I've become increasingly concerned about the embellishments, the falsely slanted re-writings of newspaper accounts, and the smears coming from Barack Obama and his campaign.

Here's Annenberg Political Fact Check.org on "Obama's Creative Clippings: Selective, embellished and out-of-context quotes from newspapers pump up Obama's health plan."

The 'net is exploding over Obama's "mushmelon bipartisanship," which in practice consists of attacks on his Democratic rivals "while recycling right-wing scare stories like the imaginary Social Security crisis, then offering himself as a healer." Gene Lyons: "It’s the old Adlai Stevenson / Jimmy Carter too-pure-for-politics pose." Ouch. Stunningly, the adjective "Broderite" is getting attached to Obama's name because David Broder, the WaPo columnist generally despised by Democrats, is "forever cautioning Democrats about the political perils of not giving President Bush whatever he wants." Ouch, that really hurts.

Scariest of all -- because Obama is abandoning bedrock Democratic values -- he's a motivator for Mayor Mike Bloomberg to enter the presidential race. (See "Polls: Mayor's Chances Better If Obama, Huckabee Chosen.")

PREFACE: FYI, former ambassador Joseph Wilson has posted his commentary, "The Real Hillary I Know -- and the Unreal Obama," at No Quarter.  It's powerful testimony, and full of examples from the foreign policy expert.

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   I know some of you have been unhappy with my posts of late -- and one of our dearest regulars telephoned me about it last night. I care very much what you think. You deserve a short explanation: I'm scared to death the Democrats are going to nominate a smart young guy because he's a "symbol" -- who isn't vetted sufficiently, doesn't have enough experience (yet), and doesn't get nearly the press scrutiny that Sen. Clinton gets. Joe Conason writes vividly about the scrutiny. And ...

[UPDATED BELOW] Illinois' disabled veterans are at "rock bottom" -- "dead last" -- in benefits and claims processing of applications for disability. But Illinois' veterans take a back seat because their junior senator is running for president.  And that senator, Barack Obama, has missed an astonishing number of hearings and meetings of the Senate Veterans committee.

Obama is nothing if not audacious in touting his veterans committee membership as contributing to his "foreign policy" experience for the presidency, while his own state's veterans suffer.  The Chicago Sun-Times ran a devastating investigative series in 2004-2005 (see Truthout) that showed that Illinois' veterans rank last, or near-last (depends on the graph) in disability awards of the 50 states and Puerto Rico (Illinois average:  $6,961; New Mexico average: $12,004).

[You can talk] to women -- from the Philippines to Latin America to the Middle East -- who can vote, own property, or go to school, because Hillary Clinton helped start a global women's movement for women's rights. [You can travel] to Africa and Asia, where Hillary Clinton visited countless remote villages to show how the poorest of the poor could become entrepreneurial and self-sufficient when given access to small loans. -- Lissa Muscatine and Melanne Verveer, "Hillary's Unprecedented Experience on the World Stage," Huffington Post, Dec. 14, 2007

In 1996, Hillary Clinton addressed the Council on Foreign Relations:  

Like most Americans and the Democratic presidential candidates, I am pro-choice although I believe the first defense against unwanted pregnancy, and STDs, is prevention.  (Today's Washington Post reveals that the "best-kept secret" for AIDS prevention in Africa is birth control, not giving antiretroviral drugs to pregnant women. And, notably, Africa is but one of the continents where  First Lady Hillary Clinton worked hard for eight years for women's rights and economic empowerment.)

There is a compelling moral exception: A fetus born alive during an abortion becomes an infant, and shouldn't be left for hours or days to die without medical care, a practice in some U.S. hospitals.

Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama differ markedly in their voting records on the live birth of an aborted infant.

Barack Obama has had to apologize plenty of times, but hasn't apologized face-to-face to Sen. Hillary Clinton, as she did yesterday when she sought to meet and apologize personally on the tarmac of a Washington, D.C. airport for the remarks of Bill Sheehan, a campaign co-chair, about Sen. Obama's youthful drug usage. Mr. Sheehan resigned yesterday. The "gates" include:

Punjab-gate: The opposition research department for Obama's campaign wrote a dossier titled "Hillary Clinton (D-Punjabs)’s Personal Financial and Political Ties to India," suggesting that Clinton’s pro-India proclivities "will compromise her commitment to Americans." Reason identified Obama's hit piece as "Lou Dobbs-level rhetoric."

At the Sunday rally in Manchester, NH, Oprah Winfrey stirred the crowd:

"Ain't you tired of the old way of politics," Winfrey asked. The crowd responded "Yes."

Barack Obama recently said:

''We've had enough of ... triangulation and poll-driven politics,'' he said. ''That's not what we need right now.'

Obama is rising in the polls because he's expressing FEELINGS that people WANT to hear. People are worn down by the last seven years, and they want to believe what they're hearing from a hopeful, fresh candidate.  The problem is, it's just talk.  Here are some pithy examples of (1) Obama as the triangulator extraordinaire, and (2) Obama as a do-nothing -- yes, a do-nothing.

Today, the House Judiciary Committee holds this hearing beginning at noon EDT: VIEW LIVE WEBCAST

Wednesday 07/11/2007 - 12:00 PM | 2141 Rayburn House Office Building | Full Committee Hearing on: The Use and Misuse of Presidential Clemency Power for Executive Branch Officials | By Direction of the Chairman | List of Witnesses - also listed at the end

Statement of Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson, IV (ret.)

To the House Committee on the Judiciary

July 11, 2007

Mr. Chairman, Mr. Ranking member, members of the Committee,

Thank you for the invitation to appear before you at this hearing on the possible abuse of Presidential authority in the commutation of I. Lewis Libby, convicted on four counts of lying to federal investigators, perjury and obstruction of justice.  

