Vigilant Watch

No One Has To Obey Any Laws According To The Justice Department

2009-05-06T09:31:00.003-05:00

In their desperate attempt to make the entire issue of the torture of prisoners held by our country go away, the Department of Justice under Attorney General Holder is already preparing their final report that will no doubt recommend no criminal charges be levied against the lawyers who wrote the guidelines that gave the Bush Administration all the justification they needed to give the green light to the most heinous of war crimes.

While many of us are content to sit back and applaud the decision to not prosecute the lawyers for their criminal rewriting of our nation's laws, there are also many of us who can see down the road, and how this insane sweeping under the rug of this issue not only will basically end any chance of ever bringing the top echelon culprits to justice, but it will now set the dangerous precedent for the next Bush that comes along to go even further. Like say, torturing American citizens?

Also forgotten and intentionally not spoken about by the media any more are not only the vast torture programs our government had going, but the renditions of individuals from even friendly countries such as Canada, wherein they would be shipped off to places where even more diabolical torture techniques are common place, and from which the Bush Administration first derived their false case for war with Iraq.

Such as the case of Al-Libi, an admitted al-Queda operative captured soon after the 9/11 attacks. No trial was nor ever has been held for this person and although not a figure to gain much sympathy in our part of the world, Al-Libi was probably the test case from which the entire torture/rendition program sprang forth from. CIA interrogators stuffed Al-Libi into a 2ft. by 2 ft. box and kept him there for 17 hours, effectively burying him alive while demanding that he provide a link between al-Queda and Saddam Hussein. When that didn't work, the beatings began. Forget this hooey about water boarding. That wasn't the worst that was done. Prisoners like Al-Libi would be set upon by up to 5 men at a time, fists and feet flying for up to 15 minutes, hitting in all the right places to inflict maximum pain with minimal damage.

The country was treated to pictures of prisoners strung up with electrical wiring and we were told no electrocutions ever happened. But by the CIA's own admission, people that were renditioned and sent to other countries such as Egypt, were tortured with electricity, tortured by having spikes shoved under their fingernails, tortured to the point that some would swear to anything the Americans wanted them to say, then sent back to Bagram Air Base to be tortured some more by our own people.

It was due to this torturing of Al-Libi to get him to say what the Bush Administration wanted that then Secretary of State Colin Powell told the U.N. "I can trace the story of a senior terrorist operative telling how Iraq provided training in these weapons to al Qaeda," Powell said. "Fortunately, this operative is now detained, and he has told his story."

Suddenly we find ourselves, after being horrified at the stories of torture by our people towards prisoners, faced with the notion that those who ordered the torture program to begin, those who rewrote the laws to make it appear that torture was legal as long as the President sanctioned it, and even those who implemented the torture under orders from the White House (Don't even start. we all know who ordered the torture programs), will walk away with literally no consequences other than a possible bar association sanction. The Nazis and the Japanese we imprisoned and executed for the very same war crimes must be spinning in their graves.

Because somehow, the entire issue has devolved into the subject of water boarding. As if that's ALL that was done to prisoners under our control. That's not the only thing we did to these people, these human beings, we did far worse. And anyone who argues that water boarding is not torture should go ahead and have it done to them, but not in a controlled environment. Let the Syrians do it. The Egyptians. The Israelis. The Algerians. That's where we sent some of our prisoners and they came back missing pieces from their struggles to breath as the water was pouring into their airways.

No one really wants to dredge the entire affair through hearings and courtrooms. No one has the stomach for parading Bush, Cheney or any of their disgusting cronies through the public's consciousness for however long trials would take. But we have no choice if we are a nation of laws. To let these people walk away from their culpability or the consequences that must be imposed if they are found guilty would be to tell not only us here at home, but the entire world, that anarchy is the day word here in this country, and torturers, as long as they are American, can do whatever they please and get away with it. That the law means nothing to us, and as such, no citizen should be forced to observe any other laws.

There can not be two sets of laws in the United States. We are rushing headlong down the path to a complete breakdown of social order when we begin to allow corporate fat cats to get away with ripping off billions of dollars in taxpayer money while we arrest, prosecute, and jail the poor person who stole food to feed his or her family. While Presidents and other Administration officials can get away with war crimes by claiming some non-existent immunity, but we prosecute and imprison the average Joe who gets into a bar fight and breaks the other guy's jaw.

How long does one suppose the majority of the public will sit still after watching time and time again, those people who think themselves the 'movers and shakers' slipping and sliding themselves out of culpability for their crimes while everyone else is expected to obey every law to the letter or face prison? The answer is not much longer. With the advent of instant information, and almost universal access to it, the public is more aware, and as such, moved to anger that much quicker than in times past.

No. Those responsible for the stain that is on the flag of our nation MUST be brought to justice. Our honor as a people demands it. The stability and faith in our legal system demands it. How we are viewed by ally and foe alike demands it. The safety of our troops who may end up captured demands it. The restoration of the rule of law demands it. For if these war criminals are allowed to walk away from their evil without so much as a bye your leave, then the Department of Justice and the White House may as well go on national television and declare that no one is required to obey any law in this country if they can come up with a reason as to why the law does not apply to them. Prosecute the war criminals period.....................

Loud Applause As The President Gets Two Right

2009-05-05T10:55:00.003-05:00

For far too long Corporate America has gotten away with not fulfilling their duty to our country. Since the days of President Dwight D. Eisenhower and the beginning of the far right's ascension to places of power and influence, corporations have shirked their responsibility by shipping profits earned in America to offshore banking accounts. Using shell companies that are nothing more than post office boxes in places such as Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, household names including Halliburton, KBR, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and even Kellog's, (who in 2007 boasted of sales in excess of $11 billion), have spent lavishly on upper management bonuses while shifting the burden of paying taxes onto the workers of America.

President Obama is changing all of that according to what he said yesterday. No longer will companies reap windfall profits by shipping American jobs overseas, and the cash made by causing misery across the country sent to offshore bank accounts. Tax loopholes will be closed, and companies will once again be forced to (GASP!) pay some of their fair share of the taxes that go towards the services they all enjoy. Now we need to go after the fat cats themselves who ship their multi million dollar salaries to those same overseas banks in order to avoid paying income tax. That could potentially rival the amount expected to be realized by closing the corporate loopholes.

The President, in keeping with his campaign promise to bolster consumer protection that had been allowed to virtually disappear under the far right's decimation of America, announced the nomination of Inez Tenenbaum to the post of Chairperson of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, as well as a request for an additional $107 million dollars per year to fund the agency properly. Corporate fat cats are probably apoplectic over these two moves by the President, as they can no longer get away with selling unsuspecting Americans garbage wrapped up in blue ribbons.

Reaction seems to be muted save for the far right lunatic fringers, who claim the world is ending and the Apocalypse is at hand because of these moves. But some who have a modicum of maturity and actual knowledge of the way things are supposed to work, (ie; corporations paying all the taxes, ordinary citizens paying none), are clapping their hands in loud applause at these first baby steps towards restoring a balance between the super filthy rich and the rest of us.

The next move by the Obama Administration must now be to undo what Senator Arlen Spector pulled back in 2006 while he was leaving his post as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. As the Democrats welcome the 'defector' into their fold, they must have forgotten that it was Spector who pushed through new rules, along with then Attorney General Gonzales, that weakened the government's ability to prosecute or even investigate corporate wrongdoing.

Another step in the right direction would be ending the practice of deferred sentencing for corporate executives who get caught with their hands deep in the cookie jar. Every day citizens who get caught stealing a loaf of bread to feed their families during these hard economic times caused BY the corporations end up sitting in a cell. But corporate fat cats who rip off millions and even billions, receive 'deferred sentences', which means they never see the inside of a jail. What that teaches the rest of the population is that there are two sets of laws. One for the rich, one for everyone else. Or it could teach us that if you're going to steal, make sure you grab at least a million bucks in order to avoid jail time.

But back to the matter at hand. Although no one is going to be happy with the word of the hiring of an additional 800 I.R.S. agents, if those agents are going to be concentrating solely on corporate malfeasance, we should all be able to live with that. The only ones who are really balking at the additional agents are the super rich any way. Oh, and the far right radio goons, who claim they're really going to be going after regular folks. 800 agents vs. 300 million people. Should be an impressive feat to watch them audit everyone.

Yes, the President did the right thing. For decades, every President has sworn to tackle the issue of Big Business getting away with murder, but not one had the actual guts to take on the corporations face to face. No political contributions would flow in you see. But since Obama's main source of campaign funding comes directly from the American people themselves, Obama probably doesn't give two hoots what the corporations think. And that friends, is one of the biggest leaps forward this nation has taken in many a year towards restoring this country to it's rightful owners. We the People.

This isn't even a partisan issue. Republican, Democrat, Independent, whatever your political leaning, all of us who work in the trenches for a living should back this move by the President as strongly as we can. It isn't very often that anyone has the guts to stand up to the corporations who have hijacked the country and say "No more." When someone does, all of us should rally behind that person and push for even more changes. Like breaking up the huge conglomerates, much like they broke up Ma Bell. Three cheers President Obama! Go get them sons of guns. We'll back you all the way on this one.....................

Jeb Bush's Florida A Perfect Example Of Why Medicaid 'Reform' Is A Scam

2009-05-04T09:41:00.004-05:00

For all of the Republican Party's desperate attempts to distance themselves from their recent past, it seems that the only people they keep trotting out to tell us how much they have changed since November are the very same people who drove us straight into our current economic crisis. The very same people who made the word torture a household name. And the very same people who took the Medicaid program, ripped it out of the hands of the government, and handed it to the insurance industry, who promptly began ripping off untold billions of dollars of taxpayer money while ensuring people could not go to their doctors.

Now we hear of the cross country tour being staged by none other than Jeb Bush, former Florida Governor, and brother to our former President. Once considered a natural successor to Georgie, he now feels the need to try to reinvent the Republican brand via a whirlwind nationwide town meeting stunt. But it can not and should not work. No one should listen to yet another failed Governor with White House aspirations, especially one who would like to angle his way towards keeping the half century Bush dynasty going. Ask Florida legislators, who, despite the claims of Jeb Bush's overwhelming popularity, are cursing his name due to the fiscal mess he has left them to sort out.

Such as the Florida Medicaid program. Governor Jeb jumped aboard the over the cliff express that called itself Medicaid reform. The public was sold the usual line about how Medicaid was bankrupting the system, blah blah blah, but the reality was then and is now that Medicaid 'reform' was little more than the largest theft in American history. That is, until the recent rape of the entire economy by the Bushies on their way out the door.

Although the State of Florida has been loath to actually implement the 'reforms' that the Republican controlled government shoved down the throat of the country, time is running out for the state and more importantly, hospitals that serve the poor and disabled. What that means is should the state not force patients into 'managed care', ie; hand the Medicaid program over to the private insurance industry, the state stands to lose over $300 million in Federal funding.

This would force hospitals to stop servicing the poor, the elderly, the infirm, or anyone else who can not afford health insurance. But good news may be on the way for Florida's poor, who already receive one of the lowest TANF amounts in the nation. The State Legislator is seeking a way to pass a bill asking for more time from the Federal Government with an eye towards the new White House and President Obama possibly issuing a waiver for the state, or abolishing the scam 'reforms' altogether. The head of Florida's State Health Care Budget Office has stated what many of us have been screaming for years. He told Florida media outlets ''We've done the experiment. It has failed. The reports are unsettling. People couldn't get to specialists, couldn't get adequate care. And they couldn't do it cheaply.''

Standing in the way of reform of the 'reform' of Medicaid are, uh huh, the insurance companies and Florida's private hospitals. The hospitals stand to gain a large chunk in the short term of Florida's Medicaid surplus, money that has been saved on the sickness of the poor. The insurance companies, desperate to keep their gravy train rolling, are attempting to force the state into compliance with the federal law.

He was speaking of the poor in the two Florida counties that have implemented the so called Medicaid 'reform' which forces patients to choose between one of two hand picked insurance companies. (Who picks these companies? What is the process that determines their choice? No one knows.) The companies then give patients a one month grace period during which they may go to the doctor of their choice without having to pay. After that month, they must choose a doctor approved by the insurance company, and are hit with the news that they are now in a co-pay system. In most cases, this has proven to be such a burden that people are having to choose between paying bills, buying food, or going to the doctor. In a further effort to dissuade patients from seeking proper care, the companies impose even higher co-pays on those who have the audacity of needing a specialist.

Co-pays for office visits. Co-pays for specialists. Co-pays for medication. Charge after charge placed upon the poorest of the poor in an effort to keep them from going to seek out health care in the first place. For keeping the poor out of the doctor's office, the insurance companies then rake in major taxpayer money that the public thinks is going to pay for the care of their neighbors, but in reality it's going into the pockets of rich fat cats in the form of bonuses handed out by the Federal government for those companies saving the government money. A very nice arrangement for the insurance industry, but not so nice for the ones who need care, but can not afford to get it.

Every single time a story is written telling of how badly Medicaid 'reform' is going, there are many many people who respond with horror stories of their own. Stories of sickness gone untreated. Stories of loved ones who ultimately died due to care coming too late to save them. And if the scamming of the system doesn't move you, nor the stories of people getting sick with no care, then think of this. The recent Swine Flu scare. Do you want your neighbor walking around with some disease that may or may not be contagious? All to give money to the insurance industry? No? Then get on the bandwagon and let's demand a return to the government running the program. It will cost less, people will be able to get the care they need, and everyone can sleep easier knowing that people with communicable diseases aren't getting on the bus or train with us. All it takes is contacting your Senator or House Representative and telling them to change the Medicaid laws back to the way they were before George Bush and his criminal regime allowed their fat cat friends to decimate it and bank all the money offshore. Tell them the casino is closed, the slot machines are broken, and we will not gamble with people's lives any more. You want an economic recovery? Get private companies out of our government.

When Jeb Bush pulls into your town and starts spewing the garbage of how reformed the Republican party is suddenly, all the while presenting to you the exact same people who threw America down the toilet for a buck, ask him why he jumped on the 'Destroy Medicaid For A Buck' program. Ask him why Florida is scrambling to undo the mess he left behind. Ask him how many poor people in his former state could not get care, remained sick, or even how many died due to his little experiment. He won't have an answer for you, and that should be enough of an answer for any thinking American to reject out of hand anything Jeb 'The Huckster' Bush has to say.

The Path To A New American Serfdom

2009-05-03T10:59:00.008-05:00

Even as the Congress and the White House pat themselves on the back for a job well done in their passage of the recent 'economic stimulus package', and even as our led by the nose media kisses the backside of all things that stem from the Obama Administration, the one thing no one wants to talk about and keeps shoving under the rug is the dramatic rise in the numbers of homeless, near homeless and poverty stricken households across the entire country.

Americans, desperate for any sign of good news, are lapping up the government's claims of creating 150,000 new jobs with the bill. But as was pointed out, we also lost 650,000 jobs during the period in which these new jobs were created. That's not progress. That's more like one step forward and two steps back.

But even more insidious was the stabbing in the back of regular folks who, through no fault of their own, were displaced by the Bush policies, left to fend for themselves throughout the Republican controlled era, and now find that our new government has decided to forsake them also for political expediency.

We already know about the Democratic capitulation to the meaningless Republicans on the 'stimulus package', you know, the one that gave the rich more of your money. A simple small rise to food stamp allotments so American children might have enough to eat was allowed to be stripped from the bill because Republicans, including Arlen Spector, balked and threatened to filibuster the entire deal. Give help to the poor after they had worked so diligently to decimate every program that was set up to help alleviate poverty? Not on your life! Billions of dollars for bankers and clauses in the $15,000 tax break for home buyers that allow rich people to buy new homes and receive the same consideration as first time homeowners? You betcha!

And so, as we all await the next massive giveaway to big business in the form of Health Care Reform, which will be nothing more than a trillion dollar payback to the insurance industry ala Mitt Romney and Hillary Clinton, maybe someone needs to remind our glorious leaders of what's happening on the streets of some American cities. Since they don't seem to notice the tents and cardboard boxes as their limos cruise the streets taking them to their swank and plush offices.

In Buffalo, N.Y., a city with the 3rd highest poverty rate in the country, the mayor, Byron Brown, after 15 months of study and hand wringing over what to do to lower the poverty rate came up with a blueprint for................well, for nothing actually. Called the “Buffalo Poverty Reduction Blueprint” , it outlines the need for , you guessed it, more study of the problem.

In Nebraska, in violation of every federal law pertaining to the use of Medicaid funding from the Federal government, new rules were implemented that do not allow men to go to the doctor for a physical. Women may go, but not men. Men must have a specific complaint to see a doctor, and then there are limits as to what doctors may look for. For instance, if a doctor examining a man suspects there may be cause to check for testicular or colon cancer, they are not allowed to even discuss the possibility of the presence of said diseases with the patient, much less check to see if their suspicions are correct.

Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts vowed to end homelessness in his state when he took office. Bold new ideas were needed, but the reality of the economy came crashing down on his head as he realized the staggering rise in the numbers of homeless families over the space of just one year. So many that state shelters were turning families away in droves, the state has had to house people in motels for months at a time in order to keep the children off of the streets. Single adults were not so lucky though. Full shelters with waiting lists forced many to brave the bitter cold New England winter outdoors, and there are no numbers for how many got sick, or how many have died.

Massive jumps in homeless rates were reported in New York City, where the numbers rose 40 per cent between July 2007 and July of 2008. Los Angeles County reported a 15 per cent rise and Minnesota counties saw a leap of 20 per cent for the same time period. Tent cities are becoming a common sight under overpasses and bridges, just out of sight of the general public. If you can't see them, they don't exist.

No less than The Center On Budget And Policy Priorities issued a report declaring that an immediate need existed for 200,000 new housing vouchers in order to stave off disaster for many Americans, but guess what? That's right. The party of no blocked that move also.

$87 billion was allocated to the states to help with the rising costs of their Medicaid programs. That may sound like a good start until one looks at the way the Republicans ripped apart that program and handed it to the insurance industry to manage. Just as happened on Wall Street when unchecked and unregulated money grubbers are allowed to do whatever they please, the Medicaid program is in dire straights solely because of the insurance companies and not because of any massive cost increases as is claimed. The insurance companies act as a middleman between the recipient and the doctor, many times over ruling the doctors on medical decisions to the detriment of the patient. The system is set up to force patients on Medicaid to choose between paying bills and food or going to their doctor due to the co-pay system. Oh? You didn't know? That's right. The poorest of the poor don't even go to their doctor most of the time because they have to pay co-pays on a program that's supposed to provide for their health needs. The insurance companies are raking in major money on the cost 'savings' in the form of bonuses for keeping costs down. And you thought Wall Street was bad. Now they want to take this model and force all Americans onto the rolls.

In California, many area food banks are lamenting the fact that there is not enough to go around due to what used to be called middle class families having to resort to using the food banks in order to stave off not paying bills or even rent. Some Central Texas food banks have actually run out of food and have been forced to turn people away. Seattle, Detroit, Kansas City, you name the place, and they do not have enough to handle the need.

But yet, even as homeless numbers swell, even as Americans can not get enough food, and even as sick Americans are being prevented from seeing a doctor, all we hear is how great things are starting to look. How we seem to have turned the corner. Yep, the banks are looking good again and those million dollar political payoffs, er, 'bonuses' are beginning to be handed out to the very same people who helped the Republicans rape the economy, but yet, even after all the hue and cry from the political hacks, no one has been prevented from receiving these payoffs. Auto workers? Ha! Suckers. You guys don't have millions to donate to political campaigns.

And that's what it all boils down to really if anyone actually sits down and studies the situation. There is NO difference between the Republicans and the Democrats. Neither one is 'Socialist' or "Nazis'. It's really all one big party, all beholden to Big Business, and all are going to do the bidding of the ones who shelled out the dough for their campaigns. Arlen Spector's recent 'defection' is all the proof you need.

So what are we going to do about all of this? Simple. The last thing politicians want are angry constituents badgering them about issues. If you want to see the issue of America becoming a serfdom become a front page story, we all have to make noise. A lot of it. Call someone, write someone, talk to someone, and demand an end to the redistribution of wealth to the top 1 per cent of the country. No more bank bailouts while you let Detroit fall. No more caving in to the minority party for expediency. No more screwing every day Americans in order to curry favor with a cigar chomping fat cat sitting in a $50,000 chair in some high rise office building. Do something, or you may just find that the next family on the food bank line or homeless shelter waiting list is yours........................

Dear President Obama: "ENOUGH!"

2009-05-02T10:42:00.004-05:00

One hundred days. That's all it took for the honeymoon to be over between our new President and those of us who believed his eloquent speeches and his roaring calls for change we could all believe in. Things would be different he swore, the Bush years would be shoved back into a dark corner of history and we'd all walk hand in hand down the yellow brick road to prosperity.

Only this is not what has been happening since January's inauguration. Little by little, piece by piece, President Obama is backing away from promises he made during the campaign, and in some cases, just ignoring the glaring discrepancies between his rhetoric and the actions he has undertaken.

The straw that should break the proverbial camel's back and cause a push back by sane Americans the nation over is the recent revelation by the media that our dear President is quietly going about the business of reinstating the Military Commissions at Gitmo.

After the much ballyhooed declaration of the closing of the infamous prison in Cuba, and the collective sighs of relief by a country who has been besieged by guilt and shame over the previous Administration's criminal refusal to act according to the rule of law by prosecuting detainees in American courts, the Obama White House, deciding they could not win all the cases pending against Gitmo's prisoners, is going back to the Bush way of doing things. In other words, Military Commissions, where secret evidence, statements obtained under duress, hearsay evidence, and whatever insidious railroading techniques can be employed will be used to get those convictions. No matter what.

Where, during these past 100 days, while our crony media outlets practice their love of everything Obama, has been the outcry over the continuing domestic spying programs? Does everyone think they just, POOF, disappeared the day Obama took office? What happened to the promises to end illegal spying programs? Or were those words as hollow as the promises to reform the way Wall Street does business?

What happened to the promises of a restoration of the rule of law, as in prosecuting the war criminals of the previous Administration? Since taking office, all Obama has done is send mixed signals, and anyone who believes the Justice Department has magically become unpoliticized is a bigger fool than we were for trusting a slick talking con man in the first place. As a professor of Constitutional law, Obama knows he has an obligation to go after those who broke the law. But why do that when the breaking of the law allows for much more power than obeying it? Read between the lines on that one.

Over 45 billion dollars was sucked up by oil giant Exxon/Mobil in the most recent profiteering grab fest. During the campaign, Obama swore this was going to change. The big oil companies who raked in the big dough on the backs of hard working Americans were going to be taxed on those exorbitant profits, the proceeds of that tax to fund a rebate for all Americans. Tax day has come and gone and yet no profits have been taxed and the promised rebate has been turned into some obscure money you should start seeing on your paychecks soon. Uh huh.

We were promised no more Wall Street influence in the White House, but yet the choice of Geitner for Treasury Secretary was akin to allowing the wolves to guard the hen house. The banks, after robbing us blind at the end of the Bush term with the collusion of the Federal Reserve, stuck their hands out for more taxpayer dough, and were promptly rewarded for their extortion of the nation with untold billions. The banks can not be allowed to fail we are told by the very same people who have been inside the banking system all of their lives. No conflict of interest there. Let the banks fall, let them fail, and watch as new banks pop up the very next day. This mumbo jumbo the Obama people are handing us are the voodoo economics of the past 30 years.

No lobbyists would ever set foot in an Obama White House was the promise. The reality is that there are nothing but Wall Street, Big Oil, Big Agri-Business, and Defense Contractor lobbyists surrounding our new crusader for justice. Wonder why nothing is getting accomplished? Ask the lobbyists who are wining and dining your elected officials and getting bills pushed through even though we were promised five days to read each one before Obama signed any of them. 9,000 earmarks were on the one back in March, one that he signed the day after it was passed by Congress.

All of this pandering to the far right has many in the country shaking their heads in wonderment. After being trounced soundly in the election, the far right could have skulked off into their lair and faded off into obscurity. True Republicans across the country would have eventually formed a new, more moderate Party, much like happened after the decimation of the Whigs. But for some God only knows why reasons, Obama is allowing progress to be held up, bills to be amended, and appeasement to be the operative word whenever the whack jobs from the Extremist Party raise so much as a whisper of protest. To hell with the Republican Party. let them rant and rave and talk of secession. Better yet, let them secede and form their own outlaw nation. (Just take their nukes first.) But this caving in to the minority party has got to stop or we are in for 4 years of failure, followed by the Extremist Party's "See? I told you so" rants come 2012. Shove these morons to the side and get things going now.

Just because a new Administration has risen to power does not make all of the international hot spots go away. Nice of Obama to say we are leaving Iraq, but we don't know when and our soldiers are still dying there. And trading Iraq for a larger war in Afghanistan is hardly ending anything. Those Defense lobbyists are pretty slick though, you've got to admit. But yet, despite the promises to do something about the criminal regime of al-Bashir in Sudan, who continues to slaughter innocent men, women and children in Darfur, there is dead silence once more from our elected officials, the same men and women who proclaim freedom and peace for all. President Obama, stop the genocide NOW!

In the meantime, unemployment continues to rise despite the mainstream media's attempts to mislead the public with stories of 'Jobless claims lower than expected" All that means is that a couple of thousand less people filed NEW claims than they thought would. It does not mean any sign of recovery. It means we are still heading downhill, just a little slower. Some economists are predicting a 12 per cent unemployment rate by December. The Bush Hoovervilles are now Obama's, but he doesn't seem to be in any hurry to help the plight of the poor any time soon.

Speaking of the poor, Obama, who during the campaign promised to do everything he could to help those who have lost their jobs and their homes during the Republican raping of our economy, has done virtually nothing to alleviate suffering across the land. A proposed hike to the food stamp allotments was stripped out of the so called 'stimulus bill' otherwise known as the corporate giveaway bill, at the insistence of the meaningless Republican Senators. Desperate to pay back the very same corporate cronies who financed them, the Democrats capitulated, the President signed the bill, and American children still go to bed hungry every night.

With all the talking heads on television and radio insisting that we give the President time to adjust, time to get things done, and time to...........whatever he needs time for, and trumpeting all of these wonderful accomplishments in his first 100 days, one could get the impression that all is well once more in the greatest nation on earth. But your impression would be wrong, because the pinheads we voted out of office have been replaced by their counterparts, the other pinheads, who are all having one great big party while American children starve, American children sleep on the streets and American children can not read or write. They have accomplished only two things in the past 100 days in office. First, they gave away more money than you can even count to, oh yeah, the corporations that Bush and his cronies were raping the Treasury to give our money to. And second, to break many of the President's promises at the expense of our well being.

ENOUGH! That rallying cry that stirred a nation to believe again must now be turned back upon the person who so forcefully shouted it out at that now famous acceptance speech in Denver. ENOUGH Mr. President. We need real change, not a Bush-lite leader who pays lip service to promises then discards them once the doors to the Oval Office close. Reverse course now while your Administration is still young, lest you find yourself in the unenviable position that Jimmy Carter did. One term and out.

World Of Warcraft - Cyber Criminal Paradise -Pt. 1

2009-04-14T13:07:00.001-05:00

(In order to not bore the reader, I have broken this report into 3 parts. Pt. 1 tries to give a small over view of the game, while parts 2 and 3 will delve in depth into the many many scams that run unchecked and unstopped in the WoW universe.)

Snow swirling through the howling winds enveloped the lone figure standing in the shadows of one of the many balconies jutting out from Ice Crown Citadel. His massive form enough to intimidate the most seasoned MMORPG player, the prized Ashbringer sword hung with great weight by his side. Most sought after but as yet unattainable, the Lich King seemed to smirk as he moved back inside the castle, leaving his Scourge armies to lay waste to the world of Azeroth and beyond.

Entering the game called World of Warcraft can be an unsettling experience for the uninitiated, henceforth called 'noobs', the name given to new players by those who have been playing the online game for years. After configuring your character, or 'toon', a mini movie begins, taking the player into the matrix like world while a voice tells of the dire need for fighters to protect whichever kingdom and faction you have chosen to represent.

Visually stunning and breath-taking in scope, WoW takes the illusion of game play to another level altogether. Detailed terrain reveals monsters and enemies galore. Roads lead one into the various small towns and hamlets, eventually leading into the fortress capital cities. These cities are humongous in their own right, allowing one to immerse into the social aspect of the game, meeting places if you will. Filled with shops of every type, from weapons and armor to food, to unusual items and mounts, the cities also boast portals into battlegrounds where you can fight against players from either of the two opposite sides, the Alliance or the Horde. Banks for storage of precious materials and resources gathered, guild banks for those inclined to delve further into social bantering, and an auction house for the buying and selling of everything one could ever think of ingame.

Although Blizzard Entertainment has not updated their player estimates for some time, it is believed that there are upwards of 20 million subscribers worldwide, 12 million in the United States alone. Almost all of the remaining players come from Asia, specifically China, and as we travel along into this story, you, dear reader, will see how an innocent game became the playground for every type of scam, ripoff, identity theft, hacked accounts, and a billion dollar a year business selling 'gold', the lifeblood of the WoW economy. This writing comes after 4 months of investigating the phenomenal rise of WoW to pre-eminence in the gaming industry, and why just like the U.S. economy, it is headed down the road to collapse and ruin.

But, let us return to the beginning of the game, just to give you a feel for how one can easily succumb to the charms and the wit and the majesty that WoW has to offer.

If one chooses to play the Alliance side, you must pick your 'toon'. Choices are human, night elf, dwarf, gnome, and draneii, ( an alien race that crashed landed on Azeroth) Horde players may pick between orcs, trolls, blood elves, undead, and taurens. Intertwining stories of one faction helping another and giving them shelter and protection abound such as the dwarves of Ironforge taking in the gnome survivors from the war that saw their home city of Gnomergan fall to the Scourge.

For purposes of expediency, we'll go ingame as a human warrior. Dropped into the game at the training grounds of Northshire Abbey, you seek out those who have a bold exclamation point above their heads for instructions on how to get started. These are the easy 'quests', of which you'll do thousands in order to gain reputation status with the various factions. With no fear of being attacked by these starter quests, the new player is able to feel his/her way around the killing fields, slashing, burning, mauling, and destroying 'enemies' at will. With the low thresholds to reach a higher level with minimal effort. one is drawn deeper into the maw of Warcraft, thinking to reach lofty levels fairly quickly.

Running the forests of Elwynn, level 7 can be accomplished in a relatively short time, before you are instructed to find someone outside the safety of the training area, down the road in a hamlet named Goldshire. Experience points are awarded for not only quests completed, but also for each new area discovered by the player, which in turn reveals that area on a mini map for future reference purposes. Upon reaching Goldshire, the human player begins to have choices as to which path they will follow. There are several NPC's there that wish you to complete different missions, most of which will get you killed. Not to worry though, death holds but a fleeting embrace in WoW, as your spirit is taken to a graveyard where you may run back to the spot where you died and come back to life. You may also 'rez' at the graveyard itself by allowing the 'spirit healer' there to bring you back to life, but that option will cause a 25 per cent loss to the items you hold and give you 'rez sickness', a 10 minute period in which you are basically easy prey. It costs gold to repair the damaged items, so this is usually an option of last resort.

At this point in the game, player vs. player fighting will not be much on your mind. It's the higher levels that worry about that, in order to gain 'honor points', used to purchase 'epic' gear. And so, the new human player should accept the mission to bring a package up the road to the human capitol city of Stormwind. Upon entering Stormwind, many a newbie will become disoriented and confused, due to it's labyrinth of twisting streets and various districts that cater to the different factions. Every version of every toon runs and rides wildly through the city streets, most intent on getting their wares to the auction house. And it is here that some will encounter the low level scam artists, who want to part you with any gold you may have obtained. From the 'bots' that run up to you begging for 1 piece of silver or gold, to the con men who offer to help you get to the next level for a certain amount only to run off after you pay them, to the 'casino' conmen who get you to deposit gold in order to roll imaginary dice, their sidekick extolling how much he's 'won' from the person. But no one ever wins, because there are no dice, and the 'roll' is whatever the ingame three card monte dealer says it is. Thanks sucker, now move along.

After dropping off the package at the store you were supposed to, you'll be given new orders for a new quest. Go see this or that person, receive new instructions, go kill what you're told and collect this or that item, and bring it back to the quest giver. You'll generally receive either an item you may be able to use, gold, silver, or a combination of both. It is also at this point that you should consider which profession in the game you'd like to do. From mining and blacksmithing to engineering, leatherworking, enchanting items to give them more power, tailoring, inscription, and on and on, there is something that should be of interest to anyone. These professions are supposed to allow you to make items that others would like to buy, but in the end, the Asian gold farmers who have websites galore selling Wow gold, have taken over that aspect of the game, and so, many players find they can max out their skill level at a profession only to find there are no buyers for their wares.

It would seem that the best route for new players to take in this game would be to become strictly gatherers of materials, which, although hard because of the gold farmers, can still be made somewhat profitable. Such as mining/skinning, because one gives materials to blacksmiths, jewelers, and engineers, while the other provides leatherworkers with fur.
Going into the Dwarven District of Stormwind, a level 7 or 8 player can now begin going through 'instances', a gateway of sorts to reaching another place. In the Dwarven District is one such instance, leading to a subway called the Deeprun Tram. This train will take the player to Ironforge free of charge, the capitol city of the Dwarven race. When disembarking the train on the Ironforge side, there is a quest on the platform where you must gather up rats like the pied piper, bring them back to the quest giver, who then kills them, boxes them up, and exhorts you to bring them to his brother back at the Stormwind side. Back and forth you go, delivering dead rats, and receiving in turn 'rat kabobs', which you eat to regain health after a battle.

Back at Ironforge, a new player must beware the quests they accept right away, as some quest givers will attempt to sucker you into taking quests that are impossible for you to complete at your low level strength, getting you killed 100 times before you give up and seek out easier things to do. Ironforge is also home to yet another set of scam artists, beggars, and 3 card monte dealers, so proceed cautiously. Best to just leave Ironforge via the front gates, and proceed down the road to Steelgrill Depot, where they will give you low level quests to complete, as well as the town of Kharanos, just around the corner from Steelgrill. One can swiftly move up to level 10 or 12 doing these quests, at which time you can either go back to Stormwind and do the level 12 quests there, or follow the dwarven instructions, trudging through snow covered plains to reach the smaller encampments dotting the countryside and completing their low level quests. By now, the player will be at around level 15, ready to take on more challenging quests, and at this point, should start working on their secondary skills such as fishing, cooking, and first aid. After every 2 levels acquired, the player should also seek out trainers for their class, (warrior, hunter, paladin, priest, mage, warlock, druild) in order to pay for training for more powerful actions to be used.

