Environmental Activist Arrested For Giving Speech
In Arizona, an environmental activist is facing 25 years in jail and a $250,000 fine for a speech he gave in San Diego three years ago. The government charges the activist, Rodney Coronado, broke the law by urging people to commit arson and telling them how to build an incendiary device. The FBI has described Coronado as a leader of the Earth Liberation Front. His speech came just a day after the Earth Liberation Front claimed responsibility for burning down a new condominium complex in San Diego. Coronado has never been charged in connection with the fire -- just the speech he gave the next day.
that's a news headline from democracy now and my question is, don't you feel safer now? don't you?
someone's been stopped from using their free speech. another 'victory' in bully boy's phoney 'war' on terror.
and how great is the fbi? they arrested him ... 3 years after he gave a speech. probably would have nailed his ass sooner but they still haven't fixed the computer problems.
3 years after the fact, they arrest him for excercising his right to free speech.
did he even do what the fbi says he did? probably not. if he had, would it have taken them 3 years to charge him? probably not.
bully boy and his minions are like depraved barney fife's let loose on the world. daddy may have ensured bully boy failed upward but he's determined to make the nation fail downward.
can you believe how much this country has changed since the dry drunk took to steering it?
it's so surreal.
we've got prisoners held in guantamo without trial for years. and we call them 'detainees.' we're in the midst of a war that we know we were lied into but we're not supposed to talk about the downing street memos.
in 1999, could any of us have guessed we'd end up where we are now?
maybe in a 'worst case' kind of way.
it's like the david bowie song 'this is not america.' i wonder how they teach kids about this country now? i can't imagine patrick henry goes over to well with his 'give me liberty or give me death'. maybe they've changed it to 'give me phoney safety or give me death.' if that's the case, he'll find out he gets both.
we're in a war, we're told, a long war, but any 1 with information is gagged like sibel edmonds. and porter goss and john cornyn and all the other 1/2 wits scream about 'leaks!' but the people who should be talking are gagged.
it's insane.
my great grandmother says it reminds her of the hysteria at the start of the cold war. so what does that mean? that we have to live through 30 plus years of this crap?
i don't think so. bully boy's a liar and we need to say that as often as possible. we need to reject ari's 'watch what you say' edict.
we've gone from fdr's 'the only thing we have to fear is fear itself' to 'fear everyone unless they have money!' and it's so far from what we're told the country stands for that you really do have to wonder what kids are being taught now?
are they taught that the bill of rights are disposable? do they say prayers each morning for king george and lady laura?
are we rewriting the george washington fable? does he now say 'i cannot tell the truth' and kids are taught that it's okay to chop down the cherry tree as long as you remember to lie about it after?
his father should have been behind bars for iran-contra and 'neilsie' should be behind bars for the savings & loans crimes. bully boy should be behind bars for his insider trading with harkin.
but watch, in 2008, if we get a democratic president, they'll play 'nice' and say 'we need to focus on the future' and all the crimes of lying us into war will be swept aside.
it's bad for the country, to be sure. but it's also bad for the democrats. the bush family wants to be a dynasty - that doesn't work too hard - compare poppy's lengthy vacations to bully boys and you get that when we're stuck with president jenna, she'll probably only work 5 days a year. and when she does work, it will be from the french quarter in new orleans. instead of press conferences, she'll stage her own 'girl gone wild!' yee-haw bits.
democrats need to stop this now. if poppy's father had been punished for his business ties to the nazis, we wouldn't have gotten prescott, or poppy or bully boy.
the family is a disgrace and they need to be held accountable. until that day comes, they'll keep showing up in this race and that race.
instead, dems act like james bond villains always letting the bushes slip away.
the creep who lied to me, that's the title of the current nightmare we're featured in.
we get to pay all the costs but we don't get to star in it. instead, we're supposed to bask in the lush glow of the 1st couple. lady laura needs to invest in control top pantyhose and bully boy needs to be carted off to a prison.
i wish i had some good news to send you off to the weekend with. but maybe we don't need good news on friday? maybe we need reality on fridays?
you know when we need good news? on monday. monday's are a pain in the ass. we could all use some good news to start our weeks off with. by the end of the week, we know the score.
i'll wind down by noting this from now:
Tell Your Senators to Oppose the PATRIOT Act
Despite some minor tinkering, the PATRIOT Act violates our civil liberties. Please take action NOW to oppose its reauthorization in the current form. It's up for a Senate vote on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Take action!
i'd also recommend you check out c.i.'s 'and the war drags on (indymedia roundup)," cedric's "Move on when you need to,"elaine's "it's a blot" (she was writing with fire tonight) and wally's "THIS JUST IN! BULLY BOY PRACTICES PRE-EMPTION!" and fly boy says to check out mike's "Democracy Now! and Danny Schechter" which i haven't read yet. i checked mike this evening but he wasn't up at his usual time so i assumed he was taking a friday off. fly boy calls it a 'must read' so i'll be reading it right after i get this posted.
the common ills
sex and politics and screeds and attitude
mikey likes it
like maria said paz
cedrics big mix
the daily jot
2/24/2006
2/23/2006
abortion under siege and we're stuck with clowns
South Dakota Approves Near-Total Abortion Ban
In South Dakota, state legislators voted Wednesday to ban all abortions unless they’re performed to save the life of the woman. The New York Times notes the law makes South Dakota "the first state in 14 years to start a direct legal attack on Roe v. Wade." Some abortion opponents said the vote was motivated by recent changes to the Supreme Court, with two Bush nominees -- John Roberts and Samuel Alito -- having been appointed in recent months.
the above is a headline from today's democracy now and it's not a surprise.
