Tuesday’s Mini-Report

May 27, 2008

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Reuters: “Newly diagnosed cases of post-traumatic stress disorder among U.S. troops sent to Iraq and Afghanistan surged 46.4 percent in 2007, bringing the five-year total to more than 38,000, according to U.S. military data released on Tuesday. The statistics, released by the Army, showed the number of new PTSD cases formally diagnosed at U.S. military facilities climbed to 13,981 last year from 9,549 in 2006.”

* On a related note, in the kind of comments that would spark quite a controversy if anyone still cared about the Bush administration, VA Secretary James Peake reportedly took a casual and dismissive attitude towards the PTSD scourge, suggesting the issue has been overblown.

* Something to keep an eye on: “Iran may be withholding information needed to establish whether it tried to make nuclear arms, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Monday in an unusually strongly worded report.”

* Foreclosures in military towns are surging at four times the national rate. (thanks to A.W. for the heads-up)

* I guess appeasement really has gone mainstream — now the Bush administration is making overtures to Sudanese leaders, despite Sudan’s role in perpetuating genocide in Darfur and offering safe haven for terrorists. No word yet on whether the president is prepared to denounce himself.

* Remember Barry Nolan, the TV journalist who was fired for criticizing Bill O’Reilly? Nolan has a guest post at ThinkProgress today, explaining what happened, why he lost his job, and why our culture seems to tolerate this kind of suppression of free speech.

* Not a big surprise: “At a time when gas prices are at an all-time high, Americans have curtailed their driving at a historic rate. The Department of Transportation said figures from March show the steepest decrease in driving ever recorded.”

* AP: “Soaring gas prices and weakening job prospects left shoppers gloomier about the economy in May, sending a key barometer of consumer sentiment to its lowest level in almost 16 years.” (Hmm, wasn’t 16 years ago the end of the last Bush presidency?)

* Over the weekend, Fox News contributor Liz Trotta thought it would be funny to joke about her desire to see someone assassinate Barack Obama. Yesterday, she backpedaled on the air: “I am so sorry about what happened yesterday in that lame attempt at humor,” she said. “I sincerely regret it and apologize to anybody I’ve offended. It’s a very colorful political season, and many of us are making mistakes and saying things that we wish that we hadn’t said.” Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer called this a “clarification.”

* If you volunteer for military service, some Fox News personalities believe you’re entitled to worse educational benefits.

* One of the Blackwater scandals is still percolating: “The FBI has brought four Iraqi witnesses, including the father of a dead 9-year-old boy, to testify before a federal grand jury investigating Blackwater security guards accused of killing 17 innocent civilians last year at a Baghdad traffic square.”

* Inflation and food prices are really not helping families on food stamps.

* Ugh: “Looks like the ‘crackdown’ against illegal immigrants crossing over the Mexican border has been a boon for corrupt border guards.”

* I not only love MoveOn.org’s latest campaign, but think the group is executing it very well.

* I’m glad Washington Monthly isn’t merging with Common Cause. That never struck me as a good fit.

* I think CNN has badly missed the point of the Pentagon Pundit scandal. The network isn’t supposed to invite back officers who were part of the propaganda controversy.

* Sexism may sell, but no one should ever buy it.

* If the Bush administration were still interesting to people, the EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson would be every bit as humiliating as Mike “Heckuva Job” Brown, if not more so.

* Is Barack Obama a Muslim? (Honestly, I’m linking to this to help the Google ranking.)

* And finally, over the weekend, Rep. Pete Sessions of Texas, a far-right Republican, conceded to a group of eighth-graders visiting DC that Bush “is doing everything he thinks is correct,” and yet “the American people are fed up…. we’ve lost the House and Senate, and everybody hates George Bush.” He said it, not me.

Anything to add? Consider this an end-of-the-day open thread.

* Is Barack Obama a Muslim? (Honestly, I’m linking to this to help the Google ranking.)

Pure genius. Great way to put a cap on an otherwise crummy day.

  • “At a time when gas prices are at an all-time high, Americans have curtailed their driving at a historic rate. The Department of Transportation said figures from March show the steepest decrease in driving ever recorded.”

