Many Edwards supporters feared that this would be result of an Obama nomination. The continuing trend is looked at by Rachael Madow, sitting in for Keith OIbermann:
Friday, July 4, 2008
On Looking Back, Or, A Jerry Springer Administration--Why Not?
I bring to you today a story that is eight years old and as recent as today’s headlines.
A foolish tale of mirth and merriment it is indeed--and for those who want a real all-American Fourth of July story, well...this one fits better than a glass slipper on Cinderella’s foot.
The story, as you might have guessed from the headline, starts with a simple premise and ends by paraphrasing Ronald Reagan’s famous question:
Had we elected Jerry Springer in 2000 instead of George Bush the Younger, would we be better off today than we were eight years ago?
Come along for the ride, Esteemed Reader, and we shall see...
I am going to make the case that Jerry Springer would, in fact, have been the better choice by addressing four areas of Administration policy: foreign relations, legislative management, press relations, and fiscal policy.
In each of these areas I believe I can demonstrate with powerful evidence that a President Springer would have made better choices...and to show you what I mean, let’s begin with foreign relations.
There is no question that this Administration has been working both sides of the fence over negotiation versus confrontation and threats of combat as a foreign policy strategy—sometimes with the same country. Examples include North Korea and the second leg of the Axis of Evil’s milking stool, Iran.
Would a Springer Administration have been different?
You know it would.
Picture the Sunni and the Shi’a, right next to each other on stage, each in their own chair...and Secretary of State Steve right next to them to make sure things don’t get out of hand.
Steve might have to keep someone from throwing a chair or two, and Kenny might sneak up next to Shi’a’s chair when he’s not looking and startle him...but eventually, with Reverend's Schnorr's help, they’d get it all worked out...and then Jerry would give his Final Thought and everything would be resolved just in time to run a few JG Wentworth and Everest College ads.
Now let’s move on to legislative management—another area where Springer would be a huge improvement over the status quo.
Today’s Congress is often a place that is filled with inane speeches followed by the sound of something akin to the “harrumphs” you would hear if you belonged to the administration of Governor LePetomane...but imagine a Springer-influenced legislature.
If Todd was the presiding officer of the Senate, particularly odious speeches would be followed by the sound of the other Senators, following Todd’s lead, shouting “whore, whore, whore...” in response—and be honest, wouldn’t that be a better Senate than today’s?
The state of press relations has gone so far down the rabbit hole recently that one of Mr. Bush’s own Press Secretaries has written a book about how bad things became.
Could a Springer Administration do better?
I’ll put it this way: “I don’t have a question, Mr. President. I just wanted to get my beads...”
Need I say more?
And finally, a few words regarding financial management.
Compare and contrast, my friends: on the one hand, an Administration that turned a fiscal surplus into a deficit so amazing that mathematicians are probably arguing at this very moment over whether “gazillion” should make a Pinocchio-like transition and become a real number...
...or, on the other hand, an Administration that could make a fortune for the taxpayer selling “Jerry Springer: Too Hot for C-Span!” DVDs and pay-per-view events based on just the press conference footage they would generate.
So there you have it, folks: a master of “Gonzo Television” faces down a master evader--and while one of them may have screwed a prostitute...the other spent the past eight years screwing 300 million Americans.
I’ve reported, you decide.
A foolish tale of mirth and merriment it is indeed--and for those who want a real all-American Fourth of July story, well...this one fits better than a glass slipper on Cinderella’s foot.
The story, as you might have guessed from the headline, starts with a simple premise and ends by paraphrasing Ronald Reagan’s famous question:
Had we elected Jerry Springer in 2000 instead of George Bush the Younger, would we be better off today than we were eight years ago?
Come along for the ride, Esteemed Reader, and we shall see...
I am going to make the case that Jerry Springer would, in fact, have been the better choice by addressing four areas of Administration policy: foreign relations, legislative management, press relations, and fiscal policy.
In each of these areas I believe I can demonstrate with powerful evidence that a President Springer would have made better choices...and to show you what I mean, let’s begin with foreign relations.
“"Rarely is the questioned asked: Is our children learning?"
--President Bush, Florence, South Carolina, January 11th, 2000
There is no question that this Administration has been working both sides of the fence over negotiation versus confrontation and threats of combat as a foreign policy strategy—sometimes with the same country. Examples include North Korea and the second leg of the Axis of Evil’s milking stool, Iran.
Would a Springer Administration have been different?
You know it would.
Picture the Sunni and the Shi’a, right next to each other on stage, each in their own chair...and Secretary of State Steve right next to them to make sure things don’t get out of hand.
Steve might have to keep someone from throwing a chair or two, and Kenny might sneak up next to Shi’a’s chair when he’s not looking and startle him...but eventually, with Reverend's Schnorr's help, they’d get it all worked out...and then Jerry would give his Final Thought and everything would be resolved just in time to run a few JG Wentworth and Everest College ads.
"And I, unfortunately, have been to too many disasters as President."
—President Bush, Washington, D.C., June 17, 2008
Now let’s move on to legislative management—another area where Springer would be a huge improvement over the status quo.
Today’s Congress is often a place that is filled with inane speeches followed by the sound of something akin to the “harrumphs” you would hear if you belonged to the administration of Governor LePetomane...but imagine a Springer-influenced legislature.
If Todd was the presiding officer of the Senate, particularly odious speeches would be followed by the sound of the other Senators, following Todd’s lead, shouting “whore, whore, whore...” in response—and be honest, wouldn’t that be a better Senate than today’s?
The state of press relations has gone so far down the rabbit hole recently that one of Mr. Bush’s own Press Secretaries has written a book about how bad things became.
Could a Springer Administration do better?
I’ll put it this way: “I don’t have a question, Mr. President. I just wanted to get my beads...”
Need I say more?
“...fool me once...shame on...shame on you...you fool me you can’t get fooled again...”
-- President Bush, Nashville, Tennessee, September 17, 2002
And finally, a few words regarding financial management.
Compare and contrast, my friends: on the one hand, an Administration that turned a fiscal surplus into a deficit so amazing that mathematicians are probably arguing at this very moment over whether “gazillion” should make a Pinocchio-like transition and become a real number...
...or, on the other hand, an Administration that could make a fortune for the taxpayer selling “Jerry Springer: Too Hot for C-Span!” DVDs and pay-per-view events based on just the press conference footage they would generate.
So there you have it, folks: a master of “Gonzo Television” faces down a master evader--and while one of them may have screwed a prostitute...the other spent the past eight years screwing 300 million Americans.
