Barack's big dreams and ego

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL-AID TABLE   SENATOR BARACK "SWEEITE" OBAMA HAS FLIP-FLOPPED AGAIN.   AFTER ALLOWING HIS TWO YOUNG DAUGHTERS TO BE INTERVIEWED BY ACCESS HOLLYWOOD -- A PROGRAM THAT USUALLY HIGHLIGHTS YOUNG WOMEN ONLY WHEN THEY'RE DRUNK OR DRUGGED OUT -- BARACK IS NOW CALLING IT A MISTAKE.   IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW, BARACK EXPLAINED HE WASN'T OFFENDED BY THE CHILDRENS' ANSWERS OR EVEN BY THE QUESTIONS THEY WERE ASKED, "BUT I JUST DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF ANYONE BEING SEEN AS MORE PRECIOUS THAN ME!"   ASKED ABOUT HOW THIS LATEST MOVE MIGHT BE SEEN AS YET ANOTHER FLIP-FLOP, BARACK DISMISSED THE CONCERNS STATING, "I'M HOPING TO GET THE LEAD IN THE MOVIE ADAPTATION OF FLIPPER.  WANT TO HEAR ME SQUEAK?  JIM BELUSHI IS SET TO PLAY THE FATHER!  I ALWAYS WANTED TO WORK WITH HIM!  HE IS A COMIC GENIUS!"     FROM THE TCI WIRE:       Starting with war resistance.  There are celebrations in Canada today but before we get to that, two journalists get the facts right at the top and deserve note.  Patrick Arden (Metro) opens with, "Canada was a safe haven for 60,000 U.S. military draft dodgers and deserters during the Vietnam War."  Ian Austen (International Herald Tribune) also grasps and conveys the basics, "During Vietnam, Pierre Trudeau, the Liberal prime minister, welcomed American deserters and draft dodgers, declaring that Canada 'should be a refuge from militarism.' Americans who arrived were generally able to obtain legal immigrant status simply by applying at the border, or even after they entered the country."  Adding a detail, prior to Trudeau's 1969 declaration, some were being advised to fly in because you could not be immediately turned back the way you would be if you tried to enter through a land border.  London Topic notes a 5:00 pm rally this evening in Victoria Park for US war resisters attempting to be granted safe harbor in Canada and among those participating will be MP Irene Mathyssen who states of Judge Robert Barnes' decision in US war resister Joshua Key's case, "The federal court is filling the void that is left by the lack of political will demonstrated by Immigration Minister Diane Finley."  Demonstrations were scheduled to take place throughout Canada.  They found a celebratory note with some late breaking news.  The CBC reported that US war resister Corey Glass, due to be deported as early as today, "can stay in Canada while the court reviews and decides on his applications for leave and judicial review -- process his lawyer said could take months"; and they quoted him declaring, "I was shocked.  I was just enjoying my last little bit of time I had in Canada."  AP and Canada's GMA pointed out that Glass "is one of about 200 American deserters believed to have come to Canada to avoid service in Iraq.  So far, Canadian immigration officials and the courts have rejected efforts to grant them refugee status."  Canwest News Services (via Ottawa Citizen) quotes Glass stating, "I had my bags ready and had moved out of my apartment.  So I'm in the process of looking for another apartment."  Colin Perkel (The Canadian Press via CNews) quotes attorney Alyssa Manning stating, "The fact that the stay was granted in both cases means that the Federal Court judge decided that there was a serious issue to be decided in both of the applications.  There is a strong indication that leave will be granted."  Perkel also notes the one carrying on the spirit of Pierre Trudeau today, MP Olivia Chow, stating that the Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper needs "to stop wasting taxpayers' money" by refusing to implement any program (or heed the motion the House of Commons passed June 3rd) because "[i]n the meantime, we're wasting thousands and thousands of dollars throwing people in jail and attempting to deport them."  Amnesty International updated their call for Glass not to be deported noting the latest developments.  Kevin Connor (Toronto Sun) quotes the government's spokesperson for citizenship and immigration, Danielle Norris, stating, "His deportation has just been stayed -- it doesn't mean he can stay and he hasn't been granted refugee status."  Liam Lahey (Inside Toronto) notes attorney Manning explaining that "Glass still needs three decisions to go his way in order to be on the path to permanent Canadian citizenship.  The federal court first has to decide to hear his case.  If that happens, he'll get another hearing at and if that decision comes down in Glass' favour, he'd then be allowed to argue his deportation order anew with immigration officials."  In the US, UPI reports, "News of the judicial reprieve was greeted favorably by protesters in Washington, who gathered outside the Canadian Embassy to show support for Glass and other war resisters living in Canada."  CTV News notes that the news has led to celebrations and today's planned demonstrations "will now celebrate the news" but, War Resisters Support Campaign's Lee Zaslofsky explain, "We're also going to try to put pressure on the government to resolve this whole thing on war resisters instead of dealing with it one court at a time."   Which brings us specifically to US war resister Robin Long.  Rod Mickleburgh (Globe and Mail) explains, "Mr. Long, 25, was arrested and taken into custody by Nelson police last Friday on a warrant from the Canada Border Services Agency.  The CBSA alleged that he had violated his release conditions by failing to inform them of his address changes in the charming Interior city, home to several other U.S. deserters seeking to remain in Canada. With no work permit allowing him to earn money, Mr. Long had been 'couch surfing' at the residences of friends. He was further shocked on Tuesday to learn for the first time that authorities were planning to deport him almost immediately, despite a key Federal Court ruling last week ordering the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada to reconsider another deserter's failed refugee claim."  Jack Keating (The Province) adds, "The surprise decision was revealed by a Canada Border Services lawyer at an Immigration and Refugee Board Hearing in Vancouver on Tuesday. Long, 25, is being held in the Nelson city jail after being arrested by police last Friday on an outstanding immigration warrant."  Lahey pins down July 14th as the day Long faces deportation.  Meanwhile Steve Clarke, Federal Liberal candidate for Simcoe North, writes "Gov't can't keep ignoring motion concerning war objectors: Clarke" to the Orillia Packet & Times.   To pressure the Stephen Harper government to honor the House of Commons vote, Gerry Condon, War Resisters Support Campaign and Courage to Resist all encourage contacting the Diane Finley (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration -- 613.996.4974, phone; 613.996.9749, fax; e-mail finley.d@parl.gc.ca -- that's "finley.d" at "parl.gc.ca") and Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, 613.992.4211, phone; 613.941.6900, fax; e-mail pm@pm.gc.ca -- that's "pm" at "pm.gc.ca").  Courage to Resist collected more than 10,000 letters to send before the vote.  Now they've started a new letter you can use online here.  The War Resisters Support Campaign's petition can be found here.   There is a growing movement of resistance within the US military which includes Megan Bean, Chris Bean, Matthis Chiroux, Richard Droste, Michael Barnes, Matt Mishler, Josh Randall, Robby Keller, Justiniano Rodrigues, Chuck Wiley, James Stepp, Rodney Watson, Michael Espinal, Matthew Lowell, Derek Hess, Diedra Cobb, Brad McCall, Justin Cliburn, Timothy Richard, Robert Weiss, Phil McDowell, Steve Yoczik, Ross Spears, Peter Brown, Bethany "Skylar" James, Zamesha Dominique, Chrisopther Scott Magaoay, Jared Hood, James Burmeister, Jose Vasquez, Eli Israel, Joshua Key, Ehren Watada, Terri Johnson, Clara Gomez, Luke Kamunen, Leif Kamunen, Leo Kamunen, Camilo Mejia, Kimberly Rivera, Dean Walcott, Linjamin Mull, Agustin Aguayo, Justin Colby, Marc Train, Abdullah Webster, Robert Zabala, Darrell Anderson, Kyle Snyder, Corey Glass, Jeremy Hinzman, Kevin Lee, Mark Wilkerson, Patrick Hart, Ricky Clousing, Ivan Brobeck, Aidan Delgado, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, Blake LeMoine, Clifton Hicks, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Logan Laituri, Jason Marek, Clifford Cornell, Joshua Despain, Joshua Casteel, Katherine Jashinski, Dale Bartell, Chris Teske, Matt Lowell, Jimmy Massey, Chris Capps, Tim Richard, Hart Viges, Michael Blake, Christopher Mogwai, Christian Kjar, Kyle Huwer, Wilfredo Torres, Michael Sudbury, Ghanim Khalil, Vincent La Volpa, DeShawn Reed and Kevin Benderman. In total, at least fifty US war resisters in Canada have applied for asylum. Information on war resistance within the military can be found at The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline [(877) 447-4487], Iraq Veterans Against the War and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. In addition, VETWOW is an organization that assists those suffering from MST (Military Sexual Trauma).   [. . .]   Turning to the US presidential race.  "We were taught as young children," Ralph Nader explained, "that in our democracy, under our system of justice, nobody is above the law -- nobody.  But this bill puts the President and the telecom companies above the law."  It was the expansion of spying on Americans.  And it passed.  Barack Obama broke another pledge, flipped another flop, and voted for it.  (Those voting against it included Senators Hillary Clinton, Barbara Boxer and Russ Feingold .)   As Nader noted, "This legislation . . . sets up a double standard of justice.  Break the law as a citizen, go to jail.  Break the law as a corporation, go to Washington and get immunity. Remember, there were telecom companies, such as Qwest, that refused to follow President Bush's illegal wiretap orders and chose instead to obey the laws of the land."  Barack caved.  He broke his word.  He sold out his supporters and the rule of law.   Rebecca's "your frankenstein monster has escaped," Kat's "Hillary and Barbara stand up, Barack crawls," Marcia's "Ralph Nader, Jesse Jackson, Barack, Hillary," Ruth's "Barack, Hillary, Ralph, Glen Ford," Mike's "He tore apart the Democratic Party, now its families," Elaine's "Who stood up? The woman they attacked.," and Cedric's "Jesse Jackson Jnr. has a new Daddy" and Wally's "THIS JUST IN! GUESS WHO GOT A NEW DADDY!" (joint-post on the last two) address it.  A Barack supporter blogs at the Nader-Gonzalez presidential campaign site: "With yesterday's vote, it was last straw, for my decision not to contribute to Senator Obama's presidential candidate."      Meanwhile, the Green Party's confention began today and runs through the weekend (July 10th through July 13th).  It's taking place in Chicago. Pacifica Radio will broadcast a three hour special on Sunday "as the convention comes to a close) that will stream online at the Pacifica website (noon to 3:00 p.m. EST; 11:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. Central and 9:00 a.m. to noon PST).  Kimberly Wilder (On the Wilder Side) notes some initial press coverage.  Vying for the party's presidential nomination are Kat Swift, Kent Mesplay, Jesse Johnson and presumed nominee Cynthia McKinney.  Today is introductions and receptions.  Tomorrow will provide several news conferences with Congressional and public office candidates (first at nine in the morning) with a Presidential Candidates' Forum beginning at seven p.m.  The presidential candidates will hold their press conference at nine a.m. on Saturday. Saturday afternoon will have the roll call vote, the v.p. acceptance speech and presidential nominee acceptance speech followed by a press conference featuring the ticket.  Presumed nominee Cynthia McKinney has picked her running mate: Rosa Clemente.  Clemente declares, "I hope that my Vice Presidential run will inspire all people to recognize that they have more than two choices.  The time has come to stop talking about what we have to do, but do it by building a 3rd party.  I hope you join me on this journey."  Austin Cassidy's Independent Political Report notes that Democrat Drew Pritt has launched a blistering attack at McKinney.  As we said throughout the Democratic primary, if it's not your political party, butt the hell out.  It's a real shame some Greens couldn't adopt the same policy during the Democratic Primary but instead acted as cheerleaders for Barack (Ted Glick for starters). Speaking to Green Party Watch Radio, Kat Swift encouraged people to contribute to Cynthia so that she might qualify for federal matching funds.  The Green Party asked the four candidates to fill out a questionnaire.  It's shocking that with the Iraq War over five years old it doesn't even qualify for a question. Asking 'your thoughts' on "Middle East Policy, including Iraq, Iran, and Israel" is not asking about the Iraq War.  Note all candidates repsonses are in PDF format.  Johnson responds, "Diplomacy is key."  Mesplay responds at length but speaks of the "admitted mistake: poor intelligence."  After that and his apparently mistaken belief that WMDs were found in Iraq, I'm not interested in quoting him, use the link if you're interested.  Cynthia responds, "In 2006, I voted no on declaring Iraq part of War on Terror with no exit date.  I consistently opposed every regular and supplemental appropriation meant to fund the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.  I have participated in International War Crimes Tribunals (in Brussels, Spain and Malaysia) designed to bring to justice the Bush-Cheney administration.  I was targeted by AIPAC and others for my opposition to the Israeli occupation of and genocidal policies toward Palestine."  McKinney's referring to the House Resolution "On Prevailing in the Global War on Terror Bill" (June 12, 2006 for the vote).  Her record in the US Congress allows her to cite many votes and she repeatedly voted (in all of them) against the illegal war -- going all the way back to HR 114 in October 2002.  Should McKinney be the nominee, she would likely be one of two candidates who were in Congress in 2002 and voted on the original resolution.  While McKinney voted against it, presumed GOP nominee John McCain voted for it (in the Senate).  Mark Blumenthal (National Journal) writes of polling and his thoughts are mainly useless; however, someone might want to ask him where Cynthia McKinney is in his discussion?  She's expected to be the nominee Saturday night.  She's been expecte to be the nominee since at least January.  John McCain and Barack Obam are not yet their party's nominee.  So what's the excuse for leaving Cynthia out?  You'd think the press -- having rubbed themselves raw as they got off on their own sexism -- would be making an effort at this point to be inclusive.  But don't just call out the MSM, what's Yes! Magazine's pathetic excuse for Erik Leaver's crap called "Presidential Candidates on Foreign Policy" that does not cover Bob Barr, Cynthia McKinney or Ralph Nader but includes John McCain?  Answer: There is no excuse and Yes! is struggling for readers. Crap like this explains why.  (A topic we'll return to tonight.)   Ryan Teague Beckwith (News Observer) notes Nader will be in Raleigh, Carolina Saturday night (St. Mary's School auditorium from 7:30 to 10:00 p.m.) and that he needs 500 signatures to qualify for the North Carolina ballot which should not be difficult since Nader "was the top write-in candidate in North Carolina" in 2004.  Matt Holmes (Charlottesville WCAV) notes Nader's Virginia Sunday rally, "Nader will be in Charlottesville on Sunday. He'll hold a rally at Gravity Lounge at 2pm. The campaign suggests a $10 donation for the general public, $5 for students who attend."  Nader will be in Richmond, Virginia Saturday as well, at the Virginia Holocaust Museum from one p.m. to three p.m.  And he became the first presidential candidate in nearly 50 years to campaign in Hawaii last week (1960 was the last time a presidential candidate campaigned in Hawaii).   RECOMMENDED: "Iraq snapshot" "Robin Long, Corey Glass, war resistance" "Iraq" "your frankenstein monster has escaped" "Barack, Hillary, Ralph, Glen Ford" "Hillary and Barbara stand up, Barack crawls" "Ralph Nader, Jesse Jackson, Barack, Hillary" "Who stood up? The woman they attacked." "He tore apart the Democratic Party, now its families" "Jesse Jackson Jnr. has a new Daddy" "THIS JUST IN! GUESS WHO GOT A NEW DADDY!"

