Posts Made By: Rod Kaufman

It now appears US fears of a non-secular domination of the political process is unfolding in Iraq. With much of the vote counted, the secular groups are screaming fraud and foul and are calling for demonstrations.
Both republican Lindsay Graham and democrat Joseph Biden who monitored the elections expressed their fears and concerns if a non-secular government begins to take shape in Iraq.
The probability of an Iranian style theocracy in Iraq is now significantly enhanced as a result of the latest elections...

Just when we thought we were done with the wall at the border nonsense, the Bush adminstration is all set to move forward on their ingenious idea for border control: stadium lighting!!! Yup, they want to light the place up. Trouble is, many of the crossings occur during the day.
Mayor Ray Borane of Douglas Arizona states rather bluntly: "Everything is about the border, about controlling the border, but that will never happen."
We need to enforce existing laws and control the problem by going after employers that violate our laws by their illegal hirings of undocumented workers.
The useless idea of needless stadium lighting is another boner republican idea...

I don't know how many times I've read or heard Bush is "back at the ranch clearing brush." I've seen it so many times I've lost track of the number. I think he was back at the ranch clearing brush when Katrina hit. He must have cleared more brush than any other sitting president in the history of the United States.
Today, 1-2-06, Bush's picture appears in the LA Times with a long scratch on his face which he claims came from "clearing brush". Bush appeared at a hospital full of amputees to award purple hearts and various well-deserved medals to the soldiers. Curiously, Bush refused care from the hospital for the abrasion on his face. He also claims he clears brush for exercise. How many people do you know who clear brush "for exercise?"
I saw a picture of him on CNN or some other media source awhile ago with what appeared to be a large contusion on his face. No mention of it though in the media.
Perhaps Bush is a bit eccentric when it comes to exercise and he actually clears brush for the physical demands of doing it. I jog for exercise as does Bush and I also clear brush from two slopes behind my home but I view that as a chore and not as a routine method of exercise.
This weekend it rained heavily in California and I spent the time with my family and we watched the movie "Wyatt Earp" on dvd. I wore my cowboy hat and dressed western when we went out to dinner and some people smirked a bit when they saw me in my hat. So I guess by their perceptions, I was a bit eccentric too.
I just hope all that caused the tatoo-like replica of the grand canyon on Bush's face was indeed "clearing brush" and not some kind of a drinking binge.
Our country has enough problems with him without adding anything else to the list...

US Navy F-14 Tomcats "flattened" a house occupied by six Iraqi civilians, killing all of them and missed their intended targets of suspected insurgents. The Navy is now trying to figure out what went wrong.
In the CNN website report, the military is said to have carried out more than FIFTY airstrikes against suspected insurgent targets in ONE day. I keep hearing Dick Cheney's words of "the insurgency is in it's last throes." Those words are about as realistic as Rumsfeld and Cheney claiming the Iraqi people would be throwing rose pedals at the feet of Americans for liberating them.
The truth is the insurgency is packing a real wollop and the mishap of the US Navy probably converted more Iraqis to the side of the insurgency.
A few weeks ago, CNN reported AP had photos of a burned-out US Abrams M1 A2 main battle tank. That thing is supposed to be able to take a hit from a Russian T-72 and still survive but the insurgents managed to knock one out anyway.
Today there was even more unbelieveable carnage in Iraq.
The credibilty of Bush on Iraq is....

Senator Joseph Biden wants to end the confirmation process altogether and have the nominee of the president acted upon directly on the floor of congress.
This actually happened till 1925.
Biden feels the nominees are so mum about the major issues they will eventually decide that it's not worth the time and effort it takes to conduct the hearings in the first place...

According to Pakastani intelligence officials, the CIA acted on faulty intelligence (so what esle is new?) and bombed the wrong target in their quest to kill the number 2 man in Al Queda.
We saw the results on CNN, dead cattle lying around with reports of bodies of women and children in bombed-out buildings.
What the hell gives George W Bush the authority to OK the CIA to bomb in another country?
Pakastanis are already taking to the streets to protest this military adventure and the US ambassador has been summoned by Pakistan to hear their formal protest over the bombings.
Even if the CIA got the guy, he would be instantly viewed as a martyr and more radical converts would be borne to avenge his death.
The CIA and Bush evidently can't grasp the concept that we are with a political ideology and the death of a single member isn't going to change it...

It appears Rick McCallum was right about the Saudis and their connection to terrorism. The LA Times has as its front page Sunday headline a significant article on Saudi funding of Al Queda. The article also notes how half of the "aggressive" foreign fighters in Iraq originate from Saudi Arabia.
It looks like quickdraw was on the mark with his viewpoint...

Despite all the hype of a rosy economy, report after report of corporate earnings have left wall street in the dumps. This is in spite of all of the slashing of employee benefits such as pensions and health care by major corporations. Not to mention the tax cuts.
Obviously, there's no help from escalating oil prices but the main thing that usually drives stocks up is corporate earnings that are at least meeting if not exceeding wall street expectations. So far, the carnage continues...

Overheard on CNN today:
A group of concerned "citizens" (read pro-developers) wants to invoke eminent domain to bulldoze the home of supreme court justice Souter in order to make way for a hotel complex!
A few months ago, a development group in Florida began lobbying the city to invoke eminent domain to drive-out lower economic classes in a prime beach front area they've lived in for years so the developers could go dog nuts and build a mega money bundle for themselves. Don't know what happened on that one yet. I do suspect the developers know that if they succeed and a hurricane hits and wipes out the development, it will be replaced at government expense, no matter how many times it happens. And they know they will be set for life if it does...

If anyone happened to watch 60 minutes today, you will have seen another supplier that will provide a "fix" to America's craving for oil.
Canada is now reported to have EIGHT TIMES of the amount of oil reserves as compared to Saudi Arabia. It's in a mixture known as "oil sands" and the technology exists to extract it with the result being a more refined product than what we get from the middle east. While it won't replace Saudi oil, it will reportedly lessen our dependence upon it.
It looks like our SUVs are safe for awhile :S