Open Thread — Evening Edition

21 Comments

1. 

   BooMan on April 10, 2006 at 8:59 pm

   Yawn….my nap turned into a three hour affair.

2. 

   idredit on April 10, 2006 at 8:59 pm

   Finding some very unhappy and scared campers. Laura Rozen provides the link via Sullivan here

   [.]I’ve never voted for a Democrat in a general election in my life, and I don’t expect to anytime soon, but it’s been impossible for me over the past couple of years to get enthused about the Republican party.

   I voted for President Bush twice, and contributed to his campaign twice, but held my nose when I did it the second time. I don’t consider myself a Republican any longer.
   Thanks to this Administration and the Republicans in Congress, the Republican Party today is the party of pork-barrel spending, Congressional corruption — and, I know folks on this web site don’t want to hear it, but deep down they know it’s true — foreign and military policy incompetence.
   Frankly, speaking of incompetence, I think this Administration is the most politically and substantively inept that the nation has had in over a quarter of a century. The good news about it, as far as I’m concerned, is that it’s almost over. – George Conway, NRO

   WOW! but not quite. A lot of damage can be done in two and half years. Ya think the next polling Bush will be at 28% approval?

   • 

     BrendaStewart on April 10, 2006 at 9:04 pm

     seems like we both have been enjoying the good writes of Laura today…:o)

     • 

       idredit on April 10, 2006 at 9:27 pm

       Yeah, she’s superb, knows her stuff. Also writes for American Prospect, National Journal, etc.

3. 

   BrendaStewart on April 10, 2006 at 9:02 pm

   on todays war and piece, Laura Rozen has it that Italy had a new government!  I sure hope she knows that this is right!  

   go down a bit for the piece on the AP and down further she writes yet more.  Interesting to say the least!

   • 

     idredit on April 10, 2006 at 9:32 pm

     Laura has contacts in Italy. BBC and Reuters 9:00PM EDT, had Breaking News banner, Prodi claimed victory

     BUT then they amended that Berlusconi was contesting the claim. Looking more like November 2004 scenario. Wonder if they used Diebold?

     • 

       sbj on April 10, 2006 at 10:51 pm

       This diary at European Tribune has more.

       I was really hoping Berlusconi would be defeated since every time a fascist is deposed humankind benefits. And I am hopeful this result will stand, at least in the short term, though such a close result likely means the government will have a really hard time governing effectively. But if Berlusconi is out as PM that will be good for something.

4. 

   Tehanu on April 10, 2006 at 9:11 pm

   What a great Boovoice.  Nice to hear you- and nice job.

   • 

     refinish69 on April 10, 2006 at 10:49 pm

     Agree 100%  Great Voice and job Booman!!!!!

5. 

   Street Kid on April 10, 2006 at 9:15 pm

   Cancer Patients Being Denied Cancer Rx’s Under Medicare D(isaster)

   This is a nightmare!!!!

   • 

     BrendaStewart on April 10, 2006 at 10:05 pm

     I have to tell you that I am thoroughly disgusted with the way they are denying ppl what they need…NEED!!! not want..NEED!!!!  I call these gov. ppl murderers.  

     • 

       Street Kid on April 10, 2006 at 10:18 pm

       Exactly!!!!  They are murderers, plain and simple.

       wtf is the matter w/these idiots?  Almost have to wonder if they think people go thru chemo, take anti-rejection rx, anti-convulsants, pyschotropics just for the hell of it!

6. 

   Ed J on April 10, 2006 at 9:19 pm

   for McClellan today. He started to answer it and then saw the can of worms he would be opening. Read this from the  White House and see if you can see the wheels turning in Scotty’s little head:

   Helen.

   Q Before the President declassified the Intelligence Estimate, had he read it?

   MR. McCLELLAN: Had he read it?

   Q Yes.

   MR. McCLELLAN: Yes — I think we talked about at the time that he was briefed on it —

   Q A 90-page document —

   MR. McCLELLAN: I think we talked about that at the time.

   Q — and the whole question of the accusation against Saddam trying to buy uranium was on page 24, with many caveats. It was very dubious and —

   MR. McCLELLAN: That’s not the issue here, Helen.

   Q — an annex to it, questioning this whole business. So did he take note of all these caveats?

   MR. McCLELLAN: That’s not the issue here, Helen. The issue was the underlying intelligence that was used as part of the basis for going into Iraq. You’re singling out one specific part which we —

   Q Yes, I am.

   MR. McCLELLAN: — which we already spoke to.

   Q Is that your defense, though?

   MR. McCLELLAN: We already spoke to that issue. We spoke to it back at the time.

   Q Why would he put that out when it’s so dubious?

   MR. McCLELLAN: Why would he —

   Q It’s so questionable.

   MR. McCLELLAN: Why would he put what out when it’s —

   Q Using that as your defense to go into Iraq.

   MR. McCLELLAN: Using what, the National Intelligence Estimate?

   Q No, the whole business that Saddam —

   MR. McCLELLAN: That was the collective judgment of the community — no, you’re singling out one thing, and that’s not the issue here. The issue here is that back in the summer of 2003, there was a real debate going on in the public about the intelligence that was used as part of the rationale to go into Iraq.

   Q But the issue centers on outing Valerie Plame — wasn’t that the issue that dealt with Niger and uranium?

   MR. McCLELLAN: You’re getting into something that’s part of an ongoing investigation, and you know I’m not going to comment further on that.

   Les, go ahead.

   What a great question. Did he read it before he declassified it?

7. 

   BooMan on April 10, 2006 at 10:02 pm

   This is a hilarious beatdown.

   • 

     meagert on April 10, 2006 at 10:23 pm

       Truly hilarious…
     Now if Lou Dobbs would dare to interview her…yeh, right.
       On top of being wrong, all the right wing talking heads are cowards too.

   • 

     Street Kid on April 10, 2006 at 10:24 pm

     The way that “Michael” argues his “points”, he sounds just like the lush in the next bldg!

     • 

       meagert on April 10, 2006 at 10:32 pm

       <snark>
       Don’t insult lushes like that….
       They are lightyears more evolved than those pinheads like Mikey.
       </snark&gt

       • 

         Street Kid on April 10, 2006 at 10:51 pm

         I see your point, but the one I was referring to is a wingnut to boot!  (Seriously.)

   • 

     americanforliberty on April 10, 2006 at 10:53 pm

     After reading her post, I feel good about being a liberal democrat.

8. 

   refinish69 on April 10, 2006 at 10:04 pm

   I finally published a website of my own!!!  Of course I am using it to plug deigns but also liberal politics and did some links to stories here at Booman.  click on the doing my part for the left in my signature to see it and let me know what you think.  It is only the front page and more will be coming later.

9. 

   sbj on April 10, 2006 at 10:12 pm

   This is a very interesting article in the NYT about the “reversal of fortune”, so to speak, of the
   Bush regime’s (supposed) agenda for “spreading Democracy” in the Middle East. Link here.

   I see this as another strong signal that the neocon grip on power is weakening more and more everyday as the entire facade of their insane agenda continues to come crashing down. Every single one of their phony goals, (freedom for Iraqis, peace and stability across the region, democracy spreading everywhere because people yearn for it); all of these chimerical, fraudulent goals they claim are ending in complete and utter failure. And even their real agenda, (perpetual war and widening, escalating conflict throughout the region until such time as they can seize comntrol of the energy resources and use them as levers of extortion and power against the rest of the planet); even this true plan of theirs is in the process of being thwarted by inexorable reality triumphing over their delusional, dysfunctional hegemonic fantasies.