This small glimpse into the World of Warcraft will hopefully give some idea of the majesty and the incredible complexity of a game that has all of the ingredients for an epic gaming experience, but has somehow degenerated into a criminal paradise where untrained Game Masters allow the con men to run roughshod over the uninitiated, where customer service is almost non-existent, with some waiting 2 or more days to even chat with anyone. No phone calls here. Strictly in game communication with someone who can not resolve your issue, and an overwhelmed escalation team who do not have time to check the facts on disputes, therefore making decisions based on their gut, more often than not allowing scam artists to run off with someone else's hard earned gold or property. Bots farming the same metal veins over and over, frustrating actual players efforts to rise above, and a spinnoff gold selling business that charge hundreds of dollars for gold to purchase ingame items due to their cornering of the materials market ingame, all spell an upcoming economic collapse for the WoW economy.

Tomorrow, we'll look at the many many scams, how they work, who perpetrates them, and how you can avoid being ripped off not only on World of Warcraft, but in many of the other MMORPG games played by countless millions, many of them little children.

A No Panic Guide To Hosting Thanksgiving Dinner

2008-11-26T09:43:00.002-06:00

So you volunteered to host Thanksgiving this year, cook the dinner, prepare the hor d'ourves, decorate the table, make sure snacks, drinks and dessert are all in order, plus provide the entertainment to keep the celebration from becoming stale. Right about now, as you gaze longingly at the buffet restaurant you're driving by, wishing you had suggested that instead, don't worry yourself one bit. Just follow the directions here and your guests will gobble up everything in sight with gusto, complimenting you on your absolute brilliant party.

Before you even think about cooking or preparing food, you must decide upon the type of atmosphere you intend to surround your guests in while they dine. Buying a few holiday cut outs and pinning them strategically around your home will lend that warm and fuzzy feel to any room. If you're the informal type, a simple tablecloth with a small pumpkin set in the middle of the table will do just fine. The plates and cups that sit in your cupboard can be safely used, no special place settings need adhere.

If, however, you'd like to impress those (such as your mother in law) who are coming over with your knowledge of culinary flair, a more relaxed formality is probably the key to your success. You can still go with a plain white tablecloth, but in order to set the tone for the meal, a centerpiece of flowers in a vase is ok, but why no put some ooomph into your fall theme by taking some of the fall leaves from around your home, washing them of dirt, and spreading them in a single line down the middle of your tablecloth? In the center of the table and on top of the leaves, place a small pumpkin or a fall squash. On either side of the pumpkin/squash a candle in a plain clear holder adds a classy touch to the setting.

When setting the table, you should always place forks to the left of the plate with a napkin on that side also. Salad forks go to the outside, dinner forks inside. Place the knife on the right side of the plate with the blade facing toward the plate. Then put your spoons to the right of the knife. Your soup spoon goes on the outside, the tea spoon closest to the knife. Wine and cider glasses should be placed to the right of each plate, about three inches from the top corner to avoid spillages. An extra nice touch to avoid the confusion of who sits where would be to write the names of each guest on a holiday themed card and place them on each plate. Now your table is properly set.

If you intend to have more than just a few people over, then it is usually a good idea to go with the buffet table idea if you ever intend to get a plate of food for yourself. That being the case, and for all intents and purposes of this article we'll assume that position, go ahead and set up your buffet table the same way as your dining table or tables. ( Depending upon your flexibility, you may need a couple of television trays for the die hard football fans).

As your guests arrive hours before dinner, snacks are going to be needed, but of course, you don't wish to fill everyone up before the main meal. Strategically placed bowls of mixed nuts, mints and hard candy, chocolates, and potato chips and dip should be plenty for guests to munch on while they breathe in the aroma of roasting turkey. Always make sure you have enough wine, beer, soda, cider, milk and juice on hand, both before, during, and after the meal.

It is very important that you have enough serving forks, spoons and ladles for each dish to be presented, especially if you're going with a serve yourself buffet style. (Parents should always make the plates for the kids or you're going to have mashed potatoes all over everything else. A platter for the turkey, serving bowls, a gravy boat, salad tongs, and pie slice servers are all necessary and should be set near each separate dish.

Here's a few tips to remember as you prepare your perfect feast. A salad before the meal in addition to the various snacks, will help to keep your guests' stomachs happy as you busily hop around in the kitchen. On a side table, set some salad plates out along with extra salad forks. Place bowls of shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, sliced cucumber, sliced onion, shredded cheese, sliced boiled eggs, chopped ham, chopped walnuts, potato salad, macaroni salad, or whatever else you usually place in your favorite salad. Make sure you have at least three different salad dressings available for variety's sake. A safe bet here would be to go with Ranch, French, and Italian.

Here's a few tips to remember while preparing your meal.

Turkey:

Dark roasting pans cook faster than bright shiny ones.
Stuffed birds take longer to cook.

Perfect cooking temperature is 350 degrees.

Make sure turkey is completely thawed. (If need be, set the turkey in a sink full of cold water overnight)

Place bird breast side up in a shallow baking pan about 2-3 inches deep.

Add about one cup of water to pan. Do not salt the turkey before cooking. ( But you may rub sage, onion powder, garlic powder, and a little Italian seasoning all over the outside of the turkey)

Even if you buy a turkey with a pop up to tell you when it's done, poke it deeply and make sure the juices are clear.

After cooking, it's always a good idea to let the turkey stand for 15 minutes before carving.

A good guide to cooking a turkey is to remember the 20 minute per pound rule. So a 20 lb. bird will take 4 1/2 to 5 hours at 350 degrees.

Side dishes:

Mashed potato ideas:

Use sour cream instead of milk for creamy heavenly potatoes.

Mix some parsley flakes into the potatoes to give them that gourmet look and taste.

Stuffing;

Things to add to your stuffing that will make your guests swoon are chopped celery, cooked ground Italian sausage, chopped onion, a pinch of sage and black pepper, a can of chunky cranberry sauce, or anything else you think might be tasty.

Sweet potatoes:

Use canned!

Place potatoes in baking dish, shake in enough brown sugar to cover, top with marshmallows, then bake it for 15 minutes alongside the stuffing while the turkey is setting.

More side dishes:

Oh, the possibilities. Be smart though and save yourself some trouble. Your guests are there for the turkey. Side dishes, while nice, are mostly irrelevant. But, of course, you have to serve something, so go with frozen vegetables. Not canned, due to the tinny flavor.

Frozen corn is always a must as are frozen green beans. You can add some sauteed red pepper to the corn if you like, and sliced almonds to the green beans. There's no right or wrong to the vegetables you pick, and there's also no limit as to how many sides you can put out. They even have frozen squash that's easy to heat these days.

Pies: Buy them from your grocer's bakery section. Unless you really, really, really want to bake as well as roast, buy them. A good selection would be a couple of pumpkin pies, an apple, a cherry, and even a carrot cake. Make sure you have whipped cream on hand, and dessert is all taken care of.

Wines:

What wine do you serve to those with different tastes? Wine that will go nicely with turkey and satisfy everyone? Follow these guidelines and all will be well.

For those who prefer red wines, serve a Pinot Noir.

Dry white wine lovers will enjoy a Chardonnay.

For those whose palates like the tang of a sweet white wine, pick a White Zinfandel.

(Buy plenty of apple cider for the kids. Sparking cider makes the little ones feel all grown up.)

If you need to figure out how to make something, don't panic. Use your keyboard and Google it! The odds are very good indeed that any recipe you need is on the web. Most of all, just relax and enjoy the day, your family and friends, and of course, all day football! keep in mind that hosting Thanksgiving dinner is supposed to be fun, and it's your moment to shine, so use your imagination, tweak things around to your liking, and most of all, have fun while you do it.

Hopefully this little guide will help jump start your thinking process. happy Thanksgiving to one and all, and may the Good Lord watch over us, one and all................................

Nothing To Be Thankful For

2008-11-25T11:20:00.004-06:00

Traditional fare consisting of stuffed turkeys with all the trimmings will adorn many an American home this Thanksgiving. Beer and wine will flow in copious amounts as families gather round their televisions to watch two of the most mismatched games ever to be televised since the Detroit and Dallas franchises somehow became the default teams to be thankful to be watching on a day of merriment and gluttony.

Celebrating the day is amusing in and of itself, owing to the fact that we are reveling in the dire straights our ancestors found themselves in, ie; abject poverty and near starvation. Without the Native Americans and their knowledge of the lands, we might not even be here to celebrate anything at all. And so fowl and pigs will be slaughtered wholesale across the land as Americans desperately try to forget that our money is being stolen right in front of our eyes, people are losing their jobs in ever increasing numbers, and the Thanksgiving dinner that used to cost about fifty dollars to prepare will now set a family back almost two hundred bucks.

Of course, having that money to spend on a day that celebrates not the bounty of our land, but the fact that the pilgrims didn't starve to death is probably a gift in and of itself. Because across this so called land of bounty and equality for all, there are untold millions who will go hungry this Thanksgiving, untold millions who will give their children peanut butter sandwiches, hoping against hope that they don't ask why they can't have a turkey dinner like everyone else.

Despite what the idiots that run the Duluth News Tribune may write, people are not choosing to become frugal and live in poverty because 'they like it that way'. People are being forced into poverty because our government could care less about the citizens who are starving, refuse to help the poor and the middle class, refuse to enforce the very minimum wage they themselves signed into law, and are giving all, not some, but all of our nation's wealth to jet setting fat cats that should be thrown in jail for grand larceny of world class proportions.

Take for instance some statistics that Kim Bobo has put together in her book entitled 'Wage Theft In America'. Bobo's investigation of companies across the spectrum found that sixty per cent of nursing homes all over America 'stole' workers' wages by not paying them for overtime, underpaying them by a dollar or more less than the minimum wage, charging them for benefits such as health care never received, and firing those who complained. To go further into this murky world where the Department of Labor refuses to tread, Bobo found that 89 percent of unmonitored garment factories in Los Angeles and 67 percent of unmonitored garment factories in New York City stole workers’ wages. 25 percent of tomato producers, 35 percent of lettuce producers, 51 percent of cucumber producers, 58 percent of onion producers, and 62 percent of garlic producers hiring farm workers stole workers’ wages. 78 percent of restaurants in New Orleans stole workers’ wages. Almost half of day laborers, who tend to focus on construction work, have had their wages stolen. 100 percent of poultry plants steal workers’ wages. Stealing from the poor. Uniquely American.

Many of those poor are eligible to receive food assistance from the government, but that's become almost a waste of time in this economy. Using income scales that date back to Bush number One, most recipients still receive less than $100 per month, or about $3 per day to feed themselves. No raise in food assistance allotments will be allowed by the Republicans in Congress, who, since September, have blocked any increase for the poor, but enthusiastically gave trillions away to corporations. Let's see anyone buy a feast with the money the poor live on.

To make matters worse this year, so many families, poor and middle class alike, signed up for the food baskets that are usually given away by food banks in the days before the holiday that virtually every single food bank across the country ran out almost immediately. Turning people away is the hardest thing in the world for volunteers at a food bank or a shelter, but this year, it's become common place.

In Detroit, where no one wants to help out the auto industry, food banks ran out of turkeys so quickly that Gleaners, The St. Joseph Closet, and Goodfellows turned away hundreds. At Gleaners, they were scrounging around attempting to find anything to give to the hungry, anything at all, but in the end just closed their doors. Dejected mothers and fathers wondered at what they would feed their kids that night, forget the coming holiday.

In Craigsville, Virginia, the local food bank took some of their monthly operating budget to go and purchase extra turkeys, knowing the demand would be higher this year. Stunned at the turnout, they ran out of food entirely within the first hour and had to turn away at least 50 families that were waiting outside.

New Bedford, Massachusetts pantry P.A.C.E. did the best they could trying to keep up with all of the hungry people who stood out in the cold waiting for the chance to get a meal package for the holiday. They handed out 550 food boxes while a pool was gathered between the volunteers, one of whom then ran to the market to buy 50 chickens. But it wasn't enough. More than 100 families were eventually turned away into the freezing dark night.

The St. Louis Area Food Bank Network, a clearinghouse for food donations in the greater metro area, handles and distributes Thanksgiving meal packages every year. They collect, package, and deliver the food to area pantries for distribution to poverty stricken families. Even though they collected and passed out over 1 million pounds of food this year, it was not nearly enough. Because of the economy, and because the middle class can no longer even pay their bills, let alone buy food, area food banks estimate they turned away at least 3,000 families this year.

Pastor Debbie Santiago burst into tears after turning away 80 families from her Salt and Sea mission in Brooklyn, N.Y. The Coalition Against Hunger says that the number of people seeking help from food banks in Brooklyn has risen by 86% over the past year, and that many of the new faces are from middle class families who have slipped into poverty while Wall Street celebrates.

Bare cupboards met the director of the Eddie Davis Center in Des Moines, Iowa. Every year, the center takes donated money and purchases enough food for about 400 families to have Thanksgiving dinner. Not so this year, as the lines swelled to record breaking proportions and donations at an all time low. The Center was only able to buy 75 turkeys this year, and of course, hundreds of families had to be turned away. Seems to be the recurring theme here. Turning people away.

Alameda County, California Food Bank workers have watched as 750,000 lbs. of food was given to starving families over the course of several days. Not one word on the local or national media though of the thousands more that were turned away after it ran out. Not one word was spoken about the fact that as Treasury Secretary Paulson slips money by the billions into the side pockets of financial institutions, as an early Christmas gift, not one penny has been allocated to stop the starvation of American citizens.

In Lincoln, Nebraska, a city that prides itself on caring for their poor, food baskets were so limited that you had to sign up for one a month in advance. But the demand was so high, and even with the Swift plant donating as many chickens as they could, the food ran out. People who thought they were getting a Thanksgiving Day food box ended up leaving with some soup and bread. Some received nothing at all.

It's amazing how everyone has become so programmed to exude love and affection for family members we hate on a designated shopping day every year. We're suckered into believing that we should thank our Deity for the blessings He/She has bestowed upon us while we watch the homeless man outside our window shiver and rummage through our garbage can for something to eat. In an era where we allow our politicians to declare the poor can starve for all they care and the middle class can lose their jobs, but Wall Street limo owner fat cats will dine on caviar and $2,000 per bottle wine, there is nothing to be thankful for.

There's nothing to be thankful for until the day comes when everyone in America has the same chance as everyone else, and nepotism is purged from our workplaces, our sports, our movies and television, and yes, our government. Until the day that foreign aid is turned inward, and no American child goes hungry, and every citizen is allowed to make a liveable wage, then nothing will have 'changed', and we will continue the slide to third world status. There's nothing to be thankful for until we as a people demand that the stories above never happen again, and take forceful action to ensure it. Write someone. Call someone. Make it happen.

Ride The Wind, One Per Center

2008-11-19T12:16:00.003-06:00

Front fork extended and raked beyond the standard, the chopper cruises loudly past as all heads turn to marvel at the audacity of America's modern day cowboy. Old ladies frown, mothers gather their children, and fathers nervously keep watch out of the corners of their eyes.

Gliding towards the corner store, wind whipped hair backwards flowing, the machine comes to a full throated stop. The put-putting of the idle lets you know from afar that you're not dealing with any ordinary weekend warrior. This is the real deal. One who has chosen 'the life', the road his only home, and late, lonely nights sleeping under the only true friends he'll ever know.

Stepping into the store, all the air seems to get sucked out of the room, and worried shoppers try not to look at the leather clad form shaking the dust off of his colors. Gathering their purchases, they scurry quickly outside, the only ones left in the establishment are the owner, the biker, and a young mother and her child. Shades seemingly glued to his eyes, he saunters over to the beer cooler and after reaching in, pops the top and drinks deep, long draughts. The owner glances disapprovingly, but says nothing as the man finishes his beer, and gathers up the rest of the six pack, heading back towards the counter.

The young mother is clearly distraught at the price of her meager purchases, counting out coins on the counter as the owner sighs and tells her she does not have enough, she can count it all day, damn it all! Chaps squeak that leathery sound and boots clop loudly on the sawdust strewn wooden floor as the man reaches the counter.

The owner tells the woman to put some things back, she can't afford the food and the candy, why don't you get your sorry ass down to the welfare office or give that kid to a good Christian family somewhere? Beer cans hit the counter with a silencing thud, and three faces turn to look into the weathered eyes and full bearded features of a man with no patience for the antics of fools.

He slaps down a hundred dollar bill, picking up his beer and grabbing some jerky, give the woman whatever she needs, and then give her the change. Mother's mouth drops open as the kid asks can I have some M&M's Mom, and the rider disappears out the door before a thank you can be issued. He doesn't want any thanks, he just wants to see that child smile.

Sitting astride his shiny chrome horse, the beer goes into the saddle bag along with the meat. Throttle releases as thunder roars from the tranny, Harley and rider melding into one entity. Advanced suspension and high rubber mounts smooth out the road as the motorcycle takes the rider away, mother and child waving thankfully in the rear view mirror. The edge of the town comes up swiftly, the open road ahead a relief for one who shuns what straight society offers.

Holding the handlebars with a light loving touch, he ponders on the meaning of why that store owner could be so cruel, and yet the 'straights' fear those like himself. He considers his brothers, the owners of panheads, shovelheads, sportsters, wide glides, soft tails, and knuckleheads. Those he's racing now to meet up with, those to whom he swears loyalty, those who watch his back in his chosen life's endeavors. Not unlike a corporation, his club has it's hierarchy, it's treasurer and it's businesses. Dancing girls for the lonely and the married, watering holes for the thrill seekers who like to pretend they're a part of the scene.

Such is the way of the true biker, the ones whose disdain for society and it's rules force them to live on the edges of town, the outsiders, the riders, and the true one per centers. They ride the wind at the drop of a hat, unsung heroes of the modern age. A biker will be first in line to help those in need and the rap they get from the few bad apples is just that. A bum rap. Any catastrophe will find them there, organizing runs to raise funds, toys for tots, or hammering a nail to hold a tornado victim's walls in place.

We don't hear about these deeds, it's so impolite you see, to talk about the ragged looking and what is considered uncouth by the straight society elites. But that's just fine with the warriors of the highways, they not looking for publicity anyway. Rest assured though, that many of their ranks consist of veterans of our wars, and though you may turn your nose up at them as they pass you on the road, these will be first to defend you should they cross paths with an enemy to our nation. As we prattle on about freedom and liberty, we spy the pack cruising by, and we realize that we are the slaves, and the truly free have metal monsters vibrating between their legs. No cares, no worries, only the next town, the next rally, the next meaningless dance with a vixen of like mind.

Ride the wind one per center. Let the wind sweep away the worries of the world and let the beer flow like rivers in your never ending quest for that perfect stretch of highway where you can let loose and fly, really fly. Some of us understand, some of us wish we were with you, some of us are bikers at heart and always will be. FTW, throw caution to the wind, and we'll meet yet in Valhalla one and all.

Choking Back The Tears Of Rage

2008-11-18T10:49:00.002-06:00

I walked out of room 1525 at the State Capitol in Lincoln, Nebraska choking back tears of rage and frustration over the dismissive tone struck by most of the assembled public servants over the subject of how best to address the issue of Nebraska's child safe haven law.

Having spoken to two of the Senators before the hearing, one a lost cause and the second a hard core sympathizer, I knew right away the law was in deep trouble. The first Senator was Ernie Chambers from Omaha, an enemy to the law, and someone who believes it's not up to the government to be in the business of protecting children at all. This is also the same Senator who has bogged down the courts in both Lincoln and Omaha with his frivolous lawsuits against God. To call into question this man's judgement would be an understatement.

Lincoln Senator Amanda McGill supports an amendment to the law. But she believes, like the overwhelming majority of the public believes, that the first consideration must be the protection of children. Oweing to the fact that there is not only a statewide, but a nationwide gap in services for children in the areas of mental health and counseling, Senator McGill supports a cap on the age of eligible children to 15 years old. Expressing her own anger towards Health and Human Services Director Todd Landry, McGill posed the thought that Landry cared a whole lot less about the well being of children than he did about speaking to the media.

Landry, even though nine of the dropped off children have expressed suicidal ideation, stated that not one of the kids whose parents left them in hospital waiting rooms, were in any immediate danger. Under more questioning, Landry was forced to admit that he shared Chambers' position of no government intervention in family life. This begs the question of why he's the head of the state H.H.S., but that can wait for another day.

State Senator Annette Dubas told the assembled Senators and about 150 spectators that she was shocked at the callousness of the testimony of the State's 'expert' witnesses, most especially that of those who swore that none of the children were ever in any danger. Asking what it would take for a child to be in danger, she pointed out that if a parent was desperate enough for relief to drive cross country, then one would have to safely assume the child was not in a safe environment.

The Governor, Dave Heineman, didn't have the guts to show up at the hearing, because he knew that most of the assembled people in the audience did not want the law changed at all. he sent an aide to let the Senators know that he would be 'flexible' as to an age limit. Yeah, flexible as in a 30 day old baby instead of a 3 day old. This, despite testimony from parents who have been through the wringer with the state's HHS system in trying to attain help with their out of control children. One witness says that HHS's lack of understanding, caring, or knowledge of the mental health problems faced by some children led directly to the death of his mother.

Trying to impress the political and legal ramifications that any change in the law would bring about, it seemed that some of the gathered state big wigs live in a bubbled dream world. Pointing out the gathered supporters of the law, and the lack of detractors, (except the media whores in the chamber of course), I tried to paint a picture of what could happen to someone's political career should anything happen to any child within the boundaries of Nebraska should they change the law. I threw the A.C.L.U. at them, declaring that any change to the law now would be discriminatory due to the age limitations being placed in the law. Picture the state coffers emptying as you try to defend against the myriad of lawsuits brought against the state by concerned groups and citizens.

In the end though, the people that are the career politicians, those who walked right by their constituents to glad hand the local and national media, decreed that a vote would take place today, with the likely outcome a change to allow for safe haven of infants up to 30 days only. As Ernie Chambers said “You can get in the way of the train if you want to, but you’re not going to stop it. The only train that’s going to make it to the station is LB1.” LB1 is the name of the amended legislation. Good work Ernie. Since you enjoy suing God and other manner of weird past times, maybe you'll enjoy explaining to the public how incidents like those below will be just dandy, you know, since it's not the government's job to protect children and all.

Explain to us why in the past couple of years, Maryland police have found a dead child in a plastic grocery bag in Oxan Hill. A second one found in Riverside Park's lake. And a third one one month ago found in the trash in Takoma Park. No answer? I'll tell you. Because of a safe haven law that limited the age of an unwanted child who could be left at a safe haven.

Not enough to convince you? How about yesterday's arrest in Watsonville, California of a woman who smothered her 3 1/2 year old baby girl to death and left her tiny body in a motel room. Had California's safe haven law included children like Nebraska's present one, do you suppose maybe that disturbed mother would have dropped the baby off somewhere instead of killing her?

Or the distraught father on the South Side of Columbus, Ohio who shot his 7 year old daughter to death, then turned the gun on himself. Do you suppose a broad safe haven law would have possibly given him a choice to allow his child to live, somewhere he could drop her off and possibly seek out help himself?

These few examples illustrate the problem with the draconian measures being foisted upon the public as placating measures whenever an infant is found in a trash bin, or a parent admits to killing their baby. But the problem goes much deeper and those who passed the Nebraska safe haven law knew exactly what they were doing when they did it. When the media entered the picture, everyone began scrambling to distance themselves from the new law, save for those few who have stood their ground and want the child safety law to stand as is. The deck is stacked against it though, as the Governor, the state Attorney General, and the head of HHS all conspire to strike down the very law signed by the good Governor, by having Attorney General Jon Bruning, (who has very high aspirations for national office), issue an 'opinion' that all that can be allowed to be voted on today is an age amendment to the law. This ruling came due to the desire of some of the Senators involved wishing to add protections for kids who were clearly in danger or who showed signs of severe mental health problems.

The issue of safety for children older than 30 days will just have to wait declares the coming up for re-election Governor and Attorney General of Nebraska. Well, guess what guys? Come 2010, when they start finding abandoned kids in Omaha again because you took their protections away, we'll be waiting also. In line, to vote you out of office. That is, if the A.C.L.U. hasn't bankrupted the state first.

Contact Governor Heineman's office and tell him how you feel:

http://www.governor.nebraska.gov/contact/index.html

Democrats Have Already Drifted Off Course

2008-11-12T10:00:00.008-06:00

During the tumultuous primary season for the Democratic Party's nomination for president, many a Democrat shied away from backing Hillary Clinton due to her draconian health care reform message. Mrs. Clinton had been calling for a mandatory medical insurance program for every American, one which you had to buy insurance or face hefty fines.

To be fair, there were provisions in Mrs. Clintons plan to provide funding to expand the Medicare and Medicaid programs and to add additional funds to help those who couldn't afford their premiums to maintain their private insurance. There would be a 'clearinghouse' set up for Americans to go and be able to pick a plan that best suited their needs.

It was pointed out during the primaries by many of us that the 'universal' health care package being proposed by Mrs. Clinton was nothing short of extortion on one hand, due to the fine enforced mandatory buy in, (or the possibility of garnished wages) and that there wouldn't be any money in the current economy to fund the plans of those who couldn't afford to buy in, but made a dollar a month more than the current Medicaid cut off levels. In other words, even more people may have ended up with no medical coverage instead of more. Furthermore, we pointed out that Mrs. Clinton's plan did absolutely nothing to cut the middlemen out of the Medicaid and Medicare programs. In short, it was little more than a massive give away to the insurance industry.

Barak Obama rejected the Clinton plan right up to the moment he won the election. He had his own vision to expand health coverage, and while not perfect, did not include anything that was mandatory, nor was the word fine included in any of his plan's language.

Enter Democratic Senator Max Baucus of Montana. The Senate Finance Committee Chairman has just entered the fray with his own version of nationalized health care. It is so far to the right of what either President (elect) Obama or Senator Clinton proposed that it rightly is being called authoritarian by conservatives. The Baucus plan has ALL of the provisions that the Clinton plan has, but also includes a provision from the McCain plan. Not only does Max Baucas want to force every American to buy health insurance whether they can afford it or not, but once you get it, he believes you should be taxed on your health benefits once they reach a certain amount.

What sort of hogwash is this? Baucus, a moderate Democrat, can't determine which side of the fence he is on with regards to this issue, and so he see-saws and includes elements of both? As Senate Finance Chairman, Senator Baucus has presided over the past two years of suffering by Americans who could not go to the doctor. Everyone loves making believe that 'only' 47 million Americans have no health insurance, when we all know that figure is closer to 65 million. And that number says nothing of those who have insurance with such high deductibles, that when they get sick, they still can't afford to go to the doctor. Baucus has also ignored repeated pleas to change the Medicaid and Medi-Care systems back to their original form.

Right now, millions of Americans are in possession of a worthless Medicaid card. Medicaid, the program that was designed to ensure that the poorest among us could receive health care was given away by Bush and the Republican Congress to private insurance companies. Divided into 'sectors of control', a different insurance provider is given big chunks of the Medicaid program to run in different areas of the country. When a person receives Medicaid benefits, they must choose between one of two insurance providers who are now their HMO. The person's Medicaid benefits are assigned to the insurance company, who then places ever higher deductibles for office visits, specialist visits, and medications.

What's that? Yes. You're right. Medicaid was supposed to provide free medical care to the poor, but right now, all it provides is a massive infusion of taxpayer cash into the pockets of the fat cats. The more the insurance provider saves the government, the bigger their bonuses are. So the incentive for the HMO's running Medicaid are to make sure people get LESS medical treatment so they can get more of your MONEY. Baucus knows this, and has done absolutely nothing to stop it. He is, after all, a politician first, and politics and big business could care less about constituents or right and wrong once the election is over.

The incoming Obama Administration is already showing signs of politicking. There were promises made of NO lobbyists in or around an Obama Administration. None, zero, zilch, nada. But we now have statements by the President (elect) that it's ok to have been a lobbyist and work for him, so long as it was at least a year ago in a different area. But, as we all know, once you open that door, the floodgates open soon after. Now we have those surrounding Obama pushing through Hillary Clinton's health care plan, one that would force more hardships on people than it would help.

Unless the Democrats are prepared to completely revamp the insurance laws, none of this will ever be viable, and has the potential to be the biggest boondoggle the Democrat's have come up with in a very long time. All of the talk of expanding the Medicaid and Medicare programs to include more of those who can't afford to buy coverage would only fatten the coffers of the insurance companies, and do absolutely nothing to really cover anyone. Unless and until Baucus and other Democrats obtain the political backbone to take the incentives to provide less coverage away from the HMO's, you can put everyone in America on Medicaid and no one would be covered. And in this worsening economy, the 'deductibles' should be banned also. It is of course only right to expect those who are able, to pay a small fee for Medicaid services. But not when it has gotten to the point where parents are not taking their children to their doctors or buying medications due to having to choose between health care and food. The Democrats should go back to the old system where the government actually controlled the programs, and it will save billions and billions of wasted taxpayer dollars per year. Cut out the middleman if you will.

This same rule should apply to those who can't get on Medicaid or Medi-Care. Imagine the frustration of those who pay $250.00 or more per month for health coverage only to find that nothing is covered when they get sick, the deductibles are way out of reach, and dental or eye care is many dollars extra. This ripoff and scam has been going on for so long that Americans just accept it as the status quo. But it doesn't have to be this way.

If Baucus pushes through his bastardized version of the Clinton health care plan, we're talking about everyone being forced to buy insurance, whether you can afford to or not. Choices will quickly start arising of having to buy food or pay your premiums. Because a sneaky little part of the penalty aspect of this plan dictates that you can be fined for being late on your insurance payment! That's not Socialism, that's Authoritarianism. Don't pay your fine? They'll snatch your tax refund.

Democrats need to go forward very carefully when it comes to health care reform. The things they're putting forth right now rightly have many right wing groups warily eyeing the entire issue, and has those of us on the left outraged that plans are being floated around that smack of a totalitarian state. Besides, it's not 'Universal Health Care' we're talking about here any way. If we were, we'd all pay a certain amount of tax and health care, prescriptions, and hospital stays would be covered by the government. So let's call this what it truly is. Let's rename the entire affair the Mandatory Human Insurance Program, kind of like mandatory car insurance, but for people. If you breathe, you pay. See, the politicians have to pay back the ones who donated to their campaigns, and surely we the People must understand that, right?

This and any other health care plans that don't include cutting the insurance companies out of the government programs is just another ripoff of taxpayers and an attempt to placate the People. We'll wake up a few years from now with people sitting in the new debtor's prisons who couldn't afford health coverage and the 65 million uninsured will be covered by a program that does little to alleviate the suffering that goes on today. The Democrats have an opportunity to change everything about our health care system, making insurance affordable for all, and making Medicaid and Medicare viable programs again while cutting costs across the board. But it's going to take bold moves. Any stutter stepping or baby steps will be fiercely resisted by both Corporate America and the right, so a massive effort must be undertaken quickly. Without lobbyists, and without the influence of corporate interests. Americans no longer care what's good for the Corporate World, we care about what's the best path for our nation. Democrats should keep that in mind, and act accordingly.

The Trees Were Dripping Blood

2008-11-10T21:43:00.004-06:00

Moving as silently as the ants crawling under them, the regiment crawled slowly up the hill. Tasked with denying the invading British from taking the peninsula of Charlestown across from Boston Harbor, the men of the American Continental Army took up positions on Breed's Hill, building fortifications amongst the trees that consisted of bales of hay and cotton.

Consisting of only about 1,500 men, the Americans faced down a formidable opposing force made up of five full British infantry and artillery regiments, as well as a company of British Royal Marines. Stealth was the name of the game here in order to get their fortifications in place, but unfortunately the Americans' activities were spied by a British General aboard the H.M.S. Lively, which immediately began to shell the American positions.

Fire rained down from the sky and bodies were torn asunder, but the American force stayed put and refused to give the ground up to the British. Fear gripped the men as they extended their scant cover to the sea and more men arrived on the hill behind the main American force, an incline known as Bunker Hill. Try as he might, the American commander could not convince the men on Bunker Hill to move forward to Breed's Hill in order to swell the ranks of the soldiers holding there.

British General Howe landed his forces on the southern shore of the peninsula, ignoring the advice of his field commanders, who wished to go around to the other side and land their army behind the American positions. Seriously over estimating the superiority of his position and under estimating the Americans fighting ability and determination.

Launching a frontal assault on Breed's Hill with his infantry, Howe was shocked at the casualties he incurred and sent the entire body of his forces against the Hill. Harrassed by American snipers inside the city of Charlestown, Howe had his ships in the harbor bombard the American positions and completely burned Charlestown to the ground. This murderous action was seen by the American soldiers on both hills, and when a senior commander escaped from the conflagration and rode up to General Prescott atop Breed's Hill, he was asked how many dead and wounded there were in the town. The commander replied that the trees themselves were dripping blood, body parts littered the thoroughfares, and that he was probably the only one left alive.

The main body of British troops moved in line formation up the steep side of Breed's Hill only to be repelled once more with heavy casualties. It has been noted that the battle may never have lasted as long as it did had the British not made the foolhardy mistake of having only twelve pound shells and six pound guns. With no artillery fire to soften the American positions other than from the ships in the harbor, the only recourse was to attempt to overwhelm the Americans with sheer numbers. And so a third attack was launched all along the entrenchment lines. Exhausted and almost completely out of ammunition, the Americans retreated with no pursuit by the British.

All told, the British suffered about 1,500 dead and wounded while the escaping Americans' casualties were placed at 450 dead and wounded. Even though history records this battle as a loss for the American forces, it can also be seen as a victory of the spirit and tenacity of the military to come. The Americans never surrendered, and refused to yield until their very last bullet was gone.

This, the very first battle of The Revolutionary War in which the Continental Army took part, somehow ended up being placed into the history books as The Battle Of Bunker Hill, but the fact is, all of the fighting took place in Charlestown and the forward incline called Breed's Hill. In point of fact, when ordered to reinforce those on Breed's Hill, the soldiers on Bunker Hill refused, leading to an aftermath of confusion within the Continental Army's ranks, which in turn led to the Americans putting together one of the finest military machines ever to grace the earth.

Wars and more wars have followed on the heels of our victory in the Revolutionary War. From 1812, two world wars, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, to the smaller conflicts called police actions by some, the United States Military has been the first ones in and the last ones out. None can match their superior skills in battle, and as the greatest fighting machine ever to grace the world stage, they are feared by our enemies.

