From The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Radio should go left, right and up, but the loss of voices takes it down
By Karla Peterson
TELEVISION CRITIC
November 12, 2007
He is rich, famous and aging very nicely. But while Bruce Springsteen may look like a man who has everything, his single “Radio Nowhere” suggests that at least one area of his life could use some work.
I want a thousand guitars, he sings. I want pounding drums/I want a million different voices speaking in tongues.
Bruce may be cash rich, but he is radio poor. And if your Radio Somewhere happens to be San Diego, your assets aren't what they used to be, either.
After months of doomsday buzz from the industry and some heartfelt protests from supporters, progressive talk-radio outlet KLSD/AM 1360 is going dark.
Last Friday, the Clear Channel-owned KLSD becomes XTRA Sports Radio, whose lineup will include shows by Lee Hamilton, Chris Ello and sportswriters from the Union-Tribune. Liberal rants and raves from San Diego's Stacy Taylor and such Air America favorites as Randi Rhodes and Thom Hartmann will give way to Padres talk and Chargers chat. And our radio chorus will be missing the robust voice of dissent.
Through the years, many radio experts have said that San Diego has one of the most diverse dials in the country, and that San Diego listeners don't know how lucky we are. And the experts have a point.
We don't have a strong classical-music presence, and our college-radio stations are stranded in the cable hinterlands. But we do have multiple country, alternative-rock, hip-hop and Spanish-language stations, along with classic rock, hard rock, smooth jazz, traditional jazz, old-school R&B, public radio, and enough pop-happy contemporary-hits stations to keep Pink in the black for the rest of her colorful life.
We used to have four major political talk-radio stations, but now that KLSD is gone, we are down to three. And when it comes to talk-radio viewpoints, we are down to one.
Like it or not (and judging by its consistently anemic ratings, plenty of people fell into the “not” camp), KLSD was an important part of the local radio landscape. Not because it was liberal, but because being liberal meant it was different.
When it comes to music, San Diego radio is a comforting cacophony of sounds and languages. When it comes to talk, we have become a mono town.
From Rush Limbaugh and Dr. Laura Schlessinger on KOGO-AM, to Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity on KFMB-AM to Bill Bennett and Laura Ingraham on KCBQ-AM, the San Diego talk-radio landscape is dominated by personalities who do their talking from the conservative side of the political fence.
Depending on your point of view, this is either a great thing or a horrific thing. But there is no question that it is a boring thing.
Variety is not only the spice of life, it is the life blood of culture. And when your cultural options get smaller, life gets smaller, too.
When the lowly rated KSCF/103.7 FM dropped its ribald Free FM all-talk format in June to become the peppy Radio Sophie, I didn't think I would mind much. But it turns out that I do.
For reasons that remain mysterious even to me, I miss Adam Carolla's hairy morning zoo. But mostly, I miss the twisted evenings I spent hearing Tom Leykis giving politically incorrect advice to the many misguided male souls who packed his audio locker room. I didn't belong there, but thanks to my radio, I could lurk as long as I liked. And it was fascinating.
When Free FM changed formats, we lost a voice we weren't hearing anywhere else and we gained another place to hear Maroon 5. When KLSD becomes XTRA, we add a third sports station to the lineup and we lose the only progressive-talk station we had.
One of the great joys of radio is its ability to let you explore various worlds just by scanning the dial. You may not want to live in some of these places, but when they disappear, your visitation rights disappear right along with them.
Like Bruce, I would love to hear a million different voices speaking in tongues. But right now, I would be happy just to hear the howl of KLSD's lone radio wolf.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Karla Peterson: karla.peterson@uniontrib.com; (619) 293-1275.
Wrap...
Monday, November 12, 2007
Cuba's International Trade Fair vs BushCo....
From The International Herald Tribune:
Letter from Cuba: Trade fair draws over 100 U.S. businesses
By James C. McKinley Jr.
Published: November 12, 2007
HAVANA: A trade fair in Communist Cuba is perhaps the last place you would expect to find a Republican governor from the American heartland. Yet last week Governor Dave Heineman of Nebraska was here to sign a deal to export $11 million worth of his state's wheat to the island.
Asked the obvious question about whether longstanding American trade sanctions should be lifted, Heineman ducked and weaved like a professional boxer. "Well, I try not to get into that, because that's up to the president and the Congress, but I will say expanding trade relationships is good for Nebraska and altogether good for America," he said.
Just weeks after President George W. Bush delivered an address calling on the world to isolate Cuba, officials from Minnesota, Alabama and Ohio - and more than 100 American businesses - were working the giant Havana International Fair, trying to secure part of the $1.6 billion the Cuban government spends each year to import sugar, wheat, livestock, poultry and beans, among other staples. Those business interests clash with the Bush administration's anti-Castro policies, as well as the need of both Democrats and Republicans to court Cuban exiles in Florida, a crucial voting bloc. So while some trade with Cuba is allowed, it is fraught with restrictions. A 1992 law, for instance, denies ships access to American ports for six months after they have docked in Cuba, making shipping tricky, to say the least.
Several Americans here said they were frustrated that the sanctions have proved more a source of irritation for those who want to do business with Cuba than a crippling blow to Fidel Castro.
"They are doing everything they can to make it difficult," said Ralph Kaehler, a Minnesota farmer who sells cattle feed in Cuba. "It's unfortunate."
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/11/12/america/letter.php?WT.mc_id=newsalert
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap....
Letter from Cuba: Trade fair draws over 100 U.S. businesses
By James C. McKinley Jr.
Published: November 12, 2007
HAVANA: A trade fair in Communist Cuba is perhaps the last place you would expect to find a Republican governor from the American heartland. Yet last week Governor Dave Heineman of Nebraska was here to sign a deal to export $11 million worth of his state's wheat to the island.
Asked the obvious question about whether longstanding American trade sanctions should be lifted, Heineman ducked and weaved like a professional boxer. "Well, I try not to get into that, because that's up to the president and the Congress, but I will say expanding trade relationships is good for Nebraska and altogether good for America," he said.
Just weeks after President George W. Bush delivered an address calling on the world to isolate Cuba, officials from Minnesota, Alabama and Ohio - and more than 100 American businesses - were working the giant Havana International Fair, trying to secure part of the $1.6 billion the Cuban government spends each year to import sugar, wheat, livestock, poultry and beans, among other staples. Those business interests clash with the Bush administration's anti-Castro policies, as well as the need of both Democrats and Republicans to court Cuban exiles in Florida, a crucial voting bloc. So while some trade with Cuba is allowed, it is fraught with restrictions. A 1992 law, for instance, denies ships access to American ports for six months after they have docked in Cuba, making shipping tricky, to say the least.
Several Americans here said they were frustrated that the sanctions have proved more a source of irritation for those who want to do business with Cuba than a crippling blow to Fidel Castro.
"They are doing everything they can to make it difficult," said Ralph Kaehler, a Minnesota farmer who sells cattle feed in Cuba. "It's unfortunate."
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/11/12/america/letter.php?WT.mc_id=newsalert
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap....
BushCo to interrogators: GET EVIDENCE AGAINST IRAN...
From The Observer:
Iraqi fighters 'grilled for evidence on Iran'
Interrogator says US military seeks evidence incriminating Tehran
David Smith in Baghdad
Sunday November 11, 2007
The Observer
US military officials are putting huge pressure on interrogators who question Iraqi insurgents to find incriminating evidence pointing to Iran, it was claimed last night.
Micah Brose, a privately contracted interrogator working for American forces in Iraq, near the Iranian border, told The Observer that information on Iran is 'gold'. The claim comes after Washington imposed sanctions on Iran last month, citing both its nuclear ambitions and its Revolutionary Guards' alleged support of Shia insurgents in Iraq. Last week the US military freed nine Iranians held in Iraq, including two it had accused of links to the Revolutionary Guards' Qods Force.
Brose, 30, who extracts information from detainees in Iraq, said: 'They push a lot for us to establish a link with Iran. They have pre-categories for us to go through, and by the sheer volume of categories there's clearly a lot more for Iran than there is for other stuff. Of all the recent requests I've had, I'd say 60 to 70 per cent are about Iran.
'It feels a lot like, if you get something and Iran's not involved, it's a let down.' He added: 'I've had people say to me, "They're really pushing the Iran thing. It's like, shit, you know." '
Brose said that reports about Washington's increasingly hawkish stance towards Tehran, including possible military action, chimed with his experience. 'My impression is they're just trying to get every little bit of ammunition possible. If we get something here it fits the overall picture. The engine needs impetus and they're looking for us to find the fuel - a particular type of fuel.
'It now really depends on who gets elected President in the US. If nothing changes in the current course, I'd say military action is inevitable. But we have to hope there will be a change of course.'
He denied ever being asked to fabricate evidence, adding: 'We're not asked to manufacture information, we're asked to find it. But if a detainee wants to tell me what I want to hear so he can get out of jail... you know what I'm saying.'
Other military intelligence officials in Iraq refused to comment, but one said: 'The message is, "Got to find a link with Iran, got to find a link with Iran." It's sickening.'
Last week in Baghdad the US military showed journalists a recently discovered cache of mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and bomb-making materials it claims are of Iranian origin. Rear Admiral Gregory Smith, spokesman for Multi-National Force Iraq, said it was possible they crossed the border before a recent promise by Iran to stop the flow of munitions into Iraq.
He said: 'Iran has had a historic malign influence here in Iraq. They have financed many of the activities of Shia extremist groups. In many cases they have done training, they have actually deployed some of their personnel here in theatre. The Qods Force (Iranian Revolutionary Guards) have come here - we know that, we've got some in detention. They have said in many cases they were not here and intend to support a more peaceful outcome in Iraq and we look for their excellence in achieving that.'
Among the weapons Washington has accused Iran of supplying to Iraqi insurgents are EFPs, or explosively formed projectiles, which fire a slug of molten metal capable of penetrating even the most heavily armoured military vehicle. The number two US commander in Iraq, Lt Gen Ray Odierno, said there has been a sharp decline in the number of EFPs found in Iraq in the last three months.
Wrap...
Iraqi fighters 'grilled for evidence on Iran'
Interrogator says US military seeks evidence incriminating Tehran
David Smith in Baghdad
Sunday November 11, 2007
The Observer
US military officials are putting huge pressure on interrogators who question Iraqi insurgents to find incriminating evidence pointing to Iran, it was claimed last night.
Micah Brose, a privately contracted interrogator working for American forces in Iraq, near the Iranian border, told The Observer that information on Iran is 'gold'. The claim comes after Washington imposed sanctions on Iran last month, citing both its nuclear ambitions and its Revolutionary Guards' alleged support of Shia insurgents in Iraq. Last week the US military freed nine Iranians held in Iraq, including two it had accused of links to the Revolutionary Guards' Qods Force.
Brose, 30, who extracts information from detainees in Iraq, said: 'They push a lot for us to establish a link with Iran. They have pre-categories for us to go through, and by the sheer volume of categories there's clearly a lot more for Iran than there is for other stuff. Of all the recent requests I've had, I'd say 60 to 70 per cent are about Iran.
'It feels a lot like, if you get something and Iran's not involved, it's a let down.' He added: 'I've had people say to me, "They're really pushing the Iran thing. It's like, shit, you know." '
Brose said that reports about Washington's increasingly hawkish stance towards Tehran, including possible military action, chimed with his experience. 'My impression is they're just trying to get every little bit of ammunition possible. If we get something here it fits the overall picture. The engine needs impetus and they're looking for us to find the fuel - a particular type of fuel.
'It now really depends on who gets elected President in the US. If nothing changes in the current course, I'd say military action is inevitable. But we have to hope there will be a change of course.'
He denied ever being asked to fabricate evidence, adding: 'We're not asked to manufacture information, we're asked to find it. But if a detainee wants to tell me what I want to hear so he can get out of jail... you know what I'm saying.'
Other military intelligence officials in Iraq refused to comment, but one said: 'The message is, "Got to find a link with Iran, got to find a link with Iran." It's sickening.'
Last week in Baghdad the US military showed journalists a recently discovered cache of mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and bomb-making materials it claims are of Iranian origin. Rear Admiral Gregory Smith, spokesman for Multi-National Force Iraq, said it was possible they crossed the border before a recent promise by Iran to stop the flow of munitions into Iraq.
He said: 'Iran has had a historic malign influence here in Iraq. They have financed many of the activities of Shia extremist groups. In many cases they have done training, they have actually deployed some of their personnel here in theatre. The Qods Force (Iranian Revolutionary Guards) have come here - we know that, we've got some in detention. They have said in many cases they were not here and intend to support a more peaceful outcome in Iraq and we look for their excellence in achieving that.'
Among the weapons Washington has accused Iran of supplying to Iraqi insurgents are EFPs, or explosively formed projectiles, which fire a slug of molten metal capable of penetrating even the most heavily armoured military vehicle. The number two US commander in Iraq, Lt Gen Ray Odierno, said there has been a sharp decline in the number of EFPs found in Iraq in the last three months.
Wrap...
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Dangerous language in this bill...
From Information Clearing House:
Dennis Kucinich: 2008 Defense Authorization Bill authorizes use of US military for domestic purposes:
Representative Dennis Kucinich reported this during an interview with WINZ Miami radio station this morning. He is reading through this bill and for the first time last evening, noticed this language that has been inserted into the 2008 Defense Authorization Bill.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/seafan/1531
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
Dennis Kucinich: 2008 Defense Authorization Bill authorizes use of US military for domestic purposes:
Representative Dennis Kucinich reported this during an interview with WINZ Miami radio station this morning. He is reading through this bill and for the first time last evening, noticed this language that has been inserted into the 2008 Defense Authorization Bill.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/seafan/1531
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
Waterboarding for "truth"....Will it work?
From Information Clearing House:
Waterboarding Republicans vs. Supporting Our Troops
By Stephen Crockett
For those Republicans (or Democrats) who defend waterboarding as something less than torture, I have a proposal. Whenever a Bush Administration official is called before the House or Senate to testify, they should be waterboarded the entire time they are testifying. The technique, according to the Bush Republicans, elicits honest answers and does not amount to torture. According to these Bush Republicans, waterboarding does not cause any lasting damage.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18703.htm
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
Waterboarding Republicans vs. Supporting Our Troops
By Stephen Crockett
For those Republicans (or Democrats) who defend waterboarding as something less than torture, I have a proposal. Whenever a Bush Administration official is called before the House or Senate to testify, they should be waterboarded the entire time they are testifying. The technique, according to the Bush Republicans, elicits honest answers and does not amount to torture. According to these Bush Republicans, waterboarding does not cause any lasting damage.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18703.htm
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
Bush NEEDS to veto this time....
From the Sacramento Bee:
Marcos Bretón: Smoking nannies are at it again
By Marcos Bretón - mbreton@sacbee.com
Published 12:00 am PST Sunday, November 11, 2007
Story appeared in METRO section, Page B1
Do you ever just want to taste a cigarette? We're not talking about developing a habit or puffing in anyone's face. Just a quick drag outdoors when no one is looking.
After all, cigarettes and tobacco are not illegal, though they are dangerous. The smell of them in close quarters can be offensive. But outdoors? And when sensed only momentarily and from long distance?
It's true that science has identified the dangers of secondhand smoke to those exposed to cigarettes over time.
We certainly don't want our children to smoke, and we don't want to smoke in front of our children. Last month, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation banning smoking in vehicles carrying children.
Look. There is no way to defend anyone who smokes in a car with minors. But it's a total nanny law, with government as our nanny. Beginning Jan. 1, it will only carry a $100 fine and law enforcement can't even stop you for smoking in a car with minors – can only nail you while stopping you for an infraction such as speeding.
Why not just outlaw stupidity in all forms?
Because you can't do that, right? You can't have cities bulging with laws when common sense is a better option.
Yet in crafting increasingly invasive anti-smoking laws, common sense is wafting away in cities like ours.
Roseville just banned smoking in public parks and more than 4,000 acres of open space, including streambeds and bicycle trails.
Fine. The stream beds and bike trails ban can be defended on the grounds that it could prevent fires. But what if you are smoking in an urban park and you're nowhere near anyone? Our leaders are going to make that illegal because someone downwind might catch a momentary hint of a cigarette?
Where is the science to prove that a fleeting scent of cigarette smoke outdoors will kill you? We're not talking repeated exposure. This is about an instant in time.
Regulating such things is offensive to one's inner Republican, the whole idea of more government intervention and restricting the use of products that are not illegal.
Yet Roseville – which can't be much more Republican – now has anti-smoking laws that rival the liberal bastion of Davis. "There has to be an ordinance," said Roseville Mayor Jim Gray. "If there is a sign posted, people feel they can ask someone to stop smoking."
There was a dissenting voice in Roseville – City Councilman John Allard. But he declined to be interviewed because he didn't want to "stir things up," said a Roseville spokeswoman.
It's the power of the anti-smoking crusade – it creates intrusive laws in Republican cities and fosters a fear of free speech.
And look out, because anti-smoking laws may soon invade your home. Temecula now bans smoking in apartment complexes of 10 or more units. Belmont bans it in multi-story, multi-unit residences, including balconies and patios. What's next? "It's absurd," said Jacob Sullum, senior editor at Reason Magazine. "There is no scientific justification for banning brief exposure to secondhand smoke. ... It's inherently irrational. It says, 'we make you free by taking away your freedoms'."
Wrap...
Marcos Bretón: Smoking nannies are at it again
By Marcos Bretón - mbreton@sacbee.com
Published 12:00 am PST Sunday, November 11, 2007
Story appeared in METRO section, Page B1
Do you ever just want to taste a cigarette? We're not talking about developing a habit or puffing in anyone's face. Just a quick drag outdoors when no one is looking.
After all, cigarettes and tobacco are not illegal, though they are dangerous. The smell of them in close quarters can be offensive. But outdoors? And when sensed only momentarily and from long distance?
It's true that science has identified the dangers of secondhand smoke to those exposed to cigarettes over time.
We certainly don't want our children to smoke, and we don't want to smoke in front of our children. Last month, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation banning smoking in vehicles carrying children.
Look. There is no way to defend anyone who smokes in a car with minors. But it's a total nanny law, with government as our nanny. Beginning Jan. 1, it will only carry a $100 fine and law enforcement can't even stop you for smoking in a car with minors – can only nail you while stopping you for an infraction such as speeding.
