Turner Broadcasting's Next Big Gaffe

I know CNN has some bizarre reporting habits, but this is getting ridiculous.

Berger and the 9/11 Commission

I still can't get over Sandy Berger. Check out page 14 of the Inspector General's report on Berger's larceny:

...________ said ___ informed the White House that NARA was not able to reconstruct the responsive documents for EOP2, as Mr. Berger was provided original documents. ________ said ____ would never know what if any original documents were missing from Mr. Berger's visits on May 30, 2003 and July 18, 2003. The OI, with assistance from __________, reviewed the documents Mr. Berger had reviewed in an attempt to identify if it could be determined if additional documents were missing. It was not apparent that Mr. Berger removed an entire NSC numbered package or a SMOF file folder, however, the contents of these documents could not be verified. Due to complications, the emails Mr. Berger reviewed could not be readily reconstructed...

Does anyone -- anyone! -- in the mainstream media care that Berger likely removed and destroyed original documents just prior to the 9/11 Commission's investigation?

At this point, I'd call the New York Times and their ilk "reprehensible pond-scum", but that would be a mortal insult to real pond-scum everywhere. However, I can always take solace by reviewing the Times' stock chart.

Hezbollah House Plan

Brian at Snapped Shot alerted us to an interesting development in the burgeoning Hamas-Fatah civil war. A Fatah leader's house was destroyed by Hamas; much of the damage was likely caused by artillery that he was apparently storing inside the house! Brian wonders, "how many... houses... 'destroyed' by the [Israeli Defense Forces] were actually the result of a self-destruction of [these] arms caches?"


In another world-exclusive (amazing how we keep scooping the press... heh), we've gotten access to the super-duper-secret, yet standard-issue, Hezbollah house plan for southern Lebanon. Shhhhh... no one tell Jimmy Carter about this.

Best of the December and January Posts

In case you missed some recent posts (and, rest assured, you haven't missed much), here's a collection of illustrated articles from the last couple of months. They have not been sanitized for your protection.

AP's Exclusive Interview: Tommy al-Flanagan
Associated Press' Grim Milestone
Associated Press Pro Journalist Cheat Sheat
Books on my Amazon Wishlist
Carter's Heroes
Condi Rice Thought Experiment
Critical Pages missing from Democratic website


Dems meet with Terrorist Dictator
DNC's Foreign Affairs Journal
Don't question the Sellouts' Patriotism!
Democrats' First 100 Hours: Surrender
Draining the Swamp
Friends of Terror Scrapbook
Future of the New York Times
Global-Warming Witch-Hunt Ignores China, Iran
Handicapping the Democratic Candidates
Hillary Blog's First-Post Contest
Inside the Iraq Study Group
Jamil Hussein Visits Qana
Joseph Rago Pro Journalist Institute
Kofi's Job Interview
My Newspaper: Buh Bye, Legacy Media
Pelosi's Celebration
Peters, Crittenden assemble Puzzle Pieces
Quagmire II
Saddam Hussein's Final Interview
There's an upside to the 'Fairness Doctrine'
They're 'Progressives' - because they care
Tyrant Beat Magazine
UFOs over Iran
Weekend at Fidel's
What is the frequency, Keith?
9/11 Conspiracy Theorists ignore Berger

Can you spot the international pariah?

John Kerry in Davos, Switzerland:


I've never seen our country as isolated, as much as a sort of... er.... international pariah...


We should be less engaged in this neocon rhetoric of regime change...


It's an unfortunate habit that Americans see the world exclusively through an American lens...


Oh, and remember, folks, you've got to try the roast beef.


And don't forget to tip your waitresses!


Dammit, those last couple of lines were proof this was just another botched joke!

* * *

We've got an international pariah, alright. But it ain't George W. Bush.

Help us, Jon Carry, our internashunal relashuns r all messd up!



