Friday, June 13, 2008

Amazon Customer Service Phone Numbers [Phone Numbers]



 
 

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via Consumerist by Ben Popken on 6/13/08

Slightly buried on Amazon's page and, at one time, not even published on their site, Amazon.com's customer service phone numbers:

Amazon Support: 866-216-1072
Amazon Support for International users: 206-266-2992
Amazon MP3 Support: 888-802-3083

(Photo: Spidra Webster)



 
 

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Hospitals Are Encouraging Patients To Finance Treatment, Including Elective ...



 
 

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via Consumerist by Alex Chasick on 6/13/08

A Consumer Reports study finds that medical professionals are pushing high-interest lines of credit and financing options on patients. Credit agencies are even partnering with hospitals to offer branded credit cards so patients can finance elective cosmetic surgeries like liposuction and hair removal.

Some highlights:

  • Interest rates can jump to as much as 27.99 percent retroactively. That's the rate Chase HealthAdvance's zero-interest plan charges, for example, if you miss a payment or don't pay off the debt in the promotional period. By contrast, the average fixed-rate credit card charges 11.9 percent, according to Bankrate.com.
  • Consumers report that they sometimes feel pressured by medical providers to finance needed medical care, in some cases while sedated or recovering from treatment.
  • Doctors and dentists have financial incentives under these arrangements to encourage patients to sign up for more expensive treatments and to steer them to extended financing plans that take a smaller cut of the practitioner's fee.
  • When hospitals persuade patients to tap unused credit, those patients can lose the power to bargain for discounts or even obtain charity care

Overdose of Debt [Consumer Reports]
(Photo: Getty)



 
 

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Rove ‘talks fairly regularly’ with top McCain staffers.



 
 

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via Think Progress by Matt on 6/13/08

As ThinkProgress has often noted, former Bush political guru Karl Rove is an informal adviser to Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) presidential campaign while simultaneously appearing as a supposedly independent political analyst on Fox News. Now, in a new article not yet posted online, National Journal's Peter Stone reveals that Rove "talks periodically" with McCain's chief political strategist, Charlie Black, while also speaking "fairly regularly" with other top staffers like Nicole Wallace and Steve Schmidt:

"Generally speaking, Rove's advice is action-oriented and useful," said another senior consultant to the McCain camp. "It's always well received." This McCain adviser noted that Rove talks periodically to Black and a few other top campaign aides on several key matters. "It can be policy ideas, messaging ideas, fundraising prospects, or people who need calls from someone in the campaign." Rove is "part of the information network that the campaign has," this adviser said, adding that Rove talks fairly regularly to such key people as Wayne Berman, a major fundraiser for McCain; Nicolle Wallace, a communications adviser; and Steve Schmidt, a senior aide.

Stone, who has previously reported that Rove is "up to his eyeballs" in the coordination of outside political groups supporting Republicans, also reports that Rove is paid "mid-six figures" to provide assistance to the conservative attack group Freedom's Watch.


 
 

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Cheney Acknowledges He Lied About China Drilling ‘60 Miles Off The Coast Of ...



 
 

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via Think Progress by Ali on 6/13/08

cheneyweb.jpgOn Wednesday, Vice President Dick Cheney gave a speech to the Chamber of Commerce in which he claimed that China, in cooperation with the Cuban government, is drilling for oil "60 miles off the coast of Florida." "Even the communists have figured out" that drilling for oil is the solution to the energy crisis, Cheney argued.

It's a talking point favored by the right wing. Cheney was quoting conservative columnist Geroge Will, who wrote on June 6 that China is drilling "60 miles off Florida," "closer to South Florida than U.S. companies are." The same day Cheney spoke, Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) wrote that Castro was allowing drilling "45 miles from the Florida keys." Rep. George Radanovich (R-CA) and House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) have also raised the specter of Chinese drilling just off U.S. shores.

The problem, of course, is that the claim is completely false. After his claim was thoroughly debunked in the press, Cheney acknowledged that he had, in fact, lied in his speech, though his statement today offered no apology and issued only a half-hearted backtrack of his original claim:

It is our understanding that, although Cuba has leased out exploration blocks 60 miles off the coast of southern Florida, which is closer than American firms are allowed to operate in that area, no Chinese firm is drilling there.

Cheney's comments were so egregiously false that a member of his own party took to the Senate floor to correct the record. Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL) decried claims of "some fabricated Cuba/China connection," saying they have "no merit."

Peddling stories of false connections that have no merit is hardly a new practice for Cheney. But being called out by his own party — and having to admit error — is certainly an uncommon occurence for him.


 
 

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Think Tank: Obama's Tax Plan Better for Middle Class



 
 

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via Drudge Retort by AMERICANUNITY on 6/13/08

CONCORD -- The tax cut plan of Democratic nominee to be Barack Obama offers three times the break for middle class families than proposals of likely Republican nominee John McCain, according to analysts working for a left-leaning think tank. Families making between $37,595 and $66,354 of annual income with Obama would get an average tax cut of $1,042 per family while McCain's tax cut for this group would be $319, the report states. "The choice in November for tax policy may be the largest voters have ever had in this country," said Jason Furman, director of economic policy for Barack Obama's campaign. "John McCain's tax cut is far larger, more regressive and far more radical than anything President George W. Bush has ever proposed. Barack Obama is proposing one of the largest income tax cuts for the middle class in American history."

 
 

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The Sopranos: Definitive Explanation of “The END”

The Sopranos: Definitive Explanation of “The END”

He was shot by MOG as he exited the bathroom. Just before (5), MOG gets up and walks past Tony’s table. Tony gives him two looks and MOG eventually enters the bathroom. Chase uses a tracking shot to follow MOG and to make sure that we see MOG enter the bathroom. To further emphasize the shot’s importance, Chase continues the movement of the camera even after the bathroom is clearly seen (the bathroom moves from the corner of the frame to the left and consequently is more noticeable when the camera finally stops). This is only one of two tracking shots in the final scene (the other is when Tony enters Holsten’s) as all the other shots in the diner are static. Chase’s direction is clearly meant to convey the importance of MOG entering the bathroom. The purpose of the shot is to show that MOG will have a clear shot at Tony once he exit’s the bathroom. More importantly, the bathroom is behind Tony. Tony will not have a chance to react.

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Kucinich Pushes to Impeach Bush



 
 

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via Open Congress : Congress Gossip Blog by Donny Shaw on 6/13/08

Should Congress use their time holding George Bush accountable for violating all kinds of laws in the lead up to the Iraq War, or dealing with the current and future problems facing the country? The Democratic leadership, lead by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has consistently favored the latter, insisting since the 2006 elections that "impeachment is off the table." But Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) and a group of Democrats on the left of the party are pushing back against the leadership – most recently with a bill to impeach President Bush.

Kucinich introduced the bill earlier this week, and it was referred to the House Judiciary Committee by an overwhelming vote after being forced onto the House floor by a rare parliamentary move known as a privileged motion. So far, the bill's following the same exact path as the Cheney impeachment bill Kucinich introduced earlier in the session. That bill's been stuck in the Judiciary Committee since November, and it likely will never leave. The Bush impeachment bill will probably find its final resting place there as well.

Kucinich, however, is not giving up. The Hill reports:

He said Wednesday that he'll bring his resolution back in 30 days if the Judiciary Committee, to which it was referred Wednesday, doesn't act on it.

"This one's coming back from the dead in 30 days," Kucinich said after the referral vote Wednesday. "In 30 days, I'll be joined by many more" members, he said.

Asked who those members were, he replied, "You'll see."

Seeing the unpopularity of the Republicans' impeachment of Bill Clinton in 1998 and the fact that Bush is already an unpopular and lame duck , The Democratic leadership is resisting impeachment because they fear it would be bad politics. But Kucinich and his supporters see impeachment as Congress' responsibility. "It is the House's responsibility as a co-equal branch of government to provide an effective check and balance to executive abuse of power," Kucinich said in a press release. And there is some evidence that the leadership's political calculations may be wrong. The most recent poll shows that 36 percent of Americans think Congress would be justified in impeaching Bush, which almost surely means that a majority of Democrats do.

Below are the 35 charges leveled against President Bush in Kucinich's bill (for complete text and supporting evidence, go here):

Article I – Creating a Secret Propaganda Campaign to Manufacture a False Case for War Against Iraq

Article II – Falsely, Systematically, and with Criminal Intent Conflating the Attacks of September 11, 2001, With Misrepresentation of Iraq as a Security Threat as Part of Fraudulent Justification for a War of Aggression

Article III – Misleading the American People and Members of Congress to Believe Iraq Possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction, to Manufacture a False Case for War

Article IV – Misleading the American People and Members of Congress to Believe Iraq Posed an Imminent Threat to the United States

Article V – Illegally Misspending Funds to Secretly Begin a War of Aggression

Article VI – Invading Iraq in Violation of the Requirements of HJRes114

Article VII – Invading Iraq Absent a Declaration of War.

Article VIII – Invading Iraq, A Sovereign Nation, in Violation of the UN Charter

Article IX – Failing to Provide Troops With Body Armor and Vehicle Armor

Article X – Falsifying Accounts of US Troop Deaths and Injuries for Political Purposes

Article XI – Establishment of Permanent U.S. Military Bases in Iraq

Article XII – Initiating a War Against Iraq for Control of That Nation's Natural Resources

Article XIIII – Creating a Secret Task Force to Develop Energy and Military Policies With Respect to Iraq and Other Countries

Article XIV – Misprision of a Felony, Misuse and Exposure of Classified Information And Obstruction of Justice in the Matter of Valerie Plame Wilson, Clandestine Agent of the Central Intelligence Agency

Article XV – Providing Immunity from Prosecution for Criminal Contractors in Iraq

Article XVI – Reckless Misspending and Waste of U.S. Tax Dollars in Connection With Iraq and US Contractors

Article XVII – Illegal Detention: Detaining Indefinitely And Without Charge Persons Both U.S. Citizens and Foreign Captives

Article XVIII – Torture: Secretly Authorizing, and Encouraging the Use of Torture Against Captives in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Other Places, as a Matter of Official Policy

Article XIX – Rendition: Kidnapping People and Taking Them Against Their Will to "Black Sites" Located in Other Nations, Including Nations Known to Practice Torture

Article XX – Imprisoning Children

Article XXI – Misleading Congress and the American People About Threats from Iran, and Supporting Terrorist Organizations Within Iran, With the Goal of Overthrowing the Iranian Government

Article XXII – Creating Secret Laws

Article XXIII – Violation of the Posse Comitatus Act

Article XXIV – Spying on American Citizens, Without a Court-Ordered Warrant, in Violation of the Law and the Fourth Amendment

Article XXV – Directing Telecommunications Companies to Create an Illegal and Unconstitutional Database of the Private Telephone Numbers and Emails of American Citizens

Article XXVI – Announcing the Intent to Violate Laws with Signing Statements

Article XXVII – Failing to Comply with Congressional Subpoenas and Instructing Former Employees Not to Comply

Article XXVIII – Tampering with Free and Fair Elections, Corruption of the Administration of Justice

Article XXIX – Conspiracy to Violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965

Article XXX – Misleading Congress and the American People in an Attempt to Destroy Medicare

Article XXXI – Katrina: Failure to Plan for the Predicted Disaster of Hurricane Katrina, Failure to Respond to a Civil Emergency

Article XXXII – Misleading Congress and the American People, Systematically Undermining Efforts to Address Global Climate Change

Article XXXIII – Repeatedly Ignored and Failed to Respond to High Level Intelligence Warnings of Planned Terrorist Attacks in the US, Prior to 911.

Article XXXIV – Obstruction of the Investigation into the Attacks of September 11, 2001

Article XXXV – Endangering the Health of 911 First Responders


 
 

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Waxman Threatens Contempt of Congress In EPA Investigation



 
 

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via TPMMuckraker by Andrew Tilghman on 6/13/08

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) has had enough of the great stonewaller himself, EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson.

In a letter today to Johnson, Waxman threatens to hold Johnson in contempt for failing to comply with congressional subpoenas requesting information on two recent controversial decisions by Johnson that overruled EPA's professional staff: his refusal to grant California a waiver to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles and his refusal to fully raise ozone standards.

Waxman, the chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent a similar letter threatening contempt to White House official Susan Dudley, in the Office of Management and Budget, for the White House's refusal to comply with a related subpoena.

You have neither complied with these subpoenas by their returnable date nor asserted any privilege to justify withholding documents from the Committee. In light of your actions, I am writing to inform you that the Committee will meet on June 20 to consider a resolution citing you for contempt of Congress. I strongly urge you to comply with the duly issued subpoenas.

The full text of the letters are here (pdf) and here (pdf).


 
 

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VA Denies Vet’s Disability Claim–Cites Membership In VoteVets As Reason



 
 

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via Crooks and Liars by Nicole Belle on 6/13/08

I know they're making it harder for vets to get disability, but this is outrageous:

The VA rejected an Afghanistan veteran's disability claim for PTSD last month, citing his membership in VoteVets.org as a reason for the denial.

Staff Sergeant Will King retired from the Army in late 2003, after serving in both the first Gulf War and the war in Afghanistan.  As one of the first troops into the Afghan theater after 9/11, Will had been awarded a Bronze Star after participating in fierce fighting in the Shah-e-Kot Valley  in March 2002.  I know, because I was there with him.

As the months turned to years after his retirement, however, Will started having problems as the Iraq War dragged on.  Depressed and unable to sleep, he thought it might be PTSD.  Because, as those who study PTSD know, this is perfectly normal: The symptoms of PTSD frequently have a delayed onset that can take months or years to fully materialize.  That's why, in April 2007, Will filed a claim with the VA for combat-related PTSD.  The VA eventually agreed with Will and diagnosed him with mild PTSD.  But Will felt like his condition was worse than that.  And to boot, he thought it was getting worse.  So Will appealed, and filed another disability claim with the VA in November 2007: He felt his symptoms were serious enough to warrant an increase in his disability rating from "mild" to "moderate."*

Unfortunately for Will, the VA denied his claim six months later, in May 2008.  And while I won't challenge the VA's ultimate decision (I'm not a doctor), I find it repulsive that they cited Will's membership in VoteVets.org as a reason to deny his claim.

This is what the VA told Will in his denial letter:

The examiner states your PTSD symptoms are still present but you do not report symptoms at a degree or level which appears to suggest more severity.  The examiner concurred with the previous diagnosis and assigned Global Assessment of Functioning Score of 52, stating you have occasional suicidal ideation but are able to cope with these symptoms and continue to function.  The treatment reports from Memphis show you are currently involved with VoteVets.org, an advocacy group for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.  You indicated involvement with this advocacy group makes you feel coping with your symptoms is worthwhile.  The treatment note of March 10, 2008, indicates no homicidal or suicidal ideation and no thought disorder.