the extreme right has wanted roe v. wade overturned for years. they've been foot soldiers in this battle. and, as democracy now noted, they now have some fruits for their labor: john roberts and samuel alito. this is their test case to begin destroying roe v. wade.
though you wouldn't know it from the genteel 'miss diane' and her performance at both confirmation hearings, how they will rule isn't considering a surprise or cliff hanger.
the dlc has wanted to ditch abortion for some time. they don't like fighting for anything. they want to turn the democratic party into a carbon copy of the republican party that differs not on principles but on ways of execution.
they think they can strip away principles and still have a party in place. that's not the case.
if roe goes down hold every senator who refused to filibuster alito accountable. they acted like it was no big deal. john kerry, out of the country at the time, was not the person to be leading a filibuster.
that's not me taking anything away from him. thank god he stepped up to the plate. but with senators in dc, they should have had someone willing to lead on that. (ted kennedy backed kerry up.)
dianne feinstein is a joke and she needs to be voted out. i wish cindy sheehan had declared and was running against feinstein.
di-fi likes to make statements about how 'serious' she takes her responsibility as the only woman on the judiciary committee. i didn't see it. i didn't see it in her questioning of roberts or alito. i saw a woman pushing the bounds of middle-age trying to act like a deb at a coming out party. i saw a foolish, dithering idiot.
she took her responsibility (and her re-election requirements) seriously enough to put on a show of asking questions but she didn't do her job. she needs to step down from the judiciary committee. and we need to stop accepting the mealy mouth words of senators who say they are for choice but never fight for it.
they've got their test case now, the extreme right, if roe goes down, we can thank the likes of di-fi.
every pro-choice american should know that di-fi stabbed us in the back. and she should be held accountable for her lame 'i don't know nothing 'bout no lawyering' because it reflects badly on women when the only woman sitting on the committee has to make excuses for herself repeatedly and seems more comfortable lapping up compliments from arlen specter than in doing her job.
she embarrassed herself in the nsa hearings as well. in fact, i'm going to add isaiah's the world today just nuts on that to the top of this post.
we need leaders and di-fi isn't a leader. from iraq to alito, she's shown a failure to lead.
for another woman who clowns, elisabeth bumiller, check out c.i.'s 'other items' this morning.
2/22/2006
more in the 'i could've guessed that' news dept.
Supreme Court To Reconsider Banning Late-Term Abortion
And the Supreme Court announced Tuesday it will consider reinstating a federal ban on late-term abortion. Recent President Bush appointee Samuel Alito could hold the tie-breaking vote when the court hears the case. The court last ruled on the issue in the year 2000, when Judge Sandra Day O’Connor cast the deciding vote to strike down a state law banning the procedure. Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said: "Today's action means the core principle of protecting women's health as guaranteed by Roe v. Wade is in clear and present danger."
the above is from today's democracy now and let me say, no, i'm not surprised by the court's decision. i am surprised that nancy keenan really thinks any 1 cares what she thinks.
maybe some people do? i'll note this from planned parenthood:
WASHINGTON, DC -- Today Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) called on the U.S. Supreme Court to protect women's health and safety after the court announced it will hear Gonzales v. Carhart, a case challenging the federal abortion ban. The ban, passed by Congress and signed by President Bush in 2003, would outlaw abortions as early as 12 to 15 weeks in pregnancy that doctors say are safe and the best to protect women's health. "The Supreme Court's decision to hear this case is a dangerous act of hostility aimed squarely at women's health and safety. Despite 33 years of Supreme Court precedent that women's health matters, the court has decided it will once again take up this issue," said Cecile Richards, president of PPFA. "Health care decisions should be made by women, with their doctors and families -- not politicians. Lawmakers should stop playing politics with women's health and lives."
Every court that has examined the federal abortion ban has struck it down because, among other things, the ban does not protect women's health. Just six years ago, the Supreme Court itself struck down an abortion ban passed by the state of Nebraska because it did not have a health exception, and Justice O'Connor's was the critical vote that upheld protections for women's health and safety. Of course, Justice O'Connor has retired and been replaced on the court by Justice Alito.
"Today's actions by the court are a shining example of why elections matter. When judges far outside the mainstream are nominated and confirmed to public office by anti-choice politicians, women's health and safety are put in danger," added Richards.
it's a battle. some people don't want to fight it. the right wing wants to fight it. some of us on the left are prepared to fight but you've got that soft, squishy democratic muddle that just wants to roll over time and again.
dianne feinstein only realized that she should get behind the filibuster when cindy sheehan was talking about running for the senate.
so what do we do? linda berg puts it pretty clear at now:
From the votes on the Supreme Court nominations of John Roberts and Samuel Alito, it couldn't be clearer that we have to elect more feminists to the U.S. Senate. We must challenge those whose seats are up in 2006 and whose votes have eroded women's rights. On the other hand, we must make sure that our allies, like Senator Debbie Stabenow in Michigan, defeat their well-funded right wing opponents. To add to our electoral challenges, Senators Paul Sarbanes (D-Md.), Mark Dayton (D-Minn.) and Jim Jeffords (I-Vt.) are retiring and we must ensure that they are replaced with feminist allies--not right-wing zealots.
i'd add that we need to realize that the democrats have a few right-wing zealots who need to be shown the door.
make a point to check out the daily jot, wally will make you laugh and we all need laughter these days. and, if you can handle it, check out c.i.'s 'other items.' guantanamo is an important issue and i agree with elaine and c.i., 'detainees' is the wrong term for these people, locked away, violated . . .
