Revere Report

A Government That Listens To Its People?

2006-05-15T13:37:00.000-04:00

Uh, that's not the kind of listening the Constitution had in mind.

As the pRes said, he's not bothering with "ordinary" Americans. No sir.

However, journalists, political enemies, protestors, Democrats, those folks are seen as fair game.

Makes Nixon's enemies list seem quaint, doesn't it?

How to keep up

2006-05-03T11:11:00.000-04:00

Life happens and that gets in the way of this blog way too much.

However, I've increased my posting on Democratic Underground lately and the best way to keep track of things is to go there. Here is a direct link to my DU journal page: http://journals.democraticunderground.com/democraticinsurgent .

For a good idea of what's really going on in the world, I remocmmend the following daily tour:

raw story
Democratic Underground (visit "greatest", "latest", and any of the forums that interest you, especially your state forum)
talkingpointsmemo
dailykos (particularly "recommended diaries"
cnn or msnbc (to see what's not being covered)
huffingtonpost
truthout
buzzflash (great board with lousy formating)
rense (for those who want to keep an eye on the more conspiracy-oriented stuff)

Do this once or twice a day and you will feel well informed. there are lots of other places I go but most of them start from links on the above.

Rick

"Truth Is All", Election Math Wizard, Is Ill

2006-03-10T10:50:00.000-05:00

A late breaking and disturbingly sad note from Democratic Underground: Truth Is All, the election math wizard who used his skills to construct what appears to be unrefutable evidence that the 2004 election was stolen from John Kerry, is very ill.

TIA, as he's affectionately known, was unfortunately banned by DU for over-reacting to one of the many right-wing baiters that troll around the board looking to cause trouble. He continued his work on his own blog and on the Progressive Independent board formed by ex-DU'ers who were frustrated with that board's low tolerance for Bushco conspiracy research, especially as it relates to 9/11.

Stop by the Rigorous Intuition board for a fine compendium of his work.

DU memberAutorank has picked up TIA's torch and kept its members apprised of TIA's latest work, posted this yesterday:

TruthIsAll
has not posted since February 14th. Naturally, we were concerned
and finally received notification today from his wife.

TIA is quite ill and in the hospital. His wife expressed TIA’s desire to have
his online friends pray for him.

I think that’s a great idea. The “power of prayer” overcomes the “power of nightmares.”

Your friends are all praying for you and awaiting your return. There’s work to do.

Please join with me and pray for his speedy recovery.

Joe Kernan's 7th Inning Stretch

2006-03-10T10:17:00.000-05:00

From today's Indianapolis Star:

An investor group led by former Gov. Joe Kernan is buying South Bend's minor league baseball team, blocking the efforts of another suitor who wanted to move the team to southern Illinois.

Kernan, a catcher for Notre Dame's baseball team in the 1960s, had talked of buying the South Bend Silver Hawks before he was elevated from lieutenant governor when Gov. Frank O'Bannon died in 2003.

Kernan, a Democrat, has been quiet about his plans since he lost his bid for a full term as governor to Republican Mitch Daniels in 2004. He and his wife, Maggie, returned to their home in South Bend after the election defeat ended 17 years in public office that included nine years as the city's mayor and statewide wins as O'Bannon's running mate in 1996 and 2000.

South Bend Mayor Steve Luecke said he was delighted that a local ownership group would keep the Silver Hawks, an affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, in Coveleski Stadium.

========================

I was introduced to Joe Kernan several years ago at the Old Point Tavern in downtown Indy's Mass Ave. district. Strange place to meet a sitting Lieutenant Governor, I thought at the time. But there he was, sitting at the bar with one of his pals, sporting casual dress highlighted by a Notre Dame letter jacket and sneakers.

"This is the kind of guy I want running my state", was my first thought. Someone who's comfortable enough in his own skin to hang out inconspicuously at a neighborhood watering hole. Someone who's "one of us".

At the time, Kernan was beginning to deal with the who-was-gonna-succeed-Frank O'Bannon speculation, which included a lot of pressure on him to run. Ultimately, he dropped out of the running, citing his desire to return to private life. It was well-known that one of his dreams was to own South Bend's minor league baseball team.

But then came the sudden and unexpected death of Governor O'Bannon in 2003. Kernan then WAS governor and under intense pressure to run in 2004. Reluctantly, I'm sure, he acceeded to his party's wishes, because Joe Kernan was always a team player.

That he didn't win, well, we're the worse for it. Mitch Daniels (Mr. 37%) is nothing more than Bushco apparatus and belatedly, the people of Indiana are onto him.

For Joe Kernan, I have nothing but the finest regard and best wishes. He's a guy who gave most of his adult life to public service, including serving in Vietnam. For Joe Kernan to realize his big dream of owning a baseball team is a truly wonderful thing.

Here's to you, Joe.

The 37% Boys: Is Indiana Coming Around, Or Are We All Screwed Anyway?

2006-03-06T11:04:00.000-05:00

So much for the Republican dynasty? Both "My Man Mitch" and GWB are wallowing in the nether reaches of approval ratings for a a Republican in Indiana, according to polls recently conducted by The Indianapolis Star.

37%.

It can't get much worse than this in Indiana, one would think. Indiana is the state that always goes first for the Rethugs in the political olympiad held every fourth year.

However, here in Ohio, Republican Governor Taft is in single digits; last i remember it was something like 9%. Which makes the Republican race to be Taft's successor intriguing--two members of his godawful administration (Ken Blackwell and Jim Petro) fighting to establish who's more corrupt and who's closer to the Lord. So we'll see what happens here.

Problem: polls don't mean much.

Not because they aren't accurate, but because Diebold and its electronic brethren, Sequoia, ES&S, etc. are doing their part in the Grand Old Party's takeover of democracy. They're willing co-conspirators in the plan to eliminate accurate vote counting.

