BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL-AID TABLE
MICHELE KORT -- A RIP-OFF 'BOOK' AUTHOR -- WAS WRONGLY PUT IN CHARGE OF MS. MAGAZINE AND THAT'S HOW MS. MAGAZINE DID NOT ONE DAMN THING WHILE HILLARY WAS THE VICTIM OF NON-STOP SEXISM.
WHEN FORCED TO MENTION HILLARY, THEY TOSSED TO BARACK SUPPORTER DONNA BRAZILE WHO HAS SPENT DECADES PRETENDING SHE'S NOT A LESBIAN -- EVEN AFTER ANDREW SULLIVAN OUTED HER IN THE 90S. WHAT BUSINESS DOES MS. MAGAZINE HAVE PUBLISHING A COLUMN BY A CLOSETED LESBIAN? SINCE WHEN DO THEY SHY AWAY FROM OUT AND PROUD AND GO WITH CLOSET CASES?
WHEN REACHED FOR COMMENT MS. KORT ATTEMPTED TO DENY LYING TO READERS WHO COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SILENCE ON THE SEXIST ATTACKS AGAINST HILLARY BY INSISTING THAT THE TAX STATUS PREVENTED MS. FROM COVERING THEM.
WHEN THESE REPORTERS INFORMED KORT THAT WE HAD COPIES OF THOSE E-MAILS, KORT ASKED, "IS IT JUST OF THOSE E-MAILS OR DO YOU HAVE THE ONES I FORWARDED AND AUTHORED CONTAINING SEXIST ATTACKS ON HILLARY?"
WHEN WE REFUSED TO ANSWER HER QUESTION, KORT BECAME NERVOUS AND ASKED WHAT DOES C.I. REALLY KNOW ABOUT KORT'S 'BOOK' WRITING?
WHEN THESE REPORTERS RESPONDED "EVERY THING," KORT WENT INTO A PANIC AND BEGAN CURSING.
SAID KORT, "F**K HILLARY, WHO GIVES A DAMN ABOUT A WOMAN PRESIDENT! YEAH, THE SO-CALLED 'FEMINIST' MAJORITY FOUNDATION ONLY ISSUED TWO 'WIRES' ON THE SEXISM AGAINST HILLARY FROM JANUARY UNTIL WE DECLARED HER CAMPAIGN OVER IN JUNE. SO WHAT? WE HATED HILLARY! I HATE HILLARY! IF MS. CAN'T BE USED TO GO AFTER GODD**N WOMEN, WHAT'S THE POINT! I HATE ALL WOMEN! I HATE MYSELF! YOU TELL THAT B**TCH C.I. THAT I WROTE MY LAST BAD 'BOOK' ALL BY MYSELF!"
SINCE THESE REPORTERS ARE FULLY AWARE OF THE RESEARCH C.I. DID ON MICHELE KORT'S 'BOOK,' WE LEFT LAUGHING WHILE SHE ATTEMPTED TO WRITE AN ESSAY EXCUSING BARACK'S USE OF HOMOPHOBIA IN SOUTH CAROLINA TO SCARE UP VOTES.
