The issue is apprently not dead. The backlash to Monday's announcement that Bush would rescind protective tariffs for the US steel industry was immediate, and now the White House seems to be backpedaling.
2:04:41 PM
Diebold blinks, retreats
Diebold is facing threats on two fronts as free-speech advocates pursue monetary damages against it and a presidential candidate urges a congressional inquiry into the company.
A major supplier of touch-screen voting machines has agreed not to sue activists and others who posted leaked documents on the Internet about alleged security shortcomings surrounding electronic voting.
Diebold made the promise in a conference call Monday with a federal judge and attorneys from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a group concerned about civil liberties in digital technology.
9:11:00 AM
Liberal talk radio
A Democratic investment group planning to start a liberal radio network to counterbalance conservative radio hosts like Rush Limbaugh says it is close to buying radio stations in five major cities.
Executives with the newly formed company, Progress Media, said late last week that if all went as planned they would have the network running by early spring, in time to be part of the public dialogue during the presidential campaign season.
He said Progress Media was pursuing a deal to give the comedian Al Franken a daily talk show.
9:08:39 AM
Iraq. The U.N. is no solution
Should the United Nations replace the U.S. in Iraq? Could this be a solution to the increasingly untenable situation the Bushies have gotten us into?
No. First off, this ignores the damage the Bush Administration has done in Iraq. Well golly yes it is a mess there, but I'm sure the U.N. will make everything better, goes the reasoning, yet this view brushes off responsibility the U.S. has, and should be accountable for.
Second, an United Nations occupying army is still an occupying army. People in Iraq will still resist it. To say this would somehow be better because U.S. troops wouldn't be getting killed, is to ignore that troops of other countries would be getting killed.
Third, U.N. forces in Iraq would run the country. This is no better than the current situation where the U.S. runs the country. Iraqis should run their country without interference from any outside power.
Fourth, believing an U.N. force in Iraq would be free of U.S. control is naive. The U.S. under Bush will not permit any one else to control Iraq and will veto any attempts to do so.
Replacing one occupying army with another army in Iraq solves nothing. And endorsing such an idea is supporting war and occupation.
12:13:26 AM
From Baghdad Burning
The most amusing thing about <George Bush's visit to Iraq> visit was watching Chalabi and Talabani jumping up and down at the airport, cheering and clapping as Bush made the rounds. Muwafaq Al-Rubai'i, also a member of the Governing Council, was just embarrassing- he was standing on tiptoe and clapping like a 5-year-old watching a circus clown.
Later, he gushed about how happy the Iraqis were and how delighted the whole country was going to be, like he would know, almost as inaccessible to Iraqis as Bush himself is.
12:11:22 AM
Show us the bodies
US military officals raised their death count from a skirmish in Samarra from 46 to 54.
The BBC is reporting Iraqis are disputing this figure, stating that at maximum 8 or 9 civilians were killed.
There was a time when business leaders were respected
The Boeing Company, its reputation tarnished by charges of ethical misconduct and its share of the aircraft market falling, said yesterday that its chief executive, Philip M. Condit, had resigned.
12:03:00 AM
Worthy of respect. Joey Ramone Place is now official!
The mood was both sombre and festive as hundreds of people gathered Sunday afternoon on the corner of Bowery and Second Street in New York, where the corner was officially renamed Joey Ramone Place in honour of the deceased lead singer of revered punk band the Ramones.
Newsom camp busted trying to manufacture Green Party protest against Al Gore
With just nine days before voters cast their vote for mayor, Gavin Newsom has found himself once again in the middle of a huge political storm. And once again, it’s a result of unethical campaigning manufactured by his very own campaign.
A November 26 email calling on Green Party members to protest Al Gore’s visit on December 2 – a Newsom campaign event – has been traced back to the Newsom campaign. Democratic and Green Party leaders sharply criticized Newsom for the latest dirty tricks scandal.
The Newsom campaign used a free Web-mail provider for anonymity, not realizing that the Web-mail provider recorded the Internet address. The address recorded – 216.100.140.9 – belongs to “GavinNewsomFor”
Was this sleazy dimbulb really the best candidate the Democratic Party could run in San Francisco?
Joel Hyatt, founder of the Hyatt Legal Services chain of storefront legal clinics and a onetime candidate for the Senate from Ohio, is backing former Vice President Al Gore's bid to start a new youth-oriented cable network to counter the influence of Fox News. Mark Walsh, a former AOL executive who served as chief technology advisor to the Democratic National Committee, has purchased a radio network from two Chicago venture capitalists with hopes of launching an alternative to conservative talk radio.
