Thoughts?

taser Myla!

on my Realplayer. I don't need to see anyone I just want audio.

Free Democracy

Dear Catharine,

If you want to know why we need change in Washington—and I mean real change, not just trading corporate Republican insiders with corporate Democratic insiders—then just look at Senator Clinton's schedule for today.

Today at noon, Hillary Clinton will be hosting a fundraiser in Washington, D.C. for a select group of lobbyists with an interest in homeland security.

Tickets for the Clinton fundraiser are $1,000 a ticket and $25,000 per bundler. And for that money you get more than a meal—you get to attend one-hour breakout sessions in four different areas of homeland security that will include House Committee Chairs and members of Congress who sit on the very committees that will be voting on homeland security legislation.

The American people know that the system in Washington has become corroded and corrupt—that the nation's capital is awash in campaign money from lobbyists seeking to gain influence to impact legislation.

Yet too many in office have fallen under the spell of campaign money at any cost—and do not see that when they defend the system, they are protecting those that have rigged the game that puts corporate profits ahead of the interests of working Americans.

To truly end that game, it's going to take more than a change of heart from other candidates: it's going to take thousands of committed Americans like you who are willing to take on the powerful interests dollar for dollar to elect a president like John Edwards—who has never taken a dime from any Washington lobbyist, and never will.

You may not have $1,000, but your $25, $50 or $100 contribution today—when combined with the contributions of thousands of others who are replying to this email right now—can send a powerful message to all of Washington that the days of trading special interest contributions for government access are numbered:

www.johnedwards.com/contribute

Today's Clinton fundraising event is a "poster child" for what is wrong with Washington and what should never happen again with a candidate running for the highest office in the land.

That no one in the Clinton campaign—including the candidate—found anything wrong with holding this fundraiser is an indication of just how bad things have gotten in Washington—because there isn't an American outside of Washington who would not be sickened by it.

Just last month, John Edwards asked Senator Clinton to join him in taking the Democratic Party on the first step towards real reform—to become the first party to refuse and reject the money of Washington lobbyists.

Senator Clinton refused to stand up to the lobbyist game. But you can send a message today to all of those in Washington that it's time for all Democrats to stop playing this rigged game by contributing what you can today:

www.johnedwards.com/contribute

As John said last month when he challenged all Democrats to reject lobbyist money, we cannot point a finger at anyone in either party for what they did yesterday—or even today—but we can today as a party stop the game, and say once and for all to all Washington lobbyists: your money is no good here anymore.

Help send that message by contributing any amount you can afford to give today:

www.johnedwards.com/contribute

Thank you for all you do.

--Joe Trippi
Senior Advisor, John Edwards for President
September 18, 2007

video streams require much more band width. I could not get a steady reliable stream. Video is nice only if it doesn't complicate the message.

They just started asking questions on the FISA hearing.

They have some protesters in there and the Republicans aren't happy about signs being put up/.

8-)

The video would be more interesting if Maron featured the cats on camera. Monkey was part of the show today.

I lost the audio on Sam during the last 10 minutes of the show while I could still hear Marc.

Thanks for being pioneers, guys.

I'm sorry. Looking forward to seeing it, though.....

Then I will be happy to give my highly valued opinion.

;)

alice, brett!

They are dancing around words like overheard vs tapped. They are throwing out people because they are appalled at the criminal nature of this administration. They are parsing words like we are stupid.

On another topic .... he's pissed at the guy he is questioning ..... I never heard him this pissed before.

Today was Great!

I want an hour of Sam everyday!
I say Maron puts Monkey on the Video feed when he can't be there.

Seder Everyday would be my vote! Well, you better take Saturday off :)

KSFO's Rodgers accused Katrina victims of "sniveling," "whining," riding "gravy train"

http://mediamatters.org/items/200709180004

On the August 29 broadcast of San Francisco radio station KSFO's The Lee Rodgers & Melanie Morgan Program, co-host Lee Rodgers said: "Today, we are limiting ourselves greatly when it comes to taking part in this sentimental orgy about New Orleans on the second anniversary of [Hurricane] Katrina," adding: "They built a city in a swamp that's below sea level. Get over it." Rodgers also asserted: "I for one -- now, I'm all in favor of helping needy people, but at what point do you say, 'Hey, it's time that you people got off your asses went to work and earned your own way'? " He went on to say: "Two years later, the people who have been freeloading for two years are whining because the gravy train is slowing down," and added: "At what point after a disaster and personal hardship are people expected to start taking care of themselves again? Is one hurricane supposed to be a permanent lifelong ticket on a bleeping gravy train? Come on!"

Also on the show, after asserting, "I love New Orleans. ... I had some very happy times there," Rodgers asked: "Save New Orleans? For what?" adding, "Now they got the French Quarter up and running again. OK, fine. It's a theme park, but that's what it's been for years anyway. The rest of it's a sewer." Co-host Melanie Morgan responded by asserting: "[T]hey're trying to fix the unfixable in the rest of the city and in the mean time every politician in the country is pandering, spending billions of dollars and putting it in what? A rat hole." Rodgers also suggested: "Keep the parts of New Orleans that are above sea level, or at least closer to sea level, as a theme park, which is what it's been to many people anyway," adding, in reference to the French Quarter: "It's a theme park with booze."

Blogger "Spocko" noted the comments by Rodgers and Morgan in a September 15 post. Spocko further noted that, on the August 30 edition of the show, Rodgers similarly asserted, in reference to the New Orleans refugees: "But two years later, for God's sake, people, solve your own bleeping problems, we're sick of hearing about you," adding: "Maybe those people down there ought to stop their sniveling and whining and watch an example of self-reliance right there in their own community." Later on that show, Rodgers asserted: "I don't wanna hear anymore of this crap from people in Louisiana saying 'Gimme, gimme, gimme.' Shut the hell up. Solve your own problems. It's been two years, grow up."

***

What is up with bashing Katrina victims 2 years later? You have really got to be desperate for attention. In fact, I would never have heard of these people if it weren't for this shit. Congratulations, people. You got yourself publicized for bad behavior.

***

On another note, Go Spocko!

ubmitted by Fernando on Tue, 09/18/2007 - 12:45pm.

They are dancing around words like overheard vs tapped. They are throwing out people because they are appalled at the criminal nature of this administration. They are parsing words like we are stupid.
****************

Glad I had someone backing me up on the stream .. Thanks 8-)

This hearing might turn out to be a good one ... everyone seems to be pissed .

8-)

media you capture, Fernando?

Just wondering.

Marc was talking about stalkers like we want to see his puss. Puhleez.

I very much enjoyed hearing what he said, but the image isn't really necessary unless it adds content. His cigar isn't content.

It might contribute to his humor, which I know nothing about. I don't follow Marc is he a comedian?

I have a couple of gigs on mediamax and a couple of websites I host just for grins Catharine. But I have space.

Succubus

Is a CT scan always necessary after your child suffers a bump on the head? Should you think twice before undergoing surgery for lower back pain? Are your elderly parents going to be allowed to die at home, or will they spend their last few weeks in a hospital, hooked up to machines and tubes, subjected to painful, unnecessary procedures?

These are the kinds of questions you may find yourself asking once you’ve read Overtreated. Each year, our medical system delivers an enormous amount of care that does nothing to improve our health or lengthen our lives. Between 20 and 30 cents on every health care dollar we spend goes towards useless treatments and hospitalizations, towards CT scans we don’t need, towards ineffective surgeries—towards care that not only does nothing to improve our health, but that we wouldn’t want if we understood how dangerous it can be. This is the surprising and deeply counterintuitive message of Overtreated.

Of course, almost everything in our personal experience says just the opposite, that far from delivering too much care, our medical system isn’t giving us enough. Forty-seven million of us don’t have coverage, and even those of us who do have health insurance feel as if our insurers and doctors are continually trying to deny us treatments and tests and drugs that could help us.

Yet as award –winning journalist Shannon Brownlee shows in this remarkable book, much of what we think we know about health care is simply wrong. With probing insight and facinating examples, Brownlee unveils its topsy-turvy economics, where the supply of medical resources—beds, specialists, intensive care units—determines what care we receive, rather than how sick we are and what we actually need.

Overtreated offers a fresh way to think about health care reform. Americans worry about rationing—that any effort to rein in costs will lead to restrictions on treatments that could improve our health. But as Brownlee argues in this compassionate and compelling book, we can improve the quality of American medicine, control costs, and cover the uninsured—all without the limitations and expense that Americans fear. Her humane, intelligent, and penetrating analysis empowers readers to avoid the perils of overtreatment in their own care, while simultaneously pointing the way to a better system

http://www.overtreated.com/home.html

CM

how much moe were your candidates wanting to waste ?

I miss him in the AM .. Morning Sedition was one of the best shows on AAR.

I read on another site that was watching the show that his wife left him ..... to bad.

AAR has screwed up every show I liked.

I don't air gray jammies, or any other kind of laundry, in public.

Today The Real News Network examines the implications of the Bush/Petraeus strategy in Iraq and Iran. Watch the interview with Phyllis Bennis, a senior analyst at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington D.C. During a 4-part interview via webcam, Bennis discusses the establishment of permanent U.S. bases in Iraq. "The existence of the permanent bases has been something constructed under the radar, without any attention being paid by the press." Part 2 continues with an analysis of the Production Sharing Agreements between the U.S. government and Iraq. Bennis examines the case being built against Iran by the White House in Part 3 of the interview. "Iran remains the sole potential independent regional power with the capacity to challenge U.S. domination in the region." Part 4, Bennis concludes the interview by stating that the Iraqi people are owed war reparations. Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer denies this, saying, "we must first and foremost look out for safety here in America." Phyllis Bennis is the author of Before and After: U.S. Foreign Policy and the September 11th Crisis, and Challenging Empire: How People, Governments, and the UN Defy U.S. Power.

CREW RELEASES THIRD ANNUAL MOST CORRUPT MEMBERS OF CONGRESS REPORT

Washington, DC – Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) released its third annual report on the most corrupt members of Congress entitled Beyond DeLay: The 22 Most Corrupt Members of Congress (and two to watch). This encyclopedic report on corruption in the 110th Congress documents the egregious, unethical and possibly illegal activities of the most tainted members of Congress. CREW has compiled the members’ transgressions and analyzed them in light of federal laws and congressional rules.

Sixteen members have been replaced from last year’s list of 25.

