The Scallion

Disclaimer: this online political & social satire webzine is not suitable for the decerebrate (translation: our illustrious bonehead, his benighted administration, neo-ultraconservative Republicans, rabid Catholics, sheep, or their sympathizers) or for readers under age 18. As satirists, we take no responsibility if what we say is dangerously close to the truth. If you're under 18, stop reading this NOW & go turn yourself in to your Mommy for a well-deserved spanking, you no-good little whelp.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Scallion Election Day Special Alert --

WORKING ASSETS Breaking News: $250K Reward for Evidence of Election Fraud

$250,000 Reward For Evidence of Election Fraud

Press Release Regarding Reward for Evidence Leading to Voter Fraud
Conviction
http://act.actforchange.com/cgi-bin7/DM/y/eqs50FA7wb0COb0BRiF0EQ

Washington, Nov. 7 -- MoveOn.org Political Action is offering a
$250,000 reward for new material evidence leading to a felony
conviction for an organized effort of partisan voter suppression or
electronic voting fraud.

Throughout the day accusations of election fraud and voter suppression
incidents have been flooding into state and federal authorities
throughout the country. In Virginia, the FBI has launched a criminal
investigation into charges of voter suppression. In 20 Congressional
districts, NRCC robocalls appearing to come from Democrats harassed
voters with repeated calls in an apparently coordinated campaign to
suppress the vote.

Complementing an earlier reward for whistleblowers, MoveOn's reward is
being offered to anyone who provides this information.

Click here for the full text of the news release:
http://act.actforchange.com/cgi-bin7/DM/y/eqs50FA7wb0COb0BRiF0EQ

Sincerely,

Will Easton
Manager
Working Assets

Monday, November 06, 2006

Welcome to The Scallion’s jam-packed pre-election-day special …

Greetings, fellow Freedom Fighters™ and Defenders of Democracy™!

Today, we bring you news, information, and even some fun -- you won’t want to miss it.

Read all about America’s third-world voting system:

- VA Senator George Allen's corporate misdeeds (http://www.alternet.org/stories/43929/)
- Diebold omits Jim Webb's name from the summary page of its VA voting machines ... instead, Webb appears as "James J. 'Jim'"
- Republican dirty tricks to suppress the vote
- More Republican dirty tricks, including spamming voters with nuisance phone calls pretending to be Democrats
- A “Democracy Now!” interview describing voter suppression throughout America’s history

But wait, there's more:

- Read the moving story of Ginmar (not her real name), an Iraq veteran.
- Scroll down to the bottom of this post for advice from Working Families on how to protect the vote.
- There is also a newsletter from Dr. Christianne Northrup: the mind and body are capable of immense healing if we only relax and let them.

Watch the videos:

- Bush’s pre-senile dementia that has developed over the past ten years -- it’s documented; you can see it for yourself, undoctored; and if you’re not already worried, you should be!
- Saturday Night Live’s TV Funhouse “Conspiracy Theory Rock” Medio-opoly episode -- it only aired once before it was censored by NBC

and much, much more!

PLEASE: if you are not voting absentee, bring a videocamera with you to your polling station. As many of today’s “Democracy Now!” speakers remark, videotape is the only way to transform an event from “story” (hearsay) into “news” (credible evidence).

Also, please remember to support your favorite public and independent media and TV and radio stations. Right now, they are our ONLY source of accurate, in-depth, spin-free news. Case in point: Amy Goodman has introduced a new weekly column called "Breaking the Sound Barrier." Ask YOUR newspaper to carry it: http://www.kingfeatures.com/pressrm/PR236.htm

Keep the faith and keep fighting: together, we WILL win our nation back!

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From our mailbag

Videos to frighten and amuse

This video shows a stark difference between George W. Bush ten years ago and today. Ten years ago, the man could speak nimbly and deftly in rapid-fire debates. Today, he can’t string two intelligible words together without making a total fool of himself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pw4Bhmm22xo&mode=related&search=

Saturday Night Live’s TV Funhouse “Conspiracy Theory Rock” Media-opoly episode -- it only aired once before it was censored by NBC … can’t imagine why!
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=965683749801668899

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A few bits and bytes from Reader D.F.:

1. The REAL reason why "gun control" is so wrong and dangerous

D.F. offers “a message especially for liberal friends: as the Bush Administration dismantles the Constitution and gives the various police forces of the federal government ever more tyrannical powers, remember that, in the end, it will be ONLY millions of guns out there in the hands of private citizens that will cause our domestic Gestapos to pause before they knock on your door....”

"The gun control debate generally ignores the historical and philosophical underpinnings of the Second amendment. The Second amendment is not about hunting deer or keeping a pistol in your nightstand. It is not about protecting oneself against common criminals. It is about preventing tyranny. The Founders knew that unarmed citizens would never be able to overthrow a tyrannical government as they did. They envisioned government as a servant, not a master, of the American people. The muskets they used against the British Army were the assault rifles of that time. It is practical, rather than alarmist, to understand that unarmed citizens cannot be secure in their freedoms."--Rep. Ron Paul

While we of The Scallion are not gun enthusiasts, we cannot agree more. The whole purpose of the Second Amendment was to ensure that We The People can overthrow tyranny when it comes knocking at our doors. If the smirking chimp and his adherents gets their way, that day may come sooner rather than later.

2. Update: some goldbug comments on gold and housing

The Daily Reckoning
Paris, France
Monday, November 6, 2006

Oh ye fickle gods of the markets - give us a clearer sign!

The Dow dropped again on Friday, for the sixth day in a row - and is now
below 12,000. But each drop has been a little hesitant, as if the market
wasn’t sure it wanted to go in this direction at all.

Gold, on the other hand, has been stepping out as it if it were in a hurry.
The price rose another $1.65 on Friday and now stands at a two month high.

As long-time Daily Reckoning sufferers know, we are not exactly bullish on
gold. We buy gold, but we have no real opinion about what the price will be
or when it will be there. We like to own gold, in other words, not speculate
on it.

Gold is nature’s antidote to human financial chicanery. The more distorted
and stretched the world’s money system becomes, the more important it is to
own gold to protect yourself.

The FunnyMoneyReport.com keeps us abreast of the latest distortions:

“For starters, our country has become a nation of debt where anybody can get
a line of credit. Once reserved for the select few, many Americans are now
relying on credit to purchase the essentials of everyday life. Americans no
longer save what they earn. Second, the U.S. government for all intensive
purposes is bankrupt with a debt in the trillions. Third, the Federal
Reserve throughout its existence has continuously devalued our currency by
expanding the money supply. They continue to do so, but since they stopped
reporting the M3 money supply numbers we no longer know exactly how much
they are destroying the currency. Fourth, foreigners are looking for ways to
withdraw from U.S. currency holdings into something more stable. Fifth, the
housing boom Alan Greenspan created is in the midst of crashing. Anyone with
adjustable rate mortgages or home equity loans are getting slammed. Sixth,
real wages are going down and the price of tangible assets is going up.
Seventh, the Government Accountability Office is warning of a future
economic disaster. Eighth, U.S. Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson is now
organizing more frequent meetings of the President’s Working Group in
Financial Markets otherwise known as the Plunge Protection Team every six
weeks. The question is why would Paulson be organizing additional meetings
of this group if the economy is in good shape?”

Gold is pulled out of the ground only grudgingly and reluctantly. Each year,
the total amount of it above terra firma increases by only about 1.7
percent. But paper or electronic wealth (of nominal dollar-based assets) is
lighter than air. It puffs, floats, soars, zooms, orbits...and pretty soon,
it has lost all connection to the on-the-ground reality of the real economy.

But gold never gets too far from it.

Recently, we’ve been watching an HBO series on the history of the Roman
Empire. In last night’s episode, we saw how close the fight between Caesar
and Pompey for control of Rome really was. There was cunning and bravery on
both sides. But only one side had the gold. When Pompey fled Rome, he made
sure that the treasury went with him. But the treasure was
waylaid...lost...and then recovered by Caesar. So, in the end, while Pompey
may have had more troops, he had no way to pay them. We’ll have to wait
until tonight to find out what happens, but we have a feeling that it’s the
yellow stuff that will decide what happens.

Every government, before and since, has succumbed to the ‘Golden Rule’ - he
who has the gold makes the rules. When things are going well, a government
can get by on paper money, I.O.U.s and credit. But when the going gets
tough, suppliers, soldiers, and creditors lose faith in paper and promises;
they want real money. And gold is real money.

