An actual 21st-century human whose purpose in life is to slum around masturbating in the Royal Forest every day until his mother dies and he becomes “King of England,” after which his purpose in life will be to slum around masturbating in the Royal Forest every day, may never reacheth this apex of Masturbator-King of England — by his own divinations! Britannia’s beloved nut-child recently tooketh out his Golden TI-86 Calculator, entered Functions, and anatomized the percolations his Arithmetick, only to ascertain — as orated by Royal Edict last e’en — “that we have just 96 months left to save the world.” Ball’s in your court, Gore. [Independent]
We are an agent for a dry cleaner. This means that we collect things for cleaning and send it to the plant. They also collect things from their depots that need repairing/hemming/new zippers/etc and give them to us to do (the owners of the plant do all the pickup/delivery). If they don't ask for a price quote, then we just do the job, write the price on the back of the instruction tag that we need to be paid, and send it back.
So anyway, one of the depots sent along a suit jacket that needed a repair. They safety pinned an instruction tag to the label at the back of the neck. It read: "lining, repair hole" and that was it.
We looked inside the jacket and the lining was rubbed so much around the inside pockets, that it was really thin and about to have a huge hole at any second. The tailor (who used to own the business, but sold it and now works a few hours a week for a lot of money) Went right to it and hand-sewed a marvelous looking patch over the worn area. It completely covered the wear, but didn't impede the pockets at all. The price attached to it was $27.99. A fair price for the amount of time it took and quality of work, not to mention it had to be sewn by hand.
We sent it back to the depot by way of the plant. It came back two days later with a scathing note. The customer refused to pay for the repair, because we repaired the wrong thing. The customer was completely right in this respect. He didn't ask for that area to be repaired. The depot lady was not clear at all, and what she meant was, that the pocket (the one where the pocket-square goes) was damaged inside and needed to be repaired. It was her fault.
To us, and most other seamstresses I know, 'lining' means the lining fabric for the torso of the jacket, 'sleeve lining' is inside the sleeves and 'pocket lining' means the inside of the pockets. Since the instructions said 'lining' and there was a hole on the lining, we fixed it.
Since the customer refused to pay for it, I took the nice patch off. Then, in order to fix the tiny pocket, I had to go in through the lining in the armpit (it is one of the jackets where the torso lining and sleeve lining is sewn to the outside fabric independently and that is the only place to get in that is close enough to do the work. I had to fix the pocket by hand, because it was too small and to hard to get it to fit in the machine. Then I had to close the lining by hand.
The new price was $19.99. The customer still refused to pay it, so the depot lady let him get away with paying only $7.50. Now the dry cleaner is trying to get us to give them a huge discount because they have to pay the difference.
It is not fair of them to demand the discount. As I understand it, the depot asks the customer if they want a price quote (if it is not a usual job that they have a definite price for like a jean hem) and if we don't see a note requesting it, we don't have to give one. We did what the instructions said, then we lost the $27.99 we should have earned but still had to pay the tailor. Then my boss had to pay me for doing the $19.99 job, but they only want to pay $7.50 for it. Y___Y I don't think my boss will give it to them though, so that is good... because as it is the $7.50 that they would give would probably only barely cover paying me and the tailor (if that).
x-posted
- Mood:calm
calm- Mood:
cynical - Music:Iggy Pop, "Lust for Life"
- Mood:accomplished
- Music:Conan O'Brien
And every time I lay on my back, for even just a minutes I feel like my whole body is going numb.
Experienced co-sleepers, help!
My daughter with be 2 1/2 when her baby sister is born in September. We started co-sleeping with her during breastfeeding, because I got more sleep that way! She loves it. She kind of likes her own bed (crib on toddler bed setting, so she's not trapped. But she really prefers to sleep between Mommy & Daddy. Between being pregnant and wanting my sleep, I haven't forced her to stay in her own bed.
I don't know how I'll make bedtime work when Baby arrives. I'll want Baby to sleep with us for breastfeeding - any advice about getting my toddler to stay in her own bed?
While John Ensign looks for his checkbook, and Tom Coburn gives relocation advice, the political and polling axis continues to turn.
MN-Gov: Coleman Bruised Badly By Electoral Contest, Says New Poll
So, all that talk about the inevitability of a Coleman gubernatorial bid might have taken a little bit of a hit. PPP polls Minnesota, and finds that Coleman's favorables are a painful 38/52, and that he would lose to either former Senator Mark Dayton (41-39) or Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak (45-39). Here's an "ouch" for the Coleman-loving Wall Street Journal to ponder: 54% of those polled said that Coleman's conduct during the post-election phase had made them LESS likely to vote for him.
