All These People, featuring Kim Burrell

From the album Oh, My Nola

From the Amazon product information:

Having grown up in New Orleans, Harry Connick, Jr. is an iconic product of a city famous for its rich musical history. His new release, Oh, my Nola, is the endearing ode to the rebirth of his hometown and the bright spirit of her people. The album is an impressive collection of classic songs associated with the city and her culture, and also features four original compositions. Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Harry Connick, Jr. proudly sponsor the New Orleans Habitat Musicians Village.

As a Californian, it's hard not to feel a little disenfranchised by the electoral process. First, we're often dismissed as the fringe "fruits and nuts" (although politicians love our donations). And as the most populous state, our individual votes count less in the electoral college count. The California national primary is held in June and usually by that point, the race is locked up. But a campaign is going on to allow the sixth largest economy in the world to have a little more influence on the national scene.

The Courage Campaign: Make California Count

Great news over at Glenn Greenwald's Unclaimed Territory today. Beginning next Thurdsay, February 8, he will be posting exclusively at Salon.com where his readership and exposure will be greatly enhanced. He's also written many pieces for Crooksandliars since he started blogging. We at C&L frequently link to Greenwald's blog as he is one of the most articulate and influential voices in all the blogosphere. He is naturally very excited about the move and we just want to wish him the best of luck in his new endeavor.

I humbly accept the nomination and await to hear back from the Nobel Peace Prize committee. I am honored and really have no words to express my surprise and gratitude...

Duncan explains...

My nomination letter below the fold..Do you think I will receive Mark Levin's support?

Continue reading »

I've had a knot in my stomach for weeks as the rhetoric out of Washington amped up against Iran. As others have pointed out, this is deja vu, all over again. Sean-Paul Kelley at The Agonist pulls it all together and it paints one very scary picture.

The drumbeat for an attack on Iran is getting louder and louder.

Fears of Iranian economic dominance in Iran are being stoked, although the story is already weeks, if not months old. We've also been told the Iranians are cooperating with the North Koreans in their bid for nuclear weapons. Never mind that the North Koreans use plutonium in their reactors and the Iranians use uranium. Ooops.

Not to worry. A parade of administration officials from the President on down inform us that Iran is aiding and abetting the chaos in Iraq by providing weapons to Iraqis. Never mind that there is little or no proof that the Iranians are supplying weapons to groups in Iraq actively targeting American forces.no evidence found.) Then we were told the US is fighting a proxy war in Iraq with Iran. That news was complete with evidence, in the form of a leak and just one paragraph in the article, of Iranian weapons to support to Iraqis, never mind exactly which Iraqis. (The Washington Post conducted a similar investigation in October of last year with similar results:

In response to these clear provocations President Bush authorized US forces to kill Iranian operatives in Iraq. Although the rules of engagement have yet to be worked out in typically incompetent Bush Administration fashion.

There was a serious conference in Israel about Iran attended by the right Democrats who made the right speeches about the right position on Iran, giving the President much needed political cover to seem reasonable, statesmanlike and bipartisan.

We're also being told the murders in Karbala are the fault of the Iranians although at this point it is a 'working theory' only. Motive: revenge.

Oh, by the way...

Mike had this in his round up, but I thought it was worth a second look.

(Courtesy Of Princess Sparkle Pony)

Yahoo News:

Two suicide bombers blew themselves up Thursday in a crowded outdoor market in a Shiite city south of Baghdad, killing 45 people and wounding 150, police said. Capt. Muthanna Khaled, police spokesman in the southern province of Babil, of which Hillah is the capital, reported the casualties.

The attackers reportedly strolled into the Maktabat outdoor market in the center of Hillah about 6 p.m. as shoppers were buying food for their evening meals. Police said they thought one of the men appeared suspicious and stopped him. The bomber then detonated his explosives and the second attacker, who was walking behind him, set off his, police added.

This is rich.

Much of the blurghosphere is gaping in slack-jawed amazement at Michael Ledeen this afternoon. And rightfully so. Others in the right-wing's core of frothing foreign policy lunatics are spectacular liars, landing the equivalent of double and triple axels with ease. But Ledeen has flown far beyond what anyone had dreamed possible for human beings. Behold, the nonuple axel of lying:

I do not feel "remorseful," since I had and have no involvement with our Iraq policy. I opposed the military invasion of Iraq before it took place and I advocated—as I still do—support for political revolution in Iran as the logical and necessary first step in the war against the terror masters...read the whole thing...

Lying has become an art form for these people.

Arthur sent me the link to this post and writes about what he thinks could be done if the Democratic party would show some leadership on Iran.

It simply is not true there's nothing the Democrats can do to stop the drive toward a wider war. For God's sake, they control Congress now. There's plenty they can do -- if they want to, and if they want to lead. The actions outlined above are critical; all of them together would throw a huge roadblock in the path of this criminal administration...read on