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

We have another jam-packed edition this week! Here are this week’s top stories:

-- March! March! March! As we lament the fourth anniversary of Bush's insane invasion of Iraq, the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition publishes details about the march on the Pentagon that was held on Saturday, 17 March 2007. Hot off the press is the account of Immortal Technique, who was scheduled to perform at the rally but who was prevented from doing so by the Pentagon and Virginia police in violation of A.N.S.W.E.R.'s permit to demonstrate. If you doubted that we live in a police state complete with brown shirts, don't. Powerful stuff!

-- Check out fellow blogger Dot Calm's account of the prayer vigil held at the National Cathedral on Friday, 16 March: http://dotcalmspage.blogspot.com/. Braving cold, rain, sleet, and MS, Dot Calm and her husband made the six-hour trek from North Carolina to Washington, DC, to attend this powerful spiritual service. We are not alone!

-- Karl Rove's role in prosecutor-gate--and probably Plame-gate--underscores the question of the US taxpayer funded political operative ... as in why are WE paying his salary with our taxes?!

-- You call yourself a progressive but you still eat meat? Read the AlterNet article below ... and then PLEASE go buy and read “The China Study” by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. You will want to give copies to everyone you know and love.

-- Gee, whoda thunk it? The NY Times did a hit piece slamming Al Gore. It was the sloppiest, most inaccurate piece of journalism to come out of that media outlet since, oh, the run up to Bush's invasion of Iraq. Wake up, America--“liberal” media is a MYTH! THE CORPORATIONS, which are NOT “liberal,” OWN THE MEDIA!

-- Gonzo pretends “aww, shucks” or “he didn't know” ... my arse. I'll believe that one when they brainwash me into believing that the conman-der in thief is truly a “compassionate” “conservative.” Read all about the firing of the federal prosecutors, six out of seven of whom had received POSITIVE personnel evaluations. Guess who was a great big Bush-loving helper behind the scenes: Harriet Miers!

-- “Perfect storm” of PTSD for returning veterans; a colonel commits suicide because he can no longer live with having been “sullied” from having participated in Bush's invasion

-- Cheney's neocons fund al Qaeda groups ... with your and my taxpayer dollars, natch ... but, hey, this is America, so who gives a crap?

-- Our own military says that we cannot win in Iraq. Ya think maybe we should get the hell outta there with our boys and girls in uniform still in one piece?

-- While Republicans continue to blame Clinton for having done more to “damage” the Constitution by getting a blow job from an intern, they are now pouring out of the woodwork with all their own confessions of marital unfaithfulness. They must be grateful to Bill Clinton for allowing them the hypocrisy of reviling Clinton while treating cheating on your wife as the new vogue.

-- Sexual harassment, assault, and rape against women is endemic in the U.S. armed forces: http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/0123C57B-F37F-4F03-977A-3875DC9BEC60.htm

-- Wal-Mart's CEO received a bonus--only 22 MILLION DOLLARS. Talk about partying while America burns ...

-- Zogby poll: 73% of military members are comfortable with gays and lesbians serving in the military

-- Good news: Washington, DC, now has its very own seat in the House of Representatives!

-- DN! reports: “free trade” = “child labor sweatshops”

-- Here's why you DON'T want to leave national security in the hands of George W. Bush and his fellow fascists at Wal-Mart: http://wakeupwalmart.com/video/ports.html

-- Dot Calm sent in a few pearls recently. Remembering Condi Rice's designer shoe binge as New Orleans drowned, Ms. Calm quips, “I wonder if Condi has the right shoes to SCREW us all over ...!” Ms. Calm sent in the administration's attack plans for Iran (http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6376639.stm) and reminds us of Bush's signing statements that reflect his continuing reluctance to submit to authority (http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/04/30/bush_challenges_hundreds_of_laws/). But perhaps the most shocking article Dot Calm sent in was this one, which outlines in living color the scandals and crimes of the Bush crime family: http://www.rationalrevolution.net/war/bush_family_and_the_s.htm ... in response to which she quips, “And we got squeamish over a blow job?!” Remember the S&L scandal? You and I are still paying for it.

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 the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition

Tens of Thousands March on the Pentagon
Riot Police Block Buses and Deny Access to People Coming to the Demonstration


On the way to the Pentagon, March 17

Congratulations to everyone who made it through the snow and freezing rain to get to Washington and join together in the tens of thousands and March on the Pentagon!

Led by a contingent of Iraq war veterans, active-duty service-members, Gold Star families, and veterans from other past and present wars, the demonstration received a large amount of media coverage. CNN has featured the demonstration, which the report described as a march of tens of thousands, in its rotation since yesterday. The major French newspaper, Le Monde, ran a significant article under the headline, "More than 50,000 People Protest Against the War in Iraq," about the March on the Pentagon as the U.S. component of the world-wide protests marking the beginning of the fifth year of the war against Iraq. The rally was broadcast live on C-span and Al-Jazeera and received wide-spread media coverage. C-span will be replaying the rally, check http://www.cspan.org/ for times.

The March on the Pentagon was not a solitary action but one of more than 1,000 protests that will take place in the U.S. between March 17 and March 20. In Los Angeles, the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition called a demonstration that drew 50,000. Maxine Waters was one of many speakers and music was provided by renowned Ozomatli, Jackson Browne and Ben Harper.

The ANSWER demonstration on March 18 in San Francisco drew 40,000 protesters and filled 15 blocks of Market Street, a six-lane avenue.