Oven-baked good readin', just like Mama used to make:
Agricola, Barking Moonbat, Bill's Bites, BlackFive, Blue Crab Boulevard, Cadillac Tight, Captain's Quarters, Conservative Valley, Elephant Bar, Fourth Rail, FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog, Joe's Dartblog, Keith D. Milby, Hang Right Politics, Hot Air, Jules Crittenden, Macsmind, Michelle Malkin, New Editor, NewsBuckit, OTB, Powerline, Pundit Review, Riehl World View, Rick Moran, STACLU, TigerHawk, The Wide Awakes, Wizbang

AT&T blames Microsoft for IPTV delays

Ever seen a blue-screen of death on your television? AT&T is blaming buggy Microsoft software for its painfully slow rollout of U-Verse. U-Verse -- formerly known as Project Lightspeed -- attempts to deliver TV to the home using existing copper telephone lines. Conversely, Verizon's Fios service uses fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) to deliver the sort of bandwidth consumers associate with cable. In general, U-Verse users have reported spotty service.


One knowledgeable user has posted a very detailed review of U-Verse. Generally, he feels the service just isn't mature enough and the DSL bandwidth is lacking:

...this brings up another major flaw in the U-VERSE, at the moment you can have up to 4 receivers in your house, all of their receivers are HD. The flaw is at this time you can only watch 1 HD channel on any given receiver in your house at a time. This means only 1 receiver can watch a HD channel, if a second person in the house wants to watch something in HD they will see an error message that all HD streams are in use to turn to a non HD channel or it gives you the option to boot the other receiver out of the HD stream it's tuned to...

One thing is clear: Microsoft ain't to blame for the limited bandwidth associated with AT&T's technology choice for U-Verse.

One thought for AT&T: less money on lobbyists and more on R&D and fiber might help.

Shocker: Democrats issue resolution supporting troops

I'll admit it caught me by surprise. That is, yesterday's resolution -- spearheaded by Democrats Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid -- urging the troops on to victory and praising their sacrifices. Gathering on the steps of the Capitol Building, the Democrats praised the troops en masse:


Their resolution read, in part, "...we strongly praise the actions of American troops to spread freedom and Democracy. And we pray for victory for our troops, knowing the sacrifices they have made and the high stakes for America..."

* * *
Ooops. Hold on. Uhm, sorry. I got part of this story wrong. The Democrats have, instead, pushed for a resolution condemning the President and the troop-surge; and advocating surrender and retreat from the Middle East.

My mistake.


Also see:
Ankle Biting Pundits, Foreign Policy Passport, Jeff Gannon, Muara Teweh, Redstate, Ronald Winter, Strong Conservative, Unrest in the Forest, Washington Times

John Edwards, Real-Estate Baron, truly cares about the Poor

Dan Riehl points us to a fascinating story of two Americas: the America John Edwards inhabits, and the one the rest of us live in.


We find that Edwards owns the largest house in his county: a tiny 28,200 square-foot estate. And he recently sold his Georgetown mansion -- for a paltry $5.2 million -- to Paul and Terry Klaassen. This pair are the founders of the largest assisted-living housing chain in the U.S. And, by the way, they happen to be cooperating with a federal inquiry into accounting practices and stock option deals linked with that company.

Riehl also reminds us that this isn't the first time Edwards and odd real-estate dealings have been associated.

More on Edwards: Mary Katherine Ham, Wizbang

Castro 'Almost Jogging'

Gaius at Blue Crab Boulevard: "Hugo Chavez, ever the optimist for his role model, Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, says that the maximum leader is walking. In fact, he may be jogging says Venezuela's dictator-in-progress..."


Weekend at Fidel's
Yes, he's jogging, water-skiing, and even making time with hot chicks at the beach! Weekend at Fidel's is fun for the whole family: you'll laugh, you'll cry -- it might even change your life!

Update: I really stepped in it this time. Gaius is a tad peeved that I ripped off his concept (which he ripped off from The Indianapolis' Star's Gary Varvel). He's threatened to unleash a firestorm of "crabtastic proportions" on me. Before I summon the poodles of war, I have offered to deliver a formal apology. If that step fails and this is indeed my last post, I can only hope that one of my seven devoted readers will avenge me by unleashing a vicious trackback boycott.

