Cedric's Big Mix

Friday, November 27, 2015

Bill Clinton speaks

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

CRANKY CLINTON GOT ANOTHER ENDORSEMENT BUT NO REAL ENTHUSIASM.

REACHED FOR COMMENT, POTENTIAL FIRST DUDE BILL CLINTON SAID, "WELCOME TO MY WORLD."

HE QUICKLY ADDED, "SHE'S JUST SO BLAND. IF SHE WERE A BREAKFAST FOOD, SHE'D BE PLAIN OATMEAL."

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

Bombing the Islamic State, David Cameron insists, will make Iraq safer?

What safety has come from all these bombings?

ARUTZ SHEVA notes, "The US has been bombing the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria since mid-2015, accounting for the vast majority of the coalition's air strikes."

Nothing's come of it, the Islamic State continues.

Iraq's being destroyed as a result.

Who knows what environmental damage is being done.

The US government's previous use of depleted uranium has resulted in massive birth defects who knows what these bombings will result in?

Right now, it's just supposed to be a wonderful gift -- bombs falling on your country.

That's not all the US government is doing in Iraq though.

For example, US President Barack Obama sent US troops into Iraq to train or 'train.'

The Defense Dept Tweeted the following confusing item today:

U.S. Dept of Defense Verified account ‏@DeptofDefense 2 hours ago

.@USMC machine gunner performs a radio check while standing security in Al Taqaddum, #Iraq supporting @CJTFOIR

75 retweets 151 likes

I'm sorry, who is that US Marine training?

I don't see training in that photo.

I see a US Marine standing guard.

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Sunday, November 22, 2015

She's always changing something

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

IF SHE'S NOT CHANGING HER POLITICAL POSITION, SHE'S CHANGING HER HAIR.

OR HER NAME.

REACHED FOR COMMENT BY THESE REPORTERS, CRANKY CLINTON EXPLAINED, "LOOK, WHEN YOU'VE GOT A RAP SHEET LIKE MINE, WITH ALL THOSE WAR CRIMES, YOU'D WANT TO SHUFFLE YOUR ALIASES AS WELL!"

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

Today, the US Defense Dept announced:

Strikes in Iraq

Bomber, attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 20 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:

-- Near Albu Hayat, one strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three ISIL buildings.

-- Near Bayji, one strike destroyed an ISIL tactical vehicle.

-- Near Kisik, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL vehicle, and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.

-- Near Mosul, four strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed five ISIL fighting positions, three ISIL heavy machine guns, an ISIL bunker, and an ISIL vehicle.

-- Near Qayyarah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL weapons cache and three ISIL fighting positions.

-- Near Ramadi, six strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL command and control facility, 15 ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL buildings, five ISIL heavy machine guns, an ISIL recoilless rifle, an ISIL mortar system, an ISIL IED facility, an ISIL resupply warehouse, and denied ISIL access to terrain.

-- Near Sinjar, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun, an ISIL fighting position, and an ISIL checkpoint.

-- Near Sultan Abdallah, two strikes struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL assembly areas.

Of course, these are precision strikes.

Not like the Russian air strikes, as a DoD official pompously declared earlier this month.

There are no precision strikes.

BBC News reports:

A US air strike aimed at an IS checkpoint is likely to have killed four civilians, possibly including a child, the US military has said.

On Friday the military released the findings of an investigation into the incident, which took place in March.
Investigators concluded the checkpoint was a valid target and the attack did not violate international laws.
The US has rarely acknowledged civilian deaths in the fight against IS and the announcement brings the total to six.

AFP adds, "It marks only the second such concession since the start of a coalition air campaign in Iraq and Syria - the U.S. military in November 2014 admitted accidentally killing two children during a strike in Syria."

Only the second concession and the first for Iraq.

Lest anyone mistakenly thinks that means civilians have not been dying in Iraq and Syria as a result of the US-led airstrikes, AirWars estimates that the air strikes have killed between 653 to 2001 civilians.

That's probably a conservative estimate.

But the media always wants to play along with the myth that all these bombs being dropped never land on civilians.

For example, Telesur TV reports, "Turkish warplanes launched airstrikes in Northern Iraq on Friday night, destroying shelters and supply points of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)." AFP adds, "The military did not give further details but the state-run Anatolia news agency said the operation involved 22 fighter jets and that 23 targets were hit."

But funny thing is, when you leave the press releases from the Turkish government and talk to the actual people where the bombs are being dropped, they talk of farms destroyed, people terrorized and, yes, people (civilians) killed.

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"Casting Cranky Clinton"

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Casting Cranky Clinton

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

CRANKY CLINTON HAS DECLARED THAT SHE WANTS MERYL STREEP TO PLAY HER WHEN A FILM'S MADE -- BUT DOES MERYL ACT OUT PERP WALKS?

MORE IMPORTANTLY, AFTER JACK & JILL, WASN'T ADAM SANDLER ALREADY GEARING UP TO PLAY CRANKY?

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

Yes, more bombings.

It's apparently the only thing in Barack's tool box.

More bombings at a time when Robert Burns (AP) estimates the average number of bombs dropped on Iraq and Syria by coalition forces in one month is 2228, that the US government is spending $11.1 million a day of taxpayer dollars and has spent $5 billion alone "since August 2014."

And what is the result?

The Associated Press words it carefully: "But what has been the result? In a word, stalemate, although U.S. military officials say they see the tide gradually turning in their favor."

