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Someone at the Chicago Tribune had their Wheaties this morning. (Or, really, last night before the paper went to bed...but you know what I mean...):
Vice President Dick Cheney is among the most secretive members of the Bush administration. But he's been in his bunker long enough. It's time for him to answer some questions--and not in the friendly venue of Fox News.Given the allegations about his role in the surreptitious disclosure of classified information related to the war in Iraq, Americans have a right to hear his story. The best way to get it is by an unscripted news conference in which the vice president confronts all the questions that have been raised. For him to remain silent amid the current turmoil suggests that he--or the president--has something to hide.
Cheney has long been suspected of involvement in revealing the identity of CIA agent Valerie Plame--whose husband, Joseph Wilson, had publicly disputed the Bush administration on Saddam Hussein's supposed attempts to obtain uranium for nuclear weapons....
So someone is lying. It could be that Libby acted on his own in leaking the information. It could be that Cheney told him to do so without the president's approval. Or it could be that Bush was behind the leak. Those are questions that the Cheney ought to step forward and answer, along with questions about the unmasking of Plame....
Boo yah. That's a huge step forward for a conservative newspaper that normally functions as Karl's megaphone. (E&P has more here.)
Although, now that I mention it, Karl's name is suspiciously absent from the editorial. Hmmmmmm...that does make a girl wonder, now doesn't it? Internecine warfare, anyone?
UPDATE: What does it say about the lack of factual reporting from the AP, when even Dana Milbank manages to get it mostly correct today?
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fitzjordan?
Sadly, we won’t see a “no-holds-barred press conference” starring Deadeye Dick anytime soon. It’s hard to have one of those when all your answers are “I respectfully decline to answer on the grounds that any answer I might give may tend to incriminate me.”
OT– brace yourselves– Iran has enriched uranium according to Rafsanjani.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/.....050004.htm
They could ask all the questions they want, and Dickie would give back nothing more than the lies he has spouted from Day One. He’s still clinging to things that have long been debunked and discredited. For crying out loud, he was just on with Bob Schieffer a couple weeks ago, saying that the administration basically got it right on Iraq. I think he might still be carrying a torch for the baloney about Mohammed Atta being connected to Iraq because of a meeting he attended, when it’s been documented that he was already in the US and could not have been there.
But it is refreshing to read an editorial that speaks the truth, based on the facts as they exist and not as the administration wants to view and present them.
The only accountability the Bush cabal will pay any attention to is the one that throws them out of office.
Guy from PNAC on the radio being extremely condescending, dismissive and tight-jawed, literally laughing at the notion that Sy is so “hyperbolic”, saying folks at the “Department of State” are “giggling” at him. Diplomacy has already failed. Give UN about 3 months, EU 3 months, if it goes down this direction, it will be loud, noisy, messy; “it will be John Philips Sousa on top of an aircraft carrier”, the US doesn’t do anything halfway.
Diplomatic effort “deeply in trouble”, Joseph Cirincione, Director of Nonproliferation at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
The news from Iran has already affected the european market with the swiss franc gaining on the euro and dollar.
http://today.reuters.co.uk/inv.....DATE-7.XML
Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain
You fasten the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you set back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion
As young people’s blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud
B. Dylan
And the words that are used
For to get the ship confused
Will not be understood as they’re spoken.
For the chains of the sea
Will have busted in the night
And will be buried at the bottom of the ocean.
B. Dylan
It’s coming to America first
The cradle of the best and of the worst
It’s here they got the range
And the machinery for change
And it’s here they got the spiritual thirst
It’s here the family’s broken
And it’s here the lonely say
That the heart has got to open
In a fundamental way
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.
L. Cohen
Let’s try to welcome the kool-aid surviving conservatives who come to their senses with love, not with I told you so’s. You catch more Republican bees with domestically produced, non-subsidized honey.
The WaPoo editorial/article was the first flash of crossed swords.
Internecine warfare indeed. Check out http://www.antiwar.com/scheuer/ . We are seeing a covert war being carried out between Israel and the Sauds on our political soil.
You mean Dick “Buckshot” Cheney?
I know for a fact he’ll be at the RNC Presidential Gala and Spring National Meeting of The President’s Club on May 16, 2006.
Maybe we could get him and Pres. “Tumble” Bush to do a live presentation about thier role in “PlameGate”?
Sorry, that was just wishful thinking, my bad.
EPU’d from last thread:
What worries me is that, having learned nothing from the errors of Iraq, having accepted no responsibility for the outcome of their PR campaign, there are people within the administration who will attempt to sell the need to nuke Iran the same way they sold us the Iraq war, on the theory that the sales campaign worked so well (even if the follow-through was a debacle), and Bush’s numbers looked great. They will pay little but lip service to the possible disastrous consequences of any attack on Iran, and with Rumsfeld still at the helm of Defense, we all might want to practice bending over and kissing our asses goodbye.
