How desperate is McCain?
I'd fire my PR firm if I was the maverick. Dirty politics and smear campaigns only make he who does the smearing look like a fool. No wonder Obama is more popular than McCain.

Appearing angry and reading from a prepared text, Olmert said, "I was forced to defend myself against relentless attacks from self-appointed 'fighters for justice' who sought to depose me from my position, when the ends sanctified all the means."
Olmert, whose term was to end in 2010, said he would not run in his party's primary election, set for Sept. 17,
Never trust a man with a comb-over. Yes, that self deception in which a balding man deludes himself into thinking that growing his hair out to an incredible length on one side of his head, then simply flinging it over to the other side, will cause others to think it looks as good as it does to himself. For example, take this fellow:

He actually thinks we don't notice that he is bald all the way to the back of his skull. He thinks that, somehow, we will believe he has a normal head of hair. He probably thinks that young girls my daughter's age find him attractive. I assume that a disproportionate number of perverts, child molesters and murderers of women and children have comb-overs - not to imply, heaven forbid, that this particular fellow should be viewed in that light.
Really, now - would you buy a used car from this man? Seriously - think about it. Someone who thinks he can delude you with something as obvious as a comb-over? He could persuade himself that you might be deceived by anything he said or did, don't you think? Look at those close-set, sneaky eyes. In this picture, you can almost hear him chortling over some poor sucker whom he just fleeced, as he rubs his hands together, Scrooge like. Or, perhaps, he is plotting the abduction of some poor innocent and is considering where to hide the body.
What a Nation's Leadership Says About its Character
Coincidentally, the man with the comb-over pictured above happens to be Ehud Olmert, Israel's current Prime Minister and architect of the genocidal frenzy that has been taking place in both Palestine and Lebanon. Past Israeli Prime Ministers have included self-confessed assassins (Begin) and mass murderers (Sharon) who thought themselves fit to mingle in amongst normal, decent people. That such men are selected to lead should tell you a great deal about Israel. Not that choosing a boob like Bush to lead America is not just as telling. H. L. Mencken (1880-1956) once observed:.............
Bush administration officials “reassured Israel’s defense minister this week that the United States has not abandoned all possibility of a military attack on Iran.” At the same time, the Israelis are “emphasizing the possibility of a military response out of concern that Tehran may soon have the know-how for building a nuclear bomb.”
Labels: Iran, Israel, nuclear bomb
Labels: mccain
Bell Canada and TELUS (formerly owned by Verizon) employees officially confirm that by 2012 ISP's all over the globe will reduce Internet access to a TV-like subscription model, only offering access to a small standard amount of commercial sites and require extra fees for every other site you visit. These 'other' sites would then lose all their exposure and eventually shut down, resulting in what could be seen as the end of the Internet.
Labels: net neutrality
From the BBC: "There are alien bases on earth"
World renowned UFO researcher Timothy Good tells BBC WM about the UFO sightings wave gripping Britain, the government's secret liaisons with extraterrestrials and why a real 'Star Wars' might be coming.

It all seems to start about February of even numbered years (there are some exceptions but usually it’s those even numbers again) and reaches near national-demic proportions by that November. Curious, that!
We, the people, are told that we can inoculate ourselves from the disease that plagued us the last 2, 4 or more years by injecting a new anti-biotic into the nation. This new injection usually has a couple of months of experimentation after some research on the cause of the infection. Groups get together telling us that their idea for a cure is the best and that those others could do more damage, so better be safe and not choose any of the others.
Eventually, the possible cure is narrowed to two doses. Again, each claiming ‘its’ cure is best and accepting the other’s might cause catastrophic results.
Fever starts to run high around late September and early October, probably because the incubation period is over by then and the disease is quickly spread by mouth. By then most of us have been infected in one way or another and have been told we MUST have a cure this time to end all the suffering from the last cycle.
By November, we can hardly stand it any longer and must decide which dose will help us best from the stories we’re told by those prescribing their cures. It’s amazing that with few exceptions we are usually pretty close in our judgment as to which will be used over the next cycle. (There are some who won't make a choice for whatever reason. They then have to endure whichever selection was made by all the others who do choose). Lately the one chosen hasn’t seemed to work as well as the other would have. Sometimes it’s painfully obvious that neither will help although we have this ingrained belief that if we choose wisely, things will be just fine…for another cycle.
We’re quickly approaching that time for panic to set in where a decision must be made; a decision that each organization claims will alleviate symptoms and the suffering of the last cycle. Which organization will provide us relief from the plague of the last 8 years? Or will either?
Over the years, these cures have become less and less effective. We may be developing an immunity to the cure or the disease is becoming more and more resistant to treatment. Still, some symptoms can be at least delayed for another cycle. And many of us still have faith that a permanent cure will be found. We even contribute mightily to the organizations in the hope that our money will provide that cure.
Remember, when you’re standing in line to make your decision, the choice of a cure during the last two epidemics wiped out a part of our population. It looks as though one of the selections now available could increase the number of dead among us and the other could find us wishing for another quicker cure.
Either way I doubt this new vaccination will take. Hopefully, we’ll be around to get another chance at a different vaccine in a couple of years.
Mr Obama's Republican rival, John McCain, visited a German restaurant in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday to eat bratwurst sausage with local business leaders.



