Saturday, April 12, 2014

The unlovable

BULLY BOY PRESS &   CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL-AID TABLE


OBAMACARE IS AS UNPOPULAR AS ITS NAMESAKE FADED CELEBRITY BARRY O.

54% OF AMERICANS DISAPPROVE OF OBAMACARE IN THE LATEST POLL WITH ONLY 43% APPROVING.

HOW SAD BUT TELLING THAT THE ONLY 'ACCOMPLISHMENT' THE VACATIONING PRESIDENT WILL HAVE TO HIS NAME WHEN HE LEAVES THE WHITE HOUSE IN JANUARY 2017 IS ALSO THE MOST HATED POLICY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS.

REACHED FOR COMMENT, BARRY O INSISTED HE WAS ALREADY PREPARING FOR HIS POST-WHITE HOUSE LIFE AND HE ASKED THESE TWO REPORTERS, "YOU THINK I COULD GET SOME OF THIS FURNITURE OUT OF HERE IF I PULLED A TRUCK AROUND BACK?"


FROM THE TCI WIRE:


Let's start with some wisdom from Noam Chomsky.











  • I mean, suppose it was true that Iran is helping insurgents in Iraq. I mean, wasn’t the United States helping insurgents when the Russians..




    1. ... invaded Afghanistan? Did we think there was anything wrong with that?



    From wisdom, let's move to confusion: the status of Iraq's president.  
    December 2012,  Iraqi President Jalal Talabani suffered a stroke.   The incident took place late on December 17, 2012 following Jalal's argument with Iraq's prime minister and chief thug Nouri al-Maliki (see the December 18, 2012 snapshot).  Jalal was admitted to Baghdad's Medical Center Hospital.    Thursday, December 20, 2012, he was moved to Germany.  He remains in Germany currently.
    This week, Rudaw noted the rumors that Jalal might "soon return to Kurdistan" and quoted his son Qubad stating Jalal was "willing to return."  Dropping back to the April 3rd snapshot:


    Here are all three photos:





    Jalal may not be able to fulfill his duties as president but he's clearly the new reverse Streisand.  For years (up until Funny Lady), Barbra hated to be filmed from an angle that emphasized the right side of her face.

    For some reason, Jalal refuses to show the left side of his face.

    That's true in the photos above, true in all of the photos released so far including back in May of 2013 when  Jalal was posed for his first series of photos (below is one example).

    jalal

    What's wrong with Jalal's right hand?  And why does the Talabani family keep releasing still photos instead of video?  Can Jalal speak?  What range of motion is he capable of?

    Like all the previous photo releases, the latest ones don't answer those questions.

    The only advance evident in the latest photos is that Jalal can now smile and show teeth.  That's not sarcasm.  Whether he can do a full smile or not is unknown.  He may only be able to manipulate the right side of his mouth.  Clearly, his recovery has not been the 'progress' that the Talabani family has repeatedly announced.




    Rudaw noted this week:

    Since December 2012 when Talabani was rushed to Germany after a serious stroke, the PUK has only released some photos of the ailing leader. But there have been no videos to show the extent to which Talabani -- who is also Iraq’s president – is able to move or talk. The pictures alone have not been enough for the public to gauge the degree of the ailing leader’s recuperation.
    Latif Rasheed, who is the husband of Talabani’s sister-in-law and appeared in the president’s latest photos, said those pictures were taken last Newroz.
    [. . .]
    Rasheed also added that, “In the future videos and photos of Talabani will be released.” But he did not say when that would be, nor did he give any other details.
    However, a source close to the Talabani family denied speculations both of his imminent return or that videos of him would be released anytime soon. “No videos of Talabani will be released,” the source said.


    Why no videos?

    What is clear is that Jalal should have been relieved his duties.

    He's not done is job since December 2012.

    APA reported Thursday on the rumors that Jalal was dead -- rumors which include he's dead and has been dead and that the Talabani family plans to announce the death immediately after the elections are held.





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    Friday, April 11, 2014

    Jay Newton-Small can't help loving that man

    BULLY BOY PRESS &   CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL-AID TABLE

    TIME MAGAZINE'S JAY NEWTON-SMALL JUST GOT A NEW VIBRATOR, A REALLY BIG ONE, AND HE'S DUBBED IT "EL TORO."

    TAKING IT FOR A TEST RUN, HE CHURNED OUT SOME FAN FICTION ON HIS WET DREAM BARRY O.

    "AFTER SIX YEARS," NEWTON-SMALL TYPED WITH ONE HAND WHILE HE WORKED "EL TORO" IN AND OUT WITH THE OTHER, "OBAMA DRAWS COMPARISONS LIKE NO OTHER PRESIDENT."

    POSSIBLY DUE TO THE FACT THAT HE'S GOT NO REAL CORE AND NO SPINE, THAT HE IS TO POLITICS WHAT MADONNA IS TO MUSIC:  POPULAR BUT NOTHING OF LASTING VALUE?

    WHO KNOWS HOW JAY'S SLASH FICTION WILL END BUT A WORD OF CAUTION.

    TYPING WITH JUST ONE HAND CAN LEAD TO TYPOS AND "OSAMA" AND "OBAMA" HAVE ONLY ONE LETTER DIFFERENCE SO BE CAREFUL -- ONE LETTER COULD SPELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAPPY ORGASM OR PUBLIC EMBARRASSMENT.

    AND CONGRATULATIONS, JAY, ON "EL TORO,' MAY YOUR RELATIONSHIP LAST AS LONG AS THE DURACELL BATTERIES REQUIRED BUT NOT INCLUDED.




    FROM THE TCI WIRE:



    Kenneth Pollack offered an idiotic analysis last week.  I'm used to whorish American 'analysts' who pin all the blame on the government of Iran and ignore what the US government is done so this wasn't all that surprising:

    Iran wields considerable influence in Iraq, unquestionably more than any other foreign country and far more than the United States.  It was Iran that ultimately engineered Nuri al-Maliki’s re-election as prime minister in 2010 by strong-arming the Sadrists to back him.  It was the Iranians who preserved his rule in 2012 by convincing Jalal Talabani to refuse demands to call for a vote of no-confidence—a vote that Maliki seemed likely to lose. 

    Pollack is with Brookings and to their credit and his credit they at least pay attention to Iraq but I'm just not able to stomach the whoring.

    Iran's government probably was involved in the decision and certainly the First Lady of Iraq makes pilgrimages to Iran all the time.  However, as Americans, we should be holding our own government accountable.

    And Pollack doesn't have any desire to do that.  The US government was all over Talabani to prevent the vote against Nouri from taking place.  They pressured him with face-to-face visits, they pressured with phone pleas (including from Vice President Joe Biden).  We covered all of this in real time.  It's nearly two years later and Pollack won't cover it but will point out that Iran supposedly pressured Talabani (I don't doubt that they did but I don't know that they did -- I do from State Dept friends that the US government pressured Talabani -- the same way I know that the State Dept asked for net censorship and got it and we'll probably be writing about that here in a few days).