If more damaging information comes out about the leak investigation, as I think it will, and given how that investigation really dovetails with the abuse and manipulation of intelligence for political gain, it seems to me that for the good of the country, it has to form the basis for an impeachment proceeding. This country cannot afford another two and a half years of Bush.
Only if he were cuffed so he couldn’t shoot that old lady with the tough questions in the face.
the day dick c. has a presser, take a look out your window to see if the neighborhood pigs have taken flight.
http://www.bloomberg.com/energy/
Link to crude oil prices (Bloomberg)
We are at $68.46.
Is Rove really omnipotent?
Then again, maybe he’s that certain that it’s over, Fitz has them by the balls and this is the best way out, the only way for him and shrub to end this. Throw Cheney under the bus.
Rove already feels like he’s had to throw himself under the plane (recall that photo of AF1 and Rove). And he must be pissed at Cheney for how he screwd up the execution so terribly and ruined any hope of a recovery of the second term.
There goes Dick, shooting his friends in the face with a shotgun again.
Hey, whatever happened to Deadeye Dick tossing out the baseball at the game yesterday?
-GSD
Did he hit the catcher in the face?
http://www.pollingreport.com/BushJob.htm
Link to all of Clusterfuck’s recent job ratings.
Ok, students. The Washington Post and The Chicago Tribune. Compare and contrast.
http://www.pollingreport.com/BushJob.htm
Link to coalition casualties in Iraq- currently at 2,562.
http://www.hsh.com/today.html
Link to site that lists today’s thirty year fixed mortgage rates- currently at 6.62%.
Oops- wrong link for casualties- here’s the correct one:
http://icasualties.org/oif/
The Saudis’ are leaning on Russia to veto any harsh sanctions on Iran.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/Di.....t&col=
Bush is pushing everyone away from him. The nation is finally beginning to see him as the lunatic that much of the world thinks he is becoming.
Iran will never back down now. Unless others step in the die is cast and Bush will authorize a hit come hell or highwater. In the light of Bush’s beliefs and the disaster in New Orleans looks like the ingredients are just right.
-GSD
It’s spring, the Cubs are tied for first place, the Yankees are in last, and the Chicago Tribune goes after Dick Cheney and Bush in an editorial.
Ya gotta love spring.
All I need now is some tickets for the bleachers at Wrigley Field.
Sorry if this duplicates any of Christy’s stuff, but before today I hadn’t seen this quote from Fitz’s filing, from today’s NYT via TPM:
Mr. Fitzgerald’s filing talks not of an effort to level with Americans but of “a plan to discredit, punish or seek revenge against Mr. Wilson.” It concludes, “It is hard to conceive of what evidence there could be that would disprove the existence of White House efforts to ‘punish Wilson.’ “
I’d love to see GWB attempt to rebut Fitz by saying, “Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence” without tripping over his dry (maybe)-drunk tongue.
This administration has lived by the sword of perception, and now is dying by it.
The perception of Cheney as the steady, experienced guide, Bush as a forthright, honest protector, the war as righteous, the press as honest, or Congress as overseeing the executive and doing the will of the people is gone.
As someone noted in an earlier thread, the public’s perception of Bush will soon reach a critical mass in which his motives are questioned in any given situation. Hardly a hopeful prospect for the country, but some comfort to us, inasmuch as the administration feels bound by the will of the people.
Never mind.
The US is not only draining the Iraqis of their oil…Like the vampires we all thought Cheney and his PNAC minions are, the poor Iraqis are bleeding to death..literally.
http://www.newhouse.com/archive/palmer041106.html
Sollozzo’s Cheney’s the key. You get rid of him, everything falls into line.
More on the “Apocalypse Index”.
Perhaps we should establish points on every scale that represent “Apocalypse Now”– the levels where Clusterfuck gets torn apart and thrown into the sea. Something like:
30 year mortgage rates: 7%
Oil Prices $100 per barrel
JARs 29%
US casualties in Iraq- 3,000
We can then establish a 10 point system and track our progress toward “Apocalypse Now”. I’d say that we’re getting close.
zennurse at no. 5
“…3 months, if it goes down this direction, it will be loud, noisy, messy; “it will be John Philips Sousa on top of an aircraft carrierâ€, the US doesn’t do anything halfway.”
The US doesn’t do anything halfway? Apparently this PNAC fellow hasn’t seen Iraq lately…
I would say that ALL BushCo does is halfway. They’re not too good on the follow up but we can sure bomb the bejeezus out someone. God help us.