Why not just outlaw stupidity in all forms?
Because you can't do that, right? You can't have cities bulging with laws when common sense is a better option.
Yet in crafting increasingly invasive anti-smoking laws, common sense is wafting away in cities like ours.
Roseville just banned smoking in public parks and more than 4,000 acres of open space, including streambeds and bicycle trails.
Fine. The stream beds and bike trails ban can be defended on the grounds that it could prevent fires. But what if you are smoking in an urban park and you're nowhere near anyone? Our leaders are going to make that illegal because someone downwind might catch a momentary hint of a cigarette?
Where is the science to prove that a fleeting scent of cigarette smoke outdoors will kill you? We're not talking repeated exposure. This is about an instant in time.
Regulating such things is offensive to one's inner Republican, the whole idea of more government intervention and restricting the use of products that are not illegal.
Yet Roseville – which can't be much more Republican – now has anti-smoking laws that rival the liberal bastion of Davis. "There has to be an ordinance," said Roseville Mayor Jim Gray. "If there is a sign posted, people feel they can ask someone to stop smoking."
There was a dissenting voice in Roseville – City Councilman John Allard. But he declined to be interviewed because he didn't want to "stir things up," said a Roseville spokeswoman.
It's the power of the anti-smoking crusade – it creates intrusive laws in Republican cities and fosters a fear of free speech.
And look out, because anti-smoking laws may soon invade your home. Temecula now bans smoking in apartment complexes of 10 or more units. Belmont bans it in multi-story, multi-unit residences, including balconies and patios. What's next? "It's absurd," said Jacob Sullum, senior editor at Reason Magazine. "There is no scientific justification for banning brief exposure to secondhand smoke. ... It's inherently irrational. It says, 'we make you free by taking away your freedoms'."
Wrap...
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Privatizing US Intel work including torture how-to...
From truthout.org :
Intelligence Work Increasingly Outsourced to Defense Firms
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/111007G.shtml
Mike Sunnucks, reporting for The Business Journal of Phoenix, says "An increasing amount of US intelligence work - including training related to aggressive interrogation methods - is being parceled out to defense firms, making Arizona's Fort Huachuca a major contracting hub."
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
Intelligence Work Increasingly Outsourced to Defense Firms
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/111007G.shtml
Mike Sunnucks, reporting for The Business Journal of Phoenix, says "An increasing amount of US intelligence work - including training related to aggressive interrogation methods - is being parceled out to defense firms, making Arizona's Fort Huachuca a major contracting hub."
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
Friday, November 09, 2007
Journalists' screw-ups & corrections....OUCH!
From Editor & Publisher.com :
New Book Sees The Errors In Their Ways
By Joe Strupp
Published: November 09, 2007 1:50 PM ET
NEW YORK It all started, interestingly enough, on July 4, 2004, of all dates, when journalist Craig Silverman spotted what remains one of the broadest newspaper corrections ever.
The Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader, apparently trying to make up for decades of forgotten coverage, printed this two-sentence note: "It has come to the editor's attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
As short and powerful as that correction was, it was also mildly amusing, says Silverman, a Canadian-based writer and freelancer. The experience began what for him has become a regular practice of finding and posting on his Web site, "Regrettheerror. com," which features the best, worst, and funniest of each day's corrections, clarifications, and editor's notes.
About three months after the Lexington correction ran, Silverman used it as the first item on his site, which has become a regular stop for those who want to see how journalists are going about admitting their errors.
After three years of compiling and noting such news-related apologies, Silverman has produced a book on the subject. "Regret The Error: How Media Mistakes Pollute The Press And Imperil Free Speech" (Union Square Press) offers 300 of his top finds over the years, along with a serious look at how the industry's lack of accuracy and failure to address mistakes has hurt the business. It includes a foreword by journalism critic Jeff Jarvis.
"There is actually a huge body of research about accuracy out there, but few people in the industry know about it," Silverman tells E&P, citing studies as far back as 1936. "There are a lot of important insights that are ignored." Among his findings: only about 2% of factual errors in newspapers and other publications are ever corrected. "There is a river of errors flowing out of newspapers," he contends, citing increased workload and a hesitancy by journalists to admit errors for fear of criticism. "There are a lot of these issues that are ignored."
But the book is not all doom and gloom; Silverman praises the art of correction writing and makes clear that the best ones offer a mix of humor, writing style, and clarity. He has a whole section on "obitocide" -- false reports of untimely deaths.
And he does not ignore the venerable typo, citing The Dallas Morning News for referring to a local woman as a "socialist" instead of a "socialite" and the Ottawa Citizen describing a "a little seedy store" which was in reality a "little CD store."
Among his many favorites:
"A headline in Monday's Daily News, 'He regrets his role in postal vid,' implied that Richard Marino, the subject of a YouTube video, was sorry for an incident in December at a Brooklyn post office. Marino, in fact, is not sorry. The News regrets the error." -- Daily News, New York.
An article about Scott McDaniel "misstated the nature of his disabilities. McDaniel is legally blind, and although he has other disabilities, he and his parents say he is not mentally disabled." -- The Washington Post.
Silverman says of his admiration for the well-written correction: "There has to be an art to it, because you have usually 50 to 100 words, sometimes just one sentence. It is a serious issue, but because there is so much humor in writing them, it is okay to embrace the humor."
The author credits British tabloids with some of the funniest and most sensational errors and corrections. Among their most notable:
"The Nazi law prohibiting Jews marrying aliens, mentioned in the Writ Large column, Page 13, June 12, banned marriages with Aryans, not aliens." — The Guardian.
"Mr. Smith said in court, 'I am terribly sorry. I have a dull life and I suddenly wanted to break way.' He did not say, as we reported erroneously, 'I have a dull wife and I suddenly wanted to break away.' We apologize to Mr. Smith and to Mrs. Smith." -- Daily Mail.
But Silverman does not excuse himself from the correction demand, offering a special form at the end of the book that readers can use to send him notices of his own mistakes. He also plans to place a similar form on his Web site.
Even with the problems associated with mistakes and the minimal percentage of corrections, Silverman still describes them as "undeniably enjoyable content."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joe Strupp (jstrupp@editorandpublisher.com) is a senior editor at E&P.
Wrap....
New Book Sees The Errors In Their Ways
By Joe Strupp
Published: November 09, 2007 1:50 PM ET
NEW YORK It all started, interestingly enough, on July 4, 2004, of all dates, when journalist Craig Silverman spotted what remains one of the broadest newspaper corrections ever.
The Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader, apparently trying to make up for decades of forgotten coverage, printed this two-sentence note: "It has come to the editor's attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
As short and powerful as that correction was, it was also mildly amusing, says Silverman, a Canadian-based writer and freelancer. The experience began what for him has become a regular practice of finding and posting on his Web site, "Regrettheerror. com," which features the best, worst, and funniest of each day's corrections, clarifications, and editor's notes.
About three months after the Lexington correction ran, Silverman used it as the first item on his site, which has become a regular stop for those who want to see how journalists are going about admitting their errors.
After three years of compiling and noting such news-related apologies, Silverman has produced a book on the subject. "Regret The Error: How Media Mistakes Pollute The Press And Imperil Free Speech" (Union Square Press) offers 300 of his top finds over the years, along with a serious look at how the industry's lack of accuracy and failure to address mistakes has hurt the business. It includes a foreword by journalism critic Jeff Jarvis.
"There is actually a huge body of research about accuracy out there, but few people in the industry know about it," Silverman tells E&P, citing studies as far back as 1936. "There are a lot of important insights that are ignored." Among his findings: only about 2% of factual errors in newspapers and other publications are ever corrected. "There is a river of errors flowing out of newspapers," he contends, citing increased workload and a hesitancy by journalists to admit errors for fear of criticism. "There are a lot of these issues that are ignored."
But the book is not all doom and gloom; Silverman praises the art of correction writing and makes clear that the best ones offer a mix of humor, writing style, and clarity. He has a whole section on "obitocide" -- false reports of untimely deaths.
And he does not ignore the venerable typo, citing The Dallas Morning News for referring to a local woman as a "socialist" instead of a "socialite" and the Ottawa Citizen describing a "a little seedy store" which was in reality a "little CD store."
Among his many favorites:
"A headline in Monday's Daily News, 'He regrets his role in postal vid,' implied that Richard Marino, the subject of a YouTube video, was sorry for an incident in December at a Brooklyn post office. Marino, in fact, is not sorry. The News regrets the error." -- Daily News, New York.
An article about Scott McDaniel "misstated the nature of his disabilities. McDaniel is legally blind, and although he has other disabilities, he and his parents say he is not mentally disabled." -- The Washington Post.
Silverman says of his admiration for the well-written correction: "There has to be an art to it, because you have usually 50 to 100 words, sometimes just one sentence. It is a serious issue, but because there is so much humor in writing them, it is okay to embrace the humor."
The author credits British tabloids with some of the funniest and most sensational errors and corrections. Among their most notable:
"The Nazi law prohibiting Jews marrying aliens, mentioned in the Writ Large column, Page 13, June 12, banned marriages with Aryans, not aliens." — The Guardian.
"Mr. Smith said in court, 'I am terribly sorry. I have a dull life and I suddenly wanted to break way.' He did not say, as we reported erroneously, 'I have a dull wife and I suddenly wanted to break away.' We apologize to Mr. Smith and to Mrs. Smith." -- Daily Mail.
But Silverman does not excuse himself from the correction demand, offering a special form at the end of the book that readers can use to send him notices of his own mistakes. He also plans to place a similar form on his Web site.
Even with the problems associated with mistakes and the minimal percentage of corrections, Silverman still describes them as "undeniably enjoyable content."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joe Strupp (jstrupp@editorandpublisher.com) is a senior editor at E&P.
Wrap....
San Diego's Progressive Talk Radio is GONE...
Well, hell. Turned on KLSD..the progressive talk station in San Diego...somewhere around 7PM tonight, and what did I hear? Not Mike Malloy. No. Clear Channel took care of that, and what I got was, as promised, a sports talk show.
Took me no more than one second to reset the radio dial to KPBS. Never again will KLSD be heard in this office.
More, in the Business section of the San Diego Union-Tribune today was a small article noting the profit Clear Channel has earned. And they have been profitable, while KLSD Progressive Radio was on.
I will sorely miss Air American, Stacy Taylor, Ed Schultz, Randi Rhodes, Mike Malloy, et al.
There are rumors about another station taking them. We'll see. And believe me, I'll be waiting and watching.
Right now, I'm one unhappy camper.
Wrap...
Took me no more than one second to reset the radio dial to KPBS. Never again will KLSD be heard in this office.
More, in the Business section of the San Diego Union-Tribune today was a small article noting the profit Clear Channel has earned. And they have been profitable, while KLSD Progressive Radio was on.
I will sorely miss Air American, Stacy Taylor, Ed Schultz, Randi Rhodes, Mike Malloy, et al.
There are rumors about another station taking them. We'll see. And believe me, I'll be waiting and watching.
Right now, I'm one unhappy camper.
Wrap...
INFURIATING health ins. rip-off....
From LA Times via truthout.org :
Health Insurer Tied Bonuses to Dropping Sick Policyholders
http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/110907HA.shtml
Lisa Girion, The Los Angeles Times: "Woodland Hills-based Health Net Inc. avoided paying $35.5 million in medical expenses by rescinding about 1,600 policies between 2000 and 2006. During that period, it paid its senior analyst in charge of cancellations more than $20,000 in bonuses based in part on her meeting or exceeding annual targets for revoking policies, documents disclosed Thursday showed."
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
Health Insurer Tied Bonuses to Dropping Sick Policyholders
http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/110907HA.shtml
Lisa Girion, The Los Angeles Times: "Woodland Hills-based Health Net Inc. avoided paying $35.5 million in medical expenses by rescinding about 1,600 policies between 2000 and 2006. During that period, it paid its senior analyst in charge of cancellations more than $20,000 in bonuses based in part on her meeting or exceeding annual targets for revoking policies, documents disclosed Thursday showed."
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
Middle Class screwed on tax relief by Bush & Repubs..
From AP via truthout.org :
House Passes Tax Relief Bill
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/110907S.shtml
The Associated Press: "House Democrats on Friday pushed through an $80 billion bill to block the spread of a dreaded tax on middle-income people. The White House and Republicans, protesting tax increases in the bill affecting mainly investment fund managers, maintained that it would never become law."
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
House Passes Tax Relief Bill
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/110907S.shtml
The Associated Press: "House Democrats on Friday pushed through an $80 billion bill to block the spread of a dreaded tax on middle-income people. The White House and Republicans, protesting tax increases in the bill affecting mainly investment fund managers, maintained that it would never become law."
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
From Rudy on Kerik pardon to Laura not about to retire to Crawford ranch...
From American Progress:
Think Fast....
"Rudy Giuliani refused to say if he'd consider pardoning his old friend Bernie Kerik -- who was indicted Thursday on federal corruption charges -- if elected President." "It wouldn't be fair to ask that question at this point," Giuliani said.
In a 53-40 vote last night, the Senate confirmed Judge Michael Mukasey as attorney general, despite criticism of his refusal to explicitly call waterboarding torture. Six Democrats voted for Mukasey.
Michael Hirsh writes in Newsweek, "Condoleezza Rice is, by her own admission, not 'that self-reflective.' But in an interview in her office on Thursday the secretary of state took a moment to contemplate the improved security situation in Iraq." "I'm sure there are lots of things we might have done better," she said.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress that the "economy was going to get worse before it got better, a message that received a chilly reception from both Wall Street and politicians." He said the economy was about to "slow noticeably," adding inflation was likely to "increase overall."
"House leaders are pressing the Senate Democrats to force Republicans to stage more filibusters" when they use procedural maneuvers to block passage of bills. "That is the only way you can give Americans a clear view of who is obstructing change," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said.
Pakistani security officials barricaded former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto inside her home "behind barbed wire, concrete blocks and armored cars on Friday morning," thwarting her planned protest rally. Bhutto's party -- the Pakistan Peoples Party -- claims as many as 5,000 party workers had been arrested across the country over the last three days.
"An internal investigation into a fake news conference staged by the Federal Emergency Management Agency during last month's California wildfires found that the agency's press secretary directed aides to pose as reporters, secretly coached them during the briefing and ended the event after a final, scripted question was asked, according to a senior FEMA official."
More than 100 Stanford University students demonstrated against Donald Rumsfeld's appointment as a visiting fellow at the school's Hoover Institution. "To date, nearly 4,000 Stanford faculty, students and alumni have signed a petition begun by a faculty member to reject Rumsfeld's appointment."
And finally: "One thing is for certain about the post-presidency of George W. Bush: 'Under no circumstances' will first lady Laura Bush spend her retirement years living at the much-ballyhooed Texas ranch that she and the president have been 'escaping' to for the past seven years." The Washington Times reports that the Bush family will settle down in Dallas and visit the Crawford ranch for weekend getaways.
Wrap...
Think Fast....
"Rudy Giuliani refused to say if he'd consider pardoning his old friend Bernie Kerik -- who was indicted Thursday on federal corruption charges -- if elected President." "It wouldn't be fair to ask that question at this point," Giuliani said.
In a 53-40 vote last night, the Senate confirmed Judge Michael Mukasey as attorney general, despite criticism of his refusal to explicitly call waterboarding torture. Six Democrats voted for Mukasey.
Michael Hirsh writes in Newsweek, "Condoleezza Rice is, by her own admission, not 'that self-reflective.' But in an interview in her office on Thursday the secretary of state took a moment to contemplate the improved security situation in Iraq." "I'm sure there are lots of things we might have done better," she said.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress that the "economy was going to get worse before it got better, a message that received a chilly reception from both Wall Street and politicians." He said the economy was about to "slow noticeably," adding inflation was likely to "increase overall."
"House leaders are pressing the Senate Democrats to force Republicans to stage more filibusters" when they use procedural maneuvers to block passage of bills. "That is the only way you can give Americans a clear view of who is obstructing change," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said.
Pakistani security officials barricaded former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto inside her home "behind barbed wire, concrete blocks and armored cars on Friday morning," thwarting her planned protest rally. Bhutto's party -- the Pakistan Peoples Party -- claims as many as 5,000 party workers had been arrested across the country over the last three days.
"An internal investigation into a fake news conference staged by the Federal Emergency Management Agency during last month's California wildfires found that the agency's press secretary directed aides to pose as reporters, secretly coached them during the briefing and ended the event after a final, scripted question was asked, according to a senior FEMA official."
More than 100 Stanford University students demonstrated against Donald Rumsfeld's appointment as a visiting fellow at the school's Hoover Institution. "To date, nearly 4,000 Stanford faculty, students and alumni have signed a petition begun by a faculty member to reject Rumsfeld's appointment."
And finally: "One thing is for certain about the post-presidency of George W. Bush: 'Under no circumstances' will first lady Laura Bush spend her retirement years living at the much-ballyhooed Texas ranch that she and the president have been 'escaping' to for the past seven years." The Washington Times reports that the Bush family will settle down in Dallas and visit the Crawford ranch for weekend getaways.
Wrap...
NAFTA in Peru...all about $$$$$$ for the Dems....
From The Nation:
Peru Trade Bill: It's the Money, Stupid
William Greider
In terms of economic consequences, the new trade agreement with Peru is trivial. In political terms, however, it delivers an ominous message. When faced with a choice between money and their own rank-and-file, the Democratic leaders in the House will go with the money, even if it requires them to pass legislation with Republican votes. Even if a majority of their own caucus is opposed. Even if it means handing the shrinking president, George W. Bush, a rare legislative victory.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi pulled it off today at considerable cost to her own reputation. How different are the new Dems in Congress? Not very, it seems. That is a reasonable interpretation of events and the Speaker is now stuck with the burden of disproving it.
Pelosi's lieutenants "whipped" the party caucus energetically and did better than expected--109 Dems voting for the Peru trade bill, 116 Dems against.
But Pelosi still winds up looking like the great triangulator, Bill Clinton, who managed to pass important trade measures like NAFTA only by relying on Republican votes over his own party. Pelosi will come to regret the comparison, I suspect, because it suggests she is unreliable as a party leader, at least if you thought Democrats were going to change things. On the Peru vote, she played big-money contributors and the opposition party against her own troops. Clinton used to do this brilliantly with lots of soulful rhetoric extolling his own courage. Pelosi and team are not so adept.
