.......Rape. The latest of American atrocities. Though it's not really the latest- it's just the one that's being publicized the most. The poor girl Abeer was neither the first to be raped by American troops, nor will she be the last. The only reason this rape was brought to light and publicized is that her whole
immediate family were killed along with her. Rape is a taboo subject in Iraq. Families don't report rapes here, they avenge them. We've been hearing whisperings about rapes in American-controlled prisons and during sieges of towns like Haditha and Samarra for the last three years. The naiveté of
Americans who can't believe their 'heroes' are committing such atrocities is ridiculous. Who ever heard of an occupying army committing rape??? You raped the country, why not the people?In the news they're estimating her age to be around 24, but Iraqis from the area say she was only 14. Fourteen. Imagine your 14-year-old sister or your 14-year-old daughter. Imagine her being gang-raped by a group of psychopaths and then the girl was killed and her body burned to cover up the rape. Finally, her parents and her five-year-old sister were also killed. Hail
the American heroes... Raise your heads high supporters of the 'liberation' - your troops have made you proud today. I don't believe the troops should be tried in American courts. I believe they should be handed over to the people in the area and only then will justice be properly served. And our ass of a PM,
Nouri Al-Maliki, is requesting an 'independent investigation', ensconced safely in his American guarded compound because it wasn't his daughter or sister who was raped, probably tortured and killed. His family is abroad safe from the hands of furious Iraqis and psychotic American troops.It fills me with rage to
hear about it and read about it. The pity I once had for foreign troops in Iraq is gone. It's been eradicated by the atrocities in Abu Ghraib, the deaths in Haditha and the latest news of rapes and killings. I look at them in their armored vehicles and to be honest- I can't bring myself to care whether they are 19 or 39. I can't bring myself to care if they make it back home alive. I can't bring myself to care anymore about the wife or parents orchildren they left behind. I can't bring myself to care because it's difficult to see beyond the horrors. I look at them and wonder just how many innocents they killed and how many more they'll kill before they go home. How many more young Iraqi girls will they rape?Why don't the Americans just go home? They've done enough damage and we hear talk of how things will fall apart in Iraq if they 'cut and run', but the fact is that they aren't doing anything right now. How much worse can it get? People are being killed in the streets and in their own homes- what's being done about it? Nothing. It's convenient for them- Iraqis can kill each other and they can sit by and watch the bloodshed- unless they want to join in with murder and rape.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
freedom is on the march......
Sunday, July 09, 2006
CantWilson - Merger or Buy-out?
UPDATE: Cantwell and Wilson just appeared together at Cantwell's Lake Union campaign headquarters. Wilson read a statement similar to what he sent his supporters.He will be paid by the campaign for outreach to liberals and what Wilson called "the peace and justice community." He wouldn't say how much he'll be paid.
If you were wondering, as I have, how they would explain the path Wilson took from Cantwell's No. 1 anti-war critic to a member of her campaign staff, they chose not to. ...(more)
And so we bid ado to the candidacy of LiberGreenicrat Mark Wilson.
I turned out to hear Mark speak when he came up to Whatcom County a couple of months ago. He seemed like a nice enough guy, but not an impressive candidate. What he had that grabbed some peoples support was his willingness to step forward and be the anti-occupation/(anti-war), anti-NAFTA/(anti-globalization) candidate.
Since Cantwell hasn't changed her New-Democrat pro-Globalization, pro-Military-Might stance, by joining Cantwell's campaign Mark has tacitly moved to her politics. Although he'll be getting paid for "outreach to liberals", it's very hard to see who he'll be able to reach. It really was the message, not the man.
But don't get me wrong, I was always going to vote for Maria because she does have a good record in some important areas and the alternative is just too McGhastly.
Friday, July 07, 2006
will marshall.....DINO
heard on the majority report friday 7/7 Jon Elliott filling in.
Like PNAC, which warned of the present danger in its founding documents, the Progressive Policy Institute declared that "America is threatened once again" and needs assertive individuals committed to strong leadership. Its observation--"like the cold war, the struggle we face today is likely to last not years but decades"--mirrors both neoconservative and Bush administration national security assessments. In its words, PPI endorsed the invasion of Iraq, "because the previous policy of containment was failing," and Saddam Hussein's government was "undermining both collective security and international
law."
full article
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to visit Bellingham
POLITICSlil' Capt. Doug is trying out the same theme as Mike McSafeCo... Try to take credit for the good works of others and ask voters to 'Elect a Republican to fix the things Republicans have broken'.
JON GAMBRELL
THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
The secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will be in Bellingham Thursday as part of a campaign stop for a Republican candidate in the state’s 2nd Congressional District. R. James Nicholson will discuss issues facing veterans and take questions from the audience during the event at the American Legion Post No. 7, 1688 W. Bakerview Road.
Nicholson’s visit is coordinated by the campaign of former U.S. Navy Capt. Doug Roulstone, who is running against U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen this fall.
The event, beginning at 2:30 p.m., is open to the public.
In this case it's Veterans health care.
"The Republican budget for Fiscal Year 2007 cuts veterans’ funding by $8.6 billion below what is needed to maintain current services over the next five years. Congress must provide high-quality, accessible health-care and support services to those who have fought for our country."The (Republican) Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs isn't showing up in Whatcom County because over 75,000 veterans live in the 2nd Congressional District and badly need a Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC).
... FY2007 budget will raise health care costs for over 1 million U.S. veterans by increasing their co-payments for prescription drugs from $8 to $15 and imposing a new $250 annual enrollment fee. These fees will drive at least 200,000 veterans out of the veterans’ health care coverage they were promised.
"The budget also proposes to increase health care costs for military retirees enrolled in the TRICARE benefit program by raising enrollment fees and deductibles, and increasing pharmacy co-payments.
If a VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic does get approved it will be thanks to the work of Congressman Rick Larsen (D).
Saturday, June 3, 2006
HEALTH
Veterans closer to getting clinic in area
Application must clear at least two more steps
MARY LANE GALLAGHER
THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
Veterans living in Whatcom County finally may be getting a medical clinic closer to home.
It's still a long way from happening, but the Department of Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System has applied to build an outpatient clinic in the northern Puget Sound area.
It's not known where the clinic would be or when it would be built, and it still must go through at least two more steps in the approval process, said U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, who met Friday with regional VA officials. ... (article)
Monday, July 03, 2006
Rick Larsen (WA-02) - Working for Us
20-year-old Iraq weapons spark debateAnd when he travels it's not to play golf in Scotland.
In House hearing, lawmakers argue over whether they are WMD and justify war
Walter Pincus, Washington Post
Saturday, July 1, 2006
(07-01) 04:00 PDT Washington -- Do the 20-year-old Iraqi chemical munitions found by U.S. and coalition forces support the prewar contention that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, and justify the invasion of Iraq?
That question divided Republicans and Democrats again this week, this time at a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee on the estimated 500 rockets and artillery shells containing degraded mustard gas or sarin nerve agent. ...
... Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., recalled the administration's prewar rhetoric, including a remark by then-national security adviser Condoleezza Rice that "we don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud," that helped push Congress' October 2002 vote to authorize the use of force in Iraq.
That kind of language, Larsen said, "always has seemed to be much bigger than the facts that we end up reviewing in retrospect."
The smoking gun and mushroom cloud image, he said, "sounds a lot better than 500 artillery shells of various amounts of degraded material that fit the technical definition of chemical weapons ... buried in various bunkers in various states of disrepair that we are not even sure Saddam Hussein knew about." (full article)
U.S. Congress majority leader John Boehner, center, speaks beside deputy speaker of the Iraqi Parliament Khalid al-Attiyah, third left, during a news conference with other visiting U.S. Representatives at the fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, Monday July 3, 2006. U.S. Representatives, left to right, Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan, Rick Larsen of Washington, Khalid al-Attiyah, majority leader John Boehner, Devin Nunes of California, Jim Saxton of New Jersey, and Jim Ryun of Kansas. (AP Photo/Ceerwan Aziz, Pool) (Ceerwan Aziz - AP)
Iraq improving, Larsen says after trip to war-torn nation
JON GAMBRELL
THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
While Iraq remains violent three years after the United States invaded the country, security continues to improve, U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen said after a trip to the nation.
Speaking in a telephone conference from Rota, Spain, this morning, Larsen said though his last trip was a "180 degree" turn from a previous one just after the fall of Saddam Hussein, things are improving.
"I can see progress being made compared to the second trip I had," said Larsen, D-Lake Stevens. "There continues to be progress but there is still a long way to go."
Larsen was the sole Democrat on a surprise congressional delegation organized by House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. The leaders flew to Jordan Saturday, seeing a joint operation to train Iraqi police officers. ... (full article)
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Republican Senators Endanger Our Troops
War on terror ruling worries GOP lawmakers
Article 3 mandates standards of treatment in cases of armed conflicts not of an international character in the territory of a contracting party, which Afghanistan is.Article 3 prohibits outrages upon personal dignity, "in particular humiliating and degrading treatment," and bars violence, including murder, mutilation and torture.
"I don't think we're going to pass something that's going to have our military servicemen subject to some kind of international rules," said McConnell (R-Ky).
The Geneva Convention's Article 3 is "far beyond our domestic law when it comes to terrorism, and Congress can rein it in, and I think we should," said Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C.McConnell R-Ky and Graham R-S.C want to legalize humiliating and degrading treatment, murder, mutilation and torture. It would appear they don't care that it would mean our troops would be legally subject to the same if they were captured. Pea-brains like this pair are an embarrassment to the United States.
Obviously for these
Friday, June 30, 2006
Whatcom County - New Growth Numbers
BY THE NUMBERS
According to new estimates the state Office of Financial Management released Thursday:
Whatcom County had 184,300 people as of April 1, 2006, up 10.5 percent since 2000, making it the state's ninth-largest county and eighth-fastest growing county in the past six years.
Bellingham had 73,460 people, up 9.4 percent from 2000, making it the state's 11th largest city and 90th fastest growing.
Lynden had 10,750 people, up 19.2 percent, making it the 68th largest city and 38th fastest growing.
Ferndale had 10,280 people, up 17.4 percent, making it 71st largest and 45th fastest growing.
Blaine had 4,480 people, up 18.8 percent, making it 121st largest and 39th fastest growing.
Everson had 2,135 people, up 4.9 percent, making it 154th largest and 77th fastest growing.
Sumas had 1,125 people, up 15 percent, making it 191st largest and 55th fastest growing.
Nooksack had 1,004 people, up 16.3 percent, making it 198th largest and 49th fastest growing.
Details: go to www.ofm.wa.gov and click on "population."
The state Office of Financial Management puts Whatcom County's Population Density at 86.95/sq. mi.. Which for state purposes makes Whatcom a rural county (density less than 100/sq. mi.). That rural designation is somewhat deceptive since of Whatcom County's 2,126 square miles about two thirds of the area is part of either the Mt. Baker National Forest or the North Cascades National Park [source]. That make the "private land" part of the County about 700 sq. mi. and the population density within that area about 265/sq. mi. Of the 184,300 people who live in Whatcom County, 56% (103,234) live in Incorporated areas. Nearly 40% of the population lives in the City of Bellingham.
Say WOT
SURVEY OF NATIONAL SECURITY EXPERTSThe War on Terrorism (WOT) is run by Republicans and it's a disaster.
U.S. losing terror war because of Iraq, poll says
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Bob Deans
COX NEWS SERVICE
WASHINGTON — The United States is losing its fight against terrorism and the Iraq war is the biggest reason why, more than eight of ten American terrorism and national security experts concluded in a poll released yesterday.
One participant in the survey, a former CIA official who described himself as a conservative Republican, said the war in Iraq has provided global terrorist groups with a recruiting bonanza, a valuable training ground and a strategic beachhead at the crossroads of the oil-rich Persian Gulf and Turkey, the traditional land bridge linking the Middle East to Europe. ...
... Asked whether the United States is "winning the war on terror," 84 percent said no and 13 percent answered yes. Asked whether the war in Iraq is helping or hurting the global antiterrorism campaign, 87 percent answered that it was undermining those efforts. ... (full article)
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
I-933 would let the foxes into the henhouse
Oregons Measure 37 is in force and costing taxpayers millions just to process the claims.
Funds OK'd to process Measure 37 claimsIf I'm figuring right, $4 Billion is about a third of Washington States annual budget. If I-933 passes in Washington, the claims will begin pouring in and $4 Billion may start sounding like a small number. Oregon's Measure 37 has time constraints and a deadline for claims, I-933 does not.
The money will allow the state to higher more staffing
STEVE LAW
Statesman Journal
June 23, 2006
A legislative panel granted $2.7 million in emergency funds Thursday to process a surge of compensation claims under Oregon's Measure 37 property-rights initiative.
The new money will enable the state to hire 18 full-time staff to process claims and meet a Measure 37 requirement to resolve claims within six months.
Property owners have filed nearly 1,900 claims with the state, and officials expect 150 new claims per month before a December deadline, said Lane Shetterly, the director of the Department of Land Conservation and Development....
... Collectively, claimants are seeking more than $4 billion in compensation from the state, Shetterly said. ... (full article)
I don't see anything in I-933 that would limit the claims. A property owner could file a claim, get paid and then sell, the new owner could then file a claim, get paid and sell, ad infinitum. The only other alternative would be a waiver of whatever regulation the property owner objected to. For every property owner who receives a waiver how many neighbors will feel the use and enjoyment of their property has been diminished.
Initiative 933 is a civil litigators wet-dream, it would unravel civilization. Land-use regulation, Building codes, zoning codes are part of how We as communities protect ourselves; without them the alternative is to wait for the harm to be done and file a law suit.
I-933 isn't about protecting property rights, it's about using buzzwords and scare tactics to sabotaging our Representative Democracy.
