Monday, May 30, 2005

After Downing Street Memo Action

Over at Shakespeare's Sister is the signup for the Big Brass Alliance....an action to put tremendous pressure on Congress to address the Downing Street Memo and the crimes of the bush terrorists.

Sign up here!!

Here is the jist of things:

1. After Downing Street is a Coalition of veterans' groups, peace groups, and political activist groups, which launched on May 26, 2005, a campaign to urge the U.S. Congress to begin a formal investigation into whether President Bush has committed impeachable offenses in connection with the Iraq war. The campaign focuses on evidence that recently emerged in a British memo containing minutes of a secret July 2002 meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his top national security officials.

2. The name is a reference to the Downing Street Memo, a British memo recently made public in the London Times, which contained the minutes of a secret July 2002 meeting between British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his top national security officials.

3. After Downing Street reports: In response to the release of the memo, “John Bonifaz, a Boston attorney specializing in constitutional litigation, sent a memo to Congressman John Conyers of Michigan, the Ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, urging him to introduce a Resolution of Inquiry directing the House Judiciary Committee to launch a formal investigation into whether sufficient grounds exist for the House to impeach President Bush. Bonifaz's memo, made available today at www.AfterDowningStreet.org, begins: ‘The recent release of the Downing Street Memo provides new and compelling evidence that the President of the United States has been actively engaged in a conspiracy to deceive and mislead the United States Congress and the American people about the basis for going to war against Iraq. If true, such conduct constitutes a High Crime under Article II, Section 4 of the United States Constitution.’"

4. Congressman Conyers is now seeking 100,000 signatures to sign a letter on the Downing Street Inquiry. Information available at Raw Story and dKos.

5. Sign the letter here. Write to your Congresspeople here.



Some overlooked material is here and here in this article by Juan Cole,
is that Tony Blair had to convince George Bush to go after al-Qaida in Afghanistan, and Bush would only do so in exchange for Britain’s support of the Iraq invasion
:

"“Astonishingly, the Bush administration almost took the United States to war against Iraq in the immediate aftermath of Sept. 11. We know about this episode from the public account of Sir Christopher Meyer, then the U.K. ambassador in Washington. Meyer reported that in the two weeks after Sept. 11, the Bush national security team argued back and forth over whether to attack Iraq or Afghanistan. It appears from his account that Bush was leaning toward the Iraq option.



Meyer spoke again about the matter to Vanity Fair for its May 2004 report, "The Path to War." Soon after Sept. 11, Meyer went to a dinner at the White House, "attended also by Colin Powell, [and] Condi Rice," where "Bush made clear that he was determined to topple Saddam. 'Rumors were already flying that Bush would use 9/11 as a pretext to attack Iraq,' Meyer remembers." When British Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived in Washington on Sept. 20, 2001, he was alarmed. If Blair had consulted MI6 about the relative merits of the Afghanistan and Iraq options, we can only imagine what well-informed British intelligence officers in Pakistan were cabling London about the dangers of leaving bin Laden and al-Qaida in place while plunging into a potential quagmire in Iraq. Fears that London was a major al-Qaida target would have underlined the risks to the United Kingdom of an "Iraq first" policy in Washington.

Meyer told Vanity Fair, "Blair came with a very strong message -- don't get distracted; the priorities were al-Qaida, Afghanistan, the Taliban." He must have been terrified that the Bush administration would abandon London to al-Qaida while pursuing the great white whale of Iraq. But he managed to help persuade Bush. Meyer reports, "Bush said, 'I agree with you, Tony. We must deal with this first. But when we have dealt with Afghanistan, we must come back to Iraq.'" Meyer also said, in spring 2004, that it was clear "that when we did come back to Iraq it wouldn't be to discuss smarter sanctions." In short, Meyer strongly implies that Blair persuaded Bush to make war on al-Qaida in Afghanistan first by promising him British support for a later Iraq campaign.”

