Sometimes, the entire story is better than the pinklink...

9/11 Panel Disputes Iraq Link to Attacks Jun 16, 5:20 PM (ET) By CURT ANDERSON WASHINGTON (AP) - Rebuffing Bush administration claims, the independent commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks said Wednesday no evidence exists that al-Qaida had strong ties to Saddam Hussein. In hair-raising detail, the commission said the terror network had envisioned a much larger attack and is working hard to strike again. Although Osama bin Laden asked for help from Iraq in the mid-1990s, Saddam's government never responded, according to a report by the commission staff based on interviews with government intelligence and law enforcement officials. The report asserted "no credible evidence" has emerged that Iraq was involved in the Sept. 11 strikes. Al-Qaida is actively trying to replicate the destruction of that day, the report said, though the terrorist network has been weakened by losing its sanctuary in Afghanistan and many leaders to U.S. strikes and arrests. The terror organization also is trying to obtain a nuclear weapon and is "extremely interested" in chemical, radiological and biological attacks, including the use of anthrax, it said. "The trend toward attacks intended to cause ever-higher casualties will continue," the report said. The commission staff said that Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed initially outlined an attack involving 10 aircraft targeting both U.S. coasts. Mohammed proposed that he pilot one of the planes, kill all the male passengers, land the plane at a U.S. airport and make a "speech denouncing U.S. policies in the Middle East before releasing all the women and children," the report said. Bin Laden rejected that plan as too complex, deciding instead on four aircraft piloted by handpicked suicide operatives. The report said the targets were chosen based on symbolism: the Pentagon, which represented the U.S. military; the World Trade Center, a symbol of American economic strength; the Capitol, the perceived source of U.S. support for Israel, and the White House. Training for the attacks began in 1999. The attacks were planned for as early as May 2001, but they were pushed back to September, partly because al-Qaida sought to strike when Congress would be at the Capitol. A second wave of hijackings never materialized because Mohammed was too busy planning the Sept. 11 attacks, according to the report. Under questioning, John Pistole, the FBI's top counterterrorism official, told the commission that the government "has probably prevented a few aviation attacks" in the United States since Sept. 11 but that some operatives in those plots are still at large. The findings were released as the commission began its final two days of hearings on the terror attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. The second day will focus on the Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. air defenses. The commission's final report is due July 26. The first day lacked the electricity of past sessions featuring appearances by National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, CIA Director George Tenet, Attorney General John Ashcroft and other top officials. Like previous hearings, the audience included family members of people killed in the attacks, many bearing photographs of lost loved ones. Commission member Bob Kerrey, a former Democratic senator from Nebraska, expressed exasperation that the government did not act with greater urgency against bin Laden, given what was known about al-Qaida before 2001. "I believe that we missed a tremendous opportunity very early in this game to inform the Congress, inform the American people who bin Laden was, what he was doing, what he had done and as a consequence I think we simply didn't rally until it was too late," Kerrey said. The conclusions that al-Qaida and Iraq had no cooperative relationship run counter to repeated assertions by President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and other administration officials. The claims that bin Laden and Saddam were in league were central to the administration's justification for going to war in Iraq. As recently as Monday, Cheney said in a speech that the Iraqi president "had long-established ties with al-Qaida." And last fall he cited what he called a credible but unconfirmed intelligence report that Mohamed Atta, ringleader of the 19 Sept. 11 hijackers, met in Prague, Czech Republic, with a senior Iraqi intelligence official before the attacks.

The commission concluded no such meeting occurred.