 
 

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Countrywide CEO Gave Below Market Rate Loans To Senators From A Special "VIP...



 
 

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via Consumerist by Meg Marco on 6/13/08

Does Angelo Mozilo spend all of his time thinking of ways to be shady? Now ABC News says that Countrywide had a special "VIP desk" that gave out below market rate loans to Senators and other politically connected people.

From ABC:

Friends of Countrywide Financial CEO Angelo Mozilo and other high-profile individuals had their home loans handled by the company's VIP desk, where a team of loan officers would work out favorable terms in conjunction with Mozilo, according to two former Countrywide executives.

Celebrities get their loans from somewhere," said one former executive who likened the favorable loans to employee discounts. "That desk handled loans for people who were referred by executives. The way that it would customarily work is he [Angelo] might call in, 'What can we do? What are we charging on this or that?' and then tell [his friend] 'I'll get you that at X. Don't worry. I'll get you the loan."

Some of the beneficiaries didn't even know that they were receiving special benefits; others may have been aware that they were receiving some kind of discount, according to the former executives. Internally, those whom Mozilo favored for special treatment were referred to as "Friends of Angelo." The executives say that he was in frequent contact with the company's VIP desk.

Alleged "Friends of Angelo" include Senators Chris Dodd and Kent Conrad, and James Johnson (formerly the head of Fannie Mae and who has just resigned from Senator Barack Obama's vice presidential search committee). As usual, everyone denies everything.

The VIP Treatment: Countrywide CEO Offers Better Rates for Prominent Few [ABC]



 
 

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Angry Capital One CSR Closes Account For Asking Too Many Questions, Then Han...



 
 

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via Consumerist by Chris Walters on 6/13/08

As much as we complain about customer service reps, it's wise to remember that they hold the advantage when it comes to your account. We don't know whether our reader Chris was too rude to his outsourced call-center buddy or whether the CSR was just having a really bad day, but apparently things got out of hand when Chris called in to find out what was going on with his credit card account.

When I asked for more details, the representative (who sounded like he was from India), took vengeance on my account and told me he was closing the account and that there was nothing I could do. When I asked for his manager, he said "There is nothing he can do, the account is closed." —CLICK— And that was the sound of him hanging up the telephone.

Chris says the CSR didn't even read him any account closure notice first.

All Chris was trying to do was find out why his account still showed $0.00 available credit when he'd recently paid off his balance in full—and why he can't get a credit line increase when he's had an excellent history of repayment.

I waited until about 8:40 AM to check the online account status and noticed that the available credit was still $0.00, despite what the representatives have told me. Frustrated with the vitriolic representative and the available credit still $0.00, I called the Capital One corporate offices and spoke with the executive resolution team and had them remove the account closure notice. I was also informed that the reason that I still had an available credit of $0.00 was that there was a "ten-day hold on the funds." Angered that the funds had already been withdrawn from my bank account and not disbursed into my account, the executive team was able to override the hold and disburse the funds into the account, but only after calling the executive team a second time as the first person would not do it.

Chris points out that he's been an "excellent" customer for Capital One, particularly because he pays off his balance in full every month. We hate to dampen your spirits, Chris, but that may not put you in the prime customer category—credit card companies love people who carry high balances and generate lots of revenue in interest rates and assorted late/overlimit/cash advance fees. You might be better off just looking for another offer elsewhere that promises you a greater limit up front.

(Photo: Getty)



 
 

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McCain denies his record of supporting Social Security privatization.



 
 

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via Think Progress by Matt on 6/13/08

During his town hall event in New Hampshire yesterday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) got into a verbal back and forth with a voter over his support for Social Security privatization. McCain told the man, "I'm not for, quote, privatizing Social Security. I never have been. I never will be." Watch it:

But McCain's record begs to differ:

- "Without privatization, I don't see how you can possibly, over time, make sure that young Americans are able to receive Social Security benefits." [C-Span Road to the White House, 11/18/2004]

- "As part of Social Security reform, I believe that private savings accounts are a part of it — along the lines that President Bush proposed." [Wall Street Journal, 3/3/2008]

Not only was McCain "a big booster" of Bush's 2005 plan to privatize Social Security, but one of his top economic advisers, Carly Fiorina, recently told conservative radio host Bill Bennett that McCain "supports private accounts as one of the ways to reform the system" and that "he will continue to be supportive of those."


 
 

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Obama campaign aide controversies underscore big business control of Democra...



 
 

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Obama Rumors Get Their Own Web Site — From Obama



 
 

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via Pensito Review by Trish on 6/12/08

When I first heard the Obama campaign was launching a web site just to deal with the false rumors circulating about the candidate, I wasn't too sure. After all, the conventional wisdom when you're, say, writing a letter to the editor to refute some dumbass thing someone else said is that you should not repeat the dumbass thing all over again. You should simply tell your side without giving more ink to theirs.

But I have to say, I like fightthesmears.com. It does a nice job of blowing the false rumors out of the water while providing positive information about the candidate. It even invites you to forward any bogus emails you've received to watchdog@barackobama.com.

The site just launched so there's not a lot of material yet but something tells me it will be pages and pages and pages long by November. Unfortunately.


 
 

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FOX Admits McCain Stacked “Town Hall” With Supporters



 
 

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via Crooks and Liars by Nicole Belle on 6/13/08

Wow, he really is McSame, isn't he? 

Huff Po:  

Tonight was the first in a much-hyped series of 'town hall' forums scheduled by John McCain's campaign, in which Barack Obama had been challenged to show up to discuss the issues directly with the GOP nominee.

Except, as Fox News reported, McCain's campaign misled the public about the nature of the event. The forum was "billed by the McCain campaign as a town hall with independent and Democratic voters," but Fox News noted at the end that the audience was actually "made up of invited guests and supporters," the Democratic National Committee said in a statement.

Shepard Smith 'fesses up:

I reported at the top of this hour that the campaign had told us at Fox News that the audience would be made up of Republicans, Democrats, and independents. We have now received a clarification from the campaign and I feel I should pass it along to you. The McCain campaign distributed tickets to supporters, Mayor Bloomberg, who of course is a registered Republican, and other independent groups.

Uh huh.  And this is EXACTLY the reason why Barack Obama should politely refuse to do any Town Hall with McCain on Fox.  Next, McSame will be demanding loyalty oaths.  DNC Head Howard Dean had something to say about it too: 

Once again John McCain's campaign is trying to mislead the American people.  Senator McCain should understand that after seven years of a President who has divided Americans and pursued a scorched earth policy full of misleading propaganda campaigns, we need a leader who understands he is the President for all Americans not just his supporters.  If Senator McCain likes to brag so much about running a transparent campaign, why is he copying the Bush campaign model by stacking this event with his prescreened supporters?  If that is John McCain's idea of straight talk, the American people are in for a long and disappointing campaign season.


 
 

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Marvel Wants A Titanic Star For Captain America - Movie News - Latest Movie Reviews and trailers

Marvel Wants A Titanic Star For Captain America - Movie News - Latest Movie Reviews and trailers: "the name at the top of the list?

LEONARDO DICAPRIO"

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No Impact Man: Do you want this man in charge of your drinking water?

No Impact Man: Do you want this man in charge of your drinking water?: "'If water is the new oil, T. Boone Pickens is a modern-day John D. Rockefeller. Pickens owns more water than any other individual in the U.S. and is looking to control even more. He hopes to sell the water he already has, some 65 billion gallons a year, to Dallas, transporting it over 250 miles, 11 counties, and about 650 tracts of private property. The electricity generated by an enormous wind farm he is setting up in the Panhandle would also flow along that corridor. As far as Pickens is concerned, he could be selling wind, water, natural gas, or uranium; it's all a matter of supply and demand. 'There are people who will buy the water when they need it. And the people who have the water want to sell it. That's the blood, guts, and feathers of the thing,' he says."

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On biggest issues, McCain said he’s been ‘totally in agreement’ with Bush



 
 

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via Crooks and Liars by Steve Benen on 6/13/08

In 2008, John McCain works hard to convince people he's not just like George W. Bush. In 2005, John McCain worked hard to convince people of the exact opposite.

Looking over the transcript from the June 19, 2005, episode of "Meet the Press," the context of the video is actually slightly worse for McCain. Tim Russert read off a list of issues on which McCain and Bush appear to disagree and told the senator, "The fact is you are different than George Bush." McCain responded, "No. No."

One could argue, I suppose, that this was in 2005, and McCain has reinvented himself since then, but then again, looking at his Senate voting record, McCain voted with Bush's position 95% of the time in 2007 and 100% of the time in 2008.

McCain gets pretty annoyed when his critics talk about a "third Bush term," but it's hard to deny that McCain has already made the argument for us. He not only shares Bush's agenda and platform, but McCain spent years telling national audiences that no one agrees with Bush more than he does.


 
 

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On taxes, the differences couldn’t be more obvious



 
 

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via Crooks and Liars by Steve Benen on 6/12/08

Media efforts to minimize the differences notwithstanding, Barack Obama and John McCain couldn't be much more different, especially on the issues of taxes.

The irony is, McCain, after his last presidential election, thought Bush's trickle-down, class-warfare-style tax plan was ridiculous. "I cannot in good conscience support a tax cut in which so many of the benefits go to the most fortunate among us, at the expense of middle-class Americans who most need tax relief," McCain said in 2001.

Now, however, McCain is anxious to do precisely what he couldn't in good conscience do before. Obama, meanwhile, is prepared to deliver for middle-class families and those at the lower end of the scale. The Washington-based Tax Policy Center crunched the numbers.

Both John McCain and Barack Obama promise to cut taxes for the majority of Americans. But an Obama administration would redistribute income toward lower- and middle-class households, while a McCain White House would steer the bulk of the benefits to the wealthiest families, according to a nonpartisan analysis of the still-evolving tax plans of the presidential candidates.

Kevin Drum summarized the bottom line nicely: "If you're really rich and think that George Bush's tax cuts for the rich didn't go nearly far enough, John McCain is your man."

This CNN clip, by way of TPM, was actually pretty good:


 
 

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Rock bottom: Rest of NFL takes a pass on Benson



 
 

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via Chicago Sun-Times :: Chicago Bears by BY <a href=mailto:mmulligan@suntimes.com>MIKE MULLIGAN</a> mmulligan@suntimes.com on 6/12/08

Mike Mulligan: The rest of the NFL confirmed Thursday what the Bears finally acknowledged Monday: Cedric Benson, their highest draft pick in 28 years, also ranks as the biggest bust in team history. Benson cleared waivers, three days after the Bears released him because of two alcohol-related arrests in five weeks. The No. 4 overall selection in 2005 is now a free agent and can sign with any team.


 
 

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Biggest War Scandal Yet - BBC Uncovers $23 Billion in Cash ‘Lost, Stolen’...



 
 

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via Pensito Review by Jon Ponder on 6/13/08


Iraq 2003: A reporter stands on a pallet of shrink-wrapped $100 bills flown from the US Treasury in C-130 transport planes to Iraq and then lost by U.S. officials or stolen by U.S. or foreign contractors

You Won't Hear About on MSM Because Bush Has Imposed a Gag Order, According to the BBC

In October, we wrote about the $12 billion in cash — shrink-wrapped bricks of $100-dollar bills — that the Bush Administration flew into Iraq on cargo pallets and then lost:
"It may well turn out to be the largest war profiteering in history."
– Chairman Henry Waxman

In the year after the invasion of Iraq in 2003 nearly 281 million notes, weighing 363 tons, were sent from New York to Baghdad for disbursement to Iraqi ministries and US contractors. Using C-130 planes, the deliveries took place once or twice a month with the biggest of $2,401,600,000 on June 22, 2004, six days before the handover.

Now an investigation by the BBC has determined that as much as $23 billion may have been "lost, stolen or just not properly accounted for in Iraq":

The BBC's Panorama programme has used US and Iraqi government sources to research how much some private contractors have profited from the conflict and rebuilding.

The British television news service also says that the Bush administration has issued a "gagging order" on the subject, so that news about what be the most massive fraud in history will go unreported until he leaves office — or, theoretically after the presidency of his successor, if John McCain wins in November:

A US gagging order is preventing discussion of the allegations.

The order applies to 70 court cases against some of the top US companies.

While Presdient George W Bush remains in the White House, it is unlikely the gagging orders will be lifted.

To date, no major US contractor faces trial for fraud or mismanagement in Iraq.

The president's Democratic opponents are keeping up the pressure over war profiteering in Iraq.

Henry Waxman, who chairs the House committee on oversight and government reform, said: "The money that's gone into waste, fraud and abuse under these contracts is just so outrageous, it's egregious.

"It may well turn out to be the largest war profiteering in history."

In the run-up to the invasion, one of the most senior officials in charge of procurement in the Pentagon objected to a contract potentially worth $7bn that was given to Halliburton, a Texan company which used to be run by Dick Cheney before he became vice-president.

Unusually only Halliburton got to bid - and won.


 
 

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Thursday, June 12, 2008

Sen. Martinez Calls Out Dick Cheney’s Lie On Oil Drilling Off Coast Of Cuba



 
 

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via Think Progress by Faiz on 6/12/08

In a speech before the Chamber of Commerce yesterday, Vice President Dick Cheney – the former CEO of the oil services company Halliburton — called for a substantial increase in domestic drilling for oil and other natural resources.

In his speech, Cheney claimed that China is pumping for oil off the coast of Florida, noting that "even the Communists" understand the need for more drilling:

It's my own view that we should be drilling in ANWR in an environmentally responsible way, which could increase our daily domestic oil production by as much as a million barrels a day. As for other locations, George Will pointed out in his column the other day that oil is being drilled right now 60 miles off the coast of Florida. But we're not doing it, the Chinese are, in cooperation with the Cuban government. Even the communists have figured out that a good answer to high prices is more supply.

Mother Jones and the Gavel note that Reps. John Boehner (R-OH) and Roy Blunt (R-MO) have uttered the same talking points. It's false. And they're being called out on it by a conservative senator who knows more about the issue than they do.

Armed with maps and reports, Sen. Mel Martinez – a Florida Republican who served in Bush's cabinet – took to the Senate floor to dispute Cheney's claim:

Despite what is cited as fact here in the Senate and in other places, China is not drilling off the coast of Cuba. … Reports to the contrary are simply false. … So any talk of using some fabricated China/Cuba connection as an argument to change U.S. policy, in my view, has no merit.

Watch it:

Daniel J. Weiss, senior fellow and director of climate strategy at the Center for American Progress, disputed Cheney's prescription. "The only people who would benefit from more oil drilling are the oil companies," he said.

The United States has less than 2 percent of the world's oil reserves, while consuming 25 percent of the world's oil. Our own oil supply, without foreign imports, would last just three years. Drilling is not the solution.

As Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), the Chairman of House Select Committee on Energy Independence, said yesterday, "Even if we are able to drill every last drop of domestic reserves and are able to prod OPEC into further feeding our addition by increasing capacity, we are left with a much greater problem: Our planet will choke on all of that CO2."


 
 

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BREAKING: Supreme Court Backs Gitmo Detainees; 5-4 Decision Against Bush Adm...



 
 

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via Crooks and Liars by Nicole Belle on 6/12/08

video_wmv Download | Play   video_mov Download | Play  (h/t David)

 MSNBC:

The Supreme Court has ruled that foreign terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay have rights under the U.S. Constitution to challenge their detention in civilian courts.

The justices, in a 5-4 ruling Thursday (.pdf), handed the Bush administration its third setback at the high court since 2004 over its treatment of prisoners who are being held indefinitely and without charges at the U.S. naval base in Cuba.

"We hold these petitioners do have the habeas corpus privilege," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the court majority in the 70-page opinion.

He said that Congress had failed to create an adequate alternative for the prisoners held at the U.S. military base in Cuba to contest their detention.

Not surprisingly, Roberts, Scalia, Alito and Thomas were the dissenting opinions. In Scalia's dissent, he wrote:

"…it sets our military commanders the impossible task of proving to a civilian court, under whatever standards this Court devises in the future, that evidence supports the confinement of each and every enemy prisoner. The Nation will live to regret what the Court has done today."

Yeah, it's such a hassle to prove you have the right to indefinitely detain someone. People for the American Way:

It's chilling that the case was decided on a single vote, 5-4. One more Bush Justice on the Court, and the decision would likely have gone the other way. That's why it's so important for Americans to realize that in this election year, the Supreme Court is on the ballot. John McCain has already promised the GOP that he would nominate Justices to the Court exactly like those Bush has brought to the bench. This year, we must reverse the tide, and begin to restore a Supreme Court that upholds our individual rights and the laws that keep us free.


 
 

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Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Republicans Block Extra Taxes On Oil Companies



 
 

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via Digg on 6/11/08

Senate Republicans blocked a proposal Tuesday to tax the windfall profits of the largest oil companies, despite pleas by Democratic leaders to use the measure to address America's anger over $4 a gallon gasoline. The Democrats failed, 51-43, to get the 60 votes needed to overcome a GOP filibuster and bring the energy package up for consideration.

 
 

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Mr Mortgage - RECORD-BREAKING MAY CA FORECLOSURE REPORT



 
 

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"California broke a major foreclosure record in May with $10.4 BILLION in loans going back to lender's balance sheets. This was a near 9% increase month-over-month. Last month $9.237 Billion went back to the bank."

 
 

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Gov't role in lending boom



 
 

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The federal government encouraged Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy more than $400 billion in subprime mortgage loans between 2004 and 2006, helping to fuel the boom in risky lending, the Washington Post reports. The story underscores an important issue: The federal government didn't just fail to prevent the subprime lending explosion. Rather, it encouraged, abetted and participated in the subprime lending explosion.

 
 

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McCain calls bringing troops home ‘not too important’



 
 

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via Crooks and Liars by Steve Benen on 6/11/08

After over a year of campaigning, you'd think John McCain would have a sense about how to talk about the war in Iraq. His support for the president's policy, and his deeply held desire to stay the course, is, after all, his signature campaign issue.

And yet, McCain still doesn't get it.

To be sure, McCain has made comments like these before, most notably in response to questions about his stated willingness to keep U.S. troops in Iraq for 100 years. He frequently emphasizes his belief that as long as Americans are not being killed or seriously injured in Iraq, he doesn't much care when we leave.

But he's usually not this clumsy and politically tone deaf. Bringing the troops home is "not too important"? For thousands of Americans in uniform and their families, nothing is more important.

In fact, everything about McCain's bizarre worldview is misguided. First, as recently as Monday, McCain reiterated his support for an indefinite war in Iraq. Coupled with this morning's remarks, McCain believes the U.S. presence in Iraq has no end in sight, and bringing the troops home is "not too important."

Second, his repeated comparisons to Germany, Japan, and Korea are not just foolish, they're bordering on absurd. The more McCain makes the argument, the dumber it sounds. (Indeed, McCain himself has said his own comparison doesn't apply well to Iraq.)

And third, there's the pesky detail of the growing number of Iraqi officials who used to support a long-term U.S. security presence, but who are now ready to see Americans leave.

Officials in Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's ruling coalition are questioning whether Iraq needs a U.S. military presence even as the two countries press forward with high-pressure negotiations to determine how long American forces will remain. […]

A Western official who works closely with the Iraqi government said the wave of offensives had encouraged Maliki's advisors to dismiss U.S. demands as not worth the price.

"When faced with the question, 'Do we need the Americans?' they are inclined to say, 'No, what do we need them for? We can do just fine,' " said the official, who was not authorized to speak to reporters.

Haider al-Abadi, a parliament member from Maliki's Dawa party, told the WaPo, "Maybe the Iraqi government will say: 'Hey, the security situation is better. We don't need any more troops in Iraq.'"

And yet, there's John McCain, absolutely convinced that the withdrawal of U.S. troops is "not too important."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid issued a statement shortly after this morning's interview: "McCain's statement today that withdrawing troops doesn't matter is a crystal clear indicator that he just doesn't get the grave national-security consequences of staying the course – Osama bin Laden is freely plotting attacks, our efforts in Afghanistan are undermanned, and our military readiness has been dangerously diminished. We need a smart change in strategy to make America more secure, not a commitment to indefinitely keep our troops in an intractable civil war."

Expect other Dems to weigh in with similar criticism throughout the day. For that matter, expect to hear more about McCain's latest comments for the next five months.


 
 

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Worst Player In Tennis Sues Media Over Name-Calling [Lawsuits]



 
 

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via Gawker by Hamilton Nolan on 6/11/08

robertdee.jpegThe UK's stupid libel laws allow people to successfully sue the media for making fun of them. So Robert Dee, a 21-year-old British guy who is the world's Worst Professional Tennis Player, is suing three newspapers there for pointing out that he is, in fact, the Worst Professional Tennis Player. Mainly, this makes us glad to be in America, where we're free to tell you that Robert Dee is the Worst Professional Tennis Player. But also, the facts aren't even on his side; it sure sounds like he really is the Worst Professional Tennis Player!:

"The libel claim focuses on a series of articles that appeared in the British press including the Daily Mail, the London Evening Standard and the Independent on Sunday from April 22 onwards.

These articles alleged that Robert Dee had lost 54 consecutive professional matches, making him the world's worst player. British-born Dee, who works full time as a tennis professional at La Manga in Spain, has denied the claim.

According to his spokesman, Dee said that while he has lost 54 consecutive International Tennis Federation matches he also won 20 other professional matches in that time."

Robert Dee is a terrible tennis player. God bless the USA!

(Also, could this spell the end of derogatory listicles in the UK? Heaven forbid!)

[Guardian UK]



 
 

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Worst Player In Tennis Sues Media Over Name-Calling [Lawsuits]



 
 

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via Gawker by Hamilton Nolan on 6/11/08

robertdee.jpegThe UK's stupid libel laws allow people to successfully sue the media for making fun of them. So Robert Dee, a 21-year-old British guy who is the world's Worst Professional Tennis Player, is suing three newspapers there for pointing out that he is, in fact, the Worst Professional Tennis Player. Mainly, this makes us glad to be in America, where we're free to tell you that Robert Dee is the Worst Professional Tennis Player. But also, the facts aren't even on his side; it sure sounds like he really is the Worst Professional Tennis Player!:

"The libel claim focuses on a series of articles that appeared in the British press including the Daily Mail, the London Evening Standard and the Independent on Sunday from April 22 onwards.

These articles alleged that Robert Dee had lost 54 consecutive professional matches, making him the world's worst player. British-born Dee, who works full time as a tennis professional at La Manga in Spain, has denied the claim.

According to his spokesman, Dee said that while he has lost 54 consecutive International Tennis Federation matches he also won 20 other professional matches in that time."

Robert Dee is a terrible tennis player. God bless the USA!

(Also, could this spell the end of derogatory listicles in the UK? Heaven forbid!)

[Guardian UK]



 
 

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Feds Raid Albany Lobbying Firm, Target of Probe is Former Rep. John Sweeney



 
 

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via TPMMuckraker by Andrew Tilghman on 6/11/08

We've enjoyed cataloging the dubious record of former Rep. John Sweeney (R-NY).

Maybe he's best known for helping to instigate the "Brooks Brothers Riot" with other Republicans during the Florida recount in December 2000.

Yet at home in upstate New York, he has also been accused of beating his wife, getting conspicuously drunk with college kids, drunk driving and taking free trips from Jack Abramoff.

Now he may be getting roped directly into the Jack Abramoff investigation, as the feds are looking into whether he steered a series of grants to his longtime friend and lobbyist Bill Powers, an elder statesmen of the New York State GOP.

The New York Times reports:

Federal law enforcement agents have raided the offices of an influential lobbying firm in Albany as part of the latest investigation connected to the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal in Washington.

The Times provides no source for the Abramoff link. Other reports do not explicity tie in the raid with Abramoff, but note the DOJ investigation is run from Washington rather than Albany.

From the Albany Times Union

A federal criminal investigation is focusing on the relationship of lobbyist William D. Powers and former U.S. Rep. John E. Sweeney in connection with a series of federal grants that were steered to Powers' clients, according to several people familiar with the probe.
...

Several people familiar with the case said it is centered on a period when Powers' clients received the earmarks while Sweeney's then-wife, Gayle, was working for Powers' Albany-based lobbying firm.

The FBI swarmed the Albany office of the lobbying firm run by Powers, a former head of the New York Republican Party and longtime patron to both Sweeney and former New York Gov. George Pataki.

Double-parking their cars, about 15 agents descended on the State Street suite of the former party official, William Powers, and herded the employees into a room while the agents searched for files.

Sweeney appears to be getting most of the investigators' attention. The New York Daily News reports:

The agents issued grand jury subpoenas for records about the firm; ex-Republican Rep. John Sweeney; Sweeney's campaign committee and leadership PAC; Sweeney's ex-wife, Gayle, who worked for Powers; and Gayle Sweeney's former fund-raising firm, Creative Consulting. The Daily News obtained copies of the subpoenas and the FBI confirmed being at the offices.

Abramoff is set for sentencing in September. Does this suggest that three-year-old investigation still has legs?


 
 

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Hulk Hogan: God wants John Graziano in a coma to make him 'a better person'



 
 

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0611_hulk_hogan_larryking_00.JPG Oh, man, those crazy Hogans have done it again! This time Hulk stopped by Larry King Live last night for an emotional interview about his son Nick's imprisonment. At the end of the interview, a teary-eyed Hulk remained positive that Nick's accident happened for a divine reason and then expressed his belief that John Graziano's coma would make him "a better person." Here's an excerpt from the transcript on CNN.com:
KING: It is OK. This is hard. Who could ever imagine.
HOGAN: It is the main focus is my son, my children and John Graziano. It has been a tough one, Larry. You know, you said to me during the break, this is the second part of the dance. So it is halftime and we're positive. We're moving forward.
KING: You believe in god.
HOGAN: Yes, I do.
KING: Do you believe in the second act? Do you believe in forgiveness?
HOGAN: Like I said, this is in God's hand. Things happen for a reason. This is to make Nick a better person. In my belief, this is to make John a better person. It is like I said before, you know, it is god's will where we're at with this situation. I refuse to accept any negativity, any nay sayers. I firmly believe there is a plan. It is god's plan and god's will.
WOW! Because nothing improves your outlook on life than a coma you'll never wake up from. Damn, these people will blame anyone but themselves. I'm looking forward to Linda Hogan appearing on The View where she'll point the finger at, of course, John Graziano along with Satan and "the rat-bastard who invented the wheel." Her son's a driver of vehicles - How could you?! NOTE: Video after the jump. Hulk citing lifelong paralysis as a self-help plan around the 2:50 mark.

 
 

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Coldplay Cancels First Two Weeks Of North American Tour | Chatter Shmatter - Entertainment News

Coldplay Cancels First Two Weeks Of North American Tour | Chatter Shmatter - Entertainment News

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Dealbreaker - A Wall Street Tabloid - Business News Headlines and Financial Gossip - Top Obama Insider Tied To Countrywide, Ran Fannie Mae

Dealbreaker - A Wall Street Tabloid - Business News Headlines and Financial Gossip - Top Obama Insider Tied To Countrywide, Ran Fannie Mae

One of Barack Obama top talent scout is deeply tied to the mortgage overload mess. Jim Johnson is one of three people appointed by Obama the head up the search for his vice presidential selection. The problem is that Johnson took at least five real estate loans totaling more than $7 million from Countrywide, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. The loans to ohnson were made through an informal program for friends of the company's CEO, Angelo Mozilo, and were made at substantial discounts to prevailing market rates.

Johnson ran Fannie Mae from 1991 to 1996, and appointed Mozilo to Fannie Mae's advisory board in 1996. He reportedly made $21 million in one year while working for Fannie Mae. So he didn't exactly need that friends and family discount.

"That's the problem with bringing a Washington, DC, insider on board," ABC's Jake Tapper observes. "They're sometimes covered with the goop from the insides of Washington."

Countrywide Friends Got Good Loans [Wall Street Journal]

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Tuesday, June 10, 2008

McCain Gaffes: A Tough Week In The Youtube Era - Politics on The Huffington Post

McCain Gaffes: A Tough Week In The Youtube Era - Politics on The Huffington Post

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Obama takes the offensive vs. McCain - The Boston Globe

Obama takes the offensive vs. McCain - The Boston Globe: "Senator Barack Obama is kicking off his general election campaign in aggressive fashion, leveling daily, hard-hitting attacks on Republican John McCain designed to capitalize on the stark policy differences between them."

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Supreme Court curtails rights of public employees - Los Angeles Times

Supreme Court curtails rights of public employees - Los Angeles Times: "WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court on Monday limited the rights of public employees, ruling that a state worker who said she was fired by a supervisor who was out to 'get rid of' her could not sue the government for denying her equal protection of the laws."

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Bush Threatens the Lives of Our GIs, While Continuing to Fund Blackwater and Other Mercenary Corporations | BuzzFlash.org

Bush Threatens the Lives of Our GIs, While Continuing to Fund Blackwater and Other Mercenary Corporations | BuzzFlash.org: "Brandon Friedman didn't listen to President George W. Bush's weekly radio address last weekend, but after receiving a 'do you believe what this guy is saying?' e-mail, he sat down with the transcript.

'The first time I read it, I thought, 'This is what bank robbers do. This is what carjackers do,'' he said in a telephone interview Tuesday. 'It's very unbecoming of the commander-in-chief.'"

