Dressed to Kill

Nice threads.
Mr. Hangman, is that a Caballero jacket?

Putt-Putt Cars Coming Soon

The first Chinese cars could arrive in the U.S. in less than two years and be sold under an American brand name. Chrysler Group, the U.S. unit of DaimlerChrysler AG, said Friday that it has signed a letter of intent with Chinese manufacturer Chery Automobile Co. for Chery (pronounced "cherry") to build a small car that Chrysler will market in North America, Europe and elsewhere.

Chinese factories have the latest machine tools and assembly robots, plus the benefit of an extraordinarily low wage structure: less than $2 an hour, compared with about $28 an hour in U.S. plants.

Chery gets the benefit of coming to the U.S. under DaimlerChrysler's wing. Dodge is the brand most likely to sell the car, a subcompact that will be smaller and cheaper than the $13,575 Caliber, the smallest in the Chrysler Group lineup.

The company did not give details on the car or say when it would go on sale, but spokesman Jason Vines said it would arrive faster than the typical three-year lead time, meaning as soon as 2008.

Chrysler thus jumps to the head of the line to sell a Chinese vehicle in the U.S.

"It's inevitable that the Chinese will sell in the U.S. It's a matter of who and when," said George Peterson, president of industry forecaster Auto Pacific.

Peterson says the arrival of Chinese cars does not signal doom for the U.S. auto industry, but it will heighten the pressure to build vehicles at lower cost. He sees other domestic manufacturers following Chrysler and import vehicles from China.

"With the legacy costs they're carrying, that could force those companies to look offshore for more production," he said.

Peterson predicts that Chinese cars could start selling in "substantial volumes"--tens of thousands per year--by 2011 or 2012 in the U.S.

---- Also investing in China's booming auto industry are entrepreneur Malcolm Bricklin and the investment banking firm Allen & Co. Allen & Co., a blue-chip Manhattan is an investment firm whose clients include Disney, Coca-Cola, Universal Studios and billionaire investor Warren Buffett.

Bricklin is founder and CEO of the firm Visionary Vehicles.

Hopefully, 'made in China' cars, will partner with Wal-Mart's customer service desk to make returns for refund or exchange easier.

Outrageous Right Wing Comments of 2006

From MediaMatters: "The offensive, the senseless, the bigoted, the inaccurate: a year in right-wing nuttery."

Of course it's bigoted and nuttery coming from the likes of Ann "The Man" Coulter, Glenn "Limbaugh Lite" Beck, and Michael "Weiner" Savage, but I do not see the "outrageous, offensive, senseless, bigoted, inaccurate" as does MediaMatters in the following two:

William A. Donohue: "Well, look, there are people in Hollywood, not all of them, but there are some people who are nothing more than harlots. They will do anything for the buck. They wouldn't care. If you asked them to sodomize their own mother in a movie, they would do so, and they would do it with a smile on their face."

…. Donohue is correct. There are such celebrities. There are Hollywood hunks and he-men, some married with children, who would not only sodomize their own mother but their daddy too if it did anything for their careers. And Hollywomen who would do similar. (From my anonymous inside source.)

Fox News John Gibson: "Do your duty. Make more babies. That's a lesson drawn out of two interesting stories over the last couple of days. First, a story yesterday that half of the kids in this country under five years old are minorities. By far, the greatest number are Hispanic. You know what that means? Twenty-five years and the majority of the population is Hispanic. Why is that? Well, Hispanics are having more kids than others. Notably, the ones Hispanics call 'gabachos' -- white people -- are having fewer."

…. Gibson's right. Hispanics are procreating at a faster pace than Tyrone Black and Darrell White. Tyrone and Darrell best be learning Spanish early in school, just to keep up with my grandchildren who are bilingual.

Personally, the most outrageous, offensive, senseless, bigoted, inaccurate comments come from the mouths of politicians and professional experts, and from a widespread media picking at nits as if they matter.

So, This is Xmas

Yassuh Boss

Gerald R. Ford, lowly toteman on the political pole of grateful incompetents.

Seen at work in 1975 with his Chief of Staff Mr. "Donracula" Rumsfeld and his Deputy Chief of Staff - Mr. "Always a Bagman and Never the Prez" Dick Cheney.

Barbara Owens, speaking for the Military District of Washington, said Thursday the family asked for several elements of the traditional funeral procession to the Capitol to be excluded from the ceremonies. They are:

The caisson, a converted cannon wagon drawn by six horses of the same color. Ford's casket will be driven by hearse instead.

