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art by Kazimierz Dzyga


“Far away in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.”
-- Louisa May Alcott

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Has anyone noticed the state of the economy is pathetic? Or is it just me?
There is really no sign of a revival in business investment
spending ...U.S. Durables Orders Fell in May for a Second Month
...the Fed's likely to lower rates to a 45-year low...the reality is sinking in after the myth of the expected postwar economic boom... the tech
slump is causing grief in our desperate American cities.. Phoenix, for example....not since the Great Depression has the United States suffered through such a protracted hiring slump as it has the past 27 months....the Silicon Valley is but a shadow of its former economic self....and tell me--what IS consumer confidence? I seem to have forgotten!

And the good news is......










* Oh---stop looking for it, already!!! I was only being sarcastic! *

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"Downing Street's second dossier on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction
caused an "embarrassment" for the Government, Foreign Secretary Jack
Straw conceded today."




Poor Jack Straw's embarrassed.

Hundreds of our faithful troops have died...

Screw Jack Straw.

"Straw concedes 'substantial error' in Iraq weapons document"

Senator Byrd Says Stop Covering Up!

Senator Byrd Says Stop Covering Up!

Senator Byrd says "The Road to Coverup is the Road to Ruin".





A Champion of Truth

Senator Byrd says:



"Well, Mr. President, this is no game. For the first time in our history, the United States has gone to war because of intelligence reports claiming that a country posed a threat to our nation. Congress should not be content to use standard operating procedures to look into this extraordinary matter. We should accept no substitute for a full, bipartisan investigation by Congress into the issue of our pre-war intelligence on the threat from Iraq and its use.

The purpose of such an investigation is not to play pre-election year politics, nor is it to engage in what some might call "revisionist history." Rather it is to get at the truth. The longer questions are allowed to fester about what our intelligence knew about Iraq, and when they knew it, the greater the risk that the people – the American people whom we are elected to serve – will lose confidence in our government.

This looming crisis of trust is not limited to the public. Many of my colleagues were willing to trust the Administration and vote to authorize war against Iraq.
Many members of this body trusted so much that they gave the President sweeping authority to commence war.

As President Reagan famously said, "Trust, but verify." Despite my opposition, the Senate voted to blindly trust the President with
unprecedented power to declare war. While the reconstruction continues, so do the questions, and it is time to verify."


Senator Byrd has a good point, I think....wouldn't you agree?

Senator Byrd said this...and tell me..can you reasonably argue with this statement?

"If we are going to hit first, based on perceived dangers, the perceptions had better be accurate."

I just don't think you can argue with that.

Senator Byrd's statement is exactly what I had said yesterday in my "Hans Blix Gives It To The Bush Administration" entry:

"We have heard a lot about revisionist history from the White House of late in answer to those who question whether there was a real threat from Iraq. But, it is the President who appears to me to be intent on revising history."

Senator Byrd has a way with words. I love the use of the word "massaged" in this part of Sen Byrd's speech..it was quite colorful:

"Whether or not intelligence reports were bent, stretched, or massaged to make Iraq look like an imminent threat to the United States, it is clear that the Administration's rhetoric played upon the well-founded fear of the American public about future acts of terrorism. But, upon close examination, many of these statements have nothing to do with intelligence, because they are at root just sound bites based on conjecture. They are designed to prey on public fear."

Senator Byrd said something that I believe is important to remember:

" These are the President's words. He said that Saddam Hussein is "seeking a nuclear bomb." Have we found any evidence to date of this chilling allegation? No."

Senator Byrd isn't afraid of pouring out truth (unlike many of his shameful Congressional colleagues).

Senator Byrd is one of my heroes.

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Blogtracking sites I have noticed...(cached)
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2- http://216.239.51.100/search?q=cache:eaGTXJ0lP7oJ:dev.myelin.co.nz/ecosystem/blogs/http_3a_2f_2fiddybud_2eblogspot
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3- http://216.239.51.100/search?q=cache:aWnqZ1mwpxwJ:www.rootblog.com/Recent/%3Frub%3D34+Iddybud&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
4- http://216.239.51.100/search?q=cache:cqOomY-eVDQJ:blogs.law.harvard.edu/stats/referers+Iddybud&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
5- http://216.239.51.100/search?q=cache:9GoBKwwmK28J:www.inspectedby12.blogger.com/+Iddybud&hl=en&ie=UTF-8