This Sunday I cried when I saw Tim Russert's empty chair. Today I’m trembling thinking about who might try to replace Tim both on air and maybe more importantly in the Washington Bureau. NBC and its cable stations under Russert made an enormous contribution to political reporting and discourse in America. The coverage of Tim’s death seems excessive, killing the news this weekend. If this is a glimpse into the disorganization over at NBC I hope they pull themselves together in short order.

This is a country with huge economic and geopolitical problems in the midst of an historic election cycle. Start reporting and honor your BOSS people!

Bush is in London with Prime Minister Gordon Brown. They want to move against Iran. First come the sanctions. Freezing bank assets and OIL AND GAS exports? Can you imagine doing that while we are all HURTING to put gas in our cars?? Britain is negotiating with Iran, Iraq is negotiating with Iran, and there are 6 party talks with Iran. Why move to keep more oil off our market? Hmmm.

The right wing continues to distort the circumstances that brought us $4/gal gas. There is no supply shortage YET. Invade and/or sanction Iran and the gas lines will be spilling out of gas stations nationwide and skyrocketing oil prices will make $4/gal look stupid.

There is no increase in demand; in fact we are using less energy because we can’t afford much.

Vice President “Darth” Cheney finally had to admit that he’s been lying about drilling off the coast in Florida and Cuba just as much as the conservative talking heads. China is not drilling off Florida or Cuba as I told you last week.

Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL) delivered a Senate Floor Speech and brought CHARTS to debunk the lie. I swear to God cutting through their BS has become a full time job. Where is the reporting on this? Speculator are likely responsible for 60% of the increase in your price at the pump.

Also Grandpa McCain flip flops again on Gitmo. In 2003 he wrote a letter to Bush along with his ever present sidekick Lindsey Graham asking that Bush charge or release all GITMO prisoners. Now he says Thursdays Supreme Court decision was one of the worst in history while the right wing sycophants echo dire predictions about losing an entire city because of “5 lawyers” on the Supreme Court. No one is saying release the prisoners. We are saying present the evidence and charge them if they are terrorists. Why would anyone be afraid to present evidence and charge someone with terrorism? What? We have done it hundreds of times with great success.

Afghanistan is seeing a huge rise in violence. Over the weekend there was a pretty spectacular prison break engineered by the Taliban. Aren’t they defeated yet?

Iraq is likely throwing in with Iran for security purposes. Their message to America? GET OUT.

McCain laid out his tax plan which benefits the ultra wealthy and Corporations. Obama's' Tax Plan was compared to McCain’s’ by The Tax Policy Center. Obama's’ tax plan costs $1 Trillion less than McCain’s and would give 3 times the relief to the middle class and working poor.

Obama gave a really moving and important Father’s Day speech yesterday. Excerpts below


HOMEWORK

Meet The Press – Tim Russert's empty chair. The media coverage is a bit much, but the news was devastating and Thunder Road will never sound the same.
http://tvdecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06...stions-for-nbc/

OIL AND GAS

Bush is in London - PM Gordon Brown and Bush gave a joint press conference. Sanctions will be taken against Iran – Freezing bank assets and sanctions on OIL AND GAS”? What?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7456081.stm

Cheney finally admits a LIE – China is NOT DRILLING OFF THE COAST OF CUBA OR FLORIDA. Tell Sean Hannity to SHUT THE HELL UP”
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/06/13/cheney-admits-oil-lie/

http://www.speaker.gov/blog/?p=1379

Florida Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL) tells GOP stop lying about China drilling off the Coast of Cuba and Florida. It’s not TRUE
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/06/12/mel-martinez-v-cheney/

http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archiv...laims_chin.html

Approximately 60% of your price at the pump is being manipulated by LARGE HEDGE FUNDS AND LARGE TRADER BANKS
http://www.financialsense.com/editorials/e.../2008/0502.html

GITMO

Newt Gingrich on Obama and The Supreme Court “This court decision is a disaster, which could cost us a city. And the debate ought to be about whether you’re prepared to lose an American city on behalf of five lawyers” “Obama is wrong and it will cost us a city”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/15/g...e_n_107214.html

America’s Prison for Terrorists Often Held the Wrong Men
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/259/v-print/story/38773.html

Abuse of prisoners in Afghanistan was common – Very nauseating story
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/38775.html

And what about Afghanistan? A soldier deployed in Afghanistan has the same chance of being killed as a soldier in Iraq
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/06/13/9593/

Afghanistan has seen escalating violence in the past two years from roadside bombs and suicide bombers. Giant tanker trucks turned into bombs this weekend in massive PRISON BREAK
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/06/15/a...on.html?ref=rss

GRANDPA MCCAIN

In 2003 Senators McCain and Lyndsey Graham wrote to President Bush to ask that detainees be charged or returned to their countries
http://mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?...=&Issue_id=

And on Dec. 13, 2003, the New York Times reported that McCain said, “They may not have any rights under the Geneva Conventions as far as I’m concerned, but they have rights under various human rights declarations. And one of them is the right not to be detained indefinitely.”

