Merry Christmas To You All

In Memory of John Spencer

John Spencer died this evening. He was a long time personal friend of my wife and through the years, I, too, had the honor to call him "friend."

His dedication to his craft, his friends and his city (New York) were part of the John Spencer way of life. He shall be missed...dearly.

We are both heartsick.

Rest In Peace, dear John.

Trent Lott's Tort Reform Flip Flop

Trent demonstrating the "Flip Flop" maneuver
Courtesy of David Sirota. Trent Lott on tort reform.

What Trent said then.

"The Democrats seem to think that the answer is a lawsuit. Sue everybody."
- Sen. Trent Lott, 7/20/01

"I'm among many Mississippi citizens who believe tort reform is needed."
- Sen. Trent Lott, 5/8/02

"You know, obviously we should [enact tort reform]...Someday it will happen, and the sooner the better."
- Sen. Trent Lott, 1/24/01

" Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi today credited the agenda of tax cuts, deregulation and tort reform initiatives passed by the Congress and signed into law by President Bush with the overall upturn in the national economy."
- Sen. Trent Lott press release, 12/2/05

"If their answer to everything is more lawsuits, then yes, that's a problem, because I certainly don't support that."
- Sen. Trent Lott, 8/2/02

"It's sue, sue, sue... That's not the answer."
- Sen. Trent Lott, 8/4/01

What he's doing now.

"Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott and his wife sued State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. to force the insurer to pay for damage to their house in Pascagoula on the Gulf of Mexico, which was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina."
- Wall Street Journal, 12/16/05

Spying on Americans

J. Edgar Hoover
I remember Nixon's FBI of the late 60's and early 70's (actually J. Edgar Hover's FBI) spying on Americans who were against the war, or just "different." In fact, after the FOIA Act came along, it was a cool exercise to get one's FBI file to see what kind of outlandish info they kept on you. I thought those days were over.

But not with the most paranoid and secretive administration in history, as Bill Moyers has pointed out. President Bush let loose the NSA snoop dogs himself in a 2002 secret executive order, the New York Times reported on Thursday.


J. Edgar Bush
MSNBC has the story:

NEW YORK - The National Security Agency has eavesdropped, without warrants, on as many 500 people inside the United States at any given time since 2002, The New York Times reported Friday.

That year, following the Sept. 11 attacks, President Bush authorized the NSA to monitor the international phone calls and international e-mails of hundreds — perhaps thousands — of people inside the United States, the Times reported.

Before the program began, the NSA typically limited its domestic surveillance to foreign embassies and missions and obtained court orders for such investigations. Overseas, 5,000 to 7,000 people suspected of terrorist ties are monitored at one time.

--snip--

But some NSA officials were so concerned about the legality of the program that they refused to participate, the Times said. Questions about the legality of the program led the administration to temporarily suspend it last year and impose new restrictions.

Condi Rice pushed back this morning on the Today show and, shock of shocks, defended the president's secret order.

"I’m not going to comment on intelligence matters,” she told NBC’s “Today” show. But Rice did say that President Bush “has always said he would do everything he can to protect the American people, but within the law, and with due regard for civil liberties because he takes seriously his responsibility.”

"The president acted lawfully in every step that he has taken,” Rice said, “to defend the American people and to defend the people within his constitutional responsibility."

The ACLU has chimed in:

Caroline Fredrickson, director of the Washington legislative office of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the group’s initial reaction to the NSA disclosure was “shock that the administration has gone so far in violating American civil liberties to the extent where it seems to be a violation of federal law.”

Asked about the administration’s contention that the eavesdropping has disrupted terrorist attacks, Fredrickson said the ACLU couldn’t comment until it sees some evidence. “They’ve veiled these powers in secrecy so there’s no way for Congress or any independent organizations to exercise any oversight.”

This comes on the heals of last week's revelations that a Pentagon database established to organize information about threats to the military, contained personal data about American citizens who the Pentagon now admits were no threat to the military at all.

I've often wondered if this little blog is on some Bush list somewhere and is catagorized as a "threat to America." If you are reading this, FBI, this blog IS America.

Originally posted at:

Dood Abides Classic!

Click on photo for a real Classic by Dood Abides

The Boy in the Bubble

Bush, addressing the Politburo nation: Newsweek photo
This administration releases no so little accurate information as to what it's doing and the reasons behind policy decisions, that the world is left to read tea leafs hints and signs emanating from the guarded inner circle. I remember the Soviet Union. I'm now waiting for glasnost to enter the Republican Party. It may be a long wait.

An Open Letter to Wealthy Patriots, from a Gold Star Mother

I received the following email from Celeste Zappala today:

An Open Letter to Wealthy Patriots, from a Gold Star Mother

George Bush will be speaking about the war at the World Affairs Council in Philadelphia on Monday. Tickets for the event are sold out, however, the luncheon tickets that are closest to Mr Bush were sold for $10,000.  I would like to be at a table close enough to Mr Bush so that he could meet with me.

I was one of the Gold Star Mothers who camped on the road side ditch in Crawford, Texas waiting to meet with George Bush. I watched him roll past me on his way to a local fundraiser. He never stopped to talk to the Gold Star Mothers.

On Monday he will be in Philadelphia, the City where I live and where my fallen son Sgt. Sherwood Baker grew up. I will be outside of the hotel where he is speaking hoping to ask again, "for what noble cause did my son die?"  

I would like to be inside, I would wish to be seated at the $10,000 a seat table, with other patriots. Maybe then Mr Bush would be willing to speak to me, look at my son's picture and tell me why Sherwood was killed looking for the weapons of mass destruction.

thank you for your consideration, I hope you can finda way to include me.

Celeste Zappala

Mother of Sgt Sherwood Baker, the First PA National Guardsman to die in combat since 1945 killed in Baghdad, 4/26/04 while protecting the Iraq Survey Group as they looked for the Weapons of Mass Destruciton

I first met Celeste Zappala while reporting from Camp Casey this past summer.

Her pain is real and her cause is true.

I doubt she will hear from the World Affairs Council as she is probably not considered a true "Patriot."  After all, she gave only her son to the cause and not the all important $10,000.

Perhaps dropping them a line at info@wacphila.org would be a good way to let them know what we think the true definition of "Patriot" is.

Originally posted at:

NOW we get a Strategy to Win the War?

From Think Progress:

From today’s White House pool report:

Scott gaggled on AF1 and yes, he gave a preview of tomorrow’s speech on the war. Among the hightlights [sic], the WH will be releasing an unclassified “National Strategy for Victory in Iraq.” He said they hope to have it out by 6:30 a.m.

Question: Shouldn’t we have had a “National Strategy for Victory in Iraq” before the war started?

I wonder what NEW initiatives we are going to hear from the preznet.

In honor of Devilstower's must read diary, I doubt it will be a well considered analytical step by step approach to carefully withdraw the US military from Iraq. I also doubt it will have the security of the Iraqi and American people as its center piece of consideration.

How can we trust this administration, who so thoughtlessly lead the world into this mess to extract us from it with nuance and intelligence? How can we trust anything that comes from the White House to be more than arrogant political cover? Their history has taught us the screeming answer.

Sad and pathetic. If someone with some sense doesn't take over soon, we are really going to be in trouble, because leaving Iraq is going to be far more dangerous than invading it.

Originally posted at:

Leader of the Free World?

Caption Contest?

GOP Congress Running Against Itself

There must be an election year coming up. GOP members of Congress are preparing for a tough fight to run against.......themselves.

With the administration's approval numbers dropping like the temperatures in the Northeast, and the president himself earning the new name, Typhoid Dubya, it seems that the majority party of both houses of Congress hate their own policies.

Today, the House leadership pulled from the floor its own Reconciliation Budget Package, because moderates scoffed at its proposed cuts in social programs.  The New York TImes:

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 -- Unable to ensure a majority for a contentious budget-cutting bill even after jettisoning a plan for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, House Republican leaders this afternoon pulled back from a floor debate.

Democrats and other House officials said they had been informed that the budget vote that had been promised repeatedly by the leadership would be postponed. The turmoil was the latest sign of Republican dissension and represented a major embarrassment for the Republican leadership, particularly Roy Blunt of Missouri, who is serving as temporary majority leader and would like the job on a full-time basis if legal troubles persist for Representative Tom DeLay.

Another major GOP congressional agenda item, tax cuts for the wealthy, also is taking it on the chin.  CNN says:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republicans started advancing their tax-cutting agenda through the Senate with lingering questions about whether the GOP has enough votes to win support in the tax-writing Finance Committee.

GOP Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine, a moderate whose vote is pivotal, has not said whether she will endorse the cuts at the committee hearing on Thursday.

"It's no secret that we have to get all of our Republican members to vote for this bill," said Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pennsylvania. "Right now, we do not have all of our Republican members."

Until recently, the GOP spin-meisters have been adroit at wrapping their corporate war agenda in a blanket of fear and terror while their number one pitchman has been equally adroit at feeding social wedge issues to the religious right. But now things have changed and that agenda has to stand on its own...stripped of its veneer of fear, terror and hate.  

