NEW VIDEO: WORLD WAR 3 IS UPON US. "OPERATION BRIMSTONE" US FLEET STEAMS TOWARD IRAN

President Bush and Vice President Cheney have been itching to get into another war before the election and this NEW VIDEO shows how preparations are being made with a component of the U.S. Navy within striking distance of IRAN. Late news developments indicate John McCain could pick Joe Lieberman as his running mate and Lieberman has been wanting the U.S. to go to war with IRAN to save ISRAEL from a nuclear strike by IRAN.

Watch video here:

http://www.youtube.com/v/biCXQHexflY&hl=en&fs=1

Click on diamond-shaped arrow in picture to activate video.

VIOLENT, GUT-WRENCHING VIDEO ABOUT IRAQ WAR: DECONSTRUCTED--COURTESY MICHAEL MOORE WEB SITE

I doubt if you will ever see a war video like this one. It will make you angry and make you cry at the same time. The video captures US soldiers in Iraq talking about the "mission" and what a waste of time and blood the war has been and how "the surge" is a joke.

Watch video here:

http://www.youtube.com/v/4iWGYWLv7-Y&hl=en&fs=1

Click on diamond-shaped arrow in picture to activate video: WARNING: VERY GRAPHIC

AUGUST ALREADY TOPS JULY IN US DEATHS IN IRAQ: 2 MORE GIS COMMIT SUICIDE

U.S. Death Toll in Iraq for August Already Tops July -- As Two More Soldier Suicides Reported

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-mitchell/us-death-toll-in-iraq-for_b_119396.html

When the U.S. military death toll in Iraq dropped to 13 last month it received wide attention. But now, midway through August, the toll this month has already topped the July rate. Meanwhile, two more Iraq vets have killed themselves here at home.

A U.S. marine killed by gunmen in Fallujah west of Baghdad on Thursday became the 15th American to die in August. A troubling seven had died in noncombat incidents. The 15 tally tops July by two.

And the war at home? Each week -- some time each day -- brings the report of another Iraq vet suicide. One of today's stories appears in the Mansfield News Journal in Ohio., and concerns Derrick Hendon who was buried in Rittman after suffering from severe 'behavioral problems," according to those who knew him.

He died at home in Akron, three years after leaving the fighting. But he was one of the war's casualties. ''I think our whole family was a casualty of war,'' ex-wife Maya Hendon said in an e-mail from Israel, where she now lives. Derrick Hendon, 25, was found in the early morning of July 31, hanging by an extension cord in the garage of his North Akron home. ''I'm just tired,'' the Ohio Army National Guardsman wrote in a suicide note.

Both Maya Hendon, who moved to Israel in 2007 with the couple's two children, and Tina Evans, the soldier's sister, say Hendon was changed by the war. They believe all returning servicemen and women should be required to get psychological counseling.

''I think he died in Iraq,'' Evans said.

Then there's this:
Hendon opposed war. Maya Hendon said her ex-husband got an early discharge from the National Guard because he opposed the fighting, even though he had great love for America and initially supported the war. From the moment he was sent to Iraq, she said, ''he was trying to get out. I know he went through some traumatic experiences, but he didn't really want to talk about it.''

She said after he returned home, Hendon, whom she had met in an Akron clothing store in 2001, never sought help. ''Derrick was the love of my life,'' Maya Hendon said.

Also, the Leaf Chronicle in Clarksville, Tenn., reports the suicide of Spc. Carl B. McCoy, 23, a likely PTSD victim who had problems with alcohol. His wife, Sgt. Maggie McCoy, said he didn't get adequate help from the military after two deployments to Iraq. He saw friends lose limbs and die next to him during the recapture of Fallujah.

"He saw a lot of things that he didn't care to go into detail about," Maggie McCoy said. "He couldn't hear the fireworks go off at the Fourth of July. ... He'd have nightmares about this and that."

VIDEO PEEK OF McCAIN'S $12,000,000 PALACE

The house is up for sale now, but for many years Cindy and John McCain lived in what only be called a palace in Phoenix, Arizona. The house...errr mansion....is on the selling block for a mere $12,000,000.

Any takers from the Democrats?

Get a tour of the McCain palace in this VIDEO:

http://www.youtube.com/v/cB_rEeO3Ccs&hl=en&fs=1

Click on diamond-shaped arrow in center of picture to activate video.

STARTLING VIDEO: McCAIN'S SEVEN MANSIONS, $520 SHOES AND WIFE CINDY'S PRIVATE JET

Republican hopeful Sen. John McCain likes to make it sound like he is living on a shoestring, but nothing could be further from the truth as this VIDEO shows. Thanks to his wife Cindy's multi-million dollar inheritance from a beer distributorship her father owned, McCain lives in the lap of luxury with SEVEN multi-million dollar mansions, $520 a pair shoes, and a far cry from the way Sen. Barack Obama grew up living off food stamps and in small apartments with his mother and grandparents.