If Ken Blackwell is nominated in Ohio he will become governor regardless of the people's will. Because the fix is in.

Now we have worry about California, where the illegitimate Ahnold administration has embraced Diebold. If anti-evoting forces don't prevail in California, democracy may truly be dead.

And polls like the one highlighted in this post will just be, um, interesting.

Bushco as wholly owned subsidiary

2006-02-23T10:47:00.000-05:00

In my last post I jokingly referred to the Carlyle Group as Bushco's "parent company".

I do not think this is far off, actually, especially in light of W's admission (true or not) that he didn't know of the UAE port security acquisition until it had already happened.

Following the election of heist of 2000, some were comforted by the presence of experienced policy makers such as Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Perle and others in the launching of the Bush era. Of course now it's obvious that they spent the eight Clinton years developing their PNAC neo-con takeover plan and that W was selected to run as a vehicle for their dreams to be realized.

Since then, Junior has fished in three main ponds for key administration appointees: former Reagan/Bush Sr. officials; corporate friends or relatives of those folks; and protectors/lackeys from the Texas gubernatorial reign. There is clear corporate control of Bush's administration, while the Texas gang (Gonzalez, Miers, etc.) are there to keep W's past life quiet and provide continuity.

The Dubai transaction was reviewed and vetted by John Negroponte, key intelligence official and veteran of Reagan/Bush, and John Snow, Treasury Secretary and former CSX Container Corporation CEO, where he was in 2003 when W plucked him to replace his rebellious predecessor.Paul O'Neill. Not long afterwards, the Carlyle Group acquired a controlling interest in CSX and is now a key player in all the ports that UAE's government owned corporation will be managing.

And UAE's ruling family owned 77% of BCCI, the criminal banking enterprise that facilitated Iran-Contra, drug money laundering, arms trafficking, terrorism funding, and where Bin Laden himself banked.

More and more of us are convinced that it's all connected and one day we'll have enough to tie Bushco all the way back to the JFK assassination and well before that.

Small world, Bushworld.

Harboring Terrorists? Heck, Bushco is Selling the Harbors to Terrorists

2006-02-20T21:33:00.000-05:00

Most everyone in the blogosphere is scratching their heads over the sell-off of port security to United Arab Emirates companies.

Sorta makes the "everything's changed since 9/11" statement, in the immortal words of former President Nixon's press secretary Ronald Ziegler, "inoperative".

Turns out that Buschco's parent company, aka The Carlyle Group, shockingly, is in on the action. In 1999, the CSX container corporation, a giant multinational, sold a big chucnk of itself to the big boys back in late 2002. CSX's president at the time was one John Snow, who in 2003 was named Secretary of the Treasury by Bushco.

The very same John Snow who in his official capacity recently reviewed the sale of the ports to the UAE-owned company and approved it. So to those asking why it wasn't Homeland Security or the National Security Agency in charge of determing whether this sale posed a threat to our borders, well, there you have it.

No real concerns that the UAE were buddies with the Taliban, or that 9/11 $ passed through the UAE banking system.

No sir. It's all about money.

And if you follow that money, you'll probably find illegal drug shipments changing hands for untraceable profits.

Illegal drugs from, say, poppies grown in Afghanistan...

Go Figure

2006-02-17T18:33:00.000-05:00

As soon as I tell you all that I'm posting regularly, I stop posting regularly.

A family situation has required a lot of my attention during the past few weeks. I expect to be back to frequent posting soon.

Meantime, I'd advise against drunken hunting expeditions while hanging out with secret romantic companions.

Especially if you happen to be the Vice President of the United States.

Why More People Don't "Get" It

2006-01-25T13:51:00.000-05:00

I'm thinking back to almost exactly two years ago, when I had an epiphany about 9/11 and what Buschco is really up to.

Until that time, I had some sketchy questions about 9/11 but pretty much bought into the official story. I knew the 2000 election was probably stolen from Gore, and I knew that Bush was evil and that war in Iraq was insane. But having bought into the 9/11 story I also bought into the "Afghanistan was a just war" line. I knew that Enron's collapse was somehow connected to Bush but didn't really think about it too much.

I was on the internet constantly, but what was I reading? CNN, MSNBC, Slate, Salon, Fox News, the Network sites, essentially, everything that I was also watching on cable TV. Without realizing it, I was being spoonfed by the corporate media with a touch of the centrist-left from Salon, all the while thinking that I was highly informed.

One night I was watching Hardball on MSNBC. Kristin Breitweiser, one of the Jersey Girls of 9/11, mentioned that Ashcroft had stopped flying commercially in August of 01 because of unspecified warnings. That--to borrow a phrase--made my hair catch on fire.

I went right to the net and searched under "9/11 conspiracy" and got thousands upon thousands of links. I was up most of the night reading stuff. My mind was blown. The evidence of Bushco's involvement was everywhere. A truly conscious person would have a hard time rejecting that notion, but unless you go looking for this information, it does not jump out of your pc and bite you on the ass.

For the next few weeks I could barely sleep or work. I began to talk about alternate 9/11 theory with my significant other, my friends, my work associates.

Most people wanted NOTHING to do with the thought that our government could have participated in such a horrible tragedy. Understandably.

People tried to talk me down, as if I'd ingested the brown acid they were warning people about at Woodstock.

A work associate who makes a living writing about politics essentially told me I was crazy. Why wouldn't every good reporter be on this story, if it were true, he asked...and I didn't have a good answer for that (I do now). "Take a deep breath" he said, and he meant it as an insult.

