Against the Madness

Moving is Complete

2005-04-06T10:45:00.000-07:00

The move to my own domain at www.againstmadness.com is complete.

Starting this morning I will be posting only to the new site. Please change any bookmarks or links to this site that you may have.

All archives from this site have been duplicated at the new one.

I want to thank you all for reading Against the Madness and I hope you enjoy the new site as well.

Again the link to the new site is:

http://www.againstmadness.com/

Family Values Guy

2005-04-05T16:23:00.000-07:00

(Note: remember this blog is moving to a new home at: Against the Madness.)

If you have any friends or relatives that like Sean Hannity, forward them this link to a recording of Sean modeling the kind of "civility" that he says that Democrats lack.

In this recording he can be heard referring to Democratic Congressman Jim Moran of Virginia as an "asshole". Hannity says "I'm going to pound him to like those other guys . . . " and calls Moran a "jerk". The reason for Hannity's outburst appears to be that the congressman "wanted to talk about Medicare". Hannity goes on to say "I hate these people, you have no idea . . . " He ends by saying "How pissed was Moran? Not that I give a shit."

Well Sean, all I can say is that if that's the level of civility you long for your worries are over. All the democrats I know are at least that civilized.

Recording link courtesy of Oliver Willis

Family Values

2005-04-05T15:50:00.000-07:00

(Note: remember this blog is moving to a new home at: Against the Madness.)

Browsing Daily Kos this afternoon led me to this article on Military Recruiting. Apparently, the Army and the Marines are shifting their recruiting efforts from the young people to their parents. They will pursue the "trust and attention" of these parents by means of "grassroots initiatives and multi-million-dollar advertising campaigns".

Studies done for the Army show that parents are the single biggest obstacle to recruiting. Imagine that!

One study, by GfK Custom Research, found that when potential recruits were asked who was the most influential in their decison, 81% listed their mothers. The study urged the Army to "Reach the parents with the Army's new message, particularly moms."

So, the Army and the Marines, under the command of Bush via Rumsfeld will work to further 'family values' by spending millions of dollars on a PR campaign to convince us that we should encourage our children to become cannon fodder. This is outrageous. For following our instincts and trying to protect our children, we will suffer an assault of TV ads, direct mailings and HOME VISITS??? Am I the only one who thinks this is nuts?

The reason that recruiting goals aren't being met is that the military is being misused! Lots of parents (and their kids) can see the waste these fascist leaders of ours are perpetrating on our military and our country. It's only a sensible decision not to enlist when chaos seems so imminent.

The problem is not so much the casualties but fact that those casualties were suffered for ill defined or non-existent reasons. I really believe that, if the country were pursuing a foreign policy that most were invested in, recruiting wouldn't be a problem. But that would require a democracy.

So, if you value your family (family values) keep them the hell out of the military until this fascist regime is no longer in power! And watch out for PRopaganda in your mailbox, on your TV or at your front door!

Chicken Hawk Anyone?

2005-04-05T13:51:00.000-07:00

(Note: remember this blog is moving to a new home at: Against the Madness.)

The Ed Schultz radio show has posted a really interesting list of the military records of a lot of prominent members of the congress and the administration, both Republicans and Democrats.
Guess who seems to have more military experience? Now why do you suppose that is?

News the Mainstream Missed

2005-04-04T23:04:00.000-07:00

(Note: remember this blog is moving to a new home at: Against the Madness.)

Want to know how a lot of the world sees the U.S. and Bush in particular? Take a look at 12th Harmonic's collection of pictures from protests held around the world on Sunday March 20, 2005.

It's kind of encouraging to see so many kindred spirits.

Reform? - Not Likely

2005-04-04T13:41:00.000-07:00

(Note: remember this blog is moving to a new home at: Against the Madness.)

If one wants to know if the Catholic Church is likely to go through any big changes with the change in leadership, I noticed a clue this weekend.
Former Archbishop of Boston Cardinal Bernard Law appeared on ABCs "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos. He has also been heard, in the last few days, doing sound bites for various news broadcasts.

Cardinal Law, resigned from the Boston post in December 2003, after 58 of the priests in the diocese expressed a lack of faith in his leadership. This extraordinary event came as the culmination of Law's mis-handling of the sexual abuse scandals in the Boston Diocese.

In an article entitled Why isn't Bernard Law in Jail (Part 2), Dahlia Lithwick of Slate magazine described some of the evidence against Law:

"Last spring, Law admitted in a deposition that he was aware that John Geoghan had reportedly raped at least seven young boys in 1984 yet nevertheless approved the transfer of Geoghan to another parish, working with other boys. Other documents revealed that Law similarly knew of and ignored decades of reported child abuse by Paul Shanley, placing Shanley in ministries with access to other children."

"Throughout his tenure, Law seemed to reserve his warmest sympathy for the abusers, not the victims. He lied to a West Coast bishop about Shanley's history. He signed a document attesting that another known child-molesting priest, Redmond Raux, had "nothing in his background" to make him "unsuitable to work with children." Last week, more court documents revealed that the archdiocese gave new jobs to two priests, one of whom was known to have molested boys while the other had supplied cocaine to a teenage lover. Law's responses to these and earlier disclosures? The molesters had been cleared by physicians; the church kept bad records; his subordinates vetted the transfers; he forgot; he never knew; he's sorry."

In May of 2004, in what some saw as a move to dodge the U.S. legal system, Cardinal Law was appointed to a post in Rome.

Apparently none of the current Catholic leadership has a problem with Law's checkered past. The fact that Law is not only still unpunished for his actions but is apparently free to publicly represent the church should tell you all you need to know about any serious reform in the near future.

Culture of LIes

2005-04-04T09:30:00.000-07:00

(Note: remember this blog is moving to a new home at: Against the Madness.)

In his remarks following the death of Pope John Paul II, on Saturday, April 2, Bush sounded all the right notes. He referred to Pope John Paul as a "wise and fearless priest who became one of history's great moral leaders." He said that " . . . the world has lost a champion of human freedom . . . ". " And that "throughout the West, John Paul's witness reminded us of our obligation to build a culture of life in which the strong protect the weak."

Culture of life is term that Bush likes to use. He's used it a lot lately. He used it in the Terri Schiavo case. The term 'culture of life' is largely drawn from the work of John Paul II. Some say he coined the term. In a 1995 Encyclical entitled "Gospel of Life", John Paul wrote extensively of a 'culture of life'. This could lead one to conclude that Bush was a devotee of the Pope. But the facts dont' bear that out.

When John Paul appealed for clemency for Carla Faye Tucker, who was scheduled to be executed in Texas, then governor Bush ignored him. Apparently the culture of life doesn't include the forgiveness that Jesus so often preached.

Before the invasion of Iraq, Pope John Paul made several pleas for peace. He said that the war, if it came, would be a "defeat for humanity". John Paul sent Cardinal Pio Laghi, a friend of the Bush family to deliver a message that said essentially, "God is not on your side if you invade Iraq." In a written plea on March 16, 2003, John Paul called on "member countries of the United Nations, and in particular those that make up the Security Council, that the use of force represents the last recourse, after having exhausted every other peaceful solution, in keeping with the well-known principles of the U.N. Charter itself." John Paul also pointed out that "to reflect on one's duties, to engage in energetic negotiations does not mean to be humiliated, but to work with responsibility for peace." It seems quite obvious that this was aimed first and foremost at Bush. Bush ignored him.

On June 4, 2004, John Paul delivered what The Guardian called: "a very public, relentlessly critical assessment of the US administration's performance in Iraq, attacking "deplorable" abuses of prisoners and calling for an international solution to the country's crisis." Referencing the prisoner abuse at Abu Graib, John Paul said: "In the past few weeks _ deplorable events have come to light which have troubled the civic and religious conscience of all and made more difficult a serene and resolute commitment to shared human values." "In the absence of such a commitment, neither war nor terrorism will ever be overcome." Did Bush respond by changing course or cleaning house? Rumsfeld still runs Defense. Negroponte will head intelligence. Bolton will deal with the U.N. Rice is Secretary of State. Wolfowitz is head of the World Bank. And the war drums are sounding over Syria and Iran. You tell me if Bush listened.

Bush's culture of life includes 152 executions as governor of Texas.

Bush's culture of life includes 1537 U.S. fatalities in Iraq since March of 2003.

Bush's culture of life includes 177 coalition fatalities in Iraq since March of 2003.

Bush's culture of life includes 11,442 U.S. troops wounded in Iraq since March of 2003.

Bush's culture of life includes, at least, 17,316 Iraqi civilians killed since March of 2003. Some estimates run as high as 100,000.

In the fire and brimstone spirituality of my youth, Bush's mouth would burst in to flames!

Dangerous Business

2005-04-02T13:06:00.000-08:00

(Note: remember this blog now has a new home at: Against the Madness.)

One of the most under-reported stories to emerge from the last week is the gathering Republican assault on the court system.

For several years now, we have heard a building drumbeat from the right over what they call 'activist judges'. The numerous legal challenges and the contentious social issues in the Terri Schiavo case gave these people a platform to increase their rhetoric on these points and the indicators are that they will be attempting to weaken the judiciary in the upcoming months.

Not content to control the Executive and Legislative branches, they now have their sights set on the judiciary. As I mentioned in an earlier post, "Without DeLay", the House Majority Leader made some not-so-veiled threats against the judges who ruled in the Schiavo case, especially those who ruled on the emergency law passed to give the Federal courts jurisdiction in that case.

DeLay's comments were so irresponsible and inflammatory that they could easily lead to violence against these judges. We have been inundated with the irrational, anti-scientific, emotional reactions to this case. A combination of TV cameras and fanatical religious rhetoric tend to draw some less than stable people to the forefront. Some of these could easily interpret DeLay's remarks as a call to action. Yesterday, Senator Frank Lautenberg of N.J. sent a letter to DeLay calling DeLay's remarks "reckless", "irresponsible" and "downright dangerous", especially in the context of two recent violent attacks on judges. Unfortunately, this vein of inflammatory and highly irresponsible rhetoric about the judiciary has not been limited to DeLay. James Dobson, of Focus on the Family, said that the judges in the Schiavo case were "guilty not only of judicial malfeasance - but of the cold-blooded, cold-hearted extermination of an innocent human life."

Meanwhile, DeLay says he wants Congress to "look at an arrogant, out-of-control, unaccountable judiciary that thumbed their nose at Congress and the president." This goes to the real agenda of these people. In an interview with NPR last Saturday, Representative Steve King hypothesized on what actions Congress could take based on his interpretation of their power. "If we wanted to abolish the 9th Circuit, for example, we could do that. " said King. ". . . whatever Congress gives, they can take away." King also stated that "We could also cut the budget. We could prohibit the Justice Department from enforcing the orders of the court." While the Representative claimed that these actions were "not my preferred method" he said that the courts were ". . . counterproductive to this country and if we’re going to preserve our Constitution, we must get them in line."

One thing that belies all the conservative concern over "activist judges" is the actual judges involved. Many of the judges involved in the Schiavo case, especially in recent weeks, have been at least Republican appointees if not conservatives in their own right. Judge Greer, who did the lions share of the work in recent months is a conservative and Southern Baptist. Nevertheless, as a result of death threats stemming from the case, he is under the protection of Federal Marshals. In all, nearly 50 judges have looked at this case throughout the years and issued remarkably similar findings. The Daily Kos has a post detailing almost all of these and links to biography information for many. Recently, Judge Stanley Birch, of the Eleventh Circuit blasted both Bush and congress in a written opinion. Birch, a Bush I appointee is widely considered to be one of the most conservative judges on the federal bench. In his opinion, Birch accused both congress and Bush of acting "in a manner demonstrably at odds with our Founding Fathers' blueprint for governance of a free people - our Constitution." Birch's entire opinion, which is available on line, goes on to detail a number of ways in which the special legislation passed on Easter weekend is unconstitutional. He cites precedents for separation of powers that date to Marbury v. Madison in 1803 in which it is stated that this one of a number of principles upon which "the whole American fabric has been erected."

All of this really revolves around a few simple ideas. The purpose of the courts is to interpret the laws in each case and ultimately to determine whether those laws are constitutional and thus instruct the Executive Branch on what laws it can enforce. One essential of a civilization is an agreement, amongst the people being governed, to honor some authority as the final word on disputes. For hundreds of years, the courts have been the system for attaining that final word. That system, and our faith in it, has provided a relatively stable framework for the rest of American life to rest upon. If we undermine either authority of our court system, or the dominant perception of it's impartiality, we risk having no final arbiter of disputes. That will lead to chaos.

We cannot allow any majority to overrun the courts merely because they disagree with the outcome of particular cases. We cannot allow power-mad thugs like DeLay, King and Bush to play fast and loose with the very underpinnings of our society for their own political and economic gain. True conservatives, as opposed to political hacks, should and do agree with us on this one.

Nothing good can come of this!

Culture of Life (Hah!)

2005-04-01T08:47:00.000-08:00

“The essence of civilization is that the strong have a duty to protect the weak. In cases where there are serious doubts and questions, the presumption should be in the favor of life.” --- George Bush – March 31, 2005

Where was this man and his strong moral principles when:

People all over the world demonstrated their “serious doubts and questions” about the invasion of Iraq and were answered by ‘Shock and Awe’ being visited on the “weak” by the “strong” in the so called 'Cradle of Civilazation'? (aka. The Cradle of Humanity - a term coincidentally coined by Evangelical Protestants!)

The ”weak” were sacrificed to the “strong” in the budgeting process? (See Meat Ax)

More people were shuffled through the Texas death house than all other states in the union combined, despite “serious doubts and questions”, including the “weak” Carla Faye Tucker who appealed to the “strong” Texas Governor G.W. Bush for clemency?

Massive tax cuts were given to the “strong” at the expense of the “weak”.

Hundreds of the “weak” were spirited off to foreign nations to be 'interrogated' by the “strong”?

Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera . . . . . .

To quote Mike Malloy – Evening host on Air America Radio – “Have I mentioned yet today how much I loathe these people?”

Without DeLay!

2005-03-31T12:47:00.000-08:00

Tom ‘the despicable’ DeLay couldn’t let the passing of Mrs. Terri Schiavo go by without once again exercising his vitriolic, hate filled mouth. In the following quote, notice that the expressions of sympathy (which don’t include Michael Schiavo) are secondary to his bombastic accusations and not-so-veiled threats.

