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Public Accounting
MonKey points us in the direction of this disturbing story about the White House moving to limit the damaging potential of the Petraeus report.
Is the White House worried about Gen. Petraeus saying too much on Capitol Hill? Is that why it wants to limit the amount of face time he has with Congress? The Washington Post: "Senior congressional aides said yesterday that the White House has proposed limiting the much-anticipated appearance on Capitol Hill next month of Gen. David H. Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker to a private congressional briefing, suggesting instead that the Bush administration's progress report on the Iraq war should be delivered to Congress by the secretaries of state and defense…The skirmishing is an indication of the rising anxiety on all sides in the remaining few weeks before the presentation of what is widely considered a make-or-break assessment of Bush's war strategy, and one that will come amid rising calls for a drawdown of U.S. forces from Iraq."
The antiwar group Americans Against Escalation In Iraq will begin running a TV ad campaign targeting GOP lawmakers Thelma Drake (VA), Phil English (PA), Mitch McConnell (KY), and Fred Upton (MI). The ads -- which will air in college towns in the states on MTV, ESPN, and local network stations -- attempt to tie these Republicans to the draft.
One of the ads goes: ”Thelma Drake has supported Bush's war in Iraq for four years”; it quotes War Czar Douglas Lute about a military draft possibly being on the table. And it ends: “Tell Thelma Drake to end this war.”
Is it too much to ask that the people get a public accounting of how someone spent our $97 billion?
Yes, yes it is too much to ask.
Why would they tell you how they spent 97 billion?
I mean, seriously, 2.6 trillion...TRILLION.. came up missing from the pentagon, and they have never bothered to find it or even explain it.
Why would they bother showing you what you got for 97 billion?
$97 billion dollars.
That's chump change.
Sick American lacking health insurance thrown over balcony to her death
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110AP_Wife_Killed.html
Army suicides highest in 26 years
More than 500 dead in one Iraq attack yesterday
Lawsuit against federal spying impossible because
needed documents are "secret"
Hurricanes, earthquakes in odd places
Thousands of American guns showing up in Mexico
Stock market sharp declines globally because of
US housing market going bad
Is this what Bush meant by the "Ownership Society?"
Do you realize it is actually cheaper for them to kill Iraqis half a world away to distract you?
They play around with, toss around, mismanage 97 billion, while taking hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars, tens of TRILLIONS of dollars, out the back door.
If you can spend 97 billion for a grand and bloody distraction, while stealing 2.6 trillion at a time, I would say that would be one sweet deal for you.
Hell, even if you give me half of it to shut up and ignore your theft, you still walk away with 1.3 TRILLION dollars.
Once you run it through the washer to clean all the blood off of it, it looks like everybody elses money. Spends like it too.
Monkey that is one sick thing.
How could anyone do that to a sick woman?
OMG I need a shower after that one. Holy cow.
Ok,... who slipped ABC a clue?
ABC News Asks, "Could the U.S. Attorneys firing scandal be bigger than Americans know?"
http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/08/fired-us-attorn.html
Gee, ABC, why would Americans NOT KNOW how big it really is?
Even 'DUHHH!' seems too complicated for these people.
Is this what Bush meant by the "Ownership Society?"
Posted by: not my president at August 16, 2007 10:56 AM
Yes, where only "model minorities" (AKA the chosen few who have sucked up to the Republican war/death machine all along) have ANYTHING to own.
And honestly, if O'Reilly and BMW can call for the destruction of San Francisco, it wouldn't be too far out of line for me to pray for a major disaster in Little Havana West.
How could anyone do that to a sick woman?
Posted by: Christy at August 16, 2007 11:02 AM
That's runaway capitalism for you. Her life didn't have enough monetary value.
Wow Ally.
MeeeOooowww girlfriend!
What did Little Havana do to you?
Damn that's harsh.
Posted by: Christy at August 16, 2007 11:50 AM
In a nutshell: EVERYTHING.
It's thanks to Little Havana West, Koreatown, Little Saigon, or whatever it's called, that America is a fascist state that it is today.
Seriously, LA's Koreatown did have a disaster - the race riots of 1992.
But nobody seems to have learned anything from it, especially regarding race relations.
Honestly, why would there be a need to learn anything from the riots, when Poppy Bush and Pat Buchanan were busy on the streets coddling the offenders?
Boy money is flying out of the stock market into the bond market! Foreclosed houses are sitting idle in Florida, Ohio, the upper midwest etc. with no interested buyers. In our region where it's been slow to hit, I'm noticing "Sale Reduced" prices and houses sitting longer. There are cranes all over and people have been flipping condos as renters get kicked out into the street. Kids are crowding into apartments together, returning home to parents or living in sleeping rooms. It's a jungle out there!
Meanwhile, I was looking into toy recalls because I work constantly with kids and toys. It is impossible to even know where to start because of the amount of lead paint, going back to 2002 or so, about the time the "ownership society" was really getting going with its deregulation. This corresponds with an astronomical increase in suspected cases of autism. Corporate profit has triumphed over public safety (for consumer products and in places like Iraq).
What goes up must come down. It's a law of nature that those who refuse to follow laws cannot get around, no matter how much they pray and pontificate.
Market gains for 2007 in US have been erased as of today, taking Asia and Europe down as well.
Does this mean our stock market is crashing?
Cause, it looks like it is crashing.
The stock market was wildly overvalued, there was too much money chasing too few value based stocks. It is a correction, although the depth will be determined by other factors, including how people interpret USA government actions.
When you see numbers like these being tossed around, dont forget that companies and people selling are raking in massive amounts of profits. Watch for quarterly P/L issued by securities and bank holding companies.
The American economy is being gutted by the Bush Adminstration, one piece at a time. The market is reacting to the valid judgement the US is run by idiots.
People are taking their profits off the table and placing them into bank accounts.
Diebold Can't Sell Elections Unit
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/D/DIEBOLD_VOTING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-08-16-10-19-00
Padilla judgement coming down in 1 hr. going to be interesting, they have only deliberated for 1 1/2 days.
awsuit against federal spying impossible because
needed documents are "secret"
Hurricanes, earthquakes in odd places
Thousands of American guns showing up in Mexico
Stock market sharp declines globally because of
US housing market going bad
Is this what Bush meant by the "Ownership Society?"
