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March 30, 2004
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3 Libertarian candidates make pitch for presidency
3 Libertarian candidates make pitch for presidency - The Washington Times: Nation/Politics
I like the quote at the end of this excerpt:
The party hopes to continue to draw disaffected Americans into its tent, such as Don Hogan. The 51-year-old businessman turned to the Libertarian Party last June after a lifelong Republican affiliation.
Now, Mr. Hogan is campaigning for a seat in the U.S. Congress from Virginia's 6th District, going up against incumbent Rep. Robert W. Goodlatte, a Republican.
"Even if I lose, I win," said Mr. Hogan, 51, who runs a process serving company. "I am doing something I have always wanted to do, and I am forcing my opponent to deal with things he hasn't wanted to deal with. Specifically, an opponent."
March 28, 2004
"We Should Have Had Orange or Red-Type of Alert in June/July of 2001"
Salon.com News | "We should have had orange or red-type of alert in June or July of 2001"
A former FBI translator told the 9/11 commission that the bureau had detailed information well before Sept. 11, 2001, that terrorists were likely to attack the U.S. with airplanes.
Cooperate -- Or Else!
Cooperate -- Or Else!
by Timothy Lynch
Cato Institute
Few people seem to like the Fourth Amendment to the American Constitution. The Fourth Amendment is the provision that places limits on the power of the police to detain and search people. The unpopularity of the constitutional provision is perhaps understandable because it's usually mentioned in the news only when a court declares that a police raid on a drug dealer's apartment was unconstitutional. In the minds of many Americans, the Fourth Amendment only seems to benefit criminals.
The Fourth Amendment has gotten a bad rap. The Founding Fathers understood that a free society necessarily requires that the power of government to detain, interrogate, and search must be limited. It is a pity that so many Americans give the Fourth Amendment an adolescent -- "What's the big deal?" -- shrug that runs something like this: I've never been searched or arrested and never will be since I'm not doing anything illegal. Such a view misses the point. It is not so much how many times a person benefits from the Fourth Amendment that matters. Rather, the key point is that this constitutional safeguard will be there when you need it.
...
US business group slams Bush 'deception' over Iraq war
Yahoo! News - US business group slams Bush 'deception' over Iraq war
FFF-- Iraq: One Year Later
Iraq: One Year Later
by Sheldon Richman, March 19, 2004
Islamist terrorism, the eradication of which President Bush listed among his reasons for invading Iraq, has now made its way to Spain. Good show, Mr. Bush. When he says the world is safer one year after the war, one must wonder which world he means.
...
Sen. Rockefeller on Iraq Vote: "I was wrong"
W. Va. Sen. on Iraq: 'My Vote Was Wrong'
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP)--U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller regrets his vote to authorize a war against Iraq.
``If I had known then what I know now, I would have voted against it,'' Rockefeller, D-W.Va., said Friday. ``I have admitted that my vote was wrong.''
The Democratic-led Senate approved the war resolution 77-23 on Oct. 11, 2002, one day after the U.S. House approved a similar resolution.
...
March 27, 2004
March 25, 2004
Skeptical Supreme Court weighs Pledge case
CNN.com - Skeptical Supreme Court weighs Pledge case - Mar 24, 2004
March 23, 2004
Knapp on Muth and Dondero
Pleas and carrots
The Life of the Party, part 18
by Thomas L. Knapp
Since the 2000 election, when the Libertarian Party "spoiler factor" began to penetrate the consciousness of Republican political operatives, the GOP reaction has been primarily hostile.
"We are now at a state of all-out war with the LP," said Republican Liberty Caucus activist Eric Dondero in 2001. "We must deal the Libertarian Party a fatal blow. They are the enemy. Much more so than the Democrats or moderate Republicans."
Chuck Muth, late of the RLC himself and now head of another "conservative" organization, took a similar tack. "Libertarian candidates have historically been nothing but spoilers who effectively elect the WORST possible candidate for the pro-liberty cause in a close race," he said in a National Review interview. In various installments, Muth likewise declared a fatwah on the LP and its candidates.
To the extent that Dondero and Muth are agents of a political party opposing the LP, these seem like natural positions to take, especially given the fact that the LP has proven that it can hold the GOP's feet to the fire by preventing anti-liberty Republicans from being elected or re-elected. Of course, to the extent that Dondero and Muth claim to value libertarian ideas above partisan concerns, one would think that they'd be more appreciative.
Dondero and Muth are back, bearing a carrot called "strategic voting." The idea is that the LP's presidential candidate will go after voters in states where George W. Bush is a clear, unambiguous winner or loser; and that in "close" states, the LP will lay off and Libertarians will vote for Bush.
That way, they say, the LP can pick up enough votes to "make itself heard" without being "responsible" for the removal of George W. Bush from office. Dondero is even flirting with seeking the LP's vice-presidential nomination.
Color me suspicious, but when a couple of guys who have spent the last four years screaming "the LP must die" come around trying to tell us what's in our best interest, I'm not inclined to just jump on the bandwagon.
Dondero and Muth have switched from threatening the LP with a (non-existent) stick to offering it an arsenic-laced carrot. "Strategic voting" is a really bad idea in two ways.
...
Bush campaign gear made in Burma
Bush campaign gear made in Burma
His campaign store sells a pullover from nation whose products he has banned from being sold in the U.S.
(TruthOut permacopy)
Gorbachev Calls US-led War in Iraq a 'Great Mistake'
Gorbachev Calls US-led War in Iraq a 'Great Mistake'
Excerpt:
"Democracy is not imposed with tanks and missiles, but with respect of other peoples and international law," Gorbachev said.
The war has also wounded US relations with traditional allies, the former Soviet leader said.
"Nobody doubts the economic, military and democratic power of the United States," he said. "We recognize this and that (Washington) can be a world leader. But we do not believe in leadership through domination."
Family dispute could derail case on Pledge
TimesDispatch.com | Family dispute could derail case on Pledge
Supreme Court hears case on "right to remain silent"
MSNBC - Supreme Court hears privacy case
WASHINGTON - Do you have to tell the police your name? Depending on how the Supreme Court rules, the answer could be the difference between arrest and freedom.
The justices heard arguments Monday in a first-of-its-kind case that asks whether people can be punished for refusing to identify themselves.
The court took up the appeal of a Nevada cattle rancher who was arrested after he told a sheriff’s deputy that he had done nothing wrong and did not have to reveal his name or show identification during an encounter on a rural road four years ago.
Larry “Dudley” Hiibel, 59, was prosecuted for his silence and finds himself at the center of a significant privacy rights battle.
“I would do it all over again,” Hiibel, dressed in cowboy hat, boots and a bolo tie, said outside the court Monday. “That’s one of our fundamental rights as American citizens, to remain silent.”
...
March 22, 2004
Swearing on stage could cost stars $500
Ananova - Swearing on stage could cost stars $500
Officials in Florida want to fine rockers for swearing during public performances.
The The St Petersburg Times reports city councillors want to charge $500 (£272) for each swear word.
Council member Bill Foster told the paper: "Constant vulgarity is not going to be tolerated. We can't be the morality police, and we can't be the constant saviors of the First Amendment. But we can dictate what goes on in our public parks."
...
Wel,, he got one right. They clearly can't be the constant saviors of the First Amendment. We'll have to look elsewhere for them.
March 20, 2004
Former Bush Adviser: Rumsfeld Considered Iraq Bombings One Day After Terror Attacks
Former Bush Adviser: Rumsfeld Considered Iraq Bombings One Day After Terror Attacks - from TBO.com
(TruthOut permacopy - second story on page)
Ex-Advisor Says Bush Eyed Bombing of Iraq on 9/11
Yahoo! News - Ex-Advisor Says Bush Eyed Bombing of Iraq on 9/11
(TruthOut permacopy)
Tennessee County Wants to Charge Homosexuals
AP Wire | 03/17/2004 | Tenn. County Wants to Charge Homosexuals
March 19, 2004
A Message from DRCNET's Executive Director About Our Drug Czar
A Message from DRCNET's Executive Director About Our Drug Czar
Dear Drug War Chronicle Reader:
This past Tuesday night, as part of a group organized by Students for Sensible Drug Policy, I attended a speech by US drug czar John Walters at The George Washington University here in DC. You may remember that our lead article from last week's issue discussed the warping in this year's "National Drug Control Strategy" document of the presentation of federal drug budget numbers to create an appearance of equality between enforcement and interdiction vs. treatment and prevention spending (http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/327/budget2005.shtml). In reality the budget split is still roughly 2-1 in favor of enforcement. ONDCP created a 1-1 appearance by omitting the cost of incarcerating drug offenders from the budget numbers. (!)
I was amazed by how brazenly Walters not only stood by, but bragged about, his budget deception. We didn't even have to wait for his speech to hear about it. It was built into the introduction a student gave for him, which was almost certainly provided by his office, in which she listed among Walters' accomplishments the reworking of the budget presentation to be more honest or accurate.
I raised the issue with Walters during the question-and-answer session following his speech. His answer doesn't pass the straight face test, though remarkably he did manage to keep a straight face. Walters' line was that there are some budget items that are not exclusively focused on drugs. He brought up the example of the Headstart program, for which the federal government provides some drug prevention money. He then pointed out that some drug offenders are also convicted of other crimes and are sentenced to prison time for all of them. In order to make the budget reporting more "honest," Walters stated, they now omit all drug spending, be it enforcement or demand reduction, from the budget entirely.
(Continued...)
Controversial government tape airs on local TV
Controversial government tape airs on local TV - Thursday, 03/18/04
Nashville television station WTVF aired a now-controversial video news release that was generated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to trumpet Bush administration praise for the recently passed Medicare drug bill.
WTVF news director Mike Cutler said that the video appeared once during a 7 a.m. newscast on Jan. 23 after morning producer snagged it from a sampling satellite news feeds.
Cutler added that the news station was unaware that it had been generated by the federal government, which has come under fire for using fake news reporters to deliver messages that praised the administration's work in on December's Medicare drug-benefit bill.
...
March 18, 2004
Poland 'taken for a ride' over Iraq's WMD: President
Yahoo! News - Poland 'taken for a ride' over Iraq's WMD: President
Study finds 91 percent of UNLV profs. liberal
Study finds 91 percent of UNLV profs. liberal
An overwhelming majority of UNLV professors are registered Democrats, according to a recent study, leading some students to believe that their classroom experience is lacking in intellectual diversity.
The study, conducted March 8 by the UNLV Chapter of Students for Academic Freedom and the UNLV College Libertarians, involved a systematic search through Clark County Voter Registration rolls. The study involved 125 professors from the Departments of Civil Engineering, Economics, English, History, Philosophy, Political Science and Sociology.
Findings revealed that of 78 professors registered with any party, 69 were registered Democrats, six were Republicans, two were Green Party members and one was a registered Independent American. This means that 91 percent of UNLV professors studied affiliate themselves with parties on the left of the political spectrum. This percentage is higher than those at traditional activist universities such as Stanford and UC Berkeley, which have faculties that are 89.9 and 89.4 percent liberal, respectively.
...
March 17, 2004
American Guardian 2004 Presidential Election Endorsement of Aaron Russo
American Guardian 2004 Presidential Election Endorsement of Aaron Russo
Citizens Form Massive Special Disinterest Group
The Onion | Citizens Form Massive Special Disinterest Group
...
According to preliminary polling conducted by the CUA, the 108th Congress is vastly out of step with the American people. In a telephone poll, the CUA asked randomly selected citizens to list their most pressing goals. Of the top four, only one, "finding a job," was discussed in Congress this session. The other three—"getting something to eat," "finding something to do," and "maybe hanging out"—have all been ignored by Washington lawmakers.
The CUA is urging its supporters to contact their representatives and voice their lack of concern.
"Write to or visit your elected representatives and talk about something other than politics," said Ted Delancey, director of constituent activities for the CUA. "It's time they heard what kinda sorta almost matters to their constituency, like the latest Scott Peterson trial news or predictions for the season finale of The Apprentice."
March 16, 2004
SUPRYNOWICZ: Repeal every law enacted since 1912
reviewjournal.com -- Opinion: VIN SUPRYNOWICZ: Repeal every law enacted since 1912
The Federal War on Immigrants: Jacob Hornberger
The Federal War on Immigrants: Jacob Hornberger Speaks at the Tower Club
The Federal War on Immigrants
by Jacob G. Hornberger
Just about everything the federal government has done for the past 40 years is today in crisis — Social Security, healthcare, the drug war, foreign policy, the dollar — you name it, it’s in crisis. Unfortunately, the response of Washington policymakers to all these crises has been to move our nation even more in the direction of the socialism of the Soviet Union than the principles of freedom of our Founding Fathers. A good example of this phenomenon is the 40-year-old federal war on immigrants, which, not surprisingly, is also in crisis!
For example, there’s nothing the anti-immigrant crowd in Washington would love more than to build a new Berlin Wall along the southern border of the United States. They might not call it that because they’re embarrassed but make no mistake about it — that’s their ideal. And there are even people in Congress who have called for sending U.S. military forces onto the farms and ranches and communities in the Southwest in order to “seal” the border … just like in the Soviet Union.
...
Propaganda: It's not just for "evil" nations anymore!
U.S. Videos, for TV News, Come Under Scrutiny
(TruthOut permacopy)
WASHINGTON, March 14 — Federal investigators are scrutinizing television segments in which the Bush administration paid people to pose as journalists praising the benefits of the new Medicare law, which would be offered to help elderly Americans with the costs of their prescription medicines.
The videos are intended for use in local television news programs. Several include pictures of President Bush receiving a standing ovation from a crowd cheering as he signed the Medicare law on Dec. 8.
The materials were produced by the Department of Health and Human Services, which called them video news releases, but the source is not identified. Two videos end with the voice of a woman who says, "In Washington, I'm Karen Ryan reporting."
But the production company, Home Front Communications, said it had hired her to read a script prepared by the government.
Another video, intended for Hispanic audiences, shows a Bush administration official being interviewed in Spanish by a man who identifies himself as a reporter named Alberto Garcia.
...
Vote count worries Libertarians
Mercury News | 03/12/2004 | Vote count worries Libertarians
MAN CONVICTED OF CRIME CLOSE IN STATE SENATE RACE
By Dan Stober
Mercury News
Personal liberties are the hallmark of the Libertarian Party, but party leaders are fretting that a Mountain View man convicted of a sex-related crime is just a few votes from becoming their candidate for a state Senate seat this fall.
With absentee ballots still being counted nine days after the primary, perennial candidate John Webster -- who told the Mercury News he believes it's beneficial for children to have sex with adults -- is two votes behind software engineer Mike Laursen.
...
Big Brother Wants to Monitor Your Internet Activity
Capitol Hill Blue: Big Brother Wants to Monitor Your Internet Activity
Technology companies should be required to ensure that law enforcement agencies can install wiretaps on Internet traffic and new generations of digital communications, the Justice Department says.
...
The Justice Department urged the FCC to declare that companies must pay for any such improvements themselves, although it said companies should be permitted to pass those expenses on to their customers.
...
The Rat in Bureaucrat
Common Sense #1065: The Rat in Bureaucrat
We often complain about how slow government can be. But there's a teenager in Arizona who can tell you that swift government has its downside.
On February 23, the Arizona Republic printed a fascinating story about how Christian Alf set up his own after-school business rat-proofing his neighbors' houses. Two days later that same newspaper printed a follow-up: the state of Arizona had put young Mr. Alf out of business, citing him with two separate violations of state law.
...it turns out that some pest control companies supply that same service for hundreds of dollars a pop. So as soon as the first story hit print, Christian's competition called the Arizona Structural Pest Control Commission. No customer complained. Like most such laws, the regulations are really there to protect businesses, not customers.
March 11, 2004
Calif. Lawmaker Champions Teen Suffrage Movement
While I think lowering the voting age is a fine idea, this proposal to give kids 1/2 votes and 1/4 votes is one of the stupider suggestions I've heard in a while-- not to mention being so obviously unconstitutional. People either get a vote or they don't get a vote.
March 09, 2004
David Crosby Arrested on Marijuana, Gun Charges
FOXNews.com - Foxlife - David Crosby Arrested on Marijuana, Gun Charges
Police will need OK to pursue under new rule
Police will need OK to pursue under new rule - Saturday, 03/06/04
March 07, 2004
Why the 2004 election will defy history
MSNBC - Why the 2004 election will defy history
by Howard Fineman
WASHINGTON - It was Henry Ford who said “history is bunk” as he was busy reinventing American industry a century ago. Well, Ford is the man to see about this presidential campaign. So far, patterns of the past haven’t predicted a thing, and it’s going to remain that way right up to Election Day. For, based on history, neither George W. Bush nor John F. Kerry has a chance.
...
RNC Tells TV Stations Not to Run Anti-Bush Ads
CNN.com - RNC tells TV stations not to run anti-Bush ads - Mar 6, 2004
(TruthOut permacopy)
Why the 2004 election will defy history
MSNBC - Why 2004 election will defy history
Patterns of past wouldn't allow Bush or Kerry to win
(TruthOut permacopy)
by Howard Fineman
WASHINGTON - It was Henry Ford who said “history is bunk” as he was busy reinventing American industry a century ago. Well, Ford is the man to see about this presidential campaign. So far, patterns of the past haven’t predicted a thing, and it’s going to remain that way right up to Election Day. For, based on history, neither George W. Bush nor John F. Kerry has a chance.
...