The March on the Pentagon took place the day after a severe winter snow and sleet storm suddenly hit northeastern states that prevented many buses from traveling, 700 fights from taking off, and thousands of cars from reaching the March. Motorists were advised throughout New England and the Mid-Atlantic region to stay off the road. The large turnout at the demonstration was all the more significant given the hardships people had to endure to participate in the activity. People marched to the Pentagon and stayed as long as they could braving 20 mile-an-hour winds and a windchill factor into the teens.

The front banner for the March on the Pentagon

A great thank you is owed to the committed volunteers who endured a torrential downpour of freezing rain though Friday night to help set up the assembly and rally sites. People stayed overnight with the equipment and then began working again at 5:00 am in complete darkness. The assembly area had become a lake on March 16 and filled with mud by the time the march stepped off. The windchill in the early hours was not far above zero. At the rally site the large tents and canopies blew down. Volunteers continued to work long hours after the rally ended to take-down, pack, clean the entire area and unload trucks. The anti-war movement is growing both numerically and its organizational capability and the tireless work of volunteers forms the core of this success.

The lead banner of the march demanding US Out of Iraq Now was carried by Cindy Sheehan, Cynthia McKinney, Jonathan Hutto co-founder of Appeal for Redress, Mahdi Bray, Executive Director of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation, Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson and youth and students in the anti-war movement.

Pentagon Prevents Immortal Technique and Others from Joining the Rally

Police at the March on the Pentagon

The Pentagon and Virginia State Police, many clad in riot gear, wearing gas masks and wielding batons, blocked people coming from the subway/metro who wanted to attend the demonstration. They also blocked buses from accessing the Pentagon in contravention of the agreements reached in the permit. This required people to walk nearly two miles to get to their buses following the rally.

Many people who came to the rally after it had begun - some who had seen the huge march at a distance as it crossed over the Memorial Bridge across the roadways and wanted to then join the activity - were blocked by the Pentagon and the police from entering the rally site through a maze of misdirection, road closures and threats of arrest at multiple different locations. The ANSWER Coalition worked to get people in, and ANSWER organizers and our attorneys went to the site of sudden police confrontations and shutdowns, but many people were still unable to get in including the hip-hop artist Immortal Technique who was scheduled to perform.

Like so many other people, the hip-hop artist Immortal Technique's travel plans to get to the demonstration, seemed so daunting as to be virtually impossible. But due to his determination and his resourcefulness, he found a way to overcome cancelled flights and frozen roads. Although he rebooked flights in order to land in North Carolina, personally rented a car and drove it to Washington, D.C., the Pentagon and law enforcement blocked him from coming into the rally where he was going to perform. We urge everyone to read Immortal Technique's compelling account -- which is both a narrative and a political commentary. Immortal Technique's message below should be read and circulated to your e-mail address book and to e-mail lists everywhere.

Message from Immortal Technique:

"First and foremost I would like to congratulate the organizers of ANSWER and in specific Brian, Amelia, Peta, and Sarah and the many others who reached out to me and who I saw make a powerful statement today. I am not a big fan of marches and rallies because I have always believed that the system must be attacked economically above all. But, if coordinated well, they can effect change and remind people that this war is still costing lives and no matter who the father of Anna Nicole's Baby is or who wins the next season of American Idol or what new song is on the radio, people are dying, both from this country and in massive numbers in the Iraqi Civil War. March 17th, even with all the problems we faced, was a success in reminding people of the insurmountable evidence of corruption, self righteous moral depravity, and dishonesty present within our government... Because we have issue with the administration we should not be painted as people who despise their country. If I am not pleased with a book I read or a movie I watch that doesn't mean I hate the concept of film in general or that I take issue with printed literature on a whole. The administration presently tries to attach itself to the idea of America as if they were the far right standard by which all should be judged by as Americans. This White House after all just concerns itself with the well being of its stock holders, make-shift praetorian guard of politicians and political contributors. Click to see the rest of Immortal Technique's message.

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From AlterNet

HPV Vaccine Out of Reach for College Students
By Jill Filipovic, AlterNet
College campuses are breeding grounds for HPV, the virus that can cause genital warts and cervical cancer. A new vaccine offers protection, but many students can't afford it. Read more

HPV Vaccine: Public Health Boon or Big Pharma Bull?
By Terry J. Allen, In These Times
Merck wants to make its new HPV vaccine mandatory for young girls, but the immunization's safety and long-term effects are unknown.

Just Call Me Mike: A Journey from Actor to Activist
By Mike Farrell, AlterNet
Actor Mike Farrell, best known for his role as Captain B.J. Hunnicutt in the popular TV-series M.A.S.H., reflects on his path from fame to progressive activism.

Can Barack Obama Become President?
By Allan Hunt Badiner, AlterNet
A look at the man, the candidate, and whether or not he is truly a contender for the highest office.

Opposing the Iraq War: Heroes of Resistance
By John Tirman, AlterNet
In the face of severe contempt and intimidation, a sizable number of Americans saw the charade for what it was and rued the oncoming disaster of war.

Democrats Struggle To Make Peace
By Holly Yeager, The American Prospect
Appropriations Committee chairman David Obey blew a fuse in front of an anti-war military mom (and a rolling camera). But his words should be heeded.

Political Purging: U.S. Attorneys Replaced with Bush Loyalists
By Marjorie Cohn, AlterNet
In the Bush administration, justice has become politicized. Gonzales has used provisions in the Patriot Act to replace U.S. Attorneys with Bush loyalists.

Becoming Susan Shouldn't Cost Steve His Job
By Deb Price, Creators Syndicate
Job discrimination against transgender Americans usually goes unnoticed. But Congress will soon have the opportunity to outlaw most of it by passing the Employment Nondiscrimination Act.

Fox's New "Daily Show" ripoff: Ann Coulter's Misdirected Hate Speech [VIDEO]
By Evan Derkacz
Only a hair shy of not being satire at all...