This vermin, who operates in an ethics-free-zone, has the temerity to threaten all those who served in good conscience throughout this extremely difficult case.

DeLay’s remarks are as follows:

“Mrs. Schiavo’s death is a moral poverty and a legal tragedy. This loss happened because our legal system did not protect the people who need protection most, and that will change. The time will come for the men responsible for this to answer for their behavior, but not today. Today we grieve, we pray, and we hope to God this fate never befalls another. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Schindlers and with Terri Schiavo's friends in this time of deep sorrow. ”

Please take a few minutes and stop by the Public Action Campaign Fund and sign the petition calling for this thug to resign.

Theresa Marie Schiavo may you rest in peace!

It's the Cameras Stupid!

2005-03-31T09:00:00.000-08:00

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

That’s all you really have to know to be able to judge one’s own participation in the death watch for Mrs. Terri Schiavo.

Already there are the somber conversations about what’s appropriate and how to get the news that people have a right to without trampling everyone’s rights in the process. I thought I’d weigh in early on this one. I’m going to keep it simple ‘cause I don’t think some of the people responsible think very deeply.

I’ts the cameras stupid!

The circus goes wherever you point the damn things!

You chose to set up right in front of a hospice. Inside are around 70 other patients, and their families, going through a sad, somber, inevitable, difficult, PRIVATE experience.

By setting up right in front of the hospice, you chose to trample on that process for all of those families as well as Michael and Terri Schiavo and their families.

There is no possible reason that we need to see the front of the hospice as a background for these shots. You could just as easily have put the cameras and the microphones and the satellite trucks and the Porta-Potty’s and the tents and the cars and the cables and the noise and the signs and the cops and the fences and the hazard tape and the noise and the protesters and the noise . . . . . . . .

. . . . . somewhere else!

How about a strip mall parking lot or a sports facility parking lot or a vacant lot or a field outside of town? Yes, you probably would need to pay some rent but your profits would surely cover it. And, you could have performed a public service at the same time.

How did we come to accept your presence in the middle of any and everything you deem ‘newsworthy? Your presence outside the Woodside Hospice House in Pinellas Park has been an obscenity and an affront to the entire hospice movement.

No amount of post-production de-briefing or on-air breast-beating will absolve you from this ugly, ugly incident.

Shame on you all!

Useful Information

2005-03-30T22:25:00.000-08:00

I have decided to migrate this blog to a different host which should give me more control over it and should make it more responsive. The current host, while free and a great way to get started, seems overloaded. And I really wanted to have my url match the blog name. I now have my own domain now at www.againstmadness.com. I will be posting in both places for a while until I’m surer of the new setup. I’ll try to make it real clear when I stop using this space.

Click on over to www.againstmadness.com and take a look at my new digs. I am pleased with how they are coming along.

Thanks to all of you who read.

It Really is a Club

2005-03-29T08:58:00.000-08:00

The National Press Club is sponsoring an event, in April, where “journalists and bloggers will debate whether there’s a difference between them . . . “ At first glance, it looks like a pretty good idea. Perhaps it’s time that bloggers got some recognition for the efforts they’ve made in of delivering the news, frequently broadening the scope of the main stream in the process. Remember in the saga of Jeff Gannon/Jim Guckert how the blogs reported new information that proved to be true time after time.

Ah, sweet recognition! But wait, there’s more. According to the National Press Club’s website, this event, called “Blogger? Journalist?” will include several bloggers on the panel. And who, might you ask, are they? Why, one of them is none other than Jeff Gannon. That’s right, that Jeff Gannon ( or is it Jim Guckert?). Gannon/Guckert will be joined by Ana Maria Cox of “Wonkette” and John Stanton of “Congress Daily”.

Allow me to dissect in reverse order. “Congress Daily” is not a blog so the inclusion of Stanton must be under the heading of journalist. Cox’s “Wonkette” is a beltway gossip blog specializing in sexual humor. “Wonkette” proudly displays reviews on it’s front page such as:

“Gossipy, raunchy, potty-mouthed." [New York Times]
and
"Wonkette's arrival on the steps of the Capitol is a quiet victory for creeping National Enquirer values." [Christian Science Monitor]

So that leaves Gannon/Guckert as the so called blogger on the panel. Many of you may remember that when his run as a phony White House correspondent fell apart, due in large part to the efforts of blogs like John Aravosis’ Americablog, Gannon/Guckert disappeared for around a week and them returned calling himself a blogger. His jeffgannon.com is a marginally clever attempt to blend into a landscape that is completely foreign to him. There are several things that betray how contrived this site is. First, if you look back through the entries you find that they are all one sentence references to other writer’s work. Rather than a blog, this site serves as a directory of conservative writing and there is no way to tell if Gannon/Guckert even participates. The one thing that appears to be his work is the “Current Column”, so proudly displayed on the front page. But today’s “Current Column is the same hubris filled nonsense that I wrote about in my Feb. 25, Gannon/Guckert Update. So Guckert/Gannon’s sole participation in the blogosphere so far is one column!

The National Press Club is undeterred. Mike Madden, a member of the Press Club’s Professional Affairs Committee told Editor and Publisher, "The panel came together because we wanted to discuss some issues that came about from the Gannon case, “ "The idea was talking about these issues and who should be allowed to set up shop [as a legitimate journalist],"

So apparently, unbiased journalism, exploring the serious question of “who should be allowed to set up shop” is best explored by the most questionable person available along with a gossip columnist.

Perhaps the National Press Club is playing the role of any other cultural dinosaur nearing the end of it’s reign. Create events wherein one’s own legitimacy is confirmed merely by holding the event. Or perhaps they’ve been asked to contribute to Gannon/Guckert’s legitimacy. Gannon himself suggested such to Editor & Publisher when he said that he sees himself as a legitimate journalist and "perhaps their invitation is recognition of that."

If this group of over-comfortable, under-achievers were seriously interested in exploring newer forms of journalism, there is a wealth of choices available to them. There is a “Crooks and Liars” project entitled “Mike’s Blog Roundup”, which gives one the chance to read individual columns from many progressive blogs. There is Dr. Laniac’s list of Indy Weblogs. There are even ‘legitimate journalists’ like MSNBC’s Keith Olberman who also writes a blog called Bloggerman. Coincidentally, Olberman did extensive coverage of Gannon/Guckert when the story was fresh and was the only voice giving it real prominence in the main stream.

The only conclusion I can draw is that the National Press Club is just that, a club. A good-old-boys-club that doesn’t want to relinquish any turf. Bloggers are not welcome. This event is carefully planned to pretend to study the question of blogging as journalism while actually presenting bloggers as light-weights, fools and buffoons .

Bloggers will have to continue to prove their ‘legitimacy’ in the same way they have thus far, find and publish information not covered by the main stream, provide lots of sourcing to quash the ‘legitimacy’ argument and continue to support each other’s work.

Perhaps we should form a “National Bloggers Club”.

DeLay DeeSappears!

2005-03-28T10:35:00.000-08:00

Tom DeLay is one of the most disingenuous and despicable excuses for a human being ever to rise to the top of the US congress. And just for the sake of clarity I add that the competition is fierce. Although a number of prominent politicians got their faces in front of the cameras on the subject of Terri Schiavo last week, DeLay was by far the most prominent and the most inflammatory.

For a grand total of 5 days, he made a number of statements implying that Ms. Schiavo’s fate was the most important issue before the nation. A look at the Majority Leader website reveals that the first public statement made or posted by DeLay occurred on Friday, March 18, 2005. In a press release DeLay talked of “murder committed against a defenseless American . . .” and “an act of medical terrorism”. In remarks to the press, the same day, DeLay said: “To friends, family, and millions of people praying around the world this Palm Sunday weekend: do not be afraid. Terri Schiavo will not be forsaken.”

DeLay continued with his rhetorical assaults on March 19, March 20 and March 22.

Since March 22, there have been at least 6 judicial reviews of the facts in this case and all of them have come down firmly on the side of Michael Schiavo’s contention that he is his wife’s legal guardian and is following her wishes.

But where is big Tom ‘the hammer’ now? He seems to have disappeared.

Perhaps that has to do with the poll numbers that popped up all over the place last week.

An ABC news poll found that:: ” The public, by 63 percent-28 percent, supports the removal of Schiavo's feeding tube, and by a 25-point margin opposes a law mandating federal review of her case.” A CBS news poll found: “An overwhelming 82 percent of the public believes the Congress and President should stay out of the matter.” A CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll “found that 61% would have a spouse's feeding tube removed under similar circumstances.”

Since March 22, Tom DeLay has been silent. Over the weekend, on the talking head news programs, DeLay was absent. Apparently, “judicial homicide” and “medical terrorism” are only important if the polls show support for your position.

To be fair, I must point out that Bill Frist, who diagnoses by video tape and George Bush who interrupted a vacation for the first time in his presidency over this case have also disappeared. In Bush’s radio address on Saturday, a vague mention of a “culture that affirms life”, is a close to this issue as he got. Apparently Bush, who stated in a Social Security discussion on March 21 that “it is wise to always err on the side of life”, has decided to join DeLay and Frist and err on the side of the poll numbers.

In fact, the only politician still speaking about this situation is Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who narrowly avoided a showdown between his Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents and the local police in Pinellas Park. Jeb doesn’t have the luxury of an entire nation to hide in. He’s on the ground in Florida. Since narrowly escaping a constitutional crisis on Thursday, the Governor, has been heard repeatedly saying that he has exhausted his authority in the situation. On Sunday, in response to calls from the Schindler family and their spokespeople to intervene, Jeb, seemingly devoid of outrage, said: "I can't. I'd love to, but I can't."

Meanwhile, the ‘boy king’, the ‘video doctor’ and ‘the hammer’ are all silent.

Make Them Stop

2005-03-25T00:24:00.000-08:00

There is something going on right now that is so perverse, so disgusting, so out of control, so prurient, so selfish and so self-centered as to nearly defy description.

On the front page of the CNN website is a picture of a demonstrator at the hospice in Florida holding a sign that reads “Terri’s nose and lips are bleeding”.

According to Brian Schiavo, Michaels’ brother and according to many hospice and health professionals and according to me, because I’ve seen this process first-hand, that is not true. The process is about slow fading that reaches a point where it stops. Hospice workers are well trained and scrupulously careful about the comfort of the patient. With pain management, the process is peaceful. It’s not the most pleasant thing to watch, especially if you have a relationship with the person. It should be given space, both physical and psychological for people to feel and process and adjust. It should be given quiet and peace. The only thing ‘horrible’ about Mrs. Schiavo’s condition is the way it’s being played on high-definition, multi-channel TV 24 hours a day. Instead of a death with dignity, this sick culture is giving this woman a circus sideshow sendoff like none ever seen before.

Meanwhile, hundreds of greasy manipulators spin the truth this way and that way with no regard for where it lands. Some are in it for the profit, others for the rush. Some are there for power and some have no idea why they're there at all. Many think they have God on their side. But all of them want to be on TV. And none of them have given any thought to the people who are going through this. They're much too busy being fodder for the gluttonous news market.

I’ve often had discussions on the responsibility of the media, especially TV. The TV media constantly absolve themselves of any responsibility because they say they only show what we want to see. They say the fact that we watch proves it.

To them I say this. If one is driving on a highway and comes upon an accident, for most people, it’s really difficult not to look. It seems to be an almost instinctive curiosity that we have. Now using the logic of the media managers, our highway departments would be looking for ways to make roads more dangerous, because we obviously want to see wrecks. The fact that we look proves it.

Now for the ‘catch 22’. We are the ones who have to pressure the media companies to be more responsible. The only way to do that is to affect their bottom line. That’s where their looking so that’s where you have to communicate with them.

If you’re really sickened by the coverage of this situation – don’t watch it. If you want to stay informed – read. An hour spent online or in a library will give you more knowledge than 24 hours of cable news. Also, take 5 minutes and let a couple of networks know how your really feel.

What's in the Words?

2005-03-24T02:24:00.000-08:00

I was sitting here tonight wondering why the Republicans seem to be marching in lockstep off of a cliff. With poll numbers, like those from CBS, showing as high as 82% agreement that Congress and the White House should not be involved in the Schiavo case, why do they seem to be escalating?

I was listening to the tapes of Tom DeLay and Bill Frist speaking to the “Family Research Council”, when I suddenly got a chill. It sounded to me that, rather than leaving themselves some wiggle room, in case the courts did not back them, these guys were “throwing down”.

"One thing that God has brought to us is Terri Schiavo, to help elevate the visibility of what is going on in America,", said DeLay, He went on to claim that his recent ethical and threatened legal problems were the result of attacks by a “syndicate” that is participating in "a huge nationwide concerted effort to destroy everything we believe in." "This is exactly the issue that is going on in America, of attacks against the conservative movement, against me and against many others," said ‘the hammer’. He went on to claim that “the other side” had figured out a way “to defeat the conservative movement.” Would that it were so!

As I listened, visions of confrontations between fundamentalists and civil authority began to play in my head. After the past week of inflammatory rhetoric are these people going to accept an unfavorable court ruling? Listen to some of the things that Mr. DeLay has had to say in the last week:

On Friday, March 18, 2005. In this press release he says:

“Right now, murder is being committed against a defenseless American citizen in Florida,”

“Mrs. Schiavo’s life is not slipping away – it is being violently wrenched from her body in an act of medical terrorism,” DeLay said. “Mr. Schiavo’s attorney’s characterization of the premeditated starvation and dehydration of a helpless woman as ‘her dying process’ is as disturbing as it is unacceptable. What is happening to her is not compassion – it is homicide. She doesn’t need to die, and as long as Terri Schiavo can breathe and her supporters can pray, we will not rest.”

In remarks to the press on Friday, March 18, DeLay said:

“Terri Schiavo is alive. She is not ‘barely alive.’ She is not ‘being kept alive.’ She is as alive as you or I, and as such we have a moral obligation to protect and defend her from the fate premeditated by the Florida courts.”

In remarks to the press on Sunday, March 20, Delay said:

“The few, objecting House Democrats have so far cost Mrs. Schiavo two meals already today, and we’re working now to resolve this in time for her to get some food and water tonight.”

