Update on Ben Domenech.

After his embarrassing entry into the real world young Ben seems to be completely unable to acknowledge wrongdoing. Blaming everyone but himself for his blatant plagiarism, Ben is doing himself no favours.
But then again, his old mans contacts should get further employment.

Ben blaming Everyone Else on Red State

Condensed-
I know that charges of plagiarism are serious. While I am not a journalist, I have, myself, written more than one thing that has been plagiarised in the past. But these charges have also served to create an atmosphere where no matter what is said on my Red America blog, leftists will focus on things with my byline from when I was a teenager.
The Left has also accused me of foisting Sen. Frist quotes and some descriptive material from the Washington Post for a New York Press article on the Capitol Shooter. But the quotes I used were either properly credited or came from Sen. Frist’s press conference, which I attended along with many other reporters. So it is no surprise that we had similar quotes or similar descriptions of the same event. I have reams of notes and interviews about the events of that day. I also went over the entire piece step by step with NYPress editors to ensure that it was unquestionably solid before it ran.
In one instance, I have been accused me of passing off P.J. O'Rourke's writing as my own in a column for the paper. But the truth is that I had met P.J. at a Republican event and asked his permission to do a college-specific version of his classic piece on partying. He granted permission, the piece was cleared with my editors at the paper, and it ran as inspired by O’Rourke’s original.

Flat Hat

Domenech wrote that the editors of The Flat Hat were responsible for improperly including quotes from unattributed sources in his post on RedState.com

Steve Mencarini, editor of The Flat Hat from 1999 to 2000, said he supervised Domenech from fall of 1999 to March 2000. Mencarini refuted Domenech’s description of the events.
Domenech left the College without graduating, Associate Vice President for Public Affairs Bill Walker told the March 24 online edition of The New York Times.

Finaly This fool Gives an Admission and Apology

I want to apologize to National Review Online, my friends and colleagues here at RedState, and to any others that have been affected over the past few days. I also want to apologize to my previous editors and writers whose work I used inappropriately and without attribution. There is no excuse for this - nor is there an excuse for any obfuscation in my earlier statement.

This is a long story and I've only shown pieces of what has gone on, but the Washington Post has clearly shown not only that it is nothing more than a display for the current White House administration but that the management is completely out of touch with what is happening in the real world, in particular the online world and the power of the people that use it. But to hire what they thought would be a silencer to their critics really just showed them up for what they are. Shills for the Republicans and out of touch with reality. Not to mention, bad managers.

atrios has more

The Story of Ben Domenech.

About a month ago the Washington Post (WP) printed an article, it was written by none other than the Ombudsman for the WP a Ms. Deborah Howell.
Now, as you know there's been a few Republicans in the US caught out because they have been taking bribes, in fact they have offices and several people working for them specifically for this purpose. They call it "Lobbying" which I do believe does have a place in getting things done in Politics, but these guy's just went too far.
The WP, specifically it's Ombudsman Debbie Howell, wrote a piece saying that the Lobbying scandal was a Bi-partisan issue. It was not, the Democrats had not taken one cent from Jack Abramoff. So starts the theatre.

The online comments section of the WP was on fire with Liberals asking for a retraction and apology. Not only did the WP refuse but they printed an article deriding Liberal Bloggers as foul mouthed scum etc.
So, after all this, the WP starts a Right Wing blog as part of their web page. Titled "Red State Blog" throwing more fuel on the fire. The WP may think they are Bi-partisan but they are just shills for the Bush government. Their way of combating criticism is to go further to the Right. Great move guys.

As one of the founders and star Bloggers of their new online presence, they hire this kid who's resume is made up of Speech Writing for some Republicans and Editor of a Right wing publishing house, Ben Domenech. Ben was home schooled and was hired straight out of collage by the Bush administration as a speech writer, his Dad knows George ya'see.

Jim Brady, the idiot at the helm of the WP, seems to think if your a good writer your a good Blogger. Thats not how it is at all, when you blog you have to be 100 per cent transparent and factually correct or you will get ripped to shreds.
Young Ben lasted 2 day's!

They thought they could put this kid in there to make a Blog and go against the Liberal Bloggers who have a definite advantage, life experience is not something you get when being Home Schooled.
He didn't have a chance from the start, he had no real world experience and in fact an isolated narrow minded view of things thanks to his parents.
No wonder the Smirking Fool gave him hid first job job.
But here's the clincher, not only is young Ben Domenech a home schooled ignoramus who believes in creationism, but he Steals others work and puts his name on it! Oh dear.

