Product safety is supposed to be about protecting consumers

If the CPSC chairman can't get on board, then it's time to find a replacement. Considering the steady stream of tainted products in the market, it would be nice to see someone take their role seriously.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) yesterday called on the head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission to resign, and a Senate committee passed legislation to increase the embattled agency's funding and expand its authority.

Pelosi criticized acting chairman Nancy A. Nord for her opposition to parts of the Senate bill that would widen the CPSC's regulatory role in response to several high-profile recalls of toys containing dangerous amounts of lead and powerful magnets.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), would more than double the agency's funding over seven years, to $142 million. It would ban lead in products for children and raise the cap on civil penalties to $100 million, from $1.8 million. It would also give the agency new responsibilities, including collecting and acting on corporate whistle-blower complaints about product safety.

In a perfect world, industry would care about what they sell and we wouldn't have to worry about such penalties but just as the tooth fairy and Easter Bunny don't exist, industry self regulation doesn't exist either so it's important that we step up regulation. Read More......

Inflation, here we come

The Fed cuts interest rates, leading many to ask how long until we hit $100 per barrel for oil. For an economy that is reportedly doing well, why the cut? Read More......

A Savage Halloween

My slightly twisted but always amusing friend Dan Savage shares his plans for Halloween gone awry:

I sharpened up six big wooden stakes to plant along the walk up to the house. I wanted to go buy a six cheap kids’ Halloween costumes, stuff ‘em, and impale ‘em on the stakes. I wanted it to like we’d been murdering every, oh, 50th trick-or-treater that came to our house....

You really need to click through and read the entire post. Read More......

Donna Edwards for Congress. A better Democrat. A real Democrat.

Last year, Donna Edwards challenged Congressman Al Wynn for the Democratic nomination in Maryland's Fourth Congressional District. On primary day in September of 2006, Donna stunned the political world by nearly beating Wynn. It literally took days to get the final vote count before Wynn was declared the winner. This time around, Donna is going to win. And, we can make that happen.

Over the next couple days, a number of the progressive blogs including Firedoglake, Atrios, Openleft, Color of Change, MyDD, Down With Tyranny, Swing State Project and Dailykos,, are going to be holding an online fundraiser for the real Democrat running in Maryland's 4th C.D. Coincidentally (or not), Speaker Nancy Pelosi is hosting a fundraiser for Wynn on Saturday, November 3rd. But the reality is that Donna is the kind of Democrat who will empower Nancy Pelosi to be a better Speaker.

We set up an Actblue page to raise money for Donna. Maryland has moved up its primary to February 12, 2008. That means we can send an early message in an important election year about electing real Democrats.

You can learn more about Donna on her campaign website. I've known her for more than ten years. We first met when she was the Executive Director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence. She's a committed progressive and truly a force of nature. Donna Edwards is the kind of person who will change Congress for the better.

In one succinct paragraph, Matt Stoller explains just who Al Wynn is and why he needs to go:

MD-04 is a 77% performing Democratic district that runs in Montgomery and Prince George's County. It is as safe as safe can be for a Democrat. Wynn voted for the war in Iraq, the repeal of the estate tax, was a cosponsor of the bill gutting net neutrality, the Bankruptcy Bill, and the 2005 Energy Bill. He's really the epitome of the corrupt Democrat who gives cover to the right-wing to enact legislation. He even voted for no-bid contracts for Federal prisons.

Yes, that's right. He voted for the war. He voted for the bankruptcy bill. He is a reliable vote for the telecom industry. You could pretty much call him Rep. Al Wynn (D-Verizon) or (D-Comcast).

We really need better Democrats. Help elect Donna Edwards. Contribute today. Read More......

Minitrue is losing its chief

And let me just say, way to go AP, picking the most Halloween-ific picture of Hughes they could find (I can see the caption now: "I once ate a child that was THIS big.")

(Reader Nosybear gets credit for the title.) Read More......

Redacted is just part of the picture

For those who don’t know, Brian De Palma’s new film “Redacted” is scheduled for release in a few weeks.

From what I have read it will depict the true story of a group of US troops who gang rape an Iraqi teenage girl then murder her and her family in cold blood.

It caught the attention of Bill O’Reilly who is accusing De Palma personally of recruiting more angry Muslim men who want to kill Americans by creating a movie that tells the story. He said if any movie chain in America agrees to show De Palma's movie that every veteran of a foreign war should protest the theaters. Standby for a tidal wave of right-wing attacks dismissing it as liberal propaganda due to their inability to detach themselves from the world of denial they live in.

I agree that the film is not helpful and I probably will never have the stomach to watch it. Nothing against De Palma or the film, but I'm upset enough over the whole incident and watching a reenactment of this horrendous crime would be hard for me.

However, this film will not incite nearly as many angry Muslim men to attack us as our continued presence in Iraq.

Bush’s vendetta against Saddam was inflicted upon an entire nation of Iraqi people who did nothing to deserve a conquering of their land or an attempt to change their whole way of life by military force. That is what recruits terrorists and incites angry Muslim men to attack us. Or it could just be a violent reaction from Iraqis who are resistant to being occupied by a foreign army.

This very same reaction was obviously never taken into consideration by the neoconservative intellectuals who planned this war with a total lack of regard for Islamic culture and human life in general.

I find it absolutely galling that supporters of the war now have the audacity to place the blame of the bloody aftermath on those who staunchly oppose it.

Going back to what O'Reilly said about veterans of foreign wars protesting theaters over a movie he and fellow war supporters disagree with. As a veteran myself, I would much rather protest the misuse of our military for a failed neocon experiment in Iraq that completely backfired in our faces creating more enemies than we can count.

I’m sorry, but it’s hard for me to talk about this one act of madness without referencing the entire illegal war.

As a former soldier who was there it pains me to even write about it.

In closing I would like to say that this post is not an attack on our military. Those who oppose my views may try and twist it as such. I wholeheartedly support our men and women in uniform. If there is ever a legitimate threat to this nation they are the people who will have the courage to defend us.

So I want to be totally clear that this is an attack on those individuals who carried out this atrocity, the Bush Administration for creating the environment for it to take place, and war supporters who wish to use diversionary tactics (like criticizing a movie) to hide the real truth.

