*America on Trial – This week military commission charges were handed down that seek the death penalty for six individuals accused of involvement in the 9/11 attack. There is a natural inclination to say, “fry the bastards”. And bastards they may well be. However, there is much more at stake than emotional retribution for Americans. As noted by the Center for Constitutional Rights, “For the past six years, the United States government has refused to conduct traditional criminal trials or courts martial against Guantanamo detainees suspected of wrongdoing... the military commissions at Guantanamo allow secret evidence, hearsay evidence, and evidence obtained through torture. They are unlawful, unconstitutional, and a perversion of justice... Now the government is seeking to execute people based on this utterly unreliable and tainted evidence: it is difficult to imagine a more morally reprehensible system. Executions based on secret trials and torture evidence belong to another century. These barbaric sham proceedings will likely to inflame the controversy surrounding Guantanamo and draw the condemnation of even our allies.” Some thoughts:
>If America is so proud of its system of justice, a system that it has held up to the world as the icon of a free society, why has the Bush administration chosen an alternative thorny path?
>Is this justice? “The cadre of civilian lawyers representing terrorism suspects held by the military at Guantanamo Bay are not allowed to meet their clients in private, without video surveillance. All their mail and notes must be turned over to the military. Classified information cannot be shared with their clients. They are not entitled to everything the government knows about their clients.”
> The majority of Americans and the world community will have no confidence in these proceedings.
>What jeopardy does this create for our own military men and women if captured by enemy forces?
>Losing our moral compass under the “leadership” of George W. Bush has resulted in an America tentative and uncertain. The ultra divisive politics of the Republican Party has left our country fractured.
>Actions have consequences. What price this fiasco – for Americans and America?

*House cleaning ~ the road to better government – This week politically progressive Donna Edwards (D) defeated 8-term incumbent Al Wynn (D) in Maryland’s 4th congressional district primary. Steve Benen at The Carpetbagger Report explains why this matters: “Was Wynn really that bad? Without question. He partnered with right-wing crooks like Bob Ney to oppose campaign-finance reform; he partnered with right-wing lobbyists on the estate tax; he partnered with right-wing lawmakers on the ridiculous bankruptcy bill; and he partnered with right-wing hedge-fund managers on the private equity tax break. It wasn't just corporate lobbyists, either -- Wynn also voted with Bush on Iraq and tax cuts for the wealthy.” I have received emails from several organizations celebrating this win including Democracy for America and Act Blue. Each group deserves credit for helping to fund and campaign for Edwards. Some other organizations working to bring about better government are Common Cause, People for the American Way, MoveOn.org, Human Rights Campaign, and TrueMajority.org. You may want to visit one or two of these organizations to participate in making a difference in your community and your country.

*Only the names have been changed ~ to protect you know who – When Bush’s “personal” lawyer Alberto Gonzales was forced to resign as Attorney General (under pressure for incompetence and malfeasance) much discussion took place over his replacement. During confirmation hearings for the next Bush nominee to head the Department of Justice it was learned that a number of senators decided to vote for the confirmation of Michael Mukasey because he would be the best alternative the president would offer for this post. Last week Mukasey testified before the House Judiciary Committee and said he would not investigate torture or warrantless wiretapping (which legal experts and lay people alike believe are against the law). He also said he would not enforce contempt citations if issued by congress to current and former Bush officials for not answering subpoenas to appear before investigating committees (videos of the testimony are available at the above link). Like Gonzales, it appears that former judge Mukasey does not interpret his role as Attorney General to be an independent enforcer of the laws of the land. Both men were persuaded that their role was to be enablers and apologists of a unitary executive branch unbounded by existing law and precedent.

Life memoir ~ abridged edition – smithmag.net is an online storytelling community where authors write and share stories. They invited people to submit a life memoir in only six words. Over 15,000 did and 832 were selected for a book titled “Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure”. I found the idea intriguing. Being a guy I am introspectively challenged so I decided to try a six-pack of six word memoirs:
>From solid parents a firm footing.
>Bush presidency did a writer inspire.
>Looked over shoulder, hit a boulder.
>Life love, life illuminated, love life.
>Became a father, never pushed farther.
>Friends, friends, friends, friends, friends, friends.
If only everyone could be so fortunate. If only politicians could be so succinct.

*Questions for the President – In Mr. Bush’s latest attempt to convince congress to approve anti-terror legislation that permits spying on Americans without court oversight he said, “Terrorists are planning new attacks on our country...that will make Sept.11 pale by comparison.” How does spying on Americans without warrant or court oversight make us safer? Should we not fear a government that attempts to reduce our constitutional freedoms? Would we be safer now if you had done a better job? Disclosure: Please remember that these are rhetorical questions. My people do not speak to his people and President Bush and I do not speak directly to each other.

