From American Progress:
Think Fast...
A House Judiciary Committee deadline passed yesterday "with former White House adviser Karl Rove standing by his refusal to testify about allegations that he pushed the Justice Department to prosecute former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman." Rove instead sent a letter offering to respond to questions in writing, rather than testify publicly under oath.
With the housing crisis and volatile markets slowing the economy, the Treasury Department reported yesterday that "corporate income-tax revenue over the first seven months of the fiscal year" was 14.7 percent "lower than during the same period a year earlier" while "the federal deficit ballooned to $152 billion, 88 [percent] higher than the same period last fiscal year."
$0.109: amount the average gallon of gasoline increased in one week, up to $3.722, setting a fourth consecutive record.
The House and Senate are expected to defy the White House today and pass legislation that would require the administration to halt oil shipments to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. "The strong bipartisan support represents a major shift for Republicans, who until now have generally followed the lead of President Bush."
House Republicans have adopted a new message: "The Change You Deserve." But "the change you deserve" is also the advertising slogan of Effexor XR, a drug used to treat depression, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder in adults.
The current economic downturn "is imposing a particularly punishing toll on Hispanics." According to the Labor Department, "the unemployment rate among Hispanics spiked 1.4 percentage points, to 6.9 percent," since April 2007. "By comparison, the overall jobless rate rose half a percentage point, to 5 percent."
A new survey by the National Retail Federation finds that Americans plan to use their stimulus checks "to pay for increasingly expensive gas and groceries, rather than spend it on electronics or clothes. ... The latest survey found 17.2 million people plan to use some of their tax rebate to pay for gasoline, up from 12.1 million in the trade group's February survey."
Iraqi hospital officials said today that "a fragile cease-fire failed to stop fighting in Baghdad's Sadr City where the latest clashes between Shiite extremists and U.S.-backed Iraqi forces killed 11 men and wounded 19." U.S. forces responded to attacks by "militants" just "hours after Iraq's main Shiite political bloc and supporters of firebrand cleric Muqtada al-Sadr signed a cease-fire."
According to Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO), the White House appears willing to compromise on the issue of retroactive immunity for companies that joined administration's surveillance program. Bond "said the White House seems willing to let the FISA court help determine whether phone companies should be shielded from litigation."
And finally: According to a new survey by The Hill, more than 20 U.S. senators would be interested in becoming vice president, if the spot were offered to them. While some senators answered the question seriously, others laughed it off. "Of course," Sen. Bob Bennett (R-UT) said. "Big house, big car, not much to do. Why not?" "I'd bring a lot of fun to the job," Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) added. "We would rock the Naval Observatory."
Wrap...
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Want to go play in space?....
From sfgate.com :
THE UNIVERSAL WEB
Microsoft's Worldwide Telescope allows users to explore space virtually
www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/12/MNC510K233.DTL&nl=top
[Use link above to take a look]
Wrap...
THE UNIVERSAL WEB
Microsoft's Worldwide Telescope allows users to explore space virtually
www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/12/MNC510K233.DTL&nl=top
[Use link above to take a look]
Wrap...
Peak Oil and getting Heavy Oil....
From Conrad via email:
There are some discoveries that may mitigate the Peak Oil crisis. The University of Bath has developed a new way to extract oil. The Institute of Oil and Gas Problems have a new theory of how new oil can be found from exhausted wells.
After 17 years of research, the University of Bath has developed Toe-to-Heel Air Injection (THAI) system. It can be used to extra heavy oil in a more affordable and efficient way. Heavy oil is hard to extract because it can be either a thick, syrup-like liquid or it can be solid. THAI injects air into a vertical well, then ignites it. The heat reduces the thickness so it go through a nearby horizontal well. Thus 70 to 80 percent of the oil can be recovered instead of the 10 to 40 percent with the systems that we are still using now. Here is the Science Daily article:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071128113030.htm
The Institute of Oil and Gas Problems developed a theory that there is a pool of fluids that moves in cavities and fractures of rock deep underground. One of those fluids is oil. The earth's crust vibrates, then that oil moves, sometimes to oil fields that were previously exhausted. One example is the Romashinskoye oilfield in Tatarstan. Researchers have found that oil field filling with more oil. So, searching in old oil fields may be more profitable than going to someplace new.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080131111653.htm
Wrap...
There are some discoveries that may mitigate the Peak Oil crisis. The University of Bath has developed a new way to extract oil. The Institute of Oil and Gas Problems have a new theory of how new oil can be found from exhausted wells.
After 17 years of research, the University of Bath has developed Toe-to-Heel Air Injection (THAI) system. It can be used to extra heavy oil in a more affordable and efficient way. Heavy oil is hard to extract because it can be either a thick, syrup-like liquid or it can be solid. THAI injects air into a vertical well, then ignites it. The heat reduces the thickness so it go through a nearby horizontal well. Thus 70 to 80 percent of the oil can be recovered instead of the 10 to 40 percent with the systems that we are still using now. Here is the Science Daily article:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071128113030.htm
The Institute of Oil and Gas Problems developed a theory that there is a pool of fluids that moves in cavities and fractures of rock deep underground. One of those fluids is oil. The earth's crust vibrates, then that oil moves, sometimes to oil fields that were previously exhausted. One example is the Romashinskoye oilfield in Tatarstan. Researchers have found that oil field filling with more oil. So, searching in old oil fields may be more profitable than going to someplace new.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080131111653.htm
Wrap...
Monday, May 12, 2008
And off to Waterloo detention camp they went...
From AP via Raw Story:
Hundreds arrested during immigration raid at northeast Iowa kosher meat processing plant
HENRY C. JACKSON
AP News
May 12, 2008 17:13 EST
Federal immigration agents raided a northeastern Iowa meat processing plant Monday, arresting more than 300 people and housing many of them at a converted fairgrounds.
The raid of the Agriprocessors Inc. plant in Postville was the largest in state history and had been planned for months, said U.S. Attorney Matt M. Dummermuth.
The raid, one of several conducted at meat-processing plants around the country in recent years, was aimed at seeking evidence of identity theft, stolen Social Security numbers and people who are in the country illegally, ICE spokesman Tim Counts said.
Authorities arrived at the Agriprocessors plant about 10 a.m. and presented company officials with search warrants. Agents asked to speak with all the employees, and plant officials cooperated and shut down their operations.
Agriprocessors, the world's largest kosher meatpacking plant, did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
Of those arrested, 44 were released for humanitarian reasons, primarily because they must care for children. They were ordered to report to court later.
Others arrested were held in local jails or driven by bus about 75 miles to temporary housing at the National Cattle Congress fairgrounds in Waterloo. Federal authorities previously leased the fairgrounds and have turned it into a secure center.
Sister Mary McCauley, a Roman Catholic nun at St. Bridget's Catholic Church in Postville, said family members of plant workers came to the nearby church in tears after immigration agents arrived in buses, vans and two helicopters.
"The people right now are hearing and seeing the helicopters," McCauley said Monday morning. "They are just panic-stricken and very frightened and some of them are coming to the church as a safe haven."
McCauley said she went to the plant to help provide information and assist workers but was not allowed to get close.
"Some of the people that are going to be detained are up against a fence and now they're tying their hands," she said.
Many of the plant workers are Hispanic, mostly from Mexico and Guatemala, she said.
Counts, the ICE spokesman, said a toll-free telephone number had been set up to assist family members of those arrested who have questions about their detention status and the removal process.
Asked about the raid during a Monday news conference, Gov. Chet Culver said both illegal immigrants and companies that knowingly hire them should be prosecuted.
