On 911 - Remembering the McCain neoCON

It is 911... And 7 years later it is still being pumped out as some kind of fear mongering neocon campaign wet dream and used as a GOP trademarked slogan in order to instill fear and faux patriotism in the populace. While less and less people by the "fear! FEAR! FEAR!" campaign anymore it is important to remember why we have not been able to catch bin Laden. The clusterfuck known as Iraq. The GOP, and John McCain in particular, have been using 911 to justify an illegal invasion and occupation since before it even happened.

On the morning of the 9/11, just moments after the World Trade Center collapsed from the terrorist strikes, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) went on television and immediately began focusing the nation’s attention on Iraq. In an interview with CBS’ Dan Rather on 9/11, McCain said:

To be honest with you, Dan, I never thought that an operation of this sophistication and size would take place. I just never did. But I don’t think there’s any doubt that there are countries — Iraq, Iran, Libya, North Korea and others — who we know engage in proliferation of — of capabilities and, from time to time, involve themselves in state-sponsored terrorism. But never did we imagine on a scale such as this.

The next day, on 9/12, McCain reiterated the point in an interview with Chris Matthews. “It isn’t just Afghanistan,” he said, “we’re talking about Syria, Iraq, Iran, perhaps North Korea, Libya and others.”

Just a few weeks later — on Oct. 9, 2001 — McCain narrowed his focus, arguing that Iraq was “obviously” next:

PAULA ZAHN: And as you know, Senator, the U.S. and Great Britain notified the U.N. Security Council yesterday that they reserve the right to strike against other countries in this campaign. What countries are we looking at?

MCCAIN: Well, I think very obviously Iraq is the first country, but there are others — Syria, Iran, the Sudan, who have continued to harbor terrorist organizations and actually assist them.

On Oct. 18, 2001, McCain told David Letterman, “the second phase is Iraq” while linking Iraq to the anthrax attacks.

I'll remember the dead and their surviving family and friends in a quiet and respectful manner that they deserve. I'll never forget the Middle Eastern Terrorists that did this, neither will I forget the foreign policy failures that created the hate in those countries. Policies like pimping illegal invasions and occupations. And I will NEVER EVER forget the kind of people, people like John McCain and other Bush administration neonconservative minions, that are still pushing for more of this kind of foreign policy failure.

As a tribute to some of the real heroes on 911, the policemen and firemen that risked or gave up their lives on 911, you won't see pictures of the twin towers here. No pictures of the death and destruction of that day. Nor will you see any of the flag waving testimonies to faux patriotism. I would rather point you to a local program that the fire department runs as a service to the youth of the community. A testimony to the fact that these men and women are every day heroes, not just when faced with the adversity of a tragic accident or dangerous rescues.

Rethinking Torture Tapes and the 911 Commission

Former Reagan administration Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Paul Craig Roberts, takes a look at the not so obvious concerning the destroyed torture tapes and the 911 commission:

Is the torture issue a red herring? The 9/11 Commission was not tasked with investigating interrogation methods or detainee treatment. The commission was tasked with investigating al Qaeda's participation in the 9/11 attack and determining the perpetrators of the terrorist event. There was no reason to withhold from the commission video evidence of confessions implicating al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.

Was the video evidence withheld from the 9/11 Commission because the alleged participants in the plot did not confess, did not implicate al Qaeda, and did not implicate bin Laden?

There is no reason for the Bush administration to fear the torture issue. The Justice Department's memos have legalized the practice, and Congress has passed legislation, signed by President Bush, giving retroactive protection to US interrogators who tortured detainees. The Military Commissions Act passed in September 2006 and signed by Bush in October 2006 strips detainees of protections provided by the Geneva Conventions: "No alien unlawful enemy combatant subject to trial by military commission under this chapter may invoke the Geneva Conventions as a source of rights." Other provisions of the act strip detainees of speedy trials and of protection against torture and self-incrimination. The law has a provision that retroactively protects torturers against prosecution for war crimes.

