Iraq Government Uses New Found Veto Power - WTF

Apparently Crazy King George has gone on vacation and left the Iraqi Government in charge of our constitutional processes.

For months President Bush harangued Democrats in Congress for not moving quickly enough to support the troops and for bogging down military bills with unrelated issues.

And then on Friday, with no warning, a vacationing Mr. Bush announced that he was vetoing a sweeping military policy bill because of an obscure provision that could expose Iraq’s new government to billions of dollars in legal claims dating to Saddam Hussein’s rule.

The decision left the Bush administration scrambling to promise that it would work with Congress to quickly restore dozens of new military and veterans programs once Congress returns to work in January.

Those included an added pay raise for service members, which would have taken effect on Tuesday, and improvements in veterans’ health benefits, which few elected officials on either side want to be seen opposing.

Mr. Bush’s veto surprised and infuriated Democratic lawmakers and even some Republicans, who complained that the White House had failed to raise its concerns earlier.

And it gave Democrats a chance to wield Mr. Bush’s support-the-troops oratory against him, which they did with relish.

“Only George Bush could be for supporting the troops before he was against it,” Senator John Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts, said in a statement, reworking a familiar Republican attack during his unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2004 that he supported the war in Iraq before he turned against it.

The veto was an embarrassment for administration officials, who struggled on Friday to explain why they had not acted earlier to object to the provision, Section 1083 of a 1,300-page, $696 billion military authorization bill. It would expand the ability of Americans to seek financial compensation from countries that supported or sponsored terrorist acts, including Libya, Iran and Iraq under Saddam Hussein.

You got to love Kerry’s shot. But really, now we veto legislation because the Iraqi’s say so?? Or is it really an end round being used to try and push the envelope on recess appointments??

Rudy,Mike, Mitt, John, Fred and Paul- Why I am Terribly Frightened

Frankly I am very concerned about the poor selections the Republican party has in front of them. We need to realize that whomever the Republic party nominee is they have a real chance of being elected(or appointed as “w” was) President.

Following 8 years of Crazy King George this country could be in big trouble.

Look at the choices;

Rudy “Shaggate” Giuliani – The man in running on his record as “Mayor” of NYC….where they were ready to run him out on rail when 9/11 occurred

The man is incapable of a complete sentence that does not include the term 9/11.

He used the NYPD security for his Mistress while Mayor of NYC.

Accepted a position on the Iraq Study Group, then did not bother to show up.

Tried to foist the most corrupt police commission in the history of NYC off on the country as head of Home Land Security.

Used 9/11 to line his pockets with huge cash from some very questionable clients.

Uses code words to pander to the Right Wing Nutjobs, just like he did while mayor in NYC.

Would make Darth Cheney and “W” look like they ran an open co-equal branch of government.

Protects his pedophile priest pal

Willard “Mitt the Morman” Romney – The “say anything” candidate who has sunk he personal fortune into the run for President.

Has some seriously wacko religious beliefs, (note this link takes you to an LDS website) He made them fair game with his little “I am a morman” speech in Dallas.

Said "You can't have freedom without religion, and you can't have religion without freedom."

Has taken both sides of every issue known to man based on his current political environment.

Has evoked such distrust as to actually warrant an anti-endorsement from two of NH leading papers.

Is a life long hunter.

Saw his father walk with Martin Luther King.

Walked with Martin Luther King– a Timeline of the evolving story.

Thinks torture is ok.

Wants to double the size of gitmo

Mike “The Theocrat” Huckabee –

Pressured the board of pardons and paroles into releasing a rapist for strictly political reasons and has lied about his role ever since.

Advocated for mass quarantine of HIV/AIDS victims in 1992 years after the CDC indicated casual contact could not spread AIDS/HIV.

Believes wives should "graciously submit to their husband's sacrificial leadership."

Has some explaining to do about “the hanging dog” episode.

Has gone to extremes to point out that he is the true “Christian” in the race.

Doesn’t have a freaking clue about the rest of the world.

Thinks puns about shooting people are funny

John “I used to be a straight shooter” McCain

Now panders to the Right and is willing to subvert the 1^st amendment to do it.

Thinks Bombing a country is funny

Fred “I am alive, really” Thompson –

Seems he can’t be bothered by campaigning

Knows better than the folks who write the NIEs.

