Greetings, fellow Freedom Fighters™ and Defenders of Democracy™!Today, we bring you an assortment of news to inform you -- the thirteen scariest people in America and other information that is nothing short of frightening. Don't miss today's HuffPo entry: "Hundreds Of Thousands Of US Weapons Unaccounted For In Iraq...." We also bring you a wee bit of fun and Halloween humor to entertain you.
Keep the faith and keep fighting: together, we WILL win our nation back!
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Recommended LinksThe Thirteen Scariest People in America
http://www.alternet.org/stories/43586/The Scariest Halloween Greeting You'll Ever See!
http://www.bluemountain.com/view.pd?i=148307887&m=2450&rr=y&source=bma999
Tony Snowjob's fib that the Bush White House only ever said "stay the course" eight time: Think Progress found nearly 40 occurrences ...
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/10/24/snow-stay-the-course/
... and the White House's own search returns some 157 occurrences of the phrase "stay the course" (granted, not all were made by Bush himself, but we at The Scallion are not about to quibble over the White House's own numbers):
http://www.whitehouse.gov/query.html?col=colpics&qt=
%22stay+the+course%22&submit.x=0&submit.y=0
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And now ... a bit of funPresident George W. Bush was scheduled to visit the Episcopal Church outside Washington as part of his campaign to restore his poll standings.
Bush's campaign manager made a visit to the Bishop and said to him, "We've been getting a lot of bad publicity because of the President's position on stem cell research, the Iraq war, Katrina, and the like. We'd gladly make a contribution to the Church of $100 000 if during your sermon you'd say the President is a Saint."
The Bishop thought it over for a few moments and finally said, "The Church is in desperate need of funds and I will agree to do it."
Bush showed up for the sermon and the Bishop began: "I'd like to speak to you all this morning about our President. George Bush is a liar, a cheat, and a low-intelligence weasel. He took the tragedy of September 11 and used it to frighten and manipulate the American people. He lied about weapons of mass destruction and invaded Iraq for oil and money, causing the deaths of tens of thousands and making the United States the most hated country on earth."
"He appointed cronies to positions of power and influence, leading to widespread death and destruction during Hurricane Katrina. He awarded contracts and tax cuts to his rich friends so that we now have more poverty in this country, and a greater gap between rich and poor, than we've had since the Depression. He instituted illegal wiretaps when getting a warrant from a secret court would have been a mere administrative detail, had his henchmen lie to Congress about it, then claimed he is above the law."
"He has headed the most corrupt, bribe-inducing political party since Teapot Dome . The national surplus has turned into a staggering national debt of $7.6 trillion; gas prices are up 85%, and vital research into global warming and stem cells is stopped cold because he's afraid to lose votes from some religious kooks."
"He is the worst example of a true Christian I've ever known. But compared to Dick Cheney and Karl Rove, George Bush is a Saint."
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From our information clearinghouseThese are items we receive from the countless mailing lists to which The Scallion collectively subscribes. They are worth the effort of at least a good skim.
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From AlterNetThe Problematic Pop-Culture Movement to 'Save' AfricaBy G. Pascal Zachary, AlterNet
Madonna's adoption debacle is about more than one Malawian baby. Celebrity stunts and corporate campaigns reveal that well-meaning Americans often have no idea how to help Africans.
Workplace Harassment Now a Teen Rite of PassageBy Debra Katz, Justine F. Andronici, Ms. Magazine
Harasment has become a common experience for teens in the American workforce -- not only those that work on Capitol Hill.
'Plaid-Collar' Crime on the Rise in the Rural U.S.By Patrik Jonsson, Christian Science Monitor
Heists are growing problem for America's farm belt, where artichoke absconders, nut nappers, tree thieves, and even cattle rustlers are stealing commodities at impressive rates.
The Stealth 'Feminists' Who Oppose AbortionBy Adele M. Stan, The American Prospect
The anti-choice group Feminists for Life is dangerously clever and well-connected.
Round Population Numbers Fuel the Immigration ScareBy Christopher Hayes, TheNation.com
Even though anti-immigration activists like to trot out population figures to support closing the borders, we should really be concerned with the number of cars -- not people -- in the U.S.
Bush uses "the Google" [VIDEO]One of the most richest sites on the internets
What part of ILLEGAL don't you understand?When it comes to immigration, the law-and-order absolutists have always had a weak position.
Vets group proves GOP does not support troopsLowest-rated Senators are all Republicans
Whoops: Top GOP spin doctor says Iraq is a 'failure'... in ArabicAccused U.S. of being 'arrogant' and 'stupid'
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The Bottled Water LieBy Michael Blanding, AlterNet
The corporations that sell bottled water are depleting natural resources, jacking up prices, and lying when they tell you their water is purer and tastes better than the stuff that comes out of the tap.
Asian Workers Trafficked to Build U.S. Embassy in BaghdadBy David Phinney, CorpWatch
The State Department quietly awarded a corrupt Kuwaiti company a $592-million contract to build the embassy in Iraq.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Fails the Manliness TestBy David Morris, AlterNet
When it comes to standing up to Bush and other conservative bullies, Ah-nold is a girly-man.
GOP Fear-Mongering Kicks into High GearBy Arianna Huffington, HuffingtonPost.com
With Republicans' talk of Osama, race-baiting and terror, it's beginning to look a lot like November.
A Pedophile Priest Speaks OutBy Jesse Hamlin, San Francisco Chronicle
The notorious Catholic priest Oliver O'Grady -- who sexually abused children for 20 years, including a 9-month-old baby -- is the subject of a chilling new documentary. 'Deliver Us From Evil.'
