Clarke Distancing Himself in the Service of Credibility

This is a great move, I think. Simultaneously strengthens the credibility of Clarke's claims and further erodes the Bushies' attempts to defend themselves by attacking Clarke as pro-Kerry. This can only help Kerry, imo.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040331/ap_on_el_pr/terrorism_adviser_4

Clarke Asks Anti-Bush Group to Pull TV Ads

By TED BRIDIS, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - President Bush's former counterterrorism adviser objected Wednesday to the use of his name and critical comments about Bush in a new broadcast advertisement from a political group supporting Democratic candidate John Kerry.

Richard Clarke said he instructed his lawyer to ask the MoveOn.org Voter Fund to stop broadcasting the ad, which Clarke said was created without his knowledge or permission. The group said it wouldn't pull the ad, and one outside legal expert said the ad was clearly permissible under U.S. copyright laws.

"I just don't want to be used," Clarke told The Associated Press. "I don't want to be part of what looks like a political TV ad. I'm trying hard to make this not a partisan thing but a discussion of how we stop terrorism from happening in the future, keep this on a policy issue. I don't want this to become any more emotional or personal than it has already."

The campaigns director for MoveOn, Eli Pariser, said Clarke's comments were presented fairly and accurately but acknowledged it didn't speak with Clarke about the spot.

"This is a public statement that Clarke had made," Pariser said. "We think it's important to get what Clarke has to say out there."

One copyright expert said Clarke had little legal recourse under copyright statutes protecting the publicity rights of celebrities or public figures.

"It's very difficult to imagine any claim that a court would take seriously in this context," said Susan Crawford, an assistant professor at Yeshiva University's Cardoza Law School in New York. "I'm surprised he's doing this. No one would assume that Richard Clarke encouraged them to do this."

Clarke's attorney, Robert B. Barnett, couldn't be reached immediately for comment; his office said he was traveling.

The advertisement by MoveOn.org accuses Bush of "shamelessly" exploiting the September 2001 terrorism attacks against New York and Washington. It includes two audio excerpts from an interview with Clarke that CBS aired on "60 Minutes" on March 21, the day before Clarke's book, "Against All Enemies," went on sale.

In the interview excerpts, Clarke said it was "outrageous" that Bush was promoting his response to the terror attacks because "he ignored terrorism for months when maybe we could have done something to stop 9-11."

A spokesman for CBS said the network didn't know about the ad.

"CBS News was unaware that MoveOn.org was using CBS News copyrighted material without permission and to advocate a point of view," spokesman Kevin Tedesco said. "We are exploring our options."

Clarke's scathing criticisms of the Bush administration's response to terrorism provoked an extraordinary response by the White House, which derided Clarke's assertions as false and irresponsible.

Clarke — whose closest friend is a top aide to Kerry — has sought to deflect charges that his complaints were politically motivated, pledging last week during congressional testimony not to accept any job offer from the Kerry campaign.

Clarke said it was unclear immediately whether he can legally demand that MoveOn stop airing the advertisement against Bush, since it includes remarks he made in a national news broadcast.

"The point is not whether they're acting illegally, but I certainly want everyone to understand they are acting without my permission and distorting my message," Clarke said.

___

On the Net:

MoveOn's disputed ad: http://flash.moveon.org/pac/images/clarke.mpg

putting your iPod to use

Audible.com is offering the audio of the 9/11 Commission Hearings for free. Pretty sweet. Listen at work while you pretend to work on worthless spreadsheets.

http://www.audible.com/911hearings

An Omen of Mutiny?

60 Minutes should be interesting watching tonight...

http://www.fox23news.com/news/national/story.aspx?content_id=C15ABD61-92BA-4AD7-BD55-DE2EDFA9381E

"Bush's former terror adviser harshly criticizes president"

"(Washington-AP) -- A former White House counterterrorism coordinator accuses the Bush administration of failing to recognize the al-Qaida threat before the attacks of Nine-Eleven.

"In a book to be released on Monday, "Against All Enemies" author Richard Clarke says President Bush has done "a terrible job on the war against terrorism."

