Regime Change Begins at Home Second Quarter of 2004 April 2004 ... May 2004 ... June 2004

April 2004

4/03/04 The Heinous: Okay heyah's dose rezuns why ya'll don't tell da' truf if'n bossman Bush be lissenin' Ya' git'cher ass canned and name messed up, special if'n ya'll be r'publikans. (040304a) And the outing of CIA agent Plame turns up the heat! (040304b) Sad, sick, and certainly true, how does the military treat our wounded? Not as well as one would think. (040304c) America: Election, not Selection: Cure for "black box voting" use the absentee voter ballots. If you are in a location where the voting machines will be used then you can get around using them by voting absentee. It seems the FEC, Federal Election Committee, wants to change the rules as to what constitutes a "political committees" partially this will include: organizations which spend more than $1,000 this year on nonpartisan voter registration or get out the vote activity or on any ad, mailing or phone bank that "promotes, supports, attacks or opposes" any federal candidate; and 2. Supposedly has a "major purpose" of election of a federal candidate as shown by: (a) Saying anything in its press releases, materials, website, etc. that might lead regulators to conclude that the group's "major purpose" is to influence the election of any federal candidate; and more! (040304d) Environment: We keep hearing ugly rumors of ugly ecological occurrences, either the truth will out or reality will sink in, one or the other, but not necessarily in that order. (040304e) Iraq: An uptick in violence, and we keep getting hints that there is plenty of hatred for US troops and seemingly no end in sight to the attacks. Oh, yes, and why are we there? (040304f) Iran: The nuclear fallout of Iran's choice to start up another facility has people wondering ... what is up with this? (040304g) Its the MEDIA STUPID: Why do dey lie about Clark, or mislead, or misfeed, or cook up misdeeds? (040304h) This very brief piece says it all, an overview of the failing of the media to do its job and inform, advise, and alert the public and provide coverage or oversight of, the government. That is the job of the fourth estate after all.(040304i) So why isn't this story, an apparent Bush "small fry kind of lie" blaming job losses on 9/11, unfortunately the source he cites denies any knowledge of providing such information. (new link: http://www.ariannaonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11409 (040304j)) So we see Clark talking and the White House begins a disinformation campaign, quoting him out of context, (040304k) and the media laughs along with him literally and figuratively. HOW LOUD CAN ONE SHOUT: ITS THE MEDIA STUPID! And here is a little story about a boy who yawned, but he was sitting behind Bush as he spoke, well CNN had to contradict itself to get out of the, uh, lie, um, that they, uh, spun, yeah, spun. (040304l) It was all an accident, a miscommunication. Pakistan: You will recall the "hammer and anvil" strategy that was getting so much play in the past couple of weeks, well it finished with a whisper, and the status quo reestablished, not at all good for what we wanted to achieve.(040304m) 9/11 commission: Jes' cain't keep from talkin' bout Clark, he be sayin' what it be like! He has miracles: Miracle one: He be staying in da news! (040304n) Miracle two: he is not speaking alone! (040302o) Miracle three: He sez dat dey kin take all his records and he'd be glad to share em! (040304p) And there seems to be corroboration of what Clark says, this from a few folks in this article, including Gen. Henry H. Shelton, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff until Oct. 1, 2001.(the new link: http://archive.democrats.com/view2.cfm?id=20331 (040304q)) Bush says he is interested in security and protection, however, on the other hand, when small amounts of money are requested for such it seems there is resistance to giving it, and not for the first time. Bush et all says terrorism was vital and important, that Al Qaida was top priority, not according to what they said, even a Condi Girl speech, to be delivered on 9/11 touted a missile defense, and "Boy" Powell did not have Al Qaida in his top 20 concerns, amazing.(040304r) Sibel Edmonds said she spent more than three hours in a closed session with the commission's investigators. She told The Independent: "I gave [the commission] details of specific investigation files, the specific dates, specific target information, specific managers in charge of the investigation. I gave them everything so that they could go back and follow up. This is not hearsay. These are things that are documented. These things can be established very easily." (new link: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0402-01.htm (040304s)) So since we're not getting any Bush documents the 9/11 commission went for Clinton's documents but if getting 25% of what you want is fully cooperating then Bush is cooperating, "fully." (new link: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/02/politics/02PANE.html?ex=1123732800&en=e65661ec03da4e73&ei=5070&hp=&pagewanted=print&position= (040304t) War on Terrorism/Uzbekistan: A new front has opened in Uzbekistan, (new link: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/03/20040329-10.html (040304u))in a nation not known for freedom, strife kicks up a notch. Here is the follow up story, more dead, more worries. (new link: http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGEUR620062004?open&of=ENG-UZB (040304v)) And here's some information about the ruler of that country, boils people alive does he? No problemo for being one of our allies. Is it a new front? Sympathy for those attacking? Is there poverty, repression, and gold? You betcha, and don't forget US troops are on hand, can anyone spell more casualties? All at once: "y - e - s" And the Uzbek police are renown for brutality. More details the attackers seek police ..repression ... revolt ... a cycle of violence ensues...? 