Security Not the Priority

Either George Bush and Dick Cheney were lying when they talked about national security and the terrorist threat before the election or they are playing fast and loose with our security now. They can’t have it both ways!

Remember Dick Cheney asserting that if voters in the US made the “wrong choice” in November then “we could get hit again”? Remember how he said we were could fall into a “pre-9/11 mindset . . . that we’re not really at war”? Remember the numerous shifts from yellow alert status to orange alert status and back over the last 3 ½ years? Have you noticed that we haven’t seen any sign of a terror alert since the election?

Over these 3 ½ years, even with the pressure of a second term election, Bush Administration support for real Homeland Security has been less than stellar. In Washington State, this has a multiple impact. With two large ports, Seattle and Tacoma, several large Navy bases, which include nuclear submarines, thousands of miles of coastline and a 300 mile border with Canada that includes the 3rd busiest border crossing from Canada one would expect Washington State to be a priority. In actuality, however, the security gains that have taken place here have required quite a bit of political wrangling to accomplish. Partisan politics could easily be the reason as Washington was a blue state in both the 2000 and 2004 elections. By contrast, Wyoming, the home state of Dick Cheney, has fared much better when measured in security dollars per-capita. Budgets through 2004 used some strange allocation formulas that allowed states with small populations to receive disproportionately large amounts of the security funds. Factors that might raise the risk such as ports and borders were either not part of the formulas or were under emphasized.

So, now that Bush is firmly installed in his second term, has no future political contests to worry about and has been so vocal about the terrorist threat, we should expect to see an all out effort to plug the security leaks, right? Not really. In fact, in order to preserve the cherished tax cuts for the wealthy, cuts in Homeland Security money are already underway. Homeland Security Grant money flowing into Washington State is down 36% from the 2004 level. This is partially due to allocation formulas that do not consider the border a risk factor. Remember, it was a Washington State border crossing where Ahmed Rassam was caught with explosives headed for Los Angeles International Airport in 2000. Of all the border areas in the US, it would seem that Washington State has proven it’s risk factor.

A long fought for increase in the number of Border Agents that was supposed to have been included in the Intelligence Reform Bill, has also been cut. Where originally, 2000 additional agents were promised, Secretary Tom Ridge now talks about “a good incremental increase” but not 2000 agents.

So, while Bush-Cheney were most likely exaggerating the threat level before the election, they are clearly underplaying it now. The worst part for us ordinary citizens is that we have less and less ability to judge the truth. Like the victims of the little boy who cried wolf, only in hindsight will we know if our security measures are adequate or not.

However, one thing is eminently clear even now. Bush is much more worried about tax cuts for his buddies than he ever has been about security for you and me.

Values

In a recent letter to the editor of my local paper criticizing both the counter inaugural demonstration and the police presence that supervised it the following sentence appeared:

There are far more of us with values than those without values - the sooner they realize the majority of this country thinks the way I do, the sooner they will realize they had better change their thinking if they plan to get along.

I really don’t know what we are supposed to do to combat that kind of thinking. I could accept the idea that my values differ from theirs, but to have no values at all. – I’m speechless.

If you sometimes feel like there just aren't very many of us, you should take a look at the list of 542 blogs that have signed on to the Daily Kos Statement Opposing the Confirmation of Alberto Gonzales . If you figure that each of those blogs has some readers, you can see a strong and growing movement to foster progressive values.

Remember, contrary to popular belief, Liberals and Progressives have values too!

An Education Failure

Gore Vidal, appearing on Democracy Now with Amy Goodman, debunked Bush’s inaugural address, but his strongest critique is of what he refers to as “the worst educational system of any first world country.” He goes on to cite a number or examples, chief among them the role of Iraq in the development of culture and civilization. He says the reason our soldiers have devastated this historical place is not malice but ignorance. And, ignorance on our part has allowed it to happen.

Vidal points out that the inaugural address was full of inaccuracies. Bush conjured the noblest of countries with the noblest of motives from the start:

“From the day of our founding, we have proclaimed that every man and woman on this Earth has rights, and dignity and matchless value because they bear the image of the maker of heaven and Earth.”

Vidal, on the other hand, has a less flattering but somehow more accurate description. He says that from the beginning, “We were dedicated to making as much money and stealing as much land as we could and building up a republic, not a democracy.”

Bush, who Vidal calls “the cheerleader from Andover” also ignored the fact that our founding fathers were slave holders in his vision of the US as the champion of freedom. As for Democracy, Vidal says “We don't have it, and most countries don't have it, and not many countries want it.” Our lack of understanding of both our own roots and the rest of the world is what has lead us to have what Vidal calls “the cheerleader president”.

All of this, while somewhat amusing, is also deadly serious. The fact that so many of us have no idea what the words we use really mean is very dangerous. We live in a world where sloganeering is used against us all day every day. Thinking one’s way through all of it requires education both on how to think but even more significantly on the importance of thinking.

Payola

This morning, Salon magazine tells us about the third instance of a conservative “journalist” that has been paid by Bush Administration officials to espouse one of their positions. Michael McManus, who writes a syndicated column called “Ethics and Religion”, was paid $10,000 to support the Bush Administration’s efforts to strengthen marriage.

As it turns out, Wade F. Horn, the Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for children and families, is the source of the payments both to McManus and to Maggie Gallagher, who claimed she would have disclosed them but she “forgot”. Wade Horn is a former board member of “Marriage Savers” an organization founded by Michael McManus. In addition to this $10,000 paid to McManus, his Marriage Savers organization was also the recipient of an additional $49,000 in Federal funds.

These revelations show just how much the right-wing noise machine is just a propaganda outlet for the religious-right/neo-conservative cabal that has taken over our country.

Some talking points from The Center for American Progress:

Congress should immediately pass legislation to ban the use of taxpayer money to fund any propaganda from journalists, pundits or other commentators.

Meanwhile, don’t believe anything you read or hear from any of these people.

Thank You Senator Cantwell

I have, on several occasions, been pretty hard on my Senators here. Given that, I thought it was important to post something positive about one of them. Senator Maria Cantwell announced yesterday that she will be voting against the nomination of Alberto Gonzales.

I have sent the following to her this morning:

Senator Cantwell,

I wanted to applaud the courage and character you showed yesterday with your announcement that you will vote against the nomination of Alberto Gonzales to be Attorney General.

While it is unclear whether or not this nomination can be stopped, it is of paramount importance that the Democrats unite and show as strong an opposition as possible to this woefully unqualified nominee.

I urge you to continue to lobby your fellow Senators from both parties. Perhaps we can hand Mr. Bush his first defeat of this new term and a clear statement of principle about how our democracy works!

I will be posting this message to my blog to ensure that others know of your principled stand on this issue.

