The number of soldiers now sacrificed for this bullshit illegal war Bush got us into. Of course he "mourns" the death. Yeah - I bet he will still need lots more time to figure out what to do. It has taken him more time to figure out a way to fix his mess then it did for him to decide and send 3,000 American soldiers to their death.
Last night when the news of his execution was made public, people started rejoicing. FOX News was giddy with the thought of video and pictures being published of the execution. True so much coverage was dedicated to this execution yesterday, including history lessons on hangings from CNN.
It is amazing to see how the right wingers are rejoicing so much over the news of Saddam's fate, yet they are the first ones to dish up excuses for Bush not capturing Osama, or even giving that much attention to him. Sure Saddam was a bad man and did horrible things, and his victims deserve justice - but don't the 3,000 Americans who lost their lives on 9/11 deserve justice? Instead the Bush apologists offer up excuses to why their justice has never been served. That is real American and compassionate of them.
Something else that struck me as interesting was all the old footage and photos of Saddam that was being aired yesterday. It seems that during this collage displayed on most news channels, they forgot one of the most famous pictures of Saddam. I figured I better go ahead and publish it for them:
So how does our former Secretary of Defense feel now that his former buddy has been executed? Perhaps this is why the execution was moved along so quickly. God forbid Saddam be put on trial and we hear about the people who helped supply him with most of the weapons he used against his own people. Perhaps the accomplices in his other crime can still face the Iraqi courts.
So the families of the nearly 3,000 lost soldiers and rest of the American and Iraqi people need to understand that:
President Bush worked nearly three hours at his Texas ranch on Thursday to design a new U.S. policy in Iraq, then emerged to say that he and his advisers need more time to craft the plan he'll announce in the new year.
Burdened by low approval ratings on his handling of the war, the president is under mounting pressure to come up with a new blueprint for U.S. involvement in Iraq where the execution of Saddam Hussein — perhaps as early as this weekend — could incite further violence.
"We've got more consultation to do until I talk to the country about the plan," Bush said, appearing outside an office building at his ranch.
(emphasis mine)
Well everyone should be happy with Bush. He put in 3 hours yesterday to try and figure out this mess he got us into - this mess that has cost us almost 3,000 American soldiers and nearly 1/2 a trillion dollars (not to even mention the costs to the Iraqi people). I guess we should just give him all the time he needs. Hell - take all of 2007 and 2008 if you want Mr. President. God forbid that this country gets 3 hours of your time.
Will someone please tell me what other job in the world you can cost your employers that much money and screw up so bad, then expect gratitude for working a whole 3 hours after the fuck-up has gone on for almost 4 years? Seriously - they don't even try to fake it anymore. He waited for the Iraqi study group to come out and then decided that he didn't like that plan and wanted something else. Why didn't he start way before that? Oh yeah - Bush doesn't believe in planning (see Iraq, Afghanistan, Katrina, etc., etc., etc.)
Wal-Mart doesn't have enough money, so an interruption in the holiday shopping season would really hurt them (sure):
Last Saturday afternoon, Eva Voorhees heard the clatter of feet on the roof of the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Mitchell where she works in the photo department - but it wasn't the pitter-patter of reindeer.
It was the police looking for a bomb. Up front, police officers, the SWAT team and others were busy searching the store next to customers who were browsing for gifts. The police looked in jewelry counters, wrapping paper rolls, freezers, the back room where trucks unload and closets at Tire Lube Express.
During the nearly two-hour search, Wal-Mart officials opted not to evacuate the busy discount store even though police recommended they do so. Wal-Mart officials said the call was a hoax and not a threat.
The incident has family members of Wal-Mart employees criticizing store officials for failing to take the threat seriously.
So this is how Wal-Mart thanks their customers - by putting them in harms way? Of course Wal-Mart is not only to blame in this. The police and fire departments should have forced an evacuation.
During the first Gulf War, we had a bomb threat at a major mall in our town. As a firefighter, I was called to respond. We ordered the mall evacuated during the search, and it was done. The owners actually had no option - Ohio state law states that if there is a probably danger to the public and an evacuation is ordered by public safety, then it must be done. Perhaps South Dakota doesn't have the same laws.
Two years after his hopes for a Democratic takeover of the White House were narrowly dashed, former vice presidential nominee John Edwards said Thursday that he is making another run at the presidency.
Edwards - who is calling for cuts in poverty, global warming and troops in Iraq - scheduled his kickoff in New Orleans, still devastated from last year's Hurricane Katrina. He chose the site to highlight his signature concern of the economic disparity that divides America.
"I'm here to announce I'm a candidate for president of the United States," Edwards sold NBC's "Today Show" Thursday, one of three back-to-back interviews by the candidate on morning news shows. "I've reached my own conclusion this is the best way to serve my country."
