Archive for February 2nd, 2006
Posted by Flap in General
 (L-R) Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, Gen. Michael Hayden, U.S. Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte, CIA Director Porter Goss and FBI Director Robert Mueller listen to opening remarks at a Senate Select Intelligence Committee hearing on world wide threats to the United States, on Capitol Hill in Washington, February 2, 2006. Negroponte said Thursday that the al-Qaeda terror network remains the ‘top concern’ of the U.S. intelligence community, followed closely by the nuclear activities of Iran and North Korea.
Washington Post: Intel Chief Says al Qaeda Is ‘Top Concern’
Appearing with the chiefs of the intelligence agencies, including the CIA, FBI and National Security Agency, Negroponte sparred with committee Democrats over a controversial NSA eavesdropping program that critics have charged violates U.S. law. The intelligence chiefs defended the legality of the program and strongly denounced leaks about it, but they refused to provide details in open session.
The CIA director, Porter J. Goss, said in response to a question that leaks about the NSA program and other intelligence efforts have caused “very severe” damage, and he expressed hope that journalists would be forced to testify before grand juries on the sources of the leaks.
Haul Russell Tice’s ASS before a federal Grand Jury and then prosecute him. Same for James Risen and see how long it takes for him to give up his sources.
Technorati Tags: NSA, NationalSecurityAgency, CIA, PorterGoss, FBI, RussellTice, JamesRisen
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WorldNetDaily: NAACP chairman compares GOP to Nazis
Bond delivers blistering partisan speech in North Carolina
Civil rights activist and NAACP Chairman Julian Bond delivered a blistering partisan speech at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina last night, equating the Republican Party with the Nazi Party and characterizing Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her predecessor, Colin Powell, as “tokens.”
“The Republican Party would have the American flag and the swastika flying side by side,” he charged.
Calling President Bush a liar, Bond told the audience at the historically black institution that this White House’s lies are more serious than the lies of his predecessor’s because Clinton’s lies didn’t kill people.
Over the Top and UNHINGED……..
He referred to former Attorney General John Ashcroft as J. Edgar Ashcroft. He compared Bush’s judicial nominees to the Taliban.
The talk so infuriated at least one black family in attendance among the 900 in the auditorium that they got up in walked out in protest.
“He went on and on name calling,” said Lee Wilson. “I walked out in the middle of his speech with my wife and three kids”
Is he taking DAY-O lessons from Harry Belafonte?
Hey Julian how about an apology……..doubtful.
Technorati Tags: JulianBond, NAACP, GeorgeBush, JohnAshcroft
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 IAEA Director General Mohamed El Baradei briefs the media during a board of governors meeting in Vienna’s U.N. headquarters, February 2, 2006.
ASSociated Press: Iran Threatens Full-Scale Enrichment Work
Iran threatened to retaliate Thursday in the face of almost certain referral to the U.N. Security Council for its nuclear activities, and the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said the dispute was “reaching a critical phase.”
Ahead of a decision by the IAEA’s 35-nation board, U.S. and European delegates turned to behind-the-scenes diplomacy to build the broadest possible support for reporting Iran to the council over concerns it is seeking nuclear weapons.
Cuba, Venezuela, Syria and a few other nations at odds with Washington remained opposed. India was said to be leaning toward supporting referral.
Diplomats accredited to the meeting said backing for Iran had shrunk among the U.N. nuclear watchdog’s board since Russia and China swung their support behind referral at an overnight meeting with the United States, France and Britain – the other three permanent council members – that started Monday.
“There’s a solid majority in favor of reporting,” Gregory L. Schulte, the chief U.S. delegate to the IAEA, told The Associated Press. “There’s even a more solid majority after Monday.”
 Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA Aliasghar Soltaniyeh reads at the beginning of a board of governors meeting in Vienna’s U.N. headquarters, February 2, 2006.
And Iran will eventually (probably March) be referred to the United Nations Security Council……. then……..
Flap handicaps Iran will then make a response besides bloviating rhetoric…….
Stay tuned…….
Previous:
Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Says BACK OFF Or…
Iran Nuclear Watch: Bush – United States Will Defend Israel Against Iran
Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Will Resist “Bully Nationsâ€
Iran Watch: Bush: Iran ‘Held Hostage’ by Clerical Elite
Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Documents Point to Nuclear Warheads
Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Threatens End of Diplomacy
Iran Nuclear Watch: Permanent Five Say IAEA Must Report Iran to U.N. Security Council
 The Natanz uranium enrichment complex in Natanz is pictured in this January 2, 2006 satellite image.
Technorati Tags: Iran, Russia, China, SergeiLavrov, UnitedNations, UnitedNationsSecurityCouncil, ZhouWenzhong, NicholasBurns, EuropeanUnion, MahmoudAhmadinejad, ManouchehrMottaki, JacquesChirac, Chirac, France, Iran, Nuclearweapons, nuclear, AbdulQadeerKhan, AliLarijani, CondoleezzaRice, JohnBolton, RezaVaidi
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 H/T Marvin Scott
Reuters: Bayh urges Democrats to challenge Bush on security
Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh a potential 2008 White House contender, urged Democrats on Thursday to confront Republicans on the campaign trail over President George W. Bush’s failures on national security and “stunning incompetence” in Iraq.
