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

Here are this week’s top stories:

-- Yet again, Bush carves up the poor and working families in America to feed the ravenous war machine. Will the Dems have the guts to stop him? Will they cut funding for the continued occupation of Iraq? Will they have the backbone to stop Bush from invading Iran, for which the neocons have been planning the past six years? Stay tuned!

-- Veganism: better for you; better for the planet!

-- Armchair activism that works

-- Why they hate us: the straight skinny from Baghdad

-- Be afraid of Rudy Giuliani. Be very VERY afraid!

-- More lies about Obama and John McCain flip-flops!

-- Blackwater's dangerous mismanagement that put its employees in harm's way ... the missing $9B in Iraq ... the hidden $660B costs of treating our veterans ... update on Libby's trial over Plamegate

-- Exxon-Mobil is the new Big Tobacco: waging war on science so as to screw the people of America and, duh, the world! And America's banks are in bed with them, funding Armageddon!

-- Bush's quiet plan to kill Medicare in '08 ... funny, and not even a peep from the mainstream media.

-- John Edwards's bloggers ... Ehren Watada's mistrial ... the fabricated tempest in a teapot over Nancy Pelosi's jet make headlines

-- The high high cost of non-violent prisoners in America's prison-industrial complex

-- All over America, buildings are striving to go green

-- The Dixie Chicks made a triumphant, defiant comeback at the Grammy awards ... welcome back, ladies!

Yes, gentle Readers, there are a few tidbits of good news in the headlines below. Many American organizations and individuals are realizing that we gots problems that we can indeed solve just as long as we own up and step up to the plate and work together.

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 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 Rise of Christian Fascism and Its Threat to American Democracy
By Chris Hedges, Truthdig
We must attend to growing social and economic inequities in order to stop the most dangerous mass movement in American history -- or face a future of fascism under the guise of Christian values.

How to Prevent a War with Iran
By Phyllis Bennis, TomPaine.com
To stop the looming war with Iran, Congress needs to pre-empt the possibility of the White House launching an attack. The secret weapon is the Boland Amendment.

Ammunition for Atheists
By Jack Huberman, Nation Books
In his new book, The Quotable Atheist, author Jack Huberman has collected powerful quotations against organized religion and belief in God from figures such as Richard Dawkins, Phyllis Diller, Frederick Douglass, Michael Moore, Katha Pollitt, and yes, Jerry Falwell.

Are Women Having Too Many C-sections?
By Melinda Tuhus, Women's eNews
C-sections are being performed in the U.S. at a rate that far exceeds international recommendations. A clash over the high rate and related health issues has broken out between midwives and obstetricians.

Will 'Green' Building Be the Future of New Orleans?
By Kellie Lunney, The American Prospect
There is no shortage of "green" plans for rebuilding New Orleans. But what does sustainability mean to people without a roof over their heads?

A Budget for Permanent War
By Ari Berman, The Nation
Bush's military budget reveals his intent to keep the U.S. in Iraq as long as he can.

Goodbye, Dear Molly -- Pots And Pans, Play On!
By Amy Goodman, King Features Syndicate
Molly has died, but the fight goes on.

Bush Budget Delivers the Bacon
By Robert Scheer, AlterNet
Bush's outrageous military budget is a betrayal of the public trust. Will the Dems have the guts to stop it?

Time's Joe Klein: a Supreme Suck-Up
By Matt Taibbi, RollingStone.com
Joe Klein is the living incarnation of American "conventional wisdom" -- a spineless, slavish watcher of polls who has no problem whatsoever denying today what he said yesterday.

Al-Cuties [VIDEO]
By Evan Derkacz
A South Park-esque take on Middle East policy...

Oh, how the expectations for Iraq have fallen
By Jan Frel
"Reduce the slaughter," keep the "conflict within Iraq's borders" ...

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Who's Funding Global Warming?
By Tara Lohan, AlterNet
Find out which banks are part of the problem, and which are part of the solution, in the fight against global climate change.

Ten Ways to Prepare for a Post-Oil Society
By James Howard Kunstler, Kunstler.com
The best way to feel hopeful about our looming energy crisis is to get active now and prepare for living arrangements in a post-oil society.

Vegetarian Is the New Prius
By Kathy Freston, HuffingtonPost.com
Livestock destroy the environment, so fill your bowl with veggies instead of veal.

Renewables Can Turn the Tide on Global Warming
By Kelpie Wilson, TruthOut.org
There is no "silver bullet" solution to our energy crisis. But a new study shows that the right combination of renewables may be our best bet.

ExxonMobil's War on Science
By Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., HuffingtonPost.com
With an elaborate network of phony think tanks and slick public relations firms, ExxonMobil has become today's Big Tobacco, defrauding the public and waging a war on science.

The Most Important Thing You Can Do To Stop Global Warming
By Tara Lohan, AlterNet
Environmentalist Bill McKibben explains that forcing Congress to take action on climate change is the top priority. Fortunately, he has a plan.

Alpha Females
By Bill McKibben, Grist Magazine
You know climate concern has gone mainstream when sororities get on board.

Biodiesel: The Fuel That Doesn't Kill Us
By Joshua Scheer, Truthdig
Annie Nelson, wife of Willie Nelson, speaks about community-based biodiesel production as a way of restoring dignity to family farmers, the environment, the economy and national security.

