THIS JUST IN! BULLY BOY -- AN IDIOT IN ANY CULTURE OR CLIMATE!

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- HANOI, VIETNAM.

 

 

THIS JUST IN!

 

BULLY BOY -- AN IDIOT IN ANY CULTURE OR CLIMATE!

 

TRAVELING THE STONE PATH LINED WITH GREEN SHRUBBERY TO THE HANIO TEMPLE OF LITERATURE, THESE REPORTERS WERE AMAZED AT THE WALLED STRUCTURE.  PASSING US WERE VIETNAMESE CARRYING BOOKS.  SOME OF WHOM SAT IN THE FIRST COURTYARD READING.  LATER THESE REPORTERS JOURNEYED TO THE VIETNAMESE NATIONAL HISTORY MUSEUM AND NOTICED HOW MANY PEOPLE TRAVELED THE STREETS ON BICYCLES AND MOTOR CYCLES.

 

SEEING THIS THRIVING CULTURE THAT WAS PRESENT BEFORE THE U.S. GOVERNMENT STARTED AN ILLEGAL WAR AND IS THRIVING AFTER, WE WONDERED HOW BULLY BOY, ALSO MAKING HIS FIRST VISIT TO VIETNAM, WOULD RESPOND TO HIS SURROUNDINGS -- WHICH DOES INCLUDE THE VERY REAL MARKS OF A LONG ILLEGAL WAR TO THIS DAY?

 

THE ONLY CHANGE WE OBSERVED WAS THAT HE WAS WEARING WAY TOO MUCH MAKE UP FOR HIS PHOTO OP WITH VIENAM'S PRIME MINISTER NGUYEN TAN DUNG. HIS HAIR ALSO LOOKED OVERLY BRUSHED. 

 

BUT HIS MIND HADN'T GOTTEN A MAKE OVER. 

 

COMPARING IRAQ AND VIETNAM HE DIDN'T SEEM TO HAVE A CLUE.  HE STATED THAT SEEING VIETNAM MADE HIM THINK OF HISTORY'S "LONG MARCH" AND HOW "THE WORLD WE LIVE IN TODAY IS ONE WHERE THEY WANT THINGS TO HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY". 

 

BULLY BOY FAILED TO GRASP THAT THE "LONG MARCH" FOR VIETNAM GOES BACK TO 200 B.C. AND THAT, FOR VIETNAM, THE ILLEGAL U.S. WAR WAS BUT A FRACTION OF A SECOND. 

 

TRUE OF IRAQ AS WELL.  OF WHICH BULLY BOY SAID, "WE'LL SUCCEED UNLESS WE QUIT."  THE FACT THAT VIETNAM FLOURISHED AGAIN ONLY AFTER THE U.S. PULLED OUT SEEMS TO HAVE SAILED RIGHT OVER HIS HEAD CAUSING ONE MEMBER OF THE VIETNAM PRESS TO DUB HIM "THE PORTABLE IDIOT."

 

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

 

Starting with yesterday's kidnappings -- there were two. Reuters cover this: "Passengers from up to six minibuses may have been abducted after being stopped at a fake security checkpoint in the capital, police and local residents said" from yesterday and, in addition, there was a kidnapping in southern Iraq.

England's C4 reported on the mass kidnapping in Baghdad one of the few that did.* Sudarsan Raghavan (Washington Post) noted: "Much of the day's other violence was directed at Shiite Muslims. Gunmen erected fake checkpoints in a Sunni neighborhood and seized Shiite passengers off minibuses." Alastair Macdonald (Reuters) noted: "Six missing minibuses were mostly carrying Shiites when gunmen, some in uniform, pulled them over for bogus security checks, police sources said."

The dickering over this kidnapping among Iraqi's various members of government follows the pattern after Tuesday's mass kidnapping which Kirk Semple (New York Times) observed was being seen (by Jalal Talabani, Iraqi president) as a potential "complete collapse of the government"). Queried by Jon Snow, of England's C4, as to whether "you think there are other ministers in the government who are complicit?" in the kidnappings, Iraq's minister of Higher Eductation, Abd Dhiab, stated he did believe that and, while refusing to answer whether he personally believed the police could be trusted, he noted that "the people" do not feel they can be.

