a texas sage

Big plans: DeLay's next mission is in God's hands

2006-04-13T13:05:00.000-05:00

Disgraced congressman has a wholly holy agenda
By PETER PERL

Tom DeLay may look as though he's finished because he is quitting Congress, facing a trial on felony political corruption charges in Texas and being targeted by federal prosecutors in the Jack Abramoff scandal. But that would be dead wrong: DeLay recently told one of his pastors that God wanted him to leave Congress in part because He has bigger plans for DeLay.

That pastor, the Rev. Rick Scarborough, introduced DeLay to a Christian conference just last week, saying, "This is a man, I believe, God has appointed ... to represent righteousness in government."

So mark those words. DeLay may be leaving Congress, but he will be back with a vengeance, in a new and potentially more powerful role, because he is a ferociously determined man who believes he is on a politico-religious mission from God.

I say this as the only journalist whom the former Republican House majority leader allowed to profile him in depth during his triumphant years after the GOP took control of all three branches of American government. In an intense series of interviews at his suburban Houston home, at his church and at his office during the spring of 2001, DeLay shared with me his hope to "drive the president" to a more conservative agenda that would result in a "permanent realignment" of American politics.

DeLay spoke with a passion about his goal to make us all into one "God-centered" nation. "Our entire system is built on the Judeo-Christian ethic, but it fell apart when we started denying God. If you stand up today and acknowledge God," he said, "they will try to destroy you." Five years later, that is also the argument DeLay is deploying to portray himself as the victim of prosecutorial persecution. He is suggesting that his legal salvation is linked to the salvation of the Republican Party, of Christianity itself.

And DeLay's crusade will not be sidetracked by the acts of mortals such as states' attorneys, crooked lobbyists and disgraced former staffers who are poised to testify against him. In DeLay's world he answers only to a higher power, and his personal Armageddon has only just begun. He will artfully squeeze a load of money from the Christian Right as he makes his thunderous argument from multiple pulpits in the weeks and months ahead. The new Tom DeLay will combine aspects of the Revs. Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, and Lee Atwater, the late right-wing political consultant with the legendary killer instinct.

Looking back, I see DeLay as a somewhat pathetic figure. He'd started his professional life as a pest exterminator in Houston. His business eventually went under, but not before the IRS had sued him three times for not paying income and payroll taxes, and he twice lost court judgments to ex-partners who claimed he'd cheated them. From that base, he launched his unlikely political career in Sugar Land in 1978 as part of the Reagan revolution. As a professional pest-killer, DeLay came to believe that government threatened the very existence of small businesses and made a career of speaking for the little guy; he likened the Environmental Protection Agency to "the Gestapo." As a state legislator, he did little of note, except develop a reputation for partying that earned him the nickname "Hot Tub Tom."

What struck me as truly pathetic, though, was his shambles of a family life. His late father and two brothers were alcoholics; DeLay himself, when first elected to Congress in 1985, "would stay out all night drinking till the bars closed," he told me. He swore off hard liquor after he was "reborn" as a Christian, he said.
The scars of family dysfunction cut deep. When I profiled Delay, he was touting his commitment to "family values," but had ceased attending family functions and had not spoken to his mother in two years, even though she lived 10 miles from him.
DeLay dates his Christian rebirth to his alcohol-hazed first year in Congress, when he saw a video by James Dobson, the Christian family guru, on the dangers of putting career ahead of family. "I started crying because I had missed my daughter's whole childhood," he said. "It was me, me, me, me. It was golf or my business or politics that came first. It told me what a jerk I really was."

In the next 20 years, DeLay came to develop a single-minded vision of how America should be. DeLay's America would acknowledge that the Constitution was inspired by the Bible; it would promote prayer and worship, and would stop gun control, outlaw abortion, limit the rights of gays, curb contraception, end the constitutional separation of church and state, and adopt the Ten Commandments as guiding principles for public schools.

One Sunday in Sugar Land, I knelt alongside DeLay as we prayed at the First Baptist Church, then listened to the fiery preaching of DeLay's friend and minister, whose name was Rambo. I went to Bible study and the Sunday school class DeLay taught. Afterward, I told DeLay I was somewhat troubled by the idea that he essentially wanted to remold the government to meet his fundamentalist Christian worldview. I told him I thought a good many Americans would share my reaction.

He looked me squarely in the eyes and shook his head sadly at the fate of us nonbelievers. "When faced with the truth, the truth hurts. It is human nature not to face that," he said. "People hate the messenger. That's why they killed Christ."

And now, DeLay says he prayed long and hard before God made clear to him that He no longer wants DeLay to represent Texas's 22nd Congressional District. Instead, DeLay says, his God wants him to be a messenger — on a much broader scale. And we will see DeLay constantly smiling as he delivers his message because in his heart he knows that we hopeless sinners will always hate the messenger.

Perl, director of professional development for The Post, profiled Tom DeLay in The Washington Post Magazine in 2001. This article originally appeared in The Washington Post.

The New Yorker: Fact

2006-04-12T16:36:00.000-05:00

The New Yorker: Fact: "THE IRAN PLANS
Would President Bush go to war to stop Tehran from getting the bomb?
by SEYMOUR M. HERSH
Issue of 2006-04-17
Posted 2006-04-08

The Bush Administration, while publicly advocating diplomacy in order to stop Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapon, has increased clandestine activities inside Iran and intensified planning for a possible major air attack. Current and former American military and intelligence officials said that Air Force planning groups are drawing up lists of targets, and teams of American combat troops have been ordered into Iran, under cover, to collect targeting data and to establish contact with anti-government ethnic-minority groups. The officials say that President Bush is determined to deny the Iranian regime the opportunity to begin a pilot program, planned for this spring, to enrich uranium."

Message to White House co-pilot: Eject now

2006-03-23T11:05:00.000-06:00

Garrison Keillor, Tribune Media Services
Published March 22, 2006

A peacock walked past the window as I ate breakfast last Saturday at an old country inn in Albuquerque, his great fan of bejeweled feathers open wide, following a peahen that was pecking around the gravel as if he didn't exist. The peacock appeared to be infatuated, shuffling around, waggling his rump, craning his bright-blue neck, the little doodads on his head bouncing around rather fetchingly, and the peahen kept scratching in the dirt, looking for grubs. Think of Elvis in a silver jumpsuit doing "One Night" at the Sands and the audience studying the dinner menu and trying to decide between the salmon and the baby ribs. Finally he got her cornered up against the window and then he stretched the great fan open to the max and he strutted and stuck out his chest and waved the tail feathers. The lady appeared interested for a while, and then she slipped past him and he deflated in about three seconds.

It was painful for a man to watch this. The peacock's great fan of iridescent blue-green beauty, when it deflates, becomes a feather duster, a street sweeper. You go from Waldemar the Magnificent to Bobo the Groundskeeper.

He reminded you of the president trying to win hearts and minds in Ohio this week, except Mr. Bush's tail feathers have been pecked practically clean by events. It was likewise painful for anyone to watch. As painful as seeing Henry Kissinger at a recent conference on Vietnam say he had no regrets. No president in your lifetime or mine has seen his fundamental competence--his ability to think clearly and manage the government--so doubted by the voting public as Mr. Bush has. This is humiliation of a rare sort.

If Mr. Bush wanted to reverse his slide, he could do it with a phone call to his vice president. Tell him, "Hey, Gunner, I'm sending over your resignation. Sign it and leave the building immediately, and don't take any floppies with you." Mr. Cheney would have a grand mal seizure right there, and be taken away to a sanitarium, and then Mr. Bush could get (1) Newt Gingrich, (2) John McCain, (3) Jeb Bush, (4) Rudolph Giuliani--take his pick. America needs a No. 2 who wouldn't give Americans a coronary if he became No. 1. The top story on the news that night is "Gunner dumped as veep," and a fresh breeze blows through Washington, and the American people perk up and imagine that the Current Occupant is in charge and able to connect the dots.

"Cheney resigns" is the headline for two days, and anonymous White House sources say that Gunner was cut loose because he was blind, deaf and demented on the subject of Iraq. The suspense of Who Will The New Prince Be? occupies us for a week. The pundits and bloggers puff and blow and when finally the new man is confirmed by the Senate and gives a ringing speech about the need to put our differences behind us and all pull together, lo and behold the Subject Has Been Changed and America is no longer standing around the coffee machine talking about what a dope the president is. Nobody uses the I-word (incompetent). We're still buzzed from the big news.

Defeat is inevitable in life, and every cock is bound to meet a hen who isn't interested, and eventually we all go shuffling off to the Old Soldiers Home and plop down in front of the TV set and doze through the shows. We're all destined to fall apart. But you don't have to do it in your 50s when everybody is looking at you. You can fall apart gently and privately. Don't go down hard like former chief executives Dennis Kozlowski or Bernie Ebbers or Kenneth Lay.

I once saw an old Hollywood star eating breakfast in a hotel dining room in Dublin. He was touring in a play that had been reviewed rather gently and compassionately, and here he was with his famous face, grinning at a couple of tourists who came over to ask him to autograph their placemat. Once he was an icon and sex symbol, and now he was 80, an old trouper enjoying his breakfast and smiling at the world. Gerry got to that place, and Jimmy and Ronnie, I think, and George H.W. and for sure Bill has gotten there. People see Bill in public, grinning, and they can't help it, they grin back.

If you want to be beloved, don't wait too long.