Monday, June 26, 2006
No on 933 - Whatcom County Kickoff
Last Saturday the Whatcom County Grassroots No on 933 Kickoff was held at the Boundary Bay Brewery's beer garden, right across the street from the Farmer's Market. Eighty people turned out for the event. State Senate candidate Jesse Salomon. was there. Also in attendance were County Council persons Carl Weimer and Seth Fleetwood. It was a fine sunny day in Bellingham. Some speeches were spoke, some contributions were cajoled, some pleasing music was played, some excellent food was eaten and a good time was had by one and all. 'by golly'.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
more NO on Initiative 933
This Land: The Northwest Property Rights Movement
The defining environmental controversy of the early 21st century in the Northwest states may well turn out to be the debate over property rights, and Oregon and Washington are taking center stage. A new Daily Score series. The defining
environmental controversy of the early 21st century in the Northwest states may well turn out to be the debate over property rights, and Oregon and Washington are taking center stage.A new Daily Score series by Sightline researcher Eric de
Place.
Planned Confusion
Posted by Eric de Place on
06/16/2006 at 08:55 AM
Note: This is part of a series on the Northwest property rights movement.Last week, I wrote about the torrent of look-alike initiatives in the Northwest--933 in Washington; 154 in Montana; and "This House is My Home" in Idaho--and I pointed out their eerie similarity to one another. All three Northwest property initiatives lead off with booming rhetoric about abuses of eminent domain. In reality, however, the initiatives are about an entirely different issue (one that I'll describe in a moment). And all three measures use the same bait-and-switch tactic to mislead to voters. Why would the initiatives all do the same thing? Could it be part of a coordinated national strategy?
In a recent how-to manual, helpfully subtitled: "Exporting
Oregon's Measure 37 to Other States," the Reason Foundation, a pro-business think-tank based in Los Angeles, laid out the strategy: confuse voters.
full post
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Lip-Service vs. Real-Work
Ericksen plans to send a letter to appropriate federal and local officials requesting that a new Community Based Outpatient Clinic for veterans be established in Bellingham. Ericksen has worked with veterans and veterans' groups on the issue, including a public forum, and the concept is overwhelmingly supported by the community. Veterans currently have to travel to Seattle and other areas to receive basic and specialized heath careThat sounds nice, but I happen to know that U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (D) WA-02 has been working for years to get a VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) up here. In his April news-letter Larsen said:
The 2nd Congressional district is home to over 75,000 veterans, many of which travel up to 100 miles to receive medical, dental, and mental health treatment from the Seattle VA Medical Center. This cannot continue to be the only health care resource for veterans living in northwest Puget Sound.At the beginning of this month, the Bellingham Herald ran an article "Veterans closer to getting clinic in area". It talks about Larsens efforts but doesn't mention Ericksen at all.
I am dedicated to securing a Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) in Northwest Washington. During the veterans' healthcare workshops it was encouraging to hear that the Puget Sound Department of Veterans Affairs understands these concerns and will submit an application requesting a CBOC in the north Puget Sound area. I have been working hard to make this CBOC a reality. I am excited by this development and will continue working with the VA to bring health care closer to where our veterans live.
In that light, Ericksen's press release starts to sound like he's jumping on the bandwagon after the works been done. But to be fair, I thought I should see if Doug had been doing good thing for Vets in the State Legislature.
I checked back and found that in the last session of the State Legislature there had been many Bills passed that help Veterans and military families.
The bills include:
- - Veterans Innovations Program (HB 2754): provides crisis and emergency relief resources for veterans who are returning from military action. (Linville co-sponsor)
- - Home sales/military relocation (HB 2439): provides an exemption from real estate excise taxes to members of the armed forces who are required to relocate due to military orders, if the selling price of the property is no more than 8 percent greater than the price paid for it. (Linville co-sponsor)
- - Veterans/discrimination (HB 2564): prohibits discrimination against active military personnel or veterans as it relates to employment; credit and real estate transactions, commerce, and places of public resort, accommodation, or amusement. (Linville co-sponsor)
- - Property tax exemption (HB 2432): provides property tax relief for veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces with 100 percent service connected disability with income of $70,000 and below, by freezing the assessed value of their home. (Linville co-sponsor)
- - Tuition waivers for Veterans (HB 2233): will make waivers available to all eligible veterans; in addition, Higher Ed institutions must reach out to veterans.
- - National Guard Business Loan (HB 2497): reduces the financial burden on members of the National Guard who are small business owners. (Linville co-sponsor)
- - Check cashers & sellers (HB 2881): A payday lender may not threaten to contact the military chain of command of a military borrower in order to collect a delinquent loan. The definition of "military borrower" will now also include the legal spouse of a member of the armed forces, National Guard, or reserves.
- - Military status/defendants (HB 3074): This bill creates a process to serve a notice on the defendant, which will give a service member an opportunity to assert his or her rights.
- - WW II oral history project (HB 3078): By transferring the responsibilities for the World War II History Project from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to the Department of VeteransÂ’ Affairs we can make sure our veterans are a critical part of this project. (Linville co-sponsor)
Kelli Linville (D) 42nd LD co-sponsored six of the nine Bills, but Ericksen didn't co-sponsored any of them.
I searched some more and finally found a Bill (sort of) related to the military that Doug Ericksen (R) 42nd LD had co-sponsored: HB 1065 - Authorizing the armed forces license plate collection.
So, Congressman Rick Larsen (D) has worked to bring a VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic and to block increases to TRICARE health care premiums, deductibles, and co-payments.
State Representative Kelli Linville (D) has co-sponsored legislation to help veterans and military families.
State Representative Doug Ericksen (R) held a meeting, wrote a letter and tried to get credit for other peoples hard work.
- - It's time for Doug Ericksen (R) 42nd LD to GO. This isn't a partisan view, (unless actually supporting our Veterans has become a partisan issue). The Democratic candidate running against Ericksen is Jasper MacSlarrow
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Freedom is on the March - right out the door!
AP Exclusive: Data Brokers Get by Subpoenas
By TED BRIDIS and JOHN SOLOMON
Associated Press Writers
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal and local police across the country - as well as some of the nation's best-known companies - have been gathering Americans' phone records from private data brokers without subpoenas or warrants.
These brokers, many of whom market aggressively on the Internet, have broken into customer accounts online, tricked phone companies into revealing information and sometimes acknowledged that their practices violate laws, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.
Legal experts and privacy advocates said police reliance on private vendors who commit such acts raises civil liberties questions.
Those using data brokers include agencies of the Homeland Security and Justice departments - including the FBI and U.S. Marshal's Service - and municipal police departments in California, Florida, Georgia and Utah. Experts believe hundreds of other departments frequently use such services. ...
... Congressional investigators estimated the U.S. government spent $30 million last year buying personal data from private brokers. But that number likely understates the breadth of transactions, since brokers said they rarely charge law enforcement agencies. ...(more)
Neo-con's - your day (in court) will come.
Argentina holds 'Dirty War' trialThis should be a "wake-up call" for everyone in the Bush Administration. The day will come when they too will be held accountable for their involvement in murder and torture.