Jon Snow: You seem to be describing a situation of anarchy here?

Abd Dhiab: Anarchy clearly, nobody can deny that.

Jon Snow: But, I mean, if you feel you have to resign then in a way we're beginning to see the disengration of the government?

Abd Dhiab (in a rambling answer) agreed. Kirk Semple noted Mohammed Bashar al-Faidi (Muslim Scholars Associaton) declared on Al Jazeera TV, "I don't know how to describe it, but it represents the bankruptcy of the sectarian government following one scandal after the other." The willingness of officials go to public with their own stark observations about Iraq comes as Nouri al-Maliki, puppet of the occupation, is in Turkey. Louise Roug (LA Times) reports that al-Maliki believes the matters can wait until next week to be resolved in a meeting of his cabinet.

Bully Boy believes that the answer for a 'win' is, as Simon Tisdall (Guardian of London) reports, "a last big push" that could result in increasing US troops in Iraq -- not withdrawing them. Tisdall also reveals that sources say "Bush family loyalist James Baker" and others on the supposed independent Iraq Study Group are now doing the bidding of the Pentagon and will include the following points as "victory strategy:"

1) Increase US troop levels by up to 20,000 to secure Baghdad and allow redeployments elsewhere in Iraq.

2) Focus on regional cooperation with international conference and/or direct diplomatic involvement of countries such as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

3) Revive reconciliation process between Sunni, Shia and others.

4) Increased resources from Congress to fund training and equipment of Iraqi security forces.

[. . .]

 

In peace news, Vietnam war resister Gerry Condon has posted a letter at Soldiers Say No! on Kyle Snyder. To recap, Snyder, on October 31st, turned himself in at Fort Knox only to self-check out again after discovering the military had lied yet again. Since then Snyder has been underground, surfacing to speaking out against the war.

Condon is requesting more calls supporting to Snyder:

Thanks to all of you who have made calls to the Commanding General at Fort Knox, Kentucky. The phones have been ringing off the walls there. Now it is time to make the phones ring at Fort Leonard Wood. Say hello to Fort Leonard Woods's brand new commander, Major General William McCoy, Jr., recently returned from the U.S. occupation of Iraq (you can read his emotional address upon assuming his new command at http://www.flw-guidon.com/).
Here are the numbers to call at Fort Leonard WoodOffice of the Commanding General (that's how they answer) 573-596-0131Public Affairs Office, tel. 573-563-4013 or 4105, fax: 573-563-4012, email: alleym@wood.army.mil
We want to deliver one clear message:RELEASE KYLE SNYDER WITHOUT ANY PUNISHMENT

Kyle Snyder is a US war resister and part of a movement of resistance within the military that also includes people such as Ehren Watada, Joshua Key, Ivan Brobeck, Darrell Anderson, Ricky Clousing, Mark Wilkerson, Camilo Meija, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Jeremy Hinzman, Corey Glass, Patrick Hart, Clifford Cornell, Agustin Aguayo, Joshua Despain, Katherine Jashinski, and Kevin Benderman. That's just the ones who have gone public. (Over thirty US war resisters are currently in Canada attempting to be legally recognized.)

Information on war resistance within the military can be found at Center on Conscience & War, The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline, and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Appeal for Redress is collecting signatures of active duty service members calling on Congress to bring the troops home -- the petition will be delivered to Congress in January.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"

"And the war drags on"
"NYT: 'Iraq Issues Arrest Warrant for Sunni Cleric' (Kirk Semple)"
"Other Items"

"The Girth of the Tabby"

"Danny Schechter, Stan Goff, 'anti-warrior' Mommy's..."

"illustrations, iraq, women voter turnout in 2006, ..."

"The Carville brain speaks (humor)"

"THIS JUST IN! FROM THE BRAIN OF JAMES CARVILLE!"

 

---

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THIS JUST IN! BULLY BOY -- AN IDIOT IN ANY CULTURE OR CLIMATE!

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- HANOI, VIETNAM.


