How many laws has Bush broken? [a must see]

Dan Abrams in this second installment of his week long series “Bush League Justice”. [VIDEO]

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Rep. Wexler Calls for Cheney Impeachment Hearings [VIDEO]

The charges are too serious to ignore. It is the constitutional duty of Congress to hold impeachment hearings.

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Bush planned domestic surveillance from the beginning!

Within two weeks of taking office, the Bush administration was planning a comprehensive effort of spying on Americans’ phone usage. Gee, let me see, wasn't that before 9-11?

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Democracy wasn't intended to scare you... Honest.

Required viewing

No limit to the shame...

Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) and Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) just released the following joint statement:

"Just two days ago, CIA Director Michael Hayden appeared before our Committee to address the CIA's destruction of videotapes. In that hearing, he committed to providing materials relevant to our investigation. Earlier today, our staff was notified that the Department of Justice has advised CIA not cooperate with our investigation."

"We are stunned that the Justice Department would move to block our investigation. Parallel investigations occur all of the time, and there is no basis upon which the Attorney General can stand in the way of our work."

"We strongly urge General Hayden to comply with our Committee's bipartisan request to produce documents and to make available John Rizzo and Jose Rodriguez for testimony next week. We will use all the tools available to Congress, including subpoenas, to obtain this information and this testimony."

"It's clear that there's more to this story than we have been told, and it is unfortunate that we are being prevented from learning the facts. The Executive Branch can't be trusted to oversee itself. Congress must conduct its own investigation."

Remember the "Protect America Act"? The bill which gives Bush-boy the power to determine his own powers under the 2nd Amendment? - and allows him to dictate to the Department of Justice what 'law' is, and requires that the DOJ support his determinations?

"Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself." - Mark Twain

Foreign Policy

Col. Muammar al-Qaddafi, at 27 years old, overthrew the King of the United Kingdom of Libya on September 1, 1969. He quickly moved to align himself with the worlds most treacherous leaders, and promoted anti-Western terrorism. His ordered acts of terrorism and death are long and well documented. In 1968 then President Ronald Reagan ordered approximately 66 U.S. aircraft to attack Libya in response to a Libyan supported bombing in Berlin. Since that attack the Colonel, and Libya as a whole, has been virtually ignored, and isolated, by/from most of the world.

In 2003 the Libyan leader stepped back onto the world stage announcing that he would cease pursuit of nuclear weapons and WMD’s and, as an act of good faith, turned over his supply of dated and dried ‘yellow cake’. (2003, it should be noted, is the same year the Colonel ordered the assassination of the head of the Saudi Royal family. The attempt failed.)

So, one might wonder, what’s up with this man that most Western leaders had referred to, and proclaimed, a mad man in the past? A change of heart? An epiphany of sorts that has now transformed him from terrorist to saint? This is the same man who sent agents to blow up Pan Am Flight 103 which killed 270 - Americans, British, and others.

Let’s consider a few things. The UK, in it’s wisdom, immediately decided (with U.S. approval) to reward the former mad man by agreeing to sell him the latest in conventional arms and armament (complete with training by the UK’s own military trainers). Exactly what every former mad man should have; a modern, well-equipped, well-trained Army. In addition, France (again with U.S. approval) has negotiated to build a nuclear power plant in Libya. What more could a former mad man want? Credibility? The U.S. gave that by removing Libya from the list of countries deemed as terrorist or terrorist-supporting.

Of course, Libya’s order of roughly $10 billion in new AirBus aircraft probably went a long way in calming the last few fears any Western leader may have had about his sincerity. And the possible $6.4 billion dollars Westinghouse may receive for its nuclear reactor didn’t hurt either. Ok, his oil (which is plentiful) probably had a bit of influence as well.

But what the heck, let bygones be bygones, after all the Colonel himself said that the government in Libya (which is him) is the truest form of democracy being practiced in the world today. Western leaders apparently agree.

Western foreign policy truly is foreign, isn’t it?

The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth

Go straight to Abu Ghraib. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.00.

Renewed complaints concerning treatment of detainees/prisoners in U.S. detention facilities have surfaced which allege brutality far worse (and perverted) than previously reported. Still, the administration chooses to remain secretive, and data and documents are not forthcoming. Allegations of rape, torture, and death have been met with stonewalling, denials, and silence.

Congressional leadership – either unwilling or simply due to incompetence – has failed to hold this administration accountable and certainly seems ineffective in securing further information/documentation (including photo’s and video) known to exist.

The ACLU has continued to push for the evidence under the ‘Freedom of Information Act’ but the government remains distant and does not seem willing to cooperate fully.

Eye witnesses have sworn to what can only be considered as barbaric treatment of detainees (some children) including the rape of a young boy.

Controlled or limited access to the detainees by members of the Red Cross – itself an unconscionable and abhorrent act – leads one to assume the government has much to conceal. After all, aren’t they the ones who keep telling us ‘If you have nothing to hide, why worry?’ as they continue to strip away our civil liberties?

In a recent Republican Presidential Candidates debate one of the gentleman refuted John Edwards contention that there are two Americas in existence. He claimed, rather patriotically and with practiced conviction, that there exists only one America. He is wrong. There are indeed two Americas: The America we think exists, and the America that actually does exist.

'Protect America Act' - Protect who?

This link will let you know exactly how bad things have become. If this surprises you, then pay better attention to what's going on around you, and in your government.

http://Whitehouse.senate.gov/video/120707.ram

Eyes to see and ears to hear.

In 1953 Iran, then a free and democratic nation, was introduced to the ‘Shah’, courtesy of the United States and the CIA. Today, thanks to America’s failed and foolish intervention, Iran is what it is. The Iranian people suffered greatly under the American imposed and supported ‘Shah of Iran’, and for many years. When the people of Iran finally revolted (as people usually do when oppressed by rulers that hold no interest in their welfare) America had once again ‘created’ a new worst enemy.

A half a century later America is in the midst of repeating the same mistake and creating yet another new worst enemy. The government of Iraq, like their U.S. backers, has invested little toward the welfare of the Iraqi people; corruption abounds. Millions upon millions of dollars, and control of untold millions more, has most Iraqi officials at each others throats. Shiite officials now contend with other Shiite officials for control and governance of certain Iraqi assets, and positions of control and influence in certain Ministries. The battle for power (and its accompanying wealth) has permeated this U.S. governed government. Does something smell a little fishy here? No, not fishy, oily.

The bottom line is that the Iraqi people have been left to fend for themselves. With little help from either the U.S. or Iraqi governments, many Iraqi’s have fled to Syria. There, many woman have been forced into prostitution in order to feed their families. The exploitation of the displaced Iraqi’s by the Syrians has been atrocious, but even more atrocious is the complete and total lack of provisions and protections for the Iraqi’s by either their own government or the Coalition leaders.

Fast-forward a few years from now and wonder why the Iraqi people might not view America very favorably.

Are we forever doomed to repeat our failures and continue to create our own worst enemies? The myopic view our government has of the world will prove quite costly in the future, yet again.

Our so-called leaders have said 'they hate us because of our freedoms'. How sanctimonious, and stupid. We have a long history in the Middle East, and it's not a good history.

What real patriotism sounds like.

George Bush is a mistake