The Money Chase: Lots of New Figures, And Several Impressive Ones
As we have seen throughout the week, a lot of candidates for office in 2010 are posting their second-quarter fundraising totals now. Most impressive, without question, was the haul for the establishment candidate in the Florida Senate race. Florida Gov. Charlie Crist Florida Governor raised an eye-popping $4.3 million for the quarter. Crist outraised Republican insurgent candidate Marco Rubio by a 14-to-1 margin. Meanwhile, the Democrats have a reason to smile as well, as one of their rookie challengers, Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet, banked over $200,000 for the quarter. In the race for Texas Governor Rick Perry announced a huge haul: $4.2 million in nine days. He starts the campaign against Republican primary opponent (and US Senator) Kay Bailey Hutchison with about $9 million on hand.
TX-Gov: Perry Has Double Digit Lead in GOP Primary, Says UT
A new poll out today from the University of Texas gives Governor Rick Perry a twelve-point edge (38-26) over Kay Bailey Hutchison in the GOP primary for Governor. While this poll confirms others with a Perry lead, I remain a bit mystified that so many folks would be undecided in a race with two major players in the party.
NJ-Gov: Christie Loses Ground, But Maintains Lead, According to Rasmussen
In this year's New Jersey gubernatorial campaign, Rasmussen gives Republican nominee Chris Christie a seven-point edge (46-39) over Democratic Governor Jon Corzine. While this is still a significant edge for the challenger, it is roughly half of the advantage he enjoyed in the afterglow of his primary win. A June Ras poll gave Christie a twelve-point advantage (51-39). Rasmussen notes that 42% of voters are either truly undecided or are still persuadable, which is excellent news for the incumbent, who needs to claw back from a deficit he has been burdened with throughout.
Incidentally, Corzine's troubles, as well as sagging poll numbers for many incumbent Democratic governors, will be the topic of my essay this Sunday during Sunday Kos.
NY-State Senate: Espada Returning To Dems?
Well, this is an amusing development: it is now being reported that apostate Democrat Pedro Espada is planning to return to the Democratic fold in the State Senate, thus breaking the 31-31 deadlock and returning the Democratic Party to the majority they held until Espada and his co-conspirator Hiram Montserrate decided to start this whole mess a month and a day ago. In the strangest part of the saga, Malcolm Smith, whose role as Senate leader was allegedly the crux of the dispute, will be reinstated as Majority Leader. Anyone with good theories on what the holy heck happened here--please share.
Fox & Friends host Gretchen Carlson discusses the results of study conducted in Finland and Sweden showing married individuals are less likely to develop dementia and Alzheimers...which prompts her sidekick Brian Kilmeade to launch into a stream of science-babble that would make a eugenicist blush:
KILMEADE: We keep marrying other species and other ethnics.
CARLSON: Are you sure you're not suffering from some of the causes of dementia now?
KILMEADE: You see, the problem with, uh. The Swedes have pure genes because they marry other Swedes because that's the rule. Finland, Finns marry other Finns, so they have a pure society.
In America, we marry everybody, Italians, Irish.
MORRIS: So the study does not apply to us?
KILMEADE: The study does not apply to us.
The most charitable explanation for Kilmeade's comments is that he was saying that he doesn't think the study applies to the 'mutts' in America (who marry "other species" and "other ethnics") because it was conducted in Finland and Sweden (who have "pure genes" and "pure society").
When that's the most charitable explanation, you know you've said something really loony -- a special kind of ignorance right up there with "the Earth is 6,000 years old."
Apparently, Kilmeade is so hung up on his belief that people of different colors belong to different "species" that he failed to grasp that even if his views were right, this study measured the influence of a lifestyle choice (i.e., the environment) on Alzheimer's and dementia. In other words, even if you accept Kilmeade's demented predicate, the conclusion he's drawing is moronic.
The larger point is that even though there are some diseases that plague certain ethnic groups more than others, it does not necessarily follow that the reason for the difference is genetic in nature. In fact, it usually doesn't. Take, for example, Alzheimer's: research shows that the genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease is the same among African-Americans and whites.
You wouldn't expect Kilmeade to know that, however. He's too busy fantasizing about the "pure society" of Finland.
Also see Stroszek's recommended diary, "Fox and Friends" Host Argues for Racially "Pure Society".