Today, because the New York Times's Bob Herbert describes the article in his new column, "Abusing Iraqi Civilians," The Nation has released, early, its major report by the great war reporter and ethicist Chris Hedges along with Laila Al-Arian, "The Other War: Iraq Vets Bear Witness."

Chris Hedges and Laila Al-Arian interviewed 50 combat veterans around the United States to "investigate the effects of the four-year-old occupation on average Iraqi civilians."  The two reporters learned about the brutal deaths of thousands of Iraqis that constitute "disturbing patterns of behavior by American troops in Iraq."

I have just finished reading "Warrior For Peace," David Talbot's remarkable essay about the life of President John F. Kennedy in the new issue of Time magazine.  The intellectional and emotional momentum -- the pulse -- of Talbot's essay is such that it isn't right to excise a particular quote, but I will share this:

Kennedy [was] a politically complex man whose speeches often brandished arrows as well as olive branches. This seemingly contradictory message was vividly communicated in J.F.K.'s famous Inaugural Address. While Kennedy vowed the nation "would pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty"—aggressive rhetoric that would fit right in with George W. Bush's presidency—the young leader also dispensed with the usual Soviet bashing of his time and invited our enemy to join us in a new "quest for peace, before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all of humanity." It would be hard to imagine the current occupant of the White House extending the same offer to Islamic jihadists or Iran's leaders. ...

On Monday morning, Larry will be a guest on Stephanie Miller's nationally syndicated radio show. Listen online or on a local station that carries Miller's show.

On Monday and Tuesday nights, Larry will be speaking in Venice and Encino (San Fernando Valley) -- all details are below.  

If you are able to go, please write a report and/or take photos, e-mail all to me (susanunpc at gmail dot com), and I'll gladly post your reports and photos.

KEY UPDATE BELOW.  

What does Fred Thompson have going for him except that, like Paris Hilton, he's famous for being famous?  

His acting?  Please.  He plays the same character in every role.  Himself.  And he wouldn't even do that well but for the luck of having a sonorous, good-ol'-boy voice.

His civic work?  Please. Thompson is infamous for having been one of the laziest senators to serve, and didn't pass a single piece of important legislation.

His conservatism?  Please.  He's pro-abortion (except when he's not). He was one of the few Republican senators to back the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform law, much loathed by conservatives. In a Mitt-Romney-ish flip-flop move, he just recently changed from supporting amnesty to decrying the immigration bill.

Update [2007-5-31 21:42:36 by SusanHu]: LARRY JOHNSON has posted his commentary.  Feel free to UNrecommend this diary, and instead recommend Larry's commentary.  - Susan

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Reuters:  "NEW YORK (Reuters) - An ex-spy whose unmasking led to the conviction of Vice President Dick Cheney's top aide is suing the Central Intelligence Agency, accusing it of unconstitutionally interfering with publication of her memoir."

READ ALL:  Download the complete Summons & Complaint || Reuters story || New York Times story

You who have participated in the diaries on the pet food recall by Jhritz, Christie Keith, Abby Kelleyite, Goldy, and myself know that -- seven weeks in -- scientists are still trying to figure out what has killed thousands of cats and dogs, has entered the human food supply, and has been fed to 20 million chickens who are still on U.S. farms (not counting the slaughtered chickens sold to Americans in February) as well as tens of thousands of pigs.

We all know now that most of the adulterated food ingredients are coming from China.  And we also know that the Federal Drug Administration has been extremely slow in reacting to the poisoning of thousands of pets and millions of farm animals and, in turn, exposing humans to tainted grain and meat products.

Today, there are two key articles that point to NEW RISKS from poisoned medicine while the FDA cuts back on labs, and that I urge you to read:

UPDATE at end about Sen. Durbin's upcoming work on the bill and amendments.

I am inserting this at the top because it is breaking news on the pet food recall:

BREAKING NEWS: Menu Foods Recall Expands Dramatically to Include New Wheat Gluten
May 2nd, 2007

This recall expansion covers dozens of new brands and foods. Menu Foods is now recalling all of their food that contains wheat gluten regardless of the importer.

Menu Foods release (listing each UPC):

[Susan's NOTE: Some of the NEWLY RECALLED brands include Hills, Nutro, Western Family, Natural Life, Ol' Roy, Drs. Foster & Smith, and many, many more.]

For now, please find pet foods that have NO GRAIN.  There are many excellent brands that are made wholly from human-grade meat and vegetables.

[UPDATES AT END: 1) The FDA has appointed a "food safety czar," 2) FDA Coalition lobbies Congress -- support them!, and 3) VIDEO of Waxman's opening remarks, and The Gavel blog's report]

First, Henry Waxman's Oversight Committee is holding a live hearing on the "FDA's Vital Mission and Challenges for the Future."  Watch/listen here.  (NEW: Waxman's Opening Statement -- see latest update.)

BREAKING NEWS from the House Committee on Energy and Commerce:

Contamination of Chinese Wheat Gluten Widespread
Dingell, Stupak Dispatch Investigators to West Coast Ports

Reps. John D. Dingell, the Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Bart Stupak, Chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee today dispatched Committee investigators to the west coast to pursue reports of extensive melamine contamination of wheat gluten, rice protein, and other vegetable protein.

Larry Johnson will be on PBS Newshour (check here for video, which should be added soon) and CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 regarding George Tenet's new book. I'll post the video and/or transcripts as soon as available at No Quarter.  Update [2007-4-30 21:19:26 by SusanHu]: PBS Newshour has the video/audio and the transcript -- this is a "must-watch."

And as you may know, Larry was on CNN early today and on MSNBC's airing of Stephanie Miller's radio talk show today.

Here is the beginning of the letter that Larry, and other former CIA employees, wrote to George Tenet in care of his publisher, Harper's.