FROM THE TCI WIRE:
Starting with war resistance. Chris Cook (Gorilla Radio) explained last night, "To recap if you've just tuned in, Robin Long the American war resister, who has been in Canada for some time, more than a year at least, was arrested last year in Nelson and has been going through these various court processes to avoid deportation. His hearing was today in Vancouver where he was petitioning for an extension so he could work on an appeal to try to stay in the country because he faces arrest in the as a deserter in the United States. Justice Mactavish in Vancouver denied that appeal so it looks like Robin Long is on his way back to America to face what passes for American justice." The War Resisters Support Campaign - Vancouver issued a call for action last night:
Supporters of Robin Long and the War Resisters coming from both sides of the border will gather in a peaceful protest under the Peace Arch at the border at 9 am Tuesday July 15. (while the Peace Arch is neutral ground, supporters should bring appropriate identification in the unlikely event they are required to pass through Canadian Customs) In the meantime, please take a moment to email or phone Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety, and ask him to immediately stop the deportation of U.S. Iraq war resister Robin Long. (The Canadian Border Services Agency falls under his ministry). Also ask him why the federal government is refusing to respect the clearly expressed will of Canada's Parliament, that U.S. war resisters should be allowed to stay and that deportation proceedings against them should cease?In a recent Angus Reid poll, almost two-thirds of Canadians said they want U.S. Iraq war resisters to be allowed to stay in Canada. Demand to know why the Harper government is unwilling to be accountable to Canadians. Minister of Public Security Stockwell Day Email: day.s@parl.gc.ca (Ottawa office); days1@parl.gc.ca (Penticton constituency office) Phone: 613.995.1702 (Ottawa); 250.770.4480 (Penticton constituency office)Fax: 613.995.1154 (Ottawa); 250.770.4484 (Penticton) Please check the War Resisters Support Campaign website for updates on Robin's status and on emergency actions. For more information about the campaign please visit: http://www.resisters.ca/
October 2, 2007, Long was arrested. October 4, 2007, he was released and Canada's CBS interviewed him (video link is on upper right hand of the page). Robin told them, "When I got arrested and was sitting in the detention cell in Nelson, I was pretty sure I was going home right away. I was pretty sure I would be deported. The way that the immigration officer made it sound, I would be deported Friday. That's not quite what happened and I'm very thankful for that." He was asked how he felt "about the challenges ahead" and Robin responded, "I have at least a couple more months in Canada and hopefully something will happen in the next couple of months within the government and maybe some kind of legal action will let us stay here other than the refugee protection. But if not I'm prepared to go back to the United States and face up to desertion. It's better than going to Iraq." The arrest was over documents sent but not received because he had moved for work. That one incident triggered everything that followed for Robin Long in spite of Canadian Judge Robert Barnes decision regarding Joshua Key's claims for refugee status issued on the Fourth of July as well as the motion the House of Commons passed June 3rd.
25-year-old Robin Long is from Boise, Idaho and enlisted in July 2003. In March 2005, he was told he'd be going to Iraq and ordered to report to Fort Carlson in April of 2005. Instead, he self-checked out. Long remained underground for two months and went to Canada only for a wedding (June, 2005). While in Canada, liking what he saw, Long decided to stay. He and his partner Renee have a son (born in Canada). The decision to deport Robin will break up a family. A detail not noted in the press coverage of the decision. Nor is it noted that, by Canadian law, as the father of a Canadian citizen, Long could apply for (and be granted) citizenship. "A good person and sort of a gentle soul" is how she's always heard Robin described, Sarah Bjorknas explained to Chris Cook last night.
Chris Cook: Is there another avenue of appeal Sarah for Robin or is he just going to be whisked out of the country as we've seen other people that Americans want to extradite done -- John Marshall comes to mind?
Sarah Bjorknas: We understand that there are no other legal avenues. And that indeed they have him and we don't know precisely where he is. They don't have to tell us where and when they move him anywhere including across the border.
Bjorknas also explained that Robin was not being extradicted. Canada doesn't (and didn't during Vietnam) have any treaty with the US that would cover military desertions.
Robert Matas (Globe and Mail) reports that Robin "was troubled by evidence of abuse of Iraqi detainees that came out in May of 2004, Mr. [Shepherd] Moss said. Mr. Long concluded the abuse was systemic and condoned by the U.S. administration, Mr. Moss said. After some soul-searching, Mr. Long decided he would not go to Iraq and would not participate or be complicit in what he believed were war crimes, the lawyer said." Jeff Hodson (Metro News) explains attorney Moss "argued Long faced lengthy jail times and could even get the death penalty. The judge ruled that a death sentence was only a 'theoretical possibility' as the last soldier sentenced to death for desertion was during the Second World War." Kim Bolan and Suzanne Ahearne (Vancouver Sun) and Brian Hutchinson (National Post) point out that Long would be the first war resister deported from Canada since the start of the illegal war. Judge Anne L. Mactavish long career has included being the president of the Human Rights Tribunal Panel back in the nineties. Apparently, that temporary post carried only temporary awareness. Bob Ages, chair of the War Resisters Support Campaign - Vancouver, tells The Canadian Press, "I don't think there's time to even file papers. We're down to the wire here. She's [Mactavish] refused us the ability to follow due process and exhaust all his legal avenues in Canada." Catherine Elsworth (Telegraph of London) notes Mactavish "rejected his last-ditch plea for a stay of his deporation order, saying he had failed to provide convincing evidence he would suffer 'irreparable harm' if he returned to the US." Apparently, Mactavish either didn't care about splitting up a family or wasn't informed of it. Canada's New Democratic Party issued the following this afternoon:
NDP MP Bill Siksay (Burnaby-Douglas) is calling on the Conservative government to stop the deportation of American Iraq war resister Robin Long, scheduled for today.
