U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled Wednesday that FEMA must resume payments for housing expenses for some victims of Katrina. The website Jurist, operated by the University of Pittsburgh Law School has this brief writeup:

Leon granted the plaintiff’s motion for a preliminary injunction against the payments stoppage, maintaining that FEMA had failed to provide evacuees with adequate explanations for their denials of housing assistance and their means of appeal under the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) filed the lawsuit on behalf of displaced hurricane evacuees alleging violations of their due process rights. FEMA faces other lawsuits with regard to cutting off housing benefits.

Here is a link to the ruling(pdf).

The boys at FEMA of course defended their position that they are doing all they can and within the laws.. OK, I am buying that one gents..really..and that bridge you want to sell me as well. This is the second time in a week the courts have ruled in favor of Katrina victims. A LA. Federal Judge ruled Monday that homeowners might be entitled to more flood damage money from insurance companies. From this article by the AP: “In Louisiana, U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval Jr. sided with New Orleans homeowners who argued that the language in some insurance policies that excluded water damage was ambiguous. He said a suit against The Allstate Corp.The St. Paul Travelers Companies Inc. and other insurers could go forward.” It should be noted that if this suit is successful, insurers might have to pony up an additional $1 Billion large in Louisiana alone. One could surmise other hard hit areas of the gulf coast would start such class action suits. It could suck financially to be the good hands guys..real soon. Insurance companies will spend more money on their lawyers’ billable hours and appeal.

The hurricane season is offically over for this year btw.

They agreed that partioning is not an option. BFD, they both have been saying that all along. Maliki stated, per this MSNBC article:

“We are ready to cooperate with everybody who believes that the need to cooperate with the national unity government, especially our neighbors,” al-Maliki said.–Which means he wants to make nice with Iran and Syria. This isn’t news either for christ’s sake. Maliki did get a shot in about the inability to arm and equip the Iraqi security forces. This is a legitimate concern according to previous reports within the MSM.

Our man Bush, used his favorite new slogans during the press conference. Ones we have come to know and hate with a burning passion. Lines such as:

“He’s a strong leader who wants a free and democratic Iraq to succeed,” Bush said.And another of my personal fav’s: “We’ll be in Iraq until the job is complete, at the request of a sovereign government elected by the people.”

So, basically..notta friggin’ thing was said publicly that hasn’t been mouthed before. We will have to wait for someone to leak the internal memo of the meeting I guess…sigh.

The last quote, and last line of the article really gives the whole press conference a nice wrapup: “Bush said he wanted to begin troop withdrawals “as soon as possible. But I’m a realist because I understand how tough it is inside of Iraq.”

Ok, did he really think anyone with half a brain cell would buy that he is a “realist”?

The abrupt cancellation of the Wednesday meeting was explained in different ways by various minions of Bush. What really happened, according to the Los Angeles Times is apparently Maliki and Jordan’s King Abdullah II met privately and told Georgie not to bother showing up..they didn’t need his words of wisdom. Of course the official version is that this was not a snub..yeah..ok.

Michael Hirsh has an exclusive web article up at Newsweek/MSNBC’s site. His contention is the Iraq Study Group’s(ISG) report won’t solve the problem’s in Iraq, or get our troops out of there any sooner than half a dozen other plans floated lately. A particularly grizzly mental picture he gives us comes from this snippet of the writeup:

“One doesn’t have to be trained by Hizbullah or the Iranian secret service to grab a few Sunnis off the street every night and shoot them in the head. But until those killings stop, the yes-it-is-a-civil war-no-it’s-not-a-civil-war in Iraq will continue to rage out of control.”

What is interesting is that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is also tossed into the mix. The ISG seems to think the road to stability in Iraq runs through Jerusalem. Hirsh seems to think this is bs. Personally, I see every conflict in the region as related on some level. I think Hirsh is short-sighted and too quick to blow off this aspect of the report, if in fact his sources are correct.

