Bush Nuts: Are George W. Bush lovers certifiable?

A collective “I told you so” will ripple through the world of Bush-bashers once news of Christopher Lohse’s study gets out.

Lohse says his study is no joke. The thesis draws on a survey of 69 psychiatric outpatients in three Connecticut locations during the 2004 presidential election. Lohse’s study, backed by SCSU Psychology professor Jaak Rakfeldt and statistician Misty Ginacola, found a correlation between the severity of a person’s psychosis and their preferences for president: The more psychotic the voter, the more likely they were to vote for Bush.

“Bush supporters had significantly less knowledge about current issues, government and politics than those who supported Kerry,” the study says.

War Protestor's Public Suicide in Chicago Went Unnoticed by Media

AP:
At 6:30 a.m. on Nov. 3 -- four days before an election caused a seismic shift in Washington politics-- Ritscher, a frequent anti-war protester, stood by an off-ramp in downtown Chicago near a statue of a giant flame, set up a video camera, doused himself with gasoline and lit himself on fire.

Aglow for the crush of morning commuters, his flaming body was supposed to be a call to the nation, a symbol of his rage and discontent with the U.S. war in Iraq.


"Here is the statement I want to make: if I am required to pay for your barbaric war, I choose not to live in your world. I refuse to finance the mass murder of innocent civilians, who did nothing to threaten our country," he wrote in his suicide note. "... If one death can atone for anything, in any small way, to say to the world: I apologize for what we have done to you, I am ashamed for the mayhem and turmoil caused by my country."

White House Related Robberies a Coincidence?

First this:
"[A]cting White House Travel Office Director Gregg Pitts was beaten and robbed by at least two men while out in Honolulu Monday night. Pitts suffered head and other injuries in the attack. He was awake and alert but remained behind at a Honolulu hospital because of a possible concussion, White House spokesman Tony Fratto said."

Then:
First Daughter Barbara Bush had her purse and cell phone stolen as she had dinner in a restaurant in Buenos Aires, Argentina, even though she was being guarded by a detail of Secret Service agents, according to law enforcement reports made available to ABC News.

It was not the only mishap on the two-week trip to Argentina by Barbara and her twin sister Jenna.

A Secret Service agent on the advance detail got into an "altercation" with someone after a night out and was badly beaten, according to the law enforcement reports. The Secret Service said today the incident was an attempted mugging that occurred while the agent was on his own time. The agent is doing fine.

Either these incidents have nothing to do with one another, or something is afoot. Perhaps someone is looking for something? Conspiracy theorists could have a field day with this one.

Keith Olbermann Special Comment on Bush's Vietnam Visit

To watch the video Click Here

Clinton AG Files Challenge to Military Commissions Act

WASHINGTON (AP) - Former Attorney General Janet Reno and seven other former Justice Department officials filed court papers Monday arguing that the Bush administration is setting a dangerous precedent by trying a suspected terrorist outside the court system.

It was the first time that Reno, attorney general in the Clinton administration, has spoken out against the administration's policies on terrorism detainees, underscoring how contentious the court fight over the nation's new military commissions law has become. Former attorneys general rarely file court papers challenging administration policy.

Judge: FBI must correct disclosures on evacuation of Saudis after 9/11

Rawstory:
A U.S. district court judge has ordered the FBI to correct disclosures regarding the US government's evacuation of Saudi royals and bin Laden family members after the September 11 attacks in 2001, a conservative watchdog organization announced today.

Was the CIA Involved in Bobby Kennedy's Assassination?

The Guardian:
The story goes that Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated on June 6, 1968 by a lone gunman, but an author has compiled evidence implicating three CIA agents in the murder.

CACI: Torture in Iraq, Intimidation at Home

Alternet:
Dogged by serious allegations of human rights abuses in Iraq, a leading profiteer from the Iraq war engages in intimidation campaigns against journalists in America who seek to expose its practices.

Fmr Bush Official: “”The Democrats Are The Sideshow... Bush Self-Destructing Is The Big Story In Town"...

NY Daily News:
For all the focus on the Democrats, a former Bush official who predicts a coming bloodbath between the White House and disgruntled conservative Republicans brushed off the Pelosi-Hoyer tussle as much ado about process.

Breaking: Bush appoints abstinence-only nut to oversee repro rights funding

Feministing.com:
Hold on to your hats. I hear from a little birdie that the Bush administration has hired Dr. Eric Keroack to oversee Title X funding—the only federal program devoted entirely to family planning and reproductive health.

Keroack, who is currently the medical director of a Massachusetts pregnancy crisis center (you know, the folks that lie to women), will be the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs.