Gold is up in price now simply because there are too many paper and
electronic promises floating around. The Financial Times, for example,
reports ‘panic selling’ in the derivatives market. It seems that what’s
hopping out of everyone’s hands is credit default swaps. Well, credit
default swaps are what institutional investors buy when they fear the going
might get tough. But now, instead of buying them, they’re selling them...and
selling them down to record low prices.

Apparently, a lot of people don’t think a lot of credit will go bad for a
lot of time.

But of course, that is just what most people tend to think...right before
the gods let out a belly laugh...and things go bad in a big way.

--------------

And more views:

*** Now, here’s a real negative for gold. Bloomberg reports that 27 out of
35 analysts are now bullish on the metal. They expect a weaker U.S. economy
will drag down the dollar - and boost gold in the process. Rarely do prices
rise when experts expect them to. But maybe this time, it will be
different...and maybe gold will rise much more than the experts expect.

*** Expectations for housing, meanwhile, continue to be rosy...if not
downright peachy. Everyone admits housing is coming down...but they insist
it will come down in a ‘soft landing.’ Soon, we expect to see them begin
redefining what soft is.

*** Halloween is over, but the undead are still among us, writes Susan
Walker of Elliot Wave Forecast:

“They will be those folks who overextended themselves to buy a handsome
Gothic mansion in a friendly subdivision. And they will have one thing on
their minds - needing more cash to make their monthly mortgage payments,
particularly after their adjustable-rate mortgages are re-set. One estimate
suggests that 2007 will be the Year of the Vampire, as $1 trillion-worth of
ARMs (or 12% of all U.S. mortgage debt) will be readjusted upward,
increasing monthly payments and adding to homeowners’ burdens. The mortgage
companies will want more blood from their mortgagees, yet these homeowners
have already been bled white: where will they find the cash to make the
payments?

“As prices of both new and existing homes fall in many parts of the nation,
more ordinary people will become unwilling foot soldiers in the vampire
empire, because they won’t be able to refinance their homes. Or, to use the
vampire vernacular: They won’t be able to get any more blood from their
houses, which will be cold relics of themselves. Homes that once pulsed with
life will now be peopled with deathly white homeowners trying to find more
cash-blood.”

3. D.F. quotes Bob Novak's special Election Eve edition. D.F. says, “I certainly agree with him that...”

“Republicans would be euphoric to cling to a one-seat advantage in the House and a 50-50 Senate. In fact, it would probably be demonstrative proof that, in the long haul, their grip on the nation is bulletproof. If you can't lose an election after all that has happened in the last two years, it may not be possible to lose.”

D.F. continues, “I'm afraid that the apparent tightening of the races these past few days, after polls showing the Democrats with double-digit margins almost everywhere, will be taken by GOP apologists as evidence that the nation really is satisfied with their direction after all. ‘This always happens in the 6th year of an administration,’ they will say, trying to muddy the waters. The fact is, those earlier Democratic leads were unrealistic and unsustainable, and margins almost ALWAYS tighten right before the election.

“I would be wild with glee to see the Democrats take over the Senate as well as the House, but I relegate that to my dreams--I don't really expect it to happen. What a shame. We need to send a clear, undiluted message to Washington: ‘No more of your tragically stupid wars! If any president or any party persists in that, he and his party will be roundly defeated.’

“I'll be doing my part tomorrow to send them that message.”

-- D.F.

-----
And now a word or three from Dot Calm

1. TVNL Editor's Comments: America Did Not Make Iraq’s Violence “Worse”; They Made it “Happen!”

No matter how hard the media works to keep Americans stupid the people of this great nation remain smarter than they think; only they don’t know it. The current message coming out of our media via the people who really run our government is that our presence in Iraq is making the violence in Iraq worse. This is clearly a pre-packaged excuse for bringing troops home and blaming the violence on the Iraqis, al Qaeda, Iran, Syria, the devil, liberals, Michael Moore, Nancy Pelosi, Susan Sarandon, NY Yankee Alex Rodriguez and anyone who did not want to launch this war based on lies. I forgot one…the Dixie Chicks!

Well Americans understand the logic of who really is at fault for the violence; only many of them don’t know it. We have laws in this nation that holds bars and bartenders responsible for allowing someone to get so drunk that they cause harm by driving drunk. Parents in this nation are held responsible for the actions of their children and can be arrested if their child commits a crime with their handgun. People in this nation even take issue when criminals are given light sentences by judges and then commit more crimes as soon as they get out of prison. We often become outraged and the “liberal” judge who did not protect society from the criminal.

Americans know that criminals often have support and sometimes they even have sponsors. Americans even realize that sometimes the criminal is sometimes not even the person who committed the crime; sometimes the real criminal is the one who creates a situation where someone who would never have committed a crime commits one. We have seen this in real life and we have seen this in movies. Americans understand this concept better than they realize.

The problem today, thanks to our criminal news media, is that Americans are not viewing the violence in Iraq for what it is. It is a lawless out of control situation that was created by one thing and one thing only; Americas invasion of Iraq. That is it. That is the only cause, the only reason and the only explanation for every single death that has occurred in Iraq for over three years. Every single bit of violence is the sole responsibility of the people who decided to invade that nation and unleash the ethnic hostilities what were kept in check by Saddam Hussein. Anyone looking at this situation must eventually acknowledge the greatness of Saddam as compared with America. While America can not stop the violence between the warring factions in Iraq in even one city Saddam was able, via strong-arm measures keep his nation calm and quiet.

Saddam killed Iraqis who were causing him trouble; we kill Iraqis who cause us trouble Saddam tortured Iraqis who opposed him. America tortured Iraqis for various reasons; none of which were explained. Saddam’s killings and torture kept his nation calm; America’s killings and torture has stirred up violence not seen in that region in generations.

The difference is that Saddam’s cruel and tyrannical rule kept Iraq relatively peaceful where people lived in fear, but they did live. America on the other hand, in taking over Saddam’s role, has created a hellish environment of death and destruction. Another difference between America and Saddam is that Saddam’s rise to power did not cause the sectarian hostilities in Iraq; you can blame Britain for that one. He just chose to use a tyrannical rule to control people who do not seem to respond to democratic rule. I don’t understand how Americans do not see this at this point. Iraqis seem to have issues and Democracy is not going stop them from addressing them. (This is a big “I/we told you so” moment in history!)

One day perhaps a majority of Americans will use the logic that they already have and apply it to issues that may make them a bit uncomfortable because it exposes some sad and disturbing things about their own nation. As sad and as disturbing as it may be the fact remains; America created the violence that exists in Iraq today. So it really does not matter if our current actions are fueling the violence because the violence itself is already America’s responsibility. Think about it! – Jesse, Editor, TvNewsLIES.org

QUESTION: Have you forwarded this e-mail to anyone today? Consider doing so for you will be helping to inform the people of this nation about the vital issues that are hidden from them by our corporate media. Make this nation a better place, educate, inform and enlighten your fellow citizens!

If you believe that the American corporate media are our greatest enemy let the people know how you feel.
http://www.tvnewslies.org/cart/view_product.php?product=AMERZU6P4

2. Dot Calm invites us to sample the wares of a fellow blogger: http://www.callingallwingnuts.com/

3. Dot Calm reminds us all to support Victor Lopez: http://www.powersandmorrison.com/Blogs-MainPages/Blogs-Victor.html

-----
From our information clearinghouse

These 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.

-----
From AlterNet

Iraq: 'The Greatest Strategic Disaster in American History'
By Patrick Cockburn, AlterNet
The U.S. failure in Iraq has been even more damaging than Vietnam because the opponent was punier and the imperial ambitions even greater.

Foley Is a Sexual Harasser, Not a Child Molester
By Judith Levine, AlterNet
Does anybody really think the Mark Foley affair is about protecting children?

Bush Lies... and Knows He's Lying
By Robert Parry, Consortium News
Bush's defenders say he's just an honest guy who gets lots of bad information but the evidence points to a leader who wants his subordinates to give him a steady supply of "talking points" that can be used to achieve his goals whether the arguments are true, half true or totally false.

Unions Are Out in Force for the November Elections
By David Moberg, The Nation
Despite the AFL-CIO split following the 2004 election, labor unions are gearing up for the November elections like never before.

Enforcing Insecurity in Afghanistan
By Sonali Kolhatkar, James Ingalls, Seven Stories
The occupation of Afghanistan is unraveling, but Bush and Rumsfeld just won't face up to it.

Will the election be stolen? [VIDEO]
By Evan Derkacz
A voter vigilance campaign to promote Democracy at home...

Will the election be stolen? Part II [VIDEO]
By Evan Derkacz
Another voter confidence campaign crops up...