THIS JUST IN!

BULLY BOY -- AN IDIOT IN ANY CULTURE OR CLIMATE!

TRAVELING THE STONE PATH LINED WITH GREEN SHRUBBERY TO THE HANIO TEMPLE OF LITERATURE, THESE REPORTERS WERE AMAZED AT THE WALLED STRUCTURE. PASSING US WERE VIETNAMESE CARRYING BOOKS. SOME OF WHOM SAT IN THE FIRST COURTYARD READING. LATER THESE REPORTERS JOURNEYED TO THE VIETNAMESE NATIONAL HISTORY MUSEUM AND NOTICED HOW MANY PEOPLE TRAVELED THE STREETS ON BICYCLES AND MOTOR CYCLES.

SEEING THIS THRIVING CULTURE THAT WAS PRESENT BEFORE THE U.S. GOVERNMENT STARTED AN ILLEGAL WAR AND IS THRIVING AFTER, WE WONDERED HOW BULLY BOY, ALSO MAKING HIS FIRST VISIT TO VIETNAM, WOULD RESPOND TO HIS SURROUNDINGS -- WHICH DOES INCLUDE THE VERY REAL MARKS OF A LONG ILLEGAL WAR TO THIS DAY?

THE ONLY CHANGE WE OBSERVED WAS THAT HE WAS WEARING WAY TOO MUCH MAKE UP FOR HIS PHOTO OP WITH VIENAM'S PRIME MINISTER NGUYEN TAN DUNG. HIS HAIR ALSO LOOKED OVERLY BRUSHED.

BUT HIS MIND HADN'T GOTTEN A MAKE OVER.

COMPARING IRAQ AND VIETNAM HE DIDN'T SEEM TO HAVE A CLUE. HE STATED THAT SEEING VIETNAM MADE HIM THINK OF HISTORY'S "LONG MARCH" AND HOW "THE WORLD WE LIVE IN TODAY IS ONE WHERE THEY WANT THINGS TO HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY".

BULLY BOY FAILED TO GRASP THAT THE "LONG MARCH" FOR VIETNAM GOES BACK TO 200 B.C. AND THAT, FOR VIETNAM, THE ILLEGAL U.S. WAR WAS BUT A FRACTION OF A SECOND.

TRUE OF IRAQ AS WELL. OF WHICH BULLY BOY SAID, "WE'LL SUCCEED UNLESS WE QUIT." THE FACT THAT VIETNAM FLOURISHED AGAIN ONLY AFTER THE U.S. PULLED OUT SEEMS TO HAVE SAILED RIGHT OVER HIS HEAD CAUSING ONE MEMBER OF THE VIETNAM PRESS TO DUB HIM "THE PORTABLE IDIOT."

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

Starting with yesterday's kidnappings -- there were two. Reuters cover this: "Passengers from up to six minibuses may have been abducted after being stopped at a fake security checkpoint in the capital, police and local residents said" from yesterday and, in addition, there was a kidnapping in southern Iraq. England's C4 reported on the mass kidnapping in Baghdad one of the few that did.* Sudarsan Raghavan (Washington Post) noted: "Much of the day's other violence was directed at Shiite Muslims. Gunmen erected fake checkpoints in a Sunni neighborhood and seized Shiite passengers off minibuses." Alastair Macdonald (Reuters) noted: "Six missing minibuses were mostly carrying Shiites when gunmen, some in uniform, pulled them over for bogus security checks, police sources said."

The dickering over this kidnapping among Iraqi's various members of government follows the pattern after Tuesday's mass kidnapping which Kirk Semple (New York Times) observed was being seen (by Jalal Talabani, Iraqi president) as a potential "complete collapse of the government"). Queried by Jon Snow, of England's C4, as to whether "you think there are other ministers in the government who are complicit?" in the kidnappings, Iraq's minister of Higher Eductation, Abd Dhiab, stated he did believe that and, while refusing to answer whether he personally believed the police could be trusted, he noted that "the people" do not feel they can be.

Jon Snow: You seem to be describing a situation of anarchy here?

Abd Dhiab: Anarchy clearly, nobody can deny that.

