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April 24-25,
2004 Weekend Edition |
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Is the president's religion too much a part of policy?
Tallahassee Democrat, FL - 4-24-04
WASHINGTON - Is president's religion too much a part of
policy?
At a recent news conference and in a new book by Bob Woodward, President
Bush conveys a sense that when it comes to foreign policy, he's on a mission
from God.
"I also have this belief, strong belief, that freedom is not this country's
gift to the world. Freedom is the Almighty's gift to every man and woman in
this world," Bush said...
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Militia has holy Iraqi city on edge
Iraq Occupation Watch, CA - 4-24-04
Thursday 25 tribal leaders in Najaf called on all armed
groups to lay down their weapons and disband. NAJAF, IRAQ - Nabil Mahdi's
...
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Fighting unabated in Sadr
NDTV.com, India - 4-24-04
Fighting continued on Saturday in Sadr City, an eastern
mostly Shiite district of Baghdad, when US forces launched raids against
suspected militiamen, sparking ... |
Today's cartoon was inspired
by an AHNC viewer, vox pop. Thanks!
"On '60 Minutes' on last
Sunday Bob Woodward suggested that the main reason President Bush took the
country to war is that he thinks he's on a mission from God. Of course the
problem with that is, it's also Osama bin Laden's reason." —Jay Leno
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The-World-Is-A-Safer-Place-Without-Saddam News
Suicide
Boat Bombers Attack Key Iraqi Oil Terminal
Reuters -4-24-04
BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) - Suicide bombers launched two boat attacks on Iraq's
vital Basra offshore oil terminal on Saturday, Iraqi officials said, but the
...
More than 33 Iraqis
killed in day of attacks; rebel rockets kill ...
Boston Globe, MA - 4-24-04
By Lee Keath, Associated Press, 4/24/2004 14:58. BAGHDAD (AP) Mortar fire
slammed into a marketplace in Baghdad's biggest Shiite
...
Five US
Soldiers Killed in Attack on Iraq Base
Reuters - 4-24-04
By Michael Battye. BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A least 13 Iraqis were killed when
rockets slammed into a Baghdad market on Saturday and insurgents
...
Car Bomb Kills 3 Near Base
in North Iraq
AP -
Sat Apr 24, 5:10
AM ET
A car bomb exploded
near the main U.S. base in the northern city of Tikrit on Saturday, a U.S.
official said. At least three people were killed.
Number of U.S. Troops Hurt
in Iraq Jumps
AP -
Sat Apr 24,12:23
AM ET
The number of American
troops wounded in Iraq soared in the past two weeks as the insurgency flared
in south-central Iraq and in the Sunni Triangle north and west of Baghdad.
Americans killed in Nigeria ambush
CNN International - 4-24-04
LAGOS, Nigeria -- At least two American oil workers have been killed in an
armed ambush on their boat in Nigeria's southern delta, according to the
Nigerian ...
Palestinian prime minister calls on world to protect Arafat
Channel News Asia, Singapore - 4-24-04
GAZA CITY : Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qorei called on the
international community to protect Yasser Arafat, after renewed threats by
Israeli Prime ...
Sharon
to Bush: Arafat a Target
Los Angeles Times (subscription), CA - 4-24-04
The premier says Israel will no longer refrain from harming him. The remarks
could be a bid to win a party vote on his Gaza pullout plan.
...
Powell
Says Bush Opposes Any Attempts on Arafat
Reuters - 4-24-04
By John Poirier. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush has told Israeli
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that he opposes any attempt by
...
US is critical of
Palestinians for letting militants free ...
Salt Lake Tribune, UT - 4-24-04
JERUSALEM -- The United States on Friday criticized Palestinian officials
for allowing militants to storm a Gaza police station and free three men
with ...
Disturbing News
GAO Questions Missile
Defense Systems
AP -
Fri Apr 23, 7:07
PM ET
U.S. missile defense
systems may not have faced testing rigorous enough to ensure they would work
during an attack, said a congressional study released Friday. |
Vatican Rules Out
Liberalized Liturgy
Los Angeles Times -
4-24-04
A senior cardinal says
politicians who support legal abortion must be denied Communion.
Israeli Army Kills 3
Palestinians in West Bank
Reuters -
Sat Apr
24, 7:07 AM ET
Israeli forces killed
three Palestinians, including a teenager, in the West Bank on Saturday in
disputed circumstances.
Russia "deeply concerned" over
Sharon's threat against Arafat's ...
Xinhua, China - 4-24-04
MOSCOW, April 24 (Xinhuanet) - Russia said Saturday it is "deeply concerned"
over Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's latest threat against the life of
...
