pReznit Pinhead:

too stupid to know any better
too arrogant to care
too insane with power
too oblivious to everything but his GameBoy
all of the above

Fun stuff
"You'll hardly notice you're being brainwashed!"
The CNN Iraq Tracker, from Take Back the Media!

"Past moral culpability"
From Peter Beinart's column: "The Bush administration's current outrage at Saddam's crimes is bogus. If people like Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, and Richard Armitage (all of whom held prominent government positions in the '80s) really cared about the Iraqi people, they wouldn't have helped Saddam brutalize them in the '80s. And, since the United States doesn't care about the Iraqi people, our real motivation for war must lay elsewhere - either in a thirst for world domination, or oil, or both.

"Why don't my fellow hawks ever discuss America's history with Saddam Hussein? Ronald Reagan and George HW Bush armed him. The history is appalling, and it involves key officials shaping Iraq policy today. Saddam first used chemical weapons in 1983. The Reagan administration wasn't bothered. To the contrary, it sent Middle East envoy Donald Rumsfeld to Baghdad. In the spring of 1984, Rumsfeld returned for another visit. During Reagan's presidency, the United States sold Iraq anthrax, bubonic plague, and botulinum toxin. Over congressional opposition, Reagan sold Iraq 'Huey' helicopters, which Saddam used in chemical attacks on the Kurds. Rumsfeld should have trouble sleeping at night given his role in abetting Saddam's crimes. Instead, last fall on CNN, he insisted that in 1983 he 'cautioned' Saddam about chemical weapons." State Department records show no such thing. - link to TNR.

UN Finds No Long Range Missiles in Iraq
From Democrats.com, via e-mail: "This article is a must read. It is one of the most in-depth written on the Al Samoud 2 missile and the success of weapons inspections. Obviously, it has been squashed by the 'liberal media' because of its positive reflection of Iraqi cooperation with the inspections process. The irony is that the only newspaper we could find that printed it was the Austin-American Statesman, based in Austin, Texas! It states:

"U.N. inspectors swarming over Iraq's missile industry found an infraction last week: The short-range Al Samoud 2 sometimes flies a few miles farther than allowed. But the experts have reported no sign of any longer-range missiles that could strike Israel or neighboring oil nations as Washington fears. In fact, after three months' intensive work, the U.N. teams are looking ahead to ending their current investigative phase, and moving on to long-term monitoring via electronic 'eyes and ears.' Such a system could rein in missile development for years, experts say."

- link to article.

Oh, and by the way...
The Dictator-tot demands it! Make it so!

WH spokes-tool and nanny Ari Fleischer said yesterday that to escape military action, Iraq must disarm and Saddam must be deposed. Pressed on the point, he said both would be necessary conditions because disarmament was the United Nations' goal and changing Iraq's government was the "president's."

The statement puts the United States on a different track from the United Nations, whose resolutions have been concerned with the immediate and unconditional disarmament, not with a change of government in Baghdad.

The Canadian prime minister, Jean Chretien, was pissed. "If you start changing regimes, where do you stop, this is the problem. Who is next? Give me the list, the priorities." - the NY Times.

Costs could be "staggering"
Yeah, but Guinea and Spain are with us!
Washington Squabbles Over Price of Iraq War, Peace

Cost estimates of $61 billion to $95 billion for a 'short conflict' and cleaning up the mess afterwards were leaked by unidentified administration officials on Monday, and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki told the Senate Armed Services Committee he estimated it would take "something on the order of several hundred thousand" troops to keep the peace in Iraq.

In addition to direct war costs, the misadministration is putting together humanitarian supplies, multibillion-dollar economic aid packages for Turkey, Israel and other key allies in the region, plus huge security details to guard the BushCheney oilfields against the Iraqi owners evildoers.

Darth Rummy disagreed with Gen. Shinseki's estimates. "People are entitled to their own opinions," Don 'Warboner' Rumsfeld told reporters. "And the ones they're entitled to should be mine!" - Reuters link.

Reminder: While our servicemen and women are preparing for a nightmare of a war in Iraq, the AWOL, court-appointed Chimpy the Chickenhawk is back for another fun-filled weekend playing video games at Camp David, because it's too snowy for golf.




"You can do a lot with bayonets but you can't sit on them"
Turks March Against U.S. Troop Deployment

Thousands of protesters marched through Turkey's capital today, urging parliament to reject the Bush misadministration's bribe to use the country as a launch pad for an attack on Iraq. Ankara is torn between widespread public opposition to a war against a fellow Muslim state and intense pressure from Washington, which is dangling a multi-billion dollar aid package to shore up Turkey's frail economy, while our own economy is in the crapper. - link to story.




