“Every man regards his own life as the New Year's Eve of time.” -Jean Paul Richter
“Be at war with your vices; at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.” -Benjamin Franklin
“New Year's Resolution: To tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take up more of my time.” -James Agate
“Good habits are not made on birthdays, nor Christian character at the new year. The workshop of character is everyday life. The uneventful and commonplace hour is where the battle is lost or won.” -Maltbie Davenport Babcock
“An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.” -Bill Vaughan “Happy New Year everyone! May your holiday be a good one, and may your work schedule next year be as flexible as Fearless Leader’s!” -Skippy
“President Bush worked nearly three hours at his Texas ranch on Thursday to design a new U.S. policy in Iraq, then emerged to say that he and his advisers need more time to craft the plan he'll announce in the new year.” -Associated Press, December 28, 2006
“Federal scientists have concluded there is no difference between food from cloned animals and food from conventional livestock, setting the stage for the government to declare Thursday that cloned animals are safe for the human food supply.” -Associated Press, December 27, 2006
“Scientists have begun putting genes from human beings into food crops in a dramatic extension of genetic modification. The move, which is causing disgust and revulsion among critics, is bound to strengthen accusations that GM technology is creating ‘Frankenstein foods’ and drive the controversy surrounding it to new heights.” -The Independent, April 24, 2005
“God-Schmod, I want my monkey-man!” -Bart Simpson
“Environmentalists say that no one will want to eat the partially human-derived food because it will smack of cannibalism.” -The Independent, April 24, 2005
“I do not even want to think about combining the above statements.... I’ll let Charlton Heston do it instead.” -Skippy
“Soylent Green is made of people!” -Detective Robert Thorn (Charlton Heston), Soylent Green “No, no, no.. How about the one where we clone the half-human monkey-men until they can work up a good breeding population? -Skippy
“You maniacs! You blew it up! D*mn you! God d*mn you all to hell!.” -George Taylor (Charlton Heston), Planet of the Apes
“Things are tough for the beneficiaries of our little War on Terror.” -Skippy
“Iraqi police found 40 bullet-riddled bodies in the capital Monday, an Interior Ministry official said. Most of the bodies showed signs of torture; their hands were tied, and they were blindfolded. None of the bodies has been identified.” -CNN, December 26, 2006
“These people obviously do not appreciate the American Freedom™ that we have given them. They probably thought that freedom meant opportunity, but little did they know that they were to receive American Freedom™, not some no-name brand, and it comes with a rather stiff price tag..” -Skippy
“Freedom's untidy, and free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things.” -Donald Rumsfeld, April 11, 2003
“Yes, they are free to do ‘bad’ things. You know, things like this..” -Skippy
“Three simultaneous car bombs exploded in southwestern Baghdad, killing 16 people and wounding 70, Interior Ministry and police sources said.” -Reuters, December 26, 2006
“Still, we will be there to make sure that these people stay free, no matter what the cost is..” -Skippy
“The U.S. military on Tuesday announced the deaths of six more American soldiers, pushing the U.S. military death toll since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003 to at least 2,978 - five more than the number killed in the Sept. 11 attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.” -Associated Press, December 26, 2006 “But we will leave just as soon as the Iraqi forces have established themselves enough to take over the situation..” -Skippy
“A military action against a police station in the southern city of Basra found prisoners being held in conditions that a British military spokesman, Major Charlie Burbridge, described as ‘appalling.’ More than 100 men were crowded into a single cell, about 9 meters by 12 meters, or 30 feet by 40 feet, he said, with two open toilets, two sinks and just a few blankets spread over the concrete floor. A significant number showed signs of torture. Some had crushed hands and feet, Burbridge said, while others had cigarette and electrical burns and a significant number had gunshot wounds to their legs and knees. Hundreds of British and Iraqi soldiers assaulted the police station on Monday, killing seven gunmen, rescuing 127 prisoners from what the British said was almost certain execution and ultimately reducing the facility to rubble.” -International Herald Tribune, December 26, 2006
“Oh.. I guess that may be a while. Now we are attacking the Iraqi police, who were apparently running their own little torture chamber. We are attacking the people who are supposed to be ‘standing up’ so that we can leave Iraq. That can’t be good.” -Skippy
“A year ago, I did give the speech from the carrier, saying that we had achieved an important objective, that we'd accomplished a mission, which was the removal of Saddam Hussein. And as a result, there are no longer torture chambers or rape rooms or mass graves in Iraq." -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, April 30, 2004
“Huh! Feels good! Feels good! Do it to me! Huh! Good God!” -James Brown, “Get Up Offa That Thing”
“Over the holiday weekend the Godfather of Soul, Mr. James Brown, died. An incredible musician and talented performer. Now he just needs to convince St. Peter (or the psychopomp of choice) to let him in on the good stuff. I’m sure he’s ready..” -Skippy “I'm ready to get up and do my thing I wanta get into it, man, you know...” -James Brown, “Sex Machine” “We're gonna have a funky good time We're gonna have a funky good time We're gonna have a funky good time We gotta take you high-er” -James Brown, “Gonna Have a Funky Good Time”
“Goodbye James Brown. You will be missed.” -Skippy
“Christmas only comes once a year And this is all year round People can, I'm livin' Let me out, I'm gone, yeah I'm going back” -James Brown, “Ain’t That a Groove”
“I bought my brother some gift-wrap for Christmas. I took it to the Gift Wrap department and told them to wrap it, but in a different print so he would know when to stop unwrapping.” -Steven Wright
“I hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday. I will use the secular symbol of the season and hope that Santa Claus brings all of you your fondest desire, and that you all have the opportunity to spend the holiday with your loved ones. Remember…” -Skippy
“He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.” -Roy L. Smith
“The parent who gets down on the floor to play with a child on Christmas Day is usually doing a most remarkable thing - something seldom repeated during the rest of the year. These are, after all, busy parents committed to their work or their success in the larger society, and they do not have much left-over time in which to play with their children.” -Brian Sutton-Smith
“At Christmas play and make good cheer, For Christmas comes but once a year.” -Thomas Tusser
“And let’s all appreciate what we have. Merry Christmas everyone.” -Skippy
“Dear Lord, I've been asked, nay commanded, to thank Thee for the Christmas turkey before us... a turkey which was no doubt a lively, intelligent bird... a social being... capable of actual affection... nuzzling its young with almost human- like compassion. Anyway, it's dead and we're gonna eat it. Please give our respects to its family...” -Berke Breathed
“A good conscience is a continual Christmas.” -Benjamin Franklin
“I once wanted to become an atheist, but I gave up - they have no holidays.” -Henny Youngman
“Well I know that it is too late for Henny, but we finally have an atheist holiday.” -Skippy
“This is America. This is the big commercial holiday. You're not going to acknowledge the holiday? Then I'm not shopping there. And that's what the bottom line is here.” -Bill O’Reilly, November 30, 2005
“See? This is a big commercial holiday! That must be secular.” -Skippy
“Every company in America should be on their knees thanking Jesus for being born. Without Christmas, most American businesses would be far less profitable. More than enough reason for business to be screaming ‘Merry Christmas.’” -Bill O’Reilly, November 28, 2005
“Oops.. My mistake. Apparently Christ has begun, at this late date, to work with the moneychangers in the Temple. Still, this holiday is for everyone.” -Skippy
“Christians aren't going to be mad if you say ‘Happy Hanukkah’ or ‘Happy Kwanzaa,’ as long as you acknowledge what it's all about, the federal holiday of Christmas. If you don't, then Christians start to say, ‘You don't like us. You're anti-Christian, you have an anti-Christian bias.’" -Bill O’Reilly, November 30, 2005
“Everyone can celebrate as long as they acknowledge that it is all about Jesus, Our Lord and Savior.” -Skippy
“Holidays are an expensive trial of strength. The only satisfaction comes from survival.” -Jonathan Miller “Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyful Kwanza, etc.. I hope everyone’s holidays go wonderfully, and I hope that all of you can find the real meaning of the season: joy.” -Skippy
“Well it is getting close to Christmas.. Time to follow through with a Quotes of the Morning tradition. I hope that all of you have a safe, peaceful and happy holiday.” -Skippy
“So this is Christmas and what have you done? Another year over, a new one just begun. And so this is Christmas. I hope you have fun The near and the dear ones, the old and the young.
