TresSugar

Briefing Book! Obama Gave Bush an Iraq Courtesy Call

LibertySugar — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 12:30:43 -0800

Obama made a courtesy call to George W. Bush before announcing his plan to withdraw from Iraq. - The Washington Post
Southern California mayor will resign after forwarding offensive email about Obama. - Wonkette
Researches identify some of the oldest words in the English language. - Lemondrop
San Francisco's school district wants kids to bike to school. - SFist
Where to look for stimulus-driven jobs. - SavvySugar
WIll your city be one of the ones that bounces back? - Good
Ron Paul says the Federal Reserve is the culprit. - YouTube

Shrinking W: Is He a Puppet, Fool, or Sadist?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 13:00:00 -0800

Since W the movie failed to figure out George W. Bush, a psychiatrist who's studied him is giving it a go. Justin Frank, MD, the author of Bush on the Couch: Inside the Mind of the President, says President Bush is not Dick Cheney's puppet nor is he a well-intentioned fool in over his head but a sadist who will revel in watching the world clean up his mess from his Crawford couch.

Dr. Frank believes the mess Bush has left is the result of giving a destructive personality extraordinary power. He shrinks Bush down to a wounded child, a boy who enjoyed killing frogs who grew into a man - to steal a phrase from everyone's favorite VP candidate - hellbent (unconsciously) on destroying the world. To see what he said, read more.

For Bush, the roots of his bad-boy sadism run deep. As a young boy, he identified with his harsh and often cruel mother (ed., Barbara!), whose inability to provide necessary maternal early nurturing culminated in her withdrawal after George’s young sister’s illness and untimely death. He was a ruthlessly teased, learning-disabled little boy who was criticized by teachers for not being able to keep up in class. And he was left behind by an emotionally distant father who reinforced the message from his mother that it was pathetic for a 7-year-old to show grief about his sister’s death. All of these factors contributed to an unrelenting self-hatred that made him feel weak and ashamed, things he tried to deny by posing as superior, exploiting weakness in others and becoming a bully.

Yesterday we heard President Bush defend his accomplishments (depending on how you look at it) and admit his mistakes at his last press conference. He was charming - but aren't all sociopaths? - and appeared sincere, giving the impression that he never meant to do anything but his job well.

So, who's crazy now?

Source

Front Page: Pope Meets Victims, Brown in DC, Polygamy Hearing, Carter and Hamas

CitizenSugar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 07:01:34 -0700

Pope Meets Victims: Pope Benedict XVI came face to face yesterday with a scandal that haunts the American Catholic Church by holding an unannounced meeting with several victims of sexual abuse by priests. The cardinal who organized and attended the meeting, gave the pope a list of about 1,000 boys and girls who had been abused in the Boston Archdiocese in the past several decades. The Pope requested the meeting, praying and speaking personally with each person in attendance. The cardinal said afterward, “it was a moving experience. It was very positive and very prayerful.”

Brown in DC: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was in Washington DC yesterday to celebrate what he called the “special relationship” between his country and the United States. As a reminder of President Bush's waning time left, before Brown visited the White House, he met with all three candidates vying to succeed President Bush. After the meetings Brown said, “What I was convinced of, after talking to each of them and talking about the issues that concern them and concern the world, is that the relationship between America and Britain will remain strong, remain steadfast.” Not to leave Bush unrecognized, Brown said, “the world owes President George Bush a huge debt of gratitude for leading the world in our determination to root out terrorism.”
Polygamy Hearing: The judge in the largest child welfare case in US history, that of the children removed from the polygamy compound in Texas, struggled to retain order in chaotic hearings that began yesterday. The 416 children and their lawyers were crammed into a courtroom and additional rooms. The judge said of the task ahead of her, "the court is not in the position and certainly does not intend to rule about someone's religious practices and their freedom of religion."
Carter and Hamas: Former President Jimmy Carter met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad moments ago. The meeting comes ahead of planned talks with exiled leaders of Hamas, the Islamist group which Carter argues should be included in efforts for Israeli-Palestinian peace. According to a source, "Carter is very upbeat. The publicity put out by his detractors made him more determined to pursue a different way with Hamas."

Top US Officials Approved Torture - Do You Care?

