‘The Bushies, it seems, like starting fights, but they don’t believe in paying any of the cost of those fights or bearing any of the risks. Above all, they don’t believe that they or their friends should face any personal or professional penalties for trivial sins like distorting intelligence to get America into an unnecessary war, or totally botching that war’s execution.

Today is bushit’s birthday

The Houston Chronicle's Julie Mason writes that Bush's 61 years old physique is showing the demands of the office. "For Bush, his cumulative burden, with perhaps the Iraq war being most prominent - takes a heavy toll that is showing on his face & also in his demeanour, which is less jokey and more testy than previously.

Iraq oil security in Australia's interest: Nelson

Dr Nelson says energy security is extremely important to all nations.

The Federal Government says oil is a key reason to keep Australian troops in Iraq, but says it was not the reason for the original invasion.

from the centre for american progress …..

A new merger announced today has seen the former global Vice-President of Halliburton/KBR become a much more influential player in the implementation of Adelaide's future.

The Defence Industry Advisory Board, chaired by Peter Cosgrove, is to merge with the Port Adelaide Maritime Corporation. The corporation owns Techport Australia, whose CEO is Cheney's former man-on-the-ground" for this part of the world.

The prime rattus, on the brink of Australia's commitment of forces to Iraq, in conversation with 3AW host Neil Mitchell.

MITCHELL: Prime Minister, has oil got anything to do with this conflict?

PRIME MINISTER: No I don’t believe for a moment it has.

07.02.2003

This today from the online pages of The Australian:

Securing oil a factor for war in Iraq, says Nelson

‘At the nadir of his presidency, George W. Bush is looking for answers.

One at a time or in small groups, he summons leading authors, historians, philosophers and theologians to the White House to join him in the search.

Bush Rationale on Libby Stirs Legal Debate

By ADAM LIPTAK

Published: July 4, 2007

In commuting I. Lewis Libby Jr.'s 30-month prison sentence on Monday, President Bush drew on the same array of arguments about the federal sentencing system often made by defense lawyers - and routinely and strenuously opposed by his own Justice Department.

from Crikey …..

How the Texacutioner discovered his heart

Jeff Sparrow writes:

So President Bush has commuted the two-and-a-half year prison term facing Lewis 'Scooter' Libby, calling the sentence "excessive".

‘Indeed so secrecy-fixated is this White House that John Dean, Richard Nixon's White House counsel, was once quoted in the Daily Telegraph of London as saying, "Bush and Cheney are a throwback to the Nixon time. All government business is filtered through a political process at this White House, which is the most secretive ever to run the United States."

Not to put too fine a point on it, but when Nixon's consigliere calls you secretive, it's like Tony Soprano saying you have anger-management issues.

‘What a great day for peace enthusiasts! A new envoy to the Middle East has been appointed for the Quartet, and it’s no other than the former British PM, Tony Blair. Blair, the man who gave the Israelis the green light to flatten Beirut.

Blair, the man who started an illegal war in Iraq. Blair, a man who, according to the Geneva Conventions, is to be held personally responsible for more than 700,000 dead in Iraq for failing to 'protect civilian populations against certain consequences of war’[1]. A man who is supposed to be charged for genocide at The Hague. That’s right, a man who should end his life behind bars is now becoming a peace envoy.

‘The Minister for Health, Tony Abbott, is not able to say whether general health checks of indigenous children will be compulsory as part of the Federal Government's plan to clean up remote communities.

In an interview on the Nine Network this morning Mr Abbott said the Government wanted all 22,000 indigenous children in the Northern Territory checked and that he hoped their "good parents" would ask for the health assessments.

Bush looks to his father to mend relations with Putin

By Rupert Cornwell in Washington

Published: 30 June 2007

‘Tomorrow's summit between George Bush and Vladimir Putin raises the intriguing question of whether the shadow of the father can help the son bring an end to the frostiest period in ties between the United States and Russia since the Cold War?

from Crikey …..

Compassionate & caring PM with a $1.8billion winner

Richard Farmer writes:

In an interview with the Financial Times, former World Bank President. “little paulie” Wolfowitz - who resigned in scandal after granting a substantial pay raise to his girlfriend - "vowed to continue in political life."