Thursday edition - August 24, 2006

The Bush vacation saga continues...

Where are all of President Bush's supporters. Did the rapture come already? -- Zing!

The-World-Is-A-Safer-Place-Without-Saddam News

• A look at US military deaths in Iraq Seattle Post Intelligencer 

• Iraq Body Count

• 3 US soldiers among fatalities in Iraq Ottawa Recorder, Canada 

• Top U.S. general hails security progress in Baghdad Reuters

• US, Iraqi troops capture over 100 suspected terrorists Kuwait Times, Kuwait 

• New Zealand: We won't pay journalists' abductors Ynetnews, Israel

• Body Washer Has Seen the Violence of Iraq Up Close Los Angeles Times

• Some in GOP Say Iran Threat Is Played Down New York Times

• US Gives Mixed Signals on Its Response to Iran Los Angeles Times

• Bush revamps message on terror fight AP

• Stop travelling: top Iraqi cleric tells politicians Reuters

• IRAQ: Threatened teachers fleeing the country Reuters AlertNet, UK

• Second German Terror Suspect Arrested in Lebanon Spiegel Online

• Dutch Gov't: Incident Not Terror-Related Forbes

Joseph Wilson Update

We are at a critical point in history and the question is will you be Americans proud, courageous, feisty, or scared sheep because someone tells us to be afraid of our own shadows. -- Joe Wilson, a former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq and and husband to Valerie Plame, the Central Intelligence Agency undercover officer whose identity was leaked by state officials to the media, spoke to a packed house at CMU s 10th annual Leadership Safari.

"Iran is really stepping up their nuclear program. Not only do they have the enriched uranium, they also developed the low-carb uranium." --David Letterman

Disturbing News

• Body Parts Harvested in NC Recalled Washington Post

• Katrina housing money slowed AP

• Fla. airport screeners fail image test AP

• Pluto loses status as a planet BBC News
   

North Carolina Defense

North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole, on the campaign trail Wednesday in Montana, defended Republican Sen. Conrad Burns' recent comments about immigrants and said that voting him out of office would be a "disaster."..."We may not know what he might say, but what matters is that he always votes for Montana," she said.

Email

Subject: The American Taxpayer

dear lisa,

you had a letter complaining about the 3 billion a year israel gets.

but, no one mentions the 3 billion a year egypt gets.

nor does anyone mention the 15 billion the military spends every year protecting saudi oil. hell, we got six coast guard cutters patrolling the saudi coast, where the oil is, or course.

or the tens of millions spent each year to make muslims like the us through faux news in islamic countries.

or the millions spent each year to buy textbooks which don't teach hatred for islamic countries

or the soon to be trillion dollars spent on iraq.

and, that 3 billion given to israel to spend on defense was part of a deal to essentially buy the sinai and give it back to egypt, something israel could not do without military superiority. america did not have to buy sinai and give it to egypt.

yes, all of this is very stupid, a waste, and an unnecessary burden on the american taxpayer, which could have bought medical insurance for every uninsured american, but why single out israel, when far more is spent on the islamic world.

yours always, arne

Thanks for writing arne. Excellent points. I did not intend to single out Israel.

America has been playing both sides of the coin, fueling the arms throughout the Middle East for decades -- and look what it has gotten us -- our taxpaying troops dying over there fighting for "freedoms" we don't have anymore.

We got what we paid for...a quagmire.

Donald Rumsfeld and Saddam Hussein agreeing on putting the screws to Iran.

How much easier is it to catch a fly with honey than with vinegar?

Republican Shenanigans

• Tribe says defendants avoiding being served Team 4 News, TX

• Bush adviser Rove defends warrantless spy program Youngstown Vindicator, OH 

• It's still terror, stupid New York Daily News

• Black students ordered to give up seats to white children Shreveport Times, LA 

• Va. senator apologizes to student for remark Boston Globe

• Bush helps raise funds for beleaguered Virginia senator Houston Chronicle

• US preacher defends belief women can't teach men Reuters

"President Bush now says he does not care about Iran's nuclear program, as long as they're not developing a nuke-ular program." --David Letterman
 

The Moneychangers

The splintering of the once powerful Christian Coalition of America has spread to another state, with the Christian of Coalition of Alabama following Iowa and Ohio in pulling out of the national organization...The Christian Coalition of America is $1 million in debt
 

www.seedsofdoubt.com

Never Put It In Writing

In his August 21, press conference Bush was asked what Iraq had to do with 9/11. Bush's answer: "NOTHING". He had obviously forgotten the letter he wrote on March 18, 2003 to the Speaker of the House of Representatives - Quote below followed by letter.