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said the report's findings were evidence the "administration misled America and the administration reached too far." "They did not tell the truth to Americans about what was happening or their own intentions." he said on Detroit radio station WDET. Ken Mehlman, manager of Bush's re-election campaign, said Saddam's "association with al-Qaida has been documented before" and Cheney stands by his statement. The commission report said that bin Laden, then in Sudan, met with an Iraqi intelligence officer in 1994 to request space for al-Qaida training camps and assistance in obtaining weapons, "but Iraq apparently never responded." The meeting occurred even though bin Laden opposed Saddam's secular government and had sponsored anti-Saddam operatives in Iraq's Kurdish region. The camps that were established in Afghanistan after bin Laden moved there in 1996 produced as many as 20,000 al-Qaida operatives and encouraged trainees to "think creatively about ways to commit mass murder," the report said. Some of the ideas included taking over a missile launcher and forcing Russians to fire a nuclear device at the United States, mounting mustard gas or cyanide attacks against Jewish areas in Iran, releasing poison gas into a building ventilation system - and "last, but not least, hijacking an aircraft and crashing it into an airport or nearby city." The Sept. 11 plot gradually evolved from Mohammed's original vision but was hardly a seamless operation, the commission report said. Mohammed, who is in U.S. custody at an undisclosed overseas location, wanted up to 26 operatives for the four-plane plot, but at least 10 were prevented from entering the United States because of visa problems, family objections and other reasons. There was disagreement between Mohammed, bin Laden and Atta about whether the Capitol or White House should be targeted, a question the report says apparently never was resolved. Bin Laden also had to overcome objections to attacking the United States from Mullah Omar, the Taliban leader who was under pressure from his Pakistani supporters to contain al-Qaida. Omar, like bin Laden, has eluded U.S. capture since the attacks.

i try, i really do.

My network connection was bunk at my workstation today, so I was forced to listen to old Air America shows and SEAN HANNITY. I know his heart's in the right place, that Sean, but his mini-summary of the AP article about Teresa Heinz Kerry was absurd. It was a he-said/she-said kind of re-cap that basically left his millions of listeners thinking Mrs. HK was a wacky old woman. This is the exerpt in question...verbatim:

In the interview, John Kerry is asked about criticism of his wife, who has a reputation for being blunt and outspoken. "When it's silly stuff, and a lot of it is incredibly unfactual, I get angry about it," he said. Asked for three words to describe his 65-year-old wife, who is five years his senior, Kerry said: "Saucy, sexy, brilliant." She responded: "I'm cheeky, I'm sexy, whatever. You know, I've got a lot of life inside..."

Interpret that as you will, Mr. Hannity; I think she's just a tough-as-nails lady that probably wont take any of your shit. Matt Drudge posted a picture of Teresa next to a picture of Dustin Hoffman playing Tootsie. No fuckin' class.

In other news...

CUNT CUNT CUNT (click me! click me!) President Bush has refused to proclaim June: "Gay Pride Month," a precedent set by the previous administration. Way to move forward, jackass. President Reagan once said that ketchup was a vegetable. He should be grinning in his grave today, as the USDA has proclaimed fat-drenched french(freedom?)fries as a vegetable as well. I have work to do. Follow the links. Listen to Air America. P.S. Here are some recent poll numbers that show John Kerry ahead of George Bush: Poll Date John Kerry George Bush Fox News June 9 45 43 LA Times June 9 51 44 Gallup June 8 50 44 Zogby June 7 44 42 ARG June 3 48 46

Here's that eulogy I promised...

I don't know...Maybe my roommate and I are the only ones that thought these comments were a jab at President Bush. Dad was also a deeply, unabashedly religious man. But he never made the fatal mistake of so many politicians wearing his faith on his sleeve to gain political advantage. True, after he was shot and nearly killed early in his presidency, he came to believe that God had spared him in order that he might do good. But he accepted that as a responsibility, not a mandate. And there is a profound difference. Humble as he was, he never would have assumed a free pass to heaven. But in his heart of hearts, I suspect he felt he would be welcome there. And so he is home. He is free. But seriously...Enough about Reagan. Let's talk NOW. Apparently, on Bush's last visit to the Vatican, he asked high-ranking Catholic officials to urge American bishops to speak out more about the political issues he feels so strongly about, mainly abortion rights and same-sex marriages. THIS is what he chooses to focus on these days, rather than the war that's killed over 800 U.S. soldiers this year. THIS is what so many neoCons love about this man that "does not waver." Colin Powell, once again, is being forced to admit some stupid mistakes: "But based on the data we had within the report, there was a suggestion that the number of [terror] incidents had dropped and it was the lowest since 1969," he added. "That turns out not to have been correct. We were wrong. We will correct it." AND...The Majority Report will have a field day on Monday after reading this: "It's a numbers error. It's not a political judgment that said, let's see if we can cook the books.' We can't get away with that now. Nobody was out to cook the books. Errors crept in," he told ABC's "This Week." For now....Work...On a Sunday. It's an abomination, I tell you.

