At a Monument of Sorrow, A Burst of Deadly Violence
the attack inside the famed Holocaust museum turned the crowded building and Washington’s nearby tourist-thronged Mall into a scene of fear and chaos, with black-clad SWAT teams, hovering helicopters and racing emergency vehicles. Stunned witnesses described a fusillade of gunfire — five shots or more — the blood-streaked floor and the screams of frightened visitors inside the museum and on the street.
Grief, Shock After a ‘Gentle Giant’ Loses His Life in the Line of Duty
Co-workers praise Stephen Johns, who was killed in the line of duty.
Holocaust Museum shooter James von Brunn’s ex-wife says his racism ‘ate him alive’
He’s a twisted kook with a toxic hatred for Jews and blacks who vowed to go out “with his boots on.”
THE UNITED STATES Holocaust Museum is a living memorial, a place where visitors go to confront hatred, learn the danger of prejudice and promote human dignity. Yesterday this most special place was the setting for a tragic lesson in the worst and best of human behavior.
DHS Report “In A Different Light”
Fox News spent much of April hyperventilating about a report from the Department of Homeland Security, warning of possible threats posed by violent radicals, specifically from anti-abortion and anti-Semitic extremists.
Attacks validate DHS report, some say
No More Kumbaya Among Health Care Reformers
[T]he last week has shown that love-ins don’t last forever. Now the different groups writing bills and weighing in have begun to clash in ways that portend bigger fights to come. “People are still being gentle,” says Robert Laszewski, an influential Beltway health policy consultant. “But the fissures are going to be deep.”
‘Single-Payer’ Supporters Challenge Democrats
As Obama and congressional Democrats work to hammer out landmark health-care legislation, they face increasingly noisy protests from those on the left who complain that a national program like those in Europe has been excluded from the debate.
Back in the election campaign, some people spread rumors that Barack Obama might be a secret Muslim conspiring to impose Sharia law on us. That seems unlikely now, but what if he’s a covert Canadian plotting to impose … health care?
Obama to hold town-hall style meeting to push healthcare reform
The Supreme Court nominee’s life story is certainly compelling. But her slim record on progressive concerns warrants a closer look.
In Her Own Words: Excerpts From Sotomayor’s Videos
Republicans Say Sotomayor Questionnaire Incomplete, Request More Information
Sotomayor’s appointment should end the High Court’s unfair track record on Puerto Rico
Unlike other Latinos, the Supreme Court has deeply scarred Puerto Rican political life. Thanks to its rulings, the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico do not have the same rights as citizens living in the states and the U.S. Constitution does not apply in full to Puerto Rico – or to the other territories of Guam, the Virgin Islands and American Samoa.
Where Sonia Sotomayor Really Stands on Race
Fiat Closes Deal With Chrysler
April trade deficit edges up to $29.2 billion
America’s debt is Barack Obama’s biggest weakness
U.S. Targets Excessive Pay for Top Executives
The Obama administration named a “compensation czar” yesterday to set salaries and bonuses at some of the biggest firms at the heart of the economic crisis, as part of a broader government campaign to reshape pay practices across corporate America.
U.S. Foreclosure Filings Top 300,000 as Bank Seizures Loom
U.S. foreclosure filings surpassed 300,000 for the third straight month in May and may hit a record 1.8 million by the first half of the year, RealtyTrac Inc. said.
GOP: Did Bush team force BofA merger?
Capitol Hill Republicans investigating the fire sale purchase of Merrill Lynch by Bank of America last year are digging for evidence of improper behavior by two Bush appointees – former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.
Fed Emails Bash BofA Chief in Tussle Over Merrill Deal
Guantánamo’s untouchables: What to do with Uighurs
The US moves toward sending the Chinese Muslims to Palau, a remote Pacific island. But some experts say that would be a mistake.
Democrats Aren’t Yielding to Obama
After years of lambasting President George W. Bush’s war on terror, some congressional Democrats still act like the party of opposition, even with their own man in the White House. They are asking tough questions about the wisdom of President Barack Obama’s plan to expand military assistance to Afghanistan and Pakistan, where an eight-year conflict has failed to defeat the Taliban and Al Qaeda.
The administration’s focus on building coalitions may spur more arms sales for the world’s leading weapons exporter — a welcome prospect for U.S. defense contractors.
For five months now in the Umbrian hill town of Perugia, an American exchange student called “Angel Face” by the tabloid press has been on trial for the murder of her roommate. On Friday, for the first time, that student, Amanda Knox will testify on her own behalf.
Has President Ahmadinejad finally met his match in Mrs Mousavi?