It couldn't have possibly been scripted better. It was like watching a bus screaming down a hill. In fact one Blog was writing a piece comparing Ben's Red State blog to a Bus careering down a hill when they found out that he had quit the job. Like I said, it could not have been scripted.

Firedoglake on Ben Domenech

Well, this isn’t good for the Washington Post’s newest Red America poster boy, now is it? Sucks when your right wing compadres decide that your plagiarism baggage is too ugly, too immoral, too much of a hot potato for even their political brand, doesn’t it?

America blog.

But what's really unfortunate about this entire mess is that the Washington Post handled their foray into blogging like such amateurs that there's now the risk of other newspapers thinking that this is what blogging is about - young, uneducated, unprofessional plagiarists. We risk others thinking that Blogs are the 3rd rail of journalism, touch them at your own peril. When in fact, had the Post simply started two Blogs, a Red and a Blue one, this could have been a journalism success story - but for the fact that the Post didn't bother to vet their choice to see if he was insane and/or a word thief.

All Bloggers are not created equal. The Post wanted to get in bed with Republicans and Republican Bloggers, fine. They got Republican ethics as part of the package.

More from Daily Kos.

"yourlogohere" gives a funny description of events.

The Most Frequent Response to GW Bush in Poll was "Incompetent"!

Yahoo News

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Deep doubts about the Iraq war and pessimism about America's future have shattered public confidence in President George W. Bush and helped drive his approval ratings to their lowest level ever, pollsters say.
A majority of Americans, 56 percent, believe Bush is "out of touch," the poll found.

When asked for a one-word description of Bush, the most frequent response was "incompetent," followed by "good," "idiot"and "liar."

In February 2005, the most frequent reply was "honest."
"His strong points as a president were being seen as personally credible, as a strong leader. That has all but disappeared,"
said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center, whose latest independent poll found a dramatic decline in Bush's credibility.

What does surprise me though, is just how long it took for the American general public to realise how much of a disaster this Smirking Fool really is. Everything he has done has turned into a disaster (and believe me, I have tried to find area's where the Bush cabals reign has indeed done good, but have found No true successes) simply because he is an incompetent idiot who has surrounded himself with Sycophants.

A Veterans letter to GW Bush.

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

As a young man I was honored to serve our nation as a commissioned officer and helicopter pilot in the
U. S. Navy. Before me in WWII, my father defended the country spending two years in the Pacific aboard the U.S.S. Hornet (CV-14). We were patriots sworn “to protect and defend”. Today I conclude that you have dishonored our service and the Constitution and principles of our oath. My dad was buried with full military honors so I cannot act for him. But for myself, I return enclosed the symbols of my years of service: the shoulder boards of my rank and my Naval Aviator’s wings.

Until your administration, I believed it was inconceivable that the United States would ever initiate an aggressive and preemptive war against a country that posed no threat to us. Until your administration, I thought it was impossible for our nation to take hundreds of persons into custody without provable charges of any kind, and to “disappear” them into holes like Gitmo, Abu Ghraib and Bagram. Until your administration, in my wildest legal fantasy I could not imagine a U.S. Attorney General seeking to justify torture or a President first stating his intent to veto an anti-torture law, and then adding a “signing statement” that he intends to ignore such law as he sees fit. I do not want these things done in my name.

As a citizen, a patriot, a parent and grandparent, a lawyer and law teacher I am left with such a feeling of loss and helplessness. I think of myself as a good American and I ask myself what can I do when I see the face of evil? Illegal and immoral war, torture and confinement for life without trial have never been part of our Constitutional tradition. But my vote has become meaningless because I live in a safe district drawn by your political party. My congressman is unresponsive to my concerns because his time is filled with lobbyists’ largess. Protests are limited to your “free speech zones”, out of sight of the parade. Even speaking openly is to risk being labeled un-American, pro-terrorist or anti-troops. And I am a disciplined pacifist, so any violent act is out of the question.

Nevertheless, to remain silent is to let you think I approve or support your actions. I do not. So, I am saddened to give up my wings and bars. They were hard won and my parents and wife were as proud as I was when I earned them over forty years ago. But I hate the torture and death you have caused more than I value their symbolism. Giving them up makes me cry for my beloved country.

