The Ministry of Shadows

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George W. Bush Is Still A Liar

Friday, Feb. 29, 2008 3:52 AM

It's not really a surprise that President Bush continues to be dishonest about the government's program of illegal, warrantless wiretaps in the wake of 9/11, both in portraying the government's ability to monitor foreign communications, and the role of the telecoms in doing so.

But despite continued arguments that we need this surveillance capability, Mr. Bush refuses to sign legislation that does not include a provision for telecom amnesty, making the real focus protecting the telecoms, and not stopping terrorists.

Bush explains that the telecoms gave their cooperation under assurances by 'our government,' contradicting earlier language that cited the telecom's alleged actions, but also portrays the authorizing agency as 'the government,' and not Bush himself.

And it's not foreign nationals filing suit against the telecoms - it's American citizens, concerned about potential violations of their Constitutional rights. Bush somehow thinks it's unfair for corporations to be held to the standard of federal law, when you can bet good money that if a telecom executive were accused of a crime, they'd be wailing and gnashing their teeth over their own right to privacy.


I'm a little miffed at CBS News's timing on a pair of profiles of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. The Obama piece, which aired Thursday night and was repeated Friday morning, was essentially a one-sided recounting of various criticisms leveled at Obama - from his middle name to accusations that he's some kind of secret Muslim intent on destroying America, that he's a waffling politician who really doesn't have a stand on key issues.

And while there were a few counters offered, it was usually in the vein of, "Well, Obama isn't a Muslim because he goes to a Christian church, but that church is described as being racist and anti-Israel ..."

A similar piece on Hillary Rodham Clinton is slated to air tonight - in the Friday night news hole, with the weekend to ameliorate any impact. It remains to be seen if that piece will share the same unfavorable slant.


The Air Force apparently has a new policy - block all websites with the word 'blog' in their URL.


Word that Britain's Prince Harry has been on active-duty in Afghanistan was pushed into the media by internet trash monger Matt Drudge.

Too bad the British Government had placed a restriction on such reports, which was being observed by British and other foreign media, in order to protect Harry as well as the men serving with him.


Congressman Jack Kingston was on MSNBC's Live With Dan Abrams to criticize Barack Obama for his lack of patriotism in not wearing a flag pin on his lapel.

Problem is, Kingston wasn't wearing one, either. Ooops.

When Abrams pointed that out, Kingston said he didn't understand how that was an issue.

Sometimes, the jokes just write themselves.



The Ministry has received 1 comment(s) on this topic.



Brin - 2008-02-29 09:04:28
The reports have ruined Prince Harry's fun; he's been recalled to the Muvver Country and will receive a domestic assignment of some sort. :-( I have to wonder what this does to the morale of the rest of the people he was serving with.