"Stockwell Day, Diane Finley and Stephen Harper should respect the will of Parliament and the Canadian people and stop this deportation immediately," said Siksay. "The House of Commons has passed a motion supporting a special programme that would allow conscientious objectors who refuse to serve in the war in Iraq to remain in Canada. The government must respect this action by the House and stop deportation action against Robin Long and other Iraq war resisters."
The Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration reported to the House of Commons about the need for such a programme, and on a motion moved by MPs Olivia Chow and Siksay, the House concurred in that report.
"The Canadian government and the Canadian people do not support George Bush's illegal war in Iraq. We must have the courage of those convictions and back them up by ensuring that Americans who take a stand against that war receive a welcome in Canada," noted Siksay.
"Robin Long must be allowed to stay," Siksay concluded.
UPI 'covers' the news of the judge's ruling by undercounting war resisters. Linda Nguyen (Canwest News Services) notes, "There are an estimated 200 American army deserters who have sought refugee status in Canada." Greg Quinn (Bloomberg News), CBC, Dan Slater (Wall St. Journal), Candace Heckman (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) and AP are among the other outlets reporting on the news. Among those who have ignored it? Democracy Now!, The Progressive ("Peace and social justice since 1909" is apparently an empty slogan), The Nation and just about every outlet in Panhandle Media.
Robin Long described his position on the Iraq War, on staying in Canada and more back in October 2007:
Because I feel the war in Iraq is an illegal war of aggression and it's an indiscriminate killing of the Arab people and I believe it's all for lies and the wrong reasons so I couldn't with good conscience take part in that conflict. . . . When I joined the army, I thought that the war in Iraq was a good thing. I was lied to by my president. The reasons that were given, I thought they were valid. But just because I joined the army didn't mean I abdicated my ability to evolve intellectually and morally and what I saw in the independent media and even in mainstream media changed my view of what was going on over there and based on what I had learned I made a decision to desert. . . . When people coming back from Iraq were proud of what they had done, bragging about killing people and showing me pictures of their first kill with big smiles on their faces and that just didn't sit right in my stomach. So I made the decision then. That was probably the turning point right there.
Laura Baziuk (Peace Arch News link has text and video) descibes approximately 30 people gathering at the Peace Arch this morning to show their support for Robin Long. The group carried signs with slogans such as "ROBIN LONG BELONGS IN CANADA" and "war Resisters welcome here." Demonstrator Carleen Pickard declared, "We believe he was deported this morning so he is already in the United States." Allan Dowd (Reuters) has just had confirmation that Long is out of Canada: "The Canada Border Services Agency confirmed Long's removal, but declined to give other details, citing privacy laws. Long's refugee claim had already been rejected and he could not appeal Monday's court ruling."
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.
[. . .]
In news in the US presidential race, Brett Lieberman (The Patriot News) reports, "The bonus scandal stole millions from the public, but it could end up saving third-party presidential candidate Ralph Nader $81,000 in legal fees he was ordered to pay after being tossed from the Pennsylvania ballot in 2004." Barack Obama gave a speech today. Yawn. Free Speech Radio News includes the nonsense and you know they never actually LISTEN. He's promised nothing. "Can" is the word. "Can" is ability. "Can" is not a vow. That's very difficult for the insane Cult of Obama to grasp. There was nothing new offered in his dull, lip-smacking (maybe he needs to go back to wearing lip gloss?) speech. It's the same non-specific garbage he's said for 18 months now. He does not give specifics on "residual" troops left in Iraq. It's a non-plan. And his alarmist talk about "finishing" Afghanistan sounds not all that different than the current White House occupant's yammering. He wants to "fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban" and that's "a war that we have to win." Remember when people were appalled by Bully Boy speaking like? Remember when people (rightly) pointed out a 'war' on terror was like a 'war' on drugs and Americans needed to grow up and get realistic? At this point, he's even worse than John Kerry's 2004 run.
