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Great Article on the Scooter Libby Trial

The day began like any Washington, DC commuter's day: on the Metro. Then I got to the courthouse, and suddenly, it was no longer an ordinary day.

I watched opening statements from a seat between my incredible co-blogger Christy Hardin Smith and the vivacious (who knew?) Nina Totenberg of NPR. Her eyes always dance happily, even in repose. I lent her a pen; we whispered furtive courtroom quips. I was charmed.

Marcy Wheeler, the eponymous emptywheel who has been liveblogging the trial for the last week, is amazing. She types so fast! If you want to get up to speed on this case, you really need to buy her book. The day of opening statements, Christy and I were in the courtroom while Marcy, er, womaned the keyboard from the media room.

A trial is a complex thing. There's all the evidence, rules of evidence, legal stuff and rules for jury deliberations, but anyone who has interviewed jurors after a trial (and I have) knows that it's often the unpredictable elements, the very human elements, jurors hang on to and remember. As I watched opening statements this week from inside the courtroom, as preoccupied as I was with taking notes of the competing arguments, I was also most attentive to the ebb and flow of human energy, the little looks and asides, the personalities and the dynamics of people and perceptions, as best I could read them, drawing on my experience and my doctorate in psych. I want to share a little of what it was like to be in the courtroom, through my perceptions of how the players came across.

MORE>>

Spunday

The Sunday spin is working overtime with so much political news this weekend.

Lots of folks jumping into the presidential pool, splashing and thrashing around.

Media having a field day reporting all about Hillary. Every move she makes, every breath she takes, every joke she fakes.

Just kidding.

I don’t think she was talking about Bill when she said, “I have experience with evil men”. I would guess at Ken Starr or some member of the “vast right wing conspiracy” (which I absolutely believe does exist).

Give the woman a break! Jesus H. Christ, how many of you have perfect pitch while singing the National Anthem?

LOL

Anti War Protest Not a Flashback

Today there is a large anti war rally going on at the Washington Memorial.

No, this is not an acid flashback (those never happen, btw - just more bullshit from the “War on Drugs” which is being lost even worse than Iraq)

Other protests are planned for major cities around the country.

'Bout damn time.
- - -

Thousands of anti-war protesters, energized by fresh congressional skepticism about the war in Iraq, were demanding a withdrawal of U.S. troops in a demonstration Saturday featuring a handful of celebrities such as Susan Sarandon and Jane Fonda.

"We see many things that we feel helpless about. But this is like a united force. This is something I can do," said 59-year-old Barbara Struna of Brewster, Mass.

Struna, a mother of five who runs an art gallery, said she made a two-day bus trip with her 17-year-old daughter, Anna, to the nation's capital to represent what she said was middle America's opposition to President Bush's war policy.

"My generation is the one that is going to have to pay for this," added the high school senior who said she knows as many as 20 friends who have been to Iraq.

She held a sign that said, "Heck of a job, Bushie," mocking Bush's words of encouragement to his disaster relief chief, Michael Brown, amid criticism of the government's immediate response to Hurricane Katrina in the summer of 2005.

For news and updates check here

See Dick See Dick Scowl

It can be hard to tell when Dick Cheney is really angry. Happy or sad, the man almost always keeps a dour look on his face.

But sitting there with Wolf Blitzer on CNN, Cheney was definitely seething. You could tell by the piercing dagger-squint and the abrupt flatness in the vice president's tone.

"Frankly, you're out of line with that question," Cheney snapped.

Blitzer had just asked about the vice president's 37-year-old daughter Mary, who's about to become a mom with Heather Poe, her partner of 15 years. Mary Cheney is not secretive about any of this. She's an out lesbian. She's discussed her life in many interviews. She published a book called "Now It's My Turn."

But suddenly, several conservative Christian groups, led by James Dobson's Focus on the Family, have used the impending childbirth to sound alarms about gay parenthood.

"Mary Cheney's pregnancy raises the question of what's best for children," Focus on the Family declared. "Just because it's possible to conceive a child outside of the relationship of a married mother and father, doesn't mean it's best for the child."

The accompanying barrage has left the vice president in an uncomfortably tight squeeze. He serves a president who is firmly behind a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. And the Cheney family, like other American families, includes a gay daughter with a loving life partner who's about to be a mom.

Life does bring surprises!

So Blitzer asked the vice president for his reaction to the uproar.

As Cheney began to answer, he sounded the way most proud grandparents would.

"I'm delighted," he said. "I'm delighted I'm about to have a sixth grandchild, Wolf, and obviously think the world of both of my daughters and all of my grandchildren."

