* Sitting Shiva – This is not a reference to one of the supreme Hindu gods, often depicted meditating in the lotus position. The term is used in the context of Jewish tradition. It denotes a one week period of grief and mourning following the burial of a deceased, when family members gather in one place and receive visitors. I thought of this tradition as the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held its annual coven in Washington D.C. last week. What is now the heart, core and soul of the Republican Party gathered to… well, I am not sure. Some of the leading speakers included Ann Coulter, Joe the Plumber and the whining star of the gathering, Rush Limbaugh, spokes model for the Republican/Conservative movement in America. The CPAC attendees desperately cling to an ideology launched in the Ronald Regan years that ultimately imploded during the George W. Bush years. The most recent incarnation of conservatism has been abandoned by the vast majority of the American people. The abandonment was not capricious. It earned its demise by yielding utter and complete failure. Let me count the ways:
Anti-unionism, unregulated free markets, deficit spending stapled to tax cuts for the wealthy, denial of science, ignorance of the needs of a deteriorating infrastructure, unconstitutional merging of church and state, abandonment of the needy and less fortunate in our society, policies that encourage greed and corruption, encouragement of a neocon philosophy that preaches preemptive war and imperialism and the promulgation that health care is a privilege, not a right. This is by far a complete list. I am confident that history will write a more comprehensive account of this movement that we now mourn and which has left us with considerable grief and bereavement.
How wide is the disconnect between CPAC ideologues and Main Street America? The Republican response to President Obama’s address to congress is telling. The person chosen to present the “other side” was Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. Frank Rich, writing for the NY Times, made the following observation: “But like all zealots, Jindal is oblivious to how non-zealots see him. Pleading “principle,” he has actually turned down some $100 million in stimulus money for Louisiana. And, as he proudly explained on “Meet the Press”, he can’t wait to be judged on “the results” of his heroic frugality. The state of Louisiana ranks fourth in children living below the poverty line and 46th in high school graduation rates. The well-being of the majority of Americans was never a consideration of Reagan or Bush or Bush. The well-being of the “royalty” of society was the premise and the policy. The ultimate widespread failure of the policies is apparent to almost anyone not part of the CPAC clique. Governor Jindal, you are far from being a hero AND you do not walk among heroes.
* The Guiding Light of hypocrisy ~ I was against it before I did it even though I am against it – Few can forget the homophobic Colorado mega-church pastor Ted Haggart resigning in disgrace when it was revealed that he was having a homosexual affair. It is even easier to remember vocally anti-gay Idaho Senator Larry Craig attempting to drop his Fruit of the Looms in a public restroom. It should come as no surprise that a recent study found that conservative states in the union, the Red states that want to ban the sale of vibrators, dildos and sexually explicit material, have a higher incidence of visiting pornography sites on the internet than the citizens of the heathen Blue states. “Those states that do consume the most porn tend to be more conservative and religious than states with lower levels of consumption, the study finds… Eight of the top 10 pornography consuming states gave their electoral votes to John McCain in last year's presidential election.” I have often wondered how the holy rollers know what I should not be doing in the privacy of my own home. They certainly cannot be accused of not doing their homework. Now, just shut up and take a cold shower!
* Cynics of Green Energy ~ naysayers say no more – If anyone still believes that green energy solutions are impractical, unaffordable or unrealistic the prophets of profitability, also known as the Mafia, have spoken. “Italian police… arrested mobsters, businessmen and local politicians who allegedly used corrupt practices and bribes to gain control of a project to build wind farms in Sicily… Police in Trapani said the local Mafia bribed city officials in nearby Mazara del Vallo so the town would invest in wind farms to produce energy.” When the Mafia assumes the roll of lobbyist it is pretty certain that the business venture makes cents (sic). We are not talking about pie-in-the-sky idealists. Where is America’s own Al Capone when we need him?
* Drug efficacy ~ serious side effects – Last week, and on many previous occasions, I have noted evidence of congressman selling their vote to special interests. This week we learn about another hooker in pinstripes and silk cravat posing as a U.S. Senator. “The pharmaceutical industry that long has benefited from Sen. Orrin G. Hatch´s (R-UT) legislative efforts has directed large sums of money to a charity he helped found - and still raises money for - while also hiring the Republican lawmaker's son as a lobbyist.” This week our government begins exploring ways to reduce the outrageous cost of health care in America. Unless the decision makers such as Hatch are publicly and broadly exposed for their financially symbiotic relationship with the special interests that play a significant role in the high cost of health care, the American healthcare system and the economy will remain on life support. Ostensibly, Hatch represents the citizens of Utah. Among his extra-state constituents are pharmaceutical companies Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Schering-Plough Corp., Eli Lilly and Co., Barr Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca Pharm LP, and Sepracor. Other Hatch “constituents” include medical equipment suppliers and health care providers. I suggest that the next time you want to write a letter to your congressman, drop it off at your pharmacy. It will get there faster.
* Taxpayers ambushed ~ the cavalry is coming – It was announced this week that the Obama administration will overhaul how government contracts are awarded that would save about $40 billion dollars a year. The new rules “would make it more difficult for contractors to bilk taxpayers and make some half-trillion dollars in federal contracts each year more accessible to independent contractors.” This would be a refreshing change to no bid, no oversight contracts. Such policy reached its nadir in Iraq where billions of U.S. dollars were funneled through insider private no-bid contractors – much of it unaccounted for, much of it wasted on projects never completed or completed projects that are unsafe and in disrepair. To complete the picture, many of these same private contractors are U.S. companies that set up off-shore corporations to avoid paying U.S. taxes. If Obama can have an impact on what we now know has been a pervasive breakdown in our federal government, my November vote will have been well cast.
* We can have a lead role in oversight ~ the audition is now – “For every foreclosure in a neighborhood, home values drop by an estimated 1%. Credit Suisse says that if judges have the ability to write down mortgages, it will stem the tide of foreclosures by 20% and it won't cost the taxpayers a single dime… President Obama says that allowing bankruptcy judges to write down mortgages is an important part of his plan to arrest the downward spiral of the foreclosure crisis.” HOWEVER, corporation-favoring Republican and Democratic members of Congress and bank lobbyists are trying to stop that. The banks want to unload their bad loans on taxpayers. We should not let this happen. The website Firedoglake.com is providing a petition to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi demanding that bankruptcy judges be allowed to write down mortgages. Pelosi and congress gave in to the banks and their lobbyists in 2007 when this idea was first proposed. If more and more citizens voice their opposition to “Congress for Sale” there is some chance that our democratic process will avoid total bankruptcy. If we do nothing, then nothing is what will be accomplished. Below is the comment I made on the petition that I signed:
It is beyond time that citizens take back our government - a government that our elected representatives sold to the highest bidders. If you refuse to represent the interests of the American people then we will work to ensure that you experience the unemployment line. Yes - that long line that your sellout to special interests helped create. Congress is draped in disgrace and the American people are suffering the consequences. Perhaps it is poetic justice since we elected you. Shame on all of us!
* Being our own lobbyists - President Barack Obama said: "the special interests and lobbyists ... I know they're gearing up for a fight as we speak. My message to them is this: So am I." One of the tasks and great challenges that Obama is taking on is health care reform. The special interests and lobbyists present major opposition and will attempt to influence the Obama administration and congress. One of the ways that the American people’s interests and voices can be heard on health care reform is through petition. Congress must know that we are paying attention and have expectations. MoveOn.org is providing a petition that will be sent to your representative and senators. Over 200,000 concerned citizens have already signed the petition. If you are concerned about the state of your own health care, the future health care of your children as well as the tremendous drain that the current system has on our economy, you may want to add your name. Consumers Union provides a similar petition.
* It is said that power corrupts, but actually it's more true that power attracts the corruptible. The sane are usually attracted by other things than power.”
David Brin
“Corruption and hypocrisy ought not to be inevitable products of democracy, as they undoubtedly are today”
Mahatma Gandhi
Showing posts with label MoveOn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MoveOn. Show all posts
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Saturday, February 16, 2008
*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)
>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)
Saturday, January 12, 2008
1/12/08
*An anniversary ~ not to celebrate 1 – January 11, 2008 marked six years since the opening of Guantanamo prison to hold suspected terrorists. I have commented often about this national disgrace. Imagine the uproar in the United States if one of our American soldiers was subjected to incarceration, torture, no habeas corpus, little or no legal representation...for an indefinite number of YEARS. The organization Witness Against Torture , a campaign to shut down Guantanamo, has many details about this facility. I do not doubt that some of these prisoners are very bad guys. There is also suspicion that some of these detainees were in the wrong place at the wrong time and may be innocent of wrong doing. That is why, in a free society, there is a legal system that is intended to punish the guilty and abrogate the innocent from suspicion. Guantanamo exists outside of our legal system and is a stain on our national honor. It has diminished our moral standing in the eyes of the majority of Americans and the world community. Imagine a U.S. soldier...
*An anniversary ~ not to celebrate 2 - This past week marked one year since President Bush announced the surge for Iraq. A.J. Rossmiller at americablog.com sums up this failure: “The goal of the surge was political reconciliation, i.e., to provide a low-violence atmosphere in which the Iraqi government would agree on issues including oil revenue sharing, de-Baathification, federalism, and more. In the past year, none of those political objectives have been accomplished. There is a reduction in violence, thankfully, which means fewer Americans (and Iraqis) are being maimed and killed. There is not any movement on the political front.” As I listen to John McCain and Joe Lieberman spin the situation I hear that the surge is working. They apparently are watching a different channel. The U.S is an occupying military force expecting disparate groups of Iraqis, who have despised each other for centuries, to suddenly morph into shades of a Jeffersonian democracy. As this is not occurring the U.S. is paying and arming Sunnis and other minority groups in Iraq and praying that these groups do not turn their weapons on American soldiers and the Shiite majority. F for failure.
*Gulf of Tonkin ~ Gulf of Bullshit - Perhaps it was the hyper-reporting of the New Hampshire primaries on January 8th that overshadowed a report on the same day that we should all note and remember. The 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident “was a reported North Vietnamese attack on American destroyers that helped lead to president Lyndon Johnson's sharp escalation of American forces in Vietnam... The author of the report "demonstrates that not only is it not true, as (then US) secretary of defense Robert McNamara told Congress, that the evidence of an attack was 'unimpeachable,' but that to the contrary, a review of the classified signals intelligence proves that 'no attack happened that night.” Do you find it as dismaying as I do that the basis for the escalation of the Viet Nam war, being a deliberate and deceitful fabrication, received so little attention in this country? The Viet Nam war dramatically changed this country, cost tens of thousands of American lives, untold physical and mental injuries and enormous treasure. It was predicated on an incredible LIE. Can you say Iraq?
*Ventriloquist warfare? - Remember the video this week of U.S. warships being harassed by Iranian speed boats? Remember a voice on the video saying, "I am coming to you. You will explode after a few minutes." President Bush was quick to label this a provocative act by Iran. ABC is reporting that the Navy is now saying that, “the voice on the tape could have come from the shore or from another ship.” I have no way of knowing the truth but the history of the Bush administration and other administrations leaves one cynical. Reference Iraq. Reference the Gulf of Tonkin.
*Consequences – A new study by the World Health Organization estimates that 151,000 Iraqis died from violence in the first 3 years following the U.S. invasion of the country. That would be the equivalent of every man, woman and child living in Springfield, MA or Springfield, MO. The Bush group took the fight against terrorism to a country that was not responsible for terrorist acts against us and in the process increased terrorism in the world and the death toll. Consequences!