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English-only bill in Ohio gets Tower of Babel treatment by bloggers | BuzzFlash.org

English-only bill in Ohio gets Tower of Babel treatment by bloggers | BuzzFlash.org: "'In sum, this is a very costly bill in search of a non-existent problem.'

Ohio bloggers may be coming together to protest the creation of a lingua franca, but they are not doing it all in one voice. The Blogging in Tongues project was launched Tuesday at 9 a.m. EDT to bring attention to Ohio's House Bill 477, which seeks to establish English as the official language of the state. Bloggers are writing against the 'English-only bill,' as it is called, with posts in many different languages."

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AfterDowningStreet.org | Impeach Bush and Cheney Now!

AfterDowningStreet.org | Impeach Bush and Cheney Now!

Congressman Dennis Kucinich Introduced 35 Articles of Impeachment Against President Bush on Monday Night

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RNC Launches Lame Anti-Obama Site



 
 

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via Pensito Review by Trish on 6/9/08

Let the games begin, I suppose. The Republican National Committee has launched MeetBarackObama.com, a site with such features as:

  • The Rezko Judgement, which takes you to a YouTube video put together by no more objective a source than, yes, the RNC
  • Barack Obama's Resume, which features another video produced by the RNC and deriding Obama's experience.
  • A poll you where you choose which of the following is Obama's greatest weakness: a) lack of political experience, b) he's out of touch with the American family, or c) liberal policy positions. Now there's a fairly worded poll if I ever saw one!
  • Can We Ask, a page to upload your own YouTube video of you asking a question of Obama. The first question is posed by Grover Norquist, or just "Grover" as it lists him in the credits. All of the remaining questions have been posed by men in Washington, D.C. or Arlington, Va. except possibly for the ones asked by someone named "Anonymous," who has posted about half of them so far, and whom I suspect to be Karl Rove.
  • A time clock that counts down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds since Barack Obama last visited Iraq. Plus, there's a downloadable widget so you can add the clock to your own right-wing web site.
  • "Newsfeed" which does not take you to actual news stories, but just to pages assembled by the RNC on topics like "Why Obama Must Go To Iraq," "Sen. Hillary Clinton on Obama`s Rezko Connections," "Obama Must Answer Questions so the American People Can Decide," "DNC Committeeman and Top Clinton Adviser Harold Ickes on Barack Obama`s Electability" and more.
  • Many, many opportunities to donate to the Republican party and to join their email lists.

Visit if you must but it's a bit of a snoozer. If this is the best they can do, our team should have a pretty easy time of it this fall.


 
 

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Regnery Publishing Begins Its Swift-Boating Assault On Obama



 
 

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via Crooks and Liars by Cliff Schecter on 6/9/08

Buried in this piece on Obama books coming out this summer and fall, I spotted this little tidbit:

The left-wing Verso Books has just released "The Decline of Black Politics: From Malcolm X to Barack Obama," by civil rights activist Kevin Alexander Gray. The conservative Regnery Publishing just announced two books for August: David Freddoso's "The Case Against Barack Obama: The Unlikely Rise and Unexamined Agenda of the Media's Favorite Candidate," and Thomas Blood's "The Clinton Collapse: How Bill Clinton Lost Hillary Her 'Sure Thing' Nomination (And Might Even Make Obama Lose Too)."

"We intend to put him under the microscope, and we think readers will be very interested to learn what we uncover," says Marji Ross, president and publisher of Regnery, which in 2004 released "Unfit for Command," the best-selling attack against Democratic nominee Sen. John Kerry.

Yes, we knew it would happen, but the Swift Boaters are officially back. Well, at least their publisher is. If you remember what they did to Kerry, you can easily imagine the traitor or foreign agent Obama will be when the Swift Boaters are done. The Obama people and progressives everywhere had better be ready.

Cliff Schecter is the author of The Real McCain: Why Conservatives Don't Trust Him And Independents Shouldn't and Cliff Schecter's Campaign Silo at Firedoglake


 
 

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GOP insider: ‘I think we’ve got a world of problems’



 
 

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via Crooks and Liars by Steve Benen on 6/9/08

   Just two weeks ago, the Politico ran an item about the enormous confidence the Republican establishment has about John McCain's chances in November. As the piece put it, "[M]any top GOP strategists believe he can defeat Barack Obama — and by a margin exceeding President Bush's Electoral College victory in 2004." In some Republican circles, the Politico's article explained, there's talk of a McCain "blowout."

Two weeks later, that sense of bravado seems to be in short supply.

Bill Kristol noted in his NYT column this morning, "[A]lmost every Republican I've talked to is alarmed that the McCain campaign doesn't seem up to the task of electing John McCain."

Similarly, Tom Edsall reported in the Huffington Post on the growing sense of dread among Republican insiders.

"I think we've got a world of problems," said one Republican strategist with extensive experience in presidential campaigns. He said this came home to him with a thud when he watched Obama and McCain give speeches last Tuesday, with the Democrat speaking before "20,000 screaming fans, while John McCain looked every bit of his 72 years" in a speech televised from New Orleans. […]

Another strategist with similar presidential experience said "McCain has not claimed the maverick ground that should be his. He has not seized the mantle of 'change' and reform that he could own by going to Washington and saying, 'you know me. You know I've been a reformer all my life. Now, here's how I am going to change Washington if you elect me president.' And he has not taken economic turf. He has not explained how he is going to grow, not Washington, as the Democrats plan, but this economy to meet the challenges of global competition."

The glass-half-full take, at least for the GOP, is that this appears to be a Democratic year, and McCain is very close to Obama in national polls. The glass-half-empty approach is that McCain seems to have hit his ceiling of support, and that's after months of scrutiny-free campaigning.

This obviously isn't rocket science. McCain has the Republican Party in a bit of a panic, not because his poll numbers are iffy, but because he's really not offering much as a national candidate, at least not yet. McCain offers more of the same…

Tom Mann of the Brookings Institution argues that "McCain continues to embrace Bush policies on the most important issues, relying on a reputation for independence and moderation that could be lost in the heat of battle with Obama and the Democrats…. 'Elect me because the other guy is worse.' Not much of an argument in the face of gale-force winds blowing against the Republican Party."

…doesn't offer much in the way of a vision for the future…

Arch-conservative Bay Buchanan suggested that it may not matter what McCain does. Writing in Human Events on June 4, she declared: "In reality there is only one candidate. Barack Obama. In November he will win or he will lose. John McCain is relevant only in so far as he is not Barack Obama. The Senator from Arizona is incapable of energizing his party, brings no new people to the polls, and has a personality that is best kept under wraps."

…and when push comes to shove, McCain just isn't a great campaigner.

For one, he's extremely undisciplined. With virtually no pressure on him at all, he's already offered a series of troubling gaffes. He's also prone to — as Kaus says — "reflexive righteous blunderbuss denials" that often get him in more trouble than the original accusation. Third, he's a horrible speaker. Finally, his fundraising operation has not only been anemic, it's based on the models of the past.

To be sure, this doesn't mean Obama is a lock. Far from it — he has a Democratic Party to bring back together, he has plenty of working-class whites to win over, the right-wing attack machine is just now starting to sharpen its fangs, latent racism remains an unknown factor, and there are some widely-believed-but-completely-bogus myths about him and his family that he'll have to work to overcome.

But under the circumstances, who do you think would want to switch places with the other? McCain or Obama?


 
 

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Obama To Team Up With Elizabeth Edwards On Health Care Reform



 
 

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via Crooks and Liars by Logan Murphy on 6/9/08

Democratic Presidential candidate, Barack Obama, kicked off his two week, swing state tour today in Raleigh, NC. In a speech about economics, Senator Obama made clear the differences between his health care platform and the failed Bush/McCain policies that cater to the "healthy and wealthy" and have left some 47 million Americans without health insurance.

Obama pledged to make it easier for every American to get good health care, do away with exemptions for pre-existing conditions, stop drug companies from price gouging, and then said something that was greeted with great enthusiasm by the crowd:

video_wmv Download | Play video_mov Download | Play

"By the way, I'm going to be partnering up with Elizabeth Edwards, we're going to be figuring all this out."

Obama is smart to enlist Elizabeth Edwards, who backed Hillary Clinton's health care plan earlier in the primary season. I believe that together, they will come up with a health care plan with mass appeal that is so strong it will put the issue out of McCain's reach this fall.


 
 

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Rep. Dennis Kucinich Introduces 35 Articles of Impeachment: Open Thread



 
 

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via Crooks and Liars by Nicole Belle on 6/9/08

UPDATE: It's on CSPAN right now!

video_wmv Download | Play video_mov Download | Play (h/t Dave and BillW)

Chicago Tribune:

Rep. Dennis Kucinich, a former Democratic presidential contender, said Monday he wants the House to consider a resolution to impeach President Bush. Speaker Nancy Pelosi consistently has said impeachment was "off the table."

Kucinich, D-Ohio, read his proposed impeachment language in a floor speech. He contended Bush deceived the nation and violated his oath of office in leading the country into the Iraq war.

Kucinich introduced a resolution last year to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney. That resolution was killed, but only after Republicans initially voted in favor of taking up the measure to force a debate.

I'm doubtful he'll get support of the House on this, but if you want to send an "Attaboy!" to Kucinich, contact him here.

Democrats.com Applauds Dennis Kucinich


 
 

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‘This is cronyism, this is waste, fraud and abuse’–UPDATED with VIDEO on the...



 
 

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via Crooks and Liars by Steve Benen on 6/10/08

video_wmv Download | Play  video_mov Download | Play   (h/t Silent Patriot)

The good news is, Bush's Justice Department offers grants to community programs to address juvenile crime nationwide. The bad news is, Bush's Justice Department seems to award the grants based on political connections, not merit.

There's a program in San Diego, for example, that was ranked #2 by the DoJ in its category of prevention and intervention. It didn't get any funding. But the program that was ranked #47 did — because it had connections. Our friend Murray Waas and ABC News have the story:

A senior Justice Department official says a $500,000 federal grant to the World Golf Foundation is an appropriate use of money designed to deal with juvenile crime in America.

"We need something really attractive to engage the gangs and the street kids, golf is the hook," said J. Robert Flores, the administrator of the Justice Department's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

The Justice Department, in a decision by Flores, gave the money to the World Golf Foundation's First Tee program, even though Justice Department staffers had rated the program 47th on a list of 104 applicants. The allegations were first reported earlier this year by the trade journal Youth Today.

Wouldn't you know it, the honorary chairman of the First Tee program is former President George Bush.

Scott Peterson, who worked in the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, said grants were awarded based more on politics than merit. "This is cronyism, this is waste, fraud and abuse," Peterson told ABC News, adding, "It's a lot of our taxpayer money that's supposed to go for some of our most vulnerable children."

It's quite a report. Read the whole thing.

Murray Waas has more about this on his brand new C&L site. 

Murray is the lead investigative reporter on this story featured by ABC. 


 
 

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Jon Stewart Slams Media for Blacking Out Iraq War Lies Report



 
 

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via Crooks and Liars by SilentPatriot on 6/10/08

The Daily Show reports on the media's failure to report on the Senate report that proves the Bush administration knowingly lied to us about the reasons for war. Surely the "Big Three" have more important things to cover.

video_wmv Download | Play video_mov Download | Play (h/t Heather)

Stewart: "Let's go back to the Big Three, that's where real Americans get their news. Charlie Gibson, cover it!"

Gibson: "Something that doesnt happen every day, and certainly doesn't happen twice..a well-know French daredevil named 'Spiderman'…"

Stewart: "Yes, he was climbing the New York Times building. Perhaps looking to read the story about the administration leading us into a war that you didnt cover at all! At all!

For a "fake news" anchor, Jon Stewart sure does a better job reporting actual news than the entire mainstream media combined. I'm sure Stewart wouldn't take offense when I say that that's pretty sad.


 
 

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Britain: Traders Predict House Prices Will Fall by 50% in Four Years



 
 

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via cryptogon.com by Kevin on 6/10/08

Via: Guardian: The slide in house prices will continue for at least three years and crush the value of a home by almost 50% in real terms, according to a key index of property price futures. Indications from futures trading on long term property prices shows that the average UK home will recover its current value [...]

 
 

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Meet John McCain’s wife — no, not that one



 
 

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via Crooks and Liars by Steve Benen on 6/10/08

  For those who remember the 1992 race, "character issues" was the euphemism to attack Bill Clinton for having a troubled personal life. Has the phrase been applied to Republican candidates with similar experiences? Not so much.

It was interesting, then, to see this report in the UK's Daily Mail about Mrs. McCain — the first one — who is "seldom seen and rarely written about, despite being mother to McCain's three eldest children."

[H]ad events turned out differently, it would be she, rather than Cindy, who would be vying to be First Lady. She is McCain's first wife, Carol, who was a famous beauty and a successful swimwear model when they married in 1965.

She was the woman McCain dreamed of during his long incarceration and torture in Vietnam's infamous 'Hanoi Hilton' prison and the woman who faithfully stayed at home looking after the children and waiting anxiously for news.

But when McCain returned to America in 1973 to a fanfare of publicity and a handshake from Richard Nixon, he discovered his wife had been disfigured in a terrible car crash three years earlier…. When Carol was discharged from hospital after six months of life-saving surgery, the prognosis was bleak. In order to save her legs, surgeons had been forced to cut away huge sections of shattered bone, taking with it her tall, willowy figure. She was confined to a wheelchair and was forced to use a catheter.

Through sheer hard work, Carol learned to walk again. But when John McCain came home from Vietnam, she had gained a lot of weight and bore little resemblance to her old self.

"My marriage ended because John McCain didn't want to be 40, he wanted to be 25," she said. "You know that happens … it just does."

It's quite a painful story, involving physical difficulties, infidelity, and divorce. McCain's first wife insists she's not bitter, but clearly the circumstances surrounding her accident and the break-up of her family are an unpleasant subject.

Ross Perot, who paid for Carol's medical care and introduced the McCains to Ronald and Nancy Reagan, said, "McCain is the classic opportunist. He's always reaching for attention and glory." Perot added, "After he came home, Carol walked with a limp. So he threw her over for a poster girl with big money from Arizona. And the rest is history."

Ouch.

Now, I should clarify that as far as I'm concerned, McCain's marital difficulties and adultery aren't especially significant in this campaign, especially years later. I'm inclined to see a distinction made between public and private worlds. I defended Bill Clinton, and said his personal controversies had no bearing on his ability to be a good candidate and a good president, so I can't very well turn around and say the opposite about McCain, no matter how badly he treated his first wife.

But therein lies the point: if Clinton's personal history was a matter of tremendous national significance as a candidate and as a president, then it's not unreasonable to wonder why McCain isn't subjected to the same scrutiny. I'd prefer both issues are off the table, but I'm hard pressed to imagine why only Democratic presidential candidates' personal lives are of interest in the context of a national campaign.

