New Developments II

[Sonic Youth]

On New Year's Eve, the death toll was at exactly 3,000 soldiers.

At this rate, it looks like we'll hit 4,000 by next New Year's Eve.


<span style='font-size:17pt;line-height:100%'>3,184</span>

9 U.S. Soldiers Killed North of Baghdad

Mar 6, 7:20 AM (ET)

By LAUREN FRAYER


BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Nine American soldiers died in two separate incidents north of the capital, the U.S. military announced Tuesday, in the deadliest single day for U.S. troops in Iraq in nearly a month.

Six soldiers were killed when a bomb exploded near their vehicles during a combat operation Monday in Salahuddin province, the military said in a statement.

In another incident the same day, three more soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in Diyala province, another statement said.

Monday was "a very traumatic day" for U.S. troops in Iraq, said Lt. Col. Michael Donnelly, a spokesman for U.S. forces in northern Iraq.

"Our hearts and prayers are with the families right now in their time of loss, and our resolve is stronger to accomplish our mission here," Donnelly said.

It was the deadliest day for Americans in Iraq since Feb. 7, when 11 troops were killed - seven when their helicopter was shot down north of Fallujah and four others in combat operations.

The highest daily U.S. death toll since the Iraq war began was on Jan. 26, 2005, when 37 Americans died in attacks.

Both provinces where Monday's deaths occurred are Sunni-dominated. Saddam Hussein's clan hails from Salahuddin, and the late al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was hiding out in Diyala when he was killed by a U.S. airstrike there last summer.

Violence has fallen in Baghdad, where a joint U.S.-Iraqi security crackdown was in its third week. But U.S. military officials say insurgents have fled the capital for outlying areas, where attacks are on the rise.

Direct attacks on U.S. forces in Diyala are up 70 percent since last July, according to figures provided by the U.S. military.

Meanwhile, Shiite pilgrims came under attack as they streamed south, mostly on foot, toward a shrine in Karbala ahead of a weekend holiday.

At least 20 Shiite Muslims were killed on their trek to Karbala, where they would mark the end of a 40-day mourning period after the death of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson.

The deadliest attack was in the southern Baghdad neighborhood of Dora, where gunmen pumped bullets into a minibus, killing all eight passengers inside, police said. A car bomb nearby killed two others hours later, they said.

Five pilgrims were killed and more than a dozen wounded in two car bomb attacks in Baghdad's Yarmouk section, police said.

Two shootings in Latifiyah, 20 miles south of Baghdad, left three people dead, police said. Roadside bombs killed one person each in northern Baghdad and in Youssifiyah, 12 miles south of the capital, police said.

All the neighborhoods where Shiites were killed Tuesday were Sunni and unaccustomed to Shiite visitors except during festivals when thousands of Shiites must travel through unfriendly neighborhoods to reach their shrines. Last year, anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militia provided security to some pilgrims during Arbaeen.

The nine deaths Monday brought to 20 the number of Americans killed in Iraq this month. At least 3,184 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The figure includes seven military civilians. At least 2,561 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.

[Mister Tee]

Libby Guilty on 4 of 5 counts.

Walter Reed and Fired U. S. Attorneys Hearings continue to turn up new dirt.

Just another day in the worst presidency of our nation's history.

Shorter criddic: But lying about a blow-job -- THAT's REALLY bad.

[Sabin]

No. It was a subtle little non-defense that I think are indicative of a lot of problems in our country. Nothing out of the ordinary, just some well-placed "See No Evil".

[Sonic Youth]

I can't look. I'm guessing Criddic just said something silly to me.

Right?

[Sabin]

I got mad at your comments because I did not believe then or now that President Bush "broke his faith with the American People," by which I'm assuming you think he lied to us about WMDs in Iraq.

This statement is America.

[OscarGuy]

"I got mad at your comments because I did not believe then or now that President Bush "broke his faith with the American People," by which I'm assuming you think he lied to us about WMDs in Iraq."