I’ve reported, you decide.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Truthout roundup 7/3
Bill Gates Steps Down, as Tech Users Reflect
http://www.truthout.org/article/bill-gates-steps-down-tech-users-reflect
Christopher Kuttruff, of Truthout: "Microsoft's influence on the computer market is pervasive. It commands a dominant percentage of the OS market, and the company's success has made its chairman one of the richest individuals in the world. This success, however, has prompted significant resistance and opposition. Critics have accused Microsoft of anti-competitive activities, resulting in the formation of a monopoly. Such individuals point to what they consider improper promotion of proprietary software, as well as deals made with manufacturers to automatically bundle their OS with computers being distributed to customers and resellers."
Conservative Evangelicals Discuss Backing McCain
http://www.truthout.org/article/conservative-evangelicals-discuss-backing-mccain
The Associated Press: "Conservative evangelical leaders met privately this week to discuss putting aside their misgivings about John McCain and coalescing around the Republican's presidential bid while urging him to consider social conservative favorite Mike Huckabee as a running mate. About 90 of the movement's leading activists gathered Tuesday night in Denver for a meeting convened by Mathew Staver, who heads the Florida-based legal advocacy group Liberty Counsel."
In Colombia, a Bloodless Rescue
http://www.truthout.org/article/in-colombia-a-bloodless-rescue
William Branigin, of The Washington Post: "The Colombian military today rescued 15 hostages from a leftist guerrilla group, including three American defense contractors and former Colombia presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt. Betancourt, the three Americans and 11 members of the Colombian army and police were later flown to an air base near the capital, Bogota. The Americans -- Keith Stansell, Marc Gonsalves and Thomas Howes -- were expected to arrive tonight at a US military base in Texas."
Committee Questions State Department Role in Iraq Oil Deal
http://www.truthout.org/article/committee-questions-state-department-role-iraq-oil-deal
James Glanz and Richard A. Oppel Jr., of The New York Times: "Bush administration officials knew that a Texas oil company with close ties to President Bush was planning to sign an oil deal with the regional Kurdistan government that ran counter to American policy and undercut Iraq’s central government, a Congressional committee has concluded. The conclusions were based on e-mail messages and other documents that the committee released Wednesday."
Michael Winship What Patriotism Is, and Is Not
http://www.truthout.org/article/what-patriotism-is-and-is-not
Michael Winship, for Truthout: "Details of Obama's speech got buried in the wake of General Wesley Clark's politically lunkheaded comment about John McCain that, 'I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to become president.' But over the Fourth of July weekend, it might be appropriate and enlightening to take a few minutes to read or watch the whole thing. It's a good speech."
Carolyn Eisenberg A Devil's Bargain
http://www.truthout.org/article/a-devils-bargain
For Truthout, Carolyn Eisenberg writes: "With the president's signature now affixed to the bill, the clever deal is done. In exchange for another 'blank check' for a year of war, the Democrats have wrested from their Republican colleagues and the White House a host of domestic benefits ... Depending on their source of news, few Americans may be aware that Congress has now allocated another $162 billion to continue the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan until next summer. In many media outlets, the only coverage pertained to the new educational benefits for soldiers. But even when the war funding received nominal attention, one would be hard-pressed to find in the mainstream media, or for that matter in the halls of Congress, any critical discussion of this political deal."
Dean Baker Employment Rate Drops as Economy Sheds 62,000
http://www.truthout.org/article/employment-rate-drops-economy-sheds-62000
Dean Baker writes for Truthout: "Private sector job gains in the Bush years may fall below 3 million by November. The employment to population ratio (EPOP) fell to 62.4 percent in June, its lowest level in more than three years, as the economy lost another 62,000 jobs in June. This was the sixth consecutive month in which the economy lost jobs. The private sector lost 91,000 jobs in June. With the April and May numbers revised down by 76,000, the job loss in the private sector over the last three months has been 273,000, an average of 91,000 a month. The private sector has now shed 578,000 jobs since employment peaked in November."
Wm. Scott Harrop and R.K. Ramazani "A Decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind ..."
http://www.truthout.org/article/a-decent-respect-opinions-mankind
For Truthout, Wm. Scott Harrop and R.K. Ramazani write: "Irony abounds in President George W. Bush's decision to speak at Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, on the last July 4th that he will occupy the Oval Office. For it was Jefferson who wrote in America's Declaration of Independence that 'a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires' the colonies to set forth the reasons for their rebellion before a 'candid world.' America's founders agreed - international legitimacy mattered. Two hundred and thirty-two years later, the conscious disregard for the 'opinions of mankind' has come to define the Bush presidency."
Federal Terror Watch Program Uses Local Law Enforcement Eyes
http://www.truthout.org/article/federal-terror-watch-program-uses-local-law-enforcement-eyes
Bruce Finley reports for The Denver Post: "Hundreds of police, firefighters, paramedics and even utility workers have been trained and recently dispatched as 'Terrorism Liaison Officers' in Colorado and a handful of other states to hunt for 'suspicious activity' - and are reporting their findings into secret government databases."
Le Monde Obama the Realist
http://www.truthout.org/article/obama-realist
From across the Atlantic, Le Monde's editorialist ponders Senator Obama's meteoric rise and most recent sail-trimming.
http://www.truthout.org/article/bill-gates-steps-down-tech-users-reflect
Christopher Kuttruff, of Truthout: "Microsoft's influence on the computer market is pervasive. It commands a dominant percentage of the OS market, and the company's success has made its chairman one of the richest individuals in the world. This success, however, has prompted significant resistance and opposition. Critics have accused Microsoft of anti-competitive activities, resulting in the formation of a monopoly. Such individuals point to what they consider improper promotion of proprietary software, as well as deals made with manufacturers to automatically bundle their OS with computers being distributed to customers and resellers."
Conservative Evangelicals Discuss Backing McCain
http://www.truthout.org/article/conservative-evangelicals-discuss-backing-mccain
The Associated Press: "Conservative evangelical leaders met privately this week to discuss putting aside their misgivings about John McCain and coalescing around the Republican's presidential bid while urging him to consider social conservative favorite Mike Huckabee as a running mate. About 90 of the movement's leading activists gathered Tuesday night in Denver for a meeting convened by Mathew Staver, who heads the Florida-based legal advocacy group Liberty Counsel."
In Colombia, a Bloodless Rescue
http://www.truthout.org/article/in-colombia-a-bloodless-rescue
William Branigin, of The Washington Post: "The Colombian military today rescued 15 hostages from a leftist guerrilla group, including three American defense contractors and former Colombia presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt. Betancourt, the three Americans and 11 members of the Colombian army and police were later flown to an air base near the capital, Bogota. The Americans -- Keith Stansell, Marc Gonsalves and Thomas Howes -- were expected to arrive tonight at a US military base in Texas."
