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November 30, 2005

Great Teams = Great Organizations

The Detroit Lions fired head coach Steve Mariucci a few days ago. Once a successful coach with the San Francisco 49ers, Mariucci couldn't find the winning formula in Detroit. I think it is a big mistake however to think that the blame is Mariucci's, if at all. Great teams only happen when one has a great organization, and by that I mean the right people running the organization. Excellent coaches leave one team then coach for another and never achieve the same success. Do they suddenly become bad coaches? I would contend that their new teams don't have the right management.

Think of successful professional football teams as an example. The Pittsburgh Steelers seldom won until Dan Rooney turned control of the team over to his son. Suddenly they got very, very good, and have remain so despite changing coaches and the inevitable turnover of personnel. Good teams have bad years, as the Steelers have, but they always manage to come back. They were good with Chuck Noll and are very good with Bill Cowher. The constant is the front office.

Each piece must work perfectly in order for a team to succeed, no matter what the game. Matt Millin, the President of the Lions, never had a high management position in football before the Detroit job. His head coach selections have failed, all of them. It has been so long since this team has been a real factor in the NFL that I can't remember. For any team to win, every part of the organization plays a role, from the front office to the players riding the bench. Ultimately, the team is only as strong as its weakest link. I doubt that the real problem rests with Mariucci.

Posted by Chip Spear at 4:29 PM | Comments (2)

Bush Hits a Fearsome Foursome at the Goal Line

Responding to criticism of his was policies and especially the response to Representative Murtha, the President defended his Iraq policies. Critics and advocates for withdrawal of American forces did not find anything new or pleasing in Bush's message. They see the same ol' same ol'. G.W.'s supporters probably found some comfort in his resolve and delineation of accomplishments in the 35-page White House document titled "National Strategy for Victory in Iraq."

"Some critics continue to assert that we have no plan in Iraq except to 'stay the course,'" Bush said. "If by 'stay the course' they mean we will not allow the terrorists to break our will, they're right. If by 'stay the course' they mean we will not permit al Qaida to turn Iraq into what Afghanistan was under the Taliban, a safe haven for terrorists and a launching pad for attacks on America, they're right as well. If by 'stay the course' they mean that we're not learning from our experience or adjusting our tactics to meet the challenges on the ground, then they're flat wrong.".....

Bush said that Iraqis are stepping forward to provide security for their embattled country, torn by suicide bombings, kidnappings and other violence. "Iraqi forces have made real progress," the president said. "We will stay as long as necessary to complete the mission. If our military leaders there tell us we need more troops, I will send them."

He said that more than 120 army and police combat battalions are already in the fight against insurgents, and that 80 of those battalions are fighting side by side with coalition forces and 40 are taking the lead in the fight.

A few things strike me here. One is that many military commanders have indicated off the record that they have far too few troops to adequately do the job. I have also read that the President refuses to listen, nor wants to hear, dissenting opinions, like the need for more troops, so he never gets that information. One senses a contradiction there. Second, many analysts, some on the record and some off, indicate that there are no where near the numbers of trained troops and security forces ready for action that the administration continually claims. Third, opponents of the war are quick to demand a withdrawal, but none of them answer the question of what we do when large sections of the country become permanent Al Qaeda type training centers. If we leave, who is going to prevent Osama or Zarkawi from establishing bigger and better training centers than ever existed in Afghanistan? By offering nothing to answer critics Bush certainly did not score any points with the center. It seems that his big speech did nothing except leave him stalled at the line of scrimmage.

Posted by Chip Spear at 11:37 AM | Comments (0)

China Plays Great Chess Against Russia

According to Stratfor, China is carefully playing Russia every way possible to extend its influence in the Far East.

And both men [Medvedev and Ivanov] see China as an opportunity: It is a customer for Russian energy and weapons, and -- by forming a political alliance against the West -- a crucial potential partner in security policy. But, unlike the siloviki, they are also more likely to take a comprehensive view of the power to the east, noting the implications of its giant economy and China's recent "Northern Sword" military exercises, staged on Russia's southern border. It has not been lost on either that ethnic Chinese in the border region outnumber the Russians by more than ten to one.

While the Kremlin treated China as an ally, Beijing has viewed Russia as an opportunity at best or a nuisance at worst -- but certainly not an equal. Wary of political strings Russia tends to attach to deals, China has been focusing on Kazakhstan as a key source of energy supplies, and sending its money there rather than to Russia. Meanwhile, Beijing is unofficially encouraging its citizens to migrate to Siberia, while also buying Russian hardware to upgrade its military capabilities. And China has steadily siphoned influence away in North Korea, leaving Russia largely an outside observer in the six-party nuclear negotiations. None of this would have been possible if Moscow had been taking a more realistic assessment of Beijing's motives and actions.

I am most interested in the issue of China unofficially urging its citizens to settle in Siberia. By increasing the percentage of Chinese to Russians, which is already 10 to 1, they are clearly looking to exploit the disparity to not only increase influence in the region, but perhaps making some claim to controlling the area. Wouldn't that be something. The Chinese not only take advantage of short term gains, as most countries do, but also think in the long term, which is most unusual in our increasingly instantaneous world. They seem to be setting themselves up for more gains as their economic and military might increases over the next decade, or two or three. What a concept. Perhaps we could learn some lessons.

Posted by Chip Spear at 9:48 AM | Comments (0)

November 29, 2005

Today's Quote - Nov. 30th

Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.

- nba

Posted by Chip Spear at 1:36 PM | Comments (2)

Today's Quote - Nov. 29th

I always turn to the sports pages first, which records people's accomplishments. The front page has nothing but man's failures.

~ Chief Justice Earl Warren

Posted by Chip Spear at 1:00 PM | Comments (2)

White House Thrown for Another Loss

Col Lawrence Wilkerson dropped another bombshell on the Bush administration on BBC Today. Wilkerson, a former aide to Colin Powell, suggested that Cheney and possibly Rumsfeld, could face war crimes charges. You can read the article here.

"What I'm saying is that, under the vice-president's protection, the secretary of defence [Donald Rumsfeld] moved out to do what they wanted in the first place, even though the president had made a decision that was clearly a compromise," Col Wilkerson said.

He said that he laid the blame on the issue of prisoner abuse and post-war planning for Iraq "pretty fairly and squarely" at Mr Cheney's feet.

"I look at the relationship between Mr Cheney and Mr Rumsfeld as being one that produced these two failures in particular, and I see that the president is not holding either of them accountable... so I have to lay some blame at his feet too," he went on.

Posted by Chip Spear at 12:04 PM | Comments (2)

Saddam Hits Slam and Scores

One can certainly hate Saddam, but you have to admire his audacity and spunk. Despite being throttled by the invasion, pulled out of a hole in the ground and spending a long time in solitary confinement the guy does not quit. The first time he came to court resulted in a one month delay. The second time, yesterday, and we have a one week delay. He walks in, assumes control and berates everyone, ready as always, to run the country. He castigates the judge, condemns the U.S. and carries his Koran, signaling to his faithful that he is a Muslim fighting the infidel invaders.