THE PRESIDENT: What did Iraq have to do with what?

Q The attack on the World Trade Center?

THE PRESIDENT: Nothing, except for it's part of -- and nobody has ever suggested in this administration that Saddam Hussein ordered the attack. Iraq was a -- the lesson of September the 11th is, take threats before they fully materialize, Ken. Nobody has ever suggested that the attacks of September the 11th were ordered by Iraq. I have suggested, however, that resentment and the lack of hope create the breeding grounds for terrorists who are willing to use suiciders to kill to achieve an objective. I have made that case.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/08/2006082...
 
 

Presidential Letter
Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate

March 18, 2003

Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)

Consistent with section 3(b) of the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 (Public Law 107-243), and based on information available to me, including that in the enclosed document, I determine that:

(1) reliance by the United States on further diplomatic and other peaceful means alone will neither (A) adequately protect the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq nor (B) likely lead to enforcement of all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq; and

(2) acting pursuant to the Constitution and Public Law 107-243 is consistent with the United States and other countries continuing to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations, or persons who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.

Sincerely,

GEORGE W. BUSH
 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/03/2003031...

Rock-The-Voter News

• Sen. Clinton to Meet Lamont in NY Forbes

• Republican Woes in Kentucky TIME

• Court: Nader must pay for election lawsuit Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Keith Olbermann on Bush's Humor

Email:

Subject: Books Bush Read

Is there anyone alive who would believe Bush has read 60 books with the titles shown on your website. Now I might give a little credence to Bush if I were told that he read "MY PET GOAT" sixty (60) times. Otherwise it is totally unbelievable !! He doesn't have the vocabulary to read and comprehend books of that caliber.

Well, if he did read them he sure didn't learn anything.

President Bush admitted for the first time Monday that Saddam Hussein didn't attack the World Trade Center. It's a big step for him. The last time he broke an addiction this strong Billy Graham had to hold his head underwater for three minutes. - Argus Hamilton, comedian

Former Iraq POW Jessica Lynch expecting her first child
WIS, SC

Biz/Tech News

• Oil Prices Fall to $71.59 a Barrel Forbes

• BP says Prudhoe Bay output down 90,000 bpd on hitch Reuters.uk

• Chavez to seek oil contracts, political support in China AFP

• Florida Gives Research Institute $300 Million to Go to Orlando New York Times

• Women may buy morning-after pill without prescription
  Louisville Courier-Journal

• OSHA fines Pyramid Mouldings over Georgia plant San Antonio Business Journal, TX

• IRS warns against phony debt collectors AP

• Internet addicts halfway house opens in Shanghai Reuters
   

Medican't

Many health care providers will have to make do next month without a government paycheck or two. The Bush administration says it will not make any Medicare reimbursements to hospitals, doctors and scores of other providers during the last nine days of the current budget year, from Sept. 22-30. Congress ordered the hold.

Bush-Prison-Torture News

• German-Born Turk to Be Freed From Guantanamo, Steinmeier Says Bloomberg 

• Hicks in poor health at Guantanamo after five months solitary ... JURIST

Christian Bathroom Reading Material

Tokens of Christianity, including crosses and religious mottos, are found in schools and government buildings all over Harrison County. The amenities in a women's bathroom at the Board of Education offices even include a leather-bound pocket copy of "New Testament: Psalms Proverbs."

Gerald Ford was reported Monday to be recovering from a medical procedure in which he had a pacemaker implanted. It was elective surgery. In case the Democrats win control of the House this fall, Jerry Ford has to be ready to be made vice president.  - Argus Hamilton, comedian

Go-F***-Yourself News

• Cheney In Town Thursday For Fundraiser WCPO, OH

• Cheney, Rumsfeld to speak at Reno VFW convention Las Vegas Sun, NV 

Email

Subject: China blocks your site

Have word from a friend that AllHat is about the only blog which is blocked in Mainland China.

You must be doing something right.

Dennis

Gee, maybe China didn't like my comments about Bush handing over that spy plane to them? Does that mean I can't visit China because I am blacklisted?

That must be true because my stats show very few mainland China hits. I had a couple from Beijing a while back, several regulars from the island of Taiwan. Of course, I get few visits from Russia, most of the African continent doesn't visit, but I have regular viewers throughout the Middle East/Pakistan/India-- some are Americans working there. And those "Yurupeens" visit a lot!

My son just returned from China and shared a most interesting observation. He said how much the Chinese people in Tianjin (where he was studying) loved Americans, but how differently they treated the British.  My son asked his Chinese friend why and he replied, "Because of all the horror and grief they placed upon us for over a century. We have large families and long memories."

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