The Little Brown Reader

Underdog surges to win Libertarian nomination

Underdog surges to win Libertarian nomination

The Libertarian Party gave its presidential nomination to Michael Badnarik on Sunday at a convention that featured something those of the two major parties will lack: suspense.

...

Tillman Killed by 'Friendly Fire'

Tillman Killed by 'Friendly Fire' (washingtonpost.com)

(permacopy)

Pat Tillman, the former pro football player, was killed by other American troops in a "friendly fire" episode in Afghanistan last month and not by enemy bullets, according to a U.S. investigation of the incident.

...

Porn switched with school's announcement

USATODAY.com - Porn switched with school's announcement

CHAMBLEE, Ga. (AP) — Some Chamblee High School students expecting to see the usual morning announcements instead glimpsed a hard-core prank Tuesday morning.
...

Libertarian presidential candidates debate at national convention

LP News Online: July 2004: Libertarian presidential candidates debate at national convention

Trinward: Why I'm Still Backing Badnarik

This is from April, before Badnarik won the nomination (which happened today).

Why I'm Still Backing Badnarik

By Steve Trinward

Singapore (somewhat) ends gum ban

AP Wire | 05/26/2004 | Gum Returns to Singapore After 12 Years

Libertarian Party picks presidential nominee

BostonHerald.com - National News: Libertarian Party picks presidential nominee

Atlanta - Michael Badnarik says ``there's no reason'' he can't take President Bush's place in the White House.

The Texan bases his optimism on winning the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination today.

Badnarik is a 49-year-old computer programmer from Austin who also teaches a course in constitutional law.

The Libertarian Party was formed in 1971 and stresses individual rights over the power of government. It claims nearly 600 elected officials across the country -- almost all of them in city or local government.

More than 800 delegates attended the convention in Atlanta.

Texas Programmer Wins Libertarian Nod

Guardian Unlimited | World Latest | Texas Programmer Wins Libertarian Nod

ATLANTA (AP) - Michael Badnarik, a computer programmer from Texas, won the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination on Sunday.

Formed in 1971, the Libertarian Party stresses the rights of individuals over the power of government, and a foreign policy of noninterference. It claims nearly 600 elected officials nationwide, almost entirely in city or county positions, and has been on the presidential ballot in all 50 states for the last three elections.

Libertarians: Bush's Nader

Libertarians: Bush's Nader?

LP News Online: Libertarian national convention kicks off in Atlanta

LP News Online: Libertarian national convention kicks off in Atlanta

The atmosphere was electric, the rooms were abuzz, and the crowd was steadily growing at the Atlanta, Ga., Marriott Marquis on Thursday, May 26 as the Libertarian National Convention got ready to begin.

The lobby and halls began early in the day to teem with delegates to the convention, as candidates for the LP's nomination for president -- and for internal party offices -- began working the crowd.
...

Survey: Russo Poised to Attract Anti-War Votes

Russo Poised to Attract Anti-War Votes

(archived at Russo's blog)

May 26, 2004--Nineteen percent (19%) of Americans would consider voting for Aaron Russo if they knew he would end the War in Iraq and bring our troops home. Russo is a candidate for the Libertarian Party Presidential nomination.
If those surveyed knew that Russo was the only candidate who opposed a military draft, he would attract 14% of the vote in a three-way race with George Bush and John Kerry.

These results are from a national telephone survey of 500 adults conducted by Rasmussen Reports on May 23, 2004. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. The survey was commissioned by Aaron Russo for President.

...

Berg Video Conspiracy Theories

(Warning: This is about a nasty decapitation video, and the links below show parts of it. My text below also discusses parts of it in detail.)

Most of the pieces of these theories don't sway me much (like the much-vaunted difference between the time-stamps on the shots)...but the first link below shows two spots where an additional person appears on the right side of the frame, and that person does seem out of place as compared to his presumed colleagues in the main shot.

The first time I saw the viedo I found the manner of the execution to be very strange -- all of the hooded figures swarm around Berg, obscuring almost all of the killing portion of the decapitation. While you do hear screaming among the "Allahu Akbar"'s being chanted by the captors, you don't actually see Berg screaming or the graphic element of his killing (as you would in a horror or action movie, for example). It's not that I wanted to see that, but it seemed very strange that the terrorists would have arranged their act so that the most horror-filled part was not muddled, blocked, and unclear.

Once the screaming is over, and the decapitator is finishing the job of separating the head, the clustering hooded guys pull back, and that part is shown more clearly.

I just don't see any strategic reason to cluster around him during the killing part, unless there is some sort of ritual custom involved...and it seems as though this video was very carefully planned out. (i.e., everything seems to have been done for a reason in a rehearsed manner).

Aside from that, I also found the fidgeting terrorists to be a little suspicious, and their stances seemed undisciplined. Which again seems strange for such presumably dedicated religious extremists, who are trying to instill fear in the hearts of millions.

So, I'm not ready to buy into the conspiracy theories, but I'm still suspicious of the video (as I was from the first time I saw it, without hearing anyone's theories). I'm skeptical in both directions.

Berg decapitation video was filmed inside the Abu Ghraib prison

Marc Perkel Rantz: Berg Video - SMOKING GUN?