Saddam always perceived himself as the boss. He still does. His perception of himself has not changed. It does not matter that he was pulled out of a hole in the ground, sits in jail or faces death, he is still THE RULER and probably will be until he dies. He does not reflect nor question his own position or authority. He does not comtemplate, "Oh gee, what did I do wrong? How can I reform?" he appears to have no interest in psychoanalysis. Self doubt is not his thing. His performance yesterday left no doubt that he still attempts to force others to his view of the world, with him in control.

And the fact that the TV feed was cut sent a very bad message to the country. Whoever decided to televise the proceedings had to know that Saddam was uncontrollable. If you are going to televise, then televise. People have to make up their own minds. To pull the plug indicates that the government is afraid of honesty and openness, and that they doubt their own legitimacy in the country. I think it also indicates that they are still afraid of what Saddam represents to too many Iraqis who feel angry at the U.S. and the new government and might be willing to go back to a Saddam type leader.

One man, in chains, standing in a courtroom, ranting, scared the shit out of the new Iraqi government and many American officials. That is very impressive. It was a big score for the bad guy.

Posted by Chip Spear at 10:06 AM | Comments (1)

November 28, 2005

Fabulous Fumble of the Week, Nov. 28 - Jean Schmidt

Jean Schmidt, no one else comes close, this fine week. Actually that might not be true, Bill Richardson was in the running for his denial of being drafted by the Oakland A's. Really Bill, what aspiring athlete ever forgets being drafted by a professional team? Anyway, Jean, what a ding dong. Political debate is a good thing. One hopes that it makes us all think a little more about finding the best solutions to our problems. However, indiscriminate name-calling from supposedly educated people, especially when it is wrong is inexcusable. What was she thinking? Or perhaps she wasn't, which was the problem. Like many in the current administration, she accused those critical of the President's Iraq policies as being weak, un-American and unpatriotic, if there is a difference. The problem is that she picked on the wrong opponent. John Murtha is a highly decorated veteran, one who was held in high regard for quite some time by the Vice President himself.

Schmidt - decked out in a red-white-and-blue suit that resembled the U.S. flag - went to the floor and quoted from a telephone conversation with Bubp: "He asked me to send Congress a message: Stay the course."

"He also asked me to send Congressman Murtha a message: That cowards cut and run, Marines never do."

She seemed to spend most of the remainder of the week backing away from her statement, saying she never meant to personally desparage Congressman Murtha. Ah, the backpedaling.... Her comments win her this week's Fabulous Fumble of the Week. Congratulations Jean.

Posted by Chip Spear at 12:37 PM | Comments (1)

We Always Need to Remember

"Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth."
~ Albert Einstein

"Be loyal to your country always, and to the government only when it deserves it."
~ Mark Twain

Found in Maureen Farrell's piece at BuzzFlash

Posted by Chip Spear at 11:31 AM | Comments (0)

Player of the Week for Nov. 28, 2005 - John Murtha

Pennsylvania Representative John Murtha wins our Political Sports Player of the Week Award for his strong statements calling for the U.S. to bring our troops home from Iraq. Creating a firestorm for the White House, Murtha, a strong military proponent, said that we have accomplished all that we could and that the time to come home is now.

But the cross-party relationship has soured as Murtha, whose concern has always been first and foremost for the men and women who serve in the military, has reached the conclusion that the Iraq intervention has steered U.S. troops into a quagmire from which they must be extracted. Typically blunt, Murtha said this week: "The U.S. cannot accomplish anything further in Iraq militarily. It is time to bring (the troops) home."

Others have called for withdrawing U.S. troops but it is Murtha who elicited not only a strong response from his former friend, Dick Cheney,

In the 2004 vice presidential debate, Cheney noted that, "One of my strongest allies in Congress when I was Secretary of Defense was Jack Murtha, a Democrat who is chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee." The vice president was particularly complimentary over the years of the Pennsylvania representatives decision to provide high-profile backing of the administration's 2002 request for authorization to use force against
Iraq............

Cheney's response to the man he begged to help him understand military affairs during the first Bush administration was to rip into Murtha and other Democrats who had tried to work with the administration. "Some of the most irresponsible comments have, of course, come from politicians who actually voted in favor of authorising force against Saddam Hussein," the vice president growled in a speech to the conservative Frontiers of Freedom Institute. In another clear reference to Murtha, Cheney said, "The president and I cannot prevent certain politicians from losing their memory, or their backbone -- but we're not going to sit by and let them rewrite history."

but from Ohio Republican Jean Schmidt here,

Schmidt was booed off the floor of the U.S. House on Friday after she criticized Rep. John Murtha (news, bio, voting record), D-Pa., saying that "cowards cut and run, Marines never do."

When Schmidt made the comment, Democrats rose in protest at the suggestion that Murtha, a decorated Vietnam veteran and the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, was a coward.

Great plays are oftentimes the result of timing, when conditions coalesce in just the right way. Murtha was not the first to call for removing first and he will not be the last, but his qualifications, being a highly decorated Marine, coupled with Jean Schmidt's idiotic statements, Cheney's attacks, the growing problems in Iraq, and increasing evidence of the White House misleading the country about going to war, all worked in his favor to create a "Perfect Storm". Our congratulations for Congressman Murtha for this week's award.

Posted by Chip Spear at 10:37 AM | Comments (0)

The Real Story on Declining Support for the President

The real story, reported in the NY Times here, which got so much play over the weekend, is not the nature of the drop in his support, given the flood of evidence regarding lies, deceptions and the like.

A USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll in mid-November found that 37 percent of Americans approved of Mr. Bush, the lowest approval rating the poll had recorded in his presidency. That was down from 55 percent a year ago and from a high of 90 percent shortly after Sept. 11, 2001.

An Associated Press/Ipsos poll earlier in the month found the same 37 percent approval rating and recorded the president's lowest levels regarding integrity and honesty: 42 percent of Americans found him honest, compared with 53 percent at the beginning of this year.

The story to me is, given this evidence, why would anyone still believe this administration is honest? Who are these people and why do they continue to support and believe someone who is clearly lying? What is it about the human condition that an individual will still believe in a leader even though they are engaging in either immoral, illegal or disreputable behavior? This extends far beyond the "Bush" issue. I wonder why we do not accept clear evidence of guilt. Do we want to believe so badly in something that we are willing to ignore bad acts? I don't have an answer, I am just curious.

Posted by Chip Spear at 9:12 AM | Comments (2)

November 26, 2005

From Time Magazine, Finding the Truth in Iraq

Members of Congress met with non-Pentagon military officers to find out the real deal about Iraq. Time reports

In an unusual closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill last week, Virginia's John Warner, joined by Democratic Senators Carl Levin of Michigan and Mark Dayton of Minnesota, sat across the table from 10 military officers chosen for their experience on the battlefield rather than in the political arena. Warner rounded up the battalion commanders to get at what the military calls "ground truth" -- the unvarnished story of what's going on in Iraq.

"We wanted the view from men who had been on the tip of the spear, and we got it," said John Ullyot, a Warner spokesman who declined to comment on what was said at the meeting but confirmed that some Capitol Hill staff members were also present. According to two sources with knowledge of the meeting, the Army and Marine officers were blunt. In contrast to the Pentagon's stock answer that there are enough troops on the ground in Iraq, the commanders said that they not only needed more manpower but also had repeatedly asked for it. Indeed, military sources told TIME that as recently as August 2005, a senior military official requested more troops but got turned down flat.

