Greetings, fellow Freedom Fighters™ and Defenders of Democracy™!
Today, we bring you news to use from our information clearinghouse.
Read all about it:
-- Making more than one appearance in this week’s issue, Keith Olbermann is hereby proclaimed The Scallion’s hero and official new Best Friend!
-- Khaled El-Masri’s nightmare of extraordinary rendition and torture at the behest of our government and funded by our taxes is a story that all Americans need to know, as the ACLU observes.
-- Celebrate Jim Webb for thumbing his nose at the chimp in chief!
-- Sean Bell, yet another young, unarmed black man, was mowed down by a hail of 50 (yes, fifty) police bullets in New York. He was on his way home from his bachelor party and was due to be married in the morning. They held his funeral in the same church where he was slated to be married.
-- Sign the U.S. PIRG petition to stop funneling our hard-earned tax dollars into hand-outs to line the pockets of Big Oil (while also risking national security, might we add).
You won’t want to miss this week’s mailbag, which includes a Common Dreams article sent in by Dot Calm that describes the surreal politics of premeditated war. If you ever wanted to see all the dots from Afghanistan, Iraq, and 9/11 connected in one straight, bold line, this article is a must-read!
We of The Scallion beg each of our Readers to make and keep the pledge to hold our newly-elected Democratic leadership accountable for holding Bush and the neocons accountable. We must hold the Democrats' feet to the fire: we elected them to office with the mandate to carry out our will for the benefit of the nation and the world.
If we do nothing else, we must all work together to mandate Congress to revoke any further funding for Bush’s wars and invasions of aggression and greed.
Keep the faith and keep fighting: together, we WILL win our nation back!
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From our mailbag
Here are some don’t-miss items from fellow blogger Dot Calm:
http://www.peer.org/campaigns/epa_library/index.php -- Bush is dismantling the EPA
http://pacificanetwork.org/radio/content/view/208/40/ -- No more Habeas Corpus for America!
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1203-21.htm -- The surreal politics of premeditated war
Reader K.R. sent in this article about the “great Gipper,” Ronnie Reagan. Scary how well Reagan’s brain-dead persona transfers to the chimp in chief, even if the likeness has been watered down and denuded of much of its, er, character …
http://www.lewrockwell.com/rothbard/rothbard60.html
Reader D.F. sent in an important, informative piece: "Nothing can prevent the coming U.S. defeat in Iraq, including more troops. Here's why."
http://www.lewrockwell.com/lind/lind114.html
The Scallion’s Editor in Chief adds, “I have personally visited Walter Reed Army Medical Center. I have seen first hand literally dozens of amputees who have recently returned from Iraq: otherwise strong, fit young men in the prime of life missing their arms and legs, some missing more than one limb. I can testify just how important it is to stop Bush’s war in Iraq and to stop him from invading Iran.”
D.F. adds, “Senator-elect Jim Webb (whom I voted for--hooray, I finally voted for someone who won!) has been described by Senator Charles Schumer as ‘not an ordinary politician. He has strong beliefs.’"
http://www.lewrockwell.com/dilorenzo/dilorenzo117.html
Reader R.R. sent in this little gem, saying, “Make sure you have your sound on. And if you aren't alone, put on your headphones. Consider yourself warned ... in more ways than one.”
http://www.falafelsex.com/sounds/GodWill.mp3
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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.
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From AlterNet
The N-Word. Is It Ever OK to Say?
By Derek Jennings, Carolina Independent Weekly
N**ga, Please! One black man gives his take on where "niggas" come from and where the word is going.
Blasting American Infrastructure Away
By Jim Hightower, Hightower Lowdown
It's not the terrorists who are targeting and destroying the heart of America; it's Bush & Co.!
Women Own The Democratic Party
By Martha Burk, TomPaine.com
Analysis shows that female voters determined the 2006 elections. Will women-friendly policy result?
Stop the Press Spree Against Working Moms
By Sheila Gibbons, Women's eNews
Not all working women fare as well as high-profile, mother-of-five Pelosi: How employer bias is going underreported and squeezing women out of the workplace.
Is the U.S. Cotton Industry in Danger of Collapse?
By Jason Mark, Grist Magazine
Facing growing competition from cotton growers overseas, the American cotton industry is shrinking but still using inefficient and ecologically unsustainable techniques for harvest and distribution.
Iraq is a Civil War: Media Dominoes Falling
By Anna Crane, Editor & Publisher
NBC's decision to call the violence in Iraq a "civil war" has launched civil wars within a number of news outlets. But are they ready to challenge the Bush Administration?
Double Standard on Hate Sends Wrong Message
By Earl Ofari Hutchinson, New America Media
Whites still commit the overwhelming majority of hate attacks, and African Americans are their prime targets. But blacks commit hate crimes, too.
Crap of the Future
By Annalee Newitz, AlterNet
For the holidays, please allow me to predict what kinds of lame holiday crap I'll be complaining about in years to come.
PEEK and Video: The hottest buzz and videos on the web
Olbermann: 'Civil War' naming is Iraq's Walter Cronkite moment [VIDEO]
By Evan Derkacz
Bush admin in denial, can't begin its 12-step on Iraq...
Christian Coalition leader leaves in frustration
By Melissa McEwan
CC disses his ideas to fight poverty and go green
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The United States v. George Bush
By Elizabeth de la Vega, Tomdispatch.com
What would the case against George Bush for intelligence fraud in the leadup to the war in Iraq look like? A former federal prosecutor lays out her case to an imaginary grand jury, and all she needs is the evidence available in the public record to make her case.
Ten Fallacies About the Violence in Iraq
By John Tirman, AlterNet
The distortions about the violence in Iraq persist even as the mayhem increases. Here are ten of the worst myths being spread in the media.
Robert Gates: A Cold War Bombthrower Becomes Iraq War Saviour
By Robert Parry, Consortium News
Two decades ago, Robert Gates wanted to bomb Nicaragua, considered too extreme even by the Reagan administration. Now Official Washington is treating Gates as the returning Wise Man who will get us out of Iraq.
Democrats Could End Discriminatory Prison Sentencing Rules
By Jackie Jones, Black America Web
Prison reform advocates say that the new Democratic majority in Congress may end America's sentencing policy which has black defendants receiving substantially more prison time for drug possession.
Bioprospecting: Mining Our National Parks One Gene at a Time
By Geov Parrish, AlterNet
The National Parks Service is considering a proposal to allow private companies to own the genetic resources of plants and animals in our parks.