This week's election fired a warning shot over the Republican bow as voters have signaled that the jig may soon be up.

With Rove on his way out, Cheney feeling legal pressure and Libby under indictment for lying to protect the administration's Iraqi Mendacity Machine, the GOP congress can't count on the White House to provide cover for its disasterous priorities.

As a result, some self-serving Republican members of Congress see the writing on the wall and they have decided to provide their own cover; a cover that will lead them to do the only thing that will save their jobs. They will choose to run against themselves.

The 2005 off year election has its first casulty; the wingnut congressional agenda.

Originally posted at:

With Friends Like These...

Who needs opponents?

President Bush: "We do not torture."

Okay...



Then what's this?

Hope Revisited

“May I have your name, please?” asked the formally dressed female intern seated at the welcome desk. I gave it to her and she checked and double-checked the evening’s roster. After fumbling with her sheets of paper, she looked up and blushed. “I’m sorry, but you don’t appear to be on the list,” she almost whispered.

“I called last week and reserved a ticket with my credit card,” I said looking up, trying to keep my frustration at bay.

“Hang on,” she said rising from her chair. “Let me talk with Tom and see what we can do.” With that, she disappeared around the corner.

About a week ago, I received an email inviting me to Common Cause’s I Love an Ethical NY Awards Reception at the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan. Among the scheduled honorees were President Clinton, Charlie Rose and Seymour Hersh. Not a bad line-up and the price was right, so I gave them a call and grabbed a reservation.

I was late arriving, because the city had decided that 5:00 PM was a great time to tear up Eighth Avenue at 42nd street. I had been screaming out of frustration in the car while taking “fifteen minutes to go three blocks,” to recall a James Taylor lyric, and I was a bit frazzled when I finally arrived at the welcome desk. The news that I wasn’t on “the list” just about put me over the top.

You see I wasn’t totally comfortable with the evening’s prospects, to begin with. Having never attended one of these events, I really didn’t know what to expect. I was also going alone. I had spent the day preparing to be ready for the awkward situation of introducing myself to strangers at a large cocktail reception full of well-to-do New York City liberal activists. My task for the night was to face my trepidation. My plan was to make people talk about themselves and perhaps get a glimpse of the former president.

The intern reappeared from around the corner with a young man who sported a full shock of curly hair. He carried a clipboard and wore a blue suit adorned with a nametag.

“Hello, I’m Tom and I’m terribly sorry about this,” he said taking my elbow and leading me toward the escalator. “The cocktail hour is almost over. I’ll go upstairs with you and walk you past the ticket takers into the banquet room. Stand in the back and wait until everyone is seated, then grab an empty chair at a table. There will be some no-shows.”

I was disappointed to have missed the reception, but was not unhappy to have missed the self-introductions.

Tom and I rode the escalator up to the mezzanine that overlooked the lobby. I saw the bar to my right past the jazz trio, and the stylish crowd of attendees, with drinks in hand, was slowly moving down the hall to my left toward the entrance of the banquet room. We stepped off the escalator and stood to the right to wait for the throng to pass.

At exactly the same instant that Tom leaned toward me to whisper, “Of course, you know who that is,” I saw President Clinton. He was standing about six feet away and was surrounded by about seven or eight well-wishers.

The first thing I thought was, “They’re right.” I had been told by those who have been in the same room with the former president that he has an amazing charisma. In this case, he seemed to be standing in a pool of light, so much so that I glanced up to see where his handlers might have hung the pin spot.

Forgetting all self-doubt, I immediately turned to Tom and said, “Excuse me. I don’t get this opportunity very often.”

“Go for it,” he said. “I’ll wait for you down the hall.”

As I stepped forward, I was reminded of the passage from Primary Colors describing “the handshake.”

We shook hands. My inability to recall that particular moment more precisely is disappointing: the handshake is the threshold act, the beginning of politics. I've seen him do it two million times now, but I couldn't tell you how he does it, the right-handed part of it--the strength, quality, duration of it, the rudiments of pressing the flesh. I can, however, tell you a whole lot about what he does with his other hand. He is a genius with it. He might put it on your elbow, or up by your biceps: these are basic, reflexive moves. He is interested in you. He is honored to meet you. If he gets any higher up your shoulder--if he, say, drapes his left arm over your back, it is somehow less intimate, more casual. He'll share a laugh or a secret then--a light secret, not a real one--flattering you with the illusion of conspiracy. If he doesn't know you all that well and you've just told him something "important," something earnest or emotional, he will lock in and honor you with a two-hander, his left hand overwhelming your wrist and forearm. He'll flash that famous misty look of his. And he will mean it.

And that’s exactly what he was doing; traveling seamlessly, effortlessly from person to person, each one feeling that he listened and cared and would remember. Only now, there seemed to be a calm about him, not the frenzy fueled by the passion of elective politics. Something more human, more relaxed, more knowing?

“Okay, everyone! Please make your way into the room. We are about to begin,” came a male voice from down the hall. The former president was talking with the last person in the circle, and I knew I would be next.

The right hand came my way as he was patting the shoulder of the woman next to me with his left. I reached out and took his extended hand and he moved with ease to meet my eyes. I was ready.

“Good evening, Mr. President.” I introduced myself and continued, “I live in upstate New York, and I am, among other things, a freelance writer for political blogs.” His eyes lit up.

“You know, blogs are the new town hall,” he said. “That’s where political discussions are really being held to form policy these days. Very exciting.” He still loves policy, I thought.

“I worked for both of your campaigns and supported your wife for the Senate four years ago.” I said, feeling oddly calm.

He then put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Walk with me.”

Thrilled, I turned and walked down the hall with the former leader of the free world. During our walk, we talked about blogging and its impact on politics, my hometown, his back yard and a particular dream I had long ago.

As we entered the room where he was to be honored, I stopped and said, “Mr. President, about ten years ago, I had a dream, not a waking dream, but a real sleeping dream that was so clear, I still remember the details. That dream was that one day I would meet you and shake your hand and have the honor of spending a few minutes with you. That small dream is being realized right now, and it’s a thrill for me.” I hesitated, and then said, “I don’t suppose you had a dream that you would meet me as well?”

He threw back his head and laughed. “Actually, if I did, it’s gone from my mind. I want to thank you for the support you gave to me and to my wife. She’s a great Senator.”

“I agree, and congratulations on your honor tonight,” I said.

“Thank you,” he said as he was led away to his table.

During my drive home that night, I found myself smiling like a fool. The ceremony itself was fulfilling. Mr. Clinton’s short speech was gracious as were those of Charlie Rose, Robert Rubin, David Dinkins, Calvin Trillin and the leaders of Common Cause, but the reason for my smile was more cathartic. I remembered the joy of that November in 1992 when Clinton had won the presidency. And I took stock of the depressing winter darkness that has been the hallmark of the past five years…and for one night, I felt the warm trade winds in my face. I was smiling again, because I caught the faint memory of what it was like to have Hope revisit America.

Originally posted at:

Is it about to be blown open?

This from Editor & Publisher.

NEW YORK Ever since the Democrats briefly closed the U.S. Senate from view earlier this week, to protest alleged Republican foot-dragging in probing Bush administration pre-war manipulation of intelligence, the press has been asking: So what new evidence do the Democrats have in this matter?

Tomorrow, The New York Times starts to answer the question, with reporter Doug Jehl disclosing the contents of a newly declassified memo apparently passed to him by Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

It shows that an al-Qaeda official in American custody was identified as a likely fabricator months before the Bush administration began to use his statements as the foundation for its claims that Iraq trained al-Qaeda members to use biological and chemical weapons, according to this Defense Intelligence Agency document from February 2002.

It declared that it was probable that the prisoner, Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi, "was intentionally misleading the debriefers" in making claims about Iraqi support for al-Qaeda's work with illicit weapons, Jehl reports.

"The document provides the earliest and strongest indication of doubts voiced by American intelligence agencies about Mr. Libi's credibility," Jehl writes. "Without mentioning him by name, President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Colin L. Powell, then secretary of state, and other administration officials repeatedly cited Mr. Libi's information as `credible' evidence that Iraq was training Al Qaeda members in the use of explosives and illicit weapons.

I have wondered what inforamtion the Dems had in order to shut the Ruthugs up about their oversight responsibility, and what made them close the doors.

This could be VERY big. I await the NYT series on this.

Our job? To make it VERY clear and easy to understand.

UPDATE The actual NYTimes article is now up.  Interesting read. Interesting last item:

Mr. Libi remains in custody, apparently at in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, where he was sent in 2003, according to government officials.

Originally posted at:

Time to Regulate the Meds, Laura

Charles:Do I have to sit next to HER?

Why Should I Care?

"Do you have wireless inter-net?" I asked the twenty-something check-in girl at the front desk of the Johnson City, Tennessee Best Western motel.

"Jes here in the lobby...or in the bar there," she said pointing with a pencil to the door behind me over which flashed in red, white and blue neon, the words, NASCAR Grille.

