Hastert (R- IL) Knew About Pedophile Foley (R-FL) Last Year... And So Did Many Other "Family Values" Republicans

Foley Interviewed About Page Last Year; Democrats Not Told
Ethics Inquiry Ordered

By John Bresnahan and Susan Davis
Roll Call

Friday, Sept. 29; 10:58 pm

Ex-Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.), who resigned Friday after reports of his improper communications with a former male House page were made public, was interviewed about some of those contacts by the chairman of the House Page Board and the then-Clerk of the House last year.

And late Friday night, the House passed a resolution directing the ethics committee to begin an inquiry into Foley’s behavior. --snip--

At least four Republican House Members, one senior GOP aide and a former top officer of the House were aware of the allegations about Foley that prompted the initial reporting regarding his e-mail contacts with a 16-year-old House page. They include: Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Reynolds (N.Y.) and Reps. Rodney Alexander (R-La.) and John Shimkus (R-Ill.), as well as a senior aide to Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and former Clerk of the House Jeff Trandahl.

--snip--

Shimkus, who chairs the page board, and Trandahl, who administered the program, met with Foley in 2005 after learning of Foley’s e-mail exchange with the former page by Alexander. Shimkus released a detailed statement Friday night.

Hm. All of the Republicans failed to inform the Democrat on the page board...

Rep. Dale Kildee (D-Mich.), who serves on the page board, was never told of the interview with Foley.

"I became aware of it this afternoon when [Shimkus] came by my office. I think we should have had a page meeting right away," Kildee said, referring to last year's discovery of Foley's e-mails.

When asked if was upset about being excluded, Kildee said yes, adding, "I've been on the page board for 20 years."

As for Shimkus, the chair of the page board...

"I'm the chairman of the page board," Shimkus said when asked why he didn't include Kildee. "The Clerk and I addressed this issue."

Oh. Right. Sure, Shimkus.

Guess who introduced the ethics investigation last night.

Democrat Nancy Pelosi, that's who.

Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Friday News Dump: Republican Irony Alert

Attention! This is an IRONY Alert!

Republican Mark Foley (R- Florida... Of Course) has resigned from congress because of emails between the US Rep and a 16 year-old boy.

Oops! Make that Boys. Plural.

The Irony: Foley chairs chaired the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children.

This has been a Republican Irony Alert. Stay tuned for future alerts.

Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

The Media & The "Strong" Bush Economy

Our corporate-owned media has used the words "Bush and strong economy" so often that anyone --and I do mean anyone-- who's not doing well economically during this administration must be a total lame-assed loser. At least, that's the impression viewers and readers get from news hairdos and print editors.

Here are a few examples:

CNN.com - Transcripts
CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Economy Strong Ahead of Possible Fed Cut ... best economy is the world, and that's why the dollar has remained strong

US economy posts strongest growth in nearly 20 years - Oct. 30, 2003
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - US economic growth surged in the third quarter at the ... in part because of strong productivity growth

Fed's Poole sees strong economy, wary of inflation - Yahoo! News
Strong business investment suggests the US economy is far from weak despite a slowing housing ...

USATODAY.com - Bush is in strong position
A USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll Friday through Monday shows that Bush's courting of conservative Republicans and the brightening picture for economic growth and ...

USATODAY.com - Bush's job approval rating bounces up a few points
... rebounded from historic lows in a new USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll. ... The modest rise comes amid strong economic reports and the approach of critical ...

So... how will the corporate-owned media respond today to a study from the Center for American Progress, that notes how "middle class families are struggling to pay for a home, health insurance, transportation and their children's college with wages that have not kept pace with higher prices?"

Well, the first thing you do, of course, is to point out in paragraph 2 the source is, well... "by a think tank headed by a former top aide to President Bill Clinton."

And just to make sure that readers know this is a "partisan" study, be sure to repeat the source in paragraph 4... "the political think tank headed by John Podesta, a former Clinton chief of staff."

Hell, why don't editors just come right out and write the following?:

John Podesta, who is now and has been at sometime in the past, a member of the Democratic Party, says that the Bush economy sucks eggs and that middle class families are royally screwed. Since Podesta's obviously a screaming liberal out to destroy God's chosen president, pay no attention to this study report.

Now, wouldn't that be simpler?

Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

George Allen (R- Liar, Racist) Lets His Dogs Out

From Salon:

In the Post Wednesday, Chris LaCivita, a consultant for the Allen campaign, suggested that Shelton had fabricated the deer head story because a similar incident had been reported in North Carolina in January. Shelton said he had never heard of the North Carolina report, and called LaCivita's allegation ridiculous.

One other former teammate, George Korte, was quoted in an Allen campaign press release directly attacking Shelton, saying the radiologist had "deep-rooted problems with self identity." Korte offered nothing to back up his charge beyond a different memory of Allen's behavior.

On Sunday, Salon reported that two other teammates, who asked that their names be withheld for fear of retribution from the Allen camp, also remembered Allen using a racial epithet and displaying racist attitudes. Since then, two more acquaintances of Allen's have come forward to claim that they heard Allen use racial epithets to describe blacks. On Wednesday, the New York Times reported that Ellen G. Hawkins, an active Democrat and housewife in Virginia, remembers Allen badmouthing a black football player and using a racial slur more than once at a party in 1976. Allen's campaign manager called this account "another false accusation."

The Times, the Post and the New Republic have also reported that Christopher Taylor, an anthropology professor in Alabama who identifies himself as a Democrat, remembers Allen using the word "nigger" to describe black residents near his Virginia home in the early 1980s. The Allen campaign charged that Taylor was lying. "This guy is not credible period," said LaCivita, in an interview with the Post.

Let's recap:

Allen: Had a Confederate Flag in his office and showed visitors his toy Noose with pride (until it was pointed out to him --a few weeks ago-- that those were symbols of slavery); called an Indian-American "Macaca" and "welcomed him to America"; Denied being a racist and said he made up the well-known slur word "Macaca"; Denied being Jewish; Postponed an event until the day after Yom Kippur (because he's Jewish); and told everyone that he eats ham sandwiches.

But Allen and his dogs of war claim everyone else is lying.

What an asshat!

Congrats, George Allen! You're this week's Backside Of The Bell Curve winner!

Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

George Allen: Soft On Hate Crimes

Of course, Allen's soft on hate crimes. He's committed his fair share of them. In fact, Allen once claimed that he moved to Virginia because "blacks know their place" there.

Christopher Taylor, an anthropology professor at Alabama University in Birmingham, Ala., said that in the early 1980’s he heard Mr. Allen use an inflammatory epithet for African Americans. Mr. Taylor, who is white and was then a graduate student at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, said the term came up in a conversation about the turtles in a pond near Mr. Allen’s property. According to Mr. Taylor, Mr. Allen said that “around here” only the African Americans — whom he referred to by the epithet — “eat ‘em.”