Meanwhile the Nader Team notes:
Donate $100 now.
And we'll send you an autographed copy of the DVD - An Unreasonable Man.
Autographed by Ralph Nader - the subject of this historic documentary.
All around us are people who don't want Ralph to run this year.
This movie is the perfect remedy. (Watch trailer here.)
Buy this DVD.
Show it to them, loan it to them, or just give it to them - but just make sure they see it.
Young people will learn and older people will remember what it means to stand for something, to fight for something, and to believe that your efforts will make a difference.
An Unreasonable Man is the movie that turns heads.
Show it to people who like Ralph.
Show it to people who don't like Ralph.
Show it people who think Ralph should run.
Show it to people who think Ralph should not run.
But get your own autographed copy now.
So you can show it to them all.
(Or if you already have a copy, get one as a gift.)
This limited offer is part of our ten day fundraiser.
Our goal - raise $60,000 by July 20.
To put Ralph on the ballot on 15 states by July 20.
Over the last five days, we've raised over $30,000.
So, we're halfway there.
Now, let's push it past the finish line.
Donate $100 or more by 12 midnight Sunday July 20, and we'll send you an autographed copy of this explosive documentary of Ralph's public life of citizen activism.
(Only one DVD per donation of $100 or more. If you would like two copies, please donate twice. Three copies, donate three times. Remember - only one DVD per donation of $100 or more.)
RECOMMENDED: "Iraq snapshot"
"Robin Long to be deported"
"Robin Long; bombings in Iraq"
"barack obama's sister souljah campaign"
"Brian Montopoli, Ryan Lizza, Ralph Nader"
"Progressives Against Obama"
"Amy Goodman distracts for Barack"
"Progressives Against Obama"
"Ralph Nader, NYT, Third"
"Barack distracts from sexism"
"THIS JUST IN! HOS FOR BARACK!"
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Barack distracts from sexism
BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL-AID TABLE
SENATOR BARACK "SWEETIE" OBAMA WAS IN AN UPROAR TODAY. HIS CAMPAIGN DUBBED A CARTOON COVER OF THE NEW YORKER "OFFENSIVE."
IT ONLY GOT WORSE AS BARACK STEPPED FORWARD AND PRETENDED TO CALL OUT THE SEXISM AND TAKE BERNIE MAC TO TASK BEFORE SAYING "I'M JUST KIDDING YOU." SCREAMING THAT THE COVER WAS OFFENSIVE AND IMPLYING RACISM HAD ALL THE USUAL BARACK CROTCH SNIFFERS RUNNING WITH HIS TALKING POINT.
WE CAUGHT UP WITH AILEEN ALFANDARY OF KPFA AND AMY GOODMAN OF PRAVDA ON THE HUDSON.
"WE'RE JUST WHORES," EXPLAINED GOODY WHILE ALF REFUSED TO BARK. "I SWING MY ASS AND SELL IT FOR BARACK. I'M NOT A JOURNALIST, I'M JUST A CHEAP WHORE. THAT'S WHY I DON'T GIVE A DAMN THAT ALL WOMEN WERE CALLED HOS. I'M A WHORE AND AIN'T I A WOMAN? I WILL GET BARACK INTO THE WHITE HOUSE AND, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'LL STILL BE A WHORE THEN."
REACHED FOR COMMENT, SENATOR SWEETIE SAID, "THOSE HOS BETTER BE WORKING IT. I'M NOT KIDDING." ASKED ABOUT HIS TANTRUM OVER THE MAGAZINE COVER, HE LAUGHED, "YEAH, YEAH, KEPT PEOPLE FROM FOCUSING ON BERNIE MAC AND FROM READING THAT ARTICLE THAT PROVES I AIN'T NO POLITICAL VIRGIN."