In 2003 Senators McCain and Lyndsey Graham wrote to President Bush to ask that detainees be charged or returned to their countries
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html...agewanted=print

http://mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?...=&Issue_id=

GRANDPA MONTAGE – HE IS BUSH, THEN HE ISN’T BUSH, THEN HE IS, THEN HE’S NOT, THEN HE….MAKE IT STOP!!!
http://www.jedreport.com/2008/06/mccain-2005-vs.html

McCain’s Tax Cuts go to Corporations and the very wealthy
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.d...SBLOG/244217910

http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/2008/06/...tually-need-it/

http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/publication...l.cfm?ID=411693

McCain postpones but doesn’t cancel fundraiser in Midland Texas with Clayton Williams who said “Rape is like the weather. If it’s inevitable you may as well lay back and enjoy it”
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/politics/5838255.html

OBAMA

Barack on Fathers’ Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XprlHo5XLlI

Larry Sinclair who was paid to take a polygraph test and FAILED is peddling a false story about Obama being a homosexual coke head
http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/4799

The National Press Club (think Paula Jones press conference and Jennifer Flowers) has invited Larry Sinclair to speak.
http://firedoglake.com/2008/06/13/larry-si...-the-freakshow/

IRAQ

Iraqis to America “GET OUT”
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/06/13/cnns-w...is-war-from-us/

True, American demand is deceasing, yet the price of crude continues to rise. This situation cannot be sustained if world inventories go too high. The key to depleting the inventory and kick-starting the cycle again would be to halt production in some areas.

The current administration clearly wll not act on any regulation to bring the price of oil down, but you can pretty much guarantee that they'll work on cutting world inventories in order to keep the price up.

Rush is twisting up and spinning on Obama's Father's day speech so much, I'm afraid he might burst.

Nobody but the messiah (Obama) can suggest fathers should be responsible, Limbaugh says. "When Obama says it - it is orgasmic!!"

Rush translation of what Obama says (Obama is code talking): FAthers stay home with your kids and the govt. will send them some money!! And Obama is saying the black man is irresponsible? Rusho asks, is Obama turning against his race. When Cosby says it, it is abominable, but when Obama says it.

Rush's forte' is jumping in the middle of race politics. Yeah, tell us about your trips to the islands.

5-4 decisions were jut fine and dandy when they went their way:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...7062500548.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...7041800710.html
http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/06/28/scotus.race/
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1180429523095
http://www.kiplinger.com/businessresource/...ess_070605.html
http://www.christianlaw.org/index.php/arti...nal_intent.html
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/25/suprem...n-corporations/



there were questions regarding "stare decisis":
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0707/5099.html

maybe they led to a change in tactics?
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/23/us/23memo.html

Thanks for this one, Randi:



History repeats and I think we're seeing the end of phase 2 of Vietnam- sorry, your escalation has been cancelled. Recall the three phases of Vietnam:

1. Vietnamization (didn't work in Vietnam, either)
2. Escalation
3. Evacuation

Here's to another rousing week of Randi on fire!!! Cheers!

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06...ear-with-obama/

Al Gore to endorse and be on stage with Obama tonight!!!

Russert was another example of "ya just never know" to me. Am glad people are talking about his life and times because the insanity of the last 7 years has tarnished everyone's reputation to varying degrees. In all fairness, I do really think that all the famous talking heads, right, left or middle are exploited to the nth degree for ratings. Everyone needs downtime regardless of salary.

Speaking of insanity, on the back of a dollar bill, it reads "In God we Trust" not John Ashcroft. The Supreme Court has decided to hear a case against Ashcroft, Mueller and a few others over the treatment of a terrorist suspect from Pakistan who was detained in New York shortly after 09/11. Living with fear instead of faith has produced some weird interpretations of the Law itself.

