*Don’t get naked in your bathroom – The WSJ reports that satellite data previously available only to NASA and the US Geological Survey, which used the images for scientific and environmental study, will now be available to a wide array of
law enforcement agencies at all levels of government. The move to turn spy satellites on American citizens raises legal questions because the use of such data for law enforcement is "largely uncharted territory." Even the officials behind the move are unsure of its legal implications. Some experts are saying,"Not only is the surveillance they are contemplating intrusive and omnipresent, it's also invisible. And that's what makes this so dangerous."
*Politics is politics when alteration it finds - The Boston Globe ran a summary of Rudy Giuliani’s philosophical reversal on issues as he attempts to seduce the Republican base. His flip flops encompass: ban on partial-birth abortion, funding of abortions for the poor, gun control, gay marriage and civil unions, and illegal immigrants. Mitt Romney, having been outdone in reversing political stances, responded aggressively. He promised to change his tie every four hours.
*Talking bobble head(ache) – CNBC anchor Erin Burnett cautioned viewers that if China made toys without lead or produced food without poisons their cost of production would go up. And that means prices at Wal Mart would go up too. So China is our greatest friend right now. They are keeping prices low. Micro-economist Erin Burnett is giving me a sharp shooting pain behind my left eye. It is fortunate that Wal Mart has a sale this week on generic aspirin. And with each bottle of 500 count I can get a fortune cookie.
*The game of Recall - Unrelated to its recall of 1 million Chinese-made toys earlier this month Mattell, Inc. just issued a recall of 7.3 million play sets and 1.3 million die-cast cars, the dangers being magnets that could be swallowed and lead paint. Perhaps the cost of these recalls will influence toy makers to do better inspections before the toys are imported and distributed. China, which produces 80% of toys sold world-wide, has repeatedly demonstrated that their products cannot be trusted. With no respect to Ms. Burnett, “cheap” is not the sole criterion determining a product’s value unless you are purchasing a parakeet.
*Consumers Union is providing a petition that you can sign to your elected representatives urging them to ensure food and product safety before they enter our borders. The website is: secure.npsite.org/cu/site/Advocacy?JServSessionIdr005=663norllh3.app14b&cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1643
*What’s good for the goose… trickle down theory - The State Department plans to create a new mental care office and require employees to take additional time off to deal with a surge in stress disorders among diplomats in danger posts abroad, particularly Iraq and Afghanistan. The steps were proposed in response to the findings of a survey that found up to 17 percent of diplomats serving at such posts may suffer from post traumatic stress disorder or similar problems. Now if we can only get the same sensitivity for our military serving in Iraq and Afghanistan we will have made progress. Current policy is to re-deploy soldiers in spite of physical and mental injuries as well as serious deficiencies in mental care when they return home.
*Several years ago a Mississippi court took away a woman’s 8 year old child. Two of the judges in the majority went so far as to write and sign an additional opinion, unnecessary to the case's outcome, which stated that the mother must accept the fact that losing her biological child was a possible consequence of her sexual "choice" (the mother being a lesbian). One of those two judges was Leslie Southwick. He is dangerously close to being appointed to the Federal bench by (who else?) President Bush, if confirmed by the Senate. You can sign a petition urging your senators to not confirm this Neanderthal. The link is: www.hrcactioncenter.org/campaign/southwick/idwkddsrhii337k?
*Karnak incarnate - I just watched a short video of Dick Cheney from 1994 explaining all of the reasons why the U.S. should not have gone into Iraq during the Gulf War. His reasoning was intelligent and cogent. He predicted all that could go wrong. And sure enough he was right as evidenced by the current Iraq war – initiated at his urging. The video can be seen at: pol.moveon.org/donate/cheneyvideo.html?r=2879&id=10983-6021600-W6mBY1
*Pork and Salmon on a skewer, unappetizing – Alaskan Republican Senator Ted Stevens and Representative Don Young are both under investigation for corrupt/criminal practices. One cannot argue, however, with the stellar job they have done for the interests of their state and their associates. Their special project appropriations include; an Alaska Fisheries Marketing Board $500,000 grant that was used partly to paint a Chinook salmon on a Boeing 737, a $450,000 grant to the University of Alaska to formulate baby food with salmon in it, the Alyeska Roundhouse received $450,000 (the building is at the Alyeska ski resort in Girdwood, where Stevens has his home), Alaska Christian College received $435,000 in 2005 (the school had several dozen students at the time), The National Archives and Records Administration received at least $2.25 million toward the purchase of an empty lot in Anchorage from two former Stevens business partners allowing them to more than double their investment.
*Takes your breath away – On Sept 18, 2001, 7 days after the attack on the World Trade Center in NYC, EPA Administrator Christie Whitman announced that results from the Agency's air and drinking water monitoring near the WTC indicate that these vital resources are safe. In August, 2003 the Office of the Inspector General of the EPA reported that some of the EPA's news releases in the weeks after the attack were softened before being released to the public: Reassuring information was added, while cautionary information was deleted. We now learn that a major study by Mount Sinai Medical Center found 70 percent of ground zero workers suffered some form of lung problems and experts there predicted thousands will either remain sick or get sick in coming years. Before Bush 43 we would have attributed such manipulation to the Soviet Union. Can you say Chernobyl? Nyet!
*Speaking of the Soviet model of governance 1 -The U.S. government argued before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that two lawsuits centering on aspects of the secret surveillance effort run by the National Security Agency after September 11, 2001 be thrown out of court for potentially exposing state secrets. Judge McKeown said, “This seems to put us in the 'trust us' category about the government's assertions that its surveillance activities did not violate the law. We don't do it. Trust us. And don't ask us about it." Deputy Solicitor General Gregory G. Garre then argued that courts are not the right forum for complaints about government surveillance, and that "other avenues" are available. Another jurist on the panel, Judge Pregerson, shot back, "What is that? Impeachment?"
*Speaking of the Soviet model of governance 2 – Wikepedia is an online encyclopedia. It recently developed software to trace who makes changes to its entries. People using CIA, FBI and EPA computers were recently tracked when they made changes on topics such as the Iraq War, Guantanamo prison and environmental issues. Pretty soon we will be seeing entries that identify George W. Bush as the greatest president in the history of our nation and Pee Wee Herman as our greatest thespian.
*On the Rove again – Some in the mainstream media as well as right-wing pundits have been praising the presidential advisor who has just resigned. Not I. Karl Rove may be seen as a genius in that he was behind the election of George W. as governor of Texas twice and President of the U.S twice. No small feat. Bill Moyers of PBS noted, ”Greed and God won Rove four elections”. After electoral successes I am hard-pressed to identify any meaningful accomplishments of the Rove-counseled Bush administration. Foreign policy has been one disaster after another. Name a domestic accomplishment of this administration in the 80 months of its tenure. The President’s approval rating is in the 20’s and the Republican party is in disarray and shrinking (only 28% of Americans view it positively). Mr. Rove’s influence was one of divisiveness, confrontation and arrogance. If “genius” is used to describe Rove, “Rembrandt” would describe the graffiti on slum buildings.
*The least shall be first – The Bush/Cheney “thunk” tank has been indicating a desire to engage Iran in war, disregarding the military principles of operating from strength and avoiding unprovoked attacks. One would think that the leading Democratic presidential candidates such as Clinton, Obama and Biden would be out front opposing this dangerous possibility of dragging America into another unnecessary and debilitating war. But it is Dennis Kucinich who is the leading candidate in speaking the truth about such foreign policy debacles. He said, “Our nation is better served by demanding sensible and responsible diplomatic foreign policy initiatives from the Bush Administration." How unfortunate that 21st century American political positions too often amount to glib sound bites delivered with face makeup for the six o’clock news.
*Just a game/Little Drummer Boy - Left Behind: Eternal Forces is a video game inspired by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins' best-selling book series about the battle of Armageddon, in which believers of Jesus Christ fight the Antichrist. The Rev. Timothy Simpson of the Christians Alliance for Progress said "It's a horrible game. You either kill or convert the other side. This is exactly how the Osama bin Ladens of the world have portrayed us”. Operation Start Up Tour, an evangelical entertainment troupe that actively proselytizes among soldiers, intended to put this game in care packages for soldiers in Iraq. The Department of Defense abruptly halted this plan when ABC News inquired about the program. Someone had to inquire before distribution of these games to military personnel was halted? This is reminiscent of the proselytizing scandals at the Air Force Academy in recent years. To what drummer is our military marching? I find it interesting that Orthodox Jewish Independent Senator Joe Lieberman, head cheerleader for the Bush Iraq policy, has been silent on this subject as have the Republican and Democratic leadership. They just don’t get it!
*The Zimmers – Need a smile? A friend sent me a link to a youtube video. It is a remake of the Beatles’ Abbey Road by a group of 40 senior citizens. It is a lot of fun. The link is: youtube.com/watch?v=jNV5bgsv984
*Wrong man in the wrong place at the wrong time - As miners and rescuers continue to die from recent mining accidents Mine Safety Czar Richard Stickler will be overseeing investigations. His first two appointments to this position were rejected by the Senate. Ever-clever Bush then appointed him through a loophole in the law that allows certain appointments when the Senate is in recess. Most of Stickler’s career was overseeing mining operations in the private sector where his mine safety record was in serious question. Many Senators and the United Mine Workers of America opposed his appointment because of his history and likely allegiance to corporate mining interests. “Business” as usual.
*Back to School - A company based in Massachusetts has invented a bullet-proof rucksack that will help students protect themselves from guns. The $175 My Child’s Pack claims to be effective against 97% of bullets. One of the inventors cautioned, "There is no guarantee in life for anything. This product is a tool." Not mentioned in the ad copy but probably a bonus feature is that I-pod, cell phone and Game Boy will also be protected. Not currently available in school colors.
*The much anticipated General Patraeus report on the surge in Iraq is due in September, intended to update Americans on the progress of the surge. We learn this week that it will be written by the White House. Since this may be a make-or-break assessment of the Bush war strategy I am not surprised that the administration would allow the report to be based on fact by our top military commander in the theater. What I expect the report to be is Mary Poppins on Ritalin.
*Remarkable numbers:
-Troops training and fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan are firing over 1 billion bullets per year. That would equate to over 114,000 bullets per hour. Such usage has resulted in a shortage of bullets for police departments nationwide and in many cases has limited officers from training with the weapons that they carry. Remarkable violence.
-The National Snow and Ice Data Center reported that on August 17 there was less sea ice (measured in square miles) in the Arctic than ever recorded. Original predictions foresaw a complete melt between 2070 and 2100. Revised predictions are looking at 2030. Global warming deniers - remarkable ignorance.
-In campaign speeches Rudy Giuliani claims that he faced comparable risks as rescue workers following the 9/11 attack. Well, almost comparable. Rescue workers averaged 12 hours per day at ground zero and 400 hours total during their service. The Mayor spent a total of 29 hours during 41 visits to the WTC site in the 3 months following 9/11. Most of the visits were to give tours to officials and foreign dignitaries. Remarkable chutzpah.
-99 Army soldiers committed suicide last year, the highest rate in 26 years. More than a quarter did so while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Failed personal relationships, legal and financial problems and the stress of their jobs were factors motivating the soldiers to take their own lives. Remarkable tragedies.
-According to government statistics 72 miners lost their lives in 2007 and 846 have lost their live in the last 10 years. These stats do not include lives lost in the recent Utah disaster. Remarkable lack of safety oversight and concern for life.
-In the mid 70’s America experienced a serious gasoline shortage with rationing and long waits at the gas pumps. Three decades have passed and the specter of petroleum shortages wreaking havoc on our economy and our lives is as ominous today. Remarkable failure.
-McClatchy Newspapers reports that top Commerce and Treasury department officials appeared with Republican candidates and doled out millions in federal money in battleground congressional districts and states after receiving White House political briefings detailing GOP election strategy. The Hatch Act prohibits such activity. Remarkable politicization. and disdain of law.
*For an excellent explanation of how our federal budget is misguided with respect to the needs of our country and how minor adjustments can make a significant difference I recommended a two minute video at: http://www.truemajorityaction.org/oreos/
*BREAKING NEWS: REPUBLICANS PUSH FOR WELFARE – Free market capitalists, who oppose any welfare for needy Americans, are calling on the federal government to bail out the millionaire banks/corporations facing serious losses/bankruptcy in the sub-prime mortgage fiasco. These questionable lending decisions were performed with an absence of oversight by federal authorities. It is reminiscent of the savings and loan debacle 20 years ago. If you are rich and in trouble the government should provide a golden parachute. If you are poor and in trouble, screw you. Regardless of the government’s involvement in either the S and L or sub-prime mortgage meltdown the average American citizen will bear the brunt of greed-driven financial market machinations.
*Summer Vacations – President Bush is on vacation. The U.S Congress is on vacation. The Iraqi Parliament is on vacation. Our military in Iraq and Afghanistan are not on vacation. Let us offer are thoughts and best wishes for their safety and quick return home. And let us not forget our responsibility to bring pressure on our national leaders to end the debacle we call the Iraq War.
*A conscience is the price of morality, and morality is the price of civilization. From “Patriot Games” by Tom Clancy.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
8/14/07
NBB – Following the SVN special edition I set the aim this week to perform No Bush Bashing - so much for lofty goals. With the President starting his vacation (now over 400 days during his reign and likely to pass the record set by Ronald Reagan of 446) perhaps next week will be more charitable.
*Welcome home 1 - The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act protects members of the national guard and reserves from job loss, demotion, loss of seniority and loss of benefits when they are called to active duty (for up to 5 years). Between 2004 and 2006 16,000 returning military personnel have filed claims under this Act (about 50,000 were eligible but red tape dissuaded the other 70%). Resolution of filed complaints average 619 days. As often as 5 and 6 times being deployed, these men and women return home to find that they do not have the job they left when called to duty. The Justice Department has failed to prosecute employers who have acted illegally and the Dept. of Defense “has taken unprecedented steps to keep reservists reemployment problems secret.”
Welcome home 2 – The Bush administration is opposing efforts by Democrats to provide 100% free schooling for Iraq war vets. Similar to the original GI Bill in 1944 new legislation would provide for tuition, books and boarding. Current law covers 75% of tuition. The new bill would increase the annual cost from $2 billion to $5.4 billion (the $3.4 billion difference is what the Iraq war is costing every 2.5 weeks). A spokesman for the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, Keith Wilson, said the proposed plan “would make the administration of this program cumbersome”. An apropos word since putting one’s life on the line for one’s country is also “cumbersome”.
*Can I hear an Amen? - I had to smile when ABC News reported that Mitt Romney’s Mormonism is creating problems for him with evangelical Christians. When the Christian right has George Bush on the pulpit all is well in the pews. Now they fear that a Romney presidency would spur the growth of Mormonism. The Republican Party encouraged a standard
of religiosity in the public forum. We await the judgment day of political penance.
*Now that’s really cool! – The New Hampshire Republican party just held a fundraiser. Participants were able to fire machineguns and obliterate rabbit cutouts and bowling pins. Rumor has it that next year, instead of fireworks, major donors can strafe the city of Concord. Dirty Harry meets Elmer Fudd.
*The enemy of my enemy… – As British forces pull back from Basra violence escalates. Is it Sunnis against Shiites? Is it Kurds against Sunnis? Is it Al Qaeda? No. It is 3 major Shiite militia groups vying for power amidst chaos. The International Crisis Group reports, “The city is plagued by the systematic misuse of official institutions, political assassinations, tribal vendettas, neighborhood vigilantism and enforcement of social mores, together with the rise of criminal mafias that increasingly intermingle with political actors.” Is this the real progress report? I expect the progress report that Bush is promising in September will be so much crap (definition: an offensive term for nonsense, or something worthless or annoying).
*My letter to the Phila. Inquirer printed 8/9/07 - In the letter “We answer to God” the statement is made that one of the issues contributing to soaring homicide rates is, “over the last 50 years, since biblical influence has been removed from our schools, there has been a steady deterioration in our society’s morals.” I attended Philadelphia public schools 50 years ago and there was no biblical influence. There was more of a sense of community and perhaps better parenting. I would suggest that the biggest difference is the concentration of political power and wealth that in feeding its insatiable self-interest has resulted in policies detrimental to the common good.
*Stand at attention and pass the alms basket – The Inspector General for the Department of Defense released a report criticizing several generals, two colonels and a chaplain for supporting a film made by the Christian Embassy under the guise that they were participating in a documentary. These military officers offered their prestige and that of the U.S. government in allowing the production of a fundraising film for a non-governmental evangelical group. They just don’t get it and we cannot stand at ease!
*The cart before the horse before the cart - Lawmakers are considering relieving FEMA of its responsibility to oversee long-term disaster recovery. They claim that FEMA does not have the organizational structure to handle situations of crisis management that last more than a few weeks. Perhaps the next step will be to evaluate FEMA’s ability handle crisis situations during the first few weeks of a disastrous event.
*Chronic gag reflex – The U.S. Court of Appeals reversed last year’s decision and agreed with the Food and Drug Administration that a terminally ill patient does not have a constitutional right for access to experimental drugs. I am not qualified to argue the legal merits of this decision. I do wonder: Where is the common sense? Does a terminally ill person have to fear long-term side effects? Should terminally ill patients have every chance to extend their lives if they so choose? Can the prudent application of these experimental drugs lead to longer lives for others?
* The Romney Regiment – Mitt Romney is one of the vocal Republicans calling for support of the surge in Iraq. When confronted by an anti-war activist he defended his 5 sons not enlisting by saying they are showing their support for the country by “helping me to get elected”. Would there have been an Iraq war if the Bush twins and Cheney’s daughters and the neocon offspring had been required to participate in the first Baghdad landing?
*What’s mine is mine – Robert E. Murray is the owner of the Utah mine where six miners are missing. Following the Sago mine tragedy last year, Murray called his state’s efforts to pass stricter mine safety laws “seriously flawed, knee-jerk” reactions. One wonders how often Mr. Murray descends thousands of feet to a mine shaft to spend quality time with his employees? According to government records, federal mine safety regulators have levied $260,073 in fines against Murray’s mine since 1995. The mine has received 32 citations since the beginning of 2007. I assume that the fines are less expensive than the cost of improving safety. Is the oversight of mines seriously flawed? Is it a knee-jerk reaction to suggest incarceration for Mr. Murray?