"Illegal means illegal, not just those who are crossing the border illegally but those who are responsible for helping to make it happen," Culver said. He added that it is also important to consider humanitarian concerns and had raised those issue with immigration authorities.
The governor said he'd been told last week there would be some kind of federal action.
_____
Associated Press writers Michael Crumb, Mike Glover and David Pitt in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed to this report.
Source: AP News
Wrap...
Hundreds arrested during immigration raid at northeast Iowa kosher meat processing plant
HENRY C. JACKSON
AP News
May 12, 2008 17:13 EST
Federal immigration agents raided a northeastern Iowa meat processing plant Monday, arresting more than 300 people and housing many of them at a converted fairgrounds.
The raid of the Agriprocessors Inc. plant in Postville was the largest in state history and had been planned for months, said U.S. Attorney Matt M. Dummermuth.
The raid, one of several conducted at meat-processing plants around the country in recent years, was aimed at seeking evidence of identity theft, stolen Social Security numbers and people who are in the country illegally, ICE spokesman Tim Counts said.
Authorities arrived at the Agriprocessors plant about 10 a.m. and presented company officials with search warrants. Agents asked to speak with all the employees, and plant officials cooperated and shut down their operations.
Agriprocessors, the world's largest kosher meatpacking plant, did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
Of those arrested, 44 were released for humanitarian reasons, primarily because they must care for children. They were ordered to report to court later.
Others arrested were held in local jails or driven by bus about 75 miles to temporary housing at the National Cattle Congress fairgrounds in Waterloo. Federal authorities previously leased the fairgrounds and have turned it into a secure center.
Sister Mary McCauley, a Roman Catholic nun at St. Bridget's Catholic Church in Postville, said family members of plant workers came to the nearby church in tears after immigration agents arrived in buses, vans and two helicopters.
"The people right now are hearing and seeing the helicopters," McCauley said Monday morning. "They are just panic-stricken and very frightened and some of them are coming to the church as a safe haven."
McCauley said she went to the plant to help provide information and assist workers but was not allowed to get close.
"Some of the people that are going to be detained are up against a fence and now they're tying their hands," she said.
Many of the plant workers are Hispanic, mostly from Mexico and Guatemala, she said.
Counts, the ICE spokesman, said a toll-free telephone number had been set up to assist family members of those arrested who have questions about their detention status and the removal process.
Asked about the raid during a Monday news conference, Gov. Chet Culver said both illegal immigrants and companies that knowingly hire them should be prosecuted.
"Illegal means illegal, not just those who are crossing the border illegally but those who are responsible for helping to make it happen," Culver said. He added that it is also important to consider humanitarian concerns and had raised those issue with immigration authorities.
The governor said he'd been told last week there would be some kind of federal action.
_____
Associated Press writers Michael Crumb, Mike Glover and David Pitt in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed to this report.
Source: AP News
Wrap...
Bush prohibits mad cow testing...
From Conrad via email:
First of all, allow me to tell how much I love beef. I remember those commercials with a montage of so many mouth watering meals, with a fiddle playing, "Retreat of Napoleon Bonaparte," and James Garner saying, "Beef. Its what's for dinner." Those commercials
stopped playing after Garner had a heart attack; however, I love eating shish kabob on a bamboo stick, Mongolian beef on a bed of fried rice noodles topped with green onion, or just taking a bite out of a bacon cheeseburger. Of course, the other 29 days of the month, I nuke a bowl of oatmeal then top it off with soy milk for dinner.
Well, on that one day of the month, I want my beef to be safe. For some reason, the Bush Administration is suing to prevent a company from voluntarily performing Mad Cow disease tests. Here is a link:
www.treehugger.com/files/2008/05/bush-government-sues-to-stop-testing.php#ch02
Wrap...
First of all, allow me to tell how much I love beef. I remember those commercials with a montage of so many mouth watering meals, with a fiddle playing, "Retreat of Napoleon Bonaparte," and James Garner saying, "Beef. Its what's for dinner." Those commercials
stopped playing after Garner had a heart attack; however, I love eating shish kabob on a bamboo stick, Mongolian beef on a bed of fried rice noodles topped with green onion, or just taking a bite out of a bacon cheeseburger. Of course, the other 29 days of the month, I nuke a bowl of oatmeal then top it off with soy milk for dinner.
Well, on that one day of the month, I want my beef to be safe. For some reason, the Bush Administration is suing to prevent a company from voluntarily performing Mad Cow disease tests. Here is a link:
www.treehugger.com/files/2008/05/bush-government-sues-to-stop-testing.php#ch02
Wrap...
Waterloo, Iowa: Homeland Sec detention camp?...
From WHOtv.com :
Questions Surround Homeland Security's Presence in Waterloo
Updated: May 9, 2008 06:37 AM PDT
May 9, 2008--People in Waterloo are trying to figure out what sort of operation federal officials are conducting in town. This week, the Department of Homeland Security took-over and sealed-off the grounds of the National Cattle Congress on the west side of Waterloo.
Thursday night, our crew went to investigate, but security guards told them to stay across the street from the property. Our camera caught pictures of elaborate ventilation systems going into the buildings. There were dozens of cars coming in and out with license plates from surrounding states, and even as far away as Georgia and Texas.
A guard at the gate told us they are preparing for training exercises, but a Homeland Security spokesman would not confirm that. Many people in Waterloo believe the site is being transformed into a detention center. People in the Latino community fear it will be used in a mass immigration raid.
"Our phones have been ringing off the hook and it's basically the same question. Is there going to be a raid? What's going on?," says Mario Basurto with El Centro Latinoamericano.
A spokesperson for Governor Culver says the federal government made the governor's office aware of the situation, but they could not offer any comment.
Wrap...
Questions Surround Homeland Security's Presence in Waterloo
Updated: May 9, 2008 06:37 AM PDT
May 9, 2008--People in Waterloo are trying to figure out what sort of operation federal officials are conducting in town. This week, the Department of Homeland Security took-over and sealed-off the grounds of the National Cattle Congress on the west side of Waterloo.
Thursday night, our crew went to investigate, but security guards told them to stay across the street from the property. Our camera caught pictures of elaborate ventilation systems going into the buildings. There were dozens of cars coming in and out with license plates from surrounding states, and even as far away as Georgia and Texas.
A guard at the gate told us they are preparing for training exercises, but a Homeland Security spokesman would not confirm that. Many people in Waterloo believe the site is being transformed into a detention center. People in the Latino community fear it will be used in a mass immigration raid.
"Our phones have been ringing off the hook and it's basically the same question. Is there going to be a raid? What's going on?," says Mario Basurto with El Centro Latinoamericano.
A spokesperson for Governor Culver says the federal government made the governor's office aware of the situation, but they could not offer any comment.
Wrap...
Privatized war: Fraud and more fraud....
From Truthout.org:
Matt Renner Interviews Fraud Investigator Dina Rasor
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/051208J.shtml
Matt Renner, of Truthout:
"Dina Rasor and Robert Bauman present firsthand accounts of fraud, deception, negligence and treachery by contractors during the privatized invasion and occupation of Iraq. This is the first war that was designed to rely on contractors - private companies with profit as their top priority - for transportation, food, water, spare parts and even protection."
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
Matt Renner Interviews Fraud Investigator Dina Rasor
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/051208J.shtml
Matt Renner, of Truthout:
"Dina Rasor and Robert Bauman present firsthand accounts of fraud, deception, negligence and treachery by contractors during the privatized invasion and occupation of Iraq. This is the first war that was designed to rely on contractors - private companies with profit as their top priority - for transportation, food, water, spare parts and even protection."
