Crony Corruption

REPUBLICAN HEAD OF PBS FACES FEDERAL INVESTIGATION

Ken Tomlinson, a long time friend of Karl Rove, was appointed to head the Corporation for Public Broadcasting by the Bush Administration. He has launched an ongoing partisan attack against the organization in an attempt to force PBS to carry more right wing programming. He was forced to resigned on Thursday after an Inspector General issued a critical report. The New York Times reports today that Tomlinson is now under investigation for misusing federal funds. He remains on the influential Broadcasting Board of Governors, which is charged with improving the image of the United States abroad.

People involved in the inquiry said it involved accusations that Mr. Tomlinson was spending federal money for personal purposes, using board money for corporation activities, using board employees to do corporation work and hiring ghost employees or improperly qualified employees.
In recent weeks, State Department investigators have seized records and e-mail from the Broadcasting Board of Governors, officials said. They have shared some material with the inspector general at the corporation, including e-mail traffic between Mr. Tomlinson and White House officials including Karl Rove, a senior adviser to President Bush and a close friend of Mr. Tomlinson. Mr. Rove and Mr. Tomlinson became friends in the 1990's when they served on the Board for International Broadcasting, the predecessor agency to the board of governors. Mr. Rove played an important role in Mr. Tomlinson's appointment as chairman of the broadcasting board.

That inspector general examined several contracts that were approved by Mr. Tomlinson but not disclosed to board members. The contracts provided for payments to a researcher who monitored the political content of several shows, including "Now" with Bill Moyers, and payments to two Republican lobbyists who were retained to help defeat a proposal in Congress that would have required greater representation of broadcasters on the corporation's board.
The inspector general also examined the role of a White House official, Mary C. Andrews, in Mr. Tomlinson's creation of an ombudsman's office to monitor the political balance of programs.
On Thursday Mr. Tomlinson was forced to step down from the corporation, which directs nearly $400 million in federal money to public radio and television, after the board was briefed about the conclusions by its inspector general. In that inquiry, examiners looked at accusations that Mr. Tomlinson improperly used corporation money to promote more conservative programming.

Hammer Time!

I had an unique New York moment this afternoon. I was walking down the street in my neighborhood as I do everyday. There are always a of people out, talking, laughing and doing just about anything you can imagine. Even though I have only been here two weeks I feel like I am pretty much ready to handle almost anything. But I was caught a bit off guard when I saw two guys running down the street - one wielding a hammer.

To be honest, that didn't really scare me all that much, but the fact that they were chasing a huge rat did! These guys were running around in circles chasing this rat around slamming the hammer on the sidewalk, each time missing the speedy rodent by just inches. The guy with the hammer was cursing at the rat every time he missed and was taunting it as he continued in pursuit. The friend screamed encouragement and stayed close behind in the chase.

This seemed to be quite amusing to the dozens of people up and down the street witnessing the event. But not to me, because they were chasing the damn thing in MY direction. One of the rules of the street in New York City is to never look intimidated. But I leapt into the air and ran into the road (more like a tippy toe trot) as Hammer man, his screaming friend and the big fat rat continued their little game. I'm not sure what I feared most, the rat running at me, or seeing the oversized rodents squashed by a hammer! Finally, after dodging half a dozen attempts at his life, the rat slipped down into some hole and disappeared.

I regained my cool and returned to the sidewalk to continue on my way. I heard the friend criticizing the hammer man saying "I thought you were going to throw it at him". I'm not sure if that would have been more effective method of extermination, but at least I sure would have had a more manly reason for running into the street like a frightened little girl.

Bush popularity Hits new Bottom

A new public opinion poll indicates that a majority of Americans now have doubts about President Bush's integrity.
According to findings in the latest Washington Post - ABC News poll, 58 percent of those surveyed said they have doubts about his honesty - the first time more than half of the country has questioned President Bush's personal integrity.
Sixty percent of respondents disapprove of the president's overall performance in office - higher than in any previous Post - ABC polls

Bill Frist, Cat Killer

Senate Republican Leader Bill Frist acknowledged he routinely killed cats while an ambitious medical student at Harvard Medical School. Frist disclosed that he went to animal shelters and pretended to adopt the cats, telling shelter personnel he intended to keep them as pets. Instead he used them to sharpen his surgical skills, killing them in the process.

No Way Home

Delta Air Lines to halt non-stop flights from Talla- hassee to New York City
Delta Air Lines will halt its non-stop flights from Tallahassee to New York City and to Cincinnati Dec. 1 as part of the company's overall plan to reduce regional jet service by 25 percent across the country.
Delta officials hope the flight cuts will help it emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy with an economically viable business plan.
The Tallahassee-New York flight was inaugurated Jan. 31 and was touted as a business-oriented flight that gave travelers a chance to go to New York City in the morning and return the same night.
Tallahassee Regional Airport officials say the early-morning flight could not attract enough passengers to be profitable. Airline industry experts say the cancelled flight may be a signal of reduced service in the future at small regional airports by cash-strapped airlines trying to focus on longer, more-profitable flights.

from the Tallahassee Democrat

Another Secret Uncovered

Stories like this make me wonder just how much is being hidden from the American people. It is simply outragious how the Bush administration has to be forced to tell the simple truth.