McCain dumped his first wife after she was in a car accident and took up with Cindy who he would soon marry leaving his ex-wife just over $1,200 a month to live on and raise his daughter.

Watch the VIDEO here:

http://www.youtube.com/v/ek3jAkx9m10&hl=en&fs=1

Click on diamond-shaped arrow in center of picture to activate video.

MARY MATALIN AND JEROME CORSI TEAM-UP FOR OLD-FASHIONED SWIFT-BOATING OF OBAMA

Jerome Corsi and Mary Matalin team up for an old-fashioned swift boating

Submitted by meg on Tue, 08/19/2008 - 2:51pm. Analysis

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSISby Meg White
http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/analysis/358

One of the favorite adages of journalists was once, "If your mother tells you she loves you, check it out." Now it seems that we've shifted to "I read it in a best-selling non-fiction book; it must be true... oh, it's not? Well, who cares."

Jerome Corsi's new, widely discredited book The Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality sustained its number one spot on The New York Times bestseller list yet again this week. And for some reason, I find myself thinking of the waves of untruths that have passed through the hands of editors of late.

In 2006, James Frey's A Million Little Pieces sat atop the bestseller list for 15 weeks and was a selection for Oprah's Book Club. Thanks to revelations from The Smoking Gun, the book was shown to be a lie. Since Frey didn't have the passion of a political campaign backing him, his book is now printed with author's and publisher's notes. Random House even agreed to compensate some readers for the lies.

There's been a serious rash of discredited memoirs much like Frey's over the last few years. Writers and editors have paid hefty prices, including monetary ones and jail time, for lying in print. In response to the rash of memoirs that have been uncovered lately, I jokingly invented the word "semoir" to refer to the new genre. I haven't heard anything back from William Safire yet, but I'll let you know when I do.

But what we really need is a word for books filled with lies that are known by editors and publishers to be falsehoods, but are never retracted. The historical prevalence and modern popularity of deceptive nonfiction closely mirrors that of the "semoir." However, the shame and punishment don't exist. And that's because they are written, edited, and published by people who don't care about journalistic integrity. They are out to do two things: make money and win elections.

Enter Mary Matalin. She's been a pundit for years, after starting out in Washington serving first the RNC and then President George H.W. Bush. She has served as an aide to both President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. Now she is the editor-in-chief at Simon & Schuster's Threshold Books. Matalin publicly took up the mantle for The Obama Nation, the newest offering from Threshold.

Corsi is perhaps best known for co-authoring the attack book, Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry, which was part of the campaign credited for defeating Kerry in his presidential bid in 2004.

While Unfit for Command was culturally successful (heck, we might not even have the phrase "swift boating" to rely upon were it not for Corsi's libel), the book was widely denounced as fabricated. Still, it worked. And the larger body of evidence shows that Corsi and others are bent upon "swift boating" Obama with this new book.

The Obama Nation has also been largely discredited in the media. Media Matters, a Web site run by one-time right-wing columnist David Brock, deemed the book "unfit to publish" listing pages of lies and misrepresentations as support. Still, there are no plans to print retractions or corrections. Just keep that printer crackin' 'em out as is, says Matalin.

The fact is, the book is marketed as a political attack job. Jerome "I apologized for saying that racist stuff so long ago oh and be sure to catch me on white supremacist radio" Corsi admits that he was inspired by the election. He told The New York Times that he wrote the book for a very specific reason:

"'The goal is to defeat Obama,' Mr. Corsi said in a telephone interview. 'I don't want Obama to be in office.'"

Just today, the political action committee Save Our Republic sent out an e-mail supposedly written by Corsi soliciting contributions to pay for political ads that will "stop Barack Obama and the radicalism he represents from creating an America where the values and philosophies that made America great become just a distant memory to some or dead history to others." Oh, and the postscript of the e-mail notes that anyone who donates $125 or more to the PAC will get a free copy of The Obama Nation.

In addition, the book's cover boasts that, "The Obama Nation is the definitive source for information on why and how Barack Obama must be defeated."

This stands directly in conflict with what editor Mary Matalin told The New York Times about the book:

"Ms. Matalin said in an interview that the book 'was not designed to be, and does not set out to be, a political book,' calling it, rather, 'a piece of scholarship, and a good one at that.' She said she was unaware of efforts to link it to any anti-Obama advertising."

But maybe she never read it. Timothy Noah wrote a piece on Slate.com about Matalin and her contribution to the conservative publishing world. He said he received a response from Matalin that explained that "editor" doesn't really mean "editor" anymore:

"I do not deal with any mechanics (like print runs, reprints, financial relationship with authors), or for that matter, editing of the Threshold books. I am more akin to a consultant relative to the issue of potential interest among political readers."

