McCain: "I know war. I can win wars.  There will be more wars. It's okay with me if we stay in Iraq for 100 years." Yes, with McCain as president there would be lots more wars and he's just shown us how. Even David Ignatius criticizes Dangerous McCain quips about Georgia!

Poland signed onto a US missile system today that included US Patriot Missiles in the fine print. Shield deal for Poland/neocons  The Georgia/Russia fight helped change public opinion to make this deal possible. Bush admired Saakashvili's dancing so Poland signed on for a missile shield.

NATO will not fight with Russia. Period.

A detainee, a computer engineer working in the Empire State Building, living in Queens. Jason's wife is a citizen and he has two sons born in America.

He died in US custody. Held in New England, his body riddled with cancer. Had a fractured back as well. He was denied medical examinations and treated horribly until a few days before his death.  Even though he was told he didn't have much time to live, once he finally was able to be examined, they made it difficult for his family to visit. He was barely able to see his little boys, ages one and three. Shame, shame on America.

nytimes, "Ill and in Pain,"  

Once a robust man who stood nearly six feet and weighed 200 pounds, his relatives said, Mr. Ng looked like a shrunken and jaundiced 80-year-old.

Bushies squirm. We can do a little victory dance. No blanket immunity.

A federal judge ruled Thursday that Bush's advisers do not enjoy "absolute immunity" from congressional subpoenas. Nytimes.

"(Thursday’s) landmark ruling is a ringing reaffirmation of the fundamental principle of checks and balances and the basic American idea that no person is above the law," said Representative John D. Conyers.

Bush advisors must appear at the hearings, even if merely to refuse to answer questions. They can't just not go! And they must supply the requested documents.
PDF: US District Court Case Memorandum, 93pp.

These are words I longed to hear. Never thought I would hear:

             Cap ...     Executive ...     Compensation

How do Americans feel about a possible $25+/- billion "bailout" of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the institutions which hold about half of the nation's mortgages?

Personal and family PAIN involved in all these foreclosures is simply incalculable and completely ignored. One out of every 200+/- homes in FL/CA/AZ is being Foreclosed! (1/122 in NV.) usnews

Senator Jim Webb talked (on Charlie Rose last night) about executive compensation at corporations where American taxpayers are holding the bag. I for one am grateful for this kind of leadership. At least that would be some progress.

Time to pull the fire alarm? Born in the 40's, I've heard all my life about the Great Depression and I always wondered why people were so surprised by the whole thing, why they did not anticipate it better. Now I think I know. It's just beyond belief that things could get that bad, but hearing that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and GM could fail I think perhaps we should take this far more seriously as a possibile outcome and start preparing.

You may have seen this excellent diary which passed by earlier today,  Paul94612's
UPDATE: Bank Seizures Triple! Potential Fannie/Freddie Failure Warning From Former Fed Governor. He was right to raise the alarm as further news has shown.

Since then the stock has fallen 33%! Fannie & Freddie drop sharply.

Updated: You've heard the talk about a "broader crisis." Wall St. Journal see below for further quotes.

NOTE:

Today I read two great articles today, and found myself unable to stop this snark, so it follows after these predicates, these fascinating links.

1.  NYTimes article, about how lies become something different in our wierd brains and then found this here:  mindgeek's "neuroscience of false beliefs."

2.  WaPo article about MacArthur scholar Danielle Allen's quest to trace the rumor mill emails that produced notable lies about Obama.

Wow. At Last.

The Times just published an article about this Report.

Justice Department officials over the last six years illegally used "political or ideological" factors to hire new lawyers into an elite recruitment program, tapping law school graduates with conservative credentials over those with liberal-sounding resumes, a new report found Tuesday.

Why bother to care anymore?

FISA has been to me a crucial issue. All aspects of it, including amnesty.

It was one of the key issues for which I have spent much of my time working to elect Democrats, caring about electing more Democrats to Congress and other offices. It's been something we've been fighting about for years here.

And now the Democrats have decided to toss our rights instead of allowing the matter to wait until Bush is out of office! How can this be? I promised myself not to write diaries at night when enraged, but I can't help myself. Frankly, I'm not so much enraged as despairing.

The Proof We Waited For.

The Record Has "Been Gathered." We were told that to hold a criminal administration responsible it was first necessary to "build the record," establish certain facts. That has been done: Senate Intelligence Committee Report, Phase II, June 2008. [warning PDF]

"Rebuked." "Hold them accountable." Lame chastisements. Words hurt? I can hear them laughing: "Sticks and stones..."
Senator Whitehouse ::

It rots the very fiber of democracy when our government is put to these uses.

What about A.C.C.O.U.N.T.A.B.I.L.I.T.Y.? It's in such short supply that I believe we have lost track of what it means. Eerily, one might ask, what would Gates do? He seems the only one around capable of firing anyone.

Dear Senator Clinton:

As a Floridian I believe the delegates of my state should not be counted.

People here in Florida were told by officials--with whom you agreed-- that our votes would not count in the primary due to its early date. We acted accordingly.

To change that now, given our actions and inaction, would be unfair and wrong. We, The People, have rights. Our right to campaign and work for our candidate was abridged by the process, the process with which you agreed. At the time. You should not try to change it midstream just because it suits you.

