Friday 8 July 2005 ... A Call For Peace

The Garlic wishes to join in with the world, offering our prayers and thoughts to the people of London, that they quickly and strongly recover from their terrible blow with terrorism.

The Garlic also looks forward, with millions of others, to a world without terrorists and warmongers.

Jazz Musician, Chuck Mangione , in his composition, 'The Land of Make Believe' has a verse, sung by the wonderful vocalist, Esther Satterfield, that we all can aspire to;

In your world there was a King
He once said I have a dream
Now there's a man who knew the secret

Dream away and let the secret out …

Peace
JTD

Thursday 7 July 2005

Miller Sticks To Guns, Jailed For Not Naming Source

"His Way" Hogan Places Writer With Other Special Cases He's Sentenced

Judith Miller, an investigative reporter for The New York Times, was jailed yesterday for not giving up her confidential sources, for an article she didn't write. The other reporter involved in the case, Matthew Cooper of Time Magazine, received a last minute approval from his source that allowed Cooper to testify before the grand jury and have the civil contempt charges dropped.

Federal Judge Thomas F.Hogan told Miller that she was "defying the law" and ordered Miller to "a suitable jail within the metropolitan area of the District of Columbia". Miller will remain in jail until such time that she decides to talk or until the term of the grand jury expired in October.

Judge Hogan is presiding over a case, by Special Prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald before a grand jury, of the disclosure of the identity of a covert operative of the Central Intelligence Agency. The investigation is based on a 1982 law that made it a crime to disclose the identity of covert agents in some circumstances (See The Garlic -" Rove Said To Be "Under Pressure Over Leak Accusation )

Hogan, known derisively among court personnel and lawyers who practice in his court, as "His Way Hogan", sentenced Miller to serve her time at the Alexandria Detention Center in Virginia.

Alexandria Detention Center is a favorite of Hogan, as at least 25 other persons have been sentenced there in the past three-years.

Among the convicted that Hogan has placed in the ADC is a check forger who never passed a bad check, a shoplifter who has never stepped foot in a retail store and three persons for speeding, despite that they don't own or drive automobiles.

In Miller's case, Hogan has jailed the reporter for a story that was never published.

"I don't know how he does it", stated one local prosecutor who didn't want his name used, for fear of retribution by the Judge. "They talk about judges that create legislation from the bench … Hogan … He sees crimes that no else does"

Miller, though shaken by the experience of being incarcerated, told Judge Hogan before being taken from the court that "If journalists cannot be trusted to guarantee confidentiality, then journalists cannot function and there cannot be a free press."

In anticipation of protests outside the detention center where Miller is being held, Hogan has already convicted four activists, and six protesters, who have not yet demonstrated against the verdict, to thirty-days in jail for unlawful assembly and disturbing the peace.


London Wins Olympic Bid, But With A Catch

IOC Names Switzerland As Games Official Food Host

In a highly contested run, and ending with a close vote, the International Olympic Committee named London as the host of the 2012 Olympic Games. London won by a 54-50 vote over neighbor, and often rival, France.

The committee also, however, took the unusual step of adding Switzerland to the hosting duties, naming them as the "Official Food Host" of the 2012.

This follows the harsh words from French President Jacques Chirac , who was caught on tape complaining about British cuisine.

``We can't trust people who have such bad food,'' Chirac was quoted as saying.

Chirac went on to say that the English's food was the worst, next to Finland and that the only thing the British offered to agriculture was "mad cow disease".

British Prime Minister Tony Blair , who was elated that London won the bid, refused to comment on Chirac, before flying off to host the G8 Summit in Scotland. This will be the first time Britain has hosted the Olympic Games since 1948.

The competition to host the Games was fierce, with New York and France spending a nearly $70 million combined in their efforts to promote their cities as hosts.

Sources have told The Garlic, that behind closed doors, a majority of IOC committee members shared Chirac's assessment of British cuisine.

"Let's face it" said one member, "it's just God-awful. We had a great deal of discussion about it. If cuisine wasn't an issue, London would have won anyway, but by a considerable higher margin. Perhaps another 20-30 votes".

The delegation from Switzerland appeared to be caught off-guard by the announcement and refused comment beyond stating that they were "most happy" to be part of the 2012 Games.

One on-looker to the voting and the high-spending campaigns for the Games and put it in perspective.

"When you look at the agenda this week for the G8 Summit , I think there's a lot of countries that would welcome a cuisine like the British have".

Top Ten Cloves: Ways Senate Will Ignore Special Interest Groups Over Court Pick

10. Forget about the court pick, will finally have a knock-down fight over just what "extraordinary circumstances" means

9. To improve their appearance on CSPAN, acting tips from Fred Thompson

8. Constant use of special Senate iPods

7. Visit Judith Miller in jail

6. Argue over who's going to teach President Bush on how to ride a bicycle

5. Daily contests over who can eat the most British food

4. Will find new charges on Tom DeLay to occupy themselves with

3. Tie Karl Rove to a chair in the chamber and grill him until he admits he's the leaker

2. Pass law forcing lobbyists to wear yellow jumpsuits so they'll be easy to spot

1. A big tub of popcorn and Bill Frist's video collection

Wednesday 6 July 2005

Cheney Emerging As Next Justice Pick By Bush Feared

VP On Vetting Panel; Nearly Same Situation But Now Has Residency Established

Many Washington insiders are both fearing, and betting, that history will repeat itself, when, in a few days, or weeks, President Bush announces Vice President Dick Cheney as his choice to be nominated to the Supreme Court.