*Rushin’ History – The Washington Post reports that two new manuals were issued for Russian high school history and social studies teachers. Written in part by Kremlin political consultants the last chapter of the history manual states, "We see that practically every significant deed is connected with the name and activity of President V.V. Putin," There was no mention of Mr. Putin’s political opponents and journalist critics disappearing from the great society.
*Mea culpa, mea rush to judgment – I have cited numerous examples of the federal government being lax in ensuring a safe and healthy environment for its citizens. Perhaps I had set the bar too high. They cannot protect themselves. Since 2002 the Dept. of the Interior’s headquarters is going through a $220 million renovation. Some staffers have suffered from headaches, nausea, rashes and respiratory difficulties attributed to the construction work. A report by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health saw that the main problem was a failure to blow air out of the construction area and keep debris away from offices. Five years into the project the contractor just spent $70,000 for fans.
*Drug dealers, get out of my neighborhood – The National Women’s Health Network has an article explaining how data mining companies are now providing pharmaceutical companies with prescribing doctor statistics. “Drug reps use prescribing data to track how many of a physician’s patients receive specific drugs, how many prescriptions the physician writes for targeted and competing drugs, and how a physician’s prescriptions change over time… the purpose of prescribing data is to assist the industry to influence physicians to prescribe the most expensive drugs.” Some states are considering legislation banning the sale of prescription data. I think it is appropriate to ask our doctors when they do not prescribe a generic drug, “Why”?
*MSNBC examined job creation under Bush and Clinton. During Clinton’s eight years (when taxes were raised) about 23 million jobs were created, averaging 240,000 per month. The Bush years have averaged 77,000 per month. Allowing for the recession following 9/11 and calculating new jobs only from the fall of 2003 new jobs have averaged 177,000. The tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest of the wealthy have not created the jobs promised. And with the outsourcing of jobs overseas I would venture a guess that many of the jobs credited to Bush economics are lower level.
*Leaders on sabbatical – I have seen little mention of this phenomena. Two years before the actual election presidential candidates must be committed to fundraising and visiting states whose primaries are earlier and earlier. Of the 8 Democratic candidates and 10 Republican candidates six are Senators and four are Representatives. An article 2 months ago showed that McCain, for example, had missed almost 30 senate votes in a row. We now have elected leaders running for president and distracted from their responsibilities for up to two years. That is the term of a representative!
*Back from sabbatical - The WSJ reports that the Pentagon’s top contractor, Lockheed Martin, has found that over the last 5 years it has over-billed the government $256 million and is issuing a refund check. The article says it occurred at a time of heightened sensitivity in congress to defense-industry oversight. Is it unreasonable to expect “heightened oversight” to be occurring all of the time?
*Gov. Bill Richardson received a lot of heat this week when he fumbled the question, “Do you believe a gay person was born that way or a result of a life style choice?” The question and answers may be important from many perspectives but for my self the issue is moot. How an individual lives their life is none of my business. If they are responsible citizens, that is all that I have to know.
*Appealing Judicial Shifts - The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit serves VA, W. VA, MD and the Carolinas. It has been the most conservative appellate court and the one that the Bush administration has gone to when it has needed a favorable ruling on enemy combatant and terrorism cases. There are now 5 vacancies on the court that have not been filled. Currently the makeup is 5 Democrat and 5 Republican appointees and its recently more moderate rulings have been setbacks for the administration. The President nominates the judges but they must be approved by the Senate. A very conservative nominee was pulled when it became obvious that the Senate would not approve William J. Haynes II. This philosophical shift may have a substantial influence on the interpretation and application of the law in America.
*Witness to history, witness protection program – Known as Bush’s brain, Karl Rove has resigned his position as White House senior advisor and said, “I’m grateful to have been a witness to history”. In an attempt to make the Republican party a permanent national fixture he is connected to a multitude of questionable/illegal maneuvers that include voter suppression, politicization of the Justice Dept. and most other departments in the federal government, lobbyist access to the core of our government with Jack Abramoff being the poster boy of this misadventure, violation of the Hatch Act, the leak of a CIA spy’s identity, ad nauseum. Congressional investigations of his activities have been stymied by Rove hiding behind Bush’s skirt of executive privilege. His damage to our democracy will be a legacy long remembered. “Rovian” will forever more be an addition to our vocabulary connoting negative manipulation of democratic procedures and principles.
"I know no safe depositary of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them but to inform their discretion by education. This is the true corrective of abuses of constitutional power." -- Thomas Jefferson to William C. Jarvis, 1820
*Welcome home 1 - The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act protects members of the national guard and reserves from job loss, demotion, loss of seniority and loss of benefits when they are called to active duty (for up to 5 years). Between 2004 and 2006 16,000 returning military personnel have filed claims under this Act (about 50,000 were eligible but red tape dissuaded the other 70%). Resolution of filed complaints average 619 days. As often as 5 and 6 times being deployed, these men and women return home to find that they do not have the job they left when called to duty. The Justice Department has failed to prosecute employers who have acted illegally and the Dept. of Defense “has taken unprecedented steps to keep reservists reemployment problems secret.”
Welcome home 2 – The Bush administration is opposing efforts by Democrats to provide 100% free schooling for Iraq war vets. Similar to the original GI Bill in 1944 new legislation would provide for tuition, books and boarding. Current law covers 75% of tuition. The new bill would increase the annual cost from $2 billion to $5.4 billion (the $3.4 billion difference is what the Iraq war is costing every 2.5 weeks). A spokesman for the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, Keith Wilson, said the proposed plan “would make the administration of this program cumbersome”. An apropos word since putting one’s life on the line for one’s country is also “cumbersome”.
*Can I hear an Amen? - I had to smile when ABC News reported that Mitt Romney’s Mormonism is creating problems for him with evangelical Christians. When the Christian right has George Bush on the pulpit all is well in the pews. Now they fear that a Romney presidency would spur the growth of Mormonism. The Republican Party encouraged a standard
of religiosity in the public forum. We await the judgment day of political penance.
*Now that’s really cool! – The New Hampshire Republican party just held a fundraiser. Participants were able to fire machineguns and obliterate rabbit cutouts and bowling pins. Rumor has it that next year, instead of fireworks, major donors can strafe the city of Concord. Dirty Harry meets Elmer Fudd.
*The enemy of my enemy… – As British forces pull back from Basra violence escalates. Is it Sunnis against Shiites? Is it Kurds against Sunnis? Is it Al Qaeda? No. It is 3 major Shiite militia groups vying for power amidst chaos. The International Crisis Group reports, “The city is plagued by the systematic misuse of official institutions, political assassinations, tribal vendettas, neighborhood vigilantism and enforcement of social mores, together with the rise of criminal mafias that increasingly intermingle with political actors.” Is this the real progress report? I expect the progress report that Bush is promising in September will be so much crap (definition: an offensive term for nonsense, or something worthless or annoying).
*My letter to the Phila. Inquirer printed 8/9/07 - In the letter “We answer to God” the statement is made that one of the issues contributing to soaring homicide rates is, “over the last 50 years, since biblical influence has been removed from our schools, there has been a steady deterioration in our society’s morals.” I attended Philadelphia public schools 50 years ago and there was no biblical influence. There was more of a sense of community and perhaps better parenting. I would suggest that the biggest difference is the concentration of political power and wealth that in feeding its insatiable self-interest has resulted in policies detrimental to the common good.
*Stand at attention and pass the alms basket – The Inspector General for the Department of Defense released a report criticizing several generals, two colonels and a chaplain for supporting a film made by the Christian Embassy under the guise that they were participating in a documentary. These military officers offered their prestige and that of the U.S. government in allowing the production of a fundraising film for a non-governmental evangelical group. They just don’t get it and we cannot stand at ease!
*The cart before the horse before the cart - Lawmakers are considering relieving FEMA of its responsibility to oversee long-term disaster recovery. They claim that FEMA does not have the organizational structure to handle situations of crisis management that last more than a few weeks. Perhaps the next step will be to evaluate FEMA’s ability handle crisis situations during the first few weeks of a disastrous event.
*Chronic gag reflex – The U.S. Court of Appeals reversed last year’s decision and agreed with the Food and Drug Administration that a terminally ill patient does not have a constitutional right for access to experimental drugs. I am not qualified to argue the legal merits of this decision. I do wonder: Where is the common sense? Does a terminally ill person have to fear long-term side effects? Should terminally ill patients have every chance to extend their lives if they so choose? Can the prudent application of these experimental drugs lead to longer lives for others?
* The Romney Regiment – Mitt Romney is one of the vocal Republicans calling for support of the surge in Iraq. When confronted by an anti-war activist he defended his 5 sons not enlisting by saying they are showing their support for the country by “helping me to get elected”. Would there have been an Iraq war if the Bush twins and Cheney’s daughters and the neocon offspring had been required to participate in the first Baghdad landing?
*What’s mine is mine – Robert E. Murray is the owner of the Utah mine where six miners are missing. Following the Sago mine tragedy last year, Murray called his state’s efforts to pass stricter mine safety laws “seriously flawed, knee-jerk” reactions. One wonders how often Mr. Murray descends thousands of feet to a mine shaft to spend quality time with his employees? According to government records, federal mine safety regulators have levied $260,073 in fines against Murray’s mine since 1995. The mine has received 32 citations since the beginning of 2007. I assume that the fines are less expensive than the cost of improving safety. Is the oversight of mines seriously flawed? Is it a knee-jerk reaction to suggest incarceration for Mr. Murray?
*Rushin’ History – The Washington Post reports that two new manuals were issued for Russian high school history and social studies teachers. Written in part by Kremlin political consultants the last chapter of the history manual states, "We see that practically every significant deed is connected with the name and activity of President V.V. Putin," There was no mention of Mr. Putin’s political opponents and journalist critics disappearing from the great society.
*Mea culpa, mea rush to judgment – I have cited numerous examples of the federal government being lax in ensuring a safe and healthy environment for its citizens. Perhaps I had set the bar too high. They cannot protect themselves. Since 2002 the Dept. of the Interior’s headquarters is going through a $220 million renovation. Some staffers have suffered from headaches, nausea, rashes and respiratory difficulties attributed to the construction work. A report by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health saw that the main problem was a failure to blow air out of the construction area and keep debris away from offices. Five years into the project the contractor just spent $70,000 for fans.
*Drug dealers, get out of my neighborhood – The National Women’s Health Network has an article explaining how data mining companies are now providing pharmaceutical companies with prescribing doctor statistics. “Drug reps use prescribing data to track how many of a physician’s patients receive specific drugs, how many prescriptions the physician writes for targeted and competing drugs, and how a physician’s prescriptions change over time… the purpose of prescribing data is to assist the industry to influence physicians to prescribe the most expensive drugs.” Some states are considering legislation banning the sale of prescription data. I think it is appropriate to ask our doctors when they do not prescribe a generic drug, “Why”?
*MSNBC examined job creation under Bush and Clinton. During Clinton’s eight years (when taxes were raised) about 23 million jobs were created, averaging 240,000 per month. The Bush years have averaged 77,000 per month. Allowing for the recession following 9/11 and calculating new jobs only from the fall of 2003 new jobs have averaged 177,000. The tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest of the wealthy have not created the jobs promised. And with the outsourcing of jobs overseas I would venture a guess that many of the jobs credited to Bush economics are lower level.
*Leaders on sabbatical – I have seen little mention of this phenomena. Two years before the actual election presidential candidates must be committed to fundraising and visiting states whose primaries are earlier and earlier. Of the 8 Democratic candidates and 10 Republican candidates six are Senators and four are Representatives. An article 2 months ago showed that McCain, for example, had missed almost 30 senate votes in a row. We now have elected leaders running for president and distracted from their responsibilities for up to two years. That is the term of a representative!
*Back from sabbatical - The WSJ reports that the Pentagon’s top contractor, Lockheed Martin, has found that over the last 5 years it has over-billed the government $256 million and is issuing a refund check. The article says it occurred at a time of heightened sensitivity in congress to defense-industry oversight. Is it unreasonable to expect “heightened oversight” to be occurring all of the time?
*Gov. Bill Richardson received a lot of heat this week when he fumbled the question, “Do you believe a gay person was born that way or a result of a life style choice?” The question and answers may be important from many perspectives but for my self the issue is moot. How an individual lives their life is none of my business. If they are responsible citizens, that is all that I have to know.
*Appealing Judicial Shifts - The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit serves VA, W. VA, MD and the Carolinas. It has been the most conservative appellate court and the one that the Bush administration has gone to when it has needed a favorable ruling on enemy combatant and terrorism cases. There are now 5 vacancies on the court that have not been filled. Currently the makeup is 5 Democrat and 5 Republican appointees and its recently more moderate rulings have been setbacks for the administration. The President nominates the judges but they must be approved by the Senate. A very conservative nominee was pulled when it became obvious that the Senate would not approve William J. Haynes II. This philosophical shift may have a substantial influence on the interpretation and application of the law in America.
*Witness to history, witness protection program – Known as Bush’s brain, Karl Rove has resigned his position as White House senior advisor and said, “I’m grateful to have been a witness to history”. In an attempt to make the Republican party a permanent national fixture he is connected to a multitude of questionable/illegal maneuvers that include voter suppression, politicization of the Justice Dept. and most other departments in the federal government, lobbyist access to the core of our government with Jack Abramoff being the poster boy of this misadventure, violation of the Hatch Act, the leak of a CIA spy’s identity, ad nauseum. Congressional investigations of his activities have been stymied by Rove hiding behind Bush’s skirt of executive privilege. His damage to our democracy will be a legacy long remembered. “Rovian” will forever more be an addition to our vocabulary connoting negative manipulation of democratic procedures and principles.
"I know no safe depositary of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them but to inform their discretion by education. This is the true corrective of abuses of constitutional power." -- Thomas Jefferson to William C. Jarvis, 1820
8/9/07 Special Edition
Real success requires that we come to terms with reality.
Fight of the Century - Glenn Greenwald is a constitutional lawyer and commentator whose opinions I highly respect. Appearing on C-SPAN he remarked about the new wiretapping powers that congress just passed. Greenwald said, “In fact, the law now allows the government to listen to our conversations, read our e-mails, with no connection to terrorism, with no proof that anyone has ever done anything wrong, without judicial oversight.”
The new wiretapping legislation is one of many reasons that lead me to conclude that Osama bin Laden has kicked our ass. He has realized his primary objective, to damage America. Following the initial loss of lives and destruction from 9/11 we find our military over-extended and weakened, our ability to defend and protect ourselves diminished, our economy drained, our world leadership in question and the fabric of our democracy fraying. Bush and company’s strategy following the initial attack has been ill conceived, ill planned, ill implemented and misdirected while further empowering the executive branch, lessening oversight and minimizing the effectiveness of the legislative branch of our government. Our leadership has failed us because they were unable to devise an intelligent response to the unique threat, as recognized by Eliot Spitzer in a recent speech, of fanaticism utilizing technology with no geographical bounds. Bush’s response has been to defend one failure after another with self-righteousness, arrogance, myopia, rhetorical spin, and legal gymnastics. He has done this with little regard for lives, treasure and freedoms. A dangerous concoction.
Fight of the Century - Glenn Greenwald is a constitutional lawyer and commentator whose opinions I highly respect. Appearing on C-SPAN he remarked about the new wiretapping powers that congress just passed. Greenwald said, “In fact, the law now allows the government to listen to our conversations, read our e-mails, with no connection to terrorism, with no proof that anyone has ever done anything wrong, without judicial oversight.”
The new wiretapping legislation is one of many reasons that lead me to conclude that Osama bin Laden has kicked our ass. He has realized his primary objective, to damage America. Following the initial loss of lives and destruction from 9/11 we find our military over-extended and weakened, our ability to defend and protect ourselves diminished, our economy drained, our world leadership in question and the fabric of our democracy fraying. Bush and company’s strategy following the initial attack has been ill conceived, ill planned, ill implemented and misdirected while further empowering the executive branch, lessening oversight and minimizing the effectiveness of the legislative branch of our government. Our leadership has failed us because they were unable to devise an intelligent response to the unique threat, as recognized by Eliot Spitzer in a recent speech, of fanaticism utilizing technology with no geographical bounds. Bush’s response has been to defend one failure after another with self-righteousness, arrogance, myopia, rhetorical spin, and legal gymnastics. He has done this with little regard for lives, treasure and freedoms. A dangerous concoction.
8/7/07
*”Let the Sun Shine” in -Congratulations to the citizens of Cherry Hill, N.J. The mayor and town council were against limiting the amount of money that professionals with no-bid contracts with the township could contribute to them. At least until a grassroots citizens group Pay-to-Play Committee had collected enough signatures on a petition to put such an ordinance on the ballot in the fall. It would limit contractors’ political contributions to $300 per year for local candidates and $500 per year to county political parties. The Mayor and town council have suddenly agreed to vote for this ordinance.
*Transgenic animals – The FDA may soon come out with regulations concerning genetically modified organisms. Some positive research includes a pig that produces omega-3 fatty acids, a nutrient normally found in fish that is good for the heart and goats whose milk might ward off infections in children who drink it. I may be old-fashioned but nature has demonstrated the ability of its species to evolve in an intelligent manner. I certainly do not trust that this technology would only be used to benefit humanity. Reference nuclear science.
*Political Science – definitions
1. the study of government, especially organizations and institutions
2. the Bush administration’s politicization of any science that does not fit the world of the religious right and the special interests of big business, e.g. stem cell research, sex education, the environment, drug approvals... Not limiting itself to science the same politicization is seen in education, public broadcasting, Dept. of Justice, Dept. of Interior…
*Common Cause has an initiative to influence congress to enact public financing of elections. Their website enables you to sign a petition that will be sent to your representatives. It is:
www.commoncause.org. Click on Money in Politics and then Stop the Money Chase.
*Gun control - The Rainbow PUSH Coalition and Brady Campaign will hold a national day of protest to focus the nation's attention on the problem of illegal gun trafficking on Tuesday, August 28. This type of citizen activism is necessary to offset the wealthy and powerful influence of the National Rifle Association. It is unfortunate that the NRA, under the guise of protecting the rights of gun owners, opposes almost any attempt to regulate firearms including legislation that would impede the sale of illegal guns. One wonders if their primary mandate is to represent the interests of gun manufacturers?