Gee, what a brilliant idea. Why was Congress the last to think of this great thought?

Posted by Chip Spear at 2:31 PM | Comments (0)

China, the Toxic Spill and Us

I read several news stories, including this one, in the past couple of days about a large toxic spill in a major river in China. Part of the story described how the Chinese government had kept the spill secret for more than a few days.

The 80 kilometer (50-mile) toxic spill flowed downstream, reaching Harbin this week. Officials were forced to cut off the city's water service for four days, and the spill has sparked widespread unease among residents, who were not notified of the potential health threat for days after the blast.

One Chinese newspaper reported that environmental protection officials discharged water from a reservoir into the river to dilute the spill and failed to warm the public, although the government disputes those allegations.

My immediate reaction was that it seemed typical that the Chinese Communist government would try to cover something like that up. They seemed to act in a manner reminiscent of the old Soviet Union. Think of Chernobyl as a good example. "We are so much better," I immediate said to myself, until I started to think. With the deception about the war, torture, stonewalling about Cheney's Energy Task Force, and the outing of Valerie Plame among others I can't say we are better with any conviction. Without an open and honest government of our own it is difficult, if not impossible, to be taken seriously when we condemn others. We stand as hypocrits to the world. How far we have fallen in such a short time. I think many foreignors could accept Bill Clinton covering up his sexual escapades, though that is a value judgment on my part, however I don't think they accept what the White House has done since 9/11.

Posted by Chip Spear at 1:55 PM | Comments (1)

November 23, 2005

History as Political Tactic

Politicians and leaders of all types have used history as a means of gaining support from various groups to further political agendas for as long as humans have communicated and walked the earth. This is probably a subject for a book instead of a short blog entry but I felt that it was important to discuss as we begin Thanksgiving weekend, a time to be thankful for the things that we have, including family and friends.

Imagine for a moment a time approximately 1400 years into the future. People whose ancestors were at one time American Indians now live in South America. Brazil, Argentina and Chile are the strongest military counties on the planet. North America is rather destitute. The region still has physical wealth but the people are poor and do little with the land or themselves. The American Indians apply every means of political pressure they can on the South American governments. Maps and globes of the Earth now have Antarctica up instead of down. After a particularly violent war the South American governments give a small section of North America back to the North American Indians. The current indigenous people in the North are outraged. They refuse to accept the new political reality. The region, located on the East Coast of North America, prospers. The Indians worship their old gods and reinvigorate their old customs. Many want to re-claim all the old land. The current residents are outraged and refuse to accede to the new reality. The Indians establish a strong economic and military state, one which is stronger than any other country on the continent. They name the state Israel. The surrounding countries on the continent refuse to accept the loss of their lands to the new Indian state.

Let's stop there for a moment and consider a couple of other territories, specifically the real Israel, Taiwan and Tibet. What right do the Chinese have to Tibet and Taiwan? From a historical perspective they have certainly played a significant role in governing or influencing their politics at various times in history. If one reads about their past, a google search will provide you with a great deal of information, you will see that a couple of hundred years of some sort of political influence in regions that have thousands of years of history does not necessarily indicate a right to eternal control and political domination. It seems that we have a situation of "might makes right." Israel isn't about to give all their land back to the Palestinians any more than we are going to give all our land back to the Indians.

Leaders of various sorts, I include religious as well as political, often use history as a means to rally the team. They look at one view of history in one area at one time and turn it into a cause, a strategy to consolidate and focus political action. Think of how many times throughout history leaders scream that "so and so took our land", this book or document, written hundreds or thousands of years ago, says that this region is ours, or we, whoever we is, are the chosen people and have all rights to whatever. People get angry, arrogant and violent as a result.

The past is filled with groups conquering other groups, oftentimes forcing them to move or migrate. They might be North American Indians, South American Indians, Europeans, Asians, Africans or Islanders, it doesn't really matter. The point here is for us to be thankful for the things that we have and also be thankful for where we came from, but not in some way that indicates we have a right to something that does not specifically belong to us. And if it did, there is only so much one can do before we begin to not only hurt others, but hurt ourselves. Life is too short to waste consumed by the past. The past should be a guide to make us better and wiser for the future not the past. Going in reverse is a bad idea. Tear out the rear view mirror, move on. Eat some turkey

Posted by Chip Spear at 5:46 PM | Comments (0)

November 22, 2005

Can the Colts Run the Table?

The Indianapolis Colts are looking exceptionally good these days? Can anyone stop them? Thoughts? They have three tough games left with Pittsburgh, San Diego and Jacksonville. Will they do it?

Posted by Chip Spear at 7:43 PM | Comments (2)

The Burning Bush

It is actually rather pretty, don't you think?

Posted by Chip Spear at 3:00 PM | Comments (2)

What Now?

I certainly like the "sport" aspect of politics, but I am not too excited to see a team self-destruct, especially since it is in full control of every branch of the Federal government. I don't think it is particularly healthy for the country. From our current vantage point it seems we are headed to 3 years of scandals, criminal investigations, accusations, disasters (Iraq), and failure (Iraq again). Inside of four years the United States went from great respect in the international community to pariah. Our actions belie our ideals. Freedom, human rights, respect for individual thought and the rule of law have been pushed aside in so many ways. The U.S. as a beacon of hope has a serious electrical problem.

So how do we get back on the right track? Let's be realistic. Is it possible with Bush/Cheney? Do we just endure for 3 years until the next administration? What can we do? Better yet, what can you do to fix our great country?

Posted by Chip Spear at 2:11 PM | Comments (3)

Tech Cheerleader Nomination

I received this nomination for our High Tech Cheerleader team. Clearly representing interests of the high testosterone category I thought it was good for a chuckle. It is rather dreary, cold and wet here on the right coast.

Posted by Chip Spear at 12:01 PM | Comments (1)

Fabulous Fumble of the Week, Nov. 21 - Dick Cheney

V.P. Dick Cheney wins our Fabulous Fumble of the Week award this week for his attacks on critics of the war and those who accuse the White House of deceiving and misleading the American public.

In a speech Wednesday before a conservative public policy organization, Cheney said senators who accuse the Bush administration of misleading the public on pre-war intelligence are engaging in one of the most dishonest and reprehensible charges ever aired in Washington, D.C.

"Some of the most irresponsible comments have, of course, come from politicians who actually voted in favor of authorizing force against Saddam Hussein," Cheney said at a dinner held by the Frontiers of Freedom Institute.

There is so much factual, specific evidence reported in the past couple of weeks detail exactly how and when the White House mislead the country that it is rather ridiculous to think that anyone would really believe him. However, I suppose there are, because some folks still believe we never landed on the moon.

Posted by Chip Spear at 9:49 AM | Comments (0)

November 21, 2005

Cheney Continues to Fight

Vice President stated today.

"The flaws in the intelligence are plain enough in hindsight. But any suggestion that prewar information was distorted, hyped or fabricated by the leader of the nation is utterly false," Cheney said in a speech to the American Enterprise Institute.