In straight forward words?

Operation Inherent Failure.

On CNN this week, we had the always ready to wrap her legs around a war Christian Amanpour insisting on "an honest conversation"

She was speaking to Anderson Cooper on Monday, during CNN's endless Paris coverage, and insisting that Barack Obama's strategy or plan for addressing the Islamic State was a failure.

It is a failure.

How many moths have we been calling it Operation Inhernet Failure here?

Thanks for joining the conversation, Christiane, but I won't let you hijack it.

Barack's 'plan' has been non-stop bombings. It is a military plan.

Despite the fact that he insisted two months before he started the bombings that the only answer was a political solution (June 19, 2014, he said it).

So Barack's 'plan' is a failure but it's a failure because he's spent about 16 months bombing and finding other countries to bomb Iraq.

He's failed tto address the issues in any way that have resulted in a political solution.

Now if the whores who see their poster boy Barack as more important than Iraqi life could have been honest, I wouldn't be alone in making this argument.

But the left or 'left' seems paralyzed when it comes to sticking up for any belief if it conflicts with their It Girl Barack.

The military plan he's executed was always going to be a failure.

If, like the War Hawks, you've accepted the military plan of Barack's as the answer, then of course you will insist for more military action.

Niles Williamson (WSWS) notes the one-note response the media is presenting:

Less than 24 hours after the terrorist attack by ISIS in Paris on Friday night killed 129 people and wounded hundreds more, the chief liberal opinion writers in the United States are calling for a massive escalation of the imperialist interventions in Syria and Iraq.

[. . .]
In their drive for an expanded war, no serious questions are raised about what lies behind the attacks, or about the impact of more than 14 years of unending war in the Middle East as part of the efforts of the US and its allies to assert hegemonic control over the region and its strategic resources.
Among the chief warmongers are the New York Times’ Roger Cohen and the Washington Post’s Richard Cohen, two journalists who represent what passes for liberal democratic opinion in the United States.
Over the last two decades there has not been a single American military intervention or imperialist provocation that either Cohen has not supported. In their endorsement and promotion of intervention in Iraq in 2003 on the basis of lies about nonexistent “weapons of mass destruction,” they bear significant responsibility for the catastrophe in the Middle East which they now seek to escalate.

If you want to talk about war and further war, endorsing it, the media has a spot for you front and center. But if you want to question this war -- not to increase military action but to insist upon political solutions -- there's no space for you among all the papers and all the channels throughout the United States.

The conformist cry for more war passes not only for 'insight' but also for 'diversity' in the conformist and limited media landscape that bullies the people.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

She wears multiple rugs!

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

CRANKY CLINTON'S HAIR SHOULD BE THE LEAST OF HER SCANDALS.

BUT WITH CRANKY, EVERY OTHER WORD IS ALWAYS A LIE.

DOES SHE WEAR A WIG?

CRANKY SWEARS ON HER SAINTED MOTHER'S LATE LIFE THAT SHE DOES NOT.

BUT SHE WEASELS OUT OF WHETHER OR NOT -- KEY QUESTION -- SHE AUGMENT'S HER SENIOR CITIZEN THINNING SCALP WITH PIECES.

DOES SHE ADD PIECES TO EXISTING HAIR?

REACHED FOR COMMENT, CRANKY SNARLED, "YOU ROTTEN KIDS! I WOULD'VE GOTTEN AWAY WITH IT IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU!"

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

Saturday, former Senator and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Governor Martin O'Malley and Senator Bernie Sanders took to the stage for the lowest rated political party debate so far this year.

We noted some of it in Sunday's snapshot.

Today, Bustle let Jqcqueline Derks flaunt her stupidity.

Derks felt too much time was spent on Iraq and sees it all as ancient history.

That's her opinion.

I disagree.

But it's her opinion.

Her opinion doesn't make her stupid.

The fact that she doesn't know the facts makes her stupid.

She writes of Sanders:

Clearly, the removal of Saddam Hussein had negative consequences like the escalation of sectarian violence. But despite ISIS's claim of statehood, it does not operate in the international order like a country, nor is it recognized as such. There is no regime to overturn. It's a non-state entity. It's difficult to understand why Sanders' brought this up in the midst of the Iraq discussion that wasn't explicitly referencing ISIS in Syria. Sanders' point simply added confusion to his already lackluster defense plan.

Oh, you stupid little twit.

The Islamic State is about overturning the Iraq regime -- in Iraq, that's what it's about.

If the dumb ass knew a damn thing about the persecution of the Sunnis, or the US government's willingnees to go along with that persecution, she'd understand why the Islamic State got a toe-hold in Iraq to begin with.

Go to the archives here, we said it was coming.

We noted in the prison breaks of 2010, for example, that the prisoners -- Sunnis -- were being aided -- post prison-break -- by the attacks on the Sunnis.

Prison breaks meant Sunnis turned their eyes and kept their mouths shut about prisoners.

They didn't turn them in.

That was the beginning of a significant shift.

The Sunnis were wrongly imprisoned

I'd love to see the dumb ass write about that.

They were disappeared -- as happened in Chile under thug Pinochet.

And who were the arrested?

Usually, they were the brother, the sister, the child, the mother or father of the suspect.

The suspect.

Not anyone convicted.

A suspect.

And when the Iraqi forces couldn't find the suspect, they grabbed family members and hauled them off.

They were disappeared.