Readers Write: The Madonna Adoption ControversyBy Don Hazen, AlterNet
AlterNet readers had some heated opinions about the Madonna adoption debacle -- here are some of them.
Rosie compares Apartheid to Patriot Act [VIDEO]By Evan Derkacz
The View ain't no knitting circle
Dobbs pits 'black vs. brown' [VIDEO]By Evan Derkacz
It's a kind of balance, I guess...
Conservative magazine gives up on Republicans for the electionBy Jan Frel
Jan Frel:
The Weekly Standard puts John Tester on the cover and runs a fawning Howard Dean profile.
Kennedy, Leahy blast Bush's Iraq wake-up callBy Bob Geiger
Democratic Senators quickly lash Bush's pre-election posturing
Sex trafficking in IraqBy Melissa McEwan
Bush's legacy turns another corner...
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Why Republicans Are Running from Bush At Election TimeBy Joshua Holland, AlterNet
Bush's White House is going down in flames, and the Republican machine is doing everything it can to keep "conservatism" from burning along with it.
Workers' Rights Are About Dignity As Much As WagesBy Barbara Ehrenreich, The Progressive
CEOs use shame and intimidation to keep workers "productive," but the real shame is on executives who make eight-figure incomes while their lowest-paid employees trudge between food banks.
Rush Limbaugh's Sleaze CampaignBy Molly Ivins, AlterNet
For misinformation and cruelty, not to mention plain bad manners, it is so hard to beat Rush Limbaugh.
A Candidate Who Hears Our Election Systems' SoSBy Phoebe Connelly, In These Times
Democrat Mark Ritchie is one of a handful of hero candidates running for Secretary of State across America who will do everything to make sure voters have the best democracy possible.
Marriage Is Alive And Well Among Foreign-Born AmericansBy Pueng Vongs, New America Media
The decline in marriage has gripped the headlines of late, but the reports don't mention that marriage is holding its own among Americans who were born abroad.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Fails the Manliness TestBy David Morris, AlterNet
When it comes to standing up to Bush and other conservative bullies, Ah-nold is a girly-man.
Bush spokes-fratboy says 'Race Card' 'always' played with Black candidates [VIDEO]By Evan Derkacz
Not racist, just 'a little bit cute'
Thomas Friedman runs into a brick wall of realityBy Joshua Holland
Joshua Holland: How one of the columnist's cookie-cutter kvetches looks to someone who actually knows something of his subject.
Ohio GOP floats fake Al Franken quote and doctored photoBy Lindsay Beyerstein
News release contained manufactured quote.
Bush Admin. pushes sex-segregated educationBy Ann Friedman
Separate but
substantially equal? Give me a break.
Iraqi Prime Minister disavows US raidBy Lindsay Beyerstein
PM says he was not consulted.
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How Jesus Endorsed Bush's Invasion of IraqBy Damon Linker, Doubleday
In the lead up to the invasion of Iraq, Bush needed the approval of religious leaders to shore up his religious base and a group of Catholic theoconservatives were happy to help him do just that.
Not the President's Men: Frank Rich and I.F. Stone's Fight Against PropagandaBy John Powers, The Nation
A review of
Frank Rich's The Greatest Story Ever Sold and two books on I.F. Stone show how media politics have become about repeating the same few things until they seem inevitable, especially if they aren't true.
Is Organic Fast Food a Total Whopper?By Kate Galbraith, Grist Magazine
As the $14 billion organic food industry gathers steam, the concept of healthy fast food is spreading.
The End of the World As We Know It?By Jane Smiley, HuffingtonPost.com
There aren't many tyrants in history who can truthfully say they put the entire future of civilization at risk just to make a buck -- but Dick Cheney can.
Waiting for Goldilocks: Getting Japan's Foreign Policy Just RightBy Richard J. Samuels, AlterNet
As in the classic children's story, Japan must find a balance between extremes with its foreign policy.
Enron's Enablers Go UnpunishedBy Robert Scheer, AlterNet
Why were the dots between the Enron swindlers and their government sponsors never connected?
Dixie Chicks, Bush is a "dumb ____," Trailer refused by NBC? [VIDEO]By Evan Derkacz
Because we certainly don't want a Press that criticizes the government...
Why won't the media cover this outrageous October Surprise?By Joshua Holland
This is simply unacceptable.
Iraq and national security by the Numbers...By Evan Derkacz
The dead, the wounded and the money.
The netroots "Google bombs" the electionsBy Joshua Holland
New organizers are bringing ideas to the table of which the old-guard political class could never dream.
Halliburton Voter GuideBy Evan Derkacz
Contractors tell you who THEY love...
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How to Stop the November Elections from Being StolenBy Don Hazen, AlterNet
Progressive Democrats are saying "we need to get people to the polls in large numbers, win big, and protect the vote counting to make sure that the congressional elections are not stolen on November 7th."
Joe Lieberman's Endless HypocrisyBy Cliff Schecter, AlterNet
If you don't like Sen. Joe Lieberman's position on an issue today, just check back with him tomorrow.
The Thirteen Scariest People in AmericaOld Trout Magazine
From the scariest presidential candidate to the scariest billionaire to the scariest cop, these truly are the worst America has to offer.
Bush 'Staying the Course' Right Over a CliffBy George Lakoff, AlterNet
What the president is discovering is that it's not so easy to make us forget his position on Iraq: The laws of language are hard to defy.
