Blackwater Video - Who are they, anyway?

Blackwater is accused of "killing for sport" - especially this last week, with the Iraqis pushing back on what's going on in Baghdad. Here's a 5 min video intro:

Oil and the Sept troop pullout of Iraq

Get a clue.

What is this talk from Robert Gates and Condi Rice about troop pullout by September? Well, the GOP is certainly happy to hear that....many of their their butts will be on the line for re-election.

Republican Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) said this morning on CBS' Face the Nation that "unless something extraordinary happens," most members of Congress believe that troop withdrawal should be on the table in September....Speaking about a report in yesterday's New York Times, that said the Defense Department is considering drawing down troops by up to 50% in 2008, Sessions said, "I certainly hope that's what will occur. We cannot sustain this level, in my opinion, in Iraq and Afghanistan much longer."

But something more cynical is going on. Most Americans, don't know what's really going on with the Iraq oil and the Iraqi oil fields. The new Iraq Hydrocarbon law was a large part of the Iraq war funding bill that Bush signed this week.

Apparently, the Iraqi government was held hostage to passing the hydrocarbon law, which in effect, gives the US and multi-national governments a major share of the oil. Clearly, our modern day robber barons - the oil companies and their boards and stockholders - feel they're getting what they need to forge ahead on owning what failed World Bank President Paulie Wolfowitz says "awash in a sea of oil".

Condi wants Iran at Iraq talks

Who's Sorry Now?

Has Condi Rice woken up from her neoconartist drugged stupor? Is she FINALLY returning to her senses and becoming true to her academic training in foreign policy? Let us hope so. She wants Iran at the table - with Iraq and neighbors. Hmmmmm.

It's the oil, stupid. The latest reports say that Iraq's oil reserves are bigger than anyone knew. Think of the money in the Production Sharing Agreements being left on the table. Who needs war with Iran over pesky nuclear nonsense when there's gold in them thar hills?

Who's sorry now is all the AEI, the neoconartists, and all the leech politicians who've been fawning around them for the past few years.

FT Ms Rice’s attempts to draw Iran into the conference – which will include Iraq’s neighbours as well as the permanent members of the UN security council and the G8 industrialised nations – contrasted with her previous resistance to such talks.

Since then there had been a “rebalancing”, she said, particularly after President George W. Bush’s speech on January 10 announcing the extra troops and a more aggressive response to Iran’s perceived role in arming and training Iraqi Shia militia.

Condi: I'm glad Imus was fired

Who's a "big girl" now?

Condi tells us she's glad Imus got fired because of the disgusting language....but....she's wouldn't need any Sharpton or Jackson action - and she's got the boots to prove it!

R Asked how she handled racist, sexist comments directed her way, Rice laughed and replied: "I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself. And I really don't care because, you know, I'm a mature woman."

Condi gets a platoon of lesbian translators

Who's afraid of the big bad.....gays?
That's the US Pentagon, army, DOD, whatever. So....Congressman Gary Ackerman (DNY) is suggesting Condi get her very own Lesbian Platoon - and apparently she likes the idea!
WaPo "Well, it seems that the military has fired a whole bunch of people who speak foreign languages -- Farsi and Arabic, et cetera. After they train them . . . for 63 weeks, and presumably they all passed all kinds of security things," Ackerman said. "For some reason, the military seems more afraid of gay people. . . . And if the terrorists ever got a hold of this information, they get a platoon of lesbians to chase us out of Baghdad."...Rice promised to look into it. Last night, Ackerman said in an interview that, after the hearing, he received a call from an aide to Rice who said that his suggestion was being taken seriously.

Boxer to Condi, KSFO to all - 2 looming apologies

Who's not, or sort of not, apologizing now?

1. Doesn't look like Senator Barbara Boxer is going to apologize to Condi for her "childless" remarks, whatever...but we're intrigued with the Radar piece that implies that gay Republican blogger Andrew Sullivan may have OUTED Condi on his blog with this:

Andrew Sullivan Eager to Pick Rice for His Team
Is apologetic gay conservative blogger Andrew Sullivan outing Condoleezza Rice? A post by the digital commentator currently ranked 76th in the world on Technorati seems to do just that. Under the headline "Vile," Sullivan writes: "That's the only word to describe Senator Boxer's ad feminam attack on Condi Rice yesterday. There was a trace of homophobia to the smear as well."

2. KSFO/SPOCKO/Melanie Morgan - what is with these idiots? First off, everyone calm down. All talkers are wannabe entertainers. Some are pretty good at it, most are not. Sure, they have a POV, but that's not the point. They're paid to agitate and spout their nonesense (on both sides, btw) and you're buying their crap.

Listen to their show from last Friday when they replay all their disgusting hater talk - which, news flash! - is NOT entertaining. So...this crazy story rages on. Here's a good wrap up of the details in today's NYT. Post An Apology is interested because of the looming apologies:

Most of the callers were sympathetic during Friday’s broadcast, but one blogger who has supported Spocko’s cause, Mike Stark, was encouraged to call in. The extended dialogue perhaps can best be summarized by one exchange.

Mr. Stark: “You’ve spoken of the number of apologies you have tried to make. How many apologies does a professional get before they realize they are an incompetent and move on to another line of work?”

KSFO’s Lee Rodgers: “Well I haven’t apologized for anything and I am not going to start with you. How the hell do you like that, creep?”

Barbara Boxer says she won't apologize

Who's NOT apologizing now?

Senator Barbara Boxer, for "speaking truth to power". ...

SFG "I was just saying what I felt,'' the California Democrat said in an interview with The Chronicle. She said she would not apologize for the exchange because "I delivered a very strong message and tried to find common ground with her ... and I tried to draw us together, and not apart.'' The exchange occurred when Rice appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to support President Bush's proposal to increase U.S. troop levels in Iraq by 21,500.

Boxer, during her questioning of Rice, said she wanted to focus attention on the human consequences of the decision. "Who pays the price? I'm not going to pay a personal price. My kids are too old, and my grandchild is too young," to serve, Boxer told Rice. "You're not going to pay a price, as I understand it, within immediate family. So who pays the price? The American military and their families.''

Condi *hearts* Fox

Group hug! Condi and the old white guys....hey, when is she going to hook up? Who does she date?

(via RS) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice let slip her media preferences on Thursday, saying "I love every single one" of Fox News network's correspondents and also favors CBS anchor Harry Smith. In comments overheard on an open microphone between morning television interviews, including one with Fox, the top U.S. diplomat said: "My Fox guys, I love every single one of them."