Q U E E R P O L I T I C

Getting Up with Nick Vujicic

2008-11-12T11:27:00.000-08:00

Adventist Spies: The CNP, Pro-life to Sunday Laws & the role of Sarah Palin

2008-10-27T15:47:00.000-07:00

ZAGREB, Croatia July 15, 2008 (AP)

The Croatian parliament has passed a law forcing shops to close on Sundays in a concession to the Roman Catholic church.

The church has campaigned for years for Sundays to be devoted to family or Mass in Croatia, which is almost 90 percent Roman Catholic. But Croatians have begun spending weekends in shopping malls that have flourished across the country in the past few years and remain open seven days a week.

Not in America, right? This next website actually covers a lot of source material in building the case that this is exactly what the religious-right, Christian Coalition has in mind as they build their "pro-life" base within the Republican party, which fits into the neo-conservative globalist agenda, here outlined by a Seventh-day Adventist writer uncovering the mystery behind the Council on National Policy (CNP), Christian Coalition Highlights By J. Allen Fine reproduced below. By the way, as you read on, remember that the CNP was behind the recent selection of Sarah Palin, as reported by The Nation Magazine. This fits into the Catholic-Protestant agenda for America --Christian by force--as they reach across the divide and find their common ground.

The author of the following comments chooses to remain anonymous. He is a graduate of London University and Lincoln ’s Inn Court of London, England , and was a Barrister-at-law in Britain for 20 years. He has been a Seventh-day Adventist since 1953 and moved to the U.S. in 1975; became a citizen and has since worked in the Corporate and Civil litigation department of a major California corporation. He writes:
“By the early ‘70’s three key men – Richard Viguerie (a Roman Catholic), Howard Phillips, and Paul Weyrich (A Roman Catholic) had laid the foundation for a conservative revolution in the U.S. Weyrich (remember that name) obtained financial backing from a Colorado beer magnate Joseph Coors (a Roman Catholic) to found the Heritage Foundation. This is a right-wing think tank that has exercised great influence on Republican presidential administrations since Ronald Reagan’s election in 1980.…
“In 1974 and 1975 a group of key leaders, including Richard Devos, president of the Amway Corporation, and Bill Bright, president of Campus Crusade for Christ convened a series of secret meetings to plan the development of the religious right. This group published a blueprint for Christians to win elections and a manual designed to persuade evangelical Christians to adopt conservative positions on a whole range of issues.…Organizations arose to mobilize women by appealing to ‘family values’ and anxieties [against] … the emerging feminist movement. In 1972, Phyllis Schlafly (a staunch Roman Catholic) founded the Eagle Forum to organize opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment, which she saw as a threat to the traditional family.… Grassroots organizations such as the Moral [M]ajority and eventually the Christian Coalition joined their voices.
“It is not possible within the limits of this [communique] to mention all of the arms of the religious right movement. Suffice it to say that all of the major religious right leaders have united in[to] a single political entity called the Council for National Policy (CNP).”
I gleaned the following information from an ABC news.com release entitled “Meet the Most Powerful Conservative Group You’ve Never Heard Of,” which I will partially quote so you can be privy to another viable source and then I’ll try to pull it all together.
“When Steve Baldwin executive director of the Council for National Policy (CNP) boasts that ‘we control everything in the world,’ he is only half-kidding.… But also half serious because the council has deservedly attained the reputation for conceiving and promoting the ideas of many, who in fact, do want to control everything in the world.…“Clothed in secrecy since its founding in 1981, the Council for National Policy is a virtual ‘Who’s Who’ of the Hard Right. Its membership comprises the Right’s Washington operatives and politicians, its financiers, and its hard-core religious arm.”
I wanted first-hand information about this organization and was able to talk to the executive director, Steve Baldwin, who was a bit upset at first that I had managed to get his number. However, when I told him I was a member of the Christian Coalition and was just a pastor trying to understand a little more about the organization’s relationship to the CC, he opened up somewhat and answered a few of my questions. I found out that the membership list is not suppose to be for publication (although I was able to get a fairly recent membership list through an ABC affiliate just last week). Also, I learned that … membership is open to anyone who wants to request it ‘…even I could apply to become a member for a yearly fee of $1750. BUT I would have to be recommended by another CNP member and voted in by the other members. So they manage to be extremely selective as they meet behind closed doors with no media allowed and no press releases unless all presenters agree upon them, which is next to never! This way they are allowed to say anything, vote anything without fear of being exposed. It’s not directly connected to the government so does not have to answer to ‘the people.’ I asked Mr. Baldwin … ‘Why have an organization like the CNP? His answer: ‘It gives major (right wing) thought leaders a chance to all get together and discuss what is best for America and help carry it out.”
ABC News.com in a May 2 release put this spin on it: “The Hard Right utilizes the CNP’s three-times-a-year-secret meetings to plan its strategy for implementing the radical right agenda. It is here that the organizers and activists meet with the financial backers who put up the money to carry out their agenda.”
Major thought leaders, organizers, financial backers is right! This list of members obtained through ABC.com includes the likes of Dr. James Dobson (Focus on the Family), Congressman Tom DeLay, Congressman Dick Armey, Karl Rove (Chief advisor for President Bush), Jerry Falwell, Gary Bauer, Judge Robert Bork, Attorney General John Ashcroft (he’s listed as a former member), theologian John Ankerberg, Pat Robertson, Jeffrey Coors (Coors Brewery money magnate), Richard DeVos (Amway and Orlando Magic entrepreneur), Bill Bright (Campus Crusade), Senator Jesse Helms, Larry Burkett, Rev. Donald Wildman (American Family Assoc.), D. James Kennedy (Save our Sundays and Save our America), Sam Moore (President of Thomas Nelson Bible Publishers), Oliver North, Roberta Combs (President of Christian Coalition), Ralph Reed (former head of Christian Coalition and Bush’s presidential campaign director), Keith Fournier (attorney and Catholic spokesman), Phyllis Schlafly (women’s activist), Tim LaHaye (Author of the deceptive Left Behind series and “a founding father" of the CNP), John Whithead (Rutheford Institute founder), Alan Keyes (Roman Catholic talk show host), Nelson Baker Hunt (son of billionaire H. L. Hunt and connected to the John Birch Society, the Reagan political network and a founding father of the CNP), and the list goes on.
Now, don’t quite reading … you’ll be quite amazed at where this all leads and what the bottom line truly is and who is actually drawing it. I do, however, want to momentarily switch gears here. We have a friend who helps us research issues as these, and in reviewing the CNP, ran across the acronym NSSM. We asked him to see what he could find out about it. It turned out to be shorthand for National Security Study Memorandum. It was defined as “the definitive interagency study of world population growth and its implications for United States and global security.” Among its conclusions was: “World population growth is widely recognized within the Government as a current danger of the highest magnitude calling for urgent measures.…” [Issued by National Security Adviser, Henry Kissinger, during the Nixon Administration].
So, what does all of this have to do with our concerns? Just this – one of the solutions to the problem of overpopulation that was promoted vigorously by the NSSM was the wide use of contraception and abortions – a pro-choice platform that totally “flies in the face” of the Catholic church. The NSSM died a very quick and quiet death as did other proposed pro-population control bills. The head of the Center for Research on Population and Security, Dr. Stephen Mumford, decided to research the “Why?” and journaled his findings in a book entitled, The Life and death of NSSM 200, 1996, Research Triangle Park , NC .
His research revealed that at the same time the Christian right wing movements were emerging (in the1970’s), another group had organized in response to the Roe vs. Wade pro-abortion decision … a group called the American Catholic Bishops! The abortion issue was the “sticky” moral issue that provided the glue for Catholics to solicit Protestants to meld together in a common cause giving them a viable springboard into the political arena. The American Catholic bishops organized to formulate a plan that would give them access to the political processes while beating the drum for antiabortion activists to join them to overturn “Roe vs. Wade.” Dr. Mumford wrote the following in his book which has been corroborated by other authors I’ll mention later.
“On November 20, 1975 , the American Catholic bishops issued their ‘Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities.’ … This plan is a superbly detailed blueprint of the bishops’ strategy for infiltrating and manipulating the American democratic process at the national, state, and local levels. It creates a political machine controlled by the bishops. This plan has been called by Timothy Byrnes (Author of Catholic Bishops in American Politics), the most ‘focused and aggressive political leadership’ ever exerted by the Catholic hierarchy. So much for … separation of church and state! (Pg. 137) Mumford includes the entire ‘Bishops’ Pastoral Plan’ as written in his book.
“Jesuit priest Virgil Blum, … proposed this strategy (a strategy to undermine the American political will) in a 1971 ‘American’ magazine article titled, ‘Public Policy Making: Why the churches Strike Out.’ He stated, ‘If a group is to be politically effective, issues rather than institutions must be at stake.’ Abortion was simply the issue created to achieve this effectiveness. Blum’s article set the stage for the creation of the Pastoral Plan, offering the bishops a set of well thought out guidelines which capitalized on centuries of experience of Jesuit manipulation of governments(Pg. 155).
“In another of his guidelines, Blum concluded that if the Catholic leadership is to succeed, it must make their efforts look non-Catholic. Blum also concluded that to accomplish this goal, the bishops must create a strong ecumenical movement.… Blum recognized early on that ‘ecumenism’ would be an essential weapon to counter the criticism certain to come with the blatant involvement of the bishops in making public policy (Pg. 159-60).
“The Pastoral Plan specifically directed the creation of ‘grassroots’ organizations (like the Christian Coalition) for the purposes of advancing the papal agenda. During the period 1976-1980, nearly all of the organizations that became known as the ‘New Right Movement’ or the ‘Religious New right’ were organized, such as ‘The Moral Majority,’ ‘The Heritage Foundation,’ ‘Eagle Forum,’ the ‘National Right to Life Political Action Committee’ and many others.… Catholics were key players in the creation of all of these organizations and in their leadership.
“Vital to the success of the Pastoral Plan has been the creation of first, the Moral Majority, followed by the Christian Coalition.… The evidence shows that both of these organizations, for all practical purposes, were created by the bishops because of the Plan, and these organizations have derived their energy, organization and direction from the Catholic Church.…
“Perhaps the most convincing link between Pat Robertson’s Christian Coalition and the activists who are implementing the Bishops’ Pastoral Plan is Robertson’s link with Paul Weyrich (a staunch Roman Catholic and the money and the brains behind the Heritage Foundation). Weyrich (the Catholic activist) recruited Jerry Falwell to become the nominal leader of the Moral Majority. Weyich also claims to have suggested the Moral Majority name.… When Falwell dropped out of politics in the late ‘80’s, Weyrich sought out another Protestant to take his place in order to continue the ecumenical activity called for in the Bishops Pastoral Plan: … Pat Robertson … Weyrich is deeply involved in the Christian Coalition and planned to serve as a faculty member at 70 Christian Coalition ‘leadership schools’ in 1994.… (Pg. 175-177).
“Catholic leadership of Robertson’s so-called Protestant network is clearly established. In an April 1993 article in Church and State magazine, Joseph L. Conn reveals the close connections between Weyrich and other Catholic activists and Robertson.… Marlene Elwell, co-founder of the Catholic Campaign for America, has long been a close ally of Robertson.… and was active in his political campaign. Thomas Monaghan (a staffer on a legal firm sponsored by Catholics United for Life) is senior counsel of Robertson’s American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ). Catholic activist Keith Fournier heads ACLJ and also serves on the Catholic Campaign for America. … (Pg. 178).
“According to Conn ,… ‘Simply put, the emerging alliance between these Protestant and Roman Catholic conservatives links Pat Robertson’s grassroots army – estimated at 350,000 (this year it was reported at 1.7 million) with the Catholic Rights’ wealth, political expertise and high-tech capabilities.’ It also gives that very desirable Protestant look to the movement as sought by the Bishops’ Pastoral Plan. (Pg. 178).
“The evidence continues to mount that the Christian Coalition is fundamentally Catholic – not Protestant.… Political science professor Mary Bendyna told the Religious News Service that she was surprised to find that even before the creation of the Catholic Alliance (a Catholic appendage of the Christian Coalition created in 1995) – even before that – all five staffers in the Christian Coalition’s Washington, D.C., office were Catholic.
“God’s word has given warning of the impending danger; let this be unheeded, and the Protestant world will learn what the purposes of Rome really are, only when it is too late to escape the snare. She is silently growing into power. Her doctrines are exerting their influence in legislative halls, in the churches, and in the hearts of men.…”5
We originally had no clue that we were going to find this deep Catholic connection in the Christian Coalition. Remember, the obvious lack of visible Catholic presence this year, especially in contrast to earlier CC meetings? Now we understand why. It is vital that they continue to be perceived as a Protestant organization in order to ‘stealthily’ promote a Catholic agenda. “Since its (the CC’s) creation, the press (Mumford goes into the extremely important role the vastly networked Catholic media plays in this intricate drama) (Catholic and secular) has given Americans the mistaken impression that the Coalition is a Protestant organization.… By October 1995 it was deemed safe for this ‘Protestant’ organization to more openly identify with Catholics but only as individuals.… Reed told the Associated Press: ‘It was time to at least “peek their heads out of the closet door.” After all, they had signed the “Evangelicals and Catholics Together” in 1994 and we had seen them all clasp hands in solidarity – so why not?’ We came to expect a certain Catholic presence after that.”
The ‘95 meeting did, indeed, have a very Catholic flavor. We were inundated with antiabortion speeches and material and were given badges to wear that had an outline of a baby in the womb and a light that blinked on and off to represent a beating heart. Very impressive! Catholics, Governor Robert Casey and Education Secretary William Bennett were keynote speakers. Catholic presidential candidates Alan Keyes and Patrick Buchanan received standing ovations when they spoke. Several priests in full garb pronounced invocations before the meetings. The Catholic Campaign for America had a booth set up right before you walked into the convention doors. I attended a breakout session with the Catholic Campaign for America and it was there, while sitting between two priests discussing school vouchers when one said, “The American people won’t accept all of these things at once so we’re going to have to accomplish them in increments.” Well, the school vouchers are a “done deal” under “our man in the White House” as several speakers referred to President Bush at the CC meetings in October 2002, and implementation of faith-based organizations headed by a Catholic is now a reality. Incrementalism is alive!
We don’t know how all of this sets with you, but our reaction left us dumbfounded, to say the least. I thought, “Is this guy, Mumford, for real?” I could tell he was greatly upset that his NSSM Bill had been squelched and wondered “Is this just a vendetta against the Catholics in return?” However, his credentials appeared valid and his book seemed quite well-documented. Then logic set in. I asked my friend Bob to scan the internet, and I began to search my library for other sources to confirm what he had written. We ran across several, some that Mumford had quoted in his extensive bibliography, and others in my library and on line that reinforced Mumford’s portrayal of the “Catholic” Right. I will list these books for you at the conclusion of this “treatise.” What “cream” I’m able to skim off the top for you is only a drop in the ole’ proverbial milking bucket. I did find a personal interest story in a book I had, entitled: “The Conservative Revolution” by Lee Edwards, that I’d like to share with you. It confirms and expands on what Mumford had reported.
“Weyrich (the Catholic who sought out Falwell to head up a Right Wing movement) was giving a briefing to Falwell on the current state of American politics when he remarked, ‘Out there is what you might call a moral majority. They are politically and socially conservative. If we could get these people active in politics there is no limit to what we could do.… ‘A moral majority’ Ed McAteer (who had arranged the meeting) mused, ‘that’s a great name.’ Falwell, too, was struck by it, ‘That’s it. That’s the phrase I’ve been looking for.’ And thus the Moral Majority was born.… I want to quote from a couple of other sources to help undergird what Mumford has written.
John Swomley authored a book entitled, Catholic Power vs. American Freedom which brings a lot of this same information from a new viewpoint in a more concise way. He states:
“It seems clear that Jerry Falwell’s Moral Majority and Pat Robertson’s Christian Coalition would not have been organized if the Vatican through its agents, the American bishops, had not decided it was necessary to involve articulate right-wing Protestant leaders in their anti-abortion campaign. (Pg. 169)
“One of the early successes of the Bishops’ Plan was the passage of the Hyde Amendment (by Congressman and Catholic activist Henry Hyde), which restricted the use of Medicaid money for abortions, limiting poor women’s access to abortion. Although declared unconstitutional by a federal district court judge, an appeals court overturned that decision and it became law.
“The Bishops’ Plan also indicates that their action against abortion must not be thought of as a Catholic movement, but must be seen as ecumenical. This was probably their most important decision because it resulted in the enlistment of much of the Protestant right-wing as both allies and followers of the bishops’ strategy.… (Pg. 168)
“Other developments reveal the success of the bishops’ strategy. The Southern Baptist Convention came under right-wing control and accepted the Catholic position on abortion.” (Pg. 171)
Having been a Southern Baptist, I was most interested in what Mumford also had to say in a more extensive way: “Another major accomplishment of the [Bishops’] Pastoral Plan has been its effect on Protestantism in America . The Plan has taken the protest out of Protestant [emphasis supplied]. No wonder when I asked Ralph Reed why he called himself an Evangelical and not a Protestant he said, “Why should I? I’m no longer protesting anything.”
Back to Mumford: “It is obvious that the victory of the Baptist fundamentalists benefits the Papacy. The bishops can now speak for 14.7 million Baptists on this issue and will wield the additional political power derived from this arrangement.… By 1979, the bishops had identified their man to engineer the Baptist rift.… Judge Pat Pressler! … During an interview by journalist Bill Moyers, Moyers brought to light that Judge Pressler is on the board of directors of the Council on National Policy (he was actually one of the ‘daddy rabbits’ of the organization) along with fanatical Religious right Catholics, Richard Viguerie, Phyllis Schlaftly and Joseph Coors.” This is the secretive CNP organization we spoke of earlier. Mumford continues: “As Meyers pressed the Judge on his relationship with the Council on National Policy (CNP), which promises the adoption of Papal policy, the judge broke off the interview and refused to answer further questions. The Judge had been exposed – as had been the real actors behind the Baptist rift.” (Pg. 312) No wonder W. A. Criswell, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention said without any qualms: “I don’t know anyone more dedicated to great fundamental doctrines of Christianity than the Catholics.” And Billy Graham, another Baptist minister, professed: “I’ve found that my beliefs are essentially the same as those of Orthodox Roman Catholics.” I have great respect for my dear Baptist friends, but I’m so grateful that God has called me out of that darkness “into this marvelous light” and I pray they will also be “enlightened.”