Why would she depart from her usual form? After all, Pelosi normally won't bring an issue to the House floor unless assured of overwhelming consensus among her members.
Her explanation: "I don't want this party to be viewed as an anti-trade party." That is the same simple-minded non sequitur the multinational establishment always invoke to scold Democrats. None of the Democratic dissenters are arguing for "no trade." They are trying to change the rules of trade so US workers are not the first victims of new agreements. Pelosi argued that the Peru agreement includes an important reform--stronger language in support of labor and environmental standards--and it does. But is there perhaps another reason why she pushed so hard against her own caucus?
Steven R.Weisman of the New York Times gently suggested one. "Democrats from the prosperous areas of the East and West Coast have become especially responsive, many Democrats say, to the desire of Wall Street and the high technology, health, pharmaceutical and entertainment industries to expand their sales overseas," Weisman wrote. "These industries have also become major Democratic contributors."
She did it for the money. That is a more plausible explanation than insider arguments over the fine print in an inconsequential new trade bill. The big-money sectors are anxious to squelch the new critics of globalization in Democratic ranks before they can gain momentum in Congress. Looking toward financing the 2008 elections, Pelosi chose to stand with the money guys and dismiss the political backlash against globalization building across the country. She is probably betting people aren't paying attention to such trivial matters.
But I wouldn't count on that. She is liable to lose her bet as economic conditions worsen for folks in coming months. People are likely to get more anxious and angry than they already are. One thing Democrats should not try to tell voters in '08 is they are the party of change. Might yield more yawns and snickers than votes
Wrap...
Peru Trade Bill: It's the Money, Stupid
William Greider
In terms of economic consequences, the new trade agreement with Peru is trivial. In political terms, however, it delivers an ominous message. When faced with a choice between money and their own rank-and-file, the Democratic leaders in the House will go with the money, even if it requires them to pass legislation with Republican votes. Even if a majority of their own caucus is opposed. Even if it means handing the shrinking president, George W. Bush, a rare legislative victory.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi pulled it off today at considerable cost to her own reputation. How different are the new Dems in Congress? Not very, it seems. That is a reasonable interpretation of events and the Speaker is now stuck with the burden of disproving it.
Pelosi's lieutenants "whipped" the party caucus energetically and did better than expected--109 Dems voting for the Peru trade bill, 116 Dems against.
But Pelosi still winds up looking like the great triangulator, Bill Clinton, who managed to pass important trade measures like NAFTA only by relying on Republican votes over his own party. Pelosi will come to regret the comparison, I suspect, because it suggests she is unreliable as a party leader, at least if you thought Democrats were going to change things. On the Peru vote, she played big-money contributors and the opposition party against her own troops. Clinton used to do this brilliantly with lots of soulful rhetoric extolling his own courage. Pelosi and team are not so adept.
Why would she depart from her usual form? After all, Pelosi normally won't bring an issue to the House floor unless assured of overwhelming consensus among her members.
Her explanation: "I don't want this party to be viewed as an anti-trade party." That is the same simple-minded non sequitur the multinational establishment always invoke to scold Democrats. None of the Democratic dissenters are arguing for "no trade." They are trying to change the rules of trade so US workers are not the first victims of new agreements. Pelosi argued that the Peru agreement includes an important reform--stronger language in support of labor and environmental standards--and it does. But is there perhaps another reason why she pushed so hard against her own caucus?
Steven R.Weisman of the New York Times gently suggested one. "Democrats from the prosperous areas of the East and West Coast have become especially responsive, many Democrats say, to the desire of Wall Street and the high technology, health, pharmaceutical and entertainment industries to expand their sales overseas," Weisman wrote. "These industries have also become major Democratic contributors."
She did it for the money. That is a more plausible explanation than insider arguments over the fine print in an inconsequential new trade bill. The big-money sectors are anxious to squelch the new critics of globalization in Democratic ranks before they can gain momentum in Congress. Looking toward financing the 2008 elections, Pelosi chose to stand with the money guys and dismiss the political backlash against globalization building across the country. She is probably betting people aren't paying attention to such trivial matters.
But I wouldn't count on that. She is liable to lose her bet as economic conditions worsen for folks in coming months. People are likely to get more anxious and angry than they already are. One thing Democrats should not try to tell voters in '08 is they are the party of change. Might yield more yawns and snickers than votes
Wrap...
Blackwater...ready to run the border...both sides...
From http://www.counterpunch.org/ross11092007.html
Counterpunch
November 9, 2007
Full Spectrum Mercenaries
Blackwater Goes to Mexico
By JOHN ROSS
If and when private security contractor Blackwater USA and its heavily-armed operatives are forced to pull out of Iraq as the result of the September 16th rampage in downtown Baghdad when its employees massacred up to 28 Iraqis, Mexico could be a profitable option for the North Carolina-based company.
Actually, Blackwater is almost in Mexico already. For months, the North Carolina-based corporation has been pressuring local San Diego officials to grant it an operating license for an 824-acre training site to be known as Blackwater West in Potrero California 45 miles east of that bustling port city but only six miles from the Tecate Mexico border crossing. The site, some of which snakes through the Cleveland National Forest, is a favored transit route for undocumented Mexican workers heading north and has been recently scorched by out-of-control wildfires.
Blackwater USA's plans have drawn the ire of locals who are not happy about having 15 firing ranges in earshot and a coalition of homeowners, local farmers, environmentalists, and peaceniks has been pieced together to oppose the project. Nonetheless, Blackwater has kept up a full court press on county officials, even sailing the company yacht flying a humongous Blackwater flag, into a local marina last spring and inviting members of the planning commission aboard for cocktails.
Blackwater USA is attracted to the San Diego area because of the heavy concentration of military bases such as Camp Pendleton in the environs that could produce a windfall of security and training contracts from its pals in the Pentagon. Blackwater USA was founded by ex-Navy Seal Eric Prince who cultivates close ties with the military.
One of Blackwater's most rah-rah backers in the Potrero venture is local congressman Duncan Hunter, ranking republican on the House Armed Services Committee and a dark horse candidate for his party's presidential nomination. Hunter is considered one of the most virulent anti-Mexican immigration voices in congress and is a political architect of the separation wall that now lines California's border with Mexico.
The dispute over Blackwater's proposed Potrero training camp is not just a NIMBY-type confrontation. Siting the facility a stone's throw from the Mexican border internationalizes the proposition. By any stretch of the imagination, Mexican president Felipe Calderon ought to be nervous about the encampment of the world's largest private army on his conflictive northern border, particularly one that is not accountable to either the Geneva Convention or U.S. and Mexican military and civil law. Yet Calderon has not publically protested the proposal.
Situated in rugged high desert terrain, Potrero is an idyllic hideaway to train a new generation of Rambos - one can imagine guest motivational appearances by Sylvester Stallone and California's action figure governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The camp which, in addition to multiple shooting ranges, will house an armory and feature both a 33,000 square feet urban counter-insurgency set and a course where armed vehicles seek to evade a paint ball barrage, is expected to train military and law enforcement personnel as well as private paramilitary security forces.
Blackwater USA has trained dozens of police forces at its Moyock North Carolina complex in the heart of that state's Great Dismal Swamp, including big city (New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles and Chicago) officers as well as rural forces like the Maricopa County Arizona sheriff's department. Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, is a first stop for undocumented Mexican migrants and the local police have been deputized to assist the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) to corral the "indocumentados."
Blackwater USA's strategic position overlooking the Mexican border in Potrero presents inviting economic opportunities. Testifying before congress in 2005, then-Blackwater president Gary Jackson said that the North Carolina enterprise was prepared to provide assistance on border security and long-time connections inside DHS could generate lucrative contracts training increasingly heavily-armed ICE agents. San Diego congressperson Bob Filner, a Democrat told Salon Magazine's Elaine Zimmerman last month that he believes Blackwater is positioning itself to move into the border security business.
As the National Guard troops brought back from Iraq by George Bush to patrol the border and appease fellow-republicans like Hunter are drawn down (3000 have already been pulled back), Blackwater USA is poised to fill in the gap. Blackwater would also be useful in strengthening security at troubled immigration detention centers along the border, more than half of which have already been privatized.
In an October 15th Wall Street Journal interview Prince indicated that Iraq-type operations were no longer at the top of Blackwater USA's business agenda and that he saw his company as going more "full spectrum." Now, as they move into their new facility on the Mexican border, Eric Prince & Company appear to be set to expand into both border enforcement and the Bush White House drug war with an operational role in Plan Mexico, the $1.5 billion U.S.-Mexico drug war scheme to fuse drug-fighting agencies on both sides of the border under Washington's control.
Despite repeated advisories from the White House that Plan Mexico is a done deal, Bush and Calderon have yet to formalize the pact, pending approval by the U.S. Congress.
The request for three half billion dollar Plan Mexico pay-outs through 2009 was sent on to congress folded into a near $50 billion supplemental spending bill to finance Bush's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but given Democratic aversion to funding these failed military escapades in an election year, passage is not assured. Plan Mexico has spread widespread suspicion south of the border with many Mexicans condemning the project as a grievous violation of national sovereignty.
Modeled on Washington's flawed Plan Colombia, which has pumped billions into that South American nation to bolster the right-wing regime of Alvaro Uribe, one of Bush's few allies in the hemisphere, Plan Mexico will supply this not-so-distant neighbor nation with upgraded military hardware and cutting edge technological savvy - the New York-based Verint Technology is already installing a voice-activated "communication interruption" system that will audit all phone and e-mail traffic in Mexico and to the U.S. The surveillance technology, which is being bankrolled by a U.S. State Department grant, appears to be as much in violation of the Mexican constitution as Bush's massive, secret surveillance dragnet of his own citizens violates the U.S. magna carta.
Unlike Plan Colombia, Plan Mexico does not contemplate the stationing of U.S. troops on Mexican soil. Such an adventure would be universally unpopular here - the U.S. has invaded Mexico eight times since this country won its independence in 1821. To insure that U.S. military personnel stays on their side of the line, Mexican drug fighters are trained out of country, mainly at the Center for Special Forces in Fort Bragg North Carolina (100 miles as the crow flies from Blackwater's Moyock complex.)
Nonetheless, as the military pares itself down and outsources its services, training Mexican troops is a role that a new "full-spectrum" Blackwater USA seems perfectly positioned to assume at the Potrero site. Because it is not formally a part of the U.S. military, Blackwater could also infiltrate personnel across the border for on-site engagement inside Mexico.
Coincidentally, according to a recent report in the Army Times (Sept. 14th), Blackwater USA has just been handed a sizeable chunk of a $15 billion USD drug war grant by the Department of Defense (Raytheon is another big winner.) Part of the Blackwater boodle is slated for the design of an unmanned aerostat surveillance platform that has been subcontracted with the Maryland-based Arinc Corporation. The "blimp" project (if that what is being proposed) marks a radical departure for Eric Prince's conglom, which has never before been a supplier of technology to the military.
According to the Army Times report, the DOD grant mandates Blackwater USA "to deploy surveillance techniques, train foreign security forces, and provide logistical and operational support" for drug war initiatives.
Founded in 1996 by Prince and a handful of ex-Navy Seal buddies, Blackwater USA's business boomed in the wake of 9/11 and it is heavily invested in Bush's War on Terror. Drug war operations represent a field in which Blackwater has little experience but which, logistically at least, is not much different from the security firm's terror war duties. In recent years, the White House has done its damndest to conflate the War on Drugs with the War on Terror.
Blackwater USA's enlistment in the drug war is a direct challenge to its stiffest competitor, DynCorp - up until now, the Dallas-based corporation has locked up 94% of all private drug war security contracts.
Blackwater USA's move into combating narco-terrorism will give the North Carolina outfit a foot up in Latin America where the private security industry is flourishing. Blackwater now employs 1200 Chileans, ex-members of dictator Augusto Pinochet's military, in its international operations - in addition to its contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan, Blackwater provides security for high officials in Azerbaijan, Jordan, and Bokano Faso among other governments.
But Blackwater USA's Colombian subsidiary, ID Systems, ran into a storm of criticism when it recruited 20 ex-military officers for the company's Iraq operation - the recruits now claim that they were paid less than half of what their contracts called for and were kept by Blackwater USA in Iraq against their wills.
Under the U.S.'s post 9/11 security redesign, military protection of the homeland has become the province of the newly created North Command, now housed in a Colorado bunker. Within the North Command's schema, Mexico forms a major portion of the U.S.'s southern security perimeter but with the U.S. military severely restricted in its abilities to put Special Forces on Mexican soil to combat the terrorists, narco or otherwise, Blackwater USA, perched as it is on the border at its Potrero California training camp and equipped with multi-million dollar DOD grants, stands ready to provide logistical and operational support to further Washington's designs on Mexico and the South.
********
Friends and Enemies of John Ross are cordially invited to attend "Eye on Mexico", a celebration of the 97th anniversary of the Mexican revolution and a benefit to buy the author a new eye. "Eye on Mexico" is set for Friday Nov. 16th, 7 PM at New College, 777 Valencia Street in San Francisco's Mission District.
Wrap...
Counterpunch
November 9, 2007
Full Spectrum Mercenaries
Blackwater Goes to Mexico
By JOHN ROSS
If and when private security contractor Blackwater USA and its heavily-armed operatives are forced to pull out of Iraq as the result of the September 16th rampage in downtown Baghdad when its employees massacred up to 28 Iraqis, Mexico could be a profitable option for the North Carolina-based company.
Actually, Blackwater is almost in Mexico already. For months, the North Carolina-based corporation has been pressuring local San Diego officials to grant it an operating license for an 824-acre training site to be known as Blackwater West in Potrero California 45 miles east of that bustling port city but only six miles from the Tecate Mexico border crossing. The site, some of which snakes through the Cleveland National Forest, is a favored transit route for undocumented Mexican workers heading north and has been recently scorched by out-of-control wildfires.
Blackwater USA's plans have drawn the ire of locals who are not happy about having 15 firing ranges in earshot and a coalition of homeowners, local farmers, environmentalists, and peaceniks has been pieced together to oppose the project. Nonetheless, Blackwater has kept up a full court press on county officials, even sailing the company yacht flying a humongous Blackwater flag, into a local marina last spring and inviting members of the planning commission aboard for cocktails.
Blackwater USA is attracted to the San Diego area because of the heavy concentration of military bases such as Camp Pendleton in the environs that could produce a windfall of security and training contracts from its pals in the Pentagon. Blackwater USA was founded by ex-Navy Seal Eric Prince who cultivates close ties with the military.
One of Blackwater's most rah-rah backers in the Potrero venture is local congressman Duncan Hunter, ranking republican on the House Armed Services Committee and a dark horse candidate for his party's presidential nomination. Hunter is considered one of the most virulent anti-Mexican immigration voices in congress and is a political architect of the separation wall that now lines California's border with Mexico.
The dispute over Blackwater's proposed Potrero training camp is not just a NIMBY-type confrontation. Siting the facility a stone's throw from the Mexican border internationalizes the proposition. By any stretch of the imagination, Mexican president Felipe Calderon ought to be nervous about the encampment of the world's largest private army on his conflictive northern border, particularly one that is not accountable to either the Geneva Convention or U.S. and Mexican military and civil law. Yet Calderon has not publically protested the proposal.
Situated in rugged high desert terrain, Potrero is an idyllic hideaway to train a new generation of Rambos - one can imagine guest motivational appearances by Sylvester Stallone and California's action figure governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The camp which, in addition to multiple shooting ranges, will house an armory and feature both a 33,000 square feet urban counter-insurgency set and a course where armed vehicles seek to evade a paint ball barrage, is expected to train military and law enforcement personnel as well as private paramilitary security forces.
Blackwater USA has trained dozens of police forces at its Moyock North Carolina complex in the heart of that state's Great Dismal Swamp, including big city (New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles and Chicago) officers as well as rural forces like the Maricopa County Arizona sheriff's department. Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, is a first stop for undocumented Mexican migrants and the local police have been deputized to assist the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) to corral the "indocumentados."
Blackwater USA's strategic position overlooking the Mexican border in Potrero presents inviting economic opportunities. Testifying before congress in 2005, then-Blackwater president Gary Jackson said that the North Carolina enterprise was prepared to provide assistance on border security and long-time connections inside DHS could generate lucrative contracts training increasingly heavily-armed ICE agents. San Diego congressperson Bob Filner, a Democrat told Salon Magazine's Elaine Zimmerman last month that he believes Blackwater is positioning itself to move into the border security business.
As the National Guard troops brought back from Iraq by George Bush to patrol the border and appease fellow-republicans like Hunter are drawn down (3000 have already been pulled back), Blackwater USA is poised to fill in the gap. Blackwater would also be useful in strengthening security at troubled immigration detention centers along the border, more than half of which have already been privatized.
In an October 15th Wall Street Journal interview Prince indicated that Iraq-type operations were no longer at the top of Blackwater USA's business agenda and that he saw his company as going more "full spectrum." Now, as they move into their new facility on the Mexican border, Eric Prince & Company appear to be set to expand into both border enforcement and the Bush White House drug war with an operational role in Plan Mexico, the $1.5 billion U.S.-Mexico drug war scheme to fuse drug-fighting agencies on both sides of the border under Washington's control.
Despite repeated advisories from the White House that Plan Mexico is a done deal, Bush and Calderon have yet to formalize the pact, pending approval by the U.S. Congress.
The request for three half billion dollar Plan Mexico pay-outs through 2009 was sent on to congress folded into a near $50 billion supplemental spending bill to finance Bush's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but given Democratic aversion to funding these failed military escapades in an election year, passage is not assured. Plan Mexico has spread widespread suspicion south of the border with many Mexicans condemning the project as a grievous violation of national sovereignty.
Modeled on Washington's flawed Plan Colombia, which has pumped billions into that South American nation to bolster the right-wing regime of Alvaro Uribe, one of Bush's few allies in the hemisphere, Plan Mexico will supply this not-so-distant neighbor nation with upgraded military hardware and cutting edge technological savvy - the New York-based Verint Technology is already installing a voice-activated "communication interruption" system that will audit all phone and e-mail traffic in Mexico and to the U.S. The surveillance technology, which is being bankrolled by a U.S. State Department grant, appears to be as much in violation of the Mexican constitution as Bush's massive, secret surveillance dragnet of his own citizens violates the U.S. magna carta.