Posted by: not my president at August 16, 2007 10:56 AM
@@@@@
A country as ignorant, uninformed and lazy as the good old US of A, deserves a president like George Bush. Bush is a true reflection of much of the nation, unfortunately.
BTW: A quote from Greg Palast about the strawberry festival in Southold, NY:
"The festival is a quaint and annoying white-folks' ritual, an opportunity for backstabbing, petty infighting and all- American small-mindedness. But that's another story altogether."
from "Armed Madhouse"
In Mississippi a few years ago, the courts took away a woman's 8-year-old child.
Why? In part because the child's mother was a lesbian.
Two of the judges in the majority went so far as to write and sign an additional opinion, unnecessary to the case's outcome, which stated that the mother must accept the fact that losing her biological child was a possible consequence of her sexual "choice."
One of those two judges was Leslie Southwick. And today, Southwick is dangerously close to being appointed to the Federal bench by President Bush.
Only the Senate stands in the way of his confirmation - will you take action with me?
Make sure your Senators return from their August break with a full inbox saying NO on Southwick's nomination!
America's highest courts are meant to be protectors of justice, not prejudice. Yet Southwick's record as a Mississippi judge raises serious doubts about his ability to apply the law fairly to all Americans. In this case alone, Southwick:
Went so far as to cite Mississippi's irrelevant and outdated sodomy laws, which have since been invalidated.
Focused on "the practice of homosexuality" - refusing to even mention gay individuals as human beings.
Cited Mississippi's law prohibiting same-sex couples from adopting children - even though this was not an adoption case!
The American Psychiatric Association has long held that sexual orientation is not a "choice," and that lesbian and gay parents are just as successful as their heterosexual counterparts.
Yet Judge Southwick disregarded widely accepted science in favor of his personal bias. This man MUST NOT be given the responsibility to protect the basic rights of gay and lesbian Americans.
Help protect GLBT civil rights by writing your Senators today.
If approved to the Court of Appeals, Southwick's appointment would be for life. That's why I'm asking you to take action today - and when you're done, please forward this message on to everyone you know.
Thank you.
Not fit to serve
Take Action! Don't Let Prejudice Trump Justice
http://www.hrcactioncenter.org/campaign/southwick/7sbnwer1i85mn8?
Padilla convicted in terror trial
Accused "enemy combatant" Jose Padilla was found guilty Thursday on charges he conspired to kill people in an overseas jihad and conspired to fund and support overseas terrorism.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/16/padilla.verdict/index.html
Bringing back the draft?? Says Gen. Lute:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPe-1BKHHis
Tweety says:
Draft the Romney kids
CRAWFORD, Texas - One of the president's daughters is getting married. President Bush and first lady Laura Bush announced Thursday that their daughter, Jenna, is engaged to long-time beau Henry Hager of Virginia.
No wedding date has been set, said Mrs. Bush's press secretary, Sally McDonough.
Jenna, one of the president's twin daughters, became engaged to Hager, the son of Mr. and Mrs. John H. Hager of Richmond, Va., on Wednesday. John Hager is the former Virginia lieutenant governor and current U.S. Education Department assistant secretary.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20301504/from/RS.3/
Way-way offtopic, but goodbye to a fave...
Max Roach, master jazz percussionist, dies
Self-taught drummer defined bebop with unique sound
NEW YORK - Max Roach, the master percussionist whose rhythmic innovations and improvisations defined bebop jazz during a wide-ranging career where he collaborated with artists from Duke Ellington to rapper Fab Five Freddy, has died after a long illness. He was 83.
The self-taught musical prodigy died Wednesday night at an undisclosed hospital in Manhattan, said Cem Kurosman, spokesman for Blue Note Records, one of Roach’s labels. No additional details were available, he said Thursday.
Roach received his first musical break at age 16, filling in for three nights in 1940 when Ellington’s drummer fell ill.
Roach’s performance led him to the legendary Minton’s Playhouse in Harlem, where he joined luminaries Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie in the burgeoning bebop movement. In 1944, Roach joined Gillespie and Coleman Hawkins in one of the first bebop recording sessions.
What distinguished Roach from other drummers were his fast hands and ability to simultaneously maintain several rhythms. By layering different beats and varying the meter, Roach pushed jazz beyond the boundaries of standard 4/4 time. His dislocated beats helped define bebop.
Roach’s innovative use of cymbals for melodic lines, and tom-toms and bass drums for accents, helped elevate the percussionist from mere timekeeper to featured performer — on a par with the trumpeter and saxophonist.
“One of the grand masters of our music,” Gillespie once observed.
more...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20300885/
Posted by: rossiann at August 16, 2007 01:55 PM
We better be grateful that gassing of homosexuals has NOT begun yet in the good ol' US of A.
And I have a feeling that the gas chambers will be supplied by Samsung and Hyundai.
I am NOT joking.
A country as ignorant, uninformed and lazy as the good old US of A, deserves a president like George Bush. Bush is a true reflection of much of the nation, unfortunately.
Posted by: Ralpheh at August 16, 2007 01:43 PM
He certainly reflects the prevailing values of Southern California.
Rep. Deborah Pryce, R-Ohio, is joining the retirement train, the Columbus Dispatch's Jack Torry, Joe Hallett, and Jonathan Riskind report. Pryce, who squeaked by in her 2006 reelection race, ..
A country as ignorant, uninformed and lazy as the good old US of A, deserves a president like George Bush. Bush is a true reflection of much of the nation, unfortunately.
Posted by: Ralpheh at August 16, 2007 01:43 PM
Unfortunately that is true, but the world in general did not deserve him foisted on us.
Poll: Bush, Democratic Congress both failuresStory Highlights
57 percent say Bush presidency a failure; 55 percent say Dem Congress is
Respondents have more confidence in Democrats to deal with problems
Confidence in Democrats has fallen from 54 to 48 percent since November
President Bush's approval rating is mired in the mid-30s, but what exactly do Americans dislike about him? Is it a reaction to him personally or is it his stands on the issues?
According to the poll, it's definitely the latter.
Just 35 percent say they agree with Bush on the issues that matter the most, but 46 percent have a positive view of Bush's personal qualities and leadership skills. And since 2006, the view of Bush's personal qualities has gone up while positive views of him on the issues have dropped significantly.