And the Supreme Court announced Tuesday it will consider reinstating a federal ban on late-term abortion. Recent President Bush appointee Samuel Alito could hold the tie-breaking vote when the court hears the case. The court last ruled on the issue in the year 2000, when Judge Sandra Day O’Connor cast the deciding vote to strike down a state law banning the procedure. Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said: "Today's action means the core principle of protecting women's health as guaranteed by Roe v. Wade is in clear and present danger."
the above is from today's democracy now and let me say, no, i'm not surprised by the court's decision. i am surprised that nancy keenan really thinks any 1 cares what she thinks.
maybe some people do? i'll note this from planned parenthood:
WASHINGTON, DC -- Today Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) called on the U.S. Supreme Court to protect women's health and safety after the court announced it will hear Gonzales v. Carhart, a case challenging the federal abortion ban. The ban, passed by Congress and signed by President Bush in 2003, would outlaw abortions as early as 12 to 15 weeks in pregnancy that doctors say are safe and the best to protect women's health. "The Supreme Court's decision to hear this case is a dangerous act of hostility aimed squarely at women's health and safety. Despite 33 years of Supreme Court precedent that women's health matters, the court has decided it will once again take up this issue," said Cecile Richards, president of PPFA. "Health care decisions should be made by women, with their doctors and families -- not politicians. Lawmakers should stop playing politics with women's health and lives."
Every court that has examined the federal abortion ban has struck it down because, among other things, the ban does not protect women's health. Just six years ago, the Supreme Court itself struck down an abortion ban passed by the state of Nebraska because it did not have a health exception, and Justice O'Connor's was the critical vote that upheld protections for women's health and safety. Of course, Justice O'Connor has retired and been replaced on the court by Justice Alito.
"Today's actions by the court are a shining example of why elections matter. When judges far outside the mainstream are nominated and confirmed to public office by anti-choice politicians, women's health and safety are put in danger," added Richards.
it's a battle. some people don't want to fight it. the right wing wants to fight it. some of us on the left are prepared to fight but you've got that soft, squishy democratic muddle that just wants to roll over time and again.
dianne feinstein only realized that she should get behind the filibuster when cindy sheehan was talking about running for the senate.
so what do we do? linda berg puts it pretty clear at now:
From the votes on the Supreme Court nominations of John Roberts and Samuel Alito, it couldn't be clearer that we have to elect more feminists to the U.S. Senate. We must challenge those whose seats are up in 2006 and whose votes have eroded women's rights. On the other hand, we must make sure that our allies, like Senator Debbie Stabenow in Michigan, defeat their well-funded right wing opponents. To add to our electoral challenges, Senators Paul Sarbanes (D-Md.), Mark Dayton (D-Minn.) and Jim Jeffords (I-Vt.) are retiring and we must ensure that they are replaced with feminist allies--not right-wing zealots.
i'd add that we need to realize that the democrats have a few right-wing zealots who need to be shown the door.
make a point to check out the daily jot, wally will make you laugh and we all need laughter these days. and, if you can handle it, check out c.i.'s 'other items.' guantanamo is an important issue and i agree with elaine and c.i., 'detainees' is the wrong term for these people, locked away, violated . . .
2/21/2006
alito surprises no 1 and mary matalin slides by with the help of 1 her friends
Alito Taps Ex-Ashcroft Aide to Serve as Law Clerk
New Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has hired a former top aide of Attorney General John Ashcroft to serve as his law clerk. The New York Times reports the selection of the 37-year-old Adam Ciongoli has startled many in Washington both because of his seniority and his political background -- he has been credited with being an architect of the Bush administration's legal strategy after the 9/11 attacks.
that's from democracy now and why is anyone surprised?
who didn't know that alito would be bully boy's puppet? maybe those who depended on reporting from the corporate news? the new york times was vocal on this nomination, towards the end, and on their editorial pages. their reporters? they covered it like it was a tennis match that had no impact on our lives.
now we're supposed to be shocked that someone who was always in the bully boy's pocket just made it public by picking adam ciongoli? is any 1 surprised? no, not at all.
this was argument against alito, that he was not a believer in checks and balances, that he thought the executive branch could act on its own without fear of being checked.
so we got what we knew we were getting.
and we get what we knew would get at the daily howler today as well. bob somerby's blasting maureen dowd yet again. was maureen the issue? i'm reading over the transcript (you couldn't pay me to watch that crap) and the issue's not maureen dowd. the issue is dick cheney. bob somerby's strangely silent on the talking points that the v.p. is above the law and normal rules that apply to all of us. why did somerby miss it?
maybe because the talking points were launched by the woman he's praised at his site, mary matalin.
matalin gets off 1 howler after another, though you wouldn't know it to read the daily howler.
here's a strong section for dowd:
MS. MAUREEN DOWD: Well, I think that the reason this story has evoked such fascination is because the vice president is like the phantom. You know, we hear the creak of the door as he passes, but we don’t really know what he’s up to. We don’t know his schedule. We don't always know where he is. We don't know what democratic institution he's blowing off at any given minute, and so this allowed us to see how his behavior and judgement operated pretty much in real time--with the delay, but pretty much in real time.
And it covered all the problems of the Bush/Cheney administration: secrecy and stonewalling, then blowing off the rules that are at the heart of our democracy, then using a filter to try and put the truth out in a way that would most suit their political needs, and then bad political judgement in bungling a crisis. I mean, if there's one thing the Republicans are great at since Reagan, it's damage control. But he is such a control freak, you know, he doesn't even care about the damage.
transcript via msnbc for nbc's meet the press. (they have a must credit note and apparently a link isn't enough for them.)
now that's not noted. none of dowd's points are. instead bob blows another gasket going after dowd while missing the larger picture. it's amazing that this continues to happen.
somerby may claim that dowd's comments re: the outing of valerie plame mattered but if he really thought they mattered, he would have revisited his own work a long time ago.
if you'll think about it, you'll realize that mary matalin makes huge howlers ... daily. but she gets a pass from somerby. so does james carville. for some 1 supposedly so concerned about our national dialogue, he's never taken on the sonny & cher aspect of their chat & chew appearnaces.
