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SHOULD SCOOTER LIBBY'S LAWYER BE DISBARRED? Law school dean Lawrence Velvel says, Maybe he should, if he sat idly by while client Libby spouted lies. What lies at the core of Zionism? Michael Neumann tortures Alan Dershowitz, without a warrant! "Sex-mad adulterer from British aristocracy claims to have 'revolutionized' philosophy." Yes, Bertrand Russell, they mean you! Alexander Cockburn on Smearing 101 in the British press. Get the answers you're looking for in the subscriber-only edition of CounterPunch ... CounterPunch Online is read by millions of viewers each month! But remember, we are funded solely by the subscribers to the print edition of CounterPunch. Please support this website by buying a subscription to our newsletter, which contains fresh material you won't find anywhere else, or by making a donation for the online edition. Remember contributions are tax-deductible. Click here to make a donation. If you find our site useful please: Subscribe Now! or write CounterPunch, PO BOX 228, Petrolia, CA 95558 |
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November 22, 2005 Kevin Gray
/ Mike Hersh
November 21, 2005 Mike Marqusee Josh Frank Mike Whitney Norman Solomon Russ Baker Robert Jensen Paul Craig
Roberts
November 19 / 20, 2005 Fred Gardner Rep. Cynthia McKinney Ron Jacobs David Vest J.L. Chestnut,
Jr. John R. Bomar John Ross Phillip Cryan Dave Lindorff Dick J. Reavis Jeremy Scahill Dan Wright John Stanton St. Clair / Vest / Walker Phyllis Pollack Dr. Susan Block Poets Basement
November 18, 2005 Michael Neumann Dave Lindorff Michael Donnelly Mark Chmiel
/ Andrew Wimmer Don Monkerud Tom Kerr Trish Schuh
November 17, 2005 John Walsh Rep. John Murtha Brian J. Foley CounterPunch
News Service Dave Lindorff Mark T. Harris Cockburn /
St. Clair
November 16, 2005 John F. Sugg Noam Chomsky Dave Lindorff Evelyn Pringle Sam Husseini Pierre Tristam Greg Bates Farrah Hassen Bill Christison Website of
the Day
November 15, 2005 Todd Chretien Leah Caldwell Frederick Hudson Harry Browne Jason Leopold Ingmar Lee Diana Barahona Tom Andre Website of the Weekend
November 14, 2005 Diana Johnstone Paul Craig Roberts Conn Hallinan Joshua Frank Christopher
Reed
November 11 / 13, 2005 Alexander Cockburn Gwyneth Leech Elmas Mallo Michael Neumann Saul Landau Sam Husseini Brian Cloughley Ron Jacobs Lila Rajiva Michael Donnelly Joe Allen Roland Sheppard Justin E.H.
Smith Ben Tripp St. Clair /
Vest Poets' Basement Website of
the Weekend
November 10, 2005 Peterside,
Ogon, Watts and Zalik Pat Williams Steve Higgs Jimmy Massey Lucson Pierre-Charles Anthony Newkirk Lawrence R.
Velvel Website of the Day November 9, 2005 Gary Leupp Tariq Ali Chris Floyd Elaine Cassel Joshua Frank Alison Weir Diana Johnstone
Paul Craig
Roberts Roger Burbach Ron Jacobs Ralph Nader Jim McGrath David Bloom Stan Goff
November 7, 2005 Dick Reavis Jason Leopold Dave Lindorff Eli Stephens David Swanson M. Junaid Alam Matt Reichel Naima Bouteldja Jeff Halper Website of the Day
November 5 / 6, 2005 Alexander Cockburn Lawrence R.
Velvel Diana Johnstone Roosa / Nevins Niranjan Ramakrishnan John Ross Mike Whitney Mark Engler Juliano Mer-Khamis Ron Jacobs Jill S. Farrell Missy Comley
Beattie Mitchel Cohen Evelyn J. Pringle Reza Fiyouzat Charles Sullivan Zachary Richard Ben Tripp St. Clair / Vest
November 4, 2005 Jeffrey St.
Clair Dave Lindorff Phillip Cryan Christopher Brauchli William S.
Lind Daryl G. Kimball George Beres Peter Montague
November 3, 2005 James Petras Saul Landau Rep. Cynthia McKinney Michael Dickinson Joshua Frank Remi Kanazi Reza Fiyouzat Website of the Day
November 2, 2005 Cockburn /
St. Clair Robert Oscar Lopez John Walsh Brian J. Foley Ramzy Baroud M. Junaid Alam Todd Chretien Bruce K. Gagnon Website of the Day
November 1, 2005 Ron Jacobs Gary Leupp John Ross Bill Quigley Joseph Nevins Dave Lindorff Linda S. Heard Heather Gray Michael Dickinson Jeffrey St. Clair
October 31, 2005 Elaine Cassel Mark Weisbrot Mike Whitney Norman Solomon Farooq Sulehria Nicole Colson Madis Senner Paul Craig
Roberts
Cockburn /
St. Clair Peter Linebaugh Tim Wise John Chuckman Steven Higgs Brian Cloughley M. Shahid Alam Nikki Robinson Ralph Nader Joe DeRaymond Joshua Frank Laura Santina Fred Gardner Michael Dickinson Ron Jacobs Dr. Susan Block Vanessa S. Jones Jeffrey St.