John Podesta, the former chief of staff in Clinton's White House, has raised $13 million for a new left-wing think tank, the Center for American Progress. And Norman Lear, the pioneer of liberal television shows like "All in the Family," is corralling Hollywood into a $27-million effort to get out the youth vote.
Get the popcorn and the flak jackets, Campaign 2004 is going to be exciting, thunderous, vicious, and the political equivalent of war. On second thought, screw the popcorn. This is no time to be on the sidelines. The stakes are too high for that. Jump in and get involved. Bush must be stopped.
And here are some of the major players who plan to do just that.
Leftie soft money PACs
Cash raised by soft money PACs can be used for attack ads, for ads about issues, but not ads favoring a specific Presidential candidate. This list, from an article in the Hartford Courant, also lists right-wing soft money PACs. I added links when I could find them.
Predictably, the Right is whining about how the horrid Left is using tainted soft money - when of course the Right has been doing precisely the same for years. Apparently attack ads are only ok when done by them.
Founders include Ellen Malcolm, president of EMILY's List, Steve Rosenthal, head of the Partnership for America's Families and former AFL-CIO political director, Andy Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union, Carl Pope, Sierra Club executive director.
GOAL: To raise more than $75 million for a voter registration and get-out-the-vote effort focused on defeating President Bush in 17 states.
This is the big one. Soros has donated 10 million; Ellen Malcolm, 20 million. It is assumed they will give more, and ACT may well raise far more than 75 million.
Members include AFL-CIO, ACORN, AFSCME, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, America Coming Together, EMILY's List, League of Conservation Voters, MoveOn.org., NAACP National Voter Fund, NARAL Pro-Choice America, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Service Employees International Union, Sierra Club.
GOAL: To coordinate get-out-the-vote and other election activities.
An impressive coalition of some major players, some of whom are also in ACT.
President Bush is expected to announce this week that he will immediately lift most of the tariffs he placed on foreign steel in an effort to protect American industry.
Actually it was an attempt to get votes in steel mill areas. An attempt which just backfired rather badly.
"I looked out the front window of the house where I live, next door to the church, and there they were--all 75 of them, standing yards away from my front door, in the street right in front of my house and our church, shouting and screaming to the top of their lungs, 'Kill! Kill! Kill!'
Their commanders had planted them there and were egging them on."
Rev. John Dear, a Jesuit priest and peace activist, describes an encounter with his local National Guard unit.
Winner Konrad Adenauer served from 1949 to 1963 and helped re-establish German democracy after the Nazi era. Reformation Monk Martin Luther came second, with communist philosopher Karl Marx third.
(Interestingly, formerly communist East Germany voted Marx #1.)
Adenauer certainly altered Germany. However, Martin Luther and Karl Marx altered the planet.
It is a common misconception to say Marx was a philosopher. He was also an organizer, activist, and did way more than sit home and write manifestos. Marx was out there in the tumult practicing what he preached, and got expelled from several countries for doing so - something which appeared to faze him not at all.
Understanding Marxism, I think, helps understand world events, as the ideas in the Communist Manifesto are still in play today. Internationalism. Self-determination. Equality. Women's rights. Opposition to racism and homophobia. Such ideas have been in the sectarian Left for 150 years now. These ideas resonate with people. That's why they spread. Not because some evil commie is out there subverting the populace, but because the populace, at least in part, finds the ideas have merit.
In virtually all countries but the U.S., Marxist thought is accepted and is at least somewhat mainstream. Many European parliaments have Communist and Socialist members. It's just not a big deal. Like, oh you mean Socialists organize for social change. Wow, tell me something I don't already know.
It's only in the U.S. where rigidity against Marxism is so pronounced it becomes almost comical. Why is this?
As you might have guessed, I've been exploring these ideas, and, in fact, will attend a socialism conference in NYC next weekend. Hey, we already have public roads, public schools, public libraries, and they seem to work well. So why not also have public healthcare and guaranteed retirement plans that people can actually live on?
After pulling the man over, Sgt. Don Woods discovered the man was naked from the waist down as he downloaded images on a laptop computer of a young girl involved in a sex act with an adult.
Investigation showed the man had hooked into a wireless computer network at a nearby house to gain access to a resident's Internet connection and download images from child pornography websites.
The scheme, known as "war driving," allows a computer with wireless Internet capability to tap into a wireless home network and access the World Wide Web, usually without fear of discovery.
12:07:06 AM
Soros, Buffett bet against the dollar
Smart money players Warren Buffett and George Soros are making huge bets the dollar will continue its slide to new lows all next year.
The greenback hit its lowest level ever against the euro yesterday, dropped to a five-year low against the British pound and fell to a 10-year bottom against the Canadian dollar.