RWCole,
Make the JAR the wingnut bottom of the barrel ALan Keyes batshit crazy 27%.
-GSD
GSD–Yeah- I like that 27% it is. I would be willing to do the work to put together and maintain the index if Redd and Jane would create a place to display it. Need to figure out a way to consistently average the JARs and develop the SCALES for each metric- but it wouldn’t be difficult.
Whaddya say REDD?
Guess we could establish the low level on each scale as the best number Clusterfuck has ever measure during his tenure- and the high number as the “Gone to seed” numbers described above- then divide the difference by ten to establish a ten point system for each scale- giving us a “forty points possible” to Apocalypse.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200.....an_nuclear
See? Proof positive they have a bomb!
The problem with the Chicago Tribune and corporate media is that they still treat the President and Vice President as if they are rational players. Unfortunately, not true.
Today’s Froomkin White House Briefing is as close to reality as current corporate reporting can get.
It sure feels like the murmurings of a mighty roll of dice that will come up with glowing snake eyes.
Mortgage rates are one thing–increases in foreclosure rates are what are on the horizon. The big mortgage companies are bleeding right now, before the big crash–key word loss severity. HUGE.
And why are gas prices so high in San Diego? Not like we are hard to get to…
Kristine–Well foreclosure rates are up in San Diego- but that number is probably difficult to track nationally. When mortgage rates go up- foreclosure rates will follow- or tag along for the ride.
OT, yes angie, and now the AP is reporting…
Iran Reaches Key Step in Nuclear Process By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer
39 minutes ago
TEHRAN, Iran - Iran has successfully enriched uranium for the first time, a major development in its fuel cycle technology, news agencies quoted former President Hashemi Rafsanjani as saying Tuesday.
Current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad added that Iran “will soon join the club of countries with nuclear technology.”
Bang those drums, journalists…
We’ve got one of those situations going where both “leaders” are using a conflict for political purposes. Iran gets credit for teaking Clusterfuck’s nose- Clusterfuck gets a crisis in order to rally the country behind him. Oldest shell game in the world.
#27, there’s supposed t/b a strikethrough on Sollozzo, oh well
Since the day I first saw Joseph Wilson expressing his outrage, I have feverishly prayed for a Rove-Cheney showdown. In moments of clarity, I’ve had my hopes dashed realizing this was an UnHoly but functioning alliance, but this Trib piece is encouraging. Interesting that I can’t name Rove’s ‘Addington’ (besides the MSM) anyone wanna enlighten me here - just so I know who to look for ?
Forgive me RevDeb, I know the planet has more pressing issues t/b praying about, but taking either of these two out weakens both, resulting in a much better world for all of us
one of the best things about the Trib editorial is how it affects the Repub talking heads. they’ve been quick to use the WaPo editorial in their media appearances. countering the Post’s embarrassing piece is a whole other take from a traditional, conservative newspaper.
it will be interesting to see if any journalists bring up the Trib editorial when right wing pundits use WaPo for cover.
Oops- that was “tweaking”–
The official video of the Bush Mis-Administration.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com//.....ntfoot.wmv
-GSD
DEA agent shoots himself in the foot while lecturing on gun safety.
VERMILLION - Newt Gingrich, the former Republican Speaker of the House, told students and faculty at the University of South Dakota Monday that the United States should pull out of Iraq and leave a small force there, just as it did post-war in Korea and Germany.
“It was an enormous mistake for us to try to occupy that country after June of 2003,” Gingrich said during a question-and-answer session at the school. “We have to pull back, and we have to recognize it.”
Gingrich was at USD for the inaugural Edmund Burke Lecture, named after a man who is known as the father of modern conservatism.
Morning All… thanks rw for the latest poll updates etc. We need a special page just for you to collect them and keep a running tab for us. Christy, can your Write Page function be used for a project like that for our resident poll expert? I like watching those numbers sink.
So what is up with Cheney not doing any interviews except on Fox? How that evil bahstid gets away with it is beyond me. He has so much to answer for it’s ridiculous the CM isn’t screaming for his head that it is way beyond the pale and into the next galaxy. I’m looking forward to a brave citizen calling him out soon since the damn press won’t do it.
CNN International right now is salivating at the chance to broadcast live the Rafsanjani speech announcing the breakthrough in uranium enrichment. Supposedly they got 164 centrifuges working - all they have to do now is to ramp it up to 50,000 centrifuges to be practical. They have drones that will travel 50 miles too - now if they can make them go 5000 miles, they can attack Miami. If pigs had wings…
breakthrough? feh !