*No comment 1 ~ draw your own conclusion – President Bush said in an interview with Yonit Levi of Israel's Channel 2 News: “I can predict that the historians will say that George W. Bush recognized the threats of the 21st century, clearly defined them, and had great faith in the capacity of liberty to transform hopelessness to hope, and laid the foundation for peace by making some awfully difficult decisions." Okay, I will comment. My Aunt Mollie, rest her soul, was the Queen of Sheba.
*No comment 2 ~ draw your own conclusion – ThinkProgress.com noted that the conservative website Human Events chose Rush Limbaugh as their 2007 Man of the Year “for his relentless pursuit of truth”. Reference Aunt Mollie.
*New Hampshire Primary 1 – I liked Bill Scher’s observation on the NH primary polling at the blog Liberal Oasis. He said that the 2 best jobs in the world are weather forecasters and pollsters. The weathermen can be wrong more than 50% of the time and still get paid. Just prior to the New Hampshire primary none of the 9 pollsters had it right. Both CNN and Gallup were embarrassingly wrong. They both had Obama with a 10 point lead over Clinton and Clinton won by 3 percentage points. Having expressed my lack of confidence in polls before (they often claim, for example, that a poll of 679 people tell you what the entire country is thinking) I will let the pollsters of the NH primary misspeak for themselves. I would much prefer that polls prior to elections not be allowed. Voters would be better served concentrating on the candidates’ qualifications and platforms rather than how other voters “indicate” they will vote.
*New Hampshire Primary 2 - Prior to the actual voting, when we were told that Obama would decisively beat Clinton, the media gurus and pundits concluded that Obama would then automatically be anointed the Democratic nominee for president. Let’s try to interpret this. The nominee is “selected” following the results of two primaries that took place in states with small populations that may be the least demographically diverse in the country. What is wrong with this picture?
*The Decider pulled the trigger – On Tuesday President Bush signed into law legislation aimed at reducing gun violence. The law provides for improved checks of gun buyers to prevent criminals and emotionally disturbed people from purchasing weapons. Since Bush has rarely or ever contradicted the interests of the National Rifle Association – which opposes virtually any restriction on gun ownership – it was not certain that Bush would enact this bill. For those who are counting, this is the second week in a row I have had a positive comment about our President. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence does important work on this issue and deserves our support and a visit to their site.
*Dickheads of 2007 – A reader sent me Rolling Stone’s Dickheads of the Year as selected by Bill Maher. Of the 13 selected there was maybe one that had not been discussed in SVN. You can review the less-than-honor roll at this link.
*Nothing is free – The Republicans repeatedly tell us that free markets, with no government oversight, are good for America. An example of this canard was cited by a recent editorial in the Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ). The volatility and magnitude of oil prices that could lead to $4 per gallon prices this summer is due, in part, to lack of government oversight of energy trading markets. “Washington had this authority until a company named Enron seduced Congress and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission into eliminating it for most of the energy markets back in 2000. Enron claimed growing electronic markets could operate fine on their own.” As we know, Enron’s management proved to be the personification of scumbags, cheating employees and investors out of tens of millions of dollars. The Star-Ledger suggests that restoring government authority to police energy trading markets would moderate wild petroleum price swings and even reduce prices. I continue to be amused (bemused) by the Republican fear machine that says “watch out”, Democrats will bring about higher taxes. What has been the cost of the Republican sell-out to U.S. business interests? I’ll take the taxes.
*Habla Espanol? – Rudy Giuliani has marketed his presidential campaign as tough on terror and tough on immigration. He has said that he believes all immigrants should be able to read, write and speak English in order to become U.S. citizens. I had to laugh the other day when I saw that he ran an ad in Florida in SPANISH. Although there is little to nothing that I like about Giuliani I do think that there is merit to the idea that some command of the English language be a requirement to citizenship or permanent residency. If this is the country in which an immigrant chooses to live their life they should be able to at least speak the language. They should be able to prepare their children for education in an English-speaking country. Both generations will be better prepared to take advantage of opportunities that America offers. Both generations will be more viable citizens. Habla Ingles?
*The odor of spoiled milk ~ and government performance – Effective February 1, 2008 the PA Dept. of Agriculture is prohibiting milk producers from labeling their cartons “no artificial hormones” .Dairy producers are not allowed to advertise the fact that growth hormones are NOT used on their cows. The synthetic hormones, produced by Monsanto, cause the cow to produce more milk but the effect on humans is not known. Imagine a state government agency, that has a mandate to protect citizen’s health, is interfering with the consumer’s ability to make healthy decisions. Ohio and other states are currently considering a similar regulation. I have just signed a petition to my Governor protesting this mindless ban on open labeling of milk. The petition is available at Consumers Union. Growth hormones may be okay for Barry Bonds and other cheating athletes but I have been told that my head is big enough.
*Crisis of friendship – I visited a friend the other night who was watching Walker, Texas Ranger. The show’s star is Chuck Norris, Mike Huckabee’s biggest supporter. Ugh. I did observe that Huckabee is a better actor than Chuck.
*Can you hear me now? 1 – “Telephone companies have cut off FBI wiretaps used to eavesdrop on suspected criminals because of the bureau's repeated failures to pay phone bills on time... A Justice Department audit released Thursday blamed the lost connections on the FBI's lax oversight of money used in undercover investigations. Poor supervision of the program also allowed one agent to steal $25,000, the audit said... We also found that late payments have resulted in telecommunications carriers actually disconnecting phone lines established to deliver surveillance results to the FBI, resulting in lost evidence, according to the audit by Inspector General Glenn A. Fine.” This situation is somewhat comical and more than somewhat serious. FBI management should be held accountable. At the same time a moment of perspective would be appropriate. I am grateful for the dedication and heroism that FBI agents exhibit in keeping us safe in a world filled with crime and hate. Yes there have been abuses by management and agents in this agency over the years but the entire organization should not be condemned because of occasional mismanagement and incompetence. It is a price we pay for bureaucracy.
*Can you hear me now? 2 – A number of telecom companies have forcefully lobbied for immunity from prosecution having broken the law assisting the government’s illegal wiretapping. They imply that they were supporting national security. When the government did not pay their phone bill the phone company pulled its patriotic plug. Oh say can you see?
*Will your vote count? – In the past I have referenced articles, organizations and studies that reveal unreliable and tamper-susceptible electronic voting machines being used across this country. A leader in the field of election integrity is Brad Friedman and his web site The Brad Blog is an excellent resource to learn more about this important subject. I mention it now because we are in a critical election year and The NY Times Magazine has a feature article that addresses this threat: “The winner of the 2008 presidential election could be decided by flawed, insecure, and hackable electronic voting machines.” Congress is about to consider a new emergency paper ballots bill. I signed a petition urging local, state and federal officials to require a paper trail for all votes cast in upcoming elections. The petition is available at this MoveOn.org web site.
*Will everyone’s vote count? – The Republican majority Indiana legislature enacted a controversial voter photo identification law that is now being reviewed by the Supreme Court (SC). The claimed intent of the law was to prevent voter fraud. This was in spite of the fact that there is no evidence of voter fraud. Groups opposing this law contend that the real purpose of the law was to disenfranchise poor voters who are much more likely to vote Democratic. Since the SC will likely rule before the November elections, the decision will therefore impact the elections. Having read about both sides of the argument it appears to me to be another attempt by the Republican Party to skew conditions in their favor (reference gerrymandering and the politicization and gutting of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division). Yesterday’s Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial spoke out against this law and offers a more complete analysis.
*Re-visiting Ron Paul ~ not unlike a root canal – Last week I made note of continuous racist and anti-gay remarks in newsletters published under the name of Ron Paul for some years. Copies of these newsletters have become quite public. This week Paul claims that he doesn’t know who wrote those comments. He is mystified. It was farcical watching Paul backpedaling and stuttering during a CNN interview. In case I am drafted to run for president some day I want to make the following statement: My name is Stephen Weinstein and I am solely responsible for everything written in Stephen Views the News. If nominated I will not likely run but I will accept campaign contributions. Thank you for your support.
* “But suppose God is black? What if we go to Heaven and we, all our lives, have treated the Negro as an inferior, and God is there, and we look up and He is not white? What then is our response?” Robert F. Kennedy (1925 – 1968)
*An anniversary ~ not to celebrate 2 - This past week marked one year since President Bush announced the surge for Iraq. A.J. Rossmiller at americablog.com sums up this failure: “The goal of the surge was political reconciliation, i.e., to provide a low-violence atmosphere in which the Iraqi government would agree on issues including oil revenue sharing, de-Baathification, federalism, and more. In the past year, none of those political objectives have been accomplished. There is a reduction in violence, thankfully, which means fewer Americans (and Iraqis) are being maimed and killed. There is not any movement on the political front.” As I listen to John McCain and Joe Lieberman spin the situation I hear that the surge is working. They apparently are watching a different channel. The U.S is an occupying military force expecting disparate groups of Iraqis, who have despised each other for centuries, to suddenly morph into shades of a Jeffersonian democracy. As this is not occurring the U.S. is paying and arming Sunnis and other minority groups in Iraq and praying that these groups do not turn their weapons on American soldiers and the Shiite majority. F for failure.
*Gulf of Tonkin ~ Gulf of Bullshit - Perhaps it was the hyper-reporting of the New Hampshire primaries on January 8th that overshadowed a report on the same day that we should all note and remember. The 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident “was a reported North Vietnamese attack on American destroyers that helped lead to president Lyndon Johnson's sharp escalation of American forces in Vietnam... The author of the report "demonstrates that not only is it not true, as (then US) secretary of defense Robert McNamara told Congress, that the evidence of an attack was 'unimpeachable,' but that to the contrary, a review of the classified signals intelligence proves that 'no attack happened that night.” Do you find it as dismaying as I do that the basis for the escalation of the Viet Nam war, being a deliberate and deceitful fabrication, received so little attention in this country? The Viet Nam war dramatically changed this country, cost tens of thousands of American lives, untold physical and mental injuries and enormous treasure. It was predicated on an incredible LIE. Can you say Iraq?
*Ventriloquist warfare? - Remember the video this week of U.S. warships being harassed by Iranian speed boats? Remember a voice on the video saying, "I am coming to you. You will explode after a few minutes." President Bush was quick to label this a provocative act by Iran. ABC is reporting that the Navy is now saying that, “the voice on the tape could have come from the shore or from another ship.” I have no way of knowing the truth but the history of the Bush administration and other administrations leaves one cynical. Reference Iraq. Reference the Gulf of Tonkin.
*Consequences – A new study by the World Health Organization estimates that 151,000 Iraqis died from violence in the first 3 years following the U.S. invasion of the country. That would be the equivalent of every man, woman and child living in Springfield, MA or Springfield, MO. The Bush group took the fight against terrorism to a country that was not responsible for terrorist acts against us and in the process increased terrorism in the world and the death toll. Consequences!
*No comment 1 ~ draw your own conclusion – President Bush said in an interview with Yonit Levi of Israel's Channel 2 News: “I can predict that the historians will say that George W. Bush recognized the threats of the 21st century, clearly defined them, and had great faith in the capacity of liberty to transform hopelessness to hope, and laid the foundation for peace by making some awfully difficult decisions." Okay, I will comment. My Aunt Mollie, rest her soul, was the Queen of Sheba.
*No comment 2 ~ draw your own conclusion – ThinkProgress.com noted that the conservative website Human Events chose Rush Limbaugh as their 2007 Man of the Year “for his relentless pursuit of truth”. Reference Aunt Mollie.