Stem-Cell Debate Ignores WomenBy Marcy Darnovsky, TomPaine.com
Stem-cell research is dependent on women who are willing to donate their eggs for research. But nobody's talking about the donors.
Soros to Fox News: "[Your colleagues are] so disreputable I wouldn't want to mention their names." [VIDEO]By Evan Derkacz
Guess who he's talking about...
Indy journalist slain in Mexico violenceBy Deanna Zandt
Left-wing protesters in Oaxaca were attacked by pro-government forces, and videographer Brad Will was caught in the crossfire.
Right-wing thugs open fire on protesters in OaxacaBy Joshua Holland
Joshua Holland: At least four dead in "massacre"; thousands of
Federales descend on the city; more violence could come; call for action.
Media Mash: The Dixie Chicks' coupBy The Masher
Oh, the irony of having ads for your movie about free speech get banned.
The September 11 suicide attack you probably never heard about By Joshua Holland
Joshua Holland: The terror junkies are pretty selective about their outrage: Islamic terror is all the rage, but terrorism by extreme Christianists ... not so much.
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From the Center for American ProgressGOOD NEWS
"A growing body of academic and market research suggests millennials -- who are in their mid-20s and younger -- are
civic-minded and socially conscious as individuals, consumers and employees."
STATE WATCHILLINOIS: The personal information of 1.3 million Chicago voters may be at risk.
NEW YORK: "Was surprise snowstorm caused by global warming?"
SCIENCE: States splitting with the Bush administration on stem cell research.
BLOG WATCHTHINK PROGRESS: Video: Bush says he uses "the Google."
TPM MUCKRAKER: Worries persist over fairness of Foley probe.
GUARDIAN: "
Must see" new eight-minute movie, "Iraq: The Real Story."
POLITICAL TICKER: Active-duty soldiers call for end to Iraq war.
DAILY GRILL"[T]he terrorists are actually involved and want to involve themselves in our electoral process, which must mean they want a change."
-- Vice President Cheney,
10/17/06VERSUS
"I don't have any intelligence that says that."
-- President Bush,
10/22/06, in response to ABC This Week host George Stephanopoulos's question whether terrorists are trying to "influence the elections"
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GOOD NEWS
"Some urban areas are starting a new race: to lead the nation in
reducing greenhouse gases."
STATE WATCHVIRGINIA: Gov. Tim Kaine (D) becomes the 200th attorney to sign
a list opposing a constitutional amendment to block same-sex marriage in Virginia.
ARIZONA: Language on ballot calls for an ".80 cent" tax hike on cigarettes, instead of 80 cents, or about $186 million less than intended.
HEALTH CARE: Six in 10 Americans rate the nation's health-care system as "fair" or "poor."
WOMEN'S RIGHTS: More women are seeking legislative office.
BLOG WATCHTHINK PROGRESS: Rumsfeld agrees Bush is "not backing away from staying the course."
CARPETBAGGER REPORT: Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) suggests not supporting him is akin to appeasing Nazi Germany.
CREW BLOG: Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT) asks judge to give convicted Bush official no prison time.
CLIMATE PROGRESS: Canada's conservatives walk away from global warming action.
DAILY GRILL"The White House said Monday that President Bush was no longer using the phrase 'stay the course' when speaking about the Iraq war."
-- New York Times,
10/24/06VERSUS
HANNITY: Well, the President is backing away from staying the course.
RUMSFELD: Aww, that s nonsense.
HANNITY: He s not backing away from staying the course?
RUMSFELD: Of course not.
-- Sean Hannity's radio interview with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld,
10/24/06 (Listen
HERE)
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GOOD NEWS
"The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged
$23 million to help fight HIV/AIDS in India, which has the world's highest number of people living with the disease."
STATE WATCHNEBRASKA: Nebraska attempts to remove a state trooper who is a member of the Knight's Party, an offshoot of the KKK.
CALIFORNIA: Home sales dropped 30 percent from 2005 levels.
IRAQ: "Voters in three states will consider calls for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq when they go to the polls in less than two weeks."
BLOG WATCHTHINK PROGRESS: ABC News Director to Bill O Reilly: Media has liberal bias and "we've got to fix that."
E&P: Gallup poll shows 54 percent of Americans want Iraq redeployment within one year.
J-WALKING: Former White House faith-based deputy David Kuo asks, where are the religious right's denunciations of Rush Limbaugh?
DAILY GRILL"I think we should take Rush at his word. He has issued this apology."
-- CNN correspondent John King,
10/25/06, on Rush Limbaugh's "apology" for saying Michael J. Fox exaggerated the symptoms of Parkinson's disease in an advertisement promoting stem cell research
VERSUS
"I stand by what I said. I take back none of what I said. I wouldn't rephrase it any differently. It is what I believe; it is what I think. It is what I have found to be true."
-- Rush Limbaugh,
10/25/06-----
GOOD NEWS
"Free speech pays." The Knight Foundation is dispensing $5 million to cyberjournalism projects through a new site called
NewsChallenge.org.
STATE WATCHFLORIDA: State House leaders consider disciplining "a South Florida Republican who left a racial slur on the cell phone of another lawmaker."
CALIFORNIA: New site "brings together information on campaign contributions and votes in the California legislature."
ARIZONA: Under pressure from climate change, state leads on carbon reduction efforts.
BLOG WATCHTHINK PROGRESS: Video: Michael J. Fox: "I could give a damn about Rush Limbaugh's pity...I'm not a victim."