Ron “racist” Paul

Enough Said

I would have voted for McCain had he beaten Bush in 2000, but now I am not so sure. I kind of hope he wins the party nod this time even though he polls the best against the Dems, not that I would support him, but he is the least dangerous of the republicans out there and I lack confidence in the democrats ability to win in 2008 regardless of who the republican candidate is. There is hope however which I will explore soon.

Jim Hightower sends his wishes for the New Year

I enjoy the wisdom of Jim Hightower and I hope that you will also.

Our Police State - Fingerprints For A Traffic Stop

Police Begin Fingerprinting on Traffic Stops

If you're ticketed by Green Bay police, you'll get more than a fine. You'll get fingerprinted, too. It's a new way police are cracking down on crime.

If you're caught speeding or playing your music too loud, or other crimes for which you might receive a citation, Green Bay police officers will ask for your drivers license and your finger. You'll be fingerprinted right there on the spot. The fingerprint appears right next to the amount of the fine.

Police say it's meant to protect you -- in case the person they're citing isn't who they claim to be. But not everyone is sold on that explanation.

"What we've seen happen for the last couple of years [is] increasing use of false or fraudulent identification documents," Captain Greg Urban said.

Police say they want to prevent the identity theft problem that Milwaukee has, where 13 percent of all violators give a false name.

But in Green Bay, where police say they only average about five cases in a year, drivers we talked with think the new policy is extreme.

Oh my, now they have gone off the deep end. This is just plain overkill, soon all newborns will be subject to DNA harvesting, all in the interest of “public safety”, people, this stuff is a slippery slope and we are heading down hill fast.

It has said many times (usually poorly quoted), but ol’ Ben Franklin was right:

“Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.

Thanks to The All Spin Zone for pointing this story out.

WWJD about imigration ?

The parable of Christmas–as it recounts Mary’s and Joseph’s search for shelter–concerns itself with, among other matters, how we treat uninvited guests who arrive on our proverbial doorsteps. And the parable’s message is clear as to what to do. As ordained Baptist minister Mike Huckabee–whose new campaign commercial says “no” to sanctuary cities and amnesty, and calls for building a border fence–said in St. Petersburg, the Bible teaches us (as do the best traditions of all major religions and humanist ethical codes) to “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

So for those who profess to love God and embrace Jesus and the Bible as their ethical sources, the choice seems obvious: either stop invoking them or, better yet, live up to the principles you claim. This would entail seeing and treating so-called illegals as our brothers, sisters, neighbors, and members of our various communities –as people who are part of us–rather than a “them” to be excluded.

Domain Tweak - Update RSS feeds

If you have subscribed to the RSS feeds you will need to delete and re-add the feed, we are moving the Blog to the main page.

While curlydog.com/blog will redirect to the main page, the rss feeds will not.

Thanks and Merry Christmas!!

TASER ME ELMO

RJ Matsen St Louis Post-Dispatch December 21, 2007

Thanks to the Moderate Voice for pointing it out.

Dude at least they didn't tase you

Lost a car, found a mess

Prowling the jammed mall lot draws unfriendly attention from security and police.

Larry DiSalvo called Saturday the worst shopping day of his life.

Not even close.

There he stood in the Tyrone Square Mall parking lot, surrounded by three police cruisers and mall security. Police had searched and interrogated him. All the while, DiSalvo said, shoppers gawked, perhaps wondering whom he had killed.

The 57-year-old said he was guilty of one thing: forgetfulness. He lost his 1991 Grand Marquis in a sea of 6,000 parked cars.

But mall security thought he was wandering the parking lot looking for cars to break into.

The result: He's banned from the mall for life.

"They gave me the shopping equivalent of a life term without any parole," the retired real estate agent said. "I'm a mall person. I grew up in malls. I've never in my 57 years on this planet had a problem in a mall.

"Unfortunately," he said, "today my unlucky number came up."

DiSalvo has no apparent criminal record. He said he is an honest Treasure Island resident who has shopped at Tyrone for 14 years without incident. He denied even thinking of breaking into a car.

Tyrone security refused to comment, and mall management did not return calls.

St. Petersburg police said they witnessed no crime, and just issued a trespass warning to DiSalvo at the request of the mall. "It's a decision made by the property owners," said police Sgt. Mark Degan, a shift supervisor. "The officers felt they didn't see any criminal intent," otherwise DiSalvo could have faced arrest.