*New Hampshire Primary 1 – I liked Bill Scher’s observation on the NH primary polling at the blog Liberal Oasis. He said that the 2 best jobs in the world are weather forecasters and pollsters. The weathermen can be wrong more than 50% of the time and still get paid. Just prior to the New Hampshire primary none of the 9 pollsters had it right. Both CNN and Gallup were embarrassingly wrong. They both had Obama with a 10 point lead over Clinton and Clinton won by 3 percentage points. Having expressed my lack of confidence in polls before (they often claim, for example, that a poll of 679 people tell you what the entire country is thinking) I will let the pollsters of the NH primary misspeak for themselves. I would much prefer that polls prior to elections not be allowed. Voters would be better served concentrating on the candidates’ qualifications and platforms rather than how other voters “indicate” they will vote.
*New Hampshire Primary 2 - Prior to the actual voting, when we were told that Obama would decisively beat Clinton, the media gurus and pundits concluded that Obama would then automatically be anointed the Democratic nominee for president. Let’s try to interpret this. The nominee is “selected” following the results of two primaries that took place in states with small populations that may be the least demographically diverse in the country. What is wrong with this picture?
*The Decider pulled the trigger – On Tuesday President Bush signed into law legislation aimed at reducing gun violence. The law provides for improved checks of gun buyers to prevent criminals and emotionally disturbed people from purchasing weapons. Since Bush has rarely or ever contradicted the interests of the National Rifle Association – which opposes virtually any restriction on gun ownership – it was not certain that Bush would enact this bill. For those who are counting, this is the second week in a row I have had a positive comment about our President. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence does important work on this issue and deserves our support and a visit to their site.
*Dickheads of 2007 – A reader sent me Rolling Stone’s Dickheads of the Year as selected by Bill Maher. Of the 13 selected there was maybe one that had not been discussed in SVN. You can review the less-than-honor roll at this link.
*Nothing is free – The Republicans repeatedly tell us that free markets, with no government oversight, are good for America. An example of this canard was cited by a recent editorial in the Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ). The volatility and magnitude of oil prices that could lead to $4 per gallon prices this summer is due, in part, to lack of government oversight of energy trading markets. “Washington had this authority until a company named Enron seduced Congress and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission into eliminating it for most of the energy markets back in 2000. Enron claimed growing electronic markets could operate fine on their own.” As we know, Enron’s management proved to be the personification of scumbags, cheating employees and investors out of tens of millions of dollars. The Star-Ledger suggests that restoring government authority to police energy trading markets would moderate wild petroleum price swings and even reduce prices. I continue to be amused (bemused) by the Republican fear machine that says “watch out”, Democrats will bring about higher taxes. What has been the cost of the Republican sell-out to U.S. business interests? I’ll take the taxes.
*Habla Espanol? – Rudy Giuliani has marketed his presidential campaign as tough on terror and tough on immigration. He has said that he believes all immigrants should be able to read, write and speak English in order to become U.S. citizens. I had to laugh the other day when I saw that he ran an ad in Florida in SPANISH. Although there is little to nothing that I like about Giuliani I do think that there is merit to the idea that some command of the English language be a requirement to citizenship or permanent residency. If this is the country in which an immigrant chooses to live their life they should be able to at least speak the language. They should be able to prepare their children for education in an English-speaking country. Both generations will be better prepared to take advantage of opportunities that America offers. Both generations will be more viable citizens. Habla Ingles?
*The odor of spoiled milk ~ and government performance – Effective February 1, 2008 the PA Dept. of Agriculture is prohibiting milk producers from labeling their cartons “no artificial hormones” .Dairy producers are not allowed to advertise the fact that growth hormones are NOT used on their cows. The synthetic hormones, produced by Monsanto, cause the cow to produce more milk but the effect on humans is not known. Imagine a state government agency, that has a mandate to protect citizen’s health, is interfering with the consumer’s ability to make healthy decisions. Ohio and other states are currently considering a similar regulation. I have just signed a petition to my Governor protesting this mindless ban on open labeling of milk. The petition is available at Consumers Union. Growth hormones may be okay for Barry Bonds and other cheating athletes but I have been told that my head is big enough.
*Crisis of friendship – I visited a friend the other night who was watching Walker, Texas Ranger. The show’s star is Chuck Norris, Mike Huckabee’s biggest supporter. Ugh. I did observe that Huckabee is a better actor than Chuck.
*Can you hear me now? 1 – “Telephone companies have cut off FBI wiretaps used to eavesdrop on suspected criminals because of the bureau's repeated failures to pay phone bills on time... A Justice Department audit released Thursday blamed the lost connections on the FBI's lax oversight of money used in undercover investigations. Poor supervision of the program also allowed one agent to steal $25,000, the audit said... We also found that late payments have resulted in telecommunications carriers actually disconnecting phone lines established to deliver surveillance results to the FBI, resulting in lost evidence, according to the audit by Inspector General Glenn A. Fine.” This situation is somewhat comical and more than somewhat serious. FBI management should be held accountable. At the same time a moment of perspective would be appropriate. I am grateful for the dedication and heroism that FBI agents exhibit in keeping us safe in a world filled with crime and hate. Yes there have been abuses by management and agents in this agency over the years but the entire organization should not be condemned because of occasional mismanagement and incompetence. It is a price we pay for bureaucracy.
*Can you hear me now? 2 – A number of telecom companies have forcefully lobbied for immunity from prosecution having broken the law assisting the government’s illegal wiretapping. They imply that they were supporting national security. When the government did not pay their phone bill the phone company pulled its patriotic plug. Oh say can you see?
*Will your vote count? – In the past I have referenced articles, organizations and studies that reveal unreliable and tamper-susceptible electronic voting machines being used across this country. A leader in the field of election integrity is Brad Friedman and his web site The Brad Blog is an excellent resource to learn more about this important subject. I mention it now because we are in a critical election year and The NY Times Magazine has a feature article that addresses this threat: “The winner of the 2008 presidential election could be decided by flawed, insecure, and hackable electronic voting machines.” Congress is about to consider a new emergency paper ballots bill. I signed a petition urging local, state and federal officials to require a paper trail for all votes cast in upcoming elections. The petition is available at this MoveOn.org web site.
*Will everyone’s vote count? – The Republican majority Indiana legislature enacted a controversial voter photo identification law that is now being reviewed by the Supreme Court (SC). The claimed intent of the law was to prevent voter fraud. This was in spite of the fact that there is no evidence of voter fraud. Groups opposing this law contend that the real purpose of the law was to disenfranchise poor voters who are much more likely to vote Democratic. Since the SC will likely rule before the November elections, the decision will therefore impact the elections. Having read about both sides of the argument it appears to me to be another attempt by the Republican Party to skew conditions in their favor (reference gerrymandering and the politicization and gutting of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division). Yesterday’s Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial spoke out against this law and offers a more complete analysis.
*Re-visiting Ron Paul ~ not unlike a root canal – Last week I made note of continuous racist and anti-gay remarks in newsletters published under the name of Ron Paul for some years. Copies of these newsletters have become quite public. This week Paul claims that he doesn’t know who wrote those comments. He is mystified. It was farcical watching Paul backpedaling and stuttering during a CNN interview. In case I am drafted to run for president some day I want to make the following statement: My name is Stephen Weinstein and I am solely responsible for everything written in Stephen Views the News. If nominated I will not likely run but I will accept campaign contributions. Thank you for your support.
* “But suppose God is black? What if we go to Heaven and we, all our lives, have treated the Negro as an inferior, and God is there, and we look up and He is not white? What then is our response?” Robert F. Kennedy (1925 – 1968)
Thursday, December 27, 2007
12/27/07
2007 left many of us Bushed but still capable of identifying some positive developments as we end the year with a smile.
*A brighter future for America – In less than 13 months there is a very good chance that a Democrat will be in the White House and Democrats will have a greater majority in Congress. I certainly do not believe that Democrats are inherently better than Republicans. My sensibilities lean toward what Democrats have stood for versus Republicans, but both parties have a history of good and bad. Both parties have members that are good and bad. Given campaign finance laws and lack of ethics oversight, Democrats in power will be subject to the same temptations that overwhelmed members of the Republican Party over the last 15 years. During this time the Republican Party has aligned itself with corporate interests and the religious right. I strongly believe this is to the detriment of our country, our society, our freedoms and our well-being. I anticipate that a new Democratic majority will better address the following issues:
· healthcare
· climate change,
· product and food safety
· labor conditions and union rights
· civil rights and the attempt to disenfranchise minorities
· voter rights and verifiable voting machines
· gay rights
· a return of the executive, judicial and legislative branches of government to a state of separate but co-equal status
· appointments to the Supreme Court,
· a return to an apolitical justice system
· a fair and sensible immigration policy and enforcement of immigration laws including penalizing those who hire illegal workers
· a re-emphasis on the separation of church and state
· sensible and practical sex education
· an energy policy not dominated by the sole interests of the energy companies
· better balanced tax laws
· an improved national education program for K-12 students
· strengthening Social Security and Medicare,
· negative effects of globalization that have benefited corporate profits but not the quality and breadth of jobs for the American worker
· foreign policy not predicated on unilateralism and pre-emptive war.
The current administration will bequeath our country serious challenges. I believe that the successors will be more capable of addressing these challenges and more in tune with our needs as a society and as an important member of the world community.
*Congressional power – In response to the Virginia Tech massacre “both houses of Congress passed a bill that will strengthen the Brady background check system. It will help ensure that fewer guns end up in the hands of dangerous people like felons and those who have been found to be a threat to themselves or others because of mental illness.” It is unfortunate that sensible gun legislation first requires a tragedy but at least positive measures are being instituted. This is the first major piece of legislation to prevent gun violence in a decade. There is one caveat. To become law the legislation must first be signed by President Bush. You can learn more about the important work performed by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence at this link.
*People power 1 – A. Siegel at dailykos.com brought the following to my attention. IBM just released a report “Plugging in the Consumer” – “the results of a global poll showed that not only do people say that they are willing to pay more for green energy, they actually are doing so in increasing numbers ... voluntarily. Where the option exists, some 25 percent of polled people, who have the option, are paying additional money to get "clean" power.” The subtitle of this study is “Innovating utility business models for the future” and can be read at this link. I was pleased when my electric utility company recently offered the option, for under $8 per month, to source a portion of our electricity from wind power. We do not have to wait for government to solve all of our problems. The cumulative effect of each of us contributing to responsible energy usage can have very meaningful results. Whether global warming is man-made as the majority of the scientific community and world community believe or a natural cycle of nature as global warming deniers believe, the fact that we have the ability to lessen its destructive influence is undeniable. To not make the effort is mindless.
*People power 2 – The liberal advocacy organization MoveOn.org, in conjunction with the USO, sent a request to its members to donate money so that U.S. military personnel in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world could call home for the holidays. In less than 24 hours MoveOn members donated over $250,000.
*People power 3 – Helen Gym is the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Citizen of the Year. The group she heads, Parents United for Public Education, “has spent the last two years speaking out at Phila. School Reform Commission meetings, poring over budgets, pushing City Council to commit more resources to education, and insisting that the Parking Authority live up to its promise to help fund city schools.” In addition to obtaining increased funding for Philadelphia public schools Parents United seeks accountability at all levels of the school district. Like most of us Mrs. Gym says, “she'd rather not attend so many meetings or be forced to push lawmakers to do their jobs. However, one reality has emerged from the activism of People United: "If we are waiting for someone else to stand up and do what we know to be right, then we will wait forever.” There are many unsung heroes working to improve our quality of life. One may be your neighbor, or you.