By Charles Aldinger
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Omar al-Faruq, one of al Qaeda's most senior global operatives, escaped from an American military prison in July, U.S. defense officials said on Wednesday.

The Kuwaiti man, who was captured in Indonesia in 2002 and turned over to the United States, was among four prisoners who fled heavily fortified Bagram Air Base prison on July 10, the officials said. He remains at large.

The officials, who asked not to be identified, did not explain why the United States did not reveal Faruq was among the four men until pressed by lawyers this week at a military trial in Texas of an Army sergeant charged with maltreating detainees in Afghanistan.

My News

I knew it would happen. I'm not a germ-a-phobe at all but I did think about all those dirty hand rails in the subways that I have been grabbing for the past two weeks. Sure enough I have my first cold in NYC. I suppose it is good to get my body used to all the new stuff floating around. But when I don't even have the energy to blog it's upsetting. But after a little nap and a big cup of tea I feel a little better. All I have to do is order my latex gloves and face mask and I will be ready to go out again.

Yesterday was a HUGE day in news. I really think Harry Reid hit a home run by forcing a closed session of the Senate. I get the feeling that the all important middle ground of America (people unlike me - who have a limited interest in politics and no strong feelings toward one side or another) agree with what Reid did. The Republicans can spin all they want but Americans will not forget all those who have died and all those who have lied. Harry Reid brought that point home and the Republican response to him seems to be making them look even less honest than before.

Amazing isn't it that Tom Delay can more or less pick his own judge? I remember in the 90's when 2 special prosecutors were replaced from investigating Bill Clinton. Why? The first one was a Democrat, the second a moderate Republican. Republicans would not allow it. Finally the Reds insisted that Ken Starr, a hardcore Republican, had to take over the investigation. Then, like now, they got what they want. The word fascism is misused often, but I am proved more and more correct everyday in my description of the Republicans in this way.

So it is appropriate that we learn today that the Bush administration is running secret Soviet style jails in Eastern Europe for "terrorist suspects". The behavior of Republican reads like a cheap political novel. But, the fact that so much of America (although almost no one else in the world), is apathetic to their behavior reminds me more of a frightening work of science fiction.
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You know, when I posted the Aaron Brown story an hour or so ago I thought I might give you all a run down of my favorite news programs during the day. So, want it or not, here it is.

7-10 am - Washington Journal - C-Span
Great guests, impartial hosts and viewer call ins. Sure beats watching dorks wave outside the window of Katie and Matt.

10am - 12pm MSNBC (usually) CNN (sometimes) FOX (rarely)
This is where I usually flip around a lot for the new. From 10 to 12 the news networks seem to think it is time to put on ditsy women and silly men as their news anchors. God, I hate that. I usually stick on one channel until they irritate me, then I change.

12pm-3pm Connected - MSNBC
"Connected" with Ron Reagan and Monica Crowley is usually pretty good. They take the news seriously without devolving into spin or arguments. Ron Reagan is very good and somehow manages to keep his cool when dealing with the right wingers.

3-6pm The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer - CNN
I have always been a Wolf Blitzer fan and looked forward to this show very much when I heard about it's development. Three hours bouncing from breaking story to story, multiple video screens, etc. For someone with News ADD it seemed like the perfect format. I do wish Wolf would calm down a bit though. He is almost literally breathless with EVERYTHING he say. He can make an upcoming commercial break sound like an incoming missile. Calm down Wolf, the news doesn't need the hype. Jack Cafferty is a lot of fun on this show. He may be the only unpredictable person left in TV news.

6-7pm NewsHour with Jim Lehrer - PBS
A long time favorite. A great way to get deep into the news of the day. An honorable mention goes to Lou Dobbs on CNN who is coming on strong. Here in NY, the NewsHour is on frequently so now I sometimes watch both. (it's nice having TiVo now too!)

7-8pm Hardball with Chris Matthews - MSNBC
He is always breathless too but it seems more natural with him than it does with Wolf. He knows Washington and is a bit like a John McCain of newies - leans to the right but will call out a lie most of the time when he sees it no matter who is trying to tell it.

8-9pm Countdown with Keith Olberman - MSNBC (best news show)
The best of the Prime Time bunch. Some say he is liberal, I say he tells the truth. He calls it like I see it and has a fun time doing it. He is the most like me of anyone on TV right now.