    The no-confidence vote was an attempt to oust Nouri.

    Why?

    Because the US government demanded Nouri get a second term as prime minister even those his State of Law lost the 2010 parliamentary elections to Ayad Allawi.  How did they do that?

    They brokered an extra-constitutional contract (The Erbil Agreement).  The US told the leaders of the political blocs that Nouri had refused to step down for 8 months following the 2010 election and he could go for 8 months more.  As Nouri refused to step down, the government was at a standstill (this is the political stalemate) and the US flattered the egos of the leaders telling them they were the bigger persons and that they could do what was right for Iraq and sign this legally binding contract and let the country move forward.
    Now that was playing to their egos and flattering them.  That didn't get to sign over a second term to Nouri. To get that, their had to be quid pro quo.  So, for example, to get the Kurds on board, it was written into the contract that Article 140 of the Constitution (which would resolve who gets Kirkuk -- the KRG or the central government out of Baghdad).

    All of these various promises were written into The Erbil Agreement and Nouri put his binding signature to it like every political bloc leader.  Nouri used the contract to get his second term.  He immediately then said it couldn't be implemented immediately.

    He stalled on delivering his end of the promises.  That was November 2010.  By the summer of 2011, cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr, the Kurds and Iraqiya were publicly calling for Nouri to implement the rest of the contact -- the part of it where he kept his promises to them.

    At this point, Nouri's spokesperson starts the contract wasn't legal.

    As Nouri continued to refuse to implement his end of the contract, pleas were made for the US government to help -- this contract was sold with the backing of the White House ("the full backing," Talabani was told). The pleas fell on deaf ears.  As the contract was still not implemented at the start of 2012, the Constitutional measure of a no-confidence vote was raised.  By April, Moqtada had signed onto the notion.  He repeatedly stated in public that Nouri could end the move towards a vote at any point by implementing The Erbil Agreement.

    They began gathering signatures and got enough.  The signatures then go to the President (Jalal) who forwards them onto the Parliament.

    Under intense pressure from the US government -- and, Pollack says, from the Iranian government -- Jalal invented these 'powers' where he was supposed to vet signatures.  He wasn't.  Nor was he supposed to say, "You did sign it?  Okay, would you sign it now?  Are you really, really sure?"  He trashed the signatures.

    Then he ran to Germany, pretending he had a serious medical problem.

    As we were noting last week, call it karma, call it the universe, whatever, it has a way of slapping back.

    Jalal had elective knee surgery.  But he lied that he had a life threatening medical problem and had to leave for Germany to be treated.  He lied because the fallout from his unconstitutional actions was huge.

    But Jalal's in Germany now, has been for about 16 months now.  And he really has had a life threatening problem.  So maybe he shouldn't have lied in May of 2012 because the universe made his lying true.


    Pollack, if he got honest, probably could do a good analysis.  The crap he offered last week wasn't a good analysis. It included this garbage:


    In addition, Muqtada al-Sadr’s bizarre and unexpected decision to disband his political party and withdraw from politics has further benefitted Maliki.  Many former Sadrists are expected to sign on to Maliki’s SoL coalition. 

    Is Pollack that stupid or he is that much of a whore?

    I have no idea but I read those lies and just want to scream.  We already covered this b.s. spin that Moqtada's followers were going to flock to Nouri.  It's xenophobic and pretends that Shi'ites will support any Shi'ite.  From the February 18th snapshot and we're using "--------" to note the beginning and the ending of the excerpt:

    ----------------------------------------------------
    Moqtada al-Sadr was strong armed into supporting Nouri -- strong armed by the Iranian government.  His followers never supported Nouri.

    More than that, they clearly rejected him.

    Does no one remember what happened in 2010?

    For one thing, immediately after the elections Moqtada threw it to his supporters 'who he should back?'

    Have we all forgotten that?

    From the April 7, 2010 snapshot:


    That interview took place Monday and while there is no coalition-sharing government/arrangement as yet from the March 7th elections, Friday and Saturday, another round of elections were held -- this to determine whom the Sadr bloc should back. Moqtada al-Sadr's bloc won 40 seats in the Parliament. Kadhim Ajrash and Caroline Alexander (Bloomberg News) report that Ibrahim al-Jaafari "won 24 percent of the 428,000 ballots cast in the internal referendum, ahead of al-Sadr's second cousin, Jafar Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr, who obtained 23 percent, Sadrist spokesman Salah al-Ubaidi said today in the southern city of Najaf." Al Jazeera notes that Nouri al-Maliki received 10% of the vote and Ayad Allawi 9%. The US military invaded Iraq in March 2003 (and still hasn't left). Following the invasion, Ayad Allawi became Iraq's first prime minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari became the second and Nouri al-Maliki became the third. It's a little more complicated.
    Nouri wasn't wanted, Nouri wasn't chosen. Following the December 2005 elections, coalition building took place and the choice for prime minister was al-Jaafari. But the US government refused to allow him to continue as prime minister. The Bush administration was adamant that he would not continue and faulted him for, among other things, delays in the privatization of Iraq's oil. Though the US had no Parliamentary vote, they got their way and Nouri became the prime minister. al-Jaafari had won the vote with the backing of al-Sadr's bloc, just as he won the vote that took place this weekend. The vote can be seen as (a) a show of support for al-Jaafari whom Sadarists have long supported and (b) a message to the US government. 




    Stop lying that Nouri benefits from Moqtada dropping out.  He doesn't.


    The Sadr bloc can't stand Nouri -- that's been obvious in Parliament for the last four years.

    Moqtada's supporters can't stand Nouri either.  They remember his attacks on them in 2008 in Basra and Sadr City.  Moqtada is seen as supporting the poor, Nouri's done nothing for the poor.   BRussells Tribune carries an Al-Monitor article from last week by Amal Sakr which opens:


    The head of the Model Iraqi Women Organization, Athraa Hassani, provided Al-Monitor with this information, quoting World Bank officials who discussed these statistics during a meeting in Turkey with a number of members of civil society organizations seeking to find a solution to the poverty crisis in Iraq.
    Hassani questions the accuracy of the poverty rates announced by the Iraqi government, affirming that these rates are continuously increasing because of a rise in daily violence and spike in unemployment rates in addition to a weakening of the Iraqi economy.

    Based on the World Bank’s figures, this would mean that out of Iraq’s 34.7 million citizens, more than 9.5 million individuals are living below the poverty line.



    Nothing has happened since 2010 to increase Nouri's standing among Sadr supporters.  In fact, since 2010, the efforts Moqtada and Ayad Allawi have worked on have probably resulted in greater support for Allawi which has let Nouri fall even lower.  Probably.

    But what is known is that Sadr supporters did not support Nouri in 2010.  They didn't support when the March 2010 voting took place and they did not support a month later in the poll Moqtada carried out.