Separately, Dr. Ken Shelton, a former football teammate of Mr. Allen’s at the University of Virginia who is white, said that in college in the early 1970’s Mr. Allen had used the same term often. Dr. Shelton said Mr. Allen had told him that he moved to Virginia “because the blacks know their place.”

Dr. Shelton, a radiologist now living in North Carolina, said that on a hunting trip Mr. Allen had sought out the home of an African American and affixed the head of a dead deer to the mailbox. And Dr. Shelton said Mr. Allen had also called him “wizard” after Robert Shelton, who used the title “wizard” as a leader of the Ku Klux Klan.

“He wanted to know if I was related,” Dr. Shelton recalled in an interview. “I said, ‘No.’ ” More...

You're pathetic, George "Macaca Man" Allen.

Place a burning cross in a yard. Put a deer head in a mailbox. Call an Indian-American a monkey. Slam the Jews ("It's a family secret" & "I eat ham") because you're embarrassed to be Jewish. It's all the same to George Allen.

How fast would George Felix Allen file a harassment suit against you if you insulted him, though?

Quicker than you could say Jack Rabbit. That's how fast.

Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Homeland Security's Roseanne Rosannadanna: "Oops! Never Mind."

U.S. to relax air travel restrictions
By LARA JAKES JORDAN, Associated Press Writer 39 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - The government is partially lifting its ban against carrying liquids and gels onto airliners, instituted after a plot to bomb jets flying into the United States was foiled, an administration official said Monday. --snip--

The tougher airport screening procedures were put in place in August after British police broke up a terrorist plot to assemble and detonate bombs using liquid explosives on airliners crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Britain to the U.S.

At the time, the Homeland Security Department briefly raised the threat level to "red," the highest level, for flights bound to the United States from Britain. All other flights were at "orange" and will remain at orange, the second-highest level, for now.

New procedures also were being announced for products like lip gloss and hand lotion that passengers bring to the airport. Previously, those liquids have been confiscated at security checkpoints. Now, the official said, those products will be put in clear plastic bags at the checkpoint, screened and returned to the passenger if they pass screening.

At last, our national lip gloss nightmare is over. Homeland Security says so, so it must be true.

What a crock!
Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Bruce Willis Wants A Hollywood History Makeover

Poor Bruce. He used to be one of the big three Hollywood Republicans (along with Schwarzenegger & Stalone). These three powerhouses ruled the roost for years and made a ton of money in Blow Up Stuff films.

But I digress.

Today, Bruce is whining...

'I'm A Democrat', Insists Willis.

BRUCE WILLIS has dismissed his "Hollywood Republican" reputation, insisting his political beliefs go far deeper.

Confusion over the movie hardman's politics was sparked when he reportedly backed the war in Iraq, and even made an appearance with US President GEORGE W BUSH at the White House.

But now he's keen to be seen as a staunch Democrat, according to the New York Daily News.

He says, "I'm always being accused of being a Hollywood Republican - but I'm not! "I have just as many Democratic ideas as Republican ones. If they could build three fewer bombs every month and give the money to foster care, that would be great."

So why is Bruce suddenly whining about his ties to George W. & the neocons?

Hm. Maybe Bruce has figured out that the worm has turned.

Maybe he's hoping for a bigger audience share when Die Hard Four comes out next year.

Maybe Bruce has finally learned a thing or two about the total lack of talent in the rightwing Hollywood gene pool... and he's trying to get back into the good graces of those he snubbed the past few years.

My bet: Willis' investors don't want any more bad press...

Bruce Willis: Die Lard

Filming on the new 'Die Hard' movie has been postponed because Bruce Willis is too fat.

The actor admits he has put on weight since he first played cop John McClane 18 years ago and says he is frightened of embarrassing himself with a "flabby physique" on screen.

He said: "I need to get in shape, I need to work out.

Bruce sues Childhood friend

Bruce Willis is suing a former childhood friend for alleged "extortion".

The 'Die Hard' star has filed a lawsuit against Bruce DiMattia over allegations DiMattia is threatening to publish a tell-all book about the actor unless he receives $100,000 and a car from Willis.

According to Willis' lawyer, Marty Singer, DiMattia worked for the actor for four years, but then stole a number of photos and family videos he was compiling on Willis' behalf when he was fired.

After he was dismissed, DiMattia allegedly informed Willis he had "surreptitiously prepared a book manuscript" which he was offering to publishers and would sell unless his demands were met.

The lawsuit claims the book contains "falsehoods and lies" that could embarrass Willis and insists DiMattia's alleged plans "constitute extortion and violate Willis' right of privacy".

The actor - who is currently preparing to reprise his role as cop John McClane in 'Die Hard 4' - is reportedly demanding the return of his private materials and over $1 million damages.

Bruce Willis refuses Berry sex scene

Bruce Willis refused to film a sex scene with Halle Berry - because she is too gorgeous.

The 'Die Hard' actor - who stars with the Oscar winning actress in upcoming film 'Perfect Stranger'- made Halle act out the racy scenes alone because he was scared he would get too awkward.

The 'Monster's Ball' actress was forced to writhe around in a bed on her own, while the crew played a recording of Willis' voice.

The editors then had to put the pair together using computer wizardry.

It was the first time the pioneering technique has been used for a sex scene.

Willis said: "I get all awkward. She's beautiful. It's almost like looking at an eclipse of the sun.

Need more Willis news?

Bruce Willis' adoption plans
Bruce Willis: 'I'm Scared Of Fame'.
Confident Willis
Bruce Willis wants another child
Willis Threatens Kids' Suitors.
Bruce Willis' green mobile
Bruce Willis' racoon research
Bruce Willis to sue snapper
Bruce Willis dating co-star
Bruce Willis Backs Gun Rights
Bruce Willis' bachelor death fear
Bruce Willis' Die Hard desperation
Bruce Willis birthday blushes
Bruce Willis' date dilemma
Bruce Willis' model relationship
Bruce Willis In Anti Drugs Campaign

You made your bed, Bruce.

Wallow in it, you rightwing Republican shill.


Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Snarky Sermon on the Blog: The Church of the Helium Tank

Just when you think you've seen it all, along comes...

The Inflatable Church:

INFLATABLE CHURCH BRINGS NEW MEANING TO MOBILE WEDDING........

One of the world's VERY FIRST inflatable churches is here to allow couples to get married wherever their hearts desire. The complete structure will comprise of two sections; The house, 5m in width (external) with frontal facade, 7m highand 6.5m wide (Approx). The tower will be 5x5m base and 12m in height (Approx) Walls are to be 0.6m thick. (Approx.) The attention to detail is heavenly complete with plastic "stained glass" windows and airbrush artwork which replicates the traditional church. Inside it has an inflatable organ, altar, pulpit, pews, candles and a gold cross. Even the doors are flanked by air-filled angels. The church can be built in 2 hours and

dis-assembled in less than one.
Marry anywhere !!! even renewing your vows if you're already married.