John Bruhns
Iraq Veteran Read More......

Happy Halloween

(I made this picture - what? - three years ago, and the jokes is sadly still relevant today. Sigh.) Read More......

Rice/State Dept have now jeopardized entire Blackwater investigation

Winning the hearts and mind of Iraqis one dead civilian at a time.

From the Washington Post:

Potential prosecution of Blackwater guards allegedly involved in the shooting deaths of 17 Iraqi civilians last month may have been compromised because the guards received immunity for statements they made to State Department officials investigating the incident, federal law enforcement officials said yesterday.

FBI agents called in to take over the State Department's investigation two weeks after the Sept. 16 shootings cannot use any information gleaned during questioning of the guards by the department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security, which is charged with supervising security contractors.

Read More......

Wednesday Morning Open Thread

It's Halloween. Next Halloween, we'll be five days away from November 4, 2008 -- election day. Just over a year til we pick the successor to the Bush/Cheney debacle. Those two know they are running out of time to start a war with Iran. They'll be in overdrive. Congress and the media can't play along this time.

Have at it. Read More......

Blair and Iraq: "pathetic" barely scratches the surface

The floodgates appear to be opening on Blair stories so much more to come for Bush's favorite little lapdog.

Tony Blair turned down a last-minute offer from President George Bush for Britain to stay out of the Iraq war because he thought it would look "pathetic", according to a new book on Mr Blair's tenure.

Mr Bush was warned by the US embassy in London before the crucial Commons vote on the war that the Blair government could be brought down. He was so worried that he picked up the telephone and personally offered the then Prime Minister a surprise opt-out.

What a very macho and very manly kind of guy. Sticking to his guns, no matter how stupid or ill-planned the war may have been. He's not only "pathetic" but stupid enough to go along with a leader who is widely considered to be among the dumbest of the bunch. Brilliant. Read More......

"100 times the US standard on lead in paint " in Halloween costume

Happy Halloween. The testing was requested by Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown who is of course, a Democrat.

"Lead paint is a problem when it's ingested by a child, so to have lead on an item that is designed to go into the mouth -- that's what's particularly horrifying about these teeth," said Dr Jeffrey Weidenhamer of Ashland University in Ohio, the team leader.

"We analysed the paint on the surface of the teeth. The orange teeth were the worst in terms of having six to seven percent lead by weight in the paint," Weidenhamer said.

"That's about 100 times the US standard on lead in paint which is .06 percent," he told AFP.

Lead can cause damage to the brain and nervous system of children, behavior and learning problems, slowed growth, hearing problems and headaches.

Read More......

Democratic Debate Open Thread III

Okay...let's start another thread. This debate is at least interesting. Russert is his typically annoying self-important self and Brian Williams, well, Brian Williams is well scripted at least.

10:15 PM: Question for all the candidates -- Are people in northern states doomed to pay high oil costs -- given that oil is heading to $100+ per barrel? Dodd gets the first question -- and he invites us to his website www.chrisdodd.com to see his answers on energy. They all only have 30 seconds on this one....Everyone talks about energy efficiency and conservation. Biden and Obama note that costs increased because of the war mongering over Iran. Kucinich reiterates his call for impeachment. Richardson wants an "Apollo Program" with 50 mpg efficiency. He's very specific about what he means -- and that people have to sacrifice (what a concept, huh?)

10:22 PM: Dodd is very strong on energy policy and the need for leadership. He claims to have the best, the "gold-standard" policy.

10:25 PM: Russert starts on taxes asking Hillary is she supports Rep. Charlie Rangel's new tax proposal. She agrees with his goal on the Alternative Minimum Tax (ATM). She also invokes the concept of sacrifice -- and the need for sacrifice from the richest Americans. Also, notes GOP won't deal with AMT because that tax affects the middle class and not the GOP's constituency.

Obama wants a restoration of balance in our tax code.

10:31 PM: Kucinich gets a question about hedge funds and the failure of the Democrats in the Senate to take up the issue of changing the tax code for those billionaires. Kucinich is right that this is one of those issues that make people wonder about Democrats. And, he manages to work in his call for impeachment again.

Edwards is asked why Democrats won't act on the hedge fund issue. Edwards said they should...and this shows again the corruption of Washington. He provides evidence of a "system that does not work." The voice of the American people needs to be heard....

10:35 PM: Lightening rounds with 30 second answers. Question one is about education -- extending the school day or the school year. Richardson is happy to have an education question and is ready for it. All of them have good education plans and believe in public education. What a concept.

10:44 PM: Back from a break with more "lightening round" -- this question is about attracting more students to medicine. Again, everyone has an answer....Biden wants to prevent the insurance companies from looking over the shoulders of doctors. Edwards wants universal health care and makes the important and often overlooked point about the nursing shortage. Hillary wants to get tough with insurance companies. The culprit is clearly the insurance industry.

10:50 PM: Question about improving air travel for Barack Obama.

10:52 PM: Immigration question for Hillary Clinton. She sounded like she agreed with NY Governor Spitzer that illegal immigrants should have drivers licenses. Dodd thinks not. But, then Clinton said she didn't agree with Spitzer creating a back and forth with Dodd. So, I think she thinks that Spitzer is trying to do the right thing...but she doesn't agree with him...or something like that.

Edwards went after Clinton on that answer on immigration...as did Obama. He can't tell if she's for it or against it.

10:57 PM: Russert had to ask Kucinich the UFO question. Then, he asked Obama if he thinks there is life beyond earth...Obama doesn't know, but pointed out that we're not taking care of life on earth. Stupid, stupid question from Russert, smart answer from Obama.

10:59 PM: Lance Armstrong gets a question about cancer.

11:01 PM: Biden would shut down any toy imports from China.

11:02 PM: Stupid, stupid question from Brian Williams to Obama about Halloween.

It's over.

Phew.

Okay, this one was a real debate. The most interesting issue was Iran. We have not heard the last of that one. And that immigration answer from Hillary Clinton was bizarre. I still don't know what she said. Read More......