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
Superdels, 2/3/08 till now: Obama 113, Clinton 22...
From The Guardian UK via truthout.org :
Slowly but Surely, the Secretive Super Delegates Opt for Obama
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/051208G.shtml
Ewen MacAskill, Daniel Nasaw and Elana Schor, of The Guardian UK, report: "Since Tuesday, Clinton has had the endorsement of three superdelegates while [Obama] has announced 13, including seven yesterday.
His campaign team is dripping them out every few hours to wear her down, gleefully sending out emails to the media announcing the dwindling number of delegates he needs to reach the 2,025 target. The momentum has been with him since the SuperTuesday contests on February 3. Since then, he has picked up 113 of the undeclared superdelegates to her 22."
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
Slowly but Surely, the Secretive Super Delegates Opt for Obama
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/051208G.shtml
Ewen MacAskill, Daniel Nasaw and Elana Schor, of The Guardian UK, report: "Since Tuesday, Clinton has had the endorsement of three superdelegates while [Obama] has announced 13, including seven yesterday.
His campaign team is dripping them out every few hours to wear her down, gleefully sending out emails to the media announcing the dwindling number of delegates he needs to reach the 2,025 target. The momentum has been with him since the SuperTuesday contests on February 3. Since then, he has picked up 113 of the undeclared superdelegates to her 22."
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
World leaders: Psycopaths or just evil....
From Conrad via email:
I am not endorsing this political blog, but it has an interesting post. Clinton Callahan asks, "Why, no matter how much intelligent goodwill exists in the world, is there so much war, suffering and injustice?"
Here is Callahan's answer. "The answer is that civilization, as we know it, is largely the creation of psychopaths. All civilizations, our own included, have been built on slavery and mass murder."
I disagree. World leaders are not insane; they are evil. As Leo Tolstoy stated, "In order to get power and retain it, it is necesssary to love power, but the love of power is not connected with goodness, but with the qualities that are the opposite of goodness, such as pride, cunning, and cruelty."
This writer reminds me of our friend Miles. Callahan describes people without any pity, conscience, or remorse as insane. This would imply that counseling, medication, or genetic engineering would "cure" them of their inhumanity. I believe they are making a rational, calculated choice that in a court of law would lead to punishment rather than a stay at a insane asylum.
As much as I disagree, this article is well written, and is worthy of your attention:
http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/05/beware-the-psychopath-my-son/
Wrap...
I am not endorsing this political blog, but it has an interesting post. Clinton Callahan asks, "Why, no matter how much intelligent goodwill exists in the world, is there so much war, suffering and injustice?"
Here is Callahan's answer. "The answer is that civilization, as we know it, is largely the creation of psychopaths. All civilizations, our own included, have been built on slavery and mass murder."
I disagree. World leaders are not insane; they are evil. As Leo Tolstoy stated, "In order to get power and retain it, it is necesssary to love power, but the love of power is not connected with goodness, but with the qualities that are the opposite of goodness, such as pride, cunning, and cruelty."
This writer reminds me of our friend Miles. Callahan describes people without any pity, conscience, or remorse as insane. This would imply that counseling, medication, or genetic engineering would "cure" them of their inhumanity. I believe they are making a rational, calculated choice that in a court of law would lead to punishment rather than a stay at a insane asylum.
As much as I disagree, this article is well written, and is worthy of your attention:
http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/05/beware-the-psychopath-my-son/
Wrap...
Congress: Bits and pieces of info....
From Secrecy News:
CONGRESS'S CONTEMPT POWER, AND MORE FROM CRS
Noteworthy new reports from the Congressional Research Service that have not been
made publicly accessible online include the following.
"Defense: FY2009 Authorization and Appropriations," May 5, 2008: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL34473.pdf
"Second FY2008 Supplemental Appropriations for Military Operations,International
Affairs, and Other Purposes," updated May 8, 2008: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL34451.pdf
"Director of National Intelligence Statutory Authorities: Status andProposals," updated
April 17, 2008:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/intel/RL34231.pdf
"Congress's Contempt Power: Law, History, Practice, and Procedure,"updated April 15,
2008:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL34097.pdf
"Navy LPD-17 Amphibious Ship Procurement: Background, Issues, andOptions for
Congress," May 6, 2008:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/RL34476.pdf
"U.S.-French Commercial Ties," updated April 7, 2008: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL32459.pdf
"Strategic Airlift Modernization: Analysis of C-5 Modernization andC-17 Acquisition Issues," updated April 15, 2008:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/RL34264.pdf
Wrap...
CONGRESS'S CONTEMPT POWER, AND MORE FROM CRS
Noteworthy new reports from the Congressional Research Service that have not been
made publicly accessible online include the following.
"Defense: FY2009 Authorization and Appropriations," May 5, 2008: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL34473.pdf
"Second FY2008 Supplemental Appropriations for Military Operations,International
Affairs, and Other Purposes," updated May 8, 2008: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL34451.pdf
"Director of National Intelligence Statutory Authorities: Status andProposals," updated
April 17, 2008:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/intel/RL34231.pdf
"Congress's Contempt Power: Law, History, Practice, and Procedure,"updated April 15,
2008:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL34097.pdf
"Navy LPD-17 Amphibious Ship Procurement: Background, Issues, andOptions for
Congress," May 6, 2008:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/RL34476.pdf
"U.S.-French Commercial Ties," updated April 7, 2008: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL32459.pdf
"Strategic Airlift Modernization: Analysis of C-5 Modernization andC-17 Acquisition Issues," updated April 15, 2008:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/RL34264.pdf
Wrap...
Wiretapping gives not much & McCain's favorite TV show...
From American Progress:
Think Fast...
While "the number of Americans being secretly wiretapped" or having their records reviewed by the government continues to increase, "the number of terrorism prosecutions ending up in court" has declined. Experts say that the trends are evidence that "the government has compromised the privacy rights of ordinary citizens without much to show for it."
On Friday, a military judge barred Gen. Thomas Hartmann, the legal adviser at Guantanamo Bay, "from participating in the case against Salim Hamdan, Osama bin Laden'ss former driver." Hamdan's lawyer, Lt. Cmdr. Brian Mizer, said that Hartmann's "dual role of supervising the prosecution and providing legal advice to the commissions administrator, who must make impartial rulings," constituted a "conflict of interest."
The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere "has reached a record high, according to new data published by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Scientists say the new figures confirm that CO2 "is accumulating in the atmosphere faster than expected."
In a sign of Iran's growing influence in Iraqi politics, violent clashes between militias loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr and the Iraqi government "came to a halt this weekend after Mr. Sadr agreed to a truce brokered by Iran." Iran's scope of influence has widened" in Iraq, putting "the Iraqi government at a precarious position between two important friends, the U.S. and Iran."
The Los Angeles Times reports that the U.S.'s evidence of Iranian weapons flowing into Iraq showed some cracks recently. "A plan to show some alleged Iranian-supplied explosives to journalists last week in Karbala and then destroy them was canceled after the United States realized none of them was from Iran."
Bloomberg writes that President Bush's promised Mideast agreement is still mission unaccomplished. Bush's habit of "delving into Middle East peacemaking in fits and starts" has produced little progress. Palestinian Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad said that talks "have not proceeded at a pace that’s consistent to obtain the objectives set forth at Annapolis."
A joint Washington Post-60 Minutes investigation, has found disturbing evidence that immigrants are suffering from neglect and some don't survive detention in America. Post reporter Dana Priest said the investigations showed an immigrations and customs bureaucracy "that offers many immigrants no care or slow care or poor care...and they also show that the employees inside are panicked about this."