"What's really hurt Bush's standing with the public is his record on the issues," Holland said. "Since 2001, the number of Americans who agree with him on the issues has plummeted 14 points. By contrast, the number of people who have a positive view of his personal characteristics has only dropped eight points -- not a great track record, but nothing like the dissatisfaction with Bush on the issues."
more...
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/08/15/bush.congress.poll/index.html
Biden's Son To Go To Iraq »
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CNN | August 16, 2007 11:35 AM
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden told a crowd at the Iowa State Fair Wednesday that his son will be deployed to Iraq.
Beau Biden, Delaware's attorney general, is a captain in the Army National Guard. His unit has been notified that it will be deployed in January 2008.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/08/16/bidens-son-to-deploy-to-iraq/
By the way people, Tony Snow hinted he is resigning soon.
Another reason to celebrate!
He was never as good at lying as Scotty anyway.
Posted by: Christy at August 16, 2007 05:26 PM
'cept I'd have to guess that Snow is resigning because of his recurring cancer, which is hard to celebrate over.
The fact he is resgning is good, and regardless of wether it is for cancer or whatever.
One less seasoned liar to deal with.
You know what? I tried.
I sat here and tried my best to muster some sympathy for Tony Snow, but all I can see is that lady getting tossed off of her balcony.
All I can see is the hidiously deformed babies who dared be birthed in puddles of our depleted uranium.
We all know why that lady didn't have health insurance, we all know why Iraqi babies are being born that way.
And yet, there is Tony Snow,... pretending he doesn't know. Lying for those that made it so. Spinning facts into irrelevant fantasy filled talking points.
I tried to feel bad about the cancer inside of him, eating away at him, but I just can't. He has cancer? So what? So do a lot of other people who will never get half the care for or sympathy shown for theirs as he has his.
A lot of people have cancer, but you don't see them up there, chosing to spend the precious time God has left for them lying and twisting as the front man for one of the biggest war criminals this nation ever produced.
Resignation, death, whatever, just as long as he is gone.
Hey All:
I haven't had time to read the thread but a thought just popped into my head. Remember how many pro-war pro-escalation (i.e., "Surge") politicians wanted to paint the rest of us into a corner by saying that "any House member that believes that should vote to cut-off funding, if they are serious and honest"? Well, to set this up, let me first say that we should not take polical advice from them and that, to my mind, cutting off funding is too radical and plays into their hands (cf: I believe Lincoln as a congressman voted against the Mexican war but for funding the troops)
But that is just a set-up, or aside. My idea was that this should be "framed," as we used to say, the opposite: those in favor of escalation, it they are serious and honest about it, should vote for the draft.
Just a thought.
Chuck in Houston
From none other than Shreveport.
HOLY CRAP!
Homeland Security Enlists Clergy to Quell Public Unrest if Martial Law Ever Declared
Could martial law ever become a reality in America? Some fear any nuclear, biological or chemical attack on U.S. soil might trigger just that. KSLA News 12 has discovered that the clergy would help the government with potentially their biggest problem: Us.
Snip
For the clergy team, one of the biggest tools that they will have in helping calm the public down or to obey the law is the bible itself, specifically Romans 13. Dr. Tuberville elaborated, "because the government's established by the Lord, you know. And, that's what we believe in the Christian faith. That's what's stated in the scripture."
Civil rights advocates believe the amount of public cooperation during such a time of unrest may ultimately depend on how long they expect a suspension of rights might last.
http://www.ksla.com/Global/story.asp?S=6937987
Seriously. Wrong.
Yeah, I can just imagine what kind of 'clergy' they have lined up.
They will probably either be boylovers or have hooker issues.
BTW, Homeland Insecurity, if you can read this, I forgot to add...'BITE ME BI-ATCH!'
gave the wrong link to the video talking about bringing back the draft:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzA4ti2_7uk
Well,Well...
FBI, CIA employees editing Wikipedia entries.
“People using CIA and FBI computers have edited entries in the online encyclopedia Wikipedia on topics including the Iraq war and the Guantanamo prison, according to a new tracing program.” It was not known whether changes were made by an official representative of an agency or company, a CIA spokesman said, but it was certain the change was made by someone with access to the organization’s network.
UPDATE: Steve Benen notes Fox News has been editing Wikipedia entries that don’t reflect well on the network. And now that they’ve been caught, Fox News is turning its guns on Wikipedia.
http://thinkprogress.org/
Posted by: Christy at August 16, 2007 07:18 PM
Point well taken.
U.S. troop level in Iraq likely to increase this fall
Army official: Number of soldiers could jump temporarily to a record high
WASHINGTON - The number of U.S. troops in Iraq could jump to 171,000 this fall — a record high for this war — just as military leaders expect stepped-up insurgent attacks timed to a much-anticipated progress report from American commanders in Baghdad.
Army Lt. Gen. Carter Ham, director for operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday that the planned rotations of five brigades moving out of Iraq and their replacements coming in will create the temporary surge in U.S. forces.
Once the transitions are complete, Ham said the troop level will drop back down to about 162,000, which is where it is today. And he said current plans are to stay about at that number into early next year — unless a reduction in forces is recommended by the commanders in their September report.
Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker are expected to provide a progress report to the president and Congress before Sept. 15. They, as well as Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, are likely to testify before Congress on the report and any recommendations on troop levels.
Congress has been pressing the administration to begin drawing troops out of Iraq.
“Clearly al-Qaida in Iraq and others are cognizant of the timing of recommendations and decisions,” Ham told Pentagon reporters during a briefing. “So I think it is prudent to expect them to try to influence the decision-makers. And clearly, the commanders in the theater are cognizant of that as well.”
more...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20303639/
Posted by: not my president at August 16, 2007 12:02 PM
NMP Australian Vietnam Vets in oz have children born with developmental delays and autism among other serious conditions. There's a study showing that the likelihood of VietVets having a child with a disability is very high. Agent orange and all the other chemicals that were rained down upon them by US forces have taken a devastating toll amongst the vets and their kids and grand kids. Imagine how much worse it would be to still be living with it in their soil and water.