Again, thank you,

Don’t forget to check out the list of blogs united against Gonzales (there are 314 this morning). And, most important, don’t forget to contact your Senators and urge them to vote against this nomination.

Weblogs United Against Gonzales

Several days ago, I mentioned a group of blogs united against the nomination of Alberto Gonzales. The idea of blogs uniting in their opposition originated with The Daily Kos.

The statement of unity drew so much interest that The Daily Kos was unable to keep up with listing all the participants. Now, Newsfare has taken over that function and created a special page listing all the blogs that have joined in signing this statement. Take a look at the page here and take some comfort in the sheer number of entries. Each of these represents a "node" in the grassroots movement.

Once again I quote from the original statement at The Daily Kos:

Unprecedented times call for unprecedented actions. In this case, we, the undersigned bloggers, have decided to speak as one and collectively author a document of opposition. We oppose the nomination of Alberto Gonzales to the position of Attorney General of the United States, and we urge every United States Senator to vote against him.

Don't forget to contact your Senators and urge them to vote against Gonzales!

The Meaning of Is

Alberto Gonzales is doing exactly the same thing that drove the right wing noise machine into a frenzy when tapes of Bill Clinton answering questions about Monica were released to the public. At one juncture, Clinton said the answer to a question depended on what “the meaning of is, is.”

Gonzales is playing word games in front of the Senate. It seems that if you put all the verbiage from the hearings and the written responses in a pot and boil it down, you get a pretty clear message. The Administration doesn’t approve of torture. However, very few things you can imagine being done to someone are considered torture. Under Gonzales’ interpretation of the Convention Against Torture Treaty, "cruel, inhuman or degrading" tactics may be used on non-U.S. citizens, captured in other countries.

A good example of Gonzales slippery language came when Senator Kennedy asked about FBI agent reports of prisoner mistreatment. "I found those e-mails to be shocking and deeply troubling” said Gonzales. But, was he troubled by the content of the emails or, just as likely, was he troubled by the fact that the information got out? It’s really impossible to tell from the words he spoke.

More Disgust

I just learned that my other Senator, Maria Cantwell, also voted to confirm Condoleeza. I have just sent her a similar letter to the one I sent to Senator Murray. Although I used snail mail, I decided to place links here to email these two excuses for Democrats in case any of you wanted to email them.

Senator Patty Murray

Senator Maria Cantwell

Disgusted Doesn't Touch This Feeling!

I just learned that one of my Senators was among the 85 votes to confirm Condoleeza Rice as Secratary of State this morning.

I have sent her the following letter to express my abject disgust at her waffling. I encourage you to do the same. I sent this by snail mail to ensure the highest chance that it will actually be read. If, as I suspect, my other Senator also voted with the majority, I will be sending her a copy as well.

Senator Murray,

I am writing to let you know how disgusted I am upon learning that you voted to confirm Condoleeza Rice.

In the statement on your website you outline your logic which I could not disagree with more. You should take another look at what you have written. The term is advise and consent. You have consented to allowing this disingenuous, duplicitous, inept woman to represent our country in the diplomatic realm.

Do you really believe the rest of the world is so stupid that they don't know she is incompetent and a proven liar? She oversaw the worst failure of national security in the nation's history! She failed to act on information give to her by the previous administration and the professionals in her group. She was, like the entire Bush Administration, obsessed with Iraq from her first day in office. Do you really think no-one saw her sit smugly before the 9/11 commission and tell us about the "historical" PDB called "Bin Laden Determined to Strike Inside the US?" Do you think no-one noticed that she beat the drums of war with her talk of WMDs and then later denied she had. Do you think that no-one saw when she violated Federal regulations by campaigning for Mr. Bush while she held the post of National Security Adviser? Do you think that her arrogant, aristocratic, blindly political loyalty to George Bush will serve us well in the international arena?

I am appalled at the weak-willed, pathetic opposition afforded by you and many other Democrats. Rather than showing the world a unified face (why that is so important escapes me – aren’t we supposed to be showing the world what democracy looks like?) you have helped to show them that the ignorant, arrogant, dangerous bullies that currently run this country have completely decimated the political opposition. Given that view of the once great democracy known as the US, it's no wonder that nations like Iran are fast-tracking their nuclear programs. Without nukes, they will stand the same fate as Iraq.

Congratulations Senator, you have cast a key vote for making our relationship to the world much worse. The blood of all those that die in future conflicts is on your head. If our democracy survives, count on as much effort as I can muster to replace your sorry performance with someone who has the courage to stand for what is right and what is coherent with the basic tenets of our system.

This letter is posted to my Internet Blog as a first step toward seeing that you are replaced.

Sincerely

Stop Gonzales III

I have written previously about the need to stop the nomination of Alberto Gonzales to the position of Attorney General. (Stop Gonzales) (Stop Gonzales II) I urge you once more to contact your Senators and ask them to vote against this nomination.

The Daily Kos has organized a showing of solidarity among bloggers in opposition to this nomination. I am in compete agreement with this collective action.

“Unprecedented times call for unprecedented actions. In this case, we, the undersigned bloggers, have decided to speak as one and collectively author a document of opposition. We oppose the nomination of Alberto Gonzales to the position of Attorney General of the United States, and we urge every United States Senator to vote against him.”

Read the entire statement at The Daily Kos.

Worse!

Yesterday I asked the question “Faux Pas or Worse?” Matthew Rothschild, editor of The Progressive, finds a much darker interpretation of the inaugural address.

Rothschild connects the dots between the vaguely biblical sounding language in the inaugural address and the passages in the Bible that it echoes. He draws the conclusion that Bush essentially declared the US a Christian state. As he puts it: “In his” (Bush’s) “America, there is no distinction between our public, secular values and his private, religious faith.”

While Rothschild’s ideas are disturbing, I highly recommend reading his article.

Culture of Lies

On Monday, the Hypocrite in Chief spoke to representatives of one of his core constituencies, the so called March for Life. He spoke by telephone, possibly to avoid the discomfort of the extreme cold in Washington but more likely to avoid appearing more connected to this group of fools than was necessary to massage their support. Mr. Bush is nothing if not manipulative.

In 5 minutes of obviously prepared remarks, Bush used the phrase “culture of life” 5 times. Of course, his remarks were greeted with applause from the throng who seem to think that stopping abortion is, perennially, the most important issue before us.

A few excerpts:

“ . . . the essence of civilization is this: The strong have a duty to protect the weak.”.

“I appreciate so very much your work toward building a culture of life-- -- a culture that will protect the most innocent among us and the voiceless.”

