New Bin Laden Videotape Appears

A new al-Qaida videotape posted Sunday on a militant Web site featured a short, undated clip of a weary-looking Osama bin Laden praising martyrdom.

The bin Laden clip, which lasted less than a minute, was part of a 40-minute video featuring purported al-Qaida fighters in Afghanistan paying tribute to fellow militants who have been killed in the country.

Bin Laden glorified those who die in the name of jihad, or holy war, saying even the Prophet Muhammad "had been wishing to be a martyr."

"The happy (man) is the one that God has chosen him to be a martyr," added bin Laden, who was shown outdoors wearing army fatigues and looking tired.

The authenticity of the video could not be verified, but it appeared on a Web site commonly used by Islamic militants and carried the logo of as-Sahab, al-Qaida's media production wing. It was not immediately clear when the video of bin Laden was filmed.

Everyone reading this report should remember that Bin Laden was the one responsible for 9/11 but was allowed to escape at Tora Bora. What John Kerry said during the 2004 election was absolutely correct. We also had the chance to catch Ayman al-Zawahri and we did not. Remember that when al-Qaida strikes again. Stupidity has consequences and when the President of the United States is an intellectual lightweight this is the result.

The Republicans Are Caving On Iraq

The public has long since lost patience with the Iraq War. By and large Americans realize it is an untenable situation whose cost in lives and dollars is simply no longer worth it. This fact has been expressed in the low approval ratings for the Democratic Congress which was elected to end this disastrous war. What is happening now points to an extremely smart political plan to bring as many Republicans as possible over to the Democratic position to begin the pullout of our troops.

When the President vetoed the war spending plan the war was funded through March 07 but the bill that the President finally signed only funded the war through September. With every passing day the news from Iraq worsens and the Republican revolt, especially from those up for re-election in 2008, grows.

There is a new plan being discussed by Senators Lugar and Warner that would demand a new strategy by mid-October to restrict the mission of U.S. troops.

The two senators are considered the GOP's foremost national security experts. Warner was the longtime chairman of the Armed Services Committee until stepping down last year, while Lugar is the top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee.

The legislation also draws heavily from existing GOP-backed proposals, increasing the chances of attracting support.

It would require Bush to submit by Oct. 16 a plan to "transition U.S. combat forces from policing the civil strife or sectarian violence in Iraq" to a narrow set of missions: protecting Iraqi borders, targeting terrorists, protecting U.S. assets and training Iraqi forces.

The bill suggests the plan be ready for implementation by next year.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid balked at the proposal because it would not require Bush to implement the strategy. He said he prefers legislation the Senate will vote on next week that would order combat troops to be out of Iraq by next spring.

Any legislation that does not require a withdrawal is just window dressing to provide cover for scared Republican lawmakers. It is time to cut off the funds for this war and tell Mr. Bush that playtime is over. He lost the game and now needs to be sent to his room to read "My Pet Goat" and ponder his ranking as the worst President in American history.

"Feel Good"

This animation puts the Iraq War in perspective through humor whose intention is not to make you laugh but to make you angry and sad and it does that brilliantly. How can we as Americans feel good about our country as the images of a destroyed Iraq and its people roll forward on this animation? My guess is that a large majority of Americans will not and will take stock of exactly what has been done in our name by these lunatics currently running our government.

Do You Ever Wonder Who Makes Up The 29% Who Support Bush?

Watch this and see the intellect of the 29% who still support this administration and its war in Iraq. This man is a moron. Lets hope he can read and that he understands that the Army did not meet its recruitment goals. He is 31 and they accept recuits up to age 42 now. They need him and he said he would go. How much do you want to bet this fool would never put his money where his mouth is? This is who supports this war. They are so willing to send your son or daughter off to die while making every excuse in the world for themselves. Oh wait, I guess the President and Vice President would also fall into that category.

Iran - Keep The Dollars and Pay us in Yen

Many people have speculated that the real reason for the War in Iraq was the decision of Iraq to change the way it was paid for Oil. The rumor is that they were going to request that all payments be made in Euros. Now Iran is starting to request payment in yen from the Japanese.

Iran asked Japanese refiners to switch to the yen to pay for all crude oil purchases, after Iran's central bank said it is reducing holdings of the U.S. dollar.