Obama supporters rightly believed their vote would not really count, did not matter. Were we wrong to believe them? Were we wrong to believe you?

My first dkos diary was about Ted Kennedy, and some speech he had made that impressed the hell out of me. He has for decades been one of my heroes.

With 46 years in the Senate, it's hard to see how anyone can eclipse him as champion of The People. More than any other senator I know, Senator Kennedy worked for us, for people who were not wealthy, for people who often need a bit of help, for people who wanted to live a decent life and get rewarded for their work.

Recently, a lame president spent some time with correspondents and made some unremarkable remarks, except for saying that if he and Dick were to have a band they would call themselves "Bastards from Hell." Quite astonishingly accurate. I have taken to referring to them this way in my own conversations, and certainly in my head.

Obstructionist Republicons in Congress have joined the band, I'm afraid, summed up nicely in WaPo with this engaging title by Dana Millbank that caught my eye: Republicans Vote Against Moms; No Word Yet on Puppies, Kittens

N.Y. Congressman Acknowledges Affair, Child
Panel Clears La. Senator In Call-Girl Complaint
Capitol Briefing: Senate Ethics Dismisses Vitter Complaint
The Sleuth: Embattled Rep. Fossella Speaks With House Chaplain

Yeah, I know, same old, same old.....GOP.

This is an effort to spread some real knowledge about Iran and it's influence in Iraq.
Yes, knowledge gained by one who knows the area like few commentators do.
Knowledge, not propaganda, which is all we hear from The Washington Post, and most media types and "experts."

What we used to simply call "truth" has gone by the wayside.

Politicians such as McSame, Bush/Cheney, Rice, and sadly, Hilliary "obliterate"-Iran Clinton all seem to have the same goal and it is not protecting our freedoms. It is trying to controll oil-rich countries. McCain just accidentally admitted it. What they are good at is in obfuscating the truth. They have taken on the nefarious practice of confusing a lot of propaganda with a snippet of truth, and then blurring it all together with the hope that The People will not understand and see through their shameful tactics.

What does a true expert know? Can you stand the truth, America?

Below you will find truths, reported by the man I believe to be the most objective and knowledgeable source on Iraq and the Mideast today.Nir Rosen's article.

Yes, he did. Finally, on record. Wars for oil. That's what McSame McCain says.

Reported on Chris Matthews tonight. Msnbc has it: Iraq War is for oil.

blah-blah:
"My friends, I will have an energy policy that we will be talking about, which will eliminate our dependence on oil from the Middle East that will -- that will then prevent us -- that will prevent us from having ever to send our young men and women into conflict again in the Middle East," McCain said.

Got it? Wrong War. Mistaken War. Ignoble War. Civil War.

He says we need to be told by the Pope that people are precious, that right and wrong matter!

And, it's just a "tough" patch we're going through. Bush just said so.here. But worse:

Listen up, you utterly deprived (not-fit-to-be) lying president, because you caused a great deal of the pain and suffering Americans are right now encountering. You have caused a war that was unnecessary that killed hundreds of thousands of people and wounded many more. Millions are refugees because of your war. Talk about precious life? "Sacred" life? You don't know the meaning of the word.

Famines may occur because you were unwilling to act on climate change because you wanted to help the rich get richer. Don't tell me the Pope needs to talk to me about right and wrong!!!!!

:: ::

I, Gorette, have been mad at Hilliary before. Notably for the statements about Obama and race. But now I'm jumping angry, and with my knees and hips that's dangerous. Heck, I'm so mad that at this moment in time I would not vote at all. You see, the more I've thought about it, the worse it seems.

She attacked my namesake. And she's being anti-Dem, unfair and harmful.

It's a funny thing that people who belong to the aristocracy seem to be the ones going around calling other people "elitists," and thus unworthy.

I take umbrage, Hill! Me and Sir Walter Scott don't like that. I'm one of those...

"Persons who feel most umbrage from the overshadowing aristocracy.
--Sir W. Scott. Webster's

This will be a short diary. I am too upset, seeing the way this war affects my dear niece who is weighed down by having her boyfriend in Baghdad. She wants people to care about what's happening, but cannot bear to hear anyone talk about it, she's so worried.

My niece's boyfriend, trained as a sniper, is on his second tour in Iraq. He is a fine, nice man of about 30. I'll call him Sgt. Mike.

Sgt. Mike is stationed across the street from Sadr City. I can't imagine anything worse.

This is Part I: U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations,
IRAQ AFTER THE SURGE: POLITICAL PROSPECTS 4/2/08.
Tomorrow see: Part II: MILITARY PROSPECTS.

Nir Rosen became my favorite guide to the real Iraq, the people and the streets of Iraq since I first read and diaried his comments last year. As one of the very few fearless reporters who have spent time without minders to speak of, with Iraqis out on the streets, talking to various segments of the population. His observations are invaluable and objective. He is no cheerleader.

Today before the Committee on Foreign Relations two panels were heard on Post-Surge Iraq-- the first military, then "political prospects." On this page you will find links to the Senate Committee hearings on Iraq this month.

Electricity sparks flew for a while this afternoon as Barbara Boxer had the microphone.

Read on::