There is sooooo much factual information indicating otherwise it is hard to comprehend who Cheney is addressing? Is he trying to rally the right wing? The entire country? The religious right? Given the evidence, who trusts him? And if they do, what is their own motivation? Do they accept the lies to back the policy or do they actually think he is telling the truth, despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary? I don't think this fight strategy is working.

Posted by Chip Spear at 1:04 PM | Comments (0)

Sen. Byrd Hits Back at Cheney

Sen. Robert Byrd struck back a V.P. Cheneys assertions that critics of their Iraq policy were somehow hurting the war effort and acting in an unpatriotic manner. Byrd states;

Whether one supported or opposed the war at its outset: no American must ever surrender the right to question the government.

The Constitution protects the American people from unjust laws that seek to stifle the patriotic duty to question those who are in power, but it is the courage of the American people that compels them to actually speak out when those in power call for silence. If anything, attacks on the patriotism of freedom-loving Americans may result in even more Americans fighting against attempts to squelch the Constitutional protections of freedom....

Wednesday evening, the Vice President of the United States even claimed that criticism of the Administration's war in Iraq was "dishonest and reprehensible." The Vice President's comments come on the heels of comments from President Bush, who said, "What bothers me is when people are irresponsibly using their positions and playing politics. That's exactly what is taking place in America."

The President and the Vice President need to reread the Constitution. Asking questions, seeking honesty and truth, and pressing for accountability is exactly what the Framers had in mind....

The Administration claims that the Congress had the same intelligence as the President before the war, and that independent commissions have determined that there was no misrepresentation of the intelligence. But neither claim is true.

The intelligence agencies are in the control of the White House. All information given to the Congress was cleared through the White House, and the President had access to an enormous amount of data never shared with the Congress. There was a filter over the intelligence information that the Congress received, and that filter was the Administration which was actively engaged in hyping the danger and lusting after this war in Iraq. Remember the talk of weapons of mass destruction, mushroom clouds, and unmanned drones? The so-called proof for war was massaged before it was sent to the Congress to scare members and leaked to reporters to scare the people.

Cheney and the President are clearly on the defensive. Too much factual information emerged over the past couple of weeks that damage their assertions of reality. The polls certainly indicate that the American people increasingly doubt the veracity of Administration accounts. It remains to be seen how the Democrats are able to take advantage of this and what they are able to do to redirect the ship of state. How is Bush going to change the negativity which grows throughout the country? Three more years of this atmosphere is hard to imagine.

Posted by Chip Spear at 11:33 AM | Comments (0)

Tournament Weekend

I was away Friday through late today coaching a team at the National Collegiate Club Water Polo Championships. You can find results here. It was a fabulous, fun, well-run tournament, with many excellent, exciting games and great competition. I am sorry for not posting, but I had no access to a computer and didn't even read a newspaper for almost 3 days, which is exceedingly unusual for me. I highly recommend watching if you have never seen a water polo game. The only thing better than watching is playing, if you like the water. I will return tomorrow after I have a chance to catch up on the news.

Posted by Chip Spear at 12:04 AM | Comments (0)

November 17, 2005

Knight-Ridder defines White House "Tinkering", "Distortions", "Lies", "Exaggerations", "Stretching", "Perversion" (You Pick) of the Truth

Knight-Ridder provides a broad outline of where the White House played games with the truth regarding Iraq, WMD and threats to the U.S here.

Posted by Chip Spear at 7:15 PM | Comments (0)

And the Political Point of This Is?

You have to draw your own conclusions about this.

Congressional budget negotiators have decided to take back $125 million in Sept. 11 aid from New York, which had fought to keep the money to treat sick and injured ground zero workers, lawmakers said.

New York officials had sought for months to hold onto the funding, originally meant to cover increased worker compensation costs stemming from the 2001 terror attacks.

But a massive labor and health spending bill moving fitfully through House-Senate negotiations would take back that funding, lawmakers said.

"It seems that despite our efforts the rescission will stand, very sadly, and that is something of a promise broken," said Rep. Vito Fossella (news, bio, voting record), R-N.Y. "We will try hard in the coming weeks, but ultimately Congress will have something of a black eye over this."

To save money? War? Taking care of the victims? Tax cuts? Oh well.

Posted by Chip Spear at 1:02 PM | Comments (0)

November 16, 2005

Ahmad Chalabi Scores Big Time

After last week's stunning performance in Washington, Chalabi is certainly in the running for this week's Player of the Week. Newsweek provides us with a bit of a rundown on the man's play. This guy has more twists and turns, more slick moves than Michael Jordan in his prime. In exile in London, he was convicted in abstentia in Amman, Jordan (no relation) of embezzlement. Helped by the Iranians, he lied to the U.S., convincing them of the need to invade Iraq to get rid of Saddam. Shunned by the U.S. last year because of the little lying problem, he returns to Washington as a Deputy Minister, running the oil industry and meeting with Rumsfeld, Cheney, and Hadley, among others.

You have to give the man some credit. He may have misled the Bush White House about Iraq’s WMD. He may have evaded the law when he was convicted, in absentia, of embezzlement in Jordan. He may have outraged U.S. occupation officials because of his maneuvering after the invasion. But Ahmad Chalabi just doesn’t quit. Ever.

This man is a political animal, willing to do whatever it takes to realize his goals. You can certainly find ample reason to hate him, but you have to admire his gall, his veracity, and drive. He stole money for his cause, used Iranian support, intelligence and a bag full of lies to convince the American's to spend hundreds of billions of dollars, with more than 2000 dead, and over 15,000 wounded Americans. Plus there is the little matter of at least 30,000 Iraqis killed and the country on the brink of a civil war all in order to gain control of the country. This guy is like the Bill Belichek of politics, no matter what he faces he manages to find a game plan that succeeds. It is very impressive indeed.

Posted by Chip Spear at 9:12 PM | Comments (0)

More Administration And Oil Nonsense

The Washington Post reports that oil executives met with Dick Cheney's Energy Task Force in 2001. That is not a surprise. I think most people assumed that happened, I know I did. Knowing how the administration worked, I thought that Cheney met with all his oil company pals and together they wrote an energy policy that would significantly profit the Oil Industry. And guess what, it has. The real "surprise" is that oil company executives all denied meeting with the White House during Congressional hearings last week.

The document, obtained this week by The Washington Post, shows that officials from Exxon Mobil Corp., Conoco (before its merger with Phillips), Shell Oil Co. and BP America Inc. met in the White House complex with the Cheney aides who were developing a national energy policy, parts of which became law and parts of which are still being debated.

In a joint hearing last week of the Senate Energy and Commerce committees, the chief executives of Exxon Mobil Corp., Chevron Corp. and ConocoPhillips said their firms did not participate in the 2001 task force. The president of Shell Oil said his company did not participate "to my knowledge," and the chief of BP America Inc. said he did not know.

Chevron was not named in the White House document, but the Government Accountability Office has found that Chevron was one of several companies that "gave detailed energy policy recommendations" to the task force. In addition, Cheney had a separate meeting with John Browne, BP's chief executive, according to a person familiar with the task force's work; that meeting is not noted in the document.

The whole thing makes me sick. As a nation, we have developed a bankrupt morality. Too many of us accept this type of behavior from our business and government leaders, either because we make money off of them or they expouse some simplistic moral principle. We need to stand up on our own two feet and start taking responsibility for what is happening to our country.