Don't Trust the News?
By Rory O'Connor, AlterNet
A new community of expert and amateur readers grades the news as it happens...
Fox's Wallace chastised by Barney Frank [VIDEO]
By Evan Derkacz
'I've got to say, Chris, you have an odd view of balance'
Why Israel/Palestine peace treaty won't work
By Evan Derkacz
Hint: NOT because there's "no partner for peace"
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Keith Olbermann Proves That Dissent Has An Audience
By Daphne Evitar, The Nation
MSNBC's Keith Olbermann has become the first cable news host in years to tell it like it is, and his soaring ratings prove the American public does have a taste for real news and honest dissent.
Boeing: Accused of Running Torture Travel Agency
By Rick Anderson, Seattle Weekly
A British author and an ex-prisoner's attorney say that records uncovered by Spanish investigators show Boeing has a direct role in "extreme renditions" -- planning and organizing the flights through a unit of its Seattle commercial airplane division.
Israel-Palestine: Reconciliation Is in Everyone's Interest
By Evan Derkacz, AlterNet
A new documentary that looks at the people most affected by the Israeli-Palestinian divide reminds us that lasting peace will come from popular movements, not political leaders.
Independent Women Can Choose to 'Date Down'
By Molly Faulkner-Bond, Sirens Magazine
Women's increased ability to provide for themselves has given them more freedom to decide what they want from a partner.
The Revolution Will Be Solarized
By David Roberts, Grist Magazine
Author Travis Bradford says that solar energy will eventually break the hold that centralized power companies have on our energy grids.
Olbermann: Gingrich Rethinks Free Speech [VIDEO]
By Evan Derkacz
The latest Special Comment takes on Gingrich's recent speech...
Brits: Abstinence is a myth
By Melissa McEwan
Increased contraceptive use, not increased abstinence, has reduced teen pregnancies.
GOP presidential hopeful's illegal immigrant problem
By Melissa McEwan
Romney's history undercuts his growing criticism of illegal immigration.
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The Christian Right Goes Back to Bible Boot Camp
By Alexander Zaitchik, AlterNet
After a study revealed that less than 10% of evangelicals were bible literate, James Dobson's Focus on the Family is desperately taking a two-day multi-media Bible boot camp on the road, selling "truth" for $179 a seat.
The Perfect Thing: How the iPod Shuffles Commerce, Culture, and Coolness
By Joab Jackson, AlterNet
Author Steve Levy explains the upsides and downsides of living with an iPod.
People Party vs. Money Party: Who's Who Among the Democrats
By David Sirota, AlterNet
A list of the Democrats who are going to lead the fight for health care, fair trade and labor issues in the New Congress and the Democrats who will fight them.
Protecting Penguins Could Force Bush to Move on Climate Change
By Catherine Komp, The NewStandard
Environmentalists want penguins to be placed on endangered species list because it could force the US government to start acting on climate issues.
Business Is the Next Big Casualty in Iraq
By Dahr Jamail, Ali Al-Fadhily, IPS News
Most Iraqi businesses have collapsed under the weight of U.S.-backed economic laws, the breakdown of security, lack of electricity and fuel, and soaring inflation.
PEEK and Video: The hottest buzz and videos on the web
Muslim clerics removed from plane in handcuffs [VIDEO/AUDIO]
By Evan Derkacz
And a Nazi-like War of the Worlds radio hoax...
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From the ACLU
***********************************************************
A STORY WE SHOULD ALL KNOW
From the Desk of Anthony D. Romero
Executive Director, ACLU
http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=6uWMydzgfjRHHUSvReQm0Q..
***********************************************************
"I have come to America seeking three things. An acknowledgement
that the United States government is responsible for kidnapping,
abusing and detaining me; an explanation as to why I was singled out
for this treatment; and an apology because I am an innocent man who
has never been charged with any crime."
-- Khaled El-Masri, a victim of extraordinary rendition
Dear Friend,
The case of our client Khaled El-Masri is one we should all be
watching carefully. Yesterday, he stood up in a courtroom to
challenge the Bush administration's use of "extraordinary rendition,"
abduction, detention and interrogation in secret overseas prisons.
While it is a credit to our system of justice that Mr. El-Masri can
now demand accountability from his CIA kidnappers, all of us must ask,
how have we let our country stray so far from its ideals?
Mr. El-Masri's story is a frightening catalogue of abuses. A father of
six, he was forcibly abducted in Macedonia while on vacation, handed
over to the CIA and flown to a secret interrogation center in
Afghanistan where he was beaten, drugged and repeatedly denied legal
counsel. After two months, CIA operatives informed director George
Tenet that they were holding an innocent man. But it still took two
more months before he was released - flown in secret to Albania
and left alone on a hillside in the middle of the night.
People need to hear his story, and the agencies and private
companies responsible must face real justice for their violations of
U.S. laws as well as universal human rights laws.
In a legal maneuver that is now familiar, the government is trying to
use the veil of secrecy to avoid accountability for its actions.
But yesterday, we argued that the government's official
recognition of the program and information already available about
this case show that the lawsuit does not jeopardize national security
and must be allowed to continue.
Our government would rather you didn't hear his story. The last
time Mr. El-Masri tried to come to the U.S. -- to hear his own court
case -- he was denied entry because he did not have a visa, even
though German citizens don't actually need visas to enter the
U.S. This week, Mr. El-Masri witnessed his court proceedings and will
also be meeting in person with members of Congress to share his story.
As he told the Washington Post today, "I never thought badly of
the United States. I do think badly of the foreign policy aspects and
the sitting government."
You can help.
* Learn more about El-Masri v. Tenet.
http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=LYcgphBdTdEPaPPa_s2Ijg..
* Watch Mr. El-Masri and his attorneys tell the story in their own
words.
http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=01MpnHH7yvqe5lbjToDcww..
* And tell others about the case, and the unthinkable acts
perpetrated in our name - and now being deliberately covered
over through an abuse of the "state secrets" privilege.
http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=WBQTGZ5CRPIt7ZW0vw7ytA..
The ACLU is appalled that our government sanctioned and carried out
these atrocious actions -- and that it continues to shirk
responsibility by hiding behind state secrets. These are not the
actions of a proud nation, instead they diminish us as a
people.
We will continue the fight both to seek justice for Khaled El-Masri
and to end the practice of extraordinary rendition. Thank you
for making those efforts possible.