Basically, what you're saying is that you're more outraged when people say something you don't believe...

I'll let that statement speak for itself.

[criddic3]

OMG. Ann Coulter is just absolutely disgusting. Someone should just shoot her. Honestly. She's not even worth getting riled up about anymore -- she's just psychotic and incendiary. Actually, I think she's a latent dyke herself which is why she's so utterly fixated on everyone else's "homosexuality".

criddic, care to defend this devil?

I have never been a fan of Ann Coulter's and I have said so before. She is not my kind of conservative. While I acknowledge that she has intelligence, she uses it more often as a means to demean those who have opposing views instead of having a direct and honest debate. There are some like her in both political parties, but she is often out there more visibly. It's a shame, because on occassion she does say things that make sense. Since she is so hard-right and often offensive, though, she overshadows and negates the few sensible things she does say. So, no i cannot defend her.

Criddic, that was a well thought out and measured response. Demeaning, offensive, indefensible, not compensated by her intelligence and occassional sensibility. A very cool and measured, slightly regretful response on your part, almost King Solomon-like.

This reminds me of your reaction to Rush Limbaugh's insulting comments and actions mocking Michael J. Fox and his Parkinson's disease last year. A bit bullish, you said of him. Again, cool, thoughtful, measured, not letting things get out of hand.

And yet, the day after elections when I innocently say "At least Bill Clinton only broke faith with his wife. Bush broke his faith with the American people" you were so outraged, you threw a temper tantrum and accused me of being "hateful."

Please realign your priorities. They are seriously out of whack.

I don't think the two are the same situations. The President of the United States should not go around covering up an affair he had in the Oval Office, a public working place. I got mad at your comments because I did not believe then or now that President Bush "broke his faith with the American People," by which I'm assuming you think he lied to us about WMDs in Iraq. Well, I'm not going to rehash that argument, but check your history and find that the senate voted 98-0 in favor of regime change in Iraq on the basis that Saddam Hussein was a threat to the United States and the world -- in 1998. My priorities are fine, thank you.

[Sonic Youth]

OMG. Ann Coulter is just absolutely disgusting. Someone should just shoot her. Honestly. She's not even worth getting riled up about anymore -- she's just psychotic and incendiary. Actually, I think she's a latent dyke herself which is why she's so utterly fixated on everyone else's "homosexuality".

criddic, care to defend this devil?

I have never been a fan of Ann Coulter's and I have said so before. She is not my kind of conservative. While I acknowledge that she has intelligence, she uses it more often as a means to demean those who have opposing views instead of having a direct and honest debate. There are some like her in both political parties, but she is often out there more visibly. It's a shame, because on occassion she does say things that make sense. Since she is so hard-right and often offensive, though, she overshadows and negates the few sensible things she does say. So, no i cannot defend her.

Criddic, that was a well thought out and measured response. Demeaning, offensive, indefensible, not compensated by her intelligence and occassional sensibility. A very cool and measured, slightly regretful response on your part, almost King Solomon-like.

This reminds me of your reaction to Rush Limbaugh's insulting comments and actions mocking Michael J. Fox and his Parkinson's disease last year. A bit bullish, you said of him. Again, cool, thoughtful, measured, not letting things get out of hand.

And yet, the day after elections when I innocently say "At least Bill Clinton only broke faith with his wife. Bush broke his faith with the American people" you were so outraged, you threw a temper tantrum and accused me of being "hateful."

Please realign your priorities. They are seriously out of whack.

[Sonic Youth]

Edwards Campaign Responds to Coulter Calling Him 'Faggot'
Ann Coulter

Editor & Publisher

Published: March 03, 2007 6:05 PM ET updated Saturday

In recent years she has suggested that Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and Al Gore have or may have homosexual tendencies. Now columnist/author Ann Coulter has targeted former senator (and current candidate for president) John Edwards.

