The random political thoughts thread (Part Deux)

[scaeagles]

Sheila Jackson Lee (D, Texas), while viewing a live feed (well, live if you don't count the 4 minute delay) of the Mars Rover -

"Can you point the camera where the astronauts planted the flag?"

[Nephythys]

More truth and history- for anyone willing to think outside their box and consider other possibilities-

Link

In the orthodox narrative line, Wilson is the truth-teller and the Bush is the liar. But Wilson was not speaking truthfully when he said his wife, Valerie Plame, had nothing to do with the CIA sending him to Niger. And it obviously wasn't true, as Wilson claimed, that he had found nothing to support Bush's charge about Niger when he (Wilson) had been told that the Iraqis were poking around in that uranium-rich nation.

snip

In truth, Bush handled the issue badly. He dithered, couldn't find the words to explain himself, and weirdly withdrew the 16 words when the pressure came. And it is surely arguable that the uranium-in-Africa charge was too flimsy for the weight Bush gave it in his speech.

But as columnist Robert Novak once argued, the burgeoning "Bush lied" mantra was heavily dependent on the uranium claim. So the liar label was most firmly attached on an issue Bush was right about. Go figure.

More in answer about Plame being covert-
Link

Contrary to published reports, a State Department memorandum at the center of the investigation into the leak of the name of a CIA operative, Valerie Plame, appears to offer no particular indication that Ms. Plame's role at the agency was classified or covert.

The memo, drafted by the then head of the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research and addressed to the then secretary of state, Colin Powell

The most frustrating thing for me is that it seems that some people want to believe that Bush lied more than they want to find out about truth. They want to see the devil in the shadows and believe negative and bad things rather than open their mind to the possibility that it might not be what they have believed it to be-

[BarTopDancer]

Bush lied and people died.

[innerSpaceman]

A memo that does not identify Plame as being covert? What good is that? The writer of the memo would be breaking the law if it identified, even to Colin Powell, that the named agent was covert.

[Nephythys]

Bumper sticker mentality???

and the convenient selective memory trick.

Impressive.

Not

[BarTopDancer]

Originally Posted by Nephythys

Bumper sticker mentality???

If you are referring to me.. I'll point you back to the title of this thread. Random Political Thoughts.

[Nephythys]

Originally Posted by BarTopDancer

If you are referring to me.. I'll point you back to the title of this thread. Random Political Thoughts.

and my response was a random response to a random comment- inspired by yours.

What's the point?

Wait..never mind.

[BarTopDancer]

If we've taken over a country full of oil, how come our gas is still so expensive?

[quasi-sarcasam peoples]

[innerSpaceman]

The whole point is to make it even more expensive ... but to have the money line the pockets of Exxon/Mobil's CEO (who, it was just recently reported, during the period 1993 thru 2005, had a salary of $150,000 PER DAY!!!!)

[Alex]

For years we've been told we're going to run out of gas, that peak oil is in the rear view mirror. That the oil companies have overstated their reserves. Well, if all of that is true then perpetually rising oil prices (without necessarily a concomitant increase in cost of production) is going to be the product.

If we're not pumping more oil out of the ground but a lot more people want oil for a lot more puposes then that is going to spell a whole lot of wealth for the people with the oil without any market manipulation required.

For me, I don't really care how much the oil companies make, it isn't like I was shedding tears for them when they were all going broke in the '80s.

iSm: I haven't seen the story and it doesn't make a huge difference, but was that actually salary or realized bonuses and incentives?