Why do black people tend to be more homophobic? [VIDEO]
The Rev. Dr. Michael Eric Dyson discusses homophobia, homoeroticism, conservative evangelical opportunism, & Hip Hop...

North Dakota Abortion Ban
By Jessica Valenti
Meet the new bill, worse than the old bill...

ExxonMobil costs Stanford a big donor
Anyone wanna buy a reputation?

You Call Yourself a Progressive -- But You Still Eat Meat?
By Kathy Freston, AlterNet
Eating a plant-based diet is an easy, cheap way to end animal cruelty and clean up the environment. Why, then, are so many progressives still clinging to their chicken nuggets? Read more

There's Always Money For War
By Jared Bernstein, TomPaine.com
Why is it that our representatives can easily raise endless amounts of money for war, but can't adequately fund human needs?

Multiple Sclerosis Sufferer Serving 25-Year Sentence for Taking Pain Killers
By Maia Szalavitz, HuffingtonPost.com
Jailing Richard Paey for taking pain pills serves no one -- not taxpayers, not pain patients, and certainly not the image of America as a decent, humane country.

How To Solve the Diabetes Epidemic
By Terrence McNally, AlterNet
The government and the food industry know that diabetes is linked to lifestyle and diet; yet profit continues to determine food policy, and nutrition remains a scant part of medial education. Dr. Neal Barnard offers a solution to the crisis.

Readers Write: Are Young People Narcissists?
AlterNet
Close to 300 AlterNet readers weighed in on Clayton Collins' recent article about whether the under-30s crowd is too self-absorbed.

Why the U.S. Is So Far Behind the Brits on Climate Change
By Sarah Stillman, Truthdig
While America is still begrudgingly coming to terms with the climate crisis, British politicians, scientists and newspapers have been shouting from the rooftops for years. So why is the U.S. so far behind its closest ally?

Web Trenz!
By Annalee Newitz, AlterNet
Ever heard of podthrusting? The newest creations of the Interwebs range from the creative, to the bizarre, to the truly "wtf?"

The Pragmatism of Prolonged War
By Norman Solomon, AlterNet
In an echo of Vietnam 40 years ago, the Iraq war continues while the antiwar movement loses its way among the ineffective posturing of Democratic leadership.
PEEK and Video: The hottest buzz and videos on the web

Breaking: Schumer calls for firing of Bush's A.G. [VIDEO]
By Evan Derkacz
"We now have direct evidence that... Gonzales was carrying out the political wishes of the president"

Air America challenges FOX, offers to host Republican debate
Those Stalinists called us Right Wing!!!

The Democratic Iraq-withdrawal resolution explained
By Bob Geiger
It's short. It's sweet. But will it see the light of day?

From Sex Workers to Restaurant Workers, the Global Slave Trade Is Growing
By David Batsone, Sojourners
A thriving commerce in human beings is taking place behind the facade of most major cities and towns in the U.S. and worldwide. Activists are pushing back, but they need reinforcements. Read more

Iraq Reservists Face a 'Perfect Storm' of Post-Traumatic Stress
By Stacy Bannerman, Foreign Policy in Focus
Soldiers who have served in Iraq are killing themselves at higher rates than in any other war in which such data have been tracked. To understand why, just look at the system.

The Richest Year in History
By Tula Connell, TomPaine.com
According to Forbes, this is the richest year in human history ... for those people who are already mind-bogglingly rich. But what about the rest of us?

FOX Attacks Black America [VIDEO]
By Evan Derkacz
The Congressional Black Caucus has dropped FOX from their Jan. '08 presidential debate in S.C., but it doesn't mean that they've decided to reject FOX entirely ... yet.

Bush v. the Polar Bears
By Kelpie Wilson, TruthOut.org
Forget public pressure and Congressional action, the one thing that might force the Bush administration to change its tune on global warming is the endangered status of polar bears.

Will a New Study Force Changes in Drug Law?
By Bruce Mirken, AlterNet
A two-year study from a British commission is recommending a reality-based approach to drug law, rooted in science and focused on reducing harm. Americans should take note.

Baby Loves Disco: Clubbing for Parents and Kids
By Gloria Goodale, Christian Science Monitor
One afternoon a month, local organizers take over a nightclub -- complete with a cash bar and the regular DJ spinning his normal playlist -- and throw open the doors to anyone under the age of seven, accompanied by parents.

The Department of Just Us
By Will Durst, AlterNet
These days the Department of Justice has become the Department of Just Us. And that us, doesn't include you or me.

Gonzales Pleads the Ken Lay Defense
By Glenn W. Smith, AlterNet
Alberto Gonzales is trying to explain away explosive revelations in the U.S. attorney scandal by using the "aw, shucks," or "I didn't know" defense that the late Kenneth Lay of Enron so famously used.

Carlos' Way: Turning Grief Into Action
By Amy Goodman, King Features Syndicate
As the U.S. enters its fifth year in Iraq, an increasingly powerful voice comes from soldiers and their families, who are turning grief into anti-war action.
PEEK and Video: The hottest buzz and videos on the web

Gonzales, Bush & the US Attorneys, the backstory [VIDEO]
By Evan Derkacz
Joe Conason discusses Gonzales, Bush-era abuse of power, fascism.

Times slammed for Gore "hit-piece"
By David Roberts
"The worst, sloppiest, most dishonest piece of reporting I've ever seen in the NYT."