Jon Snow: But, I mean, if you feel you have to resign then in a way we're beginning to see the disengration of the government?

Abd Dhiab (in a rambling answer) agreed. Kirk Semple noted Mohammed Bashar al-Faidi (Muslim Scholars Associaton) declared on Al Jazeera TV, "I don't know how to describe it, but it represents the bankruptcy of the sectarian government following one scandal after the other." The willingness of officials go to public with their own stark observations about Iraq comes as Nouri al-Maliki, puppet of the occupation, is in Turkey. Louise Roug (LA Times) reports that al-Maliki believes the matters can wait until next week to be resolved in a meeting of his cabinet.

Bully Boy believes that the answer for a 'win' is, as Simon Tisdall (Guardian of London) reports, "a last big push" that could result in increasing US troops in Iraq -- not withdrawing them. Tisdall also reveals that sources say "Bush family loyalist James Baker" and others on the supposed independent Iraq Study Group are now doing the bidding of the Pentagon and will include the following points as "victory strategy:"

1) Increase US troop levels by up to 20,000 to secure Baghdad and allow redeployments elsewhere in Iraq.

2) Focus on regional cooperation with international conference and/or direct diplomatic involvement of countries such as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

3) Revive reconciliation process between Sunni, Shia and others.

4) Increased resources from Congress to fund training and equipment of Iraqi security forces.

[. . .]

In peace news, Vietnam war resister Gerry Condon has posted a letter at Soldiers Say No! on Kyle Snyder. To recap, Snyder, on October 31st, turned himself in at Fort Knox only to self-check out again after discovering the military had lied yet again. Since then Snyder has been underground, surfacing to speaking out against the war.

Condon is requesting more calls supporting to Snyder:

Thanks to all of you who have made calls to the Commanding General at Fort Knox, Kentucky. The phones have been ringing off the walls there. Now it is time to make the phones ring at Fort Leonard Wood. Say hello to Fort Leonard Woods's brand new commander, Major General William McCoy, Jr., recently returned from the U.S. occupation of Iraq (you can read his emotional address upon assuming his new command at http://www.flw-guidon.com/).
Here are the numbers to call at Fort Leonard Wood
Office of the Commanding General (that's how they answer) 573-596-0131
Public Affairs Office, tel. 573-563-4013 or 4105,
fax: 573-563-4012, email: alleym@wood.army.mil
We want to deliver one clear message:
RELEASE KYLE SNYDER WITHOUT ANY PUNISHMENT

Kyle Snyder is a US war resister and part of a movement of resistance within the military that also includes people such as Ehren Watada, Joshua Key, Ivan Brobeck, Darrell Anderson, Ricky Clousing, Mark Wilkerson, Camilo Meija, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Jeremy Hinzman, Corey Glass, Patrick Hart, Clifford Cornell, Agustin Aguayo, Joshua Despain, Katherine Jashinski, and Kevin Benderman. That's just the ones who have gone public. (Over thirty US war resisters are currently in Canada attempting to be legally recognized.)

Information on war resistance within the military can be found at Center on Conscience & War, The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline, and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Appeal for Redress is collecting signatures of active duty service members calling on Congress to bring the troops home -- the petition will be delivered to Congress in January.







Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"
"And the war drags on"
"NYT: 'Iraq Issues Arrest Warrant for Sunni Cleric' (Kirk Semple)"
"Other Items"
"The Girth of the Tabby"
"Danny Schechter, Stan Goff, 'anti-warrior' Mommy's..."
"illustrations, iraq, women voter turnout in 2006, ..."
"The Carville brain speaks (humor)"
"THIS JUST IN! FROM THE BRAIN OF JAMES CARVILLE!"

THIS JUST IN! FROM THE BRAIN OF JAMES CARVILLE!

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- DC.

THIS JUST IN!

JIMMY CRACK CORN CARVILLE MAKES ANOTHER WACKY DECISION!

THE SUPPOSED HUSBAND OF MARY MATALIN WAS SOUNDING LIKE THE BRIDE OF SIMON ROSENBERG YESTERDAY AS HE ISSUED A CALL FOR HOWARD DEAN TO STEP DOWN AS D.N.C. CHAIR.

