What Is the Bush Administration Afraid Of?

A Senate committee headed by Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas (the state that lives by science—agriculture—and denies it) has completed the first two parts of its investigation into "prewar intelligence." According to the New York Times, Sen. Roberts "chastised the White House for efforts to classify most of the part that examines intelligence provided to the Bush administration by the Iraqi National Congress, an exile group."

For some reason, the Bushites don't want the public to know much about the relationship it has with this group: '“I have been disappointed by this administration’s unwillingness to declassify material contained in these reports, material which I believe better informs the public, but that does not — I repeat, does not — jeopardize intelligence operations, sources and methods,' Mr. Roberts said in a statement issued Thursday."

Sen. Roberts is at a loss to explain the White House's reticence.

In other news from the Times:

"I believe that the sectarian violence is probably as bad as I’ve seen it, in Baghdad in particular, and that if not stopped, it is possible that Iraq could move towards civil war."
GEN. JOHN P. ABIZAID, commander of American forces in the Middle East.

Apparently even the generals now have to admit that Iraq is in a state of civil war.

Sneak Attack Fails:

The senate voted down the bill to raise minimum wage when the Republicans attached their beloved amendment to do away with the inheritance tax on the super rich. It might be hard to understand why the rich need this when the administration has already gutted the IRS's power to inforce the collection of these taxes and so much of the money is being hidden in off shore accounts.

Cuba & Fidel:

Have you enjoyed listening to Fox News swooning over the possible end of Castro's control of Cuba? Have you noticed them mooning over the wonderful country Cuba was prior to Fidel's rise to power? Cuba was, as any fool knows, one very corrupt country prior to 1959. In fact it was a stronghold of corruption from the moment the U. S. "liberated" it from Spain. The inequality between rich and poor in that country set standards long lusted after by the super rich in the U. S.

The folks at Fox News must be pining over to a return of prostitution and gambling, but more likely they are the mouth pieces of the super rich who long for one more off shore site to hide their money in from the tax collector.

The big question has to be "What happens to the handful of powerful sugar magnets who have engineered the decades long boycott?" Has the Bush administration abandoned these powerful influence buyers?

With the push to expand off shore drilling throughout the Carribean, dare we guess that the forces behind Bush are longing after a friendly island from which to base operations?

Sea Change:

No, not global warming, Al, population shift: Today's New York Times reports on a major sea change occuring in the south, focusing on one county, Atkinson Georgia, where Hispanics now outnumber African Americans and have become the largest minority. According to the Times,

In 1990, Hispanics accounted for 3 percent of the residents in Atkinson County, census data show. By 2004, Hispanics had eclipsed blacks and become the largest minority, with 21 percent of the population. County officials, who say illegal immigrants have been undercounted, believe Mexican immigrants and their children may actually make up a third of residents. (Whites and blacks now account for about 60 percent and 19 percent of the population.)

How does this make the good ol' boys feel?

Elton Corbitt, a white businessman whose family has lived here since the 1800’s, said immigration threatened everything that matters — the quality of schools, health facilities, neighborhoods, even the serene rhythms of small-town life. And he fears that white Southerners here may ultimately become outnumbered or irrelevant.

“The way the Mexicans have children, they’re going to have a majority here soon,” Mr. Corbitt, 76, said.

“I have children and grandchildren,” he said. “They’re going to become second-class citizens. And we’re going to be a third world country here if we don’t do something about it.”

This is but one voice, and we all know the Times likes to make us southern types look foolish. Nevertheless, the article makes for good reading if you want to live with your head out of the ground. The demographics of the U. S. is changing in a dramatic fashion. The world as you know it …