This, sir, is your war.

Keith Olbermann's Special Comment

But in reaching for that place, you have guaranteed yourself tonight not honor, but infamy.

In fact, you have condemned yourself to a place among that remarkably small group of Americans whom Americans cannot forgive: those who have sold this country out and who have willingly declared their enmity to the people at whose pleasure they supposedly serve.

[snip]

Sen. Clinton has reinforced enemy propaganda? Made it impossible for you to get your ego-driven, blood-steeped win in Iraq?

Then take it into your own hands, Mr. Bush.

Go to Baghdad now and fulfill, finally, your military service obligations.

Go there and fight, your war. Yourself.

unchecked power

WaPo

Bush administration officials unveiled a bold new assertion of executive authority yesterday in the dispute over the firing of nine U.S. attorneys, saying that the Justice Department will never be allowed to pursue contempt charges initiated by Congress against White House officials once the president has invoked executive privilege.

[snip]

But administration officials argued yesterday that Congress has no power to force a U.S. attorney to pursue contempt charges in cases, such as the prosecutor firings, in which the president has declared that testimony or documents are protected from release by executive privilege. Officials pointed to a Justice Department legal opinion during the Reagan administration, which made the same argument in a case that was never resolved by the courts.

friday random ten

Photo by Ryan McManus



1. "Mildly Decorated" - The Lovely Feathers [Hind Hind Legs (2006)]


2. "Chinatown" - Luna [Penthouse (1995)]


3. "Time Zones and Area Codes" - Swearing at Motorists [Last Night Becomes This Morning (2006)]


4. "Peach Pie on the Beach" - Polysics [Polysics or Die!!! (2004)]


5. "A Higher Power" - Jens Lekman [When I Said I Wanted To Be Your Dog (2004)]


6. "Power and Sacrifice" - Swans [White Light From the Mouth of Infinity (1991)]


7. "Pull Out" - Boss Hog [Drinkin' Letchin' & Lyin' (1989)]


8. "Sheep" - The Housemartins [London 0 Hull 4 (1986)]


9. "Lunacy" - The Plasmatics [Metal Priestess (1981)]


10. "Tokyo Witch" - Beach House [Beach House (2006)]

Iraq hasn't even begun

Timothy Garton Ash in the LA Times

In history, the most important consequences are often the unintended ones. We do not yet know the longer-term unintended consequences of Iraq. Maybe there is a silver lining hidden somewhere in this cloud. But as far as the human eye can see, the likely consequences of Iraq range from the bad to the catastrophic.

Looking back over a quarter of a century of chronicling current affairs, I cannot recall a more comprehensive and avoidable man-made disaster.

wednesday reads

Fred Kaplan - The National Intelligence Estimate that was released today—titled "The Terrorist Threat to the Homeland"—amounts to a devastating critique of the Bush administration's policies on Iraq, Iran, and the terrorist threat itself.

David Corn - Why Bush Is A Loser

Joseph Thai - This past year, in one questionable decision after another, the court has made it dramatically more difficult — if not impossible — for ordinary Americans to have their day in court.

Zimbabwe the Latest Victim of American "Democracy"

The Justice Department is pressuring 10 states to purge their voter rolls, while states are ignoring laws to help low-income Americans register to vote.

Welcome Back, Potter

inverted world

Monday reads

The balance in the internal White House debate over Iran has shifted back in favour of military action before President George Bush leaves office in 18 months, the Guardian has learned.

Although Bush administration officials have frequently lashed out at Syria and Iran, accusing it of helping insurgents and militias here, the largest number of foreign fighters and suicide bombers in Iraq come from a third neighbor, Saudi Arabia, according to a senior U.S. military officer and Iraqi lawmakers.

Bill Moyers talks with Bruce Fein and John Nichols on why it is so important to impeach the bastards.

A Marine corporal said Marines in his unit began routinely beating Iraqis after officers ordered them to "crank up the violence level," the Los Angeles Times reported.

An internal investigation that the House Intelligence Committee has refused to make public portrays the panel as embarrassingly entangled in the Randy "Duke" Cunningham bribery scandal.

Digby - Protecting The Village

Red Bull: Meat Sugar, Caffeine, and Bile!. Yum!

Princess Sparkle Pony interviews John McCain's Gay Sweater