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

Here are this week’s top stories:

-- Bush says that the Iraqis owe us a “huge debt of gratitude” for invading Iraq and murdering over 655,000 civilians (1 million by counts on the ground in Iraq), devastating their health care systems, divesting the people of life/livelihood/limb, remodeling the roads/water/electricity such that nothing works any more, etc. Ah, we Americans are so generous. How could those stupid, greedy, uppity Iraqis ever be so foolish as to want their own oil and natural resources for their own enrichment and use? How could they be so deceived as to want democracy of, by, and for themselves when Uncle Sam’s fascism has been set as a shining beacon before them? Silly camel jockeys!

-- The Pentagon attacked the lawyers defending the Guantanamo detainees and threatened them and their employers with loss of business. Law firms were asked with asperity whether they wanted to defend the very "terrorists" who hit their bottom line on 9/11! How dare American attorneys work pro bono and defend the innocent men, women, and children caught up in George W. Bush’s dragnets? Don’t they know that due process is for wimps? George W. Bush isn’t merely above the law -- he IS the law! Silly jurisprudence jockeys!

-- The FOX TV show “24” is right wing-nut fear porn that convincingly peddles torture beyond Bush’s wildest wet dreams

-- Bush shoots for Armageddon in the Middle East while the Katrina victims get looted again

-- The net’s first amendment is still under threat from the specter of child porn

-- Big Tobacco is still pushing the addiction

-- The growing swell of energy-based fascism (as if you didn’t already know)

-- A mercenary firm sued the families of employees murdered in Iraq, which shouldn’t be a shock since George W. Bush has spent the past seven years teaching us all the art of consummate shamelessness

-- Yes, folks: Condescending Rice’s aide confesses that Ms. Rice is clueless about Middle Eastern history. But we of The Scallion could have told you that!

-- John McCain continues to flip-flop on Iraq.

-- Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez gets hauled in front of the Democratic Congress. ‘Bout time … now, if only they’d impeach him for flagrantly lying that the Constitution does not have an “express grant” of habeas corpus!
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/01/19/1432225

-- New book “Medical Apartheid” details the outrageous use of Blacks as lab rats from when America was under the British crown until the present day
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/01/19/1432231

-- Sen. Bernie Sanders warns, “If you are concerned about health care, Iraq, the economy, and global warming, you must be concerned about corporate control of the media.”

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

The hate map
http://tolerance.org/maps/hate/index.html

End torture!
http://endtorture.net/

Open letter from Michael Moore to George W. Bush
Subj: Send Even MORE Troops (and you go, too!) 1/10/07
Dear Mr. President,

Thanks for your address to the nation. It's good to know you still
want to talk to us after how we behaved in November.

Listen, can I be frank? Sending in 20,000 more troops just ain't
gonna do the job. That will only bring the troop level back up to
what it was last year. And we were losing the war last year! We've
already had over a million troops serve some time in Iraq since 2003.
Another few thousand is simply not enough to find those weapons of
mass destruction! Er, I mean... bringing those responsible for 9/11
to justice! Um, scratch that. Try this -- BRING DEMOCRACY TO THE
MIDDLE EAST! YES!!!

You've got to show some courage, dude! You've got to win this one!
C'mon, you got Saddam! You hung 'im high! I loved watching the video
of that -- just like the old wild west! The bad guy wore black! The
hangmen were as crazy as the hangee! Lynch mobs rule!!!
Look, I have to admit I feel very sorry for the predicament you're
in. As Ricky Bobby said, "If you're not first, you're last." And you
being humiliated in front of the whole world does NONE of us
Americans any good.

Sir, listen to me. You have to send in MILLIONS of troops to Iraq,
not thousands! The only way to lick this thing now is to flood Iraq
with millions of us! I know that you're out of combat-ready soldiers
-- so you have to look elsewhere! The only way you are going to beat
a nation of 27 million -- Iraq -- is to send in at least 28 million!

Here's how it would work:

The first 27 million Americans go in and kill one Iraqi each. That
will quickly take care of any insurgency. The other one million of us
will stay and rebuild the country. Simple.

Now, I know you're saying, where will I find 28 million Americans to
go to Iraq? Here are some suggestions:

1. More than 62,000,000 Americans voted for you in the last election
(the one that took place a year and half into a war we already knew
we were losing). I am confident that at least a third of them would
want to put their body where there vote was and sign up to volunteer.
I know many of these people and, while we may disagree politically, I
know that they don't believe someone else should have to go and fight
their fight for them -- while they hide here in America.

2. Start a "Kill an Iraqi" Meet-Up group in cities across the
country. I know this idea is so early-21st century, but I once went
to a Lou Dobbs Meet-Up and, I swear, some of the best ideas happen
after the third mojito. I'm sure you'll get another five million or
so enlistees from this effort.

3. Send over all members of the mainstream media. After all, they
were your collaborators in bringing us this war -- and many of them
are already trained from having been "embedded!" If that doesn't
bring the total to 28 million, then draft all viewers of the FOX News
channel.

Mr. Bush, do not give up! Now is not the time to pull your punch!
Don't be a weenie by sending in a few over-tired troops. Get your
people behind you and YOU lead them in like a true commander in
chief! Leave no conservative behind! Full speed ahead!
We promise to write. Go get 'em W!

