NATO Won't Pledge More Troops for Afghanistan

It seems Europe has more of a plan than the U.S. Government.

in reference to:

"As Obama ponders Afghan"
- As Obama ponders Afghanistan, so does Europe - Yahoo! News (view on Google Sidewiki)

Balloon boy's parents to plead guilty, lawyer says

The father should be doing time. And the press should also prosecutor for enabling this charade. They turned into a giant circus, even interrupting regular TV programming to sensationalize this story.

in reference to:

"The Colorado parents who reported their 6-year-old son floated away in a helium balloon in what authorities say was a hoax to drum up publicity for a TV show will both plead guilty to charges in the case, the attorney for the boy's father said Thursday. Richard Heene, 48, will plead guilty to attempting to influence a public servant, a felony, his attorney David Lane said. Mayumi Heene, 45, will plead guilty to false reporting to authorities, a misdemeanor. Prosecutors have agreed to allow both to serve probation sentences, Lane said. Prosecutors did not immediately return a phone message Thursday morning. Mayumi Heene's attorney, Lee Christian, also did not return a call."
- Balloon boy: Parents, who reported son floated away in balloon to plead guilty, lawyer says -- latimes.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Ralph Nader Owns Bill O’Reilly: I Can Chew Gum And Walk at the Same Time, Unlike You!

Nader gets the best of the bullying O'Reilly.

in reference to:

"Consumer advocate Ralph Nader appears on Bill O’Reilly’s TV show to discuss the Fort Hood shooting, and wastes no time in belittling him.”I wasn’t brought on this program to discuss Fort Hood, I want to plug my book,” Nader admits. Then he proceeds to tell Bill: “Unlike you, I can chew gum and walk at the same time.”O’Reilly then accuses Nader of dodging issues. Nader gets Bill to admit, “I was wrong about Iraq.”"
- Ralph Nader Owns Bill O’Reilly: I Can Chew Gum And Walk at the Same Time, Unlike You! « Dandelion Salad (view on Google Sidewiki)

KBR Improperly Billed Security Services, Senator McCaskill Says

Excecutives of this company should be going to jail. They ran amok during the Bush years. And lets not forget, KBR was a subsidiary of Halliburton. Which was run by Dick Cheney.

in reference to:

"KBR Inc., the largest contractor in Iraq and Afghanistan, improperly billed the Pentagon and was paid about $103 million for armed security guard services, according to a U.S. senator. The Pentagon has recovered $42 million of the payments Senator Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat who is chairman of a contracting oversight panel, wrote Nov. 6 to Defense Secretary Robert Gates. McCaskill said she was concerned “the Department is not moving quickly enough to recover the remaining $61 million” and asked Gates for a status report by Dec. 1 of repayment efforts. The billings were part of the company’s $34 billion contract to provide housing, food, laundry, mail delivery and fuel. The Defense Contract Audit Agency first identified the billings in August 2007. McCaskill said the failure to recover all the money by now “raises questions about the sufficiency” of Pentagon efforts “to recover disapproved costs on other contracts.” The Pentagon audit agency “believes the entire amount should be repaid,” because the contract “specifically prohibits” contractors billing the Pentagon for armed security guards, said DCAA spokesman Navy Lieutenant Commander Darryn James in an e-mail."
- KBR Improperly Billed Security Services, Senator McCaskill Says - Bloomberg.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Afghanistan's future threatened by ex-warlords

The answer is what worked in Bosnia, and even in the U.S., federalism. This will ensure the support of the warlords against the Taliban. It will also pave the way for Democracy. Current Vice President, Joe Biden, offered it as solution for Iraq. Unfortunately, there is no leadership in Washington. They don't think things through. It's always about what's popular or helps politicians to get themselves reelected or line their pockets.

in reference to:

"Warlords helped drive the Russians from Afghanistan, then shelled Kabul into ruins in a bloody civil war after the Soviets left.Now they are back in positions of power, in part because the U.S. relied on them in 2001 to help oust the Taliban after the Sept. 11 attacks. President Hamid Karzai later reached out to them to shore up his own power base as America turned its attention to Iraq after the Taliban's route.With the Taliban resurging, the entrenched power of the warlords is complicating Karzai's promises to rid his new government of corruption and cronies, steps seen as critical to building support among Afghans against the insurgents."
- Afghan future threatened by ex-warlords - South and Central Asia- msnbc.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Lots of Cash Has been Raised for Rep. Stephen Buyer's Scholarship Foundation, but So Far No Scholarships Have been Awarded