In 2000, when still the CEO of Halliburton, the largest private vendor operating in Iraq, then Presidential candidate George Bush, asked Cheney to head the search committee for a vice president to run with Bush. Bush, shortly after, dropped the bombshell by choosing Cheney as his running mate on the Republican ticket.

Pundits scoffed at the choice, deriding it as "hiring his father's gang" but the younger Bush stuck by Cheney as the best possible candidate. The pair faced a lawsuit, as Cheney's residence - Texas - was challenged and the suit, eventually denied, sought to invalidate the electoral votes from Texas in the 2000 Presidential election.

As to be elevated to the Supreme Court, Cheney, sources say, is openly lobbying for the position.

Recently, he's sat in staff and briefly meetings wearing a judges robe, and carrying a gavel.

Cheney's been showering the President with DVD's of movies - 'The Paper Chase', 'The Pelican Brief', 'The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean', 'Twelve Angry Men' - and other court-based feature films.

"The President was setting his post-Summer schedule" offered one White House aide, "and the Vice President interrupted him to advise that he should be 'unavailable' the first Monday in October".

Senator Joe Biden, on hearing the speculation that the choice will be Cheney, promised a vigorous fight, including a filibuster.

"C'mon, that just wouldn't be the best or appropriate choice", lamented Biden. "Heck, that would be a terrible choice … A really, really terrible choice".

Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy harshly criticized Cheney, if he ends up being the candidate.

"He's already handed over the military to Halliburton, I suspect he'll give them the judiciary too".

While the President is reviewing a number of candidate, the Conservative Right is already rattling their sabers over the expectation that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales will be the candidate the President chooses.

"I think", offered the White House aide, "that the Attorney General sent over only one DVD. It was 'The Wild Bunch''. The President likes a good western."


Rove Said To Be "Under Pressure" Over Leak Accusation

Key Bush Strategist Shows "Erratic Behavior" As Critics, Press Call For Admission

With today being the day that Matthew Cooper of Time magazine and Judith Miller of The New York Times may be sent to jail, for refusing to cooperate with a grand jury investigating the disclosure of the identity of covert C.I.A. operative Valerie Plame, numerous sources are reporting that White House Strategist Karl Rove is the official who leaked the information.

On Friday, Political pundit Lawrence O'Donnell declared that Rove would be exposed as the leaker, based on the documents Time Magazine turned over to Special Prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald and the grand jury.

On Saturday, Newsweek, posting a story on its' website, report that emails show that Rove was one of Cooper's sources on the Plame story, Cooper wrote his story after Columnist Robert Novak had already outted the covert Plame in his column over a week earlier.

Robert Luskin, Rove's lawyer, admits that Rove was interviewed by Cooper and "may have unknowingly mentioned Plame's name".

Source close to the White House say that Rove is showing increasing, and escalating signs of the stress at, potentially, being indicted.

He is said to be unfocused, walking the halls of the West Wing, mumbling unintelligibly.

An unconfirmed report says, during a meeting with administration lawyers, Rove "ran around the room, hands covering his ears, shouting 'Liars, Liars' and had to be physically restrained"

Novak refused comment, and would not confirm or deny if Rove was his source.

Watchers of the case feel there could be multiple sources.

"If Rove has his fingerprints on this" offered one source, "you can bet they had a 'smear team' working on Plame"

Top Ten Cloves: Other Things Jacques Chirac Thinks of England and Finland

10. At least France doesn't have a soccer team owned by an American

9. If London gets the 2012 Olympics, we'll have problem - our teams won't want to eat there

8. Hell, it took me three bottle of wine to get Suomen Tasavallan to crack a smile last time we met

7. I know those Brits still blame us French for the accident

6. The French work 35-hour-week and we're called lazy; Brits pay their people not to work and they have "character"

5. Can't trust people that can't cook … Can't trust people who wear wooden shoes

4. Those Fins, they always call for meetings around Midsummer Day and they know how hard it is to get a taxi

3. I'll bet when Blair and Bush meet, they sit there eating piles of "Freedom Fries"

2. What did Finland put in the Coalition? Two old watchman, who sit there eating turnip pies?

1. Media didn't make as big a fuss over my Champs D'Elysees Memos

Tuesday 5 July 2005

Conservatives Threaten Taco Bell Boycott, Justice Weekends

Economic Message To Bush If Gonzales Placed On High Court

Fearing that President Bush will turn his back on them, high-powered conservatives groups announced yesterday that should the President nominate Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to the Supreme Court, they will immediately call for a boycott on Taco Bell, as a means to, economically, punish the President.

"We want the President to send up to the Court, the man with an axe that he will take to Roe v. Wade" declared Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council. 'We expect nothing less".

Late last week, The New York Times reported, a delegation of conservative lawyers led by C. Boyden Gray and former Attorney General Edwin Meese III met with the White House chief of staff, Andrew H. Card Jr., to warn that appointing Mr. Gonzales would splinter conservative support.