Cheney's own porn bites her in the ass [VIDEO]
By Evan Derkacz
If you're lying, attack your opponent...

'Flesh and Boners' and Republican donors
By Evan Derkacz
Gay porn and the GOP go together like...

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Dems Are Feeling It: The GOP Machine Can Be Beaten
By Joshua Holland, AlterNet
Next Tuesday's midterms could be just another election or they could mark a major electoral shift. Grassroots progressives could have an enormous impact on the outcome.

Bush's Brave New World of Torture
By Jennifer Van Bergen, TomPaine.com
Now that Bush has signed the infamous Military Commissions Act into law and officially gutted the Geneva Conventions, what's next?

Revenge of the Gay Voters
By Cameron Scott, AlterNet
Forget the "security moms" and "values voters." New analysis suggests that gay and lesbian turnout increases when gay marriage is on the ballot and that queer Americans may cast the deciding votes in many contested races this year.

Is Dieting Anti-Feminist?
By Ariel M. Stallings, Sirens Magazine
My efforts to drop pounds made me feel like I was dropping the ball on women's rights as well. Then the epiphany: What's wrong with wanting to be healthy and look hot?

Deep in Heart of Texas, Voters Sour on Hard-Liners
By Josh Harkinson, MotherJones.com
Even on Bush's home turf, some important Republican seats are up for grabs.

GOP Presidents Egged On Race Trash Talk
By Earl Ofari Hutchinson, AlterNet
We shouldn't be too hard on Mehlman for his racial pandering; he's only taking his cue from the top.

Updated: Republican's Staff Assault Marine Vet [VIDEO]
By Evan Derkacz
Allen: 'Things like that happen...'

Are the wingnuts preparing for mid-terms or Armageddon?
By Joshua Holland
Tip-toe through the psychos...

If you said yes at any point, it's not a rape
By Melissa McEwan
Women, you can't change your mind

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Andy Stern: Changing How America Works
By Andy Stern, AlterNet
Something's wrong when only the rich are getting richer, and average folks are feeling the squeeze. The answer isn't more education, or simply electing better leaders. We need widespread change.

What This Country Owes its Workers
By Don Hazen, AlterNet
SEIU President Andy Stern is optimistic about improving life for the middle class -- and improving our economy at the same time. His new book suggests how it can happen.

This Election's 'Vet Factor'
By Michael Slenske, SMITH Magazine
Here's a closer look at three soldiers who answered the call to serve their country -- first in Iraq and now, they hope, as elected officials.

Abandoning the See-Saw of Centrism
By Sally Kohn, AlterNet
The Democrats are tilted by their desire to win elections. As the center of politics is masqueraded as the new left, the right becomes the new center.

For One California Profiteer, Iraq is Going Great
By Sarah Anderson, AlterNet
While the firm's workers earn a modest wage for risking their lives, execs are raking it in from the safety of their San Francisco offices.

The Corrupting Power of Military-Industrial Complex
By Jeffrey Klein, Paolo Pontoniere, New America Media
Recent kickback scandals involving Rep. Curt Weldon prove that Congress would do well to remember President Eisenhower's warning against "unwarranted influence."

Olbermann on Republican Assault of Marine Vet [VIDEO]
By Evan Derkacz
It's still okay to ask questions isn't it?

Olbermann: Kerry responds to 'republican hacks'... [VIDEO]
By Evan Derkacz
"I'm not going to be lectured by a stuffed suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium, or doughy Rush Limbaugh."

Letterman v. O'Reilly II: [VIDEO]
By Evan Derkacz
You're putting words in my mouth. Just the way you put artificial facts in your head.

Voter Fraud Alert [VIDEO]
By Evan Derkacz
Touchscreen Trouble in Texas

Santorum Snags a Bush Supporter!
By Melissa McEwan
The Mouth of Sauron endorses Senator Hobbit

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Republicans Court the Bigot Vote
By Paul Waldman, TomPaine.com
In a number of key races, Republicans are running sexually charged ads and counting on the electoral power of racism to turn out voters in droves.

Does the Military Send Sick Soldiers to War?
By Nina Berman, AlterNet
The Army wanted to make an example of Anthony Vanderpool. But what they may have done was make a mentally unbalanced man even worse.

When Strategy Fails, Rove Will Fight Dirty
By Larisa Alexandrovna, AlterNet
Karl Rove is not a brilliant strategist. And what he lack in brains he makes up for with dirty tactics -- distorting the numbers, running smear campaigns, and creating diversions.

The Sexist Backlash Against the Dixie Chicks
By Melissa Silverstein, Women's Media Center
A new film asks whether the Dixie Chicks paid a higher price for speaking out against Bush because they're women.

The Bush Administration Is Weak on Terror
By Stephen Van Evera, AlterNet
Despite the tough talk, Bush's regime has more to help the terrorists than hurt them.

UPDATED: Bush's Top Evangelical w/ Gay Prostitute?
By Lindsay Beyerstein
Escort says Rev. Ted Haggard paid him for sex for 3 years, used meth.

Cover up of soldier who committed suicide rather than torture detainees [AUDIO]
By Lindsay Beyerstein
Official report on death of Army Spc. Alyssa Peterson

Robertson unhinged over new female Bishop [VIDEO]
By Evan Derkacz
New Episcopal head okay with gays...

Five-poll average: Dems could take the Senate
By Joshua Holland
Razor close.

What Republicans call 'spin' the rest of the world calls 'lies'
By Bob Geiger
As even a child knows, if you know as a matter of fact that what you're saying is untrue -- it's a lie.

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How Democrats Can Win Without the South
By Thomas Schaller, In These Times
The upcoming election guarantees gains for the Democrats. but they won't be coming from the South. It's time to whistle past Dixie.

Haggard, Foley and GOP Preach Against the Vices They Can't Shake
By Nathaniel Frank, HuffingtonPost.com
Are all homophobic Republicans secretly gay? The leaders of the party with a penchant for condemning others would do well to look inward. It's time to call them on their hypocrisy.

How Close to Catastrophe?
By Bill McKibben, The New York Review of Books and TomDispatch
Several new books explore technological innovations and the need for radical lifestyle overhaul in the race against time to save the planet.

One Soldier Against the Empire
By Elizabeth de la Vega, Tomdispatch.com
Move over, G.I. Joe and Han Solo -- Sgt. Ricky Clousing gives a whole new meaning to 'profile in courage.'

This Time, the Election Will Not Be Stolen
By Gary Moskowitz, AlterNet
'American Blackout' director Ian Inaba is staging a revolution to combat potential fraud at the polls -- and he damn well wants it televised.

Joe Lieberman's Dangerous Alliance with Christian Zionists [VIDEO]
By Evan Derkacz
Putting Israel on the path to destruction...

Even Before Election Day, Women Can Count Some Wins
By Peggy Drexler, Women's eNews
The month of political reckoning has arrived, but Peggy Drexler reckons that women already have something to celebrate. With 134 women winning House primaries, and many running for lower-tier state positions, the pipeline is filling up.

Updated: Mega-church preacher Ted Haggard admits to "some indiscretions" [VIDEO]
By Joshua Holland
Using the services of a gay prostitute or smoking meth? Updated: admits to "massage"; says he bought drugs but didn't use them.

Protecting the Vote-- AlterNet Resources Page
By The Masher
A one-stop-shopping site with news, action and information on how you can help protect votes next Tuesday.

Will wingnut Steve Beren apologize for calling our troops bloodthirsty homicidal maniacs?
By Joshua Holland
Joshua Holland: Clueless candidate takes to the stump and uses my article to attack anti-war opponent for being right all along.

Proof that Bush lies every day about Dems lack of security plan
By Bob Geiger
The same Republicans who killed the Democratic plan now walk around saying the Democrats have no plan.

Sex ed and its discontents
By Ann Friedman
A conservative congressman makes an election-eve bid to please the abstinence crowd.

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Saddam Trial: GOP Sacrifices Justice for an 'October Surprise'
By Joshua Holland, AlterNet
The Bush administration had the opportunity to show the world the best principles of liberal democracy. Instead, they opted for a dog-and-pony show for the sake of partisan gain.

A Republican Senator's Misdeeds
By Garance Franke-Ruta, The American Prospect
Why did a beleaguered hi-tech company grant 50,000 stock options to George Allen on the eve of his 2000 election to the Senate -- and his departure from the company's board?

Are the Moonies and Japan headed for a new Clash of Civilizations?
By Joshua Holland
Joshua Holland: And will our seas survive the predations of a messianic right-wing "King of the Oceans"?