I encourage you to include that finding out if this underreported outrage is true is an important part of the inquiry for which After Downing Street is fighting. That President Bush’s entire presidency has relied on his ostensibly unique ability to “keep America safe,” even though he had to be cajoled into going after the party truly responsible for 9/11, is not only an outrage, but a national disgrace.


Other information that may be useful:

Editorial: Memorial Day/Praise bravery, seek forgiveness, By the Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Smoking Bullet in the Smoking Gun?

Bloggers Support Call for Resolution of Inquiry

A plea from Military Families Against the War in Britain to friends in America

$1000 Reward for Getting Bush to Answer Question

This could be the lie that brings down the terrorist's house, bloggers!! Sign up for the action, sign Mr. Conyer's letter and write your legislators and demand they seek action to impeach, indict and prosecute the criminals occupying our government!!

Tomb of the Unknowns Desecrated

On this day we remember the heroes who have served and died for our country.
On this day the Tomb of the Unknowns was once again desecrated by the world's number one terrorist organizer, G.W. Bush. His presence defiles the hallowed ground that the Tomb occupies.

What a god-damned shame.

Liberal vs. Winger Test.










Your Political Profile



Overall: 5% Conservative, 95% Liberal

Social Issues: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal

Personal Responsibility: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal

Fiscal Issues: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal

Ethics: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal

Defense and Crime: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal






I ran across this test over at Gun Totin' Liberal, Take it and post your results....it's kinda fun!!

I will work on getting rid of that 5% conservative streak in me....damn, I feel dirty already!! :)

Drowning Out the Real Issues

By Terry M. Neal
washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
Monday, May 23, 2005; 6:28 AM

A certain and clear pattern has emerged when a damaging accusation or claim against the Bush administration or the Republican-led Congress is publicized: Bush supporters laser in on a weakness, fallacy or inaccuracy in the story's sourcing while diverting all attention from the issue at hand to the source or the accuser in the story.

Often this tactic involves efforts to delegitimize the entire news media based on the mistakes or sloppy reporting of a few. We saw this with the discrediting of CBS's story on irregularities in President Bush's Texas Air National Guard service in the 1970s. Although the CBS "scoop" was based on faked documents, the administration's response and backlash from both conservative and mainstream media essentially relieved Bush of having to deal with the story. In other words, the allegedly "liberal" media dropped the story like a hot rock.


More Here>>>


A great article on how the fascists occupying our country have hijacked and dumbed down the media. Every point falls into the the definition of fascism and how Hitler and the Nazi's effectively took control of an entire population.

Be afraid.....and by more ammo.

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

For Samantha of PA Liberal

Monday, May 23, 2005

The Constitution on Trial

The Constitution on Trial

By David Van Os, on special assignment

This week the Radical Republicans will place the United States Constitution on trial. Chief Prosecutor Frist and his assistant prosecutors have been reading the indictment over the past week. The Constitution stands charged with the crime of establishing a government with checks and balances. A sub-count of the indictment accuses the old document of setting up a bicameral legislative branch in which the upper chamber sits as a deliberative body. In a remarkable new definition of due process of law, constructed uniquely for this case, Frist and his team will serve in the triple capacities of prosecution, jury, and judge.

Lead Defense Counsel Reid appears to be basing the defense on the “advice and consent” language of the Constitution. Assistant Defense Counsel Byrd in particular laid out a detailed explanation of the consistent interpretations of that clause over the 217 years of the republic’s history.

The prosecution’s strategy appears to be to sidestep the arguments of the defense by arguing for a new interpretation of the “advice and consent” clause. The new interpretation would hold that the “advice and consent” language makes it mandatory for the Senate to “consent” to the chief executive’s lifetime judicial nominees. In particular, the prosecution team argues that higher powers command the new interpretation. When pressed for details, the prosecutors claim a special ability to receive and understand the commands of the higher powers, which the Senate must accept on faith.