By way of Raw Story:
http://www.argusleader.com/app.....10311/1001
angie #3,6–”enrichment” is a term that covers both low enrichment for civilian energy purposes and high enrichment for weapons. The article you linked to does not say high enrichment (did I miss it?). In fact, that Iran is low-enriching is not really news–they started low enrichment in February under IAEA supervision as you can read on p.9 of the IAEA report. Though it is news that they have a full cascade of centrifuges going, rather than just a few.
That said, low enrichment is of course a step to high enrichment. Off the cuff I’d guess that even with full industrial production there won’t be enough for any “good nuclear news” anytime soon from the Iranian leader (his words, not mine), but that depends on all sorts of details I don’t really know.
And THAT said, I sincerely doubt the King is paying much attention to any of the details anyway.
Back on topic: in all seriousness, if there were such a Dick Press Conference, whom could we even trust in the press to ask informed and probing questions?
Difficult to track on the outside–you bet the companies are doing it though, down to the county level.
All the very aggressive lending practices, including the interest only, 100 percent financing, balloon payments and 40 year plus mortgages has supported the huge inflation in the real estate market. Are you truly a homeowner if you owe more than the house is worth? When rates increase, well, we WILL see, won’t we?
Actually it is Ahamadinejad who will be speaking.
IAEA hyperlink didn’t work somehow:
http://www.iaea.org/Publicatio.....006-15.pdf
zennurse says:
April 11th, 2006 at 8:41 am
“Guy from PNAC…”
Did you get his name? Is he the person whose name you mentioned at the end of your post?
rwcole–way to go: apocalypse index. Right on and all that. What would Rumsfeld call this? The metrics of the situation?
rw, Shez and all - I have no idea if that’s feasible with our software. I’ll have to defer to Jane and Jamie on that. (You guys are lucky I figured out the posting page for the new site. lol) I do agree with rw, though, that all the polling indicators for the last few weeks are all pointing to one helluva shitstorm trend for W and friends. Here’s hoping it keeps on going.
WaPoo’s Richard Morin uses the “I” word.
“Bush job rating at new low, poll finds”
“60 percent disapprove of president’s performance”
By Richard Morin and Claudia Deane
The Washington Post
Updated: 10:01 p.m. ET April 10, 2006
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12243327/
“….The depth of public dissatisfaction with Bush and the highly partisan nature of the criticism are underscored by public attitudes toward efforts by some in Congress to censure him or impeach him for his actions as
president…..”
From Jane’s “Washington Post Strikes Again”
“Richard Morion, from an online chat December 20, 2005:
Naperville, Ill.: Why haven’t you polled on public support for the impeachment of George W. Bush?
Richard Morin: This question makes me mad…
Seattle, Wash.: How come ABC News/Post poll has not yet polled on impeachment?
Richard Morin: Getting madder…
Haymarket, Va.: With all the recent scandals and illegal/unconstitutional actions of the President, why hasn’t ABC News / Washington Post polled whether the President should be impeached?
Richard Morin: Madder still…
(snip)
[W]e do not ask about impeachment because it is not a serious option or a topic of considered discussion –witness the fact that no member of congressional Democratic leadership or any of the serious Democratic presidential candidates in ‘08 are calling for Bush’s impeachment. When it is or they are, we will ask about it in our poll
http://www.firedoglake.com/200.....kes-again/
I haven’t read the article yet, but the NYT indicates more filings expected in CIA leak case.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04.....nted=print
-GSD
Just crossing my fingers.
Also, looks like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ain’t backing down any time soon.
Kristine- I suppose there may be a national number available. My wife gets a newsletter that has the San Diego County number- but I think that the key number is overall mortgage rates. For every point they raise–home values sink by at least 10% (more at the moment).
All those bullshit loan products and easing of credit during the stock market debacle are what fueled the bubble and what will lead to it’s bursting.
“Guy from PNAC…â€
Mephistophles.
His friends call him Old Mir. Splitfoot.
-GSD
Mr….
Professor Foland– thank you! This was in one of the articles I read:
The comments by the Iranian officials came as the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, Mohammed ElBaradei, was due to visit Tehran this week for talks on the nuclear standoff.
Officials with his International Atomic Energy Agency have said he is hoping to win at least partial concessions from Iran. IAEA inspectors are currently in Iran visiting two key facilities.
Rafsanjani’s comment, carried by the Kuwait News Agency. was the first disclosure that Iran had successfully enriched uranium since February, when it began research at its enrichment facility in the town of Natanz.
Rafsanjani did not disclose the amount of uranium that Iran had enriched through the facility’s 164 centrifuges, but he said it would put the country in a good position for ElBaradei’s visit.
“When ElBaradei arrives in Iran, he will face new circumstances,” Rafsanjani said, according to KUNA.
