Thursday, September 27, 2007

You Need to Know

Thinking about buying a book? Skip the Jenna Bush one.
USA Today:
...The book is easy to read. It's divided into 102 chapters, some as short as two sentences, and is illustrated with 49 subtle photographs by UNICEF intern Mia Baxter.....
.....The format is an awkward hybrid: not quite an "as-told-to" story but written in the third person. Ana's voice rarely punches through.....

If you really want a good book, keep reading.

> Republican Sen. Larry Craig still hasn't resigned. Huffington Post:
Moments ago, the Senate voted 60-39 to end debate on the Matthew Shepard Act, which expands federal hate crimes laws to include violence based on a victim's sexual orientation, gender, disability, and other factors..... .....Notably, Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) voted against the legislation.

> More on Blackwater---
Hampton Roads:

A congressional investigation has found Blackwater USA at fault on multiple levels in the infamous 2004 Fallujah convoy ambush in which four of its operatives were killed by Iraqi insurgents.

The report, issued Thursday, also accuses Blackwater of repeated efforts to stonewall the investigation, even defying a congressional subpoena at one point.

The release comes at a time when the Moyock, N.C.-based private military company is already facing unprecedented scrutiny because of a Sept. 16 shooting incident involving Blackwater contractors in Baghdad in which at least 11 Iraqis died.....

Blackwater, by the way, has funded James Dobson's group. They contribute money primarily to Republicans and are working as a private army. If you want more information, read Jeremy Scahill's book, Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army.