Committee Questions State Department Role in Iraq Oil Deal
http://www.truthout.org/article/committee-questions-state-department-role-iraq-oil-deal
James Glanz and Richard A. Oppel Jr., of The New York Times: "Bush administration officials knew that a Texas oil company with close ties to President Bush was planning to sign an oil deal with the regional Kurdistan government that ran counter to American policy and undercut Iraq’s central government, a Congressional committee has concluded. The conclusions were based on e-mail messages and other documents that the committee released Wednesday."
Michael Winship What Patriotism Is, and Is Not
http://www.truthout.org/article/what-patriotism-is-and-is-not
Michael Winship, for Truthout: "Details of Obama's speech got buried in the wake of General Wesley Clark's politically lunkheaded comment about John McCain that, 'I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to become president.' But over the Fourth of July weekend, it might be appropriate and enlightening to take a few minutes to read or watch the whole thing. It's a good speech."
Carolyn Eisenberg A Devil's Bargain
http://www.truthout.org/article/a-devils-bargain
For Truthout, Carolyn Eisenberg writes: "With the president's signature now affixed to the bill, the clever deal is done. In exchange for another 'blank check' for a year of war, the Democrats have wrested from their Republican colleagues and the White House a host of domestic benefits ... Depending on their source of news, few Americans may be aware that Congress has now allocated another $162 billion to continue the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan until next summer. In many media outlets, the only coverage pertained to the new educational benefits for soldiers. But even when the war funding received nominal attention, one would be hard-pressed to find in the mainstream media, or for that matter in the halls of Congress, any critical discussion of this political deal."
Dean Baker Employment Rate Drops as Economy Sheds 62,000
http://www.truthout.org/article/employment-rate-drops-economy-sheds-62000
Dean Baker writes for Truthout: "Private sector job gains in the Bush years may fall below 3 million by November. The employment to population ratio (EPOP) fell to 62.4 percent in June, its lowest level in more than three years, as the economy lost another 62,000 jobs in June. This was the sixth consecutive month in which the economy lost jobs. The private sector lost 91,000 jobs in June. With the April and May numbers revised down by 76,000, the job loss in the private sector over the last three months has been 273,000, an average of 91,000 a month. The private sector has now shed 578,000 jobs since employment peaked in November."
Wm. Scott Harrop and R.K. Ramazani "A Decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind ..."
http://www.truthout.org/article/a-decent-respect-opinions-mankind
For Truthout, Wm. Scott Harrop and R.K. Ramazani write: "Irony abounds in President George W. Bush's decision to speak at Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, on the last July 4th that he will occupy the Oval Office. For it was Jefferson who wrote in America's Declaration of Independence that 'a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires' the colonies to set forth the reasons for their rebellion before a 'candid world.' America's founders agreed - international legitimacy mattered. Two hundred and thirty-two years later, the conscious disregard for the 'opinions of mankind' has come to define the Bush presidency."
Federal Terror Watch Program Uses Local Law Enforcement Eyes
http://www.truthout.org/article/federal-terror-watch-program-uses-local-law-enforcement-eyes
Bruce Finley reports for The Denver Post: "Hundreds of police, firefighters, paramedics and even utility workers have been trained and recently dispatched as 'Terrorism Liaison Officers' in Colorado and a handful of other states to hunt for 'suspicious activity' - and are reporting their findings into secret government databases."
Le Monde Obama the Realist
http://www.truthout.org/article/obama-realist
From across the Atlantic, Le Monde's editorialist ponders Senator Obama's meteoric rise and most recent sail-trimming.
from DFA
Don -
Senator Feingold needs our help to stop the FISA "compromise" bill. Russ sent me this message to pass on to you. Please read it and then sign our Senate Petition to Stop Telecom Immunity. We will deliver the petitions to every Senator on Tuesday morning, right before the expected vote. Let's make sure they get our message loud and clear.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION NOW
Senator Feingold's message directly to you:
Russ also shot a video last Friday night to thank you and all progressives fighting against this bill. You can watch it while signing our Senate Petition to Stop Telecom Immunity.
CLICK HERE TO STAND UP FOR THE CONSTITUTION AND STOP TELECOM IMMUNITY
Working together, we will stop this bill.
- Jim
Jim Dean, Chair
Democracy for America
Share this email: Tell-a-friend!
Senator Feingold needs our help to stop the FISA "compromise" bill. Russ sent me this message to pass on to you. Please read it and then sign our Senate Petition to Stop Telecom Immunity. We will deliver the petitions to every Senator on Tuesday morning, right before the expected vote. Let's make sure they get our message loud and clear.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION NOW
Senator Feingold's message directly to you:
Dear Friend,
In recent days, people across the country have voiced the opinion that the so-called "compromise" FISA bill working its way through the Senate must be stopped. As you already know, I am working hard to strip retroactive immunity for the telecommunications companies that allegedly cooperated with the President's illegal warrantless wiretapping program from the bill. But that is not the only problem. This FISA legislation gives enormous powers to the government: including the ability to read emails and text messages and listen to phone conversations of anyone communicating with their family members, friends, associates, reporters, ANYBODY who may be overseas -- all with zero court review.
Nobody should be supporting this legislation. We can defend our country from terrorists while at the same time protecting the rights and freedoms outlined in the Constitution. It's time for our elected officials to stand up for the values on which our country was founded. We should celebrate our Constitution this Fourth of July -- and do everything we can to prevent it from being torn up when the Senate returns to Washington next week.
Progressives everywhere have already had a tremendous impact -- with phone calls, emails, and letters pouring into offices by the hundreds (in some cases thousands), but the pressure on my colleagues to give in to this so-called "compromise" and President Bush is strong.
I'm going to continue to do everything I can to stand up for the rights and freedoms we all share. Thanks again for doing your part.
Sincerely, Russ Feingold
Honorary Chair
Progressive Patriots Fund
Russ also shot a video last Friday night to thank you and all progressives fighting against this bill. You can watch it while signing our Senate Petition to Stop Telecom Immunity.
CLICK HERE TO STAND UP FOR THE CONSTITUTION AND STOP TELECOM IMMUNITY
Working together, we will stop this bill.
- Jim
Jim Dean, Chair
Democracy for America
Share this email: Tell-a-friend!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Truthout roundup 7/2
Parts of military interrogation manual copied from China; Obama under fire from within for FISA vote; whistle-blower lawsuits languish at Justice Department; US company training Mexican police on torture techniques; Swedes protesting new Internet snooping law; and more ... Browse our continually updating front page at http://www.truthout.org
China Inspired Interrogations at Guantanamo
http://www.truthout.org/article/china-inspired-interrogations-guantanamo Scott Shane, of The New York Times: "The military trainers who came to Guantanamo Bay in December 2002 based an entire interrogation class on a chart showing the effects of 'coercive management techniques' for possible use on prisoners, including 'sleep deprivation,' 'prolonged constraint,' and 'exposure.' What the trainers did not say, and may not have known, was that their chart had been copied verbatim from a 1957 Air Force study of Chinese Communist techniques used during the Korean War to obtain confessions, many of them false, from American prisoners."
