Author: catnip

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison on Sunday’s Meet the Press (thanks to Think Progress):

I certainly hope that if there is going to be an indictment that says something happened, that it is an indictment on a crime and not some perjury technicality where they couldn’t indict on the crime so they go to something just to show that their two years of investigation were not a waste of time and dollars.

Perjury. Yup. There it is. Right in the text of the law. Perjury’s just a technicality all right. In fact, if you read between the lines it says “this charge only applies when you can’t get a real indictment on anything more juicy”.

Today’s Get a Clue Award goes to Bailey Hutchison. No doubt about that.

See the video at Crooks and Liars.

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The US government’s practice of flying terrorist suspects oversees to be tortured by willing regimes is about to come under investigation in Scotland. The policy, framed by the innocuous phrase extraordinary rendition has escalated since 9/11 under the guidance of President Bush and his legal advisers, most particularly Alberto Gonzales. It would be interesting to ask Harriet Miers about her views and input to Bush about this issue if she makes it to the upcoming hearings.

Back to Scotland: following an investigative report by Scotland’s Sunday Herald columnist Neil Mackay on October 16, 2005 in which he noted these details, the Herald is now reporting that the Scotland police have launched their own investigation:

The programme is reviled by human rights groups around the world, but the UK is a keen supporter. Since 9/11, the CIA’s 33-strong fleet of planes, which is used to fly its human cargo of alleged terrorist captives around the globe, has stopped off for refuelling and other logistical support at UK airports on no less than 210 occasions.

Nearly 20 British airports have been used, with Prestwick and Glasgow the favoured destinations. Prestwick has received 75 CIA rendition flights and Glasgow 74. Other airports used include Luton, Heathrow, Gatwick and Belfast.

The Scottish police have the authority to board the flights bringing in suspects:

Craig Murray, former British ambassador to Uzbekistan, said : “Once these planes land on British soil, they have no immunity. If they touch down at a civilian airport they are under civilian jurisdiction. This would allow the police to do their job fully and to board the plane and question those on board.”

And, this is one CIA official’s reaction:

The CIA refused categorically to comment. One CIA official merely laughed when told that Scottish police were to investigate.

It is exactly that attitude that shows everyone that it’s Bush’s policies, not those of a “few bad apples”, that are the driving force behind violating international laws – most particularly the ban against torture.

The practice began during the 1990s under the auspices of the CIA but was reportedly rarely used until Bush declared his war on terror and began stripping away almost every possible civil and international right that citizens had up until that point.

more…

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Right-wing bloggers Michelle Malkin and Little Green Footballs have launched vicious attacks by claiming that we on the left, who they refer to as “ghouls”, are planning “parties” when the US casualty rate from the war in Iraq reaches 2000.

Via LGF:

The American Friends Service Committee is planning to hold a series of parties all across the country when the 2000th US soldier is killed in Iraq: Not One More Death. Not One More Dollar.

Malkin:

They support the troops…by partying over their deaths.

Sick.

But it’s par for the course.

I’ll tell you what’s sick and ghoulish, you ignorant fucking right-wing liars: linking to the American Friends Service Committee site which is calling for people to hold candlelight vigils and protests the day after the death toll reaches 2000 in order to show support for the troops and calling those events “parties”.

We shouldn’t be surprised by these slimy right-wing bloggers though. They’ll obviously do anything to support their dear leader and his warmongering – including disrespecting the soldiers who have died and the friends and families who mourn them.

You want a fucking party? Just wait until your beloved administration goes down in flames, and it is going down – make no mistake about that. Then we’ll show you what a real party is and you and your kind can go slithering back to the swamp from whence you came.

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Courtesy of WaPo:

FOX NEWS SUNDAY (WTTG), 9 a.m.: Sens. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) and Sam Brownback (R-Kan.); former independent counsel Robert W. Ray ; and lawyer Abbe Lowell .

THIS WEEK (ABC, WJLA), 9 a.m.: Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean , Democratic strategist Donna Brazile and actress Mira Sorvino .

FACE THE NATION (CBS, WUSA), 10:30 a.m.: Sens. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.).

MEET THE PRESS (NBC, WRC), 10:30 a.m.: Sens. George Allen (R-Va.), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.) and Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and author George Packer .

LATE EDITION (CNN), 11 a.m.: Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla.), Florida mayors Jim Humphrey of Fort Myers and Morgan McPherson of Key West, Florida Highway Patrol Col. Christopher A. Knight , Florida Emergency Management Director Craig Fugate , American Red Cross President Marsha J. Evans , former attorney general Richard L. Thornburgh , and former special counsel Lanny J. Davis .

Yapping yappers, squawking squawkers and yakety yakers.

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Two women caught in the middle of two very big messes at the same time – both the result of their own arrogance: Judith Miller, irascible New York Times reporter and Harriet Miers, woefully inexperienced Supreme Court Justice nominee. Both are in the headlines every day and the stories behind those headlines keep getting worse. Yet, neither woman has the humility necessary to simply stand up, declare “mea culpa” and just walk away – sparing the rest of us the circus they’ve both created.

Sunday’s NYT has yet another story by yet another colleague of Miller’s, Byron Calame, “the reader’s representative”, throwing even more poisonous darts at her in an attempt to push her out the door. And she deserves to be pushed – hard.

I suspect we’ll see many of these in days to come as the NYT tries to save what little is left of its former reputation thanks to Miller’s stonewalling and self-absorption. Unfortunately, this will continue to be a spectator sport in which the audience members are tied to their chairs, forced to watch as the paper continually flogs itself in an act meant to convince people that, this time, it really means it – it will change. Note to the NYT: we can only take so much.

Meanwhile, Miers reputation is again coming under fire – this time for receiving excessive funds from Texas officials for a land deal she was involved with. This new scandal is sure to keep the media busy for at least the next couple of days.

Harriet Miers needs to withdraw her name from the nomination process immediately. It’s become quite obvious that a person so full of themselves that they would even consider accepting a nomination for US Supreme Court Justice with the obvious lack of qualifications she has places herself above what’s good for the court and the United States. There’s more than enough hubris in Washington to go around these days. Bush commends Miers’ character. That’s only because it reflects his to a tee – take what you want and screw everybody else.

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