4/10/04 This is a great story analyzing anti-Americanism, its causes, yes you will be surprised, and its consequences, yes, again, you will be surprised. Food for thought, and, from a Frenchie at that! (041004a) Leaked email shows how Republicans have made plans to "handle" opposition attacks concerning the environment. (041004b) Even some republicans have called the "suggested talking points" as, insupportable Iraq: Does it matter that a fairly influential cleric in Iraq calls for action against the "occupiers"? (041004c) To some extent, now, we are damned if we do and damned if we don't. And, why are we there again? What is our exit strategy? At the same time that we have perhaps another front opening on our forces, we seem to be reducing their number and sending the experienced troops home (041004d) not that I would fault their wanting to go. Here is some info from the scene illuminating something of Sadr influence and his call to action (041004e) The Sadr saga continues: it seems he has "liberated" Kufa a city of some 110,000. (041004f) But I am sure confrontation will follow, and violence and casualties. Oh, and why did we go into Iraq? I guess I am not clear on that concept. Since Israel's killing of Hamas' founder there is increasing evidence that the Palestinian cause and that of the Iraqi resistance are effecting each other, impacting is a better word. (041004g) Here we have some corroboration of the idea that Bush was obsessed with Iraq and planned his attack months before the "show and tell shell games of 2002 - 2003 (041004h) A recent examination of 9 Iraq War 2 veterans test positive for depleted uranium, one hopes that this ratio is not typical, but these men were "were military police not exposed to the heat of battle," (041004i) And here is an interesting thought, what if the chaos in Iraq is the plan? I have heard this argument before but here it is explained more clearly and simply in a brief article, (041004j) the opposition theory is, of course, that we are incompetent and bungling the occupation. See how the lie unravels? The White House continues to deny that the president immediately began planning an invasion of Iraq in the days after 9/11())calling such charges "revisionist history"(1) (new lnk: http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/01/10/oneill.bush/ (041004k)) and claiming Iraq was "to the side"(2) immediately after the attacks. But new revelations by a former top British official confirm that, immediately after 9/11, President Bush started planning to use the terrorist attacks as a justification for war in Iraq, despite having no proof that Iraq had any connection to Al Qaeda or 9/11. (3) (new link: http://www.ariannaonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2056 (041004l)). Maybe that "kind of attitude" is what causes our spooks to speak out. (041004m) Its the MEDIA STUPID: Talk about "having fun with numbers, Bush touts a rebound in the employment rate, about 300,000 or so, what they don't say is that the "vast majority of these jobs are part time and or temporary." (041004n) Maybe we have a counterpoint to the propagundists of the right, Air America got off to a rocky start, but time will tell.... Some one in the media does apologize for what the MEDIA did during the "run up to the war." (041004o) But the same old game goes on, where do we get our "coverage from" besides the very safe press room, (041004p) it's to dangerous in the red zone. Meanwhile those who tried to get Bush to pay attention to the Al Qaida threat long before 9/11 are not given any coverage in the media or on the 9/11 hearings, why would that be? (041004q) 9/11 commission: Condi Girl says: "I don't know, Ed, how, after coming into office, inheriting policies that had been in place for at least three of the eight years of the Clinton administration, we could have done more than to continue those polices while we developed more robust policies." Well this brief article details several "good ideas" all of which could have been done, yet she was not, has not been, called to answer for her near stupid remark. (041004r) We hear that the commission currently assesses that the 9/11 attacks were preventable if not for errors on our part, interesting, no? (041004s) Other "Condi moments" when what she says contradicts what she said, a brief collection. (041004t) That may be why 9/11 victims witnessing her "testimony" were underwhelmend. (041004u) Do we have a fox in the 9/11 commission henhouse? Some think so...(041004v) War on Terrorism: Uzbeckistan was the newest front in the terror war, but now that distinction may pass to Thailand.(041004w) Is it a separatist movement? Jihadis targeting a US ally. They are called ghosts, how appropriate. Well, Germany might be the latest in the WOT front. 4/14/04 The Heinous: We have begun the weaponization of outer space. Our first armed satellite is to be up and functioning this summer, look fir it and others soon to follow. (new link: http://context.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2004/04/09/120.html (041404a)) My oh my how Georgie boy loves to self contradict, in public, for the record and in a matter of minutes. Is anyone listening? Does anybody really know what time it is, does anyone really care? America: Election, not Selection: Cure for "black box voting" use the absentee voter ballots. If you are in a location where the voting machines will be used then you can get around using them by voting absentee. If you want to "painlessly" raise money for anti-Bush ads check out this click for cash opportunity. Iraq: Update on an older story: Hank Brandi, an expert on satellite image analysis, (new link: http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2004/04/286855.shtml (041404b))happened across interesting weather satellite photos. (new link: http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/technology_watch/1286771.html (041404c)) To him, it seems we or someone is building a pipeline into Iraq, one hardly need wonder why. Could it be so that we could have the Kuwaiti's sell the oil for us, note they are bucking the OPEC "party line" now a days. (new link: http://www.highbeam.com/library/doc0.asp?docid=1P1:93104811&refid=ink_tptd_np&skeyword=&teaser= (041404d)) Here is an assortment of opinions from press outlets around the world, (041404e) it is not looking good for us, for Iraqi's, for anyone. Why are we there? Please tell me what was our reason for going in? The plan for going out? Geeze us Kee rist. Here is the word from Baghdad as of 4/13/04, by Pulitzer Prize winner A. Shadid doing some Q and A. (041404f) It's the MEDIA STUPID: 9/11 commission: What did Bush know and when? Watergate like questions and we get answers, then changes, then rewordings. (041404g) And who was telling him what and when we get a he said she said with Condi and Dick, but ex FBI director, Tom Pickard adds fuel to the fire. (041404h) Even as Condi - girl forgets what she said and when. (041404i) More corroboration from the President's Daily Briefing, he was being told that "Osama was afoot!'