Obama Voters Protest His Switch on Telecom Immunity
http://www.truthout.org/article/obama-voters-protest-his-switch-telecom-immunity James Risen, of The New York Times: "Senator Barack Obama's decision to support legislation granting legal immunity to telecommunications companies that cooperated with the Bush administration's program of wiretapping without warrants has led to an intense backlash among some of his most ardent supporters. Thousands of them are now using the same grass-roots organizing tools previously mastered by the Obama campaign to organize a protest against his decision. In recent days, more than 7,000 Obama supporters have organized on a social networking site on Mr. Obama's own campaign Web site."
Whistle-Blower Suits Languish at Justice
http://www.truthout.org/article/whistle-blower-suits-languish-justice By Carrie Johnson, of The Washington Post: "More than 900 cases alleging that government contractors and drugmakers have defrauded taxpayers out of billions of dollars are languishing in a backlog that has built up over the past decade because the Justice Department cannot keep pace with the surge in charges brought by whistle-blowers, according to lawyers involved in the disputes. The issue is drawing renewed interest among lawmakers and nonprofit groups because many of the cases involve the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, rising health-care payouts, and privatization of government functions -- all of which offer rich new opportunities to swindle taxpayers."
Mexico in Uproar Over "Torture" Videos
http://www.truthout.org/article/mexico-in-uproar-over-torture-videos The Associated Press: "Videos showing Leon police practicing torture techniques on a fellow officer and dragging another through vomit at the instruction of a U.S. adviser created an uproar Tuesday in Mexico, which has struggled to eliminate torture in law enforcement. One of the videos, first obtained by the newspaper El Heraldo de Leon, shows police appearing to squirt water up a man's nose -- a technique once notorious among Mexican police. Then they dunk his head in a hole said to be full of excrement and rats. The man gasps for air and moans repeatedly."
Swedes Outraged Over New Email Spying Law
http://www.truthout.org/article/swedes-outraged-over-new-email-spying-law The Associated Press: "Swedes may cherish openness and transparency, but not enough to accept a new law giving the government the right to snoop on all e-mails and phone calls crossing the country's borders. Outrage over the statute has led to 2 million protests - filed by e-mail. The online petition drive comes as other European Union countries consider granting authorities unprecedented spying powers over their own citizens amid fears of a mounting terror threat."
China Inspired Interrogations at Guantanamo
http://www.truthout.org/article/china-inspired-interrogations-guantanamo Scott Shane, of The New York Times: "The military trainers who came to Guantanamo Bay in December 2002 based an entire interrogation class on a chart showing the effects of 'coercive management techniques' for possible use on prisoners, including 'sleep deprivation,' 'prolonged constraint,' and 'exposure.' What the trainers did not say, and may not have known, was that their chart had been copied verbatim from a 1957 Air Force study of Chinese Communist techniques used during the Korean War to obtain confessions, many of them false, from American prisoners."
Obama Voters Protest His Switch on Telecom Immunity
http://www.truthout.org/article/obama-voters-protest-his-switch-telecom-immunity James Risen, of The New York Times: "Senator Barack Obama's decision to support legislation granting legal immunity to telecommunications companies that cooperated with the Bush administration's program of wiretapping without warrants has led to an intense backlash among some of his most ardent supporters. Thousands of them are now using the same grass-roots organizing tools previously mastered by the Obama campaign to organize a protest against his decision. In recent days, more than 7,000 Obama supporters have organized on a social networking site on Mr. Obama's own campaign Web site."
Whistle-Blower Suits Languish at Justice
http://www.truthout.org/article/whistle-blower-suits-languish-justice By Carrie Johnson, of The Washington Post: "More than 900 cases alleging that government contractors and drugmakers have defrauded taxpayers out of billions of dollars are languishing in a backlog that has built up over the past decade because the Justice Department cannot keep pace with the surge in charges brought by whistle-blowers, according to lawyers involved in the disputes. The issue is drawing renewed interest among lawmakers and nonprofit groups because many of the cases involve the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, rising health-care payouts, and privatization of government functions -- all of which offer rich new opportunities to swindle taxpayers."
Mexico in Uproar Over "Torture" Videos
http://www.truthout.org/article/mexico-in-uproar-over-torture-videos The Associated Press: "Videos showing Leon police practicing torture techniques on a fellow officer and dragging another through vomit at the instruction of a U.S. adviser created an uproar Tuesday in Mexico, which has struggled to eliminate torture in law enforcement. One of the videos, first obtained by the newspaper El Heraldo de Leon, shows police appearing to squirt water up a man's nose -- a technique once notorious among Mexican police. Then they dunk his head in a hole said to be full of excrement and rats. The man gasps for air and moans repeatedly."
Swedes Outraged Over New Email Spying Law
http://www.truthout.org/article/swedes-outraged-over-new-email-spying-law The Associated Press: "Swedes may cherish openness and transparency, but not enough to accept a new law giving the government the right to snoop on all e-mails and phone calls crossing the country's borders. Outrage over the statute has led to 2 million protests - filed by e-mail. The online petition drive comes as other European Union countries consider granting authorities unprecedented spying powers over their own citizens amid fears of a mounting terror threat."
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
More truthout 7/1
Midwest Floods Spotlight Decrepit Infrastructure
http://www.truthout.org/article/midwest-floods-spotlight-decrepit-infrastructure Andrew Stern of Reuters reports: "The latest US natural disaster is triggering fresh rounds of concern and debate about how to repair America's aging infrastructure."
Lawmakers Break for July Fourth With Few Accomplishments
http://www.truthout.org/article/lawmakers-break-july-fourth-with-few-accomplishments The Washington Independent's Mike Lillis says, "A week ago, Senate leaders approached a calendar full of pressing legislation with heads full of optimism that they could wrap it up before the July 4 recess. Then reality hit."
Obama to Rename Bush's Faith Office
http://www.truthout.org/article/obama-rename-bushs-faith-office Mike Allen, The Politico, writes: "Sen. Barack Obama (D-Illinois) plans to slam President Bush's program as 'a photo op' and a failure on Tuesday, and says he would scrap the office and create a new Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships that would be a 'critical' part of his administration."