Yet the more I read, the more I knew that Bushco had done it. "The New Pearl Harbor" by David Ray Griffin. Michael Ruppert's "Crossing the Rubicon". Paul Thompson's "Timeline"

Then there was George Tenet, lying on the stand at the 9/11 hearings. Condi Rice, too, coming off like a school girl whose dog ate her homework. And Richard Clarke, shut out from his job as a terrorism expert, whose only outlet became his book "Against All Enemies".

The sum of all that turned me, but it took weeks and months of reading, digesting, looking at both sides of the coin. I was lucky that I had some time, broadband, and a voracious appetite for information.

It had its side effects, though. I ended up on medication for depression and anxiety--something that I probably needed anyway--and suffer still from constant anger, distress, and frustration. I became politically estranged from many people who I'd shared ideas with. They didn't want to hear "conspiracy theories" especially those that reflected poorly on our hapless president. I cannot talk to my Rush Limbaugh-brainwashed mother about politics at all, for the first time in my memory.

In the past two years I have probably spent an average of 2 hours a day online, reading the sites that provide me the best info on what's really going on in the world. I've also compiled a sizeable library of books and dvd's on 9/11, JFK, RFK, Iran Contra, Oklahoma City, the elections and other relevant topics. Much more than I can read.

I'm left to conclude that's what it takes to be truly informed in today's weird funhouse world. I rarely watch cable news anymore, it makes me too angry for all sorts of reasons. I read the (Columbus, Ohio) daily paper just to see what they don't cover or what they distort, which is a lot.

I'm fortunate too, that I have good research skills, a graduate degree in telecommunications, and decent critical faculties.

It's no wonder most people don't get it.

Sadly, you just about have to be willing to work as if you're getting a "graduate degree in reality" these days in order to "get it".

And who, except a few of us, has the time or the inclination for that, especially with the economy collapsing all around us?

Oh yeah, I guess that, too, was the plan.

Bushco: Packing the Courts Reaps Benefits As 9/11 Whistleblower Sibel Edmonds Muzzled

2006-01-24T16:06:00.000-05:00

From the excellent New Zealand site Scoop, info on Sibel Edmonds and Scooter Libby's case judge. Seems that control of the judiciary is already reaping benefits. Very interesting read!

Monday, 23 January 2006, 10:41 am
Column: W. David Jenkins III

Sibel Edmonds is proof that the “War on Terror” is a Lie

By W. David Jenkins III

There are simply too many dots! I’m not kidding around here. I’ve been through a carton of marking pens and a case and a half of extra strength Excedrin following the trail from the Sibel Edmonds case to Plame to Libby to the NSA to the Whistleblowers Coalition to Turkey to Hastert to Abramoff to the White House and back again. This is not an exercise equivalent to playing “six degrees of Kevin Bacon” but a monstrous series of lines and dots that would produce a flow chart bigger than Rush Limbaugh’s mouth.

Speaking of Limbaugh, his recent slam of Ms. Edmonds and fellow whistleblower, Russell Tice, prompted me to congratulate Sibel the last time we talked. “They must be worried if they’re calling out the right wing radio mouths,” I told her. However, Rove and Co. may want folks like Rush to shut up about Edmonds because the more people hear about her case, the more trouble it invites for this most corrupt administration. Besides, they’ve spent the last few years imposing gag orders on Edmonds out of fear of what she knows.

And now, true to their sleazy ways of doing “business as usual” as Edmonds calls it, the Bush Cabal is going to add insult to Edmonds ’ injury. They’re going to poke her in the eye with “Scooter” Libby’s get of jail free card. Allow me to introduce, as well as concentrate on, Judge Reggie Walton.

Walton is the judge who will not only be presiding over the Libby case, but he has also been “randomly assigned” to Edmonds’ Federal Tort Claim after having upheld her ridiculous gag order imposed by former attorney general, John Ashcroft. I call the gag order ridiculous because technically Edmonds ’ driver’s license, birth certificate and any potential job applications she might file can be considered a “state secret” under the provisions set. As I’ve said many times before, somebody is very worried about what Edmonds wants to talk about.

Much more--and the real meat of the story--is here.

Rove on Cue: Osama Tape Signals '06 Strategy

2006-01-23T10:16:00.000-05:00

Rove Lays Out Road Map for Republicans in Fall Elections By ADAM NAGOURNEY
Published: January 21, 2006 (New York Times)

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 - Karl Rove, the president's chief political adviser, gave nervous Republicans here a preview on Friday of the party's strategy to maintain its dominance in the fall elections, offering a searing attack on Democrats for their positions on terrorism, the administration's eavesdropping program and President Bush's effort to shape the federal judiciary.

Karl Rove, President Bush's top political adviser, before his speech Friday. Security emerged as a dominant issue for this year's elections.

Mr. Rove called for civility in politics in his speech to the Republican National Committee, and then for 26 minutes offered a lacerating attack on Democrats that other Republicans said was a road map for how the party would deal with a tough electoral environment as it battled to retain control of both houses of Congress.

In a speech that drew several bursts of strong applause, Mr. Rove criticized Democrats for their opposition to tax cuts and for what he called "mean-spirited" attacks on Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr., Mr. Bush's Supreme Court nominee. And he left little doubt that in 2006 - as in both nationwide elections since the Sept. 11 attacks - he was intent on making national security the pre-eminent issue.

More here.

Osama's Back. But Whose Back Does He Have?

2006-01-20T14:04:00.000-05:00

He's back and the Corporate Media's got him. Osama Bin Laden, international man of mystery and intrigue.

Back to endorse the Democrat's Iraq strategy while rolling out a new dose of fear.

And that, just in time to provide props for the illegal Bush spying programs, the foundering Patiot Act renewal, the Alito "unitary executive" confirmation, and shove the widening Abramoff, Delay and Cunningham scandals back a page or two.

Just as timely as the election-eve Osama 2004 tape that provided a heartfelt endorsement of John Kerry.