Yours,

Michael Moore
mmflint@aol.com
www.michaelmoore.com

-----
From Reader D.F. -- Iraq is going to cost us more than advertised:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,460007,00.html

D.F. remarks, "It's going to cost us more than $3 trillion when you include the cost of
taking care of wounded soldiers. 'Hundreds of thousands of Iraq veterans
will require disability pensions for the rest of their lives. The ratio of
dead to survivors is the big difference between "Operation Iraqi Freedom"
and previous wars. During World War II the ratio was 1.5 wounded for every
dead soldier, while in Vietnam it was 2.8 -- in Iraq it's 16.'

"And Bush told us his little adventure would cost between $100 billion and
$200 billion....

"Who can have any respect for "conservatives" when they back Bush and his
policies like Iraq?"

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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

MoveOn Calls Out McCain on His Iraq Flip Flops
By Joshua Holland, AlterNet
Public record reveals what the media haven't about McCain: He's been flip flopping on Iraq since before the first war. First he said he could "not even contemplate" the bloodshed. Now he says more troops should "do the trick."

The Psychology Behind the Worst Possible President
By Jane Smiley, HuffingtonPost.com
The longer Bush is in office, the more his psychology becomes clear. He's not a well-meaning doofus; he's a madman.

The Little (Abortion) Pill that Could
By Ann Friedman, The American Prospect
A pill that could show promise in treating breast cancer, depression, and even schizophrenia, might never make it onto the market because it also provides an effective way to induce abortions.

Memo to the Media: Extreme Weather Is Linked to Global Warming
By Paul Rogat Loeb, AlterNet
Except in the case of Katrina, most major media outlets have treated America's extreme weather events as if they were wholly separate from the broader issue of climate change.

Iraqi Health Care: Hostage to War
By Terry J. Allen, In These Times
A sizable portion of the body count in Iraq doesn't come from violence. It comes from a health care system torn apart by the war.

Gang Stereotypes in the Docket
By Earl Ofari Hutchinson, AlterNet
Increasingly, prosecutors are trying to tag young black defendants with gang labels to help them win convictions. The Long Beach hate crimes trial is a stunning example.

The World of Wrongevity
By Will Durst, AlterNet
When Omar Bradley talked about fighting the wrong war, at the wrong place, at the wrong time, and with the wrong enemy, he was predicting Bush.

Bush on Olbermann: 'I think the Iraqi people owe the American people a huge debt of gratitude' [VIDEO]
By Evan Derkacz
Who's running this war?

Obama makes announcement about '08 [VIDEO]
Speaks to supporters before news...

Air Force sergeant fired for Playboy spread
Vanessa Valenti: She should've sexually harassed someone instead....

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Medicare for All: The Only Sound Solution to Our Healthcare Crisis
By Guy T. Saperstein, AlterNet
Our $2 trillion healthcare industry is not only unhealthy, it is unsustainable. Why universal Medicare is the way to get universal healthcare without collapsing the system.

Pentagon Attacks Lawyers of Guantanamo Detainees
By Marjorie Cohn, AlterNet
Guantanamo prisoners are entitled to protections under the Constitution, yet the government is trying to deny them due process.

Why Being a Feminist Does Not Mean Backing All Women
By Gloria Steinem, Women's Media Center
It's OK not to care if Condi Rice goes down with a sinking ship or if Katherine Harris, the woman who handed Florida's electoral votes to Bush in 2000, enters history as an unprincipled crook.

Scooter Libby and Me
By Nick Bromell, The American Scholar
A longtime friend of Scooter Libby's shares the questions he wants to ask of his old touch football buddy, and as the trial begins, wonders whether to hope for Scooter's acquittal or conviction.

Will Any Iraq Regionalization Stragegy Work?
By John Tirman, MIT Center for International Studies
The White House has always had a regional strategy to call on neighbors for help with the Iraq war, but that strategy -- like Iraq itself -- is in complete disrepair.

Fox Show "24": Torture on TV
By Jon Wiener, TheNation.com
With at least one big torture scene in every episode and steadily increasing ratings, TV show "24" is more convincing than the White House at making the case for torture.

Thanks, but we've really heard quite enough about Nancy Pelosi's womb
By Joshua Holland
An open letter to the citizens of Wingnuttia...

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Atheist Richard Dawkins on 'The God Delusion'
By Terrence McNally, AlterNet
In the last few years, Americans have seen the harm that results when political decisions are made in the name of religion. Now, the non-believers are fighting back.

Drinking Liberally: A New Strategy for Progressive Politics
By Nick Pinto, AlterNet
Social club? Revolution? A new progressive organization takes politics into the barroom and just about everywhere else.

As Bush's War Strategy Shifts to Iran, Christian Zionists Gear Up for the Apocalypse
By Sarah Posner, AlterNet
Is Bush pushing for a second war or a Second Coming?

A Powerful Media Can Stop a War
By Jane Fonda, Women's Media Center
What would the world look like if the female half of the population had an equal share in the media?

The Second Looting of New Orleans
By Jordan Flaherty, AlterNet
The city is an international symbol of neglect and racism. But the federal government isn't the only one to blame.

Medicare for All: The Only Sound Solution to Our Healthcare Crisis
By Guy T. Saperstein, AlterNet
Our $2 trillion healthcare industry is not only unhealthy, it is unsustainable. Why universal Medicare is the way to get universal healthcare without collapsing the system.

Iraqi Death Toll: Why the UN Can't Count
By Jon Wiener, TheNation.com
The UN has drastically underreported the number of Iraqis killed in 2006.