Democratic Debate Open Thread II

MSNBC took a break...so we'll start a new thread. This is really a debate. And, in fact, Hillary Clinton is being attacked. Her vote on the Kyl-Lieberman Iran resolution (written by neocons according to John Edwards) has given her opponents the fodder. And, it's not just coming from Edwards and Obama, but Dodd and Biden have been very strong, too.

At this point, I'd say Edwards is having a good night.

9:42 PM: The question is electability. Brian Williams quoted Rudy to challenge Hillary. She uses the GOP "obsession" with her as proof of her electability. Russert followed up on her experience question wanting her to allow the National Archives to release her records from the Bill Clinton years. Apparently, Bill Clinton wrote to the archives asking them to not release any correspondence between Bill and Hillary. She actually did not answer the question that she would allow it. Somehow, it's not her responsibility. Obama went right after her on that one. He also said the GOP is obsessed with Hillary because that's a fight they've had and want again.

Edwards also said the Republicans want to run against Clinton. He also turned it into a question on the influence of money in politics...and how Clinton represents the status quo. He represents change.

9:51 PM: Brian Williams asks Obama the experience question. Obama knows how to get things done, he says. He will also stand up to special interests. And, he reminds us that he stood against the war in 2002. We need principled leadership and that's what he'll give us.

9:53 PM: Richardson is hearing a holier than thou attitude towards Hillary Clinton, which he thinks is getting personal. We need to be positive he says -- as Richardson tells us he trusts her, but doesn't agree with her on a whole litany of issues. That sanctimonious thing doesn't really work.

9:56 PM: Dodd -- we need to elect a Democrat...a Democrat that's electable. Hmmm.

9:57 PM: Edwards lets us know he's not pure...none of them are, but disputes Richardson's assertion that the attacks are personal.

9:59 PM: Biden isn't running against Hillary Clinton, he's running to be the leader of the free world. Biden smacks Rudy Giuliani hard. Rudy is genuinely not qualified to be President. Every sentence Rudy speaks has a noun, a verb and 9/11. Good line.

10:02 PM: Russert starts a new subject -- Social Security. Wants to know if Hillary has different positions on lifting the cap intimating she answers one way publicly and another privately. She, of course, disputes that contention and gets into the good work done in the 90s. She's going to appoint a bi-partisan commission. She does not advocate raising the cap. Acting like Social Security is in crisis is a GOP talking point according to Hillary.

10:05 PM: Russert asks Obama about Social Security. Obama wants straight talk from all the candidates -- which means Hillary Clinton, p.s.

10:08 PM: Hillary returns to her solution of a bi-partisan commission. She doesn't want decisions to be made in a vacuum, but only after we've gotten back to fiscal responsibility.

10:09 PM: Obama gets the question about Mitt Romney's confusion of calling him "Osama" instead of "Obama." Obama isn't worried because he has confidence in the American people -- and he discounts what Mitt Romney says. He's going to respond to swiftboating forcefully. (Methinks Obama may have too much confidence in the American people). Read More......

Democratic Debate Open Thread

Okay, game on. Over the past months of watching way too many Republican and Democratic Presidential candidate debates, it's been much easier to live blog -- and MOCK -- the GOPers. I largely agree with the Democrats and nne of them has to be the next President.

We've been led to believe that tonight's debate could get interesting. Both John Edwards and Barack Obama have been talking tougher about Hillary Clinton. Let's see how it goes.

The debate is being broadcast live on MSNBC and will be re-broadcast on Telemundo.

9:00 PM: Here we go.

In the first questions posed to Obama and Edwards, they were given the chance to attack Clinton. Edwards did a much, much better job of defining his differences with Hillary. She was obviously prepared for the attack. Edwards focused on Iran, which Hillary did not address. She has a lot of "specific plans."

9:09 PM: Because Hillary didn't address Iran, Russert asked her why she voted for Kyl-Lieberman's resolution. She prefers "vigorous diplomacy." (But isn't that what she said she voted for in 2002 on the Iraq resolution.)

Russert followed up on Iran with Dodd who said this issue is going to come back to haunt us and what we didn't learn in '02, we should have learned now. OUCH. He's right, of course.

Biden, on the Iran vote, said there are consequences for what we do. (Biden and Dodd voted against Kyl-Lieberman.) Biden said the vote emboldened Bush.

9:15 PM: Continuing on Iran, Obama responds on Iran and when he would go to war what Brian William calls "the red line"...a question Obama rejected noting the "drumbeat of war" is coming from the GOP debates.

Hillary Clinton also got asked the "red line" question. She sounds very, very defensive on the Iran question. That Kyl-Lieberman vote undermines much of what she's saying. She "wants to start diplomacy." (Again, we've heard that before from her.)

9:19 PM: Edwards said Kyl-Lieberman sounds like it was written by the neocons. Noting some of us learned from our mistakes on Iraq, you give Bush an inch, he takes a mile. That resolution enabled Bush and let him "march forward." He asks how is that Democrats standing up to Bush?

(Richardson finally gets a question at 9:20 P.M.)

9:25 PM: Russert asks them all if they can pledge that Iran will not get a nuclear bomb when they are President. Obama gave a great answer on how Americans have been governed by the politics of fear -- sounding very much like Paul Krugman's excellent column yesterday, btw.) Both Biden and Dodd refocused the question and said that Pakistan poses a much bigger problem -- and both of them sound very, very competent on this issue. Kucinich took an appropriate swipe at the media -- telling them not to promote another war, which the media did in 2002. Very good point about not ratcheting up the rhetoric for war.

9:32 PM: Onto the issue of the pending war in Iraq. We learn that Hillary does in fact oppose the war in Iraq, but not the troops.

Obama says Hillary is not being consistent on Iraq, citing the Iran resolution. The next President can't be a co-author of the war.

Edwards wants to make certain that voters understand they have very clear choices...if you believe combat troops should stay in Iraq with no timetable, then Senator Clinton is your candidate. He wants to end combat missions. Edwards also goes back to Iran...smacks Hillary with her "if I only knew then what I know now..." He says Hillary has shifted from primary mode to general election mode..and candidates need to be consistent.

9:37 PM: Hillary fights back that she is for ending the war, but it's going to be complicated and it's going to take time. She's going to do it responsibly -- and she wants to fight al Qaeda in Iraq. Read More......