Sincerely,
Anthony D. Romero
Executive Director
ACLU
-----
From the Center for American Progress
GOOD NEWS
A University of Toronto team has created "the latest, and some say most advanced tool yet in allowing Internet users to circumvent government censorship of the Web."
STATE WATCH
CALIFORNIA: "Seven of the 19 California lawmakers who rejected a nearly $12,000 pay increase last year quietly changed their mind after the spotlight shifted, state records show."
GEORGIA: Georgia considers ways to pack the state Supreme Court with right-wing judges.
NEW JERSEY: Conservative lawmaker yesterday introduced legislation to amend the state Constitution "by defining marriage as being only between a man and a woman."
ENERGY: "States push renewable energy, federal government lags."
BLOG WATCH
THINK PROGRESS: Video: CQ analyst suggests "Rumsfeld's leaving is just the beginning," Cheney might be next.
MATTHEW YGLESIAS: Hamilton Project suggests Summer Opportunity Scholarships to avoid deterioration of academic skills over summer break.
SADLY NO!: New conservative book on congressional corruption endorsed by criminally-indicted ex-Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX).
MEDIA MATTERS: O'Reilly falsely claims to have coined the term "San Francisco values."
DAILY GRILL
"There's a lot of sectarian violence taking place, fomented in my opinion because of the attacks by al-Qaida causing people to seek reprisal."
-- President Bush, 11/28/06
VERSUS
"When I would speak to some of the most senior members of the U.S. military intelligence here in Iraq, when they were asked to define civil war, some time ago, they would say that well we're not at civil war yet, this is largely an al Qaeda- led sectarian conflict. It requires al Qaeda to attack to provoke some kind of response from the Shia. They said it will not be civil war until it develops its own momentum, that the Shia attack unprovoked. Well, we passed that way back earlier this year."
-- CNN correspondent Michael Ware, 11/27/06
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GOOD NEWS
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) will "put hundreds of thousands of his family's dollars where his mouth is when it comes to divestment from Sudan" by withdrawing from mutual funds who do business with the genocidal regime.
STATE WATCH
ILLINOIS: State House Labor Committee approves legislation that would increase the minimum wage. Bill now goes to the floor for a vote.
MARYLAND: "A national boom in the use of ethanol has lured eight companies into a race to build Maryland's first factory to convert corn into car fuel."
FLORIDA: South Florida: "the public corruption capital of the country, according to the U.S. Department of Justice."
BLOG WATCH
THINK PROGRESS: O'Reilly misfires in "War on Christmas" attack on Crate & Barrel.
DAILY KOS: What are "San Francisco values" anyway?
MEDIA MATTERS: CNN's Baghdad reporter says Iraq is embroiled in "civil war," but rest of network is still hedging.
COALITION FOR DARFUR: Atrocities "occurring daily" at a "horrific level" in Darfur, U.N. says.
DAILY GRILL
"The recent bombings were to perpetuate the sectarian violence. In other words, we've been in this phase for a while."
-- President Bush, 11/27/06, on how the recent violence in Iraq does not represent a new phase
VERSUS
"We're clearly in a new phase characterized by an increase in sectarian violence that requires us to adapt to that new phase."
-- National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, 11/27/06
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GOOD NEWS
The Illinois House voted Wednesday to "raise the state minimum wage by 27 percent over the next four years in a move hailed by advocates as a victory for the working poor."
STATE WATCH
NEW HAMPSHIRE: "New Hampshire announced plans Wednesday to become the first state to offer the new cervical-cancer vaccine free to all girls."
CALIFORNIA: San Diego bans Wal-Mart Supercenters and other "big-box" stores.
KENTUCKY: "A change in how Kentucky helps poor parents pay for child care is forcing some parents to quit jobs, drop out of employment training or worry about losing their day-care providers."
BLOG WATCH
THINK PROGRESS: Bush kneecaps Iraq Study Group: There will be no "graceful exit" from Iraq
WAKEUPWALMART: Watch the first ad in the "Hope for the Holidays" campaign, featuring Wal-Mart employees speaking out.
TAPPED: Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA) hires top two economic advisers, both proponents of "the most politically radioactive ideas in economics."
DAILY GRILL
"Oh, I know some fear the possibility that Iraq could break apart and fall into a civil war. I don't believe these fears are justified."
-- President Bush, 12/12/05
VERSUS
"I would call it a civil war. ... I have been using it (civil war) because I like to face the reality."
-- Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, 11/29/06
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GOOD NEWS
"With the financial backing of a group of nations led by France, former President Bill Clinton announced Thursday that his foundation had negotiated deeply reduced prices for 19 AIDS drugs to treat children, halving the cost of the simplest-to-use therapy -- three drugs combined in a single pill -- to less than $60 a year for each boy and girl."
STATE WATCH
NEW YORK: Incoming Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) "throws down ethics gauntlet."
FLORIDA: Gov. Jeb Bush (R) on Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO): "What a nut."
MASSACHUSETTS: Gov. Mitt Romney (R), an "outspoken" critic of illegal immigration, has employed several undocumented workers.
BLOG WATCH
THINK PROGRESS: Administration lawyer claims link between CO2 and global warming "cannot unequivocally be established."
MINDFULL: A new blog tacking the intersection of science, technology, and policy
CARPETBAGGER REPORT: Rep. Steve King (R-IL) releases report claiming illegal immigrants have murdered more Americans this year than combined death toll of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
WASHINGTON WIRE: New report says Washington organizations "are exaggerating China's nuclear-weapons capability in order to justify a new generation of U.S. arms."
DAILY GRILL
"This is insulting to Christian America. It's insulting."
-- Fox News host Bill O'Reilly, 11/30/05, on the phrase "Happy Holidays"
VERSUS
"How about the website where there is no jabberwocky? www.foxnews.com/oreillyfactor - gear up for the holidays!"
-- O'Reilly, 11/30/06, momentarily joining the "War on Christmas"
-----
GOOD NEWS
The number of Americans who volunteer "is at a 30-year high, fueled in part by a boom in teen participation," according to a new study by the Corporation for National and Community Service.
STATE WATCH
SOUTH CAROLINA: "Bill to establish S.C. minimum wage filed."
MASSACHUSETTS: Gov. Mitt Romney (R) "has reached an agreement with federal authorities that allows the Massachusetts State Police to arrest immigrants who are in the state illegally."
