Have your ordered yours yet?

I know this will not be a popular diary but I don't care. It's coming up on the 7th anniversary of the attacks of September 11th. Both my wife and I were here in New York City on that horrible day. We were not married at the time and met soon after the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan on Pearl Harbor Day of 2001. Watching our city attacked, our magnificent towers fall to the ground was a mind numbingly terrifying event. Within weeks NYC was a target of the yet to be solved anthrax attacks. By late October of 2001, we had invaded Afghanistan and we just a few years later we invaded and occupied Iraq.

In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Rice said she was "proud" the administration decided to invade Iraq. Believe it or not that's not the only quote from the interview that's worthy of "last throws", "bring it on", or "Mission accomplished" status. She goes on to insult the entire Muslim world with an incredibly ignorant comment. Follow me over the jump for the details.

Yes - those are the words that Candy Crowley used on Anderson Cooper 360 yesterday. The Dems are spending the week healing the fissures that long primary process created. Obviously some of this Unity Week's purpose is to convince the high rollers in the Obama camp to help pay off Senator Clinton's debt. But in the twisted mind of Crowley this amounts to a steamy scene which climaxes with a "money shot." I think Kossacks know what I'm talking about but if not, wikipedia explains:

The term originates from mainstream feature filmmakers, who used the term "money shot" as slang for the image that costs the most money to produce;[2]. For example, in an action thriller, an expensive special effects sequence of a dam bursting might be called the "money shot" of the film.

Also called a "money-making" shot[3].

A money shot has also been used as another name for a cum shot in pornographic films. The shot was so named because if a male actor could not provide this shot he would not be paid.

Put Zakaria's new show on CNN in the conservative column. Last weeks show featured Douglas Feith and Henry Kissinger. This week's show includes the dynamic duo of Michael O'Hanlon and Ken Pollack.

McClatchy is reporting that Barack Obama has joined several of his congressional colleagues in criticizing the U.S.-Iraqi security agreement. Details over the jump.

The AP is reporting that top officials in the Bush Administration are admitting that it is unlikely that a deal which would make permanent America's presence in Iraq will be forthcoming during Bush's final year as president.  

Watching Harold Ickes lawyerly weaseling the last couple days reminded me of an old Martin Short SNL character, Nathan Thurm. What do y'all think. See any resemblance?

Over the last couple of years we’ve heard that the military has easily made their recruitment goals. Soldiers who’ve served in Iraq and Afghanistan are re-enlisting at a high rate. If that’s true, then why are recruiters relying on bribery and war porn to thicken the ranks?

Listen O'Reilly, I'm the one that posted the now infamous Jenna/Iraq Wedding Pictures and you put Markos's picture up on the damn TV. Don't you know how this site works? Hey, don't yell at me; I'm not a teleprompter, ok? The guy wasn't even in the country when this diary was posted, yet you flashed his picture not mine. Next time I want my mug up on the screen not his, ok? Here's a nice shot of me; it’s got my name on it and everything:

Dear W,

 Yesterday, I was logging onto my Yahoo account and something caught my attention. It was a little video clip entitled, "Why Bush Stopped Playing Golf." I was curious; how is possible that someone could come to a decision like that!? I mean not play golf, I know I couldn't ever cancel my membership at the club - Hell; addmission was practically impossible in the first place. Obtaining a membership at my club is harder than getting a job with the CIA for crying out loud. You need several references, financial statements, the works. I'm gonna play golf no matter what; at least until my membership expires five years from now.

But you Mr. President are amazing. You quit golf in solidarity with our men and women in uniform fighting the war on terror. Wow, what an incredible sacrifice Mr. President. You could have given up biking or fishing or any other of your outdoor activities but you chose the thing you love most; golf. In lieu of your sacrifice, my friends and I are going to do our part for the troops.  

Side by side with Iraqis whose special day (wedding day) was turned into a living hell by the father of the bride from Crawford, Texas:

Congresswoman DeLauro and Congressman Dingell have written a letter to Kevin J. Martin, Chairman of the FCC demanding an investigation of the Pentagon's propaganda program. More over the jump....

Today it was confirmed that Iraq has made a deal with Boeing for 30 737 aircrafts. Meanwhile Boeing's fighters and bombers drop munitions on Iraq citizens. Interesting, the same company that put the shock in "shock in awe" gets a huge contract from a country it helped level. Good work if you can get it.  

Here's my latest attempt to get some answers about CNN's role in General-gate. I have written Rick Davis, CNN's VP of Standards and Practices. Hopefully, I'll get a response this time.

On Wednesday, I reported here that Ike Skelton was aware of the Times "Hidden Hand" story and his office had encouraged Kossacks to write the Congressman. On Thursday, What does Ike Skelton do? Exactly what we asked him to do - speak out. On Friday, what does BarbinMD do; write a sardonic post about why we haven't had a hearing yet. What BarbinMD seems to have missed is Carl Levin is also on top of the issue. We're not the only ones that have read the freaking article - it was on the front page of the New York Times for crying out loud. Levin has written a letter to Secretary Gates demanding answers. I hate to say it, but Congress is a slow bureaucratic institution and doesn't move at the lighting fast speed of the internet. Just because BarbinMD demands a hearing today doesn't mean we're going to get one on Monday. Sorry, it just doesn't work that way.

One day my father came home from playing tennis and my mother was lying on the floor crying. She had just heard Helen Caldicott describe the effects of a nuclear strike on a major American city. From that point on my parents dedicated themselves to ridding the the planet of nuclear weapons. My mother joined WILPF (Women's International League for Peace and Freedom). My father, frustrated by the fragmentation of the many disarmament groups (SANE, The Freeze, etc) created an umbrella group which united the various forces. At the time, William Arkin had written influential articles about the arms race and a few books including, "Nuclear Battlefields: Global Links in the Arms Race". My father invited Mr. Arkin to speak to his disarmament group and surprisingly he willingly agreed. A few weeks later, Arkin sat at my parents dinning room table speaking to members of my father's fledgling anti-nuke group.  

We've crossed the moat and the gate is crashing down. That's how I would describe Day three of General-gate Direct Action. For those not in-the-know about "General-gate" or "The General's Club" read Sunday's NY Times article "Behind TV Analysts, Pentagon’s Hidden Hand." For those who want to read the first and second installments of General-gate Direct Action check it out by clicking here and here. Day three over the jump.