I was driving my way from New York to Hendersonville, NC. to tend to my ailing mother-in-law.  After 12 hours behind the wheel, I had said, "Uncle," and pulled in to the first available motel.

Priorities being priorities, immediately after unloading the trunk and checking out the room, I grabbed my laptop and headed for the NASCAR for a beer and some blogging. It was, after all, near the end of the Plame/CIA leak investigation and I had been without the "real" news all day.

I ordered a Bud Light (the least offensive of the on tap offerings), and headed to a table with a nearby outlet. Within minutes, I was engrossed in my usual rounds through the on-line political arena; looking for news, rumors and analysis. I am an addict. But to me, politics matters.

About halfway through the Bud, I looked up from the screen and noticed where I really was for the first time.

As I often do in unfamiliar locales, I began to imagine the lives behind the strange faces. In this case, the faces of the people who sat at the bar and in the restaurant. There was the group of seven just-turned-twenty-ones at a table to my right. It was one of those "high" bar tables that required stools to be useful...and they seemed to be making good use of it as the top was littered with empty pitchers and full ashtrays (smoking is still permitted in Tennessee bars). The three girls and four boys were flirting, kissing and grabbing their way to a merry drunken late night. Carefree. Young. Reckless.

To my left were the professional travelers.  Ties loosened at the neck and paying with company credit cards...sharing dirty jokes. Black loafers. Tassels. Cuffed slacks.

There were the assorted mix of couples, drinkers, long hairs, frat boys, bar fly girls, waitresses and bartenders sharing this smoky, loud, '80's country music filled, totally American, Tennessee roadside watering hole. I guessed I was one of about 60 in the NASCAR that night. I felt totally out of place, and yet, at the same time, wonderfully at home.

I wondered what was important to all these people. What did they do with their time? How did they spend their obviously hard-earned money? How did they make decisions? I began to speculate some mental answers.

Let me see.  Gas on the way down here was averaging about $3.00 a gallon. Lots of pickups outside getting 14 MPG. That must matter to everyone here. And lots of these folks have kids...so education and child care are big. Rent for some, mortgages for others. Interest rates. And credit cards. Yup. Lots of credit cards with high interest rates. Health care. I wonder if they have health care.  Statistics say that one in six of them have no insurance. I bet more than half of this group has a family member or friend or knows someone now in Iraq...so that's a big issue. Group at the bar looks like they work local construction. Work boots. Carpenter's pencil behind the ear of the guy in the "Redneck Wreckin' Crew" tee-shirt. Small business workers then.  Payroll and housing market trends. Traveling professionals? Sales? Profit margins and economic growth must be important.

The waitress came on by to pick up my empty and looked over my shoulder at the laptop screen. "Not many come in here and look at a computer," she said. What are ya looking at?" she asked.

"Oh, just reading up on some politics. I follow politics." I said.

"Oh, I don't give that any mind. Want another one?"

"Sure. Do you vote?" I asked.

"Nope. Never voted in my life. Never will. It don't matter. I'll be right back, Hon." She skirted her way through the tables to the bar.

When she came back, I thanked her, but before she left, I said, "You know, politics is important."

"No it ain't," she said smiling. "Nothin' they do in Washington affects me at all. Why should I care?" she said as she made change and disappeared around the corner. I wondered how many people in the NASCAR Grille that night felt the same way.

Originally posted at:

Harry Reid's STUNT?

Yesteday's maneuver by Harry Reid to force the Senate into closed session was characterized by the GOP leadership as a "stunt."

I disagree. That wasn't a stunt. THIS was a stunt....


Chimpy McFlightsuit in action

Announcing POLITICAL CORTEX

Vision

What if there was a place you could go where you were the star of the show -- where the voice of the community shared the front page with the site’s full-time writers?

What if you there was a place where you could not only contribute your own views but also help to determine the content produced by the community as a whole? What if this place ran like a Democracy?

What if there was a place where higher thought and mutual respect combined with a culture of independent, investigative journalism to present a new paradigm in online netroots media?

And what if there was a place that put together a talented group of core bloggers – and then nudged them to the side to make room for the voice of the community within which they gathered?

These are the questions we asked ourselves. And this site is our response.

We hope Political Cortex can be that place.

Originality

The first thought that probably pops into many people’s heads is, “What makes Political Cortex any different form all the rest?” That’s a valid question, and one we considered when putting this site together.

That’s why we strove to remove the community from the periphery and placed it center stage on the front page.

That’s why we implemented a Blog Democracy via a special community editing and voting process unique to the political blogosphere.

That’s why we’ve incorporated new and original features such as Keyword Tags, advanced diary voting, and “Quick Posting”.

That’s why we forego cross-posting in order to encourage a bold and unique voice for the Cortex community.

And that’s why we hope to foster a culture of journalistic Independence that inspires a new generation of bold truth-seekers.

Featured Writers:

Al Rodgers
Georgia10
mcjoan
SusanG
Frederick Clarkson
Hermod
btyarbro
Bill Hare
S.M. Dixon
ColdFusion04
sdf (Stu)
Bob Kendall
Drew Johnston
Tom Ball
Devilstower
NYBri

Official Launch will be Sunday, October 30, 2005: 10:00 PM EST

This Says It All

Fitz's Unexpected Fitzmas Gift

This from a comment by wg on Kid Oakland's politics + culture blog.

BUT, I think I may be experiencing, Linus-like, the deeper meaning of Fitzmas. Watching and listening to Fitz, I rediscovered something I haven't felt in a long, long time: a kind of simple, optimistic pride in the potential and promise of America. I know that sounds fatuous, but it felt like, after crawling through the desert, I was finally rewarded with a tall, clear glass of ice-cold life-sustaining water. I took such profound and unexpected pleasure in the trust I felt in this guy. And I even found a perverse satisfaction in the way he frustrated my shallow partisan craving for a brutal rhetorical smackdown. When was the last time you had the experience of seeing somebody on tv, in a political context, that you didn't feel compelled to view through an angry ideological prism? It was such a relief to not be an analyzing and enraged critic, or even a chortling schadenfreudian. I just had a very simple, almost childlike, faith in this guy. He'll follow the evidence where it leads and no further, but he's not afraid of anybody, especially these smug thugs. He seemed like a walking, human rebuke to the insane political atmosphere of the last decade. I know this all sounds ridiculous and naive, but perhaps that only suggests how deeply I was craving, without even really being aware of it, somebody to believe in again. I believe in fairness, and justice, and equality, and civility. And I saw that today in Patrick Fitzgerald. And maybe that, Charlie Brown, is the true meaning of Fitzmas.

Humbled, I say Merry Fitzmas, in the true sense.

Indictments For Halloween?

Artwork by jaysea

Tick, tick, tick...

Everything's been examined...tea leaves consulted...speculation shared...leaks analyzed...a new holiday created...hopin'...wishin'...prayin'...and it all comes down to Fitz and the GJ.

We wait.

This is the hardest part, and, at times, I feel it's going to be November, 2004 all over again.

BUT....

I keep coming back to the subpoena issued by the three judge panel ordering Cooper and Miller to testify or go to jail. Two of those judges are conservative republicans and they hopped on board and said as a matter of national security, they had to testify...AND eight pages were redacted. That isn't a subpoena about perjury or OoJ...that would be challenged all the way to the SCOTUS. That was some serious shit.

And I feel the wait will be worth it. But wait we must.

Tick, tick, tick....

Family Matters

I've got to deal. Thus the hiatus.

If you need a fix, go to my new favorite blog for all things Plame, firedoglake.

I'll be back as soon as the health weather changes for a dear family member.

John Aravosis Chews it up and Spits it out

The talking points concerning the Plame/CIA leak investigation from the GOP are circulating and John at AMERICABlog is cutting them no slack,

If a senior White House staffer had intentionally outed a CIA agent during World War II, he'd be shot.

We're at war, George Bush keeps reminding us. We cannot continue with business as usual. A pre-9/11 mentality is deadly. Putting the lives of our troops at risk is treason.

Then why is the White House and the Republican party engaged in a concerted campaign to make treason acceptable during a time of war? That's exactly what they're doing. On numerous news shows today, Republican surrogates, their talking points ready, issued variations of the following concerning White House chief of staff Karl Rove's outing of a covert CIA agent as part of a political vendetta:

- It's the criminalization of politics
- Is this 'minor' leak really worth all this?
- Political payback is common and should not be criminalized
- Mis-speaking or mis-remembering is not a crime

Yes, the Republicans are now making light of an intentional effort to expose an undercover CIA agent, working on weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, no less, while we are at war in the Middle East on that very issue.

The GOP has become the party of treason.

He doesn't let go of their throats, and neither should we.

Judith Miller

The Times and Judith Miller published dualing stories today concerning their respective roles in the Plame/CIA leak case.

In this corner, The New York Times.

And in this corner Judith "Miss Run Amok" Miller.

