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December 29, 2005
Friday, January 07, 2005
Friday's Links
Activism
Send a letter of support to Barbara Boxer. She stood up and voted for what she thought was right - debate on the validity of the Ohio vote. Read here statement here. Did anything come of it? Well, the vote still went through, as expected, but at least there was discussion, for once. Maybe this will lay the groundwork for future reform. Regardless, she was the only Senator to object (final vote: 74-1), and she deserves your support for sticking to her guns and fighting to have every vote counted, even if it wasn't politically convenient. Write her a letter telling her you're impressed, and while you're at it, write YOUR Senator and tell them you're upset they didn't voter with Boxer.
News
Pentagon Scales Back Arms Plans. Hey, that silly war costs a lot of money! And it's money that could be paying for advanced weapons development, and modernizing our troops, but instead it turns out the troops need basic supplies like armor. (It's about time they started supplying that.) Our favorite quote from the article is from a former member of Rumsfeld's team: "No one had anticipated that the cost of Iraq would continue to grow like [this]...clearly they are concerned about the deficit on one hand and Iraq on the other." If only people had had the foresight to see that Bush's policies would result in a growing deficit and an expensive, never-ending war. Oh, wait, some people did, but who needs people like that running the country? You know, people who have a coherent plan for defending the nation? Here at Still Fighting, we like to call those people "leaders", but clearly there's no room for them in the White House. Heaven forbid our military is needed to fight on another front right now.
White House memo: Pitch Social Security doom. This article (and this one) just confirms what we've known to be Bush and company's M.O. for quite a while now: 1) Have a hidden ultra-conservative agenda. (Kill Saddam, Eliminate Social Security.) 2) Make up some impending catastrophe that is remotely related to that agenda. (WMDs, Fiscal Insolvency). 3) Lie to the American public nonstop about the likelihood and urgency of said catastrophe. 4) Carry out agenda, ultimately weakening America. How can we stop them? By fighting tooth and nail, and making sure our representatives remain unified against this absurd plan.
General Says Army Reserve Is Becoming a 'Broken' Force. But, hey, Donny Rumsfeld is doing a great job! There are no excuses any more. It's all out in the open - our military is being stretched incredibly thin as a result of this ill-conceived war, but worst of all, there doesn't seem to be any plan for adjustment. As we mentioned above, should our Reservists (there are 37,515 out of 200,366 soldiers remaining) be required to, say, fight for an extended time in North Korea, or Iran, or Syria, somewhere else, what would we do? How is Bush going to fix the Army without extra money? Something's gotta give - fiscal solvency, the war in Iraq, or the security of our country. Anyone have a good answer? How about admitting there's a problem, for one?
Editorials
Remember when you were a kid, and someone would tell you something you didn't want to hear (for example, "Time for bed!"). You'd throw a tantrum, maybe even cry. And your parents would put you to bed regardless, and eventually, you learned that there are some things you just can't complain about, because they are facts. Well, maybe George H.W. and Barbara should have more strongly enforced Dubya's bedtime, because he doesn't want to hear bad news. You read that correctly. According to the Nelson Report, via Al Franken, the leader of the free world, and arguably the most powerful person on the planet, does not want to hear that something isn't going his way. We don't even know where to begin with this - clearly, you cannot just avoid information. Then again, maybe he can. He's only here for another four years. Maybe he's just hoping that the "bad news" problems will go away for a little while, and he won't have to deal with them. In the words of a wise sage, this is "ridonkulous."
Ah, Thomas Friedman. Where would we be without your objectivity? In his latest column, he makes a sensible argument for maintaining the date for the January 30th elections. He doesn't say that it will be easy (and we all know it won't, especially with the U.S. airlifting all of the election materials and equipment a mere ten days before the election), but the alternative is worse. Bush has squandered every chance he's had to show the Islam world the "good" America, from Abu Ghraib, to the detainees at Guantanamo Bay, to terming Iraq an "occupation," to his initial stinginess with relief funds for the tsunami disaster. Ensuring that elections will go on as scheduled on January 30th may be one small step in the right direction.