Suicide Was the Only Way Out of Iraq for Col. Westhusing
By Robert Bryce, Texas Observer
Writing in his suicide note, "I am sullied -- no more," U.S. Colonel Ted Westhusing, father of three, chose death over a life of lies and corruption in occupied Iraq. Read more

Millions More for a Failed Anti-Drug Propaganda Campaign? Ridiculous!
By Paul Armentano, AlterNet
It's no wonder that a $2 billion anti-drug campaign which included suggestions that smoking pot supports al Qaeda and causes pregnancy completely failed. So why are Republicans throwing another $130 million at it?

The Goy Who Cried Wolf
By Sarah Posner, The American Prospect
The Israel lobby gives America's leading Christian Right warmonger a warm welcome.

How Reporters Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Nuclear Front Groups
By Diane Farsetta, Center for Media and Democracy
We're having a lopsided discussion on energy issues in America because the nuclear industry has funded it that way.

Will King Coal Be Deposed?
By Amanda Griscom Little, Grist Magazine
Coal-bashing is a hot new trend in Congress, science circles, and the business world. Are we nearing the overthrow of mighty King Coal?

Race to the Finish
By Bill McKibben, Grist Magazine
How climate activists can put aside "business as usual" to win the race against time.

Simpsons vicious FOX News parody [VIDEO]
By Evan Derkacz
FOX: "Your voice for evil"

Liberal group targets Vichy Dems
By Joshua Holland
Holding Sen. Max Baucus' feet to the fire.

Neocons in Cheney's Office Fund al Qaeda-Tied Groups ... and No One Cares?
By Tom Engelhardt, Tomdispatch.com
Seymour Hersh's recent report that Iran-Contra veterans working out of Dick Cheney's office are using stolen funds from Iraq to arm al Qaeda-tied groups and foment a larger Sunni-Shia war is a very big deal. Read more

Adultery Is a Ho-Hum Issue for '08 Candidates
By Bill Boyarsky, Truthdig
The era of adultery in politics appears to be over, given that the three top candidates for the Republican presidential nomination have broken their marriage vows.

It's Time to March on the Pentagon
By Sunsara Taylor, CounterPunch
After the Democrats' recent failure to get tough with George Bush on his saber rattling toward Iran, it's time to stop waiting for a political savior.

Have You Been Tricked by Viral Marketing? Join the Crowd
By Momoko Price, The Ubyssey
Fake graffiti, bogus hype and other mutations are fooling lots of us into believing that marketed products are the hot new thing, when they're only the latest thing off the assembly line.

According to U.S. Military Theory, We Can't Win in Iraq
By Kristian Williams, In These Times
Bush's new top commander in Iraq says he thinks the war in Iraq is winnable, but his recent manual on counterinsurgency suggests otherwise.

E. Coli, Salmonella and Rat Poop -- Oh, My!
By Heather Gehlert
How safe is your child's school cafeteria?

Plame questioning stinks of partisanship [VIDEO]
By Melissa McEwan
White House security grilled on lack of investigation...

4 years later: Let's leave the Iraqis alone, shall we?
By Barry Lando
Those with quick fixes for Iraq have no understanding of the horrific quarter century the Iraqis have endured ... among the most traumatized people on the face of this earth.

Why are you paying Karl Rove's salary?
By Cenk Uygur
Rove's role in prosecutor-gate underscores the question of the US taxpayer funded political operative ...

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From the Center for American Progress

GOOD NEWS

Kroger's grocery store chair released a statement pledging never to refuse a customer access to the over-the-counter emergency contraceptive Plan B.

STATE WATCH

OKLAHOMA: State senate passes bill to expand health care coverage for 42,000 children.

PENNSYLVANIA: First federal trial in the nation begins to determine whether local governments can act on their own to curb undocumented immigration.

TEXAS: "Minority and rural white females bear an unequal burden of developing cervical cancer in Texas."

BLOG WATCH

THINK PROGRESS: General: Conservatives are "absolutely the worst thing that's happened" to the U.S. military.

THE FRONT LINES: Servicemembers Legal Defense Network's powerful video of U.S. veterans who were barred from serving simply because they are gay.

CARPET BAGGER REPORT: Karl Rove's role in the prosecutor purge.

NO QUARTER: Pictorial look at Fox News's right-wing agenda.

DAILY GRILL

"This is a really important place. This is a place that has a long tradition of turning civilians into highly skilled soldiers. And I can't thank you enough for the contribution you're making to the security of this country."
-- President Bush, 1/11/07, while visiting soldiers at Ft. Benning, GA

VERSUS

"As the military scrambles to pour more soldiers into Iraq, a unit of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Benning, GA, is deploying troops with serious injuries and other medical problems, including GIs who doctors have said are medically unfit for battle. Some are too injured to wear their body armor, according to medical records."
-- Salon, 3/11/07

GOOD NEWS

Britain "became the first country to propose legislation setting binding limits on greenhouse gases." The Climate Change Bill calls for carbon dioxide emissions "to be cut by 60 percent by 2050" and would create "an independent monitoring committee to check progress annually."

STATE WATCH

NEW MEXICO: Gov. Bill Richardson (D) will sign legislation requiring girls entering the sixth grade to receive the HPV vaccine.

KENTUCKY: "Prosecutors are removing African-American jurors at a higher rate than white jurors, especially when the defendants are black."

WASHINGTON: State Senate passes major global warming legislation.

NORTH DAKOTA: Legislators are set to consider a bill to ban all abortions, even in cases of rape and incest.

BLOG WATCH


THINK PROGRESS: Do we really need an Emperor Bush?

THINK PROGRESS: Fox News's Bill O'Reilly compares Nevada debate opponents to Nazis.

MEDIA NETWORK BLOG: Eleven former Voice of America (VOA) directors protest Bush administration cuts to the international broadcasting service.

WAKE-UP WAL-MART: Wal-Mart CEO receives $22 million bonus.

