Wednesday, October 25, 2006

we're excited about Jesse!!

Jesse Salomon has been working sooo hard in his race for State Senator from the 42nd LD.


i have watched Jesse and his campaign manager Ellen Ware and it has been inspiring and gives me hope for our future.
the ice cream social was really fun.....thanks to everyone who made it happen and came to share the afternoon.....










and i couldn't say it any better than.......

DfA-Bellingham organizer, StephenSchuck



It went great! As (sort-of) sponsors, DfA got some air time before Jessie's talk, and your "organizer" was (sort-of)de-facto elected to the job. I can't remember a word I said, except that when I asked for show of hands of people who receive these notes. I was overwhelmed by the turnout. Thank you all, very much.......















Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Oktoberfest Fun-Raiser!


i'm a little behind but this was a great event!!!!! and i have a few photos to prove it.

the 42nd Legislative District Democrat's pre-election celebration and attitude adjustment party! At the Biergarten of Janis Walworth and Michele Kämmerer

Monday, October 23, 2006

Return Susan Owens to the State Supreme Court

Don't forget to mark your ballot for:
Susan Owens for State Supreme Court Justice - Pos. # 2

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Patty Murray here to endorse Jasper




Citizen Steve was on hand to meet with Patty














it was great to meet Patty and her endorsement of Jasper MacSlarrow for State Representative from the 42nd LD was very heartfelt.
she has known Jasper since he showed up in Washington D.C. looking for work after graduating from college. he was up for the hard work then and he is now. he knows the issues and he knows how to get things done.


Penny Hinkel was a hit with her songs....
it was really fun!!!!! ....





Friday, October 20, 2006

no on I 933

here is my recently published letter to the editor.....and a reading of part of it on the Thom Hartmann Show by Peter Collins who was filling in for Thom. this was during his "be the media hour"



Initiative 933, the "property fairness act," is anything but fair. Contrary
to claims, it will lead to the paving over of farmlands.
It would force us, taxpayers, to pay people to follow the rules or the rules would be waived.
Millions of dollars will be spent by taxpayers to process, study and possibly
litigate claims.Small municipalities and counties will not be able to afford
to pay, forcing us to waive protections. Some are federally mandated and can't
be waived, forcing us to pay.
This will lead to irresponsible development.
This is money we won't have for needed services to benefit all of us.
Much of the support for this initiative comes from out-of-state big development seeking loopholes.
full letter



and this from the campaign ...to send to our friends....
Dear Friend,
I am writing to urge you to vote NO on Initiative 933. I’m helping the campaign to defeat Initiative 933 and want to make sure all my friends are voting NO!I-933 is the most extreme threat to Washington’s environment and quality of life in over a decade -- rolling back protections we’ve all worked hard to secure. Please join me in voting NO on I-933!Initiative 933 puts us in a no-win situation: we are either forced to pay some property owners to follow our existing laws, or we have to waive those protections. For example, if a law prevents someone from building a strip mall in a neighborhood or a subdivision on farmland, I-933 would force the community to either waive the law and allow more traffic and pollution, or have taxpayers pay off that person to follow the law.By forcing communities to waive protections, I-933 will create loopholes for irresponsible development, threatening water quality, forests, farmland and our own backyards.I-933 is poorly written and will cost tax payers billions. An independent study by the University of Washington found that I-933 could cost taxpayers $8 billion dollars.I have joined with groups like the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters, United Farm Workers, League of Women Voters of Washington, The Nature Conservancy, American Federation of Teachers- Washington, Seattle Chamber of Commerce, and American Lung Association of Washington, Repulicans for Environmental Protection, 6 ex Washington state Governors in opposing I-933 because it is the most dangerous assault on Washington’s taxpayers,communities, and environment in over a decade.
Please join me in working to defeat this dangerous initiative.
Pledge to Vote NO on 933: http://noon933.org/get_involved/pledge.php
For more information and a great short video visit: www.NOon933.org
Thank you! jpeg

Thursday, October 19, 2006

WA-42nd LD, GOP Candidate Withdraws

GOP withdraws support for Mayberry
42nd District candidate owes $260,000 in taxes

JARED PABEN
THE BELLINGHAM HERALD


The Republican Party has pulled its support for Lynden resident Craig Mayberry in his bid for a state representative seat after reports that Mayberry owes about $260,000 in unpaid state and federal taxes.

