Thursday, October 26, 2006
Rummy tells critics to "Back off."
WASHINGTON, (AP) --
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Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Thursday that anyone demanding deadlines for progress in Iraq should "just back off," because it is too difficult to predict when Iraqis will resume control of their country.He must think we work for him. Hard to imagine how screwed up the blogosphere would be if we did.
A Thousand Miles Behind
Somebody at the Arizona Republic just ran a Google blog search on "Renzi AND Investigation" which brought them here, where they looked around for a while, then outclicked onto the Lofty Donkey piece at DKos that got this whole thing rolling last weekend.
That's how far behind the curve they are on this story.
Which doesn't answer Tedski's question, but does explain why he had to ask it. On the up side, at least they had the good sense to do a blog search.
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That's how far behind the curve they are on this story.
Which doesn't answer Tedski's question, but does explain why he had to ask it. On the up side, at least they had the good sense to do a blog search.
More Chicks
Not Ready to Make Nice. Live on Letterman.
Oops. Looks like that one's been pulled. Let's try Good Morning America.
Be mad as hell on Tuesday.
I can't help but love them.
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Oops. Looks like that one's been pulled. Let's try Good Morning America.
Be mad as hell on Tuesday.
I can't help but love them.
Dixie Chicks
When you care enough to play the very best.
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Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Staying the Course
Good ad from the DNC
Meanwhile, BuzzFlash explains that Bush's latest "strategy" is How to Keep Troops in Iraq, Not How to Bring Them Home.
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Meanwhile, BuzzFlash explains that Bush's latest "strategy" is How to Keep Troops in Iraq, Not How to Bring Them Home.
Jon Kyl doesn't want you to watch
this ad.
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The 2 Renzi Investigations
TPMmuckraker puts them together and connects the dots:
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In a nutshell: Renzi cut one deal in 2003 that helped take water out of the San Pedro River, financially benefiting a major political backer but potentially devastating to the waterway, which is said to be vital for millions of migratory birds. The congressman made a second deal deal in 2005 ostensibly put water back into the river -- and made millions for another major political supporter and onetime business partner. Both are now reportedly under federal scrutiny.Let's just hope that all the federal investigators are talking to one another.
A Small World
I'd be grateful if my frequent visitor(s) from A Small World would email me. I'd like to know more about it.
Thanks.
Travis
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Thanks.
Travis
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
I hate it when classified documents
show up in a drug bust at a trailer park.
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Bush forgot to tell Rummy
that we aren't staying the course anymore.
Forgot to tell Laura, too.
I guess Karl better send that memo around one more time.
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Forgot to tell Laura, too.
I guess Karl better send that memo around one more time.
Democracy - Virginia Style
|More Details on Renzi Investigation
TPMmuckraker provides more info on the land deal that is the central to one of at least two things for which Rick Renzi is being investigated by federal authorities.
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All the facts aren't on the table yet, but here's what we know: Two separate investment groups had land swaps in Arizona that needed federal approval, something for which a lawmaker like Renzi would be instrumental in obtaining. (Swaps are deals where private investors trade tracts of land the government wants -- for conservation purposes, perhaps -- for government-owned tracts which can be sold or developed.)
Both groups say Renzi told them to buy an unrelated parcel of land as a part of their deal, which was owned by James Sandlin, a political backer and onetime business partner of Renzi's.
Both groups have since come to believe that Renzi had an inappropriate financial connection to that proposed land sale -- possibly a financial stake -- which he did not disclose when he pitched them on it.
NY Times has another Renzi investigation story
NY Times:
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 — Federal authorities in Arizona have opened an inquiry into whether Representative Rick Renzi introduced legislation that benefited a military contractor that employs his father, law enforcement officials said Tuesday.We be having big fun now.
Official confirms Renzi investigation
via Donatella at DKos:
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More on Yahoo from AP. Keep that champagne cold.WASHINGTON - A land deal involving Rep. Rick Renzi, R-Ariz., is being scrutinized by the U.S. attorney's office in Arizona, a law enforcement official in Washington said Tuesday.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity while the inquiry is ongoing, said the investigation has been under way for a few months and is still in its very early stages.The official did not specify what land deal was under investigation.
A spokesman for the Arizona U.S. attorney, Paul Charlton, said he could not confirm or deny an investigation was under way.
Will the WaPo run Renzi Indictment Story?
That's what Grannuaile is betting on. Maybe Wednesday, maybe Thursday.
