BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- DC.
ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, 2973 AMERICANS DIED IN WHAT HAS BEEN CALLED THE WORST TERRORIST ATTACK ON AMERICAN SOIL.
BULLY BOY HAS NOW PROVEN TO BE A BIGGER THREAT TO THE SAFETY AND LIVES OF AMERICANS AS THE DEATH TOLL FOR U.S. SOLDIERS IN IRAQ NOW SURPASSES THE 9-11 TOLL.
ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THE BULLY BOY TODAY FOR A COMMENT ON THE 2980 AMERICAN TROOPS WHO HAVE NOW DIED IN HIS ILLEGAL WAR WERE UNSUCCESSFUL.
CALLS BEFORE NOON WERE GREETED WITH REPLIES OF "THE BULLY BOY IS NAPPING." FROM NOON TO 1, THE REPLY WAS, "THE BULLY BOY IS EATING LUNCH AND FINISHING HIS JUICE BOX." WHEN THESE REPORTERS AGAIN ATTEMPTED TO PHONE THE CRAWFORD RANCH FOR A COMMENT, WE HAD WAITED UNTIL TWO P.M. AND MISSED THE WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY.
AS TONY SNOWJOB EXPLAINED, "BULLY BOY WAS WATCHING VIDEOCASSETTES OF HIS FAVORITE CARTOON, MY LITTLE PONY, BUT FROM TWO TO 5 EACH DAY, HE TAKES HIS AFTERNOON NAP. TRUST ME, THE BULLY BOY WILL BE WELL RESTED WHEN HE RETURNS TO D.C."
FROM THE TCI WIRE:
In peace news, US war resister Ricky Clousing was released from the brig at Camp Lejeune on Saturday where he had been sentenced for three months following an October court-martial. Clousing self-checked out of the military in June 2005 and, on August 11, 2006, announced that he was turning himself in. Cheryl Johnston Sadgrove (The News & Observer) reports that Clousing and some supporters first gathered Saturday at Raleigh's Vietnam Veterans Memorial before heading to the Quaker meeting house and meeting up with about 36 more people where Clousing spoke about his decision to refuse to participate in the illegal war and life in military prison: "I had a bed and food and shelter. To me -- it was a time out. I took that time to read and think about what I want to do after that." The Associated Press reports that Clousing stated, "It feels good, but it feels surreal because I don't have to deal with the military anymore. . . . My decision was never personal to my command. I had to honor my own personal convictions. I'm excited to finally be finished with the military. I've gotten the opportunity to learn a lot about myself and the system I fell under." Kelley Chambers (Jacksonville's The Daily News) quotes Veterans for Peace's Dave Taylor, "(Clousing) said to me, 'I was willing to do my duty but I'm not going back to that war because I think it's wrong,'" said Taylor. "I can't not back him up because of that."
Another US war resister, Ehren Watada, has been the topic of year end media attention (no, not from independent media). Rolling Stone picked Watada for their 2006 Honor Roll noting:
Watada, who enlisted in 2003, was praised by his superiors as an "exemplary" officer. But when he refused to ship out to Iraq, he not only became the first commissioned officer to do so -- he even rejected a desk job. "My participation would make me a party to war crimes," declared Watada, who calls the war a "horrible breach of American law." He now faces court-martial and eight years in the brig.
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin picked him for their "10 Who Made a Difference" series and Robert Shikina observed: "Watada brought his case to the public's attention, appearing at anti-war demonstrations -- he spoke to a crowd of more than 300 recently in Honolulu -- and speaking to the media to defend his beliefs. The army initiated a court-martial against Watada for missing movement and conduct unbecoming an officer for statemens he made about the war. A charge of contempt toward a government official for statements he made about President Bush was later dropped. Watada has criticized the government of committing lies to drag the U.S. into war in Iraq for the benefit of large corporations. He said he is defending the U.S. Constitution."
Phil Tajitsu Nash (Asian Week) picked Watada as one of the "Real People of the Year" noting: "When it was more damaging to his career to do so, however, Army 1st Lt. Ehren Watada did not flinch when he publicly stated he believes the Iraq war is illegal, and publicly refused orders to deploy to Iraq to lead his troops later that month. He now faces possible court martial and prison time for his position, but refuses to back down. 'It is the duty, the obligation of every soldier, and specifically the officers, to evaluate the legality, the truth behind every order -- including the order to go to war,' he said. 'The wholesale slaughter and mistreatment of the Iraqi people with only limited accountability is not only a terrible moral injustice, but a contradiction to the Army's own Law of Land Warfare. My participation would make me party to war crimes'."
Clousing and Watada are part of a movement of resistance within the military that includes Kyle Snyder, Darrell Anderson, Mark Wilkerson, Agustin Aguayo, Joshua Key, Ivan Brobeck, Camilo Meija, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Jeremy Hinzman, Corey Glass, Patrick Hart, Clifford Cornell, Joshua Despain, Katherine Jashinski, and Kevin Benderman. In total, thirty-eight US war resisters in Canada have applied for asylum.
Joel Wendland (Political Affairs) reviews Peter Laufer's Mission Rejected: U.S. Soldiers Who Say No to the War in Iraq which examines the resistance and a large number of the resisters (including Joshua Key, Darrell Anderson, Jeremy Hinzman, Ryan Johnson and others). Wendland notes: "While this military-based movement falls numerically short of such opposition during the Vietnam War (approximately 170,000 draftees refused to fight by registering as conscientious objectors), today's numbers are still significant within the context of a so-called volunteer army. Indeed, many war resisters have been denied conscientious objector status and subsequently punished for their refusal to participate in what they consider an immoral or illegal war."
Information on war resistance within the military can be found at Center on Conscience & War, The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline, and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Appeal for Redress is collecting signatures of active duty service members calling on Congress to bring the troops home -- the petition will be delivered to Congress next month. Information on past and present war resistance can also be found in David Zeiger's Sir! No Sir! which tells the story of war resistance during the Vietnam era and, in the new director's edition, also includes bonus material on Camilo Mejia's court-martial, interviews with Cindy Sheehan and Jane Fonda about today's war resistance, and more. The director's cut is availabe for $23.95 and the original version is currently available for $12.95.
Recommended: "Iraq snapshot"
"Kat's Korner: 2006 in music"
"2978 US troops have died in Iraq since the start of the illegal war"
"2006 in books (Martha & Shirley)"
"NYT: "Baghdad Roadside Bomb Kills 3 U.S. Soldiers" (Marc Santora)"
"And the war drags on . . ."
"Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts 'Miss Congenital Liar'"
"NYT: Gordo can't keep it in his pants"
"Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts 'Condi Rice for LIAR-ALL Bully Products'"
"NYT: Continuing to ignore the fatalities"
"the nation gives a sexist space to lie"
"Christmas Is Almost Here"
"The Double-Wide Friedman"
"Better?"
"Traditions in the Kitchen?"
"John Lennon & Yoko Ono's "Happy XMAS (War Is Over)"
"A Note to Our Readers"
"Editorial: 2007?"
"TV: Looking forward . . . by looking backward?"
"Roundtable"
"Mr. Tony's appointment"
"The story of 2006"
"The Nation's Slap In The Face to women"
"The One about Keefer Madness and CJR"
"The Nation Stats"
"TV: Victoria's Real Secret"
"Highlights"
"Applause to Amy Goodman"
"Applause to Rolling Stone"
"Why does Katrina vanden Heuvel hate women and love centrists?"
"THIS JUST IN! THE NATION MAGAZINE SAYS 'SHUT UP, CHICKS!'"
__________________________________________________
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Friday, December 22, 2006
Why does Katrina vanden Heuvel hate women and love centrists?
BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- DC.
DUMB ASS PETER BERGEN, NO RELATION TO CHARLIE MCCARTHY WHO HAD MORE COMMON SENSE, TAKES A LOOK AT THREE BOOKS -- TWO BY WOMEN AND 1 BY MEN -- AND NO SURPRISE, 'CHICKS' NEED TO SHUT UP.
BERGEN TARGETS ANN JONES ESPECIALLY AND SLAMS HER FOR NOTING "THAT THE UNITED STATES WAS INITIALLY WILLING TO PLAY BALL WITH THE TALIBAN IN THE MIDDLE 1990S BECAUSE OF ENERGY INTERESTS EAGER TO BUILD A PIPELINE ACROSS THE COUNTRY FROM THE GAS FIELDS OF CENTRAL ASIA".
THAT'S CALLED REALITY AND DOES ANYONE PROOF THE NATION? (APPARENTLY NOT, SEE THE SUSAN SEAFORTH HAYES OF INDEPENDENT MEDIA.)
IS THE NATION UNAWARE OF FRED HALLIDAY'S NOVEMBER 1996 REPORT FOR ITS MAGAZINE? OR THAT ONE OF THEIR "CONTRIBUTING EDITORS," GORE VIDAL, HAS WRITTEN EXTENSIVELY ON THIS TOPIC?
MIKE FERNER HAS COVERED IT AT COUNTERPUNCH. MARJORIE COHN HAS COVERED IT AT COUNTERPUNCH. THE LIST IS ENDLESS.
BUT THE NATION ALLOWS NON-LEFTY PETER BERGEN TO SLAM ANN JONES?
WHAT THE HELL IS PETER BERGEN DOING IN THE PAGES OF THE NATION TO BEGIN WITH?
HERE ARE SOME MORE QUESTIONS:
*WHY DOES THE NATION ALLOW TWO WOMEN TO BE TRASHED?
*DOES KATRINA VANDEN HEUVEL, EDITOR & PUBLISHER, ENJOY SEEING OTHER WOMEN TRASHED IN THE PAGES OF HER MAGAZINE?
*WHY DOES SHE FARM OUR REVIEWS TO A MEMBER OF THE 'CENTRIST' NEW AMERICAN FOUNDATION WHEN THE NATION IS SUPPOSEDLY A MAGAZINE FOR THE LEFT?
*WILL SHE NEXT HIRE BERGEN'S THINK TANK CO-HORTS LIKE NEOCON FAREED ZAKARIA OR CHRISTY TODD WHITMAN OR FRANCIS FUKUYAMA TO WRITE FOR THE NATION?
BERGEN MOST RECENTLY CO-WROTE AN ARTICLE WITH MICHAEL LIND. MAYBE THE NATION -- IN SEVERE IDENTITY CRISIS MODE -- CAN NEXT HIRE HIM.
FROM THE TCI WIRE:
Equally oblivious is the US Secretary of State. Yes, Condi Rice continues to flaunt her loose grip on reality. Her failure as US National Security Advisor (remember, 9-11 was on her watch) trails her as US Secretary of State. Mark Tran (Guardian of London) reports that Condoleezza Rice "said Iraq was worth the cost in US lives and dollars". Today, the US military announced: "Three Marines and one Sailor assigned to Regimental Combat Team 7 died Thursday from wounds sustained due to enemy action while operating in Al Anbar Province." Also today, the US military announced: "An attack against a Multi-National Division - Baghdad patrol killed a Soldier west of the Iraqi capital Dec. 22. The Soldiers came under sporadic small arms and indirect fire during a patrol. One Soldier was killed and another wounded." Five deaths and Condi says it's worth it. The total number of US troops killed in the Iraq war is 2965 and Condi says 'It's worth it.'
As for the financial costs, the National Priorities Project has released their summary of the US federal government's budget for 2006 which notes ". . . the total cost of the Iraq War rose to nearly $380 billion. . . . Broken down another way, on average, the federal government spends about $11 million every hour on the Iraq War, $256 million each day, or around $8 billion per month."
Condi's statements about things going swimmingly come as the BBC reports that at least seven Iraqi police officers were arrested by British troops in Basra due to suspicions of "corruption and leading a death squad in Basra."
While Condi proves she's useless in every position, Bully Boy hopes and prays that Santa Clause will bring him a way out of the illegal war he started so that he can announce some new 'plan' in 2007. 75 US troops, who lost their lives this month so far, won't be able to wait for that news. It is the deadliest December for US troops since the start of the illegal war and December isn't over.
Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"
"And the war drags on"
"Jacksonville's Daily News: Ricky Clousing released from the brig this Saturday"
"Other Items"
"robert parry, rosa mariam elizalde, gore vidal, fl..."
"Arundhati Roy, Todd Huffman, Ricky Clousing"
"Still sick"
"Breaking the News"
"THIS JUST IN! S.M.U. LEADS IN THE IDIOT COLLEGIATE BOWL!"
"SMU and Baylor in First Idiot Draft Pick!"
DUMB ASS PETER BERGEN, NO RELATION TO CHARLIE MCCARTHY WHO HAD MORE COMMON SENSE, TAKES A LOOK AT THREE BOOKS -- TWO BY WOMEN AND 1 BY MEN -- AND NO SURPRISE, 'CHICKS' NEED TO SHUT UP.
BERGEN TARGETS ANN JONES ESPECIALLY AND SLAMS HER FOR NOTING "THAT THE UNITED STATES WAS INITIALLY WILLING TO PLAY BALL WITH THE TALIBAN IN THE MIDDLE 1990S BECAUSE OF ENERGY INTERESTS EAGER TO BUILD A PIPELINE ACROSS THE COUNTRY FROM THE GAS FIELDS OF CENTRAL ASIA".
THAT'S CALLED REALITY AND DOES ANYONE PROOF THE NATION? (APPARENTLY NOT, SEE THE SUSAN SEAFORTH HAYES OF INDEPENDENT MEDIA.)
IS THE NATION UNAWARE OF FRED HALLIDAY'S NOVEMBER 1996 REPORT FOR ITS MAGAZINE? OR THAT ONE OF THEIR "CONTRIBUTING EDITORS," GORE VIDAL, HAS WRITTEN EXTENSIVELY ON THIS TOPIC?
MIKE FERNER HAS COVERED IT AT COUNTERPUNCH. MARJORIE COHN HAS COVERED IT AT COUNTERPUNCH. THE LIST IS ENDLESS.
BUT THE NATION ALLOWS NON-LEFTY PETER BERGEN TO SLAM ANN JONES?