But his reappearance is both an embarassment to Bush (who "can't" find him) and to the Democrats, by endorsing their pull-out wishes in Iraq while threatening new strikes if his proposed "truce" isn't accomodated.

Bush could pull out the troops, like many think he's working on anyway, but would that be "giving in to the terrorists"? Or, another terrorist strike on the US could happen, providing more support for the Police State already being implemented. But then, would Bush be vulnerable to criticism for not being able to protect us and not being able to find Bin Laden?

It's "Spy vs. Spy vs. Spy" madness. It's also quite "Rovian"; contradictions within contradictions obscure the real purposes. Let Bush take a small hit while the the mystery spins the Dems, the media, and ultimately weakens the opponent more than Bush.

Bin Laden works for/with Bush. His messages are, if not fake, ordered up by the cabal and presented as needed. And this one is intended to weaken the D's in order to keep Shrub out of a legal noose. Distract, divide, conquer.

And there will be no real pullout, nor will there be another terror attack, not on US soil, unless it's one that's "discovered" and stopped.

There will be another series of alerts designed to bolster the sagging Republican fortunes in the leadup to the 2006 elections. Notice that we haven't had any alerts since the 2004 election, because they weren't needed.

But now, it's an election year and the Repub's have to work harder than they expected to get the elections close enough to steal them again, yes?

I see orange and red flags for the "yellow" Democrats.

Alito's Real Danger

2006-01-18T12:21:00.000-05:00

It's fairly easy to find problems with Samuel Alito. He's clearly ethically compromised, as described in the post about Vanguard last week. Not to mention the Princeton alumni group CAP, where he either can't remember whether he was a member (his current line) or lied about being a proud member when he provided his conservative credentials to the Reagan administration.

Ethical issues alone should be enough to scuttle this nomination, but clear headed observers find that the biggest concern isn't his ethical lapses. It's his adherence to the "unitary" executive theory, which holds that the president is essentially entitled to do whatever he thinks is necessary regardless of the law.

That's the defense the Bush administration is counting on, as interpreted by Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, as they hope to dodge the bullet from the NSA spying scandal.

That's also where John Roberts stands. Note his dissent in yesterday's ruling that the administration can't apply the controlled substances laws to Oregon's assisted suicide law. Too much of a stretch, say 6 of the 9 Supremes. The other dissenters? Scalia and Clarence Thomas.

So Bush is trying to pack the court not just with wingnuts but wingnuts who hold that the executive branch has ever expanding power, which includes broad interpretations of narrow statutes if they work in their favor.

It's not about Roe v Wade so much as it is about total control.

Alito must be stopped, or those 6-3 votes will be 5-4. And 5-4 votes will go the other way...

CNN: Liberal? Umm...Not So Much

2006-01-18T12:10:00.000-05:00

CNN, perhaps seeing what the Shrub gets away with, has upped the ante in brazen behavior by hiring neanderthal radio talk show host Glenn Beck to host an hour show in prime time on CNN Headline News. About the only good thing I can say about Beck is that unlike his counterpart Joe Scarborough on MSNBC, he has not had to explain away a beautiful blond dead body in his office.

Bad enough that info seekers have to dodge the despicable Nancy Grace on the former 24/7 Headline service. Now we have to avoid this idiot, who owns the following unbelievably insulting quotes (courtesy of a Huffington Post blogger:

"It took me about a year to start hating the 9-11 victims' families."

"And that's all we're hearing about, are the people in New Orleans. Those are the only ones that we're seeing on television (Katrina refugees) are the scumbags."

(to a caller claiming to have tortured Iraqis) - "Good for you ... I'm glad people like you are on our side."

"I'm thinking about killing Michael Moore, and I'm wondering if I could kill him myself ... I think I could. I think he could be looking me in the eye, you know, and I could just be choking the life out of him."

(On the father of beheading victim Nick Berg) - "I think he is grieving, but I think he's a scumbag as well. I don't like this guy at all."

If there's ever been any doubt that the corporate media are not interested in the truth, well, doubt it no more. Next time one of your friends tells you that CNN is liberal, just smack them with this very disturbing development.

Oh, and by the way, let's all just stop watching CNN, like we did with Fox News. Anything you need is right here on the internet. Stop by any of the links on this blog for the real story of our world.

A Word or Two on Alito and His Judicial Ethics

2006-01-13T19:21:00.000-05:00

The white flags of surrender are being seen poking out of Dem Senatorial offices following the four day confirmation hearings for Samuel Alito.

One more bad nightmare.

Here's the thing. Although I loathe the idea that Shrubbie is packing the court with wingnuts, it's hard to stop him since he gained the majority in the Senate. So having Sandra Day O'Connor replaced with a bushbot seems to be a foregone conclusion.

But how can Alito get away with blantant conflict of interest? It's in black and white. He owns something like half a million bucks worth of Vanguard mutual funds. He promised--in writing, and specifically in regards to Vanguard--when he was confirmed as a federal judge to recuse himself should a case come to his court that was related to Vanguard.

And that happened. A woman brought a lawsuit against Vanguard in his court. He didn't recuse himself. He didn't step aside. Instead, he cast his vote and opinions in favor of Vanguard.

All the fuss about the bigoted Princeton Alumni group, whether Alito was dodging questions, what he's gonna due if Roe v. Wade gets back in the arena, it just doesn't matter.

He's guilty of a major ethical lapse and that's all it should take.

Alito should not be confirmed on the basis of this case alone.

The fact that he probably will is so troubling I can't see straight.

NPR Censors 2004 Election Investigator Mark Crispin Miller

2006-01-09T20:36:00.000-05:00

So you've maybe been wondering if NPR's political drift to the right was real, or imaginary? Wonder no more. They are REFUSING to do business with or talk to the most authoritative figure on the 2004 election fraud! This is ridiculous.

