Still Fighting

Activism

After Downing Street is a coalition of veterans' groups, peace groups, and political activist groups, which launched on May 26, 2005, a campaign to urge the U.S. Congress to begin a formal investigation into whether President Bush has committed impeachable offenses in connection with the Iraq war. ADS is more than just a good-sounding name, though. ADS not only links to the most important information surrounding Bush's lies, but also tells you what you can do to help. Check it out today!

News

Pulling Financial Aid for 9/11. We're getting tired of constantly pointing out stupid things that Bush has done. It would be entertaining if it weren't so damning. For example, Bush's 2006 budget would rescind $125 million dollars that has been earmarked for the rescue workers that were injured in World Trade Center wreckage. Doctors are still finding respiratory problems and psychological issues that are just coming to light and are still being looked at. This money needs to be there for those Americans who worked tirelessly at the WTC site. But does Bush care? It all comes back to removing the social safety net, and we all know how Bush feels about that. If you're not in the top 1%, he just doesn't care. If helping you would require him asking for some sort of sacrifice from Americans (say, raising taxes), he's certainly not going to put his neck on the line.

Darfur. However, if you want Bush to SOUND like he's going to help you, then you're in luck, as long as it doesn't require a sacrifice on his part. In a surprising turn of events, we came across an article yesterday that is about Bush and, for the first time, doesn't make us cringe. For months we've been calling for the U.S. to take action in Darfur, where the genocide has been relentless. Well, we call it genocide. The U.N. and the Bush administration call it "violence." Well, Bush spoke with South African President Thabo Mbeki on Wednesday, and finally said, publicly, that the "violence" in Darfur is actually...genocide! Why is this important? Well, under the 1948 U.N. convention on genocide, the U.S. is "committed to preventing such killings and punishing the killers if it deems a genocide is taking place." Bush has now openly admitted that the senseless slaughter of tens of thousands of Africans in Darfur is genocide. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that we should now be committed. Call us pessimists, but we're not holding our breath. Calling it "genocide" is a good first step, but talk is cheap.

The Life Republican With Andy Warren. Just who is Andy Warren? Well, up until last weekend, Warren was the Republican Bucks County (PA) commissioner. Now, however, he's the Democratic Bucks County (PA) commissioner. Yes, he switched parties. He blames his Congressman, Mike Fitzpatrick (A "DeLay Disciple"), and the shift of the Republican party to the extreme right. Although Warren is no Zell Miller (the crazy former Georgia Senator who switched allegiances to the right last summer, and challenged Chris Matthews to a duel on national television), he has seen the problems evident in the party, and this isn't a move he has made lightly. We hope this might be a symptom of further moves away from the right. After all, all one needs to do is open his/her eyes to see how out of touch the Republican party is.

North Korea Learns What Americans Know. No, it's not "human life is precious," or "cars are better than bicycles." In an interview with CNN on Monday, Dick Cheney called Kim Jong Il "one of the world's most irresponsible leaders." As a result, North Korea has stepped away from the nuclear bargaining table, and has officially said of Cheney, he "is hated as the most cruel monster and blood-thirsty beast." Well, what did Cheney expect? It's like trying to date a woman for six months, and then turning around and calling her mother a whore (because, you know, even if she is a whore, you don't want to draw attention to it). North Korea has demanded a retraction and an apology. Oh, we'd love to see that. Can you imagine Cheney apologizing for anything? At best, we're likely to see Scott McClellan show up in the White House Press Room, say that the comments were taken out of context, and offer an apology for the misconception. And although that shouldn't be enough, it probably will have to be. Ain't diplomacy great?

Editorials

Denounce Torture. Two months ago, Representative John Conyers spoke at Yale University. He spoke of the widespread civil liberties issues being threatened in this country. He spoke of the Patriot Act. He cited the Geneva Convention. Amnesty International has republished the speech on their website, in the wake of Amnesty's assertions that Guantanamo Bay is this generation's gulag. We've said it before, and we'll say it again: We cannot sacrifice our ideals and principles in our pursuit of justice. As Conyers said, "We all want to fight terrorism, but we want to fight it the right way, consistent with our Constitution, and in a manner that serves as a model for the rest of the world. Torture does not make us safer, it only makes the world more dangerous and degrades our commitment to freedom and liberty."

Social Security Surplus. A little quickie here from the Ward Report makes a good point about Social Security. And, while this topic has virtually been beaten to death (blame Bush for refusing to admit defeat on this matter, despite almost universal opposition), this editorial makes a good point. Basically, some of the "compromises" that have been floated around bring up the idea of raising the cap on taxable wages. Well, that's great, in theory, and would solve the problem, except for one thing. Bush has essentially stated that the existing surplus is nothing more than a bunch of "worthless IOUs". So why should we support a plan that would increase the size of the surplus, if our crooked Administration is just going to take that money and spend it on more tax cuts, or another war, or some such nonsense? Don Ward is right - this is essentially outright theft. And it's YOUR money that's being stolen.