If they were women, as Parliament established in the fall of 2012, they were beaten and raped in prison.

Bustle never showed any interest in that, did they?

This is what providing the breeding ground for the Islamic State.

Sunnis were persecuted, they were not a part of the government, and they had no stake in it as a result.

Which is why, even to this day, you get the attitude expressed by many Sunnis in Iraq that the Islamic State's battle with Iraqi forces has nothing to do with them.

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"Cranky defends (mis)use of 9/11 in debate"

Monday, November 16, 2015

Cranky defends (mis)use of 9/11 in debate

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

CRANKY CLINTON WAS ON THE DEFENSIVE AT SATURDAY'S DEBATE.

SHE EVEN TOSSED OUT 9/11 AS A CATCH ALL EXCUSE AND APPLAUSE LINE.

REACHED FOR COMMENT, CRANKY TOLD THESE REPORTERS THAT SHE WAS SURPRISED BY THE CRITICISM.

"ME," SHE INSISTED, "NOT JEB, ME. I'M THE TRUE HEIR TO BULLY BOY BUSH. JUST ASK HIM. SO I CAN INVOKE 9/11 ANYTIME I WANT. AND I'LL EXTRAORDINARY RENDITE ANYONE WHO SAYS OTHERWISE!"

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

Iraq War veteran Matt McLaughlin reflected on the Iraq War and politician's responsibilities this week in a column for the Somerville Journal which included the following:

This moment was not very significant at first, but after two tours in Iraq and every year since, I asked myself “if that drill sergeant knew we would be there for years, why didn’t our elected officials? If he knew the truth, and 21-year-old Matt McLaughlin knew enough to ask questions, why didn’t the most informed people in the nation?”
The truth is they did know better. The politicians who voted yes to Iraq did so because it was politically expedient. Republicans and Democrats made a rare bipartisan decision to give Bush unlimited war powers. But they were not a united voice. One hundred and thirty-three members of Congress voted against the war. Their courage serves as a historical rebuttal to the idea that Iraq was a simple mistake based off bad information.
[. . . ]
I can forgive individuals for their trespasses, just as I hope I’m forgiven for my mistakes. But I will never willingly let such individuals make life and death decisions again. They already proved they would choose their political life over someone else’s death. I can forgive, but I will never forget. I will always remember. Army veteran Matthew McLaughlin served two tours in Iraq.

That's some honest truth.

So few people can offer it.

Take professional liar Jeffrey Marburg-Goodman.

At Huffington Post this week, he rushed in to defend Hillary on, of all topics, Iraq.

He 'forgot' to inform readers that he was part of her 2008 campaign.

The same way he forgot to tell readers he was tied to the corrupt no-bid contracts in Iraq that the US government 'rewarded' certain big donors with.

He especially forgets -- as does Huffington Post -- forget to tell you that this "Obama administration official" sered in the Bully Boy Bush administration as well. In 2004, for exaple, his title was Assistant General Counsel for Government Contracts at the US Agency for International Development.

For his embarrassing defense of the Bully Boy Bush administration's corrupt and no-bid contracts see the defense of it he offered in 2003 entitled [PDF format warning] "USAID'S Iraq Procurement Contracts:Insider's View" (and don't e-mail to tell me that the capital "S" after USAID should be lower case -- it's his typo).

But the liar's back to offer more lies when he should probably be issuing an apology for those no-bid contracts -- possibly issuing from a federal prison cell.

Is it any surprise a whore for Bush and Barack would show to whore for Hillary as well?

DC's little more than a gan of thieves these days.

It's a corrupt sewer waiting for someone to drain it.

Instead we get Marburg-Goodman serving up his version of fan fiction erotica, "Re-Examing Iraq: Is Hillary Really a Hawk?"

Let's look in on Marburg-Goodman's crap-trash:

Here are the facts: on October 11, 2002, Clinton joined a strong majority of Democrats, including liberal and left-center Democrats like John Kerry, Tom Harkin, and Joe Biden in voting "yes" on the Resolution authorizing the use of military force against Iraq.
While that resolution did indeed authorize President Bush, under strict requirements of the 1973 War Powers Act, to use force, it remains largely forgotten that Clinton's vote authorized using such force only as "necessary and appropriate in order to defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq," and to do so only upon the President certifying to Congress that "diplomatic or other peaceful means" would be insufficient to defang Saddam.

That's the sign of a really bad liar -- not even able to come up with a new lie.

Talk about lazy.

We've heard this lie before.

Elizabeth Edwards trotted this out to defend her husband John Edwards.

It was at the same time she was castigating Hillary in the press for being married to a . . . cheater.

Remember that?

Remember how Edwards not only had a mistress but he had a pregnant mistress who gave birth to his child.

But liar Elizabeth Edwards had the gall to attack Hillary for Bill's affairs?

So the liar today wants you to know Hillary voted "yes" for war -- but "yes" for another war, you understand.

Not the war that still ravages Iraq and has left over one million Iraqis dead, killed around 5,000 US military personnel, left wounded many more, not that war.

No, no, no.

Hillary voted for another Iraq war.

It reminds me of a scene in "The feminist film classic of the 90s," the Sandra Seacat directed comedy classic IN THE SPIRIT from a screenplay by Jeannie Berlin and Laurie Jones, starring Marlo Thomas and Elaine May. In the scene noted below, Reva (Marlo) and (Marianne (Elaine) pretend to be hookers to get prostitute and porn actress Lureen (Melanie Griffith) to open up to them about murder victim Crystal.

