Why is Ministry of Excuses* Helping To Kill Young People?

Boston.com / News / Boston Globe / Health / Science / US eyes limits on AIDS education: "As HIV infections start to climb again among gay men and young adults, the federal government is moving to impose restrictions on AIDS education that would require campaigns to discuss the 'lack of effectiveness' of condoms and subject explicit materials to high-level scrutiny from state public health authorities -- measures that critics argue would impede efforts to prevent the disease." [--snip--]

[C]onsistent use of condoms reduces the spread of the virus by at least 87 percent...

Perhaps Mr. Bush (DODO**) assumes that he's only needlessly endangering the lives of straight youth with his lies about the administration's Iraq policy and wants to give gay youth an equal opportunity to die as the result of his reckless disregard for the truth.

*Ministry of Excuses: What Republicans Have Made of the White House
**DODO: Doesn't Obey Direct Orders

The Play's The Thing


The partner of Pudentilla has a new play opening this weekend in a rather large city some hours from our home in central Maine. We hope to return to blogging in a few days cheered by the rapturous applause of theater-goers.

Bush (DODO*) Subverting Volunteer Army - Pentagon Uses Iraq Assignment Threat To Get Soldiers to Re-Up

via Atrios

Rocky Mountain News: State: "Soldiers from a Fort Carson combat unit say they have been issued an ultimatum - re-enlist for three more years or be transferred to other units expected to deploy to Iraq."

*DODO: Doesn't Obey Direct Orders

Catholic Church Protecting Accused Child Abusers From US Prosecution -

WCNC.com | News for Charlotte, N.C. | Nation/World: "Here in the heart of Catholicism, church leaders are giving refuge to priests who face allegations of sexual abuse in other countries. The Dallas Morning News located the men some of them admitted abusers – as part of a yearlong investigation into the global movements of accused priests. "

From the people who want you to vote against Kerry on the grounds of Church dogma.

Bush (DODO*) Military Lacks Troops To Protect "Green Zone" in Iraq - Insurgent Arms May Already Be Stashed Inside one of "Most Fortified Installations in Iraq"

via Oliver Willis

FT.com / News in depth / Iraq - Green Zone is ‘no longer totally secure’: "US military officers in Baghdad have warned they cannot guarantee the security of the perimeter around the Green Zone, the headquarters of the Iraqi government and home to the US and British embassies, according to security company employees.

At a briefing earlier this month, a high-ranking US officer in charge of the zone's perimeter said he had insufficient soldiers to prevent intruders penetrating the compound's defences.

The US major said it was possible weapons or explosives had already been stashed in the zone, and warned people to move in pairs for their own safety. The Green Zone, in Baghdad's centre, is one of the most fortified US installations in Iraq. Until now, militants have not been able to penetrate it."

Another catastrophic success in the making?

NPR's Liasson Inserts Inadvertent Irony Into Story on Bush (DODO*) Stump Speech


Mara Liasson's piece on Mr. Bush (DODO*)'s stump speech brought back memories of college course in Restoration Drama that Pudentilla took many years ago.

In her piece, Ms. Liasson referred to Mr. Bush (DODO*)'s "plain spoken" style and then cut to a segment of Mr. Bush (DODO*)'s stump speech in which he asserted that he supported the dignity of every human life and that he supported marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman (paraphrase).

Now of course these assertions are not "plain-spoken;" they are coded. In asserting to a hand-picked crowd of religious conservatives (Liasson's description) that he supported the "dignity of every human life," Mr. Bush (DODO*) was actually saying: "I support the use of governmental power to prevent a woman from receiving an abortion." In asserting that he supported marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman, Mr. Bush (DODO*) was actually saying: "I support the use of governmental power to prevent the legal recognition and concommitant rights and responsibilities of gay relationships. [Alright, Pudentilla knows Mr. Bush (DODO*) couldn't and therefore wouldn't actually say "concommitant.]