Activism

The Democracy Directory. As we're working towards a more progressive America, it's critical that we work to build institutional infrastructure. Why is this import? Because the right's rise to power has been a result of them having a gigantic head start on building conservative institutions, and the left needs to catch up in order to be competitive. To that end, you can help by adding to DFA's Democracy Directory. They're trying to compile a comprehensive database of local grassroots organizations. Add yours, and pass it along to others who have organizations to add.

News

Checking in With Bush. What's going on with the president? Bush has got to be feeling frustrated that none of his second-term plans are coming to fruition, or are at least meeting stiff resistance. Social Security, judicial nominees, stem-cells and John Bolton are all issues that the President has a vested interest in, yet none are paying the dividends that he wants. Sure, he'll veto the stem-cell bill, but the House passed it first. Sure, Bolton will have an up/down vote, but it's been delayed. With Bush's approval rating in the toilet, recent polls show that Bush is on the wrong side of American opinion, but is that so surprising? At this point, Bush's headstrong "tin ear" is doing the work of Democrats for them, by showing America that he really doesn't share their values, concerns and priorities. Keep it up, Mr. President!

Push On to Clarify Rights For Detainees. Ha ha ha. Silly Arlen Specter. Detainees don't have rights! Doesn't he know that? Any group of people who have been incarcerated without being charged with a crime, who routinely fall victim to torture, and who have atrocities committed against them and then ignored by the government (even when a group like Amnesty International brings those atrocities to light) doesn't have rights from our government! Specter wants Congress to establish some sort of detention law. Hey, Mr. Specter, before putting the cart before the horse, why not look at what's actually happening down there? Afraid the Amnesty International stories are true?

College Republican National Commitee Officer Promotes Voter Supression. You know, we realize that often allegations of voter intimidation and suppression can come off as conspiracy theories. But then, stories like this come out, and justify our suspicions. If officers in the collegiate wing of the RNC are publicly promoting methods of reducing turnout, then is it that far of a stretch to imagine that the real RNC used such tactics to manipulate turnout in 2004? It's really this simple - they know that the more Americans that vote, the less of a chance they have to win. That's why it's so important to try to ensure that as many citizens as possible do their civic duty and go to the polls, despite the RNC's best efforts.

Editorials

A Liar and A Coward. Speaking of Amnesty International, Dick Cheney was on Larry King Live, and he brooked no argument in condemning Amnesty International's claims of abuse at Guantanamo Bay. We guess Cheney didn't read the FBI memos of 2004, which clearly show that torture and abuse occured. In the War on Terror, it's no secret that the Bush administration will use any means necessary to get the answers they want (whether or not the answerer has them). What that means, however, is that Bush, Cheney and friends have removed themselves from American ideals. They profess to want to spread democracy, liberty and freedom. But these are just words, and their declarations ring hollow when faced with atrocities like Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib. In this age of information, it is virtually impossible to keep a secret, so why bother? History will judge Bush, Cheney, Rice, McClellen and the rest as liars of the worst sort who only sought to enhance their own histories, and ruined America's reputation in the process. Really, is it any wonder why the rest of the world finds us to be hypocrites?

Where is Today's Deep Throat? We're not going to pontificate on the Nixon Era and Watergate, except to wax nostalgic a bit. Remember back in the days, when we had a crooked President, but the media wasn't complicit in his deception? John Conyers, as usual, hammers the point home here. The revealing of the identity of "Deep Throat" is relevant today because it provides a stark contrast to our ideals today. Can you imagine if a story like Watergate broke today? In fact, the Downing Street Memo may be just as big, but somehow it's getting less press than "Deep Throat". These days, when a Republican's impropriety is brought up, FOX News makes excuses for it, the White House attacks the press, and Congress just turns a blind eye. Oh, how we miss those Nixon days...

Bombs Won't 'Solve' Iran. Just because we haven't mentioned it in a while doesn't mean that the Iran problem is going away. And aside from their general ineptitude surrounding anything diplomatic, there are specific reasons to believe that the Bush Administration has no clue how to proceed with Iran. In 1981, Israel bombed an Iraqi nuclear reactor, and the Reagan Administration denounced the bombing, as it made a tense situation even worse. The raid ended up accelerating Iraq's nuclear weapons program. Furthermore, it harmed Israel's reputation. But none of these facts stopped Cheney in 1991 from thanking the man responsible for leading the bombing, claiming that it "made our job much easier in Desert Storm". If he couldn't understand the situation then, what makes us think he's capable of (or interested in) finding a diplomatic solution to a similar problem now?