THE BLOTTER: Former House Clerk names Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) as a "problem" with page program.
TPM MUCKRAKER: IRS delays collecting back taxes from Hurricane Katrina victims until after election to avoid political fallout.
DAILY GRILL"The bill authorizes the construction of hundreds of miles of additional fencing along our southern border."
-- President Bush,
10/27/06, at the signing ceremony for the Secure Fence Act
VERSUS
"No sooner did Congress authorize construction of a 700-mile fence on the U.S.-Mexico border last week than lawmakers rushed to approve separate legislation that ensures it will never be built, at least not as advertised."
-- Washington Post,
10/5/06, on how Congress has given Bush leeway to distribute the funds originally intended for a fence to a combination of other projects
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GOOD NEWS
Voting was largely peaceful in the
Democratic Republic of Congo's run-off presidential election yesterday, the country's first fully democratic election in more than 40 years.
STATE WATCHOHIO: A federal appeals court yesterday ruled that voters must show proof of identification before casting ballots next week.
NEW JERSEY: Half of New Jersey's 40 state senators say they would not support a bill legalizing gay marriage.
CRIME: St. Louis, MO, named the most dangerous U.S. city.
BLOG WATCHTHINK PROGRESS: Leaked memo: Karen Hughes thinks small in combating Iraq's insurgency.
POLITICAL ANIMAL: Income inequality in a nutshell.
DAILY DISH: David Letterman v. Bill O'Reilly, round II.
GRIST MILL: From cow poop to cow power: a journey in photographs.
DAILY GRILLWould you get off the global warming stuff, some people are saying. No, I m not going to get off of it because what s at stake is the US economy, folks, what s at stake is our lifestyle. The people that are trying to force this on everybody and take the natural fluctuations of our climate.
-- Rush Limbaugh,
8/3/06VERSUS
"The UK issued an urgent call to arms on tackling climate change on Monday with a major government report warning that global warming was likely to do more economic damage than either of the world wars or the Great Depression if it continues unchecked."
-- CNN,
10/30/06-----
From "Democracy Now!"* The Battle for Congress: John Nichols on How Anti-War and Pro-Labor
Candidates Could Help the Democrats Win Control of Both Houses *
Election Day is just two weeks away. It's being described as the most
pivotal battle for Congress in over a decade. Today, we spend the hour
looking at some of the key contests and issues that are shaping this year's
mid-term elections. Democrats have significantly improved their chances of
taking control of both the Senate and the House.
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/24/1412243* The Battle for Congress: Tennessee's Harold Ford Aims to Become First
Black Senator From the South Since Reconstruction *
One of the most closely watched races this election is in Tennessee.
Representative Harold Ford is running against Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker
for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Majority Leader Bill Frist.
The race has gotten increasingly close in recent weeks. Democrats hope that
this seat will be one of the six seats needed to regain their majority.
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/24/1412248* The Battle for Congress: Can Lamont Beat Lieberman Again? A Look at
Connecticut's Senate Race *
Ned Lamont, a wealthy telecommunications executive, is trying to pull off a
second upset over Senator Joseph Lieberman after defeating him in the
Democratic primary this summer. Lieberman is running as an independent but
says he'll caucus with Senate Democrats if he keeps his seat.
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/24/1412253* Headlines for October 23, 2006 *
- 65 Active Duty Soldiers Call for End of Iraq Occupation
- Sen. Graham on Iraq: "We're on the Verge of Chaos"
- Tony Snow: Bush Will No Longer Say "Stay the Course"
- Italy's Top Spy To Be Indicted in CIA Kidnapping Case
- Other Nations Justify Torture Citing U.S. Policies
- Former Enron CEO Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison
- U.S. Drops to #53 on Worldwide Press Freedom Index List
- AFL-CIO Files UN Complaint Over New Labor Rules
- Blix Criticizes U.S. For Not Signing Nuke Test Ban Treaty
- OAS to U.S.: Don't Meddle in Nicaraguan Election
- Palestinian Leaders Condemn Israel's Attack in Gaza
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/24/1412238-----
* Green Politics: Green Party Excluded From Mid-Term Debates *
We spend the hour on Green politics and how third party candidates are being
blocked from taking part in debates. We begin in New York, where the League
of Women Voters has withdrawn its sponsorship of three debates in New York
because Green Party candidates were excluded from participation. We¹re
joined by Green Party Senate Candidate Howie Hawkins and League of Women
Voters analyst Betsey Swan.
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/25/1422220* Green Politics: Anti-War House Candidate Michael Berg on His Debate
Lock-Out in Delaware and How His Son¹s Death in Iraq Led to His Candidacy *
We turn to Delaware and the race for the state¹s one House seat. Three
challengers are vying to upset seven-term incumbent Republican Congressman,
Mike Castle. Democratic candidate Dennis Spivack is up against Karen
Hartley-Nagle, who is running as an Independent and Michael Berg, who is on
the Green Party ticket. Michael Berg is the father of Nicholas Berg, the
26-year-old American who was captured and beheaded in Iraq in May 2004.
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/25/1422225* Green Politics: Pennsylvania Greens Take GOP Donations in Ballot Drive *
We turn now to Pennsylvania where newly released campaign finance documents
have revealed the state¹s Green Party has been receiving money from a most
unlikely source prominent Republicans. We speak with the reporter who
helped break the story.