“We know -- we know that in a culture that does not protect the most dependent, the handicapped, the elderly, the unloved, or simply inconvenient become increasingly vulnerable. “

Of course, all of this is nothing but political rhetoric designed to keep alive the illusion that Mr. Bush and his colleagues give a damn about either the vulnerable or the fundamentalist non-thinkers who paraded in Washington. The entire history of this Administration is littered with efforts to remove protections from environmental to social. They have provided overwhelming evidence of a callous disregard for human life of historic proportions. From elective/preemptive war to weakened environmental protections to an economy in shambles to deficits that will burden the unborn, there is no corner of the social/political landscape left unscathed by this ruthless bunch of thugs. To even think of them in the context of protecting the vulnerable is beyond the stretch of reason.

In the fire and brimstone world of my early religious training, these people, and their opportunistic boy hero, would all be struck dead for their duplicity.

Faux Pas or Worse?

Faux Pas - a socially awkward or tactless act

George W. Bush’s belligerent, threatening tone and messianic rhetoric in his Inaugural address on Thursday has apparently caused enough concern around the world to merit a “rescue” by his father, George Herbert Walker Bush.

On Saturday, Bush senior just happened to drop in on the White House briefing room while giving a friend a tour. Engaging with reporters there, he applied the official White House spin to the inaugural address. "People want to read a lot into it — that this means new aggression or newly assertive military forces," Bush said, "That's not what that speech is about. It's about freedom."

So, we’re supposed to believe that Bush senior, who hardly ever interacts with the press, just felt the spontaneous urge to clarify his son’s disturbing rhetoric. I suppose it’s just a coincidence that “his interpretation agreed with that passed anonymously to reporters on Friday by White House officials”, according to Deb Riechmann with the Associated Press.

How embarrassing to have this fool of a President that needs his daddy to come clean up his mess. And how dangerous to have this fool of a President undermining relationships that have taken many years and much effort to establish. He could not do much more damage if his stated goal was destabilization of the entire world.

Rumsfeld's SS

In several previous entries, I have commented on a New Yorker article by Seymour Hersh in which he says that the Bush Administration is already carrying out covert operations within Iran as a prelude to attacking their nuclear capabilities. At least as inflammatory as moving against Iran were Hersh’s allegations about a secret, off-the-record intelligence and covert operations unit being run out of the Pentagon. White House and Pentagon reaction was typically scathing – attack the writer and his credibility, not the report.

Now, the Washington Post, in it’s Sunday edition, has published much the same story. According to Post reporter, Barton Gellman, the Pentagon is “reinterpreting US law” to allow Defense Department control over operations that have traditionally been the province of the CIA. Let’s not forget that “reinterpretation” is the specialty of Attorney General nominee Alberto Gonzales. Gellman says that various personnel disclosed in interviews that the program has been in operation for two years. In a planning memo from Gen. Richard Myers to Secretary Rumsfeld, Myers mentions "emerging target countries such as Somalia, Yemen, Indonesia, Philippines and Georgia." A more recent Pentagon memo uses the term "notorious figures" to refer to those “whose links to the U.S. government would be embarrassing if disclosed.” According to the Post article, two members of the House Intelligence Committee said they had never heard about any of this.

In another Post article this morning, Senator John McCain says there will be hearings by the Senate Armed Services Committee into the allegations made by the Post, saying, "I'm always sorry to read about things in The Washington Post when they affect a committee that I am a member of." Meanwhile, the Pentagon continues to deny. Lawrence T. DeRita, Pentagon spokesman, continues to deliver carefully parsed statements attempting to sow doubt about both the Post and Hersh’s efforts. Simplified, DeRita’s statements seem to say that the reporting is all faulty, nothing is happening but if it were, the war on terror justifies new approaches.

An equally disturbing sideline to this story is the name of the new secret unit. According to the Post, this clandestine group which was created at the behest of Rumsfeld is known as the Strategic Support Branch. Perhaps I’m too sensitive but I find the use of any title that could be shortened to SS, troubling. I am especially disturbed by this in the context of this Administration which seems to have an affinity for rhetoric and behavior from the Nazi era. (Homeland Security, Shock and Awe)

Finally, if none of that is disturbing enough, try reading a few excerpts from the inaugural address with the SS in mind:

“America's vital interests and our deepest beliefs are now one. From the day of our founding, we have proclaimed that every man and woman on this Earth has rights, and dignity and matchless value because they bear the image of the maker of heaven and Earth. “
“And now we will extend this vision by reforming great institutions to serve the needs of our time. “

“America's influence is not unlimited, but fortunately for the oppressed, America's influence is considerable, and we will use it confidently in freedom's cause.”

“We will persistently clarify the choice before every ruler and every nation -- the moral choice between oppression, which is always wrong, and freedom, which is eternally right.”

I Will Not Dance . . .

I heard this poem read on the radio tonight and instantly wanted to share it.

I will not dance to your war drum.
I will not lend my soul
nor my bones
to your war drum.
I will not dance to your beating.
I know that beat
it is lifeless.
I know intimately that skin you are hitting.
It was alive once
and hunted
stolen
stretched.
I will not dance to your drummed up war.
I will not pop
spin
break
for you.
I will not hate for you
or even hate you.
I will not kill for you.
Especially
I will not die for you.
I will not mourn the dead
with murder nor suicide.
I will not side with you
nor dance to bombs because everyone else is dancing.
Everyone can be wrong.
Life is a right
not collateral or casual.
I will not forget where I come from.
I will craft my own drum.
Gather my beloved near
and our chanting will be dancing.
Our humming will be drumming.
I will not be played.
I will not lend my name
nor my rhythm to your beat.
I will dance
and resist
and dance
and persist
and dance.
This heartbeat is louder than death.
Your war drum ain't louder than this breath.

Suheir Hammad

Freedom!

As you probably have heard, George Bush used the word freedom 27 times in his inaugural address on Thursday. In addition, he used the word free 7 times and the word liberty 15 times. That’s a total of 49 times for this concept in a speech that lasted 22 minutes. Put differently, Bush used one of these words about 21/4 times per minute.

Mr. Bush, liberty begins at home! Your attempts to equate your presidency with liberty by merely repeating the word countless times is an insult to freedom loving people everywhere.

Here is a partial list of the freedoms that you and your administration have actively worked to destroy.

The freedom to have my vote for the candidate of my choice counted. (Ohio)

The freedom to audit and verify that my vote for the candidate of my choice counted. (paper trail)

The freedom to assemble with whom I choose and discuss what I choose without fear of being filmed, recorded or persecuted for ideas. (domestic spying)

Freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. (Patriot Act – “sneek & peeks”)

The freedom to read whatever I choose without fear that my government will be looking at my library or purchase records. (Patriot Act)

The freedom to be innocent until proven guilty.

The freedom to be treated with due process – specifically the right to “a speedy and public trial”, the right to confront ones accusers and the right to trial by jury.