The Stop Online Expression Act
By Annalee Newitz, AlterNet
A new bill is the latest attempt to curtail free expression online by raising the specter of child abuse.
PEEK and Video: The hottest buzz and videos on the web

Olbermann: Is Fox's "24" just conservative fear-porn? [VIDEO]
By Evan Derkacz
Short answer: yes.

Lies some right-wing lawyers told me
By Joshua Holland
Veterans of the Reagan Justice department unearth a heretofore secret provision in the Constitution prohibiting Congress from criticizing the Wingnut-in-Chief.

Condi Rice, Iraq, and not having children?
By Tara Lohan
Only the Right Wing spin machines could turn Barbara Boxer's comments about accountability in Iraq into a chance to attack her feminism.

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The Radical Christian Right Is Built on Suburban Despair
By Chris Hedges, AlterNet
Millions of Americans live trapped in soulless exurbs which lack any kind of community, leaving them feeling isolated and vulnerable. Without alternatives for their social despair, they flock to demagogues promising revenge and a mythical utopia.

Connecticut Teacher Convicted of Endangering Kids With Popup Porn
By Lindsay Beyerstein, AlterNet
When lax cyber-security meets anti-porn hysteria, an innocent computer infection can land you in jail. Just ask Julie Amero, a 40-year old substitute teacher who maintains she's a victim of a malicious software infestation that caused her computer to spawn porn uncontrollably.

By Stopping Bush on Iraq, Dems Can Restore Congress's Power
By Rachel Morris, Washington Monthly
Under Republican control, a passive legislative branch has allowed the executive to claim unprecedented powers in this area, with disastrous results. Congress now has a responsibility to restore the balance.

The Beginining of the End for Corporate-Led Globalization?
By William Greider, The Nation
The Democrats in Congress are in a prime position to deal with fallacies and contradictions of global trade.

Health Care in Iraq Was Better Under Saddam Hussein
By Pratap Chatterjee, CorpWatch
Almost four years after the toppling of Saddam Hussein, Iraq's healthcare system is still a shambles. Dozens of incomplete clinics and warehoused equipment are a testament to the failed U.S. experiment to reconstruct Iraq.

If a comprehensive plan to get out of Iraq falls in DC and the media doesn't cover it
By Joshua Holland
You won't read about a real proposal for withdrawal in the New York Times.

Smoke and Mirrors, Tobacco Industry Style
By Philip Barron
Big Tobacco thinks an addiction worth inflicting is an addiction worth reinforcing.

Anti-McCain-Doctrine legislation for dummies
By Bob Geiger
Three bills to stop Iraq escalation have different approaches

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Behold the Rise of Energy-Based Fascism
By Michael T. Klare, Tomdispatch.com
The Pentagon is helping to create a grim future for all of us: a struggle for energy primacy abroad and Big Brother at home.

ABC's Not-So-Ugly Betty
By Yeidy M. Rivero, Ms. Magazine
An "ugly" new TV character brings gender, class, ethnic and body issues to the screen.

Barack Obama Needs to Fill in the Blanks
By John Nichols, AlterNet
If Barack Obama is to secure critical grassroots support for his presidential bid, he must be less about celebrity and more about policy.

The Rats Are Jumping Ship from Iraq
By David Sirota, San Francisco Chronicle
How can we expect the media and politicians to be a watchdog if its leading analysts and news framers face no public sanctions when they disrespect the truth or give credence to fringe ideologies?

Ethnic Cleansing in L.A.
By Brentin Mock, Intelligence Report
Acting on orders from the Mexican Mafia, Latino gang members in Southern California are terrorizing and killing blacks.

Diary of a Guantanamo Attorney
PBS's NOW: Back to Iraq for 3rd or 4th tour... [VIDEO]
By Evan Derkacz
Soldiers' & families thoughts on returning to Iraq...

Pentagon now set to conduct witch trials
By Joshua Holland
I'm not sure what else you might call it...

-----
Saving the World By Stopping the Pentagon's Programs
By Alexander Zaitchik, AlterNet
The Doomsday Clock now stands at five minutes to twelve. Here's how the 110th Congress can start pushing the minute-hand back.

My Beef with Vegetarianism
By Daniel Lazare, The Nation
Is it defeatist to stick to a diet of tofu and sprouts? A new book covers four centuries of arguments for vegetarianism, from good health to fascist politics.

Escalation Forces Bush to Resort to Recruiting Convicts
By Robin Morgan, Women's Media Center
Escalating the war in Iraq means the military will grant more "moral waivers" -- permitting recruits with criminal records and emotional problems who would otherwise be unfit to serve.

Will Our Petro-Dependency Destroy Our Democracy?
By Kelpie Wilson, TruthOut.org
Iraqis may revolt when they hear about new laws privatizing their oil. But what about us? There are few signs that Congress will do anything to resist the unhealthy influence our oil dependency has on our politics.

The Women Who Came Before Roe
By Michele Kort, Ms. Magazine
Artist-activist Andrea Bowers honors the pre-Roe v. Wade pioneers who fought for women's rights during a time when abortions consistently happened in back alleys and border towns.

Hightower Lowdown: 'Bush's Backfire' in Iraq [VIDEO]
By Evan Derkacz
A primer on what went wrong...

Mercenary firm sues families of murdered employees*
By Joshua Holland
From the 'Have they no shame?' department...