The Nick Berg execution: a working hypothesis and a resolution for the orange jumpsuit mystery

Judge Takes Leave From Bench to Join Senate Race

Judge Takes Leave From Bench to Join Senate Race

UKIAH, Calif. — Jim Gray, rigid as a judge's gavel, stood at the front of a high-ceilinged tavern here and ran through a list of political positions he hoped would appeal to Mendocino County's famously idiosyncratic voters. Pot should be legal. Genetically modified foods should be labeled. The Patriot Act should be gutted.

These are not political views normally associated with a 59-year-old Orange County Superior Court judge, a self-described "conservative dude" who left the Republican Party less than two years ago over its stances backing the war on drugs and the Patriot Act, and joined the more doctrinaire Libertarians. But in a life marked by anomalies — Gray once led an anti-Vietnam War protest while enrolled in USC's Navy ROTC program — the judge is engaged in yet another incongruous act: a yearlong leave of absence from the bench to challenge two-term Democratic incumbent Barbara Boxer for the U.S. Senate.
...

Failure Now May be an Option

Failure Now May be an Option
permacopy
Newsday

WASHINGTON -- Since the invasion of Iraq 14 months ago, a favorite mantra in political Washington has been that "failure is not an option."

But after the repeated disasters of recent weeks, warnings of the possibility -- if not the inevitability -- of "failure" or "defeat" are beginning to echo through the marble halls of Congress and the ornate conference rooms of Washington think tanks.
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Issue Of War On Terrorism Medals

Issue Of War On Terrorism Medals

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon announced Friday that it will issue a Global War on Terrorism Medal for troops who have served in Iraq, Afghanistan and other combat zones as well as those who performed support duty, such as guarding domestic airports after the Sept. 11 attacks.
...

Iraq Desert Bombing Video Shows Carnage

Yahoo! News - Iraq Desert Bombing Video Shows Carnage

Bush's Third-Party Threat

I wrote about this article (and the two main Libertarian presidential campaigns) at my main blog.

CBS News | Bush's Third-Party Threat
May 21, 2004

While Democrats fret over the possibility of Ralph Nader causing them to lose another election by stealing votes on the left, President Bush may face an even greater third-party threat from the right wing. The Libertarian Party nominee could cost Mr. Bush his job in 2004.

...

Ferguson: Nolan/ Badnarik in 2004!

I'm reprinting this opinion piece by Mike Ferguson in full because I'm not certain that his commentary, which is posted directly on his main home page, will remain available at that location.

Nolan/ Badnarik in 2004!

This month's Libertarian National Convention is sure to be eventful, as our Presidential campaigns have all developed both staunch supporters and opponents. I have met all three of the top-tier candidates and will admit that I struggled for a long time over which candidate - Gary Nolan or Michael Badnarik - would get my support for the nomination.

After being involved with this race, first in my role with the LP Presidential Straw Poll and most recently in my role as a Libertarian candidate for statewide office I have come to the conclusion that we need both Gary and Michael on our ticket.

Gary Nolan should be the Libertarian Party's nominee for President of the United States this year.

Gary is the highest profile candidate we have when it comes to public name recognition. Despite the constant assertions from the Aaron Russo campaign to the contrary, Gary Nolan is better known to the general public.

Consider this for a moment for a moment: who is certain to have more name recognition, the candidate who has spent years at the microphone on a nationally-syndicated radio program that bears his name or the candidate who developed a career working behind the scenes in the entertainment industry?

Gary Nolan tackled the issues of the day and has taken the message of freedom to the airwaves in dozens of markets throughout America during his time on the air. In addition to his work in radio, Gary has also logged plenty of time in real world politics. Anyone can talk about the way government should operate but not everyone backs it up by being involved in Washington politics. Gary's experience as the President of Capitol Watch and as a board member of Free the Eagle (an activist group that fights tax increases) is important to the Libertarian Party in this election cycle. It gives Gary the working knowledge of the issues Americans care about and the political credibility we need at the top of our ticket.

In addition to his impressive resume, Gary is a man of integrity. His passion for freedom is more evident to me every time I speak with him. Gary has put his personal and professional life on hold for well over a year now in order to present the message of freedom, Constitutionally-limited government and the Libertarian Party to anyone who will listen to him.

Gary is an excellent spokesman for our party and for our message. He has the right background, the right communication style and the right image to be an effective Presidential nominee.

Speaking of image, it is appropriate to address the importance of presenting a "Presidential" image and the controversies surrounding Aaron Russo's erratic behavior during this campaign. Like it or not, image is important. Our Presidential nominee will represent the Libertarian Party, our state and local candidates, our membership and our philosophy to the public. We must not take the risk of nominating someone who presents a realistic risk of harming our efforts at all levels of activism with a Libertarian "Howard Dean moment" like the one that fatally derailed the former Vermont Governor's credibility and bid for the Democratic nomination.

After hearing and reading about some of the actions in question, I decided to call some people who attended the various state conventions and were present to witness them. What I was told by those who saw the events first hand troubled me. The people I contacted are not on the Nolan campaign staff. I wanted independent confirmation of what happened. Here is what I learned:

At the New York convention, an attractive woman was about to ask Mr. Russo a question. Before she could ask, he joked "No, I won't sleep with you." At the Florida convention, Mr. Russo held up a bottle of beer and declared "This is my passion" in response to a political topic of discussion.

