Frank Rich pretty much calls Bush a "traitor"

I heart Frank:

"We can see this charade for what it is: a Hail Mary pass by the leaders who bungled a war and want to change the subject to the journalists who caught them in the act. What really angers the White House and its defenders about both the Post and Times scoops are not the legal questions the stories raise about unregulated gulags and unconstitutional domestic snooping, but the unmasking of yet more administration failures in a war effort riddled with ineptitude. It's the recklessness at the top of our government, not the press's exposure of it, that has truly aided the enemy, put American lives at risk and potentially sabotaged national security. That's where the buck stops, and if there's to be a witch hunt for traitors, that's where it should begin."

Read the rest of this post...

More problems with Diebold voting machines

This time it's considered to be the most serious problem yet.

The machines, made by Diebold Elections Systems, are "much, much easier to attack than anything we've previously said," said Avi Rubin, a Johns Hopkins University computer science professor who first cast doubt on the reliability of the technology in a 2003 report.

"On a scale of one to 10, if the problems we found before were a six, this is a 10. It's a totally different ballgame," he said.

Read the rest of this post...

Fitzgerald probe again notes Cheney's involvement, and, Cheney wanted to spy on all Americans without a warrant

1. Cheney wrote a note that mentioned Valerie Plame before she was outed.

2. Supposedly, Cheney wanted to eavesdrop on all Americans, domestically, without a search warrant, but the NSA, Boy Scouts that they are, with Michael Hayden leading the way, threw themselves down on the tracks and said "no, Dick no!"

Give me a break. Bush approved this leak and cleared it with Cheney - Cheney gets to be the fall guy and the administration, and especially Hayden (right before his CIA nomination hearings), get too look like they're the good guys in this whole debate - heck, they didn't even WANT to spy on poor little Americans at home. Sure.

The other interesting point is that this "leak" is supposed to make us believe that in fact no one ever did listen to our domestic phone calls because the rest of the administration stood up to evil Dick in order to protect our rights. Bull. This leak is specifically intended to make us BELIEVE that no one listened to our calls without a warrant, and that's all the more reason to believe they did. Read the rest of this post...

McCain spoke today at Jerry Falwell's university

Five years ago McCain called Jerry Falwell "an agent of intolerance." This time Mccain REALLY wants to be president, so Falwell is okay. John Mccain, the shifting windmill. Don't like something he has to say, just tell him you're considering voting for him - he'll change his mind. Read the rest of this post...

Folks, we have someone launching an electronic attack on the blog, which is very likely a crime. I'd like your help.

UPDATE: Our little troll better hope he doesn't go to Cleveland State University. Because I've contacted their computer folks to check the exact time and IP address that their server accessed AMERICAblog...
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We have someone trying to interfere with the operation of the blog. He's repeatedly posting the same message in the comments, at a rate of 2 a minute, to flood the comments and make them unusable. He has been doing this for at least a week now. My computer geeks have advised me to write this public notice to let this person know that this a crime, he's being tracked, and he's being reported to the FBI and the appropriate tech folks abroad.

1. I've had computer geeks tracking this guy for a week. He's got a rather complicated, but apparently not complicated enough, system of using other servers and systems to hide who he is, etc. I've been advised that this is very likely a crime, and I will be reporting this to the FBI and filing a complaint with some technical folks abroad - see point 2.

2. I'd appreciate any tech folks and political folks who can help me put pressure on the RIPE NCC folks in Amsterdam, they pretty much control all the blocks of IPs the attacker is using. RIPE Network Coordination Centre is the administrative and technical coordinator for the ISPs and other networks in the region from which this attack is very likely originating. They need to be told what's going on through IPs in their blocks. I'm told they're going to act like it's not their problem. Feel free to let them know it will be their problem as soon as I talk to the FBI.

Office Location:
RIPE NCC
Singel 258
1016 AB Amsterdam
The Netherlands

Email: abuse@ripe.net and ops@ripe.net They will send you an automated message back saying - surprise! - we can't help you. Write them back at the new email address they give you if you still feel you have a complaint and feel free to rip them one.

Postal Address:
RIPE NCC
P.O. Box 10096
1001EB Amsterdam
The Netherlands

Phone: +31 20 535 4444
Fax: +31 20 535 4445

3. I'd appreciate any and all assistance from any geeks out there in tracking this person down, finding out what other services they're piggy-backing on, etc. These are the latest IPs he's ghosted, and the time he did it.