Republican
Shenanigans
Don't ask about Iraq
security -- it's too risky
4-24-04
Iraq's U.S.-led
authorities are telling anyone who wants information about risks in the
violence-torn country to seek it elsewhere.
GOP
House members targeted Kerry, Democrats fired back
WAVY-TV, VA - 4-24-04
This past week, many House Republicans marked the 33rd anniversary of
Senator John Kerry's testimony criticizing the actions of some US troops in
Vietnam to ...
Republicans
amplify criticism of 9/11 commission
CNN - 4-24-04
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- With President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney set
to appear in private before the 9/11 commission next week, Republicans
are ramping ...
Republicans
fined for posing as Democrats
Salon (subscription) - 4-24-04
April 23, 2004 | WASHINGTON (AP) -- The campaign manager and fund-raising
committee for a California Republican have agreed to pay $84,000 in civil
penalties ...
Pentagon
tries to ban first photos of coffins returning from Iraq
Guardian, UK -4-24-04
The Pentagon yesterday sought to ban the release of photographs of American
coffins arriving home from Iraq after hundreds of images were published on
American ...
Bush Spending Nearly $10M
on Campaign Ads
AP -4-24-04
President Bush is
spending nearly $10 million over 12 days on campaign advertising with
commercials that seek to portray Democratic rival John Kerry as weak on
national security.
Consumer Group Complains
About GOP Donor
AP -
Thu Apr 22, 6:27
PM ET
A consumer watchdog
group filed a complaint Thursday accusing a Republican donor of flouting
campaign laws by funneling money to a Kentucky Republican through an
anti-abortion group's political action committee and others.
"We have worked in confidence with the U.S.
government, and I think we can convince them this was a special case." --
Mexico Attorney General Rafael Macedo de la Concha on the fact that the U.S.
Treasury Department, angry about the leaking of confidential information,
has stopped sharing information with Mexico on everything from money
laundering to terrorism financing.
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"Republican Senator Chuck
Hagel says it may be time to reinstate the draft. When President Bush heard
about that, he said, 'Uh oh, does that mean I have to go back to Alabama?"
—Jay Leno
UNCLE
BAM - EVIL TWIN OF UNCLE SAM
"The
Bremmer-ization of a nation"
http://unclebam.homestead.com/BamVert59.html
www.seeyageorge.com
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Business News
Milk Prices Expected to
Hit Record Highs
AP -
Fri Apr 23,11:04
PM ET
Consumers are likely to
see milk prices rise, probably to record levels, because the Agriculture
Department is raising the minimum price paid to farmers to a record high,
dairy experts say
Libya Confirms Oil Cargo
to U.S.
Reuters -
Fri Apr
23, 6:06 PM ET
Libyan state-owned
National Oil Corporation (NOC) said on Friday it had confirmed its first
cargo to the United States in more than 20 years for loading in May after
Washington lifted many of its economic sanctions.
Don't get jammed by
creeping interest rates
USATODAY.com -
Fri
Apr 23, 6:20 AM ET
Four years of falling
interest rates have caused many consumers to become complacent about sub-6%
home mortgages, 3% home equity lines and no-interest car loans. But if
you're a borrower, the trend is no longer your friend. Mortgage rates have
been creeping higher since March. If the Federal Reserve raises short-term
interest rates, the cost of consumer loans will increase..
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The Case for Leaving Iraq
Pronto
BusinessWeek Online -
Fri Apr 23, 8:10 AM ET
President George W. Bush could not have been more emphatic in his remarks
about Iraq before editors at the Newspaper Association of America's annual
convention in Washington, D.C., on Apr. 21. "We're not going to cut and run
if I'm in the Oval Office," Bush declared. Of course, the U.S. wouldn't cut
and run even if Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) occupies the Oval Office in
January, either. If anything, Kerry is even more adamant about bringing
international help to police Iraq for years to come
Good News
Al Qaeda's Tribal Allies
Submit to Pakistan Army
Reuters - 2 hours ago
SHAKAI, Pakistan (Reuters) - Five tribesmen accused of sheltering al Qaeda
militants surrendered to the Pakistan army at a tribal council on Saturday,
ending a ...
2004 Ms. President Award
Goes to Carol Moseley Braun
Fri Apr 23, 6:11 PM ET
Ms.
President PAC and American Women Presidents today thanked Ambassador Carol
Moseley Braun for running for U.S. president by giving her the 2004 Ms.
President Award at the National Womens Democratic Club in Washington, DC.
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"They're debating now whether or not to bring back the military draft and it
would be limited so you wouldn't be drafted if you're married or you're gay.
Well, you thought you saw a lot of gay marriages before." —Jay Leno
Kerry
Still Carries Shrapnel in Leg from Vietnam
Reuters - 4-23-04
... military records were released by the campaign under pressure from
Republicans after one of Kerry's former commanders questioned his first Purple
Heart and the ...
