Why Bush Doesn't Get It

Why Bush Doesn’t Get It

We need more people in government that can speak for minorities and the poor.  Right now we only have ONE African-American Senator.  If you aren’t familiar with him, he was elected in 2004 to represent Illinois.  Check out what his perspective can bring to the national debate.

While appearing on ABC News “This Week”, Obama was asked about whether racism played a role in the poor planning and response to Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans. While Obama didn’t want to use the word “racist” to describe the government’s response, he offered these very realistic observations.

“Whoever was in charge of planning was so detached from the realities of inner city life in New Orleans ... that they couldn’t conceive of the notion that they couldn’t load up their SUV’s, put $100 worth of gas in there, put some sparkling water and drive off to a hotel and check in with a credit card,” Obama said.

“There seemed to be a sense that this other America was somehow not on people’s radar screen. And that, I think, does have to do with historic indifference on the part of government to the plight of those who are disproportionately African-American.” He added that “passive indifference is as bad as active malice.”

Rather than being outright racists, I think this “passive indifference” is what has characterized Republican administrations from Reagan’s, George H.W. Bush, and the current administration.  The poor and minorities that have NOT yet pulled themselves into the middle or upper classes are not understood well by the people in the White House.  Their world-view does not include a realistic understanding of what it is to be born without privilege.  

One cannot be a “compassionate conservative” without this understanding.

Stupid Quotes About Hurricane Katrina

Stupid Quotes About Hurricane Katrina
From Daniel Kurtzman,Your Guide to Political Humor.
I saw this on about.com and couldn’t resist posting them.  Yes, these are all real.
Mr. C

20 Mind-Numbingly Stupid Quotes About Hurricane Katrina And Its Aftermath
1) "I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees." –President Bush, on "Good Morning America," Sept. 1, 2005, six days after repeated warnings from experts about the scope of damage expected from Hurricane Katrina (Source)2) "What I'm hearing which is sort of scary is that they all want to stay in Texas. Everybody is so overwhelmed by the hospitality. And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway so this (chuckle) – this is working very well for them." –Former First Lady Barbara Bush, on the Hurricane flood evacuees in the Houston Astrodome, Sept. 5, 2005 (Source)3) "It makes no sense to spend billions of dollars to rebuild a city that's seven feet under sea level....It looks like a lot of that place could be bulldozed." –House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), Aug. 31, 2005 (Source) 4) "We've got a lot of rebuilding to do ... The good news is — and it's hard for some to see it now — that out of this chaos is going to come a fantastic Gulf Coast, like it was before. Out of the rubbles of Trent Lott's house — he's lost his entire house — there's going to be a fantastic house. And I'm looking forward to sitting on the porch." (Laughter) —President Bush, touring hurricane damage, Mobile, Ala., Sept. 2, 2005 (Source)5) "Considering the dire circumstances that we have in New Orleans, virtually a city that has been destroyed, things are going relatively well." —FEMA Director Michael Brown, Sept. 1, 2005 (Source)6) "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job." –President Bush, to FEMA director Michael Brown, while touring Hurricane-ravaged Mississippi, Sept. 2, 2005 (Source)7) "I have not heard a report of thousands of people in the convention center who don't have food and water." –Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, on NPR's "All Things Considered," Sept. 1, 2005 (Source)8) "Well, I think if you look at what actually happened, I remember on Tuesday morning picking up newspapers and I saw headlines, 'New Orleans Dodged the Bullet.' Because if you recall, the storm moved to the east and then continued on and appeared to pass with considerable damage but nothing worse." –Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, blaming media coverage for his failings, "Meet the Press," Sept. 4, 2005 (Source) 9) "I mean, you have people who don't heed those warnings and then put people at risk as a result of not heeding those warnings. There may be a need to look at tougher penalties on those who decide to ride it out and understand that there are consequences to not leaving.” –Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA), Sept. 6, 2005 (Source)10) "You simply get chills every time you see these poor individuals...many of these people, almost all of them that we see are so poor and they are so black, and this is going to raise lots of questions for people who are watching this story unfold." —CNN's Wolf Blitzer, on New Orleans' hurricane evacuees, Sept. 1, 2005 (Source) Heard another stupid quote? Send it to politicalhumor.guide@about.com
20 Mind-Numbingly Dumb Quotes About Hurricane Katrina And Its Aftermath
11) "Louisiana is a city that is largely under water." —Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, news conference, Sept. 3, 2005 (Source) 12) "It's totally wiped out. ... It's devastating, it's got to be doubly devastating on the ground." –President George W. Bush, turning to his aides while surveying Hurricane Katrina flood damage from Air Force One, Aug. 31, 2005 (Source) 13) "I believe the town where I used to come – from Houston, Texas, to enjoy myself, occasionally too much – will be that very same town, that it will be a better place to come to." –President George W. Bush, on the tarmac at the New Orleans airport, Sept. 2, 2005 (Source) 14) "Last night, we showed you the full force of a superpower government going to the rescue." –MSNBC's Chris Matthews, Sept. 1, 2005 (Source)15) "You know I talked to Haley Barbour, the governor of Mississippi yesterday because some people were saying, 'Well, if you hadn't sent your National Guard to Iraq, we here in Mississippi would be better off.' He told me 'I've been out in the field every single day, hour, for four days and no one, not one single mention of the word Iraq.' Now where does that come from? Where does that story come from if the governor is not picking up one word about it? I don't know. I can use my imagination.” –Former President George Bush, who can give his imagination a rest, interview with CNN’s Larry King, Sept. 5, 2005 (Source) 16) "...those who are stranded, who chose not to evacuate, who chose not to leave the city..." –FEMA Director Michael Brown, on New Orleans residents who could not evacuate because they were too poor and lacked the means to leave, CNN interview, Sept. 1, 2005 (Source)17) "We just learned of the convention center – we being the federal government – today." –FEMA Director Michael Brown, to ABC's Ted Koppel, Sept. 1, 2005, to which Koppel responded " Don't you guys watch television? Don't you guys listen to the radio? Our reporters have been reporting on it for more than just today." (Source) 18) "I actually think the security is pretty darn good. There's some really bad people out there that are causing some problems, and it seems to me that every time a bad person wants to scream or cause a problem, there's somebody there with a camera to stick it in their face." –FEMA Director Michael Brown, CNN interview, Sept. 2, 2005 (Source) 19) "I don't make judgments about why people chose not to leave but, you know, there was a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans." –FEMA Director Michael Brown, arguing that the victims bear some responsibility, CNN interview, Sept. 1, 2005 (Source) 20) "Thank President Clinton and former President Bush for their strong statements of support and comfort today. I thank all the leaders that are coming to Louisiana, and Mississippi and Alabama to our help and rescue. We are grateful for the military assets that are being brought to bear. I want to thank Senator Frist and Senator Reid for their extraordinary efforts. Anderson, tonight, I don't know if you've heard – maybe you all have announced it -- but Congress is going to an unprecedented session to pass a $10 billion supplemental bill tonight to keep FEMA and the Red Cross up and operating." –Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), to CNN's Anderson Cooper, Aug. 31, 2005, to which Cooper responded:"I haven't heard that, because, for the last four days, I've been seeing dead bodies in the streets here in Mississippi. And to listen to politicians thanking each other and complimenting each other, you know, I got to tell you, there are a lot of people here who are very upset, and very angry, and very frustrated. And when they hear politicians slap – you know, thanking one another, it just, you know, it kind of cuts them the wrong way right now, because literally there was a body on the streets of this town yesterday being eaten by rats because this woman had been laying in the street for 48 hours. And there's not enough facilities to take her up. Do you get the anger that is out here?" (Source) Heard another stupid quote? Send it to politicalhumor.guide@about.com

Who is to blame for unpreparedness?

I haven't posted anything on Hurricane Katrina yet.

It has been hard for me to say in a short space everything that I would like to say on the subject. It has been horrible to see the suffering and agony of the citizens of the Gulf Coast. Like a lot of Americans, we sent in a contribution to the Red Cross and wish we could do more.