But then the vice president caught himself. He quickly turned on his questioner, saying the anchor had no right to bring up the issue at all.

Blitzer explained that he was in fact quite sympathetic to Mary and Heather, but that others had raised the issue and he was simply following up.

"That was just a question that's come up, and it's a responsible, fair question," Blitzer said.

Cheney wouldn't have any of it. "I just fundamentally disagree with your perspective," he said.

It was a strange and uncomfortable exchange. And it left some obvious questions in its wake.

Was Cheney too jumpy? Was Blitzer out of line? And how is it that a sitting vice president, famously loyal to every other position of his administration, decides to beg off in this one case?

This much is certain in our obsessively revelatory era: The family lives of those in the White House will be talked about. In the Clinton years, no one ever felt constrained from discussing the most intimate details of Bill's and Hillary's personal lives.


Now the laser focus has turned on the Bushes and the Cheneys, and they don't seem to like it any more than the Clintons did.

It's a little strange, actually, casting Dick Cheney as a big supporter of gay rights and privacy. If he didn't have a gay daughter, does anyone think the vice president would be speaking up mom-mom bundles of joy?

Too bad he doesn't have a kid fighting in Iraq. Our troops could soon be coming home!

We've been down this road before - public figures making limited exceptions from their own staunch world views, exceptions that just so happen to accommodate their own personal or family needs.

Nancy Reagan supported stem-cell research after her Ronnie got sick. Rush Limbaugh became an outspoken advocate of treatment - not prison - for people addicted to narcotics. That epiphany just so happened to arrive while Rush was being investigated for drugs.

It's live and learn, I guess!

Yet another prominent public figure, being rudely awakened by the unpredictable realities of life.

It would be nice, of course, if the newfound compassion could be applied to other peoples' families, too.

SOURCE

Hogwash and Bullshit

Cheney says hogwash
Wolf Blitzer interviewed Darth Cheney following the State of the Union.
Vice President Dick Cheney on Wednesday dismissed as "hogwash" the suggestion that blunders may have hurt the administration's credibility on Iraq and led members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to question President Bush's plan to send more troops to Baghdad.

If anybody knows hogwash, it’s Cheney.

- - - - -

Rumor Mill spews bullshit about Obama attending a Muslim school
Rush Limbaugh claims he got it from Fox News who claimed they got it from Insight Magazine who claimed Hillary Clinton’s campaign started the rumor.

Or maybe it was the voices in their heads told them.

Barack Obama denies the rumors as ludicrous.

Vowing not to be "Swift boated," Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., aggressively pushed back yesterday against "ludicrous" rumors reported on Fox News that he attended a radical Islamic school.

Taking on Fox hosts Steve Doocy and John Gibson by name, Obama's campaign blasted the "malicious, irresponsible charges" they aired.

"You have to take control and make sure that folks know the facts and not just these innuendos from the right-wing smear machine," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton. "We will aggressively address any charges that are leveled."

The conservative Insight magazine reported last weekend that Obama attended a radical madrassa in Indonesia as a boy. The Fox News Channel repeated the story several times.

The Illinois Democrat, who is Christian, lived in Jakarta for a few years as a boy with his mother and stepfather. Reporters for CNN and The Associated Press went to his elementary school and found it a secular institution attended by students of all faiths.

"The notion that somehow, at the age of 6 or 7, I was being trained for something other than math, science and reading, is ludicrous," Obama said on ABC.

John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic nominee, says he regrets not fighting back when his Vietnam War record was smeared by opponents calling themselves "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth."

A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.
Mark Twain

State of the Onion

So, I watched the speech last night.

Snore.

The most interesting thing to watch was Nancy Pelosi sitting behind George. She kept sucking at her lip, and moving her mouth around like she had something stuck in her teeth. I heard an “image expert” talking on the radio yesterday afternoon, saying how Ms. Pelosi would be on-camera much of the time, and that she should be sure to avoid smirking or eye rolling while the President spoke.

Shame nobody told her not to eat corn on the cob or onions, or whatever it was that she kept trying to dislodge from between her teeth.

Did Hillary Fake It?

With nothing else to concern them since the clean and clear victory in Iraq and everything dandy on the homefront, some pundits are choosing not to focus on the content of Hillary Clinton’s announcement of a possible Presidential run, but rather on the backdrop.

They ask:

So, what's the story? Did Hillary have this video in the can during all those months while she was claiming to be making up her mind? Was it a carefully staged artificial background?

