ThinkFast: May 12, 2008
While “the number of Americans being secretly wiretapped” or having their records reviewed by the government continues to increase, “the number of terrorism prosecutions ending up in court” has continued to decline. Experts say that the trends are evidence that “the government has compromised the privacy rights of ordinary citizens without much to show for it.”
Two campaign aides to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) were forced to quit because of ties to a firm that once represented the Burmese military Junta. Doug Goodyear, whom McCain chose to run the Republican National Convention, and Doug Davenport, a regional campaign manager for McCain, resigned over the weekend. More on McCain’s troubling lobbying ties here.
On Friday, a military judge barred Gen. Thomas Hartmann, the legal adviser at Guantanamo Bay, “from participating in the case against Salim Hamdan, Osama bin Laden’s former driver.” Hamdan’s lawyer, Lt. Cmdr. Brian Mizer, alleged Hartmann’s “dual role of supervising the prosecution and providing legal advice to the commissions administrator, who must make impartial rulings,” constituted a “conflict of interest.”
The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere “has reached a record high, according to new data published by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Scientists say the new figures confirm that CO2 “is accumulating in the atmosphere faster than expected.”
The Missouri legislature is set to vote this week on a constitutional amendment requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote, creating “far more rigorous demands than the voter ID requirement recently upheld by the Supreme Court.” “Critics say the measure could lead to the disenfranchisement of tens of thousands of legal residents who would find it difficult to prove their citizenship.”
In a sign of Iran’s growing influence in Iraqi politics, violent clashes between militias loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr and the Iraqi government “came to a halt this weekend after Mr. Sadr agreed to a truce brokered by Iran.” Iran’s scope of influence has widened” in Iraq, putting “the Iraqi government at a precarious position between two important friends, the U.S. and Iran.”
The LA Times reports that the U.S.’s evidence of Iranian weapons flowing into Iraq showed some cracks recently. “A plan to show some alleged Iranian-supplied explosives to journalists last week in Karbala and then destroy them was canceled after the United States realized none of them was from Iran.”
Bloomberg writes that President Bush’s promised Mideast agreement is still mission unaccomplished. Bush’s habit of “delving into Middle East peacemaking in fits and starts” has produced little progress. Palestinian Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad said that talks “have not proceeded at a pace that’s consistent to obtain the objectives set forth at Annapolis.”
A Washington Post investigation, joined by 60 Minutes, has found disturbing evidence that immigrants are suffering from neglect and some don’t survive detention in America. Post reporter Dana Priest says the investigation showed an immigrations and customs bureaucracy “that offers many immigrants no care or slow care or poor care…and they also show that the employees inside are panicked about this.”
And Finally: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has such a “fondness for ‘The Office’” that at a recent gala sponsored by Time magazine “he seemed slightly star-struck upon meeting B. J. Novak, a writer and actor on the show.” When he was introduced to Novak, McCain “started rattling off the details of ‘Dinner Party,’ a recent episode that he apparently enjoyed and remembered.”
What did we miss? Let us know in the comments section.
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Civilization’s Last Chance
The Planet Is Nearing a Tipping Point on Climate Change, and It Gets Much Worse, Fast.
Even for Americans — who are constitutionally convinced that there will always be a second act, and a third, and a do-over after that, and, if necessary, a little public repentance and forgiveness and a Brand New Start — even for us, the world looks a little terminal right now.
All of a sudden it isn’t morning in America, it’s dusk on planet Earth. There’s a number — a new number — that makes this point most powerfully. It may now be the most important number on Earth: 350. As in parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
A few weeks ago, NASA’s chief climatologist, James Hansen, submitted a paper to Science magazine with several coauthors. The abstract attached to it argued — and I have never read stronger language in a scientific paper — that “if humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, paleoclimate evidence and ongoing climate change suggest that CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm.”
Here’s the thing. Hansen didn’t just say that if we didn’t act, there was trouble coming. He didn’t just say that if we didn’t yet know what was best for us, we’d certainly be better off below 350 ppm of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
His phrase was: “if we wish to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed.” A planet with billions of people living near those oh-so-floodable coastlines. A planet with ever-more vulnerable forests. (A beetle, encouraged by warmer temperatures, has already managed to kill 10 times more trees than in any previous infestation across the northern reaches of Canada this year. This means far more carbon heading for the atmosphere and apparently dooms Canada’s efforts to comply with the Kyoto protocol, which was already in doubt because of its decision to start producing oil for the U.S. from Alberta’s tar sands.)
In the next two or three years, the nations of the world are supposed to be negotiating a successor treaty to the Kyoto accord (which, for the record, has never been approved by the United States — the only industrial nation that has failed to do so). When December 2009 rolls around, heads of state are supposed to converge on Copenhagen to sign a treaty — a treaty that would go into effect at the last plausible moment to heed the most basic and crucial of limits on atmospheric CO2.