The bloody shirt
The bloody shirt
Berkshire Eagle Online - Editorials
(TruthOut permacopy)
Excerpt:
Well, all's fair in love and politics -- if Mr. Bush wants to run as a war president, let's discuss his performance. How could we have blown our chance to kill Osama bin Laden at Tora Bora? If, as the president has acknowledged, Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with 9/11, why did we invade Iraq? Why does Saudi Arabia, home of 15 of 19 hijackers, Osama bin Laden and most of his money, continue to enjoy a free pass? Why, when all our intelligence services said there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, did the president invade anyway?
March 06, 2004
McElroy: The Separation of School and State
FOXNews.com - Views - ifeminists - The Separation of School and State
Richard Perle Resigns From Advisory Panel
ABCNEWS.com : Richard Perle Resigns From Advisory Panel
W A S H I N G T O N, Feb. 25— A controversial associate of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has resigned from his seat on a key Pentagon advisory panel, ABCNEWS has learned.
Richard Perle, a lightning rod for critics of the Bush administration's national security policies, informed Rumsfeld more than two weeks ago he was quitting the Defense Policy Board. He confirmed the decision in a letter to the defense chief last Wednesday.
...
March 05, 2004
Blix: Iraq war was illegal
Blix: Iraq war was illegal
Blair's defence is bogus, says the former UN weapons inspector
By Anne Penketh in Stockholm and Andrew Grice
05 March 2004
The former chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix has declared that the war in Iraq was illegal, dealing another devastating blow to Tony Blair.
...
US faces mounting international fury over Aristide's 'forced' exit
US faces mounting international fury over Aristide's 'forced' exit
(TruthOut permacopy)
Please, Ralph, Not This Year
Please, Ralph, Not This Year
by Micah L. Sifry
Mother Jones Magazine
...
It pains me to write all this, because I love Ralph Nader for what he has contributed to our country and for his selfless example of civic leadership. People who attack him as some kind of "egomaniac" have no idea what they're talking about; let them spend a few hours with almost any typical member of Congress or governor to see what real egomaniacs are like. But Nader's character is not the issue; it's his judgment. There's nothing stopping him from being a public citizen par excellence in this election cycle and beyond. In fact, some heavyweight progressive activists and donors had offered to create a watchdog vehicle to help Nader shine a spotlight on Bush and Congress, with the research backing and promotional support to ensure that his voice was heard. Instead, he chose to try accomplishing the same thing as a lone candidate for office. This time, I just think he's wrong.
Why Ralph Should Run
...
So maybe the Democrats should relax about Nader’s entrance into the race. He could add to the discussion. And he poses much less of a threat this time around. In the age of Anybody But Bush, “anybody” really means the Democratic nominee—it doesn’t mean Ralph Nader.
March 04, 2004
Scott Galindez | Why John Kerry is Winning
t r u t h o u t - Scott Galindez | Why John Kerry is Winning
Dean, ex-manager battle for constituency
Dean, ex-manager battle for constituency
Is a movement about its leader or the person who put it together?
That question is fueling a behind-the-scenes struggle between Howard Dean and his former campaign manager, Joe Trippi, as they jockey for control of the campaign's bounty of grass-roots supporters and search for personal direction after the former Vermont governor's failed bid for the presidency.
Dean, who dropped out of the race for the Democratic nomination this month, has been heading to his campaign headquarters in Burlington, Vt., each day. His agenda has included writing thank-you notes to supporters, surveying his debts, and plotting how to best steer the people who served as the lifeblood of "Dean for America" toward another cause he can lead.
Trippi, who pioneered the campaign's use of the Internet for fund-raising and for building an online political community before quitting Jan. 28 when Dean told him he was placing a chief executive officer over him, has been spending time at his farm in Maryland overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. Not only has he been an ever-present political analyst on television, he has launched a website similar in name to Dean's -- "Change for America" -- and urged Dean's former supporters to follow his lead.
...
Campaign funding loophole exploited
Campaign funding loophole exploited
TACTICS: Groups download photos of candidates and attach them to their issue ads.
AP finds documents showing FBI destroyed proof possibly tying robbers to Oklahoma City bombing
AP finds documents showing FBI destroyed proof possibly tying robbers to Oklahoma City bombing
JOHN SOLOMON
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON — FBI agents destroyed evidence and failed to share other information that raised the possibility that a gang of white supremacist bank robbers may have assisted Timothy McVeigh during the Oklahoma City bombing, according to documents never introduced at McVeigh's trial.
Both the FBI supervisor who ran the Oklahoma City investigation and the veteran agent who was in command at the bombing scene say the new evidence, detailed in documents obtained by The Associated Press, is serious enough to warrant reopening the inquiry nine years later.
Wins Leave Kerry With 8-Month Challenge: Beat the Incumbent
News Analysis: Wins Leave Kerry With 8-Month Challenge: Beat the Incumbent
(TruthOut permacopy)
Corn: What's Right With Kerry
What's Right With Kerry
by David Corn, The Nation
(TruthOut permacopy -- second story on the page)
March 03, 2004
Aaron Russo back on the ballot, this time for president
Aaron Russo back on the ballot, this time for president
The Hollywood producer who challenged Kenny Guinn for Nevada's governorship six years ago was back on ballots Tuesday night, running for president.
Aaron Russo's name appeared on both the California and Massachusetts ballots on this "Super Tuesday." This time he's running as a Libertarian.
Russo has jumped back into the political ring after recovering from a bout with cancer that kept him from challenging Guinn again two years ago.
Channel surfers, bar hoppers, party goers take note
The Auburn Plainsman Online - Channel surfers, bar hoppers, party goers take note
Column by Lindsay Evans
Editor
February 19, 2004
Why are you here?
No, really. Why'd you come to college?
Because you want to make big money after you graduate? Because a college degree is your ticket to credibility in the business world? Because high school was over and there was nowhere else to party?
When I pictured college as a kid, I thought of rosy-cheeked girls and guys in turtle necks with stylish reading glasses, drinking cappuccinos at 2 a.m. in some Internet cafe, arguing about politics.
Call me crazy, call me dorky, but I also pictured shelving some of my old ideas for better ones and learning a bit about the world beyond Eufaula, beyond Alabama and beyond the South.
That was the plan.
I got to Auburn, made my way down the Concourse to the painted windows of Foy Student Union cafeteria, and started jotting down free-of-charge lectures.
Noted activists, former criminals, sexperts, all showing up for some campus organization or another.
Besides partying, dating and meeting new people, campus is the perfect place to broaden your horizons. Or so I thought.
The first time I went to hear a guest lecturer, I asked the girl beside me why the crowd was so small and mostly silent.
"We're here for extra credit," she whispered.
So that's the trick. It seems the only way to get college students into an auditorium for a philosophy forum, a historical lecture or even a gubernatorial debate is the promise of a few extra test points.
That's pathetic.
Continued...
March 01, 2004
"We Should Have Had Orange or Red-Type of Alert in June/July of 2001"
Salon.com News | "We should have had orange or red-type of alert in June or July of 2001"
A former FBI translator told the 9/11 commission that the bureau had detailed information well before Sept. 11, 2001, that terrorists were likely to attack the U.S. with airplanes.
Cooperate -- Or Else!
Cooperate -- Or Else!
by Timothy Lynch
Cato Institute
Few people seem to like the Fourth Amendment to the American Constitution. The Fourth Amendment is the provision that places limits on the power of the police to detain and search people. The unpopularity of the constitutional provision is perhaps understandable because it's usually mentioned in the news only when a court declares that a police raid on a drug dealer's apartment was unconstitutional. In the minds of many Americans, the Fourth Amendment only seems to benefit criminals.
The Fourth Amendment has gotten a bad rap. The Founding Fathers understood that a free society necessarily requires that the power of government to detain, interrogate, and search must be limited. It is a pity that so many Americans give the Fourth Amendment an adolescent -- "What's the big deal?" -- shrug that runs something like this: I've never been searched or arrested and never will be since I'm not doing anything illegal. Such a view misses the point. It is not so much how many times a person benefits from the Fourth Amendment that matters. Rather, the key point is that this constitutional safeguard will be there when you need it.
...
US business group slams Bush 'deception' over Iraq war
Yahoo! News - US business group slams Bush 'deception' over Iraq war
FFF-- Iraq: One Year Later
Iraq: One Year Later
by Sheldon Richman, March 19, 2004
Islamist terrorism, the eradication of which President Bush listed among his reasons for invading Iraq, has now made its way to Spain. Good show, Mr. Bush. When he says the world is safer one year after the war, one must wonder which world he means.
...
Sen. Rockefeller on Iraq Vote: "I was wrong"
W. Va. Sen. on Iraq: 'My Vote Was Wrong'
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP)--U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller regrets his vote to authorize a war against Iraq.
``If I had known then what I know now, I would have voted against it,'' Rockefeller, D-W.Va., said Friday. ``I have admitted that my vote was wrong.''
The Democratic-led Senate approved the war resolution 77-23 on Oct. 11, 2002, one day after the U.S. House approved a similar resolution.
...
March 25, 2004
Skeptical Supreme Court weighs Pledge case
CNN.com - Skeptical Supreme Court weighs Pledge case - Mar 24, 2004
March 23, 2004
Knapp on Muth and Dondero
Pleas and carrots
The Life of the Party, part 18
by Thomas L. Knapp
Since the 2000 election, when the Libertarian Party "spoiler factor" began to penetrate the consciousness of Republican political operatives, the GOP reaction has been primarily hostile.
"We are now at a state of all-out war with the LP," said Republican Liberty Caucus activist Eric Dondero in 2001. "We must deal the Libertarian Party a fatal blow. They are the enemy. Much more so than the Democrats or moderate Republicans."
Chuck Muth, late of the RLC himself and now head of another "conservative" organization, took a similar tack. "Libertarian candidates have historically been nothing but spoilers who effectively elect the WORST possible candidate for the pro-liberty cause in a close race," he said in a National Review interview. In various installments, Muth likewise declared a fatwah on the LP and its candidates.
To the extent that Dondero and Muth are agents of a political party opposing the LP, these seem like natural positions to take, especially given the fact that the LP has proven that it can hold the GOP's feet to the fire by preventing anti-liberty Republicans from being elected or re-elected. Of course, to the extent that Dondero and Muth claim to value libertarian ideas above partisan concerns, one would think that they'd be more appreciative.
Dondero and Muth are back, bearing a carrot called "strategic voting." The idea is that the LP's presidential candidate will go after voters in states where George W. Bush is a clear, unambiguous winner or loser; and that in "close" states, the LP will lay off and Libertarians will vote for Bush.
That way, they say, the LP can pick up enough votes to "make itself heard" without being "responsible" for the removal of George W. Bush from office. Dondero is even flirting with seeking the LP's vice-presidential nomination.
Color me suspicious, but when a couple of guys who have spent the last four years screaming "the LP must die" come around trying to tell us what's in our best interest, I'm not inclined to just jump on the bandwagon.
Dondero and Muth have switched from threatening the LP with a (non-existent) stick to offering it an arsenic-laced carrot. "Strategic voting" is a really bad idea in two ways.
...
Bush campaign gear made in Burma
Bush campaign gear made in Burma
His campaign store sells a pullover from nation whose products he has banned from being sold in the U.S.
(TruthOut permacopy)
Gorbachev Calls US-led War in Iraq a 'Great Mistake'
Gorbachev Calls US-led War in Iraq a 'Great Mistake'
Excerpt:
"Democracy is not imposed with tanks and missiles, but with respect of other peoples and international law," Gorbachev said.
The war has also wounded US relations with traditional allies, the former Soviet leader said.
"Nobody doubts the economic, military and democratic power of the United States," he said. "We recognize this and that (Washington) can be a world leader. But we do not believe in leadership through domination."
Family dispute could derail case on Pledge
TimesDispatch.com | Family dispute could derail case on Pledge
Supreme Court hears case on "right to remain silent"
MSNBC - Supreme Court hears privacy case
WASHINGTON - Do you have to tell the police your name? Depending on how the Supreme Court rules, the answer could be the difference between arrest and freedom.
The justices heard arguments Monday in a first-of-its-kind case that asks whether people can be punished for refusing to identify themselves.
The court took up the appeal of a Nevada cattle rancher who was arrested after he told a sheriff’s deputy that he had done nothing wrong and did not have to reveal his name or show identification during an encounter on a rural road four years ago.
Larry “Dudley” Hiibel, 59, was prosecuted for his silence and finds himself at the center of a significant privacy rights battle.
“I would do it all over again,” Hiibel, dressed in cowboy hat, boots and a bolo tie, said outside the court Monday. “That’s one of our fundamental rights as American citizens, to remain silent.”
...
March 22, 2004
Swearing on stage could cost stars $500
Ananova - Swearing on stage could cost stars $500
Officials in Florida want to fine rockers for swearing during public performances.
The The St Petersburg Times reports city councillors want to charge $500 (£272) for each swear word.
Council member Bill Foster told the paper: "Constant vulgarity is not going to be tolerated. We can't be the morality police, and we can't be the constant saviors of the First Amendment. But we can dictate what goes on in our public parks."
...
Wel,, he got one right. They clearly can't be the constant saviors of the First Amendment. We'll have to look elsewhere for them.
March 20, 2004
Former Bush Adviser: Rumsfeld Considered Iraq Bombings One Day After Terror Attacks
Former Bush Adviser: Rumsfeld Considered Iraq Bombings One Day After Terror Attacks - from TBO.com
(TruthOut permacopy - second story on page)
Ex-Advisor Says Bush Eyed Bombing of Iraq on 9/11
Yahoo! News - Ex-Advisor Says Bush Eyed Bombing of Iraq on 9/11
(TruthOut permacopy)
Tennessee County Wants to Charge Homosexuals
AP Wire | 03/17/2004 | Tenn. County Wants to Charge Homosexuals
March 19, 2004
A Message from DRCNET's Executive Director About Our Drug Czar
A Message from DRCNET's Executive Director About Our Drug Czar
Dear Drug War Chronicle Reader:
This past Tuesday night, as part of a group organized by Students for Sensible Drug Policy, I attended a speech by US drug czar John Walters at The George Washington University here in DC. You may remember that our lead article from last week's issue discussed the warping in this year's "National Drug Control Strategy" document of the presentation of federal drug budget numbers to create an appearance of equality between enforcement and interdiction vs. treatment and prevention spending (http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/327/budget2005.shtml). In reality the budget split is still roughly 2-1 in favor of enforcement. ONDCP created a 1-1 appearance by omitting the cost of incarcerating drug offenders from the budget numbers. (!)
I was amazed by how brazenly Walters not only stood by, but bragged about, his budget deception. We didn't even have to wait for his speech to hear about it. It was built into the introduction a student gave for him, which was almost certainly provided by his office, in which she listed among Walters' accomplishments the reworking of the budget presentation to be more honest or accurate.
I raised the issue with Walters during the question-and-answer session following his speech. His answer doesn't pass the straight face test, though remarkably he did manage to keep a straight face. Walters' line was that there are some budget items that are not exclusively focused on drugs. He brought up the example of the Headstart program, for which the federal government provides some drug prevention money. He then pointed out that some drug offenders are also convicted of other crimes and are sentenced to prison time for all of them. In order to make the budget reporting more "honest," Walters stated, they now omit all drug spending, be it enforcement or demand reduction, from the budget entirely.
(Continued...)
Controversial government tape airs on local TV
Controversial government tape airs on local TV - Thursday, 03/18/04
Nashville television station WTVF aired a now-controversial video news release that was generated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to trumpet Bush administration praise for the recently passed Medicare drug bill.
WTVF news director Mike Cutler said that the video appeared once during a 7 a.m. newscast on Jan. 23 after morning producer snagged it from a sampling satellite news feeds.
Cutler added that the news station was unaware that it had been generated by the federal government, which has come under fire for using fake news reporters to deliver messages that praised the administration's work in on December's Medicare drug-benefit bill.
...
March 18, 2004
Poland 'taken for a ride' over Iraq's WMD: President
Yahoo! News - Poland 'taken for a ride' over Iraq's WMD: President
Study finds 91 percent of UNLV profs. liberal
Study finds 91 percent of UNLV profs. liberal
An overwhelming majority of UNLV professors are registered Democrats, according to a recent study, leading some students to believe that their classroom experience is lacking in intellectual diversity.
The study, conducted March 8 by the UNLV Chapter of Students for Academic Freedom and the UNLV College Libertarians, involved a systematic search through Clark County Voter Registration rolls. The study involved 125 professors from the Departments of Civil Engineering, Economics, English, History, Philosophy, Political Science and Sociology.
Findings revealed that of 78 professors registered with any party, 69 were registered Democrats, six were Republicans, two were Green Party members and one was a registered Independent American. This means that 91 percent of UNLV professors studied affiliate themselves with parties on the left of the political spectrum. This percentage is higher than those at traditional activist universities such as Stanford and UC Berkeley, which have faculties that are 89.9 and 89.4 percent liberal, respectively.
...
March 17, 2004
American Guardian 2004 Presidential Election Endorsement of Aaron Russo
American Guardian 2004 Presidential Election Endorsement of Aaron Russo
Citizens Form Massive Special Disinterest Group
The Onion | Citizens Form Massive Special Disinterest Group
...
According to preliminary polling conducted by the CUA, the 108th Congress is vastly out of step with the American people. In a telephone poll, the CUA asked randomly selected citizens to list their most pressing goals. Of the top four, only one, "finding a job," was discussed in Congress this session. The other three—"getting something to eat," "finding something to do," and "maybe hanging out"—have all been ignored by Washington lawmakers.