For the best analysis, go read:

* Jane Hamsher at firedoglake

* Arriana Huffington at The Huffington Post

* Kid Oakland at k/o: politics + culture

My analysis can be boiled down to one question about Miller's credibility:

She spends two months in jail protecting a source whose name she can't recall?

All About the Law?

Next week, or shortly thereafter, Patrick Fitzgerald will very likely pass out some indictments. Among the charges included in those party invitations may be perjury, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, espionage...just to name a few.

Basically, all these charges have one very important thing in common: they are violations of federal law. Let me repeat: VIOLATIONS OF THE LAW.  

Remember how important that single fact was for the wingnuts during the Clinton impeachment trial? As I recall, they had plenty to say about lying and perjury and how it wasn't about sex but about respect for the law. MAJOR talking point that they all repeated ad nausium.

I'm going to bet that the wingnuts and Bush apologists and White House operatives are going to forget all that gnashing of teeth and rightous indignation once Mr. Fitzgerald is done with his paperwork. I'm sure they will begin to downplay the charges and dismiss it all as much ado about nothing, as evidenced by Richard Cohen's insulting opening volley.  Keep moving. Nothing here. Nothing serious. What's a little perjury among friends?

Well, we can't let them forget.  We've got to arm ourselves with some memory joggers. If we can build a comprehensive list here, then during the pundit media wars that will certainly follow, our side can have some ammo with which to conduct some serious rug pulling exercises.

Let me begin with a few choice ones. Feel free to add. The more the better. (emphasis mine).

Here's Kenny-Boy Starr from his first interview after his report was complete:

"I was assigned to do a job by the attorney general, and that was to find out whether crimes were committed in this (Paula Jones) sexual harassment lawsuit," Starr said. "The whole idea of equal justice under law means that you've got to play by the rules. It has nothing to do with the underlying subject matter. You just tell the truth.

"Lying under oath, and encouraging lies under oath, does go to the very heart and soul of what courts do. And if we say we don't care, let's forget about courts and we'll just have other ways of figuring out how to handle disputes," he said.

"There is no excuse for perjury -- never, never, never," he said. "There is truth, and the truth demands respect."

The Majority Whip, Tom Delay, from the minutes of the House Judiciary Committee's debate on impeachment:

. . . I believe that this nation sits at a crossroads. One direction points to the higher road of the rule of law. Sometimes hard, sometimes unpleasant, this path relies on truth, justice and the rigorous application of the principle that no man is above the law.

Now, the other road is the path of least resistance. This is where we start making exceptions to our laws based on poll numbers and spin control. This is when we pitch the law completely overboard when the mood fits us, when we ignore the facts in order to cover up the truth.

Shall we follow the rule of law and do our constitutional duty no matter unpleasant, or shall we follow the path of least resistance, close our eyes to the potential lawbreaking, forgive and forget, move on and tear an unfixable hole in our legal system? No man is above the law, and no man is below the law. That's the principle that we all hold very dear in this country.

Lindsey Graham on the impending impeachment charges:

"I'm telling you now," Graham added, "if the facts don't change, this is the most compelling case of grand jury perjury I have ever seen in my life."

These are but three, there are thousands more.  Care to add a couple?

Stung?

From Swopa at Needlenose

Meet the New Boss...?

In one of the more bizzare twists in in American politics, Newt Gingrich is looking at making a run for president in 2008. You know, today's criminals in the White House make old Newt (and Pat Buchannan, for that matter) look like progressives.

Of course, Nixon made a similar recovery, but...Gingrich?

Miller Divorcing The Gray Lady?

Raw Story is reporting that the cozy marriage of convience and protection between Judith and The New York Times is about to hit the rocks.

Conversations with nearly a dozen Times reporters revealed a scarred landscape of discontent. Few reporters were willing to go on the record, but none who spoke with RAW STORY said they supported Miller. Many voiced worries that the paper’s editor, Bill Keller, was sacrificing his own integrity to protect her."

Seems that greed and power and loyalty are battling it out once again and, once again, the truth could be the first casualty.

Can Turd Blossoms Sing?

Fitzgerald vs. Rove

Karl's excellent adventure continued today. He spent four hours testifying before Patrick Fitzgerald and the Federal Grand Jury in D.C.. Everybody is being very quiet about what Rove said or didn't say.

And now, we wait. Tick, tick, tick....

Jackpot!

This from Raw Story reporting that tomorrow's Wall Street Journal will state that Fitz is going all in. Conspiracy charges for the entire White House Iraq Group.

Lawyers familiar with the investigation believe that at least part of the outcome likely hangs on the inner workings of what has been dubbed the White House Iraq Group. Formed in August 2002, the group, which included Messrs. Rove and Libby, worked on setting strategy for selling the war in Iraq to the public in the months leading up to the March 2003 invasion. The group likely would have played a significant role in responding to Mr. Wilson's claims.

This is truely significant. Hang on to your hats. This is going to be hell of a Halloween.

Oh, my, my, my....

This from The Huffington Post

The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg are working on stories that point to Vice President Dick Cheney as the target of special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's investigation into the leaking of CIA operative Valerie Plame's name.

Popcorn, anyone?

It's the Indictments, Stupid.

It's much fun to watch Delay, INC. try to squirm out of his indictment mess. Guilt or innocence is irrelevant in this case, as it will be in the Plame/CIA case. The indictment is everything, which is why Delay is fighting so hard to get his thrown out.

To discover the reason one only has to look at what the alternatives are AI (After Indictment). As far as I can see, there are two options and both seem to lead down the same rocky road.

Let's look at the Plame case AI options.

1. Hold a Big Public Messy (probably televised) Trial, with an endless stream of administration staff members and cronies marching to court to testify under oath...lugging along stacks of subpoenaed papers, emails and other odds and ends (no blue dresses, alas) for all to pour over and read...aloud. AND the testimony will tiptoe oh-so-close to fringes of the lies that led us into Iraq. Can we imagine a witness list? Powell, Rice, Hadley, Libby, Ari, Scotty, Card, etc. etc. etc.

All this broadcast over 24-hour cable news stations complete with play-by-play pundits and expert ex-lawyers looking to make a media name for themselves. Hell, I'd hire Clinton to do some sideline interviews.

In short, the administration's and GOP's WORST nightmare.

2. Cop a Plea. But I would imagine that, like any good prosecutor, Fitz won't be handing those out like cotton candy to expectant kids at a county fair. No. The pleas will be expensive for those who want one. They are going to have to cooperate and offer up bigger fish for frying. Standard Operating Procedure for any good mafia lawman.

IN short, the administration's and GOP's SECOND WORST nightmare.

That's why avoiding the indictments to begin with and fighting like hell to have them thrown out (like Delay) is all-important. That's also why the administration insiders who know the score are really, really, really, really, really, really, really, scared. They can't afford to go to trial and risk having their string of lies about Iraq exposed...and they can't cop a plea and turn in their Dear Leader(s).

Tough spot.

And, to make them feel just a bit more skittish, there's Joe Wilson's Civil Suit after the trial that will rob them of treasure and clean up any messes Fitz misses.

Sleep tight, wingnuts, and sweet dreams.

Bush's Brain

Thanks to Reddhead at firedoglake

Torturer In Chief

Well, it's official. The president will side with the nine Senators who voted against banning the use of torture as an interrogation tool on Iraqi prisoners. The News Telegraph has the story.

The Bush administration pledged yesterday to veto legislation banning the torture of prisoners by US troops after an overwhelming and almost unprecedented revolt by loyalist congressmen.

He will join the torturing senatorial cabal of:

Allard (R-CO)
Bond (R-MO)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Stevens (R-AK)

who were on the losing end of a 90-9 vote in opposing the bill. The bill still must pass the House, but knowing their history, I imagine they will keep the voting open for three days while they take wavering Republican members out back and practice some torturing techniques of their own until they get the votes to defeat it. However, the White House, has now taken a public, pro-torture stance.

Ah, yes. America the beautiful.

Indictment Watch

Lawrence O'Donnell has a piece at The Huffington Post. He's been right before.

If Karl Rove's lawyer, Bob Luskin, is still as easy to read as he has been since I broke the story that his client was Matt Cooper's source, then we now know that Rove has received a target letter from Patrick Fitzgerald. How do we know it? Luskin refuses to deny it.

<--snip-->


Prediction: at least three high level Bush Administration personnel indicted and possibly one or more very high level unindicted co-conspirators.

Here's something for while you wait:

Tilt A Whirl

A friend of mine, Chris Grabenstein, has just published his first book, Tilt A Whirl, and, according to the pre-release reviews, it's a hit. It's so new, I haven't read it yet, but he's a wonderful writer and big things are in the offing for his career and series.

Check it out.

What must they be thinking?

As I've watched the The Incredible Shrinking President over the past month or so, one thing has crept into my mind. "What must Poppy and Bar be thinking?"

