Quick Clips: Lonely Hearts Edition

** It cost Mack Associates, Inc. $1 million for the hiring of 58 undocumented workers in its McDonald’s franchise fast food shops in Nevada. The company pled guilty to conspiracy and inducing an alien’s unlawful residence charges in a Las Vegas federal court. [AFP] Luther Mack, Jr. CEO, is shown as a member of the Boyd Gaming Board of Directors. He also serves on the Wells Fargo Bank of Nevada Community Board. [Zinfo]

** For the Nevada Governor “It’s all about being happy.” [KTVN] At least until the next hearing in his divorce case, scheduled for August 21^st. [KXNT] The Gleaner describes the Governor’s “Charm Offensive,” while one might wonder if the reverse phrasing might be true and there is such a thing as “offensive charm?” The whimpering can be found in full at KOLO.

** Everybody jumps on the Obama bandwagon to put more forces from Iraq into Afghanistan? Admiral Mike Mullen [ABC] would likely recommending withdrawing more U.S. forces from Iraq. Secretary of Defense Gates says he wants to send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan sooner rather than later. [AFP] “Pentagon ponders Afghanistan troop boost.” [CBS]

** The Appeaser-in-Chief is sending the third highest ranking member of the State Department to a meeting with the last remaining member of the Axis of Evil and “Iran and U.S. signaling chance of deal.” [WaPo] “In policy reversal, US envoy to meet Iran’s nuclear negotiator” [AFP] This from the President who said, “Some seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: "Lord, if I could only have talked to Hitler, all this might have been avoided." We have an obligation to call this what it is -- the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history.” [WHPR]

** “Senate report examines role of banks in tax evasion” [NYT] UBS, and LGT helped wealthy individuals evade American taxes. Yes, UBS is the bank that McCain economic adviser Phil Gramm joined in October 2002 as an executive; frankly Gramm doesn’t seem to have done UBS much good either. [Slate]

** Nag, Nag, Nag: A reminder that The Gleaner and The Minx could use some assistance financing their trips to the Democratic National Convention. Really – imagine what delightful reading we’ll get from their dispatches. We just have to get them there.

Hersh's New Article on Iran, H.Con. Res. 362, and The March of the NeoCons to November

One more request for vigilance, and contact with members of the Nevada congressional delegation concerning H.Con.Res. 362 and the companion piece S. Res. 580. [DB] Constituents may want to inquire of Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV1) why she has signed on as a co-sponsor of this potentially escalating resolution.

Unless, of course, a person is in favor of a U.S. (or U.S. approved) attack on nuclear facilities in Iran. The Kyl Amendment, (S.Amdt 3017 to S. 2011) set “things’ up. The verbiage of H. Con. Res. 362 pushes the U.S. further into the neo-conservative morass of “more war to bring peace” to the Middle East. Why remind readers of this legislation? Read “Preparing the Battlefield: The Bush Administration steps up its secret moves against Iran,” by Seymour M. Hersh, New Yorker Magazine.

There is something eerily familiar about reports of administration secrecy, administrative intrafund transfers to fund off budget operations; of promises to keep Congress informed and then deliberately failing to do so; and, of escalating the rhetoric while pushing “resolutions” to get members of Congress ‘on the record.’ Two snippets from Hersh’s article offer some flavor – but the article should be read in full.

“Under the Bush Administration’s interpretation of the law, clandestine military activities, unlike covert C.I.A. operations, do not need to be depicted in a Finding, because the President has a constitutional right to command combat forces in the field without congressional interference.”

“He (Admiral Fallon) was charged with coming up with an over-all coherent strategy for Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and, by law, the combatant commander is responsible for all military operations within his A.O.”—area of operations. “That was not happening,” Sheehan said. “When Fallon tried to make sense of all the overt and covert activity conducted by the military in his area of responsibility, a small group in the White House leadership shut him out.”

Hersh’s previous articles have been dismissed by the White House by declaring them “inaccurate,” or “preposterous,” without the Administration actually providing evidence to substantiate its claims. Hersh’s reporting has been challenged because of minor discrepancies, or at least because the Bush-Cheny White House claimed there were discrepancies, but again without offering substantiation. The Bush Administration has also been generous tossing out labels such as “inaccurate,” or “unsourced,”– dismissing Hersh’s articles because he cites anonymous sources. The Administration has applied no such stringent standards to its own reporting of events and issues.

Before we travel once more down the road the mile posts of which read, “inadequate understanding of the adversary’s demographics,” “misinterpretation of the adversary’s political system,” “failure to take into consideration opposing interpretations of evidence,” “failure to satisfactorily analyze the nature of our supposed allies,” “inadequate analysis of possible unintended outcomes,” and “failure to accept or consider divergent views and scholarly analysis” – it’s time to put an end to the incremental Administration creep toward expanding the war in the Middle East.