Activism

Ask CPB Chairman Tomlinson to Stop Playing Politics with Public Broadcasting. The CPB is the Corporate for Public Broadcasting, and is supposed to be non-partisan, as good broadcasting should be. But Tomlinson has been anything but non-partisan as he has manipulated the CPB. This Joe Conason editorial provides some good insight into how Mr. Tomlinson operates. It shouldn't be a shock to you that a Bush appointee is trying to politicize another position that's supposed to serve the public, but it still should offend you. As a side note, is it surprising that most responsible journalism seems biased these days? The facts about the Bush administration are pretty damning. But that doesn't mean the public shouldn't be made aware of them.

News

Senators Call on White House to Establish Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board as Called For In Intelligence Reform Act. Does Bush do anything besides traveling all over the country pushing his crappy Social Security plan? Oh, that's right, sometimes he goes to other countries and tries to convince them that everything is going great in Iraq. But apparently what he's NOT doing is implementing the policies that Congress passes into law, and that he signs. In December of 2004, the President signed the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, which called for the formation of a Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. As yet, the President still hasn't nominated a Chairman and the Vice Chairman of the Board. They haven't even obtained office space yet! Actions speak louder than words, and Bush's actions clearly state that he doesn't give a damn about the privacy or civil liberties of Americans.

Review May Shift Terror Policies. The title of this article is misleading. It really should be: "Bush Has No Clue How To Fight Terrorism". Really, just as we asked in the previous post, what is Bush spending his time doing? It turns out that "many of the key counterterrorism jobs in the administration have been empty for months". And only now, it seems, nearly 4 years after 9/11, is the Administration realizing that you need to go after the root causes of terrorism, and find out what is driving people towards violent extremism. Haven't sensible people been saying this for years, only to be drowned out by those shouting that we shouldn't try to understand murderers? It's good that they're finally getting around to reviewing their policies - even that doesn't happen often enough. But here's the scary part: " 'They recognize there's been a vacuum of leadership,' said a former top counterterrorism official... 'There has been a dearth of senior leadership directing this day to day. No one knows who's running this on a day-to-day basis.' " Leadership? Isn't that the job of the President?

Hastert Directs Millions to Birthplace. Dennis Hastert, by the way, is Speaker of the House. It's easy to forget that, as usually Tom DeLay grabs all the scummy headlines, allowing Hastert to do the dirty legislative work. But, never fear, there's enough corruption to go around. It seems that in an era in which federal budgets need to be slashed, and Hastert is supposed to be a small-government conservative, it might make sense for him to cut a little smaller piece of the pie for himself. But instead of allowing his hometown to apply for grants based on merit, he's used his office to "earmark" millions of dollars in funds for Aurora, Illinois. It's one thing for Congressmen to do their jobs and represent their constituents, but it's another for them to abuse their power to the detriment of other communities all over the country that need help. Pork barrel politics is nothing new, from either side of the aisle, but that doesn't mean we should let it slide.

Editorials

Too Few, Yet Too Many. What is Krugman talking about? Well, believe it or not, this time it's not Social Security or Medicare, but rather the size of the military. As usual, he asks some important questions. For instance, what the hell is up with Bush's repeated insistence that his generals tell him they have enough troops? Apparently, it's because if they tell him anything else, they get canned. But it's so far from the truth that it's really abhorrent what Bush's refusal to somehow increase the size of the military is doing to out country. Our ability to have an all-volunteer army depends on those volunteers trusting that their willingness to serve won't be abused. Bush is not only hurting our efforts in Iraq, he may be crippling the Army's effectiveness for a long, long time.

The Honor Snatchers. Speaking of Bush hurting the Army, here's a good example of how his Administration is not just being neglectful by denying the need to chance their approach to staffing, but also being actively detrimental to the image of the Army. Pat Tillman truly was a hero, regardless of the details of his death. He wanted to serve his country, and he did. But then he was killed in a friendly-fire accident, and this Administration exploited him for political purposes, as they do with everything. It's getting tougher and tougher to find people willing to serve in our military, and it's not hard to understand why. Most likely if a person is still willing to die for his or her country, it's solely because they believe it's the honorable thing to do. But if the Administration insists on taking that honor from its soldiers, even after they've already given their lives, then why would those honorable volunteers still want to serve? Pat, we appreciate your service and dedication, even if those in powers only appreciated the political opportunity you provided them.

Unfriendly Fire. As long as we're still in a post-Memorial Day mood, we wanted to provide you with some food for thought, courtesy of the Bull Moose. It is pretty amazing how many Republicans in power avoided serving in Vietnam, a war to this day that they still claim was worthwhile. Beyond that, it's quite disgusting how many of those same leaders are willing to send others off to fight in yet another unjustified war, when they themselves were never willing to make similar sacrifices. But what's truly galling is the willingness of those who did not serve to attack those who did. Inevitably, when a true war hero (Kerry, Cleland, McCain) runs against a true war hawk, the hero's patriotism and honor ends up being called into question. The Moose asks if this will continue to happen when those who served in the Iraq war try to run, years from now. It truly is disgusting, and shows the contempt that the Republican "chickenhawks" really have for our military men.