Blazers say Miles not sting's target
Quick's story:

The Trail Blazers said forward Darius Miles was in the wrong place at the wrong time Wednesday when he became caught in a police sting in his hometown of East St. Louis, Ill.

An Associated Press story reported that one of Miles' friends was arrested on drug charges and another friend was booked after he threw a loaded gun out of the car. Patterson disputed this report, however, saying Miles was with one passenger, who was cleared of wrongdoing.

Can't tell you how many times that's happened to Waingroh.

Spin Zone

Headlines:

Bush Hires Lawyer

Shit...Ok...Now!

Tenet Steps Down

Whewwww. That should by us some time.

Bush/Cheney 2004

If you're in need of some good Bush/Cheney campaign posters, click here

Homeland Security?

Senate OKs easing nuclear sludge rules
WASHINGTON - The Senate on Thursday agreed to ease cleanup requirements for tanks holding millions of gallons of highly radioactive waste from Cold War-era bomb making.

Senate critics said the change would leave poisonous sludge in underground tanks and risk contamination of groundwater.

While supporters of the measure insisted it would apply only to waste at the Savannah River site, opponents said the change in nuclear waste policy would create a “clear precedent” that could force other states — mainly Washington and Idaho where there also are defense waste tanks — to accept less safe cleanup plans.

Cantwell, who led the push to kill the measure, accused the administration of trying to “sneak” the change in cleanup requirements through Congress by tacking it onto a defense measure in closed-door proceedings without hearings.

Having lived in Eastern Washington for a chunk of my life and cherish the Columbia River Gorge, I'm really scared how these changes will affect the cleanup of Hanford and the Columbia River. As Maria Cantwell said in this article "They are trying to create a loophole in the definition of nuclear waste big enough to drive a truck through and leave Washington state to deal with a mess that we don't want." This is not good.

Tenet Out

Link

Total Bullshit

AP: Administration Freed Terror Suspect

WASHINGTON - Nabil al-Marabh, once imprisoned as the No. 27 man on the FBI's list of must-capture terror suspects, is free again. He's free despite telling a Jordanian informant he planned to die a martyr by driving a gasoline truck into a New York City tunnel, turning it sideways, opening its fuel valves and having an al-Qaida operative shoot a flare to ignite a massive explosion.

Free despite telling the FBI he had trained on rifles and rocket propelled grenades at militant camps in Afghanistan and after admitting he sent money to a former roommate convicted of trying to blow up a hotel in Jordan.

Free despite efforts by prosecutors in Detroit and Chicago to indict him on charges that could have kept him in prison for years. Those indictments were rejected by the Justice Department in the name of protecting intelligence. Even two judges openly questioned al-Marabh's terror ties.

The Bush administration in January deported al-Marabh to Syria - his home and a country the U.S. government long has regarded as a sponsor of terrorism.

Yeah, but Jose Padilla is the next Carlos the Jackal.

Better than a Seinfeld plot

'Curb Your Enthusiasm' clears murder suspect

Juan Catalan spent 5 1/2 months in jail on murder charges before his attorney found video footage taken by the show at Dodger Stadium that backs up his client's claims of innocence...

Melnik later learned that HBO had been at the stadium the night of the killing to tape an episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm," a comedy starring "Seinfeld" co-creator Larry David. The lawyer found what he was looking for in footage that had not made the final cut.

You remember, the one where Larry hired a prostitute so he could drive in the carpool lane...

"Knock knock."
Who's there?
"Dick n' Bush."
Dick and Bush who?

"...don'ya git it? I made you say dick n' bush! Gal darn, I is funny."

You gotta be kidding me...

Bush warned against comparing D-Day to Iraq

French officials fear George Bush will inflame anti-American sentiment in France this weekend by linking the D-Day landings with the invasion of Iraq.

Advisers close to Jacques Chirac have let it be known that any reference to Iraq during the 60th anniversary of the Allied invasion of France on Sunday would be ill-advised and unwelcome.

Both presidents will address second world war veterans and VIPs during a service at the American cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy.

"He'd better not go too far down the road of making a historical comparison because it's likely to backfire on him," said a source close to President Chirac.

So of course...

Bush Likens War on Terror to Struggle Against ` Tyrants ' of World War II

Bush told the 981 academy graduates that on Sunday he will visit the beaches of Normandy, ``where the fate of millions turned on the courage of thousands.'' He drew a parallel to the world that will confront the new Air Force officers.