( A Lesson for Sucky Customers )
( And now a few words for restaurant patrons. )
We're grilling tequila lime chicken and watching Weeds (tivo'd from Monday) tonight.
For the one or two readers who watch The Bachelorette, don't miss Reality Steve’s interview of Wes Hayden (podcast link here). He's not the villain ABC has portrayed him to be.
What are you all doing and thinking about? This is an open thread, all topics welcome.
Old lady: Where is this bus going?
Drunk girl: To the moon!
Old lady: Really?
--2nd St & 2nd Ave
In response to Judge Vaughan Walker's order from a hearing in early June commanding the attorney for plaintiffs al-Haramain et. al to file a motion for summary judgment, the attorneys filed that motion [pdf] today.
The motion opens with a bang:
"Warrantless surveillance of American citizens, in defiance of FISA, is unlawful and unconstitutional."
President Barack Obama, December 20, 2007"We owe the American people a reckoning."
Attorney General Eric Holder, June 13, 2008This lawsuit challenges the federal government’s warrantless electronic surveillance of plaintiffs Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation, Inc. and two ofits lawyers, plaintiffs Wendell Belew and Asim Ghafoor. By this motion, plaintiffs seek this Court’s determination of plaintiffs’ Article III standing and defendants’ liability under FISA’s civil liability provision, 50 U.S.C. section 1810.
With this motion, plaintiffs submit non-classified evidence that this Court has already determined constitutes prima facie proof that plaintiffs were subjected to electronic surveillance within the meaning of FISA. Defendants have the burden of proving the existence of a FISA warrant for that surveillance. Unless, in opposition to this motion, defendants demonstrate a genuine issue of material fact with regard to plaintiffs’ electronic surveillance, or prove the existence of a FISA warrant, plaintiffs will be entitled to a summary determination that they were subjected to warrantless electronic surveillance and thus have Article III standing.
On the question of defendants’ liability under section 1810, there cannot be a genuine issue of material fact, because the liability issues require no fact-finding at all, but are purely legal in nature: May the President disregard the requirements of FISA based on Congress’s 2001
Authorization for Use of Military Force? May the President disregard the requirements of FISA based on inherent presidential power? Is FISA an unconstitutional intrusion on presidential power? These issues are wholly amenable to resolution by summary judgment. The time has come for this Court to address them, and to decide the overarching constitutional question presented by President George W. Bush’s program of warrantless electronic surveillance: May the President of the United States break the law in the name of national security?STATEMENT OF ISSUES
- Does non-classified evidence demonstrate plaintiffs’ warrantless electronic surveillance and thus their Article III standing?
- May the President disregard the requirements of FISA based on the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force or inherent presidential power?
After all the strum and drung of the past three and a half years since we learned about the illegal spying of the Bush administration, it does come down to that second question--does the executive have the authority to disregard the law? The filing, as Spencer argues, "presents a dare to the Obama administration: embrace the Bush administration’s warrantless surveillance claims, invoke a secrecy doctrine that Attorney General Eric Holder has pledged to overhaul, or allow a case challenging the merits of warrantless surveillance to win."
"This is the culmination of three and a half years of work, over repeated attempts by the government" to shut the case down, said Jon Eisenberg, the lead attorney for al-Haramain. "There have been shenanigans by the Bush Justice Department, which were no surprise, but also by the Obama Justice Department, which has been a shock."
In March, lawyers for the Obama administration followed its predecessor’s lead in the al-Haramain case, attempting to void the proceedings by invoking the "state secrets" privilege, which instructs judges to stop court proceedings because of potential national security concerns created by the airing of sensitive information. The original basis for al-Haramain’s case is a classified phone surveillance log that the government accidentally disclosed to al-Haramain’s lawyers and has since been recovered by the FBI. But Walker allowed the case to go forward after al-Haramain’s lawyers constructed a case using non-classified information — making no use of the so-called "Secret Document" — indicating that the Oregon-based charity was subject to surveillance....
Eisenberg said he is curious to see whether the Obama administration would actually defend the warrantless surveillance activities of its predecessor. The motion seeks to put the administration in a bind by citing numerous statements from senior officials denouncing the Terrorist Surveillance Program as illegal and the constitutional arguments for it to be dubious....
"What does Obama do?" Eisenberg said. "This is not just a question of hypocrisy. It’s a big constitutional mistake if he endorses [former Vice President Dick] Cheney’s theory of executive power."
