Random News Observations

[nutzbuster 7]

This is just incredible...http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/2...er-legal-glitch

[FCP Bob 1,312]

This is just incredible...http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/2...er-legal-glitch

I think they're just pissed that they couldn't kill somebody so now they'll do whatever they can to screw with him. It is Texas after all where they do love to fry them.

[vbnautilus 48]

While we are going overboard removing all traces of Christianity from our public life,

who exactly is going overboard with that? they still have kids in school to stand up and pledge their allegiance to Yahweh.

[loogie 115]

There are exactly two things that make it unconstitutional for a person to be ineligible to be president.Both of these are answered by their birth certificate.

[Balloon guy 158]

Not nitpicky if BG tries to pull that "Exactly" bullshit

True true

[Balloon guy 158]

who exactly is going overboard with that? they still have kids in school to stand up and pledge their allegiance to Yahweh.

Them.

[Pot Odds RAC 23]

Architect to remove ‘crosses’ from Toledo elementary schoolhttp://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/17/a...mentary-school/

[vbnautilus 48]

Whatever those things are, removing them will be an improvement.

[CaneBrain 95]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/02/20/rum...dex.html?hpt=C1you don't say....

[Balloon guy 158]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/02/20/rum...dex.html?hpt=C1you don't say....

I don't think this story means what you think it means...Here is the key sentence to help you understand it:However, intelligence reports -- now shown to have been false -- that Iraq possessed WMDs were the main reason for going in, Rumsfeld said.

[timwakefield 68]

It was widely known at the time that the intelligence reports were unverified.

White House 'warned over Iraq claim'The CIA warned the US Government that claims about Iraq's nuclear ambitions were not true months before President Bush used them to make his case for war, the BBC has learned.Doubts about a claim that Iraq had tried to buy uranium from the African state of Niger were aired 10 months before Mr Bush included the allegation in his key State of the Union address this year, a CIA official has told the BBC.

But a former US diplomat, Ambassador Joseph Wilson, went on the record at the weekend to say that he had travelled to Africa to investigate the uranium claims and found no evidence to support them.Now the CIA official has told the BBC that Mr Wilson's findings had been passed onto the White House as early as March 2002.That means that the administration would have known nearly a year before the State of the Union address that the information was likely false.

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools...cas/3056626.stmThe Bush administration's response? Illegally leaking the secret undercover identity of one of their own active CIA field agents (Valerie Plame) because her husband wrote the NYT story critical of the data about Nigerian uranium cake. That actually happened. Joe Wilson is her husband.I'm not sure which would be worse - going to war on a lie or going to war because of stupidity, but in this case stupidity is not an excuse (odd that you think it would be an acceptable excuse though, BG). They went to war on a lie.

[Zealous Donkey 0]

It was widely known at the time that the intelligence reports were unverified.http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools...cas/3056626.stmThe Bush administration's response? Illegally leaking the secret undercover identity of one of their own active CIA field agents (Valerie Plame) because her husband wrote the NYT story critical of the data about Nigerian uranium cake. That actually happened. Joe Wilson is her husband.I'm not sure which would be worse - going to war on a lie or going to war because of stupidity, but in this case stupidity is not an excuse (odd that you think it would be an acceptable excuse though, BG). They went to war on a lie.

Absolutely 100% false, even the Washington Post has debunked all the Valarie Plame, Joe Wilson bullshit. The person who leaked Plame was against going into Iraq anyway. Seriously the facts do not support any of this, you are repeating anti-bush propaganda that has been proven false by multiple sources.

[timwakefield 68]

Absolutely 100% false, even the Washington Post has debunked all the Valarie Plame, Joe Wilson bullshit. The person who leaked Plame was against going into Iraq anyway. Seriously the facts do not support any of this, you are repeating anti-bush propaganda that has been proven false by multiple sources.

But you'll admit that they knew the intelligence was false, right? Are you accusing the BBC of being wrong about the important part, or just me about Valerie Plame? The fact that she was outted is a sidenote to the main issue, which is the faulty intelligence and the Iraq war.

[timwakefield 68]

Also this, but like I said it's incidental to the heart of the matter. If you want to post your multiple sources that prove me wrong, feel free to do that though. P.S. Scooter Libby, advisor to both the President and Vice-President, was indicted, convicted, and disbarred for his role in the scandal. Prove me wrong.

[Zealous Donkey 0]

But you'll admit that they knew the intelligence was false, right? Are you accusing the BBC of being wrong about the important part, or just me about Valerie Plame? The fact that she was outted is a sidenote to the main issue, which is the faulty intelligence and the Iraq war.

Intelligence about WMD's was obviously wrong!, but Everyone believed them to be true at the time. The Valarie Plame part is pure fiction. But last I heard the Brits still stand by their report that Iraq was indeed trying to buy Uranium. To answer your question, I am saying the whole Joe Wilson, Valarie Plame part is fantasy. Hell, you have won me over along time ago as far as Iraq being a mistake. You can even blame Bush, but you can't say he went in under false pretenses, because he didn't, their was a long list of reasons for going into Iraq, and wide spread belief that he had WMDs. What the US did in Iraq was overall a very good thing. They toppled and evil dictator that had aided in terrorism, and treated his own people horribly for a long period of time. But the Iraqi people haven't proven worthy. Should this have been studied in greater detail before expending so much blood and treasure? absolutely, I agree with you on that part.