Of course, there is also the now infamous "belt buckle incident" at the Maryland convention. When being questioned by Carol Moore, who is a vocal Russo critic, he stepped off the stage while reaching for his belt buckle. Russo moved toward Moore and asked her to "help" him with the buckle

I am the first to acknowledge that Ms. Moore can be abrasive and disrespectful to those she does not agree with. During the course of the LP Presidential Straw Poll, I have also been the target of her criticism on more than one occasion.

The Russo campaign has worked hard to spin the story as either a complete misunderstanding, saying he genuinely needed help with his belt buckle (an explanation that insults basic human intelligence), or as a harmless joke blown out of proportion by someone who is working against his campaign. Either way, this is not the behavior and image we want to present to the public.

Being able to conduct yourself with class in the face of those who attack you is critical for someone who hopes to lead a political party as a Presidential nominee. The public needs to hear the real solutions we have to the issues they care about. That message will not be heard if the messenger himself is a distraction. That is why we need Gary Nolan at the top of our ticket. His engaging approach to communicating the message of freedom makes people want to listen to him.

So, what about the second spot on the Libertarian ticket? We have our man for that job, too

Michael Badnarik is the ideal choice for the Libertarian Party's nomination for Vice President of the United States.

To question Michael's passion for the Constitution, for liberty and for building the Libertarian Party would be a waste of time. His quest for our nomination is truly a labor of the love of freedom. He began this campaign as a locally-known activist in Texas and has now established himself as a devoted campaigner, a hard worker and a genuine expert on the U.S. Constitution.

Michael's aggressive, yet dignified, style of public speaking is exactly what we need in the V.P. role. The Libertarian Party needs to keep him on the campaign trail.

While Michael Badnarik is still running for our Presidential nomination, he has already publicly stated that we will accept the Vice Presidential nod. The fact that Michael is still "Lighting the Fires of Liberty, One Heart At a Time" after a year and a half of constant travel and shoestring budgets is a testament to Michael as a person and as a candidate.

I am grateful to have the opportunity to know both Gary Nolan and Michael Badnarik. Both men have proven their ability and willingness to live on the campaign trail. Both men have proven their ability and desire to use their campaigns to support statewide and local Libertarian candidates. I have personally campaigned with both men and look forward to continuing to work with both Gary and Michael as I run for Missouri Lieutenant Governor this year.

Neither Gary nor Michael is basing his campaign on grandiose promises. Their campaigns are based on hard work, personal integrity, an understanding of reality, the realization that respect is to be earned, not demanded and a dedication to personally delivering our message all over the United States.

Gary Nolan and Michael Badnarik, in that order, is an effective top of the ticket team for the Libertarian Party. I hope our delegates recognize this in Atlanta this month

Hooper and Henderson: The Top One Percent Includes You

Charley Hooper is a friend of mine who helps with our local Libertarian Party activities quite a lot. David Henderson is a friend and former teacher of Charley's who came here for a talk a while back.

In other words, I know these guys. :-)

TCS: Tech Central Station - The Top One Percent Includes You

Presidential aspirant John Kerry likes to discuss "the wealthiest one percent". In this he is following in the footsteps of Al Gore who, when running for president, excoriated the one percenters to drive a wedge between them and the rest of us, hoping that enough of the rest of us would vote for him. Fellow demagogue Paul Krugman also often attacks the top 1 percent.

Here's why. Carl Haub, senior demographer at the Population Reference Bureau in Washington, D.C., has estimated that 106 billion humans have been born since Homo sapiens appeared about 50,000 years ago. That means that the richest one percent in history includes 1.06 billion people. There are currently 6.2 billion humans alive, leaving approximately 100 billion who have died. Who among the dead was rich by today's standards? Not many. Royalty, popes, presidents, dictators, large landholders, and the occasional wealthy industrialist, such as Andrew Carnegie and Leland Stanford, were certainly rich. All told, it is difficult to imagine more than 20 million of these people since ancient Egyptian times. This leaves 1.04 billion wealthy alive today, or 17% of the world's population....

Marines Walk Softly and Carry a Big Stack

Marines Walk Softly and Carry a Big Stack

Armed with cash, U.S. troops attempt to make amends with Iraqi civilians who suffered.

By Tony Perry, Times Staff Writer

AL BO ALI DAKEL, Iraq — In accordance with the brutal accounting of modern combat, cash payments were made Thursday to people in this small village who suffered during recent fighting between U.S. Marines and insurgents in nearby Fallouja.

Abed did not reply but stepped back into the crowd, carefully counting 25 crisp $100 bills.

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

Iraqis Hail Falluja 'Victory' as U.S. Changes Tack

Iraqis Hail Falluja 'Victory' as U.S. Changes Tack

from Saturday 01 May 2004

permacopy

LFA Interviews LNC Candidates

The LFA Interview: Libertarian National Committee

This is the third in a series of interviews with the announced candidates for various offices, to be selected at the Libertarian Party national convention in Atlanta, May 27-31, 2004.

This time, we hear from candidates for the Libertarian National Committee. ...