Dr. Reese Halter Global Warming's Twin Evil: Wildfires and Drought
http://www.truthout.org/article/global-warmings-twin-evil-wildfires-and-drought Writing for AlterNet, Dr. Reese Halter says, "The hundreds of fires hitting California right now are a wake-up call to both government and California residents: we're unprepared for a rapid climate change crackling at our doorstep."
For First Time, Congress Addresses Transgender Workers
http://www.truthout.org/article/for-first-time-congress-addresses-transgender-workers Rob Hotakainen, McClatchy Newspapers, reports: "After getting hired as a national security analyst with the Library of Congress, David Schroer took his new boss out to lunch to share some news: On his first day of work, he planned to show up as Diane. The next day the job offer was withdrawn, and Schroer says it was a clear case of discrimination."
Federal Court Upholds Restrictive Abortion Law
http://www.truthout.org/article/federal-court-upholds-restrictive-abortion-law Melanie Brandert of The Argus Leader writes: "A federal appeals court decided Friday that a state law requiring abortion doctors to get written consent from women who want an abortion should be enforced."
US Leads World in Substance Abuse
http://www.truthout.org/article/us-leads-world-substance-abuse According to Reuters, "The United States leads the world in rates of experimenting with marijuana and cocaine despite strict drug laws, World Health Organization researchers said on Tuesday."
Critics Rip Elections Supervisor After Miscount in West Palm Beach Race
http://www.truthout.org/article/critics-rip-elections-supervisor-after-miscount-west-palm-beach-race The South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Mark Hollis writes, "Palm Beach County elections officials said Friday they are investigating why they failed to quickly count more than 700 votes in a special election that marked the county's first experience with optical scanners."
Ex-Agent Seeks Declassified CIA Documents on Iran
http://www.truthout.org/article/ex-agent-seeks-declassified-cia-documents-iran
Joby Warrick, for The Washington Post, reports: "A former CIA operative who says he tried to warn the agency about faulty intelligence on Iraqi weapons programs now contends that CIA officials also ignored evidence that Iran had suspended work on a nuclear bomb."
Milt Bearden The Truth Is Out on CIA and Torture
http://www.truthout.org/article/the-truth-is-out-cia-and-torture
Milt Bearden, for The Washington Independent, writes: "But whatever the solution for getting US intelligence collection abroad back on track, it should begin with the formal denunciation by the next administration of the use of torture by any US agency -- including the CIA. It might also encompass a balanced investigation into past abuses, but this time with a top-down targeting rather than just throwing a few low-level suspects to the wolves."
Human Toll Yet to Be Counted in Zimbabwe
http://www.truthout.org/article/human-toll-yet-be-counted-zimbabwe
Shashank Bengali reports for McClatchy Newspapers: "Zimbabwe's election may be over - President Robert Mugabe claimed victory Sunday and was immediately sworn in for another five-year term - but the human toll of one of the most brutal political campaigns in recent memory is still being calculated. Opposition leaders and pro-democracy activists think that government militias killed scores of people and abducted perhaps hundreds of others as Mugabe decimated a popular opposition party and extended his 28-year rule over this crumbling southern African nation."
Andre Gorz Theorizing Deliverance From the Labor- and Commodity-Centered Society
http://www.truthout.org/article/theorizing-deliverance-labor-and-commodity-centered-society
In one of the last texts to appear before his death, French "Philosopher of Freedom" Andre Gorz returns to the dynamic of financial capitalism and the reasons we may see guaranteed social income as an opportunity to exit capitalism. The French original first appeared in Mouvements; this translation is a Truthout exclusive.
http://www.truthout.org/article/midwest-floods-spotlight-decrepit-infrastructure Andrew Stern of Reuters reports: "The latest US natural disaster is triggering fresh rounds of concern and debate about how to repair America's aging infrastructure."
Lawmakers Break for July Fourth With Few Accomplishments
http://www.truthout.org/article/lawmakers-break-july-fourth-with-few-accomplishments The Washington Independent's Mike Lillis says, "A week ago, Senate leaders approached a calendar full of pressing legislation with heads full of optimism that they could wrap it up before the July 4 recess. Then reality hit."
Obama to Rename Bush's Faith Office
http://www.truthout.org/article/obama-rename-bushs-faith-office Mike Allen, The Politico, writes: "Sen. Barack Obama (D-Illinois) plans to slam President Bush's program as 'a photo op' and a failure on Tuesday, and says he would scrap the office and create a new Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships that would be a 'critical' part of his administration."
Dr. Reese Halter Global Warming's Twin Evil: Wildfires and Drought
http://www.truthout.org/article/global-warmings-twin-evil-wildfires-and-drought Writing for AlterNet, Dr. Reese Halter says, "The hundreds of fires hitting California right now are a wake-up call to both government and California residents: we're unprepared for a rapid climate change crackling at our doorstep."
For First Time, Congress Addresses Transgender Workers
http://www.truthout.org/article/for-first-time-congress-addresses-transgender-workers Rob Hotakainen, McClatchy Newspapers, reports: "After getting hired as a national security analyst with the Library of Congress, David Schroer took his new boss out to lunch to share some news: On his first day of work, he planned to show up as Diane. The next day the job offer was withdrawn, and Schroer says it was a clear case of discrimination."
Federal Court Upholds Restrictive Abortion Law
http://www.truthout.org/article/federal-court-upholds-restrictive-abortion-law Melanie Brandert of The Argus Leader writes: "A federal appeals court decided Friday that a state law requiring abortion doctors to get written consent from women who want an abortion should be enforced."
US Leads World in Substance Abuse
http://www.truthout.org/article/us-leads-world-substance-abuse According to Reuters, "The United States leads the world in rates of experimenting with marijuana and cocaine despite strict drug laws, World Health Organization researchers said on Tuesday."
Critics Rip Elections Supervisor After Miscount in West Palm Beach Race
http://www.truthout.org/article/critics-rip-elections-supervisor-after-miscount-west-palm-beach-race The South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Mark Hollis writes, "Palm Beach County elections officials said Friday they are investigating why they failed to quickly count more than 700 votes in a special election that marked the county's first experience with optical scanners."
Ex-Agent Seeks Declassified CIA Documents on Iran
http://www.truthout.org/article/ex-agent-seeks-declassified-cia-documents-iran
Joby Warrick, for The Washington Post, reports: "A former CIA operative who says he tried to warn the agency about faulty intelligence on Iraqi weapons programs now contends that CIA officials also ignored evidence that Iran had suspended work on a nuclear bomb."
Milt Bearden The Truth Is Out on CIA and Torture
http://www.truthout.org/article/the-truth-is-out-cia-and-torture
Milt Bearden, for The Washington Independent, writes: "But whatever the solution for getting US intelligence collection abroad back on track, it should begin with the formal denunciation by the next administration of the use of torture by any US agency -- including the CIA. It might also encompass a balanced investigation into past abuses, but this time with a top-down targeting rather than just throwing a few low-level suspects to the wolves."