I have been waiting for this news, and couldn't be happier (unless of course Gore decides to run). What would make this perfect is if Obama decided he would run with Edwards (think of an Edwards/Obama ticket). That could very well be possible, considering the number of activities they have been doing together latley. It would also ease the fears of people saying "Obama doesn't have enough experience" and keep the Obama support with Edwards. That ticket would pretty much secure a Democratic White House in 2009.
The WORST Governor in the history of Ohio:
The state Supreme Court on Wednesday publicly reprimanded Ohio Gov. Bob Taft for his ethics violations in office, a black mark that will stay on his permanent record as an attorney.
Taft, a Republican and great-grandson of President William Howard Taft, pleaded no contest in 2005 to failing to report golf outings and other gifts and was fined $4,000. He could not seek re-election because of term limits and leaves office in less than two weeks.
The Office of Disciplinary Counsel, an arm of the state Supreme Court, said in April that Taft violated Ohio's code of professional conduct for lawyers, and Taft, an attorney since 1976, later signed an agreement admitting the violation.
Taft has been a disgrace to Ohio and his family name. Now we get our brand new Democratic Governor in a couple of weeks, and Ohio should be making a big change for the better. Thanks Bob Taft for helping Democrats sweep the state offices in a very red state this year.
With the new Medicare program reaching it's first birthday, we are going to start hearing more stories like this:
Ever since Judy Clifford's parents died, she had planned to move with her husband into their Nashville, Tenn., home, which she knew so well.
"I felt like they were still there," says Ms. Clifford, who is retired. "I could see my mother standing at the sink washing dishes and my daddy watching TV, and I wanted to stay in the house because of that."
Instead, the two-bedroom ranch-style home is for sale for $122,000, the subject of a bitter tug-of-war between the Cliffords and TennCare, Tennessee's healthcare program for the poor and uninsured. TennCare has laid claim to the home to recoup the cost of caring for Clifford's mother, who was on TennCare when she died three years ago.
In the face of soaring Medicaid costs, Tennessee and every other state are required to set up a Medicaid estate-recovery program. Many have been launched only recently, and some - like Tennessee's - are becoming more aggressive. Often, they target the home because it's all that's left after beneficiaries have spent their assets to pay for nursing-home care.
But the varied ways in which states are going after these assets have produced confusion, anger, and even lawsuits. When a loved one dies, some families are stunned to lose the home, too, advocates say.
This is one of the leftovers we have from the 109th Congress. During the first months of 2006, states and citizens screamed about the problems of the new Medicare program. The Republican leadership went to the public and lied, saying that the program was working great. It wasn't. States that were already strapped for cash had to take drastic measures to help with the costs.
President Bush is bracing for what could be an onslaught of investigations by the new Democratic-led Congress by hiring lawyers to fill key White House posts and preparing to play defense on countless document requests and possible subpoenas.
Bush is moving quickly to fill vacancies within his stable of lawyers, though White House officials say there are no plans to drastically expand the legal staff to deal with a flood of oversight.
"No, at this point, no," Tony Snow, the White House spokesman, said recently. "We'll have to see what happens."
Sure Bush didn't spend anytime planning for how to deal with a post-Saddam Iraq, instead he chose to ignore the actual plans and send almost 3,000 of our soldiers to die. Now when his ass is on the line, he is getting ready to cover every angle. Enjoy Mr. President - I hope the Democrats rake you over the coals time and time again.
Hope everyone is having a great holiday.
There has been much talk this week about Rep. Virgil Goode's comments regarding Muslim's in Congress:
A congressman said Thursday that he will not retract a letter warning that unless immigration is tightened, "many more Muslims will be elected" and use the Quran to take the oath of office.
Republican Rep. Virgil Goode triggered angry responses from a civil rights group and some colleagues with a letter this month to constituents concerned about a decision by Rep.-elect Keith Ellison of Minnesota, the first Muslim elected to Congress, to use the Quran when he is sworn in.
"I will not be putting my hand on the Quran," Goode said at a news conference Thursday at the Franklin County Courthouse.
While most seem to focus on this as an insult to Muslims (as it is), they seem to overlook the other major insult here. The bigoted Virgil Goode also insulted the people of Minnesota's 5th Congressional district. Ellison did not hide his religion during his campaign, and it actually became a big issue. All the news channels ran segments talking about the fact we could have the first Muslim in Congress. Furthermore, that did not stop 56% of the voters in MN-15 to go out and support Goode.
These citizens of the United States engaged in their Constitutional right of electing their leaders, and for that they get insulted by a member of Congress. That alone should be grounds for Vigil Goode to be kicked out of Congress and this country.