After all, they've seen this chain of events occur over and over in the past 50 years with George, Jr. They bail him out of trouble, get some friends to fork over a job or some money and watch as he, once again, completely screws it all up. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Except, this time, it's in front of the entire world, and millions of people's lives are being ruined by little George's latest "in-over-his-head-adventure." It was never supposed to be this way. Jeb was the one. He was the smart one who would make a go of it, fix his father's mistakes and serve his mother's insatiable need for sterling achievement.

They must have known how it was all going to turn out. After all, everything W. has touched has turned to crap. Couldn't even serve out a couple of years flying planes over Dallas during the Vietnam War. Ran an oil business or two into the ground, lost an easy congressional election and finally found his nitch sitting in a ball park, drinkng beers, glad-handing the male fans and gladly-handling a few of the female ones. He swaggered through a couple of years ruining the state of Texas and now...the big time. He's out-done himself. He's brought the entire globe to the brink of military confrontation and economic collapse.

Yep. What must they be thinking? I only wish they had spoken up before all this happened and sent him to his room when he said he was "gonna run for prezdent."

Iraqis Change Constitution Rules

In a power grabbing attempt to jam the Iraqi Charter through the approval process, the Shia and Kurdish members of the Iraqi parliament have changed the requirements for passage.

Instead of the original two-thirds of the vote needed in three provinces to reject the constitution in the upcoming referendum, on Sunday the Kurds and Shia reps. changed the requirements for passage to read two-thirds of registered voters are needed for rejection...a much more difficult goal to achieve.

In essence, this move reduces the influence of the Sunis in the process.

However, the United Nations has condemned the Iraqi Charter change.

And on it goes, seemingly without end.

The Day the Music Died

Something has been missing in my life recently. I haven't been consciously aware of it, but there has been a pall...a mist hanging over my world and travels. I think I've figured out what it is.

There is no laughter, there is no joy...there is no music anymore. I don't mean in a fleeting, random moment here and there, but I mean in my social discourse and interaction with the people I meet. Where has it gone and how do we get it back?

I remember, not too long ago, when music and laughter was everywhere...in the subways, on the streets, in conversation. The default expression seemed to be a smile. There was hope in the air and people were actually looking forward to tomorrow.

All that seems so long ago and it all seems so gone.

Am I just personally depressed, or has there been a real shift in our national psyche? And, if so, has it been the result of a conscious effort?

I remember so clearly the absolute joy that I and, I think, the nation felt when Clinton was inaugurated and Fleetwood Mac's anthem was everywhere. It wasn't just the tune, but the message. Hope. Joy. Dancing. Where is it now?

I think it has to do with the GOP.

Think about it. Music appreciation is anathema to the present administration's sensibilities. Ashcroft, for example, has never danced, an idea I find unbelievable. I also can't see ANY of the administration kicking off the shoes and letting loose with some spontaneous joy. It seems so out of place, and I think their fear-ridden response to 9/11, their war, their economy, their corruption, their hate...has worn us all down and nobody seems to be in much of a mood to laugh.

Has it affected all of us? I think so, and I didn't think about it those terms until this morning, when I read a comment on the threads. Where is the music? Dancing? Laughter? Joy? Hope? It's gone, it seems and I, for one, can't wait to have it back.

++++++

I apologize for my hiatus. Haven't felt much like writing and now I think I know why.

Judith Miller's Talking

She has just come out of the courthouse and the main points:

- Waiver was personal, exclusive by her "source," Scooter Libby
- Talking to the source directly was important
- Testimony was sabout the one source only
- She claimed her stay in jail was "long"

Care to discuss it?

Absolut Corruption

Thanks to Maria at 2politicaljunkies.

At least they addressed the ethics problem...

Our friends at CREW (Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility):

...released a 93-page report entitled Beyond DeLay: The 13 Most Corrupt Members of Congress, documenting the egregious, unethical and possibly illegal activities of the most tainted Members of Congress. For the first time, CREW has compiled and analyzed all these members’ transgressions in tandem with the federal laws and congressional rules they may have violated.

CREW has also launched a new website, www.beyonddelay.org, which details the tainted thirteen’s violations and encourages visitors, through the website, to contact their member of Congress to ask for an investigation of these members.

The 13 members are:

-- Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO)

-- Rep. Randy Cunningham (R-CA)

-- Rep. Tom Feeney(R-FL)

-- Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA)

-- Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO)

-- Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH)

-- Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA)

-- Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ)

-- Rep. Charles Taylor (R-NC)

-- Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)

-- Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA)

-- Senator Bill Frist (R-TN)

The full press release can be read HERE.

I'm glad to know that Delay's replacement is number one on the list. I can sleep well at night knowing that The Culture of Corruption is alive and well in the Republican Party.

"It's about time."

Well. It’s official. Tom Delay has been indicted for something we have known all along. He is crooked. How the world has ignored this fact for as long as it has is a testament to the power of one-party rule and media intimidation. My response to this news is, “It’s about time.”

My response to the headlines that the SEC has opened a complete investigation of Bill Frist’s financial stock holdings and dealings is the very same, “It’s about time.” I repeat the mantra when I think of the impending indictment of Karl Rove and the criminality that is being exposed. Incompetence. Corruption. Cronyism. It’s all there and has been in full view. Yes. “It’s about time.”

It seems that BushCo and its Republican Party subsidiaries are crumbling under the weight of their pathological corruption. The only detail remaining to be seen is how far will it all go. How deep into the fabric of the congressional Republican power structure will the unraveling thread extend? Have they knitted sufficient firewalls to protect state and county GOP party machinery? I ask these questions because I, along with many other ePluribus Media members, have been investigating the extent of the Republican Media Complex for the past six months and have an understanding of how they weave the relationships of money and favors that is the fabric of their organization.

I was taught by an acting teacher long ago one of the great lessons. She told me that, “Your strength is your weakness.” At first I didn’t get it, but it became clear as I grew older and it’s the best piece of wisdom I have ever received. In my case, she meant that as an actor I would always play to my strengths and, as a result, not work on my weaknesses. In the short run, she argued, I may book a sitcom or soap or movie and make out quite well…for a while. But, without the skills to play other parts, where would I be when the public tired of my act? A great example of an actor who never let himself get pegged into one type of role is Dustin Hoffman. Think of how he challenged himself and grew as an actor, and, as a result, has had a long and prosperous career.

Now, what has Dustin Hoffman’s career got to do with the fall of the Republican Party? Nothing directly, but everything in the big picture.

You see, the biggest strength of the Republican Media Complex may also prove to be its biggest weakness. Those of us who have been looking have been forced to admire, in a perverse way, how integrated the RMC has become. It’s the main reason they have been so effective. The central control of money and message has been their strong suit and has led to this Republican age. It certainly hasn’t been their policies and platform. Those have been on the losing side for decades, but by building interconnected and interdependent money and power relationships throughout the country, they have managed to craft an astoundingly consistent, well financed and winning organization.

For example. All money travels through the Abramoff-Delay, pay-to-play wing of the Republican Party. We discovered how the message, even in local races, is dictated from Karl Rove’s office. The media distribution, too, is controlled centrally. How many times have we seen talking points emerge from the White House, then distributed to Rush and Sean for afternoon delivery and finally to O’Riley for nighttime repetition only to have it appear in the MSM the next day. This is not done by accident. This is how they do things. Top down, centrally controlled and funded, with favors and return favors being the yarn that holds it all together. That is their strength.

BUT, as my acting teacher taught me…IT’S ALSO THEIR WEAKNESS. And now comes the fun part. Hopefully with the aid of some good prosecutors and investigators, we will get to watch that great big sweater of interconnected favoritism all come apart…because they knitted it for strength, never noticing that they were also building their weakness.

You see, they knitted their sweater with few, long single threads instead of many short ones. As a result, all it will take is for one of them to break for it all to become one pile of yarn.

Personally, I intend to grab my popcorn and watch, as their once overpowering strength becomes their undoing weakness.

“It’s about time.”

A New Design

Design isn't content...but I've been working on the canvas today. The photo that is the header was taken in 1982 at Auke Bay, Alaska. One of my favorite photos. I was driving by and there it was. It's in color...that's what the light was like at that moment in time.

I hope to bring you words and news of some of the never ending moments of time that happen to pass by my way. I hope you all participate because this blog is part of a community of blogs...from k/o: politics & culture to The Duke Baskeball Report.

Community. Talking to each other via this tool called the web. Leave your mark. Read and comment. That's what this fleeting moment is all about.

Barbara & Leslie

Barbara and Leslie have returned from the Gulf Coast where they have been "doing it." Helping to relieve and reporting on the devistation left behind from Katrina and Rita. Barbara's latest report is here and Leslie's photo journalism shines here.

Thank you to them both. A sample below.


photo: Leslie Spurlock

This and That

By way of Kid Oakland, my favorite blogger, comes this interesting post by Ripley at The Zen Cabin. He has unearthed some an interesting BYU connection within the Bush Administration that bears watching.

My feelings about this war have been complex and altogether twisting in the wind. After all, this is an extremely difficult predicament Bush has engineered. Billmon has articulated better than I my feelings with his incredible, Heart of Darkness. Required reading on this September 24, 2005.