Jesse Jackson Jnr. has a new Daddy

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL-AID TABLE   JESSE JACKSON JR. DECLARED TODAY, "BARACK, YOU MY DADDY!"    JUNIOR HAD ALREADY DECLARED THAT HIS OWN FATHER WAS NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR HIM WHEN HE RIPPED HIM APART PUBLICLY STATING, "I'M DEEPLY OUTRAGED AND DISAPPOINTED IN REVEREND JACKSON'S RECKLESS STATEMENTS ABOUT SENATOR BARACK OBAMA.  HIS DIVISIVE AND DEMEANING COMMENTS ABOUT THE PRESUMPTIVE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE -- AND I BELIEVE THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES -- CONTRADICAT HIS INSPIRING AND COURAGEOUS CAREER.  . . . I THROUGHLY REJECT AND REPUDIATE HIS UGLY RHETORIC."  ALL THAT BECAUSE REV. JESSE JACKSON NOTED THAT BARACK WAS "SPEAKING DOWN TO BLACK PEOPLE."    SAID JUNIOR, "I AM CHANGING MY NAME TO BARACK OBAMA JUNIOR JUNIOR.  JUNIOR JUNIOR BECAUSE HE IS ALREADY A JUNIOR.  AND ALSO BECAUSE I'M NOT EVEN HALF A MAN, I'M LIKE A QUARTER OF MAN.  BARACK GOES, 'WHO'S YOUR DADDY?' AND I GO, 'YOU ARE!'  WE HAVE FUN PLAYING GAMES. LIKE TODAY, HE PISSED OFF THE DEMOCRATS BY VOTING WITH THE REPUBLICANS AND IT PISSED OFF AMERICANS BECAUSE IT'S EXPANDING SPYING ON AMERICANS.  THAT MAKES ME GO TINGLY IN THE FRONT OF MY PANTS.  I THINK I NEED TO PEE-PEE.  WHERE'S DADDY?  HAVE YOU SEEN MY DADDY?  DADDY!  DADDY!"   FROM THE TCI WIRE:     Starting with war resistance.  "But in the meantime, these people need sancturay whether it's in Canada, in Europe or even in our own communities -- because increasingly there are AWOL GIs living right amongst us and the progressive community is providing them refuge in the United States," Gerry Condon explained today on  KPFA's The Morning Show, Aimee Allison (Allison co-hosts with Philip Maldari).    Aimee Allison: This week we've covered the latest on Americans who have left the US military, deserted the US military, and are awaiting refugee status in Canada.  There have been some victories of late and we covered one just yesterday   Aimee Allison: Give us the latest on Robin Long. Gerry Condon: Robin Long has been apprehended -- we believe illegally -- by the Canadian Border Services Agency in British Columbia.  He's being held now and threatened with deportation.  Neither he nor his lawyer were notified that the decision made to deport him.  He's been denied his right -- his legal right -- to appeal this deportation.  And we think the Canadian Border Services Agency is acting outside the law and certainly acting against the wishes of the Canadian people. We just had a poll from last week showing 64% of Canadians believe that US war resisters should be allowed to remain in Canada.  The Canadian Parliament has recently called on the government to allow US war resisters to immigrate.   And then on the Fourth of July a Federal Court in Canada rejected the narrow basis for the denial of refugee status to Iraq veteran and war resister Joshua Key.  So the Conservative government -- this minority Conservative government in Canada -- is totally isolated on this and yet they're going ahead like a rogue government and illegally arresting and threatening  to deport people.  There's a lot of people very upset about this in Canada and in the United States.  Today Veterans for Peace, Courage to Resist, Project Safe Haven, Iraq veterans and others will be going to Canadian consulates in 14 US cities to demand an end to these deportation proceedings -- against not only Robin Long but Iraq veteran Corey Glass -- and to call on the Canadian government to follow the will of Parliament and the Canadian of the people and allow US war resisters to immigrate to Canada.   Aimee Allison:  Now Robin Long and Corey Glass are just two former military members who have gone with their families to Canada and are applying for refugee status.  Robin Long was in the application process still?    Gerry Condon: Yes, he had been denied his refugee status but then he was in what's called the pre-removal risk assessment phase which is prior to possible deportation and he was not informed that they had ruled against him on that. So he and his lawyer were not allowed to their legal right to appeal it. So this has happened several times now that the Canadian Border Services Agency in British Columbia has . . . made some very, very questionable arrests of US war resisters.  Actually, Robin Long was arrested once before under similar circumstances and it seems like somebody in the chain of command there really has an axe to grind against US war resisters and perhaps some people in the Conservative government eager to set the precedent of finally actually deporting one of these guys .   Aimee Allison: Well let's talk about that because have any US war resisters been deported in this era -- the Iraq War era to date?   Gerry Condon: No, none have been deported yet. There have been -- Although Corey Glass was given until tomorrow -- Thursday --  to leave Canada or face deportation and that's really sparked a political crisis in Canada over this issue.  But so far, no, there have been no deportations.  And we intend to keep it that way. Nobody should be punished for refusing to participate in an illegal, immoral war and that's the bottom line.    [. . .]   Aimee Allison: Let's talk about how many people are in Canada in Robin Long's situation.   Gerry Condon: Right.  There are about 200 estimated to be in Canada at this time.  And that includes men and women from all four branches of the US military and many of them are Iraq veterans.  About 50 of them have applied for refugee status and generally they are being turned down and then appealing.  And this has, you know, come to a point now where, like I said, we have the support of the large majority of Canadians -- from 70% in Quebec to 52% in Alberta -- and we have the Parliament behind us.  Looks like the courts are starting to turn our direction finally because this decision last week  by the Federal Court in Canada to . . . order the refugee board to redo the hearing for Iraq veteran Joshua Key is very significant.   Aimee Allison: Well today there are actions at Canadian consulates in 14 US cities and then in Germany as well.  Can you tell me a little bit about what you hope to accomplish and some of the logistics.   Gerry Condon: Well we believe that pressure from people in the US has been very helpful.  Courage to Resist, based in the Bay Area there, of course, has managed to organize 10,000 people in this country to send letters to the Canadian government and political leaders and I think that really helped actually tip the balance toward the Parliament's decision finally to formally call for the government to allow US war resisters to immigrate.  One concern that some Canadians have is that by allowing US war resisters to remain in Canada, they may be offending the United States and we're here to tell them that, you know, just like in Canada, the majority of people in this country, the large majority are against the war in Iraq. want to see the occupation -- US occupation of Iraq -- come to an end.  And we are happy that Canadians are providing sanctuary for our war resisters and we're thanking the Canadian people for this and urging their government to follow the will of the people to do the right thing and allow US war resisters to remain in Canada.     Aimee Allison: That's Gerry Condon, director of Project Safe Haven,  who is organizing support efforts for US war resisters seeking refugee status in Canada.      Allison, co-author of  Army Of None with David Solnit, interviewed US war resister Joshua Key and Jeff Paterson of Courage to Resist on yesterday's The Morning Show -- the broadcast and today's are archived.  Key's interview was noted in yesterday's snapshot as was Robin Long's arrest. Travis Lupick (Georgia Straight) reports the CBSA informed Robin "he would be deported to the U.S. by as early as Monday (July 14)". The Canadian Press quotes Bob Ages (War Resisters Support Campaign) stating, "This is quite a bombshell in what we thought was a pretty routine administration hearing."  Rod Mickleburgh (Globe & Mail) notes, "There had been no warning to Mr. Long that he was in danger of being sent back to the United States so quickly, and it came as a particular shock to his lawyer, Shepherd Moss, in light of last week's court decision upholding deserter Joshua Key's appeal of his failed refugee application."  Allison Cross (Vancouver Sun) explains Robin took part in yesterday's hearing via "phone from Nelson" and that "he was told officials had decided in May Long wouldn't be at risk to torture or punishment if he was returned to the US".  