Via Crooks and Liars

Breaking news from the Jerusalem Post.

The US is contemplating incursions into Syrian territory in an attempt to kill or capture Iraqi Ba’athists who, it believes, are directing at least part of the attacks against US targets in Iraq, a senior administration official told The Jerusalem Post.The official said that fresh sanctions are likely to be implemented, but added that the US needs to be more “aggressive” after Tuesday’s deadly attack on a US base in Mosul. The comment suggested that the US believes the attack on the mess tent, in which 22 people were killed, may have been coordinated from inside Syrian territory.

Much as the Bushites dress up their language, an “incursion”into another country, for whatever reason - and we know they  invent reasons as witness the non-existent WMD in Iraq - would be an invasion into a sovereign country with no justification. And a guarantee of more chaos in the middle east.

No Comments »

Update: According to the results of my highly unscientific dKos poll, only a scant 5% of us always blog in our jammies, and a robust 28% never do. Granted that 37% checked the “sometimes” box, but do you want me to believe that Kristof and Krauthammer never knock out a column before climbing into their day clothes?

A surprising 4% say they blog in black tie. They must be that liberal élite we keep hearing so much about.

In the interests of full disclosure, I will state that, as I don’t own jammies, I can not blog in them. But I do sometimes blog before finishing my morning coffee, as I am doing now. a risky practice indeed.

No Comments »

From Political Wire

“From seven-hour lines that drove voters away to malfunctioning machines to poorly trained poll workers who directed people to the wrong polling places to uneven policies about the use of provisional ballots, Ohio has become this year’s example for every ailment in the United States’ electoral process,” the New York Times reports.

Meanwhile, the Boston Globe quotes the Rev. Jesse Jackson saying Sen. John Kerry conceded the election too quickly and contends Ohio’s 2004 election results “were more troubling than Florida’s four years ago.”

Yet the Dem “leadership” still does nothing. No outrage, no protest, no angry speeches. They continue to move in lock-step with the Republicans, a party they pretend to oppose. Their entrenched power structure does not want serious change or confrontation, as that would threaten the status quo and jeopardize their status.

Yeah, it’s a class thing. Were the Dem power elite to seriously press the Ohio vote fraud issues, there would be major unrest (which would be a good thing) and then things might really change. They don’t want that. Not at all.

No Comments »

MARTHA STERWART - When one is incarcerated with 1,200 other inmates, it is hard to be selfish at Christmas — hard to think of Christmases past and Christmases future — that I know will be as they always were for me — beautiful!

So many of the women here in Alderson will never have the joy and wellbeing that you and I experience. Many of them have been here for years — devoid of care, devoid of love, devoid of family. I beseech you all to think about these women — to encourage the American people to ask for reforms, both in sentencing guidelines, in length of incarceration for nonviolent first-time offenders, and for those involved in drug-taking.

They would be much better served in a true rehabilitation center than in prison where there is no real help, no real programs to rehabilitate, no programs to educate, no way to be prepared for life “out there” where each person will ultimately find herself, many with no skills and no preparation for living.

I too admit being surprised by her thoughtful, intelligent words. Yes, our prisons do nothing to prevent more crime, while punishment being the only goal. Maybe Martha will become a prison activist upon release, she could do a lot of good here and reach millions in the process. Come to think ot it, she just did exactly that.

No Comments »