-----
From U.S. PIRG

In an amazing victory for our new energy future, the House of Representatives passed the C.L.E.A.N. Energy Act of 2007, taking billions of dollars in subsidies away from oil companies and investing it into renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. Congratulations, and thank you for all your hard work during this campaign!

Your representative voted in favor of investing in a clean, renewable energy future. Send your representative a message thanking them for their support and leadership. To send your message, click on the link below or copy and paste it into your web browser:

http://uspirg.org/action/new-energy-future/thank-rep?id4=ES

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 allows companies drilling for oil and natural gas on public lands to pay below-market fees, or royalties, for the resources they extract. Oil companies are currently slated to shortchange taxpayers by $9.5 billion over the next five years.

Another giveaway allows oil companies to write off the costs of oil drilling and refining. Together, these giveaways total more than $4 billion over the next 5 years.

Your representative voted in favor of investing in a clean, renewable energy future. Send your representative a message thanking them for their support and leadership. To send your message, click on the link below or copy and paste it into your web browser:

http://uspirg.org/action/new-energy-future/thank-rep?id4=ES

Sincerely,

Anna Aurilio
U.S. PIRG Legislative Director
AnnaA@uspirg.org
http://www.USPIRG.org

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From the ACLU

By now you've no doubt heard the news that the Bush
administration has conceded that the judicial branch has a role in
overseeing surveillance by the NSA.

Yesterday's extraordinary reversal by the administration, which
we greet with skepticism -- came just two weeks before our ACLU
v. NSA hearing in a federal court of appeals and one day before the
Attorney General was to testify before Congress. This shift is a sure
sign that the determination of the ACLU and supporters like you is
starting to pay off.

It has been your support, your phone calls and your voice that have
helped the ACLU stand resolute against an out-of-control executive
branch for the past five years.

But our work isn't finished. With the president's State of the Union
message to Congress just days away, we must keep the pressure on to
make sure these abuses of power stop, and are never repeated again.
You've declared you're ready to Move Freedom Forward by
signing our resolutions. Now, will you ask your friends and family to
sign the resolutions:
http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=v2Nbc0NF5YVaz7MqXawPiA..

Many questions remain before we can take this move as a real change in
policy. And the last thing we should do is let an ambiguous concession
exempt the Bush administration from the intense congressional scrutiny
that our democracy demands.

Make no mistake: this is an important step in our efforts to restore
our lost liberties. To make sure this is just one of many victories
throughout 2007, it's absolutely essential that we have
thousands of voices resolved to Move Freedom Forward. Please ask your
friends and family to sign the resolutions today:
http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=37hdICfBGrqAFnvISZmy0w..

Our work must continue, and your help is urgently needed to send
Congress the message that we will not retreat. Today's
hearing with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is the first real test
to see if the new Congress will conduct meaningful oversight -- a
test it must not fail.

Right now is our best chance in years to end this lawless activity and
bring this sad chapter in civil liberties to a speedy close. On
January 23, President Bush will deliver the State of the Union address
and Congress will be wrapping up its first hundred hours of
business. Before the president steps to the podium, we want to
make sure that tens of thousands of people have signed our petition
and resolved to Move Freedom Forward in 2007. We'll present these
resolutions to Congress next week. So, please, ask your friends and
family to sign our Move Freedom Forward resolutions:
http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=3lsD2RqL0IIW9zHxG_Jhvg..

Thank you for standing with us.

Sincerely,

Anthony D. Romero
Executive Director
ACLU

-----
From Bishop Accountability

Many of you will be viewing "Hand of God," a powerful documentary that airs tonight, January 16, on PBS-TV's "Frontline." In "Hand of God," film-maker Joe Cultrera tells the story of his devout Italian-American family's intimate experience of the abuse crisis. It's one of the truest, most tender, and most powerful films I've ever seen about being Catholic. Check your local listings.

In honor of this extraordinary film, we've compiled a special page on our Web site.

Click on this link to read the searing statement that Paul Cultrera, the film-maker's older brother, read aloud to Bishop John McCormack. Paul's statement documents McCormack's lies on behalf of serial predator Father Joseph Birmingham, the local priest who sexually abused Paul repeatedly as a teenager.

Read also selections from Birmingham's personnel file, including memos revealing the archdiocese's steps to silence Sr. Grace Kenning, a nun desperate to stop Birmingham's sexual assaults of boys at her grammar school.

If you'd like the buy the DVD of "Hand of God," please visit www.amatterof truth.org, and click on the link in the left margin.

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From the Center for American Progress

GOOD NEWS

"In a first-of-its-kind alliance that could fundamentally reshape the environmental movement, 20 labor unions with nearly 5 million members are joining forces" with an umbrella group of conservationists -- the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership -- "to put pressure on Congress and the Bush administration."

STATE WATCH

MISSISSIPPI: The "first lawsuit ever filed by the federal government claiming blacks have denied whites their voting rights" begins today.

VIRGINIA: Service members join peace activists to call for an end to the Iraq war.

LOUISIANA: New Orleans is facing an "unprecedented mental health crisis."

ECONOMY: The Drum Major Institute's 2006 Injustice Index.

BLOG WATCH

THINK PROGRESS: Video: Bush says he will send more troops to Iraq no matter what Congress does.

JUAN COLE: 'Orgy of bombings' over the weekend in Iraq.

THE HORSE'S MOUTH: Greg Sargent's excellent blog has a new home.