Another point he raises, with which I completely agree, is that Maliki is “owned” by that cleric-from-hell, Al-Sadr. This has to be addressed, and as we know from past experience…Bush and his advisors like to bury their heads in the sand when it comes to obvious roadblocks and problems with regard to their public rhetoric about how well things are going.

Hirsh is very big on Gates however, and actually plugs Gates’ last book “From the Shadows: the Ultimate Insider’s story of Five Presidents and How They Won the Cold War,”. He gives us a brief review of what he considers the good parts of Gates’ memoir, such as the following:

“If presidents had listened only to the hawks, U.S. belligerence and aggressiveness would have been so overwhelming that the Soviets would have been afraid to undertake changes in their system, to have let down their guard at all,” *snip* “If presidents had listened only to the doves, not only would the Soviets have seen many opportunities to gain strategic military advantage and new influence in the Third World; there would have been significantly less pressure on them to change.”

Back to the Baker Group, Hirsh would have us wonder how much of the findings, were culled from Gates’ own philosophy. Hirsh touts the only lasting legacy of the Baker Group as its utilization of Gates philosophy of “management over vision”. Whatever the hell THAT means.

If the congress approves of Gates nomination for Secretary of Defense, we will have to endure more of Gates philosophy as it is applied to our problems in the Middle East.

Beck, Cavuto, Medved Push Absurd Notion of Environmentalist Propaganda in Animated Penguin Movie

Washington, D.C. -- Not content with their annual discussion of a supposed "War on Christmas," conservative talking heads have taken on a new issue this season: environmentalist propaganda in children's movies. CNN Headline News' Glenn Beck and Fox News' Neil Cavuto recently spoke out against Warner Bros.' new animated children's movie Happy Feet; criticizing the film for its alleged pro-environmentalist content. Media Matters for America spokesman Karl Frisch responded to the criticism, lambasting the conservative talking heads for their return to holiday-season absurdity.

Read the rest of it here.

Since the mid-term elections, we…the universal we, have been waiting with baited breath, and sometimes the occasional cocktail, for a plan to get out of Iraq. The Iraq Study Group is going to release their findings, hopefully, in the very near future. What could they possibly “find” that hasn’t been in front of everyone’s noses before now?

The answer is nothing. They will dress it up, put some lipstick on this pig and perhaps try to convince the current resident of the Oval Office, and his cadre of chickenhawks, that talking to Iraq’s neighbors is a start to getting our collective ass out of Iraq. This of course, will mean talking to Iran. It will mean talking to the homegrown militia’s running rampant in and around Baghdad and Sadr City. The ISG won’t be providing anything new, just common sense that has long been ignored by the Decider-in-Chief.

As we wait for this guaranteed best seller to spring forth from the loins of James Baker and his buddies, we can digest some of the other ideas that have been bandied about by various people in current or former positions of authority, and just plain ol’ nimrods that think they know it all.

Kissinger, who has cough* experience * cough at ending unpopular wars, has already been priming the President with verbiage such as a “Military victory is no longer possible”. If this is news to the Shrub, I will kiss Dick Cheney’s little black pacemaker-powered heart…provided he is nowhere near a gun at the time. Former White House counterterrorism aide Richard Clarke urges initiating a 18-month-long pull-out right away. Neocon cheerleader Robert Kagan wants to throw more American troops into Iraq, as does John McCain. The latter idea doesn’t take into account that we don’t have any more troops to ship over to Iraq unless the “D” word is going to get a workout in the halls of Congress, ala Rangel’s initiative, real soon. Even the Pentagon has given us their ideas on Iraq: Send in more troops, shrink the force but stay longer, or pull out, according to senior defense officials. These are otherwise known as “Go Big, Go Long or Go Home”. Remember “Mission Accomplished”? Jeez, do these guys love slogans or what?

Those are the “plans” from the right side of the aisle. Now, for the Democratic folks and their ideas. What, you say..the Dem’s have ideas? Yes, Virginia, the Dem’s have ideas. They don’t differ from many of the ones already making the rounds, since victory isn’t what it was touted to be when the war first started.