Resources and References:

Other outlets have picked up Hersh’s reporting, or are covering similar territory:
“Bush’s covert game in Iran,” Los Angeles Times
“US escalating covert operations against Iran, Report” Reuters
“Report: US preparing the battlefield with Iran” CNN “US officials decline comment.”
“Crocker denies U.S. operations in Iran” UPI
“Will Israel bomb Iran?” Mark Tran, Guardian UK

Neocons:

“Richard Perle: Too many cooks confronting Iran?” SacBee
“Daniel Pipes: Obama vs. McCain on the Middle East” NatlPost

Reactions:

“Neocons gone wild,” Joe Klein Time
“McCain on Iran: Bush All Over Again” Salon
“Talking to Iran is our best option,” Daalder & Gordon, WaPo
“John McCain and Charlie Black’s October Surprise,” J.A. Palermo, HuffPo

Foreign Reactions and commentary:

“The strike against Iran in electoral considerations,” Al Hayat (Lebanon)
“Telegraphing an attack against Iran” World Politics Review

Overnight Express News Round Up

** Good news for those caught in the Nevada real estate bust: “Approval is near for bill to help U.S. homeowners,” [NYT] The bad news: President Bush is re-iterating his veto threat because of the $4 billion included for communities to buy and rehabilitate vacant properties.

** The state of Illinois is suing Countrywide Financial for “defrauding borrowers by selling costly and defective loans that quickly went into foreclosure.” [NYT]

** “Stuck auction rate debt buyers grasp for answers: UBS, others failed to offer prospectuses or warn of brewing woes” [BostGlb]
“Fed vacancies pose challenge for Bernanke” [WSJ]

** The Bush Administration must be reeling from the recent spate of GAO reports. First, we discover that the Surge has been of questionable value. [GAO] Then, that there is inadequate accounting for CERP funds in Iraq. [GAO] Now, we discover that the Administration has spent more than $2 billion in aid to Pakistan without proof that the government has used the money for the intended purposes. [WaPo] [GAO.1] [GAO.2]
“Pakistan govt files appeal against Sharif election ban: official” [AFP]
“Abducted Pakistani men found dead” [BBC]

** “Pentagon contractor was suspect: company accused of fraud had been flagged by State Department” [WaPo]
“Army flayed over 21 year old’s $298 million arms deal” [McClatchy]
“Major, wife plead guilty in Iraq bribery case” [Army Times]
“The Pentagon’s Billion Dollar Babies” [Mother Jones]

** “Bush, Talabani to meet on Iraq security” [Reuters]
“U.S. allied Iraqi politician kills 2 U.S. troops, wounds 4” [McClatchy]
“Blast kills 11, including 4 Americans in Sadr City building” [McClatchy]
“Iraq bomb kills 3 soldiers, interpreter” [Reuters]
“Two U.S. soldiers killed in ambush near Baghdad” [LAT]
“He Should Never Have Gone to Iraq: more borderline troops are being sent to the front, sometimes with tragic results” [Newswk]
“EU countries move to stop flood of Iraqi refugees” [Der Spiegel]

** “Syria planned to supply Iran with nuclear fuel, Israel says: strategic expert says idea was to share plutonium, speculation grows over possible attack” [Guardian UK]
“Iran: European sanctions condemned” [NYT]

** The way the Administration avoided accepting the fact that the EPA concluded greenhouse gases are actually pollutants was to refuse to open the e-mail document sent to the White House. [NYT] Would they have opened it if the e-mail came from the adopted nephew of an African dictator?
“Carbon credit schemes fall 30% short of projections, report claims” [Guardian UK]
“Santa Barbara fumes over McCain’s drilling plans” [LAT]
“Toxic fears for Senegal recyclers” [BBC]

** Top engineers are avoiding the military. [NYT]
“In Latin America, some leaders reject U.S. drug war.”[Reuters]
“Groups to warn panel about economic effect of seizing laptops” [NextGov]

** “McCain adviser may have struck a nerve” [WaPo]
“Charlie Black and the Terror Card” [WaPo]
“Aide who said terror attack would benefit McCain faces calls to quit” [IndepUK]

** Post Katrina – “Contractor faces new fraud claims: homeowners say work left undone” [NOLA]
“Hurricane Center says better forecasts could cost millions” [USAT]

** “Your Papers Please!” – “Citizens sue after detentions, immigration raids” [USAT] “Major immigration law firm under federal scrutiny” [USAT]

** “Mugabe defiant despite pressure” [Guardian UK]
“Fear grows in Zanu-PF as officials interrogate top MDC man over amnesty deals, lawyer says” [Guardian UK]
“Zimbabwe opposition leader asks for peace force” [IHT]
“Mbeki not invited to Zimbabwe meeting” [M&G,SA]
“Zuma: Zimbabwe is out of control” [M&G, SA]
“Defiant Mugage refuses to bow to world pressure” [IntlBusTimes]
“U.S. to ignore Zimbabwe poll result” [BBC]

** “Haitian president nominates new prime minister” [VOA]
“Rights groups launch groundbreaking report on right to water in Haiti” [CD]
“Rights group assails U.S. for withholding aid to Haiti, citing political motives” [NYT]

Coffee and the Papers

Whatever would we do without Senator John Ensign’s (R-NV) aphotic non sequiturs and jabberwocky pronouncements? “Energy is actually a huge opportunity for Republicans," said Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., who chairs the Senate Republicans' re-election campaign. "Energy has the opportunity to change the climate if it's done right." [SFC] Huh?