Members of the Senate:
Sen. Pete V. Domenici (R-NM)
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK)

Members of House:
Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA)
Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-CA)
Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL)
Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA)
Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA)
Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-LA)
Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
Rep. Gary G. Miller (R-CA)
Rep. Alan B. Mollohan (D-WV)
Rep. Timothy F. Murphy (R-PA)
Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA)
Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM)
Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ)
Rep. Harold Rogers (R-KY)
Rep. David Scott (D-GA)
Rep. Don Young (R-AK)
Rep. Jerry Weller (R-IL)
Rep. Heather A. Wilson (R-NM)

Dishonorable Mention:
Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID)
Sen. David Vitter (R-LA)

No Suprises, Republicans doing what they do best

But especially the video.

The show could be a bit longer I suppose, a 2 hour stint would be exactly like an AAR 3hr show, minus commercials.

It was amazing listening on two old friends conversing across the country.

Just think of the ramifications...

How much would you pay to see/hear Keith Olbermann shootin' the breeze with Phil Donahue via webcast? Unedited, live...

Granted, there were maybe 250 viewers on this one, but Sam only gave us a few days notice.

Anyway, I think the video adds a realism and personal touch that radio can't.

It's really raw and quaint right now, and though everyone wishes for something slicker and more well produced in the future, I also think , like most things, once we get there, the old style will be missed, too.

Why are we Monkeys in the Middle?
Janice Brown

To Destroy Middle Class

Elitists use peak oil scam, market turmoil, threat of Iran war to hike profits, torpedo middle class

Monday, September 17, 2007

The global elite are conspiring to send oil prices crashing through the $200 dollar a barrel mark as part of an organized agenda to hike profits, bring about a global economic crash and torpedo the middle class, and they're not afraid to attack Iran as a means of achieving their goal.

Crude oil prices returned to near record high prices today after having surged past the $80 a barrel benchmark on Thursday.

Now there is serious debate about oil crashing not just the $100 dollar, but the $200 dollar a barrel level in the next two years.

Not really...Sort of been lost in thought for a while...It would have been amusing had you come up with something though...

Giving a damn sucks sometimes.

9 minutes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuBo4E77ZXo

Tell that to Marc and the hundreds of people paying to see him in Vancouver BC tomorrow night...

S.J. you goin'?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bibOz2WkNg

Whoops, sorry I missed most of the show. Just caught the last 15 minutes which brought back great memories of better times when I could listen to Sam daily.

Loved what I saw, would definitely tune in or pay or bribe whomever it takes to see Sammy and Marc on a daily or weekly basis.

Wow, I wish I could give Marc a big hug.

Can we widen it out a bit?

Hi FOLKS, I missed the SAM & MARON show too.
When can we get a podcast, or subscription for membership?

Janice Brown

I missed the show, Sam
Submitted by Catharine on Tue, 09/18/2007 - 12:44pm.
I'm sorry. Looking forward to seeing it, though.....

Then I will be happy to give my highly valued opinion.

Yer tellin' me.

Amy talks about the fake sheikh since she had a piece about him on the 14th -

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_rob_kall_070913_assassination_of...

By Rob Kall

Assassination Of Sunni Sheikh "Ally Against Al Qaeda"
Reveals Charade Petraeus Fronted To Congress

Like so many of the fictions the Bush administration has perpetrated, events have unfolded that revealed the underlying truths and the lies used to hide them. Who would have thought the Petraeus fronted fiction would unfold so fast? The assassinated Sheik turns out to have been a con man, a front man Petraeus has used to put a "face" on his "success." But the death proves the failure and shows the lies underlying Petraeus plan

Got to get back to work....

Much better to read.

http://carolynbaker.net/site/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=...

I guess if your deaf you need to see him to read his lips.

for download later on?

I was at work and missed all the SamMarc goodness.

http://www.theyoungturks.com/audio/tyttease091807.mp3

I would like to hear the rest but they don't have it up yet

shall I fix that? Or you like it?

U.S. resisting Iraqi expulsion order for Blackwater. Iraqi judge says mercenary firm could be put on trial. Eight civilians were killed and 13 wounded in Blackwater attack.

Iraq could try Blackwater over deadly shootout

http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=395699&sid=WOR&sname=&news...

French neocon Foreign Minister raises fears over war talk. Bernard Kouchner warned of war with Iran.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7000549.stm

Submitted by Alice on Tue, 09/18/2007 - 1:23pm.

shall I fix that? Or you like it?

**************

I don't see anything wrong.

8-)

Free Democracy

Ya...Well I've been trying to prioritize my "giving a damn" so that I can give a damn more efficiently...cost/benefit analysis and all...Everything is cost and the benefit is obtuse, indirect and just a tad sublime...

ok cool then...

I'll go back to work now...

:)

Former AIPAC staffer Keith Weissman now supports Palestinians. Weissman and Steve Rosen charged in Pentagon case involving classified documents that went to Israel.

http://www.forward.com/articles/11608/

thanks for the spread

Today is my day off. I normally work 12 hours or more a day leaving me 2-3 hours of free time that I don't spend sleeping each day. Not whinning just stating facts. My boyfriend is the one who is very informed and he tuned in to see your show. I liked what you were saying and I liked the format too. Informal, relaxed, very nice even if Maron looks like some bastard son of Hunter S. Thomson and "The Dude" right now. I prefer seeing reality rather than glossy slick format. I smell like concentrated dog, I'm sure, so it's nice so something more real and tangible than sprayed anchorperson hair than never moves spouting jargon and bs. I liked seeing the cat too. :-) This was great, I hope you continue. Controlled chaos with a message. nice!

Wendy-Overworked Dog groomer who formally gave up on giving a crap about stuff.

;)

Travelin' Light

Hrmph. The 'what's in it for me?' philosophy. Sounds a tad bit Republican...are you sure you're not on the fence?

Because if I used the same (cost/benefit) analysis, the cost in this *heeyah* sitcheeashun has been quite, quite extraordinary.

The benefit? I'm still looking for it. I think it's hiding under my desk somewhere. And it probably has at least 8 legs.

besides, I have been having soooooooooo much trouble with my
AAR stream. It shuts off, like every 2 minutes--very annoying having to listen to commercial radio, since we've been spoiled by so much SAMMY CAM, you know? See you later!

Janice Brown

Janice Brown

Insert one last "wide stance" joke here.
Submitted by Brett on Tue, 09/18/2007 - 1:30pm.
thanks for the spread

Assistant US Attorney John Atchison arrested in Macomb County, Michigan police child sex sting operation. "Loyal Bushie" from Florida was attempting to have sex with a 5-year old girl.

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/14132485/detail.html

***

It just gets better and better, huh?

Jeez.

NICE! WSP - I was just thinkin' I needed to see a show soon.

It was great to see/hear you together. Yours were/are my favorite shows on AAR. My suggestion is that you both send out e-mails to your fans and spread the word.

Porch Song

Greenspan says euro may replace dollar as standard reserve currency. Bush and the neocons have destroyed the value of the greenback.

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070917/germany_greenspan_euro.html?.v=1

***

I know we were talking about this here yesterday, but hadn't had chance to look into it.

I knew that would bring on groans, but I did it anyway. Please forgive me.

It's like parenting...Beyond cold things like how well you'll be cared for in your dotage there's also the reward of facing the challenge and doing the right thing regardless of the temptation to choke the living shit out of the crazy little monkey that vaguely looks like you...

But beyond that my statement was intended as a bit of a joke..."efficient giving a damn"...As if I could shut any of it out...Giving a damn is a very inefficient thing that requires pretty complex brain function to engage in...

Nepal: Maoists quit government ahead of elections. Communists' demand for abolishing the monarchy and declaring a republic were rejected.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=agVqUGOUXI5A&refer=h...

Washington Post

Howard J. Krongard, the State Department's inspector general, has repeatedly thwarted investigations and censored reports that might prove politically embarrassing to the Bush administration, the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform charged today in a 13-page letter.

The letter, signed by committee Chairman Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) and released by the committee today, said the allegations were based on the testimony of seven current and former officials on Krongard's staff, including two former senior officials who allowed their names to be used, and private e-mail exchanges obtained by the committee. The letter said the allegations were not limited to a single unit or project, but concerned all three major divisions of Krongard's office -- investigations, audits and inspections.

Waxman demanded documents and testimony for a hearing next month into Krongard's conduct. A copy of the letter also was sent to the committee's ranking minority member, Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.).

Krongard's office said he is traveling today and would not have any immediate comment........

ohoh-after all this waiting, I didn't even realize it had already aired.Was it part of this morning's Young Turks? Will it be shown again?

Sept. 18, 2007 -- Link between anti-Siegelman and anti-Clint Curtis web sites

Ralph Gonzalez, the top GOP political consultant and campaign manager for Republican candidates, who was found shot to death in his Orlando home, along with his roommate, David Abrami, and another friend, Robert Drake, ran a smear campaign website called CrazyClintCurtis.com. The website attacked the Democratic opponent of Florida GOP congressman Tom Feeney, who is under a number of investigations, chiefly one linking him to jailed GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Although they have offered no actual proof, Orlando police suggested that there was a gay component to the shootings.

We have learned that Gonzalez was likely linked to another smear website directed against imprisoned former Alabama Democratic Governor Don Siegelman, TheTruthAboutDon.com.

The Gonzalez-Abrami-Drake killings also have a North Carolina GOP connection. Drake worked for North Carolina's Representative Patrick McHenry, who has been linked to a large gay GOP ring based in the South.

Meanwhile, the Assistant U.S. Attorney for Northern Florida, John David Atchison, appointed by George W. Bush in 2002, was arrested in Detroit after flying from Pensacola. Atchison was arrested as part of an Internet child sex sting conducted by Macomb County police. Atchison believed he would be having sex with a 5-year old girl. He wrote a detective posing as the girl's mother that he would bring the youngster "presents," that he would go "slow and easy," and that "I've done it plenty."

On April 6, 2006, WMR reported: "Department of Homeland Security deputy Press Secretary Brian Doyle, arrested in Maryland for soliciting sex from a Florida undercover detective posing as a 14-year old girl, had company within the department. On October 25, 2005, Tampa-based Homeland Security Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement official Frank Figueroa was arrested at Orlando's Mall at Millenia for exposing himself and masturbating in front of a 16-year old girl in the food court. Figueroa used his federal law enforcement badge in an attempt to avoid arrest."

Earlier this month, St. Petersburg, Florida Republican City Council Chairman John Bryan committed suicide after he was charged with sexually abusing three girls, including his own adopted daughters, aged 12 and 15. Bryan was a close political ally of top GOP and neocon causes contributor Mel Sembler and Florida Governor Charlie Crist.

