The Burning States - Reflections of a True Patriot

NSA agents admit spying on Americans' private calls

oftheend@aol.com (David L. Secor) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 02:28:00 +0000

NSA agents admit spying on Americans' private calls

David Murfee Faulk described to ABC's Brian Ross how he had listened to "personal phone calls of American officers, mostly in the Green Zone [in Baghdad], calling home to the United States, talking to their spouses and sometimes their girlfriends."

"Co-workers of mine were ordered to transcribe these calls," Faulk stated. "When one of my co-workers went to a supervisor and said, 'But sir, these are personal calls,' the supervisor said, 'My orders were to transcribe everything.'"

Adrienne Kinne, who like Faulk is an Arab linguist, said she had received the same orders and had listened to hundreds of Americans in the Middle East simply calling home. She emphasized that these were "Americans who are not in any way, shape, or form associated with anything to do with terrorism. It was just personal conversations that really nobody else should have been listening to."

When asked about President Bush's statement that the intercepts were directed only at known al-Qaeda suspects, Kinne stated, "That is completely a lie." She said that military officers, journalists, and Red Cross workers were among the people whose calls she transcribed.

Faulk told ABC that certain calls were even passed around among the intercept operators like office jokes. "I was told, 'Hey, check this out, there's some good phone sex.' ... It was there, stored the way you'd look at songs on your iPod."

Journalists, the Red Cross, and our soldiers. They are the "Terrorists" BushCo is tracking. Those who may dare to have a free thought, an opinion that is not in line with the policies of King George and his criminal empire.

We all knew this was the truth of the NSA spying program...

Further Down The Spiral

oftheend@aol.com (David L. Secor) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 01:48:00 +0000

Dow plunges 679 for 6th triple-digit loss in a row

GM shares tumble 31 percent to 58-year low

Banks borrow record amount from Fed

New AIG loan renews concerns over insurer's health

The Dow closed at 8579, down over 39 percent from about a year ago. The largest drop in points ever, the largest drop in percentage points since the crash of 1987. Pelosi started mentioning a second bailout the other day, and the Federal Reserve is bypassing banks to loan directly to corporations. There now seems to be a snowball effect going on...

Get your money out of the large banks... There are sure to be more going down...

The S* is hitting the fan...

oftheend@aol.com (David L. Secor) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 02:41:00 +0000

Major banks are failing left and right...

The 700 billion bailout is failing to curb the economic troubles...

The government and the federal reserve are handing out money like candy to keep the corporations afloat...

All around the world, banks are failing, and a coordinated interest rate cut failed to work...

The 3rd infantry 1st brigade, regular army, is now assigned to the streets of the Fascist States of America, under federal control...

The congress was threatened with martial law in America if the bailout did not pass...

FEMA is prepped and ready for martial law...

Beware... Be Safe... Be Armed...

The Raw Story | US residents in military brigs? Govt says its war

oftheend@aol.com (David L. Secor) — Sat, 24 May 2008 16:33:00 +0000

The Raw Story | US residents in military brigs? Govt says its war: "'What you assert is the power of the military to seize a person in the United States, including an American citizen, on suspicion of being an enemy combatant?' Judge William B. Traxler asked.

'Yes, your honor,' Justice Department lawyer Gregory Garre replied."

There it is people, straight from the mouth of the government. If they wish, you can be locked away for years, without charges, without trials, with virtually no hope to be freed, save the government's own pity on you...

Moles Wanted - City Pages (Minneapolis/St. Paul)

oftheend@aol.com (David L. Secor) — Thu, 22 May 2008 15:36:00 +0000

Moles Wanted - City Pages (Minneapolis/St. Paul): "What they were looking for, Carroll says, was an informant—someone to show up at “vegan potlucks” throughout the Twin Cities and rub shoulders with RNC protestors, schmoozing his way into their inner circles, then reporting back to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, a partnership between multiple federal agencies and state and local law enforcement. The effort’s primary mission, according to the Minneapolis division’s website, is to “investigate terrorist acts carried out by groups or organizations which fall within the definition of terrorist groups as set forth in the current United States Attorney General Guidelines.”

Carroll would be compensated for his efforts, but only if his involvement yielded an arrest. No exact dollar figure was offered."

Those violent vegans must be stopped. God forbid they exercise their free speech rights during the Republican National Convention.