"Clarke [an adviser to four presidents who left his position in February 2003 after 30 years in government service when the White House transferred functions of the cybersecurity board to Homeland Security] also criticizes Bush for invading Iraq, saying it helped brew anti-American sentiment among supporters of Osama bin Laden.

"Clarke is expected to testify Tuesday before a federal panel reviewing the attacks. He says Bush manipulated America into war with Iraq with dangerous consequences.

"In an interview to be aired Sunday on C-B-S's "60 Minutes" program, Clarke says that -- in his words -- "I find it outrageous that the president is running for re-election on the grounds that he's done such great things about terrorism. He ignored it."

A dude at Ace Hardware's perspective

I went to my local Hardware store to buy some wood I need for a table for my workstations.

"Holy Plywood!" I thought, "does a 4'x8' piece of crappy wood always cost over $45?!"

So I asked the dude at the hardware store what the shit was going on.

This dude is hanging out with his buddies between the cinderblocks and the 10'x12's. He wipes his hand on his Carhard pants, pulls a Winston out of his Carhard Jacket, strikes a match on his Carhard zipper, and sneaks his first puff through the hole between his canine and incisors.

Peaking out from his Dale Ernhart cap he doesn't ask if he can help me. He waits for me to ask.

"What's the deal?" I asked, "$40 for a piece of wood?!"

"Yeah," says Johnny Nascar, "It's peaked. Just a little while ago it was $11 a sheet."

"From $11 to $40?" I was irked, "What happened"

"Price went up". No kidding.

"When?"

"Right about when we went to Iraq. Something to do with demand for materials over there."

"How are people building houses with wood at these prices?" I pressed.

"Nobody's building. Nobody is buying wood at these prices. It sucks."

"Do you expect the price to go down soon?"

"Maybe a buck or two, but not down to where it was. I don't think it'll ever be that cheap again."

----

Seemed like an interesting enough conversation to post.

Bush is feeling the heat

So, Kerry's not Clinton. But he's not Gore either: he's fighting tough, and he's punching 'em right where they're most vulnerable. Which is exactly what he needs to be doing. Bush's notoriously unshakeable confidence is starting to erode. Which is exactly what we need.

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/2004/la-na-reelect12mar12,1,7430989.story?coll=la-politics-pointers

excerpts follow:

Key Republicans Admit Anxiety Over Campaign
Some say Bush's team has moved too slowly and has failed to address economic concerns.
As President Bush steps up his reelection bid, key Republican officials and strategists are expressing concern about his campaign, saying the White House took too long to engage in the race and lacks a clear strategy for addressing voters' economic worries.

...the nervousness is a notable shift from earlier Republican bravado, as is the criticism of a White House political team that, until recently, has been widely regarded as perhaps the best in the business.

"We've seen a lot of mistakes and, frankly, some degree of incompetence out of an operation that, up to now, was closing ranks and executing very well," said a GOP strategist who sometimes advises the White House. Like some others interviewed, he did not want to be identified.

...some inside the campaign acknowledge Bush's reelection team has been less than sure-footed in responding to Kerry's daily attacks and to the anxiety in states where job losses remain a critical issue.

...Just a few months ago, the president seemed in a commanding position to win reelection. Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was in custody. Statistics out of Washington suggested an economy primed for strong job growth. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean seemed poised to win the Democratic nomination, setting up a November contest many Republicans relished.

But the post-Hussein euphoria wore off quickly. Job creation has been anemic. And Dean's campaign collapsed, clearing a path for Kerry, a veteran senator from Massachusetts, to emerge as the presumptive Democratic nominee more quickly and in better political shape than many expected.

"That's the thing nobody guessed," said Kenneth M. Duberstein, an aide in the Reagan White House. Republicans "expected more civil war."

Bush's State of the Union address in January, a chance to frame the election-year debate, disappointed many Republicans, one of whom dubbed it "a laundry list" with no thematic core. The president, this GOP strategist added, is "at his strongest when he's focused on three, four things to the exclusion of all others…. He's all over the map now, sending a lot of confused messages to the voters."

Meantime, the Kerry campaign has taken credit for throwing the administration on the defensive twice this week alone.