McCain-Palin on Roe vs. Wade

2008-10-05T08:26:00.000-07:00

The Fundamentals Are Strong: Deregulation

2008-10-05T08:01:00.000-07:00

Palin's Pro-Life Agenda?

2008-10-05T07:41:00.000-07:00

I don't think so...

WISH IT WAS MAINSTREET?

2008-10-04T08:43:00.000-07:00

IS AMERICA FINALLY WATCHING BIG BROTHER?

2008-09-30T20:52:00.000-07:00

For more than a century ideological extremists at either end of the political spectrum have seized upon well-publicized incidents such as my encounter with Castro to attack the Rockefeller family for the inordinate influence they claim we wield over American political and economic institutions. Some even believe we are part of a secret cabal working against the best interests of the United States, characterizing my family and me as ‘internationalists’ and of conspiring with others around the world to build a more integrated global political and economic structure – one world, if you will. If that’s the charge, I stand guilty, and I am proud of it.

- David Rockefeller of Standard Oil, Chase Manhattan and the Council on Foreign Relations, from his Memoirs in 2002.

Capital must protect itself in every way... Debts must be collected and loans and mortgages foreclosed as soon as possible. When through a process of law the common people have lost their homes, they will be more tractable and more easily governed by the strong arm of the law applied by the central power of leading financiers. People without homes will not quarrel with their leaders. This is well known among our principle men now engaged in forming an imperialism of capitalism to govern the world. By dividing the people we can get them to expend their energies in fighting over questions of no importance to us except as teachers of the common herd.

- JP Morgan - Questionable quote, reported by John Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) Tycoon

The Spirit of the Christ was in the time of Jesus described to be "whatever you have done unto the least of these, you've done it unto me" [Matthew 25]. Even Christian's themselves buy into a Capitalistic ideology that looks at the "least of these," the thirsty, the hungry, the homeless, the rif-raf in prison and say, "let them rot."

If at any time, the now Christian ideology of "anti-christ" were alive and well--that time is now. As Bush famously stated, “This is an impressive crowd: the Have's and Have-more's. Some people call you the elites. I call you my base” (insert the usual Satanic giggle). The blinded "Christian Nation" has been standing far too long upon the precipice of a high mountain and drooling over the power that the world holds, abandoning those at the bottom for more monetary gain.

The man whom Christians uphold as their God, they abandon, failing to recognize how closely he identified himself with the poor and "criminals," while he consistently reprimanded the power structure Capitalist's are pushing us to bailout, leaving those most cherished by Jesus at the bottom, trampled in debt to the growing legion of masters at the top of the economic food chain.

Jesus also said, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew 6:24/Luke 6:13). America is anti-christian as it is largely interested in the welfare of the wealthy, markets, and serving those power structures that take away freedom, in exchange of the sacrifice of the real Spirit of Christ, which is the love of the poor, with whom he identifies, recognizing God in people, and treating them in kind, saying "whatever you've done unto the least of these, you've done it unto me." At least half of America, on the conservative side and definitely 1% who make up the super-wealthy hate the poor and desire to create a world government where every Constitutional freedom is gone, the banks track our every move, and the commoners are enslaved as the poor and "criminals," not because they/we really are, but because "mammon" say's you're a criminal...you're not being a good consumer, not bowing at the alter of the power structure.

I use Christian theology to point this out because Jesus does not belong to those who simply call his name, but lives in those who actually live the life that values people over a market, the accumulation of money, and the fixation of Christians on "prosperity theology." Those who claim to be "elite" are really morally bankrupt and will come to nothing, but those who are "the least" will be first in the world because they embody in their forced poverty the power of "being," valuing life even where it's devalued, thrown out, sacrificed, like on a cross.

For the first time in a long time America has it's eye squarely on "Big Brother," the Banks who want to control everything, the money power structure. I wonder what choice we're going to make as a country? Can we raise up the "least of these" or will we sacrifice them, and ourselves to "the Beast"? Can we change the course and fulfillment of Christian prophecy? I certainly hope we can be wise as serpents, because that's who we're dealing with in the midst of the death-grip upon our lives.

Check out the Christian political movement attempting to live the life, the real life of Christ, hopefully with more than good intentions: Matthew 25 Network

Kucinich’s Main Street Recovery Plan

2008-09-24T17:42:00.000-07:00

www.Kucinich.us
216-252-9000 877-933-6647

1. Health Care for All: Insurance companies make money not providing health care. As the co-author of HR 676, a universal, single-payer, not-for-profit health care system, Medicare for All, I understand millions of Americans want health care that is accessible and affordable.

Medicare for All will help businesses large and small, create jobs as well as save the jobs of thousands of people including those of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers who are currently leaving medicine because it is run by the insurance companies. $1 in every 3 dollars of the $2.4 trillion spent annually in America for health care goes to the insurance companies. If we take that money ($800 billion in unproductive wasteful spending) and put it directly into care, we will have enough money to cover everyone. We are already paying for Medicare for all, but not receiving it. HR 676 changes that!

2. Prescription Drug Benefit for Seniors: HR 6800 is the MEDS Act, which provides a fully paid prescription drug benefit, under Medicare, for all seniors. I wrote this bill to help alleviate the economic pressure that comes from the high cost of prescription drugs. We can pay for it by letting the government negotiate drug prices with the pharmaceutical companies as well as by permitting re-importation.

3. Stop the Oil Companies’ Price Gouging: As you know, I was the first one to step up to challenge of the corrupt price gouging and market speculation of the oil companies by proposing a windfall profits tax, on oil and natural gas companies, with revenues put into tax credits for the purchase of fuel-efficient American-made cars. However, it may be that nationalization is the only way to put an end to the oil companies' sharp practices.

4. Protecting the American Homestead: As Chairman of the Domestic Policy Oversight Subcommittee, I am working to protect your basic right to have a roof over your head, whether as an owner or renter. I have investigated and helped to expose the manipulation of mortgage markets, and I am crafting a new federal policy so that neighborhoods with the highest number of foreclosures get the most help.

5. Jobs for All: Congressman LaTourette and I have co-authored the bi-partisan New Deal-type jobs program, HR 3400, "Rebuilding America's Infrastructure." It will create millions of good-paying new jobs rebuilding our roads, bridges, water systems and sewer systems.

6. American Manufacturing Policy: I am drafting the American Manufacturing Policy Act, which for the first time, will state that the maintenance of U.S. steel, automotive, and aerospace industries are vital to our national economic security and must be maintained through integrated public-private cooperation, new trade policies, and investment.

7. Works Green Administration: I am also drafting plans for a green New Deal jobs program, in which the government creates millions of jobs by incentivizing the design, engineering, manufacturing, distribution and maintenance of millions of wind and solar micro-technologies for millions of homes and businesses, dramatically lowering energy costs and reducing our dependence on oil.

8. Fair Trade: The U.S. has lost millions of good-paying jobs, and more jobs have been out-sourced. As you know, I have helped to lead the way in opposition to trade giveaways. I strongly urge repeal of NAFTA. We must include workers' rights, human rights and environmental quality principles in all trade pacts. We must also protect the Great Lakes' water resources from the reach of multi-national corporations.

9. Education for All: I know families need help with the rising cost of day care. That is why I introduced HR 4060, a universal pre-kindergarten program to ensure that all children ages 3-5 have access to full-day, quality day care.

10. Protecting Pensions: I am working to change bankruptcy laws so pensioners' claims will be first, ahead of banks, and that corporate executives who misuse workers' pension funds are subject to criminal penalties. I want to fully fund the Pension Benefit Guarantee Board.

11. Social Security: From my first moments in Congress, I have exposed Wall Street's efforts to privatize Social Security and attacked it in the Democratic Caucus when it was being proposed. Can you imagine where seniors would be today if Social Security had been turned over to the stock market? Social Security is solid through 2032 without any changes.

12. Protect Bank Deposits: I will work to make sure the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has sufficient funds to provide for insurance of deposits up to $200,000 at all banks and savings and loans. This is an urgent matter since so many banks are said to be vulnerable.

13. Protect Investors: Bring back strong regulation to Wall Street. As Chairman of the Domestic Policy Subcommittee, I challenged the Wall Street hedge fund speculators as a threat to small investors. I intend to keep active watch over the machinations on Wall Street.

14. Strength through Peace: You'll remember when I led the effort against the ill-conceived Iraq war, which has now cost more than 4,100 US soldiers' lives, cost U.S. taxpayers between $3 trillion and $5 trillion, and resulted in the deaths of more than a million Iraqis. We must bring our troops home and end the war. We must engage in diplomacy. We must reduce the military budget, and we must stop outrageous cost overruns by the likes of Halliburton.

15. Safety in America: I am proud of my work for peace. In July 2001, I introduced a bill, which today is HR 808, that for the first time creates a comprehensive plan to deal with the issues of violence in American society, particularly domestic violence, spousal abuse, child abuse, gang violence, gun violence, racial violence, and violence against gays by establishing a Cabinet-level Department of Peace and Restorative Justice. This proposal has sparked a national movement and when implemented will save tax payers millions of dollars.

