Author: Books Alive

Rep Lewis was introduced last night in glowing terms when he stood to give his remarks on House Con Res 63, with words to the effect that he’d “supplied all the Special Forces” equipment, etc that was used in Afghanistan in the search for Osama bin Ladin. My mind drifted from the train of superlatives at that point. While all that congratulatory praise was being heaped on Lewis, where was the mention of the failure to press on to the capture, as we learn from Gary Berntsen’s Jawbreaker?

The decision not to supply the additional support that Gary requested, forces needed to complete the capture just as OBL was cornered in Tora Bora, has been explained as BushCo wanting to focus on Iraq instead.

But considering that a deliberate decision to abandon the capture has led to this lengthy war, and need for more and more equipment, I question the appropriateness of overlooking the failure to capture OBL, and wonder if Rep Lewis, or any of the other military suppliers and backers, contributed to the decision.

A USA Today article reports on Dep Atty Gen Paul McNulty being raked over the coals by Sens Schumer and Leahy with their probing questions on what is behind the turnover in US Attorneys. McNulty takes the criticism personally.

Such examples of installing Bush loyalists wherever possible leads Paul Krugman to write an exceptional column with a perfect title, The Green-Zoning of America. (H/T to TruthOut.)

With all these hearings, we’d need a wall full of TV screens to follow them all, that is, if C-Span would take it up a few more notches!

Cute story in WaPo about a retired German chauffeur who breeds giant, 23-pound gray rabbits. He plans to provide some to help ease the food situation in North Korea (I hope that’s the reason). The critters are as big as a beagle, and so heavy they can’t even hop. This is a sweet respite from the solemnity today at the DNC.

Thanks to Larry’s link in today’s fp post, I was reminded of IraqSlogger.com. The site’s servers went down on Sunday when it was featured on Washington Journal. It’s up and running now, and full of information.

Eason Jordan, a former CNN employee, is one of IraqSlogger’s founders. He said one of their goals is to bring good news from there. In that vein, today I read that CBS reporter Kimberly Dozier has recovered and is back at work.

A second entry that is now posted is a photo collection from Saturday’s march.  Close-ups of some of the more “extravagant” costumes range from a Santa to Dancing Flowers. The headline doesn’t call this Good News, but I see it that way!

Sad news is the diary of an 11-year-old boy who attends school as the only one in his class. There’s got to be a way to end the violence.

A compact fluorescent lamp, or CFL, is a light bulb that uses at least 2/3 less energy than a
traditional incandescent bulb to provide the same amount of light. CFLs that have earned the
government’s ENERGY STAR label typically last up to 10 times longer and save $30 or more in energy costs over their lifetime. Thanks to tremendous increases in the number and variety of CFLs available today, you can now find CFLs most anywhere you currently shop for light bulbs.

What kind of difference can one CFL make? Consider this:  If every American home replaced just one of the light bulbs they use most with a CFL, together we’d save enough energy to light more than 2.5 million homes for an entire year and more than $550 million in energy costs, while preventing greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of nearly 800,000 cars! Just imagine the difference we could make if we replaced all of the lights we use most!

When you buy a CFL anywhere in the United States this year, it will automatically be added to this site’s map. It’s that simple to become part of the solution to help slow global warming!

Lawrence Bender spoke recently before the US Mayors annual conference. I watched the session on C-Span in which he introduced this campaign to ask every family to buy and use just one CFL bulb. There will be a PR advertising campaign beginning February 22. We can get an early start if you wish. The quote above comes from their website.

Hate to post on a weekend like this, with the march being the newsworthiest item, but Capital News featured Matt Apuzzo’s AP story today. At the bottom, he linked to the AP in Washington compilation of past stories, courtroom drawings (more that I’ve seen on TV), trial documents and blogger entries for each day.

It’s tricky to access, but see if this works. On this page, click the headline of the story about the trial. This contains a right-hand column with icons for the various blogs, documents and previous stories.

I spent time exploring Richard Armitage’s early June, 2003, calendar. It showed short 15-30 minute meetings with various foreign visitors, diplomats, etc, each day. On June 13, he scheduled a Private Appointment with Bob Woodward from 2:00 to 3:00, followed by another Private Appointment with Tom Cruise, Tom Davis and Kurt Weiland from 4:00 to 4:30. There is nothing recorded on the calendar as to subjects covered, so that will have to come from some other source.

Now, back to the weekend news. C-Span’s coverage starts shortly.

Newsweek online has an interview with Chuck Schumer about his 11 goals, and his plan to meet them by a 50% increase. This comes from his book which sets positive Democratic goals, things he feels will bring the voters out and support the Dems.

Jonathan Lash is the lead off speaker for the event, and GE’s chair will speak next,live on C-Span. This means it ought to be reaired, and hopefully, archived so that others can see it in its entirety.

Fred Krupp, President of Environmental Defense provided the URL: www.us-cap.org.

Time to e-mail your Senators and Reps, too. Really lay it on!!!

The Judiciary committee hearing from last Thursday is being reaired now, so I have the chance to see the whole thing.

Senator Leahy opened with pointed criticism of the AG that the anthrax letter investigation is so delayed. “Whoever sent it meant to kill me,” or similar words were Leahy’s heartfelt indictment of the foot-dragging investigation.

Sens Specter and Grassley also sharply criticize the AG about the delay and lack of testimony to the committee.

The NYT has more info on the BushCo Patriot Act pushing out their “enemy” US Attorneys. Sen Feinstein reports on two in California, Carol Lam and Kevin Ryan. As I posted here on Sunday, Atty Lam prosecuted Randy “Duke” Cunningham, and Atty Ryan was successful in going after Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative.

During his tenure, Ryan oversaw high-profile prosecutions on stock options fraud and steroids in sports, which led to the convictions of five people linked to the Burlingame-based Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative.

Sen Feinstein has introduced legislation, and more on that is available on her website. I’ve e-mailed my senators, and Dick Durbin has responded already. I’m v. happy to see more publicity for the Patriot Act stipulation that Durbin and Feinstein wish to correct.

From C-Span’s Capital News: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-US-Attorneys-Resign.html?_r=1&oref=slogin