*(Lack of) Gun Control - A July 31st U.S. Government Accounting Office report says the U.S. military in Iraq "cannot fully account for about 110,000 AK-47 assault rifles, 80,000 pistols, 135,000 items of body armor and 115,000 helmets reported as issued to Iraqi forces in 2004 and 2005.” The unaccounted for firearms represents about 30% of the total of firearms issued to the Iraqis. Are we inadvertently arming enemy forces? Is it possible for the situation in Iraq to be more convoluted?
*There have been articles and statements by some Republicans that the Attorney General of the U.S cannot be impeached. Perhaps this seemingly grey area can be enlightened by referencing the Constitution of the U.S. of America. Article II, Sec. 4 of the Constitution:
The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.
*Russia now claims that the North Pole belongs to them (including the Pole’s vast oil and natural gas reserves). On December 24th forget the milk and cookies and put out a bowl of borscht. Not to worry. Remember when President Bush said he looked into Putin’s eyes and saw his soul? Ho Ho Ho.
*Health Alert – The Center for Disease Control alerts summer travelers to avoid Washington D.C. A virus affecting memory is rampant. Most Justice Dept. officials can’t remember what they had for lunch. VP Cheney can’t remember if he sent Gonzales to Ashcroft’s hospital room to get him to sign off on a questionable wire tapping program. Former Defense Sec. Rumsfeld can’t remember when or who informed him of the cover up of how Pat Tillman was killed in Afghanistan. Alaskan Sen. Stevens can’t remember who paid for his house to be renovated. The entire administration can’t remember its commitment to re-build New Orleans. I can’t remember a worse group in my lifetime than today’s incompetent and dishonest national leaders. Nixon was a lark in the park.
*Insanity – definition; doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Admiral Michael G. Mullen the nominee to head the Joint Chiefs of Staff testified in a Senate Armed Services hearing that there is no purely military solution to Iraq. He added, “Unless the Iraqi government takes advantage of the "breathing space" that U.S. forces are providing, no amount of troops in no amount of time will make much of a difference." I seem to remember that the Iraqi parliament has taken off for the month of August and we just learned that a large Sunni bloc has withdrawn from the government. This U.S. occupation is out of breath.
*Summer reading, cold thinking - I am currently reading “Consent to Kill” a work of fiction by Vince Flynn. The character Petrov says that he hates the Saudis. When asked why he replies, “The Saudis think that God is on their side, and people who think that God is on their side are capable of the most inhumane acts”.
*Questionable voting apparatus – California Sec. of State Debra Bowen authorized the Univ. of California to test the security of various models of electronic voting machines used by the state. Computer hackers were able to break the physical and software security of every model and change the results or take control of the systems’ electronic functions. This study verifies the need to have a paper trail for every vote cast electronically.
Update – Bowen placed rigorous security conditions on voting equipment used in dozens of counties and limited the use of two of the most widely used machines (Diebold and Sequoia) statewide. Machines that have been decertified must meet stringent new standards to earn re-certification.
*Questionable voting oversight – The NY Times reports that five secretaries of state (who oversee elections) were on Bush's last reelection campaign. Five states have had voting officials go immediately into lobbyist positions for the voting machine industry. Three of the numerous reasons why the percentage of Americans voting in elections is lower than in the majority of democracies around the world: 1.Lack of confidence in the officials overseeing elections; 2. Lack of confidence in the voting machinery; 3. Lack of confidence in politicians running for office.
*Compassionate Conservatism – definition
A political philosophy espoused for political rhetoric; never took root; extinct; an oxymoron.
*Quote of the week - In an e-mail interview with David Brody, political blogger for Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network, Barack Obama elaborated on an earlier statement that “faith has been "hijacked" by the religious right”: "When you have pastors and television pundits who appear to explicitly coordinate with one political party; when you're implying that your fellow Americans are traitors, terrorist sympathizers or akin to the devil himself; then I think you're attempting to hijack the faith of those who follow you for your own personal or political ends."
*”You can lead people to facts as you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them think”. Written in an article by Clarence Page, columnist for the Chicago Tribune.
*Give me a (tax) break! - NY Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer has come out against Democratic proposals that would increase corporate taxes. He cited the potential for Wall Street businesses to leave his state or even the country if the proposals become law. The Senator did not reference the tax breaks legislated over the past six years nor the concept of paying one’s fair share. What does seem fair if corporations leave the country is to tax their products as they re-enter or are sold in the U.S. Is Schumer concerned about his constituents or his political contributors? Are the corporations that the Senator is concerned about the same ones outsourcing jobs and manufacturing to India, China and the rest of the world or the ones undermining our country by employing illegal immigrant workers?
*Political calisthenics - When Rudy Giuliani stops to catch his breath after shrieking about terrorism threats he moves on to his erroneous claim of Democrats raising taxes by 20 to 30%. He of the political party whose policies increased the number of terrorists in the world, weakened our country’s ability to deal with terrorist attacks and natural disasters, went through our country’s budget surplus like Mr. Giuliani goes through marriages and handed us budget deficits that will burden our children’s children.
*Alaskan freeze - Republican Sen. Ted Stevens, the day after the FBI raided his home in a criminal investigation and while members of his staff were testifying before a federal grand jury, has threatened to put a hold on bipartisan ethics legislation. Is it any wonder that Americans do not respect the institutions that allow such ludicrous procedures. One senator can put a “hold” on legislation. The Senate and House Ethics Committees have been dysfunctional. Recent polls show congressional approval at 14%. Half the approval rating of President Bush!
*Remember when a candy bar cost a dime? – In 2002 we were told that the Iraq war would be conducted on the “cheap” and that Iraq would quickly fund itself. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office now estimates that under the rosiest of conditions, an immediate and substantial reduction in U.S. troops, the cost of the war will approach $1,000,000,000,000 (yes, 1 trillion). This is double what has already been spent. Oh, and what happened to the prediction that they would welcome us with flowers and candy?
*Antique auto show - One of the congressmen most opposed to higher automobile fuel standards is Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell, the Democrat who has represented Detroit and the auto industry in Congress since 1955. I would suggest that his unabashed allegiance to the auto industry may not be serving the best interests of the industry or the American people. It was just announced that for the first time in history Detroit automakers' share of the U.S. market in July dropped below 50 percent. Maybe it is time for a model change.
*Taking a piece from peace - The Millennium Challenge is a 3-year old foreign aid program that actually works. A board certifies countries that are likely to use assistance wisely - nations committed to democratic and free-market reform and fighting corruption - and works with them as partners on projects to combat poverty and encourage economic growth. Considered the most successful program since the Peace Corps for building America’s image in the world, congress has decided to slash its budget of $3 billion by two-thirds. Since 2002 anti-Americanism (as measured by Pew Global Attitudes Project) around the world has grown at an alarming rate. It is too bad that our ability to be world leaders has correspondingly diminished.
*Love those yard sales - The GAO reports that the Pentagon accidentally sold to the public around 14,000 parts that could be used on F-14 fighter jets. This should not be a concern since no other nation uses these fighters. Oops, except Iran.
*The magic of macho attire – When Tony Blair visited the U.S. in 2001 President Bush presented him with a bomber jacket. We know how Mr. Blair fully supported the Iraq war (to the chagrin of the majority of British citizens). When his successor Gordon Brown visited last week he also received a presidential bomber jacket, fur-trimmed. It will be interesting to see how Mr. Brown supports U.S. foreign policy.
*If I cover my eyes you can’t see me – It is in the Congressional Record and public knowledge that Valerie Plame worked for the CIA from 1985 to 2006. However, a court has ruled that Ms. Plame cannot include it in her memoir since it is classified information and not acknowledged by the CIA.
*If I cover my eyes I can’t see anything – Sec. of Defense Bob Gates acknowledges that the U.S. underestimated Iraq’s sectarian divisions. A simple mistake? The Sunnis and Shiites have despised and fought each other for only the last 1500 years.
*Good news for Darfur – In part a result of the relentless pressure exerted by Amnesty International the UN Security Council announced that it will deploy 26,000 peacekeepers and police to form a full hybrid UN-African Union mission by the end of 2007. “This unprecedented number of UN boots on the ground will protect Darfuris at risk of attack, disease and starvation, and will aim to stabilize the region.”
*Coed turns heads - Australian Phyllis Turner was awarded her master's degree in medical science last week from the University of Adelaide. She is a 94-year-old great-great-grandmother who left school at the age of 12 to help her mother raise siblings. After raising her own seven children and two stepchildren, she completed her school education at nights. At 70 she enrolled at the University of Adelaide and then at the Australian National University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in anthropology. She decided to pursue her masters degree when her husband died five years ago.
*John Wayne look-a-like contest – Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo recently recommended that the U.S. should threaten to bomb Mecca in order to deter future attacks on the homeland. A spokesman for the State Department told CNN that Tancredo’s remarks were “reprehensible” and “absolutely crazy”. One can only wonder if these remarks were based on the U.S.’ successes following our attack of Iraq or a complete lack of understanding of the geopolitical forces at play in the 21st century. The High and The Mighty meets the Green Berets meets The Alamo.
*Possible good news for a healthier America - Congress has passed the biggest expansion of health care in 40 years guaranteeing health care to millions of children. George W. “just go to an emergency room” Bush has threatened to veto the legislation. There were enough votes for this bill to override a veto. It will be interesting to see what the doctor in the White House prescribes.
*Legislation (grin) – The House passed an energy bill that strips $16 billion in tax incentives to Big Oil and puts it toward renewable energy sources like wind and solar power.
*Legislation (frown) – The Senate caved in to Bush when 41 Democrats joined Republicans in passing a domestic spying program giving the administration and Justice Department even more powers. The next day the House did the same. It appears that the fear of terror so politically well-used by Bush and company to expand executive powers worked again. Since I do not trust those using these powers I do not see this as a positive development. Fortunately, the program must be renewed after 6 months.
*The tragic collapse of a major bridge last week was a needed wakeup call to our nation and a reminder that we must take seriously the warnings we have heard for more than a decade that America’s infrastructure is in serious need of repair. A leading Republican presidential contender, Rudy Giuliani, stepped forward with an approach to address the crisis. He claimed that the best way to raise money to repair the nation’s bridges was to cut taxes. Perhaps this approach appeals to a subset of Republican primary voters. I would suggest that what our country needs is leaders with vision and adult approaches to our country’s ills, not sound bites. We certainly do not need a bridge to nowhere. We have that.
*My friend Dante – Last month I was privileged to speak at a party honoring a dear friend celebrating a milestone birthday. I noted that he is a student of the bible and that too often such people use this study to tell others how to live their lives. This individual uses his studies to enhance his own understanding, to be a better person, to be a quality human being. It is quite easy to speak the words. The mark of a man is to be the words.
*Transgenic animals – The FDA may soon come out with regulations concerning genetically modified organisms. Some positive research includes a pig that produces omega-3 fatty acids, a nutrient normally found in fish that is good for the heart and goats whose milk might ward off infections in children who drink it. I may be old-fashioned but nature has demonstrated the ability of its species to evolve in an intelligent manner. I certainly do not trust that this technology would only be used to benefit humanity. Reference nuclear science.
*Political Science – definitions
1. the study of government, especially organizations and institutions
2. the Bush administration’s politicization of any science that does not fit the world of the religious right and the special interests of big business, e.g. stem cell research, sex education, the environment, drug approvals... Not limiting itself to science the same politicization is seen in education, public broadcasting, Dept. of Justice, Dept. of Interior…
*Common Cause has an initiative to influence congress to enact public financing of elections. Their website enables you to sign a petition that will be sent to your representatives. It is:
www.commoncause.org. Click on Money in Politics and then Stop the Money Chase.
*Gun control - The Rainbow PUSH Coalition and Brady Campaign will hold a national day of protest to focus the nation's attention on the problem of illegal gun trafficking on Tuesday, August 28. This type of citizen activism is necessary to offset the wealthy and powerful influence of the National Rifle Association. It is unfortunate that the NRA, under the guise of protecting the rights of gun owners, opposes almost any attempt to regulate firearms including legislation that would impede the sale of illegal guns. One wonders if their primary mandate is to represent the interests of gun manufacturers?
*(Lack of) Gun Control - A July 31st U.S. Government Accounting Office report says the U.S. military in Iraq "cannot fully account for about 110,000 AK-47 assault rifles, 80,000 pistols, 135,000 items of body armor and 115,000 helmets reported as issued to Iraqi forces in 2004 and 2005.” The unaccounted for firearms represents about 30% of the total of firearms issued to the Iraqis. Are we inadvertently arming enemy forces? Is it possible for the situation in Iraq to be more convoluted?
*There have been articles and statements by some Republicans that the Attorney General of the U.S cannot be impeached. Perhaps this seemingly grey area can be enlightened by referencing the Constitution of the U.S. of America. Article II, Sec. 4 of the Constitution:
The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.
*Russia now claims that the North Pole belongs to them (including the Pole’s vast oil and natural gas reserves). On December 24th forget the milk and cookies and put out a bowl of borscht. Not to worry. Remember when President Bush said he looked into Putin’s eyes and saw his soul? Ho Ho Ho.
*Health Alert – The Center for Disease Control alerts summer travelers to avoid Washington D.C. A virus affecting memory is rampant. Most Justice Dept. officials can’t remember what they had for lunch. VP Cheney can’t remember if he sent Gonzales to Ashcroft’s hospital room to get him to sign off on a questionable wire tapping program. Former Defense Sec. Rumsfeld can’t remember when or who informed him of the cover up of how Pat Tillman was killed in Afghanistan. Alaskan Sen. Stevens can’t remember who paid for his house to be renovated. The entire administration can’t remember its commitment to re-build New Orleans. I can’t remember a worse group in my lifetime than today’s incompetent and dishonest national leaders. Nixon was a lark in the park.
*Insanity – definition; doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Admiral Michael G. Mullen the nominee to head the Joint Chiefs of Staff testified in a Senate Armed Services hearing that there is no purely military solution to Iraq. He added, “Unless the Iraqi government takes advantage of the "breathing space" that U.S. forces are providing, no amount of troops in no amount of time will make much of a difference." I seem to remember that the Iraqi parliament has taken off for the month of August and we just learned that a large Sunni bloc has withdrawn from the government. This U.S. occupation is out of breath.
*Summer reading, cold thinking - I am currently reading “Consent to Kill” a work of fiction by Vince Flynn. The character Petrov says that he hates the Saudis. When asked why he replies, “The Saudis think that God is on their side, and people who think that God is on their side are capable of the most inhumane acts”.
*Questionable voting apparatus – California Sec. of State Debra Bowen authorized the Univ. of California to test the security of various models of electronic voting machines used by the state. Computer hackers were able to break the physical and software security of every model and change the results or take control of the systems’ electronic functions. This study verifies the need to have a paper trail for every vote cast electronically.
Update – Bowen placed rigorous security conditions on voting equipment used in dozens of counties and limited the use of two of the most widely used machines (Diebold and Sequoia) statewide. Machines that have been decertified must meet stringent new standards to earn re-certification.
*Questionable voting oversight – The NY Times reports that five secretaries of state (who oversee elections) were on Bush's last reelection campaign. Five states have had voting officials go immediately into lobbyist positions for the voting machine industry. Three of the numerous reasons why the percentage of Americans voting in elections is lower than in the majority of democracies around the world: 1.Lack of confidence in the officials overseeing elections; 2. Lack of confidence in the voting machinery; 3. Lack of confidence in politicians running for office.
*Compassionate Conservatism – definition
A political philosophy espoused for political rhetoric; never took root; extinct; an oxymoron.
*Quote of the week - In an e-mail interview with David Brody, political blogger for Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network, Barack Obama elaborated on an earlier statement that “faith has been "hijacked" by the religious right”: "When you have pastors and television pundits who appear to explicitly coordinate with one political party; when you're implying that your fellow Americans are traitors, terrorist sympathizers or akin to the devil himself; then I think you're attempting to hijack the faith of those who follow you for your own personal or political ends."
*”You can lead people to facts as you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them think”. Written in an article by Clarence Page, columnist for the Chicago Tribune.
*Give me a (tax) break! - NY Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer has come out against Democratic proposals that would increase corporate taxes. He cited the potential for Wall Street businesses to leave his state or even the country if the proposals become law. The Senator did not reference the tax breaks legislated over the past six years nor the concept of paying one’s fair share. What does seem fair if corporations leave the country is to tax their products as they re-enter or are sold in the U.S. Is Schumer concerned about his constituents or his political contributors? Are the corporations that the Senator is concerned about the same ones outsourcing jobs and manufacturing to India, China and the rest of the world or the ones undermining our country by employing illegal immigrant workers?
*Political calisthenics - When Rudy Giuliani stops to catch his breath after shrieking about terrorism threats he moves on to his erroneous claim of Democrats raising taxes by 20 to 30%. He of the political party whose policies increased the number of terrorists in the world, weakened our country’s ability to deal with terrorist attacks and natural disasters, went through our country’s budget surplus like Mr. Giuliani goes through marriages and handed us budget deficits that will burden our children’s children.
*Alaskan freeze - Republican Sen. Ted Stevens, the day after the FBI raided his home in a criminal investigation and while members of his staff were testifying before a federal grand jury, has threatened to put a hold on bipartisan ethics legislation. Is it any wonder that Americans do not respect the institutions that allow such ludicrous procedures. One senator can put a “hold” on legislation. The Senate and House Ethics Committees have been dysfunctional. Recent polls show congressional approval at 14%. Half the approval rating of President Bush!
*Remember when a candy bar cost a dime? – In 2002 we were told that the Iraq war would be conducted on the “cheap” and that Iraq would quickly fund itself. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office now estimates that under the rosiest of conditions, an immediate and substantial reduction in U.S. troops, the cost of the war will approach $1,000,000,000,000 (yes, 1 trillion). This is double what has already been spent. Oh, and what happened to the prediction that they would welcome us with flowers and candy?
*Antique auto show - One of the congressmen most opposed to higher automobile fuel standards is Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell, the Democrat who has represented Detroit and the auto industry in Congress since 1955. I would suggest that his unabashed allegiance to the auto industry may not be serving the best interests of the industry or the American people. It was just announced that for the first time in history Detroit automakers' share of the U.S. market in July dropped below 50 percent. Maybe it is time for a model change.