Apple Computers: Fun for You, Toxic for the Environment
By Jess Hemerly, AlterNet
Apple positions itself as the technological haven for the hip, the progressive and the revolutionary. But when it comes to the environment, Apple is quite out of touch.

Will 'Green' Building Be the Future of New Orleans?
By Kellie Lunney, The American Prospect
There is no shortage of "green" plans for rebuilding New Orleans. But what does sustainability mean to people without a roof over their heads?

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Are Women Allowed To Be Funny?
By Gloria Goodale, Christian Science Monitor
Comedy mirrors culture, and observers say that both sexes find attractive, aggressively funny women threatening.

Are We As Enlightened As We Think We Are About Race?
By Mary Shaw, AlterNet
If you look at racial disparity in areas like income and executions, the answer is no.

Is Your Child Being Left Behind?
By Adam Doster, In These Times
As No Child Left Behind comes due for reauthorization, the public has many reasons to remain skeptical about whether it really helps children learn.

Armchair Activism That Works
By Martin Kearns, Jonathan Schwartz, TomPaine.com
Wikipedia, one of the Web's most valuable resources, is based on thousands of volunteers. Can progressives make that same power of networked volunteers work for us?

Biodiesel: The Fuel That Doesn't Kill Us
By Joshua Scheer, Truthdig
Annie Nelson, wife of Willie Nelson, speaks about community-based biodiesel production as a way of restoring dignity to family farmers, the environment, the economy and national security.

The War on Trial: A Look at the Legal Merit of Watada's Case
By Paul Rockwell, AlterNet
Lt. Watada risks prison to argue that Bush's war is illegal. But his actions are based on solid evidence about military conduct in Iraq and a clear understanding of the law.

The Self-Appointed Censors of GoDaddy
By Annalee Newitz, AlterNet
The long-term sustainability of free speech online is in the hands of capricious companies.

Why they hate us [VIDEO]
By Joshua Holland
A view of Baghdad courtesy of the U.S. military.

Bush mockery from Kuwaiti singer [VIDEO]
By Evan Derkacz
Another ally alienated by the divider and decider?

Elizabeth Edwards pwns Chris Matthews [VIDEO]
By Lindsay Beyerstein
Sexist digs backfire bigtime for MSNBC host.

20 States Oppose Bush's Iraq Escalation
By David Sirota
States all over the country take a stand and demand Congress use its power to stop the so-called "surge."

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How Generous Is the Bill Gates Foundation?
By Allison H. Fine, AlterNet
If the Gates Foundation is so generous, why does it invest millions in companies that pollute the land in the very places the foundation was designed to help?

Jonah Goldberg's Gambling Debt: Will Tribune Company Pay It?
By Jeff Cohen, AlterNet
Right-wing pundit Jonah Goldberg made a bet two years ago that by this time Iraqis and Americans would agree the war was worth it. Time to pay up.

Surging Right Into Bin Laden's Hands
By Adam Elkus, Foreign Policy in Focus
Lost in the "surge" debate is the unfortunate reality that escalation in Iraq, just like the invasion itself, plays into al-Qaida's ultimate strategy to eliminate America.

Living the American Dream ... in a One-Bedroom Apartment
By Andrew Lam, New America Media
The middle class is clinging to its precious status by contending with far smaller living spaces than those of previous generations.

Dems Had Better Listen to the Public's Anger Over Our Failed Trade Policy
By Deborah James, Todd Tucker, AlterNet
In November, American voters sent a strong message that said they're fed up with the status quo on U.S. trade policy. But will the newly emergent Dems listen?

Can Obama Really Win?
By Earl Ofari Hutchinson, New America Media
While race is a big X factor in Obama's bid for the top spot, it's hardly the only factor.

Making an Example of Ehren Watada
By Norman Solomon, AlterNet
Those who resist this war deserve our gratitude and our support. And our willingness to resist as well.

Note to Libby Trial Principals: Stop Hurting America
By Rory O'Connor, AlterNet
The trial of Scooter Libby reveals that the big-time media is hopelessly, helplessly broken...

Media skeptical of Bush Admin lying about Iran [VIDEO]
By Evan Derkacz
Fool the press once, shame on you... fool them twice...

What America Needs to know about Giuliani, Part I
By Barbara O'Brien
Rudy Giuliani's shoddy "leadership" made the tragedy of 9/11 worse.

What America Needs to know about Giuliani, Part II
By Barbara O'Brien
Rudy Giuliani combines many of the worst qualities of Richard Nixon and George W. Bush. And he's a lot smarter than Bush, which makes him more dangerous.

Longest jailed journalist in American history
By Evan Derkacz
Rachel Sklar: Josh Wolf's case is a symptom of something very, very wrong...

The Quiet Plan to Kill Medicare
By Elana Levin
The press has failed to notice that the President's proposed 2008 budget includes a plan to do away with Medicare.

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Foreskin Facecream and Other Beauty Products of the Future
By Amanda Euringer, The Tyee
And it's not the only body part on the chopping block that is available for the cause of vanity. But is it ethical?

Vulnerable Helicopters Should Accelerate Iraq Exit
By Stephen Pizzo, News for Real
With the fifth helicopter shot down by Iraqi insurgents in three weeks, Congress must explain to the American people why they should make the sacrifice for more of our soldiers to be killed in those "flying coffins."

