December 19, 2003

Rumsfeld Visited Baghdad in 1984 to Reassure Iraqis, Documents Show http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13558-2003Dec18.html "Donald H. Rumsfeld went to Baghdad in March 1984 with instructions to deliver a private message about weapons of mass destruction: that the United States' public criticism of Iraq for using chemical weapons would not derail Washington's attempts to forge a better relationship, according to newly declassified documents." "The documents, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by the nonprofit National Security Archive, provide new, behind-the-scenes details of U.S. efforts to court Iraq as an ally even as it used chemical weapons in its war with Iran. An earlier trip by Rumsfeld to Baghdad, in December 1983, has been widely reported as having helped persuade Iraq to resume diplomatic ties with the United States. An explicit purpose of Rumsfeld's return trip in March 1984, the once-secret documents reveal for the first time, was to ease the strain created by a U.S. condemnation of chemical weapons."   6:32:16 PM    comment []

Schwarzenegger declares fiscal crisis, blames burning of Reichstag on communists Well, really, is anyone surprised? I love the way conservatives pass off dictatorial measures as "decisive leadership." Invoking "emergency powers," eh? Reminds me of another Austrian who was a decisive leader. http://www.salon.com/news/wire/2003/12/19/fiscal/index.html "Dec. 19, 2003  |  SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared California in a fiscal crisis Thursday and invoked emergency powers so he could impose $150 million in spending cuts without the Legislature's approval. "I was elected by the people of this state to lead. Since the legislative leadership refuses to act, I will act without them," Schwarzenegger said in announcing the decision." The best part is the list of funding cuts: "The cuts include a half-percent decrease in funding for the University of California and California State University systems, closing a migrant farmworker housing center, less money for the Department of Motor Vehicles and a $91 million cut to programs aimed at helping welfare recipients return to the work force." That's right: Screw education, farmers, drivers, and welfare recipients. I can just hear him in his Austrian accent prattling on about how they are "veek" and just need to do some chin-ups to get back on their "veet." So Schwarzenegger is going to frame all of these social programs as the real problem that has put California in such a desperate situation, when meanwhile Schwarzenegger is an accomplice of Enron CEO Ken Lay and they plotted to have Californians pay for the mess Enron created, two years before the recall election. How much did Enron (and the companies who mimicked it in bilking the state by manipulating energy prices) cost the state of California? $70 billion. How much will the state save by Schwarzenegger's "spending cuts" (which, of course, entail that California not go after Enron to recover the ill-gotten gains)? $150 million. You do the math. Once again deregulation screws the general public, and so-called "liberal" policies like social programs for welfare recipients get the blame.   5:29:25 PM    comment []

Remember when Dick Cheney voted against releasing Nelson Mandela? Just like you'll forget why America invaded Iraq Paul Krugman remains the only NY Times columnist who consistently gets it right. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/19/opinion/19KRUG.html?th "Now maybe, just maybe, Saddam's capture will start a virtuous circle in Iraq. Maybe the insurgency will evaporate; maybe the cost to America, in blood, dollars and national security, will start to decline. But even if all that happens, we should be deeply disturbed by the history of this war. For its message seems to be that as long as you wave the flag convincingly enough, it doesn't matter whether you tell the truth." "I also wonder how much real commitment to democracy lies behind the administration's stirring rhetoric. Does anyone remember that Dick Cheney voted against a resolution calling for Nelson Mandela's release from prison? As recently as 2000 he defended that vote, saying that the African National Congress "was then perceived as a terrorist organization.""   4:35:45 PM    comment []

What did Bush know, and when did he know it? http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2003/12/19/kean/index.html "It's quite shocking to hear a Republican come out on a network broadcast and say the administration could have, and should have, prevented the attacks," adds Kyle Hence, co-founder of 9/11 Citzens Watch, an advocacy group that monitors investigations into the terrorist attacks. "That's a sea change for this commission."   1:11:08 AM    comment []

How Could I Ignore The Juxtaposition of These Two News Items on Salon? Canada Promises to Revive Pot Law http://www.salon.com/news/wire/2003/12/18/pot/index.html Hunger and Homelessness Increase in US http://www.salon.com/mwt/wire/2003/12/18/homeless/index.html Unemployment, low paying jobs, high housing costs, substance abuse and high energy and utility costs are contributing to the hunger problem, the report said.   1:08:12 AM    comment []

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