Today we honor all of those who have come before, those who serve now, and also the ones who will guard the walls in the future. We always complain about the wars we get into, we're all guilty of it. Honoring and remembering those who have given their lives to keep us safe is the least we can do.

But what about the veterans who live among us? Who cares for them? We all see them every day as we scurry about our busy lives. We see the wheel chairs on the street corners, the cup and the sign outstretched. Who looks out for these broken lives who served and fought, who kept watch at the gate, and came home to find there was no further use for them, and were discarded? Think about this today. Ask yourself why we treat our finest and our bravest as they they were expendable pieces of meat. And then go back out and put some money in that veteran's cup, go home, and call your Congress Person, demanding that more money be allocated for veteran's services. Nothing else is even close to honorable, and nothing less will suffice. It is our duty to fully care for the wounded who can not care for themselves, those whose minds have deserted them because of what they've seen and done, those with families they can't afford to feed. They have served us with honor and we must now serve them back with the same degree of honor. Just imagine if no one decided to watch the gate and guard the walls.

Semper Fi.

Today, We Are All Americans..............

2008-11-10T12:16:00.004-06:00

During this past killing machine election cycle that lasted two very long years until we learned who would become our next President, who would control Congress and by how much of a margin, the bitter divide in ideology between those who consider themselves progressives and those who claim the conservative mantle was probably the deepest and the loudest in the history of our nation.

Sounding almost like the warning shots of a new American civil war, the rancor and name calling on both sides made us all sound as though we were from two different warring nations. All over now save for a couple of contested Senate races, the clear new direction has been declared by the electorate, but there still remains a seething hatred just beneath the surface.

On television one listens to the talking heads, left with the impression that they believe that now that the election is over, the angels of harmony have descended from on high, the streets are once again made of milk and honey, and all of us have returned to living in peaceful bliss, awaiting the clarion call to arms of the next great political battle. Knowing that the truth is that hurt feelings and those who promote divisiveness are online and posting every single day, some pretend they aren't there, while others actively attack the writings and try to refute and rebuke what the fear mongers are selling.

It's quite possible that the rift between the varying factions and political camps may never be sewn together, but that doesn't mean that as Americans, we can not accomplish great things together that require absolutely no ideological thoughts at all. Here's a few of the great enjoyable past times that are part of all of our lives, and which we may all partake of together.

1.) American Football. Where else on the face of the earth do people of all walks of life come together as one force to cheer for their favorite team? Democrats and Republicans suddenly forget their differences as it's 4th and 1 on the goal line with 15 seconds to go in a three point game.

2.) Las Vegas. 'What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.' Oh man! Talk about non partisan activity! The roulette wheel could care less what Party you're from, and neither does the person standing next to you. A big win garners cheers from everyone surrounding you, and a loss will gain you sympathetic pats on the back. The lights, the buffets, the secret little 'dancing' halls, all designed to make you feel as though you'd died and gone to heaven.

3.) New Year's Eve In Times Square. More neon lights than the Las Vegas strip it seems, the crowds in the hundreds of thousands are particularly diverse. No one knows nor does anyone care who you are, or who you voted for. This is America's celebration of an upcoming year of hope for the future, and around the nation, cities big and small hold their own version of the ball drop. A night where all is forgotten save the revelry of the moment, and all is well with the world.

4.) The Grand Canyon. Millions and millions of Americans and foreign visitors have enjoyed the stunning majesty of the Grand Canyon, and if you haven't, plan to do so. The Skywalk that opened in 2007 will make you forget that you're from any political party, as vertigo causes all the blood to drain from your face and you have to be helped back to terra firma by your fellow citizens.

5.) Niagra Falls. Speaking of vertigo, look straight down while leaning over the fence at the edge of this rushing waterfall and you'll most certainly believe that those who went over the side in a barrel were at best, lunatics. And best of all, you can see Canada from the other side!

6.) Yellowstone National Park. Spouting geysers of hot water shooting high into the air. Bubbling natural hot tubs where the braver souls bathe. Or for the really maniacal, you can hop in a little boat and whitewater raft it down the Yellowstone River. Think you'll be worried about politics as your body is being battered into the stone walls? Or maybe you'll be lucky enough to witness the largest volcanic eruption in the history of man when the magma chamber underneath Yellowstone blows it's top!

7.) Tundrabuggy Tour. A little taste of the Alaskan outback is just the trick to force a new world view upon anyone. Democrats and Republicans alike can fly from Anchorage to Fairbanks, switch planes and arrive 250 miles north of the Arctic Circle. From there, you'll hop into a 'tundrabuggy', a behemoth driving vehicle that allows passengers to see polar bears up close and personal. Tundrabuggy breakdown? No problem. Just wait for the bears to go to sleep and try to make a run for it back to the nearest town. Who was running for office again?

8.) Boston Harbor. The Boston Tea Party Museum will give people from all walks of life a twinge of nostalgia and a sense of the pride of our Founding Fathers who used the East India Company incident as a catalyst for a revolution. December 16th, 1773 should have been the actual day we declared independence, but better late than never, eh?

9.) Wrigley Field. If you take a visit to Chicago, visiting Wrigley Field has to be a must do on your list. America loves the Cubs, America hates the Cubs, but we all love the hot dogs and the deep dish pizza. One of the best days to visit this city is July 4th, especially if you book a room at the downtown Holiday Inn. On the rooftop, where the pool is, you'll have a panorama view of the entire city. When darkness falls, the spectacular sight of fireworks going off across your entire field of vision will cause a lump to come to your throat, and you'll know for sure that we are one nation.

10.) Mount Rushmore. Visiting South Dakota might seem boring to some, but a trip to this national treasure can quickly help to put things into perspective. Besides, once you've seen all there is to see at this National Park, you can take a drive down the road to Sturgis. Just ask John McCain if you don't think this can be a rowdy bi-partisan party. Plus, South Dakota has casinos! Lose your money, lose all thoughts of partisanship, and take your life in your hands all in one trip. What more can you ask for?

Now, there's just ten of the hundreds of destinations and activities that can be enjoyed on a non partisan basis. Places and things that make America unique, and Americans even more unique. Because at the end of the day, as the above examples point out, we can come together. Whether it be for a riotous good time, or to fight against tyranny, we are one nation, and it's time we start working together to get out of the mess we are in. We can all start fighting again four years from now, when we hopefully have decided that all of this name calling and bickering is counter productive, and we need to allow each other to live our own lives the way we choose, without the interference of factional divides.

Utah Hate Cultists Should Shut Their Mouths

2008-11-08T10:17:00.005-06:00

Protesters gathering in front of the Mormon Church's headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah to rage against the money thrown into the fray in California over gay marriage do so to allow the cult members in the barren wastelands to see what happens when tax exempt religious organizations stick their noses into other people's business.

At a time when the entire world celebrates the election of Barak Obama as President of the United States, elated at the prospect of a non warlike America, here at home our jubilation is blunted by the bigotry and hatred of some who just can not stand the thought of others living their lives as they so choose. The Constitution is supposed to be a pseudo-Christian document in their eyes, tailor made for them and others who think as they do.

Singling out the Mormons may seem unfair as there were donors from many other states and church entities like the Catholic Church. But if one looks over the donor list to Yes On Proposition 8, it becomes immediately apparent that it was the Mormon Church, and more importantly, it's members, who donated the greatest chunks of money in support of legislation that would not have effected them at all. In fact, one donor, an A. Alan of Lindon, Utah, Gave $1 million all by himself. Imagine being so rich that you can afford to throw a million bucks away in support of something that will not affect you at all.

So who are these people who swooped in from out of state to destroy the hopes and dreams of gay men and women in a state that prides itself on it's progressive thinking? Why would they feel the need to foul the air with their hatred of anyone who doesn't think that revering a schizophrenic that claimed to have found golden tablets that no one else (except Brigham Young, a violent rapist of children) has ever seen?

In one word, these people are America's largest cult. A cult that blindly follows the teachings of the elders amongst them who can claim to have a 'revelation' at any time in order to force the sheep in their flocks to obey their every command. The 'revelations' come directly from Jesus you see, only no one else can see Him or hear His voice save the 'chosen' voice of God. Any where else in the country, such as oh, say................Waco, Texas, and they'd have burned the church to the ground with the cultists inside.

Not 'Christian' in any traditional sense, Mormons believe in three divine books that come after the Bible, and if a conflict arises between their new books and the bible, well, they just claim the Bible is wrong and they're right. Testimony from former high ranking Mormons who escaped the grip of the cult have told of the 'secret rituals that are not even allowed to be observed by church members without being of 'saintly' status within the organization. "The ritual began in a small cubicle where we had to strip completely. We then put on 'the shield,' a poncho with a hole for the head, but open on the sides. We went through a series of 'washings and anointings,' as various parts of our bodies were touched by elderly temple workers who mumbled appropriate incantations over them. Our Mormon underwear, 'the garments,' are said to have powers to protect us from 'the evil one.' It had occult markings, which were so 'sacred' that we were instructed to burn them when the garments wore out. The endowment ceremony mocked all doctrines held to by Biblical Christianity, and Christian pastors were portrayed as servants of Satan. We had to swear many blood oaths, promising we would forfeit our lives if we weren't faithful, or if we revealed any of the secrets revealed to us in the temple ceremonies. We were made to pretend by grotesque gestures to cut our throats, chests, and abdomens, indicating how we would lose our lives. We were never told who would kill us! The inference was, and history testifies to, that it would be the Mormon priesthood." Yeah, sounds like a cult to me.

Most of America was content to leave the Mormons alone. After the dearth of killings back in the 1800's and the movement of the cult to Utah and Missouri, the country sort of forgot they existed, especially after they 'officially' (wink, wink) renounced polygamy and agreed to tow the line of the country's official version of Christianity. Some cult members went off in the wilderness to found their own little conclaves where they could practice polygamy, and although not officially (wink, wink) sanctioned by the main Salt Lake City temple, the separate conclaves' elders, saints, and circles of seventy hold and wield great power within the cult hierarchy.

We could go on for hours about the Mormon Church and their cult followers who founded their version of warped thinking on the blood of others, through murder, rape of girls as young as 12, and of intolerance for all who do not believe that they alone hold the keys to the Kingdom, but why waste our breath? What we should be looking at is the hypocrisy of an organization who, having suffered persecution for their beliefs, used church funds to orchestrate the persecution of another group of Americans. Being a tax-exempt entity, the Mormon Church, as well as all churches in this country, are bound by law to stay out of the political arena.

One must wonder why the Mormons chose homosexuality as the venue for their entrance into the political arena. It's because they truly have a deep and abiding hatred for gay and bisexual people. Why such a serious confrontational stance one would ask? It's because none other than Brigham Young's own son, Brigham Morris Young, was bisexual, and often dressed in 'drag', and that the practice of polygamy was not some sort of divine inspiration, but a result of the wife of church elder Milford Shipp announcing her own homosexuality in 1878, and not wanting to shame her husband publicly, arranged for him to have another wife. Thus, Brigham Young and other church elders also had the 'divine announcement' by angels that polygamy was what God had ordered for His 'true' followers.

Even though Joseph Smith had practiced and encouraged polygamy, it wasn't until the open introduction of homosexuality into the every day lives of Mormons that the practice became part of their religion. So much for divine inspiration.

The trend this year has been to defy the laws of our country by the leaders of churches of all kinds, and with the current administration in power, know that they are not going to be touched. This can not be allowed to stand. The Mormon Church should lose their tax exempt status immediately. The First Presidency of the Mormon Church may claim that they don't have to follow what they consider ungodly laws, but maybe he needs to review the tenets of his own faith. Such as the Book of Mormon's 12th Article of Faith: "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law."

People who have no tolerance for the beliefs of others should also expect a backlash from the rest of us who are right now working towards a complete boycott of the entire state of Utah, from their ski resorts in St. George and Park City, to the Sundance Film festival and tourism in general. Being lovers of money and followers of complete greed, maybe the cultists will learn to shut their mouths and stay out of the affairs and bedrooms of others. In the words of John Adams: “The desires of the majority of people are often for injustice and inhumanity against the minority.”

Hellfire Missiles, Air Force One, And Other Acts Of Treason

2008-11-07T09:48:00.005-06:00

Anyone who thought the historic landslide election of Barak Obama as President of the United States would spell a quick and easy fix to what ails our country are in for a rude awakening.

Those who believe that come January 20th, 2009, peaches and cream will once again rain from America's skies and the world will retilt upon it's proper axis are setting themselves up for the largest of disappointments.

Beyond the quick fix for our nation's economy, one that will hopefully be the spark to set the Market moving in the right direction once more, lies the dirty corporate secrets that need to be addressed, and addressed quickly.

Throughout the Bush years Corporate America has been allowed to run roughshod over not only worker's rights with no penalties whatsoever from Congress or the White House, but the major players have been ripping off taxpayer money to the tune of untold billions. Oversight having been lax at best, it became incumbent upon groups such as the Project For Government Oversight to attempt to keep track of the goings on behind closed doors in the murky world of corporate and government contracting. What they have documented is a stunning portrayal of outright fraud, theft, mismanagement, refusal of government to prosecute or stop the bleeding, or in some cases, actual collusion to cover up wrong doing.

You've probably never even heard of many of the corporations involved, but others are household names. Names such as Bechtel, Lockheed Martin, Blackwater, Boeing, ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco, FedEx, General Dynamics, IBM, among a host of other companies, including everyone's favorite, Halliburton/KBR. Here's a couple of examples of what's been happening just behind the curtain.

Law enforcement officers across the land can breath a little easier knowing that Armor Holdings Inc. has had to settle a claim brought by the DOJ for the defective Zylon Body Armor vests Armor Holdings was selling the government. The company knowingly put law enforcement officers across the land in danger because Zylon degrades over time to the point that it's ineffective in stopping bullets, but Armor went ahead and wrapped these little death vests around the protectors of the People. Punishment? They were forced to pay back the $30 million their contract paid them.

Bechtel Corporation paid the U.S. government and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts a total of $407 million dollars to settle all criminal and negligence charges leveled against them for their role in the Boston 'Big Dig' debacle. Massive cost over runs, shoddy work that was known to be a danger to the public left in place, and a general carnival of theft of taxpayer dollars caused the settlement to come about. Jail time? Not for these fat cats, even though a woman was killed when the roof of a portion of the massive tunnel project fell and crushed her to death while she was driving through.

In violation of U.S. law, the Boeing Corporation imported the parts used to build the C-17 transport plane, the Apache attack and Chinook transport helicopters and the F/A-18 fighter plane. According to the law, Boeing was required to buy the materials from U.S. companies, but since they found the parts cheaper overseas, they went ahead and purchased them there. They of course then charged the taxpayers for the costs as though they had followed the law and when caught, were fined a 'whopping' $3 million. That amount is akin to thirty cents to an ordinary person. You don't even notice it's gone.

North of the city of Clarksburg, West Virginia, the U.S. government used almost $18 million of taxpayer money to clean up toxic waste that was allowed to seep into the ground beneath a salvage site owned by ExxonMobil. The chemicals that were being buried in the earth or allowed to fester in rusty metal barrels included coal tar, pyrene, phenanthrene, arsenic, aluminum, lead, iron, copper, naphthalene, and phenol. Knowing full well that the seepage was causing elevated cancer rates sickness, birth deformities, and possibly death, ExxonMobil continued to operate the plant as though nothing was wrong. This, despite inspectors from the EPA ordering them to clean up the toxic materials. ExxonMobil, knowing full well that the EPA under the Bush Administration wouldn't enforce more than token penalties, kept on going as is until the government stepped in and did the clean up themselves. To save lives. One would think that after the Valdez, Alaska debacle and final settlement, ExxonMobil would have been slapped with a massive fine, but they ended up paying only $3 million for a $18 million dollar cleanup. Lesson learned by ExxonMobil? There's a government bailout around every corner.

Major modifications were needed to allow the President of the United States to fly safely and undetected on Air Force One when Northrup Grumman sold Russia the source code for the LTN-92 aircraft navigation systems. In complete violation of the Arms Export Control Act, Grumman sold not only that system to Russia, but others like the LTN-72 military version schematics that included plans for aircraft motion alignment, stored heading, steering capability, computer aided release point, tanker orbit, and maximum bank angle. Altogether the U.S. government says that Grumman committed 110 violations of the A.E.C.A., and their fine would be appropriately massive at $15 million. That's right. $15 million. Oh, and they're still making secret military systems, despite the selling of those secrets to not only Russia, but China, Israel, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, China, etc. Guess it's not so secret anymore.

The Hellfire Missile is perhaps the deadliest anti-tank, anti-slow moving aircraft weapon in the world today. The pride and main armament of the Army's Apache AH-64 and the Marine's AH-1W Super Cobra's, these are the first line of defense in a shooting war and are depended on for their battleground superiority. Not anymore thanks to Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the Hellfire's two variants, the 'BlastFrag' and the 'Heat'. Lockheed Martin, intent on more profits, gave the classified plans, including capability, functionality, performance parameters, etc. to none other than Halliburton safe haven, the United Arab Emirites. Warming to the idea of buying U.S. Hellfire missiles, the U.A.E. Air Force asked for and received the classified plans for the Joint Air To Surface Standoff Missile. Now, remember the A.E.C.A.? Bah? We don't need no stinkin' laws right? The State Department caught wind of this plan to sell the U.A.E., a clearing house for terrorist money, these missiles and pounced to stop it. Completely frazzled over the obvious attempted treason by Lockheed Martin, they did the only patriotic thing available. They settled with Lockheed Martin for the grand sum of $4 million, with $1 million suspended if Lockheed Martin uses the million to institute a remedial compliance program.

These are but the tip of the iceberg of corporate malfeasance complaints, pending actions, court cases, and appeals of rulings flowing through our government, clogging up the system, and grinding forward progress to a halt. The time has come for America to demand real accountability for where our tax dollars our going. Corporations that decide their loyalties lie with their bottom line, and not with their country should be shown no quarter, and be automatically disqualified from ever doing the People's business again.

Because in the end, that's what this past election was really all about. Real change. Change that stops the nonchalant attitude towards Big Business that sells us out to potential enemies, terrorist organizations, and countries we know wish us harm. Treason is an easy word to bandy about, but when one peruses the above examples, what other word could one conjure up?

Stop this massive giveaway to Corporate America and you solve a nice little chunk of our economic crisis. Let the corporate world figure out how to build a product on their own, without taxpayer subsidies, and maybe we can rebuild our infrastructure. And for the love of God, cut the companies that openly laugh at our laws, knowing that a slap on the wrist is their only punishment, off from the People's trust and the People's business. We the People made our voices heard loud and clear on November 4th. Make them heard again and demand an end to these corporate abuses or nothing will have really changed after all.

An Open Letter To America's Anti-Christ

2008-10-31T11:07:00.003-05:00

(Warning: Although written as a Halloween rebuke to the action's of fear by a top figure in today's America, this article may offend some sensitive sensibilities. )

Hello again Anti-Christ and false prophet. I see you've been up your old tricks again. What a wonderful letter you released to millions of Americans just a day before Halloween! It's full of all of the ingredients needed for the scariest of horror movies.

Death and destruction, terrorist attacks, gay pedophiles in charge of everything and a populace that is forced to hand their children over to them. Oh, one could faint from the horrors of it all! But wait! There's more! On top of all of these future events, you have looked into the future and seen the destruction of our Constitution, the taking away of the Second Amendment, the nuking of Israel by fanatical mullahs, a Supreme Court allowing for the arrest of Christians, (forcing all American Christians to emigrate to Australia), the shutting down and banning of all conservative talk shows, radio and television, euthanasia of undesirables, children forced to watch pornography in school, and any other form of death, destruction, and mayhem that could come pouring out of your lunatic mind.

How will all of these end of the world scenarios come forth, and why will the world as we know it end by 2012? Because Barak Obama is elected president of the United States. So claims James Dobson, the son of goats and pigs, who sent out millions and millions of copies of a letter entitled " Letter From America In 2012 In Obama's America" to Christians around the country in an attempt to blunt the effects being made on Christians who see John McCain as the worst possible choice and are voting their consciences come Tuesday.

Mr. Dobson, when DID you sell your soul to the devil and why would you wait until the day that the veil between the living and the dead is said to be at it's slimmest to release a document of such vile evil? Did your true master force your hand, seeing as how your kind are about to lose your grip on power and your sway over the populace? Could it be the writing on the wall that causes the terror to strike in your own heart and forces you to strike it into the hearts of real Christian men and women?

You disgust me Mr. Dobson. You stand for all that is wrong with our country right now. It has been putrid heaps of dung such as yourself who have stood on the pulpits of churches and proclaimed and furthered the lie that only you know the heart of God. Your pitiful bleatings were believed by those who desired to follow the Path and you led them straight down the road to hell. Such a good little Anti-Christ. What better way to deceive and to turn the Word into a mockery than to claim to be a teacher of the words of Jesus? To then twist those words into something foul tasting and morally repugnant, falsely claiming that this is the new direction God wants for his people. Your chameleon like ability to slip yourself into any national public discourse and throw a 'God Hates Fags' bomb into the middle of it must make you the hero of the Westboro Baptist Church.

Your claims that New Christians who are going to the polls and voting for Obama will cause them eternal damnation are as hollow as your entire basis for continuing to vomit in America's face. We have caught onto your lies and falsehoods Pharisee, and we call you what you truly are. A demon, a monster, a phony, an anti-Christ, a fraud, and a liar. You are one of those we are warned about. One of those who will come in sheep's clothing only to devour God's people. How dare you mock those who disagree with you, claiming them to be other than God's children, and them stand on the pulpit and demand complete loyalty from those you have hoodwinked?

The United States is sick Mr. Dobson. It needs a healer right now, a person who will not kiss the ass of a lunatic whose views are so the opposite of what America stands for such as yourself. You, who claims to know what is good for all of us are the real menace, the real danger of implementation of theocratic rule and intolerance. It is you who wishes to take away the rights of your fellow citizens and drunk with power, use it to enslave an entire nation. It is you who would take the reigns of power and use them to launch nuclear weapons at your perceived enemies. And it is you who stands naked before all of Christendom as a divider of people, a snake, and a deceiver. It was you who slithered in the Garden, stood laughing at the foot of the Cross, and are known the world over as the great deceiver.

Go away Dobson. We don't need your kind fouling up our national discourse anymore. Take off your costume today, the day set aside for demons and goblins, and show the world who you really are. Because even as you post your letters to America's faithful, millions of them don't believe you any more. And even more look upon you as a creature of darkness, a greedy, power hungry whore whose only true beliefs lie in the bottomless pits of despair. You are rebuked sir.

Take that rebuke and take the dismissal of America's faithful, and go crawl back under your rock. If you'd like to read Dobson's disgusting letter, go here: http://focusfamaction.edgeboss.net/download/focusfamaction/pdfs/10-22-08_2012letter.pdf

Entire Town Outsourced To China

2008-10-30T11:07:00.002-05:00

You know the product by sight. You know it's name, it's feel, what it's many uses are, and it's probably in almost every U.S household. It stands for Made In America, a good product, a working man's best friend since it's invention in 1918 by William Peterson. Produced in a small Nebraska town where the entire population works hard making them, the Irwin Tools company, a subsidiary of Rubbermaid, announced last month that the Vise-Grips plant is moving to China because the labor costs are so much cheaper there.

DeWitt, Nebraska lies about 35 miles southwest of the state capital of Lincoln, but couldn't be farther apart in lifestyles. With a population of 600, Dewitt epitomizes the small town values espoused by the candidates for President. Crossing the set of railroad tracks to gain entry to the town proper, it's main street consists of one small tavern, a small grocery store, a little clothing thrift operation, and the huge Vise-Grips plant.

Trees line every street here in DeWitt, a place where homes aren't packed together like sardines, and everyone knows your name. You can't pass through the little slice of apple pie without waving to virtually every person you pass, whether they're walking down the street, or sitting on their porch watching the gorgeous fall foliage. This every man and woman town is about to be completely uprooted though, due to the greed of a corporation, and the tax incentives that companies are still receiving to ship our jobs overseas.

The trade agreements with China actually provide for extra money for corporations to set up shop in China, rather than keep the plants here in America. Vise-Grips. Good Lord, one must think when they go to grab a pair of the ever handy tool from now on. Used as a portable vise, or a wrench in a pinch, Vise-Grips are in every garage, every mechanics shop, every kitchen drawer, and well, they're just everywhere. And it has been the good people of DeWitt, Nebraska that has been making them for us.

Worried now about what they're to do, the town's residents fear their home is about to go the way of many a small town in the Mid-West over the past eight arduous years. They cite the examples of towns and cities across the Heartland that depended upon Agri-Businesses for their survival and whose homes were turned into ghost towns when the business was bought up by a corporate entity and moved or it's workforce laid off to make way for immigrant labor who would do the job for pennies on the dollar.

And it always seems that they pull this crap just before or during the holiday season. It's not bad enough that the corporation could care less that they're destroying people's lives, but they rub salt in the wound by doing it in October, or November, or December. Is Vise-Grips going to send each of their ex-employees a Christmas card wishing them a jolly holiday season? Probably so, such is the heartless nature of these corporate beasts.

In times past, a plant closing wouldn't be this big of a deal. The townspeople could have probably commuted up to Lincoln and found other work. But with high fuel costs and the fact that there are not any jobs open in the tight market, that option isn't even viable. So, DeWitt will most likely go the way of other small communities. Neighbors that have known each other all of their lives will most likely move away, losing contact with their friends as usually happens despite promises to keep in touch. Houses will be foreclosed or sold, the few stores in town will shutter their doors and windows due to a lack of business, and the townspeople will move away. DeWitt will become just another victim of the Bush policies, lying silent and dusty in the vast Nebraska Plains.

This must stop. It doesn't matter who wins this election, this outsourcing and the incentives to do so must end. These are real people whose lives are being destroyed and who are going to lose everything they have worked and sweated and bled for all of their lives, going back two generations. Wiped out by the Corporate greed machine, and aided and abetted by our own government. This monstrous loss of good paying American jobs in favor of low paying ones is an insidious destruction of the American way of life, and the incoming President must end all tax breaks for those who would uproot entire towns and cities. Tax breaks must be given instead to those who would build new plants here in the United States. Make noise about this issue, because a complacent populace may just find that the next set of jobs shipped to China, or India, or Pakistan is yours.

Contact Irwin Industrial Tools, the parent company of Vise-Grips, and tell them we are no longer going to be silent about the grip that Corporate America has on the throat of the nation.

http://www.irwin.com/irwin/consumer/jhtml/contactUs.jhtml;jsessionid=1G4HKQWIUEA3YCQIUBSCF3QKBCQHQJCK

Christian Voters Going Back To Roots And Voting Obama

2008-10-29T12:00:00.001-05:00

Why Christians Are Turning Away From The Far Right And Leaning All The Way To The Left.

read more | digg story

Christian Voters Going Back To Roots And Voting Obama

2008-10-29T09:59:00.006-05:00

In November of 2004, George W. Bush ended up with the good fortune of being the recipient of one of the largest turnouts of Christian voters ever. Almost in lockstep, they followed the orders handed down to them by the likes of fanatics such as James Dobson, Pat Robertson, and Jerry Falwell. It has been discussed much by political pundits on the internet and on television, with many wondering several things, such as why they did so, and what would have happened had they voted for Kerry.

Here we find ourselves once again facing the prospect of a huge turnout by Christian voters. In one of the most important elections of our lifetimes, this particular bloc of voters is going to play a major role in the selection of our next President. But this time around, the Republican Party is about to find a shock awaiting them at the polls. Because more and more Christian voters are openly and actively promoting Barak Obama and shunning John McCain.

We're not talking about your far right wing evangelicals. Those who follow the leaders like those named above, those 'churches' that have absolutely nothing to do with the words of Our Lord, but seek political power and monetary gain at all costs. In fact, we're talking about a huge contingent of New Christians who quite possibly have grown as large as 50% or more of the Christian voting bloc according to Pegasus News and GodPoll.

These are the New Christians and they have a great message of hope and of love and of peace on the world. If that sounds like the hippies of the 1960's and 1970's, well, you wouldn't be too far off from the philosophy. Sick and tired of being lied to by the Republican Party who tells them one thing to garner their votes, but then completely ignores them once in office, millions of Christians have decided that they will no longer base their votes on issues like abortion or gay marriage. Groups such as Republican Christians for Obama say that as far as they're concerned, gay marriage is not a political issue, but a human rights one. As far as abortion, they claim that every Republican vows to end the practice, but once in office, are afraid to touch the hot button issue.

Desire for change is strong among the Christian communities. From Southern Baptists, Pentecostals, Catholics, Methodists, and non denominational churches, the cry is now returning to the words of Jesus, and the works that He commanded we do. Issues such as feeding the poor in these hard economic times, sheltering the homeless, the sick and the infirm. Tackling the issue of genocide and AIDS in Africa. And in the case of a group called the Christian Alliance For Progress, calling for the reversal of decades of right wing ideology being pounded into worshipers heads.

Speaking about instituting nationwide initiatives based on the premise of the movie Pay It Forward, they want to help their fellow Americans understand that the 'Me First' teachings of the past three decades are the teachings of evil, and that it's alright to love your neighbor, it's ok to help someone in need, and that taking the time to stop and help a stranger can be a catalyst for others to do the same. They reject the anti-Christian policies of Dobson, Hagee, and Robertson that cry out for war against Iran. They reject war in all it's forms.

Even the environment has been placed on the table by these true Christians. Saying that we are all supposed to be the stewards of the planet, they want real solutions to the climate crisis and global warming. An idea being floated by some of the groups is to lobby for laws that make the biggest polluters such as the oil companies and coal fired electric plants kick in more tax dollars to pay for programs that will slow or reverse the effects that the emissions that their products cause to the atmosphere.

Instead of the politics of exclusion practiced by the Pharisees, these New Christians call for the inclusion of all to the table of God. Bigotry of all types must be done away with they say, and no one should ever have to feel awkward because of the color of their skin.

Interestingly, it's the far right churches who have preached the politics of hatred and greed, that have led the flock astray and down the path of wars and lies who are screaming out the loudest against the true Christian movement. Almost Biblical in it's implications, as in the Jews following Jesus in the first place to the chagrin of the original Pharisees, the New Christian movement gains followers by the day. Just as in the time that Our Lord walked the earth and left us His message of peace and love, today's followers of The Path have awakened to the fact that they have been hoodwinked by a group of political operatives posing as men of God.

Says a member of the Republican Christians for Obama "God is not Republican and he doesn't expect all of his children to vote Republican as some requirement of salvation." But you wouldn't know that if you listen to the Christian Coalition. In their 'non partisan' voter guide, they make no bones about whom they believe Christians must vote for without endangering their immortal soul. Listing falsely Obama's stance on issues, on the flip side, they paint the Keating 5 candidate as a holy man of God who is the candidate who most shares Christian family values. Really? Which values are those? The ones that claim only the rich should receive tax breaks. Only corporations should have laws protecting them from the American people, and not vice-versa?

The stance that our very Constitution, that guarantees freedom and liberty for all, should be ignored when convenient, and the laws of our land don't apply to the Executive Branch of government. These are the very stances that are driving church members away in droves, and opening their eyes to just who it is they have been listening to. And it wasn't the Word of God, that's for sure.

And so, as the Christian far right loses their grip on the throats of those who desire love and peace, hey do what the Republican Party itself is doing in the last days of the campaign. They belittle those who desire to help others. They call them false Christians when it is they themselves who were spawned by Satan. They are on the attack, making up lies, and doing all that they can to stop the growth of a movement that just wishes to leave lives of peace and of service to others. It's the reason they are voting for Barak Obama, and the reason they are actively spreading the word to other Christians that it's ok to leave the fold and vote your conscience. That you don't have to vote what a pastor or a priest tells you to, but that you should vote for whom you think would lead to the healing of our people and not further the divide that being shoved down our throats these last days of the campaign by John McCain and Sarah Palin.

There's one message they do want to get across though, and it's an important one. They want you to know that as Christians, it's time to go back to the beginning and start over. That somewhere along the way, the wrong road was followed and it's time to back track and find the way back to the one true Path. Come and join us...................................

You Might Be A Terrorist.....................

2008-10-28T13:19:00.004-05:00

If you can not walk up to the counter at the airport in order to pick up your ticket due to the fact that you still ride in a stroller, you might be a terrorist. It happened to a two year old boy at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Not once, but twice did he learn what terrorism is all about when airport security stopped his family for further 'security' checks because someone put the kid's name on the FBI's terrorist watch list.

Rising at the rate of about 20,000 names per month, the ACLU estimates that there are more than 1.4 million names on the 'list' as of today. Although Homeland Security denies that there are more than a handful of Americans who are accidentally on the list, the truth is just the opposite. If your last name, for instance, has a couple of letters that match a couple of letters in a known terrorist's last name, be prepared to be delayed when trying to board a flight.

If you are a retired Air Force National Guard Brigadier General, who flies commercial jets and is authorized to carry a gun into the cockpit in case someone tries to hijack your plane, you might be a terrorist. So goes the game for James Robinson, a commercial airline pilot, who can no longer use any of the usual fast lane amenities to get aboard the plane he is about to fly because some idiot put his name on the terror watch list.

If you are a Democratic U.S. Senator who has disagreed with the Bush Administration at every turn, you might be a terrorist. Just ask Senator Edward Kennedy. Likewise, you might talk to 11 term Democratic U.S. Representative John Lewis of Atlanta.

If you are just walking by the airport on any given day, like today for example, and as a plane comes in for a landing, you take out your trusty cam/phone and snap a picture of it to send to your kid at home, you might be a terrorist. Such is the example given by security heads at Las Vegas McCarran International where Air Marshall's are required to turn in at least one SDR ( Surveillance Detection Report) per month. Your photo has just been taken while you were snapping your own, and matched against driver's licence data bases, the State Department's passport office, police and FBI files, and when they figure out who you are, you are a newly minted member of the terrorist club. The Air Marshalls also get bonuses for all the 'extra' SDR's they turn in.

If you like to sew, as millions of Americans of both genders do, you might be a terrorist. Just ask seamstress Lana Gremerson of Portland, Oregon. Stopped while attempting to board a flight at PDX (Portland international Airport), Gremerson was pulled out of line, and told secondary security screening was needed before she could go aboard the plane. Figuring that she had no choice, (she was right about that), she went into a room, where a female guard told her to strip. Shocked, Gremerson refused and was told she would be arrested if she didn't co-operate. With a male security guard present, the woman was forced to strip down to her underwear, and then questioned about all manner of evil doings. Her crime? She forgot that she was carrying one of those travel sewing kits that contain.............well..............sewing needles! Allowed to leave after three hours, Gremerson not only missed her flight, but the next time she went to fly, she found her name had been added to the watch list.