“Mrs. Schiavo’s condition, I believe, has been at times misrepresented by the media, but far more often has simply gone unreported all together. Terri Schiavo is not on a respirator; she can breathe on her own. Terri Schiavo is not brain-dead; she talks and she laughs, and she expresses happiness and discomfort. Terri Schiavo is not on life-support. ““She’s not being ‘kept alive’; she is alive. It won’t take a miracle to help Terri Schiavo; it will only take the medical care and therapy that all patients deserve. Mrs. Schiavo is not being denied heroic measures; she’s being denied basic, basic, basic medical and personal care.”

In an interview with ABC news on Saturday, March 19, DeLay said:

"A death row inmate has more of a process to go through than Terri Schiavo does," DeLay said earlier on ABC News' "Good Morning America" on Saturday. "All we're doing in Congress is giving Terri Schiavo an opportunity to come to the federal courts and review what this judge in Florida has been doing, and he's been trying to kill Terri for 4 1/2 years."

The inflammatory nature of these statements is profoundly disturbing. Rather than a passionate statement of position, these seem much more like a call to war – a holy war. The use of language like “homicide”, “premeditated starvation” and “medical terrorism” is no accident. It is designed to aggravate the already raw emotions of the fundamentalist Christian zealots. It sounds to me a lot like an English-speaking/Christian version of an Iranian Ayatollah or an Iraqi mullah. The language is being chosen for it’s emotional content, not to further the cause of truth, justice or peaceful coexistence.

Much as Rush Limbaugh’s oft repeated “America held hostage” may have contributed to the twisted logic of Timothy McVeigh, phrases like “the death Democrats” are being employed right now, to stir up a visceral hatred of us and all we stand for. I am as sure as I’m sitting here that violence will come out of all this.

Early this morning I ran across this piece by Dave Johnson at “Seeing the Forest”. Dave is right on in this piece. As he says, we need to be “arguing the larger narrative”.

After so many years of being ‘herded’ by the right-wing, I’m not sure we know how to do that. I am sure that people like DeLay and Frist would have no qualms about presiding over the death of our democratic system. And, if that meant a minor civil war to help it along – so be it! These people have proven their ruthlessness and irresponsibility once and for all.

They are fostering fundamentalism and hatred, which always seem to go hand in hand.

Make More Noise

2005-03-20T11:19:00.000-08:00

"The Republicans in Congress do not like the results that the Florida courts have reached and they are going to this extraordinary remedy of now stripping the Florida court of its jurisdiction so that maybe there can be another outcome,"
Florida Congressman Robert Wexler

For most of my life, I have taken comfort in the fact that the US was, fundamentally, a nation of laws not of men. That, however cumbersome and convoluted, the process was a constant.

That is no longer the case.

The intervention of congress into the life and death of Terri Shiavo clearly marks the end of allowing the law to decide what is right and what will happen.

The imposition, by a special bill "For the relief of the parents of Theresa Marie Schiavo", of another layer of legal process after the fact is nothing more than men deciding these crucial questions rather than the law. The pre-existing processes have been exhausted. The result is not to the liking of the majority party. They have chosen to interfere with that result.

These interventionist, obstructionist lawmakers are hoping that by shrouding their outrageous meddling in legal terms they can escape being seen for what they are.

Make no mistake about it, these people, led by Frist, DeLay and Hastert, are imposing their own personal and political agendas onto the unfortunate human beings involved in this case. Their attempts to disguise same by involving another level of the courts fools no one.

The larger danger here is that it sets a precedent. In the future, decisions of great import will not be decided by the courts directly. They will be decided by whoever holds the reins of power.

Meanwhile, many of us sit and watch as if this were a movie. If we do not take a firm stand now and express it to these lawmakers then some of the foundation of our entire system has disappeared.

Write, call, visit in person – but do not allow this to pass without your comment.

Let's Make Noise!

2005-03-19T22:57:00.000-08:00

Tonight I’m hearing that our elected representatives are planning to write a special law which will change the federal jurisdiction over state courts in order to give Terri Shiavo’s parents another avenue of appeal.

In the midst of searching for something this morning, I came upon The Terri Shiavo Information Page. Done by a Florida legal blogger, it seems to be a fairly complete compilation of the factual evidence in the case, much if it in the form of court documents. Browsing through this site, I learned a couple of things that added to my conviction that this case is a tragedy being used by cynical politicians for their own purposes.

One of the things I learned was that this woman’s cerebral cortex is gone.
The Second District Court of Appeals stated the following:

"By mid 1996, the CAT scans of her brain showed a severely abnormal structure. At this point, much of her cerebral cortex is simply gone and has been replaced by cerebral spinal fluid. "

The cerebral cortex is the part of the brain we use to think. This is absolute, scientific proof that this woman cannot recover. Keeping her alive is akin to a science project - It’s immoral! We don’t allow animals to be treated this way.

Tonight, on talk radio, I heard yet another liberal/progressive/democrat say “Where are the democrats? Why haven’t we heard them saying anything. I think it’s time to get realistic about this.

If we want our Senators and Representatives to speak for our positions, we have to tell them and tell them and tell them.

The Social Security issue has shown us this. Enough people contact them and they stand right up. Even the mainstream media carry things that get noisy.

We need to get in the habit of making noise – weekly? every issue we care about? every day? The more the merrier.

We don’t need to be vitriolic or offensive – just clear about the positions we want them to take and why.

I’ve written to both my Senators and my Representative tonight – I ask that you do the same. Feel free to borrow from my letter below if you want to.

Senator,

I am writing to ask that you take a firm stand against any congressional or legislative involvement in the Terri Schiavo case.

I oppose this for a number of reasons including the absolute violation of privacy, and personal sovereignty that these intrusions create. We have legal processes in place to handle these kinds of situations and we should accept their results. If we start creating new law for every case who’s outcome we dislike, we will soon have total chaos.

The republicans are using this issue as a political tool. These people who pretend to be compassionate and family oriented are using this family at the most painful time in their lives. They are using them as if they were made of clay. There is not one ounce of compassion in any of this grandstanding.

I believe that a person has the right to decide how long they would want their life prolonged. I believe that the courts have determined that Terri Shiavo expressed that wish. Those decisions have been affirmed something like 7 times by other courts. Enough is enough!

Please take a firm, public stand against any involvement of congress in any individual case – this one or any other one.

Thank You,

A Wolf in Wonderland

2005-03-17T10:25:00.000-08:00

At first, the nomination of Paul Wolfowitz to head the World Bank seemed like just another in the series of bizarre appointments from the Bush Administration. A look at Wofie’s biography shows very little that would lead one to conclude he would make a great banker. Bush’s own words do nothing to clarify what makes this guy the ideal choice for the job.

“I've said he's a man of good experiences. He helped manage a large organization. The World Bank is a large organization; the Pentagon is a large organization -- he's been involved in the management of that organization. He's a skilled diplomat, worked at the State Department in high positions. He was Ambassador to Indonesia where he did a very good job representing our country. And Paul is committed to development. He's a compassionate, decent man who will do a fine job in the World Bank. And that's why I called leaders of countries and that's why I put him up.”

Nothing in that endorsement says to me: “obvious choice for World Bank President”. There is, however, other information that may help us to understand this appointment.

John Perkins has written a book entitled, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man: How the U.S. Uses Globalization to Cheat Poor Countries Out of Trillions. Although I have not read his book, I have heard several extensive interviews with Perkins. One of those was with Amy Goodman on Democracy Now. In these interviews, Perkins laid out a clear and convincing case for his own involvement in a number of these economic “hits”.

Put simply, an economic hit consists of enticing poor countries to borrow vast sums of money for development projects which is then handed to huge U.S. contractors in payment for that development work. The contractors would typically be in the Bechtel and Halliburton league. Later, the poor country discovers that they are disastrously over-extended and it is then that the “hit” part of the plan takes place. According to Perkins, at the point where the victim realizes it can’t pay the enormous debts, the U.S., through this network of “hit men” moves to take over industries such as oil or demands favors such as U.N. votes. The whole operation works much like a simple extortion scam. In the end, U.S. interests pocket most of the money and gain control over foreign interests.

In his interview with Goodman, Perkins described dealings in South and Central America, especially in Panama and Ecuador. He describes, in detail, the financial maneuvers and also the mysterious deaths of politicians who resisted the pressure, namely Omar Torrijos of Panama and Jaime Roldos, the first democratically elected President of Ecuador.

Now for the connection to Wolfowitz. Remember, Wolfie is one of the charter participants in the Project for a New American Century, a thinly veiled plan for U.S. global domination. Wolfowitz is widely considered the architect of U.S. policy in Iraq. But that still doesn’t tell us why the World Bank.

Perkins, in his Democracy Now interview, gives us the link.

“And we do this, typically -- well, there are many ways to do it, but a typical one is that we identify a third-world country that has resources, which we covet. And often these days that's oil, or might be the canal in the case of Panama. In any case, we go to that third-world country and we arrange a huge loan from the international lending community; usually the World Bank leads that process.” (emphasis added)

If you connect Wolfie’s interest in global domination, as expressed through PNAC, with Perkin’s allegations about the World Bank’s activities in international extortion, suddenly it all seems clearer. And of course, in true neo-con fashion, Bush has cleverly sown some of the truth into his obfuscations. All one needs is an ‘Orwellian decoder’ to make sense of Bush’s comment:

“And Paul is committed to development.”

Indeed, I’m sure he is!

At Least 10 Minutes from Normal

2005-03-16T10:23:00.000-08:00

If anything, George Bush’s need to surround himself with characters that sing his praises has intensified of late. This has led to a ‘rabbit-hole’ view of the world that would leave our old friend Alice struggling for balance.

While the appointment of Condoleeza seemed a stretch at the time, she at least had some experience that could arguably apply to the position. Even though the cold war ended 15 years ago, her experience as a Sovietologist at least pointed to some knowledge of life outside the U.S., however slanted and outdated.

But, the recent appointments of Laura Bush to spearhead the “Helping America’s Youth Intiiative” and Karen Hughes to serve as Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy are truly bizarre.

Can you imagine the appeal that Laura must have to inner-city, minority youth who are engaging in what Mrs. Bush calls "Risky behaviors -- including illegal-drug use, alcohol and tobacco use, violence and early sexual activities . . . “ The youth of America have not had such a clear and engaging role model since Nancy Reagan infamously declared: “Just say no!” Of course we now know that millions of kids heard that declaration and immediately said to themselves: “Why didn’t I think of that?” Mrs. Reagan’s effect on drug usage is now legendary.

But the absurdity of Laura’s appointment pales in comparison to the image of Karen Hughes as our cultural face to the Muslim world. You just know that in Baghdad, Tehran, Beirut and Riyadh, people are truly encouraged by the thought of being cared for and understood by the author of “Ten Minutes from Normal”. Hughes brings here extensive background as a T.V. reporter, white Texas housewife and chief “spin doctor” for Bush to her new post. I admit there is probably some similarity between putting the best face on the boy-king and doing the same for the U.S. Both jobs require a very loose relationship with the truth (a qualification shared by Rice) and the ability to completely ignore the obvious. Hughes’ past endeavors prove she has both these essential skills.

But seriously, does anyone really believe that Hughes has been brought back to interface with the world? Isn’t her real position the same one she has filled ever since she gave up the T.V. camera? Isn’t her real job the care and feeding of W’s ego, stroking and fawning over him, both in person and through the media?

Perhaps, rather than a truly bizarre type of diplomacy, Hughes appointment represents damage control on the S.S. Bushit. Perhaps, resistance to Social Security privatization, recurring revelations about government sponsored propaganda, Jeff Gannon and a Middle East that is careening out of control have caused the ‘boy-in-the-bubble’ to feel some discomfort. Recently, protesters have greeted Bush at each of his Social Security road show events. Perhaps the real reason Hughes is back from ‘spending more time with her family’, is that she is the only one who can talk the boy up when he really gets down.

Propaganda

2005-03-14T08:27:00.000-08:00

The Repuglican-Neo-Fascist propaganda machine is finally beginning to gather some main stream attention.

The N.Y. Times published a lengthy look at this massive misuse of the “press”, which is supposed to be the ultimate check and balance in our democracy.

It is well worth your time to read this article.

Iran Still on the Table

2005-03-11T13:24:00.000-08:00

I heard Scott Ritter on the Ed Schultz radio show a little while ago. He repeated his warning that Bush and his crime family have already been briefed on a plan for an aerial invasion of Iran scheduled for June. This is part of the neo-con, Project for a New American Century agenda – regime change for Iran. Ritter also said that Bush is “hyping” a non-existent threat, just like he did pre-Iraq invasion. Ritter said that under the most exaggerated timetable, Iran could not have a nuclear weapon for at least 2 years. He said that projection was based on their having technology perfected that we know for a fact they don’t have. So in reality, their possible production of a weapon is farther away than 2 years.

Remember, Ritter was the one who stated categorically that the US would find no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. He was correct!

Bush, speaking at the National Defense University on March 8, said:

“Freedom has determined enemies, who show no mercy for the innocent, and no respect for the rules of warfare.”

Freedom has no greater enemy than George W. Bush and his gang of fascist killers. The invasion of Iraq was clearly illegal under international law. The fact that Bush ignores international law does not change that. If he were not the leader of a nuclear super-power, I have no doubt that other nations would have moved against him already.

The only hope I see at this point of stopping this un-provoked and illegal invasion of Iran is in the anti war movement. Ritter thinks the movement has a chance. Let’s not blow it!

Arrogance of Power

2005-03-10T09:10:00.000-08:00

"We found no link between approved interrogation techniques and detainee abuse,"
Vice Adm. Albert T. Church – reporting to the Senate Armed Services Committee – March 10, 2005

Appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee this morning, Adm. Church effectively excused all military and civilian leadership from any organizing role in the abuse of prisoners in Afghanistan or Iraq. Church further defended the Administration’s decision to exempt Taliban prisoners from the Geneva Conventions.

So we are left to conclude that the amount of culturally specific, targeted abuse that we have heard about from Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo is merely the result of some giant coincidence. Apparently our ‘all volunteer’ military is so well educated on Muslim sensibilities as to inherently understand what would be most offensive to these people. Further, we are to conclude that spontaneously, all over he world, U.S. soldiers have taken it upon themselves to act on this knowledge in an attempt to force information from prisoners.

What a crock!