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/25/1422233* Green Politics: Anti-War Washington Senatorial Candidate Says Dems Tried
to Bribe Him Not to Run *
The Green Party nominee for Senate in Washington is Aaron Dixon. Last week,
Dixon was arrested at a local television station for entering the lobby and
demanding that he be included in a televised debates between his Democratic
and Republican opponents. Dixon talks about his arrest, and says Democratic
representatives tried to bribe him to drop out of the race.
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/25/1422243* Headlines for October 25, 2006 *
- US May Send More Troops to Iraq
- ³Near Breaking Point², UK May Withdraw Troops
- 100 US Troops Sign Appeal for Iraq Withdrawal
- 5 Killed in US Air Strike on Baghdad
- Venezuela Denies Abandoning Security Council Bid
- Report: 10 States Face Voting Problems
- Study: 2006 Mid-Terms Most Expensive Ever
- Figures Show Racial Disparity in Katrina Insurance Claims
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/25/1422210-----
* In Echoes of Past Intervention, Bush Administration Opposes Nicaraguan
Frontrunner Daniel Ortega *
Election monitors from the Organization of American States have warned the
Bush administration not to interfere in the upcoming presidential election
in Nicaragua. The Bush administration has openly opposed the front-runner
Daniel Ortega. The Sandinista leader is trying to regain power for the first
time since 1990. We speak with veteran Nicaraguan human rights defender
Vilma Nunez.
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/26/1341242* Veteran Investigative Journalist Bob Parry on the Iran-Contra Scandal and
the Perils of Reporting It *
Investigative journalist Robert Parry helped expose the Iran-Contra scandal
in the 1980s while working as a reporter for the Associated Press and
Newsweek. He joins us from Washington.
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/26/1341249* New York Judge Awards $19 Million to Victims of CIA-Backed Haitian Death
Squad Leader Toto Constant *
A former Haitian death squad leader living in New York City has been ordered
to pay $19 million in damages to three women who survived rape and other
abuses committed by troops under his command. Emmanuel ³Toto² Constant led
the paramilitary group the Front for the Advancement and Progress of Haiti,
or FRAPH, which killed thousands of supporters of former Haitian President
Jean Bertrand Aristide in the early 1990s.
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/26/1341255* Hip Hop Artist M-1 of Dead Prez: "The Media in This Country is an Organ of
the State... It Controls What We Are Hearing and Seeing" *
Last week in New York, hundreds of citizens gathered for a town hall meeting
on the future of diversity in the nation¹s media. Speakers included several
artists and activists from the hip hop community. We play a speech from M-1
of the rap group dead prez.
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/26/1341225* Headlines for October 26, 2006 *
- NATO Accused of Killing At Least 60 Afghan Civilians
- Iraqi PM Denies US Claims on Timetable Agreement
- 5 US Troops Killed in Iraq; Month's Toll at 96
- NJ Court Affirms Legal Rights for Same-Sex Couples
- Cheney Appears to Confirm US Practices Waterboarding
- Report: German Intel Agents Witnessed US Torture
- German Military Reels From Soldier Photos in Afghanistan
- Study: Niger Delta Top 5 World's Polluted Areas
- US Bars Entry to 3rd Prominent Muslim in Past Week
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/26/1341236-----
* Worst Congress Ever: Rolling Stone Writer Matt Taibbi on How Our National
Legislature Has Become a "Stable of Thieves and Perverts" *
Rolling Stone contributing editor Matt Tabbi takes an in-depth look at the
outgoing 109th Congress in his article, "The Worst Congress Ever." In it,
Taibbi writes that over the past six years, "The U.S. parliament became a
historical punch line, a political obscenity on par with the court of Nero
or Caligula -- a stable of thieves and perverts who committed crimes rolling
out of bed in the morning and did their very best to turn the mighty
American empire into a debt-laden, despotic backwater, a Burkina Faso with
cable."
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/27/1340203* NJ Supreme Court Affirms Legal Rights for Same-Sex Couples *
The Supreme Court of New Jersey ruled Wednesday that gay couples are
entitled to the same legal rights as married heterosexuals. The ruling could
make New Jersey the second state in the nation to allow gay marriage. We
speak with one of the seven gay couples who filed the lawsuit.
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/27/1340249* Breaking the Silence: Fmr. Israeli Soldier Tours U.S. to Expose Abuse of
Palestinians by Israeli Military *
We speak with Yehuda Shaul, a former Israeli soldier, who has just begun a
tour of the United States to give an inside look at how the Israeli military
treats Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/27/1341203* Headlines for October 27, 2006 *
- Rumsfeld to Media, War Critics: ³Back Off²
- Marine Pleads Guilty in Hamdania Murder Case
- UN Official: Women Face Increasing Threats in Iraq
- Afghan Women, Children Among Victims of NATO Strike
- Admin Renews $600M Colombia Military Assistance
- Democrats Widen Lead; Evangelical Support for GOP Drops
- Frist Urges GOP Candidates to Shift Focus From Iraq, Terror
- GOP Pulls Controversial Tennessee Campaign Ad
- Bush Admin Seeks New Restrictions on Gitmo Prisoners
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/27/1339251-----
* Report from Oaxaca: Federal Police Do Not Have Control of the City *
Mexican President Vicente Fox has sent in thousands of federal police to
Oaxaca to crush the popular uprising there. We go to Oaxaca to speak with
Gustavo Esteva, founder of the Universidad de la Tierra in Oaxaca. Esteva
says, "The police can come and occupy with all their weapons and tanks. They
can occupy one area, they can occupy one specific point, but they cannot
control the city. They cannot take over our lives and our country."
