I, probably like many of you, thought there was something fishy behind the investigation into Eliot Spitzer. Well, here is what Greg Palast is reporting:

"This week, Bernanke’s Fed for the first time in its history, loaned a selected coterie of banks one-fifth of a trillion dollars to guarantee these banks’ mortgage-backed junk bonds. The deluge of public loot was an eye-popping windfall to the very banking predators who have brought two million families to the brink of foreclosure.

Up until Wednesday, there was one single, lonely politician who stood in the way of this creepy little assignation at the bankers’ bordello: Eliot Spitzer."  

You've got to be kidding, right?  

Wrong. There's way more, and he says it all leads to Bush, more crimes and large sums of money.....

Here is today's New York Times glowing and unquestioned review of George Bush:

"Bush delivered a rousing defense of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on Tuesday."

How is that even possible (the "rousing" part) in a rational world? Rousing means capable of arousing enthusiasm or excitement. The NY Times is telling me that there are still people in America "enthusiastic" and/or "excited" about the war in Iraq. That was also the lead to the Times' fable. There's unfortunately more...

Everyone probably heard by now about the "small" bomb that went off in Times Sqare, New York yesterday. Well, today they are reporting that "letters were received by Congressional staffers with photos of the military center "before it was bombed" and claiming "We did it."

Well, what really scares me is when you think of this story in the context of this editorial in Common Dreams.

Follow me after the fold...

Ohio screwed this nation in 2004, and now Ohio did it again. How could Ohioans vote for that woman? By voting for Hillary Clinton yesterday, you have almost assured the Republicans will win in November. Why? Because many, many Clinton voters will vote for McCain. Each time that lady opens her mouth she hurts the Democratic chances in November. What is worse is that Hillary is ultimately dividing (and destroying) the Democratic Party.

Barack Obama must run as a fourth party candidate in November if somehow he is denied the Democratic nomination. Barack can win as a fourth party because I believe his support (about 40%+ of the nation) is rock-ribbed (whatever that means), while the remaining vote will be split among Hillary, McCain and Nader.

It may even be that Obama is better to run as a fourth party candidate because Hillary and McCain (the two candidates devoid of purpose or heart) will take away votes from the other.

Discuss....

I believe there is a debate on tonight. I believe it is also the last debate between Barack and Hillary before Texas, Ohio and RI primaries.

If so, I believe that Barack must hit back hard on the "Obama is a Muslim" or a "Militant," or whatever else Hillary and soon, McCain, will be slinging at him.

I believe Barack must put to bed the issue that he is an "unknown," "hasn't been properly vetted" or possibly not patriotic enough as CNN seemed to wonder the other day.

There's more....

I, like many of you, have been closely following the tragic assassination of Benazir Bhutto. I, like many of you, believe this is a terrifying event not only for Pakistan but for the U.S. and the world as well.

I awoke early this morning to news of her funeral. It turned into Morning Joe so I promptly switched it off. I came here looking for news and found this interview she gave to David Frost less than two months ago (well worth the view). Frost allegedly asks her where she got all of her millions and she allegedly responds saying that was a sexist question. I have watched the interview several times yet still don't find this exchange.

Nevertheless, a thought occurred to me while watching the interview:

No matter what you think of the lady, and a lot of you don't think very much of her, she seems to have represented the democratic process in Pakistan, and that is more than can be said about many of our present rulers.

I wish I could be as optimistic as Flubber:

"It's different this time.... We're going to win this thing. The opposition is pathetic."

This quote is from one of 516+ comments in the Recommended Diary "CNN Screened and Gave Out Questions at the Debate." I had to write my own diary, even if it's brief, to try to get across what could be an interesting part of the story that has gone unnoticed.

As Ms. Luisa revealed, CNN "forced her to ask the [] question." Thus, CNN has no qualms about manipulating facts to fit their policies. But, this is good because now there is no more hiding the fact that the media (every last one of them) has no interest in reporting the news, educating the public, having an open exchange of ideas, facts, providing information that matters to the viewers, truth, fairness or anything that resembles the Democratic Ideal and only cares about framing the issue, being "fair and balanced," profit, manipulation and probably much, much worse.

Have you found, like myself, that there is little good news out there these days? I believed, like so many others, on November 7, 2006, that the Dems really would stop Bush. Heck, I thought they would at least fight him if not actually beat him. My hopes were high that night! Maybe that's why I haven't been around here since. Boy, was I wrong. Things are worse. We are about to go to war with Iran, as anyone with an eye can see. War with Iran 72,000,000 hits! Now, I know it's not just the number of hits that makes war with Iran so certain. But, all the media seem on board once again. He's even gotten France this time and will probably get Germany.

If you haven't seen this yet, you should.  It's from the NY Times, a paper I don't care to read, but this is unbelievable.