(c.i. has. bob somerby takes a pass.)
now some of you may say, 'hold on, rebecca! he's focused on education now, right?' sometimes. sometimes he is. but then he feels the need to weigh in and suddenly that all changes. apparently education had to wait until later in his entry today because 1st he had to prop up matalain (again!) by going after dowd.
bob's an old, old man with old, old man ideas. he's never found his voice on the war and he's never found a way to critique his friends. mary matalin lies on national tv sunday - lies! lies in the face of the official public record that bob somerby prizes so much. and his half-assed criticism is aimed at matalin? no, he goes after dowd.
it must be nice to be a friend of bob somerby's. it means never having to be held to the same standards that somerby holds others too. i'm not remembering that from philosophy classes but i didn't multi-major (check with c.i. who did). as he goes after dowd (again!) and lets matalin off (again!), maybe the name of the site should be changed from 'the daily howler' to 'the noble lie'?
mary matalin lied and lied on national television. 1 lie after another. if her name were ted koppel, somerby would have called her on it. because he thinks she's nice, she gets a pass. which, by the way, was the whole problem with his plamegate coverage or, as many see it, his war on joe wilson. (joe, you should have asked bob to tutor you in comedy - that gets you a pass.)
in the real world, read jimmy carter's op-ed from the washington post. there was a world before clintonista.
New Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has hired a former top aide of Attorney General John Ashcroft to serve as his law clerk. The New York Times reports the selection of the 37-year-old Adam Ciongoli has startled many in Washington both because of his seniority and his political background -- he has been credited with being an architect of the Bush administration's legal strategy after the 9/11 attacks.
that's from democracy now and why is anyone surprised?
who didn't know that alito would be bully boy's puppet? maybe those who depended on reporting from the corporate news? the new york times was vocal on this nomination, towards the end, and on their editorial pages. their reporters? they covered it like it was a tennis match that had no impact on our lives.
now we're supposed to be shocked that someone who was always in the bully boy's pocket just made it public by picking adam ciongoli? is any 1 surprised? no, not at all.
this was argument against alito, that he was not a believer in checks and balances, that he thought the executive branch could act on its own without fear of being checked.
so we got what we knew we were getting.
and we get what we knew would get at the daily howler today as well. bob somerby's blasting maureen dowd yet again. was maureen the issue? i'm reading over the transcript (you couldn't pay me to watch that crap) and the issue's not maureen dowd. the issue is dick cheney. bob somerby's strangely silent on the talking points that the v.p. is above the law and normal rules that apply to all of us. why did somerby miss it?
maybe because the talking points were launched by the woman he's praised at his site, mary matalin.
matalin gets off 1 howler after another, though you wouldn't know it to read the daily howler.
here's a strong section for dowd:
MS. MAUREEN DOWD: Well, I think that the reason this story has evoked such fascination is because the vice president is like the phantom. You know, we hear the creak of the door as he passes, but we don’t really know what he’s up to. We don’t know his schedule. We don't always know where he is. We don't know what democratic institution he's blowing off at any given minute, and so this allowed us to see how his behavior and judgement operated pretty much in real time--with the delay, but pretty much in real time.
And it covered all the problems of the Bush/Cheney administration: secrecy and stonewalling, then blowing off the rules that are at the heart of our democracy, then using a filter to try and put the truth out in a way that would most suit their political needs, and then bad political judgement in bungling a crisis. I mean, if there's one thing the Republicans are great at since Reagan, it's damage control. But he is such a control freak, you know, he doesn't even care about the damage.
transcript via msnbc for nbc's meet the press. (they have a must credit note and apparently a link isn't enough for them.)
now that's not noted. none of dowd's points are. instead bob blows another gasket going after dowd while missing the larger picture. it's amazing that this continues to happen.
somerby may claim that dowd's comments re: the outing of valerie plame mattered but if he really thought they mattered, he would have revisited his own work a long time ago.
if you'll think about it, you'll realize that mary matalin makes huge howlers ... daily. but she gets a pass from somerby. so does james carville. for some 1 supposedly so concerned about our national dialogue, he's never taken on the sonny & cher aspect of their chat & chew appearnaces.
(c.i. has. bob somerby takes a pass.)
now some of you may say, 'hold on, rebecca! he's focused on education now, right?' sometimes. sometimes he is. but then he feels the need to weigh in and suddenly that all changes. apparently education had to wait until later in his entry today because 1st he had to prop up matalain (again!) by going after dowd.
bob's an old, old man with old, old man ideas. he's never found his voice on the war and he's never found a way to critique his friends. mary matalin lies on national tv sunday - lies! lies in the face of the official public record that bob somerby prizes so much. and his half-assed criticism is aimed at matalin? no, he goes after dowd.
it must be nice to be a friend of bob somerby's. it means never having to be held to the same standards that somerby holds others too. i'm not remembering that from philosophy classes but i didn't multi-major (check with c.i. who did). as he goes after dowd (again!) and lets matalin off (again!), maybe the name of the site should be changed from 'the daily howler' to 'the noble lie'?
mary matalin lied and lied on national television. 1 lie after another. if her name were ted koppel, somerby would have called her on it. because he thinks she's nice, she gets a pass. which, by the way, was the whole problem with his plamegate coverage or, as many see it, his war on joe wilson. (joe, you should have asked bob to tutor you in comedy - that gets you a pass.)
in the real world, read jimmy carter's op-ed from the washington post. there was a world before clintonista.
news you can use
In the United Kingdom today, over 200 people gathered at St Nicholas and Writhington Church, in Radstock, Somerset for the funeral of Corporal Gordon Pritchard who died in Basra on January 31, 2005 becoming the 100th British soldier to die in Iraq. 101 British troops have died in Iraq, official count. Gordon Pritchard, who was 31 years-old, is survived by his wife Julie-Ann and his children Stacey, Harrison and Summer.