For that matter, if and when the U.S. media gives this any attention at all, it'll be worth keeping an eye on the religious right. From an article I wrote two years ago:

Carrie Gordon Earll, a spokesperson for Dobson's Focus on the Family, recently made it clear that the adultery issue hasn't lost any of its toxicity among evangelicals. "If you have a politician, an elected official, and they can't be trusted in their own marriage, how can I trust them with the budget? How can I trust them with national security?" she asked me. Although Earll was reluctant to discuss specific politicians, she noted that a candidate who "had an affair and then moved on and restored that marriage" might find forgiveness with Christian conservatives, but someone "who had an affair and then left his wife" would not.

And guess who that applies to?


 
 

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China’s Quake Aftershock: 5 Million Homeless



 
 

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via cryptogon.com by Kevin on 6/10/08

The scale of this disaster is very difficult to contemplate. Via: MSNBC: At the relief operations center in China's mountainous Qingchuan county, government workers are still in emergency mode nearly a month after the devastating May 12 earthquake. Powerful aftershocks, heavy rains and dangerous "quake lakes" keep them from devoting all their attention to their primary task: [...]

 
 

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Sen. Webb on The Daily Show: John McCain voted against a “first-class futur...



 
 

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via Crooks and Liars by SilentPatriot on 6/10/08

Virginia Senator Jim Webb appeared on The Daily Show last night to promote his new book, A Time to Fight, but ended up spending the entire interview wondering with Jon how anyone could possibly vote against his 21st century GI Bill, John McCain included.

video_wmv Download | Play video_mov Download | Play (h/t Heather)

"[John McCain] is fine voting for 600 billion dollars to send these people off, the least we can do is give them a chance at a first-class future when they get home. The taxpayers of America paid for every penny of John McCain's education — and they paid for every penny of my education. The least we can do is to give these people the chance at a first-class future."


 
 

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Research Psychiatrists Fail to Report Earnings From Drug Companies



 
 

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via cryptogon.com by Kevin on 6/10/08

Follow the drug money. Via: PlanetC1: Call it a psycho conflict of interest affecting the health and lives of thousands of children, an Iowa senator has discovered 3 Harvard researchers earned millions of dollars in consulting fees from drug companies, for performing research and evangelizing antipsychotic drug use in children. Charles Ernest "Chuck" Grassley, a senior United States [...]

 
 

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cryptogon.com » Archives » U.S. Food Reserves Tapped Out

cryptogon.com » Archives » U.S. Food Reserves Tapped Out: "“According to the May 1, 2008 CCC inventory report there are o­nly 24.1 million bushels of wheat in inventory, so after this sale there will be o­nly 2.7 million bushels of wheat left the entire CCC inventory,” warned Matlack. “Our concern is not that we are using the remainder of our strategic grain reserves for humanitarian relief. AAM fully supports the action and all humanitarian food relief. Our concern is that the U.S. has nothing else in our emergency food pantry. There is no cheese, no butter, no dry milk powder, no grains or anything else left in reserve. The o­nly thing left in the entire CCC inventory will be 2.7 million bushels of wheat which is about enough wheat to make ½ of a loaf of bread for each of the 300 million people in America.”"

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E.D. Hill loses her Fox News show after ‘terrorist fist jab’ remark.



 
 

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via Think Progress by Think Progress on 6/10/08

Last week, Fox News's E.D. Hill called a fist pound between Barack and Michelle Obama a "terrorist fist jab." Following Hill's remark, Media Matters launched a petition calling on Hill to apologize. TVNewser is reporting that Fox News has canceled America's Pulse, the nightly news show anchored by Hill: "America's Pulse anchored by E.D. Hill goes away, but Hill stays with the network in a capacity to be determined." Hill apologized for her remarks on her show today. Watch it:


 
 

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Barack Obama's New Advisers Please 'The Sun,' Enrage Those Who Read 'The Sun...



 
 

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via Gawker by Pareene on 6/10/08

Barack Obama made two moves recently that leave him open to charges of selling out. One, his selection of James Johnson to help select a running mate. Johnson is a former CEO of Fannie Mae, where he helped usher in the subprime lending crisis. Also he's a Bilderberg attendee! The other new hire, though, will surely upset many more liberal stalwarts: Obama named Jason Furman as his economic policy director. Furman is a former Clintonite economist who loooooooves giant retailer Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart, he says, is a boon to poor Americans, because their prices are so low. They keep their prices low, critics charge, by fucking over their non-union workforce and aiding the export of manufacturing jobs overseas, but Furman argued in a 2005 paper that consumers saved enough money shopping at the store to offset the impact on wages. Obama's never quite been a champion of organized labor, but this selection does throw him open to accusations of pretty blatant hypocrisy (hooray electoral politics!):

During the primary campaign, Mr. Obama was sharply critical of the company. He has said he will not shop there and that Wal-Mart should pay "a living wage."

At a January debate, Mr. Obama seemed to play to Wal-Mart's critics when he suggested that Senator Clinton's six-year stint on the company's board paled in comparison to his record as a community organizer in Chicago. "While I was working on those streets watching those folks see their jobs shift overseas, you were a corporate lawyer sitting on the board at Wal-Mart," Mr. Obama said, in one of his sharpest jabs at Mrs. Clinton.

That reporting comes from the Sun, by the way, New York's least-favorite conservative daily newspaper. They are thrilled by this appointment, as an editorial reveals: "Senator Obama's choice of the left's most prominent defender of Wal-Mart, Jason Furman, as his campaign's economic policy director is a sign of hope for the Democrat of Illinois."

Well, we're glad they're happy.



 
 

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McCain Adviser: McCain Opposes ‘Reckless Favors For Oil Companies,’ Will Eli...



 
 

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via Think Progress by Satyam on 6/10/08

dhe3.jpgIn a conference call yesterday, Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) top economic adviser, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, said McCain voted against the 2005 Energy Policy Act because it contained massive tax breaks to big oil companies. McCain's economic plan, Holtz-Eakin claimed, would eliminate "all special tax breaks" to these oil companies, who are currently enjoying record profits:

It was full of reckless favors for oil companies. Senator McCain has proposed eliminating all special tax breaks for oil companies and understands that in an economy where jobs are the single most important foundation on which a family can build a life, having a tax rate that keeps jobs here and not abroad is central to the future of the American worker.

Holtz-Eakin's claims are bogus. In reality, McCain wants to continue these "special" tax breaks to Big Oil, not stop them. McCain's signature tax cut plan would deliver $3.8 billion to the five largest oil companies, as a recent Center for American Progress Action Fund analysis noted:

oil_tax_table1.jpg

Since running for the Senate in 1986, McCain has received at least $549,000 from the oil and gas industry. He received over $291,000 of that total in 2007 alone.

Furthermore, McCain's senior adviser, Charlie Black, is a registered lobbyist for two Russian oil companies. McCain's liaison between his presidential campaign and congressional Republicans has made millions lobbying for giants such as Chevron Texaco, the American Petroleum Institute, Reliant Energy, PJM Interconnection and First Energy.

But the lofty rhetoric continues anyway. In 2007, McCain said he would end "rifle-shot tax breaks for big oil." In April, former McCain energy adviser Eric Burgeson said McCain is the one to "stand up" to Big Oil.


 
 

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Senate conservatives block windfall profits tax.



 
 

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via Think Progress by Satyam on 6/10/08

The AP reports that Senate Republicans have blocked a plan to "tax the windfall profits of the largest oil companies. Democrats on Tuesday failed, 51-43, to get the 60 votes needed to overcome a GOP filibuster of the energy package, and bring the bill up for consideration." Proponents of the legislation "said the huge profits enjoyed by the largest U.S. oil companies should be reined [in] with motorists paying more than $4 a gallon for gasoline and oil prices soaring well beyond $100 a barrel."


 
 

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Obama confronted Lieberman over muslim smears



 
 

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via Crooks and Liars by SilentPatriot on 6/10/08

Last week we told you about Senator Obama's "slightly intimidating" confrontation with Joe Lieberman on the Senate floor. Well, now we have video of Barack Obama literally leading Lieberman aside by the hand, and Newsweek provides confirmation of exactly what the two talked about about.

video_wmv Download | Play video_mov Download | Play

In a brief but animated Senate floor confrontation last week, according to a campaign aide who asked for anonymity when talking about private discussions, Obama told Lieberman he was surprised by Lieberman's personal attacks and his half-hearted denials of the false rumors that Obama is a Muslim. (The aide says Lieberman was "strangely muted" during the exchange; a Lieberman spokesman says the chat was "private and friendly.") McCain spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker says Lieberman "played a key role in reaching out to the Jewish community in the primary … and you can expect that will continue."

Hopefully this little "chat" persuaded Lieberman to stop issuing those "half-hearted denials." If HolyJoe wants to support McCain, that's his prerogative. But that surely doesn't give him license to help passively spread a wholly unfounded rumor.


 
 

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Portable Opera 9.50.10057 RC MultiLang



 
 

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via PortableAppZ by Bernat on 6/10/08

Fast and free Web browser (more infos) without installation.
Download Portable Opera on Zone-DL (5.5 MB)
Download Plugins on Zone-DL (1.5 MB)


Extract on hard disk or USB key and run OperaPortable.
Extract Plugins in Data Folder: only Flash tested (try and report for Windows Media Player and PDF).
Language fixed by launcher according Windows localisation.
You can remove unused language folders in App\Opera\locale
Settings of installed Opera should be preserved.

Results in Acid3 Test :
Opera 9.50.10057 Portable : 83 %
Firefox 3.0 RC2 Portable : 71 %
Firefox 2.0.0.14 Portable : 52 %
Opera 9.27.8841 Portable : 46 %
Internet Explorer 6.0.2900 & 7.0.57302.13 : 11 %

 
 

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Monday, June 09, 2008

Advantage Rent-A-Car Says 49 Hours In Shop Equals 22 Days [Scams]



 
 

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via Consumerist by Chris Walters on 6/9/08

Paul is being cheated by Advantage Rent-A-Car in one of the most transparent, odious scams we've seen a rental car company try to pull. After a thief damaged his rental on a recent trip, Advantage says because the car was in the shop for 49 hours, he owes them 22 days worth of rent. "I asked how they got that number and they said they use a 4 hour work day, which is laughable! Even with that it would only be 12 days. Even if you are generous and give them 2 weekends it only gets to 16!"

In February I rented a car from Advantage Rent-a-Car in Denver to take on a ski vacation in Aspen. I was a bit skeptical of Advantage, but they were so much less expensive than Hertz or Avis, etc... I figured I would give them a try.

Things started off pretty well. When I arrived there was a long line but they had free hot dogs while we waited, which was a nice touch! The car was clean, the type we ordered, had an engine, etc. Long story short: I was pleased with Advantage and remember thinking "I will definitely rent from them again." UNTIL...

On one of the last nights of our trip our rental car was hit by a stolen vehicle that had been taken on a joy ride and abandoned in the front yard across the street from where we were staying. The damage was relatively minor (we would still be able to drive back to Denver), and I called Visa and my insurance company. I also got a copy of the police report.

When we returned the car in Dever I filled out the accident report gave them the claim number from Visa. I was pleasantly surprised by the great service I received from Visa in all of this. Thought they would push back, but they didn't! Visa told me all was well, as did Advantage Rent-a-car. (My insurance doesn't cover me because I only have a liability policy).

In early May I received a letter from Subrogation Management Team. I've learned that this is a third party administrator that handles claims for rental car companies (except Hertz and Avis which handle it internally). The letter said that Visa would be paying for the full damages (~$4500) as well as ~$350 for the "loss-of-use." In the same letter they said that I would owe an additional $3000! They wanted another ~$500 for loss-of-use and ~$2500 for "deminition of value." I called Visa to discuss and they explained that they don't pay deminition of value. I checked and they state that very clearly in their terms and conditions, so fair enough. When I asked why they weren't paying the full loss-of-use they said that what Advantage was asking for was unreasonable.

Here's why: The car was in the shop for 49 hours. Visa calculates a 7 hour work day, so 7 days, times ~$50 a day for my rental equaling $350. Advantage says it's 22 days!!! I asked how they got that number and they said they use a 4 hour work day, which is laughable! Even with that it would only be 12 days. Even if you are generous and give them 2 weekends it only gets to 16!

I called the executive offices and eventually was able to speak with someone named Skip Thompson. He's not the CEO, but a Director of operations or something. Pretty senior guy. He had seen my file (I had his assistant pull it for him a few days earlier) and said that while I might not like it, the charges were reasonable. I was SHOCKED! I asked him: "if you were billed for 49 hours of labor, how many days would you estimate the car was in the shop." He tried to dodge the question, but eventually answered "well, 2 or 4 depending on how you calculate the work day." I told him I was being asked to pay for 22 days and he was speechless. He concluded by saying he would look into it and follow up with me. Unfortunately I was told a few days later that he had instructed SMT to continue to pursue it!

It's not a surprise that the math they use to calculate deminition of value is pretty sketchy too! $2600 in lost value on a $4600 repair is almost unheard of in the industry (I called and asked my insurance company).

It's pretty clear that Advantage is trying to profit off of my accident. Funny 'cause I thought a car rental company was supposed to make money renting cars! I'm disgusted with them.

I'm not trying to get out of paying what I owe, and have told them I'm willing to pay a reasonable amount, but they refuse to bring the numbers down! Needless to say, I won't be renting from them again! Just thought your readers might want to know: Stay away from Advantage Rent-a-Car!

When even your Director of Operations is taken aback by a 22-day claim for 49 hours of shop time, you know you're running a pretty ballsy scam. Advantage, are you really going to try to screw this customer over for $3,000? Is it worth the bad publicity?

(Photo: Getty)



 
 

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Better Return Policy, Customer Service Available To Best Buy Customers Who S...



 
 

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via Consumerist by Meg Marco on 6/9/08

Like shopping at Best Buy but don't like their lack of customer service and crappy return policy? They've got an offer for you. Spend $2,500 per calendar year and you'll be considered a "Reward Zone Program Premier Silver Member." The benefits of this membership are immediately apparent. You'll get your own dedicated customer service line that's only for Premier Silver Members, and a more generous return policy as well. Why should good customer service be available to bad customers? We've got the text of a Best Buy Reward Zone Silver Training Document, inside.

Three CR Teams to Handle Reward Zone Premier Silver Customer Calls

As of Monday June 9th, three teams in Customer Care will be skilled to receive calls from Reward Zone Premier Silver Customers. The role of these three teams will be to support normal BBY retail customer issues, not to adjust RZ Points or address escalated RZ issues. The three teams are Jane's, Scott F.'s and Esau's.