*Taking a piece from peace - The Millennium Challenge is a 3-year old foreign aid program that actually works. A board certifies countries that are likely to use assistance wisely - nations committed to democratic and free-market reform and fighting corruption - and works with them as partners on projects to combat poverty and encourage economic growth. Considered the most successful program since the Peace Corps for building America’s image in the world, congress has decided to slash its budget of $3 billion by two-thirds. Since 2002 anti-Americanism (as measured by Pew Global Attitudes Project) around the world has grown at an alarming rate. It is too bad that our ability to be world leaders has correspondingly diminished.
*Love those yard sales - The GAO reports that the Pentagon accidentally sold to the public around 14,000 parts that could be used on F-14 fighter jets. This should not be a concern since no other nation uses these fighters. Oops, except Iran.
*The magic of macho attire – When Tony Blair visited the U.S. in 2001 President Bush presented him with a bomber jacket. We know how Mr. Blair fully supported the Iraq war (to the chagrin of the majority of British citizens). When his successor Gordon Brown visited last week he also received a presidential bomber jacket, fur-trimmed. It will be interesting to see how Mr. Brown supports U.S. foreign policy.
*If I cover my eyes you can’t see me – It is in the Congressional Record and public knowledge that Valerie Plame worked for the CIA from 1985 to 2006. However, a court has ruled that Ms. Plame cannot include it in her memoir since it is classified information and not acknowledged by the CIA.
*If I cover my eyes I can’t see anything – Sec. of Defense Bob Gates acknowledges that the U.S. underestimated Iraq’s sectarian divisions. A simple mistake? The Sunnis and Shiites have despised and fought each other for only the last 1500 years.
*Good news for Darfur – In part a result of the relentless pressure exerted by Amnesty International the UN Security Council announced that it will deploy 26,000 peacekeepers and police to form a full hybrid UN-African Union mission by the end of 2007. “This unprecedented number of UN boots on the ground will protect Darfuris at risk of attack, disease and starvation, and will aim to stabilize the region.”
*Coed turns heads - Australian Phyllis Turner was awarded her master's degree in medical science last week from the University of Adelaide. She is a 94-year-old great-great-grandmother who left school at the age of 12 to help her mother raise siblings. After raising her own seven children and two stepchildren, she completed her school education at nights. At 70 she enrolled at the University of Adelaide and then at the Australian National University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in anthropology. She decided to pursue her masters degree when her husband died five years ago.
*John Wayne look-a-like contest – Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo recently recommended that the U.S. should threaten to bomb Mecca in order to deter future attacks on the homeland. A spokesman for the State Department told CNN that Tancredo’s remarks were “reprehensible” and “absolutely crazy”. One can only wonder if these remarks were based on the U.S.’ successes following our attack of Iraq or a complete lack of understanding of the geopolitical forces at play in the 21st century. The High and The Mighty meets the Green Berets meets The Alamo.
*Possible good news for a healthier America - Congress has passed the biggest expansion of health care in 40 years guaranteeing health care to millions of children. George W. “just go to an emergency room” Bush has threatened to veto the legislation. There were enough votes for this bill to override a veto. It will be interesting to see what the doctor in the White House prescribes.
*Legislation (grin) – The House passed an energy bill that strips $16 billion in tax incentives to Big Oil and puts it toward renewable energy sources like wind and solar power.
*Legislation (frown) – The Senate caved in to Bush when 41 Democrats joined Republicans in passing a domestic spying program giving the administration and Justice Department even more powers. The next day the House did the same. It appears that the fear of terror so politically well-used by Bush and company to expand executive powers worked again. Since I do not trust those using these powers I do not see this as a positive development. Fortunately, the program must be renewed after 6 months.
*The tragic collapse of a major bridge last week was a needed wakeup call to our nation and a reminder that we must take seriously the warnings we have heard for more than a decade that America’s infrastructure is in serious need of repair. A leading Republican presidential contender, Rudy Giuliani, stepped forward with an approach to address the crisis. He claimed that the best way to raise money to repair the nation’s bridges was to cut taxes. Perhaps this approach appeals to a subset of Republican primary voters. I would suggest that what our country needs is leaders with vision and adult approaches to our country’s ills, not sound bites. We certainly do not need a bridge to nowhere. We have that.
*My friend Dante – Last month I was privileged to speak at a party honoring a dear friend celebrating a milestone birthday. I noted that he is a student of the bible and that too often such people use this study to tell others how to live their lives. This individual uses his studies to enhance his own understanding, to be a better person, to be a quality human being. It is quite easy to speak the words. The mark of a man is to be the words.
7/31/07
*Even as the dollar sinks relative to the Euro it still can buy a lot domestically - Compliments to Democratic presidential candidates John Edwards and Sen. Barack Obama for refusing campaign contributions from lobbyists and political action committees. A concern I have about Sen. Hillary Clinton is her ties to big money special interests. Experience has demonstrated that such influence rarely serves the interests of the majority of Americans.
*The American worker; with friends like these… - The Washington Post reports that, “Two years ago President Bush and Republicans in congress passed a one-time tax amnesty for U.S corporations to encourage their bringing home off-shore profits with the justification that it would create more jobs. Drug makers were the biggest beneficiaries of the amnesty program, repatriating about $100 billion in foreign profits and paying only minimal taxes. Since then drug companies have laid off tens of thousands of workers in this country”. I find it interesting that in their concern for the American worker Bush and the GOP opposed the first raise in the minimum wage in ten years that went into effect this month ($.70 per hour). Bush policies do help workers. Unfortunately, they live in India, Mexico, China and Viet Nam.
*Give breast cancer the finger – Most days I visit thebreastcancersite.com and then click on Fund Free Mammograms. There is no cost to me and each daily visit results in a donation by site advertisers to fight breast cancer. There is also the opportunity do the same for five other worthy causes. I click on all six and the entire process takes about 20 seconds. Got a minute?
*Water, water everywhere – The organization stopcorporateabuse.org asks the question, “Do you know where bottled water comes from?” They go on to say, “Bottled water giants like Coke, Pepsi and Nestlé don’t readily disclose the sites and sources of the water that’s bottled.” An example is Pepsi’s Aquafina brand. On the bottle is depicted an image of a snow-capped mountain despite the fact that the content is processed tap water. Bottled water companies spent $158 million on advertising last year, in part attempting to undermine our confidence in public water systems (where 25% of bottled water sold in the U.S. is sourced). An environmental group (I do not recall which one) recently raised the issues of the energy costs of producing the untold millions of bottles containing water as well as disposing of these bottles. These are issues we may not thirst for but ones we will be dealing with.
-Update – A result of the above organization’s national day of action on July 25th Pepsi has agreed to state on Aquafina’s label “Public Water Source”.
*More on recycling – In a little reported meeting in mid-July Henry Kissinger led a very high level U.S. delegation to Russia for negotiations with Vladimir Putin and his senior officials. It has not been revealed what was discussed but I do have questions. Is Dr. Kissinger in the category of the best and the brightest to represent our country’s interests? Does Kissinger’s failed foreign policies of 30 years ago qualify him to have his passport revoked? We learned from Bob Woodward’s recent book that Kissinger has been secretly advising President Bush. Enough said.
*No joy in Mudville – Regardless of one’s political point of view there can be no joy watching the complete disintegration of U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ credibility. He is the highest law enforcement officer in the U.S. Under his watch the Civil Rights division of the Department of Justice has been neutered. He has allowed Bush administration political operatives to infiltrate and inundate his department, he has replaced prosecutors for highly political Karl Rovian objectives and he has provided cover for every legally questionable action by this White House. Gonzales’ pathetic testimony before congressional investigative committees is only exceeded by his pathetic performance as Attorney General. A league of his own.
Update – On Fox News Sunday morning Newt Gingrich refused to defend Attorney General Alberto Gonzales against accusations that he may have perjured himself before Congress. “It’s very damaging…we badly need an attorney general who is above any question,”
Later in the show, host Chris Wallace revealed that no conservative would willingly defend Gonzales on Fox. “By the way, we invited White House officials and Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee to defend Attorney General Gonzales,” said Wallace. “We had no takers.”
-The NY Times writes that if Solicitor General Paul Clement fails to appoint a special counsel to look into Gonzales’ “words and deeds,” Congress should impeach Mr. Gonzales.
*Numbing numbers:
-From 1999 to 2005 the USDA paid $1,100,000,000 to families or companies of deceased farmers. Yet this administration refuses to insure the health of living children.
-A federal oversight agency has found that of 2,797 re-building projects in Iraq, costing U.S. taxpayers $5.8 billion, the Iraqi national government has agreed to take over only 435. The balance are turned over to local Iraqis who lack the training and resources to maintain them. Many of the projects are crumbling, abandoned or otherwise inoperative. Stay the course.
- # 1position at the Justice Department, mental sabbatical; #2 vacant, resigned; #3 vacant, resigned, 24 of the 93 regional posts for US attorneys are vacant. Rule of law.
-The FBI to pay $102 million to 4 men (or their families since 2 died in prison) for their wrongful conviction of a mob hit in 1965. It was revealed that the FBI had secret memos that proved these men innocent. Trust – sung to the tune “Just an Old-Fashioned Love Song”.
*You can’t fool all of the people all of the time - Well-respected pollster Rasmussen did a survey of Americans in July. The question asked, “Which party do voters trust on these issues?” National Security, Taxes, Education, Abortion, Immigration, Economy, War in Iraq, Social Security, Ethics and Healthcare. On all 10 issues Democrats were trusted over Republicans.
*Hear no evil, see no evil… - The U.S. Pollution Prosecution Act of 1990 requires the EPA to employ at least 200 criminal investigators to investigate the most serious environmental polluters. The number of investigators has dropped to 174. Investigations have dropped. It must be due to budget cuts. Not really. EPA's overall criminal enforcement budget rose nearly 25 percent over three years to $48 million. It appears that the sanctity of business trumps the sanctity of life.
*Did I do that, again? – Senator Arlen Specter, as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee (from 2000 to 2006) offered little resistance to the Bush agenda. Questionable and legally questionable policies were fast-tracked. Once these policies were in place Mr. Specter would often begin questioning their appropriateness and sometimes their legality. Deja vu. Sen. Specter is rethinking his support for the confirmation of Justices Roberts and Alito. He feels that their recent rulings indicate that they are not honoring their pledges made during confirmation hearings. They are reversing long-standing precedents. Senator Specter, if you run for office again I will support your opponent (unless it is Rick Santorum). I promise.
*Text messaging while driving is as dumb as … - If you anticipated that congress would act responsibly by reducing our dependence on foreign oil prepare for disappointment. Although the Senate passed an energy bill that would have raised auto fuel efficiency requirements for the first time in 30 years, the House version does not include such a provision.
However, Steve Chapman of the Chicago Tribune writes that fuel-economy laws won’t help. He offers some compelling research that concludes that the more immediate benefit and long-term solution is a carbon tax or higher gasoline tax. It would encourage every motorist (not just those with higher fuel efficiency vehicles) to burn less fuel. It would encourage car-pooling and expansion of public transportation. I suggest that it may not be an either/or but a both.
*I can see! No, I’m blind! No, I can see! - Republican Senator Kit Bond of Missouri has been one of Bush’s most loyal supporters (translation - senatorial servants). In a letter to the NY Times about Iraq he writes, “While I agree that we had the wrong plan for three years, we now have the right one, and the right man to lead it.” All I can say is Eureka!
*Flexibility is a virtue – You may recall that Republican Senator David Vitter was recently exposed for patronizing prostitutes. It was especially embarrassing because his speeches and campaigns stressed family values and traditional marriage. At a recent policy lunch he told his colleagues that Senate conservatives should “re-brand” themselves “by reclaiming the fiscal conservative mantle.” Let’s try to follow this. Mr. Vitter is implying that while he and members of his party preached morality they financially bankrupted our country. After a number of them then manifested moral bankruptcy it was a perfect time to return to fiscal responsibility. If this pattern continues people like Mrs. Vitter will be relieved. There will a good chance that Mr. Vitter will Crazy Glue his fly.
*Clean elections will help clear the air - If you believe as I do that public financing of federal elections would improve today’s political process you can read more about the subject as well as tell your Senator to support this legislation at the following link:
www.actforchange.workingassets.com/campaign/fair_elections_now
*Diversity and the Ku Klux Klan – Our Klan of the 21st Century is not limiting its hate to Blacks and Jews. Their reptilian adaptation now embraces anti-immigrant violence. For decades the Southern Poverty Law Center has done an outstanding job opposing hate crimes in America. They are addressing this latest KKK abomination. A visit to their website and offering support would be a deed of value. www.splcenter.org
*Who can blame them? - Aviation Week & Space Technology, a weekly trade journal, reports that an independent health panel studying NASA astronauts found "heavy use of alcohol" before launch. The committee found that on at least two occasions, astronauts were allowed to fly after flight surgeons and other astronauts warned they were so intoxicated that they posed a flight-safety risk. It seems that DUI checkpoints were not available for corroboration.
*What do Superman, Spiderman, Batman, The Spirit, The Fantastic Four, Incredible Hulk, X-Men and Captain America have in common? They were all created by Jewish writers. In an interesting interview with the author of a book on comic book superheroes in Wired Magazine the question was posed, “How do you think the lives of Jewish comics creators influenced the fictional worlds they created?” Danny Fingeroth replied, “You had a bunch of young men whose parents were immigrants, writing stories about a very idealized world, where force is wielded wisely and people are judged by their individual character, not by who they are or who their parents were. For the guys who made the comics, it was a way to transcend who you were and become locked into and involved with the American mainstream, to blend in.” Now we know why Clark would not eat Mrs. Kent’s pork chops.
*Who wudda thought? – Republicans are holding up an open government bill that seeks to reform the Freedom of Information Act and end delays in government compliance with requests for information. The current administration’s responsiveness is the worst of any administration in the four decades that the Act has been law.
*If God loves all of us is She a Democrat? – The Human Rights Campaign (www.hrc.org) has announced that on August 9 it will be co-hosting the first ever televised presidential forum dedicated solely to questions about GLBT (gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender) issues. Presidential candidates attending the forum are Clinton, Dodd, Edwards, Richardson, Gravel, Obama and Kucinich.
* “Fly Me To The Moon” (tempo: allegro) - PBS aired a program about the birth process. They observed that the journey a spermatozoon takes to reach the ovum to achieve fertility, given its relatively small size, is the equivalent of a man traveling to the moon. In layman’s terms, it is called a miracle.
*The power of perspective – In a Phila. Inquirer letter to the editor Nancy Florin writes: “I caught a glimpse of Tammy Faye Baker Messner on TV the other night. It took me a while to erase her image from my mind. But when I did I replaced it with another face of cancer. My own and the millions of cancer survivors in the world. . Look at us smile and don’t be afraid.”
To that I would add an Amen.
*The American worker; with friends like these… - The Washington Post reports that, “Two years ago President Bush and Republicans in congress passed a one-time tax amnesty for U.S corporations to encourage their bringing home off-shore profits with the justification that it would create more jobs. Drug makers were the biggest beneficiaries of the amnesty program, repatriating about $100 billion in foreign profits and paying only minimal taxes. Since then drug companies have laid off tens of thousands of workers in this country”. I find it interesting that in their concern for the American worker Bush and the GOP opposed the first raise in the minimum wage in ten years that went into effect this month ($.70 per hour). Bush policies do help workers. Unfortunately, they live in India, Mexico, China and Viet Nam.
*Give breast cancer the finger – Most days I visit thebreastcancersite.com and then click on Fund Free Mammograms. There is no cost to me and each daily visit results in a donation by site advertisers to fight breast cancer. There is also the opportunity do the same for five other worthy causes. I click on all six and the entire process takes about 20 seconds. Got a minute?
*Water, water everywhere – The organization stopcorporateabuse.org asks the question, “Do you know where bottled water comes from?” They go on to say, “Bottled water giants like Coke, Pepsi and Nestlé don’t readily disclose the sites and sources of the water that’s bottled.” An example is Pepsi’s Aquafina brand. On the bottle is depicted an image of a snow-capped mountain despite the fact that the content is processed tap water. Bottled water companies spent $158 million on advertising last year, in part attempting to undermine our confidence in public water systems (where 25% of bottled water sold in the U.S. is sourced). An environmental group (I do not recall which one) recently raised the issues of the energy costs of producing the untold millions of bottles containing water as well as disposing of these bottles. These are issues we may not thirst for but ones we will be dealing with.
-Update – A result of the above organization’s national day of action on July 25th Pepsi has agreed to state on Aquafina’s label “Public Water Source”.
*More on recycling – In a little reported meeting in mid-July Henry Kissinger led a very high level U.S. delegation to Russia for negotiations with Vladimir Putin and his senior officials. It has not been revealed what was discussed but I do have questions. Is Dr. Kissinger in the category of the best and the brightest to represent our country’s interests? Does Kissinger’s failed foreign policies of 30 years ago qualify him to have his passport revoked? We learned from Bob Woodward’s recent book that Kissinger has been secretly advising President Bush. Enough said.
*No joy in Mudville – Regardless of one’s political point of view there can be no joy watching the complete disintegration of U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ credibility. He is the highest law enforcement officer in the U.S. Under his watch the Civil Rights division of the Department of Justice has been neutered. He has allowed Bush administration political operatives to infiltrate and inundate his department, he has replaced prosecutors for highly political Karl Rovian objectives and he has provided cover for every legally questionable action by this White House. Gonzales’ pathetic testimony before congressional investigative committees is only exceeded by his pathetic performance as Attorney General. A league of his own.
Update – On Fox News Sunday morning Newt Gingrich refused to defend Attorney General Alberto Gonzales against accusations that he may have perjured himself before Congress. “It’s very damaging…we badly need an attorney general who is above any question,”
Later in the show, host Chris Wallace revealed that no conservative would willingly defend Gonzales on Fox. “By the way, we invited White House officials and Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee to defend Attorney General Gonzales,” said Wallace. “We had no takers.”
-The NY Times writes that if Solicitor General Paul Clement fails to appoint a special counsel to look into Gonzales’ “words and deeds,” Congress should impeach Mr. Gonzales.
*Numbing numbers:
-From 1999 to 2005 the USDA paid $1,100,000,000 to families or companies of deceased farmers. Yet this administration refuses to insure the health of living children.