*Question for Democrats in the Senate – Why do you wet you underwear every time the President says Boo? The President has an approval rating below freezing (30%). The vast majority of Americans oppose his policies. Recall Franklin D. Roosevelt’s admonition, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself - nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.” Boo! The Democrats in the House did stand up to Bush’s fear tactics this week by not rubber-stamping the Protect America Act as the Senate did. By exhibiting some courage they did not have to pack Desitin for their week-long legislative break.

*Do we hear a bid of 30 – The announcement by Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ) that he will not seek re-election marks the 29th Republican congressman to do so. Some of the spoken and unspoken reasons for these representatives moving on include spending more time with the wife and kids, joining a lobbying firm, too busy being investigated by the Dept. of Justice, suffering from Bushitis and won’t get re-elected. Recalling the Republicans performance in congress for well over a decade I feel no love lost. Do we hear 30?

*Be all that you can be – This is a phrase used in U.S. Army recruitment advertisements. I am sure that enlistment in all of the armed services has been an excellent and wonderful opportunity for millions of young Americans. The following causes one to wonder if the Army is not just plain Bushed. “A Fort Carson soldier who says he was in treatment at Cedar Springs Hospital for bipolar disorder and alcohol abuse was released early and ordered to deploy to the Middle East with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team... [he had] spent 31 days in Kuwait and was returned to Fort Carson on Dec. 31 after health care professionals in Kuwait concurred that his symptoms met criteria for bipolar disorder and “some paranoia and possible homicidal tendencies.” Paul Sullivan, executive director of Veterans for Common Sense, was outraged. “If he’s an inpatient in a hospital, they should have never taken him out... First, we had the planeload of wounded, injured and ill being forced back to the war zone. And now we have soldiers forcibly removed from mental hospitals. The level of outrage is off the Richter scale.” Enlisted men and women deserve better than a Command that is AWOL. Where is the outrage of military leaders that are seemingly: silent to the uncaring deployment of personnel; silent to the inadequate care of wounded troops with permanent disabilities; and silent to the frighteningly high number of suicides and emotional disorders of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who are under-treated. When the history of Iraq is written the top brass will be indelibly tarnished.

*Be all that you should be – In 2007 the Food and Drug Administration received 350 reports of health problems associated with the drug heparin (a blood thinner). The drug ingredients are manufactured in China for Baxter International. Following 4 patients dying and hundreds becoming ill Baxter halted sales on some versions of the drug. The FDA admits it has never inspected the plant (a violation of its own policy), BUT, "Preparations are being made to perform an inspection as soon as possible," said FDA spokeswoman Karen Riley. Perhaps they were waiting until the summer so that inspectors could take in the Olympics and avoid the harsh winter that China is experiencing. And where was Baxter in this equation?
~Update – The Chinese manufacturer is not certified by China’s drug regulators to manufacture pharmaceuticals and therefore was not inspected by China’s drug agency. It appears that the FDA and Baxter International are on brain thinners. That rumbling you hear in the background are the hooves of personal injury lawyers.
~Caveat for consumers – From the same NY Times article: “China provides a growing proportion of the active pharmaceutical ingredients used in drugs sold in the United States. And Chinese drug regulators have said that all producers of those ingredients are required to obtain certification by the State Food and Drug Administration. However, some of the active ingredients that China exports are made by chemical companies, which do not fall under the Chinese drug agency’s jurisdiction.”

*There is a positive side to the subprime crisis – You may have noticed that your junk mail is a tad lighter in recent weeks. It is the result of companies such as Citibank and Discover cutting back on credit card mailing offers following substantial losses in the mortgage meltdown. I am puzzled by this strategy because our elected “leaders” have allowed credit card companies to charge interest rates of 23% and higher for unpaid balances. One would think that more than ever these usurious financial icons would be trying to increase the number of people they can “legally” drain. What do I know?

*McCain ~ conviction versus confection – Over the last several years, as America has debated the use of torture, John McCain has consistently spoken out against its. Although the use of torture is prohibited by the U.S. Army Field Manual, agencies such as the CIA have used waterboarding. A bill that has already passed the House was voted on this week in the Senate. It requires that the Army Field Manual be adhered to by all U.S. agencies. Although the bill passed, and will likely be vetoed by Bush, McCain voted against the bill. He voted to allow waterboarding. On October 26, 2007 the NY Times reported: Of presidential candidates like Mr. Giuliani, who say that they are unsure whether waterboarding is torture, Mr. McCain said: “They should know what it is. It is not a complicated procedure. It is torture.” Americablog.com has a video from a recent Republican presidential debate where McCain discusses the use of torture and says, “Life is not 24 and Jack Bauer. I just came back from visiting prisons in Iraq and the Army General there said the techniques under the Army Field Manual are working effectively and he didn’t think they needed anything else. My friends, this is what America is all about.” For McCain what America is really about alters when alteration he finds.