Supreme Court stays execution, may be imposing de facto moratorium on lethal injecctions until next year

Interesting.

The Court blocked the execution until it decides a separate, pending case next year on whether death by lethal injection is so cruel and unusual it violates the Constitution.

"Right now I think we have a de facto moratorium on lethal injections in this country," said Richard Dieter, executive director of the anti-capital punishment Death Penalty Information Center.

The Court's order will bring capital punishment across the United States to a sudden stop. It's the third time in a month the Justices have blocked an execution.

Read More......

GOP prez candidates refusing to attend 2nd black presidential debate

Then again, it's yet another debate that the Congressional Black Caucus decided to host with anti-black FOX News, so I'm hardly going to shed a tear here. But, it still shows just how much the GOP does not want to engage the black community. Read More......

The UN in Iraq?

Mark Goldberg posts an interesting discussion with James Traub about the role (and possible expanded role) of the UN in Iraq. I'm often more skeptical of the UN than many of my political/ideological peers, but I think it's also fair to say that one of the reasons the UN sometimes struggles with its missions is that it mostly gets called in when a situation is damn near hopeless. That interferes, obviously, with a group's winning percentage.

(I should also note that my doubts about the UN often have been mitigated or alleviated by reading Goldberg's excellent postings at UN Dispatch; there are plenty of UN actions that seem questionable at first blush but are, in fact, perfectly reasonable and productive when explained -- like this, for example -- and if international relations/politics/institutions are of interest to you, well, there's another one for the blogroll.)

Anyway, since I don't think any external actor can do much in Iraq (save perhaps Iran), I don't think the UN is likely to turn things around. However, to be fair, should the UN have more involvement, the goal wouldn't be to make things all better, but to mitigate some of the fallout and atrocities -- a job at which the US is failing. As Traub says,

It is the melancholy destiny of the UN to be called on in the most desperate situations when everyone else has thrown up their hands or nobody else cares. Here is a case where people care desperately, but there doesn't seem to be any path to success. So, this is one of the besetting problems of the UN: it may be called on, then fail, then be blamed. But you can't say "we are not going to try because it will look bad if we fail." That's not how the UN thinks.

Ultimately the US will have to work with international institutions -- and Iraqis themselves -- to mitigate whatever problems can still be reasonably addressed. Fear of looking bad is an unconscionable reason for not doing the right thing -- however popular that idea might be among Republican presidential candidates, for example -- and the absence (or at least reduction) of such fear in non-governmental organizations is a reason for hope that they'll have some beneficial impact in the mid- and long-term. Read More......

Cheney with a new hunting story

The Vice President does another round of canned hunting at a private club that is proud to display the stars and bars. Instead of shooting someone in the face, this year, he decides to slap Americans in the face. Normal people would be embarrassed to support a club that thinks that it's OK to display the Confederate flag but then again, most people would also find it pretty pathetic to shoot farm raised birds. What a sad little man. Read More......

New t-shirts from AMERICAblog

All of the below are now available in the AMERICAblog.com store:



And who can forget our "Happy Gay" collection (what's a Happy Gay? Read this):







And finally, there's that time-honored classic:

Read More......

Max Blumenthal attends the Values Voters summit

Gotta watch this one. Read More......

Tuesday Morning Open Thread

Big debate among the Democratic Presidential candidates tonight on MSNBC. The Iowa caucuses are officially scheduled for January 3rd -- only 66 days til real voters actually start the process. The contenders are turning up the heat so this debate could actually be interesting. Although, we need real answers. And, we really need to know that the Senators on the stage are prepared to prevent Bush from starting a war with Iran.

Okay, get started. Read More......

Warren Buffet sees US heading for a near-term recession

Who are you going to believe? The bullish Cheney and GOP crowd who grounded the economy or a billionaire who makes a living in the market? Read More......

Just in time for Christmas

More lead in toys for kids. China keeps coming up but while that's to be noted, the real problem continues to be big companies that don't mind selling for a premium, but are uninterested in premium testing or modern product management that traces the process from creation to production and into the market.

Retailers and manufacturers have stepped up product testing, as high levels of lead can cause brain damage in children.

"We screened products from stores and consumers' homes in the New York metropolitan area using home lead testing kits and an X-ray fluorescence analyzer," the magazine article reads.

Consumers Union said some of the products it tested included a Fisher-Price blood pressure cuff from a toy medical kit, caps from seven Elmer's Glue Sticks and some duck-shaped backpacks.

"We detected the highest concentration of total lead, more than 10,000 parts per million, in a cuff that a child had regularly played with for the past two years," the group wrote.

The caps were on glue sticks decorated with cartoon characters and were all orange colored, the group added.

"What we envision is that a child will pull the cap off with their teeth will potentially chew on it," Donald Mays, who heads product safety planning for the group, said in a telephone interview.

Read More......

State Dept offered Blackwater immunity in killing of 17 Iraqi civilians

Immunity, it's the new black in Washington, DC, every corporate criminal just HAS to have it. Read More......

Obama heading to San Francisco (insert joke here)

Yeah, his people really ARE that crazy. And can I just say, enough of the "change" crap from the Obama people (see below). First off, Obama is sucking up to bigots in order to win votes - that's not "change," it's retro (it's also Republican). Second, considering that this entire debacle has been about Obama's "friends" wanting to change gays straight, their use of that word continually throughout this affair is offensive (the Gospel concert was unfortunately titled the "Embrace the Change" tour).

From: Obama for America info@barackobama.com
Date: October 29, 2007
Subject: Invite: Barack in San Francisco

Dear Friend,

Join Barack Obama in San Francisco on Wednesday, November 14th, for a
special Countdown to Change event....

Read More......

Carnegie Mellon blog ranking study

Rankings always have their faults, and this one is so over my head I can't even begin to determine its validity (some Carnegie Mellon math genius came up with the method), but it's still always interesting to have a look. The question the survey tried to answer: "If we can read 100 blogs, which should I read to be most up to date?" Many of the blogs they picked I've never even heard of (though that may reflect more on me than their survey). Read More......