(new link: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2004_04/003669.php (041404j)) Just a quick overview, an opinion really, what might have happened if the "trees were shaken" but , maybe we'll NEVER know, because they weren't (041404k) Along those lines here is "The Pre-9/11 blunder you've probably never heard of" (041404l) Ok, Ok, I didn't find a fact check the 9/11 testimony for "what's her name's", you know Uncle Ben's grandninny, but here is a fact check done for Ashcroft's testimony. (How I wish I could spell it Asscraft and get away with it ... oopsie, I just did. And then it hit me, HEY, we have a commission investigating 9/11, but they don't ask any of the FUN questions, and like, uh, maybe they forgot to ask them so here's one for the gipper, like: Who did let the Saudi citizenry out this country in flight, and en masse as they say in the days after that especial event, when no plane was to fly? (041404m) I have heard that such permission could have only been granted by the Prezidick ob de You Ess of Ay. And speaking of FUN questions take a look at this article regarding PDB's (041404n) (president's daily briefings) and see if you can't think of some doozies yourself! Go ahead it can't hurt anything but HIS pride. War on Terrorism: Uzbekistan has its own cause for worry (new link: http://www.4law.co.il/uzbek1.htm (041404o)) how deeply they should be concerned will only become clear as time goes on. 4/23/04 America: Election, not Selection: What I want to know is how come no one makes an issue of the 3.5 trillion, that's TRILLION, dollars that could have been collected over the past couple of election cycles form corporations that, just don't seem to pay much in the way of taxes. Corporate taxes have fallen from 5 percent of gross domestic product, the nation's output of goods and services, in 1946 to 1.4 percent now. As a percentage of all federal tax revenues, corporate tax payments have declined from 23 percent in 1960 to 13 percent in 1980 and 8 percent today. (041904-a) And let's talk jobs, that's right, JOBS. We keep hearing about 300,000 new jobs, seems like many of them, according to this article, are temp positions...but that's good enough, right? (041604-a) And, further, about the same amount three trillion, THREE TRILLION, or so is how much the pentagon can't seem to account for, that was an light news item last year, I can't find the article but no one seems to care. If you want to "painlessly" raise money for anti-Bush ads check out this click for cash opportunity. Just a question here, if it was Gore was given stress because of overseas contributions during the 2000 election is it not also "wrong" for Republicans to enter into Cambodian politics by supporting one party as opposed to another? (041604-b) Didn't hear that in the news? Not surprising is it, no one heard about a similar story out of Taiwan two years ago which had members of that country's government fall from "grace" as it were. Hey, if you LOVED that Bush Tax Cut, read this: "60% of Americans said the Bush tax cut did not personally help them" Meanwhile, almost half of all Americans say that their taxes have risen under Bush" Environment: Bruce Buckheit, director of the EPA's Air Enforcement Division, until a few weeks ago that is, has said: "Yes. I'm saying this administration has decided to put the economic interests of the coal fired power plants ahead of the public interests in reducing air pollution." (042004-a) Iraq: When did "we" decide to go into Iraq? Was it after we had given ultimatums? Or months before in January 2003? Bob Woodward has some info here, read the Larry King Live interview transcript. Many Bushies deny this but Bandar Bin Sultan, Saudi Ambassador to the US: the Saudi involved, seems to think that manipulating oil prices is a normal part of the Saudi US relationship. (041904-b) Here is the extended transcript from Larry King Live. (041904-c) However now the quote is in question, it has been "scrubbed" from the record, SNAFU. (042104-c) What the hell is going on over there: Some Iraqi nuclear facilities appear to be unguarded, and radioactive materials are being taken out of the country, (041504-a)the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency reported after reviewing satellite images and equipment that has turned up in European scrap yards. Ol' Rummy he done been said dat de violence in dat dere EyeRaK is been surprizin', but Zinni, a marine for 39 years and former commander of the US Central Command says, Rum Dumb should not have been surprised, at all. Let's look at who is pulling our, "reassessing" etc. their forces in Iraq: New Zealand, Philippines, Portugal, Thailand, Bulgaria, These are besides Spain and Honduras and the Dominican Republic How do we treat the returned deceased, the honorable dead? With a blackout on coverage, if you want to see a photo of how they transport those returning you have to hunt down the photos... Palestine/Israel: It is amazing to me how we, in what appears to be a pique or ongoing fit of hubris, see fit to ignore whole sets of allies, we have now distanced ourselves from Egypt and Jordan, not to mention others, but those two are important, don't you think? They view Bush's recent trashing of of nearly 40 years of positions vis a vis the west bank harshly and, well, people are upset with us, more so than ever. (04-21-04-a) It's like I said, Iraq and Palestine have been linked and this will cause no end of trouble, we could use our allies. It may be that this whole affair will go nuclear and who'll be picking up the pieces then? What might be the role of the "born again" "Christian Right" in the Bush administration, here's an uncomfortable perspective (042104-b) It's the MEDIA STUPID: And sometimes it aint the stupid media it's the stupid agencies who are supposed to be protecting us. Example a whistle blower gets the brush off until the story gets out in the media, then everyone wants to "follow up on leads" and "hear what has to be said." And, by the way, it has to do with a corporation paying "protection money" to a terrorist organization. You would think that our anti terror people would, like inquiring minds, want to know. 9/11 commission: Jee-e-sus kee-rist with his head a handbasket, what does it take to get stories like this into the US media? Here we have evidence of the "friendly" relations between the Bin Ladens, Saudis and the Bushies and how this condition caused investigations to stall, or be shelved. To view the BBC television broadcast of the Palast investigation, go to http://www.GregPalast.com 9/11 commission avoided looking into Mr. John O'Neill "The Man Who Knew" Yes he had an obsession with Bin Laden and others and yes he was tossed out of his job because of it. Why isn't anyone looking critically at the FBI because of that? He was on the scent of those involved with 9/11 after all. Here is some detail about who he was and what he did. When we hear Condi girl or Bush boy say: "Nobody in our government, at least, and I don't think the prior