Many years ago, the concept of plausible deniability was developed by U.S. leaders to be used by the CIA. Wikipedia provides this definition: “Plausible deniability involves the creation of power structures and chains of command loose and informal enough to be denied if necessary.”

Plausible deniability became a major feature in the Watergate investigations of the 1970s. Although Nixon and his people tried to use this as a defense, the public and the press of that day saw through it. Through the Watergate years and beyond, the meaning of the concept shifted somewhat to indicate a situation where those in leadership positions are not told some things about what is really going on so that they may deny it. This can also include unwritten, and even unspoken, understandings between leaders and subordinates about activities that skirt the edges of legality.

I am no mathematician. However, I would hazard a guess that the odds against several diverse, unconnected incidents of prisoner abuse occurring simultaneously and bearing this level of resemblance would be astronomical. Put differently, if it looks like a duck . . .

I agree fully with Senator Carl Levin:

"I can only conclude that the Defense Department is not able to assess accountability at senior levels, particularly when investigators are in the chain of command of the officials whose policies and actions they are investigating,"

Duh!

Not My God!

2005-03-09T12:38:00.000-08:00

“God hates people, he hates the majority of the human race and will send them to hell.”
Jael Phelps, granddaughter of Fred Phelps, pastor of the Westboro Baptist Church. Jael was speaking on the Al Franken radio program, March 9, 2005.

The Westboro Baptist Church is known for picketing the funerals of AIDs victims and victims of anti-gay hate crimes such as Matthew Shepard.

The Westboro Baptist Church has a website entitled “God Hates Fags”.

Whatever God these people invoke, I want nothing to do with it!

One way to help in the struggle to overcome this kind of insanity is to support organizations like The Southern Poverty Law Center. The SPLC has named the Westboro Baptist Church a hate group.

Drop them a small contribution to help in the struggle against hate.

Wall of Shame

2005-03-09T10:13:00.000-08:00

With Democrats like these, who needs Republicans? These 14 Democrats, for whatever reason, voted to invoke cloture, which effectively stops debate, on the grossly misnamed Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 yesterday, virtually ensuring it’s passage later this week.

SHAME ON ALL OF YOU!
Biden – Delaware
Byrd – West Virginia
Carper – Delaware
Conrad – North Dakota
Johnson – South Dakota
Kohl – Wisconsin
Landrieu – Louisiana
Lieberman – Connecticut
Lincoln – Arkansas
Nelson – Florida
Nelson – Nebraska
Pryor – Arkansas
Salazar – Colorado
Stabenow – Michigan

So, why would these people sell us out like this? The argument that is frequently brought forth is that the Democrats are “keeping their powder dry”, in other words, saving real resistance and the power of the filibuster for some really ‘serious’ battle.

Well, I’m here to tell you that every battle in this legislative environment is ‘serious’.

I wrote recently about the move to kill the filibuster itself in “Shoes & Nazis”. On March 1, Senator Byrd gave a detailed historical look at the filibuster and the reasons for it in a speech on the floor of the Senate. Some say that it is fear of this ‘nuclear option’ that is keeping the Democrats from pushing the envelope.

If that is their reason, they couldn’t be more wrong!

First of all, the fight over the filibuster itself will come. As soon as Democrats find an issue they feel is ‘serious’ enough, the Repuglicans will try to use the ‘nuclear option’, so the Dems might as well fight them now.

Second, while the Dems hide out and wait for a ‘serious’ enough reason to fight, the lives of ordinary citizens of this country are being seriously devalued on a daily basis.

Please contact any or all of these sorry excuses for opposition and let them know how much you disapprove.

More Bushit!

2005-03-09T07:54:00.000-08:00

Quotes are all from Bush at the National Defense University on March 8, 2005

“The people of Afghanistan have embraced free government, after suffering under one of the most backward tyrannies on earth.”

Actually, the government of Hamid Karzai has recently appointed General Abdul Rashid Dostum as his military chief of staff. General Dostum, who is one of the more powerful of the warlords that have ruled Afghanistan since the Taliban were removed, is the subject of numerous human rights complaints for over 25 years. Dostum’s forces have repeatedly contributed to the instability of Karzai’s regime. Including this warlord/terrorist in the official governing structure was done with the praise of the U.S. government.

“The voters in Iraq defied threats of murder, and have set their country on a path to full democracy. “

Actually, while freedom rings through Iraq, each day brings another atrocity. Yesterday, in addition to another suicide bombing in Baghdad, at least 35 headless corpses were found outside the city. For women, life in Iraq is much worse now. Also worth noting is Iraqi leader , Iyad Alawi has ties to the CIA and big oil. Coincidentally, so does Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan.

“The people of the Palestinian Territories cast their ballots against violence and corruption of the past.”

Actually, Yasser Arafat, who lead the Palestinian people for decades was elected leader of the Palestine Authority in 1996 in elections that independent international observers called “free and fair”. Elections in 2000 were postponed due to unrest in the region. It is worth noting that Arafat was also the co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994. Although Arafat has been accused of widespread financial corruption that hardly differentiates him from many other powerful leaders. The newly elected leader of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, has a background in the Palestinian Liberation Organization and Fatah, both of which have had involvement in terrorism.

“And any who doubt the appeal of freedom in the Middle East can look to Lebanon, where the Lebanese people are demanding a free and independent nation. In the words of one Lebanese observer, "Democracy is knocking at the door of this country and, if it's successful in Lebanon, it is going to ring the doors of every Arab regime."

Actually, almost simultaneously as Bush spoke, as many as 500,000 demonstrators gathered in Beirut to support a continued role for Syria in Lebanon. This was a sharp contrast to the estimated 70,000 who participated in the anti-Syrian demonstrations referred to by Bush.

As usual, the man is full of Bushit!

Can We Ever Quit Campaigning?

2005-03-07T12:12:00.000-08:00

“Can we ever quit campaigning? There is not going to be another election until November of '06. What we ought to do is quit running ads and sit down and start figuring out how to solve this problem.”
Senator Mitch McConnell on Meet the Press – March 6 2005

Instead of complaining about Senator Durbin and the Democrats, McConnell should direct his comments to the Campaigner in Chief who’s leading an administration ‘barnstorming’ tour of the U.S. called “60 stops in 60 days”. The purpose of this non-election campaigning is to ‘educate’ the public about Social Security.

How much is this foolish obsession with killing Social Security costing us taxpayers?

Wouldn’t it seem that if there really was a crisis in Social Security, that the public would have ‘gotten it’ by now?

And what about those things that are either not being attended to or those that are being attended quietly in the shadows of the Social Security ‘crisis”.

How about the Bankruptcy Bill – which will most likely pass this week. Molly Ivins calls the origins of this bill “a gift to big bankers and credit card companies.” The two leading causes of bankruptcy are job loss and medical catastrophe. Bankruptcies brought on by medical catastrophe have risen by 2200% for the period 1981 to 2001, according to a study authored by two Harvard medical professors. According to the same study, 90% of medical bankruptcies occur in the middle class. Despite the rhetoric of Repuglican supporters of this bill, families that file for medical bankruptcy have undergone severe hardship previous to filing.

The thrust of this bill, which has been a priority for the credit card industry for at least 7 years, is to make it much more difficult to escape crushing debt through bankruptcy, regardless of the cause. Someone with severe medical problems, a catastrophic accident or job loss would be treated the same as someone who amassed huge gambling losses. Democratic amendments that would have protected home equity for the elderly or added protection for military veterans have been defeated. Even victims of identity theft would be more vulnerable under the new law.

Bush is Such a Liar

2005-03-04T13:21:00.000-08:00

Bush is such a liar:

“One of the myths of Social Security is that your money is going into it and the government is holding it and saving it for you. That's not the way it works. Your money is going into the system and it's getting spent -- some of it on retirement benefits, other parts on just general government. And there's an IOU, a paper IOU accumulating. But it's not just sitting there. There's not an account with your name that's saying, on behalf of you, the government has now got your money. That's not the way it works. So it's a pay-as-you-go. It goes in and goes out.”

First of all, I don’t know anyone who thinks that Social Security saves ones own contribution in an account with their name on it.

Second, the Social Security Trust Fund was created to save part of the money until it was needed due to the baby boomer population bulge.

Third – on this Bush tells the truth – the Trust Fund has been used for other purposes. That should never have happened.

Fourth – Bush, and his buddies who misappropriated the Trust Fund, now want us to think that the system is “pay as you go” and “in crisis” so they won’t have to pay back what they stole. He says it himself, there are IOUs accumulating. Now is the time to call in those IOUs not overhaul the system.

Do we respond to a bank robbery by remodeling the bank building and lowering the interest rate on savings?

Shoes & Nazis

2005-03-04T12:55:00.000-08:00

Senator Robert Byrd who in turn quotes Alan Bullock:

“But witness how men with motives and a majority can manipulate law to cruel and unjust ends. Historian Alan Bullock writes that Hitler’s dictatorship rested on the constitutional foundation of a single law, the Enabling Law. Hitler needed a two-thirds vote to pass that law, and he cajoled his opposition in the Reichstag to support it. Bullock writes that “Hitler was prepared to promise anything to get his bill through, with the appearances of legality preserved intact.” And he succeeded.
“Hitler’s originality lay in his realization that effective revolutions, in modern conditions, are carried out with, and not against, the power of the State: the correct order of events was first to secure access to that power and then begin his revolution. Hitler never abandoned the cloak of legality; he recognized the enormous psychological value of having the law on his side. Instead, he turned the law inside out and made illegality legal.”
And that is what the nuclear option seeks to do to Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate.”

Byrd gave one of the most significant speeches I’ve read or heard in a long time on Tuesday. If you’ve heard about it at all, it’s probably been from the main stream who fixated on the outrage of the right who say that Byrd called them Nazis.

Having read the entire speech, which I highly encourage you to do by clicking here, I can say that Byrd did not call the Republicans Nazis. He did however outline a series of tactics used by the Nazis to seize power. His warning is against the use of a similar tactic by the Republicans.

To any Republicans that find that warning engenders uncomfortable feelings, I quote my departed mother: “If the shoe fits, wear it!”

What Would You Do?

2005-03-04T09:29:00.000-08:00

I got involved this morning in a poignant and interesting conversation on the LiberalPatriots blog.

I think it is worth your time to check it out as the general subject is of importance to any of us who have children or grandchildren.

The particular message thread I refer to is available here.

"Liberal Media" Liars

2005-03-03T10:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I talked about how Bob Novak had completely twisted remarks made by Howard Dean at Cornell University last week.

Referring to Dean, Novak said on the Feb. 28 edition of Inside Politics:

“He spoke at Cornell University last week, and the only paper that covered this was "The Cornell Daily" student paper, and he said, yes, Social Security has a big problem. Over the years it's going to lose about 80 percent of the benefits. That, Judy, is not the Democratic line.”

Judy Woodruff attempted to cover for Novak on the March 1 edition of Inside Politics when she said:

“Bob Novak misquoted Governor Dean, it turns out. Bob tells us that he intended to report that Governor Dean said that in 30 years, if nothing changed, Social Security would be reduced to 80 percent of its current benefits. We apologize for the mistake and we're happy to set the record straight.”

However, both Woodruff’s apology and Novaks supposed intentions are belied by Novaks own words during the Feb 26 edition of The Capital Gang

“Howard Dean gave a speech at Cornell on Thursday of this week in which he said that 80 percent of the -- over the years, 80 percent of the Social Security benefits will lost. There is a problem. So Howard sometimes tells the truth.”

It’s quite obvious that Novak intended to mischaracterize and smear Dean and that Woodruff was attempting to smooth over it for him.

The mere fact that Novak is still allowed to appear on CNN tells us everything we need to know about both CNN’s character requirements and their political bias.

Just in Case

2005-03-02T19:26:00.000-08:00

Just in case you didn't click on the link to the Repuglican National Committee Website in my previous post , Theives and Liars, the RNC has removed all trace of the Novak mischaracterization from their site. You can still read Novak's original lie here.

I think a little blog pressure has succeeded again.

Thieves & Liars

2005-03-02T05:44:00.000-08:00

The Repuglican National Committee is perpetuating a lie told over the weekend by that old faithful servant of the fascist ruling class, Bob Novak on Inside Politics on CNN.

At a recent appearance at Cornell, newly elected Democratic Party Chair Howard Dean talked about the administrations’ drive to privatize Social Security. According to the Cornell Daily Sun:

Dean pointed out that, while he would not endorse this, if Social Security were left alone for 30 years, its benefits would be reduced to 80 percent of what it is now. He acknowledged that while there were indeed problems with the program, turning to Wall Street was not the answer.

But by the time Bob Novak finished reporting on the same appearance, he had Dean’s message completely switched around:

"[T]hey've got to really get Howard under control. He spoke at Cornell University last week, and the only paper that covered this was "The Cornell Daily" student paper, and he said, yes, Social Security has a big problem. Over the years it's going to lose about 80 percent of the benefits. That, Judy, is not the Democratic line. The Democratic line is there is no problem."

There is a huge difference between paying 80% of benefits and 80% of benefits lost.

The Repuglican National Committee is running Novak’s lie on their website, “In Case You Missed It.” Never mind the fact that the actual quote is available. Never mind the fact that the administration shill Novak has proven himself untrustworthy over and over again.

Apparently, it’s important for everyone to hear even as easily disproved a lie as this one.

Of course, the Repuglicans know that their base has no use for facts.

Zombies (really!)

2005-03-01T19:30:00.000-08:00

Another further eruption of the obsessed relative has cost another pile of time and dollars. It’s truly amazing how much havoc one person of bad will can wreak. This week there will be courts involved so I’m a bit distracted.

On the other hand, it’s so easy to find other people who are having a worse time. Take the High School junior in Kentucky that was arrested and charged with a felony for a story he wrote in which zombies attack a fictional high school. According to Steven Caudill, a police detective in Winchester Kenucky, "Anytime you make any threat or possess matter involving a school or function it's a felony in the state of Kentucky,"

Eighteen year old William Poole remains in custody at the Clark County Detention Center on a $5000 bond. Chances are, that’s enough to keep him there.

Boy King Babbles

2005-02-25T12:05:00.000-08:00

The boy king babbles on! Yesterday, in a joint appearance with President Putin, Bush said the following:

I live in a transparent country. I live in a country where decisions made by government are wide open, and people are able to call people to -- me to account, which many out here do on a regular basis. Our laws, and the reasons why we have laws on the books, are perfectly explained to people. Every decision we have made is within the Constitution of the United States. We have a Constitution that we uphold. And if there is a question as to whether or not a law meets that Constitution, we have an independent court system, through which that law is reviewed.