Did the Bush administration cleverly take advantage of the torture claims in order to spin the destruction of the CIA video tapes as a "torture story." It is conceivable that the tapes were destroyed because they reveal the absence of confession to the plot. As Kean and Hamilton ask, without evidence how do we know the truth?

Just some food for thought...

Will General Pace get the Kokesh treatment?

Will General Peter Pace get the same treatment as Adam Kokesh?

Via Think Progress:

While the Marine Corps was actively working to repudiate “opposition groups and individuals” like Kokesh, Marine Gen. Peter Pace, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was advocating — in his official capacity — on behalf of “Scooter” Libby.

After Libby was convicted of “lying to investigators and a federal grand jury examining the leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame’s identity,” Pace wrote a letter endorsing Libby’s character, specifically noting his “selfless” nature and his penchant for examining decisions “legally and morally.”

I was always very impressed with Mr. Libby’s professionalism and his focus and attention to the matters at hand. He impressed me as a team player when addressing issues and with his selfless approach to his wide-ranging responsibilities. … From my perspective dealing with Mr. Libby on national security issues, he served the United States Government extremely well.

The administration appears to oppose the political advocacy of uniformed officers, except when they’re advocating on behalf of administration policy.

Previously, I had written on Kokesh:

General discharge for Kokesh

After a hearing Monday before an administrative separation board at the Marine Corps Mobilization Command, the panel decided not to recommend an other-than-honorable discharge, choosing instead the general discharge.

"This is a nonpunitive discharge," said Col. Patrick McCarthy, chief of staff for the mobilization command. "The most stringent discharge that could have been received is other than honorable, and the board chose to raise that up to a general discharge."

snip

Kokesh is a member of the Individual Ready Reserve, which consists mainly of those who have left active duty but still have time remaining on their eight-year military obligations. His service is due to end June 18, but the Marine Corps is seeking to let him go two weeks early with a less-than-honorable discharge.

I am not sure how a "general" discharge affects his security clearance or job prospects? They make no mention of that in the article. It may be no worse than getting a hardship or medical discharge. Considering Kokesh says that he will appeal the decision on principle, I doubt it affects those situations adversely, but I also have my doubts about any change in this decision considering this is the military that he is dealing with.

Needless to say, I am certain that many veterans on both sides of the political aisle are somewhat disappointed with this decision. Even the conservative leaning VFW was supporting Adam Kokesh's right to freedom of speech on this one.

Wonkette may have hit on one of the main reasons they might have wanted to go after who she calls "some kind of magical Cindy Sheehan":

And while right-wingers had no problem mocking the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq, they have a tougher time mocking an actual living Marine male veteran who actually fought in the war they just write about on their blogs. Plus, you get the feeling he wouldn’t mind beating the shit out of, say, the entire staff of National Review Online … and that they’d probably enjoy it, too.

snip

On Monday, Kokesh has to show up at a hearing so the Corps can re-discharge him, this time dishonorably. Why? Because even when you get out of the military these days, Rumsfeld’s “back door draft” makes you eligible for another call-up because there aren’t enough people volunteering to jump in the Baghdad Meatgrinder. But they don’t want him back, even for the Individual Ready Reserve. So what’s the point?

Kokesh at the GONEzales hearings keeping track of how many times GONEzo says "I don't recall", "I can't remember" and "I don't recall if I can't remember".

All the chickenhawks will have permission to call him a traitor or whatever on the blogs and talk radio if he suddenly becomes dishonorably discharged, that’s the point!

And that is just another example of how the GOP and the military under their control, plays politics with the soldiers lives.

On Chlorine Bombs and Exploding Kids

While reporting that a U.S. General said "Suicide attacks and car bombings have soared 30 percent in Iraq since the start of a security crackdown in Baghdad last month" at the Pentagon on Friday, Iraqslogger also hits on some other dismal statistics and facts:

Earlier Friday, a Marine commander told reporters, "What you have to understand is that chlorine bombs have more of a psychological effect than they do as a killing effect," the AP reports. Insurgents have launched at least eight chlorine gas attacks lately, including one in Fallujah Wednesday.