84.19.182.23
05.13.06 - 4:04 pm Eastern time

137.148.5.13
05.13.06 - 4:06 pm Eastern time

195.169.149.213
05.13.06 - 3:44 pm Eastern time

65.214.33.71
05.13.06 - 4:39 pm Eastern

4. It's really unfortunate that some people feel the need to commit crimes to interrupt others from having a civil debate. Please do NOT respond to him, talk about him, refer to him or anything else in the threads. I will delete any and all posts refering to him. Don't feed the troll, that's what he wants.

Between law enforcement and my geeks, he's in for a rude awakening. And if he thinks I'm bluffing, he really hasn't followed this blog or my activism. Read the rest of this post...

Newsweek Poll: Bush has gone too far with domestic spying

We're finally starting to see some real polls about how the American people feel about Bush's domestic spying. This new one is from Newsweek.

The Washington Post and ABC did a flash poll the same day the USA Today story broke about Bush collecting all of our phone records. The problem with that poll is that other than a few geeks like us, and the readers of USA Today, most Americans would not have even heard about the new scandal when they were being asked their opinion of it. This new poll was conducted on Thursday AND Friday, and had double the number of respondents as the flawed Washington Post poll.

Editor & Publisher agrees:

So what happened? Most likely views changed that much in one day after more negative media reports (including many from conservative commentators such as MSNBC's Joe Scarborough) surfaced. The Washington Post survey took place before many Americans had heard about, or thought about, the implications. The Newsweek Poll also reached twice as many Americans.

The results:

53% of Americans think a database of US-based calls goes too far in invading privacy. 41% feel the database is necessary - that's a healthy 12 point spread, so none of this "evenly divided" garbage from the media. (Remember when 72% of the public opposed the Republicans on Terri Schiavo and the media said the public was bitterly divided?) Though, I will say, I'd like to see the disapprove numbers higher on this.

57% says Bush has gone too far in expanding presidential power. 38% says Bush has not gone too far. That's a great spread.

Would you rather see… (RESPONSE CATEGORIES ROTATED) the Republicans keep control of Congress or the Democrats win enough seats to take over Congress?
Republicans keep control 35%, Dems take over 52%.

Which party is...

Is concerned with the needs and interests of the disadvantaged
Republicans: 22
Democrats: 63

Able to manage the federal government well
Republicans: 30
Democrats: 47

Can bring about the kind of changes this country needs
Republicans: 30
Democrats: 53

Is concerned with the needs and interests of business and other powerful groups
Republicans: 59
Democrats: 24

Is concerned with the needs of people like you
Republicans: 31
Democrats: 54

Governs in an honest and ethical way
Republicans: 29
Democrats: 41

This poll has Bush's approval at 35%, but that's a decrease from the previous poll's 36%. Read the rest of this post...

Obama blasts the Bush spin on Iraq

In all the excitement yesterday we almost missed this. Could it be that someone has actually exposed the fact that Bush doesn't have a "plan for victory" beyond just saying the words? Obama nails it. The Bush administration does slogans, public relations and spin. They don't have a serious plan in Iraq beyond that:

"This idea," Obama said, "that somehow if you say the words 'plan for victory' and 'stay the course' over and over and over and over again and you put these subliminal messages behind you that say 'victory' and 'victory' and 'victory,' that somehow people are not going to notice the 2,400 flag-draped coffins that have arrived at the Dover Air Force Base."

The Bush team wants to stay the course. What course? Democrats need to change the course. Read the rest of this post...

Bush claims he's protecting your privacy

This may be one of his biggest lies yet:

"The privacy of all Americans is fiercely protected in all our activities," Bush said Saturday in his weekly radio address. "The government does not listen to domestic phone calls without court approval. We are not trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans."

There is no protection of privacy in George Bush's America. The Bush administration wants to know everything about your private lives. They are the most intrusive administration in American history. They have used the excuse of national security and their allegiance to the right wing theocrats to push their way in to every aspect of our lives. If they're not monitoring phone calls, they are waging a war on sex. Privacy is a right that George Bush is doing every thing he can to strip away. Read the rest of this post...