From author Mark Crispin Miller's blog. He's the author of "Fooled Again: How the Right stole the 2004 election, and why they'll steal the next one, too (unless we stop them)"

The following comes from Josh Mitteldorf. He's an election reform activist in Philadelphia, who tried to buy ad-time on WHYY-FM, the local NPR affiliate, to help sell Fooled Again. As you'll see from his account, the station first okayed the deal, and then, after having read the copy, arbitrarily refused to run the ads.

As Philadelphia goes, so goes NPR from coast to coast. Although I've been on many NPR shows several times over the years, none of them will have me on to talk about this book. For instance, "The Connection," a national show broadcast from Boston, had had me on two or three times before this book came out. This time, the show's producer just refused outright to have me come back on--even after the show's host, Jack Beatty, tried to get her to relent. (Jack is an old friend of mine.)

So let's be clear what this is all about. It's not because the book's "not new" (it came out just two months ago), or because I didn't do a good job as a guest on "The Connection" (after all, they'd asked me back), that I can't get on NPR to talk about this book. (I can't get on any PBS shows, either.) It's because the subjects of election fraud and the dire need for electoral reform are now
officially verboten on what we still call "public radio."

MCM

Mark,

I just got off the phone with Tim Roll of WHYY radio, the largest NPR station in Philadelphia. I had submitted to him last week ad copy for your book. When I spoke to him last week, he had assured me that there was no censorship in accepting these spots, and explicitly told me the few rules that we had to follow: we must not tell people explicitly to vote for a candidate or buy a product, and must not state that any product is the "best" or make claims that compare it to another product.

But this morning he told me that "unfortunately" the copy was rejected by his supervisors. The only objective reason he offered was that the book was "not new and has already been out for awhile". I suggested to him that Steve Freeman's book on a similar theme would be coming out in the near future, and I might approach them again with an ad for that book. He replied that they couldn't accept ads for just any book - and raised the analogy of Mein Kampf ! I thought that said a lot about how this issue is viewed by the corporate media. A sympathetic reading of their policy might be that they are excessively sensitive to the obligation not to undermine public order, or incite their listeners to acts of hatred or rebellion. A less sympathetic reading is that they're shills of the Bush agenda.

I raised the issue of editorial control by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and he claimed that WHYY accepts no such control. He volunteered the information that only 9% of the station's funding comes from the Federal government, far lower than some rural NPR stations with smaller listener bases. He said he was all in favor of letting go of that last 9%, so that the station would be fully independent, but said flatly that this would have no impact on their standards for ad copy.

Below, for your reference, is the email to WHYY, including the proposed copy.
-Josh

Hi, Tim-

Here are 5 different versions of the ad copy, to be run twice each during some week in the near future. We've talked about the $145 rate for each 30 second spot, and you've told me the ads will run at random times through the broadcast day.

Version 1:
Brought to you by Mark Crispin Miller's book
"Fooled Again - how the Right stole the 2004 election, and why they'll steal the next one, too (unless we stop them)"
Read how HAVA - the so-called "Help America Vote Act" - actually helps to hide the way our votes are counted, so that verification of election results is becoming impossible in more and more communities, including Philadelphia and the 5-county area.
"Fooled Again", by Mark Crispin Miller.

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

Version 2:
Brought to you by Mark Crispin Miller's book "Fooled Again - how the Right stole the 2004 election, and why they'll steal the next one, too (unless we stop them)"
In November, 2004, some 8 million votes were switched or trashed in Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio and many other states - 8 million votes, which is more than twice the number by which Bush supposedly won re-election.
Read copious details and full documentation in this new book, "Fooled Again", by Mark Crispin Miller.

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

Version 3:
Brought to you by Mark Crispin Miller's book "Fooled Again - how the Right stole the 2004 election, and why they'll steal the next one, too (unless we stop them)"
Read about Nathan Sproul, the man hired by the Republicans to sign up new Democratic voters - then throw away their registrations. This was a coast-to-coast operation for which Sproul's organization was paid millions.
Details in this thoroughly-documented new book,"Fooled Again", by Mark Crispin Miller.

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

Version 4:
Brought to you by Mark Crispin Miller's book "Fooled Again - how the Right stole the 2004 election, and why they'll steal the next one, too (unless we stop them)"
President Bush claims that Americans are dying in Iraq in order to spread democracy. But read how the Republican National Committee has subverted democracy and corrupted elections right here in the USA.
Details in this new book, "Fooled Again", by Mark Crispin Miller.

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

Version 5:
Brought to you by Mark Crispin Miller's book "Fooled Again - how the Right stole the 2004 election, and why they'll steal the next one, too (unless we stop them)"
Not enough voting machines - in Democratic precincts only. Machines that systematically turned Kerry votes into Bush votes. Some 8 million votes switched nationwide, delivering Bush his quote re-election. Read the news that the press has skirted.
Details and full documentation in this new book, "Fooled Again", by Mark Crispin Miller.

Cable Access, Wherefore Art Thou?

2006-01-09T19:49:00.000-05:00

Man. I thought Indianapolis was about the only major city to have done away with cable access television. Back in the smarmy days of the Stephen Goldsmith mayoral era, the city allowed Comcast and Time Warner to delete cable access from its franchise agreement. The companies argued, among other things, that it was underutilized and expensive.

Perhaps then, it was. But look at the technological windfall we've reaped in the digital age. When I was in college we used reel to reel video. In grad school, 3/4" machines; the portable versions were so heavy it took two people to lug the camera and the separate recorder; only professionals could afford them.

Now it's cheap cheap cheap, everyone's doing it. Entire cable channels, like Trio, are closing up cable shop and going on the web.

So how about now for cable access, Indianapolis?