Human Toll Yet to Be Counted in Zimbabwe
http://www.truthout.org/article/human-toll-yet-be-counted-zimbabwe
Shashank Bengali reports for McClatchy Newspapers: "Zimbabwe's election may be over - President Robert Mugabe claimed victory Sunday and was immediately sworn in for another five-year term - but the human toll of one of the most brutal political campaigns in recent memory is still being calculated. Opposition leaders and pro-democracy activists think that government militias killed scores of people and abducted perhaps hundreds of others as Mugabe decimated a popular opposition party and extended his 28-year rule over this crumbling southern African nation."
Andre Gorz Theorizing Deliverance From the Labor- and Commodity-Centered Society
http://www.truthout.org/article/theorizing-deliverance-labor-and-commodity-centered-society
In one of the last texts to appear before his death, French "Philosopher of Freedom" Andre Gorz returns to the dynamic of financial capitalism and the reasons we may see guaranteed social income as an opportunity to exit capitalism. The French original first appeared in Mouvements; this translation is a Truthout exclusive.
NW Indiana Progressives are blogging too
I just discovered the South Shore Progressive blog. From the site's homepage:
:::
Worth checking out-- perhaps Don can arrange some sort of collaboration/relationship with these folks?
South Shore Progressive exists to:
1) Help elect left leaning candidates that will bring responsible representation to the citizens of Northwest Indiana.
2) Bring a progressive voice to the issues facing our communities.
3) Help everyday people get involved in the political process.
4) Provide a forum for civil discussion of the issues facing our communities.
:::
Worth checking out-- perhaps Don can arrange some sort of collaboration/relationship with these folks?
On Turkish Politics, Or, Are Headscarves A Constitutional Threat?
When you live in the place where Europe and Asia meet, you are just bound to be strategically important, and so it is for Turkey, so it was for Turkey’s antecedents Anatolia and Ionia in times past, and so it will be long into the future.
When you’re that strategically important and your Supreme Court is going to hear a case that could result in your President and Prime Minister—and the Nation’s majority political party—being banned from politics, it’s big news.
For some reason that news is not in the headlines in the United States—and it absolutely should be. Lucky for you, your friendly fake consultant has been on the case, and you will get a story today that touches on the confluence of Islam and secularism, military coups, and the desire of one of our allies to become a member of the European Union…and the European’s fear of what might happen if they do.
We cannot tell this story, however, without understanding the nature of Turkish secularism. I’m going to abbreviate the story here, but I strongly encourage those seeking a deeper history to review Thomas Patrick Carroll’s Middle East Intelligence Bulletin article “Turkey's Justice and Development Party: A Model for Democratic Islam?”.
The continuum of Islamic influence began before the Ottoman Empire, and was supposed to be ended by the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Sharia Law was replaced by a secular legal Code, and the concept of laiklik (national secularism) was introduced. Carroll describes laiklik this way:
In the 30 years between 1950 and 1980 governments came and went—and when the military establishment determined some of the political parties involved strayed a bit too far from accepted secular norms a coup would follow (there were three coups during that time); along the way political parties were banned and reformed under new guises. The military actually banned all political parties in 1980 and supervised the writing of a new Constitution which includes these provisions:
What’s all that mean? It means Turkey shall be secular, that this cannot be changed, that no group may seek to restrict secularism, that the State shall determine the manner of religious instruction (and by extension, control the instructors), and that no one may use religion as a means of creating a change in the secular structure—or for advancing their own personal influence.
And now we get to the part where headscarves have come to be a Constitutional problem. The hijab is worn, Canadian Government officials tell us, by at least 2/3 of Turkish women—but it may not be worn “in public institutions...including schools, universities, and the civil service...”
As you can imagine, those restrictions have profound impacts on Turkish women particularly, and the entire population generally. Add into the mix the efforts on the part of the Turkish “secularist establishment” to encourage the use of Islam as a stabilizing force upon the population and you have the need to resolve some serious societal conflicts. (This is hardly a uniquely Turkish problem, by the way—-several European nations are struggling with this issue.) Ataturk’s old Party, the CHP, has seen its influence wane as a new secularist Islamic political movement has emerged—most recently in the form of the Justice and Development Party (known by its Turkish initials AKP).
Since 2002, the Party has been quite successful in expanding its reach and influence; and today Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President Abdullah Gül, and the largest group of representatives in Turkey’s Parliament are all members of the AKP. (That success has been so complete that Mr. Erdoğan is today Prime Minister--despite having been banned from politics for life in 1998.)
The Party also had great electoral success in Turkey’s local elections of 2004, and they today control the entire country’s local political landscape—except for a region of Kurdish influence near the Iraqi and Iranian borders to the southwest, a few spots near Georgia and Armenia to the northeast, a region of the central interior, and, ironically, the regions of Turkey that were the first areas of Greek colonization so long ago, where the CHP still holds sway.
It has been suggested that the AKP’s ability to incorporate Kurdish political aspirations toward a more pro-Turkish orientation, ands away from Kurdish nationalism contributed considerably to that success.
The AKP, upon assuming power, had sought to moderate some of the secularism restrictions (which they perceive as not just secularist, but anti-Islamic, and prohibited by the Constitution’s guarantee of religious freedom), and to that end they introduced a Constitutional amendment that would allow everyone equal access to government services. The effect of the amendment would have been to permit the wearing of the hijab in universities. The CHP filed suit seeking redress, and the Constitutional Court ruled on June 5th that Article 2 of the Constitution had indeed been violated, relying in part on precedent from a 1989 ruling:
In March charges were filed against the AKP itself alleging that the Party has a secret agenda to promote Islam to the detriment of secularism, again in violation of Article 2. Today Turkey’s Constitutional Court will hear the arguments of Chief Prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya, to be followed Thursday by the AKP’s defense presentation.
Should the Prosecution prevail, the court would ban the Party from further activity, and 71 current elected officials—including the President and Prime Minister—would find themselves similarly banished from political life.
And that’s where Europe gets involved. The AKP has been highly successful in leading Turkey into a period of economic liberalization—and prosperity. All this success has given Turkey a shot at being invited to join the European Union...and banning the AKP may “throw a spanner” in those chances.
So that’s the story: a secularist country with a population that is majority Islamic may ban a political party that has sought to resolve some of the tensions inherent in this contradictory situation...and that ban might be important to protect the Turkish nation, or a political ploy designed to return a minority Party to power.
As we said at the top, this is a huge story with profound implications for an important strategic ally...and just as has happened so many times in the past, what happens on the Bosporus has the potential to be felt all the way from Gaul to Persia.