Krugman deconstructs the Neocon/GOP obsession with Iran -- and war with Iran

One of the best things that comes out of the NY Times decision to stop charging for access to its op-ed writers is that everyone has access to Paul Krugman again. Today's column, Fearing Fear Itself, is a must-read. And by must-read, I mean that reporters, pundits and people on Capitol Hill should read it, too. That crowd can't fall for the drumbeat of war with Iran like they did in 2002 with Iraq.

Krugman deconstructs the GOP campaign of fear using the made-up concept of Islamofascism, which he notes is "not an ideology; it’s a figment of the neocon imagination." And that neocon imagination is running wild -- and influencing the ideas of the GOP Presidential candidates, particularly Giuliani, Romney and Huckabee:

In the wake of 9/11, the Bush administration adopted fear-mongering as a political strategy. Instead of treating the attack as what it was — an atrocity committed by a fundamentally weak, though ruthless adversary — the administration portrayed America as a nation under threat from every direction.

Most Americans have now regained their balance. But the Republican base, which lapped up the administration’s rhetoric about the axis of evil and the war on terror, remains infected by the fear the Bushies stirred up — perhaps because fear of terrorists maps so easily into the base’s older fears, including fear of dark-skinned people in general.

And the base is looking for a candidate who shares this fear.

Just to be clear, Al Qaeda is a real threat, and so is the Iranian nuclear program. But neither of these threats frightens me as much as fear itself — the unreasoning fear that has taken over one of America’s two great political parties.

The GOP candidates and the GOP base are clamoring for war. This time around, they must be stopped. And, since the traditional media fell for the Bush/Cheney/Neocon war agenda in 2002, we'll be beating the drum to expose the war agenda this time. Read More......

They are still out there

This past Saturday I attended a peace rally in Philadelphia. It was very healing for me to back in my home town among people of all walks of life —just the pure “heart and soul” of this country.

The rally was part of a larger nationwide antiwar mobilization.

As I was leaving a fellow Iraq veteran pointed out a small gathering of counter-demonstrators and invited me to go with him across the street to confront them. I declined the offer. The Philly PD was out in full force and did a great job of keeping them separated from us. So I didn’t see the use.

I headed for my car that was parked in a garage on the same side of the street as the counter-protest.

I observed them waiving the flag and spouting out the same “we gotta fight em there so we don’t have to fight em here” nonsense. Proceeded by shouts to the anti-war protesters of "support the troops" over and over and over again.

From my observation the pro-war crowd had less than 10 people in attendance. It very well resembled the minuscule 24% of Americans who still agree with Bush. I actually for a moment felt sorry for the fools before I returned back to my realistic senses.

The point I’m trying to make is that there are still people out there dumb enough to believe in Bush’s crap, and they are truly subservient to this wacko mentality of lies, hate, and fear. It’s like they are members of a weird cult or something of that nature. Kinda scary.

For the past 5 years there have been harmless peace vigils on Saturday mornings in the Philadelphia area. These peace vigils are not so peaceful any more. Pro-war groups have decided to counter the vigils with a confrontational standoff involving intimidation, cursing, and needless thuggery. It has turned into a heated street battle between a peace group and a group that advocates for "total victory" in Iraq. Whatever that means.

They love to say we are fighting in Iraq for freedom, yet they persecute anyone who practices it for a peace.

Peaceful people are an easy target for this element to harass. And singing Kumbaya will only get you so far. In my experience with dealing with pro-war groups a diplomatic approach rarely ever works. The only way to deal with them is to stand united, strong, and pacify them with intelligence and facts. It doesn't mean they will go away. But make sure they know you won't either. Demonstrate your commitment and resolve to fight against their hatred and this illegal war.

A lot of these ardent Bush/Cheney supporters are actually veterans. And for the life of me I can't figure out what is driving them. They continue to play the patriot card with every hand. True patriots, in my opinion, have the ability to easily see right through these neocon war mongers/draft dodgers.

The indisputable facts are EVERYWHERE. I can’t get away from the bad news for a minute. Just turn on the TV or open up a newspaper and it’s in your face. The only way for me to avoid it would be to go down in my basement and hunker down with no outside communication and live off can goods like I’m in a nuclear fallout protection mode. I wrote that in a very sarcastic manner of course.

Is there any way to educate them? Will they ever wake up?

I guess I'm frustrated and venting because I already know the answer.

John Bruhns
Iraq Veteran Read More......

Obama issues 3-page memo defending gay-basher spokesman, explaining that McClurkin has no problem with "happy" gays

Obama's campaign now says that McClurkin only wants to cure the unhappy gays. (The rest of us are, I guess, fine to continue trying to kill America's children.)

From the Washington Post:

The concert was to be the highlight of this outreach and while the crowd left excited, it was clear the campaign still regarded the controversy as complicated. Aides gave reporters a three-page memo detailing McClurkin's and Obama's views on gay rights that noted in capital letters "MCCLURKIN DOES NOT WANT TO CHANGE GAYS AND LESBIANS WHO ARE HAPPY WITH THEIR LIVES AND HAS CRITICIZED CHURCH LEADERS WHO DEMONIZE HOMOSEXUALS," with quotes detailing those statements from the singer.

So David Duke's only problem, per the Obama campaign, is that he villifies the happy Jews and the happy blacks?

Keep digging, guys. Obama keeps making clear that he hasn't learned his lesson, he doesn't understand what he did wrong, and he will continue to coddle those who attack our community so long as it wins him votes and money. His own staff admitted as much to the Washington Post:

Aides to Barack Obama's who are concerned about his fortunes nationally cast his decision not to kick Donnie McClurkin off the program of a gospel concert the campaign was hosting as a principled decision, part of the Illinois senator's constant rhetoric of bringing people together even if they disagree. Aides in South Carolina cited a more obvious consideration: despite the singer's controversial comments in the past about homosexuality, which he has likened to a "curse" and said is a choice, he would be a big draw.

So how many votes and how much money is a bashed gay worth to Senator Obama?

And PS, according to the Washington Post, Obama let McClurkin emcee the event. So much for Obama's disdain for McClurkin's gay-bashing. They practically - no, literally - handed him the mic to do his damage. Read More......