Iran wants yen-based transactions ``for any/all of your forthcoming Iranian crude oil liftings,'' according to a letter sent to Japanese refiners that was signed by Ali A. Arshi, general manager of crude oil marketing and exports in Tehran at the National Iranian Oil Co. The request is for all shipments ``effective immediately,'' according to the letter, dated July 10 and obtained by Bloomberg News.

The problem for our currency is that Iran is not the only country dumping dollars.

Iran isn't alone in wanting to drop the dollar for pricing oil. Russia has been examining plans to price the Urals oil export blend in rubles to curb currency risks. The nation plans to open the Energy Stock Exchange in St. Petersburg in the first half of next year to trade oil in rubles, UBS AG reported June 14.

Our currency which was the standard around the world is slowing becoming as welcome as Hillary Clinton at a Heritage Foundation conference. The unfortunate part of the slide of the dollars value around the world has been that it has not significantly increased our exports or lowered our trade imbalance.

Will the United States attack Iran for its decision to stop using the dollar? For those who think that was the real reason for the Iraq War, sleeping at night must be difficult.

Exxon Mobil Hits Milestone

Exxon Mobil becomes the first company on earth valued at $500 billion dollars.

Shares of Exxon Mobil rose 2.7 percent Thursday pushing the market capitalization of the Irving-based company to $504.9 billion — more than the annual economic output of Argentina, Finland and Kazakhstan combined. A 40 percent gain in the past 12 months made Exxon Mobil 26 percent bigger than General Electric Co., the next largest U.S. company.

A bottleneck in U.S. refining capacity also helped earnings for integrated companies such as Exxon Mobil that produce, process and market petroleum.

As you read this remember that this company receives tax breaks from the United States. This is an example of your tax dollars at work. It is time for a windfall profits tax.

What If You Had A Debate And No One Showed Up

The NAACP sponsored a Republican debate yet only one candidate showed up. Tom Tancredo, the immigrant hating candidate from Colorado was the only person at the podium with all the other chairs empty.

The Republicans hate civil rights and showed their distain for them by not showing up. Lets hope the African-American community does the same for them in 2008 and votes even more overwhelmingly for the Democratic candidate.

Maybe some of them were busy bailing out campaign staff for drugs and solicitation.

We Could Have Had Al-Qaeda's Number 3 But We Did Nothing

When you hear people say how Bill Clinton could have had Osama Bin Laden three times and did nothing tell them to read this post on AMERICAblog.

There is one set of rules for the Clinton Administration and a completely different set for the Bush Administration. Mistakes were certainly made by the Clinton Administration but how anyone can still claim our current situation is the fault of Bill Clinton either is a complete partisan or a complete fool.

They had Ayman al-Zawahri and decided not to go after him because they did not want to anger the governement of Pakistan. It is OK to overthrow a government and destroy their infrastructure while lying to your own people about the reasons but you are worried about the diplomatic problems of killing one of those responsible for 9/11. If you believe that I have a former NY Mayor you should vote for in the next Presidential election.

If you still beleive we are safer now than we were on September 10, 2001 then you are living in a fools paradise.

Al-Qaeda urges Pakistanis to revolt against Musharraf

Just today I posted this about a much stronger Al-Qaeda. Now comes this latest information.

Al-Qaeda second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri urged Pakistanis to revolt against President Pervez Musharraf following the storming of the Red Mosque in Islamabad, in an audiotape posted Thursday on the Internet.

"I call upon the Ulama (Muslim clergy) in Pakistan... Musharraf and his hunting dogs have tarnished your honour in service of the crusades and the Jews," Zawahiri said, after stating that he was speaking on the "occasion of the criminal aggression" on the mosque.

"If you do not revolt, Musharraf will annihilate you. Musharraf will not stop until he uproots Islam from Pakistan," he added.

Remember my words, Pakistan could become the most dangerous nation on Earth if Musharraf is toppled. Pakistan is nuclear and Al-Qaeda is stronger because George W. Bush decided to get involved in the biggest heist in world history instead of destroying the group that had actually attacked us. How many American lives will be lost when the inevitable happens and we need to disarm a now hostile nuclear Pakistan?

CIA Said Iraq Instability Seemed 'Irreversible'

Long before the surge it was already obvious that Iraq was lost.

Early on the morning of Nov. 13, 2006, members of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group gathered around a dark wooden conference table in the windowless Roosevelt Room of the White House.