March for a New Christianity

2006-03-22T14:21:00.000-06:00

CrossWalkAmerica: Are You Ready to March for a New Christianity?
On Easter Sunday, April 16, 2006, a group of people will begin in Phoenix a 2500 mile, 141 day, 5,000,000-step walk across America. Their destination is Washington, D.C., where a public celebration will be held on September 3, 2006. Their purpose is to arouse public consciousness to the misuse of Christianity in American life today. They are Christians who want to reclaim their faith from what they believe are the distortions of the 'Religious Right,' that so often appears to interpret Christianity in narrow, prejudiced and even hate-filled ways.
The organizers of this march are grieved that fundamentalism has become the dominant, sometimes the sole religious voice in the media. They seek to raise awareness to the fact that fundamentalists, in both Catholic and Protestant forms, do not by themselves define American Christianity. They are embarrassed by the present alliance of political conservatives with fundamentalist Christians, who seek to impose a sectarian and moralistic religious mentality upon our population. They are offended that negativity to homosexual persons and opposition to the century long quest by women for equality and the right to define their own life choices, are now in the public mind, the defining essence of their faith. This enterprise, known as CrossWalkAmerica, is the vehicle through which they seek to educate America.
The organizers of this march began by adopting something called "The Phoenix Affirmations," in which they state their claim to a different Christian mentality. The preamble of that declaration states: "The public face of Christianity in America today bears little connection to the historic faith of our ancestors. It represents even less our own faith as Christians, who continue to celebrate the gifts of our Creator, revealed and embodied in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Heartened by the transforming presence of Christ's Holy Spirit in our world, we find ourselves in a time and place where we will be silent no longer. We hereby mark an end to our silence by making the following affirmations: As people who are joyfully and unapologetically Christian, we pledge ourselves completely to the way of love. We work to express our love as Jesus teaches us by loving God, neighbor and self." They then go on to spell out in very specific ways what each of these kinds of love is all about.
Loving God, they say, means that people do not treat the legitimacy of their own spiritual path as a sign that every other spiritual path is somehow illegitimate. They call for a mutuality of respect for other religions that they define as paths that God has provided for humanity. Loving God also means treasuring the sacred scriptures as a source of truth but never using that conviction to close one's mind to the activity of God that leads to new truth in every generation. They say loving God means caring for God's world, including our ecosystem. It means loving things sacred and secular, Christian and non-Christian, human and non-human.
Loving your neighbor, they say, means treating all people as holy, as having been made in God's image. They do not exclude the current victims of our prejudiced humanity, believing we are to love regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, nationality, ethnicity or economic class. They say loving your neighbor means standing as Jesus did at the side of the outcast and oppressed of our world and working for peace with or without the support of others. It means preserving religious freedom as well as the Church's ability to speak prophetically to government without co-mingling Church and State. It also means facing our own shortcomings and working for what is best for all people, including those who consider us their enemies.
Loving ourselves, this document says, means basing our lives on the faith that in Christ all things are made new and all people are loved by God. Christianity therefore, cannot justify prejudice based on ignorance or fear, nor does it ever allow us to call those who oppose us 'the enemies of God.' We love ourselves, they proclaim, when we treat both our heads and our hearts as sacred, acknowledging that science and doubt are not the enemies of faith and belief, since each is a means through which the truth of God is pursued. It also means caring for the health of our own bodies and acting on the assumption that we were made with meaning and purpose, which they define as strengthening and extending God's realm of love throughout the world.
The Charter of 'CrossWalkAmerica' constitutes a stirring call to the Christians of this nation, who are open to the present and the future, to stand up and reclaim a place in America for a loving, progressive, courageous understanding of what it means to be disciples of Jesus. It finally lights a candle in this dark age of religious close-mindedness. It expresses the hope that the religious imperialism of our time, based on fear and cultivated by our politicians as a pathway to power, must be publicly challenged until it recedes from its place of domination in our national life. I welcome this new religious initiative and pledge my support to their efforts.
The powers behind both 'The Phoenix Affirmations and the walk across America are the Rev. Dr. Eric Elnes, the Senior Pastor at the Scottsdale Congregational United Church of Christ in Arizona, and a lay member of that church, Rebecca Glenn. These two, who serve as co-Presidents are joined by a band of visionaries who have worked tirelessly to bring the walk into being. Dr. Elnes, a noted biblical scholar who holds a Ph.D. from The Princeton Theological Seminary as well as his co-workers believe that a small group, totally dedicated, can dream dreams and do things that will change the world. They are convinced that the pain caused by fundamentalists has reached new levels that require the priorities of our nation to be reevaluated. They believe that the nationalism, materialism and intolerance that are encouraged or, at least, not challenged by the Religious Right have led to injustices too alarming to be ignored. They believe that the Christian Church has allowed its Lord, its language and even the word 'Christian' to be co-opted by the Religious Right, which means that these words have for many become so negative that they are thought of as evil and eminently rejectable. To counter this, Dr. Elnes says, we need a way to hold before the nation a vision of a vibrant and renewed Christianity that can call America back to tolerance, to inclusiveness and to that power of love that is the essence of this faith system. That is what CrossWalk America is designed to do.
In 'CrossWalkAmerica,' Dr. Elnes and his partners seek to call progressive Christians out of both their isolation and their bunker mentality to reclaim their places as a force for good inside this diverse and pluralistic nation. They hope this walk and its concluding rally will stop the present direction of this country that seems to be moving inexorably toward a religiously supported totalitarianism. 'CrossWalkAmerica' invites all religious people and those with no religious affiliation to join in this consciousness-raising effort.
The path of this walk will weave its way from Arizona through New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio Pennsylvania, Baltimore and finally to our nation's capital. People in each of these areas are invited to join the march for as many miles as they can. Public rallies will be held along the course of the route so that people in all areas can participate. It is the hope of the organizers that thousands will join them in walking some part of that journey and that tens of thousands will be part of the public rally in Washington.
Would you like to be involved? Would your congregation like to become one of this Walk's sponsors? If you do, the organizers provide some practical suggestions. First, speak to your priest, minister or pastor about designating one of the Sundays before Easter to present 'CrossWalkAmerica' to your congregation. Material to assist in this presentation can be found on its Website: www.CrossWalkAmerica.org. Ask your minister to preach that Sunday on the 'Three Great Loves,' God, neighbor and self as the way to raise this challenge. Churches across this land are ready for this challenge. You will be surprised at the response you will receive.
Second, join the walk yourself, all or part of it. Ask individuals in your church to support your participation or that of other walkers by pledging from one cent to $1.00 per mile. For more details about what this means and what you might do to help, again please visit that Website. The organizers, eager to expand the impact of their cause, suggest that all funds raised in this way by a local church may be divided equally between the Walk and a designated ministry of that church working on the same themes. All walkers, sponsored or not, are welcome.
Third, individual congregations are invited to join this effort by becoming official sponsors of the Walk, promoting it in local communities across America. 'Pace-Setter' and 'Companion' Congregations will be listed on their Website, allowing them to begin to embrace the idea that they are not alone in a fundamentalist sea that seems ready to engulf this nation.
If thousands of congregations answer this call, by joining this effort with both people and financial support, the results will be heard in every corner of this land. It will create the birth of hope as the people of this nation open their eyes to see and hear a new Christian voice, silent for far too long, speaking with new power, new vision and a new dedication.
Dr. James Forbes, Senior Pastor of the Riverside Church in New York City has called this march "The next great awakening" of the spirit. I join him in endorsing this initiative. Whenever the world seems to be lost in its own darkness, a light always appears in a new place. Some Phoenix Christians have now lit a candle in our darkness. If the Christians of this nation are drawn to this light in sufficient numbers, that candle will turn into a mighty flame. Then a new America will arise dedicated to a way of life in which openness, respect, love and an unfettered search for truth will come to be the new marks of an aroused and purified Christianity.
John Shelby Spong

Al Gore, Sundance's Leading Man

2006-03-20T11:10:00.000-06:00

Al Gore, Sundance's Leading Man: "PARK CITY, Utah -- Has ever a little indie film faced a greater hurdle? Imagine this sales pitch: Babe, it's a movie about global warming. Starring Al Gore. Doing a slide show.

With charts.

Secret Service agents say Cheney was drunk when he shot lawyer

2006-02-24T10:21:00.000-06:00

Secret Service agents say Cheney was drunk when he shot lawyer: "Secret Service agents guarding Vice President Dick Cheney when he shot Texas lawyer Harry Whittington on a hunting outing two weeks ago say Cheney was 'clearly inebriated' at the time of the shooting.

Agents observed several members of the hunting party, including the Vice President, consuming alcohol before and during the hunting expedition, the report notes, and Cheney exhibited 'visible signs' of impairment, including slurred speech and erratic actions.
According to those who have talked with the agents and others present at the outing, Cheney was drunk when he gunned down his friend and the day-and-a-half delay in allowing Texas law enforcement officials on the ranch where the shooting occurred gave all members of the hunting party time to sober up.

We talked with a number of administration officials who are privy to inside information on the Vice President's shooting 'accident' and all admit Secret Service agents and others say they saw Cheney consume far more than the 'one beer' he claimed he drank at lunch earlier that day.

'This was a South Texas hunt,' says one White House aide. 'Of course there was drinking. There's always drinking. Lots of it.'

One agent at the scene has been placed on administrative leave and another requested reassignment this week. A memo reportedly written by one agent has been destroyed, sources said Wednesday afternoon.

Cheney has a long history of alcohol abuse, including two convictions of driving under the influence when he was younger. Doctors tell me that someone like Cheney, who is taking blood thinners because of his history of heart attacks, could get legally drunk now after consuming just one drink.

If Cheney was legally drunk at the time of the shooting, he could be guilty of a felony under Texas law and the shooting, ruled an accident by a compliant Kenedy County Sheriff, would be a prosecutable offense."

WorkingForChange-Dick Cheney goes hunting

2006-02-15T10:43:00.000-06:00

WorkingForChange-Dick Cheney goes hunting: "Accident or not, Cheney's responsible

AUSTIN, Texas — Of course the jokes are flying all over Texas — what's the fine for shooting a lawyer? — and so forth. Dick-Cheney-shooting-Harry-Whittington is fraught, as they say, with irony. It's not as though the ground in Texas is littered with liberal Republicans. I think the vice president winged the only one we've got."

Ted Kennedy | Who Authorized the Leaks?

2006-02-10T10:24:00.000-06:00

Ted Kennedy | Who Authorized the Leaks?: "The National Journal’s Murray Waas is reporting that I. Lewis Libby testified that he was authorized to share classified information with reporters by his superiors. The article goes on to point out that one of those superiors is likely to be Vice President Cheney. This would mean that the Plame Leak might extend far beyond what has been previously reported."

The Randi Rhodes Show on Air America Radio

2006-02-03T09:59:00.000-06:00

The Randi Rhodes Show on Air America Radio: "Fourteen Defining
Characteristics Of Fascism
By Dr. Lawrence Britt
Source Free Inquiry.co
5-28-3

Dr. Lawrence Britt has examined the fascist regimes of Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia) and several Latin American regimes. Britt found 14 defining characteristics common to each: 1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism - Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays."

Cindy Sheehan's Account of her arrest:

2006-02-01T15:37:00.000-06:00

MichaelMoore.com! : Must Read: "Dear Friends,

As most of you have probably heard, I was arrested before the State of the Union Address tonight.

I am speechless with fury at what happened and with grief over what we have lost in our country.

There have been lies from the police and distortions by the press. (Shocker) So this is what really happened:

This afternoon at the People's State of the Union Address in DC where I was joined by Congresspersons Lynn Woolsey and John Conyers, Ann Wright, Malik Rahim and John Cavanagh. Lynn brought me a ticket to the State of the Union Address. At that time, I was wearing the shirt that said: 2,245 Dead. How many more?

After the PSOTU press conference, I was having second thoughts about going to the SOTU at the Capitol. I didn't feel comfortable going. I knew George Bush would say things that would hurt me and anger me and I knew that I couldn't disrupt the address because Lynn had given me the ticket and I didn't want to be disruptive out of respect for her. I, in fact, had given the ticket to John Bruhns who is in Iraq Veterans Against the War. However, Lynn's office had already called the media and everyone knew I was going to be there so I sucked it up and went.

I got the ticket back from John, and I met one of Congresswoman Barbara Lee's staffers in the Longworth Congressional Office building and we went to the Capitol via the underground tunnel. I went through security once, then had to use the rest room and went through security again."

