Recent interview with Ron Reagan, Jr. (here is the full story):

WOODRUFF: Why not? Why not be a Republican?

REAGAN: Well, I couldn't join a party that, frankly, tolerates members who are bigots for one thing. Homophobes, racists. You know, there's no way I could be a part of a party like that. Just no way.

WOODRUFF: You've also said, I think, that you did not vote for George W. Bush in 2000. You haven't made secret of that. What are you going to do this year?

REAGAN: I'll vote for the viable candidate who is capable of unseating George W. Bush.

WOODRUFF: And presumably, that's John Kerry.

REAGAN: That's how it looks right now, yes.

WOODRUFF: So John Kerry? I mean...

REAGAN: Well, he would be the viable candidate, yes.

WOODRUFF: What -- what do you think -- I mean, have you talked to your mother about this? Does she -- what does she say about it?

REAGAN: Well, we don't talk about politics all that much, particularly electoral politics. We talk about stem cell research, for instance, embryonic stem cell research, which she's very involved in and I think will continue to be very involved in.

This is something she takes very seriously, something I take very seriously, too. And it's shameful this administration has played politics with an issue that ... could be the biggest medical breakthrough in history. This could be bigger than antibiotics. This administration is pandering to the most ignorant segment of our society for votes and throwing up roadblocks to this sort of research. It's absolutely shameful.

Secondly, the second to commander and Chief, Dick Cheney, was put on the defensive when Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont criticized Cheney of the war profiteering in Iraq by Haliburton. The Reuters article continues:

Leahy and other Democrats have called for congressional hearings into whether the vice president helped the firm win lucrative contracts in Iraq after the U.S.-led war that toppled Saddam Hussein.


During their exchange, Leahy noted that Republicans had accused Democrats of being anti-Catholic because they are opposed to some of President Bush's anti-abortion judges, the aides said.

Then Cheney professionally told Leahy to "fuck off" or "go fuck yourself."

From "Paying the Price: The Mounting Costs of the Iraq War" by Phyllis Bennis and the Iraq Task Force of the Institute for Policy Studies.

This is just a quick outline:

Just the Numbers

Total number of coalition military deaths between the start of war and June 16, 2004: 952 (836 U.S.)

Of those 952, the number killed after President George W. Bush declared “an end to major combat operations” on May 1, 2003: 693

Number of U.S. troops wounded in combat since the war began: 5,134 (Number ill or injured in “non-combat” incidents estimated to be over 11,000)

Number of U.S. troops wounded in combat since President George W. Bush declared “an end to major combat operations” on May 1, 2003: 4,593

Number of civilian contractors, missionaries, and civilian workers killed: 50-90

Number of international media workers killed: 30
Iraqi civilians killed: 9,436 to 11,317

Iraqi civilians injured: 40,000 (est.)

Iraqi soldiers and insurgents killed prior to May 1, 2003: 4,895 to 6,370

The bill so far: $126.1 billion

Additional amount to cover operations through 2004: $25 billion

What $151 billion could have paid for in the U.S.:

Housing vouchers: 23 million

Health care for uninsured Americans: 27 mil.

Salaries for elementary school teachers: 3 mil.

New fire engines: 678,200

Head Start slots: 20 million

Estimated long-term cost of war to every U.S. household: $3,415

Amount contractor Halliburton is alleged to have charged for meals never served to troops and for cost overruns on fuel deliveries: $221 million

Kickbacks received by Halliburton employees from subcontractors: $6 million

Percentage of Americans who now feel that “the situation in Iraq was not worth going to war over.”: 54

Percentage of Iraqis who said they would feel safer if U.S. and other foreign troops left the country immediately: 55

Percentage of U.S. soldiers in Iraq reporting low morale: 52

Percentage of soldiers who said they would not re-enlist: 50

Percentage of wounded unable to return to duty: 64

Number of soldiers whose tours of duty have been extended by the Army: 20,000

Percentage of reserve troops who earn lower salaries while on deployment: 30-40

Fraction of National Guard troops among U.S. force now in Iraq: 1/3

Percentage of U.S. police departments missing officers due to Iraq deployments: 44

