Where’s the Outrage?

I have written on stem cell research several times.  I have supported stem cell research.  I have written about stem cell research in my book, A Letter to America.  This break through is very exciting BUT we have had breakthroughs before that haven’t worked out.  We had the South Korean scientist that reported a huge breakthrough in stem cell research only later did we find out that he fudged the data.  The reason that I believe that this isn’t another venture into left field is that 2 different research groups using 2 different methods have the same results.  Skins cells have been made to act like embryonic stem cells.

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From WaPo:

Researchers in Wisconsin and Japan said yesterday that they have turned ordinary human skin cells into what are effectively embryonic stem cells without using embryos or women’s eggs — the previously essential ingredients that have embroiled the medically promising field in a nearly decade-long political and ethical debate.

The ability to turn adult cells into embryo-like ones capable of morphing into virtually every kind of cell or tissue, described in two scientific journal articles yesterday, has been a major goal of researchers for years. In theory, it would allow people to grow personalized replacement parts for their bodies from their skin cells and give researchers a powerful means of understanding and treating diseases.  (more…)

 

 Stem Cell breakthrough [2:56m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Medical Ethics/Issues, Science by ecthompson
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Since Scott McClellan raised his head above water today, I thought that we should review his time in front of the microphone at the White House.

 

 Scott's Greatest Hits [2:17m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration by ecthompson
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As everyone knew when he left the White House, Scott McClellan was going to write a book. The main issue that the book had to deal with was McClellan standing up in front of the White House press corp, shortly after taking the job as president’s official liar spokesman, and stated that Rove and Libby had nothing to do with the leak of Valerie Plame’s name. Now, Scotty is coming clean. Everyone lied to him. The Vice President Cheney who wrote out the talking points. Karl Rove, Andy Card and I “Scooter” Libby lied to him. Most importantly, the President lied to him. This again puts president Bush in the thick of the CIA leak. Many progressives have suspected that Bush was involved from the beginning. Only later, did Cheney try to run interference for him.

One of the interesting questions, is why is this information coming out now? The McClellan’s book isn’t going to be released for another 12 -14 months. I’m sure that everything will become clear soon.

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From AP:

Former White House press secretary Scott McClellan blames President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for efforts to mislead the public about the role of White House aides in leaking the identity of a CIA operative.

In an excerpt from his forthcoming book, McClellan recount the 2003 news conference in which he told reporters that aides Karl Rove and I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby were “not involved” in the leak involving operative Valerie Plame.

“There was one problem. It was not true,” McClellan writes, according to a brief excerpt released Monday. “I had unknowingly passed along false information. And five of the highest-ranking officials in the administration were involved in my doing so: Rove, Libby, the vice president, the president’s chief of staff and the president himself.” (more…)

 

 Anatomy of a cover up? [5:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration, Valerie Plame by ecthompson
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Re-posted 

This would be funny if it weren’t true. This is yet another Bush Administration scandal. This is the story of Cookie and Buzzy - brothers. Cookie Krongard is the Inspector General at the State Department. Buzzy is the brother who sits on an advisory board of Blackwater. It just so happens that the Inspector General’s office is investigating Blackwater.

Cookie was in front of a House committee and didn’t even know, so he said, that his brother was being paid by the very same guys who he is investigating. Yep, I don’t believe him either. Look for Henry Waxman to throw a contempt citation on Cookie.

Update: Buzzy Krongard has resigned.

Update II:  Buzzy Krongand was the #3 official at the CIA during 9/11.  He was instrumental in helping Blackwater get its first contract witht he CIA in the 2002 according to the book, Blackwater.  It turns out that Buzzy and Erik Prince the CEO of Blackwater are good buddies.  Jeremy Scahill, author of Blackwater, wrote a nice article in The Nation about this recent House committee hearing -

Now this story has taken yet another dramatic twist. On Wednesday the State Department Inspector General, Howard “Cookie” Krongard, was in the hot seat on Capitol Hill, where he found himself being grilled by Representative Henry Waxman’s Oversight and Government Affairs Committee. Krongard is the top State Department official charged with investigating allegations of waste, fraud and abuse. In addition to all of the questionable actions by the State Department in the Blackwater investigation, Krongard has faced charges that he impeded a Justice Department investigation into Blackwater over allegations the company was illegally smuggling weapons into Iraq. But the bombshell at the hearing was the revelation that Krongard’s brother, Alvin “Buzzy” Krongard, recently accepted a position as a paid consultant for Blackwater, where he serves on the company’s advisory board. Until his resignation in 2004, Buzzy was the number-three man at the Central Intelligence Agency (more on that later). Waxman’s committee broke the news of Buzzy’s Blackwater position as part of what can only be described as a masterful ambush of the Inspector General.  (more…)

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From TPM:

We’re that much closer to a perjury investigation. Buzzy Krongard has told House oversight committee staff what he told TPMmuckraker on Wednesday: that he told his brother, State Department Inspector General Howard “Cookie” Krongard, about his decision to join the advisory board of State Department contractor Blackwater. Cookie Krongard told the committee on Wednesday his brother had told him no such thing.