Now just remember everyone:

Free Speech = Terrorism
Peaceful Protesting = Inciting A Riot

Carbon nanotubes mimic asbestos in early study - Yahoo! News

oftheend@aol.com (David L. Secor) — Wed, 21 May 2008 22:11:00 +0000

Carbon nanotubes mimic asbestos in early study - Yahoo! News: "Strong, versatile little 'nanotubes' made out of carbon are considered future stars in nanotechnology research in medicine and industry. Now a study finds that longer threads of the stuff mimic the toxic qualities of asbestos, renewing questions about how carbon nanotubes can be used safely."

Soon after the invention of many of these carbon nano-objects, concerns were raised about the possibility of damage to the lungs, and even the possibility that the objects could be small enough to penetrate human cells. Now, this "early" study seems to confirm the potential dangers of these products. Early, however, is not the term I would use when referring to the study, as it is rather late. These carbon products have been experimented with for years now, and they have even made into mass-produced products, such as stain-free khakis. But hey, I guess it is less than the decades it took us to realize that asbestos was dangerous.

Food Crisis Rippling Out Like a “Tsunami” - CommonDreams.org

oftheend@aol.com (David L. Secor) — Wed, 21 May 2008 21:11:00 +0000

Food Crisis Rippling Out Like a “Tsunami” - CommonDreams.org: "UNITED NATIONS - “A rolling tsunami of social unrest is underway as we speak — hungry people are desperate people capable of taking desperate actions. This tsunami is rapidly enveloping the global South, and it won’t take much longer before it knocks at the door of the global North,” warned Vicente Garcia-Delgado, the U.N. representative for CIVICUS, the world alliance for citizen participation.

At a forum on the world food crisis held at the United Nations Friday, civil society groups stressed that over 800 million people are now at risk of starvation, while 100 million have joined the ranks of the extremely poor in just the last few months and are now living on less than a dollar a day.

The food price index of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation rose by 9 percent in 2006 and 23 percent in 2007. As of March this year, wheat and maize prices were 130 and 30 percent higher than a year earlier. Rice prices have more than doubled since late January."

I have seen prices here in the United States rise dramatically over the last year or two. Here, we have food pantries serving record numbers of people, and we are the rich superpower. I cannot imagine how life is in the "third world" countries right now with such significant price increases.

The Raw Story | Journal: US report on Iranian weapons in Iraq 'delayed significantly'

oftheend@aol.com (David L. Secor) — Wed, 21 May 2008 21:05:00 +0000

The Raw Story | Journal: US report on Iranian weapons in Iraq 'delayed significantly': "In a little-noticed story, the Los Angeles Times reported two weeks ago that American promises to offer proof that Iran was arming Iraqi militants had fallen through.

'A plan to show some alleged Iranian-supplied explosives to journalists last week in Karbala and then destroy them was canceled after the United States realized none of them was from Iran,' wrote the Times' Tina Susman. 'A U.S. military spokesman attributed the confusion to a misunderstanding. ... When U.S. explosives experts went to investigate, they discovered they were not Iranian after all.'

Now the Wall Street Journal has added a fresh twist to the mystery of the alleged Iranian arms, writing that 'the U.S. military, in a shift, has postponed the release of a report detailing allegations of Iranian support for Iraqi insurgents, according to people familiar with the matter.'"

The CIA operatives in Iran must have forgotten to write "Made in Iran" on the explosives with a Sharpie before sending them to the Iraq insurgents. So much for the "evidence," not that that will matter a whole lot if Bush decides to bomb Iran...

Clinton may take delegate fight to convention - Yahoo! News

oftheend@aol.com (David L. Secor) — Wed, 21 May 2008 20:42:00 +0000

Clinton may take delegate fight to convention - Yahoo! News: "Hillary Rodham Clinton says she is willing to take her fight to seat Florida and Michigan delegates to the convention if the two states want to go that far. In an interview with The Associated Press, Clinton was asked whether she would support the states if they continue the fight.

The presidential candidate said Wednesday, 'Yes I will. I will, because I feel very strongly about this.'

Clinton is calling for delegates from both states to be seated at the convention based on the primaries. Both states were stripped of their delegates because they voted early, violating national party rules. Clinton won both states; Barack Obama's name wasn't on the Michigan ballot."