The incoming chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Carl Levin (D-MI), has already called for a phased reduction of U.S. troops from Iraq in four to six months (PBS). Joe Biden, the incoming chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee wants Iraq divided up into three sections, relying on a central government only for matters of border control and allocation of oil resources. Wesley Clarke, the retired four-star general and former NATO commander, recently called for sustained shuttle diplomacy in the region and increased cooperation among the White House, Pentagon and State Department. Senators Carl Levin, D-MI, and Jack Reed, D-RI offered up an amendment in June of this year, urging the President to press the Iraqis to take greater responsibility for their own security and future. The amendment called for the beginning of a phased redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq by the end of the year. The amendment was rejected by a vote of 39-60 that same month. The Levin-Reed amendment declared that U.S. Armed Forces "are stretched thin" and that "sectarian violence has surpassed the insurgency and terrorism as the main security threat in Iraq." It said, "The current open-ended commitment of United States forces in Iraq is unsustainable and a deterrent to the Iraqis making the political compromises and personnel and resource commitments that are needed for the stability and security of Iraq."

Then there is the concept, dubbed "strategic redeployment," which is outlined in a thin, nine-page report coauthored by a former Reagan administration assistant Defense secretary, Lawrence J. Korb. It sets a goal of a phased troop withdrawal that would take nearly all US troops out of Iraq by the end of 2007. This plan begins with a quick withdrawal of US troops and install them elsewhere in the region, where they could respond to emergencies in Iraq and help fight terrorism in other countries. The Democrats, including Howard Dean, rallied around this plan the beginning of this year.

Not to be out done, Barack Obama has recently released his ideas for getting out of Iraq. His voice is loud and clear about ending the “coddling” of the current government leaders of Iraq. To quote from his latest speech: “Our best hope for success is to use the tools we have – military, financial, diplomatic – to pressure the Iraqi leadership to finally come to a political agreement between the warring factions that can create some sense of stability in the country and bring this conflict under control. The first part of this strategy begins by exerting the greatest leverage we have on the Iraqi government – a phased redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq on a timetable that would begin in four to six months.”

Now my dear reader..the two things all these plans need in order to succeed are: The Shrub and his minions must buy into one of them. The second, and most important, is the cooperation of the Iraqi government. I use the term “Iraqi government” loosely because the government is rife with sectarian horseshit and at times, basically resembles the plot from one of the Godfather movies where the warring factions “go to the mattresses”.

The Maliki-led government is a sham. It’s all about the Shia’s destroying the Sunni’s six ways from Sunday. Think of the Baltimore Ravens defense going after the Houston Texans QB David Carr..with rocket launchers and car bombs.

Over 55% of the population is Sunni. Only 33% are Shiites, yet Maliki thinks the Shia’s can run roughshod over Iraq. Maliki needs to see Alex Trebek and buy a damn clue. When the U.S. leaves, all hell is going to break loose if the government of Iraq hasn’t reached a truce with all factions and commenced leading the country as a united front . Maliki refuses to set timetables, or keep to benchmarks. He demands that our troops abandon a search and checkpoints in Sadr City. The reason Maliki won’t agree with any of our government’s plans is because they don’t fit into his. Maliki refuses to call off his dogs, the Shia militia’s, who are terrorizing the citizens of Baghdad. The counter strikes by the Sunni’s have seen the sectarian violence rise to level’s that signal a beginning of a civil war that will destroy the nation, if not the tenuous balance of the Middle East. The Sunni’s have controlled Iraq for a thousand years; they will not go quietly into that good night.