Files Show Kerry Earned
Medals for Wounds From Shrapnel, Which Is ...
- New
York Times
"Boy, this campaign is
getting ugly. You know, I'm not taking sides here but now some Republicans are
suggesting that John Kerry actually tried to win three Purple Hearts in Vietnam
because he knew that if you won three, you get to go home early. What an easy
way to get out of combat by letting yourself get shot three times." —Jay
Leno
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Odd News
Dutch Prince Gives Up
Throne for Love
AP - 4-24-04
Prince Johan Friso, the
second son of Queen Beatrix, married human rights activist Mabel Wisse Smit
Saturday without the approval of the Dutch government, giving up his claim
to the throne for love.
Judge Tells Barton to
Change Bourbon Name
AP -
Fri Apr 23, 5:30
PM ET
A federal judge ordered
makers of a fledgling bourbon to change its name because it too closely
resembles that of a brand that has been on the market longer and is a leader
in the super premium bourbon category.
Bush
the Model Goes to UN to Help Fight Hunger
Reuters - Apr 20, 2004
Lauren Bush, 19, was named honorary spokeswoman for a new UN World Food
Program project aimed at students to organize anti-hunger campaigns,
fundraising events ...
Bush
touts his green credentials
Contra Costa Times, CA - 4-24-04
Kerry, the presumed Democratic presidential nominee, came under fire from
Republicans after he told reporters in Tampa on Tuesday that he
supported drilling in ...
History
predicts that with a Packers win, Kerry’s in
PackersNews.com, WI -4-24-04
... The Republicans and President Herbert Hoover were sent
packing when Franklin Roosevelt won a landslide election the following
Tuesday. US Rep. ...
Plane Forced to Land Near
Miami, Bush
AP -
Fri Apr 23,11:48
PM ET
A small plane was
forced to land at an airport Friday night after possibly flying into
restricted airspace during President Bush's visit to the Miami area,
officials said.
Israeli army mobilizes camels to help patrol
border with Egypt
Fri Apr 23, 3:01 PM ET
TEL
AVIV, Israel (AP) - The Israeli military is reaching back into history to
equip its anti-smuggling patrols on the Israel-Egypt border: it's using
camels.
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CNN reporter to marry prince
Fri Apr 23,10:31 PM ET
Rym
Brahimi, daughter of U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, is engaged to Jordanian
King Abdullah II's half brother, Prince Ali, and will resign her job as CNN
correspondent, the network says.
Da Vinci: Inventor of car?
Fri Apr 23,12:06 PM ET
Leonardo da Vinci is revered around the world as a master of Renaissance
painting and an ingenious engineer, but few have thought of him as the
father of the modern car.
Drink-driving speech has teens dropping "like
flies"
Fri Apr 23, 3:13 PM ET
A
woman who was lecturing high school boys on the perils of drunk-driving knew
she had driven her message home when some teenagers in her audience began to
blanche, buckle and heave.
No-Carb Eating Couple
Booted From Buffet
Fri Apr 23,11:22 PM ET
A couple on the Atkins
Diet have a beef with a local restaurant after being booted from the buffet
for eating too much meat.
Neb. Hunters Leave City,
Turkeys Enter
Fri Apr 23,10:11 PM ET
As hunters leave the
city for the spring turkey hunting season, some gobblers are finding refuge
strutting around inside the city limits.
Louisiana May Ban
Low-Slung Pants
Fri Apr 23, 7:37 AM ET
People who wear
low-slung pants that expose skin or "intimate clothing" would face a fine of
up to $500 and possible jail time under a bill filed by a Jefferson Parish
lawmaker.
Gay Lovers Climb Tree,
Then Have Sex
Thu Apr 22,11:20 PM ET
Two gay lovers — a man
in a black dress and a boy in only a pair of shorts — protested their
families' lack of understanding for their relationship by climbing a Central
Park tree on Thursday, stripping, performing lewd acts in front of onlookers
and refusing to come down for hours.
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"John Kerry has three Purple Hearts for his war wounds and Dick Cheney has one
Purple Heart from deep dish pizza." —Jay Leno
All The President ’ s Men
Sunday Herald, UK - 4-24-04
... The folly of Bush and Blair, a legacy for generations
to come, is almost ... For Tony Blair, too, the truth is becoming more dangerous
with every passing week.
The
Debt To the Penny from the US government
Graphic by OZ
EMAIL
Subject: Hypocrisy du jour
Hi Lisa,
So let's recap the latest revelation: if you show pictures of
flag-draped coffins returning home from Iraq, you get fired (and so
does your husband). That's because the President respects the will of
the families. But, if you show a flag-draped coffin in your first
re-election commercial, that's okay. And when actual victim's families
protest, you flip them off and claim they are playing politics. Orwell
would be proud.