A very merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Let's hope it's a good one without any fear.
And so this is Christmas (war is over...) for weak and for strong, (...if you want it) the rich and the poor ones the road is so long
And so happy Christmas for black and for white for the yellow and red ones let's all stop the fight. (2x) A very merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Lets hope it's a good one without any fear .
So this is Christmas and what have you done?
War is over - if you want it. War is over - if you want it. War is over - if you want it. War is over - if you want it.” -John Lennon, Merry Christmas (War is over)
“The Bush administration is split over the idea of a surge in troops to Iraq, with White House officials aggressively promoting the concept over the unanimous disagreement of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to U.S. officials familiar with the intense debate.” -Washington Post, December 19, 2006
“In terms of whether or not, you know, the configuration of our force and who ought to be fighting where, that's going to be up to the generals.” -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, May 8, 2003
“I'm going to listen to the generals who say, Mr. President, we've got -- we need more, we need less, we've got exactly the right number. They will tell me the number.” -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, November 21, 2003
"Sending 15,000 to 30,000 more troops for a mission of possibly six to eight months is one of the central proposals on the table of the White House policy review to reverse the steady deterioration in Iraq. The option is being discussed as an element in a range of bigger packages, the officials said. But the Joint Chiefs think the White House, after a month of talks, still does not have a defined mission and is latching on to the surge idea in part because of limited alternatives, despite warnings about the potential disadvantages for the military, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the White House review is not public. The chiefs have taken a firm stand, the sources say, because they believe the strategy review will be the most important decision on Iraq to be made since the March 2003 invasion." -Washington Post, December 19, 2006
“I remember sitting in the White House, looking at those generals, saying, do you have what you need in this war? Do you have what it takes? I remember going down in the basement of the White House the day we committed our troops -- as last resort -- looking at Tommy Franks and the generals on the ground, asking them, do we have the right plan with the right troop level? And they looked me in the eye and said, yes, sir, Mr. President. Of course, I listened to our generals. That's what a President does.” -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, October 9, 2004
“I don't want them to come home without having achieved victory, and we've got a strategy for victory. And the commanders will make the decision. See, that's what the people want. The people don't want me making decisions based upon politics. They want me to make decisions based upon the recommendation from our generals on the ground. And that's exactly who I'll be listening to.” -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, November 29, 2005
“We have an objective in Iraq, and as we meet those objectives, our commanders on the ground will determine the size of the troop levels.” -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, December 19, 2005
“At regular interagency meetings and in briefing President Bush last week, the Pentagon has warned that any short-term mission may only set up the United States for bigger problems when it ends. The service chiefs have warned that a short-term mission could give an enormous edge to virtually all the armed factions in Iraq -- including al-Qaeda's foreign fighters, Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias -- without giving an enduring boost to the U.S military mission or to the Iraqi army, the officials said. The Pentagon has cautioned that a modest surge could lead to more attacks by al-Qaeda, provide more targets for Sunni insurgents and fuel the jihadist appeal for more foreign fighters to flock to Iraq to attack U.S. troops, the officials said. The informal but well-armed Shiite militias, the Joint Chiefs have also warned, may simply melt back into society during a U.S. surge and wait until the troops are withdrawn -- then reemerge and retake the streets of Baghdad and other cities. Even the announcement of a time frame and mission -- such as for six months to try to secure volatile Baghdad -- could play to armed factions by allowing them to game out the new U.S. strategy, the chiefs have warned the White House. The idea of a much larger military deployment for a longer mission is virtually off the table, at least so far, mainly for logistics reasons, say officials familiar with the debate. Any deployment of 40,000 to 50,000 would force the Pentagon to redeploy troops who were scheduled to go home.” -Washington Post, December 19, 2006
“Maybe the problem is that the Joint Chiefs of Staff aren’t ‘on the ground’?” -Skippy
“Our strategy in Iraq is, as the Iraqis stand up, we'll stand down. Troop levels on the ground will be decided by commanders on the ground -- not by politicians in Washington, D.C..” -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, February 24, 2006
“We're making progress on all fronts. But as to how many troops we have there will depend upon the generals and their commanders saying, this is what we need to do the job, Mr. President, and that's the way it's going to be so long as I'm standing here as the Commander-in-Chief, which is two-and-a-half more years.” -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, May 25, 2006
“The reason why there are not fewer troops there, but are more -- you're right, it's gone from 135,000 to about 147,000, I think, or 140,000 something troops is because George Casey felt he needed them to help the Iraqis achieve their objective. And that's the way I will continue to conduct the war. I'll listen to generals.” -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, September 15, 2006
“Which way Bush is leaning remains unclear. ‘The president's keeping his cards pretty close to his vest,’ the official said, ‘and I think people may be trying to interpret questions he's asking and information he's asking for as signs that he's made up his mind.’ Robert M. Gates, who was sworn in yesterday as defense secretary, is headed for Iraq this week and is expected to play a decisive role in resolving the debate, officials said. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's views are still open, according to State Department officials. The principals met again yesterday to continue discussions.” -Washington Post, December 19, 2006
“Well I’m sure that his new Defense Secretary will straighten him out and help him come to the right decision.” -Skippy
“The CIA, ever mindful of the need to justify its ‘mission,’ had conclusive evidence by the mid-1980s of the deepening crisis of infrastructure within the Soviet Union. The CIA, as its deputy director Robert Gates acknowledged under congressional questioning in 1992, had decided to keep that evidence from President Reagan and his top advisors and instead continued to grossly exaggerate Soviet military and technological capabilities in its annual ‘Soviet Military Power’ report right up to 1990. Given that context, a decision was made to provide America’s potential enemies with the arms, money - and most importantly - the knowledge of how to run a war of attrition violent and well-organized enough to humble a superpower. That decision is coming home to roost.” -MSNBC, August 24, 1998
Quotes of the Morning: The Infinite Empathy of the Decider
“In this new century, there is a great divide between those who place no value on human life, and rejoice in the suffering of others, and those who believe that every life has matchless value, and answer suffering with compassion and kindness.” -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, December 14, 2006
“Ah yes.. The boundless empathy of the Decider.” -Skippy
