Famous scenes throughout history, II
The 9/11 Commission hearings...

BEN-VENISTE: Isn’t it a fact, Dr. Rice, that the August 6 PDB warned against possible attacks in this country? And I ask you whether you recall the title of that PDB?

RICE: I believe the title was, “Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States.” Now, the…

BEN-VENISTE: Thank you.

- m

Rice has major meltdown, goes crazy, rants to Fox Newspaper
An angry Condoliar Rice, sand in her vagina, went on the warpath yesterday, exploding over President Clinton’s comments and angrily telling the NY comPost, "we did so do stuff!"

The 9/11 Commission Report contradicts Rice’s claims. On December 4, 1998, for example, the Clinton administration received a President’s Daily Brief entitled “Bin Ladin Preparing to Hijack US Aircraft and Other Attacks.” Here’s how the Clinton administration reacted, according to the 9/11 Commission report:

The same day, [Counterterrorism Czar Richard] Clarke convened a meeting of his CSG [Counterterrorism Security Group] to discuss both the hijacking concern and the antiaircraft missile threat. To address the hijacking warning, the group agreed that New York airports should go to maximum security starting that weekend. They agreed to boost security at other East coast airports. The CIA agreed to distribute versions of the report to the FBI and FAA to pass to the New York Police Department and the airlines. The FAA issued a security directive on December 8, with specific requirements for more intensive air carrier screening of passengers and more oversight of the screening process, at all three New York area airports.

On August 6, 2001, the Bush misadministration received a President’s Daily Brief entitled “Bin Laden Determined to Strike Inside the U.S.” Here’s how the Bushies reacted:

Bunnypants, on his month-long vacation at the Lazy W which would finally bring him back to the White House after Labor Day, told the Brief's courier, "OK, you've covered your ass, now get out."

Played golf, attended fundraisers. Falsified data. Attacked Saddam.

Ms Rice, after 9/11: "Nobody could have anticipated anyone flying planes into buildings!"
- m

Famous scenes throughout history
The Bunnypants dude ranch, Summer of 2001...

CIA agent: "Sir, sir, your Presidental Daily Briefing today is called 'Bin Laden Determined to Strike Inside the US'!"

Bush: " :: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.... :: Get lost.... "


"Now watch this drive!"
- m
*****

White House refuses to release full NIE
This just in... "The White House refused Wednesday to release in full a previously secret intelligence assessment that depicts a growing terrorist threat and has fueled the election-season fight over the Iraq war," saying it would "jeopardize the lives of agents who gathered the information."


"No!", Bush says, threatening to hold breath until he turns blue.
- m
*****

NIE report does not support Bush claim
"Intelligence report blow to Bush," says the UK Guardian.

"No longer a secret: Iraq war breeds terror threat," brays the normally gpuke-sucking USA Toady this morning.

"Bush administration foreign policy breeds terror," says the BBC.

"Anna Nicole Smith lawyer father of baby," reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

The report (declassified yesterday by the WH for politcal reasons) paints a sobering picture, describing the spreading of a "global jihadist movement."

Bush's war in Iraq has become a "cause celebre" for Islamic extremists, breeding deep resentment of the U.S. that probably will get worse before it gets better, federal intelligence analysts conclude.

Bush and his top advisers have said the formerly classified assessment of global terrorism supported their arguments that the world is safer because of the war. But more than three pages of stark judgments warning about the spread of terrorism contrasted with the administration's glass-half-full declarations. Virtually all assessments of the current situation were bad news.

The National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) report adds that jihadists are increasing in "number and geographic dispersion."

"If this trend continues, threats to U.S. interests at home and abroad will become more diverse, leading to increasing attacks worldwide," the report states.

And don't miss "Thank you, President Bush. Sometimes you just have to let an idiot hang himself," over at AmericaBlog.


"Dur?!"
- m
******

From the "Hell, no!" department

"Are you safe yet?" Former Rep. Jim Hightower has condensed the facts of Chimpy McFlydown's craptacular presidency into this poster. It's awesome. Download it here (large) or here (small). Make copies for friends! (I blogged this last month over on TypePad, but am reposting here in honor of yesterday's declassification of the April NIE.)

--dg

aka the Harper's Index of Asshattery

Lying biznich. . .

The flatulent NY Post interview omitted the detail that Condoleezza Rice's Armani trousers spontaneously combusted as she lied her head off about the supposed lack of an anti-terrorism plan left by the Clinton administration. ThinkProgress and The Raw Story fact-check the hell out of Rice, politely offer to dial 911.

--dg

Wake the fuck up, Dems
It's hammer time, say BuzzFlash and the Alternate Brain:

This is THE smoking gun. This is Bush's own 16 revamped intelligence agencies who have concluded that the Iraq War has expanded terrorism. Thousands upon thousands of American and Iraq lives destroyed. Billions of dollars wasted.