A falling dollar means expensive imports and cheap exports for the US. It also means our financial position in the world is getting a bit wobbly.
12:06:04 AM
Troop families go to Iraq on peace mission
The leader of the 10-member group, Fernando Suarez del Solar, said it is important for Iraqis to realize that not all Americans support the U.S. military presence in Iraq. His son, Marine Lance Cpl. Jesus Suarez del Solar, 20, was killed in Iraq eight months ago when he stepped on an unexploded American cluster bomb.
Suarez spoke at an ANSWER rally on Sep 28 in LA and said the military lied to him at first about the cause of his son's death, something he understandably found to be contemptible.
12:04:59 AM
Nirvana bassist may run for Lt. Gov. of Washington
Grunge-rock pioneer Krist Novoselic says he may run for lieutenant governor in what would be the next step of a transition from rock star to politician.
I suspect he may be asked if he inhaled...
12:03:24 AM
Public suicides attests to labor unrest in South Korea
Four South Korean labor activists have killed themselves since late September, and a fifth is lying near death in the burn unit of a hospital. Four foreign workers also have committed suicide this month in protest of South Korean labor policies.
In September, a South Korean farmer stabbed himself to death at a World Trade Organization conference in Cancun, Mexico.
On December 6, 2002, workers at Borders Bookstore store #1 in Downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan, voted for union representation with UFCW Local 876 by a margin of 93%. Border's management has responded by employing union-busting tactics and failing to negotiate in good faith. On November 8, 2003, workers began an unfair labor practice strike -- and now they are asking for your solidarity!
12:00:58 AM
Saturday, November 29, 2003
"Mayor Matt"
Yes, S.F. newspapers are now starting to refer to Green mayoral candidate Matt Gonzalez as "Mayor Matt". The latest news is outgoing African-American Mayor Willie Brown implying Gonzalaez is racist, followed by Gonzalez getting endorsements from several more African-Americans. I guess Willie is getting desperate, as his hand-picked candidate to succeed him, Gavin Newson, is trailing in the polls.
A day after Mayor Willie Brown reportedly slapped him down as a bigot and chauvinist, Board of Supervisors President Matt Gonzalez announced the endorsement of Mayor Brown's milliner, Ruth Dewson, an African-American woman know as "the Mayor of Fillmore Street."
She also read a statement of support from actor and progressive activist Danny Glover.
"I support Matt Gonzalez because of his effective leadership in supporting Proposition L, the minimum wage increase, Proposition H, police reform and accountability, and public power," Glover's statement read. "Matt's progressive values resonate with me and his leadership and integrity make him the only acceptable choice for the next mayor of San Francisco."
A friend, a senior level Democratic operative in California, is generally condescending when referring to Greens, seeing them as laughable and insignificant. I mentioned the Gonzalez campaign to him a few days ago. He's not laughing any more. The California Democratic Party, is, and should be, seriously worried about the high probability of a Green defeating a Democrat and becoming mayor of San Francisco.
First Arnold, now Matt. Bad days for California Democrats.
The stores say they haven't missed a beat, using replacement workers to make deliveries and staff warehouses.
Ralphs spokesman Terry O'Neal said Friday that the company had brought on 300 drivers and 1,400 warehouse workers, and was looking to hire more.
"It's our intention, as long as strikes last, to continue to operate our stores, serve our customers and provide them with the quality product that they are accustomed to," O'Neal said.
Whoa Terry, let's whip our Mr. Calculator and run the numbers. 8,000 Teamsters on strike. You've hired 1.700 untrained scabs, so that puts you 6,300 people short. I'm guessing your shelves will be nearly empty soon.
9:36:03 AM
Grocery strike forced store shutdown on Thanksgiving
Nearly 860 Southern California Vons, Ralphs and Alberstons were closed on Thanksgiving as a direct result of the strike.
And you know that's got to hurt the grocery chains! Plus, soon enough, they will have little in their stores, due to the Teamster solidarity strike that has shut down the food distribution centers. It's important to note that Teamsters include many more occupations than just truck drivers. In this case, the entire work force in the distribution centers are Teamsters, not just the drivers.
The International Herald Tribune has printed these excerpts from a powerful speech given earlier this week by Britain's third-ranking jurist, Johan Steyn. (The address has been, as far as I can tell, utterly ignored by U.S. newspapers.) Key quote:
"The question is whether the quality of justice envisaged for the prisoners at Guantánamo Bay complies with minimum international standards for the conduct of fair trials. The answer can be given quite shortly: It is a resounding No.