The GOP mantra of "No Child Left Behind" has taken on an entirely new meaning.

http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/articles/20070918

Count me as a definite subscriber whatever format you choose. I've been jonesin' for Maron for quite some time. If you could add some Jim Earl (Milfington et.al.), Kent Jones, some Pashman, K-Lo, and Lauren and do a 3 hour broadcast I might finally get over my Morning Sedition; Majority Report; Sam Seder Show; cancellation resentment.

DSL over a Mac worked perfectly for me.

The true spirit of punk rock is DIY. This is clearly DIY media. Punk Media...I like it!

I'm already looking forward to next week. Today was like hanging out with old friends.

"The hottest places in hell are reserved for those, that in the time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality"

Everyday is the best Album. Oh- this was on Space Wrangler.

Sept. 18, 2007 -- Ahmad Chalabi's father was anti-Zionist

WMR has obtained a copy of the cable from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, dated December 30, 1950, that summarizes the Baghdad press and cites the Iraqi Government, of which Ahmad Chalabi's father Abdul Hadi al-Chalabi was a member, as "anti-Zionist."

Ironically, Ahmad Chalabi jointly worked with leading neo-conservatives in the United States, who are ardently pro-Israeli Likud party, in the lead up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

The embassy cable describes Iraq's planned participation in "joint anti-communist and anti-Zionist steps in the Arab countries, in compliance with the Lebanese Government's invitation."

The cable also describes the elder Chalabi's participation in an Iraqi Economic Mission to India, Pakistan, and Ceylon.

The cable also cites President Harry Truman's threat to cut off U.S. assistance to Iraq under the Point IV Program, a program to aid underprivileged people around the world. The Truman administration was apparently unhappy that Iraq's royal government had not prepared the required reports mandatory under the program. This was an indication that the Truman administration believed that aid to Iraq would not end up in the hands of the underprivileged but the wealthy elite, of which Abdul Hadi al-Chalabi was a member.

The royal Iraqi government also placed a high priority on the construction of an oil refinery at a cost of 6 million Iraqi dinars over the time period 1951 to 1954.

http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/articles/20070918_1

someone mentioned further up they only needed audio - sure that's the main thing, but I do enjoy the video, even if at times it's only sam sitting motionless - sometimes I wonder how sam, you can sit so still while you're reading the blog... not a muscle twitch...I start to think "damn, the damned thing got froze again..." only to realize it's not the cam it's the sam...anyway I do enjoy the visuals and especially on the maron side I must say with the cigar and the newspaper headlines and the expression - so surly and so suitable to the times and the subject matter - I'd say enjoyed on a scale of 1 to 10 where the jon stewart show is at 7, this experience was a 9 for me.

Sept. 18, 2007 -- Representative Waxman: State Department IG interfered with investigations

WMR today received the following media release from House Oversight Committee Chairman Henry Waxman's office:

Today Chairman Waxman wrote a letter to State Department Inspector General Howard Krongard describing allegations that, according to seven current and former officials, Mr. Krongard has repeatedly interfered with on-going investigations to protect the State Department and the White House from political embarrassment.

According to the letter:

Since your testimony at the Committee’s hearing on July 26, 2007, current and former employees of the Office of Inspector General have contacted my staff with allegations that you interfered with on-going investigations to protect the State Department and the White House from political embarrassment. …

The allegations made by these officials are not limited to a single unit or project within your office. Instead, they span all three major divisions of the Office of Inspector General — investigations, audits, and inspections. The allegations were made by employees of varied rank, ranging from line staff to upper management. …

Some of the specific allegations include the following:

· Although the State Department has expended over $3.6 billion on contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan, you refused to send any investigators to those countries to pursue investigations into wasteful spending or procurement fraud and have concluded no fraud investigations relating to the contracts.

· You prevented your investigators from cooperating with a Justice Department investigation into waste, fraud, and abuse relating to the new U.S. Embassy in Iraq and followed highly irregular procedures in exonerating the prime contractor, First Kuwaiti Trading Company, of charges of labor trafficking.

· You prevented your investigators from seizing evidence that they believed would have implicated a large State Department contractor in procurement fraud in Afghanistan.

· You impeded efforts by your investigators to cooperate with a Justice Department probe into allegations that a large private security contractor was smuggling weapons into Iraq.

· You interfered with an on-going investigation into the conduct of Kenneth Tomlinson, the head of Voice of America and a close associate of Karl Rove, by passing information about the inquiry to Mr. Tomlinson.

· You censored portions of inspection reports on embassies so that critical information on security vulnerabilities was dropped from classified annexes and not disclosed to Congress.

· You rejected audits of the State Department’s financial statements that documented accounting concerns and refused to publish them until points critical of the Department had been removed.

Yes, and perhaps that's why so many don't.

One time I hit a beautiful black cat on Christmas Eve as I was speeding down a backroad to night school; late, of course. I cried all the way to school, teared up frequently through class, and was bawling again by the time I got home, especially when I repassed the crash site. I kept picturing that beautiful cat curled up under someone's Christmas tree by a roaring fireplace, and the imagery just slayed me again and again.

>:{

Sorry.

Sept. 18, 2007 -- Mercenary hubris: Blackwater's press release on killing of Iraqi civilians

From: Anne Tyrrell [Blackwater Spokesperson]
Sent: Mon Sep 17 21:39:31 2007

Subject: RE: Iraq incident

Blackwater's independent contractors acted lawfully and
appropriately in response to a hostile attack in Baghdad on Sunday. Initial press accounts were inaccurate.

For instance, the helicopters providing aerial support never fired weapons. There has been no official action by the Ministry of
the Interior regarding plans to revoke licensing. The "civilians"
reportedly fired upon by Blackwater professionals were in fact
armed enemies and Blackwater personnel returned defensive fire.

Blackwater regrets any loss of life but this convoy was violently
attacked by armed insurgents, not civilians, and our people did their job
to defend human life.

Blackwater professionals heroically defended American lives in a
war zone on Sunday and Blackwater will cooperate with any inquiry into this matter.

http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/articles/20070918_3

there went my latin loving persona... grrrr...I'll have to retire that one now...

I loved it. I hope there is more.

Ana

I forgot to thank you for the music Alice, and VVV.

maybe next week..

I couldn't watch the whole thing because I am at work so I don't know if there were any breaks in the hour and how were they worked in? I would like to have some musical breaks occasionally, very short of course- some video feeds where you can play clips of whatever it is you're talking about, and yes phone call-ins, and Jeanine Garofalo every now and then and and and.....more than one hour daily but certainly no less, ok, if it's got to be weekly then 4-hrs minimum with breaks , or a friday, saturday 3 hours each. If the thing grows as it should you should have a cable show on HBO (no commercial breaks) or something, with guests and interviews and a fat contract, but this is an excellent start and it should give you something you can market and syndicate

Also, contact your reps about restoring habeus corpus...

Did that a couple days ago thru 'working for change.'

Oh-kay. Fine.

I'll do it again just for you.

Why does MoveOn like Hillary, but everybody in here doesn't seem to?

http://www.superdeluxe.com/sd/contentDetail.do?id=D81F2344BF5AC7BBEF2737...

Funny as shit.

And now the shadow of your pain lives with me too...

Nature designed the human brain...the most gram for gram energy intesive organ on this planet...to conserve that energy whenever possible...Under stress it's the first organ to be reconstituted...Brains are a luxury item...

Most ppl are either on cruise control or simply overwhelmed by other stimuli...There are those that lack the capability though...I feel sorry for them their black and white existence even though I sometimes shy from the pain.

Alice--

Marc's cat was a red and white tabby, with a touch of the squirrel

i KNOW someone out there missed me now!!!

Impatience at the baby steps we must take to bring our government back to the ppl...Disgust with the sucking up to the right wingers to take that baby step...Disgust with the system that requires it...Distrust of her motives and the ease with which she plays the game...Distrust of all political figures presently...A simple but unrelenting need for truth and honesty?

Do I need to go on?

You torched that Anon's strawman argument real quick-like.

Shying away sounds like a plan here at this point...

I do want to apologize for 'stalking' you to this lovely site. I stuck around only because I found it to be very interesting, educational, and highly informative - how all y'all do it I don't know, but I'm in awe of the findability of several here.

I already thanked the contributors for their insights in a prior post.

Bye.

It effects credit cards and mortgages. First cut in 4 years.

CNN

Over 200 points now.

I've had some practice with such things in the past but I was merely saying what I felt.

I'd like to have faith in Hillary...and maybe deep inside I still hope but I'd hate to be disappointed again...Hell, I'd like to have faith in any politician at the moment but the system is so slanted away from real people being elected that I can't believe that any of them even have a clue what it's like down here in the real america...

span....they took a break now....republicans are sucking mcconnell's ass as usual!!

"The market is now going wild!"

Mike Whitney: The Triumph of Structured Finance

Failing banks, toxic bonds and mortgage laundering

"But interest rate cuts do not address the underlying problems of insolvency among homeowners, mortgage lenders, hedge funds and (potentially) banks. As market-analyst John R. Ing said, “A cut in rates will not solve the problem. This crisis was caused by excess liquidity and a deterioration of credit standards….A cut in the Fed Fund rate is simply heroin for credit junkies.”"

"It’s better to let cash-strapped borrowers default than slash interest rates and trigger a global run on the dollar. Financial analyst Richard Bove says that lower interest rates will do nothing to bring money back into the markets. Instead, lower interest rates will send the dollar into a tailspin and wreak havoc on the job market."

“There is no liquidity problem, but a serious crisis of confidence," Bove said. "In a financial system where there is ample liquidity and a desire for higher rates to compensate for risk, the solution is not to create more liquidity and lower the rates that are available to compensate for risk. ... (The Fed) cannot reduce fear by stimulating inflation."

"Bernanke should not even be contemplating a rate cut. The market needs more discipline not less. And workers need a stable dollar so they can live within their means. Besides, another rate cut would further jeopardize the greenback’s position as the world’s “reserve currency”. That could destabilize the global economy by rapidly unwinding the US massive current account deficit."

are these cats of Marc's from NY?

by Francis A. Boyle / September 18th, 2007

(The author served as Attorney of Record in the lawsuit against General Yaron in Ali Aidi v. Yaron, 672 Fed. Supp. 516 (D.D.C. 1987), Palestine Yearbook of International Law, Vol. V, 1989.)

