Ignoring the position of most affected local governments, the State of Colorado, Senator Salazar, Reps. Udall and Salazar, and the nearly unanimous sentiment of citizens who participated in the BLM's planning process for Colorado's iconic Roan Plateau, the Bush Administration-on its much anticipated exit-has decided to open all the remaining unleased public lands for oil and gas drilling on and around the Roan this August.

For the Bush Administration, apparently, ignoring everything it has heard during the planning process is an example that it "worked for the past seven years with local officials, private citizens, state agencies, industry and environmental groups," according to an op-ed by C. Stephen Allard of the Department of Interior (who replaced convicted Bush Administration felon J. Stephen Griles).  

More after the fold (cross-posted at www.coloradopols.com)

Following recent investigative articles by the New York Times and the Washington Post  which detail two separate instances in which Sen. McCain apparently used his influence to bring about federal land deals lucrative for his friends and campaign contributors, another such case is about to come to the forefront.

This new land swindle is far less benign than the other two.  It involves wealthy corporate mining interests, electric utilities, and a Coal slurry pipeline through the homeland of Native Americans, which took not only their land but their precious water along the way as well.

In this case, Sen. McCain's influence did more than just bring profits to campagin contributors, it dispossessed thousands of indigenous people from lands they had occupied since before Columbus, not in the 19th Century, but in the 21st.  A story similar to that of many tribes sold out and taken advantage of by ruthless politicians, this wasnt the work of some banana republic dictator, but of the Republican candidate for President of the United States.

Most U.S. politicians run parallel campaigns: one public for non-corporate voters concerned with non-corporate litmus tests (abortion rights, church and state, minority rights, gun control, immigration, environment, etc.)  and one private for corporations dependent on the government for work, approval or property (defense contracts, financial regulation, foreign aid contracts, transportation infrastructure contracts, energy regulation, import/export approval and tariffs, farm subsidies, media use of public-owned airwaves, healthcare regulation, etc.).

Like most Republicans, some national Democrat politicians mainly represent corporate interests and count on cynically manipulating constituents’ reliance on non-corporate litmus tests. In this sense, blue-state voters not weighing corporate cronyism are like red-state voters since both blindly support corporate-crony politicians who pass a few non-corporate litmus tests.  

Though I value "litmus issues" and donated money to some groups promoting and defending litmus views I share, these issues increasingly seem less important as corporations tighten their grip on our government.

Chertoff is an absolutely abhorrent pick for Attorney General.  His actions regarding the Lindh case and borderline (if not outright) perjury, as pointed out by Jesselyn Radack, is one major reason.  His actions during Katrina is another.  His ties to the Bush administration is yet another reason.  Yes, he was confirmed for DHS by a vote of 98-0, but that was before Katrina.  That was before the resurgence of al Qaeda and the Taliban in Pakistan.  That was before even more natural disasters left our homeland unsecured, not to mention the lack of control over food and lead painted toy imports from China. In short, he is wholly unqualified to serve at such a high level.

On March 11th, Kossack Jerome a Paris broke the news that Halliburton is moving to Dubai
in this post. http://www.dailykos.com/...

Barbwires cleverly suggested the slogan "Ali Bhurton" - catchy! I used her idea in the design below the fold. Thank you, Barbwires!

You can pick up a personal copy at

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/...
or get this design on clothing, home and office products at
http://cafepress.com/...

Did anyone notice the Tom Ricks story in the WaPo about Colonel Michael Murphy? Here's the story

Col. Murphy was a top Air Force lawyer who served in the Bush White House from 12/2001 to 1/2003, and from 8/2003 to 1/2005.  The colonel also served in Iraq, and was the commander of the Air Force Legal Operations Agency at Bolling AFB.  After 2005, Colonel Murphy was the Commandant of the Air Force J.A.G. School at Maxwell AFB in Alabama.

It turns out our Colonel was practicing law without a license, and had been for 23 years.  Colonel Murphy was disbarred in Texas for professional misconduct in 1984.  More below  

You've seen them all, one after another:  Chertoff "Getcher One Quart Plastic Bags Out" Sec of 'Homeland' Security; Brown "Doin a heckuva job, Brownie"; Cheney (who can say more?); Rumsfeld (Can't figure out where to contact reality); Condi (Aren't these nice shoes?) Rice...

Just one after another after another after another of crooked, incompetent, do nothing, idealogical morons and Bush-worshipping blistering idiots.  What can one more mean? Nothing, right?

Ever heard of Col. Michael D. Murphy?  

after the bump...>

His first television ads are airing in major markets in Texas this week. Kinky and Grandma have consistently upstaged the more serious former U.S. Congressman Chris Bell during most of this election cycle. Most print and electronic news teams have concentrated on the comedian Kinky Friedman and the sharp tongued Republican Comptroller turned Independent who now calls herself "Grandma" as she runs against her former buddy Rick Perry for his job. Now the Chris Bell for Governor of Texas Campaign has fired their "rocket" into the living rooms of Texans and is waging his campaign's pocket book on this hilarious, definitely not stodgy, television ad.
Chris, usually seen only in suit and tie, appears in blue jeans with a sports coat jacket, in this campaign. He is a GIANT. The Alamo comes to his knees, the country side is small and the skyscrapers of Texas are minute compared to Chris Bell who tells folks that "We must Think Big. Texas needs a Moon Shot" and touts the need for higher education.  

Ken Lay's bloated and bullet-riddled corpse lay rotting in the Nogales sun today as Federal authorities tried to piece together evidence and disassemble the explosive device Lay had with him when he met his end in a fusillade of bullets in response to Lay's opening fire with a gold-plated assault weapon once given to him by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Sorry, Folks. This Official White House list still has "Ol' Yeller's" name on the money.

"One can only wonder how long moderate Republicans will tolerate Larry Fine and the Howard brothers riding their elephant at the head of the circus parade. Nyuck nyuck!"
  --  JR Ford, Jul 2005.

:
JR Ford
UP (Unsubstantiated Press)
11 June 2006

By Peter Fredson

March 9, 2006

It is difficult to find exactly what presidents do. They interact with other humans constantly, using speech as their main tool, attempting to solve social and economic problems by getting other people to do the actual physical or social tasks they recommend, with a reputation based mainly on success in their endeavors.

Some are rewarded handsomely with lavish living arrangements, social rituals, servants, and certain exemptions from ordinary tasks.

It is easier to find what desirable traits most societies list as essential for their leaders. Some of these include the following with a hasty appraisal of mine for George W. Bush

It is a 2002 letter in which al Qaeda says that it has infiltrated United Arab Emirates security and other agencies.

"Top political appointees in the NASA press office exerted strong pressure during the 2004 presidential campaign to cut the flow of news releases on glaciers, climate, pollution and other earth sciences, public affairs officers at the agency say."

The enlistment of a government agency, one which claims on its website "Every NASA mission embodies the spirit of discovery", to misrepresent the truth to the public, or to delay reporting of it to provide a political advantage, is characteristic of the systemic dishonesty and anti-scientific cynicism of the Bush Regime.

Long after the Cowboy from Crawford rides into the sunset and retirement at his Texas pig farm -- or some gated country club to be named later -- the powerful images left behind by the Worst President Ever will continue to sear the nation's soul.  

Can't think of a recent president (any president, for that matter) where so many policies, so many actions, so many inactions, so many screw-ups conjure up so many negative images. Not Nixon. Not Ford. Not Carter. Not Reagan. Not Bush 41. Not Clinton....