Great, But Where's Osama? [VIDEO]
By Evan Derkacz
When All Else Fails, Execute the Dictator!

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How to Stop the GOP'S Deceptive Robocalls from Depressing Election Turnout [VIDEO/AUDIO]
By Evan Derkacz, Joshua Holland
The Republican machine is busy cobbling together their latest Cut-Down-The-Vote campaign. Here is what you can do to stop this now.

Bush's Election-Eve Message: Lies and Nonsense
By Robert Parry, Consortium News
The Nov. 7 elections are shaping up as not just a choice between Republicans and Democrats, but a test of how gullible -- and how divorced from reality -- the American people have become.

The Banana Election: From Hanging Chads to Hanging Saddam
By Marjorie Cohn, AlterNet
Things are falling apart in Iraq, and with no end in sight, Americans will render their verdict on Bush's war on Tuesday.

The Couch Potato's Guide to Election Night
By Michael Schwartz, Tomdispatch.com
This election's success will be measured not only by the number of seats won. Here are some other issues to ponder.

When Voting Isn't Enough
By Sean Gonsalves, AlterNet
Simply castsing a vote won't get us out of this mess. We have to hold our elected leaders' feet to the fire.

This Time, the Election Will Not Be Stolen
By Gary Moskowitz, AlterNet
'American Blackout' director Ian Inaba is staging a revolution to combat potential fraud at the polls -- and he damn well wants it televised.

The final analysis: how the Senate looks after Tuesday
By Bob Geiger
When the dust settles, Democrats have control of the Senate

The MoveOn political machine exceeds all expectations
By Don Hazen
MoveOn has broken all of its records in terms of its grass roots engagement, voter contacts, and surpassed even their own ambitious intentions for election '06.

In the stretch, races tightening for Lamont, Pederson
By Joshua Holland
Looks like it's gonna be a wild ride.

New York Times: Endorsing No Republicans
By Evan Derkacz
Calls GOP: Toxic, Burned Out, Brain-Dead...

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From the Center for American Progress

GOOD NEWS

Calorie-restricted diets proven to drastically slow aging process.

STATE WATCH

NEW JERSEY: State spurns federal funding for abstinence-only sex education programs.

MASSACHUSETTS: "Falling short of a federal requirement, at least two -- thirds of the state's 1,700 polling places will not have voting machines to accommodate the disabled on Election Day."

ARIZONA: An economic analysis of the Arizona minimum wage proposal.

BLOG WATCH

THINK PROGRESS: Video: Vice President Cheney says his wife gave CNN's Wolf Blitzer "the slapdown."

HEALTH AFFAIRS: Time for a health care wake-up call.

FIRST DRAFT: Rush Limbaugh reaps a $224,000 tax break from Florida law meant to help the elderly keep their homes.

SECRECY NEWS: Halliburton improperly blocked the release of contract information.

DAILY GRILL

CAVUTO: "Do you suspect that these insurgent attacks are timed to influence our midterm elections?"
CHENEY: "That's my belief. I think they are, very, very cognizant of our schedule, if you will."
-- Vice President Cheney, 10/30/06, on Fox News

VERSUS

STEPHANOPOULOS: "So [the insurgents are] trying to influence the elections?"
BUSH: "It could be. I don't know. I haven't - I don't have any intelligence that says that."
-- President Bush, 10/22/06, on ABC's This Week

-----
GOOD NEWS

Sen. Barack Obama's new book, The Audacity Is Hope, is is the #1 best selling book in the country.

STATE WATCH

MARYLAND: Maryland court rules that a "woman can't say no after start of sex."

MICHIGAN: Help defeat proposition 2, which would end "equal opportunity and affirmative action initiatives in higher education, employment, and contracting."

BALLOT WATCH: Update on ballot initiative polling.

BLOG WATCH

THINK PROGRESS: Laura Bush on Michael J. Fox: "It's always easy to manipulate people s feelings."

UNCLAIMED TERRITORY: ABC News Political Director continues effort to woo the right wing.

HUFF POST: Indicted ex-Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX): "I haven't had no ethical problems."

MEDIA MATTERS
: ABC memo reveals Air America advertiser blacklist.

DAILY GRILL


"The President has in fact, contrary to stereotype, been actively engaged in trying to fight climate change."
-- White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, 10/31/06

VERSUS

"And in my judgment, we need to set aside whether or not greenhouse gases have been caused by mankind or because of natural effects."
-- President Bush, 5/22/06

-----
STATE WATCH

CALIFORNIA: On Nov. 7, California voters will decide on 13 state propositions. The Center for American Progress Action Fund has compiled a voter guide for California residents to help steer the state toward sound progressive ideals that reflect the common good.

FLORIDA: Ann Coulter "has refused to cooperate in an investigation into whether she voted in the wrong precinct, so the case will probably be turned over to prosecutors."

OHIO: State has suspended its voter ID law for absentee voters.

CIVIL RIGHTS: "The Justice Department plans to dispatch more than 800 federal observers and monitors to 20 states to protect voting rights in potentially troubled polling locations."

BLOG WATCH

CLIMATE PROGRESS: Nicholas Kristof gets acidic about climate change.

DAILY DISH: The fruit of torture.

CNN TICKER: Sen. George Allen (R-VA) refuses to denounce his supporters' assault of a liberal questioner.

MEDIA MATTERS: Network news hyped Kerry comments, downplayed story about kidnapped U.S. soldier.

DAILY GRILL

"Iraqi Government makes progress, security improves"
-- Headline from "This Week In Iraq" newsletter published by Bush administration, 10/30/06

VERSUS

"Urban areas experiencing 'ethnic cleansing' campaigns to consolidate control...violence at all-time high, spreading geographically."
-- One-page slide taken from classified briefing prepared by U.S. Central Command, 10/18/06

-----
GOOD NEWS

Campaigners with the Microcredit Summit Campaign, a program aimed at helping the world's poorest people with small business loans, "is well on its way to achieving its goal of reaching 100 million people" by the end of the year.

STATE WATCH

NORTH CAROLINA: North Carolina sues the Tennessee Valley Authority to clean up pollution.

CIVIL RIGHTS
: Voter ID laws may create havoc on election day.

HEALTH CARE: "Americans have a harder time than residents of several other countries getting after-hours appointments with a nurse or primary care physician without going to an emergency room."

BLOG WATCH

THINK PROGRESS: Drudge floats conspiracy theory that Pelosi has "vanished," ignores Clinton rally and CNN interview.

HUFF POST: Fox News rearranged schedule to air conservative film on weekend before election.

AMERICA BLOG: Outrage over firing of Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction.

EVANGELICAL RIGHT: Watch Rev. Ted Haggard attacking homosexuality in the documentary Jesus Camp.

DAILY GRILL

A hopeful day has arrived. All Iraqis can now come together and reject violence and build a new Iraq.
-- President Bush, 12/14/03, on the capture of Saddam Hussein

VERSUS

2,358 U.S. soldiers have died since Saddam was captured, roughly 85 percent of the total U.S. fatalities during the Iraq war.
-- ICasualties.org

-----
GOOD NEWS

CAmericans have the right to vote. Read your rights and other voter assistance information at Election Protection 365.

STATE WATCH

KANSAS: Attorneys for abortion clinics are calling for an investigation into concerns that patients' medical records may have been made public by Bill O'Reilly.

SOUTH DAKOTA: The "campaign to support the state's abortion ban received $750,000 -- more than one-fourth of all of its funds -- from a single source, a local [lawmaker's] one-man corporation."

CALIFORNIA: On Nov. 7, California voters will decide on 13 state propositions. The Center for American Progress Action Fund has compiled a voter guide for California residents to help steer the state toward sound progressive ideals that reflect the common good.

BLOG WATCH

THINK PROGRESS: Cheney: I would "probably not" testify before Congress, even if subpoenaed.

MEDIA MATTERS: Top election falsehoods, myths, and talking points.

E&P: Four leading military papers call for Rumsfeld's ouster; White House calls the editorials "shabby."

AMERICA BLOG: The Simpsons take on the Iraq war.

DAILY GRILL

"I opposed the military invasion of Iraq before it took place."
-- National Review's Michael Ledeen, 11/4/06, the latest prominent neoconservative to disavow the Iraq war

VERSUS

"...the desperately-needed and long overdue war against Saddam Hussein."
-- Michael Ledeen, 8/6/02

-----
From "Democracy Now!"