Simon's campaign wants to make sure that everyone knows that the story didn't come from them. Heck, I knew that. It's part of the vast left-wing blogger conspriacy dedicated to getting corrupt scumbuckets out of Congress. Simon's people had nothing to do with it.
UPDATE -- Wednesday morning. Looks like Grannuaile got it right. The WaPo just published this one.
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Simon's campaign wants to make sure that everyone knows that the story didn't come from them. Heck, I knew that. It's part of the vast left-wing blogger conspriacy dedicated to getting corrupt scumbuckets out of Congress. Simon's people had nothing to do with it.
UPDATE -- Wednesday morning. Looks like Grannuaile got it right. The WaPo just published this one.
Renzi Breaks Staffer Ethics Rules
This is probably not what he'll be indicted for.
But according to this story in Harper's, Rick Renzi (AZ CD-1) has a professional campaign fundraiser on his congressional staff. Renzi's spokesperson says the fundraising isn't done on during the regular work day. Right.
This does help explain Renzi's large campaign war chest, and why he continues to be listed as one of the most corrupt members of Congress.
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But according to this story in Harper's, Rick Renzi (AZ CD-1) has a professional campaign fundraiser on his congressional staff. Renzi's spokesperson says the fundraising isn't done on during the regular work day. Right.
This does help explain Renzi's large campaign war chest, and why he continues to be listed as one of the most corrupt members of Congress.
Kyl gets a D-minus from Vets
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of American rate the Congress on their support for veterans.
Kyl waves the flag a lot. But when it comes time for the important votes, he's just another Bush enabler, sending troops to fight and die, then forgetting about them.
Bob Geiger has the story.
h/t to Hunter at DKos.
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Kyl waves the flag a lot. But when it comes time for the important votes, he's just another Bush enabler, sending troops to fight and die, then forgetting about them.
Bob Geiger has the story.
h/t to Hunter at DKos.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Bush's Secret Iraq Strategy
Josh Marshall has figured it out:
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Think of the president as a failed or deadbeat entrepreneur (again, not such a stretch) who's already lost his investors a ton of money. He goes back to them and says, 'Okay, fine. You think I'm a moron and a screw-up who lost you guys a ton of money. Fine. But do you really want to finally, totally, conclusively kiss that $300 billion goodbye. You wanna just totally call it quits? Admit it's a total loss? What about giving me just another $10 billion and maybe somehow I'll actually pull this off? Or, since that's just not gonna happen, a mere $10 billion to put off for six months having to write the whole thing off as a loss, having to come to grips once and for all with the fact that all the money's gone and the whole thing's a bust?'Read it all. It explains so much.
Mixed Metaphor
The thing to remember about the Bushista Iraq "strategy" issue is:
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After the Titanic hit the ice berg, there was time to re-arrange the deck chairs. There was, however, not enough time for a "course correction." That train had already left the station.If the Democrats are required to have an "alternate plan" for Iraq, it should involve how to get the maximum number of passengers safely into the lifeboats.
More "Strategy" Nonsense
Pravda on the Hudson:
And apparently somebody told the Bushistas that "Stay the course" wasn't playing very well, neither as a "strategy," nor as a campaign slogan. So now they're pretending that it never was. Think Progress did a great of busting that one.
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Although the plan would not threaten Mr. Maliki with a withdrawal of American troops, several officials said the Bush administration would consider changes in military strategy and other penalties if Iraq balked at adopting it or failed to meet critical benchmarks within it.HT Billmon.
And apparently somebody told the Bushistas that "Stay the course" wasn't playing very well, neither as a "strategy," nor as a campaign slogan. So now they're pretending that it never was. Think Progress did a great of busting that one.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Renzi to be Indicted?
Lofty Donkey says the U.S. Attorney is sitting on it until after the election.
Sourcing on this may be a little thin (no AP link, for instance). Even so, Renzi has danced close enough to other Republican scum buckets that no one should be surprised if the FBI phone taps caught him on the take.
His latest piece of campaign sleaze (attempting to link Ellen Simon to a case involving a sexual predator, simply because she was president of the local ACLU chapter in a state not at all related to the case) says all you really need to know about Renzi's ethics and character.
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Sourcing on this may be a little thin (no AP link, for instance). Even so, Renzi has danced close enough to other Republican scum buckets that no one should be surprised if the FBI phone taps caught him on the take.
His latest piece of campaign sleaze (attempting to link Ellen Simon to a case involving a sexual predator, simply because she was president of the local ACLU chapter in a state not at all related to the case) says all you really need to know about Renzi's ethics and character.