Regardless of one's view of the NYT or the war in Iraq, this is required viewing: Sorry, I don't know how to embed the link, but you shouldn't miss it.  http://www.nytimes.com/...

It's also here at BAG Newsnotes:  http://www.bagnewsnotes.com/  

That's all I got....

"No, you fuck(tard), you weren't supposed to say that to them."

This was Rob Thomas last night on the Bill Maher show describing an aide's reaction to Bush's admission to Katie Couric that "THE HARDEST PART OF HIS JOB WAS TO CONVINCE AMERICA OF THE CONNECTION BETWEEN IRAQ AND THE WAR ON TERROR"

!!!!!

I watched the debate between Ned Lamont and Joe this week.  As many of you know, it was carried nationally on C-Span and MSNBC.  I have to wonder about MSNBC's motives, but I am more concerned that Ned Lamont lost the debate.  I hope I am wrong, but I think Ned Lamont lost because Joe made better use of trying to scare voters into thinking that Ned Lamont is either an unknown commodity or worse--a Reagan Democrat.  

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.  

What's even sadder is that many establishment Dems (Chuck Schumer, Chris Dodd, Harry Reid and many others) have spun this same lie.  

More after the fold...

I was reading the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Hamdan2 this morning--the one that George Bush has already signalled he is going to ignore--and I started thinking, which is always a dangerous thing to do in Bush's America, about Jack Nicholson's speech from the movie A Few Good Men.

At the end of the movie, Tom Cruise wants the truth, but Jack says he can't handle it--kind of like the public's right to know.

With a few subtle changes, Jack's speech could be given by George at his trial.....  

I can't believe this hasn't been diaried yet.  This is too important to pass up.  All the credit needs to go to The Independent.  

The Ambassador to Iraq is giving Condi "Snapshots" from Iraq.  I guess it's all the good news that is coming out of Iraq but not being told to the American People.  NOT!

Much of it is edited here, but you should read the whole article at

http://news.independent.co.uk/...

Must read on.....

Will Meet the Press ask any repubs. whether this is the family values America has been missing.  

Kudos to Crooks and Liars:  http://www.crooksandliars.com/...

Jack Burkman registered with the Family Research Council in '01 as a lobbyist: (this is public information).  "General Description: Non-profit commited to Promoting Family, Faith and Freedom." I wonder what Tony Perkins will say?

Actually, I wonder if this is what Bill O'Liely considers the "smear tactics of the far-left" otherwise known as the truth.

I never thought of myself as the enemy.  

Rather, I always considered myself to be a trusted user even before I technically was one.  

I have been around this site longer than many of you.  I would have to say that I have been an avid reader since 2003, although I might not have registered until sometime after the 2004 election to express my displeasure, thus the explanation for my user name as one diarist recently requested.  

I like to think that I did my part in making DailyKos what it is today. Apparently, others would tend to disagree.  

Follow me after the fold...

QUICK. BEFORE THEY PULL THE PLUG, EVERYONE WHO IS INDOORS AND HAS MSNBC PLEASE TUNE INTO MSNBC'S MEMORIAL DAY HOOPLA.  

It was 10:45 EDT, and I was watching.  Were you? Someone should make an open thread to monitor these folks.  

I just watched a Marine being patched through to his son. It was billed to be a surprise for both of them.  I think they surprised them all right, but it was more shock and awe than thanks for the memories.  

Why haven't I noticed it before?

I was watching the Mets play the Braves (the Mets sure are exciting these days, and who doesn't love Willie) when it occurred to me. The sheer hypocrisy occurred to me of the so-called (illegal) immigration debate otherwise known in some circles as how do we round up 15 million people.  

Has anyone realized what I am about to say?  

Would any of these Minutemen like to propose that all of the foreign born players leave Major League Baseball?  I don't think they really would publicly admit it (some would), and I am going to break one of Hunter's rules, but I submit the Minutemen really aren't just against the fact that "they" have came here illegally.

I think that some of them probably would admit that in an ideal world they would prefer all non-white people go home  (or is it the non-English speaking people).  My point, however, is much larger than simply hatred for people unlike oneself.  

Keep reading.....

For those who don't know, Steny Hoyer is a Democrat from Texas.  I believe they are called yellow-dog Democrats.  Maybe someone will correct me if I am wrong.

Anyway, I was getting my morning dose of Daily Kos, and I came across another view of Stephen Colbert's grandiferous speech from Saturday night.  

This view was from the Democratic Congressman from Texas.  Take it away, Steny:

"I thought some of it was funny, but I think it got a little rough," Hoyer said. "He is the president of the United States, and he deserves some respect."

"I'm certainly not a defender of the administration," Hoyer reassured stunned observers, but Colbert "crossed the line" with many jokes that were "in bad taste."  

You can see it and CrooksandLiars, right now.  http://crooksandliars.com