Can anyone appreciate the irony...

...Of the stink being raised over illegal oil trades by Benon Sevan, administrator of the U.N. Oil-for-Food Program in Iraq? After all, we're talking $1 million in illegal oil sales...Money that went into Saddam's coffers rather than to aid the Iraqi people. And, of course, the picture wouldn't be complete without trying to implicate Kofi Annan and his son Kojo in the affair. Another ironic twist to this already twisted tale, is that the Administration turned a blind eye to the illegal oil sales as the embargo was hurting the economies of Jordan and Turkey.

Contrast this with what happened on Proconsul Bremer's watch in Iraq. During his time as head of the Coalition Provisional Authority, approximately $8.8 billion simply went missing...unaccounted for...gone. In one case, of a payroll of 8,206 names, only 602 could be verified and there was no paper trail to verify the disposition of the the rest of the cash. Yet, aside from a few small pieces hidden in Time, and elsewhere, there seems to be little media interest in the story, and no interest in hauling Bremer before a grand jury to ddemand an accounting else he face charges of misappropriations of governemnt funds.

And to think this boob recieved the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his incompetence. But that seems to be a pattern for Dubbyuh's administration. Now, I'm just trying to figure out where Rummy screwed up and succeeded at something to get knocked out of the running for a medal.

Holy flashback Batman...!

Shades of Campaign '04! Never ones to retire old tricks, Dubbyuh's handlers have stacked the audiences at Dubbyuh's appearances on the stump for his "plan" to "save" social security with party loyalists. No dissenting voices are allowed. Just like the good ole days out on the campaign trail, where never is heard a dissenting word.

But the election is over, and yes, the chuckle-head won. And no, he DOESN'T have a mandate, no matter how much he wishes otherwise. His own party is beginning to feed on its own as the whole issue of social security rears its head. And, his ratings in the polls are sinking like the Titanic.

Before Dubbyuh decided to create a crisis in social security, the Social Security commission reported that it would be solvent until 2042, at which point, it would begin paying out more than it took in. But the reality of the matter is that in 14 of the last 47 years Social Security has paid out more than it took in, so this dire warning is essentially meaningless. If, as the Administration talking points imply or state outright that Social Security trust funds have no real assets, then the treasury bonds held all over the world aren't real assets either, and not worth the paper they are printed on. That's a real confidence builder for the folks overseas that are holding US debt.

As Dubbyuh told the Wall Street Journal, the real debate on the issue will be one of whether there is actually a problem or not. Of course, Dubbyuh would have alot more credibility if he hadn't been beating this horse since 1978, when he first ran for Congress. In '78, he said the Social Security was going to be "...flat bust..." by 1988. The only thing that went "flat bust" in Dubbyuh's little world was Arbusto Energy.

So, Dubbyuh fields softball questions from slavishly adoring crowds, safe in his bubble. Unsullied by the real world, our very own American Nero fiddles on.

Holy shit Batman!

Gay marriage ban hits the fan

Be it Resolved by the People of the State of Ohio:

That the Constitution of the State of Ohio be amended by adopting a section to be designated as Section 11 of Article XV thereof, to read as follows:

Article XV

Section 11. Only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this state and its political subdivisions. This state and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance or effect of marriage.

Issue 1, as it was listed on the balllot in November, was passed by around 61% of Ohio voters. The problem is, they didn't read it very carefully. As a result, the first steaming legal dogpile its passage left behind has been steppped in.

In Cuyahoga County, the Public Defender's Office is using this amendment to dismiss domestic violence cases involving unmarried individuals who are living together and have no children. Their rationale is that, under this amendment, the state can only recognize the relationship bewteen a married couple of different genders. However, if the state recognizes that domestic violence occurs between two unrelated, unmarried people who are cohabitating regardless of gender, the state would be recognizing that relationship. Based upon this interpretation of Ohio's Constitution, that is simply not allowed.

The crux of the issue here is that this interpretaion would place the amendment in violation of the equal protection clause of the US Constitution. Maried couples would have protections under domestic violence laws which are unavailable to unwed couples who are living together. And, like it or not, that protection applies to same gender couples as well. If it doesn't, the Constitution isn't worth the match it would take to burn it. It applies to all, or it applies to none. Deal with it.

Republicans play the race card...