On Monday, Kerry lambasted Bush for declining to meet for more than an hour with the commission investigating the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. A day later, a White House spokesman said Bush would answer all of the panel's questions.

..."We need key states in the Midwest, where the whole outsourcing [of jobs] is a big problem, and we don't have an answer," said a GOP strategist on Capitol Hill who requested anonymity. "This White House that seemed to be so disciplined, so political, doing such a good job, looks awfully bumbling to me."

Media-ocracy

I can't believe this. I am already sick of the election. Its getting ridiculous. Plain and simple.

The negative ads are out and they are FEROCIOUS.

In a reference to the debate over the Iraq war, it (the Bush/Satan ad) accuses Kerry of wanting "to delay defending America until the United Nations approved."

Wait, aren't we a part of the United Naitons, or are all of those signs I used to see in Indiana that read "GET US out of UN" getting to G-Dub's head?

What I don't understand is how Kerry thinks he can win by being that stalwart ol' Dem from Mass with a winning smile and Red Sox hat.

Did we learn anything from Dukakis? Homeboy had some eyebrows, that's for sheez.

The reality of the situaiton is that these guys are both LOADED, went to YALE and both SKULL AND BONES ALUMNUS. Their ideologies are different, but only enough to make them appear different to John Q. Voter (who happens to be out of a job, 20 pounds overweight, in debt, drives an SUV, kids doing drugs, wife on Xanax and his proudest moment is attending the Save Mart 500 with his buddies and drinkin' Busch Light out of a can).

I think that the media has made this to be a Dem vs Repub thing when in my opinion, it is a sleazy politician versus a holy warrior .

The good part is, we can get this holy warrior back to his rightful position as long as our generation gets off its collective arse and vote. PLEASE!

WAR,

E

drug policy propaganda

Hey y'all, i work in drug policy, and had to share this little nugget:

"According to the American Psychiatric Association, marijuana use may trigger panic attacks, paranoia and even psychoses, especially if users are suffering from anxiety, depression, or having thinking problems."

thinking problems?

It's not the Economy...

It's our economy. And here are two viewpoints:

THIS IS FRIGGIN MATH!
Stocks Drop After Record Trade Deficit

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks fell sharply on Wednesday, canceling out the Dow Jones industrial average's (^DJI - News) gains for the year, as investors shunned equities after data showing a record U.S. trade deficit cast doubt on the soundness of the economic recovery.

And in the other corner, W. weighs in:

WASHINGTON -- President Bush, defending his record on the economy, urged Americans on Tuesday to disregard "economic isolationists" who would discourage global trade.

"If we are to continue growing this economy and creating new jobs, America must remain confident and strong about our ability to trade," Bush said at a Commerce Department business awards ceremony in Arlington, Va.

...

Bush claimed in his remarks that "today, our economy is strong and it is getting stronger."

Delusion. Simple, absurd delusion.

Hey Shrub, here's a donught for your optimism ... while they last:

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. (NYSE:KKD - News) shares slid, despite higher quarterly earnings, as an analyst cited an unexpected drop in the doughnut chain's profit margin. Its shares ended off $3.94, or 10.32 percent, at $34.22.

Someone call Homer, we've got a crisis on our hands!

Stock Tip

Listen up. I'll make you rich, baby.

All your wildest dreams ... come true on this pile of cash, trust me.

The new progressive talk radio network, Air America, is set to launch March 31st and:

Air America Radio is in negotiations with satellite television and satellite radio providers. These national services will allow potential listeners to tune in anywhere in the country. The details of these partnerships will be unveiled soon.

I can't tell you what a sea change this is in the talk radio landscape. I have never listened to a progressive/democrat/liberal/latte-drinker/communist radio broadcast before (although I have seen Democracy Now on the television) - and I have listened to this genre all my life.

The one expection to this is my man Howard Stern. His show has moved from the "Shock Jock" genre to a mix of strippers, congressmen and outright criticism of the Bush administration. And this morning, he admitted that he has been speaking with the XM and Sirius people. He's even thinking of starting his own sattelite radio network.

The prospect of this new outlet being available over a distribution network that is not edited, has no commercials and can be delivered to anyone with the gear is downright staggering. And let's face it, the cost of buying in to Satellite Radio is only going to go down as demand goes up.