"If they'll resort to this, they'll resort to anything," Barbero said.

Barbero also mentioned two recent attacks where children were used as suicide bombers. A teenage boy was killed instantly March 21 in Haditha when a bomb in his backpack detonated, as police pursued a suspicious vehicle nearby, Reuters reported. Days earlier, in Baghdad, a bomb detonated in a car carrying three children in the backseat.

While attacks targeting coalition forces were up, Barbero said the security crackdown had led to 30 percent fewer civilian deaths in Iraq and 50 percent fewer in Baghdad compared to the six weeks preceding the crackdown.

Needless to say, and as a direct result of the failed bush and GOP foreign policies, enrollment in the Jihadists' favourite Alma Martyr is on a huge upswing:



Wouldn't that make a great epitaph for the bush administration and the neoconservative movement that advocated for and supported their policies?

"Life will be great when we're dead"*


* A note to the local FBI that seems to think every joke and snarky comment is a lead: I am not advocating blowing them up or anything... I believe in letting time take care of them all. So please don't waste your resources and our tax dollars like you did on Ken Krayeske. It is a sad statement about this country when you have to add a "Krayeske disclaimer" to every political joke just to be on the safe side. :)

General discharge for Kokesh

Giving him a general discharge does not effect his military benefits:

After a hearing Monday before an administrative separation board at the Marine Corps Mobilization Command, the panel decided not to recommend an other-than-honorable discharge, choosing instead the general discharge.

"This is a nonpunitive discharge," said Col. Patrick McCarthy, chief of staff for the mobilization command. "The most stringent discharge that could have been received is other than honorable, and the board chose to raise that up to a general discharge."

snip

Kokesh is a member of the Individual Ready Reserve, which consists mainly of those who have left active duty but still have time remaining on their eight-year military obligations. His service is due to end June 18, but the Marine Corps is seeking to let him go two weeks early with a less-than-honorable discharge.

I am not sure how a "general" discharge affects his security clearance or job prospects? They make no mention of that in the article. It may be no worse than getting a hardship or medical discharge. Considering Kokesh says that he will appeal the decision on principle, I doubt it affects those situations adversely, but I also have my doubts about any change in this decision considering this is the military that he is dealing with.

Needless to say, I am certain that many veterans on both sides of the political aisle are somewhat disappointed with this decision. Even the conservative leaning VFW was supporting Adam Kokesh's right to freedom of speech on this one.

Wonkette may have hit on one of the main reasons they might have wanted to go after who she calls "some kind of magical Cindy Sheehan":

And while right-wingers had no problem mocking the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq, they have a tougher time mocking an actual living Marine male veteran who actually fought in the war they just write about on their blogs. Plus, you get the feeling he wouldn’t mind beating the shit out of, say, the entire staff of National Review Online … and that they’d probably enjoy it, too.

snip

On Monday, Kokesh has to show up at a hearing so the Corps can re-discharge him, this time dishonorably. Why? Because even when you get out of the military these days, Rumsfeld’s “back door draft” makes you eligible for another call-up because there aren’t enough people volunteering to jump in the Baghdad Meatgrinder. But they don’t want him back, even for the Individual Ready Reserve. So what’s the point?

Kokesh at the GONEzales hearings keeping track of how many times GONEzo says "I don't recall", "I can't remember" and "I don't recall if I can't remember".

All the chickenhawks will have permission to call him a traitor or whatever on the blogs and talk radio if he suddenly becomes dishonorably discharged, that’s the point!

And that is just another example of how the GOP and the military under their control, plays politics with the soldiers lives.

[update]Since I was not familiar with a General Discharge (I have an Honorable Discharge so I didn't have to worry about it) I did a quick Google search and came up with this.