16. Monetary Policy: It is long past the time that we looked at the implications of our debt based monetary system, the privatization of money created by the 1913 Federal Reserve Act, the banks fractional reserve system and our debt-based economic system. Unless we have dramatic reform of monetary policy, the entire economic system will continue to accelerate wealth upwards. I am currently working on drafting legislation for an 'American Monetary Act' to address these and other issues in order to protect the economic wellbeing of America.

SHOCK AND AWE: DROWNING IN A BAILOUT

2008-09-23T21:47:00.000-07:00

“Only a crisis, actual or perceived produces real change.” – Milton Friedman, Father of the Free Market Economic Shock Doctrine

"I don't want to abolish government. I simply want to reduce it to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub."
Grover Norquist, former Evangelical Liaison to the President, founder of The Americans for Tax Reform
ClaimDemocracy Panel, November 2007

That’s what it feels like right now for Americans, like you’ve been punched in the face, kneed in the stomach, and hit on the back of the head, and now you’re kind of awake, bleeding, and you feel someone pulling you across the cold hard floor to the bathtub…and bad for all of us—the water is running. As you’re pulled along you find yourself staring into space, tears running, in disbelief about what’s going on, what's about to happen, and almost numb, but definitely terrified….you’re in shock. Hopefully we’ll wake up a few people to become resilient in what’s happening while we're in shock and what we can do about it.

Yesterday on MSNBC, the Rachel Maddow Show outlined the eight-year disaster that is Bush policy, largely guided by the economics of Milton Friedman: move from de-regulation, wait for a real or perceived shock crisis that will paralyze the people and then enact pre-prepared policy privatization or additional shocks. Those disasters are September 11, the Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina, and now the economic crisis.

We half-watched in shock after September 11 as Bush rushed for massive privatization of contracts through Homeland Security for military functions, surveillance, and the Patriot Act dismantling of basic Constitutional rights. Then we saw $8 billion in cash disappear into the Shock and Awe Iraq Occupation hole; private contracts to Blackwater for security, the building of the Green Zone by Halliburton, and the take-over of 70% of Iraq’s oil--not to pay back taxpayers--but to fill the pockets of Multinational Big Oil Companies. Again, on our own land, we saw the prep work for Katrina; bleeding money away from fixing the levies, privatization of 95% of the schools, stealing away public low-income housing, and privatization of the police force during the crisis—again, Blackwater. In every case they’ve engaged in de-regulation, wait for a real or perceived shock crisis that will paralyze the people and then enact pre-prepared policy privatization or additional shocks.

Based on the above, can you predict what this economic bailout for the banks is going to look like? What are they operationally doing right now in this policy rush to save us from economic crisis?

While you’re in shock, Paulson, Bernanke and Bush are actually in a panic to gut out the government to its fullest extent before Bush leaves office, through their financial bail-out proposal. You will have to read on your own in Naomi Kline’s Shock Doctrine how they--and by “they” I mean neo-conservatives, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund--screwed over South Africa by tying up the country in so many geo-political economic rules and agreements that the country was bankrupted, their Constitution nullified, leaving the new social democracy with no real power. They have never truly recovered from the corporate takeover of the corporate ruling class.

This is what Bernanke and Bush have in mind for us. That, in Section 1 (a) of the proposed legislation purchases and handouts are “…terms and conditions as determined by the Secretary..,” giving the Secretary unilateral powers over this $700 Billion taxpayer handout. Make no mistake this action will NOT “socialize” these banks, because the “Federal” Treasury is not an arm of the Federal Government, but owned by several “independent” banks. So in essence, from Regan to Bush II, the neo-cons have been de-regulating the banks, among many things, and making a KILLING off of Americans, making them wealthy beyond measure. In squeezing every cent out of these de-regulatory loopholes, they’re now going to get their second round of pay. These banks that act “independent within the government" will seize YOUR $700 Billion in cash borrowed from CHINA, leaving us YOU with the tab. This will all happen with no government or legal oversight.

What will be left for the next president to fix any of our infrastructure mess? Healthcare? Schools? Social programs for Americans? I’ll tell you what they’ll do, because Friedman’s recommendations are always the same. Now that there is this huge debt, you have to gut out any “unnecessary” programs, like Social Security and all its related programs at the state level. Do you feel your face just hovering above the bath water now? See, government is not bad, but it’s only as good as the people running it. If you hate government, then the government is going to suck, but it’s nothing compared to corporations taking over your physical and emotional trauma-crisis management for a profit. I can just hear their lustful breathing for power and control over Americans. This is why they’re in such a rush to pass this legislation because they have to guarantee a broken government and future profits off of crisis. We’re going to make money off of this deal like Iraqi oil is paying for the war. Now, be good consumers or they’re going to shut off your Real ID Chip.

In the NYT story Democrats Set Terms as Bailout Debate Begins, “Some lawmakers also said they did not want to be rushed into approving extraordinary new powers for the Treasury secretary and the government without full consideration of the consequences.”

Bush highlighted the problem regarding the economy on September 21st, unwittingly, by saying, "And, you know, I know a lot of people here in Washington saying, Mr. President, saying, well, who to blame? Now is not the time to play the blame game. There's plenty of time to analyze the situation. But from our perspective, it's time to solve the problem, and that's what we did."

This is the repetition of words that happened in the aftermath of Katrina and now, again, Bush is expecting you to buy into the belief that you can solve a problem without knowing what the source of the problem is! You’re still staring into the bathtub with a hand on the back of your head and your hands tied behind your back and he’s saying, it doesn’t matter how you got here, just let us dip your head into the water and it will all be okay. If you can get your hands free will you prevent this from happing again? Will you put the guys in jail that perpetrated the shock in the first place or at least make them pay? In many American minds, we often buy the bitter pill that says now is the time for rapid response, rather than critical thinking and prevention.

The NYT article continues by saying, “Financial companies were already lobbying to broaden the plan. And the Bush administration did indeed widen the scope by allowing the government to buy out assets other than mortgage-related securities as well as making foreign companies eligible for government assistance.” After years of lip service to their base about “illegals” accessing government programs, they’re now going to bail out “foreign” corporations. This is the pinnacle of anti-social behavior, to value a money machine for the wealth of others against the welfare of actual human beings.

As in the aftermath of Katrina when government assistance was deregulated and downsized so as to limit assistance for our most vulnerable private citizens, so it should be for the banks. To this day thousands, if not millions of our citizens still have no access to all the public land that was privatized, or schools that were privatized, teacher salaries cut and contracts handed to big corporations for elite neighborhoods and nonexistent for “red-zones” who can’t pay. So it was up to us to help our own. Private citizens stepped in the gap to send millions of dollars to our fellow citizens and opened our homes to our American "refugees." This should be the fate of the banks, turning to their own.

The people who caused this economic problem or profited most from deregulation should pay for this bailout, as recommended by Senator Bernie Sanders (we’ll get to at the end), since millionaires and billionaires fought from the Regan years until now for de-regulation of the financial sector. The conservative wealthy are not for "big-government" and welfare for irresponsible individuals, so why should government (We the people…) be there for irresponsible corporations, who engaged in predatory lending for a profit, to vulnerable citizens, uneducated in the deals they were making?

Now, my understanding is that corporations have all the rights and responsibilities of individuals by law and so they should go to their own just as Americans have been forced to do. Wouldn’t it be great if the wealthy would dodge economic hypocrisy, do the moral and ethical things by going to their own, all the other corporations and billionaires and say, We need you to donate to help us recover from this economic crisis. I don't believe that the US taxpayer should pay for a system that fought so hard for a hands-off government, made huge profits at the top, and then lobbied to use enhanced interrogation techniques, even water-boarding, to terrify us into giving more of our land, our privacy, our money, our lives for their greed. This is the power they want, all banks owned by one or two banks, with no oversight, or ability for citizens to negotiate.

Have you made your voice heard to your legislators? I agree with and am pushing for Senator Bernie Sanders proposal for the bailout, as outlined in his September 19th article on the Huffington Post:

Specifically, to pay for the bailout, which is estimated to cost up to $1 trillion, the government should:

a) Impose a five-year, 10 percent surtax on income over $1 million a year for couples and over $500,000 for single taxpayers. That would raise more than $300 billion in revenue;

b) Ensure that assets purchased from banks are realistically discounted so companies are not rewarded for their risky behavior and taxpayers can recover the amount they paid for them; and

c) Require that taxpayers receive equity stakes in the bailed-out companies so that the assumption of risk is rewarded when companies' stock goes up.

(2) There must be a major economic recovery package which puts Americans to work at decent wages. Among many other areas, we can create millions of jobs rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure and moving our country from fossil fuels to energy efficiency and sustainable energy. Further, we must protect working families from the difficult times they are experiencing. We must ensure that every child has health insurance and that every American has access to quality health and dental care, that families can send their children to college, that seniors are not allowed to go without heat in the winter, and that no American goes to bed hungry.

(3) Legislation must be passed which undoes the damage caused by excessive de-regulation. That means reinstalling the regulatory firewalls that were ripped down in 1999. That means re-regulating the energy markets so that we never again see the rampant speculation in oil that helped drive up prices. That means regulating or abolishing various financial instruments that have created the enormous shadow banking system that is at the heart of the collapse of AIG and the financial services meltdown.

(4) We must end the danger posed by companies that are "too big too fail," that is, companies whose failure would cause systemic harm to the U.S. economy. If a company is too big to fail, it is too big to exist. We need to determine which companies fall in this category and then break them up. Right now, for example, the Bank of America, the nation's largest depository institution, has absorbed Countrywide, the nation's largest mortgage lender, and Merrill Lynch, the nation's largest brokerage house. We should not be trying to solve the current financial crisis by creating even larger, more powerful institutions. Their failure could cause even more harm to the entire economy.

NO VETTING VETTER

2008-09-22T18:50:00.000-07:00

SO, let me get this right....You're going to root out corruption and massive bonuses by big time corporate heads, but can't even be bothered to clean up the corruption in your own campaign staff. HE IS A LIAR!

BACKWARD LAND

2008-09-20T18:49:00.000-07:00

This has been circulating around the "internets" so thought I would post a bit of light into backward America....

I'm a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight.....

* If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you're 'exotic, different.'
* Grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, a quintessential American story.

* If your name is Barack you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.
* Name your kids Willow, Trig and Track, you're a maverick.

* Graduate from Harvard law School and you are unstable.
* Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you're well grounded.

* If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as
a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, you don't have any real leadership experience.
* If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you're qualified to become the country's second
highest ranking executive.

* If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're not a real Christian.
* If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you're a Christian.

* If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.
* If , while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant , you're very responsible.

* If your wife is a Harvard graduate laywer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values don't represent America's.
* If you're husband is nicknamed 'First Dude', with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

OK, much clearer now.

PHASE ONE: NORTH AMERICAN UNION? BRAVE NEW WORLD ORDER? TRACKING CITIZENS ELECTRONICALLY?

2008-09-19T14:14:00.000-07:00

"Today, America would be outraged if U.N. troops entered Los Angeles to restore order [referring to the 1991 LA Riot]. Tomorrow they will be grateful! This is especially true if they were told that there were an outside threat from beyond, whether real or promulgated, that threatened our very existence. It is then that all peoples of the world will plead to deliver them from this evil. The one thing every man fears is the unknown. When presented with this scenario, individual rights will be willingly relinquished for the guarantee of their well-being granted to them by the World Government."

- Dr. Henry Kissinger, Bilderberger Conference, Evians, France, 1991

I just finished working out and as I was leaving a commercial came on the locker room TV, sponsored by NEXUS for the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. I tried to find the commercial to post here, but there was no posting, but will post it when it shows up. The new chips in the cards, passports, and who knows what the range is on the sub-dermal embeded chips, but we know from the AMERICA: FREEDOM TO FASCISM movie that many of the corporations are already "tracking product" with this technology. THE CORPORATIONS ARE WATCHING YOU....I haven't even begun investigating who owns the technology for NEXUS, SENTRI, or FAST but I'll let you know what I find out...

FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT WEBSITE:

Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative [CHECK OUT THE STATE DEPARTMENT BIOMETRIC SCARY DETAILS]

Areas that fall under the WHTI:
Canada
Mexico
Bermuda
The Caribbean region (includes 17 regions)

AIR TRAVEL

ALL PERSONS traveling by air outside of the United States are required to present a passport or other valid travel document to enter or re-enter the United States.
LAND AND SEA TRAVEL
The following summarizes information available on the Department of Homeland Security’s website.

CURRENTLY:
U.S. citizens need to present either (a) a passport, passport card (scheduled to be in full production beginning in July 2008), or WHTI-compliant document; or (b) a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, along with proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate.

LATER:
On June 1, 2009, the U.S. government will implement the full requirements of the land and sea phase of WHTI. The proposed rules require most U.S. citizens entering the United States at sea or land ports of entry to have a passport, passport card, or WHTI-compliant document.
Note: The passport requirement does NOT apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or returning directly from a U.S. territory.

U.S. PASSPORT AND WHTI COMPLIANT DOCUMENTS:

U.S. Passport: U.S. citizens may present a valid U.S. passport when traveling via air, land or sea between the U.S. and the aforementioned Western Hemisphere countries.
The Passport Card: Passport card applications are currently being accepted in anticipation of land border travel document requirements. Based on current projections, we expect the passport card to be in full production beginning in July 2008. We will provide additional updates as available. Once in production, the passport card it will only be valid for land and sea travel between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean region, and Bermuda.
WHTI-Compliant Travel Documents for U.S. citizen travel via land or sea, as of January 31, 2008:
Trusted Traveler Cards (NEXUS, SENTRI, or FAST)
State Issued Enhanced Driver’s License (when available)
Enhanced Tribal Cards (when available)
U.S. Military Identification with Military Travel Orders
U.S. Merchant Mariner Document when traveling in conjunction with official maritime business
Native American Tribal Photo Identification Card
Form I-872 American Indian Card
For further information see U.S. Customs and Border protection.