That the program was illegal isn't in question. Given that al Haramain's lawyers have seen the proof--in that classified memo that was inadvertantely provided to them by the government--it's also not in question that al Haramain was included in that illegal wiretapping, and as bmaz points out was being surveilled during the period within the Bush administration that almost broke the Justice Department--the period punctuated by the dramatic confrontation at John Ashcroft's hospital bedside.
This information has been well known for years. The question now is whether Obama's Justice Department is going to continue to defend it. It hasn't commented yet on the filing. Walker will hear arguments on this filing on September 1.
Does anyone else here have moments of serious anxiety about the fact that you're going to have a baby soon?
This is my first pregnancy, and sometimes when my husband and I are doing something silly like taking a long drive just to pass the time, or going to the mall 45 minutes away at the drop of a hat, I get really anxious and overwhelmed at the idea that we're going to have a baby soon and this will all be over.
I am so thrilled to be having a baby, and I have no doubt in my mind that my husband and I will be marvelous parents, I just kinda freak out sometimes when I think about it that way. Its kind of a "what if I suck at this?" feeling like I'm just not ready. I'm sure its normal, I just want to know that I'm not the only one.
Tell me your new parent fears/worries?
- Mood:
anxious
Manolo says, apparently the American and French administrations share the matters of mutual interest.
I have an appointment on monday, normally my husband works out of town and is away for them, but he will be in town for this one, and he asked if he should go... I have no idea if it's normal or not.
It would be nice for him to meet the doctor before the baby is coming out of me though.
June 16: Tom Coburn praises John Ensign's "corrective force" for going public with his affair, and asks for forgiveness on Ensign's behalf:
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., said Ensign could use forgiveness.
"If you look at it in the light of everybody makes errors, at least he fessed up and resolved the problem with his family; so I think it speaks well of his corrective force."
July 8: Tom Coburn's office attacks Ensign for not having followed Coburn's advice to go public sooner:
"Dr. Coburn did everything he could to encourage Senator Ensign to end his affair and to persuade Senator Ensign to repair the damage he had caused to his own marriage and the Hampton’s marriage. Had Senator Ensign followed Dr. Coburn’s advice, this episode would have ended, and been made public, long ago."
July 9: Tom Coburn claims doctor-patient privilege, refusing to reveal his dicussions with Ensign about the affair, even though a day earlier, his office had done just that:
"I was counseling him as a physician and as an ordained deacon. ... That is privileged communication that I will never reveal to anybody. Not to the Ethics Committee, not to a court of law, not to anybody," Coburn said.
July 9: Despite his claim to have doctor-patient privilege, Tom Coburn goes into detail on what he says he did not discuss with John Ensign:
"I was never present when a letter was written, never made any assessment of paying anybody anything. Those are untruths. Those are absolute untruths."
What we have here is another example of a "Godlier than thou" Republican whose first reaction was to lie, providing political cover to a political ally. Then his lies changed to protect himself. That's certainly within the realm of normal behavior by politicians, but Tom Coburn has always claimed he was different than normal politicians.
Time and time again, Republicans like Tom Coburn prove that they can't walk the talk. Maybe it's time they start talking the walk.
But I've noticed with my nephew, who is 3 doesn't have a bedtime. And I've seen him awake at like... midnight or later. And then he sleeps in with his dad (who is a stay at home dad) until like 9 or 10.
When did you start giving bedtimes? My son goes to sleep around 10 every night - on average. Can sometimes be as late as 11:30. Teething has thrown us for a loop. And sleeps until about 6:30 am.
He stopped waking up for a feeding in the middle of the night at around 4 months. This cycle is all self regulated. We co-sleep so I just kind of go to bed when he does. He is transitioning into a crib just fine... (We kind of had to force it when I got sick a few weeks ago, I didn't want to breathe all over him, but he took it like a champ).
Just asking for advice. Shared experience. My mom can't give me advice because I was in the hospital for most of my first year... I slept with her for a long time because of my breathing problems.
Thanks for much you guys.
Bimbo #1: Oh my god, like I could totally pickpocket you right now.
Bimbo #2: No you couldn't, I could like totally feel you!
Bimbo #1: Like I totally want to learn how to pickpocket.
Bimbo #2: I like want be a professional pickpocket.
Bimbo #1: Yeah, but you have to be all stealthy and shit.
Bimbo #2: There you go using big words again!
--Fordham University, Lincoln Center
Overheard by: Kate Melvin
amused
aggravatedHealthcare reform is nothing if not a wild ride these days. First, conflicting with the supposed message President Obama sent to liberal groups to lay off the pressure on Senators, Organizing for America is organizing members to pressure their Senators.