*Merry Christmas Mr. President – Several weeks ago I noted that The Center for Constitutional Rights offered people the opportunity to send Mr. Bush a copy of the U.S. Constitution for Christmas. I am proud that my name was on one of the 37,000 constitutions delivered to the White House on December 20th by Santa (noted constitutional lawyer Bill Goodman). You can learn more about the CCR at this link.
*A 2008 resolution ~ just one click a day – There is no cost and each day that you visit The Breast Cancer Site a contribution is made by advertisers that helps fund breast exams for disadvantaged women. It will make you feel in the pink.
*A New Year wish – The number two leader of al-Qaeda announced that he will answer questions by reporters in the near future. I was invited by the Philadelphia Inquirer to submit a question that I would ask. My question: “Since al-Qaeda operatives justify murdering innocents to get to heaven why don’t you, Mr. al-Zawahiri, blow yourself up at the next al-Qaeda executive board meeting?”
*Returning toys ~ getting the lead out – This month the House passed much-needed legislation that gives more funding to the Consumer Product Safety Commission including a new testing lab to identify products with high levels of lead. Perhaps the next step will be to mandate that companies such as Mattel take more responsibility for the safety of their products. In 2007 Mattel had to recall millions of toys manufactured in China due to safety issues. Products with safety issues should be tested before they enter the marketplace.
*The most important step ~ the first step – Last week I noted that the new energy legislation raised the fuel efficiency for automobiles. I was critical that some of the minimums do not go into effect until 2020 but it was a start and the bill included other promising elements: raises yearly production of renewable motor fuels; requires more ethanol in the next decade to be made from non-food "cellulosic" sources like wood chips, switchgrass and other agricultural waste (most U.S. production of ethanol is from corn); energy efficiency of lighting will be improved by about 30 percent, which will force the phaseout of the traditional incandescent light bulb between 2012 and 2014, saving consumers about $13 billion a year in electrical costs; and requires appliances, including residential dishwashers and clothes washers and commercial walk-in coolers and freezers, to use less energy. Congress was able to overcome the intense lobbying by many energy interests and the U.S. auto industry against this legislation. The well-being of Americans took precedence over corporate myopic self-interest. This is a very positive development.
*A school we can learn from – An elementary school in Decatur, GA is an amazing example of diversity and humanity. “More than half the 380 students at this unusual school outside Atlanta are refugees from some 40 countries, many torn by war. The other students come from low-income families in Decatur, and from middle- and upper-middle-class families in the area who want to expose their children to other cultures. Together they form an eclectic community of Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews and Muslims, well-off and poor, of established local families and new arrivals who collectively speak about 50 languages.” This NY Times article details the remarkable story of the students and their history, their parents and the incredible challenges facing this school. It is an especially worthwhile read at this time of year.
*G. W. Bush ~ he brings a smile even to my face – The website thetruthaboutgeorge.com has documented the unintended wit of our nation’s 43rd President. Perhaps a selection of his malapropisms, mispronunciations and misstatements will leave us in a condition of miasma and merriment as we raise our champagne glasses and fortify for the 8th and final year of his royal ruckus:
~See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda."—Confronted by political opposition, Bush explains his strategy on promoting Social Security reform. (Washington Post, "The Ostrich Approach," Dan Froomkin, May 25, 2005)
~"Well, I quit drinking in '86." —Bush, when asked whether, as he embarked on his second four-year term, he saw ghosts of past presidents. (C-SPAN interview, Jan. 30, 2005)
~"Because he's hiding…" —Bush, explaining why Osama bin Laden has yet to be captured. (Washington Post interview, Jan. 16, 2005)
~"The world is more peaceful and more free under my leadership."Source: The Boston Globe, Oct. 29, 2003
~"I am the master of low expectations."Source: Agence France Presse, "Bush Says Middle East Summit 'Met Expectations'," June 4, 2003
~"Do you have blacks, too?"—Bush, speaking to Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso. Source: Salon.com, "Bushed," Jake Tapper, June 20, 2002
~"A dictatorship would be a heck of a lot easier, there's no question about it."Source: Business Week Online, "A Gentleman's "C" for W," Richard S. Dunham, July 30, 2001
~Tribal sovereignty means that, it's sovereign. You're a -- you're a -- you have been given sovereignty and you're viewed as a sovereign entity.”—Bush explaining what tribal sovereignty means in the 21st century to a gathering of minority journalists on Aug. 6.
~"First, let me make it very clear, poor people aren't necessarily killers. Just because you happen to be not rich doesn't mean you're willing to kill."—Bush, speaking about terrorism and povertySource: Public Papers of the Presidents, "The President's News Conference With President Macapagal-Arroyo of the Philippines," May 26, 2003
~"There's an old saying in Tennessee—I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says: Fool me once, shame on [pause] shame on you. [Pause] Fool me [long, uncomfortable, agonizing pause] you can't get fooled again."Source: The Washington Post, "The Reliable Source," Lloyd Grove, Sept. 18, 2002
~"The second pillar of peace and security in our world is the willingness of free nations, when the last resort arrives, to retain aggression and evil by force."—Bush, speaking in London, England, Nov. 19, 2003
~"We've got an issue in America ... too many good docs are getting out of business. Too many OB/GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country."—Bush, telling a crowd assembled in Poplar Bluff, Mo., about a previously underappreciated domestic problem..Source: The Washington Post, "A New Problem, or the Wrong Word?" Dana Milbank, Sept. 7, 2004
~Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.—Bush addressing a group of witnesses at the signing of the Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2005 in Washington, DC on Aug. 4.
*A brighter future for America – Since June of this year I have been writing about the people, issues and policies that I believe demean our country. In the 1960s critics of the critics said, “America, love it or leave it.” They sorely missed the point. One of the marvelous aspects of America is that its citizens have the freedom to voice their opinion. The founders of our country ensured that free speech was an elemental right. It has served us well through times of peace and times of war, through economic struggle and prosperity, through attacks on our freedoms and the expansion of human and civil rights, through strong leaders and weak leaders. Over the last seven years we have seen a president attempt to usurp the power of the congress and the judiciary to serve its narrow ends and the attempt of one political party to makes its position of power permanent. We have seen the economically most fortunate and the business leadership attempt to ensure its increasing dominance of society and we have seen hardcore religionists attempt to extirpate our nonsectarian society. I trust that Americans will vociferously reject these trends and embrace the principles that make us a great society. Happy New Year.
* “My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there.” Charles F. Kettering
*A brighter future for America – In less than 13 months there is a very good chance that a Democrat will be in the White House and Democrats will have a greater majority in Congress. I certainly do not believe that Democrats are inherently better than Republicans. My sensibilities lean toward what Democrats have stood for versus Republicans, but both parties have a history of good and bad. Both parties have members that are good and bad. Given campaign finance laws and lack of ethics oversight, Democrats in power will be subject to the same temptations that overwhelmed members of the Republican Party over the last 15 years. During this time the Republican Party has aligned itself with corporate interests and the religious right. I strongly believe this is to the detriment of our country, our society, our freedoms and our well-being. I anticipate that a new Democratic majority will better address the following issues:
· healthcare
· climate change,
· product and food safety
· labor conditions and union rights
· civil rights and the attempt to disenfranchise minorities
· voter rights and verifiable voting machines
· gay rights
· a return of the executive, judicial and legislative branches of government to a state of separate but co-equal status
· appointments to the Supreme Court,
· a return to an apolitical justice system
· a fair and sensible immigration policy and enforcement of immigration laws including penalizing those who hire illegal workers
· a re-emphasis on the separation of church and state
· sensible and practical sex education
· an energy policy not dominated by the sole interests of the energy companies
· better balanced tax laws
· an improved national education program for K-12 students
· strengthening Social Security and Medicare,
· negative effects of globalization that have benefited corporate profits but not the quality and breadth of jobs for the American worker
· foreign policy not predicated on unilateralism and pre-emptive war.
The current administration will bequeath our country serious challenges. I believe that the successors will be more capable of addressing these challenges and more in tune with our needs as a society and as an important member of the world community.
*Congressional power – In response to the Virginia Tech massacre “both houses of Congress passed a bill that will strengthen the Brady background check system. It will help ensure that fewer guns end up in the hands of dangerous people like felons and those who have been found to be a threat to themselves or others because of mental illness.” It is unfortunate that sensible gun legislation first requires a tragedy but at least positive measures are being instituted. This is the first major piece of legislation to prevent gun violence in a decade. There is one caveat. To become law the legislation must first be signed by President Bush. You can learn more about the important work performed by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence at this link.
*People power 1 – A. Siegel at dailykos.com brought the following to my attention. IBM just released a report “Plugging in the Consumer” – “the results of a global poll showed that not only do people say that they are willing to pay more for green energy, they actually are doing so in increasing numbers ... voluntarily. Where the option exists, some 25 percent of polled people, who have the option, are paying additional money to get "clean" power.” The subtitle of this study is “Innovating utility business models for the future” and can be read at this link. I was pleased when my electric utility company recently offered the option, for under $8 per month, to source a portion of our electricity from wind power. We do not have to wait for government to solve all of our problems. The cumulative effect of each of us contributing to responsible energy usage can have very meaningful results. Whether global warming is man-made as the majority of the scientific community and world community believe or a natural cycle of nature as global warming deniers believe, the fact that we have the ability to lessen its destructive influence is undeniable. To not make the effort is mindless.
*People power 2 – The liberal advocacy organization MoveOn.org, in conjunction with the USO, sent a request to its members to donate money so that U.S. military personnel in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world could call home for the holidays. In less than 24 hours MoveOn members donated over $250,000.
*People power 3 – Helen Gym is the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Citizen of the Year. The group she heads, Parents United for Public Education, “has spent the last two years speaking out at Phila. School Reform Commission meetings, poring over budgets, pushing City Council to commit more resources to education, and insisting that the Parking Authority live up to its promise to help fund city schools.” In addition to obtaining increased funding for Philadelphia public schools Parents United seeks accountability at all levels of the school district. Like most of us Mrs. Gym says, “she'd rather not attend so many meetings or be forced to push lawmakers to do their jobs. However, one reality has emerged from the activism of People United: "If we are waiting for someone else to stand up and do what we know to be right, then we will wait forever.” There are many unsung heroes working to improve our quality of life. One may be your neighbor, or you.
*Merry Christmas Mr. President – Several weeks ago I noted that The Center for Constitutional Rights offered people the opportunity to send Mr. Bush a copy of the U.S. Constitution for Christmas. I am proud that my name was on one of the 37,000 constitutions delivered to the White House on December 20th by Santa (noted constitutional lawyer Bill Goodman). You can learn more about the CCR at this link.
*A 2008 resolution ~ just one click a day – There is no cost and each day that you visit The Breast Cancer Site a contribution is made by advertisers that helps fund breast exams for disadvantaged women. It will make you feel in the pink.
*A New Year wish – The number two leader of al-Qaeda announced that he will answer questions by reporters in the near future. I was invited by the Philadelphia Inquirer to submit a question that I would ask. My question: “Since al-Qaeda operatives justify murdering innocents to get to heaven why don’t you, Mr. al-Zawahiri, blow yourself up at the next al-Qaeda executive board meeting?”
*Returning toys ~ getting the lead out – This month the House passed much-needed legislation that gives more funding to the Consumer Product Safety Commission including a new testing lab to identify products with high levels of lead. Perhaps the next step will be to mandate that companies such as Mattel take more responsibility for the safety of their products. In 2007 Mattel had to recall millions of toys manufactured in China due to safety issues. Products with safety issues should be tested before they enter the marketplace.