NORTH CAROLINA: State lawmakers tackle global warming.
BLOG WATCH
THINK PROGRESS: U.N. Ambassador John Bolton to resign.
BOB GEIGER: Federal minimum wage has not increased in over 9 years, the longest period since the legislation was enacted in 1938.
POLITICAL ANIMAL: Grim reviews for the "most highly regarded Iraqi unit in the country."
DREAM OUT LOUD FILMS: Help support a new movie about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
DAILY GRILL
"[T]he one thing [Rumseld's memo] doesn't raise as a possibility is to increase the number of our troops [in Iraq]. ... That may well be a critical part of the problems that we've been having lately."
-- Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT), 12/4/06, advocating for an increased U.S. troop presence in Iraq
VERSUS
"No one wants to end the war in Iraq more than I do."
-- Lieberman, 10/18/06
-----
From CodePINK
To support Iraqi women and children:
To visit our CODEPINK store for holiday cards and gifts:November 30, 2006
Holidays are a time for giving, and we continue to be moved by the generosity of CODEPINKers. Thanks to your beautiful outpouring of support, we raised close to $10,000 to help Iraqi women and children.
CODEPINK continues to make its peaceful mark around the world. Last week, CODEPINK cofounder Medea Benjamin, along with Cindy Sheehan and fourteen peace activists, traveled to South Korea to stand with rice farmers whose lands were being confiscated to make way for an expanded US military base--including an 18-hole golf course! Read about Medea's journey and find out how to support the Korean farmers here.
This holiday season, you can support CODEPINK's efforts worldwide and give the gift of peace to your friends and loved ones by shopping at the CODEPINK store.
Spread your HOPE for peace and justice in the coming year with our gorgeous new holiday cards.
We have fun and inspiring gifts for all the people on your list, including a wide variety of gift packages, such as our Activist-in-Training Package for the young peace-loving girls in your life, and our Kiss My Activist and Pretty in Pink Packages, both filled with charming pink goodies.
Don't miss our great collection of Books and Movies to Make You Think. Sharing thought-provoking films such as The Ground Truth with your family over the holiday season can lead to some very fruitful discussion. Remember that holiday gatherings offer a wonderful opportunity to talk about peace.
CODEPINK gear is a great gift any time of the year. You can find a CODEPINK shirt for everyone in your circle, from Babies for Peace to Moms for Peace. Be sure to check out our new We Will Not Be Silent t-shirts in Arabic and English or Spanish and English. This timely phrase comes from the White Rose, a WWII non-violent resistance group in Germany which called for active resistance to the Nazi regime. Many travelers are now choosing to wear We Will Not Be Silent shirts in solidarity with Raed Jarrar, the Iraq Project Director for our sister organization Global Exchange, who was recently forced to change the Arabic shirt before boarding a plane in New York.
Global Exchange also has a beautiful selection of fair trade, socially conscious gifts for the holiday season. And when you shop online at Alonovo or iGive and designate CODEPINK as your chosen cause, a portion of every purchase will directly benefit CODEPINK. Together, we can use our holiday dollars to vote for peace and justice.
Thank you for giving the gift of peace every day.
With peace, love, and gratitude,
Andrea, Anedra, Dana, Farida, Gael, Gayle, Jodie, Laura, Liz, Medea, Nancy, Patricia, Rae, Samantha, and Sonia
P.S. Don't forget to stock up on CODEPINK gear for yourself and join us for the massive Mandate for Peace march in Washington, DC on January 27.
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From "Democracy Now!"
**50 Bullets: Rev. Al Sharpton & Amadou Diallo's Mother Condemn NYPD Killing
of Groom Sean Bell Hours Before His Wedding
Early Saturday morning, five New York police officers fired 50 shots at a
car carrying Sean Bell, who had just left his bachelors party on the eve of
his wedding with two friends. On Monday Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the
shooting of the unarmed men was "unacceptable" and "inexplicable.
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/28/1454244
**One State or Two? Rashid Khalidi & Ali Abunimah on the Israeli-Palestinian
Conflict
Two leading Palestinian-American intellectuals discuss their new books:
Rashid Khalidi's "The Iron Cage: The Story of the Palestinian Struggle for
Statehood" and Ali Abunimah's "One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the
Israeli-Palestinian Impasse."
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/28/1454248
=====================================
* Headlines for November 28th, 2006 *
- Marines: U.S. Military Can't Win In Western Iraq
- Kofi Annan: Iraq on Brink of Civil War
- Britain and S. Korea To Withdraw Some Troops from Iraq
- UN Accuses Israel of Planting Landmines in Lebanon
- Justice Dept. Inspector General To Probe NSA Spy Program
- Bloomberg: Police Shooting Was "Unacceptable" & "Inexplicable"
- Thousands Protest Pope Visit to Turkey
- Study: AIDS to Become One of Top Three Killers in World
- Voting Irregularities Probed in Florida Congressional Race
- Ecuador's Correa Criticizes U.S. Neo-liberal Economic Model
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/28/1454240
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* High-Flying Profiling: Six Muslim Leaders Removed in Handcuffs From US
Airways Plane After Praying in Airport *
Six Muslim leaders were removed from a US Airways flight in handcuffs last
week and questioned for several hours after being seen praying together
before boarding the plane. After their release, US Airways denied them
passage on any of its other flights and refused to help them obtain tickets
through another airline. Two of the imams joins us in our firehouse studio.
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/29/1436216
* Voting Irregularities Probed in Florida Congressional Race *
In Florida, election officials in Sarasota County have begun a review of
touch-screen voting machines used in the recent election. They are testing
the machines in order to determine why more than 18,000 ballots in the
county registered no votes in the highly contested Congressional race
between Republican Vern Buchanan and Democrat Christine Jennings.
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/29/1438228
* Triple Cross: Journalist Peter Lance on How Bin Laden's Master Spy
Penetrated the CIA, the Green Berets and the FBI - And Why Patrick
Fitzgerald Failed to Stop Him *
New details have emerged about how an al Qaeda spy named Ali Mohamed
penetrated the CIA, the Green Berets and the FBI before the 9/11 attacks. We
speak with investigative journalist Peter Lance about his new book, "Triple
Cross."
