myTPM | JEP07's Blog

The missing link; an explanation for Cheney's obsession with torture.

May 14, 2009, 2:08PM

As the torture story unfolds, and more people come forward with pieces of the whole puzzle, the evidence is mounting that Cheney pushed the "enhancement" program for one reason; to find or forge a link between Ossama and Saddam.

Josh is all over it right here at TPM, and many others are beginning to see the pattern emerging.

They were desperate to convert our national outrage at 9-11 into a war with Iraq, and it sounds as if they nearly drowned more than one poor soul (for all we know, they probably DID drown more than a few) trying to pry out of them a missing link that never existed.

And for all the times they have told us how effective their torture was, we know now that missing link was never found OR forged. So, while the Cheney/Bush junta apparently torture innocents, they were looking for a fictional event.

Imagine the terror those people suffered, especially when they realized that their torturers wanted info they couldn't give them.

So no matter how much truth they choked up, all they got was more drowning.

Cheney's desperation was manifest in other forms around the same time. His outing of Valerie Plame was another chapter. Considering Haliburton's haul from this war, and the fact Iraq's independent oil supply kept the multi-nationals from jacking up the price of gas to $4 a gallon, it is no wonder he was desperate for war.

When that truth committee of Sheldon's gets underway, it might be worth a trip down Haliburton Lane with old Deadeye before his pacemaker malfunctions. Stop for a moment and ponder: All those other desperate acts, from torturing innocent people to outing a federal agent, revolved around Cheney and his Haliburton "non-connections."

If someone wants to look closely into the "why" of it all, Cheney, Haliburton and Torture should all fit into that equation.

Pawlenty the next Blagojevich?

May 14, 2009, 11:51AM

Just a short post to posit the thought that Pawlenty's beginning to smell a lot like Blagojevich.

We all know Blago was fishing for a return on his appointment investment, and that he obviously assumed it was a political gift for him to hand out, and not a solemn duty to assure representation for his constituents.

Can someone differentiate for me what Pawlenty's doing from what Blago did?

Seems as if Pawley's the new Blago. He sure seems poised to deny due process, and obviously he wants desperately to give it to someone he supports, the electorate be damned.

Seriously, what's the big difference between Pawlenty's and Blagojevich's tack?

Who should be more outraged; Americans if we don't get to see those photos, or the Islamic faithful if they do get to see them?

May 13, 2009, 5:10PM

Considering how much of that taunting and torture in those unreleased photos is specifically dependent on degrading Islamic ethnic and religious customs, I think the Obama administration's refusal to release them is prudent, to put it mildly.

The arrogant, jovial, pointing poses and the shameful forced nudity of very modest people would only serve to lower our already Bush-bottomed-out international public image and ignite a firestorm of outrage much more palpable than our demand to see those photos. And that could very well lead to some of our troops being attacked.

If you think your outrage at not seeing the photos would be greater than theirs after seeing those photos, ponder if one of those victims was your brother, father or friend.

For those of us with friends and family in those foreign lands, it just makes sense to do whatever it might take to avoid the possibility of a firestorm of violence towards Americans that might follow releasing those photos.

So, while I really don't think we should be there (take your pick which "there" I mean), loose lips still sink ships. No doubt, our ingrained public voyeurism will demand satisfaction, but common sense dictates this is one of those cases where the voyeurs can wait.

Too many innocent lives are still at risk.

Since when was Fox News "American?"

April 17, 2009, 10:37AM

All this talk about Fox News and patriots and loyalty and such, lest we forget it is owned and micro-managed by an Australian who has very little interest in American democracy, especially since he can't make them vote like he wants them to anymore.

Not to trash Australia, Murdoch's no more a representative of their free spirit than Sean Hannity is of our American version, but it seems to me that Fox News has NEVER been "American", it has always been managed from the underworld (and I don't necessarily mean "down under".)

The whole concept that Fox News represents anything other than a greedy foreigner's fingers in our American pie suggests we aren't paying attention to some obvious details. Fox is a foreign-owned entity, why do "teabag patriots" so easily forget that.

Murdoch could care less about our constitution, and he hires people based on that fact.