WHAT THE HELL IS PETER BERGEN DOING IN THE PAGES OF THE NATION TO BEGIN WITH?
HERE ARE SOME MORE QUESTIONS:
*WHY DOES THE NATION ALLOW TWO WOMEN TO BE TRASHED?
*DOES KATRINA VANDEN HEUVEL, EDITOR & PUBLISHER, ENJOY SEEING OTHER WOMEN TRASHED IN THE PAGES OF HER MAGAZINE?
*WHY DOES SHE FARM OUR REVIEWS TO A MEMBER OF THE 'CENTRIST' NEW AMERICAN FOUNDATION WHEN THE NATION IS SUPPOSEDLY A MAGAZINE FOR THE LEFT?
*WILL SHE NEXT HIRE BERGEN'S THINK TANK CO-HORTS LIKE NEOCON FAREED ZAKARIA OR CHRISTY TODD WHITMAN OR FRANCIS FUKUYAMA TO WRITE FOR THE NATION?
BERGEN MOST RECENTLY CO-WROTE AN ARTICLE WITH MICHAEL LIND. MAYBE THE NATION -- IN SEVERE IDENTITY CRISIS MODE -- CAN NEXT HIRE HIM.
FROM THE TCI WIRE:
Equally oblivious is the US Secretary of State. Yes, Condi Rice continues to flaunt her loose grip on reality. Her failure as US National Security Advisor (remember, 9-11 was on her watch) trails her as US Secretary of State. Mark Tran (Guardian of London) reports that Condoleezza Rice "said Iraq was worth the cost in US lives and dollars". Today, the US military announced: "Three Marines and one Sailor assigned to Regimental Combat Team 7 died Thursday from wounds sustained due to enemy action while operating in Al Anbar Province." Also today, the US military announced: "An attack against a Multi-National Division - Baghdad patrol killed a Soldier west of the Iraqi capital Dec. 22. The Soldiers came under sporadic small arms and indirect fire during a patrol. One Soldier was killed and another wounded." Five deaths and Condi says it's worth it. The total number of US troops killed in the Iraq war is 2965 and Condi says 'It's worth it.'
As for the financial costs, the National Priorities Project has released their summary of the US federal government's budget for 2006 which notes ". . . the total cost of the Iraq War rose to nearly $380 billion. . . . Broken down another way, on average, the federal government spends about $11 million every hour on the Iraq War, $256 million each day, or around $8 billion per month."
Condi's statements about things going swimmingly come as the BBC reports that at least seven Iraqi police officers were arrested by British troops in Basra due to suspicions of "corruption and leading a death squad in Basra."
While Condi proves she's useless in every position, Bully Boy hopes and prays that Santa Clause will bring him a way out of the illegal war he started so that he can announce some new 'plan' in 2007. 75 US troops, who lost their lives this month so far, won't be able to wait for that news. It is the deadliest December for US troops since the start of the illegal war and December isn't over.
Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"
"And the war drags on"
"Jacksonville's Daily News: Ricky Clousing released from the brig this Saturday"
"Other Items"
"robert parry, rosa mariam elizalde, gore vidal, fl..."
"Arundhati Roy, Todd Huffman, Ricky Clousing"
"Still sick"
"Breaking the News"
"THIS JUST IN! S.M.U. LEADS IN THE IDIOT COLLEGIATE BOWL!"
"SMU and Baylor in First Idiot Draft Pick!"
Thursday, December 21, 2006
SMU and Baylor in First Idiot Draft Pick!
BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- DC.
IN THE SORT OF PITCHED BATTLE THEY USUALLY RESERVE FOR HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL DRAFTS, TEXAS' BAYLOR UNIVERSITY AND SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY ARE IN A NECK AND NECK BATTLE OVER WHO WILL GET TO HOUSE THE BULLY BOY'S LIBRARY.
THE 'LIBRARY' IS THOUGHT TO CONSIST OF LITTLE MORE THAN THE CHILDREN'S STORY MY PET GOAT. BUT BOTH UNIVERSITIES ARE DETERMINED TO UNDERMINE THEIR OWN ACADEMIC STANDARDS BY HOUSING THE ILLITERATE IN CHIEF.
EARLY REPORTS HAVE S.M.U. LEADING IN THE BATTLE AND WAGS SAY THAT IS LARGELY DUE TO THE FACT THAT FIRST LADY LAURA BUSH, ONCE KNOWN AS "DIME BAG LAURA," RAN QUITE THE DELIVERY SERVICE OFF THAT CAMPUS BACK IN THE DAY.
FROM THE TCI WIRE:
Starting with news of peace and resistance, US war resister Ricky Clousing has spent three months in a military jail for his refusal to continue fighting in an illegal war. He is now being released and supporters are encouraged to be at the "Seattle-Tacoma International Airport at 10:15PM on Saturday, December 23rd, Concourse B, Baggage Claim 11" to welcome him home.
Clousing self-checked out of the US military in June of 2005 after serving in Iraq, on August 11, 2006, announced, during the Veterans for Peace conference in Seattle, that he would be turning himself in at Fort Lewis. David Swanson (AfterDowningStreet.com) reported at the time, "Clousing said he did not apply for conscientious objector status because he is not certain he would oppose every possible war, such as one fought in self-defense. He said he has spent the past year trying to figure out how to turn himself in, that the military has refused to comment on his status and that he is now choosing to force them to deal with it. . . . Clousing said he served in Baghdad and Mosul as an interrogator, and that this meant he spoke to Iraqi civilians every day and learned what they thought about the war. Clousing said he witnessed the routine incarceration of civilians with no basis and no ability to contact their families. He spoke in particular of four brothers, the youngest aged 12, locked up for three to four weeks. Physical abuse of civilians and the killing of one Iraqi civilian were among the crimes Clousing said he witnessed."
Clousing did turn himself in at Fort Lewis but was told that he needed to turn himself at Fort Bragg which he did on August 18th. Bob Geary (Raleigh-Durham Independent Weekly) describes that episode: "The story of what it took for him to finally get arrested at Bragg is almost comical--his calls to Lewis were bucked to Bragg and vice versa; he was told his records were lost, but suddenly were found after he spoke out publicly against the war; and even then, he had to find his own way back to Bragg and knock on a bunch of different doors before a soldier finally did him the service of detaining him." September 1st brought the news that he would face a charge of desertion. On October 12th, Ricky Clousing was court-martialed in Fayetteville, North Carolina and pleaded guilty to being abesent without leave. Bob Geary (Raleigh-Durham Independent Weekly) reports that before Clousing leaves North Carolina Saturday, there is a scheduled rally in Fayetteville "midday Saturday to be greeted by human rights supporters at the Raleigh Friends Meeting House, 625 Tower St. (the street behind the Cameron Village Post Office). His reception is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., before he catches a flight from RDU back to his hometown of Seattle, Wash."
Turning to another war resister, Ehren Watada, something curious happens in the New York Times owned International Herald Tribune. Since it's going for an European audience (who doesn't think highly of the Times brand), it has to cover stories that the Times can't or won't. Which explains why the French version carries an AP story on Ehren Watada that the US version (or the Times for that matter) didn't. But who made the call that a hundred people attended Watada's speech? The speech, whose date and location (basic journalism) go unreported, is the same one he gave at Church of the Crossroads and Hawaii outlets that picked up the story illustrate it with a photo from that event. As noted in yesterday's snapshot, "Rod Ohira (The Honolulu Advertiser) reports that a crowd of 350 turned out to hear Watada speak at the Church of the Crossroads where he stated, 'The issue is about the war and people need to educate themselves about everything that's going on about the war. They need to take a position one way or another. If people agree with me or disagree with me, I really don't care. . . . What people need to do is take a stance. And if they truly believe there is something wrong with this war -- that it's immoral and illegal -- they should ask themselves what are they willing to sacrifice in order to stop this war?'"
It's interesting how 350 becomes "more than 100" when the AP article runs. 350 is more than 100, it's also more than 101 and 102 and 103 .
. .Leila Fujimori (Honolulu Star-Bulletin) describes the crowd: "A highly sympathetic crowd of a few hundred people gave Army 1st Lt. Ehren Watada standing ovations before, during and after a speech at the Church of the Crossroads in Moiliili." AP also manages to miss the standing ovations. Possibly it's difficult to count accurately and to hear from the mainland?
The AP does manage to note Eric Seitz, Watada's attorney, wants a larger courtroom this time. During the August Article 32 hearing, one of the biggest obstacles was the fact that there was not enough room for those attempting to attend to be seated. A smaller courtroom may be in keeping with the US military's desire to bury the court-martial (why they feel they need to bother is surprising -- independent media didn't cover the Article 32 in real time) but it's not in keeping with the supposed spirit of justice that's supposed to be on display. The AP article also quotes Ann Wright, who testified at the Article 32 hearing and is retired from the US State Department and US army, stating, "I really do appreciate when these men and women step up and say, 'I will risk going to jail because this war is wrong and I will not participate in it'."
Leila Fujimori (Honolulu Star-Bulletin) quotes two audience members (as well as what Joan, who was present, swears was a "plant"), Kristen Clyne who enjoyed the message that people make changes, not 'legislators':"This war wouldn't really be permitted without the support of the people, and it is really on the people to stop this war"; and Daniel Chong who stated, "It's about time somebody did something. . . . Some people would rather die than admit they're wrong, but he's willing to put his reputation on the line. That's true patriotism," Chung said.
Ehren Watada's pre-trial hearing is scheduled for January 4th and the court-martial is scheduled to begin February 5th. His Article 32 hearing lasted one day, Ricky Clousing's court-martial lasted one day. How long this one will last is a question that competes with "Will independent media cover it this time?"
While we await those answers, Watada and Clousing are part of a growing movement of resistance within the military that includes more than just them or more than just them plus one. Among the other war resisters who have gone public during the illegal war of choice are Kyle Snyder, Darrell Anderson, Joshua Key, Ivan Brobeck, Mark Wilkerson, Camilo Meija, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Jeremy Hinzman, Corey Glass, Patrick Hart, Clifford Cornell, Agustin Aguayo, Joshua Despain, Katherine Jashinski, and Kevin Benderman. In addition, thirty-eight US war resisters in Canada have applied for asylum.
Information on war resistance within the military can be found at Center on Conscience & War, The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline, and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Appeal for Redress is collecting signatures of active duty service members calling on Congress to bring the troops home -- the petition will be delivered to Congress next month. Information on past and present war resistance can also be found in David Zeiger's Sir! No Sir! which tells the story of war resistance during the Vietnam era and, in the new director's edition, also includes bonus material on Camilo Mejia's court-martial, interviews with Cindy Sheehan and Jane Fonda about today's war resistance, and more. The director's cut is availabe for $23.95 and the original version is currently available for $12.95.
Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"
"NYT: I Cover The Canapes"
"War resister Ricky Clousing released from military jail"
"amy branham, dave lindorff and more"
"Bad cold"
"Nostalgic Bully Boy and Nostalgic mainstream media"
"Short post"
"Bully Boy in the NFL would be as bad as he is in the White House"
"THIS JUST IN! JAKE PLUMMER'S IN THE WHITE HOUSE!"
IN THE SORT OF PITCHED BATTLE THEY USUALLY RESERVE FOR HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL DRAFTS, TEXAS' BAYLOR UNIVERSITY AND SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY ARE IN A NECK AND NECK BATTLE OVER WHO WILL GET TO HOUSE THE BULLY BOY'S LIBRARY.
THE 'LIBRARY' IS THOUGHT TO CONSIST OF LITTLE MORE THAN THE CHILDREN'S STORY MY PET GOAT. BUT BOTH UNIVERSITIES ARE DETERMINED TO UNDERMINE THEIR OWN ACADEMIC STANDARDS BY HOUSING THE ILLITERATE IN CHIEF.
EARLY REPORTS HAVE S.M.U. LEADING IN THE BATTLE AND WAGS SAY THAT IS LARGELY DUE TO THE FACT THAT FIRST LADY LAURA BUSH, ONCE KNOWN AS "DIME BAG LAURA," RAN QUITE THE DELIVERY SERVICE OFF THAT CAMPUS BACK IN THE DAY.
FROM THE TCI WIRE:
Starting with news of peace and resistance, US war resister Ricky Clousing has spent three months in a military jail for his refusal to continue fighting in an illegal war. He is now being released and supporters are encouraged to be at the "Seattle-Tacoma International Airport at 10:15PM on Saturday, December 23rd, Concourse B, Baggage Claim 11" to welcome him home.
Clousing self-checked out of the US military in June of 2005 after serving in Iraq, on August 11, 2006, announced, during the Veterans for Peace conference in Seattle, that he would be turning himself in at Fort Lewis. David Swanson (AfterDowningStreet.com) reported at the time, "Clousing said he did not apply for conscientious objector status because he is not certain he would oppose every possible war, such as one fought in self-defense. He said he has spent the past year trying to figure out how to turn himself in, that the military has refused to comment on his status and that he is now choosing to force them to deal with it. . . . Clousing said he served in Baghdad and Mosul as an interrogator, and that this meant he spoke to Iraqi civilians every day and learned what they thought about the war. Clousing said he witnessed the routine incarceration of civilians with no basis and no ability to contact their families. He spoke in particular of four brothers, the youngest aged 12, locked up for three to four weeks. Physical abuse of civilians and the killing of one Iraqi civilian were among the crimes Clousing said he witnessed."
Clousing did turn himself in at Fort Lewis but was told that he needed to turn himself at Fort Bragg which he did on August 18th. Bob Geary (Raleigh-Durham Independent Weekly) describes that episode: "The story of what it took for him to finally get arrested at Bragg is almost comical--his calls to Lewis were bucked to Bragg and vice versa; he was told his records were lost, but suddenly were found after he spoke out publicly against the war; and even then, he had to find his own way back to Bragg and knock on a bunch of different doors before a soldier finally did him the service of detaining him." September 1st brought the news that he would face a charge of desertion. On October 12th, Ricky Clousing was court-martialed in Fayetteville, North Carolina and pleaded guilty to being abesent without leave. Bob Geary (Raleigh-Durham Independent Weekly) reports that before Clousing leaves North Carolina Saturday, there is a scheduled rally in Fayetteville "midday Saturday to be greeted by human rights supporters at the Raleigh Friends Meeting House, 625 Tower St. (the street behind the Cameron Village Post Office). His reception is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., before he catches a flight from RDU back to his hometown of Seattle, Wash."
