Raise your hand if you think this White House is hiding something about 9-11.

"And Vice President Cheney has criticized this Richard Clarke guy. He's the former White House chief coordinator for anti-terrorism. He said he was out of the loop. Well, how's that a criticism of Clarke? Shouldn't the Bush Administration put their chief coordinator on anti-terrorism in the loop? Shouldn't that guy be the loop? Aren't you the loop when you're the chief coordinator?" Jay Leno

NewsView: Bush Loses Ground on Terror

AP - 4-2-04

President Bush's high marks for waging war on terrorism have been the bedrock of his popularity and his re-election campaign. Traditionally, commander in chief is the cornerstone for any incumbent, and this president is no exception...

EMAIL

Lisa

U.S. Weapons Hunt Shifts Focus to 'Intent' in Iraq

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040330/ts_nm/iraq_usa_weapons_dc_2

"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. search for weapons of mass destruction
in Iraq will continue despite the failure so far to find them but the
mission will also investigate whether Saddam Hussein -->intended<-- to
develop such weapons, the chief U.S. arms hunter said on Tuesday."

We've gone from WMD's to WMDPRA's and now we're concentrating on whether
or not Hussein had the intent to acquire weapons or even plan to plan
programs? Hubboy.

Gallagher (yes he of sledge-o-matic fame) once said that the pyramids
were not amazing structures built as a testament to a people of vision,
but that they revealed the ancient Egyptians to simply be people with
diminishing goals.

So it is with President Le Petomane today.

Bob G.

I feel as though Americans are being led off the cliff by this Pied Piper.

Thanks for writing.

 "Well, the big story in Washington, they are grilling Rice, and, boy, is she steamed." Jay Leno

Rice to Address 9/11 Panel on April 8

AP - 4-2-04

The Sept. 11 commission will hear next week from National security adviser Condoleezza Rice as she tries to defend the Bush administration against criticism for how it handled the terrorism threat before the 2001 suicide hijackings....

Top Ten Questions You're Afraid To Ask Condoleezza Rice

10. "Did Bush ever hurt himself trying to pronounce your name?"

9. "At cabinet meetings, who besides you and Cheney wear lipstick?"

8. "Do you know Leeza Gibbons?"

7. "Do you own a condo?"

6. "Did you ever try the 'Condoleezza Rice' at Chi-Chi's?"

5. "As a souvenir, did you keep any of Saddam's beard lice?"

4. "Hey, where'd you get that cool Halliburton sweatshirt?"

3. "Who told CNN that Letterman faked the footage of the bored kid next to Bush?"

2. "About those Iraqi weapons of mass destruction -- did you check Baghdad Mini-Storage?"

1. "What kind of job will you and Bush be looking for in January 2005?"

 "In fact, not only will Condoleezza Rice testify, but President Bush has also agreed to meet with the commission. He's going to testify. But he said he wants to have Dick Cheney there with him. Why does he have to have Cheney with him? What, does he have, like, a learner's permit to be president? You have to have the adult with him?"  Jay Leno

Dear Official Notetaker of the 9/11 Commission,

When President Bush and Vice-President Cheney testify before the 9/11 Commission, besides recording their statements, please take note of the number of times the following actions occur:

1. Dick Cheney kicks George W. under the table.
2. Dick Cheney coughs, while George W. glances over to him.
3. Dick Cheney scratches his nose, while George W. stares at him imploringly.
4. Dick Cheney yawns and discreetly smacks George W. upside the head.
5. Dick Cheney shoots a mind control beam at George W.
6. Dick Cheney whispers, "Purple Monkey Dishwasher."
 

EMAIL:

Subject:Rush

"If this were a Democrat administration and there was this kind of government witch hunt
against Rice, a black woman, you would not see the end of the charges of racism from the Congressional Black Caucus and Jesse Jackson."
- sayeth Rush The Junkie

Gotta love it when neo-fascists like Pigboy Rush, AnnThrax Coulter and Boob Novak try to act like civil rights acitvists!

Terry C
 

What can we expect from someone who made his career while high on the OxyContin he got in a Denny's parking lot form his maid?  See pic below.

Graphic by BH48

The Bush Administration and 9-11: Open Eyes Required

Written by Stephen Crockett and Al Lawrence (hosts of Democratic Talk Radio http://www.DemocraticTalkRadio.com ).