ABOUT WHTI
The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is a result of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA), requiring all travelers to present a passport or other document that denotes identity and citizenship when entering the U.S.
The goal of the initiative is to strengthen U.S. border security while facilitating entry for U.S. citizens and legitimate foreign visitors by providing standardized documentation that enables the Department of Homeland Security to quickly and reliably identify a traveler.

McCain's Green Economy: Drill, Baby, Drill

2008-09-19T09:20:00.000-07:00

THE LIST: McCain & 177 Lobbyists...I Mean Campaign Staff

2008-09-19T08:08:00.000-07:00

Posted by Mother Jones on 09/17/08

McCain Attacks Wall Street Greed—While 83 Wall Street Lobbyists Work for His Campaign

In the past few days, as the economic crisis has deepened, Senator John McCain has been decrying the excesses of Wall Street. At a campaign rally in Tampa on Tuesday, he vowed that he and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, if elected, "are going to put an end to the reckless conduct, corruption, and unbridled greed that have caused a crisis on Wall Street." He noted that the "foundation of our economy...has been put at risk by the greed and mismanagement of Wall Street and Washington."

He blasted CEOs who "seem to escape the consequences." He denounced Wall Streeters who "dreamed up investment schemes that they themselves don't even understand" and who used "derivatives, credit default swaps, and mortgage-backed securities" to try "to make their own rules." He excoriated Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for gaming the system. And he slammed financial industry lobbyists for misguiding members of Congress. "I can promise you the days of dealing and special favors will soon be over in Washington." On Wednesday morning, after the federal government committed $85 billion to prevent the collapse of the American International Group (AIG) insurance conglomerate, McCain again assailed irresponsible corporate executives. "We need to change the way Washington and Wall Street does business," he proclaimed.

McCain has been quick with fiery, populist-tinged speeches. But one thing has been missing: any acknowledgment that McCain's own campaign has been loaded with the type of people he's been denouncing. (The McCain campaign did not respond to a request for comment; we will update the post if they do.) As Mother Jones previously reported, former Senator Phil Gramm, McCain's onetime campaign chairman, used a backroom maneuver in late 2000 to slip into law a bill that kept credit default swaps unregulated. These financial instruments greased the way to the subprime meltdown that has led to today's economic crisis. Several of McCain's most senior campaign aides have lobbied for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. And the Democratic National Committee, using publicly available records, has identified 177 lobbyists working for the McCain campaign as either aides, policy advisers, or fundraisers.

Of those 177 lobbyists, according to a Mother Jones review of Senate and House records, at least 83 have in recent years lobbied for the financial industry McCain now attacks. These are high-paid influence-peddlers who have been working the corridors of the nation's capital to win favors and special treatment for investment banks, securities firms, hedge funds, accounting outfits, and insurance companies. Their clients have included AIG, the newest symbol of corporate excess; Lehman Brothers, which filed for bankruptcy on Monday sending the stock market into a tailspin; Merrill Lynch, which was bought out by Bank of America this week; and Washington Mutual, the banking giant that could be the next to fall. Among these 83 lobbyists are McCain's chief political adviser, Charlie Black (JP Morgan, Washington Mutual Bank, Freddie Mac, Mortgage Bankers Association of America); McCain's national finance co-chairman, Wayne Berman (AIG, Blackstone, Credit Suisse, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac); the campaign's congressional liaison, John Green (Carlyle Group, Citigroup, Icahn Associates, Fannie Mae); McCain's veep vetter, Arthur Culvahouse (Fannie Mae); and McCain's transition planning chief, William Timmons Sr. (Citigroup, Freddie Mac, Vanguard Group).

When cable news shows air footage of McCain railing against greedy execs and the lobbyists who rig the rules for the benefit of Wall Street dealmakers, there ought to be a crawl beneath him listing these lobbyists. (Talk about a fair and balanced presentation.) Short of that, here's the list of the McCain aides and bundlers who have worked for the high-finance greed-mongers McCain has pledged to take on. So far, it seems, none of them have been cast out of the campaign. If McCain were serious about his outrage, he might throw these money-changers out of his own temple.

Phil Anderson: American Council of Life Insurers, Aetna, AIG, New York Life, MassMutual, VISA

Rebecca Anderson: Aegon, American Council of Life Insurers, Cigna, Barclays, Credit Suisse First Boston, HSBC

Stanton Anderson: The Debt Exchange

David Beightol: Allstate, Amerigroup, Charles Schwab, HSBC

Rhonda Bentz: VISA

Wayne Berman: American Council of Life Insurers, AIG, Americhoice, Shinsei Bank, Blackstone, Carlyle Group, Broidy Capital Management, Credit Suisse Securities, Highstar Capital, VISA, Ameriquest Mortgage, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Fitch Ratings

Charlie Black: JP Morgan, Washington Mutual Bank, Freddie Mac, Mortgage Bankers Association of America, National Association of Mortgage Brokers

Judy Black: Colorado Credit Union League, Genworth Financial, Bay Harbour Management, Merrill Lynch

Kirk Blalock: Credit Union National Association, Financial Executives International, American Insurance Association, Mutual of Omaha, Zurich Financial Service Group, Fannie Mae, Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco

Carlos Bonilla: Financial Services Roundtable, Freddie Mac

Christine Burgeson: Citigroup

Mark Buse: Freddie Mac, Goldman Sachs, Manufacturers Life Insurance Company

Nicholas Calio: Citigroup, Managed Fund Association, Fannie Mae, Merrill Lynch, The Investment Company Institute, TIAA-CRE, Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association

Ben Nighthorse Campbell: Amscot Financial Corporation, Community Financial Services Association, Fidelity National Financial

Andrew Cantor: American Insurance Association, Merrill Lynch

Alberto Cardenas: Fannie Mae

James Courter: Goldman Sachs, Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette, Investment Company Institute, Merrill Lynch

David Crane: Financial Services Roundtable, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte & Touche, KPMG, Ernst & Young, Bank of America, Association of Corporate Credit Unions, Freddie Mac

Dan Crippen: Merrill Lynch, National Multi-Housing Council

Arthur Culvahouse: Fannie Mae

Bryan Cunningham: Arch Capital Group

Alfonse D'Amato: AIG, Freddie Mac

Doug Davenport: Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, Goldman Sachs, VISA

Ashley Davis: Prudential Financial, American Financial Group, American Premier Underwriters, Great American Insurance Company

Mimi Dawson: MassMutual

Melissa Edwards: Freddie Mac, National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, Access to Capital Coalition

Chris Fidler: American Bankers Association, Milcom Venture Partners, National Association Real Estate Investment Trusts

Samuel Geduldig: American Bankers Association, American Institute of CPAs, America Gains, Berkshire Hathaway, Consumer Bankers Association, Ernst & Young, Financial Services Roundtable, Investment Company Institute, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Prudential Financial, Sovereign Investment Council, Fidelity Investments, FMR Corp.

Benjamin Ginsberg: Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance, AIG Technical Services

David Girard-Dicarlo: American Financial Group, American Premier Underwriters

Juleanna Glover Weiss: RJI Capital, American Institute of CPAs, BNP Paribas, Ernst & Young, PriceWaterhouseCoopers

Slade Gorton: Allstate Insurance, Hannan Armstrong Capital

Phil Gramm: UBS Americas

John Green: Laredo National Bank, Alternative Investment Management Association, AIG, Blackstone Group, Carlyle Group, Citigroup, Credit Suisse Group, Fannie Mae, Icahn Associates, FMR Corp., AFLAC, VISA

Janet Grissom: American Institute of CPAs, NYSE, Merrill Lynch

Kristen Gullott: San Diego Credit Union

Kent Hance: Stanford Financial Group, Municipal Capital Markets Group, Inc.

Vicki Hart: American Financial Services Association, Citigroup, Investment Company Institute, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, New York Stock Exchange, VISA, Carlyle Group, Credit Suisse, Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis, Goldman Sachs, National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders, Stanford Group, Lloyd's of London, National City Corp.

Richard Hohlt: Capmark Financial Group, Fannie Mae, JP Morgan Chase and Co., Student Loan Marketing Association, Washington Mutual, Guaranty Bank & Trust, Peachtree Settlement Funding, Dime Savings Bank of New York

Gaylord Hughey: Heartland Security Insurance Group

Kate Hull: Credit Union National Association, Fannie Mae, Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, Zurich Financial Services, American Insurance Association, Financial Executives International

James Hyland: American Insurance Association, Seattle Home Loan Bank, Self Help Credit Union, National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees, Merrill Lynch, Mortgage Investors Corp., Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis, Freddie Mac, New York Stock Exchange, Citigroup, VISA

Aleix Jarvis: Credit Union National Association, Fannie Mae, Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, Financial Executives International, Mutual of Omaha, American Insurance Association, Zurich Financial Services

Greg Jenner: American Council of Life Insurers, JG Wentworth, UBS, VISA, PriceWaterhouseCoopers

Frank Keating: American Council of Life Insurers

Steven Kuykendall: California Bankers Association

William Lesher: Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Commerce Ventures, Rabobank International

Thomas Loeffler: Citigroup, Fannie Mae, Investment Company Institute, World Savings and Loan Association, United Services Automobile Association (USAA)

Kelly Lugar: RJI Capital Strategies

Peter Madigan: Arthur Andersen, Bank of New York, Broadridge Securities Processing, Charles Schwab, Deloitte and Touche, Goldman Sachs, International Employee Stock Option Coalition, Mastercard, NYSE, Fannie Mae, Merrill Lynch, PNC Bank

Mary Mann: MassMutual

Paul Martino: Morgan Stanley, Baker Tilly

Jana McKeag: Venture Catalyst

Alison McSlarrow: Fannie Mae, Hartford

Mike Meece: Georgetown Partners

David Metzner: Ernst & Young, Harbinger Capital Investments, Prudential, Public Financial Management, Western Union

Susan Molinari: Freddie Mac, American Land Title Association, Association of Consumer Credit Unions, Beacon Capital Partners, College Loan Corp, Coventry First, E-Trade, Financial Services Roundtable, Rent-A-Center

John Moran: Cerberus Capital Management, American Council of Life Insurers, Accenture

John Napier: Freddie Mac

Susan Nelson: AIG, San Antonio Credit Union

Paul Otellini: Ernst & Young, Financial Services Forum

Steve Perry: Charles Schwab, Hoover Partners, HSBC, National Stock Exchange

Nancy Pfotenhauer: American Land Title Association, Mortgage Bankers Association

Elise Pickering-Finley: Credit Suisse, DE Shaw, Hartford Financial Services, Research In Motion, Retail Industry Lenders Association, URL Mutual

James Pitts: Advanced Association for Life Underwriting, AETNA, American Council of Life Insurers, AIG, Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers, Debt Advisory International, Financial Services Coordinating Council, GE Financial Assurance, Hartford Life, Jefferson Pilot Financial, Kenwood Investments, MassMutual, Mutual of Omaha, New York Life, UNUM Provident, VISA, PMI Group

Tim Powers: AP Capital, Genworth Financial, Retail Industry Lenders Association, E-LOAN, General Electric Mortgage Insurance

Walter Price: Wachovia

Sloan Rappoport: Friedman, Billings, Ramsey Group, Inc. (FBR), Trafelet Delta Funds

Hans Rickhoff: Capital One, Investment Company Institute, United Services Automobile Association (USAA)

Kathleen Shanahan: New York Stock Exchange

Andrew Shore: Accenture, Retail Industry Lenders Association, Barclays, Bond Market Association, Credit Suisse, TPG Capital

Katie Stahl: Alliance for Investment Transparency, Ares Management, Fairfax Financial Holdings, Uhlmann Financial Group

Milly Stanges: TIAA-CREF

Aquiles Suarez: Fannie Mae

Don Sundquist: Freddie Mac, The Hartford

Peter Terpeluk: JP Morgan Chase, Ernst & Young, Prudential

Fred Thompson: Equitas

Jeri Thompson: American Insurance Association

John Timmons: National Association of Federal Credit Unions

William Timmons Sr.: American Council of Life Insurers, Citigroup, Dun & Bradstreet, Freddie Mac, Vanguard Group

Vin Weber: Agstar Financial Services, AKT Investment Corp., American Institute of CPAs, Ernst & Young, Freddie Mac, Louis Dreyfus Corp, PriceWaterhouseCoopers

Jeffery Weiss: JP Morgan

Tony Williams: Russell Investment Group, American Life Inc., Northwestern Mutual

— David Corn, Jonathan Stein, and Nick Baumann

McCain Ads Fact Check

2008-09-13T07:55:00.001-07:00

PALIN AIP WELCOME

2008-09-10T11:53:00.000-07:00

And the founder of the Alaskan Independence Party...Joe Volger:

"I'm an Alaskan, not an American. I've got no use for America or her
damned institutions. The fires of hell are glaciers compared to my hate for
America and her government".

Why would you "welcome" and "God bless" such an anti-American organization? Can you say "Reverand Write"? Yes, you can and it's all on the table, but in this case, it's a neo-conservative white woman, so I'm sure at least conservatives will be very forgiving of her association with this party whose motto is "Alaska First...Alaska Always." We must be discerning of what is "anti-American" sentiment. McCain/Palin's slogan is "Country First"...which country?

"QUEER" QUOTES: McCain Campaign Manager, Rick Davis

2008-09-10T11:40:00.000-07:00

September 2, 2008 - “This election is not about issues [?????!!!!],” Davis said. “This election is about a composite view of what people take away from these candidates.” Maverick...riiiiiiiiiiight....

GET REAL: WHY WAS THERE AN IRAQ VETERAN PROTESTING McCAIN'S RNC SPEECH?

