tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75553982024-02-07T03:02:29.688-08:00outsourced-SFComments about politics, jobs, economy, etcbaianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00422928842501410101noreply@blogger.comBlogger166125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555398.post-85063167218392611522007-12-28T12:30:00.001-08:002007-12-28T12:30:51.532-08:00Bo Crony Left Behind<div class="read_more"> <strong>Read More:</strong> <a linkindex="19" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/bush-education">Bush Education</a>, <a linkindex="20" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/education">Education</a>, <a linkindex="21" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/mcgraw-hill">McGraw Hill</a>, <a linkindex="22" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/mcgraw-hill-testing">McGraw Hill Testing</a>, <a linkindex="23" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/nclb">Nclb</a>, <a linkindex="24" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/neil-bush">Neil Bush</a>, <a set="yes" linkindex="25" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/no-child-left-behind">No Child Left Behind</a>, <a linkindex="26" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/politics">Breaking Politics News</a> </div> <br /> <!-- Chicklets --> <a set="yes" linkindex="27" target="_blank" href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit.php?url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-maher/no-crony-left-behind_b_70758.html&title=Bill%20Maher:%20No%20Crony%20Left%20Behind"> <img src="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/images/bookmarking/stumble.gif" alt="stumbleupon :No Crony Left Behind" border="0" /> </a> <a set="yes" linkindex="28" target="_blank" href="http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-maher/no-crony-left-behind_b_70758.html&title=Bill%20Maher:%20No%20Crony%20Left%20Behind" title="digg: No Crony Left Behind"> <img src="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/images/bookmarking/diggit.gif" class="networking_image" alt="digg: No Crony Left Behind" border="0" /> </a> <a set="yes" linkindex="29" target="_blank" href="http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-maher/no-crony-left-behind_b_70758.html&title=Bill%20Maher:%20No%20Crony%20Left%20Behind"> <img src="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/images/bookmarking/reddit.gif" alt="reddit: No Crony Left Behind" border="0" /> </a> <a set="yes" linkindex="30" href="http://del.icio.us/post?v=4&noui&jump=close&url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-maher/no-crony-left-behind_b_70758.html&title=Bill%20Maher:%20No%20Crony%20Left%20Behind" target="_blank" title="Add to delicious"> <img src="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/images/bookmarking/delicious.gif" alt="del.icio.us: No Crony Left Behind" border="0" /> </a><!-- /Chicklets --> <br /> <!-- Content --> <p><strong>New Rule</strong>: In the next fifteen months, President Bush has to perform at least one act that doesn't make money for someone he knows. </p> <div class="blog_toolbox inline" id="entry_tools_wrapper" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: block; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <div class="blog_toolbox inline" id="entry_tools"> <ul><li class="first"><a set="yes" linkindex="31" onclick="SharePost.pop(70758); return false;" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/send/?id=70758&title=No%20Crony%20Left%20Behind&link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fbill-maher%2Fno-crony-left-behind_b_70758.html">Email</a></li><li class="last"><a set="yes" linkindex="32" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-maher/no-crony-left-behind_b_70758.html?view=print">Print</a></li><!-- <li><a href="#">HuffIt</a></li> --></ul> </div> <!-- Inline digg from nowhere/ --> </div><p>Take "No Child Left Behind." At first it just looked like gentle empty bullshit, a way to neutralize the Democrats edge with voters on education issues. What did it even mean? And how could you be against it? Education. It was a perfect cause that would honor the legacy of any president...'s wife. Which made it even more perfect for pre-9/11 Bush. And who could it hurt? No one. It made Lady Bird Johnson's wild-flowers-by-the-highways project look like the fucking Marshall Plan. </p> <p>Except, like all Bush ideas, there was more to it. To meet the requirements of "No Child Left Behind" America's public schools have ordered more than eleven million standardized tests in the last two years. (New York State alone ordered 1.7 million.) The cost of the tests -- and the testing industry, including test prep -- now exceeds two billion dollars a year. And 90% of the industry is controlled by five corporations. And the largest of them is McGraw-Hill. And the McGraw family just happens to go back 80 years with the Bushes. </p> <p>Another beneficiary of No Child Left Behind? Neil Bush's educational software company. The one funded by the United Arab Emirates. The one Barbara Bush said the Katrina victims had to spend her donation on. </p> Which is, of course, all blood under the bridge. But when Bush does anything, there's always some profit motive behind it. Nothing is free but the hookers. So it wasn't surprising that he announced his post war plans were to replenish the coffers with speeches. But before that, he has to do one purely altruistic thing. Just one.<br /><em><br /></em>baianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00422928842501410101noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555398.post-81063837346575796692007-10-12T13:06:00.000-07:002007-10-12T13:06:41.314-07:00911: Ripple Effect - Full Length Video<a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9127706080717077488">911: Ripple Effect - Full Length Video</a>baianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00422928842501410101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555398.post-79778645896811891642007-09-30T17:40:00.000-07:002007-09-30T17:42:09.775-07:00Saddam Wanted Out, Bush Lied itThis Spanish transcript reveals several damning things. The ones I picked up on are the following:<br /><br />a. Bush intended to go into Baghdad even in the event that his second resolution was vetoed in the U.N. Security Council. In effect, he was prepared to break Constitutional law by violating the terms of an international treaty to which the U.S. was a signatory.<br /><br />b. This transcript reveals that under no circumstance was Bush willing to let Saddam Hussein flee Iraq. Which means that his March 17, 2003, offer for Saddam to leave within 48hrs in order to prevent a war, was disingenuous. <a linkindex="35" class="user" href="http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/17/sprj.irq.main/index.html">http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/17/sprj.irq ...</a><br /><br />c. The transcript reveals that Bush employed coercive tactics against potential dissident governments, in order to gain their support. He did not allow them to base their support or lack thereof based on the merits of the case alone.<br /><br />d. Bush willfully ignores, or is ignorant of, United States complicity in some of the crimes committed by Saddam Hussein. Such as the United States being one of several governments who actively assisted his regime conduct an illegal war against Iran, by providing it with logistical support, military equipment and weapons, and material support for Saddam's weapons of mass destruction programs. <a linkindex="36" class="user" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saddam_hussein#Iran-Iraq_War">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saddam_hussein#Iran-I ...</a><br /><a set="yes" linkindex="37" class="user" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_and_weapons_of_mass_destruction#Program_development_1960s_-_1980s">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_and_weapons_of_m ...</a><br /><br />e. The transcript reveals that no amount of proof of disarmament could have satisfied Bush's demands for evidence of such. He viewed the diplomatic process as a cover for troop movements, and was not open to the possibility that it might bear fruit.<br /><br />f. Bush views himself as some great protector of world freedom, rather than as a constitutional officer, whose primary duty it is to make sure the Constitution is obeyed.<br /><br />g. Finally, this Spanish transcript reveals that Bush considered the capture of one single individual, Saddam Hussein, to be more important than the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis, 4,000+ U.S. troops and coalition forces, and the wounding and displacement of millions of individuals.baianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00422928842501410101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555398.post-51909733744222357342007-09-26T16:54:00.000-07:002007-09-26T16:54:19.030-07:00Cindy Sheehan for Congress<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /></span><p class="hometitle"><span class="hometitle">People before Politics!</span></p> <span class="homebody"><p><em> My statement to the press when I announced my candidacy at the Presidio on August 9th.</em> <br /> <br />Two years ago this week, I started my first vigil in Crawford, Tx, at what became Camp Casey I near George’s vacation ranch. I never thought that my path would lead me here today. Nothing before Casey was killed in the illegal and immoral war in Iraq prepare me for this new direction, but looking back on my life since April 04. 2004, I believe this is the next natural step to bringing the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan to a swifter conclusion and those responsible accountable for the mess our world is in. <br /> <br />An electorate disgusted with the policies of the Bush regime put the Democrats in the majority in Congress in November ‘06. We voted for change, however, <br />Congress, under the Speakership of Ms. Pelosi has done nothing but protect the status quo of the corporate elite and, in fact, since she has been the Speaker, the situation in the Middle East has grown far worse, with Congress’ help, and recently more of our essential freedoms were given to BushCo by Congress. <br />That is not what we elected them to do! <br /> <br />A great majority of citizens in California’s 8th Congressional district want the Bush regime impeached and want our troops home from the Middle East. I believe Ms. Pelosi has lost touch with the people of this district and America and it’s time for our reps that aren’t doing their jobs by upholding their sworn oaths to the Constitution to receive a wakeup call! <br /> <br />I agree that with over 45 million American uninsured, we need universal health care. I agree that with many of our young people joining the military to receive college credit (which very few take full advantage of), it’s time to make college affordable. I agree that the people in the administrative branch are corrupt, as are many members of Congress, and ethics need to be reformed. None of these worthy goals can be accomplished while we’re spending 12 million of our tax dollars an hour in Iraq and while the foxes run the henhouse. In this once great nation of ours, the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer and the middle class is rapidly disappearing along with the “American dream” of home ownership. The time is now to bring our tax dollars home from the Middle East to help the people of California’s 8th and to make our communities safer and more prosperous. <br /> <br />Incredibly, even before the November elections, Ms. Pelosi took part of the Constitution off the table and it’s time to put it back on! Ms. Pelosi colluded with BushCo to take away our 4th Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure. Congress needs to make that body relevant again as a co-equal branch of government that has a responsibility to put checks and balances on the executive branch not be conspirators in its crimes and murder. <br /> <br />The Patriot Act and Military Commissions Act need to be repealed and Habeas Corpus needs to be restored. These things can only happen with fearless leadership, not fearful capitulation to a lying President. <br /> <br />I am running unaffiliated with any political party because I believe the corporately controlled “two” party system is responsible for keeping our country in a state of cold and hot wars for decades and it’s time to rein in the military industrial war complex that President Eisenhower warned us of almost 50 years ago. <br /> <br />My candidacy and service will put people before profits and people before political expediency. This country is ripe for a change and it is going to start right here and right now! <br /> <br />I dedicate my candidacy to the people of Iraq and Afghanistan that have been tragically harmed by BushCo with the complicity of Congress, Inc. <br /> <br />I dedicate my candidacy to my children and unborn grandchildren. All the children of the world deserve long lives lived in peace, prosperity and environmental sustainability. <br /> <br />Last of all, I dedicate my candidacy to my hero, Casey who always stood up for what he believed in, even if it wasn't popular. He is my role model and I always strive to make him proud. <br /> <br />Thank you. <br /><strong> <br />Cindy Sheehan</strong> <br /><em>Candidate For The People</em></p> <p><strong>To Donate by Check to Cindy's Campaign mail to:</strong></p> <p><strong>Cindy for Congress <br />P.O. Box 1672 <br />Bellflower Ca <br />90707 <br /></strong></p> <p><a linkindex="0" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/806/t/3684/signUp.jsp?key=2657"><strong>Sign up for Newsletter Updates </strong></a></p> <p><strong><a linkindex="1" href="http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/gsfp/signUp.jsp?key=2657&t=Cindy%20for%20congress.dwt"> <br /></a></strong></p> <p> <br /></p> </span>baianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00422928842501410101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555398.post-61516114153072878982007-09-26T14:00:00.000-07:002007-09-26T14:01:36.476-07:00Less than real men are getting ready to attack Iran? Do the Democrats have the cajones to stop them?