The Independent has this breaking story:

The ugly truth about everyday life in Baghdad (by the US ambassador)
A leaked cable from the US embassy in Iraq to Condoleezza Rice shows the country falling apart and ruled by militias.

Although our staff retain a professional demeanor, strains are apparent. We see their personal fears are reinforcing divisive sectarian or ethnic channels. Employees are apprehensive enough that we fear they may exaggerate developments or steer us towards news that comports with their own world view. Objectivity, civility, and logic that make for a functional workplace may falter if social pressures outside the Green Zone don't abate.

Of course, i'm sure there is nothing to worry about. Just yesterday our VP told us he stands by his statment that the enemy is in it's 'last throes.'

Accoriding to an exlusive story/interview appearing on above top secret Dave Gaubatz claims to have turned over information on WMD's in Iraq, but is being ignored:

Dave Gaubatz is a former U.S. Federal Agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) and is both an Arabic linguist and a counter-terrorism specialist. Mr. Gaubatz was sent to southern Iraq, along with five other OSI agents, concurrent with the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom with the mandate to search for WMDs. During this mission and with the aide of numerous Iraqi sources Mr. Gaubatz, along with his colleagues, identified four sites that were suspect...

...

 The team of agents submitted a complete report to their chain of command; the report was supplied to the U.S. Weapons Inspectors in Northern Iraq in 2003 as well. The four sites identified were not only never searched, but have not yet been secured.

more on the flip:

I have been encouraged reading the feedback from the yearlyKos convention - but something on the Drudge this morning caught my eye and left me feeling dismayed. A group of kossacks, donning tin foil hats... yes, tin foil hats. Thanks for making the rest of us look like nutbags guys. Rant continues on the flip...

"This film explores the origins in the 1940s and 50s of Islamic Fundamentalism in the Middle East, and Neoconservatism in America, parallels between these movements, and their effect on the world today."

for more details and a download link see extended...

Talk about outrageous slander....

http://www.drudgereport.com/flash3ek.htm

I knew the attacks on Hillary would start soon, but I thought they would start the machine in low gear... starting with some twisting her statements etc and eventually building towards slander.

At least we don't have to wait until after she's nominated to find out how she'll respond to the right wing smear machine.

A friend refered me to an interesting article published by Amnesty International. I have a lot of respect for the organization and what they are doing all over the world.  I will provide a few tidbits below for those too lazy to click the link

but here's the shocking part...

if you want to find out more you'll just have to follow the link provided above.

This is an email that I recieved and wanted to pass along to my fellow readers here at kos.  I don't post much and aren't really in the business of sending out chain mails but I found this one to be amusing and not too terribly obnoxious.

The following does not represent my own work but I was unable to find an author to cite.

Check it out below the fold...

Passing Universal Health Care is simple, if we've learned anything from the wingnuts it's that all you need is a clever name for your proposal that no one can disagree with for fear of being labeled unpatriotic.

More below the fold

We may take some early hits but we need to attack them where they are strong.  We have to hammer into the American psyche that it is not good values to legislate your religious beliefs onto other people.  That its not good values to discriminate over members of our society based on sexual preferance.  We need to stop shying away from the word liberal.  We need to wear our politics with pride as the conservatives do.  Its the longer, harder road... but it leads to success.  

This could get messy.

Has anyone else seen this?

It is running on WOSU right now, about Kerry and Bush... very pro-Kerry...

On MSNBC Hardball - in regards to the fact checking effort - kudos.

Despite the majority of polls going great for our candidate I fear the pundits are trying to shape opinions for ratings.  Here is how to vote to help Edwards.

go to www.hardball.msnbc.com or any other poll.. i know it works for this one... Vote for Edwards, clear your cookies, refresh the page, vote again.

Do it over and over again... at least 20 times.

peeze... note* you will probably have to copy and paste www.hardball.msnbc.com, clear your cookies and then paste that exact address into your browser to vote again.

I remember there was a Daily Show featuring a bit with a Bush vs. Bush debate.  Bush is seen flip-flopping all over the place.  Couldn't the DNC do something similar to counter the new wave of Bush ad's or perhaps get permission to use the Daily Show footage?

Any thoughts?