The Hollywood Liberal February 18, 2005

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February 18, 2005.

Hey we got lots of stuff today, be sure to check out The Social Security Calculator below, you can calculate just how much you will lose under Bush's S.S. plan. But first the story of the day.

Officials Warn of Future Terror Attacks

By KATHERINE SHRADER, Associated Press Writer
welcome back

WASHINGTON - Speaking with one voice, President Bush's top intelligence and military officials said Wednesday that terrorists are regrouping for possible new strikes against the United States.
H.L.s Take: What I don't understand the election is over, Bush is still in the white house, so why the terror threats, he must want something, what can it be?
They said the best defense was for Congress to approve the president's military and anti-terror budget. But some in Congress, including prominent Republicans, were questioning some of that spending. Ohhh so thats what it is. Even the Republicans in congress are starting to get tired of giving the monkey a blank check to bankrupt the country (of course the Democrats won't put up a fight, in fact, they will probably fight the Republicans to make sure Bush gets everything he wants) So its time for Tom Ridge to get up there again, and make his vauge unspecified terror warning once again. Hey Tom been a while, we missed you.
Offering few specifics on terror threats,As Always becuase there is no threat. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told a House hearing that the government could reasonably predict attacks would come from terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and other means.
But of course the warnings will suddenly dissappear if they get the total sum they are looking for, just like they did right after the election. Of course the threats are real because our government will be carrying them out against us just like last time Meanwhile, new CIA Director Porter Goss told the Senate Intelligence Committee the Iraq war was giving terrorists experience and contacts for future attacks, Hey Porter, you guys just figuring that out. Doh! and FBI Director Robert Mueller expressed worry that a sleeper operative in the U.S. may have been in place for years, awaiting orders for an attack. Rumsfeld told the House Armed Services Committee that the proposed $419 billion defense package for 2006 would set an ambitious course to "continue prosecuting the war Prosecuting, Doesn't that mean putting on trial and trying to find guilty. So he is putting the war on trial, and trying to find it guilty, Isn't that what we're trying to do and to attack its ideological underpinnings." Yet the Republican-controlled Congress may exercise its considerable authority over federal spending and reject White House requests to simply sign the checks. The Democrats will fight against this to give Bush the money, so he will get it, and then, presto no more threat House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., the new chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said lawmakers were questioning billions in foreign aid and State Department spending that Bush requested in an emergency bill this week. DeLay, R-Texas, said some of Bush's foreign aid proposals "probably do not qualify" for the expedited treatment he's seeking. But with Lieberman, Salazaar, Biden, and The 2 Nelsons on his side, He's still got a shot

If this all looks a little familiar to long time readers heres an H.L. Flashback from way back on August 1, 2004.

Now they're getting more specific with the Terra threats

WASHINGTON - The federal government warned Sunday of possible terrorist attacks against "iconic" financial institutions in New York City, Washington and Newark, N.J., saying a confluence of intelligence over the weekend pointed to a car or truck bomb.

That thing was this big, and I could barely get my mouth around it

Its a wolf, Its a wolf!

Specifically, the government named these buildings as potential targets:

_The Citicorp building and the New York Stock Exchange sites) in New York City.

_The International Monetary Fund - sites) and the World Bank - sites) buildings in Washington.

_The Prudential building in Newark.

How come there are never terror warning for places like Texas, oh yeah because they vote for Bush in Texas.

"The preferred means of attack would be car or truck bombs," Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said in a briefing with journalists. That would be a primary means of attack. "The government said the new intelligence indicated the meticulous planning of al-Qaida. He identified explosives as the likely mode of attack, as opposed to a chemical or biological attack or a radiological "dirty" bomb.

Ridge said the government's threat level for financial institutions would be raised to orange, or high alert, but would remain at yellow, or elevated, elsewhere. Ridge said it would be up to New York City officials to decide whether to move to the highest level, red. The city has remained on orange since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

If they go to red that means no one can leave there houses, even to go to work. Yeah we'll leave that up y'all over there in New York.????

The threat potential remains through the Nov. 2 elections, Ridge said.

How convenient. Right up until the elections. So if Bush wins the threat magically disappears, If Bush loses then what?

Vague Unspecified Terror Warning of The Week

Thank God we have Jr. to keep us all safe.

NYC Police Issue Warning of Terror Threat

This ones from ABC News citing those ever reliable "Anonymous Sources." That refuse to elaborate further. Now that Bush is on the ropes we should be expecting these every couple of days or so. two days ago it was California, and New Mexico, today its New York Coming soon to a town near you.

No, this time there really really really is a wolf.