<h3 class="post-title"> LESS THAN REAL MEN GETTING READY TO ATTACK IRAN? DO THE DEMOCRATS HAVE THE CAJONES TO STOP THEM? </h3> <p> </p><a set="yes" linkindex="1" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb5CffeuKy97ezZ7u0TMC-1yBlpzHE3nPnxYsKcxXQUjicNPJC1ynZ8dXzIKrOWuvLsATjbFGtKKhDNJ8IAA3Zd9SxsXV94okYdU7yTz4hN-T76lIbXS7hImnQzTzwbqf16fm9Rg/s1600-h/Bush:Iran.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb5CffeuKy97ezZ7u0TMC-1yBlpzHE3nPnxYsKcxXQUjicNPJC1ynZ8dXzIKrOWuvLsATjbFGtKKhDNJ8IAA3Zd9SxsXV94okYdU7yTz4hN-T76lIbXS7hImnQzTzwbqf16fm9Rg/s400/Bush:Iran.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103894886719360418" border="0" /></a><br />Well, now that we've all been reassured that Larry Craig is <a linkindex="2" href="http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/08/28/hes-not-gay/#comments">not gay</a>, we can move on to Bush's nuclear saber rattling at Iran. You remember when you couldn't turn on the TV back in 2002-2003 without hearing some NeoCon hack crowing that <a linkindex="3" href="http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1468-2346.2007.00601.x?cookieSet=1">"Real men want to go to Tehran,"</a> right? Real men like Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, John Bolton, Jonah Goldberg, Peter Steinfels, Elliot Abrams, Norman Podhoretz, Richard Perle, Irving Kristol, Robert Zoellick, Donald Rumsfeld, Robert Kagen, Gary Schmitt, Frank Gaffney, "Scooter" Libby, Ken Adelman, William Bennett, Michael O'Hanlon, Rich Lowry, Martin Peretz and, of course, Holy Joe Lieberman? <i>Actual</i> real men-- and real women-- have been fighting and dying needlessly in Iraq while these <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/28/world/middleeast/28military.html?_r=1&ref=world&oref=slogin">war profiteers</a> have been hooting it up back home. Every single one of them should be tried before a war crimes tribunal-- along with the dimwit who fronts for them.<br /><br />And today, Dimwit, the lamest of lame ducks, with over a year left for causing mischief in the world and-- if we are to judge by the inability of congressional Democrats to show any resolve, unity or spine--nothing whatsoever to hold him back, was <a linkindex="4" href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070828/wl_mideast_afp/usiraqpoliticsiran_070828185933">barking about Iran</a> again. He's done such a <a linkindex="5" href="http://slate.com/id/2172904">fabulous job</a> in Iraq. In fact, despite the <a linkindex="6" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/25/AR2007082500807_pf.html">doubled casualties</a> for American fighting men (the "real men," not the ones he hangs out with) and tripled casualties for Iraqi civilians-- not to mention the complete destruction of their society fro top to bottom-- Dimwit will soon have the most craven of his pet generals declare that his failed and catastrophic policies in Iraq are not just not a disaster but that they are succeeding. Well, by all means, Mr. Presidunce, if you can convince the American public and the <a linkindex="7" href="http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/08/28/brian-baird-gets-an-earful/#comments">idiots who represent them</a> in Congress that Iraq is a success, you have earned the war in Iran you so crave.<br /><br /><a linkindex="8" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4X0jfQ62emORHdV6sP3g01AzybK6h-gKwK36CeADDXj2i-jqbKzAcVVcKBtyaM2-_Shc0nflKB89HHK5G_kzrqz5dbUDEx5a8ILAkEnScpfXlnzoxCOne0MoCF-jUHo4g_F1ag/s1600-h/just-trust-us.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4X0jfQ62emORHdV6sP3g01AzybK6h-gKwK36CeADDXj2i-jqbKzAcVVcKBtyaM2-_Shc0nflKB89HHK5G_kzrqz5dbUDEx5a8ILAkEnScpfXlnzoxCOne0MoCF-jUHo4g_F1ag/s200/just-trust-us.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103895058518052274" border="0" /></a>Although I have no doubt that if the whole world voted, the United States, and especially the Presidunce in charge of Decidering, would be declared the world's leading terrorist, Bush seems it differently and branded Iran "the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism" and raised the specter of a "nuclear holocaust." I'm in the camp that isn't positive that this is just Bush bluster. Today <i>Raw Story</i> cites a credible study that says Bush is preparing a <a set="yes" linkindex="9" href="http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Study_US_preparing_massive_military_attack_0828.html">massive strike against Iran</a>.<br /><blockquote>The United States has the capacity for and may be prepared to launch without warning a massive assault on Iranian uranium enrichment facilities, as well as government buildings and infrastructure, using long-range bombers and missiles, according to a new analysis.<br /><br />...The study concludes that the US has made military preparations to destroy Iran’s WMD, nuclear energy, regime, armed forces, state apparatus and economic infrastructure within days if not hours of President George W. Bush giving the order. The US is not publicizing the scale of these preparations to deter Iran, tending to make confrontation more likely. The US retains the option of avoiding war, but using its forces as part of an overall strategy of shaping Iran’s actions.<br />• Any attack is likely to be on a massive multi-front scale but avoiding a ground invasion. Attacks focused on WMD facilities would leave Iran too many retaliatory options, leave President Bush open to the charge of using too little force and leave the regime intact.<br /><br />• US bombers and long range missiles are ready today to destroy 10,000 targets in Iran in a few hours.<br /><br />• US ground, air and marine forces already in the Gulf, Iraq, and Afghanistan can devastate Iranian forces, the regime and the state at short notice.<br /><br />• Some form of low level US and possibly UK military action as well as armed popular resistance appear underway inside the Iranian provinces or ethnic areas of the Azeri, Balujistan, Kurdistan and Khuzestan. Iran was unable to prevent sabotage of its offshore-to-shore crude oil pipelines in 2005.<br /><br />• Nuclear weapons are ready, but most unlikely, to be used by the US, the UK and Israel. The human, political and environmental effects would be devastating, while their military value is limited.<br /><br />• Israel is determined to prevent Iran acquiring nuclear weapons yet has the conventional military capability only to wound Iran’s WMD programmes.<br /><br />• The attitude of the UK is uncertain, with the Brown government and public opinion opposed psychologically to more war, yet, were Brown to support an attack he would probably carry a vote in Parliament. The UK is adamant that Iran must not acquire the bomb.<br /><br />• The US is not publicising the scale of these preparations to deter Iran, tending to make confrontation more likely. The US retains the option of avoiding war, but using its forces as part of an overall strategy of shaping Iran’s actions.</blockquote>baianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00422928842501410101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555398.post-55290659337147493422007-08-29T21:59:00.000-07:002007-08-29T22:00:15.882-07:00America's biggest threat comes from within<h2><a set="yes" linkindex="101" href="http://elequity.com/?p=1366" title="America’s biggest threat comes from within">America’s biggest threat comes from within</a></h2> <p>Paul Craig Roberts is a Republican who served as undersecretary of the treasury under Ronald Reagan and associate editor of the Wall Street Journal’s editorial page, so he’s no kook or Commie. He warns, “Unless Congress immediately impeaches Bush and Cheney, a year from now the United States could be a dictatorial police state at war with Iran.”</p> <p>Roberts warns us that Bush has put into place all the necessary measures for dictatorship in the form of executive orders that are triggered whenever Bush declares a national emergency.</p> <p><strong>Ask yourself:</strong> Would a government that has lied us into Iraq and is working to lie us into an attack on Iran shrink from staging terrorist attacks in order to remove opposition to its agenda? Bush already ignores public opinion and laws he doesn’t like. His secret spying network is in place.</p> <p>He has politicized all levels of government, appointing cronies who are loyal to him rather than competent officials. Has he been setting the groundwork for dictatorship?</p> <p>Adolf Hitler, who never achieved majority support in a German election, used the Reichstag fire to fan hysteria and push through the Enabling Act, which made him dictator. Determined tyrants never require majority support in order to overthrow democratic constitutions. <strong>They declare “national emergencies.”</strong> A series of staged or permitted terrorist attacks would accomplish that.</p> <p align="center"><em>On a recent radio show, Roberts said, “Americans think their danger is terrorists. They don’t understand the terrorists cannot take away habeas corpus, the Bill of Rights, the Constitution…. The terrorists are not anything like the threat we face from our own government in the name of fighting terrorism.”</em></p>baianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00422928842501410101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555398.post-52647470597792826222007-08-13T20:46:00.001-07:002007-08-13T20:47:26.481-07:00The "SICKO" Man Bush<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/_images/_home/sicko_mm_homepage.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.michaelmoore.com/_images/_home/sicko_mm_homepage.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />http://www.michaelmoore.com/_images/_home/sicko_mm_homepage.jpgbaianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00422928842501410101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555398.post-25024703648521480512007-08-13T20:37:00.001-07:002007-08-13T20:37:16.487-07:00HEALTHCARE & THE WAR ARE "SICKO"<p class="style87 style89 style91" align="center">HEALTHCARE & THE WAR ARE “<span class="style102">SiCKO</span>”</p> <p class="style96"><u><u><span class="style87 style89 style91"><img src="http://www.troopsoutnow.org/images/feb07mercado.jpg" height="266" width="346" /></span></u></u></p> <p class="style96"><u>Did you know?</u></p> <blockquote> <p class="style92 style93 style95">One fourth of the Iraq war budget alone could fund healthcare for every uninsured person in this country.</p> </blockquote> <p class="style92" align="justify">Think what the trillions of dollars wasted on war, occupation and destruction could do for the people:</p> <p class="style92" align="justify">• Provide <strong>free medicine</strong> for all of our seniors and chronically ill.</p> <p class="style92" align="justify">• Change the dismal statistics of <strong>infant mortality</strong> in major cities like Detroit, Baltimore and Washington D.C. where the mortality rates for African American and poor children rival impoverished countries abroad;</p> <p class="style92" align="justify">• Stop the epidemic of <strong>hospital closings</strong>;</p> <p class="style92" align="justify">• It could provide healthcare and treatment for the physical and psychological trauma that the survivors of <strong>Katrina and Rita</strong> are still suffering from;</p> <p class="style92" align="justify">• Make <strong>healthcare for low wage workers and immigrant families</strong> a priority.</p> <p class="style92" align="justify">While the war is bleeding us at home it is miniscule in comparison to the bloodshed, misery and pain that is being inflicted on the Iraqi people. The Lancet medical journal documented that <strong>655,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed during the war</strong> (Oct, 2006). The health of the Iraqi people and the entire region has been destroyed. <span class="style104">Solidarity demands that we act now to stop the war, end the occupation and bring the troops home now!</span></p> <p class="style92 style94"><strong>GET INVOLVED:</strong></p> <p class="style92 style94"> 1) <a linkindex="7" href="http://www.troopsoutnow.org/healthnotwarendorse.shtml">Endorse</a><br /> <br />2) <a set="yes" linkindex="8" href="http://www.troopsoutnow.org/sept2207volunteer.shtml">Become a volunteer organizer</a><br /><br /> 3) <a linkindex="9" href="http://troopsoutnow.org/donate.shtml%20">Donate</a><br /><br />4) Download "Healthcare and the War are Sicko" leaflets at: <a href="http://troopsoutnow.org/HWN.pdf">http://troopsoutnow.org/HWN.pdf </a>- and get them out to your school, workplace, hospital, union hall, etc.