The Las Vegas Sun continues its series on Las Vegas and the Water Wars: “Not this water: in a bid to save his family’s livelihood after Las Vegas laid the groundwork for a water pipeline that could reduce his land to dust, a White Pine County rancher joins forces with Utah.

NV Governor Jim Gibbons ‘buddy’ Warren Trepp now finds himself at loggerheads with a billionaire businesswoman – charges and countercharges continue to fly! [RGJ]* Which may have the wrong identifications for its photos.

More squawking chickenhawks – William Kristol wants a war with Iran [TP] John Bolton wants a war with Iran [TP] ElBaradei says an attack “would transform the Middle East region in to a ball of fire.” [SMH] Admiral Michael Mullen doesn’t seem to think an attack is such a good idea either, and suggests diplomatic engagement. [TP]

The Splurge: “Iraq’s provincial elections could be delayed – MPs” [TPM-Reuters] “Reporters say networks put wars on back burner” [HuffPo-NYT]
“U.S. network falters in Mid East mission” [WaPo] “Alhurra: Part One” [ProP]
“From Afghanistan, NATO shells militants in Pakistan” [NYT]
“Afghanistan grows more dangerous for foreigners” [SFC]

Bush-Cheney-McCain version of supporting the troops: When the Bush Administration decided to cut back on Medicare payments, did anyone stop to think that payments for military related TRICARE services, which are tied to the Medicare regulations, might be cut back as well? [McClatchy]
“VA Secretary: Care of women vets will improve” [Army Times]
“Some spec ops skills being lost, official says,” [Army Times]

“After lawsuit, Medicare to ease drug benefit enrollment for poor” [The Hill]
“Agency sees theft risk for ID card in Medicare” [NYT]

Uncivil liberties and Urban Legends: “New report demolishes “Gitmo 30” talking point used by Scalia and McCain” [Perrs] Full report here in PDF format.
“Panel tees off on Justice grant official’s golf outings” [GovExec]
“DoJ grantees getting by with help from their friends” [ProP]

“McCain under Democratic fire for Air Force fiasco” [Reuters] “Northrop Grumman spent $3.3 million to lobby in 1Q” [Forbes] “A big win for Boeing, a big loss for EADS” [Der Spiegel]

“The Real McCain” [Guardian UK] Highly recommended!

Infrastructure? “Call for change ignored, levees remain patchy” [NYT]
“The Flood This Time” [StLPD]
“How President Bush’s policies leveled New Orleans” [TPR]
“Failed levees unleash pain and misery on farm towns in Midwest” [NYDN]
“(State) Senate vote fails to OK Road Home legislation” [NOLA]

This hemisphere: “EU ends diplomatic sanctions on Cuba” [Der Spiegel]
“IMF OKs extra funding for Haiti amid food shock” [Reuters]
“Haiti: Jean-Juste charges thrown out” [PFP]

“Canadian mining firms want lakes for toxic waste dumps” [CBC] [UPI] [GP-CA]
“McCain’s nuclear power policy identical to Bush Administration” [TPR]

Not a bad idea? “Fuel costs may force some kids to walk: Montgomery (MD) weighs altering school bus rules” [WaPo] Is “weighs” the operative word?
“We can’t just drill our way out of this” [NYND]
“Memory of 1969 disaster colors current oil drilling debate” [McClatchy]
“Where offshore drilling goes, beaches suffer” [StPT]
“Offshore oil drilling: fighting words in California?” [SJMN]
“IOC pipeline cracks, oil spills in plenty” [TimesIndia]
“Magellan Midstream Partners to pay $5.3 million for petroleum spills” [KCStr]
“Pembina handled leak well, but damage is done” [CalgaryHer]
“Experts: look to others for oil drilling advice” [NWF-DN]

Nevada news at Blue Sage Views

Heads Up: H.Con. Res. 362 and Bomb, Bomb Iran

Heads Up Please: Those who were disappointed by Nevada congressional support [DB] for the Kyl Amendment (S.Amdt. 3017, S.2011), may be even more alarmed by H.Con. Res. 362 and its companion bill S. Res. 580.

H.Con. Res. 362 is titled: “Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the threat posed to international peace, stability in the Middle East, and the vital national security interests of the United States by Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons and regional hegemony, and for other purposes.” (emphasis added)

Scrolling down the “whereas’s” is almost a trip down memory lane – Iran has “confirmed such illicit nuclear activities,” has “expanded centrifuges,” “could have enough highly enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon as soon as late 2009,” has committed “overt sponsorship of several terrorist groups,” “has repeatedly called for the destruction of Israel,” and has failed “to comply with the mandates of the United Nations Security Council.”