2008-09-09T20:37:00.000-07:00

I'll tell you why! Why would they respect a man who has supported a WAR OCCUPATION in which they've given their lives and limbs, that was devised by neo-conservatives in league with oil giants and war profiteers, bent on getting their greedy hands on Iraq's land and resources, while privatizing the US GOVERNMENT through no-bid contracts that used to be run by the military at controlled costs? They wouldn't and shouldn't, and neither should we.

I DO respect SOLDIERS who ARE DOING THEIR JOB...up to a point. It's time for America, including military servicemen to research the voting records first hand and pay attention to what candidates SAY and how that translates into their legislative ACTIONS. Indeed, lets support our troops and vote for a president who will do the same. Here are links to the ratings from the top war veterans organizations and their ratings on McCain and their ratings on Obama in their support of legislation that actually addresses veterans best interests, as well as their ACTUAL votes on various legislation in the last few years, on which I will go into detail further down.

A family acquaintance actually sent me the video above and in response to the McCain and Obama ratings I sent him he wrote: "AND...let us both remember...Senator McCain has voted more extensively on bills before the Senate than Senator Obama has...so no matter what his 'grade' is...in my book, Hussein Obama is still just the freshman junior Senator from Illinois...with limited practical world experience. Senator McCain is just another POW Vietnam vet that has served his country in and out of the Congress for the last 40 years." Then why is it that since 2002 McCain has voted down 17 pieces of legislation that would have supported our troops before, during and after serving? How is it that in only TWO years Obama has supported 16 pieces of legislation that would have supported our troops before, during and after serving?

Beyond our family aquaintence's blatant racism, using Obama's middle name as if it MEANS something, this is all that is disturbingly wrong with 1/3rd of Americans and the way they educate themselves and vote. This man ACTUALLY expects me to believe that I should throw out REASON! That when it comes down to my actual welfare I should choose "experience" over "substance," even if it means voting against my own welfare and that of family. Even if it means supporting a man who says he supports the troops and then screws them at every turn. He suggests that regardless of the abysmal ratings that Veterans organizations have given McCain and despite his voting against the best interests of our military and the American people, that his being tortured and being in Congress for 40 years somehow makes all his anti-troop voting okay. I will no more support McCain because he's a 40 year politician who was tortured, than I will support an abusive father because he's been a father for 40 years.

I have dedicated 12 years my life to working with marginalized, exploited and oppressed populations, but that means NOTHING if I work to compromise their safety, decrease their funding, or shut down their programs to a bare minimum, all for corporate greed. Our military is being HARMED for no good reason. So, I'M PISSED LIKE I'VE NEVER BEEN PISSED before and you can easily say I'm at the point where I'm not PLAYING AROUND with irrational, fear mongering, sociopathic lunatics any longer.

John McCain can say what he wants about supporting the troops until he's blue in the face , but there are some inconvient little facts called A VOTING RECORD that sets John McCain's military voting record, and his veterans voting record apart--so far apart in fact, that what he SAYS and what he is ACTUALLY DOING is a worthy of a multiple personality disorder. If you choose to ignore his documented record, you ignore it at your own peril.

NO: On supporting the health needs of our veterans and military personnel and reducing the defiit by making tax rates fairer for all Americans Tax Rate Extension Amendment (HR 4297)

NO: On providing an additional $500,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010, to be used for readjustment counseling, related mental health services, and treatment and rehabilitative services for veterans with mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, or substance use disorder. Additional Funding For Veterans Amendment (S 2020)

NO: On ensuring that future funding for health care for former members of the Armed Forces takes into account changes in population and inflation. Health Care for Veterans Amendment (HR 2863)

NO: On redeployments, reductions, timetable withdrawals from Iraq (S Amdt 3875, S Amdt 2898, S Amdt 2087, HR 1591, S 2766)

NO: On minimum rest periods between soldiers' deployments(S Amdt 2909)

NO: On military prisoners having haebeus corpus rights (S 3930)

NO: On the president NOT being allowed to establish future military commissions (S 3930)

NO: On congressional oversight of CIA detention, interrogation and rendition programs (S 3930)

NO: On a ban on funding of cluster munitions to protect civilian populations from un-detonated bombs (HR 5631)

NO: On a repeal of capital gains tax cuts from 2010 moved to 2008 to appropriate $47.27 billion for Army and Marine operations and maintenance (HR 4297)

YES: On use of Military force against Iraq (H J Res 114)

YES: On the Military Commissions Act of 2006 (S 3930) - Abolishing the Geneva Convention and suspending haebeus corpus outside the US, no jurisdiction for courts outside the US, allow evidence seized without a search warrant, allow hearsay evidence as long as the adverse party is informed of it.

NV: Not Voting, Excused, Absent, or Present and not voting for 14 votes on military/veterans issues since 2002: Defense Authorizations Bill HR 4986, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 HR 1585, Condemning Iraq Abuse of Prisoners resolution SRes 356, United States Policy in Iraq Resolution of 2007 S J Res 9, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 HR 1585, Permanent Residence for Certain Undocumented Immigrants S 2205, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for the Department of Defense S 2340, Supplemental Appropriations for the Department of Defense and Timeline for Withdrawal from Iraq HR 4156, Concurrent Budget Resolution S Con Res 70, Funding for Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan with Provisions Regarding Conduct and Congressional Oversight S Amdt 4817, Funding for Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan S Amdt 4818, Nomination of General Petraeus as Military Leader of the Middle East PN 1641, MOST IMPORTANT FOR RETURNING TROOPS:Iraq and Afghanistan War Funding, Unemployment Benefits Extension, and GI Bill HR 2642 & GI Bill and Other Domestic Provisions S Amdt 4803.

AND WOW! He missed EVERY opportunity to fund the troops, without exception! UNBELIEVABLE!

Now let's look at Barack Obama's military voting record & veterans voting record:

YES: On supporting the health needs of our veterans and military personnel and reduce the defiit by making tax rates fairer for all Americans (HR 4297).

YES: On a vote to adopt an amendment to HR 2642 that provides education funding for eligible members of the Armed Forces, extends unemployment compensation, establishes moratoria on certain actions regarding Medicaid, and appropriates a total of $28.67 billion for various domestic and international purposes. GI Bill and Other Domestic Provisions (S Amdt 4803)

YES: On providing an additional $500,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010, to be used for readjustment counseling, related mental health services, and treatment and rehabilitative services for veterans with mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, or substance use disorder. Additional Funding For Veterans Amendment (S 2020)

YES: On ensuring that future funding for health care for former members of the Armed Forces takes into account changes in population and inflation Health Care for Veterans Amendment (HR 2863)

YES: On the Iraq and Afghanistan War Funding, Unemployment Benefits Extension, and GI Bill (HR 2642)

YES: On appropriations for 2008-2013 - $3.56 trillion for National Defense, $2.79 trillion for Medicare, $2.49 trillion for Income Security, $2.03 trillion for Health, $577.28 billion for Veterans Benefits and Services, $479.81 billion for Transportation, $155.31 billion for Social Security (S Con Res 70: Concurrent Budget Resolution)

YES: On reductions of US forces in Iraq (S Amdt 2898: Iraq Troop Reduction Amendment)

YES: On prohibiting deployment unless time between deployment is equal to last deployment, recommend rest periods be 2x the deployment time, prohibits deployment of National Guard if previously deployed in the last three years, recommend Reserve deployment be no longer than one year, and onely once every 5 years, President can waive requirements if substantiating an "emergency," (S Amdt 2909: Time Between Troop Deployments)

NO: On striking language that required a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq (HR 1591)

YES: On a phased withdrawal of troops (S J Res 9)

YES: On striking language prohibiting a court, justice or judge from hearing haebeus corpus (S 3930)

YES: On prohibiting the establishment of new military commissions after December 31, 2011(S 3930)

YES: On congressional oversite every three months of CIA detention, interrogation, rendition programs (S 3930)

NO: On the Military Commissions Act of 2006 (S 3930) - Abolishing the Geneva Convention and suspending haebeus corpus outside the US, no jurisdiction for courts outside the US, allow evidence seized without a search warrant, allow hearsay evidence as long as the adverse party is informed of it.

YES: On a ban on funding of cluster munitions to protect civilian populations from un-detonated bombs (HR 5631)

YES: On a repeal of capital gains tax cuts from 2010 moved to 2008 to appropriate $47.27 billion for Army and Marine operations and maintenance (HR 4297)

The odd ones out:

NO: On a redeployment of troops (S 2766 - 6/2006)

NO: On prohibiting a permanent base for purposes of controlling Iraq oil, limits on deployment, Congressional input for security agreements, suspend statute of limitations to 5 years for contractors and government agencies, allow prosecution of contractors and non-armed service employees, investigation of contractors (HR 2642 - 5/2008)

NO: On allowing for House Amendements to a bill "...which makes emergency appropriations to certain departments for various purposes..." (?) Looks like a mixed bag...(HR 2206 - 5/2007)

NV: Not Voting, Excused, Absent, or Present and not voting for 5 votes on military/veterans issues since 2006: Nomination of General Petraeus as Military Leader of the Middle East PN 1641, Funding for Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan S Amdt 4818, Iraq Withdrawal Amendment S Amdt 3875, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 HR 1585, Defense Authorizations Bill HR 4986.

Yes, John McCain was totureed and has had over 40 years in politics, but what is he DOING RIGHT NOW to meet the needs of people, like the soldier in the video earlier? I know...AND NOW--so do YOU! What are Obama's three crappy decisions against McCain's 17? I would like that soldier to actually look at what these organizations have found in the ACTIONS of these two men and then see if he'd be doing that spot. Who ACTUALLY makes it possible for him and his fellow soldiers to get the mental and physical services they need?

Like McCain, just because a soldier loses his leg, while noble in serving his country, does not make him educated on policy or veterans services, nor does it enable him to have sound judgement. Nor is disclosing the loss of his leg in any way appropriate or a JUST response to SERIOUS policy questions that effect people's safety and welfare. Just because McCain doesn't want to talk about the legislative voting facts of his record, creating every left-field distraction to keep us off his trail, doesn't make him a hero, it actually makes him less than any honest man. This soldier certainly gave no facts about how McCain's experience translates into legislation and much needed monetary support for military service women and men.

I'm only supporting candidates who can back their words with action...and INACTION is why an Iraq Veteran was protesting John McCains speech!

T Boone Pickens, Halliburton & Energy Independence?

2008-09-08T23:22:00.000-07:00

If you want more money going to Dubai!

I'm watching Kieth Olberman and the Premier of MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show, which I'm a HUGE FAN because she's also a talk show host on Air America, and a Gay icon with a tremendous amount of integrity and calm strength.

I couldn't help noticing all of these natural gas commercials, and a company with the vast majority of holdings, called Chesapeake Energy Corp. What is the question we need to ask? Exactly--Who owns this company? T. Boone Pickens, a neo-liberal oil man who has a great idea, even a green idea. But, do you want this guy to be the one who makes money off of the remaking of our energy infrastructure? I don't! Now that Halliburton has moved its corporate offices to Dubai, all this does is tie our energy again to countries who are suspect in funding terrorism, and to Cheney.

T Boone Pickens Buys Chesapeake Energy Corp., Devon Energy Corp., Halliburton Company., Tenaris S.A., Sells Titanium Metals Corp, From www.gurufocus.com: Sock Market Insight article, August 27,2008.

As oil prices decline, energy stocks lost their multi-year uptrend and come down quickly. But oil man billionaire T Boone Pickens is buying more. If you like to buy more energy stocks, see what T Boone Pickens is buying. T Boone Pickens owns 27 stocks with a total value of $2.1 billion. These are his buys and sells during the second quarter.

T Boone Pickens buys Chesapeake Energy Corp., Devon Energy Corp., Tenaris S.A., EOG Resources Inc., BPZ RESOURCES, INC, sells Titanium Metals Corp. during the 3-months ended 06/30/2008, according to the most recent filings of his investment company, BP Capital. T Boone Pickens owns 27 stocks with a total value of $2.1 billion. These are the details of the buys and sells.

New Purchases: BZP, CHK, DVN, EOG, TS,
Added Positions: ABB, DNR, FLR, HAL, JEC, OXY, RIG, SGR, SLB, SU, TLM, WFT, XTO,
Sold Out: TIE,
For the details of T Boone Pickens's stock buys and sells, go to http://www.gurufocus.com/StockBuy.php?GuruName=T+Boone+Pickens

Added: Halliburton Company (HAL)
T Boone Pickens added to his holdings in Halliburton Company by 65.78%. His purchase prices were between $40.99 and $52.16, with an estimated average price of $47.5. The impact to his portfolio due to this purchase was 2.43%. His holdings were 2,447,470 shares as of 06/30/2008.

Halliburton Company provides a variety of services equipment maintenance and engineering and construction to energy industrial and governmental customers. The company is made up of the following three business segments: Energy Services Group Engineering and Construction Group and Dresser Equipment Group. Halliburton Company has a market cap of $38.24 billion; its shares were traded at around $43.61 with a P/E ratio of 15.90 and P/S ratio of 2.35. The dividend yield of Halliburton Company stocks is 0.83%.

AMERICA: FREEDOM TO FASCISM

2008-09-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

Take some time to sit for an hour or so and watch this documentary on the Federal Tax, the law that does not exist to enforce Federal taxes, that go to pay interest only to the Federal Reserve, which is privately held by unknown private banks. It also lays out the plan for the North American Union, the US ID, and ultimately the tracking of citizens by bankers to control world populations under the New World Order. It's amazing! Watch it with friends, family and spread the word to as many people as possible.

Sometimes the videos come up as "no longer available," but if that happens be persistent on youtube.com in continuing to type in the search "freedom to fascism" and the videos keep on getting posted in a rotating effect.

JUSTICE!

Son of Chaos

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

PART 4

PART 5

PART 6

PART 7

PART 8

PART 9

PART 10

PART 11

Life is Palin under McCain

2008-09-01T22:03:00.000-07:00

Two questions: What conditions create a pregnant teen? And related, Why McCain chose Palin? For her "Life," that's why.