</p> <p class="style92"> Become a volunteer organizer - sign up <a linkindex="10" href="http://www.troopsoutnow.org/sept2207volunteer.shtml"><strong>online</strong></a> or call or write us at:</p> <p class="style92"> <strong>Campaign for Healthcare, Not Warfare</strong>,<br />c/o TONC,<br />55 W. 17th St. 5C,<br /> New York, NY 10011<br /> 212-633-6646.</p>baianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00422928842501410101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555398.post-23080259913328919392007-07-31T22:19:00.001-07:002007-07-31T22:19:51.247-07:00Plea for Help from 9/11 Rescue Workers to Rudolph Giuliani Went Unanswered !!!<p class="titleText"><span class="date">Tuesday, July 31, 2007</span><br /><b>Plea for Help from 9/11 Rescue Workers to Rudolph Giuliani Went Unanswered</b> </p> <p> [<i>The following letter was e-mailed to Rudolph Giuliani on May 29th, 2007 by September 11th rescue workers left to fend for themselves after suffering illnesses caused by their work at ground zero in the days after the attacks. They never received a response.</i>] </p> <p> May 29, 2007 </p> <p> Dear Mr. Giuliani, </p> <p> As you know, tens of thousands of New Yorkers like ourselves came together on September 11 to help search for survivors, rescue victims, and begin to clean-up after the attacks on our great city. Many of those first responders including James Zadroga, Cesar Borja, and Debbie Reeve developed debilitating health problems after breathing the toxic dust from the collapsed World Trade Center towers. Thousands of 9/11 responders, whose heroic efforts helped our city and country get back on its feet quickly, have attempted to get much-needed medical attention to help recover from their illnesses. For six years, we have pleaded with the Federal government for help, but have received nothing, but even worse, we haven't received straight answers from our own government. </p> <p> Mr. Giuliani, in your speech at a Hoover Institution meeting in Washington, D.C. on February 26, 2007, you stated that you have never heard anyone tell you that they want to leave the country to get care because the U.S. has the "best healthcare system in the world." The two of us, along with our friend and 9/11 responder, John Graham, actually did leave the country to receive free healthcare that we couldn't get here in the United States. </p> <p>For the last several weeks, we have been publicly attacked by your Republican party for traveling with filmmaker Michael Moore to Cuba, where we received free healthcare from doctors. Michael Moore, who took us to Cuba for his new documentary on the U.S. healthcare system called “SiCKO,” is now being investigated by the Bush Administration for taking us to Cuba, a trip we decided to take only after the U.S. government and healthcare system failed for the last six years to provide the support for medical treatment we needed. Our health needs have been ignored and forgotten by the very government that celebrated our sacrifice in the days after that tragedy. And now, the Bush Administration and other conservatives seem more interested in investigating our trip to Cuba than in helping us get the health care we deserve. </p> <p>Mr. Giuliani, the key message you continue to convey to the American people in your run for the Republican nomination for President is your leadership on September 11. You talk about what it was like to be making critical decisions on September 11. There is no doubt that you were on the ground and witnessed the heroic work of the first responders that day. If there is anyone who should know and understand what the 9/11 responders are going through, it is you. Given the fact that you are running for President, we would like to meet with you to discuss what your plans are for helping the health care needs of 9/11 responders if you become President. We want to share our experiences with you so that if elected, you will understand why many Americans are leaving the country to get healthcare elsewhere because they cannot get it here. </p> <p>Just last week, the city of New York agreed to include on the official list of September 11 victims a woman who died as a result of dust from the twin towers' collapse. We have watched our friends suffer and die from medical conditions as a direct result of working on Ground Zero. We have health conditions that have cost us employment and put us in very difficult financial situations. Our lives have been changed forever. Our government likes to talk about the fact that we are heroes, yet we continue to be ignored. We deserve the opportunity to sit down with you, someone who watched thousands of first responders in action after September 11, to discuss the issues thousands of us are facing today. Show us that our voices will not be ignored if you are elected President. </p> <p> Sincerely, </p> <p> Reggie Cervantes<br />Bill Maher </p>baianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00422928842501410101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555398.post-79447953474540080992007-07-24T21:00:00.001-07:002007-07-24T21:00:56.858-07:00White House preparing to stage new September 11 !!!<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="533"><tbody><tr><td class="mainnewstitle" valign="middle"><div class="titleblock"><h1>White House preparing to stage new September 11 - Reagan official</h1></div></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10" valign="bottom"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr> <td class="maintime">13:58</td> <td class="maindatedelim" width="1">|</td> <td class="maindate"><strong>20</strong>/ <strong>07</strong>/ 2007</td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> <td align="right"> <div style="padding-top: 7px; float: right; margin-bottom: -5px;"> <a linkindex="19" onclick="popup('/world/20070720/69340886-print.html','printversion','menubar=1,toolbar=1,resizable=0,location=0,status=0,scrollbars=1','680','500'); return false;" href="http://en.rian.ru/world/20070720/69340886-print.html"> <img src="http://img.rian.ru/i/b_print.gif" alt="Print version" style="margin-bottom: 2px;" border="0" height="15" width="14" /></a> </div> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p>WASHINGTON, July 20 (RIA Novosti) - A former Reagan official has issued a public warning that the Bush administration is preparing to orchestrate a staged terrorist attack in the United States, transform the country into a dictatorship and launch a war with Iran within a year. </p><p> Paul Craig Roberts, a former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, blasted Thursday a new Executive Order, released July 17, allowing the White House to seize the assets of anyone who interferes with its Iraq policies and giving the government expanded police powers to exercise control in the country. </p> <p> Roberts, who spoke on the Thom Hartmann radio program, said: "When Bush exercises this authority [under the new Executive Order], there's no check to it. So it really is a form of total, absolute, one-man rule." </p> <p> "The American people don't really understand the danger that they face," Roberts said, adding that the so-called neoconservatives intended to use a renewal of the fight against terrorism to rally the American people around the fading Republican Party. </p> <p> Old-line Republicans like Roberts have become increasingly disenchanted with the neoconservative politics of the Bush administration, which they see as a betrayal of fundamental conservative values. </p> <p> According to a July 9-11 survey by Ipsos, an international public opinion research company, President Bush and the Republicans can claim a mere 31 percent approval rating for their handling of the Iraq war and 38 percent for their foreign policy in general, including terrorism. </p> <p> "The administration figures themselves and prominent Republican propagandists ... are preparing us for another 9/11 event or series of events," he said. "You have to count on the fact that if al Qaeda is not going to do it, it is going to be orchestrated." </p> <p> Roberts suggested that in the absence of a massive popular outcry, only the federal bureaucracy and perhaps the military could put constraints on Bush's current drive for a fully-fledged dictatorship. </p> <p> "They may have had enough. They may not go along with it," he said. </p> <p> The radio interview was a follow-up to Robert's latest column, in which he warned that "unless Congress immediately impeaches Bush and Cheney, a year from now the U.S. could be a dictatorial police state at war with Iran." </p> <p> Roberts, who has been dubbed the "Father of Reaganomics" and has recently gained popularity for his strong opposition to the Bush administration and the Iraq War, regularly contributes articles to Creators Syndicate, an independent distributor of comic strips and syndicated columns for daily newspapers. </p>baianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00422928842501410101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555398.post-19715456552871767602007-06-03T21:43:00.000-07:002007-06-03T21:43:33.748-07:00Please John Conyers: Impeach Bush NOW<a href="http://www.xanga.com/private/yourhome.aspx?user=jbcard">jbcard's Xanga Site</a><br /><br /><h2 class="content-title">Please John Conyers: Impeach Bush NOW</h2> <!-- start main content --> <div class="meta"> <span class="submitted">Submitted by Bob Fertik on March 3, 2006 - 9:19pm.</span> <span class="terms"><ul class="links inline"><li class="first last taxonomy_term_260"><a linkindex="43" href="http://www.democrats.com/taxonomy/term/260" rel="tag" title="Impeachment" class="taxonomy_term_260">Impeachment</a></li></ul></span> </div> <div class="content"> <p><img src="http://www.democrats.com/files/images/harpers-impeach-brennan-300.jpg" align="right" border="0" height="225" width="300" />On Thursday, <a set="yes" linkindex="44" href="http://harpers.org/" target="_blank">Harper's Magazine</a> held a truly outstanding forum on impeaching George Bush (<a set="yes" linkindex="45" href="http://kateannenyc.blogspot.com/2006/03/is-there-case-for-impeachment.html" target="_blank">photo by Kate Anne</a>).</p> <p>The panel could not have been more distinguished. It included former Rep. Liz Holtzman, who became famous through her diligent service on the House Judiciary Committee when it adopted Articles of Impeachment that forced Richard Nixon to resign; John Dean, Nixon's White House Counsel whose conscientious refusal to cover up Nixon's crimes played a crucial role in Nixon's downfall; Harper's editor Lewis Lapham, who has analyzed American politics with profound insight for decades; Michael Ratner, the passionate human rights lawyer from the Center for Constitutional Rights, which is leading the legal battles to stop Bush's torture; and Rep. John Conyers, the civil rights legend who is Bush's most passionate and determined critic in Congress.</p> <p>If anyone came to the forum doubting Bush deserves to be impeached, that doubt was dispelled immediately when all of the panelists emphatically agreed that Bush's war in Iraq, his torture of prisoners, his illegal wiretapping, and his assertion of dictatorial powers all rose to the level of High Crimes as intended by the Founding Fathers.</p> <p>Sam Seder of Air America Radio, who was an excellent moderator, tried to play devil's advocate, but even he found it impossible to come up with a reason not to impeach Bush.</p> <p>So the question for the evening was not whether to impeach Bush, but <strong>how</strong> - and <strong>when</strong>.</p> <p>Obviously the primary obstacle is Republican control of Congress. Only Lapham thought a few Republicans might rise above partisanship to join Democrats. <a linkindex="46" href="http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2006/03/03/impeachment/print.html" target="_blank">Salon's Michelle Goldberg</a> described that idea as "a delusion almost as great as Bush's conviction that God, not William Rehnquist, made him president."</p> <p>So the question shifted to whether Democrats could win a majority in Congress. Holtzman declared her faith in the voters, who will wake up to the enormity of Bush's crimes and demand impeachment - or sweep Republicans out of office for standing in the way.</p> <p>As the panel wrapped up, those fired-up voters in the audience headed for the microphones. When my turn came, I echoed Holtzman's remarks by providing concrete evidence of the tremendous grassroots passion for impeachment.</p> <blockquote dir="ltr"><p>I have good news: there <strong>is</strong> a grassroots movement for impeachment, and you can find it at ImpeachPAC.org. We have raised over $60,000 to support pro-impeachment candidates, and we have endorsed two so far. But our main problem is that very few candidates are willing to call for impeachment. <strong>Mr. Conyers, why don't you introduce Articles of Impeachment so ImpeachPAC can endorse you</strong>?</p> </blockquote> <p>My question was not meant as an attack on Conyers, who is far and away my favorite Member of Congress, and has done more than any other Member to make impeachment a genuine possibility, however remote it seems. But Conyers was a bit exasperated.</p> <blockquote dir="ltr"><p>My goodness, please look at H.Res. 635, which calls for an investigation that could lead to impeachment. But I cannot call for impeachment now, before we have investigated all the facts.