Now we can bring the church to the bride rather than the other way around. It can be set up anywhere, from your garden to Malibu beach, it's up to you. No problem with "high heels."

The Inflatable Church is Registered in the Guinness World Records 2004 for being the world's largest Inflatable church in the world.

Purchase Price: £21,750 + Shipping & Handling
Rental Price: £2,000 per day

Thus Endeth Today's Sermon.

Go forth today and ponder the historical community uses of churches. Then consider the traveling preacher and ask yourself: Is an inflatable church really any tackier than houses of worship used for tax collection...

Or any tackier than a cross-bearing traveling preacher?

Think about it.

I mean it, damn it!

Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Osama Bin Icicle: So What?

If you have a capital R after your name, you're in big mid-term election trouble right now. Your constituents, your local newspapers, and those pesky internet bloggers are hot on your heels, you Heels.

What's the best October Surprise you could think of? One that would divert the entire country's attention long enough for your buddies to Diebold yet another election in your favor?

Finding Osama, of course.

But the timing would have to be just right. Too early, and voters might move on and refocus on your sorry-assed record. Too late, and voters might question the timing of finally finding a 6'4" guy with an entourage in a region where 5'9" is considered tall.

(Cue The Cat Leaving The Bag!)

French Foreign Intelligence Document Claims Bin Laden is Dead

23 September 2006 | 11:35 | FOCUS News Agency Paris.

A document of the French Foreign Intelligence Service (DGSE), cited by the l'Est Républicain claims that the Saudi secret services had proves that Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden was dead, Reuters reports.
More details were expected from Riad so that they could spread the news. The French authorities refuse to comment on the news but last week the Chief of French Armed Forces said he was not sure whether Osama Bin Laden was alive. According to the information of the Saudi services Bin Laden had died on August 23rd from typhus while in Pakistan. The French intelligence thought the information was quite reliable and that was why they had sent it to the President, the Prime Minister and the ministers of interior and defense, the publication points out.

If this report turns out to be true...

So what?

Bush has famously said that he doesn't even think about Bin Laden anymore. Bush even disbanded the Bin Laden search unit (but Dems forced its reinstatement).

"Finding" Osama Bin Icicle won't stop the daily deaths of our soldiers, will it?

Or the 1.8 Billion dollar weekly war bill.

Or the Bush administration's "Torture Is good" policy.

Or the sleazy doings of your local Republican lawmakers.

So don't be seduced by Republicans who'll claim total victory in the war on terror (but won't bring our troops home) when and if Osama Bin Icicle's body is produced for your viewing pleasure 24/7 on MSNBC and the other cable news networks... complete with its own graphics and theme music.

Instead, you should ask:

What took you so damned long?

Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Michigan: DeVos/Amway Science Lesson

Listen up, Michigan.

You'll be tested on this material on Nov. 7th!

Dick DeVos (Mr. Amway, himself) wants to be the governor of Michigan.

Dick DeVos says he "wouldn't require that it be taught in science classes," but...

Dick DeVos would "like to see local school districts continue to be able to teach intelligent design if they choose to."

Ahem.

DeVos was asked during the interview with the AP, "Would you support science guidelines that allow intelligent design to be included in the science curriculum?"

He answered, "Yes."

This is why anyone who even considers voting for Dick "Amway" DeVos is this week's Backside Of The Bell Curve Winner.

Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

The Washington Post Bends Over For...George "Don't Call Me A Jew"/ I Love Being A Jew" Allen

George Felix "Macaca Man" Allen claims that his mother only told him he was Jewish... are you ready?... last month.

And The Washington Post prints this crock of crap ON THE FRONT PAGE as if it's the gospel truth.

So now George "How Dare You Call Me A Jew?" (aka "Confederate Flag/ Noose In His Office") Allen loves being a Jew?

More crockery than Marshall, Texas, y'all!

And just how low will The WaPo go?




Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Kiss This, American Airlines!

And to believe that I actually sympathized with American Airlines personnel after they were soundly vilified in that "Path To 9/11, Swiftboat Style" minicrapseries.

Not anymore.

Kiss this, AA!

Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

George Allen (R- VA) Refuses To Answer The Jewish Question

Allen's "attack the reporter" stunt is liable to backfire... Dick Cheney Big Time.

The important question about being Jewish: So what?

Yesterday, a local DC reporter asked Allen when his family converted (Allen has said that his grandfather was incarcerated by the Nazis), and All Allen Hell broke loose.

"It has been reported," said Fox, that "your grandfather Felix, whom you were given your middle name for, was Jewish. Could you please tell us whether your forebears include Jews and, if so, at which point Jewish identity might have ended?"

Allen recoiled as if he had been struck. His supporters in the audience booed and hissed. "To be getting into what religion my mother is, I don't think is relevant," Allen said, furiously. "Why is that relevant -- my religion, Jim's religion or the religious beliefs of anyone out there?"

"Honesty, that's all," questioner Fox answered, looking a bit frightened.

"Oh, that's just all? That's just all," the senator mocked, pressing his attack. He directed Fox to "ask questions about issues that really matter to people here in Virginia" and refrain from "making aspersions."

But why? Why did George Allen go ape shit? Why is being Jewish "making aspersions," George?

Hm.

Could it be that Allen's noose-admiring, Confederate flag-waving, CCC card-carrying Cracker constituents might not vote for a Jew-blooded candidate?

On a personal note: When my family came to the United States, the Jewish-sounding family name was changed... to an Irish-sounding one. It was a pretty common occurrence.

But, of course, I have nothing to hide.

How about you, George "Macaca Man" Allen?

Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

The Pope's Next Move?

The new pope has been busy, hasn't he? After slamming a religion for its violent past (I know. Hypocrisy rears its ugly head yet again), he's now sorry "for the response to his remarks."

Jeez! What's the pope's next move? Sending in these guys?



No one would expect it, would they?

Sorry. I couldn't resist.

Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Snarky Sermon on the Blog: Jesus Lives In Florida

Really. He does. At least, that's what his followers think.

The Man Who Claims To Be Jesus

Followers Claim Doral Man is God On Earth

Jose Luis deJesus Claims There Is No Heaven, No Hell

Followers Believe All Other Religions Must Be Destroyed


Ileana Varela

(CBS4 News) DORAL His name is Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda; his followers call him everything from apostle to Dad, or simply Jesus Christ Man. De Jesus Miranda himself believes he’s the living incarnation of “Jesus Christ Man,” “the second coming of Christ.”

A follower of his believes “he is God, he is God.” She also lavishes him with money and gifts.

"I don’t have one Rolex,” de Jesus Miranda said, “I have 3 because they want to give it to me. It's like that woman that came to Jesus with the expensive perfume and put it on his feet. He didn’t reject it, so when someone gives me a watch or a gift, I receive it. I like them too, they're nice."

This self-proclaimed Son of God is a 60 year old former heroin addict and convict. The divorced father of 4 was born in Puerto Rico and now lives in South Florida with his second wife. More...