government, could envision flying airplanes into buildings on such a massive scale" I guess they didn't talk to NORAD or the department of defense who thought flying a plane into the Pentagon or World Trade Center was unrealistic. What else isn't the 9/11 commission asking about? How about FBI whistle blowers who tried to get the truth out? Here is more on the mathematics of speed and distance, why didn't our jets get to the hijacked airliners in time: It looks like foul ups in the FAA, NORAD, the seemingly slow place the jets took to intercept, and the fact that jets were scrambled from a base distant from the location of the hijacked airliners. But the kicker is that recently, when another smaller plane was stolen, we did not respond very well either. War on Terrorism: The muddle East: Yes Israel the sixth largest nuclear power in the world, talk about proliferation, just how did they get the bomb, when, on who's watch and, where did their uranium come from? All things that inquiring minds want to know. I know this is an old story, but it just keeps on going, and going, and going.... 4/30/04 Take a shot at Voting Machines: In the next few days, Secretary of State Kevin Shelley will decide whether or not to decertify all voting terminals that don't offer such a Voter Verified Paper Trail. Please call or e-mail the Secretary of State's office: Call: (916) 657-2166 E-mail: constituentaffairs@ss.ca.gov Did anyone know that nearly 80% of the votes cast in the US well be counted by the machines made by two companies, that these two companies are owned by a pair of brothers, The Brothers Urosevich controlling both Diebold and ES&S The Heinous: America: Election, not Selection: Did anyone know that nearly 80% of the votes cast in the US well be counted by the machines made by two companies, that these two companies are owned by a pair of brothers, The Brothers Urosevich controlling both Diebold and ES&S (042904a) Here is the lowdown, the Bush record of military "servicing", and the Kerry service record. (042204b) Bush, Saudi's, Oil, price changes for better or for worse... (042204c) what we don't know can only hurt us. WHAT? Another Diebold Story? It seems that they had word of problems (042204d) and now California could toss them out of the election system. I don't know about you but error rates of 24 to 40% are not acceptable, in fact I wonder why no one is questioning the results of the election given the large number of voters that were unable to vote, but that would be asking for a fair and unbiased press to investigate...RIGHT! Here is an update on Diebold crap. And all the more reason for saying the phrase "Diebold crap!" (042304c) Here is another thing, I just bet a night's out drinking that Bush will be elected. Not that I like him, as you might guess, but because of this article and my own fear/theory that he will be re-elected come hell or high water. Meaning barring an act of God, Kerry's death, or the destruction of our nation, I'll pay up. I hope I am wrong but here I why I will be crying as I laugh. (042304d) Some indication that the US military personel have an ax to grind, listen to this military man, once republican, now running as a democrat against his one time party. What is at issue in the nuclear weapons debate in the US? It seems it consists of whether to build new nuclear weapons that are more usable in modern warfare or whether to do that and make the old nuclear weapons more usable, too (042604a) Sounds like a solid set of choices to me. If you'd like to sign petitions about the US out of Iraq, Universal Health Care, Jobs and Trade, repealing the Patriot Act and creating a Department of Peace, and let the Democratic party know how you feel on these issues you can find these petitions at the Kucinich website Petitions. Environment: Christian environmentalist activism? It could hurt Bush and it could help the ecology at the same time, that's a win/win in my book. (042204a) And Bush gives a great presentation on Eart Day, (go to that link if you want to see it.) but at the same time, undoes the good works of administrations past, (042304a) what a lying bozo of a jerk. Iraq: Last issue reported that photos of returning coffins were hard to come by, you can loose your job taking pictures. However some were released and you can see them here at the memory hole. Sing it with me chillun: Cheney, Halliburton, Iraq, sanctions 90's, profits, and Bush...read it here. Now here is something I've written about before, given our being capable as a power, that maybe all the chaos in Iraq IS the plan? (042304e) This article gives a new take on that, it is a fair read. (042304f) Maybe Iraq cannot be kept as a single nation, maybe it has to be, dread the thought, "balkanized"(042704d) Palestine/Israel: Mordechai Vanunu released after 18 years in prison for telling the world that Israel is a nuclear power, shhh, don't tell anyone. (042304b) What this means, in combination with US support for Israel's policy, is that only nuclear power will prove an adequate weapon for the palestinians, to wit, they, and their allies will be figuring out just how to go about that. It's the MEDIA STUPID: Story of the week in this category, is giving evidence of the tip of the proverbial penis, uh, I mean iceborg, (043004a) uh I mean, berg, iceberg, right! No! No! this is the story of the week, maybe the month: "O' dast I speculate suh, duh 'hole cottin' pikkin' yeeah" De bought off media does not rise to the occasion, it seems, "deyse be gibbin' us da' pap wehn we be needin' real in-fo-may-shun, yassuh!" (043004b) 9/11 commission: The latest, we've reported on Sibel Edmonds an FBI translator who says we had "lots of evidence indicating an attack." (042604b) but now that the commission wants to hear her the Bush Administration wants her to shut her mouth. So why don't they have Paul Bremmer verity his quote: "What they will do is stagger along until there's a major incident and then suddenly say, 'Oh my God, shouldn't we be organized to deal with this,' " Bremer said at a McCormick Tribune Foundation conference on terrorism Feb. 26, 2001. (043004c) War on Terrorism: Need we look any farther than our own back yard, Texas, to find all the terrorists we need? Doesn't seem like it afer reading this, does it? (042404a) Well one cannot ever accuse ETA, Spain's "separatist" group of being slow on the uptake, but they might have found a new way to twist Spain's arm. (042704a) Meanwhile Syria has had the first terrorist attack in its capital in my memory, a new front opens? (042704b) Or, then again, maybe the new front is in Thailand where dozens of "moslem youth" have been killed (042704c) as they attacked police. I guess it's your pick.

