Thursday, December 06, 2007

THIS JUST IN! HUCKABEE LOVES THE RAPISTS!

 
"I LIKE MIKE," COOED RUTH CONNIFF LAST WEEK TO REBECCA'S DISGUST.  CONNIFF MIGHT WANT TO RETHINK HER G.O.P. CRUSH.
 
THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL WANNA BE IS WEIRD AS ALL GET OUT AND FREES RAPISTS.  WORSE THEN FREEING RAPISTS, HE THEN LIES ABOUT IT AFTER.
 
IN 1984, WAYNE DUMOND WAS CONVICTED IN ARKANSAS OF RAPING 17-YEAR-OLD ASHLEY STEVENS AND SENTENCED TO LIFE AND 20 YEARS.  HIS SENTENCE WAS REDUCED BY JIM GUY TUCKER, A CLINTON RIVAL.  THE STORY OF DUMOND IS THE STORY OF THE CLINTON CRAZIES WHICH THESE DAYS IS NOT JUST THE LUNATIC RIGHT-WING BUT ALSO A SEGMENT OF THE FAUX LEFT LED BY KATTY KATRINA VANDEN HEUVEL WHO HATES THE CLINTONS AND PANTS IN PUBLIC OVER BAMBI OBAMA.  HATES THE CLINTONS?
 
ASHLEY STEVENS IS A DISTANT COUSIN OF BILL CLINTON AND THE LUNATICS STARTED SCREAMING "IT'S A CLINTON CONSPIRACY! DUMOND WAS FRAMED!" 
 
ENTER G.O.P. FREAK MIKE HUCKABEE.  TODAY WEIRDO HUCKABEE DECLARED, "AND FOR PEOPLE TO NOW POLITICIZE THESE DEATHS AND TO TRY TO MAKE A POLITICAL CASE OUT OF IT RATHER THAN TO SIMPLY UNDERSTAND THAT A SYSTEM FAILED . . . I JUST REGRET POLITICS IS REDUCED TO THAT."
 
FREAK-A-ZOID HUCKABEE WAS REFERRING TO THE FACT THAT, AS GOVERNOR OF ARKANSAS, HE PRESSURED FOR THE RELEASE OF DUMAND.  TODAY LOIS DAVIDSON OFFERED HER THOUGHTS.  HER DAUGHTER WAS CAROL SUE SHIELDS.  CAROL SUE WAS RAPED AND MURDERED BY DUMOND AFTER HUCKABEE GOT DUMOND RELEASED FROM PRISON.
 
LOIS DAVIDSON DECLARED, "I DON'T THINK HE DID ENOUGH BACKGROUND RESEARCH ON WAYNE DUMOND'S LIFE.  AND IF HE DIDN'T DO THAT KIND OF RESEARCH, I DON'T THINK HE'S GONNA BE GOOD FOR THE COUNTRY."
 
NOTHING IS BEING 'POLITICIZED.'  HUCKABEE'S LOUSY GOVERNANCE IS BEING ADDRESSED.  HE ADMITTED OVER THE WEEKEND THAT HE DID WRITE DUMOND A LETTER SAYING HE WANTED DUMOND OUT OF PRISON.  EARLIER IT WAS KNOWN THAT HE WROTE A LETTER TO DUMOND'S WIFE TELLING HER HE SUPPORT RAPIST DUMOND.
 
HUCKABEE CONTINUES TO DENY DOING ANYTHING ELSE, HOWEVER A MEMBER OF THE PAROLE BOARD HAS COME FORWARD TO TELL THE TRUTH.  HE MET WITH THE PAROLE BOARD AND ADVOCATED FOR DUMONT'S RELEASE.  FORMER BOARD MEMBER CHARLES CHASTAIN SAYS, "HE THOUGHT DUMOND HAD GOTTEN A RAW DEAL.  HE SAID HE'D BEEN BORN ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS AND HADN'T BEEN TREATED ALL THAT FAIRLY." 
 
