It's not the grunts, it's the generals who need prosecuting

As the sirens close in on those who designed the torture regime in the Bush administration, this is a quite astonishing interview with one of its key actors.

Janis Karpinski ran Abu Gharib prison in Baghdad, source of those awful photos as well as jail sentences for some of the grunts who worked in it. Karpinski ended up getting demoted.

As the paper trail gets longer she unleashes on those who wouldn't defend those grunts at the time: Rumsfeld's cabal. Those who spoke of 'bad apples'

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Here's Karpinski on the Daily Show.

I feel pretty much the same about the police officers who assaulted people at the G20 demos.

Those grunts were allowed to do what they did by both their superiors and by politicians (not just Jacqui Smith but Boris and Ken before him). All in an atmosphere, like that created by Bush and Cheney for US troops and contractors, of free reign for the police created by Blair.

Anyone who exercises the sorts of powers - lethal powers - that soldiers and police officers have needs to be well-managed as it should be obvious from human psychology and several thousand years of experience that they will abuse them if they are not managed. They are ultimately responsible for their actions but, like with a manslaughter charge, their superiors are equally culpable.

Tony Blair said in 2004:

"We asked the police what powers they wanted, and gave them to them."

Not what they 'needed', what they 'wanted'. Very important distinction.

In some ways you could say that Ian Tomlinson was a victim of Tony Blair.

Gawd help me, I'm going to quote a Tory, former home secretary Willie Whitelaw from the 1980s.

He boasted how after any security lapse, the police would come to beg for new and draconian powers. He laughed and sent them packing, saying only a bunch of softies would erode British liberty to give themselves an easier job. He said they laughed in return and remarked that "it was worth a try".

This is entirely the right approach - and I just love the reference to 'softies'.

Obama's gloss peeling off

"It is just as bad to prevent the investigation and prosecution of a war crime as its commission because you become part of it."

Why Won't Obama Pursue War Crimes Investigations?

Goodbye to the chimp

N'kay, a few hours late(r), but part of the 'handover' is the removal of 'the chimp' from 'ere.

For over a year I've included this fab 'Bushisms' widget, with the odd tweak. Now it is gone.

Hooray!

For 'Bush as chimp' thank Steve Bell, the Guardian's legendary cartoonist.



Here's how 'the chimp' evolved.

And here's a really neat summation from one of my fave bloggers:

George W. Bush left his country with a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who couldn't administer a 35-word oath without tripping over his own dick.

Holy taco!

More

Fun! Fun! Fun! > Bush-a-go-go

From the past > Counting down ...

Whilst you're waiting [for the end], you can while away the hours playing with this game <<

Tearing Dallas a new party hole

Ah, Will Ferrell. What will he do next?

Bush's Boot Camp

Iraqis so well-off they've shoes to spare

Best ... Xmas present ... ever.

"This is a goodbye kiss, you dog."

"This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq."

Bush's actual legacy

One minor error (and he doesn't mention the Iraqi body count) but this is Olbermann at his best.

Mr. Bush lifted the economy with his tax cuts and, quote, "responded with bold measures to prevent an economic meltdown."

In 2005, Mr. Bush told a 57-year-old single mother of three, one of them mentally challenged, that it was "fantastic", "uniquely American" that she had to work three jobs unlike half a million people who have no job as of November... in the first presidency for decades during which family earning power fell, and income disparity continued to rise.

The "meltdown" he "prevented" now having claimed several Wall Street institutions which had weathered 1929, and 9/11... but not 43.

And, of course, the old standby, quote, he "kept the American people safe"...

Not counting twenty percent of his first term, January 20th, 2001, until September 11th, 2001. On 9/11, he sat reading "My Pet Goat" for seven minutes after learning America was under attack. Then covered up environmental dangers at Ground Zero, and failed to provide for the health of rescue workers. Helped bin Laden's family flee the country. Opposed the 9/11 Commission, the Department of Homeland Security.

Tried to outsource America's port security to Dubai. Did not keep us safe from the shoe-bomber... alert passengers and crew did that...

Did not keep five Americans safe from anthrax... and never caught their killer.
Still hasn't caught the killer of 17 sailors aboard the USS Cole.

Still hasn't caught the killer of 3,000 on 9/11... outsourcing that to Afghans... turning that country into a narco-state, giving bin Laden a safe haven in the region of Waziristan by literally endorsing a truce that Pakistan signed with the Taliban there.

And most of all, not keeping safe 4,200 Americans dead in his war, a war that made us less safe, invading a country that posed no grave or gathering threat, provided a check on Iran... then igniting insurrection by disbanding the Baathist Party, creating a Muslim theocracy purged of its moderate intelligentsia. One in which freedom has marched backward for women.