May 2004

5/09/04 If you believe that Rummy boy was not truly sorry, did not, as he admitted, read a months old report detailing the problems of prisoner treatment in Afghanistan, Iraq, Guantanamo et al, and is has, therefore, made matters worse for the US effort, however questionable it is in Iraq AND you think he should be booted out: you can call your representatives and sign John Kerry's Petition to have him removed. There were reports and "data points" as far back as October of last year, but nothing came of them. (050804b) Election, not selection: You have the right to vote, but do you have the right to have your vote counted? It seems VWB, voting while black is a crime worthy of disenfranchisement, (050104a) and it's not just in Florida, buddy. Afghanistan/Iraq/War on Terror Yes it is a triple header, this article gives an overview of how we are putting those we took out of power back in because, well, uh, um, its a good idea? (050904a) Maybe we do need people who have some idea of how to run a country, oh well, the point is we'll have some real victories to show by election time, no matter what the reality is by then. Indonesia/Christian vs Moslem? Not so long ago they fought and died by the thousands. Now, fighting begins anew, is Ambon, Indonesia - the match head for the powder keg? (050104c) Iraq: Please, its not a quagmire, that implies a slow, difficult passage through inhospitable terrain, what we have here is more of a bouncy, tumbling roll down a steep escarpment...an overview of who is leaving Iraq and the impacts. (050104b) Prisoner abuse was "news"? It doesn't seem to be considering a report, large, accurate and timely was made months ago. Rummy Boy has admitted he hasn't read it, nor it seems, has anyone else. Read all about it, here. A quick overview of how we decided to go to war in Iraq, I know, I know, we've been over that, but this is a quickie review and worth the read. (050204a) A great, detailed read here, Iraq's WMD is described by Kamal, Saddam Hussein's son-in-law. This was the defector whose story Colin Powell used on in February of 2003 to "prove" Iraqi deception, however the story, to say the least, is more complex than that. (050904b) HEY, it IS the media STUPID: Ted Koppel canceled? If he challenges the "electronic wall" that our media seems to have erected to filter out the news from overseas, here is the story that continues to be uncovered by our "fearless" press corpse. (050204b) And here is a quick overview of the way our media has lost balance to take on bias, conservative bias that is. Take ya' shoes off, set a spell. Medicare issues: If you know a senior and care about their health care check out these articles Sources: 1) "White House Promoting Medicare Drug Card", AP, 4/29/04, 2)"New Medicare Drug Cards Offer Few Discounts", Minority Staff of the House Committee on Government Reform, April 2004, 3) "FDA, States at Odds Over Drugs", Washington Post, 2/22/04, 4) "U.S. Offers Seniors Drug Cards Amid Criticism", Reuters, 5/3/04, 5) "Web Still Helps the Medicine Go Down", Washington Post, 4/30/04 Then, and it really really true, a person can save 40 to 60% on drugs in Canada and these are made by the same companies as sell them in the US. Once you buy a card for the Medicare coverage you cannot switch it, save annually, while the drug companies can vary the prices on a weekly basis. The Oiligarchy: Here is a very short article hinting at the upward spiral of oil prices, implying future conflicts, and criticizing the Iraq fiasco as having not delivered the goods. (050804a) The War on Terror: Here we see how the US has done an end run around the Geneva Convention, created our own version of a Gulag (050604a) and it is nothing to write home about, in fact, no one does do anything like that. I wonder what a terrorist would do with 375 pounds of cesium 137. Can you spell "dirty bomb"? (050604b) Luckily the Ukrainians intervened in the deal but it underscores the idea that we've a lot to look out for. 5/23/04 9/11 Just some old questions, who let the Bin Laden clan leave the US on 9/13/01? Seems like the president would know, the joint chiefs should know, some one anyway, but no one is answering that question, one wonders why? (052004a) Election, not selection: I agree with this person's stance on the candidacy of R. Nader. It would seem from polls that his votes are being drawn from the Democratic ranks mostly and this has been consistently the pattern, one wonders if Nader thereforse is a "wildcard Republican disinformation agent". I don't know what makes sense, considering his effect on the polls and his stated interests in protecting consumers, the environment, corporate accountability, and so forth. (051104a) The Reform Party backs Nader and so, maybe, this is an indication that he will pull some conservative votes as well, only future polls will show if their backing him makes a difference. The election's current status: Polls aplenty, where Kerry and Bush draw their support, how perceptions have changed, it is a feast of data all in a few charts and descriptive paragraphs, well worth the read. (051504c) Bev Harris an activist who has made waves concerning "black box voting" is not being hassled by the feds, being followed and may well wind up in court, because, well, uh, um, well, you see... as she puts it, "Taking the pulse of our democracy nowadays, it doesn't feel very healthy, does it?" (052304a) And even more on the purge of voter rolls, HAVA, the Help America Vote Act, and how skin color effects not only how likely it is you can vote but how likely it is that your vote will be counted, amazing. (052304b) Iraq: "Hey, I only learned about the abuse when I saw the report on 60 minutes, no wait it was in February, no, I am SO sorry it was January, oh, wait a m inute, SILLY me, it was waaaay back in October, the International Red Cross. You know I am getting old." This is what Rummy boy might well say these days. (051004a) One of our prison abusers, currently on trial, has told the press that she was "only following orders" Here is the SEYMOUR M. HERSH version of the prison abuse fiasco... from the New Yorker. (051704c) There is other news Iraqi forces claim victory in Fallouja or that's way some in the town view it. We've placed Saddam's men in control, the very generals we fought, but like the article says, they weren't "about to sit down and talk with hard-core jihadists with scarves around their faces and AK-47s slung on their shoulders" rather we'd leave it to Fallouja generals ... professionals... " Italians forced to withdraw from a base and increasing attacks recounted here. What a mess. One of our marines talks about the killing of innocents that he's done and witnessed. I am sure that "war is hell" and that we cannot make it much less so. That said, this