Look! Elvis!
According to Newsweek, "Hussein Kamel, the highest-ranking Iraqi official ever to defect from Saddam Hussein's inner circle, told CIA and British intelligence officers and U.N. inspectors in the summer of 1995 that after the gulf war, Iraq destroyed all its chemical and biological weapons stocks and the missiles to deliver them. Kamel's revelations about the destruction of Iraq's WMD stocks were hushed up by the U.N. inspectors, sources say, for two reasons. Saddam did not know how much Kamel had revealed, and the inspectors hoped to bluff Saddam into disclosing still more." - from Altercation. Puh - if he's Iraqi, he must be lying.

....{/sarcasm}..... Kamel was Saddam's son-in-law, and had direct knowledge of what he claimed: for 10 years he had run Iraq's nuclear, chemical, biological and missile programs. After six months in exile in Jordan, Kamel realized the US would not support his dream of becoming Iraq's ruler after Saddam's death. He chose to return to Iraq - where he was promptly killed.

Sorry about the light blogging - I had to work all day today, and tomorrow doesn't look much better. Plus I may have 4 - 6" of snow to shovel, too!

Gah.

Heh!
"Bush is under fire from atheists who say he uses too many Christian references in his speeches. Today for instance he said, 'Jesus, look at all the big words.'" - Conan O'Brien

Great. I forgot to ping this site all day yesterday - Laurence is gonna kill me.


"President Bush said if Iraq would get rid of Saddam Hussein he'd help with food, clothing, education, whatever they need. So at last Bush has a domestic program, even if it is for another country." - Jay Leno



US public turns to Europe for news
'The American public is apparently turning away from the mostly US-centric American media in search of unbiased reporting and other points of views. Much of the US media's reaction to France and Germany's intransigence on the Iraqi war issue has verged on the xenophobic, even in the so-called 'respectable' press. Some reporting has verged on the hysterical - one US news web site, NewsMax.com, recently captioned a photograph of young German anti-war protesters as "Hitler's children'". - link.


"We've heard a lot of bunk from you."
Bruce S.Ticker's The Bush-led BULLY-A-THON is in full gear, at SmirkingChimp.com.

CBS, White House in Dispute Over Saddam Interview
The White House criticized CBS television today over what Ari 'the Liar' Fleischer said was a spurned offer to rebut comments by Saddam Hussein during an interview to be broadcast this evening.

"This seems odd they wouldn't let the White House have a voice," White House spokes-tool and serial liar Ari Fleischer lied.

He said the White House had offered a representative to counter what he said would be propaganda, lies and irresponsible statements by George W Bush Saddam in the interview, but Ari lied and said CBS replied it was interested only if pReznit Poopypants made the response himself.

When they were through laughing their asses off at the very thought of Squinty McStupid appearing on the program, CBS rejected the charge and said it remained open to providing a forum for a top Bush administration official to respond to Saddam on the air. - link.

Great moments in television, part 2
Gore Vidal: ...We know nothing. You missed the point to my little book which was I was setting up some of the charges that could be brought against George W. Bush when he comes to be impeached by the House of Representatives. He swore on oath to preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the United States. He swore that as all presidents do. Well the United States is we, the people and Congress assembled. We were not protected at 9/11. He was warned by everybody from Mossad to President Putin in advance. We have stacks of warnings that came in.

Fu Tucker the chicken, totally defeated: OK. Unfortunately. I'm sorry, Mr. Vidal we going to have to end it. We are completely out of time.

...later...

James Carville: According to oil industry executives and confidential United States records, Halliburton held stakes in two firms that signed contracts to sell more than $73 million in oil production equipment and spare parts to Iraq while Cheney was chairman and chief executive officer of the Dallas-based company. Two former senior executives of Halliburton subsidiaries say that, as far as they knew, there was no policy against doing business with Iraq.

Now why in the hell can't I drink a glass of French wine and Dick Cheney can make $73 million in dealing with Iraq? How does that make sense?

Dave Bossie, stupendous dumbass and president of 'Citizens United': I don't really think it has anything to do with our boycott.

James Carville: It doesn't? So, wait, we're supposed to be - we have a national boycott in place against Iraq. They circumvent it and do $73 million worth of business, and you're telling me I'm a bad American because I drink French wine?
...spanked!! - link to transcript of Crossfire.

It's only Wednesday.
I still can't get the parrot to yell "Wolf, you whore!" when I turn on CNN, but he does turn his back to the tv and make farty-noises.
Song playing in my head: Barenaked Ladies' "It's All Been Done."




"John, you clueless Puritan ass"
Bigwig at Silflay Hraka reams the Crisco Kid a new one, with John Ashcroft Fails Another Multiple Choice Exam. I was going to send it to Carnival of the Vanities, but I'm too late, dammit! Next: Ashcroft bans toy submarines in bathtubs....




Darth 'Warboner' Rummy does Baghdad
Nice doin' bizniz with ya, Saddam - now, where can we get some hookers?