I had an epiphany the other day. Given Woodward's latest book (which I
haven't read but have on order), along with Richard Clarke's and Ron
Suskind, it's pretty clear that this Administration had a jones for
war with Iraq from day one, and for some of them, even before that.
Given the accumulating weight of evidence, I thought, "how much
information will it take to get people to finally wake up?" Then I
realized that no amount of information will ever be enough for Bush
supporters. You see, they don't think that way. They've reached the
conclusion that Bush is an honest man and a great President, and that's
that. Any facts that contradict their beliefs are immediately
discredited, and they are quick to shoot the messenger, too. And
that's when I realized that it all comes down to faith, which is also
the cornerstone of organized religion. Facts are irrelevant; what you
need is blind faith. So for the religious right that Bush panders to
at every opportunity, their minds are made up so don't confuse them
with facts. In order to defeat this Bozo, we need to target that small
group of undecided voters that actually think for themselves. And
that's where web sites like yours come in.
Keep up the good work,
Doug
Alaska
I agree Doug. If only
Bush followers would read! But, I think they let Rush do that for them.
Does any one know what happened to
www.mediawhoresonline.com or
www.gopsheeple.com ? Neither are
online anymore.
A mother enters her daughter's bedroom and
sees a letter over the bed.
With the worst premonition, she reads it, with trembling hands: It is
with great regret and sorrow that I'm telling you that I have eloped
with my new boyfriend. I have found real passion and he is so nice, with
all his piercings and tattoos and his big Harley motorcycle. But it is
not only that mom, I'm pregnant and Ahmed said that we will be very
happy in his little trailer in the woods He wants to have many more
children with me and that's one of my lifelong dreams. I've learned that
marijuana doesn't hurt anyone and he'll be growing it for us and his
friends,
who are providing us with all the cocaine and ecstasies we may want. In
the meantime, we'll pray for science to find the AIDS cure in order for
Ahmed to get better, he deserves so much. Don't worry Mom, I'm 15 years
old now and I know how to take care of myself. Someday I will come and
visit you so you can get to know your grandchildren.
Your daughter,
Judith
PS None of the above is true. But my report card is in the desk
drawer and hopefully you will see
that things could be worse.
Destination Dover
By M Hubert
ANOTHER LATE NIGHT 'FREEDOM BIRD' FLIGHT.
DOVER, DELAWARE, FLIGHTS NO LONGER RARE,
AS MORE FLIGHTS THEY ADD FROM BAGHDAD.
FULL C-17'S ARE MORE ROUTINE.
SOLDIERS, SAILORS, AIRMEN, AND MARINES FULFILLING THEIR DREAMS.
BEEN GONE TOO LONG, NOW THEY ARE BACK HOME.
FAMILY AND FRIENDS AWAIT AS THEIR LONG JOURNEY ENDS.
AS WITH MOST NIGHTS WITH NO CAMERA LIGHTS.
FAMILY AND MEDIA NOT PERMITTED BUT OMITTED.
SLOWLY DOWN THE TAXIWAY WITH THE SAME DISPLAY.
THIS LAST MILITARY GROUP FORMATION FOR THEIR DEDICATION.
FLAGS BLOW GENTLY IN THE NIGHT BREEZE FOR THE RETURNEES.
COMING TO A STOP, THE REAR RAMP SLOWLY STARTS TO DROP.
THE NUMBER OF PERSONNEL STARTS TO SWELL.
AWAITING HANDS QUIETLY SQUEEZE AS THE TEMPERATURE DROPS A FEW DEGREES.
NO YOUNG SONS SALUTE THEIR DAD WITH A FEW WORDS TO ADD.
IN THE NIGHT AIR CHILLED, FOR EACH HIS DUTY FINALLY FULFILLED.
SPECIAL TRANSPORTATION FOR EACH FROM THIS LOCATION.
NO MEDIA, NO CAMERAS, NO FAMILY, OR SECRETIVE NIGHT CAN HIDE THIS MORE FREQUENT
RITE.
NO MASKING IT AS THEY QUIETLY UNLOAD EACH MILITARY CASKET!
A field of 1,500 runners makes
its way across the longest of 43 bridges that help make up the Overseas Highway
in the Florida Keys, April 24, 2004 during the Seven Mile Bridge Run in
Marathon, Florida. The race has been staged every year since 1982 and offers
runners a unique opportunity to traverse over the convergence of the Atlantic
Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. (Florida Keys News Bureau/Handout)
Peace and have a great
weekend.