And Finally: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has such a "fondness for 'The Office'" that at a recent gala sponsored by Time magazine "he seemed slightly star-struck upon meeting B. J. Novak, a writer and actor on the show." When he was introduced to Novak, McCain "started rattling off the details of 'Dinner Party,' a recent episode that he apparently enjoyed and remembered."
Wrap...
Think Fast...
While "the number of Americans being secretly wiretapped" or having their records reviewed by the government continues to increase, "the number of terrorism prosecutions ending up in court" has declined. Experts say that the trends are evidence that "the government has compromised the privacy rights of ordinary citizens without much to show for it."
On Friday, a military judge barred Gen. Thomas Hartmann, the legal adviser at Guantanamo Bay, "from participating in the case against Salim Hamdan, Osama bin Laden'ss former driver." Hamdan's lawyer, Lt. Cmdr. Brian Mizer, said that Hartmann's "dual role of supervising the prosecution and providing legal advice to the commissions administrator, who must make impartial rulings," constituted a "conflict of interest."
The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere "has reached a record high, according to new data published by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Scientists say the new figures confirm that CO2 "is accumulating in the atmosphere faster than expected."
In a sign of Iran's growing influence in Iraqi politics, violent clashes between militias loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr and the Iraqi government "came to a halt this weekend after Mr. Sadr agreed to a truce brokered by Iran." Iran's scope of influence has widened" in Iraq, putting "the Iraqi government at a precarious position between two important friends, the U.S. and Iran."
The Los Angeles Times reports that the U.S.'s evidence of Iranian weapons flowing into Iraq showed some cracks recently. "A plan to show some alleged Iranian-supplied explosives to journalists last week in Karbala and then destroy them was canceled after the United States realized none of them was from Iran."
Bloomberg writes that President Bush's promised Mideast agreement is still mission unaccomplished. Bush's habit of "delving into Middle East peacemaking in fits and starts" has produced little progress. Palestinian Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad said that talks "have not proceeded at a pace that’s consistent to obtain the objectives set forth at Annapolis."
A joint Washington Post-60 Minutes investigation, has found disturbing evidence that immigrants are suffering from neglect and some don't survive detention in America. Post reporter Dana Priest said the investigations showed an immigrations and customs bureaucracy "that offers many immigrants no care or slow care or poor care...and they also show that the employees inside are panicked about this."
And Finally: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has such a "fondness for 'The Office'" that at a recent gala sponsored by Time magazine "he seemed slightly star-struck upon meeting B. J. Novak, a writer and actor on the show." When he was introduced to Novak, McCain "started rattling off the details of 'Dinner Party,' a recent episode that he apparently enjoyed and remembered."
Wrap...
Sunday, May 11, 2008
So...After Bush....
From American Progress:
NATIONAL SECURITY
Inheriting Bush's Mess
So far, the 2008 election has focused on growing challenges at home, including the fallout
from the sub-prime mortgage crisis, escalating gas prices, and health care for millions of uninsured. But another leading policy challenge for the next administration is cleaning up
the mess from
the Bush administration's national security policies and making a clean break from the
past seven years.
Speaking at the Center for American Progress yesterday, Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE)
offered a vision for moving forward: "Military power alone will not achieve the great
objectives that are going to be required to meet these new 21st century challenges; it's
going to require a 21st century framework of thinking, of policymaking, of structure."
Hagel suggested that "reintroducing America to the world will be as important as any
one thing this next President has to do, because if we lose the next generation of the
world, the problems will then be so immense that we will never be able to get out from
under them."
Hagel's view is rare among conservatives, most of whom continue to march in lockstep
with President Bush's disastrous national security policies. Acknowledging that Iraq
continues to be mired in violence, Hagel stressed once again that "there is no military
solution in Iraq, [and] the military guys understand that more than anyone, because we
put all the burden on them. All the burden on them."
Wrap...
NATIONAL SECURITY
Inheriting Bush's Mess
So far, the 2008 election has focused on growing challenges at home, including the fallout
from the sub-prime mortgage crisis, escalating gas prices, and health care for millions of uninsured. But another leading policy challenge for the next administration is cleaning up
the mess from
the Bush administration's national security policies and making a clean break from the
past seven years.
Speaking at the Center for American Progress yesterday, Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE)
offered a vision for moving forward: "Military power alone will not achieve the great
objectives that are going to be required to meet these new 21st century challenges; it's
going to require a 21st century framework of thinking, of policymaking, of structure."
Hagel suggested that "reintroducing America to the world will be as important as any
one thing this next President has to do, because if we lose the next generation of the
world, the problems will then be so immense that we will never be able to get out from
under them."
Hagel's view is rare among conservatives, most of whom continue to march in lockstep
with President Bush's disastrous national security policies. Acknowledging that Iraq
continues to be mired in violence, Hagel stressed once again that "there is no military
solution in Iraq, [and] the military guys understand that more than anyone, because we
put all the burden on them. All the burden on them."
Wrap...
Saturday, May 10, 2008
How will next President deal with Peak Oil?
From Conrad via email:
On February 2005, the US Department of Energy published the document Peaking of World
Oil Production: Impact, Mitigation, and Risk Management, which many refer to as the Hirsch Report named after the Lead Author, Robert Hirsch.
Here is the first paragraph:
"The peaking of world oil production presents the U.S. and the world with an unprecedented
risk management problem. As peaking is approached, liquid fuel prices and price volatility will increase dramatically, and, without timely mitigation, the economic, social, and political costs
will be unprecedented. Viable mitigation options exist on both the supply and demand sides,
but to have substantial impact, they must be initiated more than a decade in advance of peaking."
In summary, world oil production will not be able to meet world oil demand. When that
occurs, the consequences will be very, very bad. The decline could be very abrupt. The Enhanced Improved Oil Recovery technology will not really help that much. It is highly
unlikely that new oil field discovery will help us. We can conserve and develop alternatives
to oil, but it will take two decades of preparation to prevent any problems. If we prepare one decade ahead, there will be some problems. If the peak occurs before we have been
prepared, we will have severe problems. Even though starting too early may be considered
a waste of resources, the hardship of starting too late make it is a wise to start a crash
program now.
The US government has not started a crash program. The Hirsch Report projects the peak
to occur in 2016. The Association for the Study of Peak Oil projects it in 2010. A few experts have commented that world oil production may have already peaked in 2005.
I have talked to my sister about this issue. She and her husband have already purchased and installed a solar panel. She plans to get a hybrid car, and to start growing food in her backyard.
Here is the pdf version:
http://www.netl.doe.gov/publications/others/pdf/Oil_Peaking_NETL.pdf
Here is a HTML version:
www.mnforsustain.org/oil_peaking_of_world_oil_production_study_hirsch.htm
It is over ninety pages. I felt grim and horrified while reading it, but the Hirsch Report
is a clearly written document that should be read by more people.
[Use links above to read the entire document]
Wrap...
On February 2005, the US Department of Energy published the document Peaking of World
Oil Production: Impact, Mitigation, and Risk Management, which many refer to as the Hirsch Report named after the Lead Author, Robert Hirsch.
Here is the first paragraph:
"The peaking of world oil production presents the U.S. and the world with an unprecedented
risk management problem. As peaking is approached, liquid fuel prices and price volatility will increase dramatically, and, without timely mitigation, the economic, social, and political costs
will be unprecedented. Viable mitigation options exist on both the supply and demand sides,
but to have substantial impact, they must be initiated more than a decade in advance of peaking."
