Bush supports the troops.... unless they get sick!
Veterans May Face Health Care Cuts in 2008 Mon Feb 27, 9:56 PM ET
At least tens of thousands of veterans with non-critical medical issues could suffer delayed or even denied care in coming years to enable President Bush to meet his promise of cutting the deficit in half — if the White House is serious about its proposed budget.
After an increase for next year, the Bush budget would turn current trends on their head. Even though the cost of providing medical care to veterans has been growing by leaps and bounds, White House budget documents assume a cutback in 2008 and further cuts thereafter.
In fact, the proposed cuts are so draconian that it seems to some that the White House is simply making them up to make its long-term deficit figures look better. More realistic numbers, however, would raise doubts as to whether Bush can keep his promise to wrestle the deficit under control by the time he leaves office.
"
Either the administration is proposing gutting VA health care over the next five years or it is not serious about its own budget," said Rep. Chet Edwards (news, bio, voting record) of Texas, top Democrat on the panel overseeing the VA's budget. "If the proposals aren't serious, then that would undermine the administration's argument that they intend to reduce the deficit in half over the next several years."
more of this story by... ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press Writer
CBS News: Bush ratings at all time low
(CBS) The latest CBS News poll finds President Bush's approval rating has fallen to an all-time low of 34 percent, while pessimism about the Iraq war has risen to a new high.
Americans are also overwhelmingly opposed to the Bush-backed deal giving a Dubai-owned company operational control over six major U.S. ports. Seven in 10 Americans, including 58 percent of Republicans, say they're opposed to the agreement.
more...
What is the big deal about this loser, Bode Miller?
I don't get it. Nike signs this yahoo to a big contract and gives him his own fancy website, "joinbode.com". Why would people want to "join" this obnoxious, arrogant, loser?
The results for this icon of the sport in the 2006 Olympics:
5th in the Downhill
Dis
Qualified in the Combined
Did
Not
Finish the Super-G
6th in the Giant Slalom
Did
Not
Finish the Slalom
With results like this he should be banished to re-runs of The Love Boat or a perennial guest on Hollywood Squares. He is a joke.
US men's head coach Phil McNichol
doesn't get it either. "It's really surprising to see him day in and day out throughout the Games not get it done,"
After one of his dismal outings, the genius Miller blessed the media with this brilliant comment: "The same people who recognize I came out with no medals should recognize I could have won three." You have to hand it to him. He's right. If he hadn't lost, he would have won. Pure genius. We should have more kids "Join Bode"! That is if America is in a race to the bottom!
At one point he rationalized one of his dismal performances by pointing out the positive: He wouldn't have to make the trek in to Torino to get the medal.
Party on, Dude! You shit!
This was the only scoring this loser did at the Olympics.
AnnOrexic Snag Coulter offends them in Indiana
Conservative author Ann Coulter drew a large crowd to the IU Auditorium Thursday night. More than 2,500 of the auditorium's 3,200 seats were full, but that number dwindled throughout her speech as many students were ejected for disruptions and others simply walked out after certain comments.
Within the first two minutes of her speech, one student yelled out to Coulter, "
Go back to Germany,"
"You guys are doing a great job." she said sarcastically later to auditorium ushers. "
I guess they did hire Democrats as ushers."
She claimed
liberals "hate God and hate America," and that there is no hope for the Democratic Party, citing a 25-year reign of Republican dominance.
"
We need these liberal talk radio shows to keep the tinfoil-hat types busy while we run the country, democratize the Middle East and secure our borders," she said.
Coulter raised some controversy in her speech when she said that Democrats don't want democracy to succeed in Iraq. She said, "
They don't think the little brown boys could handle democracy,"
Coulter even made comments about the physical appearances of those who were removed.
"
Another attractive Democrat, ... I think we should have saved the ushers some time and just removed all the ugly people," she said.
One comment that drew strong audience reactions came from a young man who asked her if she didn't like Democrats, wouldn't it just be better to have a dictatorship? Coulter responded with a jab at the way the student talked.
"
You don't want the Republicans in power, does that mean you want a dictatorship, gay boy?" she said.