Like a lot of Americans, my family watched in horror as people died, mourned, and waited and waited and waited for help that didn't seem to be coming.

There was a lot more that should have been done at all levels of government, but I found myself most angry and appalled by the lack of response by the Bush administration in the first days of the tragedy. With the thoughts constantly in the back of my mind about all the money, servicemen, and equipment we have in Iraq, I wondered where are the choppers, the transport planes, the ships, the military, FEMA, etc.

Finally, some help has made a dent in some of the human suffering, but how many died and will continue to suffer grief and loss because precious days and hours were wasted? Why did it take the mayor and other people from the region to be yelling and swearing and begging for help for there to be a response equal to the need? Did race and poverty play a role?

I'm not sure whether or not race did, but I certainly think this tragedy exposed the ugliness of the poverty we have allowed the U.S. economic system to perpetuate. People suffer needlessly all the time in the United States because of their economic situation. We need to do more for our poor. The wealthy don't need a permanent estate tax cut (for just one example).

If these events don't make Americans wake up to what is going on around them, I don't know what will.

What are you reactions? Do you find fault with the government's response? Who is to blame? How have your reacted to the suffering you have seen.

Share your comments and thoughts with me.

UPDATE: Sept. 6 - 6:15am
There are lots of people criticizing Bush and the governement out there, but here is one well-respected journalist Tim Russert:

“Matt, something terrible happened here – the fact is state, local and federal government did not protect its people. It’s why governments were created.”
-Tim Russert, NBC News – September 6, 2005

and the conservative Wall Street Journal editorial page printed this:

“…Voters will forgive a President many mistakes, but no leader can survive a public judgment that he is unsure of himself and hostage to events…
-Wall Street Journal

Baghdad and Philadelphia - New York Times

More views comparing the two conventions appeared in the NY Times.

One Mother Ignites a Movement

"The president says he feels compassion for me, but the best way to show that compassion is by meeting with me and the other mothers and families who are here. Our sons made the ultimate sacrifice and we want answers. All we're asking is that he sacrifice an hour out of his five-week vacation to talk to us, before the next mother loses her son in Iraq." -- Cindy Sheehan, Camp Casey, Crawford, Texas

Whether you agree with her or not, Cindy Sheehan is a testament to how much of an impact one concerned citizen can make. She has light a fire under the anti-war movement that has shaken the P.R. machine in the White House to its core.

What do I think of Cindy? More to come....

A website sympathetic to her has a live blog from Camp Casey where she and her supporters are gathered. It is interesting to read at truthout's website.

Will Iraqis Ratify Their New Constitution?

Iraq has finally completed writing its constitution! They missed their Aug. 15th deadline, but everybody gets to turn in late work every now and then, right? So, all of this is good news, right? Well, maybe not. While two of Iraq’s major groups are pleased with the constitution, one of them is not, and it must be ratified by a vote of the people. Why do many Kurds and Shiites (a/k/a Shia) agree to the draft constitution and most Sunnis do not? It turns out that the Sunnis are opposed to adopting a system of federalism instead of a unitary nation. (Gee, I've seen these terms in my "We the People" book!) The BBC has done a good job of summarizing all of this in a relatively short article.)

Also there is a possibility that some in the Sunni minority (along with others opposed to the new government) will respond with increased violence. All of this is bad for the U.S. mission in Iraq, that a majority of the public think is being mismanaged by the Bush administration.

Okay, so why oppose federalism? Would you be surprised to learn that at the root of it is who gets to control the nation's oil wealth? From an article in the NY Times comes the following:

The issue of federalism is critical: Sunnis fear not only a giant Shiite state in the south but also future bids by the Kurds to expand their region into northern oil-producing areas, as they have demanded. That would leave the Sunnis cut off from Iraq's oil wealth.

Of course, not all of the Shiites agree. Followers of Muqutada al-Sadr are opposing the constitution as well. (Read more here.) On the streets of Iraq, many of the people are less interested in the constitution than they are in getting basic services back that still have not been restored fully since the U.S. began it's attack on Iraq. From the NYTimes:

"What constitution are you talking about?" Mr. Sami, a Shiite, said sardonically. "We are fed up with this thing! We would prefer to solve our problems first, such as electricity, water and security. How come they gathered to approve the constitution while Iraqis are slaughtered?"

Pat Robertson is an Idiot

Pat Robertson is an Idiot

Jon Stewart lampooned televangelist Pat Robertson the other night because Robertson offered an on-air, heartfelt prayer to God asking for another chance to appoint a Supreme Court justice this summer.  

It seems that Robertson doesn’t only have federal judges on his hit list.  Today comes news that he is calling for the assassination of Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez.  (Chavez, if you aren’t aware, is a socialist who has been intensely critical of U.S. foreign policy.)   Here are the good Reverend’s words:

“You know, I don’t know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we’re trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it,” Robertson said. “It’s a whole lot cheaper than starting a war ... and I don’t think any oil shipments will stop.”

Well.

This is why so many people I know love to watch the 700 Club for the sheer entertainment value.  Personally, I’d like to see him run for the Republican nomination for president again.  We could all enjoy the laughs.  

Of course, Venezuela’s government is not laughing.  Their Vice-President issued an interesting statement saying, “The ball is in the U.S. court, after this criminal statement by a citizen of that country,” Rangel told reporters. “It’s huge hypocrisy to maintain this discourse against terrorism and at the same time, in the heart of that country, there are entirely terrorist statements like those.”

MSNBC also reported a Venezuelan legislator putting it more simply and directly:  “This man cannot be a true Christian. He’s a fascist.”

Comments?

Irony in the War on

Irony in the War on Terror

This statement from our government strikes me as utterly bizarre:  

"In light of the recent bombings in London, it is crucial that police, fire and emergency medical personnel take notice of their surroundings, and be aware of 'vagrants' who seem out of place or unfamiliar," said the message, distributed via e-mail to some federal employees in Washington by the U.S. Attorney's office.

Can someone explain this to me?  Are there homeless people on the streets that seem like they are NOT out of place?  I mean, isn’t that the definition of what it is to be homeless – out of place – one who has been displaced by landlords, places of work, and society in general?  Have we become so callous as a society that there are ‘vagrants’ that are simply commonplace and familiar?

Of course, this warning does make some sense if you go beyond the absurd bureaucratic wording of the statement, but I think it does speak volumes to us about our society’s priorities.  

What do you think?

Negotiations over Iraqi Constitution Continue

There are three major areas of disagreement among the Iraqis trying to write a constitution for their nation: the role Islam will play in the nation's legal system, the extent to which they will follow a federal system of government, and how to divide the nation's oil wealth which is not evenly distributed across the nation.

The NY Times has a nice overview of all of this and where things stand as of now.

If you would like to weigh in on these matters, Slate magazine has a humorous survey going.

More seriously, these talks will have a tremendous impact on the rights of women in Iraq.
Depending on how sharia, or Islamic law, is interpreted and implemented, women may be getting a new birth of freedom in the region or be relegated to second-class status. Read one woman's commentary on all of this.

How does the situation in Iraq compare to the conflicts our Framers faced in that hot summer in Philadelphia in 1787? While the similarities have been often pointed out, there are some very big differences. An interesting analysis appeared in Slate.

Finally, an analysis in the CS Monitor states that while all are hoping a successful constitution and election will help bring down the level of violence in Iraq (and make it easier for the U.S. to withdraw quickly) a state of civil war essentially already exists, making this constitutional convention more like peace talks than anything our Framers engaged in.

More on Iraq and One Mother's Opposition

The U.S. is really pinning its hopes on a Constitution being drafted, and accepted in the next several months. Even though there are deep divisions between the rival factions on important issues in the draft Iraqi Constitution (one example being women's rights, and others discussed here), the U.S. wants the process to stick to the deadline of being finished by August 15. Elections will follow in the fall. The Bush administration seems to reason that this is the only way out for U.S. troops.
In the meantime, this will mean more troops in the short run. See the article in the Seattle Times.