Any calls received by those teams requiring RZ point adjustments or involving an escalated RZ issue should be transferred to the dedicated Premier Silver Customer Support Representatives in Reward Zone using the UTC extension #533.

The three CR Teams have been chartered to handle Reward Zone Premier Customers in order to give those customers more immediate response to help through our phone systems, and to provide a heighten level of both service recovery and policy exception consideration from Customer Care.

All CR Agents should have a high-level knowledge of the qualifications to be a Reward Zone Premier Silver, and know the policy exceptions provided to RZ Premier Silver Customers. RZ Premier Silver Customers will be identified in fcClient in as "Premier Silver" in the Tier Fields in the fcClient "Search" and "Case" Screens.

If a CR Agent other than agents on those three trial teams happens to receive a call from a RZ Premier Silver Customer, they should transfer the call to an agent on one of those three teams. Even if the nature of the issues is within the scope of normal issues of a CR Agent, for reporting purposes, we would like those calls transferred.


The qualifying requirements to be a Reward Zone Premier Silver Customer:

The customer must spend $2,500 in a calendar year to qualify for RZ Premier Silver status.
The $2,500 can be purchases at a BBY Store, Best Buy.com, or purchases at another retailer if the customer uses a RZ MasterCard

The Benefits of being a Reward Zone Premier Customer:

Extra Points
1.25 Points earned for every dollar spent (as opposed to 1 point for every dollar for other RZ levels)
1.5 Points earned for every dollar spent using a Reward Zone MasterCard at a BBY Store or BestBuy.com
Premier RZ Customers can bank points (unique to Premier Members)
Special Offers from Geek Squad
Free shipping on BestBuy.com purchases
Dedicated support services – CR, BestBuy.com & Reward Zone
Priority Access to Reward Zone Program member events such as concerts and private concerts.
(All RZ Customers will need to accumulate the same 250 Points to receive a $5 GC )

Policy Exceptions for being a Reward Zone Premier Customer:
45 day product return policy
45 day price match time period
No 15% restocking fee on those products that would normally be charged that fee.

MyRewardZone/Premier [Best Buy]



 
 

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After meeting with Bush, Olmert hints U.S. action against Iran is near.



 
 

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via Think Progress by Satyam on 6/9/08

The Israeli press reported last week that during a recent meeting, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was to urge President Bush to prepare an attack on Iran. The White House has not commented extensively on the meeting, but Israeli press are reporting today that Olmert has "hinted" that "U.S. action against Iran is imminent":

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert hinted after his meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush Wednesday that U.S. action against Iran is imminent. While he avoided saying anything clear and specific on the matter, Olmert did mention a "timetable" and said action would take place before Bush leaves the White House.

"We reached agreement on the need to take care of the Iranian threat," Olmert said after the meeting. "I left with a lot less question marks [than I had entered with] regarding the means, the timetable restrictions and America's resoluteness to deal with the problem."

"George Bush understands the severity of the Iranian threat and the need to vanquish it, and intends to act on the matter before the end of his term in the White House," Olmert reportedly said after his 90 minute long one-on-one meeting with the American Commander in Chief.

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Medal Of Honor Recipient’s Father: Bush Must Sign The GI Bill If He Wants To...



 
 

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via Think Progress by Ali on 6/9/08

Last week, President Bush presented Tom and Romayne McGinnis with a posthumous Medal of Honor for their son, Private First Class Ross Andrew McGinnis. Ross was killed in Iraq in December 2004 when he threw his body in front of a grenade to protect four of his fellow soldiers, saving their lives. Bush praised Ross's heroism, and pledged to "never forget" the soldiers "who came forward to bear the battle" for "freedom and security" in Iraq:

The day will come when the mission he served has been completed and the fighting is over, and freedom and security have prevailed. America will never forget those who came forward to bear the battle. America will always honor the name of this brave soldier who gave all for his country, and was taken to rest at age 19.

Ross's father, Tom McGinnis, is holding Bush to his word. The next day, McGinnis called on Bush to sign the 21st Century GI bill, while speaking at the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes induction:

Our troops when they get home also need our support. … They need to be able to continue their education where they left off. And so I say thank you to the Senate and House who have helped to pass the new GI bill. Now this GI bill only needs the signature of the President of the United States to become law. And I think it's time that George Bush can sign this bill and make it law to show his appreciation for the support these loyal youth have given him.

Watch it:

Screenshot

McGinnis told the Army Times that he felt he had to seize the opportunity to speak out about the bill while in Washington: "If I didn't do it when I was down there at the Pentagon or the White House, one of the two, when will I ever have the chance to make an impact?"

Both Bush and the Pentagon oppose Webb's GI bill. A Pentagon spokesman said it was inappropriate to award educational benefits "after only" two years of service. Opponents of the bill misleadingly cite a Congressional Budget Office report to claim that the bill would harm retention rates, ignoring the report's finding that the bill would encourage 30,000 new recruits every year.

In threatening to veto the bill, Bush is ignoring the substantial majority of both houses of Congress, along with an overwhelming majority of American citizens. Will Bush also ignore the father of one of America's greatest heroes?

Transcript: (more…)


 
 

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McCain website posts commentary calling Hillary Clinton a ‘B*tch.’



 
 

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via Think Progress by Think Progress on 6/9/08

Recently, Sen. John McCain has been reaching out to Sen. Hillary Clinton's (D-NY) supporters by lavishing praise on Clinton. But a "news article" posted on McCain's website may undermine those efforts. The "article," which is actually a reader's comment made at Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish, refers to Clinton as "the B*tch":

Fred Thompson is good but pointless. He clearly doesn't want to be in this race. His wife must really want to be First Lady. Paul is hopeless. Huckabee is at least sincere, but I just feel that nominating him is tantamount to giving away the store. He's a big-government liberal with the compassion of Jimmy Carter and a nanny-state busybody of the highest order. I'd rather have the Bitch. At least she'd balance the budget. You know, like her husband did.

This isn't the first time McCain has been associated with such insulting descriptions of Clinton. In 2007, after a supporter asked him "how do we beat the b*tch," McCain replied "that's an excellent question." (HT: Americablog)

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Newsweek: Soldiers Turning To Self-Harm To Avoid Going Back To Iraq



 
 

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via Crooks and Liars by Logan Murphy on 6/9/08

    Newsweek:

As an internist at New York's Mount Sinai Hospital, Dr. Stephanie Santos is used to finding odd things in people's stomachs. So last spring when a young man, identifying himself as an Iraq-bound soldier, said he had accidentally swallowed a pen at the bus station, she believed him. That is, until she found a second pen. It read 1-800-GREYHOUND. Last summer, according to published reports, a 20-year-old Bronx soldier paid a hit man $500 to shoot him in the knee on the day he was scheduled to return to Iraq. The year before that, a 24-year-old specialist from Washington state escaped a second tour of duty, according to his sister, by strapping on a backpack full of tools and leaping off the roof of his house, injuring his spine.

Soldiers have long used self-harm as a rip cord to avoid war. During World War I, The American Journal of Psychiatry reported "epidemics of self-inflicted injuries," hospital wards filled with men shot in a single finger or toe, as well as cases of pulled-out teeth, punctured eardrums and slashed Achilles' heels. Few doubt that the Korean and Vietnam wars were any different. But the current war—fought with an overtaxed volunteer Army—may be the worst. "We're definitely concerned," says Ritchie. "We hope they'll talk to us rather than self-harm." Read on…

With military suicide rates at nearly 30 year highs and almost 20% of our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan on anti-depressants, this story doesn't come as much of a surprise — though it doesn't make it any less sad and disturbing. I guess John McCain was right when he wrote this.


 
 

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Reconquista: A nativist creation



 
 

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via Scholars and Rogues by E Rocha on 6/9/08

A couple of years ago, I addressed the Reconquista myth because this myth was making it rounds among hard-core right-wing pundits. It seems the same conspiracy theory is once again making those rounds again. One of the approaches xenophobic conservative pundits use to stir up fear so people are willing to support tough immigration policies is race baiting. Given the history of race relations in the US, history has shown repeatedly that this nation is willingly to act aggressively in punishing minorities.

The same right-wing populist fears that fueled the Cold War anti-communism, rallied against the Civil Rights Movement and brought about the armed citizens militia movement in the 1990s have reappeared with an elaborate conspiracy theory about the reconquering of America - La Reconquista - the idea that Mexicans are invading America to reclaim it for Mexico.

Recently, Media Matters reported that G. Gordon Liddy, on his nationally syndicated radio show, stated that undocumented immigrants from Mexico "want to reconquer America." From Liddy's June 5 radio show:

LIDDY: Well, now, America's a free country. And everyone who is here legally has the protections of the Constitution, and one of them is the right to gather together peacefully to petition government, you know, with respect to any grievance that you might have. Now, I don't have any problem with that. What I have — the problem –

LIDDY: Now, wait a minute. Now, the problem that I have is with people who come over here and instead of wanting to become Americans, you know, fly the American flag, learn English, and so forth, they want to fly the Mexican flag, they want to speak Spanish, you know, and other varieties of illegal alien. And that's — that is what distinguishes these people from the previous immigrants. Previous immigrants said, "Man, we can't wait to get out of" — you know, whatever the country was they came from. "We can't wait to get to the United States. We want to be Americans, we want to learn English, and, we want, you know, the best for our children," and what have you. And they proudly displayed the American flag. Not so, especially these illegal aliens up from Mexico and what have you. They want to reconquer America, they say. They have this outfit called the Reconconquista [sic] or something of that sort, whatever it is in illegal alien.

The tone of the national debate over immigration is being set by organizations deeply rooted in hate. Too many people, from the media to community leaders, have stood aside with other hateful sources updating their tactics of Jim Crow for the more sophisticated media environment of the 21st century.

Millions of Americans are exposed to the conspiracy theories, either through television or through the Internet. The question is where did the "reconquering" idea originate? One possibility could be traced back to 1917 when Arthur Zimmermann sent his infamous telegram to Mexico's President Venustiano Carranza, at the height of World War I, known as the Zimmermann Telegram. The telegram offered to form an alliance between Germany and Mexico, while trying to remain neutral with the US. However, if US were to enter the war, the Mexican government would agree to enter the war to support Germany, while trying to persuade the Japanese government to join the new alliance. Germany also promised to provide Mexico with financial assistance and the restoration of its former territories of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona to Mexico. It was in this telegram that the word reconquer was used.

We intend to begin on the first of February, unrestricted submarine warfare. We shall endeavor in spite of this to keep the United States of America neutral. In the event of this not succeeding, we propose an alliance on the following basis: make war together, make peace together, generous financial support and an understanding on our part that Mexico is to reconquer the lost territory in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. The settlement in detail is left to you. [emphasis mine]

You will inform the President [of Mexico] of the above most secretly as soon as the outbreak of war with the United States of America is certain and add the suggestion that he should, on his own initiative, invite Japan to immediate adherence and at the same time mediate between Japan and ourselves.

Please call the President's attention to the fact that the ruthless employment of our submarines now offers the prospect of compelling England in a few months to make peace.

Most people assume that it was the sinking of the Lusitania that brought the United States into World War I. However, some will ague that was this message that helped draw the U.S. into the war. The military alliance's main purpose was to keep the US out of the European conflict by convincing Mexico and Japan to attack the US.

The sentiment at the time, both anti-German and anti-Mexican sentiment in the United States was high – Americans where still angry over the loss of Americans lives in the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915 by a German U-boat and because of Pancho Villa's recent raids into US border towns. The idea that the part of United States would possibly go back to Mexico, had Mexico complied with offer, was not very popular with the American people and did not bode well for President Woodrow Wilson.

Maybe one possible explanation for the strains between Latinos and Whites, especially in the Southwest, could be that Carranza did consider Zimmerman's offer. Carranza assigned a general to consider the realities of a Mexican takeover of their former provinces. The general concluded that it would not work because taking over the three states would definitely cause problems and possibly war with the US; Mexico would also be incapable of accommodating a large Anglo population within its borders; and Germany would not be able to supply the arms needed in the hostilities that would surely arise. On April 14, Carranza declined Zimmermann's proposals, by which time the US had already declared war on Germany.

Currently, nativist pundits associate "reconquista" with El Plan Espiritual de Aztlรกn, the manifesto that is considered to be founding document of the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA). However, according to Jorge Tapia, MEChA has its founding based on a conference held in Santa Barbara, CA, El Plan de Santa Barbara, El Plan Espiritual de Aztlan and ideas from other student organizations. In fact, "El Plan Espiritual de Aztlรกn" was not just instrumental in the founding of MEChA, but it also became the framework of the Chicano movement.

In the spirit of a new people that is conscious not only of its proud historical heritage but also of the brutal "gringo" invasion of our territories, we, the Chicano inhabitants and civilizers of the northern land of Aztlan from whence came our forefathers, reclaiming the land of their birth and consecrating the determination of our people of the sun, declare that the call of our blood is our power, our responsibility, and our inevitable destiny….With our heart in our hands and our hands in the soil, we declare the independence of our mestizo nation.

In reality, El Plan is a manifesto that appeals to nationalism as a way to achieve a self-awareness and self-esteem. El Plan never asked for the return of lost territories back to Mexico. So where did the idea of "Aztlรกn" come from? The concept of Aztlรกn began with the poet Alurista in a 1969 Denver Youth Conference that was organized by Corky Gonzales. He was one of the first poets to establish the concept of Aztlan in his writings. In an interview, Alurista said:

And while still calling California "occupied Mexico," the poet disavows any lingering territorial claims. "People call California, Arizona, Nueva Mexico and Colorado Aztlรกn, but really, Aztlรกn is wherever we are. We don't recognize borders. It's more a matter of cultural/political identity. When I say this is our land, I don't mean that we own it. Who owns anything?"

Aztlรกn was a spiritual concept, which was meant to unite all Chicanos/as. The reality is that Latinos are not a homogenous group and throughout the US one can find divisions within the same Latino sub-groups in the Southwest. There are considerable differences between Latinos in each State because each sub-group has their own history of discrimination and oppression. Because of this, there are consequences. Such as, Tejanos see themselves differently from those in New Mexico, Arizona and California. Maybe because Mexico lost Texas first, this probably explains why the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo is not celebrated in the state. Nuevo Mexicanos, in New Mexico also view themselves different from those in Arizona and California and vice versa, however these states have a common history, they were established from the Treaty. That is just the tip of the iceberg.
In other words, "Aztlรกn," is a spiritual concept that we, as Latinos/as, have a spiritual homeland.

It is not just right-wing pundits who are fanning the flames of strife; there are prominent anti-immigrant activists such as Barbara Coe of the California Coalition for Immigration Reform, John Vincent of the American Immigration Control Foundation, and Rick Oltman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform who are avid supporter of the reconquista conspiracy theory and are vehemently anti-Latino. The growing backlash against illegal immigration is creating an atmosphere of antagonism toward all Latinas/os. And many of these hate groups are eager to exploit mainstream fears.