“Iran has put into operation the first unit of 164 centrifuges, has injected (uranium) gas and has reached industrial production,” the news agency quoted him as saying.
“We should expand the work of these machines to achieve a full industrial line. We need dozens of these units (sets of 164 centrifuges) to achieve a uranium enrichment facility,” he said.
Enriching uranium to a low level produces fuel for nuclear reactors. To a higher level, it produces the material for a nuclear bomb.
Iran would require thousands of operating centrifuges to produce enough uranium for either purpose.
In Vienna, IAEA officials declined to comment on the report. A diplomat familiar with Tehran’s enrichment program said the report appeared to be accurate. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss information restricted to the agency
http://www.chron.com/disp/stor.....86417.html
Only one thing is certain about Traitorgate: when Fitz makes his next filing, Joseph Digenova’s head will explode.
I don’t know if this is a repeat or not (of someone else’s comment) but this is an interesting column by Greg Palast.
A Gangster Government: A Leaky president runs afoul of ‘Little RICO’
http://www.rinf.com/columnists.....ittle-rico
Here’s hoping it keeps on going.
And blows down Lieberman & friends with it. (Nice image.) I’ll drink to that. After 8pm of course.
The silence on the part of the right wing blogs regarding Bush’s lying leaks is astounding. They are all over the rallies and immigration, showing their true “colors’ (snark).
During a quick check around to see if anyone tackles this topic, I came across a stunning piece of hate on Michelle Malkin’s site today:(Hunting Yuppies in Harlem. I really hope someone on the late night firedoglake brigade takes her on. I would love to know how many of her relatives marched in one of those rallies.
Christy and Jane,
I don’t think Libby has any intention of getting out of this scot-free. I think he’s trying to pull an Abramoff—he wants to bring down POTUS and VPOTUS and everyone in their offices.
Fitz may actually have the equivalent of the neutron bomb in the defendant he’s chasing.
Rodin
rwcole:
I might suggest adding natural gas futures prices to your index. Given that it’s used for residential and business needs AND now to power so many electric plants, it’s probably another good marker. I’d probably pick NYMEX Henry Hub ($6.83 today) or Chicago City Gate ($6.32). Prices are low thanks to spring etc. The high (post Katrina) was close to $15.50. Insane, but if we get a hurricane or two, plus more of Condi’s great statesmanship, those prices will be retested.
RE: A 27% JAR
That would roughly be the number of people that think Orville Reddenbacher invented the airplane.
Axelgrease–I’m usually pretty squeamish, but I’d probably tune in to watch DiGenova’s head explode. Joe Wilson let him have it on KO last night. Something about lawyers that lie aren’t usually the best choices…
Hearing about this editorial in the Tribune is nostalgic for me because when I studied at the U. of Chicago, the paper of choice was the Sun-Times, and the Tribune was not just considered “conservative” by the denizens on campus but “reactionary.”
Fasting forward to today’s editorial, I hate to rain on this parade, but the article is directed to Dick Cheney and places the burden of explanation on Dick Cheney. And this can be read two ways: (1) the Tribune is really interested in getting the truth out and thinks Cheney is the one to do it, and (2) the Tribune is doing a bit of firewalling for George Bush by placing the burden on Cheney. Notice that none of the accusatory statements are directed to Bush, only Cheney, and the burden of coming clean is placed on Cheney. As Harry Truman might ask, where does the buck stop?
My feeling is that this editorial is a sly combination of (1) and (2).
So bottom line, we can laud the Tribune for sounding out a call to the WH to come clean, but we can also ask why they seem to exempt Goerge Bush from the major burden of explanation. I think in the jargon of the current milieu this is called “throwing Cheney under the bus,” and I detect the fat hand of Karl Rove.
Between you me and the trashcan, I do not think the Tribune has changed its spots much. But I am certainly grateful for their coming this far, and putting Cheney on the spot…I mean, under the bus.
Thanks a bunch, Karl.
Rodin @ 64
I think you are right. Fitz seems to be going for serious hard time for Libby. Its that stick he probably plans to use to get Libby to testify to what Cheney really said to him. Cheney will deny. So Libby, in addition to fighting the current charges is also working hard to get supporting docs to use against Cheney.
I wonder whether CNN would be salivating if Rafsanjani had announced that Iran had figured out how to spin gold from straw… which is, metaphorically, probably what this “news†is really all about. I’m guessing we have no credible intelligence that will support Iran’s assertion, but that won’t matter to the PNAC crowd.
And it’s down the rabbit hole once again, folks. If the Congress, the people and the media do not hold Bush to the highest of standards on this one, I will be convinced that the CIA has perfected the “Men in Black†mind eraser and is busy using it to the obtain the desired effect.