Stephen Green writes: "It was Rumsfeld himself who, as President Reagan's Middle East Envoy, had traveled to the region to meet with Saddam Hussein in December 1983 to normalize, particularly, security relations. At the time of the visit, Iraq had already been removed from the State Department's list of terrorist countries in 1982; and in the previous month, November, Reagan had approved National Security Decision Directive 114, on expansion of U.S.-Iraq relations generally. But it was Donald Rumsfeld's trip to Baghdad which opened of the floodgates during 1985-90 for lucrative U.S. weapons exports - some $1.5 billion worth - including chemical/biological and nuclear weapons equipment and technology, along with critical components for missile delivery systems for all of the above...There were few if any reservations evident in the range of weapons which Ronald Reagan, and his successor George W. H. Bush were willing to sell Saddam Hussein." - from CounterPunch, thanks to Democrats.com.




Great moments in television, part 1
Ari Gets Laughed Out of the White House Briefing Room

From BuzzFlash: A reporter asked about a French report that says Bush is offering a bundle of concessions (and I think she actually said 'buying votes') to Mexico and Colombia, granting worker amnesty and so on. Ari tap-danced. Then she (the reporter) started to press the issue by saying "they (the French) are quoting two US State Dept. Diplomats that Bush intends to give work permits to Colombia and Mexico."

WOW. WOW....Ari just drew himself up with imperious indignation and said something like "you're implying that the President is buying the votes of other nations and that's just not a consideration" or words to that effect.

And guess what happened? The whole press corps, normally sheep, broke out in laughter...sweet, derisive laughter. They kept on laughing as Ari turned on his heels and strode out. Sheesh.

On C-Span, go down to White House Press Briefing (02/25/2003) and click on the video. After it buffers, play from about 28 minutes forward for context, 30 minutes forward to watch Press laugh at Ari's BIG FAT GOP LIE: C-Span, and link to the transcript. I haven't been able to view it - I think I need to download RealPlayer.

More fun with Ari: watch him dance around the "credibility contest" question of pReznit Gameboy wanting to assassinate Saddam Hussein.


"Quit picking on me, Helen!"

South Korea joins the 'axis of independence'
Karl Rove, suddenly stricken with the runs, cuts short his daily afternoon propaganda talking-points meeting/fellatio session with tv reporters.

'Roh Moo-hyun, the incoming South Korean president, is part of a trend that raises the hackles of the administration of US President George W Bush. The United States now has another outspoken and uncowed "ally". Roh joins an axis of independence that includes France's Jacques Chirac and Germany's Gerhard Schroeder. With friends like these, the Bush team laments, who needs an axis of evil? What's bad for Bush, however, is a boon for the rest of the world and particularly for the Korean Peninsula. Roh Moo-hyun is the world's best hope for avoiding war in East Asia.' - from an article posted at the bushmoonie site, so have your disinfectant ready.

Setback for Powell, misadministration on N Korea
From the people that promised a new era of Responsibility...

I can't help it - I love seeing all the 'you broke it, you bought it' comments on this subject today! I can just picture Karl 'n' Unca Dick going "but...but..." while Squinty the Chimp sits happily in a corner playing with his Legos.

"The Bush administration suffered a setback in its North Korea policy on Monday, as officials in China, Australia and South Korea urged the United States to begin direct talks with North Korea about its nuclear weapons programs, a strategy Washington has repeatedly rejected...The Bush administration contends that a group of nations could place far greater pressure on North Korea to abandon its programs than one nation alone. It has also called on Russia, South Korea, Japan and particularly China to play larger roles in pushing North Korea to disarm. But those countries have balked at taking more forceful action against the North Koreans. On Monday, three of the countries the administration had hoped would join a forum said Washington cannot ignore the North's demands and should enter into direct talks with North Korea." - from the NY Times, thanks to BushWatch.

'Threats, promises and lies'
"So it seems that Turkey wasn't really haggling about the price, it just wouldn't accept payment by check or credit card. In return for support of an Iraq invasion, Turkey wanted - and got - immediate aid, cash on the barrelhead, rather than mere assurances about future help. You'd almost think President Bush had a credibility problem. And he does.

"Credibility isn't just about punishing people who cross you. It's also about honoring promises, and telling the truth. And those are areas where the Bush administration has problems. I can't think of anyone other than the hard right and corporate lobbyists who has done a deal with Mr. Bush and not come away feeling betrayed....These days, whenever Mr. Bush makes a promise...experienced Bushologists ask, "O.K., that's the bait, where's the switch?" - Paul Krugman, courtesy of SmirkingChimp.com, where's there's lots of good stuff.

For an 'informal list' of Bush lies, see BushWatch.net.