persons report is disheartening and disillusioning. War on Terror Didn't the Saudi nation contribute most of the terrorist in the 9/11job? Why is the money trail not being followed? Why can't we find out more about the charities, the royals, the money and Al Qaeda (052004b) How is this war going? The answer may well be unsettling because arrests are up, actions are up, and the region in which they're occurring is growing. (051004b)That seems to me to be bad, but then we're watching the prison video reality check show, aren't we? Well here is our own people telling us that 70 to 90 percent of the prisoners we've taken in Iraq were imprisoned by mistake. (051204b) Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that mean we've wasted a lot of time, resources, good will, personel, and so on? I know it's a war but these figures indicate we are goofing royally at our own expense. Nick Berg the man beheaded in Iraq was detained by Iraqi police, never held by american forces, for 12 days. It is said he was held because it was thought his ID had been forged and so his ID was in question. I say this, 12 days to ID an american citizen who had worked for us in Iraq? What level of incompetance is this? Some say that he might have suffered because he was confused with his anti war dad, and that a group of pro war activists had reported his dad's name to "authorities" and so a tragic error occured... who knows, incompetence or "activism." (051204c) Prisoner abuse anyone? It seems credible reports were in existance as early as September and October of 2003, a camp had been shut down at that time, for abuses. So what took so long? Well for one thing, no one in the MEDIA followed up on the reports, investigated, or asked questions. Maybe the story was "too hot to handle." (051504a) Please note the following quote "The driving force for the torture scandal was not in Washington's or New York's newsrooms. This story, it seems, did not come about as a result of journalists chasing it; rather, it was effectively handed to the media by disgruntled military men." In other words the MEDIA ignored it until it was broken for them, (051504b)how courageous, investigative, and clever of them. Seymore Hersh, a voice willing to speak says that US officialdom sanctioned kind of abuses that went on in Iraq. (051604a) Who knows if we'll hear more about this "chain of command thing..." More coverage on the leads that take us higher and higher in the command structure, one wonders where it will lead. (051804a) Here are some of the repercussions of the prisoner scandal, how serious it is and why it won't likely go away. (051904a) A leaked memo from General Sanchez indicates a knowledge and approval of prison conditions at Abu Ghraib with the explicit aim of manipulating the detainees' "emotions and weaknesses" (052204a) And here is a good article giving an overview of why the prison scandal broke the way it did, (hint: the administration doesn't know what it's doing.) (052304c) HEY, it's the STUPID MEDIA Actually the alternate media reported how the EPA has "thrown in the towel" for some time, however this story really involves towels and the environment and a Bush supporter, millions over the years, and now, well, its payback time. (051804d) Although it seems it will be eons before a full investigation concerning the events at the Pentagon are even asked about, this story about the Bin Ladens leavine the US by air might be easier to unravel, but we are just beginning to ask about asking about it. (051804b) Muddle East: Looks to me as if the Palestinian resistance is taking a lesson from the Iraqi resistance: a roadside bomb kills "several". The Oiligarchy: How come Arnie, California's super governor, doesn't go after Enron and the other "petrol powers" who ripped off California? There are tapes, we had a case, what happened? (052004c)

June 2004

6/03/04 Election, not selection: Got Jobs? That is what Kerry should post on his web site and the follow it with the following story should be titled: Sending jobs overseas is good for the economy? (052304j) Got Jobs? 2: India's Hindustan Times reports that, during a 14 month period from 2002 to 2003 when the Republican Party was playing up patriotism, its fundraising and vote-seeking campaign was performed in part by two call centers located in India. So how does Bush treat the "heroic" firefighters and police officers who were on the "front lines" of 9/11 in New York? Not very well it seems. Specifically, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) intervened to doctor EPA press release (which indicated dangerous air quality) Then when Ground Zero firefighters and cops began getting sick, the White House tried to block $90 million in funding for medical treatment and threatened to shut down the health-screening program. (052504a) Veterans pay attention to this: Why the hell should you vote for Bush? President Bush spent the Memorial Day weekend thanking the nation's veterans for their service, saying "we acknowledge the debt [we owe them] by showing our respect and gratitude." Yet, his rhetoric came just hours after the Bush Administration announced new plans to slash veterans health care funding if it returns to power in 2005. (Presidential Weekly Radio Address Speech, WhiteHouse.gov, 05/29/04,) Late last week, the Administration released a memo detailing a plan to cut $1 billion from the Veterans Administration in the first budget of its second term. The cut would come even after the White House has tried to close veterans hospitals throughout the country, and has proposed veterans health care budgets that have been criticized by veterans groups and the President's own Veterans Affairs secretary. It also comes after the president decided to cut off 164,000 veterans from their existing prescription drug coverage, and threatened to veto [6] any bill that would allow veterans to receive both the military pension they were promised, and any disability compensation to which they are entitled. Iraq: You know, what the hell is going on over there, we raid "our man" Ahmed Chalabi (052304d) and the reports say many things US troops were involved, they weren't involved, there was a money scandal, he is/was an Iranian spy giving them secrets...whatever... another sign that we may not be ready for June 30. But then does that matter it has been writ and so shall it be done. Oh, my and I wonder what will be different, on the ground, on July 1? After Fallujah's model, is Najaf another piece to the piecemeal solution to Iraq, (052904a) where the Rip Off is done by the numbers and the ton. (052904b) The current mess was predicted by General Zinni who says we've "screwed up" (052304e) And now we have investigations into how we made the decision to go to war, our intel sources, who told who what, and