-A federal oversight agency has found that of 2,797 re-building projects in Iraq, costing U.S. taxpayers $5.8 billion, the Iraqi national government has agreed to take over only 435. The balance are turned over to local Iraqis who lack the training and resources to maintain them. Many of the projects are crumbling, abandoned or otherwise inoperative. Stay the course.
- # 1position at the Justice Department, mental sabbatical; #2 vacant, resigned; #3 vacant, resigned, 24 of the 93 regional posts for US attorneys are vacant. Rule of law.
-The FBI to pay $102 million to 4 men (or their families since 2 died in prison) for their wrongful conviction of a mob hit in 1965. It was revealed that the FBI had secret memos that proved these men innocent. Trust – sung to the tune “Just an Old-Fashioned Love Song”.
*You can’t fool all of the people all of the time - Well-respected pollster Rasmussen did a survey of Americans in July. The question asked, “Which party do voters trust on these issues?” National Security, Taxes, Education, Abortion, Immigration, Economy, War in Iraq, Social Security, Ethics and Healthcare. On all 10 issues Democrats were trusted over Republicans.
*Hear no evil, see no evil… - The U.S. Pollution Prosecution Act of 1990 requires the EPA to employ at least 200 criminal investigators to investigate the most serious environmental polluters. The number of investigators has dropped to 174. Investigations have dropped. It must be due to budget cuts. Not really. EPA's overall criminal enforcement budget rose nearly 25 percent over three years to $48 million. It appears that the sanctity of business trumps the sanctity of life.
*Did I do that, again? – Senator Arlen Specter, as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee (from 2000 to 2006) offered little resistance to the Bush agenda. Questionable and legally questionable policies were fast-tracked. Once these policies were in place Mr. Specter would often begin questioning their appropriateness and sometimes their legality. Deja vu. Sen. Specter is rethinking his support for the confirmation of Justices Roberts and Alito. He feels that their recent rulings indicate that they are not honoring their pledges made during confirmation hearings. They are reversing long-standing precedents. Senator Specter, if you run for office again I will support your opponent (unless it is Rick Santorum). I promise.
*Text messaging while driving is as dumb as … - If you anticipated that congress would act responsibly by reducing our dependence on foreign oil prepare for disappointment. Although the Senate passed an energy bill that would have raised auto fuel efficiency requirements for the first time in 30 years, the House version does not include such a provision.
However, Steve Chapman of the Chicago Tribune writes that fuel-economy laws won’t help. He offers some compelling research that concludes that the more immediate benefit and long-term solution is a carbon tax or higher gasoline tax. It would encourage every motorist (not just those with higher fuel efficiency vehicles) to burn less fuel. It would encourage car-pooling and expansion of public transportation. I suggest that it may not be an either/or but a both.
*I can see! No, I’m blind! No, I can see! - Republican Senator Kit Bond of Missouri has been one of Bush’s most loyal supporters (translation - senatorial servants). In a letter to the NY Times about Iraq he writes, “While I agree that we had the wrong plan for three years, we now have the right one, and the right man to lead it.” All I can say is Eureka!
*Flexibility is a virtue – You may recall that Republican Senator David Vitter was recently exposed for patronizing prostitutes. It was especially embarrassing because his speeches and campaigns stressed family values and traditional marriage. At a recent policy lunch he told his colleagues that Senate conservatives should “re-brand” themselves “by reclaiming the fiscal conservative mantle.” Let’s try to follow this. Mr. Vitter is implying that while he and members of his party preached morality they financially bankrupted our country. After a number of them then manifested moral bankruptcy it was a perfect time to return to fiscal responsibility. If this pattern continues people like Mrs. Vitter will be relieved. There will a good chance that Mr. Vitter will Crazy Glue his fly.
*Clean elections will help clear the air - If you believe as I do that public financing of federal elections would improve today’s political process you can read more about the subject as well as tell your Senator to support this legislation at the following link:
www.actforchange.workingassets.com/campaign/fair_elections_now
*Diversity and the Ku Klux Klan – Our Klan of the 21st Century is not limiting its hate to Blacks and Jews. Their reptilian adaptation now embraces anti-immigrant violence. For decades the Southern Poverty Law Center has done an outstanding job opposing hate crimes in America. They are addressing this latest KKK abomination. A visit to their website and offering support would be a deed of value. www.splcenter.org
*Who can blame them? - Aviation Week & Space Technology, a weekly trade journal, reports that an independent health panel studying NASA astronauts found "heavy use of alcohol" before launch. The committee found that on at least two occasions, astronauts were allowed to fly after flight surgeons and other astronauts warned they were so intoxicated that they posed a flight-safety risk. It seems that DUI checkpoints were not available for corroboration.
*What do Superman, Spiderman, Batman, The Spirit, The Fantastic Four, Incredible Hulk, X-Men and Captain America have in common? They were all created by Jewish writers. In an interesting interview with the author of a book on comic book superheroes in Wired Magazine the question was posed, “How do you think the lives of Jewish comics creators influenced the fictional worlds they created?” Danny Fingeroth replied, “You had a bunch of young men whose parents were immigrants, writing stories about a very idealized world, where force is wielded wisely and people are judged by their individual character, not by who they are or who their parents were. For the guys who made the comics, it was a way to transcend who you were and become locked into and involved with the American mainstream, to blend in.” Now we know why Clark would not eat Mrs. Kent’s pork chops.
*Who wudda thought? – Republicans are holding up an open government bill that seeks to reform the Freedom of Information Act and end delays in government compliance with requests for information. The current administration’s responsiveness is the worst of any administration in the four decades that the Act has been law.
*If God loves all of us is She a Democrat? – The Human Rights Campaign (www.hrc.org) has announced that on August 9 it will be co-hosting the first ever televised presidential forum dedicated solely to questions about GLBT (gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender) issues. Presidential candidates attending the forum are Clinton, Dodd, Edwards, Richardson, Gravel, Obama and Kucinich.
* “Fly Me To The Moon” (tempo: allegro) - PBS aired a program about the birth process. They observed that the journey a spermatozoon takes to reach the ovum to achieve fertility, given its relatively small size, is the equivalent of a man traveling to the moon. In layman’s terms, it is called a miracle.
*The power of perspective – In a Phila. Inquirer letter to the editor Nancy Florin writes: “I caught a glimpse of Tammy Faye Baker Messner on TV the other night. It took me a while to erase her image from my mind. But when I did I replaced it with another face of cancer. My own and the millions of cancer survivors in the world. . Look at us smile and don’t be afraid.”
To that I would add an Amen.
7/25/07
* Civics Class 101: Legal Prophylactics – I was under the impression that the function of the Federal Emergency Management Agency was to aid citizens impacted by natural or terrorist disasters. A recent investigation demonstrates my ignorance. When FEMA employees informed top management that up to 120,000 Katrina refugees, living in FEMA-provided trailers, may be exposed to toxic formaldehyde gas leaking from the trailers, the following emergency response was put into action: FEMA lawyers rejected environmental testing out of fear that the agency would then become legally liable if health problems emerged; the Office of General Counsel "has advised that we do not do testing," because this "would imply FEMA's ownership of this issue". Another attorney on June 15th advised, "do not initiate any testing until we give the OK. Once you get results and should they indicate some problem, the clock is running on our duty to respond to them."
*As The World Turns (Upside Down) – In a recent interview Business Week magazine asked Secretary of State Condileeza Rice, “Would you consider a position in business or on Wall Street?” She replied, “I don't know what I'll do long-term. I'm a terrible long-term planner.” How fortunate that the Middle East, Africa, North Korea, Iran… only require short-term solutions.
*Paying the piper – As a professional lobbyist in the 1990’s potential Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson earned money representing pro-choice interests. Facing Republican primaries Mr. Thompson is now against abortion. He follows in the footsteps of Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney aborting earlier positions to appeal to the Republican base. In 2004 Republicans accused John Kerry of flip flopping. Disingenuous sounds so much more sophisticated.
*In April Amnesty International released a powerful study “Maze of Injustice” which exposed the U.S. government's failure to protect Indigenous (Native American and Alaska Native) women from epidemic rates of sexual violence. One out of three of these women will be raped in their lifetime. The U.S. government has created a complex maze of tribal, state, and federal jurisdictions that often allows men to rape with impunity. This study has led to congressional hearings. Information on this subject can be found at: www.amnestyusa.org and then select Women’s Human Rights.
*Good job Jimmy! - Secretary of Veterans' Affairs Jim Nicholson announced he will be resigning. He is a Bush political appointee whose qualification was serving as chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1997 to 2000. His tenure has been fraught with scandals and a massive loss of veterans’ data in 2006 contributing to chronically slow processing of disability claims. When criticized for the terrible service provided to injured vets he claimed that the number of injured vets is overblown since "a lot of them come in for dental problems." He did not mention injured military seeking replacement limbs and mental health treatment. He did not comment on VA top executives receiving bonuses in 2006 in the amount of $3.8 million. It makes you want to grind your teeth.
Postscript – It was just announced that Iraq war veterans are suing the Department of Veterans Affairs for illegally denying or delaying claims for mental health treatment and disability pay, claiming that there is a backlog of 600,000 disability payments for vets, inadequate treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and other shortcomings in the VA.
*Pride and Prejudice - On Meet The Press conservative columnist Robert Novak reported that, “Republicans are saying privately that they are very pessimistic about their chances in the 2008 presidential election. Their only hope is that the Democrats will nominate a woman or an African American.” Quite the strategists! A wing, a prayer and a white sheet.
*Bush had a colonoscopy this past Saturday – Numerous thoughts. No comment.
*A different side of the same coin – Republican politicians and their aides earned the reputation over the last decade for leaving public service to lucratively use their connections on Capitol Hill by working for lobbyists. Not to be outdone, in the 6 months that Democrats have been in the majority, 19 senior Democratic aides have joined lobbying firms. If there is any possibility of cleaning up government it will have to include public financing of elections and a prohibition for some period of time for public employees leaving to work for lobby-type companies.
*Be aware of the expiration date on seafood - They say you can’t be almost pregnant. What about almost ethical? - Alaskan Republican Rep. Don Young has acknowledged taking more than $5,500 in illegal campaign contributions from a seafood trade association since 2001. He has informed federal officials that he will only pay back a portion of those funds because some of the violations fall outside the statute of limitations for campaign finance violations.
*Clearing the air? - The EPA recently proposed new ozone levels for our air. Not surprisingly, it did not listen to doctors and its own panel of scientists calling for much stronger limits. As the comment period begins, powerful polluters are lobbying for even weaker air quality standards. You can voice your opinion when signing a petition at: www.adoptthesky.org.
*Where the hell did I leave my glasses? - In response to a subpoena from the Senate Judiciary Committee for information, VP Dick Cheney may exert executive privilege. This follows Mr. Cheney’s assertion in June that his office was not a part of the executive branch.
*Give me the good ol’ days in the South (sung to the tune of Swanee, How I Love Ya”) – In the fall of 2006 in Jena, Louisiana, the day after two Black high school students sat beneath the "white tree" on their campus, nooses were hung from the tree. When the superintendent dismissed the nooses as a "prank," more Black students sat under the tree in protest. The District Attorney then came to the school accompanied by the town's police and demanded that the students end their protest, telling them, "I can be your best friend or your worst enemy... I can take away your lives with a stroke of my pen." Racial tensions increased, violence followed and now several black students are facing serious prison time. Details can be found at: www.colorofchange.org.
*Bush quote of the week – “Nobody has accused me of being Shakespeare.” Methinks thou protest too much.
*Faux News – One of Robert Greenwald’s new insightful videos “FOX Attacks! The Environment” concerns FOX News’ treatment of global warming. The following comments were taken from recent broadcasts:
Sterling Burnett – You don’t go see Joseph Goebel’s films to see the truth about Nazi Germany. You don’t go see Al Gore’s film to see the truth about global warming.
John Stossel – Global warming, I rudely put it in the chapter about psychics and astrology.
Sen. James Inhofe (R, OK) – The warming is due to the sun. Carbon Dioxide is not a pollutant.
Dennis Miller – I have always thought of Al Gore as such an inauthentic man.
Unknown – Al Gore has the Bella Lugosi haircut.
*Recipe for disaster – Since 2003 food imports have doubled. During this same period the number of Food and Drug Administration inspectors has decreased. FDA inspectors only have the money and resources to check about 1% of the 8.9 million imported food shipments a year. In the last 12 months there were 1,901 shipments of food or cosmetics rejected form China, 1787 from India and 1560 from Mexico. Would a 25% inspection rate have resulted in over 130,000 rejected shipments? What is passing through the inspection sieve? Protecting Americans must not be limited to focusing on terror threats. Federal leadership requires multi-tasking!
*That damn Congress! - The Washington Post reports that Congress has stalled funding for a radiation detector program that the Department of Homeland Security would use to screen trucks and cargo containers for potentially dangerous materials. Oops. When DHS said the detectors worked 95% of the time, they really meant somewhere between 17-50%. Now Congress wants to know if the mistake was intentional.
*Chilling thoughts on a hot summer’s day - Paul Craig Roberts is an old-line conservative who served in the Reagan administration. His latest column can be read at the website counterpunch.org/roberts07162007.html. He says, "Unless Congress immediately impeaches Bush and Cheney, a year from now the US could be a dictatorial police state at war with Iran." … “Bush has put in place all the necessary measures for dictatorship in the form of "executive orders" that are triggered whenever Bush declares a national emergency”… “Ask yourself: Would a government that has lied us into two wars and is working to lie us into an attack on Iran shrink from staging "terrorist" attacks in order to remove opposition to its agenda?”
*You cannot make this up - Lily Ledbetter, an employee of Goodyear, was the victim of blatant pay discrimination. Her case reached the less than Supreme Court in May. In a 5-4 ruling the court said that workers cannot sue for pay discrimination if they learn of it more than 180 days after the employer’s original decision to unfairly pay the employee less than his or her coworkers. You read that correctly. Not even a 6 month limit from the time the employee learns of the discrimination. Six months from the time that the employer initiates the discrimination. Logic, fairness, justice, common sense? Fortunately, congress can correct this mentally unemployed ruling. Last month, Rep. George Miller introduced H.R. 2831, the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, and this month Sen. Ted Kennedy introduced the companion Senate bill, the Fair Pay Restoration Act. Both proposed laws would remove the 180-day time restriction.
*Finally, a qualified candidate – John McCain says he wants to succeed George W. Bush. His key campaign staff have resigned, he is almost out of money and plummeting in the polls.
*The right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing – FOX News and Weekly Standard pundit Bill Kristol says that those pushing for withdrawal from Iraq represent the political left in America. Recent polls indicate that 70% of Americans want our troops out of Iraq. I would say that this represents the political center. It seems that only the neo-cons, who without conscience send others to do battle, are the voices for continuing the Iraq debacle.
*You are what you eat - A recent study predicted that at the current rate Americans are gaining weight, by the year 2015 75% will be overweight. A seemingly positive development related to this alarming trend is that eleven major US producers of chocolates, fries, sodas and sugary cereals pledged to cut back advertising aimed a kids. This decision may be a result of corporate enlightenment or perhaps the threat of new laws that would regulate junk food advertising aimed at children. The correct role of most corporations is to generate profit. This makes self-policing problematic. What are the mitigating factors for today’s parents?
*And then there was Hugo – In part a response to its competition, McDonalds announces the introduction of its new 42 ounce soda calling it Hugo. It will sell for as low as $.89 and will pack 410 calories. Advertising will be in several languages thereby targeting minorities who, along with children, have been especially susceptible to obesity problems. Self-policing? Fat chance!
*The power of perspective – In a letter to the Phila. Inquirer Barbara Gold writes:
Re: Misleading term – As a physician, I flinch each time I see the term wheelchair-bound. Those who use wheelchairs find them enabling, freeing, helpful in their mobility. When the news media use wheelchair-bound readers may think of the wheelchair as a prison. It isn’t.
.
*As The World Turns (Upside Down) – In a recent interview Business Week magazine asked Secretary of State Condileeza Rice, “Would you consider a position in business or on Wall Street?” She replied, “I don't know what I'll do long-term. I'm a terrible long-term planner.” How fortunate that the Middle East, Africa, North Korea, Iran… only require short-term solutions.
*Paying the piper – As a professional lobbyist in the 1990’s potential Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson earned money representing pro-choice interests. Facing Republican primaries Mr. Thompson is now against abortion. He follows in the footsteps of Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney aborting earlier positions to appeal to the Republican base. In 2004 Republicans accused John Kerry of flip flopping. Disingenuous sounds so much more sophisticated.
*In April Amnesty International released a powerful study “Maze of Injustice” which exposed the U.S. government's failure to protect Indigenous (Native American and Alaska Native) women from epidemic rates of sexual violence. One out of three of these women will be raped in their lifetime. The U.S. government has created a complex maze of tribal, state, and federal jurisdictions that often allows men to rape with impunity. This study has led to congressional hearings. Information on this subject can be found at: www.amnestyusa.org and then select Women’s Human Rights.
*Good job Jimmy! - Secretary of Veterans' Affairs Jim Nicholson announced he will be resigning. He is a Bush political appointee whose qualification was serving as chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1997 to 2000. His tenure has been fraught with scandals and a massive loss of veterans’ data in 2006 contributing to chronically slow processing of disability claims. When criticized for the terrible service provided to injured vets he claimed that the number of injured vets is overblown since "a lot of them come in for dental problems." He did not mention injured military seeking replacement limbs and mental health treatment. He did not comment on VA top executives receiving bonuses in 2006 in the amount of $3.8 million. It makes you want to grind your teeth.
Postscript – It was just announced that Iraq war veterans are suing the Department of Veterans Affairs for illegally denying or delaying claims for mental health treatment and disability pay, claiming that there is a backlog of 600,000 disability payments for vets, inadequate treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and other shortcomings in the VA.
*Pride and Prejudice - On Meet The Press conservative columnist Robert Novak reported that, “Republicans are saying privately that they are very pessimistic about their chances in the 2008 presidential election. Their only hope is that the Democrats will nominate a woman or an African American.” Quite the strategists! A wing, a prayer and a white sheet.
*Bush had a colonoscopy this past Saturday – Numerous thoughts. No comment.