One article, in its entirety: BY DAVID TALBOT of salon.com April 14, 2003 | The Bush inner circle would like to think of George W.'s presidency as more of an extension of Ronald Reagan's than of his one-term father's. Reagan himself, who has long suffered from Alzheimer's disease, is unable to comment on those who lay claim to his political legacy. But his son, Ron Jr., is -- and he's not pleased with the association. "The Bush people have no right to speak for my father, particularly because of the position he's in now," he said during a recent interview with Salon. "Yes, some of the current policies are an extension of the '80s. But the overall thrust of this administration is not my father's -- these people are overly reaching, overly aggressive, overly secretive, and just plain corrupt. I don't trust these people." Reagan spoke with Salon from his home in Seattle, where he lives with his wife, Doria, a psychologist. A former ballet dancer ("At 45, I'm afraid those days are over"), he has worked in recent years as a magazine journalist and a TV personality, currently hosting dog shows for the Animal Planet network ("I live 'Best in Show'"). He and Doria have three cats, but no children ("They're like kids, without the tuition"). Though he never followed his father into politics, Reagan takes a strong interest in public issues, serving on the board of the Creative Coalition, an organization founded in 1989 by performers like Susan Sarandon and Christopher Reeve to politically mobilize entertainers and artists. Reagan recently moderated a Creative Coalition panel discussion in San Francisco on the topic of free expression during wartime, featuring Alec Baldwin on the left and Michael Medved on the right (and a smoldering Sean Penn in the audience). Reagan, still as lean as he was in his dancing days, has a sharp tongue -- but like his father, he has a knack for softening his barbs with a charming affability and disarming sense of humor. Reagan took a swipe at Bush during the 2000 GOP convention in Philadelphia, which featured a tribute to his father, telling the Washington Post's Lloyd Grove, "The big elephant sitting in the corner is that George W. Bush is simply unqualified for the job... What's his accomplishment? That he's no longer an obnoxious drunk?" Since then he's been quiet about the current occupant of the White House -- until now. Some observers have compared Bush's persona as an intellectually challenged but politically gifted leader to that of Reagan. But the younger Reagan vehemently rejects the analogy. "The gunslinging cowboy, the actor who just read his lines -- that stereotype doesn't fit who my father really was. "My father had decades of experience in public life. He was president of his union, he campaigned for presidential candidates, he served two terms as governor of California -- and that was not a ceremonial office as it is in Texas. And he had already run for president, against Ford in '76, nearly unseating the sitting president in his own party. He knew where he was coming from, he had spent years thinking and speaking about his views. He didn't have to ask Dick Cheney what he thought. "Sure, he wasn't a technocrat like Clinton. But my father was a man -- that's the difference between him and Bush. To paraphrase Jack Palance, my father crapped bigger ones than George Bush." Reagan says he doesn't have anything personal against Bush. He met him only once, at a White House event during the Reagan presidency. "At least my wife insists we did -- he left absolutely no impression on me. But Doria remembers him very negatively -- I can't repeat what she said about him, I'd rather not use profanity. I do remember Jeb -- a big fella, seemed to be the brightest of the bunch. And of course their parents were very charming." But Reagan has strong feelings about Bush's policies, including the war in Iraq, which he ardently opposes. "Nine-11 gave the Bush people carte blanche to carry out their extreme agenda -- and they didn't hesitate for a moment to use it. I mean, by 9/12 Rumsfeld was saying, 'Let's hit Iraq.' They've used the war on terror to justify everything from tax cuts to Alaska oil drilling." Of course, Reagan's father was also known for his military buildup and aggressive foreign policy. "Yes," he concedes, "there are some holdovers from my dad's years, like Elliott Abrams and, my God, Admiral Poindexter, who's now keeping watch over us all. But that observation doesn't hold up. My father gave a speech a couple years after he left the White House calling for 'an international army of conscience' to deal with failed states where atrocities are taking place. He had no thought that America should be the world's policeman. I know that for a fact from conversations I had with him. He believed there must be an international force to intervene where great human tragedy was occurring. Rwanda would have been a prime example, where a strike force capable of acting quickly could have gone in to stop the slaughter. "Now George and Dick and Rummy and Wolfy all have a very different idea about America's role in the world. It was