Insta-Hoglets 16th Nov.

As usual, the stuff I didn't manage to write a seperate post about piles up - and then its time for some punchposts and maybe a dose of snark.

Goose at Comments from Left Field on the lies the oil boys told the Senate about being cosy with Darth Cheney - "No wonder Cheney worked so hard to block access to these documents. Come to think of it, it is no wonder Republican Senate Commerce Chairman Ted Stevens went so ballistic when the Democrats on the committee tried to have the oil execs swear and oath to tell the truth. So much for bringing honesty and integrity back to the office of the President eh?" Nicely snarked there, Goose.

Remember I mentioned the case of the laptop full of supposed scoops on Iran's nukleyar weapon program? Well, it seems this intelligence is not new. Colin Powell presented this information a year ago. And it was pretty seriously questioned then. Oh, and the finger of suspicion seems to be pointed at either Chalabi (Ha!) or his Iranian doppelganger who was so useful (not!) during Iran-Contra.

A whole bunch of tortured detainees are found in the basement of an Iraqi Interior Ministry building and everyone tries to act susprised. Yet reports of Interior Ministry tortures and even executions have been going on for months, in the UK press if not here in America. With 83,000 detained so far and most released without charge but often with bruises, when Bush says "We do not torture" it should be heard as "we conduct 'aggressive interrogation' - for proper torture we outsource to other friendly dictatorships!"

The New Yorker has a truly eye-opening article from a reporter on the ground in the Pakistan earthquake zone - where Islamist militants are winning hearts and minds by providing relief to victims and working closely with the Pakistani military. Does anyone think maybe that the U.S. and other Coalition nations could have done more, and been the people winning hearts and minds?

Thanks to regular Kirkrrt for bringing my attention to this bit of moral turpitude - Congressional budget negotiators have decided to take back $125 million in Sept. 11 aid from New York, which had fought to keep the money to treat sick and injured ground zero workers.

According to USA Today, "Former President Clinton told Arab students Wednesday the United States made a "big mistake" when it invaded Iraq". Does the word "duh" have any meaning for Bill and why couldn't he have said this and far, far more a year or two back?

It must be 9 months or more since I posted my first item about the coming fiscal disaster that BushCo will leave the next incumbent - be the Dem or GOP - of the White House. Now it seems USA Today has caught up with what several prominent economists have been saying all along. Perhaps it's because outgoing comptroller general of the United States David Walker has decided to tell the truth:

Sadly, it's no laughing matter. To hear Walker, the nation's top auditor, tell it, the United States can be likened to Rome before the fall of the empire. Its financial condition is "worse than advertised," he says. It has a "broken business model." It faces deficits in its budget, its balance of payments, its savings — and its leadership.

The Washington Times - GOP shills extrordinaire - had an account today of a Preznit Bush who won't talk to anybody. Bush, said the report, "feels betrayed by several of his most senior aides and advisors and has severely restricted access to the Oval Office". Seems the only people with daily access are his wife, mommy, mistre...oops, Sec. of State Rice and Karen "the Nanny" Hughes.

AMERICAblog says "It honestly sounds like he's losing control. And he's in charge of our country. Not just worst president ever. But quickly becoming scariest president ever."

Hunter at DKos adds "I can't say I'm taking much glee in the thought that our president may or may not be having his own personal toga party, with nobody else invited."