Unlike Plan Colombia, Plan Mexico does not contemplate the stationing of U.S. troops on Mexican soil. Such an adventure would be universally unpopular here - the U.S. has invaded Mexico eight times since this country won its independence in 1821. To insure that U.S. military personnel stays on their side of the line, Mexican drug fighters are trained out of country, mainly at the Center for Special Forces in Fort Bragg North Carolina (100 miles as the crow flies from Blackwater's Moyock complex.)
Nonetheless, as the military pares itself down and outsources its services, training Mexican troops is a role that a new "full-spectrum" Blackwater USA seems perfectly positioned to assume at the Potrero site. Because it is not formally a part of the U.S. military, Blackwater could also infiltrate personnel across the border for on-site engagement inside Mexico.
Coincidentally, according to a recent report in the Army Times (Sept. 14th), Blackwater USA has just been handed a sizeable chunk of a $15 billion USD drug war grant by the Department of Defense (Raytheon is another big winner.) Part of the Blackwater boodle is slated for the design of an unmanned aerostat surveillance platform that has been subcontracted with the Maryland-based Arinc Corporation. The "blimp" project (if that what is being proposed) marks a radical departure for Eric Prince's conglom, which has never before been a supplier of technology to the military.
According to the Army Times report, the DOD grant mandates Blackwater USA "to deploy surveillance techniques, train foreign security forces, and provide logistical and operational support" for drug war initiatives.
Founded in 1996 by Prince and a handful of ex-Navy Seal buddies, Blackwater USA's business boomed in the wake of 9/11 and it is heavily invested in Bush's War on Terror. Drug war operations represent a field in which Blackwater has little experience but which, logistically at least, is not much different from the security firm's terror war duties. In recent years, the White House has done its damndest to conflate the War on Drugs with the War on Terror.
Blackwater USA's enlistment in the drug war is a direct challenge to its stiffest competitor, DynCorp - up until now, the Dallas-based corporation has locked up 94% of all private drug war security contracts.
Blackwater USA's move into combating narco-terrorism will give the North Carolina outfit a foot up in Latin America where the private security industry is flourishing. Blackwater now employs 1200 Chileans, ex-members of dictator Augusto Pinochet's military, in its international operations - in addition to its contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan, Blackwater provides security for high officials in Azerbaijan, Jordan, and Bokano Faso among other governments.
But Blackwater USA's Colombian subsidiary, ID Systems, ran into a storm of criticism when it recruited 20 ex-military officers for the company's Iraq operation - the recruits now claim that they were paid less than half of what their contracts called for and were kept by Blackwater USA in Iraq against their wills.
Under the U.S.'s post 9/11 security redesign, military protection of the homeland has become the province of the newly created North Command, now housed in a Colorado bunker. Within the North Command's schema, Mexico forms a major portion of the U.S.'s southern security perimeter but with the U.S. military severely restricted in its abilities to put Special Forces on Mexican soil to combat the terrorists, narco or otherwise, Blackwater USA, perched as it is on the border at its Potrero California training camp and equipped with multi-million dollar DOD grants, stands ready to provide logistical and operational support to further Washington's designs on Mexico and the South.
********
Friends and Enemies of John Ross are cordially invited to attend "Eye on Mexico", a celebration of the 97th anniversary of the Mexican revolution and a benefit to buy the author a new eye. "Eye on Mexico" is set for Friday Nov. 16th, 7 PM at New College, 777 Valencia Street in San Francisco's Mission District.
Wrap...
Salt Lake City Mayor raises hell...
From truthout.org :
Go to Original
Address by Mayor Ross C. "Rocky" Anderson on October 27, 2007
By David Swanson
AfterDowningStreet.org
Monday 29 October 2007
Salt Lake City, Utah -
Today, as we come together once again in this great city, we raise our voices in unison to say to President Bush, to Vice President Cheney, to other members of the Bush Administration (past and present), to a majority of Congress, including Utah's entire congressional delegation, and to much of the mainstream media: "You have failed us miserably and we won't take it any more."
"While we had every reason to expect far more of you, you have been pompous, greedy, cruel, and incompetent as you have led this great nation to a moral, military, and national security abyss."
"You have breached trust with the American people in the most egregious ways. You have utterly failed in the performance of your jobs. You have undermined our Constitution, permitted the violation of the most fundamental treaty obligations, and betrayed the rule of law."
"You have engaged in, or permitted, heinous human rights abuses of the sort never before countenanced in our nation's history as a matter of official policy. You have sent American men and women to kill and be killed on the basis of lies, on the basis of shifting justifications, without competent leadership, and without even a coherent plan for this monumental blunder."
"We are here to tell you: We won't take it any more!"
"You have acted in direct contravention of values that we, as Americans who love our country, hold dear. You have deceived us in the most cynical, outrageous ways. You have undermined, or allowed the undermining of, our constitutional system of checks and balances among the three presumed co-equal branches of government. You have helped lead our nation to the brink of fascism, of a dictatorship contemptuous of our nation's treaty obligations, federal statutory law, our Constitution, and the rule of law."
"Because of you, and because of your jingoistic false 'patriotism,' our world is far more dangerous, our nation is far more despised, and the threat of terrorism is far greater than ever before.
It has been absolutely astounding how you have committed the most horrendous acts, causing such needless tragedy in the lives of millions of people, yet you wear your so-called religion on your sleeves, asserting your God-is-on-my-side nonsense - when what you have done flies in the face of any religious or humanitarian tradition. Your hypocrisy is mind-boggling - and disgraceful. What part of "Thou shalt not kill" do you not understand? What part of the "Golden rule" do you not understand? What part of "be honest," "be responsible," and "be accountable" don't you understand? What part of "Blessed are the peacekeepers" do you not understand?
Because of you, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed, many thousands of people have suffered horrendous lifetime injuries, and millions have been run off from their homes. For the sake of our nation, for the sake of our children, and for the sake of our brothers and sisters around the world, we are morally compelled to say, as loudly as we can, 'We won't take it any more!' "
"As United States agents kidnap, disappear, and torture human beings around the world, you justify, you deceive, and you cover up. We find what you have done to men, women and children, and to the good name and reputation of the United States, so appalling, so unconscionable, and so outrageous as to compel us to call upon you to step aside and allow other men and women who are competent, true to our nation's values, and with high moral principles to stand in your places - for the good of our nation, for the good of our children, and for the good of our world."
In the case of the President and Vice President, this means impeachment and removal from office, without any further delay from a complacent, complicit Congress, the Democratic majority of which cares more about political gain in 2008 than it does about the vindication of our Constitution, the rule of law, and democratic accountability.
It means the election of people as President and Vice President who, unlike most of the presidential candidates from both major parties, have not aided and abetted in the perpetration of the illegal, tragic, devastating invasion and occupation of Iraq. And it means the election of people as President and Vice President who will commit to return our nation to the moral and strategic imperative of refraining from torturing human beings.
In the case of the majority of Congress, it means electing people who are diligent enough to learn the facts, including reading available National Intelligence Estimates, before voting to go to war. It means electing to Congress men and women who will jealously guard Congress's sole prerogative to declare war. It means electing to Congress men and women who will not submit like vapid lap dogs to presidential requests for blank checks to engage in so-called preemptive wars, for legislation permitting warrantless wiretapping of communications involving US citizens, and for dangerous, irresponsible, saber-rattling legislation like the recent Kyl-Lieberman amendment.
We must avoid the trap of focusing the blame solely upon President Bush and Vice-President Cheney. This is not just about a few people who have wronged our country - and the world. They were enabled by members of both parties in Congress, they were enabled by the pathetic mainstream news media, and, ultimately, they have been enabled by the American people - 40% of whom are so ill-informed they still think Iraq was behind the 9/11 attacks - a people who know and care more about baseball statistics and which drunken starlets are wearing underwear than they know and care about the atrocities being committed every single day in our name by a government for which we need to take responsibility.
As loyal Americans, without regard to political partisanship - as veterans, as teachers, as religious leaders, as working men and women, as students, as professionals, as businesspeople, as public servants, as retirees, as people of all ages, races, ethnic origins, sexual orientations, and faiths - we are here to say to the Bush administration, to the majority of Congress, and to the mainstream media: "You have violated your solemn responsibilities. You have undermined our democracy, spat upon our Constitution, and engaged in outrageous, despicable acts. You have brought our nation to a point of immorality, inhumanity, and illegality of immense, tragic, unprecedented proportions."
"But we will live up to our responsibilities as citizens, as brothers and sisters of those who have suffered as a result of the imperial bullying of the United States government, and as moral actors who must take a stand: And we will, and must, mean it when we say 'We won't take it any more.'"
If we want principled, courageous elected officials, we need to be principled, courageous, and tenacious ourselves. History has demonstrated that our elected officials are not the leaders - the leadership has to come from us. If we don't insist, if we don't persist, then we are not living up to our responsibilities as citizens in a democracy - and our responsibilities as moral human beings. If we remain silent, we signal to Congress and the Bush administration - and to candidates running for office - and to the world - that we support the status quo.
Silence is complicity. Only by standing up for what's right and never letting down can we say we are doing our part.
Our government, on the basis of a campaign we now know was entirely fraudulent, attacked and militarily occupied a nation that posed no danger to the United States. Our government, acting in our name, has caused immense, unjustified death and destruction.
It all started five years ago, yet where have we, the American people, been? At this point, we are responsible. We get together once in a while at demonstrations and complain about Bush and Cheney, about Congress, and about the pathetic news media. We point fingers and yell a lot. Then most people politely go away until another demonstration a few months later.
How many people can honestly say they have spent as much time learning about and opposing the outrages of the Bush administration as they have spent watching sports or mindless television programs during the past five years? Escapist, time-sapping sports and insipid entertainment have indeed become the opiate of the masses.
Why is this country so sound asleep? Why do we abide what is happening to our nation, to our Constitution, to the cause of peace and international law and order? Why are we not doing all in our power to put an end to this madness?
We should be in the streets regularly and students should be raising hell on our campuses. We should be making it clear in every way possible that apologies or convoluted, disingenuous explanations just don't cut it when presidential candidates and so many others voted to authorize George Bush and his neo-con buddies to send American men and women to attack and occupy Iraq.
Let's awaken, and wake up the country by committing here and now to do all each of us can to take our nation back. Let them hear us across the country, as we ask others to join us: "We won't take it any more!"
I implore you: Draw a line. Figure out exactly where your own moral breaking point is. How much will you put up with before you say "No more" and mean it?
I have drawn my line as a matter of simple personal morality: I cannot, and will not, support any candidate who has voted to fund the atrocities in Iraq. I cannot, and will not, support any candidate who will not commit to remove all US troops, as soon as possible, from Iraq. I cannot, and will not, support any candidate who has supported legislation that takes us one step closer to attacking Iran. I cannot, and will not, support any candidate who has not fought to stop the kidnapping, disappearances, and torture being carried on in our name.
If we expect our nation's elected officials to take us seriously, let us send a powerful message they cannot misunderstand. Let them know we really do have our moral breaking point. Let them know we have drawn a bright line. Let them know they cannot take our support for granted - that, regardless of their party and regardless of other political considerations, they will not have our support if they cannot provide, and have not provided, principled leadership.
The people of this nation may have been far too quiet for five years, but let us pledge that we won't let it go on one more day - that we will do all we can to put an end to the illegalities, the moral degradation, and the disintegration of our nation's reputation in the world.
Let us be unified in drawing the line - in declaring that we do have a moral breaking point. Let us insist, together, in supporting our troops and in gratitude for the freedoms for which our veterans gave so much, that we bring our troops home from Iraq, that we return our government to a constitutional democracy, and that we commit to honoring the fundamental principles of human rights.
In defense of our country, in defense of our Constitution, in defense of our shared values as Americans - and as moral human beings - we declare today that we will fight in every way possible to stop the insanity, stop the continued military occupation of Iraq, and stop the moral depravity reflected by the kidnapping, disappearing, and torture of people around the world.
Wrap...
Go to Original
Address by Mayor Ross C. "Rocky" Anderson on October 27, 2007
By David Swanson
AfterDowningStreet.org
Monday 29 October 2007
Salt Lake City, Utah -
Today, as we come together once again in this great city, we raise our voices in unison to say to President Bush, to Vice President Cheney, to other members of the Bush Administration (past and present), to a majority of Congress, including Utah's entire congressional delegation, and to much of the mainstream media: "You have failed us miserably and we won't take it any more."
"While we had every reason to expect far more of you, you have been pompous, greedy, cruel, and incompetent as you have led this great nation to a moral, military, and national security abyss."
"You have breached trust with the American people in the most egregious ways. You have utterly failed in the performance of your jobs. You have undermined our Constitution, permitted the violation of the most fundamental treaty obligations, and betrayed the rule of law."
"You have engaged in, or permitted, heinous human rights abuses of the sort never before countenanced in our nation's history as a matter of official policy. You have sent American men and women to kill and be killed on the basis of lies, on the basis of shifting justifications, without competent leadership, and without even a coherent plan for this monumental blunder."
"We are here to tell you: We won't take it any more!"
"You have acted in direct contravention of values that we, as Americans who love our country, hold dear. You have deceived us in the most cynical, outrageous ways. You have undermined, or allowed the undermining of, our constitutional system of checks and balances among the three presumed co-equal branches of government. You have helped lead our nation to the brink of fascism, of a dictatorship contemptuous of our nation's treaty obligations, federal statutory law, our Constitution, and the rule of law."
"Because of you, and because of your jingoistic false 'patriotism,' our world is far more dangerous, our nation is far more despised, and the threat of terrorism is far greater than ever before.
It has been absolutely astounding how you have committed the most horrendous acts, causing such needless tragedy in the lives of millions of people, yet you wear your so-called religion on your sleeves, asserting your God-is-on-my-side nonsense - when what you have done flies in the face of any religious or humanitarian tradition. Your hypocrisy is mind-boggling - and disgraceful. What part of "Thou shalt not kill" do you not understand? What part of the "Golden rule" do you not understand? What part of "be honest," "be responsible," and "be accountable" don't you understand? What part of "Blessed are the peacekeepers" do you not understand?
Because of you, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed, many thousands of people have suffered horrendous lifetime injuries, and millions have been run off from their homes. For the sake of our nation, for the sake of our children, and for the sake of our brothers and sisters around the world, we are morally compelled to say, as loudly as we can, 'We won't take it any more!' "
"As United States agents kidnap, disappear, and torture human beings around the world, you justify, you deceive, and you cover up. We find what you have done to men, women and children, and to the good name and reputation of the United States, so appalling, so unconscionable, and so outrageous as to compel us to call upon you to step aside and allow other men and women who are competent, true to our nation's values, and with high moral principles to stand in your places - for the good of our nation, for the good of our children, and for the good of our world."
In the case of the President and Vice President, this means impeachment and removal from office, without any further delay from a complacent, complicit Congress, the Democratic majority of which cares more about political gain in 2008 than it does about the vindication of our Constitution, the rule of law, and democratic accountability.
It means the election of people as President and Vice President who, unlike most of the presidential candidates from both major parties, have not aided and abetted in the perpetration of the illegal, tragic, devastating invasion and occupation of Iraq. And it means the election of people as President and Vice President who will commit to return our nation to the moral and strategic imperative of refraining from torturing human beings.
In the case of the majority of Congress, it means electing people who are diligent enough to learn the facts, including reading available National Intelligence Estimates, before voting to go to war. It means electing to Congress men and women who will jealously guard Congress's sole prerogative to declare war. It means electing to Congress men and women who will not submit like vapid lap dogs to presidential requests for blank checks to engage in so-called preemptive wars, for legislation permitting warrantless wiretapping of communications involving US citizens, and for dangerous, irresponsible, saber-rattling legislation like the recent Kyl-Lieberman amendment.
We must avoid the trap of focusing the blame solely upon President Bush and Vice-President Cheney. This is not just about a few people who have wronged our country - and the world. They were enabled by members of both parties in Congress, they were enabled by the pathetic mainstream news media, and, ultimately, they have been enabled by the American people - 40% of whom are so ill-informed they still think Iraq was behind the 9/11 attacks - a people who know and care more about baseball statistics and which drunken starlets are wearing underwear than they know and care about the atrocities being committed every single day in our name by a government for which we need to take responsibility.
As loyal Americans, without regard to political partisanship - as veterans, as teachers, as religious leaders, as working men and women, as students, as professionals, as businesspeople, as public servants, as retirees, as people of all ages, races, ethnic origins, sexual orientations, and faiths - we are here to say to the Bush administration, to the majority of Congress, and to the mainstream media: "You have violated your solemn responsibilities. You have undermined our democracy, spat upon our Constitution, and engaged in outrageous, despicable acts. You have brought our nation to a point of immorality, inhumanity, and illegality of immense, tragic, unprecedented proportions."
"But we will live up to our responsibilities as citizens, as brothers and sisters of those who have suffered as a result of the imperial bullying of the United States government, and as moral actors who must take a stand: And we will, and must, mean it when we say 'We won't take it any more.'"
If we want principled, courageous elected officials, we need to be principled, courageous, and tenacious ourselves. History has demonstrated that our elected officials are not the leaders - the leadership has to come from us. If we don't insist, if we don't persist, then we are not living up to our responsibilities as citizens in a democracy - and our responsibilities as moral human beings. If we remain silent, we signal to Congress and the Bush administration - and to candidates running for office - and to the world - that we support the status quo.
Silence is complicity. Only by standing up for what's right and never letting down can we say we are doing our part.
Our government, on the basis of a campaign we now know was entirely fraudulent, attacked and militarily occupied a nation that posed no danger to the United States. Our government, acting in our name, has caused immense, unjustified death and destruction.
It all started five years ago, yet where have we, the American people, been? At this point, we are responsible. We get together once in a while at demonstrations and complain about Bush and Cheney, about Congress, and about the pathetic news media. We point fingers and yell a lot. Then most people politely go away until another demonstration a few months later.