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has nominated former Major General Amos Yaron to serve as director-general of the Israeli Defense Ministry, while Barak himself retains the portfolio of Minister of Defense. According to the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention, Yaron, whose appointment must be confirmed by the Israeli Cabinet, is a war criminal by virtue of his command responsibility for the murder of about 2000 Palestinian and Lebanese civilians during the 1982 Sabra and Shatila refugee camp massacre in Beirut, Lebanon. Should Yaron’s appointment be confirmed, the U.S. government will be aiding and abetting the work of an infamous war criminal. In Fiscal Year 2000, Israel is scheduled to receive $1.92 billion dollars in U.S. military aid out of a total annual U.S. aid package to Israel worth $2.94 billion.
...

We wish to draw attention to this threat and urge the widest possible expressions of support to help the Bolivian people defend their revolution.

i was making a joke about Maron getting the =^.^=s in the divorce, but I imagine they are the same ones. Can't imagine leaving yer kitties bhind

U.S. home foreclosures soar in August By ALEX VEIGA, AP Business Writer
Tue Sep 18, 8:32 AM ET

LOS ANGELES - The number of foreclosure filings reported in the U.S. last month more than doubled versus August 2006 and jumped 36 percent from July, a trend that signals many homeowners are increasingly unable to make timely payments on their mortgages or sell their homes amid a national housing slump.

total of 243,947 foreclosure filings were reported in August, up 115 percent from 113,300 in the same month a year ago, Irvine, Calif.-based RealtyTrac Inc. said Tuesday.

There were 179,599 foreclosure filings reported in July.

The filings include default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions. Some properties might have received more than one notice if the owners have multiple mortgages.

August's total represents the highest number of foreclosure filings reported in a single month since the company began tracking monthly filings two years ago.

The national foreclosure rate last month was one filing for every 510 households, the company said.

"The jump in foreclosure filings this month might be the beginning of the next wave of increased foreclosure activity, as a large number of subprime adjustable rate loans are beginning to reset now," RealtyTrac Chief Executive James J. Saccacio said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070918/ap_on_bi_ge/foreclosure_rates_4

long ago on this blog that part of their plan was to crash the U.S. economy...I don't think that I got that one wrong.

Creating consent...Creating desperation...

When you're afraid you'll submit to much but that pales to what you'll do when you're hungry.

What Is It and How To Get Out Of It

http://akamat.wordpress.com/2007/09/18/tangerine-peel-kills-cancer/

A compound extracted from tangerine peel can kill certain human cancer cells, research shows.

A team from Leicester School of Pharmacy found Salvestrol Q40 was turned into a toxic compound in cancer cells, destroying them.

Salvestrol Q40 is found at higher concentrations in tangerine peel, than in the flesh of the fruit.

The researchers suggest the modern trend to throw away peel may have contributed to a rise in some cancers.

http://kateannenyc.blogspot.com/2007/09/chemerinsky-and-academic-freedom...

Chemerinsky and Academic Freedom

Professor Erwin Chemerinsky is a favorite of Air America Radio talk show host Jon Elliott -- with good reason -- and this issue was just discussed with Marjorie Cohn on Jon's show. I am grateful she is continuing to discuss this chilling atrocity, this assault on academic freedom. More people have to be made aware and to join in speaking out: Chancellor Michael Drake should immediately reinstate Professor Erwin Chemerinsky as dean of the UC Irvine Law School. Please read Professor Cohn's article at CommonDreams.org:

Erwin Chemerinsky and the Post-9/11 Attack on Academic Freedom

by Marjorie Cohn

How to be a Better Peacemaker

> Pay attention to events on local, national and global levels.

> Educate yourself on issues you are unfamiliar with -- and act!

> Think globally: how does something you do here affect people/places in other parts of the world?

> National ego disarmament: the U.S. is neither the cultural nor the moral superior to other countries.

> Make career choices that foster peace. Help young people with their choices.

> Give emotional and/or financial support to those who give up jobs or careers for reasons of conscience.

> Reach out to neighbors, strangers, people in need. Build community wherever possible.

> Stand on the side of the poor, disabled and victims of society.

> Work to make changes to government policy -- both domestic and foreign.

> Pray or meditate with love for those in power.

###

http://kateannenyc.blogspot.com/2007/09/how-to-be-better-peacemaker.html

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

that was pretty apt...

I'm sure he's got a rug he wakes up on that 'brings the whole room together'

If you have the bandwidth to handle it, this is a great way to get free corporate media blather. http://channelsurfing.net/watch-cnn.html

Hasn't happened in over 4 years, but...

The Fed just gave “great news for the American economy & the consumer.” It cut the Fed Fund rate by the most that could possibly have been expected. Half a percent. It was 5.25%. Now it is 4.75%. The Dow went up 200 points in less than two minutes after the announcement.

That was the most generous thing it could have done to the American consumer. Short-term, anyway.

It also lowered the discount rate for banks to borrow by a half percent. The discount rates which had been lowered recently for banks to borrow money…was just lowered again. They would’ve probably been grateful for a quarter percent.

This sort of throws a curveball into conspiracy theorists’ time-line, that the time was NOW for a “crash & burn”…

None of this solves anything, except in the immediate future, where it buys people worldwide time, whether they know it or not. Chaos has not been accelerated today.

Although, long-term, who knows?

Jim Cramer is ecstatic. The credit market is back.

We are going to start selling things again.
Cramer says, “He’s blown away.”
He thought the Fed had no idea.
Now he says, he’d high five them.

This is the single worse thing for the “bears.”

It won’t save all the homebuilders, necessarily.
But, they’ll now have to consolidate.
The U.S. economy was saved for now.

A miracle.

Cramer said, “The moral hazard theory is nonsense.”

The bears just got killed instantly today.

How this all plays out? Who knows?
But, the Fed just bought the world some time.

It was perhaps the fact that, “There are $750 Trillion dollars in credit derivatives risk going on, worldwide currently. And this fact is larger than any inflation worries,”…said Ron Insana on CNBC.

All this did was buy the world time. It counts for something.

I liked everything about today's videocast.
new
Submitted by Harold on Tue, 09/18/2007 - 1:14pm.
But especially the video. Look up his post and I agree.

The show could be a bit longer I suppose, a 2 hour stint would be exactly like an AAR 3hr show, minus commercials. ...(Longer, 2 or 3hrs would be "Cool".)
MARC
Make yourself comfortable in your Video Space, and I LOVED Monkey. I call my Orange Cat Lion.I also Save strays and get "fixed" then add to this home (which BTW we lived in Mt Washington, ;)
(I am now up Northern CA)
Work out, a bit later, but soon...do Natural Stretches, to expand your "space". It is to help you to concentrate, yet it will make you feel better, especially if you are smoking those cigars. The more you exercise the less you well naturally smoke.

MARC and Sam:
-- Sam looked very good. Better than I have seen Sam look in a long time.
-- Marc you looked Grand. A bit of a Diamond in the Rough. And you looked a bit Rough, around the edges, but you are hurting, I truly understand, then amplfy it a bit and you just feel crappy. For What It's Worth. By B.S.

...We were "crying" and mourning you being gone, but even in your sorrows you make us feel happy because you have returned.
Thank You Both. ::heart::

"Citizen's arrest!! Citizen's arrest!!"

find this photo of an abandoned baby monkey who is in love with a pigeon...it was on Ellen the other day... Too sweet...

Total bullshit...Absolutely, the worst thing that Bernanke could've done.

...the world can breathe easier.

I say this as ... at the most unexpected time ... anyone &/or all ... can be fooled by randomness.

We won't discuss the absurdity of the a privately owned company ... being in charge of how much money to print.

When, the US government wouldn't have to borrow money & pay interest ... if they were allowed to print their own money.

The fact that banks own the Federal Reserve, & that the Federal Reserve is not actually part of our government, but instead is privately owned ... is absurd. They're freakin' loan sharks to our own government.

But today is a good day.

How this affects the value of the dollar in the future?
Who knows? For exporters, it's cheaper to sell shit, anyway.

Breathe out, Sir Real.

Bless you all in Sederville.

Nobody?

My cousin, the ESL Professor, just called me and told me to look at these two site.

podOmatic.com

and

wikispaces.com

I've looked but I'm far from an expert on this stuff. Have you seen these sites before? What do you think?

to fully unravel the intentional mess created by the global elite?

Don't you think the global elite perhaps isn't fully prepared for global chaos, yet?

Or are they, and is this a trick?

and labelling out of this piece written almost 20 years ago and you have a good example of what people were talking about during the Bush 1 administration...Sorry that I couldn't find a better example...but there was a time before the net...and the rarer...more arcane bits don't seem to have made it online yet...

The Life of an American Jew in Racist Marxist Israel

by Jack Bernstein; 1985

Israel could trigger a large scale Mideast war, a large war which Israel could not win alone. Then the New York leg of the New York/Moscow/Tel Aviv Triangle would use its influence on the U.S. Government to send U.S. military forces to aid Israel.
It isn't expected that the Moscow leg of the triangle will become militarily involved. Moscow will merely sit back and let the U.S. weaken itself in helping Israel fight the Arabs.
At some point during the war, when the U.S. military is deeply involved and the U.S. citizens demoralized, the Zionist oriented Jewish International Bankers will make their move. Evidence leads to the conclusion that it is these bankers who own the Class A Stock of the U.S. Federal Reserve, America's central bank. In this position of power, these Zionist bankers, can, and likely will, trigger an economic collapse in America -- like they did in 1929 when they caused the stock market crash and started the severe depression of the 1930's.

Since the money system currently used in the U.S. is not backed by gold, silver or anything of value, the paper dollars and tin coins now in use will be worthless.

In the resulting state of confusion and in an effort to obtain food and other necessities, the American people will accept the 'New States Constitution' which has already been written. This will place the American people under the dictates of One-World Government run by the Zionist oriented International Bankers and Zionist/Bolshevik Jews.

Exactly what direction the war in the Mideast will take only the New York/Moscow/Tel Aviv Triangle and God will know.

i dont know if you were listening to Christy Harvey on the Thom show...but there is a link on think progress regarding that!!

No positive way to see this temporarily, Nobody?

all 3 market indices (dow, s&p, nasdaq) peaked about five minutes ago and the sellers have taken over.

yet another one that needs 60 votes. wtf.

that hasn't happened on the world stage that hasn't turned out to have been intensely wargamed, planned, orchestrated, been done with full deliberation in the last few hundred years...Why would now be any different?

...for the Zionists now, Nobody?

Effective immediately?

Does this increase the chances of Israel & the US hitting Iran, sooner, rather than later, ... or never?

Is the attack on Iran really that inevitable?