While Bush is taking the longest vacation in presidential history (okay, it is a working vacation, but excuse my Michael Moore-ish description) one woman who lost her 24 year-old son in Iraq has camped outside his Crawford Ranch and demanded a meeting with the President. She says she won't leave until he meets with her. She is proving quite the embarassment for the President as she is intelligent, articulate, and full of righteous anger. Read her writings here about her protest:

George Bush said speaking about the dreadful loss of life in Iraq in August:
(08/03/05): "We have to honor the sacrifices of the fallen by completing the
mission." "The families of the fallen can be assured that they died for a noble
cause."
In reaction to these two assinine and hurtful statements, members of
Gold Star Families for Peace (GSFP) are going to George's vacation home in
Crawford, Tx this Saturday, August 6th at 11:00 am to confront him on these two
statements.
1) We want our loved ones sacrifices to be honored by bringing
our nation's sons and daughters home from the travesty that is Iraq IMMEDIATELY, since this war is based on horrendous lies and deceptions. Just because our children are dead, why would we want any more families to suffer the same pain and devastation.
2) We would like for him to explain this "noble cause" to us and, if the cause is so noble, ask him why Jenna and Barbara are not in harm's way.
3) If George is not ready to send the twins, then he should bring our troops home immediately. We will demand a speedy withdrawal.

Read the rest of her statement at BuzzFlash.com.

More trouble between the west and the remaining members of the "axis of evil"
Iran's new President has renewed his determination to enrich uranium that could be used for nuclear weapons, and is forging an anti-American alliance with Syria. URL: Iran resumes uranium work, ignores warnings

The New York Times has some very complete coverage.

Should the Patriot Act be Renewed?

The House of Representatives voted yesterday to renew and make permanent almost all provisions of the Patriot Act. At the same time the Senate Judiciary Committee is acting to reign in some of the powers the government took under the Patriot Act. Is the Patriot Act making us safer and protecting us from terrorists or is it a dangerous limitation on our liberties as individuals? It is a good debate. While I tend toward the second view on the more controversial provisions of the bill, not everyone agrees. If you want to talk about the U.S. Constitution in this day and age, you can't avoid this issue.

National Public Radio has an excellent page on the Patriot Act. Check it out. Listen to or read some of the stories and become more knowledgable about this important issue.

Rove in Trouble

Karl Rove, the mastermind of Bush's political successes has been a demon to those on the political left for a long time. We have seen him as a smart, shrewd, but devious political operative whose calling card is impugning the character of those who present a challenge to Bush.

Many of us suspected that Joseph Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame was unmasked as an undercover CIA operative in retaliation for Wilson's harsh remarks about Bush's handling of WMD intelligence. At the time, Bush said he would fire any aide that leaked Plame's name to reporters.

This week, as Rove has been fingered as having a hand in talking to reporters about Plame's undercover status, Bush has changed his tune. Now he will only fire an aide who broke the law in revealing the name of an undercover CIA agent.

This is convenient for Bush, but he shouldn't get away with it, and Rove should have to pay a high price for his misdeeds, criminal or not. He should resign, because is method of operating can no longer be denied. He is a back-stabbing, cut-throat, political operative that has no business prowling about the highest office in the land. He should resign because of the disgrace he has brought to the White House, a place 2000 candidate Bush said he would restore to its dignity.
The lies and manipulations of evidence that have gone on in this administration are appalling. We deserve better, and we ought to demand it.

Confused about all of this? Check out the CS Monitor's Q & A.

Oh yeah, and all of this seems to be hurting Bush's popularity.

Terrorists took much more than 37+ lives in London

The bombings in London on July 7th were tragic. I sat, watching the footage on CNN in horror like everyone else in the world. What made it more sad for me though, is that the whoever was responsible for the terror bombing did a lot more damage than just what we saw on TV. It changed the focus of the G8 Summit and diverted the world’s attention from the issues of poverty and climate change. Consider for a moment two facts:

37 people were killed in the bombings in London
1 child dies every 5 seconds of hunger somewhere in the world (according the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, as reported by the BBC).

Which is more horrible? Do the math.

The G8 summit can be considered a success though, because the world’s wealthiest nations agreed to double the amount of aid to Africa and cancel the debt of the 18 poorest nations in Africa. The world leaders need praise and encouragement for this positive step toward ending a more serious and deadly threat than world terrorism.

As reported by the BBC:

In the words of Tony Blair: "It isn't the end of poverty in Africa, but it is
the hope that it can be ended. It isn't all everyone wanted but it is progress -
real and achievable progress."

And Bob Geldof, the former rock star
and Live 8 organiser, paraphrased words first uttered by Winston Churchill.

"I wouldn't say this is the end of extreme poverty, but it is the
beginning of the end," he said. Of course, the various deals fall far short of
what many campaigners wanted.

There was more disappointment in the area of climate change. The United States of America is still refusing to join other nations in taking concrete actions to lower emissions standards although Bush did agree to language that stated that human activity is playing a role in global climate change.

With the publicity from Live 8, there was tremendous focus on this summit. Looking at the news now, it has taken a back seat to concerns and fears over the terrorist attacks. This means we have more work to do in keeping these issues on the agenda of news providers and world leaders.

O'Connor Resigns High Court

July 1st

Sandra Day O'Connor left an incredible mark on the Court and an even greater on on American history. (Read the story from the New York Times.) She was a pivotal "swing" vote in the ideological battles between the Court's conservatives and it's liberals. Her vote was the deciding factor in many of the Court's 5-4 decisions. She was pragmatic and had a sense for finding the pulse of the American people in striking compromise language on a number of issues. Read some excerpts from her opinions.

July 5th update
O'Connor's influence on Court decisions is discussed in the CS Monitor.

ONE Campaign

JOIN THE ONE CAMPAIGN!

If you haven't already visited http://www.one.org/, than you ought to immediately. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, do not get a snack from the fridge. Just check it out and if like what the campaign is about, sign the letter to President Bush urging him to do more to help the poorest of the poor nations by getting serious about debt relief for these nations.
Lots of pop/rock/rap/etc. stars are participating in concerts around the world this weekend to bring publicity to the cause. (Bono and Bob Geldof are the driving musical forces behind the event.) It is well timed as the big summit of the G8 powers is happening this coming week. What the little old people like you and I can do is make sure that our leaders know we are concerned and take this problem seriously.
If you haven't heard about the ONE campaign, here is a brief description from the web site:

"ONE is a new effort by Americans to rally Americans – ONE by ONE – to fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty. The ONE Campaign is engaging Americans through a diverse coalition of faith-based and anti-poverty organizers to show the steps people can take, ONE by ONE, to fight global AIDS and poverty."

REMEMBER - While many of us our enjoying our summer vacations:

38 million people around the world are infected with HIV/AIDS
1 in 5 people around the world live on an income of less than $1 per day
104 million children around the world do not attend grade school
1 person in 7 has no access to clean water for drinking, cooking or washing.
1 person in 7 suffers from hunger
Millions of the world's children have become orphans because of AIDS, war, or other causes
Instead of spending money on these problems, many governments around the world are spending money paying back debt to the world's wealthy nations and international institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Every year Sub-Saharan Africa, the poorest region of the world, spends $14.5 billion dollars repaying debts.
Many of the poorest nations have governments that are rife with corruption.

Bottom Line - There is a lot of work to do. One concert isn't going to change everything. One petition isn't going to change everything. But one small step at a time, we can change things if we work together.

Fake News better than Real News

Again, Jon Stewart and the Daily Show have done a better job of holding the administration accountable for their lies and deceptions. If you didn't see them skewer Cheney and Rumsfeld for the recent remarks about the Iraqi insurgency being in its last throes, check out the following link. By the way, "Crooks and Liars" is an intersting blog site.

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/06/27.html#a3668

Death in Iraq, State of Denial in D.C.