(that flag looks a little blurry - eh? Well, in the paper, it's barely even visible)Lieberman again drew a parallel between Hagee and biblical figures, this time saying biblical heroes, unlike the demigods of Greek mythology, "are humans — great humans, but with human failings." Lieberman said that Moses had his shortcomings, too.
"Dear friends, I can only imagine what the bloggers of today would have had to say about Moses and Miriam."
You have gathered this evening, united by faith and a commitment to the State of Israel -- sixty years after its miraculous rebirth in the Holy Land.
But you know well that Israel's existence did not begin sixty years ago. It began four thousand years ago, as told in Genesis 12:1, when God told Abraham: "Leave your land, your birthplace, and your father's house and go to the land that I will show you. And I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you."
Each one of you has heard that call, and so you have come here today to the capital city of the greatest country in the world to keep that promise and advance that mission. I am honored to greet you with the timeless words of welcome which were extended to the pilgrims who came long ago to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem: "Bruchim Habaim B'Shem Hashem." Blessed be you who come in the name of the Lord.
n its struggle today, thanks to you and so many others, Israel may sometimes feel lonely, but it is surely not alone. With your help, with America's help, and with God's help--Israel will again prevail.
In the United States, solidarity with Israel runs both deep and broad. It is a feature of our landscape as distinctive and enduring as the Rocky Mountains and the mighty Mississippi. It stretches in time from President Washington and the Founding Fathers to President Bush and members of Congress of both parties.
There should be no mystery in this. Americans and Israelis alike are the children of freedom and know alike that our rights to life and liberty come from our Creator.
We both pride ourselves on our democratic ideals, our culture of economic opportunity, and our political pluralism. These are the values we cherish and the values that define not just who we are but who we aspire to be.
Today we Americans also recognize that Israel's struggle against terrorism parallels our own. The same violent Islamist extremists that seek the destruction of Israel also have attacked our own citizens at home and abroad.

Will He visit an all muslim country wearing his bacon suit?
perhaps his zipper will be down....?.
or perhaps he'll start a war?

Labels: ethnic cleansing (read: genocide), hubris, Karadjic, Mladic, war crimes
“I never thought I would hear myself saying this,” Dobson said in a radio broadcast to be broadcast Monday. “… While I am not endorsing Senator John McCain, the possibility is there that I might.”Radical? Obama? I wish.
To continue … “Barack Obama contradicts and threatens everything I believe about the institution of the family and what is best for the nation. His radical positions on life, marriage and national security force me to reevaluate the candidacy of our only other choice, John McCain.”
Registrar officials say they used the "down time" before the naturalization ceremonies to give a PowerPoint presentation showing how to complete a voter-registration affidavit. It made the process go smoothly, particularly for immigrants who are still struggling with English, registrar officials said. Bilingual assistance was also made available.Now the immigrants don't have their cards in front of them when the PP presentation is given and they can't stick around after the ceremony to fill out the cards. And there you go. Democracy at work in America under the bushistas.