Several failed businesses, stung by the economic downturn after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, left him owing more than $212,000 to the federal government and about $50,000 to Oregon, Mayberry said Wednesday.

Mayberry, 40, a University of British Columbia graduate student who also teaches economics and finance at several colleges, was challenging incumbent Democrat Kelli Linville of Bell-ingham for a 42nd District seat. ...

... Mayberry said Wednesday night he will no longer actively campaign for the position. That would effectively hand the election to Linville, who declined to comment on Mayberry's financial situation. ...
(full article)

Oops! It's not a huge scandal, but it's the only scandal we've got up here in Whatcom County. The B'ham Herald had already decided to endorse incumbent Democrat Kelli Linville before GOP candidate Craig Mayberry's tax troubles were made public.

Mayberry's candidacy was brought to an end by a single line in the Bellingham Business Journal:
Judgements & Liens

Tax liens
A tax lien is a legal claim filed in court by a government against a person or business owing taxes. Liens are civil, not criminal claims, and normally seek to attach money and/or property to pay the taxes. A list of liens is kept at the county courthouse showing whom the government is pursuing and how much is sought.

... Craig L. Mayberry, $212,509.39 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Aug. 15. ...

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Bellingham Herald gets it wrong

The Bellingham Herald has endorsed the Republican incumbent for the 42nd LD Senate seat. But they've gotten it wrong, wrong, wrong. Jesse Salomon (D) is the right candidate for State Senate 42nd LD.

I can't agree with the Heralds view that Brandland "puts his constituents first and who represents most Whatcom County viewpoints". He has sponsored plenty of bills that invade our privacy and seek to limit our rights away.


Some of the Bills Brandland sponsored:
SB 5133 To take away privileged communications between spouses.
SB 5553 a pilot program for electronic fingerprinting technology.
SB 6063 Limiting damages against health care providers.
SB 6072 Providing for omnibus civil liability reform.
SB 6106 disclosure of health care information for law enforcement purposes.
SB 6680 a biometric matching system for driver's licenses and identicards.
SB 6719 the exchange of criminal history records for noncriminal justice uses;

---
He has also opposed bills that protect our privacy and our rights.

Opposed 2005 Senate Bill 5452 (Prohibiting genetic testing as a condition of life insurance).

Opposed 2005 Senate Bill 5327 (Creating an office of privacy protection).

Opposed 2005 Senate Bill 5275 (Prohibiting the use of consumer credit histories for personal insurance renewal decisions).

Opposed 2006 Senate Bill 6508 (Requiring minimum renewable fuel content).

Opposed 2005 Senate Joint Memorial 8014 (Requesting that the privatization of social security be rejected).

Opposed 2006 Senate Bill 6185 (Modifying the Family and Medical Leave Act).

Opposed 2005 House Bill 1636 (Adopting a wage ladder for child care workers).

Opposed 2005 Senate Bill 5069 (Establishing a family leave insurance program).