Sadly, the Bush administration continues its campaign of propaganda about the war on terror and the war in Iraq. In recent days, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Bush have tried to paint a picture of positive momentum and an insurgency in Iraq that is in its "final throes". Unfortunately, the news out of Iraq doesn't give us any reason to believe them. Actually, the assesments of our own military commanders betrays the falsehoods spouted by our top elected officials:

"Yesterday, the top American commander in the Persian Gulf told Congress the Iraqi insurgency has not grown weaker in the past six months. 'I believe there are more foreign fighters coming into Iraq than there were six months ago,' Gen. John Abizaid said.

This on a day when many Americans were killed in Iraq. Also at the same time Bush refused an Iraqi request to set a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq while meeting with an Iraqi leader in D.C. Funny how we can set timetables for Iraqi elections and constitution writing, but they can't ask us to set timetables for ourselves.

A lot of this is detailed in the Seattle Times.

The New York Times published a stong editorial about the dishonest nature of the Bush administration in the war on terror. The article said three facts need to be acknowledged about Iraq:

1) The war has nothing to do with Sept. 11.
2) The war has not made the world, or this nation, safer from terrorism.
3) If the war is going according to plan, someone needs to rethink the plan.

Meanwhile, the U.S. policy of extraordinary rendition has come under fire from one of our biggest allies in the war in Iraq: Italy. The Italian Justice department has issued arrest warrants for CIA officers who arrested a terrorist in Italy and sent him to Egypt where he was tortured. It turns out that Italy had been building a case against the terrorist for a long time and was ready to make an arrest. But now the whereabouts of this terrorist is unknown. See the article in the Seattle Times.

End of the School Year!

Oh, the end of the school year!

It's sad to say good-bye to the seniors, but I feel confident that the class of 2005 will be good about staying in touch, so I'm hopeful about that.

Not much time to stay on top of current events lately, although I'm in total agreement with the Bush administration in their opposition to a bill the U.S. House of Representatives just passed that threatens to cut our funding of the United Nations in half. It is a really stupid idea for our security, our policies, and the world as a whole.

Cheney Lies More About Guantanamo Bay

How stupid does the Vice-President think the American people are? How short does he think our memory is?

At a recent news conference, Cheney was answering questions about Guantanamo Bay and talked about how "essential" the base is to our "strategy," and how much the rest of the world DOESN'T have a problem with it. But as Newsweek points out, he is choosing to forget some important facts. From their article:

As early as January 2002, the Secretary of State Colin Powell wrote to President
George Bush urging him to apply the Geneva Conventions to all detainees.

That same month, his British counterpart, Jack Straw, told the BBC he wanted to see British detainees returned home to face justice in the United Kingdom, not Guantanamo Bay, after photos of shackled detainees sparked widespread
condemnation across the political spectrum in Britain. The British government
opposed the Gitmo process so deeply that it eventually negotiated the return of
its detainees earlier this year, when they were set free after initial questioning.

In 2003, after a lengthy series of exchanges between Powell and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the administration agreed to speed up the processing of detainees at the camp (who numbered around 660 at the time, compared to around 540 today). Rumsfeld himself acknowledged that Powell—and the administration—were responding to international opinion.

And these are just actions of the administration and our ally in the Iraq war, Great Britain. Let's not even talk about the rest of Europe and the Muslim world.

Will someone please tell the Vice-President to tell the truth or keep his mouth shut?

Opposition to Iraq War is Growing

Over half of those surveyed in a recent poll don't think that the war in Iraq is making Americans more secure at home. The Washington Post poll also found that the Americans are very down on Bush's handling of security in general. According to MSNBC:

Nearly three-quarters of Americans say the number of casualties in Iraq is unacceptable, while two-thirds say the U.S. military there is bogged down and
nearly six in 10 say the war was not worth fighting -- in all three cases matching or exceeding the highest levels of pessimism yet recorded. More than four in 10 believe the U.S. presence in Iraq is becoming analogous to the experience in Vietnam.

Perhaps most ominous for President Bush, 52 percent said war in Iraq has not contributed to the long-term security of the United States, while 47 percent said it has.

The real question is when does this disaffection turn into activism? How long will it take for people to realize we were all lied to about this war and hold these people responsible? For some of us, opposition to the war has been an on-going campaign, but how can we mobilize others who have come to agree with us about the Iraq war?

These are my thoughts. We need lots of informed debate and action on important issues in this natino. I read a call to action on behalf of our basic principles with a "new American spirit" by a guest editorialist in the Christian Science Monitor today. Check it out for some inspiration!

Gregoire!

It is finally over. Rossi conceeded. There is no way both parties are going to feel good about this decision, but the judge made a sensible ruling based on WA state election law. What else could be done? There is no proof anyone tried to steal this election, just that there were screw-ups by election workers. I hope that Republicans who supported Rossi can accept the decision and move on. Gregoire has already shown herself to be a competent governor.

Maria Cantwell's Senate seat is the next big contest in 2006. Rossi has already said he won't run for the spot.

Court Says No to Medical Marijuana

Big decision.

Most people will probably focus on the issue of whether marijuana should be legalized or not, but this was a case that tried dealt with an important issue of federalism. This 6-3 decision upheld the right of the federal government to enforce laws against illegal substances, even if that substance is marijuana being used in a state that has made it legal for medicinal purposes.

People should also realize that the court emphasized that it was up to Congress not the Courts to legalize medical marijuana. You can bet this Republican controlled Congress won't do that, but we might see it happen a few years down the road.

Let's Talk Seriously About Impeachment

Ralph Nader has joined those who are calling for a serious national discussion on impeaching Bush and Cheney.

"President Clinton was impeached for perjury about his sexual relationships. Comparing Clinton's misbehavior to a destructive and costly war occupation launched in March 2003 under false pretenses in violation of domestic and international law certainly merits introduction of an impeachment resolution."

The recent Downing Street Memo has been called the smoking gun by many -- it is a reliable, respected source of what most of us have known for a long time from so many other sources: that Bush/Cheney had planned to invade Iraq long before they admitted this to the public and that they manufactured evidence and intelligence to justify their actions. If you haven't read the memo or you don't know much about it, a group pressuring the President on this has posted a website where you can get more information: www.downingstreetmemo.com. You can also simply Google the term to look for a variety of commentaries on it.

We need to seriously consider the benefit to our nation of removing these dishonest, power-hungry demogogues from office. U.S. Rep. John Conyers is leading a petition effort to demand the truth from Bush on these issues. Check it out!

Bush Tries to Discredit Amnesty International

They smeared John McCain in the 2000 Republican primaries. They smeared Al Gore in the general election. They got the Swiftboat Veterans for the truth to smear John Kerry's war record. Now they are trying to smear Amnesty International.

I hate them. Bush, Cheney, Rove, Karen Hughes, and all of the rest. They are engaging in an effort to control the damage from stories and reports about our torture of detainees by attacking the messengers. Newsweek made a mistake when it reported a Koran had been flushed down a toilet. It retracted the story. So now they are trying to use the reflected embarassment from the Newsweek affair to bring into question Amnesty International's credibility.

In case you didn't know, Amnesty International issued it's annual report last week. They deliver a well-documented, thoroughly researched report on human rights in every country of the world. This year the United States was faulted for abuses at Guantanamo Bay, and selectively criticizing torture by other nations. AI faulted the U.S. for not upholding a leadership role on the issue of human rights

Bush called AI's report absurd.

Bush is absurd. And pathetic. And an embarassment to every honest American. We need to impeach him. We cannot continue as a nation with an ideological zealot in the White House making a mockery of our nation's most treasured principles.

If you need a reminder of the magnitude of Bush's lies, check out this compilation provided by th progressive website, American Progress. It has cataloged the lies and distortions of the Bush Administration with regard to the Iraq War. An amazing and disturbing list.

Addendum on June 1: If you aren't aware of the "Downing Street Memo" that detailed the plans of the Bush Administration to go to war in Iraq regardless of the evidence, you can read it for yourself here.