Take Action! Don't Let Prejudice Trump Justice
Posted by: rossiann at August 16, 2007 01:58 PM
This has been the case with every single appointment of Bush's. And with every single firing of his. How on earth would Gonzales hold such a job given that his incompetence has no equal? Go all the way back to Jesselyn Radack. His entire administration has been given to only the dumbest and most willing to kowtow to the tantrum throwing whim of their leader.
Even his top war people come back from Iraq saying America must leave. And what's he doing now that he's so terrified of Petreus telling congress this is a war that can only kill and go on killing without end. And that America must leave. Why else would he prevent Congress hearing directly from Petreus?
Posted by: monkey at August 16, 2007 02:49 PM
Was Padilla an "enemy combatant" residing at Gitmo? If so, we all know about those trials. For every truly guilty person, there are at least 80 truly innocent I'd say.
Posted by: Bubba at August 16, 2007 04:47 PM
Bubba, I wonder if all of those departures over the past few days are because people can't vote with Bush but don't want to cross the party line. The only way to ease their consciences may be to flee. I would really get onto those very people and hound them to do the right thing before they leave.
A lot of people have cancer, but you don't see them up there, chosing to spend the precious time God has left for them lying and twisting as the front man for one of the biggest war criminals this nation ever produced.
Posted by: Christy at August 16, 2007 07:18 PM
Perhaps he thinks that resigning silently will give him better marks for the after time success, than his lies do. He's mistaken. They're still lies, whether he's telling them or just thinking and accepting them.
Posted by: Christy at August 16, 2007 07:53 PM
I'll fight their pathetic hateful excuse of a "God" until either one's dead.
This is NOT a joke.
They've asked for WAR, and a WAR they shall get.
They will probably either be boylovers or have hooker issues.
Posted by: Christy at August 16, 2007 08:01 PM
Then, by their own Death Book and moral laws, STONE THEM.
Stop Government Attacks
Against the Anti-War Movement!
Take Action to Defend Free Speech
In an unprecedented action, the ANSWER Coalition today received citations fining the organization $10,000 for the placement of posters announcing the September 15 March on Washington DC. The fines come after a campaign led by FOX news calling for the DC government to take action against those putting up posters for the September 15 demonstration.
They have told us that we have 72 hours to remove every poster, or the fines will go into effect. Tens of thousands of dollars in additional fines are expected in the coming days. Bush’s Interior Department is threatening similar actions against ANSWER. The September 15 posters are legal and conform to city regulations. We will not allow the government's intimidation tactics to slow our outreach or silence the antiwar movement.
We can stop this effort to repress the antiwar movement with your help.
This is part of a systematic effort to disrupt the organizing for the September 15 Mass March that is timed to coincide with the report of General Petraeus and the debate in Congress on the Iraq war. Iraq war veterans and their families will lead this dramatic march from the White House to the Congress on September 15. The last thing the government wants is to see the streets of Washington DC fill up with throngs of anti-war protesters right in the middle of the debate. But we will not be stopped. Organizing for this demonstration is taking place in cities and towns throughout the country. Buses and car caravans are coming from 90 cities and towns.
Please send a letter today to Washington DC Mayor (Adrian M. Fenty) and to the Director of DC Department of Public Works (William O. Howland, Jr.) demanding an end to the fines, harassment and repression of the anti-war movement. We have a right to publicize the September 15 March. Fining the anti-war movement tens of thousands of dollars for putting up Free Speech-protected literature makes a mockery out of the First Amendment.
Take Action!
The best way to take action is to call the Director of Department of Public Works, William O. Howland, Jr. at 202-673-6833, and the Mayor of DC, Adrian Fenty, at 202-724-8876. You can also send a letter or fax by clicking this link.
We'd suggest saying something along the lines of: "I am writing to protest the fines levied against the ANSWER Coalition for putting up posters for the September 15th March on Washington. The government does not fine politicians who put up campaign posters, or commercial and business interests that plaster Washington, DC with posters. It is outrageous that the city, in concert with FOXNews, are attempting to suppress the antiwar movement. Stop the harassment. Stop the fines."
http://answer.pephost.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ANS_homepage
We won't pay one penny for our First Amendment rights
http://www.pephost.org/site/News2?JServSessionIdr005=4s2cke6oh1.app8a&page=NewsArticle&id=8591&news_iv_ctrl=3361
Video: Anti-war group fined $10,000 for promoting Sept. 15
http://www.pephost.org/site/News2?JServSessionIdr005=4s2cke6oh1.app8a&page=NewsArticle&id=8587&news_iv_ctrl=3361
Stop government attacks against the antiwar movement!
http://www.pephost.org/site/News2?JServSessionIdr005=4s2cke6oh1.app8a&page=NewsArticle&id=8575&news_iv_ctrl=3361
But that is just a set-up, or aside. My idea was that this should be "framed," as we used to say, the opposite: those in favor of escalation, it they are serious and honest about it, should vote for the draft.
Just a thought.
Chuck in Houston
Posted by: Chuck at August 16, 2007 07:45 PM
@@@@@@@
That is a very good idea - tie the extension of the Iraq war to the reinstating of the draft. Have draft notices go out in the mail and give people a certain amount of time to report etc...
Would that wake people up... I don't know if the Dems have the courage to do this...
I would at least put the draft "on the table" for discussion to wake up the apathetic young people who don't vote or actually support the war (like the College Republicans but refuse to fight in it)...
Fox News can strong-arm the US government into fining its opponents?
I'm pretty sure that the Washington Time/UPI are on it too.
This is it - proof that immigration helps the Republicans much more than it's ever helped Democrats.
Take Action!
The best way to take action is to call the Director of Department of Public Works, William O. Howland, Jr. at 202-673-6833, and the Mayor of DC, Adrian Fenty, at 202-724-8876. You can also send a letter or fax by clicking this link.
We'd suggest saying something along the lines of: "I am writing to protest the fines levied against the ANSWER Coalition for putting up posters for the September 15th March on Washington. The government does not fine politicians who put up campaign posters, or commercial and business interests that plaster Washington, DC with posters. It is outrageous that the city, in concert with FOXNews, are attempting to suppress the antiwar movement. Stop the harassment. Stop the fines."
@@@@@@@@@@@
I will call tomorrow...