The War Resisters Support Campaign issues a press release which includes the following:   "The actions of the CBSA amounts to harassment," says Lee Zaslofsky, spokesperson for the War Resisters Support Campaign. "This young man has complied with his requirements and his whereabouts were well-known. The Harper government is ignoring the will of the House of Commons and the Canadian people. It is doing the bidding of the Bush administration in seeking to remove these soldiers of conscience to face persecution in the US."   Bob Ages, of the Vancouver War Resisters Support Campaign said, "Our legal counsel will be asking that Robin Long be immediately released and members of Parliament will be taking up this matter with the government and the Canadian public."     Oxford Review notes US war resister Rich Droste took part in the Port Dover Canada Day parade by providing information and raising awareness on the issue and the urgency: "Supporters of war resisters are rallying across Canada this Thursday July 10, the date when resister Corey Glass has been ordered to leave Canada."  Meanwhile Straight Goods joins New Catholic Times in running the "Appeal from Canada's faith communities to the Government of Canada."   To pressure the Stephen Harper government to honor the House of Commons vote, Gerry Condon, War Resisters Support Campaign and Courage to Resist all encourage contacting the Diane Finley (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration -- 613.996.4974, phone; 613.996.9749, fax; e-mail finley.d@parl.gc.ca -- that's "finley.d" at "parl.gc.ca") and Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, 613.992.4211, phone; 613.941.6900, fax; e-mail pm@pm.gc.ca -- that's "pm" at "pm.gc.ca").  Courage to Resist collected more than 10,000 letters to send before the vote.  Now they've started a new letter you can use online here.  The War Resisters Support Campaign's petition can be found here.   There is a growing movement of resistance within the US military which includes Megan Bean, Chris Bean, Matthis Chiroux, Richard Droste, Michael Barnes, Matt Mishler, Josh Randall, Robby Keller, Justiniano Rodrigues, Chuck Wiley, James Stepp, Rodney Watson, Michael Espinal, Matthew Lowell, Derek Hess, Diedra Cobb, Brad McCall, Justin Cliburn, Timothy Richard, Robert Weiss, Phil McDowell, Steve Yoczik, Ross Spears, Peter Brown, Bethany "Skylar" James, Zamesha Dominique, Chrisopther Scott Magaoay, Jared Hood, James Burmeister, Jose Vasquez, Eli Israel, Joshua Key, Ehren Watada, Terri Johnson, Clara Gomez, Luke Kamunen, Leif Kamunen, Leo Kamunen, Camilo Mejia, Kimberly Rivera, Dean Walcott, Linjamin Mull, Agustin Aguayo, Justin Colby, Marc Train, Abdullah Webster, Robert Zabala, Darrell Anderson, Kyle Snyder, Corey Glass, Jeremy Hinzman, Kevin Lee, Mark Wilkerson, Patrick Hart, Ricky Clousing, Ivan Brobeck, Aidan Delgado, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, Blake LeMoine, Clifton Hicks, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Logan Laituri, Jason Marek, Clifford Cornell, Joshua Despain, Joshua Casteel, Katherine Jashinski, Dale Bartell, Chris Teske, Matt Lowell, Jimmy Massey, Chris Capps, Tim Richard, Hart Viges, Michael Blake, Christopher Mogwai, Christian Kjar, Kyle Huwer, Wilfredo Torres, Michael Sudbury, Ghanim Khalil, Vincent La Volpa, DeShawn Reed and Kevin Benderman. In total, at least fifty US war resisters in Canada have applied for asylum. Information on war resistance within the military can be found at The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline [(877) 447-4487], Iraq Veterans Against the War and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. In addition, VETWOW is an organization that assists those suffering from MST (Military Sexual Trauma).   [. . .]   Turning to the US presidential race.  Team Nader announces that the "ten states by July 6" target was reache and the new goal is "15 states by July 20." Ralph Nader is an independent candidate for president.  As such he has to fight for ballot access.  The five that they are going for next are Arkansas, Massachusetts, Missouri, Rhode Island and South Carolina. "And to get there, we need to raise $60,000.  In eleven days. Here is what we propose. Donate now - in whatever denomination suits you - $5, $10, $20, $50, $100. And if you choose, your name will pop up on our fundraising widget - which shows every dollar we raise as we approach our $60,000 goal."  And Ralph Nader notes:     Listen to Ralph Nader's audio message on the Senate vote on FISA - here. Good morning. This is Ralph Nader. Today is Wednesday July 9, 2008. And I'm listening now to the debate on the Senate floor over legislation that will give President Bush new warrantless eavesdropping powers. The bill will also grant immunity to telecom companies for cooperating with Mr. Bush in his illegal warrantless wiretapping on Americans - on any one of you. We were taught as young children that in our democracy, under our system of justice, nobody is above the law - nobody. But this bill puts the President and the telecom companies above the law. It also conveniently assures a coverup of Mr. Bush's past crimes in this area - of wiretapping and surveillance. On the Senate floor, Senator Feingold has just warned his colleagues that the Senate "will regret that we passed this legislation." As my home state Senator, Christopher Dodd, said: "If we pass this legislation, the Senate will ratify a domestic spying regime that has already concentrated far too much unaccountable power in the President's hands and will place the telecommunications companies above the law." What does it say that Senators Dodd, Feingold, Harry Reid, and Patrick Leahy have led the valiant fight against this bill, but Senator Obama has said he will vote for it? Again, this bill gives the President vast new warrantless eavesdropping powers and allows the government - for the first time ever - to tap into America's telecommunications networks with no judicial warrant requirement. President Bush and the Democrats who support him argue that the telecommunications companies were only doing what they were told by the President and were acting as "patriotic corporate citizens." This is pure hogwash. First of all, corporations aren't citizens. Second, the President can't order anyone - citizens or corporations - to break the law. This legislation, which the Senate is debating right now, sets up a double standard of justice. Break the law as a citizen, go to jail. Break the law as a corporation, go to Washington and get immunity. Remember, there were telecom companies, such as Qwest, that refused to follow President Bush's illegal wiretap orders and chose instead to obey the laws of the land. The Senate is now poised to bury the rule of law. What to do? Join Nader/Gonzalez - the candidacy that will shift the power from the corporations back into the hands of the people. We strongly oppose the wiretap surveillance legislation that Obama and McCain support. We stand strongly with the American people and for the Constitution. The Nader/Gonzalez campaign is now at six percent in the most recent CNN poll. We're in the middle of a fundraising drive right now to put Nader/Gonzalez on the ballot in 45 states by September 20. Help us get there now. Go to votenader.org. Donate to your heart's content. For the Constitution. For liberty. For freedom. For justice. For shifting the power from the corporations, back into the hands of the American people. "We the people" are the first words of the Constitution - we should always remember. Thank you.    Marcia and Ruth noticed confusion online regarding Nader's appearances Saturday -- there are two and the one in Richmond is in the afternoon.  So we'll join them in noting Ralph Nader's upcoming events: Sat. July 12th 1-3pm  Nader for President 2008 Rally  Richmond, VA  Virginia Holocaust Museum  2000 E Cary St. Richmond, VA        Contact John: 804-432-1611 Suggested contribution: $10/$5 student   Map it   ****   Sat. July 12th 7:30-10pm  Nader for President 2008 Rally  Raleigh, NC  St Mary's School (Pittman Auditorium)   900 Hillsborough St. Raleigh, North Carolina 27603   Contact: Thomas (919) 828-6236  Suggested contribution: $10/$5 student   Map it   *****        Sun. July 13th 2-4pm     Nader for President 2008 Rally        Charlottesville, VA          Gravity Lounge       103 South First Street Charlottesville VA 22902    Contact: Michael: 520-906-8661       Suggested Contribution $10/$5 student       Map it           Brian Montopoli (CBS News) examines presumed Democratic nominee Barack Obama. Montopoli explores an interview Barack gave to the Christian outlet Relevant magazine.  