I do not like either Democratic candidate, but I would much rather see Obama win the nomination than Hillary. Hillary seems like she will be continuing some of the current administration's war-mongering efforts, and a war with Iran is really the last thing we need right now. Hopefully, the delegate saga in Michigan and Florida will not skew the results in Hillary's favor.

NSA Destroyed Evidence of Domestic Spying

oftheend@aol.com (David L. Secor) — Wed, 21 May 2008 20:37:00 +0000

NSA Destroyed Evidence of Domestic Spying: "The National Security Agency, the top-secret spy shop that has been secretly eavesdropping on Americans under a plan authorized by President Bush seven years ago, destroyed the names of thousands of Americans and US companies it collected after 9/11 because the agency feared it would come under fire by lawmakers for conducting unlawful surveillance on United States citizens without authorization from a court, according to a little known report published in October 2001.

NSA lawyers advised the agency to immediately destroy the names of thousands of American citizens and businesses it collected shortly after 9/11 in its quest to target alleged terrorists in this country. NSA lawyers told the agency that the surveillance was illegal and that it could not share the data it collected with the CIA or other intelligence agencies.

The lawyers said the surveillance could result in numerous lawsuits from people identified in the surveillance reports, two former US officials told the Houston Chronicle in an October 27, 2001, report, and was illegal despite any terrorist threat that existed in the days following 9/11."

This really does not surprise me at all. Call me paranoid, but I assumed there was, and is, much more domestic surveillance going on than anyone would like to admit. Let's not forget, that some parts of Bush's spy program, like Email monitoring, have been show to have started even before the terror attacks on 9/11. This administration is simply out of control, and is bent on destroying the America that we once knew.

The Raw Story | Oil prices pass $133 after report of supply drop

oftheend@aol.com (David L. Secor) — Wed, 21 May 2008 20:22:00 +0000

The Raw Story | Oil prices pass $133 after report of supply drop: "Runaway oil prices blew past $130 a barrel for the first time Wednesday and kept going, while gasoline prices persisted in their own relentless climb, rising above $3.80 a gallon. Supply worries, rising demand and a slumping dollar are conspiring to make filling up the car — and paying for just about everything else — a growing burden for Americans."

I read another report that put the price up near 140 a barrel at one point today. It will not be long until the next psychological barrier of $200 is passed. Here in west Texas, our gas prices recently broke the equally scary psychological border of $4.00 a gallon, and are heading up fast. Over the span of two weeks, we have paid $3.937/gallon, $4.034, and the last time, a few days ago, we paid $4.109. The economy is in a midst of a downward spiral, and despite the government's assertions to the contrary, it is getting worse.

The Raw Story | US: Ex-Guantanamo prisoner carried out Iraq suicide attack

oftheend@aol.com (David L. Secor) — Wed, 07 May 2008 19:39:00 +0000

The Raw Story | US: Ex-Guantanamo prisoner carried out Iraq suicide attack: "'It is unknown what motivated him to leave Kuwait and go to Iraq,' Rye said. 'His family members reportedly were shocked to hear he had conducted a suicide bombing.'

Three suicide car bombers targeted Iraqi security forces, killing at least seven people and wounding 28 in the northern city of Mosul, local officials said. It was not yet known which involved al-Ajmi.

Military documents previously released to AP show that al-Ajmi was 'constantly in trouble' while in Guantanamo and held in disciplinary blocks during his detention. He also allegedly told officials in August 2004 that 'he now is a jihadist, an enemy combatant, and that he will kill as many Americans as he possibly can.'

Tom Wilner, a lawyer who represented Kuwaiti prisoners at Guantanamo, said al-Ajmi had a broken arm during one of their meetings at the base in Cuba and that he alleged he had been injured by guards who interrupted him while he prayed.

Wilner called the alleged suicide attack a 'tragedy' that could have been avoided with court hearings for prisoners held at Guananamo, where the U.S. now holds about 270 men."

The blowback from gitmo begins...

The Raw Story | Journalist released from Gitmo calls it 'most heinous mankind has ever known'

oftheend@aol.com (David L. Secor) — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:41:00 +0000

The Raw Story | Journalist released from Gitmo calls it 'most heinous mankind has ever known': "An Al Jazeera cameraman who returned yesterday to his home of Sudan from Guantánamo Bay and delivered a speech broadcast live on Sudanese television described the US facility as 'heinous.'

