Texas Hold-up

from the LATimes: Online Poker Drove Student to Rob Bank, Lawyer Says

quack quack

The Washington Post editorial board beats our lame duck President about the head for his administration's incoherent global climate initiatives

Seriously, who advises this man?

can he not read a calendar? "President Bush showed a lack of sensitivity and judgment when he commemorated Hanukkah by lighting candles on Dec. 6 at the White House. Hanukkah does not begin this year until sundown on Dec. 25. While this may not be a convenient date for the president to commemorate a Jewish holiday, would he hold the White House Easter egg roll 19 days before Easter or light the Christmas tree at the Pageant of Peace 19 days earlier than scheduled?"

take your phony War and shove it

a letter to The Washington Post:

"After reading the article ' 'Holiday' Cards Ring Hollow for Some on Bushes' List' [front page, Dec. 7], I checked the Bible for the passages in which Jesus told us to go forth and buy trees to decorate, max out our credit cards on gifts, and use catalogues and the Internet to save time doing it. Nothing backed that up, but I did find a passage in Matthew (25:34-40) in which Jesus adjured his followers to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, take in strangers, and visit prisoners and the sick." As Jesus said, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Perhaps those from the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights and the American Family Association who are organizing boycotts and fretting about greetings could put their time and energy to better use by acting on those words. And as for the pagan origin of "Christmas" trees -- let's not even go there.

association with President Bush is poison for incumbent Republicans

Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum is paying for the company he keeps (so sad). But I still can't get over McCain campaigning for this punk.

more than worth the 20 minutes it'll take to read

An unusually comprehensive account of current issues in government secrecy policy has been published by Congressional Quarterly's CQ Researcher. The growth in classification, the state of the Freedom of Information Act, the declining culture of openness, and the problem of leaks are among the topics explored by CQ writer Kenneth Jost. [the document may be downloaded from FAS' website through January 2006]

Iraq by the numbers: 1000 days (and counting)

Editor and Publisher Christian Science Monitor Detroit Free Press Today

Democratic Party fires back at controversial GOP attack ad

Join Congressman Murtha's Call for a Real Debate on Iraq

awesome.... lol

We need to come clean about something. Although we write here every day about the foibles and follies of the Bush administration, we realize that some of you may be confused. We call our spot on the Web 'War Room,' and we're afraid that those words might leave our readers thinking that we're actually the generals and other military commanders in charge of operations in Iraq." -- Tim Grieve at Salon.com, on the "confusion" created by the title of Froomkin's column

America’s super-rich feel ‘under assault’ by the media

“They perceive the media to be dominated by images of indulgent and criminal wealth – from Donald Trump and Paris Hilton to Bernie Ebbers,” he said. “They have really strong feelings about the extent to which they are under assault.” [FinancialTimes]

Walden O'Dell: time to pay the piper

Yesterday, first class slimeball Walden O'Dell unexpectedly resigned as CEO of Diebold, Inc. citing 'personal reasons'. Today, a class action lawsuit was filed against 8 current and former Diebold executives (including O'Dell), charging they participated in various schemes designed to mask Diebold's financial woes and inflate the company's stock. For good measure, they're throwing in insider trading charges.

The BRAD BLOG can now report that a Securities Fraud Class Action suit has been filed against Diebold, Inc. (stock symbol: DBD) naming eight top executive officers in the company as co-defendants. The suit has been filed by plaintiff Janice Konkol, alleging securities fraud against the North Canton, Ohio-based manufacturer of Voting Systems and ATM machines on behalf of investors who owned shares of Diebold stock and lost money due to an alleged fraudulent scheme by the company and its executives to deceive shareholders during the "class period" of October 22, 2003 through September 21, 2005. The suit was filed today in U.S. Federal District Court in Ohio and alleges the company "artificially inflated" stock prices through misleading public information designed to conceal the true nature of Diebold's financial and legal situation. The defendants are also alleged to have attempted to disguise well-known and ongoing problems with Diebold's Voting Machine equipment and software. Additionally, the suit alleges insider trading by defendants resulting in proceeds of $2.7 million. Remedies are sought under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Hey, it's not all bad. They do have lots of experience with lawsuits, so they're likely entitled to some sort of VIP discount on their legal fees.

Tracking Variables of Post-Katrina Reconstruction

new Brookings report:

Three months since Hurricane Katrina it remains difficult to ascertain what progress has been made in rebuilding New Orleans and its region. Using a wide array of about 50 economic and social indicators, the Metropolitan Policy Program has compiled the first in a series of monthly snapshots of economic and both short term and long term reconstruction trends, finding that the area remains mired in a state of emergency still.