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/30/1535230* Brad Will 1970-2006: Friends Remember Indymedia Journalist and Activist
Killed in Oaxaca *
Mourners gathered outside the Mexican consulate in New York on Saturday to
pay tribute to journalist and activist Brad Will. He was shot dead in Oaxaca
Mexico on Friday. He died with his camera in his hands. We speak with some
of Brad's friends and colleagues who remember his lifetime of activism.
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/30/1535239* Brad Will In His Own Words: Archival Footage of Slain Journalist and
Activist Discussing the Importance of Community Media and the Struggle
Against NYC Demolition of a Lower East Side Squat *
We turn to some archival footage of Brad Will, the U.S. journalist and
activist shot dead in Oaxaca on Friday. We play a recording of Brad from the
late 1990s at a time when he hosted a radio show on the pioneering
microradio station "Steal This Radio" and a recording of Brad talking about
efforts to prevent New York City from demolishing a squat on the Lower East
Side.
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/30/1535244* David Rovics Pays Tribute to Fellow Musician and Friend Brad Will *
Musician David Rovics, pays tribute to his friend, Brad Will, the U.S.
journalist and activist shot dead in Oaxaca on Friday. Rovics says, "For
those of us alive today who had the honor of being one of Brad's large
circle of friends, his memory will be with us painfully, deeply, lovingly,
until we all join him beneath the ground -- hopefully only after each of us
has managed to have the kind of impact on each other, on the movement, and
the world that Brad surely had in his short 36 years."
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/30/1535249* Headlines for October 30, 2006 *
- Thousands of Mexican Police Officers Raid Oaxaca
- NYC Indymedia Journalist Brad Will Shot Dead in Oaxaca
- U.S. Death Toll in Iraq Tops 100 in October
- U.S. Failed To Track Weapons Sent to Iraq
- Army Admits It Mislead Families Over Soldier Deaths
- Lula Re-Elected in Landslide
- Congo Holds Historic Election
- Report: Israel May Have Dropped Uranium-Based Bombs in Lebanon
- Israeli AG: President Katsav Should Step Aside
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/30/1535223-----
From HuffPo AP
The battle between Democrats and Republicans for independent voters is fierce this political season, with midterm elections only two weeks away. Unaffiliated voters will play a "pivotal" role on this Election Day, according to the
Washington Post, because party loyalties on both sides are particularly strong this year.
Polls show the GOP definitively losing the fight for the independent vote, with independents supporting Democrats by a 2 to 1 margin. These voters are primarily opposed to Republican leadership because of dissatisfaction with the war in Iraq: only one-third of independents say the war is worth fighting, and many cite the war as the most important issue in the elections. Independents reflect a significant national trend: many Americans believe Iraq to be the preeminent issue, and most are not happy with the course of the conflict.
Click here to read the whole story.
Click here to discuss it on HuffPost.
On AOL News...Too Expensive to Travel? Thanksgiving Airfares SoarON THE BLOG TODAY
Arianna Huffington:
Halloween Scoop: Lieberman Tries on Jack Murtha Mask in Effort to Trick VotersRichard Dawkins:
Why There Almost Certainly Is No GodSidney Blumenthal:
How Bush Rules: And How Sonny Bono Predicted the Downfall of the GOP CongressCecile Richards:
The Heart of the Heartland, 2006
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From youtube.com/AP
A Republican ad targeting Democratic Tennessee Senate Candidate Harold Ford, Jr. has attracted the attention the media this week, and is now being called racist by the NAACP. The ad shows several actors facetiously supporting Ford. The final character is a blond woman who claims, "I met Harold at the Playboy party," an apparent reference to Ford's appearance at the Playboy Superbowl Party in Jacksonville, Florida last year.
Although they are not the first to call the ad racist, the NAACP has now come out to say it "is a powerful innuendo that plays to pre-existing prejudices about African-American men and white women," as a spokeswoman for the Washington office told the
LA Times. An RNC spokesman has defended the ad and said it will run its full course.
Click here to read the whole story.
Click here to discuss it on HuffPost.
On AOL News...Party Will Prevail? Election Just Two Weeks AwayON THE BLOG TODAY
Arianna Huffington:
FearWatch Update: GOP Kickin' It Into High GearDanielle Crittenden:
Why Your Kids Should Play More Video GamesBob Cesca:
Bin Laden Is The GOP Spokesman Because President Bush Sucks Too MuchGeorge Lakoff:
Reframing: Words to Reclaim
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AP
Several questionable ads in favor of GOP candidate Bob Corker have led to concern over the role of racism in the Tennessee Senate race between Corker and Rep. Harold Ford, Jr (D-TN). A fictional television commercial sponsored by the Republican National Committee features a white woman who says that she met Ford, who is black, at a Playboy party and then winks at the camera saying, "Harold, call me."
A radio ad for Corker features the rumble of "tom-tom" drums every time Ford's name is mentioned.Corker tried to distance himself from the "Playboy" television ad, asking the RNC to pull it after receiving a negative response, and the ad was taken off the airwaves Wednesday. Corker remains on the defensive as racism charges pile up against his campaign.
Click here to read the whole story.
Click here to discuss it on HuffPost.