John Shelby Spong

2006-02-01T15:23:00.000-06:00

Doug from Texas writes:
"I'm 56 years old. My mother and I are at opposite political poles. The only thing I can say in her favor is that she is not a fundamentalist "Christian" but she espouses nearly all the hate rhetoric of neo-con/neo fascists. When she told me that her favorite Fox "newscaster" was Bill O'Reilly, I told her that that was more than I ever wanted to know about her. I am ashamed of her, I don't like her, and I don't like talking with her. We have nothing in common by way of beliefs or even taste. In short, I don't know how I could be related to her and, in fact, wish I weren't! On the other hand, I'm sure that somewhere inside I must have some love for her since this whole thing bothers me so. My godfather, a wonderful retired Episcopal priest, keeps saying, "She is your mother," and that resonates but honestly, I just can't bring myself to talk to her. She lives in Kansas, I'm in Texas and the most I can do is to send a card on Mother's Day and on her birthday. I even find the cards difficult to sign, "Love, Doug." Do you have any suggestions? I love my godfather and my godmother but I have my obvious limitations. Can you help? "

Dear Doug,

Parent-child relationships are fraught with peril and pain and especially when adolescent rebellion stretches, as it appears to have done into your case, into the sixth decade of life. Your letter reminded me of a person I once knew, who had plastic surgery done over his navel to remove the last vestige of his relationship with his mother. Or, of a statement a therapist once made to me that "psychotherapy is the process through which one goes to enable one to say, "son of a b----" in front of his M-o-t-h-e-r. So the first thing I urge you to do is to get some professional help to assist you in separating delayed adolescent rebellion from the content of the issues that now separate you from your mother. They are two different things.

Mature people can and do live together in mutual respect without agreeing on lots of things. You refer to Bill O'Reilly of Fox News Television, for example. I do not know of a single major issue that Bill O'Reilly and I agree on, yet I not only like him, but also have been on his program about eight times. Of course, he is a right-wing opinionated ideologue. That is why people watch him. He articulates their anger and validates their prejudices, and he does it with style and the kind of cocksure authority that people assume he cannot possibly be wrong. Of course, Bill also does not believe that he can ever be wrong. When I am a guest on his program I have no need to try to convert him to anything. I do not think leopards can change their spots. I only seek to establish the credibility of a contrasting point of view and to assert that he does not speak for me or for many in this country. He clearly does speak for some. Bill O'Reilly will roll over his guests if his guests allow him to do so. When his guest holds his own and articulates a counter argument well I find that Bill will listen. When he interrupts as he frequently does, I think he needs to be called on it. I have never felt abused by him but I have always felt I have been in a battle.

Despite this kind of relationship, Bill O'Reilly actually endorsed my last book, even though I told him that his endorsement would hurt his reputation and mine! He also asked my publisher for the chance to have my book introduced on television first on his national Fox program. One can be civil and even enjoy the company of one with whom you are in total disagreement. It does help, however to realize that no human mind can ever embrace all truth. That is terribly complicated when the person with whom your disagreement is so intense is your parent. It is not easy to be a parent. The role of a parent is to raise your children to be free of their parents, to grow into being independent thinking people. The separation is frequently not easy for either parent or child, no matter how old the child might be.

My best,

-- John Shelby Spong

Molly Ivins - Not. Backing. Hillary.

2006-01-23T11:33:00.000-06:00

Equivocation in Democratic party has gone on far too long -- time for real leadership

AUSTIN, Texas — I'd like to make it clear to the people who run the Democratic Party that I will not support Hillary Clinton for president.

Enough. Enough triangulation, calculation and equivocation. Enough clever straddling, enough not offending anyone. This is not a Dick Morris election. Sen. Clinton is apparently incapable of taking a clear stand on the war in Iraq, and that alone is enough to disqualify her. Her failure to speak out on Terri Schiavo, not to mention that gross pandering on flag-burning, are just contemptible little dodges.

The recent death of Gene McCarthy reminded me of a lesson I spent a long, long time unlearning, so now I have to re-learn it. It's about political courage and heroes, and when a country is desperate for leadership. There are times when regular politics will not do, and this is one of those times. There are times a country is so tired of bull that only the truth can provide relief.

If no one in conventional-wisdom politics has the courage to speak up and say what needs to be said, then you go out and find some obscure junior senator from Minnesota with the guts to do it. In 1968, Gene McCarthy was the little boy who said out loud, "Look, the emperor isn't wearing any clothes." Bobby Kennedy — rough, tough Bobby Kennedy — didn't do it. Just this quiet man trained by Benedictines who liked to quote poetry.

What kind of courage does it take, for mercy's sake? The majority of the American people (55 percent) think the war in Iraq is a mistake and that we should get out. The majority (65 percent) of the American people want single-payer health care and are willing to pay more taxes to get it. The majority (86 percent) of the American people favor raising the minimum wage. The majority of the American people (60 percent) favor repealing Bush's tax cuts, or at least those that go only to the rich. The majority (66 percent) wants to reduce the deficit not by cutting domestic spending, but by reducing Pentagon spending or raising taxes.

The majority (77 percent) thinks we should do "whatever it takes" to protect the environment. The majority (87 percent) thinks big oil companies are gouging consumers and would support a windfall profits tax. That is the center, you fools. WHO ARE YOU AFRAID OF?

I listen to people like Rahm Emanuel superciliously explaining elementary politics to us clueless naifs outside the Beltway ("First, you have to win elections.") Can't you even read the damn polls?

Here's a prize example by someone named Barry Casselman, who writes, "There is an invisible civil war in the Democratic Party, and it is between those who are attempting to satisfy the defeatist and pacifist left base of the party and those who are attempting to prepare the party for successful elections in 2006 and 2008."

This supposedly pits Howard Dean, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, emboldened by "a string of bad news from the Middle East ... into calling for premature retreat from Iraq," versus those pragmatic folk like Steny Hoyer, Rahm Emmanuel, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden and Joe Lieberman.

Oh come on, people — get a grip on the concept of leadership. Look at this war — from the lies that led us into it, to the lies they continue to dump on us daily.

You sit there in Washington so frightened of the big, bad Republican machine you have no idea what people are thinking. I'm telling you right now, Tom DeLay is going to lose in his district. If Democrats in Washington haven't got enough sense to OWN the issue of political reform, I give up on them entirely.

Do it all, go long, go for public campaign financing for Congress. I'm serious as a stroke about this — that is the only reform that will work, and you know it, as well as everyone else who's ever studied this. Do all the goo-goo stuff everybody has made fun of all these years: embrace redistricting reform, electoral reform, House rules changes, the whole package. Put up, or shut up. Own this issue, or let Jack Abramoff politics continue to run your town.

Bush, Cheney and Co. will continue to play the patriotic bully card just as long as you let them. I've said it before: War brings out the patriotic bullies. In World War I, they went around kicking dachshunds on the grounds that dachshunds were "German dogs." They did not, however, go around kicking German shepherds. The MINUTE someone impugns your patriotism for opposing this war, turn on them like a snarling dog and explain what loving your country really means. That, or you could just piss on them elegantly, as Rep. John Murtha did. Or eviscerate them with wit (look up Mark Twain on the war in the Philippines). Or point out the latest in the endless "string of bad news."

Do not sit there cowering and pretending the only way to win is as Republican-lite. If the Washington-based party can't get up and fight, we'll find someone who can. Read more in the Molly Ivins archive .

Molly Ivins is the former editor of the liberal monthly The Texas Observer. She is the bestselling author of several books including Who Let the Dogs In?

What's Condi Measuring?

2005-12-23T10:01:00.000-06:00

Dvorak Uncensored � Attempt to Kill TiVO/Recording and Time Switching by Congressional Legislation

2005-12-22T20:03:00.000-06:00

Dvorak Uncensored

A frightening bit of legislation was introduced to the US House Judiciary Committee on Friday. The Digital Transition Content Security Act of 2005 (PDF) is sponsored by Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) (PDF) and would close that pesky analog hole that poses such a dire threat to the survival of the music and movie industries. The bill was originally planned for introduction in early November, but was tabled after hearings held by the House Subcomittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property.

Calling the ability to convert analog video content to a digital format a “significant technical weakness in content protection,” H.R. 4569 would require all consumer electronics video devices manufactured more than 12 months after the DTCSA is passed to be able to detect and obey a “rights signaling system” that would be used to limit how content is viewed and used. That rights signaling system would consist of two DRM technologies, Video Encoded Invisible Light (VEIL) and Content Generation Management SystemAnalog (CGMS-A), which would be embedded in broadcasts and other analog video content.

Under the legislation, all devices sold in the US would fall under the auspices of the DTCSA: it would be illegal to “manufacture, import, offer to the public, provide or otherwise traffic” in such products. It’s a dream-come-true for Hollywood, and in combination with a new broadcast flag legislation (not yet introduced) would strike a near-fatal blow to the long-established right of Fair Use.

George Clooney about Bill O'Reilly

2005-12-08T18:47:00.000-06:00

Quicktime Movie

Texas Judge Lets Stand 2 of 3 Charges Against DeLay - New York Times

2005-12-05T22:55:00.000-06:00

Texas Judge Lets Stand 2 of 3 Charges Against DeLay - New York Times: "Texas Judge Lets Stand 2 of 3 Charges Against DeLay
Sign In to E-Mail This
Printer-Friendly
Single-Page
Reprints
Save Article
By RALPH BLUMENTHAL and CARL HULSE
Published: December 6, 2005

HOUSTON, Dec. 5 - A Texas judge dismissed one charge against Representative Tom Delay on Monday but let stand two more serious charges, complicating Mr. DeLay's hopes of regaining his post as House majority leader when Congress resumes in January."

Justice Staff Saw Texas Districting As Illegal

2005-12-02T17:23:00.000-06:00

Justice Staff Saw Texas Districting As Illegal: "Justice Department lawyers concluded that the landmark Texas congressional redistricting plan spearheaded by Rep. Tom DeLay (R) violated the Voting Rights Act, according to a previously undisclosed memo obtained by The Washington Post. But senior officials overruled them and approved the plan."

WMD the Film

2005-10-30T20:12:00.000-06:00

wmdthefilm: "WMD, a 100 minute non-fiction film, explores this story with the findings of a gutsy, media insider-turned-outsider, former network journalist, Danny Schechter, who is one of America's most prolific media critics. Schechter says he 'self-embedded' himself in his living room to monitor media coverage, by fastidiously tracking the TV coverage on a daily basis. He wrote thousands of words daily about the coverage for Mediachannel.org, the world's largest online media issues network, and then collected his columns, blogs and articles in a recently published book, EMBEDDED: Weapons of Mass Deception (Prometheus Books) . He has continued his one-man investigation with WMD, a two-hour indie non-fiction film that asks the questions that his media colleagues refused to confront before, during and after the war. Featuring footage from inside Iraq, and inside the media, WMD tracks the media war through February 2004."

Louisiana Governor's Office - Kathleen Babineaux Blanco

2005-09-27T20:52:00.000-05:00

Louisiana Governor's Office - Kathleen Babineaux Blanco: "Press Release
Date: 8/27/2005

Governor Blanco asks President to Declare an Emergency for the State of Louisiana due to Hurricane Katrina

BATON ROUGE—Today Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco forwarded a letter to President Bush requesting that he declare an emergency for the State of Louisiana due to Hurricane Katrina. The full text of the letter follows:

August 27, 2005

The President
The White House
Washington, D. C.

