PREPARING FOR THE WORST

From an ABC interview

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2006

VARGAS: So you don't agree with that report that calls the U.S. "woefully unprepared?"
BUSH: I think the U.S. is better prepared than woefully unprepared. There's no question we've got more work to do, and our report on Katrina outlined the work that needs to be done.

I thought, for example, the reaction to the 9/11 attack was a remarkable reaction, positively. When the terrorists attacked and destroyed two buildings, there were rescue teams rushing in to save lives. There was a response by the city that was a coordinated response. Katrina was one that we could have done a much better job [on], and we're learning the lessons from Katrina. But the country has got to constantly be evaluating our capabilities and preparing for the worst.

Bush Not Worried About Low Approval Ratings

LGN TANKER RISKS IN OUR PORTS

LNG Vapor Cloud Danger To Our Communities

BOAT BOMB

Q&A: Liquefied Natural Gas: A Potential Terrorist Target?/

Could be that the Ports Deal is more about Big Money and business deals than just a business deal. The United Arab Emirates, is among other things the 5th. largest producer of natural gas, and is involved in the liquified natural gas business. Would it be a good thing for the AUE to be shipping liquified natural gas and owning the ports that it is shipped to? Is it safe to ship this stuff, knowing that it is highly explosive under the right conditions. Most of the ports in the US don't want ships or tanks full of Liquified Natural Gas anywhere near them, yet George Bush asks for government controls as to where to locate them.

Bush Touts Technology to Solve America's Energy Problems
NewsMax.com Wires
Thursday, April 28, 2005

While Bush lamented America's heavy reliance on foreign energy, he also called for aggressive expansion of imports of liquefied natural gas. He said Congress should make clear the federal government has final say over locating LNG import terminals, even when states or communities object to projects.
There are 32 proposed LNG import projects on the books and federal regulators "must expedite their review," Bush said. Four import facilities operate in Massachusetts, Georgia, Maryland and Louisiana.
"It's time for America to start building again," he said.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): "The oil-rich United Arab Emirates is a major investor in The Carlyle Group, the private equity investment firm where President Bush's father once served as senior adviser and is a who's who of former high-level government officials. Just last year, Dubai International Capital, a government-backed buyout firm, invested in an $8 billion Carlyle fund.
Another family connection, the president's brother, Neil Bush, has reportedly received funding for his educational software company from the UAE investors. A call to his company was not returned.
Then there is the cabinet connection. Treasury Secretary John Snow ["whose department heads the federal panel that signed off on the $6.8 billion sale of an English company to government-owned Dubai Ports World - giving it control of Manhattan's cruise ship terminal and Newark's container port." --Knight Ridder] was chairman of railroad company CSX/. After he left the company for the White House, CSX sold its international port operations to Dubai Ports World for more than a billion dollars....
Another administration connection, President Bush chose a Dubai Ports World executive to head the U.S. Maritime Administration. David Sanborn, the former director of Dubai Ports' European and Latin American operations, he was tapped just last month to lead the agency that oversees U.S. port operations.

A LNG port is planned near the mouth of the Columbia River here in Oregon, but I don't think it will happen. We'll fight it tooth & nail. I would rather see windmills in the Columbia Gorge, than see a disaster that is just waiting to happen.

ASTORIA OREGON

WAZZUP

Hmmm. I wonder what Dubya has in mind?


Here are five facts about Dubai Ports World.

* Shareholders at Britain's P&O, who had been managing the ports, voted last week in favor of Dubai Port's multibillion dollar bid, giving the firm control over the management of P&O's global operations, including in the U.S. ports of New York and New Jersey, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Miami.

* The deal made Dubai Ports World the world's third-largest ports group.

* Dubai Ports World purchased the global port assets of U.S. freight rail company CSX Corp. (CSX.N: Quote, Profile, Research) in 2005 for $1.15 billion. U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow is a former chairman of CSX, but left the company a year before the Dubai deal.

* One of DP World's top executives, David Sanborn, was nominated by President George W. Bush in January to become the administrator of the Maritime Administration in the U.S. Department of Transportation. At least one senator plans to hold up Sanborn's confirmation until more questions about the port deal are answered.

* Dubai Ports has international operations in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Germany, Romania, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, India, China, Malaysia, South Korea and Australia in addition to the UAE.