</p> </blockquote> <p>My time was up, so I could not continue the debate. But if I could, these are the arguments I would make for the <strong>immediate introduction of Articles of Impeachment</strong>.</p> <p><a linkindex="47" href="http://www.mhpbooks.com/aoiReferral" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.democrats.com/files/images/ccr-impeachment2.jpg" align="left" border="0" height="178" width="150" /></a>First, the Articles of Impeachment have been written. You can find them in <a set="yes" linkindex="48" href="http://www.mhpbooks.com/aoiReferral" target="_blank">Michael Ratner's brand new book</a>. We don't need a committee to struggle for months over the wording; Conyers and his allies can simply "throw the book" at Bush.</p> <p>Second, when House Republicans impeached President Clinton in 1998, they emphasized ad nauseum that "impeachment" is merely the equivalent of an <strong>indictment</strong>, the determination that there is sufficient evidence to <strong>charge</strong> a suspect with a crime. Impeachment, like an indictment, leads to a <strong>trial</strong>, in which a jury (in this case the Senate) determines whether the evidence is sufficient for conviction. The evidence we have in hand (as presented in Michael Ratner's book, as well as <a linkindex="49" href="https://secure.avenet.net/index.asp?submit=default&siteid=%7BEF00C507-612C-4BA3-84C0-446C97F7E413%7D" target="_blank"><img src="http://johnconyers.com/vertical/Sites/%7BEF00C507-612C-4BA3-84C0-446C97F7E413%7D/uploads/%7BF01E2990-7C40-42E2-AF21-AE459229079F%7D.JPG" align="right" border="0" height="150" width="109" /></a>John Conyers' thorough report on the Iraq War lies, <a set="yes" linkindex="50" href="https://secure.avenet.net/index.asp?submit=default&siteid=%7BEF00C507-612C-4BA3-84C0-446C97F7E413%7D" target="_blank">The Constitution in Crisis</a>) is <strong>far more than is needed for an indictment</strong>. There is absolutely no reason for Conyers' proposed Select Committee to do the work of the Senate in weighing the evidence.</p> <p>Third, <strong>Bush's criminal activity is ongoing and must be stopped</strong>. Our occupation of Iraq has already cost <a linkindex="51" href="http://icasualties.org/oif/" target="_blank">2,300 American lives</a> and at least <a linkindex="52" href="http://iraqbodycount.org/" target="_blank">28,636 Iraqi lives</a>, if not <a linkindex="53" href="http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Feb06/Soldz07.htm" target="_blank">well over 100,000</a>. We are committing war crimes by torturing and murdering prisoners, using chemical weapons and depleted uranium, and pushing Iraq to the brink of civil war. Bush is still wiretapping countless Americans without a warrant, in direct violation of the FISA law. And even though Bush's crimes are flagrant and obscene, the Republican Congress refuses to either investigate them or stop them.</p> <p>Finally, as the panelists made clear, the American people are truly in a state of despair that George Bush is able to commit these unspeakable crimes without any effort to hold him accountable. <strong>By introducing real Articles of Impeachment - even if only a few Members do so - those Members will make a powerful statement that they are determined to challenge that despair and demand accountability.</strong> That act of leadership, in and of itself, would galvanize the <a linkindex="54" href="http://www.democrats.com/bush-impeachment-polls" target="_blank">52% of Americans</a> (when last measured in January, long before Dubai and the Katrina tapes) who support impeachment. And it would most likely persuade even more Americans that Bush's impeachment was both necessary and urgent. So if 55% or 60% or even 65% of Americans supported impeachment, Republicans in Congress would have a very difficult time standing in the way - especially as they faced a disastrous election in November.</p> <p>After four distinguished decades in Congress, John Conyers is not a man who acts rashly. But all of us who have watched Bush shred the Constitution know that Conyers has tried to stop him every step of the way by sending urgent letters, filing Freedom of Information requests, and proposing Resolutions of Inquiry. Through those diligent efforts, Conyers has laid the most solid groundwork possible for impeachment. </p> <p>So please John Conyers, I honestly beg you to introduce Articles of Impeachment <strong>now</strong>.</p> <p>Action items:</p> <p>1. Send this article with a few words of your own to <a href="mailto:campaign@johnconyers.com">campaign@johnconyers.com</a></p> <p>2. Urge your Representative and Senators to support Impeachment:<br /><a linkindex="55" href="http://democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/65">http://democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/65</a></p> <p>3. C-Span taped this outstanding forum but it does not appear on C-Span's schedule for <a linkindex="56" href="http://inside.c-spanarchives.org:8080/cspan/fullschedule.csp?timeid=212008231217" target="_blank">Saturday</a>, <a linkindex="57" href="http://inside.c-spanarchives.org:8080/cspan/fullschedule.csp?timeid=212008314017" target="_blank">Sunday</a> or <a linkindex="58" href="http://inside.c-spanarchives.org:8080/cspan/fullschedule.csp?timeid=212008396817" target="_blank">Monday</a>. Email <a href="mailto:viewer@c-span.org">viewer@c-span.org</a> and urge them to broadcast it.</p> <p>4. The <a linkindex="59" href="http://nytimes.com/" target="_blank">New York Times</a> is one block from Town Hall, yet it did not even mention this historic event. Email Executive Editor Bill Keller <a href="mailto:executive-editor@nytimes.com">executive-editor@nytimes.com</a> and Public Editor Byron Calame <a href="mailto:public@nytimes.com">public@nytimes.com</a> and demand to know why.</p> <p>5. Link to this article from your favorite blogs and ask the blog owner to join ImpeachPAC's <a linkindex="60" href="http://impeachpac.org/citizens" target="_blank">Citizens Impeachment Co</a>mmission.</p> <p>6. Register to join in local protests:<br /><a linkindex="61" href="http://www.democrats.com/user/register"><u>http://www.democrats.com/user/register</u></a></p> <p>7. Read the whole protest plan:<br /><a set="yes" linkindex="62" href="http://www.democrats.com/cd"><u>http://www.democrats.com/cd</u></a> </p> <p>8. Organize your congressional district:<br /><a set="yes" linkindex="63" href="http://pdamerica.org/orgs/cdpp-form.php"><u>http://pdamerica.org/orgs/cdpp-form.php</u></a> </p> <p>9. Support our efforts by contributing to <a linkindex="64" href="http://impeachpac.org/" target="_blank">ImpeachPAC</a>.</p> <p><strong>Thank you for continuing your tireless efforts to save American Democracy!</strong></p> </div>baianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00422928842501410101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555398.post-13981846288267351022007-06-03T16:18:00.001-07:002007-06-03T16:18:43.693-07:00Mike Gravel for President !!!<h3 class="title"><a href="http://www.gravel2008.us/?q=node/620#comment-1246" class="active">Damn RIGHT He's Angry !! SO AM I !!</a></h3> <div class="submitted">Submitted by radical Priest on Sat, 2007-04-28 12:54.<div class="user_badges"><img src="http://www.gravel2008.us/files/badges/xchat.png" alt="Member" title="Member" height="32" width="32" /></div></div> <div class="content"><p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;font-size:100%;"><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Anyone who ISN'T angry,</span></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;font-size:100%;"><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">just isn't paying ATTENTION !!</span></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;font-size:100%;"><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">I've been angry since that spoiled little twit stole the first election,</span></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;font-size:100%;"><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">then his Daddy and his cronies pulled another fast one and attacked us on 9/11 !</span></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;font-size:100%;"><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">THEN they stole ANOTHER ELECTION !!</span></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;font-size:100%;"><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Between the audacity of blaming arabs who turned up alive,</span></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;font-size:100%;"><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">or Osama, who isn't even wanted by the FBI for 9/11,</span></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;font-size:100%;"><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">or hijackers whose names weren't even ON the passenger lists,</span></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;font-size:100%;"><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">or mysteriously vanishing jets, AND BLACK BOXES,<br /></span></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;font-size:100%;"><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">or unprecedented perfect implosions of steel framed skyscrapers from kerosene fires,</span></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;font-size:100%;"><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">or $2.3 TRILLION missing on 9/10,</span></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;font-size:100%;"><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">or $167 BILLION missing from WTC after 9/11,</span></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;font-size:100%;"><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">or NORAD missing throughout 9/11,</span></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;font-size:100%;"><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">or WMD's missing from Iraq,</span></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;font-size:100%;"><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">or Sadam not even being INVOLVED WITH 9/11,</span></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;font-size:100%;"><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">.............SUCH A MOUNTAIN OF LIES,</span></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;font-size:100%;"><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">and attacks on our rights, such a fascist manipulation of our government with illegal war, illegal wiretapping, no bid contracts for Halliburton ( Cheney ), Guantanamo torture, Abu Graib torture, violation of International War Crimes Act, Geneva Convention, and United Nations policies, a national debt for an illegal war that our children will have to pay their ENTIRE LIVES !!</span></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;font-size:100%;"><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">DAMNED RIGHT HE'S ANGRY !!!!</span></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;font-size:100%;"><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">SO THE HELL AM I !!!! </span></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;font-size:100%;"><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Radical Priest,</span></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;font-size:100%;"><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Reverend Michael Valentine Goldsun </span></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;font-size:100%;"><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">http://radicalpriest.homestead.com/index.html</span></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;font-size:100%;"><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">9/11=PNAC Plot </span></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;font-size:100%;"><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">http://erroneousbusczh.homestead.com/9-11Plot.html</span></strong></em></span> </p></div>baianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00422928842501410101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555398.post-55049903386161682872007-06-03T16:05:00.000-07:002007-06-03T16:05:08.288-07:00After debate, little-known Democrat draws a crowd | Gravel 2008<a href="http://www.gravel2008.us/?q=node/620">After debate, little-known Democrat draws a crowd | Gravel 2008</a><br /><br /><br /><h1 class="title">After debate, little-known Democrat draws a crowd</h1> <!-- begin content --> <div class="datestamp">April 28, 2007 </div> <!-- start node content --> <p class="byline"><span>By Joe Lauria, Globe Correspondent | </span> <span class="date">April 28, 2007</span></p> <p>ORANGEBURG, S.C. -- Until the first Democratic presidential debate here on Thursday night, former senator Mike Gravel campaigned in almost total obscurity since becoming the first Democrat to declare more than a year ago, in April 2006.</p><p>But all that changed with a few provocative remarks from the stage of South Carolina State University with his seven better-known rivals looking on.</p><p>He said the early leading Democratic candidates "frightened" him because they had taken nothing off the table, including nuclear weapons, for possible military action against Iran.</p><p>"Tell me, Barack, who do you want to nuke?" he asked Senator Barack Obama of Illinois.</p><p>"I'm not planning on nuking anybody right now, Mike," Obama replied.</p><p>"Good, then we're safe for a while," Gravel said.</p><p>He accused candidate Joseph Biden Jr., the Delaware senator, of having "a certain arrogance" in dictating to Iraqis how to run their country.