Starting with war resistance. The American Family News Network's OneNewsNow demonstrates just how some people must actually beg to be stupid -- that's the only explanation for their nonsense. They quote a retired Lt Col Bob Maginnis in the US on war resisters in Canada stating, "The military is pretty strict on treason -- and if it gets its hands on these people, it will put them in jail. They'll spend years, I would expect, in jail. I don't think they're just going to let them go free unless a new president comes in and grants amnesty -- and of course we've seen that in the past." "Treason"? What a moron. Desertion is not treason. As for amnesty and "we've seen that in the past" -- does he mean Vietnam? We saw no amnesty for desertion (Gerald Ford did institute a clemency program for deserters and draft evaders -- there was no amnesty for deserters, not even by Jimmy Carter). Historically, Andrew Johnson gave amnesty in December 25, 1868, FDR gave amnesty in 1933, Harry S. Truman did four amnesties -- all programs included deserters. Canadian MP Bob Rae took to the Toronto Star on Saturday to give a much needed history lesson on Canada during Vietnam, "At the time, those coming over as draft dodgers and deserters knew they would not be able to return home without facing arrest. It would be years before a general amnesty would allow that to happen, and it applied just to the draft dodgers; deserters are still arrested if they return. The Pearson and Trudeau governments kept the border open, despite U.S. objections, and refused to allow Canadian border officials to become agents of American military policy. It strained the relationship -- as did public statements by Canadian officials about the war itself -- but it did not break it. The Vietnam generation has made an extraordinary contribution to the life of the country. In every walk of life, in every profession, in every community, Canada is a better place because we decided to become a place of refuge for those seeking a different political home, even those who were defying American military law to do so." Meanwhile the Los Angeles Times offers the editorial "Seeking asylum in Canada: The case of U.S. Army deserter Joshua Key should prompt the U.S. to do some soul-searching" which notes, "Because of the sympathetic reception that Canada gave U.S. conscientious objectors and deserters during the Vietnam War, Americans may assume that our gentle northern neighbor will grant refuge to the perhaps 200 Iraq war deserters who have fled to Canada and thus spare us the agony of prosecuting them. But times and Canadian laws have changed. Although Canada declined to help the U.S. invade Iraq and its public largely opposes the continuing U.S. operations there, its courts have consistently ruled that U.S. deserters have no right to asylum. The courts have sensibly concluded that Americans who volunteer for military service cannot claim to be conscientious objectors merely because they oppose the war in Iraq, and that soldiers who wish to challenge the conduct of the war can do so through established legal procedures at home without fear of persecution." The editorial notes Canadian Judge Robert Barnes decision regarding Joshua Key's claims for refugee status as well as the motion the House of Commons passed June 3rd) and comes out on the day that Robin Long's hearing takes place.
War Resisters Support Campaign - Vancouver notes that hearing was scheduled to begin at 9:30 this morning. Andy Iven (The Province) reports, "Long's lawyer, Shepherd Moss, will ask the Federal Court this morning to grant a stay of his deportation order" and notes Vancouver's War Resisters Support Campaign chair Bob Ages explaining that Long was never informed that the Canadian Border Services Agency had decided to deport him prior to his being arrested and quotes Ages asking, "Without the decision [being communicated], how do you know you are supposed to appeal?" Chris Cook's Gorilla Radio will feature Sarah Bjorknas (of Vancouver's War Resisters Support Campaign) as a guest this evening. She will be speaking about Robin Long. It airs live on 101.9 FM in Canada ond online from five to six p.m. PST.
An interview with Iraq Veterans Against the War Matthis Chiroux taped last Wednesday was aired this morning on WBAI's Law and Disorder.
Dahlia Hashad: Matthis is with Iraq Veterans Against the War and a conscientious objector himself. Welcome Matthis to Law and Disorder.
Thank you ma'am. It's good to be here.
Dahlia: Matthis, you're here in New York City protesting. Can you tell us why you're here?
Matthis: I call New York City my home but I'm out in front of the Canadian embassy today. I am advocating the rights of Corey Glass and other US war resisters in Canada who may face deportation despite a resoulition of support from the Canadian Parliament for allowing US war resisters to stay in Canada. And that is not right. That is not democratic. The people at large have spoken -- two-thirds of the Canadian people believe US war resisters should be able to stay and the government is prepared to act in opposition to that.
[. . .]
Michael Smith: Matthis, we hear the chants of anti-war activists in the background. We wanted to ask you about yourself. What's led you to the decision to refuse to deploy to Iraq?
Matthis Chiroux: Yes. Well I served for five years in the army. I see a great need for a defensively postured, professional force that can also participate in military operations abroad but I see that this force has been hijacked by those who are not adhering to the Rule of Law anymore as recorded in the Constitution and I refuse to -- I refuse to follow illegal orders.