Thus Endeth Today's Sermon.

Go forth today and consider just how much you would pay for an authentic autographed photo of Jesus... and how much it might go for on eBay.

I mean it, damn it!

Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Watch Letterman's Top Ten Bush Moments!

So many "Bush Moments" to choose from, so little time...




Truly heavy sigh.

Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Hey, Bush-Loving Parents! So You Want Your Children Tortured?

If Bush succeeds in "redefining" the Geneva Conventions, don't complain when some other country's government decides to torture your soldier/ peace worker/ missionary/ tourist child in order to get random information for some random reason.

A Defining Moment for America
The president goes to Capitol Hill to lobby for torture.

Friday, September 15, 2006; A18

PRESIDENT BUSH rarely visits Congress. So it was a measure of his painfully skewed priorities that Mr. Bush made the unaccustomed trip yesterday to seek legislative permission for the CIA to make people disappear into secret prisons and have information extracted from them by means he dare not describe publicly.

Of course, Mr. Bush didn't come out and say he's lobbying for torture. Instead he refers to "an alternative set of procedures" for interrogation. But the administration no longer conceals what it wants. It wants authorization for the CIA to hide detainees in overseas prisons where even the International Committee of the Red Cross won't have access. It wants permission to interrogate those detainees with abusive practices that in the past have included induced hypothermia and "waterboarding," or simulated drowning. And it wants the right to try such detainees, and perhaps sentence them to death, on the basis of evidence that the defendants cannot see and that may have been extracted during those abusive interrogation sessions.

There's no question that the United States is facing a dangerous foe that uses the foulest of methods. But a wide array of generals and others who should know argue that it is neither prudent nor useful for the United States to compromise its own values in response. "I continue to read and hear that we are facing a 'different enemy' in the war on terror," retired Gen. John W. Vessey Jr., a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote in a letter to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) this week. "No matter how true that may be, inhumanity and cruelty are not new to warfare nor to enemies we have faced in the past. . . . Through those years, we held to our own values. We should continue to do so."

Another former chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and one more intimately familiar with the war on terrorism, also weighed in this week: "The world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism," former general and secretary of state Colin L. Powell wrote to McCain. "To redefine Common Article 3 would add to those doubts."...Mr. Powell was referring to an article of the Geneva Conventions that prohibits cruel and degrading treatment of detainees. Mr. Bush, with support from most Republican congressional leaders, wants to redefine American obligations under the treaty. Three Republican senators -- John W. Warner of Virginia, chairman of the Armed Services Committee; Lindsey O. Graham of South Carolina; and Mr. McCain -- are bravely promoting an alternative measure that would allow terrorists to be questioned and tried without breaking faith with traditional U.S. values. The Armed Services Committee approved their bill yesterday and sent it to the Senate floor....The doubts of which Mr. Powell spoke are impeding the U.S. war effort. A president who lobbies for torture feeds those doubts even if, as we hope, Congress denies him his request.

Congratulations, torture lovers! You're this week's Backside Of the Bell Curve Winners!

Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Don Imus Is A National Joke

Yep, this morning was the last damned Don Imus Benefit Of The Doubt Day for me. Today, Don & his dopes were bitching and moaning about the fact the Bill Clinton ate a meal in an Italian restaurant in Ethiopia. Off camera, one of his idiot henchmen chimed in that that would be like skiing Hawaii.

These men are just too damned ignorant of the world to waste one more minute on.

Ahem.

When you travel to Ethiopia, check out...

Addis Ababa Restaurant (Near Saint George’s Cathedral, off the Gojjam Road, Tel. +251 011 112 8733) This reputed Habesha eatery is set in an old feudal home, which gives it an added charm. The tibs (fried meat) and fish are excellent. You can also try the teuj (honey wine or mead).

Fine dining
Castelli’s (Piassa, Tel. +251 011 157 1757) Serving the best seafood in Addis by far, this restaurant has been managed by the same Italian family for the past 50 years.

After Hours
Live music
The Concord Piano Bar (Debre Zeit Road, Tel. +251 011 465 4959. A couple of kilometres out of town on the Debre Zeit Road, you’ll be regaled with oldies as well as classics of Ethio-jazz from the 60s, when the Imperial Band was inventing this new genre.

Trendy bar
Kaldi’s Café No.2 (Adams Pavilion, off Sar Bet near the African Union) A Starbuck’s lookalike that generated an article in the New York Times and mild disapproval from the Seattle-based coffee chain. Kaldi’s has it all – plush armchairs, canned music and great lattes.

Late-night club
Virgo (Off Bole Avenue near Medanialem Church and above Kaldi’s Café No.1, Tel. +251 011 552 0599) A recent arrival on the nightclub scene with a wide selection of drinks and a cosy atmosphere, the Virgo is open every night except Monday.

Want to ski Hawaii?

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P.O.Box 1954

KAMUELA, HAWAII 96743

(808) 885-4188

The name is Mauna Kea or White Mountain, from its undersea base of -19,000 feet to the wind-swept peaks of 13,796 feet, it's the world's highest mountain! It offers some of the world's highest skiing.

This massive extinct volcano is blessed with the finest snow in the world, opening almost 100 square miles of ski able terrain. At this latitude the conditions are spring like; the snow is sugar corn. We call it 'Pineapple Powder'.

Don Imus: Too damned dumb to know how stupid he is. And just too stupid to recognize how dumb his henchmen make him look.

Like being a national joke, Imus? Get used to it.

Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

DC 2006 Primary Election Results

Psst! If your sign was in my front yard, congratulations! You won!

DC Mayor-D - 100% of 142 Reporting
FENTY 56,613 57%
CROPP 30,512 31%
JOHNS 7,810 8%
ORANGE 2,835 3%
BROWN 579 1%
MILLIGAN 100 0%
DJONKAM 69 0%

DC Council Chairman-D - 100% of 142 Reporting
GRAY 54,625 58%
PATTERSON 40,196 42%
DC Council At Large-D - 100% of 142 Reporting
MENDELSON 58,183 64%
BOLDEN 33,219 36%

DC Council Ward 1-D - 100% of 16 Reporting
GRAHAM 8,428 87%
WILLIAMS 1,276 13%

DC Council Ward 3-D - 100% of 17 Reporting
CHEH 5,642 44%
STRAUSS 1,887 15%
GORDON 1,047 8%
WISS 1,042 8%
BROOKS 1,027 8%
GAULL 909 7%
RICE 848 7%
GOULET 443 3%
REES 28 0%

DC Council Ward 5-D - 100% of 18 Reporting
THOMAS 5,699 39%
WILDS 2,765 19%
ZAPATA 1,562 11%
MARSHALL 1,424 10%
HENDERSON 679 5%
MAGNUS 586 4%
JAMES 518 4%
RAY 480 3%
SMITH 348 2%
WINFIELD 206 1%
HARRIS 197 1%

DC Council Ward 5-Other - 100% of 18 Reporting
STEPTOE 38 54%
BLAIR 32 46%

DC Council Ward 6-D - 100% of 17 Reporting
WELLS 7,490 67%
ETHERLY 2,186 20%
PINSON 1,527 14%

DC U.S. Delegate-D - 100% of 142 Reporting
NORTON 88,740 94%
MISCUK 6,156 6%


Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

US Air Force Commander Wants To Microwave You

Think I'm kidding?