Posted by Chip Spear at 8:43 AM | Comments (4)

November 15, 2005

Life Isn't Always Easy

Here you are, the most powerful person in the entire world, perhaps the most powerful creature in the whole universe, if you believe intelligent design and Christian theology. That is mighty powerful if you ask me. And what is Georgie doing with all that power? According to the Drudge Report, he is hiding.

President Bush feels betrayed by several of his most senior aides and advisors and has severely restricted access to the Oval Office, INSIGHT magazine claims in a new report.

The president's reclusiveness in the face of relentless public scrutiny of the U.S.-led war in Iraq and White House leaks regarding CIA operative Valerie Plame has become so extreme that Mr. Bush has also reduced contact with his father, former President George H.W. Bush, administration sources said on the condition of anonymity....

The sources said Mr. Bush maintains daily contact with only four people: first lady Laura Bush, his mother, Barbara Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Undersecretary of State Karen Hughes. The sources also say that Mr. Bush has stopped talking with his father, except on family occasions.

Think of all the boys and girls and Senators in the world who are growing up wishing and hoping that they too can become President of the United States of America. What a wonderful thing it would be, all that power, all that love, all that respect. It would be fun, or not.

Posted by Chip Spear at 6:32 PM | Comments (1)

Fabulous Fumble of the Week, Nov. 14 - Pat Robertson

Last week was special. There were so many fumbles that we actually had a very hard time determining which one was most deserving of our award. Some weeks the play is hard, with few mistakes, but not this past week. Who would it be, Hadley, Robertson, O'Reilly, Santorum, Frist? It was a hard choice. Even the Pres was in the running again. How many times can you run the same play (his Veteran's Day speech) before it becomes ridiculous?

After much reflection, discussion, argument, dice rolling and dart throwing we came to the conclusion that our pal Pat should win this week's award. Pat said,

Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson warned residents of a rural Pennsylvania town Thursday that disaster may strike there because they "voted God out of your city" by ousting school board members who favored teaching intelligent design.

All eight Dover, Pa., school board members up for re-election were defeated Tuesday after trying to introduce "intelligent design" - the belief that the universe is so complex that it must have been created by a higher power - as an alternative to the theory of evolution.

"I'd like to say to the good citizens of Dover: If there is a disaster in your area, don't turn to God. You just rejected him from your city," Robertson said on the Christian Broadcasting Network's "700 Club."

I guess this guy has a brain, and many people think he is smart, and has meaningful things to say. They believe him, hold him in high regard, feel that he will provide them with guidance to a better self and more peaceful world. Wow, it is hard to believe. In non-Presidential elections, especially when there is no large state election, voter turnout is low. The four districts in Dover had voter turnout of 40, 40, 35 and 23 percent. So because of those numbers, Mr. Robertson, who has a direct connection to God, unlike the rest of us, contends all the good citizens of Dover may expect disaster. This would include all the folks who didn't and couldn't vote, like children, the sick, folks who couldn't get to the polls, those that forgot, or whatever. It is a good thing he has a Christian heart. This is an award that Pat truly deserves, you win our Fabulous Fumble of the Week.

Posted by Chip Spear at 10:15 AM | Comments (6)

Player(s) of the Week for Nov. 14 - The Democrats

After last week's victories in New Jersey and Virginia, coupled with Arnold's defeat in California, Democrats were ecstatic, with good reason. Both parties placed a great deal on the outcome of each race. The Dems saw it as an opportunity to put a substantial dent in the Republican air of superiority and the Republicans wanted to show they are not hurting because of President Bush's recent problems. Obviously the Democrats scored on that one. It has been quite some time since the Democrats had been able to cheer, give them their due, they deserve this week's Player of the Week.

Posted by Chip Spear at 9:47 AM | Comments (2)

Bush, Tactics and WMD

For the past couple of years President Bush and his neo-con administration have attacked critics of his Iraq policy saying they voted for the war and are now undermining the war effort. Last Friday, on Veteran's Day, he did the same thing. You would think that he might try a different play given how many times he has run this one and his sinking approval ratings. Imagine how successful a team would be if the only play they ran was a run off the right side tackle, over and over and over again. The defense would surely adjust and stop the play, over and over and over again. One would think that G.W. and Karl would try something different, because this play is really old and doesn't work. What are they thinking.....or maybe they aren't.

Posted by Chip Spear at 9:13 AM | Comments (0)

Bush's Lies and Deceptions Defined

A NY Times Editorial in today's paper explains the ways which President Bush misled the American public in the buildup to the Iraq war. I have been looking for a more detailed description, asking specifically what the Democrats in Congress knew before voting to support a possible use of force against Saddam. It seems clear that the Administration gave Congress a sanitized version of information they wanted them to see and not the entire package, including doubts on the veracity of evidence of WMD. This is important to me because more and more Democrats are attacking the President. These same Dems voted to support the possible use of force. If they saw all the evidence, voted for the war and are now attacking the President, then they are clearly hypocrits. However, if they only saw heavily edited information that the Administration provided, designed to support their desire to attack Saddam, then that is a much different story.

Mr. Bush says everyone had the same intelligence he had - Mr. Clinton and his advisers, foreign governments, and members of Congress - and that all of them reached the same conclusions. The only part that is true is that Mr. Bush was working off the same intelligence Mr. Clinton had. But that is scary, not reassuring. The reports about Saddam Hussein's weapons were old, some more than 10 years old. Nothing was fresher than about five years, except reports that later proved to be fanciful.

Foreign intelligence services did not have full access to American intelligence. But some had dissenting opinions that were ignored or not shown to top American officials. Congress had nothing close to the president's access to intelligence. The National Intelligence Estimate presented to Congress a few days before the vote on war was sanitized to remove dissent and make conjecture seem like fact.....

Mr. Bush and other administration officials say they faithfully reported what they had read. But Vice President Dick Cheney presented the Prague meeting as a fact when even the most supportive analysts considered it highly dubious. The administration has still not acknowledged that tales of Iraq coaching Al Qaeda on chemical warfare were considered false, even at the time they were circulated.

Posted by Chip Spear at 8:51 AM | Comments (0)

November 14, 2005

Bush Continues to Attack Dems on Iraq

President Bush continued to attack Democrats for criticizing him about misleading the country. Check the link here. He has been calling such actions irresponsible and detrimental to the war effort.

In his prepared Alaska remarks, Bush noted that some elected Democrats in Congress "have opposed this war all along."

"I disagree with them, but I respect their willingness to take a consistent stand," he said. "Yet some Democrats who voted to authorize the use of force are now rewriting the past. They are playing politics with this issue and sending mixed signals to our troops and the enemy."

In the Senate, 29 Democrats voted with 48 Republicans for the war authorization measure in late 2002, including 2004 Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, and his running mate, John Edwards of North Carolina. Both have recently been harshly critical of Bush's conduct of the war and its aftermath.

On Capitol Hill, top Democrats stood their ground in claiming Bush misled Congress and the country. "The war in Iraq was and remains one of the great acts of misleading and deception in American history," Kerry told a news conference.

Democrats offered a proposal urging the president to outline an estimate for a phased withdrawal of U.S. troops. The Senate was expected to vote on it on Tuesday, as well as on a rival GOP Iraq policy proposal that does not include a withdrawal provision.