 
HUCKABEE'S RESPONSIBLE AND RUTH CONNIFF NEEDS TO PONDER WHETHER SHE STILL "LIKES" MIKE AND WHAT IN THE WORLD MADE HER WRITE SUCH AN IDIOTIC STATEMENT IN THE FIRST PLACE?
 
 
 
Starting with war resistance.  Nathan Burden is a soldier who self-checked out after joining the military following high school.  Courage to Resist interviews Burden and he explains how a problem was ignored.  His recruiter made passes at Burden's mother.  When Burden learned of it, he complained and was told it would be taken care of.  He would later learn that 'taken care of' meant promoting the recruiter to station commander.  He explained other signs of the military was not listening and, on going AWOL, noted that "soldiers were doing this because they were being ignored when they applied for conscientious objector so I realized I wasn't the only soldier this had happened to and I wasn't going to judge the army on just one guy that made the pass on my mom" but the problem continued to be ignored.  
On CO's, Burden shares, ""There was a guy who applied for cons objector because he didn't want to do it and he got ignored" so he ended up checking out.  The man had deployed to Iraq and Burden says, "he told me that him and his buddies had applied for conscientious objector before and been ignored."  Last month, a traffic violation led to his being stopped and then place in jail for two weeks while MPs were supposed to be coming to the jail to pick him up.  They weren't able to.  After two weeks, the military's position was, "Allright we're going to let you out and you've got two days to get to Fort Campbell."  Burden left jail and did not go to Fort Campbell.  He shared that he had "twins on the way" and that his family supports his decision.
 
A body that has not been supportive of Iraq War resisters who refuse to fight in an illegal war based on lies is the Canadian government.  November 15th, Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey learned that the nation's Supreme Court would not hear their appeals.  As a result, the focus is now on getting the Canadian Parliament to address the situation.  On December 11th, the parliament will hear testimony from war resisters.  Cindy Sheehan (OpEdNews) urges people to utilize Courage to Resist's easy to mail or e-mail resources to allow the Canadian government to know you are watching and to support organizations supporting war resisters as well as supporting war resisters:
 
 
Support actual war resisters in Canada by sending them expense money. From my friend Ryan (I gave him and his wife money to get to Canada over two years ago):
 
In light of the recent Supreme Court denial in Canada, I (Ryan Johnson), My wife (Jen Johnson) and Brandon Hughey need help raising funds to travel to Ottawa to attend hearings before the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, where War Resisters will be giving Testimony to the committee. At these hearings the committee will be deciding on whether or not to make a provision to allow war resisters to stay in Canada. This is one of our last chances to be able to continue living in Canada. We will be leaving December 7th because the hearings are December 11th, 2007 so we need to act fast. They may try to send guys back soon and we need to have a strong War Resister Presence. We appreciate all of the support and Want to thank all of you who can help.
 
Checks/money orders can be sent for Ryan, Jen and Brandon to:312 Tower Rd  Nelson, BC V1L3K6
 
There is a growing movement of resistance within the US military which includes James Stepp, Rodney Watson, Michael Espinal, Matthew Lowell, Derek Hess, Diedra Cobb, Brad McCall, Justin Cliburn, Timothy Richard, Robert Weiss, Phil McDowell, Steve Yoczik, Ross Spears, Peter Brown, Bethany "Skylar" James, Zamesha Dominique, Chrisopther Scott Magaoay, Jared Hood, James Burmeister, Eli Israel, Joshua Key, Ehren Watada, Terri Johnson, Carla Gomez, Luke Kamunen, Leif Kamunen, Leo Kamunen, Camilo Mejia, Kimberly Rivera, Dean Walcott, Linjamin Mull, Agustin Aguayo, Justin Colby, Marc Train, Abdullah Webster, Robert Zabala, Darrell Anderson, Kyle Snyder, Corey Glass, Jeremy Hinzman, Kevin Lee, Mark Wilkerson, Patrick Hart, Ricky Clousing, Ivan Brobeck, Aidan Delgado, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, Blake LeMoine, Clifton Hicks, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Clifford Cornell, Joshua Despain, Joshua Casteel, Katherine Jashinski, Dale Bartell, Chris Teske, Matt Lowell, Jimmy Massey, Chris Capps, Tim Richard, Hart Viges, Michael Blake, Christopher Mogwai, Christian Kjar, Kyle Huwer, Wilfredo Torres, Michael Sudbury, Ghanim Khalil, Vincent La Volpa, DeShawn Reed and Kevin Benderman. In total, at least fifty US war resisters in Canada have applied for asylum.