Matalin's very own Web site bio says she "runs" Threshold. How she can do that as a consultant is beyond me (not that I'm the only one to wonder). I guess when you run a business dedicated to peddling lies, it's a lot easier to lie about your job. Those years working for the current administration couldn't have hurt, either.

But, as Noah noted, "conservative imprints aren't required to adhere to the same standards of truth as the grown-up divisions." Noah criticizes the book, but then lets both the writer and the editor off the hook because they are part of a tradition of lies.

Well, what can be done? Not much, I suppose. Those who read such books are much more likely to rely upon FOX News than BuzzFlash, Slate.com, or Media Matters. Readers of Corsi's books might believe every last lie in them, and there's little anyone can do.

But this election year, I would, at the very least, like to see the same amount of outrage that is currently devoted to PACs, lying campaign ads, and 527s be spread out to cover the right-wing lie publishing empire. Just because the people willing to believe these lies probably live in red states anyway doesn't mean we shouldn't care. Obama is slowly learning from John Kerry's grand mistake in ignoring these liars.

So should the rest of us.

THIS ISN'T GOOD: TALIBAN LAUNCHES MASSIVE ATTACK ON US BASES IN AFGHANISTAN

Taliban Launches Large Coordinated Assaults

by: RockRichard
Tue Aug 19, 2008 at 13:56:13 PM EDT
http://www.vetvoice.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=B7C9DFB4315A9BCFE27EBA51E74A5860?diaryId=1788

This isn't good:

KABUL, Afghanistan - Taliban insurgents mounted their most serious attacks in six years of fighting, one a complex attack with multiple suicide bombers on an American military base on Monday night, and another by some 100 insurgents on French forces in a district east of the capital, killing 10 French soldiers and wounding 21 others, military officials said Tuesday. ...

The attack on Camp Salerno in Khost Province was one of the most complex attacks seen so far in Afghanistan with multiple suicide bombers and a backup fighting force that tried to breach defenses on to the airport at the base. It followed a suicide car bombing at the outer entrance to the same base on Monday morning, which killed 12 Afghan workers lining up to enter the base, and another attempted bombing that was thwarted shortly after.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for all three attacks in Khost. Their spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahed, reached by telephone at an unknown location, said that 15 suicide bombers, equipped with machine guns and vests packed with explosives, with 30 militants backing them up, attacked the base, one of the largest foreign military bases in Afghanistan. He claimed that some of the bombers had gotten inside the base and had killed a number of American soldiers and destroyed equipment and helicopters. This last claim was denied by General Azimi of the Afghan military.

The article goes on to describe in detail the eight hour Taliban attack and the coalition/Afghan National Army response. Basically, the Taliban attackers were very precise, very coordinated, and very large in numbers.

This isn't an attack on a remote firebase.

Forward Operating Base Salerno is home to one of two U.S. combat brigades in Afghanistan. Along with the headquarters, there are significant numbers of support, aviation and field artillery assets. I can't locate exact numbers (probably unavailable for OPSEC reasons), but I'd estimate it is the second largest U.S. commanded installation in the country, behind only Bagram Airfield. A footprint this size comes with a proportional security operation. What the Taliban have demonstrated with this incident is that they are able to conduct large scale, coordinated attacks on significant coalition military bases, and that is unacceptable for a group we should have defeated several years ago.

Click on link to read more: http://www.vetvoice.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=B7C9DFB4315A9BCFE27EBA51E74A5860?diaryId=1788

MUST SEE VIDEO: BILL O'REILLY DEFENDS FOX NEWS AND THEIR RACIST ATTACKS ON OBAMA

BARACK OBAMA has been the victim of a less than subtle racist attack by FOX NEWS and in this video from YOU TUBE FOX NEWS' BILL O'REILLY comes to the defense of FOX NEWS and claims they have been "fair and balanced" in their reporting on OBAMA.

Commentary: You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see how the FOX NEWS reports on BARACK OBAMA are a subliminal form of racism.

Watch video here:

http://www.youtube.com/v/fO0vX7YvZ7g&hl=en&fs=1

Click on diamond-shaped arrow in center of picture to activate video.

SHOCKING VIDEO: VIETNAM VETERANS AGAINST JOHN "SONGBIRD" McCAIN

This YOU TUBE video shows Republicans and Democrats from Congress attacking John McCain over the documents that have been buried about McCain's time in the Hanoi Hilton after he was captured and how McCain is not telling the whole truth about what really took place during the time he was a POW.