Alexander Panetta, of the Associated Press, is reporting that Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay maintains that "latest intelligence" indicates that the four memebers of Christian Peacemaker Teams are still alive. The four members, kidnapped in November, were last seen in a January 29th videotape. The four members are:
James Loney, 41, of Toronto; Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32, a former Montreal resident; Tom Fox, 54, of Clear Brook, Va., and Norman Kember, 74, of
London [. . .]
Sunday's upsurge in violence continued on Monday. Reuters is reporting that bombings in Mosul and Baghdad today killed "at least 19 people." The Associated Press reports that in Karbala one American soldier was killed in a bombing and that in Mosul, a bomber killed himself in a "restaurant packed with policemen eating breakfast, killing at least five people and wounding 21, including 10 policemen". The Department of Defense has identified Capt. Anthony R. Garcia of Fort Worth, Texas as one of the 34 US military fatalities this month. Garcia died of from gunshot wounds after a February 17th shooting that took place on a military base in Tikrit. Garcia is survived by his wife Doris and his children Kelly and Garrick.
Brian Zimmerman, of Gannet News, is reporting that questions still surround the shooting death of Army Reservist David Douglas who died two weeks after returning to the United States from a one-year stint in Iraq. Commenting on the violent deaths of many returning veterans, National Guardsman Alfonso Williams told Zimmerman:
You have a whole lot of built-up anger from being over there. . . . You can't explain (what it's like) to anybody. And to them, what they may think is screaming and hollering to you is a normal tone.
In 2005, the military reports that 136 active duty personnel committed suicide. No figures are kept for those who are inactive. The current number for US military fatalities in Iraq stands at 2276.
As Jane Mayer reported in The New Yorker, early warnings were ignored by the administration about the environment created for abuse of prisoners in Guantanamo. Noting that "Human rights are under threat," Amnesty International is calling for the closing of Guantanamo. Tuesday, Amnesty International will host a live online discussion:
Live chat with Moazzam Begg, ex Guantánamo detainee, on 21 February, 6-7pm GMT
Moazzam Begg, British citizen, was held for "nearly three years," as noted on Democracy Now!. Amnesty International's call echoes the call of the UN investigation team as well as the prime ministers of Germany, France, England and Malaysia. U.S. Charm Minister Karen Hughes, speaking to Al Jazeera, rejected calls to close Gitmo and reportedly maintained that not only are the people imprisoned in Guantanamo wanting to kill Americans but that some released "have gone back to fighting and killing Americans." If the report is accurate, it is surprising that such an assertion would be made by the Minister of Charm and not Bully Boy himself.
In this country, the Associated Press is reporting that Republican governors George Pataki (New York) and Robert Ehrlich (Maryland) have joined the chorus of voices objecting by administration plans to turn over control of "six major U.S. ports" to Dubai Ports World. Senators Robert Menendez (New Jersey) and Hillary Clinton (New York) are also objecting to the proposed plan. Speaking out against the plan involving the Arab company, Mendendez stated today, "We wouldn't turn over our customs service or our border patrol to a foreign government. We shouldn't turn over the ports of the United States, either."
Feminist Wire Daily is reporting that CWIG (Center for Women in Government and Civil Society) has conducted a study on "the percentage of women in policy-making positions - such as state legislators, elected officials, high court judges, department heads, and top governor's advisors" for the years 1998 to 2005 and found that the rate of growth for women in those positions increased by only 1.6% -- "from 23.1 percent to 24.7 percent." FWD notes:
Slow progress for women in state government has national implications, says Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers. State and local office serve as a "pipeline" to draw women into national politics. Not to mention, adds Walsh, state legislatures themselves are "making a tremendous amount of policy" –- in 2005, 48 state legislatures considered over 500 anti-choice bills.
On the national level, NOW notes, that although "almost nine million more women voted than men" only fourteen women serve in the United States Senate and only sixty-seven in the House, while of the fifty governors in the United States, only eight are women.
As noted on Sunday's KPFA Evening News, Saturday Feb. 25th, a Counter-Recruiting workshop will be held, open to the public, from 2 to 5pm at the Veterans' Memorial Building, Room 219, 401 Van Ness Ave. March 1st is the National Law Student Day Against the Death Penalty (SDADP).
In other news, Philadelphia Indymedia is reporting that Governor Ed Rendell vetoed the Pennsylvania's Voter ID bill. Rendell, who spanked Casey Junior in the 2002 election race, stated, "I see no reason to enact laws that will result in voter confusion and disenfranchise legitimately registered voters." Member of Protect the Vote had successfully fought against the proposed legislation and were on hand for the veto ceromny.
In other civil liberties news, following what BuzzFlash has called "Just Your Average Week of the Bush Administration Betraying America," the ACLU features a snapshot of governmental spying/snooping in the form of Betty Ball who states:
It is true that I have become more motivated to work for justice and social change knowing that the government is abusing its powers like this. But I am worried about how far the government will go to squelch First Amendment rights and silence dissent. Will we all be rounded up and incarcerated? Already so many people have been frightened away from participating in our events, and have asked to have their names removed from our mailing lists, for fear of the consequences of associating with us. I hesitate to call people to discuss plans for rallies or protests because I don’t want them ending up in an FBI file labeled as a "domestic terrorist."
