friday news dump…

20 Comments

1. 

   dada on July 13, 2007 at 11:52 am

   Libby Judge Criticizes Commutation of Libby Sentence

   Injustice is relatively easy to bear; what stings is justice.

   h.l.m.

   in a rare example of judicial pique, judge reggie walton took a shot at chimpy’s commutation of libby calling it…both inconsistent with law and administration policy

   In commuting the defendant’s thirty-month term of incarceration, the President stated that the sentence imposed by this Court was “excessive” and that two years of supervised release and a $250,000 alone are a “harsh punishment” for an individual convicted on multiple counts of perjury, obstruction of justice, and making false statements to federal investigators.  Although it is certainly the President’s prerogative to justify the exercise of his constitutional commutation power in whatever manner he chooses (or even to decline to provide a reason for his actions altogether), the Court notes that the term of incarceration imposed in this case was determined after a careful consideration of each of the requite statutory factors, and was consistent with the bottom end of the applicable sentencing range as properly calculated under the United Stat[e]s Sentencing Guidelines.

   Indeed, only recently the President’s Attorney General called for the passage of legislation to “restore the binding nature of the sentencing guidelines so that the bottom of the recommended sentencing range would be a minimum for judges, not merely a suggestion,” a stance that is fully consonant with the policies of this Administration as a whole.  In light of these considerations, and given the indisputable importance of “provid[ing] certainty and fairness in sentencing . . . [and] avoid[ing] unwarranted sentencing disparities,” it is fair to say that the Court is somewhat perplexed as to how its sentence could be accurately be characterized as “excessive.”

   …what he said

   lTMF’sA

   

2. 

   dada on July 13, 2007 at 11:54 am

   funding iraq

   remember those billions of dollars in shrink wrapped greenbacks that got sent to iraq and sorta – kinda went missing?

   there’s an old saying; something about follow the money…well, apparently several iraqis have taken that spirit to heart, and have liberated
   a substantial amount of it:

   Guards steal $282 million from a bank in Baghdad

   By Alissa J. Rubin
   Published: July 11, 2007

   BAGHDAD: In an astonishing heist, guards at a bank here made off with more than a quarter-billion dollars on Wednesday, according to an official at the Interior Ministry.

   The robbery, of $282 million from the Dar Es Salaam bank, a private financial institution, raised more questions than it answered, and officials were tight-lipped about the crime. The local police said two guards engineered the robbery, but an official at the Interior Ministry said three guards were involved.

   Both confirmed that the stolen money was in American dollars, not Iraqi dinars. It was unclear why the bank had that much money on hand in dollars, or how the robbers managed to move such a large amount without being detected.

   Several officials speculated that the robbers had connections to the militias, because it would be difficult for them to move without being searched through many checkpoints in Baghdad.

   international herald-tribune

   ya think the entire iraq fiasco has turned into a farce yet?…$282m is a very large pile of cash, 2 or 3 guys didn’t just put it in a bag and walk out.

   lTMF’sA

   

3. 

   dada on July 13, 2007 at 11:55 am

   de-funding the vets

   since all those millions/billions got lost, the army’s had to get creative about ways to save money, and what better way than to eliminate long term care for traumatized veterans:

   “Since 2001, more than 22,000 servicemen and women from all branches of the military have been separated under the personality disorder discharge.” ABC News explains, “This diagnosis means the personality disorder existed before military service, and therefore medical care and disability payments are not the military’s responsibility.”

   […]

   LINK

   we have truly reached a nadir in this country when these actions are allowed to stand.

   lTMF’sA

   

   • 

     hens teeth on July 13, 2007 at 12:54 pm

     This is just obscene.

     • 

       chocolate ink on July 13, 2007 at 4:30 pm

       Yes it is…this administration has taken the word obscene and elevated it to unimaginable heights.(or lows if you prefer)

4. 

   CabinGirl on July 13, 2007 at 12:06 pm

   to wear condoms…make sure you check out the full size picture show in the article. 🙂

   • 

     ask on July 13, 2007 at 12:21 pm

     Well – I guess you clearly signal your intentions wearing one of those…

     • 

       BooMan on July 13, 2007 at 12:43 pm

       yeah, but that’s a lot of pressure.

       • 

         ask on July 13, 2007 at 12:59 pm

         Heh,
         I was thinking the same, but reluctant to post it.
         A bit overwhelming…

   • 

     dada on July 13, 2007 at 12:30 pm

     imagine….it’s your first date and she opens the door wearing one of those……..

     at least they’re raising awareness

     lTMF’sA

     

   • 

     olivia on July 13, 2007 at 1:35 pm

     would send me into anaphylaxis … won’t be finding that in my closet … :~)

5. 

   ask on July 13, 2007 at 12:29 pm

   Rice defends Bush Iraq strategy

   WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice defended the Baghdad government’s mixed report card against critics in Congress on Friday, saying the Bush administration needs another two months to find a “coherent way forward” in Iraq.

   Now, juxtapose that statement with Larry Johnson’s front page story from very early this morning:

   Imagine it is October 27, 1947. Why October 27, 1947? Because that date is 2128 days from December 7, 1941 and the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. So what? Today, 12 July 2007, marks 2128 days since Al Qaeda attacked us on 11 September 2001.