Nope, not really...Except maybe some will be smart enough not to take the bait...Remember that this comes on the heels of the Fed pumping out money at a ridiculous pace and not reporting the actual amount of the currency floating into the market...

But for me whose lifetime has been in the housing market...Well I've known that I was fucked for a long time now.

i've heard that before. i think it was on hartmann. he said that about two years ago bush ordered the fed to stop reporting it. it had a name, something like m3.

i googled and found this

Federal Reserve money supply report is about to fall into the abyss
By Harlan Levy
12/01/2005

In a little-noticed decision a few weeks ago, the Federal Reserve Board said it would stop publishing its weekly M3 money supply number as of next March, although it will continue to publish M0, M1, and M2.

M0 is all coins and paper bills. M1 is M0 plus all checking accounts. M2 is M1 plus savings accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit of less than $100,000. M3 is M2 plus all deposits, euro dollars, and repurchase agreements that are $100,000 and larger.

(A repurchase agreement is a short-term sale and subsequent repurchase of securities by a bank or other financial institution.)

M3 is the broadest measure of how much money is circulating in the U.S. at any one time. Unlike M2, M3 is the big stuff, the super-size deposits.

"M3 shows intervention and big money movements," Bill King says in The King Report says.

But why should you care?

Actually a lot of you should -- those who own stocks, and that amounts to about half of all U.S. households.

Now back to M3: I asked the Federal Reserve Board why it will stop publishing M3.

"Our searching of the economic literature revealed that very few economists used that aggregate," the Fed responded, adding that "M3 does not appear to convey any additional information about economic activity that is not already embodied in the M2 aggregate. Further, the role of M3 in the policy process has diminished greatly over time. Consequently, the costs of collecting the data and publishing M3 now appear to outweigh the benefits."

Some financial analysts disagree violently.

"They know what's coming -- massive amounts of dollar creation to fund the worsening trade and federal government budget deficits," says James Turk in the Free Market Gold & Money Report.

---see article for rest----

No...not inevitable...but...

Bolton: U.S. Backs Israeli Preemption

The United States would stand behind any preemptive attack by Israel on neighboring countries believed to have nuclear weapons programs, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton said in an interview published in Israel's daily Yediot Acharonot on Tuesday.

indices just reversed and are headed higher again. yeeeeah.

Now compare the present banking problem with just this short clip of what m3's consist of...

"(A repurchase agreement is a short-term sale and subsequent repurchase of securities by a bank or other financial institution.)"

we have Fallon keeping Iran war at bay. That's it. We need to not put him in a weakened position.

he's supposed to be history. bolton can say things that will get us into a war and he remains credible, kuccinich goes to syria in an effort to help peach break out and he's declared to be a traitor. this is just plain bizzare.

f___ing awesome! bravo, please do again, weekly!! 2 of my favorite voices!!!! love ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Later all.

Go ahead and post it. Not really feeling well today so I'm not searching as much as usual.

peaches! dan, peaches!

can be easily caused if cash vanishes.

First world countries can get away with a lot compared to other countries due to people's confidence that these countries are more stable.

They can get away with doing the exact opposite of what the IMF, & Milton Friedman thugs, do to third world (emerging) countries.
No structural adjustments are required. They can kind of print money at will in modern times.

So long as the dollar is one of the three major currencies,...

Paul Krugman maintained Japan never had to have been in the decade and more long jam they were in, if they just kept printing money. Because then all the Japanese who were hoarding yen, would fear inflation, and would therefore spend yen.
Because Japan's interest rates were at zero, and they couldn't stimulate their economy.

The average American is basically a "for the most part" broke dumbass, myself included, ... and would spend any extra money you gave them. Lowering interest rates does that. It stimulates the economy. You have people with money buying the shit that producers produce. Apparently, it can be done on someone else's dime, if you're America. How long it lasts I don't know. You don't get the panics like you got in Asia, Russia, Mexico, etc... in the 90's.

At least not so far according to the economics that's being applied.

(I mean, fuck interest rates; fuck geographical borders, anywy...)

I digress.

But, this rate cut allows Americans to continue consuming, regardless of whether their wages haven't gone up in 20 years.
And it seems like what makes the whole world tick, is Americans & their consumption habits. Those can't stop. Or there will be a global slowdown.

That's why other countries lend us money so that we won't decrease our consumption habits.

It's twisted. But the fact that the Fed bailed out the Americans again,...(granted the poor will always take it in the rear, under all circumstances)...;...but the fact that the Fed bailed out everybody,...

Leads me to believe that it's business, as usual.

And not time for a global police state, yet. (if at all)

If it's an expanding Universe, and the masses finally realize that scarcity is a falsehood, & really a situation, created by corporatists... (i.e. Rothschild: hoarding all the food from the masses during the French Revolution era)/ (i.e. Iraq's oil & how the intent by oil companies was to keep the oil in the ground preventing too much coming onto the market, i.e. keeping oil prices high, according to Greg Palast)

High oil prices? Well then the power center of the world shifts to Venezuela & Alberta. Go Chavez. Kinda thwarted invading South America over these last few years. 'Cause they've got money now. It's worth it to drill for more oil in Venezuela & Alberta, so long as prices stay over $30 a barrel.

And yeah, maybe the US is annexing Alberta. They can't annex Venezuela under these circumstances.

Perhaps a world living in harmony someday is on the horizon, once some regulations by the masses are put in place, eh Nobody?

No? :)

lets hear it for world peach

looking at Maron in his yard at 7 AM drinking coffee, wearing his sunglasses with his cats wandering around. As a person who was a loyal listener to Morning Sedition and his show in LA I want Marc to talk about Mishna leaving. He talked about her alot on his shows and I need closure!

fruit drops
erotic passion
missed up
the ripe time
sour spots
turn to rot
watch your step
slip trip
fall
in the nectar

conswervative

def: A conservative politician or other public figure caught doing things that he has denounced on record.

Larry Craig is a conswervative, as is Ted Haggard.

Barney

To the People of Mexico:

Communiqué from the Indigenous Revolutionary Clandestine Committee—General Command of the Zapatista Army for National Liberation, Mexico

September 16, 2007

To the People of Mexico:

To the Adherents of the Sixth Declaration and the Other Campaign:

Brothers and Sisters:

Compañeros and Compañeras:

On this new anniversary of the struggle for the first independence of Mexico, the EZLN communicates the following:

About the Encounter of the Indigenous Peoples of America:

First. A delegation of the Zapatista leadership, composed of three comandantas, three comandantes, and one subcomandante, will attend the Encounter of the Indigenous Peoples of America, to be held October 11, 12, 13, and 14 of 2007.

Second. This and other delegations of the Zapatista leadership will attend, when possible, the preparatory meetings for the encounter, to be held in the following places:

Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico. October 4-5, 2007.

San Pedro Atapulco, Mexico State. October 6-7, 2007.

Nurío, Purépecha Territory, Michoacan, Mexico. October 7-8, 2007.

Rancho el Peñasco, Territory of the Tohono Od’ham Nation, Magadalena de Kino, Sonora, Mexico. October 8-9, 2007.

Third. We remind all of the adherents of the Sixth Declaration, both nationally and internationally, that you are invited to the Encounter and, if you plan to attend, to register on the webpage of the EZLN’s Sixth Commission.

We ask the same of those who have been invited by the Organizing Commission.

About the Second Phase of the Other Campaign in the Central and Southern Zones of Mexico.

First. In order to carry out the work of the EZLN’s Sixth Commission in this second phase in the central and southern Zones of our country, a delegation of 24 comandantes and comandantas of the Zapatista leadership will leave from the city of San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, on the 26th of September, 2007, en route to Mexico City.

There the delegation will be organized into 8 groups which will visit adherents in the states of Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, Michoacan, Guerrero, Morelos, Guanajuato, Queretaro, Hidalgo, La Huasteca, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Quintana Roo, Yucatan, Campeche, Tabasco, Mexico State, and the Federal District.

The visits will be held in the months of October, November, and December of 2007 according to a detailed calendar which will be released shortly.

Second. As you will recall, the objective of this second phase is to create an initial outline of a National Program of Struggle. For this reason, the groups of the Sixth Commission of the EZLN will concentrate in particular on meetings with adherents in the distinct geographic points of the center and south of our country.

Third. If in the first phase, the objective was to get to know each other, and thus “this is what I am and here I am” were the most important words to be spoken, now the principal points are how we see the world and this country, and what are the demands (what do we want?) that we have or that we have detected at national, regional, and local levels.

Fourth. For this reason, we respectfully request of the different organizational entities of the Other in their states, regions, subregions, and localities, that the organization of the visit of the Sixth Commission to their locales be focused exclusively on the meetings necessary to listen to the demands brought by adherents and sympathizers.

Fifth. With the goal of advancing the outline of the National Plan of Struggle, a support team will accompany each delegation of the Sixth Commission and will be in charge of recording and keeping minutes of each meeting.

Sixth. We also respectfully request of adherents their support in providing food and lodging for the group and the support team that visits them, as well as help with the gasoline for the vehicles in which they will travel.

Seventh. As is public knowledge, our communities are currently suffering a new attack by the federal and state governments (by PANistas and PRDistas, respectively), for which reason it is possible we would have to cancel this trip and take other measures.

Liberty and Justice for Atenco!
Liberty and Justice for Oaxaca!

From the mountains of the Mexican Southeast,

Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos.
Mexico, September, 2007.

http://www.elkilombo.org/

heart's delite salad mix from Dole

so much for trying to eat healthy

had some real estate talking head saying people need to rush back into the market and buy homes at the lower rate before real estate prices move up in reaction to rates coming down.

sheesh.

all clear, everybody go about your business, consume, consume, consume

somehow i would have expected the secretary of state to have nicer diggs.

can you believe this crap:

In 37 years of public appearances, through wars, protests and highly emotional events, I have never had a dialogue end this way. I believe I could have handled the situation without interruption, but I do not know what warnings or other exchanges transpired between the young man and the police prior to his barging to the front of the line and their intervention. I asked the police to allow me to answer the question and was in the process of responding when he was taken into custody. I was not aware that a taser was used until after I left the building. I hope that neither the student nor any of the police were injured. I regret enormously that a good healthy discussion was interrupted.

lionel is a total twit!
a stinky lump of gooey shit!
lionel is a boring egotistic turd!
people tune out his every word!

lionel was a big fucking mistake!
bring back Sammy for goodness sake!
lionel is a worthless hack!
mark green must bring Seder back!