Too Much Unfinished Business

The Republican Congress as observed is rubberstamping everything that comes down the pipe. The failure of the Republican Congress to exercise its oversite responsibilities is in my opinion an understatement The Neocons, have in essence stolen the government, in the name of the Republican party, which held the majority of seats, in the Clinton administration, and still does. With the "one voice" concept of the Neocons and the top down control emanating from big business, and manifested by corporate crime and lobbying, what can we expect. The Valery Plame leak is the tip of the iceberg. Scooter libby's trial has now been put off until Jan. 2007...AFTER THE ELECTIONS. Abramoffs lobbying atrocities of course play a big part in the "birds of a feather syndrome",and though he has confessed, will drag on till the cows come home. Someday The ongoing trial of Tom DeLay will get some results. Karl Rove actually has the guts to hop back in the saddle again, and seems to be insulated by so much ongo. Of course, after Scooter...He's up for interrigation. W'ere all holding our breath, wondering what the "one voice" will come up with next. Along with too many unanswered questions, there is too much unfinished business.

RUBBERSTAMP

BUSH DON'T KNOW JACK

Abramoff received $1.2 million from the Malaysian government for arranging a meeting between the prime minister and George W Bush in 2002. Abramoff contacted presidential advisor Karl Rove on at least four occasions to help arrange a meeting.

DONT KNOW JACK

ZZZZzz...

Attorney Apologizes to Cheney

Gee~ This is fantastic news. An attorney that admits that it is just an accident, and apologizes for any inconvenience to the man who shot him.

CHENEY SHOOTS A GADZILLION BIRDS!

~CHENEY THE HUNTER~

Humane Society Statement

Meanwhile back at the ranch...

It seems that a lot of evidence has dissappeared on this governments watch. The Neo Con's are really busy on all fronts in their deception of the sheeple. The Libby trial has now been postponed till Jan. 8, 2007,"AFTER THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS" with the feeble excuse that one of his attorneys will be busy on another case for 10 weeks. The judge had hoped to set the trial for September. We all know for a fact that trials of this magnitude should move on with great expedience. And...we also know that this administration will probably be bombing Iran long before 2007. The whole Scooter Libby trial could be postponed for a long time, along with all of the other investigations of a myriad of crimes commited by this evil Cabal.

In an interview on FOX News Channel, Cheney said there is an executive order that gives the vice president, along with the president, the authority to declassify information."I have certainly advocated declassification. I have participated in declassification decisions," Cheney said. Asked for details, he said, "I don't want to get into that. There's an executive order that specifies who has classification authority, and obviously it focuses first and foremost on the president, but also includes the vice president."Cheney added a ringing endorsement of Libby.Libby's Friends Raise $2M for Legal Bills"Scooter is entitled to the presumption of innocence," said Cheney. "He is a great guy. I worked with him for a long time. I have tremendous regard for him. I may well be called as a witness at some point in the case, and it is therefore inappropriate for me to comment on any facet of the case."

I'm Authorized to Declassify Government Information

_________________________________________

The following snippits of information were all found on Fox "faux" News
***************************************************

In an interview on FOX News Channel, Cheney said there is an executive order that gives the vice president, along with the president, the authority to declassify information.

"I have certainly advocated declassification. I have participated in declassification decisions," Cheney said. Asked for details, he said, "I don't want to get into that. There's an executive order that specifies who has classification authority, and obviously it focuses first and foremost on the president, but also includes the vice president."
Cheney added a ringing endorsement of Libby.Libby's Friends Raise $2M for Legal Bills

"Scooter is entitled to the presumption of innocence," said Cheney. "He is a great guy. I worked with him for a long time. I have tremendous regard for him. I may well be called as a witness at some point in the case, and it is therefore inappropriate for me to comment on any facet of the case."
*********************************************************************
Lawyers for defendant I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby this week accused prosecutors of withholding evidence the Libby camp says it needs to mount a defense.