When you’re that strategically important and your Supreme Court is going to hear a case that could result in your President and Prime Minister—and the Nation’s majority political party—being banned from politics, it’s big news.
For some reason that news is not in the headlines in the United States—and it absolutely should be. Lucky for you, your friendly fake consultant has been on the case, and you will get a story today that touches on the confluence of Islam and secularism, military coups, and the desire of one of our allies to become a member of the European Union…and the European’s fear of what might happen if they do.
We cannot tell this story, however, without understanding the nature of Turkish secularism. I’m going to abbreviate the story here, but I strongly encourage those seeking a deeper history to review Thomas Patrick Carroll’s Middle East Intelligence Bulletin article “Turkey's Justice and Development Party: A Model for Democratic Islam?”.
The continuum of Islamic influence began before the Ottoman Empire, and was supposed to be ended by the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Sharia Law was replaced by a secular legal Code, and the concept of laiklik (national secularism) was introduced. Carroll describes laiklik this way:
“...This term is often translated into English as 'laicism' or, more commonly, 'secularism,' which implies the separation of religion and state into two distinct and autonomous realms. But laiklik, as practiced in Turkey, is not so much the separation of religion and the state, as it is the subordination of religion to the state. As one prominent expert notes,
“This is a crucial difference in the Turkish context. The state controls the education of religious professionals and their assignment to mosques and approves the content of their sermons. It also controls religious schools and the content of religious education and enforces laws about the wearing of religious symbols and clothing in public spaces and institutions.””
In the 30 years between 1950 and 1980 governments came and went—and when the military establishment determined some of the political parties involved strayed a bit too far from accepted secular norms a coup would follow (there were three coups during that time); along the way political parties were banned and reformed under new guises. The military actually banned all political parties in 1980 and supervised the writing of a new Constitution which includes these provisions:
ARTICLE 2. The Republic of Turkey is a democratic, secular and social state governed by the rule of law; bearing in mind the concepts of public peace, national solidarity and justice; respecting human rights; loyal to the nationalism of Atatürk, and based on the fundamental tenets set forth in the Preamble.
ARTICLE 4. The provision of Article 1 of the Constitution establishing the form of the state as a Republic, the provisions in Article 2 on the characteristics of the Republic, and the provision of Article 3 shall not be amended, nor shall their amendment be proposed.
“ARTICLE 14. (As amended on October 17, 2001) None of the rights and freedoms embodied in the Constitution shall be exercised with the aim of violating the indivisible integrity of the state with its territory and nation, and endangering the existence of the democratic and secular order of the Turkish Republic based upon human rights.
No provision of this Constitution shall be interpreted in a manner that enables the State or individuals to destroy the fundamental rights and freedoms embodied in the Constitution or to stage an activity with the aim of restricting them more extensively than stated in the Constitution.
The sanctions to be applied against those who perpetrate these activities in conflict with these provisions shall be determined by law.
ARTICLE 24. Everyone has the right to freedom of conscience, religious belief and conviction.
Acts of worship, religious services, and ceremonies shall be conducted freely, provided that they do not violate the provisions of Article 14.
No one shall be compelled to worship, or to participate in religious ceremonies and rites, to reveal religious beliefs and convictions, or be blamed or accused because of his religious beliefs and convictions.
Education and instruction in religion and ethics shall be conducted under state supervision and control. Instruction in religious culture and moral education shall be compulsory in the curricula of primary and secondary schools. Other religious education and instruction shall be subject to the individual’s own desire, and in the case of minors, to the request of their legal representatives.
No one shall be allowed to exploit or abuse religion or religious feelings, or things held sacred by religion, in any manner whatsoever, for the purpose of personal or political influence, or for even partially basing the fundamental, social, economic, political, and legal order of the state on religious tenets.”
What’s all that mean? It means Turkey shall be secular, that this cannot be changed, that no group may seek to restrict secularism, that the State shall determine the manner of religious instruction (and by extension, control the instructors), and that no one may use religion as a means of creating a change in the secular structure—or for advancing their own personal influence.
And now we get to the part where headscarves have come to be a Constitutional problem. The hijab is worn, Canadian Government officials tell us, by at least 2/3 of Turkish women—but it may not be worn “in public institutions...including schools, universities, and the civil service...”
As you can imagine, those restrictions have profound impacts on Turkish women particularly, and the entire population generally. Add into the mix the efforts on the part of the Turkish “secularist establishment” to encourage the use of Islam as a stabilizing force upon the population and you have the need to resolve some serious societal conflicts. (This is hardly a uniquely Turkish problem, by the way—-several European nations are struggling with this issue.) Ataturk’s old Party, the CHP, has seen its influence wane as a new secularist Islamic political movement has emerged—most recently in the form of the Justice and Development Party (known by its Turkish initials AKP).
Since 2002, the Party has been quite successful in expanding its reach and influence; and today Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President Abdullah Gül, and the largest group of representatives in Turkey’s Parliament are all members of the AKP. (That success has been so complete that Mr. Erdoğan is today Prime Minister--despite having been banned from politics for life in 1998.)
The Party also had great electoral success in Turkey’s local elections of 2004, and they today control the entire country’s local political landscape—except for a region of Kurdish influence near the Iraqi and Iranian borders to the southwest, a few spots near Georgia and Armenia to the northeast, a region of the central interior, and, ironically, the regions of Turkey that were the first areas of Greek colonization so long ago, where the CHP still holds sway.
It has been suggested that the AKP’s ability to incorporate Kurdish political aspirations toward a more pro-Turkish orientation, ands away from Kurdish nationalism contributed considerably to that success.
The AKP, upon assuming power, had sought to moderate some of the secularism restrictions (which they perceive as not just secularist, but anti-Islamic, and prohibited by the Constitution’s guarantee of religious freedom), and to that end they introduced a Constitutional amendment that would allow everyone equal access to government services. The effect of the amendment would have been to permit the wearing of the hijab in universities. The CHP filed suit seeking redress, and the Constitutional Court ruled on June 5th that Article 2 of the Constitution had indeed been violated, relying in part on precedent from a 1989 ruling:
"The basis of the democratic structure is national sovereignty. The democratic order also opposes the supremacy of religious values, the Sharia. A ruling giving particular prevalence to religious values cannot be democratic. A democratic state can only be secular. Regulations contingent upon religion are accompanied by religious zeal and constraints, which cause religious conflicts. This eventually leads to a loss of quality in the freedom, majority control, and tolerance of the democracy."
In March charges were filed against the AKP itself alleging that the Party has a secret agenda to promote Islam to the detriment of secularism, again in violation of Article 2. Today Turkey’s Constitutional Court will hear the arguments of Chief Prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya, to be followed Thursday by the AKP’s defense presentation.
