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AM Feed - May 30: Tragedy in Iraq

Hot Topics

• Memorial Day offered a stark and tragic reminder of the ongoing violence in Iraq, as a series of bombings killed at least 40 people. Yesterday was a particularly violent one in Baghdad, as even two journalists were killed and another was severely wounded after a car bomb exploded. CBS News correspondent Kimberly Dozier was moved to Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where she is in critical but stable condition. Dozier had been reporting from Iraq for the past three years. [link]
• The immigration issue continues to stoke passionate debate from all sides – but it appears that one source is fudging its numbers. The right-wing Heritage Foundation released a report stating that the immigration plan proposed by the Senate would allow 103 million immigrants to enter into the US over the next 20 years – but independent analysts have found that number to be inaccurate. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), for example, determined that the increase would be no more than 8 million by 2016. Nevertheless, other right-wingers, including Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) have picked up the Heritage Foundation’s inaccurate talking points. [link]
• Neil Volz, former chief of staff to embattled Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) is scheduled to testify in the trial of David Safavian this week. At least part of Volz’s testimony will focus on the infamous 2002 luxury golf trip to St. Andrews, Scotland, organized by Abramoff. Safavian, Ney, Ralph Reed and others accompanied the lobbyist on the $130,000 trip. The Justice Department has disclosed that Ney is a focus of an investigation, and the House ethics committee recently agreed to begin a probe into the Ohio lawmaker’s dealings as well. Additionally, Ney’s current chief of staff and another former aide have been subpoenaed in the ongoing investigation. [link]

Quote of the Day

“I feel very stepped on and bruised and lied to…I think an appropriate punishment would be to have their life completely taken away from them. Because that’s what happened to so many of us.” – Former Enron employee Eric Eden, about the recent convictions of Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling

Morning Snark

• Lay and Skilling are out on bail until their sentencing on September 11 – which means they have plenty of time for fellowship positions crunching numbers at the Heritage Foundation.

1. I agree that the most appropriate punishment for Lay and Skilling would be to make them have to live on minimum wage for the rest of their lives. That would be far better than any jail sentence. Unfortunately, I am sure that would be considered “cruel and unusual punishment!”
   
   Jyl Barber
   Columbus, Ohio
   — Jyl Barber    May 30, 10:30    #
2. The morning snark is great as usual. On a different note the slaughter in Haditha is coming to be seen as Iraq’s My lai, although less than a tenth of the number of civilians were slaughtered in Haditha as were decimated in My lai in Vietnam. Dahr Jemail, an unembedded reporter in Iraq, lets us know that there have been countless Hadithas since this insane war was started over 3 years ago. Then there’s Fallujah and Abu Ghraib. I suppose some heads will roll over this latest revelation, but they will be mostly low-level enlisted men just like with the Abu Ghraib. Meanwhile the deranged savages in the White House and Congress who lied us into war continue on with impunity. This kind of injustice rots the soul of a nation and tortures our psyches, at least those of us that give a shit. It just goes on and on…
   — John    May 30, 10:44    #
3. I should like to direct all readers to a very unique and informative website, www.belladesoto.us. It has a little bit of everything in the realm of politics.
   — Countess Sofia Belinskaya    May 30, 10:50    #
4. Has the Justice Dept raided the offtces of DeLay or Ney or the many other congressman involved with Abramoff or are they targeting{warning] Democratic congressmen? I do not excuse the actions of those who take bribes, but won’t that make Wonderful campaign pictures?
   — Rosalie Stern    May 30, 11:11    #
5. John
   Like you said there are many Hadithas, Fallujahs and Abu Ghraibs. Just like there were many My Lai’s.
   I heard the death toll from the entire Southeast Asia campaign was around 4 million…and mostly civilians.
   I wonder when this madness will end and will we allow it to come to that scale of slaughter before it does (some estimate the death toll at around 500,000 now and possibly more).
   Will we learn the right lessons, seemingly, unlike Vietnam this time?
   — Chris    May 30, 11:19    #
6. Rosalie, it does appear that since a Democratic congressman was suspected of something illegal, AG Alberto “Torquemada” Gonzales saw an opportunity to capitalize on it. Now the Repugs can try and say, “See, the corruption is occuring on both sides of the aisle!” (And better yet, Jefferson is an African-American) Desperate Bushies will try anything now…
   — John    May 30, 11:21    #
7. Chris, militarism has such a stranglehold on our culture and economy. I’ve read where military armaments such as say, a B-2 bomber, are manufactured, bit by bit, in every state and a majority of congressional districts so that almost every local community has a stake in keeping military production going so as to keep their local economies viable. There’s the “poverty draft” where poor young men and women enlist because their job options are so bleak. Remember when Pfc. Jessica Lynch said she couldn’t even find a job at WalMart in her rural West Virginia hometown? Plus, the powers-that-be keep us addicted to oil instead of getting serious about converting to an economy powered by wind and solar. This addiction to oil will ensure constant warfare as we try to acquire more and more oil. Like junkies, our leaders don’t want to just buy petroleum from oil-rich countries – that’s too prone to foreign manipulation and extortion. They want to ensure a steady supply by invading and controlling the supply directly. This requires militarism and imperialism.
   — John    May 30, 11:40    #
8. ‘W’ is America’s New Swastika!!!
   — Teekleman    May 30, 11:57    #
9. t would seem that DIVINE STRAKE, the name assigned to the proposed titanic bomb blast on Western Shoshone land in Nevada, has been postponed indefinitely thanks your activism. Citizen outrage and organized action works!
   — Healing Bear    May 30, 12:04    #
10. I agree with Teekleman. I still impeach the Viilage idiot and his circle of clowns
    — Reddaddy    May 30, 12:10    #
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    — ysgluul    Apr 27, 07:04    #

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