For more than an hour, they listened to President Bush give what one panel member called a "Churchillian" vision of "victory" in Iraq and defend the country's prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki. "A constitutional order is emerging," he said.

Later that morning, around the same conference table, CIA Director Michael V. Hayden painted a starkly different picture for members of the study group. Hayden said "the inability of the government to govern seems irreversible," adding that he could not "point to any milestone or checkpoint where we can turn this thing around," according to written records of his briefing and the recollections of six participants.

"The government is unable to govern," Hayden concluded. "We have spent a lot of energy and treasure creating a government that is balanced, and it cannot function."

Later in the interview, he qualified the statement somewhat: "A government that can govern, sustain and defend itself is not achievable," he said, "in the short term."

If the goverment of Iraq is unable to govern what are our soldiers fighting to save? Wasn't the reason for the surge to prop up the government? You can prop up a corpse but it is and will always be a corpse. After this report the question becomes if we knew the situation was already lost why did the Bush administration decide to use a surge strategy? The answer is either a President so out of touch with reality that he simply refuses to accept what is right in front of his face or it was a political calculation to not have to admit defeat publicly. My guess is that this was a political calculation and that the additional dead soldiers were acceptable collateral damage in an attempt to salvage the legacy of President Bush.

I realize this is a completely cynical view but with what we have seen over the past seven years it is obvious that these people will do anything and say anything to further their political agenda. A report like this should make people realize that this is a dangerous administration and impeachment proceedings may be the only way to stop them from committing further damage to our nation.

U.S. Warns Of Stronger Al-Qaeda

Do you remember after September 11, 2001 when President Bush said that those who attacked us would be hunted down and smoked out of their caves? Well the result after nearly six years is not so much.

Six years after the Bush administration declared war on al-Qaeda, the terrorist network is gaining strength and has established a safe haven in remote tribal areas of western Pakistan for training and planning attacks, according to a new Bush administration intelligence report to be discussed today at a White House meeting.

The report, a five-page threat assessment compiled by the National Counterterrorism Center, is titled "Al-Qaida Better Positioned to Strike the West," intelligence officials said. It concludes that the group has significantly rebuilt itself despite concerted U.S. attempts to smash the network.

The question we need to be asking is whether this war in Iraq has limited our ability to dismantle Al-Qaida. The answer is a resounding yes and the fault for this lies with the Bush administration. Before the War in Iraq Al-Qaida was not a presence within Iraq but now has a strong foothold and is one of the major stumbling blocks to stabilizing the country.

Pakisatan which harbors this group in the remote tribal areas has nuclear capabilities and could overnight become the most dangerous nation on earth if the government of Pervez Musharraf was to fall into rebel hands.

Should the United States be hit with another terrorist attack it will be the incompetence of the Bush administration that will be partially responsible. Instead of concentrating on the group that actually attacked us they chose to orchestrate the biggest heist in world history with the theft of the Iraqi oil.

The American people need to take the time to understand the issues as they currently stand. Our media has let us down so it is our responsibility as citizens to educate ourselves and take appropriate action.

The Firefighters Take a Swing At Rudy

Watch this Video and understand the true Rudy Giuliani. Hopefully people will finally understand that he is an opportunistic fraud who has made a fortune off of 9/11. Take the time and watch this whole video.

Inherent Contempt

With the Bush administration using commutation of sentences and executive privilege to hide its criminal behavior the question becomes how can you uncover the truth with so much stonewalling. Today Harriet Miers attorney said she will not be showing up tomorrow in response to a Congressional Subpoena, at the orders of the President. Yes you read that right, she will not even show up. Apparently the Bush administration feels they are above the law but Congress has a seldom used tool in their arsenal. That tool is called "Inherent Contempt".

Under this process, the procedure for holding a person in contempt involves only the chamber concerned. Following a contempt citation, the person cited for contempt is arrested by the Sergeant-at-Arms for the House or Senate, brought to the floor of the chamber, held to answer charges by the presiding officer, and then subject to punishment that the House may dictate (usually imprisonment for punishment reasons, imprisonment for coercive effect, or release from the contempt citation.)

