Bush and Cheney need to be Impeached. They are more incompetent today as they leave office do to their own desperations.

"...it was something we never wanted people to look at...caveats were dropped over time...contradictory intelligence was talked about...the American people didn't have that forthright view...the intelligence was portrayed and packaged to be more grave that it was..."

"...the press becomes complicant enablers..."

The extension being bandied about regarding the USA Occupation in Iraq is a threat to USA national security. Any 'permanent' commitment by the Bush/Cheney Executive Branch will allow a globally imposed Iraq Occupation to 'contain' the USA in its expansion into other sovereign countries. The USA needs to return to policies of National Security and not one of aggression and occupation. That change in policy is necessary to return the USA to its place as a partner in peace rather than a despot for oil reserves.

...Senate intelligence committee Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) yesterday said Hayden's assessment, in an interview this week with The Washington Post, was inconsistent with recent intelligence reports to Capitol Hill. In a letter to Hayden, Rockefeller said that he was "surprised and troubled by your comments" and asked for "a full explanation of both the rationale for, and the substance of" the interview (click here)....

Hayden has never been qualified for his current position and needs to be removed from his authority.

If the Democrats were not in the majority of both houses at this point in USA history, the McClellan book would have been swept out of the view of the American people just as every other 'Truth Teller' book about the Bush White House since that of Paul O'Neill's (click here), "The Price of Loyalty."

Democrats may seek McClellan's testimony over Plame leak (click here)

By KEN HERMAN

Cox News Service

Published on: 05/30/08
WASHINGTON — Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, branded a "miserable creature" by ex-Sen. Bob Dole, could be headed for a congressional hearing examining his new book's account of Bush administration involvement in the disclosure of a CIA operative's identity.
House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., said Friday he will talk to McClellan about the book's account of the possible White House cover-up of top aides' involvement in the leak of Valerie Plame's name.
Conyers said McClellan's revelations about the episode are "extremely troubling."...

The USA - Iraq Pact is an act of desperation the global community does not approve of.

...The United Nations mandate that allows foreign forces to occupy Iraq will not be renewed at the end of the year, so any future U.S. military involvement in the war-torn nation can continue only with such an agreement. (click title to entry)...

Any further occupation of Iraq will be viewed as an act of aggression within the Middle East and will provide a 'staging ground' for more war, instability and aggression at the hand of future USA presidents. The Iraq occupation has to end allowing Iraq to recover as a country, providing the people there with the opportunity to rebuild and take on an economic identity to pilgramage now denied to many Muslims in the face of chronic and provoked internal conflict.

The continued occupation in Iraq by both the British and Americans is about oil, not any form of National Security UNLESS one defines national security as a 'ready glut of Persian oil.' In revealing controversy recently in Russia, it was noted the CEO, Robert Dudly of TNK-BP is being asked to resign for his 'conflict of interest' in managing priorities in oil access and disaffecting Russian interests in countries like Iraq.

...Russian shareholders in TNK-BP want to expand into Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Venezuela, where TNK-BP has a competitive advantage. BP has resisted the idea, as well as plans to take part in high-risk projects in countries including Iraq, Uganda, Syria and Libya (click here)....

Allowing the USA and British occupation of Iraq would continue to insure no other country could provide stability to the country in cooperation with oil trade from the region. If the occupation ended, it would force MULTI-NATIONAL support to Iraq's military in order to provide the oil export business to thrive. Removing the USA-British occupation would 'demand' the return of Multi-National interests to Iraq forcing the global community to take an active role in securing the nation of Iraq. The ONLY reason the British and Americans are in Iraq is for the oil and HENCE the recent atrocities in Basra, the oil port city of Iraq.

Currently, the Iraqi government is forced to deal with companies and services allowed to them by Western interests. When that is the case there can be no negotiations with other countries such as Russia to bolster Iraq's military or police. Literally, the Iraq War is to secure America's strangle hold on Iraqi oil.

BP, Exxon submit Iraq deal plans (click here)

By Hassan Hafidh
Last update: 6:16 a.m. EDT May 27, 2008

AMMAN (MarketWatch) -- After several months of negotiations and pressure from the Iraqi government, BP PLC (BP: BP p.l.c.XOM 88.76, -0.59, -0.7%) have finally submitted proposals to the Iraqi oil ministry on technical services contracts to boost production at Iraq's prized oil fields, sources close to the Iraqi ministry said Tuesday.
Other oil majors, which have been negotiating similar deals with Baghdad, haven't yet submitted their plans, but they would follow suit, according to these sources.
Iraq's Oil Minister Hussein al-Shahristani has threatened to cancel these technical services contracts, or TSC, if they are not signed in June. The TSCs are designed to boost Iraq's crude oil production in producing oil fields....
BP and Exxon Mobil's proposals include suggestions on how Iraq would pay them back for their services and the costs of equipment. The Iraqi oil ministry needs to approve these proposals before signing the contracts. Iraqi oil officials have said that each TSC would cost around $500 million....

