Putting your money where your mouth is.

[Rex Kickass]

The House Democrats voted to suspend Rep. Jefferson from his membership on the Ways and Means committee pending results of the ongoing investigation regarding bribery and other fraud. According to CNN. No link because it just happened.

 

This investigation began at the request of Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, by the way.

 

Say what you want about either party - but this is a good example of a political party actually being responsible with the position it carries within the government and should be applauded.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/06/15/jef...ucus/index.html

 

Its funny as hell to see the Congressional Black Caucus scream like stuck pigs over this issue. They dont give 2 s***s that this guy is dirty and is almost certainly going to go to prison, no. All they care about is that he's black and he's getting booted off his committee. Sad really, but I expect no less from this bunch.

[Rex Kickass]

It's not the whole Black Caucus that feels this way.

 

In fact it was a member of the CBC that made the motion to suspend Jefferson from the committee, and Charles Rangel also supported Jefferson's departure from the committee.

[Balta1701]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/06/15/jef...ucus/index.html

 

Its funny as hell to see the Congressional Black Caucus scream like stuck pigs over this issue. They dont give 2 s***s that this guy is dirty and is almost certainly going to go to prison, no. All they care about is that he's black and he's getting booted off his committee. Sad really, but I expect no less from this bunch.

The good news, at least from my side of the aisle, is that over the last few days, it seemed like a couple of CBC members had finally given up on Jefferson.

 

The bad news, from my side? The final vote was 99-58, with names withheld. The problem? There are only 43 members of the CBC. So in other words, at least 15 other people in the Democratic Caucus joined in.

[Rex Kickass]

There is some arguments to why they would vote No. I don't agree with it, but it still is a valid concern. This is an unprecdented action by the Dem caucus, and if you start the precedent now, what happens when its time for a political grudge to get settled within the party?

[Balta1701]

There is some arguments to why they would vote No. I don't agree with it, but it still is a valid concern. This is an unprecdented action by the Dem caucus, and if you start the precedent now, what happens when its time for a political grudge to get settled within the party?

You hope that this is actually a Democracy, and if people start overstepping their bounds based on political grudges, they'll wind up losing elections. Had the Dems not done this, it would have cost them dearly.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

You hope that this is actually a Democracy, and if people start overstepping their bounds based on political grudges, they'll wind up losing elections. Had the Dems not done this, it would have cost them dearly.

 

 

Agreed. One of their biggest talking points is this supposed "culture of corruption" that the Republicans are responsible for in Washington. I dont buy it really. Both parties have bad apples and I think they have done a good job of purging them from their ranks.

[Balta1701]

Agreed. One of their biggest talking points is this supposed "culture of corruption" that the Republicans are responsible for in Washington. I dont buy it really. Both parties have bad apples and I think they have done a good job of purging them from their ranks.

Hopefully we can give you a hand with a few more who clearly need purging come November (Dennis "made $2 million on a land deal related to one of his earmarks Hastert, Jerry Lewis, Conrad Burns, Bob "Representative #1" Ney, John "I stopped at a rest stop and won $2000 gambling Boehner, and a few others I'm forgetting)

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

Hopefully we can give you a hand with a few more who clearly need purging come November (Dennis "made $2 million on a land deal related to one of his earmarks Hastert, Jerry Lewis, Conrad Burns, Bob "Representative #1" Ney, John "I stopped at a rest stop and won $2000 gambling Boehner, and a few others I'm forgetting)

 

 

I think if Iraq keeps turning up, we bring some troops home and economy stays strong you guys are going to have trouble "purging" anyone with an R beside their name come this fall.

[southsider2k5]

There is some arguments to why they would vote No. I don't agree with it, but it still is a valid concern. This is an unprecdented action by the Dem caucus, and if you start the precedent now, what happens when its time for a political grudge to get settled within the party?

 

This has been happpening between the parties for decades now, the big difference is the Dems hands were pretty much tied here because Pelosi got her stump prior to this and pledged to clean up the "Culture of Corruption" in Washington DC. If the Dems HAD NOT done this, one HUGE plank of their platform would have just rotted out from under them, and guys like Rove would have ate them for lunch. To be honest, this is about as surprising to me as when should-have-been speaker Livingston resigned before he even got put in because of his affair. It was the same situation where the campaigning and speeches of one party forced them to do something the probably would not have done otherwise, sacrificing one of their one to keep their street cred.