This is a complete outrage. And guess what? Nothing will happen to this scum. People are in Congress just line their pockets. They are for sale to the lobbyists in Washington.

in reference to:

"After repeated requests, Congressman Stephen Buyer finally agreed to sit down for a brief interview with CBS News Investigative Correspondent Sharyl Attkisson. The subject: a small non-profit he founded in 2003. Who's paying for it and what are they getting in return? Sharyl Attkisson: Where did the $25,000 to start the foundation come from? Rep. Stephen Buyer: You know what? I was asked that question and I don't recall. Attkisson: How can you not know where the $25,000 came from? Buyer: I don't. Serious. I don't recall. In fact, six years after the Frontier Foundation started, it's collected more than $800,000. Yet it hasn't spent a penny on scholarships. It can be difficult to know where Buyer's re-election campaign ends and his Frontier Foundation begins. His campaign and Foundation shared office space. Until August, his campaign manager also ran his Foundation - inviting select donors to golf outings with Buyer at posh resorts. When nobody from the Frontier Foundation returned our calls, we went to the address listed on their tax forms in Monticello, Indiana and found an empty office."
- Can a Donation Buy Legislation? (view on Google Sidewiki)

5 men charged with sex crimes against children

How many times does this have to happen before we learn to protect children. The first step is too have regular exams of minors (including mental). In addition, we must require children be accounted for. Each child must be accounted for in our society. There must be a mechanism for requiring every adult provide proof of everyone under their roof. For example, a landlord must verify that a child is in fact related to the occupant. Additionally, police should require proof that a minor not in school has a good reason for not being in school. Schools should also help in accounting for every child in the school; especially after they stop attending.

in reference to:

"Five members of a family are charged in Missouri with sex crimes against children, including allegations of bestiality and forcing an 11-year-old to have an abortion.The five men arrested Tuesday are charged with several felonies, including forcible sodomy, rape with a child less than 12 years old and use of a child in a sexual performance.A probable cause statement in the case says a child was forced to have sex with a dog and another had an abortion at age 11.That victim came to the authorities in mid-August, telling investigators she had suppressed memories of the abuse. The probable cause statement says other children corroborated the claims of abuse by all five men.The statement says victims were forced to take part in fake marriage ceremonies with several of their relatives."
- The Associated Press: 5 men charged with sex crimes against children (view on Google Sidewiki)

Jon Stewart Catches Sean Hannity Using Beck Protest Video

The right got caught in another fraud. This kind of deceit is pathological. They think we are all morons. Are we? How is that the teabaggers/FOX/Limbaugh/Republicans keep getting away with this kind deception? Why did it take Jon Stewart to expose? Where is the rest of the media?

in reference to:

"Jon Stewart and his Daily Show crew happened to notice something a little strange about video Fox News' Sean Hannity used to illustrate an interview with Rep. Michele Bachmann about last week's Capitol Hill health-care protest by conservatives. As Stewart points out, some of the video Hannity used appears not to have been recorded at last week's event but in September when a far larger crowd of Tea Partiers converged on the nation's capital. Interesting..."
- Jon Stewart Catches Sean Hannity Using Beck Protest Video - The Two-Way - Breaking News, Analysis Blog : NPR (view on Google Sidewiki)

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Sean Hannity Uses Glenn Beck's Protest Footage
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

Charles Gibson: ‘I Worry About the Lack of Objectivity’ in News Business

Some candid thoughts from a member of the mainstream media. He's right. What's going in the "new business" is not good for America. We need variety of perspectives in news. But, what we have is less. All the result of media concentration. A smaller number of corporations have greater control over what we read and see. The exception being the Internet (blogs, internet, etc.)

in reference to:

"World News anchor Charles Gibson admitted on Tuesday, "I worry about the lack of objectivity and the future of the news business." According to the Boston Herald, the ABC host spoke before the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and said of Fox News and MSNBC: "I don’t like the fact that they’re delivering news based on the conviction of its viewers." He also derided some viewers who "watch news that plays to their own prejudices." With no sense of irony, Gibson attacked Republicans for being obstructionist on health care: "It’s not being very productive to have an opposition party that simply says, ‘We are going to fight the president no matter what on health-care reform. We are not going to give you a single vote and we are going to march in lock step against you." He added that this is "not good for the country.""
- ABC’s Charles Gibson Admits: ‘I Worry About the Lack of Objectivity’ in News Business | NewsBusters.org (view on Google Sidewiki)