Turning to another war resister, Ehren Watada, something curious happens in the New York Times owned International Herald Tribune. Since it's going for an European audience (who doesn't think highly of the Times brand), it has to cover stories that the Times can't or won't. Which explains why the French version carries an AP story on Ehren Watada that the US version (or the Times for that matter) didn't. But who made the call that a hundred people attended Watada's speech? The speech, whose date and location (basic journalism) go unreported, is the same one he gave at Church of the Crossroads and Hawaii outlets that picked up the story illustrate it with a photo from that event. As noted in yesterday's snapshot, "Rod Ohira (The Honolulu Advertiser) reports that a crowd of 350 turned out to hear Watada speak at the Church of the Crossroads where he stated, 'The issue is about the war and people need to educate themselves about everything that's going on about the war. They need to take a position one way or another. If people agree with me or disagree with me, I really don't care. . . . What people need to do is take a stance. And if they truly believe there is something wrong with this war -- that it's immoral and illegal -- they should ask themselves what are they willing to sacrifice in order to stop this war?'"
It's interesting how 350 becomes "more than 100" when the AP article runs. 350 is more than 100, it's also more than 101 and 102 and 103 .
. .Leila Fujimori (Honolulu Star-Bulletin) describes the crowd: "A highly sympathetic crowd of a few hundred people gave Army 1st Lt. Ehren Watada standing ovations before, during and after a speech at the Church of the Crossroads in Moiliili." AP also manages to miss the standing ovations. Possibly it's difficult to count accurately and to hear from the mainland?
The AP does manage to note Eric Seitz, Watada's attorney, wants a larger courtroom this time. During the August Article 32 hearing, one of the biggest obstacles was the fact that there was not enough room for those attempting to attend to be seated. A smaller courtroom may be in keeping with the US military's desire to bury the court-martial (why they feel they need to bother is surprising -- independent media didn't cover the Article 32 in real time) but it's not in keeping with the supposed spirit of justice that's supposed to be on display. The AP article also quotes Ann Wright, who testified at the Article 32 hearing and is retired from the US State Department and US army, stating, "I really do appreciate when these men and women step up and say, 'I will risk going to jail because this war is wrong and I will not participate in it'."
Leila Fujimori (Honolulu Star-Bulletin) quotes two audience members (as well as what Joan, who was present, swears was a "plant"), Kristen Clyne who enjoyed the message that people make changes, not 'legislators':"This war wouldn't really be permitted without the support of the people, and it is really on the people to stop this war"; and Daniel Chong who stated, "It's about time somebody did something. . . . Some people would rather die than admit they're wrong, but he's willing to put his reputation on the line. That's true patriotism," Chung said.
Ehren Watada's pre-trial hearing is scheduled for January 4th and the court-martial is scheduled to begin February 5th. His Article 32 hearing lasted one day, Ricky Clousing's court-martial lasted one day. How long this one will last is a question that competes with "Will independent media cover it this time?"
While we await those answers, Watada and Clousing are part of a growing movement of resistance within the military that includes more than just them or more than just them plus one. Among the other war resisters who have gone public during the illegal war of choice are Kyle Snyder, Darrell Anderson, Joshua Key, Ivan Brobeck, Mark Wilkerson, Camilo Meija, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Jeremy Hinzman, Corey Glass, Patrick Hart, Clifford Cornell, Agustin Aguayo, Joshua Despain, Katherine Jashinski, and Kevin Benderman. In addition, thirty-eight US war resisters in Canada have applied for asylum.
Information on war resistance within the military can be found at Center on Conscience & War, The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline, and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Appeal for Redress is collecting signatures of active duty service members calling on Congress to bring the troops home -- the petition will be delivered to Congress next month. Information on past and present war resistance can also be found in David Zeiger's Sir! No Sir! which tells the story of war resistance during the Vietnam era and, in the new director's edition, also includes bonus material on Camilo Mejia's court-martial, interviews with Cindy Sheehan and Jane Fonda about today's war resistance, and more. The director's cut is availabe for $23.95 and the original version is currently available for $12.95.
Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"
"NYT: I Cover The Canapes"
"War resister Ricky Clousing released from military jail"
"amy branham, dave lindorff and more"
"Bad cold"
"Nostalgic Bully Boy and Nostalgic mainstream media"
"Short post"
"Bully Boy in the NFL would be as bad as he is in the White House"
"THIS JUST IN! JAKE PLUMMER'S IN THE WHITE HOUSE!"
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Bully Boy in the NFL would be as bad as he is in the White House
BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- DC.
YESTERDAY BULLY BOY ANNOUNCED "WE ARE NOT WINNING BUT WE ARE NOT LOSING."
TODAY THE PRAVDA LIKE D.C. PRESS RUSHES TO PROP UP THE UNITED STATES OWN JOSEPH STALIN WITH EASY-BREEZY-COVER GIRL PIECES IGNORING THAT NEARLY 4 YEARS AFTER THE ILLEGAL WAR BEGAN, AFTER OVER 655,000 IRAQIS HAVE DIED, AFTER 2955 AMERICAN TROOPS HAVE DIED, 126 BRITISH TROOPS HAVE DIED AND 121 "OTHER" TROOPS HAVE DIED, BULLY BOY'S PERFORMANCE IS HORRIBLE AND BEYOND REDEMPTION,
THE JAKE PLUMMER OF POLITICS WANTS TO 'GO LONG' AND THE STUMPS AND SUCK UPS OF THE MAINSTREAM PRESS ARE HAPPY TO CHEERLEAD BLINDLY AS THEY DROP THEIR STENO PADS JUST LONG ENOUGH TO PICK UP THEIR POM-POMS.
FROM THE TCI WIRE:
Turning to peace news, in June of this year, Ehren Watada became the first officer to publicly refuse to deploy to Iraq. Yesterday, in Honolulu, he spoke out again. Rod Ohira (The Honolulu Advertiser) reports that a crowd of 350 turned out to hear Watada speak at the Church of the Crossroads where he stated, "The issue is about the war and people need to educate themselves about everything that's going on about the war. They need to take a position one way or another. If people agree with me or disagree with me, I really don't care. . . . What people need to do is take a stance. And if they truly believe there is something wrong with this war -- that it's immoral and illegal -- they should ask themselves what are they willing to sacrifice in order to stop this war?"
Watada faces a pre-trial hearing in January and then a court-martial in February. Though the US Congress seems unable or unwilling to excercise their oversight and have largely rebuffed his mother, Carolyn Ho, and her efforts, the reality is that he is one person in a growing movement of resistance within the military that includes Kyle Snyder, Darrell Anderson, Joshua Key, Ivan Brobeck, Ricky Clousing, Mark Wilkerson, Camilo Meija, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Jeremy Hinzman, Corey Glass, Patrick Hart, Clifford Cornell, Agustin Aguayo, Joshua Despain, Katherine Jashinski, and Kevin Benderman. Those are some of the war resisters who have gone public while currently there are thirty-eight US war resisters in Canada attempting to be legally recognized.
Information on war resistance within the military can be found at Center on Conscience & War, The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline, and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Appeal for Redress is collecting signatures of active duty service members calling on Congress to bring the troops home -- the petition will be delivered to Congress next month.
Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"
"NYT: Gordo pulls out his War Porn collection again"
"When Dumb Ass Met Dumb Ass"
"NYT: Selling Operation Happy Talk again"
"robert parry was right"
"Alexander Cockburn, Jon Wiener, John Lennon, Matt Damon, Eartha Kitt"
"Danny Schechter, Law and Disorder"
"David Rovics"
"Tony's snowjob"
"THIS JUST IN! IT'S WAR!"
YESTERDAY BULLY BOY ANNOUNCED "WE ARE NOT WINNING BUT WE ARE NOT LOSING."
TODAY THE PRAVDA LIKE D.C. PRESS RUSHES TO PROP UP THE UNITED STATES OWN JOSEPH STALIN WITH EASY-BREEZY-COVER GIRL PIECES IGNORING THAT NEARLY 4 YEARS AFTER THE ILLEGAL WAR BEGAN, AFTER OVER 655,000 IRAQIS HAVE DIED, AFTER 2955 AMERICAN TROOPS HAVE DIED, 126 BRITISH TROOPS HAVE DIED AND 121 "OTHER" TROOPS HAVE DIED, BULLY BOY'S PERFORMANCE IS HORRIBLE AND BEYOND REDEMPTION,
THE JAKE PLUMMER OF POLITICS WANTS TO 'GO LONG' AND THE STUMPS AND SUCK UPS OF THE MAINSTREAM PRESS ARE HAPPY TO CHEERLEAD BLINDLY AS THEY DROP THEIR STENO PADS JUST LONG ENOUGH TO PICK UP THEIR POM-POMS.
FROM THE TCI WIRE:
Turning to peace news, in June of this year, Ehren Watada became the first officer to publicly refuse to deploy to Iraq. Yesterday, in Honolulu, he spoke out again. Rod Ohira (The Honolulu Advertiser) reports that a crowd of 350 turned out to hear Watada speak at the Church of the Crossroads where he stated, "The issue is about the war and people need to educate themselves about everything that's going on about the war. They need to take a position one way or another. If people agree with me or disagree with me, I really don't care. . . . What people need to do is take a stance. And if they truly believe there is something wrong with this war -- that it's immoral and illegal -- they should ask themselves what are they willing to sacrifice in order to stop this war?"
Watada faces a pre-trial hearing in January and then a court-martial in February. Though the US Congress seems unable or unwilling to excercise their oversight and have largely rebuffed his mother, Carolyn Ho, and her efforts, the reality is that he is one person in a growing movement of resistance within the military that includes Kyle Snyder, Darrell Anderson, Joshua Key, Ivan Brobeck, Ricky Clousing, Mark Wilkerson, Camilo Meija, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Jeremy Hinzman, Corey Glass, Patrick Hart, Clifford Cornell, Agustin Aguayo, Joshua Despain, Katherine Jashinski, and Kevin Benderman. Those are some of the war resisters who have gone public while currently there are thirty-eight US war resisters in Canada attempting to be legally recognized.
Information on war resistance within the military can be found at Center on Conscience & War, The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline, and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Appeal for Redress is collecting signatures of active duty service members calling on Congress to bring the troops home -- the petition will be delivered to Congress next month.
Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"
"NYT: Gordo pulls out his War Porn collection again"
"When Dumb Ass Met Dumb Ass"
"NYT: Selling Operation Happy Talk again"
"robert parry was right"
"Alexander Cockburn, Jon Wiener, John Lennon, Matt Damon, Eartha Kitt"
"Danny Schechter, Law and Disorder"
"David Rovics"
"Tony's snowjob"
"THIS JUST IN! IT'S WAR!"
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Tony's snowjob
BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- DC.
SPEAKING TO THE D.C. PRESS CORPS TODAY, WHITE HOUSE FLACK TONY SNOW JOB DENIED THAT THERE WAS "A SPLIT" BETWEEN THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE U.S. MILITARY'S JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF.
"IT IS TRUE," A FORMER WHITE HOUSE SOURCE, NOT SCOTTY MCCLELLAN, TOLD US AFTERWARDS. "THERE IS NOT A SPLIT. THERE IS A COMPLETE AND TOTAL WAR ZONE BETWEEN THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE JOINT CHIEFS. A SPLIT MAKES IT SOUND LIKE THEY QUARRELLED OVER WHO WAS PICKING UP THE DINNER TAB. THIS IS COMPLETE AND TOTAL WAR BETWEEN THEM AND THE WHITE HOUSE."
OUR SOURCE GIGGLED AND THEN SCAMPERED OFF CHASING AFTER A U.S. POSTAL CARRIER.
FROM THE TCI WIRE:
In peace news, Carolyn Ho, mother of Ehren Watada, was interviewed by Dalia Hashad, Michael Smith, and Michael Ratner on WBAI's Law and Disorder Monday. Ehren Watada is the first US officer to refuse publicly to deploy to Iraq. Ho spoke of being "stunned" on January 1, 2006, when her son told her of his decision. Dalia Hashad asked, "You were upset with your son because he didn't want to go to war?" Ho replied, "Well, you know, all I could think of was I just did not want him to be vilified in the press. All I could see was this was my son trying to face the military-industrial complex. It was just totally overwhelming and I just was not prepared for it. It was days that I had to think through this. It was just feelings of grief, of anger that he was doing this to himself."
Ho has spoken with member of Congress and hasn't been overwhelmed by their response. She noted, "I feel that my son's case is not seperate and apart from the legislative branch." And though Congress and the military wishes to act as though it's as cut and dry as her son just refusing an order, Ho feels "this government is going to have to face reality."
Ehren Watada knows the war is illegal and the resaon for the refusal to deploy is not a secondary issue but the primary one in his case -- whether the military or the US Congress wants to admit it. Michael Ratner revealed that Eric Seitz' attorney has spoken with him about the prospect of Ratner testifying at Watada's February court-martial.
Dalia Hashad raised the issue of Watada's role in "the larger anti-war movement" and Ho offered, "I think that he holds the banner as do all the other refusenics. I think that people sometimes say that he is a part of it and not the other way around but I think it needs to be perceived in the broader context and that with his victory, I believe truly that it will be a victory for the people and for the movement because the movement progresses with each case and each victory is something that brings us further along the line. I think that he does not operate in a vacuum, that he has been inspired by others that went before him and he will be an inspiration for other to follow."