An Argentine police chief has gone on trial accused of murder and torture during military rule in the first such case since an amnesty was scrapped.
Argentina's Supreme Court ruled last year that legal immunity for former officers was unconstitutional.
The judgement cleared the way for hundreds of officials to be tried for crimes during the 1976-83 dictatorship. ...(more)
Thursday, June 15, 2006
got grandchildren?? vote NO on initiative 933
I think we need to follow the native wisdom saying we should look ahead 7 generations to make the right decisions, ensuring a hospitable home for those to come. Initiative 933 takes us full speed ahead in the wrong direction
Small municipalities will not be able to enforce environmental regulations and it will cripple planning. Cities, counties and state agencies cannot charge a fee to claimants. Processing, studies, and litigation will be entirely shouldered by the taxpayer for claims made. The result will be "waive or pay."
This initiative is backed by out of state special interests. According to the Public Disclosure Commission, Americans for Limited Government, a group based in Illinois, has contributed $200,000.
Environmental protections are under assault at the federal level. We need to protect the State of Washington. This initiative will open the door for special interests to "do as they please." The "Property fairness initiative" is anything but.
Some people think Washington State will always be a beautiful place to live. It won’t be unless we citizens protect it. If I-933 passes, Whatcom County could resemble L.A. Say NO to unrestricted development with no regard to those who come after us. Say NO to Initiative-933.
(soon to be letter to editor...)
NO on Initiative 933
Where: Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro, 1107 Railroad Ave. in Bellingham
Who: Everyone in the community. Families are welcome to attend.
To RSVP or for more information: Katie Ward, Katie@wcvoters.org or 206.245.5644
the Bellingham Herald had this to say......
OUR VIEW
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Property compensation: Who would
have to pay?
Supporters of a new initiative that would require the
government to compensate property owners for land-use laws must answer a lot of questions before they hope to get public support. Last week the Washington Farm Bureau filed an initiative it calls the "Property Fairness Initiative." The initiative would require the government to compensate property owners
for agency regulations that adversely affect the value of land. It would be retroactive, requiring payment for any regulation put in place since January 1996 that property owners can prove adversely affected their land values. Supporters have until June 7 to try to collect about 235,000 signatures in order to get the initiative on the November ballot. We suggest people
thinking of signing the initiative ask a lot of questions. For example: To which regulations does the initiative apply?
this provides a really good analysis by Washington Chapter of the American Planning Association ..........
Chapter Board votes to Oppose Property Rights Initiative 933
At its March 14 meeting, the Chapter Board voted unanimously to oppose I-933. The Board authorized President Steve Butler to commit the Chapter to joining the Community Protection Coalition (http://www.protectcommunities.org/) as soon as circumstances warrant and in the meantime asked the Chapter's Committee on Regulatory Fairness to continue its efforts monitoring and coordinating the Chapter's response to the Initiative. The Committee has prepared an "Analysis of Proposed Initiative 933 and its Consequences for Washington." Read more details here.
very informative and well-sourced post on Washblog. man, all i can say is "how much is enough?????"
DeLay-Associated Group Spends $200,000 to Moot Out WA Laws
By noemie maxwell
Tue Jun 13, 2006 at 11:59:50 AM PST
Section: Washington State Topic: Environmental
issues
Americans for Limited Government, a radical group from
Illinois associated with Tom DeLay and Grover Norquist, has poured $200,000 into a Washington State Initiative. I-933 proposes to moot out a substantial portion of Washington's environmental and zoning laws on private land. These are laws and regulations that the citizens of Washington State have
spent years negotiating into existence through our democratic process
Larsen (D) WA-02 - Speaks Up on Vets Healthcare
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Change is in the Wind
June 14 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush's job approval rating is at 37 percent, up 1 percentage point, in a NBC News and the Wall Street Journal poll taken after the death of terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and the formation of a new government in Iraq.
Approval for Bush's job performance remains less than 40 percent for the seventh straight survey, NBC reported. The approval of the job of Congress was 23 percent, the poll found.
Forty-nine percent of registered voters want a Democratic- controlled Congress after November's elections, while 38 percent would like Republicans to retain control. That 11-point gap compares to a six-point advantage for Democrats in an April poll by the two news organizations. ...
42nd LD - Vote Jasper!
ELECTIONS WATCHDOG
MacSlarrow still leading Ericksen
JON GAMBRELL
THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
A former congressional aide challenging Rep. Doug Ericksen in the fall election continues to lead the state House Republican floor leader in fundraising.
Jasper MacSlarrow, a Democrat and former staff member for U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, has raised $31,618 in campaign contributions, records from the state Public Disclosure Commission show. Ericksen, a four-term Republican representative in Whatcom County's 42nd District, has raised $23,395. ...(source)
Vote Jasper
Monday, June 12, 2006
Stupid Republican Tricks
... President Bush, responding to a question about what tribal sovereignty meant in the 21st century, said: "Tribal sovereignty means just that; it's sovereign. You're a -- you've been given sovereignty, and you're viewed as a sovereign entity."Confusion about Sovereignty isn't confined to George Bush; WA State Representative Doug Ericksen , (R-Ferndale) is having trouble too.
To many Native Americans -- and Democrats, alike -- the president's answer spoke volumes about what they see as his ignorance of Indian issues. And to many, the operative word in Bush's response was the verb "given."
As the continent's first societies, American Indian tribes hold their status as sovereign nations with an almost sacred reverence; an inherent standing as self-governing, independent bodies dating back millennia, something that's always existed. ... (Friday, August 13, 2004(source))
The Nooksack Tribe is planning to build a new Casino on trust land North of Lynden in Whatcom County and the neighbors don't like it.
Even though the State has no jurisdiction over Tribal Land, Rep. Ericksen (R-Ferndale) has decided to get involved:
Date: June 08, 2006Ericksen is responding to (or perhaps stirring up) citizens worries like:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
... Ericksen also plans to send a letter to the Nooksack Tribal Chairman requesting that his tribe abandon its plan to build its new Northwood Crossing tribal casino in the heart of rural farmland north of Lynden. Ericksen has led public forums on the controversial issue. The proposed casino has drawn the ire of many area residents who are worried about various problems evolving from the increased activity in the rural community.
"These are very important issues to our communities and I'm encouraging local elected officials and community leaders to get involved. I've offered them a vehicle to do so - they can sign on to letters that I'm sending to appropriate officials by going to my website," said Ericksen. "This sign-on option isn't an end-all though. Concerned citizens are also encouraged to write their own letters and make their own phone calls about these issues. If they need contact information, my office can offer assistance." ...
“Our concerns, in a nutshell, are that economically, socially, agriculturally, it is a poor siting,” said 37-year-old Colleen Wolfisberg, yelling over the occasional horn of a passing car or semi truck near the existing Nooksack River Casino in Deming. (source)BUT - Where was Rep. Doug Ericksen (R-Ferndale) a year ago when Ferndale citizens were trying to get their concerns addressed?
