Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) has come out against the nomination of Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden to head the CIA, calling the ousting of former Rep. Porter Goss (R-Fla.) from the agency’s top post “a power grab” by John Negroponte, the director of national intelligence.
Hastert’s opposition to Hayden is not based on any personal reservations about the nominee. Rather, Hastert is concerned that installing a top-ranking military official at the “CIA would give too much influence over the U.S. intelligence community to the Pentagon.”
“I don’t know anything about him. He has never darkened my doorstep,” Hastert told reporters on Monday in Aurora, Ill., when asked about Hayden. “I don’t think a military guy should be head of CIA, frankly.”
On the other hand, Steve Clemons excerpts the same piece and says:
The reason Negroponte wants Michael Hayden is to check the Pentagon’s colonization of the national intelligence bureaucracy. To do that, Negroponte wants a loyal player who knows how the military dimensions of the national intelligence establishment is structured and what Rumsfeld’s imperious intentions are.
I’m not an apologist for Michael Hayden, whom I think played ‘loyal soldier’ a bit too much on the warrantless wiretap front — but the opposition to him regarding his military credentials is silly.
The balls to keep the eye on are DONALD RUMSFELD and the religious crusading defense spy chief, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, Lt. General WILLIAM BOYKIN.
Hastert and his colleagues need to wake up, study the gaming going on, and understand that while they may not like Hayden — something needs to be done to balance the deck between Negroponte and Rumsfeld.
I think it’s smart to have General Hayden in place to shut down General Boykin and his team.
.
By sufficient interest in the frog pond, I’ll be happy to cover the World Soccer Championship in Germany with highlights and background info from all six continents.
“Any entities can use the phrase “WM 2006” (2006 World Cup) or “Fußball WM 2006″ (2006 Soccer World Cup) in Germany.”
With only 45 days to World Cup 2006 Germany, the German Federal Court’s ruling has upset the official sponsors and competing corporations alike.
A German court ruled on a lawsuit the confectionary maker Ferrero and two other companies filed against the International Football Federation, saying, “The two phrases are customary, and not to be taken as referring to a certain event; therefore the court does not recognize the exclusive right to the use of phrases as claimed by FIFA and its business partners.
The German phrase WM (Weltmeisterschaft) stands for “world championship,” and has much broader use than the English term “world cup,” which is usually reserved for soccer and a few other sports events.
Teenage striker Theo Walcott is confident he can cope with the pressure of playing at a World Cup after being named in England’s squad. Walcott, 17, has not played a competitive game since joining Arsenal from Southampton in January.
But the striker told BBC Sport: “At Southampton I was 15 going on 16 (when he played in the first team) and dealt with a lot of pressure. “I’m a bit more mature now, so I think I’ll find it easy (to cope) really.” He added: “I’ve improved by training with world-class players and have been doing really well lately.
Theo Walcott thought he might be on
standby, but not in the squad
.
The Dutch League is often used by managers to introduce young talented South American stars to the European Soccer Federation. PSV Eindhoven, with sponsor Philips Electronics, contracted the Brazilian players Romario and Ronaldo in the past.
I loved to see both of these amazing stars play the game, in the small Dutch stadium and fields.
My favorite young star is the Argentine player Lionel Messi, now under contract with Barcelona and teamplayer of Ronaldinho. Two consecutive La Ligua Championships under Dutch trainer Frank Rijkaard is extraordinary. Next week the dream final for the Champions league will be played between Barcelona and Arsenal from London, the world’s two best attacking teams.
Messi played at the Youth World Cup in the Netherlands last year.
Then you have to see .Sergio Aguero He is 17, and he might be called for the World Cup. That still hasn’t been decided because they are afraid that with Messi, there will be too many kids in the national team. I honestly wished they did and that Crespo would not go. Oh well…
“Those Democratic voters still hung up on a litmus test should consider that Mr. Casey is not one of those pro-lifers whose concern for the unborn stops at birth.”
The “litmus test” that the Post-Gazette blithely dismisses is for fidelity with human rights, woman’s rights and constitutional values.
Just thought you would love to have a few laughs. Since this is an open thread….humor aweigh…:o)
Military Humor came in my email from an old Canidian friend of mine…
Three men are sitting stiffly side by side on a long commercial flight. After they’re airborne and the plane has leveled off, the man in the window seat abruptly says, distinctly and confidently, in a loud voice, “Willouby, Admiral, United States Navy, retired. Married, two sons, both surgeons.”
After a few minutes the man in the aisle seat states through a tight lipped smile, “Sloan. Admiral, United States Coast Guard, retired. Married, two sons, both Judges.”
After some thought, the fellow in the center seat decides to introduce himself. With a twinkle in his eye he proclaims, ” O’ Bryan, Master Chief Gunnery Sergeant, United States Marines, retired. Never married, two sons, both Admirals.”
