Analyzing the West, Texas explosion

From Daily Kos
 (Read more by following the link.)

Chris Hayes:
Bush administration blocked stronger regulation of fertilizer plants in the wake of 9/11

Let's recap: The Bush administration's own cabinet secretaries come up with a plan to regulate these chemical plants. It's stymied by [administration official and Dick Cheney son-in-law] Phil Perry once. The Bush administration sides with the chemical industry when it's brought before Congress. And then, basically in a backroom maneuver, Perry does the chemical industry's bidding by moving the oversight of this from the EPA, which the chemical industry hates, to DHS, which the chemical industry thinks they can more easily manipulate.

Now, fast-forward six years. The West Fertilizer company is storing more than 13-hundred times the amount of ammonium nitrate that would normally trigger safety oversight by DHS. And it does appear now, that not only did DHS literally have no idea that the West Fertilizer company was storing ammonium nitrate. But according to Congressman Bennie Thompson, a Democrat from Mississippi, DHS did not even know the plant existed until it blew up.

Biggest US Fraud Ever?

The Bush administration handled so many things badly, can this report from Raw Story be a surprise?

The US Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR), the Army's criminal Investigation Command and the Justice Department are investigating US soldiers and officials in the alleged misuse of a portion of the $125 billion initially sent to Iraq for reconstruction shortly after the fall of Saddam.

Monday, The Independent's Iraq correspondent Patrick Cockburn reported the inspectors believe misuse may account for over $50 billion, exceeding the scope of Bernie Madoff's massive Ponzi scheme and making it potentially the "greatest fraud in US history."

"In one case, auditors working for SIGIR discovered that $57.8m was sent in 'pallet upon pallet of hundred-dollar bills' to the US comptroller for south-central Iraq, Robert J Stein Jr, who had himself photographed standing with the mound of money," wrote Cockburn. "He is among the few US officials who were in Iraq to be convicted of fraud and money-laundering.

Post Inauguration

Where have Bush and the gang been hiding out since the inauguration? Not sure, but could this photo give us a hint - or have I been dreaming again?

Should We Prosecute

I've seen a little bit of chatter on the blogs about behind-the-scenes actions in Congress which might lead up to some prosecutions of Bush administration officials. It will be interesting to follow this and see where, if any place, it goes.

Harper's Index

Harper's Magazine has published an interesting list taken from a Google search in which they looked up “George W. Bush” and “aura of inevitability”. It's fairly lengthy, but I found a summarized list of some of the more interesting tidbits over at J-Walk - a bit of which I've posted here. Click on either of the links to read more.

• Total amount the Bush campaign paid Enron and Halliburton for use of corporate jets during the 2000 recount: $15,400
• Minimum number of Bush appointees who have regulated industries they used to represent as lobbyists: 98
• Days since the federal government first placed the nation under an "elevated terror alert" that the level has been relaxed: 0
• Number of members of the rock band Anthrax who said they hoarded Cipro so as to avoid an "ironic death": 1
• Minimum number of laws that Bush signing statements have exempted his administration from following: 1,069
• Days after the U.S. invaded Iraq that Sony trademarked "Shock & Awe" for video games: 1

Did You Know - Email Abuse

Just one more example of the abuses that the Bush administration heaps onto the pile of disrespect they hold for the nation.

White House aides made extensive use of political e-mail accounts for official government business, despite rules requiring that they conduct such business through official communications channels, according to evidence disclosed Monday by congressional investigators.

From the Chicago Tribune.

Did You Know - Promise Pullback

If the Bush Administration is going to make promises they won't keep, why do you suppose they tell their political opponents they are cheating? Is it bragging? You know - sort of like, "We can do whatever we want, no matter what we say." Damn - they are really interesting people. They don't at all play by the same rules as I do in my life.

From the Washington Post...

Senior Bush administration officials told Congress on Tuesday that they could not pledge that the administration would continue to seek warrants from a secret court for a domestic wiretapping program, as it agreed to do in January.

Did You Know - Lots of Bushie Troubles

What do Scooter Libby, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Paul Wolfowitz and J. Steven Griles all have in common? They're all on the list of Bush appointees who've gotten themselves in trouble in the Boston Globe. Click here to read the article...