Brandland may stay out of the limelight, but that might be because his activities can't stand the light of day. He certainly has a lot of out of state contributors:

$625.00 CONOCO PHILLIPS CO HOUSTON TX
$675.00 CONOCOPHILLIPS CO HOUSTON TX
$675.00 CENDANT CORPORATION PARSIPPANY NJ 07054
$250.00 MEDCO HEALTH SOLUTIONS, INC. FRANKLIN LAKES NJ 074172603
$675.00 NOVARTIS PHARMACEUTICALS CORP EAST HANOVER NJ 079361080
$350.00 WYETH GOOD GOVERNMENT FUND MADISON NJ 07940
$350.00 WYETH GOOD GOVERNMENT FUND MADISON NJ 07940
$500.00 BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY PRINETON NJ 085435200
$500.00 SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC BRIDGEWATER NJ 088070944
$600.00 PFIZER INC. BROOKLYNN NY 11206
$675.00 PFIZER INC. BROOKLYNN NY 11206
$75.00 PFIZER INC. BROOKLYNN NY 11206
$675.00 JOHNSON & JOHNSON SERVICE INC. CALVERTON NY 119930579
$650.00 JOHNSON & JOHNSON SERVICE INC. CALVERTON NY 119930579
$25.00 JOHNSON & JOHNSON SERVICE INC. CALVERTON NY 119930579
$350.00 BAYER PITTSBURGH PA 15205
$150.00 BAYER PITTSBURGH PA 15205
$350.00 BAYER HEALTHCARE PITTSBURGH PA 15205
$675.00 ASTRAZENECA WILMINGTON DE 198505437
$300.00 ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE ASSOCIATION WASHINGTON DC 20004
$350.00 ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE ASSOCIATION WASHINGTON DC 20004
$300.00 ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE ASSOCIATION WASHINGTON DC 20004
$675.00 PHARMACEUTICAL RES & MANUF OF AMER WASHINGTON DC 20005
$675.00 PHARMACEUTICAL RES & MANUF OF AMER WASHINGTON DC 20005
$625.00 CAPITAL ONE SERVICES INC RICHMOND VA 232855508
$500.00 GOODRICH CORPORATION CHARLOTTE NC 28217
$700.00 BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION ATLANTA GA 303083615
$600.00 GEORGIA-PACIFIC JACKSONVILLE FL 322325067
$25.00 GEORGIA-PACIFIC SHARED SERVICE CORP JACKSONVILLE FL 322325067
$100.00 GEORGIA-PACIFIC SHARED SERVICE CORP JACKSONVILLE FL 322325067
$675.00 GEORGIA-PACIFIC SHARED SERVICE CORP JACKSONVILLE FL 322325067
$500.00 CITIGROUP TAMPA FL 33610
$500.00 HEALTHSOUTH BIRMINGHAM AL 35243
$300.00 CORRECTIONS CORP OF AMERICA NASHVILLE TN 37215
$600.00 KEYCORP ADVOCATES FUND CLEVELAND OH 44114
$350.00 PROGRESSIVE MAYFIELD VILLAGE OH 44143
$350.00 PROGRESSIVE MAYFIELD VILLAGE OH 44143
$350.00 PROGRESSIVE MAYFIELD VILLAGE OH 44143
$250.00 ELI LILLY AND COMPANY INDIANAPOLIS IN 46285
$625.00 HOUSEHOLD INTL MT. PROSPECT IL 60056
$675.00 HSBC NORTH AMERICA PROSPECT HEIGHTS IL 60070
$675.00 BP NORTH AMERICAN EMPLOYEE PAC WARRENVILLE IL 60555
$700.00 BP NORTH AMERICAN EMPLOYEE PAC WARRENVILLE IL 60555
$500.00 MONSANTO COMPANY ST. LOUIS MO 63167
$400.00 7-ELEVEN, INC. DALLAS TX 75204
$700.00 WASTE MANAGEMENT HOUSTON WA 77253
$700.00 TESORO PETROLEUM COMPANIES, INC. SAN ANTONIO TX 782166999
$700.00 AT&T SAN ANTONIO TX 78238
$500.00 CINGULAR WIRELESS EL PASO TX 79912
$400.00 COMCAST ENGLEWOOD CA 80112
$400.00 BOISE CASCADE, LLC BOISE ID 837280001
$675.00 FARMERS GROUP, INC. LOS ANGELES CA 900103807
$675.00 FARMERS GROUP, INC. LOS ANGELES CA 900103807
$500.00 PACIFICARE CYPRESS CA 906300061
$700.00 MOLINA HEALTHCARE, INC. LONG BEACH CA 90802
$675.00 MOLINA HEATHCARE, INC. LONG BEACH CA 90802
$500.00 AMGEN THOUSAND OAKS CA 913201789
$675.00 AMGEN THOUSAND OAKS CA 913201789
$500.00 SYMETRA FINANCIAL ENCINO WA 914368588
$625.00 CHEVRONTEXACO CONCORD CA 94524
$75.00 KRAFT FOODS NORTH AMERICA SACRAMENTO CA 95814
$75.00 KRAFT FOODS NORTH AMERICA SACRAMENTO CA 95814
$625.00 KRAFT FOODS NORTH AMERICA INC SACRAMENTO CA 95814
$625.00 KRAFT FOODS NORTH AMERICA INC SACRAMENTO CA 95814
$500.00 WILLAMETTE DENTAL MGMT CORP HILLSBORO OR 97124
$500.00 HAMPTON LUMBER SALES COMPANY PORTLAND OR 972256666