—————————————————————————————————-
————————————————————
During training exercises, the lieutenant who was driving down a muddy back road encountered another car stuck in the mud with a red-faced colonel at the wheel. “Your jeep stuck, sir?” asked the lieutenant as he pulled alongside.
“Nope,” replied the colonel, coming over and handing him the keys, “Yours is.”
—————————————————————————————————-
————————————————————
Having just moved into his new office, a pomp ous, new colonel was sitting at his desk when an airman knocked on the door. Conscious of his new position, the colonel quickly picked up the phone, to ld the airman to enter, then said into the phone, “Yes, General, I’ll be seeing him this afternoon and I’ll pass along your message. In the meantime, thank you for your good wishes, sir.”
Feeling as though he had sufficiently impressed the young enlisted man, he asked, “What do you want?”
“Nothing important, sir,” the airman replied, “I’m just here to hook up your telephone.”
——————- —————————————————————– —————————————————————————-
Officer: “Soldier, do you have change for a dollar?”
Soldier: “Sure, buddy.”
Officer: “That’s no way to address an officer! Now let’s try it again! Do y ou have change for a dollar?”
Soldier: “No, SIR!”
—————————————————————-
Q: How do you know if there is a fighter pilot at your party?
A: He’ll tell you.
Q: What’s the difference between God and fighter pilots?
A: God doesn’t think he’s a fighter pilot.
Q: What’s the difference between a fighter pilot and a jet engine?
A: The jet engine stops whining when the plane shuts down.
—————————————————————————————————-
————————————————————
An Air Force chief master sergeant and a general were sitting in the barbershop. They were both just getting finished with their shaves, when the barbers reached for some after-shave to slap on their faces. The general shouted, “Hey, don’t put that stuff on me! My wife will think I’ve been in a whorehouse!”
The chief turned to his barber and said, “Go ahead and put it on me. My wife doesn’t know what the inside of a whorehouse smells like.”
—————————————————————————————————-
————————————————————
“Well,” snarled the tough old Navy chief to the bewildered seaman, “I suppose after you get discharged from the Navy, you’ll just be waiting for me to die so you can come and piss on my grave..”
“Not me, Chief!” the seaman replied. “Once I get out of the Navy, I’m never going to stand in line again!”
————————————————————- —————————————————————————————————
The elderly American gentleman arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he fumbled for his passport.
“You ‘ave been to France before, monsieur?” the customs officer asked sarcastically. The old gent admitted that he had been to France pr eviously.
“Zen, you should know enough to ‘ave your passport ready for inspection.”
The American said, “The last time I was here, I didn’t have to show it.”
“Impossible. You Americans alwayz ‘ave to show your passports on arrival in France!”
The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained, “Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach in ’44 I couldn’t find any Frenchmen to show it to!”
John at AmericaBlog has a snip from Roll Call:
On the other hand, Steve Clemons excerpts the same piece and says:
Whatever are we to think?
cotterperson, thanks so much for that link in your sig line. Lives in the Balance…
EVERYONE SHOULD WATCH IT AND DISTRIBUTE THE LINK.
.
By sufficient interest in the frog pond, I’ll be happy to cover the World Soccer Championship in Germany with highlights and background info from all six continents.
by Yoon-Jong Yoo – April 29, 2006
“Any entities can use the phrase “WM 2006” (2006 World Cup) or “Fußball WM 2006″ (2006 Soccer World Cup) in Germany.”
With only 45 days to World Cup 2006 Germany, the German Federal Court’s ruling has upset the official sponsors and competing corporations alike.
A German court ruled on a lawsuit the confectionary maker Ferrero and two other companies filed against the International Football Federation, saying, “The two phrases are customary, and not to be taken as referring to a certain event; therefore the court does not recognize the exclusive right to the use of phrases as claimed by FIFA and its business partners.
The German phrase WM (Weltmeisterschaft) stands for “world championship,” and has much broader use than the English term “world cup,” which is usually reserved for soccer and a few other sports events.
Teenage striker Theo Walcott is confident he can cope with the pressure of playing at a World Cup after being named in England’s squad. Walcott, 17, has not played a competitive game since joining Arsenal from Southampton in January.
But the striker told BBC Sport: “At Southampton I was 15 going on 16 (when he played in the first team) and dealt with a lot of pressure. “I’m a bit more mature now, so I think I’ll find it easy (to cope) really.” He added: “I’ve improved by training with world-class players and have been doing really well lately.
Theo Walcott thought he might be on
standby, but not in the squad
WATCH AND LISTEN
Interview: England striker Theo Walcott
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."
▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
Wow. Have you seen him play?
.
The Dutch League is often used by managers to introduce young talented South American stars to the European Soccer Federation. PSV Eindhoven, with sponsor Philips Electronics, contracted the Brazilian players Romario and Ronaldo in the past.
I loved to see both of these amazing stars play the game, in the small Dutch stadium and fields.