DAILY GRILL

"[The administration is] going to try to really tamp this down and appeal to the polling which indicates that most people think, in fact, that he should be pardoned. Scooter Libby should be pardoned."
-- NBC's Andrea Mitchell, 3/12/07, during an appearance on Hardball

VERSUS

Sixty-nine percent of Americans think President Bush should not pardon Scooter Libby, according to a new CNN poll. Only 18 percent think Libby should be pardoned.
-- CNN, 3/12/07

GOOD NEWS

The Environmental Protection Agency is "at long last" moving forward with stricter national air pollution standards for lawn mowers and other dirty small engines.

STATE WATCH

CALIFORNIA: Lawmakers push to mandate the HPV vaccine for young women.

OKLAHOMA: "The Oklahoma House approved legislation Tuesday to lock in tuition rates for in-state college students."

TEXAS: Over 20 percent of children in Texas are uninsured, the highest rate in the nation.

BLOG WATCH

THINK PROGRESS: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales may have lied under oath.

BUDGET BLOG: Income inequality still rising.

SWAMP LAND: Vice President Dick Cheney is less popular than torture.

THE BLOTTER: "Curveball" revealed.

DAILY GRILL


"Gen. Pace's principles reflect the strong aversion of our Marines and soldiers to homosexual conduct."
-- Rep. Duncan Hunter, 3/14/07, on Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Peter Pace's remarks condoning homosexuality

VERSUS

A Dec. 2006 Zogby International poll found "that 73 percent of military members are comfortable with lesbians and gays."
-- Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, 12/19/06

GOOD NEWS

Over White House objections, the House yesterday "overwhelmingly passed a package of open-government bills yesterday that would roll back administration efforts to shield its workings from public view."

STATE WATCH

MISSOURI: Gov. Matt Blunt (R) ordered that tipped employees be covered by the state's new minimum wage increase.

COLORADO: State veterans committee rejects Iraq escalation.

IOWA: "Iowa communities will receive about $60 million for low-income housing projects:"

BLOG WATCH

THINK PROGRESS: Patrick Fitzgerald chosen as U.S. Attorney over protests from Karl Rove.

WHITE HOUSE WATCH: Did Karl Rove's deputy break the law?

THE CRYPT: "Lights out on Plame?"

FIRST READ: Bernad Kerik, former police commissioner and confidante of Rudy Giuliani, "appears headed for indictment."

DAILY GRILL

"[T]here is a lot of confusion over what really has been a customary practice by the Presidents. U.S. attorneys and others serve at the pleasure of the President. Past administrations have removed U.S. attorneys; they're right to do so."
-- President Bush, 3/14/07, on his administration's recent purge of eight U.S. attorneys

VERSUS

"In recent memory, during the Reagan and Clinton Administrations, Presidents Reagan and Clinton did not seek to remove and replace U.S. Attorneys to serve indefinitely under the holdover provision."
- Attorney General Alberto Gonzales's chief of staff Kyle Sampson (who resigned earlier this week), 1/9/06

GOOD NEWS

A bill granting Washington, D.C. "its first full-fledged seat in the House of Representatives passed the Judiciary Committee yesterday, clearing the final hurdle before a vote by the entire House, expected next week."

STATE WATCH

OHIO: Gov. Ted Strickland (D) lays out an ambitious plan to expand pre-school access.

WYOMING: Gov. Dave Freudenthal (D) signs legislation to better fund small and rural hospitals.

ENVIRONMENT: Three progressive counties across the country "are taking the lead in reducing greenhouse gases and other parts of the global warming puzzle."

BLOG WATCH

THINK PROGRESS: Timeline: Four years of war in Iraq.

IRAQ SLOGGER: Photographers operating in Iraq are at a higher risk for psychological difficulties, such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

COUNTER PUNCH: Baghdad has become "a dozen different cities at war with each other."

ASSIGNMENT ZERO: New project "to develop a working model of an open newsroom."

DAILY GRILL

Q How about Karl Rove's office? Do you know if he was involved?
DANA PERINO: I don't believe so.
-- White House spokeswoman Dana Perino, 3/6/07, denying White House advisor Karl Rove's role in the prosecutor purge

VERSUS

"New unreleased e-mails from top administration officials show the idea of firing all 93 U.S. attorneys was raised by White House adviser Karl Rove in early January 2005, indicating Rove was more involved in the plan than previously acknowledged by the White House."
-- ABC News, 3/15/07

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From “Democracy Now!”

* Harvest of Shame: Report Accuses Child Labor Abuses in Guatemala *

President Bush traveled to Guatemala on Monday and said free trade can
spread opportunity, provide jobs, and help lift people out of poverty. But
according to a new report, there is a food processing plant less than 10
miles from where Bush spoke where children as young as 13 years old are
working under deplorable conditions. We speak with veteran anti-sweatshop
activist Charles Kernaghan of the National Labor Committee about the report.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/03/13/1335259


* The Endless War Memorial: Father of Slain Soldier Joins Times Square
Protest to Read Names of Iraq War Dead *

As the fourth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq approaches, a
coalition of antiwar groups has created the Endless War Memorial in New York
City. Hundreds have gathered in Times Square for a six-day reading thousands
of names of the war dead in Iraq, including U.S. soldiers, Iraqis and
journalists. We speak with Carlos Arredondo, his son, Alexander, was killed
in Najaf in August 2004.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/03/13/1336205


* Cornel West on "What It Means to Be a Leftist in the 21st Century" *

Professor, culture critic, and social justice advocate Cornel West addressed
a panel at the 2007 Left Forum in New York last weekend. West is a professor
of religion and African-American studies at Princeton University. West says,
"What I would like to see is radical reformism once more become fashionable
among young people."