Videos Amplify Picture of Violence

This article describes many of the newly-leaked photos and videos from the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal. It also shows some of the pictures and a video. The video shows a soldier (it looks like Graner to me) smacking a deeply shaken prisoner, who is apparently being forced to strip.

Videos Amplify Picture of Violence (washingtonpost.com)

McCullagh on Russo et al: Spamming for office

Spamming for office - News - ZDNet

COMMENTARY--Aaron Russo wants your vote so badly, he's willing to spam you for it.

Russo, whose films include "The Rose" and "Trading Places," is not alone. Political spam has become a thoroughly nonpartisan communications technique, with Democrats, Republicans and third parties alike turning to bulk e-mail in numbers that are still small but steadily increasing. Two percent of all spam is political, according to statistics compiled by antispam vendor Brightmail.
...

Max Boot: What the Heck Is a Neocon?

What the Heck Is a Neocon? - Max Boot

Schneider: War Has Its Reasons

AEI - News & Commentary
War Has Its Reasons

By William Schneider
Posted: Wednesday, March 26, 2003

...
And so, reason No. 3 is ideology.

It is a bold, ambitious, and risky agenda. But it just may be the real reason America is going to war.

NV Court Orders probing into Drug Czar's anti-MMJ campaign expenses

Order Favors Group Seeking Nevada Expense Report From Drug Czar

Trade Deficit's Real Meaning

Trade Deficit's Real Meaning

Commerce Department figures released Wednesday showed that America’s trade deficit last year with the rest of the world reached a record high . This means that Americans purchased more foreign goods and services than they exported — a measure of the great strength of the U.S. market.

Protectionist policies that pull up the drawbridge on foreign goods would have exactly the opposite effect. They would signal fear and weakness. The president should make sure that members of both parties understand that.

Intel Staffer Cites Abu Ghraib Cover-Up

ABCNEWS.com : Intel Staffer Cites Abu Ghraib Cover-Up

The Hawks Loudly Express Their Second Thoughts

The New York Times > Week in Review > The Hawks Loudly Express Their Second Thoughts

(permacopy at PNAC.info)

Seymour Hersh: How a secret Pentagon program came to Abu Ghraib

THE GRAY ZONE
(permacopy)

by SEYMOUR M. HERSH
How a secret Pentagon program came to Abu Ghraib.

Issue of 2004-05-24
Posted 2004-05-15

The roots of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal lie not in the criminal inclinations of a few Army reservists but in a decision, approved last year by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, to expand a highly secret operation, which had been focussed on the hunt for Al Qaeda, to the interrogation of prisoners in Iraq. Rumsfeld’s decision embittered the American intelligence community, damaged the effectiveness of élite combat units, and hurt America’s prospects in the war on terror.

Rumsfeld reacted in his usual direct fashion: he authorized the establishment of a highly secret program that was given blanket advance approval to kill or capture and, if possible, interrogate “high value” targets in the Bush Administration’s war on terror. A special-access program, or sap—subject to the Defense Department’s most stringent level of security—was set up, with an office in a secure area of the Pentagon. ...

Film Producer Readies Race For Nevada Governor Chair

Aaron Russo Readies Race for Governor

Film Producer Readies Race For Nevada Governor Chair
by Steve Miller
copyright (c) 1997, Electric Nevada

Nevada's next governor could turn out to be a long-time Hollywood producer with a flair for the dramatic and a passionate interest in the defense of individual liberty.

"That's a 95 percent done deal," the source said.
Nofziger is currently president of Nofziger Communications, a Washington consulting firm. He began his career as a newspaper reporter and later became press secretary for Ronald Reagan's first race for Governor in 1966.
...

1997: Thousands of Nevada Supporters Put Me in Front, Claims Russo

Two things are notable in this article from just before Aaron Russo's 1998 run for Governor of Nevada: his claims about being "way ahead" and leading "by miles"-- while polls early in the race once it was underway put him 40 points behind the front-runner -- and this little note at the end:

Originally booked for March, the Pioneer Theater kick-off in Reno for the Aaron Russo campaign has been pushed back until May 10. The postponement will allow both the printer and the post office extra time, campaign sources said.

BTW, Russo ultimately got 26% of the primary vote, against 59% for winner Kenny Guinn.

Thousands of Nevada Supporters Put Me in Front, Claims Russo

Excerpt:

Russo himself says he was amazed in Vegas to find people plucking at him -- as he walked through the audience -- as though he was some kind of rock star.

...

1998: Candidates Try to Beat the Odds in Nevada

Another blast from the past-- Aaron Russo's 1998 campaign for Governor of Nevada.

Washingtonpost.com: Candidates Try to Beat the Odds in Nevada

Guinn will remind voters of long-haired Russo until primary

The most telling bit in this blast from the past was this:

Russo has no campaign manager, no financial chairman, no strategist.

He did back in April of that year-- high-level strategist Lyn Nofziger. But not in this article from August, weeks before the actual primary election. Weird.

Guinn will remind voters of long-haired Russo until primary

LAS VEGAS RJ:NEWS: COLUMN: John L. Smith

Wednesday, August 19, 1998

Russo's Road to the Race for Governor

From Tahiti to Nevada
Russo's Road to the Race for Governor

by Steve Miller
copyright (c) 1997, Electric Nevada

Aaron Russo for Governor?