Kimberly Munley: Heroine of Fort Hood

She should get the Medal of Honor. Start writing your Congressperson.

in reference to:

"The first picture has been published of Kimberly Munley since she shot the gunman blamed for the Fort Hood killings.The civilian police officer was wounded in the exchange of fire with Major Nidal Malik Hasan. She is shown in the picture with the US defence secretary, Robert Gates.Munley is credited with stopping the shooting rampage that killed 13 people at the Texas base. She is to appear in an exclusive interview on the Oprah Winfrey show today, according to the show's website.The 34-year-old lost a lot of blood after one shot hit an artery in her left leg, doctors have said. She was taken into surgery within minutes of arriving at Metroplex Adventist hospital in Killeen."
- Blaze of publicity for Kimberly Munley, police heroine of Fort Hood | World news | guardian.co.uk (view on Google Sidewiki)

Term Limits Discussed on Dylan Ratigan

A brief discussion on term limits for the Congress on Morning Meeting with Dylan Ratigan. Two panelists debated the merits. The question arose on the issue of revolving door and lack of expertise. Term limits is not a panacea. You have to have term limits along with getting rid of lobbyists. No one debates whether limits were a good thing with the Presidency. Lack of term limits is one of the main reasons we have a corrupt and ineffectual Congress.

- Discuss this post and any other at the Rebeller Forum

Report: Blackwater OK'd $1M plan to pay off Iraqis

This is a major scandal that requires a major and public investigation into Blackwater. And we need to learn the previous administrations involvement with this organization.

in reference to:

"Former top executives at Blackwater Worldwide say the U.S. security contractor sent about $1 million to its Iraq office with the intention of paying off officials in the country who were angry about the fatal shootings of 17 civilians by Blackwater employees, The New York Times reported Tuesday. Four former executives described the plan under the condition of anonymity, the newspaper said. Iraqis had long complained about ground operations by the North Carolina-based company, now known as Xe Corp. Then the shooting by Blackwater guards in Baghdad's Nisoor Square in September 2007 left 17 civilians dead, further strained relations between Baghdad and Washington and led U.S. prosecutors to bring charges against the Blackwater contractors involved. The State Department has since turned to DynCorp and another private security firm, Triple Canopy, to handle diplomatic protective services in the country. But Xe continues to provide security for diplomats in other nations, most notably in Afghanistan. The former executives told the Times that the payments were approved by the company's then-president, Gary Jackson. They did not know if he came up with the idea."
- Report: Blackwater OK'd $1M plan to pay off Iraqis - USATODAY.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Fox Mogul Rupert Murdoch Echoes Glenn Beck, Calls Obama a Racist

Is there any doubt whether Murdoch, and his network, have a political agenda?

in reference to:

"SKY NEWS: The Glenn Beck, who you mentioned, has called Barack Obama a racist and he helped organize a protest against him. Others on Fox have likened him to Stalin. Is that defensible? MURDOCH: No, no, no, not Stalin, I don't think. I don't know who that, not one of our people. On the racist thing, that caused a grilling. But he did make a very racist comment. Ahhh ... about, you know, blacks and whites and so on, and which he said in his campaign he would be completely above. And um, that was something which perhaps shouldn't have been said about the President, but if you actually assess what [Beck] was talking about, [Beck] was right."
- Fox Mogul Rupert Murdoch Echoes Glenn Beck, Calls Obama a Racist | Politics | AlterNet (view on Google Sidewiki)

2,266 Veterans Died In 2008 Because They Were Uninsured

Didn't Republicans care about veterans? Not when it comes to providing insurance for those who served their country fighting unnecessary wars they started.

in reference to:

"According to a study released by the Harvard Medical School, 2,266 veterans under the age of 65 died last year as a result of not having health insurance. Researchers emphasize that "that figure is more than 14 times the number of deaths (155) suffered by U.S. troops in Afghanistan in 2008, and more than twice as many as have died (911 as of Oct. 31) since the war began in 2001." The 1.46 million working-age veterans that did not have health insurance last year all experienced reduced access to care as a consequence, leading to "six preventable deaths a day.""
- 2,266 Veterans Died In 2008 Because They Were Uninsured (view on Google Sidewiki)