"We are aware of no evidence pertinent to the charges against defendant Libby which has been destroyed," Fitzgerald wrote in a letter to the defense team.
But the prosecutor added: "In an abundance of caution, we advise you that we have learned that not all e-mail of the Office of Vice President and the Executive Office of the President for certain time periods in 2003 was preserved through the normal archiving process on the White House computer system." His letter was an exhibit attached to Libby's demand for more information from the prosecution.
**********************************************************
WASHINGTON — Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald is raising the possibility that records sought in the CIA leak investigation could be missing because of an e-mail archiving problem at the White House.

During a Feb. 3 hearing, Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald told a federal judge that the review of classified materials is being done by the CIA, National Security Council, National Security Agency, State Department and several components within the White House, including the offices of the president and vice president.

The outcome of those reviews will determine whether the case against Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, gets bogged down in a legal battle pitting the government's desire to protect national security secrets against a defendant's right to a fair trial.
***********************************************************************
Libby's Trial Set for After Midterm Elections

The trial for Libby, who faces perjury and obstruction of justice charges, will begin with jury selection Jan. 8, said U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton. The judge said he had hoped to start the trial in September but one of Libby's lawyers had a scheduling conflict that made that impractical.

Walton said he does not like "to have a case linger" but had no choice because Libby attorney Ted Wells will be tied up for 10 weeks on another case.

Libby, formerly chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, was indicted late last year on charges that he lied to FBI agents and a federal grand jury about how he learned CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson's identity and when he subsequently told reporters.

Wells said Libby's defense team was "very happy" with the trial date. It "will permit us the time we need to prepare Mr. Libby's defense," he told reporters outside the courthouse.
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Here is the executive order signed by Bush that Cheney refers to. To me this document is proof that we have a president that is not only incompetent, but is
exhibiting powers that eliminate any checks and balances whatever.

VERY SCARY

Quail Hunting Advice

THE ELEVEN COMMANDMENTS OF QUAIL HUNTING SAFETY

1) Always treat the gun as loaded.
2) Never have a loaded gun except when hunting.
3) Always make sure that the barrel and action are clear of obstructions.
4) Always carry your gun so dig you can control the direction of the muzzle, even if you stumble.
5) Always keep the safety on until the gun is brought to shoulder.
6) Always make sure your target is a quail and your backstop is not a hunter or a dog.
7) Never point a gun at anything you do not want to shoot.
**********************************************************
8) Never leave guns or ammunition within reach of children or careless adults.
******************************************************************************
9) Never climb trees or fences with a loaded gun.
10) Never shoot at a flat, hard surface or water.
11) Never drink alcohol or take other mood-altering drugs before or during a hunt.

STALKING?

I know~~ It is pretty small minded to give Cheney such a bad time about what is probably an accident, but we all know that if it happened to someone like "Barak Obama", that Fox News, and the rest of the corporate media would have it spun out of proportion. Karl Rove and all of the spinmeisters would be having a field day, as they destroyed someone who would truelly matter in this troubled world. So here it is...A small voice in the blogosphere...A small minded artical by a concerned senior citizen, who would like to see this whole Neoconservative Cabal thrown out of Washington DC. My apologies to Barak, for any mention of his name in the same breath as Cheney or any idea that he would actually shoot such a beautiful bird. I'm sure that if Barak Obama was starving, that the quail would volunteer itself as a meal, not unlike...

"Little Abners Schmoo".

Finally~A photo of George Bush with Jack Abramoff~

I don't know what kind of photographers they have in the Whitehouse, but this is supposed to be released from there. It looks like it was taken by a Brownie box camera. Sure seems like there would be more pictures of this meeting.

WHERE'S JACK?

Avenging Angels have used their imagination and talent to come up with a more detailed picture than the White House has released.

LA mayor is puzzled by Bush's new information

WHAT HAPPENED?

HUH?

The Shoe Bomber No Show

This is the other terrorist, who decided not to go LA to participate with Reid in the plot.
London’s Old Bailey court heard at the hearing in February that Badat had been given an explosive device in Afghanistan that had a detonating cord that matched Reid’s.
Badat, from Gloucester, was arrested in November 2003. At his home, police found a bomb which he had made safe by separating the detonator and fuse from the plastic explosive, which had been designed to evade airport security.

Badat

The claims by George Bush, on headline news that this was a plot to fly a plane into a building are pretty far from the truth. And this blog is pretty far from the headline news....