And now he's used his foreign-owned TV business to create a whole new class of confused Americans, whose only recourse is to protest with vague, confused and contradictory slogan s and signs; the "teabag patriots" will henceforth wallow in their shameful hatred, empowered by this foreigner's falsehoods.

Fox News never was "American" and until an American who really cares about his or her country buys Murdoch out, it will never be "American."

Bonuses should include an invitation to testify before Congress.

March 17, 2009, 11:12AM

Now that TPM's reporting the likelihood those bonuses will be paid to avoid expensive legal battles, that leaves us with few options to mitigate the public outrage. It's like someone put a lid on a pot of boiling water, but did not turn down the heat.

Something's going to boil over.

One of the best ways to simmer this down would be to automatically invite every bonus recipient, foreign OR domestic, to pay a visit to one or another pertinent congressional committee, and those who refuse to show up willingly could be compelled to do so, especially those domestic "bonees".

Put a high personal-privacy price tag on those bonuses, so that in the future, brokers will consider their actions seriously BEFORE they collapse the markets, rather than after it is too late, and rather than obediently rolling over for their CEO's in these fraudulent schemes, they might temper their greed with caution and offer those CEO's some practical resistance.

As the story unfolds, I am even more convinced this is hush money to assure none of those brokers will spill the beans on their bosses. If we have no option but to pay the bonuses, then lets follow up with some investigations that use the same list to get to the bottom of the economic debacle we are struggling to climb out of.

Their rather difficult catch-22 is that, to hush them up, the "boners" will identify the "bonees" for all the world to see, especially if Cuomo gets his lists.

We should include a very nice formal invitation to visit Congress, with every bonus check.

Bailout bonuses are actually hush money?

March 16, 2009, 11:05AM

Just had another deep thought; are these bailout bonuses just hush money to keep the brokers from exposing those CEO's?

It would explain why those CEO's seem so impervious to public opinion, they would rather suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous criticism than have a gaggle of brokers running to the SEC with tales from the dark side.

Bailout Bonuses might have been tuition money or business loans and grants

March 16, 2009, 8:46AM

The NYT and our venerable blog host both agree this morning that the AIG billion dollar bailout bonuses that they're doling out to the architects of the economic collapse has gotten "The People" in a furor.

And for good reason. If some of these dollar figures are true, we are watching "stimulus" money going right back into the same hands that created the problem in the first place. And those sleazy brokers will either tuck those millions away, far removed from anything resembling "economic stimulus" and into their off-shore accounts where they won't pay taxes, or they will head for Dubai to lounge in the sunshine along with their pals from Halliburton.

And there is no doubt what the public is thinking. The subject changes from one person to another, but the essence of our complaints remain similar.

How many parents facing rising tuition for their children might have preferred that money was going to colleges and universities to offset those increases?

How many more would rather see those funds going to small business as "survival grants" or small business loans, which would immediately effect the economy with that mystic thing called "stimulus".

Instead of paying these broken brokers for greedily enabling the devolution of our economic foundations, we should be putting every "red" cent (did they always know we would be spending a deficit?) into actual economic stimulation. But allowing these thieves to simply pass it along to their pernicious and completely culpable "Brotherhood of Brokers" is obscene and profane, to anyone but members of that economic animal house.

It is no wonder the MSM AND the blogs are in agreement (thus far) on this issue, usually when that occurs, the public tends to benefit.

But I suspect these greedy rich will prove their ill-gained supremacy in this matter, and like Marie Antoinette tossing cake to the rabble, they will make some token gesture to quiet public criticism.

This time, they may just be too late for their crumbs to satiate the public anger. Their arrogant assumption of entitlement in the face of universal decline can only lead to some sort of guillotine, if not one of iron, it might very well be one of political power. If the Republicans do not reign in "Bush's Base" of no-bid book-cooking millionaires and billionaires, they may see their party's mysterious missing head lopped off on a chopping block.

But, considering all the talk that there's no real "leader" in the Republican party, maybe that guillotine has dropped. They are headless already.

The Obama Inheritance... IOIYAR is now RANTB!

