What No 10 knew and tried to cover up

Leaked memo reveals strategy to deny knowledge of detention centres

The government is secretly trying to stifle attempts by MPs to find out what it knows about CIA "torture flights" and privately admits that people captured by British forces could have been sent illegally to interrogation centres, the Guardian can reveal. A hidden strategy aimed at suppressing a debate about rendition - the US practice of transporting detainees to secret centres where they are at risk of being tortured - is revealed in a briefing paper sent by the Foreign Office to No 10.

Blair Watch comments

So, they are pretty sure it is illegal, they don’t know if it has been going on here, and intend to keep working on maintaining their ignorance, and they know they are fucked if they are pursued on the detail.

Craig Murray to testify at Bush War Crimes Commision in New York

An unprecedented citizens’ tribunal will hear testimony from international expert witnesses and whistle-blowers on war crimes and crimes against humanity alleged against the Bush administration.

Witnesses at the Tribunal include: former commander of Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski, former British ambassador to Uzbekistan Craig Murray who exposed the use of information gathered through torture, former arms inspector Scott Ritter, ex-CIA analyst Ray McGovern, Dahr Jamail (journalist who has reported extensively from Iraq), Guantanamo prisoners’ lawyer Michael Ratner, Katrina survivors, former State Department officer Ann Wright, among many more.

That’s a seriously heavyweight lineup. Kudos to NION for organizing it. More info here. 

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Jack Abramoff and Grover Norquist billing clients for face time with G.W. Bush

So that’s why the White House is stonewalling about meetings with Abramoff.

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Gore’s speech blasting Bush for illegal spying on citizens spawned huge commentary and reaction in newspapers, blogs, and websites.

However, as noted yesterday and it’s still apparently true, not a single Democrat in Congress has supported what Gore said. Not one.

Polls show the public strongly opposed to such spying, yet Congressional Democrats refuse to act. Many rank and file Democrats are screaming for their ‘leaders’ to act on this (and other issues like the war) but the response from D.C. Dems continues to be nothing, nothing at all.

Are they cowards, complicit, or just comatose? This is a perfect issue for them to attack Bush on. All they need to do is take action.

Update: Kerry has supported Gore. 

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"He is a bad version of us!"

That’s Michael Scanlon complaining to Jack Abramoff about Ralph Reed’s billing practices and expenditure claims, according to the Washington Post.

Just asking: exactly how sleazy would you have to be for Scanlon to think you’re sleazy?

Is there someone, somewhere on the face of this earth (or any other planet) that Reed would find too sleazy?

Scanlon apparently is such a repellent turd that even his friends don’t like him and a former high school classmate remembers him as a "complete fucking asshole." 

When greedy, amoral weasels screw over everyone on their rise to power then fall precipitously, often they have no friends left to defend them and many lining up to kick them in the teeth as they descend. Even their former allies now know Scanlon and Abramoff never believed a word they told them, and privately held them in contempt.

Scanlon laid out the lobbyists’ cynical strategy in an e-mail to his cohorts, made public in congressional hearings:

"Simply put, we want to bring out the wackos to vote against something and make sure the rest of the public lets the whole thing slip past them. The wackos get their information through the Christian right, Christian radio, mail, the internet and telephone trees."

It wasn’t the only snicker to come from the dynamic lobbying duo. Abramoff, in correspondence, chortled about their clients as monkeys, troglodytes and morons. 

I wonder how many other neocons also don’t believe the Religious Right venom they spew, seeing the faithful as rubes to be manipulated and fleeced instead.

Snake Oil, by Steve Earle

Now I’ve been travelin’ all around
I heard trouble’s come to your town
Well I’ve got a little somethin’
Guaranteed to ease your mind
It’s call Snake Oil y’all
It’s been around for a long, long time.

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House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert’s plan for lobbyist "reform" would ban meals and travel for lawmakers paid by lobbyists.

Goodness, what an ardous burden that would be to the grasping class, er, Congress. Imagine, no freebie $200 meals in exclusive restaurants. Truly, we can not ask them to suffer such indignities.

Ah, you didn’t actually think Congress would police themselves, even this teensy little bit, did you?

According to lobbyists and ethics experts, even if Hastert’s proposal is enacted, members of Congress and their staffs could still travel the world on an interest group’s expense and eat steak on a lobbyist’s account at the priciest restaurants in Washington.

The only requirement would be that whenever a lobbyist pays the bill, he or she must also hand the lawmaker a campaign contribution. Then the transaction would be perfectly okay.

So, they get the golf trip to Scotland AND a contribution. Plus they can now say their ethics are squeaky clean too!

In other words, they are so corrupt and uncaring of public opinion they barely try to pretend they will reform themselves.

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Email from a reader:

My name is Nick Lezin and I am helping to spread the word about a new environmental campaign called The Virtual March to Stop Global Warming. The Virtual March was launched to confront this urgent threat we all face. There are tons of great organizations involved including: The Surfrider Foundation, Patagonia, Clif Bar, The Sierra Club, The Blue Man Group, MTV, plus many more. We would really appreciate it if you would take a second to check out the site: 

If you are interested in becoming a partner, we have great banners, videos, images, ribbons, downloads, etc you can host on your site available here. 

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Here’s a Steve Earle quote, Sue found it on the Net, can’t find the cite, so I’m paraphrasing.

"I’ve got friends who moved to Nashville in the mistaken belief their children are safer from Baptists than from gangs."

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