Watada is a part of a resistance movement within the military that includes Kyle Snyder, Darrell Anderson, Joshua Key, Ivan Brobeck, Ricky Clousing, Mark Wilkerson, Camilo Meija, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Jeremy Hinzman, Corey Glass, Patrick Hart, Clifford Cornell, Agustin Aguayo, Joshua Despain, Katherine Jashinski, and Kevin Benderman. Those are some of the war resisters who have gone public and over thirty US war resisters are currently in Canada attempting to be legally recognized. Information on war resistance within the military can be found at Center on Conscience & War, The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline, and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Appeal for Redress is collecting signatures of active duty service members calling on Congress to bring the troops home -- the petition will be delivered to Congress next month.
Ehren Watada spoke with Robert Shikina (Honolulu Star -Bulletin whose Gregg Kakesako is among the reporters subpeoned by the prosecution to testify in the February court-martial).
"It'll all be over pretty soon. In one way or another, it'll all be over," Watada told Shikina. "Now at least I know I have a date and it's set. And I know after that point, one way or another, it's going to end." Though the court-martial is due to begin in February, pre-trial motions start January 4th. Watada and Ann Wright (retired US army colonel, retired US State Department official) will speak at 7:00 p.. tonight at the Church of the Crossroads, 1212 University Ave, in Honolulu.
Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"
"NYT: Timid and inept"
"Other Items"
"robert fisk, iraq"
"No title comes to mind"
"Bully Boy, Isaiah, Iraq, Ron Jacobs, etc."
"John Graham, Iraq, The Third Estate Sunday Review"
"Sonny Bono, is that you?"
"THIS JUST IN! BONO IS THE NEW SONNY BONO!"
SPEAKING TO THE D.C. PRESS CORPS TODAY, WHITE HOUSE FLACK TONY SNOW JOB DENIED THAT THERE WAS "A SPLIT" BETWEEN THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE U.S. MILITARY'S JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF.
"IT IS TRUE," A FORMER WHITE HOUSE SOURCE, NOT SCOTTY MCCLELLAN, TOLD US AFTERWARDS. "THERE IS NOT A SPLIT. THERE IS A COMPLETE AND TOTAL WAR ZONE BETWEEN THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE JOINT CHIEFS. A SPLIT MAKES IT SOUND LIKE THEY QUARRELLED OVER WHO WAS PICKING UP THE DINNER TAB. THIS IS COMPLETE AND TOTAL WAR BETWEEN THEM AND THE WHITE HOUSE."
OUR SOURCE GIGGLED AND THEN SCAMPERED OFF CHASING AFTER A U.S. POSTAL CARRIER.
FROM THE TCI WIRE:
In peace news, Carolyn Ho, mother of Ehren Watada, was interviewed by Dalia Hashad, Michael Smith, and Michael Ratner on WBAI's Law and Disorder Monday. Ehren Watada is the first US officer to refuse publicly to deploy to Iraq. Ho spoke of being "stunned" on January 1, 2006, when her son told her of his decision. Dalia Hashad asked, "You were upset with your son because he didn't want to go to war?" Ho replied, "Well, you know, all I could think of was I just did not want him to be vilified in the press. All I could see was this was my son trying to face the military-industrial complex. It was just totally overwhelming and I just was not prepared for it. It was days that I had to think through this. It was just feelings of grief, of anger that he was doing this to himself."
Ho has spoken with member of Congress and hasn't been overwhelmed by their response. She noted, "I feel that my son's case is not seperate and apart from the legislative branch." And though Congress and the military wishes to act as though it's as cut and dry as her son just refusing an order, Ho feels "this government is going to have to face reality."
Ehren Watada knows the war is illegal and the resaon for the refusal to deploy is not a secondary issue but the primary one in his case -- whether the military or the US Congress wants to admit it. Michael Ratner revealed that Eric Seitz' attorney has spoken with him about the prospect of Ratner testifying at Watada's February court-martial.
Dalia Hashad raised the issue of Watada's role in "the larger anti-war movement" and Ho offered, "I think that he holds the banner as do all the other refusenics. I think that people sometimes say that he is a part of it and not the other way around but I think it needs to be perceived in the broader context and that with his victory, I believe truly that it will be a victory for the people and for the movement because the movement progresses with each case and each victory is something that brings us further along the line. I think that he does not operate in a vacuum, that he has been inspired by others that went before him and he will be an inspiration for other to follow."
Watada is a part of a resistance movement within the military that includes Kyle Snyder, Darrell Anderson, Joshua Key, Ivan Brobeck, Ricky Clousing, Mark Wilkerson, Camilo Meija, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Jeremy Hinzman, Corey Glass, Patrick Hart, Clifford Cornell, Agustin Aguayo, Joshua Despain, Katherine Jashinski, and Kevin Benderman. Those are some of the war resisters who have gone public and over thirty US war resisters are currently in Canada attempting to be legally recognized. Information on war resistance within the military can be found at Center on Conscience & War, The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline, and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Appeal for Redress is collecting signatures of active duty service members calling on Congress to bring the troops home -- the petition will be delivered to Congress next month.
Ehren Watada spoke with Robert Shikina (Honolulu Star -Bulletin whose Gregg Kakesako is among the reporters subpeoned by the prosecution to testify in the February court-martial).
"It'll all be over pretty soon. In one way or another, it'll all be over," Watada told Shikina. "Now at least I know I have a date and it's set. And I know after that point, one way or another, it's going to end." Though the court-martial is due to begin in February, pre-trial motions start January 4th. Watada and Ann Wright (retired US army colonel, retired US State Department official) will speak at 7:00 p.. tonight at the Church of the Crossroads, 1212 University Ave, in Honolulu.
Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"
"NYT: Timid and inept"
"Other Items"
"robert fisk, iraq"
"No title comes to mind"
"Bully Boy, Isaiah, Iraq, Ron Jacobs, etc."
"John Graham, Iraq, The Third Estate Sunday Review"
"Sonny Bono, is that you?"
"THIS JUST IN! BONO IS THE NEW SONNY BONO!"
Monday, December 18, 2006
Sonny Bono, is that you?
BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- DC.
THE ONE TIME ROCK STAR WHO ONCE HAD A SOUL, BONO OF THE HAVEN'T RELEASED A NEW CD IN 6 YEARS 'GROUP' U2 ANNOUNCED THAT HE IS DISAPPOINTED WITH THE DC DEMOCRATS WHO WILL NOT COMMITT TO PROVIDING HIM WITH THE FUNDS HE NEEDS.
THIS IS THE SAME BONO WHO IS IN BED WITH SWEAT SHOP LABOR (THE GAP), THE SAME BONO WHO HAS PUSHED BULLY BOY'S AIDS POLICY THAT IS DAMAGING THE WORLD, THE SAME BONO WHO HAS COZIED UP TO HOMOPHOBES, THE SAME BONO WHO FOCUSES ON CHILDREN WITH AIDS BECAUSE ADULTS WITH AIDS ARE TOO CONTROVERSIAL (LIKE THE BAND'S LAST CD -- ALL THAT YOU CAN'T LEAVE BEHIND -- HIS 'COURAGE' IS STRAIGHT OUT OF THE 80'S), THE SAME BONO WHOSE COMPANY WAS PLANNING TO PUT OUT A VIDEO 'GAME' THAT ALLOWED PLAYERS TO OVERTHROW HUGO CHAVEZ IN VENEZUELA, THE SAME BONO THAT WILL NOT SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE WAR IN IRAQ.
HAVING PARTIED WITH THE G.O.P. FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS, DOES BONO HONESTLY THINK DEMOCRATS GIVE A DAMN WHAT HE THINKS?
HAVING SOLD HIS SOUL AND EMBRACED ONE OF THE BIGGEST RETAILER'S OF SWEAT SHOP LABOR, DOES BONO NOW REQUIRE A LADDER TO MOUNT HIS HIGH HORSE?
OLD, TIRED AND BORING MUSICALLY, BONO'S MARKETED HIS REPULSIVE PERSONALITY FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS AND TURNED HIMSELF INTO A 'BUSINESSMAN' THAT THE WALL ST. JOURNAL CAN (AND DOES) RAVE OVER. HE'S ALSO AVOIDED PAYING TAXES TO IRELAND.
BONO -- THE NEW SONNY BONO OF ROCK.
FROM THE TCI WIRE:
On KPFA's The Morning Show today, guests included attorney Dan Siegel and Gary Hill (Ethics Chair of the Society of Professional Journalists) who discussed the targeting of journalists by prosecutors who are unable to do their own work -- specifically as it related to Dahr Jamail and Sarah Olson. Hill reminded that journalists are supposed to act independently and that "is hard to do" when you're supposed to be a witness for the prosecution. Jamail, Olson and Gregg Kakesako (Honolulu Star-Bulletin) are being asked to provide some form of testimony in the court-martial of Ehren Watada. The supposed reason is to provide confirmation that what they wrote is true. Kakesako and Olson have been subpoenaed. Jamail has yet to be. As Philip Maldari (co-host with Andrea Lewis) pointed out, Jamail posted a transcript of Watada's speech in Seattle to Veterans for Peace at Truthout and the same page provides the option of watching the entire speech on video. (Those who prefer audio or do not have video capabilities can refer to KPFA's Flashpoints Friday, September 15th broadcast that includes portions of the speech.) So the US military has trouble determining video it sees with its own eyes? (That might explain the failure of those in commanding roles not to grasp that the war is lost.)
It's interesting request by the US military because in Watada's August 17th Article 32 hearing, they were able to just play clips from the speech. With regards to Watada, Hill noted that journalists were being sought because the military wants to prosecute Watada for what he said "and I find that very troubling in the United States." [Those charges fall under contempt toward officials and conduct unbecoming an officer.] Siegel noted that if Watada's going to be prosecuted for his speech, Bully Boy should be prosecuted for his lies that led to war.
Olson was scheduled to appear (I believe Jamail was as well but missed any comment on that) but was advised by her attorney not to while the legal strategy is still being worked out. Last week, Olson told Aaron Glantz (IPS), "This morning at 8:45 someone came to my house and delivered a subpoena. It's absolutely outrageous. It's a journalist's job to report the news. It is not a journalist's job to testify against their own sources." Olson's interview with Watada originally appeared at Truthout and was run by Left Turn -- Left Turn is the only left magazine to print an article about Watada (or for that matter -- any of the war resisters who began coming forward last summer). Possibly they're so shocked by Olson's interview (conducted in May) because Watada was (rightly) calling Iraq a civil war even then?
In one of the more surprising moments during the discussion, Siegel revealed that KPFA's
also being asked to supply information. Specifically, the US military has requested a program provide them with a "transcript" of their broadcast. The program, unidentified on air, is most likely KPFA's Flashpoints where hosts Dennis Bernstein and Nora Barrows-Friedman have regularly interviewed war resisters such as Carl Webb, Mark Wilkerson, Kyle Snyder, Ivan Brobeck (the only outlet to avoid performing The Full Brobeck in fact Barrows-Friedman interviewed Brobeck on the November 6th broadcast -- the only interview he gave before turning himself in the next day). Flashpoints airs Monday through Fridays at 5:00 pm PST. Flashpoints began broadcasting in 1991 offering coverage of the Gulf War. Siegel stated that the program had said "no."
KPFA is the nation's oldest public radio station and was started long before NPR. Lewis Hill founded KPFA Pacifica Radio and the station began broadcasting in 1949 (94.1 FM in most of California, originating out of Berkeley and also carried on KPFB and KCFC). KPFA was the first Pacifica Radio station and Pacifica Radio is also the first public radio network in the United States. KPFK would follow in 1959 (Los Angeles), then WBAI (New York) in 1960, KPFT (Houston, TX) in 1970 and WPFW in 1977. In addition there are affiliates throughout the United States. (Click here for the history of the network.) While it's good when anyone listens, even the most casual listener should be aware that all programs are archived and a copy of most broadcasts can be purchased. All of the Pacifica stations are listener supported.
Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"
"And the war drags on . . ."
"NYT: 'Former U.S. Detainee in Iraq Recalls Torment' (Michael Moss)"
"Other Items (Dahr Jamail & Sara Olson on KPFA's The Morning Show)"
"Kat's Korner: David Rovic's Halliburton Boardroom Massacre"
"Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Bully Boy O'Hara""
"Ruth's Report"
"Did you hear the one about a Fat Ass who'd do anything for a Blizzard?"
"Oven Roasted Chicken in the Kitchen"
"NYT: Gordo's panting, paper plays dumb"
"NYT: "Iraq's Legal System Staggers" Due to Bully Boy (Michael Moss)"
"Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Requiem for a War Hawk""
"the house-bound blogger"
"Jackson Browne, David Lindorff "
"Black Agenda Report, Pinochet, Amy Goodman"
"Truest statement of the week"
"A Note to Our Readers"
"Editorial: Thanks to those who strive for peace"
"TV: What About Rosanna?"
""F.U." from The Nation"
"Danny Schechter's The Death of the Media"
"Tower Records R.I.P."
"The Susan Seaforth Hayes of independent media"
"MyTV's Fascist House"
"The US military divides up Baghdad"
"Next week?"
"Highlights"
"Howard Zinn on The Uses of History and the War on Terrorism"
"THIS JUST IN! BRAZEN BULLY!"
"Bye-bye Rumsfled"
THE ONE TIME ROCK STAR WHO ONCE HAD A SOUL, BONO OF THE HAVEN'T RELEASED A NEW CD IN 6 YEARS 'GROUP' U2 ANNOUNCED THAT HE IS DISAPPOINTED WITH THE DC DEMOCRATS WHO WILL NOT COMMITT TO PROVIDING HIM WITH THE FUNDS HE NEEDS.
THIS IS THE SAME BONO WHO IS IN BED WITH SWEAT SHOP LABOR (THE GAP), THE SAME BONO WHO HAS PUSHED BULLY BOY'S AIDS POLICY THAT IS DAMAGING THE WORLD, THE SAME BONO WHO HAS COZIED UP TO HOMOPHOBES, THE SAME BONO WHO FOCUSES ON CHILDREN WITH AIDS BECAUSE ADULTS WITH AIDS ARE TOO CONTROVERSIAL (LIKE THE BAND'S LAST CD -- ALL THAT YOU CAN'T LEAVE BEHIND -- HIS 'COURAGE' IS STRAIGHT OUT OF THE 80'S), THE SAME BONO WHOSE COMPANY WAS PLANNING TO PUT OUT A VIDEO 'GAME' THAT ALLOWED PLAYERS TO OVERTHROW HUGO CHAVEZ IN VENEZUELA, THE SAME BONO THAT WILL NOT SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE WAR IN IRAQ.