The recent controversy swirling around the Bush White House, the 9-11 Commission and the Richard Clarke book, Against All Enemies has been very enlightening. Sensing that Bush has almost nothing else to run on in the 2004 elections, the Bush Republican attack machine and their fellow travelers in the Corporate Media have been vigorously trying to change the subject away from their competency in dealing with terrorism before and after the 9-11 terrorist attacks.

Instead of publicly dealing with the serious issues involved, the Bush Republicans have been attacking the character of anyone who raises any questions about their poor performance on national security issues. This has been the Karl Rove approach to anyone standing in the way of Bush obtaining and retaining political power. This tactic was key in defeating John McCain in the 2000 South Carolina Republican Primary Election. The tactic was used in the 2002 Congressional Elections to give the Republicans control of Congress. The tactic backfired when used illegally by someone highly placed in the Bush Administration to out the CIA agent wife of Ambassador Wilson over the false “African uranium-nuclear weapons” claims that helped Bush sell his invasion and occupation of Iraq. Most recently, the Republican attack machine went after former Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neil, when the book The Price of Loyalty was published. This book confirmed many of the charge made against the Bush White House in the Clarke book.

While Clarke did his job in our government under Reagan, Bush (the Senior), Clinton and the current Bush very well, the Bush Republicans are now blaming their failings on him. As part of any White House team, any highly placed team member will publicly highlight the best-case scenario for the Administration’s performance while downplaying their failures. Clarke did this while serving in the Bush Administration. The Bush White House and their allies in Congress are trying to make these comments into a serious contradiction with the Clarke book and public statements of today.

Clarke left to Bush team because they were failing to meet the threat posed by the Bin Laden terrorist network both before and after 9-11. The former FBI lead investigator of Islamic terrorism and Bin Laden, John O’Neill resigned just weeks before the 9-11 attacks because he claimed the Bush Administration was blocking his investigation of Saudi ties to Islamic terrorists attacking the United States. This hero took the job as head of security for the World Trade Center and died in the 9-11 attack. Clarke to his credit tried to work within the system first. He was probably the only member of the Bush White House effectively doing their job in dealing with the Islamic fundamentalist terrorist threat.

Meanwhile, the Bush team along with Bush and Cheney were using the 9-11 attacks to launch an unrelated war with Iraq. Military and national security resources were diverted to this Oil War in Iraq just when America had a real chance of eliminating the Bin Laden organization in Afghanistan and the Taliban forces. Our enemies in Afghanistan have shown signs of renewed strength while the bulk of our military is tied down in another war in Iraq. The Iraq War has turned into both a terrorist training ground and a recruiting goldmine for our enemies.

Before the 9-11 attacks, the Bush Administration was simply asleep on the job. Instead of planning military actions against Afghanistan, they were negotiating with the Taliban for an oil pipeline designed to financially profit American oil companies. It has been reported by French intelligence experts in the book Bin Laden:The Forbidden Truth that these negotiations included military threats if the Taliban refused the oil pipeline deal. These negotiations and threats were just before the 9-11 attacks.

The role the Republican attack machine played in undermining public support for Clinton’s strong efforts against the Bin Laden network. Republicans chanted, “Wag the Dog” when Clinton took military action against Bin Laden. Republicans claimed Clinton was trying to divert public opinion away from the important threat to national security posed by Clinton having an affair outside his marriage. The Republican “get Clinton” mania trumped national security. The Republicans smelled political gain and political power in the Clinton sex scandal and would not let a little thing like terrorist attacking American embassies get in the way.

In our opinion, this approach to Islamic terrorism and Bin Laden became part of the conventional Republican mindset until after the 9-11 attacks. They downplayed the threat in their own minds because their had been great domestic political advantage in this way of looking at the issue under Clinton. The long and financially profitable ties between the Bush organization and Saudi business interests likely played a role in mentally dismissing the urgency of the terrorist threat coming from that nation.

The American people deserve an open investigation and debate on the 9-11 issue! While the public has been calling for Rice to testify publicly, we really need both Bush and Cheney to testify publicly before the 9-11 Commission. We need a real debate on Bush’s role in 9-11 controversy and the terrorist threat in the 2004 Presidential Election. We should have many debates between Bush and Kerry. One entire debate should be on the 9-11 issue and terrorism.

Fact-Free Bush

http://www.madkane.com/fact_free_bush.html

The Flip-Flopper-In-Chief would have us believe that John Kerry's the real flip-flopper. This, from a President who never lets the facts interfere with policy. Which brings me to my latest song parody, Fact-Free Bush. Feel free to sing it to "She'll Be Coming Round The Mountain," using this midi link which opens a second window.