In summary, world oil production will not be able to meet world oil demand. When that
occurs, the consequences will be very, very bad. The decline could be very abrupt. The Enhanced Improved Oil Recovery technology will not really help that much. It is highly
unlikely that new oil field discovery will help us. We can conserve and develop alternatives
to oil, but it will take two decades of preparation to prevent any problems. If we prepare one decade ahead, there will be some problems. If the peak occurs before we have been
prepared, we will have severe problems. Even though starting too early may be considered
a waste of resources, the hardship of starting too late make it is a wise to start a crash
program now.
The US government has not started a crash program. The Hirsch Report projects the peak
to occur in 2016. The Association for the Study of Peak Oil projects it in 2010. A few experts have commented that world oil production may have already peaked in 2005.
I have talked to my sister about this issue. She and her husband have already purchased and installed a solar panel. She plans to get a hybrid car, and to start growing food in her backyard.
Here is the pdf version:
http://www.netl.doe.gov/publications/others/pdf/Oil_Peaking_NETL.pdf
Here is a HTML version:
www.mnforsustain.org/oil_peaking_of_world_oil_production_study_hirsch.htm
It is over ninety pages. I felt grim and horrified while reading it, but the Hirsch Report
is a clearly written document that should be read by more people.
[Use links above to read the entire document]
Wrap...
These Dems are dogs all right....
From The Politico via truthout.org :
Hinchey Calls Blue Dog Behavior "Absolutely Shameful"
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/050908O.shtml
Daniel W. Reilly, of The Politico: "Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) issued a stern rebuke to a group of fellow House Democrats on Thursday, saying that the behavior of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog coalition was 'absolutely shameful,' after the group revolted on Wednesday over the cost of veterans' educations benefits in a war funding measure, delaying consideration of the $183 billion supplemental spending bill.
'It is absolutely shameful that members of the Blue Dog coalition would vote to take this country into Iraq on false intelligence and lies, repeatedly vote to fund the disastrous military occupation of that country, but choose to turn their backs on the brave members of our armed forces by refusing to support an expansion of education benefits for them when they come home,' Hinchey said in a statement."
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
Hinchey Calls Blue Dog Behavior "Absolutely Shameful"
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/050908O.shtml
Daniel W. Reilly, of The Politico: "Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) issued a stern rebuke to a group of fellow House Democrats on Thursday, saying that the behavior of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog coalition was 'absolutely shameful,' after the group revolted on Wednesday over the cost of veterans' educations benefits in a war funding measure, delaying consideration of the $183 billion supplemental spending bill.
'It is absolutely shameful that members of the Blue Dog coalition would vote to take this country into Iraq on false intelligence and lies, repeatedly vote to fund the disastrous military occupation of that country, but choose to turn their backs on the brave members of our armed forces by refusing to support an expansion of education benefits for them when they come home,' Hinchey said in a statement."
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
From cost of fuel to Chris Matthews' hair color...
From American Progress:
Think Fast...
As gas and crude oil costs jumped to record highs yesterday, USA Today has released a survey showing that these increasing costs are pushing "Americans to drive less for the first time in nearly three decades, squeezing family budgets and causing major shifts in driving habits." Seventy-one percent say gas prices are a "financial hardship," up from 47 percent in March 2004.
The American Petroleum Institute, Big Oil's main lobbying group, "has embarked on a multiyear, multimedia, multimillion-dollar campaign” to convince voters that "rising energy prices are not the producer's fault and that government efforts to punish the industry, especially with higher taxes, would only make pricing problems worse."
The Senate Democrats unveiled the Consumer-First Energy Act of 2008, a bill to address the root causes of high gas prices. Major oil companies "are getting away with murder" and "gouging" consumers as the price of oil continues to soar, Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) said.
Two months after "the Pentagon announced in March that Maj. Gen. Jay W. Hood would become the senior American officer based in Pakistan," the military "has quietly canceled the assignment. General Hood, a 33-year Army veteran, "was excoriated in the Pakistani news media for one of his previous jobs: commander of the United States prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba."
"Hezbollah fighters seized control of rival pro-government strongholds in Beirut on Friday as gunbattles rocked the Lebanese capital for a third day, propelling the nation dangerously close to all-out civil war." Hezbollah has also forced the shutdown of all media forced the shutdown of all media belonging to the family of parliamentary leader Saad Hariri.
"Credit card delinquency rates in the United States are growing as expenses have risen and options for borrowing have narrowed," according to Moody’s Investors Service. Delinquencies "hit 4.53 percent in February, a four-year high."
Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), the ranking Republican on the Senate Banking Committee, is coming under scrutiny for his "ties to the mortgage industry and the Alabama real estate market, and the generous campaign donations he receives from financial services companies." Critics say that these interests have "distorted his perspective and led him to delay critical legislative remedies."
And finally: MSNBC's Chris Matthews is 62 years old, and rumors of him coloring his hair "have abounded for years." Politico's Anne Schroeder now has the proof. (More proof here.)
Wrap...
Think Fast...
As gas and crude oil costs jumped to record highs yesterday, USA Today has released a survey showing that these increasing costs are pushing "Americans to drive less for the first time in nearly three decades, squeezing family budgets and causing major shifts in driving habits." Seventy-one percent say gas prices are a "financial hardship," up from 47 percent in March 2004.
The American Petroleum Institute, Big Oil's main lobbying group, "has embarked on a multiyear, multimedia, multimillion-dollar campaign” to convince voters that "rising energy prices are not the producer's fault and that government efforts to punish the industry, especially with higher taxes, would only make pricing problems worse."
The Senate Democrats unveiled the Consumer-First Energy Act of 2008, a bill to address the root causes of high gas prices. Major oil companies "are getting away with murder" and "gouging" consumers as the price of oil continues to soar, Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) said.
Two months after "the Pentagon announced in March that Maj. Gen. Jay W. Hood would become the senior American officer based in Pakistan," the military "has quietly canceled the assignment. General Hood, a 33-year Army veteran, "was excoriated in the Pakistani news media for one of his previous jobs: commander of the United States prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba."
"Hezbollah fighters seized control of rival pro-government strongholds in Beirut on Friday as gunbattles rocked the Lebanese capital for a third day, propelling the nation dangerously close to all-out civil war." Hezbollah has also forced the shutdown of all media forced the shutdown of all media belonging to the family of parliamentary leader Saad Hariri.
"Credit card delinquency rates in the United States are growing as expenses have risen and options for borrowing have narrowed," according to Moody’s Investors Service. Delinquencies "hit 4.53 percent in February, a four-year high."
Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), the ranking Republican on the Senate Banking Committee, is coming under scrutiny for his "ties to the mortgage industry and the Alabama real estate market, and the generous campaign donations he receives from financial services companies." Critics say that these interests have "distorted his perspective and led him to delay critical legislative remedies."
And finally: MSNBC's Chris Matthews is 62 years old, and rumors of him coloring his hair "have abounded for years." Politico's Anne Schroeder now has the proof. (More proof here.)
Wrap...
Blackwater, like Clinton, never gives up....
From NY Times via truthout.org :
"For Blackwater It's Business as Usual"
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/051008Y.shtml
James Risen reports for The New York Times: "Last fall, Blackwater Worldwide was in deep peril. Guards for the security company were involved in a shooting in September that left at least 17 Iraqis dead at a Baghdad intersection.
Outrage over the killings prompted the Iraqi government to demand Blackwater's ouster from the country, and led to a criminal investigation by the FBI, a series of internal investigations by the State Department and the Pentagon, and high-profile Congressional hearings. But after an intense public and private lobbying campaign, Blackwater appears to be back to business as usual."
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
"For Blackwater It's Business as Usual"
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/051008Y.shtml
James Risen reports for The New York Times: "Last fall, Blackwater Worldwide was in deep peril. Guards for the security company were involved in a shooting in September that left at least 17 Iraqis dead at a Baghdad intersection.