Meanwhile, author and activist Diane Wilson remains in a Victoria County jail in Texas. Wilson was arrested for unfurling a banner that read "Corporate Greed Kills--From Bhopal to Baghdad" at a Dick Cheney attended fundraiser in Houston on December 5, 2005. Wilson's banners are apparently too much for the delicate sensibilities of the foes of democracy. She is currently serving a 150 day sentence for a 2002 action where she climbed a Dow Jones tower and unfurled a banner which read "Justice For Bhopal." CODEPINK is calling for Wilson's release.
In other take action news, MediaChannel.org is asking you to Take Action: Demand Coverage of Able Danger (more info on the Able Danger program can be found at Able Danger Media Monitoring).
Finally, Monday's Democracy Now! featured:
"Readings From Howard Zinn's 'Voices of a People's History of the UnitedStates:'"
Today we spend the hour with readings from a Voices of a People's History of the United States edited by historian Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove. It is the companion volume to Zinn's legendary People's History of the United States which has sold over a million copies.We will hear dramatic readings of speeches, letters, poems, songs, petitions, and manifestos. These are the voices of people throughout U.S.history who struggled against slavery, racism, and war, against oppression and exploitation, and who articulated a vision for a better world. Performances include Danny Glover as Frederick Douglass, Marisa Tomei as Cindy Sheehan, Floyd Red Crow Westerman as Tecumseh and Chief Joseph, Sandra Oh as Emma Goldman and Yuri Kochiyama, and Viggo Mortensen as Bartolomeo de Las Casas and Mark Twain.
This entry was compiled by:
The Third Estate Sunday Review's Dona, Jess, Ty, Ava and Jim;
Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude;
Betty of Thomas Friedman Is a Great Man;
C.I. of The Common Ills and The Third Estate Sunday Review;
Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills);
Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix;
Mike of Mikey Likes It!;
Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz;
and Wally of The Daily Jot.
democracy now
news
iraq
the common ills
sex and politics and screeds and attitude
kats korner
the third estate sunday review
mikey likes it
like maria said paz
cedrics big mix
thomas friedman is a great man
the daily jot
feminist wire
jane mayer
the new yorker
codepink
diane wilson
guantanamo
national lawyers guild
amnesty international
aclu
counter-recruiting
able danger
buzzflash
Alexander Panetta, of the Associated Press, is reporting that Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay maintains that "latest intelligence" indicates that the four memebers of Christian Peacemaker Teams are still alive. The four members, kidnapped in November, were last seen in a January 29th videotape. The four members are:
James Loney, 41, of Toronto; Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32, a former Montreal resident; Tom Fox, 54, of Clear Brook, Va., and Norman Kember, 74, of
London [. . .]
Sunday's upsurge in violence continued on Monday. Reuters is reporting that bombings in Mosul and Baghdad today killed "at least 19 people." The Associated Press reports that in Karbala one American soldier was killed in a bombing and that in Mosul, a bomber killed himself in a "restaurant packed with policemen eating breakfast, killing at least five people and wounding 21, including 10 policemen". The Department of Defense has identified Capt. Anthony R. Garcia of Fort Worth, Texas as one of the 34 US military fatalities this month. Garcia died of from gunshot wounds after a February 17th shooting that took place on a military base in Tikrit. Garcia is survived by his wife Doris and his children Kelly and Garrick.
Brian Zimmerman, of Gannet News, is reporting that questions still surround the shooting death of Army Reservist David Douglas who died two weeks after returning to the United States from a one-year stint in Iraq. Commenting on the violent deaths of many returning veterans, National Guardsman Alfonso Williams told Zimmerman:
You have a whole lot of built-up anger from being over there. . . . You can't explain (what it's like) to anybody. And to them, what they may think is screaming and hollering to you is a normal tone.
In 2005, the military reports that 136 active duty personnel committed suicide. No figures are kept for those who are inactive. The current number for US military fatalities in Iraq stands at 2276.
As Jane Mayer reported in The New Yorker, early warnings were ignored by the administration about the environment created for abuse of prisoners in Guantanamo. Noting that "Human rights are under threat," Amnesty International is calling for the closing of Guantanamo. Tuesday, Amnesty International will host a live online discussion:
Live chat with Moazzam Begg, ex Guantánamo detainee, on 21 February, 6-7pm GMT
Moazzam Begg, British citizen, was held for "nearly three years," as noted on Democracy Now!. Amnesty International's call echoes the call of the UN investigation team as well as the prime ministers of Germany, France, England and Malaysia. U.S. Charm Minister Karen Hughes, speaking to Al Jazeera, rejected calls to close Gitmo and reportedly maintained that not only are the people imprisoned in Guantanamo wanting to kill Americans but that some released "have gone back to fighting and killing Americans." If the report is accurate, it is surprising that such an assertion would be made by the Minister of Charm and not Bully Boy himself.
In this country, the Associated Press is reporting that Republican governors George Pataki (New York) and Robert Ehrlich (Maryland) have joined the chorus of voices objecting by administration plans to turn over control of "six major U.S. ports" to Dubai Ports World. Senators Robert Menendez (New Jersey) and Hillary Clinton (New York) are also objecting to the proposed plan. Speaking out against the plan involving the Arab company, Mendendez stated today, "We wouldn't turn over our customs service or our border patrol to a foreign government. We shouldn't turn over the ports of the United States, either."
Feminist Wire Daily is reporting that CWIG (Center for Women in Government and Civil Society) has conducted a study on "the percentage of women in policy-making positions - such as state legislators, elected officials, high court judges, department heads, and top governor's advisors" for the years 1998 to 2005 and found that the rate of growth for women in those positions increased by only 1.6% -- "from 23.1 percent to 24.7 percent." FWD notes:
Slow progress for women in state government has national implications, says Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers. State and local office serve as a "pipeline" to draw women into national politics. Not to mention, adds Walsh, state legislatures themselves are "making a tremendous amount of policy" –- in 2005, 48 state legislatures considered over 500 anti-choice bills.
