Tuesday edition - February 10, 2009

"President Obama, getting very tough now, has imposed a $500,000 salary cap for executives getting federal bailout money. And, listen to this: Now on weekends, they can only play miniature golf. No more 18 holes." --Jay Leno
 

The-World-Will-Be-A-Safer-Place-Without George W. Bush

• US military deaths in Iraq war at 4243 Washington Post

• 4 US Troops, Interpreter Killed in Blast in N. Iraq Washington Post

• NATO: 2 soldiers killed in Afghan bomb attack AP

• Pakistan kills 11 militants near Afghan border: military AFP

• Bush, Cheney Should Pay Impoverished Iraq War Widows U.S. News & World Report, DC 

• Mullen Talks of Limit To Force in Afghan War Washington Post

• National Guard band readies for its tour of duty in Iraq Minneapolis Star Tribune, MN

• Iraq to arrest foreigners without Baghdad visa AFP

• US says Iran still supporting Iraq militants Reuters

• Iran says ready for fair talks with US Reuters

• North Korea raises tensions ahead of Clinton visit The Christian Science Monitor

Change?

The Obama administration invoked the same "state secrets" privilege as its predecessor in federal court in San Francisco yesterday in opposing the reinstatement of a lawsuit that alleges that a Boeing Co. unit flew people to countries where they were tortured as part of the CIA's "extraordinary rendition" program.

"After two of his top Cabinet nominees withdrew their bids on Tuesday because of their failure to pay back taxes, President Obama said, 'This was a mistake; I screwed up.' That was your mistake? I don't know if you remember, but the last guy broke the world [on screen: photo of George W. Bush]." --Seth Meyers
 

Disturbing News

• Australia Fire Toll Could Exceed 200 New York Times

• Mexican drug violence spills over into the US AP

The Truth? Can We Handle The Truth?

A U.S. "truth commission" should investigate Bush administration policies including the promotion of war in Iraq, detainee treatment and wiretapping without a warrant, an influential senator proposed on Monday.

Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, urged a commission as a way to heal what he called sharp political divides under former President George W. Bush and to prevent future abuses.

"On Friday, the Senate agreed to an economic stimulus package of at least $780 billion, which I know sounds like a lot of money, but, remember, that's in American dollars." --Seth Meyers

Firm tied to Iraq electrocution deaths gets $35M contract
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA

Republican-Shenanigans News

• Obama Up, Republicans down in Gallup Poll Seattle Post Intelligencer

• Did President Obama Mock Republicans Over Spending Bill? FOXNews 

• Republican Meg Whitman to Run for California Governor U.S. News & World Report, DC 

• Tennessee: Republicans boot Speaker Williams Chattanooga Times Free Press, TN

• The Party of No? New York Times

• Stimulus will lead to 'disaster,' Republican warns CNN 

• Palin sees off snowmachine racers, including husband, Todd McClatchy Washington Bureau, DC

• Lawyer for Todd Palin objects to contempt citation CBS 47, CA 

Let's Try Trickle Up Economics

The stimulus package the U.S. Congress is completing would raise the government’s commitment to solving the financial crisis to $9.7 trillion, enough to pay off more than 90 percent of the nation’s home mortgages.

"Monday is the Westminster Kennel Club's 133rd Annual Dog Show. As you know, these just aren't regular dogs. These dogs are scrutinized and gone over, literally, with a fine-tooth comb. And they're judged, here's how they're judged: appearance, of course, appearance. Silky coat, silky coat. Firm hindquarters, firm hindquarters. It's also how John McCain chose his running mate." --David Letterman

Texas Messes In Alaska

You can't see Russia from Texas.

But that's where some of the money that helped an effort aiming to kill a probe investigating whether Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin acted inappropriately in firing the state's public safety chief came from.

Gift records show that an evangelical group and two law firms working with it shelled out $185,000 to represent six Alaska legislators in an unsuccessful bid to quash the state legislature's investigation into "troopergate."
 

Rock-The-Voter News

• California may have to cut prison population by 40 percent CNN 

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Biz-Tech News

• Oil below $40 as investors eye US stimulus AP

• US home prices to hit bottom at year-end: study AFP

• China monthly auto sales overtake US for 1st time AP

• Sobering Stats on Costa Rica Unemployment Released

• FBI raids Ga. plant at center of salmonella scare AP

• US relies on states for food safety inspections AP

• Hundreds of Houston computers infected by virus

• Obama orders US cybersecurity review AFP

"Hi everyone, I'm Jimmy. I'm your late-night stimulus package. ... Word out of the Senate tonight is that a deal has been reached on a $780 billion stimulus package. It's said to include a mixture of tax cuts, infrastructure spending, health-care stipends, and ponies for everyone in America." --Jimmy Kimmel
 

Bush-Prison-Torture News

• 4 Iraqis transferred from Guantánamo to Iraqi custody International Herald Tribune

• Teenage terrorist or confused kid -- Gitmo's youngest prisoner CNN International

• Lawyer of alleged torture victim makes plea to MPs guardian.co.uk, UK 

Wahhhh

A cry of "not in my backyard" is growing louder over where to relocate terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay once the military-run prison is closed.

"We're the new Guantanamo Bay if they move to Indiana and what does that mean for us?" said Republican state Senator Marlin Stutzman, who wants detainees kept away from the prison in Terre Haute, site of the federal execution chamber.

Go-F**k-Yourself News

• Senate Should Pursue Truth About Bush-Cheney Abuses The Nation., NY

An artist who created a famous image of Barack Obama before he became president sued The Associated Press on Monday, asking a judge to find that his use of an AP photo in creating the poster did not violate copyright law.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan said street artist Shepard Fairey did not violate the copyright of the April 2006 photograph because he dramatically changed the nature of the image.

"They're giving a special Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys this year. The Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Aretha Franklin's hat." --David Letterman

Wow, I got interviewed by by David Namanny of Mike Palecek's New American Dream website
 

Did you have a good time today?

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