"Splintered?", scoffed the Dr. James Dobson, leader of Focus On Family. "We've never been closer … We're all peas-in-a-pod on this issue".

Perkins, Dobson and the Southern Baptist Convention's Chairman Rob Zin, in a joint statement, declared they are ready to call on their followers a boycott of Taco Bell, should the President send Gonzales to Congress for the Supreme Court opening, created by the retirement last week of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

Taco Bell Corp, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc, is the nation’s leading Mexican-style quick service restaurant chain, with over 6,500 restaurants in the U.S., and another nearly 300 operating in Asia, Europe, Canada, and Central and South America.
In 2003, Taco Bell generated sales of $1.6 billion in company restaurants and $3.8 billion in franchise restaurants

Zin and his Southern Baptist's just called off a eight-year boycott of Walt Disney (See 23 June The_Garlic)

A spokesperson for Yumi Brands, looking to ward off any boycott of it's Taco Bell chain, appealed for calm, non-partisan debate in Congress and stated that they "trust the President will make the proper choice".

Taco Bell also announced a new special promotion - The Supreme Taco - and indicated that they will donate a certain percentage of the proceeds to the three conservative groups.

Alberto R. Gonzales, who was sworn in as the nation's 80th Attorney General back on February 3, 2005, was raised in Houston, the second of eight children born to Pablo and Maria Gonzales. His father, who died in 1982, was a construction worker, and both his parents were children of immigrants from Mexico with less than a high-school education themselves.

Senator Orrin G. Hatch, a conservative Utah Republican, spoke highly of Gonzales, whom cultural conservatives oppose.

Gonzales ''is a terrific human being, a good lawyer . . . a person who can handle the job. If the president chooses Alberto Gonzales . . . I think we would all feel pretty good about it," Hatch said on CBS's ''Face the Nation." ''If he gets picked, I'm certainly going to support" him, Hatch said.

Both Republican and Democrats said they were prepared for a fight, with Republicans demanding an up-or-down vote on Bush's eventual nominee and Democrats holding out the possibility they may mount a filibuster if they can't accept the president's selection.

''It's really up to the president, whether we're going to have someone that is a consensus candidate, someone that can bring the country together, someone that can rally the Republicans and Democrats," Senator Edward M. Kennedy said Sunday on ABC's ''This Week."

Two other Democratic senators, Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware and Patrick Leahy of Vermont, said yesterday that they hoped a filibuster could be avoided, but would not rule out the option.

Senate Leader Bill Frist was unavailable for comment. Aides indicated he was reviewing videotape of potential nominees. House Leader Tom DeLay issued a brief statement, indicating his lobbyists haven't given him his position on the issue yet.

Dobson and Perkins, who organized this past Spring's 'Justice Sunday's' indicated they may extend and expand the program.

'We'll march across this country with Justice Monday's, Tuesday's, Wednesday - the whole darn week - if we have to" declared Dobson. "We'll hold'em right out on Pennsylvania Avenue so the President can't say he didn't hear us".

The President, who will be at the G8 Conference this week in Scotland, indicated before the July 4th holiday break that he will not announce his decision before July 8th, after he returns from the G8.

Scott McClellan, White House Spokesperson, stated that 'The President just hopes everyone will hold their water".

McClellan added that the President also hopes that the Taco Bell boycott will be called off "immediately"

"The President is rather fond of those Double-Decker Taco things. He'll have two, or three of them when he's down in Crawford".

News In Brief 5 July 2005

Founder of Earth Day, Gaylord A. Nelson, Dead at 89

Mother Earth To Offer "Volcanic Salute To A Great Friend"

Gaylord A. Nelson , a former senator from Wisconsin, a staunch supporter of the environmental movement in America and the founder of Earth Day, died on Sunday at the age of 89.

Mr. Nelson was known for his candor and independence. He was one of only three senators who voted against the $700 million appropriation that began the nation's expanded involvement in the Vietnam War.

But Mr. Nelson was most distinguished on Capitol Hill as an early and ardent environmental leader. In his first Senate speech, in 1963, he framed the declining condition of the nation's air and water as a national issue. The speech coincided with Mr. Nelson's successful private effort to lobby President John F. Kennedy to embrace environmental protection as a priority. In September 1963, President Kennedy embarked on a five-day, 11-state tour to talk about conservation.

In a statement released to the media, Mother Earth stated, "with great sadness, losing such a good friend".

As a tribute to Nelson, Mother Earth will plan a "volcanic salute" to Nelson at a date to-be-determined



Live 8 Concerts Generate Over 26 Million Text Messages

Over 24-Million Exchanged About "The Blond In Front of The London Stage"

There were a lot of sore fingers and thumbs this weekend, as over 26-Million people sent text messages during the 10-Country Live 8 Concert that took place on Saturday.

Organizers said that it was a single-day record, breaking the 5.9-million sent during an episode of "American Idol"

AOL, which streamed the video of the concerts, also claimed a world record, stating that over 5-million logged on to AOL for the broadcast globally, making it the biggest streamed event ever.

As to the text messages, over 24-Million of the messages were sent, with the subject being a busty blond young woman, who danced wildly in front of the stage in London.

Messages ranged from "Holy Cow", to "Check out the London Chick", to very sexually graphic messages.