Mistrial Declared for War Resister Lt. Watada
By Marjorie Cohn, AlterNet
An Army judge has declared mistrial in the court martial of Lt. Ehren Watada, who can't be retried for the same charges.

Should People Be Allowed To Smoke at Home?
By Daniel B. Wood, Christian Science Monitor
Condos and apartments are the new no-smoking frontier. Seniors are leading the way in the new battle to ban smoking from communal environments.

Drugmakers Hurry Sales, Delay Safety Studies
By Michelle Chen, The NewStandard
Fast-tracked pharmaceuticals are on the market for an average of almost two years without beginning required safety tests, and the FDA is letting it happen.

Time's Joe Klein: a Supreme Suck-Up
By Matt Taibbi, RollingStone.com
Joe Klein is the living incarnation of American "conventional wisdom" -- a spineless, slavish watcher of polls who has no problem whatsoever denying today what he said yesterday.
PEEK and Video: The hottest buzz and videos on the web

NY Dem to Condi: Lesbian Platoons of Terrorists?! [VIDEO]
By Evan Derkacz
American homophobia vs. terrorists

Edwards beats back right wing noise machine
By Evan Derkacz
Keeps bloggers... But the right's dirty tricks have just begun...

Breaking: American newspaper carries thoughtful, accurate Op-ed about Venezuela's Hugo Chavez
By Joshua Holland
Some editor at the Houston Chronicle will be looking for a new job soon.

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A Call for an Open Discussion of Mass-Marketed Pornography
By Robert Jensen, AlterNet
The fear of anything resembling censorship prevents us from confronting what pornography tells us about the cruelty of our culture, and the white supremacy and misogyny that abounds in America.

Get Promoted with a YES! Attitude? Yuck.
By Barbara Ehrenreich, AlterNet
It's not enough these days for employees to slave to the bone -- workplace motivators are pushing us to squeeze a smile out of our hefty workloads.

Ten Ways to Prepare for a Post-Oil Society
By James Howard Kunstler, Kunstler.com
The best way to feel hopeful about our looming energy crisis is to get active now and prepare for living arrangements in a post-oil society.

Pot Prisoners Cost Americans $1 Billion a Year
By Paul Armentano, AlterNet
The latest numbers are out: nearly 800,000 Americans were arrested on marijuana charges in 2005. When will the insanity stop?

Iraqi Insurgents Offer Peace for U.S. Concessions
By Robert Fisk, The Independent UK
For the first time, Sunni insurgents disclose their conditions for ceasefire in Iraq. The ball is now in Bush's court.

Public Pushes Back Against Planned Test on Old Nuke Site
By Megan Tady, The NewStandard
Suspicious of government assurances that a planned desert explosion in Utah will not rekindle radioactive fallout from past events, Westerners and Native Americans want the plan halted.

Executive Time Out or Phuket?
By Will Durst, AlterNet
Satirical musings on the president and rehab.
PEEK and Video: The hottest buzz and videos on the web

Pat Robertson allegedly threatens to kill Texas bodybuilder and family
By Evan Derkacz
Bodybuilder pissed about for-profit diet shake...

Tax-exempt planes for Church leaders
By Sarah Posner
While media hacks screech about Pelosi's jet, televangelists buy their own -- with tax-exempt church funds.

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For Neocons, an Attack on Iran Has Been a Six-Year Project
By Larisa Alexandrovna, Raw Story
The escalation of war rhetoric against Iran from the Bush White House and the neocons is just the latest installment of a long-term plan for another preemptive war.

The Media Escalates Its Lies about Iran
By David Swanson, davidswanson.org
Reporters from the New York Times and others are trying to convince us that this time around, we can trust the U.S. intelligence community's evidence of Iran's bad intentions, but where is the evidence?

Renewables Can Turn the Tide on Global Warming
By Kelpie Wilson, TruthOut.org
There is no "silver bullet" solution to our energy crisis. But a new study shows that the right combination of renewables may be our best bet.

'Chauvinistic' Husbands in Japan Change to Keep Their Wives
By Catherine Makino, Women's eNews
A group of self-confessed chauvinist men in Japan are committed to changing their bad marital habits -- finding ways to feel comfortable saying "thank you" and "sorry."

Can Democrats Reclaim the South?
By Bob Moser, The Nation
The most misleading, destructive and threadbare myth of contemporary American politics is that the so-called red-state South is a solid Republican block.

Tucker Carlson: Obama's Black church isn't really Christian [VIDEO]
By Lindsay Beyerstein
Carlson bears false witness against his neighbor.

House Democrat swings at GOP's fake Pelosi scandal [VIDEO]
By Joshua Holland
Rep. Anthony Weiner shows off his political spine.

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From the Center for American Progress

GOOD NEWS

Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) will makes his House office "carbon neutral" by "installing low-energy fluorescent bulbs, turning down the office temperature, and spending $672 of his own money to buy 'carbon credits' from two Vermont renewable energy projects."

STATE WATCH


CALIFORNIA: San Francisco is "aiming to become one of the nation's first large cities to require that new, privately developed buildings meet rigorous standards of environmental friendliness."

MARYLAND: Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) proposes "living wage" legislation.