So I'm perfectly comfortable in telling you, our country is one that safeguards human rights and human dignity, and we resolve our disputes in a peaceful way.

I am at a loss for words. In addition to sounding like an illiterate bumpkin, he describes a fantasy land that I’m sure even the most naive of Russians know doesn’t exist.

Gannon/Guckert Update 2-25

2005-02-25T11:15:00.000-08:00

Talk about self-serving bullshit! Listen to what Jeff Gannon has to say on the newest incarnation of his website, jeffgannon.com.

“I'm baaaaaaack! If you thought I was going to slink away - then you don't know much about me. Someone still has to battle the Left and now that I've emerged from the crucible, I'm stronger than before.”

Apparently Gannon has forgotten what he posted on this very site two weeks ago.

“The voice goes silent. Because of the attention being paid to me I find it is no longer possible to effectively be a reporter for Talon News. In consideration of the welfare of me and my family I have decided to return to private life.”

So to Gannon, five days of silence followed by a few sporadic misleading interviews is the crucible. And now he emerges “stronger than before”.

In the only article on his so-called “Gannonblog” ostensibly written by Gannon, he betrays a level of hubris fitting of denizens of this White House. Mere days after the death of gonzo-journalist Hunter S. Thomson, Gannon dares to co-opt a Thompson title by calling his own drivel “Fear and Loathing in the Press Room”. I’m truly sorry that Thompson, and his long time lawyer companion, can’t pay Gannon a late night call and show him what “fear and loathing” are really all about.

In this ridiculous fantasy piece, Gannon claims that he made some good friends in the White House press pool who “welcomed the refreshing perspective” and “respected my courage for asking the questions that I did”. Oh Yeah Jeff, it really took courage to lob those softballs that actually made the rest of our lazy press corps look like real journalists. It took tremendous courage to post those Republican press notices on the Talon site under your name. What a hero!

Gannon goes on to tell of his fall in rather dramatic terms:

“The well-funded liberal attack machine, Media Matters, filled with operatives from the DNC and failed Democratic campaigns incited activist bloggers to wage a full-scale jihad against me.”

You flatter yourself Jeff. And, you misunderstand both the left and the blogosphere.

Many, many of us on the left are sick to death of the propaganda machine that has been perfected by this administration. Given the chance to uncover interesting information about a planted, fake journalist in the White House, we took action. As a blogger myself, I can say categorically that Media Matters has never contacted me, or otherwise “incited” me to wage a “jihad” against you. Your own obvious, hypocritical, shallow, clumsy, subservience to the neo-fascist war machine is what incited me. And Jeff, you continue to spin the myth that the kinkier side of your activities was personal and past. Neither are true.

In fact, you advertised yourself on the Web. – That’s not personal - it’s professional.

In fact, you still have ads running – That’s not past - it’s present.

Here is a screen shot, taken today, of your ad at meetlocalmen.com. Click the Meet Local Escorts button, then click on the DC area of the map, then click the next button 17 times and voila, there you are!

.

If one clicks on the “Email Me” button on your page, the mail is addressed to usmcpt@aol.com the email address that you used for all of these services. And, your add refers to you as Jeff/Bulldog and contains the same prurient details as all the other ads that have been purged from the net.

Another serious inaccuracy in your article Jeff is where you claim that “Now Democrats in Congress are demanding that the White House do more thorough investigation into the personal lives and sexual histories of reporters.” In fact, congressional Democrats are calling for in investigation into the lax security practices at the White House and the administration’s numerous attempts to pay for propaganda and disguise it as news. Your personal and sexual life have only served to underline how phony your claims to be a journalist really are. Your charge that ”The Left is engaging in “21st Century McCarthyism “. . . “ is truly bizarre. Perhaps it’s your young age. McCarthy was a Senator. McCarthyism was persecution by the government of anyone with a political beliefs. It expanded into persecution of anyone McCarthy chose to persecute. In your case, the government is all too comfortable with your political beliefs. If you think that having the truth told about you is persecution, then you have a lot to learn.

Finally, the new “Gannonblog” is so far merely a collection of pointers to articles on other sites by other authors. It appears to be set up to look as if you had been working on it for some time. Unfortunately for you, some of us can read dates and would have no trouble imagining the creation of this entire incarnation of jeffgannon.com in one afternoon.

I guess to sum it up all I can say is, once a phony, always a phony!

Oh Canada

2005-02-25T09:15:00.000-08:00

When you can’t get along with a country like Canada, it’s time to rethink your approach.

I live about 30 miles from Canada. Going there, other than the wait at the border, is a shorter drive than many metropolitan dwellers take to cross town. Once there, it is virtually impossible to tell the difference. Dairy farms in Canada look just like dairy farms in the U.S. People in Canada look just like people in the U.S. The flags are different and the road signs are metric but for the most part, the imaginary line makes no difference. But that won’t stop the Bush administration’s Canadian phase of their push to alienate and bully every nation on earth.

Recently, the Canadian government announced that it would not be participating in any further efforts toward the U.S. Missile Defense Shield, once known as the Star Wars Defense System. Did the U.S. gracefully acknowledge the right of this free and independent country to decide how it’s money and resources would be spent in this area? Not on your life!

U.S. Ambassador to Canada, Paul Cellucci, warned that Canada had given up it’s sovereignty. Despite Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin’s assertion that Canada would control their own airspace, Cellucci said that the U.S. would continue with development of the system. “We will defend North America.”, said the U.S. Ambassador.

The nub of the argument goes like this. The U.S. (actually the neo-fascist military-industrial cabal that controls the U.S.) is forging ahead with a re-constituted version of the Reagan era Star Wars system. Even though nearly every test of this futuristic boondoggle has failed, the true-believers (actually big investors) continue to tout a future where we are safe under an umbrella of computer controlled automatic weapons.

Canada, as a sovereign independent country has democratically chosen not to dump any more of their resources down this high-tech rat hole.

The U.S. (actually the neo-fascist military-industrial cabal that controls the U.S.) has declared that by acting independently, Canada has sacrificed her independence.

These people (the neo-fascist military-industrial cabal that controls the U.S.) are completely out of control. The Star Wars system is postulated to deal with a threat that is largely non-existent. The idea of a large scale missile attack on the U.S. is a remnant of the cold war. It has been amply demonstrated by now that nations like Russia and China are much too interested in economic progress to start a war of nuclear annihilation. The missile threat now, such as it is, comes from “rogue states” like North Korea. Building an impossibly expensive and problematic missile defense shield to deal with the possibility of one or two missiles is absurd. We would be way ahead both financially and in terms of security to take whatever diplomatic steps are necessary to reach some accord with these “rogue nations”.

Meanwhile, the real threats to our security come from terrorist organizations. The chance of a small nuclear device being smuggled into one of our ports is much higher than the chance of a missile coming our way. It would require much less money, require much lower technology, be harder to retaliate against and have a much higher chance of success than a solitary missile launch. But the Bushies and their friends find the profit potential of a diversified defense system to be too limited. So, they pursue their bullying, aggressive policies, even with our oldest friends and allies.

If the U.S. defense priority were terrorism, then countries like Canada would be our most important allies since they control many of our entry points. A strong, cooperative relationship with them would help the U.S. control who comes in our back door.

Instead, we have spit in their faces and said: “We’re bigger, tougher and better armed. You can’t stop us. We’ll do whatever we want.”

Gannon/Guckert Update 2-24

2005-02-24T12:27:00.000-08:00

There is more and more mainstream attention being paid to the Gannon/Guckert saga.

Here is a pretty funny cartoon from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette.

And, no less than Fox News now has coverage.

Campbell Brown interviewed Gannon/Guckert on the Today Show this morning. A video clip is available courtesy of Crooks and Liars. Brown did a good job of raising the questions. Gannon/Guckert did his usual job of saying nothing. He claims that there is a little truth in what we’ve heard along with a lot of inaccuracies. But, he won’t clear up which is which.

Also today, the San Francisco Chronicle published an editorial on the situation. In it, they quote Sen. Joe Biden as suggesting the White House may be guilty of “sheer, friggin' incompetence” for allowing Gannon/Guckert in.

Talon News (Not)

2005-02-23T23:14:00.000-08:00

This evening I discovered that Talon News has disappeared completely. All that remains at their website is a message saying in part that they "feel compelled to reevaluate operations in order to provide the highest quality, most professional product possible."

Can you imagine if the N.Y. Times suddenly closed up shop to "reevaluate operations" after taking some criticism over the actions of one of their writers?

This whole thing, to quote a friend, "just keeps gettin' curiouser and curiouser."

Talon News?

2005-02-23T15:16:00.000-08:00

As a footnote to today’s Gannon/Guckert report, here’s an update on Talon News.

Remember, Talon News is a legitimate news agency. The description of Talon on their website’s about page reads as follows:

“Talon News is a news company which covers political, national, and world news. Talon News focuses on those stories often overlooked by other media outlets”

So the question for today is, why has Talon News removed or passworded all ‘news’ reports on their website and even those that refer one to GOPUSA?

Could it be that Talon is feeling a little less than legitimate?

Your Help is Needed

2005-02-23T14:48:00.000-08:00

Your help is needed in keeping the ball rolling on the investigation into how Jeff/Jim Gannon/Guckert was allowed to serve as White House correspondent, at times without any journalistic affiliation. In addition, there is strong evidence that Gannon/Guckert was involved in both the CBS/Dan Rather memo affair and the leak of CIA agent Valerie Plame’s identity.

Senator Dick Durbin has written a letter to George Bush formally asking him to investigate this matter. The letter is currently circulating among Senators who are being encouraged to sign it.

Please contact your Senators and ask them to sign Durbin’s letter and support an investigation of Gannon/Guckert and his activities.

Meanwhile, Congressman John Conyers has joined Congresswoman Louise Slaughter in writing two letters about this affair. One, to the GAO, calls for an investigation, while the other to Patrick Fitzgerald, the prosecutor investigating the Plame leak, suggests that he might want to subpoena Gannon/Guckert’s diary, which he revealed yesterday to Editor & Publisher.

Please contact your Representatives and ask them to support Representatives Conyers and Slaughter.

Also, the mainstream media is beginning to cover Gannon/Guckert. A selection of articles is listed on Daily Kos. An editorial, published today in the Detroit Free Press, absolutely nails the key questions that need to be answered here.

Let’s keep this moving. There is more than enough evidence already to indicate some serious problems. The more attention we can focus on this, the less energy the Administration has to pursue their corrupt agenda.

At Least They're Free!

2005-02-23T11:55:00.000-08:00

Bush’s attempts to control all events that he participates in ran into a snag in Germany today. For several weeks, Bush’s handlers have been building anticipation for a “town hall style” meeting with German citizens. The idea was for Bush to be able to sell his ideas to an audience of ordinary people, among whom he has contended that the U.S. is misunderstood.

However, the Germans being a free people, attempts to manage the meeting by pre-approving all the questions failed. Given the prospect of the idiot-in-chief talking off-the-cuff to a group of intelligent, angry Germans, the handlers decided to cancel. When filtered through the language of diplomacy, this event merely disappears from the agenda and is not spoken of by either side.

Meanwhile, a new event is on the agenda. Bush will meet with a group of 20, “well heeled” young people. The participants in this closed forum were “handpicked by several US organizations with offices in Germany”. To insure that nothing takes place that might embarrass the boy king, no journalists will be allowed to attend.

Are We Free?

2005-02-23T11:31:00.000-08:00

A letter to the editor of my local paper brought this to my attention.

There are approximately 9 million people imprisoned on planet earth. 2.03 million of those are in the United States which accounts for about 23% of the total.

Even more telling are the rates of imprisonment which tell us the number of people imprisoned per 100,000 of population. The United States has the highest rate of imprisonment of any country in the world. That’s right, the United States, land of the free, has 701 people imprisoned per 100,000 of population.

Here are the rates of the top dozen countries as compiled by the Research, Development and Statistics Directorate of the British Home Office in their report The World Prison Population List (fifth edition):

U.S. ----- 701
Russia ----- 606
Belarus ----- 554
Kazakhstan ----- 522
U.S. Virgin Islands ----- 522
Cayman Islands ----- 501
Turkmenistan ----- 489
Belize ----- 459
Bermuda ----- 447
Suriname ----- 437
Dominica ----- 420
Ukraine ----- 415

In contrast, over 60% of countries have rates below 150 per 100,000. The rates of some of the countries that the boy king is currently lecturing on the value of freedom may give us a clue as to how they will receive his message.

England & Wales ----- 141
Scotland ----- 129
Ireland ----- 85
France ----- 93
Germany ----- 98
Austria ----- 100
Netherlands ----- 100
Italy ----- 100
Greece ----- 80

Call me naïve, but I think that imprisonment rates are one indicator of how free a society really is.

Spin 102

2005-02-19T10:45:00.000-08:00

Jeff/Jim Gannon/Guckert’s return to the media spotlight, both last night with Anderson Cooper and in today’s Washington Post, has shown us exactly how the right-wing noise machine will attempt to spin his story.

A reporter’s sexual history should not be fair game as a means of undermining his credibility. (perhaps, except when said reporter consistently hypocritically bashes that particular lifestyle)
A reporter’s personal life should not be fair game as a means of undermining his credibility. (perhaps, except when that personal life is professional and advertised on the internet)
The lefties are hypocrites when they criticize Gannon/Guckert while claiming to believe in free speech and privacy. (perhaps, except that free speech refers to ones’ own opinions, not taking payment for reprinting partisan positions)
Past mistakes shouldn’t prevent one from being a journalist. (perhaps, except that the past is present, the mistakes are ongoing and he never was a journalist)

Watch to see how many times these ‘talking points’ are repeated verbatim on the talking head shows this weekend. No doubt, Gannon/Guckert’s week of silence was used to devise this strategy and coach him on how to stay ‘on message’.

Fair and Balanced (Spin 101)

2005-02-19T08:45:00.000-08:00

Just in case you’ve missed this particular wrinkle in the Social Security story, I re-hash it here. It is important, both as an example of how the righties will do anything to spin a story their way and as specific information to watch out for on the Social Security front.

