Friday, January 18
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Melinda Secor is the guest editor today. |
"Politicians love the tool of fear! It’s a great control mechanism! Sadly, it appears we have much more war and violence in our future." Column by Robert Johnson.
Don’t Tie the Next President’s Hands
“President Bush is discussing a new agreement with Baghdad that would govern the deployment of American troops in Iraq....Formal negotiations won’t start until February and few details are known, but already the two sides are laying down markers. The Iraqi defense minister, Abdul Qadir — apparently tone-deaf to the American political debate — told The Times’s Thom Shanker that his nation would not be able to take full responsibility for its internal security until 2012 or be able to defend its own borders from external threat at least until 2018.” (Free Reg. Req.) No matter really, it's not as if the next one will do anything substantially different with hands loose anyway.
Bad Reviews for Bush in the Mideast
“The disparaging of President Bush's eight-day tour of the Middle East by America's staunchest opponents in the region was hardly unexpected. Iran's foreign minister claimed it was designed to give Israel a green light 'to perpetrate new crimes' against Palestinians. Lebanon's most senior Shi'ite cleric accused Bush of 'war crimes.' A prominent jihadist web site called the President 'this criminal, butcher and murderer of our blood.' But Bush was also harshly criticized — albeit in more circumspect language — in countries with close ties to Washington, including some from the very countries that rolled out the red carpet for the visiting President.”
Israel Test Fires Ballistic Missile
“Israel has succesfully tested a long-range ballistic missile, just three days after Ehud Olmert, the prime minister, said all options would be considered to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Israel Radio said the missile tested was capable of carrying an 'unconventional payload', suggesting it may be able to carry a nuclear warhead.” Aren't we threatening to blow up most other Middle Eastern countries for that very same thing?
Niger: French Journalists Face Possible Death Sentence
“Two French television journalists jailed in Niger have appeared before a judge for questioning. They face charges of undermining the security of the state and a possible death sentence after traveling without permission to report on Tuareg rebels in northern Niger.”
House Passes Revised $696 Billion Defense Bill
“The House on Wednesday passed a new defense policy bill that includes a pay raise for troops. President Bush had rejected an earlier version of the legislation because he said it would expose the Iraqi government to expensive lawsuits. The new bill, which passed 369-46, would let Bush grant Iraq immunity under the provision, which otherwise guarantees that U.S. victims of state-sponsored abuse can sue foreign governments in court. Iraqi officials objected to the measure because they said it would have subjected Baghdad to high-dollar payouts in damages from the Saddam Hussein era.”
Justice Department’s Idiotic Shunning of Online Journalism Organization
“Talking Points Memo’s Josh Marshall reports that he’s been “Banned at The DoJ” — taken off the email distribution list for press releases and the like. This has to be one of the more lame governmental PR decisions of the recent past.”
“It's a shame the Betty Ford Center isn't bigger. Because the idea of shipping the entire national news media out there for some serious therapy is very attractive.”
When the Dust Settles in America, What Will We Have?
“Because of the current administration’s failure to tell us the truth on so many critical issues, we have lost sight of how far this country has strayed from its noble path of a century ago. This was a time before massive government agencies that ruled our every thought and action.”
“Americans for Legal Immigration PAC — a group, according to its Web site, that supports candidates 'who make illegal immigration reduction a top priority' — launched a campaign Wednesday designed to convince the CNN anchor to enter the presidential race if a so-called 'pro-amnesty' candidate wins the Republican presidential nomination."
That's It, We're Bringing Back Hicks...
“Researchers have brought a dead animal heart back to life in the lab by repopulating it with healthy cells, a feat they believe may someday allow them to grow new hearts and other organs for people desperate for transplants.”
Vaccination Toxicity Can Cause Injury
“Vaccinations can cause toxic injury in children and adults in several ways. Live or attenuated virus vaccines can actually produce the infection that the vaccine is supposed to prevent. Because vaccines are usually injected into muscle tissue, the major organs of the body may be exposed to the additives and preservatives in vaccines that are toxic as well as the viruses. When we change the method of exposure to the illness, we also change the way the immune system responds to that illness.”
Mount St. Helens Steams During Slight Quakes
“Steam seeping from a fracture atop the lava dome in Mount St. Helens' crater during the mountain's first noteworthy seismic activity since 2004 caught the attention of scientists this week.”
Robot Servants That Do the Housework to Be in British Homes 'Within Ten Years'
“Robot servants for the home will become a reality within ten years, according to experts at Britain's biggest technology retailer.”
Huge Rodent Was Bigger Than a Bull
“The largest rodent that ever lived weighed a ton or two, scientists revealed today.”
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