Zahra Rahnavard, the wife of Mirhossein Mousavi, has impressed voters on the campaign trail with her calls for equal rights
Pakistan targets Taliban in new combat zone, kill scores
Let’s hope the experts are right:
2 US journalists unlikely to see harsh prisons, specialists say
You’d think the Abrahamic God would make up his mind — Can he live with other gods or not? What’s with the random mood fluctuations?
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The Confluence 
You forgot the Red Sox–7 in a row over the Yankees! And Red Sox are now in sole possession of first place.
No!
I’m waiting for the sweep.
Why are you trying to jinx it?
I’m not superstitous.
Have you noticed – that article on Democrats not yielding – how it’s Obama’s POV? (as before used to be the GOP/Bush GOP) Dems have became “them” yet again – at least when not obeying NYT propaganda object.
And a little hitch in Letterman’s lame response
http://edgeoforever.wordpress.com/2009/06/11/letterman-wrong-daughter-new-joke/
Like the horror move, Final Destination:
An Italian woman who missed Air France Flight 447, which crashed in the Atlantic, has died in a car crash, the ANSA news agency reports.
cinie’s latest post is a hum-dinger!
http://cinie.wordpress.com/2009/06/11/prertendidential-sneakitude/#comments
(nodding) it is!
Wow. A very powerful post. She NAILS it.
Thanks for the link.
Yes, bostonboomer! We shouldn’t laugh but…oh my!! (I am a sucker for the Final D movies…)
I read about the Knox case when it first broke–pretty chilling stuff — but I wouldn’t call Knox “an innocent abroad…” Seems the Italian police have the goods on her, from what I’ve read in foreign press.
“Now the different groups writing bills and weighing in have begun to clash in ways that portend bigger fights to come.”
Obots, welcome to health care reform. It’s 1993 all over again, the difference being that the Clintons FOUGHT the insurance companies.
What a disaster…
Yes., indeed.
And the AMA (largest doctor organization) has come out this morning against the public option.
Here’s my question , though: Just as doctors can choose not to take Medicare patients, will they be able to choose not to take the public option patients, thus reducing availability?
I seem to recall that Michelle Obama’s big hospital corporate job was finding ways to send emergency care patients without insurance AWAY from her for-profit hospital employer.
Anybody know?
Swine Flu is officially being raised to full Pandemic level today. Anyone know anyone who is sick right now?
yes, everyone I know is either sick or getting sick or talling tales of how everyone at work is calling in sick. The problem is that NO ONE is going to the doctor, so the outbreak is not being reported.
When one of them passes it on to me, I am in trouble as I have asthma.
Call you doctor and ask if you can get the Pneumonia shot and don’t miss your flu shot this season. Most people in my area with asthma get the pneumonia shot.
thanks I will
Where is ‘quixote:’ ? 😦 He usually does the stories on the H1N1 flu. Anyone know?
Sorry…that should read “China has demanded…”
Proofreading is our friend. 🙂
Just to update re the Uighurs (did I spell that right?) going to Palau……
Obama administration is denying that the sudden $200 billion foreign aide for the tiny island with a population of 21,000 had anything to do with their willingness to accept the Uighurs. Uh-huh.
And China had DEMANDED that Palau turn over the Uighurs immediately to them, since they Uighurs are listed as members of a terrorist organization on the UN list of terrorist organizations (which the US voted for awhile ago).
Good grief. I’m getting whiplash. 🙂
Billion? Isn’t it million? Which is still a ridiculous amount for temporary resettlement.
Thanks for catching that…..it is million.
Too much coffee this morning.
Don’t know why it matters , really…..we’ve never given this island any foreign aid, and suddenly we do….. I think it speaks to the same quid pro quo.
Do you think Obama can afford to piss off China?
I guess he will have to let Hillary deal with China but I wondered about that myself. Anything other than handing them over will piss them off but we can’t do that knowing that China would probably just execute them. They are now pressuring Palau so who knows if they will eventually just get their way regardless?
Wall Street’s False Armistice
The best names in Wall Street banking have announced victory. Their crisis is over, back to business as usual. So why isn’t the Obama White House celebrating this good news? Because this may not be a lasting peace for the president and his lieutenants. They are left standing in the mudhole of financial ruin, still surrounded by the failing economy and gradually losing their control over events. The leading bankers worked out a rare deal for themselves that essentially says to the government in Washington “heads we win, tails you lose.”
There is rough justice in his predicament. The essential bet Obama made as president was to insist on a “voluntary” approach to rescuing the financial system, picking up the main policies launched by his predecessor. An odd-lot chorus of left and right critics (myself included) urged Obama to step up and employ the full force of government’s emergency powers to take charge of the troubled system and direct their behavior. Heal the wounded banks or liquidate them, use government financing to insure the lending and investing needed to finance economic recovery. Don’t leave it to the bank executives who will naturally take care of themselves first, maybe the country later.