General (Under Honorable Conditions)

General discharges are given to servicemembers whose performance is satisfactory but is marked by a considerable departure in duty performance and conduct expected of military members. Reasons for such a characterization of service vary, but are always preceded by some form of nonjudicial punishment utilized by the unit commander as a means to correct unacceptable behavior prior to initiating discharge action (unless the reason is homosexual conduct or drug abuse, in which case discharge is mandatory). A commander must disclose to the servicemember in writing why he is initiating discharge action, and will further explain the reason he is recommending service be characterized as General (Under Honorable Conditions). The servicemember is normally required to sign a statement acknowledging receipt and understanding of the notification of pending discharge memorandum. He is also advised of his right to seek counsel and present statements on his behalf.

In addition, servicemembers are required to sign documents acknowledging that "substantial prejudice in civilian life" may be encountered under a general discharge. [1] Despite this, some personnel think because the discharge is described as general under honorable conditions, it is as good as or the same as an honorable discharge. However, a general discharge may preclude participation in the GI Bill, service on veteran's commissions, and other programs where a fully-honorable discharge is required.

Another common misunderstanding is that a general discharge will be automatically upgraded after 6 months' time. While a veteran is eligible to appeal for an honorable discharge after 6 months, upgrade is neither guaranteed nor automatic. In fact, only a slim percentage of those who appeal a general discharge will have their discharge upgraded to honorable, and many more will never file an appeal for various reasons.

That doesn't sound all that promising for CPL. Kokesh... I hope he fixes it on appeal.

Bush and the GOP Fucking with the Soldiers

And it is all political.

I still get the occasional call from recruiters, but lately those calls have been fewer and farther between. I have repeatedly and respectively told them over and over again that while I support the troops, and I even considered reenlisting for Afghanistan, that I cannot reenlist because I am against the illegal invasion of Iraq. In other words:

I am a war protester.

I tell them that I am doing everything I can to end the war in Iraq and then I thank the recruiter for their service to their country. You see I question the legality of the war in Iraq, and more importantly, I question the rational for having gone to Iraq to begin with.

It was all a pack of lies.

I am lucky, as I am a veteran that has long since passed my separation date (in 2001) and received my official honorable discharge in 2005. There are many veterans and soldiers that risk serious harassment and possibly even charges if they question the logic of the Iraq war, never mind protest it.

Here are 2 examples of this.

Part 1

Marine veteran faces hearing on discharge
status for wearing uniform at protest rally

An Iraq war veteran is scheduled to appear before a military panel Monday for wearing his uniform during an anti-war protest.

Marine Corporal Adam Kokesh was photographed with several other veterans wearing their fatigues while attending a protest last month marking the forth anniversary of the war. After superiors spotted his picture in The Washington Post, Kokesh was told he might have violated a rule that prohibits troops from wearing uniforms without authorization.

Kokesh finishes up his reserve commitment in less than three weeks. The military panel will decide whether to change his discharge status from "honorable" to "other than honorable."

Here is a man that served his country honorably and separated from the service. Unfortunately for him, and I don't know if he knew this, when you initially separate from the services you are still bound contractually for a total of 8 years service. Suppose you get out after a typical four year stint, you are still not officially discharged for another 4 years.

When I separated in 2001 I was still bound by many rules and regulations that the Army could have nailed me with. Up until around mid 2005, if I had worn any Army uniform (even one of the Army PT uniform T-shirts I wear so often to this day) to a protest, or political activity of any sort I would have been in the same deep shit this soldier is in now.

Unfortunately for Kokesh, and even though he had separated from the military with an honorable discharge, that is not the one that counts. He is 3 weeks away from his second, the real, honorable discharge that you need to end your 8 years of service. Kokesh faces the very real possibility that he could lose all of his benefits, have to repay the thousands of dollars he earned and used for school and, the worst of all, he could have some sort of "Less than honorable" discharge tag added to his service records. That can be the kiss of death on many job applications.

This sucks in so many ways because you can be god-damned certain that if he had been at a rally supporting the war they would not be fucking with him right now. Just think how many times bush (Mission Accomplished!) and the GOPeeons have used these soldiers as props themselves.