More on Fidel: CubaMania, ExpectoRants

Handicapping the Democratic Candidates: Illustrated!

The latest Vegas betting line from the Directorblue SportsBook™:

2-to-1 Hillary

The don't-ask-how-many-pound gorilla of the Democratic race is Hillary. She's got the name, the game, and the secretive links to the Saudis. What are you gonna do, Obama, when the thunder, and the lightning, and the 600 million dollar war-chest comes raining down on you? What are you gonna do then, Obama??

3-to-1 Barack "Ears" Obama

With the revelation that his full name is Barack Saddam Obama, wingnuts swarmed like flies on Michael Moore. They accused him of attending a madrassa -- a hardline Islamic religious school -- as a child and, worse, of communicating directly with Jane Fonda. If he can overcome his sensitivity related to his physical appearance (namely his freakishly large ears, each of which merits a separate zipcode), he's a strong contender to upset Hill.

4-to-1 Al "Man, it's hot out here" Gore

Assuming the fragile ecosphere can last for another two years, Al Gore figures to be a strong player in '08. His movie, An Inconvenient Poot, documents the catastrophic impact that cows have had on global warming and has provided new visibility for Gore. Never mind that it was warmer in the Middle Ages than it is today; Gore's hysterical exhortations remind us that he can really bring the heat to Hillary and the rest of the slate.

5-to-1 John "Seance" Edwards

If John Edwards can successfully channel JFK, he'll have a reasonable shot at a dark-horse victory. After all, he's got the hair, the teeth, and the face. Edwards has deigned to run this time as a progressive; he no longer supports the war, wants to fight global warming, and hopes to cure the common cold among the poor. Best of all, if Edwards is elected President, Christopher Reeves will walk again.

11-to-1 Slow Joe Biden

Whispers of plagiarism in his past campaigns haven't stopped Biden from announcing his intent to run in '08. There are two messages his advisors should be delivering, but aren't: (a) the combover ain't working; and (b) Richard Grieco has a better chance of getting elected President.

Be sure to visit: Take the pledge!

Also see: Barking Moonbat, Betsy's Page, Captain's Quarters, Don Surber, Dr. Sanity, Flopping Aces, Gateway Pundit, Hang Right Politics, Hugh Hewitt, Nuke Gingrich, Pierre Legrand, OTB, Political Pit Bull, RCP Blog, Riehl World View, STACLU, Wizbang, Wuzzadem

Exclusive: Schematic of Keith Olbermann's Brain

This actually explains quite a bit.

p.s., Don't miss Olbermann Watch

Your Handy-Dandy Dem Doublespeak Dictionary

Can't figure out what Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, and Harry Reid are saying? Our patented Blogotronic™ decoder makes it easy to understand their doublespeak.

When they say: "Phased-redeployment"

They really mean: "Let's surrender and retreat in order to make way for Middle Eastern genocide and nuclear-armed, terrorist thugs. Millions will die in an eventual nuclear confrontation and the U.S. will end up in a much larger-scale conflict years from now, but -- honestly -- we don't give a s**t."

So now you know.

The Hillary Blog is holding a First Post Contest

The Hillary Blog is now active, sort of. Her campaign folks are holding a contest: submit the first post for Hillary's blog. Hey, I thought to myself, why not me? The title of my submission? America's got a fever - and the only cure is more Clinton!


Here's my submission.

Hillary Clinton represents change for America. Under her stewardship, America is destined for a new direction. The stock market is at an all-time high. Unemployment is at 25-year lows. Taxes are at 20-year lows and Federal Receipts are at an all-time high. The national deficit has been halved over the last several years, as promised, despite a catastrophic terrorist attack that sucked a trillion dollars out of the economy. Oh, and there have been no terrorist attacks on American soil since 9/11. Hillary represents change for America. Change is good. Isn't it?

I don't think the tone of that first submission is quite -er- uplifting enough. I'm game for another try, Sparky.