HAVING PARTIED WITH THE G.O.P. FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS, DOES BONO HONESTLY THINK DEMOCRATS GIVE A DAMN WHAT HE THINKS?
HAVING SOLD HIS SOUL AND EMBRACED ONE OF THE BIGGEST RETAILER'S OF SWEAT SHOP LABOR, DOES BONO NOW REQUIRE A LADDER TO MOUNT HIS HIGH HORSE?
OLD, TIRED AND BORING MUSICALLY, BONO'S MARKETED HIS REPULSIVE PERSONALITY FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS AND TURNED HIMSELF INTO A 'BUSINESSMAN' THAT THE WALL ST. JOURNAL CAN (AND DOES) RAVE OVER. HE'S ALSO AVOIDED PAYING TAXES TO IRELAND.
BONO -- THE NEW SONNY BONO OF ROCK.
FROM THE TCI WIRE:
On KPFA's The Morning Show today, guests included attorney Dan Siegel and Gary Hill (Ethics Chair of the Society of Professional Journalists) who discussed the targeting of journalists by prosecutors who are unable to do their own work -- specifically as it related to Dahr Jamail and Sarah Olson. Hill reminded that journalists are supposed to act independently and that "is hard to do" when you're supposed to be a witness for the prosecution. Jamail, Olson and Gregg Kakesako (Honolulu Star-Bulletin) are being asked to provide some form of testimony in the court-martial of Ehren Watada. The supposed reason is to provide confirmation that what they wrote is true. Kakesako and Olson have been subpoenaed. Jamail has yet to be. As Philip Maldari (co-host with Andrea Lewis) pointed out, Jamail posted a transcript of Watada's speech in Seattle to Veterans for Peace at Truthout and the same page provides the option of watching the entire speech on video. (Those who prefer audio or do not have video capabilities can refer to KPFA's Flashpoints Friday, September 15th broadcast that includes portions of the speech.) So the US military has trouble determining video it sees with its own eyes? (That might explain the failure of those in commanding roles not to grasp that the war is lost.)
It's interesting request by the US military because in Watada's August 17th Article 32 hearing, they were able to just play clips from the speech. With regards to Watada, Hill noted that journalists were being sought because the military wants to prosecute Watada for what he said "and I find that very troubling in the United States." [Those charges fall under contempt toward officials and conduct unbecoming an officer.] Siegel noted that if Watada's going to be prosecuted for his speech, Bully Boy should be prosecuted for his lies that led to war.
Olson was scheduled to appear (I believe Jamail was as well but missed any comment on that) but was advised by her attorney not to while the legal strategy is still being worked out. Last week, Olson told Aaron Glantz (IPS), "This morning at 8:45 someone came to my house and delivered a subpoena. It's absolutely outrageous. It's a journalist's job to report the news. It is not a journalist's job to testify against their own sources." Olson's interview with Watada originally appeared at Truthout and was run by Left Turn -- Left Turn is the only left magazine to print an article about Watada (or for that matter -- any of the war resisters who began coming forward last summer). Possibly they're so shocked by Olson's interview (conducted in May) because Watada was (rightly) calling Iraq a civil war even then?
In one of the more surprising moments during the discussion, Siegel revealed that KPFA's
also being asked to supply information. Specifically, the US military has requested a program provide them with a "transcript" of their broadcast. The program, unidentified on air, is most likely KPFA's Flashpoints where hosts Dennis Bernstein and Nora Barrows-Friedman have regularly interviewed war resisters such as Carl Webb, Mark Wilkerson, Kyle Snyder, Ivan Brobeck (the only outlet to avoid performing The Full Brobeck in fact Barrows-Friedman interviewed Brobeck on the November 6th broadcast -- the only interview he gave before turning himself in the next day). Flashpoints airs Monday through Fridays at 5:00 pm PST. Flashpoints began broadcasting in 1991 offering coverage of the Gulf War. Siegel stated that the program had said "no."
KPFA is the nation's oldest public radio station and was started long before NPR. Lewis Hill founded KPFA Pacifica Radio and the station began broadcasting in 1949 (94.1 FM in most of California, originating out of Berkeley and also carried on KPFB and KCFC). KPFA was the first Pacifica Radio station and Pacifica Radio is also the first public radio network in the United States. KPFK would follow in 1959 (Los Angeles), then WBAI (New York) in 1960, KPFT (Houston, TX) in 1970 and WPFW in 1977. In addition there are affiliates throughout the United States. (Click here for the history of the network.) While it's good when anyone listens, even the most casual listener should be aware that all programs are archived and a copy of most broadcasts can be purchased. All of the Pacifica stations are listener supported.
Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"
"And the war drags on . . ."
"NYT: 'Former U.S. Detainee in Iraq Recalls Torment' (Michael Moss)"
"Other Items (Dahr Jamail & Sara Olson on KPFA's The Morning Show)"
"Kat's Korner: David Rovic's Halliburton Boardroom Massacre"
"Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Bully Boy O'Hara""
"Ruth's Report"
"Did you hear the one about a Fat Ass who'd do anything for a Blizzard?"
"Oven Roasted Chicken in the Kitchen"
"NYT: Gordo's panting, paper plays dumb"
"NYT: "Iraq's Legal System Staggers" Due to Bully Boy (Michael Moss)"
"Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Requiem for a War Hawk""
"the house-bound blogger"
"Jackson Browne, David Lindorff "
"Black Agenda Report, Pinochet, Amy Goodman"
"Truest statement of the week"
"A Note to Our Readers"
"Editorial: Thanks to those who strive for peace"
"TV: What About Rosanna?"
""F.U." from The Nation"
"Danny Schechter's The Death of the Media"
"Tower Records R.I.P."
"The Susan Seaforth Hayes of independent media"
"MyTV's Fascist House"
"The US military divides up Baghdad"
"Next week?"
"Highlights"
"Howard Zinn on The Uses of History and the War on Terrorism"
"THIS JUST IN! BRAZEN BULLY!"
"Bye-bye Rumsfled"
Friday, December 15, 2006
Bye-bye Rumsfled
BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- DC.
WHILE THE SOON TO BE FORMER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DONALD THE RUMSFLED SHOWED OFF HIS OVERBITE TO THE FEW WHO CARED ENOUGH TO TURN UP FOR THE GOING AWAY PARTY, BULLY BOY PILED IT ON SO THICK, THEY'RE SMELLING IT IN WEST VIRGINIA.
"THIS MAN KNOWS HOW TO LEAD, AND HE DID. THE COUNTRY'S BETTER OFF FOR IT," BULLY BOY SAID WITHOUT BLINKING PROVING THAT IN 6 YEARS HE HAD LEARNED SOMETHING: HOW TO LIE WITH A STRAIGHT FACE.
FROM THE TCI WIRE:
Starting in England, with the big story. Colin Brown and Andy McSmith (Independent of London) report that Carne Ross ("Britain's key negotiator at the UN") statement in the Butler inquiry (2004) that's only now been revealed and it exposes the lies behind the 'case' for war in England. AFP reports that Ross declared "at no time did HMG [Her Majesty's Government] assess that Iraq's WMD (or any other capability) posed a threat to the UK or its interests." Ross also declared that: "It was the commonly-held view among the officials dealing with Iraq that any threat had been effectively contained" (Al Jazeera).
Though Carne Ross' statements have been kept secret (swept under the 'national security' rug), Last month, he did speak to the House of Commons' Foreign Affairs Committee and note that the intel offered to the public was "manipulated." As Brown and McSmith note, the Commons Select Committee is the body that's brought the information public while an unidentified member of the Foreign Affairs committee states: "There was blood on the carpet over this. I think it's pretty clear the Foreign Office used the Official Secrets Act to suppress this evidence, by hanging it like a Sword of Damacles ovre Mr Ross, but we have called their bluff." The Irish Times declares: "British Prime Minister Tony Blair's case for attacking Iraq has been dealt a new blow with the release of once-secret evidence from a former British diplomat who dismissed the threat of weapons of mass destruction."
As the mainstream media in the US bends over backwards to note Ross' statements, many may be reminded of the Downsing Street Memos and how they were greeted with silence and then derision. AP was the excuse many hid behind with DSM -- claiming they would have run a story if AP had covered it -- if only a wire story . . . Well AP has covered it.
Turning to peace news, Alex Zdan (Trenton Times) notes Tuesday speech Carolyn Ho, mother of Ehren Watada, gave to the Nassau Presbyterian Church where she described how her son became the first commissioned officer to publicly refuse to deploy to Iraq ("In studying all the literature, he was stunned by what he saw") which included refusing to accept a "desk job" in Iraq. On last RadioNation with Laura Flanders, Carolyn Ho explained that the refusal was for himself as well as those serving under him, "He felt the best thing he could do for his men was to remain behind and speak truth." She is asking for everyone to contact their members of Congress and put pressure on Congress to carry out their oversight role. Monday, Carolyn Ho appeared on Democracy Now! and discussed her own progress when meeting with members of Congress. Outside of Maxine Waters, not much. So those who haven't contacted their Congress members should considering doing so.
Ehren Watada, as Aaron Glantz (IPS) reported, is also the subject of subpoenaes -- the US military is attempting to compell three journalists to testify in court: Sarah Olson, Dahr Jamail, and Gregg Kakesako (Honolulu Star-Bulletin). Jason Leopold (Truthout) notes that Olson is "one of few reporters covering the anti-war movement and the voices of dissent" and that she has not decided yet how to respond to the subpoena -- Sarah Olson: "Once you involve a reporter in prosecution, you turn that reporter into the investigative arm of the government."
Another US war resister continues speaking out: Kyle Snyder Washington's Bellingham Herald notes an appearence at the Whatcom Peace and Justice Center. Last weekend, at a speaking appearance, police showed up. Snyder continues speaking out.
Watada and Snyder are part of a movement of resistance within the military that includes
Joshua Key, Ivan Brobeck, Darrell Anderson, Ricky Clousing, Mark Wilkerson, Camilo Meija, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Jeremy Hinzman, Corey Glass, Patrick Hart, Clifford Cornell, Agustin Aguayo, Joshua Despain, Katherine Jashinski, and Kevin Benderman.
Information on this movement of war resistance within the military can be found at Center on Conscience & War, The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline, and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Appeal for Redress is collecting signatures of active duty service members calling on Congress to bring the troops home -- the petition will be delivered to Congress next month.
Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"
"And the war drags on"
"NYT: John McCain flaps his War Hawk wings again"
"Other Items"
"blah blah from me and also a robert parry excerpt"
"Law and Disorder -- spy chips and prison sentences..."
"Holding Pattern"
"Bipartisan love"
"THIS JUST IN! LOSERMAN LOVES LOSERMAN!"
WHILE THE SOON TO BE FORMER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DONALD THE RUMSFLED SHOWED OFF HIS OVERBITE TO THE FEW WHO CARED ENOUGH TO TURN UP FOR THE GOING AWAY PARTY, BULLY BOY PILED IT ON SO THICK, THEY'RE SMELLING IT IN WEST VIRGINIA.
"THIS MAN KNOWS HOW TO LEAD, AND HE DID. THE COUNTRY'S BETTER OFF FOR IT," BULLY BOY SAID WITHOUT BLINKING PROVING THAT IN 6 YEARS HE HAD LEARNED SOMETHING: HOW TO LIE WITH A STRAIGHT FACE.
FROM THE TCI WIRE:
Starting in England, with the big story. Colin Brown and Andy McSmith (Independent of London) report that Carne Ross ("Britain's key negotiator at the UN") statement in the Butler inquiry (2004) that's only now been revealed and it exposes the lies behind the 'case' for war in England. AFP reports that Ross declared "at no time did HMG [Her Majesty's Government] assess that Iraq's WMD (or any other capability) posed a threat to the UK or its interests." Ross also declared that: "It was the commonly-held view among the officials dealing with Iraq that any threat had been effectively contained" (Al Jazeera).
Though Carne Ross' statements have been kept secret (swept under the 'national security' rug), Last month, he did speak to the House of Commons' Foreign Affairs Committee and note that the intel offered to the public was "manipulated." As Brown and McSmith note, the Commons Select Committee is the body that's brought the information public while an unidentified member of the Foreign Affairs committee states: "There was blood on the carpet over this. I think it's pretty clear the Foreign Office used the Official Secrets Act to suppress this evidence, by hanging it like a Sword of Damacles ovre Mr Ross, but we have called their bluff." The Irish Times declares: "British Prime Minister Tony Blair's case for attacking Iraq has been dealt a new blow with the release of once-secret evidence from a former British diplomat who dismissed the threat of weapons of mass destruction."
As the mainstream media in the US bends over backwards to note Ross' statements, many may be reminded of the Downsing Street Memos and how they were greeted with silence and then derision. AP was the excuse many hid behind with DSM -- claiming they would have run a story if AP had covered it -- if only a wire story . . . Well AP has covered it.
Turning to peace news, Alex Zdan (Trenton Times) notes Tuesday speech Carolyn Ho, mother of Ehren Watada, gave to the Nassau Presbyterian Church where she described how her son became the first commissioned officer to publicly refuse to deploy to Iraq ("In studying all the literature, he was stunned by what he saw") which included refusing to accept a "desk job" in Iraq. On last RadioNation with Laura Flanders, Carolyn Ho explained that the refusal was for himself as well as those serving under him, "He felt the best thing he could do for his men was to remain behind and speak truth." She is asking for everyone to contact their members of Congress and put pressure on Congress to carry out their oversight role. Monday, Carolyn Ho appeared on Democracy Now! and discussed her own progress when meeting with members of Congress. Outside of Maxine Waters, not much. So those who haven't contacted their Congress members should considering doing so.