My favorite young star is the Argentine player Lionel Messi, now under contract with Barcelona and teamplayer of Ronaldinho. Two consecutive La Ligua Championships under Dutch trainer Frank Rijkaard is extraordinary. Next week the dream final for the Champions league will be played between Barcelona and Arsenal from London, the world’s two best attacking teams.
Messi played at the Youth World Cup in the Netherlands last year.
● INTERVIEW – 16-06-’05 Winfried op bezoek bij Freddy Adu
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."
▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
Then you have to see .Sergio Aguero He is 17, and he might be called for the World Cup. That still hasn’t been decided because they are afraid that with Messi, there will be too many kids in the national team. I honestly wished they did and that Crespo would not go. Oh well…
So when will we get to see the letter from Iran in full? Inquiring minds want to know.
What’s up indeed.
Right wing abandoning Rick Santorum
Hillary, Casey and Murdoch oh my. Is the GOP right wing abandoning Rick Santorum? (For the Democrats)
And: Constitutional values vs. Bob Casey, The Pittsburgh Post Gazette
“Those Democratic voters still hung up on a litmus test should consider that Mr. Casey is not one of those pro-lifers whose concern for the unborn stops at birth.”
The “litmus test” that the Post-Gazette blithely dismisses is for fidelity with human rights, woman’s rights and constitutional values.
Just thought you would love to have a few laughs. Since this is an open thread….humor aweigh…:o)
Military Humor came in my email from an old Canidian friend of mine…
Three men are sitting stiffly side by side on a long commercial flight. After they’re airborne and the plane has leveled off, the man in the window seat abruptly says, distinctly and confidently, in a loud voice, “Willouby, Admiral, United States Navy, retired. Married, two sons, both surgeons.”
After a few minutes the man in the aisle seat states through a tight lipped smile, “Sloan. Admiral, United States Coast Guard, retired. Married, two sons, both Judges.”
After some thought, the fellow in the center seat decides to introduce himself. With a twinkle in his eye he proclaims, ” O’ Bryan, Master Chief Gunnery Sergeant, United States Marines, retired. Never married, two sons, both Admirals.”
—————————————————————————————————-
————————————————————
During training exercises, the lieutenant who was driving down a muddy back road encountered another car stuck in the mud with a red-faced colonel at the wheel. “Your jeep stuck, sir?” asked the lieutenant as he pulled alongside.
“Nope,” replied the colonel, coming over and handing him the keys, “Yours is.”
—————————————————————————————————-
————————————————————
Having just moved into his new office, a pomp ous, new colonel was sitting at his desk when an airman knocked on the door. Conscious of his new position, the colonel quickly picked up the phone, to ld the airman to enter, then said into the phone, “Yes, General, I’ll be seeing him this afternoon and I’ll pass along your message. In the meantime, thank you for your good wishes, sir.”
Feeling as though he had sufficiently impressed the young enlisted man, he asked, “What do you want?”
“Nothing important, sir,” the airman replied, “I’m just here to hook up your telephone.”
——————- —————————————————————– —————————————————————————-
Officer: “Soldier, do you have change for a dollar?”
Soldier: “Sure, buddy.”
Officer: “That’s no way to address an officer! Now let’s try it again! Do y ou have change for a dollar?”
Soldier: “No, SIR!”
—————————————————————-
Q: How do you know if there is a fighter pilot at your party?
A: He’ll tell you.
Q: What’s the difference between God and fighter pilots?
A: God doesn’t think he’s a fighter pilot.
Q: What’s the difference between a fighter pilot and a jet engine?
A: The jet engine stops whining when the plane shuts down.
—————————————————————————————————-
————————————————————
An Air Force chief master sergeant and a general were sitting in the barbershop. They were both just getting finished with their shaves, when the barbers reached for some after-shave to slap on their faces. The general shouted, “Hey, don’t put that stuff on me! My wife will think I’ve been in a whorehouse!”
The chief turned to his barber and said, “Go ahead and put it on me. My wife doesn’t know what the inside of a whorehouse smells like.”
—————————————————————————————————-
————————————————————
“Well,” snarled the tough old Navy chief to the bewildered seaman, “I suppose after you get discharged from the Navy, you’ll just be waiting for me to die so you can come and piss on my grave..”
“Not me, Chief!” the seaman replied. “Once I get out of the Navy, I’m never going to stand in line again!”
————————————————————- —————————————————————————————————
The elderly American gentleman arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he fumbled for his passport.
“You ‘ave been to France before, monsieur?” the customs officer asked sarcastically. The old gent admitted that he had been to France pr eviously.
“Zen, you should know enough to ‘ave your passport ready for inspection.”
The American said, “The last time I was here, I didn’t have to show it.”
“Impossible. You Americans alwayz ‘ave to show your passports on arrival in France!”
The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained, “Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach in ’44 I couldn’t find any Frenchmen to show it to!”