“An official of the Iraqi aid group said the assailants abducted 20 to 30 employees and visitors, but left women behind. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of security concerns. Police, however, said they did not know how many people were kidnapped at the office in Andalus square. They said the gunmen arrived at the office in five pickup trucks.” -Associated Press, December 17, 2006
“Iraqi police said they had found around 53 bodies in Baghdad in the last 24 hours, 9 of them apparently killed execution-style.” -Reuters, December 16, 2006
On Thursday, gunmen in military uniforms kidnapped people from a commercial area in central Baghdad, police said. The attackers drove up in about 10 sport utility vehicles and began rounding up shop owners and bystanders. Police said 50 to 70 people were abducted, but at least two dozen were later released. -Associated Press, December 17, 2006
“Last month, gunmen in Interior Ministry commando uniforms abducted scores of men from a Higher Education Ministry office building. The Education Ministry is predominantly Sunni Arab. About half of the victims were released.” -Associated Press, December 17, 2006
“Things are bad in Iraq! The Decider leaps into action to solve the problems and protect innocent lives!” -Skippy
“I put off my speech -- actually, I was quite flexible about when I was going to give my speech, to begin with -- and one of the main reasons why is I really do want the new Secretary of Defense to have time to get to know people and hear people and be a part of this deliberation. And he will not be sworn in until next Monday. I also -- one of the interesting things about this experience is that there's a lot of ideas and a lot of opinions. And I want to make sure I hear from as many of those ideas and opinions as possible.” -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, December 13, 2006
“Yes, the Decider needs to get as many ideas and opinions about Iraq as possible before invading… um… I mean before fixing the situation in Iraq. This kind of thing is torture for a man as empathetic as the Decider.” -Skippy
“Also in the interview, Mr. Bush acknowledged that he sometimes had to take ‘sleep aids’ when traveling abroad, though ‘I must tell you, I’m sleeping a lot better than people would assume.’” -New York Times, December 16, 2006
“It's in Saudi's interest, it's in Jordan's interest, it's in the Gulf Coast countries' interest that there be a stable Iran, an Iran that is capable of rejecting Iranian influence -- I mean, Iraq that is capable of rejecting Iranian influence.” -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, December 13, 2006
“No, the war has never been about oil… Why do you ask?” -Skippy
“Moderate people -- moderate governments in the Middle East would be making irrational decisions about their future. It would be a disaster for governments that have got energy resources to be in the hands of these extremists. They would use energy to extract blackmail from the United States. And when you couple all that with a regime that is -- doesn't like the United States having a nuclear weapon, you can imagine a world of turmoil.” -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, December 13, 2006
“The Quotes of the Morning will be taking a one day hiatus. Tomorrow is my birthday, so I am staying home and listening to sad Smiths music and tell kids to get off my lawn or something.. I am vaguely beginning to feel like I am an old man. Now I know how Dennis feels.” -Skippy
“ARTHUR: Old woman! DENNIS: Man! ARTHUR: Old Man, sorry. What knight lives in that castle over there? DENNIS: I'm thirty seven. ARTHUR: What? DENNIS: I'm thirty seven -- I'm not old! ARTHUR: Well, I can't just call you ‘Man'. DENNIS: Well, you could say ‘Dennis'. ARTHUR: Well, I didn't know you were called ‘Dennis.' DENNIS: Well, you didn't bother to find out, did you? ARTHUR: I did say sorry about the ‘old woman,' but from the behind you looked-- DENNIS: What I object to is you automatically treat me like an inferior! ARTHUR: Well, I AM king... DENNIS: Oh king, eh, very nice. An' how'd you get that, eh? By exploitin' the workers -- by 'angin' on to outdated imperialist dogma which perpetuates the economic an' social differences in our society! If there's ever going to be any progress—“ -Monty Python and the Holy Grail
“A little something different today. I found an article yesterday (thanks to the ever invaluable Pandagon) that I feel I must share.. Beware the Phantom Menace: Tofu.” -Skippy
“There's a slow poison out there that's severely damaging our children and threatening to tear apart our culture. The ironic part is, it's a ‘health food,’ one of our most popular. Now, I'm a health-food guy, a fanatic who seldom allows anything into his kitchen unless it's organic. I state my bias here just so you'll know I'm not anti-health food. The dangerous food I'm speaking of is soy. Soybean products are feminizing, and they're all over the place. You can hardly escape them anymore.” -Jim Rutz, “A Devil Food Is Turning Our Kids Into Homosexuals”, WorldNetDaily, December 12, 2006
“Dear God! Soybean products are feminizing, and we all know that there is nothing worse in the world than females! Wait… That doesn’t make sense…” -Skippy
“..Unfortunately, when you eat or drink a lot of soy stuff, you're also getting substantial quantities of estrogens. In fetal development, the default is being female. All humans (even in old age) tend toward femininity. The main thing that keeps men from diverging into the female pattern is testosterone, and testosterone is suppressed by an excess of estrogen. If you're a grownup, you're already developed, and you're able to fight off some of the damaging effects of soy. Babies aren't so fortunate. Research is now showing that when you feed your baby soy formula, you're giving him or her the equivalent of five birth control pills a day. A baby's endocrine system just can't cope with that kind of massive assault, so some damage is inevitable. At the extreme, the damage can be fatal. Soy is feminizing, and commonly leads to a decrease in the size of the penis, sexual confusion and homosexuality. That's why most of the medical (not socio-spiritual) blame for today's rise in homosexuality must fall upon the rise in soy formula and other soy products. (Most babies are bottle-fed during some part of their infancy, and one-fourth of them are getting soy milk!) Homosexuals often argue that their homosexuality is inborn because ‘I can't remember a time when I wasn't homosexual.’ No, homosexuality is always deviant. But now many of them can truthfully say that they can't remember a time when excess estrogen wasn't influencing them.“ -Jim Rutz, “A Devil Food Is Turning Our Kids Into Homosexuals”, WorldNetDaily, December 12, 2006
“My God.. All of Japan has already probably been turned gay! Everybody panic!” -Skippy
“Research in 2000 showed that a soy-based diet at any age can lead to a weak thyroid, which commonly produces heart problems and excess fat. Could this explain the dramatic increase in obesity today? Recent research on rats shows testicular atrophy, infertility and uterus hypertrophy (enlargement). This helps explain the infertility epidemic and the sudden growth in fertility clinics. But alas, by the time a soy-damaged infant has grown to adulthood and wants to marry, it's too late to get fixed by a fertility clinic. Worse, there's now scientific evidence that estrogen ingredients in soy products may be boosting the rapidly rising incidence of leukemia in children. In the latest year we have numbers for, new cases in the U.S. jumped 27 percent. In one year! “ -Jim Rutz, “A Devil Food Is Turning Our Kids Into Homosexuals”, WorldNetDaily, December 12, 2006
“Oh sure, you might have suspected that the obesity rate and early puberty issues that kids are facing today have something to do with the growth hormones given to most cows and then progressing into beef and milk, or a lack of exercise coupled with a junk-food diet including tons of processed sugars, but you would be wrong, wrong I tell you! It is because children today eat so much tofu! You know how kids love tofu. It’s a wonder that McDonald’s stays in business.” -Skippy