"
She was just rude," sophomore Elana Kanter said. "
From the 'brown boy' comment to calling that guy 'gay boy,' she was really rude. It was uncalled for."
By Adam Aasen -Indiana Daily Student
William F. Buckley Jr. figured it out. Now, can Bush?
It Didn’t Work"I can tell you the main reason behind all our woes — it is America." The New York Times reporter is quoting the complaint of a clothing merchant in a Sunni stronghold in Iraq. "Everything that is going on between Sunni and Shiites, the troublemaker in the middle is America."
One can't doubt that the American objective in Iraq has failed. The same edition of the paper quotes a fellow of the American Enterprise Institute. Mr. Reuel Marc Gerecht backed the American intervention.
Our mission has failed because Iraqi animosities have proved uncontainable by an invading army of 130,000 Americans. The great human reserves that call for civil life haven't proved strong enough.
The Iraqis we hear about are first indignant, and then infuriated, that Americans aren't on the scene to protect them and to punish the aggressors. And so they join the clothing merchant who says that everything is the fault of the Americans.
The whole piece
(c) 2006 Universal Press Syndicate
Hannity on Ann Coulter Crack!
Arianna shoots. She
scores!
Tough to argue with him
"President's gone insane" – 9/11 dad Monday, February 20th, 2006
Peter Gadiel just doesn't get it.
How, asks Gadiel, whose son James died in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, can a company owned by a terror-linked country get control of our nation's ports?
"I'm a lifelong Republican and I think the President's gone insane," said Gadiel, 58, who heads 9/11 Families for a Secure America.
Two of the 19 9/11 hijackers were citizens of Dubai, the Arab emirate whose bid to run ports in New York, New Jersey and four other cities was okayed by the White House even though investigators have found signs that money used to finance terrorism flowed through Dubai banks.
"How the hell could this happen?" fumed Bill Doyle, 58, a retired Staten Island stockbroker whose son Joseph also died when the Trade Center fell.
"We're not securing our country in any way by selling our ports to foreigners," he said.
Gadiel and Doyle stood with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) yesterday at the harbor to express their outrage.
Bruse DeCell, 55, whose son-in-law died in the attacks, said that homeland security should be the highest concern when approving the activities of foreign business interests.
"This administration is putting the selling of our country on a fast track," he said. "There are a lot of loose ends that caused 9/11 to happen. I'm trying to close them."
Only 5% of the cargo containers entering U.S. ports are inspected, said Schumer, who has called for upgrades in port security for years.
BY JIMMY VIELKIND
DAILY NEWS WRITER
Hallelujah!
We know "Heaven can wait", but this sure took a hell of a long time!
A coalition of American churches sharply denounced the U.S.-led war in Iraq.
"
We lament with special anguish the war in Iraq, launched in deception and violating global norms of justice and human rights," said the statement from representatives of the 34 U.S. members of World Council of Churches. "
We mourn all who have died or been injured in this war. We acknowledge with shame abuses carried out in our name."
On Friday, the U.S. National Council of Churches — which includes many WCC members — released a letter appealing to Washington to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and saying reports of alleged torture violated "the fundamental Christian belief in the dignity of the human person."
"
Our country responded (to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks) by seeking to reclaim a privileged and secure place in the world, raining down terror on the truly vulnerable among our global neighbors ... entering into imperial projects that seek to dominate and control for the sake of national interests," said the statement. "
Nations have been demonized and God has been enlisted in national agendas that are nothing short of idolatrous."
The AP Story
Port for Sale!
During these days when our Administration has us hunkered down in a
War on Terrrrrr, it is startling to us that he is silent on the wholesale abandonment of national security and/or soverienty in regards to the security of our nation's key Ports.
Under the
EXON-FLORIO PROVISION of the Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States (CFIUS)the Bush Regime has sold the rights to
operate and provide security to several key ports in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia to
Dubai Ports World a company based in the United Arab Emirates.
A key comment from a Committee staffer:
Changing management over the U.S. ports "doesn't offer al-Qaida any opportunities it doesn't have now," said James Lewis, who worked with the U.S. committee at the State and Commerce departments.We thought the Bushites were trying to
increase the safety of America. This, by their own admission, does not do that.