    ------------------------------------------------------

    There is nothing to indicate that Moqtada's followers would support Nouri -- there is ample evidence to demonstrate that they won't.

    Equally true, Moqtada's not retired.  We pointed that out weeks ago when he returned to Iraq.  Prior to his return, we pointed out that his 'retirement' didn't really mean anything.  It didn't mean he couldn't be prime minister, it didn't mean anything.  And that was before he came back to Iraq.  And repeatedly denounced Nouri (which, again, means his followers will not be supporting Nouri).

    Joel Wing (Musings On Iraq) offers an analysis which includes:

    In March and April the Sadr movement continued to criticize Prime Minister Maliki. From March 10 to 12 Sadrists held rallies in Baghdad, Najaf, Karbala, Basra, Kirkuk, Maysan, Dhi Qar, Babil, Wasit, and Diyala against the premier for his remarks belittling Moqtada al-Sadr. There were also reports of attacks upon Dawa offices, which were played down by both parties so that the election didn’t get sidetracked by violence. March 23, Sadr’s Ahrar List said it opposed Maliki serving a third term, stating that other parties and the Iraqi people wanted change. It went on to say that Maliki had failed to secure the country or to provide political stability. Continuing with that line on April 3 Sadr gave a speech calling Maliki a dictator who was leading the country towards one party rule by banning his opponents. Sadr was joined by parliamentarian Jawad Shahlya from Ahrar and independent lawmaker Saban al-Saadi, both of which had been barred from running in this year’s vote. Sadr went on to accuse the prime minister of attempting to marginalize Sunnis by launching military operations in Anbar. Sadr finished by calling on Maliki to step aside so someone else could try running the country. Finally, on April 5 Shahlya claimed Maliki was attempting to pass a law that would give him broad powers that would lead to the declaration of a state of emergency and the dissolution of the parliament.





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    Thursday, April 10, 2014

    Corruption You Knew Was Coming

    BULLY BOY PRESS &   CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL-AID TABLE

    THE 2012 SQUEAKER THAT WAS THE U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION (51.1% FOR THE DAHLI BAMA, 47.2%  FOR MITT ROMNEY) TOOK PLACE WITH LOTS OF PATS TO BARRY O'S TUSHIE FROM THE MEDIA.

    NOW IT TURNS OUT "CORRUPTION YOU KNEW WAS COMING" HAD HELP FROM THE I.R.S.  THE INDEPENDENT OFFICE OF SPECIAL COUNSEL ANNOUNCED TWO EMPLOYEES  HAVE VIOLATED THE LAW -- THE HATCH ACT -- AND AN I.R.S. CENTER IN DALLAS, TEXAS APPEARS TO HAVE.

    THE HATCH ACT BASICALLY PREVENTS ELECTIONEERING ON THE PART OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.  YET THE I.R.S. IN DALLAS APPEARS TO HAVE FEATURED EMPLOYEES AND EQUIPMENT PLASTERED WITH BARRY O. BUMPER STICKERS, T-SHIRTS, WHAT HAVE YOU.

    THE TWO EMPLOYEES?

    ONE WORKED A CALL CENTER AND CHANTED A RE-ELECTION CHANT FOR BARRY O TO ALL INCOMING CALLS.  NO PUNISHMENT HAS YET BEEN HANDED DOWN FOR THIS.

    THE OTHER EMPLOYEE?  SHE HAD BEEN WARNED ABOUT HATCH ACT VIOLATIONS AND THEN WAS CAUGHT IN A RECORDING WITH A CUSTOMER TRASHING REPUBLICANS AND PRAISING DEMOCRATS.  

    SHE GOT A 14 DAY SUSPENSION.

    LIKE THAT'S GOING TO HAVE AN IMPACT.

    WHY WASN'T SHE FIRED?

    SHE VIOLATED FEDERAL LAW?

    WHY WASN'T SHE FIRED?

    OH, THAT'S RIGHT, THE CORRUPT WHITE HOUSE PREFERS FOR EVERYTHING:



    S. 2170, the "Hatch Act Modernization Act of 2012," which modifies penalties under the Hatch Act to provide for a range of possible disciplinary actions in addition to removal for Federal employees; provides explicitly that various provisions of the Hatch Act that are applicable to State and local governments are in the same way applicable to the District of Columbia; and applies the prohibition against State and local employees being candidates for elective office only to employees whose salary is paid completely by Federal loans or grants;




    FROM THE TCI WIRE:




    US House Rep Jeff Miller:  I had hoped that during this hearing, we would be discussing the concrete changes VA had made -- changes that would show beyond a doubt that VA had placed the care our veterans receive first and that VA's commitment to holding any employee who did not completely embody a commitment to excellence through actions appropriate to the employee's failure accountable. Instead, today we are faced with even with more questions and ever mounting evidence that despite the myriad of patient safety incidents that have occurred at VA medical facilities in recent memory, the status quo is still firmly entrenched at VA.  On Monday -- shortly before this public hearing --  VA provided evidence that a total of twenty-three veterans have died due to delays in care at VA medical facilities.  Even with this latest disclosure as to where the deaths occurred, our Committee still don't know when they may have happened beyond VA's stated "most likely between 2010 and 2012."  These particular deaths resulted primarily from delays in gastrointestinal care.  Information on other preventable deaths due to consult delays remains unavailable.   Outside of the VA's consult review, this committee has reviewed at least eighteen preventable deaths that occurred because of mismanagement, improper infection control practices and a whole host -- a whole host --  of other maladies plaguing the VA health care system nationwide.  Yet, the department's stonewall has only grown higher and non-responsive. There is no excuse for these incidents to have ever occurred.  Congress has met every resource request that VA has made and I guarantee that if the department would have approached this committee at any time to tell us that help was needed to ensure that veterans received the care they required, every possible action would have been taken to ensure that VA could adequately care for our veterans.  This is the third full committee hearing that I have held on patient safety  and I am going to save our VA witnesses a little bit of time this morning by telling them what I don't want to hear.  I don't want to hear the rote repetition of  -- and I quote --  "the department is committed to providing the highest quality care, which our veterans have earned and that they deserve.  When incidents occur, we identify, mitigate, and prevent additional risks.  Prompt reviews prevent similar events in the future and hold those persons accountable."  Another thing I don’t want to hear is -- and, again, I quote from numerous VA statements, including a recent press statement --  "while any adverse incident for a veteran within our care is one too many," preventable deaths represent a small fraction of the veterans who seek care from VA every year.  What our veterans have truly "earned and deserve" is not more platitudes and, yes, one adverse incident is indeed one too many.  Look, we all recognize that no medical system is infallible no matter how high the quality standards might be.  But I think we all also recognize that the VA health care system is unique because it has a unique, special obligation not only to its patients -- the men and women who honorably serve our nation in uniform -- but also to  the hard-working taxpayers of the United States of America.