More lies by Cheney

Dick Cheney has no regard for the truth or the American people. Yesterday, he sought to discredit the Amnesty International report criticizing the United States treatment of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay. He claims that he was "OFFENDED" by the report!

In the face of all the evidence given not only by prisoners released from the facility, but organizations such as Amnesty, the Red Cross, as well as a former member of the military translator that recently released a major book about what he witnessed, Cheney denies it all, claiming in one broad stroke that all of this evidence has been fabricated:

“Occasionally there are allegations of mistreatment,” Cheney said. “But if you trace those back, in nearly every case, it turns out to come from somebody who had been inside and released to their home country and now are peddling lies about how they were treated.”

He neglects to mention that these reports also come from the International Red Cross, Human Rights Watch, members of the F.B.I. and our own military. He neglects to mention that even the members of the “coalition of the willing”, Britain and Australia, are upset with what we are doing in Guantanamo Bay.
Of course, Cheney had no problem citing AI's reports on Saddam in trying to justify our "pre-emptive" war against Iraq. But now, I guess, the people at AI are a bunch of left-wing extremists that want the terrorists to win.

The contempt for the truth from these men in the White House is unforgivable.

I cannot believe we have not begun to draw up impeachment papers.

For more on Cheney's hypocrisy check out this posting Daily Koz, a Democratic website.

Vets of War in Iraq Deserve Praise and an Apology

A mainstream newspaper had a very telling editorial on this memorial day. In part, it read:

In exchange for our uniformed young people's willingness to offer the gift of their lives, civilian Americans owe them something important: It is our duty to ensure that they never are called to make that sacrifice unless it is truly necessary for the security of the country. In the case of Iraq, the American public has failed them; we did not prevent the Bush administration from spending their blood in an unnecessary war based on contrived concerns about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. President Bush and those around him lied, and the
rest of us let them. Harsh? Yes. True? Also yes. Perhaps it happened because Americans, understandably, don't expect untruths from those in power. But that works better as an explanation than as an excuse.

It is sad but true that these men were asked to die to defend our nation from another nation (Iraq) which presented no credible threat to us. It would have been nice to have leveled with the men and women of our military about their mission before asking them to put their lives on the line. The best that the Bush administration can say now is that this war was to bring down a dictator and to attempt to reform the politics of the Mideast. Whether these men and women were willing to lay down their lives for that was something they should have been able to decide.

Filibuster Bluster

The Senate has reached an agreement on this issue on the eve of the votes scheduled for some of Bush's most controversial Appeals Court nominees. If you are wondering about the filibuster, check out this MSNBC article. Aside from the politics of this, it is an excellent opportunity to learn more about how the Senate actually does business. Many Senators have reflected on this in recent days and political scientists are being tapped for their expertise as journalists grapple with this story involving arcane procedural rules and traditions. The New York Times has an interesting article trying to put all of this into perspective.

Little Action on Darfur

It is hard to say that there is good news on the crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan, but at least the African Union is promising to increase their troop strength in the region. Hopefully this will happen quickly. Sudan is still languishing in a horrible predicament, and more action is needed as quickly as possible to save lives.

Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times points out how little has been done on the tragedy in Darfur in the last 100 days. Did anyone see Nightline last night? Darfur was the topic and I missed it!

Mounting Evidence of U.S. Torture

Evidence continues to pile up that paints an overall picture of the United States disregarding the most basic standards of decency and fairness. A report surfaced in today's news with new allegations of torture and humiliation being used on prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. The report isn't due out for several weeks, but sources spoke to the New York Times about the sexual and psychological abuse that was witnessed and reported to the military.

It is time that Donald Rumsfeld, Ricardo Sanchez, and other top officials be made to face more intense invesitgations. Too much of this has gone on under their watch for them to continue to evade a large scale investigation any longer. These things happened on their watch, and they must be held accountable. Our national reputation and the standards for international decency stand in the balance.

Human Rights Abuses in the War on Terror

The news about these matters continues to appear in the press. I thought I'd try to catch all of you up on a few of the things out there. Below are some recent articles to help understand this issue. I describe the oldest ones first.

The U.S. has been making statements in response to the pressure that is being put on them about detainees being mistreated. In March, this story got headlines around the country: U.S. Is Examining a Plan to Bolster the Rights of Detainees

What has been disappointing to many of us is that the military continues to maintain that no one of a high level is reponsible for the things that went on at Abu Ghraib prison. A military tribunal cleared a bunch of officers of wrong-doing in a trial last month. The trial seems to have left a lot of unanswered questions. Military tribunal ignored evidence on detainee March 28, 2005
Evidence that the U.S. sent detainees abroad to be tortured is out there. One of the stories that has gotten a lot of attention is that of Maher Arar. From the New York Times:

Maher Arar, a 35-year-old Canadian engineer, is suing the United States,
saying American officials grabbed him in 2002 as he changed planes in New York
and transported him to Syria where, he says, he was held for 10 months in a
dank, tiny cell and brutally beaten with a metal cable.

Now federal aviation records examined by The New York Times appear to
corroborate Mr. Arar's account of his flight, during which, he says, he sat
chained on the leather seats of a luxury executive jet as his American guards
watched movies and ignored his protests.

Meanwhile, the fight overt the Patriot Act continues. Gonzales urges renewal of Patriot Act April 6, 2005.

There was an excellent article in the Seattle Times that described some evidence uncovered about detainees held at Guantanamo Bay. It reminded us:

The government is holding about 550 people at the U.S. Navy base in Cuba.
An additional 214 have been released since the facility opened in January 2002 —
some into the custody of their home governments, others freed outright.

Little information about those held at Guantánamo has been released
through official government channels. But stories of 60 or more prisoners are
spelled out in detail in thousands of pages of transcripts filed in U.S.
District Court in Washington, where lawsuits challenging their detentions have
been filed.

The military released a report saying that they have reviewed the cases of all of the detainees in Guantanamo Bay, and are justified in keeping all of them in detention as "enemy combatents". There are still lawyers fighting to have their cases heard in U.S. Courts. Read this article here.
The U.S. has only convicted low-ranking members of the military in connection with the abuse at Abu Ghraib prison. In a recent article, a human rights attorney explains why she believes Donald Rumsfeld and other high-ranking officials should be invesigated more closely.

A few days ago, news came out that the army is writing a new manual on how to interrogate prisoners (without torturing them). One Senator pointed out that the fact that is had to be re-written is an indication that not enough was being done to train people not to torture prisoners.
Yesterday's paper included a headline that, "Lynndie England to plead guilty to Abu Ghraib abuses." She was in some of the more shocking photos we saw from Abu Ghraib.

Finally, Amnesty International released a press release a few days ago, Abuses Continue One Year After Abu Ghraib.

Tom DeLay Must Go

Tom DeLay has been the Republican Majority Leader in the U.S. House of Representatives for several years and is undeserving of this position. This Texan has repeatedly used cynical, unethical methods of winning political battles by bending rules and intimidating junior representatives shows Congress at its worst. Only the latest of these was the manipulation of the Terry Shiavo tragedy for political gain.