*Sex toys – Now that I have your attention you will be relieved to know that you can once again purchase them in Texas. “A federal appeals court has overturned a Texas statute outlawing sex toy sales...” Why? The statute violated the 14th Amendment on the right to privacy. In its opinion the appeals court said, “the state here (Texas) wants to use its laws to enforce a public moral code by restricting private intimate conduct... The case is not about public sex. It is not about controlling commerce in sex. It is about controlling what people do in the privacy of their own homes because the state is morally opposed to a certain type of consensual private intimate conduct.” Hallelujah and pass the batteries.

*Macho Republicans – “The National Park Service has reasonable guidelines about firearms in national parks. It is currently lawful to transport firearms through national parks as long as they are unloaded and stored.” But a pending amendment proposed by Senator John Coburn (R-OK) would allow people to carry loaded weapons in national parks. The organization Care2 provides a petition to senators and Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to say NO to the loaded guns in parks amendment at the above link. The senators need our help since it was reported that a number of them believe firearms are prohibited in national parks.

*Trader Joe’s ~ another reason I like shopping there – This food store chain has announced that it will cease importing food products from China due to customers' concerns about the products' safety. I applaud this decision for several reasons: U.S. inspection of imports is questionable; China’s inspection of exports is more than questionable; numerous articles have noted very serious air and water pollution problems in China and their effect on the food supply. Another reason to reduce our purchases of Chinese products is economic. As America’s trade imbalance with China has grown so has the loss of American jobs. Buying American-made and grown products where possible just seems to make sense. Increasing the demand for locally-grown produce makes equal sense.

*Who is going to hell? – I find it interesting that the “values” voters who are so concerned about everyone else’s soul and telling others how to conduct their lives continue to support an unprovoked war, torture, the politicians who voted against raising the minimum wage, the congressmen who opposed SCHIP (health insurance for children), an administration that hides the inadequate care it is providing wounded military, a Party that attempts to suppress the voting rights of minorities and has the unmitigated effrontery to restrict the freedoms of gay men and women in our society. I’ll chance my eternal fate opposing such hypocrisy.

*"Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1829)

11/24/07

*Dishonoring the honorable ~ a national disgrace – KDKA in Pittsburgh is reporting that, “The U.S. Military is demanding that thousands of wounded service personnel give back signing bonuses because they are unable to serve out their commitments. Why are they unable to serve out their commitments? They have lost an arm or a leg or an eye or hearing or a brain function in combat. These brave American military men and women are maimed for life and they are being asked to return bonuses (or not receive part of the bonus still due). From the outset of the Iraq war our enlisted military have had to deal with insufficient equipment, inadequate training, unconscionably long tours of combat duty, and wanting post-injury medical and psychological treatment. The President and the military hierarchy who have spoken so earnestly about supporting the troops have in fact stood down. Disgrace is their mantle.
~Update – The former soldier that KDKA reported on is Jordan Fox. Just before Mr. Fox was to make an appearance on national television to tell his story the Pentagon announced it was cancelling their $3000 bill back. No mention was made of the unknown number of other military personnel facing similar accounting procedures.

*Forgetful???? – USA Today has found that the U.S. government has not classified as wounded during combat in Iraq and Afghanistan at least 20,000 troops with brain injuries. This is over and above the 30,000 wounded officially listed by the Pentagon.” Soldiers and Marines whose wounds were discovered after they left Iraq are not added to the official casualty list, says Army Col. Robert Labutta, a neurologist and brain injury consultant for the Pentagon.” Were these statistics “state secrets” or a calculated method to keep the truth from the American people? This administration has never owned up to the damage the Iraq war has had on this country and the military has blindly marched in step. The lessons of Viet Nam have been forgotten!

*Very soft porn - A 101-year-old British pensioner has posed topless for a nude calendar to raise money for a local soccer team. Nora Hardwick will be Miss November in the calendar, aimed at raising money for the Ancaster Athletic team made up of 9 and10 year-olds in her village in Lincolnshire. The first 2 weeks of December had to be omitted since Ms. Hardwick’s breasts are sagging below the fold. A local Vicar said that the calendar will positively impact youth abstinence.