UTAH: State Senate Education Committee approves legislation permitting college students to receive a $300 refundable tax credit to offset tuition increases at state universities.

BLOG WATCH

THINK PROGRESS: U.S. Army Europe eliminates funding for welcome-home celebrations for troops.

E&P: Four years ago, editorial pages raved about Colin Powell's Iraq presentation at the U.N.

THE NOTION: Introducing Avaaz, "a new MoveOn-style group that will mobilize members all over the world to take action on global issues."

NIEMAN WATCHDOG: How the press can prevent another Iraq.

DAILY GRILL

"Childhood obesity is a costly problem for the country. We believe it is necessary to come up with a coherent strategy to help folks all throughout our country cope with the issue."
-- President Bush, 2/1/07

VERSUS

"To fight childhood obesity, Mr. Bush asks Congress to set aside $17 million for a new program to promote 'healthy behavior' among adolescents. But at the same time, he asks Congress to eliminate the preventive health services block grant, which provides $99 million a year to help states prevent obesity and other chronic conditions."
-- New York Times, 2/5/07

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GOOD NEWS

"A record number of buildings, from skyscrapers to supermarkets, won special recognition by U.S. regulators for being energy efficient in 2006."

STATE WATCH

KANSAS: Bill would make the HPV vaccine mandatory for all 6th grade girls.

WASHINGTON: Initiative filed by a same-sex marriage advocacy group "would require heterosexual couples to have kids within three years or else have their marriage annulled," in a move to prompt "discussion about the many misguided assumptions" about same-sex marriage.

MINNESOTA: University of Minnesota researchers say Gov. Tim Pawlenty's (R) campaign against stem cell research is not backed by adequate scientific evidence.

BLOG WATCH

THINK PROGRESS: Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck agree: We're "afraid" to have "a lot of African-American friends."

FEMINISTING: Misleading information about reproductive health in last night's Veronica Mars episode.

TPM MUCKRAKER: Reconstruction official on billions of Iraqi dollars lost: "What difference does it make?"

AFL-CIO NOW: Employee Free Choice Act already gaining momentum in Congress.

DAILY GRILL

"Government interference impedes competition, limits access to life-saving drugs, reduces convenience for beneficiaries, and ultimately increases costs to taxpayers, beneficiaries, and all American citizens alike."
-- White House Statement of Administration Policy, 1/11/07, opposing government negotiations of lower prescription drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries

VERSUS

"Allows States to use private sector management techniques to leverage greater discounts through negotiations with drug manufacturers."
-- President Bush's 2008 Budget (p. 59), under section "FY 2008 Proposed Legislation," allowing government negotiations to lower prices for Medicaid pharmacies

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GOOD NEWS

The Christian Medical Association has come out in support of Gov. Rick Perry's (R-TX) order that all "schoolgirls get vaccinated against the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer."

STATE WATCH

OKLAHOMA: Almost a decade after the state agreed to fund one year of pre-kindergarten for all residents, Oklahoma has the nation's highest number of four-year-olds in school.

MINNESOTA: State Senate passes a bill requiring Minnesota's utilities to generate 25 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2025.

VERMONT: Bill introduced in State House that would replace same sex-marriage with the state's civil union law.

TEXAS: Texas Baptist leaders are blocking Gov. Rick Perry's (R-TX) plan to approve 18 new coal-fired power plants -- "an unusual move because the largest national Baptist organization officially opposes environmental activism."

BLOG WATCH

THINK PROGRESS: Right wing uses erroneous CNN report to smear Al Gore.

MEDIA MATTERS: Pat Robertson: Too much plastic surgery gives people "Oriental" eyes.

TREE HUGGER: Top five green social networking sites.

CREW BLOG: Twenty-five most corrupt members of the Bush administration.

DAILY GRILL

"It won't stop us, and it would be, I think, detrimental from the standpoint of the troops."
-- Vice President Cheney, 1/24/07, on congressional debate on President Bush's Iraq escalation plan

VERSUS

"As long as this Congress continues to do what it has done, which is to provide the resources for the mission, the dialogue will be the dialogue, and the troops will feel supported."
-- Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Peter Pace, 2/7/07

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GOOD NEWS

"For the first time in five years, the African-American unemployment rate dipped. It went from 8.4 percent in December 2006 to 8 percent this January."

STATE WATCH

GEORGIA: The state "will stop enrolling new children in its health insurance program for low-income families because federal funds are running out."

LOUISIANA: "A year and a half after Hurricane Katrina, an alarming number of residents are leaving or seriously thinking of getting out for good."

MICHIGAN: After an appeals court ruling limited benefits for partners of gays and lesbians, gay rights advocates fear consequences for rulings in over a dozen other states.

TENNESSEE: Environmentalists are excited about what Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) calls "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to preserve almost 200 square miles of forestland.

BLOG WATCH

THINK PROGRESS: Right wing spreads misinformation about Oregon's global warming denier.

BUSH V. CHOICE: More than 90 percent of young women think emergency contraception is "safe" and "effective."

THE FRONT LINES: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice: "Ready for her lesbian platoon?"

BURNT ORANGE REPORT: Implementing the REAL ID Act "will now cost Texas 20 times more than originally estimated."

