Foley To Resign Over Sexually Explicit Messages to Minors

Congressman Mark Foley (R-FL) planned to resign today, hours after ABC questioned him about sexually explicit internet messages with current and former Congressional pages under the age of 18.

A spokesman for Foley, the chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children, said the congressman submitted his resignation in a letter late this afternoon to Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert.

Hours earlier, ABC News had read excerpts of instant messages provided by former male pages who said the congressman, under the AOL Instant Messenger screen name Maf54, made repeated references to sexual organs and acts.

Pedophile

Take UK troops out of Iraq, senior military told ministers
Army chiefs wanted to move forces to Afghanistan but were prevented for political reasons

Senior military officers have been pressing the government to withdraw British troops from Iraq and concentrate on what they now regard as a more worthwhile and winnable battleground in Afghanistan.

They believe there is a limit to what British soldiers can achieve in southern Iraq and that it is time the Iraqis took responsibility for their own security, defence sources say. Pressure from military chiefs for an early and significant cut in the 7,500 British troops in Iraq is also motivated by extreme pressure being placed on soldiers and those responsible for training them.

"What is more important, Afghanistan or Iraq?" a senior defence source asked yesterday. "There is a group within the Ministry of Defence pushing hard to get troops out of Iraq to get more into Afghanistan."

Military chiefs have been losing patience with the slow progress made in building a new Iraqi national army and security services. Significantly, they now say the level of violence in the country will not be a factor determining when British troops should leave.

Guardian

The American people deserve an elections system that is beyond reproach -- a system where every vote counts and every vote is counted.

Unfortunately, as we've seen in recent primary elections in Maryland, California, Georgia and other states, new electronic voting machines designed to make it easier for more people to vote are failing, and poll workers haven't been trained to use the new technology properly. Consequently, untold thousands of voters have been turned away from the polls or cast votes that weren't properly counted.

This is unacceptable in the United States of America. We can't let the failure of electronic voting machines affect this November's elections -- especially with the future of our country on the line. So Tuesday I introduced new legislation, co-sponsored by Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), to address this problem -- and I hope you'll urge your Members of Congress to support it.

Urge your Members of Congress to support my "Confidence in Voting Act" now!

Time is of the essence here. Congress is slated to adjourn at the end of the week, and we need to get this bill passed by both the House and the Senate before then.

My "Confidence in Voting Act" is simple. It urges local jurisdictions to make paper ballots available at every polling place, so any voter who wants one can use one. What's more, my legislation defrays the cost by reimbursing local jurisdictions up to $.75 for each of these contingency paper ballots produced.

This is a win-win for local governments and for individual voters. The "Confidence in Voting Act" will make it easier for states to do the right thing in this November's election -- and it will make the American people more confident about the outcome.

Please forward an email to your Members of Congress now -- urge them to support my "Confidence in Voting Act" before Congress adjourns next week!

We can't let this important bill get lost in the typical chaos of the closing days of Congress' legislative session.

That's why it's so important for you to speak out and make sure that your Members of Congress act -- and then to forward this email to everyone you know.

Help me build a groundswell of grassroots support for this critical legislation, so the American people have more confidence in this November's elections.

Urge your Members of Congress to support my "Confidence in Voting Act" now!

Thanks so much for your continued help and support.

In Friendship,

Barbara Boxer
U.S. Senator

P.S. After you've sent your own email to your Members of Congress about my "Confidence in Voting Act," please forward this message to your friends & family and encourage them to do the same.

In front of the Senate right now is a bill that would require all voters to produce identification proving their citizenship. H.R. 4844 by Rep. Hyde (R-IL) would place severe burdens on voters – possibly the most restrictive since the policies of the Jim Crow era. It was passed by the House last week and now the Republican congressional leadership may be resorting to sneaky tactics to get it passed in the Senate.

H.R. 4844 must be stopped at all costs!
In yet another cynical exploitation of security issues in an election year, Republican congressional leaders are considering folding this bill into a must-pass appropriations bill. Whether the undemocratic restrictions in this bill are voted on in H.R. 4844 or they are attached to the conference report for an appropriations bill, your senators need to hear from you that they should OPPOSE this measure.

