OpEdNews - Diary: HERE'S YOUR STATE OF THE UNION by Diane Marie

Prior to Bush's 'speech,' on MSNBC's Countdown, I was surprised to hear Howard Fineman speak of Bush 'losing his credibility.' Maybe its just me, but I thought you had to own something before you could lose it?

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DIANE'S NEWS CLIPS begins here :)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> HERE'S YOUR STATE of the UNION:

By Diane Marie Prior to Bush's 'speech,' on MSNBC's Countdown, I was surprised to hear Howard Fineman speak of Bush 'losing his credibility.' Maybe its just me, but I thought you had to own something before you could lose it? Was Bush credible before or after he went AWOL during time of war, Howard? Just curious. Once again George W. brings in genuine (s)heroes to appear in the gallery in his attempts to draw heavy doses of emotional truth between his imagination and the facts, or Cheney's imagination and the facts, or his neo-yes-team's imagination and the facts. Bush is a serial liar. Why would anyone believe anything he had to learn how to read either now or in the future, let alone give him "credit?!!!" Seriously, I don't get the discussions over his 'speech' as though he had any authenticity. Will someone please tell the pundits and political 'experts,' you really can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, seriously. I'm not kidding. At this moment I'm listening to Joe Scarborough heaping praise on our Liar in Chief for his overwhelming Confidence in the face of -- (poor guy,) enormous bungling of America's affairs across the board, and growing ever more ominous. What a man, huh, Joe? What a speech. _________________________________ Excerpted from: http://www.truthout.org US WARNS IRAN TO BACK DOWN http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/012307A.shtml A second US aircraft carrier strike group now steaming toward the Middle East is Washington's way of warning Iran to back down in its attempts to dominate the region, a top US diplomat said in Dubai Tuesday. --- Evidence Scant on Claims Against Iran http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/012307M.shtml In his speech this month outlining the new US strategy in Iraq, President Bush promised to 'seek out and destroy' Iranian networks that he said were providing 'advanced weaponry and training to our enemies.' He is expected to strike a similar note in tonight's State of the Union speech. For all the aggressive rhetoric, however, the Bush administration has provided scant evidence to support these claims. Nor have reporters traveling with US troops seen extensive signs of Iranian involvement. --- Robert Parry | Reverend Moon's Anti-Obama Agit-Prop http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/012307F.shtml "As Reverend Sun Myung Moon's media operations have done for two decades, the Korean cult leader's Insight magazine has stepped up to inject an early dose of poison into Campaign 2008," writes Robert Parry. "In this case, Moon's weekly magazine was peddling a bogus story suggesting that Barack Obama is a clandestine Islamic agent and that Hillary Clinton's operatives were dishing the dirt. Though the anti-Obama agit-prop was quickly disproved, it revealed again how valuable Moon and his mysterious money have been to the Republicans and especially to the Bush family." --- Experts: Alps Glaciers Will Melt by 2050 http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/012307EA.shtml Glaciers will all but disappear from the Alps by 2050, scientists warned Monday, basing their bleak outlook on mounting evidence of slow but steady melting of the continental ice sheets. --- David Swanson | How We Can End the Occupation of Iraq http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/012307N.shtml David Swanson writes: "President George Bush deflects criticism of his war plans by claiming that his critics have no plans of their own. ... Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) has had an exit plan on his web site for over three years. Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.) has held several hearings discussing exit plans over the past year and a half. Peace activists, including Tom Hayden, have published and promoted a variety of exit plans over the past couple of years, and have even gone so far as to meet and discuss them with members of the Iraqi Parliament. More recently, former senator George McGovern and William Polk have published a detailed exit plan." --- Jeff Cohen | Can Indy Media Stop the Corporate Media's Hillary Bandwagon? http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/012307P.shtml Jeff Cohen writes: "Prominent pundits seem ecstatic over Hillary Clinton's entry into the presidential race just days after Barack Obama's media-created candidacy became official. Media talking heads are having so much fun lately, they don't seem to notice that our political system is failing to address ever-worsening problems: social, environmental, fiscal and imperial." --- Jason Leopold | Sixteen Words and the Trial of Scooter Libby http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/012307J.shtml Jason Leopold begins: "Four years ago this month, President Bush, in his State of the Union address, said, 'the British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.' ... White House officials were fully aware that the intelligence was suspect, but allowed its inclusion in the State of the Union because it would help the administration win support for the war." --- New Coalition Aims to Keep Democrats in Check http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/012307L.shtml Democratic lawmakers who stray too far from the party line could find themselves facing primary opponents financed by unions, trial lawyers and political activists eager to put the new Congressional majority to the test. After two weeks of near perfect unity, Congressional Democrats now move into more divisive territory, which will test party discipline on such issues as the war in Iraq, workers' rights and health care. --- US Chief Executives Urge Bush to Tackle Global Warming http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/012307O.shtml The chief executives of nine US corporations, who formed the United States Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), displayed a united front as they called on Bush to support mandatory caps on businesses' greenhouse gas emissions. --- Dean Baker | The Social Security WMD Story http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/012307C.shtml Dean Baker writes: "We all remember President Bush's false claims about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction. These claims were the basis for getting the country into the Iraq War, a disaster with no obvious end in sight. The same sorts of claims are being made about Social Security, with the goal of inflicting a similar disaster on the country's workers and retirees." --- Waterbirds Pay Price of Global Warming http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/012307ED.shtml Nearly half the world's waterbird species are in decline, mostly due to rapid economic development and the effects of climate change, according to a global survey released today. --- President to Propose Shifting Health Funds to States http://snipurl.com/186yi --- VIDEO | Active-Duty Military Petition Congress to End War By Geoffrey Millard, Arin Williams, Troy Page and Scott Galindez http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/012307B.shtml Military members opposed to the US involvement in Iraq gathered on January 15th to demand the withdrawal of American troops and prepared to present their appeal to Congress. More than 20 active-duty service members and about 100 supporters appeared at an event for Appeal for Redress, which calls for Congress to end the war. More than 1,000 military members have added their names to the appeal's list. _________________________________

[NEWSDISSECTOR] Al Qaeda Challenges Bush Again http://www.newsdissector.com/blog/2007/01/23/al-qaeda-challenges-bush-again/ _________________________________ Submitted by: .ron corvuswire@verizon.net Excerpted from: http://news.independent.co.uk Shock and oil: Iraq's billions & the White House connection The American company appointed to advise the US government on the economic reconstruction of Iraq has paid hundreds of thousands of dollars into Republican Party coffers and has admitted that its own finances are in chaos because of accounting errors and bad management. ....................snip.................... According to the Center for Responsive Politics, BearingPoint employees gave $117,000 ( £60,000) to the 2000 and 2004 Bush election campaigns, more than any other Iraq contractor. Other recipients include three prominent Congressmen on the House of Representatives' defence sub-committee, which oversees defence department contracts. ....................snip.................... Last week The Independent on Sunday revealed that a BearingPoint employee, based in the US embassy in Baghdad, had been tasked with advising the Iraqi Ministry of Oil on drawing up a new hydrocarbon law. The legislation, which is due to be presented to Iraq's parliament within days, will give Western oil companies a large slice of profits from the country's oil fields in exchange for investing in new oil infrastructure. [snip] Full article >> http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article2152438.ece --- Israeli separation barrier is cutting off Palestinians from their livelihood "the barrier is cutting employment for Palestinians and isolating farmers from markets, causing "particularly serious damage" to residents' health-care needs and undermining social and family life. " http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article2177982.ece --- MSNBC Poll: 87% Believe Bush Should Be Impeached http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10562904/ --- THE UNITED STATES OF AMNESIA by .ron Iraq is NOT the Property of the U.S. government or BushCo. Inc. George W. Bush and the neocons are now warning the American people that if they don't control and occupy Iraq the terrorists will control and occupy Iraq. Such clatter is designed as substitute for our constitution and law. Bush needs to be sent to his room without supper. The U.S. government simply possesses no legal authority whatsoever to attack, invade, destroy and militarily occupy Iraq, period. This is a constitutional constant bequeathed to you courtesy of our Founding Fathers. Once you accept the false premise of Bush's illegal invasion of Iraq, then you've swallowed the Kool Aid, and are going to die. Once you accept this insidious bogus premise, the Pro-War propaganda will stick to your brain cells like cheesie macaroni to a dishpan. I'm sick of hearing Democrats talk about how the President has mismanaged the Iraq war, as if there was such a thing as 'the Proper Way' to manage the Iraq War. There is no 'Proper Way' to manage this war. That's like claiming there is a 'Right Way' to break and enter into a family's home, and how to correctly kill the family members. Republicans foolishly accuse Democrats of having no war plan, as Democrats foolishly accuse Republicans of mismanaging this war. Both are equally ignorant and dismissive of the law and common sense. Both parties so-called "leaders" possess and exhibit arrogance of Grand Canyon-like proportions. I'm talking about the arrogance required to convince yourself that people you don't know and have never met will do what you tell them to do even though you're not there and have never lived or been there, but instead, you send your armed representatives to represent your arrogant orders at the end of their machine guns. How in the hell can Democrats and Republicans believe that they can force Iraqis to be their own brothers' keeper? They can't, they haven't, and they never will. Just ask the British, who learned the hard lesson of "insurgencies" a hundred years ago. The United States of Amnesia. Congressman Dennis Kucinich has the right idea and the right plan for this horrific state-sponsored disaster. Replace U.S. troops with a U.N. Peacekeeping force, and remove the U.S. military bases from Iraq. The Kucinich Plan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS6JyiAt0xg | .ron _________________________________ APJBlog: Traitorgate Trial Heads-up! ...Written by Gene G | Tues. 1.23.07 It's 1:30 PM on the East Coast, and MSNBC's David Shuster reports -- as Breaking News -- that Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has accused Dick Cheney of himself being complicit in leaking Valerie Plame's identity as a CIA NOC operative to the press. Norah "Boopsie" O'Donnell is trying to remain chipper, but Shuster's story is conspicuously harshing her pre-SOTU buzz. ........................................... Kos's jhritz has more details at http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/1/23/114444/552 -- Firedoglake is liveblogging the trial at http://firedoglake.com/ _________________________________ Ten Things Learned Since Dems' Election Victory By Bernard Weiner, The Crisis Papers ....................snip...................... 1. The Democrats are still way too timid. - Often, it seems as if they've chosen to ignore the electoral sea-change that occurred in November. The Dems were a powerless minority for so long, at times they seem unequipped to deal with their new majority status and that they can use their atrophied muscles to change things significantly. [snip] Continued: http://www.crisispapers.org/essays7w/ten-things.htm _________________________________ Excerpted from: http://onlinejournal.com Two presidents ... By Frank Scott | Online Journal Contributing Writer So our great leader assures us all will be well in Iraq once we no longer restrict our troops, increase their number and allow them to kill more people. And raise greater threats to Iran and Syria, thereby pleasing evangelical Zionism and bringing the Middle East closer to total chaos. http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_1657.shtml ----- Release of Palestinian prisoners may save their lives By Mohammed