Clair Poets' Basement Website of
the Weekend
October 28, 2005 Jared Bernstein Virginia Tilley Phil Gasper Jennifer Matsui Manual Garcia,
Jr. Monica Benderman Jason Leopold Dave Lindorff
Saul Landau Stuart Hodkinson Ingmar Lee Lila Rajiva Ilan Pappe Niranjan Ramakrishnan Michael Donnelly Ron Jacobs Cockburn / St. Clair
October 26, 2005 Kathy Kelly Gary Leupp Mike Marqusee Eric Ruder Patrick Cockburn Joshua Frank J.L. Chestnut, Jr. Website of
the Day
October 25, 2005 Paul Craig
Roberts Ken Sengupta / Patrick Cockburn Conn Hallinan Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed Jackie Corr Robert Day John Sugg
October 24, 2005 Dave Lindorff Michael Donnelly Patrick Cockburn Mike Whitney Norman Solomon Bill and Kathleen
Christison
October 22 / 23, 2005 Alexander Cockburn Billy Sothern Saul Landau Ralph Nader Behrooz Ghamari Brian Cloughley Diana Barahona Fred Gardner Lee Sustar Patrick Cockburn Laura Carlsen James Petras Joshua Frank Manuel Garcia,
Jr. Michelle Bollinger Missy Comley
Beattie Kona Lowell Ben Tripp Jeffrey St. Clair Poets' Basement Website of
the Day
October 21, 2005 Dave Lindorff Winslow T. Wheeler Col. Dan Smith Norman Solomon Madis Senner Michael Donnelly
Dave Lindorff Ray McGovern Jeremy Brecher
/ Patrick Cockburn Kevin Zeese Ross Eisenbrey Randy Shields Justine Davidson After Lucas
Cranach Joe Allen
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November 22, 2005 Out of Iraq, NowRep. Maxine Waters, the Real Leader of the Anti-War CaucusBy KEVIN ALEXANDER
GRAY Since the beginning of George Bush's unpopular war against the Iraqi people, black female leadership has led the fight in opposing what has now become Bush's moral and political albatross. Although Representative John Conyers (D-Mich) remains the dean of progressive politics in Congress, a coterie of black female lawmakers have emerged on the leadership forefront of opposition to the war. Many are familiar with Oakland area Congresswoman Barbara Lee's lone challenge to the war at the start-up and Georgia's Cynthia McKinney's constant vocal opposition to a variety of questionable policies, political tactics and the truthfulness of Bush administration officials. Now, Maxine Waters (D-Calif), in her leadership of a multi-racial coalition, hopes to assume a more public role in shaping and leading anti-war efforts in Congress. The mainstream press has focused on Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), a decorated Vietnam War veteran and hawkish legislator who last week declared that the Iraq had become so bad that the United States needs to immediately withdraw troops. However, it was Waters' "Out of Iraq Coalition" in the House, that jump started House opposition at a press conference at the Longworth Office Building days prior to Murtha's announced change of heart. At her side were 19 other congresspeople, black, white, female, male, gay and Latino demanding that the issue of "how the United States got into war" be fully debated on the floor of the House. Although the Sunday morning talk shows were quick to book Murtha as a guest, news of last weeks press conference got little notice. The "Out of Iraq Coalition" event, received literally no coverage from mainstream or national media outlets. Nevertheless, Waters, chair and founder of the "Out of Iraq" Congressional Caucus begun in June 2005, announced that the Caucus filed a discharge petition on House Resolution 55, authored by Congressmen Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) and Walter Jones (D-NC). If passed by Congress, HJ 55 would require Bush to begin bringing US troops home from Iraq. A discharge petition is a House rule that permits members to bring to the floor for consideration a measure not reported from committee if 218 members sign the petition. The discharge petition, as drafted, provides 17 hours of debate and permits consideration of any germane amendments including amendments that would move up the date at which US troops would begin to return home. Waters said, "The American people expect leadership from their elected officials and so far that leadership has been non-existent. We filed the discharge petition on HJ 55 in order to force the House of Representatives, the people's House, to debate the Iraq War. The President and the Republican leadership have refused to fully explain why we are in Iraq and when our troops will be able to return to their families. 'Staying the course' as the President suggests is an insult to our soldiers who have served so bravely in Iraq and to their families who worry every minute about their safety." Waters listed the ever rising
costs of the war: $250 billion, more than 2,070 US troops killed,
15,000 injured, 400 limbs amputated. She pledged to examine and
analyze the "distorted" information Waters appears on solid ground in her opposition to the war as most polls show support for the President's policy in Iraq in free fall and his overall support numbers dropping as well. Among blacks, support for the war has been low from the start. A 2005 Pew Research poll found blacks nearly twice as likely as whites to have strong reservations about the war. And black military recruitment numbers have followed suit with black enlistment in the Army falling by 40% since 2000 according to USA Today. Resolution co-author Abercrombie invited all Republicans, Democrats, and the lone House Independent Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) to join with the Representatives in the room supporting an "open rule," allowing any member to offer any amendment to the resolution. He presented his "bipartisan approach" as "an opportunity for Republicans to join with us." He called the resolution a "kick off" on debate and an opportunity for the American people to demand accountability. Waters announced that Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass) will manage the effort on House Joint Resolution 55. Frank said, "The House ought to be able to have a debate" on what he called the "single most important issue" facing the Congress and the nation, and explained this discharge petition would permit the debate. Frank dismissed the Bush claims that debate on Iraq policy was "irresponsible" and rejected the President's excuse for misleading the Congress and the American people because "other people were wrong, too" as a "so's-your-mother defense." Frank added that the discharge petition step would not be necessary "if the Republican [House] Leadership had any respect for democracy." Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tx) called the Iraq conflict an "unconstitutional war" and HJ Resolution 55 the "fix-it resolution." She said the war is "Vietnam reincarnated", and assured there is "no division" between this effort and the troops. She said, "This effort is all about having our people return from Iraq with dignity and success. This will say to the American People, your voices are heard." She told of her visits to the troops in Iraq, as well as hospitals in Germany and the US-- people she called "victims of war." Barbara Lee described one such victim in a Germany hospital, a servicewoman "burned from head to toe" who was only concerned about her mother. Lee said, "The President misled the Congress with false and misleading reasons for the war. It's crucial we have this debate." Lee, Co-chair of the House Progressive Caucus said the White House still refuses to respond to questions about the Downing Street Minutes despite signatures from 500,000 Americans and 100 Members of Congress. She was referring to a petition effort led by Conyers with signatures collected through the Washington-based Progressive Democrats of America and the After Downing Street Coalition. She explained that this discharge petition drive is building on her Resolution of Inquiry. That resolution would have required answers and demanded accountability from the administration on pre-war intelligence and other related issues. Caucus member and former former
presidential candidate Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Oh) suggested
that the Out of Iraq Caucus' effort be called achieving "an
Honorable Discharge from Iraq." Kucinich countered the Bush
talking point, that 'Democrats have no grounds to question his
Iraq policies because they supported it.' Kucinich argued, "Two-thirds
of current House Democrats [and] one-half of current Senate Democrats
opposed the resolution empowering Bush to use force." Kucinich
declared, "Bush can no longer claim he was misled and continue
to mislead." He charged that the American people do not
support the war or this president, and he called this, "the
beginning of the Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Oh) said, "Our goal is to have a conversation with the American people." She raised three keys to the discussion. First, "Moral Legitimacy: [the USA has] lost that moral edge starting with the revelations of atrocities at Abu Ghraib, after which casualties doubled." She stressed that, "in the military slogan 'Honor, Duty, Country' honor comes first. Second, she claims that the Bush Administration is setting up a "parallel system" of mercenaries--thousands of "contractors" who conduct the "questioning" of prisoners and "undermine our military." Kaptur revealed there could be as many as 100-150,000 "contractors" in Iraq. Third, she warned of apparent and rumored plans to "hold up" the Defense Appropriations bill to link the spending on the war and occupation to spending for all agencies and services-- an effort to "hold the entire nation hostage" to the Bush war policies. Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif) --the other co-chairs of the House Progressive Caucus--praised grassroots activists for "putting the starch in the spines" of House Members. She said it's time the Congress started "hearing the voices of the American People" and pass what she called the "Homeward Bound" Resolution. She said this discharge petition effort began in the House with her amendment to the Defense Authorization requesting the White House articulate some exit plan or strategy. Her measure was defeated, but gained bipartisan support and set the stage for Barbara Lee's and Kucinich's Resolutions of Inquiry. "I believe this war was a mistake from the very beginning," said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass). "There are two things you can do with a mistake--you can correct it or you can compound it. HJ Resolution 55 is an attempt to correct this mistake by requiring the President to develop and implement a meaningful plan to end our military involvement in Iraq." The discharge petition would also open the House floor to other efforts, including McGovern's HR 4232 which if passed would immediately end funding for the war. "Both of these [approaches] are better than 'staying the course,' as the Bush Administration would have us do which would only compound the mistakes we have made in Iraq," declared McGovern. Many of those attending the press conference agreed that the world-wide reputation of the United States is suffering because people around the globe don't believe we're going to ever leave Iraq. They stressed the need for ongoing Congressional efforts--with increasing Republican support--to bar permanent bases and other entanglements with Iraq such as "sweet heart deals" for oil. Kevin Alexander Gray is a civil rights organizer in South
Carolina. Mike Hersh is a political commentator. They
can be reached at: kagamba@bellsouth.net
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from CounterPunch Books! The Case Against Israel By Michael Neumann  Grand Theft Pentagon: Tales of Greed and Profiteering in the War on Terror by Jeffrey St. Clair          Sick of sit-on-the-Fence speakers, tongue-tied and timid? CounterPunch Editors Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St Clair are available to speak forcefully on ALL the burning issues, as are other CounterPunchers seasoned in stump oratory. Call CounterPunch Speakers Bureau, 1-800-840-3683. Or email beckyg@counterpunch.org.               |