The CUA is urging its supporters to contact their representatives and voice their lack of concern.
"Write to or visit your elected representatives and talk about something other than politics," said Ted Delancey, director of constituent activities for the CUA. "It's time they heard what kinda sorta almost matters to their constituency, like the latest Scott Peterson trial news or predictions for the season finale of The Apprentice."
March 16, 2004
SUPRYNOWICZ: Repeal every law enacted since 1912
reviewjournal.com -- Opinion: VIN SUPRYNOWICZ: Repeal every law enacted since 1912
The Federal War on Immigrants: Jacob Hornberger
The Federal War on Immigrants: Jacob Hornberger Speaks at the Tower Club
The Federal War on Immigrants
by Jacob G. Hornberger
Just about everything the federal government has done for the past 40 years is today in crisis — Social Security, healthcare, the drug war, foreign policy, the dollar — you name it, it’s in crisis. Unfortunately, the response of Washington policymakers to all these crises has been to move our nation even more in the direction of the socialism of the Soviet Union than the principles of freedom of our Founding Fathers. A good example of this phenomenon is the 40-year-old federal war on immigrants, which, not surprisingly, is also in crisis!
For example, there’s nothing the anti-immigrant crowd in Washington would love more than to build a new Berlin Wall along the southern border of the United States. They might not call it that because they’re embarrassed but make no mistake about it — that’s their ideal. And there are even people in Congress who have called for sending U.S. military forces onto the farms and ranches and communities in the Southwest in order to “seal” the border … just like in the Soviet Union.
...
Propaganda: It's not just for "evil" nations anymore!
U.S. Videos, for TV News, Come Under Scrutiny
(TruthOut permacopy)
WASHINGTON, March 14 — Federal investigators are scrutinizing television segments in which the Bush administration paid people to pose as journalists praising the benefits of the new Medicare law, which would be offered to help elderly Americans with the costs of their prescription medicines.
The videos are intended for use in local television news programs. Several include pictures of President Bush receiving a standing ovation from a crowd cheering as he signed the Medicare law on Dec. 8.
The materials were produced by the Department of Health and Human Services, which called them video news releases, but the source is not identified. Two videos end with the voice of a woman who says, "In Washington, I'm Karen Ryan reporting."
But the production company, Home Front Communications, said it had hired her to read a script prepared by the government.
Another video, intended for Hispanic audiences, shows a Bush administration official being interviewed in Spanish by a man who identifies himself as a reporter named Alberto Garcia.
...
Vote count worries Libertarians
Mercury News | 03/12/2004 | Vote count worries Libertarians
MAN CONVICTED OF CRIME CLOSE IN STATE SENATE RACE
By Dan Stober
Mercury News
Personal liberties are the hallmark of the Libertarian Party, but party leaders are fretting that a Mountain View man convicted of a sex-related crime is just a few votes from becoming their candidate for a state Senate seat this fall.
With absentee ballots still being counted nine days after the primary, perennial candidate John Webster -- who told the Mercury News he believes it's beneficial for children to have sex with adults -- is two votes behind software engineer Mike Laursen.
...
Big Brother Wants to Monitor Your Internet Activity
Capitol Hill Blue: Big Brother Wants to Monitor Your Internet Activity
Technology companies should be required to ensure that law enforcement agencies can install wiretaps on Internet traffic and new generations of digital communications, the Justice Department says.
...
The Justice Department urged the FCC to declare that companies must pay for any such improvements themselves, although it said companies should be permitted to pass those expenses on to their customers.
...
The Rat in Bureaucrat
Common Sense #1065: The Rat in Bureaucrat
We often complain about how slow government can be. But there's a teenager in Arizona who can tell you that swift government has its downside.
On February 23, the Arizona Republic printed a fascinating story about how Christian Alf set up his own after-school business rat-proofing his neighbors' houses. Two days later that same newspaper printed a follow-up: the state of Arizona had put young Mr. Alf out of business, citing him with two separate violations of state law.
...it turns out that some pest control companies supply that same service for hundreds of dollars a pop. So as soon as the first story hit print, Christian's competition called the Arizona Structural Pest Control Commission. No customer complained. Like most such laws, the regulations are really there to protect businesses, not customers.
March 11, 2004
Calif. Lawmaker Champions Teen Suffrage Movement
While I think lowering the voting age is a fine idea, this proposal to give kids 1/2 votes and 1/4 votes is one of the stupider suggestions I've heard in a while-- not to mention being so obviously unconstitutional. People either get a vote or they don't get a vote.
March 09, 2004
David Crosby Arrested on Marijuana, Gun Charges
FOXNews.com - Foxlife - David Crosby Arrested on Marijuana, Gun Charges
Police will need OK to pursue under new rule
Police will need OK to pursue under new rule - Saturday, 03/06/04
March 07, 2004
Why the 2004 election will defy history
MSNBC - Why the 2004 election will defy history
by Howard Fineman
WASHINGTON - It was Henry Ford who said “history is bunk” as he was busy reinventing American industry a century ago. Well, Ford is the man to see about this presidential campaign. So far, patterns of the past haven’t predicted a thing, and it’s going to remain that way right up to Election Day. For, based on history, neither George W. Bush nor John F. Kerry has a chance.
...
RNC Tells TV Stations Not to Run Anti-Bush Ads
CNN.com - RNC tells TV stations not to run anti-Bush ads - Mar 6, 2004
(TruthOut permacopy)
Why the 2004 election will defy history
MSNBC - Why 2004 election will defy history
Patterns of past wouldn't allow Bush or Kerry to win
(TruthOut permacopy)
by Howard Fineman
WASHINGTON - It was Henry Ford who said “history is bunk” as he was busy reinventing American industry a century ago. Well, Ford is the man to see about this presidential campaign. So far, patterns of the past haven’t predicted a thing, and it’s going to remain that way right up to Election Day. For, based on history, neither George W. Bush nor John F. Kerry has a chance.
...
The bloody shirt
The bloody shirt
Berkshire Eagle Online - Editorials
(TruthOut permacopy)
Excerpt:
Well, all's fair in love and politics -- if Mr. Bush wants to run as a war president, let's discuss his performance. How could we have blown our chance to kill Osama bin Laden at Tora Bora? If, as the president has acknowledged, Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with 9/11, why did we invade Iraq? Why does Saudi Arabia, home of 15 of 19 hijackers, Osama bin Laden and most of his money, continue to enjoy a free pass? Why, when all our intelligence services said there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, did the president invade anyway?
March 06, 2004
McElroy: The Separation of School and State
FOXNews.com - Views - ifeminists - The Separation of School and State
Richard Perle Resigns From Advisory Panel
ABCNEWS.com : Richard Perle Resigns From Advisory Panel
W A S H I N G T O N, Feb. 25— A controversial associate of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has resigned from his seat on a key Pentagon advisory panel, ABCNEWS has learned.
Richard Perle, a lightning rod for critics of the Bush administration's national security policies, informed Rumsfeld more than two weeks ago he was quitting the Defense Policy Board. He confirmed the decision in a letter to the defense chief last Wednesday.
...
March 05, 2004
Blix: Iraq war was illegal
Blix: Iraq war was illegal
Blair's defence is bogus, says the former UN weapons inspector
By Anne Penketh in Stockholm and Andrew Grice
05 March 2004
The former chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix has declared that the war in Iraq was illegal, dealing another devastating blow to Tony Blair.
...
US faces mounting international fury over Aristide's 'forced' exit
US faces mounting international fury over Aristide's 'forced' exit
(TruthOut permacopy)
Please, Ralph, Not This Year
Please, Ralph, Not This Year
by Micah L. Sifry
Mother Jones Magazine
...
It pains me to write all this, because I love Ralph Nader for what he has contributed to our country and for his selfless example of civic leadership. People who attack him as some kind of "egomaniac" have no idea what they're talking about; let them spend a few hours with almost any typical member of Congress or governor to see what real egomaniacs are like. But Nader's character is not the issue; it's his judgment. There's nothing stopping him from being a public citizen par excellence in this election cycle and beyond. In fact, some heavyweight progressive activists and donors had offered to create a watchdog vehicle to help Nader shine a spotlight on Bush and Congress, with the research backing and promotional support to ensure that his voice was heard. Instead, he chose to try accomplishing the same thing as a lone candidate for office. This time, I just think he's wrong.
Why Ralph Should Run
...
So maybe the Democrats should relax about Nader’s entrance into the race. He could add to the discussion. And he poses much less of a threat this time around. In the age of Anybody But Bush, “anybody” really means the Democratic nominee—it doesn’t mean Ralph Nader.
March 04, 2004
Scott Galindez | Why John Kerry is Winning
t r u t h o u t - Scott Galindez | Why John Kerry is Winning
Dean, ex-manager battle for constituency
Dean, ex-manager battle for constituency
Is a movement about its leader or the person who put it together?
That question is fueling a behind-the-scenes struggle between Howard Dean and his former campaign manager, Joe Trippi, as they jockey for control of the campaign's bounty of grass-roots supporters and search for personal direction after the former Vermont governor's failed bid for the presidency.
Dean, who dropped out of the race for the Democratic nomination this month, has been heading to his campaign headquarters in Burlington, Vt., each day. His agenda has included writing thank-you notes to supporters, surveying his debts, and plotting how to best steer the people who served as the lifeblood of "Dean for America" toward another cause he can lead.
Trippi, who pioneered the campaign's use of the Internet for fund-raising and for building an online political community before quitting Jan. 28 when Dean told him he was placing a chief executive officer over him, has been spending time at his farm in Maryland overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. Not only has he been an ever-present political analyst on television, he has launched a website similar in name to Dean's -- "Change for America" -- and urged Dean's former supporters to follow his lead.
...
Campaign funding loophole exploited
Campaign funding loophole exploited
TACTICS: Groups download photos of candidates and attach them to their issue ads.
AP finds documents showing FBI destroyed proof possibly tying robbers to Oklahoma City bombing
AP finds documents showing FBI destroyed proof possibly tying robbers to Oklahoma City bombing
JOHN SOLOMON
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON — FBI agents destroyed evidence and failed to share other information that raised the possibility that a gang of white supremacist bank robbers may have assisted Timothy McVeigh during the Oklahoma City bombing, according to documents never introduced at McVeigh's trial.
Both the FBI supervisor who ran the Oklahoma City investigation and the veteran agent who was in command at the bombing scene say the new evidence, detailed in documents obtained by The Associated Press, is serious enough to warrant reopening the inquiry nine years later.
Wins Leave Kerry With 8-Month Challenge: Beat the Incumbent
News Analysis: Wins Leave Kerry With 8-Month Challenge: Beat the Incumbent
(TruthOut permacopy)
Corn: What's Right With Kerry
What's Right With Kerry
by David Corn, The Nation
(TruthOut permacopy -- second story on the page)
March 03, 2004
Aaron Russo back on the ballot, this time for president
Aaron Russo back on the ballot, this time for president
The Hollywood producer who challenged Kenny Guinn for Nevada's governorship six years ago was back on ballots Tuesday night, running for president.
Aaron Russo's name appeared on both the California and Massachusetts ballots on this "Super Tuesday." This time he's running as a Libertarian.
Russo has jumped back into the political ring after recovering from a bout with cancer that kept him from challenging Guinn again two years ago.
Channel surfers, bar hoppers, party goers take note
The Auburn Plainsman Online - Channel surfers, bar hoppers, party goers take note
Column by Lindsay Evans
Editor
February 19, 2004
Why are you here?
No, really. Why'd you come to college?
Because you want to make big money after you graduate? Because a college degree is your ticket to credibility in the business world? Because high school was over and there was nowhere else to party?
When I pictured college as a kid, I thought of rosy-cheeked girls and guys in turtle necks with stylish reading glasses, drinking cappuccinos at 2 a.m. in some Internet cafe, arguing about politics.
Call me crazy, call me dorky, but I also pictured shelving some of my old ideas for better ones and learning a bit about the world beyond Eufaula, beyond Alabama and beyond the South.
That was the plan.
I got to Auburn, made my way down the Concourse to the painted windows of Foy Student Union cafeteria, and started jotting down free-of-charge lectures.
Noted activists, former criminals, sexperts, all showing up for some campus organization or another.
Besides partying, dating and meeting new people, campus is the perfect place to broaden your horizons. Or so I thought.
The first time I went to hear a guest lecturer, I asked the girl beside me why the crowd was so small and mostly silent.
"We're here for extra credit," she whispered.
So that's the trick. It seems the only way to get college students into an auditorium for a philosophy forum, a historical lecture or even a gubernatorial debate is the promise of a few extra test points.
That's pathetic.
Continued...
March 01, 2004
Skeptical Supreme Court weighs Pledge case
CNN.com - Skeptical Supreme Court weighs Pledge case - Mar 24, 2004
Knapp on Muth and Dondero
Pleas and carrots
The Life of the Party, part 18
by Thomas L. Knapp
Since the 2000 election, when the Libertarian Party "spoiler factor" began to penetrate the consciousness of Republican political operatives, the GOP reaction has been primarily hostile.
"We are now at a state of all-out war with the LP," said Republican Liberty Caucus activist Eric Dondero in 2001. "We must deal the Libertarian Party a fatal blow. They are the enemy. Much more so than the Democrats or moderate Republicans."
Chuck Muth, late of the RLC himself and now head of another "conservative" organization, took a similar tack. "Libertarian candidates have historically been nothing but spoilers who effectively elect the WORST possible candidate for the pro-liberty cause in a close race," he said in a National Review interview. In various installments, Muth likewise declared a fatwah on the LP and its candidates.
To the extent that Dondero and Muth are agents of a political party opposing the LP, these seem like natural positions to take, especially given the fact that the LP has proven that it can hold the GOP's feet to the fire by preventing anti-liberty Republicans from being elected or re-elected. Of course, to the extent that Dondero and Muth claim to value libertarian ideas above partisan concerns, one would think that they'd be more appreciative.
Dondero and Muth are back, bearing a carrot called "strategic voting." The idea is that the LP's presidential candidate will go after voters in states where George W. Bush is a clear, unambiguous winner or loser; and that in "close" states, the LP will lay off and Libertarians will vote for Bush.
That way, they say, the LP can pick up enough votes to "make itself heard" without being "responsible" for the removal of George W. Bush from office. Dondero is even flirting with seeking the LP's vice-presidential nomination.
Color me suspicious, but when a couple of guys who have spent the last four years screaming "the LP must die" come around trying to tell us what's in our best interest, I'm not inclined to just jump on the bandwagon.
Dondero and Muth have switched from threatening the LP with a (non-existent) stick to offering it an arsenic-laced carrot. "Strategic voting" is a really bad idea in two ways.
...
Bush campaign gear made in Burma
Bush campaign gear made in Burma
His campaign store sells a pullover from nation whose products he has banned from being sold in the U.S.
(TruthOut permacopy)
Gorbachev Calls US-led War in Iraq a 'Great Mistake'
Gorbachev Calls US-led War in Iraq a 'Great Mistake'
Excerpt:
"Democracy is not imposed with tanks and missiles, but with respect of other peoples and international law," Gorbachev said.
The war has also wounded US relations with traditional allies, the former Soviet leader said.
"Nobody doubts the economic, military and democratic power of the United States," he said. "We recognize this and that (Washington) can be a world leader. But we do not believe in leadership through domination."
Family dispute could derail case on Pledge
TimesDispatch.com | Family dispute could derail case on Pledge
Supreme Court hears case on "right to remain silent"
MSNBC - Supreme Court hears privacy case
WASHINGTON - Do you have to tell the police your name? Depending on how the Supreme Court rules, the answer could be the difference between arrest and freedom.
The justices heard arguments Monday in a first-of-its-kind case that asks whether people can be punished for refusing to identify themselves.
The court took up the appeal of a Nevada cattle rancher who was arrested after he told a sheriff’s deputy that he had done nothing wrong and did not have to reveal his name or show identification during an encounter on a rural road four years ago.
Larry “Dudley” Hiibel, 59, was prosecuted for his silence and finds himself at the center of a significant privacy rights battle.
“I would do it all over again,” Hiibel, dressed in cowboy hat, boots and a bolo tie, said outside the court Monday. “That’s one of our fundamental rights as American citizens, to remain silent.”
...
March 22, 2004
Swearing on stage could cost stars $500
Ananova - Swearing on stage could cost stars $500
Officials in Florida want to fine rockers for swearing during public performances.
The The St Petersburg Times reports city councillors want to charge $500 (£272) for each swear word.
Council member Bill Foster told the paper: "Constant vulgarity is not going to be tolerated. We can't be the morality police, and we can't be the constant saviors of the First Amendment. But we can dictate what goes on in our public parks."
...
Wel,, he got one right. They clearly can't be the constant saviors of the First Amendment. We'll have to look elsewhere for them.