The riderless horse, which follows the caisson, with boots reversed in the stirrups of the empty saddle.

The flyover of 21 fighter aircraft, with one executing the "missing man" maneuver.

-- Jerry "the healer" Ford, a good ol' boy pratfalling through decades of assassinations, commissions, and coverups; a role model for yes-men everywhere.

Holly Daze Pics

MSM's Stable & Ho Saga

Donald publicly smacks around Miss USA and Miss Nevada.

Miss USA weeps on cue, scrunching and quivering her face as any 3-year-old, yes yes, Daddy Donald rehab me, oooh rehab me, sniff.

Miss Tara Connor USA enters rehab in Pennsylvania.

"Trump says he plans to have Connor take regular drug tests and that her ordeal could actually help others in the same situation. He tells the New York's Daily News, "I don't think she's denying she is an alcoholic. She can be a great example for troubled people - and she's troubled."

Daddy Don will have Miss Tara pee for him because she's troubled.

The Donald gives Miss Nevada, Katie Rees, the heave-"ho". Katie's "I was only 17" excuse was no excuse with The Daddy. When asked why Miss Nevada doesn't get a second chance the Donald simply stated "Have you seen the pictures." (Pics here.)

While girl role models lick, slurp, gulp, snort, and clench - their tiaras, the Donald and Rosie argue the finer points of celebrity role modeling: "Who's your daddy?" and "Where's my money bitch?"

Christmas Crapper

El Caganer –

"NB - The Spanish verb Cagar means literally to shit or to crap (not to defecate, that's another verb entirely), this actually being quite an acceptable word in everyday conversation …

El Caganer, a rather strange figure, has been a characteristic of Nativity scenes all over Catalonia for many years. No self- respecting Catalan Bethlehem scene would be complete without him! Nowadays he comes in many shapes and forms, from monks to shepherds, Barcelona or Madrid football players to famous film stars - all performing the exact same action - defecating. That's right! They are actually squatting down, with their trousers round their knees, having a bowel movement!

Although an integral and essential part of the Nativity scene, this colourful character is often difficult to spot. He is usually to be found in an ''outlying'' area - behind a suitably placed bush, for example - and not actually centre stage with the infant Jesus himself!

Their ''fertilizer'' enriches the earth around them, thus promising a buena cosecha (a good harvest) during the forthcoming year. This translates into a general good omen for the future. Upon purchasing a Caganer ... owning him will bring good luck and prosperity."

--- Gives me new respect for the term "holy shit".

Checkmate?

Tehran, Dec 18, IRNA – "Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Davood Danesh-Jaafari had recently said that Iran is to follow a transaction mechanism on the basis of currencies other than the dollar in retaliation for the US anti-Iran banking policies.

"Since any transaction, made worldwide on the basis of dollar, should be checked in the Clearing House in New York, we decided in line with the government's policies to carry out transactions in other hard currencies," said Danesh-Jaafari in a press conference recently on the sidelines of an e-banking conference. He said Iran plans to minimize use of dollar in its hard currency basket as certain US banks tried to disrupt Iran's dollar-based transactions. He said the move taken by Iran's banking system will in the long-run downgrade the use of dollar as a hard currency. Elsewhere in his remarks, Sheibani put Iran's forex reserve fund assets at dlrs 10 billion."

-- How long is that run? A decade or less to dump those 10 billion reserve dollars? Does Danesh think the Euro is safer? As if the Europeon dollar is any less fiat than the US. Hey! Whatever happened to the Iranian oil bourse that was to create so much damage to the dollar?

W. Joseph Stroupe of GeostrategyMap "makes a brilliant case for sitting up and taking notice of how the Russian bear is opportunistically wrestling to divest the United States of its world hegemony."

Reading this guy could worry a person.

Joe includes Germany in Russia's circle of friends. "Some of the economies of the West, such as Germany, are being included within the developing circle. Outside the circle are those economies of the West that are to be left out of the growing international energy-security arrangements currently being constructed, as alluded to above. Interestingly, and as a profound new development, it isn't the United States that defines the path and scope of the circle. Instead, it is Russia and its strategic partners who are defining it."