This is BS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
US troop deaths just hit 4000.
God forgive Us.
US troop deaths just hit 4000.
God forgive Us.
Posted by: Christy at August 16, 2007 11:14 PM
Number of U.S. Military Personnel Sacrificed (Officially acknowledged) In America'sWar On Iraq 3702
http://icasualties.org/oif/
Total Wounded: 27409 Estimated 23000 - 100000
Number Of Iraqis Slaughtered Since The U.S. Invaded Iraq 1,009,516
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/iraq/iraqdeaths.html
Cost of U.S. War and Occupation of Iraq
$452,547,974,300
See the cost in your community
http://nationalpriorities.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=182
Ok I wrote that wrong. Rossis' right.
Coalition death toll in Iraq hits 4,000.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/08/16/iraq.main/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
3 Rescue Workers Killed at Utah Mine
HUNTINGTON, Utah — The search for six miners missing deep underground was abruptly halted after a second cave-in killed three rescue workers and injured at least six others who were trying to tunnel through rubble to reach them.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20070817/utah-mine-collapse/
And now we know why Louisiana, and what kind of clergy they have lined up.
The bought and paid for kind.
"Louisiana residents have long criticized the legislature for using earmarked appropriations bills to fund preferred private entities. The underlying problems of paybacks and slush funds have become increasingly clear following recent reforms that, for the first time, require each earmark to be listed individually. It is now clear that the earmarking process has been hiding unconstitutional efforts to send taxpayer dollars to favored churches for years. "
http://www.aclu.org/religion/govtfunding/31297prs20070813.html
Jenna Bush, 25, is marrying Henry Hager, 28, a former White House aide who used to work with Karl Rove.
His father, John Hager, is the chairman of the Virginia Republican Party.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/08/16/jenna.bush/index.html
Boy, Karl Rove sets up EVERYTHING for this family.
"The recent video of a Minuteman taking potshots at illegal crossers somewhere on the Mexico borderlands was disturbing not so much for the gunfire — the man operating the camera hadn’t seemed to hit anyone — as for the running narration he provided: he positively wanted one of the men to come within his range so he could shoot them. He wanted to kill them.
Now, more video from the same gunman has surfaced, and as Casey Sanchez at HateWatch reports, it appears on this video that he did, in fact, shoot someone crossing the border and kill them:
The footage starts by showing a single figure wearing a backpack sneaking along a rugged desert trail. A male voice, off-camera, says: “I got him. He’s low crawling. Guy with a backpack. I betcha it’s probably full of dope.”
As the figure crests a hill, the man shouts out loud: “Hey, puto [“faggot”]!” The backpack-wearer ducks behind the far side of a rocky outcropping, then pops up and peers over it a few times. “I got him,” the off-camera voice says. “He’s prairie doggin’ now. He heard me.”
A walkie-talkie crackles and a second male voice that sounds like it’s coming from an off-camera walkie-talkie says: “All right, where you at? What’s your 20?”
“He’s up there on the, uh, smuggler’s trail,” the first voice responds.
The second male voice says, “I don’t have a visual.”
At this point in the video, the backpack-wearing figure begins to slowly emerge from behind the rock outcropping. “You know what? I’m going to take a fucking shot,” the first voice says. There are two flashes of light and the sound of two semi-automatic rifle shots in quick succession. The figure wearing the backpack appears to fly backward and drop from view.
“Oh fuck, I got him dude!’ the first voice says. “I fuckin’ got him!” There is a pause, then the first voice says, “Dude, what are we gonna do?” The voice on the walkie-talkie replies, “Get the shovel, get some lime, and hey, grab me a 12-pack, too, while you’re up there.”
“Roger that,” the first voice answers between chortles. “We fuckin’ nailed him, dude! We fuckin’ nailed him!” That’s where the video ends.
Actually, it now continues on with a shot of a stone-covered grave, and our narrator saying, “Adios, asshole!”
As Sanchez notes, there is no indication whether the video is authentic or not, though it appears to be (while the coda is completely over the top and probably not credible). It does appear that his target was hit.
The SPLC has contacted authorities about the video. Clearly, there needs to be a serious investigation into this — first to determine who is responsible for the video, and second whether or not the killing in it is authentic."
http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/08/16/just-as-long-as-they-arent-white-you-can-put-them-in-your-sights/#comments
Posted by: Christy at August 17, 2007 07:43 AM
How can we approve of that?
Approve of it?
I have a half Mexican daughter by an illegal Mexican. I am very very proud of her and him.
If I ever could find that shooter I would beat him to death with my baseball bat.
Why? Because how else do you deal with spree killers?
Approve....Not hardly.
HALF A MILLION HITS:
Cheney '94: Invading Baghdad Would Create Quagmire C-SPAN
01:22
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BEsZMvrq-I
In this interview from April 15th, 1994, Dick Cheney reveals the reasons why invading Baghdad and toppling Saddam Hussein wouldn't In this interview from April 15th, 1994, Dick Cheney reveals the reasons why invading Baghdad and toppling Saddam Hussein wouldn't be a great idea. He also stipulates that "not very many" American soldiers' lives were worth losing to take out Saddam during the Gulf War.
SOURCE: This clip was originally aired on C-SPAN3 [History] on the evening of Thursday, August 9th. http://c-span.org (more) (less)
Added: August 10, 2007, 10:23 AM
From: grandtheftcountry
Views: 609,651
Rating:
4430 ratings
_________________
Why? Because how else do you deal with spree killers?
Approve....Not hardly.
Posted by: Christy at August 17, 2007 08:31 AM
And that's why they are down there, along the border with guns. It gives them a sense of power! They'd be absolutely useless with or without a gun. Those men after that verbal exchange have been charged with murder, I assume.
Charged? Nope.
They have not even been identified yet. But apparently this is this guys second video production.
Yes, very true. Without guns I doubt they are half as bad as they want to be.
When the coyotes decide they've had enough, I would not give a bucket of p*ss for these guys future.
I bet the coyotes find them before the feds do. They will actually bother to look.
And they are much better armed than the spree killers..
Christy
There will be some sort of action here in Seattle Aug. 19 involving Minutemen. I read it on IndyMedia. I also got something about how there is going to be a big "Hands Along the Border" rally by not just Mexican-Americans and Mexicans but Caucasian-Americans who do not want the fence and seige mentality. So something is going on.