*The most important step ~ the first step – Last week I noted that the new energy legislation raised the fuel efficiency for automobiles. I was critical that some of the minimums do not go into effect until 2020 but it was a start and the bill included other promising elements: raises yearly production of renewable motor fuels; requires more ethanol in the next decade to be made from non-food "cellulosic" sources like wood chips, switchgrass and other agricultural waste (most U.S. production of ethanol is from corn); energy efficiency of lighting will be improved by about 30 percent, which will force the phaseout of the traditional incandescent light bulb between 2012 and 2014, saving consumers about $13 billion a year in electrical costs; and requires appliances, including residential dishwashers and clothes washers and commercial walk-in coolers and freezers, to use less energy. Congress was able to overcome the intense lobbying by many energy interests and the U.S. auto industry against this legislation. The well-being of Americans took precedence over corporate myopic self-interest. This is a very positive development.
*A school we can learn from – An elementary school in Decatur, GA is an amazing example of diversity and humanity. “More than half the 380 students at this unusual school outside Atlanta are refugees from some 40 countries, many torn by war. The other students come from low-income families in Decatur, and from middle- and upper-middle-class families in the area who want to expose their children to other cultures. Together they form an eclectic community of Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews and Muslims, well-off and poor, of established local families and new arrivals who collectively speak about 50 languages.” This NY Times article details the remarkable story of the students and their history, their parents and the incredible challenges facing this school. It is an especially worthwhile read at this time of year.
*G. W. Bush ~ he brings a smile even to my face – The website thetruthaboutgeorge.com has documented the unintended wit of our nation’s 43rd President. Perhaps a selection of his malapropisms, mispronunciations and misstatements will leave us in a condition of miasma and merriment as we raise our champagne glasses and fortify for the 8th and final year of his royal ruckus:
~See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda."—Confronted by political opposition, Bush explains his strategy on promoting Social Security reform. (Washington Post, "The Ostrich Approach," Dan Froomkin, May 25, 2005)
~"Well, I quit drinking in '86." —Bush, when asked whether, as he embarked on his second four-year term, he saw ghosts of past presidents. (C-SPAN interview, Jan. 30, 2005)
~"Because he's hiding…" —Bush, explaining why Osama bin Laden has yet to be captured. (Washington Post interview, Jan. 16, 2005)
~"The world is more peaceful and more free under my leadership."Source: The Boston Globe, Oct. 29, 2003
~"I am the master of low expectations."Source: Agence France Presse, "Bush Says Middle East Summit 'Met Expectations'," June 4, 2003
~"Do you have blacks, too?"—Bush, speaking to Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso. Source: Salon.com, "Bushed," Jake Tapper, June 20, 2002
~"A dictatorship would be a heck of a lot easier, there's no question about it."Source: Business Week Online, "A Gentleman's "C" for W," Richard S. Dunham, July 30, 2001
~Tribal sovereignty means that, it's sovereign. You're a -- you're a -- you have been given sovereignty and you're viewed as a sovereign entity.”—Bush explaining what tribal sovereignty means in the 21st century to a gathering of minority journalists on Aug. 6.
~"First, let me make it very clear, poor people aren't necessarily killers. Just because you happen to be not rich doesn't mean you're willing to kill."—Bush, speaking about terrorism and povertySource: Public Papers of the Presidents, "The President's News Conference With President Macapagal-Arroyo of the Philippines," May 26, 2003
~"There's an old saying in Tennessee—I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says: Fool me once, shame on [pause] shame on you. [Pause] Fool me [long, uncomfortable, agonizing pause] you can't get fooled again."Source: The Washington Post, "The Reliable Source," Lloyd Grove, Sept. 18, 2002
~"The second pillar of peace and security in our world is the willingness of free nations, when the last resort arrives, to retain aggression and evil by force."—Bush, speaking in London, England, Nov. 19, 2003
~"We've got an issue in America ... too many good docs are getting out of business. Too many OB/GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country."—Bush, telling a crowd assembled in Poplar Bluff, Mo., about a previously underappreciated domestic problem..Source: The Washington Post, "A New Problem, or the Wrong Word?" Dana Milbank, Sept. 7, 2004
~Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.—Bush addressing a group of witnesses at the signing of the Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2005 in Washington, DC on Aug. 4.
*A brighter future for America – Since June of this year I have been writing about the people, issues and policies that I believe demean our country. In the 1960s critics of the critics said, “America, love it or leave it.” They sorely missed the point. One of the marvelous aspects of America is that its citizens have the freedom to voice their opinion. The founders of our country ensured that free speech was an elemental right. It has served us well through times of peace and times of war, through economic struggle and prosperity, through attacks on our freedoms and the expansion of human and civil rights, through strong leaders and weak leaders. Over the last seven years we have seen a president attempt to usurp the power of the congress and the judiciary to serve its narrow ends and the attempt of one political party to makes its position of power permanent. We have seen the economically most fortunate and the business leadership attempt to ensure its increasing dominance of society and we have seen hardcore religionists attempt to extirpate our nonsectarian society. I trust that Americans will vociferously reject these trends and embrace the principles that make us a great society. Happy New Year.
* “My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there.” Charles F. Kettering
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
9/25/07
*Rudy the Alchemist – In a recent speech Rudy Giuliani proposes eliminating the alternative minimum tax that is expected to raise $1 trillion over the next 10 years. He says that he will cover this loss of revenue by proposing additional tax cuts, leaving people in the audience bewildered. Adding by subtracting. While most of the Republican presidential candidates are distancing themselves from Bush, Giuliani is cloning.
*Not so blind justice – Several weeks ago I noted the severe prosecution of Black young men in Jena, LA who reacted to racially motivated intimidation at their high school. I also noted that these young men were being supported by ColorofChange.org, an organization whose stated goal is: “started after Hurricane Katrina to make sure the next time disaster struck our community, there would be an organized, strategic and loud response from Black America and our allies.” This past week we saw the demonstration of peaceful grassroots support as over 10,000 people descended on Jena to seek justice for fellow Americans, the “Jena Six”. If you would like to know more about this organization and/or support these young men click on the above link. In a Phila. Inquirer editorial on Jena it referenced historian John Hope Franklin, who as chairman of the Advisory Board for the President’s Initiative on Race in 1997-98 said, “America will never be color-blind, so it needs a thoughtful alternative.” The editorial concludes, “An alternative that sees our differences and values them is the goal. But without national leadership to reach that dream, we’ll just keep applying ointment whenever a pimple signifying a much deeper disease breaks out.”
*Another step back in healthcare, and much more – Over the last few years, groups of large private investors have been acquiring nursing homes. With profit being the dominating objective, the level of care has precipitously declined. Residents have suffered and died as a result. The NY Times has a comprehensive report at this link. In the past, concerned family members have sued and regulators have issued significant fines. “But private investment companies have made it very difficult for plaintiffs to succeed in court and for regulators to levy chain-wide fines by creating complex corporate structures that obscure who controls their nursing homes.” When the President says that the private sector can do a better job than government in providing services it has a nice ring to libertarians and conservatives but it actually obfuscates the issue. Both sectors have been diminished in their ability to perform. Our government lacks the dedicated resources and will to oversee relatively uncomplicated areas such as food safety inspection and border protection to more complicated issues of comprehensive healthcare, self-policing and oversight of the business community. The private sector, with ever-growing resources, has a business model that allows it to minimize services for the maximization of greater profit because it has the “permission” of our government through the same lack of oversight, resources and will. The capitalism that we knew in the second half of the 20th century has been abandoned. It required broad competition, regulation and a modicum of ethics, humanity and nationalism. Globalization, profit-motive on steroids and a governmental free pass is the new environment. It is proving to be as harmful as global warming.
*On Friday Hillary Clinton issued a statement that she is not a lesbian. Later that day Barack Obama said that neither is he. Bush said he had a nephew that might be one. Seven Republican presidential candidates claimed that they did not have sexuality.
*Nominee for Attorney General Michael Mukasey has vowed to fire any Justice Department employee who shares sensitive case information with the White House or members of congress without his approval. This is in stark contrast to Alberto Gonzales who allowed his staff to share hundreds of cases with the Bush administration’s political cadre.
*Much ado about what? - At least one lawmaker is attacking the politicization of fear. Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) attacked Republicans and the administration alike for hyping bogus claims of impending terror this past August in order to facilitate the passing of an exceptionally broad FISA reform act. Which brings to mind two recently discovered terrorist plots that were foiled – a 3 Stooges-like group in Florida (urged on by a federal undercover agent) that allegedly had intentions of blowing up the Sears Tower in Chicago and a hapless group in NJ planning to attack McGuire Air Force base that were detected by a Circuit City clerk. Both incidents generated major news conferences and headlines. Since then, silence.
*Unlikely fundraisers – MoveOn.org ran the ad “General Betray Us” on the day that Petraeus gave his report to congress. The ad documented the misleading statements that the General would make. Subsequently, Pres. Bush, Republicans and right-wing pundits attacked MoveOn.org. Within two days citizens gave almost $1 million to MoveOn to support their efforts. The headline of the ad may have offended some peoples’ sensibilities. However, the content of the ad showed that the General was part and parcel of the political game being played behind the Iraq war, a game that has been in place since the erroneous warnings of WMDs preceded the Iraq invasion. I am not offended by the truth.
*My Senators at work – Senators Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Bob Casey (D-PA) voted to censure MoveOn.org for the political ad censuring General Petraeus. The concept of free speech did appear to inhibit their decision. Now that an important matter has been settled as the Senate flexed its atrophied muscle perhaps my Senators will deal with under-addressed immigration, health care, THE WAR. Gov. Bill Richardson’s (D-NM) comment seemed appropriate, “Let’s get some perspective here - ads don’t kill people - wars kill people. And it’s long past time to end this war.”
*Finally, an answer - Republicans have defeated legislation in congress that would give the troops more rest between deployments or set timetables for withdrawal or would force a change of strategy. To the question of why, Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC) was most revealing in a NY Times interview. He said, "If it goes bad, the nation loses and the Republican Party loses disproportionately compared to the Democratic Party." If it goes bad? With respect to political implications I would suggest that Sen. Graham reference “Waterloo” below.
* Waterloo 1 – Idaho is a very Republican state. Based on military deaths in Iraq, relative to state population, it has the highest troop loss in the country. Larry LaRocco, a Democrat and former representative has entered the Senate race on a platform that prominently includes an anti-war stance. In a recent editorial the Lewiston Tribune says, “Many Idahoans who are disheartened by their congressional delegation cheering on every incompetent move the Bush administration has made in the Iraq War feel deprived of a voice in the nation's capital. They are not deprived of a voice in next year's election, though. …LaRocco says he is not afraid to make his opposition to the war a major issue of his campaign. No matter which Republican he faces in the Senate race next year, that will no doubt offer voters a clear choice.” Evidence is mounting that the 2008 elections could significantly reduce the Republican party’s influence on national issues.
* Waterloo 2 - U.S. Federal Election Commission records show dozens of corporate executives who backed George W. Bush for re-election in 2004, including some of his top fund-raisers, are now helping Democrats running for president.
John Mack, CEO of Morgan Stanley, Rupert Murdoch, chairman of News Corp., and Terry Semel, chairman of Yahoo are among some 60 executives writing checks to Democrats such as Senators Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois. Follow the money.
*A fine mess ~ una problema grande – Under a limited provision of Medicaid the federal government allows emergency care for illegal immigrants. NY state has just been notified that this care no longer covers chemotherapy. Officials and hospitals in the state are caught in the middle. This is not unlike the situation where cities that have enacted laws prohibiting landlords to rent to illegal immigrants are seeing the courts overturn the laws because they usurp federal authority, even though it is an authority not being exercised. The congress and executive branch continue to ignore this growing and increasingly complicated problem. The societal, humanitarian and economic implications for our country are daunting.