* AMY GOODMAN LAUNCHES WEEKLY COLUMN - ASK YOUR NEWSPAPER TO CARRY IT! *

Amy Goodman has a new nationally syndicated weekly newspaper column
called "Breaking the Sound Barrier." Ask your local newspaper to carry
it today! If you'd like to see the column in your paper, call, write a
letter, or send an email to the Op-Ed editor. Click here for a press
release about the column: http://www.kingfeatures.com/pressrm/PR236.htm

* Suspects in Murder of Indymedia Journalist Brad Will On Loose in Oaxaca *

Press reports out of Mexico indicate the gunmen suspected of murdering New
York journalist Brad Will are missing and not in police custody. We speak
with independent journalist John Gibler in Oaxaca.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/02/1450255


* Casualties Mount in New Israeli Attack on Gaza *

A least three Palestinians have been killed and more than 15 wounded in
northern Gaza on the second day of a major Israeli offensive. Eight
Palestinians and an Israeli soldier died during clashes on Wednesday. The
raid is one of Israel's biggest operations since re-invading Gaza last June.
We go now to Gaza to speak with activist and Oxford University Refugee
Studies Centre fellow Jennifer Loewenstein.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/02/1451201


* Running Against Sodom and Osama: The Christian Right, Values Voters and
the Culture Wars in 2006 *

A new article looks at how the 2004 strategy of the religious right has been
revived for this election. Co-authors Chip Berlet and Pam Chamberlain write:
³Although leaders of the Christian Right almost universally deny it, the
goal of this revived campaign is to elect Republicans to office. The enemy
being denounced is sometimes generic: gays, liberals, secularists, the
left-leaning media and Hollywood; and sometimes specific: Ted Kennedy, Nancy
Pelosi, Rosie O¹Donnell and the ACLU, but the actual target is the
Democratic Party and its candidates.² Chip Berlet joins us from Boston.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/02/1451217


* Karl¹s Rove Secret: Bush¹s ³Architect² Launched Anti-Gay Marriage Campaign
After Burying Gay Father *

The Washington Post recently reported that there is widespread panic amid
the Republican establishment about next week¹s midterm elections. But the
paper found that there are two people whose confidence about Republicans
prospects strikes even their closest allies as almost inexplicably upbeat --
President Bush and his top political adviser, Karl Rove. Does Rove know
something the rest of the country doesn¹t? James Moore, co-author of the new
book ³The Architect: Karl Rove and the Master Plan for Absolute Power²,
helps us answer the question, and also talks about Rove¹s secret: in July
2004, Karl Rove launched the national Republican campaign against gay
marriage within days of burying his gay father.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/02/1451226


* Headlines for November 2, 2006 *

- Reports: Suspects in Will Murder Not in Police Custody
- Spc. Took Own Life After Objecting to Iraq Interrogations
- Poll: 61% Americans Favor Iraq Withdrawal
- Gitmo Prisoners Challenge Military Commissions Law
- Guatemala, Venezuela Drop Bid for UN Security Council
- France Airport Strips Security Clearances of Muslim Workers
- Bechtel to End Iraq Work
- Admin Investigated For Silencing Global Warming Studies

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/02/1450248

-----
* One Day After Surrender, AWOL Iraq War Resister Flees Again; Says Military
Reneged on Deal to Turn Himself In *

An Iraq war resister who fled to Canada rather than return to the
battlefield has gone into hiding again, a day after turning himself in to
the military. Army Private Kyle Snyder says he had a deal with the military
that he would be discharged once he turned himself in. Instead, military
officials ordered him back to his original unit where his outcome would be
decided. Kyle Snyder joins us from Kentucky. We are also joined by his
attorney, Jim Fennerty.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/03/1431228


* Update From Oaxaca: Standoff Intensifies as Police Raid State University *

In Mexico, federal police dressed in riot gear stormed the state university
in Oaxaca on Thursday where protesters had set up headquarters. It marked
the most intense fighting since Mexican President Vicente Fox ordered
thousands of federal police into the city to crush the popular uprising. We
go to Oaxaca to speak with independent journalist John Gibler.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/03/1431236


* South Dakota Votes on Most Restrictive Abortion Law in Country: A Debate *

On Election Day, voters in South Dakota will be asked to consider
implementing the most restrictive abortion law in the country. A law passed
earlier this year made it a felony for health providers to perform abortions
- even in cases of rape or incest - unless the procedure is necessary to
prevent the death of the mother. But pro-choice advocates managed to block
the state from enacting the law. They collected about 38,000 signatures to
force a statewide referendum. We go to South Dakota and neighboring
Minneapolis to hear from both sides of the debate.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/03/1431244


* Headlines for November 3, 2006 *

- 10 Palestinians Killed in Israeli Attack on Gaza
- Baghdad Dean Among 50 Dead in Iraq Violence
- US Military Spokesperson Compares Iraq to ³Great Work of Art²
- Pentagon Expands PR Efforts
- Poll: Dems Hold Enough Leads for Senate Control
- Undocumented Immigrant Children Lose Medicaid
- GOP Rep. Pays $500,000 to Ex-Lover Who Claimed Abuse
- Anti-Gay Marriage Evangelical Resigns Over Gay Sex Allegations

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/03/1431222

-----
* Voter Suppression in Midterm Elections: Robocalls, ID Confusion, Voter
Roll Purges *

In Virginia, Democratic Senatorial candidate James Webb's last name does not
appear on the voting summary sheet. In Indiana, African American
congresswoman Julia Carson was told her congressional ID was not sufficient
to vote. In Broward County early voting, a vote for the Democratic
gubernatorial candidate registered as a vote for the Republican candidate.
Adam Cohen, editorial writer for The New York Times, joins us to discuss
voter disenfranchisement.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/06/1450228


* Saddam Hussein Sentenced to Death, Legal Experts Question Court
Proceedings *

An Iraqi court sentenced Saddam Hussein to death by hanging for committing
crimes against humanity. The decision was announced on Sunday, just two days
before the U.S. mid-term elections. We speak with Scott Horton, the Chairman
of the International Law Committee and a member of the Iraqi Bar
Association.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/06/1450234


* Headlines for November 6, 2006 *

- Saddam Hussein Sentenced to Death By Hanging
- Hundreds of Thousands March in Oaxaca
- Death Toll In Gaza Tops 50
- Ortega Leading In Early Nicaraguan Polls
- 25,000 Protest Against Climate Change in London
- Report: World Could Be Without Fish Within 40 Years
- Military Papers Call for Rumsfeld to Resign
- Neoconservatives Publicly Criticize Iraq War
- Bush Attempts to Silence Prisoners Once Held in CIA Jails

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/06/1450216

-----
From Democrats.com

After millions of words about Iraq, it all comes down to one word:

Decades.

That's from the Washington Post's Baghdad reporter on 10/31/06:

The top U.S. military commander in Iraq, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., predicted last week that Iraqi security forces would be able to take control of the country in 12 to 18 months. But several days spent with American units training the Iraqi police illustrated why those soldiers on the ground believe it may take decades longer than Casey's assessment.

Decades. Why decades?

Seventy percent of the Iraqi police force has been infiltrated by militias, primarily the Mahdi Army, according to Shaw and other military police trainers. Police officers are too terrified to patrol enormous swaths of the capital. And while there are some good cops, many have been assassinated or are considering quitting the force. "None of the Iraqi police are working to make their country better," said Brig. Gen. Salah al-Ani, chief of police for the western half of Baghdad. "They're working for the militias or to put money in their pocket."

Decades - all to empower murderous sectarian militias, rob U.S. taxpayers blind, and kill or maim more U.S. soldiers.

Just this month we lost 103 brave young Americans, bringing the U.S. total to 2,816.

But George Bush insists U.S. troops absolutely will not leave Iraq until "victory" is achieved - however long that takes.

Decades.

The children of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq may grow up to fight and die in Iraq, just like their parents.

And between now and then, 100 American soldiers may die every single month.

Decades.

Do you want to send today's high school seniors to fight and die in Iraq to train Iraqis who won't defend their country for Decades?

Do you want to send today's high school freshmen to fight and die in Iraq to train Iraqis who won't defend their country for Decades?

Do you want to send today's junior high freshmen to fight and die in Iraq to train Iraqis who won't defend their country for Decades?

Do you want to send today's first graders to fight and die in Iraq to train Iraqis who won't defend their country for Decades?

Do you want to send all of their children to fight and die in Iraq to train Iraqis who won't defend their country for Decades?

If your answer to this question is No, then please take one small action: send this email to everyone you know and implore them to vote a straight Democratic ticket next Tuesday November 7.

Our children - and their children - will thank you.