Keroack is not only a well-known anti-choicer, he’s also a major proponent of abstinence-only education…and when I say proponent, I mean fucking insane person.

Legal Experts Comment on Military Commissions Act of 2006

“[T]he MCA (Military Commissions Act) dramatically expands the President's powers in an array of profoundly troubling ways, including permitting him to determine what constitutes torture and who may be labeled an "unlawful enemy combatant" and therefore detained indefinitely.” - The Center for Constitutional Rights

“It will be taken by the Bush Administration as a blank check to torture, to detain indefinitely without just cause, and to trample the values that win America respect in the world.”- Aziz Huq, Director of the Brennan Center for Justice’s liberty and national security project

“The Congress just gave the President despotic powers…”–Jonathan Turley, Constitutional Law Professor, George Washington University School of Law

“The President now has the ultimate dictatorial power” - Glenn Greenwald, civil rights attorney

Senate Dems plan overhaul of military tribunals bill

The Hill:
Gearing up for a major clash with the Bush administration and Republicans in Congress, several key Senate Democrats are planning to overhaul the newly minted legislation governing military tribunals of detainees.

Even before it was signed into the law last month, Democrats were criticizing the military commission bill as unconstitutional and a magnet or endless legal challenges.

CIA: Al Qaeda's strength is building

WASHINGTON - Osama Bin Laden's Al Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban are gaining strength despite being battered since Sept. 11, 2001, two top spy masters told Congress yesterday.

CNN's Beck to first-ever Muslim congressman: "[W]hat I feel like saying is, 'Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies' "

Glenn Beck: Douche Bag of the Day

Media Matters:
On the November 14 edition of his CNN Headline News program, Glenn Beck interviewed Rep.-elect Keith Ellison (D-MN), who became the first Muslim ever elected to Congress on November 7, and asked Ellison if he could "have five minutes here where we're just politically incorrect and I play the cards up on the table." After Ellison agreed, Beck said: "I have been nervous about this interview with you, because what I feel like saying is, 'Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies.' " Beck added: "I'm not accusing you of being an enemy, but that's the way I feel, and I think a lot of Americans will feel that way."

GOP Rep: Rednecks Didn't Show Up For Us

“White rednecks” who “didn’t show up to vote for us” partly cost GOPers their cong. majorities, Rep. Adam Putnam (R-FL) told fellow Republicans today. And Putnam, seeking the post of GOP conference chair, chided ex-Chair J.C. Watts (R-OK) for ruining the conference’s ability to serve its members.

Five years on, conditions for women in Afghanistan are still poor

Rawstory:
Women's rights were at the forefront of discussions of a new form of government for Afghanistan, and an amazing 102 female delegates participated in the Constitution Loya Jirga of December 2003. It appeared that progress was being made and women were occupying central roles in the country's political life.

However, according to a new report released by Womankind Worldwide, "paper rights have not equalled rights in practice," and we have failed to fully realize the opportunity we had in 2001 for fostering a lasting peace in Afghanistan.

CIA acknowledges existence of presidential order authorizing it to detain, interrogate terror suspects overseas

Rawstory:
In response to an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit, the CIA has finally acknowledged the existence of a presidential order authorizing the agency to detain and interrogate terror suspects overseas.

Germany To Prosecute Rumsfeld, Atty. Gen. Gonzales, Fmr. CIA Chief Tenet For War Crimes...

A lawsuit in Germany will seek a criminal prosecution of the outgoing Defense Secretary and other U.S. officials for their alleged role in abuses at Abu Ghraib and Gitmo

Larry Johnson's Take on Rumsfeld Replacement

"Before the media goes overboard extolling the virtues of Bob Gates as the replacement for Don Rumsfeld, it is important to look back at Gates' record and reputation. Gates has some "splaining" to do. The press has forgotten that Bob Gates, during his time at CIA, acquired a reputation for trying to tailor intelligence to satisfy political masters in the Reagan White House. In addition, Bob Gates, a man of enormous intellect and a photographic memory, conveniently forgot salient facts and meetings surrounding the Iran Contra scandal."

Allen to quit recount challenge?

Dailykos:

"Rumors are flying fast and furious in DC that Allen may quit the race and give up on a recount challenge. And Allen's advisor Ed Gillespie, at a press conference, refused to say there would be a recount, instead pinning their hopes on the final canvas of votes.

The guy must be devastated. He didn't want to be a Senator. He was building a ground operation in Iowa and New Hampshire. He was telling Iowans that he was bored of being a Senator and wished he was born in Iowa instead.

He thought he was going to be president.