It's clear from the last six years of George W. Bush that we need another Clinton in the White House. After all, Bush hasn't measured up to the first Clinton administration in many important respects: 44 Clinton administration associates were convicted or pled guilty to crimes including Sandy Berger's destruction and coverup of 9/11 documents. 33 of these convictions occurred during the Clinton administration. There were also 61 indictments and misdemeanor charges as well as 14 imprisonments. And let's not forget a Presidential Impeachment and 7 independent counsel investigations. Furthermore, 72 congressional witnesses pled the Fifth Amendment to avoid incriminating themselves and 17 witnesses fled the U.S. to avoid testifying. The Clinton administration also was masterful in its use of pardons; far better than President Bush. Clinton pardoned FALN terrorists; cocaine traffickers; mail-fraud and perjury convicts (after a $200,000 payment to Hillary's brother); Whitewater associates; and Democratic Congressman Dan Rostenkowski. And I haven't even touched upon the Clinton administration's handling of terrorism! From these statistics, it's clear that the Bush administration doesn't measure up when it comes to the scandal quota this country needs. America's got a fever, and the only cure is more Clinton!

Perhaps that submission's too dry. Too many statistics - kinda cold and calculating. I'll go for more warmth and compassion in my final try.

Hillary Clinton is serious about improving the reputation of the United States among the world's nations. Hillary Clinton -- like her husband -- just wants to share our technology. The first Clinton Administration was willing to share technology with anyone who could ante up. Over objections from the Pentagon and State Department, military/industrial technology was passed to the Chinese Military. This included ICBM precision guidance and related missile technologies that passed into Chinese hands after an unprecedented series of suspect donations. And the Clinton Administration was instrumental in North Korea's surreptitious acquisition of nuclear technology. And the Clinton administration initially opposed and then delayed any deployment of national missile defense. It's good to share. And the Clintons are good at sharing... when the price is right. We need more of the principled, savvy negotiations we saw during the first Clinton era. Put simply, we need Hillary Clinton - now more than ever.

Hmmm. I'm still not satisfied. Okay - one more try.

Bill Clinton's masterful handling of the economy is proof positive Hillary should be our next President. Two unique events influenced the United States economy during Bill Clinton's tenure, which may have impacted public perception of his handling of the economy. Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web, which was released as a free service by CERN in 1993. A massive and unprecedented spending boom accompanied the popularization of the web. Another technology-related event was Y2K, the year-2000 repair efforts. An IT spending boom -- estimated at $300 billion -- occurred in the late 1990's as governments and companies rushed to make their legacy computer systems "year-2000 compliant." The massive surge in IT spending associated with these events were coincident with the Clinton Presidency. I fully trust Hillary can duplicate Y2K and the Internet boom, which will result in another fantastic, Clinton-esque economic expansion!

I'm certain one of these four posts is a winner. Remember: America's got a fever - and the only cure is more Clinton!



More on Hillary:
A Blog for All, Bill's Bites, Bitsblog, Blogs of War, Blue Crab Boulevard, Blue Star Chronicles, Captain's Quarters, Conservative Thinking, Ed Driscoll Hot Air, Macsmind, My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy, OTB, Patrick Ruffini, Roger L. Simon, Sensible Mom, Sister Toldjah, STACLU, Wizbang . Also don't miss Hugh Hewitt and Hot Air's Hillary on Hardball skit. (Major hat tips to Larwyn and Gateway Pundit)

Scene from a Washington, DC Tavern

Our patented Photoshopic™ recorder captured this snippet of conversation at a DC-area watering-hole.


Perhaps men are necessary after all.

I guess I'm late to the domain-name land-grab party

None of the domain-names I want are available. I searched for:

  www.Maureen-Dowd-Is-a-Fleshy-Husbandless-Bore.com - unavailable
  www.Leonard-Pitts-is-the-Pits.com - unavailable
  www.Tom-Teepen-cant-write-worth-a-damn.com - unavailable
  www.Richard-Cohen-smells-like-moldy-cheese.com - unavailable
  www.Keith-Olbermann-has-an-IQ-of-7.com - unavailable

Here's one that was available:

  www.Democrats-who-support-the-US-President-through-thick-and-thin.com - available

Go figure.