    So gas prices will continue to go up, because now gas will be considered a more exclusive, luxury-style commodity.

    Of course, if people HADN’T been curtailing their driving at a historic rate, gas prices would’ve continued to go up…because demand would’ve warranted it.

    I bet it’s nice to be able to make up the rules as you go along. I literally have no idea.

  • One of the hardest hit foreclosure towns is Columbia, SC.

    Both SC senators recently voted against the Webb GI Bill.

    And against pay increases, I am sure (still looking for confirmation).

    Real conservative values.

  • Foreclosures in military towns are surging at four times the national rate.

    But of course, John McCentury can tell us retention rates will be higher if our military service men and women have no homes to come back to.

  • Not to defend William Jefferson, but isn’t it bit bizarre that the judge would refuse to throw out charges even though the alleged acts don’t match responsibilites explicitly assigned by law?

    When I first read his ninety-some-odd page indictment, I was amazed how much of it was devoted to breaking house (congressional) rules. I thought that was the job of the ethics committee.

  • McClatchy has another aspect of the crackdown on illegal immigrants (think corporate prisons):

    The ever-expanding Val Verde County jail is filled with would-be yardmen and maids, immigrants awaiting deportation. They’ve been caught in a law enforcement dragnet known as “Operation Streamline,” a zero tolerance program that began here and has since spread both east and west along the Mexican border.
    […]
    The result has been a logistical and financial burden for the U.S. Department of Justice, which must add attorneys and staff to bring charges against those being held. U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey recently called the burden “staggering.”

    Along with it has come an almost insatiable demand for jail space.

    Eight years ago, for example, the Val Verde Correctional Facility had only 180 beds. This year, after completing its second 600-bed expansion, the maximum security jail has room for 1,425 prisoners, an increase of almost 800 percent.

    While the state prisoner population has remained flat at about 70 to 80 a day on average, the numbers serving time for immigration and drug offenses have skyrocketed, officials say.

    “If it wasn’t for federal prisoners we wouldn’t need any of this. It just wouldn’t be necessary,” Jernigan said during a recent tour of the massive facility he oversees in Del Rio. “This is a federal court city and there’s a need to house federal prisoners here.”

  • From the memory banks:

    On April 16th, 2007 at 10:02 am, Ed Stephan said:

    The fact is that Gonzo all along has been a stooge for the Bush Crime Family. As far I know (1) he did nothing for personal gain and (2) the boss approved all his actions (even if capo Cheney wants to weasel out now that the lights are turned on).

    A true crime boss — Al Capone, Jimmy “The Weasel” Fratianno, Carmine “The Snake” Persico, Vito Genovese, Joseph “Joe Bananas” Bonanno, George “Bugs” Moran, Jack “Legs” Diamond, Arnold Rothstein, “Fat Tony” Salerno, Charles “Lucky” Luciano, Sam “Momo” Giancana, Carlo Gambino — would’ve had more personal integrity and a sense of self pride. Would any of them have ordered his consigliere to take the fall? All those scumbags had more respect for themselves than that.

    One thing the boss can rely on, apparently, is Gonzo’s adherence to the code of Omertà or whatever they call that in the murky world of Texas politics. Which ought to make the hearings about as exciting as a fallen Soufflé.

  • Regarding VA Secretary Peake, who made the comments in an appearance with Ted Stevens at a remote Alaskan village, I wonder if 2008 is going to see a repeat of 2004 when Bush admin officials used funds to finance their numerous campaign trips on behalf of GOP candidates.

  • My personal outrage about the “Obama is a Moslem” smear is the rather explicit racism that entails. If he were a Moslem, I personally wouldn’t care at all. But some people see nothing wrong with demonizing a whole group in order to have a bogeyman they can use to frighten people.

    I can still remember my reaction to the Oklahoma City Federal Building bombing on April 15th, 1995. When I saw it on the news, my first words were, “Must have been a disgruntled conservative upset about paying taxes.” Turned out, I was basically right.

    But the pundits? Oh no, they immediately started going on about Moslem terrorists and all that bunk. And when McVeigh was arrested, not even so much as a single “Ooops!” from those mouth breathers.

    I really hope Obama wins in November. That will be a step in the right direction.