Concerned with the time-consuming nature of a contempt proceeding and the inability to extend punishment further than the session of the Congress concerned (under Supreme Court rulings), Congress created a statutory process in 1857. While Congress retains its "inherent contempt" authority and may exercise it at any time, this inherent contempt process was last used by the Senate in 1934, against the Postmaster-General. After a one-week trial in the Senate floor (presided by the Vice-President of the United States, acting as Senate President), the Postmaster-General was found guilty and sentenced to 10 days imprisonment.

The Postmaster General had filed a petition of Habeas Corpus in federal courts to overturn his arrest, but after litigation, the US Supreme Court ruled that Congress had acted constitutionally, and denied the petition in the case Jurney v. MacCracken

It is time for Congress to take swift action against these criminals and restore the rule of law to the executive branch of our government. Write and call your representatives and tell them about this seldom used tactic.

Politics with Your Health

Former Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona told a Congressional panel Tuesday that top Bush administration officials repeatedly tried to weaken or suppress important public health reports because of political considerations.

The administration, Dr. Carmona said, would not allow him to speak or issue reports about stem cells, emergency contraception, sex education, or prison, mental and global health issues. Top officials delayed for years and tried to “water down” a landmark report on secondhand smoke, he said. Released last year, the report concluded that even brief exposure to cigarette smoke could cause immediate harm.

Dr. Carmona said he was ordered to mention President Bush three times on every page of his speeches. He also said he was asked to make speeches to support Republican political candidates and to attend political briefings.

How can we believe anything that comes out of this administration? All administrations are political but this administration brings it to a whole new level.

You have to wonder was anything ever done for the good of the people or was everything about getting Republicans elected. With each passing day we find out more and more of the corrupt practices of this administration. Impeach them now, 2008 may be too late.

Even The Green Zone Is Completely Unsafe

The fortified Green Zone has come under increasing attack in Baghdad. The Green Zone is home to the American Embassy, Iraqi Parliament and other government institutions. How can we say the situation is getting better when we can not even stop the attacks in this zone?

At least 20 mortar rounds and Katyusha rockets struck the fortified Green Zone on Tuesday afternoon, killing an American service member and two other people in an attack on the heart of U.S. and Iraqi government facilities in the capital.

An Iraqi and a third person of unknown nationality were killed in the attack, according to a statement released by the U.S. Embassy. About 18 people were injured, including two U.S. military personnel and three American contract employees, the statement said.

Brig. Gen. Abdul Kareem Khalaf, a spokesman for Iraq's Interior Ministry, said 20 mortar shells and rockets had struck, while another source in the ministry put the number of blasts at more than 30. Khalaf said that between 15 and 20 people were injured.

The situation in Iraq is out of control and continues to deteriorate. How many more have to die due to the stupidity and stubbornness of this President?

The American people need to understand that any legislative action in Iraq will require 60 votes in the Senate to stop a filibuster and 67 votes to override a presidential veto. At this point the votes are not there. With each passing day more and more Republicans realize that this war is lost and are moving more towards the Democratic position.

What we must do is keep the pressure on those who refuse to face the truth. While most people seem annoyed at what they feel is the lack of Democratic action on Iraq, I see a strategy that is finally working. When the report on progress comes out in September you will see more defections from the Republican camp but this will not happen without pressure from us all.

Isn't it sad that it is the political realization that they could lose their jobs and not the senseless death of our brave young soldiers that will finally force them to act. How do any of them sleep at night?

LEADING PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES TO PARTICIPATE IN HISTORIC FORUM ON GAY ISSUES

Logo, a division of Viacom’s MTV Networks, and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation today announced they will co-present a historic televised forum on issues of importance to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community with the leading 2008 Democratic presidential candidates, including, currently confirmed and in alphabetical order, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

The one-hour event will be held on Aug. 9 at 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET in Los Angeles before a studio audience and broadcast live, without commercial interruption, exclusively on Logo’s 24/7 cable television channel as well as through live streaming video at LOGOonline.com. Logo is the nation’s leading television and broadband channel for the GLBT audience and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of the nation’s largest GLBT civil rights organization.

This event, which marks the first time in history the major presidential candidates will address a live GLBT television audience, is part of MTV Networks’ award-winning pro-social efforts and dedication to engaging its audiences on the issues that are most important and relevant to them.

The event also continues the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s efforts to educate and bring awareness to issues of equality and fairness that continue to affect the lives of GLBT Americans.