*

link

An all-Republican minority of 42 just filibustered to prevent a overwhelmingly poor, African-American city from having representation in the United States Congress. Apart from FEMA's response to Katrina, could they make it any clearer that they do not stand up for African-Americans?

Link to Chris Bowers post at Open Left

Shopping over at BN.com... after I put Scahill's "Blackwater" and Dean's "Broken Government" books in my cart... the "You may also like..." section gave me these recommendations:

Godless - Ann Coulter
How to talk to a liberal - Ann Coulter
Winning the Future - Newt Gingrich

Erm.., uh.., thanks, but no thanks, BN.

Russia warns against Iran war
by Karim Talbi
22 minutes ago

Russia expressed apprehension Tuesday over the possibility of a war with Iran evoked by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, who again urged tougher sanctions to halt Tehran's nuclear programme.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov emphasised Russia's "concern" over "multiple reports that military action against Iran is being seriously considered. It's hard to imagine what that could do to the region."

Kouchner, on a visit to Russia, meanwhile called for "working on precise sanctions" and added that France and Russia had differences on the issue.

However, the French foreign minister underlined that "everything should be done to avoid war."

"War is the worst that could happen," he said. "Everything should be done to avoid war. We have to negotiate, negotiate, negotiate -- without cease, without rebuff."

His comments appeared aimed at quieting an uproar over his statement Sunday that the world should prepare for a possible war with Iran -- a warning Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dismissed Tuesday as fanciful.

Kouchner blamed the media for distorting his statement that "we have to prepare for the worst, and the worst is war."

"As usual with journalists, they take one phrase and you don't know what came after," he told Russia's Echo of Moscow radio late Tuesday.

"They're saying: Bernard Kouchner wants war. But it's not true. It's a manipulation. I don't want war, I want peace."

The Russian and French ministers met ahead of a UN Security Council meeting on Friday that may impose new sanctions against Tehran for its controversial uranium enrichment activity.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday urged dialogue to resolve the impasse and reiterated a plea to Tehran to stop enriching uranium.

"I would sincerely hope and urge the Iranian authorities to fully comply with Security Council resolutions so that other remaining issues will be dealt with in peaceful negotiations," he told a press conference in New York.

Iran's ambassador to Paris, Ali Ahani, meanwhile voiced his surprise at the "martial rhetoric" used by Kouchner, saying Tehran got the "impression that French diplomacy is going to follow the American line."

Iranian leader Ahmadinejad dismissed talk of war, saying: "Comments to the media are different to the real positions."

Tehran vehemently denies US accusations it is seeking an atomic weapon, saying its nuclear drive is aimed at generating electricity.

Russia, which is building Iran's first nuclear reactor in the southern Russian city of Bushehr, has consistently warned against attacking the Islamic republic.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070918/wl_afp/irannuclearpolitics_07091820...

Pentagon held back release of report
for week, because of Petraeus testimony
Security is deteriorating in southern Iraq as rival Shiite militias vying for power have stepped up their attacks after moving out of Baghdad to avoid U.S.-led military operations, according to the latest quarterly Pentagon report on Iraq.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/17/AR200709...

lotta people here I've never seen before
Submitted by bibimimi on Tue, 09/18/2007 - 12:13pm.
WELCOME ALL
from the ladies blogxiliary
---------------------
...that was our bibimimi.

Poll: Views on Iraq largely
unswayed by Petraeus

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Americans' attitudes toward the Iraq war are mostly unchanged in the wake of last week's testimony by Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker, according to a new poll.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14504924

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/home-entertainment/death-star-home-theater-30...

"That's no moon, it's a home theatre system..."

Abizaid: World can
live with a nuclear Iran

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Let's face it, we lived with a nuclear Soviet Union, we've lived with a nuclear China, and we're living with (other) nuclear powers as well." John Abizaid, the retired Army general who headed Central Command for nearly four years, said he was confident that if Iran gained nuclear arms, the United States could deter it from using them

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070917/ap_on_go_ot/abizaid_iran;_ylt=Aj0SIo...

is on Harball along with Medea Benjamin of Code pink.

They are discussing the Tasered Student and Freedom of Speech.

They call it assult on Freedom of Speech!

Damn my fast post fingers.

From one of the normally unpolitically uninvolved
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 09/18/2007 - 1:31pm.
Today is my day off. I normally work 12 hours or more a day leaving me 2-3 hours of free time that I don't spend sleeping each day. Not whinning just stating facts. My boyfriend is the one who is very informed and he tuned in to see your show. I liked what you were saying and I liked the format too. Informal, relaxed, very nice even if Maron looks like some bastard son of Hunter S. Thomson and "The Dude" right now. I prefer seeing reality rather than glossy slick format. I smell like concentrated dog, I'm sure, so it's nice so something more real and tangible than sprayed anchorperson hair than never moves spouting jargon and bs. I liked seeing the cat too. :-) This was great, I hope you continue. Controlled chaos with a message. nice!

Wendy-Overworked Dog groomer who formally gave up on giving a crap about stuff.
------------------------------
I loves me a well-written post. I am pretty sure that Wendy's thoughts flowed directly into my head whilst requiring the fewest words possible...and I'm a sucker for a Hunter S. Thomson (sic) reference.

(I wonder what unfocused dog smells like?)

Submitted by mire on Tue, 09/18/2007 - 1:49pm.
...sometimes I wonder how sam, you can sit so still while you're reading the blog... not a muscle twitch...I start to think "damn, the damned thing got froze again..." only to realize it's not the cam it's the sam...
-----------
I love the line "it's not the cam it's the sam."

Obama: Reappraise
Wall Street values

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama told Wall Street investors Monday that several of them have been too focused on their own gain at the expense of struggling Americans and echoed Franklin Delano Roosevelt's call for a "reappraisal of values."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070917/ap_po/obama_economy;_ylt=Aicm7Ad5dVJ...

Pope coming here

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Apart from New York, several other cities will be included. One likely but still unconfirmed stop is Washington and other possible stops include Boston, Baltimore and Philadelphia.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070918/us_nm/pope_usa_dc

I am selfishly going to say...good, keep him on the east coast!

jeebuz.... hide the children.

GOP blocks Ohio voting machine tests
Meanwhile, CA Sec. of State: Voting machine 'sleepovers' break law.

http://dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/9/18/34338/6447

Keep it up, Anons. Your hate only makes us stronger!

Betcha Ratzi does not visit Katrina relocated poor people in the FEMA/Blackwater concentration camps here in Louisiana. Not gonna happen.

Barak Appoints War Criminal Yaron
Submitted by Alice on Tue, 09/18/2007 - 2:35pm.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak...
----------
Okay. Imagine that Ehud Barak has a son who marries Barack Obama...no, wait, that won't work.

Okay, I've got it now. Imagine that Osama bin Laden has a son (Osama Jr.) who marries Ehud Barak's bastard daughter by Barack Ob--no, that doesn't work either.

Okay, fuck it. I'm gonna jump straight to the punchline. That's all that counts anyway, right?

Osama Barack Barak-Obama. Or Barak Barack Osama-Obama. Or something like that. I've lost track of the surnames.

Pope coming here
Submitted by toniD on Tue, 09/18/2007 - 5:24pm.
...I am selfishly going to say...good, keep him on the east coast!
-------------------
(Another Greek Orthodox holding a centuries-old Byzantine Eastern Orthodox grudge.)

I love that guy

I still won't wear thigh-highs with shorts

The Pope is coming?
Submitted by Fernando on Tue, 09/18/2007 - 5:28pm.
--------------
I won't tell the old joke that fits with your header. It's similar to the old Italian Pope joke having the punchline, "She musta have-a bigga boobsa."

the cream rises to the top

Don't like Randi, but she's been fantastic on the tasering crime.
And remember Sean Bell? http://gothamist.com/2006/12/03/queens_shooting_6.php

A: Not lately.

...but Randi's show was fucking excellent today.

Bill Wyman's son started dating his wife Mandy's mother and the 2 Smith women get pregnant.

I'm not gonna bother with the family tree that doesn't fork.

she's pissed as we all should be

the media at lg is already trying to smear this kid

this is not over

sounds tasty

Expulsion of American security firm could undermine withdrawal plans Jason Rhyne
Published: Tuesday September 18, 2007

Iraqi government restrictions on security contractor Blackwater USA could mean a range of complications for US involvement in the country--potentially even undermining current plans to remove some troops on the ground, reports the Wall Street Journal in a story by August Cole and Neil King, Jr.

After an incident on Sunday in which Blackwater security personnel killed Baghdad civilians during a fight with insurgents, the government of Iraq announced that it plans to deny the firm permission to continue operations.

"The incident may increase strains between the Bush administration and the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki," said the Journal. "The State Department relies heavily on Blackwater to guard its diplomatic compound within Iraq's Green Zone and also to provide security for U.S. diplomats as they travel around Iraq. The work often calls for Blackwater to draw on its fleet of armed helicopters, which give it an arsenal that other security contractors lack."

Coming at an "awkward time" for the White House, according to the Journal, the incident follows on the heels of an announcement last week that the US plans to withdraw as many as 30,000 troops by July.

"As the U.S. diminishes its military footprint," Cole and King write, "it is almost certain to rely more heavily on private-security companies to guard the tens of thousands of nonmilitary U.S. personnel working in Iraq."

"Security contractors, who are more lightly armed than their American military counterparts, play an important role protecting not just U.S. officials but also employees of the many companies working on rebuilding Iraq's infrastructure," continued the Journal."Blackwater is one of the largest security contractors in Iraq, with some 1,000 contractors there, most of them American. Picking up any slack should Blackwater's operations be interrupted or cease would be a tall order for rivals."

"The reason there is such a strong business for personal security details is that the United States military and the Diplomatic Security Service don't have the manpower to fulfill the requirement," Ray DuBois, a former undersecretary of the Army, told the paper.

http://rawstory.com//news/2007/Iraq_Blackwater_incident_could_complicate...

'Two-thirds' think Bush doing badly
Two-thirds of Americans say Bush is doing badly, US 'on the wrong track.'

http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Most_Americans_think_Bush_doing_a_b_0918200...

Run like Hell:

http://harpers.org/archive/2007/09/hbc-90001237

Monica Goodling's BFF in deep doo doo

I took a nap which I don't usually do but not in great shape today.

Bibi, does that ever happen to you? Complete exhaustion? Auto-immune nightmare!

Q: Cream in yer coffee?
Submitted by bibimimi on Tue, 09/18/2007 - 5:56pm.
A: Not lately.
---------------
bibimimi,

Here is how I imagine our conversation upon meeting face-to-face.