laid out by [Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul] Wolfowitz back in '92 -- Iraq is the center of the Middle East, its axis, and it's of such geo-strategic importance that we can't leave it in the hands of Saddam. We need to forcibly change that regime and use Iraq as a forward base for American democracy, setting up a domino effect in the region, and so on. My father, on the other hand, was well aware of the messiness of the Middle East, particularly after [the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in] Lebanon." Reagan says his opinions about the war were not changed by the rapid fall of Baghdad. "Look, whether or not Saddam was a bad guy, or whether the Iraqi people were terribly oppressed, was never the issue. I mean I'm happy for the Iraqis, but that's not what this was all about. Nor was the military conclusion ever in doubt; this was the Dallas Cowboys playing a high school team. Their army was a third the size it was in '91, and it didn't give us much trouble then. "And the weapons of mass destruction? Whatever happened to them? I'm sure we'll find some," he laughs. "They're being flown in right now in a C-130. "There were, and will be, a lot of people killed over there. And if you don't care about the Iraqi casualties, what about the American? We stand to lose more people in the next months of occupation than we lost in the weeks of war. One of the reasons we escaped largely unscathed so far was because our military moved so fast. But now we're sitting targets -- we have to establish bases, patrol the streets, guard checkpoints. We're sitting targets for suicide bombers and other terrorists." Reagan's parents were notoriously remote from their four children. Ron Jr. reportedly had the closest relations with his parents and he remains close with his mother, Nancy Reagan, who as the keeper of the Reagan flame is often called upon to dedicate public sites bearing her husband's name. Reagan says his mother shares his "distrust of some of these [Bush] people. She gets that they're trouble in all kinds of ways. She doesn't like their religious fervor, their aggression." Reagan says his family feels particularly alienated from the Republican Party over its opposition to embryonic stem cell research, which could have significant benefit for Alzheimer patients like his father. "Now ignorance is one thing, ignorance can be cured. But many of the Republican leaders opposing this research know better, people like [Senate Majority Leader] Bill Frist, who's a doctor, for God's sake. People like him are blocking it to pander to the 20 percent of their base who are mouth-breathers. And that's unconscionable -- there are lives at stake here. Stem cell research can revolutionize medicine, more than anything since antibiotics." Reagan, who says the label "progressive" would fit him, does not belong to a political party. "I'm certainly not a Republican; I couldn't belong to any party that had leaders like Tom DeLay. And the Democrats are too busy trying to out-Republican the Republicans." His father entered politics at a relatively late stage in his life, after careers as a sports broadcaster, actor and General Electric pitchman. Has Reagan ever considered running for office? No, he insists, "I have no political ambitions. For one thing, I'm not interested in raising all that money. It's just not the life I want to lead. When is the last time you heard a politician speak his mind? McCain? Yes, he came close. But I once asked him at a Creative Coalition meeting, 'You talk passionately about this nexus of money and influence that is corrupting our democracy. Why don't you name names?' His response was a demurral. "I have no problem with public service. And yes, better people should be running for office. But personally I just can't see myself doing it, to live in Washington D.C., the whole package. I was immersed in that my whole life. I saw politicians up close and there were so many who just repulsed me." What if a group of concerned citizens approached him and helped raise money for his entry into politics -- would that make a difference? "You mean like they did with George W.? 'Hey, you've got name recognition, that's all that matters -- we'll give you millions of dollars to run!' Imagine coming to a man with just two years' experience in public office, and a ceremonial one at that. Imagine installing such a blank slate in the presidency of the United States! This is a regency, not a presidency. "And they told us, 'Don't worry about W. not knowing anything, good old Dick Cheney will be his minder.' Dick Cheney? And this was going to be compassionate conservatism? Dick Cheney is to the right of Genghis Khan, he wants to drill in your backyard, he wants to deny black people their rights --it was all there in his voting record for us to see. What were we, rubes?" While Reagan rejects a political career, he clearly doesn't shy from speaking out. What if GOP conservatives, who still lionize his father as the greatest president of the 20th century, pressure him to shut up? "That wouldn't be a smart thing for anyone to do."

