bustardblog

Union Tulips

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Taken 4-26-06

CIA Flights.

The European Union reported today that there have been over 1,000 secret CIA flights over European territory since 2001.  The report comes from Eurocontrol - the air traffic safety organization for the Union and is based on a three month long investigation.  The Globe and Mail indicates that this is a "clear violation of an international treaty." The report goes on to point out that "incidents when terror suspects were handed over to U.S. agents did not appear to be isolated, and that the suspects often were transported by the same planes and groups of people. (Violate a Treaty - not The bU.S.h Administration)

Of course the only issue that the right is concerned about is why Agent Mary McCarthy still lives.

Bush's Energy

Two strutters in Stetsons, Texans, two oil professionals named Ken Lay and George Bush have both been speaking about oil and money in the last couple of days.
Mr. Lay is no longer talking energy policy with Dick Cheney in secret.  He's not even talking about how his company made gazillions off of California's manipulated energy crisis. (which helped make Schwarzenegger Governor) He is talking about his faith in God, and about his wife of 24 years.
In California the other day, Mr. Bush also spoke about his wonderful wife, Laura, and his faith in the Almighty.
These oil guys have a lot in common.
It is worth remembering that the price of oil when that first oil man - George H.W. Bush -  took office was just under $22.00 (Jan 1989 price was $13.58, then I adjusted for inflation) - under George W. Bush the price has hit $75.00 per barrel. (See how two oil men are better than one!)
Today, W. announced plans to manipulate the Strategic Oil Reserves and to suspend some pollution controls for oil refineries. (Who could have predicted whether or not there might be a need for additional refineries?, he asks)
Suspending pollution controls is like Mother's Milk to W. A no-brainer.
After Katrina, W. suspended lots of pollution regulations - in St. Louis the air quickly became brown, not blue.  But playing with the oil reserves is special.
In fact, the WaPo noted that "The president (W.) believes that the Strategic Petroleum Reserve should be used only in the event of an emergency, not to manipulate prices." said White House spokeman Trent Duffy. It should be noted that Bush excorirated Bill Clinton for using the reserve..."
Courageous Cheetoh lovers like Jonah Goldberg wrote of the Reserve" "it was established to stockpile oil in case of a "severe energy supply distribution," like war. . ."
But now that Bush wants to use it for purely political purposes...

P.S. Atrios has a great video of Nancy Pelosi commenting on Bush's energy policy:
Here's a part of the transcript

Mr President please, separate "yourself from your patron, big oil, cut yourself off from that anvil holding your party down and this country down, instead of coming to Washington and throwing your Republican colleagues under the wheels of the train, which they mightily deserve for being a rubber stamp for your obscene, corrupt policy of ripping off the American people."

You have to see it in order to hear her perky,polite closure, in which she thanks the audience for listening.  It's perfect.

 

Chutzpah Rice and Turkey

Condi Rice arrived in Turkey today. She warned the foreign minister against unilateral action against PKK (Kurdish Workers Party) camps in Northern Iraq, also referred to as Kurdistan.  It is from these camps that Kurdish terrorists launch regular attacks into Turkey.

This is equivalent to saying that the U.S. was wrong to go after Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.  It argues that our actions in Iraq are indefensible.

The Divine Ms. B

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In a previous incarnation it was a Bank. Now, this building on the East Side of Union Square is the Daryl Roth Theater.  Tonight Sandra Bernard will be starring in her new production - "Everything Bad and Beautiful" just as she was on April 16th.

This plaque is one of a series that are part of the sidewalk around Union Square park. Sarah Bernhardt was appearing a little less than a block away from the park on April 16, 1887.

Troubled Turkey

As expected on this blog (ie here, or here) the war in Iraq is damaging our influence and our reputation in Turkey, as well as inflaming problems in that very problematic neighborhood.

Bits of News Include:

• Last Sundays N.Y. Times reported a bombing near the Istanbul airport that injured thirty - which was believed to be the work of Kurdish separatists. In the week before there were two bombings in Istanbul, as well a car bomb which killed two Turkish soldiers in the Southeast. (link)
• Suat Kiniklklioigu of the Turkish Daily Press wrote today of his anticipation "that the PKK will continue to raise the level of violence" as "an increasing number of Kurdish youth are heading out to the mountains. Not a good sign."
• The Zaman Daily Newspaper reported yesterday of of a 100 man military team of Turkish troops "proceeded towards the inner parts of Norther Iraq." They "will lead the other troops deployed at the border" - 'the other troops' number close to 200,000.
• Newsweek's April 24 edition featured a piece "Turkey: Going Backwards, Fast. An Ugly Nationalist Mood is Brewing in Ankara." "young Turks in particular now seem to be turning toward [political] parties critical of U.S. policy in the region." "Turks also blame the United States for failing to close down military camps of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, in norther Iraq." It described how the Prime Minister had tried to give Kurds more rights, and"for his pains, [he] has a revolt on his hands that bears uncomfortable similarities to the Palestinian intifada." As a result the P.M. "has focused his energies on developing Turkey's ties to the Islamic world."