During the course of the interview, the magazine publisher (Cameron Strang) sums up a position for Barack which includes this opening, "You've said you're personally against abortion . . ."  To be really clear, were the person Strang speaking to Dianne Feinstein, Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer, Hillary Clinton or any other number of women in Congress, it would be one thing.  But when it's the man who refused to vote "yes" or "no" and went with "present" while in the Illinois state legislature, that's a different matter.  Equally true is a woman making that statement may or may not have found herself in the position where she had to take the theoretical into practice.  Though the press credits the Christ-child with amazing powers, it's highly unlikely that Barack has ever found himself pregnant.  The summary (and the fact that Barack doesn't object to it) should (at the very least) raise eyebrows.  Roe v. Wade as a scare tactic is not going to work.  And one of the main reasons is Barack won't talk to women.  He sneers at women.  When it's time to talk abortion, why is he running to a 'Christian' magazine and allowing that he is "personally against abortion"?  More insulting -- and this is insulting to women, to pro-choice advocates of both genders and to medical professionals (especially those in the mental health field) -- is this remark: "I absolutely can, so please don't believe the emails. I have repeatedly said that I think it's entirely appropriate for states to restrict or even prohibit late-term abortions as long as there is a strict, well-defined exception for the health of the mother. Now, I don't think that 'mental distress' qualifies as the health of the mother. I think it has to be a serious physical issue that arises in pregnancy, where there are real, significant problems to the mother carrying that child to term. Otherwise, as long as there is such a medical exception in place, I think we can prohibit late-term abortions."  Barack is an IDIOT about the law -- obvious when he didn't grasp who the plantiff and defendent were in the landmark case Loving v. Virginia -- but that series of sentences contains something to offend just about everyone.  A) He's talking about banning late-term abortions which isn't really something he campaigned on while pretending to be 'liberal.'  B) Barack has no medical degree so he doesn't know the first damn thing about "mental distress."  That's insulting to those in the mental health practice as well as women.  Repeating, Barack has most likely never been pregnant. He sure seems to think he knows a great deal, doesn't he?  Despite being a basically C-average student most of his life.  Marie Cocco (Washington Post Writers Group) breaks it down:   Obama says that these women should not be able to obtain a late-term abortion, because just "feeling blue" isn't the same as suffering "serious clinical mental health diseases." True enough. And totally infuriating.  During the recent Obama pander tour -- the one in which he spent about a week trying to win over conservative religious voters -- the presumptive Democratic nominee unnecessarily endorsed President Bush's faith-based initiative, a sort of patronage program that rewards religious activists for their political support with public grants. Then in a St. Louis speech, Obama declared that "I let Jesus Christ into my life." That's fine, but we already have a president who believes this was a qualification for the Oval Office, and look where that's gotten us.  Obama's verbal meanderings on the issue of late-term abortion go further. He has muddied his position. Whether this is a mistake or deliberate triangulation, only Obama knows for sure.  One thing is certain: Obama has backhandedly given credibility to the right-wing narrative that women who have abortions -- even those who go through the physically and mentally wrenching experience of a late-term abortion -- are frivolous and selfish creatures who might perhaps undergo this ordeal because they are "feeling blue."    RECOMMENDED: "Iraq snapshot" "Robin Long told he will be deported" "AP journalist held; Dana Perino says Whitehouse doesn't do timetables" "War resisters" "joel hirschorn's revolutionary idea" "Barack's girlfriends rush to defend him" "Hirschorn, Nader and more" "Robin Long, AP journalist held, White House" "Oh, Little Jamie, you were always someone's fool" "Iraq, Corey Glass, Joshua Key" "Baker and Christopher plot; Joshua Key" "Barack whines again" "THIS JUST IN! WHINE, WHINE, WHINE!"

Barack whines again

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL-AID TABLE   TODAY SENATOR 'SWEETIE' BARACK OBAMA DECLARED HE WASN'T A FLIP-FLOPPER.   THEN HE STUCK OUT HIS TONGUE AND SAID NAH-NAH-NAH AND AGAIN BLAMED THE MEDIA SAYING "PEOPLE HAVEN'T BEEN LISTENING TO ME CLOSELY."   THE ARROGANCE OF AUDACITY MAY BITE BAMBI IN THE 'SWEETIE' CHEEKS SINCE (A) HE IS FLIP-FLOPPING LIKE A FLAP JACK AND (B) IT REALLY IS NO LONGER ENOUGH FOR THE PRESS THAT SOMETHING IS TRUE JUST BECAUSE SAINT BARACK SAID SO.   FROM THE TCI WIRE:   Starting with war resistance.  "It's seems to be a, you know, it's sort of an uphill battle still," Joshua Key explained of the struggle US war resisters face in Canada attempting to win safe harbor status.  Key was appearing on  KPFA's The Morning Show, hosted by Philip Maldari and Aimee Allison.  Allison, co-author of  Army Of None with David Solnit, asked about Judge Robert Barnes decision regarding Joshua Key's claims for refugee status at the top of her interview.   Aimee Allison: What does it mean on the heels of this recent decision in Canada that you've won the right to at least make your case to authorities in Canada to stay permanently with your wife and four children?   Joshua Key: Well I look at it as the way things were going it was getting pretty iffy so I look at it as a big win cause it will make our steps go forward and we can keep progressing and it gives hope for here.   Aimee Allison: So tell us about the process you've been in. You've been in Canada for more than two years now and are applying for refugee status.  In other words, you have to make the argument to authorities in Canada that as a refugee you have a right to apply and stay safely in that country because to return you would be to put you in danger.  Talk more about  this process and where you are in the process right now.   Joshua Key: We've been here for three and a half years.  We've been in the refugee process since we've been here.  I went to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada and was denied.  Then I went to an appeals court and then I got the verdict for that and I won so now it goes back to the Immigration and Refugee Board to argue it there again.  And that's where I'm at right now.   Aimee Allison: Talk to me about how your wife and four kids are doing?   Joshua Key: Well they're doing good.  I mean, we -- I mean like I look at my wife honestly misses back home so does my children they miss seeing their families their grandma and grandpa and their aunts and uncles. So it's hard on that sense.  On the sense of just living, it's probably like living back home to a big extent just a lot more rules here but we keep going.   Aimee Allison: And when you came to Canada, you obviously -- particularly because your book The Deserter's Tale that you co-wrote with Lawrence Hill -- talks explicitly about what you call war crimes that you witnessed in Iraq and tell us a little bit more about what you keep in your mind that keeps you fighting to stay in Canada?   Joshua Key: Well I look at it as it was an illegal and immoral war.  I knew that after my time there.  It took me a long time to realize what exactly were doing.  But with me being in Canada it gives me an easier sense of living. I suffer with Post Traumatic Stress but I know I did the right thing by leaving and walking away and coming somewhere and then fighting not just to stay in Canada but to eventually hoping to get the Iraq War done with.   Aimee Allison: And are there other people with your same situation in Canada?  How many of them?  How many people are there?   Joshua Key: There's I would say thirty in my exact situation.  I don't know the exact current numbers.  There's presumably a lot more hiding in Canada which I've met myself.  