from the mountains...

I'll never know why I chose to watch Reagan's funeral this evening. I felt guilty...watching his family. The camera clicks would have driven me insane had I been there. The highlight of the funeral was Ronnie Reagan Jr's eulogy. He stuck it to Bush the way Bush likes to git stuck. It happened almost half an hour ago, and I've yet to find a transcript online. Apparently, the Gipper's passing has boosted Bush's numbers this week. That being said, I'm excited as to what the mainstream media will have to say about Jr's implications... Tasty Bits: --GW's Eulogy --Rush Limbaugh has an announcement to make. Way to uphold the sanctity of heterosexual marriage, loser...

Ave, Maria...

I'm a softie, I'll admit it. I may not wave an American flag, and I may disagree with everything Bush and his current administration have done to our country, but sometimes.....and only sometimes, I'm a sucker for tradition. Ronald Reagan didn't do much for me, or my parents for that matter, but he's dead now, and damn if I didn't shed a tiny, Texas tear for the man. He died of a horrible disease, and I feel sorry for his wife and family. That being said, I should mention that the appearance of the general public, the common men and women, the reagan-lovers....sullied the entire ceremony. Crowds of people lined the street as his remains were being transported to the national cathedral. They brandished garish umbrellas, they checked the displays of their digi-cams, they wore tennis shoes and shorts, and yes, even brought their beloved pets...for the world to see. That's why we're such a joke to so many other countries. That's why people laugh at us now, we the baudy Americans. Enough about Reagan...Ray Charles is dead too, and I'm nursing a post-celebratory hangover. The funeral has pretty much shadowed everything else that's happening around us. It's a perfect time for the current administration to fuck up....and they have.

State Dept. Understated Terrorism Attacks

Rep. Henry A. Waxman, who had challenged the findings, said he was pleased that officials "have now recognized that they have a report that has been inaccurate, and based on the inaccurate information they tried to take self-serving political credit for the results that were wrong." Yeah. You tell 'em, Waxman... In other news, Brigitte Bardot has once again proven to be a complete asshole. ...and a volcano erupted in Indonesia. And this, from Neal Pollack's Pray for Reason page: God, please give us the grace and wisdom to understand the true purposes of those who would pervert Your name to serve their selfish political ends. Give all humanity the strength to lead ourselves to true understanding, selfless love, and ultimately to peace. -Amen Amen, indeed.

REAGAN HATERS UNITE: PALAST: 'KILLER, COWARD, CON-MAN GOOD RIDDANCE, GIPPER ... MORE PROOF ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG'... THAT was one of Drudge's headlines. So ridiculous, that Matt Drudge. Granted, Palast's attack should have come....after the funeral, perhaps? Maybe that's just me... Air America did a great job all day criticizing the Reagan administration, while still showing some reverence for the dead. I don't see why everyone's expected to just sit back and listen to all of the shiny, happy tributes to The Great Communicator. In other news, there's a purported Al-Queda statement that mentions an attack on "westerners." Of course... On the fluffier side of the news, David Hasselhoff was arrested!!!

The legacy...

From the New York Times, this morning: Aides to Mr. Bush and Mr. Kerry said they did not want to do anything that would make it appear that they were exploiting the news of Mr. Reagan's death. But in one sign of what may lie ahead, Republicans circulated old quotes from Mr. Kerry in which he criticized Mr. Reagan. Democrats promptly dug up instances of the first president Bush speaking unkindly about Mr. Reagan in 1980, as the two men competed for the Republican nomination. From an Ecunemical prayer breakfast in 1984: The truth is, politics and morality are inseparable. And as morality's foundation is religion, religion and politics are necessarily related. We need religion as a guide. We need it because we are imperfect, and our government needs the church, because only those humble enough to admit they're sinners can bring to democracy the tolerance it requires in order to survive. - Ronald Reagan Sinners, eh? In other news, the US wants to withdraw one third of its troops from North Korea by the end of 2005. I have to work now. ...more later.