WASHINGTON - European terrorists are trying to enter the United States with European Union passports, and there is no guarantee officials will catch them every time, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Thursday.Labels: terror alert
In February, Muhammad was snatched by a four-man squad of Israeli special forces while playing with friends near the security wall, a mile away from his home. He was subjected to a vicious beating by the men, who punched him repeatedly and smashed him across the face with the butt of a gun in broad daylight. "No one said a word to me during [the attack]", recalled Muhammad, whose description of the assault bore marked similarities to Rodney King's ordeal.Nice ally we've got there. Are you outraged yet?
The difference, however, is that Muhammad is just 14 years old, yet was deemed a sufficient enough threat by the soldiers that he needed to be beaten to the point of almost losing consciousness. His crime? Allegedly throwing stones at the separation wall; something Muhammad strenuously denies.
Whereas Israeli youths are treated as children in the eyes of the law until they turn 18, Palestinians are not accorded such humane treatment, and can be imprisoned from the tender age of just 12. Since September 2000 Israel has arrested and detained almost 6000 children, with 700 under-18s arrested in 2007 alone.
Gerard Horton of DCI, an NGO which has taken up Muhammad's case, pointed to the IDF's flagrant violations of children's rights as yet another example of Israel thumbing its nose at international law. "These abuses have been well documented for many years, yet our pleas for intervention have fallen on deaf ears", he said. "The lack of will by the international community to uphold the rule of law when it comes to the Occupied Territories is deeply disturbing."
After his violent treatment at the hands of the troops, Muhammad was taken to a police station for interrogation, where he was duped into signing a confession. "A man showed me a piece of paper in Hebrew [a language Muhammad doesn't speak] and told me if I signed it I would be released, so I did", he said. "Immediately he told me that I had just signed a confession, and that I should now expect a prison sentence".
After receiving medical treatment for his wounds, which required an overnight stay in hospital, Muhammad was transferred to another jail until his court case in front of a military judge. He was not permitted to see a lawyer until five minutes before his trial, and throughout his entire ordeal (including his four and a half month prison term) was not allowed to see any member of his family.
His parents were sick with worry, according to his mother.
continued
Labels: child brutality, Israel, Palestine
"Apparently, the breezy feel of “Chiclete” hides a serious conversation about musical appropriation and cultural imperialism…which might explain why college professors sometimes include the song in their coursework. But since I speak not a word of Portuguese and “Chiclete” is so damned catchy, for me, it remains a happy song. (How’s that for Yankee appropriation?)"
excerpt: When called onto the carpet for wanting to continue the policies of the most unpopular president in history, Republicans start running for cover to the point of claiming they never said what they just said. The denial is a tacit acknowledgment of the power of the populist uprising now boiling throughout the country. The GOP knows the country is very angry at conservatives' free market fundamentalism -- and so will deny and obfuscate to pretend they aren't championing such fundamentalism.
Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-NC, has officially requested that the ”Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008" be also named after the late Sen. Jesse Helms, R-NC. Read moreI suspect old Liddy is losing her mind.
I'm So Sick Of Anthrax
Won't you kiss me again? Take my mind of CNN
Hold me in your arms. I wont do you any harm
Baby turn off the tv, I don't care if it's CNBC
There's a monkey on our backs... And I'm so sick of Anthrax.
We won't open our mail, nasty spores we won't inhale
Baby turn off the tv, No more MSNBC
Fox News has gotten stale, Forget about the rooms of mail.
Baby turn the tv off, Forget about your nagging cough.
Remember I'm your friend, and if this is really the end
Let's get that monkey off our backs, I'm so sick of anthrax
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia exhorted followers of the world's leading faiths to turn away from extremism and embrace a spirit of reconciliation, saying at the start of an interfaith conference Wednesday that history's great conflicts were not caused by religion itself but by its misinterpretation.
"My brothers, we must tell the world that differences don't need to lead to disputes," Abdullah said, speaking through a Spanish interpreter. "The tragedies we have experienced throughout history were not the fault of religion but because of the extremism that has been adopted by some followers of all the religions, and of all political systems."
Just hours after Bush vetoed the legislation, the Senate voted 70-26 to overturn him, following the House of Representatives, which voted 383-41 to override. The bill now becomes law. Reutersyay
In a spectacular act of complicity with the religious right, the Department of Health and Human Services Monday released a proposal that allows any federal grant recipient to obstruct a woman's access to contraception. In order to do this, the Department is attempting to redefine many forms of contraception, the birth control 40% of Americans use, as abortion. Doing so protects extremists under the Weldon and Church amendments. Those laws prohibit federal grant recipients from requiring employees to help provide or refer for abortion services. In the "Definitions" section of the HHS proposal it states,aaaaarrrrrgggggghhhhhhhhhhh![...]
- "Abortion: An abortion is the termination of a pregnancy. There are two commonly held views on the question of when a pregnancy begins. Some consider a pregnancy to begin at conception (that is, the fertilization of the egg by the sperm), while others consider it to begin with implantation (when the embryo implants in the lining of the uterus). A 2001 Zogby International American Values poll revealed that 49% of Americans believe that human life begins at conception. Presumably many who hold this belief think that any action that destroys human life after conception is the termination of a pregnancy, and so would be included in their definition of the term "abortion." Those who believe pregnancy begins at implantation believe the term "abortion" only includes the destruction of a human being after it has implanted in the lining of the uterus."
Up until now, the federal government followed the definition of pregnancy accepted by the American Medical Association and our nation's pregnancy experts, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which is: pregnancy begins at implantation. With this proposal, however, HHS is dismissing medical experts and opting instead to accept a definition of pregnancy based on polling data. It now claims that pregnancy begins at some biologically unknowable moment (there's no test to determine if a woman's egg has been fertilized). Under these new standards there would be no way for a woman to prove she's not pregnant. Thus, any woman could be denied contraception under HHS' new science. continued
Labels: abortion, contraception, HHS, women's rights