March 14, 2009, 2:49PM

The Wapo tripe this morning about Obama "blaming Bush" is laughable.

When Obama says he inherited a mess, he is not JUST talking about Bush, but about the entire extended list of culpable bad managers, including Bush, but not excluding many others, including some of the Blue Dog Dems who helped concoct the bankruptcy bill.

When a President is not yet 100 days into office, it is pretty safe to conclude he inherited any serious complications that occur.

Much like IOIYAR (It's OK if you're a Republican) permeated our politics, RANTB (Republicans are NEVER to blame) has become the new patent denial.

Guarantee bank deposits up to $1,000,000?

March 11, 2009, 12:52PM

Just wondered if any of our bona fide economics experts might have an opinion on this...

Or even other armchair economists like myself.

If the U.S. Govt were to guarantee deposits up to $1,000,000, would that bring back some old-fashioned "banks" as opposed to "investment house?

Why not an "off-shore account" tax?

February 25, 2009, 11:35AM

From this morning's Muckraker files;
"A group of wealthy Americans is suing Swiss bank UBS in federal court to keep their identities secret. The suit alleges that UBS' actions in cooperating with U.S. investigators violate Swiss bank secrecy laws and amount to illegal activities involving foreign authorities. UBS, the world's largest private bank, had been charged by US authorities with conspiring to help wealthy clients avoid their taxes. As part of a settlement, the bank agreed to release the names of 19,000 clients. (New York Times)"

It won't be those 19,000 we need to know about, it will be the ones whose names WERE NOT released whose culpability becomes glaringly evident.

Here's a simple answer; double the tax rate on all Americans' foreign deposits, so that they pay a built-in penalty for offshore moneys.

Again, whoever is included in this lawsuit to silence the banks is, by the very nature of their resistance, admitting to mischief that, once uncovered, would likely constitute a crime.

So I suggest we not only find out who has what money where, we should start charging an "offshore savings tax" on any money earned here in the US, but saved in overseas banks.

Just tax it up front, whenever it leaves our borders headed for foreign banks, with a simple stroke of the legislative pen. Include severe penalties for the cheats and book-cookers.

And then lets see who howls the loudest, and we will know who the guilty parties really are. This lawsuit represents that howling, and I, for one, would like to know whose names WERE NOT RELEASED IN THE LIST OF 19,000.

THAT is the real rogues-list.

Sebelius and Dean, BOTH in the Obama WH?

February 22, 2009, 8:48AM

"Sebelius) "is unlikely to also wear the second hat that Mr. Daschle negotiated for himself as White House health czar, a position that could be influential in setting health care policy. Administration officials said that was a special arrangement for Mr. Daschle, adding that they were still considering what to do about that job."

So, how about Sebelius at HHS and Dean as the Health Czar? Sounds like Daschle was biting off way more than he could chew, in the first place. And they both fit these jobs like a hand in a glove, maybe Daschle's political misfortunes will prove advantageous in the long run.

One "Brain Drain" that might be advantageous to all of us...(repost)

February 16, 2009, 11:31AM

First posted on February 14, 2009, 10:41AM

From the NYT this morning;
"Top economic advisers to President Obama adamantly opposed the pay restrictions, according to Congressional officials, warning lawmakers behind closed doors that they went too far and would cause a brain drain in the financial industry during an acute crisis."

BRAIN DRAIN!?!$!?$???!!!!

Those same brains drained our economy, why should we want them involved at all, let alone with bonuses for failure?

First, a simple observation. If you want to fix the broken system, the best way to do that is to replace the head, not the body or the tail. If ever there was justification for a complete purging brain drain, it is in this situation. The more these greedy, landlocked brains can be drained, the better the chance that new ideas and a new spirit of community development, rather than personal wealth, will take hold and heal our markets.

Second, a comment to the people in Obama's administration who are beholden to these greedy execs and their lackeys; reconsider those loyalties ASAP or you will embarrass your boss.

Even the mainstream media admits that The Public is PO'd to the point of no return, and your continued advice to the President to coddle these lousy managers makes many of us who voted for him and trust in him begin to question his judgment in choosing people like you (beholden to the execs) to positions of authority where you can protect your benefactors.