Late yesterday, Organizing for America, or OFA, blasted out an email calling on supporters to deluge their Senators and members of Congress, Democrats included, with calls demanding that they support Obama’s "three principles for real health care reform":
- Reduce costs
- Guarantee a choice of plans and doctors — including the choice of a robust public insurance option
- Ensure quality, affordable care for every American
Obama is reported to have said this about liberal groups: "We shouldn’t be focusing resources on each other." If this is true, it raises the question of why his own political operation should do this, but outside groups shouldn’t.... OFA’s activities make the meme that Obama wants the groups to muzzle themselves seem pretty far fetched.
Go OFA, SEIU, DFA, FDL--the whole alphabet soup of progressive organizations and activists coalescing around health care, because it's becoming increasingly clear that nothing but sustained, progressive pressure on the Senate can make a dent in the bubble that surrounds them, making them think that somehow bipartisanship and feeding their own and each other's egos matters more than passing the real health care reform their constituents are demanding.
Case in point, after Harry Reid's brief display of backbone, telling Baucus to abandon his fool's errand of getting Grassley on board, he's put bipartisanship back on the table.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid promised Wednesday not to leave Republicans out while shaping the health care bill, GOP senators said.
Sen. Olympia J. Snowe of Maine said Reid met privately with her and three other Republicans [Grassley, Enzi, and Hatch] and assured them that the GOP would be included in negotiations with the House on a final version of the legislation. "He said it would be a bipartisan, open conference" committee, Snowe said after the meeting.
Finally, health care reform stalwart Sen. Ron Wyden--who I know from a long association with him has been committed to the goal of universal health care from the beginning of his political career--is reinforcing that bipartisan pipe dream.
In an interview this week with the Huffington Post, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) maintained that there was still "great interest in the Finance Committee for a bipartisan bill on both sides of the aisle" and he urged lawmakers to continue to pursue a collaborative path. He would not comment directly on news that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had urged the Committee's Chairman, Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) to drop efforts to attract Republican support. But he also didn't hide his own preferences.
"I'm committed to the priority that the president laid out," said Wyden. "I think the president got it right. He said 'I want to get it done this year' and he also indicated that his first choice is to have a bipartisan bill because he recognizes that a bipartisan bill allows the country to come together."
Wyden deserves a lot of credit for keeping health care reform at the forefront in the last few years with his Healthy Americans Act, a bill that has garnered Republican support. Utah Sen. Bob Bennett was, and is, a cosponsor, and in the last Congress, Ron was able to get the support of more Republicans and a wide array of private stakeholders. It's arguable that without his efforts, there wouldn't have been as many trade associations and business organizations willing to come to the table for President Obama. That said, the changes that the Wyden bill becomes the solution--slim to none. Which is probably one of the reasons that there is bipartisan support for it--it's a lot easier for a Republican to sign up for a bill they know doesn't have a chance of passing.
I don't believe that Wyden would ever stand in the way of real health care reform, or a robust public option, but I can only hope that he's using his very good relationship with the Republicans on his bill to try to bring them over to real reform. But the reality is Republicans aren't going to be falling over themselves to allow the Democrats to pass this massive, historic accomplishment. That's a reality that Wyden and the rest of the Democrats are just going to have to come to terms with.
He thinks they’re well trained They think the same of him
i still tryin 2 train mah hoomin.
Picture by: dunno source. Caption by: MuttMeat via Our LOL Builder
Now I'm in love with Berroco again and completely transfixed seeing what kind of wonderful pattern booklets and yarns -- especially the all-natural fiber yarns like Pure Merino and Palace -- they come out with.
At TNNA, the lovely Cirilia Rose (formerly of WEBS), who now works at Berroco, showed us some of the new yarns and patterns coming this fall. Berroco definitely has gotten the message that the economy stinks and is offering yarns that feature good price points relative to yardage, which should make thrifty knitters happy. At the top of the list was Vintage Wool, a worsted-ish-weight blend of wool/nylon/acrylic that truly, really doesn't feel like it has 55% synthetic in it. (And I'm sensitive to these things!) The colors were nice, the hand was good and it's machine wash -- and a super price point, about six bucks for over 200 yds. (Good for kids' knits, with that machine wash thing, and some good fun colors.) Another new yarn is called Blackstone Tweed, 4.5 sts per inch, with a unique (for tweed) blend of 65% wool/25% superfine mohair/10% angora. Lustra is a 50/50 blend of wool and tencel, with sheen and a soft, single-ply construction -- another great price point, at $9 for about 200 yds of aran-weight yarn. Finally, Sundae is a bulky (around 2.5 sts to the inch) blend of 50% wool/50% acrylic, with plies of various colors, most of them on the conservative side. Another relative bargain at $9 for 62 yds, which is pretty good for yarn this bulky. In their existing lines, the popular acrylic/nylon blend, Comfort, now comes in heathered shades, and the lovely Pure Merino now comes in a "chine" or marled look.