But it's -- there's a lot of us in the same boat right now that's fighting to survive, fighting to live in peace on that sense.   [. . .]   Aimee Allison: I want to talk to you a little bit about your experiences in the mililtary which have led you to take such a serious step of leaving the country and trying to stay in Canada permanently.  What was it that you saw or experienced in Iraq that crystalized your opposition to war and really led you to take the step that you're taking now?   Joshua Key: There was many different occassions, many different scenarios in Iraq that made me come up with my decision.  When I first went to Iraq I believed in the mission and was there for weapons of mass destruction and the evil tyrant Saddam Hussein.  It took months for my mind to get changed and that was basically for our actions that we were doing --  conducting and raiding homes, traffic control points.  And you know one incident really sticks with me and it was always does, nightmares and everything, but we were on a QRF mission which was like a quick reaction force for the army.  We were in Ramadi, Iraq and we were called out about two o'oclock in the morning to calm down some kind of an uprising or such.  We were on the banks of the Eurphrates River.  We were going  and we took a sharp right turn, on the leftside of our armored personel carrier,  I seen four decaptiated Iraqi bodies When we parked our APC I was told to get out and see if I could find evidence of a firefight and such.  When I got out there was already American forces on the ground.  I don't know who they were with. To the right of me one was in the middle and he was screaming that they had lost it there. There were other soldiers  around him, sort of comforting him.  I looked to the lefthand side and I seen soldiers kicking one of the heads around like a soccer ball.  I got inside of my APC and told my team leader I would have nothing to do with that.  Nothing was said the next day I said 'Where's the mission statement?  Can I see the mission statement?' add what I seen to that mission statement?  And I was told that it was none of my concern and none of my business.  And that's when I realized it was my concern and my business cause I was the one there doing it.   Aimee Allison: That's Joshua Key a former private first class in the US army who left in 2005 to Canada with his family and is trying to stay there and be granted refugee status.  I'm also joined by Jeff Paterson, project director of Courage to Resist.  Joshua, Americans, it has been said, are "fatigued" about  discussion about the war.  They're "fatigued."  They don't want to hear about it and, in fact, the discussion about the Iraq War has been very limited even in the presidential campaign.  What do Americans need to know about what's happening right now?   Joshua Key: They need to know the truth.  They need to know the truth and the exact reason why Americans are dying there?  Why is it?  It might be a question people don't want to ask. It might be a question people avoid. It's always the truth that people avoid. But I think it needs to be there and it needs to be brought more attention exactly what's happening to American soldiers there.  So.   Aimee Allison: And are you working closely with groups such as Courage to Resist from Canada who are trying to support your case and others?   Joshua Key: I work with a little bit here and there.  I sort of look at myself as I'm all over the place. But any organization that is fighting for us to be here or fighting for the Iraq War to end, I try to be involved with.   Jeff Paterson will hopefully be included in a snapshot later in the week.  Included meaning quoted at length.  Courage to Resist is an organization we link to and note (and will note it this snapshot shortly) but so that Elaine doesn't get stuck with grabbing a topic (she handled critiquing Jeffry House's appearence on Democracy Now! yesterday brilliantly), one comment by Paterson needs to be noted today. ". . . And, like in the Vietnam war, have an amnesty program so these people can come back without military tribunals and this stockade prison time and dishonorable discharges. . .  That was the first thing Jimmy Carter did when he became president.  So there's a basis for that to happen again."  No.  People need to know what happened before so they can know what is possible (and expand beyond that).  But we need to be factually correct.  When we aren't, it allows the argument to be discredited.  Jimmy Carter didn't grant amnesty to deserters during Vietnam on his first day in the White House.  (Or ever.) What he did do was grant amnesty to draft dodgers.  Gerald Ford was the president who offered a conditional clemency that applied to draft dodgers and deserters.  We have been covering this at Third repeatedly because it is important.  You can see "Editorial: What did happen, what can happen" (June 29th), "Editorial: What's your acceptance level?" (June 22nd), "Where are the demands? Where is the knowledge?" (June 15th), "Editorial: Know Your History! You Have The Right! " (June 8th).  You'll find out about Ford's program in those.  You will find about Jimmy Carter's refusal to do anything for deserters.  You will find out his 'excuses' and how Tom Wicker (New York Times) and others called him out for that in real time.  Mike and I have repeatedly covered what Ford did and what Carter did and have provided multiple links. Click here for Mike doing just that in May.  You can go to this May 23rd snapshot and find the following:   Here's how PBS's The NewsHour (then The MacNeil/Lehrer Report) reported Carter's program on January 21, 1977 (link has text, audio and video):   "Just a day after Jimmy Carter's inaguration, he followed through on a contentious campaign promise, granting a presidential pardon to those who had avoided the draft during the Vietnam war by either not registering or traveling abroad.  The pardon meant the government was giving up forever the right to prosecute what the administration said were hundreds of thousands of draft-dodgers. . . . Meanwhile, many in amnesty groups say that Carter's pardon did too little.  They pointed out that the president did not include deserters -- those who served in the war and left before their tour was completed -- or soliders who received a less-than-honorable discharge.  Civilian protesters, selective service employees and those who initiated any act of violence also were not covered in the pardon."   Then US House Rep Elizabeth Holtzman was among the four guests (and, in the seventies, with demands being made, there were two women and two men brought on for the report) and stated, "I'm pleased that the pardon was issued, I'm pleased that it was done on the first day and I'm pleased that President Carter kept a commitment that he made very clear to the American people.  I would have liked to have seen it broader, I would like to have seen it extended to some of the people who are clearly not covered and whose families will continue to be separated from them . . . but I don't think President Carter has closed the door on this category of people."    Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford had two different programs.  There's no reason to confuse the two (though one historian did just that in 2000 and that appears to be why so many are confused today).  That is not a minor point.  Iraq Veterans Against the War Matthis Chiroux announced June 15th that he would not report to duty (as he'd stated he wouldn't on May 15th).  Chiroux had completed his tours of duty and been honorably discharged.  Then he was told he was being called back in and sent to Iraq.  Gil Kaufman (MTV News) does an indepth exploration of what this meant in terms of day to day life for Matthis.  Chiroux left the military after being discharged and intended to go to college, "he assumed the GI Bill benefits he earned would help pay for college but was 'horrified' to learn in January that because of his salary in the Army and his stationing overseas, he was going to be denied federal and state tuition assistance.  He also found out that he was not eligible for subsidized student loans because of his GI Bill benefits.  In the end, his benefits as a veteran totaled around $1,000 a month, not even enough to pay for his apartment in Brooklyn.  If Chiroux had not served in the military, he said he would have been eligible for Pell Grants that might have helped him pay the $7,500 he laid out in January for school."  For those not familiar with the Pell Grant system, they are "grants" -- meaning no repayment.  