For #2 Daughter Jammin in Jamaica

Buffalo Soldier


No Woman No Cry


Jammin

Dung & Pony Show

KAB Dung Award (and there's plenty of dung to make awards) goes to all those who believe the story on Flynt Leverett means anything. Flynt, is yet another "former" government official, diplomat, CIA analyst, scholar, etc. etc. and a senior fellow at Saban Center for Middle East Policy.

Saban Center, a "research organization established at the Brookings Institution in 2002 through the donation of nearly $13 million by the Israeli media-mogul Haim Saban. Its current director is the veteran pro-Israel lobbyist Martin Indyk, who had earlier founded the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, an AIPAC spinoff, to counter the Brookings Institution which was seen as not pro-Israel enough."

Huh? Flynt is a fellow at Brookings/Saban and hence paid to research and offer "original and innovative programs" to promote understanding in the Middle East. Saban is currently run by a veteran lobbying pro, and founded by a media (propaganda) mogul. Surprise, surprise Gomer. It's the other asscheek.

Saban was protested a week or so ago because of Avigdor Lieberman attending the forum. He's the Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs, and considered by some to be an anti-Arab racist. Ever trustworthy Hank Kissinger was to chair Lieberman's forum session as "Lieberman far outstrips Kissinger in the force of his rhetoric with his calls to drown Palestinian prisoners in the Dead Sea ... and his declaration that 90 percent of Arabs have no place in Israel but should "take their packages and go to hell."

Gotta respect folks who rub elbows with peace practitioner Kissinger and Brookings "liberals", right?

Institutes and Centers - where retiring assholes go after "distinguished" careers in service to the government. It's where they write articles and books on their subject of expertise and pretend familiarity in all things regarding the region of the world they write about, after a lifetime spent behind a desk developing hemorrhoids and flat butts, "studying" the writings of other assholes who came before them. It's a long line of desk jockeys with bad eyesight, no foresight, and paid too well for genuine hindsight; blinded by rhetoric, bloated salaries; gamers getting to the next play level. Supporting actors, extras in the political game, thousands of 'em.

But, I'm getting off subject. Leverett supposedly had a story that the "White House has now forced the CIA to heavily censor a 1000 word op-ed draft planned for the New York Times that is based on a much larger product he produced under the sponsorship of the Century Foundation titled "Dealing with Tehran: Assessing US Diplomatic Options Toward Iran."

"Leverett believes that the White House is now politicizing the "secrets review" process and is rewarding those who support Bush's policies and punishing those who don't."

LOL. Where's the outrage America? This man is being heavily censored, the trusty old NYT (tongue/cheek) is being forced to censor him. Good god people, there might be an original solution for the Middle East in those 1000 pointless words; produced for and by yet another "foundation" that will change not the status quo – just the other team bending us over for status quo-ing.

Rebel : "What About My Rights?" Arm of the State: "Fuck Your Rights, Praise the Lord"

Title above a line from a B movie, Rising Storm.

Lead stories this week on the net was Lohan's DUI and Rosie's halfass apology for imitating the Chinese with "ching chong, chong, chong, chong." I'm not a fan of Rosie, can't stand her, but political correctness ex-spurts claim "ching chong chong" is a no-no.

Even Technorati's #2 search a couple of days ago was Britney's crotch. Heehaw. The netizens of the world are gonna whip the global ruling class on the information highway - just after they finish googling and star crotching.

Already, sites have initiated the hopeful hero cheerleading; from Kucinich to Edwards to Obama to Hillary. Rah rah rah go career toadies go - but change little for the average guy or gal. It's not the career suit or skirt, or name, who will "change" the status quo – but don't let the fools who vote figure that one out.

Next candidate, or crotch, get in line please.

And America's "left" has gotta love this one, (but it reminded me of the movie mentioned above), from Chavez, on the road with Hugo to a new order of worldly warm fuzzies:

"Venezuela's congress unanimously backed a law requiring two years of monthly community service by all citizens, as President Hugo Chavez expands his plans for "21st Century socialism" to create new grassroots groups."

National Service Act ring a bell?

Is that code for a thousand points of light or is that the ding-dong of old Poppy Bushspeak : "I have spoken of a thousand points of light, of all the community organizations that are spread like stars throughout the Nation, doing good. We will work hand in hand, encouraging, sometimes leading, sometimes being led, rewarding … I will go to the people and the programs that are the brighter points of light … old ideas are new again because they are not old, they are timeless: duty, sacrifice, commitment, and a patriotism that finds its expression in taking part and pitching in."