Through:
Regional Director
FEMA Region VI
800 North Loop 288
Denton, Texas 76209

Dear Mr. President:

Under the provisions of Section 501 (a) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. �� 5121-5206 (Stafford Act), and implemented by 44 CFR � 206.35, I request that you declare an emergency for the State of Louisiana due to Hurricane Katrina for the time period beginning August 26, 2005, and continuing. The affected areas are all the southeastern parishes including the New Orleans Metropolitan area and the mid state Interstate I-49 corridor and northern parishes along the I-20 corridor that are accepting the thousands of citizens evacuating from the areas expecting to be flooded as a result of Hurricane Katrina.

In response to the situation I have taken appropriate action under State law and directed the execution of the State Emergency Plan on August 26, 2005 in accordance with Section 501 (a) of the Stafford Act. A State of Emergency has been issued for the State in order to support the evacuations of the coastal areas in accordance with our State Evacuation Plan and the remainder of the state to support the State Special Needs and Sheltering Plan.

Pursuant to 44 CFR � 206.35, I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments, and that supplementary Federal assistance is necessary to save lives, protect property, public health, and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a disaster. I am specifically requesting emergency protective measures, direct Federal Assistance, Individual and Household Program (IHP) assistance, Special Needs Program assistance, and debris removal.

Preliminary estimates of the types and amount of emergency assistance needed under the Stafford Act, and emergency assistance from certain Federal agencies under other statutory authorities are tabulated in Enclosure A.

The following information is furnished on the nature and amount of State and local resources that have been or will be used to alleviate the conditions of this emergency:
• Department of Social Services (DSS): Opening (3) Special Need Shelters (SNS) and establishing (3) on Standby.
• Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH): Opening (3) Shelters and establishing (3) on Standby.
• Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (OHSEP): Providing generators and support staff for SNS and Public Shelters.
• Louisiana State Police (LSP): Providing support for the phased evacuation of the coastal areas.
• Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (WLF): Supporting the evacuation of the affected population and preparing for Search and Rescue Missions."

More on web site... click link above

AMERICAblog: Because a great nation deserves the truth

2005-09-24T15:12:00.000-05:00

AMERICAblog: Because a great nation deserves the truth: "Saturday, September 24, 2005

Texas trip cancelled because it was...too sunny
by Joe in DC - 9/24/2005 09:51:00 AM

Interfering with on-going storm preparations wasn't the reason Bush ditched going to San Antonio yesterday. No, that's not why. The reason was a bad visual:
It was too sunny.
Not kidding:
Another White House official involved in preparing Mr. Bush's way noted that with the sun shining so brightly in San Antonio, the images of Mr. Bush from here might not have made it clear to viewers that he was dealing with an approaching storm.
The White House is desperate."

United States of Shame - New York Times

2005-09-04T13:35:00.000-05:00

United States of Shame - New York Times: "Michael Brown, the blithering idiot in charge of FEMA - a job he trained for by running something called the International Arabian Horse Association - admitted he didn't know until Thursday that there were 15,000 desperate, dehydrated, hungry, angry, dying victims of Katrina in the New Orleans Convention Center.

Was he sacked instantly? No, our tone-deaf president hailed him in Mobile, Ala., yesterday: 'Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job.'"

A Can't-Do Government - New York Times

2005-09-04T13:27:00.000-05:00

A Can't-Do Government - New York Times: "At a fundamental level, I'd argue, our current leaders just aren't serious about some of the essential functions of government. They like waging war, but they don't like providing security, rescuing those in need or spending on preventive measures. And they never, ever ask for shared sacrifice."

Bush's Obscene Tirades Rattle White House Aides

2005-08-28T09:34:00.000-05:00

Bush's Obscene Tirades Rattle White House Aides: "Bush's Obscene Tirades Rattle White House Aides
By DOUG THOMPSON
Aug 25, 2005, 06:19

While President George W. Bush travels around the country in a last-ditch effort to sell his Iraq war, White House aides scramble frantically behind the scenes to hide the dark mood of an increasingly angry leader who unleashes obscenity-filled outbursts at anyone who dares disagree with him.

“I’m not meeting again with that goddamned bitch,” Bush screamed at aides who suggested he meet again with Cindy Sheehan, the war-protesting mother whose son died in Iraq. “She can go to hell as far as I’m concerned!”"

Salon.com - War Room by Tom Grieve

2005-08-23T15:06:00.000-05:00

Salon.com - War Room: "Good tidings for Judith Miller

There's no news to report in the Valerie Plame case. But it seems, at least in some circles, that it's always a good day to say something nasty about Judith Miller. The New York Times reporter has been in jail in Virginia for a month and a half now, and today she gets a shout-out from the opposite coast. Writing in the Los Angeles Times, Robert Scheer says that Miller should be thinking less about protecting her sources and more about serving the public.

Scheer says 'the biggest problem with Miller is that her commitment to a biased and manipulative Bush administration and Iraqi exile sources clearly has been stronger than her commitment to reporting the truth.' As proof, he offers up a list of front-page headlines for pieces Miller wrote on Iraq: 'U.S. Says Hussein Intensifies Quest for A-Bomb Parts'; 'Illicit Arms Kept Till Eve of War, an Iraqi Scientist Is Said to Assert'; 'U.S. Analysts Link Iraq Labs to Germ Arms'; 'Iraqi Tells of Renovations at Sites for Chemical and Nuclear Arms.'

'To be sure, Miller didn't make anything up, she just relayed whatever her anonymous sources told her -- nearly all of which turned out to be garbage,' Scheer writes. 'In this way, Miller and other reporters like her can pretend to follow the letter of journalistic protocol while flouting its spirit and purpose. What she should have done was challenge her sources and then stop protecting them when she found out their information was false.'

-- T.G."

Salon.com - War Room

2005-08-15T17:15:00.000-05:00

Salon.com - War Room: "Bush vs. Sheehan: The race to the bottom

When John McCain had George W. Bush on the ropes in South Carolina in 2000, he quickly found himself subject to smears about his mental condition and family. When Richard Clarke criticized Bush after 9/11, Dick Cheney tried to discredit him as someone who 'wasn't in the loop.' When Paul O'Neill said that Bush used 9/11 as a pretext to invade Iraq, the White House said that he was ignored when he worked for the administration and should be ignored afterward, too. When Joseph Wilson said Bush had misled the nation in the run-up to the war, the White House called him a liar and outed his wife."

Side Issue in the Plame Case: Who Sent Her Spouse to Africa?

2005-08-11T14:49:00.000-05:00

Side Issue in the Plame Case: Who Sent Her Spouse to Africa?: "Over the past months, however, the CIA has maintained that Wilson was chosen for the trip by senior officials in the Directorate of Operations counterproliferation division (CPD) -- not by his wife -- largely because he had handled a similar agency inquiry in Niger in 1999. On that trip, Plame, who worked in that division, had suggested him because he was planning to go there, according to Wilson and the Senate committee report."

Our Fearless Leader

2005-08-07T16:01:00.000-05:00

Crooks and Liars

2005-08-07T15:44:00.000-05:00

Crooks and Liars: "Novak Freaks on the Set!

As has been reported, Robert Novak stormed off the set of ' Inside Politics' today during a session with James Carville while they were talking about Katherine Harris. (Was it the make-up!)
...
(I put up four video links. Please don't click on them all. It's to help with the traffic.)

He yelled ' This is bullshit' and walked off the set after Carville did his usual ribbing of Novakula. Do you think the Valerie Plame affair is stressing out Bob? James didn't even give it to him like he usually does."

The Huffington Post | The Blog

2005-08-02T15:46:00.000-05:00

The Huffington Post | The Blog: "Not everyone in the Times building is on the same page when it comes to Judy Miller. The official story the paper is sticking to is that Miller is a heroic martyr, sacrificing her freedom in the name of journalistic integrity.

But a very different scenario is being floated in the halls. Here it is: It's July 6, 2003, and Joe Wilson's now famous op-ed piece appears in the Times, raising the idea that the Bush administration has 'manipulate[d]' and 'twisted' intelligence 'to exaggerate the Iraqi threat.' Miller, who has been pushing this manipulated, twisted, and exaggerated intel in the Times for months, goes ballistic. Someone is using the pages of her own paper to call into question the justification for the war -- and, indirectly, much of her reporting. The idea that intelligence was being fixed goes to the heart of Miller's credibility. So she calls her friends in the intelligence community and asks, Who is this guy? She finds out he's married to a CIA agent. She then passes on the info about Mrs. Wilson to Scooter Libby (Newsday has identified a meeting Miller had on July 8 in Washington with an 'unnamed government official'). Maybe Miller tells Rove too -- or Libby does. The White House hatchet men turn around and tell Novak and Cooper. The story gets out. "

Media Notes Extra

2005-07-18T14:46:00.000-05:00

Media Notes Extra:
"Frank Rich goes a bit over the top, in my view, with this Rove slam:'Well, of course, Karl Rove did it. He may not have violated the Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982, with its high threshold of criminality for outing a covert agent, but there's no doubt he trashed Joseph Wilson and Valerie Plame. We know this not only because of Matt Cooper's e-mail, but also because of Mr. Rove's own history. Trashing is in his nature, and bad things happen, usually through under-the-radar whispers, to decent people (and their wives) who get in his way. In the 2000 South Carolina primary, John McCain's wife, Cindy, was rumored to be a drug addict (and Senator McCain was rumored to be mentally unstable). In the 1994 Texas governor's race, Ann Richards found herself rumored to be a lesbian. The implication that Mr. Wilson was a John Kerry-ish girlie man beholden to his wife for his meal ticket is of a thematic piece with previous mud splattered on Rove political adversaries. The difference is that this time Mr. Rove got caught.'"

Joseph Wilson, September 2004

2005-07-05T14:51:00.000-05:00

Joseph Wilson on CSPAN II.
Rather large file... give it a few minutes to load

Tom_Cruise_Kills_Oprah.mov (video/quicktime Object)

2005-06-26T16:04:00.000-05:00

Tom_Cruise_Kills_Oprah.mov (video/quicktime Object)

PALAST FOR CONYERS: THE OTHER 'MEMOS' FROM DOWNING STREET AND PENNSYLVAIA AVENUE

2005-06-16T13:34:00.000-05:00

The Writings of Greg Palast: "The memo, which contains the ill-making admission that 'the intelligence and facts were being fixed' to match the Iraq-crazed fantasies of our President, is sufficient basis for a hearing toward impeachment of the Chief Executive. But to that we must add the other evidence and secret memos and documents still hidden from the American public.

Other foreign-based journalists could doubtless add more, including the disclosure that the key inspector of Iraq's biological weapons, the late Dr. David Kelly, found the Bush-Blair analysis of his intelligence was indeed 'fixed,' as the Downing Street memo puts it, around the war-hawk policy.

"

The New York Review of Books: What's the Matter with Liberals?

2005-05-03T22:37:00.000-05:00

The New York Review of Books: What's the Matter with Liberals?