His speech was broadcast live on Sudanese television. He was held at Guantanamo for seven years, and was never charged.

'After 2,340 days spent in the most heinous prison mankind has ever known, we are honored to be here. Thank you, and thank all those defended us and of our right in freedom,' said Sami al Hajj, who spoke at an event organized by his family.

Hajj is the only major mainstream news journalist ever to be held at the prison. His supporters claimed that he was being held in retaliation for US anger over the Arabic television network."

7 years, of his life gone, and he was never convicted of a crime, or even formally charged... Welcome to the new America...

A Quick Look at Recent Headlines...

oftheend@aol.com (David L. Secor) — Fri, 02 May 2008 06:46:00 +0000

Rice raises new doubts about Iran's nuclear program
Iran complains to UN over Clinton's attack threat
Pentagon plays down report of new Iran war planning
US Military Chief Slams Iran's 'Irresponsible Influence'
Iran remains most active state sponsor of terrorism: US
Gates: Carrier sent to 'remind' Iran
Iran dumps U.S. dollar for oil trades

Well we sure are stepping up the rhetoric about Iran again, aren't we? All of these stories are from within the last 2 days...

Just before we bombed Iraq, Iraq dumped the dollar as well. Without the world's oil traded in U.S. dollars almost exclusively, the dollar would have been nearly worthless years ago. Propping up the dollar is sure a good reason to bomb a country, at least in the twisted minds of this administration. Let's not forget that the United States is the world's largest consumer of oil, as well. Killing two birds with one stone...

I will leave it at Iran stories for tonight, more will come tomorrow...

Back from Never-Never Land

oftheend@aol.com (David L. Secor) — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:17:00 +0000

It has been several months since I have posted anything on this blog, but there is a good reason. On little more than a few moments of thought, a great deal of hope, and even a few prayers, I decided to join my two sisters and take a wild ride from Schenectady New York to the deserts of West Texas, where we now permanently live.

I had a little more than a month to prepare for the journey, once I decided that I was in. Essentially, I dumped everything I owned in New York, and loaded a Toyota Camry station wagon with a few of my essential belongings, my two Greyhounds, and headed west.

I joined my sisters, and their 6 kids, 9 great Danes, 1 pit bull mix, 4 cats, 2 birds, and a turtle. As one might imagine, it was quite the trip. We landed here in the middle of February, where, unlike New York, the days required only a t-shirt and there was not a single flake of snow on the ground.

Because of the remoteness of the area, and the local bureaucracy, it took us until just recently to secure an internet connection, via satellite.

So why did I do it? A quick list is in order...

-I have wanted to leave the filth, noise, and insanity of the city for a very long time.
-I realized that I did not need 90% of the junk that I had, nor the huge house to store it all in.
-With energy prices on the rise, the cold New York winters were becoming ever more expensive.
-I hated the local gestapo, in the form of the city government and the police, as well as the neighbors who have nothing better to do than report on your business.
-I have always wanted to live in the desert.
-My Family was the only real reason I was still in New York.

And of course, let's not forget the bigger picture...

-The United States is starting to look more and more like a country straight from Orwell's imagination, and should the military ever be turned against the citizens, the city is not the place to be.

-The economy of the United States is teetering on the edge of a complete meltdown, along with the dollar itself. If, as many believe, the country goes into another depression, once again, the city is not the place to be.

-Global food prices are on the rise, and there have already been food riots in other nations, and corporations right here in the United States have begun rationing the supply of key food ingredients, such as rice and flour. The city is not the place to be when food shortages happen.

-Oil prices continue to skyrocket, and the future will be sustainable energy. Unfortunately, code enforcement in the city would likely frown upon windmills, and perhaps even solar panels.

-And let's not forget that the city is not the place to be if another country, such as Russia or China, decides to step in and protect small countries around the world from the military might of the United States.

So here we are on a large chunk of land in west Texas, where the closest "city" is 60 miles away, with a staggering population of 4,700 people. The "corner store" is 13 miles away.

Life is not easy in a desert. We have little more than what we came down here with. Electricity is supplied with a generator, internet with a satellite, and we have to haul our own water for the moment. Compared to our lives in Schenectady, however, we are much happier, and we are on the way to a smarter, self-sustainable way of living that is somewhat insulated from the troubles of the outside world.

I have a new definition of freedom now...