Fox types are trying to "marginalize" the mainstream of public opinion on immigration, the war, etc. as "left wing" but they themselves are actually the minority and "out there." Media Matters had alot to say about it at YearlyKos and my ears were open.
As for FOX trying to get the action in DC on Sept. 15 stifled and as for their attempt to revise Wikipedia in their favor (for propagation of propaganda), it's because of this:
They hate us for our freedom.
Woz
There was a documentary about those so-called Minutemen. Many used to be in military and they miss the drama. They have all these night-vision goggles, etc. and it's a real macho thing. It's sick. They even have it up on the Canadian border, which is a real joke if you've ever been to Canada. There is probably much more terror threat from Canada than Mexico but I don't think militia men would have much idea how to stop anything, or pot either. When they cracked down on that, Vietnamese in Minneapolis started big BC Bud growing operations.
The real scary thing is the collaboration between military and local law enforcement that is secret. When they met (membership is private), city council members and press are forbidden.
Boy, Karl Rove sets up EVERYTHING for this family.
Posted by: monkey at August 17, 2007 07:32 AM
He will get vicarious pleasure by pretending to be Jenna and the fiance is you-know-who.
" cowboy boots, flight jacket, wonderful smile, just charisma—you know, wow. ..." (Karl Rove, on meeting Bush)
..unless he is pretending he's the fiance and Jenna is you-know-who..
(which would look like this)
http://www.thehollywoodliberal.com/comics.htm (bottom row, in pink)
I am most certain yall all know how badly this article should be commented upon.
I would do so myself, but the damn WaPo always winds up censoring my posts.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/16/AR2007081601685_Comments.html
Even if you don't comment, flip through them anyway.
HAHAHA!!
I think 100% of the comments section is filled with absolute resentment and loathing for karl.
HAHA! I don't see a single word in support.
BTW, gerson is an exbush speechwriter in case you missed it.
Look at this comment...
Bud0 wrote: "Last week when a former colleague called Gerson a fraud and plagiarist, Rove rang journalists to say he wasn't. Now Gerson returns the favor. Pot endorses kettle, kettle endorses pot. Both are dirty as hell."
Hmmmm.
The Rove Tribute CD
My favorite so far..
R49Thomas wrote:
Like Harriet Meyers who thought GWB was the smartest man she knew, Brother Gerson needs to get out of the bubble to get a better grip on reality.
Karl Rove, a visionary "statesman"?
I guess so if you think of George Bush as a great "leader".
Iraq as a great success.
New Orleans as rebuilt.
We can only save Tinkerbell if we all believe really hard and clap our hands.
I for one am clapping as furiously as possible."
HAHAHA!! Omg that is too funny!
Posted by: Christy at August 17, 2007 09:41 AM
Keep laughin, but nobody has laid a glove on these effers in almost 8 years...
This country is the joke.
Yeah, true, WE are the joke, or atleast the punchline... but it does not quite sound like we are content to be anymore...
Does it?
There is still enough time if we keep fighting as hard as we can.
The tide is turning slowly, but it is turning.
The WaPo is taking a pounding today. I consider that a good day.
They totally freaking deserve it.
As for FOX trying to get the action in DC on Sept. 15 stifled and as for their attempt to revise Wikipedia in their favor (for propagation of propaganda), it's because of this:
They hate us for our freedom.
Posted by: Not My President at August 17, 2007 09:07 AM
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
I just talked by phone with the D.C. public works person about the posters and the $10,000 fine. He was polite with me and told me the situation as they see it in D.C.. He said there were over 100 violations of a sign ordinance (I asked for the ordinance which he said he would email me today) and that city residents were complaining about the posters first ( not Fox News ). He said D.C. is a blue city and that the mayor has endorsed Obama (LOL!!!! sorry Hillary...) but they don't like all the posters everywhere...
When I receive his email I will post it here...
I've been hearing the tide is turning since 2004... the house of cards is crumbling, yada yada yada...
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we are all seriously screwed.
There have been things let of the box during this decade that can probably never be undone, and I know deep down in my soul that this country is gonna take a pounding for it somewhere in the not-too-distant future... and then what?
Just friggin rediculous.
Ralpheh
Thanks for checking on that!
I know alot of people are complaining about Democrats, saying they are no longer Democrats etc. but I noticed a couple of things.
- Saw an article by Barbara Boxer on Huffington Post. When I saw her speak a couple of years ago about blogs, she was skeptical. Now she is writing for one. Anyway, I didn't realize that she is not only very concerned about the initiative for Califronia redistricting but also that she favors getting away from the electoral vote and having a popular vote.
- I kept hearing Dennis Hastert was retiring - didn't realize he was only 65. He seemed like a much older man, and no way he would keep chugging along like a winger version of Kennedy or Byrd, an elder statesman. Much more lucrative things to do, perhaps, in the private sector. To heck with public service. Anyway, saw a few titles about Democrats eyeing his seat. It's a big seat!
- Thirdly, in the 'sky is falling' scenarios about the economy, I noticed that the central banks are manipulating the situation quite alot -messing around with interest rates, pumping money into the markets. Interest rate goes down, stock market goes up, yen goes up, dollar goes down. It's all short-term stuff. What needs to happen is that money should not be lent to people who can not pay it back, and that includes the government, not just individuals seeking to buy housing.
Countrywide was our mortgage holder for a logn time and they are now using up their complete line of credit. They hold one of five US mortgages. If they fail, there will be global repercussions. It's obvious that this practice of training people to buy on credit they couldn't really back has backfired.
I agree with all of that Monkey.
But I am also watching a political awareness I have never in my lifetime seen before sweep the nation. People who have been in comas are suddenly coming to and are FURIOUS.
I have never seen that kind of anger so narrowly focused on one select group of people. I mean people are really starting to get mad now. Just mean mad. I have never seen such sheer hatred and animosity before. All directed at bush and his enablers.
It is the greatest unknown element and it can change everything very quickly.
I know, we've been turning for a while, but turning into what? is to me the most pressing question.
Are these truly Revolutionary times that will collapse our own streets into war?