Edwards responded on Saturday with a statement: "Ann Coulter's use of an anti-gay slur yesterday was un-American and indefensible. In America, we strive for equality and embrace diversity. The kind of hateful language she used has no place in political debate or our society at large. I believe it is our moral responsibility to speak out against that kind of bigotry and prejudice every time we encounter it."

The Edwards campaign also responded by trying to fundraise some "Coulter Cash."

Speaking Friday at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference CPAC) in Washington, D.C., Coulter closed her remarks with: “I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, but it turns out you have to go into rehab if you use the word ‘faggot,’ so I -- so kind of an impasse, can’t really talk about Edwards.”

Audience members appeared startled, then many clapped, and she opened the floor to questions. The event was carried on C-SPAN. Many newspapers, including The New York Times, covered the event but failed to mention the Coulter slur at first.

But David Bonior, the former congressman and now Edwards campaign manager, responded in an email to supporters, "This is just a taste of the filth that the right-wing machine is gearing up to throw at us. And now that it's begun, we have a choice: Do we sit back, or do we fight back?

"I say we fight. Help us raise $100,000 in 'Coulter Cash' this week to show every would-be Republican mouthpiece that their bigoted attacks will not intimidate this campaign. I just threw in 100 bucks. Will you join me?

"Coulter's attack was no accident. It happened on national television at one of the year's biggest conservative conferences....If we can raise $100,000 in 'Coulter Cash' this week, we can show that bigotry will only backfire on those who use it."

Democratic Party chief Howard Dean weighed in later: "There is no place in political discourse for this kind of hate-filled and bigoted comments. While Democrats and Republicans may disagree on the issues, we should all be able to agree that this kind of vile rhetoric is out of bounds. The American people want a serious, thoughtful debate of the issues. Republicans -- including the Republican presidential candidates who shared the podium with Ann Coulter today -- should denounce her hateful remarks."

On Saturday, Kevin Madden, a spokesman for Romney said: “It was an offensive remark. Governor Romney believes all people should be treated with dignity and respect."

“The comments were wildly inappropriate,” said Brian Jones, a spokesman for McCain.

The remarks also drew disapproval from some popular conservative commentators. Ed Morrissey on his Captain's Quarters blog wrote: "Yeah, that's just what CPAC needs -- an association with homophobia. Nice work, Ann."

Michelle Malkin expressed disapproval, and at her Hot Air site regular contributor "Bryan" wrote: "I’m no fan of John Edwards, but that’s just a stupid joke. It’s over the line. The laughter it generated across the room was more than a little annoying. Last year it was 'raghead.' This year it’s calling John Edwards a 'faggot.' Two years in a row, Coulter has finished up an otherwise sharp CPAC routine with an obnoxious slur that liberals will fling at conservatives for years to come. Thanks, Ann."

Vice President Cheney addressed the group on Thursday. Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney appeared before her on Friday. Sen. John McCain skipped the event.

The New York Times' Adam Nagourney failed to mention the crack about Edwards, in observing Saturday in the paper: "The conference drew thousands of attendees, many of whom waited in a long line out the door for a late-afternoon appearance by Ann Coulter, the conservative author and commentator."

Later Saturday he posted a blog item at www.nytimes.com that did discuss the Coulter crack. For Sunday's paper he elicited this reply from Coulter: “C’mon, it was a joke. I would never insult gays by suggesting that they are like John Edwards. That would be mean.”

The Washington Post covered the conference but did not mention Coulter at all in its news report. Neither did the Associated Press, which also attended. UPI did mention the "faggot" quote in its report.

The Los Angeles Times on Saturday quoted Coulter and even put the controversy in a headline. It closed the article: "A Giuliani spokeswoman said she had not heard the speech, and a Romney spokesman did not return calls late Friday."