For a brief period, perhaps approximately five-minutes, a hacker broke into the London concert video system to offer a proposal of marriage to the blond woman, transmitting his appeal from his video-phone.

Irish rocker Bob Geldof and Bono of U2 arranged the concerts to push the Group of Eight leaders of the world's richest nations who meet in Gleneagles, Scotland, this week to take action to eliminate poverty

Top Ten Cloves: Most Surprising Things NASA Discovers With Deep Impact and Comet Tempel 1

10. The oldest Jodie Foster Fan Club

9. A civilization that actually understands Angelina_Jolie

8. Google's main data center

7. All the former lives of Shirley MacLaine

6. Saddam's Weapons of Mass Destruction

5. The Holy Grail, but with a hostile, quadriplegic guarding it

4. A civilization with a much, much cooler iPod -type device

3. Frequency broadcasting the voice of Dan Rather

2. Robert Novak's sources for the Valerie Plame story

1. Family of aliens asking when is Tom Cruise coming home

Friday 1 July 2005

DC Holiday Fireworks To Feature Bolton

Park Service Officials Livid At New Novak Leak

A new bombshell hit the nation's capital today, as Columnist Robert Novak has leaked in his column that Ambassador nominee John Bolton will be the feature in the Washington DC Fireworks program on Monday Evening.

U.S. Park Officials, who organize the July 4th celebration and fireworks on the National Mall are livid. The Bolton display was a tightly-guarded secret.

"Apparently, Mr. Novak feels emboldened now that others are going to jail for him", said one Park Official.

The allusion was to the recent Supreme Court ruling, deciding not to hear the case of reporters Judith Miller and Matthew Cooper, who are being forced to reveal their confidential sources in the Valerie Plame case, or face contempt of court charges and jail time.

The July 4th celebration in Washington is a day-long happening, beginning with parade along Constitution Avenue and ending with one of America's largest fireworks displays over the reflecting pool on the National Mall. The National Symphony Orchestra performs and the event is broadcast nationwide over PBS.

With the heated and contentious debate over Bolton's nomination to the United Nations, Park Service officials thought it would add a extra level of excitement to set off Bolton during the program.

On Sunday, Bolton will be taken out and set-up along with all the other fireworks. He is expected to exploded just before the grand finale.

A back-up plan is in place in the event that Bolton isn't angry enough.

A special videotape has been prepared, featuring a montage of congressman and senators who have lambasted the diplomat. Park Service official acknowledge that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist came up with the video idea.

"He's all pent up and ready to burst" said a Park Service spokesperson. "I don't think we'll need to use the video.


GoldenPalace.Com Rumored To Win Lunch With Buffet for $351G's

Funds Go To Charity; Extra's Included Oracle of Omaha Being Tattooed With Casino Logo

Reports coming out of Omaha, Nebraska are indicting that GoldenPalace.Com, the Canadian on-line casino known for its famous publicity gimmicks, has placed the winning bid for a lunch date with the legendary billionaire investment wizard, Warren Buffet.

The winning bid, of over $350,000, goes to charity, the San Francisco-based Glide Foundation.

GoldenPalace.Com renowned for its publicity stunts, a campaign to bypass restrictions on gambling advertising, that includes paying boxers to wear the casino's name in the ring, paying over $75,000 for the McDonald's commercial prop - a french fry that looked like Abraham Lincoln and nearly $30,000 for a grilled cheese sandwich that was auctioned on eBay

Some extra benefits that go with the winning bid is that GoldenPalace.Com gets to bring up to seven additional people to the lunch. Additionally, Buffet will have his forehead tattooed with "GoldenPalace.Com" and must keep it for at least one-year, wearing to board meetings and his annual shareholder gathering. A photo of Buffet with the tattoo must appear in Buffet's infamous, folksy annual Chairman letter.

The casino also gets to post an image of Buffet, welcoming gamblers, on its' website.

Top Ten Cloves: Things That Will Ruin Your Summer Vacation

10. You get a subpoena - Saddam Hussein is calling you as a witness in his upcoming trial

9. Having your giant Snapple popsicle melt on you and flood the street with sticky goo

8. Howard Dean starts telling people that you've never earned an honest days' living in your life

7. The Supreme Court makes you reveal your confidential sources

6. In a press conference, Karl Rove mentions you, by name, as someone needing therapy

5. Since you stopped using steroids, harder to flip burgers on the grill

4. Can't get confirmed to be the United Nations Ambassador

3. The Denver Three charge that you wouldn't let them use your swimming pool

2. It's leaked that CPB's Kenneth Tomlinson has someone monitoring you

1. Your bride-to-be runs away and you're the only one looking for her; No media coverage, no book deals

Thursday 30 June 2005

Army Recruiting Up; Now Eyes Increase In Applause

White House To Investigate Low Clapping During Ft. Bragg Terror Speech

As the U.S. Army announced, yesterday, that they met their recruiting goals for the month of June, the White House dispatched Chief of Staff Andy Card and others to Fort Bragg, to begin an investigation on the sparse amount of applause during the President's speech there Tuesday evening.

Insiders say that after the recruiting woes, the Army has a "significant" applause problem.

Gen. Richard B. Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, though not confirming the applause problem, did hint that it was a concern of the top military officials.