Venezuela's networking goal : "Each network would devise and present its own community service plan to a new government agency coordinated by the existing Ministry for Popular Participation … Citizens who fail to participate would face fines, to be deducted from paychecks or charged in the form of additional service hours. Non-complying institutions could be fined at 20 times that rate. Penalties, collected by the national tax agency, would fund future social service programs."

We're all gonna be a shining star, or uh "popular participation" people, taking part and pitching in, spreading our bright lights (REVENUE, free labor).

Chunks Crying All the Way to the Bank

Dec. 7 (Bloomberg) Investment bankers in Europe may lose a chunk of this year's record bonuses because the dollar's drop against European currencies will erode payouts that can account for as much as 90 percent of annual compensation.

"All big U.S. houses usually pay bonuses in dollars, and if you're in the U.K. or Europe it means you'll be hit quite badly at the moment," said James Heath, a London-based headhunter at Greenwich Partners, a financial-recruitment company.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch & Co., Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and Bear Stearns Cos. plan to pay a record $36 billion in bonuses this year, according to company reports and analyst estimates. European staff who didn't link their bonuses to this year's average exchange rates have to contend with the dollar's 11 percent decline against the euro and 13 percent slide against the pound.

Managing directors who advise on mergers and acquisitions will get bonuses of $2.3 million on average, according to London- based recruiters at Global Sage Ltd. The dollar's decline against the pound may reduce the payments by as much as $300,000, or 153,000 pounds.

Even with the weak dollar, bonuses are "so large that they will still get a very significant amount," said Jonathan Said, senior economist at London-based Centre for Economics and Business Research Ltd. The payments will be up as much as 30 percent this year, according to a survey published Nov. 15 by London recruitment firm Armstrong International.

Europeons Political Servant

"The European commission's German vice-president Günter Verheugen was battling to save his reputation today after photos emerged of him relaxing on the beach with his female chief of staff wearing only a baseball cap.

Senior officials inside the commission say Mr Verheugen, one of the key members of the EU's executive body, has become distracted and less visible in recent months, and not wholly focused on his job of leading the drive against red tape.

Government figures in Berlin have come out in support of their most senior representative in Brussels, whom they hope will be a key figure when Germany assumes the EU presidency on January 1. The foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, has dubbed Mr Verheugen, a fellow Social Democrat, an "irreplaceable Brussels heavyweight"."

-- Verheugen is a "heavyweight" ? From the looks of it Mr. V. has been sucking on that red tape. Creepy. If Günter's physical appearance is the aftereffect of the master race idea, the Germans seriously needs to implement interracial dating.

Pornocopia

Iraq Study Group (old men fondling themselves and the public) : "The high-level panel's blunt unanimous review has placed enormous pressure on Bush to implement policies he once rejected, including engaging U.S. enemies in direct diplomacy to help stabilize Iraq and reprisals if the Iraqi government doesn't meet certain milestones."

--- "Reprisals" ? as in what ? the "Coalition" will resort to force, create chaos, steal their oil? Are we on the same planet?

"U.S. officials should immediately launch a major diplomatic offensive in the Middle East and hold talks with Iran and Syria, said the Iraq Study Group, and revert to a support role in Iraq by shifting more combat troops to act as advisers and trainers in the Iraqi army."

--- The Viet backassward Nam approach, use "advisers" after launching war rather than before.

"The panel didn't provide a specific timetable for withdrawal but said it should be accelerated if the Iraqi government doesn't make substantial internal progress."

--- No timetable but 79 problem solving ways "forward" or - look busy, the peasants are watching.

"There's no magic formula or guarantee of success in Iraq, said the 10-member panel, even if all of its 79 recommendations for stabilizing the country are effectively implemented in a co-ordinated way."

--- Not 1 of those 79 recommendations said bring them home now. "Gradual pullout" but no mention for what generation that takes place.

Iraq Panel/Study Group --- Damage control Bubba, perverts fondling your mind. A show panel of pretenders pretending to "pressure" Bush with one old woman (Sandra Day O') and a Black guy (Jordan) paneled for good measure. Not an Arab or Muslim or leftist in the bunch.

--- And, for more fondling, US President "George W. Bush's nominee to be secretary of defense said on Tuesday that the US is not winning the war in Iraq, and that failure there could help ignite "a regional conflagration" in the Middle East. Robert Gates, who will succeed Donald Rumsfeld as Pentagon chief if he is confirmed as expected, told senators that the US went to war in Iraq without enough troops, as some generals said at the outset of the conflict."