The Post's Dana Milbank, in a column for the Saturday paper, observed: "Ann Coulter used an anti-gay slur to describe John Edwards (the line drew applause) and asked: 'Did Al Gore actually swallow Michael Moore?' When a questioner asked Coulter why she praises marriage but broke off so many engagements, she responded by calling the questioner ugly."

Coulter's column is distributed by Universal.

To watch a video clip of Coulter's remarks, click [url=http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/03/0 ... o-rehab-if
-you-use-the-word-%e2%80%98faggot%e2%80%99/]here[/url].

[criddic3]

OMG. Ann Coulter is just absolutely disgusting. Someone should just shoot her. Honestly. She's not even worth getting riled up about anymore -- she's just psychotic and incendiary. Actually, I think she's a latent dyke herself which is why she's so utterly fixated on everyone else's "homosexuality".

criddic, care to defend this devil?

I have never been a fan of Ann Coulter's and I have said so before. She is not my kind of conservative. While I acknowledge that she has intelligence, she uses it more often as a means to demean those who have opposing views instead of having a direct and honest debate. There are some like her in both political parties, but she is often out there more visibly. It's a shame, because on occassion she does say things that make sense. Since she is so hard-right and often offensive, though, she overshadows and negates the few sensible things she does say. So, no i cannot defend her.

[taki15]

To be honest with you guys, when I first read some of Ann Coulter's articles I thought she was a comedian, and a very good one I must say! To say that I was astonished when I understood that in fact she is a serious and influential journalist, might be the understatement of the century.

If anyone ever tried to tell here in Greece just a fraction of the nonsense she spews, he would become immediately a laughing stock for a generation.

It's beyond sad, it's pathetic that a clown like her is treated seriously by people who are more than 10 years old and have a sound mind.

[anonymous1980]

I just realized something a few days ago: You cannot spell Ann Coulter without a C, a U, an N and a T.

[Sabin]

I just watched this clip. The problem is the response from the crowd, who hooted and hollared like she was riding a motorcycle on the edge of a canyon without a helmet. Coulter is politically irrelevant, so who gives a shit, but it's encouragement like this that keeps her going.

[Penelope]

Elizabeth Edwards is one classy dame. From her blog:

When Miss Coulter spoke about John at the conservative convention in Washington yesterday, she used a word that she intended as a nasty and derogatory suggestion. John and I have long ago shrugged off the vile words of this person. When she made a joke about the exact moment of death of Charlie Dean (Howard's brother and a schoolmate of mine), and when she attacked the courageous 9-11 widows, she told you all you need to know about what she is made of: her compassion -- or lack thereof. Now we need to find out about you.

Although her words did not hurt us, they may have hurt some in the gay community. We are all sick and tired of anyone supporting or applauding or introducing hate words into the national dialogue, tired of people thinking that words that cause others pain are fair game. And we are sick and tired of people like Miss Coulter thinking that her use of loaded words about the homosexual community in this country is remotely humorous or appropriate.

John gave a graduation speech at NC State several years ago, and in it he said that none of us can stand by when words of bigotry and division are used. It is only when the rest of us stand up and say that this is not acceptable that we drum out the hate-mongers from amongst us. The first reaction in the room at the conservative convention yesterday was a gasp -- a horrified gasp, even -- but it did not last. In a few seconds, those who were not horrified started clapping and drowned out the gasps.

Now it is our turn to drown out the hate. Find a way -- whether it is contribution here that sends a message to Miss Coulter and those who applauded her (which, of course, I prefer) or whether it is a statement on this blog or others or all of the above -- but please find a way not to sit silent in acceptance. It doesn't change until we say we will not be silent when this happens.

[Akash]

You are absolutely right Flipp and the less said about this vile bitch, the better. But she would have vanished into irrelevancy completely if she didn't have a strong following and that's the part I find troubling. Any instigating hack can make a play for attention, but the reaction to that play is where we have the real trouble. The morons who applauded her indicate that America isn't as tolerant and wonderful as we'd like to pretend.