Which brings me to my other point. I just moved to Columbus, where there is, you guessed it, NO cable access. Seems it was wiped out several years ago, though I have yet to learn exactly why.

I will find out later.

Meantime, I am steamed. The Republicans in Indiana are trying to use their temporary dominance of the state's House and governor's mansion to steamroll an anti-competitive bill pushed by the cable industry and broadband industry (Verizon, etc.) which would OUTLAW municipally owned free broadband service.

Talk about corporate socialism.

What's it gonna take, folks? When are we gonna wake up and start taking back what's ours?

When?

Cable Industry Goes For the Jugular in Indiana

2006-01-09T19:36:00.000-05:00

My former state is in the throes of right wing mania. The new legislative session has barely begun, and already, there are bills aimed at outlawing abortion and now, one that proposes to take away municipalities' right to regulate cable companies and toss oversight into the laps of a statewide regulatory board.

Common Cause says the bill will outlaw free municipal broadband, something that the cellular and cable industry desperately wants, despite its wondrous potential to level the internet access playing field and provide a valuable municipal service.

This urgent email I received from Indy Public Access notes other significant concerns:

I am sending you a letter from Common Cause about the recently announced Indiana Telecom Reform Bill, SB 245. This sweeping telecommunications reform bill would have negative impact on telephone, broadband internet, and cable television in Indiana.

As it is now written, this bill would reduce cable/video franchise revenue to municipalities through numerous revenue exclusions such as late fees and new channel "launch fees," and would put further financial stress on public, education and government access channels. Local cable franchising would be replaced by a statewide franchise system run by the Indiana Utilities Regulatory Commission (IURC).

If you can, please plan to attend the Senate hearing detailed below or contact your contact your State Senator.

Stop by IndyAccess.org or CommonCauseIndiana for more information.

Better yet, get after Senator Brandt Hershman of District 7 in Indianapolis. He's clearly a tool of the industry.

Abramoff a "Middleman"?

2006-01-09T11:07:00.000-05:00

Following up on a post here from late last week, evidence is emerging to support my belief that Jack Abramoff is no lone wolf.

An article by reporter Karen Tumulty, published in this week's Time magazine says:

Another official involved with the probe told Time that investigators are viewing Abramoff as "the middle guy"--suggesting there are bigger targets in their sights. The FBI has 13 field offices across the country working on the case, with two dozen agents assigned to it full time and roughly the same number working part time. "We are going to chase down every lead," Chris Swecker, head of the FBI's criminal division, told Time.

A very fertile area for investigation is the Reverend Sun Myong Moon's empire. Moon, owner of the Washington Times and closely connected to the Bush family, apparently was the source of funds for the college Republican group Abramoff led in the early 1980's.

But will the Justice Department, headed by Bush loyalists, or the FBI, infamous for dumping on 9/11 whistleblowers and promoting the coverup artists, really sink their teeth into this?

Doubtful. Expect a handful of inescapably compromised congressmen (e.g. Ohio's Bob Ney) to follow Tom Delay down the tubes.

But the system Abramoff played will still be in place.

Former Indy Mayor Goldsmith Makes the Recess 17

2006-01-08T22:49:00.000-05:00

Former Indpls mayor Stephen Goldsmith was just appointed to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Interesting that this would be a recess appointment, tucked in with two highly questionable appointments to the Federal Election Commission, former General and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Richard Myer's niece Julie Myers, and other pretty much uncomfirmable corporate moles.

Goldsmith, who by many accounts blew his chance to be a Bush White House insider during the stretch run of campaign 2000 by being, well, Stephen Goldsmith, doesn't seem to rate this list of rogues and cronies. His departure from Indianapolis was welcome, but his privatization and faith-based theories simply conform well with the wrong-headedness of the BFEE.

So what's he doing on this list of sneak-bys?

Indiana: Rep. introduces bill banning abortion, even in rape and incest cases

2006-01-07T13:45:00.000-05:00

From the Indianapolis Star (link no longer valid)

By Mary Beth Schneider and Michele McNeil

Abortion would be illegal for most women in Indiana, including victims of rape and incest, under a bill filed this week in the Indiana House.

Indiana's legislators have chipped away at abortion for decades, imposing waiting periods and other restrictions, but the measure proposed by Rep. Troy A. Woodruff, R-Vincennes, is the first direct attempt in years to outlaw most abortions.The only exception allowed under House Bill 1096 would be for women whose health or life would be permanently impaired if a pregnancy continued. The bill would define life as beginning at conception and make it a felony to perform all other abortions. Anyone convicted would face up to eight years in prison.

Woodruff said he expected the bill to easily pass the House. But Senate President Pro Tempore Robert Garton, R-Columbus, and Gov. Mitch Daniels questioned the prospects of the proposal.

In Indiana, 11,458 abortions were performed in 2003, the most recent year for which the Indiana State Department of Health has data. That's down from 12,109 in 1999. Nationally, the number of abortions has dropped, too. In 2002, women had 1.29 million abortions, down from 1.36 million in 1996, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit group with offices in New York and Washington that researches reproductive health.

Woodruff said the time is right for Indiana to confront this issue. "It's something I've prayed about, and it's weighed on my heart," said Woodruff, who also is an aide to U.S. Rep. John Hostettler, R-Ind. "It's an emotional issue," Woodruff acknowledged, but he added that he thought most Hoosiers support a ban.

An Indiana law banning most abortions most likely would be challenged in the courts and could end up as a test case before the U.S. Supreme Court to possibly overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which legalized abortion nationwide.