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/05/11/8875/
This country has got to commit to cutting back on burning coal. The auto manufacturers have to put out more hybrid cars. Green is good for everyone, it needs to become our countries theme. It’s not too late.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:03 amWhile “the number of Americans being secretly wiretapped” or having their records reviewed by the government continues to increase…
______________________________________________
It sounds like the government needs to employ a lot of people to keep up with all this surveillance. So why aren’t we seeing a reduction in unemployment? You’d think that Bush would be bragging about all the jobs he’s creating.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:05 am“While “the number of Americans being secretly wiretapped” or having their records reviewed by the government continues to increase, “the number of terrorism prosecutions ending up in court” has continued to decline. Experts say that the trends are evidence that “the government has compromised the privacy rights of ordinary citizens without much to show for it.”
They’ve had GREAT success with this program: Their goal was to spy on Americans and they are doing it quite well.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:06 amGlaxo ‘Downplayed’ Warning on Heart-Attack Risk from Aids Drug
The multinational drugs company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) downplayed an early warning about the rising number of people who have suffered heart attacks after using one of its drugs, abacavir. An anti-Aids medication, abacavir is taken by tens of thousands of people worldwide.
GSK was officially told of the possible risk in May 2005, three years before it issued a statement to its investors saying that the findings of an even stronger potential link between heart attacks and abacavir are “unexpected” and “unconfirmed”. However, it failed to mention that its own summary of product characteristics issued when the drug was launched in the late 1990s had described “mild myocardial degeneration” in mice and rats given the drug for two years.
Some scientists moni-toring the safety of Aids drugs are privately furious with GSK for downplaying the significance of one of the biggest safety trials of abacavir - one of several anti-virals taken by Aids patients in combined HIV therapy - when the findings were published last month.
The first public sign that abacavir may be linked with increased heart attack risk emerged this April when The Lancet published the worldwide “DAD” study into adverse reactions to anti-HIV drugs after clinical observations of 33,347 Aids patients across Europe, Australia and the US. The study found that the risk of having a heart attack in patients taking abacavir was almost double that of HIV patients who did not take the drug.
Independent scientists who analysed the DAD findings said in The Lancet that the data was not strong enough to establish a causal connection because that would have required a different type of study; but they said the observed increase in the risk of heart attacks was “too strong to ignore”.
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/05/11/8886/
The FDA at present sees no reason to change the prescribing information. GSK executives have absolutely nothing to worry about except for settlement costs of lawsuits. I’m sure that some bean counter crunched numbers and figured it was cheaper to pay a few lawsuits than to stop marketing this drug.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:06 amRe: “Experts say that the trends are evidence that ‘the government has compromised the privacy rights of ordinary citizens without much to show for it.’”
So if the government had anything to show for it, however trivial or substantial, would that make the compromising of privacy rights, embedded in the US Constitution, any less egregious, wrong or criminal? If we’ve moved to the ends justify the means, then W and the terrorists he and his Unitary Executive support have won.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:09 amTwo campaign aides to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) were forced to quit because of ties to a firm that once represented the Burmese military Junta.
______________________________________________
Yeah, well when the only people you surround yourself with are lobbyists, you run into these problems. I figure we’re going to be seeing more of this between now and November.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:09 amPatriotic Barack Obama lapel pins unveiled honoring all 57 states
May 12th, 2008 at 9:10 amHow the world’s oceans are running out of fish
The future of our seas has never been more precarious. Ninety years of industrial-scale overfishing has brought us to the brink of an ecological catastrophe and deprived millions of their livelihoods. As scientific guidelines are ignored and catches become ever bigger, Alex Renton tells why the international community has failed to act.
Is anyone not aware that wild fish are in deep trouble? That three-quarters of commercially caught species are over-exploited or exploited to their maximum? Do they not know that industrial fishing is so inefficient that a third of the catch, some 32 million tonnes a year, is thrown away? For every ocean prawn you eat, fish weighing 10-20 times as much have been thrown overboard. These figures all come from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which also claims that, of all the world’s natural resources, fish are being depleted the fastest. With even the most abundant commercial species, we eat smaller and smaller fish every year - we eat the babies before they can breed.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/ environment/ 2008/ may/ 11/ fishing.food/ print
‘This regime is good at killing people, not helping them’
Refugees from the Burmese cyclone face second battle for survival
Since the cyclone hit, the school, situated in a large village an hour’s drive west of Rangoon, has been turned into an impromptu refugee centre, with some 2040 of the displaced now crammed into the white-washed building.