    Miller is the Committee Chair of the House Veterans Affairs Committee.  He was speaking at today's hearing on VA accountability.  And about mid-way into the hearing, it got very personal for one member of Congress who teared up during her round of questioning.

    US House Rep Jackie Walorski:  I sit here as a freshman lawmaker, so frustrated that there's a bureaucracy that's out of control and if this happened in the civilian world, where negligence was proven time and time again, we would be in the street with signs saying 'shut them down.'  It's an outrage, is what it is. This is an outrage.  And so, I just join the rest of my colleagues here.  This isn't a partisan issue.  This is an American disaster that we have sat here and witnessed -- for me, probably 16 months.  And if I could change your circumstance, I would. I would do it in a heartbeat.  [Sharp intake of breath.] 

    Barry Coates: Thank you.

    US House Rep Jackie Walorski:  My dad -- [Voice breaking] My dad . . . was a veteran . . . that died of colon cancer.  [Sniffling] This is so personal to me. And as a Committee, I can tell you right now what the VA's going to say when they sit here. They're going to say what the Chairman read in his opening remarks.  They're going to give us long dramatic answers and nothing is going to change unless we in this Congress -- on the House and the Senate side -- decide to stand up and take on one of the biggest issues in this nation -- which is this negligence toward taking care of the people who fight for freedom, fought for liberty and allow us to sit and serve in a place called the US Congress. 


    "Teared up" is not mocking Walorski.  And the ". . ." indicates lengthy pauses where she attempted to fight back tears.  I've cried at many of the VA hearings myself, I would not mock anyone for sincerely caring.  I also agree with her remarks about the frustration issue.  I've written of that myself, of how we've been going to these VA hearings since 2006 and nothing gets done.  The VA always has an excuse and the problems today are the same problems the Committees were exploring in 2006.

    I was glad for her honest reaction during her time -- it was good to hear a member of the Committee express their frustration.   US House Rep Michael Michaud is the Ranking Member of the Committee. He wasn't at the hearing but this is from Michaud's prepared written remarks, "All too often, members of this Committee hear the same issues raised again and again in reports by agencies such as the Government Accountability Office and the VA’s Office of Inspector General. Findings such as inadequate training, improper oversight, lack of guidance, no accountability, and failing to follow proper procedures already in place, are too common."  Michaud was not present so US House Rep Corrine Brown was acting Ranking Member.



    Ranking Member Corrine Brown:  [I]t is unfortunate that we must continually call these hearings to make sure that our nation’s veterans are receiving the care for which they have already paid dearly for on the battlefields and in service to protect the freedoms we all hold most dear.  I find it disturbing that just 2 days before this hearing, the VA has releases findings that its healthcare personnel are not fully trained in the importance of timely consults when treating a veteran. The dictionary defines a consult as the act of seeking information or advice from someone with expertise in a particular area. The system the VA set up to make these consults easier obviously broke down and it is possible that at least 5 veterans died in Florida because the right information was not shared with the right health professionals. I am concerned that in the 5 years after the colonoscopy debacle at the Miami VA, nothing has changed. To refresh your memory, in 2009, staff members at a number of VA facilities noticed improper reprocessing of endoscopes contrary to the manufacturer’s instructions. The VA properly ordered all facilities to Step-Up and get retrained on the procedures.  We want employees to feel free to report questionable issue and procedures without fear of retribution for trying to save lives.


    It was a rare moment of coherence for Brown.  And she actually stood with veterans . . . while reading from her prepared remarks.

    Then she wanted to insist, at the end of the first panel, that the VA is not broken: "I don't feel like it's broken, I feel like we need to do what we need to do to fix it."  Which would imply a break.

    Hey lady, you lady.  Corrine Brown quickly got lost in her Charlene impression as she declared she'd been to "those areas in Florida or Tampa" -- yes, Florida is in Tampa, don't expect logic from Corrine Brown -- "I've been too, or Jacksonville or Gainseville or Lake City.  I mean, I've been to California . . ."

    and anywhere I could run
    I took the hand of a preacher man 
    and we made love in the sun

    Poor, Corrine Brown, she's "been to paradise but I've never been to me."

    Well, for a few moments she wasn't the biggest joke on the Committee.  We're being real kind and not quoting Loony Corrine Brown telling a man with stage-four cancer that she's got a friend that the hospital released and told him he was as good as dead but, somehow, maybe one of her magic wigs, he's still alive today.  If the story's true, Brown really needs to learn to edit herself and grasp that cancer patients don't need lectures or your hopium.  Loony Corrine Brown.  We're going to need two straight jackets -- one for her wig.


    The first panel appearing before the Committee was veteran Barry Coates, The American Legion's Daniel Dellinger (with Edward Lilly).  The second panel was the VA's Dr. Thomas Lynch and Dr. Carolyn Clancy.   The third panel was the Government Accountability Office's Debra Draper, the VA's Assistant Inspector General Dr. John Daigh.


    Chair Miller explained, "Mr. Coates waited for almost a year and would have waited even longer had he not actively, persistently insisted on receiving the colonoscopy that he and his doctors knew he needed.  That same colonoscopy revealed that Mr. Coates had stage four colon cancer that had metastasized to his lungs and his liver.  Maybe that is why VA does not want to define accountability in terms of employees who have been fired."  Coates wondered what service members must be thinking as they hear of the VA's 'treatment' of veterans.  He suspected that they wondered if they and their families would suffer similarly when they went from service member to veteran?


    Barry Coates:  So something needs to be done and someone needs to be held accountable for it and I understand from other sources that no one's been held accountable for it. And I think someone should be held accountable for it whether it be a director of the [William Jennings Bryan] Dorn VA hospital, whether it be the Secretary of the Veterans Affairs or even the President of the United States. 

    Coates would declare that the VA "handed me a death sentence and ruined my quality of life."


    Chair Jeff Miller:  Mr. Coates, in the more or less year that it took for you to receive a colonoscopy through the Department of Veterans Affairs, did anybody at any time ever tell you that you could be authorized to receive the procedure that you needed done through a private provider in the community enabling you to get a diagnosis sooner 