"Do as you're told or you're irrelevant"
Bush held in contempt in England, while US Midwesterners want to believe "their pension plans are being wrecked for good reason."

"The caricature of the current state of public opinion is that there are these two polarised continents: Europe, where everyone is against a war on Iraq except Tony Blair and some Spanish bloke with a moustache, and America, where everyone is absolutely gagging for it... That is worse than an over-simplification. The polls vary, depending on what question is asked and how it is phrased, but on the whole the same lack of enthusiasm for the venture pervades every set of findings, and the difference between one side of the Atlantic and another is not all that marked. And there is an altogether more mysterious phenomenon: it is surprisingly hard, even in the US, to find people who share their leaders' enthusiasm." - from the Guardian.

Sacre' merde!
A spokesman for Canadian war minister Jacques Poutine told reporters Tuesday that the Cretin of Crawford is a "barbecue-eating war-monkey" with "delusions of grandeur, if not dictator-hood," who has somebody wipe his own a$$ for him because he'd "probably drown in a bidet."

OK, I made that up, but it could've happened.

'Stupid White Men' Wins British Book Award
LONDON (Reuters) - Michael Moore was named surprise winner of Britain's Book of the Year award Monday for Stupid White Men - a satirical anti-war attack on pResident Bush.

"It looks like a very strong anti-war vote both from insiders in the book business and the public," awards organizer Merric Davidson said in a statement. - link.

Great. Now I've got "Whoops, I Did It Again" playing in my head.




'Our way or the highway'
Geezus - I can just picture this administration running across France in tanks right now.
Warmongering, incredibly arrogant, possibly insane, oil-'n'-power-hungry chickenhawks practically challenge France to a duel.

The Bushies "fired a warning shot Tuesday across the bows of France," the leading critic of its Iraq "policy," saying it would view any French veto of a new U.N. resolution authorizing force as "very unfriendly."

The U.S. ambassador in Paris issued the warning after France said it and Germany opposed what it called a shift toward "a logic of war" and circulated a rival proposal that would give U.N. weapons inspectors at least four months to scour Iraq.

Even as he spoke, other members of the decision-making U.N. Security Council added their voices to the chorus of skepticism over the resolution, clouding Washington's hopes of winning the nine votes needed to pass it by mid-March. - link. Heh!




Meanwhile...
"I am ready to conduct a direct dialogue - a debate - with your president. I will say what I want and he will say what he wants," Saddam told Dan Rather in an interview. "This will be an opportunity for him, if he's committed to war, this will be an opportunity to convince the world."

"This is something proposed in earnest. Out of my respect for the people of the United States and my respect for the people of Iraq and the people of the world. I call for this because war is not a joke. As leaders," Saddam said in his invitation to Bush, "Why don't we use this opportunity?"

White House spokes-tool/nanny Ari 'the Liar' Fleischer rejected the debate offer, saying W was shitting in his diapers at the thought of a debate with anybody, much less it was "not a serious statement." - link.

"The goals for this country are ...a compassionate American for every citizen." - the unbelievably too-stupid-to-tie-his-own-shoes Chimpy McSmackhead.

Media Critic Says Bush Gets Easy Ride
....and it's in a chauffeured luxury golfcart, driven by happy little eunuchs of the whore media.
Mark Crispin Miller takes aim at newspapers, in Editor and Publisher.




"Say What?"
'Not since the Johnson-Nixon era has an American president's credibility been so abysmal.' - by P.M. Carpenter, at BuzzFlash:

.... Assuming presidential history is still taught in some high schools, the above, I imagine, is at least the bare minimum that most students are asked to retain into adulthood: Johnson...Vietnam...lies...downfall; Nixon...Watergate...lies....downfall. Future history students, however, shall have an even easier time of it when asked to recall the gist of George W. Bush's downfall: He lied about everything.




Shays finds little support for Crusader Bunnypants' oil/re-election war
"Do we live in a republic or do we live in an empire?" - U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays gets an earful from Westport residents - link.




"Whopping deficit"
The government has run up a deficit of $97.6 billion in the first four months of the 2003 budget year. The latest budget figures, released Monday by the Treasury Department, highlighted the government's deteriorating fiscal situation, where record high budget deficits are forecast this year and next. - the Washington Post. Thank you, Resident Dumbass.

"Support Our Troops: Bring Them Home Now!"
I just read a bit in this week's Time magazine where the troops in the Gulf were upset over the antiwar protests that went on over here. "Are they going to spit on us when we come home?" a Marine asked.

F*ck.

For what it's worth, a lot of the protesting was due to that smirking, lazy, arrogant AWOL court-appointed oil man, the crusader-in-thief, pReznit Privilege. All of the protesters I know support the troops whole-heartedly. We will pray for them, and when they come home, will cheer them, shake their hands and say "thank you." But your commander-in-chief is a total f*cking bonehead.