March 20, 2004
Former Bush Adviser: Rumsfeld Considered Iraq Bombings One Day After Terror Attacks
Former Bush Adviser: Rumsfeld Considered Iraq Bombings One Day After Terror Attacks - from TBO.com
(TruthOut permacopy - second story on page)
Ex-Advisor Says Bush Eyed Bombing of Iraq on 9/11
Yahoo! News - Ex-Advisor Says Bush Eyed Bombing of Iraq on 9/11
(TruthOut permacopy)
Tennessee County Wants to Charge Homosexuals
AP Wire | 03/17/2004 | Tenn. County Wants to Charge Homosexuals
March 19, 2004
A Message from DRCNET's Executive Director About Our Drug Czar
A Message from DRCNET's Executive Director About Our Drug Czar
Dear Drug War Chronicle Reader:
This past Tuesday night, as part of a group organized by Students for Sensible Drug Policy, I attended a speech by US drug czar John Walters at The George Washington University here in DC. You may remember that our lead article from last week's issue discussed the warping in this year's "National Drug Control Strategy" document of the presentation of federal drug budget numbers to create an appearance of equality between enforcement and interdiction vs. treatment and prevention spending (http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/327/budget2005.shtml). In reality the budget split is still roughly 2-1 in favor of enforcement. ONDCP created a 1-1 appearance by omitting the cost of incarcerating drug offenders from the budget numbers. (!)
I was amazed by how brazenly Walters not only stood by, but bragged about, his budget deception. We didn't even have to wait for his speech to hear about it. It was built into the introduction a student gave for him, which was almost certainly provided by his office, in which she listed among Walters' accomplishments the reworking of the budget presentation to be more honest or accurate.
I raised the issue with Walters during the question-and-answer session following his speech. His answer doesn't pass the straight face test, though remarkably he did manage to keep a straight face. Walters' line was that there are some budget items that are not exclusively focused on drugs. He brought up the example of the Headstart program, for which the federal government provides some drug prevention money. He then pointed out that some drug offenders are also convicted of other crimes and are sentenced to prison time for all of them. In order to make the budget reporting more "honest," Walters stated, they now omit all drug spending, be it enforcement or demand reduction, from the budget entirely.
(Continued...)
Controversial government tape airs on local TV
Controversial government tape airs on local TV - Thursday, 03/18/04
Nashville television station WTVF aired a now-controversial video news release that was generated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to trumpet Bush administration praise for the recently passed Medicare drug bill.
WTVF news director Mike Cutler said that the video appeared once during a 7 a.m. newscast on Jan. 23 after morning producer snagged it from a sampling satellite news feeds.
Cutler added that the news station was unaware that it had been generated by the federal government, which has come under fire for using fake news reporters to deliver messages that praised the administration's work in on December's Medicare drug-benefit bill.
...
March 18, 2004
Poland 'taken for a ride' over Iraq's WMD: President
Yahoo! News - Poland 'taken for a ride' over Iraq's WMD: President
Study finds 91 percent of UNLV profs. liberal
Study finds 91 percent of UNLV profs. liberal
An overwhelming majority of UNLV professors are registered Democrats, according to a recent study, leading some students to believe that their classroom experience is lacking in intellectual diversity.
The study, conducted March 8 by the UNLV Chapter of Students for Academic Freedom and the UNLV College Libertarians, involved a systematic search through Clark County Voter Registration rolls. The study involved 125 professors from the Departments of Civil Engineering, Economics, English, History, Philosophy, Political Science and Sociology.
Findings revealed that of 78 professors registered with any party, 69 were registered Democrats, six were Republicans, two were Green Party members and one was a registered Independent American. This means that 91 percent of UNLV professors studied affiliate themselves with parties on the left of the political spectrum. This percentage is higher than those at traditional activist universities such as Stanford and UC Berkeley, which have faculties that are 89.9 and 89.4 percent liberal, respectively.
...
March 17, 2004
American Guardian 2004 Presidential Election Endorsement of Aaron Russo
American Guardian 2004 Presidential Election Endorsement of Aaron Russo
Citizens Form Massive Special Disinterest Group
The Onion | Citizens Form Massive Special Disinterest Group
...
According to preliminary polling conducted by the CUA, the 108th Congress is vastly out of step with the American people. In a telephone poll, the CUA asked randomly selected citizens to list their most pressing goals. Of the top four, only one, "finding a job," was discussed in Congress this session. The other three—"getting something to eat," "finding something to do," and "maybe hanging out"—have all been ignored by Washington lawmakers.
The CUA is urging its supporters to contact their representatives and voice their lack of concern.
"Write to or visit your elected representatives and talk about something other than politics," said Ted Delancey, director of constituent activities for the CUA. "It's time they heard what kinda sorta almost matters to their constituency, like the latest Scott Peterson trial news or predictions for the season finale of The Apprentice."
March 16, 2004
SUPRYNOWICZ: Repeal every law enacted since 1912
reviewjournal.com -- Opinion: VIN SUPRYNOWICZ: Repeal every law enacted since 1912
The Federal War on Immigrants: Jacob Hornberger
The Federal War on Immigrants: Jacob Hornberger Speaks at the Tower Club
The Federal War on Immigrants
by Jacob G. Hornberger
Just about everything the federal government has done for the past 40 years is today in crisis — Social Security, healthcare, the drug war, foreign policy, the dollar — you name it, it’s in crisis. Unfortunately, the response of Washington policymakers to all these crises has been to move our nation even more in the direction of the socialism of the Soviet Union than the principles of freedom of our Founding Fathers. A good example of this phenomenon is the 40-year-old federal war on immigrants, which, not surprisingly, is also in crisis!
For example, there’s nothing the anti-immigrant crowd in Washington would love more than to build a new Berlin Wall along the southern border of the United States. They might not call it that because they’re embarrassed but make no mistake about it — that’s their ideal. And there are even people in Congress who have called for sending U.S. military forces onto the farms and ranches and communities in the Southwest in order to “seal” the border … just like in the Soviet Union.
...
Propaganda: It's not just for "evil" nations anymore!
U.S. Videos, for TV News, Come Under Scrutiny
(TruthOut permacopy)
WASHINGTON, March 14 — Federal investigators are scrutinizing television segments in which the Bush administration paid people to pose as journalists praising the benefits of the new Medicare law, which would be offered to help elderly Americans with the costs of their prescription medicines.
The videos are intended for use in local television news programs. Several include pictures of President Bush receiving a standing ovation from a crowd cheering as he signed the Medicare law on Dec. 8.
The materials were produced by the Department of Health and Human Services, which called them video news releases, but the source is not identified. Two videos end with the voice of a woman who says, "In Washington, I'm Karen Ryan reporting."
But the production company, Home Front Communications, said it had hired her to read a script prepared by the government.
Another video, intended for Hispanic audiences, shows a Bush administration official being interviewed in Spanish by a man who identifies himself as a reporter named Alberto Garcia.
...
Vote count worries Libertarians
Mercury News | 03/12/2004 | Vote count worries Libertarians
MAN CONVICTED OF CRIME CLOSE IN STATE SENATE RACE
By Dan Stober
Mercury News
Personal liberties are the hallmark of the Libertarian Party, but party leaders are fretting that a Mountain View man convicted of a sex-related crime is just a few votes from becoming their candidate for a state Senate seat this fall.
With absentee ballots still being counted nine days after the primary, perennial candidate John Webster -- who told the Mercury News he believes it's beneficial for children to have sex with adults -- is two votes behind software engineer Mike Laursen.
...
Big Brother Wants to Monitor Your Internet Activity
Capitol Hill Blue: Big Brother Wants to Monitor Your Internet Activity
Technology companies should be required to ensure that law enforcement agencies can install wiretaps on Internet traffic and new generations of digital communications, the Justice Department says.
...
The Justice Department urged the FCC to declare that companies must pay for any such improvements themselves, although it said companies should be permitted to pass those expenses on to their customers.
...
The Rat in Bureaucrat
Common Sense #1065: The Rat in Bureaucrat
We often complain about how slow government can be. But there's a teenager in Arizona who can tell you that swift government has its downside.
On February 23, the Arizona Republic printed a fascinating story about how Christian Alf set up his own after-school business rat-proofing his neighbors' houses. Two days later that same newspaper printed a follow-up: the state of Arizona had put young Mr. Alf out of business, citing him with two separate violations of state law.
...it turns out that some pest control companies supply that same service for hundreds of dollars a pop. So as soon as the first story hit print, Christian's competition called the Arizona Structural Pest Control Commission. No customer complained. Like most such laws, the regulations are really there to protect businesses, not customers.
March 11, 2004
Calif. Lawmaker Champions Teen Suffrage Movement
While I think lowering the voting age is a fine idea, this proposal to give kids 1/2 votes and 1/4 votes is one of the stupider suggestions I've heard in a while-- not to mention being so obviously unconstitutional. People either get a vote or they don't get a vote.
March 09, 2004
David Crosby Arrested on Marijuana, Gun Charges
FOXNews.com - Foxlife - David Crosby Arrested on Marijuana, Gun Charges
Police will need OK to pursue under new rule
Police will need OK to pursue under new rule - Saturday, 03/06/04
March 07, 2004
Why the 2004 election will defy history
MSNBC - Why the 2004 election will defy history
by Howard Fineman
WASHINGTON - It was Henry Ford who said “history is bunk” as he was busy reinventing American industry a century ago. Well, Ford is the man to see about this presidential campaign. So far, patterns of the past haven’t predicted a thing, and it’s going to remain that way right up to Election Day. For, based on history, neither George W. Bush nor John F. Kerry has a chance.
...
RNC Tells TV Stations Not to Run Anti-Bush Ads
CNN.com - RNC tells TV stations not to run anti-Bush ads - Mar 6, 2004
(TruthOut permacopy)
Why the 2004 election will defy history
MSNBC - Why 2004 election will defy history
Patterns of past wouldn't allow Bush or Kerry to win
(TruthOut permacopy)
by Howard Fineman
WASHINGTON - It was Henry Ford who said “history is bunk” as he was busy reinventing American industry a century ago. Well, Ford is the man to see about this presidential campaign. So far, patterns of the past haven’t predicted a thing, and it’s going to remain that way right up to Election Day. For, based on history, neither George W. Bush nor John F. Kerry has a chance.
...
The bloody shirt
The bloody shirt
Berkshire Eagle Online - Editorials
(TruthOut permacopy)
Excerpt:
Well, all's fair in love and politics -- if Mr. Bush wants to run as a war president, let's discuss his performance. How could we have blown our chance to kill Osama bin Laden at Tora Bora? If, as the president has acknowledged, Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with 9/11, why did we invade Iraq? Why does Saudi Arabia, home of 15 of 19 hijackers, Osama bin Laden and most of his money, continue to enjoy a free pass? Why, when all our intelligence services said there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, did the president invade anyway?
March 06, 2004
McElroy: The Separation of School and State
FOXNews.com - Views - ifeminists - The Separation of School and State
Richard Perle Resigns From Advisory Panel
ABCNEWS.com : Richard Perle Resigns From Advisory Panel
W A S H I N G T O N, Feb. 25— A controversial associate of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has resigned from his seat on a key Pentagon advisory panel, ABCNEWS has learned.
Richard Perle, a lightning rod for critics of the Bush administration's national security policies, informed Rumsfeld more than two weeks ago he was quitting the Defense Policy Board. He confirmed the decision in a letter to the defense chief last Wednesday.
...
March 05, 2004
Blix: Iraq war was illegal
Blix: Iraq war was illegal
Blair's defence is bogus, says the former UN weapons inspector
By Anne Penketh in Stockholm and Andrew Grice
05 March 2004
The former chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix has declared that the war in Iraq was illegal, dealing another devastating blow to Tony Blair.
...
US faces mounting international fury over Aristide's 'forced' exit
US faces mounting international fury over Aristide's 'forced' exit
(TruthOut permacopy)
Please, Ralph, Not This Year
Please, Ralph, Not This Year
by Micah L. Sifry
Mother Jones Magazine
...
It pains me to write all this, because I love Ralph Nader for what he has contributed to our country and for his selfless example of civic leadership. People who attack him as some kind of "egomaniac" have no idea what they're talking about; let them spend a few hours with almost any typical member of Congress or governor to see what real egomaniacs are like. But Nader's character is not the issue; it's his judgment. There's nothing stopping him from being a public citizen par excellence in this election cycle and beyond. In fact, some heavyweight progressive activists and donors had offered to create a watchdog vehicle to help Nader shine a spotlight on Bush and Congress, with the research backing and promotional support to ensure that his voice was heard. Instead, he chose to try accomplishing the same thing as a lone candidate for office. This time, I just think he's wrong.
Why Ralph Should Run
...
So maybe the Democrats should relax about Nader’s entrance into the race. He could add to the discussion. And he poses much less of a threat this time around. In the age of Anybody But Bush, “anybody” really means the Democratic nominee—it doesn’t mean Ralph Nader.
March 04, 2004
Scott Galindez | Why John Kerry is Winning
t r u t h o u t - Scott Galindez | Why John Kerry is Winning
Dean, ex-manager battle for constituency
Dean, ex-manager battle for constituency
Is a movement about its leader or the person who put it together?
That question is fueling a behind-the-scenes struggle between Howard Dean and his former campaign manager, Joe Trippi, as they jockey for control of the campaign's bounty of grass-roots supporters and search for personal direction after the former Vermont governor's failed bid for the presidency.
Dean, who dropped out of the race for the Democratic nomination this month, has been heading to his campaign headquarters in Burlington, Vt., each day. His agenda has included writing thank-you notes to supporters, surveying his debts, and plotting how to best steer the people who served as the lifeblood of "Dean for America" toward another cause he can lead.
Trippi, who pioneered the campaign's use of the Internet for fund-raising and for building an online political community before quitting Jan. 28 when Dean told him he was placing a chief executive officer over him, has been spending time at his farm in Maryland overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. Not only has he been an ever-present political analyst on television, he has launched a website similar in name to Dean's -- "Change for America" -- and urged Dean's former supporters to follow his lead.
...
Campaign funding loophole exploited
Campaign funding loophole exploited
TACTICS: Groups download photos of candidates and attach them to their issue ads.
AP finds documents showing FBI destroyed proof possibly tying robbers to Oklahoma City bombing
AP finds documents showing FBI destroyed proof possibly tying robbers to Oklahoma City bombing
JOHN SOLOMON
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON — FBI agents destroyed evidence and failed to share other information that raised the possibility that a gang of white supremacist bank robbers may have assisted Timothy McVeigh during the Oklahoma City bombing, according to documents never introduced at McVeigh's trial.
Both the FBI supervisor who ran the Oklahoma City investigation and the veteran agent who was in command at the bombing scene say the new evidence, detailed in documents obtained by The Associated Press, is serious enough to warrant reopening the inquiry nine years later.
Wins Leave Kerry With 8-Month Challenge: Beat the Incumbent
News Analysis: Wins Leave Kerry With 8-Month Challenge: Beat the Incumbent
(TruthOut permacopy)
Corn: What's Right With Kerry
What's Right With Kerry
by David Corn, The Nation
(TruthOut permacopy -- second story on the page)
March 03, 2004
Aaron Russo back on the ballot, this time for president
Aaron Russo back on the ballot, this time for president
The Hollywood producer who challenged Kenny Guinn for Nevada's governorship six years ago was back on ballots Tuesday night, running for president.
Aaron Russo's name appeared on both the California and Massachusetts ballots on this "Super Tuesday." This time he's running as a Libertarian.
Russo has jumped back into the political ring after recovering from a bout with cancer that kept him from challenging Guinn again two years ago.
Channel surfers, bar hoppers, party goers take note
The Auburn Plainsman Online - Channel surfers, bar hoppers, party goers take note
Column by Lindsay Evans
Editor
February 19, 2004
Why are you here?
No, really. Why'd you come to college?
Because you want to make big money after you graduate? Because a college degree is your ticket to credibility in the business world? Because high school was over and there was nowhere else to party?
When I pictured college as a kid, I thought of rosy-cheeked girls and guys in turtle necks with stylish reading glasses, drinking cappuccinos at 2 a.m. in some Internet cafe, arguing about politics.
Call me crazy, call me dorky, but I also pictured shelving some of my old ideas for better ones and learning a bit about the world beyond Eufaula, beyond Alabama and beyond the South.
That was the plan.
I got to Auburn, made my way down the Concourse to the painted windows of Foy Student Union cafeteria, and started jotting down free-of-charge lectures.
Noted activists, former criminals, sexperts, all showing up for some campus organization or another.
Besides partying, dating and meeting new people, campus is the perfect place to broaden your horizons. Or so I thought.
The first time I went to hear a guest lecturer, I asked the girl beside me why the crowd was so small and mostly silent.
"We're here for extra credit," she whispered.
So that's the trick. It seems the only way to get college students into an auditorium for a philosophy forum, a historical lecture or even a gubernatorial debate is the promise of a few extra test points.
That's pathetic.
Continued...
March 01, 2004
Swearing on stage could cost stars $500
Ananova - Swearing on stage could cost stars $500
Officials in Florida want to fine rockers for swearing during public performances.
The The St Petersburg Times reports city councillors want to charge $500 (£272) for each swear word.
Council member Bill Foster told the paper: "Constant vulgarity is not going to be tolerated. We can't be the morality police, and we can't be the constant saviors of the First Amendment. But we can dictate what goes on in our public parks."
...
Wel,, he got one right. They clearly can't be the constant saviors of the First Amendment. We'll have to look elsewhere for them.