Call both of your senators NOW and urge them to:

1. Vote NO on H.R. 4844.

2. Do not allow H.R. 4844 to be attached to any appropriations conference report.

H.R. 4844 comes as a response to the right-wing fairy tale that undocumented immigrants are voting in mass numbers. But the only thing it would do is ensure that poor, minority and elderly voters, as well as students and voters with disabilities, would be disenfranchised.

Please stand up for voting rights by calling your senators today and then forward this alert to your friends and ask them to do the same.

Thank you for defending democracy from the Far Right's unscrupulous attacks.

Maybe on September 12th of 2001 I would have said yes.

But 5 years later, we are winning BOTH fronts of the WOT, our intel services are less hindered than they were, our military is strong and will only continue to get stronger, and our will isn't anywhere near being broken.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

8 posted on 09/27/2006 10:29:12 PM PDT by MikefromOhio ("...America has confronted evil before, and we have defeated it...")
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welcome to the freepshow

"War on Terror: Do We Need To Mobilize?"

First our leaders need to STOP with the political correctness and recognize that ISLAM is the enemy and it NOT a religion of peace.

Secondly, STOP THE APPEASEMENT DAMMIT! It only makes them bolder.

Third, do all we can to ensure that the RATS NEVER get control of ANYTHING.

Fourth, "F" the UN and go after the head of the snake and nuke Irans nuclear facilities already and get some spec ops guys in there to take out Imanutjobonjihad.

3 posted on 09/27/2006 10:24:51 PM PDT by diverteach
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The House approved legislation yesterday giving the Bush administration authority to interrogate and prosecute terrorism detainees, moving President Bush to the edge of a pre-election victory with a key piece of his antiterrorism plan.

The mostly party-line vote, 253 to 168, in the Republican-run House came shortly after senators agreed to limit debate on their own nearly identical bill, all but assuring its passage today.

The bill also gives the president the ability to interpret international standards for prisoner treatment when an act does not fall under the definition of a war crime, such as rape or torture.

US press unmoved by terror report

The three declassified pages from what is certainly a voluminous report told us what any American with a newspaper, television or internet connection should already know. The invasion of Iraq was a cataclysmic disaster. The current situation will get worse if American forces leave. Unfortunately, neither the report nor the president provide even a glimmer of a suggestion about how to avoid that inevitable disaster.

As a defence of his policies, it [the extract] serves only to highlight the maddening circular logic that passes for a White House rationale. It goes like this: The invasion of Iraq has created an entire new army of terrorists who will be emboldened by an American withdrawal. Therefore, the United States has to stay indefinitely and keep fighting those terrorists.

By that logic, the more the United States fights, the longer the war stretches on.

BBC

"I watch FOX News because I trust that the journalists will give the whole story about events of the day. They don't pick out portions of those events in order to put a certain spin on it. I don't have to sort through the spin to determine reality."
- Antia (Gaffney, SC)

The week I put this sticker on my car, a lady in the Target parking lot said, "Hey, I love your sticker!" I asked her if she wanted one - I had bought extra. She said sure. I gave it to her and she put it on her car right away! The next day, I was shopping at Whole Foods. When I came out, there was a little gum wrapper under my wiper blade, with writing....it said: "I want to know where to get the DUMPRICK sticker. Can you please call me and tell me where to get one?"

To my knowledge, they are only available at a little gift shop in Squirrel Hill in Pittsburgh (email us for info). I think they had them made in fact. That's why they're hard to find. If any of your readers in PA want to get one, they can call the store and I'm sure they'd be happy to mail a few out!