I think that is perhaps the most logical/likely outcome of this multilayered Constitutional Crisis, but there is still time to stop it. 'Fixing' what georgie broke is no longer as important as restraining the dogs of war, right here, amongst our own people.
If georgie is successful he will plunge us into a lethal state, as one final distraction meant to cover his disappearence into history.
Or he will do it to sieze final and absolute power. Either way he wins as soon as we forget him and turn on each other.
There is no way forward now...except through the impeachment and prosecution of George W. Bush. For War Crimes, and High Treason.
He destroyed our empire. He ruined our beautiful nation. He MURDERED the United States Constitution. He molested it right in front of our eyes.
He betrayed every sngle one of US.
The only way to get it back is make him pay for it. I don't give a crap what Nancy says.
She best be careful, cause she is in that select group of people whom every rational US Citizen absolutely resents at the moment.
You are either for the United States Constitution, or you are against it.
Everybody else better get the hell out of the way.
To the thread header...
Poll: Majority mistrustful of upcoming Iraq report
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A majority of Americans don't trust the upcoming report by the Army's top commander in Iraq on the progress of the war and even if they did, it wouldn't change their mind, according to a new poll.
President Bush frequently has asked Congress -- and the American people -- to withhold judgment on his so-called troop surge in Iraq until Gen. David Petraeus, the commander in Iraq, and Ryan Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Iraq, issue their progress report in September.
But according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Thursday, 53 percent of people polled said they suspect that the military assessment of the situation will try to make it sound better than it actually is. Forty-three percent said they do trust the report.
CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said he doesn't think the mistrust is directed at Petreaus as much as it is what he represents.
Holland said, "I suspect most people are hearing the words 'general' and 'Iraq' and that's what they're basing their opinion on."
He added, "It does seem to indicate that anyone associated with the Bush administration may be a less than credible messenger for the message that there is progress being made in Iraq."
Another interesting thing about the poll, Holland said, is that it indicates that about half of those surveyed -- 47 percent -- feel that the military is making progress in Iraq, although slightly more -- 49 percent -- do not.
White House press secretary Tony Snow reacted to the poll, saying that he hoped that "people do not try to engage in personal attacks on Gen. Petraeus or Ambassador Crocker."
"David Patraeus is basically the guy who's written the manual on counterinsurgency, and the one thing that you see with returning Democratic and Republican congressman is that something very significant has taken place," Snow said.
more...
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/08/16/poll.iraq.report/index.html
Geez, the Snowballs on that guy...
Ok I wrote that wrong. Rossis' right.
Coalition death toll in Iraq hits 4,000.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/08/16/iraq.main/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
Posted by: Christy at August 17, 2007 06:49 AM
I don't believe those US death numbers at all Christy, I believe the estimated number of wounded, the deaths I believe are much higher but it is just that we cannot prove it.
I remember body bags with US military dogtags buried in Iraq.
So what the real numbers are is anybodies guess
--new thread--
Greetings from Canada...
I would like to point out, again, that what we are not hearing from our presidential wannabes is very telling.
They take their pot shots at georgies power grabs, to make the crowds cheer, but they never actually denouce it for themselves and promise to repeal it or overturn it immediately when they are president.
They never say 'When I am president, I will restore honor to the USA by indicting george w bush and dick cheney for WAR CRIMES.'
They never say how they will completely overturn the worst policies by the worst president in our history, and simply do the right thing by We the People. No vows that 'I won't torture, and I will not allow torturers to get away with it'.
No, they don't renounce the policies, instead they claim how much better they will be at advancing the same policies. No Child Left Behind is a horrible policy, but I will properly fund a horrible policy and you'll atleast be able to say I did some thing good for kids!
Yeeeaaaa meeee!!
They take their swipes for some real cute talking points, but they are not saying crap about the important stuff.
Can you imagine Hillary fielding this one?
"Hey Hillary, when you become president will you revive the United States Constitution and punish those that tried to destroy it and repeatedly violated it?"
If not, why not?
Of course, if she busted them for it, she couldn't do it herself. Other than George Washington, who walks away from that kind of power or denounces it when they very well might attain it?
Imagine if Obama said 'Everything georgie has done for the last 8 years will be fully and immediately investigated as soon as I take power.'
Him, too, he would rather we just shut up and let it go.
Why? So when he does it, we are most likely to just shut up again and let him get away with it too.
I don't trust any of them at this point.
Too much money, too much power = the certainty of corruption.
When one of them actually vows to go after corruption, to right the wrongs committed, this race just might mean something.
U.S. troop level in Iraq likely to increase this fall
Army official: Number of soldiers could jump temporarily to a record high
Posted by: monkey at August 16, 2007 09:52 PM
Didn't they marginalise and dump General Shinseki for telling Congress they would need 200000 to secure Iraq post war
Army chief says 200,000 troops needed to keep the peace
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/02/26/1046064103887.html
You are either for the United States Constitution, or you are against it.
Everybody else better get the hell out of the way.
Posted by: Christy at August 17, 2007 10:40 AM
Well hell Christy you need to explain that to the friking Senate, and the losers that keep signing over every darn bill that Georgie demands.
After all who are the deciders, Georgie or Congress, at the moment they are sure as hell all looking pretty impetant to the world that is watching on.
They never say how they will completely overturn the worst policies by the worst president in our history, and simply do the right thing by We the People. No vows that 'I won't torture, and I will not allow torturers to get away with it'.
Posted by: Christy at August 17, 2007 11:14 AM
They will not completely overturn the worst policies by the worst president in your history, because they will, I think be happy to use them themselves, maybe not so blatently as Georgie, maybe with a little more finesse, but they will use the power that Georgie and his gang of thugs have set up, otherwise they would have quashed them, there and then when they had the oportunity.
They want the same kind of power Christy.
