Lets see.... we invaded Iraq in part because they wouldn't let the UN inspect for weapon's of mass destruction ...

Today as reported in the Washington Post: "In a significant shift in U.S. policy, the Bush administration announced this week that it will oppose provisions for inspections and verification as part of an international treaty that would ban production of nuclear weapons materials.For several years the United States and other nations have pursued the treaty, which would ban new production by any state of highly enriched uranium and plutonium for weapons. At an arms-control meeting this week in Geneva, the Bush administration told other nations it still supported a treaty, but not verification.

<> Administration officials, who have showed skepticism in the past about the effectiveness of international weapons inspections, said they made the decision after concluding that such a system would cost too much, would require overly intrusive inspections and would not guarantee compliance with the treaty. They declined, however, to explain in detail how they believed U.S. security would be harmed by creating a plan to monitor the treaty

While declaring nonproliferation a priority, however, the administration has opposed other arms-control treaties that rely on inspection regimes.

In 2001, the administration opposed attempts to create an inspections regime for the Biological Weapons Convention. It has signed an arms-reduction deal with Russia that doesn't include new verification mechanisms, and in its first year in office, the administration pulled out of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty."

It is going to be an interesting fall.
from today's Washington Post - about the Florida elections:
"Constance Kaplan, director of the largest elections office in the state, spent the day trying to explain why the 2002 election data that she had been telling everyone were irretrievably lost were not lost after all. In fact, the data -- audits of the troubled 2002 governor's primary and general election -- were on a computer disk in a folder among "books and bookcases and old reports" in the conference room next to her office.

"It's like watching Laurel and Hardy," said Bobbie Brinegar, president of the Miami-Dade County League of Women Voters. "I don't know why anyone needs to watch these reality TV shows; they could just as easily watch voting issues in Florida."

Ted Rall has an interesting article on the Bush's trial "Let's now invade Iran" balloon.
Heaven help us all should the Republican's win or steal the election in November..

Ted Rall has an interesting article on the Bush's trial "Let's now invade Iran" balloon.
Heaven help us all should the Republican's win or steal the election in November..

This is the week of the Democratic Convention. With no TV or Cable available, I've been following via the internet: C-Span, AirAmerica Radio, and the various convention blogs.
For a contrast, I've made the occasional foray into Clear Channel's radio media to see what the "other" media is reporting. I continue to be floored by the complete misrepresentation of the speeches by the neo-conservitive pundits. They must not speed the same English that I do.
I tried finding a translation program but "google" didn't turn up an adequate. The Democrat Underground "Humor and Parody" section had some good sites but even satire can't touch the amazing disconnection...
For what it's worth: Tuesday's speeches were inspiring: Thank you Carter, Heinz-Kerry and Obama...

Interview with Robert Kennedy Jr:
"Grist: Your upcoming book, Crimes Against Nature, addresses many of these issues. Is the larger mission of your book to help oust Bush?

Kennedy: It's to help the voting public recognize the truth. We win this battle when the American public knows what's going on. You can't talk about the environment today honestly in any context without being critical of this president. A few years ago, if you asked the principal environmental leaders in our country, "What's the greatest threat to our global environment?," you would have gotten a range of answers from global warming to acid rain, overpopulation, etc. But today, they will all tell you the same thing: It's George W. Bush. There is no other issue today. He is the only issue." (read more)

Juan Cole has an excellent rebuttal ....

"Wednesday, July 14, 2004 - Arguing with Bush yet Again

President Bush gave a speech on Tuesday in which he made specific claims about how the United States is safer as a result of his military action. I dispute assertions about particular Middle Eastern or South Asian countries... (read article)"

We should all read the Declaration of Independence. Well written doc.