  • In case any of you came on board late today, scroll down to the first post to learn the very sad news that Ed Stephan passed away over the weekend. There’s a fine post by CB and many regulars paying tribute to one of our favorites. He was a remarkable man, very intelligent and wise with a heart in the right place. I’m sure everyone is going to miss him greatly.

  • “Newly diagnosed cases of post-traumatic stress disorder among U.S. troops sent to Iraq and Afghanistan surged 46.4 percent in 2007, bringing the five-year total to more than 38,000, according to U.S. military data released on Tuesday. The statistics, released by the Army, showed the number of new PTSD cases formally diagnosed at U.S. military facilities climbed to 13,981 last year from 9,549 in 2006.”

    Not only that, but the VA refuses to touch the only therapy for PTSD that has ever been found effective: talking it through and confronting it to come to a different point of view. All they will do is prescribe Valium and Lithium, which is putting a hand grenade on the wound and pulling the pin – the only question about the coming explosion is when, not if. “Our goal isn’t to help you, it’s to make you deployable.” 20% of the combat troops at Fort Hood, in the unit due for rotation to Iraq at the end of the year, are taking psychiatric meds, by Army prescription..

  • What is more disturbing than the false smear of Obama being a Muslim is that being a Muslim is a smear.

  • “At a time when gas prices are at an all-time high, Americans have curtailed their driving at a historic rate. The Department of Transportation said figures from March show the steepest decrease in driving ever recorded.”

    Yeah we need a gas tax holiday…

    The very thought of diminished carbon in the atmosphere must be “driving” McCain, McClinton, and McCheney dead-enders nuts…

  • Tom.
    It’s win/win for republicans. The Big Military fills their pockets on the front end and Big Pharma fills their on the backend. Wall Street decided they deserved a piece and rolled out their new and improved predatory creative financing.

    Why would anyone diagnose/treat anyone with means that don’t profit your Corporate Masters ? That is crazy talk. If we gave KRB 5% of all benefits paid to veterans, their welfare would make even the most pampered envious.

  • The 2008 Election Has Already Been Stolen!

    Must-see video at: http://brasschecktv.com/page/327.html

    This is what the attorney-gate scandal is really all about. This is why kkkarl MUST be subpoenaed and forced to testiffy under oath (note to conyers – no more nasty letters!).

    Unless we act soon – mclame is going to steal the next election.

    This is also why democrats must DEMAND that shillary stop catapulting kkkarl’s propaganda and providing the media “talking points” to justify another stolen election.

  • Scott McClellan goes off the reservation permanently. According to a review of his new book at The Politico:

    “As press secretary, I spent countless hours defending the administration from the podium in the White House briefing room. Although the things I said then were sincere, I have since come to realize that some of them were badly misguided.”

    “History appears poised to confirm what most Americans today have decided: that the decision to invade Iraq was a serious strategic blunder. No one, including me, can know with absolute certainty how the war will be viewed decades from now when we can more fully understand its impact. What I do know is that war should only be waged when necessary, and the Iraq war was not necessary.”

    Hear! Hear!!

  • Politico.com (I know) is reporting on former WH Press Secretary Scotty McClellan’s new book, due out next week. Too little, too late, but hopefully it’ll still make a splash.

    Among the most explosive revelations in the 341-page book, titled “What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception” (Public Affairs, $27.95):

    • McClellan charges that Bush relied on “propaganda” to sell the war.
    • He says the White House press corps was too easy on the administration during the run-up to the war.
    • He admits that some of his own assertions from the briefing room podium turned out to be “badly misguided.”
    • The longtime Bush loyalist also suggests that two top aides held a secret West Wing meeting to get their story straight about the CIA leak case at a time when federal prosecutors were after them — and McClellan was continuing to defend them despite mounting evidence they had not given him all the facts.

  • Don’t get too excited about snotty’s book – he is still a lying liar. The book absolves dur chimpfurher of any responsibility and portrays him as a great man and leader.

    Why anyone would give anything he says any credence, when he is still lying about his boss, is beyond me. Time will tell, but it looks like he is just making a quick buck playing “pass-the-buck” and “catapulting the propaganda” for the criminal cabal in the administration.