Speaking of the Law, I can't help but commenting on the spirit of the Law and those things which are nearly universially accepted, in particular Writ of Habeous Corpus. Failing to do fast research here, I think the concept comes from the 13th Century of global history. And so the spirit of the Law has been upheld yet, certain terrorist suspects held by Americans have yet to experience the practice of the Law being detained indefinitetly during two wars with indefinite endings, so much for closure.

Another item that lacks foresight, is threatening to reduce global supply of vital interests through sanctions against Iran. You see Randy, if One were considering an invasion of the Middle East, One would surely fill the strategic reserves prior to said invasions. One could exhaust all means of diplomacy while filling strategic reserves to eliminate any negative effects concerning vital interests domestically before exciting instablility in the Middle East. Surely One would consult thinktank doctrine back to about 1995 which indicates government instability and civil war impedes the growth of developing vital interests such as oil and natural gas. A devious investor would hedge or invest directly in numerous industries with insider knoweledge of a pending incursion, say not lasting more than one year. I could go on here but maybe One has gotten my drift anal-ising a Rush to War.

Another weekend event not getting much attention was another failure of diplomacy to decrease the Trade gap. South Koreans don't want to be exposed to possible contamination of United States beef. That is a real bummer for United States farmers in particular Cattle producers. Since I think Condi Rice was made in Korea, I don't think we really need their "junk" on our markets domestically. Not when consumer protection sensitivities are very heightened here in Merica.

Speaking of roundups, I see all the usual suspects standing together, Cheney, McCain, Graham, Kyl, Cornyn, the Heretic Society and few others when it comes to going below the law to uphold the law. Now where did I get that phrase, I wonder not. It is a fallacy to believe that only Christians deserve rights under the Rule of law, would you agree, wink-wink. Why, I feel like such a Chosen One today, I may just hang myself.

“History doesn't repeat itself - at best it sometimes rhymes” ~ Mark Twain

Psssst, the networking to this site sucks.

If I were able to edit my last post I would add:

Speaking of meeting market demands of a new age in Green technology and lessoning a dependence on the Texass Cattlemen's Association, the Japanese are in fact the first to put a hydrogen fueled vehicle into normal production.

whistle along with me now, "If I only had a brain..."

Tell Sean INS-Hannity to SHUT THE HELL UP” and it's more of the SAME with Mc inSane

those "district court judges" that Newt despises so much just handed Bush another victory:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/16/wh.emails/

Here's an excerpt of the McClatchy article on Afghanistan.

McClatchy Article On Bagram


Although they were at Bagram at different times and speak different languages, the 28 former detainees who told McClatchy that they'd been abused there told strikingly similar stories:

* Bashir Ahmad, a Pakistani who fought with the Taliban, said that in the late spring or summer of 2003, U.S. troops would chain him to the ceiling by his hands or feet. "Then they would punch me or hit me with a wood rod," he said.

* Brahim Yadel, a French citizen, said he was punched and slapped during interrogations at Bagram in December 2001.

* Moazzem Begg, a British citizen, said he was assaulted regularly at Bagram for most of 2002, until he was transferred to Guantanamo in January 2003.

* Akhtar Mohammed, an Afghan, said that at Bagram during the spring of 2003, "when they moved me to the interrogation room they covered my eyes, and took me up steep stairs. I always fell on the ground. And when I fell down, they punched and kicked me."

* Abdul Haleem, a Pakistani, said that U.S. soldiers threw him to the ground at Bagram in 2003 and kicked him in the head, "like they were playing soccer."

* Adel al Zamel, a Kuwaiti, said guards frequently waved sticks at him and threatened to rape him at Bagram during the spring of 2002. During an interview in Kuwait City, Zamel shook his head and said he remembered hearing detainees being beaten and "the cries from the interrogation room" at Bagram.

He wasn't the only person to report sexual humiliation.

Sgt. Selena Salcedo, a U.S. military intelligence officer, said that sometime between August 2002 and February 2003 she saw another interrogator, Pfc. Damien Corsetti, pull down the pants of a detainee and leave his genitals exposed.

In a 2005 sworn statement in the court-martial of Corsetti, she said she'd left the room and that when she'd returned the detainee was bent over a table and Corsetti was waving a plastic bottle near his buttocks. She said she didn't know whether the detainee had been raped.

Corsetti was acquitted of any wrongdoing. He didn't respond to a request for comment submitted through his attorney. Salcedo pleaded guilty to kicking a detainee — Dilawar — and grabbing his ears during a December 2002 interrogation.