We are supposed to be comforted by the inclusion of “Whereas nothing in this resolution shall be construed as an authorization of the use of force against Iran: Now, therefore, be it resolved…” Nothing could be much more uncomfortable, as the resolution calls for:

(1) “…preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability, through all appropriate economic, political, and diplomatic means, is vital to the national security interests of the United States and must be dealt with urgently;” Have we heard this type of rhetoric somewhere before? WMD anyone?

(2) Urging the President, as if he needed any encouragement, to impose sanctions on Iranian banks and on international banks doing business with Iran; sanction energy companies who have operated in Iran since 1996, in addition to all companies that continue to do business with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards.

(3) Demanding that the President “immediately and dramatically increase” economic, diplomatic, and political pressure on Iran to suspend its nuclear enrichment activities” by prohibiting the export of all petroleum products to Iran, and impose “stringent inspection requirements on “all persons, vehicles, ships, planes, trains, and cargo” coming into or leaving Iran. For all intents and purposes, this section is a call for a complete – and obviously U.S. Navy implemented – embargo on Iran.

Fool me once.....

Quick Clips

The state of Nevada – unburdened as it is with a tax structure that makes sense – could be $260 million off budget; $100 million off budget; or, some other number we don’t know and can’t guess. [LV Sun] [LVRJ] It’s hard to fathom in the midst of this confusion why the Governor believes a Special Session of the Assembled Wisdom will be able to untangle what he cannot, or why a Special Session is needed rather than continued negotiations with legislators and a trip to the Interim Finance Committee.

Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan is appearing before the House Judiciary Committee today. The questions are expected to range beyond the Plame Outing Affair, and into charges that the Bush-Cheney diarchy ‘lied’ the nation into a war with Iraq. [The Hill] C-SPAN 3 and MSNBC have the coverage. [McClatchy]

Josh Marshall explains Senator John McCain’s double dipping into public campaign funds. The McCain camp took its tour to Iowa in spite of requests from officials to stay clear for awhile and not divert law enforcement personnel from flood related duties. [RCP] [AmBlog]

Another reason to avoid Associated Press coverage of much of anything? Liz “Sprinkled Donuts” Sidoti’s lengthy tirade in type about Obama’s decision not to opt for the public financing – he only said he would use if his opponent made the same agreement – except McCain didn’t make that decision until yesterday. [TCR]

The next time you hear a Republican argue that taxing capital gains is a “tax on everyone because many people have retirement investments in the market,” remember that Obama’s plans to reform the capital gains taxes don’t matter to most Americans because 401(k), 403(b), 457(B) and IRAs are all exempt from these taxes. [TPMC]

McCain channels Cheney – says Americans can triumph over recession by selling their worldly goods on eBay. [Perrs]

Bomb Bomb Iran: “Military drill may be rehearsal for strike” [UPI] “Israel’s military won’t confirm or deny report on practice run for Iran strike” [IHT] “Iran would respond to attack with ‘heavy blow’” [Bloomberg] “Israel prepares to strike Iran” [McClatchy]

It’s the stupid economy: “Moody’s downgrades MBIA, Ambac” (bond insurers) [Street] “Bear Stearns execs indicted; emails at issue” [MrktWtch] “New offshore drilling not a quick fix, analysts say: start up delays, global pressures cited” [BostGlb]

Overnight Express: News Roundup

Ensign lowers the bar a little more: “Senator Ensign (R-NV) says GOP Majority would be ‘fairly miraculous.’” [WSJ]

Following the tracks of the Weasel Wagon: Senator John McCain (R-AZ) would still like to have Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) take him up on that ‘independent’ town hall meeting venture, and even considered putting an empty “Obama Chair” on stage. [WaPo] However, the Republican candidate tipped his hand today when it was announced that the town hall audience was composed of supporters given tickets and others representing ‘independent’ groups. [HuffPo] Sound familiar?

“So, you want to see McCain in Valley? Prepare to ante up” [Vindy]

MessO’Potamia: Hadi al Amri, head of the Badr Corps (SIIC), finds the latest draft of the Status of Forces Agreement “unacceptable.” The Sadrists are demanding a referendum on the agreement, and Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani agrees. Worse, the Bush Administration seems once again to operate in ignorance of the region’s history: “Iraqis, with a smattering of history, are comparing the SOA to the Anglo-Iraqi agreement of 1930, which regularised the presence of British troops and political controllers in the country after Iraq gained nominal “independence”. But they should dig deeper: that agreement infringed far less on Iraq than Bush’s SOA. The 1930 treaty was countered by Iraqi government sabotage, rebellion and popular protests which soured relations between Baghdad and London until the Iraqi army overthrew the king in 1958.” [AlArab]

Patrick Neal’s analysis and commentary on the Status of Forces Agreement offers more historical insights in Gulf News.