Ferndale Citizens for Wise GrowthWhen it was Ferndale's citizens struggling to get the Mayor and City Council to listen to what worried them, Rep. Doug Ericksen (R-Ferndale) was nowhere to be found, he was uninterested and unresponsive. Could it be that in this election year he has suddenly found his sense of community involvement... especially when it doesn't involve bucking land developers who've traditionally backed him.
We are opposed to a regional mall located along I-5 between Axton and Smith Rd. for the following reasons:
1. Increased taxes
2. Increased traffic congestion
3. Increased crime
4. Negative impact on historic Ferndale & Local Businesses
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Washington Citizens, Fight for Your Privacy
Protect the privacy of your phone records!
With the help of some phone companies, the National Security Agency may be collecting records of calls made by millions of innocent Americans. That's just plain wrong. The government shouldn't track when you call your mother, order pizza, or make other private calls -- and your phone service provider shouldn't help them without a warrant. This illegal spying includes domestic phone calls; contrary to claims by the Bush administration, it is not directed solely toward terror suspects or international calls.
You can take action to curtail the violation of your privacy: (click here)
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Glow in the Dark Republicans
2006 WASHINGTON STATE REPUBLICAN PARTY PLATFORMOh yeah! Incredibly expensive, incredibly dangerous nukular energy... With uncontained, continuously spreading, deadly by-products that last forever.
Yakima, WA– - May 26, 2006
...
• • Support resumption of safe nuclear power plant construction.
...
DOE demands contractor return money for Hanford plant
By Shannon Dininny
The Associated Press
YAKIMA - The U.S. Department of Energy has notified the contractor hired to build a waste treatment plant at the Hanford nuclear reservation that it must return $48 million it was paid on the project, which has been mired in cost overruns and delays.
The so-called vitrification plant will convert highly radioactive waste into glasslike logs for permanent disposal in a nuclear waste repository. The plant has long been considered the cornerstone of cleanup at the highly contaminated Hanford site.
Under its contract with the federal government, contractor Bechtel National could earn up to $200 million for meeting the plant's $5.4 billion budget. That money is to be paid out as a so-called cost-performance fee over the course of the project.
So far, the company has earned $48 million. The Energy Department notified company officials by letter Wednesday that they wanted the money returned, saying it was now clear that Bechtel will not qualify for any cost-performance fee.
The lesser "appropriate fee for this performance incentive is zero," the letter said. The company has 45 days to respond. ...
... The current cost estimate for the project is more than $10 billion.
Friday, June 02, 2006
Diane Tebelius, liar or dunce?
Wednesday, Lou Dobbs (infamous race-baiting demagogue) did a segment entitle "Arguing Against Anchor Babies". When Lou began the segment by saying:
"...Let me turn you to, if I may, Diane. Why was it -- why did you take up the issue?"Here's how she began her rationalization of trashing the Constitution:
DIANE TEBELIUS, REP. PARTY CHAIR., WASH. STATE: Well, I think that the --So what does that have to do with the 14th Amendment or immigration? Why nothing, of course. Ms. Tebelius just followed the Republican/Racist fearmongering formula of mis-direction by opening with a story about 'terrorists'. And here's were the question of whether Diane Tebelius is a liar or a dunce comes in. The millennium bomber (Ahmed Ressam) was 'detected' and arrested at a point-of-entry by U.S. Customs Agents doing their job of protecting our Border.
you have to understand what's happening in the state of Washington. There's
a total lack of frustration about what is happening on our borders. In 2000,
across our border, came the millennium bomber. He was undetected and but for
the good eyes of some federal employees, he was captured. People are
frustrated and angry about this is happening.
Dec. 14, 1999 + Ressam arrested near SeattleTebelius got the story completely wrong; she got the year wrong, said Ressam was 'undetected' when actually he was 'exposed' and mis-identified "U.S. customs agents" as "some federal employees". So is Diane Tebelius an untalented liar or is she a dim-bulb amongst the low-wattage radical-right?Ressam says that on the morning of Dec. 14, he called Meskini and told him he would be in Seattle that evening. That afternoon, he took a ferry from Victoria, B.C., to Port Angeles, Wash., with more than 100 pounds of explosives stashed in the wheelbed of the trunk of his rental car. His accomplice, Dahoumane, did not travel with him.
At Victoria, U.S. immigration pre-clearance agents were mildly suspicious of Ressam. They made him open his trunk, but saw nothing. He presented his fake Canadian passport, and the computer check turned up no previous convictions or warrants in the name of Benni Noris. Ressam drove his rental car, with its concealed bomb, onto the ferry heading for Washington state. Upon his arrival at Port Angeles, a U.S. customs agent became suspicious of his hesitant answers to her questions, and she asked for identification. Agents began searching the car. As they discovered the explosive materials -- which they at first took to be drugs -- in the trunk of the car, Ressam tried to run away. He was caught and arrested.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Hispanic Republican Leader Speaks Out
Raul Diaz statement from "Postman on Politics":
I'm no longer going to sit here and be the puppet for the Republican Party, for a few small-minded people who came through and did this. The 14th Amendment, you cannot take that away. You cannot take away these laws written by our forefathers.If you took Diane Tebelius and you took these people who passed this agenda and put them in Alabama, slavery would come back in our lifetime.
Diane didn't have the guts or the leadership skills to make sure that the platform would reflect the true reform that President Bush's bill has. When President Bush had called us, and called everyone together, particularly Hispanic Republicans together, we worked our ass off. Forty nine percent of registered Hispanics voted for President Bush in Washington. Forty three percent of the Anglos did.We cherish the same things any other Republican does. We love the freedom we have. But there has been a backlash of late. Not only of illegal aliens but now we have been shut out of the party.
As the chairman of the Hispanic Republican Party, I'm coming out and taking a stand against the Republican Party of the state of Washington and the platform. It hurts because they went after the kids. They didn't go after the parents. Shame on them. Shame on them.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Reichert, Goose-stepping Toward Election Day
Reichert agrees with the birth provision of the state platform, though he said he realized that constitutional issues need to be addressed."I don't think we should have a system that says you automatically are a citizen if you are born here," he said. "There should be processes you go through in order to become a citizen of this country."
(Source)
Holy Cow! What country is Dave Reichert talking about? How many crazy-ass ultra right-wing voters does Dave think live in the 8th district?
...pollster Stuart Elway said the platform may require candidates to clearly distance themselves on this issue. An April telephone poll Elway did found that about two-thirds of Washington voters favored allowing illegal immigrants who have lived in the U.S. a number of years to apply for legal status leading to citizenship if they meet conditions, such as paying a fine and back taxes.
He said that in the poll, 65 percent of Republicans supported illegal immigrants applying for legal status.
Elway said the GOP platform was "clearly not in line with the majority of Washington voters."
"It's hard to see how it's going to help them," he said of the candidates seeking office. "In this state you have to pick up independents and a few members of the other party in order to win."
Elways polling doesn't seem to indicate there's any sentiment toward trashing the Constitution because of some stupid urban legend about parking-lot babies. If Reichert is playing to win with the racist vote, he's running in the wrong State.