Bait: "A guy walks int--"
bibimimi: "Heard it. A priest, a Baptist min--"
Bait: "Heard it. Two chickens are--"
bibimimi: "Heard it. Larry Craig has a MySpace pa--"
Bait: "Heard it. Snow White and the sev--"
bibimimi: "Heard it. A corpuscle says to a--"
Bait: "Heard it. What do you get when you cro--"
bibimimi: "Heard it."
Bait: "Hey! I didn't get enough of it out for you to know which joke it was!"
bibimimi: "Doesn't matter. I've heard it."

This world is so f'd up!

I've had a conversation like that at a company Christmas party.

The other guy worked at the post office.

I heard them talkin' point mofos wanna unionize to get they sick asses some healthcare!!!

Unable to stay awake during the day...but damned if it don't take me an hour to fall asleep at night.

You got Rincoln Continenta...

We are living in exponential times.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljbI-363A2Q

Now the bad news. Depressing to read on KOS on many Dems are defending both the rent-a-cops and Kerry. America wants facsim. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/9/18/10649/5334

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/9/18/125041/427

Once I got it going from my end. At first I was only getting Sam's cam. But I reloaded and I got them both.

Marc's shot is a lot more impressive, being out in the California morning sunshine and all. And there was at least one piece of genius there: "I've found that I complain a lot less when there's no one around to complain to - and that's been helpful." That's brilliant! Sorry about the breakup, though.

Jayson (mystic23 & progressivespirit)

Bankrupt American Home Mortgage is attempting to seize as much as $27 million that former employees set aside from paychecks for retirement, according to an attorney representing them.

Employees say Melville, N.Y.-based American Home Mortgage Investment wants to release retirement money from a trust fund to pay off large creditors.

The attorney for a group of former employees alleged American Home or its trustee for the retirement plan "may have acted inappropriately with regard to withholding distributions or encouraging contributions."

Calls to American Home were not immediately returned early Tuesday.

The case in bankruptcy court in Delaware is being brought by 43 employees who had a total of $11.6 million in the retirement trust.

The deferred-compensation plan enabled employees making more than about $200-thousand per year to save money tax-free until they retired.

American Home has more than 1,000 creditors, some of which already have priority claims on the firm's assets.

American Home filed for bankruptcy protection in August. Once the nation's 10th largest mortgage lender, the company said it fell victim to 'extraordinary disruptions' that effectively cut off the funding it needed to make new loans.

Falling home prices and a spike in payment defaults scared investors away from mortgage debt, including bonds and other securities backed by home loans.

Its 40 biggest creditors include virtually all the major names of Wall Street.

At the top of the list are Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan Chase.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/20837583

Nebraska State Senator sues God to stop plagues, terror threats David Edwards and Nick Juliano
Published: Tuesday September 18, 2007

A Nebraska lawmaker is taking his complaints about frivolous lawsuits limits all the way to the top.

State Sen. Ernie Chambers is suing God.

"It's a lawsuit against a defendant who has perpetrated much harm and damage on the human race," Chambers said on CNN.

Chambers says his frivolous lawsuit against the Lord was meant to protest a suit filed against a Nebraska judge who banned the words "rape" and "victim" from a woman's rape trial.

Some Nebraska lawmakers are trying to pass legislation preventing frivolous lawsuits, but Chambers says anyone should be able to file a lawsuit against anyone else.

"The Constitution requires that the courthouse doors be open, so you cannot prohibit the filing of suits," Chambers tells a local Fox affiliate. "Anyone can sue anyone they choose, even God."

In his suit, Chambers seeks an injunction against God ordering the deity to stop natural disasters and terror threats. Fox News notes that Chambers is not a Christian.

"Apparently this Omaha senator, he also skips morning prayers during the legislative session and often criticizes Christians," a Fox host notes. "So apparently this guy is not a man of faith, which is fine, but it's a little unusual he's suing God, I don't think he's going to get a response."

The lawsuit notes that Chambers tried several times to contact the defendant, KETV reported.

Plaintiff, despite reasonable efforts to effectuate personal service upon Defendant ('Come out, come out, wherever you are') has been unable to do so,” the suit says.

These video clips are from CNN's American Morning and Fox's Fox & Friends, broadcast September 18.

http://rawstory.com//news/2007/State_Senator_sues_God_for_plagues_0918.h...

can I? Of course, I agree with the comments above, but I have lost all objectiveness when it comes to her.

Damn her boobs.

test their taser, why didn't they start with OJ?

Yesterday John Reiger, a member of Peace and Freedom Party, was among ten war protestors that were arrested at the office of Congresswoman Doris Matsui in Sacramento California. The protestors were part of a nationwide movement of anti-war protestors that oppose the Iraq war and congressional support for the war.

SUCRE, Bolivia — When Evo Morales became Bolivia's first indigenous president, he promised to heal years of bitter social divisions and give poor Bolivians, and especially the indigenous majority, a greater say in how the country was run.

Twenty months later, those high hopes have collapsed, Morales is struggling to stay in control and this landlocked country of 9 million people once again is teetering on the brink of disintegration.

Bloody street battles have broken out between Morales' indigenous supporters and his critics, while a swath of the country is seeking more http://www.mcclatchydc.com/world/story/19778.html

"Bad news from Boliva."

*

September 09, 2007
Anti-Venezuela Model Encore in Bolivia Denounced

US lawyer Eva Golinger warned on Thursday that it would be difficult for Washington to stop interfering in Bolivia, as demanded by that country's president, Evo Morales.

In an article published on local media, Golinger, who disclosed unclassified US documents on the financing of Venezuela's opposition, said that a similar scheme is being implemented in Bolivia.
...

Choppers shoot to protect Iraq oil, power

Published: Sept. 18, 2007 at 3:20 PM

BAGHDAD, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- The Iraqi Defense Ministry has issued a shoot-to-kill order to helicopter gunners guarding Iraq’s vulnerable oil and power infrastructure.

Azzaman reports the Ministry of Defense has brought in armed helicopters, possibly Russian, to protect the power and fuel supply to Baghdad.

Iraq as a whole suffers from drought of fuels and electricity, and Baghdad is especially targeted by insurgents looking to choke the country’s capital.

The newspaper reports pilots are to shoot at anyone approaching the oil pipelines or power lines and towers.

http://www.upi.com/International_Security/Energy/Briefing/2007/09/18/cho...

Puerto Ricans Denounce FBI Plot

The Federal Bureau of Investigations is paving the way to unleash an arrest offensive against patriots the day before commemorating the Grito de Lares, Puerto Rican pro-independence sources denounced on Tuesday.

Hostosiano National Pro-Independence Movement Co-President Hector Pesquera asserted that the federal agents are maintaining a public offensive to justify their actions against the national left.

As an example, he highlighted the absurd statement that the clandestine Puerto Rican people's army, EPB-Macheteros, announced that it would attack state and federal government public structures.

Pesquera said that has the objective of justifying any action by US federal agents against the national left, mainly the arrest of activists.

You no got cataract
Submitted by bibimimi on Tue, 09/18/2007 - 6:25pm.
You got Rincoln Continenta...
---------------
Trying to draw jenise out? (It usually works for me.)

If you didn't see it:

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/09/18/140201

But I heard the audio.

And it was hard to listen to.

The questioner wasn't grabbed until after he was done. After Kerry says, "I'll answer his question."

After being pinned to the ground, he was tasered for making noise?

Women screaming, crying...everyone else frozen as he pleaded for help.

If increases in blog chatter about a certain topic or individual increase sales, it’s safe to say that this chatter piques an interest in people. It’s pretty safe to assume that the impact of this greater interest is much more far flung than simply online sales – in many cases it’s bound to reach into offline sales, traditional media hits, and in the case of nonprofits and advocacy groups, more action.

So what does this mean? Well, it means that you should keep your ear to the ground (well, internet) for buzz relating to your organization, candidate, and the issues important to you. That online buzz may be predictive of coverage in more traditional media or have an impact on your mission in other ways, like changes in fundraising or your sign ups.

http://www.developmentseed.org/blog/2007/sep/18/impact-online-buzz

NPR reported a Pew poll regarding the war in Iraq. It ain't good for Gare. The responses of "independents" track closely with the responses of Democrats and the Republicans aren't too damned happy, either (though they are grasping at Petraeus straws).

http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=355

MoveOn.org is a Huge Hillary Donor

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 09/18/2007 - 2:00pm.

Why does MoveOn like Hillary, but everybody in here doesn't seem to?

*

On the site Opensecrets, they specialize in tracking political campaign contributions to gov't officials & candidates. There's even a special section to track *cough* 527's; you know, like MoveOn.

Why don't you shuffle on over there & find out exactly how much money MoveOn has contributed to Hillary Clinton's campaigns.

Or are you just shit-disturbing, per usual, gare?

--------------

You can't wrap your damaged little lizard brain around the concept that lefties don't line up behind specific candidates, can you, dimwit?

There's a shitload of lefties here & elsewhere that have a preference for specific candidates, other than Hil, who, should Clinton win the nomination, will vote for her, myself included. And then, after she's sworn in, will fastidiously hold her feet to the fire for her entire term(s).

MoveOn is composed of 3 million thinking individuals; some who do & some who don't "like" Hil. Scary, eh...especially so, to pointy-headed sheeple.

Interesting stuff and video on Crooks and Liars

Tweety has Medea Benjamin and Joe Conason Hardball today talking about the taser incident and free speech. David Schuster also does a story on the incident and recent free speech incidents.

You have to endure a short advert at the beginning of these pieces.

outside of Green Zone in Iraq. Per CNN

I'm sloppy-- don't tase me!

Yea, Harold. I think the audio is more frightening than the video. (Can't look for here at home however because I live in the wilderness and can't get high speed internet here.) Remember, last year when the UCLA student was tasered multiple times in a library. As a Cal grad, it made me sick.
Surprising outrage on this incident by Tweety on Puffball while I'm typing.

Warner May Pull Support for Webb Bill
Sen. Jim Webb's proposal to ease the rotation schedule pressure on troops in Iraq looked like it might muster enough GOP support to pass, but his fellow Virginian, Sen. John Warner, an initial supporter, may pull back.

--David Kurtz

http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/09/gop_senator_warner_reconsidering_s...

What's This About?
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has abruptly called off his plans to compromise with the White House on Iraq withdrawal proposals:

The Democratic leader said he will call for a vote this month on several anti-war proposals, including one by Sen. Carl Levin that would insist President Bush end U.S. combat next summer. The proposals would be mandatory and not leave Bush wiggle room, said Reid, D-Nev.
"There (are) no goals. It's all definite timelines," he told reporters of the planned legislation.