Freedom from “cruel and unusual punishment”. (ala – indefinite incarceration without trial)

The freedom to raise children and grandchildren without fear that my government may use them as instruments of violence to further the agenda’s of the powerful.

The freedom to pursue any interest or desire as long as it does not infringe upon the freedom of any other human.

The freedom to decide whether to or not to procreate. In the case of women, that assumes the freedom to choose a safe abortion. That also assumes accurate, science based sex education so young people can make informed choices.

Freedom from religion. This assumes the freedom to practice any religion one wants to. It also assumes the freedom to practice no religion. And it assumes no tax money to religious organizations.

Freedom from deception. As a public servant, this should start with you Mr. Bush. In hierarchical organizations, the leader sets the tone. Free people cannot make informed choices based on fraudulent information.

Freedom from the tyranny of the “health” industry with it’s randomly increasing premiums, care decisions made by bureaucrats and it’s basing every decision on cost.

Freedom from undue anxiety about growing old. A society as rich as this one should have no problem insuring a safety net for all.

The freedom, as a human being on planet earth, to be guaranteed those rights mentioned in our Declaration of Independence as “inalienable” and “endowed by their Creator”, regardless of citizenship.

Mr. Bush, thinking people are not fooled by your rhetoric. History will judge you and your administration against the standard you yourself cited in your inaugural address, namely “ideals of justice and conduct that are the same yesterday, today and forever.”

Despite your manipulations and deceptions, those standards have not changed!

SpongeBob

David Neiwert, a freelance journalist headquartered in Seattle details how Dr. James Dobson’s attack on SpongeBob is not just another nutty preacher’s rambling about cartoons. Instead, Neiwert alleges, Dobson’s real target is the Southern Poverty Law Center and it’s mission to teach tolerance to young people. The SPLC and it’s founders Morris Dees and Joe Levin have worked tirelessly over the last 34 years to bring the promise of civil rights to all.

As a National Press Club Award winning journalist covering domestic terrorism and the Christian Patriot movement in the Pacific Northwest, Niewert’s work deserves consideration.

Gifts That Keep on Giving

I ran across this item quite a while ago and then lost it in the shuffle of other news. Five Vietnamese young people were killed recently by the explosion of a war era mortar shell they had found. According to this article, around 40,000 Vietnamese have been killed by leftover ordinance since the war ended.

If, nearly 30 years after the US withdrawal from Vietnam, there are still dangerous munitions lying around then the war has really not ended for the people that live there.

So . . . , in 2035 will Iraqi children still be endangered by leftover ordinance from the current conflict? I’ll bet the families of those five young Vietnamese really appreciate it that the US once fought for their freedom! As comfort, we can offer the words of our newly inaugurated war-criminal in chief: “America's influence is not unlimited, but fortunately for the oppressed, America's influence is considerable, . . . “

More Coincidence?

More evidence of the veracity of the reporting of Seymour Hersh comes directly from the Vice-President who couldn’t even wait for the second inaugural to begin gleefully beating the war drums over Iran.

Referring to Iran’s "robust new nuclear program" and calling them “a noted sponsor of terror," Cheney said that "You look around the world at potential trouble spots, Iran is right at the top of the list," Anyone that doesn’t feel deja-vu at the sound of Cheney’s proclamations must have been asleep for much of 2002 and early 2003.

Is there any doubt that these war criminals will soon be launching attacks against Iran? Never forget that the complete “make-over” of the middle east has been outlined for a decade by the Project for A New American Century. and that many players in the Bush Administration have also participated in PNAC. In an October, 2002 article entitled “Dick Cheney's song of America: drafting a plan for global dominance”, David Armstrong told us that “The Plan is for the United States to rule the world.” Two years later, it seems pretty obvious that is exactly what these people have in mind.

Coincidence?

Interesting that just days after vigorous attacks on the reporting of Seymour Hersh by the Pentagon and the White House, we see a report from CNN on incentive packages designed to retain special operations troops.

Offers of up to $150,000 to Navy Seals, Green Berets and other troops specially trained to fight terrorists are nothing out of the ordinary, according to the CNN report. And, although these incentives are aimed at troops with moderate lengths of service as well as those that are close to retirement, "This is not about a need to increase the size of the [special ops] community," according to a Pentagon spokesman. One would think that incentives of this type might tempt quite a few to extend their service, so unless enlistment has stopped it would seem self evident that the force would grow.

But even if this has nothing to do with world wide covert operations that Hersh reported, it does demonstrate a huge problem with the number of “contractors” being employed by our Defense Department. Wage pressure caused by the private hiring of retiring military has lead directly to the need for such large reenlistment incentives. Rumsfeld and company’s grand plan to privatize large parts of the military has led to much higher costs both for the private “contractors” and the traditional military.

Finally, with special operations becoming such a lucrative way to make a living, is the incentive present to end skirmishes quickly or is it better business to drag things out?

The Liberal Media

On Monday, I wrote about the latest article by Seymour Hersh in which he outlines secret military operations against Iran that may have already begun.

So far, the great "liberal media" has done very little with this story. I have watched that great bastion of the left, the New York Times, all week waiting for some word. Nothing! A search this morning of the New York Times web site yielded absolutely no mention of either Hersh's article or the issues he raised.

Similarly, the Washington Post, has published only one article entitled, "Article on Iran Lacks Truth, Pentagon Says". This article barely mentions the content of Hersh's work. It does however allow Pentagon spokesman Lawrence T. DiRita, to dismiss the New Yorker article as filled with " rumor, innuendo, and assertions about meetings that never happened, programs that do not exist and statements by officials that were never made." When asked directly if US forces were conducting covert operations on Iran, another Defense Department spokesman Lt. Col. Barry Venable said: " We don't discuss missions, capabilities or activities of Special Operations forces."

Seymour Hersh is one of the few remaining investigative journalists. A look at his professional record yields a long series of reports that were later shown to be predominantly true. From the massacre at My Lai in Vietnam to the prisoner abuses at Abu Graib, Hersh has used his confidential sources to bring us information we should have.

A measure of how seriously we should take Hersh's latest effort can be found in the timing of the responses to it. The article was posted on the New Yorker's web site on January 17. On Sunday the 16th, Hersh appeared on CNN's "Late Edition" and detailed his investigation. On that same program, White House Communications Director Dan Bartlett immediately attacked the article as "riddled with inaccuracies". The next day, January 18, the Pentagon saw fit to attack it as well.

So, while the "liberal media" his largely ignored this story, the administration has attacked it openly. In my experience, one real mark of a report’s veracity is whether the opposition deems it worthy of comment. Bartlett's remarks on Sunday and the Pentagon's denials on Monday should serve as confirmation that we should take Hersh's allegations very seriously.