[NorthSideSox72]

I think if Iraq keeps turning up, we bring some troops home and economy stays strong you guys are going to have trouble "purging" anyone with an R beside their name come this fall.

Iraq turning up? When has that happened? Just because Zarqawi is dead? Come on Nuke, you should know better than most that killing that guy will be a blip historically. The hatred is buried too deep. Iraq isn't turning anywhere - it's still the same runaway train.

 

As for Jefferson - good. Good the the Dems. This dude can rot.

Edited June 16, 2006 by NorthSideSox72

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

Iraq turning up? When has that happened? Just because Zarqawi is dead? Come on Nuke, you should know better than most that killing that guy will be a blip historically. The hatred is buried too deep. Iraq isn't turning anywhere - it's still the same runaway train.

 

As for Jefferson - good. Good the the Dems. This dude can rot.

 

 

Not turning up? The security crackdown is working, violence is coming down to Los Angeles levels, the full government is in place, a huge amount of actionable intelligence has been found which has led to raids netting hundreds of insurgents and killing a couple hundred more.

 

You put that all together and it would seem that Al Quada is in the process of being rolled up as we speak. To say that things are not getting better is a major mistake.

[Cknolls]

Not turning up? The security crackdown is working, violence is coming down to Los Angeles levels, the full government is in place, a huge amount of actionable intelligence has been found which has led to raids netting hundreds of insurgents and killing a couple hundred more.

 

You put that all together and it would seem that Al Quada is in the process of being rolled up as we speak. To say that things are not getting better is a major mistake.

 

 

Where did you here about the actionable intelligence? Certainly not from ABC NBC CBS or CNN. Actually NBC's Richard Engel said this morning that those documents they found in the Zarqawi house might be fake.

LMAO!!!!!!!! And all the people they killed in those raids as a result of the intelligence were innocent I presume???? :finger the MSM!!!!!!!

 

These people are off their f***ing rockers.... God forbid something positive is reported.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

Where did you here about the actionable intelligence? Certainly not from ABC NBC CBS or CNN. Actually NBC's Richard Engel said this morning that those documents they found in the Zarqawi house might be fake.

LMAO!!!!!!!! And all the people they killed in those raids as a result of the intelligence were innocent I presume???? :finger the MSM!!!!!!!

 

These people are off their f***ing rockers.... God forbid something positive is reported.

 

 

It never stops does it? The bulls*** never EVER ceases from these people does it? These days its hard to tell who is in a more headlong retreat, the MSM or Al Quada. If I want info on Iraq I'll get it from official military press releases or Fox News. The rest of the media worship Zarqawi and Al Quada and are pulling for America to lose in Iraq just so they can hang it on Bush.

[southsider2k5]

Iraq turning up? When has that happened? Just because Zarqawi is dead? Come on Nuke, you should know better than most that killing that guy will be a blip historically. The hatred is buried too deep. Iraq isn't turning anywhere - it's still the same runaway train.

 

As for Jefferson - good. Good the the Dems. This dude can rot.

 

Al Qaeda in Iraq seemed to think that things weren't going very well for themselves, so much so that they were trying to start another war for the US to fight to distract them away from destroying their operations.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

I tend to agree with the Iraqi Defense Minister. Al Quada is in total retreat over there now and their whole organization is in danger of being rolled up by the Iraqi and US forces.

 

 

The thing of it is the average Iraqi is sick and tired of war and death and want it ended. They realize that the best way to do that is to help stop the insurgency. This is why our forces are getting better intel, this is why there is a bottomless reservoir or recruits for the new security forces. Our strategy over there is working.

[Cknolls]

Washington Post continues blackout on positive news from Iraq

 

The front page of today's hardcopy Washington Post is all about Iraq. The top story focuses on the House debate on the war. Below that is a piece on alleged Shiite militia "control" of Iraqi prisons (that's the headline, anyway; the story documents infiltration, not control).

 

The Post serves up two more Iraq stories on page 22. One is a story about the release at long last from Abu Ghraib (the featured ex-detainee spent his time there playing soccer and listening to the radio). The other is about the resignation of an aide to Prime Minister al-Maliki.

 

What about the seized document in which al Qaeda acknowledges that its situation in Iraq as "bleak?" The Post does not mention this item until the 21st paragraph of the story about the aide who resigned (which, again, appears at page 22).

 

Moreover, the Post devotes its discussion to questioning the document's authenticity. It notes that, unlike "typical statements issued by al-Qaeda in Iraq" the seized document fails to refer to the U.S. as "crusaders" and Shiites as "rejectionists" or "dogs." But of course the documents aren't statements issued by al-Qadea for external consumption; they purport to be an internal assessment of its situation on the ground.