Total funds from outside Washington State. $32,450.00

Friday, October 13, 2006

I-933 is a Kickme Sign on Washington State


Over at washblog, Noemie Maxwell has posted video of Jim Hightower talk about I-933. Go watch it, it's great.

Then you can read how bad things are in Oregon because of Measure 37.

Then you can read the truth about who's really behind I-933.

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

State Senate Candidate Jesse Salomon on KVOS-TV

This morning KVOS interviewed 42nd LD State Senate candidate Jesse Salomon









There are two more segments you can watch by going to the KVOS-TV website and scrolling down the page

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Bellingham City Council Passes TroopHome! Resolution

City calls for plan to end Iraq occupation
Council OKs TroopsHome! Resolution after change of wording, additions

SAM TAYLOR
THE BELLINGHAM HERALD


Audience members roared in triumph and gave a standing ovation to Bellingham City Council members after an anti-war resolution passed 6-1 Monday night.

The TroopsHome! Resolution, which originally urged Congress to immediately withdraw troops from Iraq and to divert war spending to needy Americans, was altered Monday, however. The resolution, as passed, urges Congress to "immediately commence plans to end the occupation of Iraq and bring our troops safely home." ... (full article)
The text of the resolution is here. This IS how democracy works. Majority rules. The City Council are the representatives of the people of Bellingham. It's perfectly reasonable for the Council to petition the Federal Government on the behalf of their constituents.

Every day the Bush Administration is allowed to continue "staying the course" there are more needless deaths!

Monday, October 09, 2006

WA-02 Larsen widens lead - Roulstone plays the race card

... But the probability of Roulstone succeeding in this quest is tumbling.

On Aug. 31, Survey USA polled 586 voters in the congressional district and found Larsen leading Roulstone 58 percent to 35 percent.

On Sept. 13, the political arm of the Veterans of Foreign Wars national organization endorsed Larsen, who has never served in the military, over Roulstone, a decorated combat veteran.

Six days later in the Republican primary, anti-abortion advocate Teri Moats snagged 25 percent of the vote against Roulstone even though she mounted no campaign and he'd been running for a year, aided by the biggest names in the Republican family.

Then this week, another poll, this one of 400 voters, shows Larsen leading Roulstone 62 percent to 22 percent. That's a 40-point advantage - 40 - entering October.

Larsen's campaign paid for the poll, so one can insinuate a factor of numeric inflation and deflation.

The campaign did hire a respected firm, Evans McDonough, not known for botoxing results. Larsen can afford to buy good calculating rather than creative genuflecting.

His showing is in line with his election performance in 2004. That year he garnered 64 percent of the vote in defeating Republican Suzanne Sinclair and Libertarian Bruce Guthrie.