Ms. Liasson does not note that these two assertions are at odds. If Mr. Bush truly recognized the dignity of every person, it would be difficult for him to object to gay marriage. He doesn't support the dignity of every person. He supports the use of governmental power to compel women to have children they do not want and to prevent gays from having legal recognition for their relationships. He is not "plain-speaking." He is, to the contrary, speaking a language his hand picked audience will understand, but that will not alarm the moderate, swing voters.

Mr. Bush (DODO*) is not the first to hypocritically cultivate a plain spoken style while actually believing and doing things far different from the things he says. William Wycherley wrote a wickedly funny satirical play based on such a character called "The Plain Dealer." Pudentilla wishes that Ms. Liasson had read it. If she had, she would not have limited her comments on Mr. Bush (DODO*)'s style to his obvious dissembling:

"a rehearsed, polished and very consistent performance full of crowd-pleasing lines that help him cultivate an image of someone who says what he means and means what he says.

If Ms. Liasson knew of the precedent of the "Plain Dealer" she might well have considered reporting on what truths Mr. Bush (DODO*)'s image conceals. Ms. Liasson, accordingly, without realizing it, offers us another argument for a liberal arts education.


*DODO - Doesn't Obey Direct Orders

UN: Bush (DODO*)'s War Illegal - Iraq Elections in Doubt

BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Iraq war illegal, says Annan: "The United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has told the BBC the US-led invasion of Iraq was an illegal act that contravened the UN charter.

He said the decision to take action in Iraq should have been made by the Security Council, not unilaterally." [--snip--]

Mr Annan also said in the interview the UN would give advice and assistance in the run-up to the elections, but it was up to the Iraqi interim government to decide whether such a vote should go ahead.

He warned there could not be "credible elections if the security conditions continue as they are now". "

Bush (DODO*) Plays Politics With His Own Religious Beliefs

Openly Religious, to a Point (washingtonpost.com): "Bush has said many times that he is a Christian, believes in the power of prayer and considers himself a 'lowly sinner.' But White House aides said they do not know whether the president believes that: the Bible is without error; the theory of evolution is true; homosexuality is a sinful choice; only Christians will go to heaven; support for Israel is a biblical imperative; or the war in Iraq is part of God's plan.

Some political analysts think there is a shrewd calculation behind these ambiguities. By using such phrases as the 'culture of life,' Bush signals to evangelical Protestants and conservative Catholics that he is with them, while he avoids taking explicit stands that might alienate other voters or alarm foreign leaders. Bush and his chief speechwriter, Michael J. Gerson, are 'very gifted at crafting references that religious insiders will understand and outsiders may not,' said the Rev. Jim Wallis, editor of the evangelical journal Sojourners." [--snip--]

On the question of salvation, Bush has also adopted a nuanced position. In a Houston Post interview in 1994, as he was beginning his first run for governor, he suggested that heaven is open only to those who have accepted Jesus as their savior. Though to many Christians that is a basic article of faith, the comment caused a small furor among Jews in Texas and threatened to become a bigger problem when Bush considered running for president.

In 1998, he sent a letter of apology to the Anti-Defamation League stressing his respect for all faiths, and throughout the 2000 campaign he denied ever having made any exclusivist claim about salvation

*DODO - Doesn't Obey Direct Orders

Ministry of Excuses* Hired Known Defrauder to Manage Soldiers' Ballots

The New York Times > Washington > Campaign 2004 > Company Hired for Overseas Ballots Faced Lawsuit Over a Bill: "A Pentagon contractor that has been entrusted with handling the unsealed absentee ballots of military and civilian voters overseas was sued two years ago by a Tennessee business that accused it of fabricating information and other fraudulent behavior involving an overdue bill, according to federal court records."

*Ministry of Excuses: What the Republicans have made of the White House

Why does Mr. Bush (DODO**) hate soldiers serving overseas?