XicanoPwr has been doing some award winning blogging on Hurricane Rita at ePluribus Media. His commentary, Inside Hurricane Rita is great stuff.

Finally, my song-writing partner, UNCMark, and I have written a new tune titled, Two Tales of America. I'll have a version up soon. It's the main reason for my hiatus.

Taking a Break...

I'll be back on Saturday.

Condi. Can I be excused?

Reuters - Wed Sep 14, 4:39 PM ET

U.S. President George W. Bush writes a note to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during a Security Council meeting at the 2005 World Summit and 60th General Assembly of the United Nations in New York September 14, 2005. World leaders are exploring ways to revitalize the United Nations at a summit on Wednesday but their blueprint falls short of Secretary-General Kofi Annan's vision of freedom from want, persecution and war. REUTERS/Rick Wilking

A List

Electronic things I don't know how I ever did without:

- A scroll mouse
- Tab browsing
- HBO on Demand
- iTunes
- Blogging
- On-line banking
- High speed internet
- HTML basics

I'm sure there are others. Care to add to this frivolous post?

It's Official. The Man Hasn't a Clue.

This is truely unbelievable. The President of the United States was informed by the press that his FEMA director had resigned.

Go HERE for video of this remarkable scene.

Here's the kicker. The White House released the name of the new FEMA director, R. David "Duct Tape" Paulison, minutes after Brown's resignation. If it's true that Bush didn't know this until the press told him, the question begs, "Who made the decision about Paulison?"

Have the wheels fallen off here? Who is running the country?

1,461 Days

It has been 1,461 days since Osama bin Laden orchestrated the September 11, 2001 attack on America. He is still at large. America has spent over $200 Billion dollars and lost almost 2000 American lives and ruined over 20,000 others through injury removing the leader of Iraq who had nothing to do with the attack. We have also killed over 100,000 Iraqis in the process.

My 9/11 message?

WAKE UP, AMERICA.

Kid Oakland's "Nine Eleven"

I thought of writing a reflection of 9/11, but before I did, I went to Kid Oakland's blog and caught his take, and decided to point you all to his site. To give you a taste...

New York to New Orleans. East Coast to Gulf Coast. Hope and loss. Love and hate and fear. There is no safe place. No matter how straight the rows they make on the Mall...in their ticketed-only, anti-American, Pentagon-sponsered public event:

You can't make a straight line out of sorrow and grief.

Read the entire entry. It's worth the trip.

Runs In The Family

Four Years Later

What have we to show for our "War on Terror?"

Four years after the collapse of the towers, evil is still with us and so is terrorism. Terrorists have staged spectacular attacks, killing thousands, in Tunisia, Bali, Mombasa, Riyadh, Istanbul, Casablanca, Jakarta, Madrid, Sharm el Sheik and London, to name only the best known. Last year, they mounted 651 "significant terrorist attacks," triple the year before and the highest since the State Department started gathering figures two decades ago. One hundred ninety-eight of these came in Iraq, Bush's "central front of the war on terror" - nine times the year before. And this does not include the hundreds of attacks on U.S. troops. It is in Iraq, which was to serve as the first step in the "democratization of the Middle East," that insurgents have taken terrorism to a new level, killing well over 4,000 people since April in Baghdad alone; in May, Iraq suffered 90 suicide-bombings. Perhaps the "shining example of democracy" that the administration promised will someday come, but for now Iraq has become a grotesque advertisement for the power and efficacy of terror.

NY Times chimes in...Rove afraid of Blacks

With a nod to The Huffington Post...

But the political pressures on Mr. Bush, and the anxiety at the White House, were only growing. Behind the president's public embrace of Mr. Brown was the realization within the administration that the director's ignorance about the evacuees had further inflamed the rage of the storm's poor, black victims and created an impression of a White House that did not care about their lives.

One prominent African-American supporter of Mr. Bush who is close to Karl Rove, the White House political chief, said the president did not go into the heart of New Orleans and meet with black victims on his first trip there, last Friday, because he knew that White House officials were "scared to death" of the reaction.

"If I'm Karl, do I want the visual of black people hollering at the president as if we're living in Rwanda?" said the supporter, who spoke only anonymously because he did not want to antagonize Mr. Rove.

Steve Gilliard

Man, he nails it with Cards on the Table. Tough to pick a money quote. I'll go with two:

...and it took a week for Bush to respond, while his wife called the greatest natural disaster in American history Corrina. Yeah, I bet you get Xanax and Merlot right. You don't call it Zantrax.

You know, the funny thing about Grover Norquist and his friends is that while they wanted to drown government (speaking of invisible people as of late), they never worked in it. They thought all you needed was a lot of guns.

Oddly enough, there are people behind those guns and they can save lives. If they have the leadership and the resources. Which, quite obviously, they didn't have. Bush and his cronies saw protecting America as a macho activiity, lock up the brown people and hunt them overseas. The fact that there's more to it than that didn't cross their minds.

Until thousands are dead.

Let No Tragedy Go Unexploited

The president has signed an executive order that allows contractors who rebuild New Orleans pay less than prevailing wages to their workers. This comes at a time when those workers need an honest wage to get back on their feet. CNN article here.

There's really no need to ask yourself who benefits. This action came after the vice-president's trip to the area to see first hand how Halliburton can bilk the American people out of more money. He obviously found what he went there to find.

Red States Sing the Blues

Be careful what you vote for, you just might get it.

In the aftermath of Katrina, let's rattle off some of the pressing needs of the victims of the storm.

-    Shelter
-    Food
-    Clothing
-    Employment
-    Transportation
-    Training
-    Money
-    Medical care
-    Education
-    Hope

The need is staggering. Where do we look for help?  Few institutions are large enough to coordinate and supply comfort and support to so many people. In fact, the federal government stands alone in that respect. So America looks to Uncle Sam for answers in times of such tragedy and during the past week, we watched in horror as our Uncle failed miserably. The reason for today's feeling of national shame is that our government not only failed, but it seemed lost, inept with no idea about what to do or where to turn. We are disappointed, frustrated and outraged.

But are we being fair? After all, we have been responsible for selecting our leaders and administrations. We elected George Bush and the Republican congressional majority. And they have pretty much delivered what they promised, if one took the time to pay attention. Their aversion to the government organizations that supply all of the above needs has been quite clear. They have proposed or succeeded in cutting or eliminating the programs or departments that offer:

-    Shelter
-    Food
-    Clothing
-    Employment
-    Transportation
-    Training
-    Money
-    Medical care
-    Education
-    Hope

I don't recall hearing any Republican in the past three cycles talk about increasing the funding to answer any of these needs. Quite the contrary. They have made no secret of their desire to unravel the New Deal, which was created to answer the above needs...needs which stemmed from an earlier national tragedy, The Great Depression. In fact, Republican policy is a blueprint for returning to the gilded age of robber barons and unregulated business practices that led to that economic disaster. They promised, "to drown the federal government in the bathtub" and they have pretty much delivered.

So are we being fair with our outrage? For those Republican purists, and there are some, there is no outrage, no surprise or no disappointment. I have heard and read statements that have reveled in the tragedy as an opportunity to cleanse the population, rid the south of sin and blame the victims who got what they had coming.

Fortunately, they are not the majority. Most are appalled and they can't understand why their beloved, moral leader would wait so long to respond. These voters are the metaphorical Kansans to whom Thomas Frank refers in his book, "What's the Matter with Kansas?" During the election they were fed a constant barrage of irrelevant culture issues, which masked the inhumanity of the underlying truth about the Republican agenda. They were warned about the dangers of gay marriage and over-the-counter birth control, but they weren't told about the small print details in the bankruptcy bill. They were distracted by the left hand thumping the Bible, while the right hand was picking their pockets, cutting their pension and sending their sons and daughters off to war. And, now, the final insult...America can't or won't act to save the lives of Americans. I wonder, if given the choice now of saving 10,000 lives in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and allowing two men to marry in Massachusetts, which one they would select. My better part would think the latter.

The reality is, those victims of the storm in the Red States and others watching from afar who asked with their ballots for this kind of government, have gotten exactly what they voted for. I'm hoping the next time, they'll pay a little more attention.

Since the Government won't help, will you?

If we had a real President

This is apost by Stirling Newberry at Dailykos.com. I'm reprinting it here because we need to hear the speech we'll never get.

My fellow Americans, it has never been my policy to lie to you, neither to exagerate the dangers we face, nor to minimize the challenges that lay before us. Two days ago, with almost biblical force, the Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, including Mississippi and Lousiana. The damage was no less than what a war would have caused - a millon are left homeless, and millions without power and the other sinews of modern life.

As importantly the oil wells and refineries are out of commission. The port of New Orleans, vital for bringing goods in and out of the United States, is out of commission. This is a disaster which has hit in one place, but which reaches out to the rest of the nation, and indeed the world.

In the wake of September 11th, Americans pulled together to face the crisis, and willingly set their personal interests aside to meet the dangers we faced then. I am going to ask them to do the same now, so that a temporary disruption does not grow out of proportion. I ask all Americans to act out of restraint and be mindful of what they use, so that there will be enough to support the vital reconstruction effort that we are about to embark upon.