And in Baghdad Today?: 7 bombs, 7 dead (one a ten year old boy), and 15 bodies found in two trucks.
And in Egypt today?: 3 bombs, more than 30 dead, over 150 wounded. Mubarak has called it terrorism.

We have done much evil in the world these last five years.

Hilarious Hypocrites.

Hugh Hewitt recently polled his readers regarding potential candidates for 2008, and not surprisingly, Rudolf Giuliani did very well.

The most Catholic and supremely moral Carol Platt Liebau likes him. Typically of her, she wrote in the California Republic regarding morality in politics:

. It’s not too much to ask that our elected officials – whom we pay with our tax dollars, and whom we trust to have the prudence and good judgment to make wise decisions on our behalf – have clear moral standards that will guide their personal, as well as professional, behavior. Nor is it too much to expect that those standards will be the fairly traditional, monogamous ones to which millions of normal, hardworking Americans adhere, through an informal social consensus derived from our common religious heritage...

The Founding Fathers didn’t create a system with a ruling class free to set and then live by its own elite rules, brazenly resorting to deceit when they disregard community standards."

She voices support for the thrice married Rudy, who carried on two extra-marital affairs  while living in Gracie Mansion, where his legal wife and children also lived. (His children learned of their soon-to-be step-mother from a televised press conference)While still married, he quite literally paraded his mistress around the city, marching with her instead of his wife in the traditional St. Patrick's Day Parade. Yes, that conservative St. Patrick's Day Parade, where Gay people are unwelcome, but adulterers and their mistresses are.

So how come all those "value voters" who read Hugh Hewitt, seem to like New York's Mayor Amoral?

Red Earth

On Monday the 17th, The Wall Street Journal had a special "Automotive" report. Gina Chon wrote a piece entitled "Cars and Politics" in which she noted that "Blue-state drivers are embracing [hybrids] much more than their red-state counterparts are. Similarly, red-state drivers tend to be bigger fans of SUVs...Sales Figures show that most hybrids are sold in blue states, located mainly on the West Coast and in the Northeast, while most SUVs are sold in red states in the South and in the Mountain time zone."

Similarly if you look at the numbers from the Energy Information Administration of the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, you note that of the ten which have the lowest per capita consumption, eight of them are Blue.  Nine of the ten with the highest comsumption are Red.  The average consumption in Blue states is 443.5 gallons per capita; in Red it's 509.1 gallons.

Based on the 2004 election, if the Red voters consumed the same amount as Blue voters, the U.S. would save a little over Four Billion gallons of gasoline per year.

Another of the many, many ways that the Red guys screw us again and again...

Protest Supporting Falun Gong

  Protest Supporting Falun Gong 
  Originally uploaded by bbbustard.

For more photos of the recent demonstration against the Chinese Communist government, please visit the "Union Square" photo album at lower left (Dated 03-25-06)

Despicable Liar

I do realize that pointing out the odious lies of Michelle Malkin is not a real challenge, but at times I cannot control my obsession with honesty, and the lack thereof.

In the most recent Affaire Michelle concerning her posting of the private information of protesters, she continues her residence in her extremely deep gutter. In defending her scummy act, she wrote "by the way, the disclaimer on my contact page makes clear, "All e-mail is subject to print, including your name. If you don't want me to publish your e-mail,...just let me know." This might be a defense if any of the three SAW students sent her their names, but they did not. She knows that they did not. Not surprisingly, she did not give out any of the private information of those  who actually e-mailed her.Her argument is  entirely bogus and deceptive.

In the same post she complained of the students whining about death threats, and then proceeds to whine about "threats against my family that their minions are sending" - after which she lists several e-mails, none of which are threats.

More of her hysterical paranoia is on view in her post entitled "I am not Afraid of You" at 8:53 P.M. on 4/19.  I'd supply a link, but I don't recommend it unless you've never heard a psychotic patient rant as they are tied into a straight jacket.

(and of course Michelle has not removed their personal information from her site)

(Kudos to Don Surber and texasfred for their courageous condemnations)