If you are a reporter for a major television news network, you might be a terrorist. CNN reporter Drew Griffin found that out the hard way. The Transportation Safety Administration denies that Griffin's negative reporting on the terror watch list was cause for the reporter's name being placed on it. Yeah right.

If you are a middle school student, and attend classes in Georgia, you might be a terrorist. No less than the sheriff of a county went to a school in Oglethorpe County and told the students there that they would be placed on the terrorist watch list and remain there forever should they not stop leaving threatening notes to each other in the hallways of the school. An FBI spokesman said that hopefully, if a child's name was nominated for the list, cooler heads would prevail and not destroy the kid's life with list placement, but as we have already seen, that quota will take precedence all the time.

No longer constrained to just the travel sector of our society, Americans are now facing problems in other areas. Such as the 18 year old student who was starting a technology consulting business, but was denied the ability to process credit card payments due to his placement on the terror list. It turns out that his last name was similar to a Libyan government official's. I thought we were best friends with the Lockerbie murderers again?

Another man went into a Maryland Toyota dealership to buy a car, only to be told he had to be checked for tattoos that would determine if he was the person that was on the Treasury Department's list of terrorists and drug dealers.

A man who served honorably in the U.S. Navy, and whose father was killed during the Korean War, was denied access to his online PayPal account, because his name was on the list.

All of the cases above illustrate that those who were queasy at the thought of these lists being started in the first place were right all along. They may have begun with the intent of stopping terrorists, but somewhere along the way, as with everything else done by the Bush administration, has turned into a program designed to intimidate and control the American people. The old adage that some use that goes "If you've got nothing to hide, why do you care", no longer applies due to the repressive use of phony 'laws' to oppress the people. When the terrorist watch list begins to be used as a club to force people to do as they're told by their government, it's no longer a tool designed to catch anyone but those who would dissent. Because that's who is ending up on the 'list'. Those who openly disagree with a Bush policy are ten times more likely to find their names on the terror list than those who lovingly kiss up to the Glorious Leader.

After the nightmare of the last eight years, the incoming President should review Homeland Security's usefulness, and make changes accordingly. American citizens have a right to voice opposition to their government without fear of retribution. But because of the policies of Bush, and signed off on by John McCain, Americans must now fear their government, when it should be the other way around. Think about that come election day. The past eight years have happened. They don't just fade away because an election is upcoming and we've got two new candidates. John McCain will go further than Bush when it comes to this list instead of doing the right thing and tearing it up and starting over. And of course, he'll never put the name on the list that deserves to be at the very top, namely one George W. Bush.................................

Refuting McClatchy's Story On How Bush Helped End Homelessness

2008-10-26T09:56:00.003-05:00

In today's issue of McClatchy News Online, where their motto of 'Truth To Power' appears just below their tag line, is a story entitled 'Bush administration has housed many homeless'. After reading the title and laughing out loud, I assumed that the article would be one that actually condemned the Bush policies of the past eight years of slashing the budgets for the poor and the homeless with every swipe of his line item pen.

But lo and behold, in a blatant attempt by the right wing news service to make it appear as though Bush has been some sort of liberally idealed President this past decade of hardship, the article claims that this monster in the Oval Office has been the one with the best idea for ending homelessness in America. Written in reference to one minor program called Housing First, the article gives Bush the credit for implementing the plan, which is a blatant lie. The program was started in Toronto, Canada by a coalition called The National Alliance To End Homelessness.

It was this entity that brainstormed the program and received help from the Canadian government to implement it. So wildly successful that it was picked up by cities around the United States, all Bush did was to allow for the diverting of funds for some programs that help the poor and deliver it to Housing First. Housing First now operates nation wide, doing the best they can with an ever growing homeless population.

But to hear McClatchy News tell the story, one would think that, holy crap, homelessness has been ended in our country. Using gibberish figures, they claim that the homeless numbers have fallen from 176,000 to under 124,000 under Bush's watch. They claim this number by saying it's culled from the best available data, which is another blatant lie. Try almost 4 MILLION homeless people in America Mr. Hearst Corporation, and you'll be getting a lot closer to the truth. And that number represents an increase of 30% during the Bush years, not any decrease.

Further on into the article, McClatchy News once again spouts off figures in an attempt to show how generous Bush has been towards the poor and the homeless. Telling how the authorization for Medicaid allotments have risen by almost double what they were when Bush took office, the article tries to give the impression that more and more people who need help are getting it, but that's another blatant lie. The real reason that costs for programs such as Medicaid and Food Stamps have risen so drastically under the Bush Administration was because the Republicans outright privatized the programs while the entire nation was asleep after 9/11.

Oh yes. That's right. Where Medicaid used to be a program wherein the recipient would receive a card, go to their doctor, and the doctor would bill Medicaid, you know, a direct to the provider service, now, recipients are forced to choose an insurance company HMO that runs the Medicaid program in a given area. The HMO charges the government exorbitant fees for their services as a middle man, and the government, in order to lessen the impact of those fees, gives bonuses to the HMO's for money saved. So the HMO then places higher and higher 'deductibles' on office visits, prescriptions, tests, everything, on the recipient in order to discourage them from going to the doctor at all. So while many in the country decry the 'free' medical care being received by the poor, they have absolutely no clue that the poor aren't actually getting the care they need, but the insurance companies are fattening their bank accounts at taxpayer expense. Good job there Bushie. You paid back your fat cat friends well with that ripoff scheme.

They did the same thing with Food Stamps. JPMorgan now runs the Food Stamp program. Oh? You didn't know that? Food Stamps are not even food stamps any more. What they are now is what's called an Electronic Benefit Transfer card, or EBT. It used to be that when a recipient went to the store and bought food, the store would receive an extra seven cents on the dollar for accepting the food stamps. There was the hassle of collecting all those stamps, correctly tabulating them, sending them in for redemption, and waiting thirty days for a check. But with the EBT card, all that hassle was supposed to disappear, but the stores would still get that little extra for accepting the food benefit transfer. That is until Bush gave the program to the banks who demanded a 25 cent per dollar return on top of the store's 7 cents. And so, in order to cut costs, the amount of benefits available to recipients was cut. The fat cats get paid off once again, the poor get the shaft. On 15 separate occasions, the Republicans have refused and filibustered any vote to raise the allotment for the poor. The most recent example was the bailout for Wall Street package. Pork of all kinds was tied to that bill, but yet the Republicans threatened to scuttle the entire thing if the Democrats didn't remove a ten dollar a month increase in Food Stamp benefits for the poor.

In trying to make Bush seem the hero and not the villain, McClatchy ignores the slashing of billions of dollars for Section 8 vouchers by Bush. The number of available yearly vouchers nationwide for the poor to fight over is now all the way down to 30,000. That's a decrease from 250,000 and is said by no less than 6 national organizations for the homeless to be a contributing factor in the rise of the numbers of veterans on the street. They also leave out the fact that Bush refused to fund the Bring America Home Act, which would have provided municipalities with funding for more shelters, funding for more soup kitchens, funding for medical facilities for the poor, and would have stopped cities from making homelessness a crime.

Incredibly, in this toilet paper excuse for a 'news' story, McClatchy attempts to shift the burden for America's homeless problem on the Democrats. Claiming that every time the organizations that serve the poor come knocking with their hand out, it's the Republican Party that steps up and that the Democrats will begrudgingly give a little during the snowy months, McClatchy again tries to make it appear as though the Bush years have been a boon to the poor of America. The only item missing from this fraudulent excuse for journalism was a picture of Bush in long flowing hair, white linens, and a halo circling his godlike head.

No. Nice try McClatchy. We all know that your organization has always been a front for the Republican Party, but this is just too much. I doubt that even Fox Noise would throw this garbage and vomit into people's faces and expect them to eat it. The truth is that since Republicans have controlled Congress during the Clinton years, they have forced through cut after cut after cut for the most vulnerable, not out of some sense of civic responsibility, but because of an evil desire to reroute those dollars to their corporate friends. When Bush stole the election, well, God Damn, the party was really on then as we have all been witness to. Just one month's worth of money that is being shoveled into the bottomless pit that is the Iraq War would end homelessness forever in America.

Take a look at a couple of facts, then go figure out if McClatchy is full of shoot.

Fact one: Compared to 1978, the U.S. government is now spending nearly 65 percent less on developing and maintaining affordable housing for poor people. ($83 billion was appropriated in 1978, while only $29 billion was allocated in 2005.)

Fact two: Compared to 1978, the U.S. government now spends $84 billion more on subsidies for home ownership programs. (It spent $38 billion in 1978 on these subsidies for middle-class and affluent homeowners versus $122 billion in 2005.)

Fact three: In 2004, 61 percent of all federal housing subsidies went to households earning over $54,787 per year, while only 20 percent of those subsidies went to households earning less than $18,465 annually. The 2004 federal poverty threshold for a household of four with two minor children was $19,157.

The fact is, the Bush Administration has been worse than Reagan when it comes to cuts made to programs designed to help the poor, the homeless, and especially the homeless veterans. Anything else being said to try to save the legacy of an evil monster is propaganda, pure and simple.

Corporate Welfare Forces The Poor To Starve

2008-10-24T11:45:00.003-05:00

Over one trillion dollars is being pumped directly into the coffers of some of America's most fiscally irresponsible companies at the very same moment that the politicians who so blithely give away our money are denying an increase in food stamp allotments to the poorest of the poor in our country.

Claiming that the United States could not afford to give the poverty stricken more food purchasing power due to budget shortfalls, recent Congressional votes ran along Party lines, with Republicans threatening to filibuster the very bailout bill that would hand over to the bankers and lawyers of Wall Street the wealth of the entire nation, unless the Democrats removed an earmark to the bill that would have given a measly ten dollars per month to struggling families.

A March, 31st, 2008 article in the New York Times warns of the rising number of families with the sole provider being put out of work, being forced to turn to the food stamp and welfare programs of their respective states, only to discover the shocking truth that the system is designed to cause misery and not relief any more, thanks to the likes of the Republicans in Congress since 1994.

When Newt Gingrich and his corrupt cohorts wrestled control of the House and the Senate, one of their first actions was to enact laws that cut maximum benefit levels, and ordered a freeze in the standard deduction. Instituted in 1996, the frozen benefit levels and reduced standard deduction levels have caused such a lowering of available food purchasing power among America's poor that the Fiscal Policy Institute, an ultra conservative group, has decried the frozen benefit levels as actually hurting the economy. Twelve years of lowered benefits, and eight years of job losses has eroded the American dream into a long forgotten shadow of a whisper.

Yet another conservative group, the Center On Budget and Policy Priorities, has put forth reports showing the impact on the cuts in cash assistance, food stamp benefit allotments, and the reduction in medical care being provided due to the massive giveaway to the insurance industry in the form of privatizing Medicaid.

One of the very first sounds you'll hear from the far right is a bleating whine about government not being in the business of helping the poor and that they shouldn't be receiving benefits of any kind. But the very same heartless losers will actually sit and justify the redistribution of wealth to banks and mortgage brokers, who then take our money and go off laughing in our face on half a million dollar vacations. The whiners and begrudgers don't even know the basic fundamental fact of economics. That is, if the poor had more benefits, there would be more money flowing through the economy, more jobs would be created, thereby lowering the need for those benefits naturally, and yes, it would help spread the wealth around to taxpayers, not corporations.

With the Presidential candidates from both sides of the aisle calling for another 'vote buy' stimulus package, once again, before the bill is even put to paper, or any details worked out, the Democrats once more attempt to push for a hike in food stamp levels, pointing out the alarming rise in food prices, and the lowered ability of poor and even middle class families to feed their children due to even faster rising costs of fuel, but once more into the fray come the neo-cons, demanding no increase whatsoever for people they label as a drain on the system. Why anyone would consider hungry children a drain on anything is beyond all reason and should reveal to everyone once and for all just who the Republican Party represents. The rich and the corporate interests.

What is to be done? The answer, according to every single advocate for the poor, and across the board at conservative think tanks, is to lift the standard deduction freeze, and raise the cap on food stamp benefits. To push aside those who stand in the way of economic recovery for all, and who would allow their fellow citizens to go hungry while they gorge themselves at the Congressional cafeteria for free. Only the best for those who make it to the pinnacles of power, but a let them eat cake attitude towards the multitudes who scramble for the falling crumbs.

Other think tanks decry the cuts in funding that have been implemented at vocational rehabilitation centers for those who have lost jobs. It used to be that one could go to these places and get training for another job that paid a comparable wage. No longer. Due to more Republican budget cuts, the name of the game at these mills is to place a worker in virtually any job available, in most cases, a minimum wage, no benefits, dead end, no hope for the future job, that forces the person onto the welfare rolls any way.

It's time for this evil to end. The time has come to push aside those who have foisted misery and suffering on their fellow Americans in order to cater to the whims and desires of rich corporate fat cats. It is time to restore our nation to a place of compassionate helping hands, and do away with the mentality that says it's ok to swat away those who reach out for help. No nation's soul can survive very long under a cloud of death and treasure for the few. Congress would do well to note their suffering citizens and react accordingly. For should they not understand the growing anger and desperation that is beginning to grip this country, they may well find themselves with a conflagration on their hands that makes the Boston Tea Party look like a fireside chat. End the corporate welfare, and help starving Americans. End the corporate welfare, and bring a dying nation back to life by giving help to those who can in turn breath life back into the economy. The alternative is becoming intolerable and the consequences unthinkable.

Using 9/11 To Rip Off The Public

2008-10-22T11:36:00.003-05:00

Just 18 miles north of Boston, Massachusetts, sits tiny Peabody, a small town sitting on the intersection of I-95 and Route 128. Not much happens in Peabody, as the police at headquarters on Allen Lane will attest to. At this time of year, the most heinous crimes are speeding tickets being given out like Halloween candy to the thousands of tourists who flock to New England in order to view the fall foliage.

But something new will be occurring in Peabody come September 11th of next year due to the vigorous efforts of the Police Department's Union. All Peabody police officers will be given the opportunity to take the day off, or to work it and receive holiday pay. That's right. Even though not recognized as either a state or federal holiday, the cops in Peabody will be treated to an extra one any way.

Only the second city in the entire nation to do this for their cops, it would seem to be only natural for the reader to believe that New York is the other city. But you'd be wrong, as it's actually another New England town called Derry, New Hampshire. Derry, about 20 miles southeast of Manchester, New Hampshire, is even smaller than Peabody, but they too get to enjoy an extra day of fun and laughs at taxpayer expense on a day when the rest of us stop to remember the victims of the largest catastrophe of our time.

Even as the families of some of the World Trade Center victims in New York expressed outrage that cops in areas not even affected by the disasters are being given special perks at a time when state budgets are strained to the breaking point and services are being slashed everywhere, police unions in nearby towns see the move as a great idea. Medford, Massachusetts police officer Harry MacGilvray, who is also the head of that town's police association, says that he thinks it's a great idea and one that should be adopted by other Massachusetts towns and cities.

The brother of one of the victims, who was contacted by the media says" “I’m really shocked, They’re just taking advantage of a tragic event for their own gain, and I don’t appreciate it.” Other families expressed outrage, with several calling and mailing the city of Peabody, but the union pretty much had the city over a barrel. In addition to the holiday perk, the city also had to agree to use only paid off duty cops at road construction sites as well as give in to a 13 per cent pay hike.

Somehow, this stinks to high heaven. The nation is going through a financial meltdown, and citizens everywhere are being forced to tighten their belts and close their wallets. Prices are spiraling out of control, rents are shooting upwards, the housing market has tanked, and the costs of heating your home are going to make last year seem like a walk in the park. But yet, despite all of this, the cops in New England believe they deserve a perk not shared by anyone else in the country, including the very cops who were on the scene when the towers came down.

The cops who lost their brothers and the families of the firefighters who lie beneath the rubble of the crumbling towers do not seek to exploit a day of national mourning for personal gain. The soldiers killed at the Pentagon certainly have loved ones who could use an extra day off of work every year, but yet, there is no law giving relief to the very people who should be receiving it.

How then, do these who were not even there on the day that evil struck and slaughtered thousands feel they deserve special treatment? How dare they besmirch the memories of the fallen and the wounded survivors who will go through the rest of their lives with psychic scars or others with death sentence breathing problems. granted, a few of the cops from these two towns showed up after the fact to try to help in the cleanup, but that little bit of service does not in any way grant license to a lifetime of reward. And what of the city officials who caved in to this outrageous demand at a time when they are thinking of cutting services for schoolchildren? At the very least, should they not be forced to visit ground zero, be forced to witness the real cops and firefighters who were there that day, and be forced to listen to the horror stories of the departments who should be receiving that extra perk, but ask for nothing?

If the cops in Peabody, Massachusetts and Derry, New Hampshire had any honor, and aren't just trying to rip off the taxpayers on the backs of dead heroes, they would turn down the day off and extra pay, or take the pay and donate the money to the upkeep of the 9/11 Memorials. Because memories of a life changing event are one thing. But the exploitation of those events for personal gain are cynical stains upon the still open wounds of an entire nation. Shame on the cops of these two towns for their blatant extortion of their respective cities, and for the wasteful use of taxpayer money in order for them to have another summer barbecue.

The Second American Civil War

2008-10-21T09:59:00.002-05:00

No one can say just who fired the first shot, just as no one will ever be able to discern just what moment became the catalyst for the conflagration that has torn a once great nation asunder. Many in the newly formed Democratic Union of Free States claim the bitterness and hatred emanating from the candidacy and campaign of John S. McCain and his running mate, an unqualified Governor of a state that seceded from the Union immediately after hostilities began, Sarah Palin were the cause of their supporters taking license to go and kill anyone who disagreed with them. Almost all of the Northeastern states, as well as several upper Mid-Western state plus Virginia make up the Democratic Union of Free States, a powerful coalition to whom the Second Confederacy must turn to for financial assistance in order to survive.

Former states such as Arizona, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Utah have been absorbed or granted entry into the Republic of California, a nation that has taken up isolationism as it's mantra, and who, full of food and other of life's necessities, refuse to bargain or trade at all with their former colleagues to the east or south.

Oklahoma, Kansas, and New Mexico were seized by the newly reformed Republic of Texas, whose Governor Jeb Bush threatens the Free States of Nebraska, North and South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado with nuclear holocaust unless they submit to becoming a part of Texas. It would be comical were it not a Bush nut job in charge of the launch codes. The only thing stopping Texas from making good on their threat is the combined might of the newly formed separate nations providing an umbrella of mutually assured destruction should the Texans attempt to invade the breadbasket of the continent.

Virtually all of the Ohio Valley states joined the D.U.F.S. for both financial and cultural reasons, with the great industrial capacities of the northern states meshing quite nicely with the agricultural centers in the upper Mid-West.

Hawaii was seized by Japan when the first missiles were fired, as well as Guam, the Marshall Islands, and American Somoa. Puerto Rico declared it's complete independence from the former U.S., aligning itself with Cuba and by proxy, Russia.

Entire cities lie in ruins, New York, Boston and Washington D.C. being battlegrounds used by not only invading forces from the southern areas, but wracked by internal fighting as well. There is no evidence as to who lobbed a nuke at Atlanta, but the Confederacy's plans to use that city as it's Capital were scrapped in favor of Savannah. Likewise, Austin, shattered beyond recognition due to a constant barrage of artillery and air strafings, caused the Republic's Capital to be moved to Dallas. Philadelphia is the recognized center for the North, although remnants of the old federal government continue to insist that D.C. is the rightful base for government.

The bitter divide and hatred felt by all of the participants in the fighting, and even by those who could do little more than watch, is thick enough to cut with a butter knife. Tensions run high along borders of the new nations, with sporadic gunfire heard all along the frontiers due to itchy trigger fingers.

Funny though, even as the economies of the entire world collapsed due to this second American civil war, it has been the communities of Europe that have provided the relief for the former united country. All save Texas have accepted this aid, even the Confederacy, because to not partake in the largess would have spelled certain doom. Ordinary Texans regularly sneak across the mine laden borders to escape the oppression and brutal tactics being employed to suppress all dissent, but those who are caught are water boarded, tortured and hung. Condemned by the United Nations as a rogue state, the Texas government claims they could care less what the world thinks. It's where most Republican politicians escaped to when the fighting they had been begging for broke out. And aslo the only nation on the continent that has not outlawed corporations.

President McCain of the Texas Republic has not been seen for several months, leading to speculation as to his health. His number two, Comrade Lieberman, has been speaking on McCain's behalf. With the departure of now Premier Palin of the Nation of Alaska, Lieberman immediately moved to shore up his own grip on power. Alaskans, angry at the war caused by McCain and Palin's whipping their supporters into violent frenzies during the 2008 Presidential election, claim they do not recognize the authority of either Palin, the self proclaimed Premier, nor the power behind the throne, Todd Palin. The nation seems to have fallen back on it's former frontier mentality, with everyone doing anything they please.

Gasoline prices have started to reach the ceiling at 24 dollars per gallon in the southern parts of the country. Northern cities only reached about 10 bucks due to the help of the Canadians. Food consists mainly of stale bread, corn on the cob, oily fish from polluted waters, and the occasional pack of dried beans and potatoes. Milk has started to become pasteurized once more in some areas, and it's rumored that the Montanans are beginning to process real meat again, but it could be many months yet till we know the extent of their capacity. Fears abound that the knowledge of food production could spark yet another war.

There's no telephone or television service, the only communication devices the small hand held radios distributed by the European Union and Canada. People are seen huddling around a single radio, desperate for news from other parts of the broken nation, but alas, with the frequency jammers employed by some out of spite, information is sporadic and decidedly propagandized.

People have started to try to rebuild what they can, attempting to get stores and services back up and running. Many areas have electricity once again, meaning that cities with subways can ferry people around to different work areas. Buildings that were destroyed during the fighting are being rebuilt, although many office buildings are still being used as housing by those fearful to return to outlying areas. Cities have become refuges of sorts, the comfort of safety in numbers being on people's minds.

It is believed that the Northern Union decided to stop fighting the Confederate States after the slaughter that occurred at Midland, Georgia. 200,000 casualties from both sides was just too much to bear for either country, and the destruction of Ft. Benning, with it's accompanying brutality to prisoners of war took the fight out of everyone. Although the Confederacy blames the North for the nuking of Atlanta, there is evidence that suggests it was actually the Alaskans, under the orders of the Palin family, that launched the warhead. Roundly condemned for the cowardly act, scholars also believe that it was the firing of a nuclear missile that brought the fighting across the continent to a standstill. Looking on the bright side, they say that nuke may have saved millions of lives.

No one is quite sure where things will go from here. There does not seem to be any desire for the competing nations to rejoin into one entity any time soon. The Northerners and their allies in the Mid-West claim no possible talks will be negotiated without the handing over of the criminals McCain, Lieberman, and Palin. The Texans, with their usual aloofness, claim they don't know the whereabouts of any of the principles, even though Lieberman gave a speech in El Paso two days ago. And, claim the Northerners, with Texas' close ties to Alaska, they could easily convince the lawless country to hand Palin over. California has outlawed political parties altogether, opting instead for a fully independent candidate process, funded entirely by the states within their Republic. They have expressed interest in talks, but don't seem to be in any hurry, what with their abundance of food and energy.

And so, no one really knows if there will ever be a nation called the United States again. The second American civil war tore asunder what two hundred plus years worth of sweat, blood and tears built. It was such a little thing really, something that could have been avoided had those with keener intellects demanded a halt to the hate and the call for violence by the now outlawed Republican Party. In trying to win an election where it was clear the electorate no longer wished to follow them, they made up lies about their fellow countrymen and told their dwindling amount of followers that it was alright to use any means they felt like to sow fear and distrust. Until that fear led to murder, and that murder led to reprisals, and those reprisals led to every nut job in the country grabbing guns and firing at anything that moved.

Time warping back to October of 2008, one can clearly see that all of it could have been avoided had those in charge but arrested those calling for violence, calling their fellow countrymen traitors when they themselves were the seditionists, and had they not tried to play with people's fears and people's prejudices in order to retain a grasp on power they had been abusing since taking office. Such progress could have been made, but for the timidity of the mainstream media, who allowed the charlatans to spew their message across of the airwaves of a worried America, and not call them on the air what they were. Liars. The very same liars who led the nation down the path of financial ruin, divided the country, and helped to destroy the dreams of the entire world.

No Grave Could Be Deep Enough

2008-10-17T11:41:00.003-05:00

Evil shows itself to all of us in different forms and in varying degrees of intensity. Each of us has been touched at some point by the palpable presence of darkness, some of us plunged into proximity with what can be seen only as the works of entities bent on destruction, while others escape with mere shadows darting from the corners of their eyes.

Other events though, are sometimes so heinous and abhorrent that they can only be classified as beyond the pale, so dark and so evil that the perpetrators themselves must be spawned by hell itself.

I'm speaking of course about the killers and abusers of children, those special degenerates for whom no grave can be deep enough to bury the memory of the deeds they have done. In recent weeks there seems to have been an unusual spate of murders, snuffings of little lives and abuses of those whose only crime was to cry out for love and affection. Here's a few of the most recent tales of the death of innocence. You decide whether they are the actions born of desperation, or just cold, calculated evil itself.

In Chattanooga Tennessee, a man brought his stepson to the emergency room at Memorial North Park Hospital, claiming he had fallen off of a picnic table while the family was on a day trip to the park. The child's injuries were so severe that he died a short time later. Further investigation revealed "multiple blunt force traumas" to the boy's body, including a fractured skull, ruptured spleen, broken ribs, and several other broken bones and abrasions. Accused of homicide, the man just had his case bound over to the Hamilton County grand jury.

A 14 year old girl has just been rescued and released from her bondage in Seattle Washington. She was brought to the United States by Afghan immigrants, who most likely bought her from her impoverished parents back in Afghanistan. Forced to work as a slave, the girl did the laundry, cooked the meals, minded the other household children, and oh yeah, was forced to have sex with the men of the house. Enslaved since 2006, it was only after neighbors recently realized what was happening at the home where the girl was being held that they helped her escape to safety and the immigrants who held her have all been arrested.

In the Bronx, New York homeless shelter where a homeless single father resided with his 8 month old son, neighbors and shelter staff became concerned after the father asked for an ambulance to be called for his infant. Bruising was evident on the baby, but the father insisted the child had fallen down. The baby died on the way to the hospital and police arrested the father after he made statements about punching his son in the stomach. Apparently, the father and son were not unknown to New York City's child protective services unit, as the baby had been to the hospital before with a broken arm. By all accounts, the man was seen to be a good father, but yet, that doesn't change the fact that he is now charged with manslaughter. A side note here would be that between 2004 to 2007, 38 children have died at New York's homeless shelters.

Tennessee once again, this time Memphis. It seems that there have been 12 children killed by one or both parents this year alone. In one instance, an 18 year old man furiously punched his girlfriend's 13 month old in the chest twice. She died on the way to the hospital as the man said while being arrested " She wouldn't stop crying." In another, a two month old died of a fractured skull after her father repeatedly punched her in the head. And particularly disgusting was the case of a two year old girl whose father has been charged with child murder after beating his daughter to death while attempting to potty train her. Authorities say there may have been sexual abuse occurring.

A psychopath in Tuscon, Arizona won't be seeing the light of day for a long time, maybe never, after pleading guilty to child porn charges. It seems the man and his wife liked to film little children engaging in sexual acts, and place the videos on the internet. When police raided their home, they also found 150 dogs that were being bred for dog fighting, $100,000, and 60 firearms, including automatic weapons. Just your typical American household I guess.

Here's the point. These despicable people should be buried deep inside the walls of some prison, or if found guilty and executed, buried in a grave so deep that future archaeologists will never find them. But could all of this have been avoided in the first place?

There has been much ridicule made of Nebraska's new child safe haven law. The law that allows for children of any age to be brought to area hospitals and left by parents who feel they are incapable of caring for them properly. Or parents who feel they may endanger their kids in some way. There was even coverage by the right wing media of a 'protest' against the law in Lincoln, the capitol city of Nebraska, but what the cameras didn't show was the fact that there were exactly 5, count them, 5 'protesters'.

The vast majority of the people in Nebraska are just fine with the law. If it will save one child's life, the scorn and ridicule are well worth it. Would it not seem to others then, that maybe their states should be re-examining their child safe haven laws to expand them? Or does the safety of children not really count to anyone other than those who actually work to pass and retain progressive laws such as Nebraska's? It seems as though the voices that are loudly braying about the idiocy of Nebraska's safe haven laws are the very same voices that are mysteriously silent when asked what their solution is. Child Protective Services in all 50 states are overwhelmed and can not respond to many cases. If people had a way to relinquish their children to safety, would that not free up case workers to respond to the cases of child abuse where the parents are in denial?

Think about this when you vote come November also. Which candidate would be more open to helping children and not fat cats? Which Senate and House candidates would pass a national safe haven law for children? Which State candidates? If the children of America are our future, then we must safeguard that national treasure as surely as we safeguard our money, our homes, or any other tangible valuable. Let the children cry, let the children suffer, and eventually, you can sit and watch America die.

To Submit Meekly Or To Exercise Your Rights

2008-10-15T11:09:00.004-05:00

Submission to authority has been drummed into the heads of every person on the planet. Virtually universal in demanding compliance, governments lay down a set of laws to be followed by the populace, albeit, in most cases, to maintain some semblance of order.

In times past, the People of the United States had no real way of understanding the abuses of power that were perpetrated upon them, and so unwittingly contributed to ever growing intrusions of government into their lives. Ignorance being bliss, the People accepted the status of being little more than producing cattle, while those in charge of government and industry plotted the destruction of our Constitution and our way of life.

A side note here if you'll indulge, would be to openly state that the recent economic collapse did not just 'happen', but was an orchestrated event planned over the space of several years. One of the most cunning ways to erode a populations standard of living is to cause an economic emergency, that forces them to accept less pay for their labor, and feel lucky to be able to have work available at all. Why Americans are not marching on the White House and the criminal Treasury Department causes consternation in protesters of yesterday, who claim this generation to be the most weak willed in our history.

When trying times have beset our nation in times past, there was never any hesitation in the minds of the civil minded to take to the streets in protest. No hesitation to shut down by strike corporate entities or indeed the entire country when misdeeds by either corporate or government entity were detected. So terrifying in it's implication, civil disobedience by the public has caused a massive effort to be undertaken to relieve Americans of the notion that they are free to exercise their Constitutional right to petition for redress. The common wisdom prevailing now in the new country forged by the right wing fascists dictates that should you even try to disobey or make waves, you will be tased, you will be beaten, you will be taking a trip to jail and the courthouse.

We have all been witness to the anti war protesters being tased and arrested in recent years. We have been silent witnesses to the rise of free speech holding cells, the designated, away from the public view in many cases, ares where you are allowed to protest. The areas where civic minded Americans go to make their displeasure known, only to be photographed, identified, infiltrated by police entities, and placed in a data base of 'terrorists'.

Even those who wish to strike and protest against their employers have been arrested in recent years. One case that made the news this year were the 39 employees of Disneyland that were protesting the low wages and lack of medical insurance that Disney provided. Dressed as Disney characters, the police swooped in with batons swinging. You do not protest against corporations in this new America.

The elections have also shown that you are not allowed to hold protests against the government, with police in St. Paul raiding the staging areas of groups planning to march, and arresting rally leaders pre-emtively. Arresting people before they have even done anything at all would smack of thought crimes, and those arrested are most likely the first thought criminals in the history of this country. Used by the likes of Stalin and Hitler, the methods once abhorred and anathema to everything this nation stood for, are now becoming common place, and seen as just the way things are by too many of our people.

Questions linger in the minds of many Americans as to the validity of a government run amok, a government no longer of the People, by the People, nor for the People, but those questions can not be publicly voiced, lest one be automatically labeled a 'malcontent', a 'terrorist sympathizer', or somehow 'Unamerican'. It is this lie that has been shoved down the throats of the People for so long that now allows a Supreme Court Justice to declare that executing an innocent man is just dandy, because the people demand retribution for a heinous crime. The long held tenet of ten guilty men going free rather than executing one innocent man has been reversed by this extremist Court, and so, very soon, America will be witness to the murder of Troy Davis by their government.

The time has come for Americans to reject these new notions of absolute power by a government that feeds war machines and corporate criminals. Our society must understand that those who practice civil disobedience are protecting the rights of all of us, and can not be jailed or tased or beaten at the whim of the also run amok police. Instead, Americans must join in the protests, if not physically, then on the internet through emails, or by telephone. Flooding an email box or jamming a phone line is another quite effective way to show displeasure, and in and of itself, can be a form of civil disobedience.

One thing the People had better realize and realize it quickly, is that the day is fast approaching wherein there will be zero tolerance for protest or civil disobedience, a time when Americans will be forced to sit meekly by while an outgoing administration blatantly robs the Treasury of the People, giving all of the money to their corporate friends. Oh. That just happened didn't it? Where is the outcry? Is everyone too cowed by the threat of violence by the government should they march on the Capitol of OUR nation? It would seem that way.

Those who protest are true patriots, although to the far right extremists they are to be feared. They fear them because they represent a tearing down of fascism, a long held dream of Corporate America, and a dream they are watching die in front of their faces. Protesters are a threat to the very foundation of the old Cold Warriors' way of life, a life of war, death, killing, and ripping off taxpayer dollars.

So, go out and protest something you don't agree with. Fire off an email to someone right now, just to let them know you're are of what they are up to. Pick up the phone and give someone an earful about the status quo and demand change. And when you hear of non violent protesters being tased, or beaten, or arrested, howl as loudly as your voice can carry. Scream the primal screams of a wounded animal. The sounds of your anger will carry to their intended recipients, and they will tremble with fear of their own. Fear of an aroused and awakened populace and the fear that there is a multitude that is aware of their actions. Do not be cowed by the government, nor their corporate masters. Remember, despite what the far right claims, America is our nation, corporations are NOT people, and we have the right to protest any damned thing we like.

Do it now. Don't put it off until tomorrow. Whatever it is that's bothering you, whether it's a candidate for office, one that's in office, a law you disagree with, an action taken by the government, or just a parking ticket you disagree with, do something about it. Don't allow this country to fall into the old Soviet style standard of living by silent acquiescence, and watch quietly as more restrictive laws are passed on your rights as an American. Let them put us ALL, 300 million of us, on the stupid 'watch lists'. Won't it be funny to watch the airlines go out of business because no one is allowed to fly? And just think, no more fear of being strip searched in order to board a flight! It's up to us to stop this madness, so get moving and let's roll....................