So serving in the military meant Matthis couldn't qualify for those and the GI Bill wasn't paying for his college expense.  He had to take out loans for $7,500 and then was informed ("three weeks after school started") that he needed to :withdraw from classes and report to Fort Jackson on March 8." Army flack Major Nathan Banks -- in the limelight so often these days, tells MTV that Chiroux is a deserter.  Actually, if Matthis is considered AWOL -- a big if -- it would take thirty days after he was considered AWOL for him to be classified as a "deserter."  So someone might want to train their spokesmodels a bit more before deploying them to the press.   Iraq Veterans Against the War asks that you:   Contact your congressional representatives and ask them to publicly support Matthis.  Contribute to IVAW's legal defense fund to help Matthis and other resisters. Send a message of support to Sgt Matthis Chiroux at  thankyoumatthis@ivaw.org.    [. . .]   Turning to the US presidential race.  Anthony Schinella (Massachusetts' Belmont Citizen-Herald) reports on a poll the paper conducted online to determine public support for the presidential candidates (with the exception of Bob Barr and Ralph Nader, all about to be listed are the presumptive candidates -- Barr's running for the Libertarian Party and has secured the nomination, Nader is running as an independent).  Who won?  John McCain (GOP) with 60%.  Barack Obama (DNC) won 28% of the vote.  (Remember Barack lost Massachusetts to Hillary Clinton even with Governor Who, John Kerry and Ted Kennedy prosituting themselves out for Barack.)  Cynthia McKinney polled at 1%.  Bob Barr polled at 4% and Ralph Nader at 7%.  As Ruth noted yesterday, "independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader has a rally coming up Saturday at the Virginia Holocaust Museum. They are asking for donations of $10 ($5 for students) and it will run from one in the afternoon until three."  The Richmond Times Dispatch adds to call (434) 432-1611 for details. Sue Sturgis (Raleigh Eco News) notes, "An attorney who formerly served on staff at the U.S. Department of Labor, Nader founded the consumer and environmental watchdog organization Public Citizen in 1971. He went on to start dozens of other advocacy groups including the Clean Water Action Project and Multinational Monitor magazine. . . . In this race as in his past White House bids, Nader is criticizing the Democratic nominee's willingness to court the right, highlighting Sen. Barack Obama's recent flip-flopping on telecom immunity, gun control, the death penalty, campaign finance and faith-based funding. . . . Charges of pandering aside, Nader's environmental platform is much more earth-friendly than either Obama's pro-coal and pro-nuclear positions, or Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain's, which focuses solely on a market-based cap-and-trade approach to greenhouse gas emissions. Nader calls for the adoption of a carbon pollution tax, rejects nuclear power in favor of solar energy, and seeks stronger protections against toxic pollution. He also promises to work to end corporate personhood, perhaps the most fundamental challenge to abusive power in America."   Meanwhile Brian (Memoirs of a Godless Heathen) explains he's changed his support in the presidential race: "Thus, I can no longer throw in my support for Obama.  He can no longer count on my vote (the very first one I will ever cast) in November.  I am now supporting Ralph Nader for President.  Mr. Nader is the most compatible with my sensibilites.  His unyielding advocacy for freedom of the American people make him the most desirable of all the candidates.  So am I wasting my vote?  I don't think so.  I realize that Nader will not win, but voting for the winner is not what a voter should strive for.  I am voting for the person who I believe can best do the job.  This November, I will have the satisfaction of voting for someone I like, rather than the lesser of the two evils.  I may be just one vote, but breaking the hold of this two-party system requires people like me to make the choice to do so.  Will I be helping John McCain's campaign?  No, because I will not be voting for John McCain.  If Ralph Nader was not my choice, I would not vote, plain and simple.  Thus, I am not taking a vote away from Obama, since I wouldn't have voted for him anyway."  Meanwhile Cedric's "More distance from Barack" and Wally's "THIS JUST IN! TOO GOOD FOR THE PARTY!" note just how much space Barack is trying to put between himself and Democrats.     RECOMMENDED: "Iraq snapshot" "Joshua Key on KPFA this morning" "Delahunt and Delauro provide the walk-through" "nicholas fonseca flaunts his ignorance" "Third, Nader, 'Defenders' of the cave" "Linda Ronstadt, Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann" "Third, Ralph Nader, Mama Mia" "The 'movement'" "Third, Nader, Kerry" "More distance from Barack" "THIS JUST IN! TOO GOOD FOR THE PARTY!"

More distance from Barack

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL-AID TABLE   IN HIS CONTINUED EFFORTS TO DISTANCE HIMSELF FROM THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, SENATOR SWEETIE OBAMA WILL NOT ACCEPT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY NOMINATION FOR PRESIDENT AT THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION.    TO ESTABLISH HIS DISTANCE FROM THE LEFT, LEFT-OF-CENTER, AND CENTER, BARACK WILL BE IN A FOOTBALL STADIUM.   SAID DAVID AXELROD (BAMBI CAMPAIGN GURU-OLOGIST), "WE ARE RUNNING TO THE RIGHT.  THAT'S WHY WE SUPPORT ILLEGAL SPYING ON AMERICANS, THAT'S WHY WE'RE ALL FOR GIVING TAX PAYER MONEY TO CHURCHES AND LETTING THEM REFUSE TO HIRE GAYS AND LESBIANS, THAT'S WHY WE REJECT PUBLIC FINANCING AND THAT'S WHY WE ARE NO LONGER LYING THROUGH OUT TEETH ABOUT WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ. WE STAND FOR NOTHING EXCEPT THAT WE ARE NOT DEMOCRATS AND WE THINK BARACK CAN BEST REACH OUT TO SWING VOTERS BY REFUSING TO GET COOTIES FROM DEMOCRATS.  ACCEPTING AT THE CONVENTION WOULD GIVE BARACK DEMOCRATIC COOTIES.  STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT COOTIES ARE NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY ENOUGH PEOPLE OVER THE AGE OF EIGHT-YEARS-OLD BUT BARACK AND I TAKE THEM VERY SERIOUSLY."   FROM THE TCI WIRE:   Starting with war resistance. On Friday, a decision was released in Canada.  The Canadian Press notes the finding of Judge Robert Barnes of Canada's Federal Court, issued Friday, which found that, contrary to the Immigration and Refugee 'Board''s opinion, "Officially condoned military misconduct falling well short of a war crime may support a claim to refugee protection." ["Board" because the full committee does not hear the claims or the appeals, one person does.] The individual's case under review was Joshua Key who stated, "It's quite a statement." Earlier Canada's Supreme Court refused to hear the appeals of Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey who were the first US war resisters to go to Canada this decade and attempt to receive refugee status. In refusing to hear their appeals, the Court allowed the lower courtss findings to stand. Key was among those cases of appeal winding their way through the Canadian court system following the Immigration and Refugee 'Board' turning down his claim for asylum. Judge Barnes' decision does not reverse the finding of the 'Board,' it merely requires that it re-examine the decision (and the 'board' has ten days to appeal to decision). The War Resisters Support Campaign has issued a press release and appear to have left out a word or too when offering Jeffry House's legal summary of the judge's opinion: "summarized the decision saying that the court found that Key was required to systematically violate the Geneva Conventions as part of his military service in Iraq and that he was justified in doing so." Something's missing before "and that he was justified in doing so." Judge Barnes did not find that anyone was justified in violating the Geneva Conventions. A better take would be House "summarized the decision saying that the court found that Key was required to systematically violate the Geneva Conventions as part of his military servince in Iraq and that was justified in REFUSING to do so." Without "refusing" in there, the summary makes no sense and does not reflect either Judge Barnes' legal opinion issued Friday or what he can legally do. Barnes' opinion rests on recognized, acceptable legal human behaviors, it does not reject Geneva, it does