Get this widget!

Delegating as deniability

Two great journos going head-to-head. Hur, hur.

Bob Woodward plainly enjoying himself and Colbert spiking the Bush inadequacy.

Priceless.

Anti-Bush Merchandise Market Close To Collapse!

Dubya

'W' trailer. "Who do you think you are, a Kennedy?"

Music: Shoot the dog

Great politics, great bassline. Fabulous.

"I have strong opinions on Britain's current situation & I feel that in a time when public debate is being suppressed even something as trivial as a pop song can be a good thing. Shoot The Dog is intended as a piece of political satire, no more no less, & I hope that it will make people laugh & dance, & then think."

He was crucified for this in the US. You go, girlfriend.

Animation by 2DTV.

Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency

New Wearable Feedbags Let Americans Eat More, Move Less

Teaser poster for W

Oliver Stone's movie 'W' has a teaser poster featuring a list of Bushisms. Click the image for the large version.

Ollie Stone lampoons Bush

As you may have read, noted comedy director Oliver Stone is making a film about George Bush - W - which is scheduled for release before November. Josh Brolin is playing Bush and amongst the rest of the cast are Ioan Gruffudd playing Tony Blair and Thandie Newton as Condi.

Stone is one of my least favorite directors having made one of the very few movies I've ever walked out of, Natural Born Killers. But this one sounds, on paper, like great fun.

The NY Daily News managed to get their hands on a highly embargoed script and found these highlights:

Here's Karl Rove making W. memorize answers, telling him, "Before you speak, come to me first. I'll tell you what to say." W. chiding late-arriving "Balloonfoot" Powell, saying military men should know about being on time. Rumsfeld, who's hard of hearing. W. happy when Cheney laughs at his cowboy-delivered twang. Cheney stepping in cow poop at Crawford. W. eating his favorite White House bologna sandwich lunch.

In all presidential erudition, telling Gen. Tommy Franks to be sure what he's doing: "I don't want to fire no $2 million missile at a $10 empty tent and hit a camel in the a - -." Then: "Americans don't like to see dead boys on their television sets." Telling education reformers: "Rarely is the question asked, 'Is our children learning?' "

Page 10 on Bill Clinton: "My mother waddles faster than that larda - -." Page 11: "We'll move these terr'ists to Guantanemera." Cheney: "Guantanamo." Bush: "Right." Then Bush to Cheney: "Vice, when we're in meetings I want you to keep a lid on it. Keep your ego in check. Remember, I'm the president."

Flashbacks have college-boy W. boozing, slacking off from work, in jail, calling his then-congressman father "Poppy." Sr. praising Jeb, castigating Jr., asking if he's "knocked up" a girl named Susie, complaining, "You never kept your word once . . . you're only good for partying, chasing tail, driving drunk . . . You deeply disappoint me." Repeat father and son arguments. Father: "I've had enough of your crap." Son: "I've had enough of you for a lifetime." Mama Barbara breaking up the near fisticuffs with announcing Jr. just made Harvard and Sr. responding, "But who do you think pulled the strings?"

Then, W.: "Saddam's been d - - - ing us around for 11 years. I told my father to get rid of the sucker" long back. War-thumping Cheney: "Saddam's smoking gun might become a mushroom cloud." W.: "We need the WMDs. We still need that 52nd card." Someone says: "You mean the 53rd card, sir."

Bushisms such as "A kick-ass war . . . Hittin' it off like grease to a skillet" . . . nu-cu-lar" . . . calling people "a-holes . . . son-of-a-b - - - - es . . . " saying it's "bulls - - -" . . . saying about one, "I'm going to kick his motherf - - - ing ass." About another, his "ba - - s have been put through the wringer." About himself, "One of the biggest talkers." It shows him wanting broader powers. It shows him saying about the press: "Like I owe them an explanation!?"

Page 42. Checking a map, being told it passed "Humint," whereupon the President of the United States asks, "What's 'Humint' again?" and being told "It's Human Intelligence." A scene in which, auditing an Iraqi intercept, W. asks, "Wolfowitz, got any Maalox on you? . . . and while you're at it, trim your ear hairs." And Cheney checking his heart pills.

There's Rove saying, "The polls have shot up to 80 percent behind the president. The American people want blood. They demand it." And Colin Powell: "This about politics or policy? I'm really confused. What're you doing in this room?"