If I were a big time wheeler-dealer on Wall Street right now, I'd buy BIG into Satellite Radio right now. XM and Sirius seem like the big boys.

And as the average consumer, I'm also faced with the Pepsi vs. Coke question of 2004: Sirius or XM?

Google for President

Vote Google for President!!

The only candidate with all the answers.

Demand Google for U.S. President in 2004. The non human answer.

This is pretty fun:
Google Race

You put in 1 or 2 words. The site uses google to determine how often each candidate's name appears with that word. It takes a minute, so be patient.

For example:
GoogleRace "Liar". George W. Bush appears first.
GoogleRace "Lie". Joe LIE-berman wins!

Cutting off tongues

Two examples of the drastic assaults currently being perpetrated on the our right to speak and our right to know.

RIP Freedom of the press. RIP Freedom of Speech.

1: Howard Stern is being made an example of

Only recently did the FCC start fining him severely for things the show has been doing for a long timer (eg, using the word n****r). Stern is claiming that the fines started coming only after he became critical of the administration, on stem-cell research, on gay marriage, and on the FCC's reaction to Boob-gate.

Stern sees a political and religious agenda behind his removal:

"There's a cultural war going on. The religious right is winning. We're losing.''

2: MoveOn.org is being silenced

If this wasn't so f'ed, it'd almost be funny:

On Friday, the Republican National Committee sent a letter to approximately 250 television stations around the country informing station managers that the ads purchased by the MoveOn.org Voter Fund violate Federal Election Law. The RNC requested that stations either decline to run the ads or pull from the air any ads that may already be airing.

If you haven't seen MoveOn's ads, you should check them out (1, 2, etc). They're genius.

My heart goes out to you, John Ashcroft

I am so sad that I have to report to you that the Religious Right leader of the current administration (AKA John Ashcroft, the Attorney General), has been hospitalized. (Seen here with Lady Liberty, who he has since covered up because his religion forbids nudity, and his Administration forbids Liberty)

When any person becomes ill and is forced to enter the care of Doctors (I'm sure Ashcroft's don't belive in abortion, birth control or emancipation of slavery...but I digress) it forces those who care about them, namely myself, to reflect (again) on some of the great things this public servant has done for our country. So, without furher, I mean further...sorry, ado...

THE TOP TEN LIST OF GREAT THINGS JOHN ASHCROFT HAS DONE:

10) He forgot to investigate the voting rights abomination in Florida!

stice Department attorneys have not become involved in any of the lawsuits alleging voter disfranchisement in Florida or elsewhere other than to review changes to Florida's law as they are required to do.

9) He overstates threats against our country!

That Ashcroft overstated the threat of the Padilla Plot... shows with egregious clarity how willing Ashcroft is to use scare-tactics to grab headlines, control the news agenda and make himself look good.

8) He's spent time connecting with the youth of our country through an interactive web game!

7) His church, The Assemblies of God, is very accepting of all types of people!

Generally it is risky for Christians to build deep friendships with those who do not share a spiritual bond in Christ. If the friendship has no deep spiritual unity, it is then based on secular values, material interests, and views of the world. In such instances the negative spiritual toll on the Christian is significant as one’s spirit is constantly dulled through repeated exposure to worldviews and ideas. Few Christians are able to live consistent holy lives when unequally yoked in deep friendships with unbelievers.

6) He does his darndest to uphold the Separation of Church and State!

Unique among the nations, America recognized the source of our character as being godly and eternal, not being civic and temporal. And because we have understood that our source is eternal, America has been different. We have no king but Jesus.

5) He has totally tossed Freedom out the window! Did this guy ever study my homeslice TJ?

And though we well know that this Assembly, elected by the people for the ordinary purposes of legislation only, have no power to restrain the acts of succeeding Assemblies, constituted with powers equal to our own, and that therefore to declare this act irrevocable would be of no effect in law; yet we are free to declare, and do declare, that the rights hereby asserted are of the natural rights of mankind, and that if any act shall be hereafter passed to repeal the present or to narrow its operation, such act will be an infringement of natural right."