Ehren Watada, as Aaron Glantz (IPS) reported, is also the subject of subpoenaes -- the US military is attempting to compell three journalists to testify in court: Sarah Olson, Dahr Jamail, and Gregg Kakesako (Honolulu Star-Bulletin). Jason Leopold (Truthout) notes that Olson is "one of few reporters covering the anti-war movement and the voices of dissent" and that she has not decided yet how to respond to the subpoena -- Sarah Olson: "Once you involve a reporter in prosecution, you turn that reporter into the investigative arm of the government."
Another US war resister continues speaking out: Kyle Snyder Washington's Bellingham Herald notes an appearence at the Whatcom Peace and Justice Center. Last weekend, at a speaking appearance, police showed up. Snyder continues speaking out.
Watada and Snyder are part of a movement of resistance within the military that includes
Joshua Key, Ivan Brobeck, Darrell Anderson, Ricky Clousing, Mark Wilkerson, Camilo Meija, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Jeremy Hinzman, Corey Glass, Patrick Hart, Clifford Cornell, Agustin Aguayo, Joshua Despain, Katherine Jashinski, and Kevin Benderman.
Information on this movement of war resistance within the military can be found at Center on Conscience & War, The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline, and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Appeal for Redress is collecting signatures of active duty service members calling on Congress to bring the troops home -- the petition will be delivered to Congress next month.
Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"
"And the war drags on"
"NYT: John McCain flaps his War Hawk wings again"
"Other Items"
"blah blah from me and also a robert parry excerpt"
"Law and Disorder -- spy chips and prison sentences..."
"Holding Pattern"
"Bipartisan love"
"THIS JUST IN! LOSERMAN LOVES LOSERMAN!"
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Bipartisan love
BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- BAGHDAD.
LOVE BLOSSOMS IN THE GREEN ZONE.
SHARED 'BIPARTISANSHIP' BEHIND THE BREMER WALLS.
JOHN MCCAIN WHO LOST THE 2000 REPUBLICAN PRIMARY RACE AND FULL TIME LOSER JOE LIEBERMAN WHO MOST RECENTLY LOST HIS STATE'S DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY DEMONSTRATED THAT WHEN YOU STAND FOR NOTHING, YOU CAN RISE ABOVE, YOU CAN!
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER, HIP TO HIP, GREEN ZONE LOVING IT UP, MCCAIN AND SENATOR LIEBERMAN SPOKE IN 1 VOICE.
JOHN MCCAIN CALLED FOR 15,000 TO 30,000 MORE U.S. TROOPS TO BE SENT TO IRAQ AND JOE LIEBERMAN STARTED PANTING OVER SENATOR MCCAIN LONG ENOUGH TO SAY "ME TOO!"
FROM THE TCI WIRE:
"Someone has to rally the American people, to let them know that the money is there right now to bring our troops home. Democrats were put in power in November to chart a new direction in Iraq. It's inconceivable that having been given the constitutional responsibility to guide the fortunes of America in a new direction, that Democratic leaders would respond by supporting the administration's call for up to $160 billion in new funding for the war in Iraq," so explained Dennis Kucinich to Joshua Scheer (Truthdig) his reasons for seeking the 2088 Democratic nomination for president. Kucinich explains the $160 billion isn't just a pie-the-sky number, it represents massive spending which isn't going to allow for "a new agenda for the American people in housing, in healthcare, in education". More information on Kucinich's campaign can be found at his site: Dennis Kucinich for President 2008. There you can read his announcement which includes the following:
I ran for President in 2004, not just to challenge the war and Democratic Party policy, but to bring forth a message: Fear ends. Hope begins. My candidacy will call forth the courage of the American people to meet the challenge of terrorism without sacrificing our liberties and everything that is near and dear to us. My candidacy will inspire hope for a new America, where social, economic and political progress is grounded in work for peace.
Meanwhile, Carl Hulse (New York Times) reports that Democratic leadership in Congress has decided that the problem is not the funding of the war, it's when the bill statement arrives. As Sandra Lupien noted on yesterday's The KPFA Evening News the Bully Boy is expected to ask for an additional 100 billion dollars in funds at a time when the wars (Iraq and Afghanistan) have already been funded with approximately 379 billion dollars. Which brings us back to Kucinich's point about what loses out when war gets a blank check.
What's all that money buying? Well meet the new catrographists -- the US military who've drawn up a new map of Baghdad. Ned Parker and Ali Hamdani (Times of London) report "that the US military has drawn up a new map of Baghdad to reflect its ethno-sectarian fault lines . . . it lists the mixed neighbourhoods considered to be most explosive."
The new map of Baghdad designates many of the established and well known landmarks, the Tigris river, Baghdad International Airport, etc. The new map also designates areas the illegal war has made infamous such as the heavily fortified Green Zone -- an area that rightly calls to mind, in shape, a tea kettle -- buffered by Bremer walls but always in danger of boiling over at any moment -- and, of course, to the west, there's Abu Ghraib -- Donald the Rumsfled's pride and joy.
The map declares the five most dangerous neighborhoods to be: Adhamlya, Amariya, Ghazallya, Khadamlya and Khadaslya.
Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"
"WP: 'Scattered Attacks Kill At Least 34 in Baghdad' (Nancy Trejos)"
"Other Items"
"blah blah blah"
"Maria, Francisco and Miguel"
"Hump Day"
"Keith Harmon Snow was the guest on today's Guns & Butter"
"Bully Boy's snit fit"
"THIS JUST IN! BULLY BOY'S BAIT & SWITCH!"
LOVE BLOSSOMS IN THE GREEN ZONE.
SHARED 'BIPARTISANSHIP' BEHIND THE BREMER WALLS.
JOHN MCCAIN WHO LOST THE 2000 REPUBLICAN PRIMARY RACE AND FULL TIME LOSER JOE LIEBERMAN WHO MOST RECENTLY LOST HIS STATE'S DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY DEMONSTRATED THAT WHEN YOU STAND FOR NOTHING, YOU CAN RISE ABOVE, YOU CAN!
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER, HIP TO HIP, GREEN ZONE LOVING IT UP, MCCAIN AND SENATOR LIEBERMAN SPOKE IN 1 VOICE.
JOHN MCCAIN CALLED FOR 15,000 TO 30,000 MORE U.S. TROOPS TO BE SENT TO IRAQ AND JOE LIEBERMAN STARTED PANTING OVER SENATOR MCCAIN LONG ENOUGH TO SAY "ME TOO!"
FROM THE TCI WIRE:
"Someone has to rally the American people, to let them know that the money is there right now to bring our troops home. Democrats were put in power in November to chart a new direction in Iraq. It's inconceivable that having been given the constitutional responsibility to guide the fortunes of America in a new direction, that Democratic leaders would respond by supporting the administration's call for up to $160 billion in new funding for the war in Iraq," so explained Dennis Kucinich to Joshua Scheer (Truthdig) his reasons for seeking the 2088 Democratic nomination for president. Kucinich explains the $160 billion isn't just a pie-the-sky number, it represents massive spending which isn't going to allow for "a new agenda for the American people in housing, in healthcare, in education". More information on Kucinich's campaign can be found at his site: Dennis Kucinich for President 2008. There you can read his announcement which includes the following:
I ran for President in 2004, not just to challenge the war and Democratic Party policy, but to bring forth a message: Fear ends. Hope begins. My candidacy will call forth the courage of the American people to meet the challenge of terrorism without sacrificing our liberties and everything that is near and dear to us. My candidacy will inspire hope for a new America, where social, economic and political progress is grounded in work for peace.
Meanwhile, Carl Hulse (New York Times) reports that Democratic leadership in Congress has decided that the problem is not the funding of the war, it's when the bill statement arrives. As Sandra Lupien noted on yesterday's The KPFA Evening News the Bully Boy is expected to ask for an additional 100 billion dollars in funds at a time when the wars (Iraq and Afghanistan) have already been funded with approximately 379 billion dollars. Which brings us back to Kucinich's point about what loses out when war gets a blank check.
What's all that money buying? Well meet the new catrographists -- the US military who've drawn up a new map of Baghdad. Ned Parker and Ali Hamdani (Times of London) report "that the US military has drawn up a new map of Baghdad to reflect its ethno-sectarian fault lines . . . it lists the mixed neighbourhoods considered to be most explosive."
The new map of Baghdad designates many of the established and well known landmarks, the Tigris river, Baghdad International Airport, etc. The new map also designates areas the illegal war has made infamous such as the heavily fortified Green Zone -- an area that rightly calls to mind, in shape, a tea kettle -- buffered by Bremer walls but always in danger of boiling over at any moment -- and, of course, to the west, there's Abu Ghraib -- Donald the Rumsfled's pride and joy.
The map declares the five most dangerous neighborhoods to be: Adhamlya, Amariya, Ghazallya, Khadamlya and Khadaslya.
Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"
"WP: 'Scattered Attacks Kill At Least 34 in Baghdad' (Nancy Trejos)"
"Other Items"
"blah blah blah"
"Maria, Francisco and Miguel"
"Hump Day"
"Keith Harmon Snow was the guest on today's Guns & Butter"
"Bully Boy's snit fit"
"THIS JUST IN! BULLY BOY'S BAIT & SWITCH!"
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Bully Boy's snit fit
BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- DC.
TODAY, BULLY BOY DECLARED TO THE DC PRESS, "I WILL NOT BE RUSHED INTO MAKING A DIFFICULT DECISION . . . A NECESSARY DECISION."
AS GROANS OVER HIS REPEATED FOOT DRAGGING FILLED THE ROOM, BULLY BOY WAGGED HIS FINGER, LEANED ACROSS THE PODIUM AND SHOUTED, "GOT A PROBLEM, BLAME THE SURPREME COURT! THEY APPOINTED ME! BLAME KENNY BLACKWELL! HE SURPRESSED THE OHIO VOTE IN 2004! QUIT PICKING ME! WHY DOES EVERYBODY HATE ME! I JUST WANT TO TAKE MY NAP!"
BREAKING INTO SOBS, HE WAS LED AWAY BY ALBERTO GONZALES WHO HAD INTENDED TO MODEL HIS LATEST FROCK BUT INSTEAD SPENT THE REST OF THE DAY CONSOLING BULLY BOY WHO SAT SCUFFING HIS SHOES AND POUTING FOR THE REST OF THE DAY EVEN WHEN ALBERTO THREATENED TO CALL IN BIG BABS THE BULLY MOMMA.
FROM THE TCI WIRE:
As the chaos and violence continues day after day, both Sudarsan Raghavan (Washington Post) and John F. Burns (New York Times) report a new 'plan' to cut down on the violence: provide jobs! As Kurdish legislator Mahmoud Othman tells Raghavan, "It's a bit late, as usual. They should have done this three years ago. In this country, they have spent so much on security without results. If they had spent one-tenth of that on creating jobs, more projects and fighting unemployment, things would have been better now."
The stop-gap measure (it's not a plan and it's not implemented) comes as Ann Scott Tyson (Washington Post) reports that both the US marines and army are advocating that Congress provide them with "permanent increases in personnel" and while, as Michael R. Gordon and Sabrina Tavernise (New York Times) point out, 'readiness' is just around the corner for Iraqi armies according to the country's national security advisor.
Did someone say, not quiet, not right? AFP reports this 'readiness' isn't just conditional upon future predictions, it also includes a list of wants: "more arms for the Iraqi army, more powers and training in order to be capable of handling security missions all over the country." Those are the words of the puppet Nouri al-Maliki and appear to indicate that when ousted by the US, he may not even grasp it, so removed from reality is he already.
The puppet reflects his master -- Bully Boy -- and shares company with a lazy press that can't stop jaw boning about toothless, idiotic 'reports.' Noting the 'snowjobs' weren't reality on yesterday's KPFA's Flashpoints, Dahr Jamail declared, "The reality is this a permanent occupation. They don't give a damn about the Iraqi people. They're not going to leave They're just trying to get the oil set up. And they're going to stay there until that happens and until it's all extracted."
But all the defocusing on 'listening tours' and 'reports' and other nonsense allows the Bully Boy to give the impression that he's 'active' and 'involved' -- so involved that, possibly, next year he can come up with a 'plan.' Danny Schechter (News Dissector) notes: "I can't wait for the Decider to Decide and for President Bush to announce his new revised version of his unrevised war plan. We will will have to wait a bit longer, perhaps to next year. And no matter that OVER SEVENTY PERCENT of the American people disagree with the current policy, he is not to be hurried with the media still taking him at his word as a rational decision maker. He is stuck. That's for sure. And anyone expecting new leadership in the White House might want to consider buying a bridge I am selling to Brooklyn."
While Bully Boy stalls the (willing) press, Saudi Arabia's not so patient. This morning, Helene Cooper (New York Times) reported that last month (after Thanksgiving), Dick Cheney was told by King Abdullah that if US forces withdraw from Iraq, the Saudi government will back the Sunnis. Cooper's story comes out just as Robin Wright (Washington Post) reports on the fast exist of the Saudi ambassador to the US, Prince Turki al-Faisal, who "flew out of Washington yesterday after informing Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and his staff that he would be leaving the post after only 15 months on the job, according to U.S. officials and foreign envoys. There has been no formal announcements from the kingdom."
Returning to yesterday's KPFA's Flashpoints, Nora Barrows-Friedman and Dahr Jamail discussed the issue of women's rights in Iraq and noted the steady decline since the beginning of the illegal invasion. Prior to that, there were no "dress restrictions on women, they didn't have to cover up or wear a hijab," they could attend school, college, they held doctorates, they held postions in the government ministries. That's all changed. Dahr noted (and pay attention to this for later in the entry) "One of the first things that the US appointed Iraqi governing councile was to pass laws that would have done away with the laws that protect" the rights of women in Iraq. Though that was stopped it did "set the tone of what was going to happen in this inccreasingly fundamentalist" society where "There are no women's rights. Nothing is protected. It's a very fundamentalist government."
Nora Barrows-Friedman: I remember during the invasion and war against Afghanistan. Laura Bush was touting that country as a horrible place for women's rights and she herself was going to personally liberate the women. And now, after the invasion the Taliban has come back ten, a hundred-fold, it is worse for women in Afghanistan. Would you say the same is happening for women in Iraq?