Today, they and their 50 or so noisy roommates batted away swarms of flies away from their faces as they ate the scoop of rice handed out to each by the charity World Concern. Although rice is still available to buy in the village, the price has almost doubled, putting it well out of reach of the homeless locals.
They planned to stay in the school for as long as it took for the government to help rebuild their battered neighbourhood. But a visit from a government officer today showed where the ruling elite’s real priorities lie: rather than reassure the refugees that help was at hand, they were told to expect an eviction. The government wants to use the school as a polling station in two weeks. That’s the date for the referendum which the government reluctantly postponed after the disaster.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/ world/ 2008/ may/ 11/ cyclonenargis.burma5?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront
Another government that doesn’t care about it’s people. It is truly sad how badly this has been handled by their officials.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:10 amApparently, the definition of “expert” is now “anyone with a pulse and three functioning cerebral cells.”
May 12th, 2008 at 9:13 amIran’s scope of influence has widened” in Iraq, putting “the Iraqi government at a precarious position between two important friends, the U.S. and Iran.”
You gotta love our government’s claim that the Iranians are supplying weapons to Iraq. This still has not been proven. Our military had set up a “show and tell” for reporters to prove that they had captured weapons made in Iran. The only problem was, when they actually inspected the weapons that they said came from Iran, there was NO evidence that was where they came from, so the “show and tell” was canceled.
The only “proof” we have that Iran is meddling in Iraq militarily is the “word” of our government and we all know what that is worth. In the meantime, Iran is helping broker cease fires… That’s embarrassing.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:13 amThe Missouri legislature is set to vote this week on a constitutional amendment requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote, creating “far more rigorous demands than the voter ID requirement recently upheld by the Supreme Court.” “Critics say the measure could lead to the disenfranchisement of tens of thousands of legal residents who would find it difficult to prove their citizenship.”
_________________________________________________
Did I miss something? Is there a rampant problem of non-citizens voting that I am unaware of? On other blogs, in response to the Indiana law, I have seen comments from people making reference to the “big voter-fraud problem” caused by illegal aliens voting. Yet I have seen no actual evidence of this. I haven’t heard of anybody being arrested, anybody going to court, anybody being convicted of this type of voter fraud.
This “voter fraud” problem has been touted so much that a fair amount of our population believes it to be true. This works very well for the “voter ID” crowd, who only wants to disenfranchise voters who would be mostly poor and/or elderly.
The types of voter fraud we need to clean up are voting machine hacking, voter caging, and other mischief.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:16 amTP didn’t miss it, but a LOT more news coverage, here & everywhere, is needed on the Missouri legislature’s upcoming attempt to disenfranchise voters.
Sunlight on this vote suppression outrage is important.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:16 amA plan to show some alleged Iranian-supplied explosives to journalists last week in Karbala and then destroy them was canceled after the United States realized none of them was from Iran.”
May 12th, 2008 at 9:18 amIran, to date, has done more peace negotiating in Iraq and with Sadr than Condi Rice. As Bushies beat the war drum ever louder, adding another Carrier to the area and playing the fear card on Iran, they just can’t seem to find ‘that reason’ they need to begin the bombing. Perhaps they’ll just have to make some shit up; like they did with Iraq.
damn! Fritz beat me to it about the entire pupose of the domestic spying.
It was NEVER about going after ‘terrorists’ in the first place, it was always about going after administration critics- i.e., the American people ARE the ‘terrorists’
May 12th, 2008 at 9:18 amBush’s habit of “delving into Middle East peacemaking in fits and starts” has produced little progress. Palestinian Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad said that talks “have not proceeded at a pace that’s consistent to obtain the objectives set forth at Annapolis.”
Ya’ll gotta’ unnerstan’, it’s hard work!
And nobody takes Condi seriously!
May 12th, 2008 at 9:19 amblackdude Says
May 12th, 2008 at 9:10 am
Patriotic Barack Obama lapel pins unveiled honoring all 57 states
________________________________________
Good morning, blackdude. Are you going to favor us with any original thought today, or are you just going to post links to silly sites?
May 12th, 2008 at 9:20 amDid anyone else find it brilliant that he told Jon Stewart he’d give Dwight Schrute the Vice Presidency? He’s comparing himself to an awkward, mistake-ridden idiot who’s own staff laugh at him behind his back. Talk about right on the money. I’d rather Steve Carrel were running for President.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:21 amCheney’s mission has never been governance, it’s the transfer of public wealth to the pockets of the corporate establishment and wealthy citizens (our aristocracy). In this he has been singularly successful.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:21 ammisshusseinmolly Says:
Baaap!
We have a loser in the “ignore the troll” sweepstakes!
May 12th, 2008 at 9:22 amHas anyone else noticed a lot of earthquakes recently? Today in China and Sumatra last week in Japan, a few weeks ago in the mid-west. Anyone here big fans of Tesla?