*Taking a sabbatical – Karl Rove says that religious conservatives may stay away from the voting booth in 2008. One may speculate that they have realized the damage their “religious” vote wrought on this country in the person of G.W. Bush. Perhaps they developed an understanding of the concept of separation of church and state. Maybe they realized that their leaders such as Pat Robertson or Gerry Falwell were more interested in enhancing their own power and financial positions than in enhancing the souls of their followers. It could be that they studied history and concluded that theocracies wreak havoc on the populace and that the founders of America were intelligent and insightful.

*Happy Holidays Mr. President – The criticism President Bush has received for avoiding the dictates of the U.S. Constitution may be unfair. I suggest that he never read it. The Center for Constitutional Rights has a solution. They are offering free of charge the opportunity for any individual to send a copy of the Constitution to the president. From the CCR site, “The President needs to be reminded that he swore an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States-his administration has been systematically destroying the Constitution since he took office. With your help, CCR will flood the Oval Office with copies of the Constitution this holiday season”. Get in the holiday/patriotic spirit and join your fellow Americans who are sending Mr. Law and Order this thoughtful gift. I just sent a copy and mine was number 29,201.

*dailykos.com – This is the website that two years ago stimulated my interest to become more active in the political discourse. It is one of the top political sites on the internet. The founder of the site, Markos Moulitsas, co-authored the book “Crashing the Gate” that discussed the need for Democrats to stop doing business as usual by depending upon the same consultants that led them from one defeat to the next. Markos, or Kos as he is known to his huge audience, was just added to Newsweek’s slate of columnists. His first article “Make the Bush Record the Issue” addresses the point that Republican candidates cannot distance themselves from Bush because they are dependent on the (shrinking) Republican base to win the nomination. However, the vast majority of Americans are very aware of the dismal Bush years and they will not have amnesia during the elections of 2008. Moulitsas says, “As long as Democratic candidates remind voters that the Republican platform and Bush's record are one and the same, victory will be assured.” I would like to share this optimism but it must be tempered with the fact that Americans have not paid enough attention to the damage its elected leaders have wrought. Where is the outrage to what has occurred these past 7 years? Shaking one’s head and changing the channel does not make for a responsible and responsive electorate.

*A George Bush dream ~ A George Bush opera – Independent judges on the Supreme Court are removed and hand-picked judges are installed, dismissing legal challenges to his rule. Opposition lawyers, journalists and human rights activists are jailed. The leader of the country says, “The decisions were made in the best interests of the country”. These dictatorial events just occurred in Pakistan. How did Bush respond this week? He said, “The general (Musharraf) "hasn't crossed the line" and "truly is somebody who believes in democracy." Honestly, really, cross my heart.

*Getting tougher on terror – Last week I criticized Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee for waving the false flag of Islamo Facism as an indication that he comprehends Middle Eastern geopolitics and terrorism. Well, Mr. Huckabee just kicked it up a notch. His first television campaign ad features Kung Fu aficionado and B-movie actor Chuck Norris endorsing Huckabee for President. Can Rambo be far behind? This is exactly what America needs - more macho bullshit. Take a look at the ad. It is not Saturday Night Live but it could be.

* Alberto R. Gonzales Legal Expense Trust – Having resigned in disgrace former Attorney General Gonzales is paying the price. Well, actually others are paying the price to hear him speak – something he failed to do when testifying before congress. The University of Florida is paying $40,000 and the University of Washington in St. Louis is paying $30,000 for Gonzales to give a speech. The honorariums are not all gravy for Mr. Gonzales since it has been necessary for him to establish a legal defense fund. He is facing multiple investigations (including perjury and witness tampering) for his actions while head of the Justice Department.

*Rudy is no longer a disingenuous joke ~ He is now a dangerous joke – Most of my remarks about Rudy Giuliani have been in a humorous vein as he lies about his record or argues for Second Amendment gun rights for blind people. There is nothing funny about his most recent remarks. Seeking Federalist Society (an ultra conservative group of lawyers) support, the GOP presidential candidate promises to nominate justices like Scalia and Thomas to the Supreme Court. With more Scalias and Thomases on the bench we would have a group of reactionary activists obliterating the gains made by minorities, women and consumers over the past 75 years.