    There is nothing in this book that should make anyone think that he has come clean and that anything is going to come of this, other than he picks up a little cash.

    Worthless scum then, still lying scum now.

  • For Firefox users who would like to avoid comments by particular users.

    I’ve uploaded a greasemonkey user script which makes it easier to skip over comments by specific users or by words used in the comments. The script is at: http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/27384.

    It requires Greasemonkey, which I’ve linked to on my username.

    The script adds a couple of text inputs at the bottom of the page for entering screen names or keywords. Comments caught by the script are replaced with a link to view the comment, so the script doesn’t prevent you from reading any comments, but it makes it easier to skip over comments you might generally wish to avoid. It doesn’t have many bells and whistles, but it has been working for me.

  • John said:
    I’ve uploaded a greasemonkey user script which makes it easier to skip over comments by specific users or by words used in the comments.

    Very cool John! Works great. I put in “shillary”.

  • What is more disturbing than the false smear of Obama being a Muslim is that being a Muslim is a smear. — kidynomyte, @18

    Indeed. We tend to forget that all too easily, but that *is* the worst thing about the whole flap; an observant Christian i, automatically, considered “good”, while an observant Muslim i, automatically, considered a monster…

  • Say what you will about Liz Trotta’s “apology” for the assassination remark, at least she said more than shillary did.

    I understand why hucklebee “catapults the propaganda”.

    I understand why faux “analysis” also “catapults the propaganda”.

    There is no excuse for shilllary to “catapult the propaganda” by saying that it is why she stays in the campaign.

    But then again – she is parroting kkkarl rove’s talking points and accepting support from rush limbaugh.

    This should tell you why we don’t need a bush-clinton-bush-clinton monarchy of 2 elite families that feel entitled to loot the nation.

  • McCain Campaign General Co-Chair At Heart Of Foreclosure Crisis

    Gramm officially joined the McCain campaign on March 12, 2007… but as early as October, 2006, RealClearPolitics reported that McCain was already relying on Gramm for fundraising help… McCain’s top political operative at the time saying, Gramm, quote, “obviously gives us advice on economic issues.”

    At the same time he was giving that advice, federal disclosure forms reviewed by Countdown show that Gramm was simultaneously being paid by UBS to lobby the U-S Senate about the mortgage crisis… opposing government regulation… helping to kill a 2006 anti-predatory lending bill that would have tightened consumer protections, and might have mitigated the current crisis…

    As recently as Dec. 31st of last year, still working for Swiss bankers specifically to help kill the “Emergency Home Ownership and Mortgage Equity Protection Act” and the “Helping Families Save Their Homes in Bankruptcy Act,” a bill that would have let bankruptcy judges adjust mortgage terms so American families facing foreclosure could repay their loans, and keep their homes.

    http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/05/27/breaking-mccain-campaign-general-co-chair-at-heart-of-foreclosure-crisis/

    Maverick and a reformer? McCain?

    McCain is a Washington insider. Period. He is bought and paid for. He owes everyone favors including Bushco.
    When they call those favors in McCain will repay in full.

    Bush will want McCain to sweep all of his crimes under the rug and McCain will do it.

    Vote the McCain Bum out!

  • * AP: “Soaring gas prices and weakening job prospects left shoppers gloomier about the economy in May, sending a key barometer of consumer sentiment to its lowest level in almost 16 years.”

    What is this crap about “consumer sentiment”. The choice between buying necessities or extemporaneous shopping is not a sentimental one. I can’t believe there are articles like this still trying to do a positive spin job on our plummeting economy.

    I am sick of articles and news soundbites that almost makes it sound like it’s every American’s fault for not going out and spending money THEY DO NOT HAVE at the nearest outlet. Bush has been saying that forever. Go out, spend money. Here’s a few hundred extra bucks. Go spend it.

    People aren’t just hoarding dollars for the heck of it. With gas and food prices, they have no extra money to spend. Americans aren’t using credit cards for that cute pair of strappy sandals or that plasma tv anymore. Americans are spending their credit on every day items and getting deeper and deeper in debt just trying to survive.

    I’d really like to see an article discussing that, not just folks traveling less or camping out in their backyard AFTER building a pool first. What a crock

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