Okay, what did the Democrats know? Did they see all the information about WMDs from the CIA, including doubts about White House contentions? How can Kerry and the Dems condemn Bush when they saw the same intelligence, or did they? This is not clear to me. Inquiring minds want to know.

Posted by Chip Spear at 5:06 PM | Comments (1)

Hadley Fumbles

This article from the AP has a lot of meat, specifically Bush's renewed claims that he did not mislead the country into war, his accusations that the Dems are lying, that they saw the same intelligence and voted for the war, and Howard Dean contradicting the President, indicating that they did not have access to the same information.

Bush said Democrats in Congress had the same intelligence about Iraq, and he argued that many now claiming that the information had been manipulated had supported going to war. The president also accused his critics of making false charges and playing politics with the war.

Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean rejected the criticism on Sunday and said, "The truth is, the president misled America when he sent us to war."

Appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press," the party chairman disputed Bush's claim that Congress had the same information - the president withheld some intelligence and some caveats about it, Dean said - and that two commissions had found no evidence of pressure being placed on those within the intelligence community.

In fact, Dean said, how the administration handled the intelligence it received has yet to be determined by a Senate committee.

I love this quote the best though regarding Administration intelligence on Iran. From Stephen Hadley, National Security Advisor;

Asked why people should believe U.S. claims about the nuclear plans of Iran given the failure of intelligence about Iraq, Hadley said there has been international consensus about Iran.

Well gee, Stephen, there was international consensus about Iraq too, wasn't there?

Posted by Chip Spear at 9:38 AM | Comments (0)

5 Questions from Non-Muslims to Muslims

This article in the LA Times is thought provoking and worth the read. I list the questions below, but please read the piece.

1) Why are you so quiet?
2) Why are none of the Palistinian terrorists Christian?
3) Why is only one of the 47 Muslim-majority countries a free country?
4) Why are so many atrocities committed and threatened by Muslims in the name of Islam?
5) Why do countries governed by religious Muslims persecute other religions?

Posted by Chip Spear at 9:27 AM | Comments (3)

November 11, 2005

Robertson Fumbles Too

There are approximately 300-500 BILLION galaxies in the Universe that we understand. There are approximately 300-500 BILLION stars in the Milky Way, our galaxy. If we assume that our galaxy is of average size, there are the same number of stars in each of the other galaxies. Stretch your arms out as wide as possible. Let's pretend that represents the age of the Earth. Now take a nail file and lightly scrap once across the nail of your middle finger. You have now eliminated all of human history. Now think about the town of Dover, PA that voted 8 people off the school board that advocated forcing the entire school system to teach "intelligent design" in their science classes. From the AP here:

Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson warned residents of a rural Pennsylvania town Thursday that disaster may strike there because they "voted God out of your city" by ousting school board members who favored teaching intelligent design.

All eight Dover, Pa., school board members up for re-election were defeated Tuesday after trying to introduce "intelligent design" - the belief that the universe is so complex that it must have been created by a higher power - as an alternative to the theory of evolution.

"I'd like to say to the good citizens of Dover: If there is a disaster in your area, don't turn to God. You just rejected him from your city," Robertson said on the Christian Broadcasting Network's "700 Club."

In context of the galaxies, the stars, the age of the earth, the history of humanity and the small town of Dover, PA, does anyone think that God, if there is a God, really cares about 8 people sitting on a school board advocating for a belief system that does not fit the definition of science? It cannot stand up to the scientific method of analysis. And to think that God will punish the entire town of Dover PA because some of its citizens voted off these board members is beyond.....

Posted by Chip Spear at 11:14 PM | Comments (0)

Santorum Fumbles. God, Can't These Guys Hang Onto the Ball?

We might have to bench the whole bunch of them and bring up some of the minor leaguers. From ABC News,

Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., says that the No. 1 health care crisis in his state is medical lawsuit abuse and in the past he's called for a $250,000 cap on non-economic damage awards or awards for pain and suffering. "We need to do something now to fix the medical liability problem in this country," he declared at a rally in Washington D.C., this past spring.

But Santorum's wife sued a doctor for $500,000 in 1999. She claimed that a botched spinal manipulation by her chiropractor led to back surgery, pain and suffering, and sued for twice the amount of a cap Santorum has supported.

Do as I say, not as I do. (By the way, whatever happened to all the Republicans that signed Gingrich's Contract for America, agreeing to self imposed term limits? Did any of them actually do it, or was that self serving too?)

Posted by Chip Spear at 4:58 PM | Comments (0)

O'Reilly Fumble?

Some days the fumbles just keep coming. Bill, you are tooooooooo much. From MSNBC,

"And if al-Qaida comes in here and blows you up, we're not going to do anything about it. We're going to say, look, every other place in America is off limits to you, except San Francisco. You want to blow up the Coit Tower? Go ahead," O'Reilly continued, referring to the 1933 San Francisco landmark that sits atop Telegraph Hill.

Adding to the buzz was the archived version of O'Reilly's Tuesday show, which omitted the incendiary comments, according to Bay Area TV station KNTV.

If you aren't part of our team, or my team, or whatever team I like then you should die, you are scum, you are dirt, you are Satan, you are the pigs of the universe, SIS, BOOM, BAH!

Go Bill Go.

Posted by Chip Spear at 4:40 PM | Comments (0)

Frist Fumble?

Let's see here, we have secret "gulags" spread around the world where U.S. government agents, CIA or something, are torturing prisoners. Bill Frist is more concerned about the fact that someone blew the whistle about the existence of the gulags than the fact that we engaged in a major personal foul, like torturing people, some to death even. He wants to kill the referee, not the offending players. I get it.

Posted by Chip Spear at 2:09 PM | Comments (0)

November 10, 2005

Stadium Erupts in France

Wow, what a mess. France, the land of great wine, cheese, romance and love sure has a lot of hate and anger these days. I haven't been to France in quite a few years, so whatever I say has to be taken with a degree of scepticism, but I think it is important to raise a few issues, some born of generalizations and hopefully, some not. So here is my list of known assumptions:
1) There are a lot of poor, angry, African and Middle Eastern immigrants in France who can't get good paying jobs, feel discriminated against and see little hope of improving their lives.
2) Many of these folks are Muslims, some second generation.
3) France says that it is open to immigration with equality for all
4) The French are considered arrogant and not terribly accepting of outsiders
5) Many people immigrate to a country and do not make a great effort to accept their new homeland's culture. Newcomers don't learn the language or celebrate national holidays. Many continue to dress and act as they did in their native lands.

"What we have here is a failure to communicate." This is obviously a very complicated problem, one whose prescriptions can't be adequately explained in a couple of sentences, however I will paint some very wide brush strokes. The only way to fix it is for everyone to accept some of the blame and make substantial changes in the way they interact with each other. The dissaffected need to not only feel a sense of hope, but see tangible improvement in their lives. They need to know that there is real opportunity for them in France. The French people also need to make them feel welcome. On the other side of the court, the Arabs and Blacks have to make a greater effort to integrate into French society. They need to learn the language, accept the customs and open up their Muslim thinking to accept more Western thought, if it is too exclusive. "When in Rome, do as the Roman's do."