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Nonlethal weapons such as high-power microwave devices should be used on American citizens in crowd-control situations before being used on the battlefield, the Air Force secretary said Tuesday.

The object is basically public relations. Domestic use would make it easier to avoid questions from others about possible safety considerations, said Secretary Michael Wynne.

"If we're not willing to use it here against our fellow citizens, then we should not be willing to use it in a wartime situation," said Wynne. "(Because) if I hit somebody with a nonlethal weapon and they claim that it injured them in a way that was not intended, I think that I would be vilified in the world press."

If the object is public relations, Asswipe, you might want to rethink your idiotic idea to microwave American citizens.

Unless you want to see this in your front yard, that is...



Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

The Mother Of All 9/11 Speeches

Click The Arrow


Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

2006 Washington DC Primary Election Guide

I don't care who you vote for.

Just vote, damn it!

Poll Hours 7am-8pm

***MAYOR***

Democrat Candidates
(Vote for 1)
Michael Brown
Linda Cropp
Nestor Djonkam
Adrin Fenty
Marie Johns
Artee Milligan
Vincent Orange

# Michael Brown is a lobbyist at Alcalde & Fay, a national government relations and public affairs firm. He is the son of Ronald H. Brown, a civil rights activist who was U.S. commerce secretary in the Clinton administration when he died in a plane crash in April 1996. Brown is a third generation Washingtonian. He attended DC public schools. As a lobbyist he has worked closely with members and staffers up on Capitol Hill. He feels this hill experience is important when it comes to fighting for DC statehood and congressional oversight of DC. He is the former vice chair of the DC Boxing and Wrestling Commission and a member of the DCPS Superintendent search committee.

# Linda Cropp is the Chairman of the DC City Council. She is a former teacher and guidance counselor. "As Chairman of the Council, I've brought people together to get things accomplished for our City. I passed ten balanced budgets in a row to help bring the city back from the days of bankruptcy and remove the Control Board. I funded more police officers, earmarked $100 million to the jumpstart the school modernization program, and put a cap on rising property taxes. I established a dedicated revenue source for affordable housing development to help families who live here stay here. With a strong financial foundation, we now have the resources to invest in our people and improve the quality of life for all of us. I bring creative, fiscally responsible plans for better schools, safer streets, and affordable housing to the job of mayor."

# Nestor Djonkam is a mechanical engineer. He did not answer our questionnaire.

# Adrian Fenty is serving his second term on the DC Council representing Ward 4. He is also an attorney. "I bring energy, intelligence, dedication, creativity and the ability to connect with people in the diverse communities of our City--an ability to once again make us one City. I bring a record of success from my two terms on the Council. I introduced and championed the School Modernization Act, the Affordable Housing Task Force Bill, and the first bill banning smoking from all workplaces in the District." Fenty has been endorsed by: The Washington Post, the Washington Teachers' Union, which represents nearly 5,000 teachers, librarians and guidance counselors who work in D.C. public schools, and former DC Mayor/now councilman Marion Barry.

# Marie Johns has been a resident of DC since 1999. She is the retired president and chief executive of Verizon Washington. "I am an experienced executive who started as a secretary and worked my way up to become the President and CEO of one of DC's largest private employers, Verizon, DC. I am a civic leader who has served on various boards to spearhead community efforts, including the Greater Washington Board of Trade, the National Capital Revitalization Corporation and the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation. I am the Founding Chair of the Washington DC Technology Council, and a member of the Senior Board of Stewards of the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church."

# Artee Milligan is Executive Director of Metropolitan/Delta Adult Literacy Council. Milligan is the chair of a neighborhood community organization that works to improve the quality of life for residents. Milligan's professional career spans over 29 years of business experience in the banking, chemical, energy, and consulting industry. He has worked for leading Fortune 10 companies like Exxon Mobil Corporation and Mobil Corporation and companies like Bearing Point.

# Vincent Orange is currently on the DC Council representing Ward 5. He is also a certified public accountant and attorney. "My experience as a CFO, attorney, tax accountant, auditor, council member and chair of the City Council's government operations committee qualify me to serve as mayor. My love for DC residents, my commitment to providing children with a better chance, my drive for excellence and my penchant for fairness equip me to be successful as mayor."

***The democratic nominee will face David Kranich the Republican candidate and Chris Otten of the Statehood Party. Both of these candidates ran unopposed in the primary.

***Incumbent, Tony Williams, is not seeking re-election.


***DELEGATE TO U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES***

Democrat Candidates
(Vote for 1)
Eleanor Holmes Norton (incumbent)
Andy Miscuk

# Eleanor Holmes Norton is the incumbent. "I have vigorously represented the interests of the citizens of the District of Columbia for eight consistent terms in the House, where I am a Member and in the Senate, where I am not. My record of success in a Republican Congress on issues such as voting rights; $10,000 college grants for D.C. residents to go to any U.S. state college; and saving D.C. gun laws four times--makes the best case for my reelection." She would support legislation which would enable DC to have a Representative--not a delegate--to the U.S. House of Representatives although full congressional voting rights would still remain for the future. But she says she will continue to press for full and equal citizenship rights. Including votes in the Senate.

# Andy Miscuk did not return our questionnaire.


***CHAIRMAN, DC COUNCIL***

Democrat Candidates
(Vote for 1)
Vincent Gray
Kathy Patterson

# Vincent Gray is currently serving his first term on the city council representing Ward 7. He is a native Washingtonian. As a D.C. Council member, Gray was a co-sponsor of the school modernization plan and headed a special committee on youth violence. He is former director of the Association for Retarded Citizens and also Covenant House, a nonprofit for homeless teenagers. He directed the D.C. Department of Human Services from 1991 to 1994.

# Kathy Patterson is a three-term council member -representing Ward 3- who has led three committees and has helped to champion some of the city's biggest initiatives - a school modernization plan, a law banning smoking in bars and restaurants, and civil rights protections for protesters. Patterson is also a former newspaper journalist and communications director for national advocacy organization.