"Military personnel receive a proper amount of training in applause and there are periodic reviews in place to insure they maintain their applause skills".

The White House, in choosing Fort Bragg for the location of the speech, were confident beforehand that the President would receive a "wild ovation" upon taking the stage, and anticipated that his speech would be interrupted many times with applause and gruff shouts of "Hoo-ah".

None of that occurred.

It was 25-minutes into the 28-minute speech, when the President offered the line, "We will stay in the fight until the fight is done" that applause first broke out. Troubling to both the White and the military commanders is that the applause appeared to be led by a White House staffer who was involved in organizing the logistics of the speech.

Some Republicans moved quickly to respond to what appears to be a significant embarrassment. There's calls for a panel to investigate the applause issue, something the military and the White House want to avoid

Card and the White House will look into the rumors that military commanders at Fort Bragg ordered the soldiers not to applaud. They say that there are reports that "some of these commanders are from Blue states" and that they set out "to embarrass the President".

White House Strategist Karl Rove stated that "these commanders may need some therapy"

House and Senate Democrats are seizing the applause issue to hammer away at the Administrations lack of preparedness in launching the war in Iraq.

"It shows, over-and-over, that they have gone into this war on the cheap", stated Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). "It shows that they didn't anticipate the need for applause".

"What we need is a policy to get it right", said Senator John Kerry (D-MA), Mr. Bush's opponent in the 2004 election

The issue is causing a strain at the White House. At a press briefing yesterday, White House Spokesperson Scott McClellan blamed the media for the problem.

"With all the major television and cable networks covering the speech, they could have added an applause track to the broadcast".

Later in the day, McClellan backtracked from that statement, issuing a new statement that the White House, and the military, "have never used, nor do we endorse, the use of applause tracks".

"The President is more than capable of generating applause when he needs it. He's an applause champion".

Top Ten Cloves: Ways The Army Met Recruiting Goals For First Time Since January

10. Army recruiters able to wear their softer, summer wardrobe

9. All get a roster spot on the Washington Nationals upon completion of their tour of duty

8. Change of rules that will allow large dice and bobble-head dogs on Humvee dashboards

7. Two Words - Free Tattoos

6. Bicycles - Just like the one the President rides

5. New recruits get to use Dick Cheney's secret bunker for one weekend, per-year

4. Took potential recruits to Gitmo, for lunch, and told them all Army lunches are as good

3. For those high-strung recruits, promise of easy duty - Sentry post on Airport Road in Baghdad

2. The Bonus Pool is now in the millions for whoever finds those Weapons of Mass Destruction

1. No worries, insurgence in final throes … Told'em they'll be home for Christmas

Wednesday 29 June 2005

Bush Clarifies Iraq Mission

New Contract Issued To Halliburton To Measure Elusive Progress

Speaking before a crowd of uniformed troops, and a national-television audience, at Fort Bragg, N.C., President Bush rebuffed his critics by stating that "our mission in Iraq is clear".

The President, in making it clear, reinforced to the audience the ties between the war in Iraq and September 11th. He went on to say that "We're hunting down the terrorists … we're helping Iraqis build a free nation … we're advancing freedom in the broader Middle East"

"In the past year, we have made significant progress … Our progress has been uneven, but progress is being made".

In the past few weeks, the President has been on the fast-track of dropping polls and persistently bad news from the documentation that he has mislead the nation into war, to the mixed messages from his Vice President and other cabinet members as to having the proper number of troops to fight the war and just how many years the U.S. will be required to maintain its occupation of Iraq.

In fact, there was debate among the President's staff as to giving this speech last night. Right up to a few minutes before he took the stage, the President's daily schedule still had "bicycle ride" penned in for 8:00PM.

The President would have none of it. Reportedly, he told Karl Rove that he had to tell the people that "my greatest responsibility as president is to protect the American people".

Mr. Bush went on to outline an ambitious new program that will, if not end the violence and fighting, give him a greater handle on how to spin what people are seeing, nightly, via television reports from Iraq.

The President indicated that, on top of the $7-Billion contract for rebuilding Iraq, Halliburton will be issued a new contract to measure the progress and freedom taking place in Iraq.

"We continued our efforts to help them rebuild their country. Rebuilding a country after three decades of tyranny is hard, and rebuilding while at war is even harder. We are improving roads and schools and health clinics. We're working to improve basic services like sanitation, electricity and water.

"But getting the measurements of our progress, complete with those colorful graphs, will be even harder. They've [Halliburton] got the tools, and the will, to carry out this mission".

After the speech, both Halliburton and the White refused comment on the new 'Progress' contract.

"If we will help the new Iraqi government deliver a better life for its citizens", said Rove, "than the President's poll numbers will go through the roof. He can ride his bicycle off into the history books".

Confusion, Disappointment Follows Graham Crusade

Many Mistook Revival For Justice Sunday Event; Wanted Rhetoric, Not Redemption

For many of the 240,000 who flocked to Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens, the former World's Fair site, to be part of the Greater New York Billy Graham Crusade, this past weekend, it was not what they had come to see.

In what could be the last revival meeting of the legendary Southern Baptist minister, thousands showed up expecting a "Northern" version of a Justice Sunday program, and were not looking for preaching or to be baptized. They wanted to hear heated rhetoric and more of the great Conservative movement's plans to take over the judiciary.