I always find myself especially keen to see the patterns that Norah and her talented design staff cook up. Yes, there will be Norah Gaughan No. 5 and it looks like it won't disappoint, but I was also pleased to see a separate collection by Norah just for men. There was a cute pattern booklet for little girls featuring Comfort, and a great collection by Cirilia for tweeners, that hard-to-fit age when girls don't want "babyish" stuff but their moms don't want them wearing Brittney Spears/cleavage-hanging-out stuff either. That book features Vintage Wool and I certainly intend to get a copy for Miss Thang. (If she won't wear any of the patterns, I can roll it up and use it as a stick to defend myself....) There are also 3 other booklets devoted to the new yarns, one each for Blackstone Tweed, Sundae and Lustra.
So... get ready for lots of new lovelies from your friends at Berroco. It looks like the Berroco website has already started to feature teasers of some of the new yarns and patterns.
This is one of the more convoluted stories of the week. Intelligence Appropriations is up this week, and in Republicans want to use the opportunity to further their "Pelosi lied" storyline (they only think illegal torture's a problem if a Democrat who wasn't responsible for ordering it might have known about it).
In order to head off this Republican effort, Intelligence Committee chair Silvestre Reyes fired off a letter to ranking Republican Pete Hoekstra, reminding him that the preponderance of evidence put the lying squarely on the side of the CIA, and that the committee had recently received information from the CIA proving that.
"These notifications have led me to conclude this committee has been misled, has not been provided full and complete notifications, and (in at least one occasion) was affirmatively lied to," Reyes wrote....
"Like you, I was greatly concerned," Reyes told Hoekstra, about what the committee learned on June 24 and another unspecified date from CIA Director Leon E. Panetta . "As you know, I have begun to take steps to gather information on the recent notifications," Reyes wrote. "This may well lead to a full committee investigation. I believe that you share my concern, and I look forward to working on this issue with you."
Since news of that communication broke, we've also learned about another letter, one from seven Democrats on the Intelligence Committee written to Leon Panetta expanding a bit on Reyes' hints. The letter is dated June 26, two days after Panetta appeared before a closed door session with the committee.
"Recently you testified that you have determined that top CIA officials have concealed significant actions from all Members of Congress, and misled Members for a number of years from 2001 to this week." The letter — which doesn’t explain what those "significant actions" concerned* — asks that Panetta "publicly correct" his May 15 statement that it isn’t CIA "policy or practice to mislead Congress." TWI acquired a copy of the letter, which comes after CQ reported that committee chairman Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas) also nebulously stated that CIA "affirmatively lied" to the committee.
Sam Stein adds to the reporting that those "significant actions" were indeed related to Bush administration interrogation practices--torture.
After which, Reyes releases another statement:
I appreciate Director Panetta's recent efforts to bring issues to the Committee's attention that, for some reason, had not been previously conveyed, and to make certain that the Committee is fully and currently briefed on all intelligence activities. I understand his direction to be that the Agency does not and will not lie to Congress, and he has set a high standard for truth in reporting to Congress.
I believe that CIA has, in the vast majority of matters, told the truth. But in rare instances, certain officers have not adhered to the high standards held, as a rule, by the CIA with respect to truthfulness in reporting. Both Director Panetta and I are determined to make sure this does not happen again.
The men and women of the CIA are honest, hard-working patriots, and they do not deserve the distraction to their mission that this current issue has caused.
As Marcy says, who are those "certain officers" and would they "happen to be named Jose Rodriguez and/or Porter Goss, I wonder? Both of whom would fit the description the 7 members of Congress used, 'top CIA officials.'" Maybe, but according to the letter from the seven Dems, Panetta told them in the closed-door briefing that "misleading" had continued through last month.