    Barry Coates:  No, sir.  I never was advised during that time period.  During that time period, I seen, from January of 2011, when I first complained about it, till the day of my colonoscopy which was December the 9th of 2011, I've seen four different doctors that was in the VA system.  One was Rock Hill Clinic Outpatient Dr. Verma -- she was my outpatient clinic doctor I had in Rock Hill, South Carolina.  I moved to the location I live now.  I transferred.  It takes roughly anywhere from four to six months to get transferred to a different location for outpatient care which would have been the Florence clinic.  Upon that, I'd seen Dr. Verma on January, March and I think in May of that same year.  Each time, my problem got worse and she made notes in her comments because I got -- retrieved -- copies of those from the VA and she made note of those "may need colonoscopy" -- never set a consult up for it.  Upon getting transferred to the Florence Clinic in June of 2011, if I remember correctly, Dr. Neumann was my doctor there. And being a new patient, he did a full exam, looked over my information from Dr. Verma prior to treating me and he kind of got upset because she didn't have me on certain prescriptions because of taking pills for pain will cause certain problems and that I should have been on something already from that, from being on those for quite a few years. But he immediately set me up on a consult with a GI surgeon which I didn't never get to an appointment with her until probably either around the eighth month or maybe the ninth month if I remember correctly, Dr. Kim.  And upon seeing her, I seen her twice.  She delayed it another two or three months.  And I went back to her again, around the tenth month.  We didn't have a good communication ability between each other because she kind of made me mad from my first appointment because of things that she could have done then that would have resulted earlier and set a consult up for a colonoscopy if she would have done a couple of other procedures other than a physical exam.  I learned that she could have done a CT exam or a CT scan [. . .] exam which would have found the tumor which was only 5 inches in the area -- in the lower rectum area.  After that appointment with her on the 10th, she set me up for a consult for a colonoscopy to be done -- which I received the appointment in the mail two weeks later and it was actually scheduled for April of the following year -- we're talking six more months out -- and I'd already been in pain for eight months already and suffering because of this.  But I didn't let that stand in front of me, so I called the department that scheduled that appointment and they told me that that's the normal time -- usually around six months -- before you could get a colonoscopy.  There was nothing that she could have done to get it earlier, that only way you could get it done earlier was to request your physician to write the chief GI surgeon or either the gastrologist to get it done sooner.  Or you could call each day to see if anyone dropped off from the appointment schedule.  And I asked her could she write my name down and call me if someone dropped off?  She said she couldn't do that. She called me the next morning at 9:30 and asked me if I could come to an appointment around 2:30 that day which I did.  And that's when I was set up for the colonoscopy to be done at the Fort Jackson military hospital on December the 9th.  So from January to December the 9th was a whole year.

    We're going to stop here a second.  'She' can't do that and she did.  She really can't -- we'll go into that in a second.  But she said she couldn't and most likely said that because she didn't want to make a promise she couldn't keep.  She probably receives several calls a week (if not a day) like Coates' call.

    It's not possible.

    At the time Coates spoke to the woman, he was one person needing a procedure for which there was scheduling required.

    Along with Barry Coates, 'she' was facing others wanting to get in sooner.  Let's pretend for just one minute that this was just five people.  'She' doesn't have time to call them and let them know.

    I'm not being sarcastic.  'She' has other duties.

    But this can be set up automatically and should be.  The VA, for any scheduled procedure, should have an automated system where people waiting for a procedure and willing to take a spot that opens before their own are automatically called and hear, "Hello, veteran.  Tomorrow at 2:00 pm [or whatever time] we now have a cancellation for [whatever procedure].  We will be filling it on a first call first serve basis.  If you are interested in that time slot, please contact us."

    Now that alone's going to add a lot of work to 'she' (because it's going to be more than five people calling and she'll have to explain over and over to all but one that the slot is now filled) but it can be done and it can be automated.  Can be and should be. (And if you automated the outgoing call and also automated the first-come-first serve aspect, 'she' wouldn't have to do any additional calls on this.)

    Automation also means 'she' doesn't have 140 post-its on her desk that she has to keep track of regarding 'call me if there's a last minute opening.'

    The VA needs to automate the system immediately.  These are things that can and should be done and that the VA Secretary should have already started implementing.


    US House Rep Julia Brownley: [. . .] Have you had any formal apology from the VA?

    Barry Coates:  None. 

    "Before I walked up here, I apologized to Mr. Coates," the VA's Lynch wanted to insist.  Yes, yes, you did.  At a Congressional hearing, after Barry Coates had testified -- and testified that no one in the VA had apologized to him, after Coates was done testifying and right before Lynch was about to, he rushed to get in a quick and perfunctory -- we all saw it -- 'apology.'  And to make clear just how insincere it was, Lynch wanted to make his first statement to the Committee, before he started reading from his prepared remarks, "Before I walked up here, I apologized to Mr. Coates."  Give him a gold star -- for insincerity. Coates had stated he did not receive an institutional disclosure (Chair Miller had specifically asked) and to make the 'apology' even more insincere, Lynch wanted to immediately rush into "if he did not receive an institutional disclosure" -- it's not if.  It's testimony to the Committee.


    Chair Jeff Miller:  Your recent national consulate delayed review revealed two deaths in Arizona but Committee investigation shows that it appears that it could be much worse than you know.  Or, if you do know that it's worse than what the Committee was told?  So I want to tell you about some information that we have received here in the Committee as it relates to Phoenix.  I've been made aware of internal e-mails from within the VA that suggest that Phoenix VA may have been using an unofficial electronic waiting list where veterans were placed on that unofficial list until an appointment became available.  These lists were supposedly designed to give the appearance that veterans were only waiting for appointments for 24, 25 days or less and they potentially contained thousands of names. In cross-referencing the two lists, it appears there could be as many as 40 veterans whose deaths could be related to delays in care. Were you made aware of any of these unofficial lists in any part of your lookback? 

    Dr. Thomas Lynch: Mr. Chairman, I was not.  And Mr. Chairman, I would say that I have tried to work with your Committee, I have visited with your staff.  I was in Atlanta.  I was in Columbia.  I was in Augusta when you made those visits.  I have tried to share the information that we have gained as we are obtaining it.  I know it's not perfect information, sir, but I know that there's a desire on your part to know that information as we obtain it. I am more than willing to meet with your staffers and take their information so that I can use it, sir. If I don't have that information, I can't act on it.

    Chair Jeff Miller: So your people had two lists and they even kept it from your knowledge so my question is: Does that make you even internally question the validity of the information being utilized in your lookback or review?

    Dr. Thomas Lynch:  At the moment, sir, it does not.  But I am open. I am happy to meet with your staffers. I'm happy to look at the data so that we can understand it and see what the issues and the problems are.

    Chair Jeff Miller: I want to provide you with a request for a preservation order for all potential evidence at Phoenix.  And I would also ask the Inspector General for health care, Mr. Day, to look into this issue as soon as possible.  I will be putting a letter to you as quickly -- but I want to make this as an official request, on the record, and we are ready to assist by providing our input and any assistance that Dr. Day may need as he goes through.  It's been mentioned a couple of times in here about Dorn being awarded a little over a million dollars -- one-million-point-two or some number like that -- to help in the backlog of fee base colonoscopy.  The money was provided in September of 2011.  I have still not been able to get a solid answer where that money went.  So I hope you'll be able to provide some insight this afternoon.

    Dr. Thomas Lynch:  Mr. Chairman, I know that that information has passed through VHA.  I took the opportunity to listen to the Deputy Secretary's hearing the other day.  I know he has committed to increasing the communication with Congress and with this Committee and I support his efforts and will do what I can to get you the information that you need, sir.