On the road with Sally

2005-04-27T12:53:00.000-05:00

Adventures with Sally in April, 2005

Wildflowers near Fredericksburg
Enchanted Rock
Eagles near Llano
Irises in my front yard

Ethics Extermination

2005-04-17T10:21:00.000-05:00

Ethics Extermination

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: A Culture of Death, Not Life

2005-04-10T22:30:00.000-05:00

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: A Culture of Death, Not Life: "America will always have a fatal attraction to sideshows. What's unsettling is the nastier agenda that lies far less than six feet under the surface. Once the culture of death at its most virulent intersects with politicians in power, it starts to inflict damage on the living.

When those leaders, led by the Bush brothers, wallow in this culture, they do a bait-and-switch and claim to be upholding John Paul's vision of a 'culture of life.' This has to be one of the biggest shams of all time. Yes, these politicians oppose abortion, but the number of abortions has in fact been going down steadily in America under both Republican and Democratic presidents since 1990 - some 40 percent in all. The same cannot be said of American infant fatalities, AIDS cases and war casualties - all up in the George W. Bush years. Meanwhile, potentially lifesaving phenomena like condom-conscious sex education and federally run stem-cell research are in shackles."

Yahoo! News - Politics Photos - AFP

2005-02-26T20:25:00.000-06:00

Yahoo! News - Politics Photos - AFP: "US President George W. Bush (news - web sites) speaks in Bratislava 24 February 2005. Europe is realizing Bush's 'vision' might work and should stop demanding from the US 'a high price for its political favors'(AFP/Joe Klamar)
"

There Is No Tomorrow

2005-02-06T09:22:00.000-06:00

There Is No Tomorrow
By Bill Moyers
The Star Tribune

Sunday 30 January 2005

One of the biggest changes in politics in my lifetime is that the delusional is no longer marginal. It has come in from the fringe, to sit in the seat of power in the Oval Office and in Congress. For the first time in our history, ideology and theology hold a monopoly of power in Washington.

Theology asserts propositions that cannot be proven true; ideologues hold stoutly to a worldview despite being contradicted by what is generally accepted as reality. When ideology and theology couple, their offspring are not always bad but they are always blind. And there is the danger: voters and politicians alike, oblivious to the facts.

Remember James Watt, President Ronald Reagan's first secretary of the interior? My favorite online environmental journal, the ever-engaging Grist, reminded us recently of how James Watt told the U.S. Congress that protecting natural resources was unimportant in light of the imminent return of Jesus Christ. In public testimony he said, "after the last tree is felled, Christ will come back."

Beltway elites snickered. The press corps didn't know what he was talking about. But James Watt was serious. So were his compatriots out across the country. They are the people who believe the Bible is literally true - one-third of the American electorate, if a recent Gallup poll is accurate. In this past election several million good and decent citizens went to the polls believing in the rapture index.

That's right - the rapture index. Google it and you will find that the best-selling books in America today are the 12 volumes of the "Left Behind" series written by the Christian fundamentalist and religious-right warrior Timothy LaHaye. These true believers subscribe to a fantastical theology concocted in the 19th century by a couple of immigrant preachers who took disparate passages from the Bible and wove them into a narrative that has captivated the imagination of millions of Americans.

Its outline is rather simple, if bizarre (the British writer George Monbiot recently did a brilliant dissection of it and I am indebted to him for adding to my own understanding): Once Israel has occupied the rest of its "biblical lands," legions of the antichrist will attack it, triggering a final showdown in the valley of Armageddon.

As the Jews who have not been converted are burned, the messiah will return for the rapture. True believers will be lifted out of their clothes and transported to Heaven, where, seated next to the right hand of God, they will watch their political and religious opponents suffer plagues of boils, sores, locusts and frogs during the several years of tribulation that follow.

I'm not making this up. Like Monbiot, I've read the literature. I've reported on these people, following some of them from Texas to the West Bank. They are sincere, serious and polite as they tell you they feel called to help bring the rapture on as fulfillment of biblical prophecy. That's why they have declared solidarity with Israel and the Jewish settlements and backed up their support with money and volunteers. It's why the invasion of Iraq for them was a warm-up act, predicted in the Book of Revelations where four angels "which are bound in the great river Euphrates will be released to slay the third part of man." A war with Islam in the Middle East is not something to be feared but welcomed - an essential conflagration on the road to redemption. The last time I Googled it, the rapture index stood at 144 - just one point below the critical threshold when the whole thing will blow, the son of God will return, the righteous will enter Heaven and sinners will be condemned to eternal hellfire.

So what does this mean for public policy and the environment? Go to Grist to read a remarkable work of reporting by the journalist Glenn Scherer - "The Road to Environmental Apocalypse." Read it and you will see how millions of Christian fundamentalists may believe that environmental destruction is not only to be disregarded but actually welcomed - even hastened - as a sign of the coming apocalypse.

As Grist makes clear, we're not talking about a handful of fringe lawmakers who hold or are beholden to these beliefs. Nearly half the U.S. Congress before the recent election - 231 legislators in total and more since the election - are backed by the religious right.

Forty-five senators and 186 members of the 108th Congress earned 80 to 100 percent approval ratings from the three most influential Christian right advocacy groups. They include Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Assistant Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Conference Chair Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, Policy Chair Jon Kyl of Arizona, House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Majority Whip Roy Blunt. The only Democrat to score 100 percent with the Christian coalition was Sen. Zell Miller of Georgia, who recently quoted from the biblical book of Amos on the Senate floor: "The days will come, sayeth the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land." He seemed to be relishing the thought.

And why not? There's a constituency for it. A 2002 Time-CNN poll found that 59 percent of Americans believe that the prophecies found in the book of Revelations are going to come true. Nearly one-quarter think the Bible predicted the 9/11 attacks. Drive across the country with your radio tuned to the more than 1,600 Christian radio stations, or in the motel turn on some of the 250 Christian TV stations, and you can hear some of this end-time gospel. And you will come to understand why people under the spell of such potent prophecies cannot be expected, as Grist puts it, "to worry about the environment. Why care about the earth, when the droughts, floods, famine and pestilence brought by ecological collapse are signs of the apocalypse foretold in the Bible? Why care about global climate change when you and yours will be rescued in the rapture? And why care about converting from oil to solar when the same God who performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes can whip up a few billion barrels of light crude with a word?"

Because these people believe that until Christ does return, the Lord will provide. One of their texts is a high school history book, "America's Providential History." You'll find there these words: "The secular or socialist has a limited-resource mentality and views the world as a pie ... that needs to be cut up so everyone can get a piece." However, "[t]he Christian knows that the potential in God is unlimited and that there is no shortage of resources in God's earth ... while many secularists view the world as overpopulated, Christians know that God has made the earth sufficiently large with plenty of resources to accommodate all of the people."

No wonder Karl Rove goes around the White House whistling that militant hymn, "Onward Christian Soldiers." He turned out millions of the foot soldiers on Nov. 2, including many who have made the apocalypse a powerful driving force in modern American politics.

It is hard for the journalist to report a story like this with any credibility. So let me put it on a personal level. I myself don't know how to be in this world without expecting a confident future and getting up every morning to do what I can to bring it about. So I have always been an optimist. Now, however, I think of my friend on Wall Street whom I once
asked: "What do you think of the market?"I'm optimistic," he answered. "Then why do you look so worried?" And he answered: "Because I am not sure my optimism is justified."

I'm not, either. Once upon a time I agreed with Eric Chivian and the Center for Health and the Global Environment that people will protect the natural environment when they realize its importance to their health and to the health and lives of their children. Now I am not so sure. It's not that I don't want to believe that - it's just that I read the news and connect the dots.

I read that the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has declared the election a mandate for President Bush on the environment. This for an administration:

* That wants to rewrite the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act protecting rare plant and animal species and their habitats, as well as the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires the government to judge beforehand whether actions might damage natural resources.
* That wants to relax pollution limits for ozone; eliminate vehicle tailpipe inspections, and ease pollution standards for cars, sport-utility vehicles and diesel-powered big trucks and heavy equipment.
* That wants a new international audit law to allow corporations to keep certain information about environmental problems secret from the public.
* That wants to drop all its new-source review suits against polluting, coal-fired power plants and weaken consent decrees reached earlier with coal companies.
* That wants to open the Arctic [National] Wildlife Refuge to drilling and increase drilling in Padre Island National Seashore, the longest stretch of undeveloped barrier island in the world and the last great coastal wild land in America.

I read the news just this week and learned how the Environmental Protection Agency had planned to spend $9 million - $2 million of it from the administration's friends at the American Chemistry Council - to pay poor families to continue to use pesticides in their homes. These pesticides have been linked to neurological damage in children, but instead of ordering an end to their use, the government and the industry were going to offer the families $970 each, as well as a camcorder and children's clothing, to serve as guinea pigs for the study.

I read all this in the news.

I read the news just last night and learned that the administration's friends at the International Policy Network, which is supported by Exxon Mobil and others of like mind, have issued a new report that climate change is "a myth, sea levels are not rising" [and] scientists who believe catastrophe is possible are "an embarrassment."

I not only read the news but the fine print of the recent appropriations bill passed by Congress, with the obscure (and obscene) riders attached to
it: a clause removing all endangered species protections from pesticides; language prohibiting judicial review for a forest in Oregon; a waiver of environmental review for grazing permits on public lands; a rider pressed by developers to weaken protection for crucial habitats in California.

I read all this and look up at the pictures on my desk, next to the computer - pictures of my grandchildren. I see the future looking back at me from those photographs and I say, "Father, forgive us, for we know not what we do." And then I am stopped short by the thought: "That's not right. We do know what we are doing. We are stealing their future. Betraying their trust. Despoiling their world."

And I ask myself: Why? Is it because we don't care? Because we are greedy? Because we have lost our capacity for outrage, our ability to sustain indignation at injustice?

What has happened to our moral imagination?

On the heath Lear asks Gloucester: "How do you see the world?" And Gloucester, who is blind, answers: "I see it feelingly.'"

I see it feelingly.

The news is not good these days. I can tell you, though, that as a journalist I know the news is never the end of the story. The news can be the truth that sets us free - not only to feel but to fight for the future we want. And the will to fight is the antidote to despair, the cure for cynicism, and the answer to those faces looking back at me from those photographs on my desk. What we need is what the ancient Israelites called hochma - the science of the heart ... the capacity to see, to feel and then to act as if the future depended on you.

Believe me, it does.

-------

Bill Moyers was host until recently of the weekly public affairs series "NOW with Bill Moyers" on PBS. This article is adapted from AlterNet, where it first appeared. The text is taken from Moyers' remarks upon receiving the Global Environmental Citizen Award from the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School.

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Inherit the Windbags

2005-02-03T14:50:00.000-06:00

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Inherit the Windbags: "I misunderestimated this ambitious president. His social engineering schemes in the Middle East and America are breathtakingly brazen.

He doesn't just want to dismantle the 60's. He wants to dismantle the whole century - from the Scopes trial to Social Security. He can shred one of the greatest achievements of the New Deal and then go after other big safety-net Democratic programs, reversing the prevailing philosophy of many decades that our tax and social welfare systems should equalize the distribution of wealth, just a little bit. Barry Goldwater wouldn't have had the brass to take a jackhammer to that edifice.