when. (052904f) Now that the FBI is on the job, well, it will all be taken care of, right? NOT! Oh well, at least some gumshoe might trip on some shard of the truth - it is possible. Here is a great little article that concludes with 12 questions for Mr. Bush re Iraq, including, "Please tell us: If we plan to return Iraq to the Iraqis, why is the U.S. currently building fourteen permanent bases there?" (060104a) Oh, by the way some juicy tidbits about Allawi, the new head of Iraq's "government". He was the "45 minute man." War on Terror: Well we did get many of Al-Qaida's leaders and "foot soldiers" however their ranks and reach are better than ever, not so reassuring that news, is it? (052604a) Prisoner abuse anyone? A witness to the abuses in the prison system was told he'd get in trouble for not reporting the abuses he saw and has had consequences for reporting them as well. Like I said above, what the hell is going on over there? (052304f) And the scandal moves up the chain of command, to the "general's level" (052304g) Apparently we have Iraqi women prisoners who claim to have been raped by Americans while in prison and who are pregnant, pregnancy tests anyone? (052304h) Maybe you might believe an Englishman, (052504b) or maybe you might believe an American soldier who was, according to an interview, beaten during a training exercise while disguised as a prisoner. (052504c) The beating was severe and only stopped when the guards realized he was an American The New York Times reports that an Army summary reveals a widespread pattern of prisoner abuse involving more military units than previously known, and that in many cases among the 37 prisoners who died in custody in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Army didn't do autopsies and "cannot determine the causes of the deaths." The Denver Post which last week reported on skipped autopsies, has also obtained Pentagon memos that show "A wider range of Iraqi detainee abuses by American soldiers across the Iraq war zone... involving engineers and military police - and often with their superiors condoning their actions." So the question is who the hell are those guys anyway? Seems lots of the people in this scandal did not show their name tag. (052904c)But like it would be soooooooo hard to find this out wouldn't it? HEY, it's the STUPID MEDIA Well, one thinks that certain portions of the media are liberal, one would think that NPR is. However a recent study indicates that it too has succumb to a conservative bias. What is left for the left? Are we left out? Here is more on the so called "liberal bias" of NPR and the New York Times. (053004a) Well, the news paper "of record" admits that they made mistakes...wonder how long it will take for others to "fess up" and for any to proactively correct for what was done, don't hold your breath for that, sure and certain. Muddle East: It is a related story, the Kurds in Turkey may call off their cease fire, (052904d) I wonder what the dynamics of the conflict will be now that there is "no Iraq" and the Kurds have more autonomy there than ever before. Syria, almost a case study in regional politics in and of itself, the only certain thing is that Damascus rules and what do you make of that? Here is the latest on the Battle of Damascus (052404) The Lobbyists are lovin' Bush Bush's embrace of lobbyists marks a key difference because it allows "those who are affected by the regulations to determine what the ground rules should be," said David Cohen, co-director of the Advocacy Institute, which helps teach non profits how to lobby in Washington. Translation: "De foxes be in charge o'duh henhouse, and so dere ain't gwenter be no mo' eggs fo' de longes' yassuh!" (052304i) 6/12/04 Election, not selection: Oh, its just a few years after the fact, after tens of thousands of Florida voters were denied the vote, after the story was front page news overseas, after investigation and evidence for the story was given the brush off by our "left leaning" media, that CNN decides to go sniffing around the "Florida Voting Purge Story" (060304a). Gee we got a selected president, a few wars, allies turned into enemies, 9/11, foxes in every federal hen house you can imagine and JUST now CNN sues to look at the purging issue, remarkable isn't it. I say, "don't hold your breath." Another issue for the Republicans to explain, companies "move" overseas, into mailboxes really, to reap tax benefits and then compete for government contracts...sounds like people should protest, but who is? (060304c) If you'd like an overview of the damage that has been done to the "job factor" in the USA read here: Yes there is, finally, some job growth, unfortunately the pay for these new jobs is lower than the pay for the jobs lost, overall worker's home pay has dropped and, oh yes, the rich, well, get richer! (060604c) I wonder where this will lead? Bush Hires a Lawyer. Seems that there might be some connection between him and the "outing" of Ms Plame. (060404c) Bush support from veterans and other military personnel is weakening, but not low. What do they know that we don't? read this article and find out. (060604a) Here is an overview of what Kerry's campaign should be hammering at. (060604b) It is a laundry list of things that, overall, Bush has blown, bigtime. Read this article that talks about Bush's behavior, how he treats people, George Tenet for instance, and others he works with day to day, I wonder if the staffers do call Bush and Ashcroft "the blues brothers" because they are on a mission from god. (060704b) Environment: It seems that science knows no borders, or shouldn't, just like the environment and, as this piece makes clear, "a times they are a changin'" (060604d) The cradle of civilization, the Euphrates river, "It be a stanky mess y'all, don't be no one want'stin to cook wif hebby metals, dead cow juice, and benzene... yassuh!" (060904h) The Wars: Iraq: For the victors of the "Battle of Fallujah" life goes on, (060304d)we promise 650 million dollars and there is a reduction in the attacks, but one wonders, who will recapture the city? Then there is "resolution" of the Najaf situation: we leave and they stay on, meaning the insurgents who did not live there originally must go while those who did, can stay. (060604e) What I want to know is who is checking on their exodus? And, is this another victory for "them"? So how are we treating our military? Read about the "stop loss" policy, calling up the ready reserve, and so forth. T(060304e)he military man writing this article thinks it stinks, to say the least. Even those who've left the military are being called back, over 600 so far. (060304e) Just how did this "new guy" Allawi get set up to be a "bigwig" in Iraq? Maybe he knows how to work the lobbies of DC, so hints this article. Isn't this