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/29/1438234
* Headlines for November 29, 2006 *
- 5 Iraqi Girls Killed by US Forces in Ramadi
- Bush Admin Leaks Memo Doubting Iraqi PM
- Shiite MPs Boycott Iraqi Parliament Over Bush-Maliki Summit
- Report: Pakistan Urging NATO to Accept Defeat in Afghanistan
- Israel Rejects Extending Truce to West Bank
- Mexican Lawmakers Scuffle Over Calderon Inauguration
- Bolivian Senate Approves Land-Reform Bill
- Pelosi Passes Over Hastings for House Intel Chair
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/29/1436204
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* Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid: Jimmy Carter In His Own Words *
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter is accusing Israel of creating an
apartheid system in the West Bank and Gaza. The charge comes in his new book
"Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid." We play an address by Carter talking about
the Palestine-Israel conflict, the role of the United States and much more.
Carter says, "Palestinians are deprived of basic human rights, their land
has been occupied, then confiscated, then colonized by the Israeli
settlers."
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/30/1452225
* EXCLUSIVE... Falsely Jailed Attorney Brandon Mayfield Discusses His Case
After Feds Award $2 Million and Written Apology *
The U.S. government has agreed to pay $2 million and issue a written apology
to a Muslim attorney in Oregon who was jailed two years ago after the FBI
mistakenly linked him to the Madrid train bombings. Brandon Mayfield sued
the FBI alleging that his civil rights had been violated and that he was
arrested in part because he is a Muslim convert. In a Democracy Now!
national broadcast exclusive, Brandon Mayfield and his wife, Mona, join us
from Portland.
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/30/1452233
* Headlines for November 30, 2006 *
- Iraq Study Group to Call for Phased Iraq Pullback, Iran-Syria Talks
- Iraq PM Delays Bush Talks After Admin Leaks Memo Criticizing Him
- Tutu to Lead Fact-Finding Mission to Investigate Gaza Killings
- Judge Orders FEMA to Resume Payments to Katrina Evacuees
- 8 Charged in Death of Florida Teen at Juveline "Boot Camp"
- US Prison Population on Rise
- CIA Kidnap, Torture Victim in US to Appeal Lawsuit Dismissal
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/30/1452216
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* Facing Fierce Protest, Mexico's Calderon Takes Power in Unprecedented
Midnight Ceremony; Opposition Lawmakers Vow to Block Inauguration *
Felipe Calderon has taken over as Mexico's president in an unusual midnight
ceremony at the presidential residence in Mexico City. Opposition lawmakers
are vowing to physically block him from being inaugurated in Congress.
Meanwhile, tension remains high in the southern state of Oaxaca where the
federal police are attempting to crush a popular uprising.
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/12/01/1456203
* Colorado Couple Win Battle to Keep Holiday Peace Wreath on Home *
A Colorado couple has won their battle to keep a holiday wreath shaped like
a peace sign on the front of their house. Lisa Jensen and Bill Trimarco
recently received a letter from the board of their homeowners association
threatening them with fines of $25 a day unless they removed the peace
wreath.
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/12/01/1456208
* Extraordinary Rendition Victim in U.S. to Appeal Lawsuit Dismissal *
Khaled El-Masri, a German citizen, was abducted by the CIA and flown to a
secret prison in Afghanistan where he was tortured. He has traveled to the
United States for the first time in an attempt to seek answers about his
case. We play excerpts of a press conference he held with his attorneys this
week in Washington DC.
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/12/01/1456214
* Hundreds to Attend Sean Bell Funeral, Community Leaders Criticize NYPD For
Raids *
Hundreds of people are expected to attend the funeral of Sean Bell today at
the Community Church of Christ, in Jamaica, Queens. It is being held in the
same church where the 23-year-old Bell was supposed to be married last
Saturday to his high school sweetheart. Meanwhile, community leaders are now
accusing the police of also harassing friends of Sean Bell when they raided
an apartment in Queens and arrested four people who knew Bell.
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/12/01/1456217
* Headlines for December 1, 2006 *
- Fox Transfers Power to Calderon as Opposition Vows Protests
- Iraq Study Group to Recommend 2008 Withdrawal
- Iraq Government Vows to Monitor, Prosecute Journalists
- Chavez Says Plot Thwarted to Shoot Rival, Blame Him
- Palestinian Unity Talks End in Impasse
- Agency: Electronic Voting "Cannot be Made Secure"
- Dec. 1 is World AIDS Day
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/12/01/1455255
-----
* Chavez Re-Elected For Third Presidential Term in Landslide Victory
In Venezuela, President Hugo Chavez won re-election by a wide margin on
Sunday, securing a third six-year term in office. With most of the ballots
counted, Chavez had won over 60% of the vote, more than 20 points over rival
Manuel Rosales. We go to Caracas to get a report.
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/12/04/1418221
* Lebanon Political Crisis Continues As Anti-Government Protests Enter
Fourth Day *
Thousands of demonstrators remain camped in the center of Beirut in an
attempt to bring down the pro-western government of Prime Minister Fouad
Siniora. We go to Beirut to speak with Newsday's Middle East bureau chief
Mohamad Bazzi and Amal Saad-Ghorayeb, author of "Hizbu'llah: Politics and
Religion."
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/12/04/1418229
* Report: Bush's Program to Combat HIV Abroad Fails Countries Struggling
With the Pandemic *
A new report released by the Center for Public Integrity is the first of its
kind to examine the policies, politics and goals of the President's
Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief known as PEPFAR. The report finds that
PEPFAR's faith-based ideology - including promotion of abstinence - often
trumps science. The report states that PEPFAR is, "failing to help lead the
world to stop this deadly disease. Instead of empowering people we are
restricting them."
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/12/04/1418234
* Headlines for December 4, 2006 *
- Hugo Chavez Re-Elected in Landslide Election
- Felipe Calderon Sworn in During Chaotic Ceremony
- Anti-Government Protests Enter Fourth Day in Lebanon
- Rumsfeld Memo: Major Adjustment Needed to Iraq Policy
- Italy Pulls Out Final Troops From Iraq
- Mandate for Peace Organizes Congressional Call-In
- Pelosi Taps Reyes to Chair House Intel Committee
- Supreme Court to Hear Case On School Desegregation
- Attorneys: Jose Padilla Unfit to Stand Trial
- Hundreds Attend Funeral For Sean Bell
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/12/04/1418208
-----
From Democrats.com
National Mandate for Peace Congressional Call-in Day
Monday, December 4th
On November 7, American voters issued a mandate for peace. Is Congress going to listen?
Call your Representative and Senators at 202-224-3121 and tell them:
Bring the troops home now by cutting off funding for the war!
