More applicants for Bush Tar Baby position

Bush campaign finance investigation

The federal probe into whether local Republican fund-raiser Tom Noe [who was chairman of the Bush-Cheney campaign in northwest Ohio] was illegally funneling money to the Bush campaign had been ongoing for months. It reached a turning point Wednesday night.

FBI agents swept into Mr. Noe’s Maumee condo about 7:30 p.m., spending three hours scouring the home of one of the most prominent Republicans in northwest Ohio. They were looking for evidence of violations of federal campaign contribution laws.

[...]

“It’s becoming clear that Tom Noe has given large contributions to Republicans, while also obtaining state contracts in which he made millions of dollars investing in risky rare coins,” [Ohio Senator Marc] Dann said.

“Tom Noe has given thousands and thousands of dollars to Republican candidates. Now he’s at the center of a federal probe.

We deserve to know if Noe laundered state party, candidate, and caucus campaign monies to statewide Republicans.”

  Toledo Blade article

House of Saud changes in the air

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah's visit to the United States this week to discuss oil matters with President George W. Bush, took place amid growing speculation back home that the bed-ridden King Fahd's condition has worsened with the monarch slipping out of conciousness. Speculation is rife among Riyadh's ruling elite of Fahd's clinical death - but even if this were true, any official announcement would delayed until a final decision on Fahd's successor has been taken.

[...]

Crown Prince Abdullah - who is Fahd's half brother - has long been touted to ascend the throne, but well placed sources maintain that there is resistance from other Sudari sevens members who favour closer ties with the West, something which Abdullah, who is very popular among Saudi religious circles, seems reluctant to cultivate. However, past efforts to promote the more Western-friendly defence minister Prince Sultan as Crown Prince instead of Abdullah failed because of division among the Sudaris.

Abdullah seems likely to remain the main beneficiary of internal Sudari squabbling, and already three years ago, he set up a Royal Council including all the 65 sons of the late King Abdul Aziz to settle all disputes related to the monarchy.

It is believed that Abdullah is more acceptable to the majority of the Royal Council members than any other candidate. Hower, the succession is unlikely to be smooth [...]
  ADN Kronos International article

So, pardon my cynicism here, but let me suggest that this solves the mystery of why the Bush-Prince strolling through the Texas blue bonnet moments did not include anything new on the oil/gas price front - they weren't talking strategy about the price of gas; they were talking strategy about the succession of rulers in Saudi Arabia.

9/11 - a "very bad circumstance", but "not a catastrophe"

From this week's House Homeland Security Committee hearing on airline security (Wednesday):

Chairman Christopher Cox (R-CA): The gentleman from Georgia

Rep. John Linder (R-GA): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Umm. We could probably spend, the entire budget of the United States, on the airline industry. And still be missing some pieces. Now, most of us don't believe that we will ever see an airline hit a building, because the passengers won't allow it. And if an airline is blown up in the air, that is a very bad circumstance for 200 or 300 people. But it is not a catastrophe. Rep. Linder: I would rather spend these fortunes looking for a catastrophe . . . for nuclear weapons. (mumbling and inaudible)

Chairman Cox: Is the gentleman's microphone turned on?

Rep. Linder: Yes.

Rep. Linder: We could spend everything we have protecting airplanes, and still not protect everything. Umm. It is my view that no airplane will ever hit a commercial building -- which is the only value they have in taking out large numbers of people. It is my view that passengers won't allow that to happen. But it is entirely possible that an airplane will blow up in the air, with some (inaudible) or warning today, or some other technique. But that is a very bad circumstance for about 200, 300 people. But it is not a catastrophe.
  Raw Story article