President

Why do I hate this man? No, it's not what you think. I don't hate him for any of the things he has done. I hate him for the things he won't do over the next three years that ONLY he could accomplish.

If you want to get that horrid feeling in your solar plexis that means you're about to puke and/or piss your pants click here

Seymour Hersh, in the New Yorker, starts out pretty normal (for these times) with mildly awful crap like this:

There is a growing conviction among members of the United States military, and in the international community, that President Bush’s ultimate goal in the nuclear confrontation with Iran is regime change.

Then, he slides into the creepier but still fairly standard administration pap (that always ends up tasting like vomit):

One former defense official, who still deals with sensitive issues for the Bush Administration, told me that the military planning was premised on a belief that “a sustained bombing campaign in Iran will humiliate the religious leadership and lead the public to rise up and overthrow the government.” He added, “I was shocked when I heard it, and asked myself, ‘What are they smoking?’ ”

Reminds you of the theories before we invaded Iraq, don't it? When everyone who knew anything about the country was saying, "Well, even if they welcome us, and we, the experts, can't say they will -- you know, there's still several factions that despise (and like to kill) each other. Plus, guys, have you noticed, we don't have enough troops there to secure the place, much less keep out foreign insurgents, make plans to rebuild the infrastructure, and then actually rebuild the infrastructure "

The criminals that run our country banked on the fact that most Americans didn't know squat about the Middle East. And they diverted attention from their junior high plots by implying and insisting repeatedly and undeniably (because no one else had seen the so-called "intelligence") that the hijackers were in league with Hussein. And, now, they're still banking on the fact that Americans know diddly about Iran.

So, Hersh goes on for a while with a lot of references to how to intimidate a Middle Eastern country and whatnot. It's not enough to make you lose it, but it's really not getting any less creepy, is it?

[Iran Expert Patrick] Clawson said that he fears that [Iran's president Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad “sees the West as wimps and thinks we will eventually cave in. We have to be ready to deal with Iran if the crisis escalates.” Clawson said that he would prefer to rely on sabotage and other clandestine activities, such as “industrial accidents.” But, he said, it would be prudent to prepare for a wider war, “given the way the Iranians are acting. This is not like planning to invade Quebec.”

How are you feeling now? He writes a while longer about all the ways to be sure to completely dismantle Iran's nuclear capability. And, gee, it seems there really isn't any. A "former Defense Department official" is then quoted:

“Every other option, in the view of the nuclear weaponeers, would leave a gap,” the former senior intelligence official said. “ ‘Decisive’ is the key word of the Air Force’s planning. It’s a tough decision. But we made it in Japan.”

He's my man.

And this blog entry has absolutely nothing to do with my need for an opportunity to practice the html to embed a photo, oops, I mean "image."

Not that I want to digress from the lovin' I'm feelin'. Heck, I'm so full of the pash I'll even spread the gooey stuff over the AP's Tim Whitmire, Washington Post's Peter Baker and the New York Times' (Jim Rutenberg the "Charlotte Observer's" Carrie Levine and anyone else who mentioned either Harry's question, the protests outside, OR the fact that they couldn't get takers on the 1000 tickets to attend the event.

Let me remind you, Mr. President. This is what you said on September 11, 2001:

Statement by the President in His Address to the Nation


8:30 P.M. EDT


THE PRESIDENT: Good evening. Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts.

. . .

America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining.

Heres the link

Can someone put this in the events column? Or is this good enough??? I'm still pretty much of a doofus with this stuff.

I couldnt beleive me Irish eyes! I click on MSN Hotmail to check the office account and what do I see? A 4x4 pix of Condi Rice with "Condi in 08-Vote Now!'

Bush has decided that the best way to fund rural schools is not to spend one or two fewer days in Iraq, but to sell off bits and pieces of our National Forests. It's nuts, but he's the Prez and the only people to stop him are our elected representatives. Contact yours and let him or her know:

• that North Carolina's Natural Forests are not for sale;
• that this isn't a liberal vs. conservative thing -- once these protected places are gone, we won't get them back and everybody loses;
• this isn't about school funding -- those funds can come from elsewhere; this is about Bush giving pieces of America to the rich at the expense of everyone else.

Attached to this post is a list of tracts that are potentially eligible for sale in North Carolina. Chunks of Nantahala, Pisgah, Croatan, and Uwharrie could be on the chopping block. I don't know what else to say except that it would be a terrible, terrible loss for North Carolina and the rest of the country if these parks were diminished or eliminated. Take a minute to draft an email.