An Open Letter To Bill And Hillary Clinton

2008-10-10T10:24:00.002-05:00

Dear Mr. President and Senator Clinton,

Clearly you know of the negative attacks on Barak Obama by John McCain and Sarah Palin. Attacks that are the sleaziest and slimiest of their kind since the days of the criminal Huey Long of Louisiana. The desperation that emanates from the McCain campaign is palpable, and they have begun to resort to tactics that any one with any respect for the United States would shy away from. Inciting crowds to violence, they hope to distract the people from the dangerous times facing our nation, and the fact that they are already attempting to commit voter fraud in several states.

But the one thing that could clinch this election and push Obama so far ahead of the Republican camp is sorely missing. That is the voices of Bill and Hillary Clinton leading the charge against this disgusting last minute vileness unbecoming of any U.S. politician, let alone a Senator and a Governor of a state. Were the voice of a President, much beloved by the people of this country to this day, to make a major statement concerning the conduct of the campaign of John McCain, it might just force Senator McCain to talk about the issues, and leave the attacks alone.

If Senator Clinton were to tackle the problem of Sarah Palin's uncountable lies, well, who better to attack this little puppy than the real pit bull of the Senate? There could be no cries from any side of sexism at that type of counter attack now could there?

Both of you have served your country, and we are all sure that Mrs. Clinton has the tenacity to make another run for the White House in 2016. And of course , she will win. But in order for that atmosphere to even be available come that time in our future, the nation needs to loudly hear your voices now, lest the Republicans that have led us down the road to ruin be allowed to steal yet another election, and force us to follow them down the path of destruction.

Those of us who back a new direction for the country have waited breathlessly for both of your voices to rally undecided voters to our cause. But yet, there has been a disconcerting silence from the two people in this country who could easily attack the McCain/Palin ticket on two fronts at the same time, and do so loudly enough that people will listen.

President Clinton could be pointing out the Clinton Presidency, and the gains that were made, the budget surpluses, the sunnier skies, and the hope that was felt by all. Senator Clinton could actually challenge Sarah Palin on the issue of experience, and an attack by her could not be so easily dismissed.

Although it can be argued that you have given speeches backing Barak Obama and Joe Biden, the attention given to them was weak at best and had virtually no impact. Remembering back to 1991, when President Clinton campaigned in the so called Republican stronghold states, there was more than a couple of those states that turned blue that year. The nation needs that same campaigner to do it once again, because this time, the stakes are so much higher.

Mr. and Mrs. Clinton, our nation is in peril. Not some abstract possible threat that may or may not occur. The threat is here, it is happening, and it threatens the very foundation of our great country. To have the power and authority to command the attention of those of us who are still undecided by using the oratory gifts that both of you possess and not use that power to minimize the attention being heaped upon the Mccain campaign by the mainstream media would be an act of selfishness, and no one believes either of you to be that. Much respected both within the Democratic Party and without, a major attack on the McCain campaign by both of you could be the final nail in the coffin of the vicious, spinning out of control campaign of John McCain.

It would help greatly were one or both of you to appear at a campaign event of either Senator Obama or Senator Biden. It would show the voters who voted for Mrs. Clinton during the primaries that we are one Party, and not a divided house. There is too much at stake here for hurt feelings or future political posturing to get in the way of stopping an even bigger disaster from being foisted upon us all. The disaster of a Palin/McCain administration that would completely decimate the very nature of the United States, cause untold misery for millions of Americans, and hatred of our country the world over.

Help us stop this monstrously vast right wing conspiracy once and for all Mr. and Mrs. Clinton. Stand side by side with the Democratic candidates and use your major voices to stamp out the fies being lit by the filthy rhetoric of an out of control right wing who would and will go to any lengths, including violence, to try to steal this election. Both of you have been victims of that right wing playbook. Don't sit by the sidelines and allow the rest of us to be continued victims of the furtherance of the Bush years, and the vast neo-con fascist agenda. In the end, we, the American people, know you will do the right thing. And the right thing here is a loud rebuke of the tactics of the campaign of Sarah Palin and John McCain.

How To Force Answers From Candidates And Why It Needs To Be Done

2008-10-07T09:46:00.004-05:00

Cat and mouse games would be a welcome respite from the day to day chasing around of the candidates for public office in order to obtain unscripted views from them. Playing hide and seek would be a preferable past time, rather than watch the U.S. media beg and plead for a sound bite from those who seek to hold the highest offices in our nation.

Everyone in the country is well aware of the refusal of the current Republican candidate for Vice President, Sarah Palin, to answer any questions by the media or by voters themselves unless the setting can be carefully controlled by her handlers. The same can be said for John McCain to a lesser extent. Speaking to a television station that is known to be a talking point distributor for one political party does not an objective accounting make. To this day, no one has any idea of the truth about the Republican candidates because of this refusal to answer questions, and by default, we have no idea of their fitness to hold high office. The situation would seem ridiculous were it not so serious. But when citizens of the United States, the supposed beacon of world freedom begins to resemble the old Soviet Union because of the actions of it's leaders and it's candidates, then it is obvious that changes are needed as to the way political campaigns are conducted.

This most unusual practice of not being open and honest with the American people is not without precedent. In recent years, other candidates for office have just refused to answer any and all questions in the hopes that the media would feel they couldn't run a story because they didn't have a quote from the candidate themselves. A case in point would be Rudy Giuliani's refusal to answer charges that he used the budgets of obscure New York City offices to pay for his lavish travel expenses. Campaign staffers would manhandle reporters into 'press areas' at campaign events, that is, until the glad handing began and they needed the media to take photos of a smiling ex mayor being the man about town.

Another case of candidate refusal to speak to the public in any form other than settings of their own spin worthy choosing would be what a Montana group called Project Vote Smart did in Idaho. They wanted to determine just how many lawmakers would answer questions from them. The group's board includes George McGovern and Newt Gingrich. Interestingly, and most telling, John McCain was on the group's board but was kicked off after refusing to answer the non partisan questionnaire. Before McCain picked Sarah Palin to be his running mate, she also refused to answer the questionnaire sent to her. Maybe that's what gave McCain the impetus to choose her. Her propensity for silence. The Idaho politicians who refused to answer any questions were a mixed bag of both Democrats, Republicans, and even one Independent. Two are members of the U.S. House of Representatives, the others are all Senators.

Other notable candidates or even office holders who refused to state their positions on issues or who ducked questions altogether are Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, who refused to clarify the statement he made equating homosexuality with bestiality and incest. Presidential candidate Fred Thompson, during the Iowa Republican debate held December 12, 2007, outright refused to answer the question of whether or not global warming was man made or if it occurred naturally. As of this writing, neither Presidential campaign will answer the questions of the Americans With Disabilities Group as to their stance on protecting benefits for the incapacitated. Colorado Senate candidate Bob Scahaffer ducked the media at an April event where heated discourse was expected on the economy and the Iraq War. In fact, he didn't even bother showing up at all.

There are many more examples of candidates who seek public office that refuse to answer media questions, but to include them all here would take a year or more. The problem seems to be that no one really gets to hear about the fact that these people refuse to answer questions on matters of how they would govern, because there is really no way for the media to force the candidates to give information to the public. What generally happens is the media outlets will just not bother televising or writing up a story, due to the lack of response from the politico involved. In this way, the politician gets to put forth what he or she wants the public to hear without ever having to explain their positions or answer anything but 'softball' questions.

This would never have been allowed even 25 years ago. The press even as late as the 1980's had the tenacity and the willingness to go the extra mile to get to the bottom of a situation, or to go so far as to ignore candidates who refused to answer questions. This doesn't happen any more. Now, if a candidate refuses to answer reporters or gives vague references to a talking point as an answer to a direct question, the media will just print or parrot the candidate's non answer and that's all the People get to see or hear. Instead of using the power of the First Amendment, the U.S. media acquiesces to the wishes of political campaigns by still following them around and reporting on their talking points, even when those very same reporters know full well what they are reporting is a lie. The so called 'rag' newspapers have done a better job in getting to the truth than the mainstream media, as have citizen journalists.

One way to end this type of politicking by omission, a practice that leaves the electorate confused or feeling that they don't know enough about the candidates to even bother voting, (which is what the politician who refuses to answer questions hopes for in the first place), is to implement an appendix to the Freedom of Information Act that orders for the full disclosure of all positions held by every candidate that runs for any political office in the country. From County Sheriff to President of the United States. Or even a stand alone law that decrees the same thing.

Naysayers will say that this will give an unfair advantage to those who speak well in public, but the argument doesn't hold up due to the many spokespeople candidates have, the advent of instant communication via the Internet, news print media, and a populace that has already declared that they could care less about speaking styles, they demand substance instead.

A law would not be needed were candidates to just level with the American people. But as we have seen in recent weeks, the state of political discourse in this country has degenerated into a laughing stock caricature of days gone by. Campaigns that declare their candidate doesn't speak for the campaign, hides a Vice-Presidential hopeful in an ivory tower, outright humiliate reporters that follow the campaign by keeping them in cordoned off areas and not giving them any access to the candidate or the candidate's supporters. Since the reporters involved don't mind being spit upon in public, and not turn and tell the campaign to cover itself from now on, there must be a way for the public at large to force the candidates for office to either answer to the issues put forth, or be barred either from running for office altogether, or at the very least, be banned from the airwaves that are owned by the People, not the politicians.

Regular press conferences with questions and real answers are the way Americans glean insight into candidates, not having their talking points, lies, and filthy sleaze thrown at voters by the very same Fourth Estate we entrust to give us the truth. If the media wishes to change the way political business is conducted in America, all they would have to do is to press a lawsuit with the Federal Communications Commission, pressing for relief. On the flip side, every single voter can file a complaint with the F.C.C. on their web site under the 'Broadcast (TV and Radio), Cable and Satellite Issues' area here: http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm The basis for your complaint can be lodged due to the section of FCC law that deals with unauthorized/unfair/biased/or illegal broadcasts. Continue on to the next page and click 'Biased or Distorted News Stories By The Media'. Continue on to the online form and fill it out. If the FCC receives enough complaints, they'll be forced to act against any on air media that presents false information or reports known to be lies by candidates as a news item.

We the People have the power and the authority to demand changes to the way political campaigns are conducted in our own country. The time has come that politicians understand that we the People own the air waves of America, not the media, and certainly not the mud slinging liars who slime our living rooms with falsehoods. But in order to accomplish anything resembling change, we all must get involved. File an FCC complaint. Demand campaign disclosure laws that force candidates for office to hold real press conferences and answer the People's questions. because we are fast approaching a point in our history when politicians will just send out an email flyer and you won't ever get to see or hear from them. You'll just have to completely take their word for it, and we can see how well that's been working out.

The Republican Party Is A Terrorist Organization

2008-10-05T10:17:00.003-05:00

The very second that the Republican Party unleashed it's latest false flag attack on Barak Obama by using tactics intended to induce fear in the populace their message was aimed at, they ceased to be a political party and transformed themselves instantly into what we have known all along they truly were, mainly, a terrorist organization.

Just as sure as Al-Qaeda launched attacks against the United States that were intended to "attack our freedoms", the new talking points from the Republicans that defame Obama by falsely associating him with Ayers are little more than an Al-Qaeda type of propaganda campaign induced to take away, through fear, Americans right to choose who to vote for in the upcoming election.

Sarah Palin, the Republican's laughing stock Vice-Presidential pick, who did not even know that the campaign of John McCain had pulled out of the state of Michigan, has been the water bearer for these latest scurrilous attacks. But when one lives in a very fragile glass house, it would seem to an intelligent person that one would not be throwing boulders about.

Palin and her husband Todd were both members of a terrorist organization called The Alaska Independence Party. An organization dedicated to the secession of Alaska from the United States by any means possible, including violence. While both claim to have left that organization years ago, the fact that Palin, as Governor of Alaska, addressed the A.I.P.'s convention this year, where she told members and friends of hers to "keep up the good work." Part of the A.I.P.'s method of attack against the United States are openly stated and include infiltrating major political parties. Which Sarah Palin, with the backing of radicals in Alaska, apparently did. The A.I.P. also advocates for the violent overthrow of the U.S. Government. Is this a view shared by Palin? One can not know, because she refuses to speak to the question.

It would also seem to a rational person who was under investigation for abuse of power, that one would not wish to be attacking another person's character. Almost criminal in it's dereliction of duty, the mainstream media has pretty much allowed the 'Troopergate' story to disappear from the pages of our news, when it should be of the highest priority. Can anyone hold any illusions as to what this person will do once in office should they manage to gather enough sheep to pull off yet another stolen election? And family values? Her own teen aged daughter is pregnant, and all of a sudden, her paramour has a shotgun wedding in his near future. And having an affair that she continues to lie about with her husband's business partner, Brad Hanson, certainly doesn't show that gosh darned all American girl look either.

John McCain's 'maverick' status was always suspect at best, but his reputation now swirls down the toilet of history. While he sits and tries to impugn the patriotism of Barak Obama, he tries desperately to avoid any questions about his days in Vietnam. He'll tell you his version of events, but will not speak to the accusations of fellow P.O.W.'s that he gave aid and comfort to the enemy. That when he broke and signed their confessions, he actually gave them military information. With a wink and a thumbs up, McCain pretends that he was the only P.O.W. in the entire war, and that somehow, being shot down while hot dogging it, makes him uniquely qualified to be President.

Barely mentioned in this time of economic turmoil is the Keating 5 scandal. Another time when banks failed and John McCain was right in the thick of things. Free vacations to sunny climates on corporate jets owned by Charles Keating, as well as gifts, in exchange for McCain's influence in Congress to squash an investigation into Keating's role in the Lincoln Savings and Loan scandal. Now, we have another economic crisis with Mccain once again smack dab in the middle. Phil Gramm, who advises the McCain campaign, was one of the principle players in the entire economic collapse due to his role in deregulating, well, everything.

More egregious than any of this though, are the actions of the Republicans themselves. Knowing full well that McCain is showing signs of senility, and that Sarah Palin in the Oval Office would mean the end of the United States as we know it, they push their lies, not 'talking points', but outright lies, in order to cause fear among voters and retain power at all costs. Spewing vomit filled phrases of 'Country First', these domestic terrorists would say anything, do anything, lie about anyone, make up stories, spread false rumors, rig elections, send out false fliers threatening voters, hijack the government of an entire state to block a lawful investigation, ignore the Constitution of our country, refuse to submit to the laws of the United States, steal the wealth of the nation, and refuse to hold accountable a criminal President and Vice-President.

That makes the Republican Party of the United States as bad as, or worse, than the Alaska Independence Party, and as such, should be disbanded, it's leaders arrested on charges of domestic terrorism, and all of the members of this criminal enterprise that has caused so much misery, be barred from ever holding any public office again. Anyone who believes that this is not a true terrorist organization only need look at the U.S. Terrorism Act of 2000 and the Patriot Acts passed by the Republicans themselves to see what is considered terrorism.

Included in these documents are definitions of terrorist acts that include 'intimidation of civilian populations for political gain,' 'attempts to subvert lawful political activities by use of intimidation, advertising, and are being done to advance a political, religious, or ideological cause.' There are also sections that say 'inoculating or impressing upon a targeted populace the impression of impending disaster, or to cause a state of fear short of conventional warfare.' By these definitions, the Republican Party HAS degenerated into little more than a criminal terrorist organization that should no longer be recognized as a legitimate political entity in the United States. The war on terror can truly be won after all. The problem is, that in order to win, we must begin cleaning house at home. Because if anyone holds any lofty illusions as to the intent of the Republicans, they need look no further than this maniacal campaign they are waging.

And this blatant effort to place not one, but two Manchurian candidates into the Oval Office should prove once and for all who these people are. No one can possibly hold any illusions as to who would actually be running the country were these two mentally challenged candidates be installed through yet another stolen election. It would be people like Rich Davis, Steve Schmidt, Karl Rove, James Baker 3rd, and Henry Kissinger to name a few.

These monsters could care less if they touched off another civil war in this country, and in fact, they would benefit greatly from a divided nation that is the stated goal of the terror cell in Alaska that Palin can deny she still belongs to all she wishes, but it's pretty obvious where her loyalties truly lie. And lie. And lie...........................

The 'Jesus Vote' Turns Away From Tradition

2008-10-04T11:37:00.002-05:00

On January 23rd, 2008, George Washington University played host to an unusual gathering of Christian groups from around the nation. Members of the National Association of Evangelicals, Sojourners, and the Christian Coalition met to discuss the changing political landscape and the role that Christians needed to play in the new era being ushered in.

Not completely a congenial meeting, some new age Christians, along with many of the traditional Republican evangelicals, argued in favor of voting for the Democratic ticket in the upcoming election. Old style stalwarts would not be swayed by the arguments, which ranged from pointing out the corruption taking place among the Republicans, to the hypocrisy of the Republican stance against gay marriage while many of their numbers were being outed in public.

Others felt that the evangelical base, the Robertsons and the Dobsons of Christendom, had led the entire Christian entity in America down a road they weren't sure they should be heading down, with some openly saying that the public postures taken had actually led to a decline in church memberships.

The arguments made by many of the meeting goers was that the Christian community would be better served if they diversified their message. Claustrophobic was the catch word of the day, with pastors from different denominations saying that the past 20 years have forced a negative picture to emerge on American Christian due to a narrow minded focus on gay marriage and abortion issues. Although never saying they would give up trying to convince others of the righteousness of their cause, most at the convention said they wished to branch out and return to the work that Jesus had ordered of them. Mainly, feeding the poor, helping the homeless, taking care of the sick, and actually trying to help others understand the Bible. Fierce debate ensued among the different factions, with the meeting breaking up with everyone agreeing to disagree.

It was after this interesting gathering that Beliefnet conducted a non scientific survey of Christians and those who identify themselves as conservative Republican Christians. What they found was stunning to the core of the Republican base. While 41 per cent of those polled said they would vote Republican come November no matter what, 40 per cent said they were voting Democratic, with 19 per cent undecided. Panic set in among the old time Dobson/Robertson factions, and a nationwide effort has been in place for months now to try to reign in the rogue Christians. But the effort is failing. Many Christian voters are furious with the Republicans and the pick of Sarah Palin, as well as John McCain's erratic behaviour, has what Church of Christ pastor Joel Hunter calls "caused the Republican Party to forfeit 50 years of conservative Christian loyalty."

Hunter, a leader within, and former president of the Christian Coalition, explains that the evangelical movement fell prey to certain entities within their ranks who allowed political ambition to divert Christians away from trying to include the many, but instead has concentrated on hate and the exclusion of the few. Feeling at odds with the preachings of those who wish for the American Christian community to concentrate on hot button issues, many Christians such as Hunter are seeking to expand their message to be more inclusive of those who have been turned away by the old guard.

But the hard right conservative core isn't going down without a fight. As word spreads in many churches across the land of a new vision for how Christian America should go forward, the old guard desperately tries to throw a monkey wrench into the mix. On evangelical television shows, the factions that wish to spread the message of love are labeled 'misfits' who are lost. Those who want Christians to serve the poor, tackle the issue of AIDS, work on immigration and social injustice issues are dismissed by the old Christian right as 'loonies' who don't understand the Word of God.

The tactics are not working though. If anything, statements like that are driving more Christians, especially younger ones, away from the Republican pro-rich, pro-corporation stance, and into the arms of more liberal positioned churches, and more importantly, the Democratic Party. Amy Archibald, who is a student at an evangelical university sums up the feelings of many Christian youth. She says "I think it's a new movement starting. Most of us would never blindly follow the old Christian Right anymore. James Dobson has nothing to do with us." In some cities across the country, New Christians are taking to the streets to try to let people know that not all of those who believe in Jesus are corrupt windbags who are in it for the power and the money.

Others are outright angry at the Republican Party's 2008 campaign style. They don't believe a word they say, and are frustrated with the many, many lies that are being repeated, even when they are proven false. And the choice of Sarah Palin as McCain's Vice Presidential pick sealed the deal for enough Christian voters to claim they are voting for the Democratic ticket this year. Says Joshua Crelmer of Youth for Christ " It was an insult to the intelligence of every Christian in America that they would try to fool us like this. We see the pick of the Alaskan Governor by the Republican Party as an attempt to placate us, when what we want is substance."

Indeed, within the Beliefnet poll is the telling story beyond who identifies with which Party. In a series of questions dealing with issues confronting today's Christians, a full 85 per cent of respondents said they didn't really care very much about the stance on gay marriage or abortion. The number one issue was the economy, followed by ending the Iraq War, caring for the poor, ending government corruption, stopping the government from torturing people, and seeking term limits for those in Congress. Very much the opposite of what the old guard finds important.

And so, when one contemplates what will happen next month, and Americans worry that Christian America will walk in lockstep with the Republicans once again, let your fears whisper away into the air. because the New Christian America that has emerged over these past couple of years has seen the abuses of power, the refusals to cooperate with the laws of our land, and have seen the law breaking being aided and encouraged by the so called leaders of the Christian far right extremists. The New Christian America is angry and fed up with the injustice of the Republican years of giving all of America's wealth to the rich and allowing the poor and the middle class to go under. And they are ready to make that anger felt by the Republican Party by either voting for the Democratic ticket or for no one at all. Now, that's progress..............

Biden Should Go For A Knockout Against Palin

2008-10-02T10:05:00.002-05:00

(Warning- This piece is going to be insulting and derogatory. Those who can't stand the truth should turn away now.)

It seems as though the media are intentionally trying to lower expectations for the debate tonight between Senator Joe Biden and Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska. All the morning talk shows, all of the print media, and all over the internet, the only thing one can see or hear is pundits telling us that Palin does really, really well in debates because she's always got a good zinger or one liner. That she's an expert at deflecting hard questions and turning them into insults against her opponents and that's a danger to Biden.

What kind of poop are they trying to hand us? Shouldn't they be setting the bar just as high for Sarah Palin that they would expect from say, Hillary Clinton? During the primaries, Clinton, a woman herself in case anyone has forgotten, had a commanding grasp of the issues, and had the oratory and mental skills to stand and debate with her colleagues.

Everyone should be nauseous at this point. We should all be shocked and stunned and screaming from the roof tops about the audacity of the Republican Party putting this woman on the ticket. Easily blamed, McCain may have bowed to the pressure of the Party, but no one should have any illusions as to the people that placed the pressure on him to accept an unqualified far right extremist just to placate the Christian Coalition. It was the Party hierarchy. Which means that the Republican Party believes that Americans are morons, because that's exactly who they have put forth to be half a step away from the Oval Office.

This garbage about Biden having to be careful when debating Palin is just that, garbage. If Sarah Palin wants to play in the adult's sand box, then she had damned well be able to accept the political punches that come her way. Having already accepted the role of tower princess, locked away from all but the most gentle, softball reporters and questions, the public has gotten the impression that Palin is a fragile little thing, and the person who really makes policy for the Palin Administration in Alaska is her husband Todd.

Biden should and must end this farce once and for all by not allowing Palin to answer any question with vague references to Putin's rearing head. One tactic he can easily employ is to give an in depth answer to a question on either foreign or domestic policy, then turn to the mental midget and say " I think we should give Governor Palin a chance to express her views on the subject." The rest of us can then sit back and guffaw as Palin flails around like an Alaskan flounder, sputtering and talking about making moonshine in a fishing shack.

Millions and millions of Americans listen to this woman speak and become frightened, genuinely frightened. When a candidate for such a high office can not answer a question about which media outlets she gets her world view from, then we as Americans must realize that she doesn't have one beyond the talking points given to her from the Bush/McCain handlers. Reading Good Housekeeping does not a Presidential ticket make.

Luckily for the Republicans, the economy that they have been raping for the past eight years decided to take a dive just one month before the elections and a week before the debate. It diverted attention away from the investigation going on against Palin in Alaska, and the fact that she refuses to cooperate with it. Her husband, who holds no standing as an Alaskan government entity, also refused to testify when called. Why hasn't he been charged with contempt? Because the McCain campaign has basically hijacked the reigns of power in Alaska. A coup if you will.

Why won't the Palins release their financial records, and why won't McCain himself release his medical records or his family's financials? What's the big secret? Better yet, what are they hiding? These subjects should be slipped into the conversation by Biden tonight. Palin should be made to look like what she really is. Another neo-fascist criminal dressed in apple pie crust that the Republicans are trying to pass off as a brand new car. The way the Republicans are presenting Palin to us is like a used car salesman telling you you can kick the tires, but not take the car for a test drive before you but it.

Everyone should come to terms with the fact that the Republicans sre so trying to trick people into voting for them that their candidates that are running in Washington State don't even call themselves Republicans. They are on all the ballots as the GOP Party, and a court just allowed them to run that way, knowing that many people don't understand that GOP is the Republicans. They're ashamed of their own party for Christ's sake!

The rampant cronyism practiced by Palin should be brought up by Biden during this faux debate. We have all heard of and forgotten about the appointments Palin made in Alaska, especially the appointments of her high school friends to high positions like the Agriculture Department, where the only qualification the person had was the love of cows. Is this how Palin would pick her staff as Vice-President? Would she appoint the 'First Dude' to be Secretary of State should she end up in the Oval Office? Does anyone else see the ridiculousness of this entire situation?

So go ahead Joe. There is absolutely no reason to treat this moron with any type of kid gloves. She jumped into this race knowing she wasn't qualified, loving the thought of the limelight, but now the demands of the Republican Party are that everyone pay deference to a woman who's only skills are the ability to insult the good works that others do. Expose this pork eater for the criminal she is. Play stump the candidate. Because right now, the only thing standing between the complete insanity of the McCain campaign ending up being in charge of the Executive Branch come January is you.

This entire show reminds one of the rivalry between the Red Sox and the Yankees. The hatred that exists between the fans of both teams is so palpable, you could cut it with a knife. A hatred and a blind loyalty to their home teams that should the Yankees not make the playoffs but the Red Sox do, Yankee fans will root for any team that's playing the Sox and vice-versa. Those are the types of divisions that separate Americans and ones that are exasperated and fostered by the Republicans. They demand blind loyalty and they get it. Because any self respecting Republican that is voting for the Keyston Campaign of John McCain after he presented Sarah Palin as a qualified to be President running mate cares not about America or our survival as a nation. They only care about the home team winning the World Series.

Go ahead Joe. Let it all out against this little gutter snipe who doesn't even know where Arkansas is, let alone the intricacies of Middle Eastern policies. Go right for the jugular, the right hook knockout punch and let every Republican in the country whine and cry tomorrow. Because the fact of the matter is, Joe, that these people weren't voting for the Obama/Biden ticket no matter what any way, so all of their demands for light treatment of Sarah 'What's the Supreme Court' Palin and her imbecile surrogates who claim that voter questions are 'gotcha' attempts should be blissfully ignored. It's time for Palin to be on the receiving end of a public humiliation and there's no one better qualified to give her one than Joe Biden. Hit one out the park, Slugger!

How To Survive In America's New Hoovervilles

2008-09-29T23:25:00.003-05:00

Hopefully this piece will not offend anyone's sensibilities, because the last thing I'd want to happen is to hurt one faction's feelings, and have no one heed the advice contained herein. Advice designed to help you through this crisis that's about to come crashing down around all of our heads.

There are several steps you and your family should be taking right this minute, (not tomorrow, not the next day, but today), to safeguard your very survival should the unthinkable happen and the markets collapse.

Before you listen to the naysayers who are running around claiming that the markets will correct themselves and no action by the Congress is necessary, bear in mind that as the credit for companies to keep goods and services moving dries up, the sky really is about to fall. Not only that, but for the better part of this past year, while many of us were screaming from the rafters that this very crisis was going to happen at this time this year, those very same naysayers called us tin foil hatters. So keep that in mind as you watch a brief respite from falling stocks today, because in the end, this orchestrated collapse of our economy is going to happen come hell or high water if we don't pay the ransom being demanded by the criminals on the Street.

Since the very first order of business is going to be food and shelter, we should first look to the professionals as to how to make your very own shanty shack. Ideally, you'll have been smart enough to gather camping gear, and if you did, you don't need to read any further. This is for those who find themselves suddenly homeless, and that's why we'll look at how the already homeless build their shacks and how they survive on a day to day basis.

Considering that there is safety in numbers, it's not advisable to go off into the woods or the desert by yourself. Should misfortune befall you, you'll be on your own, and that's never a good idea. So, the best idea would be to choose a site such as the lawns of state capitol buildings, the park across the street from the White House, or some other such publicly owned building.

When you first understand that you're going to have to take to the streets with your family, gathering essential items is your first order of business. Assuming you're going to be on foot due to the high price of gasoline, duffel bags and backpacks are the order of the day. A couple of tools you won't be able to do without are:

a small hand axe

a small hammer

a utility knife

a hunting knife

a handgun (just in case)

a high grade flashlight with extra batteries

a portable radio

one set of eating utensils for each family member

plastic or aluminum plates, bowls, and cups

sewing thread and needles

nylon rope

a hand shovel

lighters and matches

soap

a small first aid kit

deck of cards

pen and paper

And of course, you'll need blankets, coats, a change of clothes, and as much canned food as you can carry, as well as a can opener, a small frying pan, and a small pot.

Your shelter: If you can not gain access to large sheets of corrugated metal, don't fret, because you can still build a simple but effective little home. First, locate a tree or large rock and tether one end of a blanket to it by piling other rocks or tree limbs to that end. Or use a length of your rope. Stretch the blanket out carefully and anchor the other end to the ground, making sure that it slants upwards to allow rain to roll off of it. Next, take your shovel and dig a hole large enough under the blanket for you to rest comfortably in. Stretch another end of your blanket to where the mound of dirt you dug out is and tether that end under the mound with rocks and dirt. Finally, stretch the blanket over the other side and tether it the same way. You can now slide under the blanket and have some shelter from the elements. This foxhole shelter will suffice until you gather the wood and metal sidings you'll need later on to build your new home.

Food: Making sure to dig a fire pit and surrounding it with rocks, you can easily gather some wood and start a fire. Use kindling to get the fire going, then build it up slowly. Now, you can heat some of that canned food you were smart enough to take with you. Got Spam?

Bathrooms: If you're lucky enough to have chosen a park that has a public restroom, you're in better shape than most. You have toilets, a sink to wash yourself, your clothes, and your eating utensils. If not, then you're going to have to use the behind a tree method for toileting, and drag potable water around. That being such a pain in the ass, I recommend finding a park with a bathroom.

Socializing: It's only natural to be wary of your new neighbors and to try to keep to yourself at first. That's not going to happen, because as soon as you set up camp, the community is going to come over to check you out. They're going to want to see if you're an easy mark, and if you have things they might want to steal. At this point, it's ok, to let the handgun poke out from your waistband. Everyone will get the message and become immediately helpful and friendly. Now, you've got brand new friends and your nights won't be too boring because you can play poker or rummy. (Someone may have been ingenious enough to garner a bottle of moonshine!)

Panhandling: Hey, you've got to eat right? This is no time to be proud or shy. It doesn't matter that you used to be a Wall Street banker, that life is over now and you need money to buy food and beer. The first thing to do is to find a street corner that doesn't have a lot of army troops or regular police hanging around. Find a large piece of paper or cardboard and make a sign asking for help. Don't mention to anyone that stops that you used to work on Wall Street or you're dead meat. Say you were an auto worker or something if asked. To maximize profits, any time someone gives you any bills, put them in your pocket. This way, as people pass by, all they'll see is the change and be more willing to give you something. If they offer to buy you food, accept it, save it for later, and get back to work. If done correctly, you should be able to make enough for food and drink, and believe me, by now, you're going to be drinking.

Dealing with authorities: Say you're just walking along and you're stopped by some gung ho army guy or police officer. They ask you where you live because you look a little ragged. Give them your old address and say the water has been turned off or something along those lines. Do not look directly at them or you'll get tased. Do not smart talk them or you'll get tased. Do not disagree with them when they call you names or you'll get tased. And whatever you do, don't try to run, because not only will you get tased, but then you're getting some broken bones for sure.

As you settle into your new life, you'll begin to gain knowledge of how to survive on the streets and in the New Hoovervilles the Republican Party has so generously helped to provide for us. You'll learn the ins and outs of dumpster diving, and which restaurants pour lye on the food they throw away and which ones are sympathetic and leave good stuff. You'll learn how to shift from foot to foot as you wait in a four block long food bank or soup kitchen line. You'll learn how to forage for wood, metal sheets and nails to build a more permanent house in the shanty town. You'll learn what despair and hopelessness means, but try not to get too discouraged. Because if all else fails, you can shoot one of those big fat squirrels running around in the park. They say they make good eating.

There's many other things you need to know, but these basics should help you get started. Don't be afraid to ask questions of those who have been homeless for years, because they'll try to help you get situated. They too were like you when they became the first victims of capitalism run amok, and so, they know what you're going through. Hopefully this mini guide has helped prepare you for what's coming. If you haven't already begun to put together your survival kit, then do so now. Because if you think this entire article was just silliness, then go to the White House web site and read Presidential Directive NSPD-51 and HSPD-20. No one knows where this thing is headed, but if the actions of our government and Wall Street are any indication, we'll see each other in some park very soon indeed..........

My Ridiculous Bid To Become Premier Of The North American Union

2008-09-28T11:13:00.004-05:00

In order to justify the continued lunacy of the candidacy of John McCain, the talking points of the Republican Party, and Sarah Palin as the choice for Vice-President, I have had to suspend all the rules of reality and when I did so, I realized that I too could be the leader of something big.

Since the general consensus seems to be that we are moving towards an inevitable North American Union consisting of Mexico, Canada, and the United States, I thought I'd apply for the newly formed Premiership of this new nation, and as my running mate, I choose corporate icon Ronald McDonald.

Now, before you go running for the little white coat and tin foil hat, you have to admit that what I propose is no more ridiculous than say, giving taxpayer money to a bunch of bottomless pit pig corporations. (Just kidding Corporate America! But I need the little man's vote!)

You see, since I have traveled fairly extensively over the course of my lifetime, I know the subtle differences of how people think in different areas of the country. Knowing those differences will give me an exclusive insight as to how best bring all factions to the table and get things done. It's very difficult to get a Seattle liberal to sit at the table with an Alabama redneck, (Can I say redneck? Shoot. I don't care.), but with plenty of Starbucks and fried 'gator, I'm sure the differences will just magically melt away.

Especially when people from both coasts, as well as those in the Heartland, understand that we are all a part of a brand new country called The North American Union, and as such, we must include those from Mexico and Canada as those who call themselves Namericans.