May 12th, 2008 at 9:23 am“A plan to show some alleged Iranian-supplied explosives to journalists last week in Karbala and then destroy them was canceled after the United States realized none of them was from Iran.”
So, either they couldn’t figure out where the explosives came from (which seems highly unlikely) or they were a bit embarrassed to admit that they were Western in origin.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:23 amThe Missouri legislature is set to vote this week on a constitutional amendment requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote, creating “far more rigorous demands than the voter ID requirement recently upheld by the Supreme Court.” “Critics say the measure could lead to the disenfranchisement of tens of thousands of legal residents who would find it difficult to prove their citizenship.”
From the article:
Supporters of the measures cite growing concerns that illegal immigrants will try to vote. They say proof of citizenship measures are an important way to improve the accuracy of registration rolls and the overall voter confidence in the process.
Their “concerns” may be growing, but those concerns are not based on facts. Not one of these supporters can point to any evidence of a significant increase in the number of illegal immigrants attempting to vote, so their fears are completely unfounded. This measure, while it might accomplish the goal of making it well nigh impossible for illegal immigrants to vote, is a terrible one because it would also make it unnecessarily, and unjustifiably, harder for legal citizens to exercise their right to vote. As a result of this and similar legislation, more people who legally have the right to vote will be denied that right than people who do not have the legal right to vote.
Is it really better for Democracy to deny ten people the legal right to vote than it is to let one illegal vote slip in?
May 12th, 2008 at 9:24 ambarfly Says
May 12th, 2008 at 9:22 am
We have a loser in the “ignore the troll” sweepstakes!
______________________________________________
Gak — you caught me. I deserved that. I’m ingesting more caffeine so hopefully I can be more alert and recognize these spammers for what they are.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:25 amI think, as people who favor progress which tout all the positive Iranian involvement in Iraq :
Iran played prominent role in Al-Sadr peace deal :
http://www.reuters.com/ article/ newsMaps/ idUSL1215797420080512
May 12th, 2008 at 9:26 amUpdated : They now saying 3,000-5,000 people have died in the Chinese earthquake in one region alone.
I think this and the Burma situation bring all the insanity involving Clinton and Obama into perspective.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:28 amTheir “concerns” may be growing, but those concerns are not based on facts. Not one of these supporters can point to any evidence of a significant increase in the number of illegal immigrants attempting to vote, so their fears are completely unfounded.
A good attack point against McCain in the coming debates. Get him on record, either for or against the GOP-led charge, since his possible response paints him either as a hypocrite, or an apostate (which the religious right already considers him to be).
May 12th, 2008 at 9:30 amUntil this great country realizes that 9/11 was the cover-up of the century:
our reckless foreign policy will continue, our men and women will continue to die in 2 illegal wars, our economy will continue to tank, our infrastructure will continue to crumble, our tax dollars will continue to pay for the private contractors in Iraq, gas prices will keep soaring, our resources here in America will not be available for another hurricane, earthquake because:
WE ARE FIGHTING A PHONY WAR ON TERROR.
The real terrorists hijacked this country 8 years ago.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:31 ammisshusseinmolly Says:
Did I miss something? Is there a rampant problem of non-citizens voting that I am unaware of?
No, you didn’t miss anything. There is no more evidence of this kind of fraud than there is of voter impersonation fraud. It is simply a way for the right wing to disenfranchise poor and elderly voters.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:33 amThe LA Times reports that the U.S.’s evidence of Iranian weapons flowing into Iraq showed some cracks recently. “A plan to show some alleged Iranian-supplied explosives to journalists last week in Karbala and then destroy them was canceled after the United States realized none of them was from Iran.”
Why does the Pentagon and Bush Administration insist on pushing the idea that Iran is helping the people our soldiers are fighting if they can’t back up their claims with proof? Many people in this country are concerned that Bush and Cheney will launch a war with Iran just before they leave office. The fear is that they will make up more fake intel, deny lawmakers the chance to see the source of the intel, and then insist that anyone who disagrees with their plans to bomb Iran is un-American at best, and a traitor at worst. We’ve been down this road before.
Bush and Cheney will launch a war with Iran before they leave office if we give them enough time to do it. Remove them both from office now. Save thousands of human lives. Letting them serve out their full terms is the same as killing innocent human beings.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:36 amDon’t forget all non-white voters.. hmm.. i wonder which major candidate in the Presidential election that would affect?
A Clinton - McCain ticket is closer than you think.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:37 amthe funniest thing I read (I forget where I read this) is that Hillary is McCain in drag…
May 12th, 2008 at 9:39 ammisshusseinmolly Says:
The types of voter fraud we need to clean up are voting machine hacking, voter caging, and other mischief.