    Chair Jeff Miller: So, again, another piece of information the Committee awaits.  I specifically asked for a complete accounting of those dollars when I was at Dorn earlier this year.  On the 22nd of February,  in a Health Committee hearing, Dr. [US House Rep Dan] Benishek asked Dr. [Robert] Petzel to provide a list of circumstances surrounding the removal of six SES employees over the last two years.  Dr. Petzel promised at that hearing that he would provide that information at the end of that week -- this is February 26th.  It's been six weeks since the Committee asked for the information.  We have not received it.  This information was referenced in a Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity that was chaired by Mr. Florez.  And, by the way, Mr. Florez is absent today because he is at the memorial for Fort Hood in Texas.  And the Committee staff has made numerous requests  I would also note that in your -- this statistic was also noted in your written statement for this hearing.  So why is VA keeping this information from the Committee when it was an entirely reasonable request?

    Dr. Thomas Lynch: Sir, I wish I had an answer for you that you would find acceptable.  I can only repeat that I support the Deputy Secretary's efforts to get you the information in a timely fashion.

    Chair Jeff Miller: You know, I have a bill right now, Dr. Lynch, that gives the Secretary additional flexibility to fire SES employees out of the 320,000 employees at the Dept of Veterans Affairs we're only talking about 450 individuals.  The Secretary is pushing back, saying that he has the tools and that he has, in fact, taken the necessary steps.  And we're talking about six people.  And we've been waiting months now to get that information.  And I just -- as the Chairman and the Subcommittee Chairmen and the Ranking Members just sit here wondering why in the world it takes so long?


    We could continue but we don't have the space.  Visit the House Veterans Affairs Committee's VA Accountability Watch for more examples.   On veterans issues, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America's Nick McCormick has a column at Defense One where he advocates for the Suicide Prevention for American Veterans:

    The same day we placed American flags on the Mall, we welcomed the introduction of the Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (SAV) Act. The bill was introduced by the first Iraq war veteran to serve in the Senate, John Walsh of Montana. In announcing the legislation and the need for new action, Sen. Walsh shared how this issue has personally affected him, including how one of the soldiers he commanded in the Montana National Guard died by suicide when the unit returned home from Iraq.
    Sen. Walsh’s bill would extend VA health care for some veterans from 5 to 15 years, review wrongful discharges, and ensure greater collaboration between VA and DoD to ensure a seamless transition of care for our men and women in uniform.

    Now, the House needs to introduce a similar bill and more senators from both parties need to support this bill. The biggest request veterans and the American public need to demand from Congress is this: for once, please do not let the stale election-year politics of old stand in the way of enacting necessary reforms that will save lives.   



    Yesterday's snapshot covered Secretary of State John Kerry's appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.  Wally reported on it in "Learn the Constitution, John Kerry,"  Ruth in "Rand Paul's security concerns re: Benghazi," Wally's "THIS JUST IN! BOTOX KERRY TALKS MONEY!" and Cedric's "John Kerry knows nothing about money" joint-post noted one aspect and Ava covered the hearing in "John Kerry gets prissy and rude before the Senate (Ava)." (Ava will be back at Trina's site tonight to report on today's House Veterans Affair Committee and tonight Ruth will continue to cover Senator Rand Paul's exchange with Kerry.)



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    Wednesday, April 09, 2014

    John Kerry knows nothing about money

    BULLY BOY PRESS &   CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL-AID TABLE

    BOTOX ADDICT JOHN KERRY TRAIPSED BEFORE THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE YESTERDAY AND DECLARED:


    And I want to thank you for the way this Committee stands up for an active internationalist American foreign policy.  I spent enough time in Congress to know not to call anything that costs billions of dollars a bargain.  But when you consider that the American people pay just one penny of every tax dollar for the $46.2 billion in this request, I think it's safe to and if you ad OCO [Overseas Contingeny Operations] it's 50.1 -- I think it's safe to say that in the grand scheme of the federal budget, when it comes to the State Dept and USAID, tax payers are getting an extraordinary return on their investment.


    NO, THAT'S $46.2 BILLION THAT COULD BE USED TO INCREASE JOBS IN THE U.S., RESTORE ROADS AND HIGHWAYS, FUND SCHOOL PROGRAMS AND MUCH MORE.

    INSTEAD, IT'S USED TO FUND WAR PLANNING AND PROPAGANDA.

    REACHED FOR COMMENT BY THESE REPORTERS, KERRY REPLIED, "I'M WINKING AT YOU.  IF MY EYES AREN'T MOVING, IT'S THE BOTOX, BUT INSIDE I'M WINING."


    FROM THE TCI WIRE:

    This morning in DC, the Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing to discuss the US active duty and reserve forces.  Senator Carl Levin is the Chair of the Committee.  Senator James Inhofe is the Ranking Member.

    Chair Carl Levin:  The Department’s fiscal year 2015 budget request proposes end strength reductions through fiscal year 2017 that would leave the nation with an Active Army of 450,000, or 20 percent less from its wartime high of 569,000; an Army National Guard of 335,000, or 6 percent less than its wartime high of 354,000; and the U.S. Army Reserve at 195,000, or 10 percent less than its high of 205,000. But these end strength numbers assume that the defense budget caps will be increased by $115 billion for fiscal years 2016 through 2019.

    Appearing before the Committee were Gen Ray Odierno (Chief of Staff of the Army), Gen Frank Grass (Chief of the National Guard Bureau) and Lt Gen Jeffrey Talley (Chief of the Army and Commanding General of the US Army Reserve Command).

    In his opening remarks, Odierno broke from his prepared statement.


    Gen Ray Odierno:  Before I start, I just want to let the Committee know as soon as we're done with the hearing, I'll be traveling to Fort Hood to visit with the soldiers, family, commanders, those wounded and will attend the memorial service tomorrow.  Things continue to progress there.  I'm satisfied  that -- with the over all -- as we continue to investigate and look at this -- I'm satisfied that if we had not implemented some of the lessons learned in 2009, the tragedy could have been much worse than it was.  However, we still have much to learn about what happened and why and what we have to do in terms of our mental health screening assessments as well as taking care of our soldiers.  And the Army is committed to  thoroughly understanding what we must do and the actions we must take.  And we look forward to reporting to you what we have found as we continue and conclude our investigations at Fort Hood.


    Those were his remarks on last week's Fort Hood shooting.  Eleanor Goldberg (Huffington Post) sums it up,  "On Wednesday afternoon, Ivan Lopez, 34, opened fire at Fort Hood in Texas, killing three and injuring 16 before turning the gun on himself. The violence was particularly disheartening because Fort Hood was the site of the worst mass killing at an American military installation, which left 13 people dead and more than 30 injured in 2009."  Will Weissert and Danica Coto (AP) report, "On Friday, authorities formally identified the dead as 39-year-old Daniel Ferguson, of Mulberry, Fla.; 38-year-old Carlos Lazaney-Rodriguez, of Puerto Rico; and 37-year-old Timothy Owens, of Effingham, Ill."

