aren’t wanting to follow McConnell over the cliff on the Iraq war debate: WashPo
Senate Republicans who earlier this week helped block deliberations on a resolution opposing President Bush’s new troop deployments in Iraq changed course yesterday and vowed to use every tactic at their disposal to ensure a full and open debate.
In a letter distributed yesterday evening to Senate leaders, John W. Warner (Va.), Chuck Hagel (Neb.) and five other GOP supporters of the resolution threatened to attach their measure to any bill sent to the floor in the coming weeks. Noting that the war is the “most pressing issue of our time,” the senators declared: “We will explore all of our options under the Senate procedures and practices to ensure a full and open debate.”
Now, where is the news media to tell us that the Repubs are divided and in disarray, as they did so often with the Dems?
John Warner and Chuck Hagel, for all their bluster on this subject just fell right in line with McConnell and Moron Bush and exhibited typical republican enabling behaviors. They must have had some blowback from constituents since then. I guess Hagel decided that he doesn’t actually want to sell shoes after all.
As for the media, they still suck out loud, even though they’re getting a teensy bit better once in a while.
Link
(I had to watch an ad to see this page… something new at the NYT?)
Military Wants More Civilians to Help in Iraq
Senior military officers, including members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have told President Bush and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates that the new Iraq strategy could fail unless more civilian agencies step forward quickly to carry out plans for reconstruction and political development.
The complaints reflect fresh tensions between the Pentagon and the State Department over personnel demands that have fallen most heavily on the military. But they also draw on a deeper reservoir of concerns among officers who have warned that a military buildup alone cannot solve Iraq’s problems, and who now fear that the military will bear a disproportionate burden if Mr. Bush’s strategy falls short.
Among particular complaints, the officers cited a request from the office of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that military personnel temporarily fill more than one-third of 350 new State Department jobs in Iraq that are to be created under the new strategy.
Problem is that the career types at State aren’t lured by the promise of big money. Turns out that there’s nothing on earth to force non-military people to go to Iraq. These jobs are not only in the green zone, they’re talking Al Anbar Province, and hither and yon, out where those small groups of American Military/Iraqi forces will supposedly be sitting ducks “holding” areas they’ve cleared. They’ll be preparing the way for personnell from State to oversee the distribution and use of the next few billions or dollars. Now why are civilians turning down such wonderful opportunities?
We can’t even get our own people to show up, never mind the Iraqis. (not that I blame them)
Finally a city council who is standing up for human rights
The Richmond City Council on Tuesday night called for more humane immigration reforms that would allow families to live, work and study without fear of being indiscriminately arrested.
The council unanimously reaffirmed a 1990 resolution following last month’s weeklong crackdown on illegal immigrants by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The sweeps resulted in 119 arrests, mostly in Richmond and Concord.
About 300 members of the Latino community, many with small children in tow, filed into the council chambers carrying placards that read “stop separating families” and “freedom in Richmond.” – linkage
Cabin fever or not, I can’t be in the same room with superglue. I ALWAYS end up gluing my finger to something: another finger, a tissue, the item I’m trying to glue, etc. The snow crystals are really neat. Cabin fever, yeah, me too.
However, on Thursday, Edwards announced, at his blog, that two bloggers who have gotten the campaign in “hot water” would not be fired, even though he was “personally offended” by some of the things they have written in the past.
From Edwards’ blog: “The tone and the sentiment of some of Amanda Marcotte’s and Melissa McEwan’s posts personally offended me. It’s not how I talk to people, and it’s not how I expect the people who work for me to talk to people. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but that kind of intolerant language will not be permitted from anyone on my campaign, whether it’s intended as satire, humor, or anything else. But I also believe in giving everyone a fair shake. I’ve talked to Amanda and Melissa; they have both assured me that it was never their intention to malign anyone’s faith, and I take them at their word. We’re beginning a great debate about the future of our country, and we can’t let it be hijacked. It will take discipline, focus, and courage to build the America we believe in.
Army Reserve Lt. Col. Debra Harrison returned to New Jersey after 17 months in Iraq with a Purple Heart and vivid descriptions of at least two brushes with death in the combat zone.