In line with what Stone personally says about W.: "Limited ability except to promote himself," in one cocky flashback he guarantees he can fly a plane and then has trouble landing it. Page 50, asked if he loves his parents, he answers: "Most of the time. My father and I have a tough go . . . My mother says I'm as good as her at holding a grudge." After his father becomes president: "I'll never get out of Poppy's shadow. I wish he'd lost." After W. becomes president, his father saying, "I'm worried about him. Really worried. But you can't talk to him." And Barbara replying, "Well, he's not going to listen to me. He takes criticism worse than I do." And after Jr. knocks his father and shouts, "This is my war, not his," Condoleezza says: "We'll let him know that from here on out, he's persona non grata. No briefings, no nothings."

Bush's green-ish speech: right-wing blogosphere goes nuts

Made me laugh out loud.

Iain Murray / The Corner:

President's Global Warming Surrender: “It will be very bad” — We're hearing some very bad things about the President's likely unconditional surrender on global warming today. One senior source suggested that the last line of sound defense had been breached and that “It will be very bad.”

Link Search: Ask, Technorati, Sphere, Google, and IceRocket

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Discussion: michellemalkin.com, Macsmind and Balloon Juice

–

Discussion:

Michelle Malkin: The enviro-nitwit-ization of the GOP is complete

Macranger / Macsmind: Bush succumbing to Global Farce?

John Cole / Balloon Juice: Bush's Surrender — I give you the straight talk. That is my job.

Spitzer twister: He was after GW Bush

Greg Palast has an interesting twist to the Spitzer-hooker scandal.

While New York Governor Eliot Spitzer was paying an ‘escort’ $4,300 in a hotel room in Washington, just down the road, George Bush’s new Federal Reserve Board Chairman, Ben Bernanke, was secretly handing over $200 billion in a tryst with mortgage bank industry speculators.

Both acts were wanton, wicked and lewd. But there’s a BIG difference. The Governor was using his own checkbook. Bush’s man Bernanke was using ours.

Three weeks before the FBI leaked information to the New York Times, Spitzer wrote a Washington Post piece titled:

Predatory Lenders' Partner in Crime
How the Bush Administration Stopped the States From Stepping In to Help Consumers

Spitzer was after how Bush was stopping States Attorneys General who wanted to sue loan-sharking banks. They had engaged in illegal 'predatory' loans: this is 'the mortgage crisis' which hit Northern Rock and may lead to an economic downturn.

Spitzer:

When history tells the story of the subprime lending crisis and recounts its devastating effects on the lives of so many innocent homeowners the Bush administration will not be judged favorably.

As in the UK, Banks have been bailed out with hundreds of billions of dollars and the White House stopped the states from pursuing the lenders through the courts.

I posted about how a booker for a 'high class escort agency' in her reflections had noted:

Show me a rich and powerful man between the ages of 35 and 60 who has never paid an escort for sex, and I will show you a man who is a very rare exception.

Interesting how Spitzer is the one exposed: via the FBI ...

• More from Palast

Bush-a-go-go

Can Barack do this?

Feeeeeel da rydim ..

Shake shake just shake shake Just shake shake Just shake chica shake shake Shake shake just shake ... ...

Me, and my shaaadow ... walking down the av - e - nue ...

Somehow I'm reminded of the bird in 'the Good Life' title watching this ...



Hat-tip: Wonkette

The State of the Ridicule

Classic Jon Stewart on Bush.

He does the best Bush caricature, better than Steve Bell's. And the cheer when he says 'last State of the Union' is something to behold.

Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.) explains 'Why I kissed President Bush'

Stewart hacks up 'the Democrat response' hilariously too.



All round great show as he's also on form batting against historical anecdote queen, presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.

• Goodwin and other show extracts start here.

~~~~~~

One anecdote from this year to be recorded for history was Bush performing the rite of 'pass the phone' - where you go up to someone on the phone and say "tell them 'X' celebrity says 'hi'".

At the State of The Union it was Bush to the very gay Democrat congressman, elder and power broker Barney Frank:

"Tell him I said, 'Hello,' ''

Him, in this case, being Barney's Bf.

Barney rushed back over and said:

"Mr. President, by the way, the person I was talking to when you said to say hello was my boyfriend.'

"Well. I hope you said how open-minded I am,'' Frank said the president replied.

"I considered telling [the president] I wouldn't marry him,'' Frank said, "but then I thought, 'Nah.' ''

'Open-minded' must be Mary Cheney's doing and very 'State of the Union'.

Hail to the chimp!

Hurrah!

One other good thing about this new template is that I can pop The Chimp-o-Matic back ... I just looove those Bushisms (doesn't everyone).

Bottom of the sidebar.

• Why it disappeared