If the Constitution is convicted of the charges, it is expected that the document will be reduced in rank to the status of a historical artifact, and the concept of checks and balances will suffer the death penalty. However, it is not expected that the Senate will be abolished at this time. Our sources indicate that it will be placed on indefinite probation. Sources further indicate that the two conditions of the indefinite probation will be (1) that the Senate relinquish its ancient but outdated claim that the Congress and the judiciary constitute separate branches of government co-equal to the executive branch; and (2) that the Senate join the chief executive in a declaration that religious law as interpreted by Pat Robertson and Randall Terry shall constitute the supreme law of the land. It is anticipated that the prosecutors will appoint a panel consisting of Osama bin Laden, Bandar Bush, Iranian mullahs, and Taliban leaders to supervise the Senate’s compliance with the terms of probation.

Reid’s strategy is to convince enough Senators to vote for acquittal on the grounds that no contemporary body possesses authority to overrule the Constitution by simple majority vote. Since Reid’s theory has been accepted for the last 217 years, many observers are astonished that the indictment was not summarily dismissed. Such observers, while well intentioned, appear to be naïve about the Radical Republicans’ zeal to reject certain theories of government that they consider to be quaint and unsound, such as those of Thomas Jefferson and Franklin Roosevelt.

Both sides have been appealing for public sympathy. While the prosecution is calling for abolition of the Constitutional framework of checks and balances, the defense team and its allies are relying upon massive support from the citizenry to save the Constitution.


I get email updates from Mr. Van Os and he always has something great and unique to say!!

Sunday, May 22, 2005

Thank A Liberal

Republican and Religious Morals and Values

Here we have republican values and morals:

Republican anti-abortion activist Howard Scott Heldreth is a convicted child rapist in Florida.
Republican County Commissioner David Swartz pleaded guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 11 and was sentenced to 8 years in prison.
Republican judge Mark Pazuhanich pleaded no contest to fondling a 10-year old girl and was sentenced to 10 years probation.
Republican anti-abortion activist Nicholas Morency pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his computer and offering a bounty to anybody who murders an abortion doctor.
Republican legislator Edison Misla Aldarondo was sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping his daughter between the ages of 9 and 17.
Republican Mayor Philip Giordano is serving a 37-year sentence in federal prison for sexually abusing 8- and 10-year old girls.
Republican campaign consultant Tom Shortridge was sentenced to three years probation for taking nude photographs of a 15-year old girl.
Republican racist pedophile and United States Senator Strom Thurmond had sex with a 15-year old black girl which produced a child.

Much more here>>>

Then we have religious morals and values:

Eddie Thomas, pastor of St. Luke Baptist Church in Ringgold, LA., is arrested and charged with indecent behavior with a juvenile, aggravated incest and pornography involving a juvenile. (the Shreveport Times, July 17, 2003)
Police seize videotape alleged to show sex with a child

NEWARK, N.J. A convicted sex offender who was named pastor of a city church several weeks ago has been removed from the post. Shiloh Baptist Church leaders had hired the Rev. Chavalis T. Williams in mid-March, even though they knew he had pleaded guilty in Florida to charges of child abuse and using children in a sexual performance. (Newsday, May 7, 2003)
Convicted sex offender removed as pastor of Newark church


Tinley Park, IL. For the second time in two weeks, a Baptist pastor from New Lenox has been charged with molesting a child — and prosecutors said they are looking for more victims. Dennis Larry Shaw, 53, of the 2100 block of Sanford Drive, New Lenox, was charged Monday with aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a 16-year-old girl, according to the Will County state's attorney's office. On Jan. 31, Shaw was arrested on similar charges after a parishioner's 12-year-old daughter alleged she was fondled by the pastor inside the church between October and December, prosecutors said. (Daily Southtown, February 11, 2003)

Hundreds more here>>>>


Then we have this:

"The kinds of fraud which were perpetrated by the Republicans alone in this election, were sufficient to send these guys to jail, if not to un-elect them," declared former Democratic President candidate Lyndon LaRouche during his Nov. 9 webcast. "Voter suppression! ... That's tyranny! That's dictatorship! And there was a lot of it," LaRouche emphasized.