Listening to Orrin Hatch play the race card with regards to Alberto Gonzales' confirmation as AG rather put me to mind of a prostitute sermonizing on the virtues of chastity in Sunday school. The last time the party of Lincoln had anything truly constructive to do with race relations in this country was during Lincoln's era and shortly thereafter. It might be said that they helped pass the Civil Rights Act of 1957, but that was simply due to the number of boll weevil democrats who voted against the Act and later switched their party affiliations to that of...Republican. But the Democratic party was better off without them.

Mr. Hatch, and the other Republicans who seem to have sold their souls to the devil, and their asses to the highest bidder, just don't care to understand that opposition to Alberto Gonzales does not stem from his race but rather his principles or, more appropriately, his lack thereof. Mr. Gonzales was the principle architect of policies which run counter to those of the rest of the civilized world. He dismissed the Geneva Conventions as "quaint" and "obsolete". He helped narrow the definition of torture to "...injury such as death, organ failure, or serious impairment of body functions ...". At ihs request, the DOJ drafted a memo authorizing the CIA to transfer Iraqi detainees to other nations which would have no compunction against torturing these individuals which is a violation of the Geneva Conventions and federal law. He argued that there was essentially no limit to the authority of the POTUS to invade any nation he suspected of harboring terrorists whter or no they were linked to any specific incidence, this contrary to the narrow language of the joint resolution passed on 9/14/01 which limited his authority to attack only those countries specifically linked to the attacks of 9/11.

In short, the Senate Republicans seem intent on confirming as USAG, responsible for upholding and defending the Constitution of the United States, a man seemingly more intent upon subverting and underminig said document. What this says about the intent of the Republican leadership, which has seized control of all three branches of government, is unclear. But their apparent eagerness to confirm Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General, despite his history...present and past, will give us a good idea of the America they want. And it seems a sure bet that it's nothing the Founding Fathers envisioned.

Call your Senators...TODAY! The vote for his confirmation is tomorrow.

The policies of Dubbyuh and Alberto repudiated...

It seems that prisoners in Guantanamo are indeed able to claim constitutional protections under the law. So much for secret military tribunals, indefinite detention without charge and lack of access to counsel.

U.S. Judge: Guantanamo Suspects Have Rights

By James Vicini

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. judge dealt a setback to the Bush administration and ruled on Monday that the Guantanamo Bay terrorism suspects can challenge their confinement and the procedures in their military tribunal review process are unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge Joyce Hens Green said the prisoners at the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba have constitutional protections under U.S. law.

"The court concludes that the petitioners have stated valid claims under the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution and that the procedures implemented by the government to confirm that the petitioners are 'enemy combatants' subject to indefinite detention violate the petitioners' rights to due process of law," Green wrote.

It's been one setback after another with regards to the administration's assertions regarding detainees and "enemy combatants". We have yet, however to hear a word of apology or admission of error on their part. But it's not likely that we will hear any such from this Administration. Their hubris is beyond belief, and will never permit them to admit that they have made mistakes...And that makes Dubbyuh and his merry band all the more dangerous. They cannot admit to error, so they will continue to make the same errors. And we see what their errors have bought us thus far.

It's getting a bit drafty...

On Friday, January 28th, the Project for a New American Century...you remember them, they were the architects of Dubbyuh's foreign policy, sent a letter to Bill Frist, Harry Reid, Denny Hasturt and Nanccy Pelosi. This breezy little missive oulines the necessity for increasing troop levels in Iraq, and elsewhere, as well as the means for meeting those needs. That being Article 1, Section 8 of the US Constitution. In other words, a draft.

Now, Dubbyuh explicitly stated that there would be no draft. But in the FY 2004 budget, there was an additional $28 million appropriated to fill all 10,350 draft board and 11,070 appeals board positions. Also, some 63% of the Army's combat force are tied up in potential, or actual, combat zones around the world, this includes Afghanistan and Iraq. This leaves US ground forces grossly overextended, and such long term operational commitments are sustainable only if there are about twice as many troops in the pipeline for rotation to the field. This leaves the US forces about 125,000 soldiers short. Also, the US and Canada signed a "Smart Border Declaration", which would make it more difficult for draft dodgers to seek refuge in Canada. With these items, as well as PNAC's cheery little note, it becomes apparent that Dubbyuh is set to break that campaign promise without a thought.

So, keep your children close, because they'll soon be wearing dogtags, and sent off to die just because Dubbyuh says so.