The contracts were a little slow in coming because the 'terms' weren't attractive enough. Would the 'terms' have been more 'user friendly' for Iraq if there was Multi-National bidding for them? Of course they would be. The American occupation eliminates 'competition' in the market place for any of Iraq's needs. The continued and sustained occupation of Iraq is disaffecting not only the Iraqi people in continued conflict, but, also in defining their economic growth and opportunity. Literally, the Bush Era No Bid Contracts have caused a great deal of hardship to the Iraqi people, their ability to compete for better services and support and has caused massive impoverishment of the people while limiting its government's choices in alternatives to the Western influence.

We don't belong in Iraq.

We never did.

They're back !

Update: Storms spawn tornadoes, some flooding (click here)
White, Benton counties under flash flood warning
May 30, 2008
Carroll County has opened a severe storm shelter at the emergency management agency office in the basement of the courthouse.
The office, however, has some water in it due to the extreme rains associated with the storms, said EMA director Dave McDowell.
"Two small tornadoes were spotted by trained spotters at County Road 400 S and County Road 500 W moving due east," said McDowell. "But no damage has been reported yet."
McDowell said the tornadoes were in a rural area with no buildings. Flooding is more of a problem in the county, he said.
"We have water over a number of roads," he said. "My EMA office has water in it. We've had pretty extensive lightning in the Oakdale Dam area, so I don't doubt there are trees down."
Stormspotters have been activated and firefighters and deputies are helping monitor the storms, he said....

May 31, 2008
0330z
UNISYS Water Vapor Satellite North and West Hemisphere


May 31, 2008
0330z
UNISYS Water Vapor GOES East Satellite (click on title to entry for 12 hour loop)

The hurricane over the Yucatan is taking shape.


May 31, 2008
0330z
UNISYS Water Vapor Satellite USA

Tornado sirens halt lawmakers in Springfield (click here)

Posted by Ray Long at 6:22 p.m.; updated at 7:35 p.m.
Update: The House went back into session at 7:13 p.m. before adjourning about 20 minutes later.
SPRINGFIELD---A tornado warning interrupted debate in the Illinois House Friday night, sending lawmakers scurrying to the safe havens in the Capitol.
As rolling thunder roared through Springfield, Rep. Art Turner (D-Chicago) halted debate when warning sirens broke out in the Capitol. He told lawmakers to take cover in the basements and pedestrian tunnels in the Capitol complex.
"That is a tornado warning that is being expressed at this point," Turner said.
An official warned over loudspeakers: "Do not exit the building as this tornado is in Springfield."
Winds are shaking the trees outside the Capitol and light hail has begun to bounce off the building.
The local weathercaster told viewers a tornado has been spotted in Springfield.
Twenty-five minutes after the House debate stopped, an official on a loudspeaker instructed all legislators and statewide officials to go to the tunnels until there is an "all clear" because a second storm also may be in the area.
The interruption came as the General Assembly is seeking to pass a budget before its midnight Saturday deadline and get out of town during an election year.

Record setting pace for tornadoes this year (click here)
May 30, 2008 07:00 PM EDT
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Central Indiana is under the threat of severe storms this evening.
On Thursday, the same storm system exploded across the plains states.
Tornadoes ripped through parts of Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas. In all, the National Weather Service received 57 reports of tornadoes. The actual number of twisters is still being investigated.
The damage to homes and businesses is massive, but fortunately, no one was killed and no serious injuries. But, that hasn't been the case so far this year. A year that is on a record setting pace.
"Nearly 1200 reports of tornadoes, some of those are duplicates, so I'd estimate that we're somewhere between 900 and 980 actual tornadoes for the year," said Dan McCarthy of the National Weather Service in Indianapolis.
"What's really notable is the number of fatalities we've had this year, we're already over 100 fatalities which is double the national average," said McCarthy.
McCarthy, who worked at the storm prediction center in Norman, Oklahoma before coming to Indianapolis, says the record numbers of tornadoes back in February are to blame for the high death toll.
"Many of your fatalities are heightened in February and November when people in the general public don't expect it," said McCarthy.
Report by Steve Bray, WISH. Edited by Hyacinth Williams.