9pm -10pm Mad Money - CNBC
I have been a Larry King fan since he did AM radio in Miami when I was a kid. He was so unpopular that I called in almost every night and to talk to him. (Looking back it was probably my daily, engaging calls that kept him employed!) I watched his career bloom over the years and was happy to see him become such a success. But now that he tends to interview so many show biz people I have lost interest. Also, his questions seem more and more out of touch and it is sadly becoming a pointless hour. Mad Money, the newest show in my line up, is really a treat. The host, Kramer, screams and yells but comes across as a sweet and nice guy. Hard to pull off but he does it. He talks about stocks and financial planning the whole hour and while most of it is way beyond me I still try to catch at least some of his show everyday.

10pm on - pick 'em
By now I am pretty much done with the news. If I still want more I surf around or watch some more C-SPAN

Keep in mind I don't really watch all news everyday - these are just my first picks if I am by a TV and in the mood for news. Some may notice that no program on FOXNews is mentioned. Sorry, but they are pretty much a propaganda channel for the GOP and I have never been that much into Kool Aid. To be fair though there are some FOX News shows I might watch for a while: FOX News Sunday (I like all the Sunday morning shows); Special Report, (but Brit Hume is a timebomb ready to explode from his internal hatred), and the Beltway Boys (a type of Capital Gang but with only two hosts - one on the right and one on the far right).

Hmm..Writing this up has made me feel better. Perhaps a cold is the least serious of my illnesses I should worry about.

Brown Out at CNN

Reports say Aaron Brown has left CNN after being asked to switch time slots with up and coming newsie Anderson Cooper. I remember him also leaving in a bit of a huff at ABC News Nightline to join the cable news network in 2001. His timing seemed perfect at the time - his second day on the job he was live on the air for the 9-11 attacks.

His show at 10pm was a favorite of mine for a while because of his great analysis and calm demeanor. However I had stopped watching it a few months ago because he crossed that fine line between calm and boring. Also by 10pm I have usually watched almost all the news I could stand and watching Brown "calmly" reporting the same stories I was already familiar with seemed a waste of an hour.

I wish he had taken the earlier slot. He will be missed but I think the CNN execs had it right putting some fresh blood in at the 10 o'clock hour. Keep in mind that 10pm on the east coast is 7pm on the west. Prime Time. Brown was a bit too slow for this important hour.

Give 'em Hell Harry!

Join me in rewarding Harry Reid's actions today to force accountablity for the pre war intellegence failure.

Harry Reid Bio

DONATE HERE

Texas Justice - Judge removed from Delay case for being a Democrat

New Low for Red America!

AUSTIN, Tex., Nov. 1 - A Texas court agreed today that a Democratic judge should be removed from Representative Tom Delay's criminal trial because of the judge's contributions to Democratic candidates and causes.

The decision came this afternoon after several hours of testimony in which Mr. Delay's lawyer, Dick DeGuerin, said that the contributions by the judge in the case, Bob Perkins of the 331st Judicial Criminal District Court, would create questions "in the minds of reasonable people" that he could not rule impartially. Mr. Delay is charged with money laundering and conspiracy, and he was forced to step down as the Republican majority leader in the United States House of Representatives.
The judge in today's hearing, C.W. Duncan, did not immediately indicate who would replace Judge Perkins in the criminal trial nor when the trial would get started. Judge Perkins had declined to recuse himself from the case.

During the hearing, Mr. DeGuerin said he was not accusing the judge of any rongdoing for making 34 contributions to Democratic and liberal groups since 2000. Texas law says that because judges are elected in that state, they can contribute to
candidates and political parties.

from New York Times

BACKBONE IN THE BACK ROOM!

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid demanded a closed session to talk about the "Phase II" investigation of the CIA leak. He is pushing the Republicans to keep their promise to investigate pre-war intelligence failures.

"It's important because we live in a democracy. It is clear now that the American people were not properly informed before the invasion of Iraq. Intelligence information was distorted and misused, and we've seen as late as last week the lengths to which this administration has gone to to silence and discredit their critics of the misuse of this intelligence information. The Republican congress in general and the senate in particular and specifically the Senate
Intelligence Committee has been derelict in its responsibility of oversite over this administration. "

"The purpose of this closed session in the Senate chamber, a historic session I might add, is to finally give the truth to at least the members of the Senate, to finally call to task the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committe, to hold him responsible for finally investigating as he's promised for over a year".

Why Scooter Lied

I SAW THIS INTERESTING ARTICLE WHICH CAN ANSWER THE QUESTION PUNDITS EVERYWHERE ARE ASKING: "WHY WOULD SUCH A SMART MAN LIE TO THE GRAND JURY AND SPECIAL PROSECUTOR?" THE ANSWER - THE MAKE SURE BUSH WAS RE-ELECTED IN '04 . IT WORKED!