Greg Sargent has more at Election Central.

--David Kurtz

http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/09/_harry_reid_no_we_wont_compromise_...

L@L,

Thanks to Groucho (in Horsefeathers), we have a song that expresses the eternally predictable response from Limbaugh and Gare to all things not Republican.

I don't know what they have to say,
It makes no difference anyway --
Whatever it is, I'm against it!
No matter what it is or who commenced it,
I'm against it.

Your proposition may be good
But let's have one thing understood --
Whatever it is, I'm against it!
And even when you've changed it or condensed it,
I'm against it.

I'm opposed to it --
On general principles I'm opposed to it!

Chorus: He's opposed to it!
In fact, in word, in deed,
He's opposed to it!

For months before my son was born,
I used to yell from night till morn,
Whatever it is, I'm against it!
And I've kept yelling since I commenced it,
I'm against it!

Waxman Targets State Dept. Inspector General
The powerful chairman of the House government oversight committee accuses the State Department inspector general of actively impeding investigations by his office in order to protect the Bush Administration.

--David Kurtz

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004223.php

Osama-Obama-Rama!

I'm not sure that's gare, or it've looked like this:

Why does MoveOn LIKE Hillary, but EVERYBODY IN HERE doesn't seem to!!!???!?!?!?!!!?!!?!?!!?!!!!?

It don't have the same oomph, without the gazillion exclamation/question marks.

I'm outtie.

ciao~

Shocked (superscript 2)
Turns out the Pentagon's newly released numbers on civilian casualties in Iraq contradict the numbers Gen. Petraeus was hawking just last week.

Bringeth me my smelling salts ...

--Josh Marshall

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004215.php

One Pissed Off Liberal

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/9/18/161042/411

Is This Really True?
Just a bit ago, Michael McConnell told Congress that the FISA Court rulings this year--which remain secret--required a warrant before the U.S. government could listen in on the communications of Iraqi insurgents who kidnapped U.S. soldiers.

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004222.php

Spencer has more on this, but I am very skeptical that the FISA Court went that far.

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004222.php

--David Kurtz

New thread soon, maybe?

and "free trade" dems. Absolutly incredible:

The bottom line is that the Democrats, including John Edwards, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, will never govern on our behalf. They are hostage to those who put them in power. And it is not us. Until we throw our weight behind fringe candidates such as Dennis Kucinich or Ralph Nader, if he runs, we will continue to be fleeced by corporate pawns such as the Clintons and the Bushes. It is no longer possible to argue between the lesser of two evils. The corporate state, which is carrying out a coup d’etat in slow motion and has already shredded most of our constitutional rights, is an unmitigated evil. We do not need charity. We need justice. And all of Bill Clinton’s heart-warming stories about giving are not going to save us from the corporations who sucked out his soul and seek to imprison the rest of us.
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/09/17/3898/

BREAKING: Jim Webb explains why we must Support the “Webb Amendment” and the Troops!
By: John Amato @ 3:50 PM - PDT

Jim Webb made an exclusive video to explain why Congress must support the troops and pass the “Webb Amendment,” on Wednesday. He asks us to call our elected officials and tell them to support this very simple, but important measure. It received 56 votes last time it was introduced, but was filibustered by the Rubber Stamp Republicans which included McConnell and Warner. You can read all about it here…Jim’s website has a fact sheet also.

Please call and ask these senators to support Jim Webb’s pro-troop amendment:

Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)
DC: 202-224-6665
Anchorage: 907-271-3735

George Voinovich (R-Ohio)
DC: (202) 224-3353
Cleveland: (216) 522-7095

Elizabeth Dole (R-North Carolina)
DC: 202-224-6342
Raleigh: 866-420-6083

John Warner (R-Virginia)
DC: (202) 224-2023
Roanoke: (540) 857-2676

Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky)
DC: 202-224-2541
Louisville: 502-82-6304

Arlen Specter (R-Pennsylvania)
DC: 202-224-4254
Harrisburg: (717) 782-3951

Bonus - Ask Harry Reid to “don’t let Republicans obstruct — make them stand and filibuster”:

DC: 202-224-3542
Las Vegas: 702-388-5020

(Read the rest of this story…)

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/09/18/breaking-jim-webb-explains-why-...

Chris Hedges rips Clintons...
BRAVO!

Poll Update: Clinton Dominates the Democratic Field

September 17th, 2007 by Jason Easley

This week’s Rasmussen Reports Democratic primary poll update tells much the same story as many of the others have for the past few months. Sen. Hillary Clinton is continuing to maintain a stranglehold on the position of favorite for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. After spending the last two weeks in the upper thirties, Clinton returned to the 40% level again this week. To put her domination into context, let me remind you that no other candidate in the Democratic group has broken 33%. Since the end of July, Clinton has spent six of the past eight weeks at 40% or above. Her low, 38%, was still higher than any other candidate’s highest level of support. Clinton has continued to incrementally build support all through the summer.

On the other hand, the ailing Obama campaign has continued to incrementally lose ground. Obama has seen his support slip from the low thirties to the mid twenties to where he is now the low twenties. Obama currently finds himself at 21% for the second time in three weeks. Obama hasn’t been at 25% in over a month now, and he hasn’t been over 25% since mid July. Obama has been stiffled by attacks on his experience, mediocre debate performances, and a lack of ideas that differentiate him from the Clinton campaign. The worse news for Obama is that he now finds himself only six points ahead of John Edwards for second place.

Jim Cramer On Hardball: Greenspan’s Oil Comment Was “Throw Away Line”
By: Logan Murphy @ 1:40 PM - PDT On Monday’s Hardball, CNBC’s Jim Cramer and talk show host Ed Schultz sparred over the validity of Alan Greenspan’s claim that the occupation of Iraq was all about the oil. Cramer, in his ranting and somewhat staged style claimed that Greenspan was flat out wrong and was upset that everyone was talking about the throwaway line from his book. Throwaway line?

Download (877) | Play (1045) Download (390) | Play (511)

Schultz took him to task, pointing out the myriad reasons why oil played a central part in Bush and Cheney’s decision to invade Iraq. Cramer went on to play the role of Bush apologist, spouting the lame, old we now know they were wrong, but invading Iraq was the right thing to do at the time talking points, but Schultz points out that Greenspan could have had an enormous effect on the Iraq debate had he made this statement before the invasion.

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/09/18/jim-cramer-on-hardball-greenspa...

Renowned professor emeritus of psychology Philip Zimbardo, who has publicly blamed Rumsfeld and other Bush Administration officials for the notorious abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, is among a protest petition’s “instigators,” as he put it. “Hoover is in a sense independent of Stanford but it’s always linked to Stanford,” Zimbardo said - the conservative public-policy think tank is located on the university’s campus, but the faculty senate has no input on its appointments. “They can have any fascist they want there, and they do… We’ve never protested before but this seems to be egregious. ”Zimbardo, 74, is perhaps best known for his 1971 Stanford prison experiment in which students assigned to be guards in a mock prison in a campus basement quickly became sadistic. At the same time, the students chosen to be prisoners soon showed passivity and depression, quickly leading to dangerous and psychologically harmful situations which forced him to end the experiment. http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/09/18/3932/

toniD, watched that last night, and the old QB held is own. Cramer could only blurt out repeatedly, "I can't accept we went to war for oil. NO! etc."
Still, imagine our side be defended on national tv by Jay Johnstone, or, God forbid-- Norm Chomsky.

Sam,

You were great with Cenk on The Young Turks this morning. Consider doing it more often.

However,missed you and Maron. Have Marc on your Sunday show sometime.

Juliane

thats really over the top, even for a troll.

The two of you were great today. I really miss the old days with at least six hours of Maron and Seder. Just keep yourselves on the air as much as you can. We will follow. We'll gladly pay to follow. You are both trusted and loved. Keep up the good work.

Here:
http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/interviews/076

Tip from Liberal Talk Radio blog. Vote for your favorite liberal/progressive radio show/host:
http://ltradio.blogspot.com/

Loved the 3 day Sam-a-Rama!

Argentina rallies for missing man

Protesters fear Mr Lopez has been kidnapped or killed for testifying
Protests have been held in cities across Argentina to mark a year since a key witness in a landmark human rights trial disappeared.
Jorge Julio Lopez vanished after testifying in the case of former police chief Miguel Etchecolatz.

Mr Etchecolatz is now serving a life sentence for human rights abuses committed under military rule in Argentina between 1976 and 1983.

It is feared Mr Lopez, 77, was kidnapped or killed for testifying. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7002011.stm

http://www.samsedershow.com/node/1299

For me, the incident illustrated a type of 'shock and awe' methodology.

I imagine the campus cops have standard procedures to remove any undesirable(situation) as quickly as possible to avoid any type ofescalation. In order for them to do that, they must make their moves as quick as possible while everyone is mesmerized and mallable... sheep-like, you might say.

That situation lasted so many minutes. Enough time for someone to do something. I'm not saying John Kerry had the responsibility to stop this. Although he did have a microphone. There's many reasons why one may not have made that move:

1. It's not their problem.

2. Concern of being arrested...which could result in loss of work hours, job...blah blah woof woof-you where I'm going with this.

3. Our government works hard to give us every chance to be concerned about our rights, our futures.

4. You name it.

All in all it made me really sad. It was so wrong and these situations happen on a regular basis. What if those cops had just walked up, let their presence be known? The video does show that the student had gotten the message and was backing off.

I hope he sues the college. I hope there are others and organisations that will come to his aid, support his cause... because that could have been any one of us.

Take care, all.

Blackwater is one of many soldier-for-hire programs that allows us to go into Iraq with way fewer troops than our Generals say we need. A pull-out of our troops, without regulation on the hired guns will make them way more profit, and will keep them there. Our brand new bases aren't leaving, and we aren't leaving. The Democrats need to get a handle on the private contractors out there before we pull out. I get the feeling our soldiers are protecting the Iraqis from unregulated contractors just as much as they are trying to protect them from themselves.

That is like saying to these idiots:

You built San Francisco and especially the Marina district on a fault line and in a sand pit so when the 1989 wiped out the marina district - you get nothing. Nada, zip.

or how about this:

You people went to work in buildings that has and always would be a terrorist target. Get over it.
(ok I no the one above was a little bit over the top - but the analogy is exactly the same.)

Now here's a ticket worth the price.