The video conveys the impression that somewhere in Iraq, a soldier is having his mission and Christmas tarnished by weak-willed Democrats. Here is a frame from the ad and the actual picture of the soldier, taken two years ago. As shown below, the soldier was really watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

The doctored photo of a soldier as GOP political prop

Bush has distorted images of U.S. soldiers before. During the 2004 campaign, he got into trouble when one of his ads, titled "Whatever It Takes," doctored the images of soldiers. The ad showed a crowd of soldiers listening to the president. But some of the faces appeared several times in several different places within the same crowd shot, the result of an attempt to increase the number of soldiers appearing to listen to Mr. Bush.

What neither party has done—until now—is inject the idea that the other party is undermining our troops overseas. The RNC is pimping a mute and unnamed soldier not just to defend the Iraq war but to imply that Democrats are white-handkerchief-waving cowards who want the United States to lose.

The absurdity that all of these soldiers can be freely politicized by the President and the GOP but have no right to a voice of their own...

Part 2

I am not going to comment on this soldiers situation beyond saying that I share many of the same questions this soldier is asking, as do millions of other Americans. The difference? I have an honorable discharge securely in my files already. He doesn't.

After 20 years in service the military is fucking with him. Not for any public statement he has made, or any public action he has ever taken, but simply because he has questions that have never really been answered thoroughly and honestly and he mentioned it in an Email to other soldiers.

Since joining the Army in 1987, he had risen to the rank of sergeant first class, serving in both Gulf Wars, Bosnia, Rwanda, and Korea. He ended up with shrapnel scars and a Purple Heart and, back in the U.S. after his last tour in Iraq, a job as intelligence analyst at Fort Sam Houston.

He couldn’t have foreseen that one e-mail could derail his career and put him on his way out of the Army. One e-mail, speculating about events that millions of people have questioned for the last six years, was all it took.

Sgt. Buswell wants to know: What really happened on 9/11? And he said so in his e-mail. In the few paragraphs of that August 2006 message — a reply not to someone outside the service, but to other soldiers — Buswell wrote that he thought the official report of what happened that day at the Pentagon, and in the Pennsylvania crash of United Airlines Flight 93, was full of errors and unanswered questions.

“Who really benefited from what happened that day?” he asked rhetorically. Not “Arabs,” but “the Military Industrial Complex,” Buswell concluded. “We must demand a new, independent investigation.”

For voicing those opinions in an e-mail to 38 people on the San Antonio Army base, Buswell was stripped of his security clearance, fired from his job, demoted, and ordered to undergo a mental health exam. (Via Raw Story: Read on!)

I am a firm believer that as long as soldiers bear the responsibility of performing their duties honorably, duties that he or she must perform under the most hazardous and strenuous of conditions imaginable, they should be allowed to represent their personal and political views and beliefs whether they are in or out of uniform. They should be given the option of not showing up to some presidential propaganda effort if they do not want to be a propaganda prop. They should be allowed to voice their views publicly on the wars that they have to fight. In or out of uniform AND without fear of reprisals.

They are, no doubt, the people with the eyes directly on the objective. As close to the situation as anyone can get and they can add to the debate with legitimate concerns that should always be considered. Both tactical and/or political considerations.

Don't Tread on the 9-11 Dead

Via Nicole Belle at Crooks & Liars:

Kansas City Star: (h/t Sisyphus Shrugged)

The pulverized remains of bodies from the World Trade Center disaster site were used by city workers to fill ruts and potholes, a city contractor says in a sworn affidavit filed Friday in Manhattan Federal Court.

Eric Beck says debris powders - known as fines - were put in a pothole-fill mixture by crews at the Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island, N.Y., where more than 1.65 million tons of World Trade Center debris were deposited after the Sept. 11 attacks.

"I observed the New York City Department of Sanitation taking these fines from the conveyor belts of our machines, loading it onto tractors and using it to pave roads and fill in potholes, dips and ruts," Eric Beck said.