“P.S.: Soy sauce is fine. Unlike soy milk, it's perfectly safe because it's fermented, which changes its molecular structure. Miso, natto and tempeh are also OK, but avoid tofu.” -Jim Rutz, “A Devil Food Is Turning Our Kids Into Homosexuals”, WorldNetDaily, December 12, 2006
“Thank you WorldNetDaily for allowing Mr. Rutz just a little space on your page to say what needed to be said. I haven’t laughed so hard in a while. Mr. Rutz is chairman of Megashift Ministries, a group that believes that Christianity is going to be taking over the world any day now and that the people have been miraculously returned from the dead in 52 countries. God Bless America, land of the freakin’ loonies.” -Skippy
“Suspected insurgents set off two bombs in a main square of central Baghdad where scores of Iraqis were waiting for jobs as day laborers on Tuesday, killing at least 57 people and wounding 151, police said.” -Associated Press, December 12, 2006
“Speaking with reporters at the State Department after the meetings there, Bush said that he and the advisers talked about ‘the neighborhood -- the countries that surround Iraq and the responsibilities that they have.’ That group includes not only Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, but also Iran and Syria.” -LA Times, December 11, 2006
“You have to give Fearless Leader some credit.. The man has some brass ones. We overthrew a country and now it has become the neighbors’ problem (without our ever admitting that we did anything wrong). Wow. I just wish that there were some way to bottle that level of denial. You could make a fortune.” -Skippy “An unexpected phone call from the Secret Service is usually an unwanted phone call. Are agents calling about that $100 bill you spent that turned out to be phony? Was there something in your snide remark about presidential politics that someone somehow terribly misinterpreted? It turned out that when the Secret Service phoned Lesa Glucroft, they were calling about hand lotion. Officials wanted to know if the Calabasas businesswoman was interested in sticking the U.S. presidential seal on her lotions and powders and selling them as ‘America's Legacy’ at the White House gift shop. At first she thought it was a hoax. ‘I certainly didn't think it was a serious call,’ said Glucroft, a registered Democrat. But the inquiry, from a licensing agent for the U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division Benefit Fund, was genuine. And now a line of toiletries bearing the presidential insignia is about to hit the gift shop's shelves.” -LA Times, December 1, 2006
“The ad copy practically writes itself: ‘Now wash your hands of problems the same way the President does!’” -Skippy
“Reluctantly crouched at the starting line, Engines pumping and thumping in time. The green light flashes, the flags goes up, Churning and burning, they yern for the cup.” -Cake, “The Distance”
"We know where [the WMD] are. They're in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south, and north somewhat." -Donald Rumsfeld, March 30, 2003
"QUESTION: Do you expect the invasion, if it comes, to be welcomed by the majority of the civilian population of Iraq? RUMSFELD: There is no question but that they would be welcomed. Go back to Afghanistan, the people were in the streets playing music, cheering, flying kites, and doing all the things that the Taliban and the al-Qaeda would not let them do." -PBS News Hour, February 20, 2003
“They deftly manouver and muscle for rank, Fuel burning fast on an empty tank, Wreckless and wild they pour thru the turns, Their prowless is podent and secretly stern.” -Cake, “The Distance”
“Washington is awash in leaks these days, giving us a rare glimpse of what really goes on behind the carefully manicured landscape of official statements. Goodness gracious, when even Donald Rumsfeld is saying privately that the Iraq war strategy ‘is not working well enough or fast enough’ -- and someone furnishes his memo to the New York Times -- it is clear that the administration's once-legendary discipline has broken down.” -Howard Kurtz, Washington Post, December 11, 2006
“President Jalal Talabani said Sunday that the American program to train Iraq’s security forces had been a repeated failure and he denounced a plan to increase the number of American advisers working with the Iraqi Army, saying it would subvert the country’s sovereignty.” -New York Times, December 10, 2006
“As they speed thru the finish the flags go down. The fans get up, and get out of town. The arena is empty except for one man, Still driving and striving as fast as he can” -Cake, “The Distance”
“Outgoing Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld paid a surprise visit to Iraq over the weekend and said American forces should not quit the war until the enemy is defeated.” -Associated Press, December 10, 2006
"We feel great urgency to protect the American people from another 9/11 or a 9/11 times two or three. At the same time, we need to have the patience to see this task through to success. The consequences of failure are unacceptable," -Donald ‘The Don’ Rumsfeld, December 9, 2006
“Meanwhile, gunmen attacked two Shiite homes in western Baghdad, killing 10 people, police said Sunday, while seven others died in clashes elsewhere in the capital. No one claimed responsibility for the attack, which occurred late Saturday in the mostly Sunni Arab al-Jihad neighborhood, two policemen said. The attack appeared to have been conducted by Sunni Arabs in retaliation for earlier attacks on Sunnis in the capital.” -Associated Press, December 10, 2006
“Rumsfeld's farewell tour follows a grim picture of the Iraq war that was presented this week by a bipartisan commission headed by former Secretary of State James Baker and former Democratic Rep. Lee Hamilton. The Iraq Study Group said its prescription for change is needed quickly to turn around a ‘grave and deteriorating’ situation.” -Associated Press, December 9, 2006
“No trophy, no flowers, no flash bulbs, no wine. He's haunted by something he cannot define. Bowel shaking earthquakes of doubt and remorse, Assail him, impale him with monster truck force. In his mind he's still driving, still making the grade. She's hoping time that her memories will fade, Cause he's racing and pacing and plotting the course, He's fighting and biting and riding on his horse. The sun has gone down and the moon has come up, And long ago somebody left with the cup. But he's striving and driving and hugging the turns, And thinking of someone for whom he still burns.” -Cake, “The Distance
“I'm also strengthened by history, by my view of history. I realize there's a lot of folks who have written off presidencies early in the presidency or before the presidency is over. And when in fact the long reach of history happens and people take a look back, they realize that the decisions made ended up making sense.” -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, December 4, 2006
“I look forward to the day that you begin making sense sir.” -Skippy
“That's one of those hypotheticals that just wasn't it the cards because Don Rumsfeld and I had a very heart-to-heart. By the way, he was signaling throughout the fall that perhaps we needed a fresh approach. He's just as impatient as I am about success in Iraq. One thing about Don Rumsfeld is he understood mistakes.” -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, December 4, 2006
“Yep. The Don understood mistakes quite well.. He learned first hand while making them. Let’s look in on one of his biggest mistakes, shall we?” -Skippy
“For example, some would argue that the fact that 90 percent of the country -- let me just say this -- most of the country outside of the Baghdad area, is relatively peaceful, doesn't indicate a civil war as far as they're concerned. And by the way, I get briefings all the time about where the level of violence is and the American people I think would be interested to know, most of it occurs around the Baghdad area. And therefore they don't get to see, kind of the normalcy of life outside of the Baghdad area.” -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, December 4, 2006