Tom DeLay has brought dishonor and divisiveness to an already highly partisan Congress. We cannot allow a man with such an ethical cloud over his head to continue to wield such power in the House. He is a liability to the Congress, the Republican Party and the United States of America. Today the newest allegations surfaced when it was discovered that he has paid his wife and another family members over half a million dollars since 2001 for political advice according to an article in the New York Times. Please support all efforts to remove Tom DeLay from his position as House Majority Leader. MoveOn.org is currently asking people to sign petitions on-line calling on Congress to remove him from his leadership position. They provide the following damning list of reasons to remove him from power:

Among his offenses, Tom DeLay:
*Promised a role in drafting legislation to a corporate donor
*Tried to coerce a Congressman for a vote on Medicare
*Allegedly used corporate money given to his PAC to finance Texas campaigns in violation of state law
*Used Homeland Security resources in a dispute with Democrats in Texas
*Diverted funds from a children's charity for lavish celebrations at the Republican convention
*Threatened retaliation against interest groups that don't support Republicans
*Stacked the House Ethics committee with representatives who have contributed to his legal defense fund
*Accepted trips from corporations and later helped kill legislation they opposed
*Accepted trips from the lobbyist for a foreign government in violation of House rules
*Crippled the effectiveness of the House Ethics Committee by purging members who had rebuked him
*Pushed for a rules change for the House Ethics process that paralyzed the panel
*Sought a rule change that would have no longer "required leaders to step aside temporarily if indicted"
*Paid family members more than $500,000 out of campaign contributions

Secret Detentions at Guantanamo Bay

While the news of the Pope's death, Terri Schiavo's death, and natural disasters have been grabbing most of the headlines, the troubling practice of evading our Constitution's protections for those accused of crimes continues in the Bush administration. Guantanamo Bay has been symbolic of this problem, a place where "the C.I.A. detention effort has been classified as a "special access program," a category that puts it off limits even to most of those with top secret security clearances. "

It makes a lot of us uncomfortable that the same administration that has displayed so much arrogance and incompetance in prosecuting the war on terror is getting away with gross violations of our Constitution. The New York Times reported that "the White House is maintaining extraordinary restrictions on information about the detention of high-level terror suspects, permitting only a small number of members of Congress to be briefed on how and where the prisoners are being held and interrogated."

More oversight is clearly needed. This administration has not earned enough trust to be allowed such incredible powers without sufficient checks. The American people need to demand their government back.

Iraqi Democracy?

Almost a month has passed since the excitement and euphoria over the elections in Iraq. Now, Iraqis are attempting something even harder, putting together a government.

No one should expect that this will go especially smoothly. There are real and wide differences among the various factions in Iraq. Many hoped, as the Christian Science Monitor pointed out today, that there would not be a need for 150,000 troops to still be in Iraq keeping the peace. As was the case when Saddam was toppled, many in the U.S. proclaimed victory too soon after the election at the end of January.

As we approach the two year anniversary of the start of the Iraq War, the doubts of many Americans about our involvement remain. The CS Monitor also
summarized some recent polling data:

Still, many Americans, when asked, express uneasiness with - if not opposition to - the war. As reported this week in a Washington Post-ABC News Poll, 53 percent of Americans feel the war was not worth fighting, 57 percent say they disapprove of the Mr. Bush's handling of Iraq, and 70 percent think the number of US casualties is an unacceptable price to have paid. A plurality of Americans (41 percent) also believe the war has damaged this country's standing abroad, particularly as they see much of the "coalition of the willing" heading home from Iraq, leaving Americans to carry more and more of the burden there.

Where do we go from here? Many in the anti-war movement are still calling for an immediate withdrawal. The Bush Administration has refused to set a timetable for U.S. withdrawal, and on the first day of the Iraqi National Assembly, the wide disagreements among the delegates was evident.

10,000 dying each month in Darfur, U.N. says

Never again.

This is what the world says each and every time an act of genocide or mass killings occur. But the promise and the pledge have fallen through yet again in Africa.

The United Nations has just confirmed what many who have been studying the problem in the Darfur region of Sudan have been saying in recent months, that the death toll is much higher than the official toll of 70,000 that is most commonly reported.

Since last March, it is estimated that 180,000 have died from disease and starvation alone. That number does not include those killed outright by the armed militia or janjaweed that prowl the Darfur, Sudan.

Call our Senators today and ask them to vote in favor of the Darfur Accountability Act. There are many other things you can do by making our representatives in government put this tragedy on the agenda. See Amnesty International's Sudan page for information and its "Sudan Action" page for letters you can sign and send today.

Let's do more than just sit by, watch and repeat the phrase "never again".

Awesome Book by Leading American Thinker

I spent a nice part of this sunny afternoon reading the first 50 pages of this outstanding book. Democracy Matters is a book I would have liked to have written if I were more intelligent and well educated. In it, West dissects the dysfunctional currents in our political system, and uses an amazing array of philosophy, history, literature, music and current events to make his point that America needs to return to a deep democratic tradition that we have inherited to fight the racist and imperialist traditions we have also inherited.

An inspiring call to think, discuss, and work together to bring about an improvement in the human condition in our nation and in our world. If you want something more substantial than the Bush-bashing you get from Michael Moore or Al Franken, check out Cornell West.

No more executions for Juvenile Offenders!

I haven't posted anything in a long while. Recently however, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down laws across the United States that allow for the execution of criminals tried as adults who were under 18 at the time the crime was committed. What do you think of this? The U.S. was one of the few remaining nations that allowed for the execution of minors. Do you agree with the slim majority (5-4) on the Court that ruled that the practice was a violation of the 8th Amendment?

I for one, have argued for a long time that the practice of capital punishment needs to be looked at in a modern and humanitarian fashion. It is a barbaric practice that furthers the tendency toward violence in our culture. Crime is not deterred by the death penalty. If falls disproportionately on minority and poor convicts. Too many innocent people have been executed in the recent past because of errors of our legal system. I would prefer to see state legislatures around the nation and Congress vote to ban the practice. Short of that, should the Court ban the practice? Does the ruling on minors open the door for such a ruling?

Founder of Amnesty Int'l Dead at 83

Peter Benenson, Founder of Amnesty International

A sad note for those who are devoted to the cause of human rights. Peter Benenson, the man who started a letter writing campaign in 1961 to free political prisoners in Portugal, has died. His campaign eventually became what we know as Amnesty International.

Thanks to Yosef Fufa for first posting this on this site as a comment.

Amnesty International's website has more information on Benenson's life and all of its work on human rights around the globe. There is a wonderful news release that discusses his life. It gave me goosebumps! He truly was a man dedicated to making the world a better place.

The website includes the following:

As he said in 1961, lighting the first Amnesty candle, "I’m reminded of the words of a 16th century man sentenced to death by burning: We have today lit such a candle as shall never be put out."

...At a ceremony to mark Amnesty International's 25th anniversary, Mr Benenson lit what has become the organisation's symbol -- a candle entwined in barbed wire -- with the words:

"The candle burns not for us, but for all those whom we failed to rescue from prison, who were shot on the way to prison, who were tortured, who were kidnapped, who ‘disappeared’. That is what the candle is for."

Thanks to all of you who have been a part of his legacy through your work on behalf of human rights.

Doing the Right Things: An American Hero

A lot of citizens complain.

A lot of politicians talk.

But year in and year out, Senator Russ Feingold does something about the problems of America. No, I am not working in his campaign, but I think he is one of the most under-rated people in U.S. government.

Senator Russ Feingold is one of my heroes. He isn't particularly charismatic, but from everything I read about the man, he is one of the most visionary leaders in the Senate, and has more integrity than anyone I can think of in our federal government.

Feingold is, I suppose a liberal. (He has long championed fiscal restraint, and that puts him to the right of a lot of members of the Bush administration.) He is definately a Democrat from Wisconsin, and carrys on that state's legacy of progressivism. Here are a sampling of the causes he has championed: an end to the death penalty, campaign finance reform (he co-authored the bill with John McCain who got most of the publicity), he voted against Alberto Gonzalez and in 2001, said that we were rushing into passing the Patriot Act, and was the ONLY SENATOR that voted against it.

He has recently introduced three bills to curb the excesses of the Patriot Act.

He was a Rhodes Scholar and graduated from Harvard Law School. He has been in the Senate since 1992 and I hope he keeps fighting the good fight for a long time.

Check him out.

Alberto Gonzales

The Senate voted to confirm him today, but the Democrats showed strong opposition. Although there was never any doubt that the Republicans would confirm him since they control the Senate, the 36 Senators voting "no" sent a strong message to the Bush White House and the world that we are serious in our opposition to the use of torture.

I think the Senate Democrats have laid the ground work for mounting a strong opposition to future right wing nominees.