The pandering and baby sitting by this administration of Maliki and his buddies has to stop if we are to achieve any sense of “victory” in Iraq. The Shiite clerics, who own Maliki’s soul, are now threatening to withdraw from the government if Maliki meets with the President. Bush and his advisors need to rent a HUGE set of balls when they meet with Maliki in the Middle East next week. They need to lay down the plan for Iraq, or plan for Maliki’s removal. If you think there aren’t already ideas making the rounds to remove Maliki from power...think again. If Bush and his cadre go the latter route boys and girls…we will start this horrible, crazy nightmare all over again and spend more years counting broken bodies and coffins returning from Iraq, not to mention thousands upon thousands of dead Iraqi’s. Bush talks like he has a set of big brass ones, lets see him use those suckers for a change and shake Maliki like a wet rag.

I don’t know about you, my dear reader, but I am just not up to doing this god-forsaken dance of death and destruction for another 3 friggin’ years. Over 60% of the American population agrees. It’s high time for the federal farkwits at the helm to get onboard and shift this bitch of an Edsel, known as the War in Iraq, into over-drive and head on home. For our sake and for those of the Iraqi people… this dog and pony show must to come to an end.

On Tuesday, I introduced legislation requiring U.S. forces to redeploy from Iraq by July 1, 2007. My legislation recognizes that a target date for the redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq will help pressure the Iraqis to get their political house in order. Simply announcing when we will begin redeployment, without any end date, is unlikely to put adequate pressure on the Iraqis. 

A target date isn’t just critical to our Iraq policy, it is essential for our national security policy. We cannot adequately focus on the pressing national security challenges we face around the globe when so many of our brave troops are in Iraq, and so many billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars are being spent there. A timetable ensures that we can refocus our resources on fighting terrorist networks and on addressing trouble spots around the world that threaten our national security.

Because problems in Iraq won’t dry up overnight, my legislation would allow for a minimal level of U.S. forces to remain in Iraq for targeted counterterrorism activities, training of Iraqi security forces, and the protection of U.S. infrastructure and personnel.

November 14th, 2006

To My Conservative Brothers and Sisters,

I know you are dismayed and disheartened at the results of last week's election. You're worried that the country is heading toward a very bad place you don't want it to go. Your 12-year Republican Revolution has ended with so much yet to do, so many promises left unfulfilled. You are in a funk, and I understand.

Well, cheer up, my friends! Do not despair. I have good news for you. I, and the millions of others who are now in charge with our Democratic Congress, have a pledge we would like to make to you, a list of promises that we offer you because we value you as our fellow Americans. You deserve to know what we plan to do with our newfound power -- and, to be specific, what we will do to you and for you.

Thus, here is our Liberal's Pledge to Disheartened Conservatives:

Dear Conservatives and Republicans,

I, and my fellow signatories, hereby make these promises to you:

1. We will always respect you for your conservative beliefs. We will never, ever, call you "unpatriotic" simply because you disagree with us. In fact, we encourage you to dissent and disagree with us.

2. We will let you marry whomever you want, even when some of us consider your behavior to be "different" or "immoral." Who you marry is none of our business. Love and be in love -- it's a wonderful gift.

3. We will not spend your grandchildren's money on our personal whims or to enrich our friends. It's your checkbook, too, and we will balance it for you.

4. When we soon bring our sons and daughters home from Iraq, we will bring your sons and daughters home, too. They deserve to live. We promise never to send your kids off to war based on either a mistake or a lie.

5. When we make America the last Western democracy to have universal health coverage, and all Americans are able to get help when they fall ill, we promise that you, too, will be able to see a doctor, regardless of your ability to pay. And when stem cell research delivers treatments and cures for diseases that affect you and your loved ones, we'll make sure those advances are available to you and your family, too.

6. Even though you have opposed environmental regulation, when we clean up our air and water, we, the Democratic majority, will let you, too, breathe the cleaner air and drink the purer water.

7. Should a mass murderer ever kill 3,000 people on our soil, we will devote every single resource to tracking him down and bringing him to justice. Immediately. We will protect you.

8. We will never stick our nose in your bedroom or your womb. What you do there as consenting adults is your business. We will continue to count your age from the moment you were born, not the moment you were conceived.