At various times during the three-day crusade, far removed from Graham's 1957 New York Crusade, when he drew nearly 3-million people to Madison Square Garden over 16-weeks, rumors circulated in the crowd that a certain conservative had shown up and would be speaking soon.

"I wanted to see Bill Frist or Tony Perkins" offered a young woman who traveled from Western Pennsylvania for the event.

Others expected to hear Graham offer his thoughts on the late Terri Schiavo, and rain down fire-and-brimstone on the judges and courts involved in her long case.

'Those people will not see the promised land", a young man from New Jersey declared

Graham, who is 86 and has Parkinson's disease, used a walker to get on stage and needed the assistance of his son. Though clear, his voice was weaker than in past years, and he stood during most of his 30-minute sermons each day but sat through the altar call. His pulpit was equipped with a movable seat.

Even though, from the shadow of the Unisphere, Graham preached on the great flood from the book of Genesis, it wasn't enough to satisfy those who came expecting to put the U.S. Justice system on trial.

Officials for the Greater New York Billy Graham Crusade acknowledged after the event that they may have disappointed some of those who came for Justice Sunday. Slightly less than 10,000 of the crowd committed their lives to Christ during the three-days, which officials said was "off-target".

"Typically, we do about 25-to-30% who accept the Reverend's invitation to come forward".

"Perhaps, for the next crusade, we'll see if Reverend Graham is up for bashing some judges".

News In Brief 29 June 2005

Aruban Case Expanding To Europe
Anyone Named van der Sloot Being Rounded-Up

The case of missing Alabama teenager, Natalee Holloway is expanding, from Aruba, to Europe, sources close to the investigation are reporting.

Authorities in Holland have begun a round-up of anyone in the country named "van der Sloot" and holding them for questioning in relation to the Holloway case.

This latest action comes after this weekend's release of two suspects - party boat DJ Steven Gregory Croes and Paul van der Sloot, father of the main suspect, Joran van der Sloot.

The 17-year-old van der Sloot, and his two friends, brothers Satish and Depak Kalpoe, remain in custody, as they are confirmed as the last persons to see or be with the Holloway girl.

Holloway, from the Birmingham suburb of Mountain Brook, has not been seen since May 30th. She was visiting the Caribbean island off Venezuela with about 100 classmates and parent chaperones to celebrate graduation from high school.

"It's pretty crazy" offered one Aruban Justice official. "They're pulling in everyone over in Holland. Anything to get some new leads for the case"

Holland officials refused to confirm or deny the arrests

Top Ten Cloves: How Iraqis Celebrated Year Anniversary of Sovereignty

10. Gathered by the stockade and taunted Sadam Hussein

9. Made party hats from recycled 'Stars & Stripes' newspapers

8. Tried to go to Disneyland but booked up solid by Southern Baptists

7. Drew straws to see who would make the run to the liquor store on Airport Road

6. Bartered with Halliburton to see if they could get one of their cakes for less than $300

5. Started an on-line petition to have Robert Novak jailed, along with Judith Miller and Matthew Cooper

4. Unveiled the new statue in downtown Baghdad of their liberator - L. Paul Bremer III

3. Glued sparkles to their prayer mats

2. Had Paris Hilton pop out of a giant cake to sing to Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari but it scared the bejeezes out of him

1. Watched President Bush's speech to see if they could figure out what the plan is

Tuesday 28 June 2005

Supreme Court In Disarray; Confuses Two Rulings

Demand Reporters Provide Source of Ten Commandments

Perhaps as a sign that the health of ailing Chief Justice William Rehnquist is more serious than disclosed, the Supreme Court yesterday -their last day of the current session - confused two cases and announced that two news reporters must divulge the source of the Ten Commandments.

Court onlookers were stunned when the decision was read.

The case in front of the court was an appeal filed by Time Magazine's Matthew Copper and The New York Times' Judith Miller, seeking to overturn a lower courts ruling that the two reporters reveal their confidential sources as to their investigation into who divulged the name of CIA agent, Valerie Plame.

Earlier, the court had issued split decisions in two cases involving the display of the Ten Commandments on government property.

Columnist Robert Novak had previous to Cooper or Miller, published the name of Plame, who Novak said was supplied to him by "two senior administration officials". The unusual leaking of an active, undercover CIA agent was looked as a political payback.
Plame's husband, the former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, had been critical of the Bush Administration and their plans to invade Iraq.

Cooper reported on Plame, while Miller gathered material for an article about the intelligence officer but never wrote a story. Both were held in contempt for refusing to reveal their sources and both face up to 18-months in jail, or until the grand jury completes is inquiry, whichever comes sooner.

So now, with this new ruling from the Supreme Court, the federal judge and prosecutor in the case, not only have to get the reporters to offer their sources of the Plame story, but also must have them identify the source of the Ten Commandments.

"I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing" offered Miller. "I suppose I can offer them the DVD of the DeMille movie".

"I think Time has some back issues that deal very directly with the Ten Commandments", said Cooper. "There's articles upon articles, written by scholars, that should satisfy the court".

Special Prosecutor in the case, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, refused comment, saying he hadn't read the opinions yet.