Obama rejected that option. He was most reluctant to nationalize banks or to assert full control of those zombies that government has had to keep on life support. His political logic was obvious–maintain the appearance of temporary interventions to assist private enterprise and avoid any accusations of left-wing activism. The right called him a socialist anyway.
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090622/greider2
Great article about Hillary at State:
Clinton adopts low-key style at State Dept.
“I think (the president) listens to her as much or more than anybody,” Biden tells USA TODAY. “She’s the main player … the one he looks to give the last wind-up pitch about what should be done.”
Biden says Clinton’s view prevailed over his own during a policy debate about sending additional troops to Afghanistan. Biden declined to go into details, but Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., a Naval Reserve officer with contacts at the State Department and Pentagon, says Biden opposed sending 21,000 additional troops and Clinton favored it.
“It turned into Biden vs. Hillary, and she crushed him,” Kirk says.
Biden calls that an exaggeration and says their differences were small. [☺]
Kirk, who is on the subcommittee that oversees the State Department, calls Clinton “the superstar of the Cabinet. Everything she touches is well run.”
If the good reviews continue, there will be inevitable speculation about another run for the White House. Clinton would be 69 in 2016 — three years younger than John McCain was last year.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-06-10-hillary-clinton_N.htm
If the tables were turned, imagine wimpy Obama as Secretary of State crushing anybody…LOL…what a laugher.
In addition, Clinton has already said she won’t run for president again….the country snoozed and they lost.
Did she say that? Poop. Well, I guess I’m not surprised. But never say never.
My recollection is that she said the chance was close to zero but that was last fall when she was talking about being the best Senator from NY that she could be. She said she should bloom where she was planted. She wasn’t contemplating being SoS then either. I don’t think she ever said “never”. So I’m gonna keep hope alive!
Depends on whether Biden is setting Clinton up to take the rage of the very left of the party who are outraged that Obama sent more troops to Afghanistan.
Do I think Biden is capable of that? Yes.
let them be outraged, idiots.
LOL I agree.
But the Democratic Party’s inner-workings very often involve throwing someone to the wolves to avoid being held accountable themselves, eh?
I can see Biden giving Hillary the “credit” just so he doesn’t have to step up and take any heat.
Can’t you?
yes I can. I think most of the time in the whitehouse they sit around deciding who to throw under the bus.
Biden threw Obama under the bus with the POTUS joke… wonder how the mighty O took that one?
This is a pretty good article.
It will be on the front page tomorrow.
A video clip that clearly illustrates how utterly absurd the media–in particular MSNBC–has become. This nitwit “reporter” simply cannot understand why Palin is upset because Letterman called her slutty, and insinuated that A-Rod rape her teenage daughter. Go figure!
Ziegler Discusses Palin Response On MSNBC
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2009/06/10/ziegler_discusses_palin_response_on_msnbc.html
Absurd and repulsive.
My next post discusses why that is.
Ziegler is absolutely a creep. Beware of Right Wingers before fully embracing them:
(Pay attention at the 1:00)
Btw, whatever happened to his documentary to “expose Hillary Clinton”?
I don’t think you have to embrace Zeigler to agree with him on the Palin point.
I don’t trust any of them – left, right or center.
They ALL lie
DAMN it — myiq — get out of my head. I’ve made the exact statement — often. Yesterday to a group of people — and all agreed — because they’ve probably made the same statement themselves.
In this particular video exchange with Contessa-dahling, Ziegler is not the creep.
And Letterman should be fired, period.
I have a tough time crying for poor Jon Ziegler who was abused by Contessa Brewer.
Ziegler isn’t the issue. FOCUS
The link was to
That’s where Ziegler is the issue: I don’t care about anything Ziegler has to say about anything. He’s someone with his own terrible history.
I don’t need him to be offended about anything because he himself is offensive and repulsive enough.
mablue2 Ziegler is not the one who is offended!
Did you even see the clip?
She claimed to be offended – but saw no reason
for Palin to be by Lettermann’s deplorable comments!
I think it will make their reports on women issues suspect, when she is so dismissive here.
What a sad joke! And I mean this interviewer.
She feels insulted!
But don’t see any reason for Sarah Palin to be!
Am I allowed to say that this woman is a disgrace to both journalism and womanhood!
What a sad state of affairs, if this is typical of the media in the US.
You’re quite allowed to say that, as far as I’m concerned.
She is a horrible news-reader and one of the worst on-air personalities…hardly a journalist.
And yet, Ms Brewer blew a gasket when Imus “joked” about her “fat ass”.