Former Bush Adviser: Rumsfeld Considered Iraq Bombings One Day After Terror Attacks
Former Bush Adviser: Rumsfeld Considered Iraq Bombings One Day After Terror Attacks - from TBO.com
(TruthOut permacopy - second story on page)
Ex-Advisor Says Bush Eyed Bombing of Iraq on 9/11
Yahoo! News - Ex-Advisor Says Bush Eyed Bombing of Iraq on 9/11
(TruthOut permacopy)
Tennessee County Wants to Charge Homosexuals
AP Wire | 03/17/2004 | Tenn. County Wants to Charge Homosexuals
March 19, 2004
A Message from DRCNET's Executive Director About Our Drug Czar
A Message from DRCNET's Executive Director About Our Drug Czar
Dear Drug War Chronicle Reader:
This past Tuesday night, as part of a group organized by Students for Sensible Drug Policy, I attended a speech by US drug czar John Walters at The George Washington University here in DC. You may remember that our lead article from last week's issue discussed the warping in this year's "National Drug Control Strategy" document of the presentation of federal drug budget numbers to create an appearance of equality between enforcement and interdiction vs. treatment and prevention spending (http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/327/budget2005.shtml). In reality the budget split is still roughly 2-1 in favor of enforcement. ONDCP created a 1-1 appearance by omitting the cost of incarcerating drug offenders from the budget numbers. (!)
I was amazed by how brazenly Walters not only stood by, but bragged about, his budget deception. We didn't even have to wait for his speech to hear about it. It was built into the introduction a student gave for him, which was almost certainly provided by his office, in which she listed among Walters' accomplishments the reworking of the budget presentation to be more honest or accurate.
I raised the issue with Walters during the question-and-answer session following his speech. His answer doesn't pass the straight face test, though remarkably he did manage to keep a straight face. Walters' line was that there are some budget items that are not exclusively focused on drugs. He brought up the example of the Headstart program, for which the federal government provides some drug prevention money. He then pointed out that some drug offenders are also convicted of other crimes and are sentenced to prison time for all of them. In order to make the budget reporting more "honest," Walters stated, they now omit all drug spending, be it enforcement or demand reduction, from the budget entirely.
(Continued...)
Controversial government tape airs on local TV
Controversial government tape airs on local TV - Thursday, 03/18/04
Nashville television station WTVF aired a now-controversial video news release that was generated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to trumpet Bush administration praise for the recently passed Medicare drug bill.
WTVF news director Mike Cutler said that the video appeared once during a 7 a.m. newscast on Jan. 23 after morning producer snagged it from a sampling satellite news feeds.
Cutler added that the news station was unaware that it had been generated by the federal government, which has come under fire for using fake news reporters to deliver messages that praised the administration's work in on December's Medicare drug-benefit bill.
...
March 18, 2004
Poland 'taken for a ride' over Iraq's WMD: President
Yahoo! News - Poland 'taken for a ride' over Iraq's WMD: President
Study finds 91 percent of UNLV profs. liberal
Study finds 91 percent of UNLV profs. liberal
An overwhelming majority of UNLV professors are registered Democrats, according to a recent study, leading some students to believe that their classroom experience is lacking in intellectual diversity.
The study, conducted March 8 by the UNLV Chapter of Students for Academic Freedom and the UNLV College Libertarians, involved a systematic search through Clark County Voter Registration rolls. The study involved 125 professors from the Departments of Civil Engineering, Economics, English, History, Philosophy, Political Science and Sociology.
Findings revealed that of 78 professors registered with any party, 69 were registered Democrats, six were Republicans, two were Green Party members and one was a registered Independent American. This means that 91 percent of UNLV professors studied affiliate themselves with parties on the left of the political spectrum. This percentage is higher than those at traditional activist universities such as Stanford and UC Berkeley, which have faculties that are 89.9 and 89.4 percent liberal, respectively.
...
March 17, 2004
American Guardian 2004 Presidential Election Endorsement of Aaron Russo
American Guardian 2004 Presidential Election Endorsement of Aaron Russo
Citizens Form Massive Special Disinterest Group
The Onion | Citizens Form Massive Special Disinterest Group
...
According to preliminary polling conducted by the CUA, the 108th Congress is vastly out of step with the American people. In a telephone poll, the CUA asked randomly selected citizens to list their most pressing goals. Of the top four, only one, "finding a job," was discussed in Congress this session. The other three—"getting something to eat," "finding something to do," and "maybe hanging out"—have all been ignored by Washington lawmakers.
The CUA is urging its supporters to contact their representatives and voice their lack of concern.
"Write to or visit your elected representatives and talk about something other than politics," said Ted Delancey, director of constituent activities for the CUA. "It's time they heard what kinda sorta almost matters to their constituency, like the latest Scott Peterson trial news or predictions for the season finale of The Apprentice."
March 16, 2004
SUPRYNOWICZ: Repeal every law enacted since 1912
reviewjournal.com -- Opinion: VIN SUPRYNOWICZ: Repeal every law enacted since 1912
The Federal War on Immigrants: Jacob Hornberger
The Federal War on Immigrants: Jacob Hornberger Speaks at the Tower Club
The Federal War on Immigrants
by Jacob G. Hornberger
Just about everything the federal government has done for the past 40 years is today in crisis — Social Security, healthcare, the drug war, foreign policy, the dollar — you name it, it’s in crisis. Unfortunately, the response of Washington policymakers to all these crises has been to move our nation even more in the direction of the socialism of the Soviet Union than the principles of freedom of our Founding Fathers. A good example of this phenomenon is the 40-year-old federal war on immigrants, which, not surprisingly, is also in crisis!
For example, there’s nothing the anti-immigrant crowd in Washington would love more than to build a new Berlin Wall along the southern border of the United States. They might not call it that because they’re embarrassed but make no mistake about it — that’s their ideal. And there are even people in Congress who have called for sending U.S. military forces onto the farms and ranches and communities in the Southwest in order to “seal” the border … just like in the Soviet Union.
...
Propaganda: It's not just for "evil" nations anymore!
U.S. Videos, for TV News, Come Under Scrutiny
(TruthOut permacopy)
WASHINGTON, March 14 — Federal investigators are scrutinizing television segments in which the Bush administration paid people to pose as journalists praising the benefits of the new Medicare law, which would be offered to help elderly Americans with the costs of their prescription medicines.
The videos are intended for use in local television news programs. Several include pictures of President Bush receiving a standing ovation from a crowd cheering as he signed the Medicare law on Dec. 8.
The materials were produced by the Department of Health and Human Services, which called them video news releases, but the source is not identified. Two videos end with the voice of a woman who says, "In Washington, I'm Karen Ryan reporting."
But the production company, Home Front Communications, said it had hired her to read a script prepared by the government.
Another video, intended for Hispanic audiences, shows a Bush administration official being interviewed in Spanish by a man who identifies himself as a reporter named Alberto Garcia.
...
Vote count worries Libertarians
Mercury News | 03/12/2004 | Vote count worries Libertarians
MAN CONVICTED OF CRIME CLOSE IN STATE SENATE RACE
By Dan Stober
Mercury News
Personal liberties are the hallmark of the Libertarian Party, but party leaders are fretting that a Mountain View man convicted of a sex-related crime is just a few votes from becoming their candidate for a state Senate seat this fall.
With absentee ballots still being counted nine days after the primary, perennial candidate John Webster -- who told the Mercury News he believes it's beneficial for children to have sex with adults -- is two votes behind software engineer Mike Laursen.
...
Big Brother Wants to Monitor Your Internet Activity
Capitol Hill Blue: Big Brother Wants to Monitor Your Internet Activity
Technology companies should be required to ensure that law enforcement agencies can install wiretaps on Internet traffic and new generations of digital communications, the Justice Department says.
...
The Justice Department urged the FCC to declare that companies must pay for any such improvements themselves, although it said companies should be permitted to pass those expenses on to their customers.
...
The Rat in Bureaucrat
Common Sense #1065: The Rat in Bureaucrat
We often complain about how slow government can be. But there's a teenager in Arizona who can tell you that swift government has its downside.
On February 23, the Arizona Republic printed a fascinating story about how Christian Alf set up his own after-school business rat-proofing his neighbors' houses. Two days later that same newspaper printed a follow-up: the state of Arizona had put young Mr. Alf out of business, citing him with two separate violations of state law.
...it turns out that some pest control companies supply that same service for hundreds of dollars a pop. So as soon as the first story hit print, Christian's competition called the Arizona Structural Pest Control Commission. No customer complained. Like most such laws, the regulations are really there to protect businesses, not customers.
March 11, 2004
Calif. Lawmaker Champions Teen Suffrage Movement
While I think lowering the voting age is a fine idea, this proposal to give kids 1/2 votes and 1/4 votes is one of the stupider suggestions I've heard in a while-- not to mention being so obviously unconstitutional. People either get a vote or they don't get a vote.
March 09, 2004
David Crosby Arrested on Marijuana, Gun Charges
FOXNews.com - Foxlife - David Crosby Arrested on Marijuana, Gun Charges
Police will need OK to pursue under new rule
Police will need OK to pursue under new rule - Saturday, 03/06/04
March 07, 2004
Why the 2004 election will defy history
MSNBC - Why the 2004 election will defy history
by Howard Fineman
WASHINGTON - It was Henry Ford who said “history is bunk” as he was busy reinventing American industry a century ago. Well, Ford is the man to see about this presidential campaign. So far, patterns of the past haven’t predicted a thing, and it’s going to remain that way right up to Election Day. For, based on history, neither George W. Bush nor John F. Kerry has a chance.
...
RNC Tells TV Stations Not to Run Anti-Bush Ads
CNN.com - RNC tells TV stations not to run anti-Bush ads - Mar 6, 2004
(TruthOut permacopy)
Why the 2004 election will defy history
MSNBC - Why 2004 election will defy history
Patterns of past wouldn't allow Bush or Kerry to win
(TruthOut permacopy)
by Howard Fineman
WASHINGTON - It was Henry Ford who said “history is bunk” as he was busy reinventing American industry a century ago. Well, Ford is the man to see about this presidential campaign. So far, patterns of the past haven’t predicted a thing, and it’s going to remain that way right up to Election Day. For, based on history, neither George W. Bush nor John F. Kerry has a chance.
...
The bloody shirt
The bloody shirt
Berkshire Eagle Online - Editorials
(TruthOut permacopy)
Excerpt:
Well, all's fair in love and politics -- if Mr. Bush wants to run as a war president, let's discuss his performance. How could we have blown our chance to kill Osama bin Laden at Tora Bora? If, as the president has acknowledged, Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with 9/11, why did we invade Iraq? Why does Saudi Arabia, home of 15 of 19 hijackers, Osama bin Laden and most of his money, continue to enjoy a free pass? Why, when all our intelligence services said there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, did the president invade anyway?
March 06, 2004
McElroy: The Separation of School and State
FOXNews.com - Views - ifeminists - The Separation of School and State
Richard Perle Resigns From Advisory Panel
ABCNEWS.com : Richard Perle Resigns From Advisory Panel
W A S H I N G T O N, Feb. 25— A controversial associate of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has resigned from his seat on a key Pentagon advisory panel, ABCNEWS has learned.
Richard Perle, a lightning rod for critics of the Bush administration's national security policies, informed Rumsfeld more than two weeks ago he was quitting the Defense Policy Board. He confirmed the decision in a letter to the defense chief last Wednesday.
...
March 05, 2004
Blix: Iraq war was illegal
Blix: Iraq war was illegal
Blair's defence is bogus, says the former UN weapons inspector
By Anne Penketh in Stockholm and Andrew Grice
05 March 2004
The former chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix has declared that the war in Iraq was illegal, dealing another devastating blow to Tony Blair.
...
US faces mounting international fury over Aristide's 'forced' exit
US faces mounting international fury over Aristide's 'forced' exit
(TruthOut permacopy)
Please, Ralph, Not This Year
Please, Ralph, Not This Year
by Micah L. Sifry
Mother Jones Magazine
...
It pains me to write all this, because I love Ralph Nader for what he has contributed to our country and for his selfless example of civic leadership. People who attack him as some kind of "egomaniac" have no idea what they're talking about; let them spend a few hours with almost any typical member of Congress or governor to see what real egomaniacs are like. But Nader's character is not the issue; it's his judgment. There's nothing stopping him from being a public citizen par excellence in this election cycle and beyond. In fact, some heavyweight progressive activists and donors had offered to create a watchdog vehicle to help Nader shine a spotlight on Bush and Congress, with the research backing and promotional support to ensure that his voice was heard. Instead, he chose to try accomplishing the same thing as a lone candidate for office. This time, I just think he's wrong.
Why Ralph Should Run
...
So maybe the Democrats should relax about Nader’s entrance into the race. He could add to the discussion. And he poses much less of a threat this time around. In the age of Anybody But Bush, “anybody” really means the Democratic nominee—it doesn’t mean Ralph Nader.
March 04, 2004
Scott Galindez | Why John Kerry is Winning
t r u t h o u t - Scott Galindez | Why John Kerry is Winning
Dean, ex-manager battle for constituency
Dean, ex-manager battle for constituency
Is a movement about its leader or the person who put it together?
That question is fueling a behind-the-scenes struggle between Howard Dean and his former campaign manager, Joe Trippi, as they jockey for control of the campaign's bounty of grass-roots supporters and search for personal direction after the former Vermont governor's failed bid for the presidency.
Dean, who dropped out of the race for the Democratic nomination this month, has been heading to his campaign headquarters in Burlington, Vt., each day. His agenda has included writing thank-you notes to supporters, surveying his debts, and plotting how to best steer the people who served as the lifeblood of "Dean for America" toward another cause he can lead.
Trippi, who pioneered the campaign's use of the Internet for fund-raising and for building an online political community before quitting Jan. 28 when Dean told him he was placing a chief executive officer over him, has been spending time at his farm in Maryland overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. Not only has he been an ever-present political analyst on television, he has launched a website similar in name to Dean's -- "Change for America" -- and urged Dean's former supporters to follow his lead.
...
Campaign funding loophole exploited
Campaign funding loophole exploited
TACTICS: Groups download photos of candidates and attach them to their issue ads.
AP finds documents showing FBI destroyed proof possibly tying robbers to Oklahoma City bombing
AP finds documents showing FBI destroyed proof possibly tying robbers to Oklahoma City bombing
JOHN SOLOMON
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON — FBI agents destroyed evidence and failed to share other information that raised the possibility that a gang of white supremacist bank robbers may have assisted Timothy McVeigh during the Oklahoma City bombing, according to documents never introduced at McVeigh's trial.
Both the FBI supervisor who ran the Oklahoma City investigation and the veteran agent who was in command at the bombing scene say the new evidence, detailed in documents obtained by The Associated Press, is serious enough to warrant reopening the inquiry nine years later.
Wins Leave Kerry With 8-Month Challenge: Beat the Incumbent
News Analysis: Wins Leave Kerry With 8-Month Challenge: Beat the Incumbent
(TruthOut permacopy)
Corn: What's Right With Kerry
What's Right With Kerry
by David Corn, The Nation
(TruthOut permacopy -- second story on the page)
March 03, 2004
Aaron Russo back on the ballot, this time for president
Aaron Russo back on the ballot, this time for president
The Hollywood producer who challenged Kenny Guinn for Nevada's governorship six years ago was back on ballots Tuesday night, running for president.
Aaron Russo's name appeared on both the California and Massachusetts ballots on this "Super Tuesday." This time he's running as a Libertarian.
Russo has jumped back into the political ring after recovering from a bout with cancer that kept him from challenging Guinn again two years ago.
Channel surfers, bar hoppers, party goers take note
The Auburn Plainsman Online - Channel surfers, bar hoppers, party goers take note
Column by Lindsay Evans
Editor
February 19, 2004
Why are you here?
No, really. Why'd you come to college?
Because you want to make big money after you graduate? Because a college degree is your ticket to credibility in the business world? Because high school was over and there was nowhere else to party?
When I pictured college as a kid, I thought of rosy-cheeked girls and guys in turtle necks with stylish reading glasses, drinking cappuccinos at 2 a.m. in some Internet cafe, arguing about politics.
Call me crazy, call me dorky, but I also pictured shelving some of my old ideas for better ones and learning a bit about the world beyond Eufaula, beyond Alabama and beyond the South.
That was the plan.
I got to Auburn, made my way down the Concourse to the painted windows of Foy Student Union cafeteria, and started jotting down free-of-charge lectures.
Noted activists, former criminals, sexperts, all showing up for some campus organization or another.
Besides partying, dating and meeting new people, campus is the perfect place to broaden your horizons. Or so I thought.
The first time I went to hear a guest lecturer, I asked the girl beside me why the crowd was so small and mostly silent.
"We're here for extra credit," she whispered.
So that's the trick. It seems the only way to get college students into an auditorium for a philosophy forum, a historical lecture or even a gubernatorial debate is the promise of a few extra test points.
That's pathetic.
Continued...
March 01, 2004
A Message from DRCNET's Executive Director About Our Drug Czar
A Message from DRCNET's Executive Director About Our Drug Czar
Dear Drug War Chronicle Reader:
This past Tuesday night, as part of a group organized by Students for Sensible Drug Policy, I attended a speech by US drug czar John Walters at The George Washington University here in DC. You may remember that our lead article from last week's issue discussed the warping in this year's "National Drug Control Strategy" document of the presentation of federal drug budget numbers to create an appearance of equality between enforcement and interdiction vs. treatment and prevention spending (http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/327/budget2005.shtml). In reality the budget split is still roughly 2-1 in favor of enforcement. ONDCP created a 1-1 appearance by omitting the cost of incarcerating drug offenders from the budget numbers. (!)
I was amazed by how brazenly Walters not only stood by, but bragged about, his budget deception. We didn't even have to wait for his speech to hear about it. It was built into the introduction a student gave for him, which was almost certainly provided by his office, in which she listed among Walters' accomplishments the reworking of the budget presentation to be more honest or accurate.