trickle down

Supply-side economics sucked, but one still has to feel sorry for a dying ex-President. Nancy always wanted stem-cell research... Alas, GWB signed an executive order in 2001 limiting said research to exsisting embryonic cells. The Gipper is dead and there ain't nothin' we can do about it. I suppose we could keep Reagnomics alive, and give tax cuts (to the wealthiest percentage of Americans, of course) in hopes that the cuts will boost the economy and make everything better again. Or, we can just say a silent prayer for an old man that has passed. Whatevs...

over and over...and over

By MATT KELLEY Associated Press Writer DENVER (AP) -- President Bush likened his Democratic rival John Kerry to the quickly changing weather in Colorado, telling supporters at a Republican Party fund-raiser that his opponent stands on all sides of all issues. "The American president must speak clearly and mean what he says," Bush said Tuesday night. Later, President Bush is meeting with everyone's favorite Christian: James Dobson. The spearhead of Focus on the Family will be discussing federal funding for religious social services with the President. Yesterday, Al Franken did a great bit on Bush and the Classic Flip-Flop. The GWB campaign has been all about Kerry's indecisiveness, all the while praising their fearless leader for having strong conviction.... Click HERE for the complete list. A COUPLE OF FLIP FLOPS TO CHOMP ON: Saddam/al Qaeda Link BUSH SAYS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEEN AL QAEDA AND SADDAM... "You can't distinguish between al Qaeda and Saddam when you talk about the war on terror." [President Bush, 9/25/02] ...BUSH SAYS SADDAM HAD NO ROLE IN AL QAEDA PLOT "We've had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved in Sept. 11." [President Bush, 9/17/03] Osama Bin Laden BUSH WANTS OSAMA DEAD OR ALIVE... "I want justice. And there's an old poster out West, I recall, that says, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive.'" [President Bush, on Osama Bin Laden, 09/17/01] ...BUSH DOESN'T CARE ABOUT OSAMA “I don't know where he is. You know, I just don't spend that much time on him… I truly am not that concerned about him.” [President Bush, Press Conference, 3/13/02] Iraq Funding BUSH SPOKESMAN DENIES NEED FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THE REST OF 2004..."We don't anticipate requesting anything additional for [Iraq for] the balance of this year." [White House Budget Director Joshua Bolten, 7/29/03] …BUSH REQUESTS ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR IRAQ FOR 2004 “I am requesting that Congress establish a $25 billion contingency reserve fund for the coming fiscal year to meet all commitments to our troops.” [President Bush, Statement by President, 5/5/04] You get the picture. Have a great day at work, eh?

moneytalk

Seriously folks, you can spend HOURS on FundRace!!! Check to see if your neighbors have donated any cash-mo to John Kerry...better yet, check to see if your parents gave any money to GW Bush...

Vote Randi!!!