Dahr agreed and noted "one of the consistent things we can see" using Afghanistan and Iraq as an example is that "if you're a woman you might want to seriously consider leaving because it's only a mtter of time before your rights are basically in the waste basket and horrible things are going to start happening to you."
Also addressed were the fact that the daily kidnappings in Baghdad (conservative estimate is thirty per day) target women more and more due to the fact that Bully Boy's 'liberation' has left them with no rights and little safeguards.
Today, the United Nations' IRIN attempts to report on the realities for female prisoners in Iraq. Standing in the way is one Emily Greene, described as "a spokeswoman for the US military in Iraq" who is a liar, a fool, a tool or an enabler? While Green offers denials/lies, Faten Abdul Rhaman Mahmoud, one of the few women in the puppet government with any power (she heads the Ministry of Women's Affairs), attempts to address the situation. There's something very vile about the US government, whose actions have destroyed the rights of women, using a woman as window dressing to hide behind and there's something even more disgusting about a woman who allows herself to be used in a such a manner. Greene lies/misinforms/disinforms that there's no information of any women held prisoner "in Iraqi prisons. The ones that had been held for investigation by them had all been released months ago and no torture has occurred, she said."
Emily Greene meet Um Ahmed who spoke with IPS about her imprisonment that did not take place "months ago" and that involved US forces who "told me they would rape me if I didn't tell them where my husband was, but I really didn't know." When her husband surrendered to the US military, the 'fun' just kept coming. Um Ahmed told Dahr Jamial and Ali al-Fadhily: "They told him they would rape me right in front of him if he did not confess he was a terrorist. They forced me to watch them beat him hard until he told them what they wanted to hear."
IRIN quotes Faten Abdul Rahman Mahmoud: "We don't know the exact number of remale prisoners but there are many being held in different prisons -- even though the [other ministries in the] government and US forces deny it. They are afraid of a counterattack from the country's conservative society." And though they may fear an attack, as noted by Dahr Jamail in his conversation with Nora Barrows-Friedman, the 'new' government set up post-illegal invasion has not given a damn about women's rights. IRIN also notes that Sarah Abdel Yassin of the Organization for Women's Freedom (OWF) whose own research backs up Faten Abdul Rahman Mahmoud's findings and she states, "The Ministry of Interior, [Ministry of] Defence and US forces are denying that there are female prisoners in Iraq but we have enough proof that they are there and that they suffer daily humiliation." An example is Samira Abdallah who was hooded for the entire four moths she was held, released in November only to find that her husband was now dead ("killed by the Iraqi army") as was her oldest daughter ("raped by a soldier" and then the daughter, 16-year-old Hania, killed herself) so it's now just her and her seven-year-old son.
When the Emily Greene's are presented with this 'choice' positions, the smart thing would be to turn them down. It should be perfectly obvious that Willie Caldwell gets all the 'prime' assignments and that they're being used as mere window dressing. By participating in the con, women like that not only enable the destruction of the rights of others, they make it all the less likely that a Faten Abdul Rahman Mahmoud will come along to speak out against abuses to women. But that's the point of using US women in window dressing roles, isn't it?
Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"
"WP: ''Death Square' Blast Kills 70 Iraqi Laborers'"
"Other Items"
"pregnant"
"can bill clinton explain to bully boy what a 'listening tour' actually is?"
"Rebecca, David Bacon"
"Good day on the personal front at least"
"My mind is elsewhere tonight"
"THIS JUST IN! BULLY BOY AIMS LOW!"
"Bully Boy's eternal vacation"
TODAY, BULLY BOY DECLARED TO THE DC PRESS, "I WILL NOT BE RUSHED INTO MAKING A DIFFICULT DECISION . . . A NECESSARY DECISION."
AS GROANS OVER HIS REPEATED FOOT DRAGGING FILLED THE ROOM, BULLY BOY WAGGED HIS FINGER, LEANED ACROSS THE PODIUM AND SHOUTED, "GOT A PROBLEM, BLAME THE SURPREME COURT! THEY APPOINTED ME! BLAME KENNY BLACKWELL! HE SURPRESSED THE OHIO VOTE IN 2004! QUIT PICKING ME! WHY DOES EVERYBODY HATE ME! I JUST WANT TO TAKE MY NAP!"
BREAKING INTO SOBS, HE WAS LED AWAY BY ALBERTO GONZALES WHO HAD INTENDED TO MODEL HIS LATEST FROCK BUT INSTEAD SPENT THE REST OF THE DAY CONSOLING BULLY BOY WHO SAT SCUFFING HIS SHOES AND POUTING FOR THE REST OF THE DAY EVEN WHEN ALBERTO THREATENED TO CALL IN BIG BABS THE BULLY MOMMA.
FROM THE TCI WIRE:
As the chaos and violence continues day after day, both Sudarsan Raghavan (Washington Post) and John F. Burns (New York Times) report a new 'plan' to cut down on the violence: provide jobs! As Kurdish legislator Mahmoud Othman tells Raghavan, "It's a bit late, as usual. They should have done this three years ago. In this country, they have spent so much on security without results. If they had spent one-tenth of that on creating jobs, more projects and fighting unemployment, things would have been better now."
The stop-gap measure (it's not a plan and it's not implemented) comes as Ann Scott Tyson (Washington Post) reports that both the US marines and army are advocating that Congress provide them with "permanent increases in personnel" and while, as Michael R. Gordon and Sabrina Tavernise (New York Times) point out, 'readiness' is just around the corner for Iraqi armies according to the country's national security advisor.
Did someone say, not quiet, not right? AFP reports this 'readiness' isn't just conditional upon future predictions, it also includes a list of wants: "more arms for the Iraqi army, more powers and training in order to be capable of handling security missions all over the country." Those are the words of the puppet Nouri al-Maliki and appear to indicate that when ousted by the US, he may not even grasp it, so removed from reality is he already.
The puppet reflects his master -- Bully Boy -- and shares company with a lazy press that can't stop jaw boning about toothless, idiotic 'reports.' Noting the 'snowjobs' weren't reality on yesterday's KPFA's Flashpoints, Dahr Jamail declared, "The reality is this a permanent occupation. They don't give a damn about the Iraqi people. They're not going to leave They're just trying to get the oil set up. And they're going to stay there until that happens and until it's all extracted."
But all the defocusing on 'listening tours' and 'reports' and other nonsense allows the Bully Boy to give the impression that he's 'active' and 'involved' -- so involved that, possibly, next year he can come up with a 'plan.' Danny Schechter (News Dissector) notes: "I can't wait for the Decider to Decide and for President Bush to announce his new revised version of his unrevised war plan. We will will have to wait a bit longer, perhaps to next year. And no matter that OVER SEVENTY PERCENT of the American people disagree with the current policy, he is not to be hurried with the media still taking him at his word as a rational decision maker. He is stuck. That's for sure. And anyone expecting new leadership in the White House might want to consider buying a bridge I am selling to Brooklyn."
While Bully Boy stalls the (willing) press, Saudi Arabia's not so patient. This morning, Helene Cooper (New York Times) reported that last month (after Thanksgiving), Dick Cheney was told by King Abdullah that if US forces withdraw from Iraq, the Saudi government will back the Sunnis. Cooper's story comes out just as Robin Wright (Washington Post) reports on the fast exist of the Saudi ambassador to the US, Prince Turki al-Faisal, who "flew out of Washington yesterday after informing Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and his staff that he would be leaving the post after only 15 months on the job, according to U.S. officials and foreign envoys. There has been no formal announcements from the kingdom."
Returning to yesterday's KPFA's Flashpoints, Nora Barrows-Friedman and Dahr Jamail discussed the issue of women's rights in Iraq and noted the steady decline since the beginning of the illegal invasion. Prior to that, there were no "dress restrictions on women, they didn't have to cover up or wear a hijab," they could attend school, college, they held doctorates, they held postions in the government ministries. That's all changed. Dahr noted (and pay attention to this for later in the entry) "One of the first things that the US appointed Iraqi governing councile was to pass laws that would have done away with the laws that protect" the rights of women in Iraq. Though that was stopped it did "set the tone of what was going to happen in this inccreasingly fundamentalist" society where "There are no women's rights. Nothing is protected. It's a very fundamentalist government."
Nora Barrows-Friedman: I remember during the invasion and war against Afghanistan. Laura Bush was touting that country as a horrible place for women's rights and she herself was going to personally liberate the women. And now, after the invasion the Taliban has come back ten, a hundred-fold, it is worse for women in Afghanistan. Would you say the same is happening for women in Iraq?
Dahr agreed and noted "one of the consistent things we can see" using Afghanistan and Iraq as an example is that "if you're a woman you might want to seriously consider leaving because it's only a mtter of time before your rights are basically in the waste basket and horrible things are going to start happening to you."
Also addressed were the fact that the daily kidnappings in Baghdad (conservative estimate is thirty per day) target women more and more due to the fact that Bully Boy's 'liberation' has left them with no rights and little safeguards.
Today, the United Nations' IRIN attempts to report on the realities for female prisoners in Iraq. Standing in the way is one Emily Greene, described as "a spokeswoman for the US military in Iraq" who is a liar, a fool, a tool or an enabler? While Green offers denials/lies, Faten Abdul Rhaman Mahmoud, one of the few women in the puppet government with any power (she heads the Ministry of Women's Affairs), attempts to address the situation. There's something very vile about the US government, whose actions have destroyed the rights of women, using a woman as window dressing to hide behind and there's something even more disgusting about a woman who allows herself to be used in a such a manner. Greene lies/misinforms/disinforms that there's no information of any women held prisoner "in Iraqi prisons. The ones that had been held for investigation by them had all been released months ago and no torture has occurred, she said."
Emily Greene meet Um Ahmed who spoke with IPS about her imprisonment that did not take place "months ago" and that involved US forces who "told me they would rape me if I didn't tell them where my husband was, but I really didn't know." When her husband surrendered to the US military, the 'fun' just kept coming. Um Ahmed told Dahr Jamial and Ali al-Fadhily: "They told him they would rape me right in front of him if he did not confess he was a terrorist. They forced me to watch them beat him hard until he told them what they wanted to hear."
IRIN quotes Faten Abdul Rahman Mahmoud: "We don't know the exact number of remale prisoners but there are many being held in different prisons -- even though the [other ministries in the] government and US forces deny it. They are afraid of a counterattack from the country's conservative society." And though they may fear an attack, as noted by Dahr Jamail in his conversation with Nora Barrows-Friedman, the 'new' government set up post-illegal invasion has not given a damn about women's rights. IRIN also notes that Sarah Abdel Yassin of the Organization for Women's Freedom (OWF) whose own research backs up Faten Abdul Rahman Mahmoud's findings and she states, "The Ministry of Interior, [Ministry of] Defence and US forces are denying that there are female prisoners in Iraq but we have enough proof that they are there and that they suffer daily humiliation." An example is Samira Abdallah who was hooded for the entire four moths she was held, released in November only to find that her husband was now dead ("killed by the Iraqi army") as was her oldest daughter ("raped by a soldier" and then the daughter, 16-year-old Hania, killed herself) so it's now just her and her seven-year-old son.
When the Emily Greene's are presented with this 'choice' positions, the smart thing would be to turn them down. It should be perfectly obvious that Willie Caldwell gets all the 'prime' assignments and that they're being used as mere window dressing. By participating in the con, women like that not only enable the destruction of the rights of others, they make it all the less likely that a Faten Abdul Rahman Mahmoud will come along to speak out against abuses to women. But that's the point of using US women in window dressing roles, isn't it?
Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"
"WP: ''Death Square' Blast Kills 70 Iraqi Laborers'"
"Other Items"
"pregnant"
"can bill clinton explain to bully boy what a 'listening tour' actually is?"
"Rebecca, David Bacon"
"Good day on the personal front at least"
"My mind is elsewhere tonight"
"THIS JUST IN! BULLY BOY AIMS LOW!"
"Bully Boy's eternal vacation"
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Bully Boy's eternal vacation
BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- DC.
IN A FUTHER LOWERING OF EXPECTATIONS THAT FEW THOUGHT WAS POSSIBLE,
THE BULLY BOY ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT ANY 'CHANGE IN DIRECTION' REGARDING HIS ILLEGAL WAR IN IRAQ WOULD BE ANNOUNCED NEXT YEAR.
THIS DELAY WILL ALLOW BULLY BOY TO FOCUS ON MORE IMPORTANT THINGS SUCH AS ENSURING THAT NO 1 ELSE EVER APPROACHES HIS RECORD IN THE HISTORY BOOKS AS THE OVAL OFFICE OCCUPANT WHO SPENT THE MOST TIME ON VACATION.
IN RELATED NEWS, CONDI RICE TOLD THESE REPORTERS SHE'S COMPOSING A MUSICAL BASED UPON HER TIME AT THE WHITE HOUSE TO BE ENTITLED PERMANENT VACATION.
FINALLY, CONGRATULATIONS TO REBECCA AND FLYBOY.
FROM THE TCI WIRE:
Starting with impeachement. BuzzFlash interviews Elizabeth Holtzman on the topic. Holtzman is a former district attorney and a former member of Congress. As a member of Congress, the committee she served on was the one that drafted impeachment charges against "Tricky Dick" Nixon. In January, Holtzman penned "The Impeachment of George W. Bush" which not only remains the strongest piece to run in The Nation throughout the 2006 year, it also kicked off the discussion (which had seemed dormant after the 2003 invasion of Iraq) and Lewis Lapham's "The Case for Impeachment" (Harper's), the Center for Constitutional Rights's Articles of Impeachment Against George W. Bush, David Lindorff and Barbara Olshansky's The Case for Impeachment (Olshansky is an attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights) would quickly follow. More recently, Holtzman's published the book The Impeachment of George W. Bush.