LaRouche charged that those Republicans who engaged in the crime of vote suppression around the Nov. 2 Presidential elections are guilty of violating the Federal Voting Rights Act and the U.S. Constitution, and he pointed out that, "from a Constitutional law standpoint, what was made was a not-so-cold coup d'état against the United States Constitution."


More on this here>>>

Now, we should push for classifying the republican party as a terrorist organization, lock them all up without Constitutional liberties. What a dramatic impact this would have on human rights, environmental and economic issues!!! The problems in America and the world would almost fix themselves!!

But, who would want to resemble them in any way? We will prevail as we always do..

Saturday, May 21, 2005

When Republicans Lose....They Whine, Bitch and Moan all the way to court.

In California, the governator is pissing and moaning about not being able to cap the state budget, bust unions and steal their pensions and shut down the voice of working people. So what does the dumb ass do??
He plans an election that will waste $80 million taxpayer dollars. Wouldn't that money be better spent improving the ailing economy, Gov. Dumbass??

Then in Washington State we have another worm named Rossi you lost the Gubenatorial election but, wants to have a special election to see if he can win. Another waste of taxpayer money by these ignorant republican scumbags.

Then, we have Pickles.....you know her....that murdering bitch who lives with the squatter in the Whitehouse. She is touting the need for more influence from women in Middle Eastern politics. Isn't she on the side of that ingrate named Dr. Hager who is a bible-thumping conservobot who forcibly sodomized his narcoleptic wife against her consent??

Then we have the moron himself....little bushitler, telling graduates at Calvin College to give more to community service. What he is really doing is shilling for the corporations who want free and/or cheap labor.

I guess I don't get it....who in their right fucking mind can really, and I do mean REALLY buy into this bullshit?

They have to be some really, really stupid motherfuckers.

Madisonville-area Community Calls for Economic Development Board Accountability

I've been a little neglectful posting with a new job and all but I will continue to get important issues up as soon as possible.

Here is another good press release from Resist Oppression....a great blog for keeping on top of the labor news that affects all of us....even you wingerbots!!

Madisonville-area Community Calls for

Economic Development Board Accountability

Support for Funding Increase Tied to Respect for Workers’ Rights



MADISONVILLE, KY, MAY, 16—Labor leaders urged the Madisonville City Council today to oppose a budget increase for the county’s Economic Development Corporation.

Speaking at the council’s meeting this morning here, the leaders said such a budget increase should be contingent on the Corporation making a commitment to bring companies to the region that are prepared to pay decent wages and respect their employees’ rights to freedom of association.

Attention was called to Corporation Director Danny Koon’s decision last year to turn away a company that could have supplied 500 new jobs to the region because the company’s employees were represented by a union. Koon’s actions outraged many in the Madisonville area and was the focus of a well-attended community forum last month.

“Danny Koon’s decision to block good union jobs from Madisonville has cost the region millions of dollars in possible revenues and the city council should insist that the Economic Development Corporation do its job and help bring good jobs to our community,” said Ty Barnhart, a representative of United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 227. “Why should the EDC be given more money when their director is costing us good jobs?”

“We have a limited number of manufacturing jobs here in Madisonville and it is evident to everyone that we need more good paying jobs with benefits,” added Marvin Sisk, a representative of the International Union of Electrical Workers/Communication Workers of America Local Union 701. “Koon’s decision to deny the people of the region good jobs was wrong and hurt our community.”

According to a report by the United Auto Workers and the Economic Policy Institute, the union jobs Koon is reported to have turned away cost the region of Madisonville an estimated $59.3 million annually and a loss of 2,600 additional jobs in the community that would have been created as a result of having the union represented plant in the area.

Reba Burris, UFCW member, said during the meeting the young people of the community who are out of work and needing jobs were hurt most by Koon’s decision. Burris went on to say the businesses Koon and the EDC allowed to come in to the region have mostly provided only low paying and temporary jobs without benefits.

“The people of Madisonville deserves good jobs with benefits instead of temp jobs or working for barely above minimum wage,” Burris said. “I don’t know how the EDC and Koon expect people to live on those kind wages.”