Send a note of thanks to our Senators, Murray and Cantwell for voting "no". Here is the message I sent to both of them through their web sites:

Senators:

Thank you very much for having the courage to vote "no" on the vote to ratify Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General. You took a principled stand for some of the most cherished principles in our constitutional system.

Although he was confirmed, I believe that the large number of "no" votes sent an important message to the Bush Administration: The American people will not tolerate any use of torture or violations of basic human rights by our government. Your vote helps to encourage me that the United States of America is still a place where the rule of law matters and that we can reclaim our reputation around the world. The United States can still exercise strong moral leadership in this world if we display the kind of commitment to protecting human rights that you demonstrated today.

Let us hope that Mr. Bush is more careful in future
appointments because of the vote you and 35 others cast today.

By the way, I don't get how John McCain, a former POW and victim of torture by the North Vietnamese, was able to bring himself to vote for Gonzales. I guess a man who wants the White House bad enough is willing to compromise on just about anything to stay in the good graces of the Party.

Social Security Reform

I will give the Bush White House this much: the State of the Union speech was well written and it gave some details about what the Bush agenda will be in the next few years. However, those details are not to impressive. For all of the talk about how much change this will bring to the Social Security system, it just sounds like a bad deal when you look at the details. According to the Washington Post:

Under the proposal, workers could invest as much as 4 percent of their wages subject to Social Security taxation in a limited assortment of stock, bond and mixed-investment funds. But the government would keep and administer that money. Upon retirement, workers would then be given any money that exceeded inflation-adjusted gains over 3 percent.

That money would augment a guaranteed Social Security benefit that would be reduced by a still-undetermined amount from the currently promised benefit.

In effect, the accounts would work more like a loan from the government, to be paid back upon retirement at an inflation-adjusted 3 percent interest rate — the interest the money would have earned if it had been invested in Treasury bonds, said Peter R. Orszag, a Social Security analyst at the Brookings Institution and a former Clinton White House economist.

State of the Union

Okay, the speech is tonight. Let me know what you think of what "W" had to say tonight. "Glittering generalities" or was there some substance? Sensible plan on Social Security or a false crisis being drummed up to privatize the system? A plan to get out of Iraq or wishful thinking?

By the way, call or e-mail your Senators now! Ask them to vote no on making Alberto Gonzales the new Attorney General! We don't need someone in that position that will play legal games with the definition of torture. We are supposed to be all about rights, due process, fairness. Send this guy back to Texas. He doesn't belong in OUR federal government - we have respect for the rule of law - we don't try to redefine it to torture prisoners. AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Blogs from Baghdad

The Iraqis have voted. For most it was a great day. In other parts of Iraq, few people tried to vote. There was violence and as of this posting about 36 were killed. In addition to listening to the news, I have found it interesting to log on to some of the blog sites from Iraqis. Just like in the good old USA, there are a variety of opinions.

One of them was proud and triumphant. This blogger clearly sees this as the beginning of freedom and independence for the Iraqi people. It is exciting to read what he posted, including the lines, "We could smell pride in the atmosphere this morning; everyone we saw was holding up his blue tipped finger with broad smiles on the faces while walking out of the center. I couldn't think of a scene more beautiful than that."

One of them thinks that all of the emphasis on elections is a little misplaced. A Family in Baghdad .

There are others as well:

The Iraqi Letter to America has a very different viewpoint than most of us get of things. It shows the fear that a lot of Iraqis live with. He makes a really good point - that the people who have demanded that the elections take place are not the same people who are facing danger by going to the polls. He makes a strong case for how much is being demanded of Iraqi citizens:

Imagine that it is known that there were bombs on a number of the planes leaving JFK airport on a certain day. What should the authorities do? What would you do? Ask the people to go about their business, make a stand against terrorism, show courage and board those planes – telling them not to be intimidated by terrorists? The show must go on? Would that be a responsible thing to do? Later, when the worst comes to the worst… blame the terrorists for the unfortunate loss of life… and call it a day? Wouldn’t that be reckless and irresponsible? Yet, this is what we have.

Let us have a look at those different people urging the Iraqi people to go out and vote.

1. The US administration’s representatives in Iraq, the US army and the Interim government running the country from heavily defended fortresses… and cannot even protect those fortresses. Yet, they hope to protect more than 6000 polling stations across the country… where people are to go, to vote.

2. These people in charge do not venture out of their fortresses unless heavily armored and covered by a blanket of security. Yet they ask unarmed men and women to go out and expose themselves to danger.

3. Candidates who are not prepared to go out and take a risk and campaign for themselves. Some do not even have the courage to have their names published and be known. Secret candidates! Yet, they want Iraqis to take the risk and vote for them.

4. Many American super-patriots who are still shivering with anger or fear of attacks carried out on three buildings in their country more than three years ago. Yet, they ask Iraqi housewives (eg Rose) not to be frightened or intimidated by terrorists… in a country that is going through multitudes of 9/11’s regularly.

5. A country that is wisely taking measure after measure to protect its frightened citizens and ensure their safety through stringent finger print and eye retina scans for visitors… is so eager to expose Iraqis to grave danger.

6. President Bush who did not return to his seat of government immediately after those attacks, fearing for his safety. Yet, he asks Iraqis to show courage.

7. The UN Secretary General, who withdrew his entire staff from Iraq following one attack. Now he is asking Iraqis to vote in a dangerous situation and telling them that the UN will do everything to help them.

Reckless and irresponsible!

Isn’t it enough for Iraqis to live under the constant
threat of random violence, just going about their shattered lives? Governments should be less reckless and more responsible than that! People should be more caring for fellow human beings.

President Bush has called the election a success. The long and the short of it is that a lot of people voted in the places where it was fairly safe to do so. People did not vote in the dangerous parts of Iraq. Iraqis should be proud of the courage and determination they showed in going to the polls today.

The hard part, governing a nation and writing a consitution, still lie ahead. Let us hope that the Iraqi people can use the momentum and spirit of unity they showed in going to the polls today to carry them through that difficult task.

And maybe, someday soon, the American troops can come home!

Read the caption, it gets better...

Wow! This picture of Cheney at the ceremony marking the 60th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in Poland is real. I found it first on Al Franken's web site but the accomponying story can be found in the Washington Post.

Quoth the Washington Post:

At yesterday's gathering of world leaders in southern Poland to mark the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the United States was represented by Vice President Cheney. The ceremony at the Nazi death camp was outdoors, so those in attendance, such as French President Jacques Chirac and Russian President Vladimir Putin, were wearing dark, formal overcoats and dress shoes or boots. Because it was cold and snowing, they were also wearing gentlemen's hats. In short, they were dressed for the inclement weather as well as the sobriety and dignity of the event.
The vice president, however, was dressed in the kind of attire one typically wears to operate a snow blower.

Call on the Senate to Reject Alberto Gonzales

I am really thinking that the most important thing the U.S. Congress can do in the next couple of weeks is to reject the nomination of Alberto Gonzalez to become U.S. Attorney General.

Gonzales was involved with the infamous 2002 torture memo which tried to find legal loopholes for the CIA to conduct abusive interrogations on prisoners detained at Guantanamo Bay (and eventually elsewhere). Even though he has a wonderful rags-to-riches story, and it would be a wonderful thing to have a Hispanic/Latino American in a position of power, his involvement in the torture memos should disqualify him from even being considered for the position.

After the scandal at Abu Ghraib, the deaths of almost 20 prisoners in U.S. custody, and the mockery our policy has made of the rule of law, it is time for the Congress to step in and reel in this President and his abuse of Executive Powers.

I've got a lot more to say on the subject, but not more time to write. Check out a recent piece in the NY Times by Frank Rich on the lack of coverage this story has been getting on American T.V. Does anyone have comments on this subject? Let me know.....

Inaugural Humor

I found a list of late night comic jokes about the inaugural. I figure I'll post these since I'm kind of brain dead. Man, oh man. You could feel the stress radiating off of all the students this week. Everyone with finals, papers, etc. I'm glad the WTP State Competition was last week.