“Yes, most of the country is peaceful. Most of the country is also desert. Baghdad, the capital city, has roughly a fifth of the nation’s population living there, so on a per-square-mile basis Iraq is rather peaceful. So was the United States during our Civil War. Maine and Florida didn’t see a lot of fighting, and California wasn’t involved.” -Skippy
“I know [Maliki] is prepared to take on the fact that there are murderers inside that society. What I'm looking for is somebody that says, a society in which murder and assassination takes place is not acceptable, regardless of who's doing it. And I absolutely believe that the prime minister and Mr. Hakim are committed to ending murder. The hard work is to get it done, particularly when you have outside influences like al Qaeda stirring up sectarian violence, these suiciders are spectacular death.” -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, December 4, 2006
“The ‘suiciders’ are spectacular! A must see! Coming to a theatre of operations near you! I’m sorry.. I make light of a bad situation. Death is never a funny topic.” -Skippy
“Make no mistake about it, I understand how tough it is, sir. I talk to families who die.” -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, December 7, 2006 “Is that because you talk to them sir? I guessI was wrong. Sometimes death can be a funny topic. Now let’s briefly look in on a different conflict.” -Skippy
“Thirdly, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is important to have -- is important to be solved.” -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, December 7, 2006
“Freud would be proud.” -Skippy
“I'm committed to a two state solution. I believe it is in Israel's interest and the Palestinian people's interest to have two states living side by side for peace. And the Prime Minister shares that goal. And he is willing to take time to go over and help remove obstacles toward achieving that goal. And there are two notable obstacles. One, one is the prisoner; and secondly, is for there to be a unity government that recognizes the principles of the Quartet, with which Israel can negotiate. And we want to help.” -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, December 7, 2006
“Ok.. I actually did read this in full context, and it makes no more sense than what is quoted here.. The prisoner? That was the first time the topic came up in the press conference. I have no idea what he is referring to. Is an old 70s British spy show causing unrest in the Middle East? What can we do to achieve peace despite evil advances of Number 2?” -Skippy
“And the objective, I repeat, is a government which can sustain, govern, and defend itself -- free government of Iraq that can do that -- and will be an ally in this movement -- against this movement that is threatening peace and stability. And it's real.” -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, December 7, 2006
“I have never doubted that the objective of a free and independent Iraq was a real goal, sir. What I doubt is that you know how to get us from the current civil war to that objective. You know, more and more this sounds like a bad Monty Python sketch.. So let’s go out with an appropriate Quote (and yes, this was a serious headline).” -Skippy
“Llamas Enlisted to Thwart Biological Weapons” -Headline, Livescience.com, December 6, 2006
Quotes of the Morning: You're Not the Boss of Me Now
“Well, the Democrats will be taking power in Congress soon, and they are starting to flex their new-found power.” -Skippy
“In the interview, [Senator Barbara] Boxer also promised to end Bush administration rollbacks on environmental rules if they are not supported by science. ‘Any kind of weakening of environmental laws or secrecy or changes in the dead of night - it's over,’ Boxer said. ’We're going to for once, finally, make this committee an environment committee, not an anti-environment committee. ... This is a sea change that is coming to this committee.’" -Associated Press, December 5, 2006
“Unfortunately, saying anything that could be seen as critical of the Administration has a rather predictable result.” -Skippy
“The Bush administration is considering doing away with health standards that cut lead from gasoline, widely regarded as one of the nation's biggest clean-air accomplishments. Battery makers, lead smelters, refiners all have lobbied the administration to do away with the Clean Air Act limits.” -Associated Press, December 6, 2006
“Yep. Nobody tells the Administration what they can and cannot do. Nobody. And I guess that explains some of this…” -Skippy
“Ten U.S. troops were killed in Iraq on Wednesday, a major blow on the same day a high-level panel in Washington recommended gradually shifting U.S. forces from a combat to a training role. […] The latest deaths raised to at least 30 the number of U.S. troops who have died this month. At least 69 troops were killed in November and 105 were killed in October — the highest amount for a month since January 2005. At least 2,918 service members have been killed since the war started in 2003, according to an Associated Press count.” -Associated Press, December 6, 2006
“After all, people have been telling the Administration to change what they are doing for a while now. Most recently it was the Iraq Study Group, with James Baker, an old friend of Fearless Leader’s father, in the point position.” -Skippy
“’We do not recommend a stay-the-course solution,’ Mr. Baker said pointedly at a question-answer session accompanying the report’s release. ‘In our opinion, that is no longer viable.’ Those remarks were sure to be interpreted, at least by administration critics, as a rebuke to President Bush.” -New York Times, December 6, 2006
“I guess that is ok though because the Administration hasn’t been using a stay-the-course option anyway..” -Skippy
“Well, listen, we’ve never been stay the course, George. We have been – we will complete the mission, we will do our job and complete the goal, but we’re constantly adjusting tactics, constantly.” -George ‘Dubya’ Bush on “This Week”, October 22, 2006
“Nope. Never.” -Skippy
“We’re not going to lose in Iraq. As a matter of fact, we will win in Iraq so long as we stay the course.” -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, July 11, 2006
"This conflict is a long way from over. It's going to be a battle that will last for a very long time. It is absolutely essential that we stay the course." -Vice-President Richard ‘Dick’ Cheney, July 21, 2006
“I think the thing you do, number one is, you bring to justice those who are guilty of breaking laws. And certainly this is not a government that condones rape, murder, or the abuse of human rights. The second thing you do is you stay the course..” -White House Spokesman Tony Snow, July 10, 2006
“Anything that you think you are reading is an illusion..” -Skippy
“HANNITY: A lot of debate has no emerged over the phrase ‘stay the course,’ and what that actually means. ‘Well, the President is backing away from staying the course.’ RUMSFELD: Aww, that’s nonsense. HANNITY: He’s not backing away from staying the course? RUMSFELD: Of course not. The concern was that it gave opponents the chance to say, ‘Well, he’s not willing to make adjustments,’ and of course, just the opposite is true.” -Interview with Sean Hannity and Donald Rumsfeld, October 24, 2006
“The Administration: Impervious to Reality since 2001.” -Skippy
“Mary Cheney, the vice president's openly gay daughter, is pregnant. She and her partner of 15 years, Heather Poe, are ‘ecstatic’ about the baby, due in late spring, said a source close to the couple. It's a baby boom for grandparents Dick and Lynne Cheney: Their older daughter, Elizabeth, went on leave as deputy assistant secretary of state before having her fifth child in July. ‘The vice president and Mrs. Cheney are looking forward with eager anticipation to the arrival of their sixth grandchild,’ spokesman Lea Anne McBride said last night.” -Washington Post, December 6, 2006
“With all snarky sarcasm aside I’d like to give my congratulations to the happy couple. That is wonderful news for them. Everyone in the Cheney household seems to be happy and supporting of them and their relationship, so it is good to see that the child will be growing up in a loving family.” -Skippy
