House Democrats Score a Victory in Dispute Over Overtime Pay
~~~
Bush shows contempt for middle class with business-favoring veto threat
"....The Labor Department says the proposed rules would require overtime - pay equal to 1 1/2 times the hourly rate - for as many as 1.3 million additional low-income workers when they work more than 40 hours per week. Democrats support this expansion, which raises a 28-year-old ceiling under which overtime must be paid from $8,060 per year to $22,100 per year.
But Democrats and unions say at least 8 million white-collar workers now required to get overtime would lose it due to new definitions of jobs that would be exempt from the extra pay. .."
"...The administration, said House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California, "overreached on this because they went into suburbia" in defining the workers who could be affected by the new rules...."
"....President Bush has threatened to veto the spending bill if it includes the prohibition on the overtime changes, which are strongly backed by business groups...."
**We can see who matters most to Bush.
There's no other conclusion that can be drawn except to say that
he's a cad with contempt for middle class workers.
Period.**
From the Howard Dean Weblog: New Bridge' represents everything that is wrong with the Bush administration'
"...Joseph Allbaugh--who, with Karl Rove and Karen Hughes, comprised Bush's 'iron triangle' of handlers--has founded a new firm, New Bridge Strategies, with a number of other Republican cronies. This firm represents everything that is wrong with the Bush administration--and why change is so desperately needed in Washington.
Joe Allbaugh was the Chief of Staff for then-Governor George W. Bush and the campaign manager for the 2000 Bush-Cheney campaign. Until recently, he was the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Now he and two of the most prominent Republican lobbyists in Washington, along with other veterans of the Reagan and Bush years, have started this firm with the openly stated purpose of using their close ties to the Bush administration to help companies earn lucrative contracts in the reconstruction of Iraq...."
Best white lie of the day: Money not criterion to send Pak troops to Iraq
Press Trust of India
Islamabad, October 2
"...Pakistan on Thursday said its decision to send troops to Iraq was not in any way "associated" with receiving money from the United States.
"Pakistan is a prestigious country. The issue of sending troops to Iraq is not associated with money", Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri told BBC Radio...."
**What he doesn't tell you is how much Musharraf's cooperation has netted him in IMF and World Bank $ billions $ and U.S.loan write-offs.**
~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, a good part of the Pakistani public may not be in agreement with their government:
"....recently, General Musharraf has further angered Muslims in general and Pakistanis in particular by suggesting that Muslim states should consider granting diplomatic recognition to Israel and sending troops to Iraq for peacekeeping..."
Musharraf may be finding himself in an increasingly dangerous political bind.
~~~~~~~~
Look at what occurred today involving Pakistani troops:
12 Al-Qaeda suspects killed in gunfight with Pakistan troops
~~~~~~~
"...In a sudden move, US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and Assistant Secretary Christina Rocca have put off their visit to Pakistan..."
"...The visit had assumed significance amidst reports that the US was stepping up pressure
on Pakistan to deploy troops in Iraq.
It is believed that the American officials were being sent to ask Pakistan to follow up on the assurance given by Musharraf during the Camp David summit..."
~~~~~~~~~~
Did you know?
If you watch FOX news, you probably haven't heard what's happening in Kashmir
....all FOX news has nauseatingly talked about today is Arnold Schwarzenegger's slutty/sleazy past and Kobe Bryant's sordid case.
Droll....to think that is what is important to us Americans.
Droll indeed. Sheesh....
In this volatile part of the world:
"...Five dead, 25 injured in Kashmir violence:
An Indian policeman was killed and 24 people including 10 policemen were wounded after two grenade attacks by suspected Islamic militants in Indian-administered Kashmir, police said..."
~~~~~~~~
Not to mention....
Pakistan Test-Fires Nuclear-Capable Missile
By Munir Ahmad Associated Press Writer
Published: Oct 3, 2003
Kuwait foils smuggling of chemicals, bio warheads from Iraq
"..Kuwaiti security authorities have foiled an attempt to smuggle $60 million worth of chemical weapons and biological warheads from Iraq to an unnamed European country.."
Kudos to Kuwait!
This 'unnamed European country' will have a hell of lot of explaining to do....
It sounds like America may have a brand spankin' new European enemy....
this is a story to watch...
I'll bet the Bush adminstration hopes it will take the Plame-outing heat off of them in the media.
They should get on their knees and kiss Kuwait.
"....the suspects had been watched by security since they arrived in Kuwait and were arrested "in due time"...