Information on war resistance within the military can be found at The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline [(877) 447-4487], Iraq Veterans Against the War and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Tom Joad maintains a list of known war resisters.  In addition, VETWOW is an organization that assists those suffering from MST (Military Sexual Trauma).
 
 
The voice of war resister Camilo Mejia is featured in Rebel Voices -- playing now through December 16th at Culture Project -- that's ten more days -- and based on Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove's best-selling book Voices of a People's History of the United States. It features dramatic readings of historical voices such as war resister Mejia, Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, Malcom X and others will be featured. Musician Allison Mooerer will head the permanent cast while those confirmed to be performing on selected nights are Ally Sheedy (actress and poet, best known for films such as High Art, The Breakfast Club, Maid to Order, the two Short Circuit films, St. Elmo's Fire, War Games, and, along with Nicky Katt, has good buzz on the forthcoming Harold), Eve Ensler who wrote the theater classic The Vagina Monologues (no, it's not too soon to call that a classic), actor David Strathaim (L.A. Confidential, The Firm, Bob Roberts, Dolores Claiborne and The Bourne Ultimatum), actor and playwright Wallace Shawn (The Princess Bride, Clueless -- film and TV series, Gregory and Chicken Little), actress Lili Taylor (Dogfight, Shortcuts, Say Anything, Household Saints, I Shot Andy Warhol, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, State of Mind) and actor, director and activist Danny Glover (The Color Purple, Beloved, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Rainmaker, Places In The Heart, Dreamgirls, Shooter and who recently appeared on Democracy Now! addressing the US militarization of Africa) The directors are Will Pomerantz and Rob Urbinati with Urbinati collaborating with Zinn and Arnove on the play. Tickets are $41.. The theater is located at 55 Mercer Street and tickets can be purchased there, over the phone (212-352-3101) or online here and here. More information can be found at Culture Project. 
 
 
In 1971, over one hundred members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War gathered in Detroit to share their stories with America. Atrocities like the My Lai massacre had ignited popular opposition to the war, but political and military leaders insisted that such crimes were isolated exceptions. The members of VVAW knew differently.
Over three days in January, these soldiers testified on the systematic brutality they had seen visited upon the people of Vietnam. They called it the Winter Soldier investigation, after Thomas Paine's famous admonishing of the "summer soldier" who shirks his duty during difficult times. In a time of war and lies, the veterans who gathered in Detroit knew it was their duty to tell the truth.
Over thirty years later, we find ourselves faced with a new war. But the lies are the same. Once again, American troops are sinking into increasingly bloody occupations. Once again, war crimes in places like Haditha, Fallujah, and Abu Ghraib have turned the public against the war. Once again, politicians and generals are blaming "a few bad apples" instead of examining the military policies that have destroyed Iraq and Afghanistan.
Once again, our country needs Winter Soldiers. 
In March of 2008, Iraq Veterans Against the War will gather in our nation's capital to break the silence and hold our leaders accountable for these wars. We hope you'll join us, because yours is a story that every American needs to hear.  
 
March 13th through 15th are the dates for the Winter Soldier Iraq & Afghanistan Investigation.
 
IVAW's South Central Region Coordinator Justin Cliburn will be speaking this Sunday in Dallas, Texas at the First Unitarian Church of Dallas, Raible Chapel (4015 Normandy Avenue, Dallas, TX 75205) at 10:30 am.  Cliburn served in Iraq (2005-2006) and this event is free and open to the public.  In September of this year, Cliburn shared some of his post-Iraq drill experiences at Courage to Resist and noted:
 
