The U.S. Family Network, a public advocacy group that operated in the 1990s with close ties to Rep. Tom DeLay and claimed to be a nationwide grass-roots organization, was funded almost entirely by corporations linked to embattled lobbyist Jack Abramoff, according to tax records and former associates of the group.

During its five-year existence, the U.S. Family Network raised $2.5 million but kept its donor list secret. The list, obtained by The Washington Post, shows that $1 million of its revenue came in a single 1998 check from a now-defunct London law firm whose former partners would not identify the money’s origins.

Two former associates of Edwin A. Buckham, the congressman’s former chief of staff and the organizer of the U.S. Family Network, said Buckham told them the funds came from Russian oil and gas executives.

The former president of the U.S. Family Network said Buckham told him that Russians contributed $1 million to the group in 1998 specifically to influence DeLay’s vote on legislation the International Monetary Fund needed to finance a bailout of the collapsing Russian economy.

If it looks like bribery and smells like bribery….

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Blair Watch broke the story about US/British complicity in torture in Uzbekistan by publishing documents from former Ambassador to that nation, Craig Murray. They printed these documents at considerable legal risk to themselves too.

Craig Murray’s site and Blair Watch are Ground Zero here. Go to their sites for the latest in this fast-breaking story.

It’s bloggers who broke this story and bloggers who spead it across the planet in less than a day. The documents are now on servers planetwide and mainstream media is now running the story. We did good! Let’s keep pushing.

Image from the always wonderful Jesus’s General who also has multiple posts about the documents.

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From AmericaBlog

German Press reports Bush getting ready to attack Iran

Should get interesting when 350,000 Irani army members come swarming across the border into Iraq as a counterpunch.

This is why you don’t start frivolous wars, so you’re ready and able to fight the ones that matter. I don’t necessarily have a problem taking out Iran’s nuclear facilities, but for one itty bitty catch. Iran’s army was half a world away, now it’s literally on our border (i.e., Iraq).

There’s just so much wrong with this post from the normally excellent AmericaBlog. Invading based on claims of WMD is what got the US into the Iraq War quagmire. And, of course, all those claims were made-up lies. You think it’ll be any different with Iran?

AmericaBlog also seems to say it’s ok for the US to invade countries at will, but maybe y’know, just do it in a kinder, gentler, more sensible way. An odd view for a progressive blog to take, and just more of the imperialist mindset that got the US into Iraq in the first place.

Plus, Iran isn’t "literally on our border." It is on the border of Iraq, a country we invaded based on lies. To say it is somehow "our" border gives legitimacy to the invasion and simply isn’t true.

From Der Spiegel
Is Washington planning a Military Strike?

Recent reports in the German media suggest that the United States may be preparing its allies for an imminent military strike against facilities that are part of Iran’s suspected clandestine nuclear weapons program.

The attack, if it comes, will probably start with a missile strike on Iran’s alleged nuke facilities, and I’ll bet it will be launched by the US proxy in the Middle East, Israel.

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We went on a Cessna ride yesterday, piloted by a friend, from Maui to the Big Island, which about 50 miles across the channel. As you can see, the scenery is amazing. This valley is on the Hilo side of the Big Island.

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A large portion of a cliff collapsed on the Big Island recently, sending lava directly into the ocean

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East side of Maui, circa 600-700 years ago.

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East side of Maui. Not sure how old it is.

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