Blue Radar

As I post each morning, here are some of the political stories thatmight not be worthy of their own posts, but are nonetheless newsworthy:

• According to Dennis Kucinich, there are hidden provisions in the Iraq funding bill that 1) privatize Iraqi oil; and 2) give Bush the power to invade Iran without Congressional approval.  (This is just pathetic and cowardly!  I try my very best each day to not put my emotions into this site.  But if what Kucinich says is true, then the Democrats have really lost their spine.)
• The U.S. Office of Special Counsel found that GSA Chief Lurita Alexis Doan violated the Hatch Act "when she allegedly asked GSA political appointees during a Januarybriefing how they could 'help our candidates' win the next election" -- says the Washington Post.
• Time's Joe Klein reports that although the military campaign in Anbar Province is going well, the Iraqi government is falling apart on the political level: "There is a growing sense among senior U.S. military and intelligenceofficials that the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki—and theShi'ite factions in general—has little interest in making concessionsto the Sunnis."
• The media company McClatchy News Services has been barred from the Defense Secretary's plane.  McClatchy's Bureau Chief John Walcott thinks he knows why.  "It is because our coverage of Iraq policy has been quite critical," he said, referring to a number of stories that the media firm broke about prewar intelligence..
  
• Lynne Cheney, daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney, has given birth to a baby boy.
• The feds have busted a major drug trafficking organization that used baby blankets, suitcases, blue jeans and other articles of clothing to smuggle heroine into the U.S. from Columbia.  44 people were arrested in what was called "Operation Jacket Racket."
• Hillary Clinton's deputy campaign manager wrote a memo that advises her to bypass the Iowa Caucus because she is doing much better in other states.  (Looks like someone is about to get fired!)
• In Iowa, the Barack Obama campaign is expected to make the electability argument.  A memo that "leaked" from one of Obama's communications directors explained, "While our campaign's focus will be continuing to build on our stronggrassroots organization, the early polls indicate that Barack isemerging as the most 'electable' candidate in the eyes of IowaDemocrats."
• Iowa Democrats (Strategic Vision): Edwards - 29%, Obama - 24%, Clinton - 16%

If we left anything out, feel free to add any stories in the commentbox.

Comments

[granny]

On "hidden Provisions" in the funding bill: Well. Let's see ~ Democrats agreed to:

Privatize Iraqi oil, - therby agreeing to deliver the spoils of war over to Halliburton, lock, stock and barrel (no pun intended) and whoever else is at that table.

REMOVE a provision that would require Bush to seek Congressional approval before invading Iran.So they won't have to be caught voting on that nasty business with their elections coming up.

And then - oh, yes. That timeline thing ... Just forget that timeline/benchmark thing altogether. Strike those. For what conceivable reason on that one, I can't come up with.

If this is so, this is far, far worse than spinelessness. This is collusion.

It is intentional, methodical, play by play,aiding and abetting.

They've sold out!

Why has no non-Republican candidate, except Kucinich brought this out into the open? No one!

Why do we keep ignoring the man - and his candidacy?

[Margot]

Please fix the typo - Mary had the baby, not Lynne. ;-)