Add Virgin Mobile and Cox to the list of "good guy" telecom companies

BAD GUYS
- Verizon land-line: "We have been in full compliance with the law and we are committed to our customers' privacy."

- AT&T; land-line: "Our customers expect, deserve and receive nothing less than our fullest commitment to their privacy. We also have an obligation to assist law enforcement and other government agencies responsible for protecting the public welfare, whether it be an individual or the security interests of the entire nation."

- BellSouth land-line: "We have not provided any information we would need a subpoena for."

GOOD GUYS(supposedly)
- Qwest
- Verizon Wireless: "Verizon Wireless is not involved in this situation."
- T-Mobile: "T-Mobile is not a participant in any NSA program for warrant-less surveillance and acquisition of call records. T-Mobile has not provided any such access to communications or customer records."
- Virgin Mobile: "We have not provided our customers numbers or records to anyone."
- Cox: "We have received your recent email regarding the NSA and calling information. Please be assured that Cox has not had any involvement in this program and does not supply customer phone or Internet records to the NSA."

UNCLEAR
- Comcast: "It is not company policy to provide the federal government access to customer records or the ability to monitor customer communications in the absence of valid legal process."

That is a non-answer from Comcast. And what's worse, it's actually the same answer we're getting from AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth, which we already know from the USA Today article are voluntarily invading their customers' privacy. So where does Comcast really stand? Time to ask them to get a clear answer rather than legal mumbo-jumbo.

OTHER UNCLEAR
Cingular Wireless
Sprint
MCI
RCN cable phone
And I'm sure many more wireless and landline telcos I'm forgetting. Read the rest of this post...

More global warming problems

Sea grasses not growing in the Chesapeake and hay fever in the UK. Nothing to see...keep moving. Showing concern for the climate is just for wackos and has no impact on anything, so pay no attention.

Eelgrass - a lime-green plant with delicate, spaghetti-like leaves - is the dominant aquatic plant in the salty southern bay closest to the Atlantic Ocean. The species is the only underwater plant that lives year-round in the bay, and it is viewed by biologists as a crucial producer of oxygen and shelter for marine life. An aerial survey this spring of Tangier Sound in the lower Chesapeake, as well as Chincoteague and Isle of Wight bays along the Atlantic coast, showed a widespread loss of eelgrass, Naylor said.

And the headline story in the UK's The Independent:

The pollen from trees and grasses that produces allergic reactions in millions of people is steadily increasing with rising temperatures, according to the UK's leading pollen specialist.

Read the rest of this post...

Second $20 billion lawsuit filed against Verizon

This is different than the one Chris mentioned earlier. this is is a second one. May they happen in every state. And don't forget to include AT&T; and BellSouth.

Ma Bell is a snitch. Read the rest of this post...

Saturday Morning Open Thread

What a week. Read the rest of this post...

Verizon sued for handing out records to NSA

Good. I hope to hear of a lot more legal action against the bastards who don't give a damn about the Constitution.

Attorneys Bruce Afran and Carl Mayer filed the lawsuit Friday afternoon in federal district court in Manhattan, where Verizon is headquartered.

The lawsuit asks the court to stop Verizon from turning over any more records to the NSA without a warrant or consent of the subscriber.

"This is the largest and most vast intrusion of civil liberties we've ever seen in the United States," Afran said of the NSA program.

And here's where Verizon and others might stand up and take notice:

The lawsuit seeks $1,000 for each violation of the Telecommunications Act, or $5 billion if the case is certified as class-action.

Read the rest of this post...

Iraqi troops killing each other

This is a bizarre turn of events though it shouldn't come as much of a surprise considering the steady stream of sectarian violence in Iraq. What's the spin going to be on this event?

The trouble started when a roadside bomb struck an Iraqi army convoy, which police said was made up of Kurdish soldiers. Four soldiers were killed and three were wounded, police said. U.S. military officials put the casualty figure at one dead and 12 wounded.

The wounded were rushed to the civilian Balad Hospital. Police said that as the Kurdish soldiers drove to the hospital, they fired weapons to clear the way, and one Iraqi Shiite civilian was killed.

Shiite soldiers from another Iraqi unit based in Balad rushed to the scene, and the Kurds decided to take their wounded elsewhere, Iraqi police said. Iraqi troops tried to stop them and shots were fired, killing one Shiite soldier, Iraqi police said.

Read the rest of this post...