Roulstone's number is the eye-opener. Two years ago, Sinclair collected nearly 34 percent of the vote. And she did it with a fraction of Roulstone's budget. ... (full article)

Roulstone has run a couple of robo-calls, he's trying out various sour themes. Looking over his campaign website, the theme that really steams me is his RACIST THEME:

Voting Rights: Protecting your Ballot

If you are feeling disenchanted about voting this year, you are not alone. As we have seen in this state before, your vote is very important. Rick Larsen voted against Real Id. This was a bill that would require voters prove who they are at an election. Currently, illegal immigrants could vote in our election. They are even issued driverÂ’s licenses without proof of citizenship! This should concern us since Rick Larsen has continually demonstrated a pattern friendly to illegal immigrants. They will be voting, and you need to be heard. Don't let them make decisions about your future. (source:)
This isn't Roulstones first flirtation with race baiting. Earlier this year he called the Washington Minutemen Detachment "a program that makes sense".

When I called the Roulstone campaign to ask them about this race baiting, I got a woman who couldn't give me a single example of a non-citizen voting. She just kept saying 'but they could vote' and told me about how she'd been at a senior center where 'everyone' was feeling like their vote didn't count. She went on to talk about how this was a problem like the Governors election when all those dead people voted in King County. I said; "gee, it sounds like you worked for the Rossi campaign" and she admitted she had. At that point I realized the conversation was a losing proposition. I didn't bother to point out that the only dead people caught voting were Rossi supporters. I wanted to stick to the subject, which was; where was their proof that non-citizens are registering to vote and she was working hard to change the subject. She bailed out of the call when I asked if she understood that 'Real ID' mandates a National Identity Card.

It's a sad sad thing that in an attempt to get their votes, Roulstone is stooping to frightening little old ladies with fairy tales of evil aliens.

I'm not surprise that Roulstone can't get any traction with his campaign. He's not really connected to the District. He's accuse Rick Larsen of being a "Rubber Stamp Incumbent" but Roulstone's allegiance is to the Republican Party, not to the Second District. His $100,000+ campaign seed money came from four dozen Republican Congressmen and the rest has come from fund raisers headlined by Republican Party big-wigs. The leaders of the House G.O.Perv's; Speaker of the House Denny Hastert, House Majority Leader John Boehner and National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Reynolds each gave $5000 to Roulstones campaign.

Roulstone is such a lack luster candidate that even though he's a decorated veteran of Operation Desert Storm and a retired Naval Officer, the VFW endorsed Rick Larsen.

The Everett Herald noted that in the Primary Roulstone also ran for Republican PCO in his home precinct, getting only 65 votes. Shoot! What a dufus! Our very own jpeg ran for Democratic PCO in our rural precinct an got 88 votes.

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

The Math Doesn't Work... for Bush

39 percent: President Bush’s approval rating, a drop of three points since September, according to a new NBC/WSJ poll.

58 percent. Number of Americans who believe the Bush administration has deliberately misled the American public about the war in Iraq, according to a new CNN poll.

... As in six previous surveys over the past 12 months, voters by a wide margin say they favor the Democratic congressional candidate in their district (50%-39%). When the sample is narrowed to likely voters, approximately half of registered voters, the Democratic lead is undiminished. That Democrats poll as well among likely voters as among all voters may reflect the fact that Democrats, in contrast to recent campaigns, are more enthusiastic about voting than are Republicans. ...(Pew Research)

Friday, September 29, 2006

Habeas Corpus, R.I.P. (1215 - 2006)

Habeas Corpus, R.I.P. (1215 - 2006)
With a smug stroke of his pen, President Bush is set to wipe out a safeguard against illegal imprisonment that has endured as a cornerstone of legal justice since the Magna Carta.


by Molly Ivins - (Read It)

... The bill simply removes a suspect’s right to challenge his detention in court. This is a rule of law that goes back to the Magna Carta in 1215. That pretty much leaves the barn door open. ...

... Fellow citizens, this bill throws out legal and moral restraints as the president deems it necessary—these are fundamental principles of basic decency, as well as law.