So I ask you...do you think this background is faked?

Family sues radio station over water-drinking death

The family of a California woman who died after participating in a radio station's water-drinking contest to win a Nintendo Wii will sue the station, their lawyer said on Thursday.

Jennifer Strange, 28, a mother of three, died from suspected water intoxication after taking part in Friday's competition, "Hold Your Wee for a Wii." About 20 people tried to out-drink each other without going to the bathroom.

Sacramento station KDND-FM responded by firing 10 staffers, including several DJs, and canceling the Morning Rave program. The DJs had joked about people dying from water intoxication and teased Strange about her distended stomach.

"The station knew this was a dangerous and potentially deadly stunt, but flippantly dismissed the dangers," lawyer Roger Dreyer said in a statement. "Hearing the tape (of the radio show), it's very clear they knew of the dangers and could foresee that this could lead to Jennifer's death."

The station could not be reached for comment because its phone number was continuously engaged Thursday evening.

Police are also investigating the death for possible criminal charges.

An excess of water in the body can lead to the dilution of vital fluids. That in turn can lead to swelling of the brain, seizures, comas, an irregular heartbeat and in some cases death.

SOURCE: Reuters Limited

- - - - - - -

So what do you think?

Was the station irresponsible?

Was the dead woman?

And the wickedest question - Did the kids get the console?




Nintendo Wii
water-drinking death
litigation

Iraq Protest Song

Let's all start singin' (Apologies to Country Joe and the Fish)

Yeah, come on all of you big strong men,
Uncle Sam needs your help again.
He's got himself in a terrible crock
Over in the desert, out in Iraq
So put down your books and pick up a gun,
We're gonna have a whole lotta fun.

Well, come on Wall Street, don't move slow,
Why man, this is War-a-go-go.
There's plenty good money to be made
By supplying the Army with the tools of the trade,
Shares are good in Otto Bock*
Lots o' lost limbs over in Iraq

And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for?
Don't ask me, it's just so sad,
Next stop is ol' Bagdad.
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why
Whoopee! We're all gonna die.

Well, come on mothers, so his arm is a hook?
Pack your boys off to Kirkuk.
Come on fathers, don't hesitate,
Send `em off before it's too late.
Be the first one on your block
To have your boy come home in a box.

*Otto Bock is the global leader in developing and manufacturing
innovative prosthetic technologies and devices.

Wilde

As long as war is regarded as wicked it will always have its fascinations.
When it is looked upon as vulgar, it will cease to be popular.

Oscar Wilde

Colbert, O'Reilly face off on both shows

Parody met its inspiration Thursday when Stephen Colbert and Bill O'Reilly traded guest appearances on each other's shows in an exchange that Colbert called "a meeting of the guts."

Colbert has molded his tough-talking, America-defending persona as host of the satirical "Colbert Report" largely on the Fox News pundit. On his Comedy Central program, Colbert has often spoken reverently of O'Reilly — or as he affectionately calls him, "Papa Bear."

"The Colbert Report" and "The O'Reilly Factor," the top-rated program in cable news, were taped one after another early Thursday evening, with "The Factor" airing at 8 p.m. EST and "The Report" at 11:30 p.m. EST.

Once inside Colbert's studio — decorated for the occasion with a large "Mission Accomplished" banner and a portrait of O'Reilly placed fireside — O'Reilly seemed to be regretting the decision.

"This was a huge mistake, me coming on here," he muttered.

It may have been a greater error allowing Colbert into the Fox News headquarters, located near the "Colbert Report" studios in Manhattan. There, Colbert smuggled a microwave out of the green room, a bounty which he proudly displayed at the conclusion of his show.

A spokesman for Fox News confirmed that Colbert stole the microwave, but said it was all in good fun.

Appearing in the "No Spin Zone" of "The O'Reilly Factor," Colbert remained in character — though it wasn't always easy to tell.

"Who are you? Are you Colbert or Colbert?" prodded O'Reilly, pronouncing the "T" in one case, leaving it silent in the other (as Colbert does on his program).

"Bill, I'm whoever you want me to be," answered the comedian.

O'Reilly interviewed Colbert with a generally bemused attitude: "Don't you owe me an enormous amount of money?" he wondered. The interview was followed by a discussion with several analysts on why "The Colbert Report" and its sister fake newscast "The Daily Show" are popular.

Colbert had spent the week preparing for the arrival of "Papa Bear," and hyped it Thursday as "the greatest TV crossover since the Flintstones met the Jetsons."