Katrina: all the news that's fit to print

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has filed suit against the State Department for failure to respond to a FOIA request for records pertaining to foreign offers of assistance. ~ Michelle Lynn Goodwin, Kelly Suzanne Oliver and George Marrero. The names of the 3 jackasses from Texas involved in an insurance fraud suit. Filed claims with FEMA, pretending to be Katrina victims ~ “The transition of Katrina evacuees to long-term stability remains a FEMA responsibility, but we recognize that we must do all that we can, to help the victims of the disaster,” - Texas Governor Rick Perry, while announcing the FEMA's extension for evacuees living in hotels, and the approval of Texas' plan to assist FEMA in finding more permanent housing. ~ Katrina evacuees: Dont' forget to pick up your free 1-way ticket to... wherever. "We are offering evacuees transportation to join family or friends or perhaps go to a new job opportunity," Federal Coordinating Michael Bolch said. "Our goal is to get people out of temporary, commercial housing and into a normal lifestyle." ~ SI.com: Superdome could be ready in '06 ~ Mayor of Houston: "No Vacancy" ~ CNN: Marsha Evans president of the American Red Cross is resigning effective Dec. 31st. ~ CNN: Katrina victims: 'Living in barns'

"We got people living in tents and automobiles. We got people living in barns. We got people living in their houses -- in tents," he said on "American Morning."

"This is the beginning of winter. This is unacceptable."

Tuesday morning, it was 41 degrees in New Orleans.

BBC: Katrina emails show PR worries "You send that many black folks out of state, we will have a perception problem" ~ 2 pieces from NPR (audio available): Deadline for Katrina Victims' Hotel Aid Extended FEMA Aid Runs Out in March for Apartment Dwellers

lots of interesting stuff

at NationalGeographic.com: Giant Asian Ape and Humans Coexisted, Might Have Interacted Farming Claims Almost Half Earth's Land, New Maps Show Rivers of Methane May Flow on Saturn's Largest Moon Extinction "Hotspots" Revealed in New Study Americas Settled by Two Groups of Early Humans, Study Says Virtual Antarctica A Flexible, 9-Ft. Whale Tooth With Super-Sensing Power?

Katrina and the President's 'race problems'

from today's WH press briefing

Q Scott, the President said something very poignant in the Brian Williams interview, that he doesn't care what people call him, but don't call him a racist. Is he concerned, still three months after the Katrina relief effort, that there are still some African Americans who may feel that -- the same way as Kanye West, and in these next three years, what can the President do to help turn that feeling around? MR. McCLELLAN: Well, what we can continue to do is work with state and local officials and the people in the region to help rebuild New Orleans, and help rebuild the Gulf Coast region and Mississippi and Alabama. There's a large area that was affected by the hurricanes, and the President has talked about this before. I think what was exposed by the hurricanes was the deep roots of injustice and inequality that have existed. And that's why the President has been acting to address those -- the root causes of that inequality and injustice. And we will continue acting on the policies that we have been pursuing, whether it be the education reforms we have put in place, or reaching out to faith-based and community organizations, or helping lift people out of poverty by moving forward on pro-growth policies. The President has been acting to help people improve their quality of life. And, yes, the question came up yesterday, and I think that there were some that expressed some views that did concern the President. And that's why the President responded the way that he did. Q But some are saying -- some had been saying that prior to Katrina, and some are saying that Kanye West just exposed the whisperers in the African American community from many years prior to Katrina. What can the President do beyond these steps that you said -- MR. McCLELLAN: As you point out, there's a deep history of this within the region that was exposed by the hurricanes. And that's why we must continue to act to address the root causes of that inequality and injustice. And that's what the President will continue to do. He will also continue working to bring people together from all walks of life to focus on the priorities that we care most about, and that is making sure that the American people have the opportunity to succeed and prosper. Q But, lastly, and still back on the question I'm trying to get an answer to, is the President still concerned that there is a pocket of African Americans beyond the people who live in Louisiana that feel that -- that still, I guess, feel what Kanye West has said? MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I'm not sure exactly what he said. I don't recall exactly what he said. All I can tell you is what the President is doing -- Q "The President does not care about black people" -- MR. McCLELLAN: Oh, okay, that is just outrageous. And I think the President expressed that yesterday in the interview with Brian Williams. It's outrageous to make such a suggestion like that. And it's based on an ill-informed -- it's ill-informed and misguided comments. The President has acted to help people from all walks of life. And all you have to do is look at his record. The President has acted to make sure everybody has the opportunity to learn and succeed through the No Child Left Behind Act. These are historic education reforms. And that's the best way we can help to address these injustices and inequalities that exist.