How many people can honestly say they have spent as much time learning about and opposing the outrages of the Bush administration as they have spent watching sports or mindless television programs during the past five years? Escapist, time-sapping sports and insipid entertainment have indeed become the opiate of the masses.
Why is this country so sound asleep? Why do we abide what is happening to our nation, to our Constitution, to the cause of peace and international law and order? Why are we not doing all in our power to put an end to this madness?
We should be in the streets regularly and students should be raising hell on our campuses. We should be making it clear in every way possible that apologies or convoluted, disingenuous explanations just don't cut it when presidential candidates and so many others voted to authorize George Bush and his neo-con buddies to send American men and women to attack and occupy Iraq.
Let's awaken, and wake up the country by committing here and now to do all each of us can to take our nation back. Let them hear us across the country, as we ask others to join us: "We won't take it any more!"
I implore you: Draw a line. Figure out exactly where your own moral breaking point is. How much will you put up with before you say "No more" and mean it?
I have drawn my line as a matter of simple personal morality: I cannot, and will not, support any candidate who has voted to fund the atrocities in Iraq. I cannot, and will not, support any candidate who will not commit to remove all US troops, as soon as possible, from Iraq. I cannot, and will not, support any candidate who has supported legislation that takes us one step closer to attacking Iran. I cannot, and will not, support any candidate who has not fought to stop the kidnapping, disappearances, and torture being carried on in our name.
If we expect our nation's elected officials to take us seriously, let us send a powerful message they cannot misunderstand. Let them know we really do have our moral breaking point. Let them know we have drawn a bright line. Let them know they cannot take our support for granted - that, regardless of their party and regardless of other political considerations, they will not have our support if they cannot provide, and have not provided, principled leadership.
The people of this nation may have been far too quiet for five years, but let us pledge that we won't let it go on one more day - that we will do all we can to put an end to the illegalities, the moral degradation, and the disintegration of our nation's reputation in the world.
Let us be unified in drawing the line - in declaring that we do have a moral breaking point. Let us insist, together, in supporting our troops and in gratitude for the freedoms for which our veterans gave so much, that we bring our troops home from Iraq, that we return our government to a constitutional democracy, and that we commit to honoring the fundamental principles of human rights.
In defense of our country, in defense of our Constitution, in defense of our shared values as Americans - and as moral human beings - we declare today that we will fight in every way possible to stop the insanity, stop the continued military occupation of Iraq, and stop the moral depravity reflected by the kidnapping, disappearing, and torture of people around the world.
Wrap...
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Mukasey confirmed ...vote: 53-40...
From NBCSanDiego.com :
Breaking News...
WASHINGTON -- Former federal judge Michael Mukasey was confirmed as the nation's 81st attorney general Thursday night.
The Senate confirmed Mukasey to replace Alberto Gonzales, who was forced from office in a scandal over his handling of the Justice Department.
But Mukasey's confirmation didn't come easily. He ran into sharp opposition after he refused to say whether the waterboarding interrogation technique is torture.
Waterboarding, which simulates drowning, is banned by domestic law and international treaties. But those policies don't cover the use of the technique by CIA personnel, and the administration won't say whether it has allowed the agency's employees to use it against terror detainees.
Republicans were solidly behind President George W. Bush' nominee. Democrats said their votes were not so much for Mukasey as they were for restoring a leader to a Justice Department left adrift after Gonzales' resignation in September.
Mukasey was confirmed by a 53-40 vote.
Wrap...
Breaking News...
WASHINGTON -- Former federal judge Michael Mukasey was confirmed as the nation's 81st attorney general Thursday night.
The Senate confirmed Mukasey to replace Alberto Gonzales, who was forced from office in a scandal over his handling of the Justice Department.
But Mukasey's confirmation didn't come easily. He ran into sharp opposition after he refused to say whether the waterboarding interrogation technique is torture.
Waterboarding, which simulates drowning, is banned by domestic law and international treaties. But those policies don't cover the use of the technique by CIA personnel, and the administration won't say whether it has allowed the agency's employees to use it against terror detainees.
Republicans were solidly behind President George W. Bush' nominee. Democrats said their votes were not so much for Mukasey as they were for restoring a leader to a Justice Department left adrift after Gonzales' resignation in September.
Mukasey was confirmed by a 53-40 vote.
Wrap...
BushCo would sacrifice our Fifth Fleet...
From Information Clearing House:
The Neoconservative Agenda to Sacrifice the Fifth Fleet
The New Pearl Harbor
By Michael E. Salla, M.A., Ph.D.
Neoconservatives within the Bush administration are aggressively promoting a range of military actions against Iran that will culminate in Iran attacking the US Navy's
Fifth Fleet with sophisticated cruise anti-ship missiles. Iran has sufficient quantities of cruise missiles to destroy much or all of the Fifth Fleet which is within range of
Iran's mobile missile launchers strategically located along its mountainous terrain overlooking the Persian Gulf.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18687.htm
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
The Neoconservative Agenda to Sacrifice the Fifth Fleet
The New Pearl Harbor
By Michael E. Salla, M.A., Ph.D.
Neoconservatives within the Bush administration are aggressively promoting a range of military actions against Iran that will culminate in Iran attacking the US Navy's
Fifth Fleet with sophisticated cruise anti-ship missiles. Iran has sufficient quantities of cruise missiles to destroy much or all of the Fifth Fleet which is within range of
Iran's mobile missile launchers strategically located along its mountainous terrain overlooking the Persian Gulf.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18687.htm
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
Hillary backs Bill's NAFTA..votes for Peru NAFTA...
From David Sirota:
http://commonsense.ourfuture.org/breaking_clinton_announces_support_nafta_expansion
BREAKING: Clinton Announces Support for NAFTA Expansion
By David Sirota
Campaign for America's Future, 11/8/07
Under intense pressure from Sen. John Edwards (D) and a building
national fair trade movement, Sen. Hillary Clinton tonight finally
disclosed her position on a bill to expand the NAFTA trade model that
passed the U.S. House today and is moving to the Senate. Reuters is
reporting that Clinton says she will vote for the Peru Free Trade
Agreement - the first agreement in a package of agreements to vastly
expand the NAFTA trade model. Clinton is citing the Peru deal's labor
standards as justification for her support, despite the fact that the
U.S. Chamber of Commerce has told reporters it has recieved
"assurances" that those labor standards are "unenforceable."
The announcement comes on the same day the New York Times reports
that Clinton is being endorsed by NAFTA architect Robert Rubin, the
CEO of Citigroup - a company that stands to benefit from the NAFTA
model. Rubin's announcement came with a promise to raise Clinton more
money from Wall Street.
With Obama also supporting the lobbyist-written Peru agreement,
Clinton's announcement is a huge opening for Edwards, who has made
opposition to NAFTA-style trade agreements a centerpiece of his
campaign. As my nationally syndicated newspaper column out tomorrow
details, trade and globalization is taking center stage in the 2008
presidential campaign. Clinton's announcement will now specifically
make job-killing, wage-destroying NAFTA-style trade policy a
flashpoint in the race for the White House.
Wrap...
http://commonsense.ourfuture.org/breaking_clinton_announces_support_nafta_expansion
BREAKING: Clinton Announces Support for NAFTA Expansion
By David Sirota
Campaign for America's Future, 11/8/07
Under intense pressure from Sen. John Edwards (D) and a building
national fair trade movement, Sen. Hillary Clinton tonight finally
disclosed her position on a bill to expand the NAFTA trade model that
passed the U.S. House today and is moving to the Senate. Reuters is
reporting that Clinton says she will vote for the Peru Free Trade
Agreement - the first agreement in a package of agreements to vastly
expand the NAFTA trade model. Clinton is citing the Peru deal's labor
standards as justification for her support, despite the fact that the
U.S. Chamber of Commerce has told reporters it has recieved
"assurances" that those labor standards are "unenforceable."
The announcement comes on the same day the New York Times reports
that Clinton is being endorsed by NAFTA architect Robert Rubin, the
CEO of Citigroup - a company that stands to benefit from the NAFTA
model. Rubin's announcement came with a promise to raise Clinton more
money from Wall Street.
With Obama also supporting the lobbyist-written Peru agreement,
Clinton's announcement is a huge opening for Edwards, who has made
opposition to NAFTA-style trade agreements a centerpiece of his
campaign. As my nationally syndicated newspaper column out tomorrow
details, trade and globalization is taking center stage in the 2008
presidential campaign. Clinton's announcement will now specifically
make job-killing, wage-destroying NAFTA-style trade policy a
flashpoint in the race for the White House.
Wrap...
Sen Boxer on Blackwater, et al....
From Senator Barbara Boxer:
Dear Friend:
Most of us have come to understand the sometimes deadly consequences of the increasing reliance on private defense contractors in Iraq. More than at any time in our nation’s history, private contractors are doing jobs previously done by our military. These private contractors operate in a grey area of U.S., Iraqi, and international law, making it difficult to address any egregious action or unlawful use of force. In addition, the lack of accountability in the wartime contracting process has resulted in the waste, fraud, and abuse of billions of taxpayer dollars.
Following a shooting incident on September 16, 2007 in central Baghdad involving Blackwater guards that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates recently announced an agreement requiring that all State Department security convoys will now fall under military control.
Although I am pleased with this agreement, I believe that Congress must act to generate new, more stringent rules to ensure that any lawbreakers are held to account for their actions. That is why I am co-sponsoring S.2147, the Security Contractor Accountability Act. This legislation grants the U.S. government the legal authority to prosecute crimes committed by all U.S. contractors working in war zones by clarifying the language of the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act. It would also establish Theater Investigative Units of the FBI to investigate allegations of criminal misconduct by private defense contractor personnel and would require the Department of Justice to report on the number of complaints, investigations, and criminal cases involving contractors.
I believe that Congress has a responsibility to help repair the damage caused by the Bush Administration’s reliance on private contractors and no-bid contracts. Please be assured that I will work to see that the Security Contractor Accountability Act becomes law.
Sincerely,
Barbara Boxer
United States Senator
Wrap...
Dear Friend:
Most of us have come to understand the sometimes deadly consequences of the increasing reliance on private defense contractors in Iraq. More than at any time in our nation’s history, private contractors are doing jobs previously done by our military. These private contractors operate in a grey area of U.S., Iraqi, and international law, making it difficult to address any egregious action or unlawful use of force. In addition, the lack of accountability in the wartime contracting process has resulted in the waste, fraud, and abuse of billions of taxpayer dollars.
Following a shooting incident on September 16, 2007 in central Baghdad involving Blackwater guards that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates recently announced an agreement requiring that all State Department security convoys will now fall under military control.
Although I am pleased with this agreement, I believe that Congress must act to generate new, more stringent rules to ensure that any lawbreakers are held to account for their actions. That is why I am co-sponsoring S.2147, the Security Contractor Accountability Act. This legislation grants the U.S. government the legal authority to prosecute crimes committed by all U.S. contractors working in war zones by clarifying the language of the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act. It would also establish Theater Investigative Units of the FBI to investigate allegations of criminal misconduct by private defense contractor personnel and would require the Department of Justice to report on the number of complaints, investigations, and criminal cases involving contractors.
I believe that Congress has a responsibility to help repair the damage caused by the Bush Administration’s reliance on private contractors and no-bid contracts. Please be assured that I will work to see that the Security Contractor Accountability Act becomes law.
Sincerely,
Barbara Boxer
United States Senator
Wrap...
Kucinich, Congress & Cheney impeachment....
From the Washington Post:
About This Blog
Meet Mary Ann Akers
Kucinich Emboldened In Impeachment Quest
House Democratic leaders think they've gotten rid of Dennis the Menace, but the congressman himself tells us - they ain't seen nothing yet.
We spoke to Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) late Wednesday evening about the havoc he helped wreak on the House floor Tuesday. Even though his own leadership did everything it could to quash the underdog presidential candidate's impeachment proposal and ship it off to the House Judiciary Committee (Siberia, for all intents and purposes), Kucinich feels emboldened by Tuesday's floor action.
"There were 86 Democrats who voted with me, and that was pretty significant: the support for impeachment is growing inside the Democratic caucus," he told the Sleuth. He's convinced the Judiciary Committee will wind up holding hearings on his resolution to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney for, as he sees it, dragging this country into a war based on lies.
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), a member of the Judiciary Committee, also predicts the committee will hold hearings.
"I get that impression," he said. "The issue is still alive."
Cohen was one of 14 Democrats on the panel, including the chairman, Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), who initially voted with Kucinich on the floor Tuesday, signaling some level of impeachment interest.
But Cohen, even though he is a co-sponsor of the Kucinich resolution, sided with the Democratic leadership in sending the issue to committee. "You don't impeach anybody in a kangaroo court," Cohen said. "That in and of itself is an impeachable offense."
Sources say Conyers gave assurances to a group of liberal backers of impeachment that he will hold hearings, over the objections of Democratic leaders. Kucinich declined to say whether Conyers had given him or his supporters an outright commitment but he said, "I think Chairman Conyers has strong interest in holding hearings and I'm hopeful that we will hold hearings on the resolution."
Kucinich can't believe how far he got Tuesday. "The House came very close to having the impeachment resolution be directly considered," he said incredulously. "I was ready for that. I was absolutely prepared and yet I was surprised that it was moving in the direction of impeachment in that moment."
It's not at all what he had expected. "I was expecting that I would introduce the bill and that it would be immediately tabled (killed). I think that was a modest expectation."
And the end result isn't at all what the nervous Democratic leadership wanted. "Now it's back on center stage," Kucinich said.
Next up in his impeachment quest: a series of town hall meetings around the country organized by his anti-war grass-roots supporters, who seem more energized than ever by this week's House maneuvering.
By Mary Ann Akers | November 8, 2007; 9:31 AM ET
Wrap...
About This Blog
Meet Mary Ann Akers
Kucinich Emboldened In Impeachment Quest
House Democratic leaders think they've gotten rid of Dennis the Menace, but the congressman himself tells us - they ain't seen nothing yet.
We spoke to Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) late Wednesday evening about the havoc he helped wreak on the House floor Tuesday. Even though his own leadership did everything it could to quash the underdog presidential candidate's impeachment proposal and ship it off to the House Judiciary Committee (Siberia, for all intents and purposes), Kucinich feels emboldened by Tuesday's floor action.
"There were 86 Democrats who voted with me, and that was pretty significant: the support for impeachment is growing inside the Democratic caucus," he told the Sleuth. He's convinced the Judiciary Committee will wind up holding hearings on his resolution to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney for, as he sees it, dragging this country into a war based on lies.
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), a member of the Judiciary Committee, also predicts the committee will hold hearings.
"I get that impression," he said. "The issue is still alive."
Cohen was one of 14 Democrats on the panel, including the chairman, Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), who initially voted with Kucinich on the floor Tuesday, signaling some level of impeachment interest.
But Cohen, even though he is a co-sponsor of the Kucinich resolution, sided with the Democratic leadership in sending the issue to committee. "You don't impeach anybody in a kangaroo court," Cohen said. "That in and of itself is an impeachable offense."
Sources say Conyers gave assurances to a group of liberal backers of impeachment that he will hold hearings, over the objections of Democratic leaders. Kucinich declined to say whether Conyers had given him or his supporters an outright commitment but he said, "I think Chairman Conyers has strong interest in holding hearings and I'm hopeful that we will hold hearings on the resolution."
Kucinich can't believe how far he got Tuesday. "The House came very close to having the impeachment resolution be directly considered," he said incredulously. "I was ready for that. I was absolutely prepared and yet I was surprised that it was moving in the direction of impeachment in that moment."
It's not at all what he had expected. "I was expecting that I would introduce the bill and that it would be immediately tabled (killed). I think that was a modest expectation."
And the end result isn't at all what the nervous Democratic leadership wanted. "Now it's back on center stage," Kucinich said.
Next up in his impeachment quest: a series of town hall meetings around the country organized by his anti-war grass-roots supporters, who seem more energized than ever by this week's House maneuvering.
By Mary Ann Akers | November 8, 2007; 9:31 AM ET
Wrap...
From Wall St feeling fear to US House's "cafeteria"..
From American Progress:
Think Fast...
The Dow plummeted 360 points and the dollar sank to a record low against the euro yesterday as "investors worldwide grew skittish over rising oil prices and the prospect of a substantial economic slowdown in the United States." The markets are being "driven down by fear that the troubles in housing are likely to continue well into next year, contributing to further losses in credit markets and spreading pain to the rest of the economy."
$9 trillion: Amount of publicly held U.S. debt -- "the first time ever" it has breached $9 trillion. In September, "President George W. Bush signed a measure to increase the debt limit ceiling to $9.815 trillion from $8.965 trillion, allowing the government to keep issuing debt."
A coalition of watchdog organizations will today launch Governmentdocs.org, the first online database of government documents that can be browsed, searched, and reviewed. The goal is to "promote greater transparency into the government's inner workings."
A new study by the National Alliance to End Homelessness has found that one in four homeless people in America are veterans, including more than 400 who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq. Aid workers say that "Iraq and Afghanistan veterans appear to be turning up sooner than the Vietnam veterans did."
Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) "is drafting a compromise" on retroactive immunity for telecoms involved in the administration's warrantless wiretapping program. Specter's amendment "would make the federal government -- instead of the phone companies" -- the defendant in pending lawsuits.
Two separate bills offered by Sens. Joseph Biden (D-DE) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA) would outlaw waterboarding, along with other extreme interrogation techniques. The legislation would make the Army manual the standard for all U.S. interrogators.
FEMA press secretary Aaron Walker yesterday resigned after participating in the agency's staged press conference on wildfires. Walker is the second press official to "suffer the repercussions" of last month's stunt.
"Strained by extended tours in Iraq, growing numbers of military reservists say the government is providing little help to soldiers who are denied their old jobs when they return home." A Pentagon survey of reservists in 2005-2006 "details increasing discontent among returning troops in protecting their legal rights after taking leave from work to fight for their country."
And finally: Even Congress has cliques. The House floor is like a high school "cafeteria," a place "where lawmakers gather and sit with the same people every day." Politico has a map of the seats HERE.
Wrap...
Think Fast...
The Dow plummeted 360 points and the dollar sank to a record low against the euro yesterday as "investors worldwide grew skittish over rising oil prices and the prospect of a substantial economic slowdown in the United States." The markets are being "driven down by fear that the troubles in housing are likely to continue well into next year, contributing to further losses in credit markets and spreading pain to the rest of the economy."