DAILY GRILL

"So far, so good."
-- Defense Secretary Robert Gates, 2/7/07, on the status of the escalation plan

VERSUS

"U.S. and Iraqi forces have begun to implement President Bush's new security plan for Iraq -- but the start-up is not without its difficulties. Iraqi units have met deployment deadlines, but they're not at full strength. The first additional US brigade has arrived in Baghdad, but military officials are steamed that civilian US agencies aren't moving as fast as they are."
-- Christian Science Monitor, 2/9/07

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GOOD NEWS

"The Dixie Chicks completed a defiant comeback on Sunday night, winning five Grammy awards after being shunned by the country music establishment over their anti-Bush comments leading up to the Iraq war."

STATE WATCH

TEXAS: The proposed construction of at least 15 coal power plants in the state has hundreds of Texans protesting at the state Capitol.

MINNESOTA: Bills that endorse state-funding for embryonic stem cell research at the University of Minnesota have cleared an important hurdle.

MISSOURI: Lawmakers debate whether to repeal Amendment 2, the referendum that approved stem cell research in the state last November.

BLOG WATCH

THINK PROGRESS: Rep. Dana Rohrbacher (R-CA): Global warming may have been caused by "dinosaur flatulence."

DAILY KOS: Salon: Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) used to be "uppity."

BELTWAY BLOGROLL: U.S. Centcom is monitoring blogs.

WEEKLY TOLL: A look at what happens when employees die in the workplace.

DAILY GRILL

"Nobody in my office ever said there was an operational relationship between Iraq and Al Qaeda."
-- Former Undersecretary of Defense Douglas Feith, 2/12/07

VERSUS

"Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein had an operational relationship from the early 1990s to 2003...according to a top secret U.S. government memorandum obtained by The Weekly Standard. The memo, dated October 27, 2003, was sent from Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas J. Feith to Senators Pat Roberts and Jay Rockefeller, the chairman and vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee."
-- The Weekly Standard, 11/24/03

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From “Democracy Now!”

* Hidden Costs of War: Long-Term Price of Providing Veterans Medical Care
Could Reach $660 Billion *

Over 200,000 soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan have been treated at
Veterans Affairs medical facilities thus far, with 900,000 still deployed on
active duty. A new study from Harvard University predicts that the cost of
medical care and compensation benefits for returning veterans will skyrocket
once those troops return home.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/06/1531201


* Peace Activists Launch The Occupation Project: A Campaign of Sustained
Nonviolent Civil Disobedience to End the Iraq War *

Kathy Kelly joins us hours after being released from jail. She was one of
ten people arrested in Sen. McCain's office in Washington. Eight more were
arrested in the Illinois offices of Senators Obama and Durbin. Kelly just
returned from two months living and working with Iraqi refugees in Amman,
Jordan.

Listen/Stop/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/06/1531209


* Two Longtime Chicago Journalists On The Rise of Sen. Barack Obama *

Chicago Sun-Times Washington bureau chief Lynn Sweet and Salim Muwakkil,
senior editor of In These Times, discuss how Obama rose from a community
organizer in Illinois to a state legislator to a Senator to a presidential
candidate.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/06/1531215


* Headlines for February 6, 2007 *

- Senate Republicans Block Vote on Iraq Resolution
- Iranian Diplomat Kidnapped In Baghdad
- President Bush: "Good Signs" in Iraq
- Video Shows US Pilot Bombing UK Convoy in Iraq
- UN Closes Schools in Gaza
- Tens of Thousands March in Oaxaca, Mexico
- 10 Arrested in Peace Protest At Sen. McCain's Office
- Kucinich Calls for Department of Peace

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/06/1530255

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* EXCLUSIVE: Hunger-Striking Palestinian Professor Sami Al-Arian Speaks Out
In First Broadcast Interview of His Four-Year Imprisonment *

In a Democracy Now! exclusive, Sami Al-Arian speaks to us from prison where
is on a hunger-strike. The Palestinian professor and activist's case has
been one of the most closely watched -- and controversial -- post-9/11
prosecutions in the United States. Al-Arian has been jailed despite a jury's
failure to return a single guilty verdict. In the four years since his
arrest, Sami Al-Arian has never conducted a broadcast interview - until now.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/07/1546227


* The Family Toll: Sami Al-Arian's Daughter on Her Father's Imprisonment *

Laila Al-Arian is Sami Al-Arian's eldest daughter. She joins us to talk
about her father's imprisonment and its effect on the Al-Arian family. We're
also joined by Sami Al-Arian's attorney, Peter Erlinder.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/07/1546235


* Headlines for February 7, 2007 *

- US, Iraqi Troops Begin Baghdad Offensive
- US Death Toll Hits 4-Month High
- 4 Arrested in Iranian Diplomat Kidnapping
- Palestinians Protest Excavation Near Al-Aqsa Mosque
- US Rejects Secret Detention Ban
- Ex-Iraq Occupation Head Questioned on Missing Billions
- Wal-Mart Loses Bid to Dismiss Sex-Discrimination Case
- Videographer Becomes Longest-Jailed Journalist in US History


Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/07/1545251

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* Court Martial of First Officer to Refuse Iraq Deployment Ends in Mistrial
*

