News of the Day

Because I know at least that my mother will snoop into this post. Have to keep up the supply of subversive material.

Department of Greedy Southern Baptists
It's been reported previously that Mike Huckabee, emerging Republican frontrunner, had continued the tradition of graft and living off your constituents that is a hallmark of the Southern bible-thump preacher. Now the Guardian has an article out detailing just how entitled this 'humble' individual feels he is.

A review of state records by the Guardian indicates that during his more than 10 years as governor, Huckabee received thousands of dollars in presents almost every year: gift certificates to sporting goods stores, clothing boutiques and Wal-Mart, a $3,695 pair of cowboy boots, a $500 belt and more.

But of course, he wasn't for sale or anything, was he.. oh.

Huckabee's chief source of largesse was Jennings Osborne, a Little Rock businessman who made his money in the medical testing business. In 1996, Huckabee's first year as governor, Osborne bought furniture for the governor's office and a fountain pen for the governor's use, and regularly sent flower arrangements. In subsequent years Osborne bought Huckabee gift certificates to department stores and clothing boutiques, 200 copies of a book Huckabee wrote, ties, flowers and air travel.

In 1999, he sent $200 flower arrangements to the governor's mansion every week, and bought pastries for the office staff, and $250 flower arrangements for Janet Huckabee on Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and her birthday. He bought Huckabee more than $20,000 of clothing and spent $7,500 on a party for the governor's staff and security detail, Huckabee's statements of financial interest show.

In February of that year, Huckabee appointed Osborne to the War Memorial Stadium Commission, which oversees the football arena where the University of Arkansas Razorbacks play in Little Rock

I bet he lifted money from the collection plate too, the sleaze.

Yeesh.

Source: The Guardian

Ye shall know them by their fruits
Another story has emerged of a second woman raped by a male co-worker at a KBR camp overseas, this time in Ramadi. She can't tell her story publicly because they've managed to force it into private arbitration.  At least someone is finally asking why the Army helped cover up these crimes.

In particular, Nelson expressed concern that in the case of Jamie Leigh Jones, the U.S. Army doctor who examined her turned over the rape examination kit, thought to contain useful evidence, to KBR officials. In the letter, Nelson also asked for an investigation to determine how many rape examinations were performed by U.S. military doctors in Iraq, and what was being done to ensure the cases were prosecuted.

It's truly sick, in this country, that you can muzzle a rape victim with a clause in their employment contract. But it seems you can.

Source: ABC News (The Blotter)

It's a rape scandal in America though, which means it's now time for a game of Blame the Victim! Our contestant today is of course KBR, who are looking to avoid the bad PR for the whole imprisonment and illegal confinement thing.

Even they admit that they worked with the Army to cover up this heinous crime, though.

On one key point, Halliburton/KBR and Jones agree: the Army doctor who administered a rape evidence kit to Jamie after her alleged assault handed the kit to Halliburton/KBR security personnel. Halliburton/KBR's account did not mention the fate of the rape kit. It noted the company "did not interfere with the State Department's criminal investigation."

Oh, but they say they gave her toiletries! That makes it all better.

The Department of Truth will Rectify This Story Shortly
So the infamous, ludicrously trumped up 'terror' trial of a handful of lunatics in Miami who thought it'd be fun to pretend to be Al-Queda members, and were subsequently entrapped by an FBI agent to make a pro-Bush headline, has fallen completely into ruin.

Of the seven men, one was acquitted and the rest got a mistrial. Yet another dog and pony show of the Bush administration has collapsed under its own weight.

Source: The Guardian

Peace on Earth, Or a Small Section Thereof
New Jersey has decided to join the rest of the civilized world and ban the death penalty.

No cheap shot New Jersey jokes here. The Washington Post states that economics may have played into this decision as much as ethics, because it's cheaper to incarcerate than kill a prisoner.

I don't care, at the moment. Finally something decent has happened in this country. It's time to take notice.

Source: The Washington Post

To paraphrase Keith Olbermann, and Edward R. Murrow before him, Good Morning, and Good Luck.