 

In order to vanquish any positive thought a reader nonetheless might have after reading about al Qaeda's gloomy assessment, the Post immediately follows this discussion by rehearsing the American death toll in Iraq, a point it also makes in the second paragraph of its lead front page article.

 

When it comes to Iraq, the news section of the Post has become an anti-war spin machine, and nothing more.

[Rex Kickass]

I'm pretty sure the insurgency in Iraq is more than Al-Qaeda in Iraq. Although I think its too early to say this is a turning point, its definitely a positive step. However, to sit there and say everything is peachy is far from correct either.

 

Washington Post continues blackout on positive news from Iraq

 

The front page of today's hardcopy Washington Post is all about Iraq. The top story focuses on the House debate on the war. Below that is a piece on alleged Shiite militia "control" of Iraqi prisons (that's the headline, anyway; the story documents infiltration, not control).

 

The Post serves up two more Iraq stories on page 22. One is a story about the release at long last from Abu Ghraib (the featured ex-detainee spent his time there playing soccer and listening to the radio). The other is about the resignation of an aide to Prime Minister al-Maliki.

 

What about the seized document in which al Qaeda acknowledges that its situation in Iraq as "bleak?" The Post does not mention this item until the 21st paragraph of the story about the aide who resigned (which, again, appears at page 22).

 

Moreover, the Post devotes its discussion to questioning the document's authenticity. It notes that, unlike "typical statements issued by al-Qaeda in Iraq" the seized document fails to refer to the U.S. as "crusaders" and Shiites as "rejectionists" or "dogs." But of course the documents aren't statements issued by al-Qadea for external consumption; they purport to be an internal assessment of its situation on the ground.

 

In order to vanquish any positive thought a reader nonetheless might have after reading about al Qaeda's gloomy assessment, the Post immediately follows this discussion by rehearsing the American death toll in Iraq, a point it also makes in the second paragraph of its lead front page article.

 

When it comes to Iraq, the news section of the Post has become an anti-war spin machine, and nothing more.

 

Shiite militias are not Al-Qaeda.

[NorthSideSox72]

If anyone thinks that temporarily decapitating "Al Qaeda in Iraq" will stop the insurgency is in for an unpleasant surprise. As I said earlier, the hate is buried too deep in society in the Middle East. Someone will simply fill the vacuum.

 

Now, I do applaud that we nailed that ****er Zarqawi, and we need to continue penetrating and breaking up those networks as best as we can. But we are years if not decades from having a peaceful, stable Iraq.

[Balance]

Not turning up? The security crackdown is working, violence is coming down to Los Angeles levels, the full government is in place, a huge amount of actionable intelligence has been found which has led to raids netting hundreds of insurgents and killing a couple hundred more.

Um.....

Los Angeles levels?

 

When's the last time there was a car bombing in Los Angeles?

[Rex Kickass]

He meant Newark.

[minors]

We are winning this war and the insurgency is being crushed.

 

Kudos to President Bush for standing firm.

 

 

To the President and our Military Personnel

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

Um.....

Los Angeles levels?

 

When's the last time there was a car bombing in Los Angeles?

 

 

Maybe the MO is different but Id feel safer in Baghdad then in a lot of inner city neighborhoods.

 

We are winning this war and the insurgency is being crushed.

 

Kudos to President Bush for standing firm.

To the President and our Military Personnel

 

 

The events of the last 2 weeks are pretty solid evidence that our Iraq strategy is now working and will continue to do so.

 

That being said, we have to press our advantage and finish the job of rolling up the terror groups in that country. I do, however, anticipate that troop reductions are going to happen this year, not because of some arbitrary deadline but because the Iraqi security forces taking charge will make their further presence unnecessary

[Gregory Pratt]

He meant Newark.

 

[Balance]

Maybe the MO is different but Id feel safer in Baghdad then in a lot of inner city neighborhoods.

The events of the last 2 weeks are pretty solid evidence that our Iraq strategy is now working and will continue to do so.

 

That being said, we have to press our advantage and finish the job of rolling up the terror groups in that country. I do, however, anticipate that troop reductions are going to happen this year, not because of some arbitrary deadline but because the Iraqi security forces taking charge will make their further presence unnecessary

I'll believe it when I see it. This is just another "turning point," just like the last 10 or 20 that the administration has touted....