The court martial of the first US army officer to refuse to fight in the
Iraq war has ended in a mistrial. On Wednesday, a military judge halted the
case against First Lieutenant Ehren Watada over possible inconsistencies in
a pre-trial agreement Watada made with prosecutors. Geoffrey Millard of
Truthout.org reports from Fort Lewis in Washington.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/08/1611225


* Blackwater USA Takes Congressional Hot-Seat as Landmark Hearing Probes
Mercenary Firm's Role in Iraq *

The private security company Blackwater admitted on Tuesday for the first
time that one of its employees shot and killed an Iraqi guard inside the
Green Zone in December. The disclosure came during a landmark hearing on the
role of private contractors in Iraq. Among those to testify was Katy
Helvenston. Her son Scott was one of the four Blackwater employees killed in
Fallujah in 2004. Katy Helvenston joins us to talk about why she wants
Blackwater held accountable for her son's death. We're also joined by Jeremy
Scahill, author of the forthcoming book “Blackwater: The Rise of the World's
Most Powerful Mercenary Army.”

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/08/1611238


* The Missing Billions: Ex-Iraq Occupation Chief Paul Bremer Questioned on
Oversight, Spending of Iraqi Money *

Three former Army officers and two civilians have been indicted for
diverting $3.6 million in Iraq reconstruction money to a contractor in
exchange for cash, luxury cars and jewelry. The announcement came one day
after the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing
about how billions of dollars set aside for the Iraq Reconstruction have
gone missing. Corpwatch Managing editor Pratap Chatterjee attended the
hearing. He joins us from Washington.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/08/1611246


* Cheering Movers and Art Student Spies: Was Israel Tracking the Hijackers
Before the 9/11 Attacks? *

A new article in the newsletter Counterpunch examines unresolved questions
over whether Israeli agents were tracking the 9/11 hijackers before
September 11th. ABC's 20/20, The Forward, and Salon.com have all covered the
story. But where's the follow up? We speak to the author of the article,
Christopher Ketcham; Counterpunch editor Alexander Cockburn, and Marc
Perelman, the Forward reporter who did one of the first reports on the story
in 2002.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/08/1610254


* Headlines for February 8, 2007 *

- Envoy: North Korea Prepared for Disarmament Talks
- Watada Court Martial Ends in Mistrial
- 7 Die in US Helicopter Crash in Baghdad
- Italy Orders Trial for US Soldier in Calipari Shooting
- GOP Sens Say They'll Push Iraq Debate
- Russert Says He Didn't Tell Libby of Plame
- Wal-Mart Joins Business, Union Call for Universal Health Care
- Probe Clears Gitmo Guards Without Interviewing Alleged Victims

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/08/1611230

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From Stop Global Warming!

Stop Global Warming Virtual March
02/07/07

WORLD SCIENTISTS CONFIRM HUMANS CAUSE GLOBAL WARMING
The Eiffel Tower switched off its 20,000 flashing light bulbs in a five-minute blackout to call attention to the release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report. This historic report presented unequivocal conclusions by more than 2,000 scientists in 150 countries who spent 6 years culling the latest research.

As Dr. Dan Lashof, at NRDC's Climate Center, stated: "This new IPCC report makes it clear that global warming is here now, and we must take swift and effective action to stave off the most severe consequences."

CLICK HERE to read more about the IPCC report

In a related story, a think tank partly funded by Exxon Mobil sent letters to scientists offering them up to $10,000 to critique the IPCC report's findings. A recent report from the Union of Concerned Scientists said Exxon spent $16 million between 1998 and 2005 funding "organizations that seek to confuse the public on global warming science."

CLICK HERE to read more about Exxon's efforts.

GLOBALWARMING101.COM: NO MORE ARCTIC?
There's no better place to witness the disruption of ecosystems and cultures by global warming than the Arctic. This February 14th, Will Steger and his team of Inuit hunters, explorers and educators, will embark on a 1200-mile, four-month-long expedition across the Canadian Arctic's Baffin Island to get a first-hand look at how global warming is impacting the landscape, wildlife, and human communities.

You can follow Will Steger's Global Warming 101 Expedition at http://www.globalwarming101.com/ to learn what is happening to the region.

BRITISH TO SHOW 'AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH' IN SCHOOLS
As part of a year-long environmental education campaign to combat global warming, Al Gore's documentary will be sent to every secondary school in England, over 3,385 schools.

As Education Secretary Alan Johnson explained, "Children are the key to changing society's long-term attitudes to the environment. Not only are they passionate about saving the planet, but children also have a big influence over their own families' lifestyles and behavior."

CLICK HERE to read more about the campaign.

VIRTUAL MARCH PARTNER OUTREACH
Special thanks to our latest featured marcher Barenaked Ladies and their "Ships and Dip" four-day rock cruise aboard the Carnival Legend for their efforts in signing up new marchers. The cruise last month, also featuring SGW partner Guster, not only provided fans with some great music, but also a valuable opportunity to learn about stopping global warming and maintaining an eco-friendly lifestyle. They quadrupled their goal of making the cruise carbon neutral, and over 4000 tons of CO2 was offset through participation of the band, Native Energy, and the fans, equivalent to over 8 million miles not driven in a car. Great job!

