The New York Times reports that the Iraqi government will go to recess without reaching agreement on a provincial election law.

"...leaving the fate of provincial elections in doubt for this year."

The surge did not succeed in its purported purpose.

http://tiny.cc/...

How's that saying go again, "As they stand up, we'll stand down"?

New York Times (excerpts):
http://www.nytimes.com/...

A company of Iraqi soldiers abandoned their positions on Tuesday night in Sadr City, defying American soldiers who implored them to hold the line against Shiite militias. The retreat left a crucial stretch of road on the front lines undefended for hours and led to a tense series of exchanges between American soldiers and about 50 Iraqi troops who were fleeing.
....
This episode was a blow to the American effort to push the Iraqis into the lead in the struggle to wrest control of parts of Sadr City from the Mahdi Army militia and what Americans and Iraqis say are Iranian-backed groups. Tuesday’s desertions in Sadr City, although involving a particularly hesitant Iraqi unit, left many of the Americans soldiers wondering about the tenacity of their Iraqi allies.
....

Whoopi Goldberg defends Michael Vicks' dogfighting career by stating (and I paraphrase) "He probably didn't know it was wrong, considering where he comes from."

via AP: http://www.nytimes.com/...

Goldberg said that ''from where he comes from'' in the South, dogfighting isn't that unusual.

''It's like cockfighting in Puerto Rico,'' she said. ''There are certain things that are indicative to certain parts of the country.''

Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld's world must be something marvelous to live in, if you're a bigoted fascist. Don't like facts? Change 'em. Don't want the public to believe in science, or pyschology, or reality? Lie to them, change policy, just say it ain't so.

Are we being set up for the most viscious attacks on gay Americans' civil rights ever? Patriotic-fueled hatred on a massive scale? Are we seeing the underliers for those Halliburton-built detention centers?

Is this America?

AP STory:

Pentagon Lists Homosexuality As Disorder
By LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press Writer

June 19,2006 | WASHINGTON -- A Pentagon document classifies homosexuality as a mental disorder, decades after mental health experts abandoned that position.

The document outlines retirement or other discharge policies for service members with physical disabilities, and in a section on defects lists homosexuality alongside mental retardation and personality disorders.

Do not for a moment think the rightwing will fall silent in the face of their defeats.

This is one of their little victories.

Via Salon, the ever vigilant Tim Grieve writes:

Is this Bob Ney's desperation play?

How do you run for reelection when a federal corruption probe appears to be closing down hard on you? If you're Ohio Rep. Bob Ney, it seems that you play the gay card.

More:

US plans to 'fight the net' revealed

Excerpts below:
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/...

By Adam Brookes
BBC Pentagon correspondent

A newly declassified document gives a fascinating glimpse into the US military's plans for "information operations" - from psychological operations, to attacks on hostile computer networks.

Bloggers beware.

As the world turns networked, the Pentagon is calculating the military opportunities that computer networks, wireless technologies and the modern media offer.

From influencing public opinion through new media to designing "computer network attack" weapons, the US military is learning to fight an electronic war.

The declassified document is called "Information Operations Roadmap". It was obtained by the National Security Archive at George Washington University using the Freedom of Information Act.

Officials in the Pentagon wrote it in 2003. The Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, signed it.