``In some ways, this struggle we're in is unique; in other ways it resembles the great clashes of the last century between those who put their trust in tyrants and those who put their trust in liberty,'' Bush said. ``The terrorists underestimate the strength of free peoples.''

While drawing parallels with World War II, Bush quoted General Dwight Eisenhower's comments before the D-Day landing.

``Soldiers, sailors and airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force,'' Bush said. ``The eyes the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you.'' He omitted part of Eisenhower's 1944 quote, where the general told soldiers ``you are about to embark upon the great crusade, toward which we have striven these many months.''

Trouble's a Brewin...
CBS is on fire tonight! Two big stories...

Enron Tapes Anger Lawmakers
One trader is heard on tapes obtained by CBS News saying, "Just cut 'em off. They're so f----d. They should just bring back f-----g horses and carriages, f-----g lamps, f-----g kerosene lamps."

There was quick reaction in Washington to the Enron audiotapes first aired by CBS News last night, and the tapes have become part of the debate over the President's massive energy bill.

"People were talking about market manipulation. People were talking about schemes, people were making jokes," said U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.

And...

Bush, Atty Powwow Over CIA Leak
(CBS) President Bush has consulted an outside lawyer in case he needs to retain him in the grand jury investigation of who leaked the name of a covert CIA operative last year, the White House said Wednesday.

Daily Update from The Ministry Of Truth

Via Kos

'I Was Never Angry with the French,' Says Bush

He followed up by pointing out that Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia.

Holt gets straight to the point

US security and Iraqi freedom are unrelated.

In the current version, we went to war to defend our security. Without the weapons of mass destruction, where was the threat to our security? Have we created a new threat in the effort to stamp out a nonexistent one?

In a word, yes.

Power Packer

What an ass.

Locked in a Stop-Loss

WASHINGTON - The Army will prevent soldiers in units set to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan from leaving the service at the end of their terms, a top general said Wednesday.

The announcement, an expansion of an Army program called "stop-loss," means that thousands of soldiers who had expected to retire or otherwise leave the military will have to stay on for the duration of their deployment to those combat zones.

Andrew Exum, a former Army Captain, wrote a powerful piece in the NY Times that articulates why this program is so detrimental:

...But nonetheless, the stop-loss policy is wrong; it runs contrary to the concept of the volunteer military set up in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Many if not most of the soldiers in this latest Iraq-bound wave are already veterans of several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. They have honorably completed their active duty obligations. But like draftees, they have been conscripted to meet the additional needs in Iraq...

...These soldiers have already been asked to sacrifice much and have done so proudly. Yet the military continues to keep them overseas — because it knows that through stop-loss it can do so legally, and that it will not receive nearly as much negative publicity as it would by reinstating the draft...

...Stop-loss and the activation of the inactive reserve show how politics has taken priority over readiness. The Pentagon uses these policies to meet its needs in Iraq because they are expedient and ask nothing of the civilian populace on the eve of a national election. This allows us to put off what is sure to be a difficult debate: whether our volunteer military is adequate to meet our foreign policy commitments. Meanwhile, in the absence of this debate, the men and women of our armed forces languish.

Last weekend, veterans of World War II were honored on the Mall in Washington for their sacrifices. Our government should begin treating the veterans of the global war on terrorism with a similar degree of respect, not as election-year fodder.

Just In Time

Link

Michael Moore's award-winning documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" has picked up a U.S. distributor and will hit theaters June 25.

The film will be released by a partnership of Lions Gate Films, IFC Films and the Fellowship Adventure Group, which was formed by Harvey and Bob Weinstein specifically to market Moore's film.

"On behalf of my stellar cast -- GW, Dick, Rummy, Condi and Wolfie -- we thank this incredible coalition of the willing for bringing 'Fahrenheit 9/11' to the people."

Choice Point Cares

Here’s how they did it. Before the 2000 election, Choice-Point unit Database Technologies, under a $4 million no-bid contract under the control of Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris, was paid to identify felons who had illegally registered to vote. The ChoicePoint outfit altogether fingered 94,000 Florida residents. As it turned out, less than 3,000 had a verifiable criminal record; almost everyone on the list had the right to vote. The tens of thousands of “purged” citizens had something in common besides their innocence: The list was, in the majority, made up of African Americans and Hispanics, overwhelmingly Democratic voters. And that determined the race in which Harris named Bush the winner by 537 votes.