Action Alert! Tell WUTC to investigate NSA Spying
If Washington (DC) won't protect our Rights, perhaps Washington (Our State) will. It's not quite investigating the NSA, but it would be an investigation of whether Washington State telecom's have been violating our privacy rights by turning over records to the fed's. The ACLU of WA has a webpage set up to send an email to the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission urging them to investigate.Please - ACT NOW - the WUTC has an open meeting today (Wed. 5/31/06)
Published: Wednesday, May 31, 2006
NSA call requests may get a review
By Eric Fetters
Herald Writer
State telecommunications regulators will talk today about opening an investigation into whether Verizon and other companies illegally disclosed phone records or other customer information to the National Security Agency.The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission is meeting in Olympia this morning to discuss the American Civil Liberties Union's request to consider the issue...
...In a May 23 letter to the utilities commission, the ACLU's statewide director said the commission should examine the actions of all companies providing telecommunications services within Washington.
"The seriousness of the allegations, the inconsistency of the telecommunications company statements and the varied reports all underscore the need for an independent review by the Utilities and Transportation Commission to uncover the truth," wrote the ACLU's Kathleen Taylor.
Representatives with the ACLU, Verizon and AT&T are expected to be at today's hearing, along with the Attorney General Office's Public Counsel Section, which advocates for consumers.
Reporter Eric Fetters: 425-339-3453 or fetters@heraldnet.com.
Give your comment Anyone who would like to register an opinion on whether the state should investigate alleged sharing of consumer telephone records with federal officials can comment on the Washington Utilities and Transportation CommissionÂ’s Web site at www.wutc.wa.gov/comment. Comments also can be sent by mail to the WUTC at P.O. Box 47250, Olympia, WA 98504.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
WA-GOP embraces Racism
United States ConstitutionIt would seem that for all their squawking about Strict Construction, when Republicans don't like the results the Constitution goes right out the window.
Amendment XIV
Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006David Postman of the Seattle Times asked Republican Congressman Dave Reichart what he thought:
GOVERNMENT
GOP against immigration provision
ASSOCIATED PRESS
YAKIMA - The Washington state Republican Party has adopted a platform that would revoke the constitutional provision granting automatic citizenship to the U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants. ...
...The platform resolution was adopted Saturday with little debate and few dissenting votes. Delegates supporting it said their concerns included the cost to public hospitals and the expense of welfare for the children of indigent or deported illegal immigrants.
Congressman Dave Reichert told me yesterday that he is willing to consider a proposal that would end automatic citizenship for babies born here. "It makes sense to me. This is people taking advantage of the system," he said. Reichert said that he has heard stories of pregnant Mexican women "just moments before the baby is born crossing the border and having the baby in a parking lot ... then claiming they can't leave because their baby is a citizen."Soooo.... Reichart thinks if someone is "brown", being born in the United State might not be enough to make them a citizen. Is Reichart really willing to base National policy on 'stories he's heard' or has he signed onto The 'Southwestern Strategy', promoting racism thinly veiled behind talk of Border Security.
State Attorney General Rob McKenna, a Republican, said denying citizenship to babies born in the United States would be unconstitutional. Reichert said that is something "for the lawyers" to hash out. ...
(link to article)
Taking the approach of stealth Racism is nothing new for the Republican Party.
Ronald Reagan delivered his first major campaign speech in Philadelphia, Mississippi, where three civil rights workers were murdered. He declared his support for "states' rights" - a code word for resistance to black advances clearly understood by white Southern voters.
George H.W. Bush used his "Willie Horton" ads.
Sunday, May 28, 2006
WA-GOP Doesn't Like The Constitution!
Tough stance on immigrationBy Andrew Garber
Seattle Times staff reporterYAKIMA — In an unexpected move, the state Republican Party on Saturday adopted a platform that states children of illegal immigrants should not be allowed to become United States citizens.
The platform, at least with respect to the children of illegal immigrants, goes further than measures currently under consideration in the Congress. The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution recognizes citizenship for all persons born in the United States. ...
...State Democratic Party Chairman Dwight Pelz said the GOP platform "is a punitive and inhumane response to the immigration issue America is confronting."
Pelz predicted it would be an "embarrassment" to Republican candidates. "Abraham Lincoln is turning over in his grave," Pelz said.
The state Republican Party's position on immigration goes in a different direction from a bill just passed by the U.S. Senate. That measure would let illegal immigrants who have been in the country five years or more to remain and eventually become legal permanent residents and citizens. But they'd have to pay fines and back taxes and learn English.
The Senate bill is considered by some as a bipartisan compromise to a House measure passed last year on a largely party-line vote. That bill had no provision to allow illegal immigrants to become citizens. It also made their illegal presence in the country a felony.
A recent poll by Seattle pollster Stuart Elway found that most Washington voters felt that illegal immigrants should be allowed to become citizens.
About 67 percent of Washington voters said immigrants who have lived here a number of years should be allowed to apply for legal status and eventually become citizens if they meet conditions such as paying a fine and back taxes. And 13 percent said illegal immigrants should be declared felons and not allowed to work. ...(full article)
Saturday, May 27, 2006
GOP still playing the Race Card
"Yes, I Am Actually Calling Them Racist"
by Molly IvinsLast week, Bush visited Yuma, Ariz., to tour a portion of the U.S.-Mexico border by Border Patrol buggy. Maybe Jorge was doing a little measuring for the $3.2-million-a-mile fence the Senate recently approved, which I guarantee will be really helpful.
Are they insane? As Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano observes, “Show me a 50-foot wall, and I’ll show you a 51-foot ladder.”
Meanwhile, Republicans in the Senate have constructively declared English the national language. That’ll fix everything. Every foreigner at our borders will stop and say: “Gosh, ma foi! English is the national language here. Good thing to know. I’ll begin speaking it immediately.”
Yes sir, you want a solution, call a Republican.
Of course, I am enchanted to discover that the entire project will be turned over to Raytheon, General Dynamics, and other military contractors—think Halliburton with noncompetitive bids, anyone? Because this outsourcing stuff is just working like a charm. Another Republican solution....
...By all means, reform immigration with this deep obeisance to the Republican right-wing nut faction and their open contempt for “foreigners.” But do not pretend for one minute that it is not a craven political bow to racism (yes, racism—I am actually calling them racists, although they pretend it hurts their feelings. Try reading their websites and see for yourself), and to nativism, to xenophobia and to Know-Nothingism. Just don’t forget what you are throwing away in the process.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Help Stop Illegal Surveillance
ACLU Launches Nationwide Action Against NSA Snooping on Americans’ Phone Calls
The ACLU is suing the National Security Agency for violating the U.S. Constitution. The illegal NSA spying program authorized by President Bush just after September 11, 2001, allows the NSA to intercept vast quantities of the international telephone and Internet communications of innocent Americans without court approval....
The FCC has the authority and the obligation to investigate the NSA spying scandal, despite their wrong-headed refusal to act. Add your name to the public record and support the formal demand.