Think Progress » No Questions On Global Warming Asked At CNN’s Coal Industry-Sponsored Presidential Debates

oftheend@aol.com (David L. Secor) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:25:00 +0000

Think Progress » No Questions On Global Warming Asked At CNN’s Coal Industry-Sponsored Presidential Debates: "In Democratic presidential debate last night, CNN once again failed to ask any questions about global warming. Perhaps not surprisingly, last night’s debate was sponsored by the coal front group Americans for Balanced Energy Choices (ABEC)."

Yes, keep putting your full faith and trust in the corporate-owned media, they deliver all the facts... [The ones that are lucratively paid for anyway...]

The Raw Story | Contempt citations on hold as Dems, Bush craft stimulus plan

oftheend@aol.com (David L. Secor) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:10:00 +0000

The Raw Story | Contempt citations on hold as Dems, Bush craft stimulus plan: "The planned citations now appear to be on hold as Congress and the White House work on a bipartisan economic stimulus package, the central tenet of which involves cutting virtually everyone an $800 check.

Democratic leaders and aides tell The Politico that pursuing the contempt citations in conjunction with the stimulus package would 'step on their message' of bipartisanship.

The contempt citations against former White House counsel Harriet Miers and Chief of Staff Josh Bolten were approved by the House Judiciary Committee in July after the two ignored subpoenas requiring their testimony on the US Attorney firing scandal."

That's ok, justice is on hold so that they can look good. What a freaking joke.

The Raw Story | Stock markets plunge worldwide

oftheend@aol.com (David L. Secor) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:09:00 +0000

The Raw Story | Stock markets plunge worldwide: "Stocks fell sharply worldwide Monday following declines on Wall Street last week amid investor pessimism over the U.S. government's stimulus plan to prevent a recession.

U.S. markets were closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but the downbeat mood from last week's market declines there circled through Europe, Asia and the Americas. Britain's benchmark FTSE-100 slumped 5.5 percent to 5,578.20, France's CAC-40 Index tumbled 6.8 percent to 4,744.15, and Germany's blue-chip DAX 30 plunged 7.2 percent to 6,790.19.

In Asia, India's benchmark stock index tumbled 7.4 percent, while Hong Kong's blue-chip Hang Seng index plummeted 5.5 percent to 23,818.86, its biggest percentage drop since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks."

Uh-oh, the stuff is starting to hit the fan...

The Canadian Press: Torture awareness manual 'wrongly' lists Cdn allies, to be rewritten: Bernier

oftheend@aol.com (David L. Secor) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:44:00 +0000

The Canadian Press: Torture awareness manual 'wrongly' lists Cdn allies, to be rewritten: Bernier: "Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier found himself backtracking Saturday over his department's training manual that lists the U.S. and Guantanamo Bay as sites of possible torture - alongside such countries as Iran and Syria."

And for a few days, we actually thought that Canada had a pair and was willing to speak out against the evil empire...

The Raw Story | British media confirms FBI whistleblower Edmonds' account of secret file

oftheend@aol.com (David L. Secor) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:40:00 +0000

The Raw Story | British media confirms FBI whistleblower Edmonds' account of secret file: "The Sunday Times has obtained a document that confirms that a file, which the FBI denied existed, could contain information about American officials stealing nuclear secrets for Turkish and Israeli spies, who would then sell the secrets to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

Earlier, FBI whistleblower Sibel Edmonds, 37, approached the Times about 'explosive' communications she discovered between high-up American officials and Turkish and Israeli spies. A FOIA request to the FBI, for case number 203A-WF-210023, was answered with a claim that the case number did not exist.

'I can tell you that that file and the operations it refers to did exist from 1996 to February 2002,' says Edmonds."

Isn't it interesting that the British media is reporting this, but I have found no mention of it in our mainstream media.

The Raw Story | Email missing from Cheney's office on day White House told to preserve documents in CIA leak

oftheend@aol.com (David L. Secor) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:29:00 +0000

The Raw Story | Email missing from Cheney's office on day White House told to preserve documents in CIA leak: "Among the sixteen days for which email are missing from Vice President Cheney's office is Sept. 30, 2003, the same day the day the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced they were investigating who outed former CIA officer Valerie Plame Wilson.

That morning, then-White House counsel Alberto Gonzales ordered the president and the vice president's staff to 'preserve all materials that might be relevant' to an inchoate Justice Department probe."