    I wasn't at that hearing, a friend who was passed it on.  I was at today's Senate Foreign Relations hearing wasting my time -- or rather the Committee and John Kerry wasting my time.  Secretary of State John Kerry was the only witness appearing before the Committee.  Senator Robert Menendez is the Committee Chair and Bob Corker is the Ranking Member.

    The hearing was a joke, a really bad joke.


    Kerry denounced Venezuela's government for making 'dangerous choices.'  But Kerry didn't say one damn word about the War Crimes going on in Iraq.

    The US government is making dangerous choices -- but in doing so, they're making very clear that they don't give a damn about democracy or -- more important to the world -- they don't give a damn about humanity which is why they installed and propped -- and continue to prop up.

    Kerry tried to  boast, "No other nation can give people the confidence to come together and confront some of the most difficult challenges in the same way that we are privileged to do."

    They're not giving people that.  Kerry can pretend all he wants but all the US government is demonstrating is what it demonstrated under Bully Boy Bush, a crass disregard for human rights and the law.


    Kerry had the nerve to denounce Russia for "contrived" excuses.  Forget the Iraq War -- and the lies the US government -- including Democrats in Congress -- told.   Kerry screamed for war on Syria based on 'gassing' people to death with 'chemical weapons.'  But as Seymour Hersh's "The Red Line and the Rat Line," published by The London Review of Books over the weekend makes clear, Kerry, Barack Obama and others were engaged in propaganda to sell a war.  (Somebody slide the article over to Senator Ben Cardin -- his deep stupidity might be mitigated were he to read Hersh's report.) (For more on Hersh's report see Mike's "Can dickless Robert Parry go to a nursing home already?" and  Elaine's "Sy Hersh" -- also Marcia's "Polio" covered polio in Iraq.)


    The State Dept wants approximately one billion for Iraq for the next fiscal year and the hearing was on the budget.  But Kerry didn't want to discuss the big ticket item.  No one did.  Only one senator even said the word "Iraq."

    Yet . . .



    On the eve of the anniversary of the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime on April 9, 2003, the U.S. Embassy advises U.S. citizens to restrict movements around Baghdad, including travel through Baghdad International Airport.  U.S. government and Embassy-affiliated personnel are restricting their use of the Baghdad International Airport through April 12.  Beyond this date, American citizens are encouraged to evaluate all travel plans after reviewing the latest Embassy messages.  If you have an emergency, please call the American Citizen Services emergency line at 0760-030-4888 or 0770-443-1286.
    The U.S. Embassy recommends that U.S. citizens in all areas of Iraq, including the IZ, maintain a heightened sense of security awareness and take appropriate measures to enhance personal and operational security at this time.  U.S. citizens are advised to keep a low profile; vary days, times, and routes of travel; and exercise caution while driving and entering or exiting vehicles. 


    You may recognize the above in bold.  You may think it's the warning the US Embassy in Baghdad issued
     that we noted in yesterday's snapshot.  It's not.  It's the warning that the US Embassy in Baghdad issued today.  It's so dangerous that they have repeated the warning.

    But John Kerry didn't care and he didn't care to address Iraq.

    Here's his full testimony on Iraq, "We've issued more special immigration visas in Afghanistan -- and in Iraq, incidentally -- than at any previous year."  That was in reply to an Afghanistan question from Senator Jeanne Shaheen.  However, when she asked him about Iraq?

    He didn't have a word for it, not even "incidentally."


    He did say this.


    Secretary John Kerry:  And I want to thank you for the way this Committee stands up for an active internationalist American foreign policy.  I spent enough time in Congress to know not to call anything that costs billions of dollars a bargain.  But when you consider that the American people pay just one penny of every tax dollar for the $46.2 billion in this request, I think it's safe to and if you ad OCO [Overseas Contingeny Operations] it's 50.1 -- I think it's safe to say that in the grand scheme of the federal budget, when it comes to the State Dept and USAID, tax payers are getting an extraordinary return on their investment.


    Pretty big words in many ways but especially when Friday brought the news of the State Dept being unable to account for $6 billion.  If you're late to the topic, refer to the report by Karen DeYoung (Washington Post).


    Only one senator wanted to raise the issue of the $6 billion missing dollars.


    Senator Jeanne Shaheen: On a note that is not so positive, last week it came to light that the State Dept's Office of Inspector General  has discovered that over the past six years contracts worth more than 6 billion dollars have lacked complete and -- in some cases -- no records and that many of the files for contracts supporting our US mission in Iraq couldn't be located.  So I was wondering if you could tell us what actions the State Dept is taking in response to the concerns that have been raised by the Inspector Generals?

    Secretary John Kerry: Well let me begin by saying that the, uh, we hadn't had an Inspector General at the State Dept for [stops speaking to turn around and ask his staff a question] . . .  What?  [Continues testimony] for three-and-a-half years or more there was no Inspector General.

    Pause.

    The stupidity.

    There's no  excuse for it.

    There wasn't an inspector general for Barack's entire first term.

    After January 2008, there was no State Dept IG in Bully Boy's Bush's final year of occupying the Oval Office.  Since January 2008 until September of 2013, the office was empty.

    Now I might not want to own up to that before Congress too if I was in violation of the 1978 law requiring an IG.

    Four years and nine months.  That's the answer if you're just speaking of Barack's tenure as US president.  But the actual answer is that the US State Dept was without an IG for five years and eight months.

    It's really sad (a) that Secretary Kerry didn't know the answer on his own and (b) that his staff he consulted mid-answer didn't know the correct answer.

    Senator Jeanne Shaheen:  And I appreciate your swift action to try and --

    Secretary John Kerry:  I decided that we needed -- It's important, it's an important part of oversight.  So I hired Steve Linick who is our current Inspector General who came from FHFA [Federal Housing Finance Agency] but who's also been a former federal prosecutor is an outstanding attorney and person for the job.  And-and I welcome the oversight.  That's number one.  Number two, I began this process looking at our liabilities.  It came from my time here on the Committee [prior to becoming Secretary of State, Kerry was the Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee] -- when I traveled to Afghanistan and saw the contracting and recognized the corruption that existed in Afghanistan itself and other problems.  So when I first came in, I told folks we've got to really get a handle on what's happening here.  What we found is -- and what this Inspector General report confirms -- is that there have been some problems in just paper work management.  We know where the money -- No money, no six billion dollars has been lost. We-we --- The money is accountable. But it's keeping up with the paperwork.  Part of the problem is, we have learned, and this is really important to the budget process, every single entity of government where we're managing contracting is under-resourced, under-staffed and it's hard to keep up with the paper.  You say, "Well why not go electronic?"  Well some of these places electronic isn't exactly an option -- Afghanistan or some other places.  But it takes people and so we are under-resourced with respect to that.  But we are on it the Deputy Secretary of State for Management is pursuing this and we will have a report for the Inspector General showing exactly where they are and where they are going and this is a good process. And I think people should welcome this kind of oversight and process and get on top of things. 