On the Feb. 3 edition of Special Report with Brit Hume, Hume said the following:

In a written statement to Congress in 1935, Roosevelt said that any Social Security plans should include, "Voluntary contributory annuities, by which individual initiative can increase the annual amounts received in old age," adding that government funding, "ought to ultimately be supplanted by self-supporting annuity plans."

This all sounds well and good. The problem is that the FDR quotes are taken out of context to make the point that Hume and the righties want us to believe. Three paragraphs from FDR’s message to congress on Jan. 17, 1935 give us a clear picture of what he was calling for. (bold emphasis added)

It is overwhelmingly important to avoid any danger of permanently discrediting the sound and necessary policy of Federal legislation for economic security by attempting to apply it on too ambitious a scale before actual experience has provided guidance for the permanently safe direction of such efforts. The place of such a fundamental in Our future civilization is too precious to be jeopardized now by extravagant action. It is a sound idea--a sound ideal. Most of the other advanced countries of the world have already adopted it and their experience affords the knowledge that social insurance can be made a sound and workable project.

In that paragraph, FDR is obviously talking about social insurance. In other words, a plan to create a level below which no one would fall.

Three principles should be observed in legislation on this subject. First, the system adopted, except for the money necessary to initiate it, should be self-sustaining in the sense that funds for the payment of insurance benefits should not come from the proceeds of general taxation. Second, excepting in old-age insurance, actual management should be left to the States subject to standards established by the Federal Government. Third, sound financial management of the funds and the reserves, and protection of the credit structure of the Nation should be assured by retaining Federal control over all funds through trustees in the Treasury of the United States.

In that paragraph, FDR is telling congress that this new system should be set up to pay for itself and that the money collected should only be invested in the Treasury of the U.S. itself. This statement amounts to an outright negation of the idea of stock market investing.

In the important field of security for our old people, it seems necessary to adopt three principles: First, non-contributory old-age pensions for those who are now too old to build up their own insurance. It is, of course, clear that for perhaps thirty years to come funds will have to be provided by the States and the Federal Government to meet these pensions. Second, compulsory contributory annuities which in time will establish a self-supporting system for those now young and for future generations. Third, voluntary contributory annuities by which individual initiative can increase the annual amounts received in old age. It is proposed that the Federal Government assume one-half of the cost of the old-age pension plan, which ought ultimately to be supplanted by self-supporting annuity plans.

This is the paragraph that Hume chose to misuse. Notice that in Hume’s version, he neglects to mention that FDR was outlining three principles for the establishment of the Social Security System and that his (Hume’s) quote is drawn from the third principle. That third principle was that encouraging people to invest voluntarily could increase their incomes in old age. The third principle says nothing about replacing compulsory contributions with private investments.

The next sentence in Roosevelt’s statement, which Hume uses only part of, refers back to the first principle of non-contributory old-age pensions. To get the system active and to take care of those who were too old to contribute sufficiently at that time, FDR was proposing that the government pay half the cost temporarily (he mentions “perhaps thirty years”) and that eventually the government contribution could be “supplanted” by reserves created over time by the compulsory contributions. This has nothing to do with the second principle in which FDR states quite clearly that the compulsory contributions would fund a self supporting system for the future.

It is obvious, in just this one document, that FDR’s intention was to create a social safety net that would function in perpetuity. Both from the number of times that he used terms like security and insurance as well as the context of the great depression, an honest reading of his words can lead one to no other conclusion.

Gannon/Gucker Breaks His (5 day) Silence

2005-02-18T23:42:00.000-08:00

Jeff/Jim Gannon/Guckert appeared tonight on Anderson Cooper 360. It appears that Gannon/Guckert has spent the last 5 days at republican spin school. Basically all he had to say in answer to some tough questions by Cooper was that its’ not fair to “go after my personal life” and that his “personal life” has nothing to do with being a journalist.

Well Jeff/Jim – here’s the bottom line:

First, it’s not your personal life – it’s your professional life – you’re ads as Bulldog the escort are still online as I write this post.

CAUTION: The following 3 links contain adult material which may not be suitable for all audiences. Look at your own risk.

Your ads, offering your ‘services’ at $1200 per weekend are found at studfiles, workingboys and meetlocalmen

Second: You’re not a journalist. As Anderson Cooper pointed out, journalists to research and investigation. Journalists don’t publish verbatim copies of press releases with their names attached. Journalists go to school and work consistently in the industry. Journalists don’t hide when some heat comes along.

You can watch Anderson Cooper interview Jeff/Jim by clicking here.

You can read a transcript of the interview by clicking here.

Amazing Security Gap

2005-02-18T11:56:00.000-08:00

If the story Scott McClellan told Anne Kornblut for the N.Y. Times is true then a terrorist could easily gain access to the White House press briefings and presidential news conferences. McClellan paints a picture of a really lax process that practically anyone who could pass an instant background check, in other words anyone without a criminal background, could get a daily press pass. He goes on to state that ‘lower-level’ press aides decide which organizations get into the room. So, in addition to a clean background, some desktop publishing and Photoshop skills would be useful to construct materials for a phony organization. According to Kornblut, once Gannon established himself as a reporter, no one asked him any further questions. So essentially, any reasonably skilled con-artist could quickly gain regular access to the White House.

Earlier I said a terrorist could gain access and I’m sure a couple of you thought of someone named Ahmed. Before you dismiss my idea based on ethnicity, remember Tim McVeigh. He was every bit as much a terrorist as any Al Qaeda.

And, while I’m sure that reporters are scanned for weapons every time they enter, somehow the ease of entry that McClellan suggests just seems completely wrong to me. I’m sure that, with the money, resources and patience that Al Qaeda has shown in the past, they could come up with an undetectable weapon.

Are all the people that work in this White House really that stupid?

Glitch Report

2005-02-18T10:16:00.000-08:00

No, you’re not losing it. The sidebar, which contains my profile and favorite links, that normally appears to the right of this column has disappeared. I have contacted blogger support to find out why. Stay tuned!

Gannon privy to Classified Info?

2005-02-18T10:05:00.000-08:00

This morning John at Americablog, whose information on this story has proved highly accurate, reports that a "news producer for a major network" has told him that Gannon/Guckert knew about the 'shock and awe' opening of the Iraq war four hours before it was announced to the nation by George Bush.

If correct, this is a highly disturbing development. The farther this investigation goes, the more it looks like Gannon/Guckert was known, approved and fed information by someone in the White House.

This story is gaining coverage in the main stream. Articles appeared today in the Seattle P.I., the New York Times, the New York Daily News and the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

This story is beginning to show signs of what they call 'legs' in the news business.

Widespread Insecurity

2005-02-17T14:29:00.000-08:00

Spoken in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee Feb 16 2005:

"It may only be a matter of time before Al Qaeda or another group attempts to use chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons."

CIA Director Porter Goss

“Several Al Qaeda leaders believe operatives can pay their way into the country through Mexico and also believe illegal entry is more advantageous than legal entry for operational security reasons.”

Deputy Director of Homeland Security Admiral James M. Loy

The National Intelligence Reform Act, signed by Bush on Dec. 17, 2004, called for the addition of 10,000 additional Border Patrol agents over 5 years. 80% of those agents would be for the border with Mexico. 10,000 spread over 5 years would be 2000 per year. Bush’s budget proposal for 2006 only includes funding for 210.

So, does Bush simply not care if we are infiltrated and attacked or are his intelligence and security people lying in order to distract us from the failing Social Security Road Show and the Gannon/Guckert debacle?

Social Insecurity

2005-02-17T12:40:00.000-08:00

Click on the image below to calculate your lost benefits from Bush's Social Insecurity Plan.

Death Squads as a Moral Value

2005-02-17T11:29:00.000-08:00

The nomination of John “Death Squad” Negroponte to serve as the first Director of National Intelligence shows us once again how little questions of morality or values enter into Bush Administration decisions. Despite mountains of circumstantial evidence that show that Negroponte ignored human rights abuses in Honduras while simultaneously pressing the Reagan Administrations illegal war in support of the Contras of Nicaragua, he has once again been proffered as the best candidate for a prominent position.

Negroponte is another of the thugs that continue to resurface time after time in republican circles since the Reagan years. His shady background has been brought up each time his name surfaces in relation to some important post. In the spring of this year, Negroponte was named ambassador to Iraq. Many felt that his reputation for human rights abuses should disqualify him.

When he was nominated to be the US ambassador to the UN, in 2001, his background was also extensively outlined. Nevertheless, he was confirmed. It is patently obvious that these criminals do not care in the least about human rights or even the appearance of human values. You can find more about what was revealed about Negroponte here, here and here.

When I lived in the country, there was a widely touted home-remedy for a dog that kills chickens. According to folk wisdom, one should tie the dead chicken around the neck of the dog to discourage it’s bad behavior.

For Bush’s continual talk of a culture of life, and his portrayal of himself as a beacon of moral values, the penalty should be to have Negroponte tied around his neck.

This is Serious!

2005-02-17T08:25:00.000-08:00

Underneath all the jokes about hotmilitarystuds and 'escorts' lies a set of extremely serious issues. Two articles in the N.Y. Times and one on Salon.com add new information to the growing scandal. If the White House is allowed to get away with using a fake reporter to set up questions in their press briefings and to destroy the career of a CIA agent merely to politically spite her husband, then we are much farther along the road to fascism then we previously had thought. Please take a few minutes to contact your legislators and ask them to take this seriously. I sent the following this morning.

Senator,

I am writing to ask that you join Senator Lautenberg and Representatives Slaughter and Conyers in calling for a release of information from the White House about what level of security checking and who facilitated fake reporter Jeff Gannon's presence in the White House press room.

It is now certain that Gannon, who's real name is Guckert, was never a journalist. It is now certain that he was in the White House before the origination of the Talon News Service that he claimed was his first job in journalism. Salon.com, among others this morning, has proof that Gannon/Guckert attended a White House briefing on Feb. 28 2003. That proof, in the form of a video clip from the CSPAN cameras, solidifies both Gannon/Guckert's unprecedentd access and the fact that both he and Scott McClellan have been lying about it. The Talon News Service, which McLellan explained met the crtieria of publishing frequently, did not even come into existence until late March of 2003. So, it seems obvious now that Talon was created to package Gannon/Guckert, not the other way around.

While Gannon/Guckert has a shady other side that includes gay pornography and tax evasion, those are not the reasons to call for a complete release of information.

The reasons for pursuing an investigation of this incident are both security and propaganda. If no one in the White House sidestepped normal security to let Gannon/Guckert in then the security surrounding the President is in dire need of repair. If someone did sidestep normal security, the system is still in need of repair.

Propaganda is an evil mis-use of one of our sacred fundamental principles, the free press. This incident is the fourth documented time that the Bush administration has used the press as a conduit for their own agenda while pretending that the information was news. Armstrong Williams, Maggie Gallagher and Michael McManus have all been shown to have taken money for representing administration political positions. Now we have Gannon/Guckert lobbing propagandized questions at McLellan and the President. This should not be allowed to stand.

Finally, Gannon/Guckert has placed himself squarely in the middle of the Valerie Plame leak investigation. This leak compromised assets around the world that were helping our CIA to work against nuclear proliferation. This act, which was surely a federal felony and most likely an act of treason, may be the single most serious violation committed by the group in the White House who place themselves above the law. This act alone deserves complete investigation and someone should be held accountable.

Given all those reasons, I strongly urge you to publicly join with your colleagues in calling for a special investigation of Gannon/Guckert, what he knows about Valerie Plame and who allowed him into the White House.

Thank You,

We Deserve Answers

2005-02-16T18:03:00.000-08:00

The strange story of the White House non-reporter who now appears to have a second life as a gay internet prostitute has several serious implications that should not be overlooked.

It now seems certain that Jeff Gannon is a creation of the mind of James Guckert and that Guckert, contrary to his protestations, is not a journalist but a gay male prostitute. (WARNING! the preceding link includes some adult content) According to Howard Kurtz in the Washington Post, a California web designer has said that he “designed a gay escort site for Gannon and had posted naked pictures of Gannon at the client's request”.

All this, primarily driven by blogs, has created a buzz in the main-stream. However, much of the buzz is the usual attempts to suppress anything unfavorable to the Bushies. One line of deflection is about the blogs themselves. Issues of credentials, credibility and paying one’s dues are all mentioned. The other distraction is whether or not it’s appropriate to look at the personal life a reporter. Some have called foul on mentioning that Gannon/Guckert was marketing himself (literally) on websites like militaryescortsm4m.com. The efforts at distraction tell me several things. In addition to the mainstream feeling some pressure from the blogs, I believe the Administration is feeling some pressure as well.

Here are some reasons why we should not let this story die.

It is about security. We know for sure that Gannon/Guckert was not qualified to be a White Houser reporter. We know for sure that he acted as one for over 2 years. Breaking news this afternoon confirms that he was attending White House briefings as early as Feb. 28, 2003, before his so-called news service, Talon News, even existed. So how did this men gain access?

If not a security breach, then the White House planted this untrained, inexperienced “journalist” in the pressroom to lob setup questions to Bush and McClellan. If he was planted, this would be the fourth instance of the Bushies using the media directly for propaganda.

Gannon/Guckert has placed himself right in the middle of the Valerie Plame investigation. This involves a federal felony at the least and perhaps treason as Ms. Plame’s network of contacts throughout the world were exposed by the leak.

Hypocrisy! A gay, prostitute impersonates a journalist right in front of the man who promised to “bring honor and integrity back to the White House". Remember, this White House is the family values administration who claim to have won the election on the question of values. That opens their actions to scrutiny on the values level.

Late reports today are that many legislators are interested and quietly encouraging about this story but they lack the courage to publicly demand an explanation from the White House. Senator Frank Lautenberg has sent a letter to George Bush asking for all documentation on the credentialing of Gannon/Guckert. Two members of Congress, Jon Conyers and Louise Slaughter have filed a Freedom of Information Request with the Homeland Security Department asking for all records having to do with the authorization of Guckert/Gannon to attend White House Press events.

These legislators need support. Contact your Representatives and Senators and ask them to support Lautenberg in the Senate and Conyers and Slaughter in the House. Ask them to take a public stand on this and put pressure on the White House to release this information. There is no national security interest here, thus no possible need for secrecy save politics.