Posted by Chip Spear at 4:49 PM | Comments (0)

Dems Score in Tuesday's Elections

I won't make a big deal out of Tuesday's elections. Everybody in the political blogosphere and MSM is writing or commenting on the results. I don't feel I have much to add to the chorus. The Dems scored some points. It might impact next year's congressional elections and it might not, depending on the standing of the Pres and whether he can regain some footing and move the chains a little. Good for the Democrats, they need a couple of victories if the country wants a bit more balance in its political discourse. When one side of the political spectrum controls both houses of Congress, the White House and the Judiciary, things often get out of hand. The government loses the checks and balances necessary to keep EVERYONE on the side of power from getting too arrogant and dictatorial. Let's hope for better days ahead.

Posted by Chip Spear at 4:17 PM | Comments (0)

Big Business Mining Ready to Score Again

The Washington Post reports that House Resources Chairman Rep. Richard Pombo, R-CA, has included a provision into a large budget bill to allow the federal government to sell millions of acres of public land to mining interests. The government would sell the land at fair market price, based on its surface value, not potential mining returns. This is another in a long line of victories, if it passes, for Big Business. It is extremely hard for me to think of one instance where the Republicans have ever passed a piece of legislation restricting the rights or potential profits of Large Corporations since Bush won election in 2000.

Tucked inside a huge budget bill headed for an upcoming House vote is a provision that could spur the federal government to sell off millions of acres of public land to mining interests, marking a major shift in the nation's mining policy.

The measure, which would generate an estimated $158 million in revenue over the next five years, would also put on the market key parcels of federal land in the District that had been promised to the city for initiatives such as redevelopment along the Anacostia River.
The surprise measure has angered even Republicans such as Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (Va.), who has vowed to fight it.

Congress has barred the government from selling land outright to mining companies since 1994, on the grounds that they should lease public land the same way oil and gas firms do to extract the minerals below. But House Resources Committee Chairman Richard W. Pombo (R-Calif.) said the measure would cut the deficit and promote private ownership. "In some states primarily owned by the federal government, it's important that more of that land become private property," Pombo said. "These environmental groups want the federal government to own everything."

.....Pombo's plan has also outraged D.C. politicians because it would undermine legislation sponsored by Davis and endorsed by President Bush that would transfer land for free to the city to compensate for Congress's ban on a commuter tax and for the resulting increase in the city's fiscal burden.

Like many of his Congressional colleagues, Pombo inserted the provision into a bill unrelated to his amendment. The intent of original bill is to provide Washington DC with much need funds which the city lost as a result previous Congressional actions. One gets the feeling that the Republican team is really playing for Big Business rather than the country, for whatever BB wants from the Republicans, they seem to get.

Just a reminder to check out this week's Player of the Week, Edward Burtynsky, and his web site here.

Posted by Chip Spear at 2:18 PM | Comments (3)

November 8, 2005

Fabulous Fumble of the Week, Nov. 7 - George Bush

It is hard to decide whether George wins our Fabulous Fumble award this week for his disasterous trip to South America, where he seemed to alienate the continent and get upstaged by an aging soccer star and a politician adhering to old, failed, political agendas, or implementing an Ethics class for White House employees. I tend to think the Ethics class is funnier and better. Presented by Bush, Andrew Card, the Chief of Staff, and Harriet Miers (remember her?), Bush is requiring all White House employees to review ethical issues related to their jobs, including security. Since all the security issues, and the deceptions, including the energy commission, the war, appointments and the like center around Donald Rumsfeld, Cheney and Bush, I wonder if they are going to take the course? Or is this another example of the underlings getting left to pick up the pieces, like with the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. Not one senior official was considered responsible, only the riff raff.

We have an administration that came into office promising to restore honesty and dignity to the Presidency. Five years into the administration, the environment is so corrupt and misguided that the White House resorts to having ethics lessons to teach employees the difference between right and wrong, and regain political standing. I have no facts to support my case, but given the history, if I had the cash I am sure I could win a lot of money betting that Bush, Cheney, Rove, Addington and Card will not be attending. It is also hard to believe that this is anything other than a political stunt designed to score some points with the country rather than bring about any substantive changes in White House operations. I think that the media and the country will understand that this latest announcement is nothing more than a fake handoff, is not going to gain any yardage, and is destined as a Fabulous Fumble.

Posted by Chip Spear at 10:04 AM | Comments (3)

November 7, 2005

Player of the Week for Nov. 7, 2005 - Edward Burtynsky

Okay, who the hell is Edward Burtynsky you say? He isn't directly involved in politics and the reason we are giving him the award has little to do with what he actually did in the past week. It has to do with the fact that I just became aware of this man's incredible work Saturday night at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. For those of you who wonder about the relevancy, I can only say that his work immediately makes one aware of the way we, as humans, are drastically altering our world and environment in not particularly pleasant ways. He changes how we look at the world, hopefully for the better. Please take the time to look at his web site here. I doubt you will regret it.

Posted by Chip Spear at 4:17 PM | Comments (1)

Bush Tries to Score With America and The World

President Bush said today that the United States does not torture prisoners. Unfortunately for him too much evidence indicates that this is not true. Prisoners have died in jail, suffering at the hands of interrogators. I wonder if Americans are really going to believe him, considering the facts. You can read some accounts at Human Rights Watch here.

President George W. Bush said on Monday "we do not torture" and defended his administration's efforts to stop the U.S. Congress from imposing rules on the handling of terrorism suspects.
Bush would not confirm the existence of CIA secret prisons that The Washington Post disclosed last week and would not address demands by the International Committee of the Red Cross to have access to the suspects reportedly held at them.

Do people continue to accept this sort of thing after all the deception? How many times can someone tell you that red is blue before you say, "Are you kidding, do you think I am an idiot?

Posted by Chip Spear at 11:21 AM | Comments (4)

November 6, 2005

Two Afghans Jailed 3 Years in Gitmo for Telling a Joke

Newsday reports that two Afghans were jailed for 3 years at Gitmo for telling a joke.

For months, grim interrogators grilled them over a satirical article Dost had written in 1998, when the Clinton administration offered a $5-million reward for Osama bin Laden. Dost responded that Afghans put up 5 million Afghanis - equivalent to $113 - for the arrest of President Bill Clinton.

"It was a lampoon . . . of the poor Afghan economy" under the Taliban, Badr recalled. The article carefully instructed Afghans how to identify Clinton if they stumbled upon him. "It said he was clean-shaven, had light-colored eyes and he had been seen involved in a scandal with Monica Lewinsky," Badr said.

No one, anywhere or ever, should be above the law. The success of our country rests with the respect we have had for our laws. This is an indication that we are losing that respect. Our government is operating outside of an arena of accountability. When our leaders have no respect for our laws and institutions we are in danger of becoming that which we despise. Thanks to Interactivist Info Exchange for the info.

Posted by Chip Spear at 11:03 PM | Comments (0)

If This Doesn't Scare the Shit Out of You, You Must be Missing a Brain

The Washington Post reports that the FBI is collecting all sorts of information on ordinary Americans that has nothing to do with terrorism. Using the Patriot Act, the government is becoming the Big Brother we all fear.