By E. J. Dionne Jr.

Has anyone noticed that the coverup worked? In his impressive presentation of the indictment of Lewis "Scooter" Libby last week, Patrick Fitzgerald expressed the wish that witnesses had testified when subpoenas were issued in August 2004, and "we would have been here in October 2004 instead of October 2005." Note the significance of the two dates: October 2004, before President Bush was reelected, and October 2005, after the president was reelected. Those dates make clear why Libby threw sand in the eyes of prosecutors, in the special counsel's apt metaphor, and helped drag out the investigation.

As long as Bush still faced the voters, the White House wanted Americans to think that officials such as Libby, Karl Rove and Vice President Cheney had nothing to do with the leak campaign to discredit its arch-critic on Iraq, former ambassador Joseph Wilson. And Libby, the good soldier, pursued a brilliant strategy to slow the inquiry down. As long as he was claiming that journalists were responsible for spreading around the name and past CIA employment of Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, Libby knew that at least some news organizations would resist having reporters testify. The journalistic "shield" was converted into a shield for the Bush administration's coverup.

Bush and his disciples would like everyone to assume that Libby was some kind of lone operator who, for this one time in his life, abandoned his usual caution. They pray that Libby will be the only official facing legal charges and that political interest in the case will dissipate.

Right Face!

A weakened President Bush pandered to Right Wing base to nominate Judge Sam Alito Jr. as Associate Justice for the Supreme Court of the United States. He was originally appointed to the bench by the President Bush's father. He was chosen after Harriet Miers proved to be unacceptable to the far right of the Republican party.

What remains to be seen is whether they will accept this nomination. The litmus tests required by the conservatives include overturning the right to choose an abortion, fundamentalists religious beliefs and an ability to march in lock step with the right wing. President Bush was burned by the conservatives with his choice of Harriet Miers and this choice of a hard right judge with Bush Family connections seem to meet the criteria required for promotion in Red America .

The Republicans also hope that the choice of an extremist also will serve as a distraction to the mounting legal and ethical problems faced by the Bush Administration. It is hoped that by nominating someone who makes radicals happy but is outside the mainstream of America, Bush can distract Democrats and the country from the CIA leak case.

Look for conservative commentators to talk about the "principles" of George W. Bush. Remember though "principles" to them means satisfying their narrow needs rather than doing what is right and good for the country.

Bush clearly looked angry during the announcement. He almost glared as he mention that Alito has more experience on the bench than anyone appointed to the Supreme Court in 70 years. The President, who only seems to be happy if he is involved in a battle, seems to be spoiling for a fight. The choice of Alito is the just the latest chip on the shoulder of this mentally unstable man.

Karma by the pint

Whenever it is time for a cold beer it's nice to have a favorite spot to go to. Thank goodness, I already have one here in New York City: Jimmy's Corner. You may remember that I made a grand entrance to this place when I visited New York City in May where I spilled the first beer Jimmy poured me all over the place. I was scared. Here was this huge man, a former boxing trainer, nearly covered in beer spilled by a careless tourist. But, instead of knocking or kicking me out (or making me buy a new beer) he poured me a freebie as a replacement for the one I had knocked over. I was grateful and hoped to one day be able to pay him back. Well I went there the other day and did just that - and I even got another free beer in the process!

I have spent the past week getting adjusted to my new residence. Let me tell you that I have to get used to everything being different. When I say everything I mean it; sleeping, waking, eating and, especially, going to the bathroom. Back home I would drink water all day with out a care in the world. When I needed to go I would go. In New York City that is a whole different story. There are millions of people here and dozens of bathrooms. Restaurants can't and won't let you come in just to go, and more often than not you have to hold it until you get home. (Although the persistent smell of urine outside, as well as already witnessing public urination indicates that some don't wait at all).

But I digress. I had been here a week and felt I needed some accomplishment before I relaxed with a cold one. On Wednesday I had a job interview that seemed to go well so I figured I would allow myself the pleasure of stopping by Jimmy's Corner for a pint or two. I somehow found a table and sat down to watch the World Series game four pregame show. After a pint and a half I had to make the decision to whether to get a 3rd one. About that time Jimmy came walking by with hands full of cash from the register. As he waked, by a nice sized wad of money fell out of his hand and landed right at my feet. I am not sure how much it was but it was at least 10 bills with twenties on the outside. He keeps on walking, oblivious to the fact that he had just lost a nice chunk of the evenings takings. At first I was stunned that he (and nobody else) noticed but I immediately picked it up and chased him down. He seemed somewhat confused at first when I handed him the money but when I explained what happened, he then grabbed the waitress and told her to get me what ever I wanted.

I received a cold beer and returned some good karma.

Worst President Ever!

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