“Cheney has described her relationship with Poe -- whom she took to last year's White House dinner honoring Prince Charles and Camilla-- as a marriage. The two met in 1988 while playing ice hockey and began dating four years later. They moved from Colorado to Virginia a year ago to be closer to Cheney's family.: -Washington Post, December 6, 2006 “Virginia? That could make things a little toughter..” -Skippy
“In November, Virginia voters passed a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage and civil unions; state law is unclear on whether Poe could have full legal rights as a parent of Cheney's child. The circumstances of the pregnancy will remain private, said the source close to the couple. This is the first child for both.” -Washington Post, December 6, 2006
“Well the new state constitutional amendment may have been unclear, but the State of Virginia certainly isn’t..” -Skippy
“The act [the Marriage Affirmation Act] -- really an amendment to an earlier law -- was passed in April, over Gov. Mark R. Warner's objections, and it takes effect July 1. It says, ‘A civil union, partnership contract or other arrangement between persons of the same sex purporting to bestow the privileges and obligations of marriage is prohibited.’ It goes on to add that any such union, contract or arrangement entered into in any other state, ‘and any contractual rights created thereby,’ are ‘void and unenforceable in Virginia.’ When gay marriage came up, Virginia was among the first states to preemptively ban it, in 1997. Moreover, Virginia is the only state to forbid even private companies, unless self-insured, from extending health insurance benefits to unmarried couples. That provision affects cohabiting straights but works a far greater hardship on gay couples, who cannot marry. Those steps, however, impinge on the power of third parties (corporations and the government) to recognize gay couples. In the Marriage Affirmation Act, Virginia appears to abridge gay individuals' right to enter into private contracts with each other. On its face, the law could interfere with wills, medical directives, powers of attorney, child custody and property arrangements, even perhaps joint bank accounts. If a gay Californian was hit by a bus in Arlington, her medical power of attorney might be worthless there. ‘Sorry,’ the hospital might have to say to her frantic partner, ‘your contract means nothing here. Now leave before we call security.’” -Jonathan Rauch, Washington Post, June 13, 2004
“So when Mary gives birth her wife, according to the laws of Virginia, will not be considered ‘family’ of the child. I’m sure that this won’t trouble the happy couple too much. After all, Mary is the daughter of the vice-president, so I am guessing that she will manage to receive a few special benefits that the rest of the gay couples in Virginia do not share, but it is a wee bit ironic that Mary is going to come up against the very thing that the Administration campaigned for.. removing the rights of loving gay couples to have the same legal rights as the rest of us. Maybe they should look back at their own history in Virginia.” -Skippy
“This case presents a constitutional question never addressed by this Court: whether a statutory scheme adopted by the State of Virginia to prevent marriages between persons solely on the basis of racial classifications violates the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. For reasons which seem to us to reflect the central meaning of those constitutional commands, we conclude that these statutes cannot stand consistently with the Fourteenth Amendment.” -Supreme Court Decision, Loving vs. Virginia, June 12, 1967
“A different decade. A different situation, but it is still Loving vs Virginia.” -Skippy
Quotes of the Morning: The Mustache Rides Into the Sunset
“Unable to win Senate confirmation, U.N. Ambassador John Bolton will step down when his recess appointment expires soon, the White House said Monday. Bolton's nomination has languished in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for more than a year, blocked by Democrats and several Republicans.” -Associated Press, December 4, 2006 “Oh no! John ‘The Mustache’ Bolton isn’t going to be our Ambassador to the United Nations anymore. Fearless Leader must be furious.” -Skippy
“President Bush posed for pictures with Bolton on Monday and commented curtly on his departure. ‘I received the resignation of Ambassador John Bolton. I accepted. I'm not happy about it. I think he deserved to be confirmed.’ ‘They chose to obstruct his confirmation, even though he enjoys majority support in the Senate, and even though their tactics will disrupt our diplomatic work at a sensitive and important time,’ Bush said earlier in a written statement. ‘This stubborn obstructionism ill serves our country, and discourages men and women of talent from serving their nation.’" -Associated Press, December 4, 2006
“Actually he did NOT have majority support in the Senate. If he did he would have been confirmed as Ambassador. You see, though Fearless Leader often gets the big things wrong (like nominating Bolton) he also manages to screw up the fine details too. I guess we won’t have John Bolton to kick around anymore. Let’s take a look at some of his greatest hits.” -Skippy
“The White House said today that it would seek confirmation of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld’s successor in the lame duck Congress that is about to reconvene, and that it would seek confirmation of United Nations Ambassador John R. Bolton as well.” -New York Times, November 9, 2006
“President George W. Bush has nominated John Bolton, a blunt long-time critic of the United Nations, to be U.S. ambassador to the world body in a move that raised doubts about Bush's new emphasis on diplomacy.” -Reuters, March 8, 2005
"The president and I have asked John to do this work because he knows how to get things done. He is a tough-minded diplomat. He will be a strong voice for reform." -Condoleeza Rice, March 8, 2005 “John Bolton: Chosen one of the Administration...” -Skippy
“His nomination is likely to be seen by many at the UN headquarters in New York as an aggressive move by Washington. Mr Bolton has made clear he is no friend of the UN. He once said: ‘There is no such thing as the United Nations. There is only the international community, which can only be led by the only remaining superpower, which is the United States.’” -The Times (UK), March 8, 2005
“The [U.N.] Secretariat building in New York has 38 stories. If it lost 10 stories, it wouldn't make a bit of difference," -John Bolton, 1994
"Moreover, many Republicans in Congress - and perhaps a majority - not only do not care about losing the General Assembly vote but actually see it as a ‘make my day’ outcome. Indeed, once the vote is lost, and the adverse consequences predicted by the U.N.'s supporters begin to occur, this will simply provide further evidence to many why nothing more should be paid to the U.N. system." -John Bolton, as reported in the Washington Times, October 28, 1998
“Kim Jong Il, of course, has not had to endure the consequences of his failed policies. While he lives like royalty in Pyongyang, he keeps hundreds of thousands of his people locked in prison camps with millions more mired in abject poverty, scrounging the ground for food. For many in North Korea, life is a hellish nightmare.” -John Bolton, Undersecretary of State for Arms Control, July 31, 2003 “And a superb diplomat..” -Skippy
"We know that there are several hawks within the present U.S. administration but have not yet found out such rude human scum as Bolton. What he uttered is no more than rubbish which can be let loose only by a beastly man bereft of reason. […] such human scum and bloodsucker is not entitled to take part in the talks." -North Korean Foreign Ministry, August 3, 2003