And speaking of disaster relief, Richard Cohen has a new article up, detailing why Bush is so unloved around the world. He says that it is not because of our stinginess, but rather our policies. The terrorist attacks were a response to our policies in the Middle East, and not because radical Islamics cannot abide our freedom. Wesley Clark (Prez in 2008?) was on Hardball this week, and he discussed how disaster relief is not a partisan issue - in this, Bush represented the country, not Republican interests, and he failed miserably. We find ourselves hard-pressed to disagree with him. This was yet another opportunity for Bush to show unity in the country, to "reach out to the whole nation," as he said in his acceptance speech last November. Yet, once again, the President could not, or would not, rise to the occasion. We can only hope that the rest of the world realizes that while Bush may speak for America, he does not speak for all of us. Special thanks to Juan Contreras for this link.
|
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Wednesday's Links
Activism
MoveOn.org wants you to make your voice heard, and so do we. Go here, fill out your contact information (or, if you are already a member of MoveOn, login), and you will be signing the "Declaration Against Torture" petition to be delivered to key Senators, asking the Senate and Albert Gonzales to reaffirm their commitment to the legal definitions of torture, as laid out in the Geneva Conventions. Gonzales, you may remember, drafted memos to the President saying that the Geneva Convention definitions of torture did not apply to the war on terror. Since Gonzales is being considered for the post of Attorney General, we encourage you to sign the petition.
News
What To Do With Too Many Illegal Captives. Currently, the U.S. is holding several hundred suspected terrorists "whom they do not want to set free or turn over to courts in the United States or other countries." This sounds suspiciously like kidnapping to us. One plan is to shuttle them off to other countries, in prisons controlled by the host country, but with prisoner availability to the CIA. Another plan is to build a new prison for them. Here's an idea - why not try them for something?
In the wake of the Tom DeLay happenings, we were prepared to tell you about some of the ridiculous changes that House Republicans are considering for the Ethics Committee. Since that article was posted on Monday, though, there has been a major change implemented. There are ten members of the Ethics Committee, five from each party. The Committee needs to vote on whether to launch an ethics probe. In the past, a tie vote would cause the probe to be launched. But under a measure that passed yesterday, a tie (or failure to make a decision in 45 days) would mean no action would be taken. To put this in context, if a Republican Congressman is accused of receiving gifts for voting a certain way, the Ethics Committee would have to vote on whether or not the above Congressmen should be investigated. If all Republicans vote "no," for the party line, no investigation is launched. Period. We fear this opens the door for others like DeLay to get away with a whole lot more.
How Do Any Of Them Benefit? In a brief interview in the New York Times Magazine, Jeanne L. Phillips, chairwoman of Bush's Inaugural Committee, is asked about the nine Inauguration balls occuring this year. With a price tag of $40 million for all nine balls, one of the balls will be reserved for honoring about 2,000 troops who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. When asked about how this would actually help the troops now overseas, and whether the money for the balls couldn't be put to a better use by outfitting the troops with better equipment, Phillips gets a little flustered. Some very good questions with no easy answers...
Editorials
...And speaking of Inaugurations, check out this piece in the Portsmouth Herald. The author captures the point even better than the NYT interview, describing inauguration balls for the president and governors as "opulence," leading to an "insensitive display." In all seriousness, with a massive deficit, federal spending being cut and overseas troops not properly equipped, do Bush and the governors really need "thanks for supporting me, ain't I great" parties? Or, in the case of Bush, nine parties?
Still Fighting favorite Paul Krugman is back, and he's pissed. Over the next several weeks, Krugman will be discussing why privatization will ultimately undermine Social Security, and we'll link each one for you, as they are published. Today's column focuses on the outrageous claim that Social Security faces an "imminent crisis." Krugman, as you may have noticed, has a great style of writing, and makes even the most complex of issues easy to understand, and this piece is no exception. For weeks we've been telling you about Social Security, and why privitization is a bad thing. If you've been confused up to this point, or don't really understand why, this is a great starting point.
Remember Ohio. Something is going to need to happen quick, if the dream some Democrats still hold on to of Ohio reversing its electoral decision is to come true. Once Congress ratifies the election, and Bush is sworn in, the decision is final. Cleveland could unearth 500,000 uncounted Democratic votes on the 21st, and it wouldn't matter. On Thursday, January 6th, Representative John Conyers (D-MI) and other members of Congress will officially challenge the Electoral College. This article is part one of two. We'll have part two tomorrow.
|
Sunday, January 02, 2005
Sunday's Links
Activism
The Activists Handbook. We've been talking about it for two months now. "Get active! Become involved! Do something!" But why? Can one individual really matter? Do I really want to spend my time doing that? The Activists Handbook has some great answers to those questions and more. Take 15-20 minutes to read through it - you won't regret it!