Outrage over the killings prompted the Iraqi government to demand Blackwater's ouster from the country, and led to a criminal investigation by the FBI, a series of internal investigations by the State Department and the Pentagon, and high-profile Congressional hearings. But after an intense public and private lobbying campaign, Blackwater appears to be back to business as usual."
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap...
Friday, May 09, 2008
Trashing Obama...is easy for spies...
From SacBee.com :
Obama targeted by ugly -- and untrue -- Internet rumors
By Matt Stearns - mstearns@mcclatchydc.com
Last Updated 6:06 am PDT Friday, May 9, 2008
Story appeared in MAIN NEWS section, Page A1
WASHINGTON – Some things about Barack Obama rub some voters the wrong way.
"We don't need a Muslim," said Jannay Smith, a retiree from Kokomo, Ind. "Who's to say if he gets in there what he'll do?"
Added Steve Shallenberger, a Kokomo electrician: "He's just calling himself a Christian because he knows that's what we in Indiana want to hear."
Then there's Sherry Richey, also from Kokomo: "He wouldn't put his hand on the Bible; he wanted the Quran. He won't put his hand over his heart during the anthem or say the Pledge of Allegiance. He's too un-American."
All of these slurs on Obama are categorically untrue.
Obama, the front-running Democratic presidential candidate, is a Christian, has never been a Muslim, swore his Senate oath on the Bible, says the pledge and generally puts his hand over his heart when he sings the national anthem.
So why were people aware enough of current events to attend political rallies in the days leading up to the Indiana primary saying such things? They'd been misled by the Internet.
In the ugly new world of online political rumor-mongering, aggressive Googling and e-mailing allow anyone to join the cacophonous misinformation campaign against a politician – in this case, Obama.
Dirty tricks have been a part of politics for as long as there's been politics. But the Internet has taken "the old-fashioned slanderous whispering campaign to a completely new level," said Brooks Jackson, director of the Annenberg Political Fact Check, a nonpartisan organization that monitors the truthfulness of political discussion. "They are more dangerous and more insidious."
E-mails falsely claiming that Obama is a Muslim, that he took the oath of office on a Quran and that he refuses to take the Pledge of Allegiance have stormed inboxes. A newer e-mail has a picture, allegedly of Obama posing with his African family, with the title, "Say Hi to the next potential first family."
In addition, virulently racist e-mails are making the rounds, too.
"These things have a heft to them that gives them a seeming credibility that a verbal rumor wouldn't have," Jackson said. "You can replicate them infinitely. We've all got crazy relatives or friends that are sure they're right and the world's wrong. They just blast them out."
The anonymous nature of the Internet also makes the origins of the allegations impossible to trace, Jackson said.
Still, it hasn't hurt too much: Obama is almost certainly the Democratic presidential nominee.
"He's proven to be pretty resilient," said Burdett Loomis, a political scientist at the University of Kansas.
Addressing the Internet rumors at a January debate, Obama said: "Fortunately, the American people are, I think, smarter than folks give them credit for."
Obama isn't the only victim. Last week, in a dirty trick that couldn't have occurred in the pre-YouTube age, a video ricocheted through cyberspace that appeared to show Clinton adviser Mickey Kantor using slurs and obscenities to describe Indiana people in a documentary about the 1992 election – potential political dynamite in a tightly contested election.
A link to the video arrived in a reporter's e-mail inbox, along with the admonition "You must report this. It will change the election."
Within an hour, the Clinton campaign issued a statement from the filmmaker saying it was bogus: The video had been doctored, by attack artists unknown.
In fact, they tend to be the work of committed political amateurs.
One practitioner in Virginia led a reporter through his efforts. Because the man is a retired clandestine CIA officer, identifying him could endanger officers or operations that remain classified, so McClatchy will not reveal his name.
In late 2006, convinced that an Obama presidency would be disastrous, he decided to start an anti-Obama operation. He combed the public record on Obama. He used a couple of allies and informants – half-jokingly dubbing his group "The Crusaders" – to learn about Obama's background.
He assembled a dossier on Obama, including allegations that Obama attended a madrassa, or Islamic religious school, in his youth in Indonesia.
Then the retired spook tried to get Israeli intelligence officials interested in his Obama dossier. They weren't, to his chagrin. He also shopped it to some foreign reporters. Again, no luck.
He wound up posting some of it on a blog.
A few months after the man began his work, the allegation that Obama was educated in a madrassa appeared in an anonymous article in Insight Magazine, an online publication of the Unification Church, in January 2007. The article was cited by several conservative commentators, including on Fox News, before it was debunked
Wrap...
Obama targeted by ugly -- and untrue -- Internet rumors
By Matt Stearns - mstearns@mcclatchydc.com
Last Updated 6:06 am PDT Friday, May 9, 2008
Story appeared in MAIN NEWS section, Page A1
WASHINGTON – Some things about Barack Obama rub some voters the wrong way.
"We don't need a Muslim," said Jannay Smith, a retiree from Kokomo, Ind. "Who's to say if he gets in there what he'll do?"
Added Steve Shallenberger, a Kokomo electrician: "He's just calling himself a Christian because he knows that's what we in Indiana want to hear."
Then there's Sherry Richey, also from Kokomo: "He wouldn't put his hand on the Bible; he wanted the Quran. He won't put his hand over his heart during the anthem or say the Pledge of Allegiance. He's too un-American."
All of these slurs on Obama are categorically untrue.
Obama, the front-running Democratic presidential candidate, is a Christian, has never been a Muslim, swore his Senate oath on the Bible, says the pledge and generally puts his hand over his heart when he sings the national anthem.
So why were people aware enough of current events to attend political rallies in the days leading up to the Indiana primary saying such things? They'd been misled by the Internet.
In the ugly new world of online political rumor-mongering, aggressive Googling and e-mailing allow anyone to join the cacophonous misinformation campaign against a politician – in this case, Obama.
Dirty tricks have been a part of politics for as long as there's been politics. But the Internet has taken "the old-fashioned slanderous whispering campaign to a completely new level," said Brooks Jackson, director of the Annenberg Political Fact Check, a nonpartisan organization that monitors the truthfulness of political discussion. "They are more dangerous and more insidious."
E-mails falsely claiming that Obama is a Muslim, that he took the oath of office on a Quran and that he refuses to take the Pledge of Allegiance have stormed inboxes. A newer e-mail has a picture, allegedly of Obama posing with his African family, with the title, "Say Hi to the next potential first family."
In addition, virulently racist e-mails are making the rounds, too.
"These things have a heft to them that gives them a seeming credibility that a verbal rumor wouldn't have," Jackson said. "You can replicate them infinitely. We've all got crazy relatives or friends that are sure they're right and the world's wrong. They just blast them out."
The anonymous nature of the Internet also makes the origins of the allegations impossible to trace, Jackson said.
Still, it hasn't hurt too much: Obama is almost certainly the Democratic presidential nominee.
"He's proven to be pretty resilient," said Burdett Loomis, a political scientist at the University of Kansas.
Addressing the Internet rumors at a January debate, Obama said: "Fortunately, the American people are, I think, smarter than folks give them credit for."
Obama isn't the only victim. Last week, in a dirty trick that couldn't have occurred in the pre-YouTube age, a video ricocheted through cyberspace that appeared to show Clinton adviser Mickey Kantor using slurs and obscenities to describe Indiana people in a documentary about the 1992 election – potential political dynamite in a tightly contested election.