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/03/13/1336210


* Headlines for March 13, 2007 *

- Protests Follow Bush in Guatemala
- Admin Proposed Firing All U.S. Attorneys
- Army Surgeon General Ousted Over Walter Reed
- Chair of Joint Chiefs of Staff: Homosexuality “Immoral”
- Drugs, Alcohol Play Growing Role in Military Crimes
- Dems Abandon Limits on Iran Attack
- Jailed Zimbabwe Opposition Leader Appears in Court
- Syria Renews Calls for US Talks

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/03/13/1335247

* Alberto Gonzales Refuses to Resign Over Political Purging of U.S.
Attorneys *

Newly released emails confirm the White House worked with the Justice
Department to fire eight U.S. Attorneys. The decisions were made in part on
whether the prosecutors "exhibited loyalty to the president and attorney
general." On Capitol Hill, Democratic lawmakers said they now want to
question White House adviser Karl Rove and former White House counsel
Harriet Miers.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/03/14/1323253


* It Can Happen Here: Journalist Joe Conason on "Authoritarian Peril in the
Age of Bush" *

Political journalist Joe Conason joins us in our firehouse studio to discuss
his new book, "It Can Happen Here: Authoritarian Peril in the Age of Bush."
Conason writes, "For the first time since the resignation of Richard M.
Nixon more than three decades ago, Americans have had reason to doubt the
future of democracy and the rule of law in our own country.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/03/14/1324202


* Italian Journalist Giuliana Sgrena on Washington's Refusal to Take
Responsibility for Fatal Shooting of Intel Agent Nicola Calipari in Iraq *

Two years after U.S. forces shot to death Italian intelligence agent Nicola
Calipari in Iraq, Washington is refusing to hand over the U.S. soldier
charged in the case to be tried in Italy. Calipari was killed while
escorting Italian reporter Guiliana Sgrena after securing her release from a
month-long abduction in Iraq. Sgrena joins us in our firehouse studio to
discuss the case.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/03/14/1324210


* Headlines for March 14, 2007 *

- Gonzales Refuses Calls to Resign Over Attorney Firings
- Protest Meet President Bush in Mexico
- Iraqi PM Fears US-Backed Ouster
- US Accused of Secret Renditions in East Africa
- Muslim Imams Sue US Airways Over Flight Removal
- Evangelical Group Criticizes Admin on Detainees
- Gay, Lesbian Military Dismissals See Decline
- 1,700 Police Readied for Sean Bell Indictment Decision

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/03/14/1323244

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From Greg Palast

Bush Hit-Woman Behind Prosecutor Firings Has Long History of Purges to Protect Bush

Harriet Miers fired investigator in 1997 to cover Bush draft-dodge

by Greg Palast
from the original reports for BBC Television and the Guardian (UK)

The Mister Big behind the scandal of George Bush's firing of US Attorneys is not a 'mister' at all. The House Judiciary Committee has released White House emails indicating that the political operative who ordered the hit on prosecutors too honest for their own good was Harriet Miers, one-time legal counsel to the President.

But this is not the first time that Miers has fired investigators to protect Mr. Bush.

In 1999, while investigating Governor George Bush of Texas for the Guardian papers of Britain, I obtained an extraordinary, and extraordinarily confidential, memo to the US Attorney's office in Austin. It disclosed that, in 1997, Governor Bush secretly suggested to the chairwoman of the Texas Lottery Commission that she grant a contract to the client of a Bush ally.

The Governor's back-door demand to the Lottery chairwoman was not so easy. Bush wanted the Lottery to grant a multi-billion dollar contract to GTech Corporation. But GTech hadn't even bid on the contract - and a winner was already announced.

There was only way for the Chairwoman to carry out the fix: fire the director of the Lottery who had discouraged GTech from bidding because of its history of corruption.

The Chairwoman, Harriet Miers, did the deed: fired the Lottery director; Miers then ignored the winning bid -- and gave Bush's favored company the contract, no bidding, in perpetuity.

Miers and the Draft

Neither Miers nor President Bush have ever denied the contents of the memo [I've posted it here] despite repeated requests from the Guardian and BBC Television.

Bush's attempt to appoint Hit-woman Harriet to the US Supreme Court in 2005 surprised many. Not me. Miers, personal and governmental lawyer for George Bush, had quite a file on her boss, and he must have been grateful for her discretion.

Most crucially, she knew why Bush so desperately needed to give GTech the lottery contract. The heart of the matter was the then-successful cover-up of the Bush family's using its influence to get young George Bush into the Texas Air National Guard and out of the Vietnam war draft.

The memo to the US Attorney reads:

"Governor Bush thru [name withheld] made a deal with Ben Barnes not to rebid because Barnes could confirm that Bush had lied during the '94 campaign [for governor of Texas]. Bush was asked if his father had helped him get in the National Guard. Bush said no he had not, but the fact is his dad call then-Lt. Gov. [Ben] Barnes ."

Lt. Governor Barnes, through a cut-out, called the Texas Air Guard commander and got Bush into the 'top gun' seat and out of the war.

You may recall that in 2004, years after we reported this story in Britain, Barnes confessed to the draft-dodge fix on 60 Minutes. [That was the report that brought down Dan Rather; but the Barnes confession was never challenged.]

What 60 Minutes missed is the creepy Miers involvement. Barnes, after he left the post of Lt. Governor, became a lobbyist -- for GTech, the lottery company. By using his influence to get and keep the lottery contract for GTech, Barnes picked up quite a nice fee: over $23 million. With those millions in his pocket, Barnes kept a happy and lucrative silence about his saving little George Bush from the draft.