When a society is undergoing change or turmoil, social movements can arise out of an idea that the idealized nation as being destroyed by foreign ideas. This can involve with the idea that the subversion is part of a conspiracy. In a healthy society, only a handful of people will actually consider conspiracy theories seriously. However, when conspiracy theories create a mass following, as a society, we should view this as a red flag because it is a clear indication that something is amiss in society.

Conspiracy theories about Mexico re-conquering lost territories have already seeped into conservative circles. It is just a matter of time it will make its way into progressive political circles. This not only is a waste of time and energy, but it undermines the struggle for human rights. It is important for people of all political stripes to denounce conspiracy theories as toxic to democracy.


 
 

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After biggest unemployment jump in 22 years, McCain vows more of the same



 
 

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via Crooks and Liars by Steve Benen on 6/6/08

On the economic front, the news is "ugly."

The nation's unemployment rate jumped to 5.5 percent in May — the biggest monthly rise since 1986 — as nervous employers cut 49,000 jobs.

The latest snapshot of business conditions showed a deeply troubled economy, with dwindling job opportunities in a time of continuing hardship in the housing, credit and financial sectors.

"It was ugly," said Richard Yamarone, economist at Argus Research.

Of course, given the environment we're in, economic news has an immediate impact on the political landscape, and the McCain campaign was quick to issue a statement. After noting that the rise in unemployment is a reminder of the "challenges" American families are facing, McCain said:

"…[W]e must act now to support workers, families and employers alike. This means getting our economy back on track by providing immediate tax relief, enacting a HOME plan to help those facing foreclosure, lowering health care costs, investing in innovation, moving toward energy independence and opening foreign markets to our goods. These policies will help small businesses create the jobs that families need today. The American people cannot afford more inaction from Washington.

"The wrong change for our country would be an economic agenda based upon the policies of the past that advocate higher taxes, bigger government, government-run health care and greater isolationism. To help families at this critical time, we cannot afford to go backward as Senator Obama advocates."

As if we needed another reminder of just how far gone McCain is when it comes to the economy, his campaign offers additional evidence.

So, the economy's in trouble and unemployment is surging. McCain says we need to cut taxes again (which hasn't managed to help so far), pass his housing plan (written by a UBS lobbyist and created to help the industry, not families losing their homes), pass his healthcare plan (which leaves millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions behind), invest in "innovation" (though he's actually opposed to additional spending in the federal budget), promote energy independence (despite his lacking any kind of energy policy), and more trade.

In other words, we need to keep doing exactly what we've been doing. More of the same. Stay the course. Stick to the policies that got us into this mess, and wait for them to stop failing. It's bound to happen eventually.

I was especially amused by McCain's insistence that it would be "wrong" to pursue the economic policies of the "past." And when might that be? Does McCain mean the 1990s, when taxes were higher, unemployment was lower, growth was stronger, poverty was lower, and the deficit was non-existent? Is this the "past" McCain is anxious to avoid?

"[W]e cannot afford to go backward as Senator Obama advocates," McCain insists. But we can afford to stick with trickle-down voodoo economics?

Can anyone actually take this nonsense seriously?


 
 

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McCain’s Lobbyist Friends



 
 

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via Crooks and Liars by Nicole Belle on 6/6/08

One of the big stories with Obama now leading the DNC is that he has announced that not only will his presidential campaign not accept lobbyist donations, neither will the DNC any longer. And while McCain has made some tentative statements about public financing of his campaign, he has yet to commit to anything, other than the sheer number of lobbyists working on his campaign.

The DNC has put out this ad tying McCain to his lobbyists buddies. From the press release:

"While Senator McCain talks about transparency and accountability on the campaign trail, back home in Washington he and the lobbyists in his inner circle refuse to apply those same standards to his own campaign," said DNC Communications Director Karen Finney. "Senator Obama and the Democratic Party have promised to change the way business is done in Washington and are taking real steps to ensure that the American people's priorities dominate the agenda in Washington. If Senator McCain is serious about his call to clean up Washington, he should join us. Otherwise, Senator McCain is once again showing why he is the wrong choice for America's future."

A little fact checking, courtesy of the DNC, on McCain's Lobbyist Brigade below the fold:

FACT CHECK:

JOHN MCCAIN'S LOBBYIST FRIENDS

Anti-Western Political Parties…

  • Campaign Manager Rick Davis's Firm Represented Anti-Western Political Party in Ukraine. "A consultant to Sen. John McCain hired a public-relations firm last year to burnish the U.S. image of a Ukrainian political party backed by Russian leader Vladimir Putin, according to documents filed with the Justice Department. The lobbying firm of Davis Manafort Inc. arranged for the public-relations firm's work through an affiliate last spring, at the same time Davis Manafort was being paid by the Republican presidential candidate's campaign. The firm is co-owned by lobbyist Rick Davis, manager of Sen. McCain's presidential campaign, and longtime Republican strategist Paul Manafort." [Wall Street Journal, 5/14/08]

Mob-Connected Russian Oligarchs…

  • Davis Introduced McCain to Putin-Ally, Mafia-Linked Russian Oligarch. While seeking to do business with him, McCain campaign manager Rick Davis - while simultaneously at the Reform Institute and lobbying for Davis Manafort - introduced McCain to Oleg Deripaska, a Putin ally whose U.S. visa was revoked due to suspicions over his ties to Russian organized crime. McCain, Deripaska and Davis rendezvoused at least twice - first in January 2006 in Davos, then during a codel in Montenegro in August 2006. [Washington Post, 1/25/08]

The Saudi Royal Family…

  • Former Campaign Finance Chair Tom Loeffler Lobbied McCain for Saudi Clients. "But the fallout may not be over. One top campaign official affected by the new policy is national finance co-chair Tom Loeffler, a former Texas congressman whose lobbying firm has collected nearly $15 million from Saudi Arabia since 2002 and millions more from other foreign and corporate interests, including a French aerospace firm seeking Pentagon contracts. Loeffler last month told a reporter 'at no time have I discussed my clients with John McCain.' But lobbying disclosure records reviewed by NEWSWEEK show that on May 17, 2006, Loeffler listed meeting McCain along with the Saudi ambassador to 'discuss US-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia relations.'" [Newsweek, 5/26/08: http://www.newsweek.com/id/137522]

Companies doing business in Iran…

  • McCain Campaign Manager Rick Davis Represented Ukrainian Companies Doing Business in Iran. "Before Rick Davis began serving as John McCain's campaign manager, his lobbying firm had a pretty cosmopolitan set of clients. For example, Ukranian billionaire Rinat Akhmetov, who has several business links to Iran… Davis Manafort was helping Akhmetov's conglomerate, System Capital Management Holdings, to develop a "corporate communications strategy" between the beginging of 2005 through the end of summer 2005, the company said. The company's subsidiary, Metinvest, a steel company, has one of its 11 offices in Tehran. And another subsidiary, Khartsyzsk Pipe Plant, sells large pipes to Iran. Those business ties go back to at least 2005, when Davis Manafort was working for the company, according to a handful of stories in business publications like the Russia & CIS Metals and Mining Weekly and the Mining and the Metals report, which we found on Nexis." [TPM, 5/30/08: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/05/before_rick_davis_began_servin.php]

The Brutal Myanmar Junta…

  • Doug Goodyear Left Campaign After Revelations His Firm Represented Myanmar Regime. "The man picked by the John McCain campaign to run the 2008 Republican National Convention resigned Saturday after a report that his lobbying firm used to represent the military regime in Myanmar. Doug Goodyear resigned as coordinator of the Twin Cities convention and issued a two-sentence statement." [Associated Press, 5/11/08]
  • Goodyear and Doug Davenport, Regional Campaign Manager, Tied to Oppressive Myanmar Junta. "ABC News' Jan Simmonds reports: Two of Sen. John McCain' campaign aides resigned this weekend after media reports brought to light their ties to a lobbying group that once represented the military junta of Burma, which the regime calls Myanmar. The aides, Douglas Goodyear, who was tapped as the GOP Convention Coordinator, and Doug Davenport, a regional manager focusing on the mid-Atlantic states, both worked for DCI. The firm was hired in 2002 to represent Burma's military junta to try to begin a dialogue of political reconciliation with the United States." [ABCNews.com, 5/11/08]

…and some of history's Most Brutal Tyrants.

  • Charlie Black Pioneered the "Revolving Door Between Campaign Consulting and Lobbying." "Then in his 30s, Black already had established himself as a pioneer of the revolving door between campaign consulting and lobbying, having been a senior adviser on President Ronald Reagan's reelection campaign before returning to K Street. And his clients, as often as not, were foreign leaders eager to burnish their reputations…The lobbying shop represented Bethlehem Steel, the Tobacco Institute and the government of the Philippines. The political consulting firm helped elect a slew of lawmakers — including Sens. Phil Gramm, Jesse Helms, Charles McC. Mathias Jr., Arlen Specter, Paula Hawkins and David F. Durenberger — who worked on legislation that directly impacted the firm's clients." [Washington Post, 5/22/08]
  • "Longtime Uber-Lobbyist" Helped Burnish Reputations of Some of the World's Worst Tyrants." "Longtime uber-lobbyist Charles R. Black Jr. is John McCain's man in Washington, a political maestro who is hoping to guide his friend, the senator from Arizona, to the presidency this November. But for half a decade in the 1980s, Black was also Jonas Savimbi's man in the capital city. His lobbying firm received millions from the brutal Angolan guerrilla leader and took advantage of Black's contacts in Congress and the White House." [Washington Post, 5/22/08]
  • Black's Client List a Whose Who of Repressive Rulers. "In addition to Savimbi, Black and his partners were at times registered foreign agents for a remarkable collection of U.S.-backed foreign leaders whose human rights records were sometimes harshly criticized, even as their opposition to communism was embraced by American conservatives. They included Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire, Nigerian Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre, and the countries of Kenya and Equatorial Guinea, among others." [Washington Post, 5/22/08]


 
 

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McCain and women’s issues: It’s more than just Roe



 
 

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via Crooks and Liars by Steve Benen on 6/7/08

Obviously, John McCain's intention to move the Supreme Court even further to the right and overturn Roe is high on the list of concerns regarding women's issues, but Scott Lemieux had a good item this week reminding us that Roe is just part of a bigger picture.

Yes, it's true that replacing John Paul Stevens and/or Ruth Bader Ginsburg with a Republican appointee will be bad for abortion rights, although this is likely to occur by further draining content from Casey rather than overturning Roe outright.

But even when it comes to women's rights, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The enforcement of civil rights protections for women is likely to be much less in a Republican administration, for example. The global gag order will remain firmly in place. And in general, four more years of a tax-cut-supporting, massive-defense-spending GOP president will not only make any kind of serious progressive reform (much of which disproportionately benefits women even if not specifically targeted to do so) virtually impossible for four more years but will also make it more difficult in the future. A McCain presidency would be very, very bad for women even if not a single Supreme Court vacancy opens up during his tenure.

Quite right. We're not just talking about esoteric issues like Supreme Court cases and speculative high court retirements; this is about the kind of impact McCain policies can and would have on women's lives every day.

As St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, an enthusiastic Clinton backer, said this week, "You don't spend your life fighting for women's rights and then vote for Sen. McCain."

As it turns out, we can even go further on this point.

David Greenberg, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood in Oregon, had an especially good item this week on the subject.

John McCain is one of only a few Senators to earn a Zero percent lifetime rating from Planned Parenthood's Action Fund, and he only scored that high because the organization doesn't have a lower rating…. Let's look at his record:

He voted against requiring health care plans to cover birth control (3/22/03).

He voted against comprehensive, medically accurate sex education (7/25/06).

He voted against international family planning funding (3/14/96).

He voted against funding to prevent teen and unintended pregnancies (3/17/05).

He voted against public education for emergency contraception (3/17/05).

And he voted against restoring Medicaid funding that could be used for family planning for low-income women (3/17/05).

NPR reported (2/2/08) that, "Many Republican voters seem to believe, incorrectly, that the current Republican front-runner, Arizona Senator John McCain, supports abortion rights."

John McCain wants us to believe that he's a moderate who supports improving the health of women in the United States, but in fact he's among the most extreme members of Congress who voted against common sense measures on family planning, sex education and access to basic healthcare.

In contrast, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton agree on all of these issues.

Just sayin'.


 
 

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McCain Adviser Claims Obama Would Be Like A Third Bush Term



 
 

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via Crooks and Liars by Nicole Belle on 6/7/08

Holy cow, what kind of industrial grade pharmaceutical are they smoking over there?

Think Progress:  

Apparently the McCain campaign is feeling the sting of comparisons to George Bush. McCain describes himself as the strongest support of the war in Iraq. His answer to $4.00 gasoline is to cut oil company taxes by $4 billion a year. And McCain has embraced a Bush proposal to radically change our health care system. (These and other similarities are described in a memorandum released today by the Center for American Progress Action Fund.)

Swimming upstream, McCain policy advisor Douglas Holtz-Eakin now argues that it is Senator Obama – not McCain – who wants to continue Bush's fiscal policies. Obama's budget "is dedicated to the recent Bush tradition of spending money on everything," he said.

This is exactly backwards. Consider:

– Like Bush, McCain has proposed massive tax cuts that primarily benefit high-income households. McCain's $300 billion a year in tax cuts – over and above the cost of extending the Bush tax cuts when they expire in 2010 – would essentially double the size of the Bush tax cuts and make them even more regressive.

– Like Bush, McCain's massive tax cuts and spending on security leaves little for other priorities. Over the past eight years, other types of discretionary spending have remained essentially unchanged after inflation and population growth. McCain would continue the pattern of putting huge tax cuts and defense spending ahead of other needs, like preschool and renewable energy.

– Like Bush, McCain rails against wasteful spending in the abstract but fails to target any actual programs. His promises to eliminate earmarks and freeze spending could save $30 billion a year or even less. That leaves him short the quite noticeable sum of $270 billion a year. (Holtz-Eakin told Bloomberg that McCain has a secret plan to balance the budget, but he hasn't shared it with the Concord Coalition — or those of us at the Center for American Progress Action Fund, for that matter.)

– Like Bush, McCain is likely to drive up the national debt by trillions of dollars. Bush took a debt of $3.4 trillion – and headed down – up to $5.4 trillion. McCain's budget plan would drive the deficit to $12.7 trillion.