Members of Congress return to Washington on Monday, December 4. The Democrats in the House have a meeting on December 5 to discuss Iraq strategy. The Baker-Hamilton Iraq Study Group will release its report on December 6. We must let every member of Congress know that the time for discussions is over. It is time to rein in an outlaw President and cut off the funding for his illegal war.
Call the Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121
You can find out who your Representative and Senators are and their direct phone and fax numbers here:
http://www.usalone.com/get_instantcongress.htm
Please make 3 phone calls: to your Representative and both Senators.
Background:
The United States has now been engaged in Iraq for longer than our engagement in WWII, and as long as our occupation of Iraq has gone on the situation there has grown worse. As long as we stay, we can expect it to worsen further. Only a negotiated peace that follows a commitment by the United States to quickly and entirely depart, and to fund a real reconstruction of Iraq by Iraqis, can give Iraq and all of us a chance at a better future.
A Johns Hopkins/Lancet study estimates that 650,000 Iraqis have died as a result of this war. The U.S. military has suffered 49,369 casualties, including 24,237 from hostile causes, of which 21,921 are wounded and 2,316 killed in action. Another 567 troops have died from "non-hostile" causes, and 147 U.S. contractors have been killed.
The Constitution gives Congress the power to end this war by cutting off the funding, as well as the power to investigate the war's justifications and to impeach its architects. Let Congress know that forgetting the message of the November 7th elections is an option that we're taking off the table!
For more information about the Mandate for Peace campaign, a joint effort of dozens of peace and community groups, go to http://www.mandateforpeace.org
___________ Sponsored message
THE GREEN GUIDE GIVES YOU 2-FOR-1 FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Which TVs, computers and other home electronics products use less energy? What's the latest in organic cotton and other green clothing fashions? How can you be green in home furnishings and home improvements? The Green Guide answers these questions and so much more.
The Green Guide is the go-to source for green home tips, product reviews, environmental news, and healthy living advice. Get well-researched, credible answers to your most important questions about everyday health and environmental issues for yourself and your family. Get a subscription for yourself and another as a gift this holiday season with our special, discounted 2-for-1 offer - good through 12/21/06 only (including over $350 in discounts on green products and services)!
___________
After You Call, Join Rep. Maxine Waters on a Conference Call
Join Rep. Maxine Waters, the Chair of the House Out of Iraq Caucus, and the United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ) Legislative Action Network for an Urgent Discussion of the Implications of the Baker- Hamilton Iraq Study Group Report
Monday, December 4
4 p.m. eastern time (1 p.m. pacific)
310-632-1100
code: 381726#
The Iraq Study Group has announced that it will release its recommendations on December 6. Congresswoman Waters is eager to discuss this with members of the UFPJ legislative action network and friends and allies who can make it. Please join us!
___________
Prepare for December 10
While you're on the phone, call all your friends and ask them to meet you at an impeachment rally on December 10 (December 9 in NYC):
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/december10
-----
From HuffPo
Arianna Huffington On Bush's $500 Million Library...
APFrom Arianna Huffington's Blog:
Comedy writers all across America have been buoyed by news that President Bush is looking to raise half-a-billion dollars to build his legacy-burnishing presidential library. The punchlines write themselves: What's it going to house, 100,000 copies of The Pet Goat? Will there be exhibits on waterboarding and the quaintness of the Geneva Conventions? A room devoted to the nobility of the Hanging Chad? The Abu Ghraib Game Room? But it's no joke that the names of donors to the library don't have to be made public. Bush 43 may be a lame duck, but he still has two years left in which he can throw open the doors of the White House favor bank. Whatever happened to the concept of government transparency?
Click here to read more.
ON THE BLOG TODAY
Rev. Al Sharpton: Democrats, It's Time to Sober UpJohn Ridley: Requiem for the Extraordinary Individual of the Liberal Plantation
Chris Kelly: Hitchens, The Atlantic, and Bond: A License to Kill (the Facts)
Marty Kaplan: After the "Civil War" War
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Bob Cesca On Newt Gingrich And The First Amendment...
APFrom Bob Cesca's Blog:
You, me and every human being who calls him- or herself an American ought to be willing to sacrifice ourselves before acquiescing to the tyranny of those who advocate such unconstitutional laws as the USA Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act and other yet-to-be-proposed ideas put forth by reactionary Republican cowards.
And "reactionary Republican cowards" includes Newt Gingrich who said, according to the Union Leader, we need to "reexamine freedom of speech" in order to "get ahead of the curve before we actually lose a city, which I think could happen in the next decade." The irony is that he said this at an event honoring the First Amendment. The scary side of this statement isn't the idea of losing a city but rather the notion that Mr. Gingrich wants to be our next president.
Click here to read more.
ON THE BLOG TODAY
Eric Deggans: More Michael Richards Madness: A Defense of the N-wordMo Rocca: The Bush Twins Audition for Broadway
Marty Kaplan: The Mission Is Complete!
Harry Shearer: "Before We Lose A City"
-----
Nora Ephron: Bad Manners...
APExcerpted From Nora Ephron's Blog:
According to George Will, newly-elected Virginia Senator James Webb was guilty of bad manners when he was asked by President Bush how his Marine son was doing in Iraq, and responded instead by saying that he hoped the troops would be home soon...
...So finally someone said to George Bush, Don't think that what you stand for is beside the point. Don't think that because you're President you're entitled to my good opinion. Don't think that asking about my boy means that I believe for even one second that you care. If you did, you'd be doing something about bringing the troops home.
George Will thinks this is bad manners.
I don't.
I think it's too bad it doesn't happen more often.
Click here to read more.
ON THE BLOG TODAY
Arianna Huffington: Tenacious D(emocracy): Let's Have Iraqis Vote on US Troops in IraqRep. Dennis Kucinich: There is Only One Way to End The War in Iraq, Part I
James Fallows: Getting Out of Iraq: What's the Right Idea When All Ideas Are Bad?
Tom Hayden: Peaceful Coup Underway In Baghdad? Al-Maliki Is Threatened from Within
-----
David Kuo: America Has Two Holy Documents: The Constitution And The Declaration Of Independence...
APExcerpted From David Kuo's Blog:
...So the Bible is America's holiest book? Was there a vote? Did Oprah decide? Was it Jefferson? And if so was it his version of the Bible? Does that mean it is true of every American citizen? Even Kevin Federline? And if it is true then America, with its indifference to the poor and lust for money and power, would be seriously backsliding and in need of spiritual counseling.