That’s because those are not “voter” fraud. They are election fraud. It’s more important to make sure that one voter doesn’t vote illegally than it is to make sure that an entire election isn’t stolen by hacking voting machines.
I am so hoping that the Democrats play it right and this election is a rout. Because if it is close, I have a very bad feeling that we will see another stolen election. Fortunately I don’t believe that Obama will go quietly into that good night if this election is stolen.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:40 amWar might be closer than you think - Phillip Giraldi
War With Iran Might Be Closer Than You Think
Posted on May 9th, 2008 by Philip Giraldi
Time to get impeachment sorted out. This crap must end.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:41 amA Clinton - McCain ticket is closer than you think.
Libertarians would rebel. They already think Paul got a raw deal, and putting Hillary on the ticket would be too much. Hillary’s pro-choice stance also dooms such a ticket.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:42 amSupreme Court avoiding 5-4 decisions
Many watching the somewhat unpredictable Justice John Paul Stevens
This could be the Supreme Court term, one court watcher joked recently, that Justice John Paul Stevens remembers he is a Republican.
But the biggest cases decided so far — upholding lethal injection procedures, photo identification requirements for voters and Texas’ treatment of a Mexican on death row — have had six or seven justices, including Stevens, in agreement on the outcome.
With roughly three dozen cases left to decide — including the rights of foreigners detained at Guantanamo, Washington’s handgun ban and the death penalty for raping a child — the court has plenty of time to revert to its recent pattern of ideological division and Stevens could end up breaking with the conservatives frequently.
Stevens wrote the lead opinion in the voter ID case, rejecting a constitutional challenge to a photo ID law in Indiana because there was lack of evidence to support the claim that voters were being unfairly denied a ballot. On the other side, there was scant evidence of the sort of voter fraud the sponsors of the law said it was designed to prevent.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24557662/
It is going to be interesting to see how Stevens votes on the rights of foreigners detained at Guantanamo. Will he vote liberal or remember that he is a Republican?? We will have to wait and see how this unfolds..
May 12th, 2008 at 9:44 ambarfly Says:
A Clinton - McCain ticket is closer than you think.
Libertarians would rebel. They already think Paul got a raw deal, and putting Hillary on the ticket would be too much. Hillary’s pro-choice stance also dooms such a ticket.
Hillary can always have an epiphany and change her stance on the issue. At this point I think she would do just about anything to win. But, I doubt that she is interested in a VP slot on the Republican ticket any more than she is interested in a VP slot with Obama. She’s determined to be number one, come hell or high water.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:46 amShe’s determined to be number one, come hell or high water.
The only true constant in this race.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:48 amHell, higher water, or the imminent health decline suffered by an ageing cancer-ridden presidential candidate. I’m sure she’d rather take her chances on the repub ticket, than wait for Obama to give up his crown.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:49 amWayne A. Schneider Says
May 12th, 2008 at 9:36 am
Bush and Cheney will launch a war with Iran before they leave office if we give them enough time to do it. Remove them both from office now. Save thousands of human lives. Letting them serve out their full terms is the same as killing innocent human beings.
____________________________________________
First, we have to get Nancy a table…
Nancy Pelosi and her merry band have been clinging to the strategy of allowing criminals to keep doing what they have been doing in hopes that Americans will be so outraged that they will sweep Democrats into office in 2008 in unprecedented numbers.
It will probably work, but I am outraged that she is putting party ahead of country — something I have long criticized the neocons of doing.
The longer Bushco stays in business, the more people die, the worse the quagmire gets in the ME, the more the dollar sinks, the deeper we get in debt, the more the world hates us, and the more Americans suffer from the poor economy.
It must stop.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:50 amObama gained a number of superdelegates over the last few days, while Clinton was playing the race card about who ‘hard working Americans’, (white), would vote for; namely, her.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:51 amHillary may win W.Virginia, but no, Virginia, she isn’t Santa Claus.
And Great Britain’s record number of cameras are not reducing crime.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:55 amRobertoRoberto:I’m sure she’d rather take her chances on the repub ticket, than wait for Obama to give up his crown.
This is like a pushme-pullyou — it doesn’t exist outside particularly febrile imaginations. Hillary’s backers are women, and in favor of reproductive rights. She would be betraying her only base, at this point - and McCain is already on shaky ground with conservatives; choosing Hillary, whom they’ve demonized for so long, would cause them to support someone like Paul, or just not vote.
A nonsensical coalition.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:56 ammisshusseinnmolly Says:
Nancy Pelosi and her merry band have been clinging to the strategy of allowing criminals to keep doing what they have been doing in hopes that Americans will be so outraged that they will sweep Democrats into office in 2008 in unprecedented numbers.