</p><p>Biden hit back, saying Gravel was living in "happy land."</p><p>Yesterday, Gravel said his debate appearance gave a public that does not know him or his record "a taste of the kind of leadership I can provide." He spoke by telephone from San Diego, where he flew immediately after the debate to address the California Democratic Convention yesterday.</p><p>"What will make a difference in this campaign is not money, it's not celebrity, it is a person who is prepared to tell the American people the truth," he said. "The people are fed up and as president I will do a 180 and move this country in the opposite direction."</p><p>A native of Springfield, Mass., Gravel served two terms in the Senate, representing Alaska from 1969 to 1981 . He made his mark as a fierce Vietnam war critic who staged a one-man filibuster that led to the end of the military draft. He drafted legislation to end funding for the war and released the Pentagon Papers, which detailed government deception over Vietnam, at the end of June 1971.</p><p>The Nixon administration decided not to prosecute Gravel for having Beacon Press in Boston publish the papers, though the US Supreme Court ruled that Gravel could release them only inside the Capitol, based on the Constitution's speech and debate clause.</p><p>Gravel today is a fierce critic of the Iraq war and government secrecy.</p><p>"This war was lost the day that George Bush invaded Iraq on a fraudulent basis," he said in the debate. Believing that Congress has the power to both declare and end wars, he called for a law to end the war.</p><p>"He's the one to say not only that the emperor has no clothes, but that the emperor wannabes have no clothes," said national pollster John Zogby, adding, "There is an angry voter. I don't know how that will take shape, it's way too early. But you got a sense why Mike Gravel is in the race on Thursday and that he is in the race."</p><p>The reaction to Gravel's performance has overwhelmed his campaign. His aides said they got more requests for interviews yesterday than in the first 12 months of the campaign.</p><p>Gravel's website could not handle the flood of hits after the debate, they said. Bloggers complained that they were ready to donate money but were unable to get into the website .</p><p>"He started out with less money than the cost of a John Edwards haircut," said Elliott Jacobson, Gravel's national finance director.</p><p>Gravel told reporters after the debate: "We stayed in a $55 motel. I'll hitchhike to the next debate if I have to."</p><p>Earlier this month, Gravel returned home to Arlington, Va., from a campaign appearance in New York on a $25 ticket on Van Moose bus lines. He had spoken at the Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network candidates' forum, sharing the stage with Senator Hillary Clinton and Obama -- both of whom have already raised more than $20 million each.</p><p>Gravel said he decided to run for president because of his anger over Iraq. Friends urged him to use the campaign to also push two policy goals: direct democracy and a revamped federal tax code.</p><p>Gravel advocates a constitutional amendment and a federal statute establishing legislative procedures for citizens to make laws through ballot initiatives .</p><p>He also supports the Fair Tax, which would eliminate the Internal Revenue Service and corporate and individual income taxes, replacing them with a 23 percent national sales tax on all new goods and services. Each month, taxpayers would receive a check to offset the tax on basic items such as food and medicine.</p><p>"People are talking about him," Zogby said. "And they are going to hear from him over the next few months as long as he's got money for a bus ticket."<img class="storyend" src="http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/File-Based_Image_Resource/dingbat_story_end_icon.gif" border="0" height="8" width="6" /></p>baianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00422928842501410101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555398.post-10068880617061331332007-06-03T15:48:00.000-07:002007-06-03T15:48:50.338-07:00"I would change the whole drug policy" - Mike Gravel - News Bloggers<a href="http://newsbloggers.aol.com/2007/05/03/i-would-change-the-whole-drug-policy-mike-gravel/">"I would change the whole drug policy" - Mike Gravel - News Bloggers</a><br /><br /><div id="p887668"><h2><span id="ppt887668">"I would change the whole drug policy" - Mike Gravel</span></h2><div>Posted May 3rd 2007 7:58AM by <a href="http://newsbloggers.aol.com/bloggers/jeff">Jeff</a><br />Filed under: <a href="http://newsbloggers.aol.com/category/elections/">Elections</a>, <a href="http://newsbloggers.aol.com/category/democrats/">Democrats</a></div><div class="post" id="887668"><a href="http://www.gravel2008.us/">Mike Gravel</a> a Democratic candidate for President says that he would legalize Marijuana. He makes that very clear at around the five minute mark of this CSPAN call in show. I understand the idea is a long shot, but at least one politician is putting it out there. <a href="http://www.alternet.org/rights/47815/">Prisons are full</a> of American Marijuana users and maybe also <a href="http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/4639.html">Canadians soon</a>. <center> <object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1KyFRyxZp-s"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1KyFRyxZp-s" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed></object> </center> This clip is the second part of four from his May 1st appearance on CSPAN. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=61B64836D2F6AE5F">The full program can be watched here</a>.<br /><br />On May 2nd Mike appeared on the Colbert Report... looking for a bump. <center><embed pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allownetworking="external" allowscriptaccess="always" name="comedy_player" bgcolor="#006699" quality="high" src="http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/syndicated_player/index.jhtml" flashvars="config=http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/xml/data_synd.jhtml?vid=86090%26myspace=false" align="middle" height="325" width="340"></embed><br /></center><a name="cont"></a></div><!-- google_ad_section_end --><div class="postmeta"><ul><li class="readlink"><br /></li><li><a href="http://newsbloggers.aol.com/2007/05/03/i-would-change-the-whole-drug-policy-mike-gravel/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a></li><li><a href="http://newsbloggers.aol.com/forward/887668/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a></li><li><a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&fc=1&url=http://newsbloggers.aol.com/2007/05/03/i-would-change-the-whole-drug-policy-mike-gravel/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking Blogs</a></li><li class="commentslink"><a href="http://newsbloggers.aol.com/2007/05/03/i-would-change-the-whole-drug-policy-mike-gravel/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a> [73]</li><li class="widget" onmouseover="opennav(this)" onmouseout="closenav(this)"><a href="javascript:void(0);" class="shareThis">Share this</a><ul class="widgetList"><li>Add this post to...</li><li><a onclick="blPopNS('http://www.netscape.com/submit/?&U=http%3A%2F%2Fnewsbloggers.aol.com%2F2007%2F05%2F03%2Fi-would-change-the-whole-drug-policy-mike-gravel%2F&T=%22I+would+change+the+whole+drug+policy%22+-+Mike+Gravel');return false;" href="http://www.netscape.com/submit/" class="netscape">Netscape</a></li><li><a onclick="blPop('http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewsbloggers.aol.com%2F2007%2F05%2F03%2Fi-would-change-the-whole-drug-policy-mike-gravel%2F&title=%22I+would+change+the+whole+drug+policy%22+-+Mike+Gravel');return false;" href="http://digg.com/submit" class="digg">Digg</a></li><li><a onclick="blPop('http://del.icio.us/post?&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewsbloggers.aol.com%2F2007%2F05%2F03%2Fi-would-change-the-whole-drug-policy-mike-gravel%2F&title=%22I+would+change+the+whole+drug+policy%22+-+Mike+Gravel');return false;" href="http://del.icio.us/post" class="delicious">Del.icio.us</a></li></ul></li></ul></div></div> <h3 id="readercomments">Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 5)</h3><div id="cmt_paging"> | <strong>1</strong> | <a href="http://newsbloggers.aol.com/2007/05/03/i-would-change-the-whole-drug-policy-mike-gravel/2#comments">2</a> | <a href="http://newsbloggers.aol.com/2007/05/03/i-would-change-the-whole-drug-policy-mike-gravel/3#comments">3</a> | <a href="http://newsbloggers.aol.com/2007/05/03/i-would-change-the-whole-drug-policy-mike-gravel/4#comments">4</a> | <a href="http://newsbloggers.aol.com/2007/05/03/i-would-change-the-whole-drug-policy-mike-gravel/5#comments">5</a> | <a href="http://newsbloggers.aol.com/2007/05/03/i-would-change-the-whole-drug-policy-mike-gravel/5#comments"> Most Recent</a> | <a href="http://newsbloggers.aol.com/2007/05/03/i-would-change-the-whole-drug-policy-mike-gravel/2#comments">Next 15 Comments</a></div><p>1. Wow. Thank God, there is finally a candidate with the chops to put this issue on the table.<br /><br />A majority of elected officials readily admit to having at least "experimented with" (translation: got stoned all through college) with marijuana, yet they are too poitically timid to even address the issue. Gravel is right. Our prisons are filled with marijuana users, many of whom will become marginalized and disenfranchised by a felony conviction.<br /><br />That is not even taking into the account the huge influx of tax dollars that could be generated by finally taxing arguably the #1 cash crop in the United States. Taxing pot could be an excellent first step towards undoing some of the unthinkable damage that Bush and his cronies have done bleeding the U.S. economy over the past six years.<br /><br />Kudos, Mr. Gravel, kudos!</p>baianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00422928842501410101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555398.post-44027359428009072032007-05-31T15:29:00.000-07:002007-05-31T15:29:12.446-07:00Bush is Nuts !!!<h2><span class="diaryTitle">The Delusions Never End</span> <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/hotlist/add/2007/5/31/145324/562/main//"><img src="http://www.dailykos.com/images/add_hl2.gif" alt="Hotlist" title="Hotlist" /></a></h2><h3 class="byline">by <a href="http://mcjoan.dailykos.com/">mcjoan</a> </h3><h4 class="date">Thu May 31, 2007 at 11:54:38 AM PDT</h4><div class="intro"><p>The Bobbsey twins of Bush Boosterism, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/30/AR2007053002020.html">Ignatius</a> and <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/30/AR2007053002021.html?hpid=opinionsbox1">Broder</a>, both weigh in today with pat-on-the-head assurances that the Republicans are surely going to see the light by, oh, say the end of the summer, maybe September? and lead us out of Iraq.</p> <p>Ignatius assures us that it's the Bush administration itself that recognizes the need to change course:</p> <blockquote> <p>President Bush said publicly last Thursday what his top aides have been discussing privately for weeks. He talked about a transition to "a different configuration" in Iraq after the surge of U.S. troops is completed this summer.... On the domestic political front, White House officials realized that last week's victory in passing a war-funding bill could be short-lived. Funding would run out again at the end of September, and there were growing signs that Republicans would join Democrats in calling for a troop withdrawal. </p> </blockquote> <p>while Broder thinks</p> <blockquote> <p>[J]ust below the surface, the GOP ground is beginning to shift. Few if any Republicans want to go into the election with 150,000 American troops still under attack in Iraq. Mitch McConnell, the supremely realistic Senate Republican leader, told reporters that "the handwriting is on the wall that we are going in a different direction in the fall, and I expect the president to lead it." </p> </blockquote> <p>Gives a whole new meaning to the term "pony league." For six long years, reasonable people have been believing that reasonable Republicans would recognize that Bush was leading them down a path to disaster, and would turn on the president in numbers large enough to accomplish something. You need only look at the blood-thirsty bunch of torture proponents and escalation hounds running for the GOP presidential ticket to see the folly in that.</p> <p>But if that isn't enough to convince you, consider Bush's stated intentions <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/open/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/ispol/1180611392280620.xml&coll=2">for Iraq</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>President Bush envisions a long-term U.S. troop presence in Iraq similar to the one in South Korea where American forces have helped keep an uneasy peace for more than 50 years, the White House said Wednesday. </p> </blockquote> </div>baianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00422928842501410101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555398.post-34158911792445980932007-05-30T23:26:00.001-07:002007-05-30T23:26:58.597-07:0054 Representatives that cave for Bush<h2 class="content-title">Primary 2008 List</h2> <!-- start main content --> <div class="meta"> <span class="submitted">Submitted by Bob Fertik on May 30, 2007 - 12:52pm.