4) He defends Patriots! "

To those who scare peace loving people with phantoms of lost liberty, my message is this: your tactics aid terrorists for they erode our national unity and diminish our resolve. They give ammunition to America's enemies and pause to America's friends.

3) To him, "Under God" Trumps Religious Freedom in Schools!

"The Justice Department will spare no effort to preserve the rights of all our citizens to pledge allegiance to the American flag. We will defend the ability of Americans to declare their patriotism through the time-honored tradition of voluntarily reciting the Pledge." (Feb. 28, 2003)

2) When it comes to the NRA, he'll bend over backward!

Attorney General John Ashcroft, in testimony before Congress yesterday, for the first time refused to offer support for re-authorizing the federal ban on assault weapons. Ashcroft's comments before the Senate Judiciary Committee represent an apparent reversal of Bush Administration policy as well as Ashcroft's prior statements before the committee.

1) If all of those didn't convince you what an honorable man he is...check out this quote from Southern Partisan Magazine. Then read some more things they say:

"Your magazine also helps set the record straight. You've got a heritage of doing that, of defending Southern patriots like [Robert E.] Lee, [Stonewall] Jackson and [Confederate President Jefferson] Davis. Traditionalists must do more. I've got to do more. We've all got to stand up and speak in this respect, or else we'll be taught that these people were giving their lives, subscribing their sacred fortunes and their honor to some perverted agenda."
--John Ashcroft, Southern Partisan magazine interview (Second Quarter/1998)

WAR,

E

The Book or Reality?

One of the mainstays of the Religious Right's objections with gay marriage, and gays in general is that "The Bible Sez Its Wrong". Ahh...the Bible, the only thing that matters:

Homosexual relations must not be elevated to moral equality with the love of a husband and a wife in marriage.

Wait, moral equality? What does it say about the Ten Commandments again?

10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's.

OK, so maybe God doesn't want us to "covet our neighbor's asses"...BUT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT DONKEYS, not ACTUAL ASSES. Duh! If you take all the ten commandments seriously, you'd have some pretty messed up people living in your society. This article goes in to that more:

To accommodate modernity and personal convenience, Holy Scripture is susceptible to broader, more liberal interpretations -- even among the self-proclaimed conservative moralists. Only gay people are to be held to the ancient literalisms.

I thought it was Jesus himself who said, "love thy neighbor". What if your neighbor likes to covet his neighbor's ass? Who cares right? Well, unless who are a homophobe (instert Newt Gingrich's snickering evil face here) you shouldn't...and its exactly all this Bible talk that is so interesting about the Neo-Con's and their Crusade for the Family.

And, just to add more fuel to the fire, lets see what Pat Robertson says about Islam!!

Under no circumstances is Jehovah, the God of the Bible, and Allah, of the Koran, the same. First of all, the God of the Bible is a God of love and redemption, who sent His Son into the world to die for our sins. Allah tells people to die for him in order to get salvation, but there is no understanding of salvation.

YAY! Lets claim moral superiority over a whole other religion! That's not bad, right? God is on our side, right George? Hey, the Crusades were great, lets give those another shot!

There is an interesting symmetry between the terms "Crusade" and "Jihad". In the West the term "Crusade" has positive connotations (for example a politician might use rhetoric such as "a crusade against illegal drugs") while the term "Jihad" has negative connotations associated with fanatical holy war. In the Islamic world the term "Jihad" has positive connotations that include a much broader meaning of general personal and spiritual struggle, while the term "Crusade" has the negative connotations described above. Thus it is viewed by some that to correctly translate nuances of meaning, the use of "Jihad" in Arabic should be translated to "Crusade" in English while use of the Arabic term for "Crusade" should be translated to "Jihad" in English.

OK, gotta leave you with some more Pat Robertson quotes...these are AWESOME!

"Just like what Nazi Germany did to the Jews, so liberal America is now doing to the evangelical Christians. It's no different. It is the same thing. It is happening all over again. It is the Democratic Congress, the liberal-based media and the homosexuals who want to destroy the Christians. Wholesale abuse and discrimination and the worst bigotry directed toward any group in America today. More terrible than anything suffered by any minority in history."--Pat Robertson, 1993 interview with Molly Ivins.