I recently confronted my Congressman, John Hall, about this. I reminded him that when I met him, I told him my two biggest concerns were ending the illegal war in Iraq and holding Bush and Cheney accountable for their illegal actions. I told him that I felt the Democrats didn’t so enough in either of these regards, and I pointed out that these were the two reasons the country sent a majority of Democrats to Congress. Did he bravely stand up for what they did? No, he blamed the voters. He told me that the reason the Democrats didn’t take their majority and do what we sent them there to do was that we “didn’t send enough” of them to Congress. I told him that this didn’t excuse their not trying, and that I would not vote for him if he ran only as a Democrat.
Remember, folks, if the candidate you like is running on a party’s line other than Dem or Repub, and you want that person back, then cast your vote for that person on the thrid party line. Help send a message that we don’t want the Democrats and Republicans running things any more, since neither party gives a damn about what We the People want.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:59 am“When U.S. explosives experts went to investigate, they discovered they were not Iranian after all.”
Okay, then where did they come from?! If they’re trying to justify attacking Iran based on these weapons then who IS supplying the weapons? After all this talk about them I want to know.
May 12th, 2008 at 10:00 amputting “the Iraqi government at a precarious position between two important friends, the U.S. and Iran.”
With ‘friends’ like the US occupying nation, Iraq doesn’t need any enemies…
May 12th, 2008 at 10:06 ammary Says:
May 12th, 2008 at 10:06 am“When U.S. explosives experts went to investigate, they discovered they were not Iranian after all.”
Okay, then where did they come from?! If they’re trying to justify attacking Iran based on these weapons then who IS supplying the weapons? After all this talk about them I want to know.
Mary, they were probably US made. Many, if not most, of the weapons shipped over there are pilfered or re-routed before they get to their destination.
Of course, our military wouldn’t acknowledge where they were made if it did happen to be ‘ours’.
Given what the Iranians said about Israel this weekend, I suspect that Israel will prod us into bombing Iran soon.
Read Billy Krisco’s piece in the NYT this morning; it’ll leave little doubt as to what the Neoturds are planning with Iran.
If they’re trying to justify attacking Iran based on these weapons then who IS supplying the weapons?
China, or North Korea, most likely.
Britain, France, Germany, second-most.
Or the stockpiles of explosives stolen at the beginning of the invasion?
In other words, who knows? Perhaps we’ll eventually find out through the UN.
May 12th, 2008 at 10:07 amExperts say that the trends are evidence that “the government has compromised the privacy rights of ordinary citizens without much to show for it.”
Au contraire, they’ve got shitloads to show from it, but if they showed you, they’d have to kill you. Don’t tempt them…
May 12th, 2008 at 10:08 ammary Says:
“When U.S. explosives experts went to investigate, they discovered they were not Iranian after all.”
Okay, then where did they come from?! If they’re trying to justify attacking Iran based on these weapons then who IS supplying the weapons? After all this talk about them I want to know.
May 12th, 2008 at 10:00 am
Sorry, mary, that would be classified. And it would classified illegally, since it is information whose release would not affect national security, which is the requirement for material to be classified.
If the evidence supports the claim that Iran is backing the people we’re fighting, then it would be legally classified because it relates to national security. And if the evidence does NOT support the claim that Iran is backing the people we’re fighting, then it will be illegally classified just to keep it out of the public domain. Either way, without the help of some brave whistleblower, we may never learn the truth. But that won’t stop them from attacking iran anyway.
I predict that, sooner or later, Bush will say that we have to attack Iran and that we will just have to trust him on the reasons why. They won’t have the evidence they need to convince us it’s necessary, and they will punish anyone who tries to prove they’re lying, but they will insist that we have to do it. And when Congress refuses them the authority to do it, they’ll do it anyway.
Call your US Representative now and ask them which is more important: Protecting the American people from a lawless president, or protecting a lawless president from the American people?
May 12th, 2008 at 10:08 amWhat I love about being a progressive, is our ability to criticize our own when warranted. Just look at how we don’t coddle to the masses regarding Hillary, and Nancy. It’s quite frustrating to discuss/debate with right leaning friends who can never critique this administration. For example, 9/11 was Clinton’s fault. Aftermath of Katrina was Nagin’s fault. Illegal torture policies and privacy rights are terrorist’s fault. Illegally outing a CIA operative was her husband’s fault. The list goes on and on.
May 12th, 2008 at 10:17 amThat being said, I know for a fact my friends on the right would never EVER vote Hillary….EVER! They’ve been so brain washed from OxyContin breath that even the thought of Slick Willie back in the White House sends them into childish temper tantrums. And what’s hilarious, is when I refer to the Clintons as Republican Lite, they get even more defensive. and ultimately declare “worst president ever”, though the polls and economy of that era tell us otherwise.