A rush to pull out cash
Worried about the stability of mortgage giant Countrywide Financial, depositors crowd branches.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-countrywide17aug17,0,1835165.story?coll=la-home-center
Laura Bush Predicted Henry And Jenna Weren't Serious
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/16/AR2007081602884.html?nav=hcmodule
Jenna Bush To Spend Christmas With New Unemployed Argentinean ...Jenna Bush To Spend Christmas With New Unemployed Argentinean Boyfriend... - The Huffington Post.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/12/06/jenna-bush-to-spend-chris_n_35734.html
Bill Moyers: 'Greed and God won four elections in a row' for Rove
Karl Rove figured out a long time ago that the way to take an intellectually incurious draft-averse naughty playboy in a flight jacket with chewing tobacco in his back pocket and make him governor of Texas, was to sell him as God’s anointed in a state where preachers and televangelists outnumber even oil derricks and jack rabbits. Using church pews as precincts Rove turned religion into a weapon of political combat -- a battering ram, aimed at the devil’s minions, especially at gay people.
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Bill_Moyers_Greed_and_God_won_0816.html
Reclaiming US's liberal soul
LIBERALISM in the US is a political tradition so reviled that its adherents dare not speak its name.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22262439-28737,00.html
Dash of liberalism will aid US war on terror
Muscular liberalism, as Beinart sees it, is "a narrative of national greatness that (links) America's mission at home and abroad". It requires the US to lead by example, in the best tradition of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Harry Truman and the Kennedys. Military strength and firm resolve should be accompanied by fiscal responsibility and progress on inequality, education and civil rights. Above all, Beinart argues, the US must welcome international constraints on its power and fund nation-building generously.
His most damning observation is that between 1948 and 1952, the US spent $US200 billion a year on non-military assistance to Europe. The Bush administration's total non-military spending on the Muslim world has been a comparatively piddling $US8 billion. As Beinart asks, "What kind of way is that to fight World War IV?"
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22205095-5001986,00.html
Pentagon Paid $998,798 to Ship Two 19-Cent Washers
Tony Capaccio 1 hour, 5 minutes ago
Aug. 16 (Bloomberg) -- A small South Carolina parts supplier collected about $20.5 million over six years from the Pentagon for fraudulent shipping costs, including $998,798 for sending two 19-cent washers to an Army base in Texas, U.S. officials said.
The company also billed and was paid $455,009 to ship three machine screws costing $1.31 each to Marines in Habbaniyah, Iraq, and $293,451 to ship an 89-cent split washer to Patrick Air Force Base in Cape Canaveral, Florida, Pentagon records show.
The owners of C&D Distributors in Lexington, South Carolina -- twin sisters -- exploited a flaw in an automated Defense Department purchasing system: bills for shipping to combat areas or U.S. bases that were labeled ``priority'' were usually paid automatically, said Cynthia Stroot, a Pentagon investigator.
C&D and two of its officials were barred in December from receiving federal contracts. Today, a federal judge in Columbia, South Carolina, accepted the guilty plea of the company and one sister, Charlene Corley, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to launder money, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin McDonald said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20070816/pl_bloomberg/a_piz20xqxeu
One For The People.
Feds pay $80,000 over anti-Bush T-shirts
Source: Yahoo News
A couple arrested at a rally after refusing to cover T-shirts that bore anti-President Bush slogans settled their lawsuit against the federal government for $80,000, the American Civil Liberties Union announced Thursday.
Nicole and Jeffery Rank of Corpus Christi, Texas, were handcuffed and removed from the July 4, 2004, rally at the state Capitol, where Bush gave a speech. A judge dismissed trespassing charges against them, and an order closing the case was filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Charleston.
"This settlement is a real victory not only for our clients but for the First Amendment," said Andrew Schneider, executive director of the ACLU of West Virginia. "As a result of the Ranks' courageous stand, public officials will think twice before they eject peaceful protesters from public events for exercising their right to dissent."
White House spokesman Blair Jones said the settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing.
"The parties understand that this settlement is a compromise of disputed claims to avoid the expenses and risks of litigation and is not an admission of fault, liability, or wrongful conduct," Jones said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070817/ap_on_re_us/bush_protesters_lawsuit_2
Darn it's sure lonely in here today.
At last, about time
Democrats target 2008 Calif. vote plan
Edited on Thu Aug-16-07 04:49 AM by Judi Lynn
Source: Associated Press
Democrats target 2008 Calif. vote plan
By MICHAEL R. BLOOD, Associated Press Writer
19 minutes ago
LOS ANGELES - Leading Democrats are uniting with Hollywood producer Steven Bing and hedge fund manager Tom Steyer to oppose a California ballot proposal they fear could hand the 2008 presidential election to the Republican nominee.
A lawyer with ties to the Republican Party wants California voters to change the way the nation's most populous state awards its electoral votes — a proposal Democrats call a power grab but that supporters describe as a blueprint for fairness in presidential contests.
California now allots all of its 55 electoral votes to the statewide winner in presidential elections, a practice followed in most states.
The proposal calls for awarding two electoral votes to the statewide winner, with the rest allocated according to results in each congressional district.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070816/ap_on_el_pr/california_votes_1
We'll go no more a-Rove-ing
The country takes leave of the political serial killer who tried to forge a one-party state. But don't expect the Mayberry Machiavelli to pay for his civic sins.
http://www.salon.com/opinion/blumenthal/2007/08/13/karl_rove/
Bush, Cheney and Rove were prepared to govern as radicals
http://www.salon.com/opinion/blumenthal/2007/08/13/karl_rove/index1.html
Bill Nye, the harmless children's edu-tainer known as "The Science Guy," managed to offend a select group of adults in Waco, Texas at a presentation, when he suggested that the moon does not emit light, but instead reflects the light of the sun.
As even most elementary-school graduates know, the moon reflects the light of the sun but produces no light of its own.
But don't tell that to the good people of Waco, who were "visibly angered by what some perceived as irreverence," according to the Waco Tribune.
Nye was in town to participate in McLennan Community College's Distinguished Lecture Series. He gave two lectures on such unfunny and adult topics as global warming, Mars exploration, and energy consumption.
But nothing got people as riled as when he brought up Genesis 1:16, which reads: "God made two great lights -- the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars."
The lesser light, he pointed out, is not a light at all, but only a reflector.
At this point, several people in the audience stormed out in fury. One woman yelled "We believe in God!" and left with three children, thus ensuring that people across America would read about the incident and conclude that Waco is as nutty as they'd always suspected.
This story originally appeared in the Waco Tribune, but the newspaper has mysteriously pulled its story from the online version, presumably to avoid further embarassment.
http://www.wacotrib.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/04/06/04062006wacbillnye.html