Watch video here:

http://www.youtube.com/v/9MUY9S6iCvk&hl=en&fs=1

Click on diamond-shaped arrow in picture to activate video

OBAMA HITS BACK AT McCAIN OVER IRAQ WAR: ACCUSES McCAIN OF QUESTIONING HIS PATRIOTISM

Obama hits back at McCain over Iraq war
Obama tells military veterans that McCain is wrong to question his character and patriotism

BETH FOUHYAP News
Aug 19, 2008 09:37 EST
http://wiredispatch.com/news/?id=304398

Democrat Barack Obama challenged his Republican opponent John McCain on Tuesday to stop questioning his "character and patriotism."

Addressing the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention, Obama reaffirmed his early opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq and said the so-called "surge" strategy of sending 30,000 additional troops to Iraq last year had not produced the political reconciliation necessary to achieve lasting peace in the country. McCain supported the Iraq invasion and was an early champion of the surge.

"These are the judgments I've made and the policies that we have to debate, because we do have differences in this election," Obama said. "One of the things that we have to change in this country is the idea that people can't disagree without challenging each other's character and patriotism.

I have never suggested that Sen. McCain picks his positions on national security based on politics or personal ambition. I have not suggested it because I believe that he genuinely wants to serve America's national interest. Now, it's time for him to acknowledge that I want to do the same.

"Let me be clear: I will let no one question my love of this country," Obama said to applause.

McCAIN TAKES CREDIT FOR VETERANS BILL HE FOUGHT AGAINST

In still another brazen display of lying to not only the American public but to veterans as well, GOP Presidential hopeful John McCain took credit for a veterans education bill he never voted for and actually opposed the bill.

Meanwhile, Demorcatic hopeful Barack Obama joined 96 other Senators in voting FOR the bill.


McCain takes credit for a bill he fought against (again)

Posted August 18th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/16597.html

In late June, the Senate approved a war supplemental spending bill, which included the Webb/Hagel GI Bill, expanding educational benefits for veterans. It passed 92 to 6, with John McCain failing to show up to vote. (Barack Obama was there, and he voted with the majority.)

The next day, McCain bragged to an audience in Ohio that “we … agreed to an increase in educational benefits for our veterans.”

Ali at TP noted that McCain made a related boast this morning.

Speaking to the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) today, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) once again tried to steal credit for the 21st Century G.I. Bill, which McCain had vigorously opposed, even submitting his own proposal to undermine the chances of success for the main bill. Today, McCain told the audience of veterans that he “sought a better bill” and declared the final passage of the GI bill “the result” of his efforts:

“As a political proposition, it would have much easier for me to have just signed on to what I considered flawed legislation. But the people of Arizona, and of all America, expect more from their representatives than that, and instead I sought a better bill. I’m proud to say that the result is a law that better serves our military, better serves military families, and better serves the interests of our country.”

OK, let’s unpack this a bit. First, McCain not only opposed the GI Bill expansion, he actively fought against it. Indeed, he bragged that his opposition to the bill was evidence of his character. McCain not only opposed the bill, he did so for all the wrong reasons. He even went so far as to say the GI Bill expansion would literally “hurt the military.”

And yet, he’s gone from characterizing himself as a supporter to arguing that he personally made the bill even better.Second, McCain’s argument flatly contradicts what the VFW knows to be true.

VFW’s deputy director for legislative affairs Eric Hilleman: The Graham-Burr-McCain plan is “very partisan and is seen as a way to convolute the GI bill, or to slow the Webb-Hagel proposal down.”

VFW National Commander George Lisicki: “People are leaving after their first enlistment because they are tired of being shot at, and their families are tired of the frequent deployments… Whether they stay in four years or 20, we owe this newest, greatest generation the gift of education.”

In context, McCain was admittedly in a tough spot. The VFW championed the Webb/Hagel bill and made it one of the group’s top legislative priorities of this Congress, while McCain fought against the VFW every step of the way. McCain couldn’t exactly be honest, and address the organization today with an explanation on why he tried to deny veterans better educational benefits.

So, McCain chose Door #2 — he lied to them, and hoped the veterans in the audience wouldn’t know the difference. The result is a situation in which McCain adds insult to injury — he fought against better benefits for veterans, then he misled veterans about his own efforts.

It’s pretty much the opposite of “support the troops.”

As long as we’re on the subject, McCain also used his speech to the VFW to:
* attack Obama’s judgment on Iraq, just one day after the NYT highlighted how spectacularly wrong McCain’s judgment on Iraq was after 9/11;
* tout his plan for a “Veterans Care Access Card,” which by all appearances, veterans completely oppose;

* repeat the claim that Obama is effectively committing treason, insisting that Obama wants the U.S. to fail in Iraq because of his personal “ambition.”

Something digby recently said continues to ring true: “I am really starting to hate this unctuous, double-talking creep.”