"The feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism, and become lesbians." -- Pat Robertson, fundraising letter, 1992

Please read them all...but this is the most interesting one from that page:

"I don't know that atheists should be considered citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God."-- George Bush

Here's to Evangelical Fascism (A.K.A. The Bush Administration),

E

Dear Senator Kerry

Dear Senator Kerry,

I have been an ardent supporter of Howard Dean for almost a year now. Yesterday I voted for Dean in Vermont's primary.

Today you have my support. 5 minutes ago I made my first monetary contribution to the Kerry campaign.

I am writing to ask/plead/demand that you incorporate into your campaign 2 key parts of Howard Dean's campaign:

1) Fully involve your supporters. When Howard Dean said that we are going to take our country back, he not only meant that corporate interests were going to go, he also meant that average citizens were going to be involved in the governance of our country. I believed him because he asked me and the rest of his supporters to decide crucial questions for his campaign, because I could download lists of democrats and make campaign phone calls from my own house, and because everything about his campaign from his e-mails to his speeches to his weblog was straightforward, transparent, and honest.

2) Stand up for real change. The democratic candidate needs a strong backbone. Dean proved to me that he has real convictions by speaking out against the Iraq war before it was popular to do so. I commend you for also speaking against the Iraq war, but I need to see your convictions when it matters. Opportunities constantly present themselves: U.S. involvement in Haiti is a prime example.

I’m not asking you to change your platform, but to truly follow through with these things that you already proclaim. Don’t just say them, make me believe. You have my support today, but if you don’t follow through then you will loose my support. Convince us all or you will loose the support of the hundreds of thousands of democrats that Dean brought into this process, and you will loose the election in November.

Bush exploits 9/11

This campaign is not going to be simply dirty, it's going to be pornographic. Are the Dems ready to play?

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=1&u=/ap/20040304/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_political_ads_12

"Harold Schaitberger, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, on Thursday called the ads disgraceful and said they should be pulled.

"'We're not going to stand for him to put his arm around one of our members on top of a pile of rubble at Ground Zero during a tragedy and then stand by and watch him cut money for first responders,' Schaitberger said. He said his union is politically independent even though it endorsed Kerry and has donated money to Republicans.

"Barbara Minervino, a Republican from Middletown, N.J., who lost her husband, Louis, in the attacks, questioned whether Bush was 'capitalizing on the event.'

"David Potorti, an independent from Cary, N.C., whose brother Jim died in the north tower, called the campaign's use of the images audacious.

"'It's an insult to use the place where my brother died in an ad,' Potorti said. 'I would be just as outraged if any politician did this.'

"Until Bush cooperates with the federal commission that is investigating the nation's preparedness before the attacks and its response 'by testifying in public under oath ... he should not be using 9/11 as political propaganda,' said Kristen Breitweiser, of Middletown Township, N.J., whose husband, Ronald Breitweiser, 39, died in the World Trade Center.

"'Three thousand people were murdered on President Bush's watch,'" Breitweiser said. 'He has not cooperated with the investigation to find out why that happened.' "

And the Bushies' JUSTIFICATION for this kind of crass exploitation?

" 'September 11th was not just a distant tragedy. It's a defining event for the future of our country,' Karen Hughes, a Bush campaign adviser, told 'The Early Show' on CBS on Thursday. 'Obviously, all of us mourn and grieve for the victims of that terrible day, but September 11 fundamentally changed our public policy in many important ways, and I think it's vital that the next president recognize that.' "

Wartime Propaganda

Monroe Doctrine of PAIN!

Ahh...Springtime in the Caribbean. Peaceful people making their way in the world today! "There is an orderly and constitutional political process under way in Haiti," Boucher said.

But not all is well in paraside...

Some seem to think that the history of the United States' involvement in the region changes with each successive administration, IMAGINE THAT!