COALITION FOR DARFUR: Ban Ki-moon's first U.N. test: genocide.

DAILY GRILL

"Years of pursuing stability to promote peace had left us with neither. So we changed our policies, and committed America's influence in the world to advancing freedom and democracy as the great alternatives to repression and radicalism."
-- President Bush, 9/11/06, on the danger of promoting "stability" in the Middle East

VERSUS

"[Secretary of State Condoleezza] Rice, who once lectured Egyptians on the need to respect the rule of law, did not address those domestic concerns. ... It was clear that the United States -- facing chaos in Iraq, rising Iranian influence and the destabilizing Israeli-Palestinian conflict -- had decided that stability, not democracy, was its priority, Egyptian political commentators, political aides and human rights advocates said."
-- New York Times, 1/16/07, on Rice's recent visit to Egypt

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GOOD NEWS

Tomorrow, the House is "expected to approve a bill that would repeal billions of dollars in oil industry tax breaks." The measure will raise $14 billion over 10 years to "be used to promote energy conservation and develop alternative fuels."

STATE WATCH

INDIANA: State proposes raising the minimum wage.

NEW YORK: Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) pushes state to enter stem cell race.

ECONOMY: "Families using credit cards to pay for their health care are sinking in debt and hurting their ability to get the care they need."

BLOG WATCH

THINK PROGRESS: ABC's The Note: Bush gave his "best TV performance in years" on 60 Minutes.

MEDIA MATTERS: CNN reportedly considering talk show for right-wing radio host Michael Smerconish.

TPM CAFE: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) is "disappointed" he doesn't have the support of right-wing evangelist James Dobson.

FIREDOGLAKE: Full blogosphere coverage of day one of the Scooter Libby trial.

DAILY GRILL

"White House spokesman Tony Snow said criticism of the way the execution unfolded was deflecting attention from Saddam Hussein's real crimes. 'There seems to be a lot of concern about the last two minutes of Saddam Hussein's life and less about the first 69 [years], in which he murdered hundreds of thousands of people,' Mr Snow said."
-- BBC News, 1/3/07

VERSUS

"When it came [time] to execute [Saddam], it looked like it was kind of a revenge killing. And it sent a mixed signal to the American people and the people around the world. And it just goes to show that this is a government that has still got some maturation to do."
-- President Bush, 1/17/07

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GOOD NEWS

"Cancer deaths in the United States have dropped for the second year in a row, an encouraging sign that the earlier drop was not a fluke."

STATE WATCH

CALIFORNIA: "San Francisco will become the first city in the U.S. to require all employers to provide paid sick leave."

HEALTH CARE: According to the American Cancer Society, African-Americans "haven't shared in the nation's overall decline in cancer deaths."

CIVIL RIGHTS: The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and the Thurgood Marshall Law Library at the University of Maryland will make records of the Civil Rights Commission available online.

BLOG WATCH

THINK PROGRESS: Video: Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) says Bush's Iraq approach is "Lincolnesque."

THINK PROGRESS: Michael J. Fox to attend State of the Union address.

CARPETBAGGER REPORT: Administration counterterrorism official dumps Bush, joins Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE).

TPM MUCKRAKER: During hearing today, Senators will press Alberto Gonzales on forced resignations of U.S. Attorneys. (Read more from American Progress Senior Fellow Mark Agrast.)

DAILY GRILL

"I hope by having, for the first time, disclosure of grassroots activities and the financial interests behind misleading front groups, that...fraud on Members and voters can be avoided."
-- Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), 12/16/05, on his grassroots lobbying reform bill introduced last year.

VERSUS

McCain "has told conservative activists that he will vote to strip a key provision on grassroots lobbying from the reform package he previously supported."
-- The Hill, 1/18/07

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GOOD NEWS

The House voted last night to "rescind $14 billion worth of tax breaks and subsidies for oil drillers and channel the money into a fund that would finance renewable energy projects and new technologies for conserving energy."

STATE WATCH

CALIFORNIA: State lawmakers are "swapping gas-sucking sport utility vehicles for gas-sipping hybrids as their official state cars."

WASHINGTON: According to a new report, "nearly a third of Washington's school districts do not allow teachers to discuss condoms" in their sex education classes.

EDUCATION: Skyrocketing costs prevent students from attending first-choice colleges and universities.

IRAQ: Progressive States partners with MoveOn.org, Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) for campaign to contact state officials on Iraq escalation.

BLOG WATCH

THINK PROGRESS: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales backs away from administration s previous attacks over eavesdropping.

POLITICAL RADAR: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to challenge Bush on Iran.

RAW STORY: Stephen Colbert goes toe-to-toe with Bill O'Reilly. See parts one and two.

DAILY GRILL

"There is no expressed grant of habeas in the Constitution."
-- U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, 1/19/07

VERSUS

"The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it."
-- U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 9, Clause 2

-----
GOOD NEWS

"A Hummer used by CNN to cover the war in Iraq and then renovated on The Learning Channel netted $1.25 million for charity on Saturday."

STATE WATCH

MISSISSIPPI: "Continued objection to the Confederate battle symbol could mean the end of collegiate post-season play in Mississippi and South Carolina, if new NCAA legislation is passed."

HEALTH CARE: States spurring Washington to action on universal health care.

WOMEN'S RIGHTS: On anniversary of Roe v. Wade, new NARAL Pro-Choice America report finds that just 13 states deserve top marks on women's rights.