"oh tell me now who do you love, who do you love, who can you trust with your love these days"
"Yolanda Gibson-Michaels has a very valid point in the demanding the Investigations of FDIC Frauds.. In my considered and qualified opinion; What has gone on in this country and others since this game of Dungeons and Dragons began to be played back in the 80's in the Global Banking, Financial and Economic Industries.. we have watched this nation be torn to shreds as she lost her International Good Standing while the DOJ sent out inter-Office Memorandums "DO NOT INVESTIGATE"..
This DO NOT INVESTIGATE intervention is no different than a MOB BOSS going throughout the global neighborhoods... breaking down doors, killing the men of the households, raping the women,then sending the children off into WHITE SLAVERY.. then having LISTENING DEVICES planted all over the place along with cameras on every street corner, in resturantes, under the beds, etc.. so the MOB BOSS would have full knowledge of the MOVES being made to bring him/her to justice......
Thats bad enough, but acording to an article in which Rodney Stitch Deposed Gunther Russbacher many of these alleged 'Judges" are bought and paid for to keep the MOB BOSS'S safe from prosecution..
WELL! IT'S HIGH TIME THIS TYPE OF MAL-ADMINISTRATION, MALFEASANCE and Acts in Color of Law by those in Offices of Public Trust who refuse to do their sworn duties and neglect their responsibilities of OATH OF OFFICE OF OFFICERS IN OFFICES OF PUBLIC TRUST..
Investigate THE FDIC FRAUDS
IMMEDIATELY ENSURE THAT SENATOR CHARLES SHUMER RECEIVE THIS EMAIL. EVIDENCE SUPPORTS SENATOR SHUMER REQUEST FOR AN INVESTIGATION INTO REPORT FRAUD, REGULATOR FRAUD, INDY BANKS, ET.AL.
Charles Shumer should continue to expose Corporate Regulator Fraud. FDIC, OTS and other reported corrupt officials caused the IndyMac and other Bank Failures. Congress, Senate, and the Judiciary must investigate FDIC and all Federal Institution Regulators engaged into a World Wide Pyramid. Reported officials: Former FDIC Chairman Donald E. Powell, John F. Bovenzi (Go to the SEC check out John Bovenzi's unregistered SEC Financial filings and Donald E. Powell). Frederick S. Selby FDIC Division of Finance is the signatory to Kenneth Lay (Enron). Congressman Barney Frank received a 539 page disclosure report of FDIC reported Fraud. John Bovenzi's fraud is included inside the report.
According to his bio posted at the FDIC website, Powell, sworn in as the 18th Chairman of the FDIC in August 2001, was President and CEO of The First National Bank of Amarillo. With over "thirty years of experience in the financial services industry" Powell may recognize a financial fraud or hustle, but how is he on crisis management questions? According to some administration officials, Powell comes to the task with no previous experience in disaster or crisis management.
A lifelong -- and extremely wealthy -- Texan, Powell was one of the "Pioneers" who raised at least $100,000 for Bush's 2000 presidential campaign. The watchdog group, Texans for Public Justice, pointed out that Powell was appointed head of the Board of Regents at Texas A&M University by then Governor Bush in the mid-nineties.


