Where’s the Outrage?

In spite of the rumors that all is well in Iraq, Turkey bombs Northern Iraq, again.  Kurdish rebels have raided Turkey on a number of occasions.  Turkey has clearly had enough.  For the second time in 7 - 8 days, Northern Iraq has been bombed.

It will be interesting to hear what the Bush administration has to say about this.

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From AP:

Turkish warplanes bombed Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq on Saturday in the third confirmed cross-border offensive by Turkish forces in less than a week, the military said.

The U.S. Embassy in Ankara said it was informed before the assault took place, but gave no further information. The United States and Iraq both have urged Turkey to avoid a major operation in the area, fearing it could destabilize what has been the calmest region in Iraq.  (more…)

Tags: Iraq by ecthompson
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Snow storm in Kansas and Missouri.  Ice Storm in Northern Texas causing a 40 car pile up!

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From Weather.com:

While only dropping about 3 to 6 inches of snow in parts of Kansas, winds gusting from 30 to 50 mph produced whiteout conditions in some areas. Reduced visibility in blowing snow was blamed for a 30-car pileup on Interstate 70 west of Topeka, Kan. Numerous cars slid off stretches of Interstates 70 and 135 near Salina, Kan. as well. A stretch of Interstate 29 was also closed for a time Saturday near St. Joseph, Mo. Visibilities in the Wichita, Kan. metro area were limited, at times, to just 100 feet and drifts up to 3 feet were measured! Heavy snow was accompanied by occasional cloud-to-ground lightning strikes in southern and eastern Kansas. (more…)

 

 Ugly weather in Mid-West [2:04m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Domestic Issues, Environment by ecthompson
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Diana Krall.  Merry Christmas to all.

 

 Diana Krall - Jungle Bells [3:12m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Music by ecthompson
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The Dallas Cowboys after their disappointing loss to the Philadelphia Eagles need to bounce back against the Carolina Panthers.  The Panthers are hurting.  Unknown, Matt Moore is starting at quarterback.  All-World Julius Peppers is a game time decision because of a bad knee.

How the Cowboys lose.  The Philadelphia Eagles and the Detroit Lions have given the league a blueprint on how to beat the Cowboys.  Control the ball.  Don’t make offensive mistakes that shorten the field.  Play the run tough.  Pressure Romo up the middle and control Terrell Owens.  Force the other receivers to make plays.   Sam Herd and Patrick Crayton haven’t been consistent.  The Cowboys defense is solid but it has holes.  Stay out of 3rd and long.  Run the ball between the tackles.  Force turnovers.  Unfortunately, the Panther defense aren’t the Eagles.  The Panther offense doesn’t have Brian Westbrook or Donavon McNabb.

How the Cowboys win.  Play smart.  Run the ball.   Control the ball.  Protect Romo.  Barber and Jones need over 150 yards on the ground. Sam Herd and Patrick Crayton need to make plays down the field.  This will open up the defense for Terrell Owens and Jason Whitten.  Don’t force the ball!!  Romo hasn’t looked good since the Packer game.  He has to play better.  The offensive line has to play better.  On the defensive side of the ball, be aggressive.  Stop Steve Smith and the Panthers running game.  Make Moore beat us by throwing to someone other than Steve Smith.  Force some turnovers.  We haven’t seen a couple of turnovers in a couple of weeks.  Pressure and sack Moore.   Cowboys win.

This will not be a cake walk since the Cowboys haven’t been able to put any team away this year.  Look for the Cowboys to win by 10 - 14 but for the game to be closer than the final score.

 

 Dallas - Carolina preview [3:53m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Sports by ecthompson
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Congratulations, Republicans in the 110th Senate! You’ve become the most obstructionist group in history!

• Yesterday, the Senate Republican minority filibustered its 62nd bill since coming to Congress last January.
• The previous record was 61 filibusters during *both* sessions of the 107th Congress, meaning these new Blockheads have a whole year to spare! [Crooks and Liars]
• This is all part of the master plan to stop Congress from accomplishing, well, anything.
• In fact, the New York Times reports last week that “Senate Republicans are so accustomed to blocking measures that when the Democrats finally agreed last week to their demands on a bill to repari the alternative minimum tax, the Republicans still objected, briefly blocking the version of the bill that they wanted before scrambling to approve it later.” [NY Times]
• What have conservatives been so busy blocking?
• End the occupation of Iraq? BLOCKED.
• Reduce the $13.5 billion subsidy for the top five oil companies? BLOCKED.
• Allow soldiers in Iraq to have rest time equal to their deployment time? BLOCKED
• President Bush got in on the obstructionist action, too, brandishing his veto pen at the merest whiff of policy he didn’t like.
• Providing support for stem-cell research: TWO VETOES
• Providing health insurance for the kids of the working poor: TWO VETOES
• Bringing troops home from Iraq: VETO
• Don’t get too depressed! Although the press has focused heavily on the bills that didn’t make it, there have been some big victories for progressives this year.
• The victories: A minimum wage increase. Implementation of the 9/11 Commission Recommendations. Cutting costs for college tuition. A new energy law insisting on better fuel ecomony. Increased spending for vets. A massive overhaul of ethics and lobbying rules. Tighter instant background checks for purchasing guns. More money for math and science teachers. Tax relief for homeowners facing foreclosure. Increased money for research funding. Increased assistance for victims of Hurricane Katrina. [Seattle Times]

Tags: Congress by ecthompson
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