Share your thoughts here:
http://democrats.com/decades

-----
Protests at White House Aim to Prevent War on Iran, End War on Iraq, and Reverse Stolen Elections (Should There Be Any)

Cindy Sheehan has called for a protest at the White House from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, from November 6-9. The protest is in opposition to the war in Iraq and the possible war in Iran, but will develop into a protest of stolen elections should evidence of election fraud emerge.

More information: http://www.gsfp.org

On the evening of November 7, citizens will turn Lafayette Square Park, in front of the White House into a Blue Revolution, one of many events around the country. Crowds dressed in blue will be holding vigils outside election offices to demand an accurate counting of votes in at least these locations: AZ-Maricopa, AZ-Yavapai, CA-Kern, CA-Orange, CA-Santa Barbara, CA-San Luis Obispo, CO-Adams, DC-District of Columbia, IN-La Porte, IN-Lake, IN-Porter, MD-Baltimore, MD-Howard, MN-Waseca, MO-St. Louis, OR-Washington, NY-Onondaga, TX-Lamar, WA-Clark, WA-King.

More information: http://www.bluerevolution.us

At 11:00 a.m. on November 8, Sheehan will lead the delivery to the White House of huge stacks of signatures and comments from the 75,000 Americans who have signed a petition opposing an attack on Iran. Sheehan and others are prepared to risk arrest if the White House will not accept the petition.

More information: http://www.dontattackiran.org

Sheehan has written about her reasons for this effort here:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/14990


She has spoken about it in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhzF5J94VRE

-----
Karl Rove has been bragging for weeks about his "72-hour program" to swing the elections, which predict a Democratic takeover of Congress.

Now we know what it is: a dirty trick campaign using robocalls.

The calls are made to Democrats and swing voters at all times of day or night to make them angry. And they pretend to be from the Democrat ("Hello, I'm calling with information about Lois Murphy"). If you hang up, they call back 7-8 times, and each time you hear the Democrat's name, to get you angry at him or her. If you stay on, you get to hear a scathing attack on the Democrat.

Karl Rove's whole career has been devoted to dirty tricks. In 2002, his dirty trick was to force Congress to vote shortly before Election Day for the Iraq War based on two months of White House lies about WMD's and Al Qaeda ties. That dirty trick has cost the lives of 2,834 brave young Americans (16 so far in November), $2 trillion in debt to our children and grandchildren, and unleashed massive bloodshed in Iraq.

It's too late for legal action or even newspaper stories. If you receive one of these calls, write down the time and candidate and call every radio and TV show you can and urge everyone listening to vote against the disgusting Republican dirty tricksters. And forward this email to everyone you know so they aren't fooled by Karl Rove's dirty trick.

Let's make this Karl Rove's LAST campaign by voting ALL Republicans out of office.

More details:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com
http://dailykos.com


-----
From Dr. Cristianne Northrup

Spiritual Healing Lectures
Greetings!

I recently received a fax from Gerhard Blaettner, M.D., a member of the Medical Scientific Group MWF (started in Germany) that documents the amazing spiritual healings that continue to take place based on the work of the late Bruno Groening. Dr. Blaettner told me about a series of lectures on this work going on the U.S. These individuals, including physicians, voluntarily take time off from their jobs and practices to teach people how to tap into the spiritual healing energy that is connected with Bruno Groening

-----
From Ginmar, an Iraq veteran

This week, we asked our volunteers why they signed up to turn out voters through Call for Change. We were especially struck by Ginmar's story and asked her to share it with you. Ginmar (who asked us not to use her real name) is a reservist in the Army, but she's writing now only as a private citizen. If her message moves you, too, please sign up to call voters at:

http://pol.moveon.org/phone/volunteer/fp.html?id=9434-1005254-0R2nO5FNMY_lTc2uoLeOqw&t=2

Dear fellow MoveOn member,

I believed the lie. As an Army reservist, I went to Iraq to protect America from weapons of mass destruction. But when I got there, I soon discovered there were no WMDs and no plan for us to succeed. I endured 12 months of combat and barely made it out alive.

We can't change the past. But in two days, we can change the future. This Republican Congress must be fired because they are still putting their own egos above the truthand above human lives.

This election is our last chance to show what happens when politicians use fear and lies to start a war. If they get away with it this time, they'll do it again. But if it costs them their power, we can send a message to future politicians in the only language they understandand stop the next unnecessary war before it begins. The choice is ours.

I'm calling voters today from home. Will you join me?

http://pol.moveon.org/phone/volunteer/fp.html?id=9434-1005254-0R2nO5FNMY_lTc2uoLeOqw&t=3

On the morning of September 11th, 2001, I watched the attack on the World Trade Center with a special horror because the people killed were all civilians without training, arms, or defense. I called my unit that afternoon and begged, "Wherever this came from, send me there."

But that's not where they sent me. They sent me to Iraq.

Around a month into my tour, my small unit was ambushed by hundreds of insurgent fighters at a Coalition Provisional Authority base. The local security force (hired by corporate mercenaries) deserted immediately, taking guns and radios with them.

We were besieged for 22 straight hours under a steady stream of small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades. Forces from multiple nations attempted rescues throughout the night. At dawn, when morning prayers created a pause in the attack, we managed to escape with our lives.

I spent the next 11 months doing convoys, writing reports, and getting to know the real Iraq. I talked to hundreds of Iraqis; many became true friends. I saw the rage after Abu Ghraib. And I saw way too many innocent civilians die as the country slipped further and further over the edge.

The troops I served with suffered from limited ammunition, armor, resources, and staff. While we brushed our teeth in dirty water recycled from the showers, Halliburton reps got rich off contracts handed to them by their Republican friends back in Washington.

Reservists like me risk our lives when Congress says we mustand we need citizens like you to hold them accountable when they betray that trust.

This Tuesday is our very last chance to do that. It's the last chance for Americans to stand up and say we will not forget, we will not excuse, and we will not let this betrayal happen again.

For my fellow troops still in the field, for the thousands who have yet to put on the uniform, and for the hopes we all have for a peaceful worldit's time to Call for Change.

Respectfully,

Ginmar, concerned citizen
Sunday, November 5th, 2006


-----
From Greg Palast

I WANT TO HURT SOMEBODY
by Greg Palast
Thursday, November 2, 2006 for The Guardian (London)

It was pure war-nography. The front page of the New York Times today splashed a four-column-wide close-up of a blood-covered bullet in the blood-soaked hands of an army medic who'd retrieved it from the brain of Lance Cpl. Colin Smith.

There was a 40 column-inch profile of the medic. There were photos of the platoon, guns over shoulders, praying for the fallen buddy. The Times is careful not to ruin the heroic mood, so there is no photograph of pieces of corporal Smith's shattered head. Instead, there's an old, smiling photo of the wounded soldier.

The reporter, undoubtedly wearing the Kevlar armor of the troop in which he's "embedded," quotes at length the thoughts of the military medic: "I would like to say that I am a good man. But seeing this now, what happened to Smith, I want to hurt people. You know what I mean?"

The reporter does not bother -- or dare -- to record a single word from any Iraqi in the town of Karma where Smith's platoon was, "performing a hard hit on a house."

I don't know what a "hard hit" is. But I don't think I'd want one "performed" on my home. Maybe Iraqis feel the way I do.

We won't know. The only Iraqi noted by the reporter was, "a woman [who] walked calmly between the sniper and the marines."

The Times reporter informs us that Lance Cpl. Smith, "said a prayer today," before he charged into the village. We're told that Smith had, "the cutest little blond girlfriend" and "his dad was his hero." Did the calm woman also say her prayers today? Is her dad her hero, too? We don't know. No one asks.

The reporter and his photographer did visit a home in the neighborhood -- but only after the "hit" force kicked in the door. I suppose that's an improvement over the typical level of reporting we get. In dispatches home by the few US journalists who brave beyond the Green Zone, Iraqis are little more than dark shapes glimpsed through the slots of a speeding Humvee.

Last month there was a big hoo-ha over the statistical accuracy of a Johns Hopkins University study estimating that 655,000 Iraqis have died as a result of this war.

I doubt the Iraqi who fired that bullet into Lance Cpl. Smith read the Hopkins study. Iraqis don't need a professor of statistics to tell them what happens in a "hard hit" on a house. Of civilians killed by the US forces the Hopkins team found 46% are younger than fifteen years old.

I grieve for Lance Cpl. Smith and I can't know for certain what moved the sniper to pick up a gun and shoot him. However, I've no doubt that, like the Marines who said prayers before they invaded the homes of the terrified residents of Karma, the sniper also said a prayer before he loaded the 7.62mm shell into his carbine.