I’d like those supporting this evil bill to spare me one affliction: Do not, please, pretend to be shocked by the consequences of this legislation. And do not pretend to be shocked when the world begins comparing us to the Nazis.

Our Washington Democrats in the House and Senate Voted against this travesty.
=====================================
H R 6166 RECORDED VOTE 27-Sep-2006 4:45 PM
QUESTION: On Passage
BILL TITLE: Military Commissions Act
- Voting NO
Baird - Dicks - Inslee - Larsen - McDermott - Smith
=====================================
Question: On Passage of the Bill (S. 3930 As Amended )
Vote Number: 259 Vote Date: September 28, 2006, 06:37 PM
Required For Majority: 1/2 Vote Result: Bill Passed
Measure Number: S. 3930
Measure Title: A bill to authorize trial by military commission for violations of the law of war, and for other purposes.

- Voting NO
Cantwell (D-WA), Murray (D-WA)

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Whatcom County - Thinking Local

Who'da thunk... Whatcom County Sustainable Connections in FORTUNE Magazine.
'Small-Marts' take on Wal-Mart
Small, local groups nationwide are fighting back against big business and helter-skelter globalization.
FORTUNE Magazine
By Marc Gunther, Fortune senior writer
August 30 2006: 8:39 AM EDT

NEW YORK (Fortune) -- Local businesses in Whatcom County, Wash., next month will exhort their customers to "Buy Fresh Eat Local."

Some people in the scenic, mountainous region will take a pledge to nourish themselves for a week entirely from the local food shed - drinking milk from local cows, eating fresh-baked organic bread and patronizing restaurants like Flats Tapas Bar, which will serve such dishes as flatbread with all-local smoked salmon, caramelized apple, gouda cheese and hazelnuts.

Others will enjoy the Downtown Carrot Jubilee, a chance to taste local carrots harvested that day; they'll wear "I Ate Local Today" stickers.

"We want to help raise awareness of the value of local food systems," explains Max Morange of Sustainable Connections, a network of more than 500 Bellingham-area businesses that sponsors the annual event. "We're losing farmland very quickly."

So committed to localism is Morange, a 25-year-old slow-food activist, that last year he churned his own butter rather than buy spread "imported" from elsewhere.

The campaign is a stunt, to be sure, but it's also evidence of a backlash - against look-alike chain stores and helter-skelter globalization. ...
(full article)

Whatcom County Government to go 100% Green Energy

County Council votes to go green
County facilities will be run on alternative power bought from PSE

SAM TAYLOR
THE BELLINGHAM HERALD


About $62,000 in county tax revenue will be spent to use renewable sources of energy to power county facilities in 2007.

Whatcom County Council members approved a resolution Tuesday night that will require 100 percent of the energy used in county buildings to come from sources such as wind, solar, or biomass power. ...

... Council Chairwoman Laurie Caskey-Schreiber said the increased costs of the power from Puget Sound Energy would easily be handled by the county because of five years worth of energy conservation measures taken by County Executive Pete Kremen and his staff.

Kremen told the council that power conservation had saved the county about $85,000, so the contract with Puget Sound Energy would not be using all of the savings. ...
(Full article)

Torture is NOT an American Value!

George W. Bush is the guy who used to shoot his brother with a bb gun... for fun. For him torture isn't part of a National Security Policy, it's part of a Dangerous Personality Disorder.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Burner pulls even with Reichert in WA-08

Lynn Allen at Evergreen Politics has the scoop on a new poll.

New Poll Has Burner and Reichert Even

Emily's List, the national organization dedicated to electing pro-choice Democratic women to Congress, commissioned a poll in the 8th CD that has Darcy Burner and Dave Reichert neck and neck at 44-43. For an incumbent to be this close at this point in the campaign is not good for him. ... (more)


Monday, September 25, 2006

New Ad - Darcy Burner (D) WA-08


Watch Darcy's new ad on youtube
Visit Darcy's website.
Donate a couple of bucks to her campaign.