Legal analysts say they don't know what will happen next.

"With the decision read into the record, that is the law of the ruling", offered Floyd Abrams, Ms. Miller's attorney. "They're going to need a case, coming all the way up from the lower courts in order to overturn and correct this decision. That's going to take years".

One longtime clerk at the Supreme Court had a more simple solution.

'They're going to need the Lord's help in figuring this one out"

Washington Round-Up

Bush Undecided On Speech Wardrobe

Aides Suggest Fatigues Over Flight Suit As Means To Show Determination

A storm is raging inside the White House, as aides argue and debate the attire for President Bush, when he addresses the nation this evening about the war in Iraq.

Mr. Bush will speak to the nation at 8 p.m. from Fort Bragg, N.C., before an audience of hundreds of troops. Tuesday is the first anniversary of the formal transfer of sovereignty to the Iraqis after the American-led invasion.

About half the staff is encouraging the President to wear the same flight suit he wore on the aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln and declared "Mission Accomplished" back in May 2003.

The other half is suggesting, as a sign of commitment and "standing with the men" the President wear the traditional green fatigues. That for where the war in Iraq is at the moment, the show of solidarity with the men in the arena will "echo across the world".

Bush faces nagging polls showing more-and-more Americans doubting that the situation in Iraq is improving, The President will emphasize in his address that there is a "clear path to victory" and urge Americans to maintain their resolve.

In a related move, Bush signed a Presidential order forbidding, should it come before the mission is accomplished, and the U.S. pulls out of Iraq, that helicopter evacuations from rooftops in Iraq of any military, press or Iraqi citizens.


Gonzales Unwraps Justice Statues With Fanfare

'When Eagles Soar' Played During Unveiling; New AG Orders Fully Nude Works

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, last Friday, removed the large blue drapes hanging over the ''Spirit of Justice" and the ''Majesty of Justice", the two Art Deco, semi-nude aluminum statues in the Justice Department's Great Hall, with great fanfare.

Perhaps as a dig to his predecessor, former Attorney General John Ashcroft, Gonzales had Ashcroft's song, "When Eagles Soar" playing during the unveiling.

Ashcroft, in his family-values crusade against pornography, had curtains installed in January 2002, to cover the statues.

Gonzales also took it a step further, in speaking at the ceremony, indicated he's commissioned two new, fully-nude statues for the Great Hall.


Rumsfeld Confirms Insurgent Talks and Long Haul

Details Sketchy But "Not Negotiating With Terrorists"

Both on Sunday, on Fox News Live, and at a press conference yesterday, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld confirmed that talks are "on-going" with the insurgents attacking U.S. and Coalition forces.

"I can't tell you who exactly is talking to who" clipped Rumsfeld. "These people don't exactly have business cards."

When pressed further, Rumsfeld denied that the United States was "negotiating with terrorists".

"My goodness, that would never happen. For all I know, it's a-guy-who-knows-a-guy-who-knows-a-guy-who-knows-a-guy kind of thing".

Rumsfeld also stated that "the insurgency will be put down by the Iraqi people over time".

"It won't be won by the coalition forces. Insurgencies tend to go on 5, 6, 8, 10, 12 years."

Rumsfeld than admitted that he is placing his bets in Las Vegas on 8-years of more insurgence.

"It's my lucky number", beamed Rumsfeld.

Top Ten Cloves: Other Things Dick Cheney Thinks Is In Its' Last Throes

10. The Reverend Billy Graham - Jeez, he's looking about as old as the Ten Commandments

9. New York Mets - Happens every year

8. NPR and PBS, thanks to the work of Ken Tomlinson

7. That no good, &%#@&! John Dean!

6. Anymore Downing Street Memo's - You can bet on it

5. Those carefree days of a handsome Vice President with his own secret bunker

4. Halliburton - If anyone gets really serious about looking into that missing reconstruction money

3. The U.S. Department of Education - Never liked it, never will

2. MoveOn.Org - After Karl Rove gets through with them

1. That no good, &%#@&! Howard Dean!

Monday 27 June 2005

Bush Presses Iraqi Leader On Statehood

Not Giving Up But Action Needed If Iraq To Become 51st State

President Bush promised the Iraqi prime minister last Friday that he was "not giving up on the mission" of making Iraq the 51st State (See The Garlic, Tuesday 10 April; Bush Moves On Making Iraq 51st State; Wednesday 27 April 2005; Bush Plan For Iraq Statehood In Jeopardy) but needs action for Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari on moving the internal political process forward to achieve that goal.

Meeting at the White House, the first visit by a new leader from a free and democratic Iraq, the President chided al-Jaafari for not having the Iraq constitution in place. Back in April, Bush advised the Iraqis that the United States had already put together the Enabling Act, which would bestow statehood to Iraq, but that they need a full-functioning government in order to have Vice-President Dick Cheney submitted the legislation.

Cheney is eager for Iraqi to become the 51st State, believing that the congressmen elected from Iraq to serve will be conservative Republicans, adding to the majority and thereby enabling the President's agenda

The recent difficulties the Bush Administrations had incurred in Congress - Judicial filibusters, and the blocking of John Bolton as Ambassador to the United Nations, as well as a stalled domestic agenda - namely the President's Social Security reform - heighten the need for the Iraqis to act quickly.