Now, if you're worrying about what sort of experience I would bring to the table, look at where I live and you'll see a virtual buffet of things that I have knowledge about. Living in Nebraska, surrounded by miles and miles of corn gives me the experience of not only knowing how to shuck a cob faster than you can blink, but since we use a lot of that corn to make ethanol, I have a keen insight into the workings of the energy industry. Not only that, but since corn is used to feed cattle,chicken, pigs, and make corn syrup, (which is used in virtually everything nowadays), I also know how to keep the food supply of our newly formed nation safe, produce it in greater quantities, and put something in every pot. (Or is it the other way around? Hmm.)

Having traveled to both Canada and Mexico several times, I have foreign policy experience. Being stuck directly in the middle of the current United States, I can't see either about to be assimilated countries from my house, not even with a telescope, (I know because I tried), but I have successfully navigated a drive from San Diego to Tampico, ordered native Mexican dishes without speaking a word of Spanish, hit a pinata', eaten the worm at the bottom of the bottle, and have set Vancouver and Ottowa alight by hitting many of their well known watering holes.

I've even been to Anchorage, and so understand fully the need to keep Vladmir Putin from rearing his KGB head over our airspace, you know, when he comes to visit us and he goes to where? That's right. Alaska. I'll put my foot up his Russian backside and set the world afire if need be to keep capitalism safe for the even bigger corporate conglomerates sure to arise from this merger between nations. (Don't worry Corporate America. I'll build enough bomb shelters to keep the rich safe from the fallout.)

Unlike some other people who think they're so smart, I'll go to Spain and visit with what's his name. I know Spain is our ally, and am even willing to forget having to revolt against them because of their stupid tea party. Or was that some other country that had a tea party to revolt against a government that no longer represented them? I can't remember, but you get the general idea. I'm willing to at least talk to our potential adversaries like what I call 'The Three F's'. You know, France, Finland, and the Falklands. I won't give away the store, but I'm willing to make concessions to remain friends with these rogue state sponsors of terrorism.

Since I've solved the oil crisis by producing more ethanol, I figure we'd better turn our attention to the problem of water supplies. With global warming on the rise and droughts springing in the southern parts of our new Union, invading Greenland would appear to be our only viable option. Knowing that the leaders of that country are actively seeking to deny the world drinking water by purposefully melting all the ice in their country, we would be derelict in our role as world leader if we didn't stop that from happening. Plus, it would create jobs by starting an industry for bottled glacier water! So I can run the economy too!

To help offset the current trade imbalance with countries like China, I've come up with a plan to save on shipping costs. We're going to have all of the products we import from there shipped directly to the WEST coast. It's a lot shorter distance than having to all the way across Europe and the Atlantic, and any shipping costs across the country will be offset by the jobs created in the train and trucking industries.

One of the first acts of my new administration will be to send my Vice-Premier to spread the love that clowns have with their hamburglars all over the world. What Head of State could recent the combination of a funny little clown who makes them laugh while feeding them at the same time. You've got to admit, my friends, it's a brilliant strategy to reassure the world that the North American Union is their friend. (For now.)

My second act to jump start the economy would be to reverse the 800 billion Ameros shoveled by the bucket full to Wall Street, and give it away to all Namericans as a stimulus package. But this time, Namericans can not spend their rebate on porn site memberships like 30% of you did last time around. You may, however, spend it on actual DVD's that deal with whatever subject matter you like. See? We'll have lots of freedom.

Well, except that we will not tolerate protests against the government or the Corporate World. Anyone caught protesting either of those will be tasered on the spot, no questions asked. It's only reasonable after the Utopian leadership I'm going to give you. Other than that, the right can protest against the left and vice-versa. You can also protest against things beyond the government's control, like the sun rising in the east or something along those lines.

And if you are having reservations about my choice of running mate and what experience he has to be Vice-Premier, give it a rest. This guy has restaurants in almost every country in the world, for God's sake! How much more experience do you want in a national leader?

So that's it. That's my proposal to elect me Premier of the North American Union. I know that the issues I've addressed are going to take some time to absorb properly, so you've got one month to decide if my Mickey Mouse campaign has a shot at success. If you've got any other questions, you can always address them to my campaign spokesman, W.C. Fields. Now, all this thinking has worn me out, so I'm going to take a vacation (which I'll be doing a lot of during my reign as Premier) to Las Vegas, have a few Manhattans, throw a little dice and possibly even get some of that 'What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas' whatchamacallit. I'll expect to see you all at the polls come November, doing the right thing, being patriotic, and well, all the rest of that stuff.

Nebraska Must Not Change Child Safe Haven Law

2008-09-27T12:02:00.003-05:00

Ridiculed by most of the media in the nation after passing one of the most comprehensive and sweeping child safe haven laws ever, the State of Nebraska nevertheless went ahead and signed the legislation into law. Being the last state to sign this type of legislation intended to prevent child abuse before it started, Nebraska's law goes much further than most other states in that not only infants could be dropped off at so called 'safe haven' sites such as hospitals, but the wording also permits the safe drop offs of older children as well.

Since taking effect, 16 children of varying ages have been left at safe havens. In one case, a father of nine dropped all of his children off, and the media had a field day. But while reporting on the case of Gary Staton, the father who left his kids, aged one through seventeen, at Creighton Medical Center, they didn't tell the whole story. In an attempt to titillate the reader or viewer, they merely reported the fact that the children were left, and used the case to try to illustrate why the Nebraska law was backwards and needed to be change.

Mr. Staton is a single father to those nine children. He also has another daughter, who is 18 years old, and who, after the death of her mother, became the primary caretaker of the rest of her siblings. His wife of 17 years died last year, a woman for whom Gary would have gladly given his life for. Inconsolable, he fell into a deep depression, and stopped being able to take care of himself, let alone the children, who had to depend upon each other to survive. Gary ended up losing his job, and with the bills piling up, made the decision to take advantage of the new law by taking the children somewhere that he knew they would be safe.

Not the act of some irresponsible man as the media tried to portray him, Mr. Staton did what he did out of love and concern for the well being of those children, and it was only after all of the media attention that relatives stepped forward to heroically claim the kids. Where were they before the storm gathered and the crisis of mind became intolerable for Mr. Staton?

Other kids were being left at hospitals in Omaha and Lincoln, kids a little older than one would normally expect. With the media breathing down their necks, the politicians began to backpedal and some now speak of the need to change the wording of the law. But if changed to what others may deem to be 'acceptable' age limits for children to be safely left at these havens, what will happen to the older children who are in a very bad situation? The very nature of the law was to safeguard against abuse of children, and how will any change in the law accomplish that? Will we say that we will allow for the dropping off of children up to five years old, but not children who are five years and one week?

The argument that a lot of people are struggling and must be forced to raise their own children, with the mentality of 'pulling yourself up by your boot straps' are ridiculous, and must be ignored. Because despite the way the Staton story was presented to the public, those children were clearly in danger and it took courage to recognize that and bring them to others who could and would care for them properly. The same holds true for the other kids who have been left with hospital staff. Should we force parents who are either unable or unwilling to care for their young to keep them in an environment wherein they may be subjected to neglect and abuse? Where the core values of these kids might have been warped and twisted and we allow for the raising of more maladjusted young adults set loose upon an increasingly maladjusted society? Or would it not be better to allow these young ones to have a chance at a better life?

Any time a new law is passed, especially laws that allow for an escape hatch such as this law gives, there is going to be an initial rash of people who see a chance to get themselves out of a bad situation. This is normal, and will eventually subside as more parents are made aware of other options available to them. The course to take here is a public education campaign, not a changing of the law to appease those who could care less about the safety of potentially abused children, but only in headlines or catcalling from the sidelines. Politicians are never going to please everyone with every law they pass, but in the case of Nebraska's safe haven laws that allow for greater protections for children than any other state, they clearly got it right the first time. There is no need to revisit this law, and in fact, other states would do well to adopt it.

Because in the end, if a parent who is addicted to drugs or alcohol can have the cognizant thought that they are not doing the right thing for their children, and needs to get the child or children to safety has a place they can bring them without the draconian measures of arresting them for doing the right thing, they are twice as likely to do so before abusive behaviour begins. The same holds true for parents or guardians who are in the position of Mr. Staton, who clearly understood he was incapable of acting as a responsible parent, and out of love, let his children go. If Nebraska takes this hard fought for safety net for children away due to pressure from far right wingnuts and the media, then the State of Nebraska will be endangering the very children they wished to protect in the first place.

Maybe it's not the Nebraska law that needs to be changed, but the thinking of those who label what is intended to help children as 'abandonment' and 'shucking responsibility'. Maybe it's the mindset of those who can not imagine ever doing something like that themselves, that is, until a situation like that of Mr. Staton comes along. Maybe proponents of changing the law in Nebraska because it was intended to save kids who are in 'immediate danger' need to explicitly explain the parameters of 'immediate danger' for the rest of us. Because if leaving 9 children in the care of a depressed, overwhelmed, barely functional father is not leaving them smack dab in the middle of 'immediate danger', then we need to redefine the meaning of that phrase also. Maybe the real problem is that there aren't more laws geared towards the actual protection of children, and maybe you can force your state's legislature to adopt laws that will provide a safety net for parents BEFORE abuse starts and not after.

No. Changing Nebraska's safe haven law is not the answer. Giving it time to settle is. In this time of fiscal uncertainty, it serves to save resources in the form of less police manpower having to go on ride alongs with social workers to remove children from homes where the situation became so bad, that the children were being abused. It serves to free up those same social workers to be able to work on cases where parents don't take advantage of the law, and keep their little ones in harm's way. It serves to give unwanted kids a chance to have a happier childhood, which is then reflected in their ability to contribute to society, rather than become maladjusted criminal types who clog up our courts and cost taxpayers to house them through their adulthoods in prisons. In the words of Herbert Ward "Child abuse cast a shadow the length of a lifetime".

While this argument will probably never change the minds of those who are too short sighted to see farther down the road than the immediate future, it does hopefully give pause to the knee jerk reaction of those who are crying out the old "See, I told you so" anthem. Because while they chant that anthem over and over and try to force the State of Nebraska to tow the national child safe haven law line, I'm reminded of another anthem by Pink Floyd that goes "Hey! Teachers! Leave them kids alone...............................!"

To The Supreme Court Of The United States: re; Troy Davis

2008-09-23T10:41:00.003-05:00

To the honorable members of the Supreme Court of the United States,

As you are aware, Troy Anthony Davis will be executed tonight in the State of Georgia for the murder of police officer Mark Allen MacPhail in a Burger King parking lot back in 1989. The sole evidence used against him was the testimony of nine eyewitnesses, seven of whom have recanted their testimony, and in fact have pointed their finger at one of the other supposed witnesses, namely one 'Red' Cole.

The recantations of these witnesses came about due to police coercion of their original testimony, with threats of bodily harm or imprisonment for non co-operation. This travesty of good old boy justice must not be allowed to stand. While fully understanding the mentality of police when one of their own is killed, we must, however badly the desire for revenge, make fully sure that one is actually guilty before a person is put to death for that crime. Lynch mob mentality should hold no place in the meting out of justice, and lynch mob mentality is exactly what the State of Georgia is proposing and intends to carry out.

There are many cases that provide precedence for the Court to stay the execution of Troy Anthony Davis, or to order a new trial. Since the resumption of the death penalty in 1977, more than 100 people have been released from their sentence of death due solely to unreliable eyewitness testimony. In the Davis case, that is literally all of the evidence they have against him. Eyewitness testimony. That has been recanted by most witnesses, one of whom, Antoine Williams, could not even read when ordered by police to sign a statement implicating Davis. The true finger of guilt has in fact been pointed at one of the witnesses who testified against Davis, but this evidence has been ignored by the State of Georgia.

No murder weapon was ever found, again bolstering Davis' argument that he was not the killer. There is virtually no physical evidence linking Davis to the crime, again, other than the tainted testimony. This alone brings about more than enough criteria for reasonable doubt, and the Court should find that had many of these facts been known at trial, no conviction would have ever taken place. The Court should also consider the fact that one of the attorneys on Davis' legal team was drunk while in court, and therefore Davis did not receive competent legal counsel.

Justices of the Court, while considering the merits of granting a stay of execution, please consider that many proponents of the death penalty have called for a new trial for Troy Davis. Proponents that include former FBI Director William Sessions, who has said that executing Davis would be "intolerable." These death penalty supporters have, to a person, reviewed the case against Davis and called the case a "travesty of justice."

Consider also the actions of the officials and courts of the State of Georgia. In this, an election year, it would not benefit the Chatham County District Attorney's Office should it be found that their office had wrongly prosecuted an innocent man. Undue pressure has been placed upon the Georgia Board of Pardons and Parole to reverse their decision of last year staying the execution. The Attorney General of the State of Georgia has secluded himself and refused to accept lawful petition for redress from the People. These are not the actions of law enforcement officers with nothing to hide, and their actions should speak loudly enough by themselves to give the Court pause. The listed extenuating circumstances, and others not listed here, cry out for Your Honors to issue a writ of Habeus Corpus, a stay of the execution, and an order setting aside the guilty verdict of Troy Davis, with the date for a new trial, one in which Davis will be exonerated, set for as soon as possible.

In many cases, the death penalty is clearly warranted. Wanton killings can not go unpunished, murderers of children should never escape the long arm of the law, and cold, calculated snuffing out of human life should have no place in a civilized society. But what we have in the case of Troy Anthony Davis is a clear case of injustice, and to allow this execution to take place would be to make us all complicit in the murder of an innocent man. Allowing this execution to go forward would do little more than reinforce the lynch mob mentality that is permeating the air, and for the reasons stated, the Court should and must consider the relief asked for.

A Plea To MSNBC On Behalf Of Troy Davis

2008-09-22T10:01:00.002-05:00

Dear MSNBC, since Troy Davis is incarcerated in Georgia and sentenced to die Tuesday for a crime that he did not commit, he can not write to you himself. So I'm doing it for him.

Found guilty of the murder of a police officer more than 15 years ago on the testimony of nine witnesses, seven of those same witnesses have recanted their testimony, and in fact have pointed the finger of guilt towards one of the other two remaining witnesses. The seven have all said that they were coerced into giving false testimony by police at the time, with threats of bodily harm, or incarceration themselves.

And so, Troy Davis has been fighting this battle for his life all this time, pretty much out of the sight of the public. With the exceptions of Amnesty International, who has written an extensive report on his case, and the N.Y. Times, there has been almost no coverage whatsoever of the fact that the State of Georgia does not care hat Troy Davis is innocent. They're going to murder him any way. The school of thought is that he was convicted, it doesn't matter if there is overwhelming evidence of his innocence, and that since it's not Unconstitutional to execute an innocent man, they're going to proceed as scheduled. That is, unless they get a spotlight shone on them, which is what the Davis family desperately needs.

CNN tried to gain access to Mr. Davis, but was rebuffed by prison officials, and so they dropped the story. No profit in a story of an innocent man if you can't talk to him, I know. But just this one time, will MSNBC step up to the plate and make a few phone calls, or fly someone to Georgia to try to interview state lawmakers or someone before it's too late. We all know that when the mainstream media gets involved, the powers that be are a little more willing to take a step back.

No less than Pope Benedict, the European Union, and Bishop Desmond Tutu have tried to intervene on behalf of Troy Davis, but alas, we all know what good that will do. The U.S. and especially it's government, do not appreciate being told what to do by foreigners. But the one thing they fear more than anything in the world is bad publicity, and that's exactly what MSNBC has the power to give them.

So, on behalf of all of those who have been trying to shine a light on a tragedy about to happen, I humbly ask that you write this story up, get it on the air, demand accountability from Georgian officials, and help us to stop the execution of an innocent man. It used to be the train of thought that better for ten guilty men to go free rather than one innocent man be executed for a crime he didn't commit, but in these troubling times, the adage has turned on itself to mean that they would rather execute ten innocent men/women, rather than allow one guilty person to go free.

Hell, they rather just execute ten innocent people period, and if that's the country we have reduced ourselves to, can the complete collapse of our society be far behind. Help us, MSNBC, to help Troy Davis. Just once, put profit to the side, and do the right thing. You'll forever be remembered as the network that went out on a limb to stop an innocent man from being killed. The network that hears the voices of it's listeners, mainly us, and took action when everyone else was afraid to.

Because if this case does not get immediate publicity, they will kill Troy Davis, period. Innocence doesn't matter to these people. A cop was killed, and so they are sure as shoot going to kill someone back, even if that someone is an innocent man. Ain't that America, it's something to see baby....................................

The Strangest And Weirdest Things

2008-09-20T12:58:00.003-05:00

Needing a break from bashing the very strange campaign for President of Sarah Palin (and John McCain of course), I thought I'd try to make a few people laugh with some of the even stranger goings on that have happened around the country recently. Believing that it would take forever to compile a list of truly magnificent idiocy, I was surprised at just how many truly weird people and events happen nearly every day. Only in America.

First, there's the case of the Piggy Bank Burglar of Wilson, Wisconsin. Apparently desperate for some spare change, he broke into a home and emptied twenty dollars in change from the piggy bank of a sleeping two year old girl. Busted by the mother of the child, he ran off, only to get caught by DNA evidence he left behind in the form of blood after he cut himself on a window screen gaining entry to the house. Sentenced to six years in prison due to a lengthy criminal record, America's piggy banks are safe for at least the next few years. Too bad we can't say the same about our Treasury.

Knoxville police received an hilarious 911 call from a would be museum burglar who jammed himself into the ventilation shaft attempting to get into the museum. When rescue personnel extracted the witless wonder, he told police that he wasn't trying to steal anything, he was actually on a mission to defuse a bomb that had been placed inside the museum.

I think God may have frowned down upon the wheelchair bound man who, along with his brother in law, were on their way to church in Cedar City, Utah. An argument broke out between the men on the way to worship, and the man in the wheelchair just lost it. He pulled a ball point pen from his pocket and proceeded to stab his brother in law in the face. While he was driving.

A free living 40 year old man in Tallahassee, Florida got the shock of his life when he discovered that police don't appreciate residents walking their dog in the nude. When approached by officers, the man reportedly said that Allah had told him to watch a Bruce Willis movie and then walk his dog naked. faster than you can say "Don't tase me bro", the naked man was zapped and is now resting quietly at the local mental health facility.

Maybe there's something in the water down in Florida, but a woman with her three kids in the car with her suddenly turned to her children and asked them if they thought they had enough faith to keep an approaching bicycle rider from being run over. When the children didn't answer, the woman ran the poor bicyclist down. She then stopped her SUV, stripped off all her clothes, ran around the crime scene ranting and raving, stole another car that had stopped to help, and promptly drove the car into a ditch. Police say she appeared to be under the influence of some type of drug. Good deduction Sherlock.

In what can only be described as the beginning of the second civil war, the town of Fraiser, Colorado is suing International Falls, Minnesota over which city should be called 'America's Icebox'. An earlier lawsuit resulted in the town of International Falls paying Fraiser the sum of $2,000 in order to trademark the name. When the trademark renewal time came and passed, Fraiser sued again. International Falls claims they will never back down this time, with residents saying that it's bad enough they have to live in the frozen God forsaken place and that the least they can get out of it is a recognizable trademarked name. (Just give Fraiser the extortion money already!)

In the University of Texas' Jester Hall (Really! That's the name!), 26 teen aged cheerleaders had to be extracted from an elevator that broke down. Taking 25 minutes to get the doors open, one fainted and two others had to be treated for shock at the scene. Apparently cheerleaders in Texas can not read the elevator signs that warn in big red letters " No More Than 15 People May Enter This Elevator At A Time".

In little Valentine, Nebraska, one man is attempting to make the town live up to it's name. Spreading Vaseline or baby oil on his bare buttocks and groin area, the sneaky streaker presses his well oiled parts against storefront and church windows in order to, ahh, leave his mark so to say. Obviously not a total nut case, the man stops his activities during the winter months, but is right back at it as soon as the weather warms up. (Are you telling me that in a town the size of Valentine, no one notices some greased up naked guy running around at night?)

A Correyville Ohio woman has been charged with aggravated assault for trying to force a peanut into the mouth of a neighbor she was having a dispute with. Before trying to force the peanut into the other woman's mouth, she allegedly threw a handful of peanuts at her neighbor who claims to be allergic to the nuts. ( Police Officer Skippy was over in a jiffy, explaining that the woman's husband, Mr. Planters, was having an affair with the neighbor, Mrs. Nutella. Both are said to belong to a group trying to draft Jimmy Carter for President.)

In Seattle, a man will be spending the next 12 years asking himself what he was thinking when he lured his blindfolded wife into their garage, telling her he had turned it into a haunted house. Once inside, she allowed her husband to handcuff her, thinking it to be a part of the charade, then walked up the steps of a ladder. Hubby then took a prepared noose and slipped it around wifey's neck and pushed. After she lost consciousness, he released her, feeling remorse he claims, and begged her not to call the cops. He told her that after a year and a half of marriage, he felt trapped, and figured this idea was better than a divorce. Not buying it, the woman called police, but my question would be: Woman, have YOU been to see a shrink?

And finally we turn our attention back to the economy. President Bush's recent 'stimulus' package of rebate checks had a very unusual consequence. So many people spent their rebate checks on pornographic web site memberships that the Adult Internet Market Research Company says they saw an immediate 20-30% increase of adult pay site membership increases right after the stimulus checks went out. I guess many curiosity seekers don't realize there are about 10 million free porn sites on the web.

So that's the state of America today. People literally losing their minds, some having fun at the expense of others, and others just, well, I don't know what the hell they're doing, but I imagine they must derive some sort of pleasure from it. As for me, I have to go now. I just saw an article about having sex with a squid, and I'm, um, er, going to do some research, yeah, that's it, research on the subject and get back to you. Have fun today.

Mr. Bush, Can You Explain A Few Things?

2008-09-19T11:37:00.006-05:00

Watching three of the five largest investment banks in America either collapse or be bailed out to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars, it crossed my mind today that this very same White House has time and time again slashed the piddly little budgets for the most vulnerable Americans of all. Namely the poor, the elderly, the disabled, the veteran, and the homeless.

Mr. Bush, can you explain to the nation why it seems to us Lilliputians that you have once again bent us over and fornicated us, and that when you were done, you allowed your Wall Street crime partners to use us all also? How could it be that when people were screaming from the roof tops that this was going to occur more than a year ago, we were labeled tin foil hatters? Could it be that during that year of further short selling of stocks, your cronies were able to rape the economy and make off with untold wealth? Is that why the Wall Street Journal was not worried in the slightest? because this was the plan all along? You know, to steal as much money as possible on your administration's way out the door, calling it a saving of the economy, when in reality it is little more than a strong arm robbery occurring right in front of everyone's faces?

Mr. Bush, can you please explain to our veterans that you sent off to fight in a false war why it is that you have consistently slashed funding for their health care, housing for their families while they were stationed overseas, and why you even managed to get your Pentagon lap dogs to declare that veterans benefits were "hurtful to our national security"? Why in Feb. of 2008, there wasn't enough money for the V.A., with you slashing the budget for the agency once again?

Mr. Bush, can you explain to us what would have happened to Social Security accounts had you gotten your way and privatized yet another social safety net program? Isn't it true that the entire program would be in complete collapse, with almost half of Social Security recipients losing virtually all of their benefits? Why in the world, do you think, that your successor, John McCain, is still advocating for the privatization of the only source of income for millions upon millions of our seniors?

Mr. Bush, how can it be possible that it's alright to allow the Federal Reserve Bank to print up money made up of thin air to bail out your friends, but yet again this year you cut the budget for education grants? What is backing up this miracle money, or haven't you figured out yet that this 'bailout' is going to cause inflation on a scale that will destroy many more American households?

Mr. Bush, why did you put forth yet another budget this year that slashed funding for housing programs, Americans with HIV, Medicaid, the Center For Disease Control, homeless shelters, food banks, child care assistance for single working parents, and yet there seemed to be a ton of money for corporate welfare programs that weren't cut at all, but actually had their share of the tax burden cut again?

Mr. Bush, can you explain to the residents of Nashville why they must endure the indignity of a virtual tent city near the outskirts of town? Or why this many years after the horror of hurricane Katrina, people are living in a tent city under a highway overpass? For that matter, explain to the people of Southern California why in Ontario there is a massive shanty town that consists of almost 1,000 people who have lost their homes, and why there are children being allowed to live in squalor and despair. Seattle may not have a tent city per se, but they sure have their own shanty town in the form of a 'car camp' for those fortunate enough to have been able to retain their vehicles during their own personal financial melt down. As a matter of fact, the Ballard area of the city is seeking out ways to build more camps due to the unusually high amounts of people needing a place to park their car to sleep at night.

Mr. Bush, do you have any words of comfort for the people of Oregon's Dignity Village, another Hooverville made up of a patchwork of tents and trailers? Is there a bail out in the works for them, or will you once more turn a blind eye to the suffering of your countrymen, even as you give away our nation's treasure to corporations once more?

Mr. Bush, as the victims of yet another hellish hurricane recoil at finding out their homes are completely gone, that they have lost everything they have ever worked for, and now live in temporary shelters with no plan in place to get them permanent housing, what is your economic stimulus plan to help them put their lives back together?

Mr. Bush, why is the silence so deafening when the subject of those who have lost their homes comes up, and why can't you find the money to help the newly homeless get themselves and their children off of the streets? Is it that you want to be known as the worst President in the history of our nation? The President who made Herbert Hoover the model for how he ran our country? A President so detached from the suffering of every day Americans, that he can cynically give a trillion more dollars to corporate interests that are not even American companies any more, (they're multi-nationals), but who will not turn to the nation and say that you are going to help the homeless, the poor , the sick, and the veterans of America as much as you've helped fatten the coffers of your corporate friends?

And knowing all of this Mr. Bush, how is it that you can expect reasonable people to vote into office your protege', John McCain, who is in a large way directly responsible for allowing this financial collapse to occur? Who even now lies about his position on the Commerce Committee, avoids any discussion of his role in the collapse of the Savings and Loan banks during the Keating 5 scandal he was embroiled in, and who can't remember that Spain is an ally of the U.S.?

Lastly Mr. Bush, you should remember this as you sit in your church pew and act as though you are a pious and devoted man of God. You should remember that you were supposed to help the poor, the weak, the sick, and the elderly, and that you did NONE of them. You gave the entire store away, you have turned the U.S. into a banana republic, and you have crushed the hopes and dreams of millions upon millions of Americans. May you rot in hell sir...................

There's A Break In The Heartland

2008-09-18T11:27:00.002-05:00

With the economy in shambles, with the candidates for President jousting over who is to blame, with Americans from all walks of life worrying about spiraling prices of food and gasoline, and with the U.S. infrastructure in the Midwest literally crumbling before our very eyes, the once assured red states in America's Heartland are slowly but surely creeping ever closer to going blue come November.

In Nebraska, a state that is continuously placed squarely in the McCain column by television political pundits, Republican lawmakers are in open revolt over the pick of Sarah Palin for Vice President. Senator Chuck Hagel has denounced the choice, saying that John McCain and Republican operatives who claim that Palin is qualified to be Vice President are 'stretching'.

The significance of that statement to Nebraskans should not be underestimated. For one thing, Nebraska is not an all or nothing state as many pundits seem to make it appear. The state's electoral votes are split into three districts, with the area comprised of Omaha proper having one electoral vote, Lincoln and surrounding counties have two, and points west of Grand Rapids holding two votes. Omaha and Lincoln are already in the bag for Obama, giving him 3 electoral votes right off the bat, and the rest of the state west of Lincoln has a much different demographic than it did even in 2004. There are many Hispanic voters in that area now, making the once 'safe' red state of Nebraska up for grabs. And finally, surrounding states look towards Nebraska to see what they're going to do, then mostly follow suit.

In Kansas, another red state stronghold, Democratic Governor Kathleen Sebelius has been campaigning hard for the Obama campaign, pointing out that Obama's mother was born in that state and the changing demographics there can most certainly put that state into play. Kansas City, Kansas. Wichita, Manhattan, Lawrence, Topeka, all have larger Democratic constituencies than in 2004.

In Missouri, a state that pundits keep punting around like a football, voters in Kansas City, Missouri are overwhelmingly Obama supporters. St. Louis, Springfield and many smaller cities along the I-44 and I-70 corridor are falling into the Obama column, which would make Missouri much more likely to vote Democratic.

In Ohio, once the purging of voters is complete and the attempt to steal that state again is thwarted due to overwhelming vigilance on the part of voting rights groups, at the end of the day, there will still be many more Obama supporters than McCain/Palin ones, and pundits may want to get on this bandwagon now, and just place Ohio in the blue column.

Interestingly, even though Montana has Democratic Senators, a Democratic Governor, and the populace has been consistently leaning towards Democratic ideals, the pundits keep claiming the state for the McCain campaign. But if one gets down to the local level, areas such as Missoula, Billings, Butte, and Helena, the areas with the greatest concentration of people, are all going for Obama. Hence, Montana goes into the Obama column.

Colorado. Does anyone truly believe that there is some sort of 'race' for this state? Maybe in times past, but with high levels of registered Democrats in Denver, Colorado Springs and much of the I-25 corridor, this one should be an easy call for even the most jaded of talking heads.

New Mexico is a toss up state? Very funny. In what universe?

Minnesota is most certainly going to vote Democratic, as well as Wisconsin and hard hit Michigan. All this talk of hard fought battles is just that, talk. Political pundits use 'polls' and don't actually research local newspapers to read the comment sections and the editorials that are all in favor of Barak Obama.

This break from the Republican Party by the people of America's Heartland is going to be the final straw for the McCain campaign and they know it. Toss up states? Pennsylvania, and that's only barely. North Dakota, another state already given away to McCain is actually a toss up state. New Mexico, still a toss up, will eventually fall into the Obama column, as will Nevada. The truth is, even states such as South Dakota are in play, and Democrats should react aqccordingly.

So what does all of this mean? It means that all of the arguing, all of the political punditry, and all of the lies of the Republican Party are for naught. This election is already over, the final nail in the right wing coffin being the collapse of the economy that they completely deregulated, while allowing for bridges, roads, waterways, and all manner of infrastructure to fall apart when they held sway in the Congress for twelve years. All of the bluster, all of the finger pointing at the Democrats, and all of the bald faced lies of the Republicans do not change the fact that every domestic spending program put forth by the Democrats was blocked by them, every warning about Wall Street firms was ignored by them, the surge did not work, with the Sunnis ready to rejoin Al-Quaida, and everything that is wrong with this country is the Republican's fault, and the American people know it.

Ican't see Russia from where my house is, but I can see the Heartland of America. I'm no political pundit, but I can and do read editorials from newspapers all over the country. It's a hobby. Come November 4th, the Republican Party and the political pundits are in for a shock. In what is shaping up to be the largest landslide in American history, the Republican lie machine is being laughed at. And when the Heartland red states are running for the door and waving Obama banners, the time of the neo-cons is finally over. Not a moment too soon.

U.S. Media Must Stop Pandering To McCain Campaign

2008-09-17T12:45:00.003-05:00

On all of the major news networks, for at least the recent past, has covered the campaign of John McCain almost exclusively, as though Barak Obama had decided to end his own campaign.

Every single day, CNN has spent all of it's time speaking exclusively to McCain campaign spokes people, openly pandering to them in ways that make knowledgeable viewers blush. Allowing all of the Republican talking points and wild accusations to go unchallenged, they mention the Obama campaign briefly as an after thought. Between Blitzer and Dobbs, they should just allow Rupert Murdoch to run their station. The only saving grace for CNN is Campbell Brown.

Speaking of Fox News, if it can be called a news channel, all one is allowed to see there is the John McCain Show. Viewers are treated to the vitriol of Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly, two of the biggest liars ever allowed to call themselves mainstream media personalities. The entire network is a veritable den of snakes, an illegal extension of the Republican Party, and whose fair and balanced logo could be easily seen as a school yard bully beating up smaller children.

Even MSNBC has begun pandering to the McCain campaign recently. All day long, we are treated to a virtual who's who of Republican liars, who are allowed to spew their propaganda unchallenged, and which is then what the casual viewer believes. Scarborough and Matthews are clearly biased in favor of Mccain, although to be fair, Scarborough would be biased for Richard Nixon were he to come back from the dead. It's only when night time falls that the Obama campaign gets any balanced coverage, ie; Countdown and The Rachel Maddow Show.

The myth of media bias towards the Obama campaign is just that, a myth. Between Rush Limbaugh's three hour tirade, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, Laura Ingraham, and all of the other right wing talk show and talk radio hosts, there's at least a five to one ratio of talking points favorable to the McCain campaign. The most recent example would be the fact that whenever McCain or Palin give a speech, it's covered from beginning to end most of the time. Obama gets about five minutes into a speech and the network cuts away to talk to a Republican propogandist.

Even the so called mainstream coverage has become so biased that it's almost impossible not to notice. Make believe 'political analysts' on all of the major networks have all thrown out the subtle 'Obama doesn't have much experience' lie, and allowed the thought to be reinforced by Republican operatives time and time again. Bill Schneider for instance has repeatedly thrown the question out there asking whether Obama's four years in the U.S. Senate was enough experience for him to be President, as well as questioning whether voters could overcome his being black.

T.J. Holmes did the exact same thing when he said that Americans were going to have a hard time voting for someone with virtually no foreign policy experience, and the sentiment has been picked up and repeated like a mantra by every single U.S. media outlet over and over again.

By contrast, John McCain has enjoyed nothing but high praise from all of the media outlets for what NBC's Brian Williams said was McCain's “vast foreign policy expertise and credibility on national security.” The sentiment was echoed in Newsweek, when they claimed that no one could question John McCain's foreign policy credentials. But yet, even after McCain showed his ineptness in just that very same arena of foreign policy, by his not knowing which countries bordered which, he was given a pass by the media. Or when McCain claimed that Shiite Iran was backing the Sunnis in Iraq, the media covered it as though it were some sort of small gaffe instead of the clear indication that Mccain had no idea of what he was talking about. Even Joe Lieberman had to correct him in one instance.

Or we can look at the media's extensive coverage of the non story about Barak Obama's connection to Tony Rezco. Practically called a criminal by the mainstream media until Obama could prove his innocence, Republicans to this day use Rezco as a talking point and the media never calls them on it. The flip side of that coin is so obvious, and with the economy collapsing all around us, the media has become so remiss in it's duty that it could be called criminal. They refuse to bring up John McCain's involvement in the collapse of Lincoln Savings and Loan, or the corruption that was involved and of which John McCain was a key player in, namely the infamous Keating 5 scandal. It's almost as though it never happened.

Bill Ayers of the 1960's Weather Underground was vaguely acquainted with Obama in Chicago and the press trumpeted the right wing propaganda line that Obama had ties to terrorists. Once again, it took ridicule of the entire situation for the story to die down, but yet, that very same media makes absolutely no mention of McCain's proud announcement that terrorist and criminal Oliver North of the Iran-Contra scandal had endorsed him for President. North killed more civilians than any Weather Underground could have ever dreamed of.