Therefore, I am taking the following steps immediately, and will follow with others shortly.

I am requesting to the Speaker of the House, and the President pro tem of the Senate to call Congress back into session, in that they may be able to pass such measures as are necessary and proper to meet the crisis.

I am requesting that congress appropriate a sum of money for federal transporation projects, to be paid for by a 5% across the board cut on all transportation projects in the recent transportation bill. This money to be released immediately to pay for the restoration of transport in the Gulf.

I am asking Congress to pass an adendum to the bankruptcy bill, delaying by 6 months the effective date for those federal districts hit by Katrina, for both personal and corporate bankruptcies.

I am requesting that Congress restore funding to both flood control and the Army Corps of Engineers, to be paid for by a 1% sur-tax on incomes over 250,000 in the next fiscal year.

Every city in America belongs to all Americans, I promise, here, that we will rebuild, not only historic and famous cities, but each and every city that has been touched by this disaster. I am requesting that the governors of the states affected submit to the Department of Homeland Security budgets for that reconstruction, to be included in the budget that I will next submit to Congress, or, if urgent, in a supplemental request.

I am ordering the Department of Justice to coordinate with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to set up temporary federal courts near the disaster area with all due haste, and will, within 15 days, submit to Congress a list of temporary jurisdictions to be created for the duration of the emergency.

I am requesting that all interstate highways be placed on strict speed limit enforcement, and that where practicable, state legislatures consider lowering the speed limit for the duration of the shortage by 5 mph, to save gasoline. I hope that every state will do this voluntarily, in the spirit of unity that this crisis should inspire.

I am ordering the defense department to end the call ups of reservists, and instead activating all medical and law enforcement units available to be sent rescue and restore order. I am authorizing the activation of the IRR to relieve personnel who are qualified for these duties, and ordering other agencies to make administrative personnel available to the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense to free up personnel who are so qualified.

I am directing the Departments of Energy and Commerce to begin strict enforcement of anti-gouging measures on oil. If need be there will be a rationing system put into effect, but we would hope that Americans, in the spirit of patriotic restraint, will make this unnecessary.

I have formed a disaster group at the cabinet level, to be headed by the Secretary of Homeland Security, to coordinate the response.

I am placing the effected counties of Louisiana and Mississippi under martial law. And, as is constitutional, suspending writs of habeus corpus where the courts are not open. I am ordering every federal agency with law enforcement capabilities to place at the disposal of the Home office personnel to be allocated to the disaster area, or relieve those who can be sent to that area. I am ordering that all courts and financial institutions be secured from looting or other forms of vandalism.

I am placing a freeze on all federal wage increases, and having the salaries of all officials who work in the White House, including myself, to have 20% held back to contribute to the costs. It is a small gesture, but at a time when Americans are generously opening their wallets and giving to such organizations as the American Red Cross, we can do no less.

I am ordering a review of all federal construction, with non-urgent projects to be delayed, in order to make available more resources for the reconstruction effort.

I am ordering that centers be established to house those afflicted, and that military bases make available to the Secretary of Homeland Security a list of beds and other units available for sheltering the homeless.

I am ordering that all federal agencies make available to the Secretary of Homeland Security generators and other equipment that can be used to restore power to medical facilities and other vital services.

I am requesting that the secretary of energy procure ethanol for mixing with gasoline, and making ethanol considered to be compliant fuel in all markets.

I am suspending all military maneuvers not related to on going operations authorized by congress.

I am ordering the Secertary of Transportation to make available on the Eisenhower Interstate System open trucking lanes which will be used to expedite the movement of goods to the afflicted areas.

I am requesting that the EPA and Department of Interior make available their environmental engineers to the afflicted areas to begin the clean up and containment of toxic waste and other hazardous materials.

I am suspending interest on all debts due the Federal government in the afflicted areas for the next 30 days, and delaying any declaration of default for the same period.

Other nations have graciously offered to help us, and I am ordering the Department of State to take all such requests, and streamline any paperwork that the Department of Homeland Security feels would be of value. I am ordering that we recompense those who come to help us fully and fairly, so that that aid may be available to other nations less prosperous than we are.

These measures are temporary, and will last only as long as there is disruption from the storm. Additional steps may be needed to meet this emergency. America is bound together by history and by the bonds of commerce. We will meet the challenge, we will rebuild and restore what was destroyed. We will also mourn those lost, and grieve with every family. And so in closing I am declaring that this Labor Day Monday will be a day of fasting and prayer, in rememberence of those departed, and thankfulness for the bounty of our nation that will allow us to overcome these trials, and emerge stronger than before.

This I promise, so help me God, that we shall spare no effort to save the living, to respect the dead, to bring life to this region, and to spread the sacrifice.

Let us take a moment, and pray for the safety of those who now struggle for life, and for the courage of those who now, as the arm of our great nation, reach out to rescue them. With them go our prayers, our support, and the light that America brings to the darkness.

Thank you, my fellow Americans, for your time, your aid and your understanding.

Compassionate Conservatism

The Gathering Storm

Over the past few days, all eyes have been on the Gulf of Mexico as the elements have come to together to create a dreadfully perfect storm.  As I write, Katrina is lurking ominously off shore and forecasters are using adjectives like catastrophic and calamitous to describe the events soon to take place at the beautiful beach communities that line the Gulf Coast.

Recently, I have been sensing the brewing of another perfect storm, where elements of economics and politics converge to create electoral winds strong enough to wreak catastrophic damage upon the shoreline of the political establishment.  Early warning signs have been the poll numbers for the president and congress that have fallen like temperatures from an oncoming Canadian high-pressure system in October.  This initial discontent lays the groundwork upon which the economic realities America will soon face will play out.   The early warning signals should have the administration worried.  The early warning signals should have the Republican congress worried. I'm certain they do, but is there anything they can do to avoid the damage of this category five social storm that is about to hit?

What is the storm of which I speak?  To begin with, the American public is finally waking up to unavoidable reality, and what a harsh awakening it is and will continue to be for quite some time.  Let's take a look at the gathering economic and political perfect storm that is brewing on the horizon that, eventually, may make the public wish they were still sound asleep.  But they won't be asleep; they will be very angry and borderline desperate.

The Iraqi War

Cindy Sheehan has burst the Iraqi bubble, which had been inflated and held aloft for so long by an obfuscating administration and its allies. She has asked a question so simple and clear, and it's a question for which the war makers and apologists have no compelling answer.  "What is the noble cause...?" After the president has offered so many ever-changing answers to that question for the past two years, this is the political equivalent to the little boy finally exclaiming that the emperor has no clothes.  And there stands the president, naked, stripped of all his fabrications and America doesn't like what it sees.

The public is finally sensing that this expensive and increasingly unjustifiable situation is a mistake we should have avoided.  To add to the frustration and anger, they also sense that there is no easy solution to the mistake.  It's going to cost more of everything we have already spent: Lives, money, credibility, safety and confidence.

Energy

Rising fuel prices have created the equivalent of a tax increase for American families far greater than any threatened Democratic induced tax hike imagined by the Republicans during last year's election cycle.  The irony is that the administration has taken pains to point out their corporate and energy experience as strong reasons for our trust in their leadership.

Another splash of cold reality; gas prices will never be this low again.

Act two of this play: home heating oil prices should make an entrance just as the perfect storm is picking up strength this winter.

The October Surprise

As has been reported, another aspect of the great awakening will arrive in mailboxes this November in the form of credit card bills.  Many families are already economically so stretched to the snapping point by gas prices and rising healthcare costs that they have been minimally surviving by remitting minimum payments.  Come November, those payments will double as part of rule changes allowed by congress.  If that's the forehand slap to the face, the backhand follow up is the bankruptcy bill, which makes it more difficult for families to find a way out from under massive debt.   This bill "conveniently" takes effect just weeks after the credit card minimum payment rule changes.

Real Estate

Recently, the economy has ridden along on the backs of a public who has cashed in on the increasing value of their homes.  Second mortgages, home equity loans, interest only schemes have all been handed out like cotton candy at a county fair.  But with pressure from the energy and debt sectors, this source is about to dry up.  It's not a question of when, but how.  The real estate bubble may slowly deflate or burst like a balloon jarring all within earshot.  The point being, it cannot be sustained, and the final source of income for many families will evaporate at a time when wages from their jobs are dropping in real world value.

Christmas

It is well known that consumer spending has been the economy's engine.  Christmas is historically the largest orgasm of consumer spending during the year. It's not a large leap to see that 2005's holiday season has the potential to be especially bleak.  With less money to spend because of gas/heating oil prices, the reduced ability to pay credit card expenses and Iraqi War doubt,  January's economic chill may match the outdoor temperature.

Jobs and Inflation

With all these pieces in place, businesses will be left with no other choice than to raise prices to cover rising fuel expenses and slower sales. As a result, the cycle of inflation may take hold quicker than Mr. Greenspan's interest rate hikes can be implemented.  With rising production costs and poor sales, companies will begin to cut labor costs, a euphemism for firing people.