   Can we envision President Harry Truman holding a press conference to trumpet the progress in the war against Japan while the leaders of Japan remained untouched? Would Truman offer an upbeat presentation if the United States is unable to quell the violence wracking Japan?

   […]

   Meanwhile, we approach the six year mark in the so-called war with Al Qaeda and the Bush Administration has failed to put someone in charge of finding and killing Bin Laden. Sure the CIA is doing some things as is the FBI and the U.S. military’s special operations forces. But there is not a coordinated, organized effort.

   I do not take the Global War on Terrorism seriously because we are not serious about it. It is used primarily to gain political advantage and enrich government contractors. But the war effort itself is neither well-organized nor soundly conceived. So excuse me while I blow the horseshit whistle on the latest fear mongering.

   How many more Friedman Units for this diversionary war (even if she requests only 0.5 FU – for the x’th time)?

6. 

   idredit on July 13, 2007 at 12:37 pm

   ‘A remarkable verdict’

   Lord Conrad Black who gave up his Canadian citizenship to become a Peer of the UK is found guilty of obstruction; could face 35 years in prison

   • 

     BooMan on July 13, 2007 at 12:42 pm

     that’s seems excessive </snark&gt.

     • 

       idredit on July 13, 2007 at 1:49 pm

       btw, funny you should make that comment, it’s another victory in the Fitzgerald column.

       From FT, UK

       “The verdict marks a high-profile victory for the office of US attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who gained national attention this year when, during his service as a special prosecutor investigating the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame, he oversaw the conviction of Lewis “Scooter” Libby, the former chief of staff to vice president Dick Cheney.”

       Oh for a hat trick.  I’d like a verdict against Dick. but, this criminal gang is close to running out the clock.

       • 

         dada on July 13, 2007 at 2:31 pm

         fitz was already a BAMF, even before the libby and black verdicts…

         …Fitzgerald has solidified a reputation as a no-nonsense corruption buster, an “Elliot Ness with a Harvard degree,”
         .
         .
         .
         …When Fitzgerald arrived in Chicago in 2001, he was known in legal circles as the nation’s pre-eminent terror prosecutor.

         […]

         LINK

         lTMF’sA

         

7. 

   ask on July 13, 2007 at 2:38 pm

   U.S. troops battle Iraqi police, gunmen

   BAGHDAD – U.S. forces battled Iraqi police and gunmen Friday, killing six policemen, after an American raid captured a police lieutenant accused of leading an Iranian-backed militia cell, the military said.

   Seven gunmen also died in the fight, a rare open street battle between American troops and policemen. Washington has demanded the government purge its police force of militants, and U.S. and Iraqi authorities have arrested officers in the past for militia links. But the Bush administration said in an assessment Thursday that progress on that front was “unsatisfactory.”

   OK.  How about tthat progress report, again?

8. 

   Oui on July 13, 2007 at 5:28 pm

   .

   As Ice Thaws, Canada and U.S. Turn Frosty About NW Passage

   TORONTO (AP) July 12 — Canada has announced plans to increase its Arctic military presence in an effort to assert sovereignty over the Northwest Passage — a potentially oil-rich region the United States claims is international territory.

   Prime Minister Stephen Harper said six to eight patrol ships will guard what he says are Canadian waters.

   A deep water port will also be built in a region the U.S. Geological Survey estimates has as much as 25 percent of the world’s undiscovered oil and gas.

   …
   Canada also wants to assert its claim over Hans Island , which is at the eastern entrance to the Northwest Passage.

   The half-square-mile rock, just one-seventh the size of New York’s Central Park, is wedged between Canada’s Ellesmere Island and Danish-ruled Greenland.

   In 1984, Denmark’s minister for Greenland affairs, Tom Hoeyem, caused a stir when he flew in on a chartered helicopter, raised a Danish flag on the island, buried a bottle of brandy at the base of the flagpole and left a note saying: “Welcome to the Danish island.”

   "But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."

   • 

     ask on July 13, 2007 at 6:49 pm

     In 1984, Denmark’s minister for Greenland affairs, Tom Hoeyem, caused a stir when he flew in on a chartered helicopter, raised a Danish flag on the island, buried a bottle of brandy at the base of the flagpole and left a note saying: “Welcome to the Danish island.

     There’s been some action after that:
     Territorial dispute between NATO-members

9. 

   KNUCKLEHEAD on July 14, 2007 at 12:06 am

   Hey dada,
   Again you put out the matters of interest with a nice range of topics. It`s almost laughable, that these various topics tend to make me bust out in snorting chuckles.
    I mean like this. They think two guys ripped off a quarter billion bucks. The other guy says, there had to be three, thats a ton of cash. This seemingly said in a lackadaisical tone. Like “Hey did you hear what some goofball did?”
   “No, what?”
   “Him & another guy, ripped off over $250,000,000.00”
   HAHA
   “You`re shitting me!!”
   It`s like “ODDBALL NEWS”, yet it is a continuous litany of proof that rocks bred with morons at some point. No disrespect towards morons, intended.
   I hope you put one up every Friday.
   The Canadian Stoners versus the Danish Tokers in The Cage, coming to an arena near you.
    That`s great.