Evening Open Thread

Enjoy. Read More......

Who are we anymore?

From AP:

At least 11 al-Qaida suspects have "disappeared" in U.S. custody, and some may have been tortured, Human Rights Watch said in a report issued Monday.

The prisoners are probably being held outside the United States without access to the Red Cross or any oversight of their treatment, the human rights group said. In some cases, the United States will not even acknowledge the prisoners are in custody.

The report said the prisoners include the alleged architect of the Sept. 11 attacks, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, as well as Abu Zubaydah, who is believed to be a close aide to Osama bin Laden.

In refusing to disclose the prisoners' whereabouts or acknowledge the detentions, Human Rights Watch said, the U.S. government has violated international law, international treaties and the Geneva Convention. The group called on the government to bring all the prisoners "under the protection of the law."

Read More......

Bush lets nuclear bomb making materials disappear from Iraq

Yes, the Bush administration has let equipment and materials that could be used to make nuclear bombs simply disappear from Iraq while under their not-so-watchful eye. You heard it correctly. We invaded Iraq to stop them from "maybe, someday" developing nukes, and instead sat there and didn't do a thing while the same materials simply disappeared, and could now be in the hands of the very terrorists we were supposedly fighting to stop.

This man's idiocy, lack of responsibility, and inability to manage anything is going to get someone - or a lot of someone's - killed. What the fuck did we invade for if all that is happening now is that we've suddenly supplied the terrorists with the very materials that we were "afraid" Saddam "might" give them?

Some day a nuke is going to go off in some city somewhere, and at least half of this nation can say with a clear conscience that we didn't vote for this asshole. Read More......

Vote for Change concert online right now

http://www.vfcfinale.com

The Vote for Change Tour, presented by MoveOn PAC, is a benefit for America Coming Together. Over the past 10 days, more than 20 artists have united for single cause by playing 33 concerts in 11 battleground states. Tonight, they perform together on one stage for the first time. Read More......

It's begun. Florida already screws one Dem voter abroad

Well congratulations Florida! I've officially confirmed that the first guaranteed screwing of a Democrat in that state has already taken place. I just received the following email from one of my best friends whose husband is working for the UN in Central America.

Do you know that [my husband] tried to register to vote and he could never get the voting material from Florida. He has sent many faxes, did it on the web, etc. and never got the info/package needed. The deadline was 4 october, so he won't be able to vote due to some burocratic loop or intentional mismanagement. What can he do?

You can't do a thing. Florida screwed yet another Democratic voter. It's 3 weeks away from the election, and the cheating has already begun. Read More......

Advertiser boycott of Sinclair launched

Check out this site, which includes a database of Sinclair's advertisers that you can add to, etc. Sic 'em. Read More......

This Election Is Gonna Get Messy

Barring a landslide by one of the candidates (I mean Kerry, of course), this election is gonna get very, very messy. The latest piece of evidence? A USA Today story about those provisional ballots and what election day is going to be like.

""Provisional ballots could be the hanging chads of 2004," says Tony Sirvello, director of an association of local election administrators. "If there's a state as close as Florida was in 2000, this could have a major effect."

"Hundreds of thousands of voters could be affected. After the 2000 election, the Census Bureau found that nearly 3 million people didn't vote because of registration issues. Problems with registration systems cost between 1.5 millon and 3 million votes, according to estimates by the CalTech-MIT Voting Technology Project. Causes included erroneous purges, recent moves by voters, clerical mistakes and database problems.

"Complicating the picture this year: a flood of newly registered voters, driven by high interest in the presidential race and intensive get-out-the-vote efforts."

Provisional ballots were one change meant to help the electoral process. After the disaster of 2000, Congress passed the Help America Vote Act, which said every state must provide a stand-by ballot for someone who isn't on the registered rolls or otherwise seems disqualified but insists they have the right to vote. They cast a provisional ballot and those are held separately until their eligibility (or lack thereof) can be verified. That's so people don't get turned away at the polls without the opportunity to cast a ballot. It doesn't mean the ballot will be counted if they can't make their case. These ballots are sure to be at the heart of post-election legal challenges.

It's unclear how people can follow up on their case or check and make sure their vote -- if valid -- was counted. This, along with the varying procedures for counting them, overseas ballots, etc. will only add to the confusion on Election Day and a delay in getting a proper tally.

I've said it before: this election will not be decided on Election Day.
Read More......

New Kerry ad KICKS BUSH'S ASS

Well that was quick. I was bitching in the previous post about no one using Bush's "I don't think we can win it" comment in an ad. Well, Kerry just launched one today, and it rocks. View the ad here. Read More......

Open Thread

Whatever moves you... Read More......

Youth don't buy Bush promises about the DRAFT

From Newsday:

....Then, there is the math, which gives some real policy credence to the draft fears.

Already, the military is straining mightily to keep up with current demands: 135,000 troops in Iraq, 20,000 in Afghanistan, another 230,000 deployed elsewhere around the globe. And how many more will be needed? Paul Bremer, the man who ran post-war Iraq, finally conceded the other day what military planners have been saying all along: The U.S. can't pacify Iraq without more troops there.