--- Rummy's replacement, Robert Gates, received a warm bipartisan welcome home to the halls of power. (Equivalent to replacing John Wayne Gacy with Jeffrey Dahmer as headmaster of the boys dorm.)

--- And, look how much Silvestre Reyes wanted that chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee, as he is now calling for more troops in Iraq to whip them there militias.

Reyes: "We’re not going to have stability in Iraq until we eliminate those militias, those private armies,” Reyes said. “We have to consider the need for additional troops to be in Iraq, to take out the militias and stabilize Iraq … We certainly can’t leave Iraq and run the risk that it becomes [like] Afghanistan” was before the 2001 invasion by the United States."

--- As if invading Afghanistan was a wise decision. Ya wanna see a drastic drop in heroin profits again? As if the mostly Anglo World hasn't already hired its own 100,000+ man "private armies" of contractors, cops, cooks, mechanics, and day laborers in Iraq? Ya wanna put these folks and the corporations who hire them out of work?

But, most important - it almost looks like everyone in DC is going to just all get along. Reaching across the aisle, working together to solve this mess; whew, sigh of relief, everything will be okie dokie Bubba.

I've never seen so much fondling of the public in my life, it's a bi-political pornocopia.

Bawling & Cracking With Pride

TALLAHASSEE - Former President George Bush, visiting Florida in his son's final days as governor, broke into tears of pride Monday when he recalled how Jeb Bush handled an unsuccessful gubernatorial bid in 1994. "He didn't whine about it," Bush said of his son, his voice beginning to crack. "And he didn't complain." (Knowing DaddyCo would give him the goobernatorial later and el presidente soon.)

As he struggled to stop crying, he joked that his wife, Barbara, "will bawl me out for breaking up." (Babs the bawlbuster.)

Jeb Bush then came to his father's side, receiving a light admonishment from his father. (Don't we look like real human beings boy?)

"I can do this," he said, then added as his son threw an arm around him, "I love this guy." (It's GW junior I gladly sacrifice on the altar of NWO, aka New International Order.)

The audience rose in extended applause. (Yes, people really are that stupid.)

Ye Olde Banksters

Dec. 4 (Bloomberg) -- "Bank of New York Co. agreed to buy Mellon Financial Corp. for about $17.6 billion, creating the biggest custodian of assets for institutional investors almost a decade after Mellon rejected an unsolicited bid from the bank.

The stock swap will link New York's oldest bank, founded by Alexander Hamilton in 1784, with the Pittsburgh-based institution that helped finance the steel industry in the 1900s. The new company will safeguard $16.6 trillion in securities for investors, topping JPMorgan Chase & Co. as the world's largest custody bank, and will be the fifth-largest U.S. money manager, with $1.1 trillion in assets.

Company Assets
Bank of New York Mellon Corp. ......... $16.6 trillion
JPMorgan Chase & Co. ....................... $12.9 trillion
State Street Corp. .............................. $11.27 trillion
Citigroup Inc. .................................... $ 9.6 trillion
BNP Paribas SA ................................. $ 4.56 trillion

Historical tidbits about the Bank of New York and Alexander Hamilton:

The Bank of New York, opened on June 9, 1784, created by private investors and chartered (underwritten) by The Bank of England. It was the first bank in New York City.

Alexander Hamilton's tenure in Washington's cabinet was also marked by the development of partisan disagreement with Thomas Jefferson. Much to the president's disappointment, the Federalists and Jeffersonian Republicans divided public opinion throughout the country, especially over implied powers and states' rights. Hamilton resigned in 1785.

In 1789, Hamilton was appointed the nation's first Secretary of the Treasury, a position from which he issued bold ideas and a string of deeply insightful reports. His Report on Public Credit was followed by examinations of revenue generation, the establishment of a central bank, creation of a mint, and an analysis of manufacturing.

Working in concert with Hamilton, Aaron Burr helped to secure a charter and raise subscriptions for a private company to improve the water supply of pestilence-ridden Manhattan, but New Yorkers were shocked to learn that the surplus capital from the venture had been used to establish the Bank of Manhattan (renamed the Bank of New York). The Bank of New York was created by Hamilton and other wealthy New York investors that included Burr and the Bank of England. It was, and is still, underwritten by the Bank of England and was later chartered by the Congress as the First Bank of the United States.