"People don't want me making decisions based on politics," Bush said. "They want me making decisions based on the recommendations of our generals on the ground. And that's exactly who I'll be listening to.
Bush Nov. 29 2005"

Well, George, you didn't listen back then, when they 1) asked for more troops, 2) said you needed to plan to secure Iraq after the fall of Baghdad, 3) said you needed an exit strategy, and 4) suggested that maybe this isn't such a great idea to begin with. We're waiting to see if you'll listen now, when they tell you that your Secretary of Defense is "incompetent strategically, operationally and tactically" and that "Rumsfeld and his immediate team must be replaced or we will see two more years of extraordinarily bad decision making" (Retired Army Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton). Or when they tell you "I believe that Secretary Rumsfeld and others in the administration did not tell the American people the truth for fear of losing support for the war in Iraq," and how "Rumsfeld at one point had threatened to fire the next person who mentioned the need for a postwar plan" (retired Major General John R.S. Batiste). How about when they point to you and Rummy and say "that not providing the best equipment was a 'serious moral failure on the part of our leadership'." (retired Colonel Paul X. Hammes).

Lest you dismiss these honorable men as old has-beens from the Jimmy Carter era, as is the habit of the GOP whenever they are criticized by retired military men, all three of these men have way more street cred than any of the suits on D.C.

• Retired Colonel Paul X. Hammes responsible for establishing bases for the Iraqi armed forces.
• Retired Army Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton was responsible for training the Iraqi military and later for rebuilding the Iraqi police force.
• Retired Major General John R.S. Batiste commanded the Army's First Infantry Division in Iraq.

Are you listening George? Will you ever listen?
We didn't think so.

FULL STORY

The ex-President can't control every town hall meeting and interview like he did when he was in office. Then, he would just have the Secret Service arrest anyone who didn't stick to his program and said something he didn't like. Anyone who knows this stuff and still works on his "staff" is a glutton for punishment. Now, everyone doesn't fawn all over him, but if Hillary got him into the position of First Lady, it would be "payback" time I imagine.

7 posted on 09/25/2006 4:40:24 PM PDT by Twinkie (Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.)
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1708158/posts#comment?q=1

An authoritative US intelligence report pooling the views of 16 government agencies concludes America's campaign in Iraq has increased the threat of terrorism.

The National Intelligence Estimate was completed in April but not made public. Its conclusions, which were first reported by the New York Times, contradict assertions made by President George Bush and White House officials during the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

"It's a very candid assessment," said one official who has seen the report. "It's stating the obvious.
Full Story"

Why do we let these animals do this to our guys !!! Enough already...we need to start kicking some serious moose-alam butt ! This is a disgrace. Why can't we light these guys on fire, why can't we slit their throats, why can't we slaughter these sub humans !!!

Why are we sleeping ???

1 posted on 09/23/2006 4:52:56 PM PDT by NEPAConservative
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1707130/posts

At their lowest points of popularity, do you recall anyone who claimed that Presidents' Carter and Nixon stole their elections or that they didn't win fair and square? Did any analysts or activist groups clam massive election fraud in the elections that brought these ultimately very unpopular presidents to office?
(snip)
This is a remarkable result. Nearly two years into the second term of his presidency, less than half of those polled think that the 2004 election victory was "fair and square." 20% say they are "somewhat" confident, which is hardly an endorsement of legitimacy. Webster's defines "somewhat" as follows: "in some degree or measure: SLIGHTLY." This does not exactly qualify as an endorsement of a critical democratic process. The 32% who are "not at all confident" represent a major portion of the population holding the belief that Bush failed to win without cheating. Combining "not at all confident" with "somewhat" "slightly", according to Webster's, produces a category of 52% who "doubt" the legitimacy of the election. Altogether, these results are a clear vote of no confidence.

I dated Nancy Grace...for about half an hour...

In early 2006 I was a guest on Nancy Grace's show. I was part of a panel discussing a double murder in New England, from which the perpetrator fled overseas. (Thankfully, the accused was extradited back to the U.S. and is currently awaiting trial.) My role, as explained to me by Nancy's producer, was that of the moderate defense attorney who ultimately would agree with Ms. Grace that the accused, by virtue of the fact that he is not a U.S. citizen, has no rights in this situation.

Fast forward to April 2006. I was on vacation in Phoenix and stayed at a hotel at the same time as Nancy, who was a headline speaker at a law enforcement conference. I really did not expect to see her, and doubted that she would remember me on the off chance we crossed paths. On the second evening of my stay I was dropped off at the hotel by a shuttle van from a nearby golf course where I played. I was lugging my golf bag in through the lobby when who should I see striding toward me but Nancy. She is a striking person with a confident walk, and she was really turned out. She wore a very stylish two-piece suit of green and lavender, with black heels. She came right up to me and said, "Hey! You were on my show in January, right? Aren't you ***?"