Pelosi's Global-Warming Witch-Hunt Ignores China, Iran

Nancy "the extremist" Pelosi has a warning for American industry: "I promise to do anything in my power to achieve energy independence within ten years [and] stop global warming..."


Pelosi opposes: legislation to ease the construction of new refineries; allowing energy exploration in any of the areas marked in red; and nuclear energy. On top of that, she favors regulating energy prices.


Translation: Pelosi will be aiming for additional taxes, regulations, and -- at the end of the day -- higher prices for energy companies and their customers. Which translates to higher prices for everything in the supply chain. In effect, an economic disaster for the United States.

Instead of naming the real enemies of clean air -- China and Iran -- Pelosi targets American interests.

* * *

Satellite data indicates that Beijing, China is the "air pollution capital of the world."


The World Bank has warned China is home to 16 of the Earth's 20 most air-polluted cities.


The World Resources Institute reports that, "air pollution in some Chinese cities is among the highest ever recorded, averaging more than ten times the standard proposed by the World Health Organization... In Beijing, 40 percent of autos surveyed and 70 percent of taxis failed to meet the most basic emission standards."


USA Today reports that, "[d]ecades of... pollution have allowed industrial poisons to leach into groundwater, contaminating drinking supplies and leading to a rash of cancers, residents say. In this village, where the air has a distinctive sour odor, the rate of cancer is more than 18 times the national average. In nearby Liukuaizhuang, it's 30 times the national figure..."


AFP discovered that an internal Chinese government report found that nearly half a million persons die per year from pollution. Experts believe that, "China's rapid industrialization is leading to increasing environmental damage, with air pollution likely to rise five-fold in 15 years at the current rate."


Iran is another interesting case. Its pollution problems are visible throughout the capital city of Tehran.


In a single year, 10,000 people have died from pollution-related causes in that city alone.

* * *

Targeting out-of-control pollution is an admirable goal. Doing so while ignoring the world's biggest offenders is worse than a joke. But, if Democrats can damage American industry, the economy, and job-creation while paying lip-service to populist causes, they will. After all, that's their track record.


p.s., Let's ignore the fact that the U.N. has reported that cow 'emissions' are more damaging to the planet than CO2 from cars." Hamburger, anyone?


Oven-baked good readin', just like Mama used to make:
Barking Moonbat, Free Republic, GatewayPundit, Hang Right Politics, Hugh Hewitt, Rick Moran, Right Thinking, STACLU, Wizbang

Retired General Madeline Albright Criticizes the Bush Plan

Yes, I'm sad to say it's true. Voice of America reports that retired General Madeline Albright has strongly criticized the Bush plan for Iraq:

"The president's speech last Wednesday night should be viewed less as a statement of policy than as a prayer. It was not about reality. It was about hope. But hope is not a strategy... [it's] given Democracy a bad name... U.S. credibility [in the region] could not be lower..."

Thus, the credibility queen herself, architect of the masterful agreement with North Korea, issued a harsh rebuke of the Bush administration.


Dear Leader proposes a toast to Madeline Albright... and nukes!
The National Review's Rich Lowry documented Albright's fabrications (a nicer word than 'flat-out lies') before Congress:

The U.S. came to believe in 1997, for instance, that North Korea had built an underground nuclear facility in Kumchang-ri. The administration still dishonestly maintained that all was well with the Agreed Framework. On July 8, 1998, Albright told Congress, the Agreed Framework had "frozen North Korea's dangerous nuclear-weapons program." When intelligence about the suspect site at Kumchang-ri became public in August 1998, Albright told frustrated senators at a hearing that she hadn't known about the information until later in July. The head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, present at the hearing, had to interrupt her: "Madame Secretary, that is incorrect." She had been told many months earlier...

Madeline Albright criticizing the President? After leaving us a legacy that includes a nuclear North Korea and misleading Congress about her knowledge of their efforts?


"My friend Kim tells me that President Bush's plan is doomed."
Given her pathetic track record, Albright's criticism -- on its own -- is strong evidence that the Bush plan will succeed.