</span> <span class="terms"><ul class="links inline"><li class="first last taxonomy_term_7963"><a href="http://www.democrats.com/taxonomy/term/7963" rel="tag" title="" class="taxonomy_term_7963">Democratic Primary Challenges</a></li></ul></span> </div> <p>Here is the list of 59 Representatives who voted against the McGovern Amendment on 5/10/2007. We are recruiting anti-war candidates to challenge them in Democratic primaries in 2008. If they change their position to oppose the endless occupation of Iraq, we will <strike>cross them off our list</strike>.<br /></p> <table border="1"><tbody><tr> <td>Dist</td> <td>Incumbent </td> <td>Primary</td> </tr> <tr> <td>AR-2</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Vic-Snyder">Vic Snyder</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>AR-4</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Mike-Ross">Mike Ross</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>AZ-5</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Harry-Mitchell">Harry Mitchell</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>AZ-8</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Gabrielle-Giffords">Gabrielle Giffords</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>CA-11</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Jerry-McNerney"><strike>Jerry McNerney</strike></a></td> <td>voted anti-war on 5/24 </td> </tr> <tr> <td>CA-18</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Dennis-Cardoza">Dennis Cardoza</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>CA-20</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Jim-Costa">Jim Costa</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>CA-28</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Howard-Berman">Howard Berman</a></td> <td>Rep. Cindy Montanez<br />Rep. Lloyd Levine<br />Mike Stettler</td> </tr> <tr> <td>CO-2</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Mark-Udall">Mark Udall</a></td> <td>[running for US Senate]</td> </tr> <tr> <td>CO-3</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-John-Salazar">John Salazar</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>FL-2</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Allen-Boyd">Allen Boyd</a></td> <td>Rep. Al Lawson</td> </tr> <tr> <td>FL-16</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Tim-Mahoney">Tim Mahoney</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>GA-2</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Sanford-Bishop">Sanford Bishop</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>GA-8</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Jim-Marshall">Jim Marshall</a></td> <td>George Carswell</td> </tr> <tr> <td>GA-12</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-John-Barrow">John Barrow</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>GA-13</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-David-Scott">David Scott</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>IA-3</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Leonard-Boswell">Leonard Boswell</a></td> <td>Rep. Jo Oldson<br />Rep. Bruce Hunter<br />Rep. Rick Olson<br />Sen. Dick Dearden</td> </tr> <tr> <td>IL-3</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Daniel-Lipinski">Daniel Lipinski</a></td> <td><a href="http://www.markperaforcongress.com/" target="_blank">Mark Pera</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td>IL-8</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Melissa-Bean">Melissa Bean</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>IN-2</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Joe-Donnelly">Joe Donnelly</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>IN-8</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Brad-Ellsworth">Brad Ellsworth</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>IN-9</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Baron-Hill">Baron Hill</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>KS-2</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Nancy-Boyda">Nancy Boyda</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>KS-3</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Dennis-Moore">Dennis Moore</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>KY-6</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Ben-Chandler">Ben Chandler</a></td> <td>Sen. Ernesto Scorsone</td> </tr> <tr> <td>LA-3</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Charlie-Melancon">Charlie Melancon</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>MD-2</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Dutch-Ruppersberger">Dutch Ruppersberger</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>MD-5</td> <td>*<a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Steny-Hoyer">Steny Hoyer</a></td> <td>Paul Prinsky</td> </tr> <tr> <td>MN-7</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Collin-Peterson">Collin Peterson</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>MO-4</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Ike-Skelton">Ike Skelton</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>MS-4</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Gene-Taylor">Gene Taylor</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>NC-2</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Bob-Etheridge">Bob Etheridge</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>NC-7</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Mike-McIntyre">Mike McIntyre</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>NC-11</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Heath-Shuler">Heath Shuler</a></td> <td>Sen. Martin Luther Nesbitt<br />Rep. Susan C Fisher<br />Rep. Ray Rapp</td> </tr> <tr> <td>ND-0</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Earl-Pomeroy">Earl Pomeroy</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>NV-1</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Shelley-Berkley">Shelley Berkley</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>OH-6</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Charles-Wilson">Charles Wilson</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>OH-18</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Zachary-Space">Zachary Space</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>OK-2</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Dan-Boren">Dan Boren</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>PA-4</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Jason-Altmire">Jason Altmire</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>PA-10</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Christopher-Carney">Christopher Carney</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>PA-13</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Allyson-Schwartz">Allyson Schwartz</a></td> <td>Chuck Pennachio</td> </tr> <tr> <td>PA-17</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Tim-Holden">Tim Holden</a></td> <td>Sen. Michael O'Pake</td> </tr> <tr> <td>SD-0</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Stephanie-Herseth">Stephanie Herseth</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>TN-1</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-David-Davis">David Davis</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>TN-4</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Lincoln-Davis">Lincoln Davis</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>TN-5</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Jim-Cooper">Jim Cooper</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>TN-6</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Bart-Gordon">Bart Gordon</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>TN-8</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-John-Tanner">John Tanner</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>TX-9</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Al-Green">Al Green</a></td> <td>Rep. Alma Allen<br />Rep. Hubert Vo</td> </tr> <tr> <td>TX-17</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Chet-Edwards">Chet Edwards</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>TX-22</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Nick-Lampson">Nick Lampson</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>TX-23</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Ciro-Rodriguez">Ciro Rodriguez</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>TX-27</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Solomon-Ortiz">Solomon Ortiz</a></td> <td>Juan Garcia</td> </tr> <tr> <td>TX-28</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Henry-Cuellar">Henry Cuellar</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>TX-29</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Gene-Green">Gene Green</a></td> <td>Sen. Mario V. Gallegos</td> </tr> <tr> <td>UT-2</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Jim-Matheson">Jim Matheson</a></td> <td>Mayor Rocky Anderson</td> </tr> <tr> <td>VA-9</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Rick-Boucher">Rick Boucher</a></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>WI-3</td> <td><a href="http://www.democrats.com/primary-Ron-Kind">Ron Kind</a></td> <td> </td></tr></tbody></table>baianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00422928842501410101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555398.post-57667803292442897622007-05-30T22:49:00.001-07:002007-05-30T22:50:42.844-07:00911 Mysteries<span style="font-size:180%;">The best 911 video sofar !!!!:</span><br /><br /><br /> <a href="http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=15716">http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=15716</a>baianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00422928842501410101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555398.post-89017901642999354722007-05-30T22:49:00.000-07:002007-05-30T22:50:32.691-07:00<span style="font-size:180%;">The best 911 video sofar !!!!:</span><br /><br /><br /> <a href="http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=15716">http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=15716</a>baianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00422928842501410101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555398.post-14083434946898446242007-05-30T22:41:00.001-07:002007-05-30T22:41:53.929-07:00Why I leave the Democratic Party !!!An Open Letter to the Democratic Congress<br />By Cindy Sheehan<br /><br />Dublin, Ireland<br /><br />Dear Democratic Congress,<br /><br />Hello, my name is Cindy Sheehan and my son Casey Sheehan was killed on April 04, 2004 in Sadr City , Baghdad , Iraq . He was killed when the Republicans still were in control of Congress. Naively, I set off on my tireless campaign calling on Congress to rescind George's authority to wage his war of terror while asking him "for what noble cause" did Casey and thousands of other have to die. Now, with Democrats in control of Congress, I have lost my optimistic naiveté and have become cynically pessimistic as I see you all caving into "Mr. 28%"<br /><br />There is absolutely no sane or defensible reason for you to hand Bloody King George more money to condemn more of our brave, tired, and damaged soldiers and the people of Iraq to more death and carnage. You think giving him more money is politically expedient, but it is a moral abomination and every second the occupation of Iraq endures, you all have more blood on your hands.<br /><br />Ms. Pelosi, Speaker of the House, said after George signed the new weak as a newborn baby funding authorization bill: "Now, I think the president's policy will begin to unravel." Begin to unravel? How many more of our children will have to be killed and how much more of Iraq will have to be demolished before you all think enough unraveling has occurred? How many more crimes will BushCo be allowed to commit while their poll numbers are crumbling before you all gain the political "courage" to hold them accountable. If Iraq hasn't unraveled in Ms. Pelosi's mind, what will it take? With almost 700,000 Iraqis dead and four million refugees (which the US refuses to admit) how could it get worse? Well, it is getting worse and it can get much worse thanks to your complicity.<br /><br />Being cynically pessimistic, it seems to me that this new vote to extend the war until the end of September, (and let's face it, on October 1st, you will give him more money after some more theatrics, which you think are fooling the anti-war faction of your party) will feed right into the presidential primary season and you believe that if you just hang on until then, the Democrats will be able to re-take the White House. Didn't you see how "well" that worked for John Kerry in 2004 when he played the politics of careful fence sitting and pandering? The American electorate are getting disgusted with weaklings who blow where the wind takes them while frittering away our precious lifeblood and borrowing money from our new owners, the Chinese.