No, the BIble isn't Ameirca' holiest book. America doesn't have a holy book. It does have two holy documents, however. One is called the Constitution. The other is known as the Declaration of Independence. That's it. Book study finished...
Click here to read more.
ON THE BLOG TODAY
Arianna Huffington: Breaking News: The New York Times Thinks You're StupidRep. Dennis Kucinich: There is Only One Way to End The War in Iraq, Part II
Chris Kelly: Stalag 9/11
Bob Cesca: 9/11 Is Why He's The Worst President Ever
-----
From the League of Conservation Voters
Just weeks after the American people voted resoundingly for change and a new direction on energy - not for the failed energy policies of the past the Republican leadership in the House has scheduled a vote on an offshore drilling bill. Did they learn nothing from the recent elections?
The U.S. House is expected to vote this Tuesday on a bill to open eight million acres off of Florida's west coast to new offshore drilling.
Demand a better energy future write your Representative today!
The House is poised to vote on a Senate-passed bill, in order to give one last gift to the oil industry before people like defeated Rep. Richard Pombo leave Congress. Soon to be Speaker Pelosi has already announced plans to repeal subsidies to oil companies as part of the first 100 hours of the 110th Congress, and Big Oil is desperate to have Congress pass this bill now.
Starting in January, Congress is poised to stand up for real solutions to our energy crisis ones that embrace innovative new energy-efficient technologies, create jobs, cut pollution, and reduce our dependence on oil. Let's make sure Congress doesn't give one last handout to Big Oil.
Why should your representative vote against the offshore oil drilling bill?
o America should focus on developing new technologies, slowing oil consumption, and reducing the global warming pollution it causes.
o This bill opens eight million acres off of Florida's west coast to new offshore drilling.
With pro-environment members about to assume control of Congress and of environmental committees, there's no reason to allow the current House leadership to ram this bill through on their way out of town.
We have better energy solutions right at our fingertips; we do not need to drill off our pristine coasts. It's time for Congress to embrace a cleaner energy future!
Tell your representative to stand up for clean energy and coastal protections.
Tell your representative there is no reason to sacrifice our sensitive shorelines. Not when we can take the faster, cleaner, cheaper, and longer-term energy route.
Thanks for your support,
Gene Karpinski
President
League of Conservation Voters
-----
From Maryland PIRG
Last week we asked you to send a public comment to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) asking them to prevent big media from getting any bigger and to instead encourage more diverse, independent and minority ownership.
Over 7,000 of you have already taken action which puts us well on the way towards our goal of 12,000 comments. You can help us reach this goal by taking the next step and asking six of your friends to make comments too. The FCC is only accepting public input until the 26th of December so we need to act now in order to make sure our opinions are heard.
To spread the word, click on this link or paste it into your web browser:
http://static.uspirg.org/usaction.asp?id=2033&id4=ES
Background
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) sets the rules that limit how many media outlets any one company can own. Currently no one company can own both the local newspaper and a broadcast television station in the same media market (unless a market had such cross-ownership before the rule was enacted). Other rules generally prohibit one company from owning more than one large local television station but only somewhat restrict the number of radio stations any one company can own in the same media market. Over the years, the FCC has relaxed these rules to allow big media to get even bigger. And now, the agency wants to go even further.
In 2003 the FCC voted 3-2 to weaken these longstanding media ownership rules, despite over 3 million comments opposing the proposal. The U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals then rejected the rules, setting the stage for the FCC to reconsider them, a process which it announced this summer.
If the rules are weakened, as they already have been for radio, more big media companies will be allowed to own both the largest newspaper and the largest television station in any city. Big broadcasters will be allowed to own nearly all of the TV stations in a small or medium sized city. That's bad for democracy; for arts and culture; and for the free exchange of ideas.
Radio is the canary in the coal mine that should warn us against this action. Congress itself unwisely deregulated radio in 1996, when it also gave the FCC a tentative green light to go forward with its 2003 action. Clear Channel Communications now owns more than 1200 radio stations. Its use of national playlists and announcers has virtually stifled local news and local musical diversity on its stations.
The FCC is currently accepting comments and we need to take this opportunity to make sure our voices are heard. Over 7,000 of you have already taken action which puts us well on the way towards our goal of 12,000 comments. You can help us reach this goal by taking the next step and asking six of your friends to make comments too.
To spread the word, click on this link or paste it into your web browser:
http://static.uspirg.org/usaction.asp?id=2033&id4=ES
Sincerely,
Johanna Neumann
Maryland PIRG Advocate
JohannaN@marylandpirg.org
http://www.marylandpirg.org
P.S. Thanks again for your support. Please feel free to share this e-mail with your family and friends.
-----
From U.S. PIRG
To reduce our dependence on oil and protect the environment, we can't afford to squander billions in taxpayer handouts to Big Oil.
Unfortunately, for years Big Oil has gotten the lion's share of taxpayer subsidies while clean energy has gotten scraps. In fact, a recent analysis by Friends of the Earth shows that oil companies like ExxonMobil are slated to receive more than $31.6 billion on taxpayer handouts over the next five years.
The good news is that new Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has stated that one of her top agenda items in the first few days after she takes control in January will be to cut the most outrageous of these taxpayer giveaways to Big Oil.
Tell your representative that you don't want your tax money lining the pockets of Big Oil by signing our Stop Handouts to Big Oil petition. To sign, click on the link below or copy and paste it into your browser:
https://www.uspirg.org/action/new-energy-future/oil-handouts?id4=ES
Then ask your friends and family to help by forwarding this email to them.
Background
Oil Company Profits Continue to Skyrocket
Big oil companies are swimming in a sea of record-breaking profits while American consumers and taxpayers pay the price. In 2005, the world's biggest oil companies reported a combined $111 billion in profits. In the first three quarters of 2006 they reported more than $94 billion.
Some of the biggest oil company profits in 2005 were:
* ExxonMobil: $36.1 billion
* Royal Dutch Shell: $25.3 billion
* BP: $22.3 billion
* ConocoPhillips: $13.5 billion
* Chevron Texaco $14.1 billion
Federal Handouts Lavish Billions on Oil and Gas Companies
Despite earning record profits, oil and gas companies continue to benefit from billions in handouts courtesy of American taxpayers. Between tax incentives, below-market fees for drilling on public lands, research and development subsidies and accounting gimmicks, these companies will receive more than $31.6 billion from the federal government over the next five years.