Lureen: I better quit drinking. I've got to go do The Robin Byrd Show in an hour.

Reva: Oh really? Are you an actress?

Marianne: Yeah.

Lureen: You know Karl Percy, don't you? From Albany?

Reva: Oh yeah.

Marianne: Yeah.

Reva: We, uh, we worked for him.

Lureen: You're kidding. Which movies?

Marianne: The early ones.

Reva: Yeah, the early ones.

Lureen: You mean like Finger Licking Good? 20 Laps?

Mariann: Yeah, that's right.

Lureen: Wow.

Reva: No, I-I wasn't in 20 Laps.

Lureen: Oh.

Reva: I had another part.

Lureen: Oh.

Reva: In a musical.

Lureen: You're kidding!

Marianne: She is.

Lureen: You know, Crystal was so good in Hot Sausages --

Reva: Uh-huh.

Lureen: -- but she just never followed through. She had no ambition.

Marianne: I think that she was very dumb to get mixed up with Chuckle.

Lureen: Yeah, well, Crystal was dumb. And Chuckles is smart. He is real smart. He is too smart. I get scared of guys who are that smart. You know, and he really gets off on showing you just how smart he is -- like a really mean cat with a bird.

FYI, Marlo's currently winning raves for another superb comedic performance in the play CLEVER LITTLE LIES now playing at New York's Westside Theatre (407 West 43rd Street).

But that's what the dreadful Huffington Post column, insisting Hillary voted for the Iraq War but, you understand, a different Iraq War reminds me of: Reva insisting she made porn but not 20 LAPS, instead she was in a musical.

Hillary voted for the war.

So did John Kerry.

So did many other cowards.

One thing to Hillary's credit, she hasn't attempted the lie that Jeffrey Marburg-Goodman does.

Marburg-Goodman also offers:

When Hillary Clinton was challenged on her Iraq war vote at last month's Democratic debate, the front-running candidate pointed to President Obama's 2008 selection of herself as Secretary of State as affirmation of his continuing confidence in her judgment on matters of war and peace.

Oh, Barack's Iraq judgment?

The same Barack who chose Joe Biden as his running mate?

Biden also supported the Iraq War.

The same Barack who chose John Kerry for Secretary of State?

John supported the Iraq War -- he was for it before he was against it -- remember that 2004 howler?

The same Barack who found Iraq War cheerleader Samantha Power several spots in his administration?

The same Barack who found Iraq War cheerleader Susan Rice a spot?

As we have long pointed out, Ann Wright -- who resigned from the State Dept over the Iraq War -- wasn't given a post in the administration.

But those who supported the war were littered throughout Barack's administration.

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"Bill had a mistress, Cranky has a plan"

Friday, November 13, 2015

Bill had a mistress, Cranky has a plan

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

FAKE TALKING CRANKY CLINTON IS GETTING CALLED OUT ON HER LATEST 'TRUTH' WHICH SOUNDS A LOT LIKE THE DEFINITION OF "LIE" IF YOU CHOOSE TO LOOK THE TERM UP IN THE DICTIONARY.

REACHED FOR COMMENT TODAY BY THESE REPORTERS, CRANKY DECLARED SHE COULDN'T COMMENT, "I CAN'T COMMENT, BOYS. I'M FAR TOO BUSY PREPARING FOR SATURDAY'S DEBATE. BUT I CAN TELL YOU I WILL BE UTILIZING A STRATEGY I LIKE TO CALL 'THE ANTI-LEWISNKY WAY' -- A.K.A. DON'T BLOW IT! OH, I'M SO FUNNY. SOMETIMES I FORGET HOW FUNNY I AM!"

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

And the airstrikes will continue tomorrow.

They've gone on daily since August . . .

of last year.

They've accomplished nothing of value and only a fool would think that they might.

At this late date, only a professional idiot would still hold out hope of something coming from these bombings.

Yesterday the United Nations Security Council heard about Iraq. The UN notes:

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi faces “immense challenges” to his efforts to bring reconciliation and broaden the political process in his strife-torn nation, confronting obstacles from all sides, the top United Nations official in the country warned the Security Council today.
“Since taking office (a year ago), the Prime Minister has been struggling to exercise his authority while his opponents grow bolder,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Representative Ján Kubiš told the Council, presenting the latest UN report on the country. “Meanwhile, the scope and impact of the reforms have not met public expectations.”
“Despite hopes that he would be able to move national reconciliation forward and bring the broader Sunni community into the political process, the Prime Minister's efforts have been obstructed by elements within all Iraqi components, the main reasons being lack of trust and vested interests.”