First of all, Palin is an Evangelical wet dream. I smile with mild amusement at all the backslapping in response to her “moral” example of Pro-Life before all of America. Yes, bravo Palin, you had a baby with Downs, something that American women do every day, and have to make tough decisions about. Double bravo, you have a daughter who is going to keep her baby and get married, not because she’s in love, but a result of having an “illegitimate” child. I’ll give this to you, you’re consistent, or are you? If you’re elected, all families and those who care for our youth can look forward to moving closer to a world where teens go into the world with abstinence-only education, the moral intention to wait until marriage (or for gay youth--never to have a legitimized relationship), hormones raging and with not a clue of how to protect themselves if the former fail.

See, I disagree with Obama, that families are off limits, specifically in cases when the policies of social and economic conservatives directly contribute to abysmal quality of life conditions for America’s youth, families and communities at large, AND then take no responsibility for those conditions, but blow smoke like their doing something moral—like keeping a baby. Let me tell you something about keeping babies.

What is the penalty for irresponsible parenting? Well, in this case, it should involve a call to CPS. However, in this backward Republican dimension, that brown bonus falls heavily upon our teens. Abstinence-only teaching and Anti-abortion-only pregnancy options lead to increases in pregnancy rates, HIV infections, and marriages based on nothing that has roots in a stable home for a child to actually thrive. In my work, when children are at risk for getting pregnant, STD’s, and are being pushed into unstable or chaotic relationship—we call that neglect. It may be legal, but it is certainly not ethical, far from moral and pro-life.

As a matter of fact, there is nothing pro-life about this approach and all the policies it upholds, and far from consistent. Palin and her pro-life Republicans are pro-life until you’ve exited the va-jae-jae—then you’re on your own, baby! Once you’re out, they want to cut social welfare programs like early childhood education, public education, housing, food programs, and actually seek to drive up your prices for insurance and medical care, because the bottom line is of more value than any individual life. We all get to feel the impact of living in the aquarium called Earth with limited space and food, with population moving toward 9 Billion in the near future. How much longer before we start eating each other? But, I’m getting ahead of myself. So, our American child gets to struggle with a parent not ready to parent, lack of jobs and basic needs, which will lead this child to grow up in a dysfunctional environment and if “blessed,” turn to crime. Only then do Republicans again pay attention to this sacred child they saved—by supporting tough on crime legislation and the death penalty for America’s child! Suddenly, pro-life sounds so hollow, doesn’t it? But hey, this idiotic religious value also benefits the fiscal conservatives because with more population, there are more American babies to consume all the crap they sell, and when they can’t consume, they turn to crime, and with more crime, there’s more need for security against these American babies, and more need for privatization of OUR lands, that actually belongs to the babies they’ve saved, but to keep this elite corporate machine making record profits off of the consumers, they will need to protect themselves from those “undesirables,” those ones for which they once waved the banner of pro-life.

So, for those fiscal and social conservatives, you can clap all you want but there is nothing noble about this woman or your cause. She can’t parent her own child and she wants to push her parenting on the rest of America. Oh, and don’t think I forgot about the second question—Why Palin? First, she’s a female (token); because forcing the Republican hand or pocketbook is the only way you get these people to change anything. Second, you’re not paying attention to McCain are you? This is a win-win for McCain and the corporate owned media, both who count on a hundred more years of war and resulting profits. Watch the noble lady who kept her baby and has forced her child into a situation that is disgusting on all angles. Absolutely, don’t pay attention to the fact that McCain did everything in his power to shoot down the GI Bill, that he is pro-torture, that he voted with Bush over 90% of the time in 2007, that his campaign is run by Roves former #2 and is infested with corporate lobbyists, that he has consistently voted in favor of policies that send more of YOUR jobs to foreign countries, that he wants to privatize more public land for oil companies, which fuels more wars, wars over oil and land privatization—and your children will die in those wars for these people, not America. Palin needs to stop acting like a white man and grow a va-jae-jae—a real one. But, hey, she’s going to make sure your baby gets out of that va-jae-jae safe and sound. But remember, after that, American baby, you’re on your own.

Russia, Georgia, Iraq and “US” Oil Drilling

2008-08-15T10:52:00.000-07:00

As I slowly clap my hands, I just have to say, "BRAVO!" I think that these neo-cons are just genius at thinking the American public--fools. Are we? Like, we don't know that President Mikheil Saakashvili, of Georgia, moved to the Upper West Side of New York City in 1996, got his law degree, and worked for the conservative, corporate law firm Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler. Now as the Georgian president since 2004, he represents a pro-Washington Consensus of free-trade and privatization ideology, ideology that protects the "United States Interests," aka--multinational corporations, aka--oil. I'm also quite sure that Bush was not thrilled that Putin nationalized the oil in Russia, which is not in line with the Washington Consensus; as they drool over the possibility of getting their hands on that pipeline running through Georgia. Enter Condoleza Rice's July 9 meeting-gone-wrong with Saakashivili, where Rice encouraged non-aggression, followed by a "chance" crossing of paths between Carl Rove and Saakashivili at the July 12 Plenary session: Elections in Russia and the USA: impact on Ukraine and Europe, where we can neither confirm no deny that Rove may or may not have encouraged Saakashvili to take a hard line with South Ossetia. Then Russia attacked AND that's all we need to get US Military on mission to deliver "aid" to Georgia, AKA--guard the pipeline. WOW...deja’vu…aren’t we guarding a pipeline in Iraq? Didn’t we just get a “deal” there where the oil companies get 70% of oil profits in Iraq? I wonder if people would be more likely to vote McCain with a new "cold war"...quite the Rovian political strategy. But, we need to drill off the coast and open more land in the US for them to rape, right? Riiiiight!...did I also mention that this conflict allows them to boost oil prices AGAIN! Oh, and most importantly, people, AGAIN, get to die so corporations can make profits.

A Pro-Impeachment Constitution

2008-06-25T13:35:00.000-07:00

Dear Legislative Branch,

In regards to ingnoring my reuqest for your support of Bush's impeachment: While I respect your focus on the real and immediate problems faced by the American people, not wanting to divert energy away from accomplishing those pressing, so important issues; I have a difficult time reconciling the number of real and immediate Constitutional violations which have been conducted at the hands of this president, which have ramifications far beyond the immediate needs of which you speak.

I do hope that you will reconsider joining Congressman Kucinich in implementing a tool which the Constitution explicitly outlines six times to rectify such crimes and abuses of power in maintaining the integrity and protection of our Constitution. In light of the Constitutional, Justice and Human Rights violations that have essentially broken our Democracy, the only logical option, the tool mentioned six times in responding to immediate and long-ranging effects--is impeachment.

I respectfully present my solid argument in favor of this action. My understanding is that any representative in Congress takes a fairly singular vow : "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.".

The Constitution appears to take primacy over all else and we can agree, with fair certainty, that we are in a Constitutional crisis, given the abuses of Executive power we've seen. And beyond these crimes, that the enemy continues to violate without impunity, with no hearings and no consequences. How would that work if we applied your line of thought to every individual criminal in America. We know with firm evidence that in violation of the 4th Amendment that Bush has spied on Americans since before 9/11; in violation of the 1st, rendered even peaceable assembly to be infiltrated as if it were criminal; violation of the 6th with Americans being rendered to black sites to be held without trial; continued in this wordsmithing of "torture" as if it were "enhanced," and within the last week attempted to retroactively cover up crimes of both the president and his accomplices, the telecom companies, in spying on Americans. As this last battle continues into the Senate, I'm unimpressed with the Houses Constitutional trampling "yes" vote this last week.

With all due respect, Constitutional violations, excluding any political reprisal for the Clinton impeachment, seem very real, immediate and long-lasting in their effects into the future of our Executive Branch if not pursued at the root. Tend to and reinforce the integrity of the root of the tree first, then the Branches must right themselves. The root and heart of America is its Constitution, so any peripheral actions continue to leave it vulnerable to an Executive Branch that is diseased and continues to be actively hostile in it's assault on our roots.

I have a long history of confidence in you as my representative and many of those who represent the American people. I am convinced that Democrats and Republicans have the competency to protect our Constitution through impeachment, while simultaneously taking care of the immediate legislative needs of the people...without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion. You are weighing "what is practical and useful [not] against what[you] think this Administration deserves, but against the vow you took under oath, and in turn, our Constitution. I do hope you find yourself on the correct side of that weighing.

Deepest Respect,

Son of Chaos

Articles of Impeachment Olberman Report 09.10.2008

2008-06-10T21:37:00.000-07:00

Read the articles of impeachment at: http://www.democrats.com/files/amomentoftruth.pdf

Watch the full four hours at: http://cspanjunkie.org

2008-06-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

From our friend and president of HRC, Joe Solmonese:

If you read the news, you may think John McCain is a moderate.

Well, we've taken a close look at Senator McCain's record on GLBT equality, and let's just say...it isn't pretty.

The truth is, a McCain presidency would mean four more years of anti-gay policy in the White House.

Not sure you're convinced? Check out this video [below]. Here are just some of the facts it reveals:

Opposed Workplace Protections for GLBT Americans. Senator McCain cast a deciding vote that killed the Employment Non Discrimination Act (ENDA).

Opposed Protecting GLBT Americans from Hate Crimes. Senator McCain voted, not once, not twice, but three times against expanding the federal hate crimes law to include sexual orientation and gender identity.

Does not believe that gays or lesbians should serve in the military.

Campaigned for a Ban on Relationship Recognition. Senator McCain actively supported a ban on same-sex relationship recognition in his home state of Arizona – even appearing in a campaign television ad.

The Cost of "Clean" Profits

2008-06-02T15:23:00.000-07:00

I think I speak for the majority of rational people when I say; the Energy Department, GE, FutureGen, and any similarly mission-misguided companies have lost their FREAKING, money-grubbing minds if they think they can inject into our earth, carbon dioxide from coal-burning power plants and think it can be contained with no prospect for spewing into OUR atmosphere, drinking water, or other possible disastrously unknown shit-for-brains recommend natural resource options. According to today's NYT Article called Mounting Costs Slow the Push for Clean Coal engages in an asinine conversation with its share-holders about "cost" as if that should be the focus of the article. I think we should inject the newly developed technology underneath the homes of the share-holders since it's so cost-effective, and then they can tell us how that works for them.

Let me be clear...air trumps coal burning, water trumps coal burning, our forests trump coal burning, the ground stability trumps coal burning, our kids trump coal burning, (common, shout out the ones you can think of and insert here because we all have brains), etc. Think about anything you, your family, your children do and let's put them over the top of one of these "pumped" areas, and lift our hands with gratitude that it was low-cost. That's what would be on my mind as a family values person.

Our first clue to the de-tarded government plan is that "Bush is for it.." The only smart thing this article has to say is that, "Yet, simple as the idea may sound, considerable research is still needed to be certain the technique would be safe, effective and affordable." They really go the order messed up, but this way you might buy into it that they put "safe" first. Let me tell you what that really means: They're going to run a bunch of tests to see how much damage it does and then they will weight that out against the number of people it will kill. They will then take the cost associated with those numbers and try to get to the cost to kill ratio to the level where the number of people they kill and what it will cost to defend themselves in court will still allow them to make a profit. That's what these MF'rs really mean!

This really leads us into the way corporations generally run, which is based on the cost to kill model I outlined above. Whether it's pharmaceuticals, medical insurance, energy companies, car companies, food industry, etc. this is the model they follow. It's all very scientific. They can actually figure out exactly what percentage of people will die by using or living around their product, what the litigation costs will be and how much harm their product is allowed to cause by law. Then, on the cheap, they try to push the litigation ratio as far as they can to maximize profits against the death of individuals and families. The Legislators mostly are bought through "campaing contributions" that ammount to buy-offs, and the same corporations often own the media who's going to inform you of the risks. This is how we get BS like all the toxic toys from China, the ecoli-infestation of our food supply, denials of treatment for medical conditions, mercury poisioning in our water from processing plants, etc. See, it's all calculated.

Then, on the litigation side, these same corporations are pretty successful at convincing at least half of the cognitively-challenged in America that the cost of your services and items will go up begause of litigation, or that as a share-holder, you will lose your profits. So, they get people to vote against their own interests, the very litigation that would make it cost-ineffective for them to continue to kill you, your family and your children. Doesn't it make sense that you can't love life and money at the same time. Hopefully you love life so much, that any money that comes alog will just be a bonus.

As I've pointed out in previous bloggs, life requires systems thinking. When you hear about the government or a company pushing an idea, you have to think about, what if that were done on my land, in my drinking water, in my air, under my home, in my home, around my children, to my loved ones. You have to be clear minded about "clean coal" and recognize what they're selling YOU and why.

Sign the Million for Marriage Petition!

2008-05-30T06:48:00.000-07:00

Right-wing extremists are at it again, even after the California Supreme Court determined that denying same-sex couples the right to mary is unconstitutional. These insane efforts are underway not only to enact a ban in California, but push a Constitutional ban at the Federal level. Whether it's concerning marriage, religion or any personal freedom, do we really want the Constitution define boundaries around any particular freedom and legislate discrimination within that freedom? You're able to practice whatever religion, as long as the service is with a priest and a congregation. THAT'S INSANE, RIGHT? The Constitution is there to protect our freedoms, not limit them. I believe that for California and Americans at large, the questions have to be asked: What damage does a same-sex couple getting married do to you? What are the social and economic benefits of having same-sex marriage in America? What are the impacts on gay youth and any youth with gay parents?

