Curveball has finally admitted that he made the entire thing up. If you recall, we went to war in Iraq based on the claim that Saddam Hussein had developed biological weapons. That account was based on the statements of Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi, who our foreign allies warned was unreliable and clearly lying. However, President Bush and his aides were set upon invading Iraqi and relied on Curveball before the United Nations. He has now come out publicly to admit he fabricated the entire thing and could not believe the Americans relied upon his stories to launch a major war.
Continue reading “Throwing a Curveball: The Source Used To Justify Iraq War Admits He Made The Whole Thing Up”
Category: Politics
After previously heralding the Egyptian protests as a triumph for democracy, the Iranian government has made it clear that such demonstrations are best viewed from afar. After cracking down on tens of thousands of protesters yesterday, Iranian legislators are calling for the leaders of the protests to be executed. This followed the announcement that the government will be opening special courts to punish journalists.
Continue reading “Iranian Legislators Call For The Execution of Protest Leaders”
Many local activists and politicians oppose the arrival of a Wal-Mart on the ground that it destroys small businesses, threatens historic sites, or introduces only minimum wage jobs. Brenda Speaks, a Ward 4 ANC commissioner in Washington, D.C., has a more novel argument against a store in the Capitol: her constituents (and particularly young people) will not be able to resist shoplifting and the store will generate as many plea deals as shoppings deals.
Continue reading “D.C. Commissioner Opposes New Wal-Mart On Grounds That Her Constituents Cannot Resist Shoplifting”
Ann Coulter may have finally found a country with that perfect mix of robust conservative values and restrictions on the free press . Only days after Ann Coulter was met with thunderous applause at CPAC after proclaiming “I think there should be more jailed journalists,” Iranian officials have announced the creation of a new court for media crimes. It is not clear whether the Iranians will name the new tribunals “Coulter courts” but they should be a real crowd pleaser for those who wildly applauded at CPAC.
Continue reading “Coulter Courts? Iran Creates A New Media Court To Jail Journalists”
Former USDA employee Shirley Sherrod has sued blogger Andrew Breitbart over the use of an edited video that made her falsely appear to be a racist. The case could prove quite burdensome for Breitbart, but will present Sherrod with some challenges as well.
Continue reading “Sherrod Sues Breitbart Over Misleading Video”
Submitted by Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw), Guest Blogger
I don’t think Barry Goldwater would recognize Conservatism or his Republican Party if he was alive today. Conservatism used to mean belief in safe and sound economic spending and freedom for all from governments getting too large and too restrictive on personal freedoms. Recently we have seen Republicans offer up a brand new and dangerous definition of rape in an attempt to restrict abortions and to restrict government money being used to pay for them. Now we are seeing another Republican attempt to restrict the use of contraceptives under the guise of ending the alleged use of Federal funds to pay for abortions.
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
Suzanne Mettler, professor at Cornell, has written an article in Perspectives on Politics that highlights the public ignorance regarding the benefits people receive from the state. Different government programs operate indirectly have made the extent of the US welfare state invisible. These government social programs are rarely stigmatized by equating them to welfare. Welfare, it’s not just for the poor.
The table, below the fold, is amazing.
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
The Mississippi Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans has come up with an idea for celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War—known to some as the “War between the States.” The veterans group has proposed that the state of
Mississippi issue a series of specialty license plates commemorating the war. These specialty plates, planned for the years 2011 through 2015, would each have a different design.
What has some people upset is the specialty license plate slated for the year 2014, which would honor General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Forrest, a native of Tennessee, is considered by some to have been a military genius. Others feel differently about Forrest who is “reviled” by some for allegedly having lead a massacre of Black Union troops at Fort Pillow in his home state in 1864. It should be noted that Forrest also served as the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.
Submitted by Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw) Guest Blogger
You may recall that after the horrible Tucson shooting massacre, I wrote a piece for this blog suggesting that it might be a good time to consider banning deadly weapons and the high-capacity magazines of the type that the alleged killer used on that fateful day. It was a difficult issue, but I thought then and still think now that it is an important issue that needs to be discussed by not only us, but by the American public through their Representatives and Senators in Congress. With that prior posting in mind, I was shocked to read a story earlier this week about the president of the National Rifle Association, Wayne LaPierre, who blamed the shootings on government policies in a recent speech to the CPAC conference on Thursday, February 10th. Continue reading “The NRA Claims That the Government is to Blame For Tucson Shootings”
Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
First it was Hope and Crosby, then Rowan and Martin, and now the straight-laced conservative crowd at CPAC (The Conservative Political Action Conference) has its own custom-made comedic duo. Facing a chorus of boos and cheers former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld teamed up once again with straight man (and former VP) Dick Cheney for CPAC’s “Defender of the Constitution Award” to entertain the assembled horde of Brooks Brothers clad “real men” — and a few women, too. Rumsfeld was not fazed by a few jeers at the mention of his name, and Dick Cheney was positively giddy when attendees yelled, “”Where Bin Laden at?” and “Show us the shackles Dick.” Cheney quipped in reply,” Alright, sit down and shut up.” What a card? Predictably those few dissidents (probably illegal immigrants) were drowned out by the ringing, obligatory chorus of “U.S.A,” U.S.A.”! Good enough for a hockey game; good enough for the CPAC patriots. (Oops, hockey’s Canadian– make that football, damnit) Boy, was Samuel Johnson ever right.
In a further example of the rush to the bottom in our political system, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told the Conservative Political Action Conference that he intends to scrap the EPA which he claims has waged a “war on American energy.”
Continue reading “Gingrich Calls For Elimination of The Environmental Protection Agency”
Mississippi may be low on educational and employment studies, but it is number one in a recent survey of the most unhealthy states with the surprising record of having each citizen on average buying 82 gallons of soft drinks annually.
Author Phillip W. Magness has long harbored the view that Lincoln biographers had sanitized the history of “The Great Emancipator” to fit his modern popular image. Certainly, civil libertarians have long questioned Lincoln preeminence as a voice of freedom given his denial of habeas corpus and violations of constitutional rights and powers. Now, Magness is about to publish a book entitled “Colonization After Emancipation: Lincoln and the Movement for Black Resettlement,” revealing research showing that Lincoln actively explored and planned for the relocation of freed slaves to British colonies.
Continue reading “Lincoln, The Great Colonizer? New Book Details Plans By Lincoln To Ship Freed Slaves To English Colonies”
Iran has internationally heralded the protests in Egypt as a popular and justified uprising. However, like China, it has now blocked the BBC coverage of the protests to avoid any Iranian getting any ideas about freedom. Iran previously celebrated democratic freedom by arresting, beating, and in some cases executing protesters.
Continue reading “Iran Heralds Egyptian Protests . . . And Then Blocks Coverage in Iran”
The New Yorker article by Lawrence Wright on the Church of Scientology is getting a great deal of attention. The article details the departure of screenwriter and director Paul Haggis from the church after 35 years. However, I found one of the most interesting aspects to be Wright’s confrontation of Church officials over the alleged heroic record and severe battle scars of founder L. Ron Hubbard.
Continue reading “Scientology Officials Accused of Falsifying Hubbard War Records”