*Southern conservatives ~ blind ideology – John Aravosis, who writes at americablog.com, provides an interesting commentary about the South: “We've written before about how the South has a reputation for electing far-right Neanderthal politicians who don't care about much beyond God, gays and guns (embracing the former and the latter, and bashing the guy in the middle). And we've written about how the South's biggest problems, like poverty, have little to do with God, gays, guns or the Republican (or far-right Democratic) politicians they elect. It's therefore funny, yet again, that the conservative South is shooting itself in the foot by siding with politicians (that would be Republicans) who deny the existence of global warming. Why? Because according to a new study, America's South will be among the world's regions worst hit by the impact of global warming on local agriculture.” One of the wonderful aspects of a democracy is that it allows for a changing of the guard when it is ineffective. Some folks just don’t get it, y’all.

*Speaking of climate change – The United Nations just completed a rigorous multi-stage review process on climate change that includes 2,500 scientific expert reviewers, 800 contributing authors, and 450 lead authors representing 130 countries. Some conclusions include: “All countries will be affected; it is 90% certain that global warming is man-made; by 2100 temperatures and sea levels will have risen; reduction in greenhouse gasses had to begin immediately to avert a global climate disaster; China and the U.S. must play a more active role.” Not to go unnoticed is the fact that under Bush the White House and the EPA have had a policy of unprecedented obstructionism in addressing global warming. At a time when a proactive stance by our government was desperately required it not only ignored the problem but intensified it. The report concludes that, “effects of climate change are "becoming evident already," and without due action, will be "abrupt or irreversible.” Some folks just don’t get it, y’all.

*Gap for Kids ~ Gap by Kids – You know it as a cute retail store in malls that sells children’s clothes and extends its Gap brand image. That brand image just took a hit. “Apparel retailer Gap is canceling half of its orders with a vendor in India after revelations that some of its clothes were made by children as young as 10. The company has promised to donate $200,000 to improve working conditions in India, and it pledged to tighten its own standards. Gap says it didn't know that its Indian vendor paid a subcontractor who hired children.” I am no longer accepting “we didn’t know” malarkey from American corporations that have outsourced their production and their souls. We heard the same crap from Mattel about their toxic toys made in China. Perhaps the executives of Mattel should be required to have their children play with these toys before the toys are put on the market. Perhaps the executives of Gap should send their children to a factory in India for their summer vacation to learn the business.

*Human Rights for all – The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against GLBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.” HRC has just released “Buying for Equality 2008” listing the major U.S. companies that have achieved high marks for equality in the workplace. When making a purchase you may want to consider supporting these companies.

*What Happened – This is the title of a book to be released in April by Scott McClellan, former White House Press Secretary. Excerpts from the publisher’s web site: “The most powerful leader in the world had called upon me to speak on his behalf and help restore credibility he lost amid the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. So I stood at the White house briefing room podium in front of the glare of the klieg lights for the better part of two weeks and publicly exonerated two of the senior-most aides in the White House: Karl Rove and Scooter Libby. There was one problem. It was not true. I had unknowingly passed along false information. And five of the highest ranking officials in the administration were involved in my doing so: Rove, Libby, the vice President, the President's chief of staff, and the President himself.” There will be many books published about what happened during the Bush presidency. I suspect that most will have a common theme - the 43rd President of the United States, a self-described man of faith, a man who swore to uphold the rule of law in his first inaugural speech, was in word and deed a liar.

*What Happened? – How long has McClellan known that he was lied to by high administration officials? What was his responsibility to tell the truth to the American people when he first knew it? Are we to believe that “integrity” was McClellan’s motivation to reveal the truth or his greed to sell books? It should be remembered that Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has not closed the case on the Plame leak. Could he subpoena McClellan to determine what he knows under oath? Will a congressional investigative committee do the same?

*You can help ~ Following are excerpts from the letter a reader of SVN sent to the Philadelphia Inquirer. It requests our help. - “I’m one of 5.7 million Americans who suffer from bipolar disorder. If not managed properly, these severe mood swings are devastating to the individual, family and society. ... We do not receive full insurance coverage for our condition. If our liver or kidneys are damaged, insurance will pay. However, unlike Parkinson’s disease, dramatic mood swings are not considered a brain illness even though our tiny brain neurons are flawed. Many of us are forced to pay catastrophically high costs for psychiatric visits, meds or hospitalizations. Fortunately, this may soon change, thanks to the culmination of 2 decades of legislative battles. House Bill 1424 proposes to offer full medical coverage, a bill which recently passed the Senate unanimously. That’s why I urge your readers to call their US Congressmen today and ask them to vote Yes on Bill 1424. What a great Christmas gift this would be. We are, after all, our brothers’ keepers.” (Ruth Z. Deming). At Project Vote Smart the names and contact information of your representatives can easily be obtained.

* “We must rapidly begin the shift from a "thing-oriented" society to a "person-oriented" society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.”
Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929 – 1968)