All of which does two things: it backs up Pelosi's position that she was misled by the CIA when first briefed about "enhanced interrogation techniques." It also strengthens the Democrats' rationale for revamping the notification system of covert ops to expand it beyond the Gang of Eight to open the briefings to all members of the House and Senate intelligence committees. The limited briefings were used by the Bush administration to avoid briefing the full intelligence committees about things they should have been told, particularly warrantless wiretapping and torture.
Unfortunately, President Obama has threatened to veto the bill if it contains this provision for greater accountability and transparency--the checks and balances we're supposed to have between the executive and legislative branches. As Marcy says,
With all due respect, Mr. President. But are you fucking nuts?!?!?!
The Gang of Eight briefing system has been a central instrument of abuse of power, by which the President does things that violate fundamental tenets of the Constitution, but gets legal "sanction" for those things by telling
eightfour people who are all but hamstrung to do anything about those things. And when people "lie affirmatively" to you you can't really say that's part of "comity" or a "fundamental compact." The Gang of Eight briefing system has been neither an element of "comity" nor a "fundamental compact" but rather a keystone of a dysfunctional, abusive relationship that guts our Constitution.
Update: Sam Stein reports on speculation that the program at issue was Cheney's "executive assassination ring" that Seymour Hersh discussed a few months ago.
"It is a special wing of our special operations community that is set up independently," Hersh said. "They do not report to anybody, except in the Bush-Cheney days, they reported directly to the Cheney office. They did not report to the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff or to Mr. [Robert] Gates, the secretary of defense. They reported directly to him. ...
"Congress has no oversight of it," he added. "It's an executive assassination ring essentially, and it's been going on and on and on. Just today in the Times there was a story that its leaders, a three star admiral named [William H.] McRaven, ordered a stop to it because there were so many collateral deaths. Under President Bush's authority, they've been going into countries, not talking to the ambassador or the CIA station chief, and finding people on a list and executing them and leaving. That's been going on, in the name of all of us."
Asked if this was the basis of her letter to Panetta, Eshoo said she could not discuss what was a "highly classified program." She did, however, note that when Panetta told House Intelligence Committee members what it was that had been kept secret, "the whole committee was stunned, even Republicans."
This has the hallmarks of becoming a rather major scandal for the CIA. It's a bad time for the administration to be arguing for more secrecy in intelligence matters.
Bernie Madoff's lawyer has confirmed that Bernie won't appeal his 150 year sentence. He thinks any sentence Bernie would get, even under the guidelines, would be a life sentence.
Can someone remind me what Bernie Madoff's lawyers' accomplished for him? He could have stayed with his wife in his apartment on bond for another year or two while fighting the case. He got no agreement that his family and friends wouldn't be investigated or charged. He and his wife gave up all his assets (except $2.5 million his wife gets to keep), including those that would have been difficult for the Government to prove were forfeitable, he got no sentence concession, no agreement on place of incarceration. And now they won't appeal the sentence.
What's left for Bernie? Any bets on whether he'll file a 2255 to overturn his guilty plea and sentence based on ineffective assistance of counsel? It wouldn't have a snowball's chance in h*ll but he's got a lot of time on his hands and a year to file it. As I've said a few times, what more could the Government have done to him --we don't have life plus cancer as a penalty (yet.)
This week has been the biggest drama-fest in my pregnancy so far. This morning, I presented myself at the clinic and asked to be seen. I started to give the whole list to the receptionist, and she said, "bleeding is enough. Let me check you in to see Dr. ____________" My doctor is (1) out on vacation, and (2) leaving the practice in my area, so I knew I wouldn't see her today.
( Details - potential TMI )
My lab test for fetal fibronectin came back quickly (less than half a day!) negative. I looked up what that meant - I have a very low risk for pre-term delivery in the next 2 weeks. That's a great relief, since I had an odd dream about having a preemie in the wee hours of this morning.
VC investment in cleantech companies was up about 50% from Q1 to Q2 this year.
One of the drivers for steady second quarter venture investment was the promise of stimulus monies offering startup investors a non-dilutive funding source. Meanwhile, early-stage and late-stage investments dominated, while mid-stage funding was harder to come by, and the average round sizes were slightly smaller.Relatedly, the REW podcast last week featured a panel discussion with cleantech venture capitalists, and one of the points they emphasized was the importance of government support for mid-stage companies, particularly in such a capital intensive sector. Loan guarantees and the Clean Energy Development Authority, included in Waxman-Markey, are the kinds of things that carry small companies employing maybe dozens of people across this "valley of death" to the point where they will be employing thousands of people.