Tell the FCC to Get the Spies Off the Line
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
The Republican Criminal State
Main Entry: police state
Function: noun
: a political unit characterized by repressive governmental control of political, economic, and social life usually by an arbitrary exercise of power by police and especially secret police in place of regular operation of administrative and judicial organs of the government according to publicly known legal procedures
For at least the fifth time in the past year, the Justice Department yesterday invoked the once rarely cited state secrets privilege to argue that a lawsuit alleging government wrongdoing should be dismissed without an airing, this time in the case of a German citizen seeking an apology and monetary compensation for having been wrongfully imprisoned by the CIA.
Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Joseph Sher said yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia that the government cannot confirm or deny the allegations made by Khaled al-Masri, who sources have said was held by the CIA for five months in Afghanistan. His allegations, Sher contended, "clearly involve clandestine activity abroad." Therefore, he said, "there is no way that the case can go forward without causing the damage to the national security."...
...The state secrets privilege was invoked about 55 times from 1954 to 2001, according to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and in the first four years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, it was invoked 23 times. ... (full article)
US FCC chief says won't probe NSA call programTue May 23, 2006 1:52 PM ET
By Jeremy PelofskyWASHINGTON, May 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission will not pursue complaints about a spy agency's access to millions of telephone records because it cannot obtain classified material, the FCC's chairman said in a letter released on Tuesday. ...
..."The classified nature of the NSA's activities makes us unable to investigate the alleged violations," FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said in the May 22 letter...
...Martin, a Republican designated chairman last year, worked at the White House and for President George W. Bush's 2000 presidential campaign before joining the FCC in 2001 as a commissioner. ...(full article)
The Snooping Goes Beyond Phone Calls
Furor and confusion over allegations that major phone companies have surrendered customer calling records to the National Security Agency continue to roil Washington. But if AT&T Inc. (T ) and possibly others have turned over records to the NSA, the phone giants represent only one of many commercial sources of personal data that the government seeks to "mine" for evidence of terrorist plots and other threats.
How the government sidesteps the Privacy Act by purchasing commercial data
The Departments of Justice, State, and Homeland Security spend millions annually to buy commercial databases that track Americans' finances, phone numbers, and biographical information, according to a report last month by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress. Often, the agencies and their contractors don't ensure the data's accuracy, the GAO found.
Buying commercially collected data allows the government to dodge certain privacy rules. The Privacy Act of 1974 restricts how federal agencies may use such information and requires disclosure of what the government is doing with it. But the law applies only when the government is doing the data collecting.
The Justice Dept. alone, which includes the FBI, spent $19 million in fiscal 2005 to obtain commercially gathered names, addresses, phone numbers, and other data, according to the GAO. ...(full article)
coincidences.....
In August 2003, with American troops facing a growing insurgency in Iraq, and frustration rising over the failure to uncover “weapons of mass destruction” or to capture deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, Maj. Gen. Geoffrey D. Miller,
who oversaw the interrogation efforts at the U.S. military base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, was sent to Iraq. In the words of Maj. Gen. Taguba, Gen. Miller’s task was to “review current Iraqi Theater ability to rapidly exploit internees for actionable intelligence.”131 As the Schlesinger report noted, Gen Miller brought with him the secretary of defense’s April 16th memo (the final of three memos) outlining Guantánamo interrogation techniques and presented it as a possible model for interrogations in Iraq.132 As Gen. Taguba highlighted and criticized in his report, Gen. Miller recommended that “the guard force be actively engaged in setting the conditions for successful exploitation of the internees.”133 full article
and where john negroponte goes death squads are the speciality......
.........John Negroponte was ambassador to Honduras from 1981-1985. As such he supported and carried out a US-sponsored policy of violations to human rights and international law. Among other things he supervised the creation of the El
Aguacate air base, where the US trained Nicaraguan Contras during the 1980's. The base was used as a secret detention and torture center, in August 2001 excavations at the base discovered the first of the corpses of the 185 people, including two Americans, who are thought to have been killed and buried at this base. full article
Now, NEWSWEEK has learned, the Pentagon is intensively debating an option that dates back to a still-secret strategy in the Reagan administration’s battle against the leftist guerrilla insurgency in El Salvador in the early 1980s. Then, faced with a losing war against Salvadoran rebels, the U.S. government
funded or supported "nationalist" forces that allegedly included so-called death squads directed to hunt down and kill rebel leaders and sympathizers. Eventually the insurgency was quelled, and many U.S. conservatives consider the policy to
have been a success—despite the deaths of innocent civilians and the subsequent Iran-Contra arms-for-hostages scandal. (Among the current administration officials who dealt with Central America back then is John Negroponte, who is
today the U.S. ambassador to Iraq. Under Reagan, he was ambassador to Honduras. full article
and this from Daily Kos.....
Did John Negroponte organize the Iraqi death squads?
by Eternal Hope
Sat Feb 18, 2006
at 05:07:19 PM PDT
Remember John Negroponte, the last US Ambassador to Iraq? He was the man who organized right-wing death squads within El Salvador to wipe out dissident groups there. Now, there are reports that death squads of a similar nature are working in Iraq, killing off Sunni dissidents and people not deemed
pure enough. I would not be surprised if this has Negroponte's handiwork, given his proven track record with this. A new blog, Iraqi Death Squads, is being set up to expose these death squads. This blog is being run by the same blogger who runs the site The Truth About Iraqis. full article
just thought these 2 sickos should be featured again cuz they are still slimmin' around........
Friday, May 19, 2006
Mark Wilson
Cindy Sheehan supports Mark Wilson for US Senate
Friday May19,2006
..........Cindy is happy to see a Veteran for Peace standing up for us all. Mark is also a member of Military Families Speak Out. And Mark IS speaking out!
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Help put a Progressive in the 42nd LD Senate Seat
DFA-Link Event: Fund raiser for Jesse Salomon for State Senate (42 LD)
CAMPAIGN NOTEBOOK
Brandland challenger holds fundraiser in Seattle
JON GAMBRELL
THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
State Senate candidate Jesse Salomon, who questioned Sen. Dale BrandlandÂ’s aggressive corporate fundraising, will hold a Seattle gala to raise money for his campaign.
The event for Salomon, a Democrat running against the former Whatcom County sheriff, will be held at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at the Newmark Tower, 1415 Second Ave.
"The invitees to my fundraiser are personal friends and acquaintances from when I went to the University of Washington School of Law," he says.
Salomon said "big corporate donors" such as Anheuser-Busch and Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America - both have donated to BrandlandÂ’s campaign - will not be among those attending.
More information can be found at http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=8297.
If you can't make it to the fund raiser, you can donate to his campaign on-line.
Monday, May 15, 2006
Who have you been calling? Big Brother Knows
...The controversies involving the NSA are sure to complicate Senate confirmation hearings on Hayden's nomination as CIA director. Hayden may find himself fielding questions about whether the administration has reconstituted a heavily criticized massive data-collection effort known as Total Information Awareness that was once run by the Defense Department. It swept up billions of pieces of consumer and personal data and analyzed them in an attempt to detect patterns possibly linked to terrorism.