We'll note this from Jan Kubis' testimony:

Special Representative Jan Kubis: In July, when the country was experiencing record high temperatures and repeated electricity cuts, popular demonstrations erupted to protest the poor delivery of services in Baghdad and the southern governorates. By early August, the demonstrations had grown in strength and numbers. The protests have recurred each Friday and are led by civil society groups and young people, who are demanding better services, better governance and an end to government corruption and mismanagement. The protesters' demands for reform gained momentum when, on 7 August, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani urged Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to take decisive action against corruption, improve the Government’s performance, reduce public sector expenditure and publicly name officials who are impeding reforms. On 9 August, Prime Minister al-Abadi announced a reform plan to address the economic and social needs of Iraq, counter corruption and strengthen democratic institutions. The plan included downsizing the Government to reduce public expenditure and improve State performance, abolishing the posts of Vice-President and deputy prime ministers as well as a number of senior officials in various ministries, reducing their salaries, protecting services, and judicial reform. The reform plan was unanimously endorsed by the Council of Ministers just hours after the Prime Minister's announcement. On 11 August, the Council of Representatives unanimously approved Prime Minister al-Abadi's first package of reforms and its own reform package to complement the Prime Minister's measures. The Council of Representatives also stated that the reforms should be in conformity with the Constitution of Iraq and other laws. Following the endorsement by the Council of Representatives of the reform packages, Prime Minister al-Abadi began reducing the number of Government personnel. On 16 August, he ordered the immediate abolishment of his deputies' posts, the reduction of the Council of Ministers from 34 to 22 members and the dissolution of the Ministries of Human Rights, Women's Affairs, and Municipalities and Public Works. He also ordered the merging of Ministries with similar specialized functions: Science and Technology with Higher Education and Scientific Research; Environment with Health; Municipalities and Public Works with Housing; and Tourism and Antiquities with Culture. On 20 August, the Prime Minister announced a 90 percent reduction in the number of personnel dedicated to providing protection for Government officials. On 9 September, he announced the dismissal of 123 senior officials from their posts. They were to either retire or have their administrative status adjusted. The Prime Minister also took steps to formalize the abolition of the posts of the Vice- Presidents. On 20 August, he ceased the payment of their financial entitlements and on 15 September, the Council of Ministers submitted to the Council of Representatives a draft law to aboli sh their posts. All three Vice - Presidents publicly stated that they considered the abolition of their posts unconstitutional. 8 . The Government took steps t o initiate inquiries into allegations of political corruption. On 15 August, the Presidency of the Council of Representatives referred to outstanding cases of corruption against staff in the Ministries of Defence and Commerce concerning the award of arms contracts. The day before, the Chairman of the Integrity Commission, Hassan al-Yassiri, had announced that travel bans had been instituted against those under investigation for corruption.

So there's real movement on the political front? That's the story?

Nope.

Special Representative Jan Kubis: Most of the priority legislation that would aid national reconciliation, however, remained pending in Parliament. Votes on the national guard law were postponed on 30 August and again on 7 September owing to disagreements between parliamentary blocs over its provisions. Additionally, no progress was made towards the enactment of a general amnesty law since its first reading on 5 July. Meanwhile, the National Reconciliation Committee of the Council of Representatives separated the Justice and Accountability and Banning of the Baath Party Act into two bills on 25 July. While the Council of Representatives concluded, on 30 July, the first reading of the draft law on the banning of the Baath Party, dissolved entities and parties, and the activities of racism, terrorism and takfir (charge of unbelief), no voting took place on legislation that would revise de-baathification measures. On 15 September, the Council of Ministers decided to withdraw and review all draft laws submitted to the Council of Representatives by the previous Government. This amounted to some 80 draft bills, including the draft anti-terrorism law of 2005.

Before US President Barack Obama became enthralled with airstrikes, he was fond of pointing out that the only answer to Iraq's various crises was a "political solution." June 19, 2014, he was proud of declaring that publicly.

Yet when he began the current wave/latest wave of the Iraq War (August 2014, less than two months later), he was obsessed with bombings and completely forgot about the need for a political solution.

Bombing has passed for a 'plan.'

Who thinks Barack's 'plan' is working at this point?

Former prime minister and forever thug Nouri al-Maliki has waded into the discussion and called out the US. He says there's no way the Islamic State could survive these bombings and fears some nations (he means the US in that "some") want to see the Islamic State succeed.

Barack looks like an idiot because he's set himself up to be.

In June 2014, he was full of talk about how this would require a political solution -- Iraq's crises -- and how this or that (military actions) would not fix the problems.

And the bombings weren't intended to.

Until Barack lost any interest in a political solution.

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"Most Americans see Cranky Clinton as unethical or criminal"

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Most Americans see Cranky Clinton as unethical or criminal

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

68% OF AMERICANS BELIEVE CRANKY CLINTON ACTED EITHER ILLEGALLY OR UNETHICALLY WITH REGARDS TO HER REFUSAL TO USE A GOVERNMENT E-MAIL ACCOUNT WHILE SECRETARY OF STATE INSTEAD RELYING ON A PRIVATE SERVER OF QUESTIONABLE SECURITY.

WHILE NOT DISMISSING THE POLL, CRANKY APPEARED UNFAZED BY THE RESULTS.

"WHEN I MOVED TO ARKANSAS," SHE TOLD THESE REPORTERS EARLIER TODAY, "PROBABLY 99% OF THE PEOPLE THERE THOUGHT I WAS STUCK UP BUT I STILL BECAME FIRST LADY OF ARKANSAS. THE MORAL HERE IS THAT THE PEOPLE DON'T MATTER. I MATTER. JUST ME. NO ONE ELSE. I SHOULD PUT THAT ON A T-SHIRT."

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

The bombs keep falling but the White House tries to pretend the war is over.

Middle East Eye ‏@MiddleEastEye 5 hours ago

"Obama is the 4th US president to bomb Iraq, inevitably his successor will be number 5" http://ow.ly/UtpLC

6 retweets 9 likes

At today's US Defense Dept press briefing, Pentagon spokesperson Peter Cook was asked about the airstrikes.

