More Money More Problems

That's right folks, it seems the more money we spend on the "war on terror" the more problems we have. According to a recent Washington Post poll 60% of Americans feel no safer now than they did prior to the US invasion of Iraq; and unfortunately they might be right.
While our bulletproof Vice President Dick Cheney swears the "insurgency is in its last throws" the CIA and military leaders are espousing the exact opposite. Speaking of the recently released CIA report Doug Jehl of the NY Times wrote'

"The assessment, completed last month and circulated among government agencies, was described in recent days by several Congressional and intelligence officials. The officials said it made clear that the war was likely to produce a dangerous legacy by dispersing to other countries Iraqi and foreign combatants more adept and better organized than they were before the conflict.”

Oh Yeah? Only 178 BILLION dollars and we've already made a bigger badder terrorist. I mean it took years of the US supplying the Talibann with weapons to fight the Soviets before they became truly dangerous terrorists and now we've achieved the same thing in a fraction of the time. American ingenuity at its finest!

Bi-partisan or Bipolar

With support for the war in Iraq waning and public opinion polls reflecting the rising concerns of American voters some Republicans are beginning to go against their beloved party in hopes of avoiding their own exits in the 2006 election cycle. And while many people would not be surprised to learn that Texas Republican Ron Paul is now calling for an end to the war since he initially voted against it, now ultra right-wing Representative Walter B. Jones of North Carolina is echoing those concerns.
That's right folks! The man that brought you the endearing term "freedom fries" and lambasted the French for not joining the war in Iraq is now calling for an end to war. Jones stated, "After 1,700 deaths, over 12,000 wounded and $200 billion spent, we believe it is time to have this debate and discussion."
Woah there Mr. Reasonable...where the hell did you come from? A Republican offering to have a "discussion." Either Jones has a split personality or his people may have actually picked up a paper and seen what ramifications continued blind allegiance to the current administration will reap come 2006.
This rational behavior must be contagious amongst republicans (or it's an epidemic of "cover your ass")because Jones' fellow statesmen, Rep. Coble stated this week, "I'm not suggesting pulling out tomorrow or next month, but I want that to be an option. I don't want us to spend an eternity in Iraq. So conceptually, I'm inclined to embrace Walter Jones proposal."
Rational behavior or an act of self preservation in the face of an unhappy public, as long as it gets our boys home alive I'm all for it.

No Bush For You

Shockingly enough the Bush administration is once again snubbing the global community by refusing to attend the 60th anniversary celebration of the United Nations to be held in San Francisco later this month. The organizers of the June 25th event learned Wednesday that nearly all of their big name republican invites, Bush and Condoleezza Rice to name a few, had turned down invitations to the event. Now I know all of you San Francisco residents were looking forward to greeting Bush and his crew as liberators, showering them with flowers and songs of victory but you're gonna have to settle for the third string (if you can even call them that).
Luckily for organizers the White House is sending such influential individuals as Nancy Peterson and Ambassador Sichan Siv, the United States representative to the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The Bush White House....when you care enough to send the very unimportant.

P.S. For all of you heart broken Bush fans in SF (yes both of you) you should try and lift your spirits by visiting Compton Place in the Compton Hotel. Chef Daniel Humm was just named one of Americas best new Chefs by Food and Wine magazine.

Your Mama

Who doesn’t love a good ol’ “your mama” moment? That’s why I just had to highlight a few comments made by our beloved VP Darth Cheney. As I was struggling through my daily dose of republican propaganda (translation: I try and keep abreast of the Republican views through Fox news) my jaw dropped as I heard our Vice president drop a “your mama” reference on Howard Dean. Cheney made an impromptu apearance (staged propaganda) on "Hannity and Colmes."(Transcript) While on that pinnacle of journalistic integrity known as Fox News Cheney said,

“I’ve never been able to understand his appeal. Maybe his mother loved him, but I’ve never met anybody who does. He’s never won anything, as best I can tell,”

How brave of Dick to fire off remarks on Hannity and Colmes when he knows only 98% of the audience will agree with anything he says. Well Dean must be doing something to get the Republicans dander up because you’re taking valuable time out of your assault on the New Deal in order to try and distort Deans views and drop a “your Mama” joke (albeit a lame one). DNC spokeswoman Karen Finney fired back in quick, pointed fashion (a notable departure from Democrats standard operation) by saying

“Governor Dean must be doing something right if the vice president of the United States would stoop so low as to use the governor’s mother as a way to deflect from answering the concerns of the American people,” Finney said Sunday. “It’s no wonder President Bush’s approval ratings are at an all-time low.”