I raised the issue with Walters during the question-and-answer session following his speech. His answer doesn't pass the straight face test, though remarkably he did manage to keep a straight face. Walters' line was that there are some budget items that are not exclusively focused on drugs. He brought up the example of the Headstart program, for which the federal government provides some drug prevention money. He then pointed out that some drug offenders are also convicted of other crimes and are sentenced to prison time for all of them. In order to make the budget reporting more "honest," Walters stated, they now omit all drug spending, be it enforcement or demand reduction, from the budget entirely.
(Continued...)
Controversial government tape airs on local TV
Controversial government tape airs on local TV - Thursday, 03/18/04
Nashville television station WTVF aired a now-controversial video news release that was generated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to trumpet Bush administration praise for the recently passed Medicare drug bill.
WTVF news director Mike Cutler said that the video appeared once during a 7 a.m. newscast on Jan. 23 after morning producer snagged it from a sampling satellite news feeds.
Cutler added that the news station was unaware that it had been generated by the federal government, which has come under fire for using fake news reporters to deliver messages that praised the administration's work in on December's Medicare drug-benefit bill.
...
Poland 'taken for a ride' over Iraq's WMD: President
Yahoo! News - Poland 'taken for a ride' over Iraq's WMD: President
Study finds 91 percent of UNLV profs. liberal
Study finds 91 percent of UNLV profs. liberal
An overwhelming majority of UNLV professors are registered Democrats, according to a recent study, leading some students to believe that their classroom experience is lacking in intellectual diversity.
The study, conducted March 8 by the UNLV Chapter of Students for Academic Freedom and the UNLV College Libertarians, involved a systematic search through Clark County Voter Registration rolls. The study involved 125 professors from the Departments of Civil Engineering, Economics, English, History, Philosophy, Political Science and Sociology.
Findings revealed that of 78 professors registered with any party, 69 were registered Democrats, six were Republicans, two were Green Party members and one was a registered Independent American. This means that 91 percent of UNLV professors studied affiliate themselves with parties on the left of the political spectrum. This percentage is higher than those at traditional activist universities such as Stanford and UC Berkeley, which have faculties that are 89.9 and 89.4 percent liberal, respectively.
...
March 17, 2004
American Guardian 2004 Presidential Election Endorsement of Aaron Russo
American Guardian 2004 Presidential Election Endorsement of Aaron Russo
Citizens Form Massive Special Disinterest Group
The Onion | Citizens Form Massive Special Disinterest Group
...
According to preliminary polling conducted by the CUA, the 108th Congress is vastly out of step with the American people. In a telephone poll, the CUA asked randomly selected citizens to list their most pressing goals. Of the top four, only one, "finding a job," was discussed in Congress this session. The other three—"getting something to eat," "finding something to do," and "maybe hanging out"—have all been ignored by Washington lawmakers.
The CUA is urging its supporters to contact their representatives and voice their lack of concern.
"Write to or visit your elected representatives and talk about something other than politics," said Ted Delancey, director of constituent activities for the CUA. "It's time they heard what kinda sorta almost matters to their constituency, like the latest Scott Peterson trial news or predictions for the season finale of The Apprentice."
March 16, 2004
SUPRYNOWICZ: Repeal every law enacted since 1912
reviewjournal.com -- Opinion: VIN SUPRYNOWICZ: Repeal every law enacted since 1912
The Federal War on Immigrants: Jacob Hornberger
The Federal War on Immigrants: Jacob Hornberger Speaks at the Tower Club
The Federal War on Immigrants
by Jacob G. Hornberger
Just about everything the federal government has done for the past 40 years is today in crisis — Social Security, healthcare, the drug war, foreign policy, the dollar — you name it, it’s in crisis. Unfortunately, the response of Washington policymakers to all these crises has been to move our nation even more in the direction of the socialism of the Soviet Union than the principles of freedom of our Founding Fathers. A good example of this phenomenon is the 40-year-old federal war on immigrants, which, not surprisingly, is also in crisis!
For example, there’s nothing the anti-immigrant crowd in Washington would love more than to build a new Berlin Wall along the southern border of the United States. They might not call it that because they’re embarrassed but make no mistake about it — that’s their ideal. And there are even people in Congress who have called for sending U.S. military forces onto the farms and ranches and communities in the Southwest in order to “seal” the border … just like in the Soviet Union.
...
Propaganda: It's not just for "evil" nations anymore!
U.S. Videos, for TV News, Come Under Scrutiny
(TruthOut permacopy)
WASHINGTON, March 14 — Federal investigators are scrutinizing television segments in which the Bush administration paid people to pose as journalists praising the benefits of the new Medicare law, which would be offered to help elderly Americans with the costs of their prescription medicines.
The videos are intended for use in local television news programs. Several include pictures of President Bush receiving a standing ovation from a crowd cheering as he signed the Medicare law on Dec. 8.
The materials were produced by the Department of Health and Human Services, which called them video news releases, but the source is not identified. Two videos end with the voice of a woman who says, "In Washington, I'm Karen Ryan reporting."
But the production company, Home Front Communications, said it had hired her to read a script prepared by the government.
Another video, intended for Hispanic audiences, shows a Bush administration official being interviewed in Spanish by a man who identifies himself as a reporter named Alberto Garcia.
...
Vote count worries Libertarians
Mercury News | 03/12/2004 | Vote count worries Libertarians
MAN CONVICTED OF CRIME CLOSE IN STATE SENATE RACE
By Dan Stober
Mercury News
Personal liberties are the hallmark of the Libertarian Party, but party leaders are fretting that a Mountain View man convicted of a sex-related crime is just a few votes from becoming their candidate for a state Senate seat this fall.
With absentee ballots still being counted nine days after the primary, perennial candidate John Webster -- who told the Mercury News he believes it's beneficial for children to have sex with adults -- is two votes behind software engineer Mike Laursen.
...
Big Brother Wants to Monitor Your Internet Activity
Capitol Hill Blue: Big Brother Wants to Monitor Your Internet Activity
Technology companies should be required to ensure that law enforcement agencies can install wiretaps on Internet traffic and new generations of digital communications, the Justice Department says.
...
The Justice Department urged the FCC to declare that companies must pay for any such improvements themselves, although it said companies should be permitted to pass those expenses on to their customers.
...
The Rat in Bureaucrat
Common Sense #1065: The Rat in Bureaucrat
We often complain about how slow government can be. But there's a teenager in Arizona who can tell you that swift government has its downside.
On February 23, the Arizona Republic printed a fascinating story about how Christian Alf set up his own after-school business rat-proofing his neighbors' houses. Two days later that same newspaper printed a follow-up: the state of Arizona had put young Mr. Alf out of business, citing him with two separate violations of state law.
...it turns out that some pest control companies supply that same service for hundreds of dollars a pop. So as soon as the first story hit print, Christian's competition called the Arizona Structural Pest Control Commission. No customer complained. Like most such laws, the regulations are really there to protect businesses, not customers.
March 11, 2004
Calif. Lawmaker Champions Teen Suffrage Movement
While I think lowering the voting age is a fine idea, this proposal to give kids 1/2 votes and 1/4 votes is one of the stupider suggestions I've heard in a while-- not to mention being so obviously unconstitutional. People either get a vote or they don't get a vote.
March 09, 2004
David Crosby Arrested on Marijuana, Gun Charges
FOXNews.com - Foxlife - David Crosby Arrested on Marijuana, Gun Charges
Police will need OK to pursue under new rule
Police will need OK to pursue under new rule - Saturday, 03/06/04
March 07, 2004
Why the 2004 election will defy history
MSNBC - Why the 2004 election will defy history
by Howard Fineman
WASHINGTON - It was Henry Ford who said “history is bunk” as he was busy reinventing American industry a century ago. Well, Ford is the man to see about this presidential campaign. So far, patterns of the past haven’t predicted a thing, and it’s going to remain that way right up to Election Day. For, based on history, neither George W. Bush nor John F. Kerry has a chance.
...
RNC Tells TV Stations Not to Run Anti-Bush Ads
CNN.com - RNC tells TV stations not to run anti-Bush ads - Mar 6, 2004
(TruthOut permacopy)
Why the 2004 election will defy history
MSNBC - Why 2004 election will defy history
Patterns of past wouldn't allow Bush or Kerry to win
(TruthOut permacopy)
by Howard Fineman
WASHINGTON - It was Henry Ford who said “history is bunk” as he was busy reinventing American industry a century ago. Well, Ford is the man to see about this presidential campaign. So far, patterns of the past haven’t predicted a thing, and it’s going to remain that way right up to Election Day. For, based on history, neither George W. Bush nor John F. Kerry has a chance.
...
The bloody shirt
The bloody shirt
Berkshire Eagle Online - Editorials
(TruthOut permacopy)
Excerpt:
Well, all's fair in love and politics -- if Mr. Bush wants to run as a war president, let's discuss his performance. How could we have blown our chance to kill Osama bin Laden at Tora Bora? If, as the president has acknowledged, Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with 9/11, why did we invade Iraq? Why does Saudi Arabia, home of 15 of 19 hijackers, Osama bin Laden and most of his money, continue to enjoy a free pass? Why, when all our intelligence services said there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, did the president invade anyway?
March 06, 2004
McElroy: The Separation of School and State
FOXNews.com - Views - ifeminists - The Separation of School and State
Richard Perle Resigns From Advisory Panel
ABCNEWS.com : Richard Perle Resigns From Advisory Panel
W A S H I N G T O N, Feb. 25— A controversial associate of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has resigned from his seat on a key Pentagon advisory panel, ABCNEWS has learned.
Richard Perle, a lightning rod for critics of the Bush administration's national security policies, informed Rumsfeld more than two weeks ago he was quitting the Defense Policy Board. He confirmed the decision in a letter to the defense chief last Wednesday.
...
March 05, 2004
Blix: Iraq war was illegal
Blix: Iraq war was illegal
Blair's defence is bogus, says the former UN weapons inspector
By Anne Penketh in Stockholm and Andrew Grice
05 March 2004
The former chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix has declared that the war in Iraq was illegal, dealing another devastating blow to Tony Blair.
...
US faces mounting international fury over Aristide's 'forced' exit
US faces mounting international fury over Aristide's 'forced' exit
(TruthOut permacopy)
Please, Ralph, Not This Year
Please, Ralph, Not This Year
by Micah L. Sifry
Mother Jones Magazine
...
It pains me to write all this, because I love Ralph Nader for what he has contributed to our country and for his selfless example of civic leadership. People who attack him as some kind of "egomaniac" have no idea what they're talking about; let them spend a few hours with almost any typical member of Congress or governor to see what real egomaniacs are like. But Nader's character is not the issue; it's his judgment. There's nothing stopping him from being a public citizen par excellence in this election cycle and beyond. In fact, some heavyweight progressive activists and donors had offered to create a watchdog vehicle to help Nader shine a spotlight on Bush and Congress, with the research backing and promotional support to ensure that his voice was heard. Instead, he chose to try accomplishing the same thing as a lone candidate for office. This time, I just think he's wrong.
Why Ralph Should Run
...
So maybe the Democrats should relax about Nader’s entrance into the race. He could add to the discussion. And he poses much less of a threat this time around. In the age of Anybody But Bush, “anybody” really means the Democratic nominee—it doesn’t mean Ralph Nader.
March 04, 2004
Scott Galindez | Why John Kerry is Winning
t r u t h o u t - Scott Galindez | Why John Kerry is Winning
Dean, ex-manager battle for constituency
Dean, ex-manager battle for constituency
Is a movement about its leader or the person who put it together?
That question is fueling a behind-the-scenes struggle between Howard Dean and his former campaign manager, Joe Trippi, as they jockey for control of the campaign's bounty of grass-roots supporters and search for personal direction after the former Vermont governor's failed bid for the presidency.
Dean, who dropped out of the race for the Democratic nomination this month, has been heading to his campaign headquarters in Burlington, Vt., each day. His agenda has included writing thank-you notes to supporters, surveying his debts, and plotting how to best steer the people who served as the lifeblood of "Dean for America" toward another cause he can lead.
Trippi, who pioneered the campaign's use of the Internet for fund-raising and for building an online political community before quitting Jan. 28 when Dean told him he was placing a chief executive officer over him, has been spending time at his farm in Maryland overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. Not only has he been an ever-present political analyst on television, he has launched a website similar in name to Dean's -- "Change for America" -- and urged Dean's former supporters to follow his lead.
...
Campaign funding loophole exploited
Campaign funding loophole exploited
TACTICS: Groups download photos of candidates and attach them to their issue ads.
AP finds documents showing FBI destroyed proof possibly tying robbers to Oklahoma City bombing
AP finds documents showing FBI destroyed proof possibly tying robbers to Oklahoma City bombing
JOHN SOLOMON
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON — FBI agents destroyed evidence and failed to share other information that raised the possibility that a gang of white supremacist bank robbers may have assisted Timothy McVeigh during the Oklahoma City bombing, according to documents never introduced at McVeigh's trial.
Both the FBI supervisor who ran the Oklahoma City investigation and the veteran agent who was in command at the bombing scene say the new evidence, detailed in documents obtained by The Associated Press, is serious enough to warrant reopening the inquiry nine years later.
Wins Leave Kerry With 8-Month Challenge: Beat the Incumbent
News Analysis: Wins Leave Kerry With 8-Month Challenge: Beat the Incumbent
(TruthOut permacopy)
Corn: What's Right With Kerry
What's Right With Kerry
by David Corn, The Nation
(TruthOut permacopy -- second story on the page)
March 03, 2004
Aaron Russo back on the ballot, this time for president
Aaron Russo back on the ballot, this time for president
The Hollywood producer who challenged Kenny Guinn for Nevada's governorship six years ago was back on ballots Tuesday night, running for president.
Aaron Russo's name appeared on both the California and Massachusetts ballots on this "Super Tuesday." This time he's running as a Libertarian.
Russo has jumped back into the political ring after recovering from a bout with cancer that kept him from challenging Guinn again two years ago.
Channel surfers, bar hoppers, party goers take note
The Auburn Plainsman Online - Channel surfers, bar hoppers, party goers take note
Column by Lindsay Evans
Editor
February 19, 2004
Why are you here?
No, really. Why'd you come to college?
Because you want to make big money after you graduate? Because a college degree is your ticket to credibility in the business world? Because high school was over and there was nowhere else to party?
When I pictured college as a kid, I thought of rosy-cheeked girls and guys in turtle necks with stylish reading glasses, drinking cappuccinos at 2 a.m. in some Internet cafe, arguing about politics.
Call me crazy, call me dorky, but I also pictured shelving some of my old ideas for better ones and learning a bit about the world beyond Eufaula, beyond Alabama and beyond the South.
That was the plan.
I got to Auburn, made my way down the Concourse to the painted windows of Foy Student Union cafeteria, and started jotting down free-of-charge lectures.
Noted activists, former criminals, sexperts, all showing up for some campus organization or another.
Besides partying, dating and meeting new people, campus is the perfect place to broaden your horizons. Or so I thought.
The first time I went to hear a guest lecturer, I asked the girl beside me why the crowd was so small and mostly silent.
"We're here for extra credit," she whispered.
So that's the trick. It seems the only way to get college students into an auditorium for a philosophy forum, a historical lecture or even a gubernatorial debate is the promise of a few extra test points.
That's pathetic.
Continued...
March 01, 2004
American Guardian 2004 Presidential Election Endorsement of Aaron Russo
American Guardian 2004 Presidential Election Endorsement of Aaron Russo
Citizens Form Massive Special Disinterest Group
The Onion | Citizens Form Massive Special Disinterest Group
...
According to preliminary polling conducted by the CUA, the 108th Congress is vastly out of step with the American people. In a telephone poll, the CUA asked randomly selected citizens to list their most pressing goals. Of the top four, only one, "finding a job," was discussed in Congress this session. The other three—"getting something to eat," "finding something to do," and "maybe hanging out"—have all been ignored by Washington lawmakers.
The CUA is urging its supporters to contact their representatives and voice their lack of concern.
"Write to or visit your elected representatives and talk about something other than politics," said Ted Delancey, director of constituent activities for the CUA. "It's time they heard what kinda sorta almost matters to their constituency, like the latest Scott Peterson trial news or predictions for the season finale of The Apprentice."
SUPRYNOWICZ: Repeal every law enacted since 1912
reviewjournal.com -- Opinion: VIN SUPRYNOWICZ: Repeal every law enacted since 1912
The Federal War on Immigrants: Jacob Hornberger
The Federal War on Immigrants: Jacob Hornberger Speaks at the Tower Club
The Federal War on Immigrants
by Jacob G. Hornberger
Just about everything the federal government has done for the past 40 years is today in crisis — Social Security, healthcare, the drug war, foreign policy, the dollar — you name it, it’s in crisis. Unfortunately, the response of Washington policymakers to all these crises has been to move our nation even more in the direction of the socialism of the Soviet Union than the principles of freedom of our Founding Fathers. A good example of this phenomenon is the 40-year-old federal war on immigrants, which, not surprisingly, is also in crisis!
For example, there’s nothing the anti-immigrant crowd in Washington would love more than to build a new Berlin Wall along the southern border of the United States. They might not call it that because they’re embarrassed but make no mistake about it — that’s their ideal. And there are even people in Congress who have called for sending U.S. military forces onto the farms and ranches and communities in the Southwest in order to “seal” the border … just like in the Soviet Union.