Q: And in terms of the figures that have come out in the last week that the U.S. is carrying out 95 percent of the airstrikes in Syria, 78 percent of the airstrikes if you include Iraq and Syria -- are those figures accurate? And does the U.S. still plan to shoulder the -- the -- the bulk of these airstrikes? Or are you trying to get other allies to pick up some of the air war?

MR. COOK: Well, as you know, Jennifer, we continue to work with the -- with a substantial and large coalition, and those coalition members are contributing in a host of ways -- not just in terms of aircraft.

But -- but some of those nations -- many of those nations -- do continue to engage in airstrikes on behalf of the coalition. But that's not all they're doing.

Some have provided bases with which to carry out the fight against ISIL. Some have provided financial support for this effort, training, as well. So there's a whole host of ways in which these coalition members have -- have stepped up.

Yes, it's true, the United States has conducted most of the -- a significant number of the -- of the airstrikes to date. There have been more than 8,000 to date.

Spin, spin, spin.

That's what Cook served up and what the American press swallowed.

No one raised the issue of Sunday's deaths.

National Iraqi News Agency reported "the International Coalition Aircraft" launched an airstrike in Mosul which killed "11 civilians, including six children, and wounding five others."

Barbara Starr and her contemporaries aren't interested in shaking the boat.

They just want to parrot whatever lie the Defense Dept feeds them.

Spin, spin, spin.

They don't want reality. Earlier this week, Press TV notes, "The Pentagon is ready to compensate the families of Iraqis killed by American bombs during US airstrikes against purported Daesh (ISIL) positions there, a new report says." They're cribbing from Kate Brannen's Daily Beast report which notes:

The Pentagon is about to get a $5 million fund to pay the Iraqi families of civilians killed by American airstrikes. It’s a big change for the U.S. military, which has yet to publicly acknowledge accidentally killing or wounding any innocents in the country even after 3,586 airstrikes targeting the so-called Islamic State.

The US government, repeating "has yet to publicly acknowledge accidentally killing or wounding any innocents."

But they do and now they've got the slush fund to toss a few pennies at the family members of the dead and wounded in an attempt to shut them up. Al Bawaba explains:

The fund for Iraq falls under a program that is actually intended for Afghanistan-- dubbed the Commanders’ Emergency Response Program (CERP).
Under CERP, US commanders can approve up to $2,500 per person or damaged property, but higher-ups are allowed to sign bigger sums if needed.
This means the US could hand out up to 2,000 “condolence payments” to Iraqis over the next year.

Pennies tossed at the families of the dead and wounded in an attempt to assuage guilt.

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Violence against women strikes Clinton as funny

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

AT A RALLY TODAY, CRANKY CLINTON ELECTED TO PROMOTE ABUSE.

A FOLLOWER INSISTED THAT HE WANTED TO STRANGLE CARLY FIORINA AND CRANKY RESPONDED WITH . . . A CACKLE.

FIORINA IS CURRENTLY RUNNING FOR THE G.O.P.'S 2016 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION.

CRANKY IS RUNNING TO REPLACE KANG AND KODOS AS RULERS OF THE UNIVERSE AND TO PROVIDE SPOOKY IMAGES ON THE SIMPSON'S YEARLY TREE HOUSE OF HORROR SEGMENTS.

REACHED FOR COMMENT, CRANKY DEFENDED HER CACKLE BY INSISTING, "CARLY WAS ASKING FOR IT."

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

Today, Press TV noted, "The Pentagon is ready to compensate the families of Iraqis killed by American bombs during US airstrikes against purported Daesh (ISIL) positions there, a new report says." They're cribbing from Kate Brannen's Daily Beast report which notes:

The Pentagon is about to get a $5 million fund to pay the Iraqi families of civilians killed by American airstrikes. It’s a big change for the U.S. military, which has yet to publicly acknowledge accidentally killing or wounding any innocents in the country even after 3,586 airstrikes targeting the so-called Islamic State.

The US government, repeating "has yet to publicly acknowledge accidentally killing or wounding any innocents."

But they do and now they've got the slush fund to toss a few pennies at the family members of the dead and wounded in an attempt to shut them up. Justin Salhani (Think Progress) adds, "The number of casualties is also likely to increase in the coming weeks as the Obama administration steps up the air campaign against ISIS."

What could finally end the Iraq War?

Massive protests.

In the meantime, some may hang their hopes on the US Congress.

Amy Goodman (Democracy Now!) noted this morning, "A group of bipartisan House lawmakers are calling for Congress to vote on the escalating U.S. wars in Iraq and Syria. More than a year after the United States launched airstrikes against the self-proclaimed Islamic State, Congress has yet to vote on authorizing force. The Obama administration has controversially claimed their actions are covered by the 2001 congressional vote authorizing force against al-Qaeda. The open letter calling for a vote was signed by members of both parties, including Democratic Congressmembers Barbara Lee, Jim McGovern and John Lewis, and members of the right-wing Freedom Caucus. The lawmakers said they 'do not share the same policy prescriptions' but do share the belief it’s 'past time' for a vote on the wars."

Goodman managed to put her meaty paw on the scales yet again -- while pretending to practice journalism. Did you notice? She gave three names. All Democrats.