Mar'i | Online Journal Contributing Writer (Ramallah, Occupied Palestine) -- Released Palestinian prisoner Murad Ahmad Abu Sakoot, 29, died in a Jordanian hospital of a cancer he has been fighting for a long time. http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_1653.shtml ----- John Murtha: "It's a whole new ballgame" By Mike Whitney | Online Journal Contributing Writer The traditionally hawkish Congressman Jack Murtha has been the standard bearer for the Democrats in his opposition to the war. He led the charge against the occupation of Iraq, calling it "a failed policy wrapped in an illusion" and, now, he's threatening to sabotage Bush's plans for sending another 21,500 troops to Iraq -- the so-called "troop surge." http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_1650.shtml _________________________________ http://jablankfort@earthlink.net Haaretz: Perle: U.S. will attack Iran if it obtains nukes By Yossi Melman and Mazal Mualem, Haaretz Correspondents "President George Bush will order an attack on Iran if it becomes clear to him that Iran is set to acquire nuclear weapons capabilities while he is still in office, Richard Perle told the Herzliya Conference on Sunday. Perle is close to the Bush administration, particularly to Vice President Richard Cheney." Continued: http://snipurl.com/18719 --- JPost: New proposal: Transfer-for-cash plan ... Matthew Wagner "Those poor people have been suffering for six decades," said Elon. "I believe that if we give them the option of leaving they will grab it." Much of the world might suggest that it is the Israelis like Elon and Rabbi Aviner who should be the ones to emigrate. In any case, the Israeli budget for 2006 was $56 billion. Who would be expected to provide the $50 billion for this racist plan? Yes, your first guess is correct.- JB >> http://snipurl.com/1871d --- IDF builds fake Muslim city to prepare for war Shelly Paz, The Jerusalem Post http://snipurl.com/1870k _________________________________ JOIN THE VIRTUAL MARCH ON WASHINGTON

This Saturday, January 27, will be the largest anti-war protest since the war began on 3/19/03, with a big march in Washington DC: http://unitedforpeace.org and local events across the country: http://tinyurl.com/24e8rp (More details below). Of course only a small fraction of America will participate in these events because of time, money, or lack of awareness due to the corporate media blackout of all progressive organizing. We really need everyone who opposes the Iraq War to speak up NOW. That's why we're making it easy with a Virtual March on Washington: http://democrats.com/outofiraq _________________________________ Lunar Transient Phenomena ... NASA Science News

NASA astronomers have been watching the night side of the Moon for more than a year, and they've just released highlight videos of some of the surprising things they've seen. http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2007/23jan_ltps.htm?list748463 Check out our RSS feed at http://science.nasa.gov/rss.xml! _________________________________ http://atrios.blogspot.com | http://www.juancole.com | http://www.mosnews.com _________________________________ THIS WEEK'S FOCUS: Clean out redundant files >> http://snipurl.com/17yf6 Is your hard drive nearly full of documents, photos and music? It may not be as full as it appears. I'll tell you how to find and delete duplicate files. Be sure to listen to me Monday through Friday. Use my map to find me near you http://snipurl.com/17v64 _________________________________ eHEALTHY NEWS New Major Study Questions the Power of Prayer - Major three-year study out of Harvard and Mayo Clinic questions if prayer is all that it is cracked up to be. http://snipurl.com/1822d ----- Vitamin D/Sunshine Advocate Still Under Attack - Amazingly there are still 'expert' delusional physicians in the U.S. who oppose the healthy use of sun exposure. http://snipurl.com/1822g ----- How to Petition Your Angels, Part II - Learn to call upon the powers of angels to help you create a beautiful, prosperous life. http://snipurl.com/1822k _________________________________ VIDEO: ice climbing [You'll like this. D.] 2:07 | http://snipurl.com/17ici _________________________________ NationalGeographic.com http://lava.nationalgeographic.com/pod/ _________________________________ NASA Astronomy picture of the day http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html _________________________________ Edible, adj.: Good to eat, and wholesome to digest, as a worm to a toad, a toad to a snake, a snake to a pig, a pig to a man, and a man to a worm. ~ Ambrose Bierce _________________________________ Link to: http://Diane's News Clips http://www.opednews.com/author/author2300.html?entry=diary