Outage leaves millions without power in Brazil

Coincidence? On Sunday we heard a 60 Minutes report on how hackers plunged Brazil into darkness. Now 2 days later it happens again. Washington better be paying attention.

in reference to:

"A major electricity outage left tens of millions of people in Brazil's two largest cities of Sao Paulo and Rio De Janeiro without power on Tuesday night. The national electricity grid operator said 17,000 megawatts of energy had been lost, equivalent to the entire consumption of Sao Paulo State. The electricity operator in the state of Minas Gerais said the outage was caused by a problem with the Itaipu dam which lies on the border between Brazil and Paraguay."
- Outage leaves millions without power in Brazil | Markets | Hot Stocks | Reuters (view on Google Sidewiki)

Google says Murdoch stories can be taken off

Murdoch has apparently become so big that he thinks he blackmail the news industry. We need to send him a message. This is sinister. FOXNews is already a powerful force in politics. Especially within the Republican Party. It is why the President has refused to deal with them. A foreigner like Rupert Murdoch should not have that kind of influence in the news business in America. [I am aware that Murdoch is a U.S. citizen. But this was done solely so that he could purchase FOX.

in reference to:

"Google said on Tuesday, in response to threats by Rupert Murdoch to ban the search engine from listing content from his news empire, that any company could ask to have stories taken off.In an interview in his native Australia, Murdoch accused Google of stealing stories from News Corp. newspapers for the Google News service, and said he might ban them once he introduces charges for the papers' online editions.Google said it was up to individual news organisations to decide whether they wanted their stories listed on Google News, and there were "simple technical standards" that would remove them if they wished."News organisations are in complete control over whether and how much of their content appears in search results," it said said in a statement issued in London."
- AFP: Google says Murdoch stories can be taken off (view on Google Sidewiki)

Michael Steele Hates White People

I wonder what Glenn Beck thinks of RNC Chair after hearing these remarks. Doesn't this show that Steele hates white:
"MARTIN: But your candidates got to talk to them. One of the criticisms I've always had is Republicans -- white Republicans -- have been scared of black folks.

STEELE: You're absolutely right. I mean I've been in the room and they've been scared of me."
- source: http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/michael-steele-says-he-scares-white-rep

Transcript: ABC Interviews President Obama

Read the transcript (see video at this link as well) of ABC's interview of President Obama:

TAPPER: Here's a question a lot of Senate Democrats want to know. You said, when you gave your joint address to Congress, that under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions. This amendment passed Saturday night which not only prohibits abortion coverage in the public option, but also prohibits women who receive subsidies from taking out plans that -- that provide abortion coverage. Does that meet the promise that you set out or does it over reach, does it go too far?

OBAMA: You know, I laid out a very simple principle, which is this is a health care bill, not an abortion bill. And we're not looking to change what is the principle that has been in place for a very long time, which is federal dollars are not used to subsidize abortions.

And I want to make sure that the provision that emerges meets that test -- that we are not in some way sneaking in funding for abortions, but, on the other hand, that we're not restricting women's insurance choices, because one of the pledges I made in that same speech was to say that if you're happy and satisfied with the insurance that you have, that it's not going to change.

So, you know, this is going to be a complex set of negotiations. I'm confident that we can actually arrive at this place where neither side feels that it's being betrayed. But it's going to take some time.

TAPPER: Do you think that amendment is status quo or does it lean a little bit in one direction or the other?

OBAMA: I think that there are strong feelings on both sides. And what that tells me is that there needs to be some more work before we get to the point where we're not changing the status quo. And that's the goal. The goal here is to make sure that people who have health insurance have greater stability and security, people who don't have health insurance get the ability to buy it affordably and that we're driving down costs.

And, you know, I think everybody understands that there's going to be work to be done on the Senate side. It's not going to match up perfectly with the House side. But obviously, it was a historic night for the House. We've never been this far. And I'm very confident that my colleagues in the Senate are going to say to themselves that we've got to get this done.

Brian Ross: "The system Failed" with Hasan

ABC reporter, Brian Ross, appeared on Cspan today. He spoke on Major Hasan and how the Fort Hood killer said he put his religious above the United States. Ross detailed Hasan made contacts with a al Qaeda recruiter, who was an imam at a Virginia Mosque. The ABC reporter said there was plenty of warnings that were essentially ignored by the military.

Video: Train Comes Within Inches Of Drunk Woman

This video shows a drunk woman falling in front of a train in Boston. Another example of what happens when you drink too much.