# Linda Cropp is the incumbent. She is running for Mayor.


AT-LARGE MEMBER, DC COUNCIL

Democrat Candidates
Vote for 1)
Phil Mendelson (incumbent)
A. Scott Bolden

# Phil Mendelson is a 2-term incumbent. He was first elected to the council in 1998. Phil Mendelson has been active with District issues since 1975 when he joined the McLean Gardens Residents Association in the fight to save that 43-acre housing complex from destruction. He ran for a seat on the Advisory Neighborhood Commission in 1979 and continued to serve as a Commissioner until his election in November 1998 as an At-Large member of the Council. During the 1980s Mr. Mendelson was a leader against over-development along Wisconsin Avenue. One outcome was removal of a public road from Glover Archbold Park. The controversy also led to zoning changes citywide to protect neighborhoods and improve community participation in the planning process. Another result was the redirection of economic development to other commercial areas needing revitalization.

# A. Scott Bolden is a trial lawyer and former chair of the DC Democratic Party. Other experience includes: Prosecutor, Manhattan District Attorney's Office (1987-91); Attorney Partner, Reed Smith, LLP.; Former member of the Board of Govenors, DC Bar; President, DC Chamber of Commerce (1998); Chair, Recreation Wish List Committee (1999-2002).

***The nominee will face Marcus Skelton the republican challenger and Ann Wilcox the statehood candidate in November.


DC COUNCIL - WARD 1

Democrat Candidates
(Vote for 1)
Jim Graham (incumbent)
Chad Williams

# Jim Graham is seeking his third term on the council. Previously he ran the Whitman Walker Clinic.

# Chad Williams is a real estate development consultant.


DC COUNCIL - WARD 3

Democrat Candidates
(Vote for 1)
Bill Rice
Paul Strauss
Jonathan Rees
Sam Brooks
Erik Gaull
Eric Goulet
Cathy Wiss
Mary Cheh
Robert Gordon

# Sam Brooks is a political consultant.

# Mary Cheh is a a law professor at George Washington University.

# Erik Gaull is former special assistant to the president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

# Robert Gordon is a three-term advisory neighborhood commissioner who helped rebuild schools in Iraq.

# Eric Goulet is a former council staff member.

# Jonathan Rees is a healthcare administrator.

# Bill Rice is former spokesperson for the District Department of Transportation.

# Paul Strauss is an attorney specializing in real estate, business and family law. He is serving a second term as Chairperson of the District's Board of Real Property Assessments and Appeals and as DC Shadow Senator, the District's non-voting representative to the US Senate.

# Cathy Wiss is an advisory neighborhood commissioner.

***The winner of this primary will face Republican challenger Theresa Conroy in November. She is running unopposed in primary.

***Kathy Patterson - the incumbent- is running for council chair.


DC COUNCIL - WARD 5

Democrat Candidates
(Vote for 1)
Regina James
Deborah Smith
Bruce Marshall
Audrey Ray
Ron Magnus
Rae Zapata
Joe Harris
Vera Winfield
Frank Wilds
Harry Thomas, Jr.
Kathy Henderson

# Regina James: ANC member. She is a slots opponent and Ward 5 native.

# Deborah Smith: ANC member.

# Bruce Marshall: lifelong Ward 5 resident, city and federal government worker and staffer

# Audrey Ray: is a program administrator.

# Ron Magnus: former DC Office of Attorney General lawyer.

# Rae Zapata: former DCRA official

# Joe Harris: non-profit administrator.

# Vera Winfield: chair if the city's barber and cosmetology board.She has been emphasizing her Ward 5 roots in this campaign

# Frank Wilds: retired businessman and democratic party activist.

# Harry Thomas, Jr: is CEO of Team Thomas--a program that mentors and coaches children and young adults in various learning and sports activities. He is also the son of former Ward 5 councilmember Harry Thomas.

# Kathy Henderson: is a former programming analyst, DC government worker and ANC member.

***This seat is currently held by Vincent Orange. He is running for mayor after serving 2 terms as Ward 5 councilman.


DC COUNCIL - WARD 5

Statehood Green Candidates
(Vote for 1)
Carolyn Steptoe
Phillip Blair, Jr.

***Neither candidate returned our questionnaire.


DC COUNCIL - WARD 6

Democrat Candidates
(Vote for 1)
Leo Pinson
Curtis Etherly, Jr.
Tommy Wells

# Leo Pinson is a management consultant and project manager.

# Curtis Etherly is an attorney.

# Tommy Wells is Executive Director of DC Consortium for Child Welfare. He is also on the DC Board of Education representing District 3 (Wards 5 & 6). He is a former ANC commissioner.

***The winner of this primary will face Republican Tony Williams--who is running unopposed in the republican primary.


SHADOW SENATOR

Democrat Candidates
(Vote for 1)
Michael D. Brown
Phillip Pannell

# Michael Brown is President of Horizon Communications, Inc. He has 26 years experience working for national political and public interest groups, including six Democratic Presidential campaigns and serving at the past seven Democratic National Conventions. Former Administrative Director, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Washington, DC. Former Director of Development, Democratic National Committee. Former ANC Commissioner (ANC 3E). President of the Western Avenue Citizens Association.

Phillip Pannell is Director of Public Affairs, ADA, Inc.; Executive Director, Anacostia Coordinating Council. Former Occupations: Executive Assistant to President of the DC Board of Education, Peggy Cooper Cafritz; Special Assistant to Mayor Anthony Williams for LGBT Affairs; staff member of the DC City Council.

***The winner of this primary will face Statehood/Green Party candidate Joyce Robinson-Paul in November


SHADOW REPRESENTATIVE

Democrat
(Vote for 1)
Mike Panetta
John Forster
James Bubar

# Mike Panetta is Assistant Vice President of Grassroots Enterprise. "I see the job of the Shadow Representative as raising awareness about the District's lack of voting rights. My strategy is to make sure more people outside of the District of Columbia are made aware of our plight. We need to have soccer moms in Kansas, union workers in North Carolina, technology executives in Silicon Valley, and progressive bloggers around the country taking this issue on. I plan on building a grassroots network of activists who will lobby their own Members of Congress for DC budget autonomy, representation, and additional federal funds."

# John Forster is a financial advisor. "I believe the primary focus of the Shadow Representative is to support our Delegate on Capitol Hill to move legislation through the congressional committees. The House Judiciary Committee will soon be considering the DC voting rights bills of both Representatives Tom Davis (HR 5388) and Dana Rohrabacher (HR 190). I will make sure that Congress sees our Shadow! "

# James Bubar is an attorney. "As the Co-chair of the Bar's DC Affairs Section, I advocated voting rights on the Hill, supporting the "No Taxation Without Representation" by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, and the new "DC Fair and Equal House Voting Rights" bill. As Alternate National Committeeman, I helped draft resolutions of the Democratic National Committee and District of Columbia Democratic State Committee for full voting rights. As a John Kerry Delegate, I advocated voting rights at the Democratic Convention in Boston."

***The winner in this primary will face Keith Ware of the Statehood Green Party in November.

I'll post the results tomorrow morning.

Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Today We Know Who Caused 9/11...

... Yep, the same guy who sat frozen like a trapped rabbit while Americans died, then ran the other way on Air Force One and hid in a bunker until the coast was clear. Don't you remember this famous photo?