Ok, some late night humor:

Late-Night Jokes About Bush's Second Inauguration
"Historians say the most commonly used phrase at inaugurations is 'My fellow citizens.' However, the most commonly used phrase at President Bush's inauguration is expected to be 'My fellow United Statesers.'" --Conan O'Brien

"President Bush is being criticized because his inaugural celebration cost $40 million. When asked about it, the president said, 'Sorry, but my daughters insisted on an open bar.'" –Conan O'Brien

"Some people are criticizing President Bush for spending $40 million on his inauguration, but hey, give the guy a break, he's excited. After all, this is the first time he's really been elected." –Jay Leno

"In preparation for his inauguration, President Bush was shown an original copy of the Constitution. When he saw the Constitution, Bush said, 'Oh, it's that thing from School House Rock.'" --Conan O'Brien

"Bush says being re-elected, he doesn't have the same pressure as the first time. He said he wants to enjoy himself in the Oval Office this time. Not as much as Clinton enjoyed himself." --Jay Leno

"Washington D.C. is on high alert for this week's inaugural event for President Bush. Anti-aircraft missals have been deployed near the capitol. F-16's are patrolling around the clock, and every bartender in town is on strict orders -- do not serve the Bush twins." --Craig Ferguson

"Traditionally the president's inaugural committee pays for these expenses; this time around it's stiffing the District of Columbia with a 12 million dollar security bill -- just their way of saying 'thank you' to the community that went nine-to-one for the president's opponent." --Jon Stewart, on security expenses for Bush's inauguration

"One week from tonight President Bush will be sworn in, once again, as president of the United States. This will mark only the second time in four years that he's had his hand on a book." --Jay Leno

"President Bush has been working on his inauguration, not the actual speech but the word inaugural." --Jay Leno

"Preparations are in high gear for the Bush inauguration and it's really beginning to look bad now for John Kerry. But everybody at the White House is very excited about the inauguration. Early today the Bush twins picked the designated driver." --David Letterman

"Various anti-Bush groups plan to protest his inauguration by lining the streets and turning their backs to his motorcade. You know it's not going to work though because he's going to get out to see what they're all looking at." --Amy Poehler

The Loyal Opposition

The proper role for those of us who did not vote for Bush is to both recognize that he IS the president, but to also stand up for what we believe in and make our causes heard. I believe fully that most of the causes championed by progressives will seem like "no-brainers" a couple of decades from now.

George Bush gave an important inaugural address, and perhaps an historic one. Time will tell. What does his stated committment to freedom around the world mean? To use some phrases that Martin Luther King was fond of, will we lead with "physical force" or "soul force"? Are we going to use our immense wealth and technology to better the condition of people around the world, or just blow stuff up until we get our way? Time will tell....

In case you are feeling like you've heard a lot of talk from Bush and the right this week, I've got a few suggestions that may balance things out a bit for you:

Tim Russert noted on MSNBC that many questions remain about the vision of liberty for the world that Bush outlined in his speech. This is especially true of how the rest of the world is looking at it. "The European press is very, very nervous this morning, because they believe it’s an indication the president believes he was right in Iraq. They are concerned we’re going to see the Iraq model imitated around the world."

The Christian Science Monitor pointed out that most of the rest of the world isn't thrilled with the prospect of four more years of Bush and believe he will make the world more dangerous. From their site:

In a new BBC World Service Poll of 22,000 people living in Africa, Latin America, North America, Asia, and Europe, 58 percent of those surveyed said they believed US President George Bush will have a "negative impact on [global] peace and security."

Only 26 percent of those surveyed believed Mr. Bush was a positive force. The situation in Iraq was a key factor in many people's opinion of the US. The Guardian reports that the survey also indicates that, for the first time, the dislike of Mr. Bush is translating into a dislike of Americans in general.

The poll also showed how differently those in other countries and US citizens look at the global security situation.

Howard Zinn is always worth reading and he sounded a call to action. No more need to justify our luke-warm support for Kerry; now we get to actually articulate the things that we stand for. Editor of The Nation, Katrina Van Heuvel, has outlined a progressive agenda that is being enacted in states across the the nation. It counters some of what Bush called for in his Inaugural Address.

Also, John Nichols from the Nation had his answer to Bush posted yesterday afternoon, and he found a lot of hypocrisy in the "Bush Doctrine".

Finally, a voice from the political right: William Safire, a conservative republican writes a lot of interesting columns. It is too bad that he is retiring soon. Since he was once a speech writer for Nixon, his comments were well worth noting.

Oh, no! A bad poem by me!

Bush is going to be inaugurated (again!) this week.

I really think I've had enough to deal with in recent weeks without having to see his smug face looking out over his pre-screened group of adoring minions. But,

There he will be...

First, with his hand on the bible, taking the oath of office.
Then, turning to the cameras...

He will start to speak.
And he'll speak and he'll speak and he'll speak.

He will say things misleading.
He will say things deceiving.
He will say things in language thats mangled and garbled and full of cheerleading
For causes I hate, for issues contrived,
For people whose wealth simply can't be denied!
He will speak of his judgment, he will speak of his faith.
He will speak of the work that is yet to be done.
He will speak with a chuckle and a spark in his eye,
and when its all finished the news will be spun!

By Fox and by others who don't question why,
a man invades countries with out reason or fear
of the damage he'll do or the burden we'll bear
in lives that are lost and a mission unclear.

His legal advisors have written of torture
and come to conclusions repulsive, "You see
when we do it, we must. And it's right
because none can question our morals or might."

His words will then fly in the face of the facts
and all of the progress our world once had made
at working together as brothers and sisters
toward a greater resect for each other and our world.

Then the crowds will start cheering and the flags begin waving,
He's done it again, and will do it again.

While I sit in my anger and grief and despair
and I wonder "Where is the justice?" "Where?"

State Competition Blues

If you are not a part of my current "We the People" class of seniors, it might be hard to understand all of this. We are not happy people right now, because we felt the pain of disappointment in an unusually strong way. I think that many looking from the outside in will wonder if we were "sore losers" or "whiners". I don't think my students are any of those things. They are twenty wonderful people who joined me for a wild ride this year in quest of, well, something more than "Honorable Mention".

The 2005 Washington State "We the People" Competition is now history. This year, Mt. Rainier went into the competition with a very strong class and very high expectations. We had every reason to believe that we were in the hunt for coming out near, if not on top, this year. I really believed that for the first time in a decade, someone besides Tahoma High School would represent the State of Washington at Nationals in Washington, D.C. Perhaps this is why it hurt so much to come away with nothing more than an "Honorable Mention".

After the awards ceremony, my students were shocked, disappointed and experienced a really deep sense of loss. I think that it hit some of us (I include myself) so hard that we seemed to be experiencing the five stages of grief that accompany great trauma or loss.

Why? We really did not have any reason to hang our heads.

We had a great year; we had a lot of fun and my students learned a lot. Without taking anything away from my previous WTP classes, they became the most prepared and made the finest presentations of any group I have ever taken to the WTP State Competition.

I am very proud of my class this year. They did an awesome job at State, but the competition was tough. Once again, Tahoma High School finished first. Gig Harbor second. Evergreen High (from near Vancouver, WA) came in third. We were left in the nebulous category of "Honorable Mention". We haven't received our scored yet, and don't know how close we were to placing in the top three.

I felt bad for all of them because they could not come away with a more tangible reward for all of their efforts and achievements. We talked on the bus on the way home, and had some group counseling in class on Friday. I think that a lot of the class is working its way toward the state of "acceptance". For the first time ever, my class talked about wanting to send Tahoma H.S. a good luck card!

The simple fact is that we do have a lot to celebrate, and a lot to look back on with pride. We learned a lot, and not all of it was about the U.S. Constitution. We learned about teamwork and supporting one another. We learned that we love working with one another, and a lot of us wish that the semester could keep going. We do have a couple of weeks left, and we will find a time and a place to celebrate our year.