News
Cover Your Noggin. More and more Muslim and Christian women in Iraq are wearing protective head scarves, fearing for their safety if they do not. Guess that freedom thing we brought to Iraq hasn't kicked in yet.
The. U.S. Department of Justice has, for the first time, released medical guidelines for treating sexual assault victims. The most glaring omission from the guideline listing is emergency contraception, or "the morning after pill." One of the officials who vetted the document mentioned that it was discussed earlier, and wasn't sure why it had been removed, but that "In the climate in which we are currently operating, politically it's a hot potato." So, now we are allowing public perception to shape a policy, sanctioned by the U.S. Government, and designed to help victims of an illegal crime, by leaving information out, simply because it is not overwhelmingly accepted, even though it is legal? What the hell is going on in this country?
U.S. Government Redefines Torture. You know, we're getting tired of watching this administration do something ridiculous, and then backpedal when it comes to light. This news piece, on the redefinition of "torture," is a perfect example.
Editorials
David Broder on how Virginia governor Mark Warner is spearheading the effort to make high school education a priority, something not really looked at in No Child Left Behind.
Frank Rich on the dichotomy of the war and entertainment.
Lawrence J. Korb on how Bush is failing at nuclear security.
|
December 29, 2005
Friday, January 07, 2005
Friday's Links
Activism
Send a letter of support to Barbara Boxer. She stood up and voted for what she thought was right - debate on the validity of the Ohio vote. Read here statement here. Did anything come of it? Well, the vote still went through, as expected, but at least there was discussion, for once. Maybe this will lay the groundwork for future reform. Regardless, she was the only Senator to object (final vote: 74-1), and she deserves your support for sticking to her guns and fighting to have every vote counted, even if it wasn't politically convenient. Write her a letter telling her you're impressed, and while you're at it, write YOUR Senator and tell them you're upset they didn't voter with Boxer.
News
Pentagon Scales Back Arms Plans. Hey, that silly war costs a lot of money! And it's money that could be paying for advanced weapons development, and modernizing our troops, but instead it turns out the troops need basic supplies like armor. (It's about time they started supplying that.) Our favorite quote from the article is from a former member of Rumsfeld's team: "No one had anticipated that the cost of Iraq would continue to grow like [this]...clearly they are concerned about the deficit on one hand and Iraq on the other." If only people had had the foresight to see that Bush's policies would result in a growing deficit and an expensive, never-ending war. Oh, wait, some people did, but who needs people like that running the country? You know, people who have a coherent plan for defending the nation? Here at Still Fighting, we like to call those people "leaders", but clearly there's no room for them in the White House. Heaven forbid our military is needed to fight on another front right now.
White House memo: Pitch Social Security doom. This article (and this one) just confirms what we've known to be Bush and company's M.O. for quite a while now: 1) Have a hidden ultra-conservative agenda. (Kill Saddam, Eliminate Social Security.) 2) Make up some impending catastrophe that is remotely related to that agenda. (WMDs, Fiscal Insolvency). 3) Lie to the American public nonstop about the likelihood and urgency of said catastrophe. 4) Carry out agenda, ultimately weakening America. How can we stop them? By fighting tooth and nail, and making sure our representatives remain unified against this absurd plan.
General Says Army Reserve Is Becoming a 'Broken' Force. But, hey, Donny Rumsfeld is doing a great job! There are no excuses any more. It's all out in the open - our military is being stretched incredibly thin as a result of this ill-conceived war, but worst of all, there doesn't seem to be any plan for adjustment. As we mentioned above, should our Reservists (there are 37,515 out of 200,366 soldiers remaining) be required to, say, fight for an extended time in North Korea, or Iran, or Syria, somewhere else, what would we do? How is Bush going to fix the Army without extra money? Something's gotta give - fiscal solvency, the war in Iraq, or the security of our country. Anyone have a good answer? How about admitting there's a problem, for one?