...
Propaganda: It's not just for "evil" nations anymore!
U.S. Videos, for TV News, Come Under Scrutiny
(TruthOut permacopy)
WASHINGTON, March 14 — Federal investigators are scrutinizing television segments in which the Bush administration paid people to pose as journalists praising the benefits of the new Medicare law, which would be offered to help elderly Americans with the costs of their prescription medicines.
The videos are intended for use in local television news programs. Several include pictures of President Bush receiving a standing ovation from a crowd cheering as he signed the Medicare law on Dec. 8.
The materials were produced by the Department of Health and Human Services, which called them video news releases, but the source is not identified. Two videos end with the voice of a woman who says, "In Washington, I'm Karen Ryan reporting."
But the production company, Home Front Communications, said it had hired her to read a script prepared by the government.
Another video, intended for Hispanic audiences, shows a Bush administration official being interviewed in Spanish by a man who identifies himself as a reporter named Alberto Garcia.
...
Vote count worries Libertarians
Mercury News | 03/12/2004 | Vote count worries Libertarians
MAN CONVICTED OF CRIME CLOSE IN STATE SENATE RACE
By Dan Stober
Mercury News
Personal liberties are the hallmark of the Libertarian Party, but party leaders are fretting that a Mountain View man convicted of a sex-related crime is just a few votes from becoming their candidate for a state Senate seat this fall.
With absentee ballots still being counted nine days after the primary, perennial candidate John Webster -- who told the Mercury News he believes it's beneficial for children to have sex with adults -- is two votes behind software engineer Mike Laursen.
...
Big Brother Wants to Monitor Your Internet Activity
Capitol Hill Blue: Big Brother Wants to Monitor Your Internet Activity
Technology companies should be required to ensure that law enforcement agencies can install wiretaps on Internet traffic and new generations of digital communications, the Justice Department says.
...
The Justice Department urged the FCC to declare that companies must pay for any such improvements themselves, although it said companies should be permitted to pass those expenses on to their customers.
...
The Rat in Bureaucrat
Common Sense #1065: The Rat in Bureaucrat
We often complain about how slow government can be. But there's a teenager in Arizona who can tell you that swift government has its downside.
On February 23, the Arizona Republic printed a fascinating story about how Christian Alf set up his own after-school business rat-proofing his neighbors' houses. Two days later that same newspaper printed a follow-up: the state of Arizona had put young Mr. Alf out of business, citing him with two separate violations of state law.
...it turns out that some pest control companies supply that same service for hundreds of dollars a pop. So as soon as the first story hit print, Christian's competition called the Arizona Structural Pest Control Commission. No customer complained. Like most such laws, the regulations are really there to protect businesses, not customers.
March 11, 2004
Calif. Lawmaker Champions Teen Suffrage Movement
While I think lowering the voting age is a fine idea, this proposal to give kids 1/2 votes and 1/4 votes is one of the stupider suggestions I've heard in a while-- not to mention being so obviously unconstitutional. People either get a vote or they don't get a vote.
March 09, 2004
David Crosby Arrested on Marijuana, Gun Charges
FOXNews.com - Foxlife - David Crosby Arrested on Marijuana, Gun Charges
Police will need OK to pursue under new rule
Police will need OK to pursue under new rule - Saturday, 03/06/04
March 07, 2004
Why the 2004 election will defy history
MSNBC - Why the 2004 election will defy history
by Howard Fineman
WASHINGTON - It was Henry Ford who said “history is bunk” as he was busy reinventing American industry a century ago. Well, Ford is the man to see about this presidential campaign. So far, patterns of the past haven’t predicted a thing, and it’s going to remain that way right up to Election Day. For, based on history, neither George W. Bush nor John F. Kerry has a chance.
...
RNC Tells TV Stations Not to Run Anti-Bush Ads
CNN.com - RNC tells TV stations not to run anti-Bush ads - Mar 6, 2004
(TruthOut permacopy)
Why the 2004 election will defy history
MSNBC - Why 2004 election will defy history
Patterns of past wouldn't allow Bush or Kerry to win
(TruthOut permacopy)
by Howard Fineman
WASHINGTON - It was Henry Ford who said “history is bunk” as he was busy reinventing American industry a century ago. Well, Ford is the man to see about this presidential campaign. So far, patterns of the past haven’t predicted a thing, and it’s going to remain that way right up to Election Day. For, based on history, neither George W. Bush nor John F. Kerry has a chance.
...
The bloody shirt
The bloody shirt
Berkshire Eagle Online - Editorials
(TruthOut permacopy)
Excerpt:
Well, all's fair in love and politics -- if Mr. Bush wants to run as a war president, let's discuss his performance. How could we have blown our chance to kill Osama bin Laden at Tora Bora? If, as the president has acknowledged, Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with 9/11, why did we invade Iraq? Why does Saudi Arabia, home of 15 of 19 hijackers, Osama bin Laden and most of his money, continue to enjoy a free pass? Why, when all our intelligence services said there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, did the president invade anyway?
March 06, 2004
McElroy: The Separation of School and State
FOXNews.com - Views - ifeminists - The Separation of School and State
Richard Perle Resigns From Advisory Panel
ABCNEWS.com : Richard Perle Resigns From Advisory Panel
W A S H I N G T O N, Feb. 25— A controversial associate of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has resigned from his seat on a key Pentagon advisory panel, ABCNEWS has learned.
Richard Perle, a lightning rod for critics of the Bush administration's national security policies, informed Rumsfeld more than two weeks ago he was quitting the Defense Policy Board. He confirmed the decision in a letter to the defense chief last Wednesday.
...
March 05, 2004
Blix: Iraq war was illegal
Blix: Iraq war was illegal
Blair's defence is bogus, says the former UN weapons inspector
By Anne Penketh in Stockholm and Andrew Grice
05 March 2004
The former chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix has declared that the war in Iraq was illegal, dealing another devastating blow to Tony Blair.
...
US faces mounting international fury over Aristide's 'forced' exit
US faces mounting international fury over Aristide's 'forced' exit
(TruthOut permacopy)
Please, Ralph, Not This Year
Please, Ralph, Not This Year
by Micah L. Sifry
Mother Jones Magazine
...
It pains me to write all this, because I love Ralph Nader for what he has contributed to our country and for his selfless example of civic leadership. People who attack him as some kind of "egomaniac" have no idea what they're talking about; let them spend a few hours with almost any typical member of Congress or governor to see what real egomaniacs are like. But Nader's character is not the issue; it's his judgment. There's nothing stopping him from being a public citizen par excellence in this election cycle and beyond. In fact, some heavyweight progressive activists and donors had offered to create a watchdog vehicle to help Nader shine a spotlight on Bush and Congress, with the research backing and promotional support to ensure that his voice was heard. Instead, he chose to try accomplishing the same thing as a lone candidate for office. This time, I just think he's wrong.
Why Ralph Should Run
...
So maybe the Democrats should relax about Nader’s entrance into the race. He could add to the discussion. And he poses much less of a threat this time around. In the age of Anybody But Bush, “anybody” really means the Democratic nominee—it doesn’t mean Ralph Nader.
March 04, 2004
Scott Galindez | Why John Kerry is Winning
t r u t h o u t - Scott Galindez | Why John Kerry is Winning
Dean, ex-manager battle for constituency
Dean, ex-manager battle for constituency
Is a movement about its leader or the person who put it together?
That question is fueling a behind-the-scenes struggle between Howard Dean and his former campaign manager, Joe Trippi, as they jockey for control of the campaign's bounty of grass-roots supporters and search for personal direction after the former Vermont governor's failed bid for the presidency.
Dean, who dropped out of the race for the Democratic nomination this month, has been heading to his campaign headquarters in Burlington, Vt., each day. His agenda has included writing thank-you notes to supporters, surveying his debts, and plotting how to best steer the people who served as the lifeblood of "Dean for America" toward another cause he can lead.
Trippi, who pioneered the campaign's use of the Internet for fund-raising and for building an online political community before quitting Jan. 28 when Dean told him he was placing a chief executive officer over him, has been spending time at his farm in Maryland overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. Not only has he been an ever-present political analyst on television, he has launched a website similar in name to Dean's -- "Change for America" -- and urged Dean's former supporters to follow his lead.
...
Campaign funding loophole exploited
Campaign funding loophole exploited
TACTICS: Groups download photos of candidates and attach them to their issue ads.
AP finds documents showing FBI destroyed proof possibly tying robbers to Oklahoma City bombing
AP finds documents showing FBI destroyed proof possibly tying robbers to Oklahoma City bombing
JOHN SOLOMON
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON — FBI agents destroyed evidence and failed to share other information that raised the possibility that a gang of white supremacist bank robbers may have assisted Timothy McVeigh during the Oklahoma City bombing, according to documents never introduced at McVeigh's trial.
Both the FBI supervisor who ran the Oklahoma City investigation and the veteran agent who was in command at the bombing scene say the new evidence, detailed in documents obtained by The Associated Press, is serious enough to warrant reopening the inquiry nine years later.
Wins Leave Kerry With 8-Month Challenge: Beat the Incumbent
News Analysis: Wins Leave Kerry With 8-Month Challenge: Beat the Incumbent
(TruthOut permacopy)
Corn: What's Right With Kerry
What's Right With Kerry
by David Corn, The Nation
(TruthOut permacopy -- second story on the page)
March 03, 2004
Aaron Russo back on the ballot, this time for president
Aaron Russo back on the ballot, this time for president
The Hollywood producer who challenged Kenny Guinn for Nevada's governorship six years ago was back on ballots Tuesday night, running for president.
Aaron Russo's name appeared on both the California and Massachusetts ballots on this "Super Tuesday." This time he's running as a Libertarian.
Russo has jumped back into the political ring after recovering from a bout with cancer that kept him from challenging Guinn again two years ago.
Channel surfers, bar hoppers, party goers take note
The Auburn Plainsman Online - Channel surfers, bar hoppers, party goers take note
Column by Lindsay Evans
Editor
February 19, 2004
Why are you here?
No, really. Why'd you come to college?
Because you want to make big money after you graduate? Because a college degree is your ticket to credibility in the business world? Because high school was over and there was nowhere else to party?
When I pictured college as a kid, I thought of rosy-cheeked girls and guys in turtle necks with stylish reading glasses, drinking cappuccinos at 2 a.m. in some Internet cafe, arguing about politics.
Call me crazy, call me dorky, but I also pictured shelving some of my old ideas for better ones and learning a bit about the world beyond Eufaula, beyond Alabama and beyond the South.
That was the plan.
I got to Auburn, made my way down the Concourse to the painted windows of Foy Student Union cafeteria, and started jotting down free-of-charge lectures.
Noted activists, former criminals, sexperts, all showing up for some campus organization or another.
Besides partying, dating and meeting new people, campus is the perfect place to broaden your horizons. Or so I thought.
The first time I went to hear a guest lecturer, I asked the girl beside me why the crowd was so small and mostly silent.
"We're here for extra credit," she whispered.
So that's the trick. It seems the only way to get college students into an auditorium for a philosophy forum, a historical lecture or even a gubernatorial debate is the promise of a few extra test points.
That's pathetic.
Continued...
March 01, 2004
Calif. Lawmaker Champions Teen Suffrage Movement
While I think lowering the voting age is a fine idea, this proposal to give kids 1/2 votes and 1/4 votes is one of the stupider suggestions I've heard in a while-- not to mention being so obviously unconstitutional. People either get a vote or they don't get a vote.
David Crosby Arrested on Marijuana, Gun Charges
FOXNews.com - Foxlife - David Crosby Arrested on Marijuana, Gun Charges
Police will need OK to pursue under new rule
Police will need OK to pursue under new rule - Saturday, 03/06/04
March 07, 2004
Why the 2004 election will defy history
MSNBC - Why the 2004 election will defy history
by Howard Fineman
WASHINGTON - It was Henry Ford who said “history is bunk” as he was busy reinventing American industry a century ago. Well, Ford is the man to see about this presidential campaign. So far, patterns of the past haven’t predicted a thing, and it’s going to remain that way right up to Election Day. For, based on history, neither George W. Bush nor John F. Kerry has a chance.
...
RNC Tells TV Stations Not to Run Anti-Bush Ads
CNN.com - RNC tells TV stations not to run anti-Bush ads - Mar 6, 2004
(TruthOut permacopy)
Why the 2004 election will defy history
MSNBC - Why 2004 election will defy history
Patterns of past wouldn't allow Bush or Kerry to win
(TruthOut permacopy)
by Howard Fineman
WASHINGTON - It was Henry Ford who said “history is bunk” as he was busy reinventing American industry a century ago. Well, Ford is the man to see about this presidential campaign. So far, patterns of the past haven’t predicted a thing, and it’s going to remain that way right up to Election Day. For, based on history, neither George W. Bush nor John F. Kerry has a chance.
...
The bloody shirt
The bloody shirt
Berkshire Eagle Online - Editorials
(TruthOut permacopy)
Excerpt:
Well, all's fair in love and politics -- if Mr. Bush wants to run as a war president, let's discuss his performance. How could we have blown our chance to kill Osama bin Laden at Tora Bora? If, as the president has acknowledged, Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with 9/11, why did we invade Iraq? Why does Saudi Arabia, home of 15 of 19 hijackers, Osama bin Laden and most of his money, continue to enjoy a free pass? Why, when all our intelligence services said there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, did the president invade anyway?
March 06, 2004
McElroy: The Separation of School and State
FOXNews.com - Views - ifeminists - The Separation of School and State
Richard Perle Resigns From Advisory Panel
ABCNEWS.com : Richard Perle Resigns From Advisory Panel
W A S H I N G T O N, Feb. 25— A controversial associate of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has resigned from his seat on a key Pentagon advisory panel, ABCNEWS has learned.
Richard Perle, a lightning rod for critics of the Bush administration's national security policies, informed Rumsfeld more than two weeks ago he was quitting the Defense Policy Board. He confirmed the decision in a letter to the defense chief last Wednesday.
...
March 05, 2004
Blix: Iraq war was illegal
Blix: Iraq war was illegal
Blair's defence is bogus, says the former UN weapons inspector
By Anne Penketh in Stockholm and Andrew Grice
05 March 2004
The former chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix has declared that the war in Iraq was illegal, dealing another devastating blow to Tony Blair.
...
US faces mounting international fury over Aristide's 'forced' exit
US faces mounting international fury over Aristide's 'forced' exit
(TruthOut permacopy)
Please, Ralph, Not This Year
Please, Ralph, Not This Year
by Micah L. Sifry
Mother Jones Magazine
...
It pains me to write all this, because I love Ralph Nader for what he has contributed to our country and for his selfless example of civic leadership. People who attack him as some kind of "egomaniac" have no idea what they're talking about; let them spend a few hours with almost any typical member of Congress or governor to see what real egomaniacs are like. But Nader's character is not the issue; it's his judgment. There's nothing stopping him from being a public citizen par excellence in this election cycle and beyond. In fact, some heavyweight progressive activists and donors had offered to create a watchdog vehicle to help Nader shine a spotlight on Bush and Congress, with the research backing and promotional support to ensure that his voice was heard. Instead, he chose to try accomplishing the same thing as a lone candidate for office. This time, I just think he's wrong.
Why Ralph Should Run
...
So maybe the Democrats should relax about Nader’s entrance into the race. He could add to the discussion. And he poses much less of a threat this time around. In the age of Anybody But Bush, “anybody” really means the Democratic nominee—it doesn’t mean Ralph Nader.
March 04, 2004
Scott Galindez | Why John Kerry is Winning
t r u t h o u t - Scott Galindez | Why John Kerry is Winning
Dean, ex-manager battle for constituency
Dean, ex-manager battle for constituency
Is a movement about its leader or the person who put it together?
That question is fueling a behind-the-scenes struggle between Howard Dean and his former campaign manager, Joe Trippi, as they jockey for control of the campaign's bounty of grass-roots supporters and search for personal direction after the former Vermont governor's failed bid for the presidency.
Dean, who dropped out of the race for the Democratic nomination this month, has been heading to his campaign headquarters in Burlington, Vt., each day. His agenda has included writing thank-you notes to supporters, surveying his debts, and plotting how to best steer the people who served as the lifeblood of "Dean for America" toward another cause he can lead.
Trippi, who pioneered the campaign's use of the Internet for fund-raising and for building an online political community before quitting Jan. 28 when Dean told him he was placing a chief executive officer over him, has been spending time at his farm in Maryland overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. Not only has he been an ever-present political analyst on television, he has launched a website similar in name to Dean's -- "Change for America" -- and urged Dean's former supporters to follow his lead.
...
Campaign funding loophole exploited
Campaign funding loophole exploited
TACTICS: Groups download photos of candidates and attach them to their issue ads.
AP finds documents showing FBI destroyed proof possibly tying robbers to Oklahoma City bombing
AP finds documents showing FBI destroyed proof possibly tying robbers to Oklahoma City bombing
JOHN SOLOMON
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON — FBI agents destroyed evidence and failed to share other information that raised the possibility that a gang of white supremacist bank robbers may have assisted Timothy McVeigh during the Oklahoma City bombing, according to documents never introduced at McVeigh's trial.
Both the FBI supervisor who ran the Oklahoma City investigation and the veteran agent who was in command at the bombing scene say the new evidence, detailed in documents obtained by The Associated Press, is serious enough to warrant reopening the inquiry nine years later.