No mention is made of the association of John McCain with G. Gordon Liddy. McCain beamed as Liddy endorsed him, even though Liddy was a key player in the Watergate scandal and has called for his listeners to kill federal agents on his talk radio show.

When Obama opted out of public campaign financing, the media condemned him as one voice. But when McCain broke the law and a legally binding promise to accept public financing for his campaign, he was given another pass by the fourth estate. It's become almost a joke that the press allows John McCain's campaign to use his P.O.W. days as his credentials to run the country. As though he were the Vietnam War's ONLY prisoner of war.

It boils down to this and the U.S. media had better start paying attention. John McCain stands for the total destruction of the United States of America, and his sidekick is a far right wing nut job, who would love nothing more than to have a shot at starting a war with Russia to usher in the Rapture. The Fourth Estate has to stop pandering to this campaign, period. Stop allowing them to spew lies on national television.

The McCain campaign throws out an accusation of media bias, declares a no interview policy, and the networks fall all over each other to get back into favor with a campaign they should just ignore. Because when the Iraq war began, every single major network anchor and reporter sat in front of Americans and said that even though they try to be unbiased in their reporting, they wanted America to win of course. This is the same exact situation. This is a war for the survival of our nation, and by favoring McCain and the Republican Party, they are drawing voters to his side. When they allow the likes of Sarah Palin to hijack the news cycles for more than a week, they harm the electoral process. When they allow the Republicans to repeat lie after lie after lie every day, even when it's known they are lying, the media is complicit in perpetuating those lies. It is time for the media in our country to recognize that our survival is at stake and act like patriotic Americans, and help the rest of us save our country, end of story.

The Greatest Show On Earth

2008-09-15T11:16:00.002-05:00

Barnum and Bailey could never have conceived a greater or more entertaining venue in all of their years of traveling circus days. With their high flying trapeze artists and animal acts, the stuff of legends was born through their vision of how dazzling the masses should look.

But never in a million years would they have ever thought that they could be upstaged by the American Idol mentality that has taken over the political arena, most notably the current race for the Oval Office.

We've got a dancer vs. a sleight of hand artist. A beauty queen vs. a one liner comedy act. We've enjoyed singers of songs and actors of outrage on both sides of the side splitting soap opera that has so captivated a nation that they have no idea of what they are voting for or voting against any more.

In the still most powerful country to ever grace the world stage, there are hucksters of distraction everywhere, dazzling us with tales found to be untrue, but told again any way in the exact same fashion, as though no one had caught them lying in the first place. Like a three card monte game, the stories are moved swiftly through the media, spinning round and round, nuanced by talking heads into important issues, when in reality, the talking points have nothing to do with the ability to run our country.

There used to be a time in America when if a politician who was running for higher office was caught bald faced lying to the people, they'd be hounded so badly by the press, and humiliated publicly to the point that they'd be forced to drop out of the race, and hide their head in the sand until the storm of controversy had blown over. Not so any more. Now, the politicos hold the press in their pockets. They wine them and dine them, and invite them to exclusive parties. rubbing shoulders and glad handing celebrities, the media becomes light headed with giddiness.

Having made 'friends' with certain candidates, it then becomes difficult to be objective and dig deep for the truth, even when they know for a fact that what they are putting forth as the truth is nothing but more lies spewing forth from the candidates' mouths. Complicit in the carnival atmosphere, the clowns whirl and do somersaults for the politicians who are best placed to further a media career.

Faltering economy on the verge of complete collapse? Hey! look over here! Watch the candidate eat pie with the locals! Dead soldiers arriving from war zones they claim to be placated? No problem! Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat! Homelessness growing, poverty at an all time high? Well, Geez, that's terrible, but watch the beauty queen strut across the stage to the cheers of adoring fans that have no idea that she hates everything you stand for! Rising unemployment and food prices spiralling out of control? Don't you worry because Tada! We just cut taxes for the richest 1% of the country again! Follow the flashing lights and pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. That rabbit hole is off limits to the public.

Does this sound sarcastic and angry? Good. It's meant to sound that way. Americans are so unplugged as to what is really going on, and the powers that be are utterly dependent on an uninformed populace to get away with their dog and pony show politics. They present us with a shiny little ball on a chain, swinging it back and forth, back and forth, until everyone is asleep and lulled into a false sense of security. The man behind the curtain? Oh. Well, that's, er, that's just the shadow of the moon you're seeing, pay no attention. When in reality, it's that shadow that has caused us to forget exactly what we are supposed to be thinking about this election season.

We're supposed to be looking to see who will bring change to the failed and destructive policies of the past decade. We should be looking at the current White House and the squatters who still reside there and thinking about the loss of civil liberties, the lies, the wars, the poverty and the death caused by those people. And about who in this race wishes to go even further than Bush and Cheney's maniacal plans. Who will stop the madness, and get things back under control, and who is actually partly responsible for the current crisis with his voting along with Bush almost all of the time. Who has as his advisers, the exact same people who advised the current regime. Or who can and will usher in an era of change, responsibility, and prosperity for all.

That's the choice we truly have to make and make it right now. Do we want to talk about what the real issues that are facing us are all about? Or do we want to watch the greatest show on earth continue, one that is a bridge to nowhere, and will lead us full circle four years from now, in a worse situation than before, involved in God knows how many more wars, with a completely shut off from the public government, and more jobs shipped overseas? It is incumbent upon every patriot in America to stand up and demand answers to our questions. To not allow candidates to refuse to speak to the People's questions, or if they do, to reject them out right.

Because we are not running an American Idol show here. We are voting for the office of the President of the United States, and for those who would rather watch the circus act, and end up with another administration that rapes your wallets and pocketbooks, you'll have only yourself to blame. The rest of us have to get on every message board, every media site, every chat room and social networking place and get the message across. The message is very simple and goes something like this: They are at it again. They are lying and distorting facts to steal another election, and have hypnotized you, so wake up, get back in the game, or get left behind.

Now, bring the clowns back out. I could use a good laugh............................

Was Russian/Georgian War McCain's Doing?

2008-09-13T09:56:00.003-05:00

If this were a trial, and John McCain and his advisers, including Randy Scheunemann, the McCain campaign guru who is the founder of Orion Strategies, the lobbying firm for the country of Georgia were the defendants of that trial, for criminal conspiracy,there would be enough circumstantial evidence to convict them.

No one wants to talk about it. Certainly not the government in power at the moment, because McCain represents their last best hope for the continuation of the failed policies of the past eight years. Not the media, because the gutless wonders of the MSM don't even have the guts to say the word liar in the same sentence as McCain or his lying little barker Sarah Palin. So we'll have to examine some very interesting tidbits that happened before, during and after the events that ended up with thousands of people dead and wounded, and around 100,000 people left homeless.

It has been widely reported in the media (because they were told so by the McCain campaign), that Scheunemann stopped lobbying for the country of Georgia in March, 2008. But records show that Scheunemann was still working for Orion as late as the end of May, 2008. Having received close to a million dollars for his work on behalf of the government of Georgia, he was also listed as an agent of a foreign government. Scheunemann has been around the U.S. political scene for a long time now. Having worked as an adviser to Bob Dole during his Presidential run, then advising Republican Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott before going to work for the Mercury Group, the 'change' campaign running now doesn't really like to talk about the fact that in 2000, Scheunemann worked on John McCain's failed campaign.

After that debacle, he went back to lobbying, ending up with a seat at the Project For A New American Century, or PNAC. McCain also doesn't want you to know that 9 days after 9/11, it was Scheunemann and the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq formed by Scheunemann that lobbied President Bush for an invasion of Iraq.

Working closely with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, Scheunemann lobbied Congress and the Bush administration to further the Georgian desire to become part of both NATO and the European Union. The Senator he worked most closely with was none other than John McCain. During the time that Scheunemann worked for the country of Georgia, ethnic cleansing was taking place, instigated by the government in Tbilisi, who started the national rallying cry of "Georgia For Georgians Only!" Ossetians were pushed into the enclave provinces of North and South Ossetia and basically told they were less than citizens of the country of Georgia. During the entire time of the Bush administration's courting og Georgia and John McCain's sudden concern for the status of Georgia in the E.U. and NATO, persecution of non Georgians became the norm.

2008. The two provinces of Ossetia and Abkhazia have become so hostile to the central government in Tblisi that they claim status of independence, with Russia allowing the free flow of people and goods from the provinces in and out of Russia. Going so far as to issue passports for the residents of the breakaway provinces, the Russians let it be known in no uncertain terms of the consequences of an attempted invasion by the Georgian government of Mikheil Saakashvili. Also warned by the United States State Department and Secretary Rice herself not to provoke the Russians, the situation seemed to be settled for the foreseeable future.

But yet, against all reason and common sense, Georgia invaded Ossetia on August 8th, killing 2,000 civilians by estimates from humanitarian groups. Saying they were merely trying to reclaim territory owned by Georgia, the ethnic cleansing began anew. With shocking speed and ferocity, Russian forces came to the defense of the Ossetian people, moving with breakneck speed to demolish the puny military forces of Georgia, and retaking all of Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Even as the Russian and some European media were reporting on the genocide being committed by the Georgians during their invasion, John McCain swiftly moved to the international spotlight in backing the Georgian actions and condemning Russia. In direct contradiction of the stated policy of the current administration, McCain, needing to gather his right wing base, began his very own foreign policy, issuing dire warnings to the Russians. The resulting flip flop by the Bush administration was stunning in and of itself, but in an election year, with McCain as their Party candidate, they had no choice but to go along. Stepped up missile shield deployment to Poland, and bellicose statements by administration officials have caused the neo-cons wettest dream to come true. A restarting of the Cold War.

With Scheunemann being in constant contact with Georgian President Saakashvili, he arranged a telephone conference with John McCain on April 17th, 2008. At that time Scheunemann was still a paid lobbyist for the Georgian government and a McCain campaign adviser. The conversation between the men is not known, nor would anyone expect McCain to admit it, but it seems to be fairly clear that a green light was given for an invasion, due to the Georgian military's preparations immediately after. Given McCain's constant contact with the Office of the Vice-President before the Georgians invaded, one can assume that Darth Cheney must have given McCain the green light also. Those pipelines transporting oil are much too lucrative to Cheney's Halliburton.

It would not be unprecedented in American politics for a Presidential candidate to author overseas events to suit their needs of the moment. Ronald Reagan convinced the Iranians to hold on to the hostages until after the election by promising them arms. Dwight Eisenhower, in order to placate Joe McCarthy and the far right wing, convinced the Hungarian people to revolt, insinuating that the United States was ready to come to their aid. When the uprising and brutal repression came, the U.S. sat idly by. And now, by John McCAin's own admission, he had other candid conversations with the Georgian President who after the Russians expelled them from Ossetia, made clear his displeasure with John McCain after McCain's bellicose speech, saying he expected action, not words.

That's almost as good as telling the world that for all of the money his government had paid to the lobbyist Scheunemann, and for all of the cash he will rake in from Orion after the election, Saakashvili had expected a military response by the United States after the Russians moved in, and was a little bit angry that he had been taken to the cleaners. That he had done his part to help McCain with the far right of the Republican Party, and now McCain wasn't holding up his end of the bargain. Perhaps the Georgian President was given the impression that a U.S. Senator had the authority to go to war.

We are now in a posture of anger and cold shoulder with the Russians. Our relations have come to a halt, and there are bombers in the air at all times on both sides. Because of this, John McCain has a lot of explaining to do about all of those phone calls to the Georgian president. What did he assure them of? Don't even try to say he was talking about the weather. What was paid lobbyist Scheunemann's role in the entire affair?

And since we know we are not going to get answers to these questions, we had better start thinking about the implications of having all of Bush's people back in the government come January, with McCain as the titular head. The Cold Warriors of the Nixon years that have stuck around just behind the curtain all these years have achieved their goal of destroying Reagan's glasnost and pushed the U.S. into a Cold War posture once more. Do we really wish to have the sneaky back room deals about war and peace to make a comeback in American politics? Do we want a pliable President in the form of an elder statesman who may not make it through one term, only to leave the country in the hands of a political neophyte? One who has already stated that she would start a shooting war with Russia? And do we want in office someone who would use a foreign government's desire to retake parts of their country and turn it into a blood bath for his own political gain?

Some will say that this never happened. But ask yourself about how many positions that John McCain has completely reversed himself on in order to pander to one segment of society. How he lies and distorts the truth about virtually everything, and then come back and read this again. Hopefully it will open your eyes to a larger picture of who this candidate is, who his best buddies are, and what could conceivably happen were he to assume the Oval Office. Forget the lipstick, the bridge to nowhere, and the troopergate story. What we should and must understand is that despite the mantel of maverick and agent of change, John McCain has shown us who he truly is, and that's an agent provocateur.

The Bush Administration-Year One

2008-09-11T11:52:00.002-05:00

Americans knew they were in for a long road back in January of 2001. Having just been through a grueling election that ended with the Supreme Court packed with friends of his father appointing him to be President of the United States, George Bush's official motorcade was forced to speed to the inauguration through throngs of angry, egg throwing protesters. Protesters that the U.S. media never showed us, and made seem as though all had gone well as George W. Bush was sworn into office.

The inaugural speech was riddled with references to God, angels leading the nation and how we, as Americans, were responsible to care for the poor. He said "Many in our country do not know the pain of poverty, but we can listen to those who do. I can pledge our nation to a goal. When we see that wounded traveler on the road to Jericho, we will not pass to the other side."

Alas, although making for good sound bites during that speech and his State of the Union address the following week, Bush set to work right from the outset to do all he could to screw the poor, and then set his sights on the middle class. Slashing budgets for social safety net programs almost with the lazze faire of a butcher chopping meat in his shop, the Bush Doctrine of giveaways to his rich friends and corporations was underway. Quietly signing legislation passed by the Republican controlled Congress to privatize Medicaid, the program designed to provide the poor with medical coverage, the Republicans, with Bush leading the charge, managed to make it impossible for the poor to go to their doctors, while at the same time adding more middlemen in the form of insurance companies now being in charge of all decision making for the program itself.

Wielding that pen while the media, being exhausted from having to cover the stolen election, decided to take some time off and not report on the programs the Bushies were tearing apart, nor the corporate welfare increases going into effect, tired Bush himself out so much that vacations became the norm. He vacationed 54 days before August of 2001, when USA Today questioned whether or not his next vacation, a month long jaunt to Crawford, Texas was a wise decision.

And vacation the President did. On August 6th, 2001, Bush received the Presidential Daily Briefing report entitled "Bin Laden determined to strike inside U.S.". The report was the result of a crescendo of reports from intelligence sources all over the world. Sources from Israel, who arguably has the very best apparatus for garnering intelligence in the entire world, the Russians, the Syrians, and the European intelligence community. Despite the fact that the PDB was the end result of blaring warnings being issued from all over the world since may of 2001, the Bush administration saw fit to ignore them all and continued to fish in Texas, while Cheney vacationed in Wyoming.

No one needs to be reminded as to the horrible events of 9/11. The images of bodies falling or people jumping to escape the flames are forever seared into our souls. Buildings falling, screams and wails echoing off of New York's concrete canyons, and the sobering pictures of a mayor of a major American city running the streets because he had no where else to go will haunt us forever, and be the rallying cry against the Republican Party for eternity. Almost immediately after the events of 9/11, the Republicans desperately attempted to lay the blame at the feet of the previous administration, knowing full well that the outgoing Clinton people gave the incoming Bush administration so much information on the Bin Laden threat, that Bush CHOSE TO IGNORE, that the lewdness of their failure to act became a rallying cry to those who believed the only possible explanation was complicity on the part of Bush and his people.

9/11 happened after the Bush administration had been in power for eight months, twenty per cent through their first term, and yet, to this day, they admit no responsibility. But at every turn, they try to claim the events of that day as their own personal rallying cry for war, for the stripping of the rights guaranteed by the Constitution to all Americans, and the excuse to close all government oversight off from the public.

In the aftermath of 9/11, we now know that the Bush administration had plans already drawn up for a war with Iraq, even though Iraq had nothing to do with the events of that day. John McCain blatantly connected Iraq to the Anthrax attacks, saying that Iraq was the second phase of operations after Afghanistan, whom we invaded in reply to the Taliban's refusal to hand over Bin Laden without evidence. To this day, no evidence has been offered, and Bin Laden is on no FBI most wanted list due to lack of that evidence.

While Bush was busy laying out plans for the Iraqi invasion, John McCain was busy running around the country saying things like the U.S. Congress should bring out their dead after the Anthrax scare, that after we got done with the Middle East, the people there could go back to selling camels or whatever it is they do over there, and that the world would know who was boss after we had taken over Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran. He also promised that Bin Laden would be dead by Halloween of that year.

But what should really scare the hell out of everyone about John McCain and Sarah Palin was McCain's support for the last minute changes that Bush sought to insert into Congress's use of force authorization back in 2001. Just seconds before the Congress was to vote, Bush sought to add wording to the bill that said he had authority to use the military within the borders of the United States, against U.S. citizens! Tom Daschle, the former Democratic Leader said : "Literally minutes before the Senate cast its vote, the administration sought to add the words 'in the United States and' after 'appropriate force' in the agreed-upon text. This last-minute change would have given the president broad authority to exercise expansive powers not just overseas -- where we all understood he wanted authority to act -- but right here in the United States, potentially against American citizens. I could see no justification for Congress to accede to this extraordinary request for additional authority. I refused." ...

In November of 2001, Bush was absolutely gleeful because of the new acquiescence of the media. Not daring to question anything the monster in chief did, Bush began to issue a series of Presidential Directives. Cloaking them carefully at first to be directed against only non citizens, we all know about the later tossing out of Habeus Corpus, the Posse Comitatus, the declaration in the Patriot Acts that U.S. citizens could now be charged with domestic terrorism for attending or planning protest marches, and all manner of expansions of police powers in direct violation of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. No one said anything, because of the Rove campaign to paint anyone who dared to question the President as an enemy of the state. They backed up their words by getting well known and respected journalists fired for asking too many questions.

In December of 2001, Bush restarted the Cold War with Russia by announcing that the United States was pulling out of the ABM Treaty. And then making it seem as though the Russians were the bad guys. Ten years of glasnost and gains wiped out by a neo-fascist group of people determined to feed the military/industrial complex no matter what.

But the most egregious statement that has ever left the lying mouth of George Bush came when he was asked by a reporter at a Christmas party the Bushes were at in 2001. Expecting to get a solemn response from the Commander In Chief, who had just been witness to the events of 9/11, the aftermath and the invasion of Afghanistan. A reaction to the suffering of the entire American nation and the fears and worries of a people unsure what the future was going to hold. Asking the Bushes how they were feeling that Christmas season, George W. Bush did not hesitate to answer that he was feeling fantastic and having the time of his life.

Still want more of the same? Or does beating your head against the wall appeal to you? The above is only a taste of what our country will endure under a McCain/Palin administration. Those two will make Bush and Cheney seem like Alvin and the Chip Monks when they bomb bomb bomb Iran, destroy all domestic social safety net programs, drill baby drill everywhere that they suspect may have oil, and if the 'executive privilege' claims being made not two months before the election are any indication, we're in for a hellish nightmare. Forget the die hard neo-cons and fascists who will back McCain.Palin no matter what, much the same way they still claim Bush/Cheney was the greatest Presidency of all time. These people don't care about you, the country, or the rule of law. They care about ripping off the nation for every last dime it has, then getting out, leaving the corporations in charge and Americans living like the paupers during the time of their other hero, Herbert Hoover.

Just as Bush did during his first year in office, McCain would completely eviscerate the remaining Bill Of Rights, since McCain agreed with Bush that Americans had too many rights and voted along with Bush not 90%, but 95% of the time, and 100% of the time in 2008. Don't fall for their lies and smear campaigns yet again. They speak of being religious, but bear in mind that the devil's greatest trick was to make you believe that he did not exist. The Republicans' greatest trick and in particular the new Karl Rove driven campaign of the hiding from the media McCain/Palin campaign is that they aren't really corporate shills and lobbyists, but reformers.

John McCain = America's Hypocrite And Bush's Pet

2008-09-08T12:02:00.003-05:00

Disappearing into the morass of frenzy surrounding the pick of Sarah (Lipstick Pitbull) Palin as John McCain's Vice Presidential pick is the debate about who John McCain really is, what his policies are and how he would govern should the sheeple of America help the Republicans steal a third election in a row.

All of a sudden an unknown woman who has done little more than bark out thinly disguised disgust for all Americans that try in their every day lives to make a difference and help others, has become some sort of mainstream media icon, as though her sudden appearance on the national stage has heralded the second coming of Christ Himself.

Putting aside for the moment that this woman probably couldn't point out Delaware or Arkansas on a map of the United States, we had better start returning to the true issues at hand, and stop allowing mainstream media, and the far right wing fascists to control the conversation with their bait and switch tactics, lest we fall victim yet again to the old Karl Rove strategy of not talking about what ails the nation, but pandering to the most divisive issues that will pit Americans at each others throats long enough for no one to notice that they're even doing it again.

John McCain is no 'maverick'. How anyone has fallen for that baloney is beyond all reason, but fall for it they do. McCain's own voting record in the Senate shows him for the phony he his. That's not to say he isn't a very shrewd politician, because he is. So shrewd that he knew how to vote against an issue that he knew would be unpopular, then vote for the very same thing a couple of years later. How quickly people tend to forget that even George Bush said that John McCain was ready to set forth his agenda.

Everyone has stopped talking about the fact that John McCain voted along with Bush to privatize Social Security and that he still holds that position. He has stated that he still feels that the program needs to be privatized and would fight to do so were he to win.

John McCain voted right along the neo-con line for tax cuts for the ultra wealthy, and wants to make the giveaway to the rich permanent. The only ones that want these tax cuts to remain in place are the corporations, the fabulously wealthy, John McCain and the suckers he can convince that it would be in their best interest to accept the crumbs from the altar of excess.

Interestingly, as John McCain tries desperately to repaint himself as a reformer and a maverick, he doesn't have any qualms at all about taking huge sums of money from many of George Bush's biggest corporate lobbyist bundlers. Here's a couple of them listed below:

Wayne and Lea Berman of Ogilvy Government Relations, who have raised more than $250,000.

James Courter of Idt Corp., who has raised more than $200,000.

Alfonse D'Amato of Park Strategies, who has raised more than $250,000.

Thomas Fiorentino of Fiorentino & Hewett, more than $200,000.

David Girard-diCarlo of BlankRome, more than a quarter of a million dollars.

Gaylord Hughey, a lobbyist at large (Wasn't there another 'lobbyist at large' who visited the White House a lot?), more than $150,000.

Thomas Loeffler of Loeffler Group, more than $250,000.

That's just a few of Bush's campaign contributors that are contributing to John McCain and Sarah Palin's sprint for the White House lawn. If McCain is such a maverick, why would he need Bush's people to raise money? For that matter, why would the President's speech writers have to write Sarah Palin's speech for the convention? Because they're all one and the same group of people, wallowing through the same mud, the same blood of Americans, and the same steal all you can and get out group of corporate lobbyists.

Medicare patients who are thinking of voting for McCain may well wish to read over his plan to rewrite the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit. On April 15th of this year, McCain said that he believes most people should be required to pay for their own medicine. In a glorious showing of his out of touch with reality mentality, he included 'most Americans' in with Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. On the same day, McCain declared that he would begin to cut funding for and even eliminate many social safety net programs in order to jump start the economy by giving even larger tax cuts to corporations. Compared to the Bush Doctrine, wherein the President froze or decreased spending for domestic programs in order to facilitate his corporate tax cuts, one would have to draw the conclusion that John is really McSame.

George Bush, instead of denouncing the massive amounts of wealth being garnered by CEO's, said that CEO pay should be commensurate with the success of the corporation. That would be right in line of McSame's statement in April that Americans were fed up with watching CEO's make exorbitant salaries and perks, and that their pay should be based on performance. Not that there ought to be some sort of equality in pay, but just more of Bush's talking points.

It's 3 A.M. and a hurricane destroys a major American city, stranding thousands and thousands, bodies floating down streets, and millions of lives devastated. What does a President do? Well, if your name is Bush, you have birthday cake on the tarmac of an airport with your good friend John McCain. If your name is John McCain, you vote along neo-fascist lines and deny Medicaid coverage to the survivors of Katrina. You vote against investigating fraud and abuse in the aftermath. You vote to deny an extension of unemployment benefits to the disaster victims. You vote against forming a commission to try to discover what went wrong with the government's response, because you know damned well the commission is going to find that your Party was responsible for FEMA being under the control of a horse trader, and the umbrella organization known as Homeland Insecurity was the reason that FEMA couldn't respond quickly enough. And oh, yeah, you voted FOR all of that stuff. And unlike the photo op rush to be on the scene before the latest non disaster, you were actually campaigning in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina before someone in your campaign told you it might make a good photo op to appear in New Orleans. Long after everyone else had come and gone. Now THAT'S leadership we can count on!

But even better yet, in one of the most telling statements of McSame's politicking, he declared in January of 2008 that FEMA itself should be handed over to Wal-Mart and Fed-Ex. Privatized in order to make it more efficient. Or in other words, so they could rip off the tax payers just like the Oil Companies that are paying huge sums of money to elect McSame, or the Insurance Industry that has reaped windfall profits by ensuring that people on Medicaid can't go to their doctors or receive medications due to the program being privatized by Bush and the Republicans. is that called 'progress' or something?

And while Bush and Cheney were lying straight into the faces of every American and every ally and person the world over about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, John 'the surge' McSame said "Saddam Hussein continues to acquire, amass, and improve on his arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. He continues to attempt to acquire a nuclear weapon. These are all well-known facts." Oh? What 'intelligence' did John McCain get? Was it the same 'memos' that Cheney was handing out? Or was he just spouting the party line? And if McSame believed so much in this war for oil, then why did he consistently vote against our troops every single chance that he had? he voted against funding for armor for vehicles, body armor for the troops, health care for the returning wounded, and even voted against H.R. 1591, a bill to provide funding to continue the war in Iraq, because it contained $1 billion in aid for the returning wounded. So why does John McCain hate our troops?

These are just a few of the hypocritical stances of John McSame and his religious adviser, er, Vice presidential pick. McCain will say literally anything to any group in order to get elected. Straight talk? Give that a rest. No one believes that crap any more. What America believes now are the words of our glorious leader that still squats in an office he was never elected to "There's an old saying in Tennessee--I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee--that says, fool me once, shame on--shame on you. Fool me--you can't get fooled again." You're damned right.......

God Wants To Talk To The Republicans

2008-09-06T16:15:00.003-05:00

I and a group of true believers were speaking to God today. Not just in general terms mind you, like when you go to church or when you meditate, but He came down from on High and sat with us awhile. Surprised by His sudden appearance, we all immediately clamored to fetch refreshments for God, knowing how far of a journey He had come, just to speak with us lowly mortals. God pointed out that since He had come in Spirit form this time, that He obviously could not partake of physical food and drink.

He gathered us around into a circle, so that each of us was facing Him, and He could pivot to look each of us in the eyes as He spoke. He said He had come to give us a message to carry out to the rest of the nation, a message so important that He had come to deliver it in person.

He told us He had been watching the recent Party Conventions in this country that bandies His name about as though He were a mascot for one politician over another. He was upset that one Party was trying to claim that He advocated for them over the rest of the people in this particular nation. He wanted to set the record straight and He exhorted us to go forth with the newest Good News.

To say we were speechless would be the understatement of all time, but we shuffled in closer to hang on God's every word. He went on to tell us that the Republican Party of the United States did not have any exclusive phone line to Him, nor did ANY of the so called preachers like James Dobson or Ralph Reed. Pointing out where they had twisted and perverted the messages He'd left for us before, He said that He was becoming angry with them for their false claims and leading of His people into damnation.

The ground began moving under our feet and Bushes began burning before our very eyes as God angrily began a tirade against the messages against the poor and the helpless put forth by the Republican Party. Seeing us become afraid however, the Lord waved His hand and all became calm once more. But the fire never left His eyes as He declared the message we were to send forth. The message is this: God says to the Republican Party of the United States that they should remove themselves from the ballots in all 50 states. That He has grown weary of their lies and corruption, and their attempts to subvert His Word into political propaganda just to enrich themselves and their conspirator friends.

He said that should they obey Him this one time, He may once again let them back in His good Graces. But He warned of the consequences awaiting them when their time comes and they must stand and answer why they did not obey His word. As He pointed out to us, and told us to tell the world also, He ordered us to love one another, not kill in His name. He ordered us to take care of the poor, not declare they could fend for themselves. To help the sick and the infirm, not debate over who gets medical care and who doesn't. He decried the new money changing is His temples, and the money made by hucksters who disobey His very essence, which is of Goodness and Love, and Respect for your fellow peoples the world over. He declares that all wars must cease and that those who think they are on a mission from Him to kill in His name will be left in a very unpleasant place when the time of the Rapture comes. He also said that He will decide when that Rapture comes, and needs no help from the Republican Party.

For the rest of the world He delivers this creed. Feed His people everywhere in the world. He says we in this country have the means and the know how to end hunger the entire planet over, and that we should use our abilities to truly serve Him. House those with no homes, because with the massive amounts of money spent on guns and bombs and planes and nuclear missiles, He knows we could instead build houses and apartments for those who can't do it themselves. Deliver free medical care to the planet, no matter if you lose a few patents. God says He is tired of greeting His people at the gates of heaven before they are supposed to arrive, when He gave us the knowledge to prevent the untimely deaths of millions and millions every year.

He warned the tyrants and would be extremists that they had better stop what they're doing, lest He become fully angry at them for their despotic ways. He orders the disbanding of all far right wing 'churches', the ones who spew hatred and who claim to speak with Him, when in reality, all they do is suck up wannabe followers' money like a vacuum sucks up dirt. He admonishes those who are destroying the planet He made, that He will likewise destroy them, and to the purveyors of the perpetuation of division and rancor amongst the people, He says that your days are being counted down.

Because God says that as we enter the final phase of this bitter election season, He has heard too many lies of the Republican Party claiming to be the Party of God, when in reality, it is Satan that leads your cult of oil and profit stealing, and who brings you to hate all those not like yourselves. You bow and worship before the altar of the Liar, and accept his gifts of exorbitant fortune in exchange for the perversion of the Word of God. God demands that you halt this practice, and from what we could see, we don't think He was kidding.

With the message firmly implanted and seared into our souls, four angels descended from the skies and gingerly lifted God up, flying into the night sky in a great burst of light. As He was leaving He shouted out His warning one last time. "The Republican Party must throw this election or fall out of favor with God forever. And all those who vote Republican will be in peril of the fires of hell also". And with that God was gone, back to wherever it is that He hangs out when He isn't appearing to people every couple of thousand years or so to impart messages of world importance.

So you see, Sarah Palin, John McCain and the rest of you so called holy rollers who wish to dominate and control the rest of humanity, God is not on your side, He told me so in person. Now, according to what you tell your sheeple every day, God is never wrong, and so, you must cease what you're doing and change your ways. Or will you now claim that God never spoke to me, and if so, how do you know? Will you claim exclusive rights to communication with the Almighty? Will you claim that your God is different from mine? Because in order to make any such claim, you would have to admit that you follow a God of hatred and war and greed and contempt for your fellow human beings. And that the rest of us follow the words of a God of love and of peace and of caring and of respect for the rights of others. It's up to you. God has spoken, the message has been delivered, and you'll have to decide whether or not to obey the God you claim to believe in and wish to shove down everyone's throats whether they believe or not.

If you do all drop out of the race, then we'll have to believe you won't we? If you don't, we'll know we were right all along and that you are all a bunch of lying, conniving, disgusting non-believers who are as the Pharisees of old. Willing to say anything, do anything, become like a chameleon and blend into any background in order to hold the reins of power.

A Noun, A Verb, And A P.O.W.

2008-09-05T12:16:00.003-05:00

If Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden would just switch one part of his now famous phrase he used against Rudy Giuliani during the Democratic debates earlier this year, he could keep reminding the entire nation what the McCain campaign is really all about. Which is quite frankly, nothing but drilling for oil. Biden's slap down of Giuliani by way of his saying that all the ex-mayor's campaign consisted of was "A noun, a verb, and 9/11", was probably a contributing factor in Giuliani's losing the nomination for his party. Everyone loved it. Everyone picked up on it. And then everyone saw that's exactly what Giuliani's campaign really was.

Here we are now, faced with the exact same circumstance that we found ourselves in back when Giuliani was the front runner in the Republican contest. We have in John McCain yet another candidate who will say anything and pander to any group in order to get elected. His themes are almost identical to Giuliani's, except McCain can't boast about being 'America's Mayor'. (Giuliani is no more 'America's Mayor' than the Dallas Cowboys are 'America's Team'.)

But let's see what the criteria would be for Biden to be able to use this new and improved phrase when describing the McCain campaign's plan for change in our country. It's so simple that even McCain and his pit bull can understand it.

John McCain's Noun: Oil. Lots and lots of oil. There's oil in the Gulf of Mexico that Cuba and China are trying to steal from us, there's oil in the Alaskan Wildlife Reserve that the polar bears and the wolves refuse to hand over to us, there's oil in the Dakotas that we could be using if it weren't for that pesky Environmental Protection Agency. California doesn't mind if we ruin some more of their landscape around Bakersfield and Kern County, there be Oil in that there land! There's oil in Iran that we could be using, and by hook or by crook, if we need to bomb bomb bomb them back to the Stone Age to get at it, then that's exactly what we'll do.

John McCain's Verb: Drill. As in "Drill Baby Drill!" being chanted over and over and over at the Republican National Convention, live, in color, on national television and the web. McCain, having been perverted by this past decade of hugging oil barons like Dick Cheney and George Bush, has come to the conclusion that all America needs to do to solve ANY crisis is to start drilling. Drill in the Gulf of Mexico. Drill in the Alaskan Wildlife Reserve. Drill in the Dakotas. Drill in Manhattan if there's even a hint of a barrel of oil under the island. Drill until there's nothing left to drill and then drill some more is the only message of 'change' coming from McCain and the obnoxious little side kick he's dragging around.