note that Geneva Conventions but it also notes other standards (and states the standards the "Board" used were "too restrictive"). He did not find that someone "was justified" in violating Geneva. He did find that someone could be justified in refusing any action that was "contrary to the basic rules of norms of human conduct." Barnes found that the "Board" had issued a decision which stated that there were "violations of the Geneva Convention prohibition against humilitary and degrading treatment". From Barnes' decision, "The authorities indicate that military action which systematically degrades, abuses or humiliates eitehr combatants or non-combatants is capable of supporting a refugee claim where that is proven reason for refusing to serve." The decision does cite Hinzman's case (Hinzman v. Canada, 2006) as well as the Immigration and Refugee Board's findings on Jeremy's claim: It is apparent to me that the Board in Hinzman did not have before it the kind of evidence that was presented by Mr. Key and, therefore, neither the Board nor Justice [Anne] Mactavish were required in that case to determine the precise limits of protection afforded by Article 171 of the UNHCR Handbook. I do not consider Justice Mactavish's remarks to be determative of the issue presented by this case -- that is, whether refugee protection is available for persons like Mr. Key who would be expected to participate in widespread and arguably officially sanctioned breaches of humanitarian law which do not constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity. Judge Barnes points out that if Key had returned the US military any review (by the US military) would have been unlikely ("may not have been realistic") because he would have been deployed back to Iraq. From the decision: In November, 2003, Mr. Key returned to the United States on a 2-week furlough. He was then suffering from debilitating nightmares. Instead of reporting back to his unit, Pte. Key anonymously sought legal advice from a Judge Advocate General (JAG) representative who apparently told him to return to duty in Iraq or face imprisonment. Pte. Key elected to desert and he and his family relocated to Philadelphia. On March 8, 2005, the family came to Canada and they initiated their claims for refugee protection three days later." The justice further found, "The idea that a refugee claimant in such circumstances ought to be returned to his home country to face such a dilemma is repugnant and inimical to the futherance of humanitarian law. Barnes notes that the "Board" found Key credible and "truthful" but also found his objection to the Iraq War was not "religiously motivated. Rather what Mr. Key objected to were the systematic violations of human rights that resulted from the conduct of the United States Army in Iraq and the requirement that he participate. The Board summarized Mr. Key's evidence concerning these events and compared his experiences to the observations of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) detailed in its report from 2003. It is apparent that the Board found Mr. Key's experiences to be consistent with the ICRC findings". Judge Barnes wrote that an error was made by the 'Board' when they found "that refugee protection for military deserters and evaders is only available where the conduct objected to amounts to a war crime, a crime against peace or a crime against humanity." Again, there's at least one word missing in the War Resisters Support Campaign's press release when they summarize Jeffry House's summary of Judge Barnes' decision. PDF format warning, the decicision can be found online here (23 pages).   [. . .]   Turning to the US race for president. Barack Obama's (presumed Democratic Party nominee) waffle on Iraq is still in the news. As "Letters to An Old Sell Out: Iraq" (The Third Estate Sunday Review) notes, Tom Hayden took to blog on July 4th insisting that Samantha Power's March interview on the BBC (given while she was still Barack's foreign policy advisor, aired after she resigned) indicated the current waffle (it did) and that Hillary Clinton campaign's and the MSM ignored it (they didn't -- Clinton issued statements, her campaign held a confrence call on the issue -- which David Corn sneared at online at Mother Jones, the campaign made a commerical; the Washington Post and Boston Globe were among the MSM outlets covering it as real news).  Hayden's playing jilted bride was all the more comical when one looks at Panhandle Media and, specifically, his outlet The Nation magazine.  Panhandle Media worked overtime to ignore that BBC interview.  The Nation never mentioned it (though they repeatedly -- and falsely John Nichols -- wrote of Powers after she left the Obama campaign) (she's back with it now). The failure to get the word out (that Power revealed Barack's 'promise' to withdraw combat troops from Iraq wasn't actually a promise and he'd decide what to do if elected) was the fault of the allegedly 'independent' media which IGNORED the interview because they were all in love with Barack.  Apparently in tears that he wouldn't get to wear his wedding dress to Barack's inauguration, Hayden (who couldn't stop citing his own 2007 writing) forgot to inform his readers that among the ones refusing to tell the people about the BBC interview was . . . Tom Hayden himself.  It's a nice day, as Billy Idol once sang, to start again.   Meanwhile Christopher Keating (Capitol Watch) reports on independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader, "Despite getting relatively little attention from the national media, presidential candidate Ralph Nader says he is chipping away as his campaign moves toward Election Day on Nov. 4. The Connecticut native's campaign announced that it has reached its goal of being on the ballot in 10 states by July 6. The overall goal is 45 states, which would be an increase from Nader's level of 34 states in 2004."  Team Nader notes:   What to do now? Drop a five spot on the real deal. Donate five dollars for Nader/Gonzalez. Why? Five reasons: Telecom immunity. Gun control. Death penalty. Campaign finance. Faith-based funding. On July 4, the New York Times documented Obama's flip flops on each of these issues and then proclaimed Obama New and Not Improved. When we ask our friends who support Obama about his recent flip-flopping on these and other issues, they say something like this: You have to pander to become President. Or: It doesn't matter where Obama stands on the issues -- it's the symbolism of change that matters. Okay, so if it's the symbolism of change that matters to you, and not the substance, then please go and support Obama. But if you actually want a candidacy that stands steadfast for shifting the power from the corporations back to the people, then please drop a five spot now on Nader/Gonzalez. You'll be supporting a positive, rock solid, steadfast campaign. Already, we're penciled in in ten states. Richard Winger, the King of Ballot Access (and editor of Ballot Access News) predicts that come November, Nader/Gonzalez will be on in 44 to 45 states - up from 34 in 2004). We're at six percent in the most recent CNN poll. If we hit 10 percent, Ralph Nader will be debating the candidate of perpetual war McCain and the panderer in chief Obama in the Google/Youtube debates in New Orleans. (Check out John Nichols this morning calling on Google to let Ralph debate.) If Ralph gets into the debates, we're convinced he'll move above 10 percent. If he moves above ten percent, America will sense a three way race. If America senses a three-way race, why would it be any different from when Jesse Ventura ran for Governor of Minnesota? (Okay, Ralph doesn't wear a boa.) (By the way, in case you missed it, here's Ralph's July 4 riff on patriotism.) All things are looking up. All systems are go. But we need your help to propel this campaign to the next level. Drop a five on the real deal now. Together, we are making a difference. Onward       RECOMMENDED: "Iraq snapshot" "Matthis Chiroux" "The violence continues" "And the war drags on . . ." "Kat's Korner: Linda Ronstadt, the very best" "New abuses for Iraqi women" "It is what it is" "Truest statement of the week" "A note to our readers" "Editorial: The real change choice" "TV: Nonreality programming" "Judge Robert Barnes rules in Joshua Key's appeal" "The missing editorial" "Letters to An Old Sell Out: Iraq" "Letters to An Old Sell Out: About Latin America" "Letters to An Old Sell Out: Where's the honesty?" 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