Oh - and that is wild speculation.
Wow, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad just finished speaking and then some guys took the stage and performed a Persian version of Oklahoma.
RWCole, move that Apocalypse Clock to 10 till midnight..it is getting strange around here.
-GSD
Wow, I wasn’t expecting a “Wing Nut Daily” ad on here. I accidently clicked it, and now feel disgusting for giving them a hit!!!!
Good for the Trib! But, I agree with all others…a full accounting by the VP and the Pres will never occur. Several problems:
1. I’m convinced Cheney is a pathological liar. I’ve seen the clips of him talking about the al queda-Saddam connection. He was smooth as silk. Many folks, when they lie, cast their eyes down, look away, brush their cheek, or speak in a halting voice. It’s because they aren’t used to lying, and so it makes them a bit nervous. But not Cheney. He will speak with smooth and confident voice, an air of authority about him. there’s liars…and there’s pathological liars. Our VP is pathological.
2. Among the many shames is our President’s inability to “be a man”. I’m afraid he’s just a little boy. A Real Man would take the bull by the horns. He’d get to the bottom of the problem, come hell or high water. But not Bush. He’s still a little boy. Sad.
Ghostman
Vaguely on topic…
The humorous part is when Libby flinched on leaking he went to Addington. Boy he must feel like a boob.
OT - Via Atrios, Joe Klein says something stupid.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12251928/#Time
OT, except for the Apocolyspe Index:
Mortgage Lenders Dismiss
Concerns Over Risky Loans
By Michael Schroeder
From The Wall Street Journal Online
Bank trade groups and financial institutions blasted proposals by bank regulators to rein in unconventional mortgages that allow borrowers to afford more expensive housing, dismissing concerns about risk as overblown.
http://www.realestatejournal.c.....=frontpage
cheney’s pitch hit the dirt……bwahahaha!!!
This Ahmadinejad statement is not what I wanted to hear today. Either this guy is just flat out goading Bush, or he’s a complete moron.
Either way, does anyone doubt that Bush won’t hesitate to launch an attack? Nukes or not, he’s going to hit Iran, and DAMN soon. Just keep your eyes peeled for sudden mass resignations in the military. We’ll know for sure at that point. At least, I hope so.
It gives me hope knowing that our worst fears may be prevented by the honorable people of our military. Unlike Congress, I don’t doubt our military’s cajones when it comes to defending the constitution and America.
Conyers has some new juice on Gannon/Guckert.
Looks like he may have had an all access pass to the backdoor of the Whitehouse.
http://rawstory.com/exclusives.....on_424.htm
-GSD
Wonder how this dovetails with Plame/CIA gate and with the new burgeoning connection of the NH phone-jammers. RICO, RICO, RICO.
Boy this Iranian press conference thingie is just what is needed to cool the tensions.
Not.
Looks like Bush and Mahmoud are on an inexorable collision course.
How will this move the ball forward for the pro-war nuts?
-GSD
Froomkin quotes a WaPo article which states “One-third of Americans, including a majority of Democrats (55 percent), favor impeaching Bush and removing him from office.” So why don’t the Democratic wimps in congress follow their constituents lead and do what a majority of their rank-and-file want them to do — introduce articles of impeachment?
The always excellent Knight-Ridder Washington Bureau has a concise Q&A covering the main points and debunking the spin in the “leaker-in-chief” situation.
LOL Redd, that’s Ok, you rather have your *hands full* more than alot of us here and do wonderful at it. One thing I like about the Write Page function (static pages vs dynamic Post pages) is that you can toggle the comments Off and just use it as an Info page, and then update it at will. When the site was changed over the “About” page was a default sample of the Write Page. It would be an excellent place to create an FDL Glossary too. Getting the basics in place for the change over was more than enough work so we understand these things all take time and effort. We love what you’ve all done so far!
This Ahmadinejad statement is not what I wanted to hear today. Either this guy is just flat out goading Bush, or he’s a complete moron.
No, he’s stoking nationalism. The Iranian population is overwhelmingly young (because so many were killed in the Iran-Iraq war), and the young people don’t much like the regime. But just as Americans rallied around the relatively unpopular GWB after 9/11, they’ll support their country when it’s threatened whether they like the people at the top or not. Bush is the best thing that ever happened to the hardliners in Iran.
RE — Mortgage Rates
While the rates are trending higher, we still have some of the lowest rates of the past 30 years. When Clinton left office, rates were over 8%; now they are still under 7%. Of course, people who make the ARM bet might be in a world of hurt, but that was their bet.
3 Month Rate Graph
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/publ/30yrmolg.asp
3 Year Rate Graph
http://library.hsh.com/?row_id=92
The difference in the graph’s price points is not significant; the trendline is what matters.