According to the memo from the US Attorney's office, Barnes met with Bush about GTech and the lottery. Then,

"The Governor talked to the chair of the lottery [Miers] two days later and she then agreed to support letting GTech keep the contract without a bid."

Note something else here: this information was sitting in the hands of the US Attorney. Yet, no action was taken in 1997 though we now know that, from Barnes' confession in 2004, the accusation about his putting in the fix for young George Bush is true.

An insider told BBC TV that the US Attorney's office and Justice Department, though under Democratic control, never acted because they discovered that Barnes, a Democrat, had not only manipulated the system to get George Bush into the Texas Air Guard, Barnes did the same for the sons of Democratic big wigs including Congressman (later Senator) Lloyd Bentsen and Governor John Connolly.

In other words, control over a US Attorney and what is called their "prosecutorial discretion" is worth its weight in gold to politicians. They can provide protection for cronies and exact punishment on enemies. And no one knows that better than "Justice" Harriet Miers and her boss, fighter pilot George W. Bush.

***********************

This report is adapted from Greg Palast's New York Times bestselling book, ARMED MADHOUSE: From Baghdad to New Orleans -- Sordid Secrets and Strange Tales of a White House Gone Wild. New edition to be released April 24.

For more information on Miers and clips of the BBC Television reports, go to www.GregPalast.com
Check out our YouTube Channel to see the reports.

-----
From Media Savvy

If It's Sunday, It's Still Conservative
By Media Matters
Special Reort: How the Right Continues to Dominate the Sunday Talk Shows

Sunshine Week's Secret Shame
By Ryan Singel, Luke O'Brien, and Kevin Poulsen
The sad tale of requesting open records about the government's Total Information Awareness project.

Is Wikipedia The New Town Hall?
By Patricia Aufderheide
Public broadcasting everywhere is in crisis, and in part it's because technology seems to be turning pubcasters into dinosaurs.

Yet Another Fake News Epidemic
By PR Watch
Healthcare companies are increasingly getting into the fake news business.

Images Of Fair And Balanced Propaganda
By RCFP
Graphics from FOX News that clearly highlight their bias.

News Media Coalition Seeks To Intervene In Espionage Trial
By RCFP
Media groups asked for permission to intervene in a secret request by the U.S. government to hold a substantial portion of the criminal trial of two lobbyists in secret.

Fake News War
By Robert Love
The truth about fake news... beyond Jon Stewart.

FCC Looks To Once Again Help Big Media
By Stephen Macek and Mitchell Szczepanczyk
Well, the industry-friendly Republican majority at the FCC is at it again, calling for what amounts to the complete elimination of local media ownership rules.

Black Activists Call On Black Leaders To Reject Fox
By ColorOfChange.org
An online citizens' lobby of 70,000 members dedicated to advocating for the interests of Black Americans launched a national letter writing campaign calling on the Congressional Black Caucus Institute to reject Fox as partner for their presidential debates.

Citizen Journalism Wants You!
By Jay Rosen, Wired
Inspired by the open source movement, a new site attempts to bring journalists together with people in the public who can help cover a story.

Open Government Bills Stir Veto Threats
By Michael J. Sniffen, AP
Open-government bills sped to House passage Wednesday as Democrats pushed to make President Bush and his executive branch more forthcoming about their actions.

Independent Media Goes Web 2.0
By Steve Anderson, COA News
Independent Media organizations are quickly developing web 2.0 or "social web" tools.

VIDEO

Fox Attacks: Black America
Check out this new video highlighting Fox's awful record of airing bigoted views and highly problematic framing around race issues. Watch Here

-----
From the Public Campaign Action Fund

I'm writing today with an update on the firing of U.S. Attorneys, a story we've been following for its impact on essential public corruption investigations. The firing of eight US Attorneys -- many involved in corruption probes of public officials -- has drawn fire to Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, several legislators who pressured these and other attorneys to engage in investigations that would have aided Republican electoral strategies, and to the White House for using an obscure provision of the US Patriot Act to meddle in the hiring and firing of the attorneys.

Thank you for writing your members of Congress and asking that they protect our U.S. Attorneys from this kind of interference. Please consider forwarding this link http://ga3.org/campaign/usattorneys on to your friends and family, asking them to write Congress as well.

Among their many duties, U.S. Attorneys serve as investigators of public corruption schemes involved elected officials: they hold our lawmakers accountable and should not be asked to compromise their investigations to comply with the whims of political operators.

For more background on this story, I encourage you to visit TPM Muckraker's excellent archive of news stories and research documenting a strategy hatched between White House officials and the Department of Justice to, in their words, "push out" attorneys who "chafed against Administration initiatives" and replace them with party loyalists and friends of the administration.

U.S. Attorneys must be free to do their jobs, and hold our elected officials accountable to the people they serve.

By writing Congress you ve helped draw attention to an important issue, please ask your friends to do the same by forwarding them this link http://ga3.org/campaign/usattorneys today!

Thanks for being a part of our work,

David Donnelly
National Campaigns Director

P.S. Help us keep up the fight against corruption with a donation today!

-----
From Planned Parenthood

Anti-choice politicians carve out victories on the campaign trail. Over time, they nominate and confirm federal judges who share their views. And, before you know it, those very judges are letting companies off the hook for unconscionable behavior that harms women's health.

We saw this cycle of viciousness in action again this week.

We want to alert you that yesterday women's health suffered a significant setback. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit issued a shameful ruling that limits access to birth control. It all started when Union Pacific, the largest railroad in North America, made a reprehensible decision to cover Viagra, and deny coverage for birth control.

Help Planned Parenthood Action Fund resist this outrageous step backward for women's health.