Candidates currently agreed to participate in the forum and share their views with the GLBT community are, in alphabetical order, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. The candidates will appear sequentially and engage in conversation with co-panelists Melissa Etheridge, performer and advocate, and Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. The panelists plan to cover a range of issues including relationship recognition, marriage equality, workplace fairness, the military, hate crimes, HIV/AIDS and other important issues.

“In the 2008 presidential election, issues of concern to the GLBT community have already been at the forefront of the national conversation,” said Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. “From the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ to the recent signing of a civil unions bill in New Hampshire, there is no doubt that voters will demand answers to important questions affecting our community.”

“We’re honored to give the presidential candidates a historic opportunity to share their views directly with the LGBT audience,” said Brian Graden, president, entertainment, MTV Networks Music Group, and president, Logo. “This forum continues MTV Networks’ tradition of engaging vital niche audiences with voting and the electoral process.”

The forum will include significant online components at LOGOonline.com and HRC.org, including online question submission. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation and Logo invited the leading Democratic and Republican candidates to participate in the forum.

The GLBT vote is considered a decisive electoral force and according to exit poll data makes up approximately 4 percent of the voting population. Los Angeles was chosen as the site for the event because of the state’s early primary election, on Feb. 5, 2008. The event will take place at Studio City, Calif., at HD Vision Studios, and this event represents the first live event airing on Logo.

Michael Moore on CNN

Watch this report from Dr. Gupta on the Michael Moore film "Sicko" then watch Michael Moore take apart Wolf Blitzer and the mainstream media. Until we all understand how the mainstream media is not doing what is expected of them, we will never fully understand what is happening in our nation today.



Michael Moore posts the real facts about Dr. Gupta's report

U.S. Envoy Offers Grim Prediction on Iraq Pullout

The United States ambassador and the Iraqi foreign minister are warning that the departure of American troops could lead to sharply increased violence, the deaths of thousands and a regional conflict that could draw in Iraq’s neighbors.

“In the States, it’s like we’re in the last half of the third reel of a three-reel movie, and all we have to do is decide we’re done here, and the credits come up, and the lights come on, and we leave the theater and go on to something else,” he said. “Whereas out here, you’re just getting into the first reel of five reels,” he added, “and as ugly as the first reel has been, the other four and a half are going to be way, way worse.”

Hoshyar Zebari, the foreign minister, sounded a similar warning at a Baghdad news conference on Monday. “The dangers vary from civil war to dividing the country or maybe to regional wars,” he said, referring to an American withdrawal. “In our estimation the danger is huge. Until the Iraqi forces and institutions complete their readiness, there is a responsibility on the U.S. and other countries to stand by the Iraqi government and the Iraqi people to help build up their capabilities.”

Are they saying that we need to stay to stop a regional conflict? Shouldn't the powers that be have thought of these consequences before they invaded and overthrew Saddam Hussein? The post war planning was non existent and this is the result. What is the guarantee that staying will stop the carnage they are describing since the carnage is already happening?

They have been wrong about every aspect of this war and I have no reason to believe they are right about this. Our presence in Iraq is fueling hatred and violence and when we leave the violence will not just stop but it will be a step in the right direction.

This war opened up the gates of hell and no matter when we leave this situation will explode. George Bush wanted to be a war President and he got his wish. Remember that saying "be careful what you wish for". He got what he wished for and turned Iraq into a failed state and his Presidency into a colossal failure.

Official: Iraq Gov't Missed All Targets

A progress report on Iraq will conclude that the U.S.-backed government in Baghdad has not met any of its targets for political, economic and other reforms, speeding up the Bush administration's reckoning on what to do next, a U.S. official said Monday.

The "pivot point" for addressing the matter will no longer be Sept. 15, as initially envisioned, when a full report on Bush's so-called "surge" plan is due, but instead will come this week when the interim mid-July assessment is released, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the draft is still under discussion.
But another senior official said Bush's advisers, along with the president, decided last week there was not enough evidence from Iraq to justify a change now in current policy.

The United States has spent over $400 billion dollars in Iraq and lost 3600 U.S. Soldiers in four years yet there has been no measurable progress. Over 655,000 Iraqis are dead who would have otherwise been alive as a result of this war yet we still do not even know the real reason this war was started.

Freedom and Democracy for the Iraqi people is as likely as truth from Fox News. Those that took us to war based on lies are as responsible for needless death as the dictator they removed. No one has been held to account for the disaster that is current day Iraq.