<br /><br />I knew having a Democratic Congress would make no difference in grassroots action. That's why we went to DC when you all were sworn in to tell you that we wanted the troops back from Iraq and BushCo held accountable while you pushed for ethics reform which is quite a hoot...don't' you think? We all know that it is affordable for you all to play this game of political mayhem because you have no children in harm's way...let me tell you what it is like:<br /><br />You watch your reluctant soldier march off to a war that neither you nor he agrees with. Once your soldier leaves the country all you can do is worry. You lie awake at night staring at the moon wondering if today will be the day that you get that dreaded knock on your door. You can't concentrate, you can't eat, and your entire life becomes consumed with apprehension while you are waiting for the other shoe to drop.<br /><br />Then, when your worst fears are realized, you begin a life of constant pain, regret, and longing. Everyday is hard, but then you come up on "special" days...like upcoming Memorial Day. Memorial Day holds double pain for me because, not only are we supposed to honor our fallen troops, but Casey was born on Memorial Day in 1979. It used to be a day of celebration for us and now it is a day of despair. Our needlessly killed soldiers of this war and the past conflict in Vietnam have all left an unnecessary trail of sorrow and deep holes of absence that will never be filled.<br /><br />So, Democratic Congress, with the current daily death toll of 3.72 troops per day, you have condemned 473 more to these early graves. 473 more lives wasted for your political greed: Thousands of broken hearts because of your cowardice and avarice. How can you even go to sleep at night or look at yourselves in a mirror? How do you put behind you the screaming mothers on both sides of the conflict? How does the agony you have created escape you? It will never escape me...I can't run far enough or hide well enough to get away from it.<br /><br />By the end of September, we will be about 80 troops short of another bloody milestone: 4000, and MoveOn.org will hold nationwide candlelight vigils and you all will be busy passing legislation that will snuff the lights out of thousands more human beings.<br /><br />Congratulations Congress, you have bought yourself a few more months of an illegal and immoral bloodbath. And you know you mean to continue it indefinitely so "other presidents" can solve the horrid problem BushCo forced our world into.<br /><br />It used to be George Bush's war. You could have ended it honorably. Now it is yours and you all will descend into calumnious history with BushCo.<br /><br />The Camp Casey Peace Institute is calling all citizens who are as disgusted as we are with you all to join us in Philadelphia on July 4th to try and figure a way out of this "two" party system that is bought and paid for by the war machine which has a stranglehold on every aspect of our lives. As for myself, I am leaving the Democratic Party. You have completely failed those who put you in power to change the direction our country is heading. We did not elect you to help sink our ship of state but to guide it to safe harbor.<br /><br />We do not condone our government's violent meddling in sovereign countries and we condemn the continued murderous occupation of Iraq .<br /><br />We gave you a chance, you betrayed us.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br />Cindy Sheehan<br />Founder and President of<br />Gold Star Families for Peace.<br /><br />Founder and Director of<br />The Camp Casey Peace Institute<br /><br />Eternally grieving mother of Casey Sheehanbaianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00422928842501410101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555398.post-74131090936323584752007-05-23T20:14:00.000-07:002007-05-23T20:15:59.040-07:00911 Mysteries (video about 911) !!!<a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7143212690219513043&q=911+mysteries">http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7143212690219513043&q=911+mysteries</a><br /><br /><br />Check the 911 mysteries video in the link above : awsome video.baianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00422928842501410101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555398.post-47531596946806311442007-05-23T19:55:00.001-07:002007-05-23T19:59:58.867-07:00911 Mysteries (video about 911) !!!<a href="http://www.xanga.com/private/yourhome.aspx?user=jbcard">http://www.xanga.com/private/yourhome.aspx?user=jbcard</a><br /><br />Check out the 911 Mysteries video and see for yourself the truth about 911 !!!baianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00422928842501410101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555398.post-55148339312403421502007-01-29T18:55:00.000-08:002007-01-29T18:56:25.512-08:00'The Fifth Estate' ...Cindy Sheehan<p class="titleText"><span class="date">Monday, January 29th, 2007</span><br /><b>'The Fifth Estate' ...Cindy Sheehan</b> </p> <p><i> "The most effectual engines for [pacifying a nation] are the public papers... [A despotic] government always [keeps] a kind of standing army of newswriters who, without any regard to truth or to what should be like truth, [invent] and put into the papers whatever might serve the ministers. This suffices with the mass of the people who have no means of distinguishing the false from the true paragraphs of a newspaper." --Thomas Jefferson to G. K. van Hogendorp, Oct. 13, 1785. </i></p> <p>If one "googles" Thomas Jefferson and "freedom of the press" one finds a myriad of quotes from the second president, author of the Declaration of Independence, and founder of the University of Virginia. Mr. Jefferson understood the importance of having a free press as a "fourth estate" of checks and balances on the Federal Government. His concerns that lack of a free press would lead to tyranny and the situation that we are in now with regards to one of the branches of government becoming too powerful over the others was very prescient, to say the very least. </p> <p>In the United States today, we have a media that is controlled by corporations that are, for the most part, controlled by other entities that profit off of war. NBC is owned by General Electric that is a major war profiteer (which used to be a crime punishable by hanging). The corporate media has a lot at stake by keeping the wag the dog occupation of Iraq afloat on BushCo's failed ship of state. </p> <p> The inadequacies and sycophantic nature of the press towards the Bush Regime are legion, but Dick Cheney was recently interviewed by Wolf Blitzer and instead of asking the Vice commander in thief about his connections to the obscene war profiteering company, Halliburton; or his being comfortable with surging more troops to Iraq when he had 5 deferments during the Vietnam conflict; or how he said the insurgency was in its final throes; or how his office was connected to outing Valerie Plane, Blitzer asked Dastardly Dicky about his gay daughter's pregnancy. Wolf almost wept with fear when the puppet master attacked him for asking such a question. </p> <p> Besides a free press, another supposed check and balance on limiting executive power to its proper constitutional authorities is Congress. With its first vote to give Bloody George the authority to invade a harmless country and its continuing feeding Bloody George the blood money he needs to continue the killing and be unwilling to impeach BushCo for crimes against humanity, Congress abdicated its role in declaring war and reining in tyranny. Who can do the heavy labor that the other "estates" are shirking? </p> <p>Over the weekend, we the people, went to marches and rallies by the hundreds of thousands. From movie stars who are finally breaking their silence to military families, Gold Star families, Vets, and other activists that don't have "skin in the game" we appeared in the hundreds of thousands. Some of us scraped together bus money and stayed 5-6 people per room to afford the trip. We carried creative signs and chanted or sang while we marched. Some of us have not been silent for years. </p> <p>We want to put Congress, the media, and the executive branch on notice to show them that we will be the checks and balances that Mad King George and the rest so desperately need while we still have a nation to care about. We the people are the Fifth Estate and we are declaring that we will be peace inSURGEnts to save the people of Iraq and to bring our troops home and see BushCo imprisoned for their murder and corruption. </p> <p><i> "I am persuaded that the good sense of the people will always be found to be the best army." --Thomas Jefferson, 1787 </i></p> <p> Right now we are the only ones. </p> <p> Let's give Congress the courage it needs to finally do the right thing. </p> <p><i> Cindy Sheehan is the mother of Spc. Casey Sheehan who was killed in Bush's war of terror on 04/04/04.<br /><br />She is the co-founder and president of <a href="http://www.gsfp.org/">Gold Star Families for Peace</a> and the Camp Casey Peace Institute.<br /><br />She is the author of three books, the most recent is <a href="http://www.simonsays.com/content/book.cfm?tab=1&pid=524468">Peace Mom: A Mother's Journey Through Heartache to Activism</a>.</i></p> <p> </p>baianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00422928842501410101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555398.post-24226454857534471922007-01-29T17:29:00.000-08:002007-01-29T17:29:48.207-08:00'The Fifth Estate' ...Cindy Sheehan<p class="titleText"><span class="date">Monday, January 29th, 2007</span><br /><b>'The Fifth Estate' ...Cindy Sheehan</b> </p> <p><i> "The most effectual engines for [pacifying a nation] are the public papers... [A despotic] government always [keeps] a kind of standing army of newswriters who, without any regard to truth or to what should be like truth, [invent] and put into the papers whatever might serve the ministers. This suffices with the mass of the people who have no means of distinguishing the false from the true paragraphs of a newspaper." --Thomas Jefferson to G. K. van Hogendorp, Oct. 13, 1785. </i></p> <p>If one "googles" Thomas Jefferson and "freedom of the press" one finds a myriad of quotes from the second president, author of the Declaration of Independence, and founder of the University of Virginia. Mr. Jefferson understood the importance of having a free press as a "fourth estate" of checks and balances on the Federal Government. His concerns that lack of a free press would lead to tyranny and the situation that we are in now with regards to one of the branches of government becoming too powerful over the others was very prescient, to say the very least. </p> <p>In the United States today, we have a media that is controlled by corporations that are, for the most part, controlled by other entities that profit off of war. NBC is owned by General Electric that is a major war profiteer (which used to be a crime punishable by hanging). The corporate media has a lot at stake by keeping the wag the dog occupation of Iraq afloat on BushCo's failed ship of state. </p> <p> The inadequacies and sycophantic nature of the press towards the Bush Regime are legion, but Dick Cheney was recently interviewed by Wolf Blitzer and instead of asking the Vice commander in thief about his connections to the obscene war profiteering company, Halliburton; or his being comfortable with surging more troops to Iraq when he had 5 deferments during the Vietnam conflict; or how he said the insurgency was in its final throes; or how his office was connected to outing Valerie Plane, Blitzer asked Dastardly Dicky about his gay daughter's pregnancy. Wolf almost wept with fear when the puppet master attacked him for asking such a question. </p> <p> Besides a free press, another supposed check and balance on limiting executive power to its proper constitutional authorities is Congress. With its first vote to give Bloody George the authority to invade a harmless country and its continuing feeding Bloody George the blood money he needs to continue the killing and be unwilling to impeach BushCo for crimes against humanity, Congress abdicated its role in declaring war and reining in tyranny. Who can do the heavy labor that the other "estates" are shirking? </p> <p>Over the weekend, we the people, went to marches and rallies by the hundreds of thousands. From movie stars who are finally breaking their silence to military families, Gold Star families, Vets, and other activists that don't have "skin in the game" we appeared in the hundreds of thousands. Some of us scraped together bus money and stayed 5-6 people per room to afford the trip. We carried creative signs and chanted or sang while we marched. Some of us have not been silent for years. </p> <p>We want to put Congress, the media, and the executive branch on notice to show them that we will be the checks and balances that Mad King George and the rest so desperately need while we still have a nation to care about. We the people are the Fifth Estate and we are declaring that we will be peace inSURGEnts to save the people of Iraq and to bring our troops home and see BushCo imprisoned for their murder and corruption. </p> <p><i> "I am persuaded that the good sense of the people will always be found to be the best army." --Thomas Jefferson, 1787 </i></p> <p> Right now we are the only ones. </p> <p> Let's give Congress the courage it needs to finally do the right thing. </p> <p><i> Cindy Sheehan is the mother of Spc. Casey Sheehan who was killed in Bush's war of terror on 04/04/04.<br /><br />She is the co-founder and president of <a href="http://www.gsfp.org/">Gold Star Families for Peace</a> and the Camp Casey Peace Institute.<br /><br />She is the author of three books, the most recent is <a href="http://www.simonsays.com/content/book.cfm?tab=1&pid=524468">Peace Mom: A Mother's Journey Through Heartache to Activism</a>.