Desperate Starlet

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL-AID TABLE

CELEBRITY IN CHIEF BARRY O WAS DESPERATE TO FEEL BELOVED AND, LET'S FACE IT, GET OUT OF DOING WORK . . . AGAIN. SO HE TACKED HIS TIRED ASS ONTO A FAUX ROCK CONCERT WHERE FAUX ROCKER BEN HARPER WAS ENJOYING THE LAST OF THE GOODWILL HE BUILT UP IN THE 90S AND SO-CALLED INDIE GROUP THE NATIONAL WAS ALSO SAYING FAREWELL TO THEIR AUDIENCE.

THE DNC TRIED TO INSIST THAT 26,500 PEOPLE WERE PRESENT.

LIE. EVEN WITH FREE CONCERTS AND FREE FOOD, EVEN COUNTING, ACCORDING TO UNIVERSITY SECURITY SOURCES, GENEROUSLY, THE OFFICIAL TOTAL OF 17,000 WAS SAID TO BE AT LEAST 5,000 "GENEROUS" (OVER).

REMEMBER THIS IS MADISON, WISCONSIN. WHERE NOTHING HAPPENS. THOUGH THE EVENT DIDN'T START UNTIL ALMOST 5 O'CLOCK (AND THE CONCERTS UNTIL AFTER FIVE), THE SLEEPY CITY BECAME EVEN MORE SLEEPY DUE TO BARRY O'S VISIT AND ATTEMPTS TO HEARD THE RESIDENTS LIKE CATTLE:

Downtown traffic will be affected by street closings beginning at noon on September 28. Langdon Street will be closed between Park Street and Lake Street, and Lake will be closed north of the Lake Street Parking Ramp. Park will be closed from Lake Mendota to University Avenue. Observatory Drive remains closed due to construction. All those travelling in the campus area should be prepared for delays.




AND EVEN THERE BARRY O BOMBED. ALTHOUGH HE DID SPORT A BROWN PAIR OF SLACKS THAT, AS WITH HIS MOMMY JEANS, MADE CLEAR PRINCESS TINY MEAT HAS NO PACKAGE.

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

In less than a week, 'Operation New Dawn' has claimed the lives of at least 3 US military service members. Yesterday's snapshot noted: "Saturday's news noted that Marc Whisenart was killed in Kuwait while on his second tour of duty in the Iraq War. Middletown Press reports Pfc Gebrah P. Noonan died Thursday in Falluja and that Governor Jodi Rell has ordered that state flags be lowered on Noonan's behalf. Friday USF announced: 'CAMP LIBERTY – Two United States Forces - Iraq service members died of injuries sustained in a non-combat-related incident today. One other service member was injured and evacuated to a military medical facility for treatment'." That's three. And correction, it's Marc "Whisenant." My apologies. Whisenant's death is announced by DoD here. The Walton Sun notes, "The mission of Whisenant's regiment was providing escort security for personnel and equipment from Iraq into Kuwait as part of the drawdown of forces under Operation New Dawn. The unit was deployed January 2010 and is expected to return home December 2010." Noonan's death is covered in this DoD announcement:

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation New Dawn.
They died Sept. 24 in Fallujah, Iraq, of injuries sustained Sept. 23 in a non-combat incident. They were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.
Killed were:
Spc. John Carrillo Jr., 20, of Stockton, Calif.
Pfc. Gebrah P. Noonan, 26, of Watertown, Conn.
For more information, the media may contact the Fort Stewart public affairs office at 912-435-9879 or 912-435-9874.

Mohammed Tafeeq (CNN) report Spc Neftaly Platero is currently in military custody and suspected of killing Noonan and Carrillo. KCRA (link has text and video) reports that's John's mother Dsiree Carillos was not told her son might have been killed by another US soldier when the military broke the news that her son was dead. She states, "It was very devastating to find out he was shot by a fellow soldier. (It) is unbelievable. The military should be embarrassed." BBC News quotes US military spokesperson Barry Johnson stating that there was a "verbal altercation" which allegedly resulted in Platero shooting the other three soldiers. Leila Fadel (Washington Post) notes Platero is 32-years-old. CNN adds, "Several people posted rest-in-peace messages on what appears to be Noonan's Facebook page. The page of 'Gebrah Noonan' also lists 'Neftaly Platero' -- the same name as the suspect -- as a Facebook friend." Kent Pierce (WTNH) quotes Gebrah Noonan's high school track coach, Dean Street, stating, "He was certainly a patriotic guy. He would mention things about it time to time, big into politics, everything that was going on." On his Facebook page, Gebrah's likes include Rob Simmons and Sarah Palin. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's office issued the following:

Gov. Schwarzenegger Issues Statement on Death of Stockton Soldier Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today issued the following statement regarding the death of Spc. John Carrillo Jr. of Stockton:
"Maria and I were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Specialist John Carrillo Junior. He was a brave soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country, and we join all Californians in remembering his courage and commitment. Our thoughts and prayers are with John's family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time."
Carrillo, 20, died September 24 in Fallujah, Iraq, of injuries sustained September 23 in a non-combat incident. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, GA.
In honor of Spc. Carrillo, Capitol flags will be flown at half-staff.