"The term kangaroo court springs to mind. It conveys the idea of a preordained, arbitrary rush to judgment by an irregular tribunal which makes a mockery of justice. Trials of the type contemplated by the United States government would be a stain on United States justice. The only thing that could be worse is simply to leave the prisoners in their black hole indefinitely."
The U.S. government is indifferent to such questions. It's not interested in fair trials. It's interested solely in keeping these prisoners in their small cells as long as deemed necessary by people who have been handed -- or who have simply assumed -- increasingly dictatorial powers. No recourse to law and no way for the prisoners to challenge their detention: That is by malignant design.
9:14:01 AM
Citizen captures police act of racism on camera phone.
"For anyone following the social impact of camera phones and the role played by Citizens as camera phone reporters, this was a story just waiting to happen and brings to mind the Rodney King beating, videotaped by an amateur.
A blatant act of racism by the Portland police was snapped by a "citizen reporter" armed with a camera phone. The story and the photos were published in the Portland Tribune and broadcasted on television. "
Police offers parked their car outside Ringlers restaurant with a stuffed gorilla attached to the car's grill last Tuesday night, - where a largely black crowd had gathered for a weekly hip-hop show hosted by disc jockey Mello Cee.
"This is the kind of thing you expect to see in the South, like a Confederate flag. They might as well paint their faces black with white lips,” said Mello Cee.
"Resident Calvin Washington who said he took the photos around 1 a.m. outside Ringlers restaurant said when he realized what was happening, he grabbed his cell phone camera and walked outside to take pictures. “I went out and flicked a few pics. The police couldn’t tell what I was doing because I had the phone in my hand. They couldn’t tell what it was,” he said.
9:05:25 AM
Friday, November 28, 2003
Moby targets Bush for TV ad
Electronic pop supremo Moby has teamed up with Jonathan Soros - son of billionaire George Soros - in launching an internet competition for a TV commercial attacking President George W Bush.
The contest, called "Bush in 30 seconds" is open to the general public and will be judged by a celebrity panel including actors Jack Black and Janeane Garafalo, REM frontman Michael Stipe and documentary film maker Michael Moore.
"Anyone can make and submit a 30 second TV ad that is somehow based around the truth about George Bush'," Moby wrote on his website.
12:10:43 AM
America's enemy within
Armed checkpoints, embedded reporters in flak jackets, brutal suppression of peaceful demonstrators. Baghdad? No, Miami
We can expect more of these tactics on the homeland front. Just as civil liberties violations escalated when Washington lost control over the FTAA process, so will repression increase as Bush faces the ultimate threat: losing control over the White House.
People get ready. The 2004 Presidential election will be the political equivalent of nuclear war. This is the time to get involved, to stand strong. Bush can and will be defeated and a grateful planet will thank us for doing it.
12:08:43 AM
Soros instrumental in overthrowing Shevardnadze in Georgia
It was back in February that billionaire financier George Soros began laying the brickwork for the toppling of Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze
"It's generally accepted public opinion here that Mr. Soros is the person who planned Shevardnadze's overthrow," said Zaza Gachechiladze, editor-in-chief of The Georgian Messenger, an English-language daily based in the capital.
And now Soros says Bush is the biggest threat to world peace and must not be re-elected.
12:07:27 AM
Insurance giant gives $100,000 to Gov. Schwarzenegger
Injured workers and their advocates today reacted to a report in the Los Angeles Times that Governor Schwarzenegger took a donation of $100,000 last week from American International Group Inc., a major insurance firm that writes workers' compensation policies in California. The company has a deep financial interest in proposals to cut benefits to injured workers. The company reported that its profits are up 27% in the third quarter of 2003.
"This insurance giant is not giving out of the goodness of its heart. Will injured workers pay the real cost of this special interest contribution?" asked Art Azevedo, president of the California Applicants' Attorneys Association. "Injured workers don't have $100,000 lying around in their checking accounts, like these insurance companies that are crying poverty while pocketing billions. It's not a fair fight when workers injured on the job are locked out while the insurance fatcats belly up to the bar."
Workers' compensation insurance carriers report record profits: 2003 is turning out to be the most profitable in the last 25 years
Yet they cry how those darned workers are costing them SO much money - while they reap huge profits and pay themselves bloated salaries (pdf pg. 6)
2002 compensation:
$20,542,250, M. R. Greenberg, CEO, American Int’l. Group 9,220,882, Dean R. O'Hare, CEO, Chubb Corp. 4,688,998, Joesph V. Taranto, Chair, Everest Re Group 2,956,398, J. S. Fishman, CEO, St. Paul Companies 2,887,375, Stanley R. Zax, Pres., Zenith and Zenith Insurance 2,020,00, Carl H. Lindner, Chair, American Financial Group