Wins Leave Kerry With 8-Month Challenge: Beat the Incumbent
News Analysis: Wins Leave Kerry With 8-Month Challenge: Beat the Incumbent
(TruthOut permacopy)
Corn: What's Right With Kerry
What's Right With Kerry
by David Corn, The Nation
(TruthOut permacopy -- second story on the page)
March 03, 2004
Aaron Russo back on the ballot, this time for president
Aaron Russo back on the ballot, this time for president
The Hollywood producer who challenged Kenny Guinn for Nevada's governorship six years ago was back on ballots Tuesday night, running for president.
Aaron Russo's name appeared on both the California and Massachusetts ballots on this "Super Tuesday." This time he's running as a Libertarian.
Russo has jumped back into the political ring after recovering from a bout with cancer that kept him from challenging Guinn again two years ago.
Channel surfers, bar hoppers, party goers take note
The Auburn Plainsman Online - Channel surfers, bar hoppers, party goers take note
Column by Lindsay Evans
Editor
February 19, 2004
Why are you here?
No, really. Why'd you come to college?
Because you want to make big money after you graduate? Because a college degree is your ticket to credibility in the business world? Because high school was over and there was nowhere else to party?
When I pictured college as a kid, I thought of rosy-cheeked girls and guys in turtle necks with stylish reading glasses, drinking cappuccinos at 2 a.m. in some Internet cafe, arguing about politics.
Call me crazy, call me dorky, but I also pictured shelving some of my old ideas for better ones and learning a bit about the world beyond Eufaula, beyond Alabama and beyond the South.
That was the plan.
I got to Auburn, made my way down the Concourse to the painted windows of Foy Student Union cafeteria, and started jotting down free-of-charge lectures.
Noted activists, former criminals, sexperts, all showing up for some campus organization or another.
Besides partying, dating and meeting new people, campus is the perfect place to broaden your horizons. Or so I thought.
The first time I went to hear a guest lecturer, I asked the girl beside me why the crowd was so small and mostly silent.
"We're here for extra credit," she whispered.
So that's the trick. It seems the only way to get college students into an auditorium for a philosophy forum, a historical lecture or even a gubernatorial debate is the promise of a few extra test points.
That's pathetic.
Continued...
March 01, 2004
Why the 2004 election will defy history
MSNBC - Why the 2004 election will defy history
by Howard Fineman
WASHINGTON - It was Henry Ford who said “history is bunk” as he was busy reinventing American industry a century ago. Well, Ford is the man to see about this presidential campaign. So far, patterns of the past haven’t predicted a thing, and it’s going to remain that way right up to Election Day. For, based on history, neither George W. Bush nor John F. Kerry has a chance.
...
RNC Tells TV Stations Not to Run Anti-Bush Ads
CNN.com - RNC tells TV stations not to run anti-Bush ads - Mar 6, 2004
(TruthOut permacopy)
Why the 2004 election will defy history
MSNBC - Why 2004 election will defy history
Patterns of past wouldn't allow Bush or Kerry to win
(TruthOut permacopy)
by Howard Fineman
WASHINGTON - It was Henry Ford who said “history is bunk” as he was busy reinventing American industry a century ago. Well, Ford is the man to see about this presidential campaign. So far, patterns of the past haven’t predicted a thing, and it’s going to remain that way right up to Election Day. For, based on history, neither George W. Bush nor John F. Kerry has a chance.
...
The bloody shirt
The bloody shirt
Berkshire Eagle Online - Editorials
(TruthOut permacopy)
Excerpt:
Well, all's fair in love and politics -- if Mr. Bush wants to run as a war president, let's discuss his performance. How could we have blown our chance to kill Osama bin Laden at Tora Bora? If, as the president has acknowledged, Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with 9/11, why did we invade Iraq? Why does Saudi Arabia, home of 15 of 19 hijackers, Osama bin Laden and most of his money, continue to enjoy a free pass? Why, when all our intelligence services said there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, did the president invade anyway?
McElroy: The Separation of School and State
FOXNews.com - Views - ifeminists - The Separation of School and State
Richard Perle Resigns From Advisory Panel
ABCNEWS.com : Richard Perle Resigns From Advisory Panel
W A S H I N G T O N, Feb. 25— A controversial associate of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has resigned from his seat on a key Pentagon advisory panel, ABCNEWS has learned.
Richard Perle, a lightning rod for critics of the Bush administration's national security policies, informed Rumsfeld more than two weeks ago he was quitting the Defense Policy Board. He confirmed the decision in a letter to the defense chief last Wednesday.
...
March 05, 2004
Blix: Iraq war was illegal
Blix: Iraq war was illegal
Blair's defence is bogus, says the former UN weapons inspector
By Anne Penketh in Stockholm and Andrew Grice
05 March 2004
The former chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix has declared that the war in Iraq was illegal, dealing another devastating blow to Tony Blair.
...
US faces mounting international fury over Aristide's 'forced' exit
US faces mounting international fury over Aristide's 'forced' exit
(TruthOut permacopy)
Please, Ralph, Not This Year
Please, Ralph, Not This Year
by Micah L. Sifry
Mother Jones Magazine
...
It pains me to write all this, because I love Ralph Nader for what he has contributed to our country and for his selfless example of civic leadership. People who attack him as some kind of "egomaniac" have no idea what they're talking about; let them spend a few hours with almost any typical member of Congress or governor to see what real egomaniacs are like. But Nader's character is not the issue; it's his judgment. There's nothing stopping him from being a public citizen par excellence in this election cycle and beyond. In fact, some heavyweight progressive activists and donors had offered to create a watchdog vehicle to help Nader shine a spotlight on Bush and Congress, with the research backing and promotional support to ensure that his voice was heard. Instead, he chose to try accomplishing the same thing as a lone candidate for office. This time, I just think he's wrong.
Why Ralph Should Run
...
So maybe the Democrats should relax about Nader’s entrance into the race. He could add to the discussion. And he poses much less of a threat this time around. In the age of Anybody But Bush, “anybody” really means the Democratic nominee—it doesn’t mean Ralph Nader.
March 04, 2004
Scott Galindez | Why John Kerry is Winning
t r u t h o u t - Scott Galindez | Why John Kerry is Winning
Dean, ex-manager battle for constituency
Dean, ex-manager battle for constituency
Is a movement about its leader or the person who put it together?
That question is fueling a behind-the-scenes struggle between Howard Dean and his former campaign manager, Joe Trippi, as they jockey for control of the campaign's bounty of grass-roots supporters and search for personal direction after the former Vermont governor's failed bid for the presidency.
Dean, who dropped out of the race for the Democratic nomination this month, has been heading to his campaign headquarters in Burlington, Vt., each day. His agenda has included writing thank-you notes to supporters, surveying his debts, and plotting how to best steer the people who served as the lifeblood of "Dean for America" toward another cause he can lead.
Trippi, who pioneered the campaign's use of the Internet for fund-raising and for building an online political community before quitting Jan. 28 when Dean told him he was placing a chief executive officer over him, has been spending time at his farm in Maryland overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. Not only has he been an ever-present political analyst on television, he has launched a website similar in name to Dean's -- "Change for America" -- and urged Dean's former supporters to follow his lead.
...
Campaign funding loophole exploited
Campaign funding loophole exploited
TACTICS: Groups download photos of candidates and attach them to their issue ads.
AP finds documents showing FBI destroyed proof possibly tying robbers to Oklahoma City bombing
AP finds documents showing FBI destroyed proof possibly tying robbers to Oklahoma City bombing
JOHN SOLOMON
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON — FBI agents destroyed evidence and failed to share other information that raised the possibility that a gang of white supremacist bank robbers may have assisted Timothy McVeigh during the Oklahoma City bombing, according to documents never introduced at McVeigh's trial.
Both the FBI supervisor who ran the Oklahoma City investigation and the veteran agent who was in command at the bombing scene say the new evidence, detailed in documents obtained by The Associated Press, is serious enough to warrant reopening the inquiry nine years later.
Wins Leave Kerry With 8-Month Challenge: Beat the Incumbent
News Analysis: Wins Leave Kerry With 8-Month Challenge: Beat the Incumbent
(TruthOut permacopy)
Corn: What's Right With Kerry
What's Right With Kerry
by David Corn, The Nation
(TruthOut permacopy -- second story on the page)
March 03, 2004
Aaron Russo back on the ballot, this time for president
Aaron Russo back on the ballot, this time for president
The Hollywood producer who challenged Kenny Guinn for Nevada's governorship six years ago was back on ballots Tuesday night, running for president.
Aaron Russo's name appeared on both the California and Massachusetts ballots on this "Super Tuesday." This time he's running as a Libertarian.
Russo has jumped back into the political ring after recovering from a bout with cancer that kept him from challenging Guinn again two years ago.
Channel surfers, bar hoppers, party goers take note
The Auburn Plainsman Online - Channel surfers, bar hoppers, party goers take note
Column by Lindsay Evans
Editor
February 19, 2004
Why are you here?
No, really. Why'd you come to college?
Because you want to make big money after you graduate? Because a college degree is your ticket to credibility in the business world? Because high school was over and there was nowhere else to party?
When I pictured college as a kid, I thought of rosy-cheeked girls and guys in turtle necks with stylish reading glasses, drinking cappuccinos at 2 a.m. in some Internet cafe, arguing about politics.
Call me crazy, call me dorky, but I also pictured shelving some of my old ideas for better ones and learning a bit about the world beyond Eufaula, beyond Alabama and beyond the South.
That was the plan.
I got to Auburn, made my way down the Concourse to the painted windows of Foy Student Union cafeteria, and started jotting down free-of-charge lectures.
Noted activists, former criminals, sexperts, all showing up for some campus organization or another.
Besides partying, dating and meeting new people, campus is the perfect place to broaden your horizons. Or so I thought.
The first time I went to hear a guest lecturer, I asked the girl beside me why the crowd was so small and mostly silent.
"We're here for extra credit," she whispered.
So that's the trick. It seems the only way to get college students into an auditorium for a philosophy forum, a historical lecture or even a gubernatorial debate is the promise of a few extra test points.
That's pathetic.
Continued...
March 01, 2004
Blix: Iraq war was illegal
Blix: Iraq war was illegal
Blair's defence is bogus, says the former UN weapons inspector
By Anne Penketh in Stockholm and Andrew Grice
05 March 2004
The former chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix has declared that the war in Iraq was illegal, dealing another devastating blow to Tony Blair.
...
US faces mounting international fury over Aristide's 'forced' exit
US faces mounting international fury over Aristide's 'forced' exit
(TruthOut permacopy)
Please, Ralph, Not This Year
Please, Ralph, Not This Year
by Micah L. Sifry
Mother Jones Magazine
...
It pains me to write all this, because I love Ralph Nader for what he has contributed to our country and for his selfless example of civic leadership. People who attack him as some kind of "egomaniac" have no idea what they're talking about; let them spend a few hours with almost any typical member of Congress or governor to see what real egomaniacs are like. But Nader's character is not the issue; it's his judgment. There's nothing stopping him from being a public citizen par excellence in this election cycle and beyond. In fact, some heavyweight progressive activists and donors had offered to create a watchdog vehicle to help Nader shine a spotlight on Bush and Congress, with the research backing and promotional support to ensure that his voice was heard. Instead, he chose to try accomplishing the same thing as a lone candidate for office. This time, I just think he's wrong.
Why Ralph Should Run
...
So maybe the Democrats should relax about Nader’s entrance into the race. He could add to the discussion. And he poses much less of a threat this time around. In the age of Anybody But Bush, “anybody” really means the Democratic nominee—it doesn’t mean Ralph Nader.
Scott Galindez | Why John Kerry is Winning
t r u t h o u t - Scott Galindez | Why John Kerry is Winning
Dean, ex-manager battle for constituency
Dean, ex-manager battle for constituency
Is a movement about its leader or the person who put it together?
That question is fueling a behind-the-scenes struggle between Howard Dean and his former campaign manager, Joe Trippi, as they jockey for control of the campaign's bounty of grass-roots supporters and search for personal direction after the former Vermont governor's failed bid for the presidency.
Dean, who dropped out of the race for the Democratic nomination this month, has been heading to his campaign headquarters in Burlington, Vt., each day. His agenda has included writing thank-you notes to supporters, surveying his debts, and plotting how to best steer the people who served as the lifeblood of "Dean for America" toward another cause he can lead.
Trippi, who pioneered the campaign's use of the Internet for fund-raising and for building an online political community before quitting Jan. 28 when Dean told him he was placing a chief executive officer over him, has been spending time at his farm in Maryland overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. Not only has he been an ever-present political analyst on television, he has launched a website similar in name to Dean's -- "Change for America" -- and urged Dean's former supporters to follow his lead.
...
Campaign funding loophole exploited
Campaign funding loophole exploited
TACTICS: Groups download photos of candidates and attach them to their issue ads.
AP finds documents showing FBI destroyed proof possibly tying robbers to Oklahoma City bombing
AP finds documents showing FBI destroyed proof possibly tying robbers to Oklahoma City bombing
JOHN SOLOMON
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON — FBI agents destroyed evidence and failed to share other information that raised the possibility that a gang of white supremacist bank robbers may have assisted Timothy McVeigh during the Oklahoma City bombing, according to documents never introduced at McVeigh's trial.
Both the FBI supervisor who ran the Oklahoma City investigation and the veteran agent who was in command at the bombing scene say the new evidence, detailed in documents obtained by The Associated Press, is serious enough to warrant reopening the inquiry nine years later.
Wins Leave Kerry With 8-Month Challenge: Beat the Incumbent
News Analysis: Wins Leave Kerry With 8-Month Challenge: Beat the Incumbent
(TruthOut permacopy)
Corn: What's Right With Kerry
What's Right With Kerry
by David Corn, The Nation
(TruthOut permacopy -- second story on the page)
March 03, 2004
Aaron Russo back on the ballot, this time for president
Aaron Russo back on the ballot, this time for president
The Hollywood producer who challenged Kenny Guinn for Nevada's governorship six years ago was back on ballots Tuesday night, running for president.
Aaron Russo's name appeared on both the California and Massachusetts ballots on this "Super Tuesday." This time he's running as a Libertarian.
Russo has jumped back into the political ring after recovering from a bout with cancer that kept him from challenging Guinn again two years ago.
Channel surfers, bar hoppers, party goers take note
The Auburn Plainsman Online - Channel surfers, bar hoppers, party goers take note
Column by Lindsay Evans
Editor
February 19, 2004
Why are you here?
No, really. Why'd you come to college?
Because you want to make big money after you graduate? Because a college degree is your ticket to credibility in the business world? Because high school was over and there was nowhere else to party?
When I pictured college as a kid, I thought of rosy-cheeked girls and guys in turtle necks with stylish reading glasses, drinking cappuccinos at 2 a.m. in some Internet cafe, arguing about politics.
Call me crazy, call me dorky, but I also pictured shelving some of my old ideas for better ones and learning a bit about the world beyond Eufaula, beyond Alabama and beyond the South.
That was the plan.
I got to Auburn, made my way down the Concourse to the painted windows of Foy Student Union cafeteria, and started jotting down free-of-charge lectures.
Noted activists, former criminals, sexperts, all showing up for some campus organization or another.
Besides partying, dating and meeting new people, campus is the perfect place to broaden your horizons. Or so I thought.
The first time I went to hear a guest lecturer, I asked the girl beside me why the crowd was so small and mostly silent.
"We're here for extra credit," she whispered.
So that's the trick. It seems the only way to get college students into an auditorium for a philosophy forum, a historical lecture or even a gubernatorial debate is the promise of a few extra test points.
That's pathetic.
Continued...
March 01, 2004
Aaron Russo back on the ballot, this time for president
Aaron Russo back on the ballot, this time for president
The Hollywood producer who challenged Kenny Guinn for Nevada's governorship six years ago was back on ballots Tuesday night, running for president.
Aaron Russo's name appeared on both the California and Massachusetts ballots on this "Super Tuesday." This time he's running as a Libertarian.
Russo has jumped back into the political ring after recovering from a bout with cancer that kept him from challenging Guinn again two years ago.
Channel surfers, bar hoppers, party goers take note
The Auburn Plainsman Online - Channel surfers, bar hoppers, party goers take note
Column by Lindsay Evans
Editor
February 19, 2004
Why are you here?
No, really. Why'd you come to college?
Because you want to make big money after you graduate? Because a college degree is your ticket to credibility in the business world? Because high school was over and there was nowhere else to party?
When I pictured college as a kid, I thought of rosy-cheeked girls and guys in turtle necks with stylish reading glasses, drinking cappuccinos at 2 a.m. in some Internet cafe, arguing about politics.
Call me crazy, call me dorky, but I also pictured shelving some of my old ideas for better ones and learning a bit about the world beyond Eufaula, beyond Alabama and beyond the South.
That was the plan.
I got to Auburn, made my way down the Concourse to the painted windows of Foy Student Union cafeteria, and started jotting down free-of-charge lectures.
Noted activists, former criminals, sexperts, all showing up for some campus organization or another.
Besides partying, dating and meeting new people, campus is the perfect place to broaden your horizons. Or so I thought.
The first time I went to hear a guest lecturer, I asked the girl beside me why the crowd was so small and mostly silent.
"We're here for extra credit," she whispered.
So that's the trick. It seems the only way to get college students into an auditorium for a philosophy forum, a historical lecture or even a gubernatorial debate is the promise of a few extra test points.
That's pathetic.
Continued...