NEW PARTNERS AND MARCHERS
This week the Virtual March grew to over 620,000 marchers! Recent partners include Diesel, Mixed Market, Girlawhirl.com, Spas of America, Rock the Vote, Carbon Solutions Group, Zooey, professional snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler, sports agent Leigh Steinberg, and Pro Football Hall of Fame QB Warren Moon.

SUPPORT THE VIRTUAL MARCH
Please help spread the word by hosting a Stop Global Warming Virtual March banner on your website, blog or online community page. We also have a new selection of computer desktop images available for download.

We have also partnered with a number of organizations to make it easy for donations to be made to our cause. Check out our new Support Us page for more details.

CLICK HERE for SGW banners and buttons

Keep Marching!

Laurie David
Founder
StopGlobalWarming.org

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From Media Savvy

World Bank Launches Internal Probe To Root Out Leakers
Be very very quiet -- Paul Wolfowitz, head of the World Bank, is hunting traitors! FOX News posted confidential minutes of a meeting of a bank board committee, and published unflattering descriptions about some directors in an article entitled "Wolfowitz vs. the World Bank Board: It's Trench Warfare."

Josh Wolf Still In Jail
Blogger and independent journalist Josh Wolf has now been incarcerated longer than any journalist in recent U.S. history. Keep watching MediaChannel for more info on how you can help Free Josh!

Clash At Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque -- Will The Next One Be Webcasted?
The Israeli government considered webcasting the excavation and restoration of a ramp damaged by earthquakes and snow, but violence erupted after Friday prayers in Jerusalem today as work denounced by Muslims continues.

Weekend Treat On YouTube: Condi Rice Raps
Parody and satire about newsmakers and events seems far more popular than the news itself. Attitude seems to have replaced information in many outlets. Here's a new music video on YouTube about the Secretary of State. Serious? Political? Worthwhile watching? A big yuk? What's the message? You Tell Us.

Anna Nicole Smith Dead At 39
The model-turned-TV-star dies mysteriously in a casino hotel in Florida, leaving behind a five-month old daughter.

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Libby Trial Principals Should "Stop Hurting America"
Whatever else the confusing, calamitous and corrosive trial of Scooter Libby may be about .- war, power, death, destruction, lies, manipulation, you-name-it .- it's first and foremost a trial of the media, by the media and for the media.

Parents, Hide Your Children From The Media
American parents might be letting their children watch too much television, and it's freaking them out. Media consumption now ranks as the top parental concern over premarital sex or drugs.

Afghanistan: Forgotten War, Forgotten Women
Are the women of Afghanistan more than pawns in a rhetorical game? What has the Us-led invasion done for their plight?

Newsweek Clips Clooney Interview, But Only For American Readers
Even being the Sexiest Man in the World won't save you from being cut from Newsweek based on political concerns. But the rest of the world can still read George Clooney's foreign policy criticism.

World Wide Wiki
Wikipedia, Wikileaks and MediaVolunteer: are these sites the future of user-driven media?

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From HuffPo

Steven Weber: Bridge Over the River Kwai Redux

AP

Excerpted From Steven Weber's Blog:

...Without a real and binding sense of morality, without a love of truth and reason, this country is closer to becoming a supermarket where the rich do the shopping and the poor are the produce. And the numb mass, terrified that it's noble stature had begun to crumble under the weight of greed and lethargy that coalesced long enough to ensure Bush and Cheney to rise, to rule and to raze, will have unknowingly built that supermarket. Like Colonel Nicholson looking at his misbegotten masterwork: my God. What have we done?
Click here to read more.

ON THE BLOG TODAY

Arianna Huffington: Joe Klein Seeks to Master the Art of Revisionist
Journalism (Forgetting He Lives in the Time of the Internet)

Laurie David: Past Time for Action, Mr. President

Coleen Rowley: No Fun Playing Cassandra (She Says as She Pulls Her Hair Out)

Adam Hanft: Brunch with Barack

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Arianna Huffington: Russert on the Stand: How Will He Explain His Pompous Double-Speak to Big Russ?

AP

Excerpted From Arianna Huffington's Blog:

As well as tossing a dart into Tim Russert's credibility, Libby attorney Theodore Wells's cross-examination helped expose the all-too-chummy nature of insider Washington. He put up on the screen, Meet the Press-style, portions of the motion NBC filed in an effort to quash the May 2004 subpoena compelling Russert to testify in front of the Plamegate grand jury. It was a portrait of pomposity, and a bracing reminder of the way things work in Club Washington...
Click here to read more.

ON THE BLOG TODAY

Rep. Jim McDermott: Remembering the Lessons of History

Harry Shearer: Brian in New Orleans--Mainly Pluses

Andy Stern: New Momentum to Fix Health Care in America

Matt Browner Hamlin: A Bar So Low...

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Arianna Huffington: Libby and Russert: Two Trials in the Same Courtroom

AP/msnbc.msn.com

Excerpted From Arianna Huffington's Blog:

...There are two trials going on. One is about Libby's role in Plamegate and will be decided by a jury, which will determine if Libby ends up in jail. The other is about the media's role in Plamegate -- and, by extension, the war in Iraq -- and will be decided by the court of public opinion. No one will go to jail, but credibility will, and should be, effected -- and that will be a very significant byproduct of the Libby trial. It has already demonstrated the gulf between the principles those in the press theoretically live by and reality. For example, there was Russert in his testimony, saying with a straight face, "We try to stay away from rumors... Rumors don't make it on the air." As opposed to all that solid, fact-based pre-war discussion on Meet the Press about aluminum tubes and Saddam's WMD, I suppose?...
Click here to read more.