Indiana House Race: Chowning vs. "Clowning" in 2006

2006-01-07T13:25:00.000-05:00

I worked for the Indiana House Democratic Caucus as the media buyer for 14 candidates in the 2004 general election. We knew it was going to be tough, as the Republicans dumped tons of soft and hard money into the election at the last minute. One of the better and we thought, safer folks was Rep. Alan Chowning of Sullivan, District 45. Sadly, he was ambushed along with several others with a last minute barrage of gay marriage slam ads.

The winner in that district was Troy Woodruff. Woodruff has already gained some notice for casting the deciding vote on the Indiana Daylight Savings Time bill, which passed last year after decades of wrangling and dancing over this "third rail" of Indiana politics.

It's still a third rail as its passage has caused lots of problems for Gov. "My Man" Mitch Daniels, whose popularity is well below 50% due to some backroom deal welching regarding which time zone the state would switch to (that particular issue is yet unresolved).

Meantime, Woodruff appears to be seeking some sort of redeption in his district for his renegade vote; redemption in the form of introducing a law banning abortion in the state.

Memo to Alan Chowning: I wouldn't be afraid to run against this clown again. I don't know what the district polling is on pro/against Roe v Wade, but regardless, I wouldn't let this stop me. Come back, 2006 will be a Democratic year and you can take this guy down.

Abramoff: lt's a Republican Thing, Despite the Corporate Media Slant

2006-01-07T13:14:00.001-05:00

Little effort is being made by the corporate media to differentiate $ directly from Abramoff (absolutely positively dirty) and those made by folks who have worked with Abramoff (possibly dirty, possibly not). Both the White House and media are madly spinning the Abramoff hijinks as bi-partisan.

Some Democrats may in fact get tainted because of donations made by Abramoff clients, but many of those donations, such as those made by native American tribes involved in casino gambling, were made BEFORE Abramoff got his hooks into them. I have not heard of any direct donations by Abramoff himself to Democrats.

From the increasingly important William Pitt:

"It is not our job to seek peaceful coexistence with the Left. Our job is to remove them from power permanently."

- Jack A. Abramoff

All of official Washington is at this moment waiting with bated breath for the avalanche. Jack Abramoff, the disgraced super-lobbyist, has made a plea agreement in the massive prosecution against him and his cronies. Every talking head who has spoken on the subject has stated bluntly that the fallout from this plea deal will almost certainly result in the largest scandal to hit the capital in decades.

The questions, of course, are straightforward: Who is involved? Who took money from this guy? Who is on his pad? Most significantly, who did Abramoff name when he decided to sing to the prosecutors?

Republicans, nervous about the bad noise to come, have attempted to paint this as an equal-opportunity crime. To wit, the Democrats are into Abramoff as deeply as the GOP. The facts, however, do not bear this out. According to campaign donation information gathered by the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics, the following officeholders and candidates have received political donations from Abramoff since 2000:

Tom DeLay (R-Texas). John Ashcroft (R-Mo.). Frank A. LoBiondo (R-NJ). Eric Cantor (R-Va.). Arlen Specter (R-Pa.). John Ensign (R-Nev.). Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.). Charles H. Taylor (R-NC). Chris Cannon (R-Utah). Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). Mark Foley (R-Fla.). Richard Pombo (R-Calif.). Christopher S. "Kit" Bond (R-Mo.). Curt Weldon (R-Pa.). Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.). Doug Ose (R-Calif.). Ernest J. Istook (R-Okla.). George R. Nethercutt Jr. (R-Wash.). Jim Bunning (R-Ky.). Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.). Tom Feeney (R-Fla.). Dan Burton (R-Ind.). Eric Cantor (R-Va.). Suzanne Terrell (R-La.). Rob Simmons (R-Conn.). Charles W. "Chip" Pickering Jr. (R-Miss.). Connie Morella (R-Md.). Gordon H. Smith (R-Ore.). James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.). James M. Talent (R-Mo.). John T. Doolittle (R-Calif.). John Thune (R-SD). Tim Hutchinson (R-Ark.). Bob Smith (R-Fla.). Bob Ney (R-Ohio). CL. "Butch" Otter (R-Idaho). Carolyn W. Grant (R-NC). Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.). Elizabeth Dole (R-NC). Heather Wilson (R-NM). J. Randy Forbes (R-Va.). Jack Kingston (R-Ga.). James V. Hansen (R-Utah). John Cornyn (R-Texas). Kimo Kaloi (R-Hawaii). Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.). Mike Ferguson (R-NJ). Mike Simpson (R-Idaho). Ralph Regula (R-Ohio). Ric Keller (R-Fla.). Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.). Ted Stevens (R-Alaska). Thad Cochran (R-Miss.). Dave Camp (R-Mich.). Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.). Tom Young (R-Ala.). Bill Janklow (R-SD). Craig Thomas (R-Wyo.). Spencer Abraham (R-Mich.). William L. Gormley (R-NJ). Bill McCollum (R-Fla.). Bill Redmond (R-NM). Bob Riley (R-Ala.). Claude B. Hutchison Jr. (R-Calif.). Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.). Francis E. Flotron (R-Mo.). George Allen (R-Va.). Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.). Walter B. Jones Jr. (R-NC). Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). Bob Smith (R-Fla.). Joe Pitts (R-PA). Charles H. Taylor (R-NC). Bob Ehrlich (R-Md.). Charles R. Gerow (R-Pa.). Ed Royce (R-Calif.). Elia Vincent Pirozzi (R-Calif.). Jerry Weller (R-Ill.). Mark Emerson (R-Utah). Tom Davis (R-Va.). Van Hilleary (R-Tenn.).

More here.

Abramoff: How Deep Does it Go?

2006-01-06T09:14:00.000-05:00

With "super-lobbyist" Jack Abramoff copping pleas for influence peddling with Congress and separately, fraud charges in the acquisition of a Florida casino fleet, the big question is how deep does Abramoff's network go?

Deep, very deep, is the answer by some. Perhaps deeper than will ever come out.