We're unable to see how it cannot put us at more risk.
Some Democrats are stepping up and
plan to block this sell-out of American security.
"We wouldn't turn the border patrol or the customs service over to a foreign government, and we can't afford to turn our ports over to one either," said Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey in a statement made while announcing that he and Senator Hillary Clinton of New York would introduce a bill to try to stop it.
"Say Goodnight, Dick!"
Always on top of things, on September 2nd (five days after hurricane Katrina), President Bush arrives on the scene to tell FEMA Director, Michael Brown he was doing a
"heck of a job!
On September 12th, President Bush told former FEMA Director, Michael Brown, "Goodbye".
Again, on top of his game, on February 16th (six days after the Vice President shot a 78 year old man in the face), President Bush said that Vice President Dick Cheney responded "
just fine" to questions about the accidental shooting of a friend during a hunting trip, referring to the FAUX News handjob delivered by Brit Hume.
Does the VPOTUS survive until March?
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Say "Goodnight", Dick.
"The last time this came up, I did what I thought was right. This time, however, I'm going where the votes are." Sen. Tom Gannon: Wienie in Idaho!
Senate puts marriage for gays to Idaho voteBy ANNE WALLACE ALLEN
BOISE, Idaho — A proposed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in Idaho passed the state Senate on Wednesday and will go to voters this November.
A similar proposal fell short of the required two-thirds majority last year.
Sen. Tom Gannon, one of five lawmakers who changed their votes to help the measure pass 26-9, said he was responding to pressure from his constituents.
“I’ve been told by some that if I vote against this bill, I’ll never see this place again,” said Gannon, R-Buhl, as he stood outside the Senate chambers.
More...
Brit Hume: Republican Puppet
THE VICE PRESIDENT: It's nothing I can talk about, Brit. This is an issue that's been under investigation for a couple of years. I've cooperated fully, including being interviewed, as well, by a special prosecutor. All of it is now going to trial. Scooter is entitled to the presumption of innocence. He's a great guy. I've worked with him for a long time, have enormous regard for him. I may well be called as a witness at some point in the case and it's, therefore, inappropriate for me to comment on any facet of the case.
Q Let me ask you another question. Is it your view that a Vice President has the authority to declassify information?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: There is an executive order to that effect.
Q There is.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes.
We don't think Brit just pulled that question out of his ass. He may be an asshat, but he's not a magician. We think he's a quick study of the RNC
talking points!
Pick one: Dumb Blonde Bimbo or GOP Liar. Which is it, Coulter?
Ballot botch: Coulter votes in wrong precinctBy Jose Lambiet
Palm Beach PostWednesday, February 15, 2006
She may be smart enough to earn millions from her acidic political barbs, but when it comes to something as simple as voting in her tiny hometown, hard-core conservative pundit Ann Coulter is a tad confused.
Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections records show Coulter voted last week in Palm Beach's council election. Problem is: She cast her ballot in a precinct 4 miles north of the precinct where she owns a home — and that could be a big no-no.
Coulter, who owns a $1.8 million crib on Seabreeze Avenue, should have voted in Precinct 1198. It covers most homes on her street. Instead, records show, she voted in Precinct 1196, at the northern tip of the island.
A fave on the college speaking circuit and the occasional target of cream-pies-to-the-face, Coulter registered as a Republican (no kidding!) with the supervisor's office June 24. That's three months after she bought the home and moved to Palm Beach from Manhattan.
Here's the sticky part for The Right's Lady Macbeth: She wrote down an Indian Road address instead of Seabreeze on her voter's registration application. And she signed to certify the information as true.
"She never lived here," said Suzanne Frisbie, owner of the Indian Road home. "I'm Ann's Realtor, and she used this address to forward mail when she moved from New York."
Coulter didn't respond to requests for comment. But the blond GOP pit bull's former agent, Joani Evans, last year told Page Two Coulter left NYC to escape stalkers.
Is a desire to hold on to privacy the reason she gave the wrong address?
"I know but I'm not going to say," Frisbie replied.