A federal indictment unsealed yesterday alleged she also returned with $330,000 in stolen cash earmarked for Iraq reconstruction projects and played a key role in a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme that netted her a Cadillac Escalade, two handguns, prescription drugs and enough money to install a deck and hot tub at her home in Trenton.
The 25-count indictment accused Harrison and two fellow soldiers, Col. Curtis Whiteford of Utah and Lt. Col. Michael Wheeler of Wisconsin, of participating in an elaborate scam to award $8.6 million in fraudulent Iraq Coalition Provisional Authority construction contracts to Philip Bloom, a U.S.-born construction magnate who pleaded guilty in March to bribery, conspiracy and money laundering.
The three soldiers, who were assigned to the CPA, received nearly $1 million in kickbacks in the scheme that ran from 2003 until 2005, federal officials said.
The Iraq Story by Karen Kwiatkowski
(Huffington Post) Dec. 16, 2005 – Colonial rule is tough, and U.S. Army Reserve Lt Col Debra Harrison knows all about it. Colonial occupation breeds moral and ethical challenges, like those described in the prose of George Orwell’s first novel detailing British colonial practices in Burmese Days. Harrison has a cameo in our very own Orwellian novella, Iraqi Days.
MOSCOW (The Guardian) Feb. 8 – Russia is planning to buy new intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear submarines and possibly aircraft carriers as part of an ambitious military programme, it emerged yesterday.
The defence minister, Sergei Ivanov, told parliament the military would have 17 new ballistic missiles this year – a hefty increase on the four deployed on average each year in recent times.
The purchases are part of a weapons modernisation programme for 2007-2015 worth about 5 trillion roubles ($190bn).
The programme envisages the deployment of 34 new silo-based Topol-M missiles and another 50 mounted on mobile launchers. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and other officials have described the Topol-M as the backbone of Russia’s arsenal, saying it can penetrate any missile defences.
Last week, Mr Putin dismissed US claims that missile defence sites it hopes to establish in Poland and the Czech Republic were intended to counter threats from Iran. He said Russia would respond by developing more efficient weapons.
Russian defence spending has been rising steadily in recent years, buoyed by oil revenues and high energy prices. But the military effort is still puny compared with the US defence budget.
The White House this week requested $481bn for the regular military budget in 2008 and $235bn on top of that for Afghanistan and Iraq.
aren’t wanting to follow McConnell over the cliff on the Iraq war debate: WashPo
Now, where is the news media to tell us that the Repubs are divided and in disarray, as they did so often with the Dems?
John Warner and Chuck Hagel, for all their bluster on this subject just fell right in line with McConnell and Moron Bush and exhibited typical republican enabling behaviors. They must have had some blowback from constituents since then. I guess Hagel decided that he doesn’t actually want to sell shoes after all.
As for the media, they still suck out loud, even though they’re getting a teensy bit better once in a while.
Link
(I had to watch an ad to see this page… something new at the NYT?)
Senior military officers, including members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have told President Bush and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates that the new Iraq strategy could fail unless more civilian agencies step forward quickly to carry out plans for reconstruction and political development.
The complaints reflect fresh tensions between the Pentagon and the State Department over personnel demands that have fallen most heavily on the military. But they also draw on a deeper reservoir of concerns among officers who have warned that a military buildup alone cannot solve Iraq’s problems, and who now fear that the military will bear a disproportionate burden if Mr. Bush’s strategy falls short.
Among particular complaints, the officers cited a request from the office of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that military personnel temporarily fill more than one-third of 350 new State Department jobs in Iraq that are to be created under the new strategy.
Problem is that the career types at State aren’t lured by the promise of big money. Turns out that there’s nothing on earth to force non-military people to go to Iraq. These jobs are not only in the green zone, they’re talking Al Anbar Province, and hither and yon, out where those small groups of American Military/Iraqi forces will supposedly be
sitting ducks“holding” areas they’ve cleared. They’ll be preparing the way for personnell from State to oversee the distribution and use of the next few billions or dollars. Now why are civilians turning down such wonderful opportunities?We can’t even get our own people to show up, never mind the Iraqis. (not that I blame them)
AFTER it is secure, not BEFORE.