Following a public outcry over privacy concerns, the department said in 2003 it was dropping the program, which was an initiative of retired Navy Adm. John Poindexter, a central figure in the Reagan administration's Iran-contra scandal.
The existence of a second covert information-gathering program suggests the administration has reconstituted at least parts of the TIA program, said former Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., a former chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
At least parts of the TIA program have been revived at NSA, according to a Feb. 23 report in the National Journal. Earlier in February, Intelligence Committee member Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., asked Hayden if several of the TIA programs had been shifted to other intelligence agencies.
"Senator, I'd like to answer you in closed session," Hayden replied.
Supposedly John Poindexter has retired and the Total Information Awareness program has closed down, but... the Information Awareness Offices slogan is/was "Scienta est potentia," Latin for, "Knowledge is power" and that phrase pops up in the first paragraph on NSA's Signals Intelligentce webpage
The National Security Agency collects, processes and disseminates foreign Signals Intelligence (SIGINT). The old adage that "knowledge is power" has perhaps never been truer than when applied to today's threats against our nation and the role SIGINT plays in overcoming them. ...
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Whatcom County Dems
Garden Street Family Center (Brigid Collins)
Wednesday, May 107:00 PM
We have invited Hong Tran, another recently announced opponent of Seantor Maria Cantwell in the primary. She will discuss her stance on the issues and then there will hopefully be time for questions and answers. If you would like to read more information about her prior to the meeting, please visit:http://www.hongtran.com
Let's have a good showing and display our welcoming Whatcom spirit to our guest!
Joan Ging
42nd Legislative district
May 13th at 10AM,
at the Union Hall in Ferndale,
1064 Vista Dr. between 3rd and 4th St.
Questions? 360-758-7112
The program will be Listening Forum with County Councilmen Seth Fleetwood (2nd Dist.) and Carl Weimer (3rd Dist.). Bring your questions and concerns for Seth and Carl.
Refreshments and open discussion on Legislative Issues will follow the program.
Hope to see you there!
Monday, May 08, 2006
Eleanor
"I once had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: no good in bed, but fine up against the wall."
Eleanor Roosevelt
How Low Can He Go?
Bush approval rating hits new low
Updated 5/8/2006 1:42 PM ETBy Susan Page, USA TODAYWASHINGTON — President Bush's approval rating has slumped to 31% in a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, the lowest of his presidency and a warning sign for Republicans in the November elections.The survey of 1,013 adults, taken Friday through Sunday, shows Bush's standing down by 3 percentage points in a single week. His disapproval rating also reached a record: 65%. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points.
"It is a challenging political environment," acknowledges Tracey Schmitt, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, "but we are confident that ultimately voters in November will recognize that a Democrat Congress would simply not be equipped to ensure either economic or national security for our nation."
Bush's fall is being fueled by erosion among support from conservatives and Republicans. In the poll, 52% of conservatives and 68% of Republicans approved of the job he is doing. Both are record lows among those groups.
Moderates gave him an approval rating of 28%, liberals of 7%. ...(full article)
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Meet up in Ferndale
i loved Maria Cantwell's environmental votes and when she stood up to terrible ted. i still haven't gotten over her vote for cloture on alito. after her votes on trade, unpatriot act x2, the frigging war, negroponte, rice, and more, i just lost all faith. i have heard everything from: i will vote for the republican candidate(Thom Hartmann interview with Mark) to i'll never vote for Maria, to how dare you go against our incumbant candidate. i respect everyone's opinion. people who are paying attention are mostly a passionate bunch and these are very difficult times. i will support her if she is the Democratic candidate in the general election.
thankfully i have another option in the primary and a damn good one. i've heard Mark 3 times in person now and each time i am more impressed with him. he spoke directly to the issues that i am most concerned about. publically funded campaigns and publically owned vote, ending the war and war foreign policy, peak oil and the coming need to reorganize how we live, global warming, healthcare, veterans issues, ending the war on drugs and funding recovery for those afflicted ...and the list goes on.
the disasterous neocon ideology has been playing out since the 1980's and it's time to stand up. absolute power corrupts absolutely and the state of our nation is rotten to the core. the American people are good people and we are being criminally represented by the current one party rule. at least 50% of us have no voice and it's magnified when our Democrats vote with them, too!.
i want leaders who will stand up and tell the truth and vote for policies that put America in good standing in the world community and ensure those that come after us have a home.
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Stephanie on the Lou...
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
From the Wilderness.....
Launching of Iran's Oil Stock Exchange inMayEstablishment of Oil Stock Exchange in its final stage
Irib NewsTehran, Iran
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Oil Minister Kazem Vaziri Hamaneh said on Wednesday that the establishment of Oil Stock Exchange is in its final stage and the bourse will be launched in Iran in the next week.
He told reporters, upon arrival from Qatar where he
attended the 10th General Assembly of International Energy Agency and consultations with OPEC member states, that registration of the Oil Stock Exchange is underway and the entity will operate after being approved by the Council of Stock Exchange.
He rejected a statement attributed to him saying that Oil Stock Exchange will bring to the ground the US economy and said, "I don't know who has speculated that I've not talked about US economy." Asked about conference on energy in Doha, he said that more than 60 countries and 30 oil companies and consultants took part in the conference........full article
Meetup in Ferndale
Upcoming Events › Meet with Mark Wilson May 7th 12-2 at Pioneer Park ferndale May Meetup
When:
Sunday, May 7, 2006, 12:00 PM
Where:
Pioneer Park
2004 cherry st Ferndale , WA 98248
Map/Directions
Description:
Come to an old fashioned Sunday afternoon social. Meet-talk -listen to Mark Wilson, candidate for the US Senate democratic primary. Hear his life story as a veteran, fisherman, businessman, and political advocate for you! The two questions you may want to ask yourself are “Is this the person you would want to send to Washington D.C. to help fix things?” and “When was the last time Maria Cantwell came to Ferndale to meet you?” The results of Bush foreign, economic, and social policies have been tragic for the people of Washington State. The grassroots absolutely must be completely engaged to defeat the Republican opponent. Now you have a real choice. I want to go to Washington, D.C. on your behalf to:
Achieve an immediate orderly end to the occupation of Iraq.
National Health Insurance for all Americans (As enjoyed by Congress.).
Stop the outsourcing of American Jobs and build the economy of the U.S.A.
Public Financing of political Campaigns (Eliminate the Jack Abramoff style of bribery, which has been going on in Washington for years!).
Promote the Interest of the American people (Not do the bidding of the international corporations.). Mark Wilson
Free! Come as you are.
Riverbend...
..........The big question is- what will the US do about Iran? There are
the hints of the possibility of bombings, etc. While I hate the Iranian
government, the people don’t deserve the chaos and damage of air strikes and
war. I don’t really worry about that though, because if you live in Iraq- you
know America’s hands are tied. Just as soon as Washington makes a move against
Tehran, American troops inside Iraq will come under attack. It’s that simple-
Washington has big guns and planes… But Iran has 150,000 American
hostages.
full post