It worked so well, they're going to use it in Venezuela.

Hasta El Fallo, Siempre!

Until failure, Always!
Thanks to Hairy Fish Nuts.

Good

Judge: Bush Abortion Ban Unconstitutional

SAN FRANCISCO - In a ruling with coast-to-coast effect, a federal judge declared the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act unconstitutional Tuesday, saying it infringes on a woman's right to choose.

U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton's ruling came in one of three lawsuits challenging the legislation President Bush signed last year.

Gotta love the Swedes...

Amorous Swedes to Get Emergency Condom Deliveries
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - A Swedish aid organization will roll out a new line of defense to the country's emergency services next week -- the condom ambulance.

From Friday, June 4, amorous couples can call the telephone number 696969 and a white van featuring a large red condom with wings as a logo will deliver them a packet of 10 prophylactics.

WWJD?

If you can't say something nice (or true for that matter)...

White House Going Negative

In The Washington Post, Dana Milbank and Jim VandeHei describe the unprecedented ferocity of the Bush campaign's often deceptive anti-Kerry advertising blitz.

And in the New York Times, David E. Sanger describes a spectacular loss of discipline in the White House, now riven by vicious backbiting.

Meanwhile, Matthew Cooper writes in Time magazine that President Bush is now keeping Saddam Hussein's gun in his study. Unloaded, we are assured.

In The Post, Milbank and VandeHei write: "Scholars and political strategists say the ferocious Bush assault on Kerry this spring has been extraordinary, both for the volume of attacks and for the liberties the president and his campaign have taken with the facts. Though stretching the truth is hardly new in a political campaign, they say the volume of negative charges is unprecedented -- both in speeches and in advertising.

I don't think Jesus would do all that...

Ineptitude

Link

An American adviser said the U.S. Army "dropped the ball" by providing inadequate accommodations for Iraqi police officers who were to begin joint patrols with coalition troops in Najaf on Sunday.

The Iraqis left their posts because they felt they received second-class treatment when they arrived from Baghdad, the American adviser said Monday.

The U.S. adviser said no sleeping arrangements had been made for the Iraqis, they had no personal gear for their duties or changes of clothes, and they were given military rations for meals that included pork. Muslims are forbidden to eat pork.

"They were not even given a mattress to sleep on," the adviser said. "The U.S. Army really dropped the ball here."

Apart from how important this truce with Sadr is, how long do you have to occupy a country to know its inhabitants don't eat pork?

Liars...

Cheney coordinated Halliburton Iraq contract: report

Feith had approved the multi-billion-dollar deal "contingent on informing WH (the White House) tomorrow. We anticipate no issues since action has been coordinated w(ith) VP's (vice president's) office," said the e-mail obtained by Time.

The newsweekly said it was three days later that Halliburton won the contract, although no other bids had been submitted.

"As vice president, I have absolutely no influence of, involvement of, knowledge of in any way, shape or form of contracts led by the Corps of Engineers or anybody else in the federal government," Cheney told NBC's "Meet the Press" in September, Time said.

Getting Serious In Iraq

Atrios points out how members of the media are starting to whisper that Kerry wants to bring the troops home as soon as possible. Now this is obviously not true, but Kerry desperately needs to discern his war plan from that of President Dink Lips. One of the biggest problems he's had is not having a clear and differing strategy on Iraq than that of Bush.

I think the best way to do this is to actively call for increased troop levels, whether he can internationalize the force or not. Bush can't call for a dramatic increase in troops because it will be an admission that the war plan was flawed, and we know how willing to admit mistakes this bunch is. Kerry on the other hand has nothing to lose, and by doing so he can show that he is more serious about succeeding in Iraq, and also appear to be cleaning up Bush & Co's mess.

This new message would be in stark contrast to Bush's, who insists troop levels are fine and that Iraqi forces will soon be able to take over. Give a concrete number; 250,000, 300,000, whatever. Insist on winning. Anything to present a more serious and contrasting message.

The True Cost
10 dead in 24 hrs. Via the Agonist, via CENTCOM

THREE MARINES KILLED IN ACTION 5/29/2004
SOLDIER KILLED BY MORTAR ATTACK 5/29/2004
STRYKER BRIGADE SOLDIER DIES FROM NON-HOSTILE INCIDENT 5/29/2004
FOUR SERVICE MEMBERS DIE IN AFGHANISTAN 5/29/2004