Bad Times Ahead

As Bush and the White House crew keep on with their Rose Garden optimism the sad cold reality of Baghdad pessimism is setting in with the American people. The new Associated Press/Ipsos poll shows President Bush's approval rating at 43 percent, approval of his handling of the war in Iraq at 41 percent, and just 35 percent of American adults saying they think the country's on the right track.
Looks like most Americans see bad times ahead... and the Iraqi people may not see things much differently. In the Washington Post article by Shadid and Fainaru their observations about the morale of the Iraqi military force dont bode well for Rose Garden optimists.

But what is there to be so glum about? Bush and the Republican elite have now promised to rescind the $124 million they promised to community colleges. Remember all those stump speeches where Bush said he would help to retrain displaced workers? $2.3 billion in govt programs is set to be eliminated this year which means more necessary programs cut, more corporate welfare and billions of dollars spent in Iraq with no end in sight. Now who wouldn't be happy about that?

A Little Too Convenient

Did anyone find the timing of the arrests of the Lodi father and son terrorist duo a little too convenient? An inflammatory affidavit in the arrests of the two men was made public Tuesday citing the individuals knew the origins of "hundreds of participants in alleged Al Qaeda terrorist training camps." This assertion as well as the most widely reported and inflammatory charge that "potential targets for attack would include hospitals and large food stores" were both suspiciously omitted from the affidavit later filed in court. (See the LA Times article)
The arrests as well as the highly publicized statements in the affidavit came at an opportune time for the FBI. Just this Thursday the Justice Department released a report citing the ineptitude of the agencies handling of information related to 9-11. Especially embarrassing to the FBI agents operating in California, the report highlighted the agencies failure to stop two hijackers who obtained flight training in San Diego. Agents in California did not head warnings from agents in Phoenix AZ in early 2001 or members of the CIA in 2000.
Where are the stories about this report and where is the the public outrage? Buried in a small column on A 19 while the public is placated with hyped up stories of two potential terrorists.... how convenient.
Oh Bush disinformation machine... you've done it again!

Got States Rights?

What ever happened to states rights? It seems states rights advocates are on the run with medicinal marijuana laws being struck down this week by the Supreme Court, individual state wine sales regulations thwarted (not that I'm a big fan of this one), and with the president seeking:
1. A constitutional ban on gay marriage
2. National standards for state drivers licenses
3. Renewal of the patriot act (parts of which supersede state law ie. Library privacy laws like California Code 6267)

Since when are the Republicans launching an all out offensive against states rights? Since they don't agree with the laws being passed in these states or since they dominate the federal government? When an AARP Poll shows 72% of members who responded in support of medicinal marijuana just who are the old white politicians supporting? The drug companies? NO! That cant be... Bush work on behalf of drug companies. Are Canadian drugs really that scary? ( I know Canadian music is..Brian Adams) And Bushes banning of Canadian drugs was nothing! Bush is looking to pay back all those drug company contributions in spades with his proposed mandatory mental health screening........ Yeah! No more states rights and no medical privacy!!! We all win.. (and I when I say we I mean those of us vested in pharmaceutical companies)

America's Scary Future

As I was reading an article in the Christian Science Monitor concerning Chinas crackdown on free speech and privacy I couldn't help but think of our own administrations tight control over information and the widening scope of information gathered under the patriot act. A short excerpt from the article reads
"In recent years, the state has introduced sophisticated software that can track and block dissent. In the weeks after Chinas' former premier, Zhao Ziyang, died in January, almost all references to him in cyberspace were deleted. In April, the government disabled college Internet message boards - often used by students and alumni to speak freely and to communicate with Chinese living overseas. This week's declaration requiring Internet registry to operate on the Web will also give officials another tool for control."

Sound familiar? As our own President is lobbying for the renewal of the patriot act, including provisions which permit secret warrants for "books, records, papers, documents and other items" from businesses, hospitals and "other organizations" (whatever the f**k that means) it seems these "security provisions" from China might be coming to a computer near you. Bush urged lawmakers to disregard "unfair criticisms of this important good law" (that boys a good talker) and renew the privacy crushing Patriot Act ... thou doth protest too much Bush.