Beck was the senior supervisor for Taylor Recycling, a private contractor hired to sift through debris trucked to Fresh Kills after the trade center attacks. Before the arrival of Taylor's equipment at Fresh Kills in October 2001, the debris was sifted manually by workers using rakes and shovels.

Beck's affidavit was filed by lawyers for the families of Sept. 11 victims who are suing the city in hopes of creating a formal burial place for debris that they say contains human remains.

"It's devastating," Norman Siegel, an attorney representing the families, said of Beck's statement. "When the 9/11 families found about this, they were wiped out."

No wonder the FDNY wasn't too happy with Giuliani. What a way to honor our fallen heroes.

WTF were they thinking?

Have they no decency?

Let Sibel Edmonds Speak

Via Lukery:

Let Sibel Edmonds Speak:

"Today is the final day of our Let Sibel Edmonds Speak campaign where we have been asking people to call Henry Waxman's office (202-225-3976, Capitol switchboard 800-828-0498) to demand *public* hearings into the case of former FBI translator and whistleblower, Sibel Edmonds.

Sibel guarantees that if we have public hearings, Richard Perle, Douglas Feith, Marc Grossman, and Dennis Hastert will go to prison for a long time. If any of that appeals to you, for any reason, call Waxman today. Please."

Check out his site and maybe, JUST MAYBE, you'll want to give Waxman a call?

It would put a nice dent in the neocon agenda...

Scooter & Cheney: "Pardon me? Am I loony or what?"

The local public has spoken in a resounding chorus of "HELL NO!"

Should President Bush pardon "Scooter" Libby?
	No	66.34 % (808)
	Yes	33.66 % (410)
Total votes: 1218

It is, very likely, only the minority of loony far-right-wingnuts that still support incompetent-extraordinaire bush that would want their neocon traitor given the IOKIYAR treatment.

As for the rest of the USA? They agree with most of us locals...

Americans 3-to-1 Against a Libby Pardon

As you may know, a jury found Libby guilty on four out of five criminal counts. Do you think George W. Bush should or should not issue a presidential pardon for Lewis "Scooter" Libby?

Yes, should 21%

No, should not 67%

No opinion 12%

There is just no wiggle-room left for right-wing-nuttyness on this issue. If you lie, mislead, obfuscate, etc., and all in an effort to throw sand in the eyes of the umpire, err, prosecutor, you go to jail.

About that cloud over cheney? You know? The one that Fitzgerald was talking about when he discussed why he nailed Scooter. I hear he has suddenly taken ill... I wonder if there will be a resignation in cheney's near future?

"What is wrong with Dick Cheney?" asks Michelle Cottle in the inaugural issue of the newly relaunched New Republic. She then spends the next 2,000 words marshaling evidence suggesting that his cardiac disease has left him demented and mentally disordered.

The charming part of this not-to-be-missed article (titled "Heart of Darkness," no less) is that it is framed as an exercise in compassion. Since she knows that the only way for her New Republic readers to understand Cheney is that he is evil--"next time you see Cheney behaving oddly, don't automatically assume that he's a bad man," she advises--surely the generous thing for a liberal to do is write him off as simply nuts. In the wonderland of liberalism, Cottle is trying to make the case for Cheney by offering him the insanity defense.

She doesn't seem to understand that showing how circulatory problems can affect the brain proves nothing unless you first show the existence of a psychiatric disorder. Yet Cottle offers nothing in Cheney's presenting symptoms or behavior to justify a psychiatric diagnosis of any kind, let alone dementia.

What behavior does she cite as evidence of Cheney's looniness?

Those loony republicans. They just can't seem to recognize the symptoms of GUILT... "I am too sick from scooterliedus fitzmas to finish out my term..."

Yup... Or what.

Report Says Pentagon Manipulated Intel, Report Depicts Pentagon That Purposely Manipulated Intelligence Before U.S. Invasion of Iraq

OK...