No matter, Florida statutes make it a third-degree felony to vote knowingly in the wrong precinct. Lying on a voter's registration can cost up to $5,000 and five years behind bars.
"We're not a policing agency," says Elections Chief Deputy Charmaine Kelly. "You do not have to show proof that you live at your address. But when you sign the registration application, you also take an oath that everything you wrote is the truth.
"If someone brings us proof that a person falsified a registration, we'll check into it, then refer the matter to the state attorney's office if necessary."
Cheney going on FAUX News
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney will break his silence on Wednesday over the shooting of a Texas lawyer in a hunting accident, with a television interview announced by the White House.
Doctors kept a close eye on Cheney's victim, who was in stable condition a day after experiencing a minor heart attack caused by the shooting.
Cheney sprayed Harry Whittington, 78, with birdshot while hunting quail in Texas on Saturday, but has stayed silent on it except for brief statements from his office.
Cheney would appear in an interview with Fox News at 2 p.m. (1900 GMT), White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.
"It's an opportunity for the vice president to talk about the questions relating to this issue and also to talk about his concern for his friend Mr. Whittington," said McClellan, who was traveling with President George W. Bush in Columbus, Ohio. more...Nice the Veep will bless us with a comment or two. It's not surprising he chose the RNC Mouthpiece Station to do it. We hope the talking points get to the interviewer in time.
The end of free speech?
A nurse, Laura Berg, has been investigated for
sedition by the Bush Regime for daring to write a letter to the editor critical of these liars and deceivers. Fortunately, the ACLU is
defending her.
Bob Barr on illegal evesdropping on Americans
"This debate is very simple: It is a debate about whether or not we will remain a nation subject to and governed by the rule of law or the whim of men."
OK, so maybe Bob Barr is a
slimeball. But, even slimeballs are right sometimes.
The Story
Frist to diagnose
A Senate Office Building was evacuated yesterday due to the sounding of a nerve agent alarm. Senators and staff hurried to the parking garage and waited for hours for the all clear.
At one point, Senator Bill Frist, renowned surgeon, announced to the media that investigators were unable to determine the cause of the alarm.
Dr. Frist immediately offered his services and asked them to video tape the office building. He would then be able to review the tapes to determine the location of the nerve agent, it's actual composition, and all necessary antidotes.The world is safer with men like this at the helm!
Thank God for Dr. Bill!
Guantanamo's Grip
In some other world, one where the earth still turned west to east instead of inside out as it did on September 11, 2001, Detainee 032 would be finishing college this year, like his brother, father, and uncle before him. In this world, he's beginning his fifth year in prison, with neither charges nor freedom in sight. The story
And it begins
"If the liberties of the American people are ever destroyed, they will fall by the hands of the clergy." -- Marquis de Lafayette, American Revolutionary War hero SD House Approves Abortion BanThe South Dakota House has passed a bill that would nearly ban all abortions in the state, ushering the issue to the state Senate.
Supporters are pushing the measure in hopes of drawing a legal challenge that will cause the US Supreme Court to reverse its 1973 decision legalizing abortion.
The bill banning all abortions in South Dakota was passed 47-to-22 in the House.
Amendments aimed at carving out exemptions for rape, incest and the health of women were rejected.
The bill does contain a loophole that allows abortions if women are in danger of dying. Doctors who do those abortions could not be prosecuted.
Frist and Hastert sneak in gift for drug friends
WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and House Speaker Dennis Hastert engineered a backroom legislative maneuver to protect pharmaceutical companies from lawsuits, say witnesses to the pre-Christmas power play.
The language was tucked into a Defense Department appropriations bill at the last minute without the approval of members of a House-Senate conference committee, say several witnesses, including a top Republican staff member.
In an interview, Frist, a doctor and Tennessee Republican, denied that the wording was added that way.
Trial lawyers and other groups condemn the law, saying it could make it nearly impossible for people harmed by a vaccine to force the drug maker to pay for their injuries.
more...How about this line:
The Senate unanimously approved the legislation Dec. 21, but not before Senate Democrats, including several members of the conference committee, bashed the way the vaccine language was inserted.