Why We're Misinformed II

Yesterday, the CNN web site featured the following headline for a short period of time:

Poll: Nation split on Bush as uniter or divider

The accompanying article detailed a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll that showed a 49% -- 49% split on the question with 2% having no opinion.

Looks to me like that proves the man is pretty clearly a divider!

Condi Lies A (lot)

After Senator Barbara Boxer, at Condoleeza Rice's confirmation hearing today, suggested that Condi's loyalty to President Bush "overwhelmed" her respect for the truth, Ms. Rice avoided the issue of contradictions in her record by making the issue personal. "I really hope you will refrain from impugning my integrity.", sniped the future Secratary of State, "I really hope you will not imply that I take the truth lightly.”

Unfortunately for Ms. Rice, Senator Boxer was only reading her own words back to her.

Unfortunately for us, Senator Boxer once again stands with a small group of people willing to actually speak the truth.

As for Impugning your integrity Condoleeza, you needn't worry, you have none!

Things That Matter

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

As I sit here, trying to get the words to flow, I wonder what will it take to tip the balance -- to change the political reality -- to get enough of us involved that the politicians once again work for us. Talking to a friend -- he said ". . . they all have mortgages to pay, credit card bills to pay, their jobs . . ." To which I replied, "when a couple of billion pissed off people come over the hill none of that's going to matter!"

Daily, I hear more and more alarming information about how far from democracy and freedom we have strayed. We have offended old friends and reduced the standards of cooperation and decency in the world. Left unchecked, our present course can only lead to a world where we're hated and in danger. It very well could get many of us killed. The need for public outcry is stark! We must, each and every citizen of this country, shoulder a piece of the responsibility. We must, write letters, send e-mails, call radio stations, call representatives and generally not rest until these United States are on a course for peace, justice and fair treatment for all.

This weekend, one of the last true journalists, Seymour Hersh published an article in The New Yorker, entitled "The Coming Wars", in which he outlines secret Bush administration plans to use air strikes and covert operations against Iran. Hersh not only outlines plans for Iran, he details fundamental shifts in operations from the CIA to the Pentagon in order to avoid Congressional oversight requirements that were placed on the CIA after it abused similar programs in the 1970s. Again we are hearing the same tired arguments, “everything is different now”, “this is a new kind of war”, “just trust us”.

Hersh indicated that, as with other administration initiatives, dissenting voices are not welcome. The "true believers" are convinced that they can destabilize the Islamic government in Tehran if they can take out their weapons development facilities. They say this will spark a popular uprising against the fundamentalist government. And they're not interested in any other opinions. In a Sunday interview on CNN, Hersh said, "The planning for Iran is going ahead even though Iraq is a mess," "The guys on the inside really want to do this." Isn't this all so awfully familiar.

And, according to Hersh, Iran is not the only country on the list. Covert operations may have already taken place in half a dozen other countries. He paints a picture of elite squads of commandos going around the globe deciding who are the good guys and who are the bad guys and who lives and who dies and who gets imprisoned.

This is extremely serious. These kinds of actions could push the Iranians to join with the Iraqi resistance in fighting the US. If our intelligence gathering was incomplete or one of these clandestine raids failed we could conceivably leave part of Iran's weapons development programs intact while simultaneously motivating them to work much faster. Continued conflict with Muslim societies only adds to the perception that this is a cultural/religious conflict. Meanwhile, Pakistan, whose president Musharraf could be overthrown at any time, is expanding its nuclear weapons program. Instead of nonproliferation, Bush policies are leading to accelerated proliferation. And they seem oblivious to the possibility of an eventual confrontation with a nuclear armed Muslim force.

Surely this qualifies as something that matters. Please don't be silent.

Wouldn't You Be Nervous?

Wouldn't you be nervous if you were Indonesian?

For years now, Indonesia has been portrayed as a "hotbed" for terrorist activity. It surely has more traceable ties to Al Qaeda than Iraq did.

Now in post-tsunami Indonesia, the US has the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and two other warships cruising off the coast. Fighter jets from the Abraham Lincoln fly practice missions over the Indian Ocean just out of Indonesian airspace. 10,000 to 15,000 Marines and other US troops are helping with the relief effort on the ground and 90 US helicopters fly relief missions.

Do we really think that in this age of 24-hour global News that Indonesians are unaware of -- our conduct in Iraq? -- our presence in Afghanistan four years later? -- our elevation of torture architect Gonzales to our top legal position? -- and the numerous provocative than belligerent statements from our "leader"?

So for those reasons, as well as others, Indonesia announced that all foreign troops must be off their soil by the end of March. The US response? Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz is going to Indonesia this weekend to seek "clarification" from the government there.

Wouldn't you be nervous if you were Indonesian?

Stop Gonzales II

There is still time to stop Alberto Gonzales! His nomination has not yet been confirmed.

It surely will be if we do not take action. In the hearing on Thursday, while our weak-willed, apologist Democrats in the Senate lobbed softballs at the Attorney General designate, they essentially helped to gloss over his role in the horrors wrought in Guantánamo, Abu Graib and Afghanistan.

Marjorie Cohn, a professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, listed the following actions as directly following from opinions authored by Gonzales.

Sodomy with a broomstick, chemical light, metal object
Severe beatings
Water boarding (simulated drowning)
Electric shock
Attaching electrodes to private parts
Forced masturbation
Pulling out fingernails
Pushing lit cigarettes into ears
Chaining hand and foot in fetal position without food or water
Forced standing on one leg in the sun
Feigned suffocation
Gagging with duct tape
Tormenting with loud music and strobe lights
Sleep deprivation
Hooding
Subjecting to freezing/sweltering temperatures
"Dietary manipulation"
Repeated, prolonged rectal exams
Hanging by arms from hooks
Permitting serious dog bites
Bending back fingers
Intense isolation for more than 3 months
Grabbing genitals
Severe burning
Stacking of naked prisoners in pyramids
Injecting with drugs
Leaving bullet in body of wounded prisoner
Taping naked prisoner to board
Shooting into containers with men inside
Keeping prisoners in small, outdoor cages
Pepper spraying in face
Forcing heads into toilets and flushing
Threatening live burial, drowning, electrocution, rape and death
Beating prisoners to death
Killing wounded prisoners
Throwing off bridge into river and drowning
Rape
Murder

(Ms. Cohn is also executive vice president of the National Lawyers Guild and the US representative to the executive committee of the American Association of Jurists)

In the face of these horrors why did the Democrats work so hard to make Gonzales comfortable? Here are a few excerpts:

Senator Joe Biden: " So we're looking for candor, old buddy. We're looking for you when we ask you a question to give us an answer, which you haven't done yet." "I love you, but you're not very candid so far."
" But I want to explain to the public and anybody listening, this is not about your integrity. This is not a witch hunt. This is about your judgment. That's we're trying to do. And so when I get to ask my questions, I hope you'll be candid about it. Because -- not that it's relevant -- I like you. I like you. You're the real deal."