The Bush administration cares more about the political ramifications of its actions then it does the senseless daily carnage that has engulfed Iraq. History will remember this administration as corrupt and inept and will forever judge President Bush as the worst president in our history.

It is obvious that this war will be left for the next administration to deal with. What can never be forgotten is that this is a Bush war and the calamity that is sure to come when its over will be solely on his head.

ARMageddon: Record bill due

More than two million subprime adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) are poised to reset at much higher rates in coming months, worsening an already suffering housing market.

Borrowers who took out hybrid ARMs in 2004 and 2005 to secure low "teaser" rates for the first two or three years of the loan may see their monthly mortgage payments climb by 35 percent or more.

Consumer groups and politicians worry that hundreds of thousands of subprime ARM borrowers will be unable to keep up with their mortgage payments and will lose their homes.

"In October alone more than $50 billion in ARMs will reset," according to Mark Zandi, chief economist and co-founder of Moody's Economy.com. That's a record, according to Zandi.

A buyer in 2005 with poor credit and limited means might have signed on for a $200,000 2/28 hybrid ARM, locking in a fixed rate of 4 percent for two years. After paying $955 a month, his bill would now be set to spike to $1,331, a 39 percent increase.

I posted this article as a complement to the one posted earlier today about the effect of foreclosures on Atlanta. It is obvious by the numbers of foreclosures already filed and the possibility of hundreds of thousands more that the housing industry is just starting its downturn.

This will eventually cause trouble throughout the economy as loans adjust. It will certainly leave less money for discretionary spending and could cause the economy to slip into recession. Two thirds of the economy is consumer spending and if mortgage payments rise as much as expected it will have to have an effect on spending.

Hopefully this experience will lead to tighter lending practices and more stable home prices but if there is money to be made by screwing the middle class, the corrupt practices will continue.

Army Missed Recruiting Goal Again

Where will the President get new cannon fodder if this continues?

Already stretched thin by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army is having a hard time finding new recruits. ABC News has learned the Army missed its recruiting goal in June for the second month in a row. It's the first time in more than two years that the Army has missed recruiting goals for two consecutive months.

The figures are especially worrisome because the summer is traditionally the peak recruiting season. Army officials are now worried that July and August will be difficult as well, raising the possibility that the Army will miss its annual goal of 80,000 new recruits for fiscal year 2007, which ends on September 30. The Army has missed an annual recruiting goal only twice in the last decade -- in 1999 and 2005.

You need to remember that the services lowered their standards to keep recruitment up. What would the numbers have been like with higher standards? It seems that people are finally realizing that joining the service is not in their best interest. If this continues you will begin to hear talk of a draft returning.

The Obstruction of Justice Continues

President Bush invoked executive privilege Monday to deny requests by Congress for testimony from two former aides about the firings of federal prosecutors.

The White House, however, did offer again to make former counsel Harriet Miers and one-time political director Sara Taylor available for private, off-the-record interviews.

In a letter to the heads of the House and Senate Judiciary panels, White House counsel Fred Fielding insisted that Bush was acting in good faith and refused lawmakers' demand that the president explain the basis for invoking the privilege.

Wasn't it generous of President Bush to give them permission to testify in private and not under oath? What do they have to hide? Scooter Libby had his sentence commuted to keep his mouth shut.

This is a criminal administration who fears open testimony for fear it will lead to impeachment. The Congress needs to seriously look at impeachment if for no other reason than to show that the rule of all applies to all citizens including the President. If enough information is uncovered the likelihood of removal grows. That is the fear and the reason they obstruct justice at every turn.

More Propaganda About Iran?

The sudden flurry of digging seen in recent satellite photos of a mountainside in central Iran might have passed for ordinary road tunneling. But the site is the back yard of Iran's most ambitious and controversial nuclear facility, leading U.S. officials and independent experts to reach another conclusion: It appears to be the start of a major tunnel complex inside the mountain.

A tunnel complex would reduce options for a preemptive military strike to knock out Iran's nuclear program, according to U.S. officials who closely follow Iran's nuclear activities. It also could further heighten tensions between the Bush administration and the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has said he is committed to pursuing a peaceful use of nuclear power.

In response to suggestions by Vice President Cheney and others that the United States might consider using force to halt Iran's nuclear ambitions, Ahmadinejad has shrouded the program in additional secrecy and threatened to suspend cooperation with international nuclear inspectors.