**DODO - Doesn't Obey Direct Orders

Another Spy Scandal in the Ministry of Excuses* - Taiwan this Time

The New York Times > Washington > State Dept. Official Arrested in Inquiry on Taiwan Contact: "A longtime Foreign Service officer at the State Department, who until recently was a ranking official on East Asian affairs, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with concealing a trip to Taiwan, and is suspected of improperly passing documents to Taiwanese intelligence agents, law enforcement and intelligence officials said."

*Ministry of Excuses: What the Republicans Have Made of the White House

Feeling Safer?

War on Terror in Trouble - Within the Ministry of Excuses*, Profound Doubts about Future of Iraq - Bush (DODO**) Refuses to Level With Public Before Election

The New York Times > Washington > The Reconstruction: U.S. Intelligence Shows Pessimism on Iraq's Future: "A classified National Intelligence Estimate prepared for President Bush in late July spells out a dark assessment of prospects for Iraq, government officials said Wednesday.

The estimate outlines three possibilities for Iraq through the end of 2005, with the worst case being developments that could lead to civil war, the officials said. The most favorable outcome described is an Iraq whose stability would remain tenuous in political, economic and security terms. [--snip--]

As described by the officials, the pessimistic tone of the new estimate stands in contrast to recent statements by Bush administration officials, including comments on Wednesday by Scott McClellan, the White House spokesman, who asserted that progress was being made.

President Bush, who was briefed on the new intelligence estimate, has not significantly changed the tenor of his public remarks on the war's course over the summer, consistently emphasizing progress while acknowledging the difficulties. [--snip--]

Its pessimistic conclusions were reached even before the recent worsening of the security situation in Iraq, which has included a sharp increase in attacks on American troops and in deaths of Iraqi civilians as well as resistance fighters. [--snip--]

The committee's ranking Democrat, Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, one of the harshest critics of the Iraq policies, was far more outspoken. "The president has frequently described Iraq as, quote, 'the central front of the war on terror,' " Mr. Biden went on. "Well by that definition, success in Iraq is a key standard by which to measure the war on terror. And by that measure, I think the war on terror is in trouble."

*Ministry of Excuses: What the Republicans Have Made of the White House
**DODO: Doesn't Obey Direct Orders

Feeling Safer?

Bush (DODO*) Military Cannot Maintain Security in "Safe" Baghdad Neighborhoods - More Civilian Kidnappings

2 Americans, 1 Briton Kidnapped in Iraq: "BAGHDAD, Iraq - Gunmen abducted two Americans and a Briton on Thursday in a brazen attack on a house in an upscale Baghdad neighborhood where many embassies and foreign companies are based, the Interior Ministry and witnesses said. It was the latest in a wave of kidnappings of foreigners in Iraq. "

Republican Congress Raises Its Salary But Refuses To Work - $160K plus/year but no action on budget, social security, etc.


Lawmakers to get federal pay raise: WASHINGTON -- With little debate, House lawmakers on Tuesday included themselves as part of a pay raise that all federal employees will receive next year.

The cost-of-living raise would be the sixth straight for members of the House and Senate, boosting the salaries of lawmakers, now $158,100, by about $4,000 in the new calendar year

To Congress, Passing Bills Not the Point: "The Republican-controlled House and Senate have begun taking up bills, not with any expectation they will become law, but with the intention of stoking the presidential campaign and energizing the party's political base"

Bush (DODO*)'s Failed Policy in Fallujah Threatens All of Iraq

Boston.com / News / World / Marines see little progress in rebel-controlled Fallujah: "Six months after US Marines arrived with a promise to win over this rebel stronghold through intense outreach and focused military strikes, the city is 'a cancer' that threatens to spread chaos around Iraq, Marine commanders said this week in a frank assessment.[--snip--]

The biggest mistake the Marines cite is the stop-and-go assault on Fallujah, in which they were ordered to take the city, then told to halt their advance three days later -- abandoning their original plans for a softer, more diplomatic approach yet stopping short of a decisive victory. Now, in sovereign Iraq, a major attack by US forces would be even less palatable, but Marine commanders say Iraqi security forces are not ready to lead an all-out assault."