And where exactly are they supposed to come from?

When anxious Republican leaders brought the Rangel draft bill up for a sudden vote last week, almost everyone voted no. The measure was rejected 402-2. Even Rangel voted against it.

But that did nothing to quell the anxiety among America's millions of potential draftees.

"I don't think it changes anything at all," said Scott Goodstein, who runs the music-and-politics activist group Punk Voter, which has jumped all over the draft issue.

"Kids are smarter than that," Goodstein said. "They know the answers don't add up. Every night on the news they're being told that 40,000 or 80,000 people will have to go fight in Iraq. No other country is really jumping into this war. We're left in the same scenario. Where are these people gonna come from? We not pulling out. Kerry says we're not. Bush clearly says we're not. Anybody 18 or 20 years old can figure out, 'Hey, this is a reality I need to be scared of.' "

Added Sane, Anti-Flag's ironically named lead singer and lead guitarist who's been traveling swing states as part of the Punk Voter Rock Against Bush Tour: "The young people I talk to are really concerned. This is very real to them. Most of them know someone who has been sent to Iraq. They take it very personally. The degrees of separation are very few here. We can't just sit quietly."

Read More......

Saudi women again denied the vote

Thank goodness Bush is helping to bring democracy to the Middle East. Our Saudi friends have come up with more excuses once again for allowing women the vote. What friends we have over there. Oh the horror, the thought of women in 2004 having the right to vote. It sounds as though the religious nutballs in Saudi Arabia are winning the day. With friends like these...

Women may neither vote nor run in Saudi Arabia's first nationwide elections, the government announced Monday, dashing hopes of progressive Saudis and easing fears among conservatives that the kingdom is moving too fast on reforms.

The religious establishment had been lobbying against women's participation in the elections, diplomats said.

Saudi women have limited freedoms. Without written permission from a male guardian, they may not travel, get an education or work. Regardless of permissions, they are not allowed to drive, mix with men in public or leave home without covering themselves with black cloaks, called abayas.

"Women are capable of voting and making the right choices," said Ahmed, a 22-year-old marketing graduate. "Why aren't men and women equal in this issue?"

Read More......

Why does Dick Cheney hate America?

From the DOD Web site:

The DoD budget faced Cheney with his most immediate and pressing problem when he came to the Pentagon. President Bush had already said publicly that the proposed FY 1990 Defense budget of more than $300 billion had to be cut immediately by $6.3 billion, and soon after Cheney began work the president increased the amount to $10 billion. Cheney recognized the necessity of cutting the budget and downsizing the military establishment....

Early in 1991 the secretary unveiled a plan to reduce military strength by the mid-1990s to 1.6 million, compared to 2.2 million when he entered office. In his budget proposal for FY 1993, his last one, Cheney asked for termination of the B-2 program at 20 aircraft, cancellation of the Midgetman, and limitations on advanced cruise missile purchases to those already authorized. When introducing this budget, Cheney complained that Congress had directed Defense to buy weapons it did not want, including the V-22, M-1 tanks, and F-14 and F-16 aircraft, and required it to maintain some unneeded reserve forces. His plan outlined about $50 billion less in budget authority over the next 5 years than the Bush administration had proposed in 1991....

Over Cheney's four years as secretary of defense, encompassing budgets for fiscal years 1990-93, DoD's total obligational authority in current dollars declined from $291.3 billion to $269.9 billion. Except for FY 1991, when the TOA budget increased by 1.7 percent, the Cheney budgets showed negative real growth: -2.9 percent in 1990, -9.8 percent in 1992, and -8.1 percent in 1993. During this same period total military personnel declined by 19.4 percent, from 2.202 million in FY 1989 to 1.776 million in FY 1993. The Army took the largest cut, from 770,000 to 572,000-25.8 percent of its strength. The Air Force declined by 22.3 percent, the Navy by 14 percent, and the Marines by 9.7 percent....

Read More......

$14 friggin' billion is all Bush could get from the donor countries?

We've already spent $120bn on Iraq, we've appropriated another $80bn to be spent this upcoming year, and Bush is bragging that he got our wonderful partners in this war to pony up a measly $14bn? Gee, that would be, what 7% of the total cost? Wow, thanks. Not to mention, this money was pledged a frickin' year ago. Only a few hundred million has been spent. Tell us again how great the coalition contribution has been to this war, George.

In comparison, nearly all the money spent on Gulf War I came from our allies. Read More......

More Zogby analysis on Kerry being ahead by 3

Zogby:

Pollster John Zogby: "The President did not have a good single day today. He has lost another point over the three days. Polling 44% is not good for an incumbent -- but this is very far from over. Bush seems to be making gains among 18-29 year olds. He now leads among them -- something that has not happened all year until now. I am watching closely to see if that continues. This group also has 9% undecided, which is high for this year. Neither Bush's gains nor the high undecideds are good news for Kerry.