DRxJ - I read a stat back when Hillary was on a roll that something like 49% of all voters said that they would never vote for Hillary. I remember thinking that if she ended up as the candidate she would have to have the remaining 51% of the voters ALL vote for her, every single one, or there was no way she could win. There are too many people out there who literally hate her, and have for years, for her to win the presidency.
I think I found the link:
“Half of likely voters nationwide said they would never vote for New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, in a poll Zogby conducted Oct. 11-15, 2007, with a margin of error of +/– 1.0 percentage point.”
She ranked the highest on this question. The other two who ranked high on the “who I’d never vote for” list (second and third respectively), Kucinich and Gravel, are, of course, long gone.
May 12th, 2008 at 10:29 amThe old man`s “striaght talk express” is derailing fast.
As for Missouri, the re-pukes are pulling out all of the tricks now because in November they haven`t a chance in hell if winning, this should show the country once and for all that the re-pukes will do anything to win the White House.These Reich wingers are have no morals and they are Anti- American!!!!!!!
May 12th, 2008 at 10:36 amI’m an Obama supporter, but I’d vote for Hillary before I’d vote for the ‘Geritol Kid’.
May 12th, 2008 at 10:36 amNot that I’m a huge Rasmussen fan, but one key indicator is on their site this morning…
May 12th, 2008 at 10:44 amIn the race for the Democratic Presidential Nomination, Obama holds a 52% to 42% advantage over Clinton nationally (see recent Democratic Nomination results). As noted Friday, Rasmussen Reports believes the race is over and that Barack Obama will be the nominee of the Democratic Party. We will stop tracking the Democratic race in the near future to focus exclusively on the Obama-McCain match-up. Among all voters, Clinton is viewed favorably by 46%.
Here
While the party that champions democracy busily works across the nation to disenfranchise as many Democrats as it can from the right to vote (the elderly, the poor, etc.) take a moment to think on this: if democracy is the panacea to good government, then why would anyone wish to deny democracy to anyone, regardless of whether or not they are illegal or legal or documented or whatever?
May 12th, 2008 at 11:19 amIf a person lives in a community, shouldn’t their voice be part of that community’s democratic process?
But of course whipping up fear of illegal immigrants and using that fear to suppress Democratic voters is the point! How stupid of me…
Just who gets disinfranchised by having to have proof of citizenship? Anyone receiving any kind of benefits have to show eligibility, disabled, elderly, poor. Those without birth certificates, still have 4 years each time to find confirmation of citizenship.
May 12th, 2008 at 11:30 amAnd, how about having Mobil Voting booths just like Mobil Libraries then those without transportation are covered. We could use those Mobil Units to provide free ID’s prior to voting as well.
The government throws money away on $300 towels, a few dollars to provide Mobil Units, and Id’s is nothing.
i read about this in my local saturday paper… exemplifies bushco perfectly:
Government asks court to block wider testing for mad cow
By SAM HANANEL, Associated Press Writer Fri May 9, 11:50 AM ET
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration on Friday urged a federal appeals court to stop meatpackers from testing all their animals for mad cow disease, but a skeptical judge questioned whether the government has that authority.
The government seeks to reverse a lower court ruling that allowed Kansas-based Creekstone Farms Premium Beef to conduct more comprehensive testing to satisfy demand from overseas customers in Japan and elsewhere.
Less than 1 percent of slaughtered cows are currently tested for the disease under Agriculture Department guidelines. The agency argues that more widespread testing does not guarantee food safety and could result in a false positive that scares consumers.
May 12th, 2008 at 11:31 am[…]
http://news.yahoo.com/ s/ ap/ 20080509/ ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/ mad_cow
As for Annaoplis that was never intended to go anywhere, it was always a photo -op for the design team at Bush’s worst president ever library, anything he’s done this last year are just more photo ops for his unhistorical library of how he wishes things were!!!!
May 12th, 2008 at 11:34 amYears ago people born at home or entering through Ellis Island found ways to provide proof for becoming citizens, voting,buying homes, earning Social Security. Shouldn’t we be able to do as well as our ancestors?
May 12th, 2008 at 11:46 amOn Friday, a military judge barred Gen. Thomas Hartmann, the legal adviser at Guantanamo Bay, “from participating in the case against Salim Hamdan, Osama bin Laden’s former driver.” Hamdan’s lawyer, Lt. Cmdr. Brian Mizer, alleged Hartmann’s “dual role of supervising the prosecution and providing legal advice to the commissions administrator, who must make impartial rulings,” constituted a “conflict of interest.”
Hartman and Haynes have an interest. “Political” ends through “show trial” and convictions. No other outcome is permissible. That’s what they care about.
More here.