Iran has been enriching uranium at Natanz on a small scale for more than four years, creating a less-enriched product that can be used for generating electricity. With further enrichment, the uranium could be used in making weapons.

A report like this makes you realize that Iran is expecting a military attack by the United States. It is well known that Dick Cheney favors military action but he was very willing to do business with Iran while running Halliburton. A war with Iran would make Iraq look like a day at Disney World. Will the people of the United States sit by while yet another war is started in our name with an oil rich Muslim nation? It is time for everyone to take notice to the reporting on this issue. Will the media finally do its job and report both sides of the story or will they once again just parrot the administration talking points?

Increasing Rate of Foreclosures Upsets Atlanta

Despite a vibrant local economy, Atlanta homeowners are falling behind on mortgage payments and losing their homes at one of the highest rates in the nation, offering a troubling glimpse of what experts fear may be in store for other parts of the country.

The real estate slump here and elsewhere is likely to worsen, given that most of the adjustable rate mortgages written in the last three years will be reset with higher interest rates, said Christopher F. Thornberg, an economist with Beacon Economics in Los Angeles. As a result, borrowers of an estimated $800 billion in loans will be forced in the next 12 months to 18 months to make bigger monthly payments, refinance or sell their homes.

The questions people need to be asking is why were lenders allowed to loan money to people who could not afford the payments? The ease of credit has been a contributing factor to the steep rise in home prices. People were willing to borrow more than they could afford with the thought that the price of the home would rise so quickly that if they could no longer afford it a quick sale would result in a large profit. Those days appear to be over with home prices falling and foreclosures now at all time records.

The problems include not just people losing their homes, but also sharp declines in property values, particularly in lower-income and working-class neighborhoods.

For example, a three-bedroom house near Turner Field, where the Atlanta Braves baseball team plays, fetched a high bid late last month of $134,000 at an auction by the bank that took possession of it. Almost three years ago, the new home was bought for $330,000.

Once again it is the lower and working classes who will bear the brunt of this downturn but it will eventually work its way into all areas of the economy. Unscrupulous lenders will frequently target the poor and working class giving them the hope that they too can own a home. The subprime mortgage disaster is the result of these lending practices.

So far, the pain has been limited to those on the financial margins, but as more loans are reset to higher rates and home prices continue to slide, more homeowners will be unable to meet rising payments or to refinance. “This is a process that is starting low and will go high,” said Mr. Thornberg, the economist in Los Angeles.

The housing market will continue to decline for at least the next year as these subprime loans reset. In the end a correction in the housing market will be good for the middle class as homes go back to prices that are affordable but those caught in the foreclosure crunch could see their credit ratings destroyed for life.

Sheehan Considers Challenge to Pelosi

Cindy Sheehan, the soldier's mother who galvanized the anti-war movement, said Sunday that she plans to seek House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's congressional seat unless she introduces articles of impeachment against President Bush in the next two weeks.

Sheehan said she will run against the San Francisco Democrat in 2008 as an independent if Pelosi does not seek by July 23 to impeach Bush. That's when Sheehan and her supporters are to arrive in Washington, D.C., after a 13-day caravan and walking tour starting next week from the group's war protest site near Bush's Crawford ranch.

"Democrats and Americans feel betrayed by the Democratic leadership," Sheehan told The Associated Press. "We hired them to bring an end to the war. I'm not too far from San Francisco, so it wouldn't be too big of a move for me. I would give her a run for her money."

I have a great deal of respect for Cindy Sheehan. In many ways it was her voice, after the death of her son, that started a true anti-war movement but I must disagree with this tactic.

I think it is very naive to think that a simple change in Congressional leadership could end this war. The Democrats simply do not have the votes to override a presidential veto and stop this war. I am totally for impeachment of this President and Vice President but there again the votes are simply not there for removal.

Simplistic resolutions to the war and impeachment of this President do not exist. Cindy Sheehan has a right to challenge Speaker Pelosi as does any other citizen in the district that feels she has not performed her job as well as expected. The issue is not her right to challenge but her motives for doing so. Cindy Sheehan has become an expert on how Washington works and she knows better than anyone that there is no magic wand to stop this war.

Cindy Sheehan should spend her time persuading waivering Republicans that this war needs to end. Getting 67 votes to override a Presidential veto is the only hope of stopping this war.