Report Says Pentagon Manipulated Intel, Report Depicts Pentagon That Purposely Manipulated Intelligence Before U.S. Invasion of Iraq - CBS News: "A 'very damning' report by the Defense Department's inspector general depicts a Pentagon that purposely manipulated intelligence in an effort to link Saddam Hussein to al-Qaida in the runup to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, says the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

'That was the argument that was used to make the sale to the American people about the need to go to war,' said Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich. He said the Pentagon's work, 'which was wrong, which was distorted, which was inappropriate ... is something which is highly disturbing.'"

Let's be honest here: Why only ask this question several years too late?

We knew this as fact for eons, and yet YOU ask this question only now? C'mon Levin...If you were being honest, this would have been the first question out of your mouth given the facts, not the last.

There is always something to be said for misleading the truth. Fuck you... Too little, too dishonest. Oh yeah... And too late, after the fact as per usual, that is.

Where were you when we pointed out this fact BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER the illegal invasion?

GOP Looks CHILDISH on Pelosi Flights

The GOP has done its best to make a scandal over the White House's policy of providing secure transport for the 2nd in line to replace the president, the Speaker of the House, since 9-11. They are trying to blame Pelosi for something she has little to do with.



Barny Frank drives home the fantasy of this non-existant "scandal" manufactured in the right wing MSM and childishly perpetuated by the GOP.

"The plane, Boss! The Plane!"

To make the point even more clear: Pelosi reportedly (on Faux news, of all places?) offered to take commercial flights rather than take the government flights.

They told me the first day that I was supposed to go that I couldn't make it across the country. And I said well, that's fine, I'm going commercial. ... I'm not asking to go on that plane. If you need to take me there for security purposes, you're going to have to get a plane that goes across the country, because I'm going home to my family. ... I'm happy to go commercial. But they want me to go on this plane, so the issue was distance, not size. And again, it's not about having a plane. It's about having transportation. These planes are used for other purposes in between trips, which are, you know, take place once or twice a week, going or coming. So, it isn't about that. But there are probably those in the Department of Defense who are not happy with my criticism of Secretary Rumsfeld, the war in Iraq, other waste, fraud and abuse in the Defense Department and I guess this is their way of making their voices heard. But it has nothing to do, as I say, with the president of the United States. He has encouraged my having the security I need.

(Via Josh Marshall)

Will this be enough to lay the right wingnut lie-fest to rest on this issue?

If the MSM's past record is any indication... I doubt it. They will just assign the propaganda to the next GOP mouthpiece in the GOP talking point echo chamber known as the MSM.

Got Tinfoil? You are going to need it!

Senator Bob Graham points the 911 conspiracy finger squarely at the criminal Bush administration:

9/11 hijackers tied to Saudi government, Graham says in book - The Boston Globe:
"WASHINGTON -- Two of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers had a support network in the United States that included agents of the Saudi government, and the Bush administration and FBI blocked a congressional investigation into that relationship, Senator Bob Graham wrote in a book to be released Tuesday.

The discovery of the financial backing of the two hijackers "would draw a direct line between the terrorists and the government of Saudi Arabia, and trigger an attempted coverup by the Bush administration," the Florida Democrat wrote.

And in Graham's book, "Intelligence Matters," obtained by The Miami Herald yesterday, he makes clear that some details of that financial support from Saudi Arabia were in the 27 pages of the congressional inquiry's final report that were blocked from release by the administration, despite the pleas of leaders of both parties on the House and Senate intelligence committees."

OK... Now if this doesn't make a certain "moderate right-wing libertarian" look like the paranoid one after banning all of those conspiracy diarists...

[update] And in the UNFUCKIN' REAL FILE...

Who else but FAAARRRR-RIGHT-WINGNUT REPUBLICAN Joe Neocon Lieberman would stand up and attempt to give Bush political cover today concerning escalation in Iraq:

Via Scarce at MLN:

Republicans bump Sen. Collins (R) for Lieberman
Sen. Collins (R-ME) would later vote for the resolution, Lieberman would not.

Grotesque as always.