Cheers,
May 12th, 2008 at 12:02 pmSharif’s party pulls out of Pakistan government
Reuters - 54 minutes ago
By Kamran Haider ISLAMABAD, May 12 (Reuters) - Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif pulled his party out of Pakistan’s six-week-old coalition government on Monday, plunging the volatile Muslim nation back into political uncertainty.
Pakistani Party Quitting Coalition Government Voice of America
Fears for Pakistan coalition as judges rift deepen CNN
BBC News - The Associated Press - Times Online - Monsters and Critics.com
all 849 news articles »
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Iran involved in Sadr City truce, says Iraqi MP
May 12th, 2008 at 12:07 pmReuters - 57 minutes ago
By Waleed Ibrahim BAGHDAD, May 12 (Reuters) - Iran played a prominent role in a deal struck by Iraqi Shi’ite factions to end seven weeks of fighting in the Baghdad stronghold of cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, a senior Shi’ite Iraqi legislator said on Monday.
Drive in Basra by Iraqi Army Makes Gains New York Times
Iraqi PM says crackdown shows he’s not sectarian Washington Post
Voice of America - CNN - Times Online - The Associated Press
all 2,844 news articles »
Thanks for the story, katy.
Less than 1 percent of slaughtered cows are currently tested for the disease under Agriculture Department guidelines. The agency argues that more widespread testing does not guarantee food safety and could result in a false positive that scares consumers.
This has always been at the crux of the conservatives’ argument against government monitoring - there’s too much danger of a false positive, and that would be bad for business (which is their real concern, not the public’s safety). To them, it is better that corporations make money even if a few people die, than that corporations make less money (not no money, just less money) and nobody dies. And this mentality applies not just to food tresting, but to any kind of safety testing (FAA and the mechanics), too. Testing for safety costs money, hurts the bottom-line profits, and might result in some false positives, so they feel it is better to do less testing. Never mind that increased testing would actually save lives, and that any “true” positives they catch would have been worth it. They feel that a single false positive (which must be confirmed, BTW, before any recalls are done) is unacceptable. (And, BTW, they will also use the excuse that since fewer positives were found overall, that this would be a good reason to do even less testing.)
More evidence that since the Bush Administration came to town, the Republican Party has been putting the interests of corporations ahead of the interests of American citizens. If you want to die an early, preventable death, vote Republican.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:08 pmMad cow disease was a problem on Candadian cattle a few years ago, first the administration banned Canadian cattle, then suddenly reversed itself and allowed the Canadian cattle to be brought in. Sort of like the FDA hanging back on the effect of aspirn and Reyes Syndrome that killed 100 children before the information was released. Dollars or lives.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:17 pmMy father, WW II vet, conservative, pro-military, etc expressed concern about the USA trying to institute a national identity card so that the govt could track you and have too much power.
I discounted that.
But now, perhaps he was right ?
May 12th, 2008 at 3:22 pm62. 63. etc.
MAD COW DISEASE:
What I don’t understand is why there is no law just simply requiring that the origin of the meat be disclosed.
Perhaps I would choose to eat birds from Asia (Bird Flu), perhaps not. Perhaps I would choose to eat Canadian beef, perhaps not. What about South American beef ? What about after the problems from Chinese toys and medicines ?
In any case, that would be allowing me to practice the good of personal choice. I could also see the American cattlement, etc, get in on it and advertise, good American grown beef.
But every time some Congressman introduces such legislation, it gets slapped down.
May 12th, 2008 at 3:25 pmIf you think you aren’t identified by some means think again. If you ever had insurance, lease or owned anything, had credit. Go on the internet and play around. I was able to find information on my father who was an legal immigrant in 1922 and who died in 1973.
May 12th, 2008 at 3:38 pmAnyone can be found with a little time.
Did I miss something? Is there a rampant problem of non-citizens voting that I am unaware of? On other blogs, in response to the Indiana law, I have seen comments from people making reference to the “big voter-fraud problem” caused by illegal aliens voting. Yet I have seen no actual evidence of this. I haven’t heard of anybody being arrested, anybody going to court, anybody being convicted of this type of voter fraud.
This “voter fraud” problem has been touted so much that a fair amount of our population believes it to be true. This works very well for the “voter ID” crowd, who only wants to disenfranchise voters who would be mostly poor and/or elderly.
The types of voter fraud we need to clean up are voting machine hacking, voter caging, and other mischief.
See the Repube-lo-CONS think that voting is something that needs conserving. There is TOO much of this here “votin” going on, and it is their mentally warped mindset that all things that are good, need to be curtailed and kept from those that “do not deserve it.” And they are the regulators of WHO deserves it or not, because they are the CONSERVATIVES, conserving, all that needs conserving.
May 12th, 2008 at 10:14 pmSo Don’t you forget it.