Editorials
Remember when you were a kid, and someone would tell you something you didn't want to hear (for example, "Time for bed!"). You'd throw a tantrum, maybe even cry. And your parents would put you to bed regardless, and eventually, you learned that there are some things you just can't complain about, because they are facts. Well, maybe George H.W. and Barbara should have more strongly enforced Dubya's bedtime, because he doesn't want to hear bad news. You read that correctly. According to the Nelson Report, via Al Franken, the leader of the free world, and arguably the most powerful person on the planet, does not want to hear that something isn't going his way. We don't even know where to begin with this - clearly, you cannot just avoid information. Then again, maybe he can. He's only here for another four years. Maybe he's just hoping that the "bad news" problems will go away for a little while, and he won't have to deal with them. In the words of a wise sage, this is "ridonkulous."
Ah, Thomas Friedman. Where would we be without your objectivity? In his latest column, he makes a sensible argument for maintaining the date for the January 30th elections. He doesn't say that it will be easy (and we all know it won't, especially with the U.S. airlifting all of the election materials and equipment a mere ten days before the election), but the alternative is worse. Bush has squandered every chance he's had to show the Islam world the "good" America, from Abu Ghraib, to the detainees at Guantanamo Bay, to terming Iraq an "occupation," to his initial stinginess with relief funds for the tsunami disaster. Ensuring that elections will go on as scheduled on January 30th may be one small step in the right direction.
And speaking of disaster relief, Richard Cohen has a new article up, detailing why Bush is so unloved around the world. He says that it is not because of our stinginess, but rather our policies. The terrorist attacks were a response to our policies in the Middle East, and not because radical Islamics cannot abide our freedom. Wesley Clark (Prez in 2008?) was on Hardball this week, and he discussed how disaster relief is not a partisan issue - in this, Bush represented the country, not Republican interests, and he failed miserably. We find ourselves hard-pressed to disagree with him. This was yet another opportunity for Bush to show unity in the country, to "reach out to the whole nation," as he said in his acceptance speech last November. Yet, once again, the President could not, or would not, rise to the occasion. We can only hope that the rest of the world realizes that while Bush may speak for America, he does not speak for all of us. Special thanks to Juan Contreras for this link.
|
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Wednesday's Links
Activism
MoveOn.org wants you to make your voice heard, and so do we. Go here, fill out your contact information (or, if you are already a member of MoveOn, login), and you will be signing the "Declaration Against Torture" petition to be delivered to key Senators, asking the Senate and Albert Gonzales to reaffirm their commitment to the legal definitions of torture, as laid out in the Geneva Conventions. Gonzales, you may remember, drafted memos to the President saying that the Geneva Convention definitions of torture did not apply to the war on terror. Since Gonzales is being considered for the post of Attorney General, we encourage you to sign the petition.
News
What To Do With Too Many Illegal Captives. Currently, the U.S. is holding several hundred suspected terrorists "whom they do not want to set free or turn over to courts in the United States or other countries." This sounds suspiciously like kidnapping to us. One plan is to shuttle them off to other countries, in prisons controlled by the host country, but with prisoner availability to the CIA. Another plan is to build a new prison for them. Here's an idea - why not try them for something?
In the wake of the Tom DeLay happenings, we were prepared to tell you about some of the ridiculous changes that House Republicans are considering for the Ethics Committee. Since that article was posted on Monday, though, there has been a major change implemented. There are ten members of the Ethics Committee, five from each party. The Committee needs to vote on whether to launch an ethics probe. In the past, a tie vote would cause the probe to be launched. But under a measure that passed yesterday, a tie (or failure to make a decision in 45 days) would mean no action would be taken. To put this in context, if a Republican Congressman is accused of receiving gifts for voting a certain way, the Ethics Committee would have to vote on whether or not the above Congressmen should be investigated. If all Republicans vote "no," for the party line, no investigation is launched. Period. We fear this opens the door for others like DeLay to get away with a whole lot more.
How Do Any Of Them Benefit? In a brief interview in the New York Times Magazine, Jeanne L. Phillips, chairwoman of Bush's Inaugural Committee, is asked about the nine Inauguration balls occuring this year. With a price tag of $40 million for all nine balls, one of the balls will be reserved for honoring about 2,000 troops who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. When asked about how this would actually help the troops now overseas, and whether the money for the balls couldn't be put to a better use by outfitting the troops with better equipment, Phillips gets a little flustered. Some very good questions with no easy answers...