Also this, but like I said it's incidental to the heart of the matter. If you want to post your multiple sources that prove me wrong, feel free to do that though. P.S. Scooter Libby, advisor to both the President and Vice-President, was indicted, convicted, and disbarred for his role in the scandal. Prove me wrong.

Scooter Libby testified about something he learned from Tim Russert. Tim Russert denied that he passed on such information. The judge would not allow the defense to present evidence that Russert's was wrong.http://www.slate.com/id/2148555/http://www.slate.com/id/2146475/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...6071201519.htmlhttp://www.slate.com/id/2139609/http://www.slate.com/id/2140058/http://www.slate.com/id/2103795/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...4-2004Jul9.htmlhttp://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Publ...12/648ygtoe.asp

[akoff 0]

if recall the invasion had approval of 98-0-2...based on the information we had at the time. just saying that it was pretty close bipartisan approval.

[timwakefield 68]

http://www.slate.com/id/2148555/http://www.slate.com/id/2146475/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...6071201519.htmlhttp://www.slate.com/id/2139609/http://www.slate.com/id/2140058/http://www.slate.com/id/2103795/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...4-2004Jul9.htmlhttp://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Publ...12/648ygtoe.asp

You didn't have to link me to 15 Christopher Hitchens articles - one would be enough . He makes a pretty good case, and clearly there were things I got wrong, but other writers and politicians certainly see it differently than these writers do, regarding both the Niger report and Plamegate.

if recall the invasion had approval of 98-0-2...based on the information we had at the time. just saying that it was pretty close bipartisan approval.

Because Bush said in his State of the Union that Iraq was working on nukes.

[Zealous Donkey 0]

You didn't have to link me to 15 Christopher Hitchens articles - one would be enough . He makes a pretty good case, and clearly there were things I got wrong, but other writers and politicians certainly see it differently than these writers do, regarding both the Niger report and Plamegate.Because Bush said in his State of the Union that Iraq was working on nukes.

No, because they were basing their decision on numerous faulty intelligence reports. Ironically, the one mentioned in the State of Union address has not been debunked. Judith Miller has also debunked a lot of this stuff. She went to jail because she wouldn't disclose conversations she had with Scooter Libby where they talked about Plame. BTW Scooter Libby apparently did know about Plame but it is obvious to me that he has no clue where he first learned this information. The whole investigation was a farce, they knew from the beginning what happened, but they couldn't find a way to spin it in a way bring down the Bush administration. Plame's name was out there to a whole bunch of different people a long time before any of this came to light, trying to act as though it was suddenly leaked as revenge against Joe Wilson was lie that is kept alive only by the Soros backed propaganda machine.

[timwakefield 68]

Plame's name was out there to a whole bunch of different people a long time before any of this came to light, trying to act as though it was suddenly leaked as revenge against Joe Wilson was lie that is kept alive only by the Soros backed propaganda machine.

I'll admit that I may have been taken in by that lie...like Bush was taken in by the lie about uranium cake amirite!

[Zealous Donkey 0]

I'll admit that I may have been taken in by that lie...like Bush was taken in by the lie about uranium cake amirite!

Actually no, Bush wasn't wrong, he double checked with British Intelligence, there was no lie. They still believe Iraq was trying to get Uranium from Nigeria, like they had in the early 80s. This hasn't changed. Aside from being a liar it turns out Joe Wison was rather incompetent at least in this mission. Here is another non- Hitchens link on the whole Plamegate affair. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...3101460_pf.html

[Balloon guy 158]

I'll admit that I may have been taken in by that lie...like Bush was taken in by the lie about uranium cake amirite!

So your belief is that Iraq did not want any wmds? did not want to be a nuclear power?Saddam just wanted to be left alone?

[brvheart 1,752]

Curtis: we need more time [This is referring to Meghin’s audio]oh well, ok I need to get to beddo you mind finishing the PowerPoint? I will give you all of the files for itMeghin's files are not matching up completely with the PowerPoint though and I could be up all night trying to edit her work. It might be easier to edit the PowerPoint

[timwakefield 68]

HAHAHHA.. Tim, this might be a new low.

What do you mean, that part is hardly disputable. Bush said, We have to go to war, Saddam is getting nukes. You don't think that influenced the Senate? You don't think it should?

So your belief is that Iraq did not want any wmds? did not want to be a nuclear power?

Nearly every country in the world wants to be a nuclear power.

[Pot Odds RAC 23]

...You don't think that influenced the Senate? You don't think it should?Nearly every country in the world wants to be a nuclear power.

So the Senate should be able to be influenced to invade nearly every country in the world?...let's get to work!

[Balloon guy 158]

Nearly every country in the world wants to be a nuclear power.

So Saddam wanted to build nukes and we know that the French and the German have sold them centrifuges etc in the very recent past.But Bush was supposed to doubt 95% of the intelligence agencies of countries all over the world and assume that Iraq wasn't actively pursuing an expansion of his nuclear program?Right after kicking out the UN inspectors?Who were there to confirm that Saddam was obeying that UN Directive, while simultaneously in clear violation of 74 other UN directives?