Thanks to my Blog Box editor, EarlG, who also pens the wildly popular Top Ten Conservative Idiots, for creating this graphic and setting America straight!


Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Snarky Sermon on the Blog: Let's All Sing Along!

Dust off the Hi-Fi and crank up the volume! (This is no joke!)

Yep, that's a ventriloquist's dummy.
Yep, that man is teaching the dummy to play golf.
Truly heavy sigh.

Thus Endeth Today's Sermon.

Go forth today and consider whether the Baby Jesus would have this album in his collection... or not.

I mean it, damn it!


Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Best. "Path To 9/11" Link. Ever.

Path To 9/11

Did you click it?

Get it? Got it? Good!

Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Disney/ABC/Scholastic 9/11 Film Is A Global Simulcast

And the Australian TV ad proves it.

From The All Spin Zone:

Holy Sh*t!!!
It's even worse than we thought.

While ABC has been busy peddling the “it's only a docudrama” stateside, they have been planning on worldwide simultaneous broadcast blitz - billing “The Path to 9/11” as the true story of what really happened. And featured in this Australian promo is that big lie scene that shows the Clinton administration choosing not to go after Bin Laden, while the voiceover announces he could have been stopped and “how one decison changed our world.” The opening sequence also has the words “The Official True Story” over the backdrop of the twin towers.

Special thanks to commenter kryten42 of loadedmouth for digging up this dirt.

Watch the Australian ad.


Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Et Tu, Houston Chronicle?

Today's Houston Chronicle editorial thwacks the Disney/ABC/Scholastic 9/11 miniseries for its inaccuracies, its "fantasy-based" writer, and the effect this film could have on school children:

Fabricating history
ABC docudrama on 9/11 jettisons accuracy in favor of fictional sensationalism

With national security and the war on terror again in the spotlight as the midterm congressional elections near, intense political scrutiny is focused on the ABC miniseries The Path to 9/11, set to air Monday on the event's fifth anniversary.

Democrats and some experts on terrorism say a key scene in which members of President Bill Clinton's administration refuse to approve a CIA recommendation to kill or capture al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden never happened. The show's narrative, according to a review by Editor and Publisher, presents the Bush administration largely in a positive light.

A letter expressing Clinton's objections signed by his lawyer stated, "The content of this drama is factually and incontrovertibly inaccurate, and ABC has the duty to fully correct all errors or pull the drama entirely."

Clinton's secretary of state, Madeleine Albright, and former security adviser Samuel R. Berger also wrote protest letters to Robert Iger, president and CEO of Walt Disney Co., which owns ABC. "No such episode ever occurred," Berger wrote, "nor did anything like it."

The New York Times quoted another Clinton official, Richard Clarke, as saying, ''There were no CIA operatives about to snatch bin Laden. It's utterly invented."

A former Bush administration security official, Roger Cressy, described the ABC production as riddled with factual errors both small and large. "What ABC has done here is something straight out of Disney and fantasyland," Cressy told an MSNBC talk show host.

The show's writer and producer, Cyrus Nowrasteh, is no stranger to debates over his mixture of fact and fiction in historical dramas. He wrote the Showtime docudrama "The Day the President was Shot," which depicted the White House in turmoil after the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan in 1981. Reagan national security adviser Richard Allen claimed Nowrasteh and executive producer Oliver Stone "have pulled out all the stops, turning history on its head by substituting fantasy and sheer fabrication for what really occurred in the White House."

ABC officials have downplayed concerns over the show's accuracy, explaining it "has composite and representative characters and incidents, and time compressions have been used for dramatic purposes."

However, the network is planning to distribute the miniseries to thousands of high school students via free downloads. The exposure will leave many young people thinking they are seeing fact rather than fiction.

Nowrasteh has a talent for writing fiction, including the pilot episode of the popular spy series La Femme Nikita, and a little-seen movie, Norma Jean, Jack and Me, in which a shipwrecked man washes up on an Caribbean island and discovers President Jack Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe alive and living out their golden years.

It's unfortunate that ABC would trust the depiction of a still painful and politically volatile subject such as 9/11 to a writer best known for fantastical storytelling. The least ABC officials can do is remove segments found to be fictitious before distributing the movie to impressionable schoolchildren and a national audience.

Hey, Disney/ABC/Scholastic!

It's not just liberals complaining about your propaganda piece today.


Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Chicago Sun Times Pans Disney/ABC/Scholastic Propaganda Film

Shocker! A film produced by fundamentalist Christians turns out to be a yawner...

Ahem.

Accuracy aside, ABC's '9/11' deserves to bomb

September 8, 2006

BY DOUG ELFMAN TELEVISION CRITIC

I once sat in a car forever waiting for my mom to come out of a grocery store. I thought that was the definition of "interminable." I had no idea "The Path to 9/11" was in my future.

This is what happens during 4 1/2 lonnnng hours of "Path." Terrorists talk about killing Americans for Allah. FBI and other security officials try to track them but fail. 9/11 happens.

You don't say.

This is the most anticlimactic, tension-free movie in the history of terrorist TV.

THE PATH TO 9/11'

Critic's rating: Zero stars
7 to 10 p.m. Sunday and 7 to 8:57 p.m. Monday on WLS-Channel 7.

It's hard to fathom a brouhaha brewed over such a bore. ABC has received tens of thousands of letters -- including one from Bill Clinton's office -- insisting "Path" is wildly inaccurate and should not air. But ABC still plans to air the two-part movie.

Controversy could boost viewership, except "Path" is the dullest, worst-shot TV movie since ABC's disastrous "Ten Commandments" remake. It substitutes shaky handheld cameras and dumb dialogue for craftsmanship. It could not be more amateurish or poorly constructed unless someone had forgotten to light the sets.

An appalling secondary concern is the tone makes almost every pre-9/11 American look like a fool.

Look, there's a security guard yawning while terrorists plant the 1993 bomb at the World Trade Center. How dare a security guard work while tired.

Oh, hey, there's an airline agent checking in a 9/11 terrorist even though he has a carry-on bag. Stupid airline agents.

Excuse us all, writer Cyrus Nowrasteh and director David L. Cunningham, for not acting like Hitler Youth in the glory days before ordinary Americans knew commercial planes could be turned into missiles.

Idiots.

Cheap emotions are on orange alert. Of all the people who died in the 1993 attack, who does the camera focus on? Ding-ding-ding, you are a winner if you said "a pregnant woman rubbing her belly."

Harvey Keitel and Donnie Wahlberg portray key U.S. agents who give canny speeches about how they can't take out Osama bin Laden because politicians and high-ranking officials balk at giving them the OK. This is the big lie around which other lies scurry, according to both Republican and Democratic policy experts.

If you read some of the investigations into 9/11, you realize fault spreads far and wide, from FBI and CIA agents to politicians of both parties. "Path" depicts most of these Americans as villainous morons, rather than as flawed people committing errors.