Bomb, Bomb Iran: “Strike on Iran nuclear sites under discussion again” [McClatchy] “Italy backs Bush’s push on Iran” [USAT] “Merkel backs Bush on Iran sanctions” [NYT] “President Bush seeks German support on sanctions against Iran” [TimesUK] “Bush doesn’t rule out military strike in Iran” [AP] “We are moving rapidly toward an abyss” [Der Spiegel] “Nuclear Fallout” Daniel Levy [GuardianUK]

Pakistan: “Shoot first, think later – Anger about sloppy U.S. air strike in Pakistan” [SFC] “U.S. strike aggravates alliance with Pakistan” [CSM] “Gates calls for joint probe with Pakistan into border clash” [Blmbrg] “Relations with U.S. in crisis after clash across Afghan border” [RFERL] “Official: Pakistan should reconsider its ties to U.S.” [AP] “Pakistan protest due in Islamabad” [BBC]

Oil Slicks: “High oil trade margins could weed out speculators” [Reuters] New Bush CFTC appointee Lukken sees no smoking gun. [Reuters] Someone is seeing smoke from somewhere because the CFTC has launched a 25 member task force to investigate the implications of low margins for large speculators. (‘Not to expect much – members of the task force will include representatives of Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and JP Morgan), and Nymex announced this week that the margin requirements for energy trading would increase at the close of business Tuesday. [RSA]

The Stupid Economy: “U.S. manufacturing slips as inflation gauge surges” [NYT] “Retail sales surge as Americans spend more on gasoline, goods” [AFP] “U.S. consumer credit increases $8.9 billion in April” [Blmbrg] “Helping the jobless falls victim to partisan politics in Congress” [McClatchy]

Unfriendly Skies: “United to charge $15 for 1^st checked bag” [AP] “Continental drops 15 cities, trims flights at hubs” [Blmbrg] “US Airways cutting capacity, jobs on higher fuel costs” [MrktWtch] “The case for re-regulating the airline industry” [Wired] “FAA inspector claims he was fired for reporting safety violations…” [ERS]

“Boeing, Northrop Tanker Fight May End in Court” [Blmbrg] “Boeing says Air Force miscalculated tanker costs” [BusWk]

Military and Veterans: “House throws support behind stop loss pay” (H.R. 6205) [Army Times] “Mullen: Stop Loss to continue” [Army Times] “Vets testify today on 1960s chemical tests” [Army Times] “Air Force Association urges strengthening Montgomery GI Bill” [AFA] The Military Officers Assn. of America announces “GI Bill should remain a veteran’s benefit.” [Hill]

We are what we eat? “Food safety plan by U.S. FDA lacks costs, timeline” [Blmbrg] “GAO faults administration on food safety” [UPI] “Food safety on back burner” [Seattle Times]

Anyone remember Haiti? “Dominican officials crack down on food smuggling to Haiti” [USAT] “Border traffic signals Haiti’s distress” [9msn] “Haitian lawmakers reject president’s latest PM” [AFP]

The unclassifiable: “Christian theologians prepare for extraterrestrial life” [Wired]

Coffee and the Papers: Credit Crunch, Iran-Iraq Hunch, Grand Oil Party Bunch

What happens when home foreclosures are combined with Home Owner Association’s inability to enforce maintenance rules in Las Vegas, NV? Brian Eckhouse’s article in the Las Vegas Sun provides another kind of ‘inconvenient truth’ for our consideration. McClatchy reports, “Credit crisis expands, hitting all kinds of consumer loans.” “Pending Home Sales Increase”(in sales of homes under $500K located in inland areas where depreciation and foreclosures have been the greatest). [CalcRisk]

Credit is still crunching. “Citigroup, Merrill, UBS face further writedowns…” [Blmbrg] “CIT Group rises on $3 billion Goldman Sachs financing” [Blmbrg] “Lehman loses $2.8 billion, plans to raise $6 billion.” [Blmbrg] “Credit Crisis Not Over” [Reuters] “Sense of fairness affects outlook, decisions” [WaPo] The California Public Employees’ Retirement System partner LandSource Communities Development LLC has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. [NV Appeal]

“The Ron Paul revolution isn’t finished in Nevada,” according to Molly Ball in the LVRJ. Representative Jon Porter has a primary fight on his hands, and some polling results showing his district is an endangered specie in terms of Republican control. Meanwhile back at the Nevada Supreme Court, a second term limit challenged was filed by Steve Sisolak asking that Clark County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury be barred from seeking re-election this season. [RGJ]

Fox Snooze pontificator E.D. Hill evidently didn’t get the memo that Human Events columnist Cal Thomas had deleted his reference to the Obama Family Fist Bump in light of the ‘corrections’ in the comments section, and obediently recited the line about a possible “terrorist fist jab” [TP] One commenter wryly inserts: “Oh my God, my whole softball team is a terrorist cell.”