Wire tapping & the Shoe Bomber

Bush Says Cooperation Thwarted 2002 Attack...WASHINGTON Feb 9, 2006

ABC NEWS

In defending his position on domestic spying, George will go to any lengths to spin the media.
The incident that he is talking about involves a guy that was trying to light a fuse on his sneaker with a match.
He was subdued by the stewerdess, aided by passengers on the plane, who held him and removed his shoes.
Bush gave new details about the multinational cooperation that foiled purported terrorist plans to fly a commercial airplane into the tallest skyscraper on the West Coast? I don't think so....This hardly a guy that could fly a plane into a building....Wire tapping? I guess that the information that Bush is referring to was found in a Yahoo email account.
The three e-mails were found in a draft folder of a Yahoo account set up by Reid the day before the flight, including one message to his mother. Prosecutors on Tuesday also released the contents of three e-mails that Reid allegedly left behind before boarding the flight on Dec. 22, 2001, including a will and separate messages to his mother and a man identified only as a "brother."

Shoe Bomber

SNEAKY GONZALES


Letter to Ranger Gordon

Once again the Bush administration wants to investigate itself.
Alberto Gonzales is acting like he doesn't understand the law, and will not, "himself" answer a simple yes or no question. That would not happen if he had you on the stand. What is this...Faith based law? Or do we adhere to the safeguards that are written into the Constitution? You and I all know that if we all stand up and begin screaming that it will be confirmed that we are the vast majority. For you "Gordon Smith" It is time to pay attention to the people that you serve, instead of the corporations that keep you in office. For you "Ron Wydon" I know that you know what "We The People" are concerned about. I for one want an open investigation, that is reported accurately to the people of the world, and I do not mean FAUX NEWS.

ZZZzzz...

No photo-op this time

George Bush didn't gain much political capitol at Coretta King's funeral. It was a large audience, including four past US President's. Coretta King, was an outspoken advocate of peace and of cival rights for the poor and downtrodden. Mention of the injustices in our current administration, was very much in keeping with the beliefs and actions of Claretta and Dr. King, who dedicated their lives to fighting for peoples rights and advocating peace and nonviolence. If you watched PBS News last night, they aired all of what Lowery said. The other News that I saw, did not show the part critizing Bush's current policies in world affairs, nothing of what was said about poverty, and nothing about the standing ovation that he recieved. This was definately not a standard photo-op for George.
_______________________________________
LITHONIA, Georgia - Speakers took a rare opportunity to criticize U.S. President George W. Bush's policies to his face at the funeral on Tuesday of Coretta Scott King, widow of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Bush sat watching the long service before an audience of 10,000 including politicians, civil rights leaders and entertainers at the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, and a national cable television audience.

Lowery, former head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which King helped found in 1957, gave a playful reading of a poem in eulogy of Mrs. King.

"She extended Martin's message against poverty, racism and war/She deplored the terror inflicted by our smart bombs on missions way afar," he said.

"We know now there were no weapons of mass destruction over there/But Coretta knew and we knew that there are weapons of misdirection right down here/Millions without health insurance. Poverty abounds. For war billions more but no more for the poor."

The mourners gave a standing ovation. Bush's reaction could not be seen on the television coverage, but after Lowery finished speaking, the president shook his hand and laughed.
***************
Speaking later, Bush's father, former President George Bush, broke any tension by recalling his own meetings as president with Lowery and gave a score: "Lowery 21, Bush 3, it wasn't a fair fight."

****************

With Washington debating the legality of Bush's domestic eavesdropping on Americans suspected of al Qaeda ties, Carter also drew applause with pointed comments on federal efforts to spy on the Kings.

"It was difficult for them personally with the civil liberties of both husband and wife violated, and they became the targets of secret government wiretapping and other surveillance," he said.

More about wiretapS

By the way

"Now, by the way, any time you hear the United States government talking about wiretap, it requires---a wiretap requires a court order.

Nothing has changed, by the way.

When we're talking about chasing down terrorists, we're talking about getting a court order before we do so.

It's important for our fellow citizens to understand, when you think Patriot Act, constitutional guarantees are in place when it comes to doing what is necessary to protect our homeland, because we value the Constitution."

---President George W. Bush
April 20, 2004

State of the Onion

The Onion nails it again...