E! Online News - Aaron Russo for Governor?

by Marcus Errico
Apr 10, 1997, 3:40 PM PT

Jesse Walker: In Defense of Spoilers and Quixotes

In Defense of Spoilers and Quixotes
Don't you know there's an election on?

Jesse Walker

John Kerry's best chance to win the presidency is to stay out of public and legally change his name to Not Bush. The Democratic grassroots may have accepted Kerry as the "realistic" nominee, but it's the opportunity to vote for Not Bush that's excited them; and it's Not Bush who's been picking up swing voters in the polls. So strong is this sentiment, in fact, that the liberals' worst antipathy seems reserved for those who might dilute the Not Bush vote.

That would be you, Mr. Nader. ...

Libertarian hopeful makes his case

Bradenton Herald | 05/13/2004 | Libertarian hopeful makes his case

BRADENTON - According to a Libertarian Party candidate for president, this is the year the party can make a difference.

...

FBI to pay $2 million in Earth First suit

OAKLAND / FBI to pay $2 million in Earth First suit /
Activists were arrested, called eco-terrorists after bomb exploded in their car
permacopy

The federal government has quietly agreed to pay $2 million to settle a civil rights lawsuit filed by two leaders of the environmental group Earth First who were arrested and branded eco-terrorists by the FBI after they were injured when a bomb exploded in their car in Oakland 14 years ago.

The $2 million that Darryl Cherney and the estate of the late Judi Bari are expected to receive in the next few days is one of the largest settlements paid out as a result of the FBI's action, attorneys for the plaintiffs said.
...

Pollsters: Kerry aside, Bush is in trouble

MSNBC - Pollsters: Kerry aside, Bush is in trouble

WASHINGTON - Voters may not yet be ready to flock to challenger John Kerry, but President Bush’s continuing decline in opinion surveys — including one released Wednesday — is a clear warning sign for an incumbent trying to persuade the public to rehire him for four more years, pollsters say.
...

...

Undeterred by McCain Denials, Some See Him as Kerry's No. 2

The New York Times > Washington > Campaign 2004 > Undeterred by McCain Denials, Some See Him as Kerry's No. 2

permacopy

Guantánamo abuse same as Abu Ghraib, say Britons

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Guantánamo abuse same as Abu Ghraib, say Britons
(Permacopy)

Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington, Tania Branigan and Vikram Dodd
Friday May 14, 2004
The Guardian

Two British men who were held at Guantánamo Bay claimed that their US guards subjected them to abuse similar to that perpetrated at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

At times, detainees would be taken to the interrogation room and chained naked on the floor, the letter says. Women would be brought to the room to "inappropriately provoke and indeed molest them. It was completely clear to all the detainees that this was happening to particularly vulnerable prisoners, especially those who had come from the strictest of Islamic backgrounds," the letter says.
...

Slamming the door on a Kerry-McCain ticket

It's difficult to conceive of how a Kerry-McCain ticket would do anything other than blow the doors off of a Bush/Cheney ticket, if that ended up being the battle. Kerry and McCain would wipe the floor with them. Apparently it's not going to happen, but it would be something to see if it did. I still wouldn't vote for any of them, but that ticket would be hugely appealing to the mainstream middle base of voters-- Bush and Cheney would lose virtually that whole bloc, and be left with only diehard Republicans (and a reduced lot of them) and the religious right. And gun owners if he doesn't renew the assault weapons ban (which he most likely will do).

Boston Globe / Opinion / Op-ed / Slamming the door on a Kerry-McCain ticket

By Scot Lehigh, Globe Columnist, 4/13/2004

HERE'S TODAY'S question: How hard does a door have to slam before it's truly closed?

But first let's begin with the little tease of a joke that went untold.

But certainly in some quarters, that pairing is seen as a winner.
...

Bush's disappearing financial advantage

MSNBC - Bush's disappearing financial advantage

By David Shuster
MSNBC Correspondent
Updated: 7:09 p.m. ET April 15, 2004

In politics, it is known as the burn rate — the speed at which a campaign spends the money it has raised. The Hardball ad watch team estimates that the Bush campaign has already spent nearly half of its pre-convention advertising budget.

With the polls showing the president even or slightly behind John Kerry, it means that the Bush campaign's huge financial advantage has now all but disappeared.
...

TLE Interviews Michael Badnarik

TLE Interviews Michael Badnarik, by L. Neil Smith

TLE Interviews Michael Badnarik
by L. Neil Smith
lneil@lneilsmith.com

Exclusive to THE LIBERTARIAN ENTERPRISE

TLE: First things first, Mike. Why are you in competition for the Libertarian Party's nomination for the Presidency of the United States?
...

Video Shows Beheading of U.S. Civilian

You may have already heard about this.

Video Shows Beheading of U.S. Civilian

An Islamist website claimed today that a group in Iraq affiliated with Al Qaeda had beheaded an American contractor to avenge the abuse of Iraqi prisoners in U.S. military jails.

In a video posted on the group's website and picked up by other news websites, Nick Berg, a 26-year-old communications businessman...