A person inside the administration worried that "if we don't get this done before the July 4th break, we might not be able to save it later - especially if any Supreme Court resignations come down".

al-Jaafari seemed to be backing away from statehood, when, in clipped English, he called on Bush to "redo the Marshall Plan", referring to American rebuilding of Europe after World War II, and he suggested that the President call it "the Bush Plan, to help Iraq, to help the Iraqi people."

"If he backs away now" said the administration source, "there'll be hell to pay. We're talking a complete pullout by Christmas and Cheney calls out the Halliburton dogs. They'll be lucky if they can remember what water or electricity is … They'll make Afghanistan look like Club-Med".


Major Cities Waste No Time In Taking Court Ruling To Action

Acres Seized In Land Grab, Some Say Biggest Since West Was Settled In 1800's

No sooner had the ink dried on the Supreme Court's decision allowing municipalities to seize land by eminent domain, largely for projects involving private developers that were part of an "economic development" plan, acres of property were seized.

Major cities across the country had teams of lawyers serving home and small business owners over the weekend, seizing their property under the new ruling.

Reports from New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, New Orleans, Denver, Miami, Kansas City, Minneapolis and more, say convoys of black SUV's rolled into neighborhoods, serving papers and posting signs, condemning properties.

In an unprecedented case, the State of Ohio served Cleveland Mayor Jane L. Campbell, seizing the entire city under the guise of having a new, "economic development" plan for the "mistake by the lake" as Cleveland is derisively referred to.

Reports are that the White House endorsed the mass serving of eminent domain notices as means of kick-starting President Bush's new initiative, 'The Clean City Act'.

Last Thursday, the Supreme Court, by a 5-4 decision, voted in favor of the City of New London, Conn., who had condemned 15 homes under the eminent domain law, as a means of putting forward a "economic development" on behalf of private developers.

In hailing the decision, White House Spokesman, Scott McClellan said "The President firmly believes that government has the right to develop their economic development programs, without hindrance".


The public-interest law firm, the Institute for Justice, who represented the 15 New London homeowners, were stunned by the action over the weekend.

"The Court's decision is less then a victory", offered an Institute spokesperson. "It basically was putting back into the state court, where we will continue the fight".

McClellan, at a press briefing yesterday noted the mass eminent domain takeovers.

"We're pleased to see so many people embracing the President's 'Clean City Act"

Asked if the President was worried about a lower court overturning the Supreme Court's decision, in individual cases, McClellan said, confidently;

"We have other means in which to advance this program. I believe there are provisions in the Patriot Act that allows for property seizure".


Katie Holmes Career In Jeopardy
First Sciencetology, Now Must Study Psychiatry

Sources in Hollywood report that actress Katie Holmes, recently engaged to actor Tom Cruise, is "on the verge of nervous breakdown", not from the inordinate media chasing the couple, but a constant schedule of studying issues so she can converse with her husband-to-be.

"The poor girl is a nervous wreck", offered an agent close to the couple.

"She's afraid to speak in Tom's presence … He challenges every single thing, and then belittles her for not being informed"

This side of Cruise surfaced last Friday, during an interview with Matt Lauer on the 'Today' program.

When Lauer referenced Cruise's criticism of actress Brooke Shield's use of anti-depressants, Cruise lashed out at Lauer, telling him that he didn't know what he was talking about and "''You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do".

The interview escalated to heated exchanges when Lauer defended people he knew that were helped by attention-deficit disorder drug Ritalin.

''Matt, Matt, you don't even -- you're glib,'' Cruise responded. ''You don't even know what Ritalin is. If you start talking about chemical imbalance, you have to evaluate and read the research papers on how they came up with these theories, Matt, OK. That's what I've done.''

Holmes was overheard saying after the interview "God, I'm still working on the Sciencetology stuff, now I have to study drugs and psychiatry?"

A person in the office of Holmes's agent did confirm that "Katie is now well-versed in baseball, the Pottsdam Conference, Yo-Yo-Ma's body of work, metallurgy, the 1963 Philadelphia Eagles and the history of the microwave oven".

When reached later, Cruise offered a terse "no comment".

After walking a few steps, Cruise turned back to the media and berated the small gathering, chiding them for not know enough about comments, and that they should study the research papers, like he did, on comments. How, after that, "maybe we can hold a conversation - you know what a conversation is, don't you?"

Top Ten Cloves: Other Places and Events The Denver Three Are Barred From Entering

10. The G8 Summit - Bono doesn't want anyone else getting any PR

9. Any Star Trek Convention

8. Aruba - Island already maxed out with media

7. Fenway Park - Red Sox don't want to take any chances on any new curses

6. Disneyland - Southern Baptists voted new resolution specifically against them

5. The O'Reilly Factor - Well, just the guy is barred; The two woman can come on, but only if they bring a loofa

4. Downing Street - God, the Brits would have to do, yet another, memo on the visit

3. Corporation for Public Broadcasting - They, definitely, are on Ken Tomlinson's "L" list

2. White House Press Room - Scott McClellan and Karl Rove believe that they need therapy

1. Any Tom Cruise Interview - Undoubtedly, they didn't read the research papers and they don't know the subject like Cruise knows it