 
 

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Paul Alexander: How Karl Rove Played Politics While People Drowned



 
 

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via Crooks and Liars by Logan Murphy on 6/7/08

Karl Rove's role in building, running and ruining the most corrupt, inept and politically polarizing presidential administration in U.S. history, is the stuff of legends. The below excerpts from Paul Alexander's new book, "Machiavelli's Shadow: The Rise And Fall Of Karl Rove", gives a stunning picture of how Rove, within hours of Hurricane Katrina making landfall, put his political machine to work protecting George Bush, his administration and their Republican allies in the Gulf Coast region, by smearing both New Orlenas Mayor, Ray Nagin and Louisiana Governor, Kathleen Blanco.

With Karl Rove neutered and disgraced, Alexander found that people (politicians) directly involved in the disaster were finally willing to speak openly about the immoral, disgraceful and unforgivably political nature of the Bush Administration's handling of one the worst natural disasters ever to strike the United States — and was widely viewed as a seminal moment in the downward spiral of George Bush, Karl Rove and the Republican party, from which they never recovered. Excerpts from Salon:

On Monday, August 29, 2005, at about 6:00 a.m., Hurricane Katrina slammed into the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. A category 5 hurricane until just before landfall, it was one of the worst storms ever to hit the Gulf Coast. Kathleen Blanco, the governor of Louisiana, had been briefed extensively about what to expect when the storm hit, which was why, on the Friday night before the storm reached the coast, she signed papers declaring Louisiana to be in a state of emergency. Based on what she had been told by her advisers and what she knew from being a native Louisianan, she understood that Katrina, creeping gradually toward land with sustained winds of a strength rarely seen in a hurricane, could prove to be catastrophic for Louisiana, and particularly for New Orleans.

If Bush had not seen what was taking place by Tuesday, Karl Rove had. The first evidence of Rove's involvement in the Katrina disaster occurred on Tuesday afternoon. "Rove understood what a nightmare this was for the president," Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana says, "so he went into high gear on the spin thing they're so good at in the White House. Rove had David Vitter, the Republican senator from Louisiana. I was at a press conference and David Vitter walked up to the mike and said, 'I just got off the phone with Karl Rove.' I looked at the governor and she looked at me, like, 'Why is David Vitter on the phone with Karl Rove?' I mean, he could have been talking to generals, the president himself, but Rove is just a political hatchet man."

"I could not believe that the president of the United States, staged by Karl Rove himself, had come down to the city of New Orleans and basically put up a stage prop. It was like you had gone to a studio in California and filmed a movie. They put the props up and the minute we were gone they took them down. All the dump trucks were gone. All the Coast Guard people were gone. It was an empty spot with one little crane. It was the saddest thing I have ever seen in my life. At that moment I knew what was going on and I've been a changed woman ever since. It truly changed my life." Read on…


 
 

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McSame: McCain Voted with Bush 95% in 2007



 
 

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via Pensito Review by Jon Ponder on 6/7/08

According to Congressional Quarterly, John McCain voted with George Bush 95 percent of the time in 2007, and has voted with him 100 percent so far this year. There are a few caveats, however:

As of last week, John McCain has voted in support of President Bush's policies 100 percent of the time this year!

Of course, that's based on only six votes.

That's the result of CQ's latest tally of the future nominees' voting records in the Senate this year, which includes all of the votes that have taken place through the end of last week. It covers all the times they have sided with Bush — the measure Obama prefers to use — and all the times they have broken with the party line, the measure McCain prefers.

Obama has made an issue of McCain's support of Bush, for obvious reasons (Bush is a bit radioactive with the public right now). In his speech Tuesday night, Obama noted that McCain voted with Bush 95 percent of the time last year.

But McCain missed more than half of the votes last year, and the ones where he sided with Bush don't always mean what they seem to mean — since many of them were on immigration, an issue where most Democrats actually agreed with Bush and McCain.

This year is no different. McCain has only made 26 percent of the votes this year, and Obama has only made 44 percent. So their scores aren't based on a huge number of roll calls. (Through last week, the Senate had taken 140 votes, and only 28 of them were based on issues where Bush took a public position.)


 
 

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Fox News Producer Ambushes Bill Moyers; Gets Taste Of His Own Medicine



 
 

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via Crooks and Liars by Nicole Belle on 6/8/08

I think this is my favorite piece of video footage since Jon Stewart told off Tucker Carlson on Crossfire.  Seriously, watch it again and again, it just gets better. 

At the National Conference for Media Reform, Bill O'Reilly producer Porter Barry ambushes journalist Bill Moyers and asks him why he won't appear on The O'Reilly Factor.  Moyers, a class act to the last, makes Barry look like the small and petty man he is.  But the joke is on Barry, because other journalists, including Uptake correspondent Noah Kunin, who got this raw footage, turned tables on ol' Porter and gave him a little taste of the FOX News-style ambush journalism.  I don't think he liked it much.

By the way, Moyers gave an absolutely inspirational keynote address at NCMR2008.  You can view it on YouTube.


 
 

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Late Edition: DiFi Educates Hutchinson On The Bush/McCain Tax Disaster



 
 

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via Crooks and Liars by Logan Murphy on 6/8/08

This morning on Late Edition, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX) debate the issue of taxes, and Republican presumptive presidential nominee John McCain's attacks on Barack Obama's tax platform. Hutchinson's feckless attempts to promote the status quo are quickly drowned out, as DiFi lays out the reality of the disaster the Bush/McCain tax policies have created for our economy.

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McCain says Obama would spend more money on social programs which he claims would hurt our economy, but Feinstein quickly debunks that notion and points out that he has supported the President's Iraq debacle, which has not been paid for and has been wholly funded off budget — and has lead to a bloated national deficit and skyrocketing interest on that debt that has to be paid for somehow.

Feinstein:"…So I think, in terms of tax policy, this constant cut, cut, cut, no matter what the debt, no matter what the deficit, just puts this nation in jeopardy in terms of its future."

There was a strange moment at the end of the segment where DiFi and Hutchinson give each other one of those terrorist fist jabs. (pictured above, right) Now, I'm all for ending the partisan bickering in Washington D.C., but this was a rather odd moment. WTF?


 
 

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Gas Hits $4 a Gallon; Bush “Hadn’t Heard That”



 
 

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via Crooks and Liars by Jon Perr on 6/8/08

Just a little over three months ago, President Bush declared he "hadn't heard" that gasoline would soon reach $4 a gallon. Today, the milestone anticipated by all save the President of the United States came to pass:

"Drivers are paying an average of $4 for a gallon of gasoline for the first time. AAA and the Oil Price Information Service say the national average price for a gallon of regular gas rose to $4.005 overnight from $3.988. But consumers in many parts of the country have already been paying well above that price for some time."

Given the stratospheric - and uninterrupted - rise in oil and gas prices, Bush's February 28 display of ignorance is all the more jaw-dropping. Asked by a reporter about the looming arrival of $4 gas, Bush the former oil man did what comes naturally and played dumb:

Q What's your advice to the average American who is hurting now, facing the prospect of $4 a gallon gasoline, a lot of people facing —

THE PRESIDENT: Wait, what did you just say? You're predicting $4 a gallon gasoline?

Q A number of analysts are predicting —

THE PRESIDENT: Oh, yeah?

Q — $4 a gallon gasoline this spring when they reformulate.

THE PRESIDENT: That's interesting. I hadn't heard that.

Perrspectives has more on Bush's mind-numbing mindlessness and his dismal history of broken promises to "jawbone" his Saudi and Kuwaiti friends into opening the spigots.


 
 

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US: FEMA trailers caused at least 17,000 illnesses among Katrina survivors



 
 

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British Police Opening Thousands of Safe Deposit Boxes, Searching for Gold, ...



 
 

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via cryptogon.com by Kevin on 6/9/08

Via: BBC: Six suitcases packed with suspected gold dust and about £30m in cash has been found during searches of safety deposit centres in London, police say. … The Met Police believe criminals used the centres in Park Lane, Hampstead and Edgware to store criminal assets. Armed police continue to guard the buildings as specialist officers search the 7,000 [...]

 
 

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How not to show support for the troops



 
 

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via Crooks and Liars by Steve Benen on 6/9/08

The Senate has already passed a defense spending bill with billions of additional dollars for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and with the House poised to take up the measure, the president devoted his weekly radio address to the subject. Bush seemed quite anxious to present himself as the troops' best friend in Washington, insisting that if the House follows the Senate's lead and passes a spending bill that the White House doesn't like, those in uniform lose.

"The Pentagon will run out of money it needs to support critical day-to-day operations that help keep our Nation safe. And after July, the department will no longer be able to pay our troops — including those serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"Our men and women in uniform and their families deserve better than this. Around the world, our troops are taking on dangerous missions with skill and determination…. Each day, the men and women of our Armed Forces risk their lives to make sure their fellow citizens are safer. They serve with courage and honor. They've earned the respect of all Americans. And they deserve the full support of Congress. I often hear members of Congress say they oppose the war, but still support the troops. Now they have a chance to prove it. Congress should pass a responsible funding bill that gives our men and women in uniform the resources they need — and the support they have earned."

We're obviously well past the point at which anyone can expect honesty and integrity from Still-President Bush, but these comments were especially annoying.

First, the main sticking point in the disagreement between Congress and the administration is the Webb/Hagel measure to expand and revise the GI Bill. In other words, Bush is prepared to reject funding for the wars because Democrats (and more than a few Republicans) want to give the troops more generous educational benefits. Somehow, the president's radio address omitted this detail.

And second, for all of Bush's talk about paying the troops and what they and their families "deserve," what the radio address neglected to mention is that the Democratic Congress is trying to give the troops a raise — and the Bush administration thinks it costs too much.

Faiz explained this very well just a couple of weeks ago.

The bill includes a section to raise the pay for the soldiers by 3.9 percent – an increase of 0.5 percent over the Bush administration's request. In a "Statement of Administration Policy" released [on May 22], the White House asserts that it "strongly opposes" the pay increase authorized by Congress…. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reports that the 0.5 percent increase in troop pay would mean spending just an extra $324 million in 2009. […]

At the same time it is strongly opposing a slight increase in pay for the troops, the Bush administration is asking for hundreds of billions more for war. To put it in all in context, the White House wants $165 billion to continue fighting the Iraq and Afghanistan wars this year, but refuses to spend 0.2 percent of that amount ($324 million) to provide the troops a slight pay raise.

Despite his opposition to a pay increase, President Bush continues to demagogue the issue of support for the troops, telling soldiers at Ft. Drum yesterday that Congress is to blame for not having passed "a responsible war funding bill." Of course, he didn't tell that troops that by "responsible," he means he wants a bill that gives them less pay.

Now go back and take a look at the language in the president's radio address yesterday: "Our men and women in uniform and their families deserve better than this. Around the world, our troops are taking on dangerous missions with skill and determination…. Congress should pass a responsible funding bill that gives our men and women in uniform the resources they need — and the support they have earned."

It'd be funny if it weren't so sad.

Post Script: Oh, and before I forget, it's worth noting that John McCain, Bush's would-be successor, agrees with the president's position on the spending bill. Just FYI.


 
 

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Countdown Redux: Richard Clarke On Bush Administration - “We Can’t Let These...



 
 

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via Crooks and Liars by Logan Murphy on 6/9/08

 

C&L covered this segment from last Friday's Countdown, but I thought an emphasis on Richard Clarke's scathing remarks about the lack of, and the need for, accountability from the Bush administration for the countless lies they told their country and the world about pre-Iraq invasion intelligence, was well deserved.

I have been telling anyone who will listen, that we must watch out for these bad pennies when their names start to creep back into the political arena - names like Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, who both worked in the Nixon administration. Looking back, we find ourselves wondering how we didn't see this disaster coming, or why more people didn't speak out at the time. I fully agree with Richard Clarke's statements; we must not allow these thugs back into civilized society — they should not be rewarded for perpetrating so many horrific and destructive crimes against their own people, and other places around the globe.

Clarke: "Well, there may be some other kind of remedy. There may be some sort of truth and reconciliation commission process that's been tried in other countries, South Africa, Salvador and what not, where if you come forward and admit that you were in error or admit that you lied, admit that you did something, then you're forgiven. Otherwise, you are censured in some way."

"Now, I just don't think we can let these people back into polite society and give them jobs on university boards and corporate boards and just let them pretend that nothing ever happened when there are 4,000 Americans dead and 25,000 Americans grievously wounded, and they'll carry those wounds and suffer all the rest of their lives."

You can rest assured, the day that names like Karl Rove, Tom Delay, Condoleeza Rice or those of anyone who served in the Bush administration creep into the public or political sphere, we, and the rest of the blogosphere, will sound the alarm to make sure none of these people are able to damage our country ever again. More from Think Progress.


 
 

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Today's Must Read



 
 

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via TPMMuckraker by Andrew Tilghman on 6/9/08

The system designed to keep corporate cash from secretly slipping into the hands of doctors who do highly influential medical research isn't working very well.

Even at the nation's top institutions - such as Harvard - and affecting the most vulnerable populations - children with psychiatric problems.

A front-page story in Sunday's New York Times reports that a Congressional probe found some top child psychiatrists earning more than $1 million in often undisclosed consulting fees from drug firms.

What's most troubling about the investigation is that the these individual doctors and their public advocacy for certain drugs for mentally ill children "has helped fuel an explosion in the use of powerful antipsychotic medicines in children."

Dr. [Joseph] Biederman is one of the most influential researchers in child psychiatry and is widely admired for focusing the field's attention on its most troubled young patients. Although many of his studies are small and often financed by drug makers, his work helped to fuel a controversial 40-fold increase from 1994 to 2003 in the diagnosis of pediatric bipolar disorder, which is characterized by severe mood swings, and a rapid rise in the use of antipsychotic medicines in children. The Grassley investigation did not address research quality.

Biederman, who works at Harvard Medical School's department of psychiatry, received $1.6 million in consulting fees from drug makers from 2000 to 2007 but for years did not report much of this income to university officials, according to information given congressional investigators.

While there are rules for disclosing such payments, there's virtually no enforcement of those guidelines.

"It's really been an honor system thing," said Dr. Robert Alpern, dean of Yale School of Medicine. "If somebody tells us that a pharmaceutical company pays them $80,000 a year, I don't even know how to check on that."

While the probe, led by Sen. Charles Grassley, (R-IA) is scrutinizing the system for disclosing such payments, there is no effort to examine whether these payments may have influenced the doctors' research.

As the Times notes: "The Grassley investigation did not address research quality."

Controlling for bias is especially important in such work, given that the scale is subjective, and raters often depend on reports from parents and children, several top psychiatrists said.

More broadly, they said, revelations of undisclosed payments from drug makers to leading researchers are especially damaging for psychiatry.

"The price we pay for these kinds of revelations is credibility, and we just can't afford to lose any more of that in this field," said Dr. E. Fuller Torrey, executive director of the Stanley Medical Research Institute, which finances psychiatric studies. "In the area of child psychiatry in particular, we know much less than we should, and we desperately need research that is not influenced by industry money.


 
 

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