And if we asked, I'm sure the sniper would tell us, "I am a good man, but seeing what happened, I want to hurt people."

*******

Greg Palast is the author of the New York Times bestseller, "Armed Madhouse" Go to
www.gregpalast.com
.

-----
HOW THEY STOLE THE MID-TERM ELECTION

by Greg Palast
for The Guardian (UK), Comment
Monday November 6, 2006

Here's how the 2006 mid-term election was stolen.

Note the past tense. And I'm not kidding.

And shoot me for saying this, but it won't be stolen by jerking with the touch-screen machines (though they'll do their nasty part). While progressives panic over the viral spread of suspect computer black boxes, the Karl Rove-bots have been tunneling into the vote vaults through entirely different means.

For six years now, our investigations team, at first on assignment for BBC TV and the Guardian, has been digging into the nitty-gritty of the gaming of US elections. We've found that November 7, 2006 is a day that will live in infamy. Four and a half million votes have been shoplifted. Here's how they'll do it, in three easy steps:

Theft #1: Registrations gone with the wind.

On January 1, 2006, while America slept off New Year's Eve hangovers, a new federal law crept out of the swamps that has devoured 1.9 million votes, overwhelmingly those of African-Americans and Hispanics. The vote-snatching statute is a cankerous codicil slipped into the 2002 Help America Vote Act -- strategically timed to go into effect in this mid-term year. It requires every state to reject new would-be voters whose identity can't be verified against a state verification database.

Sounds arcane and not too threatening. But look at the numbers and you won't feel so fine. About 24.3 million Americans attempt to register or re-register each year. The New York University Law School's Brennan Center told me that, under the new law, Republican Secretaries of State began the year by blocking about one in three new voters.

How? To begin with, Mr. Bush's Social Security Administration has failed to verify 47% of registrants. After appeals and new attempts to register, US Elections Assistance Agency statistics indicate 1.9 million would-be voters will still find themselves barred from the ballot on Tuesday.

But don't worry: those holding passports from their ski vacations to Switzerland are doing just fine. And that's the point. It's not the number of voters rejected, it’s their color. For example, California's Republican Secretary of State Bruce McPherson figured out how to block 40% of registrants, mostly Hispanics. In a rare counter-move, Los Angeles, with a Hispanic mayor, contacted these citizens, "verified" them and got almost every single one back on the rolls. But throughout the rest of the West, new Hispanics remain victims of the "José Crow" treatment.

In hotly contested Ohio, Kenneth Blackwell, Secretary of State and the Republican's candidate for Governor, remains voter-rejection champ -- partly by keeping the rejection criteria a complete secret.

Theft #2: Turned Away - the ID game

A legion of pimple-faced Republicans with Blackberries loaded with lists of new voters is assigned to challenge citizens in heavily Black and Hispanic(i.e. Democratic) precincts to demand photo ID that perfectly matches registration data.

Sounds benign, but it's not. The federal HAVA law and complex new ID requirements in states like New Mexico will easily allow the GOP squads to triple the number of voters turned away. Rather than deny using these voter suppression tactics, Republican spokesmen are claiming they are "protecting the integrity of the vote."

I've heard that before. In 2004, we got our hands on fifty confidential internal memos from the files of the Republican National Committee. Attached to these were some pretty strange spreadsheets. They called them "caging lists" -- and it wasn't about zoo feeding times. They were lists (70,000 for Florida alone) of new Black and Jewish voters -- a very Democratic demographic -- to challenge on Election Day. The GOP did so with a vengeance: In 2004, for the first time in half a century, more than 3.5 million voters were challenged on Election Day. Worse, nearly half lost their vote: 300,000 were turned away for wrong ID; 1.1 million were allowed a "provisional" ballot -- which was then simply tossed out.

Tomorrow, new federal ID requirements and a dozen new state show-me-your-ID laws will permit the GOP challenge campaign to triple their 300,000 record to nearly one million voters blocked.

Theft #3: Votes Spoiled Rotten

The nasty little secret of US elections is that three million ballots are cast in national elections but not counted -- 3,600,380 not counted in 2004 according to US Election Commission stats. These are votes lost because a punch card didn't punch (its chad got "hung"), a stray mark voided a paper ballot and other machinery glitches.

Officials call it "spoilage." I call it, "inaugurating Republicans." Why? According to statisticians working with the US Civil Rights Commission, the chance your vote will "spoil" this way is 900% higher for Black folk and 500% higher for Hispanics than for white voters. When we do the arithmetic, we find that well over half of all votes spoiled or "blank" are cast by voters of color. On balance, this spoilage game produces a million-vote edge for the GOP.

That's where the Black Boxes come into play. Forget about Karl Rove messing with the software to change your vote. Rather, the big losses occur when computers crash, fail to start or simply don't respond to your touch. They are the new spoilage machines of choice with, statistically, the same racial bias as the old vote-snatching lever machines. (Funny, but paper ballots with in-precinct scanners don't go rotten on Black voters. Maybe that's why Republican Secretaries of State have installed so few of them.)

So Let's Add it Up

Two million legitimate voters will be turned away because of wrongly rejected or purged registrations.

Add another one million voters challenged and turned away for "improper ID."

Then add yet another million for Democratic votes "spoiled" by busted black boxes and by bad ballots.

And let's not forget to include the one million "provisional" ballots which will never get counted. Based on the experience of 2004, we know that, overwhelmingly, minority voters are the ones shunted to these baloney ballots.

And there's one more group of votes that won't be counted: absentee ballots challenged and discarded. Elections Assistance Agency data tell us a half million of these absentee votes will go down the drain.

Driving this massive suppression of the vote are sophisticated challenge operations. And here I must note that the Democrats have no national challenge campaign. That's morally laudable; electorally suicidal.

Add it all up -- all those Democratic-leaning votes rejected, barred and spoiled -- and the Republican Party begins Election Day with a 4.5 million-vote thumb on the vote-tally scale.

So, what are you going to do about it? May I suggest you … steal back your vote.

It's true you can't win with 51% of the vote anymore. So just get over it. The regime's sneak attack via vote suppression will only net them 4.5 million votes, about 5% of the total. You should be able to beat that blindfolded. If you can't get 55%, then you're just a bunch of crybaby pussycats who don't deserve to win back America.

********
Greg Palast is the author of the New York Times bestseller, "ARMED MADHOUSE."

For specific advice on How to Steal Back Your Vote, go to http://www.gregpalast.com/steal-back-your-vote

Catch Greg Palast on Election Night on the new Mike Malloy Show on many Air America affiliates.

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From IAVA, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America

Tens of thousands of you have checked out your Senators and Representatives' Official IAVA Ratings. But a flood of incoming emails over the last week have told us what you really want to know.

Who gets an A? And who gets an F?

Click here to see the 67 politicians who made it onto the IAVA Action Fund A-Team . These Senators and Representatives have consistently supported our troops and veterans - voting with IAVA more than 90% of the time.

But there are 12 politicians in the IAVA Action Fund F-Troop. These are the worst of the worst. They might say they support the troops, but then they turn around and vote against body or Humvee armor, against health care for National Guardsmen and Reservists, and against funding for Vet Hospitals. There is simply no excuse for an F grade.

Are these representatives from your state or district?
On our website, you can send them a message congratulating them - or asking them why they haven't put their money where their mouth is when it comes to supporting the troops. Then tell your friends about the new grades from IAVA Action.

Thanks very much for your support.

Sincerely,

Paul Rieckhoff
Executive Director
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
www.iavaaction.org


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Turn on the news any day this week, and you'll see the usual array of politicians and pundits talking about partisan polls, negative ads, and margins of error.

With Veterans Day just around the corner, please remember: Washington may look different next week. But Baghdad won't. Come November 7th, no matter who gets elected, the war in Iraq will still be raging. In the month of October, more than 100 US troops died in Iraq, the most deadly month in a year.

Now more than ever, your support of IAVA is crucial. In the week leading up to Veterans Day, please tell your friends about IAVA, and help us build our support nationwide.

Because we're nonpartisan, we are uniquely placed to work with all members of Congress, on both sides of the aisle, to continue the real progress we've made on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, equipment shortages, and funding for veterans hospitals.

Help us continue our mission. Please take a moment to spread the word about IAVA to five of your friends. We're hoping to grow our base by 5,000 new supporters. Elections come and go, but we've proven we'll still be here, fighting for what really matters: real support for Troops and Veterans.

Sincerely,
Paul Rieckhoff
Executive Director
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
www.iava.org

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From HuffPo

Bush Admin Posted Nuclear Bomb Building Guide On The Internet...