sort of how we got Chalabli? When will they ever learn... (060304g) Torture? Here the US is saying we are not mistreating our prisoners, but on the other hand we feel we don't have to tell anyone exactly what we are doing to them or how we're treating them, so we're saying "trust us." How reassuring is that? Muddle East: A new twist and Al-Qaida's strategy: attacking foreigners in Saudi Arabia, oil facilities as well as military, police and so forth. The article outlines the astronomical investment the Saudi's have in the us, trillions of bucks folks, that trillions with a capital "T". (060504a) Iran: How can we forget Iran and its nuclear ambitions. This story quotes Iranian sources to the effect that Iran should be recognized "as a member of the nuclear club." (061204a) Terror: While the growth of military spending is good at 11%, terrorism is up 20%, quite a return for the year I'd say. (060904f) Mo' money, Mo' money... It seems military spending is up for the year by a "healthy" 11%. Good news for investors, 47% of the worlds "military money" is spent by the USA. (060904e) Percolating up from the depths there is some hope that the supreme court will weigh in on how we treat captives in the "terror war." (060904a) HEY, it's the STUPID MEDIA: So why isn't anyone on TV singing: "Cheney and Haliburton sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G..." Consider the stories that should be raising hell: Dick Cheney was instrumental in sealing an huge no-bid contract for the Vice President's former company, (060904c)Halliburton's food service facilities which serve our troops in Iraq were dangerously unsanitary, with "blood all over the floor" of kitchens, "dirty pans," and "rotting meats ... and vegetables." As Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA) put it, Halliburton is ultimately "a company that arrogantly is overcharging when they can get away with it and not providing the quality of service that they agreed to do." Vice President Dick Cheney still holds hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of stock options in the company. (060904d)So it's hardly surprising that the Administration's response has been anemic, even when faced with clear evidence that the company is bilking taxpayers. So the "Saudi Airlift of 9/14 and 9/24/03 that the FBI, FAA, Federal Government etc... etc... said never happened, did happen. (060904b)And who could have allowed such an exception when US airspace was to be cleared? One wonders, but does the media??? The Oiligarchy: Here is a little hint of how these folks think: "He just f---s California," says one Enron employee. "He steals money from California to the tune of about a million." (060304b) 6/21/04 Election, not selection: So how are we doing on the international scene? We've groups of nations organizing and so create a multi-polar world read about the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. This article talks about the possibility of Bush not even making to the election; it outlines evidence for a intel led, Watergate - style coup. The premise is that the Plame affair was a set up for Bush, or became one, and a clock is ticking, so it is just a matter of time before "something breaks" (061804e) This is a detailed article with links I read them all. The kicker is, what will happen if Bush Cheney are deposed? Will it be any better? Oh well... Is Cheney in Firing Line over Nigerian Bribery Claims? (062004c)check out this story by Antony Barnett and Martin Bright Published on Sunday, June 20, 2004 by the Observer/UK Are you guilty of VOB? That means voting while black. The odds of your vote being disregarded as "spoiled" is much greater if you are black, and it's not just true in Florida. See what Greg Palast has as a teaser that makes us wonder what's in store for 2004. (062004e) Here is analysis of a poll's results conducted recently, oh and guess what, the election is close even though most people think that the nation is not headed in the right direction. (062104a) Environment: The Wars: Iraq, Intelligence, Afghanistan, terror: Here is the Good Old US of A we have problems and we don't have to go to River City. It's US Spy versus US Spy...and it is getting expensive...for us/US. (061504a) Well here is another take on the War on Terror, we may be playing into Bin Laden's hands, according to this intel person whose book is out on the fourth of July.....(061804c) Just a gentle reminder that people like Rumsfeld were, during the Regan years, instrumental in helping Saddam Hussein get the chemical weapons that he used on "his people" and to invade Iran... on and on... but we don't talk about it much any more.(061804a) The axis of evil, something Bush made up for a speech, has now a basis in fact. This article's salient point was found four paragraphs from its end, indications that Iran and Korea cooperate on missile technology, what are the odds that they exchange nuke notes as well? (062004b) Iraq, never out of the news, gets relief, this story is about Kurds displacing Arabs in the region of Kikurk and its oil fields. Infiltrate and wait, that seems to be their scheme. (062004d) Torture? What with a paper trail of leaked memos, papers and what not. I guess people being tired of not being heard and so some big names are to come out some time soon, (061404b) The paper trail leads to the US, Washington DC, and the White House, so it seems (061404c) A trial starting up in England has ol' Dick Cheney on the witness list (061504b) among others. Muddle East: How wild is this: British MP's are fired on by Israeli soldiers. (062004a)It seems there was no mistake that they were visitors, with the UN, peaceable and not even "giving aid and comfort." Shoot first, ask questions later, if you want to. Iran: Iran has said, in the past, we should be considered part of the "nuclear club" but the IAEA says they've got do as they're told, (061404a)this tango is getting old but the US is busy, Europe is modest, and no one else has any muscle. Terror: Going back in time: here is the timeline from 9/11 for the hijacked flights, part one (067104c) and part two (067104d) Mo' money, Mo' money... Dick Cheney has ever more investigations proceeding, this time it is from France and involves high level bribes (61804)and projects in Nigeria during his reign of Halliburton, its been headline news in France, barely a peep over here. HEY, it's the STUPID MEDIA: It seems there is a move afoot to lift some of the restrictions on how military and security can operate, or treat with US citizens. (061704a)A freer hand for the CIA even? Perish forbid! And if you want details here is the story, (061704b) the only criticism I have is that no one, in either of these stories, mentions the number or name of the bill. How can we protest or write our representatives folks?