There's an Upside to the 'Fairness Doctrine'

Is the media too conservative? Apparently, some Democrats think so. Accuracy in Media reports that attendees at a recent conference on media reform espoused just such views. Senator Bernie Sanders and Rep. Maurice Hinchey advocated Congressional action that would institute, "a new federal 'fairness doctrine' to target conservative speech on television and radio."

Put simply, it's an attempt to set the dials on the Wayback Machine and return to the days where Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity were censored. Silenced.

But think about it for a minute. If enforced, the 'fairness doctrine' could be used against the mainstream media. Equal time, remember? I anticipate some really interesting talk shows, including:


Hugh Hewitt and Keith Olbermann co-host Countdown: you gonna put some ice on that, Keith?


Michael Savage and Chris Matthews co-host Hardball: I would pay cash money to see this show. Hell, they could show it on pay-per-view as a warmup for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.


And, it goes without saying: Katie Couric and Ann Coulter co-host the CBS Evening News, where every night is cat-fight night!

Hat tips: AIM and Larwyn

Oven-baked good readin', just like Mama used to make:
Anchoress, Appalachian Scribe, Blue Crab Boulevard, Captain's Quarters, Dr. Melissa Clouthier, Flopping Aces, Kowabunga, Obsidian Wings, OTB, STACLU, Wizbang, Wizbang #2 and Taylor Marsh on the other side.

9/11 Conspiracy Theorists Studiously Ignore Sandy Berger

The brilliant researchers known as "9/11 Truthers" are only the most recent of a long line of conspiracy-theorists. The Truthers contend that the government -- who, by the way, can't even conspire to fix the Alternative Minimum Tax -- somehow pulled off the most complicated logistical scam in history. And then kept it utterly secret.

Never mind that Popular Mechanics and its team of 70 military, engineering, and academic experts utterly debunked their whacked-out theories. And never mind that the New York Times can't keep from publishing every classified leak it comes across.

The oddest part? There was a real conspiracy related to 9/11.


Former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger absconded with all sorts of classified documents, the full inventory of which will likely never be known. Why did Berger steal multiple copies of the same document? And did he also make off with original, uninventoried materials?

CNN reports that the Chairman of the House Government Reform Committee stated, "There is absolutely no way to determine if Berger swiped... original documents. Consequently, there is no way to ever know if the 9/11 Commission received all required materials..."

What the heck was he covering up? Now there's a conspiracy!

Helloooooo, 9/11 Truthers! Helloooo? Anyone? Bueller?

* * *
I hear crickets. And a bindle of tumbleweed just rolled by.

Must-reads:

Anchoress, Corruption Chronicles, Falling Panda, Gold-plated Witch on Wheels, Hang Right Politics, OTB, RCP, Ron James, S, C & A, STACLU, Wizbang

They're "progressives" - because they care

Air pollution is estimated to have killed nearly 10,000 people in Tehran in a single year.


3,600 pollution-related deaths occurred in October.


The majority of fatalities resulted from heart attacks and respiratory distress linked directly to heavy smog.


The director of Tehran's clean air committee, Mohammad Hadi Heydarzadeh, told an Iranian newspaper that, "It is a very serious and lethal crisis, a collective suicide... A real revolution is needed..."

But "progressive" environmentalists don't care.

* * *
Those aren't the only Iranian news item receiving little to no coverage in the mainstream press.


Women accused of adultery are frequently stoned to death.

But most "progressive" "feminists" don't care.


Homosexuals -- even teenagers -- in Iran are flogged and hung.

But most "progressives" in the gay community don't care.

* * *
It's easy to figure out why. Most "progressives" have one-track minds. As far as they're concerned, there's only one villain in the world. To them, there is only one real enemy:


President Bush.

* * *
And now you know the origin of the phrase "Bush Derangement Syndrome" (BDS).


Oh, and when it comes to reporting real news stories like the massive pollution over Tehran, the routine stonings, floggings and hangings? Yes, the New York Times is AWOL. Nice stock chart, Times. And it's richly deserved.



Hat tip: Larwyn

Also see: BizzyBlog, EagleSpeak, IND