Floyd G. Brown, producer of the infamous “Willie Horton Ad” in 1998 is preparing a series of ads he claims will show Senator Barack Obama as “soft on crime.” [BG] “The Return of Willie Horton” [Salon] FactCheck has already debunked Brown’s first ad. “Only hope for McCain is for Republicans to finance sustained negative ads against Obama” [AmBlg]

Did Senator John McCain “play media critic and then forget what he said?” [TCR] “McCain: To Russia, without Love – John McCain and his national security adviser both want to get tough with Russia, but one of them got paid to say so. Does McCain have another lobbyist problem?” [Salon]

Instead of having national reporters obsessing on the Clinton campaign suspension and the possibility of talks with Iranian president Ahmadinejad, the person to whom we ought to be paying attention is Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who is saying “the biggest hurdle standing in the way of peace in Iraq is the U.S.” [CNN] The article doesn’t have all that much new information, but at least one news organization may have noticed that the Iranian president is a figure-head.

“Ex-premier is expelled from governing party in Iraq” [NYT] “In Iraq: A cold, hard shelter, but a shelter nonetheless” Juan Cole has additional information on the current situation in Iraq. “Why Australia is leaving Iraq” [CSM] “Afghan aid ineffective, inefficient, watchdog says” [WaPo]
“Iraq war strains U.S. army mental health system” [Reuters]
“America’s medicated Army” [VoteVets]
“Older veterans now helping vets of Iraq and Afghanistan” [CSM]
“The push for a deeper deployment pool: Army pays more heed to how much combat soldiers have already seen” [Army Times]

Some members of the Grand Oil Party are saying Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) squandered an opportunity for the Republicans to get their message out on the climate change bill by pulling the stall stunt over judicial nominations. [Roll Call, sub req] No Surprise Department: “Rural U.S. takes worst hit as gas tops $4 average” [NYT] House GOP leaders are trying to blame current high gas prices on the Democrats. Republicans have consistently fought attempts to promote renewable energy supplies, investigate speculation, and legislate against price fixing and gouging. [The Hill] Isaiah J. Poole writes “Let’s hear a debate on the oil speculators,” in CAF.

“Why doesn’t McCain have a national energy strategy?” [AmBlg]

Coffee and the Papers: Deals and More Deals

** Wonder what the “No Tax Grab” folks in Nevada are going to do now? The NSEA announced that it will drop efforts to raise the gaming tax by 3% in exchange for support from Wynn Resorts, Harrah’s Entertainment, and Station Casinos for an advisory question on the November ballot that would increase the room tax by 3%. Sheldon “Freedom’s Watch”Adelson has, no surprise here, not signed on, and continues his efforts to “divert room tax money from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.” [LV Sun]

** The fallout from real estate foreclosures in Las Vegas means that even renting can be a dicey proposition. [LV Sun] The Center for American Progress does some fact checking on the Bush Administration’s handling of the mortgage meltdown. When the President says he won’t sign a bill that “rewards speculators” or “bails out bankers” someone needs to remind him, “Speculative real estate investors who purchased homes purely for profit, not shelter, and did not live in them are not eligible for program participation in any legislation now under consideration by Congress. Arguments that this legislation rewards speculators are specious.” [CAP] (emphasis added)

** Best line from the Nevada Democratic Convention: Dina Titus – “Jon Porter spends a lot of his time back in Washington playing in a rock 'n' roll band," Titus said. "I say we've heard enough of his same old song. It's time to change the music." [Erin Neff, LVRJ]

** Timing is everything? This week the EPA is defending agency guidelines for radiation health rules that remain incomplete, in preparation for submitting a construction application early next month. [LVRJ] The current occupant of the Governor’s mansion has filed a motion to remain ensconced during the D-I-V-O-R-C-E. [RGJ] “Waning tax revenues, withering housing markets, soaring gas prices, and shrinking employment” are combining for grim economic numbers in Nevada,” [RGJ] The Department of Administration ought to be awash in bill draft requests for the 75^th session because the deadline for submission was May 1^st. [BDR] And…The governor decides this is the best time to meet and greet members of our National Guard in Iraq? [LVRJ] Certainly, the men and women serving there deserve support from the homefront – however, the timing of the Governor’s trip certainly does bring questions to mind.

** What about the other McCain 2008 national finance co-chair? One has resigned already under the ‘new’ campaign rules about lobbyists, the other is Wayne Berman of Ogilvy Government Relations which represents Chevron-Texaco, the American Petroleum Institute, Reliant Energy, AIG, AmeriChoice, AT&T, Verizon, VISA and Motorola. [link] What better way to say “Bush III?”

** If you were thinking that a GOP administration might keep you safer, consider what could result from being swept up in Main Core during a period in which Continuity of Government operations were in place. Digby explains. Combine this bit of news with the mailer sent out by Charter Communications to 2.7 million customers announcing a new “web tracking program” that is essentially “the ultimate third party tracking network,” [SourceWatch] and Big Brother can track your every little cookie. Phom tried this in Great Britain and the consequent outrage over the privacy violations prevented ISPs from implementing the system.