All this politics stuff actually impacts the real world.
Manolo says, here are the few witticisms the Manolo has twittered over the past couple of the weeks.
When my bosses, the ones who own the company, call the shots, and run everything tell you that we cannot possibly complete the rush order you are demanding that we run for you (2,000+ shirts by 9 AM tomorrow? With specialty applications? And it's 2 PM and you haven't given us the raw goods yet? Haha no), please do not call us every ten minutes demanding to talk to them about it.
They have been asking you all day (by phone and email) where your goods are, what the breakdowns are, and informing you that every minute you delay on getting us this information pushes us farther and farther behind schedule.
And you ignore them.
Then, when one leaves to go out of town (which you knew about), and the other is with another customer, do not scream at me when I tell you that they are out of town/with a customer. I'm just one of the artists; as such I have no say whatsoever over production, and you know that. You have been to the shop numerous times - I know you know this.
I also cannot make Boss #1 come back (he's on a PLANE), and I cannot interrupt Boss #2. I tried.
So stop yelling incoherently at me for things you know I have no control over! Hanging up on me the next two times you called was real classy too.
- Mood:blah
Illinois political legend and pyramid builder Roland Burris will not run for re-election in 2010, according to various Chicago street organizers. And, because he wasn’t elected in the first place, he will also not do that, run for election. This will be announced tomorrow at Michael Jackson’s Friday News-Dump Memorial Service, to be held deep within the bowels of Roland Burris’ Tomb. But how will the Democrats maintain their fragile, broken and actually worthless 60-vote super-majority in the Senate, without Hero Roland? [Chicago Sun-Times/AP-Yahoo]
Thanks! I know I rambled but I'm so overwhelmed and happy!
- Mood:
cheerful
This is pretty funny. Officials at Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado have turned down an inmate's request to read the two books written by President Obama. Why?
The federal government's most secure prison has determined two books written by President Barack Obama contain material "potentially detrimental to national security" ....
What standards did the use to make the determination? Ones supplied by the F.B.I. Who requested the books?
Ahmed Omar Abu Ali is serving a 30-year sentence at the federal supermax prison in Florence for joining al-Qaida and plotting to assassinate then-President George W. Bush.
( My little bean )
x-posted to
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jan_2010- Mood: great
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- daily_kos : Polling and Political Wrap-Up, 7/9/09 [+0]
- daily_kos : A new kind of purity troll [+0]
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- sf_drama :: lucidp2k : The return of lhiata [+134]
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- pregnant :: 120508 : New Parent Anxiety [+18]
- marthamcgyver : feedsacks 3 [+0]
- atrios : Trapped [+0]
- the_manolo : Scenes from the G-8 Meeting [+0]
- pregnant :: christmas09 : Partner and dr's appointments? [+39]
- daily_kos : Coburn's dizzying spin on Ensign affair [+0]
- parenting101 :: oni85 : Bed Times [+15]
- camomiletea : Google Chrome OS [+0]
- overheardnyc : What's "Shit," Again? [+0]
- techsupport :: polarbee : I couldn't help myself [+11]
- parenting101 :: lutine : Crib vs. bassinet [+54]
- bad_service :: wouldyoueva : Metro Access [+4]
- daily_kos : OFA Pushes, Reid Backtracks, Wyden Dithers [+0]
- icanhaschzbrgr : He thinks they’re well trained [+3]
- goknitinyourhat : Fall preview: Berroco [+0]
- sf_drama :: beetlequeen : "HOT CHICKS, COLD BEER, HARDCORE FIGHTS!!" [+67]
- baaaaabyanimals :: loopybunny : from the NWF [+4]
- daily_kos : CIA, Secrecy, Lies, Pelosi, and Politics [+0]
- bad_service :: jayphi77 : If Silverleaf calls you, just say nay! [+9]
- talk_left : Bernie Madoff Will Not Appeal His 150 Year Sentence [+0]
- pregnant :: i_am_dsh : Scares, then relief [+2]
- atrios : Stimulating [+0]
- the_manolo : The Manolo Twitters [+0]
- customers_suck :: demihime : (no subject) [+2]
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- wonkette : ROLAND BURRIS WON’T RUN FOR SENATE!!! [+0]
- pregnant :: falsify : First Heartbeat [+10]
- talk_left : Supermax Won't Allow Inmates to Read Obama's Books [+0]
- pregnant :: swissnat : Dental issues. [+5]
- pregnant :: thesara : Belly Picture!! 14 weeks 6 days [+5]