LibertySugar — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 10:00:00 -0700

So by now many of you have heard about evidence that top Bush Administration officials participated in explicit conversations in the White House regarding torture techniques to be used on suspected terrorists. Vice President Dick Cheney, Attorney General John Ashcroft, Secretary of State Colin Powell, then-National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld sat around - in a series of meetings of potential war-crime defendants - discussing specific methods of harsh interrogation, and issuing their approval.

The Associate Press reports that CIA officials demonstrated tactics to "make sure the small group of 'principals' fully understood what the al-Qaeda detainees would undergo. The principals eventually authorized physical abuse such as slaps and pushes, sleep deprivation, or waterboarding."

What recourse is left for an average American who wants to see the US uphold international law? Are you outraged that top US officials discussed and approved techniques widely considered torture in the White House?

Source

Here Comes the White House Correspondents Dinner!

CitizenSugar — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:50:26 -0700

Oh, man this has to be the hottest ticket in town. The special dinner where the press gets to roast the president? Especially one whose approval rating hit 28 percent today and it's his last year in office!? I'm dying, dying to go.

The whole tradition of the dinner started in 1924, when Calvin Coolidge became the first of 14 presidents to attend. Up until World War II, the dinner was an entertainment spectacle with singing between courses, a homemade movie (aw! how cute is that?!), and an hour-long, post dinner show with big-name performers.

This year is no exception. I suppose? Though the list this year doesn't feature Sinatra, (or Paula Jones and Matt Drudge like in this pic from 1998). Ben Affleck, Pamela Anderson, Eric Dane, Tim Daly, Hayden Panettiere, and Marcia Cross will all be there - and kind of inexplicably - Lauren Conrad from The Hills. Maybe LC and GWB are BFFs? Could happen.

The host this year is Scottish-born, now US citizen Craig Ferguson, who said of receiving the honor,

But I thought as soon as I become an American you know what is going to happen, I am going to get jury duty or the CIA. will get in touch and have me assassinate a foreign head of state. Anyway my first job as an American citizen I can exclusively reveal tonight is performing at the White House Correspondents Dinner weekend. I am doing it. I am doing it. I know! Anyway, I am not hosting it. President Bush is . . . I am thinking does he know I can't be kicked out now? Like it would be the
big thing have the dinner and my last act at president, you go home Ferguson. I am like I am home.

The shindig happens April 26. Will this year top Stephen Colbert's turn in 2006? To take a quick peek at the host heard round the world, read more.

Source

Election Baggage Postpones Colombia Trade Agreement

LibertySugar — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:30:41 -0700

Congress just denied President Bush by voting to delay consideration of the controversial trade agreement with Colombia until after the November election.

President Bush wanted Congress to approve a not-too-expansive trade pact with Colombia. But, this being an election year, a simple trade issue has become a vehicle for back and forth about jobs, the economy, and national security. The agreement was also problematic for the Democratic presidential candidates, who rely on the support of organized labor and large corporations.

OK here's how all the major players played it:

Pelosi: The Speaker of the House preempted Bush's plan to force a vote, by unilaterally (and legally) changing the rules of the House. The existing rules required the House to vote on a bill submitted by the president within 90 days. But, Pelosi played her cards, saying that she would not allow a vote until the president agreed to increased economic aide for Americans. So today, the House voted to delay.

Condi Rice: The secretary of state played the national security card on this one. She said that it is imperative to relations with US ally Colombia, and other US interests in South America, that the bill be approved immediately. Oh, well.

To find out where the presidential candidates, an ex prez, and other high-profile surrogates stood on the deal, read more.

The Wannabes: McCain was with Bush on this one, and favored the agreement. Obama and Clinton - not so much.

Penn-gate: Hillary's top adviser Mark Penn was fired from her campaign on Sunday, because he was advising Colombia on ways to push the agreement Hillary opposes. Oops.

Bubba: Unfortunately Hillary can't fire her hubby for disagreeing with her. Bill was with Bush on this one, and favored the agreement with Colombia.

Democrats do not intend on killing the pact, just delay its approval. Do you think it's better to consider the agreement when all the baggage of the election has gone away?

Source

Bush and Putin Disagree on a Missile Shield. Do We Need One?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:00:45 -0700

Presidents Bush and Putin met for the last time this weekend to reminisce, say goodbye, dress completely alike, and discuss the European missile defense shield that Bush would like to build in Poland and the Czech Republic, just a stone's throw from Russia.

Putin is firmly opposed to such a plan, especially if the shield is installed in Europe and so close to Russia. Despite Bush's enthusiasm for the plan, he himself announced, “We spent a lot of time in our relationship to get rid of the Cold War ... it’s over.”