Reform Party endorses Nader

Reform Party endorses Nader, giving him ballot access in 7 states, including Fla., Mich.

SAM HANANEL
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON — Independent Ralph Nader, reviled by some Democrats for his presidential bid, was endorsed Wednesday by the national Reform Party, giving him ballot access in at least seven states, including the battlegrounds of Florida and Michigan.

Nader spokesman Kevin Zeese said the candidate welcomes the support but plans to continue running as an independent. He said Nader would decide on a case-by-case basis whether to accept the Reform Party's ballot lines in each state, or try to gain ballot access through other means.
...

Foldvary: A History of Maltreatment

This is a superb opinion piece. I've excerpted the beginning below, but the entire article is just as worthy of your attention.

Foldvary: A History of Maltreatment

Many causes can be pointed to for the abuse of Iraqi detainees. American troops have been undermanned and ill prepared. The prisoner policy condoned and even encouraged rough treatment in order to extract information. The top chiefs did not lay down a clear policy and failed to monitor what was happening on the ground.

...

Copyright 2004 by Fred E. Foldvary, via The Progress Report

Powell Says Troops Would Leave Iraq if New Leaders Asked

Powell Says Troops Would Leave Iraq if New Leaders Asked (washingtonpost.com)

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, joined by the foreign ministers of nations making key contributions of military forces in Iraq, emphatically said yesterday that if the incoming Iraqi interim government ordered the departure of foreign troops after July 1, they would pack up without protest.

"We would leave," Powell said, noting that he was "not ducking the hypothetical, which I usually do," to avoid confusion on the extent of the new government's authority.

His statement, which was echoed by the foreign ministers of Britain, Italy and Japan, and by the U.S. administrator in Iraq, came one day after conflicting testimony on Capitol Hill by administration officials on the issue. Testifying before the House International Relations Committee on Thursday, Undersecretary of State Marc Grossman appeared to say that the interim government could order the departure of foreign troops, only to be contradicted by Lt. Gen. Walter Sharp, sitting at his side, who asserted that only an elected government could do so. Iraqi elections are scheduled for January.
...

Andersonville: Earlier War Crimes 'Abuse' Trial

Andersonville: Earlier War Crimes 'Abuse' Trial

"Andersonville, or Camp Sumter as it was officially known, was one of the largest of many established prison camps during the American Civil War," wrote researcher and Georgia historian, Kevin Frye. "It was built early in 1864 after Confederate officials decided to move the large number of Federal prisoners kept in and around Richmond, Virginia, to a place of greater security and a more abundant food supply. During the 14 months the prison existed, more than 45,000 Union Solders were confined here. Of these, almost 13,000 died from disease, poor sanitation, malnutrition, overcrowding, or exposure to the elements."

Contrast that with the conduct of the US military guards in Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison. "It is a common thing to abuse prisoners," said Sgt. Mike Sindar, 25, a National Guardsman with the 870th Military Police Company based in the San Francisco Bay area and recently returned from Iraq. "I saw beatings all the time."
...

Bill of Rights’ ‘no trespassing’ overlooked, Libertarian says

Bill of Rights’ ‘no trespassing’ overlooked, Libertarian says

PATRICK LASTRAPES 13.MAY.04

Keynote speaker Jeff Daiell, chairman of the Harris County Libertarian Party and 2002 gubernatorial nominee, addressed the Houston Property Rights Association during last Friday’s luncheon at the Courtyard Restaurant.

...

Weintraub: New methods for targeting voters no help to democracy

sacbee.com -- Opinion -- Daniel Weintraub: New methods for targeting voters no help to democracy

Thirty-five years ago, when author Joe McGinniss compared a presidential campaign to selling a bar of soap, his conclusion was dead-on but still jarring. Today, the technology brought to bear on political research, strategy and marketing alarms no one, but it should. It is putting the old school to shame.

I don't doubt that these tactics work. But what's increasingly missing from data-driven campaigns is a broader community conversation about the issues and problems that confront us all. By targeting only those people already inclined to vote, and communicating in narrower and narrower messages, campaigns ignore or turn off everybody else, driving political participation ever lower while driving the premium on targeting still higher. It's a vicious cycle.
...

The blunders of a president who doesn't know he made them

Boston Globe / Op-ed / The blunders of a president who doesn't know he made them

by Ellen Goodman

MAYBE I SHOULDN'T be hard on the president for flunking his pop quiz on foreign policy. After all, it wasn't a take-home exam and he didn't have Dick Cheney by his side. But when a reporter at the prime-time news conference asked what errors he'd made and what lessons he learned, the president was stumped. "I'm sure something will pop into my head here in the midst of this press conference, with all the pressure of trying to come up with an answer, but it hadn't yet," he said.

After another golly-gee-whiz stumble, he added, "you just put me under the spot here and maybe I'm not as quick on my feet as I should be in coming up with one."