On AOL News: Is He Right About Iraq? Bush Says We're Winning WarON THE BLOG TODAY
Arianna Huffington:
'06 Delusion Alert: Bush Continues to Insist "We're Winning" in IraqVinod Khosla:
Don't Let the Big Oil Money Confuse You on Prop 87Bill Maher:
New Rule: We Don't Need Drug Tests for LibrariansBob Cesca:
The Republican Strategy For Winning The Bigot And Ghoul Vote
-----
AP/yahoo.com
A report commissioned by Senator John Warner (R-VA), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, found that the US has failed to track hundreds of thousands of weapons intended for Iraqi security forces. The Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction's office could not locate thousands of 9-millimeter pistols and hundreds of assault rifles, among other weapons.
Because the inspector general's office is only responsible for weapons paid for directly by the American public, it is possible that more weapons are missing. The report offered no information as to the likely locations of the missing weapons, but
The New York Times noted that the arms black-market in Baghdad is thriving.
Click here to read more.
Click here to discuss it on HuffPost.
On AOL News: Airliner With 104 Aboard Crashes in Nigeria Nearly All Feared Dead After Jet Goes Down in StormON THE BLOG TODAY
Arianna Huffington:
Will the GOP's Appeal to Our Lizard Brains Finally Fall Flat?Alec Baldwin:
True Lies: Filmmakers Go Too Far in Attack Against SchwarzeneggerNora Ephron:
Fall BackSuzanne Nossel: The Foreign Policy Upper Hand: Now That We've Got It, How Not to Let Go
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From ImpeachBush.orgHelp place the next ad
in the New York Times!
We will place a new ad in the New York Times in the coming weeks, and we will continue our mobilization efforts to get Congress to introduce articles of impeachment. We have been able to make great strides so far with the support of all those who believe in the impeachment movement. We need to raise $100,000 in the next month to place the new newspaper ads.
Your contribution is
urgently needed.
-Ramsey Clark
The Bush Administrations presentation of its purpose and continuing role in Iraq is one of elaborate and shifting deception just as were its original explanations of why it waged its war of aggression against Iraq. First one thing, then another: weapons of mass destruction, ties to Al Qaeda, to rid the country of a tyrant, to establish democracy and freedom in the Middle East, to destroy international terrorism at center stage.
All were fabricated and known to be false by the President and the principal civil officers of the United Stateswhose purpose led us down this garden path to genocide and the enmity of friend and foe alike.
Today, as the Congressional mid-term elections approach, the Bush Administration is desperate to lay blame elsewhere for its failure to stabilize the country, curtail the rising U.S. casualties while still ignoring Iraqi casualties, and offer any hope for peace and the withdrawal of U.S. and all foreign forces from Iraq. It charges its own puppet government responsible for the violent chaos its policies have caused and it has failed to prevent.
A time table, heretofore verboten as playing into enemy hands, is to be presented to Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki within which he must disarm sectarian militias and reach other political, economic and military benchmarks toward social stability, which the U.S. with all its fire power and billions misspent has failed to approach.
The U.S. knows Maliki cannot achieve such goals. Just staying alive is a challenge he cannot meet without U.S. help and even then perhaps not for long, if the U.S. remains in Iraq.
Ramsey Clark interviewed on CNN from Iraq.
Every time I go to Iraq, the government of Iraq is harder to find. It used to appear to run the airport. Last week armed U.S. contractors rushed me and other lawyers, Iraqi and different Arab nationalities, from the plane through customs and immigration, to waiting U.S. military vehicles, both coming and going. On the drive into Baghdad the protection was entirely U.S. military in the SUV with us, but with U.S. Army tanks, engines running, a crew member scanning the area with binoculars from tank turrets and fortified positions stationed near the roadway.
The government of Iraq, almost as badly fragmented as the society, is hidden away in the international zone secured by the U.S., plotting to gain advantage over other segments of the government and control of the oil producing areas within the country. Outside this comparatively safe haven the various factions work with regional and local leaders of their sects and government forces and militias more loyal to them.
If fear is the ultimate enemy of freedom, Iraq is the least free society on earth. Fear is pervasive, at home, work if any, school if accessible, mosque, market, the street where you live.
Conditions are heart breaking, even more so than during sanctions which killed over 1.5 million Iraqis, half under 5 years of age, between 1990 and 2003. Then the people were united in sharing food and medicine to protect the poor, the weak and the sick, as best as possible. Fear, except for the specters of malnutrition and sickness, was minimal.
Today fear is omnipresent. The death rate exceeds that of the genocidal sanctions with more than 500,000 dead after 3 and a half years of foreign aggression and occupation. Most Iraqis I talk to insist a million have died, but we do not know. And those killed are your mother, child, brother, father, friend, neighbor. Death is indiscriminate and capricious. Those who died were strong and able this very morning. And all assaults are shrouded in unbridled hatred.
The government of the United States brought this misery to the people of Iraq.
No one is more aware of the impotence and abject dependence of what George Bush calls the sovereign democracy he has brought to Iraq than the President himself. He knew before we read it on page 1 of the New York Times for October 18, 2006, that Senior American officials including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice... issued stark warnings to the Maliki government of growing American impatience, especially at the governments failure to stop the scourge of death squads operating with the knowledge, or support of the Interior Ministry...
For Maliki, these concerns have taken on a keen personal edge, exposed Monday when the White House revealed that Mr. Maliki asked President Bush in a telephone call whether there was any truth to rumors that the Americans had plans to replace him if certain things dont happen within two months,in the words of Mr. Bushs press secretary, Tony Snow.
A more pitiful plea of subservience by the head of the government of a purported democracy of sovereign equality is hard to find in history. How long will the American people tolerate these deceptions?
As for U.S. intentions in Iraq, for the first time during my visits, this October the new U.S. Embassy had risen above the high concrete barrier sealing it from view. It is a huge complex with at least 14 cranes still lifting construction materials for its completion, still on schedule. They say for next summer.