The Bank won a 20-year charter from Congress that was rescinded in 1811, due to its association with the Bank of England, tight monetary policies, and competition with state chartered banks. Some accused it of corruption, but it survived and continues to operate independently.

In 1913, the Bank of New York became the controlling bank of America's central banking scheme, the Federal Reserve System.

"Founding fathers" yeeharr.

Nancy Pelosi Chooses Reyes

Nancy Pelosi's choice for house intelligence committee chairman, Silvestre Reyes.

"I always look back and am amused," Reyes said, recalling his school days. "I was tagged as (one day) being a chicken farmer (and) a high school counselor said I was good with my hands and could be a welder."

(It is said a counselor suggested to Malcolm X that he choose a career that entailed being good with his hands. Once my oldest daughter, when 17, somehow had an ITT rep come to the house to pitch the idea of a "career in technology" after training with ITT Technical Institute. Her brothers and I listened from the top of the stairs and when the salesman asked my daughter if she was good with her hands we rolled on the floor choking, laughing, and whispering that the girl couldn't pick up a broom or boil water and we were certain she had no manual dexterity. Fortunately, today she's executive director of a not-for-profit NGO, look ma – no hands.)

Rep. Reyes "repeatedly refused to provide any responses to citizens on issues through the 2006 national political awareness test when asked to do so" by the folks over at Project Vote Smart.

Reyes made only a Final Score of 50/135 or 37% over at The Peace Majority site.

And, then there's that thing with his kids. Rebecca Reyes' rise in the corporate world of security contractors. It might just be coincidence but the manager of the border security project was Rebecca Reyes, who is now director of policy, procedures and administration at L-3 subsidiary, MPRI." And daddy does vote "yes" on those Homeland Security Appropriations Acts along with the P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act.

(L-3 gobbled Titan now known as L-3 Titan Group.)

Silvestre Jr., was also hired to work as a technician. I wonder if he graduated ITT. There may be a Texas political career in junior's future.

Update: Feds Probing Rezko Iraq Contract

December 3, 2006

Federal authorities are investigating an Iraqi power plant deal involving Antoin "Tony" Rezko, a former top fund-raiser for Gov. Blagojevich charged with defrauding Illinois taxpayers.

Investigators want to talk to Iraq's jailed former electricity minister, Aiham Alsammarae, about how Rezko landed the potentially lucrative contract, a source familiar with the probe told the Chicago Sun-Times. Alsammarae, who holds dual U.S.-Iraqi citizenship and has a house in Oak Brook, helped Rezko get the deal, another source said.

Rezko and others in the venture were to own the plant and sell electricity back to the Iraqis, but the Iraqi government still was to pay a substantial portion of construction costs, that source added.

The contract, negotiated in 2004, no longer is in effect. It is unknown how much money, if any, Rezko made.

Alsammarae, 55, attended the Illinois Institute of Technology with Rezko in the late 1970s and early 1980s and went on to own an engineering firm in Downers Grove.

From Oak Brook to Iraqi Cabinet to prison.
Since leaving Oak Brook in 2003 to become Iraq's minister of electricity, Aiham Alsammarae has seen his fortunes rise and fall.
- September 2004: Electrical power systems improve from pre-war days, the New York Times reports, but renewed violence wipes out those gains.
- June 2005: Now out of the Iraqi Cabinet, Alsammarae, a Sunni, announces he's forming a group to bridge the political gap between Sunni insurgents and Iraq's Shiite-led government. He claims to have talked to insurgent groups.
- February 2006: One of the groups Alsammarae said he'd talked to takes credit for trying to kill him in a roadside bomb attack in Baghdad. He's OK, but two bodyguards in his convoy are wounded.
- August 2006: Alsammarae turns himself in to fight corruption charges. His family says he's detained for political reasons.
- October 2006: Iraqi news outlets report that U.S. forces are trying to help Alsammarae escape Iraqi custody. The U.S. State Department declines to comment.
SOURCE: News reports.

--- In other news, vultures for TPTB continue circling over the carcass of Iraq.