Should the Prosecution prevail, the court would ban the Party from further activity, and 71 current elected officials—including the President and Prime Minister—would find themselves similarly banished from political life.
And that’s where Europe gets involved. The AKP has been highly successful in leading Turkey into a period of economic liberalization—and prosperity. All this success has given Turkey a shot at being invited to join the European Union...and banning the AKP may “throw a spanner” in those chances.
So that’s the story: a secularist country with a population that is majority Islamic may ban a political party that has sought to resolve some of the tensions inherent in this contradictory situation...and that ban might be important to protect the Turkish nation, or a political ploy designed to return a minority Party to power.
As we said at the top, this is a huge story with profound implications for an important strategic ally...and just as has happened so many times in the past, what happens on the Bosporus has the potential to be felt all the way from Gaul to Persia.
Truthout roundup 7/1
Abu Ghraib inmates sue contractors in federal court for torture; more US and NATO troops were killed last month in Afghanistan than Iraq; federal appeals court delivers another blow to military over detainees; McCain inconsistent on energy policy; wounded Iraqi soldiers cite neglect; and more ... Browse our continually updating front page at http://www.truthout.org
Abu Ghraib Inmates Sue Contractors, Claim Torture
http://www.truthout.org/article/abu-ghraib-inmates-sue-contractors-claim-torture David Dishneau, of The Associated Press: "Three Iraqis and a Jordanian filed federal lawsuits Monday alleging they were tortured by US defense contractors while detained at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq in 2003 and 2004. The lawsuits allege that those arrested and taken to the prison were subjected to forced nudity, electrical shocks, mock executions and other inhumane treatment. They seek unspecified payments high enough to compensate the detainees for their injuries, and to deter contractors from such conduct in the future."
US, NATO Deaths in Afghanistan Pass Iraq Toll
http://www.truthout.org/article/us-nato-deaths-afghanistan-pass-iraq-toll Jason Straziuso, of The Associated Press: "Militants killed more US and NATO troops in Afghanistan in June than in Iraq for the second straight month, a grim milestone capping a run of headline-grabbing insurgent attacks that analysts say underscore the Taliban's growing strength. The fundamentalist militia in June staged a sophisticated jailbreak that freed 886 prisoners, then briefly infiltrated a strategic valley outside Kandahar."
Judges Cite Need for Reliable Evidence to Hold Detainees
http://www.truthout.org/article/judges-cite-need-reliable-evidence-hold-detainees Del Quentin Wilber and Josh White, of The Washington Post: "In reversing a military tribunal's determination that a Chinese detainee was an 'enemy combatant,' a federal appeals court criticized the government's evidence and compared its legal theories to a nonsensical 19th-century poem. A three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit wrote in a 39-page opinion released yesterday that tribunals and courts must be able to assess whether evidence is reliable before determining the fate of detainees."
McCain's Energy Record Is On/Off
http://www.truthout.org/article/mccains-energy-record-is-onoff Noam N. Levey, of The Los Angeles Times: "McCain's record of tackling energy policy on Capitol Hill shows little of the clear direction he says would come from a McCain White House. Instead, the Arizona senator has swerved from one position to another over the years, taking often contradictory stances on the federal government's role in energy policy."
Wounded Iraqi Forces Say They've Been Abandoned
http://www.truthout.org/article/wounded-iraqi-forces-say-theyve-been-abandoned Michael Kamber, of The New York Times: "Dawoud Ameen, a former Iraqi soldier, lay in bed, his shattered legs splayed before him, worrying about the rent for his family of five. Mr. Ameen's legs were shredded by shrapnel from a roadside bomb in September 2006 and now, like many wounded members of the Iraqi security forces, he is deeply in debt and struggling to survive. For now, he gets by on $125 a month brought to him by members of his old army unit, charity and whatever his wife, Jinan, can beg from her relatives. But he worries that he could lose even that meager monthly stipend."
Abu Ghraib Inmates Sue Contractors, Claim Torture
http://www.truthout.org/article/abu-ghraib-inmates-sue-contractors-claim-torture David Dishneau, of The Associated Press: "Three Iraqis and a Jordanian filed federal lawsuits Monday alleging they were tortured by US defense contractors while detained at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq in 2003 and 2004. The lawsuits allege that those arrested and taken to the prison were subjected to forced nudity, electrical shocks, mock executions and other inhumane treatment. They seek unspecified payments high enough to compensate the detainees for their injuries, and to deter contractors from such conduct in the future."
US, NATO Deaths in Afghanistan Pass Iraq Toll
http://www.truthout.org/article/us-nato-deaths-afghanistan-pass-iraq-toll Jason Straziuso, of The Associated Press: "Militants killed more US and NATO troops in Afghanistan in June than in Iraq for the second straight month, a grim milestone capping a run of headline-grabbing insurgent attacks that analysts say underscore the Taliban's growing strength. The fundamentalist militia in June staged a sophisticated jailbreak that freed 886 prisoners, then briefly infiltrated a strategic valley outside Kandahar."
Judges Cite Need for Reliable Evidence to Hold Detainees
http://www.truthout.org/article/judges-cite-need-reliable-evidence-hold-detainees Del Quentin Wilber and Josh White, of The Washington Post: "In reversing a military tribunal's determination that a Chinese detainee was an 'enemy combatant,' a federal appeals court criticized the government's evidence and compared its legal theories to a nonsensical 19th-century poem. A three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit wrote in a 39-page opinion released yesterday that tribunals and courts must be able to assess whether evidence is reliable before determining the fate of detainees."
McCain's Energy Record Is On/Off
http://www.truthout.org/article/mccains-energy-record-is-onoff Noam N. Levey, of The Los Angeles Times: "McCain's record of tackling energy policy on Capitol Hill shows little of the clear direction he says would come from a McCain White House. Instead, the Arizona senator has swerved from one position to another over the years, taking often contradictory stances on the federal government's role in energy policy."
Wounded Iraqi Forces Say They've Been Abandoned
http://www.truthout.org/article/wounded-iraqi-forces-say-theyve-been-abandoned Michael Kamber, of The New York Times: "Dawoud Ameen, a former Iraqi soldier, lay in bed, his shattered legs splayed before him, worrying about the rent for his family of five. Mr. Ameen's legs were shredded by shrapnel from a roadside bomb in September 2006 and now, like many wounded members of the Iraqi security forces, he is deeply in debt and struggling to survive. For now, he gets by on $125 a month brought to him by members of his old army unit, charity and whatever his wife, Jinan, can beg from her relatives. But he worries that he could lose even that meager monthly stipend."
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