When another reporter asked the president how he got "it" -- the WMDs, our welcome as liberators -- so wrong, Bush stumbled again. Wrong isn't on his answer sheet because he's conflated two definitions of the same word: the wrong that's "incorrect" and the wrong that's "immoral." And if what he's done is moral it cannot be a mistake.
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CBS to Air U.S. Soldier's Video Diary of Iraq Abuse

The New York Times > News > CBS to Air U.S. Soldier's Video Diary of Iraq Abuse

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An American soldier's video diary showing her disdain for Iraqi detainees who died in her charge is to be broadcast by a U.S. network on Wednesday in a further escalation of the prisoner abuse scandal that has shaken the Bush administration and provoked world outrage.

In her video, the soldier described the hazards of Camp Bucca. ``This is a sand viper,'' she said. ``One bite will kill you in six hours. We've already had two prisoners die of it, but who cares? That's two less for me to worry about.''
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US tactics condemned by British officers

Telegraph | News | US tactics condemned by British officers

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Senior British commanders have condemned American military tactics in Iraq as heavy-handed and disproportionate.

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Saddam General in Falluja Questions U.S. Demands

Saddam General in Falluja Questions U.S. Demands
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The general from Saddam Hussein's army put in charge of the volatile city of Falluja challenged his U.S. backers Sunday, saying they were wrong to say foreign Islamic guerrillas were behind an insurgency there.
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Rumsfeld Criticized by Influential Military Paper

Rumsfeld Criticized by Influential Military Paper
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The independent Army Times newspaper, read widely in the U.S. military, on Monday suggested Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other top Pentagon civilian and military leaders should be removed over the Iraq prisoner abuse scandal.

"This was not just a failure of leadership at the local command level. This was a failure that ran straight to the top. Accountability here is essential -- even if that means relieving top leaders from duty in a time of war," the private weekly newspaper said in an editorial.
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William Rivers Pitt | The War is Lost

t r u t h o u t - William Rivers Pitt | The War is Lost

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So...the reason to go to war because of weapons of mass destruction is destroyed. The reason to go to war because of connections to September 11 is destroyed. The reason to go to war in order to bring freedom and democracy to Iraq is destroyed.

I say ridiculous because this "War on Terror" was never, ever something we were going to win. What began on September 11 with the world wrapping us in its loving embrace has collapsed today in a literal orgy of shame and disgrace. This happened, simply, because of the complete failure of moral leadership at the highest levels.
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Media Outlets Won't Show Beheading Video

Guardian Unlimited | World Latest | Media Outlets Won't Show Beheading Video

British troops in torture scandal

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | British troops in torture scandal
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The controversy over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners deepened last night when photographs were released apparently showing the torture of a PoW by a British soldier.

The soldiers said the man, thought to be an alleged thief, was thrown off the back of a moving wagon after his eight-hour ordeal, and it is not known whether he lived or died.
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Abuse Of Iraqi POWs By GIs Probed

CBS News | Abuse Of Iraqi POWs By GIs Probed | May 6, 2004 17:54:04

Man campaigns for elections with rat in mouth

Ananova - Man campaigns for elections with rat in mouth

An Indian man is campaigning for the country's national elections by holding a live rat in his mouth.

He says he is doing this to highlight the plight of starving farmers.
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It Was About "Regime Change" from the Get-Go

Excellent article.

It Was About "Regime Change" from the Get-Go

by Jacob G. Hornberger, founder and president of The Future of Freedom Foundation

UK forces taught torture methods

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | UK forces taught torture methods

UK forces taught torture methods

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | UK forces taught torture methods

U.S. says no plans yet to close Abu Ghraib

MSNBC - U.S. says no plans yet to close Abu Ghraib

(Permacopy)

How to Become Known As An Expert -- On Anything

What's Next Online Interview: Expertizing -- How to Become Known As An Expert -- On Anything

Kennicott | A Wretched New Picture of America

t r u t h o u t - Philip Kennicott | A Wretched New Picture of America
Photos From Iraq Prison Show We Are Our Own Worst Enemy

(WashPost original)

Kennicott | A Wretched New Picture of America

t r u t h o u t - Philip Kennicott | A Wretched New Picture of America

(WPost original)

A suddenly segregated red and blue US?

A suddenly segregated red and blue US? | csmonitor.com

Weissman | Thank God for the Torturers

t r u t h o u t - Steve Weissman | Thank God for the Torturers

Libertarian Senate candidate Jim Gray visits SLO

San Luis Obispo Tribune | 05/05/2004 | Libertarian Senate candidate Jim Gray visits SLO

Understandable Hate: The Iraqis' Inevitable Reaction

Understandable Hate: The Iraqis' Inevitable Reaction

by Jeof Oyster

Rumsfeld warns of photos depicting worse abuses / ANALYSIS: Is the nation nearing turning point in support of war?

SF Chronicle: Rumsfeld warns of photos depicting worse abuses / ANALYSIS: Is the nation nearing turning point in support of war?

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Rumsfeld warns of photos depicting worse abuses / ANALYSIS: Is the nation nearing turning point in support of war?

SF Chronicle: Rumsfeld warns of photos depicting worse abuses / ANALYSIS: Is the nation nearing turning point in support of war?

Browne: Who's Responsible for the Iraqi Prisoner Abuse?

Who's Responsible for the Iraqi Prisoner Abuse?

by Harry Browne

Montel speaks out for Medical Marijuana

Marijuana Policy Project: New York

Talk Show Host Lobbies in Albany
Capital News 9; May 5, 2004
by Brian Taffe

After 13 years in television and nearly 2,600 shows, Montel Williams wants to meet you. More though, he just wants you to meet him.