On the national level, NOW notes, that although "almost nine million more women voted than men" only fourteen women serve in the United States Senate and only sixty-seven in the House, while of the fifty governors in the United States, only eight are women.
As noted on Sunday's KPFA Evening News, Saturday Feb. 25th, a Counter-Recruiting workshop will be held, open to the public, from 2 to 5pm at the Veterans' Memorial Building, Room 219, 401 Van Ness Ave. March 1st is the National Law Student Day Against the Death Penalty (SDADP).
In other news, Philadelphia Indymedia is reporting that Governor Ed Rendell vetoed the Pennsylvania's Voter ID bill. Rendell, who spanked Casey Junior in the 2002 election race, stated, "I see no reason to enact laws that will result in voter confusion and disenfranchise legitimately registered voters." Member of Protect the Vote had successfully fought against the proposed legislation and were on hand for the veto ceromny.
In other civil liberties news, following what BuzzFlash has called "Just Your Average Week of the Bush Administration Betraying America," the ACLU features a snapshot of governmental spying/snooping in the form of Betty Ball who states:
It is true that I have become more motivated to work for justice and social change knowing that the government is abusing its powers like this. But I am worried about how far the government will go to squelch First Amendment rights and silence dissent. Will we all be rounded up and incarcerated? Already so many people have been frightened away from participating in our events, and have asked to have their names removed from our mailing lists, for fear of the consequences of associating with us. I hesitate to call people to discuss plans for rallies or protests because I don’t want them ending up in an FBI file labeled as a "domestic terrorist."
Meanwhile, author and activist Diane Wilson remains in a Victoria County jail in Texas. Wilson was arrested for unfurling a banner that read "Corporate Greed Kills--From Bhopal to Baghdad" at a Dick Cheney attended fundraiser in Houston on December 5, 2005. Wilson's banners are apparently too much for the delicate sensibilities of the foes of democracy. She is currently serving a 150 day sentence for a 2002 action where she climbed a Dow Jones tower and unfurled a banner which read "Justice For Bhopal." CODEPINK is calling for Wilson's release.
In other take action news, MediaChannel.org is asking you to Take Action: Demand Coverage of Able Danger (more info on the Able Danger program can be found at Able Danger Media Monitoring).
Finally, Monday's Democracy Now! featured:
"Readings From Howard Zinn's 'Voices of a People's History of the UnitedStates:'"
Today we spend the hour with readings from a Voices of a People's History of the United States edited by historian Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove. It is the companion volume to Zinn's legendary People's History of the United States which has sold over a million copies.We will hear dramatic readings of speeches, letters, poems, songs, petitions, and manifestos. These are the voices of people throughout U.S.history who struggled against slavery, racism, and war, against oppression and exploitation, and who articulated a vision for a better world. Performances include Danny Glover as Frederick Douglass, Marisa Tomei as Cindy Sheehan, Floyd Red Crow Westerman as Tecumseh and Chief Joseph, Sandra Oh as Emma Goldman and Yuri Kochiyama, and Viggo Mortensen as Bartolomeo de Las Casas and Mark Twain.
This entry was compiled by:
The Third Estate Sunday Review's Dona, Jess, Ty, Ava and Jim;
Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude;
Betty of Thomas Friedman Is a Great Man;
C.I. of The Common Ills and The Third Estate Sunday Review;
Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills);
Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix;
Mike of Mikey Likes It!;
Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz;
and Wally of The Daily Jot.
democracy now
news
iraq
the common ills
sex and politics and screeds and attitude
kats korner
the third estate sunday review
mikey likes it
like maria said paz
cedrics big mix
thomas friedman is a great man
the daily jot
feminist wire
jane mayer
the new yorker
codepink
diane wilson
guantanamo
national lawyers guild
amnesty international
aclu
counter-recruiting
able danger
buzzflash
2/20/2006
when the professional liar met the professional stenographer ...
c.i. just called with a 'what you doing?' having my morning coffee, working my way through the washington post and watching democracy now. had i seen the new york times yet? no. in fact, i'd told fly boy he really could canel the subscription if he wanted because that paper is so useless to me.
while i was talking to c.i., i opened it up and noticed elisabeth bumiller's '
'Troubleshooting the Tale of a Hunt Gone Sour' and assumed c.i. had covered this. 'no,' i was told, 'it's a white house letter.' c.i. sees those at floating op-eds and doesn't cover the op-eds or editorials the way the main section, the reporting, is covered at the common ills.
so let me grab it. bumiller, who serves on the elite fluff patrol - hell, she commands the elite fluff patrol, has a warm and tender talk with professional liar mary matalin.
before any visiter thinks, 'you are slamming matalin because she's a republican' let me add that she's married to a professional liar - james carville.
i think they're both disgusting. they disgrace the national debate as they attempt to score points through spin. people always say things like, 'how can a democrat be married to a republican' as though they have no common ground. they have common ground: they both believe in lying. they trot out spin and pass it off as truth. i have no respect for either. (or for their sonny & cher like tv appearances.)
so mary matalin needs to get out a lame story that she had trouble getting out all last week. don imus roared at her when she attempted to lie/spin him last week. she needed an easier audience, so she went where every 1 goes when they need an unquestioning audience, to bumiller. you tell it to bumiller, she writes it down exactly as you tell her because she's apparently incapable of critical thought.
so matalin tells bumiller, and bumiller writes it up as fact, that there was a statement from dick cheney after the shooting of his friend on that hunting trip. matalin says she was awoken and it was read to her over the phone. now this statement, that no 1 ever heard of until matalin started her latest round of lying/spinning, naturally paints cheney in a good light. matalin says she killed it and that it was better to have no statement released than a bad statement.