** “Once more, with feeling,” a GAO study confirms that health savings accounts primarily benefit high income individuals. [CBPP]

** “Wages fall behind inflation for seventh month” [Economic Policy Institute] Home Depot reports a first quarter net income loss of 66%. [MrkWtch] Something to watch: “Pension funds and other institutional investors are driving commodity prices to the moon by allocating massive amounts of money to energy and agricultural investments and sidestepping regulatory limits on big speculative bets, according to research expected to be presented to Congress on Tuesday.” [MrkWtch]

** “The Bush administration is illegally withholding the details of its offer accepted by the European Union to bind more sectors of the U.S. economy to World Trade Organization (WTO) jurisdiction as part of a settlement relating to a WTO ruling against the U.S. ban on Internet gambling, Public Citizen contended today in a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.” [May 19, 2008, full story at Public Citizen]

** While the Republicans focus on the relatively impotent figurehead Ahmadinejad in Iran, the real power is held by the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is the subject of a new Carnegie Report.

Quick Clips: Kids say the darndest things?

** Nevada’s chief executive, quite possibly the worst governor in the nation, Jim Gibbons, left his chief of staff Mike Dayton to field questions about educational funding from students representing the Clark County School District Student Advisory Council. The results weren’t pretty. Could a person venture that they might have been worse had the Governor himself faced the kids – and their grasp of the statistics and consequent implications? Full Story at Las Vegas Sun. Perhaps we could encourage the kids to ask the governor about northern Nevada’s bleak numbers in the last economic quarterly reports? [RGJ]

** Molly Ball reminds Nevada Republicans that if they lose one more seat in the State Assembly the Democrats will have a veto proof majority, and one more seat in the Senate will give Democrats control of the Legislature. [LVRJ]

** If this comment concerning the influence of lobbyists on John McCain’s president campaign isn’t replete with elitism, it’s hard to image what would qualify: “Asked today if questions about potential conflicts-of-interest might be affecting the choices of average American voters, Black responded bluntly: "Hell, no." He was careful to say that Senator McCain is committed to maintaining the integrity of the campaign -- hence his commitment to the re-vetting process. But, Black added, "I do not believe that average voters out there care." [MSNBC] The Great Unwashed, Hoi Polloi, Little People, have noticed that the campaign staffers weren’t vetted in the first place – had this not been the case “re-vetting” would not be necessary. What the “little people sitting out there in the dark” understand perfectly well is that executives who are tied to lobbyists (Jack Abramoff anyone?) have ethical conflicts of interest, and conflicts of interest all too often result in scandals, jail sentences, and other scenarios played out during the Bush Administration. Black’s had ties to the Mobutu regime in Zaire, Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos (on whom Reagan pulled the plug), Nigerian dictator Ibrahim Babangida, and the brutal regime controlling Equatorial Guinea. [HuffPo] What was McCain saying recently about not talking to brutal dictatorial regimes?

** We could do this for another hundred years? “The Army said today that it is "increasingly a challenge" to provide troops for the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan and to reach its goal of allowing soldiers at least 12 months at home between combat tours. The experience of the 25th Infantry Division is typical. It just returned last October from a 15-month deployment in Iraq and will spend barely 12 months at home before its new deployment. The division served a 12-month deployment in Afghanistan in 2004 and 2005.” [Baltimore Sun] Or this? “The Pentagon plans to send 39,000 soldiers to Iraq to replace troops scheduled to leave the war zone and to hold the total U.S. force level steady over the next year.” [Reuters] When is a “Surge” a permanent escalation?

** Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) noted that President Bush would be the first chief executive to veto a benefits bill for veterans. [TP] Meanwhile, the Philadephia Inquirer, the Denver Post, and the Seattle News Tribune weigh in with support for the Webb Bill.

** Bomb Bomb Iran: Senator John McCain is upset that Senator Barack Obama is “downplaying” the danger from Iran [CNN] which, in turn, yields the question: Who wants the danger played UP? The list includes Michael Ledeen, James Woolsey, and Norman Podhoretz [TWN] and where have we heard those names before? Neo-conservatives one and all. Ron Paul caught them at it in 2006. Conanson picked up on the implications of a McCain presidency in a Salon article last March, “The danger of a McCain presidency is not only that he would prolong our presence in Iraq but that he would seek to fulfill neoconservative dreams of a war expanded from Iraq into Iran and Syria, leading to a regional conflagration. With his campaign already sowing the arguments for a wider conflict, we will not be able to say we weren't warned.” For what it’s worth, McCain endorser Rev. John Hagee would be delighted to see the promotion of Armageddon. “Hagee, who has a radio and television ministry with a global reach and is the author of more than 20 books, views the Israel-Hezbollah conflict as a warm-up to a confrontation with Iran.“[RtWebWtch]

Quick Clips: Gas Pain - Porter opposes Mother's Day?

** Mid-grade unleaded gasoline was just a tiny scooch under $4.00 per gallon yesterday in Winnemucca, NV, and thank the heavens my pick up doesn’t require diesel – that was posted at $4.37 per gallon. However, the American Petroleum Institute will be right there to tell me that IT’S NOT THEIR FAULT. “Punishing them,” as in making them pay their appropriate and legal royalties, and their taxes on record incomes, will only “make them” raise the prices further. [WaPo]

** Close doesn’t count: “A plan to show some alleged Iranian-supplied explosives to journalists last week in Karbala and then destroy them was canceled after the United States realized none of them was from Iran.” [Kevin Drum] Oops?