Class Warfare

2005-02-16T14:20:00.000-08:00

In an article in today’s Seattle Times, the presidents of Washington State’s six public universities called for more funding from the State Legislature to “avoid a crisis in the higher-education system”. The presidents, along with students, were participating in Higher Education Day, a day of lobbying the legislators to increase funding. Stephen Jordan, president of Eastern Washington University, described the current system as headed for a crisis. Class sizes have continued to grow while number of faculty and their salaries have change very little. Tuition costs have increased steadily for at least a decade.

From 1999 through 2004, average undergraduate university tuition for a resident of Washington increased from $3638 to $4863 per year or a 33.7% increase for the cost of 4 years. During those same years, the average faculty salary at Washington’s 6 public universities increased from $54,230 to $61,239 or around 13%.

However, a look at the compensation for the presidents of these universities shows a trend similar to that in the corporate world. The chart below shows the increases in dollars and percentages for these six presidents from 1999 through 2004. The average salary for these 6 presidents has increased from $145,117 in 1999 to $248,421 in 2004. That is an increase of around 71%.. Do you know anyone who has received that kind of increases? I sure don’t!

In addition, the salary numbers only tell part of the story for university presidents. Most of them receive additional compensation such as free housing, automobiles and even deferred payments. For example, President Mark Emmert, of the University of Washington, received a $160,000 signing bonus for taking the job. He also has the use of a mansion, which is undergoing $540,000 in renovations. While Emmert and his wife are displaced from the mansion, they are being housed in a $6000 per month condominium rent free. Emmert’s contract also includes a $120,000 per year deferred payment if he stays 5 years and the use of several automobiles. His salary and benefits package totals $762,000 per year. (note the President of the U.S. only makes $400,000 per year)

One of the top arguments one will hear if this subject is broached is that not all of that money comes from taxpayers. It is true that some of it is from private donations. But, money is money. It seems to me that private donations could be raised to lower the cost of tuition, build buildings, raise salaries and all the other needs that seem so apparent in higher education today. In order to do that, though, the fundraiser would have to be altruistic. Is anyone twisting the arms of donors to put their money into education instead of presidential perks and sports programs? From the look of the numbers, I think not.

The bottom line on this seems to me to look a lot like class warfare. Just as in the business world, the gap between the bottom and the top is increasing. Just as in the business world, more creative rationalizations are being used to explain why the elite should be so well compensated. Just as in the business world, the ordinary people are paying, whether in dollars, in time or in decreased services, while the elite grow richer every day.

Even though the entire amount of money spent on these presidents is small compared to the fiscal problems in our state, the elitist lifestyles they exhibit send entirely the wrong message to the hardworking faculty and students of our universities and colleges.

Click Here to View Salary Chart for Washington University Presidents

* Salary figures available at 2004, 2003, 2001 and 1999

The Meat Ax Update

2005-02-15T08:13:00.000-08:00

(Note: Against the Madness is now hosted on it's own domain at: www.againstmadness.com )

A few more interesting budget cuts were detailed this morning in USA Today. They appear below marked with a red * (see below)

"It is a fair, reasonable, responsible, serious piece of effort. It's not something we have done with a meat ax, nor are we suddenly turning our backs on the most needy people in our society."
Dick Cheney

If not done with a meat ax, perhaps they used an improvised explosive device! The Budget proposal from the Bushies clearly shows their true priorities now that there's no election to worry about.

This post is an experiment. I thought seeing all these numbers in one place might be useful. It is my intention to update this list as things progress. It is a work in progress.

Much of the intitial research on this was done by the Center for American Progress and can be found in their daily progress reports for Feb. 7, 2005 and Feb. 8, 2005

Increases in Spending:

Social Security Privatization ------------- 1.5 Trillion
Additional Tax Cuts --------------------- 2 Trillion / 10 yrs
Enforcement of Tax Laws --------------- 1/2 Billion (7.8%)
Defense Department -------------------- 4.8% to 419 Billion
New Embassy in Iraq -------------------- 1.5 Billion
Iraq & Afghanistan (not included above) -- 5 Billion per month
Promoting Sexual Abstinence ------------- 38 million increase
Medicare Prescription Drug Bill
orignally estimated at 400 billion ----------720 billion *

Cuts in Programs/Benefits

Job Training Funds ---------------------- 1/2 Billion
Grants to local police --------------------- 90% - from 600 Mil to 60 Mil
Grants to firefighters -------------------- 215 Million
Drug co-pays for Veterans --------------- 200% increase
Veterans access to healthcare ------------ $250 per year fee
Centers for Disease Control -------------- 9% cut
CDC - Public Health Emergency Fund ---- 12.6% cut
Training for Health Professionals --------- 64% cut
Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injuries ----- Eliminated
Collection of stem cells from cord blood ----- Eliminated
Low Income Heating Assistance -----------8.4% cut
------last year - L.I. Heating Assistance --- 23% cut
Projected avergage increase
in home heating cost ---------------------- 24 % increase
Department of Health & Human Services --- 2.4% cut to 68 Billion
Program for Chronic Disease Prevention ---- 6.5% cut
Block Grants to "address urgent health
problems" ---------------------------------- Eliminated (131 million)
National Institutes of Health ---------------- 3.4% effective cut
Reduction of your S.S. benefit for each
$1.00 in your private account ------------- $1.03
Increased fees on a variety of things from
beer to airline tickets - essentially a
middle class tax hike ---------------------- 5.3 Billion in additional fees
Actual cost of Medicare Prescription Drug
Bill vs. original estimate ------------------- 195 Billion increase over 5 years
Environmental Protection Agency ---------- 5.6% cut
Funding for Clean Water ------------------ 369 Million cut
National Park Service --------------------- 90 Million cut
Funding for State Incarceration of illegal
aliens who commit crimes --------- Eliminated (300 million)
Vocational Education ----------------Eliminated (1.2 billion)
National Youth Sports Program ------- Eliminated (18 million)
Grants for Drug Free Schools ------- Eliminated ( 437 million)
Education Technology Grants under
No Child Left Behind Act ------------- Eliminated ( 496 million)
Robert Byrd Scholarship Fund -------- Eliminated ( 41 million)
Media Campaign to combat obesity
in children ---------------------------Eliminated ( 59 million)
Assistance to Northwest loggers in
declining job market ------------------ Eliminated ( 6 million )
Assistance to rural communities
in purchasing fire engines ---------- Eliminated ( 10 million)
Byrne Justice Assistance Grants - aid local
police - violent and drug crime -- Eliminated ( 626 million)
Domestic food safety inspections --- Cut 5% *
Foreign Drug Plant inspections ---- Cut 5.8% *
(think Flu vaccine!)
Oversight of Blood Banks ---------- Cut 4.7% *

Budget Deficit

Bush's calculation -------------------------- 319 Billion
does not include Iraq, Afghanistan or
Social Security Privatization
Artic National Wildlife Area drilling fees ---- 1.2 Billion
drilling is not approved by Congress
without these fees Bush's calculation ------ 320.2 Billion

What We're Up Against II

2005-02-13T11:39:00.000-08:00

For years, the neo-con right has poured money and energy into building a structure to dominate US political life. Due to their alliance with corporate interests (thus the term fascist), they have undoubtedly had more money available to work with than the progressives. Fortunately for the progressives/liberals, we have more truth to work with.

Recently, the Jeff Gannon / phony reporter story has given us a window into part of the apparatus used by these people to advance their causes. Their approach is every bit as strategic as if they were fighting a blood and bullets war. And, I have no doubt that some of them would do that too if they felt it would help.

Jim Guckert, aka. Jeff Gannon, apparently received his ‘journalism training’ from an outfit called “The Leadership Institute”. A look at this Institute gives us a glimpse of the money, organization and also the ideological fervor that is driving the neo-con agenda. From the very first page of this web site, the goal of neo-con dominance is obvious. I have noticed how often these people tell us exactly what they are up to, a good example being Dick Cheney’s remark about using a “meat ax” on the budget which turns out to be exactly what they did. But I digress.

Gracing the front page of “The Leadership Institute” is the following statement:

“The Leadership Institute’s Mission is to identify, recruit, train and place conservatives in politics, government and media.”

The page also features prominent links to “The Campus Leadership Program”, designed to infiltrate college campuses and “Conservative Jobs”, a compilation of conservative placements throughout the country.

Guckert/Gannon’s bio, which has since been removed from the Talon News site, called him a graduate of the Leadership Institute’s “Broadcast School of Journalism”. The “Broadcast School of Journalism” is a two day seminar led by Morton Blackwell who also is noted for co-founding the Moral Majority with Jerry Falwell. According to various sources, Blackwell was the delegate at the 2004 Republican convention who handed out purple bandaids to other delegates as a show of mocking John Kerry’s purple hearts. He was also one of Karl Rove’s early mentors.

The Leadership Institute proudly describes their Broadcast Journalism School as follows:

The Broadcast Journalism School is a one-stop, full-service seminar for conservatives who want a career in journalism. You'll learn information you won't receive anywhere else and get personalized advice from our expert faculty:

· Learn how to find good internships and make the most of them
· Gain networking skills to help you land your job and increase your effectiveness
· Develop a top-notch resume and learn how to make yourself stand out in an interview
· Learn a proven, step-by-step job hunting strategy and much more
An intense two-day seminar, the Broadcast Journalism School is designed to give aspiring journalists the skills necessary to bring balance to the media and succeed in this highly competitive field.

All this is available in a two day workshop for a fee of $50 that includes meals, course materials and even free housing on a space available basis.

In addition to Broadcast Journalism School, the Leadership Institute also offers a number of other classes such as Effective Television Techniques, Grassroots Communications, Internet Activism and Student Publications. On the training page of their website, they proudly display the names of former students including Senator Mitch McConnell, Congressman Mark Souder, Ralph Reed and Grover Norquist, who is one of the prime architects of the Social Security ‘crisis’.

In a telephone conversation last Thursday afternoon, a woman called Inez proudly described the Broadcast Journalism School to the Ed Shultz radio show. During that conversation, she mentioned some connection between the Institute and journalist Robert Novak. This connection is especially intriguing as Novak was the journalist who first identified CIA agent Valery Plame and then later refused to identify his source. Recently, Guckert/Gannon has been connected to the same leak.

So the bottom line is this: The ultra-right, neo-con, fascist conspiracy that Hillary Clinton referred to years ago is a reality. The furor over Guckert/Gannon’s acceptance into the White House on a daily basis for over a year has given us a glimpse into the workings of the conspiracy as well.

Organizations like The Leadership Institute serve as fronts for recruiting and indoctrinating people to serve throughout the system in furtherance of the neo-conservative, fascist agenda. While they frequently hide behind Christian principles, a close look at their amoral operations shows that this is merely a political manipulation.

Progressive/Liberals need to become more aware of both these organizations and their activities and most importantly, they need to become more organized themselves. This is a struggle for the very survival of our way of life and we must not allow these people to win.

What We're Up Against

2005-02-13T08:34:00.001-08:00

Why do you suppose that a “large network of influential conservative groups” is joining forces to help the White House win the public relations battles on Social Security Privatization and lawsuit reform? Could it be that “corporate America, the financial services industry, conservative think tanks” and others are that concerned about the need to insure that retirees in 2043 get their full benefits? Could it be that they are that concerned about the effect lawsuits are having on the price of our goods? Could those concerns be why they are planning to spend “$200 million or more” to convince us that now is the time that we have to deal with these ‘crises’?

I think it’s more likely just old fashioned greed. And, the fact that they know their window of opportunity is narrow. Given the current state of the economy and the dawning realization that these changes to vital programs do not benefit ordinary people, the Republican dominance of congress may not last very long.

Meanwhile, progressives and liberals need to step up their activity level to resist the $200+ million dollar tide of brainwashing bullshit that is about to descend on us. These neo-con fascist freaks think they can buy anything they want to by just applying enough corporate money and advertising. We must resist while there is still enough of this country left to allow resistance.

The Free World

2005-02-10T10:01:00.000-08:00

While answering questions after a joint appearance with Polish President Kwasniewski yesterday, the boy king uttered the following:

“The Iranians just need to know that the free world is working together to send a very clear message: Don't develop a nuclear weapon.”

Someone needs to explain to this incurious blunderer that the phrase ‘free world’ refers to the old division between the countries in the Soviet Union and the rest of the planet. Since the Soviet Union dissolved, the term is obsolete.

Perhaps Bush wants us to see Iran in the same light as the old Soviet Union. Or perhaps this is just the result of having Condi the Sovietoloist as his main foreign policy advisor.

More on Gannon

2005-02-09T18:52:00.000-08:00

If my earlier post about the apparently fake journalist Jeff Gannon tweaked your curiosity at all then you really should take a few minutes and look at this compilation of information produced primarily by the collaborators at The Daily Kos. The summary version reads as a chronology so you can see how the different pieces interrelate. There is also a longer version that has lots of links and sourcing information.

The short form of this is that ‘Jeff Gannon’, or whatever his name really is, may well have been the person that Valerie Plame’s name was leaked to. This in addition to his being planted in the White House Press Corps as an outlet for Administration propaganda.

This is really outrageous!

Another Laugh

2005-02-09T16:31:00.000-08:00

The following was sent to me my email - author unkown:

Wednesday was Groundhog Day and the State of the Union Address. It is an ironic juxtaposition: one involves a meaningless ritual in which we look to a creature of little intelligence for prognostication, and the other involves a groundhog.

Just for Laughs

2005-02-09T13:42:00.000-08:00

We need to maintain a sense of humor about all this when we can. To further that end, here is a funny link for you.

CAUTION! This link does contain mild profanity.

Enjoy!

Truly Weird II

2005-02-09T13:27:00.000-08:00

George Bush, speaking on Feb. 4 at the 5th stop on his five state tour to promote his Social Security agenda explained his plan as follows: (at least that’s what he claimed to be doing)

THE PRESIDENT: Because the -- all which is on the table begins to address the big cost drivers. For example, how benefits are calculate, for example, is on the table; whether or not benefits rise based upon wage increases or price increases. There's a series of parts of the formula that are being considered. And when you couple that, those different cost drivers, affecting those -- changing those with personal accounts, the idea is to get what has been promised more likely to be -- or closer delivered to what has been promised.