*DODO: Doesn't Obey Direct Orders

Bush (DODO*)'s Failures in Iraq Lead to Civil War

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Iraq: a descent into civil war?: "Iraq: a descent into civil war?"

*DODO: Doesn't Obey Direct Orders

Pudentilla is not a military analyst, but it does seem to her that American troops will not be very safe if they are stationed in the middle of another country's civil war.

Ministry of Excuses

The New York Times > Washington > Campaign 2004 > Kerry Sharply Criticizes Bush's Record on the Economy: "'His is the excuse presidency: never wrong, never responsible, never to blame,' Mr. Kerry said. 'President Bush's desk isn't where the buck stops — it's where the blame begins."

Pudentilla notes that her suggestions for Josh Marshall's "catch phrase" contest pale in comparison to "the excuse presidency," offered today by Mr. Kerry. In recognition of this rhetorical masterstroke, we henceforth will refer to the White House as "the Ministry of Excuses*" in our posts. As in:

"Sources at the Ministry of Excuses* acknowledged today that under the prognosis offered by Mr. Bush (DODO**)'s nominee to head the C.I.A., at least five more years will be required before C.I.A. employees are properly trained to work in the war on terror. Accordingly, should he be elected, Mr. Bush (DODO*) will have a pre-existing excuse should America's enemies succeed in attacking the country during his second term.

*Minisry of Excuses - what the current administration has made of the White House
**DODO - Doesn't Obey Direct Orders

We are presently contemplating whether to reserve the term "Excusinator" for Mr. Bush (DODO*) or his press secretary.

*DODO- Doesn't Obey Direct Orders

Expert: Bush (DODO*) Shorting Staff For Osama Hunt - CIA Bungles 10 Chances to Nab OBL


CBS News | CIA Insider Says Osama Hunt Flawed | September 15, 2004�09:35:44: "An experienced CIA counterterrorism officer tells Congress the agency is still failing to adequately staff the hunt for Osama bin Laden, a newspaper reports. [--snip--]

Scheuer also claims that the CIA had more opportunities to capture or kill bin Laden that has been reported previously. He says there were 10 such chances between May 1998 and May 1999. It was not clear who decided not to take those chances.

"The pattern of decision making I have witnessed seems to indicate a want of moral courage, an overwhelming concern for career advancement, or an abject inability to distinguish right from wrong," he said. "

*DODO: Doesn't Obey Direct Orders

Bush (DODO*) Helpless Through Putin Putsch and Sharon West Bank Landgrab - Pro-Democracy Foreign Policy Failing

Russia rejects U.S. criticism of reform - Russia has curtly told the United States to stay out of its business after U.S. criticism, echoed by the European Union, of President Vladimir Putin's plans for radical change that will boost Kremlin power.

Yahoo! News - Sharon Doesn't Plan to Follow 'Road Map': "Israel will not follow the U.S.-backed 'road map' peace plan and could remain in much of the West Bank for an extended period after it withdraws from the Gaza Strip (news - web sites), Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) said in a newspaper interview published Wednesday."

*DODO: Doesn't Obey Direct Orders

Catch Phrase Contest

Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah Marshall: "Kerry needs a catch phrase or catch question about the Iraq war, one that provides offense against President Bush's oft-stated, extremely lame, but also somewhat effective line that the world is safer with Saddam Hussein out of power."

How about: "He's Trashed Afghanistan, He's Trashed Iraq - Do You Really Want To Hear His Plans For Iran and North Korea?

How about: "He was wrong about WMD, He was wrong about the cost of Medicare, Can You Believe Him about Your Social Security.

How about: "Osama still has his job, do you have yours?"

New Doc show aWol was AWOL, Big Time

via Atrios

Unreleased document shows Bush failed to fulfil his commitments: "A newly discovered document that was withheld by the White House when it released "