The White House seems to think Social Security was corrupt from the moment it was enacted in 1935. It wants to replace it with private accounts that will fatten the wallets of stockbrokers and put the savings of Americans who didn't inherit vast fortunes at risk.

Mr. Bush and his crew not only want to scrap the New Deal. By weakening environmental and safety protections and trying to flatten the progressive income tax, they're trying to eradicate not just one Roosevelt but two, going after the progressive legacy of Theodore.

With their brutal assault on history and their sanctimonious manner, they give a whole new meaning to Teddy's philosophy of the presidency. Bully pulpit, indeed."

GRAIN | "Against the grain" | 2004 | Iraq's new patent law: a decla

2005-02-03T09:30:00.000-06:00

GRAIN | "Against the grain" | 2004 | Iraq's new patent law: a decla: "CORPORATE CONTROL

The new law is presented as being necessary to ensure the supply of good quality seeds in Iraq and to facilitate Iraq's accession to the WTO [5]. What it will actually do is facilitate the penetration of Iraqi agriculture by the likes of Monsanto, Syngenta, Bayer and Dow Chemical - the corporate giants that control seed trade across the globe. Eliminating competition from farmers is a prerequisite for these companies to open up operations in Iraq, which the new law has achieved. Taking over the first step in the food chain is their next move.

The new patent law also explicitly promotes the commercialisation of genetically modified (GM) seeds in Iraq. Despite serious resistance from farmers and consumers around the world, these same companies are pushing GM crops on farmers around the world for their own profit. Contrary to what the industry is asserting, GM seeds do not reduce the use of pesticides, but they pose a threat to the environment and to people's health while they increase farmers dependency on agribusiness. In some countries like India, the 'accidental' release of GM crops is deliberately manipulated [6], since physical segregation of GM and GM-free crops is not feasible. Once introduced into the agro-ecological cycle there is no possible recall or cleanup from genetic pollution [7].

As to the WTO argument, Iraq legally has a number of options for complying with the organisation's rules on intellectual property but the US simply decided that Iraq should not enjoy or explore them.

"

Democracy Now! | Seymour Hersh: "We've Been Taken Over by a Cult"

2005-01-30T14:17:00.000-06:00

Democracy Now! | Seymour Hersh: "We've Been Taken Over by a Cult"

Planet Ark : Elephants Saved Tourists From Tsunami

2005-01-08T08:19:00.000-06:00

Planet Ark : Elephants Saved Tourists From Tsunami

Facing the "Not-See" Menace

2004-12-28T21:59:00.000-06:00

Swami Beyondananda

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Fly Me to the Moon

2004-12-05T12:55:00.000-06:00

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Fly Me to the Moon:
"If President Bush is looking for a legacy, I have just the one for him - a national science project that would be our generation's moon shot: a crash science initiative for alternative energy and conservation to make America energy-independent in 10 years. Imagine if every American kid, in every school, were galvanized around such a vision. Ah, you say, nice idea, Friedman, but what does it have to do with your subject - foreign policy?

Everything! You give me an America that is energy-independent and I will give you sharply reduced oil revenues for the worst governments in the world. I will give you political reform from Moscow to Riyadh to Tehran. Yes, deprive these regimes of the huge oil windfalls on which they depend and you will force them to reform by having to tap their people instead of oil wells. These regimes won't change when we tell them they should. They will change only when they tell themselves they must."

Earth On Empty

2004-11-16T18:19:00.000-06:00

Earth On Empty

Earth on Empty’s mission is to raise the public’s awareness about the environmental and safety implications of SUV ownership. The organization uses strictly peaceful means to deliver its message. Earth On Empty does not endorse the use of any violence nor condone the destruction of personal property under any circumstances.

CIA plans to purge its agency

2004-11-15T12:37:00.000-06:00

Newsday.com - National News:
"Sources say White House has ordered new chief to eliminate officers who were disloyal to Bush"

Take Action: Stop the Rollback of National Forest Protection

2004-11-11T18:45:00.000-06:00

Take Action: Stop the Rollback of National Forest Protection:
"Almost 60 million acres of national forests are now at risk to destructive logging, mining, and drilling.� The Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which protects these forests from new road construction, was enacted in 2001 after years of debate and millions of public comments supporting the preservation of the remaining undeveloped forests in the U.S.� However, a recent Bush Administration proposal would remove these protections by repealing this rule. Our national forests are already burdened with almost half a million miles of roads, leading to increased logging and erosion.�Protect our forest heritage, clean water, wildlife habitat and recreation - urge the U.S. Forest Service to keep the Roadless Rule."

Conserving Water at Home

2004-11-10T17:15:00.000-06:00

Conserving Water at Home:
"Most of us take for granted an abundant supply of good, fresh water. We meet our daily needs when we turn on the faucet and get seemingly unlimited running water. However, this situation is changing as more and more communities face water shortages.

Water shortages are certainly inconvenient and even scary. At first, they are hard to understand when we know that average daily rainfall in the United States equals 4.2 trillion gallons. However, water is not always where it is needed, and demand continues to increase.

In the last 30 years, the U.S. demand for water has grown more quickly than our ability to find new water sources. During this period, our population grew 52 percent; total water use tripled. Demand for water continues to rise sharply, but population has increased only slightly in the last few years. "

Arctic Melting Fast; May Swamp U.S. Coasts by 2099

2004-11-09T19:27:00.000-06:00

Arctic Melting Fast; May Swamp U.S. Coasts by 2099:
Brian Handwerk
for National Geographic News

November 9, 2004

Scientists have determined that the ice in Greenland and the Arctic is melting so rapidly that much of it could be gone by the end of the century.

Molly Ivins

2004-11-06T14:10:00.000-06:00

Creators.com - Creators Syndicate:
"AUSTIN, Texas -- Do you know how to cure a chicken-killin' dog? Now, you know you cannot keep a dog that kills chickens, no matter how fine a dog it is otherwise.

Some people think you cannot break a dog that has got in the habit of killin' chickens, but my friend John Henry always claimed you could. He said the way to do it is to take one of the chickens the dog has killed and wire the thing around the dog's neck, good and strong. And leave it there until that dead chicken stinks so bad that no other dog or person will even go near that poor beast. Thing'll smell so bad the dog won't be able to stand himself. You leave it on there until the last little bit of flesh rots and falls off, and that dog won't kill chickens again.

The Bush administration is going to be wired around the neck of the American people for four more years, long enough for the stench to sicken everybody. It should cure the country of electing Republicans.

And at least Democrats won't have to clean up after him until it is real clear to everyone who made the mess."

Mirror.co.uk - GOD HELP AMERICA

2004-11-05T09:11:00.000-06:00

Mirror.co.uk - GOD HELP AMERICA:
Nov 5 2004

THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN..

"THEY say that in life you get what you deserve. Well, today America has deservedly got a lawless cowboy to lead them further into carnage and isolation and the unreserved contempt of most of the rest of the world."

A Final Volley Of Commercials (washingtonpost.com)

2004-10-29T13:43:00.000-05:00

A Final Volley Of Commercials (washingtonpost.com)

The Bush campaign acknowledged using computer editing to produce a better shot of a military crowd shown in what was to be the president's closing ad Wednesday. The admission came after the liberal blog Daily Kos reported that some faces in the crowd appeared several times.

A Final Volley of Commercials

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS video may be linked to missing explosives in Iraq

2004-10-28T12:02:00.000-05:00

EXCLUSIVE:
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS video may be linked to missing explosives in Iraq

100 Facts and 1 Opinion

2004-10-27T17:38:00.000-05:00

100 Facts and 1 Opinion: "The Non-Arguable Case Against the Bush Administration"

Greg Palast on BBC - voter fraud

2004-10-27T13:31:00.000-05:00

Greg Palast

Large file... if you are on dialup, give it some time to load.

Didn't Know I Was Unamerican

2004-10-18T11:43:00.000-05:00

Didn't Know I Was Unamerican - TrueMajorityACTION

The New York Times > Opinion > John Kerry for President

2004-10-17T12:49:00.000-05:00

The New York Times > Opinion > John Kerry for President:
"Senator John Kerry goes toward the election with a base that is built more on opposition to George W. Bush than loyalty to his own candidacy. But over the last year we have come to know Mr. Kerry as more than just an alternative to the status quo. We like what we've seen. He has qualities that could be the basis for a great chief executive, not just a modest improvement on the incumbent.

We have been impressed with Mr. Kerry's wide knowledge and clear thinking - something that became more apparent once he was reined in by that two-minute debate light. He is blessedly willing to re-evaluate decisions when conditions change. And while Mr. Kerry's service in Vietnam was first over-promoted and then over-pilloried, his entire life has been devoted to public service, from the war to a series of elected offices. He strikes us, above all, as a man with a strong moral core."

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Addicted to 9/11

2004-10-15T22:26:00.000-05:00

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Addicted to 9/11:
"Lastly, politicizing 9/11 put a wedge between us and our history. The Bush team has turned this country into 'The United States of Fighting Terrorism.' 'Bush only seems able to express our anger, not our hopes,' said the Mideast expert Stephen P. Cohen. 'His whole focus is on an America whose role in the world is to negate the negation of the terrorists. But America has always been about the affirmation of something positive. That is missing today. Beyond Afghanistan, they've been much better at destruction than construction.'"

Jon Steweart on Crossfire

2004-10-15T20:36:00.000-05:00

Salon.com Politics: "Jon Stewart: Crossfire 'hurting America'

'I think you're a lot more fun on your show,' said Tucker Carlson to 'Crossfire' guest Jon Stewart this afternoon. 'And I think you're as much of a dick on your show as on any other,' Stewart shot back. It wasn't the faux avuncularity we've come to expect from Stewart on 'The Daily Show' but there, of course, he's playing a role. Here he was himself -- and he wasn't buying any of it.

From the moment Stewart sat down he made no secret of how repugnant he found the show. In fact, he said to Carlson and co-host Paul Begala that he had been so hard on the show he felt it was his duty to come on and say to their faces what he has said to friends and in interviews. What he said was that their show was 'hurting America,' and he was being only slightly hyperbolic. Stewart told them that when America needed journalists to be journalists they had instead chosen to present theater. "

MSNBC - Sinclair's sin (David Shuster)

2004-10-13T13:25:00.000-05:00

MSNBC - :
Imagine if the CBS television network pre-empted '60 Minutes' this Sunday and broadcast Michael Moore's 'Fahrenheit 9/11. Many of you might be thrilled. But many of you would be disgusted and outraged, calling it a deliberate, misleading, and unfair ploy to impact the presidential election at the very end.

A visit to Crawford, Texas

2004-10-12T16:15:00.000-05:00

Yesterday a friend and I drove to Crawford to have lunch and see what was happening. Bush was already in New Mexico so the road to the ranch entrance was open and we were able to drive as far as the entry gate (first 3 photos) where we were greeted by a Secret Service person asking why we were there. We told him that we were just curious and turned around and drove back to town.

