Where’s the Outrage?

I’m not a Yankee fan. I have never been and will never be. I have followed A-rod’s career because he was with the Texas Rangers. He is arrogant and full of himself. In spite of this is a great baseball player when nothing is on the line. There are only a hand full of games that really matter during the regular season. They all matter during the post season. Alex Rodriguez is just an average player in the post season.

If you have any doubt that 50% of baseball is skill and 50% is mental then look at Alex.

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From AP:

Swat! Take that, New York Yankees.

Helped by a freakish invasion of bombarding bugs that rattled rookie reliever Joba Chamberlain in the eighth inning, the Cleveland Indians rallied to beat the Yankees 2-1 in 11 innings Friday night to take a 2-0 lead in the AL Division Series. Travis Hafner’s bases-loaded, RBI single with two outs in the 11th scored Kenny Lofton with the winner. (more…)

Tags: Sports by ecthompson
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The president today trying to get ahead of this torture story.  A press conference was called.  The President was looking very tired and was wearing a grey suit (I didn’t know that he owned anything that wasn’t blue).  He repeated what he said several years ago that America does not torture.  This is the reason that the President has not credibility left.  There is overwhelming evidence that we torture.  Black sites.  Waterboarded victims.  We torture.

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From NYT:

President Bush, reacting to a Congressional uproar over the disclosure of secret Justice Department legal opinions permitting the harsh interrogation of terrorism suspects, defended the methods on Friday, declaring, “This government does not torture people.”

The remarks, Mr. Bush’s first public comments on the memorandums, came at a hastily arranged Oval Office appearance before reporters. It was billed as a talk on the economy, but after heralding new job statistics, Mr. Bush shifted course to a subject he does not often publicly discuss: a once-secret Central Intelligence Agency program to detain and interrogate high-profile terror suspects.

“I have put this program in place for a reason, and that is to better protect the American people,” the president said, without mentioning the C.I.A. by name. “And when we find somebody who may have information regarding a potential attack on America, you bet we’re going to detain them, and you bet we’re going to question them, because the American people expect us to find out information — actionable intelligence so we can help protect them. That’s our job.”  (more…)

 

 Countdown - James Risen and torture [12:06m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration, Countdown, Torture by ecthompson
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Game, set, match. The Bush administration has bent over backwards to convince the 5 remaining Americans that still listen to them, we don’t torture. Well, it appears that while the administration was saying one thing it was doing another. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales approved a memo that specifically authorized many techniques that are clearly torture. Any reasonable man would say it was torture but Bush and his administration argued yesterday that “We Don’t Torture.” Right? And do we have black sites?

Again, the White House argued that every country was allowed to spin the Geneva Conventions. Really? So, you have have over 150 different interpretations of the Conventions? Really? That is the lamest explanation I have heard since they tried it about 18 months ago.

So, now, the nomination of Michael Mukasey (to Attorney General) becomes critically important. Senator Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Judiciary committee, stated “the 2005 opinions had ‘reinstated a secret regime by, in essence, reinterpreting the law in secret.’ Mr. Leahy said his panel had sought information on the opinions on interrogation for two years without success.”

There are several very important things to follow. First, are the Democrats going to uphold the constitution. Second, how many Republicans can the Democrats shame into voting with them? Finally, we need to look for leadership on this subject from Nancy Pelosi, John Conyers, Patrick Leahy and Harry Reid. (Russ Feingold will be out front but will he get the face time in front of the cameras. What will the candidates say about this? Look for Hillary to be slow out of the gates. John Edwards will waste no time jumping on this.)

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From NYT:

Associates at the Justice Department said Mr. Gonzales seldom resisted pressure from Vice President Dick Cheney and David S. Addington, Mr. Cheney’s counsel, to endorse policies that they saw as effective in safeguarding Americans, even though the practices brought the condemnation of other governments, human rights groups and Democrats in Congress. Critics say Mr. Gonzales turned his agency into an arm of the Bush White House, undermining the department’s independence.

The interrogation opinions were signed by Steven G. Bradbury, who since 2005 has headed the elite Office of Legal Counsel at the Justice Department. He has become a frequent public defender of the National Security Agency’s domestic surveillance program and detention policies at Congressional hearings and press briefings, a role that some legal scholars say is at odds with the office’s tradition of avoiding political advocacy. (more…)

 

 Countdown - Torture, again [6:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration, Countdown, Torture by ecthompson
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The NFL’s leading rusher has tested positive for a banning substance. This would be Travis Henry’s second violation. He would be suspended for one year. The Denver Broncos can not be happy.

As they say, stick a fork in him. He’s done. His career is over. He is now 28. A year out of the league, time to get back into playing shape, he will be 29 - 30. Most part that is true.

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From ESPN.com:

Denver Broncos tailback Travis Henry, the NFL’s leading rusher through the first four weeks of the season, is facing a one-year suspension for a repeat violation of the substance abuse policy, multiple sources told ESPN.com on Thursday night.

But in a battle that has reached the federal court system, Henry is attempting to block the league from testing the so-called “B-sample” necessary to confirm the positive test, claiming that NFL officials would not allow his expert to be present for the testing of his specimen. (more…)

Tags: Sports by ecthompson
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