=====
ojs, great comment at 68, thanks.
Re: Mortgage
Forecasting is why these companies are on the line. These big companies are not just in the “home mortgage†business. They not only service these loans, but also pool them all together and sell them on wall street (mortgage-backed securities).
These mortgages are pooled together based on the risk associated (such as the borrower’s history) and when they are expected to mature. So, anything that screws with these criteria affects these securities and the associated risk, and the companies true bottom line.
So, if the loans sold are riskier than advertised (by these aggressive lending practices, perhaps?), or if there are higher foreclosures causing the loans to drop from the pool at higher than forecasted rates, the companies (and related industries) get hosed.
Jane notes the lack of Rove’s name. There is a strong article in this morning’s NY Times also pointing out Fitzgerald’s putting the White House in the cross-hairs. Yet, Rove gets no mention whatsoever. I wrote the first author of the NYT piece to point out the conspicuous absence of a Rove mention, notwithstanding Rove’s identification by Larry O’Donnell and Ana Marie Cox over a year ago that Rove was Novak’s source. He wrote back, within the hour. I quote, “Thanks for your note. So far we have not seen evidence to support that.”
Is it really too much to suppose that Rove now sees himself in the fight of his life, Rove v. Cheney/Libby, and faxed his friends at the Times and the Tribune? It’s awfully coincidental that these two articles appeared at the same time each scrupulously avoiding a mention of Rove.
I think the next week is going to be very interesting.
OOPS: Apologies, Redd; I thought Jane wrote the post.
That was Froomkin’s last column until he gets back from vacation on April 20. He is going to miss some interesting times–the run-up to the war with Iran, the escalation of the war between Rove and Cheney?
Redshift @ 85 - unfortunately I think you are absolutely correct. As Bush has prooven locally, nothing works better together than Nationalism, Religous Fervor, Propoganda, and outright fear.
Hrm…now where have I heard that before?
Jesus, I knew things were going to get kinda screwy towards the end of Bush’s term, but damn. I just pray our military can stop them. What I’m worried about is that Bush has signed off on a lot of secret orders that would allow Rummy to move without the joint chiefs and other military leaders. I don’t know if that can even be done, but it’s what worries me. If we have a lot of military people resign, could they still give the orders to lower ranks? Would the orders be carried out? How would a soldier react to that?
I mean, if you loose your top tier of military personnel it will be a train wreck, but I don’t see that as much of a deterrent to these guys.
The unfortunate paradox is that, by crippling the millenialist crime family in the White House, fitz may be the one person who can prevent WWIII. But the closer he gets to the heart of the cabal, the harder the cabal beats the war drums.
Not to put too much pressure on you, Patrick….
Rummy and the Dummy Show.
-GSD
http://www.tbrnews.org/Archives/a2256.htm
The Republican Basket: It’s full of Panseys, people!
The Voice of the White House
March 9, 2006: “Bush’s approval polls are tanking. Republicans are terrified lest, as they now believe, they will lose both the House and Senate in November. (Really major felonious activities would certainly be revealed by Democrats in control of either, or both, houses.)
There certainly have been prepared, at the Pentagon, plans to attack Iran. They were only plans for possible future actions. There are also current plans, on file, to attack Lebanon, Syria, Venezuela, Bolivia, Cuba (again!), and Mexico. Not to forget Dubai and Saudi Arabia in the event that Muslim fundamentalists gain power in those states. These plans are kept in the Big Safe over at the Pentagon in the event they are needed.
Now, the evil Karl Rove, terrified that he might be indicted and have to go to jail (and as a chubby invert, repeatedly raped by blacks…in his fevered imagination) and seeing the coming destruction of his Imperial Republican Reign Grand Design, has been pushing Bush to make a new war. Rove points out, one learns here from those who have read reams of notes and memos, that these slimy shits believe that Bush can regain his lost popularity in a wave of wonderful American patriotism, the military will be enhanced by a public-demanded general draft, we can at once, (when the new military is in place), invade the evil leftist Chavez (and guarantee his oil production for the United States and not the PRC) and put an end to the Castro government, not to mention all kinds of things designed to flatter the idiot Bush who does not want to seem weak (he is) or a failure (which he certainly is.)
Believe me, Bush wants to do this and Karl, with his connivance, has “leaked” this to a number of “friendly†media people.
If this action (the leaking) was not approved by Bush, the public revelation of a Top Secret military action under contemplation would be greeted by shrieks of “treason” from the Bush staff toadies followed by orders to the FBI to “locate the source” of the leak, just as they are frantically trying to find out who leaked the NSA phone tapping project last year..