And suddenly, he loses a race for a seat that he didn't want in the first place? And it's not as if winning a long-shot recount would help him with his now-dead presidential ambitions. So the rumors may have some truth.

As for Montana, a recount is possible if the total is within 1/4 of one percent. There were 404,084 votes. 1/4 of one percent of that would be 1,010 votes. Right now, Tester has a 2, 848 vote lead. That one is over. There won't be a recount in Montana, even though Burns still refuses to concede."

BREAKING NEWS: Rumsfeld to Resign and Dems Take Montana!

These two new pieces came in, in a matter of a few minutes. Lots of exciting stuff going on out there. Now it comes down to Virginia. Webb is ahead.

You can read more about the Senate outcomes here

DEMS: WE'VE WON THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE....

Jon Tester leads Conrad Burns by approximately 1,700 votes (as of 11am EDT) and counting. Jim Webb is up by approximately 8,000 votes and once the provisional ballots are counted, we expect Webb's margin to increase.

Raw obtains letter detailing Democrat's 'oversight priorities'

Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA), the the ranking member of the Government Reform Committee, has long maintained a list of "oversight priorities" that would presumably be implemented under a Democratic majority, according to a letter acquired by RAW STORY.

Smackdown in the House!

Democrats regained control of the House of Representatives for the first time in 12 years Tuesday night and made strong gains in the Senate, according to NBC News projections. Democrats cast the results as a sharp rebuke to President Bush and promised big changes in Washington.

Voting Machine Problems in TN

From Talkingpointsmemo.com:

"And from Sullivan County, Tennessee, where TPM Reader SJ tried to vote:

Went to my precinct to vote and all 3 machines were not working. This precinct has a lot of lower-income families and public housing. They finally got one of the machines going, but the lines were out the door - I waited close to an hour and had to get to work. I wasn't the only one - most of those leaving were young(er) working people more likely to vote Democratic. I'll be coming back later to vote, but how many of those that left will be able to do that? You would think the machines would have at least been tested and working before the actual election day.
We're not going to be able to post every anecdote like this that we receive today. It would be beside the point. We'll be looking for trends and patterns. But regardless of whether you subscribe to deep, dark conspiracy theories of GOP election trickery, voting should be easy, accurate, and fair. It's not. The system is broken.

-- TPM Reader DK "

Report Voting Irregularities and Fraud

1-866-OUR VOTE (1-866-687-8683)
1-888-DEMVOTE (1-888-336-8683)(DNC hotline)
1-888-SAV-VOTE (1-888-728-8683)(voting machine problems)
Protect Our Votes
Election Protection
Video The Vote
Veek the Vote (cellphone video reports)

Republican national 'robo-calling' scam on eve of election

The Associated Press reported on November 1 that the National Republican Campaign Committee was set to launch a nation-wide "robocall" campaign. Now that the effort is underway just before Election Day, writers around the blogosphere are tracking evidence of "Republican dirty tricks" across the country, while mainstream media coverage has been noticeably lacking.

The American Conservative: GOP Must Go...

On Nov. 7, the world will be watching as we go to the polls, seeking to ascertain whether the American people have the wisdom to try to correct a disastrous course. Posterity will note too if their collective decision is one that captured the attention of historians—that of a people voting, again and again, to endorse a leader taking a country in a catastrophic direction. The choice is in our hands.

Cheney Would “Probably Not” Appear If Subpoenaed

Well he didn't care about violating our laws on torture. What makes us think he cares about the subpoena authority of the U.S Congress

To watch the video Click Here

Saddam Guilty, Sentenced to Hang

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Saddam Hussein was convicted and sentenced Sunday to hang for crimes against humanity in the 1982 killings of 148 people in a single Shiite town, as the ousted leader, trembling and defiant, shouted "God is great!"

Fired Investigators: 'Republicans Had No Appetite for Oversight'

Last month’s mass firing of House Appropriations Committee investigators followed years of declining appetite for tough oversight and partisan squabbles that the investigators say often stalled their work.

Several members of the team, some of whom spoke on the condition that they not be identified by name, defend their record against committee spokesman John Scofield’s charge that recent work was not good. They suggest instead that majority Republicans had no appetite for oversight of the Bush administration.

4 Military Papers To Call For Rumsfeld's Resignation On Monday...

NEW YORK An editorial set to appear on Monday -- election eve -- in the four leading newspapers for the military calls for the resignation of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

The papers are the Army Times, Air Force Times, Navy Times and Marine Corps Times. They are published by the Military Times Media Group, a subsidiary of Gannett Co., Inc. President Bush said this week that he wanted Rumsfeld to serve out the next two years.