*A different side of the same coin – Republican politicians and their aides earned the reputation over the last decade for leaving public service to lucratively use their connections on Capitol Hill by working for lobbyists. Not to be outdone, in the 6 months that Democrats have been in the majority, 19 senior Democratic aides have joined lobbying firms. If there is any possibility of cleaning up government it will have to include public financing of elections and a prohibition for some period of time for public employees leaving to work for lobby-type companies.
*Be aware of the expiration date on seafood - They say you can’t be almost pregnant. What about almost ethical? - Alaskan Republican Rep. Don Young has acknowledged taking more than $5,500 in illegal campaign contributions from a seafood trade association since 2001. He has informed federal officials that he will only pay back a portion of those funds because some of the violations fall outside the statute of limitations for campaign finance violations.
*Clearing the air? - The EPA recently proposed new ozone levels for our air. Not surprisingly, it did not listen to doctors and its own panel of scientists calling for much stronger limits. As the comment period begins, powerful polluters are lobbying for even weaker air quality standards. You can voice your opinion when signing a petition at: www.adoptthesky.org.
*Where the hell did I leave my glasses? - In response to a subpoena from the Senate Judiciary Committee for information, VP Dick Cheney may exert executive privilege. This follows Mr. Cheney’s assertion in June that his office was not a part of the executive branch.
*Give me the good ol’ days in the South (sung to the tune of Swanee, How I Love Ya”) – In the fall of 2006 in Jena, Louisiana, the day after two Black high school students sat beneath the "white tree" on their campus, nooses were hung from the tree. When the superintendent dismissed the nooses as a "prank," more Black students sat under the tree in protest. The District Attorney then came to the school accompanied by the town's police and demanded that the students end their protest, telling them, "I can be your best friend or your worst enemy... I can take away your lives with a stroke of my pen." Racial tensions increased, violence followed and now several black students are facing serious prison time. Details can be found at: www.colorofchange.org.
*Bush quote of the week – “Nobody has accused me of being Shakespeare.” Methinks thou protest too much.
*Faux News – One of Robert Greenwald’s new insightful videos “FOX Attacks! The Environment” concerns FOX News’ treatment of global warming. The following comments were taken from recent broadcasts:
Sterling Burnett – You don’t go see Joseph Goebel’s films to see the truth about Nazi Germany. You don’t go see Al Gore’s film to see the truth about global warming.
John Stossel – Global warming, I rudely put it in the chapter about psychics and astrology.
Sen. James Inhofe (R, OK) – The warming is due to the sun. Carbon Dioxide is not a pollutant.
Dennis Miller – I have always thought of Al Gore as such an inauthentic man.
Unknown – Al Gore has the Bella Lugosi haircut.
*Recipe for disaster – Since 2003 food imports have doubled. During this same period the number of Food and Drug Administration inspectors has decreased. FDA inspectors only have the money and resources to check about 1% of the 8.9 million imported food shipments a year. In the last 12 months there were 1,901 shipments of food or cosmetics rejected form China, 1787 from India and 1560 from Mexico. Would a 25% inspection rate have resulted in over 130,000 rejected shipments? What is passing through the inspection sieve? Protecting Americans must not be limited to focusing on terror threats. Federal leadership requires multi-tasking!
*That damn Congress! - The Washington Post reports that Congress has stalled funding for a radiation detector program that the Department of Homeland Security would use to screen trucks and cargo containers for potentially dangerous materials. Oops. When DHS said the detectors worked 95% of the time, they really meant somewhere between 17-50%. Now Congress wants to know if the mistake was intentional.
*Chilling thoughts on a hot summer’s day - Paul Craig Roberts is an old-line conservative who served in the Reagan administration. His latest column can be read at the website counterpunch.org/roberts07162007.html. He says, "Unless Congress immediately impeaches Bush and Cheney, a year from now the US could be a dictatorial police state at war with Iran." … “Bush has put in place all the necessary measures for dictatorship in the form of "executive orders" that are triggered whenever Bush declares a national emergency”… “Ask yourself: Would a government that has lied us into two wars and is working to lie us into an attack on Iran shrink from staging "terrorist" attacks in order to remove opposition to its agenda?”
*You cannot make this up - Lily Ledbetter, an employee of Goodyear, was the victim of blatant pay discrimination. Her case reached the less than Supreme Court in May. In a 5-4 ruling the court said that workers cannot sue for pay discrimination if they learn of it more than 180 days after the employer’s original decision to unfairly pay the employee less than his or her coworkers. You read that correctly. Not even a 6 month limit from the time the employee learns of the discrimination. Six months from the time that the employer initiates the discrimination. Logic, fairness, justice, common sense? Fortunately, congress can correct this mentally unemployed ruling. Last month, Rep. George Miller introduced H.R. 2831, the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, and this month Sen. Ted Kennedy introduced the companion Senate bill, the Fair Pay Restoration Act. Both proposed laws would remove the 180-day time restriction.
*Finally, a qualified candidate – John McCain says he wants to succeed George W. Bush. His key campaign staff have resigned, he is almost out of money and plummeting in the polls.
*The right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing – FOX News and Weekly Standard pundit Bill Kristol says that those pushing for withdrawal from Iraq represent the political left in America. Recent polls indicate that 70% of Americans want our troops out of Iraq. I would say that this represents the political center. It seems that only the neo-cons, who without conscience send others to do battle, are the voices for continuing the Iraq debacle.
*You are what you eat - A recent study predicted that at the current rate Americans are gaining weight, by the year 2015 75% will be overweight. A seemingly positive development related to this alarming trend is that eleven major US producers of chocolates, fries, sodas and sugary cereals pledged to cut back advertising aimed a kids. This decision may be a result of corporate enlightenment or perhaps the threat of new laws that would regulate junk food advertising aimed at children. The correct role of most corporations is to generate profit. This makes self-policing problematic. What are the mitigating factors for today’s parents?
*And then there was Hugo – In part a response to its competition, McDonalds announces the introduction of its new 42 ounce soda calling it Hugo. It will sell for as low as $.89 and will pack 410 calories. Advertising will be in several languages thereby targeting minorities who, along with children, have been especially susceptible to obesity problems. Self-policing? Fat chance!
*The power of perspective – In a letter to the Phila. Inquirer Barbara Gold writes:
Re: Misleading term – As a physician, I flinch each time I see the term wheelchair-bound. Those who use wheelchairs find them enabling, freeing, helpful in their mobility. When the news media use wheelchair-bound readers may think of the wheelchair as a prison. It isn’t.
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7/17/07
*Intelligent and positive governing! – In spite of Republican opposition the House has passed the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007. The bill will provide the single largest increase in college aid since the GI bill in 1944. Millions of students will benefit. It comes at no new cost to taxpayers and is funded by cutting excess subsidies paid by the federal government to lenders in the student loan industry (an industry recently exposed for excessive interest rates and kickbacks to colleges and college loan advisors).
*Mature approach to terrorism - Sec. of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff tells us that, “Summer time seems to be appealing to them,” he said of al-Qaeda. “We do worry that they are rebuilding their activities… Chertoff said there are not enough indications of an imminent plot to raise the current threat levels nationwide. And he indicated that his remarks were based on "a gut feeling".
It is time for our leaders to act like adults. When this administration needs political cover for failed policies they trot out the “fear” factor. Recall that leading up to the presidential elections of 2004 each time that Bush slipped in the polls the Department of Homeland Security raised the color that indicated an increase in the threat level from terrorists. For the rest of our lives our nation will have to be alert to terrorist attacks. The threat does not ebb and flow. It is necessary that we always be on guard. An adjunct to this approach should be policies that do not spawn new terrorists.
*New Olympic sport – For each new Olympics a sport is usually added. I would like to suggest television jumping – an event in which I could earn a medal. Almost every time that I watch a Bush administration official offer testimony to a congressional investigative committee I want to jump into the TV to smack them on the side of the head. Maybe veracity would pop out.
*Support the Troops, a Republican shell game – Democratic Senator Jim Webb’s amendment would have required as much down time for U.S. troops serving in Iraq as time in deployment and that reservists and National Guardsmen be home for 3 years after serving one year on active duty. The amendment was killed by Republican opposition.
It is time to stop complaining that the Democrats in congress cannot get anything done. To pass almost any bill in the Senate 60 votes are required (67 votes to override a veto). With only 51 Democratic senators the Republicans have the ability to block most legislation. There is an answer to this problem but it will have to wait until the 2008 elections.
*There is a bill in the Senate that would restore habeas corpus to U.S. detainees. I am disappointed that three of the people I supported in their successful 2006 election to the Senate have not signed on as co-sponsors of this bill. I will be contacting Senators Casey, Tester and Webb this week to voice my concerns.
*Families of our troops are also over-extended – From the Sunday NY Times, “Experts cite three causes of eroding morale among military families: longer and multiple deployments, the continued chaos in Baghdad, and the growing death toll…”
*There have been so many criminal and sexual scandals committed by Republicans that GOP leaders fear that social conservatives will stay away from the ballot box in the 2008 presidential elections. From their lips…
*People who live in glass houses … - Last week the Pope stated that Catholicism was the only way. This week it is reported that since 1950 the U.S. Catholic church has paid out over $2,000.000.000 (yes, billions) to settle sexual abuse charges. Evidence has shown that the church hierarchy covered up these abuses. The problem is not limited to the United States. In any organization there will be individuals with problems. The “sins” of the Catholic Church included: looking the other way and actively covering up rather than admitting to and addressing the problem; abusive clergy did not get help, were not fired, and were thereby enabled to continue and spread their abuses; lives of parishioners were destroyed; dedicated, selfless, caring, and quality priests and nuns became tainted by association.
*Bob Woodward reports that in November 2006 CIA Director Hayden spoke to the Iraq Study Group. In reference to the Iraqi government he said, "the inability of the government to govern seems irreversible." President Bush and Gen. Patraeus admit that the military cannot solve Iraq’s problems. If the military cannot solve Iraq and if the Iraqi government cannot solve Iraq I have a gut feeling that Iraq is unsolvable
*The Prescriber I – President Bush on healthcare in America, “The immediate goal is to make sure there are more people on private insurance plans. I mean, people have access to health care in America," he said. "After all, you just go to an emergency room." Mr. Bush did not offer his insight for the 45,000,000 Americans who do not have health insurance.
President Bush also said he would oppose any attempt to federalize medicine because it would lead to less innovation. Barbara Ehrenreich at the Huffington Post notes that the only innovations by healthcare insurance companies that come to mind are the deductible, the co-pay, and the pre-existing condition.
*The Prescriber II - The White House said on Saturday that the President would veto a bipartisan plan to expand the Children’s Health Insurance Program, drafted over the last six months by senior members of the Senate Finance Committee. The current program will expire on September 30, 2007. Over the past year it insured 7.4 million people. Hopefully, the children loosing this coverage live near an emergency room.
*Your tax dollars at work? – The N.Y. Times reports that on July 11th two or three guards stole $282 million dollars (not Iraqi dinars) from the Es Salaam bank in Baghdad. It has not been reported who the money belonged to or who now holds these funds. It was felt that the robbers belonged to one of the militias because of the many checkpoints they would have to navigate in their escape. It is alarming to imagine the destructive devices such a sum could purchase.
*The concentration of wealth in the U.S. continues while globalization drains U.S. manufacturing and decent paying jobs from employment rolls. I am hopeful that Democratic candidates will address these issues in the coming months.
*Now I know why the U.S. invaded Iraq. It took over 4 years for the “truth” to be revealed. From a press conference on July 12th: ‘President Bush, defending his troop surge in Iraq, insisted that the insurgents attacking US troops in Iraq "are the same ones who attacked us on Sept. 11.’ (Please reference television jumping).
*No Fly Zone ~ Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport –The Federal Aviation Administration has been accused of covering up mistakes by air traffic controllers at Dallas-Fort Worth. With increasing frequency we learn of another federal agency that is in a holding pattern instead of performing its mandated responsibility.
*Affirmative action – Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin signed into law ethics legislation that includes the requirement that legislators get ethics training. 12 Steps for Politicians?
*Environmental responsibility – At the following website you can sign a pledge and learn about responsible actions for the environment: http://www.algore.com/dccc.
*Bloomberg business news reports that Exxon is the first publicly traded company to be worth over a half trillion dollars. A serious number that is equal to the cost of the Iraq war.
*Creativity in government –The FBI has a solution to its admitted problem of illegally collecting data about Americans. It will address the dilemma by having a private firm hold this information. I was under the impression that it was against the law to accept stolen property.
*Enough said – Last Thursday the NAACP held a forum on civil rights. The 8 Democratic candidates for President showed up. Only Tom Tancredo of the 9 invited Republican Presidential candidates appeared.
* Dr. Richard Carmona, Surgeon General from 2002 until 2006 testified that his work was hampered by political appointees with an ideological, theological or political agenda who censored his speeches or kept him from speaking. In a similar vein NARAL Pro-Choice America has discovered that U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services has altered its website: http://www.4parents.gov/sexrisky/teen_preg.htm. In order to satisfy the anti-choice agenda of Bush and his social conservatives the site offers information that does not have a medical or psychological basis. For example, “abortions make women feel sad; resort to drugs and alcohol”.
*Bush The Historian - Seymour Hersh at New Yorker Magazine reports that Bush likes to compare himself to Winston Churchill. Sources close to the President have heard him “say things like, ‘It’ll be 20 years before they appreciate me. … Yes, I may be at 30 percent in the polls, but in 20 or 30 years, they’ll appreciate what I’ve done.’” Another perspective would be that it will take decades for the havoc that Bush has wrought to be undone.
*Sung to the tune of “Summertime and the Living is Easy” - Facing increasingly difficult negotiations and legislation that might bring a semblance of order and reduced violence to Iraq, the Iraqi parliament is taking the month of August off. No word yet on the vacation schedule for U.S. troops.
*Being married is much more difficult than running the federal government. Each time that the Bush administration is brought to task they seek safety behind “executive privilege”. When my wife asked me why I didn’t repair a clogged drain I said it was because of executive privilege. She proceeded to exercise her right to change the locks on the doors.
*A stain on the honor of our country – Amnesty International reports that after 5 years of Guantanamo prison there are approximately 385 prisoners, 1 has been convicted of a crime and zero have been released after a court proceeding. Many of these prisoners have been tortured. I do not want this to be the present or the future for America. If it is, the terrorists have won.
*Religious freedom is an American benchmark – On July 12th we saw an historic first for religion in America’s civic life. A Hindu was invited to be the guest chaplain for the Senate. As the ceremony began it was disrupted by 3 Christian right activists. I find it ironic that the invocation included “lead us from darkness to light”. At the age of 23 Ghandi said, “It has always been a mystery to me how men can feel themselves honored by the humiliation of their fellow human beings”.
.
*Mature approach to terrorism - Sec. of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff tells us that, “Summer time seems to be appealing to them,” he said of al-Qaeda. “We do worry that they are rebuilding their activities… Chertoff said there are not enough indications of an imminent plot to raise the current threat levels nationwide. And he indicated that his remarks were based on "a gut feeling".
It is time for our leaders to act like adults. When this administration needs political cover for failed policies they trot out the “fear” factor. Recall that leading up to the presidential elections of 2004 each time that Bush slipped in the polls the Department of Homeland Security raised the color that indicated an increase in the threat level from terrorists. For the rest of our lives our nation will have to be alert to terrorist attacks. The threat does not ebb and flow. It is necessary that we always be on guard. An adjunct to this approach should be policies that do not spawn new terrorists.
*New Olympic sport – For each new Olympics a sport is usually added. I would like to suggest television jumping – an event in which I could earn a medal. Almost every time that I watch a Bush administration official offer testimony to a congressional investigative committee I want to jump into the TV to smack them on the side of the head. Maybe veracity would pop out.
*Support the Troops, a Republican shell game – Democratic Senator Jim Webb’s amendment would have required as much down time for U.S. troops serving in Iraq as time in deployment and that reservists and National Guardsmen be home for 3 years after serving one year on active duty. The amendment was killed by Republican opposition.
It is time to stop complaining that the Democrats in congress cannot get anything done. To pass almost any bill in the Senate 60 votes are required (67 votes to override a veto). With only 51 Democratic senators the Republicans have the ability to block most legislation. There is an answer to this problem but it will have to wait until the 2008 elections.
*There is a bill in the Senate that would restore habeas corpus to U.S. detainees. I am disappointed that three of the people I supported in their successful 2006 election to the Senate have not signed on as co-sponsors of this bill. I will be contacting Senators Casey, Tester and Webb this week to voice my concerns.
*Families of our troops are also over-extended – From the Sunday NY Times, “Experts cite three causes of eroding morale among military families: longer and multiple deployments, the continued chaos in Baghdad, and the growing death toll…”
*There have been so many criminal and sexual scandals committed by Republicans that GOP leaders fear that social conservatives will stay away from the ballot box in the 2008 presidential elections. From their lips…
*People who live in glass houses … - Last week the Pope stated that Catholicism was the only way. This week it is reported that since 1950 the U.S. Catholic church has paid out over $2,000.000.000 (yes, billions) to settle sexual abuse charges. Evidence has shown that the church hierarchy covered up these abuses. The problem is not limited to the United States. In any organization there will be individuals with problems. The “sins” of the Catholic Church included: looking the other way and actively covering up rather than admitting to and addressing the problem; abusive clergy did not get help, were not fired, and were thereby enabled to continue and spread their abuses; lives of parishioners were destroyed; dedicated, selfless, caring, and quality priests and nuns became tainted by association.
*Bob Woodward reports that in November 2006 CIA Director Hayden spoke to the Iraq Study Group. In reference to the Iraqi government he said, "the inability of the government to govern seems irreversible." President Bush and Gen. Patraeus admit that the military cannot solve Iraq’s problems. If the military cannot solve Iraq and if the Iraqi government cannot solve Iraq I have a gut feeling that Iraq is unsolvable
*The Prescriber I – President Bush on healthcare in America, “The immediate goal is to make sure there are more people on private insurance plans. I mean, people have access to health care in America," he said. "After all, you just go to an emergency room." Mr. Bush did not offer his insight for the 45,000,000 Americans who do not have health insurance.
President Bush also said he would oppose any attempt to federalize medicine because it would lead to less innovation. Barbara Ehrenreich at the Huffington Post notes that the only innovations by healthcare insurance companies that come to mind are the deductible, the co-pay, and the pre-existing condition.