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    Tuesday, April 08, 2014

    His $3 million visit to Belgium


    BULLY BOY PRESS &   CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL-AID TABLE

    WHEN FADED CELEBRITY IN CHIEF NEEDED A LITTLE PICK ME UP LAST MONTH, HE JAUNTED OFF TO BELGIUM FOR 24 HOURS, HOPING TO IMPRESS FOREIGN MEDIA AND GARNER SOME LOVE.

    WHILE THERE HE MADE HIS 'I LOVE WAR ON IRAQ' SPEECH AND HE ALSO SPENT $3 MILLION DOLLARS -- U.S. TAX PAYER DOLLARS.

    REACHED FOR COMMENT BY THESE REPORTERS, BARRY O INSISTED HE HAD EVERY RIGHT TO SPEND THE MONEY, "IT'S MINE!  ALL OF IT!  I'M GOING TO SPEND EVERY PENNY BEFORE THEY PUT ME OUT OF THIS HOUSE!  IT'S ALL MINE!  MINE!"


    FROM THE TCI WIRE:



    Iraq is supposed to hold parliamentary elections April 30th.  The outcome is supposed to determine who the prime minister is.  Supposed to?  Following the December 2005 parliamentary elections, the US government imposed Nouri al-Maliki on Iraq as prime minister.  Following the March 2010 parliamentary elections, the US government imposed Nouri al-Maliki on Iraq as prime minister.  Kurdistan Tribune's Kamal Chomani tells Joel Wing (Musings on Iraq), "What makes the elections more interesting is that all political parties, including Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds, are unanimously trying to put an end to PM Maliki's authoritarian wishes, but it is very much clear that Maliki will win. The whole elections will be about Maliki. The elections are like a referendum on Maliki as in Turkey it was on Erdogan."

    But the elections in 2010, the ones Nouri's State of Law lost to Ayad Allawi's Iraqiya?  Those were a referendum as well even if US President Barack Obama chose to spit on the Iraqi voters by installing Nouri (via The Erbil Agreement) for a second term he didn't win.  As Jason Ditz (Antiwar.com) noted last month, "Which is to say the US forced a puppet government into power before it left, despite Prime Minister Maliki losing the last election, and put in place an election system so crooked that even the Maliki-appointed election commission resigned en masse yesterday rather than take part in April’s planned vote."

    Will the pattern of the US government insisting Nouri be prime minister repeat or will Iraqis finally be able to determine for themselves who they want as a leader?

    That may be the biggest news to come out of the election.

    In 2010, Nouri decided he was too good to run with his political party (Dawa) so he created his own coalition: State of Law.

    Being stupid and physically ugly doesn't make you an automatic member of State of Law, but it doesn't hurt. Reidar Visser (Gulf Analysis) offered yesterday that State of Law was witnessing a number of defections and he identifies two as being the most potentially damaging:

    Firstly there is list 228, headed by Izzat Shahbandar as candidate no. 1 in Baghdad. It is also running in Wasit, Basra, Dhi Qar and Karbala. The list also includes former Iraqiyya member Abd al-Khadar Tahir, reflecting perhaps the fact that Shahbandar was formerly one of the Maliki aides considered most sympathetic to the idea of cooperating with Sunnis and secularists. Judging from the make-up of his list, though, the successes in this respect north of Baghdad remain limited, even after the split from Maliki.
    Second there is list 211, associated with Sami al-Askari. It will run in most Shiite-majority governorates as well as in Diyala. Another leading figure on the list is Najaf governor Adnan al-Zurfi. Given the connection to Najaf, the list has links to Shiite religious circles in Iraq’s holy cities. At the same time these are politicians with a record of dialogue with the Americans and the West, perhaps more so than some of the more Iran-sympathetic circles within State of Law.



    As the date looms, many interesting developments occur.  Sunday's developments revolved  around cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr.  For example, All Iraq News reported:


    The head of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council, Ammar al-Hakim, and the head of Sadr Trend, Muqtada al-Sadr, discussed the political situation and the next elections.
    A statement received by All Iraq News Agency cited "Hakim met Sadr in Najaf province on last Saturday night."
    "Hakim confirmed the necessity of adopting national unified stances and to consolidate dialogue among the political sides," the statement added.

    Moqtada and al-Hakim have been close, working partners since the summer of 2013.  Al-Monitor's Harith Hassan tells Joel Wing (Musings On Iraq), "Although Pro-Sadr block and Hakim’s coalition are running separately, it is very likely they will ally after the election, especially if they feel this move will help blocking Maliki’s attempt to win a third term."  Moqtada had another high profile discussion Sunday.  NINA noted:


    Kurdistan leader Massoud Barzani discussed on Sunday with head of the Sadrists bloc cleric Moqtada al-Sadr the political and security situation in the country.
    A statement by the presidency of the Region today, said that Barzani and al-Sadr held a telephone conversation during which they stressed the need to hold parliamentary elections as scheduled in a stable and quiet atmosphere.


    Interesting since Moqtada was 'out of politics.'  Clearly, that's not the case.  He wouldn't be talking elections today with Ammar al-Hakim and with KRG President Massoud Barzani.

    Moqtada al-Sadr announced his political retirement February 15th.  February 18th, he delivered a speech --  CounterPunch posted the speech in full  -- emphasizing his decision. February 26th,  NINA noted the rumors that Moqtada left Iraq, "The sources noted in a press statement that Mr. Muqtada al-Sadr left today's afternoon the city of Najaf heading to the Islamic Republic of Iran in order to complete his religious studies and stay away from the political scene as he officially announced for all Iraqis."  Yet March 14th, Moqtada returned to Iraq.

    Clearly, Moqtada has not stepped away from the political scene.  Things might be easier for Nouri if he had.

    Who was it that got Moqtada to return?  Who should Nouri blame for that?

    From the March 14th snapshot:


    Background. Nouri's big mouth ended up tanking his own two-day conference.  For those who missed it, Nouri's fat mouth was flapping last Saturday insulting many as he spoke to France24.  France 24's Mark Perelman interviewed (link is text and video) Nouri for a half hour broadcast which aired Saturday.  In the interview, Nouri's well noted paranoia was on full display as he repeatedly declared, in the very first two minutes, his alleged 'victory' over those attempting to turn Iraq and Syria into one country ("there are goals to create a one state," "create a state -- one part in Syria and one part in Iraq").  He continued to gab and began accusing other countries of supporting terrorism (he was supposedly going to reveal proof of his gossip in the conference but, as usual, his fat mouth made empty promises).  He also insulted Moqtada.


    That's right, Moqtada returned because Nouri attacked him on French television.  Alsumaria notes that a State of Law MP denounced Moqtada and Barzani's conversation.  State of Law is clearly upset by Moqtada's return.  They need to remember Nouri is the reason Moqtada is back.



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