When the facts get in the way you change the facts,
And when facts get in the way, give facts the ax.
When the facts get in the way,
When the facts get in the way,
When the facts get in the way you change the facts.

When Iraq is not as threat'ning as you claimed,
Say you never said it was, play language games.
When Iraq is not as threat'ning,
When Iraq is not as threat'ning,
When Iraq is not as threat'ning as you claimed.

When your job projection numbers are quite wrong,
Blithely claim you never bought them all along.
When your job projection numbers,
When your job projection numbers,
When your job projection numbers are quite wrong.

The rest of Fact-Free Bush song parody is here:
http://www.madkane.com/fact_free_bush.html

Judge Orders Release of Energy Documents

By ANNE GEARAN
The Associated Press
Thursday, April 1, 2004; 1:19 PM

WASHINGTON - A federal judge told the government to release more documents related to a White House task force that met behind closed doors to develop a national energy policy. ..

"Boy, price of gas in California is going crazy. It's going crazy. In fact, today I did something smart. I bought a gallon as an investment." Jay Leno

Security Companies Find Thriving Business in Iraq, other ...
Miami Herald, FL - 4-2-04
2--MOYOCK, NC - Off a quiet back road here, on 6,000 acres of swampy, wooded land, Blackwater Security Consulting trains its employees to wield machine guns ...

Why are we hiring security?  Don't we have enough troops?

Profiting From Outsourcing
Motley Fool - 4-2-04
... Colin L. Powell, in New Delhi last week, assured Indians that the Bush administration would not try to halt outsourcing of high tech jobs to their country.". ...

"Hey, if you watch the news at all, I'm sure you know Saddam Hussein has hired a French lawyer. I believe his name is Jacques Cochran." Jay Leno

Graphic by Enright

"We may hate Americans. We may hate them with all our hearts. But all men are creatures of God."
MUHAMMAD KHALIFA, objecting to the mutilation of the bodies of four Americans killed in Iraq.

GHOST TOWN - Chernobyl
An interesting but chilling link...

http://www.angelfire.com/extreme4/kiddofspeed/
 

Today in History - April 2

1513 Explorer Juan Ponce de León claims Florida for Spain

1863 Bread revolt in Richmond VA

1865 CSA President Jefferson Davis flees Confederate capital of Richmond VA

1866 President Andrew Johnson ends the Civil War in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee & Virginia

1877 1st Easter egg roll held on White House lawn

1926 Riots between Moslems & Hindus in Calcutta

1935 Sir Watson-Watt patents RADAR

1958 National Advisory Council on Aeronautics renamed NASA

1960 Cuba buys oil from USSR

1968 Senator Eugene McCarthy wins Democratic primaries in Wisconsin

1973 ITT pleads guilty to asking CIA to affect Chilean presidential election

1976 Cambodia's Khieu Sampan succeeds prince Sihanouk as premier

1978 Velcro was 1st put on the market

1981 Heavy battle between Christian militia & Syrian army in East Lebanon

1982  Argentina seized the Falkland Islands from Britain

1986 4 US passengers killed by bomb at TWA counter Athens Airport Greece

1988 - US Special Prosecutor James McKay declined to indict Attorney General Edwin Meese for criminal wrongdoing.

1989 - General Prosper Avril, Haiti's military leader, survived a coup attempt. The attempt was apparently provoked by Avril's U.S.-backed efforts to fight drug trafficking.

1992 John Gotti found guilty in death of Paul Castallanos

1996 - Lech Walesa resumed his old job as an electrician at the Gdansk shipyard. He was the former Solidarity union leader who became Poland's first post-war democratic president.

2002 - Israeli troops surrounded the Church of the Nativity. More than 200 Palestinians had taken refuge at the church when Israel invaded Bethlehem.

One year ago on All Hat No Cattle -  click here

"Cheney's kind of like that pilot that was with Bush when he landed on the aircraft carrier. You know, they want someone in the plane who knows what the hell they're doing."  Jay Leno

Stern Shocks Listeners with April Fool's Hoax
Reuters, United States -4-2-04

Sharks and fish swim at the Okinawa Chura Aquarium in southern Japan. Fish did not grow legs to colonize the land as previously thought, but to prop themselves up underwater 370 million years ago, according to US scientists who published a study. (HOJIJI PRESS)

Peace.