"The President also appears to be getting stronger in the Central/Great Lakes region -- home of Ohio, Michigan, and Missouri. I will continue to watch that. As will I look closely at military families where the President has picked up a few points.

"But the President only leads among married voters by 11 points -- not enough to offset Kerry's strong lead among singles.

"Kerry continues to poll well among low income and union voters. He has improved his standing among women and is running strong among voters who have active passports -- perhaps a sign that he is making his case on foreign policy. Kerry also continues his dominance among Jewish voters. While the sub-group polled is small, the fact that the President never seems to break 20% of this group at least suggests that he might not do as well as his advisors have suggested.

"Ralph Nader continues to slip-- polling only 1.7%. He does receive 5% of Independent voters but is barely a blip on the screen among Democrats. Kerry leads among Independents by 6 points, but 16% of them are undecided.

"Lots more campaign to go. Wednesday's debate is vital because many sub-groups remain close and because so many Independents have yet to make up their minds.”

Read More......

Bush admits combat missions in Iraq are geared towards influencing US election

At some point, someone, somewhere has to raise a stink about this. Bush has ordered our troops in Iraq to delay any major assaults on rebel-held cities in Iraq, apparently even if they're militarily necessary, until after the US elections in November.

My favorite quote is the following:

"When this election's over, you'll see us move very vigorously," said one senior administration official involved in strategic planning, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"Once you're past the election, it changes the political ramifications" of a large-scale offensive, the official said.

I.e., we're going to wait until after the elections because then no one will care what we do.

If you're a service member in Iraq, or know a service member in Iraq, share this article with other of our troops. They need to know that their lives are being used as political fodder by this president. Read More......

Military communication device worn between the shoulder blades... hmm...

Reader PJB informs us of a military-style communications device that is worn BETWEEN THE SHOULDERBLADES. Sound familiar? Read More......

Christopher Reeve has died

Kerry had mentioned him during Friday night's debate. Sad.

Perhaps Michael in NYC, our resident interviewer of the stars, has any insight on Reeve (or perhaps not). Read More......

From votes not counted to votes made up?

Associated Press has an interesting story about a new procedure Congress implemented that was designed to "prevent" the kind of mess we saw in 2000 -- provisional voting. If you get to the polls and you're not on the voting rolls, you're given a provisional ballot and the clerk checks out the problem. If you're later found to be eligible, your vote counts. But guess who is to say who is eligible and who isn't?

I read about this in the Bradenton Herald, which by the way, has a debate poll that apparently nobody's seen yet.

However, nobody's told the states how to implement this provision. It will be scary to see who's in and who's out. So lets make sure Glenda Hood knows we're watching her.
Read More......

Zogby Poll: Kerry Up Three

The momentum continues to favor Kerry, and that's a good thing. This poll was conducted by Zogby for Reuters. Zogby is pretty much the only pollster that I still put any real faith in. From Reuters:

Democratic challenger John Kerry expanded his slight lead over President Bush to three points in a tight race for the White House, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Monday.

The Massachusetts senator held a 47-44 percent lead over Bush in the latest three-day tracking poll, up two points from Sunday. Bush's support dropped one point and Kerry's support rose one point in the new poll...

The poll found 48 percent of voters thought the United States was headed in the wrong direction and 45 percent thought it was headed in the right direction.

The underlying fundamentals look good. Keep up the hard work guys, it's only a few weeks left! Read More......

Oil hits new highs, economic impact now being felt in Singapore and UK

Brent crude jumps over $50 per barrel in London for the first time and US light crude hits $53.63. Some are saying that it will not have an impact on the economy but Singapore now reporting a 2.3% contraction, the first decline in 18 months. Production costs for the third quarter UK products are increasing as well, reports the BBC. Nothing to see here, keep moving.
Read More......

John Snow is living in a fantasy world

Better check his office for a gas leak or something because the guy is nuts. Treasury Secretary John Snow is now claiming that the high oil prices are "out of line with the fundamentals, and there will be a movement back toward the fundamentals" though what those fundamentals are, we don't know. Could they be the near capacity oil production that is already there? Could they be the continuing problems in Nigeria where a union leader was abducted by the government prior to a new strike? Could they be the increasing demand for oil by China? Perhaps he's referring to the fundamental problem that this administration has shown no interest in energy conservation and will spill American blood to keep the oil pumping? What the hell is this clown trying to tell us now?

The fundamentals are that oil prices will not be hinting near the $30/barrel mark for a long time. The reality is that we will be floating in the $40-$60 range for a while so get used to those prices. Only a fool would think that this will not have a negative impact on the US and global economies. We're addicted and this administration is not interested in "jaw boning" our "friends" as he promised to do. Keep pumping and keep buying and never admit that there's a problem. Denial, denial, denial. It seems to be a common problem these days.
Read More......

Condi Speaks The Truth

Condi Rice was on "Good Morning America" on Sunday talking about the historic (and positive) Afghan elections. And she sure nailed it when Rice defended the vote against charges that it was rigged and unfair.

"You have technical problems with elections all over the world," said Rice. "You have technical problems with elections in mature democracies."

Ain't that the truth? Read More......