So DoD is announcing 3 deaths above in 'Operation New Dawn.' 4425 was the DoD count on Thursday so the count is now 4428. And since Barack announced 'the end of war' and 'combat operations,' 7 US soldiers have died serving in this allegedly ended war. 'End of war'? Yes, that's what Barack and the press attempted to sell the American people. The current liar in chief learned a great deal about linkage from George W. Bush (who loved to link 9-11 and Iraq -- a trick Barack now echoes). Doubt that was the point of Barry's Oval Office minute?

When I was campaigning, I was very specific. I said, "We are going to end the war in Iraq, that was a mistake," and I have done that.

That's Barack purring into Jann S. Wenner's ear for the latest Rolling Stone Interview. "I have done that." He has ended the Iraq War? That's what he brags about. His gross exaggeration is only matched by his preening ego. The Iraq War has not ended. Repeating, since his 'ending' of that illegal war, 7 more US service members have died. 50,000 remain in Iraq. And that should scare the hell out of the Cult of St. Barack.

If you never doubted how likely it was that US troops would remain in Iraq after 2011, grasp that with 50,000 present currently, Barack's telling Rolling Stone he's already ended the Iraq War.

Saturday, Parks & Recreations' Amy Poehler returned to Saturday Night Live as the host and, on Weekend Update, she and Seth Meyers did their "Really" sketch (click here to stream the episode at NBC, click here to stream it at Hulu and click here to stream the Weekend Update clip at Hulu).

Seth Meyers: But you know what else is crazy? Anyone who says we need to attack Iran because we're definitely in two wars already. Yes, two. Because saying combat operations are over in Iraq when they're are still 50,000 troops is like saying, 'Hey, I quit drinking . . . tequila shots!'

Amy Poehler: Really.

Seth Meyers: Really.

Monday, Gabriel Gatehouse (BBC News) spoke with John Hockenberry and Celeste Headlee on The Takeaway (PRI) about the continuing Iraq War and shared the voices of some US soldiers in Iraq.

Capt Paul Cluverius: We have some soldiers, they were a little angry about it, saying, 'Hey, we're still over here. My personal standpoint? I thought it was humorous that they're saying combat operations are stopped because, I mean, combat operations are stopped? And what are we still doing here now? But our families, the people who know us, they know what we're doing. There is no switch that you can throw to say combat operations are stopped. I believe it was more of a media -- It was something built for the media.

From that broadcast, we'll note this excerpt:

John Hockenberry: I mentioned the combat operations in Afghanistan not to get your commentary, on them obviously, you're in 'Bagdhad, but because most Americans are going to wake up this morning and hear the headline from "America's War," singular, the one in Afghanistan. You would say there are two wars, right?

Gabriel Gatehouse: I would definitely say that and I think Capt Paul Cluverius and Sgt Chris Williams would agree with me. I think most of the US soldiers who are based outside of the large FOBs, outside of the large bases, partnering with Iraqis on a daily basis would agree with you. This war is not over yet.

Of course, the people explaining reality? They're not trying to lie, cheat and spin in order to do well in mid-term elections. It's a damn shame that Barack's been able to tell Rolling Stone magazine that the Iraq War ended and everyone and their dog has gone on to comment since the story broke this morning but no one's zooming in on the Iraq comments (we zoomed in this morning as soon as the story went online). And it's not just the mainstream media ignoring Barack's LIE (although over 420 articles have been published by them since this morning), it's also our left 'independent' press.

There's more to point out. Journalist Ann Jones has new book which was just released this month War Is Not Over When It's Over: Women Speak Out from the Ruins of War. She is Matthew Rothschild's guest this week on The Progressive Radio Show and the two discuss wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Sierra Leone and elsewhere. At one point, Matthew Rothschild brings up the issue of rape.

Ann Jones: [. . .] we think of wars as being fought by soldiers -- mostly men -- and they fight with each other and then some sort of peace is concluded at which men sit down at the negotiating table and make a deal -- one that usually involves their coming to some sort of a power sharing agreement so everybody gets a piece of the pie. And then we say 'the war is over and now this country is at peace.' But in fact, all the time the men are at war and all the time they're talking about peace at the negotiating table, they are raping women and girls all over the country all the time. And when this so-called peace is concluded, they continue to do that. And, what's more, because civil structures, judicial structures, law and order have generally broken down during wartime, civilian men say 'Well look what the soldiers did all this time during the war and nothing bad has happened to them.' And they begin to rape as well so that very often the violence against women not only does not stop with the end of the war, but very often it increases. And the one significant thing that changes in many places is that where the militias have actually been disarmed and weapons have been taken away, men are now on their own. And it's easier for a man on his own, without his buddies to do a [. . .] rape, or to force a woman. It's easier for that man on his own to rape a little girl than it is to rape a grown woman who's going to put up a fight.

But that didn't happen. Ann Jones notes that despite the UN, over a decade ago, passing a resolution that women needed to be involved in all parts of any peace proces, that hasn't been happening in any stages in Iraq or Afghanistan. Maybe that's why US troops remain in both?

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