End of Flashback:

From Laura
Hey take a look at this Social Security Calculator I got from Chuck Shumer. You enter your average yearly income, and the year you were born and it will calculate how much you will get under the current plan, the how much you will get under Bush's new plan, and then it will tell you the difference per year.

H.L. Responds: Laura, this is very interesting, Thanks sending it along. H.L

Enter Your Average Annual Salary (e.g. 40000): $
What Year Were You Born? (1950 or After):

Your Promised Annual Social Security Benefit Now:

How Much You Will Get From Traditional Social Security:

$

How Much You Will Get From Private Account:

$

Total Annual Benefit Under Bush Privatization:

$

/

NOW $

Your Promised Annual Social
Security Benefit Now

–

Bush Plan $

Total Annual Benefit
Under Bush Privatization

=

ANNUAL CUT -$

Your Annual Dollar CUT Under
Bush Privatization

Your Annual Percentage CUT Under Bush Privatization = %

All numbers are annual benefits adjusted for inflation. Calculations are based on Congressional Budget Office (CBO) economic assumptions. The President has said that individual accounts would do nothing to restore long-term solvency and that further benefit cuts are necessary. Since he has not made a specific proposal, these estimates assume that benefits are “price indexed,” a proposal made in Plan 2 of President Bush’s Social Security Commission. Please Click Here for Detailed Explanation of Calculations and Assumptions.

Prison Planet.com

Former German Defense Minister Confirms CIA Involvement in 9/11

By now you've all heard of Jeff Gannon of course well heres a story anyway.
Guardian U.K.

A hireling, a fraud and a prostitute

Belacio.org

"Gannon" scandal leads to link between high-level Republicans, high-level Democrats

Uruknet

John "Death Squad" Negroponte Nominated as DNI

From Ryan at Fair Vote

Here you go Ryan

THE CENTER FOR VOTING AND DEMOCRACY

February 17, 2005

National Reformers Respond to Gov. Schwarzenegger's Redistricting Plan

"Plan Doesn't Go Far Enough -- Competitiveness
and Minority Representation Unaffected"

WASHINGTON, DC - As national attention turns to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to replace the state's partisan gerrymandering system with an independent redistricting commission, FairVote-The Center for Voting and Democracy seeks to dispel common myths about both the plan and independent redistricting in general. Since 1992, FairVote, a non-profit, non-partisan electoral reform organization has studied the consequences and problems associated with partisan gerrymandering and the redistricting process, through its groundbreaking Monopoly Politics and Dubious Democracy reports. The following national reformers are available for comment on redistricting issues and Schwarzenegger's proposal:

John Anderson (Former Presidential Candidate and Member, U.S. House): "Gerrymandering clearly contributes to this dismal state of democracy, but it's less of a problem than the fact of single-member districts themselves. The combination of predictable voters, hardening partisan divisions, high-tech tools, and the general free hand given to legislators creates a perfect storm for no-choice elections -- one that fairer redistricting can tame only at the margins. In my home state of Illinois, we minimized these problems for years by electing our representatives in three-seat districts, using a full representation voting system. California should explore all of these options as it reforms its redistricting process. Contact John Anderson at (954) 262-6183.

Steven Hill (Irvine Senior Fellow, New America Foundation): "Gov. Schwarzenegger is right that California needs a government that's less partisan and better reflects its diverse population. But there are more effective ways for the governor to solve the redistricting problem than merely by allowing retired judges to draw the lines for political districts. Schwarzenegger's plan may minimize the ability of political parties to rig their own districts, but it ignores the fact that the state's partisanship is geographically polarized. This makes it difficult to create a meaningful number of competitive districts even when using nonpartisan criteria, mainly because people of like-minded partisanship simply tend to live in the same area. So if the governor is going to open this debate, then let's really open it. Let's put everything on the table, not just redistricting, but proportional voting systems, new voter registration technologies, instant runoff voting and more. Contact Steven Hill at (415) 665-5044.

David Moon (Program Director, FairVote): "Schwarzenegger's redistricting reform proposal highlights the importance of creating a redistricting process in the public interest, rather than one serving only to benefit politicians. Unfortunately, while his plan seeks to minimize partisan rigging of district lines, it does not address stagnant representation of women and communities of color. The self-proclaimed People's Governor' should make full representation for all a priority in his redistricting reform proposal, by embracing the potential for multimember, proportional districts to create more representative government. Contact David Moon at (301) 270-4616.

Please direct all other press inquiries to Communications Director Ryan O'Donnell at ryan@fairvote.org

###

The Salt Lake Tribune

Energy secretary pushes to ramp up U.S. ability to test nuke bombs

Ok thats it see you tomorrow

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