CAUGHT RED HANDED

NO ONE LIKES TO SAY I TOLD YOU SO BUT..........

U.S. ACCUSED OF SPYING ON THOSE WHO DISAGREE WITH BUSH

Ken found this piece on Daily Kos on lies that begin with "nobody could have anticipated...."

"Anticipa-ay-tion....It's Making Me Lie"

BIG LIE: IT IS NONSENSE THAT THE BUSH WHITE HOUSE DID NOT KNOW ABOUT DEVASTATING IMPACT OF KATRINA

FROM WAPO: WHITE HOUSE GOT EARLY WARNING OF KATRINA

GETTING DESPERATE, BUSH RESORTS TO PROPAGANDA TO SAVE HIS DERRIERE ON HIS ILLEGAL SPYING

Excerpt: (From American Progress)

ADMINISTRATION CONTRADICTS ITSELF: The administration argues that, in addition to the President's unchecked power over anything he deems related to security, the power to conduct warrantless domestic surveillance was granted by Congress in 2001 through the Authorization for the Use of Military Force against al Qaeda. (Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) disagrees. Asked if the 9/11 resolution authorized the warrantless domestic surveillance program, Brownback replied, "It didn’t in my vote.") The administration's claims on this issue are not even internally consistent. On the one hand, the administration argues Congress gave them this power. But Attorney General Alberto Gonzales claims that the administration didn't go to Congress for the authority because Congress would have rejected them. At a press conference on Dec. 19, Gonzales said, "We have had discussions with Congress in the past -- certain members of Congress -- as to whether or not FISA could be amended to allow us to adequately deal with this kind of threat, and we were advised that that would be difficult, if not impossible."

USING PROPAGANDA TO TRY TO JUSTIFY ILLEGAL SPYING

STUNNING RELVEALTION: JUDICIARY COMMITEE VOTES STRAIGHT PARTY LINE FOR ALITO
Yays: 10 Republicans Nays: 8 Democrats

Looks like we're stuck folks unless our party finds the spunk to filibuster. Dems had better find a collective spine because life here will get even worse, if that is possible. Senator Leahy writes in a piece on Truthout.org that Alito is a threat to our fundamental rights.

"ALITO A THREAT TO OUR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS"

JUDICIARY COMMITTEE VOTES STRAIGHT PARTY LINE FOR ALITO

WHERE WAS SCALIA DURING ROBERTS' SWEARING IN CEREMONY?

Speaking of wretched judges and a corrupt administration, it seems that Scalia missed John Roberts' swearing in because he out of town, ostensibly to give a seminar while also playing tennis, fly fishing and socializing at a posh resort, compliments of The Federalist Society.

Excerpt:

"It's unfortunate of course that what kept him from the swearing-in was an activity that is itself of dubious ethical propriety," said Stephen Gillers, a New York University law professor, who is a recognized scholar on legal ethics

SCALIA GOES FISHING WITH THE FEDERALIST SOCIETY

THE STATE OF THE UNION ACCORDING TO HARRY REID

A brilliant piece by Reid found on Truthout.org on DOUBLE SPEAK

Excerpts:

Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely.

In that book, Orwell spoke of "doublespeak" - naming something just the opposite, in order to cover how unpleasant it is in reality.

As we saw in the video, the President has been giving us doublespeak for years. He utters platitudes about helping Americans, when he's really helping his special interest friends.

When he wanted to let energy companies release more pollution into the air, he called it the "Clear Skies Initiative."

When he wanted to give tax breaks to his special interest friends - even though it meant adding more than $50 billion to the deficit, he called it the "Deficit Reduction Act."


When he wanted to give tax breaks to his special interest friends - even though it meant adding more than $50 billion to the deficit, he called it the "Deficit Reduction Act."

His "Leave No Child Behind Act" is leaving children behind every day because he refuses to fund it. And his new Medicare drug benefit hardly resembles a "benefit" for seniors.

Tuesday night, it is time for President Bush to end to this pattern of deceit. In his State of the Union, it is not enough for him to declare that the "state of our union is strong."

America can do better, and only the pessimistic would suggest anything less.

REID ADDRESSES THE REAL STATE OF OUR UNION