Does that make any sense to you? It's kind of muddled. Look, there's a series of things that cause the -- like, for example, benefits are calculated based upon the increase of wages, as opposed to the increase of prices. Some have suggested that we calculate -- the benefits will rise based upon inflation, as opposed to wage increases. There is a reform that would help solve the red if that were put into effect. In other words, how fast benefits grow, how fast the promised benefits grow, if those -- if that growth is affected, it will help on the red.

Okay, better? I'll keep working on it. (Laughter.)

Can there be any doubt that this man has no idea what he is talking about?

Truly Weird

2005-02-09T13:17:00.000-08:00

This is truly weird. Apparently, there has been a GOP operative posing as a journalist under an assumed name receiving White House credentials to attend and participate in daily new briefings. Jeff Gannon (not his real name), who claimed to be a journalist with the Talon News Service, has drawn attention for over a year as one who consistently produces administration friendly questions that seem to offer Press Secretary Scott McClellan and Bush himself an easy out. Frequently, these “softballs” are served on a bed of right-wing propaganda.

Dan Froomkin, who produces the column “White House Briefing” in the Washington Post has documented a number of biased, questions, frequently delivered at a time when McClellan needed the relief. Recently, the controversy surrounding Gannon has heated up after he presented Bush with the following set-up question during a January 26 press conference.

“Senate Democratic leaders have painted a very bleak picture of the U.S. economy. Harry Reid was talking about soup lines, and Hillary Clinton was talking about the economy being on the verge of collapse. Yet, in the same breath, they say that Social Security is rock-solid and there's no crisis there. How are you going to work -- you said you're going to reach out to these people -- how are you going to work with people who seem to have divorced themselves from reality?”

This serves as a good example of the political agenda fostered by Gannon. The reference to Harry Reid and “soup lines” turns out to be a lie. Gannon later admitted that he got the term from a Rush Limbaugh monologue and that, in fact, Reid had never mentioned “soup lines”.

Joe Strupp, writing in Editor and Publisher, brings many of the misgivings about Gannon being expressed by other White House reporters to the fore. Strupp quotes Bob Deans, who covers the White House for Cox newspapers: "I think Jeff's questions suggest he has a pretty strong partisan bent that is at odds with the mission of White House correspondents who go to those meetings on behalf of the public,"

Strupp goes on to relate that Gannon was refused a congressional press pass in April of 2004 because he was unable to establish that Talon News was a legitimate news service, unaffiliated with any political organization. The inability to qualify for a congressional pass led to inability to get a White House credential as well. To circumvent this problem, Gannon has apparently asked for and received a temporary pass on a daily basis. Strupp was unable to get any comment from the White House Press Office on this practice.

But Gannon’s involvement in things clandestine doesn’t stop there. While interviewing Joe Wilson, husband of outed CIA operative Valerie Plame, in October of 2003, Gannon claimed to have seen an “An internal government memo prepared by U.S. intelligence personnel” implicating Plame in selecting Wilson to investigate the yellow cake - Niger connection. Gannon apparently was rewarded for his efforts with a subpoena before the Grand Jury investigating the Plame affair. The revelation of Plame’s CIA employment appears to have been retaliation against Wilson for his outspoken criticism of Bush for making the yellow cake claim after Wilson had debunked it for Dick Cheney’s staff.

Now, due in part to investigations by a number of organizations, including The Daily Kos and Media Matters, Jeff Gannon seems to have disappeared. Although not conclusive, information found seems to point to a murky web of right wing political and porno connections.

Gannon’s website, jeffgannon.com, now has only one entry which reads:

Jeff GannonA Voice of the New Media
The voice goes silent.
Because of the attention being paid to me I find it is no longer possible to effectively be a reporter for Talon News. In consideration of the welfare of me and my family I have decided to return to private life.
Thank you to all those who supported me.

All of Gannon’s writings have disappeared from his own site and it’s been reported that many articles including Gannon’s have also been deleted from Talon News. My attempts to look at Talon’s archives were met with a log-on requirement. Talon does prominently display a link on it’s home page to GOPUSA and to MensNewsDaily.com. GOPUSA, whose chair is also chair of Talon, proudly declares itself to be “Bringing the Conservative Message to America” while MND says it is “Subverting the Mainstream Media.”

It is utterly ridiculous that a ‘journalist’ would just disappear to return to private life after being questioned about his affiliations. Any legitimate journalist, especially at the level covering the White House, would expect to have their background, qualifications and connections thoroughly examined.

In the wake of revelations about Armstrong Williams and other ‘real’ journalists taking money from the Bushies to promote propaganda, it seems obvious that Gannon was a plant, placed in the White House to help further the Bush viewpoint. Now that he has been exposed, he will return to the murky underground of conservative activism.

Stand By Your Man

2005-02-08T14:18:00.000-08:00

A new CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll shows Bush’s job approval rating has risen to 57% following Iraqi elections that went “better than most Americans expected”.

But wait a minute! Bush’s candidate in the Iraqi elections, Iyad Allawi, lost. Allawi, the Interim Prime Minister, and his slate of secular Iraqi’s is reportedly losing to a coalition of Shiite Muslim parties with ties to Iran. So how did Bush do a good job here?

At a cost, as of this writing, of 153.8 billion, growing by 5 billion per week, isn’t the creation of a new fundamentalist Muslim ally for Iran a colossal blunder?

I was reading somewhere recently about one of the ways that human beings show resilience. Apparently, when circumstances that were predicted to be quite bad do indeed develop, people tend to find ways to be optimistic about them. In other words, once we’re in the stuff, we tend to describe it in less negative terms.

Randi Rhodes put it differently yesterday. She said that much of the country is “married to Bush”. Just like countless people who have stayed in abusive marriages, she said “they’re all singing Stand By Your Man.”

Woe is us.

Lemonade

2005-02-07T07:10:00.000-08:00

Michael Kinsley has constructed a simple proof of the inherent unworkability in Bush’s plan to privatize Social Security. You can find it at the L.A. Times. It is short and well worth reading and passing on.

On the Al Franken radio show this morning, Kinsley likened the privatization plan to someone who rescues a man lost in the desert. The parched wanderer wants water badly, but the rescuer touts the benefits of lemonade. When the thirsty victim finally concedes that lemonade would be better, the rescuer hands him a packet of lemonade powder and declares: “Just add water!”

Meanwhile, a look at the statements made over the last couple of days by Bush and company show that the “crisis” word is no longer being used. In addition, a careful interpretation shows that they are not even claiming that their plan will fix the problem. Bush is now trying to sell this as what he calls “a better deal.” The key question would be, for who?

Please do not make the mistake of assuming that the Social Security fight is over merely because some Republicans are not supporting it. Pass on this or some other story to a friend or acquaintance.

We must keep the pressure on all our lawmakers to convince them that privatizing Social Security would be political suicide.

Bush and Propaganda

2005-02-05T07:09:00.000-08:00

Jack Shafer, in a Slate article, compares G.W.'s relationship to the press to that of Kim Jong-il of North Korea. If you haven't yet read "The Propaganda President" it would be worth your time.

Liars All

2005-02-04T13:46:00.000-08:00

Rumsfeld offered to quit over Iraq abuse. That’s one of the headlines making the rounds in the mainstream. Actually, it should read: Rumsfeld says he offered to quit over Iraq abuse. Yesterday, on Larry King Live, Rumsfeld made that claim. You decide for yourself whether one of the architects of the Project for a New American Century and long time partner in crime of Dick Cheney really offered his resignation to the boy king. I think not.

Bush himself is on a campaign trip through five states attempting to sell his plan to reform Social Security. The man who told us just 3 days ago that Social Security would be broke in 2042, now claims that opponents of his plan are using “scare tactics”. But he’s the one who was calling it a crisis. He’s the one who says we have to act now. Also, the prevaricator in chief is now claiming that he will work with anyone who has a “good idea” to share. With his track record of cooperation, I can hardly wait to watch that play our.

Condoleeza Rice, referring to a possible attack on Iran, says: "The question is simply not on the agenda at this point," After meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Rice claimed : "We have many diplomatic tools still at our disposal and we intend to pursue them fully.” Apparently, Rice has not noticed that her department is not participating in negotiations between Iran and the Germans, British and French. But then we already know that she lacks judgment and often forgets things, she told us so herself in her appearances before the Senate and the 9/11 Commission.

Shooting People

2005-02-04T11:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we learned about Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis, a Marine infantry officer who recently told a counter-terrorism strategy group in San Diego that it’s sometimes “fun” to kill.

In remarks that were video taped, Mattis says: "Actually, it's a lot of fun to fight. You know, it's a hell of a hoot. ... It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right upfront with you, I like brawling." He then continued: "You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil," "You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them."

Now that by itself would be bad enough but the reaction (or should I say non-reaction) of the Marine Commandant, the Defense Department and the White House is even more troubling.

Marine Commandant, Gen. Mike Hagee, said in a statement: “I have counseled him concerning his remarks and he agrees he should have chosen his words more carefully." Hagee went on to further excuse Mattis by saying he was sure that Mattis “ . . . intended to reflect the unfortunate and harsh realities of war”. Hagee also praised Mattis as “one of this country's bravest and most experienced military leaders."

Finally, in direct contradiction of Matis’ words as well as his tone, Hagee said, in reference to the need to kill: “This is not something we relish, yet we accept it as a reality in our profession of arms."

Meanwhile, the Pentagon and the White House have been silent.

If there were any doubts about what kind of tone is set for our troops by their leaders, this should clear it up. This is more evidence that the abuses at Abu Graib were far from “an isolated incident” involving a “few bad apples”. Many of our troops are lead by people who enjoy the blood, pain, suffering and death of those we choose to call enemies. Or, just as badly, the look on war as a game they enjoy playing. This is how war becomes the first option rather than the last.

Thirty years ago, while serving in the National Guard, I had the misfortune of running into one of these psychopaths at the firing range at Fort Lewis in Washington State while doing our annual qualification with the M16. This man was the range master, who is in charge of the range and gives all the orders, when to pick up the weapon, when to load and when to fire. As we fired at paper silhouettes of human beings, this psychotic roamed up and down behind us shouting things at us like: “Pretend that’s your wife and she wouldn’t put out last night. Teach her a lesson. Show her who’s the boss.”

Only fear of dying in Vietnam kept me from throwing down that rifle and walking away. That experience ranks as one of the most disgusting moments in my life. I had no doubt that I was in the presence of a truly twisted and evil mind. When I read the words of Gen. Mattis, I had exactly the same reaction.

Democracy?

2005-02-03T17:58:00.000-08:00

Dozens of people were barred from attending a speech George Bush gave to sell his Social Security changes in Fargo, North Dakota on Thursday. The list included City Commissioner Linda Coates, two high school students and James Holm who produces the progressive talk radio show hosted by Ed Shultz.

Predictably, the White House blamed the incident on an “overzealous staffer”. Notice how often ‘the little guy’ ends up holding the bag for this bunch of thugs? While Bush and company use our tax money to sell us their completely jaded and unworkable ‘Social Security Reform’ plan, they ban any possible opposition.

In a statement released on Thursday, Tom Athans, the C.E.O. of Democracy Radio, said “News of the Bush blacklist of dozens of citizens from a Fargo, North Dakota speech is as frightening as it has become routine for this Administration.” Democracy Radio is a non-profit group that has helped increase the exposure of the Ed Shultz show from 2 radio stations to 77 in just one year. They are in friendly competition with Air America Radio which has also undergone phenomenal growth during their first year of operation.

Perhaps, with Democracy Radio on 80 stations and Air America Radio on 47, the White House is starting to feel the presence of the 50+ percent of the electorate that vehemently dissaproves of their approach to governing. Given the rapid growth in liberal/progressive radio, they should rethink their 'mandate'.

It's Insurance not an Investment!

2005-02-03T08:12:00.000-08:00

All of the current talk about rates of return and the comparisons of how “your money” might perform if invested in the stock market at just the right time is just a smoke screen to hide the true agenda of the cult that runs the White House.

If you scan any of the original documentation surrounding the Social Security programs you will find the words insurance and protection used frequently. Here are a couple of examples from the ‘godfather’ of Social Security, President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

In a fireside chat on June 28, 1934, Roosevelt said:

“. . . the third principle is to use the agencies of government to assist in the establishment of means to provide sound and adequate protection against the vicissitudes of modern life -- in other words, social insurance.”

From Roosevelt’s statement on signing the Social Security Act on August 14, 1935.

“We can never insure one hundred percent of the population against one hundred percent of the hazards and vicissitudes of life, but we have tried to frame a law which will give some measure of protection to the average citizen and to his family against the loss of a job and against poverty-ridden old age.”

Social Security was never intended to be an investment program. It was never intended to create competitive returns. It was intended to insure that no elderly person would die on the streets in povety.

Contact your legislators now and tell them not to privatize Social Security.

Security Not the Priority

2005-01-31T10:26:00.000-08:00

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

2005-01-30T10:59:00.000-08:00

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

2005-01-28T13:46:00.000-08:00

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

2005-01-28T11:13:00.000-08:00

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

2005-01-28T07:37:00.000-08:00

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

2005-01-28T01:34:00.000-08:00

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

2005-01-26T16:41:00.000-08:00

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

2005-01-26T11:40:00.000-08:00

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!

2005-01-26T08:38:00.000-08:00

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

2005-01-25T23:35:00.000-08:00

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!

2005-01-25T18:02:00.000-08:00

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

2005-01-25T07:11:00.000-08:00

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?

2005-01-24T11:48:00.000-08:00

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

2005-01-24T07:36:00.000-08:00

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 . . .

2005-01-23T18:39:00.000-08:00

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!

2005-01-23T11:49:00.000-08:00

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

2005-01-23T10:54:00.000-08:00

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

2005-01-22T08:38:00.000-08:00

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?

2005-01-21T20:29:00.000-08:00

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?

2005-01-21T20:03:00.000-08:00

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

2005-01-20T09:08:00.000-08:00

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

2005-01-20T07:57:00.000-08:00

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)

2005-01-18T17:20:00.000-08:00

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

2005-01-17T18:10:00.000-08:00

“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?

2005-01-14T13:26:00.000-08:00

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

2005-01-12T13:09:00.000-08:00

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

2005-01-12T11:09:00.000-08:00

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

2005-01-09T15:34:00.000-08:00

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

2005-01-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

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,