We'll note this press release that US House Rep Tom Cole's office issued on Friday:

Nov 6, 2015

Washington, D.C. – A broad, bipartisan coalition of 35 House lawmakers called on Speaker Ryan today to schedule and debate an Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) as quickly as possible following the recent announcement by President Obama of a deepening entanglement in Syria and Iraq.
The letter to Speaker Ryan is led by Representatives Jim McGovern (D-MA), Tom Cole, (R-OK), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Walter Jones (R-NC), Peter Welch (D-VT), and John Lewis (D-GA).
“Last week, the president announced [that] the U.S. will deploy a U.S. Special Operations contingent into northern Syria to be embedded with and to advise opposition militant forces in that region; and U.S. military advisors and special operations forces already in Iraq will be embedded with Kurdish and Iraqi forces on the front lines of combat,” the lawmakers wrote, calling the move part of “a significant escalation in U.S. military operations in the region” that places “U.S. military personnel on the front lines of combat operations.”
“We do not share the same policy prescriptions for U.S. military engagement in the region, but we do share the belief that it is past time for the Congress to fulfill its obligations under the Constitution and vote on an AUMF that clearly delineates the authority and limits, if any, on U.S. military engagement in Iraq, Syria and the surrounding region,” the lawmakers added.
“Congress can no longer ask our brave service men and women to continue to serve in harm’s way while we fail in carrying out our constitutional responsibility in the area of war and peace,” the lawmakers concluded. “As long as the House fails to assert its constitutional prerogatives and authority, the Administration may continue to expand the mission and level of engagement of U.S. Armed Forces throughout the region. We strongly urge you, Mr. Speaker, to bring an AUMF to the floor of the House as quickly as possible.”
Other Members signing the letter are Reps. Justin Amash (R-MI), Michael Burgess (R-TX), David Cicilline (D-RI), John Conyers (D-MI), Joe Crowley (D-NY), John Abney Culberson (R-TX), Peter A. DeFazio (D-OR), John J. Duncan, Jr. (R-TN), John Garamendi (D-CA), Paul A. Gosar (R-AZ), Janice Hahn (D-CA), Richard L. Hanna (R-NY), Joe Kennedy (D-MA), Daniel Kildee (D-MI), Raúl R. Labrador (R-ID), Thomas Massie (R-KY), Mick Mulvaney (R-SC), Beto O’Rourke (D-TX), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Bill Posey (R-FL), Charles Rangel (D-NY), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Matt Salmon (R-AZ), Mark Sanford (R-SC), Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL), Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Ed Whitfield (R-KY), Ted S. Yoho (R-FL), and Ryan K. Zinke (R-MT).
The full letter, sent today, can be found here.

If they were to vote, it would be the first authorization for war Congress had voted on since 2002 when they voted to authorize the Iraq War. Shira Schoenberg (MassLive) adds, "McGovern, an opponent of expanded use of military force in Iraq and Syria, previously introduced a resolution that would have required the U.S. to withdraw troops from Iraq and Syria and end U.S. airstrikes there."

In the meantime, Operation Inherent Failure stumbles on.

Mitchell Prothero (McClatchy Newspapers) offers a clear-eyed look at reality, one which opens:

Iraqi forces’ hopes of recapturing the city of Ramadi from the Islamic State have stalled, largely because their efforts to cut resupply routes into the city of nearly 1 million have failed.
Iraqi planners had hoped a cordon around the city, the capital of Anbar province, Iraq’s largest, would prevent the Islamic State from being able to prepare for a long siege. But local military commanders, residents and analysts say the Iraqi forces were unable to maintain the cordon and that the Islamic State has been able to resupply.
Iraqi officials have announced a new operation to retake the city nearly every week since the Islamic State routed its defenders last spring. But despite the vows, it’s become clear that the government has neither the manpower nor the training to conduct an offensive in a huge city that remains packed with civilians. The Islamic State apparently has succeeded in keeping civilians from fleeing.

Sunday, November 08, 2015

Will the Blue Fairy save her?

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

REMEMBER WHEN CRANKY CLINTON CLAIMED SHE TRIED TO JOIN THE MARINES?

OR WHEN SHE CLAIMED SHE TRIES TO JOIN THE ARMY?

CRANKY CLINTON, REACHED FOR COMMENT, EXPLAINED THAT SHE DID HAVE A HABIT OF 'TWEAKING' THE TRUTH BUT IT WASN'T OUT OF A DESIRE TO LIE OR DECEIVE, SHE INSISTS, BUT BECAUSE OF HER LOVE FOR DISNEY'S PINOCCHIO.

"MY CAMPAIGN," SHE INSISTED, "IS A HOMAGE TO THAT DISNEY CLASSIC."

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

The public discourse would be a lot better off if partisan whores would just sit their tired asses down and stop polluting the conversation with spin and misdirection.

Saritha Prabhu is intellectually dishonest or just a plain idiot. At The Tennessean she wants to whine and uses the Congressional Benghazi hearing to start her nonsense:

But listening to the above, one wondered if the Republicans on this panel and in Congress had any sense of irony, or shame or any sense of proportion.

What they said with utter seriousness about ignored warnings and dead Americans and uninvestigated truth seemed to many listeners to apply also on a much bigger scale to the Iraq War.

The origins of the latter have, of course, never been investigated fully.

You care about the Iraq War, do you, Saritha?

No, you don't.

You just lie and lie again.

The reality of that is clear in the quoted passage above.

Saritha claims that Republicans lack a sense of proportion and more.

And they may or they may not, I'm not going down that rabbit hole.