In an exclusive interview with BuzzFlash, Holtzman was asked about pundits who say that impeachment will not happen and the fact that Nancy Pelosi took impeachment 'off the table' (in an October interview with Lesley Stahl on CBS' 60 Minutes). Holtzman responded:
We can't start and end the conversation with what political pundits have to say. First of all, our generation -- the American people living right now -- have a responsibility for preserving and maintaining our Constitution. Are we going to allow it to be shredded by a president? Then, if this president can get away with starting a war based on lies, with breaking the law willfully, what's the next president going to do? What’s the precedent that's started here?
Secondly, it really doesn't matter what the pundits say, and it doesn't really matter what members of Congress have to say about impeachment. If the American people want impeachment, it's going to happen. The real problem is that the mainstream media won't take the issue seriously. They don't want to spend the time to understand it. And they've decided it's not going to happen, so they're not going to write about it. The consequence is that many Americans don't understand that the framers of this Constitution 200 years ago understood that there would be a Richard Nixon, and they understood that there would be a George Bush. And they said: American people, you have a remedy. We're giving you a remedy. It's 200 years old. It's called impeachment. That's designed to remove a President who threatens our Constitution and subverts our democracy.
Watergate didn't start because the Congress wanted impeachment. Left to its own devices, Congress never would have done anything on impeachment. Left to its own devices, the press never would have investigated, except for Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. The rest of the press was completely unconcerned on the subject. They didn't care. They weren't aggressive. But the American people understand that this is their Constitution, this is their democracy, this is their country, and they have the power to do something about it.
On the issue of Congress, Ann Wright told The KPFA Evening News Monday, ". . . they're going to just let things evolve. And what we the people have to do is to put pressure on all of these oversight committees to have continual oversight committees investigations and I think there's going to be overwhelming evidence, through these investigations, so damning to the administration that, at that point, there will be a collective effort by the Congress to hold accountable people who have broken US law and that, probably, will lead to impeachment."
Echoing that thought, Cindy Sheehan stated on Democracy Now! today that the movement for impeachment has to come from the people and then "Congress will have the courage to do the same thing." On the same broadcast, Medea Benjamin noted that "nothing is off the table."
Also yesterday on The KPFA Evening News, a news conference was held on The Lancet Study and among those attending was US Congress member Dennis Kucinich who declared, "There have been a staggering amount of civilian casualites." The Lancet Study found over 655,000 Iraqis had died since the beginning of the illegal war. Also noted was that Kuccinich would declare his candidacy for the Democrat 2008 presidential nomination today. Mark Mericle reported that Kucinich "doesn't think his fellow Democrats are heeding what he called the anti-war message sent by the voters this year."
Joe Milicia (AP) reports on Kucinich's announcement today quoting from the presidential primary candidate stating, "I am not going to stand by and watch thousands more of our brave, young men and women killed in Iraq. We Democrats were put back in power to bring some sanity back to our nation.We were expected to do what we said we were going to do -- get out of Iraq."
[. . .]
Also on today's Democracy Now!, Amy Goodman interviewed lefty mag Poster Boy Sherrod Brown and asked him what he would say to US war resisters such as Ehren Watada who think the war is immoral and illegal and the poster boy replied, "I don't know, I don't know what you say to them." [Goodman interviewed Watada's mother, Carolyn Ho, yesterday.] When asked by Goodman if there should be "pressure on the military not to prosecute these men and women who . . . are saying the war is wrong," Poster Boy replied, "I don't know. . . . I don't know the answer to that."
Possibly had the leading magazines of the left, The Nation and The Progressive, put war resisters on the cover or printed even one article on them in 2006, the Poster Boy might have been prompted to consider the issue?
The Progressive ran two photos, November 2006 issue, in their multi-page photo eassay. The two photos (by Jeff Paterson of Not In Our Name), on a page of five photos, were of war resister Ricky Clousing. The Nation has provided nothing in their print edition. ["Leading" is based on circulation. Left Turn has published an article, in print, on Watada. Off Our Backs and Ms. have dedicated entire issues to war and peace this year.] While the New York Times and the Washington Post, two leading mainstream, daily papers, have covered the war resisters (the Times has done major stories on both Watada and Clousing) and a leading wire service (the Associated Press) has significantly covered the war resistance within the US military, leading magazines of the left continue to avoid the topic and 2006 may end without either The Nation or The Progressive providing one single print article on war resisters. No wonder the Poster Boy feels comfortable avoiding the issue.
While the magazines have repeatedly avoided the issue, one of the Iraq stories of 2006 has been the war resistance within the military. Kyle Snyder, Ehren Watada, Darrell Anderson, Joshua Key, Ivan Brobeck, Ricky Clousing, Mark Wilkerson, Camilo Meija, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Jeremy Hinzman, Corey Glass, Patrick Hart, Clifford Cornell, Agustin Aguayo, Joshua Despain, Katherine Jashinski, and Kevin Benderman are part of an ever growing movement of resistance within the military.
Speaking last Thursday with Nora Barrows-Friedman on KPFA's Flashpoints, Kyle Snyder noted that more war resisters who have not yet gone public are planning to in the coming months. (Snyder also noted that he meets war resisters who have self-checked out as he speaks around the country.)
The failure of the leading magazines of the left to cover this story stands as one of the biggest barriers of a free flow of information on the issue of the illegal war. It also calls to question, for many politically active college students across the United States, the magazines' committment to ending the illegal war -- more so for The Nation which is a weekly and which managed to mention Carl Webb in an article this year but failed to note that he was a war resister. (Webb was quoted in the context of an article on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.) [For what is focused while Iraq is avoided see the parody "The Elector."]
While they've played the quiet game on the topic, information on this movement of war resistance within the military can be found at Center on Conscience & War, The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline, and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. And Appeal for Redress is collecting signatures of active duty service members calling on Congress to bring the troops home -- the petition will be delivered to Congress next month.
Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"
"NYT: Little too read, step away from the paper"
"Other Items"
"pregnant"
"can bill clinton explain to bully boy what a 'list..."
"pinochet, swift"
"Stop the gas bagging on and attention to the Circle Jerk"
"Monday -- make a line in the sand"
"This is justice?"
"THIS JUST IN! BULLY BOY'S BAIT & SWITCH!"
"Bully Boy manages the press again"
IN A FUTHER LOWERING OF EXPECTATIONS THAT FEW THOUGHT WAS POSSIBLE,
THE BULLY BOY ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT ANY 'CHANGE IN DIRECTION' REGARDING HIS ILLEGAL WAR IN IRAQ WOULD BE ANNOUNCED NEXT YEAR.
THIS DELAY WILL ALLOW BULLY BOY TO FOCUS ON MORE IMPORTANT THINGS SUCH AS ENSURING THAT NO 1 ELSE EVER APPROACHES HIS RECORD IN THE HISTORY BOOKS AS THE OVAL OFFICE OCCUPANT WHO SPENT THE MOST TIME ON VACATION.
IN RELATED NEWS, CONDI RICE TOLD THESE REPORTERS SHE'S COMPOSING A MUSICAL BASED UPON HER TIME AT THE WHITE HOUSE TO BE ENTITLED PERMANENT VACATION.
FINALLY, CONGRATULATIONS TO REBECCA AND FLYBOY.
FROM THE TCI WIRE:
Starting with impeachement. BuzzFlash interviews Elizabeth Holtzman on the topic. Holtzman is a former district attorney and a former member of Congress. As a member of Congress, the committee she served on was the one that drafted impeachment charges against "Tricky Dick" Nixon. In January, Holtzman penned "The Impeachment of George W. Bush" which not only remains the strongest piece to run in The Nation throughout the 2006 year, it also kicked off the discussion (which had seemed dormant after the 2003 invasion of Iraq) and Lewis Lapham's "The Case for Impeachment" (Harper's), the Center for Constitutional Rights's Articles of Impeachment Against George W. Bush, David Lindorff and Barbara Olshansky's The Case for Impeachment (Olshansky is an attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights) would quickly follow. More recently, Holtzman's published the book The Impeachment of George W. Bush.
In an exclusive interview with BuzzFlash, Holtzman was asked about pundits who say that impeachment will not happen and the fact that Nancy Pelosi took impeachment 'off the table' (in an October interview with Lesley Stahl on CBS' 60 Minutes). Holtzman responded:
We can't start and end the conversation with what political pundits have to say. First of all, our generation -- the American people living right now -- have a responsibility for preserving and maintaining our Constitution. Are we going to allow it to be shredded by a president? Then, if this president can get away with starting a war based on lies, with breaking the law willfully, what's the next president going to do? What’s the precedent that's started here?
Secondly, it really doesn't matter what the pundits say, and it doesn't really matter what members of Congress have to say about impeachment. If the American people want impeachment, it's going to happen. The real problem is that the mainstream media won't take the issue seriously. They don't want to spend the time to understand it. And they've decided it's not going to happen, so they're not going to write about it. The consequence is that many Americans don't understand that the framers of this Constitution 200 years ago understood that there would be a Richard Nixon, and they understood that there would be a George Bush. And they said: American people, you have a remedy. We're giving you a remedy. It's 200 years old. It's called impeachment. That's designed to remove a President who threatens our Constitution and subverts our democracy.
Watergate didn't start because the Congress wanted impeachment. Left to its own devices, Congress never would have done anything on impeachment. Left to its own devices, the press never would have investigated, except for Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. The rest of the press was completely unconcerned on the subject. They didn't care. They weren't aggressive. But the American people understand that this is their Constitution, this is their democracy, this is their country, and they have the power to do something about it.
On the issue of Congress, Ann Wright told The KPFA Evening News Monday, ". . . they're going to just let things evolve. And what we the people have to do is to put pressure on all of these oversight committees to have continual oversight committees investigations and I think there's going to be overwhelming evidence, through these investigations, so damning to the administration that, at that point, there will be a collective effort by the Congress to hold accountable people who have broken US law and that, probably, will lead to impeachment."
Echoing that thought, Cindy Sheehan stated on Democracy Now! today that the movement for impeachment has to come from the people and then "Congress will have the courage to do the same thing." On the same broadcast, Medea Benjamin noted that "nothing is off the table."
Also yesterday on The KPFA Evening News, a news conference was held on The Lancet Study and among those attending was US Congress member Dennis Kucinich who declared, "There have been a staggering amount of civilian casualites." The Lancet Study found over 655,000 Iraqis had died since the beginning of the illegal war. Also noted was that Kuccinich would declare his candidacy for the Democrat 2008 presidential nomination today. Mark Mericle reported that Kucinich "doesn't think his fellow Democrats are heeding what he called the anti-war message sent by the voters this year."
Joe Milicia (AP) reports on Kucinich's announcement today quoting from the presidential primary candidate stating, "I am not going to stand by and watch thousands more of our brave, young men and women killed in Iraq. We Democrats were put back in power to bring some sanity back to our nation.We were expected to do what we said we were going to do -- get out of Iraq."
[. . .]
Also on today's Democracy Now!, Amy Goodman interviewed lefty mag Poster Boy Sherrod Brown and asked him what he would say to US war resisters such as Ehren Watada who think the war is immoral and illegal and the poster boy replied, "I don't know, I don't know what you say to them." [Goodman interviewed Watada's mother, Carolyn Ho, yesterday.] When asked by Goodman if there should be "pressure on the military not to prosecute these men and women who . . . are saying the war is wrong," Poster Boy replied, "I don't know. . . . I don't know the answer to that."
Possibly had the leading magazines of the left, The Nation and The Progressive, put war resisters on the cover or printed even one article on them in 2006, the Poster Boy might have been prompted to consider the issue?
The Progressive ran two photos, November 2006 issue, in their multi-page photo eassay. The two photos (by Jeff Paterson of Not In Our Name), on a page of five photos, were of war resister Ricky Clousing. The Nation has provided nothing in their print edition. ["Leading" is based on circulation. Left Turn has published an article, in print, on Watada. Off Our Backs and Ms. have dedicated entire issues to war and peace this year.] While the New York Times and the Washington Post, two leading mainstream, daily papers, have covered the war resisters (the Times has done major stories on both Watada and Clousing) and a leading wire service (the Associated Press) has significantly covered the war resistance within the US military, leading magazines of the left continue to avoid the topic and 2006 may end without either The Nation or The Progressive providing one single print article on war resisters. No wonder the Poster Boy feels comfortable avoiding the issue.
While the magazines have repeatedly avoided the issue, one of the Iraq stories of 2006 has been the war resistance within the military. Kyle Snyder, Ehren Watada, Darrell Anderson, Joshua Key, Ivan Brobeck, Ricky Clousing, Mark Wilkerson, Camilo Meija, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Jeremy Hinzman, Corey Glass, Patrick Hart, Clifford Cornell, Agustin Aguayo, Joshua Despain, Katherine Jashinski, and Kevin Benderman are part of an ever growing movement of resistance within the military.
Speaking last Thursday with Nora Barrows-Friedman on KPFA's Flashpoints, Kyle Snyder noted that more war resisters who have not yet gone public are planning to in the coming months. (Snyder also noted that he meets war resisters who have self-checked out as he speaks around the country.)
The failure of the leading magazines of the left to cover this story stands as one of the biggest barriers of a free flow of information on the issue of the illegal war. It also calls to question, for many politically active college students across the United States, the magazines' committment to ending the illegal war -- more so for The Nation which is a weekly and which managed to mention Carl Webb in an article this year but failed to note that he was a war resister. (Webb was quoted in the context of an article on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.) [For what is focused while Iraq is avoided see the parody "The Elector."]
While they've played the quiet game on the topic, information on this movement of war resistance within the military can be found at Center on Conscience & War, The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline, and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. And Appeal for Redress is collecting signatures of active duty service members calling on Congress to bring the troops home -- the petition will be delivered to Congress next month.
Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"
"NYT: Little too read, step away from the paper"
"Other Items"
"pregnant"
"can bill clinton explain to bully boy what a 'list..."
"pinochet, swift"
"Stop the gas bagging on and attention to the Circle Jerk"
"Monday -- make a line in the sand"
"This is justice?"
"THIS JUST IN! BULLY BOY'S BAIT & SWITCH!"
"Bully Boy manages the press again"
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