Brett's Blog

Ridden like animals

2004-05-21T10:05:00.000-05:00

More on the prison abuse scandal. I don't quite think this is how to win hearts and minds.

'US soldiers started to shoot us, one by one'

2004-05-21T09:57:00.000-05:00

Story from the Guardian about the wedding party incident in Iraq. This cost 42 innocent Iraqis - and for what?

Video: Prison Abuse

2004-05-21T09:52:00.000-05:00

From today's Washington Post, warning - graphic.

Bush gives stump speech to... Republicans?

2004-05-21T09:44:00.000-05:00

Link: In a "meeting" with Congressional Republican'ts, President Bush gave a 35 minute stump speech meant to "rally the troops", following the recent scandal and problems in Iraq. However, Bush simply gave the speech and left, not taking questions from his OWN party!

"The meeting did not satisfy dissidents in the party. "There was nothing you haven't heard at other, public appearances," said Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), whose commitment to the GOP was questioned this week by Hastert. Asked whether he felt better because of Bush's assurances about improvement in Iraq, McCain replied with feigned relief: "Oh, much better."" - John say you will!

Two months in a row!

2004-05-21T09:38:00.000-05:00

Kerry raised twice as much money than Bush in April, while Bush has spent an estimated $150 million so far in the campaign to lie to the American people about John Kerry.

WaPo: "Kerry is now in a position to be competitive with [the president] through the convention," when both candidates will be limited to $75 million in federal campaign funds, said Anthony Corrado, a campaign finance expert at the Brookings Institution. "The issue was, could Kerry raise the money he needed to get his message out and campaign aggressively through the summer? He's done that. This is a completely different race from the last two because of his fundraising success."

Rumsfeld apologizes to Iraqi prisoners

2004-05-07T12:08:00.000-05:00

Well, I guess the polls said it was acceptable for administration officials to apologize, following W.'s apology yesterday Rumsfeld did so today.

Former Army secretary warned Pentagon on private contractors

2004-05-07T12:00:00.000-05:00

Link: There are now at least 20,000 contract killers providing security for U.S. officials in Iraq. However, the Pentagon has no way of tracking how many of these contractors are actually there - so there are several people running around paid with taxpayer dollars that are unknown to the government. These contractors are also those responsible for the torture of Iraqi prisoners, but they are uncontrollable.

Workers leaving Iraq

2004-05-07T11:57:00.000-05:00

Three out of 10 "reconstruction" workers in Iraq have left since April, because of security concerns.

"It is a common thing to abuse prisoners''

2004-05-07T10:14:00.000-05:00

From a military policeman talking about prisoner abuses in Iraq. From today's New York Times.

Harkin to Rumsfeld: Resign!

2004-05-06T11:23:00.000-05:00

Tom Harkin (D-IA) demanded that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld resign, and saying that if he doesn't resign right away - the President should fire him! Rumsfeld is scheduled to testify publicly tomorrow. My personal favorite Conservative, John McCain, also said today that "the Secretary has a lot of explaining to do". Also, in today's STL Post-Dispatch, their editorial board demanded that Rummy resign, and take the Wolf-man and Doug Feith with him.

Times editorial on soldier images

2004-05-06T11:19:00.000-05:00

The NYTimes talks about the images of the prisoners being tortured, and how this, and not our soldiers amazing performance in the war, has become the lasting image of our occupation. It's a damn shame.

New prisoner images in today's WaPo

2004-05-06T11:14:00.000-05:00

Link

"The dumbest policy on the face of the Earth"

2004-05-06T10:37:00.000-05:00

That's Larry Wilkerson, Colin Powell's Chief of Staff, on Bush's foreign policy.

47,000 more to Iraq

2004-05-04T12:26:00.000-05:00

AP: 37,000 Guardsmen and Reserves and 10,000 Marines will be sent to Iraq for one year.

Children Left Behind

2004-05-04T12:21:00.000-05:00

Kerry is attacking Bush's record on education today. It's a big target, so have fun John.

Kerry in a race to define himself

2004-05-04T12:12:00.000-05:00

John F. Kerry has now released a series of biographical ads attempting to introduce himself to the American people before Rove and the boys finish and make him look like a big softy Liberal. These ads, which are excellent in my totally biased opinion, will cost $25 million in ad buys. The ads also feature his lovely wife, Teresa, and daughter Vanessa.

Bush secrecy being exposed...again

2004-05-04T12:08:00.000-05:00

The Bush Administration's secrecy comes under fire in today's Boston Globe. Relating to the Gorelick memo, as well as the 8/6/2001 PDB that was finally released after much pressure from the 9/11 Commission. The secrecy of this President is rivaled only by that of "Tricky Dicky" Nixon.

Battlefield of Dreams

2004-05-04T12:01:00.000-05:00

Krugman today. Basically talking about the private contractors and general privitization in the on-going Iraqi transition, and how it is a conservative's wet dream, including a flat-tax.

Bush's love and support for Murderiel Sharon angers diplomats

2004-05-04T11:56:00.000-05:00

Sixty former U.S. diplomats signed a letter to Bush scolding him for his unabashed support of Ariel Sharon, and saying that it is costing our country friends and prestige all over the world.

More on the prisoners

2004-05-04T11:53:00.000-05:00

The U.S. now says that military prison guards will no longer be allowed to use hoods to blindfold Iraqi prisoners. I don't really agree with what I'm about to say, but isn't this starting to look more and more like Vietnam?

More Iraqis come forward

2004-05-04T11:46:00.000-05:00

Not good news:
"I was blindfolded and handcuffed, we were dumped outside on a gravel yard for 10 days, we were given one bottle of water all day for cleaning and drinking"

W. in Ohio today

2004-05-04T11:44:00.000-05:00

Good luck, 222,000 jobs have been lost in that state. It's John Kerry's state to lose, and it's his election to lose.

"The beginning rather than the end"?

2004-05-04T11:41:00.000-05:00

That's what Ted Kennedy thinks of the prison abuse allegations, as well as John McCain, Carl Levin, and John Warner.

Credibility is on the ballot in November

2004-05-03T09:56:00.000-05:00

And Bush has none, thanks to his support of the murderous Sharon.

Small donors

2004-05-03T09:54:00.000-05:00

Small donors are defining the fund-raising in this election. Good news for us.