Councilman Roy Tucker told the gathering that the City Council was not pleased with what had transpired and would show so in its budget. He said the mayor had been directed by the council to deliver a message to the EDC that “we are upset.”

The Madisonville-Hopkins County fiscal court will meet on June 6th to decide on the county’s budget, including the Economic Development Corporation’s proposed budget increase.

Sunday, May 08, 2005

Identity Giveaway

I was reading some of my favorite blogs today (only some because I have so many favorites) and I came across a very good piece over at Against the Madness. I gotta tell you SRT......you did one helluva fine job on this!!

“BILL FRIST’S DECLARATION OF WAR”’

What the "people of faith" are really about is clear: forcing their particular brand of religion and religious thought down the throats of all Americans, not by persuasion and good example, but by massive intimidation, by taking over the Justice system to use it for oppressive and repressive purposes, and ultimately, by the use of the criminal law. Indeed, these people are correctly called the "My Right to Control Your Lifers."

Here, once again, is my short definition of fascism: “Fascism is a politico-economic system in which there is: total executive branch control of the government; no independent judiciary; a single national ideology, to which adherence is compulsory, that first demonizes and then criminalizes all political, religious, and ideological opposition; and total corporate determination of economic, fiscal, and regulatory policy.” Given the ideology of the Kennedy-Dobson-Perkins variety, you can decide if what these people state they want very clearly, in more or less open and strident terms given the circumstances, meet the terms of that definition.


Article here>>

Bring it on, fundies......bring it on!!

The Biggest Ass-Kisser of all is Dick Cheney

Raw Story: Do you really think the president is sheltered from those he’s pitching his plan to?

Moran: The only actual news that he reads is the sports section. All the national news, all the opinions that he gets have been filtered, and it goes to his daily briefing that has already been pre-screened to give him what he wants to read. He doesn’t read any books, and he doesn’t talk with people that don’t already agree with him. He’s surrounded himself with ideological sycophants. And the biggest ass-kisser of all is Dick Cheney.


An excellent read....Here>>>

Wouldn't this be the way a chickenshit lives anyway??

More on Dobson and his Anti-Christ Right-Wing

This couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of assholes. The pressure is on and I can hear those fundies in Colorado Springs screaming as the fire of Hell licks at their feet. It is a glorious picture indeed!!

Denver: "We call on James Dobson to release his 2004 campaign visit records to demonstrate that he did not use his tax-exempt organization, Focus on the Family, to help organize support for any political candidates," stated ProgressNow.org Executive Director Michael Huttner.

According to a recent report, in 2004 Dobson endorsed approximately 25 Republican candidates (including President Bush) and campaigned for Senate candidates.


Press release here>>>

Wednesday, May 04, 2005

Signs of the Times??

I went to work today on a new multi-multi million dollar hopsital in Denver. I've noticed a shift of the types of buildings we are constructing.

In the mid to late nineties, I worked on projects for Sun MicroSystems. For 5 years as a matter of fact. That multi-faceted project came to a screeching halt and now Buildings 6,7 and 8 of Sun Micro sit empty and incomplete. I was sent to Global Crossing a couple times....the last time being when they went bankrupt.

Now, I am involved in huge projects that are hospitals, medical billing offices and research facilities. Big projects.....millions of square feet per project type projects. Spare no expense either. In the last 5 years, there have been constructed, state-of-the-art medical facilities in Denver, Durango, Montrose, Loveland (underway), Loveland (completed), Fort Collins (CDC facility), Trinidad is looking to build, Lafayette, Louisville and some other smaller clinics all around the state.

Colorado lacks nurses...critically. One nurse gets 7-10 patients (unless they are union and then they get 3.....better care at these facilities).

My health insurance cost my employer $7/hour. That's $280/week...almost $1200/month.

Now I know where the money is going...as my premiums rise, benefits decrease the added money is funding hospital construction in an industry that already has a staffing nightmare.

No wonder the conservobots refuse to address immigration and border policy.