"John Bolton, President Bush's nominee for U.N. ambassador, mistakenly told Congress he had not been interviewed or testified in any investigation over the past five years, the State Department said Thursday. Bolton was interviewed by the State Department inspector general in 2003 as part of a joint investigation with the Central Intelligence Agency into prewar Iraqi attempts to buy nuclear materials from Niger, State Department spokesman Noel Clay said. The admission came hours after another State Department official said Bolton had correctly answered a Senate questionnaire when he wrote that he has not testified to a grand jury or been interviewed by investigators in any inquiry over the past five years. The reversal followed persistent Democratic attempts to question Bolton's veracity just days before Bush may use his authority to make him United Nations ambassador after Congress adjourns for its summer recess. For months, Democrats have prevented the Senate from confirming the fiery conservative to the post. 'It seems unusual that Mr. Bolton would not remember his involvement in such a serious matter,' said Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., the senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee." -Associated Press, July 28, 2005
“Oh Johnny-boy, we hardy knew ye.. (and I’m kind of happy about that). Farewell John Bolton. May you lead a long and happy life telling kids to get the heck off your lawn.” -Skippy “Why should I have to change my name? He's the one who sucks” -Michael Bolton, Office Space
Quotes of the Morning: The Mustache Rides Into the Sunset
“Unable to win Senate confirmation, U.N. Ambassador John Bolton will step down when his recess appointment expires soon, the White House said Monday. Bolton's nomination has languished in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for more than a year, blocked by Democrats and several Republicans.” -Associated Press, December 4, 2006 “Oh no! John ‘The Mustache’ Bolton isn’t going to be our Ambassador to the United Nations anymore. Fearless Leader must be furious.” -Skippy
“President Bush posed for pictures with Bolton on Monday and commented curtly on his departure. ‘I received the resignation of Ambassador John Bolton. I accepted. I'm not happy about it. I think he deserved to be confirmed.’ ‘They chose to obstruct his confirmation, even though he enjoys majority support in the Senate, and even though their tactics will disrupt our diplomatic work at a sensitive and important time,’ Bush said earlier in a written statement. ‘This stubborn obstructionism ill serves our country, and discourages men and women of talent from serving their nation.’" -Associated Press, December 4, 2006
“Actually he did NOT have majority support in the Senate. If he did he would have been confirmed as Ambassador. You see, though Fearless Leader often gets the big things wrong (like nominating Bolton) he also manages to screw up the fine details too. I guess we won’t have John Bolton to kick around anymore. Let’s take a look at some of his greatest hits.” -Skippy
“The White House said today that it would seek confirmation of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld’s successor in the lame duck Congress that is about to reconvene, and that it would seek confirmation of United Nations Ambassador John R. Bolton as well.” -New York Times, November 9, 2006
“President George W. Bush has nominated John Bolton, a blunt long-time critic of the United Nations, to be U.S. ambassador to the world body in a move that raised doubts about Bush's new emphasis on diplomacy.” -Reuters, March 8, 2005
"The president and I have asked John to do this work because he knows how to get things done. He is a tough-minded diplomat. He will be a strong voice for reform." -Condoleeza Rice, March 8, 2005 “John Bolton: Chosen one of the Administration...” -Skippy
“His nomination is likely to be seen by many at the UN headquarters in New York as an aggressive move by Washington. Mr Bolton has made clear he is no friend of the UN. He once said: ‘There is no such thing as the United Nations. There is only the international community, which can only be led by the only remaining superpower, which is the United States.’” -The Times (UK), March 8, 2005
“The [U.N.] Secretariat building in New York has 38 stories. If it lost 10 stories, it wouldn't make a bit of difference," -John Bolton, 1994
"Moreover, many Republicans in Congress - and perhaps a majority - not only do not care about losing the General Assembly vote but actually see it as a ‘make my day’ outcome. Indeed, once the vote is lost, and the adverse consequences predicted by the U.N.'s supporters begin to occur, this will simply provide further evidence to many why nothing more should be paid to the U.N. system." -John Bolton, as reported in the Washington Times, October 28, 1998
“Kim Jong Il, of course, has not had to endure the consequences of his failed policies. While he lives like royalty in Pyongyang, he keeps hundreds of thousands of his people locked in prison camps with millions more mired in abject poverty, scrounging the ground for food. For many in North Korea, life is a hellish nightmare.” -John Bolton, Undersecretary of State for Arms Control, July 31, 2003 “And a superb diplomat..” -Skippy
"We know that there are several hawks within the present U.S. administration but have not yet found out such rude human scum as Bolton. What he uttered is no more than rubbish which can be let loose only by a beastly man bereft of reason. […] such human scum and bloodsucker is not entitled to take part in the talks." -North Korean Foreign Ministry, August 3, 2003
"John Bolton, President Bush's nominee for U.N. ambassador, mistakenly told Congress he had not been interviewed or testified in any investigation over the past five years, the State Department said Thursday. Bolton was interviewed by the State Department inspector general in 2003 as part of a joint investigation with the Central Intelligence Agency into prewar Iraqi attempts to buy nuclear materials from Niger, State Department spokesman Noel Clay said. The admission came hours after another State Department official said Bolton had correctly answered a Senate questionnaire when he wrote that he has not testified to a grand jury or been interviewed by investigators in any inquiry over the past five years. The reversal followed persistent Democratic attempts to question Bolton's veracity just days before Bush may use his authority to make him United Nations ambassador after Congress adjourns for its summer recess. For months, Democrats have prevented the Senate from confirming the fiery conservative to the post. 'It seems unusual that Mr. Bolton would not remember his involvement in such a serious matter,' said Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., the senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee." -Associated Press, July 28, 2005
“Oh Johnny-boy, we hardy knew ye.. (and I’m kind of happy about that). Farewell John Bolton. May you lead a long and happy life telling kids to get the heck off your lawn.” -Skippy “Why should I have to change my name? He's the one who sucks” -Michael Bolton, Office Space
“Days before The Iraq Study Group submits its report on Iraq policy, a call for change has been made from an unlikely source — Donald Rumsfeld. Just a day before the November election, the then-defense secretary sent a note to the president acknowledging problems and slow progress in Iraq and saying it was ‘time for a major adjustment’ of U.S. strategy. In the classified Nov. 6 memo, which was obtained by The New York Times and confirmed by the Pentagon, Rumsfeld admitted that ‘what U.S. forces are currently doing in Iraq is not working well enough or fast enough.’ Rumsfeld then listed 15 possible actions — including, as many Democrats have suggested, a modest withdrawal of U.S. forces, and ‘taking your hand off the bicycle seat’ so the Iraqis know they have to ‘pull up their socks, step up and take responsibility for their country.’ That may fly in the face of what the president has been espousing as recently as last Thursday. "We're going to stay in Iraq to get the job done, so long as the government wants us there," Bush said during a trip this past week to Jordan. Today, White House officials seemed to downplay the idea of a disconnect, saying the Rumsfeld memo is merely part of a larger internal review of Iraq policy.” -ABC News, December 3, 2006
