(Raw Story headed me toward)

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB254/index.htm

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more @ linky, ephasis mine

"White Paper" Drafted before NIE even Requested

National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No. 254

Washington D.C., August 22, 2008 - The U.S. intelligence community buckled sooner in 2002 than previously reported to Bush administration pressure for data justifying an invasion of Iraq, according to a documents posting on the Web today by National Security Archive senior fellow John Prados.

The documents suggest that the public relations push for war came before the intelligence analysis, which then conformed to public positions taken by Pentagon and White House officials. For example, a July 2002 draft of the "White Paper" ultimately issued by the CIA in October 2002 actually pre-dated the National Intelligence Estimate that the paper purportedly summarized, but which Congress did not insist on until September 2002.

And I'm already on the record as being down w/ whatever medievally Rovian tactics it takes to destroy the Rethugs, so on that, I got nuthin".

Some may find (as I did) THIS post to be more informative.

http://humanityagainstcrimes.blogspot.com/2008/08/one-of-psychological-coercions-that.html

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...an OPTIMIST at heart, aren't you?

I enjoyed that interview quite a bit. You two argued about tactics, but I don't think you differ all THAT much about the current state of play, do you?

I must admit, philosophically, I hew closer to Dennis' outlook. It was rather striking though, that you really do give a damn about things, to the extent that it really matters to you the "optimal" way to effect that change...

And I didn't find the interview to be a tough listen at all, FWIW.

About that Judge's Order. Hellerstein has yet to find clear and convincing evidence of noncompliance!? And the sum total of the Order was to Order CIA to tell him WHY producing the catalog would interfere w/ the criminal investigation?

Thanks Glenn (NOT!) for reminding me that my antipathy toward Biden stemmed not from his self-absorbed blowhardiness, but from his Drug Warrior bona fides.

Is there any mechanism whereby you can post some of your general impressions of the Dem Con? It might be antithetical for you to post something that'd be, by definition, somewhat amorphous, and certainly less pointed than [every other post you've written as far as I know]. But would you think about it? Mood? Obama vs. Clinton sentiments? "Base" vs. Establishment? Bloggers vs. Versailles? Whatever.

I happened to be at a birthday party last night. The hosts (and most of the guests) were Muslim, but that's generally irrelevant other than the fact that the roast goat and lamb were phenomenal. Anyway, the consensus we ultimately arrived at was that Obama was "marginally less Bloodthirsty". So much for Hope.

http://www.aclu.org/drugpolicy/medmarijuana/36496prs20080820.html

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Federal Court Rules U.S. Government May Not Deliberately Subvert California’s Medical Marijuana Laws

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Monday, August 25, 2008

Money-laundering charges against former U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay and two indicted co-conspirators may be dismissed because the 2002 campaign finance case involved checks and not cash, a lawyer for DeLay said Sunday night.

WTF!?

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/region/legislature/stories/08/25/0825delay.html

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I think it was Carlos Castaneda (yeah, yeah, I know he was a complete charlatan) who talked about the Warrior's use of "controlled folly". Occasionally you've got to knowingly proceed with the "right" course of action, even if you believe that it is absolutely doomed to failure.

Sometimes (may Bucky1 R.I.P.) you've just got to go down swingin'...

Look at this

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/227709,us-admits-holding-teenage-son-of-pakistani-scientist.html

She's done NOTHING to stop the War. Nothing.

Please. No more links to ABC. They are printing nothing but gov't propaganda on the story. Somebody lesser informed than you might click thru and get the wrong impression entirely. I'm not kidding.

This administration literally makes me sick to my stomach.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/08/26/ST2008082600195.html

http://www.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=50342&Itemid=2

...in that some skepticism toward the "official" U.S. story seems to be seeping through.

This woman is, by ALL accounts, being denied adequate medical care after being shot while in U.S. custody. I don't understand why there isn't more (did I say more?, I meant ANY) outrage.

My impression of them is really really good

http://www.propublica.org/

ProPublica : Journalism in the Public Interest

1670 Search Results for 'siddiqui'

It's a Party at Political Conventions

Politics and partying often go hand in hand. And at the upcoming national political conventions, the amount of fun and frivolity afforded to lawmakers and staffers, or lack thereof, is being as closely watched as ever.

The Sunlight Foundation, a nonprofit political accountability group, estimates there will be at least 370 parties thrown at the two political conventions in Denver and Minneapolis-St. Paul. Last month, the foundation launched "Party Time" to track the hobnobbing of lawmakers and their friends.