Editorials
...And speaking of Inaugurations, check out this piece in the Portsmouth Herald. The author captures the point even better than the NYT interview, describing inauguration balls for the president and governors as "opulence," leading to an "insensitive display." In all seriousness, with a massive deficit, federal spending being cut and overseas troops not properly equipped, do Bush and the governors really need "thanks for supporting me, ain't I great" parties? Or, in the case of Bush, nine parties?
Still Fighting favorite Paul Krugman is back, and he's pissed. Over the next several weeks, Krugman will be discussing why privatization will ultimately undermine Social Security, and we'll link each one for you, as they are published. Today's column focuses on the outrageous claim that Social Security faces an "imminent crisis." Krugman, as you may have noticed, has a great style of writing, and makes even the most complex of issues easy to understand, and this piece is no exception. For weeks we've been telling you about Social Security, and why privitization is a bad thing. If you've been confused up to this point, or don't really understand why, this is a great starting point.
Remember Ohio. Something is going to need to happen quick, if the dream some Democrats still hold on to of Ohio reversing its electoral decision is to come true. Once Congress ratifies the election, and Bush is sworn in, the decision is final. Cleveland could unearth 500,000 uncounted Democratic votes on the 21st, and it wouldn't matter. On Thursday, January 6th, Representative John Conyers (D-MI) and other members of Congress will officially challenge the Electoral College. This article is part one of two. We'll have part two tomorrow.
|
Sunday, January 02, 2005
Sunday's Links
Activism
The Activists Handbook. We've been talking about it for two months now. "Get active! Become involved! Do something!" But why? Can one individual really matter? Do I really want to spend my time doing that? The Activists Handbook has some great answers to those questions and more. Take 15-20 minutes to read through it - you won't regret it!
News
Cover Your Noggin. More and more Muslim and Christian women in Iraq are wearing protective head scarves, fearing for their safety if they do not. Guess that freedom thing we brought to Iraq hasn't kicked in yet.
The. U.S. Department of Justice has, for the first time, released medical guidelines for treating sexual assault victims. The most glaring omission from the guideline listing is emergency contraception, or "the morning after pill." One of the officials who vetted the document mentioned that it was discussed earlier, and wasn't sure why it had been removed, but that "In the climate in which we are currently operating, politically it's a hot potato." So, now we are allowing public perception to shape a policy, sanctioned by the U.S. Government, and designed to help victims of an illegal crime, by leaving information out, simply because it is not overwhelmingly accepted, even though it is legal? What the hell is going on in this country?
U.S. Government Redefines Torture. You know, we're getting tired of watching this administration do something ridiculous, and then backpedal when it comes to light. This news piece, on the redefinition of "torture," is a perfect example.
Editorials
David Broder on how Virginia governor Mark Warner is spearheading the effort to make high school education a priority, something not really looked at in No Child Left Behind.
Frank Rich on the dichotomy of the war and entertainment.
Lawrence J. Korb on how Bush is failing at nuclear security.
|
December 29, 2005
Send a letter of support to Barbara Boxer. She stood up and voted for what she thought was right - debate on the validity of the Ohio vote. Read here statement here. Did anything come of it? Well, the vote still went through, as expected, but at least there was discussion, for once. Maybe this will lay the groundwork for future reform. Regardless, she was the only Senator to object (final vote: 74-1), and she deserves your support for sticking to her guns and fighting to have every vote counted, even if it wasn't politically convenient. Write her a letter telling her you're impressed, and while you're at it, write YOUR Senator and tell them you're upset they didn't voter with Boxer.
News
Pentagon Scales Back Arms Plans. Hey, that silly war costs a lot of money! And it's money that could be paying for advanced weapons development, and modernizing our troops, but instead it turns out the troops need basic supplies like armor. (It's about time they started supplying that.) Our favorite quote from the article is from a former member of Rumsfeld's team: "No one had anticipated that the cost of Iraq would continue to grow like [this]...clearly they are concerned about the deficit on one hand and Iraq on the other." If only people had had the foresight to see that Bush's policies would result in a growing deficit and an expensive, never-ending war. Oh, wait, some people did, but who needs people like that running the country? You know, people who have a coherent plan for defending the nation? Here at Still Fighting, we like to call those people "leaders", but clearly there's no room for them in the White House. Heaven forbid our military is needed to fight on another front right now.