Please do Senator.
And your policies are?
Another light-weight Democrat LIBERAL MORON for President……
Technorati Tags: EvanBayh, GeorgeBush, GlobalWaronTerror, IraqWar
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 Anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan is escorted out of the spectators’ gallery of the House of Representatives prior to the State of the Union Address by US President George W. Bush. Police apologized to Sheehan and a US lawmaker’s wife for kicking them out of Congress for wearing T-shirts about US troops in Iraq.
ASSociated Press: Police Apologize to Sheehan, Drop Charge
Capitol Police dropped a charge of unlawful conduct against anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan on Wednesday and apologized for ejecting her and a congressman’s wife from President Bush’s State of the Union address for wearing T-shirts with war messages.
“The officers made a good faith, but mistaken effort to enforce an old unwritten interpretation of the prohibitions about demonstrating in the Capitol,” Capitol Police Chief Terrance Gainer said in a statement late Wednesday.
“The policy and procedures were too vague,” he added. “The failure to adequately prepare the officers is mine.”
The extraordinary statement came a day after police removed Sheehan and Beverly Young, wife of Rep. C.W. “Bill” Young, R-Fla., from the visitors gallery Tuesday night. Sheehan was taken away in handcuffs before Bush’s arrival at the Capitol and charged with a misdemeanor, while Young left the gallery and therefore was not arrested, Gainer said.
“Neither guest should have been confronted about the expressive T-shirts,” Gainer’s statement said.
Both women failed the code of good conduct test.
It may be legal but in poor taste and Flap bets next year that a signed state of the union conduct code will be a prerequisite for admission to the gallery.
On one of Flap’s trips to the House Gallery he was explicited warned by Capitol Police that NO reading of printed materials was allowed, while the House was in session.
Mrs. Sheehan and Mrs. Young have ample opportunities to protest in a non-disruptive, non-violent way or they may practice civil disobedience and suffer the consequences…….
Technorati Tags: CindySheehan, BeverlyYoung, TerranceGainer, BillYoung, StateoftheUnion
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Sacramento Bee: With re-election bid ahead, governor’s cupboard is bare
After a special election with a price tag that topped $275 million, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s personal war chest is virtually empty as he begins his 2006 re-election campaign, according to reports filed Tuesday with the secretary of state.
Schwarzenegger’s ballot initiative committee alone exhausted $45.5 million during last year’s special election campaign in which voters rejected eight ballot proposals, including four specifically backed by the governor.
With all the large campaign committees reporting, opponents of the governor spent about $121 million to defeat those four initiatives, while Schwarzenegger and his allies fought the battle with $76 million of their own.
Outspent by $45 million Schwarzenegger’s opponents have a significant advantage in the media buys. But, the Governor ran a POOR campaign and the poor fundraising followed.
Schwarzenegger managed a NO-LOSE campaign into a LOSER.
The California Teachers Association spent $58.5 million to defeat Arnold.
On Proposition 73 – the abortion parental notification initiative – opponents outspent proponents $5.6 million to $1.9 million.
Record setting spending – the nature of California politics.
 California Correctional Peace Officers Association president Mike Jimenez, left, and California Nurses Association president Deborah Burger celebrate their victory over Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ballot initiatives at a rally in Sacramento, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2005.
Technorati Tags: CaliforniaSpecialElection, ArnoldSchwarzenegger, AllianceforaBetterCalifornia, CaliforniaTeachersAssociation, CaliforniaNursesAssociation
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 Tom Toles in the Washington Post, January 29, 2006
AFP: US military chiefs denounce Washington Post cartoon
US military chiefs expressed outrage over a “reprehensible” Washington Post cartoon which used a soldier who has lost his arms and legs in battle to portray the state of US military readiness.
“We’re all very upset about that,” General Peter Schoomaker, the army chief of staff told reporters.
Schoomaker and the other military chiefs took the unusual step of signing a a joint letter to the Washington Post blasting the cartoon by Tom Toles, the newspaper’s editorial cartoonist.
“Using the likeness of a service member who has lost his arms and legs in war as the central theme of a cartoon was beyond tasteless,” the letter said, which the Post published Thursday.
It was signed by General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the vice chairman and the heads of the army, navy, air force and marine corps.
Toles is just a MORON.
The letter is here.
Tole’s response is in Howard Kurtz’s column:
In an interview, Toles called the letter “an understandable response” but said he did not regret what he drew. In thinking about Rumsfeld’s remarks, he said, “what came soon to mind was the catastrophic level of injuries the Army and members of the armed services have sustained . . . I thought my portrayal of it was a fair depiction of the reality of the situation.
“I certainly never intended it to be in any way a personal attack on, or a derogatory comment on, the service or sacrifice of American soldiers.”
As for the Joint Chiefs’ letter, he said: “I think it’s a little bit unfair in their reading of the cartoon to imply that is what it’s about.”
So, it is all a misread or a misunderstanding?
Toles is still a MORON…….
Technorati Tags: TomToles, WashingtonPost, HowardKurtz, DonaldRumsfeld, PeterPace
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