Bush to Congress: $2.9 trillion spending plan

First, ""My formula for a balanced budget reflects the priorities of our country at this moment in its history: protecting the homeland and fighting terrorism, keeping the economy strong with low taxes and keeping spending under control while making federal programs more effective," Bush said." Wow. I personally love when ever he says this, " protecting the homeland and fighting terrorism,"

Bush is also proposing to increase the maximum Pell grant, which goes to low-income students, from the current $4,050 to $4,600. Oh wow, and extra $550! Are you serious? Bush is out of his mind, as Democrats are pushing for even larger increases.

"The president's budget is filled with debt and deception, disconnected from reality and continues to move America in the wrong direction,"
--> Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad.

Bush is just looking for ways (that aren't going to work) to make things better, without stopping his 'war.' Here's a clue to increase domestic spending: turn off your war machine.

Yahoo! News

Another victim of the U.S. fear culture and propaganda

A Penn Law School student who allegedly fired his weapon at the door of two neighbors he suspected of terrorism was suspended yesterday from the law school.

His lawyer, Peter Bowers, said the attack on the men he believed were terrorists - actually two roommates studying bio-engineering at Drexel University - "appears to have been a mental health or emotional issue."

Authorities "need to do appropriate mental health evaluations," Bowers said.

His client, Joseph Cho, 31, of Pine Street near 44th, is still awaiting arraignment for his alleged role in the assault. The two victims are each of Indian descent.

Cho, a Yale University graduate, has been charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, trespassing and vandalism, said Lt. John Walker, with Southwest Detectives.

He had gone to the Drexel students' apartment at 12:30 p.m., pounding on their door. When they didn't answer, Cho shot rounds from his legal Glock-9 into the door's lock.

He was later arrested by police.

"It is a bizarre case that we are investigating," Walker said. "You would think he would be more tolerant and more understanding to different cultures of people" because of his educational background.

Yesterday, Provost Ron Daniels sent a memo to the university's deans and senior administrators, stating that "the student has been temporarily suspended from the law school. The matter will be reported to the Law School's Committee on Student Conduct and Responsibility for its consideration."

The university, Daniels continued, was offering support services to any students seeking counseling to deal with the matter.

Cho, meanwhile, was described as an "outstanding young man," Bowers said. "It's really an unfortunate incident."

The law student enlisted in the Army after the Sept. 11 attacks and served for three years. He was given an honorable discharge, according to Bowers.

Philadelphia Daily News

Bush to Seek Record $716 Billion for Defense Spending

Next week, Bush is putting in a request for $716 Billion for defense and to fund the war on terror. According to Tony Capaccio (Bloomberg.com), the budget will go something like this: $93.4 billion in additional money for fiscal 2007 to cover costs of the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. The remaining $622.6 billion would cover the year ending Sept. 30, 2008 and include $141.7 billion for the wars.

Capaccio also writes, "The military funding request is greater than the annual gross domestic product of all but 14 countries." Meanwhile, Bush has pulled funding for healthcare programs, such as Access to Care, for citizens with no insurance to receive affordable health care. So now we have people who can't afford their medications, and who are walking around with disease and pain with no way to receive help, however they will be defended by Bush, with $716 billion!

Patriot$ don't a$k Question$. United Republik of Amerika

US-Iraqi fight with cult cover-up for a massacre?

Independent reporters in Iraq have discovered that the battle between a messianic cult and U.S.-Iraqi forces was a cover-up. With a possible motive of suppressing Shia-Sunni unity which was growing in the area of Najaf.

"We were going to conduct the usual ceremonies that we conduct every year when we were attacked by Iraqi soldiers," Jabbar al-Hatami, a leader of the al-Hatami Shia Arab tribe (supposed 'cult') said.

"We thought it was one of the usual mistakes of the Iraqi army killing civilians, so we advanced to explain to the soldiers that they killed five of us for no reason. But we were surprised by more gunfire from the soldiers."

From another eyewitness to the tragedy: "American helicopters participated in the slaughter," Jassim Abbas, a farmer from the area said. "They were soon there to kill those pilgrims without hesitation, but they were never there for helping Iraqis in anything they need. We just watched them getting killed group by group while trapped in those plantations."

Via AlterNet

Saddam hanging photos being used to "mentally torture" Guantanamo inmates

According to lawyers for Australia's only Guantanamo inmate, Guantanamo Bay prisoners were shown photos of Saddam Hussein hanging from a rope post-execution.

"Displaying photos of condemned men to those who may be facing capital charges can only be interpreted as an attempt to intimidate and compel submission under a threat of death and mentally torture an already abused detainee population," Joshua Dratel said in a statement to the Australian media.

Dratel also said photos of Saddam's 2006 trial were on a poster in a Guantanamo exercise yard, which read: "Because Saddam chose not to co-operate and not tell the truth, because he thought by lying he would get released, for that reason he was executed."

Via REUTERS

Rep. McGovern Introduces HR 746 - "Safe and Orderly Withdrawal from Iraq Act"

Rep. McGovern's bill, the "Safe and Orderly Withdrawal From Iraq Act," (H.R. 746) gives the Bush Administration 6 months to complete the withdrawal of U.S. forces.

"I believe that we must change the dynamic in Iraq. We must end our occupation, engage the countries in the region to help the Iraqis negotiate an end to the sectarian violence tearing their country apart, and let the Iraqi people determine their own destiny," Rep. McGovern said today on the House floor.