The FBI now issues more than 30,000 national security letters a year, according to government sources, a hundredfold increase over historic norms. The letters -- one of which can be used to sweep up the records of many people -- are extending the bureau's reach as never before into the telephone calls, correspondence and financial lives of ordinary Americans.

Issued by FBI field supervisors, national security letters do not need the imprimatur of a prosecutor, grand jury or judge. They receive no review after the fact by the Justice Department or Congress. The executive branch maintains only statistics, which are incomplete and confined to classified reports. The Bush administration defeated legislation and a lawsuit to require a public accounting, and has offered no example in which the use of a national security letter helped disrupt a terrorist plot.

The burgeoning use of national security letters coincides with an unannounced decision to deposit all the information they yield into government data banks -- and to share those private records widely, in the federal government and beyond. In late 2003, the Bush administration reversed a long-standing policy requiring agents to destroy their files on innocent American citizens, companies and residents when investigations closed. Late last month, President Bush signed Executive Order 13388, expanding access to those files for "state, local and tribal" governments and for "appropriate private sector entities," which are not defined.

Read it, all of it. Thank you George.

Posted by Chip Spear at 10:40 PM | Comments (2)

November 4, 2005

Political Football

Posted by Chip Spear at 4:16 PM | Comments (0)

Rant - Questions

So, I need someone to tell me the difference between:

Hard right wing conservative Republicans
Hard right wing Soviet Communists
Hard right wing Chinese Communists
Hard right wing muslim fundamentalists

Specifically with regard to their beliefs in the importance and respect for the individual in society. Think about it in terms of race and sex and what that person can think, read, write, worship and who they can love.

When we look or looked at countries like Communist China, the Soviet Union, Iran, and North Korea, do we or did we side with the hard line conservatives or the liberals? If someone is looking at the United States and applying the same value system, thinking about the improvement of the individual in a society, do they admire the hard line conservatives or the liberals?

Posted by Chip Spear at 9:13 AM | Comments (1)

November 3, 2005

Harry Reid's "Stunt"

Sen. Roberts accused the Democrats of pulling a political stunt by forcing the Senate into a rare closed session and demanding that the Senate Intelligence Committee complete its investigation into WMD and the deceptions by the White House leading up to the war.

Roberts accused Democrats of pulling a political "stunt" when Minority Leader Harry Reid made the motion Tuesday.

Democrats said the move was necessary to overcome Republican efforts to "obstruct" a full investigation and a reluctance to investigate how administration officials handled the intelligence used to sell Congress and the public on invading Iraq....

The move, which Majority Leader Bill Frist said he took as an "affront" to his leadership, came during a time of partisan tensions in the Senate.

Since this is two days old and has been all over the news, I will only mention that this reminded me of the scene in Casablance when Col. Renault walks into Rick's and says, "I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!" What we have here is pure political sport, where the Republicans are trying to score points with the public, expressing their outrage at something they have been doing for years.

Posted by Chip Spear at 11:13 AM | Comments (2)

Did David "Jump The Shark"?

David Brooks writes in today's NY Times here, that he thinks Harry Reid, Minority Leader of the Senate is more than a little ridiculous in his belief in conspiracy theories regarding the war. Mr. Brooks, like many on the right these days, want to dismiss the call for a full investigation into the leadup to the Iraq war. He contends that not only did Bush think Saddam had WMD, but so did Clinton and the Europeans, including the French and Germans.

Harry Reid sits alone at his kitchen table at 4 a.m., writing important notes in crayon on the outside of envelopes. It's been four weeks since he launched his personal investigation into the Republican plot to manipulate intelligence to trick the American people into believing Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.

As a responsible journalist, Mr. Brooks also knows that the CIA had additional information indicating that Saddam did NOT have WMD, yet that information was ignored or pushed aside by the White House. He does not bring that up. David is certainly aware of that. Was this information presented to the Senate? Did Harry Reid have access to that intelligence as well? For him to only present one side at this stage makes him exceedingly disingenuous. In fact, it makes him more of a cheerleader for the White House than a believable columnist. He reminds me of the TV shows that "Jump the Shark" where they lose credibility and start the long downhill slide. Maybe we should nominate him to our White House cheerleading team?

Posted by Chip Spear at 10:45 AM | Comments (1)

November 2, 2005

Bush Attacks

If you read my entry from late last week, Fitzgerald Scores, Now What? I mentioned that Bush would probably announce his Supreme Court nominee as quickly as possible, which he did on Monday, then probably announce some "bold new initiative", which he did with the $7 Billion big bird flu program on Tuesday. Though there have not been many attacks on the indictment from the White House, there have certainly been quite a few from right wing pundits and operatives. I suppose the Avian flu pandemic scare replaces the usual terrorist scare that appears whenever the White House has political problems.

Posted by Chip Spear at 9:41 PM | Comments (1)

A Breath of Air

Sometimes, amidst the madness of our lives, and certainly with regard to politics, it is important to stop for a moment, take a breath, and remember the wonders of the world are all around us.

Posted by Chip Spear at 2:48 PM | Comments (3)

November 1, 2005

Things Aren't So Perfect in Paradise

A top government official in China reported a terrible water crisis, the worst in the world.

China's water crisis -- from severe shortages to heavy pollution -- is the worst in the world and requires urgent action, a top government official says.
China was "facing a water crisis more severe and urgent than any other country in the world," Vice Minister of Construction Qiu Baoxing told a conference in Beijing on developing China's urban water supply.
The construction ministry is responsible for supplying water to residents.
"We've got to solve the problem before it is too late," warned Qiu, according to the China Daily

In the U.S. we are so obsessed with the specter of an all powerful, perfect China that we often don't realize that they have their problems too.

Posted by Chip Spear at 7:54 PM | Comments (1)

Fundamentalist Christian Cheerleader Nominations

We received another nomination for our Cheerleading teams today. Submitted by our long time reader, Richard Highman, we thank him for sending us these nominees.

Posted by Chip Spear at 3:38 PM | Comments (3)

Alito

President Bush scored with the right wing Republicans by nominating Sam Alito to replaced Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court. Bush made clear his intent to ignore the moderates and the left of the country by selecting someone who most consider a hard right judge. So much for inclusiveness. He obviously feels he can force the country to the right whether it wants to go there or not. Pat Buchanan said today, on Imus, that the Court was the last branch of government where the left is imposing morality on America. Wow, if that is not a case of the pot calling the kettle black, I don't know what is. Try flying a plane with only a right wing. See how far you get.

Posted by Chip Spear at 3:19 PM | Comments (3)

Fabulous Fumble of the Week, Oct. 31 - Trent Lott

We had a hard time choosing a worthy candidate for our Fabulous Fumble of the Week Award. Scooter Libby seemed an obvious choice, but most of his fumbles actually occurred months and years ago. He greatest fumble was probably not learning from the master of deception and evasion, Karl Rove, who never seems to get caught. However, after great debate we decided that Trent Lott is our winner for his comment:

I want the president to look across the country and find the best man, woman, or minority that he can find.

I guess a minority does not qualify as a man or woman. By definition then they aren't even human. I think that Southern Republicans have enough problems with the racist tag, they don't need any additional help from Senator Lott. Congratulations Trent for winning our Fabulous Fumble Award.

Posted by Chip Spear at 2:35 PM | Comments (2)