GOP Political Thuggery in VA: Jeanmarie Devolites Davis sent personal info. about her opponent's family in campaign mailer

First, know one key fact: State Senator Jeanmarie Devolites Davis is the wife of Congressman Tom Davis. They're quite the GOP power couple -- and they are running an ugly re-election campaign for her state senate seat in Northern Virginia. The elections for Virginia's state senators and delegates are next week -- and the Democrats are poised to take back control of the State Senate.

In what has to be one of the nastiest moves to date, Devolites Davis sent out a campaign mailer targeting her opponent, Chap Peterson, which identified his home address -- and the names of his kids:

Circled in red on the mail is part of a public document that lists Petersen's home phone number and Fairfax City address.

The names of the former state delegate's wife and two young daughters are also listed.

Petersen said a strange, jarring phone call to his home answered by his wife alerted him to the disclosure. He said his wife was so unnerved by that call and others that she refused to answer the phone and spent the day at her parents'.

"The thing that really bothers me is it was part of an attack ad," Petersen said. "This ad is meant to incite anger at me, and then you have my daughters' names circled and my home phone number circled and my home address circled. The net effect is to get somebody angry at me and have them contact me."

That's the kind of ugly politics Virginia gets from Davis and his wife. They have been running this thug type operation for years -- even before they were married to each other.

Ten years ago, in a former job, my organization sent out a mailing against Ms. Devolites when she was running for state delegate. Congressman Tom Davis exploded. He called me screaming about the mailing (which was factual, by the way.) He called my boss screaming. He demanded both of us show up at his Congressional office to yell at us in person about doing a mailing against the beloved Devolites. Yes, we had to show up at his Capitol Hill office to get blasted over a state political issue. Coincidentally, she showed up. He wanted me to see how beautiful and lovely she was. Huh??? It was a very creepy experience -- and left a very bad taste for a number of reasons.

That was ten years ago. Now Davis and Devolites are married. They still run negative, ugly campaigns. Hopefully, she'll lose next week. He's not running for U.S. Senate to replace John Warner. He can and should be beat next year if he runs for re-election. Read More......

Komrade Hiatt weighs in again

There's a reason we call the Washington Post "Pravda on the Potomac." From the neocons who have taken over the Washington Post:

An amendment to the Senate bill by Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden would go too far by requiring that a warrant be obtained when U.S. citizens are the target of surveillance overseas; this would be an unnecessary and potentially disruptive precedent.

Yes, what a strange other-wordly precedent requiring this thing - what do they call it? - a "warrant," yes, that's it, a war-rant in order for the government to search an American citizen. I mean, how daft can the Congress be, trying to codify some crazy idea that the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. What ARE these America-haters thinking?

And this:

we do not believe that these companies should be held hostage to costly litigation in what is essentially a complaint about administration activities.

Yes, poor AT&T; and Verizon. All they did was try to make billions off of trafficking in your most personal information, and then when they became bad stewards of such information, we simply want to hold them accountable. Yes, what a crazy thought. Much better to let them off the hook so that they learn no lesson and repeat their mistake, their crime, in the future. Read More......

Obama campaign spokesman blasts gays at Gospel concert; white preacher and Obama say nothing

UPDATE: Per the NYT, the anti-gay activist turned the entire final half hour of the concert into an anti-gay harangue:

The whole controversy might have been forgotten in the swell of gospel sound except Mr. McClurkin turned the final half hour of the three-hour concert into a revival meeting about the lightning rod he has become for the Obama campaign.

He approached the subject gingerly at first. Then, just when the concert had seemed to reach its pitch and about to end, Mr. McClurkin returned to it with a full-blown plea: “Don’t call me a bigot or anti-gay when I have suffered the same feelings,” he cried.

“God delivered me from homosexuality,” he added. He then told the audience to believe the Bible over the blogs: “God is the only way.” The crowd sang and clapped along in full support....

Mr. McClurkin’s support for Mr. Obama could signal to some black evangelical voters that race and religion are more important than Mr. Obama’s support for gay rights.

Surprise, surprise, surprise. Obama's anti-gay religious right activist used the opportunity Obama gave him last night to preach his hate to thousands of African-Americans. That's just great. And the white preacher who Obama picked to help explain to the audience that gays aren't minions of Satan? CNN reports that he said nothing at all - just a short little prayer, then he left. As for Obama, he did a taped introduction in which he praised McClurkin, the religious right activist, as one of his favorites. That's nice, because the way to help combat homophobia in the black community is to make sure the gay-basher is first endorsed by someone as high-ranking as Obama, who then chooses to say nothing about the gay-bashing.

So, in the end, Obama let his "best" and "favorite" artist slam gays to thousands of African-Americans, in his name, and neither he nor his hand-chosen white gay preacher said anything in response. Class act, that Obama campaign. For them, creating a "dialogue" means the gay-basher gets to spread his bigotry to thousands while the candidate and the token gay STFU.

And let's give a special shout out to the white gay preacher, Rev. Andy Sidden, who was supposed to be there defending our team. Here's how CNN reported his brave act of courage:

Sidden is the white, gay pastor added to the concert bill as a last minute compromise by the Obama campaign. Sidden's appearance was notably brief and anti-climactic: He said a short prayer to the auditorium at the very beginning of the program, when the arena was only about half full, and then he left.

Obama, while not present, appeared on a videotaped message to the crowd, saying, “The artists you’re going to hear from are some of the best in the world, and favorites of Michelle and myself.”

McClurkin said during the concert that he had been introduced to Obama by Oprah Winfrey.

Wow, we could have invited a brick to give that heartfelt defense of gay people. Did Obama's people plan for Sidden to give his prayer when no one was there? Was Sidden asked by the Obama people not to say anything in defense of gays? Or did Sidden wimp out all by himself?

Obama is definitely not ready for prime time. Read More......

Monday Morning Open Thread

So finally some good news: The Red Sox won the World Series. Last time they won (after an 86 year drought) was in 2004. It was the week before the Presidential election -- back when we all thought George Bush would surely lose. Now, we're waiting out the tragedy that is Bush's second term. Waiting it out and expecting Congress to prevent the war with Iran that Bush & Cheney seem so determined to start.