BLOG WATCH

THINK PROGRESS: A comparison of how presidential contenders have engaged the netroots.

THINK PROGRESS: Video: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) says Bush's escalation is too small.

DAILY KOS: Spike in political interest among college freshmen.

CARPETBAGGER REPORT: Rice aide says she lacks "vaguest notion" of modern Middle Eastern history.

DAILY GRILL

Chris Wallace: "What do you say to members of Congress who may try to block your efforts, your policy in Iraq? Would they be, in effect, undercutting the troops?"
Vice President Cheney: "Well, I think they would be."
-- Fox News, 1/14/07

VERSUS

"I served in Vietnam in 1968. Others did too. Jim Webb, John McCain. John Kerry. Other members in the House. In 1968 when I was there with my brother, worst year, deaths, I would have welcomed the Congress of the United States to pay a little attention as to what was going on. I would have welcomed that. That is complete nonsense to say we're undercutting the support of the troops."
-- Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE), 1/21/07

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From CODE PINK

CODEPINK has surged into 2007 with a vengeance. In the last two weeks, we have streamed into the world like comets, showering powerful pink swaths of outrage and protest and hope across the globe. We've said NO to the infamous prison in Guantanamo -- taking our protest right to the prison gates in Cuba and all over the country. We've said NO to Bush's proposed surge and his continued belligerence.

Now all our work is starting to bear fruit. Outraged members of the new Congress-including some Republicans -- are opposing Bush's mad call to escalate the war. There are a flurry of new bills aimed at stopping the troop build-up and bringing our troops home.

Our favorite bill, introduced on Wednesday by our dear congressional allies Lynn Woolsey, Barbara Lee and Maxine Waters, is H.R. 508: The Bring the Troops Home and Iraq Sovereignty Restoration Act. It's a comprehensive plan to withdraw US forces and military contractors within six months of the bill's enactment; repeal authorization for the use of force; prohibit permanent military bases in Iraq; provide economic aid to the Iraqi people; and fully fund health care for U.S. veterans. Call your Congressperson today and ask them to support H.R. 508.

More encouraging signs. In the past, when CODEPINK members protested at Congressional hearings, they have been dragged out and often arrested. But at a Senate Judiciary hearing this week, when CODEPINKers wore Close Guantanamo shirts and stood in protest as Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez testified, Committee Chair Patrick Leahy acknowledged them and their right to protest. And at an Armed Service Committee hearing, Co-founder Gael Murphy even had a chance to have a civil conversation with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and General Peter Pace about exit strategies from Iraq. See the clip on MSNBC here.

Just because the climate is improving, however, doesn't mean we can let down our guard. Hillary Clinton still won't call for the troops to come home. Nancy Pelosi refuses to defund the war. And the Bush Administration is making moves to invade Iran.

So PLEASE do all you can to join us on January 27th as we surge into Washington, DC by bus and train and plane and foot and biodiesel truck to deliver the Mandate for Peace. This mass mobilization, organized by United for Peace, promises to be huge. Almost all the nation's peace groups have put out the call to take to the streets of our nation's capitol on January 27, and we will demand peace with the force of all of our collective lungs. Come for the march and stay for several days of powerful and creative actions, including a Women Say Pull Out convergence, a Walk in Their Shoes installation, press conferences, activist training, and a day of lobbying to educate Congress. We hope you'll be able to be part of this inspiring, life-changing, world-changing experience.

If we can accomplish this much in the first month of 2007 alone, we have no doubt we can bring our troops home by the end of the year.

With peace, love and gratitude,
Dana, Farida, Gael, Gayle, Jodie, Liz, Medea, Nancy, Patricia, Rae, Samantha, and Sonia

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From "Democracy Now!"

* Bill Moyers: "Big Media is Ravenous. It Never Gets Enough. Always Wants More.
And it Will Stop at Nothing to Get It. These Conglomerates are an Empire, and
they are Imperial." *

The veteran broadcast journalist Bill Moyers spoke on Friday before 3,500 at the
opening of the National Conference on Media Reform in Memphis. He announced his
return to the airwaves and outlined his vision of media reform. "As ownership
gets more and more concentrated, fewer and fewer independent sources of
information have survived in the marketplace; and those few significant
alternatives that do survive, such as PBS and NPR, are under growing financial
and political pressure to reduce critical news content and to shift their focus
in a mainstream direction, which means being more attentive to establishment
views than to the bleak realities of powerlessness that shape the lives of
ordinary people."

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/01/16/159222


* Headlines for January 16, 2007 *

- Gates on Iraq: We Are Going to Be There For a Long Time"
- UN: Over 34,000 Civilians Killed in Iraq in 2006
- Soldiers File Appeal For Redress Against Iraq War
- Peace Activist Challenges U.S. Fine Over Iraq Sanctions
- Pentagon Official Threatens Guantanamo Attorneys
- Posada Carriles Indicted on Fraud Charges
- Activists Take Over Public Housing Units in New Orleans
- Pork Processing Workers Stage MLK Day Strike
- Sharpton Calls for Summit on NYPD Practices
- Report: Fidel Castro in Very Serious Condition

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/01/16/159218

-----
* Wrongly Accused Ex-Gitmo Chaplain and Spy Target James Yee Speaks out on Newly
Revealed Pentagon Surveillance *