The smug silence from the White House tells it all.
The departure of Card and now, Treasury Secretary Snow, (who had financial interests in the failed Dubai deal) from the Inner Circle is most interesting. No one walks away from their kind of power without either being sacked (as Ashcroft was for refusing to go along with Bush’s completely illegal domestic phone tapping schemes) or being privy to the inner secrets, finding a way out now so as to avoid having to explain their actions to a Grand Jury later.
A personal friend in the Pentagon (War Plans Division) tells me that we simply cannot maintain any further military activities in that region. Bottomed-out morale, suicides, desertions, self-mutilations to get a discharge and such like would make any more expanded activity a disaster of the first magnitude. Also, a report tells us that many West Pointers, considered to be the elite of the Army’s officer corps, are leaving the service in droves when their enlistment period (5 years) is up. Also, the Pentagon is now taking young men with criminal records who have never gone to high school or who, if they have, have not graduated. This is the real bottom of the barrel, believe me, and we are scraping it even as I speak.
Many senior military personages are beginning to say that Bush should be physically removed from office lest he utterly destroy the United States., and similar sentiments are being expressed in different influential quarters.
Let’s hope they are successful! “
Shez and Ghostman,
Sorry I did not reply on Sat. Wife had honey-do projects so I left the computer.
Shez, Backbrace project, sign me up as a contributor. It was a LOL idea.
Ghostman, Your Libby never sees jailtime analogy made a lot of sense to my comment about his wife being a “pressure point” for him to have a “Come to Fitz” moment.
I hope your prediction does not come true for all our sake however. Thank you for your responses.
If Bush bombs Iran all hell is going to break loose. The stupid bastard is really playing with fire here.I would think that would be the death knell of his Presidency.
Interesting pie charts reguarding American’s interest in the “Leaker-in-Chief.”
“Bush defends declassification of prewar report”
http://www.usatoday.com/news/w.....OE=NEWISVA
IMO this story is not as bad as the AP’s Reichmann’s, but it’s not as helpful as Milbank’s either. The USA Today’s pie charts, however, appear to suggest strongly to editors that this story has “legs” with their readers.
Many people are beginning to see that Bush is not just a boob and liar and blue-blooded asswipe who cares not a whit about anyone but himself–remember he didn’t even have his wife, Pickles the Homicide Driver, pulled to saftey when the small plane was headed for the Whitehouse last year.
People are beginning to see him for the “Messianiac/Apocalyptic” loony-tune that he is becoming before our very eyes.
People are starting to see it in slow motion..just like when you slam the car door shut and realize the keys are still in there.
Looks like that RWCole Apocalypse Index has arrived just in time.
-GSD
“I would think that would be the death knell of his Presidency.”
Or for our Republic.
-GSD
Gannon/Guckert…. Looks like he may have had an all access pass to the backdoor of the Whitehouse….
Let me read that again…..
Bustednuckles #98: agreed. I don’t see how President can start a nuclear attack without either very legal Congressional authority or very strong case of dire emergency. I said yesterday here, that cutting constitutional corners on that would result in serious movement here to send the guy to the Hague for trial. GOP Congress would go down in infamy if they did not impeach. Would show they surrendered all constitutional responsibility. Bush’s picture frame in DC empty, this congress’ number with asterisk.
John Casper #99: Wow. Almost 2/3 following story closely or somewhat closely, and about same proportion already concluding they don’t like it. They are cooked.
I just read on Ray Story that Gingrich, who is attemting rebirth as a rational human, said the following at the University of South Dakota,
“In the American model, power comes from God to you. We then loan it to the government,” he said. “The key to a leader is you listen first.”
Is this how Bush got the impression that the voice he hears inside his head belongs to God?
As if.
People are starting to see it in slow motion..just like when you slam the car door shut and realize the keys are still in there.
Yep. We’re watching his finger move toward “the button” each day…will the country react though? Or will we have Cheney (gollum) jump up at the last second, try to steal power away from Bush, then fall into the pit himself? (Life does imitate theatre ya know…)
Please! Someone tell me the military is going to save us!
Hrumph…
That’s got to be, by far, the most infrquently used statement on the left EVER. But it’s come to that, damnit!
103 - The problem though is that I just don’t think he, or those around him, give a damn about consequences. Iraq should illustrate that clearly enough.
rwcole >”…All those bullshit loan products and easing of credit during the stock market debacle are what fueled the bubble and what will lead to it’s bursting.”
Just as Osama wishes
It is one of his stated goals to “bankrupt” the Western economic system
Another goal is to serve as the catalyst for the forming of The Perfect Caliphate [which would be part of the return of the 12th Imam (according to some Islamist thought)]
“…playin with matches in a