"The crisis in Haiti is another case of brazen US manipulation of a small, impoverished country with the truth unexplored by journalists. President George Bush's foreign policy team came into office intent on toppling Mr Aristide, long reviled by powerful US conservatives such as former senator Jesse Helms who obsessively saw him as another Fidel Castro in the Caribbean. Such critics fulminated when President Bill Clinton restored Mr Aristide to power in 1994, and they succeeded in getting US troops withdrawn soon afterwards, well before the country could be stabilised. In terms of help to rebuild Haiti, the US Marines left behind about eight miles of paved roads and essentially nothing else. In the meantime, the so-called "opposition", a coterie of rich Haitians linked to the preceding Duvalier regime and former (and perhaps current) CIA operatives, worked Washington to lobby against Mr Aristide."

The Daily Show, the only show with cojones to take on the Evil Empire of the Bush Administration- pointed out last night how much better it is now that two former military death squad leaders have control of a country. Hmmm...then this quote all seems to make sense (from CNN article):

In Washington, Vice President Dick Cheney said he is happy that Aristide is out of office...

Ahh...another Republican rallying against democratically elected leaders...Chavez in Venezuela didn't work out, but Aristide in Haiti was EASY. Thanks for looking out for Democracy Mr. Cheney, and God Bless Freedom!

(and remember, God is on our side...ahh, religious imagery to fuel fear amongst its populace...Fascism anyone?)

WAR,

E

3 Cheers for Brooke Lierman!

Just wanted to give a shout out to a fascinating person to know.. She introduced me to politics in a way I had never seen it before: shouting "Bullshit!" (not one to mince words) to opinions I had always taken for granted and inviting me to go see this fellow ... ummm ... Howard something or other.

And now, as the our campaign for the nomination has ended, I don't really feel sad at all either. I feel so lucky to have been able to meet so many wonderful people in Wisconsin and to work for such an innovative and empowering campaign. I can only hope that I helped and inspired the people I worked with as much as they inspired me.

Brooke has spent the past months busting her ass for something she believed in - and it didn't work out as she would have wanted. But that won't stop her from continuing to fight for what she knows is right or dogcuss what she knows is wrong. Her hard work should be an inspiration to all of us - and I look forward to her continued contribution and our continued friendship.

And so it begins...

President Bush called John Kerry tonight to congratulate the MA senator on his nomination for president. The handshake before the heavyweight brawl.

The gears of the Bush campaign have begun turning. Even before tonight, the Bush machine already had Kerry clearly in their sights. At the Governor's conference a week ago, Bush referred to the Democratic primary race: "The candidates are an interesting group, with diverse opinions--for tax cuts and against them, for NAFTA and against NAFTA, for the Patriot Act and against the Patriot Act...And that's just one senator from Massacusetts."

Next comes the advertising blitz. The first set of ads the Bush campaign is likely to run are positive ads referring to the "rebounding economy" his "success" in the War on Terror and whatever other straw Rove's Rumpelstiltskins can spin into gold. Expect these ads to start coming soon. As a result, expect Kerry's current moderate lead over GW to shrink as Bush begins to put his close-to-$2M war chest to work. This reality should put some fire under our asses.

We have a candidate. Like it or not, John Kerry is the only man who will be given a chance to beat George W. Bush in 2004. It's time to quit wishing for Edwards, for Dean, for Kucinich or for Sharpton, and it's time to start working for Kerry. We don't love the guy, but we'll take him. The thing is, we can't have him unless we get to work. If we don't make it happen, we'll have Bush for four more years.

What can we do? Register voters? Make phone calls? I'm sure that these are really important things that need to get done, but <snooty>they don't take a college degree to do and frankly I'm too easily bored by that stuff</snooty>. More importantly, I don't want to make phone calls because I don't want to spend 20 min to touch a single person. I want to spend 100 hours to touch 100,000 people. How can we affect THOUSANDS of people to vote the right way in Nov. 2004?

Believe it or not, we are getting 20+ unique readers at this Blog every day. God knows where they're coming from, but they're here. Although we are getting some search engine hits the majority of our readers must be friends and friends of friends. 20 viewers/day is not thousands, but we're growing quickly.

If we start thinking hard about how to make a difference in this country (and specifically in this election) can we make something happen? Or are we tooting our own horns? Spinning our wheels? Singing to the choir? Overusing cliches?