Waxman says he’ll hold a hearing the week of December 3 to determine if Krongard lied to the committee under oath. Both Krongard brothers will be invited to testify. And you thought your last family reunion was awkward. But will Howard Krongard resign before then? (more…)

 

 The happy story of the Krongards [5:58m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration by ecthompson
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There are times when blogging is very easy. It seems that everything that you type is clear and precise at least that’s the way that it feels when I type it. Tonight hasn’t been one of those nights. I looked at dozens of stories before I thought anything was worth blogging about. I know that everyone was focused on Hillary and Barack fighting over something that Robert Novak said. Robert Novak who has a double secret source. Robert “I outed Valerie Plame” Novak. Why does he have a job? Are writers that hard to come by? For my money, I would prefer that you left his spot in the newspaper blank rather that print anything that he has to say.

Another article in the NYT focuses on experience. The voters in Iowa are now focusing on the economy and experience. What does experience mean? There are only 3 or 4 people in the world who have US presidential experience - Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter and Alexander Haig. That’s it. Sitting next to the president isn’t good enough. If it was we should get Monica to run. President Kennedy said that there was no job in the world adequate enough to prepare you to be president.

New Iowa poll (what has there been now about a billion Iowa and New Hampshire polls) by ABC News - Washington Post shows Obama leading Hillary with John Edwards a close third. Interestingly Bill Richardson is in a strong fourth. (View the poll here) Independents will be very important in this race. I’m not sure that “normal” polling includes them. Look for the Tom Bradley effect to make polling results almost meaningless unless exit polling is done the day of the race.

We are being played like an old banjo. Gas prices. The oil companies are shaking us down until we begin to complain. When there are a couple stories in the media about high fuel prices, the gas prices magically fall. A few months pass then the oil prices raise again but they raise just past the price they were at before. More outcry then the prices fall back. All the while, energy CEO’s and their boards are raking in money by the truckload.

 

 Why is Novak still writing a major [6:13m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Big Oil, Blogging issues, Election 2008 by ecthompson
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Oh, Fred.  How did you fumble the ball so completely?  So quickly? Just a few short months ago, many analysts and some Republicans were wetting their pants over Fred Thompson.  They droned on and on about how great he was.  He was tall and handsome.  He has a great mind.  Then what?  Since his appearance and announcement on Johnny Carson Jay Leno’s Tonight Show, what has he done besides lose key campaign personnel?  His campaign is imploding so fast we have stopped talking about McCain’s campaign problems (no money, no message, no straight talk).

I’m not going to get started on his his Terri Schiavo fumble.  The whole country was wrapped in this tragic case.   He initially has no comment.  He didn’t follow the story?  What were there no newspapers or televisions on the set of Law and Order?  Then when he tried to “clear” thing up, he just makes it worse.  He seems to have to concept of vegetative state.   Then again this is the way that Fred Thompson has handle almost everything.  His explanations of his gaffs are worse than the gaffs.

TPM has more of the story.

 

 Where's Fred the Great? [8:13m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Election 2008 by ecthompson
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Fran Townsend, National security adviser, resigned yesterday. People are running out of the White House faster than Marion Jones (after steroids) - Karl Rove, Tony Snow, Dan Bartlett and others. CR has more including Fran’s greatest hits.

BTW, she hand wrote her resignation letter. It was a huge load of sap.

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From AP:

Fran Townsend, the leading White House-based terrorism adviser who gave public updates on the extent of the threat to U.S. security, is stepping down after 4 1/2 years.

President Bush said in a statement Monday morning that Townsend, 45, “has ably guided the Homeland Security Council. She has played an integral role in the formation of the key strategies and policies my administration has used to combat terror and protect Americans.”

Her departure continues an exodus of key Bush aides and confidants, with his two-term presidency in the final 15 months. Top aide Karl Rove, along with press secretary Tony Snow and senior presidential adviser Dan Bartlett, left earlier this year. (more…)

 

 Townsend defending torture [5:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration, Torture by ecthompson
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