Bad Deeds for 11-1-2007

Rumsfeld Pushed Hard to Create Link Between Iraq and Iran – Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld pushed hard to create a link between Iraq and Iran. He argued that Muslims avoid physical labor and wrote of the need to “keep elevating the threat,” “link Iraq to Iran” and develop bumper sticker statements to rally public support for an increasingly unpopular war. The memos, often referred to as “snowflakes,” shed light on Rumsfeld’s brusque management style and on his efforts to address key challenges during his tenure as Pentagon chief. Spanning from 2002 to shortly after his resignation following the 2006 congressional elections, a sampling of his trademark missives obtained yesterday reveals a defense secretary disdainful of media criticism and driven to reshape public opinion of the Iraq war.

Defense Contract Goes to Bush Buddies Who Submitted High Bid – A Defense Department medical services contract worth up to $790 million was awarded last month to a Wisconsin-based company three months after it hired a former Bush administration appointee who had supervised military health programs at the Pentagon for the last six years. William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant secretary of Defense for health affairs from 2001 until April, joined Logistics Health Inc. as a director and consultant in June. The company is headed by another ex-official of the Bush administration — former Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson. The firm was selected over two other bidders with proposals that ranged from $80 million to $100 million less.

Bush Does Not Follow His Own Advice – Today Bush said, ““Some in Washington should spend more time responding to the warnings of terrorists like Osama bin Laden…” But remember when he said, “I don’t know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don’t care. It’s not that important. It’s not our priority.” Or remember when he said, “I don’t know where he is. I’ll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him.” Or “Deep in my heart I know the man’s on the run, if he’s alive at all…I just don’t spend much time on it, really, to be honest with you.” And remember when he disbanded the CIA unit dedicated to finding bin Laden?

Another Conservative Republican in Gay Sex Scandal – Washington State lawmaker Richard Curtis is the third conservative lawmaker in just as many months to resign amid allegations of soliciting gay sex. Curtis had insisted to his local newspaper that he was not gay and that sex was not involved in what he said was an extortion attempt by a man last week. But in police reports, Curtis said he was being extorted by a man he had sex with in a Spokane hotel room. The other man contends Curtis reneged on a promise to pay $1,000 for sex.”

White House is Withholding More Than 600 Pages of Documents About the Activities of Convicted Lobbyist Jack Abramoff – The White House is withholding hundreds of pages of documents about the activities of convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff on the grounds that these documents involve internal White House deliberations. President Bush has previously denied any connection to Abramoff, who was convicted on three felony counts and sentenced to more than five years in prison. “I don’t know him,” said the president in 2006. A number of similar statements have been made by top White House officials seeking to distance themselves from the lobbyist, including former senior advisor Karl Rove, who had described Abramoff as a “casual acquaintance,” through a spokesman. But former White House political director Matt Schlapp says he had monthly contact with Jack Abramoff on subjects that often involved official government business. He also says Abramoff and his associates ‘had many friends in the administration.’

What Kind of Person Says Waterboarding Can be Just a CIA-Sponsored Swim Lesson? – On CNN yesterday, conservative columnist Rachael Mardsen said in regard to waterboarding, “Well I think we do have to define torture. One man’s torture is another man’s CIA’s sponsored swim lesson.” What kind of person would say that? Maybe one who is a stalker. Maybe one who makes threatening phone calls and e-mails to a man. Maybe one who has to be escorted out of Fox News by security guards for “bizarre and erratic behavior.” Yes, even Fox News had to throw her out! Just another great American conservative defending the administration.
EYE-OPENER
Whazzup With Wingnuts?
Canadian conservative political columnist

Mounting Federal Earmarks Fund Religious Groups – Earmarks setting aside federal funds for religious organizations — including Christian groups openly focused on conversions and missionary work are on the rise in appropriations bills in both the US House and Senate. One earmark, proposed by Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) consisted of a “$100,000 provision to fund a science education program by the Louisiana Family Forum. The LFF has long opposed the teaching of evolution-only science curricula in state schools, and the grant would have gone toward a project to encourage schools to teach creationist theories of development as well. Vitter later bowed to pressure from the ACLU and others, removing that specific earmark.

Ted Poe’s Campaign Finances – A draft audit report of U.S. Rep. Ted Poe’s (R-Humble) campaign finances from his first year in office alleges multiple violations of campaign law, including the misstatement of cash on hand by $90,000 as well as inadequate identification of 40 percent of his donors.

Your Gold Ring Left 20 Tons of Polluted Mining Waste Behind – Open-pit gold mines are common now, where the grass and trees and every other living thing above the place to be mined are removed and the ore is blasted and scooped out. Not only do open-pit mines scar the landscape, they produce 8 to 10 times more waste than underground mining. Production of the gold needed for an average 18-karat gold ring leaves 20 tons of polluted mining waste behind. Gold is also extracted chemically from the ore by using a cyanide leaching process. Cyanide and other toxics eventually get into the surrounding land, surface water, and groundwater. In some cases, acid mine drainage, in which the sulfides in the now-exposed rock waste combine with water to form sulfuric acid, turns groundwater more toxic than battery acid. As for cyanide, an amount of it equivalent in size to a grain of rice will kill a human. Take the NoDirtyGold Pledge to help convince retailers, manufacturers, and mining companies that consumers want to see real changes in the mining industry and an alternative to “dirty gold.” Behind Gold’s Glitter: Torn Lands and Pointed Questions

Fred Thompson Makes Up Stuff About United Nations and Gun Control – Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson said, “Last year, the United Nations Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights declared that international human rights law requires all nations to adopt strict gun control laws. These minimum provisions are much more restrictive than any of those on the books anywhere in the U.S. and would almost certainly violate the Second Amendment of our Constitution.” However, The U. N. document actually:

Urges States to adopt laws and policies regarding the manufacture, possession, transfer and use of small arms that comply with principles of international human rights and international humanitarian law;

Also urges States to provide training on the use of firearms by armed forces and law enforcement personnel consistent with basic principles of international human rights and humanitarian law with special attention to the promotion and protection of human rights as a primary duty of all State officials;

Further urges States to take effective measures to minimize violence carried out by armed private actors, including using due diligence to prevent small arms from getting into the hands of those who are likely to misuse them.

Fred likes acting and other pretend stuff.

A Poor Choice of Words – Touting his accomplishments as mayor while on the campaign trail in New Hampshire, Rudy Giuliani crowed, “I took a city that was known for pornography and licked it to a large extent, so I have my own set of qualifications.”

Regards,

Jim