Senator Ted Kennedy: " I'll include, if I could, Mr. Chairman, my opening statement and comment that recognizes the extraordinary achievements and accomplishments of the nominee."

Senator Patrick Leahy: "At the outset, I want to make clear how inspiring your life story is. The recent Washington Post profile of your life’s journey in particular touched me as few accounts of your life have. The road you have traveled from being a twelve-year-old boy selling soft drinks at football games, all the way to the State House in Texas and our White House, is a tribute to you and to your family.

They don't really sound much different from the Republicans.

Senator Orrin Hatch: "Welcome to the committee, Judge Gonzales and your family. We welcome your family, your wonderful wife, your tremendous mother, brother, mother-in-law. We're really happy to have all of you here. And I hope that this will be not too unpleasant a hearing for you.” -- "You've acted, I think, with the highest honor as the White House counsel. I know that because I've worked very, very closely with you all these years. And I have tremendous respect for you, not only as a human being and for your ethics and high standards, but also as an attorney and as someone who I believe has tried to give the president the best advice you and your staff have been able to give."

Senator Sam Brownback: " I love the name of the town you're from of (ph) Humble, Texas. I think that's a great place for a public servant to come from. And it reminds you of the proverb that humility comes before honor. And you come from the right place to be honored with this type of position."

In the face of all this flattery and admiration, Gonzales managed to obfuscate and evade any questions that got close to difficult. Committee Chair, Republican Arlen Specter, cut right to the heart of the matter when he asked, "Do you believe in torture?" As if Gonzales answer to such a question would settle the matter. Did anyone really think he would say yes?

Contact your Senators today. Tell them Gonzales is not fit to be attorney general. Tell them he is not fit because of his legal opinions not because of his ethnicity. Tell them that, regardless of color, we need an Attorney General who respects the law. This is extremely important, especially if you have Republican Senators. They need to hear from us.

Why We're Mis-Informed

While setting up to exercise this morning, I was channel surfing and made the mistake of stopping on CNN. Morning anchor Daryn Kagan actually caused me laugh out loud. First, she read a tease for an upcoming segment on Michael Moore's makeover. Apparently the fact that Moore shaved, wore a tie and eschewed his typical baseball hat at the People's Choice Awards is worthy of national attention. Never mind the fact that Moore's movie won best picture at those same People's Choice Awards

After the tease, Kagan interviewed the weatherman from the Los Angeles affiliate about the extreme weather in California that has caused tragedies such as the huge mudslide at La Conchita whose death toll currently stands at 10.

After listening to the explanation that this recent period was the wettest 15 day period on record since the weather service began recording in 1877, Kagan asked, without missing a beat, "Have you ever seen anything like this before?"

With an real eye for fluff and these sharp critical thinking skills it's no wonder Kagan is Rush Limbaugh's main squeeze.

The Courageous Few

In a previous post I spoke about serious representation. I mention that we had 31 representatives and one senator who gave us serious representation on January 6 during the certification of the electoral college vote. I have sent some thank you notes and intend to send more. Also, as a tribute to this courageous few who actually spoke truth to the face of power I decided I would compile a list of their names and states and post it here. I urge you to contact some of these people and say thank you.

House of Representatives:

Corrine Brown, Florida -- Julia Carson, Indiana
Wm. Lacy Clay, Missouri -- James E. Clyburn, South Carolina
John Conyers, Michigan -- Danny K. Davis, Illinois
Lane Evans, Illinois -- Sam Farr, California
Bob Filner, California -- Raul M. Grijalva, Arizona
Alcee Hastings, Florida -- Maurice Hinchey, New York
Jesse Jackson Jr., Illinois -- Sheila Jackson-Lee, Texas
E. B. Johnson, Texas -- Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Ohio
Carolyn Kilpatrick , Michigan -- Dennis Kucinich, Ohio
Barbara Lee, California -- John Lewis, Georgia
Edward Markey, Maine -- Cynthia McKinney, Georgia
John Olver, Maine -- Major Owens, New York
Frank Pallone Jr., New Jersey -- Donald Payne, New Jersey
Janice D. Schakowsky, Illinois -- Bennie G. Thompson, Mississippi
Maxine Waters, California -- Diane Watson, California
Lynn Woolsey, California

Senate

Barbara Boxer, California

Tell Them

Another day dawns in the land of the free and the home of the brave. To help counteract the feelings of depression and dread yesterday left me with, I sent the following to my Senators and Congressman this morning. I urge you to do something similar.

The only possible hope I see for a peaceful and equitable future lies in the grassroots. Clearly, it's all up to us!

Senator,

I'm writing to express my profound sense of betrayal at your willingness to stand idly by while the Republican majority trashed the reputation of anyone who dared to speak about the irregularities in the November 2 election. It was not lost on me that all of their sneering, sarcastic putdowns were aimed at the people not the issues. In fact, most of the irregularities presented yesterday are documented. If more of you Democrats had shown the courage to stand up to these bullies, they would have found it very difficult to defend the election in Ohio. Your collective backpedaling and apologizing leaves me ashamed to be a Democrat and depressed to be an American.

If the laundry list of anomalies and disenfranchising dirty tricks reported in Ohio were from the Ukraine, US politicians would be falling all over themselves calling for free and fair elections -- calling for democracy.

Alas, yesterday we were only talking about the election of the President of the United States. Free and fair elections, while a great model for emerging democracies, don't matter here. Because we have people of such high moral character in power, we need not worry about how they got there. In fact, anyone who expresses such concerns is just a "conspiracy nut".

Frankly Senator, I am at a loss as to how to reconcile my support for you over the years with your clear lack of support for me yesterday.

What I can tell you with certainty is that there is a new grassroots movement. It is composed of people like myself who are sick to death of the status quo. By your actions yesterday (or more accurately lack thereof) you have firmly attached yourself to that status quo. Whatever political justifications or rationalizations you employed to ease your conscience while you watched your courageous colleagues be abused and marginalized, you were wrong!

While I understand that in future elections I may again find myself choosing between you and someone whose values I abhor, (lesser of two evils) I want you to know that I will work long and hard to see that you are replaced, in that equation, by someone of courage who truly represents me.