*The Prescriber II - The White House said on Saturday that the President would veto a bipartisan plan to expand the Children’s Health Insurance Program, drafted over the last six months by senior members of the Senate Finance Committee. The current program will expire on September 30, 2007. Over the past year it insured 7.4 million people. Hopefully, the children loosing this coverage live near an emergency room.
*Your tax dollars at work? – The N.Y. Times reports that on July 11th two or three guards stole $282 million dollars (not Iraqi dinars) from the Es Salaam bank in Baghdad. It has not been reported who the money belonged to or who now holds these funds. It was felt that the robbers belonged to one of the militias because of the many checkpoints they would have to navigate in their escape. It is alarming to imagine the destructive devices such a sum could purchase.
*The concentration of wealth in the U.S. continues while globalization drains U.S. manufacturing and decent paying jobs from employment rolls. I am hopeful that Democratic candidates will address these issues in the coming months.
*Now I know why the U.S. invaded Iraq. It took over 4 years for the “truth” to be revealed. From a press conference on July 12th: ‘President Bush, defending his troop surge in Iraq, insisted that the insurgents attacking US troops in Iraq "are the same ones who attacked us on Sept. 11.’ (Please reference television jumping).
*No Fly Zone ~ Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport –The Federal Aviation Administration has been accused of covering up mistakes by air traffic controllers at Dallas-Fort Worth. With increasing frequency we learn of another federal agency that is in a holding pattern instead of performing its mandated responsibility.
*Affirmative action – Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin signed into law ethics legislation that includes the requirement that legislators get ethics training. 12 Steps for Politicians?
*Environmental responsibility – At the following website you can sign a pledge and learn about responsible actions for the environment: http://www.algore.com/dccc.
*Bloomberg business news reports that Exxon is the first publicly traded company to be worth over a half trillion dollars. A serious number that is equal to the cost of the Iraq war.
*Creativity in government –The FBI has a solution to its admitted problem of illegally collecting data about Americans. It will address the dilemma by having a private firm hold this information. I was under the impression that it was against the law to accept stolen property.
*Enough said – Last Thursday the NAACP held a forum on civil rights. The 8 Democratic candidates for President showed up. Only Tom Tancredo of the 9 invited Republican Presidential candidates appeared.
* Dr. Richard Carmona, Surgeon General from 2002 until 2006 testified that his work was hampered by political appointees with an ideological, theological or political agenda who censored his speeches or kept him from speaking. In a similar vein NARAL Pro-Choice America has discovered that U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services has altered its website: http://www.4parents.gov/sexrisky/teen_preg.htm. In order to satisfy the anti-choice agenda of Bush and his social conservatives the site offers information that does not have a medical or psychological basis. For example, “abortions make women feel sad; resort to drugs and alcohol”.
*Bush The Historian - Seymour Hersh at New Yorker Magazine reports that Bush likes to compare himself to Winston Churchill. Sources close to the President have heard him “say things like, ‘It’ll be 20 years before they appreciate me. … Yes, I may be at 30 percent in the polls, but in 20 or 30 years, they’ll appreciate what I’ve done.’” Another perspective would be that it will take decades for the havoc that Bush has wrought to be undone.
*Sung to the tune of “Summertime and the Living is Easy” - Facing increasingly difficult negotiations and legislation that might bring a semblance of order and reduced violence to Iraq, the Iraqi parliament is taking the month of August off. No word yet on the vacation schedule for U.S. troops.
*Being married is much more difficult than running the federal government. Each time that the Bush administration is brought to task they seek safety behind “executive privilege”. When my wife asked me why I didn’t repair a clogged drain I said it was because of executive privilege. She proceeded to exercise her right to change the locks on the doors.
*A stain on the honor of our country – Amnesty International reports that after 5 years of Guantanamo prison there are approximately 385 prisoners, 1 has been convicted of a crime and zero have been released after a court proceeding. Many of these prisoners have been tortured. I do not want this to be the present or the future for America. If it is, the terrorists have won.
*Religious freedom is an American benchmark – On July 12th we saw an historic first for religion in America’s civic life. A Hindu was invited to be the guest chaplain for the Senate. As the ceremony began it was disrupted by 3 Christian right activists. I find it ironic that the invocation included “lead us from darkness to light”. At the age of 23 Ghandi said, “It has always been a mystery to me how men can feel themselves honored by the humiliation of their fellow human beings”.
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7/11/07
*Breaking News - The U.S. Senate could vote as early as today on a key piece of hate crimes legislation that would protect gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people from bias-motivated violence. The House of Representatives has already passed this crucial bill — and if the Senate passes the bill, it will mark the first time in history this legislation will have passed both houses of Congress in the same session.
You can call your senators at 202/224-3121 and urge them to vote in favor of the Matthew Shepard Act, S. 1105.
* Life can be so confusing - Australian Defense Minister Brendan Nelson has admitted that securing oil supplies is a key factor behind the presence of Australian troops in Iraq. On the other hand Australian Prime Minister John Howard said that it was a “stretch” to conclude that Australia’s Iraq involvement was motivated by oil. On the other other hand President Bush says we are in Iraq to promote democracy and protect America from terrorists. Hmmmm.
*Amongst the criticisms aimed at President Bush for commuting Scooter Libby’s prison sentence was a comment by presidential candidate and Senator from Delaware Joe Biden. “This guy is brain dead”. This assessment may have merit but I also understand Bush’s motivation. With Libby about to enter prison there was the chance that he would seek to cut a deal with the prosecutor by offering to tell the truth about the role that V.P. Dick Cheney (and possibly Bush) had in revealing the identity of undercover CIA agent Valery Plame. The “law and order” President could not allow this to happen.
*Who is watching the store? The Washington Post reports, “The Bush administration has failed to fill roughly a quarter of the top leadership posts at the Department of Homeland Security, creating a "gaping hole" in the nation's preparedness for a terrorist attack or other threat…” This represents 138 of the top 575 positions. If we are running out of Regent University graduates (a qualifier for working in the Bush administration is to have been inured by the likes of the religious-right Pat Robertson) perhaps we can outsource these positions to Pakistanis. It works for our high-tech industries.
*On February 12, 1999 forty-five Republican Senators voted guilty in Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial for obstruction of justice. Twenty-five of those upstanding Senators remain in office and not one has made a public statement criticizing the Bush commutation of Libby. Senators McCain, Voinovich, Hutchinson and Allard were among this group that offered lofty speeches about rule of law in 1999. I expect that this two-faced, blindingly partisan group of 25 will be considerably smaller following the 2008 elections.
*Truth from the White House (this is not a typo) – At a July 5th White House press briefing spokesman Scott Stanzel was asked, “is Scooter Libby getting more than equal justice under the law? Is he getting special treatment?” Mr. Stanzel responded, “Well, I guess I don't know what you mean by "equal justice under the law."
*The Iraq war was misguidedly begun and continued with too small a force. This was the plan of former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and endorsed by Bush and Cheney. Part of the “thinking” was that this war could be prosecuted on the cheap. Within this policy of mirrors we find that many of the jobs and services traditionally performed by military personnel were farmed out to independent contractors at a substantially higher cost. One would not be surprised to learn that the vast majority of these contractors had strong connections to Bush, Cheney and the Republican party. The LA Times reports that the number of U.S.-paid contractors in Iraq (180,000) now exceeds the number of combat troops (160,000). Many of these contractors are being investigated for over-billing, poor performance or non-performance. I expect that the return of oversight to Washington D.C. will reveal a Big Shop of Horrors.
*A progress report on the targets met by the Iraqi government will report that they have met zero, none, zilch and nada. How fitting that they match the legislative achievements of their mentor G.W. Bush.
*Senators Lugar, Domenici, Alexander, Gregg, Warner and Voinovich have joined the list of Republican leaders seeking separation from Bush’s Iraq war. Some are not even up for re-election in the next two years.
*He really said that? National Review Online columnist Jerry Bowyer, while appearing on FOX News’s Neil Cavuto show attacked Michael Moore’s movie Sicko when he said, “Universal healthcare breeds terrorists.” I will forgo relating his “logic” since it causes dizziness. I would caution Mr. Bowyer to read the instruction booklet. Your coffee cup should be placed in the center of the microwave, not your head.
*”Despite overwhelming agreement among top climate scientists, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the National Academy of Science, Fox News continues to claim that global warming doesn't exist, isn't caused by humans, and was created by Al Gore and a hysterical media.” Fox News – take your head out of the microwave or any dark orifice preventing oxygen from reaching your brain.
*At MoveOn.org you can hear each of the eight Democratic presidential candidates’ plan for the climate and even vote for which plan you endorse. The link is: http://pol.moveon.org/townhall/climate/townhall2.html?id=10780-6021600-ceIY7m&t=1
*In the on-lineSunday Times (London) I read the following: The former American secretary of state Colin Powell has revealed that he spent 2½ hours vainly trying to persuade President George W. Bush not to invade Iraq and believes today’s conflict cannot be resolved by US forces. “I tried to avoid this war,” Powell said at the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado. “I took him through the consequences of going into an Arab country and becoming the occupiers.”
I never had a good feeling about George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. But boy did I respect and trust Colin Powell. When he made his presentation to the United Nations pleading the case that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and putting on a demonstration that Saddam had mobile biological or chemical labs (or both, I do not remember) I said, “Let’s get the bastard”. Mr. Secretary, if you believed that attacking Iraq would be a disaster for America why did you not resign and present your case to the American people? Would it have made a difference? Would we have avoided to date over 3600 U.S. military deaths? Would we have avoided what is approaching 30,000 wounded and maimed men and women serving in the U.S. military? Would we have avoided a strategy that has actually increased the number of terrorists in the world? Would we have been better able to focus our energies and capture bin Laden and secure Afghanistan? Unfortunately, Mr. Secretary, we will never know the answers to these questions because you did not stand up. You waited for Bush the cowboy to dispose of you like a tattered saddle blanket that has lost its usefulness.
*Richard Nixon, get out of the way - In a July 9 op-ed article in The Denver Post, John Koppel, a 25-year veteran in the Dept. of Justice writes, “I can honestly say that I have never been as ashamed of the department and government that I serve as I am at this time.” Citing issues of civil rights, civil liberties, international law and basic human rights as well as criminal prosecution and federal employment and contracting practices Mr. Koppel concludes, “This is neither normal government conduct nor "politics as usual," but a national disgrace of a magnitude unseen since the days of Watergate - which, in fact, I believe it eclipses.”
*The bible tells us that the lower cannot see the higher. Oh how I envy the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. For 17 years church members have protested across the country at military funerals. Westboro’s message during funeral protests is that the soldier deaths are God’s punishment for the nation accepting homosexuals. What is one’s punishment for accepting the Westboro Baptist Church?
*The only way home - LORENZAGO DI CADORE, Italy (AP) - Pope Benedict XVI has reasserted the universal primacy of the Roman Catholic Church, approving a document released Tuesday that says Orthodox churches were defective and that other Christian denominations were not true churches.
*The English language can be so imprecise – South Dakota state Rep. Joel Dykstra (Republican) and candidate for Senator in 2008 was asked why the state legislature did not include certain exceptions in its 2006 ban on abortion. Mr. Dykstra replied: “I think ‘rape and incest’ is a buzzword. It’s a bit of a throwaway line and not everybody who says that really understands what that means. How are you going to define that?” It makes one wonder if a wife or daughter or sister of Mr. Dykstra will give him a dictionary for his birthday.
*The “I” word. For quite some time I have felt that the only momentum breaker for the Bush/Cheney cabal would be impeachment. The six year rubber stamping by a Republican led congress allowed their unprecedented secrecy, arrogance and ignorance of law and checks and balances. It is likely that Bush’s term will expire before congressional investigations and subpoenas navigate the legal labyrinth presented by Fred Fielding (White House Counsel). However, impeachment sentiment is growing. Retired 3 Star General William Odom, chief of NSA under Regan has called for impeachment proceedings if Iraq war policy does not change. To date 14 members of congress have endorsed H. Res 333, articles of impeachment against Dick Cheney. A new poll from American Research Group found that 45% of adults favor impeachment of Bush and 54% favor impeachment of Cheney. In November Nancy Pelosi said that impeachment was not on the table. It may be that the table is about to be reset. You may want to see Robert Greenwald’s new 3 minute video at impeachcheney.org.
*Is it too late for impeachment? Last week at a Philadelphia town meeting for impeachment writer John Nichols addressed this question. “…every 10 minutes, an Iraqi dies in the war. Every 10 hours, someone in the US military is killed. Every 10 days, $2 billion is spent on the war. We have to stop this, and impeachment is our immediate responsibility.”
*I recently came across the following: Daniel Boone, when asked if he’d ever been lost, reputedly said, “No, but I’ve been confused for a few days, sometimes” It impressed me as a metaphor for the United States of America in its nascent years of the 21st Century.
* ”I Dreamed In A Dream”
I dream’d in a dream I saw a city invincible to the attacks of the whole of the rest of the earth,
I dreamed that was the new city of Friends
Nothing was greater there than the quality of robust love, it led the rest.
It was seen every hour in the actions of the men of that city
And in all their looks and words.
I do not believe that these words by Walt Whitman in 1860 were used to depict his nation’s capitol. I am certain that they do not describe Washington D.C. in the year 2007. Perhaps it would be useful for our society if we identified an ideal that would focus and give purpose to our actions.
You can call your senators at 202/224-3121 and urge them to vote in favor of the Matthew Shepard Act, S. 1105.
* Life can be so confusing - Australian Defense Minister Brendan Nelson has admitted that securing oil supplies is a key factor behind the presence of Australian troops in Iraq. On the other hand Australian Prime Minister John Howard said that it was a “stretch” to conclude that Australia’s Iraq involvement was motivated by oil. On the other other hand President Bush says we are in Iraq to promote democracy and protect America from terrorists. Hmmmm.
*Amongst the criticisms aimed at President Bush for commuting Scooter Libby’s prison sentence was a comment by presidential candidate and Senator from Delaware Joe Biden. “This guy is brain dead”. This assessment may have merit but I also understand Bush’s motivation. With Libby about to enter prison there was the chance that he would seek to cut a deal with the prosecutor by offering to tell the truth about the role that V.P. Dick Cheney (and possibly Bush) had in revealing the identity of undercover CIA agent Valery Plame. The “law and order” President could not allow this to happen.
*Who is watching the store? The Washington Post reports, “The Bush administration has failed to fill roughly a quarter of the top leadership posts at the Department of Homeland Security, creating a "gaping hole" in the nation's preparedness for a terrorist attack or other threat…” This represents 138 of the top 575 positions. If we are running out of Regent University graduates (a qualifier for working in the Bush administration is to have been inured by the likes of the religious-right Pat Robertson) perhaps we can outsource these positions to Pakistanis. It works for our high-tech industries.
*On February 12, 1999 forty-five Republican Senators voted guilty in Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial for obstruction of justice. Twenty-five of those upstanding Senators remain in office and not one has made a public statement criticizing the Bush commutation of Libby. Senators McCain, Voinovich, Hutchinson and Allard were among this group that offered lofty speeches about rule of law in 1999. I expect that this two-faced, blindingly partisan group of 25 will be considerably smaller following the 2008 elections.
*Truth from the White House (this is not a typo) – At a July 5th White House press briefing spokesman Scott Stanzel was asked, “is Scooter Libby getting more than equal justice under the law? Is he getting special treatment?” Mr. Stanzel responded, “Well, I guess I don't know what you mean by "equal justice under the law."
*The Iraq war was misguidedly begun and continued with too small a force. This was the plan of former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and endorsed by Bush and Cheney. Part of the “thinking” was that this war could be prosecuted on the cheap. Within this policy of mirrors we find that many of the jobs and services traditionally performed by military personnel were farmed out to independent contractors at a substantially higher cost. One would not be surprised to learn that the vast majority of these contractors had strong connections to Bush, Cheney and the Republican party. The LA Times reports that the number of U.S.-paid contractors in Iraq (180,000) now exceeds the number of combat troops (160,000). Many of these contractors are being investigated for over-billing, poor performance or non-performance. I expect that the return of oversight to Washington D.C. will reveal a Big Shop of Horrors.
*A progress report on the targets met by the Iraqi government will report that they have met zero, none, zilch and nada. How fitting that they match the legislative achievements of their mentor G.W. Bush.
*Senators Lugar, Domenici, Alexander, Gregg, Warner and Voinovich have joined the list of Republican leaders seeking separation from Bush’s Iraq war. Some are not even up for re-election in the next two years.
*He really said that? National Review Online columnist Jerry Bowyer, while appearing on FOX News’s Neil Cavuto show attacked Michael Moore’s movie Sicko when he said, “Universal healthcare breeds terrorists.” I will forgo relating his “logic” since it causes dizziness. I would caution Mr. Bowyer to read the instruction booklet. Your coffee cup should be placed in the center of the microwave, not your head.
*”Despite overwhelming agreement among top climate scientists, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the National Academy of Science, Fox News continues to claim that global warming doesn't exist, isn't caused by humans, and was created by Al Gore and a hysterical media.” Fox News – take your head out of the microwave or any dark orifice preventing oxygen from reaching your brain.
*At MoveOn.org you can hear each of the eight Democratic presidential candidates’ plan for the climate and even vote for which plan you endorse. The link is: http://pol.moveon.org/townhall/climate/townhall2.html?id=10780-6021600-ceIY7m&t=1
*In the on-lineSunday Times (London) I read the following: The former American secretary of state Colin Powell has revealed that he spent 2½ hours vainly trying to persuade President George W. Bush not to invade Iraq and believes today’s conflict cannot be resolved by US forces. “I tried to avoid this war,” Powell said at the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado. “I took him through the consequences of going into an Arab country and becoming the occupiers.”
I never had a good feeling about George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. But boy did I respect and trust Colin Powell. When he made his presentation to the United Nations pleading the case that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and putting on a demonstration that Saddam had mobile biological or chemical labs (or both, I do not remember) I said, “Let’s get the bastard”. Mr. Secretary, if you believed that attacking Iraq would be a disaster for America why did you not resign and present your case to the American people? Would it have made a difference? Would we have avoided to date over 3600 U.S. military deaths? Would we have avoided what is approaching 30,000 wounded and maimed men and women serving in the U.S. military? Would we have avoided a strategy that has actually increased the number of terrorists in the world? Would we have been better able to focus our energies and capture bin Laden and secure Afghanistan? Unfortunately, Mr. Secretary, we will never know the answers to these questions because you did not stand up. You waited for Bush the cowboy to dispose of you like a tattered saddle blanket that has lost its usefulness.