Neocons: We shouldn't Have Invaded Iraq

"Architects of Iraq War Lay Blame on President"

Vanity Fair:
As Iraq slips further into chaos, the war's neoconservative boosters have turned sharply on the Bush administration, charging that their grand designs have been undermined by White House incompetence. In a series of exclusive interviews, Richard Perle, Kenneth Adelman, David Frum, and others play the blame game with shocking frankness. Target No. 1: the president himself.

Rothenberg Predicts Democratic Senate!

To watch the video clip Click Here

"The latest Rothenberg Political Report ratings are out. Here are exclusive excerpts provided to Political Wire:

The Senate: "While Senate control is in doubt, with Democrats most likely to win from 5 to 7 seats, we do not think the two sides have an equal chance of winning a majority in the Senate. Instead, we believe that state and national dynamics favor Democrats netting six seats and winning control of the United States Senate."

The House: "Going into the final days before the 2006 midterm elections, we believe the most likely outcome in the House of Representatives is a Democratic gain of 34 to 40 seats, with slightly larger gains not impossible. This would put Democrats at between 237 and 243 seats, if not a handful more, giving them a majority in the next House that is slightly larger than the one the Republicans currently hold. If these numbers are generally correct, we would expect a period of GOP finger-pointing and self-flagellation after the elections, followed by a considerable number of Republican House retirements over the next two years."

E-Voting Smart Cards Go Missing in TN

Political insiders have expressed alarm after 12 voter smartcards have gone missing from one Shelby County, TN early vote location!

The cards are used to activate electronic voting machines.

The location at the center of the controversy is Bishop Byrne High School on E. Shelby Drive in Memphis.

The polling place started out with 25 cards. By Wednesday, 11 were missing, says an eyewitness.

The location was given 5 more smartcards on Thursday.

And another card went missing!

Poll: Britons warier of Bush than Kim Jong Il

REUTERS: Neighbors, allies see president as more dangerous than N. Korean leader

LONDON - The United States is seen as a threat to world peace by its closest neighbors and allies, with Britons saying President Bush poses a greater danger than North Korea’s Kim Jong Il, a survey found Friday.

A majority of people quizzed in three out of four countries polled also rejected the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

Bush Admin Posted Nuclear Bomb Building Guide on Internet

And we're suppose to trust these guys with our national security??
Last March, the federal government set up a Web site to make public a vast archive of Iraqi documents captured during the war. The Bush administration did so under pressure from Congressional Republicans who had said they hoped to “leverage the Internet” to find new evidence of the prewar dangers posed by Saddam Hussein.

But in recent weeks, the site has posted some documents that weapons experts say are a danger themselves: detailed accounts of Iraq’s secret nuclear research before the 1991 Persian Gulf war. The documents, the experts say, constitute a basic guide to building an atom bomb.

Evangelical Leader Accused of 3 Year Relationship with Gay Prostitute

DENVER - A gay man and admitted male escort claims he has had an ongoing sexual relationship with a well-known Evangelical pastor from Colorado Springs.

Haggard is the founder and senior leader of the New Life Church in Colorado Springs. The church has 14,000 members.

He is also president of the National Association of Evangelicals, an organization that represents millions of people.



UPDATE: Haggard had close ties to the White House
Rawstory:
The Rocky Mountain News described Haggard as a "giant of the conservative Christian movement, with direct access to President Bush." In May 2005, Harper's Magazine ran a piece on Haggard reporting that the pastor talked "to President George W. Bush or his advisers every Monday." Harper's also noted that when he was asked why Bush "had not apologized for the false assertions used to justify the Iraq war, or for the dishonest smears marshaled on his campaign's behalf," Haggard replied:

I think if you asked the President these questions once he's out of office, he'd say, 'You're right. We shouldn't have done it.' But right now if he said something like that, well, the world would spin out of control! ... Listen, I think [we Christian believers] are responsible not to lie, but I don't think we're responsible to say everything we know.

U.S. Soldier Killed Herself After Objecting to Interrogation Techniques

Editor & Publisher:
The true stories of how American troops, killed in Iraq, actually died keep spilling out this week. Now we learn, thanks to a reporter's FOIA request, that one of the first women to die in Iraq shot and killed herself after objecting to harsh "interrogation techniques

Republican's Staff Assault Marine Vet

Alternet:
"Former Marine and first year law student, Mike Stark was asking Republican senator George Allen some questions about the arrest records he refuses to make public and whether he had ever spit on his first wife. (Rumors that the Republican had done so have been circulating). Men wearing "Allen" buttons then assaulted Stark, wrestling him to the ground and forcibly removing him from the premises."

To watch the video Click Here