Yard 4 Sale

Barack Obama, the fastest falling star of the "left" has had November woes. "Obama would be wise to explain, fully and quickly, the prelude to a real estate deal and subsequent transactions related to his acquisition of a $1.65 million home on Chicago's South Side. If Obama doesn't shine his own spotlight on his real estate relationship with indicted political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko, he'll be fielding questions about Rezko in two years and in 20." (Foto AP/Randy Squires)

Obama made the purchase to enlarge the yard around his south-side Chicago mansion. Rezko had purchased the neighboring lot the same day Obama purchased his mansion. Shortly afterwards Rezko was putting a fence up, city ordinance I think, and Obama made the deal to purchase 1/6 of the lot to "balance out" his yard from the fence. "Rezko, however, was the one who was to pay for the fence, although that $14,000 bill has not been paid, the fence company told the Tribune."

And Obama, as all good neighbors across America … "pays his landscaper to mow Rezko's 7,500-square-foot yard. Obama said that he intends to have the landscaper figure out a pro-rata cost for that mowing and send that bill to Rezko, but that he hasn't yet done so."

"Consider just how meteoric Obama's rise has been. In 2000, he lost badly to Bobby Rush in the Democratic primary in Illinois 1st Congressional District. Four years later, with only about a month left in the 2004 Democratic Senate primary, Obama was running tied with Dan Hynes for second place, ten points behind gazillionaire Blair Hull - until the frontrunner's campaign imploded in mid-to-late February amid revelations his wife had filed a restraining order against him for abuse (I think he admitted kicking her in the shin during a spat, if I recall). Barring that last minute turn of events, Obama would still be an Illinois State Senator and two-time loser for higher office that no one in the country had ever heard of."

Maybe Obama owes his meteor in part to "Tony" Rez, the Chicago area political fundster and moneyraiser indictee. "Rezko and his companies donated nearly $20,000 to Obama's state Senate races and federal fund. Obama has said he would divest the federal donation." (Approx. $11,000 by some reports.)

"Obama's defenders say Rezko's quick purchase of the property next to Obama shows just how far he'll go to literally get next to public officials." Purchased on the same day Obama purchased his home, maybe Barack mentioned it to Rezko in passing.

I believe "Tony" is currently out on bail, (for a while his whereabouts unknown, suggestions of back to his native Syria) after the indictment for shakedowns, kickbacks, extortion, etc. (The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt.) Charges courtesy of none other than Patrick J. "Fitzmas" Fitzgerald (another former "left" hero).

"Tony" Rezko incidentally has/had friends in high places. For instance, "Messrs. Rezko and A. (censored) were introduced several years ago by a mutual acquaintance in London. They teamed up recently on a $150 million contract to build a power plant in Iraq. Mr. Rezko, a close confidante and fundraiser for Gov. Rod Blagojevich, arranged for Mr. N.A. to meet the Governor and State Senate President Emil Jones on a visit to the U.S. last year."

And to make matters worse, Tony is facing lawsuits from Chicago Riverside Investments LLC, managed by Muhamad Dabbouseh, over the Near South Side development, and in October another investor sued Mr. Rezko, claiming he's "owed millions of dollars and a stake in Mr. Rezko's Panda Express food chain business."

Tony's Riverside development plans " fizzled last year after Mr. Rezko, an adviser and fund-raiser for Gov. Rod Blagojevich, became embroiled in a minority contracting scandal, imperiling the development’s chances of getting as much as $140 million in city tax subsidies. Last fall Mr. Rezko’s partnership sold the property for $130.5 million to a company led by Iraqi-born British billionaire "you know who.

The point of the story? I dunno. Maybe just to skirt around the name of billionaire you know who or maybe to point out that Obama's "poverty to prominence" rise may be politically stained because he was caught giving a mowjob.

Cindy Still Acting For the Status Quo

Cindy says impeachment the most important issue the new congress should put on the table.

Cindy says: "Bringing Articles of Impeachment against BushCo will not only bring resolution and justice to our nation and the world, but if this regime is made to be held accountable for their crimes and abuses of power, then future administrations may be slower to commit such blatant and belligerent crimes and the world will be a safer and more peaceful place."

Yep, future pols may be slower to bend us over and will use a velvet condom when they do. Make future administrations less blatant with their crimes. After the impeachment of Nixon did it not give us a dozen years of good lovin' from Reagan/Bush? And while everyone sat in the theater impeaching "Crooked Weenie" Clinton were TPTB setting the stage for current events?

Impeach 'em all with misconduct in office - before our next bufuing.

Yessirree, bring on the resolution. Impeachment love you long time, and possibly a few nickels wage hike for bending over. Wham, bam, thank you man.