Goon Squad

Take a look at these goons—Bush, Cheney, Hayden, Gonzales, Warner, Rumsfeld (partially obscured by big Dick)—some of them are sociopaths, some are racists, some actually enjoy hurting others. Some just want to continue to fill their pockets with war profits, some just lust for naked and total power—all are scum, and the law they gathered here to celebrate is testament to their craven natures.

These are the cowardly bastards that assembled in Washington yesterday to endorse the secret abduction and torture of human beings around the globe, a law the President claims will make Americans safer, a law we all know will do just the opposite, all in the name of cheap political stunt designed to keep Republicans in power.

Or so they openly hope.

This law was passed over two weeks ago—why is Bush just signing it now?

With the midterm elections three weeks away, Mr. Bush hoped to use the bill signing to turn the political debate back to the war on terrorism, a [FORMERLY] winning issue for Republicans, and away from scandals like the Mark Foley case, which have dominated the news in recent weeks.

[mine]

How simple it would seem to use the lives of a few hundred nameless brown-skinned people to divert attention from the scandalous behavior of Bush’s rubberstamp Republican enablers. It’s just a shame the enablers didn’t get the memo. On a day when the Torturer in Chief was hoping to steal the headlines from his corrupt cohorts, we are greeted this morning by this:

Lawyer: We'll name priest who molested Foley

A lawyer for Mark Foley said he will give the Archdiocese of Miami the name of the priest who allegedly molested the disgraced former congressman in high school.

In another odd turn in the Mark Foley Internet messaging scandal, the attorney for the recently resigned congressman held a news conference Tuesday to say Foley would name the priest who allegedly molested him as a youth.

And this:

Report Spells Out Abuses by Former Congressman

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 — Former Representative Randy Cunningham pressured and intimidated staff members of the House Intelligence Committee to help steer more than $70 million in classified federal business to favored military contractors, according to a Congressional investigation made public on Tuesday.

And then, of course, there is always—always—this:

Violence in Iraq Kills 10 U.S. Soldiers

BAGHDAD, Oct. 18-Ten U.S. soldiers were killed in Iraq on Tuesday, one of the bloodiest days of the war for American forces outside of major combat operations.

. . . .

October is on track to become one of the deadliest of the conflict for U.S. soldiers, with at least 60 soldiers killed so far this month. More than 2,700 American troops and Defense Department employees have died since the war began 3 1/2 years ago.

Deaths of Iraqi security forces and Iraqi civilians also have been hitting new highs since mid-summer.

Still, in the face of it all, Bush is resolute—he needs to torture people. But he’s not doing it just for himself, no.

The president said he was signing the measure “in memory of the victims of September the 11th.”

How dare Bush desecrate the graves of those who died as a result of the attacks on 9/11/01 by declaring that he now tortures in their name. And how dare he use their memory, yet again, to cynically try to manipulate the electorate in order maintain his near-totalitarian grip on power.

And, how dare the Republicans continue to desecrate our country with all of their scandals, and influence peddling, and war profiteering, and fear mongering, and killing. . . .

In less than three weeks, on November 7th, each and every voter has a chance to cast a vote that says: not in my name.


(photo: Doug Mills/The New York Times)