::sigh::
He he he:
http://www.daybydaycartoon.com/2009/06/11/#005223
It’s noon eastern. Where are all the usual trolls?
Where are Help me Rhonda, Johnny Gofuckyourself and Steve the Racist?
I was shocked to discover that Steve the Racist uses the word “nigga” a LOT
Nearly 150 times according to teh google – which is really bad considering his blog is fairly new.
And no, he does not use it in an academic discussion of racism – he uses it as an epithet.
Well, at least he doesn’t say things like “THEM JEWS,” eh?
FYI: If you’re interested in contacting CBS re the Letterman fiasco, comment line as follows:
212-975-4321
Apparently their lines are swamped. Yesterday they actually answered the phone, but today it’s just leaving a message.
See Hillbuzz for list of Letterman’s advertisers if interested.
Thanks for the info. I just called them and told them to tell Dave to knock off the offensive and very sexist jokes. I mentioned the Sonia Sotomayor skit and the Palin kids joke as tasteless and crude. I thought Dave was behaving in a kinder fashion after the birth of his son and his heart attack, but, I was wrong. He usually does not go after kids, I found this very surprising. I will have to stop watching.
Obama on single payer health insurance (He said we needed control of the Senate, Congress and the Oval Office, where he now sits, so there is NO EXCUSE for him to not allow Single Payer Advocates at the Decision table.)
Here we go, Obama is saying that Single Payer is not possible because we are NOT starting from scratch? He is citing the ’employers’…hello….employers can’t keep up with the escalating cost of health insurance premiums. The options solution, basically gives a choice of whittled down benefits, that are basically ‘catastrophic’ coverage, with a high deductible and no preventive coverage.
Right now we have HMOs as the more affordable and they have gate keepers…so Newt can shove his argument of you have the best available coverage that give you everything…bla, blah…points. We are priced out of the coverage that the legislators get, we need a system like medicare to offer and balance the costs.
Single Payer, must be allowed at the table of discussion, otherwise, it is all smoke and mirrors and the outcome is for the big insurance companies and the people once again will be left out in the cold.
I love teachers and have teachers in my family but I am very ANNOYED at taking the time (over 15 minutes) of Health Care in Crisis to ask about class size, while people are dying because they don’t have health insurance. Most teachers get health insurance via their work, but part-time teachers don’t and that should have been the question asked.
I can remember part-time community college instructors who work in three colleges and who don’t have health insurance and they should. So, please stay on topic with Obama’s ‘Town Hall Meetings’ on Health Care. As it is Single Payer Advocates aren’t ALLOWED at the table of discussion and this just proves that there is someone that doesn’t want the discussions to take place and Obama should have STAYED ON TOPIC!
I don’t believe it, the next question was a FAN who wanted a photo signed?!?
Then the next question, was about ‘Personal Responsibility’…exactly what insurance plan is that?!?
Oh, my gosh, now he is on about how much work he has and how he doesn’t want to “run stuff”. 😯 When is he going to take some real questions and really talk about the health insurance problem. I actually thought this was going to be a productive ‘Town Hall Meeting’ on Health Care…carried live! Am I disappointed. 😦
“Personal responsibility” means he going to tax your Oreos and your Diet Cokes, and if you have health issues due to a bad diet, he’ll require you to attend government-paid-for nutrition classes and exercise classes (with a signed note from the instructors) before you can get his healthcare.
😯
CNN reporters are in outer space….”How is he going to get that to happen?”. HELLO, have you reporters heard of mandated RISK POOLS (if they want to do business they have to participate in the pool as insuring only health people isn’t right.)…this would be even better than the existing ones some states have, and it is the RIGHT THING TO DO. Is CNN for the people or for the Health Insurance Companies?
that is the republican healthcare plan where you take responsibility for yourself and if that means you have no healthcare then too damn bad.
The GOP is nuts, with their claim of ‘A Government Run System’. Ask anyone if they should disband Medicare…since the GOP is opposed to having a Single Payer Plan and see if senior would be willing to go shop out there and have all the choice…the CHOICE TO GO BANKRUPT!
The GOP wants to ignore that 2/3 of bankruptcies are due to health care, or the lack of health care and during these tough times people need help not slogans and anti-government sentiments.
Did you hear Obama say he’s NOT for single payer, because it “leads to socialized medicine?”
Are you joking? Did he really say that?
I read about this at Corrente, Here’s a post where it’s discussed:
So, clearly, he does NOT support single payer.
Must be heartache to those who thought they could influence him to support it.
Yeah, I love when they say “Do you want health care to be run by the POST OFFICE???”
Um, sure, why not? The Postal Service has never failed to deliver anything I needed and can send a letter across the country for 37 cents and a package to my SO in a foreign country for under $10. Pretty damn efficient IMO.