White House memo: Pitch Social Security doom. This article (and this one) just confirms what we've known to be Bush and company's M.O. for quite a while now: 1) Have a hidden ultra-conservative agenda. (Kill Saddam, Eliminate Social Security.) 2) Make up some impending catastrophe that is remotely related to that agenda. (WMDs, Fiscal Insolvency). 3) Lie to the American public nonstop about the likelihood and urgency of said catastrophe. 4) Carry out agenda, ultimately weakening America. How can we stop them? By fighting tooth and nail, and making sure our representatives remain unified against this absurd plan.
General Says Army Reserve Is Becoming a 'Broken' Force. But, hey, Donny Rumsfeld is doing a great job! There are no excuses any more. It's all out in the open - our military is being stretched incredibly thin as a result of this ill-conceived war, but worst of all, there doesn't seem to be any plan for adjustment. As we mentioned above, should our Reservists (there are 37,515 out of 200,366 soldiers remaining) be required to, say, fight for an extended time in North Korea, or Iran, or Syria, somewhere else, what would we do? How is Bush going to fix the Army without extra money? Something's gotta give - fiscal solvency, the war in Iraq, or the security of our country. Anyone have a good answer? How about admitting there's a problem, for one?
Editorials
Remember when you were a kid, and someone would tell you something you didn't want to hear (for example, "Time for bed!"). You'd throw a tantrum, maybe even cry. And your parents would put you to bed regardless, and eventually, you learned that there are some things you just can't complain about, because they are facts. Well, maybe George H.W. and Barbara should have more strongly enforced Dubya's bedtime, because he doesn't want to hear bad news. You read that correctly. According to the Nelson Report, via Al Franken, the leader of the free world, and arguably the most powerful person on the planet, does not want to hear that something isn't going his way. We don't even know where to begin with this - clearly, you cannot just avoid information. Then again, maybe he can. He's only here for another four years. Maybe he's just hoping that the "bad news" problems will go away for a little while, and he won't have to deal with them. In the words of a wise sage, this is "ridonkulous."
Ah, Thomas Friedman. Where would we be without your objectivity? In his latest column, he makes a sensible argument for maintaining the date for the January 30th elections. He doesn't say that it will be easy (and we all know it won't, especially with the U.S. airlifting all of the election materials and equipment a mere ten days before the election), but the alternative is worse. Bush has squandered every chance he's had to show the Islam world the "good" America, from Abu Ghraib, to the detainees at Guantanamo Bay, to terming Iraq an "occupation," to his initial stinginess with relief funds for the tsunami disaster. Ensuring that elections will go on as scheduled on January 30th may be one small step in the right direction.
And speaking of disaster relief, Richard Cohen has a new article up, detailing why Bush is so unloved around the world. He says that it is not because of our stinginess, but rather our policies. The terrorist attacks were a response to our policies in the Middle East, and not because radical Islamics cannot abide our freedom. Wesley Clark (Prez in 2008?) was on Hardball this week, and he discussed how disaster relief is not a partisan issue - in this, Bush represented the country, not Republican interests, and he failed miserably. We find ourselves hard-pressed to disagree with him. This was yet another opportunity for Bush to show unity in the country, to "reach out to the whole nation," as he said in his acceptance speech last November. Yet, once again, the President could not, or would not, rise to the occasion. We can only hope that the rest of the world realizes that while Bush may speak for America, he does not speak for all of us. Special thanks to Juan Contreras for this link.
MoveOn.org wants you to make your voice heard, and so do we. Go here, fill out your contact information (or, if you are already a member of MoveOn, login), and you will be signing the "Declaration Against Torture" petition to be delivered to key Senators, asking the Senate and Albert Gonzales to reaffirm their commitment to the legal definitions of torture, as laid out in the Geneva Conventions. Gonzales, you may remember, drafted memos to the President saying that the Geneva Convention definitions of torture did not apply to the war on terror. Since Gonzales is being considered for the post of Attorney General, we encourage you to sign the petition.
News
What To Do With Too Many Illegal Captives. Currently, the U.S. is holding several hundred suspected terrorists "whom they do not want to set free or turn over to courts in the United States or other countries." This sounds suspiciously like kidnapping to us. One plan is to shuttle them off to other countries, in prisons controlled by the host country, but with prisoner availability to the CIA. Another plan is to build a new prison for them. Here's an idea - why not try them for something?