*Can’t fall far from the tree – Two months ago Senator John Warner (R-VA) stated that he would endorse Senator Jim Webb’s (D-VA) bill requiring troops to have as much down time as deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan. Warner stated, "Senator Webb's amendment, I would say without any equivocation, is designed to help protect the concept of the all-volunteer force, and it was for that reason that I joined him," This past week Warner voted against the legislation. In January, Warner drafted a Senate resolution opposing President Bush's “surge" of additional troops into Iraq. Then, on Feb. 5, he voted against bringing up his own resolution for debate. Can you say “prefrontal lobotomy”? Warner has announced he will not seek another term. I wonder if he will remember.
* A reader brought to my attention a NY Times book review of “In the Ruins of Empire”. A summary of observations: “The General declared that today freedom is on the march…Strewn in liberty’s path were a tar pit of internal wars, native fighters un-intimidated by modern weapons, unresolved policy disputes between the State Dept. and the Defense Dept, bales of American dollars, alliances of convenience with warlords and local militias of unknown provenance led by whiz-bang demagogues. Washington pursued ambiguous policies that officials on the ground knew were doomed; fewer troops were deployed than commanders requested; tours of duty were extended for war-weary soldiers who were unprepared temperamentally or by training to become part of a great social and economic reconstruction project; and support from the American public declined sharply…” The General was Douglas MacArthur. The subtitle of this book is, “The Japanese Surrender and the Battle for Postwar Asia” written by Ronald H Spector. Sixty-two years later, that American experience is sickeningly familiar. It causes one to wonder what is taught in our military’s war colleges today. It is likely that history will be unkind to the U.S. military leaders whose silence and acquiescence contributed to this Iraq War tragedy.
*The altruism of Romney – While speaking to a select group of Republicans in Michigan, Mitt Romney said, “Republicans share the blame with Democrats for the nation's woes. He bemoaned excessive spending, insecure borders and ethical lapses." Thanks, but, no thanks. There is nothing to share or give away Mr. Romney. Our nation’s woes that you identify are owned by your Republican party and it has provided no evidence it has the ability to “share” in the solution.
*TV channels you cannot watch – It seems that there are television channels not being utilized that through new technology could provide internet access to millions of people. Last week the National Association of Broadcasters blitzed Washington with ads and lobbyists opposing such a use. This is perhaps the best indication that it would be good for the average American. For it to happen it requires the approval of the Federal Communications Commission. You can learn more about this technology at FreePress.net. You can sign a petition asking the FCC to approve the use of unused channels by clicking here,
*Shooting off one’s mouth to the NRA – As a federal prosecutor and then Mayor of NYC Rudy Giuliani sought tougher gun control laws. In both jobs he personally saw the carnage wreaked by guns on the streets of a major metropolis. This past weekend Giuliani addressed the National Rifle Association telling them his views changed following the terrorist attacks on 9/11. He said, “It put a whole different emphasis on the things America needs to do to protect itself, and maybe even a renewed emphasis on the Second Amendment." 9/11 changed nothing with respect to NY street violence and citizens walking around with weapons will do nothing to prevent such terrorist attacks unless they are packing surface-to-air missiles. I certainly do not want a President who repeatedly shoots himself in the foot. Been there, done that.
*Racism is an ism to which everyone in the world today is exposed; for or against, we must take sides. And the history of the future will differ according to the decision which we make. Ruth Benedict (1887–1948), U.S. anthropologist
*Not so blind justice – Several weeks ago I noted the severe prosecution of Black young men in Jena, LA who reacted to racially motivated intimidation at their high school. I also noted that these young men were being supported by ColorofChange.org, an organization whose stated goal is: “started after Hurricane Katrina to make sure the next time disaster struck our community, there would be an organized, strategic and loud response from Black America and our allies.” This past week we saw the demonstration of peaceful grassroots support as over 10,000 people descended on Jena to seek justice for fellow Americans, the “Jena Six”. If you would like to know more about this organization and/or support these young men click on the above link. In a Phila. Inquirer editorial on Jena it referenced historian John Hope Franklin, who as chairman of the Advisory Board for the President’s Initiative on Race in 1997-98 said, “America will never be color-blind, so it needs a thoughtful alternative.” The editorial concludes, “An alternative that sees our differences and values them is the goal. But without national leadership to reach that dream, we’ll just keep applying ointment whenever a pimple signifying a much deeper disease breaks out.”
*Another step back in healthcare, and much more – Over the last few years, groups of large private investors have been acquiring nursing homes. With profit being the dominating objective, the level of care has precipitously declined. Residents have suffered and died as a result. The NY Times has a comprehensive report at this link. In the past, concerned family members have sued and regulators have issued significant fines. “But private investment companies have made it very difficult for plaintiffs to succeed in court and for regulators to levy chain-wide fines by creating complex corporate structures that obscure who controls their nursing homes.” When the President says that the private sector can do a better job than government in providing services it has a nice ring to libertarians and conservatives but it actually obfuscates the issue. Both sectors have been diminished in their ability to perform. Our government lacks the dedicated resources and will to oversee relatively uncomplicated areas such as food safety inspection and border protection to more complicated issues of comprehensive healthcare, self-policing and oversight of the business community. The private sector, with ever-growing resources, has a business model that allows it to minimize services for the maximization of greater profit because it has the “permission” of our government through the same lack of oversight, resources and will. The capitalism that we knew in the second half of the 20th century has been abandoned. It required broad competition, regulation and a modicum of ethics, humanity and nationalism. Globalization, profit-motive on steroids and a governmental free pass is the new environment. It is proving to be as harmful as global warming.
*On Friday Hillary Clinton issued a statement that she is not a lesbian. Later that day Barack Obama said that neither is he. Bush said he had a nephew that might be one. Seven Republican presidential candidates claimed that they did not have sexuality.
*Nominee for Attorney General Michael Mukasey has vowed to fire any Justice Department employee who shares sensitive case information with the White House or members of congress without his approval. This is in stark contrast to Alberto Gonzales who allowed his staff to share hundreds of cases with the Bush administration’s political cadre.
*Much ado about what? - At least one lawmaker is attacking the politicization of fear. Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) attacked Republicans and the administration alike for hyping bogus claims of impending terror this past August in order to facilitate the passing of an exceptionally broad FISA reform act. Which brings to mind two recently discovered terrorist plots that were foiled – a 3 Stooges-like group in Florida (urged on by a federal undercover agent) that allegedly had intentions of blowing up the Sears Tower in Chicago and a hapless group in NJ planning to attack McGuire Air Force base that were detected by a Circuit City clerk. Both incidents generated major news conferences and headlines. Since then, silence.
*Unlikely fundraisers – MoveOn.org ran the ad “General Betray Us” on the day that Petraeus gave his report to congress. The ad documented the misleading statements that the General would make. Subsequently, Pres. Bush, Republicans and right-wing pundits attacked MoveOn.org. Within two days citizens gave almost $1 million to MoveOn to support their efforts. The headline of the ad may have offended some peoples’ sensibilities. However, the content of the ad showed that the General was part and parcel of the political game being played behind the Iraq war, a game that has been in place since the erroneous warnings of WMDs preceded the Iraq invasion. I am not offended by the truth.
*My Senators at work – Senators Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Bob Casey (D-PA) voted to censure MoveOn.org for the political ad censuring General Petraeus. The concept of free speech did appear to inhibit their decision. Now that an important matter has been settled as the Senate flexed its atrophied muscle perhaps my Senators will deal with under-addressed immigration, health care, THE WAR. Gov. Bill Richardson’s (D-NM) comment seemed appropriate, “Let’s get some perspective here - ads don’t kill people - wars kill people. And it’s long past time to end this war.”
*Finally, an answer - Republicans have defeated legislation in congress that would give the troops more rest between deployments or set timetables for withdrawal or would force a change of strategy. To the question of why, Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC) was most revealing in a NY Times interview. He said, "If it goes bad, the nation loses and the Republican Party loses disproportionately compared to the Democratic Party." If it goes bad? With respect to political implications I would suggest that Sen. Graham reference “Waterloo” below.
* Waterloo 1 – Idaho is a very Republican state. Based on military deaths in Iraq, relative to state population, it has the highest troop loss in the country. Larry LaRocco, a Democrat and former representative has entered the Senate race on a platform that prominently includes an anti-war stance. In a recent editorial the Lewiston Tribune says, “Many Idahoans who are disheartened by their congressional delegation cheering on every incompetent move the Bush administration has made in the Iraq War feel deprived of a voice in the nation's capital. They are not deprived of a voice in next year's election, though. …LaRocco says he is not afraid to make his opposition to the war a major issue of his campaign. No matter which Republican he faces in the Senate race next year, that will no doubt offer voters a clear choice.” Evidence is mounting that the 2008 elections could significantly reduce the Republican party’s influence on national issues.
* Waterloo 2 - U.S. Federal Election Commission records show dozens of corporate executives who backed George W. Bush for re-election in 2004, including some of his top fund-raisers, are now helping Democrats running for president.
John Mack, CEO of Morgan Stanley, Rupert Murdoch, chairman of News Corp., and Terry Semel, chairman of Yahoo are among some 60 executives writing checks to Democrats such as Senators Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois. Follow the money.
*A fine mess ~ una problema grande – Under a limited provision of Medicaid the federal government allows emergency care for illegal immigrants. NY state has just been notified that this care no longer covers chemotherapy. Officials and hospitals in the state are caught in the middle. This is not unlike the situation where cities that have enacted laws prohibiting landlords to rent to illegal immigrants are seeing the courts overturn the laws because they usurp federal authority, even though it is an authority not being exercised. The congress and executive branch continue to ignore this growing and increasingly complicated problem. The societal, humanitarian and economic implications for our country are daunting.
*Can’t fall far from the tree – Two months ago Senator John Warner (R-VA) stated that he would endorse Senator Jim Webb’s (D-VA) bill requiring troops to have as much down time as deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan. Warner stated, "Senator Webb's amendment, I would say without any equivocation, is designed to help protect the concept of the all-volunteer force, and it was for that reason that I joined him," This past week Warner voted against the legislation. In January, Warner drafted a Senate resolution opposing President Bush's “surge" of additional troops into Iraq. Then, on Feb. 5, he voted against bringing up his own resolution for debate. Can you say “prefrontal lobotomy”? Warner has announced he will not seek another term. I wonder if he will remember.
* A reader brought to my attention a NY Times book review of “In the Ruins of Empire”. A summary of observations: “The General declared that today freedom is on the march…Strewn in liberty’s path were a tar pit of internal wars, native fighters un-intimidated by modern weapons, unresolved policy disputes between the State Dept. and the Defense Dept, bales of American dollars, alliances of convenience with warlords and local militias of unknown provenance led by whiz-bang demagogues. Washington pursued ambiguous policies that officials on the ground knew were doomed; fewer troops were deployed than commanders requested; tours of duty were extended for war-weary soldiers who were unprepared temperamentally or by training to become part of a great social and economic reconstruction project; and support from the American public declined sharply…” The General was Douglas MacArthur. The subtitle of this book is, “The Japanese Surrender and the Battle for Postwar Asia” written by Ronald H Spector. Sixty-two years later, that American experience is sickeningly familiar. It causes one to wonder what is taught in our military’s war colleges today. It is likely that history will be unkind to the U.S. military leaders whose silence and acquiescence contributed to this Iraq War tragedy.
*The altruism of Romney – While speaking to a select group of Republicans in Michigan, Mitt Romney said, “Republicans share the blame with Democrats for the nation's woes. He bemoaned excessive spending, insecure borders and ethical lapses." Thanks, but, no thanks. There is nothing to share or give away Mr. Romney. Our nation’s woes that you identify are owned by your Republican party and it has provided no evidence it has the ability to “share” in the solution.