Maybe State can sweeten the deal for its guys by offering them automatic rifles and body armour!
Finally a city council who is standing up for human rights
It’s nice to see that there are towns and cities coming down in favor of human rights, instead of trying to legislate their hatred.
but a very cool site nonetheless: Snowflakes and Snow Crystals.
And I think this sounds like a fun trick to try: Snowflake Fossils.
(Yep, I think I’m getting a touch of cabin fever.)
Cabin fever or not, I can’t be in the same room with superglue. I ALWAYS end up gluing my finger to something: another finger, a tissue, the item I’m trying to glue, etc. The snow crystals are really neat. Cabin fever, yeah, me too.
From Raw
However, on Thursday, Edwards announced, at his blog, that two bloggers who have gotten the campaign in “hot water” would not be fired, even though he was “personally offended” by some of the things they have written in the past.
From Edwards’ blog: “The tone and the sentiment of some of Amanda Marcotte’s and Melissa McEwan’s posts personally offended me. It’s not how I talk to people, and it’s not how I expect the people who work for me to talk to people. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but that kind of intolerant language will not be permitted from anyone on my campaign, whether it’s intended as satire, humor, or anything else. But I also believe in giving everyone a fair shake. I’ve talked to Amanda and Melissa; they have both assured me that it was never their intention to malign anyone’s faith, and I take them at their word. We’re beginning a great debate about the future of our country, and we can’t let it be hijacked. It will take discipline, focus, and courage to build the America we believe in.
.
Army Reserve Lt. Col. Debra Harrison returned to New Jersey after 17 months in Iraq with a Purple Heart and vivid descriptions of at least two brushes with death in the combat zone.
A federal indictment unsealed yesterday alleged she also returned with $330,000 in stolen cash earmarked for Iraq reconstruction projects and played a key role in a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme that netted her a Cadillac Escalade, two handguns, prescription drugs and enough money to install a deck and hot tub at her home in Trenton.
The 25-count indictment accused Harrison and two fellow soldiers, Col. Curtis Whiteford of Utah and Lt. Col. Michael Wheeler of Wisconsin, of participating in an elaborate scam to award $8.6 million in fraudulent Iraq Coalition Provisional Authority construction contracts to Philip Bloom, a U.S.-born construction magnate who pleaded guilty in March to bribery, conspiracy and money laundering.
The three soldiers, who were assigned to the CPA, received nearly $1 million in kickbacks in the scheme that ran from 2003 until 2005, federal officials said.
(Huffington Post) Dec. 16, 2005 – Colonial rule is tough, and U.S. Army Reserve Lt Col Debra Harrison knows all about it. Colonial occupation breeds moral and ethical challenges, like those described in the prose of George Orwell’s first novel detailing British colonial practices in Burmese Days. Harrison has a cameo in our very own Orwellian novella, Iraqi Days.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence.".
MOSCOW (The Guardian) Feb. 8 – Russia is planning to buy new intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear submarines and possibly aircraft carriers as part of an ambitious military programme, it emerged yesterday.
The defence minister, Sergei Ivanov, told parliament the military would have 17 new ballistic missiles this year – a hefty increase on the four deployed on average each year in recent times.
The purchases are part of a weapons modernisation programme for 2007-2015 worth about 5 trillion roubles ($190bn).
The programme envisages the deployment of 34 new silo-based Topol-M missiles and another 50 mounted on mobile launchers. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and other officials have described the Topol-M as the backbone of Russia’s arsenal, saying it can penetrate any missile defences.
Last week, Mr Putin dismissed US claims that missile defence sites it hopes to establish in Poland and the Czech Republic were intended to counter threats from Iran. He said Russia would respond by developing more efficient weapons.
Russian defence spending has been rising steadily in recent years, buoyed by oil revenues and high energy prices. But the military effort is still puny compared with the US defence budget.
The White House this week requested $481bn for the regular military budget in 2008 and $235bn on top of that for Afghanistan and Iraq.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."