“President George W. Bush is considering a ‘laundry list’ of options for Iraq that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld suggested before resigning and agrees progress has been too slow, a senior White House official said on Sunday. Rumsfeld told the White House in a classified memo last month, two days before he resigned, that the U.S. military's role in Iraq was not working well and it was ‘time for a major adjustment,’ including possible troop reductions.” -Washington Post, December 3, 2006
“Huh.. So, just a few days before the Iraq Study Group releases its report a different call for change comes out.. this time by Donald Rumsfeld, written just a couple of days before he stepped down. So now if Fearless Leader makes some changes it will be because The Don, his right hand man, made the recommendations, not because some bipartisan group did. Just a coincidence I’m sure. Still, it will be nice to have The Don out. He spent far too much time trying to make the Pentagon say exactly what he wanted it to by tweaking the intelligence reports. Having some fresh blood working there will be a relief.” -Skippy
“Shortly after Ronald Reagan was reelected president, the CIA forwarded a controversial intelligence report on the 1981 assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II to the White House. It suggested the Soviets were involved in the plot. Inside the agency, many analysts considered the intelligence estimate flawed. In the words of one CIA branch chief, the assertion lacked ‘common sense’ and was, at best, conjecture. The contention later was proved false. But there was one person who did see a Soviet hand at play in the plot, and that was the man who mattered at the time: CIA Deputy Director Robert M. Gates, who personally handed the report up to the White House. […] But Gates appears to some an odd choice, given the Pentagon's rocky and occasionally divisive atmosphere under Rumsfeld. For much of Gates' career, critics and even some admirers have likened him to the imperious Rumsfeld and his close administration ally, Vice President Dick Cheney. ‘Gates was making it clear to analysts what intelligence they were to produce,’ said Thomas Blanton, director of the National Security Archive, a nonprofit institute that gathers and analyzes declassified documents. ‘It's a chilling record, because you have two main themes of the Iraq war present in Robert Gates' career at CIA: the arrogance and bullying of a Rumsfeld and the intelligence cherry-picking of a Cheney.’" -LA Times, December 4, 2006
“WMD reports are old and busted. The new hotness is saying that the Soviets were trying to assassinate the pope. You really have to give it to Fearless Leader. At least he is consistent. He will always hire the guy most likely to say what the Decider wants to be said.” -Skippy
Quotes of the Morning: The Decider's Infinite Compassion
“Ok.. So the much-heralded meeting between Fearless Leader and Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki did manage to take place yesterday. That’s a good thing.. Things are tough in Iraq, especially for al-Maliki. Two months ago our ambassador to Iraq at the time was a little nervous about whether or not al-Maliki could handle the challenge.” -Skippy
“The U.S. ambassador to Iraq warned on Friday that time is running out for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to contain the burgeoning sectarian bloodshed that threatens to plunge the country into civil war. ‘He has a window of a couple months,’ said the ambassador, Zalmay Khalilzad. ‘If the perception is that this unity government is not able to deal with this issue, then a big opportunity would have been lost and it would take a long time to address this issue.’" -Washington Post, September 30, 2006
“Well, here it is a couple of months later, and even the news is beginning to call what is happening in Iraq a civil war.” -Skippy
“Today, as Air Force One was halfway over the Atlantic Ocean, a White House spokesman protested a decision by several American news organizations, including NBC News, to call the violence in Iraq a civil war. ‘While the situation on the ground is very serious, neither Prime Minister Maliki or us (Bush White House) believe that Iraq is in a civil war,’ said National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe However, the U.N. reported last week that an average of 120 Iraqi civilians are getting killed every day. This weekend, the violence in Baghdad claimed the lives of 215 people in one day. Several experts say Iraq reached civil war status months ago. And now, the Los Angeles Times is calling Iraq a civil war and so is NBC News.” -MSNBC, November 27, 2006
“Baghdad's overflowing morgues have welcomed another grim daily harvest of bullet-riddled corpses as Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki met US President George W. Bush and vowed to halt the violence. Iraqi security officials said they had recovered the bodies of 58 murder victims in Baghdad over the previous 24 hours -- a US spokeswoman confirmed 49 -- and that a mass grave holding 28 corpses was found north of the city. Six civilians were killed in sectarian fighting around Baquba, north of the capital, and two police were killed by insurgents in the western city of Fallujah, police said Thursday.” -AFP, November 30, 2006
“It doesn’t look good in Iraq, and the White House has been carefully leaking documents putting some of the blame directly on al-Maliki.” -Skippy
“The White House has avoided saying that Bush would pressure al-Maliki at the meeting to do more to stop the bloodshed. National security adviser Stephen Hadley says the Iraqi prime minister pushes himself — and that Bush will be listening to al-Maliki's ideas, not imposing plans on him. But in a classified Nov. 8 memo following his Oct. 30 trip to Baghdad, Hadley expressed serious doubts about whether al-Maliki had the capacity to control the sectarian violence in Iraq, and recommended steps to strengthen the Iraqi leader's position, The New York Times reported in Wednesday editions. ‘The reality on the streets of Baghdad suggests Maliki is either ignorant of what is going on, misrepresenting his intentions, or that his capabilities are not yet sufficient to turn his good intentions into action,’ the memo said.” -Associated Press, November 29, 2006
“This sets up a bad scenario for Fearless Leader though.. Now he is dealing with a government official who looks stupid and ignorant (even if his own White House did, in fact, cause the problem). The Decider’s infinite sympathy for the underdog comes into play and there is only one thing he can do.” -Skippy
"He's [al-Maliki’s] the right guy for Iraq. We're going to help him, and it is in our interest to help him, for the sake of peace. He is a strong leader and wants a free and democratic Iraq to succeed.” -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, November 30, 2006
“Yep. We need to support him 110%. If there is one thing that Fearless Leader believes in (beyond his mantra ‘We ain’t leavin’ til we’re heavin’) it’s that incompetence is it’s own reward. Just a few more months of civil war and the Decider will be forced to say that al-Maliki is doing a ‘heckuva’ job.” -Skippy
"I hear the voices. And I read the front page. And I know the speculation. But I'm the decider. And I decide what is best. And what's best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as the secretary of defense." -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, April 18, 2006
“ Vice President Cheney is a great Vice President. He's done a heck of a good job for our country.” -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, February 26, 2004
“Brownie, you're doing a heckuva job." -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, September 2, 2005
“It's good to be in old Tom Ridge's home town. He's a good friend, he's a good man, and he's doing a heck of a good job in reorganizing the Department of Homeland Security.” -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, September 4, 2005
“I'm proud to be traveling with the Speaker, Denny Hastert. He's a good, solid American. And he's doing a heck of a job as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.” -George ‘Dubya’ Bush, January 6, 2006