Specifically, these handouts break down as follows:
* Tax breaks: $16 billion
* Research and development subsidies: $1.8 billion
* Below-market fees for drilling on public lands: $9.5 billion
* Accounting gimmicks: $4.3 billion
* Total: $31.6 billion
Some of most outrageous handouts to Big Oil include a deduction allowing oil and gas companies to write off taxes and fees paid to foreign governments. This giveaway is not only a boon for Big Oil, but also for the governments of the world's major oil-producing nations, many of which are openly hostile to American interests. According to estimates from the Joint Committee on Taxation, modifying the deduction would save taxpayers $325 million over the next five years.
Another costly and unfair handout allows companies drilling for oil and natural gas in publicly-owned waters and on publicly-owned lands to pay below-market fees, or royalties, for the resources they extract. These royalty payments provide needed resources to the Land and Water Conservation Fund, Historic Preservation Trust Fund, the oil-producing states and the federal treasury. Schemes that let oil companies off the hook for their royalty obligations will cost taxpayers at least $9.5 billion over the next five years.
And despite the substantial investments made by Big Oil into research and development, Congress is pumping more than $1.8 billion into federal research and development, including one provision in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to give $1.5 billion to an oil consortium in Representative Tom DeLay's home district of Sugarland, TX.
The good news is that new Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has stated that one of her top agenda items in the first few days after she takes control in January will be to cut the most outrageous of these taxpayer giveaways to Big Oil.
Tell your representative that you don't want your tax money lining the pockets of Big Oil by signing our Stop Handouts to Big Oil petition. To sign, click on the link below or copy and paste it into your browser:
https://www.uspirg.org/action/new-energy-future/oil-handouts?id4=ES
Then ask your friends and family to help by forwarding this email to them.
Sincerely,
Anna Aurilio
U.S. PIRG Legislative Director
AnnaA@uspirg.org
http://www.USPIRG.org
P.S. Thanks again for your support. Please feel free to share this e-mail with your family and friends.
-----
From WakeUpWalMart.com
Today, Cleo Forward, a current Wal-Mart support manager in Dallas, Texas, will call on Wal-Mart to change its anti-family policies and start putting America's families first.
When Wal-Mart asked him to stay silent, here is what Cleo said: "Wal-Mart said I have a 'duty of loyalty' to the company and that I cannot speak out. But what about my 'duty of loyalty' to the 1.4 million Wal-Mart Associates who built this company, and are suffering under Wal-Mart's new anti-family policies? What about my 'duty of loyalty' to tell the truth to the American people?"
Cleo is not alone. All over the country, Wal-Mart employees are calling on Wal-Mart to change for the better this Holiday season. And, for the first time, 3 brave Wal-Mart Associates are taking to the airwaves to tell the American people directly why Wal-Mart needs to change.
Watch our latest TV ad:
http://wakeupwalmart.com/feature/holidays/videos.html
The Wal-Mart workers in the ad say it best, this Holiday season, "Our children, our families, deserve better." That is why we need your help.
We have less than 4 weeks left until Christmas, so, put down the egg nog and let's go change America for the better. Because, while Wal-Mart suffers its first sales decline in over a decade, you have grown our campaign into one of the fastest growing social movements in America.
As you know, as part of our holiday campaign, we have been asking you, each week, to join with us in one coordinated action to send Wal-Mart a message that it must reverse its anti-family policies and give America "Hope for the Holidays." This week's action is to send a letter to your local newspaper telling them about the personal stories you just saw in the TV ad and educating your local town about why Wal-Mart needs to change.
Watch our latest TV ad and take action this Holiday season:
http://wakeupwalmart.com/feature/holidays/videos.html
Together, with over 288,000 supporters, we are proving the power ordinary people have to do extraordinary things. And, I can't tell you, especially during the Holiday season, how personally moved I am to be a part of such an amazing effort.
We really are going to change Wal-Mart and change America for the better.
Good luck with your letters and thank you for all that you do.
Wishing you all season's greetings,
Paul Blank
WakeUpWalMart.com
-----
So, you made it all the way down here, eh? Then here's something you'll really like!
Lesson learned from typing the wrong email address:
A Minneapolis couple decided to go to Florida to thaw out during a particularly icy winter. They planned to stay at the same hotel where they spent their honeymoon 20 years earlier. Because of hectic schedules, it was difficult to coordinate their travel plans. So, the husband left Minneapolis and flew to Florida on Thursday, with his wife flying down the following day. The husband checked into the hotel. There was a computer in his room, so he decided to send an email to his wife. However, he accidentally left out one letter in her email address, and without realizing his error, sent the email.
Meanwhile, somewhere in Houston, a widow had just returned home from her husband's funeral. He was a minister who was called home to glory following a heart attack. The widow decided to check her email expecting messages from relatives and friends. After reading the first message, she screamed and fainted. The widow's son rushed into the room, found his mother on the floor, and saw the following on the computer screen:
To: My loving wife
Subject: I've arrived Date: April 6, 2006
I know you're surprised to hear from me. They have computers here now and you are allowed to send emails to your loved ones. I've just arrived and have been checked in. I see that everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then. Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine was.
P.S. -- It sure is freaking hot down here!!!!!
-----
To be a Republican:
You need to believe:
1. Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.
2. Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him, and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion.
3. Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is Communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.
4. The United States should get out of the United Nations, and our highest national priority is enforcing U.N. resolutions against Iraq.
5. A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multi-national drug corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.
6. The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches, while slashing veterans' benefit and combat pay.
7. If condoms are kept out of schools , adolescents won't have sex.
8. A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our long-time allies, then demand their cooperation and money.
9. Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy, but providing health care to all Americans is socialism. HMO's and insurance companies have the best interests of the public at heart.
10. Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.
11. A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense, but a president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid defense policy.
12. Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which include banning gay marriage s and censoring the Internet.
13. The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George Bush's driving record is none of our business.
14. Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and you need our prayers for your recovery.
15. Supporting "Executive Privilege" for every Republican ever born, who will be born or who might be born (in perpetuity.)
16. What Bill Clinton did in the 1960's is of vital national interest, but what Bush did in the '80's is irrelevant.
17. Support for hunters who shoot their friends and blame them for wearing orange vests similar to those worn by the quail.
posted by The Scallion @ 7:12 PM
