Insta-hoglets

It's a while since I did one of these...

Ten years after the Oklahoma Bombing, experts say that although there are far less radical rightwing militants in militias across the country, the threat has not disappeared entirely. Some have tried to recast their activities as supporting Homeland Security while others have moved on to the next fashionable expression of rightwing violence. Still, they are fuelled by "fear of a globalist, socialist tyrannical conspiracy... an article of faith in the radical right." Oh, you mean like David Horowitz's fantasy world!

Germany's top spy, August Hanning, says that Osama binLaden escaped US forces by bribing the Afghan militias tasked with tracking him down. The US has said it used Afghan fighters to reduce casualties among its troops but Herr Hanning said that:

The principal mistake was made already in 2001, when one wanted Bin Laden to be apprehended by the Afghan militias in Tora Bora. There, Bin Laden could buy himself free with a lot of money."

Hanning went on to say that binLaden subsequently was able to create a network of sympathisers among tribes in the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Oops.

Tom DeLay described himself as "closer to God" but innocent of all charges on Tuesday as a result of intense scrutiny of his ethical conduct. DeLay also claimed to be a victim of a leftwing conspiracy - no doubt the same conspiracy the militias are so worried about.

He's closer to something to do with God, but it's a pretty hot something.

Seventeen Afghans held in Guantanamo Bay have been handed over to the Afghan authorities in the capital, Kabul. All are being freed without charges and join over 200 who have been freed in the last three years. Many of the Afghans complained of abuse and torture whilest at Gitmo.

More proof, were it needed, that many of the 500 or so still held at Gitmo are also innocent and are being abused and held without due process without even the barest flimsy cover of a reason.

No doubt you have already heard that Republicans on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee were forced to delay a vote on John Bolton's nomination as U.N. ambassador to examine new allegations against him of abusive conduct. So I will confine myself to saying a well done to Senator George Voinovich (R-Ohio) for having some backbone.

A Texas Republican businessman is suing the Republican Party, who he says stole his idea for the "W and Flag" bumper sticker.

You would think, as a Republican himself, he would know how the free market (and the Republican Party) operates - stab 'em in the back and make money (and votes) any way you can. Bush admitted as much in those notorious tapes while talking about the Theocratic Right.