What groups can we touch that might not otherwise be touched by the DNC machinery?

To Repeat: I don't want to spend 20 min to touch a single person. I want to spend 100 hours to touch 100,000 people. How can we affect THOUSANDS of people to vote the right way in Nov. 2004?

Steroid Nation

Well, its offical...Baseball players are on the juice. Now, I am a huge baseball fan, and although sports plays little role in anything but sucking money from unsuspecting parents forced to buy their kids the new uniform every year, it still bothers me that Baseball players use steroids. I love the Giants, but seriously, Barry Bonds hit 73 Homeruns in 2001! He never even got to 50 homers before or since that year. That's insane

The current scandal was started when Ken Caminiti, a former MVP, admitted using steroids. He also said that over half of baseball players do. Jose Canseco, a wife beating moron, said that 45-85 percent of players "juice up". Even George W., a regime changing moron, says this about 'roids:

To help children make right choices, they need good examples. Athletics play such an important role in our society, but, unfortunately, some in professional sports are not setting much of an example. The use of performance-enhancing drugs like steroids in baseball, football, and other sports is dangerous, and it sends the wrong message -- that there are shortcuts to accomplishment, and that performance is more important than character. So tonight I call on team owners, union representatives, coaches, and players to take the lead, to send the right signal, to get tough, and to get rid of steroids now.

For the first time in my life, I agree with George Walker Bush. OH MY GOD!
(Although, talk about shortcuts to accomplishment, lets take a look at YOUR resume):

Accomplishments: Changed pollution laws for power and oil companies and made Texas the most polluted state in the Union. Replaced Los Angeles with Houston as the most smog ridden city in America. Cut taxes and bankrupted the Texas government to the tune of billions in borrowed money. Set record for most executions by any Governor in American history.

OK OK OK...this is about steroids...Baseball writers, always noted for their willingness to get people riled up about things, sometimes write intelligent stuff:

The hatred for Bonds, this burning, seething bile-laden tempest that envelops your soul when you hear his name, or witness an at-bat ... that isn't about race.

It's about him being an ass----.

If you hate Barry Bonds you aren't a racist, you're just someone who hates ass----s. I hate ass----s too. I hate George W. Bush and his daddy.

Yes, he is an a-hole, but damn he can swing that stick.

Pitchers like John Smoltz (who Barry Bonds has crushed with regularity) want real drug testing. International drugtesting experts agree, Baseball's testing of its athletes isn't up to par:

Dick Pound, head of the World Anti-Doping Agency, called the policy a "complete joke" and an "insult" to the fight against performance-enhancing drugs.

What is to be done? Well, the Players Union has resisted attempts to test its players, because, in fact, they know they are all on the juice. Every other sport mandates drug testing, except the "Old Boys Club" of the MLBPA (Major League Baseball Players Association). It will take something like Lyle Alzado (the former Raider player who died of cancer from taking too many steroids) for Baseball to mend its ways. That's just sad.

Fans like homeruns, yes, but not at the cost of embarassing a game many of us love.

E

IRAQ: Neo-Conservatist for Vietnam?

Oh yes, the comparisons have been made. What are we doing there? What do we hope to accomplish? A constitution has been agreed upon...horray!

However, even some members of the Bush Administration had huge doubts about the war:

He told the newspaper he believed the neoconservatives who strongly backed the invasion did not realise (sp) how difficult it would be to foster a democratic system in Iraq once the regime of Saddam Hussein was toppled.

The "Next Vietnam" tag is, as this article states, a little far fetched.

The widespread talk of 'another Vietnam' reveals more about the state of mind in Washington than it does about the state of affairs in Iraq.

I think comparing the two "conflicts" is truly impossible, as we are in different times. Now, after we have successfuly infiltrated every culture economically, our imperialism is exactly where Geogre W. and his merry band of Neo-Conservatives want to be. We can give tax breaks and huge contracts to lying and cheating corporations (see where his is from)...but yet we can claim the moral high ground because we have "democracy and freedom".

In the strong tradition of saying something and meaning something else, Iraq is no Vietnam...but that doesn't make Iraq any more legitimate.