Let's get it started.... Read More......

And he wonders why he's called The Poodle

It's more of a confirmation of the person we thought he really was and less of a shock, but still very interesting. A new biography about Blair is being published, revealing some of the inside discussions behind the scenes including interviews with Colin Powell.

But Mr Powell told Dr Seldon: "In the end Blair would always support the president. I found this very surprising. I never really understood why Blair seemed to be in such harmony with Bush. I thought, well, the Brits haven't been attacked on 9/11. How did he reach the point that he sees Saddam as such a threat? Jack and I would get him all pumped up about an issue. And he'd be ready to say, 'Look here, George'. But as soon as he saw the president he would lose all his steam."

In extracts from the book in The Mail on Sunday, Dr Seldon also disclosed that two of Mr Blair's most senior Downing Street advisers, Sir David Manning and Baroness Sally Morgan, argued against the war.

According to the book, Mr Blair resolved to write to Mr Bush in 2002 to spell out his fears that the momentum for war was growing too fast in America.

But he "faltered and pulled his punches" and in effect told the president: "You know, George, whatever you decide to do, I'll be with you."

Sir Christopher Meyer, Britain's former ambassador to Washington was horrified, asking Sir David: "Why in God's name has he said that again?

"'Well, we tried to stop him ... but we didn't prevail', came the weary response."

Read More......

Oil sets a new record today

But not to worry, because Cheney says the economy is resilient and you know how often he's been spot on. I guess what he meant to say was $93 was no problem for himself or other Big Oil folks. Read More......

CNN on the Obama gay controversy

From CNN. Read More......

Myanmar blames US for protests

Right. Myanmar is really high on the list of priorities for the Bush administration. Most in Washington probably couldn't even find the country on a map so while I agree Bush is a "loudmouth bully", this protest only shows how delusional the junta really is, not that it seems to matter.

Myanmar's military government stepped up its propaganda campaign against the United States on Sunday, accusing Washington of inciting last month's pro-democracy demonstrations in hopes of installing a puppet government.

Demonstrations that began Aug. 19 over high prices for fuel and consumer goods grew into a broad-based movement for democratic reform that attracted tens of thousands of people in Yangon, the country's biggest city.

Yep, sounds like outside forces at work. Read More......

If you liked Bush, you'll love Giuliani

From AP.

Read More......

Shorter Clarence Thomas: Why don't you like my book? WAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!!

Would you like some cheese with that wine? How about a pubic hair? Read More......

"Memo to the Democratic presidential candidates: You can still beat Hillary Rodham Clinton, but you better act fast."

Interesting article from AP.

Memo to the Democratic presidential candidates: You can still beat Hillary Rodham Clinton, but you better act fast....

"If Hillary wins Iowa, she can practically start shopping for a running mate," said California-based Democratic strategist Dan Newman.

But that's a big if. Clinton has called Iowa her "hardest state," and it's the best — some say only — chance her opponents have to get past her.

"At this point the trailing candidates need to not only catch a huge wave, they also need one to crash on top of Hillary," Newman said. "They need to upend the conventional wisdom that is gelling among donors and others that she can't be stopped, and they need to prove it in Iowa."

The most recent polls in the state show a close race among Clinton and fellow Sens. John Edwards and Barack Obama.

Read More......

Sunday Talk Shows Open Thread

NOTE FROM JOHN: Joe is running the Marine Corps Marathon this morning. I'd say "break a leg," but not sure if that's appropriate marathon-speak....
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In the wake of the fires, the California delegation is getting some face time (including Congressman/Presidential candidate Duncan Hunter, the biggest buffoon in the House.) As usual, the ratio of GOP presidential candidates to Democratic candidates is 3 to 1 -- McCain, Hunter and Huckabee v. Dodd.

Here's the line up:

ABC's "This Week" — Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.; Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif.

___

CBS' "Face the Nation" — Sens. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

___

NBC's "Meet the Press" — Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn.

___

CNN's "Late Edition" — Nabi Sensoy, Turkish ambassador; Mohamed ElBaradei, International Atomic Energy Agency chief; Sens. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Trent Lott, R-Miss.; former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark.

"Fox News Sunday" _ First lady Laura Bush and Gov.-elect and Rep. Bobby Jindal, R-La.

I'll be marathoning this morning so if you're watching, provide the commentary. Read More......

Mother nature to the rescue?

I never travel without a clay powder product called Smecta which helps settle an upset stomach and is not harsh like many modern medicines. For centuries people have enjoyed the therapeutic qualities of mud from the Dead Sea and now researchers will present the results of their study of clay from the Massif Central in France.

Scientists have discovered a new and highly effective weapon against deadly superbugs like the MRSA sweeping through Britain's dirty hospital wards – green French muck.

The dramatic antibiotic success of agricur, a clay made from ancient volcanic ash found near the Massif Central, marks it out as a potential rival to penicillin, the wonder drug of the 20th century. In experiments, the clay killed up to 99 per cent of superbug colonies within 24 hours. Control samples of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) grew 45-fold in the same period.

The clay has a similar effect on other deadly bacteria tested, including salmonella, E. coli, and a flesh-eating disease called buruli, a relative of leprosy which disfigures children across central and western Africa. It has been classed as "an emerging public health threat" by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Besides the effectiveness of natural treatments and the gentleness on the body compared to so many pharmaceuticals, products like this cost very little. Health care systems and insurance companies need to pay much more attention to simple solutions that solve problems though the Big Pharma lobby will probably not stand for such cheap alternatives. Doctors should also be taking a look but of course we also know that too many of them are also in the pocket of Big Pharma. Read More......

Daylight savings in Europe

This can only mean one thing: another cafe! Now there's really no rush to the Sunday market. Read More......

The NY Times profiles "The Evangelical Crackup"

Yes, that's actually the title of a long piece in Sunday's Times by David Kirkpatrick. It's an interesting read. Bush and his war in Iraq helped foster the crackup. And, there seems to be a decidedly different view of what's going on between those evangelicals who are sick of the GOP and those religious right leaders, like Tony Perkins, who are in bed with the GOP.