"What an insult to the legislative process," said Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., a member of the conference committee. Byrd is considered the authority on legislative rules and tradition.While we know the corrupt Republicans will make nice for their friends, the Democrats knew this was in there and still voted for it. Sometimes, if you have to hold your nose when you vote, you shouldn't vote. The Republicans would have beat up on the Dems if they would not have voted "for" this Defense bill, but they could have made a big enough stink to get this out if they really were going to act like the loyal opposition.
Abramoff on Bush's Denial
From
Think Progress.
Abramoff emails regarding his relationship with President Bush:
In the emails, Abramoff describes meeting Bush “in almost a dozen settings,” and details how he was personally invited to President Bush’s private ranch in Crawford, Texas, for a gathering of Bush fundraisers in 2003. Abramoff did not attend, citing a religious observance.
Abramoff emailed Eisler about his invitation to Crawford and his decision not to attend:
NO, IT WAS THAT I WOULD HAVE HAD TO TRAVEL ON SATURDAY (SHABBOS). YES, I WAS INVITED, DURING THE 2004 CAMPAIGN. IT WAS SATURDAY AUGUST 9, 2003 AT THE RANCH IN CRAWFORD.The White House has continually downplayed the relationship between Abramoff and President Bush. At a January 26 press conference,
President Bush said “You know, I, frankly, don’t even remember having my picture taken with the guy. I don’t know him.” 
But according to Eisler, Abramoff told him that the two have met almost a dozen times, shared jokes, and spoke about details of Abramoff’s family:
HE HAS ONE OF THE BEST MEMORIES OF ANY POLITICIAN I HAVE EVER MET. IT WAS ONE IF [sic] HIS TRADEMARKS, THOUGH OF COURSE HE CAN’T RECALL THAT HE HAS A GREAT MEMORY! THE GUY SAW ME IN ALMOST A DOZEN SETTINGS, AND JOKED WITH ME ABOUT A BUNCH OF THINGS, INCLUDING DETAILS OF MY KIDS. PERHAPS HE HAS FORGOTTEN EVERYTHING. WHO KNOWS.
Finally, a Republican with a spine.... Now let's find a Democrat!
Rep. Heather Wilson of New Mexico, chairwoman of the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Technical and Tactical Intelligence has
called for a full Congressional inquiry into the Bush administration's domestic eavesdropping program.
The money-line from VP Darth Cheney:
"It's important for us, if we're going to proceed legislatively, to keep in mind there's a price to be paid for that, and it might well in fact
do irreparable damage to our capacity to collect information," Mr. Cheney said.
We can only hope, Mr. Vice President. We can only hope.
CIA Leak Probe --- want to make any bets?
According to ABC News, CIA Top-Spy, Porter Goss has launched an
internal investigation to find leaks.
We're tinkering with the opening of a betting line on how far that "internal investigation" will go. Any takers for "inside the White House"? We know the CIA story-line suggests it's because of the disclosure of details regarding the "CIA's operation of secret prisons in Europe and its far-flung flights of suspected terrorists to foreign prisons".
But, we think it would be quite interesting if the
CIA would continue the investigation of the Valerie Plame leak. Scooter's in hot water. We wonder if the stink is still on
Turd Blossom.
We have to think the Administration is forcing this issue because of those other traitors to America: those heartless souls that brought this corrupt Administration's illegal wiretapping of Americans to light.
With friends like Joe, the Democrats need no enemies.
Senators McCain and Lieberman cozy up at Munich conference By DAVID RISING
MUNICH, Germany -- It was no surprise when U.S. senators John McCain and Joseph Lieberman pulled chairs up next to one another Saturday to hear what German Chancellor Angela Merkel had to say at a prestigious defense conference.
The two call each other John and Joe, and even though McCain is an Arizona Republican and Lieberman is a Democrat from Connecticut, they often cross party lines to work together _ sometimes to the chagrin of their peers.
........
"Every now and again we're asked that, and McCain always says we couldn't do it because each of us would want to be vice president," Lieberman told The Associated Press.
"And my presidential campaign days are over _ I hope his aren't." More at
Newsday Inc.
Rep. Charles Rangel: An Original!