Sincerely,

Serious Representation

I awoke this morning profoundly angry! Yes that's right, I used the A word. Yesterday, I received an e-mail from John Kerry. In that letter, Kerry says, “No American citizen should wake up the morning after the election and worry their vote wasn't counted”. He goes on to urge us to take action -- to call Speaker Hastert and Majority Leader Frist and demand hearings. But, those aren't the parts of the letter that made me angry. What made me angry was Kerry's insistence that none of the allegations could possibly affect the outcome of the election. And, what really made me angry, was his announcement that he would not take part in the protest today. In fact, Kerry wasn't even there.

So, after watching C-SPAN for several hours, the question of the day is why is it so wrong to question whether George W. Bush really won the election?

After listening to Democrat after Democrat bend over backwards to assure everyone that they wouldn't dream of questioning the outcome of the election, I am sick to death of apologists. After thoroughly appeasing the majority party, nearly every one of these Democrats went on to read a laundry list of intimidation, technical disenfranchisement and tabulation errors. The odds of this number of irregularities happening at the same time with results overwhelmingly favoring one candidate have been set by competent statistical analysis at as high as 1 in 250 million.

Yet Democrat after Democrat says this is just a good opportunity to talk about improving the electoral system and that they have no doubt that George W. Bush won the election. Of the 75 Senators who even saw fit to participate today only one, Barbara Boxer, had the courage to vote in favor of the objection to the Ohio electors. Nineteen of these spineless Democrats would not even cast a symbolic vote for the objection knowing full well it was doomed to fail. In the House, there were 32 votes in favor of the objection but 87 Democrats who were unwilling to support them. There, as well, even symbolic resistance is too scary for these Pillsbury dough people.

In Ukraine, we watched and cheered as the will of the people took precedence over the plans of the politicians. Many of the same Republicans who praised the blossoming of democracy there, attack even this anemic effort and label it as the product of a small group of "conspiracy theorists". It's really not so hard to understand why Republicans do what they do. The more they can minimize these issues -- the more they can marginalize those who speak of them -- the more they can intimidate the opposition -- the more secure their power base remains.

But what could possibly motivate the Democrats? Are they really so deluded? Did they make lots of backroom deals? Or are they just afraid? No matter, they clearly don't serve us very well.

Viktor Yushchenko, after surviving dioxin poisoning, stood with large citizen demonstrations and disputed the results of Ukraine’s November election both in the courts and on the streets. But where is our champion? John Kerry, who couldn't wait to throw in the towel November 3, is not even present in the Congress today. He's on a "fact-finding" mission. So afraid to somehow be tied to the "radical fringe" -- "Michael Moore" wing of the Democratic Party, Kerry fled. His colleagues, especially in the Senate, fell all over themselves making sure that nothing the least bit controversial was said.

But did the Republicans, in either their tone or their language, honor the courage of those who objected? Did the Republicans reach toward that middle ground, acknowledge there were problems, show any humility whatsoever?

OF COURSE NOT!

They called us conspiracy theorists. They said we hung out on the "Internet". They said that "Hollywood" engineered this. They said Michael Moore did it. They mocked move on.org because they weren't "moving on". One went so far as to infer that Barbara Boxer was acting today at the behest of Michael Moore. Because Senator Boxer attended a premier of Fahrenheit 9/11, her concerns over significant irregularities in Ohio should be dismissed. Every Republican statement I heard dripped sarcasm, guilt and accusation. They didn't argue the issues; they belittled the people. These Republicans are powerful, organized, conscienceless and WILL STOP AT NOTHING!

Frequently, they accuse the liberal/progressives of fomenting a culture war. Yet, they never miss an opportunity to sneer at anyone who dares to question what they do. Do Bill Frist or Rick Santorum have any more inherent credibility than Michael Moore? I think not. Dr. Frist is not even clear about how HIV is transmitted. Santorum would outlaw homosexual acts between consenting adults because allowing them implies approval of bigamy, polygamy and incest. By contrast, Moore created a thought-provoking work composed primarily of film clips of other people. Although Moore edited and arrange those clips, he did not create any of the behaviors depicted. Most importantly, the point of all his efforts has consistently been that ordinary people are suffering and dying to support the all-consuming greed of the very rich.

So, as of this moment, one thing is abundantly clear. We must, like our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, demand that our politicians shape up. We must start with those soft and weak willed Democrats that we're stuck with for the time being. We must write them, fax them, call them and visit them in person. We must pressure them, push them, pull them and threaten them with unemployment if they don't begin to seriously represent us. Speaking truth to the face of power is an essential part of serious representation.

The good news is we had 32 Representatives and one Senator who were willing to do just that today.

History

As I write this, history is taking place. The joint session of Congress during which the vote of the electoral college will be certified is underway.

As in the election of 2000, some Democrats in the House of Representatives will challenge the election results. However, unlike the election of 2000, this time at least one of their Senate colleagues will join them.

Senator Barbara Boxer announced this morning that she will join her House colleagues in contesting the results of the vote in Ohio.

As I wrote the preceding paragraphs, the vote tally reached the State of Ohio. After the State of Ohio's vote was read, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones rose to voice her objection. After ascertaining that the form of the objection was legitimate and was cosigned by a Senator (Barbara Boxer), the joint session adjourned to conduct individual discussions in the respective houses.

More Republican Colors

In two previous columns, I delved into the hypocrisy of Washington state Republicans. I pointed out how their take on the entire election process seems to depend on whether they are winning or losing. If they're winning, everything is fine. But if they're losing, all kinds of things need to change.

Headlines in today's Washington newspapers announce that hundreds of ballots are suspected of being fraudulent. Apparently, according to the Republicans, some provisional ballots made their way into the counting system without being verified by election workers. Provisional ballots are given to people whose names don't show on the voter rolls on election day. Frequently, the problem is just that these people have gone to the wrong polling place. Poll workers are supposed to verify that these ballots were cast by registered voters before they are counted. Again, according to Republicans, some number, possibly hundreds, of these ballots were not verifed before counting.

Washington state party chair Chris Vance says, "this is a bombshell". "It's enough right there to invalidate the election." But before you take Vance too seriously, remember that on November 23 he said that Democrat Gregoire should "do the decent thing, the honorable thing and concede, instead of dragging this into the Christmas season with the state not knowing who the governor is."

Here's the real bombshell, Chris. The source of this "new" information is two King County election workers. Both of these workers are Republicans. So, the story between the lines, is that Republicans have known since November 2 that some ballots were counted without being verified. All throughout the various struggles, both legal and public relations, that took place in November and December they said nothing about this. As long as they were winning, they didn't care! Only now, after a complete hand count of the entire state shows that their candidate lost, do they suddenly "discover" this "bombshell".

Stop Gonzales

On Thursday the Senate is scheduled to look at the nomination of Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General. So far, Senate Democrats have been less than outspoken about this possibility. Does that mean the agree with the twisted legal decisions credited to Gonzales? One does question such a lackluster performance.

IT'S NOT LIKE THE INFORMATION ISN'T AVAILABLE!

