Now we learn that when Congress considered the Patriot Act, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales testified that there was not one instance of abuse of rights, when he had been privately briefed about more than one instance of abuse of rights.

Testifying falsely is a federal crime, whether under oath or not. There is now probable cause to conclude that Alberto Gonzales  has testified falsely more than once.

There is a range of issues involving acts that could be in violation of law including testimony, cover-up of Abu Ghraib, eavesdropping without judicial approval and inappropriate firings that comprise a partial list.

Alberto Gonzales is innocent until proven guilty, but these matters should now be decided under the rule of law, based on commonly accepted standards of law, through the normal criminal investigative process, and if necessary a jury of his peers. If convicted any sentence should be meted out within the sentencing guidelines, including prison time if he is convicted of crimes that warrant incarceration under the law.  Read more...

Just a few hours ago, The Chicago Tribune reported that U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said he has a “gut feeling” we face an increased chance of a terrorist attack this summer. The Tribune quoted Chertoff as saying, “I believe we are entering a period this summer of increased risk ...”  He went on to say, “Summertime seems to be appealing to [terrorists]. ... We worry that they are rebuilding their activities.”

Good heavens above, our whole national security effort has been reduced to a feeling in Chertoff’s tummy. Does this mean that the Department of Homeland Security is going to raise the terror threat to Pepto-Bismol pink?

Terrorists seem to like summertime. (Note to self: Scratch summertime as a favorite season of the year.)

Listen up, mainstream media and Chris Matthews: John McCain isn’t doing poorly in the polls and being rejected by Republican voters because of his support for the Iraq war. It’s about taxes, and campaign finance reform and immigration. Period. How many times do you all have to be told this before it sinks in? It ain’t about Iraq.

Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) summed it up best last March during an interview on Hugh Hewitt’s conservative radio program:  Read more...

In this video, Brent Budowsky says the fate of the Iraq war lies in the hands of Republicans, whom he says need to exert stronger opposition to Bush on Iraq. Read more on the subject in his op-ed here

Looking at the polls right now, the odds-on favorite to be our next president is Hillary Clinton.

I don’t want that to happen, so Igor and Robert, please don’t accuse me of being a sell-out. But she is leading in the polls for the Democrats, and the Democrats are leading in the polls over the Republicans by a large margin. They are also killing Republicans in the money chase.

So if that is the case, and despite my wishes it looks that it may be, how does Hillary start acting in the Senate? Does she represent the legislative branch or does she start looking at all those nice things that President Bush and Vice President Cheney have been doing to give more power to the executive?  Read more...

Breaking News Alert! Clinton Campaign Strategist Writes Memo: Says his client is doing super-duper in the polls.

Other Breaking News Alert! Washington Post so desperate for breaking news they report Clinton Memo like it’s actually newsworthy.

When did campaign memos addressed to “Interested Parties,” which essentially means “Anyone who will read this,” become newsworthy?

Today’s most obsequious “Hillary’s So Awesome” reporting comes by way of Anne Kornblut in The Washington Post, who for some unknown reason took seriously a campaign memo addressed to no one in particular about how great Hillary’s poll numbers are.  Read more...

Somebody, please, convince President Bush to actually say something different on Iraq today.

The White House is "in panic mode," according to ABC News, and according to The Washington Post and The New York Times the findings of a report set for release this weekend conclude that the Iraqi government has met none of the benchmarks Bush set for them in January, which were the basis for our surge in troops, and that the Iraqis are unlikely to do so in the future. This comes on the heels of Stephen Hadley, national security adviser, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates having to cancel trips last week to attend meltdown meetings at the White House following "surprise" defections by senior GOP senators on current war policy.

Still, after these jolting developments, the Bush administration cannot, will not, say anything to indicate that the strategy in Iraq will change. The Republicans who can no longer unite behind Bush don't support withdrawal, but after watching the surge fail without any sign of progress they have decided to support redeployment. Sure, Bush is finally listening, but he isn't budging. Read more...

We have one word for you, say the pollsters, when people are asked to describe the George W. Bush presidency: "Incompetent." And there is nothing more damning than that.

Forget, for the moment, whether the United States should have gotten into this shooting war in Iraq. The widespread feeling is that his administration is "The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight" ... bumblers who were adept at only one skill: Getting reelected.

So what does that say about the Democrats? Actually, I think it says a lot about high-level politics, and this is seriously going to antagonize all those slick consultants and pollsters whose greatest skill is really self-promotion: These days, national elections are not won, they are lost.  Read more...

In this video, Karen Hanretty says the hype behind Al Gore's global warming concerts fizzled over the weekend and were ineffective compared to similar music campaigns in the past.