In the wake of the Tom DeLay happenings, we were prepared to tell you about some of the ridiculous changes that House Republicans are considering for the Ethics Committee. Since that article was posted on Monday, though, there has been a major change implemented. There are ten members of the Ethics Committee, five from each party. The Committee needs to vote on whether to launch an ethics probe. In the past, a tie vote would cause the probe to be launched. But under a measure that passed yesterday, a tie (or failure to make a decision in 45 days) would mean no action would be taken. To put this in context, if a Republican Congressman is accused of receiving gifts for voting a certain way, the Ethics Committee would have to vote on whether or not the above Congressmen should be investigated. If all Republicans vote "no," for the party line, no investigation is launched. Period. We fear this opens the door for others like DeLay to get away with a whole lot more.
How Do Any Of Them Benefit? In a brief interview in the New York Times Magazine, Jeanne L. Phillips, chairwoman of Bush's Inaugural Committee, is asked about the nine Inauguration balls occuring this year. With a price tag of $40 million for all nine balls, one of the balls will be reserved for honoring about 2,000 troops who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. When asked about how this would actually help the troops now overseas, and whether the money for the balls couldn't be put to a better use by outfitting the troops with better equipment, Phillips gets a little flustered. Some very good questions with no easy answers...
Editorials
...And speaking of Inaugurations, check out this piece in the Portsmouth Herald. The author captures the point even better than the NYT interview, describing inauguration balls for the president and governors as "opulence," leading to an "insensitive display." In all seriousness, with a massive deficit, federal spending being cut and overseas troops not properly equipped, do Bush and the governors really need "thanks for supporting me, ain't I great" parties? Or, in the case of Bush, nine parties?
Still Fighting favorite Paul Krugman is back, and he's pissed. Over the next several weeks, Krugman will be discussing why privatization will ultimately undermine Social Security, and we'll link each one for you, as they are published. Today's column focuses on the outrageous claim that Social Security faces an "imminent crisis." Krugman, as you may have noticed, has a great style of writing, and makes even the most complex of issues easy to understand, and this piece is no exception. For weeks we've been telling you about Social Security, and why privitization is a bad thing. If you've been confused up to this point, or don't really understand why, this is a great starting point.
Remember Ohio. Something is going to need to happen quick, if the dream some Democrats still hold on to of Ohio reversing its electoral decision is to come true. Once Congress ratifies the election, and Bush is sworn in, the decision is final. Cleveland could unearth 500,000 uncounted Democratic votes on the 21st, and it wouldn't matter. On Thursday, January 6th, Representative John Conyers (D-MI) and other members of Congress will officially challenge the Electoral College. This article is part one of two. We'll have part two tomorrow.
The Activists Handbook. We've been talking about it for two months now. "Get active! Become involved! Do something!" But why? Can one individual really matter? Do I really want to spend my time doing that? The Activists Handbook has some great answers to those questions and more. Take 15-20 minutes to read through it - you won't regret it!
News
Cover Your Noggin. More and more Muslim and Christian women in Iraq are wearing protective head scarves, fearing for their safety if they do not. Guess that freedom thing we brought to Iraq hasn't kicked in yet.
The. U.S. Department of Justice has, for the first time, released medical guidelines for treating sexual assault victims. The most glaring omission from the guideline listing is emergency contraception, or "the morning after pill." One of the officials who vetted the document mentioned that it was discussed earlier, and wasn't sure why it had been removed, but that "In the climate in which we are currently operating, politically it's a hot potato." So, now we are allowing public perception to shape a policy, sanctioned by the U.S. Government, and designed to help victims of an illegal crime, by leaving information out, simply because it is not overwhelmingly accepted, even though it is legal? What the hell is going on in this country?
U.S. Government Redefines Torture. You know, we're getting tired of watching this administration do something ridiculous, and then backpedal when it comes to light. This news piece, on the redefinition of "torture," is a perfect example.
Editorials
David Broder on how Virginia governor Mark Warner is spearheading the effort to make high school education a priority, something not really looked at in No Child Left Behind.
Frank Rich on the dichotomy of the war and entertainment.
Lawrence J. Korb on how Bush is failing at nuclear security.