However "the crackup" plays out in 2008, these couple paragraphs give the flavor of the piece -- and are just fun to read and relish:

Just three years ago, the leaders of the conservative Christian political movement could almost see the Promised Land. White evangelical Protestants looked like perhaps the most potent voting bloc in America. They turned out for President George W. Bush in record numbers, supporting him for re-election by a ratio of four to one. Republican strategists predicted that religious traditionalists would help bring about an era of dominance for their party. Spokesmen for the Christian conservative movement warned of the wrath of “values voters.” James C. Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family, was poised to play kingmaker in 2008, at least in the Republican primary. And thanks to President Bush, the Supreme Court appeared just one vote away from answering the prayers of evangelical activists by overturning Roe v. Wade.

Today the movement shows signs of coming apart beneath its leaders. It is not merely that none of the 2008 Republican front-runners come close to measuring up to President Bush in the eyes of the evangelical faithful, although it would be hard to find a cast of characters more ill fit for those shoes: a lapsed-Catholic big-city mayor; a Massachusetts Mormon; a church-skipping Hollywood character actor; and a political renegade known for crossing swords with the Rev. Pat Robertson and the Rev. Jerry Falwell. Nor is the problem simply that the Democratic presidential front-runners — Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Senator Barack Obama and former Senator John Edwards — sound like a bunch of tent-revival Bible thumpers compared with the Republicans.

The 2008 election is just the latest stress on a system of fault lines that go much deeper. The phenomenon of theologically conservative Christians plunging into political activism on the right is, historically speaking, something of an anomaly. Most evangelicals shrugged off abortion as a Catholic issue until after the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. But in the wake of the ban on public-school prayer, the sexual revolution and the exodus to the suburbs that filled the new megachurches, protecting the unborn became the rallying cry of a new movement to uphold the traditional family. Now another confluence of factors is threatening to tear the movement apart. The extraordinary evangelical love affair with Bush has ended, for many, in heartbreak over the Iraq war and what they see as his meager domestic accomplishments. That disappointment, in turn, has sharpened latent divisions within the evangelical world — over the evangelical alliance with the Republican Party, among approaches to ministry and theology, and between the generations.

Read More......

US could see a water shortage

Is our government learning? Doubtful. Read More......

Libertarians vs. Communitarians

Really interesting article by Michael Kinsley in TIME. He argues that whichever political party figures out how to tap into Libertarians will profit extensively. I'm not sure I buy it, but as always, it's great writing and thinking. Read More......

Freshmen Dems kill trans amendment in House

We've heard for weeks from the United ENDA crowd how easy it would be to get a trans ENDA passed in the House. This article, and the current situation, suggests otherwise. The support just isn't there, even from our own team. Interestingly, per the article, the Freshmen Dems are afraid that should they be forced to vote for the trans amendment they'll be savaged by conservatives AND liberals. That means other Dem challengers would use the vote against Dem incumbents, but it's not clear if the challengers would mock the incumbents for being pro trans or anti- trans (meaning, are they afraid that other Dem challengers will play the transphobia card, or that they will be more liberal and accuse the incumbent of not being good enough on civil rights - it's not clear from the story). Either way, the politics over this issue are totally screwed up, not at all settled, which is the point I've been making for 3 weeks. The United ENDA crowd has been naively telling us all how easy this was going to be. They were wrong, Barney was right, and now we have a huge mess on our hands when just a few weeks ago the GLB ENDA was a sure win. If United ENDA calls this victory, well, we might as well stop funding our national gay groups right now because this kind of victory we can have by staying home. Read More......

Condi has to force State Dept. officials to Iraq

Forced diplomacy. That's going to work:

The State Department will order as many as 50 U.S. diplomats to take posts in Iraq next year because of expected shortfalls in filling openings there, the first such large-scale forced assignment since the Vietnam War.

On Monday, 200 to 300 employees will be notified of their selection as "prime candidates" for 50 open positions in Iraq, said Harry K. Thomas, director general of the Foreign Service. Some are expected to respond by volunteering, he said. However, if an insufficient number volunteers by Nov. 12, a department panel will determine which ones will be ordered to report to the Baghdad embassy next summer.

"If people say they want to go to Iraq, we will take them," Thomas said in an interview. But "we have to move now, because we can't hold up the process." Those on the list were selected by factors including grade, specialty and language skill, as well as "people who have not had a recent hardship tour," he said.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice previewed a possible shortfall in June, when she ordered that positions in Iraq be filled before any other openings at the State Department headquarters in Washington or abroad are available. At the time, Rice said it was her "fervent hope" that sufficient numbers would continue to volunteer. Her order followed a request by Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker in Baghdad for an increase in the number and quality of economic and political officers.

"Fervent hope." Ha. Send all those GOP Hill staffers who are such fervent supporters of the war to Iraq. They won't join the military, maybe they can go pretend to be diplomats, because everyone knows there's no diplomacy happening.

Condi and her boss have an amazing record of failure. Everything they touch -- everything -- is a disaster. Read More......

It's good to be the king

Who out there can't relate to a golden parachute like this?

Merrill Lynch’s directors may be weighing E. Stanley O’Neal’s future, but one thing is already guaranteed: a payday of at least $159 million if he steps down.

Mr. O’Neal, the company’s chairman and chief executive, is entitled to $30 million in retirement benefits as well as $129 million in stock and option holdings, according to an analysis by James F. Reda & Associates using yesterday’s share price of $66.09. That would be on top of the roughly $160 million he took home in his nearly five years on the job.

So Merrill Lynch has to write down a staggering $8.4 billion due to the disastrous mistakes of O'Neal, many jobs will be terminated because of his failed decisions and the guy is going to walk about with this kind of money. I realize he has a contract but really, if America can afford screw ups like this guy at the top, why the hell is it so difficult to see decent benefits and salary increases for the rest of the working population? $159 million is a lot of health care and a lot of salary for others.

Looking objectively at this guys record, he was crap and did not warrant such a lofty pay plan. Where's the personal responsibility from O'Neal on his failures? Sure he's going to be canned but who out there wouldn't want to be fired with this? Our continued idolization of corporate buffoons like this is ridiculous not to mention bloody expensive. Read More......

Saturday Morning Open Thread

News, please. Read More......