funny thing is, cheney sat down with brit hume and never mentioned an attempted statement even when hume lightly grilled him. and katherine armstrong, who has turned out to be quite the chatty cathy, has never mentioned it.
so people can and should suspect that this is an attempt to lie/spin and rewrite history. when it's time for that, you call a mary matalin or james carville because ethics don't matter to those 2. they're all about tricks and manipulations. i actually think matalin has a little bit more integrity than carville. it's a teaspoon more, but it is a little more. carville's just a bean counter. for all her bean counting, matalin actually believes in something. it's a frightening and disgusting view of the world, but she believes in it.
today, she's doing what she does best in the paper of no record, creating myths and lies in support of what she believes in. (carville believes in winning elections. matalin believes in that as well as in a dark and oppressive way of life.)
will it work? it worked for bumiller but everything works on bumiller. you drop your ten dollars on the desk beside the bed on the way out and she writes it up.
i don't think any 1 takes bumiller seriously but if there's even 1 reader who does, note that this mythical statement, that matalin supposedly killed, has never been mentioned until the jokes didn't stop after cheney did his sit down with brit hume.
c.i. was wondering if i intended to post anything today? i was thinking about taking the day off. but i'll post early instead. i may end up working with c.i. and some others on a joint entry later today.
zach wrote me, and i see c.i. as well, asking that i note the contents of sunday's the third estate sunday review so here they are:
A Note to Our Readers
Editorial: No spine on no spying
TV Review: Close To Home (and floating in the toilet)
1 Book, 10 Minutes (Danny Schechter, The Death of Media)
Psst, here come the gatekeepers
Musings on the service economy
check out jane mayer's latest in the new yorker, 'THE MEMO: How an internal effort to ban the abuse and torture of detainees was thwarted' - which c.i.'s covered at length this morning in 'NYT: Golden reads Jane Mayer online (Guantanamo)' and 'other items.'
the common ills
the new york times
elisabeth bumiller
dick cheney
jane mayer
the new yorker
mary matalin
while i was talking to c.i., i opened it up and noticed elisabeth bumiller's '
'Troubleshooting the Tale of a Hunt Gone Sour' and assumed c.i. had covered this. 'no,' i was told, 'it's a white house letter.' c.i. sees those at floating op-eds and doesn't cover the op-eds or editorials the way the main section, the reporting, is covered at the common ills.
so let me grab it. bumiller, who serves on the elite fluff patrol - hell, she commands the elite fluff patrol, has a warm and tender talk with professional liar mary matalin.
before any visiter thinks, 'you are slamming matalin because she's a republican' let me add that she's married to a professional liar - james carville.
i think they're both disgusting. they disgrace the national debate as they attempt to score points through spin. people always say things like, 'how can a democrat be married to a republican' as though they have no common ground. they have common ground: they both believe in lying. they trot out spin and pass it off as truth. i have no respect for either. (or for their sonny & cher like tv appearances.)
so mary matalin needs to get out a lame story that she had trouble getting out all last week. don imus roared at her when she attempted to lie/spin him last week. she needed an easier audience, so she went where every 1 goes when they need an unquestioning audience, to bumiller. you tell it to bumiller, she writes it down exactly as you tell her because she's apparently incapable of critical thought.
so matalin tells bumiller, and bumiller writes it up as fact, that there was a statement from dick cheney after the shooting of his friend on that hunting trip. matalin says she was awoken and it was read to her over the phone. now this statement, that no 1 ever heard of until matalin started her latest round of lying/spinning, naturally paints cheney in a good light. matalin says she killed it and that it was better to have no statement released than a bad statement.
funny thing is, cheney sat down with brit hume and never mentioned an attempted statement even when hume lightly grilled him. and katherine armstrong, who has turned out to be quite the chatty cathy, has never mentioned it.
so people can and should suspect that this is an attempt to lie/spin and rewrite history. when it's time for that, you call a mary matalin or james carville because ethics don't matter to those 2. they're all about tricks and manipulations. i actually think matalin has a little bit more integrity than carville. it's a teaspoon more, but it is a little more. carville's just a bean counter. for all her bean counting, matalin actually believes in something. it's a frightening and disgusting view of the world, but she believes in it.
today, she's doing what she does best in the paper of no record, creating myths and lies in support of what she believes in. (carville believes in winning elections. matalin believes in that as well as in a dark and oppressive way of life.)
will it work? it worked for bumiller but everything works on bumiller. you drop your ten dollars on the desk beside the bed on the way out and she writes it up.
i don't think any 1 takes bumiller seriously but if there's even 1 reader who does, note that this mythical statement, that matalin supposedly killed, has never been mentioned until the jokes didn't stop after cheney did his sit down with brit hume.
c.i. was wondering if i intended to post anything today? i was thinking about taking the day off. but i'll post early instead. i may end up working with c.i. and some others on a joint entry later today.
zach wrote me, and i see c.i. as well, asking that i note the contents of sunday's the third estate sunday review so here they are:
A Note to Our Readers
Editorial: No spine on no spying
TV Review: Close To Home (and floating in the toilet)
1 Book, 10 Minutes (Danny Schechter, The Death of Media)
Psst, here come the gatekeepers
Musings on the service economy
check out jane mayer's latest in the new yorker, 'THE MEMO: How an internal effort to ban the abuse and torture of detainees was thwarted' - which c.i.'s covered at length this morning in 'NYT: Golden reads Jane Mayer online (Guantanamo)' and 'other items.'
the common ills
the new york times
elisabeth bumiller
dick cheney
jane mayer
the new yorker
mary matalin
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)