9. We will not take away your hunting guns. If you need an automatic weapon or a handgun to kill a bird or a deer, then you really aren't much of a hunter and you should, perhaps, pick up another sport. We will make our streets and schools as free as we can from these weapons and we will protect your children just as we would protect ours.

10. When we raise the minimum wage, we will pay you -- and your employees -- that new wage, too. When women are finally paid what men make, we will pay conservative women that wage, too.

11. We will respect your religious beliefs, even when you don't put those beliefs into practice. In fact, we will actively seek to promote your most radical religious beliefs ("Blessed are the poor," "Blessed are the peacemakers," "Love your enemies," "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God," and "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."). We will let people in other countries know that God doesn't just bless America, he blesses everyone. We will discourage religious intolerance and fanaticism -- starting with the fanaticism here at home, thus setting a good example for the rest of the world.

12. We will not tolerate politicians who are corrupt and who are bought and paid for by the rich. We will go after any elected leader who puts him or herself ahead of the people. And we promise you we will go after the corrupt politicians on our side FIRST. If we fail to do this, we need you to call us on it. Simply because we are in power does not give us the right to turn our heads the other way when our party goes astray. Please perform this important duty as the loyal opposition.

I promise all of the above to you because this is your country, too. You are every bit as American as we are. We are all in this together. We sink or swim as one. Thank you for your years of service to this country and for giving us the opportunity to see if we can make things a bit better for our 300 million fellow Americans -- and for the rest of the world.

Signed,

About 24 percent of Americans under the age of 30, or at least 10 million young voters, cast ballots in Tuesday's elections that saw Democrats make big gains in Congress. That was up 4 percentage points from the last mid-term elections in 2002.

"This looks like the highest in 20 years," said Mark Lopez, research director of the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, which compiled the data based on exit polls. "Unfortunately, we can't say if it's a record because don't have good comparable data before 1986."

The article does go on to state that it might not be THE highest turnout of youngsters. The 1982 mid-term during Ronnie Reagan's tenure had 27 million youngsters get off their butts and vote. As long as they are voting..we can maintain a positive view that they will remain politically active for the Presidential Elections coming up in 08.

Contact: Trevor Fitzgibbon, Laura Gross or Alex Howe, 202-822-5200, all for MoveOn.org Political Action

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 /U.S. Newswire/ -- MoveOn.org Political Action is offering a $250,000 reward for new material evidence leading to a felony conviction for an organized effort of partisan voter suppression or electronic voting fraud.

Throughout the day accusations of election fraud and voter suppression incidents have been flooding into state and federal authorities throughout the country. In Virginia, the FBI has launched a criminal investigation into charges of voter suppression. In 20 Congressional districts, NRCC robocalls appearing to come from Democrats harassed voters with repeated calls in an apparently coordinated campaign to suppress the vote.

Complementing an earlier reward for whistleblowers, MoveOn's reward is being offered to anyone who provides this information.

http://www.usnewswire.com/

larger view

An email he sent to Peter was published in the Newsweek article. Robert wrote it shortly after he was arrived in Iraq:

“My first impression of the Iraqis is that I really like them. They are warm and hospitable and the friendliest people I’ve met. I also feel very sorry for them. Their lives are out of their hands and they have known nothing but dictators (Saddam) and occupiers (us) for years. As we convoyed at high speeds thru the town (speed is the best defense against IEDs) you could clearly see the look on the eyes of the people: sick and tired. First a generation of Saddam, now insurgents and occupiers. Everyone makes promises and no one keeps them.”

Part of the next email he wrote to Peter 3 months after the last one:

“My 3 month informed opinion (based entirely on what I see in the Hit region) is that this war is futile. Even the Iraqi soldiers tell us that when America leaves, they’ll quit. They trust us because they know Americans can take care of them, but they don’t trust their government, or the Ministry of Defense, and they especially don’t trust their officers […] Funny, I feel the same way sometimes.&r