** Perrspectives provides “John McCain’s Top Ten Out-of-Touch-Moments”

** “Contractors’ offshore tax havens under more scrutiny” Government Executive

** “Keeping secrets from the CIA: Why was Langley cut out of clandestine meetings with Iranian informants?” [Newsweek] Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball report how the Pentagon excluded the agency from “inappropriate” back channel contacts with Iranian informants, including a “key figure from the Iran-Contra affair.” Does this sound all too much like Senator John McCain’s proposal for a new super-spy agency predicated on the World War II era Office of Strategic Services? [Nation]

** Mother Jones has a good video, “McCain’s Pastor Problem.” Think Progress posts “McCain stays silent on Hagee’s homophobic slurs.”

** “Infighting holds up New Orleans levee money” Times-Picayune But wait! That wasn’t all that got tangled up in the House Republican tantrum yesterday – they voted against their own Mothers’ Day Resolution, [Think Progress] including Representative Jon Porter (R-NV3) who voted against tabling the motion to reconsider the bill. [rc 275]

** Reports and information from the House Education and Labor Committee’s investigation of the Crandall Canyon Mine disaster have been posted online for public access.

** The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs will hold a hearing on the “Transition Assistance Program for Guard and Reserve Forces,” on May 16^th.

It's 10:00 p.m. and the Federal Government doesn't have a clue where our money is?

Bomb, Bomb, Iran: Does Senator Ensign (R-NV) have any second thoughts about that Kyl-Lieberman Amendment? Centcom commander Adm. William Fallon tried and became frustrated with the effort to put the “crazies back in the box” and is now the latest Pentagon victim of a President who “listens to his commanders” until he doesn’t like what he hears – and then they resign or retire. [Esquire] Fallon’s resignation brings into sharp focus Roll Call 349, September 26, 2007 on H.R. 1585, the “Kyl-Lieberman Amendment.” Senator John Ensign (R-NV) voted “Yea” and co-sponsored the amendment. [DB] Or, could it be that Senator Ensign is delighted to do the bidding of Las Vegas’s Warmonger Extraordinaire, the well-moneyed Sheldon Adelson? [DB] [LV Sun]

Remember paragraphs #3 and #4 of Amendment 3017? A reminder: “(3) that it should be the policy of the United States to combat, contain, and roll back the violent activities and destabilizing influence inside Iraq of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, its foreign facilitators such as Lebanese Hezbollah, and its indigenous Iraqi proxies; (4) to support the prudent and calibrated use of all instruments of United States national power in Iraq, including diplomatic, economic, intelligence, and military instruments, in support of the policy described in paragraph (3) with respect to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its proxies; [DB]

Meanwhile in the Mess O’Potamia – The debacle that has become Iraqi ‘reconstruction’ was on full display in the Senate Appropriations Committee today. The GAO Report given to the committee today, “Stabilizing and Rebuilding Iraq: Actions needed to address inadequate accountability over U.S. efforts and investments,” includes such disheartening news as, “Such issues (of accountability) are not unique to Iraq, but reflect some of the long standing and systemic issues confronting DOD. They are, however, magnified in a contingency situation such as Iraq or Katrina. Further we found that unclear DOD guidance resulted in poor accountability over 190,000 weapons provided to the Iraqi security forces.” If this isn’t enough bad news for one day, the Committee released a list of 10 major problems with Bush Administration DOD oversight in Iraq. (pdf – link on committee web page) Perhaps the greatest irony comes in Item 9: “The former head of the Iraqi Commission on Public Integrity reported that $11 million in U.S. funds (cash) given to him with no benchmarks or restrictions to establish an Iraqi Academy of Integrity were seized by Iraqi officials; the money has not been accounted for.”

It is not just the Departments of State and Defense that could use some more oversight. “After Philadelphia’s housing director refused a demand by Present Bush's housing secretary to transfer a piece of city property to a business friend, two top political appointees at the department exchanged e-mails discussing the pain they could cause the Philadelphia director.” From “HUD e-mails refer to retaliation: high-level officials wrote of punishing Philadelphia housing director” [WaPo]

Good News, Bad News: The good news is that the Federal Reserve offered to let the biggest investment banks on Wall Street borrow up to $200 billion in treasury securities. That news pumped the DJIA up 416.66 points. However, the rest of the sentence says, “in exchange for hard-to-sell mortgaged backed securities as collateral.” [NYT] Perhaps when the euphoria wears off someone will notice that the U.S. Federal Reserve has just bailed out the investment banks to the tune of $200 billion bucks and has agreed to take those next to worthless securitized investment vehicles, which got the investment banks into trouble in the first place, as collateral.

More "progress" in Iraq but Ensign is still afraid of the Iranians

“Nevada Senator John Ensign says portions of Iraq are safer now than during his previous visits to the region. But according to Ensign, Iraqi leaders fear the U.S. may leave the country too soon. Ensign and two other senators are in Iraq meeting with mil