Michael Smith: Are you under orders now to deploy to Iraq?
Matthis Chiroux: I am. I am under force reactivization orders. The president signed a state of emergency orders declared on September 14, 2001. It's the reason, his authority for calling me back and more or less drafting me as a veteran to go and fight his war in Iraq which I believe to the very core of my self as a soldier and citizen that this war is illegal and I feel bound to refuse to participate.
Michael Smith: When are you supposed to ship out?
Matthis Chiroux: I was supposed to ship out June 15th. Instead I made a speech in Washington, DC. I was there actually informing members of Congress of the plight of war resisters. I met with members and their staff and I think roughly about 30 offices and I put forward to them the fact that military members who cannot call themselves conscientious objectors according to the army's standard are being left with options by the army and that is 1) deploy as ordered despite your beliefs and despite what you understand the law to be; 2) go AWOL -- you know flee the country or, if you stay in the country, go into hiding and live like a criminal . . .
To show your support for Matthis, Iraq Veterans Against the War asks that you:
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. The Green Party concluded their convention yesterday. Media attention largely fell into two categories: silence and snark. Leave it to Aileen Alfandary to bring in "uninformed" which, for the record, she did on the first news break of KPFA's The Morning Show where she declared of the Cynthia McKinney and Rosa Clemente ticket, "This year's Green ticket marks the first time a US has nominated women of color for both president and vice-president." Uh, no, Alfandary, it's not. From Friday's snapshot: "What About Our Daughters? explains that, if McKinney is the nominee, this is the third time two women of color would be on the ticket with the first being Lenora Fulani and Maria Elizabeth Munoz in 1992 (New Alliance Party) and Monica Moorehead and Gloria La Riva (Workers World Party) in 1996." And, no, Alfandary, she's not a "Hip-Hop artist" -- usually you have to go to the Atlanta Journal-Constiution to find that sort of lie. She's a "Hip-Hop activist" (and bills herself as that). Alfandary continued, "McKinney is African-American, Clemente is Puerto Rican." Oh really? That's how Clemente self-defines? Here's Clemente explaining it in 2007, "I am often asked what I am usually by Blacks who are lighter than me, and by Latinos as dark or darker than me. To anser the ,000 question, I am a Black Boricua, Black Rican, Puertoriqueoa! Almost always I am questioned about why I choose to call myself Black over Latina, Spanish or Hispanic. Let me break it down. I am not Spanish. Spanish is just another language I speak. I am not Hispanic. My ancestors are not descendants of Spain, but descendants of Africa. I define my existence by race and land. (Borinken is the indigenous name of the island of Puerto Rico.) Being a Latino is not a cultural identity but rather a political one. Being Puerto Rican is not a racial identity, but rather a cultural and national one. Being Black is my racial identity." Amazingly Alfandary made so many mistakes during The Morning Show while providing McKinney, Clemente and the Green Party convention 49 less seconds than she devorted to a Barack Obama magazine cover (listen to all Alfandary's news breaks in the program). A political party holds a convention. They nominate their presidential candidate. And it's less important to Alfandary than a magazine cover? Is their any perspective or awarness? (No, there's not. And Ava and I will tackle it Sunday at Third.) NPR gave the nomination three minutes in a report Sunday by Cheryl Corley (Weekend Edition Sunday). And just to be clear, the cover is not the issue. Though Amy Goodman and Aileen Alfandary act like it is, the reality is Obama campaign is attacking the cover to discredit the article. Back to the Greens.