For the first time, Colbert began the show's interview segment seated, allowing O'Reilly to enter to applause. Well, mostly applause. O'Reilly blamed a handful of boos on "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart, joking that he was in the audience.

Colbert's reception included a montage of clips from both shows, titled "Great Minds Think Alike." He also had O'Reilly read several lines for a new O'Reilly-based character in his "Tek Jansen" cartoon series.

O'Reilly also managed one dig of NBC, which he has recently criticized as a liberal-leaning network. When asked what was "destroying America" more — NBC, activist judges, illegal immigration or gay marriage — O'Reilly didn't hesitate in answering NBC.

But not all of Colbert's expectations were met. When he prompted O'Reilly to say who would win in a fight between him and his Fox News colleague Sean Hannity, O'Reilly demurred — and nearly upset the delicate balance of parody and reality.

"Hannity would kick my butt," said O'Reilly. "I'm effete. I'm not a tough guy. This is all an act."

Colbert retorted as though his mirror-image of O'Reilly had been broken: "If you're an act, then what am I?"

Once the show was over and O'Reilly had left, Colbert turned to the studio audience as he exited the stage and said, finally out of character: "He seems like a nice enough guy."


From YAHOO NEWS

“Hi, I’m Art Buchwald and I just died.”

As notable as the death of Art Buchwald is for many reasons, you’re reading about his passing here because of the role the humor columnist and author played in a new NYTimes.com effort worth noting: The Last Word, a video obit. Until now, the video accompanying most news obituaries online at the Times and other sites is usually archival. But the New York Times quietly has been compiling the video equivalents of their advance news obits and, as fate would have it, Buchwald was the first subject to die. Interviewed by reporter Tim Weiner, Buchwald knew exactly what he was doing. The beautifully done video, presented in chapters, begins with his announcement: “Hi, I’m Art Buchwald and I just died.” It’s an excellent example of what newspapers can do to translate their print personalities into an online blend of words, video, audio, stills and links.
Courtesy of:
http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/art-buchwald-inaugurates-nytimescom-video-obits/

REMEMBER

We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty.

When the loyal opposition dies,
I think the soul of America dies with it.

Edward R. Murrow

Barak Obama Book Reveals Former Drug Use

The black Illinois Senator and potential Democratic presidential candidate made the confession in a memoir written 11 years ago, not long after he graduated from law school and well before he contemplated life on the national stage.

Obviously this will hand the 45 year-old Obama's critic's ammunition to use against him in his political career, not to mention any presidential bid.

On the other hand, through his book, Obama has become the first potential presidential contender to admit trying cocaine.

"I believe what the country is looking for is someone who is open, honest and candid about themselves rather than someone who seems endlessly driven by polls or focus groups," said Robert Gibbs, Obama's spokesman.

SOURCE


I say so what?

The Untied States should legalize all drugs. The only intoxicant that is allowed now is the drug of choice of our white European founding fathers - alcohol.

All other cultures’ intoxicant of choice are banned. People from Asia have gotten high from opium for hundreds of years, but that’s outlawed.

South Americans have chewed coca leaves for centuries, but that’s banned.

Caribbean nations have long smoked marijuana - it’s illegal in the US.

Native Americans used peyote in religious ceremonies - prohibit that, too.

Our drug laws are racist.

Prohibition doesn’t work. People LIKE getting high.

Making something “taboo” only makes it more appealing.

I know all of the arguments...that letting people have easy access to drugs will increase use. Maybe so. But removing the cachet of “forbidden fruit” may lower usage. And there might be people who will use excessive amounts and die of overdoses. But there are people dying of overdoses now. Teach responsibility, not prohibition.

I know the people who work in enforcement of these antiquated and ineffective laws don’t want to lose their jobs. They don’t have to. Treat all of the drugs just like we do alcohol. Turn all of the DEA jobs into regulators. License all the sellers. Tax all of the products. (Think of the revenue!) Regulate all of the manufacturers. (Think of all the new jobs creation in legal drug manufacturing!) Set up rehab centers for those who overindulge.

Suddenly, with no profitability in selling drugs, drug wars vanish. Police are freed up to tackle other crimes. Our justice system is no longer swamped with drug cases.

Tighten up the laws regarding driving while intoxicated. Nobody should be behind the wheel of a vehicle if they’re high on anything. But what adults do in the privacy of their own home, in a bar, or at a party is their own business and their own responsibility.

Because people are going to get high. It’s just that simple. So let them. Face reality, regulate it and tax it.

And move on to more important issues.





barak obama
cocaine
marijuana
legalization