John McCain's P.O.W. status: Shut Up. We know you were shot down over North Vietnam because you were hot dogging it. That makes you stupid for disobeying orders, not a hero, and certainly does not qualify you to be President of the United States. In every speech we heard coming out of the St. Paul, there was virtually not one that did not say the phrase P.O.W. at least once, many speaking ONLY about John McCain being a P.O.W. To hear McCain and his followers talk, one could easily get the impression that John McCain was the ONLY P.O.W. in the entire Vietnam war, and that he single handedly wrestled the torturers tools out of the hands of the enemy, thereby saving all the other prisoners that weren't there. Hyping your revisionist history as a P.O.W. only invites open discussion of the days that you spent there drinking tea and eating biscuits with your captors, and why there are groups like Vietnam Veterans Against McCain on the internet who call you no hero. Ones that were there with you. Other (gasp!) P.O.W.'s who claim you served with no honor and you aren't fit to lead a group of Cub Scouts let alone be Commander-In-Chief. You should also remind the public to go back and review the hearings in 1991 that you were part of, and which effectively cut off the searching for more P.O.W.'s It would have interfered with the re-election chances of Bush number one, who had done absolutely nothing to try to locate them. Ross Perot knows the truth about that one doesn't he?

And don't think that everyone has forgotten your days of being a criminal. The Keating Five scandal may have faded out of the media's peripheral vision, but we have not forgotten your role in the Lincoln Savings and Loan crash and burn. Nor the slap on the wrist you received from your fellow Senators.

This is the message from the McCain campaign. Their big plans for America. Drill Baby Drill. The agents of change who want to recycle the exact same programs of George Bush and Dick Cheney, only they want to wrap it in the flag of our nation and tell us it's something brand new. A new type of Republican Party, even as virtually every Republican that's responsible for the mess we are in, McCain and Palin included, sat front and center in the Convention hall. They want us to forget about George Bush and Dick Cheney, and how McCain voted along with the Bush Doctrine 95% of the time. That McCain himself is to blame for some of the legislation that has been shoved down our throats by the most evil Executive Branch in the history of the United States.

Legislation such as the Patriot Acts, the Domestic Spying bills, the Expansion of Police Powers, Gitmo, Abu Gharib, the Refusal to Protect Our Borders, the Slashing of Domestic Safety Net Programs, The Free Trade Deals, The Privatization of Social Security, the Medicare giveaway to the Insurance Companies, the Medicaid giveaway to the Insurance Companies, the Tax Cuts for the Rich, Wars Wars Wars, and the Deregulation of Corporate Rules that has contributed to the state of the economy and the high unemployment rate.

The agent of change who has Karl Rove advising him, Phil Gramm, the designer of the economic collapse as his behind the curtain economic adviser, Henry Kissinger whispering foreign policy into his and no doubt Palin's ears, and who seeks out the advice of Bush's people on affairs of state, and writes speeches for the neophyte who would be queen.

Joe Biden could go on and on about the great harm Mccain and his neo-fascist buddies have done to America, but he doesn't really have to does he? Because when boiled down to it's basics, besides standing for more of the same, the campaign of John McCain to become President of the United States boils down to three words. A noun, a verb, and 9/11, er, a P.O.W..............

Palin's 'Speech' Was A Subtle Attack On The Poor

2008-09-04T13:51:00.002-05:00

When Sarah Palin took the stage to read the talking points memo drawn up by Bush Administration officials, she showed the country and the world her true colors. In fact, the Republican Party in general showed America who they really are and what they stand for with their smirky and derogatory attacks on Barak Obama, liberal thinkers in general, the media, and pretty much anyone who does not subscribe to the most extreme far right positions the Republicans have to offer.

Palin, in belittling Obama's service as a Community Organizer, showed us something else. Contempt for the poor, the disabled, and the elderly. Contempt for education for the impoverished. In trying to tout her experience as the mayor of a town that would fit neatly into a four square block area of the city where I reside, Palin must have forgotten what she told the Mat-Su valley Frontiersman in October of 1996, when she was running for mayor of Wasilla, and was asked how she was going to run the city without experienced leaders. Palin replied " "It's not rocket science. It's $6 million and 53 employees." Yeah, great executive level stuff.

On the other hand, Obama, as a Community Organizer, fought the status quo in the South Chicago neighborhood where a sewage plant leaked putrid garbage, fought to force slum lords in the area to fix plumbing and fixtures in the apartments of the poor and working class, worked with area churches to give the poor a chance in life, and fought a pitched battle with the city to remove life threatening asbestos from the areas housing projects. In other words, he fought for the poor and the middle class, fought for 'the little guy'. And oh. He also worked with others who helped people in the community to get out and vote, the biggest cardinal sin for a right winger.

Palin can make no such claim. By belittling the work of Community Organizers, she spit in the faces of every person in this nation that works or volunteers at homeless shelters, food banks, soup kitchens, charities, neighborhood watch committees, and any other position that could be conceived as 'community organizing'. She herself did little to nothing to help the poor of the state of Alaska during her brief stint as Governor. If anything, the state legislators had to reign in her wishes to take money from social service block grants and give it to 'faith based initiatives'.

The $1.5 million dollars that went to the largest cities in Alaska to help keep the poor housed from the bitter Alaskan winters, to keep the food banks and soup kitchens open, to try to help those who had fallen on hard times, protect victims of domestic violence, help working class families pay medical bills, would have either had to curtail their missions or close entirely under Palin's redistribution of money. The plan was dropped only after a brutal dressing down from the State Legislators who saw Palin's ploy for what it was. An attempt to take money from the poorest areas of Alaska, and give it to the rich areas where the money was not needed. Beverly Wooley, the Anchorage Health and Human Services director said at the time that the Palin plan "stands to cripple the existing services being provided."

With the federal poverty level being set at less than 22 thousand dollars a year for a family of four, Alaska boasts the largest one year increase in children living in poverty under Palin's leadership. 2006 numbers show that 12% of children lived below the poverty level, while in 2007, the number increased to 17%. taking into account Alaska's very high cost of living, one can imagine the conditions those children are forced to live in.

This person running on a family values platform, who doesn't want anyone talking about her pregnant teen aged daughter, was the person who directly cut funding for Alaska's Covenant House by more than $1.1 million. Covenant House provides poor Alaskan unwed teen mothers a place to raise their babies for up to eighteen months, including not only food and shelter, diapers and what have you for both mother and child, but job training, education programs, and counseling to the teens that help prepare them to be self sufficient. Just doesn't fit into the 'Compassionate Conservative' agenda I suppose.

Yes, Sarah Palin cut spending in Alaska alright. She did it the way that every neo-fascist maniac has done it for the past 30 years in this nation. On the backs of the poor and the helpless. Other spending cuts include school lunch programs, fought desperately against sex education classes, (five kids and SHE fights AGAINST sex ed?), upheld the ban on salmon fishing in the southwest Aleutians causing a steep spike in poverty levels, cut state funding for Anchorage's only family shelter for the homeless, and cut in half the budget for Safe Harbors, a transitional housing motel for the homeless, with Palin stating that the public would have to donate the loss of revenue to keep the shelter open.

That's what this all boils down to. Another speech reader who will say whatever she thinks the Party Big Wigs want her to say in order to further her career. Her claims of fiscal responsibility come from the causing of untold misery for countless people by cutting off the funding for those in the most vulnerable positions. Another charlatan, another liar, another in a very long line of fascists who could care less about anyone other than themselves.

Do tell dear Sarah, as someone who despises the poor and unwed teen mothers, as someone who believes that Barak Obama's time as a Community Organizer working with the poor is easily dismissed as meaningless, how do you think that YOUR candidate, John McCain should act when he appears in New York City on September 11th to highlight the good works and achievements of................Community Organizers? Hypocrite. You're just Bush and Cheney in drag...............

John McCain: Why Weren't These Women Considered?

2008-09-03T12:41:00.002-05:00

Forget Sarah Palin's daughter being pregnant. Forget the convoluted and twisted stories crawling across cyber space filled with accusations unfounded. Forget the morals and family values issues this pick by McCain entails. And forget what Steve Schmidt, a senior adviser to the McCain campaign said about not checking into Palin's background. (What is he, just crazy or what? That's like an open invitation to dig for people like me.) What we should be considering is why the women listed below were passed over for the Republican Vice Presidential slot, and what that says about the competency of McCain and the people who speak for the McCain campaign.

First there's Olympia Snowe from Maine. The only reason I can gather for not picking her is that the campaign didn't want a candidate from the Northeast. That would look like he picked a 'liberal' when nothing would have been further from the truth. Snowe's credentials look like a virtual banquet of experience, having served 8 terms in the U.S. House, been a state representative and a state senator. As a U.S. Senator now, she has sponsored or co-sponsored bills that champion the Republican's most cherished values. Dealing with business legislation, foreign affairs, health care, privatizing Social Security, worked directly with Pentagon officials, the White House, and with the numerous contacts she still has in the House, would have made Snowe the ideal candidate. That must be one they forgot about.

Next, there's Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson. This woman's credentials read like she should have run for President herself. Her accomplishments include being instrumental in passing the Overseas Basing Commission legislation, working closely with the Department of Defense and Pentagon, fought to obtain funding for 1,500 Border Patrol Agents, helped draft the Airline Security Bill, fought FOR women's rights in the form of the Homemaker IRA Act which allows housewives to save for their futures in the same way as their husbands, worked on health care and Medicare legislation, and is a ranking member of the Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation. top that off with her work on foreign policy initiatives, and you have what's called a complete package.

Third. Elizabeth Dole. What better candidate could you ask for here? This woman has been on the political scene since the Nixon years, and in fact served as Deputy Assistant for Consumer Affairs from 1969 to 1973. Next, she was Reagan's Secretary of Transportation, Bush the 1st's Secretary of Labor, became the President of the Red Cross, which during her first year there she accepted NO salary and traveled around the world meeting heads of state, ran for President herself, becoming the real first viable woman candidate, and holds many awards, including the Foreign Policy Association Medal. Oh. And she's also a Senator.

Or even fourth, Susan Collins. Collins, as a U.S. Senator has been a Ranking Member of the homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, worked on bipartisan legislation to improve FEMA response time, is on the Senate Armed Services Committee, fought for Health Care rights, has a 100% rating from the National Federation of Independent Businesses, fought for Higher Education grants, helped push through the 9/11 Commission's recommendations, and helped strengthen security at America's ports when no one else wanted to talk about it. Sounds pretty credentialed, don't you think?

Four women with varied and immense credentials, all of which include local, state, national, and foreign policy credentials. Three women who could have added actual value to the Republican ticket other than the All American family look that the Party seems so desperate to portray. It seems, when one looks over the political landscape, that you could stop in at the House of Representatives and find many other women with far more experience than Sarah Palin.

If we're really honest with ourselves, we have the answers to why McCain chose Palin. First, they get to play the youth card, with Palin being only 44 years old. Second, McCain can present the family photo of the Palin clan, the good old apple pie pictures splashed on every front page. Third, Palin is a rabid far right winger. She'll be compliant as Vice President to the wishes of Big Oil, and will fight harder than McCain even for drilling in the Alaskan Wildlife Preserve. She'll be guided by her religious beliefs to fight for anti-abortion laws. She'll press ahead with McCain for a strike and war with Iran, believing that it's the United States' destiny to bring about the Rapture and Armageddon.

If just the few things that we do know about Palin don't scare you enough to run for the door, then just wait until people dig up more dirt. Because despite what the McCain campaign says, and despite what a few misguided reporters are trying to also tell the public, once a person enters the arena of Presidential politics, nothing is 'off limits' at all. There should be no attack upon Palin's children themselves, but the family values and morality issues come directly into play here, as well as the abstinence only teachings shoved down America's throat. Obviously, they don't work.

But the real question that should be why at least four well qualified, well suited to the task candidates were passed over in favor of a political neophyte, who has no choice now but to turn to the Bush/Cheney people to get a crash course in both National and International affairs. That alone should give voice to the lie about what John McCain is really all about. More of the same. Women with foreign policy credentials passed over for a pliable plebe who could be shaped and molded into the Bush/Cheney brand name. A continuation of wars and terror. More tearing up of the Constitution, less liberties, and more of the push towards the theocracy that the Dobsons and the Reeds of America so desperately envision. With the other women, they couldn't try that crap, and so, here you have Palin. Willing and able to carry out the orders from the extreme right wing.

Run as fast and as far as you can from this mad hatter campaign the Republicans are piecing together as they go along. If you feel you must stick to the Republican Party, stay home. Because if they vote this clown posse into office, Americans are going to be heading for Canada by the millions seeking political asylum. Myself included.

How Our Government Workers Rip Off America

2008-09-02T11:14:00.004-05:00

Have you ever come across legislation that you find incomprehensible? Ever wondered just how in the heck someone could have voted for a bill that seems, at face value, to be against the interests of the American people? Well, you're not alone. Several citizen oversight groups such as The Project For Government Oversight have been wondering the same thing, and are determined to get to the bottom of it all. Let's give them a few places to start.

As Congress tells the American people that they are reforming Washington, and making it harder for government workers to lobby for the industries they used to work for by instituting a 'cooling off' period of one year, what they failed to make public is that although the new rules state that one can not lobby the office in which they worked for one year, the slicksters conveniently left out any provision for lobbying the office right next door! And they also made a provision for government workers to obtain something called an Ethics Waiver. A what?

It works like this. Say you work for Congressman A. as their health care liaison. You want to go to work for the drug industry as a lobbyist for a lot of money. You leave the Congressman's office, go to K Street, and start lobbying the health care liaison of Congressman B, right next door. According to the pull the wool over everyone's eyes ethics reform, that's perfectly acceptable.

The most liberal media publication in the world, (I'm joking of course), the Wall Street Journal, has itself begun to decry the practice, noting that Tom Sculley, who was the person who wrote the rules on who profits from Medicare and Medicaid services, as the former head of Medicare and Medicaid Services, has just taken a job as the head of lobbyist law firm Alston and Bird LLP's health care division. Who would be in a better position than the person who wrote the rules, to help the firm help their clients obtain lucrative government contracts in the newly privatized Medicare and medicaid areas?

Alston also scooped up Colin Rosky, the Senate Finance Committee's head staffer on the Medicare Bill. And oh, I almost forgot. Bob Dole now works as a paid lobbyist for them too.

The game also catches Congress people in it's snare. Representative Bill Tauzin from Louisiana, a key player in the writing and passing of the new Medicare and Medicaid giveaways to the insurance industry, is reportedly considering a $1 million plus offer from PHRMA, the drug industry's largest lobbying firm.

Many others have been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. For instance, ex-CIA station chief Barry Broman was the eyes and ears of our anti-drug efforts in Burma during the 1990's. Today, he does quite well as a $7,500 a month lobbyist for the government of Myanmar/Burma, petitioning the U.S. government to take a friendlier stance towards one of the most brutal regimes in the entire world. One that floods the streets of America with the very same products that Mr. Broman used to guard us against.

Former California Secretary of State Bill Jones Shoved forced through legislation to have California's old voting machines tossed out and successfully pushed for $200 million for all new high tech voting machines. Sounds ok, right? Not when you consider that Jones then left public office and went to work for Sequoia Voting Systems, the largest firm lobbying the then head of California's elections. Not only that, but two people who worked under Jones now work for the same firm.

The same holds true in reverse these days . We've got paid lobbyists in charge of agencies they used to lobby, in the same industry, making up new rules beneficial to that industry, then jumping back out of government after a year or two to go right back to their former positions, or better ones, leaving the American taxpayer holding the bag for even further deregulation. You might recognize the biggest name on the list of the revolving door of robbery. Dick Cheney. When he was running for Vice President with George Bush, he told a bald faced lie, wherein he said he no longer had any connection to Halliburton. That wasn't quite true the Congressional Research Service would find, telling the story of Cheney still receiving up to $1 million dollars per year in remuneration from Halliburton. But even the billions of dollars worth of no bid contracts weren't enough for the boldest mobster ever to sit in the Vice President's chair. In 2004, while on the taxpayer's dime on a trip to China, Cheney lobbied the Chinese to make a deal with Westinghouse for U.S. nuclear power technology. I thought the Communists were evil and had to be stopped at all costs?

There are many other notable public servants that have played the greed game against the interests of the People. Such as Tom Ridge, the former head of the run amok agency known as Homeland Insecurity. Ridge left his post and became a board member of Savi Technology, a maker of RFID chips, and a company being bought by Lockheed Martin. Paid in stock options, Lockheed Martin promised lucrative buy back of the stock. Ridge, of course, has lobbied all his old buddies in government.

This is why the United States is going broke. Inflated costs, middlemen that are not needed, ships being built that have to be scuttled because they don't float, pet projects for the defense industry, insurance companies running Medicare and Medicaid, blatant outsourcing of American jobs with the encouragement of those who are in a position to stop it, deregulation of virtually everything by this criminal cadre in the White House that everyone seems all too willing to give a pass to, the oil scam, the back room deals, and the make believe laws the law makers pass to protect their own. To make sure that the 'appearance' of propriety is maintained, the illusion that everything is above board, when the reality is that right beneath our noses, the fattened pigs wallow in our misery and call us whiners for complaining.

Think anything is going to change come November? Think again. This dysfunction is much too deep, and the only solution is to vote out of office virtually ever Senator, every House member, replace them with honest people, and commit this country to term limits for Congress people. It's because of the entrenchment mentality, and those in Congress who believe themselves impervious to ouster that the corruption continues and intensifies. Think about that when you enter the booth and see the name of the person who is up for re-election. Do a little digging on 'the Google' to see just how corrupt that particular politician really is, then vote accordingly. You might also wish to take a look at which campaign has the most paid lobbyists as advisers or behind the curtain whisperers.

Trust no one. Ask questions. Demand answers. The time has come when Americans must make the choice to either be sheep for the rest of their lives, led around by the nose and lulled into a losing ground by the day lifestyle, or to take control of our dire situation and hold accountable all of those, the government, the corporations, and the media, accountable to We The People.

Palin's Teen Daughter Pregnancy Is NOT Off Limits

2008-09-01T19:12:00.005-05:00

Despite what Barak Obama and many in the corporate controlled media contend about the revelation (Ha! The Revelation!) by Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin that her 17 year old unwed teen daughter is pregnant being an 'off limits' topic, Americans have the right to decide for themselves what subjects are pertinent to a national discussion, and not have to sit and listen to talking heads tell us what we should and should not decide is an issue in the most important Presidential race in the history of our country.

This sudden departure and reversal of the 'family values' nonsense that the right wing has been shoving down our collective throats for over 30 years now, just dissipated into one big gaseous cloud of lies and hypocrisy, and do as I say, not as I do. The so called Christian Coalition and James Dobson's Hate Machine backpedaled so quickly that their bicycle spokes became entwined and the lies they've been telling for all this time are laid bare for all to see.

Since their inception, both Focus On The Family and the Christian Coalition have been responsible for many of the extremist laws foisted upon a complacent public. Laws such as Abstinence Only Education. And while they run around in their multi million dollar mega churches spouting off about that asinine accomplishment, they neglect to tell the rest of the story behind those pushed through when no one was looking laws. They forget to tell the public that a poll commissioned by both groups through Zogby International revealed that a full 88% of people under 65 felt it important for kids K through 12 to have a good knowledge and understanding of contraception and birth control along with the abstinence plan.

They decided that the poll was conducted wrong and forged ahead with their unholy crusade against the education and the safety of America's children by ignoring the results of a second poll conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, whose poll results were almost identical to the one commissioned by Focus On The Family and Christian Coalition. They completely ignored the AMA, ANA, AAP, IOM, a former Surgeon General of the United States, and over 100 other medical organizations that stood in opposition to their plan. If Governor Palin had paid more attention to people with actual medical degrees instead of hucksters with a degree in lying, her daughter wouldn't be pregnant.

And so, the rise in teen pregnancies can be laid at the doorsteps of both organizations, as well as the cowardly politicians who, being afraid of the far right, meekly voted to help destroy democracy in America. Not once. Not Twice. But over and over again. So the issue is not in any way off limits, and anyone who says so should start grazing on the grass at the meadow nearest their home. This issue stabs like a knife at the very core of what the right wing is running their campaign on. The so called 'family values' issue.

If Palin could not even control her own teen aged daughter enough to avoid an unwanted pregnancy, then how does that make her a more competent leader? Because the Republicans can't have it both ways here. If they say it was a planned pregnancy,as in the Governor knew about it before hand well, that would be criminal would it not? So, no, it had to be unplanned, and that would mean that Palin's concentration on her career caused her to devote too little time to her family values. Hence, a pregnant daughter. So why are the far right wingnuts from the two groups not screaming from the rafters about this? Because they're hypocrites of the worst kind.

In a 1998 article in the New York Times, Pat Roberston and Ralph Reed decreed ''Character matters, and the American people are hungry for that message. We care about the conduct of our leaders, and we will not rest until we have leaders of good moral character.'' That being the case, and accepting Ralphie at his word, then the story in the AUG. 31st, 2008 edition of the Huffington Post wherein Palin was on a right wing radio talk show earlier this year laughing at a vile attack on a political opponent should help old Ralph and James change their minds. The jock called Palin's opponent a b***h and a cancer, made fun of Palin's rival's weight with Palin laughing like a hyena. Great family values there.

You see, it goes like this. The Republicans, hoping to avoid yet another scandal decided to put the pregnancy out there, but then decried anyone even talking about it. They suckered the Democrats into silence on the hypocritical stance by claiming it to be an internal family matter. Que the buzzer. Annnt! Wrong answer. Absolutely nothing is off limits when it comes to a question of whether or not a person is fit to hold the second highest office in the land. And it can not be off limits when you are accepting the endorsements of two organizations responsible for some of the most draconian legislation since the Quaker days. Especially when both of those organizations do a complete flip flop on their 'family values' issue in order to accomodate their political puppets.

And so, it comes down to what are the real Republicans in this country going to do? It would seem by now to be obvious that the organizations that have hijacked your Party will do and say anything to retain power, even if it goes against their own stated positions. Deep down we all know that's a crock, as is the clarion call to respect the privacy of the Palins. Sure. Drop out of the race, and it won't be an issue any longer. Because the far right wingnuts may well wish to heed the words of Randy Tate, the Christian Coalition's Executive Director back in 1998. ''The moral crisis we now face is so obvious everybody sees it. ''Let me offer a small piece of advice to any candidate who is on the wrong side of the values issue. You are going to have one big problem on Election Day.'' Truer words indeed Mr. Tate, truer words indeed..................

McCain's V.P. Pick Is GOP's 'Trophy Wife'

2008-08-29T11:28:00.004-05:00

When the news broke that Republican Presidential candidate John McCain had tapped Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to be his running mate, it took the entire media and many political pundits by surprise. With conventional wisdom pointing towards Mitt Romney, the decision to bypass Romney, a clearly much wiser pick, shows Americans once again that the McCain campaign has no idea what they are doing.

Young, energetic, and pretty, Palin is a virtual unknown on the political scene, having been Governor of Alaska for barely two years, and before that the mayor of Wasilla City, Alaska, a small town of less than 7,000 residents. Her rise to Governor was more of a case of being in the right place at the right time as Alaskans could no longer stand former Governor Frank Murkowski, and voted her into office more as a protest vote than an affirmation of Palin's public life.

Having literally no national experience on the political scene, and absolutely no foreign policy experience, Palin literally is politics's version of a trophy wife. Admitting to CNBC's Larry Kudlow that she didn't even know what the job of the Vice President entailed makes McCain's pick even curiouser. With so many better qualified candidates among the mix, including people like Romney, and Pawlenty, the choice of Palin begs the question, did the GOP pick Palin in an attempt to steal some women voters away from the Democrats?

Palin comes with no clean slate herself. Although she denies she had any hand in the controversy, she is still under investigation for trying to have her son in law fired from his job as an Alaskan state trooper. It seems that he and the Governor's sister were going through a nasty custody battle, and when he wouldn't go away quietly, the claims are that Palin had a staffer contact Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan, and demand that he fire the trooper without cause. When he refused, Palin fired HIM. But then she stands back and denies any involvement at all. Uh huh.

But before all those disaffected Clinton women go running to the McCain ticket, they'd better get an understanding of whom they'd be voting for. Just because Palin is a woman, does not mean that she backs women's rights. She is against a woman's right to choose. She is against gay rights. She is for the death penalty. She is for drilling in the Alaskan Wildlife Reserve. She is for the deregulation of laws governing oil drilling and development. She is for the deregulation of insurance laws in Alaska, a stance that Romney took in Massachusetts that has brought misery to that state. She is for repealing corporate taxes.

That's the extent of what we know about Sarah Palin on the issues. She has no opinion or declared stance on how to deal with corporate power and expansion other than the stated tax relief for big business, especially the oil and gas industries whom she worked very closely with during her time as an Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commissioner. She has no stance on the drug issue. No stance on families and children. No stance on foreign policy, and no experience either. No stance on Free Trade. No stance on Government Reform. No stance on how to create new jobs. No stance on Immigration. No stance on principles and values. No stance on science and technology. No stance on separation of church and state.

So basically, the GOP and the McCain campaign were looking for someone who would be a yes person to McCain, not make any waves, look good in a pants suit, and not knowing anything about any subject other than the state of Alaska, could be told to sit in her office and let the boys get things done. Window dressing. A trophy wife.

What hogwash. This pick by the McCain campaign, (Remember, John McCain does not speak for the McCain campaign), is an insult to the intelligence of every American. As the McCain campaign and tthe GOP hammer away at what they call Barak Obama's lack of experience, they dare to present the public with someone who has so much less experience than Obama that she doesn't even know what the Vice President does?

Every Republican should be up in arms over this idiotic attempt to glean a few Democratic women voters by presenting them with a woman whose values are the exact opposite of what theirs are. They may buy into this for about 5 minutes, but once they find out where Palin stands on issues important to women, they'll run for the door. With all of the other choices, with all of the experienced Republican foreign policy experts, McCain and his campaign show once again that the candidate is senile, and his campaign staff are incompetent. Why didn't they just pick Britney Spears or Paris Hilton? They don't know what the Vice President does either...........

Right Wing Propoganda Machine In Full Stride

2008-08-28T10:55:00.005-05:00

If one were to actually sit and dissect what the GOP has been hammering away at Barak Obama with, the tears of laughter would be almost uncontrollable. Not being able to tear away at the Democratic candidate on any of the issues, the Karl Roves of the Republican Party have decided to strike at the heart of the Obama campaign, and the place where they feel they can exploit an issue enough to change some voters' minds, his popularity.

On every right wing talk show, radio show, make believe political pundits such as Hannity, O'Reilly, and Limbaugh yesterday alone all told the story of the coming coronation of Barak Obama by 85,000 of his loyal subjects. Hannity even suggested that we might be witness to Obama coming onstage tonight in full Greek god regalia, and if THAT does happen, well, it would be a little much even for me.

But if you sit and listen to the reasoning behind the right wing arguments against Obama, the world gets a slightly off kilter feel to it. Everything turns upside down, and reality slips behind the curtain the right wingers put up. The fact that Obama drew 200,000 people to the old Berlin Wall is a reason not to vote for him they cry. Our allies love him so he must be no good!

Pointing out at every chance they can that Obama draws huge crowds where ever he goes, such as the Portland, Oregon event that drew almost 100,000, is only more proof as to how bad Obama is for the country. How's that again? And the fact that 85,000 more people who only wish to see a real President in the Oval Office again will be showing up for the Invesco Field acceptance speech proves that Obama is just a rock star and a celebrity. He's too popular!

Ok. Hold the phone there Mutt and Jeff, er, Mitt and Rudy. Your candidate drew a total of 2, count them, 2 people to an event he attended. His crowds range in the hundreds, (except for the crowds he has to go looking for, such as Sturgis, where he offered his wife up for all sorts of lascivious goings on) because no one wants to come out and listen to some senile old fool who thinks the country is doing just swell, the war in Iraq was the right decision, wants to bomb Iran, the Soviets, (well, ok, the RUSSIANS then), thinks outsourcing all American middle class jobs is peachy, and believes American children just get too much a dat education stuff, so we'll do away with that Department. What did I miss? Besides his voting along with Bush's policies 90% of the time?

So the American people are supposed to believe the people who took this country down the path of disaster, death, and destruction over those with a proven record of helping ordinary Americans try to reach for a better life. The neo-cons are standing behind the curtain crying out, "Don't vote for that guy, he'll only put YOUR best interests at heart!" "Vote for McCain and the Republicans! The corporations will love you lackeys, er, citizens for it."

That's what it has boiled down to really. They are reduced to arguing against Obama on the basis of his popularity. But on the other end of that spectrum, they then have to argue in favor of McCain because what, everyone hates him? The sad thing is, people will buy that drivel. I was in a taxi yesterday where the driver was listening to Hannity's lies and distortions. I asked him if he really bought into that line of crap, and he said with all seriousness that Hannity and Limbaugh were true patriots, and that all left wingers are out to destroy America. That as far as he was concerned, they should all be shot. I of course, didn't say another word for the rest of my trip.

And so we hear about the down played arrest of the men with sniper scoped rifles in Denver. Hunters? I doubt that very much thank you. But that's the mind set of the right wing, and especially the neo-fascists who see their grip on power and the laying waste of our economy slipping away from them. Do anything, say anything, twist words around to mean something else, and attack with red herring arguments, and some people will listen. Vote for the guy that no one likes, because somehow that makes him better qualified to be President. Oh, and did I mention that he was a P.O.W.? Like, the ONLY one in the entire Vietnam war? Having his plane shot down qualifies him to lead the troops don't you know?

Thankfully, their tactics are not working, and to the Democratic National Convention, I would say this: Screw the right wingers and their attempts to paint Obama as just a celebrity. They only wish they could draw crowds and excitement. They only wish that McCain would shut his mouth and let the campaign people speak for him. They know their time is over, and all of their cat calling is nothing more than the wailing of children who are about to have their toys taken away from them. Draw even bigger crowds. Fire the country up! As someone at the convention so aptly put it and you should adopt it as your campaign slogan "Wake Up America! Wake Up America! Wake Up America!"

When There's Nothing Left But To Kill Someone

2008-08-25T18:00:00.002-05:00

The entire world's attention is drawn like a moth to a flame this week towards the Democratic National Convention. Every news anchor, every reporter of any renown, and television satellite trucks all jockey for position. Everyone wants a front row seat to the Big Event. The opposition Party sends two well known operatives, and demonstrators against an entire bucket full of things have descended like locusts upon the Mile High City in an attempt to have their voices heard also. The air has a festival feel to it, and hope for the future shines brightly as Americans all pray for sunnier days ahead.

But yet, throughout all of the hope and the joy and the merriment, throughout the festivities and the speeches and the clamor of voices, the tears stream slowly down my cheeks. I could not help myself as I watched the news from overseas of yet another bloodbath orchestrated by the madman in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one seemed to be watching him, this bottom feeding troll completely ignored the cease fire agreements he signed. He showed what he thought of the United Nations and the African Union forces that are supposed to be protecting the civilians from al-Bashir and his Janjaweed militias. In Southern Sudan, in a refugee camp called Kalma, al-Bashir sent over fifty vehicles loaded with soldiers and security forces, and armed with rocket launchers and machine guns.

As soon as the well armed soldiers arrived at the refugee camp, they opened fire, killing at least 45 civilians and wounding scores more. Even as the Sudanese military denied they opened fire on the civilians and claimed they acted in self defense, reports came from humanitarian workers of the gunshot wounds to the heads of many of the dead, or in other words, they were executed.

Burning dozens of homes to the ground during their killing spree, the forces achieved for al-Bashir the desired effect. The IDP camp, (Internationally Displaced People), of over 100,000 refugees will now be closed and the remaining people will be moved to another location. In this way, al-Bashir keeps his word to the ICC who issued an arrest warrant for al-Bashir on charges of genocide, war crimes, and other criminal atrocities. He warned them he would step up activity against what he claims are rebel bases, which in his warped brain means anyone that moves that isn't part of his inner circle or military.

Rebel groups such as the Sudanese Liberation Army immediately vowed retaliation, but in reality, if the U.N./A.U. Peacekeepers are unable to stop al-Bashir from murdering people right in front of their noses, and in fact have had their own members become targets for the Janjaweed, then what chance can anyone give to the rebel forces?

Combine the above murders with the rampage that took place in the same refugee camp earlier this month, and the al-Bashir government can not deny or call it a mistake once again.

Southern Sudan and Darfur have long been the focal point of the eyes of a world weary of war and bloodletting. But in al-Bashir's world of mayhem and rape, he also commits further atrocities in North Eastern Sudan, most notably in the Port Sudan region of Beja. In an attempt to kill off the entire population of the area, al-Bashir restricts food shipments, access to drinking water and even medical attention for the sick and dying. The entire region and all of the indigenous people are slowly being starved to death by a monster who wants to allow the Chinese to drill for oil on the land where these people live.

But yet, al-Bashir somehow, through all of the abject poverty that is the nation and people of Sudan, managed to give a few gifts to the Egyptian Olympic Team. Nothing major mind you, just 35 expensive cars, $25,000 in cash for each team member, and baubles valued at close to a quarter of a million dollars. China, hosting the Olympics, had their representative at the ceremony where al-Bashir honored the Egyptian team. While the people of Sudan starve to death, al-Bashir gives away millions of dollars to a team not even from his own country.

There comes a point in which the entire world must finally agree on one thing. We killed Saddam Hussein for the crimes he committed against the people of Iraq. Well, the crimes of al-Bashir are far worse, even if he hasn't used chemical weapons........yet. He has murdered far more people than Hussein ever dreamed of, allowed for the use of mass rape as a weapon against his own people, had children hacked to death to ensure they don't grow up to oppose his rule, defied the United Nations and their peace keeping forces, defied the International Criminal Court, and defied the will of people all over the world who want this genocide stopped.

It therefore becomes incumbent upon someone to kill al-Bashir. There is no other solution left. Let China sit and rot in their putrid barrels of blood soaked barrels of oil and fire a bunch of cruise missiles directly at al-Bashir's palace. If you miss him the first time, fire some more. Because as the years of the Rwanda/Burundi massacre fade into distant memory, and other African dictators are smart enough to try to stay out of the limelight, al-Bashir has killed by some accounts, over three quarters of a million people. Just because 'official' estimates say 300,000 dead, I prefer to believe the people on the ground in Darfur.

And so the killings go on. But if the United States government has any decency left, any breath of life beyond the oil seeking goon squads, if President Bush wants to leave office with just one shred of a legacy, then let this be it. President Bush, stop al-Bashir. The people of the world will back you and respect you for it. Who cares if China gets mad? What are they going to do? Stop selling us toys? Mr. Bush, I'll pay a few more dollars in taxes to replace the amount of cruise missiles it takes in order for you to take out this devil and his satanic hordes. There are no other options left, and to not act when people are dying, is to make us complicit in the murder of an entire nation just so China can have it's oil supply.