WE are your benefactors, via the instrument of democracy, and your tunnel vision and profane loyalties do you and President Obama very little good, considering the animosity it might inspire in The Public.

Stop coddling, or even protecting these creeps, you owe the American People much more, in terms beyond dollar figures, than the money you owe these monopolists. Many of these same "brains" should be in jail, not rolling inn easy tax-payer genreated failure bonuses.

One "Brain Drain" that might be advantageous to all of us...

February 14, 2009, 10:41AM

From the NYT this morning;
"Top economic advisers to President Obama adamantly opposed the pay restrictions, according to Congressional officials, warning lawmakers behind closed doors that they went too far and would cause a brain drain in the financial industry during an acute crisis."

BRAIN DRAIN!?!$!?$???!!!!

Those same brains drained our economy, why should we want them involved at all, let alone with bonuses for failure?

First, a simple observation. If you want to fix the broken system, the best way to do that is to replace the head, not the body or the tail. If ever there was justification for a complete purging brain drain, it is in this situation. The more these greedy, landlocked brains can be drained, the better the chance that new ideas and a new spirit of community development, rather than personal wealth, will take hold and heal our markets.

Second, a comment to the people in Obama's administration who are beholden to these greedy execs and their lackeys; reconsider those loyalties ASAP or you will embarrass your boss.

Even the mainstream media admits that The Public is PO'd to the point of no return, and your continued advice to the President to coddle these lousy managers makes many of us who voted for him and trust in him begin to question his judgment in choosing people like you (beholden to the execs) to positions of authority where you can protect your benefactors.

WE are your benefactors, via the instrument of democracy, and your tunnel vision and profane loyalties do you and President Obama very little good, considering the animosity it might inspire in The Public.

Stop coddling, or even protecting these creeps, you owe the American People much more, in terms beyond dollar figures, than the money you owe these monopolists. Many of these same "brains" should be in jail, not rolling inn easy tax-payer genreated failure bonuses.

Hypocrites, UNITE!

February 8, 2009, 1:15PM

Charity for millionaires! It started in 2001 and still is not over. When will they have enough?

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/02/07/recovery-v-bush-tax-cuts

Sebelius deserves mass progressive support for Senate if she chooses to run!

February 8, 2009, 11:59AM

If Sebelius runs for Senate, progressives should get behind her from every corner of the country. Sure, relative to our favorite lefties, she's decidedly centrist, but considering her stand on energy issues, she's no doubt "one of us.

I spent the last 30 years in Kansas raising my family (with a 5-year hiatus while when lived in Davis, California, right when Ahnold was first taking over). My eldest son graduated from KU undergrad and KU Law School, and my youngest son builds political websites for Democrats in Kansas and Iowa.

We have seen Sebelius rise up from the coal-fired ashes of a very Republican state, and stand firm to protect the health and well-being of ALL Kansas residents. She has openly defied the big-coal (you know, now they call themselves "clean coal") energy corporations.

Her veto of a bill to allow coal-fired power plants to proliferate in western Kansas (and sell their power to Colorado, which as a state does not allow coal-fired electical plants), was upheld by ONE vote in our Republican controlled legislature, so it is obvious she represents a hinge-pin in the environmental debate that few can comapre to, no matter how involved.

Thus I adjure everyone who fancies themselves a Progressive to support Sebelius, with money,personal time and networking energy, when and if she runs for the Senate roses.

She is worthy of all our support, especially when compared to the statehouse Republicans she has dealt so decidedly with over the past two terms. It will be no easy chore, even for someone as popular as Sebelius, just consider what happened to Nancy Boyda this time around. Which is why seh will need national support for this Kansas race.

Kansas Republicans can be a vengeful lot, it is one of the few places (Oklahoma and Nebraska included) where there was a notable red backwash in the midst of a big blue tsunami. Just out of spite, some of them who really prefer Sebelius to Moran or Tiahrt might vote republican just because their loyalties are bound more to their private party than to the well being of the nation as a whole.

So keep yourself informed on Sebelius' plans and activities, and when and if the time comes, put her at the top of your list for support, she deserves all the help we can give her.