I just joined thousands of pro-LBGT Americans in showing my support for marriage equality for all. We are at a turning point in our nation's history and I'm hoping you'll join me in standing up against discrimination. Please sign the Million for Marriage petition and get us one name closer to showing that Americans overwhelmingly support marriage equality! As always, pass this along to at least ten of your friends and family.

http://www.MillionForMarriage.org

I think that Wanda Sykes, a top notch comedian does it best in pointing out the ridiculousness of the argument against gay marriage. She's a bit of a potty mouth, but enjoy her "bit" after this message!

Every committed couple deserves to enjoy the privileges and responsibilities conferred by marriage. Add your name to the petition and be a part of the movement to fight for marriage equality for all.

Thank you!

Brave Nation Heroes

2008-05-28T13:33:00.000-07:00

This email came from the progressive news magazine, The Nation, today regarding young people who have opened their eyes to the devastating things happening to our country, but have not allowed it to paralyze them. I hope you enjoy reading about the incredibly impressive, helpful and consious ways in which these young people are pushing back against the neo-con/neo-liberal movement. My intention is that you will nurture that spirit in the young people we have the privilege to mentor.

Meet Ashley Casale, a young woman who organized a peace march that started in May 2007 in San Francisco and ended four months later in Washington DC raising awareness and inspiring support coast to coast.

Or Chad Knutsen, a student who when the military recruiters came to his high school last year, stood beside them in the hall handing out information on what awaited them in Iraq to counter-balance the propaganda the recruiters were laying on his peers.

Or Whitney Prose, the founder and driver of Plan-It Earth: a student led movement to clean up the environment. She's introduced recycling and all manner of sustainabilty practices to her Otterbein College campus and the broader City of Westerville, Minnesota.

Ashley, Chad and Whitney are just three of the young people recently nominated for The Brave Nation Hero Award. This Brave Nation is a new video collaboration between The Nation and Brave New Films featuring produced conversations between historic figures discussing the issues and movements that have inspired and informed their work. Click here and watch the trailer to learn more about the project.

The project's public debut is this Sunday, June 1, with the release of a conversation between Van Jones and Carl Pope, after which a new video will be released each Sunday for four straight weeks leading up to a live event in Los Angeles on July 13.

Now we're hoping to identify as many deserving activists as possible for nominations for the Brave Nation Award, designed to celebrate the next generation of progressive activists. Submit your stories via videos, photo, essay, photo-essay, painting...whatever conveys the life changing work being done in your community. Include a link to your video, photo, etc. in the submission form here. The nominee needs to be thirty years old or younger. The deadline is June 22. Finally, please visit The Nation online to read new Nation blogs, to view newsfeed links updated each day, to see when Nation writers are appearing on TV and radio, and to read exclusive online reports and special weekly selections from The Nation magazine!

Best Regards,
Peter Rothberg,
The Nation

McCain QUOTE: Athwart Popular Opinion

2008-05-27T16:18:00.000-07:00

Senator John McCain, as quoted in todays NYT article at a Vetran's Day gathering on standing firm in his support of the Iraq War... “Even,” he said, “if I must stand athwart popular opinion.” Can we drop the "war" bit now? Let's just call it what it is! An OCCUPATION! Wouldn't that just be a grandiose exercise in stupidity, vote a guy into office who plans to go against the will of the American people. What a Maverick! Breaking away from Bush like that!

Propaganda Analysts & Nazi America

2008-05-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

From my friends at FreePress comes the latest push to get big media to addres it's little "consulting" problem. This is the ad that showed up in Friday's The Hill DC paper. How can there be any kind of informed public when the information is propaganda pushed by our own government? What will become of our government if there is no transparency? And even more, no accountability? Read about other democracies who have gone down this road and see where it leads!

O'Reilly Throws a Hissy!

2008-05-25T16:30:00.000-07:00

Just when you thought this "news anchor" (in the most loose terminology known to man) could not show himself to be more of an A-hole, he shows us from whence he has evolved. This is from his early days with Inside Edition.

McCain's YouTube Nightmare!

2008-05-25T07:47:00.000-07:00

Robert Greenwald and my friends at Brave New Films have put together yet another expose on the ongoing contradiction plagued dialogue engaged by Senator McCain on the "facts" surrounding his stance on the safety of Iraq, gay marriage, his ability to understand US economics. This guy is just all over the place, with no signs of slowing down... But, let John McCain be his own proof...

McCain, Religion, Theocratic Policy & 100 Years of War

2008-05-08T17:33:00.000-07:00

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." Matthew 4:8, 9

Not John McCain? Endorsing someone, Pastor Rod Parsley, he calls a "spiritual guide," who says of Islam that, "America was founded... with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed." Also that Mohamud received revelations from "demon spirits." He continues that this understanding must be realized in order for America to fulfill its "divine purpose." Wh-wh-what? This man totalizes the identity of Muslim people--as a whole--as an "anti-Christ religion that intends through violence to conquer the world." Oh, I get it...like the Church did to Islam in the Crusades? Or when it stood by during the extermination of Jews during the Nazi occupation of Germany in order to maintain it's power? Or maybe how the Jews of Jesus time treated Samaritans? I'm SO confused! What was it that defines an Anti-Christ religion? Oh--whew! (wiping my brow) Now I'm clear, it's a "religion that intends through violence to conquer the world." War mongering and the spirit of anti-Christ is a behavior, not a religion and the label can both ways, including application to both of these men. People who buy this prejudicial hatred and violent posturing are ignorant. Welcome to the foreshadowing of McCains hundred years of war policy. More bowing down at the altar of the Adversary and war, as we have the last 7 years...

Wage War on Greed!

2008-05-06T22:35:00.000-07:00

My friends at Brave New Films have teamed up with warongreed.org to lay it out in a fun way that will leave you red. They sent me this video today and just as I did, you can also go to the website and take action by signing their petition to urge your presidential candidates to right this injustice. Pssst...Do Something!

Combustion? Consumption? Multiplication? That's SO last century!

2008-05-05T15:49:00.000-07:00

The question may well be, "What does this guy know about combustion?" "Not a lot," will be my reply, but what I want in cars just happens to be what is good for our environment and in turn, for the generations to come. What our country needs is to end dependence on polluting energy sources; foreign and domestic. The unfortunate status of the modern mind is that it runs like the silo-centric media approach to news casts, websites or papers: arts and entertainment, auto, social issues, economy, environment. Issues are separated out as if it were possible for anything to be exclusive of everything else. What is personal is political, and since Earth is where we live and laws govern everything on earth, then it's all political. Bottom line is, all these things are connected and the conversation needs to take place at the intersection of all of these areas, because they bleed, people! It's time to be very global in our thinking in every sense of the word.

I have qualifications for this that could seem irrelevant to many who may read this, but I read, a lot, and I really don't think you have to be a rocket scientist to sit the people you love in front of you, simultaneously look at social and economic issues and prioritize what right decisions are that need to be made based on future generations--the people we claim to care about, actually thriving, rather than just surviving.

First, we need infrastucture for alternative fuel sources, and not the kind that require drilling or filtering or processing. I'm talking electric. We need sustainable localized electric sources based on those conditions relevant to that region that will have minimal impact and intrusion into our environment: solar in the deserts, wind in high wind areas, wave energy for coastal cities, improving existing damns for fish runs, etc. I'm sure there are others, but these are the ones that seem least intrusive to me, compared with drilling and processing. There also needs to be a revamp and update of electric delivery grids.

Second, we need to limit our consumption. My greatest concern on the issues of alternative energy is that we would continue on that path of irresponsible waste of energy because it's there and it seems unlimited. There also need to be extended programs like those in supermarkets where you bring your own bag to carry things home. Think about all the plastic and cardboard that goes to waste. We need to move back to long-term use containers for all kinds of things. Recycling is great, but imagine a steel container dumping bulk anything into a store's steel containers, and then you bring your container to the store and refill it, and take it home in that re-usable container on a weekly rather than throwing containers away every week for every item.

Third, we need a worldwide education program on basic budget and basic mathematics when it comes to sex. Imagine for a moment that our world is a fish bowl and there are 20 ants living off the available land. Let's pretend for a moment that they have a god who says, be fruitful and multiply, so they do. See they believe that having sex out of wedlock is a sin, but they end up having it anyway and then the religion says that they can't prevent unwanted pregnancy by birth control and also prevent them from having terminations of unwanted pregnancies. So they multiply, and multiply and multiply. Just because Jesus, Allah or Yaweh have all given you the ability to pro-create, doesn't mean that you should have a child every year of your childbearing life. Is it moral for a man to continue to pro-create with his wife, for which he does not have the resources to support, but continues to bring 3-10 children into the world? It's your life, right? Doesn't impact my life, right? What is the resource and economic toll? Quality of life?

And fine, teach abstinence, but there also needs to be a real conversation about a balance between the number of people who die each year and the number of people we're bringing into the world, which is why I ask the question, As our population, housing, asphalt, waste and pollution infest every hectar of Earth, how long before we're eating each other? I'm sure even then the corporations would find a way to make money off of that. WE NEED TO WRAP IT UP PEOPLE!!! This is an economic policy meant to make money for corporations, but on the global scale, just like the economy, there is no such thing as unlimited growth...unless they can keep people breeding like flies. Now, there's a thought! Sounds like an economic policy wraped up in morality...or at least a short-sighted, grotesquely distorted morality that will eventually destroy us all.

I bet you thought I forgot about the cars. We need electric cars, not hybrid, not 35mpg...we need clean all-electric. Check out the following sites for more information on up and coming electric innovations:

Tesla Roadster @ http://www.teslamotors.com

Karma @ http://www.fiskerautomotive.com

The Political Campaign Void: Fading from Fascist America!

2008-04-30T15:39:00.000-07:00

I just have a hard time moving on. McCain has moved onto the wars that will last for the next 100 years, Clinton has moved onto answering the scary phone at 3:00AM on some distant morning, and Obama has moved onto hoping for a change. Personally I prefer the positive aspects of Obama's message, but even that seems to fall short. I would actually prefer that we step back and fix some things that have compromised us as a free nation, and I don't mean Bush's "freedom to the corporations." I mean Freedom of We the people...

I have not yet seen Aaron Russo's America: Freedom to Fascism, but I plan to. I agree with Russo in that we have to get back to truth telling, about what has happened to us, our country, and have some transparency about it. A wise man by the name of Benjamin Franklin once said, "Those who would sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither." As a people we are exactly getting what we asked for on that count. How do we lose the void in politics and begin our fade from Facist America?

1) Make illegal any fugure form of the Patriot Act that would allow the government to spy on Americans, give power of the president to declare persons "enemy combatants," and any engagement in search and seizures without a warrant.

2) Repeal the Military Commissions Act to restore habeas corpus, and include in future legislation that whether American or foreign, humans to which we claim to liberate with "freedom" deserve the right to a trial.

3) The outlawing of torture should be written into our Constitution, providing for standard questioning and trial by jury.

4) Repeal any claim by corporations to "rights" as a human under the US Constitution.

5) War profiteering should be illegal. For those who are a little slow--It should be illegal for corporations to make a profit during war time.

6) It should be illegal for a private company to hold contracts for voting machines and our voting system should be required to have a back-up paper trail.

7) Every US Citizen should be required by law to vote. If you benefit from Democracy, you should be required to participate in democracy. Laws should be passed making voting days during the work week and declared a national holiday.

8) Trade agreements should be repealed (NAFTA/CAFTA) and high taxes should be imposed on companies who move jobs overseas.

9) The Government of We the people should regulate and own those basic systems that maintain the welfare of every person, regardless of economic or social standing: public schools, preventative medicine, housing programs, and energy systems. All Americans should have the freedom to go with privately owned options, but not the freedom to pull government money into private ventures.

10) Governnment should only be allowed to intervene in private matters when those actions cause emotional or physical trauma to another, who is external to that persons physical body.

How do I become a citizen of that country?

McCain, Graham, Burr & Second Class Soldiers

2008-04-29T11:08:00.000-07:00

John McCain (R-NA), Lindsay Graham (R-SC), Richard "Dick" Burr (R-NC) Sounds painful--I know! Don't they look afraid? McCain with that stressed out look, Graham sporting the "Gomer," and Burr looks like he's badly in need of a transfusion or a good bite on someones neck. Would you trust these men to pass legislation at 3:00AM?

Well, John Soltz, a vet, at http://www.votevets.org/ has notified me that 16,000 Americans sent letters to their Senators rejecting their "GI Bill." Why? This legislation would:

1) create a flat education benefit, which does not account for the higher cost of state college tuitions where many of our veterans live. Soltz highlights that, "This would mean veterans in states where the cost of education is higher than the benefit would have to go into debt to get an education, or uproot themselves and their families to move to a place where the benefit would cover college."

2) essentially creates second-class veterans. This bill only benefits those military persons who have served 12 years. Anyone who has served less than that cannot transfer their education benefits to their children. Soltz tranlates for us, "This says to a veteran who serves for two years and loses both of his legs in combat that his service isn't as valuable as someone who has served for longer."

3) leaves out entirely those National Guard and Reserve personnel who have served their country in active combat right along-side their active duty brothers and sisters. Soltz says, "Under the McCain bill, over 160,000 members of the Guard and Reserves who have done more than one tour in Iraq or Afghanistan would get no credit towards an education for their additional sacrifice."

Well done McCain! Do you need some help getting those knives out of the backs of our military men and women? Help is on the way!

Enter Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska) and Jim Webb (D-Virginia) who have responded to this injustice, in a bi-partisan effort to introduce the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act. Vets have written hundreds of op-ed's in support of this legislation and 30,000 Americans signed a petition that was hand delivered to the Senate this week. Nearly every Veterans organization supports this bill, as well as 57 Senators from the left and right. It is well known that McCain was asked to co-sponsor this bill, but declined to do so, opting for his offensive family-unfriendly version. So, what's so great about this bill?

1) The Webb-Hagel Bill raises each vetran allottment based on the highest tution in that state, allowing vets to come to their homes and keep their families in tact, rather than having to move away to go where cheap tutions would be costly, both in moving costs and much neede social supports.

