It’s amazing what it’s come down to. On the senate floor this afternoon, Sen. Sessions (R-AL), in arguing against the surge resolution, gave an entirely new rationale for the invasion of Iraq: We invaded Iraq to prevent Saddam Hussein from being able to say that he’d won the 1991 Gulf War.
Hear it for yourself …
An adviser to Dem Senate leader Harry Reid tells us that Dems are likely to fall short in the vote on escalation tomorrrow.
If you get a chance on the second showing this evening, watch the second segment on CNN’s AC360 this evening. It’s about the surge vote. The primary theme? Democratic weakness. The commenters — Amy Walter of the Cook Report. and John Harris of politico.com. Two nonpartisan analysts. Beside them — anti-constitutionalist lawyer John Yoo and Marty Peretz writing an anti-Dem editorial on the Wall Street Journal editorial page. Great segment.
Senate Republicans succeed in keeping Iraq gag rule in place.
Yes, I would have thought this would have gotten a bit more attention.
This blog points my attention to Friday story about Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari, a reasonably large contributor to Republican congressional committees (more than $15,000 in the 2002 and 2004 campaign cycles). Alishtari was arrested on Thursday. And on Friday he was charged in federal court with attempting to secretly send $152,000 to Pakistan and Afghanistan to purchase equipment for terrorist training camps in Afghanistan.
Late Update: Funny. TPM Reader B points out that the New York Post chose a rather different way of reporting this story. Their lede: “A Westchester businessman and purported peace activist was nabbed by the feds for allegedly plotting to funnel more than $150,000 to terrorists at training camps in Afghanistan and Pakistan.”
No mention of Republican ties. Let me know when they follow up …
Later Update: In fairness, the Daily News ran it pretty much the same way.
Never too Late for this Story Update: Oh that’s interesting. Cunning Realist found this CV purportedly posted by Mr. Alishtari. In addition to other GOP donor awards, Alishtari says that he was appointed to something called the “White House Business Advisory Committee” in 2003. And CR ends with this point, referencing Alishtari’s CV: “Note the entrepreneurial business background with a focus on technology/security. Have any of those businesses ever received government contracts or funds? Any direct or indirect contact in the past with anyone from the Bush administration or Congress?”
Never Too Late Update: Not sure how or if this might relate to Mr. Alishtari’s indictment. But Alishtari’s company EDI Secure’s claim to fame seems to have been a patent for something called the ‘Single Use Credit Card Number.’
Well, this just gets more and more interesting.
As we noted in the post below, Republican campaign contributor Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari got indicted on Friday for attempting to send over $150,000 to fund terrorist training camps in Afghanistan.
He contributed a decent amount of money to GOP congressional campaign committees in the 2002 and 2004 cycles and managed get named to a number of ‘committees’ and ‘councils’ set up as perks for GOP campaign contributors, including something called the “White House Business Advisory Committee.”
Now a reader of the Cunning Realist blog has dug up the archived version of the website of Mr. Alishtari’s company, GlobalProtector, which shows that at the same time Alishtari was giving money to the GOP he was bidding on multiple government contracts — including ones with the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security.
Today’s Must Read: Al Qaeda’s alive and thriving in Pakistan.
It tuns out Mr. Alishtari, the GOP campaign contributor indicted for sending funds for terrorist training camps in Afghanistan, had a fairly lively life online. TPM Reader TDP points to what purports to be Alishtari’s blog. And in a rather rambling post there’s a reference to an alleged meeting with VP Dick Cheney. “When I went to DC in the Fall of 2003 and met with VP Cheney, I was first in a room full of advisors where I asked how to resolve this and they advised me to talk to counsels which led to this solution.”
Now, we can’t be certain that this is actually Alishtari’s blog, though I think the weight of evidence suggests that it is. And it’s certainly possible that was just a self-promoter blowing smoke. But the fall of 2003 was when he was an aspiring government contractor sending big checks to the Republican party. So would not be that strange if he’d been invited down for a meet-and-greet with the co-president.
The whole thing is a bit surreal and bizarre. As TDP quite accurately put it, “The thing reads like a Nigerian lottery scam. So Mr. Alishtari may be certifiable, or just setting up an insanity defense.” But given what happens the claims probably bear some looking into.
Popular wingnut blogger who’s been feted by the mainstream media appears to advocate the assassination of foreign leaders.
Update: Our wingnut responds, profoundly disappointing his readers.
At TPMCafe this morning, former Edwards Campaign blogger Amanda Marcotte makes the case for the “vulgar masses,” defends her use of terms like “Christofascist,” and recounts her experience with the right-wing smear machine.
Make sure you don’t miss her thoughts in the comments.