</i></p> <p> </p>baianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00422928842501410101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555398.post-17351259251234353582007-01-26T22:30:00.000-08:002007-01-26T22:30:21.173-08:00Anti-War Groups plan Surge in Washington<a href="http://www.xanga.com/private/yourhome.aspx?user=jbcard"><span class="smallText"><i>anuary 25th, 2007 3:07 am</i></span><br /><span class="titleText">Anti-War Groups Plan Surge on Washington</span> </a><p> By Aaron Glantz / <a href="http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=36293">IPS</a></p> <p> SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 24 - Peace activists from around the United States will converge on Washington Saturday for what organisers hope will be the largest demonstration to date against the Iraq war. </p> <p> "We expect a turnout in the six figures," said Tom Andrews, a former Democratic congressman who now runs the group Win Without War, which is organising the march along with True Majority, Working Assets, the RainbowPUSH Coalition, the National Organisation for Women and the national umbrella group United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ). </p> <p> UFPJ's Leslie Cagan told IPS that the level of energy in the antiwar movement has spiked since the November election, when voters ended Republican majorities in both houses of Congress. </p> <p> "The voters of this country figured out that they could use the November elections as a vehicle to voice their opposition to the war," Cagan said. "What happened there was that the voters gave Congress a mandate to end the war in Iraq and bring the troops home." </p> <p> That success at the polls gave antiwar citizens more optimism that a large demonstration might make an impact, she said. </p> <p> In mid-November, United for Peace and Justice called a demonstration for the nation's capital for Jan. 27, with other large mobilisations planned for Los Angeles, Seattle and San Francisco. </p> <p> In addition, smaller actions are planned for more than 50 cities. In Bismark, North Dakota, the group Surge for Peace will be delivering petitions to members of the local congressional delegation. In Austin, Texas, the Stop the War coalition is hosting a march and rally featuring student activists, Green Party activists, and members of the group Veterans for Peace. </p> <p> A full listing of all marches nationwide is on the group's website unitedforpeace.org. </p> <p> "People started saying to us right after the election 'well, what is Congress going to do?'" Cagan said. "And we quickly realised the real question is 'what are we going to do to push this Congress to do what they said they were going to do to get elected'. So we figured we got to get people into Washington as soon as possible after the new session of Congress began." </p> <p>Organisers said five or six Democratic lawmakers are expected to speak at the rally in Washington, and that Representative Barbara Lee will speak at the Los Angeles gathering. </p> <p> "A lot more would be speaking but we simply don't have the time on stage," said former congressman Andrews. "If we had all day and there was unlimited time for members of Congress to speak we'd have many members of Congress." </p> <p> Peace activists will have to fight hard if they want to end the war. In recent weeks, President George W. Bush has proposed escalating the war by sending 21,500 additional U.S. soldiers to Iraq. At least 3,000 troops are already on their way. </p> <p> In his annual State of the Union address Tuesday night, Bush told a joint session of Congress he "chose this course of action because it provides the best chance of success." </p> <p> "Many in this chambre understand that America must not fail in Iraq, because you understand that the consequences of failure would be grievous and far-reaching," he added. </p> <p> While lawmakers from both political parties have put forward proposals condemning Bush's plan to escalate the war, none are binding. </p> <p> In addition, the new Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, along with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, have already said they don't support efforts to cut funding for the war. </p> <p> In the official Democratic response to Bush's state of the union address, freshman Senator Jim Webb of Virginia focused more on strategy and tactics than the merits of the war itself. </p> <p> "We need a new direction," said Webb, whose son is currently deployed as a soldier in Iraq. "The majority of the nation no longer supports the way this war is being fought, nor does the majority of our military." </p> <p> In his speech, Sen. Webb favoured "regionally based diplomacy, a policy that takes our soldiers off the streets of Iraq's cities, and a formula that will in short order allow our combat forces to leave Iraq." </p> <p> But he also opposed a "withdrawal that ignores the possibility of further chaos." </p> <p> United for Peace and Justice's Leslie Cagan told IPS that the mixed message from the Democrats makes a large turnout at Saturday's demonstration particularly important. </p> <p> "That's why it's critical to keep the pressure on," she said. "We are encouraging every single person who agrees with us who can possibly make the trip to Washington this coming weekend to be with us," adding that the antiwar movement is staging a lobby day on Capital Hill for Monday Jan. 29. </p> <p> "Now we know it's a big country and everyone can't make the trip," she added. "That's why we've organised demonstrations for over 50 cities across the country including Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle."</p> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="15"><tbody><tr></tr></tbody></table> <!-- END content --> <!-- BEGIN subnav --> <div id="subpageSubnav"> <div id="sidebarNav"> <p class="titleTextBlack" style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;">Other items in this section</p> <ul><li><a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/">Latest News</a></li><li><a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mikeinthenews/">In The News</a></li><li><a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/the06fix/index.php">The '06 Fix</a></li><li><a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/covington.php">Katrina Updates</a></li><li><a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/rosaparksday.php">Rosa Parks Day E-mails</a></li><li><a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/books-films/f911reader/index.php?id=16">Facts in Mike's Films</a></li></ul> </div> <!--RSS/SUGGESTIONS start--> <div class="sidebarItem"> <a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/email/form.php?sbj=news"><img src="http://www.michaelmoore.com/_images/unified/suggest_newsroom.gif" alt="RSS Feed" border="0" /></a><br /><img src="http://www.michaelmoore.com/_images/common/spacer.gif" alt="" border="0" height="4" width="1" /><br /><a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/rss/thisjustin.xml"><img src="http://www.michaelmoore.com/_images/unified/rss_latestnews.gif" alt="RSS Feed" border="0" /></a> </div> <!--RSS/SUGGESTIONS end--> <div class="sidebarItem"> <span class="titleText">More of Latest News</span> </div> <p><span class="smallText">January 26th, 2007 9:26 pm<br /><a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=9093">Congresswoman gets an earful of complaints about Bush policies in Iraq</a></span></p> <p><span class="smallText">January 26th, 2007 8:36 pm<br /><a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=9092">'We protest the war'</a></span></p> <p><span class="smallText">January 26th, 2007 7:04 pm<br /><a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=9091">Bush: 'I'm the decision-maker' on Iraq</a></span></p> <p><span class="smallText">January 26th, 2007 6:58 pm<br /><a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=9090">4 troops abducted, killed in Iraq attack</a></span></p> <p><span class="smallText">January 26th, 2007 6:46 pm<br /><a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=9089">Troops cleared to kill Iranians in Iraq</a></span></p> <p><span class="smallText">January 26th, 2007 2:10 am<br /><a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=9088">Antiwar protesters target Congress</a></span></p> <p><span class="smallText">January 26th, 2007 2:04 am<br /><a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=9087">Democratic senators won't join Iraq war protest in Washington</a></span></p> <p><span class="smallText">January 26th, 2007 1:48 am<br /><a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=9086">Protesters greet Bush with calls to end war</a></span></p> <p><span class="smallText">January 26th, 2007 1:18 am<br /><a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=9085">Anti-war protesters gather at Walter Jones' Greenville office</a></span></p> <p><span class="smallText">January 26th, 2007 12:29 am<br /><a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=9084">White House will cooperate with investigations</a></span></p> <div class="sidebarItem"> <span class="smallText"><a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?archive=show">Mike's Latest News Archive</a> </span></div> <div class="sidebarItem"> <span class="titleTextBlack">Search the site</span><br /> <form method="get" action="http://www.google.com/search" id="search_form" name="search_form"> <input name="q" size="20" maxlength="255" type="text"> <input name="btnG" value="Search" type="submit"> <input 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/></a></div></div>baianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00422928842501410101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7555398.post-51044736909778118952007-01-26T22:19:00.000-08:002007-01-26T22:19:55.263-08:00Bush stop the war, idiot!!!!<a href="http://www.xanga.com/private/yourhome.aspx?user=jbcard"><span class="smallText"><i>anuary 26th, 2007 1:48 am</i></span><br /><span class="titleText">Protesters greet Bush with calls to end war</span> </a><p><b>Impromptu demonstration in Rodney Square draws support</b></p> <p> By Summer Harlow / <a href="http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070125/NEWS/701250373/-1/NEWS01">News Journal</a></p> <p>WILMINGTON, DE -- <i>War is not the answer!</i></p><p><i>No more victims!</i></p><p>The anti-war signs with their familiar slogans bobbed along as a dozen marchers and one black Great Dane made their way down 11th Street toward Rodney Square on Wednesday.</p><p>Helicopters circled overhead, and drivers, stuck in traffic that had been stopped to allow President Bush's motorcade to pass, honked their horns in support, shouting thanks to the protesters. A few passersby even applauded. Negative comments were few.</p><p>One Bush supporter rolled down his window to tell the protesters to get a job.</p><p>"Get a conscience," they responded.</p><p>"We need to keep speaking out against the war, because our protest now has majority support," said Tom Davis of Wilmington. "The anti-war sentiment is irreversible at this point, and no matter where you are on the political spectrum, you want the troops to come home."</p><p>In Rodney Square, across from the DuPont Theatre, the demonstration grew to more than 30 protesters waving American flags and chanting, "Stop the war, stop the war, troops home now."</p><p>"I wish we were a thousand strong," said Fred Sinton, of Unionville, Pa. "It's people in the streets that will make the difference."</p><p>Ed O'Donnell of Wilmington was proud of his homemade sign -- <i>Bush AND Democrats do nothing about guns and war.</i></p><p>"Both parties have failed us, and not just with Iraq," said O'Donnell.</p><p>With all the problems in the world, he said, it's up to the public to try to make a difference.</p><p>"If we stop the war one day sooner, or get one gun off the street, it's worth it," he said. "You try to help, one person at a time, one protest at a time, one kind act at a time."</p><p>Rob Sadot of Newark said he didn't know how much impact Wednesday's protest would have on Bush.</p><p>"But judging from the last election, somebody's paying attention," he said. "By being out here, we're doing something. I think we make people stop and think, at least for that moment."</p><p><i>Where is Osama?</i></p><p><i>Death, oil and blood vs. Peace, jobs and justice.</i></p><p>Jerome Robinson said he joined the demonstration after he got off work at Kirkwood Fitness and Racquetball Club in downtown Wilmington.</p><p>"My brother joined the Army three weeks ago, so now it's personal for me," he said. "It's mind-boggling to me that this started with Osama and shifted to Hussein. We'll probably never know the real motives because it's all just politics. Now all we can do is pray for the troops to come home soon." Pat Jackson brought her son Peter, a senior at the Charter School of Wilmington, to Rodney Square to protest Bush's visit.</p><p>"I lived through the Vietnam draft, and I remember listening to the lottery of birthdays, and it was terrifying," she said.</p><p>Peter, 17, said he worries if the war continues, Bush's call for more troops could lead to another draft.</p><p>So he made a sign to wear over his coat at the demonstration.</p><p><i>Send me to college, not to Iraq.</i></p>baianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00422928842501410101noreply@blogger.com0