Someone who had not deployed before asked if we would go again.  "In a heartbeat!" one soldier replied.  Others assured him that they would have no problem going back.  Now, the eyes were on me. 
"No, I am not going back to participate in that war." 
The look of shock and awe on their faces quickly gave way to a flurry of questions about how I would get out, what I would do, how I could do that to my comrades, why I felt the way I did, what I thought I was proving, and why I thought I could make a difference.  The question that got me on a roll, however, was none of the above. 
"What are you going to do . . . become a conscientious objector?" one soldier and friend said with a smirk and a chuckle.  
"In fact, I just may do that.  That's what I am, essentially, isn't it?"
You could have heard a pin drop as the smirks fell from their faces; this appeared to be the worst thing I could have said.  It amazes me how they had just gotten done talking about taking pleasure in bullying Iraqis and I was somehow demonized for stating that I had a moral objection to the occupation and subjugation of a third world nation.  I have a conscience, and that upset them more than anything I could have said for some reason. 
 
Staying with the illegal war but turning to the failure of the esclation which Bully Boy dubbed the 'surge.'  The escalation was never going to produce lasting results.  The escalation was never going to, in fact, accomplish much of anything.  And the unspoken reality is that a current GOP candidate for his party's 2008 presidential nomination knew that though he chose and continues to choose to lie about that.  But before we get to that, yesterday on NPR's All Things Considered, Melissa Block explained, "Today US military officers told Defense Secretary Robert Gates they need help in northern Iraq.  They said they don't have enough troops because so many have been called to Baghdad to take part in the surge there.  US Army Col. Tony Thomas said the north has suffered, there's been an increase in violence and Thomas called for more American soldiers and the return of 1400 Iraqi troops who were sent to the center of the country.  Meantime there were four significant bombings in Iraq today including one in a shopping district of Baghdad . . ."  [This was the set-up to Iraqi voices which Ruth covered yesterday.]  In this morning's New York Times, Michael Gordon writes of the increase in violence in northern Iraq where resistance fighters are thought to "have relocated" and "migrated" specifically to Mosul.  What's going on is what has been going on and what was always known would take place.  But it was too important for some to re-sell the illegal war so truth got left out.  The escalation is a failure in every way and that is not just political, it also in terms of the military aims.  It was always going to be a military failure. 
 
We're dropping back to the August 4, 2006 snapshot noting a section of the August 3, 2006 US Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.
 
Senator John McCain: So, General Abizaid, we're moving 7,500 troops into Baghdad, is that correct?

General John Abizaid: The number is closer to 3,500.

[. . .]

McCain: And where are these troops coming from?

Abizaid: Uh, the troops, the Styker Brigade, is coming down from Mosul.

McCain: From Mosul? Is the situation under control in Ramadi?

Abizaid: Uh, the situation in Ramadi, is better than it was two months ago.

McCain: Is the situation under control in Ramadi?

Abizaid: I think the situation in Ramadi is workable.

McCain: And the troops from Ramadi came from Falluja, isn't that correct?

Abizaid: I can't say senator, I know that --

McCain: Well that's my information. What I worry about is we're playing a game of whack-a-mole here. We move troops from -- It flares up, we move troops there. Everybody knows we've got big problems in Ramadi and I said, "Where you gonna get the troops?" 'Well we're going to have to move them from Falluja.' Now we're going to have to move troops into Baghdad from someplace else. It's very disturbing.
 
Somehow, in all of his cheerleading, McCain forgot what might possibly the only moment of the Iraq War where he could claim to have been right.  He was right.  He spoke before the escalation proper (stop-loss orders had already been put into effect effecting Alaska troops; however, the 'surge' would be floated proper by the Bully Boy only after the November 2006 elections).  What played out under the escalation was what?  Troops pulled from other areas to go to Baghdad, to go to Al Anbar Province.  The escalation has been what McCain dubbed (rightly) "whack-a-mole" and, as he noted, "It's very disturbing."  Now, as Melissa Block noted, you have US military officers telling Robert Gates on his Baghdad stop-over that they need the troops sent to Baghdad back in northern Iraq.  It is whack-a-mole.  It is exactly what McCain predicted.  It's a shame he's taken to selling the myth of 'success' because otherwise he could be pointing out not only that the escalation is a failure but that he was right back on August 3, 2006.
 

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