Soldiers who served at Bagram starting in the summer of 2002 confirmed that detainees there were struck routinely.

"Whether they got in trouble or not, everybody struck a detainee at some point," said Brian Cammack, a former specialist with the 377th Military Police Company, an Army Reserve unit from Cincinnati. He was sentenced to three months in military confinement and a dishonorable discharge for hitting Habibullah.

http://www.amazon.com/Its-About-Oil/dp/B00...23&sr=102-2


Here's an obvious musical piece for Randi's cut: Amy Martin: It's About Oil

(from her CD "Live in Missoula"

You can hear the clip at Amazon link above

Respectfully speaking, cause I can be respectful at times, this winning and losing thing comes from the Bush Administration itself and probably Karl Rove. It's that team spirit thing, kind of immature in government in my opinion. And you know it leads to statements like "We need you to be a team player on this one, we can help you out down the road, wink-nod).

I try to pass along all my concerns as a constiuent directly to the duly elected that are supposed to serve us, like we are in this together for real. Since last Friday I have not been getting automated responses from Legislators in the Senate so I don't know if my messages are making it through or not. Hell, I don't know if they do read them, but I continue to write anyway.

Message I tried to pass onto today is that I think it is an insult to the King of Saudia Arabia and other OPEC members to threaten more instability in the oil markets through Iran. The Kingdom just announced another production increase of 300,000 barrels per day starting this July. In the last 2 weeks Saudias have agreed to increase production by a total of 500,000 barrels per day. In addition, the Saudias promised 500 Million dollars to poverty relief through the United Nations. So, I have no clue what Browne and Bush are up to through non-proliferation efforts but surely parties can work out their differences without adding further hardship to the developing nations of this world ?

Anyhow, I just wonder if anyone else is not getting automated responses from Legislators these days or have I bashed too long and too hard ?

When the Constitution and the Laws of this land are upheld, We the people are winning.

Respectfully speaking, cause I can be respectful at times, this winning and losing thing comes from the Bush Administration itself and probably Karl Rove. It's that team spirit thing, kind of immature in government in my opinion. And you know it leads to statements like "We need you to be a team player on this one, we can help you out down the road, wink-nod).

I try to pass along all my concerns as a constiuent directly to the duly elected that are supposed to serve us, like we are in this together for real. Since last Friday I have not been getting automated responses from Legislators in the Senate so I don't know if my messages are making it through or not. Hell, I don't know if they do read them, but I continue to write anyway.

Message I tried to pass onto today is that I think it is an insult to the King of Saudia Arabia and other OPEC members to threaten more instability in the oil markets through Iran. The Kingdom just announced another production increase of 300,000 barrels per day starting this July. In the last 2 weeks Saudias have agreed to increase production by a total of 500,000 barrels per day. In addition, the Saudias promised 500 Million dollars to poverty relief through the United Nations. So, I have no clue what Browne and Bush are up to through non-proliferation efforts but surely parties can work out their differences without adding further hardship to the developing nations of this world ?

Anyhow, I just wonder if anyone else is not getting automated responses from Legislators these days or have I bashed too long and too hard ?

When the Constitution and the Laws of this land are upheld, We the people are winning.

Ok, sorry again for double post, could not edit again. Just got a reply from a democratic senator. I suppose the republicans are still internet challenged in this here 21st century.

Oh, Blue Aeroplane covers from late 80s and 90s would be nice

Nevermind.

I may have made a mistake, total daily production increase by Saudi is 300k plus 300k for a total of 600k per day starting in july. Just call me King Dummy the Fourth

If Bush and the cabal can only keep nudging the volatility needle on oil, they must think they can keep prices high for years. I'm no conspiracy theorist, but this stuff strikes me as the new "code red"; keeping everyone fearful and desperate. The higher the prices, the greater the oil company profts...more that goes to their executives and shareholders. Its' good for "bidness" and really good for the retirement portfolio of a few. Randi's point about speculators is profoundly true...they spend a lot of time on the golf course and spinning out new hedge funds with their buddies. Y'all, I see a whole lot of that down here in H-town!

Farewell tour.

What a first class son of a bitch. Iowa is in a state of emergency and he's touting war across Europe.

And THEY are protesting his presence more than WE do here in OUR OWN COUNTRY.

I've heard conservatives cry this bit.. adding a horzontal drilling aspect. It does crack me up.. You just can't horizontal drill for miles and miles. .. and it's unlikely that they have the deep water drilling capability. They'll have you believe anyting!