$9 trillion: Amount of publicly held U.S. debt -- "the first time ever" it has breached $9 trillion. In September, "President George W. Bush signed a measure to increase the debt limit ceiling to $9.815 trillion from $8.965 trillion, allowing the government to keep issuing debt."
A coalition of watchdog organizations will today launch Governmentdocs.org, the first online database of government documents that can be browsed, searched, and reviewed. The goal is to "promote greater transparency into the government's inner workings."
A new study by the National Alliance to End Homelessness has found that one in four homeless people in America are veterans, including more than 400 who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq. Aid workers say that "Iraq and Afghanistan veterans appear to be turning up sooner than the Vietnam veterans did."
Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) "is drafting a compromise" on retroactive immunity for telecoms involved in the administration's warrantless wiretapping program. Specter's amendment "would make the federal government -- instead of the phone companies" -- the defendant in pending lawsuits.
Two separate bills offered by Sens. Joseph Biden (D-DE) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA) would outlaw waterboarding, along with other extreme interrogation techniques. The legislation would make the Army manual the standard for all U.S. interrogators.
FEMA press secretary Aaron Walker yesterday resigned after participating in the agency's staged press conference on wildfires. Walker is the second press official to "suffer the repercussions" of last month's stunt.
"Strained by extended tours in Iraq, growing numbers of military reservists say the government is providing little help to soldiers who are denied their old jobs when they return home." A Pentagon survey of reservists in 2005-2006 "details increasing discontent among returning troops in protecting their legal rights after taking leave from work to fight for their country."
And finally: Even Congress has cliques. The House floor is like a high school "cafeteria," a place "where lawmakers gather and sit with the same people every day." Politico has a map of the seats HERE.
Wrap...
A Guliani presidency = USA in serious trouble....
From truthout.org :
Margaret Kimberley
Gangster Giuliani: The GOP's Worst
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/110807P.shtml
Margaret Kimberley writes for Black Agenda Report: "Now Giuliani is running for the Republican presidential nomination and he is the very worst of a bad lot. He unabashedly supports the occupation of Iraq and a military attack on Iran. He doesn't think simulating drowning via water boarding is torture and agrees wholeheartedly with the Bush destruction of civil liberties. If a potential Giuliani presidency in any way resembles a Giuliani mayoralty then the country would be in for a truly awful time."
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
Margaret Kimberley
Gangster Giuliani: The GOP's Worst
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/110807P.shtml
Margaret Kimberley writes for Black Agenda Report: "Now Giuliani is running for the Republican presidential nomination and he is the very worst of a bad lot. He unabashedly supports the occupation of Iraq and a military attack on Iran. He doesn't think simulating drowning via water boarding is torture and agrees wholeheartedly with the Bush destruction of civil liberties. If a potential Giuliani presidency in any way resembles a Giuliani mayoralty then the country would be in for a truly awful time."
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
A powerful army...Blackwater...
From truthout.org :
Behind Blackwater: an Interview With Jeremy Scahill
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/110807J.shtml
The dangers behind Blackwater's rise to power have not been told among the hours of coverage by the mainstream media, so Truthout's Geoff Millard sat down with Jeremy Scahill, author of a new book on the mercenary firm. In this interview, Scahill delves deep into the real dangers of a private mercenary army as powerful as Blackwater.
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap....
Behind Blackwater: an Interview With Jeremy Scahill
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/110807J.shtml
The dangers behind Blackwater's rise to power have not been told among the hours of coverage by the mainstream media, so Truthout's Geoff Millard sat down with Jeremy Scahill, author of a new book on the mercenary firm. In this interview, Scahill delves deep into the real dangers of a private mercenary army as powerful as Blackwater.
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap....
Congress warned 20 years ago about Pakistan's nukes...
From Secrecy News :
SECRECY NEWS
from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy
Volume 2007, Issue No. 112
November 8, 2007
Secrecy News Blog: http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/
RICHARD BARLOW, NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND PAKISTAN
The declaration of emergency rule in Pakistan has focused new concern
on the status of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal. It may also bring renewed
attention to the case of Richard Barlow, the former intelligence officer
who attempted to warn Congress two decades ago about Pakistan's
clandestine acquisition of U.S. nuclear technology and who was punished
for his trouble.
In a classic whistleblower tale, Mr. Barlow's security clearances were
suspended, the state secrets privilege was invoked, and he was
personally vilified after he attempted to notify Congress of
irregularities and illegalities in Pakistan's U.S. acquisitions
program. Yet his allegations about Pakistani export control violations
and official attempts to conceal those violations were ultimately
corroborated.
A summary account of Mr. Barlow's actions and experiences was presented
in one of two pending amendments introduced by Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
last summer to provide belated compensation for his losses. See:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/congress/2007/barlow.html
Mr. Barlow's story, and much else about the clandestine development of
the Pakistani nuclear weapons program, is presented in a new book
called "Deception: Pakistan, the United States, and the Secret Trade in
Nuclear Weapons" by Adrian Levy and Catherine Scott-Clark (Walker &
Company, 2007):
http://www.walkerbooks.com/books/catalog.php?key=690
The Congressional Research Service examined "Pakistan's Political
Crisis and State of Emergency" in a new report dated November 6, 2007:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL34240.pdf
See also "Pakistan-U.S. Relations," updated October 18, 2007:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33498.pdf
[Use links above to continue reading]
**********************************************
Noteworthy new reports from the Congressional Research Service that
have not been made readily available to the public include the
following.
"Managing the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Policy Implications of Expanding
Global Access to Nuclear Power," November 1, 2007:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/nuke/RL34234.pdf
"F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program: Background, Status, and
Issues," updated October 25, 2007:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/RL30563.pdf
"Navy DDG-1000 Destroyer Program: Background, Oversight Issues, and
Options for Congress," updated October 25, 2007:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/RL32109.pdf
"Operation Iraqi Freedom and Detainee Issues: Major Votes from the
110th Congress," October 22, 2007:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL34172.pdf
"Journalists' Privilege: Overview of the Law and Legislation in the
109th and 110th Congresses," updated October 18, 2007:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/secrecy/RL34193.pdf
"Japan-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress," updated September 27,
2007:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33436.pdf
"National Emergency Powers," updated August 30, 2007:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/98-505.pdf
_______________________________________________
Secrecy News is written by Steven Aftergood and published by the
Federation of American Scientists.
The Secrecy News Blog is at:
http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/
To SUBSCRIBE to Secrecy News, go to:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/secrecy/subscribe.html
To UNSUBSCRIBE, go to
http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/secrecy/unsubscribe.html
OR email your request to saftergood@fas.org
Secrecy News is archived at:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/secrecy/index.html
SUPPORT Secrecy News with a donation here:
http://www.fas.org/static/contrib_sec.jsp
Wrap....
SECRECY NEWS
from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy
Volume 2007, Issue No. 112
November 8, 2007
Secrecy News Blog: http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/
RICHARD BARLOW, NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND PAKISTAN
The declaration of emergency rule in Pakistan has focused new concern
on the status of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal. It may also bring renewed
attention to the case of Richard Barlow, the former intelligence officer
who attempted to warn Congress two decades ago about Pakistan's
clandestine acquisition of U.S. nuclear technology and who was punished
for his trouble.
In a classic whistleblower tale, Mr. Barlow's security clearances were
suspended, the state secrets privilege was invoked, and he was
personally vilified after he attempted to notify Congress of
irregularities and illegalities in Pakistan's U.S. acquisitions
program. Yet his allegations about Pakistani export control violations
and official attempts to conceal those violations were ultimately
corroborated.
A summary account of Mr. Barlow's actions and experiences was presented
in one of two pending amendments introduced by Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
last summer to provide belated compensation for his losses. See:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/congress/2007/barlow.html
Mr. Barlow's story, and much else about the clandestine development of
the Pakistani nuclear weapons program, is presented in a new book
called "Deception: Pakistan, the United States, and the Secret Trade in
Nuclear Weapons" by Adrian Levy and Catherine Scott-Clark (Walker &
Company, 2007):
http://www.walkerbooks.com/books/catalog.php?key=690
The Congressional Research Service examined "Pakistan's Political
Crisis and State of Emergency" in a new report dated November 6, 2007:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL34240.pdf
See also "Pakistan-U.S. Relations," updated October 18, 2007:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33498.pdf
[Use links above to continue reading]
**********************************************
Noteworthy new reports from the Congressional Research Service that
have not been made readily available to the public include the
following.
"Managing the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Policy Implications of Expanding
Global Access to Nuclear Power," November 1, 2007:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/nuke/RL34234.pdf
"F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program: Background, Status, and
Issues," updated October 25, 2007:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/RL30563.pdf
"Navy DDG-1000 Destroyer Program: Background, Oversight Issues, and
Options for Congress," updated October 25, 2007:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/RL32109.pdf
"Operation Iraqi Freedom and Detainee Issues: Major Votes from the
110th Congress," October 22, 2007:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL34172.pdf
"Journalists' Privilege: Overview of the Law and Legislation in the
109th and 110th Congresses," updated October 18, 2007:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/secrecy/RL34193.pdf
"Japan-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress," updated September 27,
2007:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33436.pdf
"National Emergency Powers," updated August 30, 2007:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/98-505.pdf
_______________________________________________
Secrecy News is written by Steven Aftergood and published by the
Federation of American Scientists.
The Secrecy News Blog is at:
http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/
To SUBSCRIBE to Secrecy News, go to:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/secrecy/subscribe.html
To UNSUBSCRIBE, go to
http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/secrecy/unsubscribe.html
OR email your request to saftergood@fas.org
Secrecy News is archived at:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/secrecy/index.html
SUPPORT Secrecy News with a donation here:
http://www.fas.org/static/contrib_sec.jsp
Wrap....
Bush wants to.....and unless stopped, he will....
From Tom Paine.com :
14 Months of Danger
Marcus Raskin and Robert Spero, TomPaine.com
November 08, 2007
Marcus Raskin and Robert Spero are co-authors of The Four Freedoms Under Siege: The Clear and Present Danger of Our National Security State.
After the 2006 congressional elections, pundits declared that President Bush was a lame duck. Each day his power and capacity to pursue his neoconservative agenda was supposed to drain away until he went back to Crawford Texas, a beaten man.
But like so much in politics, those who tie themselves to conventional wisdom are often very wrong. George W. Bush is as strong now as he was when he gained office for his second term. He is determined—ferociously, like a bulldog with a bone—to pursue his agenda even if it becomes a millstone around the country¹s neck for years and decades.
Why is Mr. Bush, in the remaining 14 months of his presidency, defying the wishes of the people, when 75 percent believe the country is heading down the wrong track? For all the obsessive secrecy of the Bush administration, the president has been remarkably open about his guide in matters of state and as a personal cleanser to his previous alcohol addiction: Jesus.
Remember he told us, "Christ...changed my heart," in the 2000 television debates and he seems to believe that Jesus is his man. Bush's rigid judgment and personal certitude in decision-making fits the classic profile of a recovering alcoholic. In this context, he was saved by his ambition which he melded to Jesus and the simplistic symbols of good versus evil. Whether or not Bush envisions himself as an instrument of God to advance his agenda or uses his faith as a political weapon against his opposition, he has put down unmistakable markers for the next 14 months. These markers have consequences that cannot be wished away:
Bush has made clear the Iraq War is his legacy. He intends to make sure the United States stays his course over the next 14 months.
http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2007/11/08/14_months_of_danger.php
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
14 Months of Danger
Marcus Raskin and Robert Spero, TomPaine.com
November 08, 2007
Marcus Raskin and Robert Spero are co-authors of The Four Freedoms Under Siege: The Clear and Present Danger of Our National Security State.
After the 2006 congressional elections, pundits declared that President Bush was a lame duck. Each day his power and capacity to pursue his neoconservative agenda was supposed to drain away until he went back to Crawford Texas, a beaten man.
But like so much in politics, those who tie themselves to conventional wisdom are often very wrong. George W. Bush is as strong now as he was when he gained office for his second term. He is determined—ferociously, like a bulldog with a bone—to pursue his agenda even if it becomes a millstone around the country¹s neck for years and decades.
Why is Mr. Bush, in the remaining 14 months of his presidency, defying the wishes of the people, when 75 percent believe the country is heading down the wrong track? For all the obsessive secrecy of the Bush administration, the president has been remarkably open about his guide in matters of state and as a personal cleanser to his previous alcohol addiction: Jesus.
Remember he told us, "Christ...changed my heart," in the 2000 television debates and he seems to believe that Jesus is his man. Bush's rigid judgment and personal certitude in decision-making fits the classic profile of a recovering alcoholic. In this context, he was saved by his ambition which he melded to Jesus and the simplistic symbols of good versus evil. Whether or not Bush envisions himself as an instrument of God to advance his agenda or uses his faith as a political weapon against his opposition, he has put down unmistakable markers for the next 14 months. These markers have consequences that cannot be wished away:
Bush has made clear the Iraq War is his legacy. He intends to make sure the United States stays his course over the next 14 months.
http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2007/11/08/14_months_of_danger.php
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Sen Barbara Boxer on impeachment on 12/19/05...
Monday, December 19, 2005
Boxer wants to know about IMPEACHMENT!!!
Best Senator ever! From Raw Story.org Read on:
Senator says she's asked for opinions on Bush impeachment
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has become the first in the Senate to raise consideration of impeachment of President George W. Bush for authorizing spying on Americans without warrants, RAW STORY has learned.
In a release issued this evening, Boxer said she's asked "four presidential scholars" for their opinion on impeachment after former White Housel counsel John Dean -- made famous by his role in revealing the Watergate tapes -- asserted that President Bush had 'admitted' to an 'impeachable offense.'
Boxer isn't the first congressmember today to float the word. Earlier today, Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) said Bush should be impeached if he broke the law in the spying program. The liberal California senator has tangled with Bush before -- earlier this year, she challenged the president's Ohio electoral votes.
Boxer's statement, acquired by RAW STORY, follows:
BOXER ASKS PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARS ABOUT FORMER WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL’S STATEMENT THAT BUSH ADMITTED TO AN ‘IMPEACHABLE OFFENSE’
Washington, D.C.
U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today asked four presidential scholars for their opinion on former White House Counsel John Dean’s statement that President Bush admitted to an “impeachable offense” when he said he authorized the National Security Agency to spy on Americans without getting a warrant from a judge.
Boxer said, “I take very seriously Mr. Dean’s comments, as I view him to be an expert on Presidential abuse of power. I am expecting a full airing of this matter by the Senate in the very near future.”
Boxer wants to know about IMPEACHMENT!!!
Best Senator ever! From Raw Story.org Read on:
Senator says she's asked for opinions on Bush impeachment
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has become the first in the Senate to raise consideration of impeachment of President George W. Bush for authorizing spying on Americans without warrants, RAW STORY has learned.
In a release issued this evening, Boxer said she's asked "four presidential scholars" for their opinion on impeachment after former White Housel counsel John Dean -- made famous by his role in revealing the Watergate tapes -- asserted that President Bush had 'admitted' to an 'impeachable offense.'
Boxer isn't the first congressmember today to float the word. Earlier today, Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) said Bush should be impeached if he broke the law in the spying program. The liberal California senator has tangled with Bush before -- earlier this year, she challenged the president's Ohio electoral votes.
Boxer's statement, acquired by RAW STORY, follows:
BOXER ASKS PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARS ABOUT FORMER WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL’S STATEMENT THAT BUSH ADMITTED TO AN ‘IMPEACHABLE OFFENSE’
Washington, D.C.
U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today asked four presidential scholars for their opinion on former White House Counsel John Dean’s statement that President Bush admitted to an “impeachable offense” when he said he authorized the National Security Agency to spy on Americans without getting a warrant from a judge.
Boxer said, “I take very seriously Mr. Dean’s comments, as I view him to be an expert on Presidential abuse of power. I am expecting a full airing of this matter by the Senate in the very near future.”
Well, the draft may be coming says Hagel....
From Information Clearing House:
Sen. Hagel says U.S. draft may be unavoidable:
Sen. Chuck Hagel, speaking to an audience of Lincoln High School students, warned Tuesday that the nation may need to turn to compulsory military service "or some kind of draft" to support the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10177959
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
Sen. Hagel says U.S. draft may be unavoidable:
Sen. Chuck Hagel, speaking to an audience of Lincoln High School students, warned Tuesday that the nation may need to turn to compulsory military service "or some kind of draft" to support the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10177959
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
From Rice vs Cheney to Rep Feeney's (R-Fl) ego....
From American Progress:
Think Fast...
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's relationship with Vice President Dick Cheney in recent years was "much more conflict-driven than we have been led to believe," according to a new biography of Rice written by The New York Times's Elisabeth Bumiller. "There was much more conflict on the Middle East and detainees and on Guantanamo Bay than has been written," Bumiller said.
"Programs that focus exclusively on abstinence have not been shown to affect teenager sexual behavior, although they are eligible for tens of millions of dollars in federal grants," according to a new study by a nonpartisan group.
The ACLU reports the existence of a third secret torture memo, authored by the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel in May 2005. "The memos are believed to have authorized the CIA to use extremely harsh interrogation methods including waterboarding."
Steve Beshear, a former Democratic Lt. Governor of Kentucky, "won a landslide victory last night over Gov. Ernie Fletcher (R)," ousting the incumbent by an 18-point margin. Beshear's victory was "a repudiation of Fletcher," whose tenure had been mired by corruption.
"Michael Mukasey appears headed for confirmation as attorney general before Thanksgiving, but Senate Democratic leaders are leaving open the possibility that there might be an attempt to filibuster the nomination." A Senate Democratic aide said that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is neither encouraging nor discouraging a filibuster.
A new Human Rights Campaign poll debunks the myth that the LGBT community opposes a gay civil rights bill that doesn't include transgender rights, finding that 70 percent "of LGBT Americans prefer passing an Employment Non-Discrimination Act that does not cover transgender people over not passing the bill at all." University of Minnesota Professor Dale Carpenter has more on this myth HERE.
The Justice Department is "prosecuting the fewest hate crimes in 10 years as civil rights activists cite noose hangings and other racial incidents to question the government's commitment to such cases. ... Last year, the department charged 22 people with hate crimes. That was down 71% from 76 in 1997."