Joseph W. DuRocher

*****************************************************

You can read more about J. Durocher here

I just read this while reading Bob Geiger.com and for me it really hit the nail on the head. I'm not even an American, I'm an Australian. But to see a great nation being led down the garden path by such an inept and despicable man as Bush leaves me appalled and dismayed.
I feel everyone who has a voice should use it to oppose his actions.
Moreover I feel Joseph W. DuRocher is a brave man in today's America where anyone saying anything against the White House is immediately painted as "hating America" and supporting Terrorism. How the hell they can come to that conclusion is beyond me.

Than You Joseph W. DuRocher you are the sort of person who will help end all this "Terrorism"!

The Tragedy of Pat Tillman - Update.

Talk Left
The Inspector General of the Pentagon has asked the army to open a criminal investigation into Pat Tillman's death in Afghanistan.

The request, which came out of the inspector general's review of four previous investigations of the April 22, 2004, shooting, will likely lead investigators from the Army Criminal Investigation Command to return to Afghanistan and conduct a months long investigation into whether Tillman's death may have been a homicide, the result of criminal negligence or an accident, said an Army official who asked to remain anonymous.

Tillman's mother says:

"The Army used him. They knew right away he was killed by fratricide and used him for their own purposes to promote the war, to get sympathy for the war, for five weeks."

Meanwhile that repulsive scab on the knee of humanity, Anne Coulter, was being interviewed and would not accept that Pat Tillman wasn't a supporter of the war in Iraq. Stupid ignorant cow.
Crooks and Liars has more

Ten Years as PM Marred by Wrong Decision to Go Into Iraq

Seven News
Prime Minister John Howard says he has no regrets about sending Australia to war against Iraq.

As the coalition marks 10 years in government this week, Mr Howard acknowledged the decision to send troops to Iraq was unpopular in parts of the community.
"People will always be critical of that decision, I accept that," he told ABC radio.
But he again denied Australia had been made a greater terrorist target by joining the US-led battle."Australia was a terrorist target long before we went to Iraq," Mr Howard said.
Mr Howard accepted the Iraqi decision was controversial, but said he had no regrets.
"I don't regret the decision," he said.
"I took it in good faith at the time."
Australia went to war believing former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction, but none have so far been found.

Good Grief.
Yes Honest John, it was a terrific idea. Letting a country disintegrate into civil war, literally thousands of civilians killed, the nations capital (which is in better shape than most of Iraq) still without power a lot of the time and limited fresh running water.

The one thing I hate more than anything else in this fiasco is the inability of these people to accept that they were, and still are wrong. The invasion of Iraq was wrong in every single area. Iraq had nothing whatsoever to do with 911, Saddam was complying with the UN and had no WMD's. The invasion of Iraq as with the War on Terror is a farce.
Howard, Blair and Bush knew these facts but still, they all deliberately Lied to their respective nations. Liars and Hypocrites all.

The only reason we are a target for terrorists is because we have sided with and supported the American governments failed and disgraceful Foreign Policy.

It's a shame that what have could of been a reasonable tenure as Australia's PM for the last Ten years is marred by such a tragic and disgraceful decision by Howard to follow Bush and Blair's lead into Iraq.
Nothing good has come of this.

1300 Deaths in Iraq Last Week.

The Washington Post

BAGHDAD, Feb. 27 -- Grisly attacks and other sectarian violence unleashed by last week's bombing of a Shiite Muslim shrine have killed more than 1,300 Iraqis, making the past few days the deadliest of the war outside of major U.S. offensives, according to Baghdad's main morgue. The toll was more than three times higher than the figure previously reported by the U.S. military and the news media.

Morgue officials said they had logged more than 1,300 dead since Wednesday -- the day the Shiites' gold-domed Askariya shrine was bombed -- photographing, numbering and tagging the bodies as they came in over the nights and days of retaliatory raids.
The Statistics Department of the Iraqi police put the nationwide toll at 1,020 since Wednesday, but that figure was based on paperwork that is sometimes delayed before reaching police headquarters. The majority of the dead had been killed after being taken away by armed men, police said.

The disclosure of the death tolls followed accusations by the U.S. military and later Iraqi officials that the news media had exaggerated the violence between Shiites and Sunnis over the past few days.

More here...

****************************************

What can I say? How much of a tragedy this is? How the US government was wrong, on so many levels, how they Lied? How absolutely disgraceful the actions of the people who started and those that supported this entire fiasco are? Well, it is all of those but so, so much more.

But the biggest question for me is, why do people support and vote for these greedy despicable politicians? I've asked that question a lot lately and am still at a lost as to why.