The New York Times recently revealed that the Pentagon and CIA were secretly
examining the financial assets and transactions of thousands of American
citizens without court approval by issuing national security letters. We speak
to the Center for National Security Studies'Lisa Graves and one of the
program's most prominent targets: James Yee, the former Muslim Guantanamo Bay
chaplain wrongly accused of espionage.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/01/17/1540232


* As CIA Leak Trial Begins, Inside the Case Against Ex-Cheney Chief of Staff
Lewis "Scooter" Libby

Jury selection for the trial of Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of
staff has begun. Lewis "Scooter" Libby faces five counts of lying to federal
investigators, perjury, and obstruction of justice. He is accused of lying to
investigators and a grand jury during the investigation of the outing of CIA
operative Valerie Plame. We speak with veteran investigative journalist Murray
Waas.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/01/17/1541219


* Top Pentagon Official for Detainees Apologizes for Advocating Boycott of
Attorneys Representing Gitmo Prisoners *

A top Pentagon official apologized after urging US corporations to boycott law
firms whose attorneys represent detainees at the US prison camp in Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba. In a radio interview last week, Assistant Secretary of Defense for
Detainee Affairs Charles "Cully" Stimson said companies might wish to shun
firms that represent "the very terrorists who hit their bottom line back in
2001." Stimson's remarks were condemned by the American Bar Association and
deans from more than 130 law schools across the nation. We speak with the
co-author of the law school petition and a corporate lawyer representing six
Guantanamo prisoners.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/01/17/1541233


* Headlines for January 17, 2007 *

- 150 Killed in Iraq Violence
- Bush Wants Iraqis "to Succeed for Our Own Sake"
- Gates: Afghanistan Troop Increase Possible
- Detainee Affairs Head Sorry for Gitmo Lawyer Boycott Call
- Sen. Obama, Giuliani Nearing '08 Bids
- 2 Charged in Oil-for-Food Case
- Iraq War Resister Denied Key Defense Strategy

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/01/17/1540205

-----
* Sen. Bernie Sanders: If You Are Concerned About Health Care, Iraq, the
Economy, Global Warming You Must Be Concerned About Corporate Control of the
Media *

Tomorrow night President Bush will give his seventh State of the Union address
before a joint session of Congress. Last weekend, Vermont Senator Bernie
Sanders gave what could be described as an alternate State of the Union before
thousands gathered in Memphis, Tennessee at the third National Conference for
Media Reform.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/01/22/1455248


* Veteran White House Correspondent Helen Thomas on the Escalation of the Iraq
War, Jimmy Carter's New Book & the Failings of the Washington Press Corps *

Commonly referred to as "The First Lady of the Press," Helen Thomas is the most
senior member of the White House press corps and has covered every President
since Kennedy. Democracy Now interviewed Thomas last week at the National
Conference For Media Reform.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/01/22/1455252


* Headlines for January 22, 2007 *

- 78 Die in Twin Bombing in Baghdad
- U.S. Suffers Third Deadliest Day of Iraq War
- 3,200 More U.S. Troops Arrive in Baghdad
- Cost of Iraq War: $8.4 Billion Per Month
- Ex-State Dept. Official Warns of Broad U.S. Attack on Iran
- Israeli Troops Kill 10-Year-Old Palestinian Girl
- Prominent Turkish-Armenian Editor Shot Dead
- Clinton, Brownback and Richardson to Run For President
- GE, Dupont, Alcoa Call for Action on Global Warming
- NC Lawmakers Seek Probe Into Plane Company Tied to CIA
- Secret Service Questions 81-Year-Old Over Letter to Editor
- 80,000 Gather in Kenya For World Social Forum

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/01/22/1455241

-----
Owning the weather ...

http://www.au.af.mil/au/2025/volume3/chap15/v3c15-1.htm

Weather as a Force Multiplier:
Owning the Weather in 2025

A Research Paper presented to Air Force 2025

August 1996

from the Executive Summary:

In 2025, US aerospace forces can "own the weather" by capitalizing on emerging technologies and focusing development of those technologies to war-fighting applications. Such a capability offers the war fighter tools to shape the battlespace in ways never before possible. It provides opportunities to impact operations across the full spectrum of conflict and is pertinent to all possible futures. The purpose of this paper is to outline a strategy for the use of a future weather-modification system to achieve military objectives rather than to provide a detailed technical road map.

A high-risk, high-reward endeavor, weather-modification offers a dilemma not unlike the splitting of the atom. While some segments of society will always be reluctant to examine controversial issues such as weather-modification, the tremendous military capabilities that could result from this field are ignored at our own peril. From enhancing friendly operations or disrupting those of the enemy via small-scale tailoring of natural weather patterns to complete dominance of global communications and counterspace control, weather-modification offers the war fighter a wide-range of possible options to defeat or coerce an adversary. Some of the potential capabilities a weather-modification system could provide to a war-fighting commander in chief (CINC) are listed in table 1.