"The inspector general of the Department of Education has said he will examine whether federal money was inappropriately used by three states to buy educational products from a company owned by Neil Bush, the president's brother."
The House voted 361 to 54 yesterday to override President Bush's veto of "a popular water projects measure." "If the Senate follows suit," it will be the first time Bush has a veto overturned.
And finally: In a new HBO production "Recount," actor Antoni Corone plays Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL). But In an e-mail, Feeney "sounded disappointed" with the casting. "Was Brad Pitt unavailable to play me?" he asked.
Wrap....
Think Fast...
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's relationship with Vice President Dick Cheney in recent years was "much more conflict-driven than we have been led to believe," according to a new biography of Rice written by The New York Times's Elisabeth Bumiller. "There was much more conflict on the Middle East and detainees and on Guantanamo Bay than has been written," Bumiller said.
"Programs that focus exclusively on abstinence have not been shown to affect teenager sexual behavior, although they are eligible for tens of millions of dollars in federal grants," according to a new study by a nonpartisan group.
The ACLU reports the existence of a third secret torture memo, authored by the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel in May 2005. "The memos are believed to have authorized the CIA to use extremely harsh interrogation methods including waterboarding."
Steve Beshear, a former Democratic Lt. Governor of Kentucky, "won a landslide victory last night over Gov. Ernie Fletcher (R)," ousting the incumbent by an 18-point margin. Beshear's victory was "a repudiation of Fletcher," whose tenure had been mired by corruption.
"Michael Mukasey appears headed for confirmation as attorney general before Thanksgiving, but Senate Democratic leaders are leaving open the possibility that there might be an attempt to filibuster the nomination." A Senate Democratic aide said that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is neither encouraging nor discouraging a filibuster.
A new Human Rights Campaign poll debunks the myth that the LGBT community opposes a gay civil rights bill that doesn't include transgender rights, finding that 70 percent "of LGBT Americans prefer passing an Employment Non-Discrimination Act that does not cover transgender people over not passing the bill at all." University of Minnesota Professor Dale Carpenter has more on this myth HERE.
The Justice Department is "prosecuting the fewest hate crimes in 10 years as civil rights activists cite noose hangings and other racial incidents to question the government's commitment to such cases. ... Last year, the department charged 22 people with hate crimes. That was down 71% from 76 in 1997."
"The inspector general of the Department of Education has said he will examine whether federal money was inappropriately used by three states to buy educational products from a company owned by Neil Bush, the president's brother."
The House voted 361 to 54 yesterday to override President Bush's veto of "a popular water projects measure." "If the Senate follows suit," it will be the first time Bush has a veto overturned.
And finally: In a new HBO production "Recount," actor Antoni Corone plays Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL). But In an e-mail, Feeney "sounded disappointed" with the casting. "Was Brad Pitt unavailable to play me?" he asked.
Wrap....
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
YAAAYYYYY, KUCINICH...
Well, today's events tied it for me. Have just donated to Dennis Kucinich and will vote for him for President.
This man has more courage, cares more for our nation, defends the Constitution, and is willing to stand up and speak out, than any other member of the candidates for president and the Democratic members of Congress.
He said he would do all he could to impeach Cheney and Bush, and indeed he did just what he'd said he would do. The only one with the decency and courage to do so.
I cannot tell you how proud I am of this truly patriotic American citizen!
Wrap....
This man has more courage, cares more for our nation, defends the Constitution, and is willing to stand up and speak out, than any other member of the candidates for president and the Democratic members of Congress.
He said he would do all he could to impeach Cheney and Bush, and indeed he did just what he'd said he would do. The only one with the decency and courage to do so.
I cannot tell you how proud I am of this truly patriotic American citizen!
Wrap....
From US deaths in Iraq to the Red Sox....
From American Progress:
Think Fast...
The U.S. military announced the deaths of five more soldiers today, "making 2007 the deadliest year of the war for U.S. troops. ... At least 852 American military personnel have died in Iraq so far this year -- the highest annual toll since the war began in March 2003, according to AP figures."
69 percent: Number of Americans who believe that waterboarding is torture, according to a new CNN poll. Another 58 percent say that the U.S. government should be barred from using the procedure "to try to get information from suspected terrorists."
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) pens an op-ed in The New York Times explaining why he will vote for Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey, arguing that he "would do a good job in turning the department around." Schumer adds that Congress is now considering legislation that would explicitly ban the use of waterboarding, and he is "confident that Judge Mukasey would enforce that law" should it pass.
President Bush urged Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to hold elections and give up his army post "as soon as possible," but "gave no indication that the general's imposition of emergency rule would bring about any significant change in American policy." Members of Congress said they will review aid to Pakistan, but did not immediately propose a cutoff or reduction.
"Six years after the September 11, 2001, attacks, Al Qaeda is a potent threat to the West and will take at least a generation to defeat, according to the most recent assessment by the head of Britain's intelligence agency, MI5."
"The number of Iraqis fleeing their homes has more than quadrupled since the U.S. troop buildup began in February, leaving 2.3 million Iraqis displaced and further dividing the country along sectarian lines." If violence is decreasing in Iraq, it may be because insurgents "are running out of people to kill," House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-WI) said.
The nationwide average gas price went above $3 a gallon Monday, "to the highest in more than three months as climbing oil prices pushed up prices at the pump. ... The average gas price has never topped $3 in November, a development that adds to uncertainty about how much consumers will spend when faced with higher energy bills."
And finally: The entire House delegation from New England has signed on to an official commendation of the Red Sox after the team's recent World Series win. The bill -- stating in part that the team "epitomized sportsmanship, selfless play, team spirit, determination, and heart" -- picked up 21 members, three more than supported a similar one in 2004. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) added in a statement, "God is good."
Wrap...
Think Fast...
The U.S. military announced the deaths of five more soldiers today, "making 2007 the deadliest year of the war for U.S. troops. ... At least 852 American military personnel have died in Iraq so far this year -- the highest annual toll since the war began in March 2003, according to AP figures."
69 percent: Number of Americans who believe that waterboarding is torture, according to a new CNN poll. Another 58 percent say that the U.S. government should be barred from using the procedure "to try to get information from suspected terrorists."
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) pens an op-ed in The New York Times explaining why he will vote for Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey, arguing that he "would do a good job in turning the department around." Schumer adds that Congress is now considering legislation that would explicitly ban the use of waterboarding, and he is "confident that Judge Mukasey would enforce that law" should it pass.
President Bush urged Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to hold elections and give up his army post "as soon as possible," but "gave no indication that the general's imposition of emergency rule would bring about any significant change in American policy." Members of Congress said they will review aid to Pakistan, but did not immediately propose a cutoff or reduction.
"Six years after the September 11, 2001, attacks, Al Qaeda is a potent threat to the West and will take at least a generation to defeat, according to the most recent assessment by the head of Britain's intelligence agency, MI5."
"The number of Iraqis fleeing their homes has more than quadrupled since the U.S. troop buildup began in February, leaving 2.3 million Iraqis displaced and further dividing the country along sectarian lines." If violence is decreasing in Iraq, it may be because insurgents "are running out of people to kill," House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-WI) said.
The nationwide average gas price went above $3 a gallon Monday, "to the highest in more than three months as climbing oil prices pushed up prices at the pump. ... The average gas price has never topped $3 in November, a development that adds to uncertainty about how much consumers will spend when faced with higher energy bills."
And finally: The entire House delegation from New England has signed on to an official commendation of the Red Sox after the team's recent World Series win. The bill -- stating in part that the team "epitomized sportsmanship, selfless play, team spirit, determination, and heart" -- picked up 21 members, three more than supported a similar one in 2004. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) added in a statement, "God is good."
Wrap...
House had better override Bush's veto!!!
From truthout.org :
House Expected to Override Bush's Veto on Water Legislation
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/110607I.shtml
Alexander Bolton, reporting for The Hill, writes, "The House is expected to vote overwhelmingly Tuesday to override President Bush's veto of legislation funding $23 billion worth of water projects, diminishing Bush's authority as he heads into a spending showdown with Democrats over 12 unfinished appropriations bills, say government scholars."
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
House Expected to Override Bush's Veto on Water Legislation
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/110607I.shtml
Alexander Bolton, reporting for The Hill, writes, "The House is expected to vote overwhelmingly Tuesday to override President Bush's veto of legislation funding $23 billion worth of water projects, diminishing Bush's authority as he heads into a spending showdown with Democrats over 12 unfinished appropriations bills, say government scholars."
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
Monday, November 05, 2007
Peru Free Trade and a Bush Veto....
From David Sirota:
Bloomberg News tonight reports that President Bush will be stumping
this week with Fortune 500 CEOs to pressure Democrats to pass the
Peru Free Trade Agreement - a deal that expands NAFTA into South
America. Bush is simultaneously threatening to veto a bill to provide
aid to workers who lose their jobs thanks to NAFTA-style trade deals.
Incredibly, the House Democratic leadership is now officially
whipping votes to get Democrats to support the Peru deal, even though
most of the new lawmakers who delivered the Democrats the
congressional majority specifically campaigned against NAFTA-style
trade agreements. Attached is a Hill Newspaper story about the fight
within the Democratic Party, noting that the battle is also bleeding
into the presidential race this week. - David
*************************
By Jonathan E. Kaplan
November 06, 2007
Many freshman Democratic lawmakers are expected to oppose a free
trade deal with Peru this week despite pressure from House leaders.
Although Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has told her freshman class
that they may "vote their districts," Majority Leader Steny Hoyer
(D-Md.) and Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) lobbied
Democrats over the weekend to support the measure, lawmakers said.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/freshman-dems-revolt-on-free-trade-2007-11-06.html
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
Bloomberg News tonight reports that President Bush will be stumping
this week with Fortune 500 CEOs to pressure Democrats to pass the
Peru Free Trade Agreement - a deal that expands NAFTA into South
America. Bush is simultaneously threatening to veto a bill to provide
aid to workers who lose their jobs thanks to NAFTA-style trade deals.
Incredibly, the House Democratic leadership is now officially
whipping votes to get Democrats to support the Peru deal, even though
most of the new lawmakers who delivered the Democrats the
congressional majority specifically campaigned against NAFTA-style
trade agreements. Attached is a Hill Newspaper story about the fight
within the Democratic Party, noting that the battle is also bleeding
into the presidential race this week. - David
*************************
By Jonathan E. Kaplan
November 06, 2007
Many freshman Democratic lawmakers are expected to oppose a free
trade deal with Peru this week despite pressure from House leaders.
Although Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has told her freshman class
that they may "vote their districts," Majority Leader Steny Hoyer
(D-Md.) and Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) lobbied
Democrats over the weekend to support the measure, lawmakers said.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/freshman-dems-revolt-on-free-trade-2007-11-06.html
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
From: Specter, as always, flips, to Hastert's fire truck...
From American Progress:
Think Fast...
Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he would support the nomination of Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey, despite being "bothered" by Mukasey's refusal to say whether waterboarding is torture.
"Despite their rhetoric about not wanting to hand President Bush another 'blank check' for the Iraq War, Democrats appear poised to give him exactly that -- enough cash to keep the war going full steam for as long as six months, no strings attached," by funding the war "in short bursts."
Premiere Radio Networks, a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications, is expected to announce that it is extending Glenn Beck's contract, "valued at $50 million over five years." The new contract would make Beck "the third highest-paid talk radio host" after Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.
President Gerald Ford questioned President Bush's warrantless surveillance program, according to journalist Thomas DeFrank. "I would never do it," Ford said. "It surprises me they worry that they think they have to do it. I was dumbfounded when I heard they were. I didn't think it was necessary. Where does he get his advice?"
"Most people are ready to make personal sacrifices to address climate change, according to a BBC poll of 22,000 people in 21 countries. Four out of five people said they were prepared to change their lifestyle - even in the US and China, the world's two biggest emitters of carbon dioxide."
"A medical transport service overcharged the federal government nearly $2 million to evacuate sick or injured people during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, a government audit found."
And finally: "Every little boy dreams of owning his own real-live fire truck, but only a few -- including Rep. Adam Putnam (R-Fla.) -- ever make the childhood fantasy a reality. Putnam scored a shiny vintage fire engine from none other than Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), who apparently decided he no longer needs the antique wheels for parades and campaign events since he'll be retiring soon."
Wrap...
Think Fast...
Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he would support the nomination of Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey, despite being "bothered" by Mukasey's refusal to say whether waterboarding is torture.
"Despite their rhetoric about not wanting to hand President Bush another 'blank check' for the Iraq War, Democrats appear poised to give him exactly that -- enough cash to keep the war going full steam for as long as six months, no strings attached," by funding the war "in short bursts."
Premiere Radio Networks, a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications, is expected to announce that it is extending Glenn Beck's contract, "valued at $50 million over five years." The new contract would make Beck "the third highest-paid talk radio host" after Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.
President Gerald Ford questioned President Bush's warrantless surveillance program, according to journalist Thomas DeFrank. "I would never do it," Ford said. "It surprises me they worry that they think they have to do it. I was dumbfounded when I heard they were. I didn't think it was necessary. Where does he get his advice?"
"Most people are ready to make personal sacrifices to address climate change, according to a BBC poll of 22,000 people in 21 countries. Four out of five people said they were prepared to change their lifestyle - even in the US and China, the world's two biggest emitters of carbon dioxide."
"A medical transport service overcharged the federal government nearly $2 million to evacuate sick or injured people during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, a government audit found."
And finally: "Every little boy dreams of owning his own real-live fire truck, but only a few -- including Rep. Adam Putnam (R-Fla.) -- ever make the childhood fantasy a reality. Putnam scored a shiny vintage fire engine from none other than Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), who apparently decided he no longer needs the antique wheels for parades and campaign events since he'll be retiring soon."
Wrap...
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Iran DOES NOT have nuclear weapons...Bush lies...
From Information Clearing House:
Déjà Vu All Over Again
By Ian Williams
The US is smearing IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei for not finding evidence of Iranian nuclear weapons. Sound familiar?
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18658.htm
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
Déjà Vu All Over Again
By Ian Williams
The US is smearing IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei for not finding evidence of Iranian nuclear weapons. Sound familiar?
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18658.htm
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
Bush cuts throats of Inspector Generals....
From Rolling Stone:
Bush's Lap Dogs:
What Happened to DC's Watchdogs?
Tim DickinsonPosted Oct 31, 2007 6:00 AM
Page 1 2
IN OCTOBER, WITH OSAMA BIN LADEN still at large, the Central Intelligence Agency announced the creation of a new spy unit. Headed by a top deputy and staffed with a select corps of agents, the operation was charged with gathering intelligence on a single man — a foe who was threatening to undermine the president's War on Terror.
The CIA's new target? John Helgerson, the man appointed by President Bush to expose wrongdoing at the CIA. As inspector general of the agency, Helgerson came under attack from his superiors simply for trying to do his job: He was aggressively investigating torture at the CIA's secret prisons.
Like the other twenty-eight inspectors within the executive branch, Helgerson is supposed to be immune from such political meddling. Created in 1978 as a post-Watergate check on Nixonian abuses of power, the inspectors bypass the chain of command within their own agencies and report their findings directly to Congress. By law, the president must appoint these watchdogs "without regard to political affiliation" and "solely on the basis of integrity and demonstrated ability."
But as the investigation of Helgerson makes clear, the administration is more interested in turning the watchdogs into lap dogs. Just as he politicized every other facet of government from FEMA to the Farm Bureau, President Bush has ignored the law and stocked the inspector general posts with inexperienced cronies. According to a study by the House Oversight Committee, more than a third of Bush's inspectors previously held a political post in the White House, compared to none of Bill Clinton's appointees. Judging from their résumés — deputy counsel to the Bush-Cheney transition team, special assistant to Trent Lott, senior counsel to Fred Thompson, daughter to Chief Justice William Rehnquist — Bush's appointees seem more qualified to be partisans at a neoconservative think tank than America's last line of defense against fraud and abuse. What's more, fewer than one-fifth of the inspectors appointed by Bush had previous experience as auditors, compared to two-thirds of Clinton's appointees. "The IGs have been politicized and dumbed down," said Rep. Brad Miller, oversight chair of the House science committee.
Rather than root out wrongdoing, Bush's appointees — men with nicknames like Moose and Cookie — have actually helped the White House cover up corrupt defense contracts, conceal the theft of sensitive rocket technology and whitewash a host of scandals from Abu Ghraib to Medicare prescription drugs. "Not only has this administration been aided in avoiding scrutiny by a compliant Republican Congress, they installed inspectors general who were not going to use their positions aggressively — if at all," says Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Oversight Committee.
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/17138667/bushs_lap_dogs
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap....
Bush's Lap Dogs:
What Happened to DC's Watchdogs?
Tim DickinsonPosted Oct 31, 2007 6:00 AM
Page 1 2
IN OCTOBER, WITH OSAMA BIN LADEN still at large, the Central Intelligence Agency announced the creation of a new spy unit. Headed by a top deputy and staffed with a select corps of agents, the operation was charged with gathering intelligence on a single man — a foe who was threatening to undermine the president's War on Terror.
The CIA's new target? John Helgerson, the man appointed by President Bush to expose wrongdoing at the CIA. As inspector general of the agency, Helgerson came under attack from his superiors simply for trying to do his job: He was aggressively investigating torture at the CIA's secret prisons.
Like the other twenty-eight inspectors within the executive branch, Helgerson is supposed to be immune from such political meddling. Created in 1978 as a post-Watergate check on Nixonian abuses of power, the inspectors bypass the chain of command within their own agencies and report their findings directly to Congress. By law, the president must appoint these watchdogs "without regard to political affiliation" and "solely on the basis of integrity and demonstrated ability."
But as the investigation of Helgerson makes clear, the administration is more interested in turning the watchdogs into lap dogs. Just as he politicized every other facet of government from FEMA to the Farm Bureau, President Bush has ignored the law and stocked the inspector general posts with inexperienced cronies. According to a study by the House Oversight Committee, more than a third of Bush's inspectors previously held a political post in the White House, compared to none of Bill Clinton's appointees. Judging from their résumés — deputy counsel to the Bush-Cheney transition team, special assistant to Trent Lott, senior counsel to Fred Thompson, daughter to Chief Justice William Rehnquist — Bush's appointees seem more qualified to be partisans at a neoconservative think tank than America's last line of defense against fraud and abuse. What's more, fewer than one-fifth of the inspectors appointed by Bush had previous experience as auditors, compared to two-thirds of Clinton's appointees. "The IGs have been politicized and dumbed down," said Rep. Brad Miller, oversight chair of the House science committee.