The Republican Song title is actually “Please Don’t Vote For a Democrat.” The song was written, played, sung, produced, and recorded by myself. I claim to be a man of God and like millions of others, I love this great nation, “The United States of America.”and I am simply offended by it. You don't have to be a god fearing person to love the country. In fact if you love the country, you should try to keep it free and safe. Not institute a police state. Democrats love America too and many are believers in God. Just not the nasty vindictive god of money and power at all costs.
Unlike most of The Cure's famous singles, "The Lovecats" is rarely performed live, due to the complexity of the song and the difficulty in recreating some sounds from it.
Labels: Generation Kill
HOUSING FORECLOSURES INCREASING: As a result of the subprime lending crisis, "housing foreclosures nationwide were up 50% in June compared with the same month in 2007." In California alone, foreclosures have reached an average of 500 per day.and read a shameful paragraph about how Phil "a nation of whiners" Gramm's legislation gutted the safeguards in place to prevent such calamity as we see above.
HOMELESSNESS INCREASING: The number of homeless people in America over the age of 50 is "steadily increasing."
HEALTHCARE COSTS RISING: According to a report by the Government Accountability Office, "health-care costs are growing much faster than the economy." Costs are rising so significantly, some Americans are delaying retirement.
GAS PRICES RISING: The national average gas price is $4.09, up 33 percent from this time last year. Gas prices are now expected to hit "$4.25 by the fall and then stay at more than $4 a gallon until the end of 2009."
JOB LOSSES INCREASING: In the first six months of this year, a total of 438,000 jobs have been lost, bringing unemployment to 5.5 percent. The CEO of Bank of America commented, if unemployment continues to rise, "all bets are off."
FOOD COSTS RISING: "U.S. food prices rose 4 percent in 2007" -- the fastest rise in 17 years -- and as a result, food stamps have considerably less buying power.
HEATING AND ELECTRICITY COSTS RISING: Heating oil costs across the North are expected to be "up 60 percent from last year," and utilities across the country are "raising power prices up to 29%."
REAL WAGES DECLINING: "Slower wage growth and faster inflation has led to falling real hourly and weekly earnings for most workers."
LEISURE SPENDING DECLINING: As a result of the rising cost of living, Americans are "tightening their belts and thinking twice about spending extra bucks on entertainment and leisure products."
VALUE OF DOLLAR DECLINING: The dollar "has been declining steadily for six years against other major currencies, undercutting its role as the leading international banking currency."
OKLAHOMA CITY -- An Oklahoma church canceled a controversial gun giveaway for teenagers at a weekend youth conference.OMG. Jesus if you're out there. COME BACK!!! NOW!!!!
Windsor Hills Baptist had planned to give away a semiautomatic assault rifle until one of the event's organizers was unable to attend. (He hurt his foot.)
The church’s youth pastor, Bob Ross, said it’s a way of trying to encourage young people to attend the event. The church expected hundreds of teenagers from as far away as Canada.
“We have 21 hours of preaching and teaching throughout the week,” Ross said.That's exactly what I'm thinking. What happened to bb guns? Or muskets? This reminds me of having to sit through a time share demonstration in order to get the Bose Radio or electric blanket for free.
A video on the church Web site shows the shooting competition from last year’s conference. A gun giveaway was part of the event last year. This year, organizers included it in their marketing.
“I don’t want people thinking ‘My goodness, we’re putting a weapon in the hand of somebody that doesn’t respect it who are then going to go out and kill,'” said Ross. “That’s not at all what we’re trying to do.”
Ross said the conference isn’t all about guns, but rather about teens finding faith.
“You make a lot of new friends down here,” said Vikki Goncharenko, who attended the conference. “You get to meet new people. There's a bunch of things that are going on. It's just, you have a wonderful time.”
Friday evening, Ross said the gun giveaway had been canceled. Pastor emeritus Jim Vineyard, who ran the event, injured his foot and wouldn’t be able to attend. The gun giveaway was also removed from the church Web site.If you take away the incentive will they still come? Stay tuned.
Ross said the church would give the gun away next year instead. He said the church spent $800 buying the gun for the promotion.
Labels: evangelicals, guns, nutjobs, religion, semiautomatic rifle
........The Declaration of Independence, in 1776, freed Americans not only from Britain but also from the tyranny of British corporations, and for a hundred years after the document’s signing, Americans remained deeply suspicious of corporate power. They were careful about the way they granted corporate charters, and about the powers granted therein. Early American charters were created literally by the people, for the people as a legal convenience. Corporations were "artificial, invisible, intangible," mere financial tools. They were chartered by individual states, not the federal government, which meant they could be kept under close local scrutiny. They were automatically dissolved if they engaged in activities that violated their charter. Limits were placed on how big and powerful companies could become. Even railroad magnate J. P. Morgan, the consummate capitalist, understood that corporations must never become so big that they "inhibit freedom to the point where efficiency [is] endangered." The two hundred or so corporations operating in the US by the year 1800 were each kept on fairly short leashes. They weren’t allowed to participate in the political process. They couldn’t buy stock in other corporations. And if one of them acted improperly, the consequences were severe. In 1832, President Andrew Jackson vetoed a motion to extend the charter of the corrupt and tyrannical Second Bank of the United States, and was widely applauded for doing so. That same year the state of Pennsylvania revoked the charters of ten banks for operating contrary to the public interest. Even the enormous industry trusts, formed to protect member corporations from external competitors and provide barriers to entry, eventually proved no match for the state.
By the mid-1800s, antitrust legislation was widely in place.
In the early history of America, the corporation played an important but subordinate role. The people — not the corporations — were in control. So what happened?
How did corporations gain power and eventually start exercising more control than the individuals who created them? The shift began in the last third of the nineteenth century — the start of a great period of struggle between corporations and civil society. The turning point was the Civil War. Corporations made huge profits from procurement contracts and took advantage of the disorder and corruption of the times to buy legislatures, judges and even presidents. Corporations became the masters and keepers of business.
President Abraham Lincoln foresaw terrible trouble. Shortly before his death, he warned that "corporations have been enthroned . . . . An era of corruption in high places will follow and the money power will endeavor to prolong its reign by working on the prejudices of the people . . . until wealth is aggregated in a few hands . . . and the republic is destroyed."