The convention began Thursday "at the Palmer House Hilton in downtown Chicago" and it ran through Sunday. A video of McKinney speaking at the party's Presidential Candidate Forum Friday night can be found here. Kimberly Wilder (On the Wilder Side) has a photo essay of the weekend here and you'll notice how much Cynthia McKinney looks like her mother, Leola McKinney, who was among the many attending the convention (as was Cynthia's father Billy McKinney). Wilder reports that not only were they, they "switched their registration from Democratic Party to Green Party" and "were elected to be the delegates from the Black Caucus. So, Cynthia McKinney's parents went on stage to cast the GP-US Black Caucus's two votes: both for their daughter". The voting took place Saturday and involved only one round which Cynthia won. In her acceptance speech, McKinney noted her son Coy who "grew up playing on the Floor underneath my desk in the Chamber of the Georgia House of Representatives. His buddies were the legislators down there, under the Gold Dome, who were my and my father's colleagues." She noted her father, "When my father first started out in the world of politics in Georgia, he began as a Republican, because Georgia Democrats would not allow Blacks to vote in their primaries. Some of my father's closest friends today are still Republicans because of that history. My father served 30 years in the Georgia Legislature as a Democrat. Because of him, I served 4 years in the Georgia Legislature, when we were the country's only father-daughter legislative team. And then I went to Congress and served 12 years working with the Democratic Party and its current leadership representing the State of Georgia." And she noted her mother, "My mother is the genteel Southern lady who keeps our family glued together. A nurse by profession, a nurturer by instinct, she could patch over all the times I had political disagreements with my Dad and it ended up being discussed, not only at the family dinner table, but also on the evening news." She noted the Democratic presidential primay, "And even though for the first time a woman and an African-American were being taken seriously in national primaries, a real discussion of race and gender has been studiously avoided on all sides." From McKinney's speech (which is posted in full at Austin Cassidy's Independent Political Report):
In 1851, in Akron, Ohio a former slave woman, abolitionist, and woman's rights activist by the name of Sojourner Truth gave a speech now known as "Ain't I a Woman." Sojourner Truth began her remarks, "Well children, where there is so much racket, there must be something out of kilter." She then went on to say that even though she was a woman, no one had ever helped her out of carriages or lifted her over ditches or given her a seat of honor in any place. Instead, she acknowledged, that as a former slave and as a black woman, she had had to bear the lash as well as any man; and that she had borne "thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And Ain't I a woman?" Finally, Sojourner Truth says, "If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again!" As it was in 1851, so too it is in 2008. There is so much racket that we, too, know something is out of kilter. In 1851, the racket was about a woman's right to vote. In 1848, just a few years before Sojourner uttered those now famous words, "Ain't I a Woman?" suffragists met in Seneca Falls, New York and issued a declaration. That declaration began: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of those who suffer from it to refuse allegiance to it, and to insist upon the institution of a new government . . . . But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their duty to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of the women under this government, and such is now the necessity which constrains them to demand the equal station to which they are entitled." Two hundred sixty women and forty men gathered in Seneca Falls, NY and declared their independence from the politics of their present and embarked upon a struggle to create a politics for the future. That bold move by a handful of people in one relatively small room laid the groundwork and is the precedent for what we do today. The Seneca Falls Declaration represented a clean break from the past: Freedom, at last, from mental slavery. The Seneca Falls Declaration and the Akron, Ohio meeting inaugurated 72 years of struggle that ended with the passage of the 19th Amendment in August of 1920, granting women the right to vote. And 88 years later, with the Green Party as its conductor, the History Train is rolling down the tracks. The Green Party is making history today. According to one source, 45 women have run for President in primary elections in the United States in the 20th Century; 22 have made it on the ballot in at least one state in November. Thank you, Green Party, for pulling this history train from the station. But we make history today only because we must. In 2008, after two stolen Presidential elections and eight years of George W. Bush, and at least two years of Democratic Party complicity, the racket is about war crimes, torture, crimes against the peace; the racket is about crimes against the Constitution, crimes against the American people, and crimes against the global community. The racket is even about values that we thought were long settled as reasonable to pursue, like liberty and justice, and economic opportunity, for all. Yes, Sojourner, there's a lot out of kilter now, but these two women, Rosa and me, joined by all the men and women in this room, are going to do our best to turn this country right side up again.