A link to the video arrived in a reporter's e-mail inbox, along with the admonition "You must report this. It will change the election."
Within an hour, the Clinton campaign issued a statement from the filmmaker saying it was bogus: The video had been doctored, by attack artists unknown.
In fact, they tend to be the work of committed political amateurs.
One practitioner in Virginia led a reporter through his efforts. Because the man is a retired clandestine CIA officer, identifying him could endanger officers or operations that remain classified, so McClatchy will not reveal his name.
In late 2006, convinced that an Obama presidency would be disastrous, he decided to start an anti-Obama operation. He combed the public record on Obama. He used a couple of allies and informants – half-jokingly dubbing his group "The Crusaders" – to learn about Obama's background.
He assembled a dossier on Obama, including allegations that Obama attended a madrassa, or Islamic religious school, in his youth in Indonesia.
Then the retired spook tried to get Israeli intelligence officials interested in his Obama dossier. They weren't, to his chagrin. He also shopped it to some foreign reporters. Again, no luck.
He wound up posting some of it on a blog.
A few months after the man began his work, the allegation that Obama was educated in a madrassa appeared in an anonymous article in Insight Magazine, an online publication of the Unification Church, in January 2007. The article was cited by several conservative commentators, including on Fox News, before it was debunked
Wrap...
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Investigating Intelligence Contracting...
From Secrecy News:
PRESSURE BUILDS TO IMPROVE OVERSIGHT OF INTEL CONTRACTORS
A bill introduced in the House of Representatives would require U.S. intelligence agencies to report to Congress on the total number and cost of contractors that they employ and to provide detailed information on the services that contractors perform. Some controversial intelligence contractor activities would be prohibited outright, including arrest, interrogation and detention.
"Contracting in the intelligence community has more than doubled in scope in the last decade, and it's clear that effective management and oversight is lacking," said Rep. David Price (D-NC), who co-sponsored the new legislation (H.R. 5973) with Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-CA).
"We've got to get a handle on it," Rep. Price said. "That means demanding more complete information, establishing more effective management practices and, in some cases, drawing a red line to prevent the privatization of especially sensitive activities."
The two Members of Congress hope to include the provisions of their bill in the 2009 intelligence authorization act, which is being marked up in the House Intelligence Committee today. See the text of the"Transparency and Accountability in Intelligence Contracting Act of2008" here:
http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2008_cr/hr5973.html
The fact cited by Rep. Price that intelligence contracting "has more than doubled in scope in the last decade" was first reported by journalist Tim Shorrock writing in Salon and elsewhere. Mr. Shorrock has recently authored a book on intelligence contracting which describes as much about the sensitive subject as intrepid reporting can uncover.
See "Spies for Hire: The Secret World of Intelligence Outsourcing" by Tim Shorrock, Simon & Schuster, 2008:
http://www.simonsays.com/content/book.cfm?tab=1&pid=616280
Wrap...
PRESSURE BUILDS TO IMPROVE OVERSIGHT OF INTEL CONTRACTORS
A bill introduced in the House of Representatives would require U.S. intelligence agencies to report to Congress on the total number and cost of contractors that they employ and to provide detailed information on the services that contractors perform. Some controversial intelligence contractor activities would be prohibited outright, including arrest, interrogation and detention.
"Contracting in the intelligence community has more than doubled in scope in the last decade, and it's clear that effective management and oversight is lacking," said Rep. David Price (D-NC), who co-sponsored the new legislation (H.R. 5973) with Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-CA).
"We've got to get a handle on it," Rep. Price said. "That means demanding more complete information, establishing more effective management practices and, in some cases, drawing a red line to prevent the privatization of especially sensitive activities."
The two Members of Congress hope to include the provisions of their bill in the 2009 intelligence authorization act, which is being marked up in the House Intelligence Committee today. See the text of the"Transparency and Accountability in Intelligence Contracting Act of2008" here:
http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2008_cr/hr5973.html
The fact cited by Rep. Price that intelligence contracting "has more than doubled in scope in the last decade" was first reported by journalist Tim Shorrock writing in Salon and elsewhere. Mr. Shorrock has recently authored a book on intelligence contracting which describes as much about the sensitive subject as intrepid reporting can uncover.
See "Spies for Hire: The Secret World of Intelligence Outsourcing" by Tim Shorrock, Simon & Schuster, 2008:
http://www.simonsays.com/content/book.cfm?tab=1&pid=616280
Wrap...
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Showdown in Senate on GI Bill....
From Army Times via truthout.org :
Senate Prepares for GI Bill Showdown
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/050708P.shtml
Rick Maze, of Army Times: "A showdown Wednesday in the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee over improvements in GI Bill education benefits could hinge on whether the Veterans Affairs Department softens its opposition to changes that would have benefits differ by state and have schools - not veterans - receive monthly payments directly.
The committee, chaired by Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, has 28 veterans' benefits bills on its agenda, but Senate aides said the measures certain to get most of the attention are two competing GI Bill proposals, S 22 and S 2938.
S 22 is the bipartisan 21st Century GI Bill of Rights, which has 57 Senate cosponsors and is endorsed by all major military and veterans' associations but is opposed by the Pentagon and VA."
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap....
Senate Prepares for GI Bill Showdown
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/050708P.shtml
Rick Maze, of Army Times: "A showdown Wednesday in the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee over improvements in GI Bill education benefits could hinge on whether the Veterans Affairs Department softens its opposition to changes that would have benefits differ by state and have schools - not veterans - receive monthly payments directly.
The committee, chaired by Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, has 28 veterans' benefits bills on its agenda, but Senate aides said the measures certain to get most of the attention are two competing GI Bill proposals, S 22 and S 2938.
S 22 is the bipartisan 21st Century GI Bill of Rights, which has 57 Senate cosponsors and is endorsed by all major military and veterans' associations but is opposed by the Pentagon and VA."
[Use link above to continue reading]
Wrap....
Echos from the Vietnam War...today....
From Benjamin Dangl via email:
May 5, 2008
http://plutocracyagainstdemocracy.blogspot.com/
Vermont Peace Activists Occupy General Dynamics
May Day Raid on Weapons Plant
By BENJAMIN DANGL
(counterpunch.com)
On May 1st, International Workers' Day, ten peace activists in Burlington, Vermont entered General Dynamics and locked themselves together in the main lobby of the building in protest against the company's weapons manufacturing and war profiteering. University of Vermont student Benjamin Dube, one of the dozens of other activists present at the event, leaned out a window of the lobby, and pointed to the GD building, explaining, "This is the gas tank of the war machine, and we are the sugar."
The demonstrators entered the lobby at around 3pm, and proceeded to lock their arms together with PVC piping, duct tape and other materials. According to a press release put out by the group, the activists were demanding that "General Dynamics stop giving campaign contributions to the politicians responsible for regulating it, stop making Gatling guns, missiles and other weapons of mass destruction and give back the $3.6 million dollars in Vermont tax breaks General Dynamics received in 2007."
While activists at GD chanted slogans such as, "Hey GD, what do you say, how many kids did you kill today" and "GD out of the Middle East, No Justice, No Peace," banners against GD and the Iraq War were set up on three major streets and highways in the area. This anti-war action in Burlington took place at the same time thousands of dockworkers at 29 major ports across on the west coast refused to go to work in protest against the Iraq War. In March, Vermonters in Brattleboro and Marlboro passed a measure in town meetings to arrest George W. Bush and Dick Cheney for crimes against the constitution if they ever arrived in either town.