Contents

Chapter Disclaimer Illustrations Tables Acknowledgments Executive Summary

1. Introduction
2. Required Capability
   • Why Would We Want to Mess with the Weather?
   • What Do We Mean by "Weather-modification"?
3. System Description
   • The Global Weather Network
   • Applying Weather-modification to Military Operations
4. Concept of Operations
   • Precipitation
   • Fog
   • Storms
   • Exploitation of "NearSpace" for Space Control
   • Opportunities Afforded by Space Weather-modification
   • Communications Dominance via Ionospheric Modification
   • Artificial Weather
   • Concept of Operations Summary
5. Investigation Recommendations
   • How Do We Get There From Here?
   • Conclusions
   Appendix A Why Is the Ionosphere Important? B Research to Better Understand and Predict Ionospheric Effects C Acronyms and Definitions
   
   BibliographyNotes
   
   
   

   ---

   
   
   
   Illustrations
   
   
   Figure
   3-1. Global Weather Network
   3-2. The Military System for Weather-Modification Operations
   4-1. Crossed-Beam Approach for Generating an Artificial Ionospheric Mirror
   4-2. Artificial Ionospheric Mirrors Point-to-Point Communications
   4-3. Artificial Ionospheric Mirror Over-the-Horizon Surveillance Concept
   4-4. Scenarios for Telecommunications Degradation
   5-1. A Core Competency Road Map to Weather Modification in 2025
   5-2. A Systems Development Road Map to Weather Modification in 2025
   
   
   
   
   click here for the whole paper: http://www.au.af.mil/au/2025/volume3/chap15/v3c15-1.htm

-----
There go the Republicans again, poisoning the waters against Barak Obama ...

Probable U. S. presidential candidate, Barack Hussein Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., a black Muslim from Nyangoma-Kogel, Kenya and Ann Dunham, a white atheist from Wichita, Kansas. Obama's parents met at the University of Hawaii.

When Obama was two years old, his parents divorced. His father returned to Kenya. His mother then married Lolo Soetoro, a radical Muslim from Indonesia. When Obama was 6 years old, the family relocated to Indonesia. Obama attended a Muslim school in Jakarta. He also spent two years in a Catholic school.

Obama takes great care to conceal the fact that he is a Muslim. He is quick to point out that, "He was once a Muslim, but that he also attended Catholic school." Obama's political handlers are attempting to make it appear that Obama's introduction to Islam came via his father, and that this influence was temporary at best. In reality, the senior Obama returned to Kenya soon after the divorce, and never again had any direct influence over his son's education. Lolo Soetoro, the second husband of Obama's mother, Ann Dunham, introduced his stepson to Islam. Obama was enrolled in a Wahabi school in Jakarta. Wahabism is the radical teaching that is followed by the Muslim terrorists who are now waging Jihad against the western world.

Since it is politically expedient to be a Christian when seeking major public office in the United States, Barack Hussein Obama has joined the United Church of Christ in an attempt to downplay his Muslim background.

Let us all remain alert concerning Obama's expected presidential candicacy.

-----
From Media Channel

You Got New Media In My Old Media
You'll never guess who's in bed with whom in the media biz... or maybe you will. Time Warner and Fox? Viacom and the Washington Post?

Everyone's A Critic Nowadays
Now that we're living in the future, is everyone getting their fifteen minutes of fame yet?

What Next For Media Reform?
The News Dissector reflects on the Media Reform conference held this past weekend in Memphis. How can we build the democratic media reform movement?

Bloggers At Loggerheads Over Blogging
In the continuing saga of newspapers and bloggers, some journalists find that blogging lets them connect to their audience in a more meaningful way.

Global Warning For The Media
Why doesn't weather reporting, which is so prominent with today's increasing instances of extreme weather around the world, make any connections with the predictions of global warming models?

TV And Politics: 24 And Big Brother
How much influence does fictional programming have on real life? Examples from the U.S. and the U.K.

Martin Luther King Day Fallout For Racists In The Media
A Virginia state politician offends blacks and Jews while Michael Savage called civil rights a scam bent on stealing white, heterosexual males' birthright.

White House Correspondents' Dinner Opts For Little In The Satire Department
By swapping pre-baby-boom impressionist Rich Little for last years firebrand Stephen Colbert, the White House Correspondents Association hopes to avoid controversy.

Washington Satirist Art Buchwald Dies At 81
Washington's longest career in political satire comes to an end--Art Buchwald held every President's feet to the fire since Eisenhower.

-----
STOP THE ESCALATION!!!

Despite overwhelming opposition from military leaders, elected officials, and the American public, President Bush still intends to escalate the war in Iraq by sending more American troops.

Last week, we asked you to help Stop the Escalation by contacting your representatives in Congress and asking them to take a firm stance against this disastrous strategy. More than a thousand of you made phone calls and reported back on your member's position. We assembled the results into a tally of all members of Congress.

Review the escalation tally and see what your representatives had to say.

If your members of Congress have not gone on record, please call them again today. Dial (800) 614-2803 to reach the Congressional switchboard and report back on what you learn by emailing StopTheEscalation@americanprogressaction.org.

Congress has the power to stop the escalation. It's up to us to remind them of this and spur them into action. As of this email, only 415 out of 535 voting members have gone on the record.

Check out the tally and see where your member stands.

To help more members take a courageous position we need you to keep calling your representatives to ensure that they hear your passionate opposition to the escalation. Call (800) 614-2803 to reach the Congressional switchboard and report what you learn to StopTheEscalation@americanprogressaction.org.

Here are a few of the best responses:

"I am writing to let you know that I have called and asked the support staff at the Washington D.C. offices of my legislators, Sens. Murray and Cantwell and Congressman Norm Dicks [all oppose escalation], to let them know that I expect more than a mere symbolic gesture of protest against escalating our troop presence in Iraq, but real and substantive actions that can actually prevent the addition of troops as outlined by George Bush."

- Ken in Washington