_

Under normal circumstances, there may be ways to mitigate or avoid some of these problems, but this is where the political element gives the storm strength.  The lawmakers presently in charge do not react to real problems with real solutions.  It has been their history, a history that has led us to this point, to ignore a problem's solution. They, rather, embrace a problem as an opportunity for political gain.  Therefore, none of the foundation for real solutions has been laid to counteract these hurricane force economic winds that are about to hit.

I'm no economist or political scientist, but I know that I'm seeing clouds forming on the horizon, and am not at all happy about how we, as a nation, have prepared.

I know I have painted a gloomy picture, but it's one that, I feel, reflects the world America will face very soon.  This is going to lead to massive political unrest in this country.  The natives will be looking to throw the bums out as quickly as they can.

This is seemingly good news for the Democrats, who can point to the fact that all this has happened on the Republican's watch, but they should avoid the temptation to gloat.  You see the Republican agenda couldn't have gotten as far along as it has without Democratic help.

There was and remains wide spread support among Democrats in congress for the war.  If the party's leaders refuse to review their position on this issue, events will quickly overtake them and they will find it difficult to gain traction.  A desperate population doesn't have the patience to split hairs and parse sentences.  You were either for it or against it.

In terms of energy policy, many Democrats were among those who lined up at the troth earlier this summer to pass the pork slop filled energy bill, thereby missing an opportunity to address the public's real concerns about gas prices and alternative fuel sources.

The bankruptcy bill passed with support from Democrats.  16 Democratic senators voted for the bill.  For many, that is going to be unforgivable.

In short, for an opposition party to survive the impending political and economic storm it must oppose the majority...in all ways.  It won't be enough to pick and choose their issues and appease here and there.  In order to be effective in the raging storm, the Democrats need to review and overhaul their role in the process that created the storm, or risk being swept overboard by the tidal wave of backlash that is certain to come.

The Crawford Series

I've had requests to create a full version of my five stories from Crawford concerning Camp Casey. I've responded by putting them into a PDF file that you can open and save to your desktop for printing or emailing.

Click here for The Crawford Series

If you can, please donate to ePluribus Media so that we may continue to bring you stories from the scene.

Many Thanks

Celeste and Cindy and The Media

Part Five and the final in a Series of columns:
Part One:    They Came to Crawford.
Part Two:   Camp Casey and Casey Kelley
Part Three: The President & The Minister
Part Four: Mothers & daughters & Sisters

Celeste & Cindy

"I hope I helped this situation," said a tired but determined Celeste Zappala as she stood in the unrelenting Crawford sun one afternoon last week.

"I feel like a sort of vessel," she said. "The Lord fills us with life-affirming righteousness, and to this moment in time and place is when and where all my life's experiences have brought me. If I can be a gentle voice, and help change people's hearts, then I know I'm supposed to be here.

"I have to leave tonight and go back to work," she said, "but I'm going to return to Camp Casey. My son, Dante, is going to stay." She turned me around and introduced me to a tall dark-haired young man with gentle eyes. "He'll be here to help."

Zappala's oldest son and Dante's brother, Army Sgt. Sherwood Baker, was killed in Baghdad on April 26 2004. His mission that day was to guard a survey team that was searching for weapons of mass destruction. Later, when those weapons were found to be nonexistent, Sherwood's mother was moved to join with Cindy and Pat Sheehan, Bill Mitchell, Lila Lipscomb, Jane and Jim Bright, Sue Niederer and Dede Miller, who had all lost family members on the mean streets of Iraq, and together, they founded the Gold Star Families for Peace, an organization dedicated to ending the war in Iraq and bringing the troops home.

I had contacted her three weeks earlier in search of an interview. We've developed a back-and-forth email relationship since then, and this was my first opportunity to meet her face to face. After I initially approached her and identified myself, she immediately gave me a warm hug through which she displayed her easy affection while at the same time, she leaned on me for a bit for support.

"Tired?" I whispered.

She released from the hug, looked me in the eyes and sighed, "Oh, my, yes. But I'm holding up. This is too important."

I'd been watching Zappala and Cindy Sheehan since my arrival earlier in the day (see Part One:They Came to Crawford).  They weren't easy to miss. Sheehan moved around Camp Casey, surrounded by a cluster of men and women with cameras, microphones and notepads, each begging for a private moment with the woman of the hour.  Zappala, too, had her entourage, more manageable in number.  When the two women took a moment to stand together in order to share information or to find and give support, the marriage of their flocks led to gaggle members standing two or three deep, shouting questions, asking for photos, or simply standing in the back taking notes.

Cindy Sheehan and Celeste Zappala

"As the days go by, Cindy, do you think you're getting closer or farther away from your meeting with the president?" a voice rang out above the others.

"Farther," Sheehan replied. "If he had met with me the first day, none of this would have happened." Cameras whirred and pencils scratched at notepads.

"Do you think all the media attention has helped or hurt your cause?" came another question.

Cindy smiled calmly. "It's certainly helped. We had 700 people here yesterday and we are expecting over 1000 this weekend."

"Some ask, 'Why do you want another meeting with the president?' Wasn't the first one enough?" another question came, cutting through the din.

"Look," she said. "A lot has changed since that meeting. The Downing Street Memo, no WMD were found, no links between 9/11 and Saddam. I want to know the noble cause the president spoke of last week," She paused to gather her thoughts.

"The president works for us," she said at last. "He owes us a simple answer to that question. To the grieving mothers. To the 62% of the American public who are having doubts about the war."

"What was your first reaction to seeing the president drive by so close to you and not stop?" asked a young man in the front row without looking up from his pad.

Cindy waited until he looked up before responding, and then said directly, "I think if he was really in one of those cars, it was good for him to see real people who disagree with him.  He never sees that. He's always surrounded by people who are afraid to disagree with him."

She cleared her throat and said, "Excuse me. I've been talking since Saturday."

After a moment, she continued. "If the president can find time to speak with donors, why can't he find the time to speak with me? Maybe if I had a bunch of money to give him, he would have stopped."

This scene was repeated again and again that afternoon as new media members arrived and took the place of those who had gotten their footage, interview or sound bite and left.

It was near the end of that long afternoon of impromptu press conferences, interviews and meetings that I chose to reveal my name to Celeste and her son, Dante.

"This is the event we have all been waiting for," Celeste said putting her arm around her son. "The Gold Star Families are the leaders. We are asking the question everyone wants answered," she said, meaning Cindy's "noble cause" question. Then she stopped, smiled and exhaled a long, deep sigh. "I'm so tired," she whispered.

I took this as a cue that her interview time for the day was over. I introduced my wife, Peg, and Ben, our dog, to the Zappalas, extended my thanks and walked back up the road toward our car.

The Media

As we walked, I was struck with how things had changed. How protests had changed.  How the media had changed. The story of Camp Casey is quite simple: A grieving mother is asking the president why her son was killed, and she's addressing that question to the president through the Cyclops eye of the TV camera. That simple and quite human question is then broadcast instantaneously to the hungry world of international cable news and high-speed internet. I myself, earlier in the day had been reporting live on the internet from Camp Casey via a wireless cell card installed in my laptop computer.

I remembered the Vietnam protests where numbers mattered more than the simplicity of the message. The war seemed senseless to many for a long time, but it wasn't until hundreds of thousands of people came together to supply the nightly news with pictures of endless crowds of protesters lining both sides of the mall in Washington or campus quadrangles that the issue got carried into the mainstream.

Violence had to have erupted, campus buildings had to be held hostage, hundreds had to be arrested and, finally, protesting students had to be shot and killed on the rolling green grass of Kent State University in Ohio in order for the message to be personalized and heard. Then, and only then, did the mind of America begin to turn, and the support for the war eroded.  I remembered the photo of the helicopter on the roof of an out-building at the embassy compound in Saigon, overloaded for the final flight out, a pictorial representation of a war fought and abandoned.

Are we headed to a similar fate in Iraq? I have no idea.  But, if so, it may very well have begun not with massive protests or burning cars in the streets of Chicago, but with the globally beamed image of a single, grieving woman with a question sitting in a folding chair in a lonely ditch along a back road in Crawford, Texas.

My wife and I were silent as we drove back down Prairie Chapel Road. We rode back past the Broken Spike ranch where the president had attended his fundraiser, past the red brick church, past the monument to the Ten Commandments outside the Yellow Rose souvenir shop, past the Crawford Peace House, on to state road 6, back to Waco with its familiar world of Interstate exits and shopping malls, and back to our lives with our family and friends.

Ms. Sheehan, no doubt, will continue on her life's path, but no matter how well-known her face and popular her cause becomes, she will never be able to have the one thing she desperately desires: to be able, once again, to look into the eyes of her oldest son.

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Special Contributions from the following ePluribus Media members:
SusanG, Peg Keeler (bedarra), Standingup, Cho, Timroff