McGovern seems to understand that there will never be a military 'victory' in Iraq. Why doesn't Bush? He does, he just won't admit it and has a hidden agenda.

Sign the petition for a Safe and Orderly Withdrawal From Iraq...

U.S. - Iranian waltz (dance of death) could trigger war?

"On Jan. 20, militants kidnapped and killed four American soldiers in a raid in Karbala, and a fifth was killed in the firefight. A U.S. defense official said one possibility under study is that Iranian agents either executed or masterminded the attack, a suspicion based on the sophisticated and unusual methods used in the attack, including weapons and uniforms that may have been American." What ? Based on what? Where's the real evidence here?

Also - "There has been speculation that the Karbala assault may have been in retaliation for the arrest of five Iranians by U.S. troops in northern Iraq." Really? Who would have thought?

A #2 U.S. general told USA Today that Iran was supplying Iraqi Shiite militias with a variety of powerful weapons. "We have weapons that we know through serial numbers ... trace back to Iran," Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno said. Give me a break. Haven't we heard this kind of bullshit before?

Bush Admits He Lied (again)

Surprise! Last week, President Bush stated that Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and Vice President Cheney would "remain with [him] until the end of [his] presidency". A week later, Rumsfeld resigns from office to be replaced by CIA Director Robert Gates. Bush admitted that while he was telling reporters that Rumsfeld was staying, he had talked to Rumsfeld about resigning and was actually searching for his replacement. Watch video

O'Reilly wouldn't call Penn "anti-American" minutes after Factor referred to Penn as "anti-American"

O'Reilly (remember that jackass?) says: “You know that the Fondas and [Sean] Penns are going to say, ‘Listen, I’m as American as you are…I just see things differently.’ And I’m willing to give them the benefit of that doubt. I don’t want to say that they’re anti-American.”
But that's really crazy how just moments earlier, this happened:


To close the segment, O'Reilly asked Michelle Malkin if she had "any personal message for Sean Penn," to which she replied, "I'm glad that he's gone now from D.C."

Via Media Matters

Bush says 'War's hard' and will 'sprint to finish'

Oh thanks for that Bush. Didn't know war was hard. But you probably didn't know that war kills people who other people might care about or miss.

I hope Bush has a grand 'sprint to [the] finish', as his breath (a.k.a soldiers) will run out. There won't be any left.

In the interview with Neil Cavuto on Fox, Bush also stated, "We've got a war that we're fighting against extremists, radicals who would do us harm. We're in a major battle in that war in Iraq. And it's -- it's unsettling times when you're at war. War's -- war's hard. War's difficult. It's negative." Oh, except - WE SHOULDN'T EVEN BE IN A WAR. War? You mean free-for-all bloodbath, that will continue to get worse.

Journalist Seymour Hersh speaks of Bush

Based in D.C., Seymour Hersh is an American Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author. Regularly contributing to The New Yorker, Hersh is most known for his reporting on the My Lai massacre cover-up during the Vietnam War, and his 2004 reports on the the Abu Ghraib prison scandal.

At last week's conference "The 'War on Terrorism': Where Do We Stand" Hersh gave us his feelings and thoughts on prez Bush and what may come.

To sum Bush up in about two sentences, Hersh says, "[Bush is] a total radical, probably the most radical president we've ever had in terms of his definition of the power of the presidency," he said. "There's nothing more dangerous than a radical who doesn't have information, doesn't learn from information and doesn't learn from the past."

Hersh also stated, "I'm completely sympathetic to our [soldiers] - the kids we send are as much victims as [civilians]..." I support this statement the fullest extent. I have no hate towards those who serve the armed forces. We shouldn't hate anyone.

One last thing said by Hersh, "You will not believe what's going to be happening in the next few years with returning vets." And I couldn't believe him more.

Iraqi religious courts openly kill gays, call gays terrorists, U.S. watches

From self-appointed judges to religious fundamentalists, these are just some of the types of people ruling in the new Iraq. Put into place by the U.S., a proud George W. Bush is proud of the new Iraqi government and has said, "I reminded them the people had voted -- the people had expressed their desire for democracy and unity…” Uh, yeah. Nice and free.

“Attacks on homosexuals and intolerance of homosexual practices have long existed, yet they have escalated in the past year,” says the latest bi-monthly Human Rights Report of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), released on January 16.

Not much attention has been brought to the persecution of gays in Iraq, this is the first time the U.N. has officially recognized and made a statement regarding this situation. People need to know it's not just U.S. forces vs. 'Terrorists' - in fact, it's not even a war, it's a free-for-all bloodbath and IT WILL, without a doubt, continue to get worse.

“One of the self-appointed judges in Sadr City believes that homosexuality is on the wane in Iraq. ‘Most [gays] have been killed and others have fled,’ he said. Indeed, the number who have sought asylum in the U.K. has risen noticeably over the last few months... [This judge] insists the religious courts have ‘a lot to be proud of. We now represent a society that asked us to protect it not only from thieves and terrorists but also from these [bad] deeds.’"

When gays went to U.S. occupying authorities in Baghdad’s Green Zone for safety, they were of course treated with “contempt and derision."

And as expected, “A request to the U.S. Department of Defense press office in the Pentagon for comment on the UNAMI report went unreturned.”

How much longer will the freedom of these individuals be ignored?

More information regarding the gay community in Iraq at Iraq LGBT

Via TomPaine.com