Well, Americans have consistently rejected the George McGoverns and the Michael Dukakises, the people who clearly and unapologetically are out there on the left — the Walter Mondales who said, I’m going to raise your taxes.Huckabee contradicted himself in the first place: If liberals stick to their convictions they get beat, but on the other hand Jesse Helms stuck to his and was a winner. But Jesse Helms was a liar and a bigot and a hateful mofo. I don't think that the "liberals" who were beat were beat because they were liberals though. The right is very good at playing into people's fears.
So when liberals are honest about being liberals, they get beat. I think it’s a situation — you know, you had the little clip of Jesse Helms at the opening of the show, and I’m thinking, what a contrast. The thing that many of us loved and admired about Jesse Helms was that, here was a guy, he didn’t care what you thought about his view, but you were going to always know where he stood because he stood for something and he stood clearly.
I think we’re not seeing that in Barack Obama especially in relationship — to his position on the war.
click pic for larger versionLabels: obligatory friday sex post
The American leader, who has been condemned throughout his presidency for failing to tackle climate change, ended a private meeting with the words: "Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter."I almost can't take it anymore. I feel like I want to go into a deep sleep and wake up late next January.
He then punched the air while grinning widely, as the rest of those present including Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy looked on in shock.
Mr Bush, whose second and final term as President ends at the end of the year, then left the meeting at the Windsor Hotel in Hokkaido where the leaders of the world's richest nations had been discussing new targets to cut carbon emissions.
One official who witnessed the extraordinary scene said afterwards: "Everyone was very surprised that he was making a joke about America's record on pollution."

Our open letter on Iran
Talk of military action against Iran grows louder every day. Rumors swirl of an Israeli attack before Inauguration Day or a Bush administration October surprise. Their are reports of special ops teams already in place and at work.
J Street's position is clear: We oppose pre-emptive military action by either the United States or Israel, and we support stronger US diplomacy - using carrots as well as sticks - to address Iran's nuclear ambitions.
That's why we're asking J Street's members to sign our open letter to Members of Congress and Congressional candidates asking them to say "no" to war with Iran and "yes" to tough, smart diplomacy. We'll present this letter to every Member of Congress and Congressional candidate we meet with this cycle. Sign our open letter to Members of Congress and Congressional candidates here.
To us, it's common sense that saber-rattling and constant threats are counter-productive. What better way to unite Iran behind its most hawkish leaders than threatening to attack? What better way to empower the Iranian hardliners' case for nuclear weapons development than to talk of a military attack?
Too many political candidates seem to think that tough talk and belligerent resolutions will shore up their image on national security. Concerned about appearing "weak", they hesitate to stress negotiation and engagement as fundamental tools of foreign policy in addressing threats and resolving conflicts.
Was it weakness on the Bush administration's part to negotiate an end to Libya's weapons programs? Didn't "tough" diplomacy lead North Korea to start backing slowly away from its nuclear program?
Let's be clear: We do not want Iran to get nuclear weapons. We want to protect Israel from threats. We condemn the unacceptable and unjustifiable rhetoric against Israel and the Jewish people. We want to defend American interests in the Middle East and around the world.
But the current course of American foreign policy has not only failed to achieve these goals; it has undermined them.
A military strike will not eliminate the actual threat. Even proponents acknowledge that, at best, it might set Iran's suspected nuclear program back by a few years. But military action would likely strengthen Iranian determination to succeed in developing a nuclear weapon.
It was precisely this kind of backward thinking that brought us the debacle in Iraq. A war sold at least in part as a strategy for fighting terror instead brought increased terror and instability at a terrible cost in human lives, America's international standing and hundreds of billions of our tax dollars.
War with Iran would likely trigger wider warfare, further regional instability, and potentially a worldwide economic upheaval. In the end, the attack itself would strengthen the argument of those in Iran who say they need such weapons because they live under the threat of attack.
That's why we are asking our members to sign an open letter to current Members of Congress and Congressional candidates encouraging them to support a smart and tough policy on Iran.