Bon Apetite'

Big Speech~Small Mind

George didn't have much to say on global warming in his state of the union speech last night. Of course, we know that he had absolutely nothing to say, allthough as the cheerleader he is, he did a better job than usual in parroting all of the gibberish that was written down and whispered in his ear. No wonder that Dubya doesn't like press conferences. How could he even remember all of his initiatives let alone answer any questions without his prompters.

Here are some of the statements from his address:

Tonight, let me speak directly to the citizens of Iran: America respects you, and we respect your country. We respect your right to choose your own future and win your own freedom. And our nation hopes one day to be the closest of friends with a free and democratic Iran. (Applause.~

I have authorized a terrorist surveillance program to aggressively pursue the international communications of suspected al Qaeda operatives and affiliates to and from America. Previous Presidents have used the same constitutional authority I have, and federal courts have approved the use of that authority. Appropriate members of Congress have been kept informed. The terrorist surveillance program has helped prevent terrorist attacks. It remains essential to the security of America. If there are people inside our country who are talking with al Qaeda, we want to know about it, because we will not sit back and wait to be hit again. (Applause.)~

Tonight I will set out a better path: an agenda for a nation that competes with confidence; an agenda that will raise standards of living and generate new jobs. Americans should not fear our economic future, because we intend to shape it.~

Because America needs more than a temporary expansion, we need more than temporary tax relief. I urge the Congress to act responsibly, and make the tax cuts permanent. (Applause.)~

We will make wider use of electronic records and other health information technology, to help control costs and reduce dangerous medical errors. We will strengthen health savings accounts -- making sure individuals and small business employees can buy insurance with the same advantages that people working for big businesses now get. (Applause.) We will do more to make this coverage portable, so workers can switch jobs without having to worry about losing their health insurance. (Applause.) And because lawsuits are driving many good doctors out of practice -- leaving women in nearly 1,500 American counties without a single OB/GYN -- I ask the Congress to pass medical liability reform this year. (Applause.)~

So tonight, I announce the Advanced Energy Initiative -- a 22-percent increase in clean-energy research.~

Tonight I announce an American Competitiveness Initiative, to encourage innovation throughout our economy, and to give our nation's children a firm grounding in math and science. (Applause.)~

First, I propose to double the federal commitment to the most critical basic research programs in the physical sciences over the next 10 years. This funding will support the work of America's most creative minds as they explore promising areas such as nanotechnology, supercomputing, and alternative energy sources.~

Second, I propose to make permanent the research and development tax credit -- (applause) -- to encourage bolder private-sector initiatives in technology. With more research in both the public and private sectors, we will improve our quality of life -- and ensure that America will lead the world in opportunity and innovation for decades to come. (Applause.)~

Tonight I propose to train 70,000 high school teachers to lead advanced-placement courses in math and science, bring 30,000 math and science professionals to teach in classrooms, and give early help to students who struggle with math, so they have a better chance at good, high-wage jobs. If we ensure that America's children succeed in life, they will ensure that America succeeds in the world. (Applause.)~

A hopeful society depends on courts that deliver equal justice under the law. The Supreme Court now has two superb new members -- new members on its bench: Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Sam Alito. (Applause.) I thank the Senate for confirming both of them. I will continue to nominate men and women who understand that judges must be servants of the law, and not legislate from the bench. (Applause.)~

Through the Helping America's Youth Initiative, we are encouraging caring adults to get involved in the life of a child.~

A hopeful society acts boldly to fight diseases like HIV/AIDS, which can be prevented, and treated, and defeated. More than a million Americans live with HIV, and half of all AIDS cases occur among African Americans. I ask Congress to reform and reauthorize the Ryan White Act, and provide new funding to states, so we end the waiting lists for AIDS medicines in America. (Applause.) We will also lead a nationwide effort, working closely with African American churches and faith-based groups, to deliver rapid HIV tests to millions, end the stigma of AIDS, and come closer to the day when there are no new infections in America. (Applause.)~

Before history is written down in books, it is written in courage. Like Americans before us, we will show that courage and we will finish well. We will lead freedom's advance. We will compete and excel in the global economy. We will renew the defining moral commitments of this land. And so we move forward -- optimistic about our country, faithful to its cause, and confident of the victories to come.~

May God bless America. (Applause.)

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