Rachel Ruggles was one of the activists locked down in the GD lobby. Wearing a green bandana and glasses, this 19 year old from Vergennes, VT, and student at the University of Vermont, said "we are participating in this non-violent direct action to get attention and make a statement against the Iraq War, to say we don't support GD's war profiteering... GD is not contributing to the peace economy. The money from their tax breaks should go back to the Vermont community."
General Dynamics is a national company whose branch in Burlington produces, among other things, Hydra-70 rockets and missile launchers. Mike Ives, a journalist with VT based Seven Days, wrote in March of this year that, according to General Dynamics company spokesperson Tim Haddock, GD employees in Burlington "manufacture the "Goalkeeper Close-In Weapon System." The "Goalkeeper" is a 14,000-pound gun that's mounted to ships and can fire up to 4200 shots per minute of "missile-piercing" ammunition."
According to Time Magazine, St. Louis-based General Dynamics is the top defense contractor in the US. The Bush administration's "War on Terror" has been good for GD business. In 2007, GD's revenues were $7.8 billion, with $382 million in profits, an increase of 33% since 1983. GD also has a particularly close relationship with the Pentagon; 94% of its contracts come from the US government.
During 2007-2008, Vermont Democratic House Representative Peter Welch received $3,500 in donations from General Dynamics. An online petition in protest of this campaign contribution to Welch is available to sign here.
While holding a bag of bread and fruit for those inside the lobby, bearded, 20 year old activist, Dube said "it's becoming clear that after five years people are against the war. And throughout New England there are weapons manufacturers making it possible for the US to subjugate the Iraqis." He participated in the protest at GD in part because in spite of all the economic needs in the US, hundreds of billions of dollars are being spent in on the wars abroad. "Our government is not dealing with the problems in our economy and global warming, and at the same time we're giving tax breaks to weapons manufacturers like GD." Regarding the importance of the group's tactics, Dube said, "We are trying to renew the focus of anti-war activism more on the complicity of our communities in war."
Peace activist Jonathan Leavitt was quoted in the press release as saying. "While our state struggles with [Governor] Jim Douglas' budget cuts and layoffs, gas prices, affordable housing and lack of health coverage, war profiteers like General Dynamics steal tax breaks from working families. We're here today as Vermonters to say no more handouts for war profiteers."
Dozens of activists remained in and around the GD lobby for over six hours, chanting slogans, waving signs and sharing food. The protesters in the lobby said they would not leave the building until their demands were met. However, officials from GD refused to speak with the activists. Burlington Lt. Emmet Helrich said "Nobody from General Dynamics is going to talk to you, that's a fact." The activists in the lobby were arrested at 8:45 when the police went in to cut them loose.
Meanwhile, GD continues to reap enormous profits on the Bush administration's wars. On May 2, the national company was awarded a $51 million dollar Abrams Tank contract.
See this video of the May 1st action at General Dynamics in Burlington, VT. Filmed and edited by Sam Mayfield:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppkrg-hNrPk&eurl
For more information, see
http://stopgeneraldynamics.blogspot.com/
Benjamin Dangl is the editor of TowardFreedom.com, a Vermont-based publication on international events.
Wrap...
May 5, 2008
http://plutocracyagainstdemocracy.blogspot.com/
Vermont Peace Activists Occupy General Dynamics
May Day Raid on Weapons Plant
By BENJAMIN DANGL
(counterpunch.com)
On May 1st, International Workers' Day, ten peace activists in Burlington, Vermont entered General Dynamics and locked themselves together in the main lobby of the building in protest against the company's weapons manufacturing and war profiteering. University of Vermont student Benjamin Dube, one of the dozens of other activists present at the event, leaned out a window of the lobby, and pointed to the GD building, explaining, "This is the gas tank of the war machine, and we are the sugar."
The demonstrators entered the lobby at around 3pm, and proceeded to lock their arms together with PVC piping, duct tape and other materials. According to a press release put out by the group, the activists were demanding that "General Dynamics stop giving campaign contributions to the politicians responsible for regulating it, stop making Gatling guns, missiles and other weapons of mass destruction and give back the $3.6 million dollars in Vermont tax breaks General Dynamics received in 2007."
While activists at GD chanted slogans such as, "Hey GD, what do you say, how many kids did you kill today" and "GD out of the Middle East, No Justice, No Peace," banners against GD and the Iraq War were set up on three major streets and highways in the area. This anti-war action in Burlington took place at the same time thousands of dockworkers at 29 major ports across on the west coast refused to go to work in protest against the Iraq War. In March, Vermonters in Brattleboro and Marlboro passed a measure in town meetings to arrest George W. Bush and Dick Cheney for crimes against the constitution if they ever arrived in either town.
Rachel Ruggles was one of the activists locked down in the GD lobby. Wearing a green bandana and glasses, this 19 year old from Vergennes, VT, and student at the University of Vermont, said "we are participating in this non-violent direct action to get attention and make a statement against the Iraq War, to say we don't support GD's war profiteering... GD is not contributing to the peace economy. The money from their tax breaks should go back to the Vermont community."
General Dynamics is a national company whose branch in Burlington produces, among other things, Hydra-70 rockets and missile launchers. Mike Ives, a journalist with VT based Seven Days, wrote in March of this year that, according to General Dynamics company spokesperson Tim Haddock, GD employees in Burlington "manufacture the "Goalkeeper Close-In Weapon System." The "Goalkeeper" is a 14,000-pound gun that's mounted to ships and can fire up to 4200 shots per minute of "missile-piercing" ammunition."
According to Time Magazine, St. Louis-based General Dynamics is the top defense contractor in the US. The Bush administration's "War on Terror" has been good for GD business. In 2007, GD's revenues were $7.8 billion, with $382 million in profits, an increase of 33% since 1983. GD also has a particularly close relationship with the Pentagon; 94% of its contracts come from the US government.
During 2007-2008, Vermont Democratic House Representative Peter Welch received $3,500 in donations from General Dynamics. An online petition in protest of this campaign contribution to Welch is available to sign here.
While holding a bag of bread and fruit for those inside the lobby, bearded, 20 year old activist, Dube said "it's becoming clear that after five years people are against the war. And throughout New England there are weapons manufacturers making it possible for the US to subjugate the Iraqis." He participated in the protest at GD in part because in spite of all the economic needs in the US, hundreds of billions of dollars are being spent in on the wars abroad. "Our government is not dealing with the problems in our economy and global warming, and at the same time we're giving tax breaks to weapons manufacturers like GD." Regarding the importance of the group's tactics, Dube said, "We are trying to renew the focus of anti-war activism more on the complicity of our communities in war."
Peace activist Jonathan Leavitt was quoted in the press release as saying. "While our state struggles with [Governor] Jim Douglas' budget cuts and layoffs, gas prices, affordable housing and lack of health coverage, war profiteers like General Dynamics steal tax breaks from working families. We're here today as Vermonters to say no more handouts for war profiteers."
Dozens of activists remained in and around the GD lobby for over six hours, chanting slogans, waving signs and sharing food. The protesters in the lobby said they would not leave the building until their demands were met. However, officials from GD refused to speak with the activists. Burlington Lt. Emmet Helrich said "Nobody from General Dynamics is going to talk to you, that's a fact." The activists in the lobby were arrested at 8:45 when the police went in to cut them loose.
Meanwhile, GD continues to reap enormous profits on the Bush administration's wars. On May 2, the national company was awarded a $51 million dollar Abrams Tank contract.
See this video of the May 1st action at General Dynamics in Burlington, VT. Filmed and edited by Sam Mayfield:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppkrg-hNrPk&eurl
For more information, see
http://stopgeneraldynamics.blogspot.com/
Benjamin Dangl is the editor of TowardFreedom.com, a Vermont-based publication on international events.
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