"Your younger sibling has an illness, and they're in pain all day, and a doctor says to you the only thing that will stop their pain is medicinal marijuana. Now you tell me what you're going to do," Williams said.
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Weissman | Thank God for the Torturers -- Part II

t r u t h o u t - Steve Weissman | Thank God for the Torturers -- Part II: Weighing the Costs

Soldiers Back in U.S. Tell of More Iraq Abuses

The New York Times > News > Soldiers Back in U.S. Tell of More Iraq Abuses

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Three U.S. military policemen who served at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison said on Thursday they had witnessed unreported cases of prisoner abuse and that the practice against Iraqis was commonplace.

"That shows you how lax they are about discipline. 'We are going to look for contraband in here, so hint, hint, get rid of the stuff,' that's the way things work in the Guard," Leal said.

U.S. Must Leave Falluja, Iraq General Says

The New York Times > News > U.S. Must Leave Falluja, Iraq General Says

(TruthOut permacopy)

20 years after 'molestor' is jailed, victims recant

20 years after 'molestor' is jailed, victims recant

Blumenthal: "Abuse"? How about torture

Salon.com | "Abuse"? How about torture

NYT on Fahrenheit 911: Disney's Craven Behavior

The New York Times > Opinion > Disney's Craven Behavior

WPost: Mr. Rumsfeld's Responsibility

Editorial: Mr. Rumsfeld's Responsibility (washingtonpost.com)

Iraqi Recounts Hours of Abuse by U.S. Troops

The New York Times > International > Middle East > Iraqi Recounts Hours of Abuse by U.S. Troops

(TruthOut permacopy)

The shame is so deep that Hayder Sabbar Abd says he feels that he cannot move back to his old neighborhood. He would prefer not even to stay in Iraq. But now the entire world has seen the pictures, which Mr. Abd looked at yet again on Tuesday, pointing out the key figures, starting with three American soldiers wearing big smiles for the camera.

"That is me," he said, and he tapped his own hooded, slightly hunched image.
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20 years after 'molestor' is jailed, victims recant

20 years after 'molestor' is jailed, victims recant

BAKERSFEILD, Calif. - A judge Friday threw out the conviction of a man imprisoned 20 years for molesting children, concluding that the testimony of the alleged victims was unreliable. Most of the children now say the assaults never happened.

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Strip club owners asking patrons to vote

AP Wire | 05/01/2004 | Strip club owners asking patrons to vote

Bremer Takes Back Statements About Bush

Yahoo! News - Bremer Takes Back Statements About Bush

BAGHDAD, Iraq - L. Paul Bremer, the U.S. administrator in Iraq, said Sunday he regrets a statement he made more than six months before the Sept. 11 attacks that the Bush administration was "paying no attention" to terrorism.

At a McCormick Tribune Foundation conference on terrorism on Feb. 26, 2001, Bremer said, "The new administration seems to be paying no attention to the problem of terrorism. What they will do is stagger along until there's a major incident and then suddenly say, 'Oh, my God, shouldn't we be organized to deal with this?'
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Dean campaign metrics

This is an old article, but I want to save these numbers.

The Seattle Times: As campaign struggles, backers say Dean's value lies online

Last year, Dean raised about $41 million from more than 95,000 people, about half of that through online donations. Supporters posted more than 314,000 comments on Dean's Web log last year, according to the campaign, and 180,000 people used Meetup.com to organize and find Dean meetings around the country.

As of yesterday, the campaign said, 638,121 people have registered on the Dean Web site, www.deanforamerica.com

What the US papers don't say

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | What the US papers don't say

(TruthOut permacopy -- second story on page)

Michael Hann examines the air of secrecy and silence surrounding the US media's treatment of George Bush's 'war on terror'

Friday April 30, 2004

American contractors and soldiers torturing Iraqi prisoners in a prison outside Baghdad? A huge story, by anyone's standards, surely, especially when pictures of the abuse were broadcast on the US TV network CBS.

Tonight, for example, the ABC network's Nightline programme is to feature host Ted Koppel reading the names of all members of the American military killed in Iraq, while pictures of them appear on screen. But, as the New York Daily News reported, one local broadcasting group that controls eight ABC-affiliated stations has "angrily pulled" the show, claiming the naming of the dead "is a blatant anti-war ploy".
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Horrific new evidence of soldiers' brutality in Iraq

Horrific new evidence of soldiers' brutality in Iraq

Secret report from notorious Baghdad jail reveals beatings, rape and torture of prisoners by US troops

By Raymond Whitaker, Andy McSmith and Andrew Johnson
02 May 2004

Shocking new evidence of brutality by coalition troops against Iraqi detainees emerged last night in a secret US military report into the treatment of prisoners at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison.

The revelation that US military police and intelligence officers had beaten Iraqi detainees, set dogs on them and threatened them with rape came as the world recoiled at photographs of British soldiers seemingly mistreating Iraqis in custody. The sight of servicemen humiliating and tormenting a bound and hooded Iraqi prisoner caused fury in the Arab world and brought condemnation from Tony Blair.
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