I agreed it was me, and apologized for my appearance, having just come off the golf course. She laughed and said something to the effect of, "You're much more handsome in person than I expected, despite your condition." We chatted a bit more, and then I begged off, telling her that the golf bag was really heavy, and I hoped she was doing well. Then she stunned me. "Would you like to get a drink or something? I don't really know anyone here, and my speech is all done. I have nothing to do until my flight leaves in the morning." I'm sure I hemmed and hawed and maybe even blushed, but ultimately I agreed to have a drink, as long as I could go take a shower first. She asked me what room I was in, and I told her. "I'm on the fifth floor, too" she said. "Let me go change and we'll meet back down here in, say, 30 minutes?"

So I grabbed the next elevator while she went over to the concierge about something. I dumped my clubs in the closet of my suite and hit the shower. Really, I couldn't believe I was going to have drinks with a celebrity. Nothing like that ever happened to me before. I have to confess, I was really nervous, and a little excited. In fact, with all that soaping going on in the shower, I got half a woody going. I finished up and grabbed a towel and headed back out to check out the closet again, wondering if I'd have time to iron a shirt and pants. Imagine my shock when I walked out of the bathroom to find Nancy Grace standing in my living room wearing nothing but her black heels and hose.

It get juicier

In New York City, Bush welcomes Abbas... to 'Washington, D.C.'

President George W. Bush today told Palestine Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, "Welcome to Washington, D.C.," although the two were at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.

Bush made the error during the meeting with Abbas, whom he described as "a man of peace."

The president is known for his verbal gaffes, often referred to as "Bushisms," collections of which are readily available on the Internet.

RawStory

Demonstrators want Saddam back

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - There was a pro-Saddam Hussein demonstration today in his hometown of Tikrit, Iraq.

About 500 people turned out to demand his return to power.

Saddam currently is on trial on genocide charges in Baghdad. The crowd demanded his release.

The demonstration was organized by two religious organizations. Protesters also condemned Pope Benedict's recent remarks on Islam.

Foreign Policy

The ad features one woman telling another: "Dr. King was a real man. You know he was a Republican."

In the ad, the woman goes on to say, "Democrats passed those black codes and Jim Crow laws. Democrats started the Ku Klux Klan." Her companion replies, "The Klan? White hoods and sheets?"
LINK

To: beyond the sea

The FBI should have grabbed both Chavez and the Iranian nutjob, sent them down to Gitmo, and then put both of them in a nude pyramid just like at Abu Graib.....

posted on 09/20/2006 9:31:01 AM PDT by july4thfreedomfoundation (Before It's Too Late, Tancredo in '08 !)
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right-wing insanity

The amendment might have passed had two Democrats not missed the vote; the two were at a news conference on the Medicare drug benefit. A spokesman for Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, one of the two, said she was rushing back for the vote but just missed it. "She's obviously disappointed," said the spokesman, Jonathan Beeton. "It was unfortunate timing."
LINK

Earlier today, the panel voted 20-17 against the bill, which opponents said would weaken protections against abuse for both U.S. and enemy prisoners of war.

(snip)

All 17 Democrats on the committee voted against the bill, as did two Republicans, Jeff Flake of Arizona and Bob Inglis of South Carolina. They cited the legislation's potential to expose captured U.S. service members to retaliation and to undermine U.S. prestige and values.

"The honor of our nation would be stained by this detestable legislation," said Representative Jerrold Nadler, a New York Democrat.
LINK

(e)(1) Except as provided for in this subsection, and notwithstanding any other law, no court, justice, or judge shall have jurisdiction to hear or consider any claim or cause of action, including an application for a writ of habeas corpus, pending on or filed after the date of the enactment of the Military Commissions Act of 2006, against the United States or its agents, brought by or on behalf of any alien detained by the United States as an unlawful enemy combatant, relating to any aspect of the alien's detention, transfer, treatment, or conditions of confinement.
Read the text of the bill here