Effect on al Qaeda of the Iraq war, according to International Institute for Strategic Studies: “Accelerated recruitment”

Estimated number of al Qaeda terrorists as of May 2004: 18,000 with 1,000 active in Iraq

Percentage of Iraqis expressing “no confidence” in U.S. civilian authorities or coalition forces: 80

Iraq’s oil production in 2002: 2.04 mil. barrels/day

Iraq’s oil production in 2003: 1.33 mil. barrels/day

Price of a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. in May 2004: more than $2

From dailykos

Some want to call Fahrenheit 911 propaganda, that is fine. But they must concede that what bush used to justify this war was also propaganda and was manipulated from the highest reaches of this administration to fit his purpose. Everything else was left out and people who pointed out errors and gave the wrong advice were fired or had their wives named leaked to republican shills in the press.

I can't wait to see the movie. . . going Friday

The huge story first. . .

Today an active CIA operative says, in a new book, that "the "U.S. [is] fighting wrong war. . ." and that the war on Iraq is distracting ". . . the United States from the war against terrorism. . . " and further fueling ". . . al-Qaida’s struggle against the United States." The book is written by a 22 year career veteran of the agency and is still employed by the agency, appropriately he remains anonymous. The book is titled Imperial Hubris and the interview that appeared on NBC is here along with a video:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5279743/


This is another piece of the puzzle in the CIA's war on the bush Administration, following Robert Baer and Joe Wilson (which I had the pleasure to hear speak Tuesday).

Two, is about the 48 Nobel Prize wining scientist that said the bush Administration is "undermining the nation's future by impeding medical advances. . . " and Kerry, backed by his 48 new constituents correctly stated "We need a president who will once again embrace our tradition of looking toward the future and new discoveries with hope based on scientific facts, not fear." I think we need a President lets fact rather than ideology determine policies. Basically, he (bush) needs to close the bible and open a non-fiction book.

Here is another link:
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/06/22/1087844934274.html

Now for what makes me mad, I don't even want to write about it. But some right-wing crazies sent thousands of little prayer books to Marines, who were risking their lives for the President, including a prayer for bush and his Administration. Now, before I beat the F' out of my computer I'll give you a prayer and some links:
Last Monday’s prayer: "Pray that the President and his advisers will be strong and courageous to do what is right regardless of critics."

Wednesday's: "Pray that the President and his advisers will be safe, healthy, well-rested and free from fear." (Well-rested?)

Friday's prayer: "Pray that the President and his advisers will recognize their divine appointment ..." It includes some helpfully illuminating scripture, Romans 13:1: "Every person is to be in subjugation to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God."
UGGGGHHHHH!

http://www.thenation.com/outrage/index.mhtml?bid=6&pid=531

http://www.poe-news.com/stories.php?poeurlid=20042

First a little polling news. bush has pulled out to a huge lead over JFK, according to a Zogby Poll. But according to an ABC Poll bush's approval of performance rating is below 50%. When broken up into segments the only two high points are terrorism (50%) and education (for some reason it is at 51%). All other segments are below 46% with a 47% overall disapproval rating of bush's performance. Another ABC/WaPo poll gives this result:

Kerry 48
Bush 44
Nader 6

or

Kerry 53
Bush 45

One way I am coping with this news is hoping that the other third party candates from the right, the Constitution Party (canidate Michael Peroutka) or the Libertarian Party (Michael Badnarik) have a similar effect on bush's numbers, as Nader has had on Kerry. Both recieved less than 1% in 2000 while Nader got considerably more.

Anyway...

Mr Johnson's photos have surfaced. I have not seen them but here is the link. I have a feeling that the central front for the war on terror has spread from Iraq and Afghanistan. To Saudi Arabia and even into Iran possibility. I hope we can contain it.