It is the Mother of all U.S. Embassies. Its initial was cost set at $570 million. We will learn of the cost overruns later. No Iraqis work on construction of the Embassy, for the same reason the architects of the Pyramids were murdered. No outsider must know its secrets. It will have its own assured water system and generators for electricity.
More significantly, it is located in the heart of Baghdad, presently in the International Zone immediately across from the Iraqi Special Tribunal where Saddam Hussein and other officials of the government the U.S. overthrew are on trial.
The U.S. Embassy in Iran was located in the heart of Tehran. It could not be protected from angry crowds that captured and held the residual staff and Marine Guards hostage. After that the U.S. has built secure Embassies removed from easy access by potentially hostile mobs. But none nearly so large, or expensive as the new U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.
The ultimate deception is that the Bush Administration intends to remain in Iraq with sufficient military force to assure the security of this huge Embassy situated in the center of a metropolitan area of six million people, a fourth of the nation.
These deceptions, too, are impeachable offenses intended to conceal the most grievous of all high crimes and misdemeanors.
The people of the United States cannot begin to rehabilitate their government in the opinion of the peoples of the world, or in the hearts of their own patriots until we impeach George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and others complicit in their crimes against peace and humanity and continuing war crimes.
We will place a new ad in the New York Times in the coming weeks and we will continue our mobilization efforts to get Congress to introduce articles of impeachment. We have been able to make great strides so far with the support of all those who believe in the impeachment movement. We need to raise $100,000 in the next few weeks to place the new newspaper ads.
Please take a moment to make your generous donation by clicking here.
Ramsey Clark
October 25, 2006
http://www.impeachbush.org/If you were forwarded this email, and would like to receive updates on the impeachment campaign,
click here. If you have not yet voted to impeach, join the over 740,000 people who have, by
clicking here or going to
http://www.impeachbush.org/ .
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From the Hightower Lowdown Thursday, October 19, 2006
Posted by
Jim HightowerIs it just me, or is the rancid stench of Washington political corruption a lot more malodorous than usual?
You might remember a decade ago when Newt Gingrich put forth his "Contract with America," pledging... [
read more]
Friday, October 20, 2006
Posted by
Jim HightowerWhy should politics be nothing but an interminable series of deadly-serious, often-boring meetings?
I say we ought to "put the party back in politics," so people can have a good time while organizing, strategizing, and mobilizing... [
read more]
Monday, October 23, 2006
Posted by
Jim HightowerPoor Dennis Hastert. Even though the longtime house speaker is third in line to be our president, very few Americans had ever heard of him - until the Mark Foley scandal.
What a way to be introduced to the public! One... [
read more]
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Posted by
Jim HightowerBig news, folks! I have inside information that George W’s war in Iraq will end sometime next year - and it will end in victory for the U. S.
My information comes from a single... [
read more]
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Posted by
Jim HightowerIn repressive regimes, it's common for the authorities to run closed governments - and its also common for them to ccrack down hard on people who dare to try shining a little light on the government's actions.
... [
read more]
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If you've read down this far, you're due for a treat ...Here's a YouTube video called "Jest Stay the Course":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3jbKBURd08-----
From WakeUpWalMart.comJust last week, something amazing happened at the Wal-Mart store in Hialeah, Florida. At least 200 Wal-Mart Associates - for the first time ever - walked out in protest of Wal-Mart's decision to cut hours and implement a new, unfair attendance policy which makes it impossible for an Associate to take care of a sick child.
Major television stations and newspapers covered the historic event, as the Associates shouted "We want justice," "We want forty hours," and "We want respect."
Within hours, Wal-Mart's management agreed to restore everyone's hours at the Hialeah Wal-Mart store.
Since then, our phone lines have been flooded with calls from Wal-Mart Associates who are ready to fight back against Wal-Mart's unfair policies. In response, we are putting together the first-ever national conference call for Wal-Mart Associates to discuss the Florida walk-out and what Associates can do to improve the conditions in their stores.
Please download the flyer and recruit at least 5 Wal-Mart Associates to join us on our first-ever national conference call:
Download the flyer in English or Spanish
As you may know, there is no public list of Wal-Mart's employees. Therefore, the only way Wal-Mart's Associates will know about our national conference call is if you download the flyer, make copies, and spread the word to every Wal-Mart Associate.
For example, you can post the flyer in your community, distribute the flyer at neighborhood meetings, email the flyer to your address list, call your friends who may work (or know someone who works) at Wal-Mart, or go to a Wal-Mart store, in a respectful manner, and hand the flyer directly to employees.
However you do it, Wal-Mart Associates, who are angry about these policy changes, need to know about the first-ever, national Wal-Mart Associate conference call and it is up to you to spread the word.
Please download the flyer and recruit at least 5 Wal-Mart Associates to join us on our first-ever national conference call:
Download the flyer in English or Spanish
On the conference call, workers will hear from several current Wal-Mart Associates who are part of Wal-Mart Workers of America. The speakers will discuss the Florida walk-out and what Associates can do to change Wal-Mart's decision to cut hours, cap salaries, change schedules without notice, and implement an unfair attendance policy which makes it impossible to get sick.
The conference call will be completely anonymous. No names, other than the scheduled speakers, will be used.
Thank you for helping us spread the word.
Best,
Paul, Jeremy, Buffy, Chris, Carlos, Matt and Laura
The WakeUpWalMart.com Team