McKinney is an actual nominee, her party's candidate. The Democrats don't have one yet, they'll hold their convention in August. Barack Obama is presumed to be the candidate and a new group has sprung up in reaction to him. Progressives Against Obama announces: "When Barack Obama broke his promise to progressives, and voted for the FISA Amendments Act, it was with the assumption that progressive voters would never abandon the Obama campaign, because they had no alternative. Now a group is organizing disgruntled voters online with the purpose of proving Obama's assumption to be wrong. Progressives Against Obama have begun to organize online at ProgressivesAgainstObama.com. " Along with the FISA cave, the organization notes Barack's waffling position on Iraq, his announcement that he'll expand Bully Boy's 'faith' based funding, his "opposition to full marriage equality" and his "use of homophobic preacher Donnie McClurkin." The organization's founder Jonathan Cook declares, "We do not support John McCain, and we do not support right wing and racist attacks against Barack Obama. As progressives, we oppose Barack Obama from a progressive perspective. We intend to hold true to our ideals even as Barack Obama trades them away for the sake of political power." Gilles d'Aymery (Swans Commentary) advocates for independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader, "The Nader-Gonzalez ticket is by far the most qualified and experienced to govern the nation. Their combined expertise, their common sense approach to problem solving, and their acclaimed honesty appeal to a wide range of people from all sides of the political divide. Contrary to the two candidates of the duopoly [Barack and McCain] they are not panderers; they are not flip-floppers; they do not exploit fear for political ends; and they have no corporate masters and are not owned by lobbyists, which allow them to represent the interests of the entire American people, not the top twenty percent of the population. . . . as often stated, a vote for Nader is a vote for sanity -- and the country has never needed more sane and sound policies than since the 1930s." Jesse A. Hamilton (Harford Courant) reports, "Right about now, the Forces of Nader are adding the familiar name of Ralph Nader to the Rhode Island presidential election ballot for November. The state requires 1,000 signatures to do so; his campaign reported they'll be handing over more than 2,000." Foon Rhee (Boston Globe) notes, "His campaign also plans to turn in signatures today in South Carolina, and says he will be well on the way to being on the ballot in 15 states by next week. In Massachusetts, Nader said he has about 17,000 signatures in hand and is aiming for 20,000. He needs 10,000 valid signatures to get on the Bay State ballot." Chris Giganti (The Digitel) explains that 18,500 signatures were gathered in South Carolina and that the petition was filed this afternoon. Nader was campaigning in North Carolina this weekend and Rachana Dixit (Charlottesville Daily Progress) reports he declared that corporations "were never designed to rule us. They were designed to be our servants, now they have become our masters" and that he addressed "cutting the military budget, adopting single-payer national health insurance, completely reversing the United States' policy in the Middle East, impeaching President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, and cracking down on corporate crime and welfare." This morning Team Nader summed up the goals and objectives for the immediate future as well as the ones reached over the weekend:
Four days ago we announced our goal of putting Ralph Nader on the ballot in five more states - for a total of fifteen states - by July 20 and that we would need to raise $60,000 to get it done. How are we doing? In those four days, we've raised - thanks to you - more than $26,000. Later today in South Carolina, we will turn in more than 18,000, more than enough to get us on the ballot. We only need 10,000 valid. South Carolina - check. Later today in Rhode Island, we will turn in more than 2,000 signatures. We need only 1,000 valid to get us on the ballot there. Rhode Island - check. In Massachusetts, we have about 17,000 signatures in hand. We need 10,000 valid. Our goal is 20,000. We're well on our way in Massachusetts.In Missouri, we have 14,000 in hand. We need 10,000 valid. Our goal is 20,000. We're well on our way in Missouri. Our South Carolina road crew is being deployed to Arkansas this week. They should knock out Arkansas by the end of the week. So, by Sunday, July 21, as promised, we will have 15 states in the bag. (See updated map here.) On the political front, McCain and Obama are in a dead heat. (See Rasmussen daily tracking poll here.) CNN's most recent poll puts Ralph at six percent. Ralph has been on the road campaigning, most recently in Charlottesville, Virginia. Check out this news video. And as the panderer Obama moves to the right, many of his supporters are taking a new look at Nader/Gonzalez. Check out, for example, Allison Kilkenny's Huffington Post blog titled The Other N Word. And see also Greg Kafoury's After the Obama Betrayal. Our short term goal - raise the remaining $34,000 by July 20. Help us get there now. Our medium term goal, put Nader/Gonzalez on the ballot in 45 states by September 20. Our long term goal - change the country. Step by step. Together, we are making a difference. Onward RECOMMENDED: "Iraq snapshot" "Robin Long hearing takes place today" "Jim Muer, on the job to nowhere" "And the war drags on . . ." "Cynthia McKinney, Let her shine" "Bob Rae does what needs doing (and does it well)"
|
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Cynthia's the Green's choice
|
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)