2) There is no requirement for number of years served. You only have to be a vet.

3) This bill also ensures the coverage of those National Guardsmen and Reservists who served.

Can you think of a better way to support our troops? Don’t just sport a sticker or a lapel pin, contact your Senators (http://www.visi.com/juan/congress) and tell them to support the highest benefit for our troops--S. 22!

Want to do more?

CLICK HERE TO SEND A LETTER TO THE EDITOR ON THE GI BILL

Let's show the neo-cons what it really means to "Support Our Troops!"

How Would Jesus Torture? "Letters Give CIA [Torture] a Legal Rationale"

2008-04-28T16:29:00.000-07:00

Image from Annoy.com

Yesterday, April 27 2008, a NYT article enlightened us with the Justice Department's announcement to Congress on the issue of "interrogation methods that might otherwise be prohibited under international law. " What was the bottom line? Well of course, that they can be legally used if we arch our backs in just that extra special sexy way. Don't look at all those nasty enhancements...look here...No, no, over here!..watch my lower back, it's sexy isn't it?

So, here's the trecherous water-filled lungs...Ah, eh...I mean blood-stained,...ooops... I mean, "enhanced" trail laid before us: 1) Last summer Bush said that CIA operatives would comply with international law. 2) However, that is subject to a case-by-case hidey-hole of super-duper top secret rules on interrogation that can only be found up Cheney's ass and which seeks to circumvent the complications of the Geneva conventions that prohibit, "outrages upon personal dignity.”

Why is this so hard? Well, it seems that these words I just quoted hurt Bush's and the Justice Department's heads, so only they know dignity violations when they see it.

Deputy assistant Attorney General, Brian A. Benczkowski give us a little whif of the poo in this messy little disclosure letter, "The fact that an act is undertaken to prevent a threatened terrorist attack, rather than for the purpose of humiliation or abuse, would be relevant to a reasonable observer in measuring the outrageousness of the act."

What does this all MEEEEEEEAAAAN? Reasonable Observer + Prevention of terror threat - the purpose of humiliation or abuse = WE CAN TORTURE YOU! Na-na-na na-nahhh-na! Using trick-fuck-inometry we can move the harmless words around so they say what we're saying without really saying it. Think fucked-up Algebra.

The article brings up waterboarding, which, to any nit-wit, is obviously utilized on a regular basis to obtain "intelligence." So, here's what we're gonna do before we decide if it should be used; Everyone this evening needs to tie themselves down, face up, have someone put a t-shirt over your head and then pour water over your face. You all then can come back here and tell me about your experience and answer the following quesions: 1) Does this REALLY simulate drowning? Come on now, be honest? 2) Can you breath while this is happening? Oh, common, you can breath a little--it's not THAT bad! Right? 3) Do you get water in your lungs? Wasn't there some study released in the last decade about someone actually being able to drown in a tablespoon of water? RIDICULOUS! I just can't wait to hear from you all! I'm so ENCITED!

One particular highlight was where the writer takes us down Elm Street...I MEAN, memory lane to remind us that in a 2002 memo Bush the limits of allowable techniques "just short of the pain associated with organ failure." I would just LOVE to see the machine they use to measure that in the moment. There are more mention of those things not allowed, but the specifics of what is allowed is again--super-duper top secret. More importantly, the Bush administration and it's group of "lawyers," (and I use this term loosely), are taking language in the Geneva Conventions as somehow vague or unclear, and so the practice of playing dumb gets more leeway than should be allowed by a scary clown. I can just see the hearings now. No one could have predicted the failure of their organs.

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden (D), who sits on the Intelligence Committee expressed his concern of the Administration using the Geneva Convenation restrictions as if they were a "sliding scale." I love this analogy, Bush wants a sliding scale for torture, but not for taxes. Both are inevitable, but somhow he sees a distinction of importance when it comes to money, but not to a human soul.

So, in closing, I have to ask "the Bush," does this vague-arity put our troops at risk for others who may adopt the same standard? If we're really "spreading democracy" and "freedom" wouldn't it be reasonable that we would implement our legal system upon international dealings, rather than using "enhanced techniques?" Honestly, we know that "enhancement" doesn't work anyway. Those info-mercials are total scams! If he's such a Christ-ian, shouldn't he be implementing the golden rule to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you."? Unless he's a kinky boy! You know those Skull & Bones boys! Even further, shouldn't he be praying for his enemies, giving them his coat, blessing them? Only if it involves spreading the freedom of the followers of Friedman and the Chicago School. I HAVE IT! Bush stood at the top of the temple in Jerusalem temple and said, "Satan, get in front of me." I think the closest he's gotten to the golden rule is following someone to a cross with nails, a hammer, a hard-on and something short of of the pain associated with organ failure.

To understand how Bush's push to torture fits into all of this you must read this book:

http://www.naomiklein.org/shock-doctrine

QP MUSIC RECOMMENDATION: THE BRAND NEW HEAVIES

2008-04-27T15:33:00.000-07:00

Do you know who the BNH are? Well, you should! They're a funk-infused, nitty-gritty, dig-down-deep, groove-driven, for real BAND! These boys and girl busted onto the music scene in the early 90's as the pioneers of what was called Rare Groove. After a decade, N'Dea Davenport, the band's original lead diva is back where she belongs with the 2006 project release of Get Used To It. Jan Kincaid is the spiritual leader on keys, vocals and drums, Simon Bartholomew licking a crazy guitar, and Andrew Levy kicking a hard bass. The sound is unexpected, far reaching into the historic sounds of funk, jazz standards and disco, as well as those old soul-sounds of yester-year long before the industry machine shoved the likes of Amy Winehouse (amazing,- don't get me wrong) down our throats to control every aspect of the "branding." At just the moment major labels pick up on BNH fever and try to control the sound, the band disappear themselves from the scene only to surface, as they did in the early 2000's, in places like Korea and UK only releases. Their sound is music, for music's sake and there's no compromise with the sound, from acid jazz that beckons updated homages in "We Won't Stop," to funky switch-backs in "We Got," and electronic touched progressions in "Sex God" that hearken disco diva punch in the you-will-want-to-get-up-and-dance "Let's Do It Again." The gem of the album is the seemingly fresh pressed 1950's vinyl sound of "I Don't Know Why (I Love You)." This group indulges in the past in all the right ways. The band is tight, precise and in no way detracts from the ever intoxicating voice of Davenport. You will never appreciate how amazing this band is until you get to hear them firsthand. Definitely keep them on at the house parties. I highly recommend them as the best band out there.

http://www.myspace.com/thebrandnewheavies

Gay Marriage: Constitution, Ethics & Hypocrisy

2008-04-26T13:09:00.000-07:00

In 2004 Kenneth Cole utilized his power within the fashion industry to take on a problem. The problem is that 11 states included Marriage Amendements on the ballot that defined marriage as between a man and a woman. The ad highlights that at that time 52% of Americans believed in the sacredness of marriage as just between a man and a woman, which is fascinating beyond the scope of what I have time for, but I’ll definitely cover the highlights. As long as I have been out, since the early 90’s, I have to say that I have found and still find the whole debate on Same-sex Marriage/Unions to be so illogical on so many levels, but let me address a few at length: one that is Constitutional, one that is ethical and one that is just plain hypocritical.

The First Amendment of the US Constitution states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof….” After thousands of years of theocracies it would be foolish of me to say that marriage is not a state institution by history, but our present day context is very clearly contextualized by religious belief systems attempting to shove their unique beliefs down the throat of our Constitution. There is a concerted movement and admitted success by Christian theocratic citizens and lawmakers to legislate respecting an establishment of religion in our country concerning marriage, from their particular brand of religion. Supreme Court Justice Harry A Blackmun in the 1992 Lee v. Weisman case ruled, “When the government puts its imprimatur on a particular religion it conveys a message of exclusion to all those who do not adhere to the favored beliefs. A government cannot be premised on the belief that all persons are created equal when it asserts that God prefers some."

In 1802, January 1, then President, Thomas Jefferson, in a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association of Connecticut wrote regarding separation of church and state, here abbreviated, "...I contemplate with solemn reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between Church and State..." Why? Because of the very religious persecution that lead early Americans to flee England and the more recent example of persecution highlighted in the April 24, 2008 New York Times article on the persecution of protestant religions in Russia, which largely favors the Russian Orthodox church.

I take pause for a moment to address the procreation is what guarantees the future of the Republic bit. There is no population problem anywhere in the world so your future is solid, maybe not the people you want to populate, but it’s all good with 6 billion and growing. Moving on, individual religious systems are guaranteed the right to their own laws, norms and taboos within their own unique group, in order to establish and retain their own particular cultural and religious beliefs. However, those guarantees should stop at the synagogue, church, temple and mosque borders: no legislation going in and none going out. Their right is to establish and protect their own, but not to legislate those norms into the whole Republic, and let me be clear, this is what is happening right now. The First Amendment of our Constitution guarantees the preservation of religion and state, but once the wall of separation comes down there is an insidious slippery slope that threatens every unique group, of which everyone should be terrified, including individual religious sects. In essence, the fight of theocratic conservatives to insert moral doctrine into our Constitution devalues and essentially eradicates the religion of another. I know, some reading this may be thrilled with that prospect, and that is not surprise to me. I know that for some, as long as it’s your particular religion who has the power and control--you relish the idea of running out the other. But what if it is a rival religous sect who is unfriendly to you? OR, GASP! Musulims? Then where do you stand on the issue? The narrow road always prefers it’s own narrow world view, but a person who gets the idea of being a good human understands that the retention of diverse views strengthens the liberty of the whole.

On the ethical point behind the law, it’s really simple. If I stand within the grounds of my religious institution and say, “Straight marriage is not allowed on these hallowed grounds,” I’ve established a particular belief system. But then I hear that out there in the world or government straight marriage is being recognized; if I follow the line that is the political religious-conservative rational in America, I say wrongly, “My rights are being violated because someone else has the right to marry in the world or government--out there.” As a silo thinker I may believe that if I’m not able to discriminate against someone with which I morally disagree in the public forum then that means my religious freedoms are being violated? What?!!! That’s really nonsense of the highest order and no one should stand for such backwards thinking. The only way we impact each other is if we choose to attend each other’s ceremonies, or force ourselves into each other’s relationships, but that isn’t how it happens.

On April 16, 2007 MSNBC did a story on Lust, Love & Loyalty. Over 70,000 people completed this on-line survey and found that, “About one in five adults in monogamous relationships, or 22 percent, have cheated on their current partner. The rate is even higher among married men. And nearly half of people admit to being unfaithful at some point in their lives…” This would fall in line with the most recent sociological predictions if divorce rates continue at their current climb; that in all marriages, about 50% of all marriages will end in divorce, regardless of their religious or non-religious affiliation. Divorce statistics in general cover a wide diversity of alternatives that people find themselves in when things just don’t work out. When you take a hard look at who the theocrats are supporting and, in turn, carry the torch of “sacred marriage,” you find a litany of hypocrisy. Wasn’t it Bill O’Reily who sexually assaulted one of his female staff? Has not John McCain cheated on two of his wives? And then there’s the whole list of conservatives who upheld the high standard of marriage and abstinence only: Ted Haggard, Randal Tobias, Mark Foley, Larry Craig and other widespread hypocrisy. Honestly, how sacred can marriage be when this is the behavior? The hypocrisy is embedded in a practice of engaging in dishonesty that does harm to their partners, and even more, pushes hostile policy to work against people who desire the ability to live their lives with integrity, while engaging in the behavior they protest…but secretly. How is it possible that 52% of Americans truly believe in the sacredness of marriage given the evidence of behavior.

So here is my message to neo-religious conservatives: Grow up! Stop blaming others! Men and women in America need to take responsibility for their own marriages. No one makes you participate in the freedom afforded to every American, or makes your decisions for you, or makes you cheat, divorce or fight over money or sex, but you. As an adult you can expand or restrict that freedom as much as you want, for you. Straight America is responsible for it’s own relationships and problems. Spend your energy fighting real causes of your divorce rates and keep your religious laws to yourself, unless someone or a group actually does physical harm or persecution to your practices. If your stress is emotional, then avoid major cities where gays primarily live, don’t have a gay marriage, don’t go to a gay marriage ceremony, shut off your TV, don’t go to the mall, only shop at your religious affiliated stores, stay within your own communities, create your own communities and stay out of the world. I don’t go into your bedrooms or legislate into your places of worship because that is your space to believe and practice what you want, but outside of your grounds is public domain. I have full faith that you can be “in it, but not of it.”

Real human rights violations involve me telling you how to live or barring you from living your life, not barring you from telling me how to live. You are not ethically allowed to baby-sit America, so keep it out of our legislation. Keep it out of our Constitution; it’s not lawful or ethical. I’m an adult and so are you, so treat adults as you would have them treat you as an adult. If you don’t want me to bar you from marriage, don’t bar me. My personal solution is that there should be NO state sanctioned marriage. The state should only recognize those who want to be contractually bound by a union for the purposes of maintaining stability among families, in whatever shape or form that takes between two consenting adults. I can just hear the bestiality comments now! Come-ON PEOPLE! Those who go to that gutter thought terrify me, because it’s not even a rational thought. Time to leave the playground children, cover your ears. Brother Republican is losing the verbal conversation and has begun talking about sex with animals. Marriage, on the other hand, should be left up to private religious institutions within the laws and norms of their religion, particular to their religious freedom to practice as they wish.

This theocratic intrusion into our secular democracy is only one of many terrifying omens in which religious systems continue to persist into the public domain regarding marriage, Christmas, faith based initiatives, vouchers, government prayer breakfasts, official government meetings with the Pope, etc. How is this equitable on our tax dollars? Maintain a secular government in order to maintain our personal freedoms, human rights, the the diversity that resides within all religions and the freedom We the people and religions deserve—in that order.