From rottentomatoes.com

A website set up by the Bush administration last year published documents that effectively constituted a guide to building an atomic bomb. The website, an archive of Iraqi documents captured during the war, was shut down last night after weapons experts and International Atomic Energy Agency officials expressed concern.

The documents contain charts, diagrams, and equations from Iraqi atomic research that experts say go beyond the knowledge commonly available on the Internet. "For the U.S. to toss a match into this flammable area is very irresponsible," said A. Bryan Siebert, a former director of classification at the Department of Energy. The website was created and the documents published under intense pressure from the Republican Congress.
Click here to read more.

Click here to discuss it on HuffPost.

On AOL News
: Wildfire Suspect Charged With Arson, Murder

ON THE BLOG TODAY

Arianna Huffington: Responding to the Kerry Flub, Hillary and Katie
Channel Goofus and Gallant


Rebecca Abrahams: The Two Faces of Diebold

Mike Stark: What You Don't Know

Melinda Henneberger: John Kerry and The Sixth Sense


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Arianna Huffington: Haggard And The White House: Both Living In Denial...

From AP/bodyworkformen/starbulletin.com

Let's face it: the Bush administration is sick. The fall of Ted Haggard is just the latest manifestation of the central disease of President Bush and his cohorts: the pathological refusal to accept reality, and the delusion that reality can be changed by rhetoric.

As Andrew Sullivan said last week on CNN, "this is not an election anymore, it's an intervention."

But while it's the administration that's sick, it's the whole country that's suffering.
Click here to read more.

On AOL News
: World Opinion Divided on Saddam Sentence

ON THE BLOG TODAY

Paul Hipp: METH AND MAN ASS

Stacy Parker Aab: Fight the Ground War This Tuesday

Bob Geiger: The Senate Races Already Done

Vinod Khosla: Part VII: Prop 87 and its Opponents' Deceptive Tactics


-----
From The Peace Team

WILL THIS ELECTION BRING A BRIGHTER DAY OR THE END OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

SUPPORT THE PEACE TEAM CANDIDATES NOW: http://www.peaceteam.net

If there were ever a more urgent reason to replace each and every member of Congress virtually without exception, one need only look at the breathtaking new martial law powers granted to the Bush administration this month. It has always been a sacred tenet of our Democracy that the U.S. military should not be deployed AGAINST American citizens. But literally in the dead of night and almost without comment, an amendment to the Insurrection Act was slipped into the just passed Defense Authorization bill stating, and get this:

"the President may employ the armed forces, including the National Guard in Federal service, to restore public order and enforce the laws of the United States when . . . the President determines that domestic violence has occurred"

So let's just say for example that the electronic election results in 8 days are so far out of line with pre-election and exit polling data so as to defy credulity. And let's just say that people organized massive peaceful protests of the theft of their elections. And let's just say that the Bush administration provoked "police" riots, or even had their own provocateurs commit violent acts so as to justify a military crackdown. Voila . . . now you have American soldiers shooting at otherwise peaceful political protesters. And you thought Kent State was a party!

And if you don't think that could ever happen, then why the hell have they pushed for such changes, which are now the law of the land?

The whole concept of the president as an unaccountable determiner, or "decider", insulated from any kind of oversight by Congress or the Courts has been the hallmark of the Cheney/Bush executive coup, which just keeps steamrollering along while our presumptive protectors in Congress are asleep at the switch, or cowering in their cloakrooms.

Shame on each and every member of Congress who allowed this to happen with hardly as much as peep or a whimper. Shame on them for their lack of diligence and lack of oversight. Shame, shame, shame on Democrats as well as Republicans. Are there any, any at all worth keeping, who will actually fight for the people and their rights? The list of keepers must now be short indeed.

But there are some candidates who ARE fighting to be the people's voice. There are candidates who were calling for our troops in Iraq to start coming home, and standing strong on that call, BEFORE the general public began to realize the scale of the Iraq disaster, doomed as it was from the start by its illegal and immoral underpinnings.

And what we are asking you to do, in this last 7 days before the upcoming election, is to donate anything you can, if you have not done so already, to help the brave candidates on the Peace Team to get their Lie/Die TV spots on the air, so the people know that there is at least somebody out there taking a stand on principle.

SUPPORT THE PEACE TEAM CANDIDATES NOW: http://www.peaceteam.net

So far you have contributed over $60,000 in just the last couple weeks to this valiant effort. It may not be the millions of dollars that other candidates may throw around, but it has made a real difference. Because of you, the courageous Peace Team candidates are getting a hearing they would have otherwise had. A number are definitely within striking distance if only we do everything we can to support them.

But most of all we thank you for your own courage in continuing to speak out, which will be all the more important regardless of who wins particular elections in this round. We must always keep the heat on the members of Congress we may be stuck with for the time being, until we can replace them with somebody better.

Please take action NOW, so we can win all victories that are supposed to be ours.

To be added to the list go to http://www.peaceteam.net/in.htm

Or if you want to cease receiving our messages, just use the function at http://www.peaceteam.net/out.htm

Powered by The People's Email Network
Copyright 2006, Patent pending, All rights reserved

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From Working Families -- PROTECT THE VOTE!

Download and share these vote protection handouts: And if you witness voting problems, call our Election Protection Hot Line toll free at 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

Together, we ve been doing all we can to educate and mobilize working family voters. Unfortunately, that s not enough. We also have to make sure every vote counts.

None of us will forget the heartbreak of stolen elections in 2000 and 2004. And none of us should think for a minute that voting suppression is behind us. Several states and even the U.S. House of Representatives have tried to impose a 21st century poll tax in the form of stringent voter identification requirements. Others have tried to make it harder for groups like unions to help people register to vote.

Voting machine problems and inadequate poll worker training caused primary election disasters this year, most notably in Maryland. Then there are the dirty tricks that only sometimes come to light like the letter to Latinos from an Orange County, Calif., Republican campaign staff warning they could be jailed or deported if they vote.

Please help us protect the vote and make sure no eligible voter is denied the right to be heard in this election.

Download and share these vote protection handouts:

And if you witness voting problems, call our Election Protection Hot Line toll free at 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

So much is at stake in this election good jobs, affordable health care, retirement security, education, workplace rights, job safety, civil rights and more. Don t let anyone steal it.

Thank you for making this election work for working families.

In solidarity,

Working Families e-Activist Network, AFL-CIO


Two Guys take George W. Bush
to the people.
Georgie, it don t look good.

Watch this short video
to see what working people say to George W. Bush about why they re going to vote Nov. 7.

Visit the Web address below to tell your friends about this.
Tell-a-friend!

If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for Working Families e-Activist Network.

-----
So ... you made it all the way down here? Then get ready for a giggle from Reader S.G.:

Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D. - Age Activated Attention
Deficit Disorder. This is how it develops:

I decide to water my garden. As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I
look over at my car and decide my car needs washing.

As I start toward the garage, I notice that there is mail on the porch
table that I brought up from the mailbox earlier.

I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.

I lay my car keys down on the table, put the junk mail in the garbage can
under the table, and notice that the can is full.

So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the garbage
first.

But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out
the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills first.

I take my checkbook off the table and see that there is only 1 check left.
My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house
t o my desk where I find the can of Coke that I had been drinking. I'm
going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Coke aside so
that I don't accidentally knock it over. I see that the Coke is getting
warm and I decide I should put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.

As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke, a vase of flowers on the
counter catches my eye--they need to be watered.

I set the Coke down on the counter and I discover my reading glasses that
I've been searching for all morning. I decide I better put them back on my
desk. But first I'm going to water the flowers.

I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and
suddenly I spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table.

I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I will be looking for the
remote but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I
decide to put it back i n the den where it belongs. But first I'll water
the flowers.

I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spills on the
floor. So, I set the remote back down on the table, get some towels and
wipe
up the spill.

Then, I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day:

----the car isn't washed,
----the bills aren't paid,
----there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter,
----the flowers don't have enough water,
----there is still only 1 check in my check book,
----I can't find the remote,
----I can't find my glasses,
----and I don't remember what I did with the car keys.

Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really
baffled because I know I was busy all day long, and I'm really tired.

I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it,
but first I 'll check my e-mail.

Do me a favor, w ill you? Forward this message to everyone you know, because
I don't remember to whom it has been sent.

Don't laugh -- if this isn't you yet, your day is coming!

GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY.
GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.
LAUGHING AT YOURSELF IS THERAPEUTIC.

P.S. - I just remembered: I LEFT THE WATER RUNNING IN THE DRIVEWAY!

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.