*TV channels you cannot watch – It seems that there are television channels not being utilized that through new technology could provide internet access to millions of people. Last week the National Association of Broadcasters blitzed Washington with ads and lobbyists opposing such a use. This is perhaps the best indication that it would be good for the average American. For it to happen it requires the approval of the Federal Communications Commission. You can learn more about this technology at FreePress.net. You can sign a petition asking the FCC to approve the use of unused channels by clicking here,
*Shooting off one’s mouth to the NRA – As a federal prosecutor and then Mayor of NYC Rudy Giuliani sought tougher gun control laws. In both jobs he personally saw the carnage wreaked by guns on the streets of a major metropolis. This past weekend Giuliani addressed the National Rifle Association telling them his views changed following the terrorist attacks on 9/11. He said, “It put a whole different emphasis on the things America needs to do to protect itself, and maybe even a renewed emphasis on the Second Amendment." 9/11 changed nothing with respect to NY street violence and citizens walking around with weapons will do nothing to prevent such terrorist attacks unless they are packing surface-to-air missiles. I certainly do not want a President who repeatedly shoots himself in the foot. Been there, done that.
*Racism is an ism to which everyone in the world today is exposed; for or against, we must take sides. And the history of the future will differ according to the decision which we make. Ruth Benedict (1887–1948), U.S. anthropologist
Friday, September 14, 2007
9/15/07
*The Patraeus Report ~ Theater of the Absurd - General David Patraeus reported on the merits of a tactic, the surge, that proceeds under the assumption that there is a military solution to the civil war in Iraq. The claim that the Iraqi government is being given time to reconcile differences and work out a plan to share oil revenues is disingenuous. During the surge the Iraqi government has become even more dysfunctional and anticipated oil revenue sharing agreements have fallen apart. The General and the President would also like us to believe that we are fighting terrorism in Iraq but al Qaeda is a very small presence there. The vast majority of the violence is between and within Iraqi factions with American forces ensnared in the middle. The current political and military approach to Iraq offers no viable resolution. In order to protect his imagined legacy Bush’s only alternative is stay his course until this dangerous and chaotic impasse can be foisted on the next president. And that is the true report.
*Out to lunch – General Patraeus’ “independent” report to congress reminded me of the General’s “independent” report in 2004, just prior to the election that gave Bush a second term. At that time he said “there was tangible progress in Iraq and Iraqi leaders are stepping forward.” It is 3 long years later and General Patraeus continues to carry Bush’s lunch. The bread is stale and the baloney is rancid.
* Readers who would like a detailed and documented account of what is misleading to incorrect in the General’s testimony of conditions in Iraq can find it at this link: MoveOn.org
*Technological breakthrough - One of the long-standing deceptions of the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping program is the White House claim that they fully briefed Congress prior to conducting these activities. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Bob Graham (D-FL), when he claimed that the WH did not inform him of spying on Americans in his briefings, was told that he “misremembered”. The WH then provided him with dates on which he was briefed. Graham checked his records and found that on most of the dates there were no meetings and on some of the dates he was not even in Washington. Since secrecy is a trademark of this administration few people know that they now communicate via mental mail. Meetings are no longer necessary. I wonder if a headache will slow downloads? Will CAT scans replace virus scans? Will mind readers now be called hackers? Will “misremembered” become a word?
*Possible good news for the environment – The auto industry, with support from the EPA, has tried to block 13 other states from adopting California’s rules that intend to reduce greenhouse gases emitted by automobiles and light trucks. Ruling in a lawsuit against Vermont’s standards on those heat-trapping gases Judge William K. Sessions III rejected a variety of challenges from auto manufacturers, including their contention that the states were usurping federal authority. Under the federal Clean Air act the EPA must still grant waivers to the states before such rules can take effect in place of federal rules. It does seem somewhat convoluted that to protect the air we breathe states have to overcome not only industry’s myopic self-interest but also the federal agency responsible for our environment. Until there is a new administration we can only hope for the best.
*The invisible injury - Marilynn Marchione, AP Medical Writer, has a story about thousands of U.S. troops suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI). These blast-caused head injuries are different from head injuries doctors normally treat that are caused by falls and car accidents. It is called “invisible” because it rarely shows up on CAT scans and other tests. People with this form of TBI have frequent headaches, dizziness, and trouble concentrating and sleeping. They may be depressed, irritable and confused, and easily provoked or distracted. Speech or vision also can be impaired. Treatment is further complicated because it can overlap with post-traumatic stress disorder. The physical and mental injuries incurred by many of our military men and women who served in Iraq and Afghanistan will require our nation’s care through most of the 21st Century. The planning and budgeting of this care must begin now.
*On Wednesday the Huffington Post, Slate Magazine and Yahoo did an online interview with the Democratic presidential candidates. Interesting and provocative questions were posed by Charlie Rose, Bill Maher and average citizens. It is worth a look. Click on this link: Huffington Post Mashup
*Let’s remember - Until two weeks ago President Bush put his hands over his ears whenever anyone mentioned the Iraq war and Viet Nam in the same sentence. Apparently an advisor to the president came up with the sound bite that we cannot leave Iraq like we left Viet Nam. What resulted was that Bush’s acolytes joined him on TV and wrote articles parroting the warning. Eugene Robinson writing in the Washington Post had a keen response. “George W. Bush wants us to remember Vietnam? Fine, then let's remember those iconic images -- the Viet Cong prisoner being executed in cold blood with a pistol shot to the temple, the little girl running naked and screaming from a napalm attack. Let's remember how little we really understood about Vietnamese society. Let's remember how wrong the domino theory proved to be. Let's remember how much damage prolonging an unpopular war did to our armed forces and our nation, and how long it took us to recover.” History will remember Iraq in this context. History will not put its hands over its eyes.
*My thoughts on George W. Bush’s 8th Major speech on Iraq –
*The good book or the bad book? - An interesting development has been taking place in federal prisons. The Bureau of Prisons has directed chaplains to clear the shelves of any books, tapes, CDs and videos that are not on a list of approved resources. A DOJ Inspector General report recommended steps that prisons should take, in light of the Sept. 11 attacks, to avoid becoming recruiting grounds for militant Islamic and other religious groups. A Christian and an Orthodox Jew in a NY prison have filed a class-action lawsuit claiming the action violates their free exercise of religion. As noted in the NY Times article, “…an administration that put stock in religion-based approaches to social problems has effectively blocked prisoners’ access to religious and spiritual materials — all in the name of preventing terrorism.”
*The vaporization of Darth Vader– President Bush’s nominee for General Counsel to the CIA, John Rizzo, is not acceptable to the Senate Intelligence Committee as they have requested that his name be withdrawn. Mr. Rizzo’s 2002 memo defined torture as pain "equivalent in intensity to the pain accompanying serious physical injury, such as organ failure, impairment of body function, or even death." Anything less is okay. It makes one “proud” to be an American.
*Investment tip of the week; buy pork - A Business Week analysis of earmark and lobbying data demonstrated how lucrative hiring a lobbyist can be for a company looking for federal money: “On average, companies generated roughly $28 in earmark revenue for every dollar they spent lobbying. And those at the very top did far better than the average: More than 20 companies pulled in $100 or more for every dollar spent.” The influence of large corporations on our federal government and elected representatives far outdistances the interests and influence of American citizens. This situation highlights the serious need for public financing of elections so that politicians are not so needy of private-interest money to fund their campaigns.
*Risky investment of the week - Hillary Clinton has decided that instead of returning $27,000 to Norman Hsu (his direct contributions), she will return the $850,000 he raised on her behalf. Hsu has been a fugitive from fraud charges in California since the 1990’s. Mr. Hsu must be a long-range planner. He helps Senator Clinton get elected president and hopes that 8 years later she pardons him.
*Risky investment of the year ~ Greed trumps due diligence – Source Funding Investors is a fund with about 100 investors. Earlier this year the fund invested $40 million in a company that was pooling money to make short-term loans to private-label fashion designers in the U.S. to buy garments made in China with the prospect that returns to investors would exceed 40%. Investors were informed this week that their investment is in jeopardy since checks received from the company invested in were bouncing for insufficient funds. Did I mention that the company with insufficient funds is run by Norman Hsu? Here is a fugitive from the law for fraud promising a 40% return on investment and a group hands him $40 million bucks. I wonder if the fund manager’s name is Gomer Pyle?
*Lightening round:
-Leader of country resigns due to scandal, incompetence and gaffes. No, you wishful thinkers, it is Shinzo Abe of Japan.
-In the Philippines resignation was not an option for ex-president Joseph Estrada. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison for illegally acquiring wealth while in office. If this trend of prosecutions continues the United Nations will be wiped out.
-Russian President Vladimir Putin unexpectedly removed his prime minister and cabinet this week. The American political system makes this option very difficult to implement.
-Potential nominees being floated by Bush to replace Gonzales at the Justice Dept. are likely to sink. They are at least as partisan as the resigning Attorney General and not what America and the Justice Dept. need to restore some semblance of confidence and credibility in the administration of our justice system. The question now is whether the Senate Democrats exert their will to ensure that Bush nominates an independent, less political candidate for Attorney General.
-When Gen. Patraeus was asked if the efforts in Iraq will make America safer he looked like a deer caught in a car’s headlights before admitting that he was not sure. The response left Americans hesitant.
-Imagine 4 million Americans being displaced. That number would come close to removing the population of New York or Chicago or Philadelphia. The Iraq war has displaced 4.2 million Iraqi citizens or 13 % of the Iraqi population. Thirteen percent of the U.S. population would equal 42 million individuals. It is very difficult to imagine.
-Presidential candidates John Edwards and Hillary Clinton are now doing criminal background checks on all donors. It will be interesting to see if other Republican and Democratic candidates follow this policy. The lure of money is intoxicating.
-House GOP Leader John Boehner tells CNN that America’s loss of life in Iraq is a small price to pay if we defeat al Qaeda there. Nothing is expensive when someone else pays for it.
*A healthy bit of health news:
-Burger King will offer a healthier alternative for children under 12 – broiled chicken tenders and apples cut to look like French fries. For people over 12 BK will offer a triple burger covered in double cheese and quadruple bacon served on a sticky bun. The manufacturer of Lipitor breathes a sigh of relief.
-High blood pressure leading to cardiovascular disease has been added to high cholesterol and an adult form of diabetes being diagnosed in young Americans. The childhood obesity epidemic taking place in our country will make severe demands on our healthcare system for the next several decades
-Rep. Tim Murphy (D-PA) is sponsoring the "Healthy Hospitals Act of 2007". The bill will make patients safer during hospital stays by requiring public disclosure of hospital-acquired infection rates. You can send a letter to your representative asking that they co-sponsor this bill by clicking on this link.
-Healthy San Francisco is the first effort by a locality to guarantee care to all of its uninsured, and it represents the latest attempt by state and local governments to patch an inadequate federal system. This effort is worth following. It is financed mostly by the city, which is gambling that it can provide universal and sensibly managed care to the uninsured for about the amount being spent on their treatment now, often in emergency rooms.
*Less is more or more is less, more or less - In his speech this week President Bush said that there were 36 countries in the Iraq coalition of multi-national forces (even though the Pentagon claims 25 countries with a military presence). As of this writing only 34 countries could be identified by researchers for having at least one person in Iraq. As of next month the number will be 33 as Iceland will pull its entire contingency out of Iraq– all one person. Some other countries with larger contingencies include: Hungary 16, Italy 8, Netherlands 10, Portugal 10, Slovakia 2, Turkey 2, Canada 2, Japan 2. For the record, total coalition forces apart from the U.S. total 11,685 or 7%.