If the US president says the Cold War is over, and Russia is opposed to a shield on their border - and the possibility that the United States's newest enemies don’t have the capability to build, yet alone launch a nuclear missile the question is, do we still need a missile shield? Does the act of building a shield become a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy? If we build it, they will come?

Source

Are the Pentagon and Bush Administration to Blame For Torture?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:00:42 -0700

What's being called the Torture Memo (written in 2003 and made public yesterday) sheds a bold light on upper official decrees on the definition of torture at the beginning of the Iraq War. The memo contains language telling Pentagon senior leadership that inflicting pain would not be considered torture unless it caused “death, organ failure or permanent damage.”

It is the most fully developed legal justification that has yet come to light for inflicting physical and mental pressure on suspects, and it was declassified in response to a request by the American Civil Liberties Union under the Freedom of Information Act. Campus Progress has a great breakdown of the quotes and arguments from the memo.

While top Pentagon officials, including Donald Rumsfeld, have said they never condoned mistreatment of prisoners, the role played by senior officials at the Pentagon has never been fully explained. Given the way some of the soldiers were held personally accountable for the events at Abu Ghraib, do you think the "culture of abuse" actually came as a directive from the top?

Source

Front Page: Osama bin Laden Fine, Mugabe, Missile Defense

CitizenSugar — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 07:00:08 -0700

Al-Qaeda's second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahri, says Osama bin Laden is alive and doing very well in a recording just released. In the 104-minute recording posted on the Internet, al-Zawahri said, “Sheik Osama bin Laden is in good health. The ill-intentioned always try to circulate false reports about him being sick.” He then went on to call the UN an enemy of Islam and promised more attacks saying, "we promise our Muslim brothers that we will do our utmost to strike Jews in Israel and abroad with help and guidance from God.” As a finale to the piece, he defended al-Qaeda's mission saying, “We do not kill the innocent. We fight those who kill the innocent - the Americans, the Jews, the Russians, the French and their agents.”

In Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe says that he's ready to compete in a runoff election. This statement comes after the opposition candidate has declared victory and the opposition party has squeaked out a win of more parliamentary seats - though the official results showed that Mugabe's party won the popular vote. Independent counts are showing that the opposition candidate may indeed have won, 49 percent to Mugabe's 42 percent, but unless a candidate wins over 50 percent, a runoff is needed. The deputy information minister said, "President Mugabe is going to fight to the last, and he's not giving up, he's not going anywhere, he hasn't lost the election."
Amid debates over Afghanistan at the NATO summit, President Bush has won support for his plan to build a missile defense system in Europe, despite Russian objections. The plan adopted states, ''ballistic missile proliferation poses an increasing threat to allied forces, territory and populations," and mentions the protection of allies to be provided by a US-led system. Bush however lost his appeal for the Ukraine and Georgia to be granted membership due to a block by Greece. Albania and Croatia were extended invitations to join.

Front Page: More Troops for Afghanistan, Pelosi Calls for Boycott, UK Troop Reductions Stalled

CitizenSugar — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 06:54:03 -0700

President Bush asked NATO allies to send more troops to Afghanistan in a speech delivered before a big NATO summit. Bush quoted Sarkozy saying, "As [French] President Sarkozy put it in London last week, we cannot afford to lose Afghanistan. Whatever the cost, however difficult, we cannot afford it, we must win. If we do not defeat the terrorists in Afghanistan, we will face them on our soil." NATO-led forces currently number 47,000 troops. France has already answered the call for more - Prime Minister Francois Fillon said that his country would send several hundred more troops.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is calling for President Bush to boycott the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. Pelosi has just returned from a visit with the Dalai Lama. She said, “the president of the United States, if he is going to give credibility to the Chinese government, he should also take the time to say to them we are very concerned, not only about human rights, which are a very important value to us, but we are also concerned about our trade situation.” Pelosi says a high profile boycott of the opening will send a message without affecting the games. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has already announced she will be skipping the ceremony.
British Prime Minister Gordon Browne announced the draw-down of British troops from Iraq will be postponed given the recent violence in Basra. The plan was to reduce the number of troops from 4,000 to 2,500 this spring. Browne said, "In the light of the last week's events, however, it is prudent that we pause any further reductions while the current situation is unfolding. It is absolutely right that military commanders review plans when conditions on the ground change."