Rather than root out wrongdoing, Bush's appointees — men with nicknames like Moose and Cookie — have actually helped the White House cover up corrupt defense contracts, conceal the theft of sensitive rocket technology and whitewash a host of scandals from Abu Ghraib to Medicare prescription drugs. "Not only has this administration been aided in avoiding scrutiny by a compliant Republican Congress, they installed inspectors general who were not going to use their positions aggressively — if at all," says Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Oversight Committee.
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/17138667/bushs_lap_dogs
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap....
Co-operating with the Chinese secret police....
From San Francisco Chronicle via truthout.org :
Michael Likosk and Michael Shtender-Auerbach | When American Corporations Deliver US Foreign Policy ...
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/110407A.shtml
In The San Francisco Chronicle, Michael Likosk and Michael Shtender-Auerbach write: "The headlines that Yahoo had handed over Chinese journalist and democratic activist Shi Tao's e-mails and IP address to China's secret police dominated the news last year. This sent a panic through an industry usually praised for its social responsibility and unaccustomed to external scrutiny.
Congress called in the general counsels of four of our leading high tech firms - Cisco, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo - to account for their collaboration with the Chinese government. In the course of events, it became clear that the problem in the high-tech sector was not isolated but endemic."
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
Michael Likosk and Michael Shtender-Auerbach | When American Corporations Deliver US Foreign Policy ...
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/110407A.shtml
In The San Francisco Chronicle, Michael Likosk and Michael Shtender-Auerbach write: "The headlines that Yahoo had handed over Chinese journalist and democratic activist Shi Tao's e-mails and IP address to China's secret police dominated the news last year. This sent a panic through an industry usually praised for its social responsibility and unaccustomed to external scrutiny.
Congress called in the general counsels of four of our leading high tech firms - Cisco, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo - to account for their collaboration with the Chinese government. In the course of events, it became clear that the problem in the high-tech sector was not isolated but endemic."
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Now Blackwater has former CIA spies working....
From truthout.org :
FOCUS | Blackwater Delves Into Spying
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/110307Z.shtml
The Washington Post's Dana Hedgpeth reports that "The Prince Group, the holding company that owns Blackwater Worldwide ... has assembled a roster of former spooks - high-ranking figures from agencies such as the CIA and defense intelligence - that mirrors the slate of former military officials who run Blackwater. Its chairman is Cofer Black, the former head of counterterrorism at CIA known for his leading role in many of the agency's more controversial programs, including the rendition and interrogation of al-Qaeda suspects and the detention of some of them in secret prisons overseas."
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap....
FOCUS | Blackwater Delves Into Spying
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/110307Z.shtml
The Washington Post's Dana Hedgpeth reports that "The Prince Group, the holding company that owns Blackwater Worldwide ... has assembled a roster of former spooks - high-ranking figures from agencies such as the CIA and defense intelligence - that mirrors the slate of former military officials who run Blackwater. Its chairman is Cofer Black, the former head of counterterrorism at CIA known for his leading role in many of the agency's more controversial programs, including the rendition and interrogation of al-Qaeda suspects and the detention of some of them in secret prisons overseas."
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap....
Bilbray's (R-CA) Unattended Mailbox....UGH!
From Rep Brian Bilbray (R-50th District CA)
[Never a variation in his return email]
Thank you very much for taking the time to email me regarding your
concerns. Due to the large volume of messages I receive daily it is
impossible for me to reply immediately. Be assured that I appreciate all
your comments and will reply as quickly as possible.
As the new Chairman of the Immigration Reform Caucus (IRC) I am vigorously
fighting any grant of amnesty to illegal aliens. As part of the original
Republican Revolution in the 1990s, we achieved a balanced Federal budget
and had a $155 billion surplus. Today, I work to restore our balanced
budget and to bring back fiscal conservatism and responsible spending to
Congress. We did it once, and we can do it again with your support.
Also, I believe it is critical that we give our troops the support and
resources they need while defending our freedom and liberty around the
globe. They can help us prevail in the Global War on Terror, but only if
we do not fail them here at home.
Again, thank you for contacting me. If you have any questions, please
feel free to call me or my office at (202) 225-0508.
Sincerely,
Brian P. Bilbray
Member of Congress
Wrap...
[Never a variation in his return email]
Thank you very much for taking the time to email me regarding your
concerns. Due to the large volume of messages I receive daily it is
impossible for me to reply immediately. Be assured that I appreciate all
your comments and will reply as quickly as possible.
As the new Chairman of the Immigration Reform Caucus (IRC) I am vigorously
fighting any grant of amnesty to illegal aliens. As part of the original
Republican Revolution in the 1990s, we achieved a balanced Federal budget
and had a $155 billion surplus. Today, I work to restore our balanced
budget and to bring back fiscal conservatism and responsible spending to
Congress. We did it once, and we can do it again with your support.
Also, I believe it is critical that we give our troops the support and
resources they need while defending our freedom and liberty around the
globe. They can help us prevail in the Global War on Terror, but only if
we do not fail them here at home.
Again, thank you for contacting me. If you have any questions, please
feel free to call me or my office at (202) 225-0508.
Sincerely,
Brian P. Bilbray
Member of Congress
Wrap...
Friday, November 02, 2007
From #2 Conservative: Gen Petraeus to Lollipops...
From American Progress:
Think Fast...
"The conservative British newspaper, The Telegraph, has named its top 100 most influential conservatives (and top 100 liberals), and coming in at #2 on the conservative list -- right behind Rudy Giuliani, and just ahead of Matt Drudge, Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh" -- is Gen. David Petraeus.
Several civil rights organizations and leaders are "urging black Americans to refrain from spending money" today in a "national blackout." The move is meant to send a message to Washington "that blacks are fed up with racism and injustice," in light of recent racially-charged incidents nationwide.
"The number of foreign visitors to the United States has plummeted since the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington because foreigners don't feel welcome," according to tourism professionals. The decline has cost America "94 billion dollars in lost visitor spending, nearly 200,000 jobs and 16 billion dollars in lost tax revenue."
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said he is "weighing" whether to support the Mukasey nomination. "No nominee from this administration will agree with us on things like torture and wiretapping," Schumer explained. "The best we can expect is somebody who will depoliticize the Justice Department and put rule of law first."
Consumer Product Safety Commission chief Nancy Nord and her predecessor "have taken dozens of trips at the expense of the toy, appliance and children's furniture industries and others they regulate," according to internal records. Earlier this week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) called on Nord to resign.
The Democratic Governor of Puerto Rico, Anibal Acevedo-Vila, "says he has been improperly made a target of Justice Department prosecutors" for political reasons. His "case is one of several under review by the House Judiciary Committee" for allegedly selective prosecution of Democrats by the Bush administration.
While there are pockets of security where life in Baghdad is starting to get back to normal, "it's not normal by most standards. Across the city Sunnis and Shiites live in sectarian enclaves, many walled off. Sunnis fear visiting Shiite areas and vice versa, even if it is just a few blocks away. Trust has broken down so much that a stranger in a neighborhood can arouse enough suspicion to warrant an attack."
On Monday, President Bush "spent an hour with 14 reporters in an off-the-record session -- meaning what he said could not be reported -- to offer those assigned to the White House a rare look at his thinking on a variety of issues." The White House said the strategy driven by "a desire to be creative to try to provide some access to the president."
And finally: Some of Georgetown's "most notable homes" shut out trick-or-treaters on Halloween. Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), CBS News's Bill Plante, and former George H.W. Bush aide C. Boyden Gray, for example, were nowhere to be seen. At the home of journalist Bob Woodward though, "two old men sat on the front steps in front of a glass bowl of lollipops and chocolate treats and mechanically reminded small children to 'just take two. JUST TWO.'"
Wrap...
Think Fast...
"The conservative British newspaper, The Telegraph, has named its top 100 most influential conservatives (and top 100 liberals), and coming in at #2 on the conservative list -- right behind Rudy Giuliani, and just ahead of Matt Drudge, Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh" -- is Gen. David Petraeus.
Several civil rights organizations and leaders are "urging black Americans to refrain from spending money" today in a "national blackout." The move is meant to send a message to Washington "that blacks are fed up with racism and injustice," in light of recent racially-charged incidents nationwide.
"The number of foreign visitors to the United States has plummeted since the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington because foreigners don't feel welcome," according to tourism professionals. The decline has cost America "94 billion dollars in lost visitor spending, nearly 200,000 jobs and 16 billion dollars in lost tax revenue."
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said he is "weighing" whether to support the Mukasey nomination. "No nominee from this administration will agree with us on things like torture and wiretapping," Schumer explained. "The best we can expect is somebody who will depoliticize the Justice Department and put rule of law first."
Consumer Product Safety Commission chief Nancy Nord and her predecessor "have taken dozens of trips at the expense of the toy, appliance and children's furniture industries and others they regulate," according to internal records. Earlier this week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) called on Nord to resign.
The Democratic Governor of Puerto Rico, Anibal Acevedo-Vila, "says he has been improperly made a target of Justice Department prosecutors" for political reasons. His "case is one of several under review by the House Judiciary Committee" for allegedly selective prosecution of Democrats by the Bush administration.
While there are pockets of security where life in Baghdad is starting to get back to normal, "it's not normal by most standards. Across the city Sunnis and Shiites live in sectarian enclaves, many walled off. Sunnis fear visiting Shiite areas and vice versa, even if it is just a few blocks away. Trust has broken down so much that a stranger in a neighborhood can arouse enough suspicion to warrant an attack."
On Monday, President Bush "spent an hour with 14 reporters in an off-the-record session -- meaning what he said could not be reported -- to offer those assigned to the White House a rare look at his thinking on a variety of issues." The White House said the strategy driven by "a desire to be creative to try to provide some access to the president."
And finally: Some of Georgetown's "most notable homes" shut out trick-or-treaters on Halloween. Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), CBS News's Bill Plante, and former George H.W. Bush aide C. Boyden Gray, for example, were nowhere to be seen. At the home of journalist Bob Woodward though, "two old men sat on the front steps in front of a glass bowl of lollipops and chocolate treats and mechanically reminded small children to 'just take two. JUST TWO.'"
Wrap...
Media: Surrendering Responsibility....
From truthout.org :
Michael Winship | "The Weak Slat Under the Bed of Democracy"
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/110207O.shtml
Michael Winship writes for Truthout: "we in the media too often have surrendered our responsibility to tell the truth squarely and give the public what it needs to know. A free republic depends on journalism, but too often, as the great reporter A.J. Liebling once said, the press is 'the weak slat under the bed of democracy.'"
NOTE: AJ Liebling now has a great blog, "Connecting the Dots". Find it at www.ajliebling.blogspot.com
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
Michael Winship | "The Weak Slat Under the Bed of Democracy"
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/110207O.shtml
Michael Winship writes for Truthout: "we in the media too often have surrendered our responsibility to tell the truth squarely and give the public what it needs to know. A free republic depends on journalism, but too often, as the great reporter A.J. Liebling once said, the press is 'the weak slat under the bed of democracy.'"
NOTE: AJ Liebling now has a great blog, "Connecting the Dots". Find it at www.ajliebling.blogspot.com
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
Thursday, November 01, 2007
From dissastisfied nation to Bunny Ears in Congress...
From American Progress:
Think Fast...
A USA Today/Gallup poll finds "a nation of discontent." Seventy-two percent say they are dissatisfied with how things are going in the USA while just 26 percent are satisfied. "Not since April have even one-third of Americans been happy with the country's course, the longest national funk in 15 years."
As Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld wrote 20 to 60 "snowflakes" -- his trademark missives for developing policy -- each day. In a sampling of them obtained by the Washington Post, Rumsfeld "argued that Muslims avoid 'physical labor' and wrote of the need to 'keep elevating the threat,' 'link Iraq to Iran' and develop 'bumper sticker statements' to rally public support."
The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold its vote on Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey on Tuesday, Nov. 6. CQ writes, "Once again, a controversial nomination in the Judiciary Committee may hinge on" Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who was "noncommittal" Wednesday.
Senate Judiciary Committee leaders said yesterday that they had "serious concerns" about immunity for telecoms who participated in the administration's warrantless wiretapping program. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) called immunity "an after the fact free pass" while Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) said those suing the telecoms "ought to have their day in court."
Earlier this week, John Ashcroft wrote to Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and urged him to grant immunity for telecom companies that cooperate with the government's spying program. It is "a necessary policy for promoting the national security interests of the United States," he wrote. But as OpenLeft points out, AT&T employs the Ashcroft Group as lobbyists.
67 percent: Americans who "support giving contraceptives to students, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll. About as many - 62 percent - said they believe providing birth control reduces the number of teenage pregnancies."
And finally: Yesterday, the Senate was full of "bipartisan Halloween spirit." Right before "a hearing on nuclear-waste storage," Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) "donned a white angel halo in the anteroom just off the committee floor. After good-natured prodding from Madam Chairwoman, Inhofe happily donned the red devil horns Boxer gave him, relishing his role as Beelzebub to enviros enraged by his pro-business views on global warming." A top aide wore "bunny ears."
Wrap...
Think Fast...
A USA Today/Gallup poll finds "a nation of discontent." Seventy-two percent say they are dissatisfied with how things are going in the USA while just 26 percent are satisfied. "Not since April have even one-third of Americans been happy with the country's course, the longest national funk in 15 years."
As Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld wrote 20 to 60 "snowflakes" -- his trademark missives for developing policy -- each day. In a sampling of them obtained by the Washington Post, Rumsfeld "argued that Muslims avoid 'physical labor' and wrote of the need to 'keep elevating the threat,' 'link Iraq to Iran' and develop 'bumper sticker statements' to rally public support."
The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold its vote on Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey on Tuesday, Nov. 6. CQ writes, "Once again, a controversial nomination in the Judiciary Committee may hinge on" Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who was "noncommittal" Wednesday.
Senate Judiciary Committee leaders said yesterday that they had "serious concerns" about immunity for telecoms who participated in the administration's warrantless wiretapping program. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) called immunity "an after the fact free pass" while Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) said those suing the telecoms "ought to have their day in court."
Earlier this week, John Ashcroft wrote to Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and urged him to grant immunity for telecom companies that cooperate with the government's spying program. It is "a necessary policy for promoting the national security interests of the United States," he wrote. But as OpenLeft points out, AT&T employs the Ashcroft Group as lobbyists.
67 percent: Americans who "support giving contraceptives to students, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll. About as many - 62 percent - said they believe providing birth control reduces the number of teenage pregnancies."
And finally: Yesterday, the Senate was full of "bipartisan Halloween spirit." Right before "a hearing on nuclear-waste storage," Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) "donned a white angel halo in the anteroom just off the committee floor. After good-natured prodding from Madam Chairwoman, Inhofe happily donned the red devil horns Boxer gave him, relishing his role as Beelzebub to enviros enraged by his pro-business views on global warming." A top aide wore "bunny ears."
Wrap...
Private Equity need regulating...
From In These Times:
In "Pirates of Private Equity," contributing writer Adam Doster investigates how private equity firms are changing the American economy. As a special bonus for our e-newsletter subscribers, here's a behind-the-scenes Q & A with Adam about this contentious topic.
In "Pirates of Private Equity," you wrote: "To even the playing field with publicly traded companies, lawmakers could write or amend legislation that would subject private firms to more rigorous monitoring." What do you see happening there?
I would hope that private equity funds, especially those that sell their securities to the public, would be forced to tolerate investor security rules just like other investment companies. I [also] hope Congress will take this opportunity to be creative in the way it safeguards working people and pension holders.
You also quoted Kelly Candaele, a trustee of the L.A. City Employees' Retirement System, who says that "the labor movement needs to know much more about how finance works in order to be competitive." In what ways will this help American workers?
What [I found] most encouraging about my research was that so many unions are taking the time to study these relatively new and secret capitalist innovations by hiring finance experts to do research and then passing along that information to the rank and file, who are ultimately impacted. I think that's a great first step to [eliminating] some of the asymmetry in information that puts union members behind the eight ball during bargaining and organizing campaigns.
What do you see in the future for private equity firms? Will they continue to grow?
That's a question that people far smarter than me still can't figure out. Certainly, this summer's credit crunch put a crimp in the popularity of private equity buyouts, but statistics show that support from institutional investors remains high. And as long as Democrats in Congress fail to close the industry's illogical tax breaks or add layers of needed oversight and regulation, the investment disincentives are still pretty low.
Wrap...
In "Pirates of Private Equity," contributing writer Adam Doster investigates how private equity firms are changing the American economy. As a special bonus for our e-newsletter subscribers, here's a behind-the-scenes Q & A with Adam about this contentious topic.
In "Pirates of Private Equity," you wrote: "To even the playing field with publicly traded companies, lawmakers could write or amend legislation that would subject private firms to more rigorous monitoring." What do you see happening there?
I would hope that private equity funds, especially those that sell their securities to the public, would be forced to tolerate investor security rules just like other investment companies. I [also] hope Congress will take this opportunity to be creative in the way it safeguards working people and pension holders.
You also quoted Kelly Candaele, a trustee of the L.A. City Employees' Retirement System, who says that "the labor movement needs to know much more about how finance works in order to be competitive." In what ways will this help American workers?
What [I found] most encouraging about my research was that so many unions are taking the time to study these relatively new and secret capitalist innovations by hiring finance experts to do research and then passing along that information to the rank and file, who are ultimately impacted. I think that's a great first step to [eliminating] some of the asymmetry in information that puts union members behind the eight ball during bargaining and organizing campaigns.
What do you see in the future for private equity firms? Will they continue to grow?
That's a question that people far smarter than me still can't figure out. Certainly, this summer's credit crunch put a crimp in the popularity of private equity buyouts, but statistics show that support from institutional investors remains high. And as long as Democrats in Congress fail to close the industry's illogical tax breaks or add layers of needed oversight and regulation, the investment disincentives are still pretty low.
Wrap...
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