ON THE BLOG TODAY

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: Exposing ExxonMobil, Part II

Jane Hamsher: Tim Russert and the First Amendment: Strange Bedfellows

Michael Useem: The World Economic Forum: A Call to Exercise Global Leadership, Not Just Self Interest

Mia Farrow: Photo Essay: Crisis in Sudan and Eastern Chad, Part I

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Eason Jordan: US Intel Officials Should Identify Themselves

AP

Excerpted from Eason Jordan's Blog:

Why are US officials hiding behind the cloak of anonymity when presenting the most detailed evidence yet that Iran is supplying anti-US forces in Iraq with weaponry?

After weeks, if not months, of US official planning to present a damning "dossier" of incriminating evidence against Iran, and after this same US administration presented us with lopsided, erroneous information about the capability and evil intentions of the Saddam Hussein regime, the best the US government can give us today is incendiary evidence presented at a Baghdad news conference by three US officials who refuse to be quoted by name?

That's disgraceful and unacceptable...
Click here to read more.

ON THE BLOG TODAY

Nora Ephron: Scooter, Tim and Judy Miller's Dog

Simon Jenkins: My Thoughts on a Recent Visit to Colombia/Afghanistan

Alec Baldwin: More Cautionary Tales

Christy Hardin Smith: Libby Trial: Peeling Back The Layers

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And now for something completely different ... some Irish humor!

Paddy was driving down the street in a sweat because he had an important meeting and couldn't find a parking place. Looking up to heaven he said, "Lord take pity on me. If you find me a parking place I will go to Mass every Sunday for the rest of me life and give up me Irish Whiskey!"

Miraculously, a parking place appeared.

Paddy looked up again and said, "Never mind, I found one."

MORE

Father Murphy walks into a pub in Donegal, and says to the first man he meets, "Do you want to go to heaven?"

The man said, "I do, Father."

The priest said, "Then stand over there against the wall."

Then the priest asked the second man, "Do you want to go to heaven?"

"Certainly, Father," was the man's reply.

"Then stand over there against the wall," said the priest.

Then Father Murphy walked up to O'Toole and said, "Do you want to go to heaven?"

O'Toole said, "No, I don't Father."

The priest said, "I don't believe this. You mean to tell me that when you die you don't want to go to heaven?"

O'Toole said, "Oh, when I die, yes. I thought you were getting a group together to go right now."

AND MORE

Paddy was in New York.

He was patiently waiting and watching the traffic cop on a busy street crossing. The cop stopped the flow of traffic and shouted, "Okay, pedestrians." Then he'd allow the traffic to pass.

He'd done this several times, and Paddy still stood on the sidewalk.

After the cop had shouted, "Pedestrians!" for the tenth time, Paddy went over to him and said, "Is it not about time ye let the Catholics across?"

AND STILL MORE

Gallagher opened the morning newspaper and was dumbfounded to read in the obituary column that he had died. He quickly phoned his best friend, Finney.

"Did you see the paper?" asked Gallagher. "They say I died!!"

"Yes, I saw it!" replied Finney. "Where are ye callin' from?"

YET MORE

An Irish priest is driving down to New York and gets stopped for speeding in Connecticut. The state trooper smells alcohol on the priest's breath and then sees an empty wine bottle on the floor of the car.

He says, "Sir, have you been drinking?"

"Just water," says the priest.

The trooper says, "Then why do I smell wine?"

The priest looks at the bottle and says, "Good Lord! He's done it again!"

JUST A COUPLE MORE

Walking into the bar, Mike said to Charlie the bartender, "Pour me a stiff one - just had another fight with the little woman."

"Oh yeah?" said Charlie, "And how did this one end?"

"When it was over," Mike replied, "She came to me on her hands and knees.

"Really," said Charles, "Now that's a switch! What did she say?"

She said, "Come out from under the bed, you little chicken."

I PROMISE THIS IS THE LAST ONE!

Flynn staggered home very late after another evening with his drinking buddy, Paddy. He took off his shoes to avoid waking his wife, Mary.

He tiptoed as quietly as he could toward the stairs leading to their upstairs bedroom, but misjudged the bottom step. As he caught himself by grabbing the banister, his body swung around and he landed heavily on his rump. A whiskey bottle in each back pocket broke and made the landing especially painful.

Managing not to yell, Flynn sprung up, pulled down his pants, and looked in the hall mirror to see that his butt cheeks were cut and bleeding. He managed to quietly find a full box of Band-Aids and began putting a Band-Aid as best he could on each place he saw blood.

He then hid the now almost empty Band-Aid box and shuffled and stumbled his way to bed.

In the morning, Flynn woke up with searing pain in both his head and butt and Mary staring at him from across the room.

She said, "You were drunk again last night weren't you?"

Flynn said, "Why you say such a mean thing?"

"Well," Mary said, "it could be the open front door, it could be the broken glass at the bottom of the stairs, it could be the drops of blood trailing through the house, it could be your bloodshot eyes, but mostly ... it's all those Band-Aids stuck on the hall mirror.

THE END