On the surface, there's a mix of surprise, panic and fear among the Congresscritters, up to 60 of whom may be tainted by Abramoff-related campaign contributions and worse. Right now, it looks like former House Speaker Tom Delay is toast, given his current indictment in Texas. Current House Speakerr Roy Blunt, House Majority Leader Dennis Hastert, and prominent Ohio congressman Bob Ney are also likely to fall before this is over. While those folks are all R's, some D's are also implicated, most prominently Harry Reid and Hillary Clinton, both of whom received contributions from Abramoff-related clients. That's a degree removed from the many R's who received $ directly from Abramoff, but it remains to be seen how safe the D's are in this one.

One thing to remember: Abramoff has begun his plea deal with Bush's Justice Department,headed by AG Alberto Gonzales. The prosecutor on the case is Alice Miller, who formerly served as a staff member to Delay. So how much can we really expect from the Bush administration? Wouldn't surprise me if this is another "limited hangout" where a few folks take the fall, with a specific effort to take down a D or two in order to neuter the "Culture of Corruption" campaign issue that's taking shape nicely for the D's.

I've spent the last several weeks boning up on Abramoff from every source I can find. In many ways, he looks more like Superman than a lobbyist. His tentacles are everywhere and he's not even 50 yet. He has history going back to his association with good ole Ollie North and Iran Contra.

My tentative conclusion is that Abramoff is not Superman, because nobody is. Instead I think he's a willing front man for a structural network that runs deep into the Republican Culture of Corruption and maybe beyond that, into some of the more entrenched Democrats as well.

More to come.

"Because He Hates Us For Our Freedoms"

2006-01-05T13:54:00.000-05:00

Reprinted in its entirety with permission from Democratic Underground poster David Zephyr:

1. Why has George W. Bush, as President, stacked the federal courts with judges who have histories of ruling against small, entrepreneurial businesses in favor of large, monopolistic corporations? Why has his administration consistently prevented free market and Laissez Faire competitive bids for government contracts in Iraq and even at home in New Orleans? Because he hates us for our freedoms.

2. Why has George W. Bush, as President, waged a relentless attack on a woman's personal liberty to control her own reproductive organs, her very own body? Because he hates us for our freedoms.

3.) Why has George W. Bush, as President, sought to punish homosexual American citizens by limiting their civil rights in employment, housing and their constitutional right to equal protection under the law guaranteed in the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution? Because he hates us for our freedoms.

4.) Why has George W. Bush, as President, thumbed his nose at American legal tradition, cavalierly denying Habeas Corpus rights to those he has illegally rounded up and detained? Because he hates us for our freedoms.

5. Why has George W. Bush, as President, used the federal government and the full powers of the Executive Branch to abusively pressure the free press within the United States of America, to squelch news stories that expose government lies and corruption, to punish news organizations and the journalists who report on high crimes and misdemeanors at the White House? Because he hates us for our freedoms.

6. Why has George W. Bush, as President, illegally spied on Americans from coast to coast in their libraries, their work places, and in their telephone conversations? Because he hates us for our freedoms.

7. Why has George W. Bush, as President, approved the practice of sadistic torture in blatant violation of a human being's most fundamental liberty, the right to live free from cruel and unusual punishment from his/her own government? Because he hates us for our freedoms.

8. Why has George W. Bush, as President, willfully assaulted our nation’s time-honored precedent for a “wall of separation” between church and state by violating the Bill of Rights in establishing state-sanctioned religions by providing federal funds to some churches and not to others? Why has George Bush ordered the Executive Branch to ignore the wishes of our founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison who risked their very lives so that liberty might prosper in our land? Because he hates our freedoms.

9. Why has George W. Bush, as President, ordered federal officials to violate the Fourth Amendment and to illegally enter our fellow-citizens’ homes, seize their properties without warrants? Because he hates our freedoms.

10. Why has George W. Bush, as President, not upheld and/or protected the Constitution of the United States of America? Why has he abused the powers of his office in continued criminal activity against We, the People of the United States? Because he hates us for our freedoms.

"If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator." --- President-Elect George W. Bush on December 18, 2000.

Revere Report

A Government That Listens To Its People?

How to keep up

"Truth Is All", Election Math Wizard, Is Ill

TruthIsAll

TIA is quite ill and in the hospital. His wife expressed TIA’s desire to havehis online friends pray for him.

Joe Kernan's 7th Inning Stretch

The 37% Boys: Is Indiana Coming Around, Or Are We All Screwed Anyway?

Bushco as wholly owned subsidiary

Harboring Terrorists? Heck, Bushco is Selling the Harbors to Terrorists

Go Figure

Why More People Don't "Get" It

Bushco: Packing the Courts Reaps Benefits As 9/11 Whistleblower Sibel Edmonds Muzzled

Sibel Edmonds is proof that the “War on Terror” is a Lie

Rove on Cue: Osama Tape Signals '06 Strategy

Osama's Back. But Whose Back Does He Have?

Alito's Real Danger

CNN: Liberal? Umm...Not So Much

A Word or Two on Alito and His Judicial Ethics

NPR Censors 2004 Election Investigator Mark Crispin Miller

Cable Access, Wherefore Art Thou?

Cable Industry Goes For the Jugular in Indiana

Abramoff a "Middleman"?

Former Indy Mayor Goldsmith Makes the Recess 17

Indiana: Rep. introduces bill banning abortion, even in rape and incest cases

Indiana House Race: Chowning vs. "Clowning" in 2006

Abramoff: lt's a Republican Thing, Despite the Corporate Media Slant

Abramoff: How Deep Does it Go?

"Because He Hates Us For Our Freedoms"

TIA is quite ill and in the hospital. His wife expressed TIA’s desire to have
his online friends pray for him.