Congress will be won or lost based on the ability of the Democrats to bring truth to power on this intelligence finding by ALL of the top 16 Bush spy agencies.

The Dems cannot let Rove divert attention -- which he is already doing -- or spin this into a political tit for tat -- which the media is already doing.

Cool news
Though useless without pics, the CBC reports on a "vibrant" early copy of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, which will go on display in London soon:

The reproduction is wider than the original, showing a pair of columns flanking the figure that are only hinted at in Leonardo's version. As well, the colours are much more vibrant in the reproduction, including Mona Lisa's yellow sleeves and forest-green gown, and a dazzlingly bold blue sky that was created using expensive lapis lazuli pigment — the same used by Leonardo.

Criminey, is he still yapping?
Broken record: Short-circuiting cyborg Dick 'dick' Cheney has once again left his secret bunker to accuse Democrats of 'defeatism' towards the growing numbers of 'determined enemies' that are in their last throes.


"Time for my blood of puppies transfusion, minion! Chop chop!"
*******

GOP 'patriot' calls bullshit
Erstwhile gpuke hero Mel Gibson blasts Bush over the Iraq war -

"What's human sacrifice if not sending guys off to Iraq for no reason?" Gibson said.

Wehhhhhhhhhhhh!
Whiny-ass touch-hole Trent "I used to be somebody!" Lott threatens Democrats with 'retribution' if they continue to hold hearings on Iraq.

Sen. Trent Lott is threatening to punish Democrats for using an Appropriations Committee room for an unofficial hearing on Iraq oversight if it happens again.
“They better stop this,” the Mississippi Republican said. “This will be the last one or there will be retribution.”

Lott and other Republicans are upset that Democrats have gone outside the committee process to highlight the Iraq war before the November election.

“They’re abusing the system,” Lott whined.

Gosh - that doesn't sound fair.

Family values
Trouble in paradise? Fox News' giant forehead Brit Hume and wife have spat, tattletale on each other to Roger Ailes, she walks out. Developing... or not.


"No dear, you can kiss MY ass!"
******

Rumsfeld discussing troops for Iraq, Afghanistan with tiny Montenegro, population 7
Rummy was meeting Tuesday with the miniscule country's leaders to discuss the possibility of them sending troop(s) to Iraq or Afghanistan 'as strains on US forces mount.'


"Meep! Blorp. Bzzzzz."
*******

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Macacacaca
Sen. George 'rebel yell' Allen denies he used racial slurs, push-up bras in college - but "noted political scientist" Larry Sabato - a classmate of Allen's in the 70s - says the senator is a liar.

"The fact is he did use the n-word, whether he's denying it or not," Sabato said in an interview Monday.

Fun fact: Allen also used to stuff severed, bleeding deer heads into black families' mailboxes. Yee-haw!

Americans see political manipulation as gasoline prices plunge
Though the AP charmingly calls it a "conspiracy theory," almost half of Americans believe the recent fall in gas prices has more to do with politics and the November elections than economics.

"I think the big important reason is Republicans want to get elected," said retired farmer Jim Mohr of Lexington, Ill. "They think getting the prices down is going to help get some more incumbents re-elected."

According to a new Gallup poll, 42% of respondents agreed with the statement that the Bush misadministration "deliberately manipulated the price of gasoline so that it would decrease before this fall's elections."

Bush to selectively declassify intel to make himself look good prior to elections
Smirky McLiar, saying selective leaking of the NIE assessment - made by his misadministration's own top 16 intelligence agencies - for political purposes distorts the findings, will therefore selectively declassify the portions that make him look good.

"Some people have guessed what's in the report and concluded that going in to Iraq was a mistake. I strongly disagree," Bush said.

He asserted that portions of the classified report that had been leaked were done so for political purposes, referring to the Nov. 7 midterm elections.

Losing Afghanistan
And losing the truth. Five years after the Afghan invasion, the Taliban are fighting back, carving out a sanctuary where they - and al Qaeda's leaders - can operate freely.... aw, look! Celebrity babies!

Nothing to see here, move along... Newsweek has scrubbed the cover of their US edition for October 2, 2006, reports Truthout.

The cover of international editions, aimed at Europe and other world regions, has maintained the original title of the story, "LOSING AFGHANISTAN: The rise of jihadistan." The cover for the United States edition features photographer Annie Leibovitz and is titled "My Life in Pictures." We offer the European edition cover and story here.

Yerp, things are going swimmingly, as a suicide bomb that killed 18 in southern Afghanistan proved this morning.

Meanwhile, the resurgent Taliban says Bin Laden is very much alive.