You can see the photos of the entry gate at the Bush ranch and a couple of photos of signs in Crawford at Crawford, Texas

Salon.com News | Bush's mystery bulge

2004-10-08T14:20:00.000-05:00

Salon.com News | Bush's mystery bulge

Bush's mystery bulge

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Getting Junior's Goat

2004-10-07T12:30:00.000-05:00

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Getting Junior's Goat

AlterNet: Our Petulant President

2004-10-06T22:00:00.000-05:00

AlterNet: Our Petulant President: "We all had our debate moments, but the one that stunned me was, 'It's (Iraq is) hard work. I see it on the TV screens.'

Watching it on TV - boy, that is tough work all right. And what was the 'hard work' thing about? Did Rove poll and find out people think the president vacations too much?

I also came to a full stop after the one about sending troops to die. 'I never - when I was running - when we had the debate in 2000, never dreamt I'd be doing that.' He never dreamt it?

It never occurred to him? Was this man prepared for the job? Help! "

The New York Times > International > Middle East > How the White House Embraced Disputed Arms Intelligence

2004-10-03T21:50:00.000-05:00

The New York Times > International > Middle East > How the White House Embraced Disputed Arms Intelligence

RollingStone.com: Politics- The Curse of Dick Cheney

2004-10-01T20:35:00.000-05:00

RollingStone.com: Politics
- The Curse of Dick Cheney:
The veep's career has been marred by one disaster after another

By T.D. ALLMAN

Welcome to DMCC web site - Diplomats & Military Commanders for Change Official web site

2004-09-30T19:23:00.000-05:00

Welcome to DMCC web site - Diplomats & Military Commanders for Change Official web site:
"AMERICANS ARE LESS SAFE UNDER BUSH ADMINISTRATION POLICIES

WHY AMERICA IS LESS SECURE

President Bush asserts that America is safer as a result of the war in Iraq. But, according to recent Gallup, CBS and NBC polls, Americans increasingly feel less secure because of the war. They are right. While the president declared victory in Afghanistan after the major battles with Al Qaeda, it is clear Al Qaeda is still active, and according to senior Bush Administration officials is currently plotting new attacks against the US from the Afghan-Pakistan border. Al Qaeda has also worked successfully to help new terrorist organizations and activities around the world - Indonesia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Spain - as well as Iraq.

Seymour Hersh on the Daily Show

2004-09-30T13:12:00.000-05:00

This is a clip in mp3 format. It is a little over 6mb to download. Right click the link to save to your computer or listen online.
Seymour Hersh and Jon Stewart

The Union Leader and New Hampshire Sunday News - 29-Sep-04 - Another View:Why I will vote for John Kerry for Presidentby John Eisenhower

2004-09-29T13:58:00.000-05:00

The Union Leader and New Hampshire Sunday News - 29-Sep-04 - Another View:
Why I will vote for John Kerry for President:
"As son of a Republican President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, it is automatically expected by many that I am a Republican. For 50 years, through the election of 2000, I was. With the current administration%u2019s decision to invade Iraq unilaterally, however, I changed my voter registration to independent, and barring some utterly unforeseen development, I intend to vote for the Democratic Presidential candidate, Sen. John Kerry.

The fact is that today's "Republican" Party is one with which I am totally unfamiliar. To me, the word "Republican" has always been synonymous with the word "responsibility," which has meant limiting our governmental obligations to those we can afford in human and financial terms. Today's whopping budget deficit of some $440 billion does not meet that criterion."

The Lone Star ICONOCLAST - Editorial, Opinion of the Publishers

2004-09-29T10:30:00.000-05:00

The Lone Star ICONOCLAST - Editorial, Opinion of the Publishers:
Kerry Will Restore American Dignity 2004
Iconoclast Presidential Endorsement

National News: Bush's Hometown Newspaper Endorses Kerry

2004-09-28T23:07:00.000-05:00

National News: Bush's Hometown Newspaper Endorses Kerry:
"Sept 28, 2004 (AXcess News) Crawford TX - A newspaper in President Bush's small adopted hometown of Crawford, Texas, has endorsed his Democratic opponent, John Kerry, for president.

In an editorial published Tuesday, the weekly Lone Star Iconoclast criticized President Bush's record on Iraq and the economy.The paper, with a circulation of 425, also denounced Mr. Bush's handling of Social Security and Medicare. It urged Texans not to rate candidates by their hometown or political party, but by where each intends to take the country.

The Lone Star Iconoclast said it had endorsed Mr. Bush in the 2000 election. President Bush spends numerous weekends and vacations at his ranch in Crawford.

Source: Voice of America

Is Colin Powell growing tired of Bush politics?

2004-09-27T13:42:00.000-05:00

Is Colin Powell growing tired of Bush politics?:
"Unlike his boss (George Bush), who claims Iraq is making steady progress towards the election next year, the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, admits that the violence in Iraq is getting worse.

Most of the world can already see this of course, but few in the Bush administration have had the courage to actually confirm it. Only a few days ago Powell's deputy made a comment that conflicted with Donald Rumsfeld's view on the coming elections, saying that the elections should be open to all. Rumsfeld had said that certain 'more dangerous' areas may be excluded from the elections.

There is no doubt that Powell feels uncomfortable with some of the things that are happening in the administration and while he has managed to give the appearance of being loyal, there are times when you can see a certain reluctance on his face.

Jeffrey St. Clair: High Plains Grifter, the Life and Crimes of George W. Bush

2004-09-24T11:05:00.000-05:00

Jeffrey St. Clair: High Plains Grifter, the Life and Crimes of George W. Bush

MSNBC - The Story That Didn't Run

2004-09-23T20:31:00.000-05:00

MSNBC - The Story That Didn't Run:
"Here's the piece that 60 Minutes killed for its report on the Bush Guard documents"

Daily Kos

2004-09-23T15:23:00.000-05:00

TANG Typewriter: It Was ROVE

CNN.com - McCain: Bush not straight enough on Iraq - Sep 19, 2004

2004-09-19T17:21:00.000-05:00

CNN.com - McCain: Bush not straight enough on Iraq - Sep 19, 2004:

"WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Several Republicans and Democrats took President Bush to task on Sunday's talk shows over his repeated assertions that all is well in Iraq."

We're Not in Lake Wobegon Anymore

2004-09-18T15:57:00.000-05:00

We're Not in Lake Wobegon Anymore

Daily Kos :: Kerry hires fired worker

2004-09-17T11:55:00.000-05:00

Daily Kos :: Kerry hires fired worker:

"Diariests covered the Gobbel story thoroughly. You know the one -- in which Lynne Gobbell was fired from her Decatur, Alabama job for showing up to work with a Kerry/Edwards bumpersticker on her car. Well, there's a happy ending.
The story was picked up by Daily Kos, a political Web log, and spread quickly around the Web. By this morning, Geddes, who has declined to comment publicly on the matter, had apparently had enough of the bad publicity. Through an intermediary, he offered Gobbell an apology and said she could have her old job back. But Gobbell said she wouldn't return without some written guarantee that Geddes wouldn't turn around and fire her once he was out of the spotlight. Then, late this afternoon, Kerry himself phoned Gobbell. 'He was telling me how proud he was that I stood up,' Gobbell told me. 'He'd read the part where Phil said I could either work for him or work for John Kerry. He said, 'you let him know you're working for me as of today.' I was just so shocked.'

Gobbell accepted Kerry's job offer, 'so I reckon I'll be working for John Kerry.' Kerry left it that someone from his campaign would call Gobbell to work out the details. Let's hope there's quick follow-through (I'll be checking!), because Gobbell told me she couldn't wait to tell Geddes that she had a better offer.
What's amazing about this story is that as far as this site is concerned, the story lived, entirely, in the diaries. It's not a topic that made the center column (I felt the diarists had the story well covered). Yet given the size of this community, being a top-rated Recommended Diary has its own cachet. That's pretty cool.

Of course, the Kerry campaign has a six week lifespan. Gobbell should look around for something a little more, er, permanent."

Moulton woman says she lost job for sporting Kerry sticker on car

2004-09-17T11:50:00.000-05:00

Moulton woman says she lost job for sporting Kerry sticker on car:

"MOULTON %u2014 Lynne Gobbell never imagined the cost of a John Kerry-John Edwards bumper sticker could run so high."

CNN.com - Laura Bush heckled during campaign speech - Sep 17, 2004

2004-09-17T11:29:00.000-05:00

CNN.com - Laura Bush heckled during campaign speech - Sep 17, 2004:

"Wearing a T-shirt with the message 'President Bush You Killed My Son,' Sue Niederer of nearby Hopewell screamed questions at the first lady as the audience tried to drown her out by chanting, 'Four more years! Four more years!'

She pressed on, refused to leave and eventually police removed her from the firehouse rally.

The first lady finished her speech, praising the administration's achievements in the war on terror and the economy.

Outside, Niederer said she wanted to ask Laura Bush 'Why the senators, the legislators, the congressmen, why aren't their children serving?'

She went on to blame the president for the death of her 24-year-old son, Army First Lieutenant Seth Dvorin. He was killed while trying to defuse a roadside bomb that exploded on him.

'My son was in the Army, and he was killed February third this year,' she said.

As the Hamilton police and Secret Service agents surrounded her and reporters pressed her with questions, she held her ground, claiming 'I had my ticket' to attend the speech by the first lady.

Police subsequently handcuffed her and she was led away to a nearby van. As she was escorted, she repeatedly shouted 'Police brutality' and demanded to know her rights and the charges."

Judge dismisses charge against war protester - Wednesday, 09/15/04

2004-09-15T22:33:00.000-05:00

Judge dismisses charge against war protester -
Wednesday, 09/15/04

Free Speech?

2004-09-15T15:27:00.000-05:00

Couple Arrested for Wearing Anti-Bush Tee Shirts

Guardian Unlimited | Guardian daily comment | Sexed-up reports, pressure on the UN ... here we go again

2004-09-12T18:15:00.000-05:00

Guardian Unlimited | Guardian daily comment | Sexed-up reports, pressure on the UN ... here we go again:

"History is beginning to repeat itself, this time over Iran. Just two years after the notorious Downing Street dossier on Saddam Hussein's alleged weapons of mass destruction and the first efforts to get United Nations approval for war, Washington is trying to create similar pressures for action against Iran.

The ingredients are well-known: sexed-up intelligence material which puts the target country in the worst possible light; moves to get the UN to declare it in 'non- compliance', thereby claiming justification for going in unilaterally even if the UN gives no support for invasion; and at the back of the whole brouhaha, a clique of American neoconservatives whose real agenda is regime change.

The immediate focus for action against Iran is the International Atomic Energy Agency, which has produced five reports on Iran in the last 14 months. Part of the UN, with an international board which acts like a mini security council, the IAEA's reports have raised questions about Iran's professedly civilian nuclear programme and its desire to create its own fuel cycle which could eventually be used to produce bombs."

Creators.com - Creators Syndicate

2004-09-11T14:43:00.000-05:00

Molly Ivins:

"The Cork had a theory about how to choose a president. He always said it didn't matter who was running, that it was unnecessary to pay any attention to them. What matters, he said, is the approximately 1,500 people the president brings to Washington with him, his appointments to the positions where people actually run things. The question to consider is which 1,500 people we get.