Sure, there is no cover-up here...

The Raw Story | Anti-war veterans' group: War crimes are 'encouraged'

oftheend@aol.com (David L. Secor) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 15:54:00 +0000

The Raw Story | Anti-war veterans' group: War crimes are 'encouraged': "At an event in Watertown, New York on Saturday, members of Iraq Veterans Against War charged that war crimes against civilians were encouraged by unit commanders.

'The killing of innocent civilians is policy,' said veteran Mike Blake. 'It's unit policy and it's Army policy. It's not official policy, but it's what's happens on the ground everyday. It's what unit commanders individually encourage.'

Veteran Matt Howard concurred: 'These decisions are coming from the top down,' Howard said. 'The tactics that we use, the policies that the military engages, will create situations, create dynamics, create -- ultimately -- atrocity.'

Blake and Howard were among four veterans speaking at Watertown's Different Drummer Cafe, in a preliminary event to the 'Winter Soldier' gathering scheduled in Washington, D.C. in March. Named after the 1971 event in which John Kerry read testimony from soldiers on atrocities they had committed, this year's Winter Soldier will feature Iraq War veterans speaking about war crimes they committed or witnessed.

In Watertown, veteran Jon Turner blamed himself as well as the orders he was given. 'It was my decision,' Turner said. 'I made it. Now I have to live with the fact I see someone's eyes screaming at me after I shot them.'"

This is not the first time I have heard such claims...

Common-cents choice - - The Washington Times, America's Newspaper

oftheend@aol.com (David L. Secor) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 20:27:00 +0000

Common-cents choice - - The Washington Times, America's Newspaper: "'I really was tired of being poor,' Mr. Napolitano said in an interview this month from the Fox News studio in New York City. 'I was very young, and I had a lot of energy. ... It was a pretty banal reason for the leaving the bench.'

'Poor,' of course, is relative. On the bench in New Jersey's Superior Court, Mr. Napolitano made $100,000 a year. But compared with what lawyers who appeared in his courtroom were making or what he could have been rolling in doing other work, $100,000 was pittance."

Now this is enough to make my blood pressure spike into the red zone, near heart attack territory. His yearly salary could support a "poor" person for at least 5 years... Is "poor" being without a Mercedes or BMW? A plasma TV? A vacation home? Diamond cuff links?

What an A--hole...

Bush calls for $145 billion economy plan - Yahoo! News

oftheend@aol.com (David L. Secor) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 16:58:00 +0000

Bush calls for $145 billion economy plan - Yahoo! News: "'Letting Americans keep more of their money should increase consumer spending,' he said.

Bush said that Congress should work as soon as possible to send him legislation to 'keep our economy growing and creating jobs.'"

Yes, spend more Americans, go further into debt, because that is the only problem, we are not spending enough. Let's forget about the fact that we no longer manufacture the majority of the items we consume, thus there are fewer decent jobs in America, and decreasing pay rates. Isn't spending more than we make a huge part of the problem here?

I still laugh that on 9/11, one of Bush's major pieces of advice was also to keep spending.

The Raw Story | Ex-lawmaker charged in terror conspiracy

oftheend@aol.com (David L. Secor) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 23:45:00 +0000

The Raw Story | Ex-lawmaker charged in terror conspiracy: "A former congressman and delegate to the United Nations was indicted Wednesday on charges of being part of a terrorist fundraising ring that allegedly sent more than $130,000 to a supporter of al-Qaida and the Taliban who has threatened U.S. and international troops in Afghanistan.

Mark Deli Siljander, a Michigan Republican when he was in the House, was charged with money laundering, conspiracy and obstructing justice for allegedly lying about lobbying senators on behalf of an Islamic charity that authorities said was secretly sending funds to terrorists."

This story, from the Associated Press, is a good example of my less-than stellar faith in the mainstream media and the administration. I have to question what the truth really is.

Did this guy actually knowingly support Al-Qaida?

Is the "Islamic Charity" really funneling money to Al-Qaida, or is it a victim of anti-Islamic sentiment from 9/11?

Did this guy anger the administration somehow, and thus, being targeted politically?

Is this guy being targeted by the Democrats for election reasons?

Is this guy a scapegoat for someone higher up the food chain?

It will be interesting to see how this plays out, and how all of the parties in the government, and outside of the government, choose to spin this...