*Yes, we got no bananas - The Justice Dept. has announced it will not prosecute executives of Chiquita Banana for paying bribes of $1.7 million to Columbian paramilitaries that are designated as terrorists by the U.S. government and responsible for thousands of deaths. I guess you have to be an al Qaeda guy to really be a terrorist. Chiquita did pay a $25 million fine and promised to adopt a large-scale integrity program. I did not know that integrity had scales. I have to stop thinking in absolutes.
*Faith in the faith-based administration - Last week the Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell, testifying under oath at a Senate hearing, claimed the new expansive FISA legislation passed by Congress in August (Protect America Act) had helped to thwart an alleged terror plot in Germany. A government official later told the NY Times that McConnell was wrong, and that the intelligence had been collected under the old FISA law which required warrants. McConnell then issued a statement saying, “…information contributing to the recent arrests was not collected under authorities provided by the Protect America Act.”
*Thou Shall Not Lie. Excerpt from the Ten Commandments
*Out to lunch – General Patraeus’ “independent” report to congress reminded me of the General’s “independent” report in 2004, just prior to the election that gave Bush a second term. At that time he said “there was tangible progress in Iraq and Iraqi leaders are stepping forward.” It is 3 long years later and General Patraeus continues to carry Bush’s lunch. The bread is stale and the baloney is rancid.
* Readers who would like a detailed and documented account of what is misleading to incorrect in the General’s testimony of conditions in Iraq can find it at this link: MoveOn.org
*Technological breakthrough - One of the long-standing deceptions of the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping program is the White House claim that they fully briefed Congress prior to conducting these activities. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Bob Graham (D-FL), when he claimed that the WH did not inform him of spying on Americans in his briefings, was told that he “misremembered”. The WH then provided him with dates on which he was briefed. Graham checked his records and found that on most of the dates there were no meetings and on some of the dates he was not even in Washington. Since secrecy is a trademark of this administration few people know that they now communicate via mental mail. Meetings are no longer necessary. I wonder if a headache will slow downloads? Will CAT scans replace virus scans? Will mind readers now be called hackers? Will “misremembered” become a word?
*Possible good news for the environment – The auto industry, with support from the EPA, has tried to block 13 other states from adopting California’s rules that intend to reduce greenhouse gases emitted by automobiles and light trucks. Ruling in a lawsuit against Vermont’s standards on those heat-trapping gases Judge William K. Sessions III rejected a variety of challenges from auto manufacturers, including their contention that the states were usurping federal authority. Under the federal Clean Air act the EPA must still grant waivers to the states before such rules can take effect in place of federal rules. It does seem somewhat convoluted that to protect the air we breathe states have to overcome not only industry’s myopic self-interest but also the federal agency responsible for our environment. Until there is a new administration we can only hope for the best.
*The invisible injury - Marilynn Marchione, AP Medical Writer, has a story about thousands of U.S. troops suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI). These blast-caused head injuries are different from head injuries doctors normally treat that are caused by falls and car accidents. It is called “invisible” because it rarely shows up on CAT scans and other tests. People with this form of TBI have frequent headaches, dizziness, and trouble concentrating and sleeping. They may be depressed, irritable and confused, and easily provoked or distracted. Speech or vision also can be impaired. Treatment is further complicated because it can overlap with post-traumatic stress disorder. The physical and mental injuries incurred by many of our military men and women who served in Iraq and Afghanistan will require our nation’s care through most of the 21st Century. The planning and budgeting of this care must begin now.
*On Wednesday the Huffington Post, Slate Magazine and Yahoo did an online interview with the Democratic presidential candidates. Interesting and provocative questions were posed by Charlie Rose, Bill Maher and average citizens. It is worth a look. Click on this link: Huffington Post Mashup
*Let’s remember - Until two weeks ago President Bush put his hands over his ears whenever anyone mentioned the Iraq war and Viet Nam in the same sentence. Apparently an advisor to the president came up with the sound bite that we cannot leave Iraq like we left Viet Nam. What resulted was that Bush’s acolytes joined him on TV and wrote articles parroting the warning. Eugene Robinson writing in the Washington Post had a keen response. “George W. Bush wants us to remember Vietnam? Fine, then let's remember those iconic images -- the Viet Cong prisoner being executed in cold blood with a pistol shot to the temple, the little girl running naked and screaming from a napalm attack. Let's remember how little we really understood about Vietnamese society. Let's remember how wrong the domino theory proved to be. Let's remember how much damage prolonging an unpopular war did to our armed forces and our nation, and how long it took us to recover.” History will remember Iraq in this context. History will not put its hands over its eyes.
*My thoughts on George W. Bush’s 8th Major speech on Iraq –
*The good book or the bad book? - An interesting development has been taking place in federal prisons. The Bureau of Prisons has directed chaplains to clear the shelves of any books, tapes, CDs and videos that are not on a list of approved resources. A DOJ Inspector General report recommended steps that prisons should take, in light of the Sept. 11 attacks, to avoid becoming recruiting grounds for militant Islamic and other religious groups. A Christian and an Orthodox Jew in a NY prison have filed a class-action lawsuit claiming the action violates their free exercise of religion. As noted in the NY Times article, “…an administration that put stock in religion-based approaches to social problems has effectively blocked prisoners’ access to religious and spiritual materials — all in the name of preventing terrorism.”
*The vaporization of Darth Vader– President Bush’s nominee for General Counsel to the CIA, John Rizzo, is not acceptable to the Senate Intelligence Committee as they have requested that his name be withdrawn. Mr. Rizzo’s 2002 memo defined torture as pain "equivalent in intensity to the pain accompanying serious physical injury, such as organ failure, impairment of body function, or even death." Anything less is okay. It makes one “proud” to be an American.
*Investment tip of the week; buy pork - A Business Week analysis of earmark and lobbying data demonstrated how lucrative hiring a lobbyist can be for a company looking for federal money: “On average, companies generated roughly $28 in earmark revenue for every dollar they spent lobbying. And those at the very top did far better than the average: More than 20 companies pulled in $100 or more for every dollar spent.” The influence of large corporations on our federal government and elected representatives far outdistances the interests and influence of American citizens. This situation highlights the serious need for public financing of elections so that politicians are not so needy of private-interest money to fund their campaigns.
*Risky investment of the week - Hillary Clinton has decided that instead of returning $27,000 to Norman Hsu (his direct contributions), she will return the $850,000 he raised on her behalf. Hsu has been a fugitive from fraud charges in California since the 1990’s. Mr. Hsu must be a long-range planner. He helps Senator Clinton get elected president and hopes that 8 years later she pardons him.
*Risky investment of the year ~ Greed trumps due diligence – Source Funding Investors is a fund with about 100 investors. Earlier this year the fund invested $40 million in a company that was pooling money to make short-term loans to private-label fashion designers in the U.S. to buy garments made in China with the prospect that returns to investors would exceed 40%. Investors were informed this week that their investment is in jeopardy since checks received from the company invested in were bouncing for insufficient funds. Did I mention that the company with insufficient funds is run by Norman Hsu? Here is a fugitive from the law for fraud promising a 40% return on investment and a group hands him $40 million bucks. I wonder if the fund manager’s name is Gomer Pyle?
*Lightening round:
-Leader of country resigns due to scandal, incompetence and gaffes. No, you wishful thinkers, it is Shinzo Abe of Japan.
-In the Philippines resignation was not an option for ex-president Joseph Estrada. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison for illegally acquiring wealth while in office. If this trend of prosecutions continues the United Nations will be wiped out.
-Russian President Vladimir Putin unexpectedly removed his prime minister and cabinet this week. The American political system makes this option very difficult to implement.
-Potential nominees being floated by Bush to replace Gonzales at the Justice Dept. are likely to sink. They are at least as partisan as the resigning Attorney General and not what America and the Justice Dept. need to restore some semblance of confidence and credibility in the administration of our justice system. The question now is whether the Senate Democrats exert their will to ensure that Bush nominates an independent, less political candidate for Attorney General.
-When Gen. Patraeus was asked if the efforts in Iraq will make America safer he looked like a deer caught in a car’s headlights before admitting that he was not sure. The response left Americans hesitant.
-Imagine 4 million Americans being displaced. That number would come close to removing the population of New York or Chicago or Philadelphia. The Iraq war has displaced 4.2 million Iraqi citizens or 13 % of the Iraqi population. Thirteen percent of the U.S. population would equal 42 million individuals. It is very difficult to imagine.
-Presidential candidates John Edwards and Hillary Clinton are now doing criminal background checks on all donors. It will be interesting to see if other Republican and Democratic candidates follow this policy. The lure of money is intoxicating.
-House GOP Leader John Boehner tells CNN that America’s loss of life in Iraq is a small price to pay if we defeat al Qaeda there. Nothing is expensive when someone else pays for it.
*A healthy bit of health news:
-Burger King will offer a healthier alternative for children under 12 – broiled chicken tenders and apples cut to look like French fries. For people over 12 BK will offer a triple burger covered in double cheese and quadruple bacon served on a sticky bun. The manufacturer of Lipitor breathes a sigh of relief.
-High blood pressure leading to cardiovascular disease has been added to high cholesterol and an adult form of diabetes being diagnosed in young Americans. The childhood obesity epidemic taking place in our country will make severe demands on our healthcare system for the next several decades
-Rep. Tim Murphy (D-PA) is sponsoring the "Healthy Hospitals Act of 2007". The bill will make patients safer during hospital stays by requiring public disclosure of hospital-acquired infection rates. You can send a letter to your representative asking that they co-sponsor this bill by clicking on this link.
-Healthy San Francisco is the first effort by a locality to guarantee care to all of its uninsured, and it represents the latest attempt by state and local governments to patch an inadequate federal system. This effort is worth following. It is financed mostly by the city, which is gambling that it can provide universal and sensibly managed care to the uninsured for about the amount being spent on their treatment now, often in emergency rooms.
*Less is more or more is less, more or less - In his speech this week President Bush said that there were 36 countries in the Iraq coalition of multi-national forces (even though the Pentagon claims 25 countries with a military presence). As of this writing only 34 countries could be identified by researchers for having at least one person in Iraq. As of next month the number will be 33 as Iceland will pull its entire contingency out of Iraq– all one person. Some other countries with larger contingencies include: Hungary 16, Italy 8, Netherlands 10, Portugal 10, Slovakia 2, Turkey 2, Canada 2, Japan 2. For the record, total coalition forces apart from the U.S. total 11,685 or 7%.
*Yes, we got no bananas - The Justice Dept. has announced it will not prosecute executives of Chiquita Banana for paying bribes of $1.7 million to Columbian paramilitaries that are designated as terrorists by the U.S. government and responsible for thousands of deaths. I guess you have to be an al Qaeda guy to really be a terrorist. Chiquita did pay a $25 million fine and promised to adopt a large-scale integrity program. I did not know that integrity had scales. I have to stop thinking in absolutes.
*Faith in the faith-based administration - Last week the Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell, testifying under oath at a Senate hearing, claimed the new expansive FISA legislation passed by Congress in August (Protect America Act) had helped to thwart an alleged terror plot in Germany. A government official later told the NY Times that McConnell was wrong, and that the intelligence had been collected under the old FISA law which required warrants. McConnell then issued a statement saying, “…information contributing to the recent arrests was not collected under authorities provided by the Protect America Act.”
*Thou Shall Not Lie. Excerpt from the Ten Commandments
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