from:
Bill from Maine, via dailykos:
Dear Troops in Iraq and That Other Place,
Hi! How are you? Staying busy, we hope, and close to an air conditioner! It's hot here, too---don’t get us started, ha ha! Thank god for popsicles, eh?
We have some bad news, I'm afraid. As you may have heard, things aren’t very rosy here stateside. So we're sorry to report that we've collectively decided that the wars of freedom you're fighting over there have been bumped down a notch--or two--on our national list of problems and priorities. :(
Now, before you start feeling sorry for yourselves, let us explain why you're no longer our top priority. You see, we're hurting at the moment. Hurting pretty bad. It's tough to know where to start. The real estate market sucks, gas prices are forcing us to cut back on vacations, our 401(k)s are battered, we're losing our jobs and things are getting more expensive. As much as we know that shopping is the best way to fight terrorism, it's just getting harder to plunk down the plastic at Macy's. There's just "too much month left over at the end of the money," ha ha.
Thank goodness you're over there and don’t have to experience what we're going through over here. You still get to drive your Hummers---we're all selling our SUVs for pennies on the dollar and squeezing into Priuses. We wonder if you can even grasp the magnitude of our discomfort. If you do, then no doubt you're stomping your feet and yelling (as we are): "God dammit! Stop the insanity!" Some of us have even had to start riding bicycles again or doing that thing where you stand up and put one foot in front of the other. (Warking? Wooking? Something like that.)
So please forgive us for turning our attention away from you men and women in uniform, but we've got our own problems here in the States. Don’t get us wrong, though. You're still doing a terrific job, and we promise to get back to you just as soon as our lives become a little more comfortable and cozy. We hear it could be as soon as 2010.
Huzzah to y'all, and if there's anything you can do to help us out with our struggles, please let your CO know. (Care packages stuffed with corn-based food products, salmonella-free tomatoes and some of the billions of dollars that Viceroy Bremer "lost" when he was in charge would be helpful, but all suggestions are welcome.)
Big hugs,
We The People
1/7th of whom can locate where you are on a mapP.S. You can also help us out big time by holding charity petroleum drives over there. We need oil and LOTS OF IT. Just stop what you’re doing this instant, start scooping up the crude with your helmets, and send it over in those big supply planes. For the love of God and Country, do it now. We NEED THE PRECIOUS JUICE!
P.P.S. Aunt Gladys is pregnant again.

“The world has changed after September 11th. It’s changed because we’re no longer safe.”
These words were used by the George W. Bush, elected President of the United States in 2000, to dictate the political direction for the 21st Century.
Whereas Americans launch attacks relatively quickly, first on Afghanistan and later on Iraq, using falsified evidence, doubts about the official version of the events of September 11th grows. The speculations that surfaced on the internet directly after the attacks were considered to be just wild conspiracy theories until this now. Yet the circumstantial evidence and even the substantial evidence itself paints a clear picture. The responsibility for the terrible attacks seems to lie not with Islamic Terrorists but with several high-ranking members of the military and administration of the U.S. Government.
This documentary focuses on the inconsistencies in the official version of the events as well as on the evidence which has been suppressed regarding September 11th. In addition, it answers the questions of why we still know nothing about it to this day and why we are being deceived – also in european countries.