But cheap little whores like Saritha need to be called out.

If you think the Republicans did the right thing or they went overboard or somewhere in between, the issue really isn't the Republicans, not when you bring up the Iraq War.

You should be asking where is the shame of the Congressional Democrats?

The failure to investigate the Iraq War?

The American people used the 2006 mid-term elections to repudiate the Iraq War.

Democrats -- including trashy Nancy Pelosi who needs to be wheeled into a nursing home and not remain leader of the House after she led the party in one losing election after another allowing the GOP to take control of the House?

They're the ones to be outraged at.

They had the permission of the American people to investigate.

They campaigned on this.

They said they'd end the Iraq War, they said control over one House -- just one -- would give them the power to hold hearings and launch investigations.

The American people responded to that by giving them control of not just one house of Congress but both houses of Congress.

Saritha's a two-bit whore whose stupidity or intellectual dishonesty should forbid her from writing her allegedly generic columns (one of which was truly hate speech -- her attack on Christians). But please note, she's castigating Congressional Republicans for not focusing on Iraq when she's got a column, her own space, to write whatever she wants and she doesn't write about Iraq.

She's a fake ass liar.

Ava and I took on MSNBC's 'coverage' of the Benghazi hearing in "TV: The least trusted name in news" and we noted:

And that's why MSNBC is a cesspool.
They offered one voice after another saying the exact same thing.
They could brook no thought or opinion that strayed from the hymnal.
For a brief moment, as the coverage was winding, down, Tom Brokaw appeared.
He expressed the belief that nothing changed with the appearance.
He offered that Hillary had pleased her supporters but done nothing to pull over her detractors.
It was a fair and objective view.
And it's what the entire coverage should have been.

I bring this up now because Brokaw made many outstanding points.

Ava and I could have gone into more of that but I know Tom and like Tom and didn't want to turn his brief moments in the coverage -- we watched two hours of MSNBC coverage and he was probably on for less than six minutes -- into the entire review.

But Tom's most important point may have been that a hearing on Benghazi does not preclude one on Iraq.

It's not an either/or.

And he's right.

And the point I'm making here is if you're upset that there's been no hearing on Iraq (as we've noted before, there have been Congressional hearings on Iraq) -- or upset that it wasn't the type that the Benghazi hearings have been (pointed and often harsh) -- why is that Republican issue?

Again, Democrats held control of no house of Congress in 2005 and 2006 and those two years found Democrats campaigning on the promise of ending the war and doing investigations if they got even one house of Congress -- control of one house.

The American people responded to the campaign promises and gave Democrats control of both houses.

So if you're upset that the Secretary of State (Condi Rice back then) was not immediately called before Congress or someone else to answer for the Iraq War, that's not a Republican issue.

You can lie and whore and be intellectually dishonest.

But the reality is that until the 2010 mid-terms, Democrats controlled both houses of Congess.

They didn't use that power to investigate Iraq any more than they used to end the illegal war.

In case you missed that, and Saritha appears to have missed it, the Iraq War never ended.

Democrats in Congress pretending to care?

That ended.

And that's why their embrace of Cindy Sheehan ended.

They were happy to promote Cindy when they pretended they were powerless.

But when they had the power and the Iraq War continued?

They turned on Cindy.

And instead of calling the politicians out, whores and spinners found distractions to focus on.

RECOMMENDED: "I Hate The War"
"Iraq snapshot"
"Sam Smith's new album out now!!! (Elaine)"
"a dull, uptight bitch named j. randy (book review ..."
"scandal bores while heroes reborn continues to hea..."
"You want to fight? So be it (Marcia)"
"Empire (Betty)"
"Marvel Agents of SHIELD (Mike)"
"ARROW goes to hell (Stan)"
"quantico (rebecca)"
"the yawn inducing scandal, heroes reborn shows a l..."
"Senators Introduce SAVE Benefits Act to Boost Soci..."
"Isakson Highlights Senate’s Accomplishments for Ve..."
"Baldwin, Blumenthal Call for VA Inspector General ..."
"If the bombs and bullets don't kill you . . ."
"Favorite Disney movie"
"One Hundred and One Dalmations"
"Sleeping Beauty"
"The Princess Diaries"
"that darn cat!"
"Freaky Friday"
"Candleshoe"
"Minnie Mouse and Mickey"
"Return From Witch Mountain"
"Safety Net Scissorhands (The Watcher In The Woods)"
"The Strongest Man In The World"

"Sam Smith's new album out now!!!!"
"Marvel Agents of SHIELD"
"She signed what?
"Janet"
"Peanuts"
"Empire"
"You want to fight? So be it"
"a dull, uptight bitch named j. randy"
"Barack's lousy economy"
"Look who got arrested"
"THIS JUST IN! CRANKY ENDORSED -- BRIEFLY!"
"Cranky's used to men breaking promises

Cedric's Big Mix

Friday, November 27, 2015

Bill Clinton speaks

Sunday, November 22, 2015

She's always changing something

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Casting Cranky Clinton

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

She wears multiple rugs!

Monday, November 16, 2015

Cranky defends (mis)use of 9/11 in debate

Friday, November 13, 2015

Bill had a mistress, Cranky has a plan

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Most Americans see Cranky Clinton as unethical or criminal

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Violence against women strikes Clinton as funny

Sunday, November 08, 2015

Will the Blue Fairy save her?

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Cedric's Big Mix