At least the intelligence in SOME country is respected and WORKS RELIABLY.....
perhaps America and Great Britain have a lot to learn from Kuwait.
Speaking of European countries, here's a simple update on France:
US text on Iraq at UN does not address our wishes: France
Agence France-Presse
United Nations, October 2
A revised US draft resolution on Iraq at the United Nations "does not address our wishes," French UN ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere said on Thursday..."
"I enjoy watching FOX NEWS and I think every country
should have their own Al-Jazeera."
Jon Stewart
Instant Replay:
See Bill Moyers' July interview with Jon Stewart
Cheney's Wyoming is hurting.
Can you say "Blue State"?
...Or will this 69/28 Republican state ignorantly blame
Democratic governor Freudenthal
for the worst job outlook in a decade?
Shades of California?
State's Jobless claims reach 10-year high
CASPER (AP) -- Wyoming's unemployment insurance claims reached a 10-year high in fiscal 2003, a state report said.
Can you say "Blue West"?
"....In 2000, George W. Bush carried most of the Rocky Mountain and Great Plains states. His victories in these states reflect the gradual shift toward Republicans in all of these rural-dominated regions since 1980.
Don't be surprised if Republicans have peaked in the West. Western Republicans face the same problem Democrats have faced since the Reagan Revolution – their core ideology no longer fits their traditional base..."
Mr. Kay Goes to Washington
Brings back nothing.....
Bush to begs $600m from American taxpayers for more of the same......
*see Independent article
Meanwhile, Congress wants Iraq to repay $29bn for our bombing what was left of that sanction-laden rubbleland.
And Bush worries it will keep coins from ringing in his sordid little tin cup:
"...Washington is hoping for major contributions from about 50 countries at a donors' conference in Madrid this month. The US is also seeking support for a new draft resolution it has put to fellow members of the UN Security Council asking for money and troops for the Iraq effort..."
How optimistic can Bush be about UN money and troops for Iraq?
What case did Bush make in his last speech that would have made a difference in any hearts or minds?
The same as David Kay's fruitless search.....
nothing new.....nada...zippo...
A determination to live sustained, proud, cold, and hard lies will never translate to consensus...within or without these United States.
This, ultimately, is the failure of the Bush presidency.
Robert Novak talks about the Valerie Plame case-
Claims he was not a pawn--Pfllrrgg!
He claims Wilson's/Sen Schumer's calls for investigation a "massive political assault on President Bush."
"...My role and the role of the Bush White House have been distorted and need explanation..."
"..First, I did not receive a planned leak.
Second, the CIA never warned me that the disclosure of Wilson's wife working at the agency would endanger her or anybody else.
Third, it was not much of a secret..."
"..The current Justice investigation stems from a routine, mandated probe of all CIA leaks..."
*Really??
Which Washington D.C. higher-up has prepped you for this statement?*
"....The published report that somebody in the White House failed to plant this story with six reporters and finally found me as a willing pawn is simply untrue..."
**Reality is proving you wrong, Bob**
"...He {CIA official} asked me not to use her name, saying she probably never again will be given a foreign assignment but that exposure of her name might cause ''difficulties'' if she travels abroad. He never suggested to me that Wilson's wife or anybody else would be endangered. If he had, I would not have used her name.."
**Let's read this again..a CIA official asks you not to use her name, says it might cause difficulties... and you do it anyway..and that was AOK because the CIA official didn't say "danger". Then you try to call an investigation an attack on Bush? Not only do I suspect you're a pawn, Bob..I suspect you're a spinning ruthless partisan pawn...however you try to explain it away. You're in deep shit, my man.**
"...Any leak of classified information is routinely passed by the agency to Justice, averaging one a week..."
**Yeah...and guys getting an extramarital blowjob at the office routinely occurs about 100,000 times a day.
Look what happened to one of those 'routine guys' back in 1998.
Get real, Bob.**
~~~~~~~~~
"..."Knowing Bob Novak as I do, I am confident he would never reveal his source. I think it would be most unwise for the Justice Department to push a confrontation with him. That is certainly a possibility if he is held in contempt if a court orders him to reveal information, but hopefully cooler heads will prevail...."
Washington attorney Bob Bennett
~~~~~~~~
Buzzflash Headline:
This is What Novak Said in July:
"I didn't dig it out, it was given to me," he said. "They thought it was significant, they gave me the name and I used it." Now, He has Changed His Story, Lying for the White House. 10/3
See:
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/6911832.htm