Nobody likes Tim

It took a long time, but Washington Voters have finally had enough of Tim.
Geography Surveyed: City of Seattle
Data Collected: 09/19/2006 - 09/20/2006
Release Date: 09/21/2006 9:15 AM ET
Sponsor: KING-TV Seattle

Filtering: SurveyUSA contacted 600 Seattle adults; 513 identified themselves as registered voters and were asked the questions that follow.

Q. #5
Asked of 513 registered voters
Margin of Sampling Error for this question = ± 4.2%

Is your opinion of initiative promoter Tim Eyman favorable? Unfavorable? Or neutral?

11% Favorable
65% Unfavorable
23% Neutral
1% Not Sure
Now maybe we can start thinking about how to insure that Ballot Initiatives are about what the citizens of Washington want instead of what special interests want to stick us with. Maybe we can start with regulations that make paid signature gathers wear signs identifying themselves.

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Making It Worse

...Can't the United States see that when we allow someone to be tortured by our agents, it is not only the victim and the perpetrator who are corrupted, not only the "intelligence" that is contaminated, but also everyone who looked away and said they did not know, everyone who consented tacitly to that outrage so they could sleep a little safer at night, all the citizens who did not march in the streets by the millions to demand the resignation of whoever suggested, even whispered, that torture is inevitable in our day and age, that we must embrace its darkness?

Are we so morally sick, so deaf and dumb and blind, that we do not understand this? Are we so fearful, so in love with our own security and steeped in our own pain, that we are really willing to let people be tortured in the name of America? Have we so lost our bearings that we do not realize that each of us could be that hapless Argentine who sat under the Santiago sun, so possessed by the evil done to him that he could not stop shivering?

adorfman@duke.edu

Ariel Dorfman, a Chilean American writer and professor at Duke University, is author of "Death and the Maiden."
(full article)


So torture will be Ok with Warner, McCain and Graham just as long as Bush keeps it secret. Lovely, just lovely; we have fools in charge. Republicans have disgraced our Nation and they are plunging full speed ahead into making things worse instead of better.
The Pro-Torture Pact

Ari Berman

Democrats chose to outsource their policy on military tribunals to John McCain. And McCain did what he's done best the last year: capitulate to Bush.

"Senators Snatch Defeat From Jaws of Victory: US to be First Nation to Authorize Violations of Geneva," Georgetown University law professor Marty Lederman writes of the so-called "compromise" between Senators McCain/Graham/Warner and President Bush. ...(full article)

The hand writing is on the wall... as it were. Bush's staying-the-course is making things worse. The Neo-cons grand strategy is a nightmare that's destroying our military and making more enemies faster than we can count them.

Spy Agencies Say Iraq War Fuels Terror
The conflict spreads extremism and serves as a laboratory for deadly tactics, says a bleak analysis by 16 U.S. intelligence units.
By Greg Miller, Times Staff Writer
September 24, 2006


WASHINGTON — The war in Iraq has made global terrorism worse by fanning Islamic radicalism and providing a training ground for lethal methods that are increasingly being exported to other countries, according to a sweeping assessment by U.S. intelligence agencies.

The classified document, which represents a consensus view of all 16 U.S. intelligence agencies, paints a considerably bleaker picture of the impact of the Iraq war than Bush administration or U.S. intelligence officials have acknowledged publicly, according to officials familiar with the assessment.

"They conclude that the Iraq war has made it worse," said a government official familiar with the document who spoke on condition of anonymity because of its classified nature. ...

... "It paints a fairly stark picture of what we all know, and that this is a movement that is spreading and gaining momentum around the world," said the official familiar with the document. "Things like the Iraq war have given the terrorists recruiting tools and places to ply their trade and a training ground."

The official said the estimate touches on a number of factors fueling the jihadist movement, but that "the reference to Iraq was the main one."
...(full article)