*Richard Nixon, get out of the way - In a July 9 op-ed article in The Denver Post, John Koppel, a 25-year veteran in the Dept. of Justice writes, “I can honestly say that I have never been as ashamed of the department and government that I serve as I am at this time.” Citing issues of civil rights, civil liberties, international law and basic human rights as well as criminal prosecution and federal employment and contracting practices Mr. Koppel concludes, “This is neither normal government conduct nor "politics as usual," but a national disgrace of a magnitude unseen since the days of Watergate - which, in fact, I believe it eclipses.”
*The bible tells us that the lower cannot see the higher. Oh how I envy the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. For 17 years church members have protested across the country at military funerals. Westboro’s message during funeral protests is that the soldier deaths are God’s punishment for the nation accepting homosexuals. What is one’s punishment for accepting the Westboro Baptist Church?
*The only way home - LORENZAGO DI CADORE, Italy (AP) - Pope Benedict XVI has reasserted the universal primacy of the Roman Catholic Church, approving a document released Tuesday that says Orthodox churches were defective and that other Christian denominations were not true churches.
*The English language can be so imprecise – South Dakota state Rep. Joel Dykstra (Republican) and candidate for Senator in 2008 was asked why the state legislature did not include certain exceptions in its 2006 ban on abortion. Mr. Dykstra replied: “I think ‘rape and incest’ is a buzzword. It’s a bit of a throwaway line and not everybody who says that really understands what that means. How are you going to define that?” It makes one wonder if a wife or daughter or sister of Mr. Dykstra will give him a dictionary for his birthday.
*The “I” word. For quite some time I have felt that the only momentum breaker for the Bush/Cheney cabal would be impeachment. The six year rubber stamping by a Republican led congress allowed their unprecedented secrecy, arrogance and ignorance of law and checks and balances. It is likely that Bush’s term will expire before congressional investigations and subpoenas navigate the legal labyrinth presented by Fred Fielding (White House Counsel). However, impeachment sentiment is growing. Retired 3 Star General William Odom, chief of NSA under Regan has called for impeachment proceedings if Iraq war policy does not change. To date 14 members of congress have endorsed H. Res 333, articles of impeachment against Dick Cheney. A new poll from American Research Group found that 45% of adults favor impeachment of Bush and 54% favor impeachment of Cheney. In November Nancy Pelosi said that impeachment was not on the table. It may be that the table is about to be reset. You may want to see Robert Greenwald’s new 3 minute video at impeachcheney.org.
*Is it too late for impeachment? Last week at a Philadelphia town meeting for impeachment writer John Nichols addressed this question. “…every 10 minutes, an Iraqi dies in the war. Every 10 hours, someone in the US military is killed. Every 10 days, $2 billion is spent on the war. We have to stop this, and impeachment is our immediate responsibility.”
*I recently came across the following: Daniel Boone, when asked if he’d ever been lost, reputedly said, “No, but I’ve been confused for a few days, sometimes” It impressed me as a metaphor for the United States of America in its nascent years of the 21st Century.
* ”I Dreamed In A Dream”
I dream’d in a dream I saw a city invincible to the attacks of the whole of the rest of the earth,
I dreamed that was the new city of Friends
Nothing was greater there than the quality of robust love, it led the rest.
It was seen every hour in the actions of the men of that city
And in all their looks and words.
I do not believe that these words by Walt Whitman in 1860 were used to depict his nation’s capitol. I am certain that they do not describe Washington D.C. in the year 2007. Perhaps it would be useful for our society if we identified an ideal that would focus and give purpose to our actions.
7/6/07
*The Supreme Court rejects public school desegregation by a vote of 5 to 4. The Bush appointments of Roberts and Alito to the Supreme Court were a very significant gain for those with a far right philosophy. This influence may be felt for decades. For this reason it is very important that the next couple of Presidents that we elect encompass a center to left-of-center political philosophy. If not, this less than supreme court will take us back to the less than good old days of the 19th century.
* Chinese Food – Non-Take Out category – Farm-raised seafood (catfish, dace, basa, shrimp and eel) has been added to the list of tainted and defective products from China. Chinese officials insist that their products are guaranteed. That warranty leaves me with the same feeling I had when several years ago it was announced that a particular type of fish caught off of the New Jersey shore was okay to eat unless you were a pregnant woman or child under 12 years of age. I have no familiarity with the Chinese language but wonder if basa translates as mercury and dace as diethylene glycol.
*On July 15, 2007 postal rates for magazines will experience a substantial increase. Actually, this is only partially accurate. It seems that the lobbyists for Time Warner (Time magazine, Sports Illustrated) convinced the postal authority that they would face only a small increase and in some cases even a decrease in postal fees. This is another example of a mega-corporation having undue influence on the bureaucracy of the Bush administration. The potential damage of this fiasco is that it threatens the existence of many smaller publications. The Nation magazine, for example, faces an annual postage cost increase of $500,000. This continuing consolidation and influence of a few large corporations controlling the media in television, radio and print does not bode well for a democratic nation that must rely on informed and varied opinions to function properly.
*Tired of the same old, same old. Here is a refreshing change within our military. Former Army colonel Douglas Macgregor expects a policy change when Navy Vice Adm. Eric Olson takes charge of military operations. Macgregor said that under the direction of Donald Rumsfeld special operations became a “giant killing machine”. Macgregor added, “If you have to kill someone, then for God’s sakes, kill the right people…That’s been lost over the last several years.”
*June was the third month in a row that that saw over 100 U.S. military deaths. The Bush “surge”!
*The movie Sicko by Michael Moore is riveting, informative, provocative, sad and entertaining. I highly recommend it. It is interesting to note that CNN assigned reporters to investigate the accuracy of the many claims and statistics presented in the movie. The investigation found little to criticize.
*In the latest CBS News poll:
77% of Americans say the war is going badly, fewer than one in five feel that the troop surge is helping, 66% say that the number of U.S. troops in Iraq should be reduced and 40% who want all troops removed from Iraq. The pro-Iraq war pundits and major media have presented the anti-war sentiment as far left Democrats. The reality is that anti-war sentiment is felt throughout a broad vast majority spectrum of American citizens.
In the same poll 75% of Americans feel that our country is headed in the wrong direction. In the cockeyed-optimist category 19% think that the country is on the right track. This latter group must either gain their “what’s happening” from the pulpits of the likes of James Dobson and Pat Robertson, from Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News or Bill Kristol’s Weekly Standard.
* I rarely agree with the conservatives who worship the iconic Ronald Regan. However, there is much waste in government spending. An example is a 1.5 mile barrier built on the U.S./Mexican border near Columbus, NM to prevent cars from illegally entering the U.S. A routine aerial survey showed that part of the barrier protruded on Mexican soil by one to six feet. The mistake could cost the federal government over $3 million to correct. That would buy a lot of burritos or books or vaccinations or condoms. Never mind – I forgot that our government no longer purchases condoms that would, in effect, help prevent the spread of AIDs. Instead they are spending tens of millions of dollars to promote sexual abstinence by young Americans. Recent studies have found that “abstinence” describes the success of this program.
*The Bush administration and the Department of Justice maintain that the firings of U.S. Attorneys was not political, did not break any laws and that everyone acted above board. Since congress began investigating these firings seven senior officials at the Justice Department have resigned. The resignation announcements generally occur late Friday afternoons when it is perceived that news receives less attention. Perhaps that is when the 19% who feel the country is on the right track read the news.
*The British Broadcasting Co. (BBC) reports that McDonalds in England will convert all of its delivery trucks to be fueled by a combination of its used cooking oil and rapeseed oil. Following a successful trial this past year McDonalds estimates it will save over 1650 tons of carbon annually. Is there anyone in the industrialized world aside from President Bush, Senator Imhoffe and the “scientists” funded by energy companies that remain ignorant of the environmental crisis our planet faces?
*Lofty Goals – In a speech given at the U.S. Navel War College President Bush said, “We’ll have succeeded in Iraq when it is like Israel (the U.S. goal in Iraq is not to eliminate attacks but to enable a democracy that can function despite violence). Since Bush generally means something other than what he says has The Decider become The Proselytizer? First he converts America to Southern Baptist and then he converts Iraq to Judaism. Bush the Crusader!
*Reading the news to improve ones vocabulary – Ann Coulter, author, she-devil, and spokesperson for all that is wrong with the right referred to John Edwards’ wife Elizabeth as a “harridan”. The Encarta dictionary defines this word as “an offensive term for a woman that deliberately insults her age as advanced and her temperament as assertive” When I looked up the word “offensive” I found a picture of Ann Coulter.
*Jim Nussle is Bush’s nominee for White House budget director. Perhaps a good choice since Mr. Nussle knows about pork barrel spending. As a former congressman for Iowa he pursued earmark funding for the Grout Museum. I hope that this puts an end to the deprecating humor about Iowa not being an exciting place to live. Is grout a cereal, a cement or a nerve condition?
* Almost everyone that I know takes a prescription drug. These drugs may ease a problem, prevent a problem from getting worse or even save our lives. Aside from the cost there is another important issue of concern to many. Once a drug is approved, the FDA relies upon the drug company to continue evaluating side effects. Independent research and law suits have demonstrated that the drug companies are not always forthcoming with their findings. There is an upcoming bill in the House of Representatives (drug safety bill HR 2900) aimed at improving transparency in our drug safety laws and providing the FDA with more tools to ensure safe drugs. You may want to urge your Representative to vote for this bill. It could save your or a loved one’s life. Experience has demonstrated that self-policing does not work in society, in congress or in industry.
*Joe Lieberman, Independent Senator from Connecticut, says that the surge in Iraq has the “enemy on the run”, that the U.S. should attack Iran, is fundraising for Republican Senator from Maine Susan Collins, and has supported almost every disingenuous “cut and run” political attack Bush and his neocon boosters have unleashed on Iraq war critics. It seems to me that it is time for the Democratic leadership to cut and run from Lieberman by removing him from committee chairmanships in the Senate.
Really supporting the troops – The Bush administration often trots out the politically motivated “Support the Troops” in spite of a history of not deploying sufficient numbers of troops, inadequate training, inferior armor, extended and erratic periods of deployment and continually reduced down times. Senator Jim Webb (former Secretary of the Navy) has an amendment to the 2008 defense spending bill that does support the troops. It would require the Pentagon to give active-duty troops at least as much time at home as they spent on deployments and mandate that National Guard and reservists get to stay home for three years following their one-year deployments. The devastation to military families goes beyond death and physical and mental injury. Not to be forgotten is lost jobs, bankruptcy, broken homes and too often an inability to return to normal lives. Not to be forgotten is the destruction of manpower and equipment in our National Guard and its reduced ability to protect American citizens during times of national disasters (such as floods and hurricanes) and terrorist attacks.
*The Decider becomes the Commuter for the Scooter. Our lame duck leader lifts his hind web foot to soil the deliberations and guilty verdict of a jury of peers and the rulings of a conservative Republican and Bush-appointed judge. If the evidence does fit you still must acquit.
*I came across the following at dailykos.com: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Meade
Have a nice weekend.
* Chinese Food – Non-Take Out category – Farm-raised seafood (catfish, dace, basa, shrimp and eel) has been added to the list of tainted and defective products from China. Chinese officials insist that their products are guaranteed. That warranty leaves me with the same feeling I had when several years ago it was announced that a particular type of fish caught off of the New Jersey shore was okay to eat unless you were a pregnant woman or child under 12 years of age. I have no familiarity with the Chinese language but wonder if basa translates as mercury and dace as diethylene glycol.
*On July 15, 2007 postal rates for magazines will experience a substantial increase. Actually, this is only partially accurate. It seems that the lobbyists for Time Warner (Time magazine, Sports Illustrated) convinced the postal authority that they would face only a small increase and in some cases even a decrease in postal fees. This is another example of a mega-corporation having undue influence on the bureaucracy of the Bush administration. The potential damage of this fiasco is that it threatens the existence of many smaller publications. The Nation magazine, for example, faces an annual postage cost increase of $500,000. This continuing consolidation and influence of a few large corporations controlling the media in television, radio and print does not bode well for a democratic nation that must rely on informed and varied opinions to function properly.
*Tired of the same old, same old. Here is a refreshing change within our military. Former Army colonel Douglas Macgregor expects a policy change when Navy Vice Adm. Eric Olson takes charge of military operations. Macgregor said that under the direction of Donald Rumsfeld special operations became a “giant killing machine”. Macgregor added, “If you have to kill someone, then for God’s sakes, kill the right people…That’s been lost over the last several years.”
*June was the third month in a row that that saw over 100 U.S. military deaths. The Bush “surge”!
*The movie Sicko by Michael Moore is riveting, informative, provocative, sad and entertaining. I highly recommend it. It is interesting to note that CNN assigned reporters to investigate the accuracy of the many claims and statistics presented in the movie. The investigation found little to criticize.
*In the latest CBS News poll:
77% of Americans say the war is going badly, fewer than one in five feel that the troop surge is helping, 66% say that the number of U.S. troops in Iraq should be reduced and 40% who want all troops removed from Iraq. The pro-Iraq war pundits and major media have presented the anti-war sentiment as far left Democrats. The reality is that anti-war sentiment is felt throughout a broad vast majority spectrum of American citizens.
In the same poll 75% of Americans feel that our country is headed in the wrong direction. In the cockeyed-optimist category 19% think that the country is on the right track. This latter group must either gain their “what’s happening” from the pulpits of the likes of James Dobson and Pat Robertson, from Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News or Bill Kristol’s Weekly Standard.
* I rarely agree with the conservatives who worship the iconic Ronald Regan. However, there is much waste in government spending. An example is a 1.5 mile barrier built on the U.S./Mexican border near Columbus, NM to prevent cars from illegally entering the U.S. A routine aerial survey showed that part of the barrier protruded on Mexican soil by one to six feet. The mistake could cost the federal government over $3 million to correct. That would buy a lot of burritos or books or vaccinations or condoms. Never mind – I forgot that our government no longer purchases condoms that would, in effect, help prevent the spread of AIDs. Instead they are spending tens of millions of dollars to promote sexual abstinence by young Americans. Recent studies have found that “abstinence” describes the success of this program.
*The Bush administration and the Department of Justice maintain that the firings of U.S. Attorneys was not political, did not break any laws and that everyone acted above board. Since congress began investigating these firings seven senior officials at the Justice Department have resigned. The resignation announcements generally occur late Friday afternoons when it is perceived that news receives less attention. Perhaps that is when the 19% who feel the country is on the right track read the news.
*The British Broadcasting Co. (BBC) reports that McDonalds in England will convert all of its delivery trucks to be fueled by a combination of its used cooking oil and rapeseed oil. Following a successful trial this past year McDonalds estimates it will save over 1650 tons of carbon annually. Is there anyone in the industrialized world aside from President Bush, Senator Imhoffe and the “scientists” funded by energy companies that remain ignorant of the environmental crisis our planet faces?
*Lofty Goals – In a speech given at the U.S. Navel War College President Bush said, “We’ll have succeeded in Iraq when it is like Israel (the U.S. goal in Iraq is not to eliminate attacks but to enable a democracy that can function despite violence). Since Bush generally means something other than what he says has The Decider become The Proselytizer? First he converts America to Southern Baptist and then he converts Iraq to Judaism. Bush the Crusader!
*Reading the news to improve ones vocabulary – Ann Coulter, author, she-devil, and spokesperson for all that is wrong with the right referred to John Edwards’ wife Elizabeth as a “harridan”. The Encarta dictionary defines this word as “an offensive term for a woman that deliberately insults her age as advanced and her temperament as assertive” When I looked up the word “offensive” I found a picture of Ann Coulter.
*Jim Nussle is Bush’s nominee for White House budget director. Perhaps a good choice since Mr. Nussle knows about pork barrel spending. As a former congressman for Iowa he pursued earmark funding for the Grout Museum. I hope that this puts an end to the deprecating humor about Iowa not being an exciting place to live. Is grout a cereal, a cement or a nerve condition?
* Almost everyone that I know takes a prescription drug. These drugs may ease a problem, prevent a problem from getting worse or even save our lives. Aside from the cost there is another important issue of concern to many. Once a drug is approved, the FDA relies upon the drug company to continue evaluating side effects. Independent research and law suits have demonstrated that the drug companies are not always forthcoming with their findings. There is an upcoming bill in the House of Representatives (drug safety bill HR 2900) aimed at improving transparency in our drug safety laws and providing the FDA with more tools to ensure safe drugs. You may want to urge your Representative to vote for this bill. It could save your or a loved one’s life. Experience has demonstrated that self-policing does not work in society, in congress or in industry.
*Joe Lieberman, Independent Senator from Connecticut, says that the surge in Iraq has the “enemy on the run”, that the U.S. should attack Iran, is fundraising for Republican Senator from Maine Susan Collins, and has supported almost every disingenuous “cut and run” political attack Bush and his neocon boosters have unleashed on Iraq war critics. It seems to me that it is time for the Democratic leadership to cut and run from Lieberman by removing him from committee chairmanships in the Senate.
Really supporting the troops – The Bush administration often trots out the politically motivated “Support the Troops” in spite of a history of not deploying sufficient numbers of troops, inadequate training, inferior armor, extended and erratic periods of deployment and continually reduced down times. Senator Jim Webb (former Secretary of the Navy) has an amendment to the 2008 defense spending bill that does support the troops. It would require the Pentagon to give active-duty troops at least as much time at home as they spent on deployments and mandate that National Guard and reservists get to stay home for three years following their one-year deployments. The devastation to military families goes beyond death and physical and mental injury. Not to be forgotten is lost jobs, bankruptcy, broken homes and too often an inability to return to normal lives. Not to be forgotten is the destruction of manpower and equipment in our National Guard and its reduced ability to protect American citizens during times of national disasters (such as floods and hurricanes) and terrorist attacks.
*The Decider becomes the Commuter for the Scooter. Our lame duck leader lifts his hind web foot to soil the deliberations and guilty verdict of a jury of peers and the rulings of a conservative Republican and Bush-appointed judge. If the evidence does fit you still must acquit.
*I came across the following at dailykos.com: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Meade
Have a nice weekend.
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