence and trust. She began her relationship with Mr. Bush as foreign policy tutor in his 2000 campaign, and friends say she both helped to shape his views and - especially after Sept. 11 - came to anticipate his own goals and wishes, aligning herself with him in a process that often seemed nonverbal." http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/17/politics/17rice.html?pagewanted=all&position=

* "Mr. Gerson was back in the office full time to deal with a boss (34) who has never taken a hands-off approach to his speechwriters' prose." oh please. he can hardly fucking read. btw - the nyt is *full* of pr for people at the shitehouse at the mo - as pointed out by http://thecommonills.blogspot.com
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/17/politics/17letter.html?pagewanted=all&position=

* did sonberg have a nickname? 'nick, its a nice name. my dad thought of it while shaving'

* Robert F. Kennedy Jr 'if u asked greenies 5 years ago what the biggest threat was u'd get a range of difference answers - overpopulation/global warming et al - now they all give the same answer - the biggest threat to the planets health is georgewbush' - its a great speech with some stunning framing 'pollution-based prosperity - with our children paying for our joy-ride' etc - he even makes god sound good. video of speech: http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/news/screeningroom/students/2004graduation-kennedy.html

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war makes me mad, sad, bad. tsunamis makes me sad.
wotisitgood4.blogspot.com