Birth control is basic health care and insurance plans should cover it just like they cover other prescription drugs. Contraceptive coverage provides women with critical access to birth control they might not otherwise be able to afford. Yet, Union Pacific deliberately chose to exclude coverage of prescription contraceptives from its health care plan. And now, in a decision made public yesterday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has decided to let them get away with it.

Planned Parenthood has worked for years in Congress and the courts to advocate for this basic fairness issue. We know that access to birth control leads to healthier pregnancies, children, and families.

Donate now to help Planned Parenthood Action Fund carry our electoral work forward. And help to pass the Prevention First Act, making it against the law for health plans to deny coverage for prescription birth control.

Planned Parenthood attorneys helped win an earlier district court decision that rejected Union Pacific's unfair treatment of its own women employees. That court refused to let Union Pacific get away with denying women coverage for prescription drugs and devices to prevent pregnancy, while providing coverage for a broad array of prescriptions to prevent other non-pregnancy-related conditions.

The court called it what it is illegal "pregnancy discrimination."

But now, in a split decision, two judges (one appointed by George W. Bush, the other by Ronald Reagan) have decided that, in spite of this different treatment of women, Union Pacific is not guilty of sex discrimination.

It's one more compelling reason why it is so critical to organize and mobilize on the electoral front. When anti-choice politicians get elected, they appoint judges like the ones behind this wrong-headed decision. And that leads directly to court decisions like the one issued in this case. That decision will have a deep and damaging impact on women across seven states and will reach into the lives of Union Pacific unionized employees wherever they live.

Act now to help the Action Fund continue to change the political landscape.

The Prevention First Act advances a wide range of measures: expanding access to reproductive health care services and education programs, increasing access to family planning services, preventing the spread of STIs, and giving women the tools they need to make the best decisions possible.

If we can get this done, Union Pacific and the judges so ready to excuse their reprehensible actions won't be able to disregard women's health any longer. Let's get to work. Let's win a big, powerful victory for contraceptive equity.

Sincerely,



Cecile Richards
President
Planned Parenthood Action Fund

-----
From HuffPo

Arianna Huffington: The Injustice at Justice: The White House's Fingerprints Begin to Show

AP

Excerpted from Arianna Huffington's Blog:

"We're inside the White House now."

So says Bob Woodward, as portrayed by Robert Redford, in All the President's Men...

...Sound familiar? It will if you've been following the sordid saga of the firing of eight U.S. Attorneys by the Justice Department.

And, as of this weekend, we're inside the White House now. In an interview with McClatchy Newspapers, Alan Weh, chairman of the New Mexico Republican Party, revealed that in 2005 he asked a White House staffer who worked for Karl Rove for help in getting rid of U.S. Attorney David Iglesias, then followed up directly with Rove in 2006....
Click here to read more.

ON THE BLOG TODAY

Aziz Huq: Removing Gonzales Will Not Remove Systemic Problems

Matt Browner Hamlin: Hagel Punts Announcement Again

Raymond J. Learsy: $20 Billion Later Halliburton Moves Headquarters to Dubai

Barbara Kopple: HBO Addiction Project

Arianna Huffington: Bush Library Update: New Bill Seeks to Remove For Sale Sign From Oval Office

AP

Excerpted from Arianna Huffington's Blog:

...As it currently stands, there is no limit on the amount library donors -- including corporations and foreign nations looking to curry favor, and folks in need of a presidential pardon -- can pony up. And no requirement that their generous gifts be made public. It's a recipe for corruption and abuse.

Similar legislation has been offered in the past, only to die of Congressional neglect. With Bush gearing up for what promises to be an all-out attempt to whitewash the sordid history of his administration, it's imperative that this current bill becomes law. It's time to take the For Sale sign off the Oval Office.
Click here to read more.

ON THE BLOG TODAY

Alec Baldwin: There is a Candidate Who is the Answer

David Roberts: Debunking the NYT's Sloppy Hit Piece on Gore

Jane Smiley: Whoops

Michael Seitzman: Rudy Giuliani: "I Disagree with Myself on Some Days."

Aziz Huq: What The White House Wanted To Do, But Didn't

whitehouse.gov

Excerpted from Aziz Huq's Blog:

...In all this we would do well not to lose sight of Miers' original plan: the firing of all 93 U.S. Attorneys. Note that this remains possible under the law today, with the President still having unfettered control over replacements. And even if the law were changed, a President with an aquiescent Senate could still fire and replace prosecutors for large political gain. And a blanket purge by this or a future President would, ironically, be immune from the charges of political bias that last December's firings provoked.

So the larger and harder question posed today is whether new forms of insulation from political control are needed for prosecutors...
Click here to read more.

ON THE BLOG TODAY

James Rucker: Fox Attacks: Black America

John Tepper Marlin: Why the Grouse About the RED Campaign

Jane Hamsher: Andrea Mitchell: Drunk Again?

Marty Kaplan: Impeachment is an Underblown Personnel Matter

Arianna Huffington: Iraq At Four Years: The Past Is Indeed Prologue

AP

Excerpted from Arianna Huffington's Blog:

...Everybody in Washington has got an opinion about how to move forward in Iraq, but whether or not we should listen to them can only be determined by taking a look backward. Have they shown the ability to learn from their mistakes or haven't they?

At this point in the war -- four years, 3216 soldiers' lives and nearly half a trillion or so dollars later -- it's time to look back as we look forward...
Click here to read more.

ON THE BLOG TODAY

Gary Hart: The Lessons of Iraq

Harry Shearer: Happy Birthday, Iraq War

Marty Kaplan: Are You Smarter Than A Neocon?

Joseph Nye: My Lesson for This Anniversary

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And now for something you'll really like!

MadTV - iRack
Steve Jobs uses Dubya's intel to unveil the new iRack. Watch Here