I am running on green tea, and green tea alone. Actually, let's see....what it is? 3pm? Scratch that, I've a lil' whiskey up in me... Anyhow, moving on... Was anyone else lucky enough to watch the press conference with President Bush this morning? Whoa. Granted, I went into the whole affair with a biased, a left-leaning view, but seriously....I do not like cringing through more than half of a press conference in which MY president cannot answer ONE question without throwing in a cheesy talking point. Luckily for all those around me, I didn't play a Bushism drinking game. Getting hammered at 10 in the am isn't as fun as it used to be. No, no, rather than spend my time loaded in front of Fox News, I choose instead to drink my tea, type out thisentry with shaky hands, and criticize our current administration... Bits and Pieces... From FOX NEWS - June 1st, 2004: (Notable Quotables in BOLD) QUESTION: Mr. President, I'd like to ask you about your goals for this -- your trip coming up later this week to Europe vis-a-vis your plan on the Middle East peace initiative. What do you hope in a concrete way to bring home? BUSH: I'm giving a speech at the Air Force Academy that'll help answer your question. QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) (LAUGHTER) BUSH: They do have C-SPAN, you know. I mean, I'll be glad to rent it for you for an hour. I'm going to talk about the war on terror, the clash of ideology. It's important for our partners to understand -- I don't view it as American democracy, nor do I think it's going to happen overnight. I'll remind them that the Articles of Confederation was a rather bumpy period for American democracy. And so we're talking about reform in their image but reform at the insistence and help -- with the help of the free world. And I think it's possible, and I know it's necessary, that we work toward democracy in the Middle East. Because a society that is not free and not democratic is a society that's likely to breed resentment and anger and therefore a society that makes the recruitment of young terrorists more likely. The idea is to find common spirit in our willingness to work in a variety of ways in the greater Middle East to achieve democratic societies, to work with reformers, to work on education processes that teach people to read and write and add and subtract, not to hate. And always reminding people that the war on terror is not a war against a particular religion and that the war on terror is not a war against a particular civilization. It's a war against -- people have got this perverted vision about what the world should look like. And at my Air Force Academy speech, which you won't be at, I'll remind people that part of their objective is to drive the United States from countries in the Middle East so that they can flow their hatred into a vacuum. And it's very important that we not retreat, but not only stay the ground but also work toward democratic institutions and reform. QUESTION: So far, sir, Congress hasn't responded to your calls to do anything about rising oil prices. You've already said you want them to pass your energy bill and they aren't. So what... BUSH: Yes. So go ask Congress why they haven't passed the energy bill. And I'll repeat it again: Congress, pass the energy bill. QUESTION: But what more can you do, as prices rise? BUSH: I can continue calling upon Congress to pass the energy bill and to make sure the American consumers are being treated fairly. But what you're seeing at the gas pumps is something I've been warning for two years, and that is that we're hooked on foreign sources of energy and that if we don't become less dependent on foreign sources of energy we will find higher prices at our gas pumps. It's precisely what happened. Had we drilled in ANWR back in the mid-'90s, we'd be producing an additional million barrels a day, which would be taking enormous pressure off the American consumer. QUESTION: Mr. President, you said the United States (OFF-MIKE) would you like to go to Iraq before the end of the year (OFF-MIKE) BUSH: I would like to. But I'm not so sure that would be wise yet. QUESTION: It's not secure? BUSH: Well, I don't know. You're asking me to project six months down the road. And -- five months down the road. And that's the classic hypothetical: Will Iraq be secure enough for me to go to Iraq? I would hope it would be. And if it is, then whether or not I can go is another question. QUESTION: Would you like to (OFF-MIKE) BUSH: I'd love to go back to Iraq at some point in time. I really would. I'd like to be able to stand up and say, "Let me tell you something about America. America's a land that's willing to sacrifice on your behalf. We sent our sons and daughters here so you can be free. And not only that, we're a compassionate country. We want to help you rebuild your schools and your hospitals." I'd like to do that. I really would. I'd like to also go to Afghanistan. And by the way, the reports from Afghanistan, at least the ones I get, are very encouraging. You know, we've got -- people who have been there last year and have been back this year report a different attitude. And they report people have got a sparkle in their eye. And women, now, all of a sudden, no longer fear the future but believe that we're there to stay the course, and we will help a free society emerge. Both of which, a free society and a free Afghanistan, are very important to a future, a future world that is peaceful because freedom is the bulwark of the value system inculcated in those countries. Well, he addressed the "classic hypothetical," but nary a reporter in the garden asked the classic rhetorical:

HOW THE FUCK IS THIS GUY IN OFFICE??!

the real deal

It's been weeks, and I'm hoping this caused all y'all to shed a tiny tear...all 5 of you. I can't recap and opine all that's happened, but bits/pieces are in order: -I was able to meet and greet John Kerry when he came through town last week. I thought he delivered his stump-speech masterfully, despite the jackass behind me that kept chrotling, and shaking his head in disbelief. His focus was mainly on the environment and energy crisis, but he did a good job of hitting up the rest of the campaign trail issues. -Sean Astin was at the rally, and in a short conversation after Kerry's speech, he told me I reminded him of Janeane Garofalo, after I mentioned Air America. Fair enough... -Both John Kerry and George W. Bush have fallen off of their fancy bicycles. -Memorial Day has come and gone, and I did my part to set aside a couple of reverent minutes to reflect on just how insane the state of our nation is in right now. -I spent an hour composing a L O N G letter to my neocon-cousin in South Texas. She's voting for Bush this year... -Speaking of nu-government....Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawer is the new Iraqi President!!! *scratches head* I wonder how this guy's going to handle the Sunni revolts and SHiite uprisings that have been so popular as of late.