The film uses composite characters and ignores some real players. A section centering on Yemen is laughable to anyone who read Lawrence Wright's recent New Yorker piece on Ali Soufan, who was the only Arabic-speaking FBI agent in New York. He was thisclose to busting the terrorists but got stonewalled by CIA agents who didn't share information.

Soufan was a pivotal point man on the path to 9/11. He is not a character in "The Path to 9/11."

Ground Zero is a sobering soil worthy of facts, not flimsy fiction. The victims of 9/11 deserve 2,996 times more careful and compelling filmmaking than what Nowrasteh, Cunningham and ABC have bored together. They are bearing false witness to the memory of the fallen.

Key scenes draw flak as false or misleading

More than 25,000 people have written to ABC to complain about "The Path to 9/11," penned by Cyrus Nowrasteh, whom Rush Limbaugh calls a friend. On Thursday, Bill Clinton's office called for ABC to "fully correct all errors or pull the drama entirely."

James Bamford, an author who writes about national security agencies, told MSNBC an FBI agent hired as an adviser on "Path" quit halfway through production "because he thought they were making things up."

ABC's defense: "The movie contains fictionalized scenes, composite and representative characters and dialogue, and time compression. No one has seen the final version of the film because the editing process is not yet complete, so criticisms of film specifics are premature and irresponsible."

Most of the furor concerns a few key scenes.

Scene: The CIA and Northern Alliance come within killing distance of Osama bin Laden, but former National Security Adviser Sandy Berger is portrayed saying they don't have the presidential authority to kill. ABC reportedly has toned down this scene in recent days.

Reaction: None of that happened, according to the film's senior adviser, Thomas Kean, a Republican who chaired the 9/11 Commission. He admits the scene is a "composite," as are some agents in the film.

"It's utterly invented," President Bush's former terrorism czar Richard Clarke said this week.

"No such episode ever occurred -- nor did anything like it," Berger wrote to ABC. "In no instance did President Clinton or I ever fail to support a request from the CIA or U.S. military to authorize an operation against bin Laden or al-Qaida."

Scene: Agents complain Clinton is too caught up in the Republicans' impeachment effort to act against bin Laden.

Reaction: Citing the 9/11 Commission report, the Clinton letter insists that he and Berger told former CIA Director George Tenet to get bin Laden. "Secondly," the letter says, "Roger Cressy, National Security Council senior director for counterterrorism from 1999-2001, has said, on more than one occasion, 'Mr. Clinton approved every request made of him by the CIA and the U.S. military involving using force against bin Laden and al-Qaida.' "

Scene: Clinton's secretary of state, Madeleine Albright, is portrayed as giving Pakistan a heads-up about a U.S. air strike against bin Laden, allowing him to get away. The strike failed, and Republicans complained it was a political ploy.

Reaction: "It is my understanding that the notification to Pakistan was delivered once the missiles were already in the air," Albright says in a letter to ABC. "At no time did I inform the Pakistanis independently that a strike was to take place. The scene as explained to me is false and defamatory."

The 9/11 Commission report claimed the alert came from someone on the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Scene: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other Bush officials are shown taking no action at pivotal moments when terrorists may have been stopped.

Reaction: Bush officials have not complained to ABC.

Doug Elfman

Note to rightwing pundits:

Stop calling this privately funded (by Christian fundamentalists, no less) propaganda piece "a Hollywood film."

Stop trying to hide behind "Free Speech." Lies aren't covered under the 1st Amendment, idiots.

Stop trying to cram your fundie crap down the throats of innocent school children.

America has had it with your lies, asshats.

Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Christian Fundamentalists Behind Disney/ABC/Scholastic "Path To 9/11" Propaganda Film

If you've been wondering why Disney/ABC/Scholastic would spend at least $30 million dollars to produce and air a wildly inaccurate BLAME CLINTON "Untitled History Project" (renamed "Path To 9/11"), air it on ABC commercial and sponsor free, and get Scholastic to provide the classroom study guides...

Wonder no more.

Here's what we know:

The production company, UHP (Untitled History Project)...

Youth With a Mission (YWAM), a Christian fundamentalist organization, created an auxilliary branch, The Film Institute (TFI), with the goal of transforming the film and television industries "from the inside out."

This is from one of their member's websites, posted in 2005:

So that's what we've decided to do. Starting in July <2005>, along with our 'normal' discipleship efforts in YWAM, we will officially join The Film Institute - a new auxiliary branch of Youth With A Mission focused on tranforming film and television from the inside out. TFI's first project is a doozy: simply being referred to as: The Untitled History Project, it is already being called the television event of the decade and not one second has been put to film yet. Talk about great expectations!

Our goal is to help filmmakers, actors, technicians, etc. realize their God given potential and purpose in perhaps the most influential sphere of modern culture - film and television.

And this from the same website:

Our next big project is to assist in the development of the new YWAM auxiliary - The Film Institute (TFI). The Film Institute is dedicated to a Godly transformation and revolution TO and THROUGH the Film and Television industry;

TO it, by serving, living humbly with integrity in what is often a world driven by selfish ambition, power an money - transforming lives from within,

and THROUGH it, by creating relevant and evocative content which promotes Godly principles of Truth married with Love.

The Untitled History Project Begins Production July 25th. Please pray for the Executive Team, the Director's Team, Department Heads, Actors, Crew and Interns. Also please ask that the project would reach its target budget and schedule objectives. - and don't forget to pray for us!

The "Untitled History Project" is, in reality, the Disney/ABC/Scholastic miniseries, "Path to 9/11," which was filmed (Oh, so quietly) in Toronto and most likely funded by donations from God-fearing Christians.

Fact: The scenes being protested by Clinton, his admin officials, and those of us (66% of the American population) who insist that the facts be presented to viewers and susceptible school children NEVER HAPPENED.

More facts: 9/11 co-chair Thomas Kean (R- Henry Kissinger's replacement) was a paid consultant on this project.

Patricia Heaton (lead actress) is a rightwing Christian fundie. Chances are that many other production members share the same "outlook."

The Most Frightening Part: The target audience is school kids.


Dear Disney,

You chose to get in bed with these fundie freaks. Any changes you make to this propaganda piece will be too little and too late. I've spent thousands and thousands of dollars on your brand. No more. I'm done with the mouse.

Bye Bye!

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Dear ABC,

You chose to get in bed with these fundie freaks. Any changes you make to this propaganda piece will be too little and too late. I've spent thousands and thousands of dollars on your network's advertised brands. No more. I'm done with your network sponsors' products.

Bye Bye!

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Dear Scholastic,

You chose to get in bed with these freaks. Any changes you make to this propaganda piece will be too little and too late. I will personally petition superintendents, teachers' unions, school boards, and parents' groups to consider other classroom materials publishers.

Bye Bye!

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Congratulations, Disney/ABC/Scholastic!

You're this week's Backside of the Bell Curve winners!

Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.