So here are a few suggestions:

-- At the EPA, you do not want people who think it's a good idea to allow more arsenic in the water. When someone, anyone proposes allowing more arsenic in the water, what you want is people at the EPA who promptly say: 'No. Not a good idea.'

-- There are some lawyers, and then there are other lawyers. You do not want lawyers at the Justice Department (or the White House or the Defense Department) who, when asked to prepare a legal brief defending torture, do so. You want lawyers at Justice (and the White House and the Defense Department) who say: 'No. Torture is not a good idea. Trying to wiggle out from under our laws, international treaties and civilized norms is not a good idea.'

You especially don't want lawyers who defend torture promoted to the federal bench. It is not a good idea to have the CIA using the same 'interrogation technique' that was so favored by the Gestapo.

This is counterproductive as well as wrong.

-- You don't want folks in charge of the IRS who think it is more important to audit poor people than rich people. That is dumb.

-- You do not want people in charge of foreign policy who are fools enough to believe in Ahmad Chalabi, a convicted con man and, it turns out, probably a spy for Iran. Those people should be fired. Especially when some of them are now also being investigated for giving classified information to Israel.

-- Having your Department of Homeland Security turn out to be a public disgrace indicates that you have either not put the right people in charge or they are not getting enough support.

-- When 'Hurricane Hits Florida Yet Again' becomes a standing headline right up there with 'Canadian Trade Talks Continue,' you may want to put people in charge of policy who recognize that global warming not only exists but threatens us all.

-- If the people a president puts in charge of foreign policy are all from the same small circle of rigid ideologues, what happens is that they end up listening only to themselves, and on that way lies disaster.

-- When the people who are running the Food and Drug Administration do so to benefit the big processors and the big drug companies, people get hurt, and some of them die."

Click on link above to read more.

Love Docs

2004-09-07T10:49:00.000-05:00

Bush on OB/GYNs captured from Keith Olberman's Countdown on MSNBC

JOSEPH WILSON

2004-09-05T17:20:00.000-05:00

Joseph Wilson on CSPAN II.
Rather large file... give it a few minutes to load

Molly Ivins: Unmitigated Gall

2004-09-04T16:04:00.000-05:00

Molly Ivins:

"While I was prepared to listen to much rhetoric about Bush%u2019s stalwart firmness as he steers the ship of state in the wrong direction, I was startled to hear Giuliani try to make points over our falling out with so many allies.

Look, the Coalition of the Willing is a public embarrassment, a monument to diplomatic witlessness, not to mention open bribery. To blame others for our diplomatic failure is both fatuous and offensive. Then to repeat Bush%u2019s obnoxious little bully line, %u201CYou%u2019re either with us or you%u2019re with the terrorists,%u201D is both stupid and dangerous.

The perception that we lack a decent respect for the opinions of mankind itself contributes to terrorism. Why encourage Americans, many of whom are already dangerously xenophobic, to treat the arguments of other nations with contemptuous dismissal? Especially when so many of them have been proved right?

Loved the Schwarzenegger speech and apologize again for having accidentally misappropriated the wonderful line of Clive James', the Australian journalist: 'He looks like a condom stuffed with walnuts.' "

Guardian Unlimited | US elections 2004 | George Jr sent out of Texas by father as a 'drunken liability'

2004-09-03T13:02:00.000-05:00

Guardian Unlimited | US elections 2004 | George Jr sent out of Texas by father as a 'drunken liability'

Sieg Heil

2004-09-02T21:24:00.000-05:00

SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Politics -- A father gets anti-war message to the floor

2004-09-02T12:27:00.000-05:00

SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Politics -- A father gets anti-war message to the floor:

"Escondido resident cracks GOP security
By David Washburn
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

September 2, 2004

NEW YORK %u2013 Thousands voiced their anger toward President Bush in the streets on Tuesday, but peace activist Fernando Suarez del Solar of Escondido took his message to the floor of the Republican National Convention.

As first lady Laura Bush was delivering her prime-time speech in Madison Square Garden, Suarez, standing near the Texas delegation, held a banner that read, 'Bush Lied. My Son Died.'"

Bush is going over the edge, say his aides

2004-08-30T13:45:00.000-05:00

Bush is going over the edge, say his aides:

Monday June 28, 8:46 PM
Bush is going over the edge, say his aides

Washington, June 28 (ANI): US President George Bush is said to have gone crazy, at times going over the edge in cursing the media and liberal critics while calling them 'enemies of the state', the Daily Times quoted an online publication 'Capital Hill Blue' as saying Monday.

Bush has become increasingly unpredictable and erratic, the report said.

'In meetings with top aides and administration officials, the President goes from quoting the Bible in one breath to obscene tantrums against the media, Democrats and others that he classifies as 'enemies of the state',' it added.

According to it, the worried White House aides describe Bush as a man on the edge increasingly wary of those who disagree with him and paranoid of a public that no longer trusts his policies in Iraq or at home. 'It reminds me of the Nixon days,' it quoted a longtime GOP political consultant as saying adding 'Everybody is an enemy; everybody is out to get him. That's the mood over there.'

Aides further say that the President gets 'hung up on minor details', micromanaging to the extreme while ignoring the bigger picture, and spends hours personally reviewing and approving every attack ad against his Democratic opponent and then kiss off a meeting on economic issues.

According to them, Bush says that he rules at the behest of God, can tongue-lash those he perceives as disloyal, calling them 'Editors bleep-bleep' in front of other staff, berating one cabinet official in front of others and labelling anyone who disagrees with him 'unpatriotic' or 'anti-American.'

One troubled aide was quoted as saying: 'The mood here is that we're under siege, there's no doubt about it. In this administration, you don't have to wear a turban or speak Farsi to be an enemy of the United States. All you have to do is disagree with the President.' He added that he was looking for work elsewhere to avoid Bush's remarks. (ANI)"

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Of Campaigns and Breakfast Cereals

2004-08-30T13:33:00.000-05:00

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Of Campaigns and Breakfast Cereals:

Of Campaigns and Breakfast Cereals
By BOB HERBERT
Published: August 30, 2004

Reason: The Vets' Case: A detailed analysis of the Swift Boat affair

2004-08-29T20:38:00.000-05:00

Reason: The Vets' Case: A detailed analysis of the Swift Boat affair:

"The Vets' Case
A detailed analysis of the Swift Boat affair
Jesse Walker"

Assault on Kerry Dishonors G.O.P.

2004-08-29T10:51:00.000-05:00

Assault on Kerry Dishonors G.O.P.:

"The attack on John Kerry%u2019s war record is a standard Republican 'gray propaganda operation,' created and financed by the Texas G.O.P. machine so that the White House can deny complicity, however implausibly. The attackers lack credibility, not only because of their partisan motives but because their most important witnesses have contradicted themselves or recanted their own prior statements, while offering no substantial evidence to support their grave accusations about whether Mr. Kerry earned his battlefield honors.

The Navy's official record, including numerous documents signed by senior officers now leading the assault on Mr. Kerry shows that he conducted himself with exemplary courage and honor in Vietnam. That official record is confirmed by the men who served in the boats he captained, as well as by other veterans now stepping forward to speak on his behalf after many years of silence.

Within the past week, the chief eyewitness against Mr. Kerry was thoroughly discredited. Larry Thurlow, the former Swift boat captain who claims that there was no enemy fire on the day when Mr. Kerry won his Bronze Star, turns out to have won his own Bronze Star in the same March 13, 1969, firefight. Confronted with that fact, Mr. Thurlow lamely retorted that he didn%u2019t remember what his own medal commendation stated about the incident. Did he never notice that his Bronze Star included the 'combat V' for valor which can only be awarded for bravery under enemy fire?"

Greater Democracy: Democracy for a connected world.

2004-08-28T11:03:00.000-05:00

Greater Democracy: Democracy for a connected world.:

"Excerpt of Ben Barnes on getting Bush into the National Guard - UNEDITED VIDEO"

Questions About Bush's Guard Service Unanswered

2004-08-27T16:08:00.000-05:00

Michael Moore.com : Mike's Message : Mike's Latest News:

"WASHINGTON - At a time when Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry has come under fire from a group of retired naval officers who say he lied about his combat record in Vietnam, questions about President Bush's 1968-73 stint in the Texas Air National Guard remain unresolved: (Related item: Bush urges end to TV attack ads by outside groups)

Some of the documents about President Bush's military service documents still have not been made public.

Why did Bush, described by some of his fellow officers as a talented and enthusiastic pilot, stop flying fighter jets in the spring of 1972 and fail to take an annual physical exam required of all pilots?

What explains the apparent gap in the president's Guard service in 1972-73, a period when commanders in Texas and Alabama say they never saw him report for duty and records show no pay to Bush when he was supposed to be on duty in Alabama?

Did Bush receive preferential treatment in getting into the Guard and securing a coveted pilot slot despite poor qualifying scores and arrests, but no convictions, for stealing a Christmas wreath and rowdiness at a football game during his college years?

The White House has released hundreds of pages of records, but the files released so far haven't answered those questions. Since the documents were released in February, at least a half-dozen news organizations, including USA TODAY, have filed new requests for Bush's military records under the Freedom of Information Act.

In an e-mail to USA TODAY last week, presidential spokesman Dan Bartlett said: 'The president has authorized the release of his records and we are complying with all requests. Some are taking longer than others, but all will be addressed.'

Past military service and qualifications to be commander in chief have become a central theme in the 2004 presidential campaign.

Questions about Bush's record predate the current campaign. The apparent gap in his Guard service first surfaced before the 2000 election, when The Boston Globe reported that Texas Guard commanders were unable to account for Bush's whereabouts from May 1972 to April 1973.

Bush has not said what he did in the Guard during that period. Aside from a statement by a former Alabama Air Guard officer who said he saw Bush report for duty there in the fall of 1972, the only evidence he was at Dannelly Air National Guard Base in Alabama was a record of a dental exam on Jan. 6, 1973, at the base. "

Who's a FlipFlopper?

2004-08-27T12:50:00.000-05:00

Captured from Keith Oberman's Countdown on MSNBC, weeknights at 8:00 EDT.
Rather large file... give it a few minutes to load

The Great American Shout Out | An Al Franken, Air America Radio Project

2004-08-27T10:52:00.000-05:00

The Great American Shout Out | An Al Franken, Air America Radio Project:

"On September 2nd, 2004, at approximately 10 pm, George W. Bush will appear on television screens nationwide. For some of our fellow citizens, this will be a moment of joy. But for most of us, it will be the low point of an incredibly exasperating week.

Until now, there have been only two options: miss the speech (either by screaming at the television or turning it off), or bottle up the frustration within us, causing irreparable psychological harm. The first option is unbecoming of citizens in a democracy. The second option is just terrible. But now, for the first time, we have a better way. At the moment we see the president on our television screens, we will rise. We will throw open our windows. And, as George W. Bush moves to the podium in New York City, we will send him a message about his bid for reelection: we will yell, "fuggedaboudit!"

This will be a peaceful, non-disruptive protest. We will stop yelling before the president starts speaking. Our goal is not to drown him out, but to communicate. (And vent.)

Service to USA

2004-08-26T20:20:00.000-05:00

What did you contribute?