Read the Gonzales torture memo
Read about Gonzales and the death penalty
Read about Enron's lawyer, Alberto Gonzales
Read about Gonzales and secrecy

ANY POSSIBILITY OF DERAILING GONZALES LIES IN MOTIVATING SENATORS.

I sent the following to my two senators today. I strongly urged that you do the same.

Senator,

It is my understanding that on Thursday the nomination of Alberto Gonzales will come before the Senate.

I want you to know how absolutely opposed to this nomination I am. The abysmal record of Mr. Gonzales includes advising Mr. Bush that the Geneva convention was rendered "quaint" and "obsolete" by the war on terror. His bizarre legal reasoning laid the foundation for atrocities and abuse seen in Guantánamo, Abu Graib, and Afghanistan. Every bit as important as these flawed opinions is Gonzales record in Texas. All indications are that as adviser to George W. Bush, who acknowledges he doesn't read, Gonzales was the person who ruled on clemency appeals. For some reason, Gonzales never found a cause for clemency. One should never forget the record number of executions performed in Texas under George W. Bush and the review of Alberto Gonzales.

This man is not fit to be Attorney General! It is time to stand up for the principles upon which our country was founded.

Please do everything you can do to see that Alberto Gonzales does not become Attorney General.

Sincerely,

More Preponderance

General Mohamed Abdullah Shahwani, intelligence chief to Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said recently that the Iraqi "insurgency" numbers more than 200,000 fighters. "I think the resistance is bigger than the US military in Iraq."

Couple that with recent headlines headlines, Baghdad's governor assassinated, five US troops killed on Tuesday, a suicide fuel truck bomb near the green zone kills ten and wounds sixty, on Monday three car bombs killed three British troops near the green zone, two Iraqi police near the Prime Minister's headquarters and four Iraqi soldiers near Balad. There was also a significant number of wounded.

If only the media would stop producing such negative coverage.

More True Colors

If the actions of Washington State Republicans are any indication, then hypocrisy must be a moral value.

In an earlier column, entitled "True Colors", I outlined how state Republicans were vigorously opposing a hand recount in the Washington governor's race. In that column I quoted Republican Party spokesperson and Dino Rossi supporter Mary Lane. I was especially struck at that time by Lane's cavalier attitude toward voters whose votes had not been counted. On December 17, she was quoted as saying, "That is King County's fault. We cannot be held responsible for the fact that King County made a mistake." However, after losing the legal battle to exclude over 700 votes that were overlooked by the initial count in King County, Ms. Lane seemed to suddenly understand the importance of counting every vote when she said, "We're going to be going across the state demanding they make every vote count." And you can bet that they did.

Ms. Lane is not the only one who underwent an extreme change in attitude. Washington State Republican Party Chair Chris Vance has also nearly doubled back in his own tracks. On November 23, Vance said that Gregoire should "do the decent thing, the honorable thing and concede, instead of dragging this into the Christmas season with the state not knowing who the governor is." But, in a statement on December 22, Vance seems to have forgotten completely about the poor state voters having to go through Christmas without knowing who the governor is. After the Supreme Court ruling allowing all votes to be counted Vance said, "The Supreme Court just changed the rules. Now we will aggressively fight by those new rules." And you can bet that they did.

And of course candidate Rossi suffers from this same inability to reconcile his own statements. On December 1, Rossi said, "If you count and recount and recount and keep on counting until you finally win, what do you really have in the end? An illegitimate governorship, that's what you have in the end. It's time to move forward, that's the message." However, after a manual recount of all Washington precincts showed Gregoire the winner Rossi's tune had changed. On December 29, Rossi called for a new election for governor saying, "So now we're in a situation where nobody really knows who won this election," he said, reading from the letter he sent to Gregoire. "Our next governor should enter office without any doubt about the legitimacy of his or her office. ... "

Even worse than the slick political expediency of their statements are the claims now made by Republicans of irregularities in the Washington State vote. Nowhere during November and December did the Republicans make any such claims. Their statements clearly show that, other than wanting to exclude King County's lost ballots, they were satisfied with the election. After the recount, with the inclusion of the King County ballots, Republicans suddenly have a laundry list of irregularities. They claim everything from more votes counted than voters registered to military ballots mailed too late to be counted. If any of these claims are true than why weren't they brought up long ago?

In the two months since the election, we have been inundated with polls and punditry purporting to show us that the reason Republicans are in power all across the country is the voters concern with moral values. All one need do to check the veracity of these claims is watch these chameleons in action. For Mr. Rossi and all the champions of moral values that back him I have only one thing to say.

"It's time to move forward, that's the message." (Dino Rossi -- December 1, 2004)

Disappearances

Writing in today's Washington Post, Dana Priest outlines long-range plans being made by the Bush administration for imprisonment of suspected terrorists. While they're not willing to set these people free, the administration is also unwilling to put them in front of a court or turn them over to another country. According to Priest, both the Pentagon and the CIA are seeking White House policies for lifetime detentions. Those affected would be future captures in the "war on terror" as well as hundreds who are already detained for whom there is insufficient evidence to bring them to a court.

Among the proposals is one that calls for the US to build prisons in places like Yemen and Afghanistan and then transfer prisoners from Guantánamo in Cuba. These kinds of ideas are clearly designed to circumvent US and International law just as is the CIA's use of foreign interrogation facilities.

These people are off the rails! This kind of totalitarian thinking is diametrically opposed to core principles upon which our country was founded. And, before some supporter of these fascists pipes up, I am well aware that our founding documents technically only apply to citizens. But, to think that the principles outlined therein are not the birthright of all humans is to prove hollow all the rhetoric we hear about leading the world to democracy. How many times over the years have we heard US authorities criticize China, the Soviet Union and others for just this type of violation?

If, after three years of detention, authorities are unable to produce enough evidence for even a military tribunal then either these people are innocent or our intelligence and evidence gathering capabilities are truly incompetent. Either way, holding these people indefinitely, perhaps for life, is a grievous violation of their human rights. We are all familiar with cases of citizens, known to have committed crimes, who remained free due to the lack of evidence. In those cases the fundamental principles were held to be more important than the disposition of an individual incident. These principles must extend to all humans.

From the beginning of this so-called "war on terror", the Bush administration has endeavored to exempt itself from all international laws, treaties and standards of human decency. By constantly eliciting fear in US citizens they have managed to roll back a centuries worth of hard-won progress in human rights.

Anyone who thinks they will not continue this erosion is a fool. Our only hope is that enough of our fellow citizens awake before many of us are put in indefinite detention because we pose a "threat". Our founders knew full well the potential abuses of government power. That is why they debated long and hard and spelled out the principles in our Constitution and Bill of Rights.