APPARENTLY SOMEONE FORGOT TO TELL CRACK CORN CARVILLE THAT IN 2006, DEMS WON CONTROL OF BOTH HOUSES.

QUITE A DIFFERENCE FROM THE 2004 CAMPAIGN CRACK CORN CARVILLE ADVISED ON: JOHN KERRY'S FAILED RUN FOR PRESIDENT.

THOUGH IT'S GENERALLY FORGOTTEN, MERE DAYS AFTER THE ELECTION THERE WAS JIMMY CRACK CORN IN THE NEW YORK TIMES EXPLAINING HOW JOHN KERRY WAS DEFEATED BECAUSE OF THE CAMPAIGN -- YOU KNOW, THE THING CRACK CORN WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN CHARGE OF.

ATTEMPTING TO MAKE SOME SENSE OF IT, THESE REPORTERS WENT OFF IN SEARCH OF THE BRAINS AND BEAUTY OF THE CARVILLE FAMILY, MARY MATALIN.

WHEN ASKED FOR COMMENT, MARY MATLIN (CODENAME 'MEAN MALICE') INFORMED THESE REPORTERS, "LOOK, HE'S STUPID. HE'S DUMB AS A DOOR KNOB ON A RUSTED, BUSTED BAYOU TRAILER WHICH, I BELIEVE, IS WHAT HE WAS RAISED IN. BUT LIKE I TELL OUR GIRLS, 'STUPID MEN MAKE THE BEST DATES AND HUSBANDS. THEY CAN NEVER OUTSHINE YOU AND THEY CAN NEVER WIN AN ARGUMENT. THEY'RE ALSO TOO DUMB TO CHEAT.' THAT STORY ALWAYS CHEERS UP THE GIRLS, CHEERS UP ME TOO. OH LORD . . . "

MATALIN WALKED OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES AND THEN RETURNED TO EXPLAIN THAT JIMMY CRACK CORN CARVILLE WAS ALL EXCITED THAT IT WAS "LIGHTNING INDOORS!"

"HE WAS FLIPPING THE LIGHT SWITCH," SHE EXPLAINED. "HONESTLY, IF HE HAD A TAIL, HE'D CHASE IT."

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

Starting with Ehren Watada -- the first commissioned officer to publicly refuse to deploy to Iraq. Last week, the US military announced they would move to court-martial Watada. The court-martial is expected to take place early next year. Last night, Watada appeared on CNN's Paula Zahn Now program. Speaking to Zahn, Watada explained how, as late as September 2005, he was willing to go to Iraq (and had volunteered to deploy with any unit) but "then I began findout out some things about how possibly that our government could have misled, not only the Congress, but also the public, and the world as to the reasons why we were going to Iraq, and there were never any weapons of mass destruction, there were never any ties to al Qaeda or ties to 9/11. And I just -- at that point, I personally felt very betrayed as a soldier, willing to put my life on the line and willing to order soldiers to do the same, that we were sent to go and fight a war were the reasons were falsified."

After Watada's appearance, Zahn had a panel discussion. Joshua Casteel noted "the Uniform Code of Military Justice tells us two things. One is that we have an obligation to obey all lawful orders, but we also have an obligation to disobey all unlawful orders, and -- which includes disobeying orders that are unlawful, even if they come from the President of the United States. Article Six, Paragraph Two of the United States Constitution dictates that treaties that the United States signs on to are to be considered the laws of the land, including among them, the Hague Convention on Land Warfare of 1899, the Neruember Principles, which in 1953, the Department of Defense declared to be official policy. And Justice Jackson, who's the chief . . ." Zahn interrupts to ask if Watada's stand is "justified." Castell replies, "He is one of the few examples of moral courage that we have in the midst of plenty of individuals who show physical courage to go to Iraq and sacrifice for their country. But what we need right now are moral leaders. And Lieutenant Watada is an example of the kind of leadership that reminds us of our better nature and the aspirations of the United States Constitution." Amy Goodman (co-host of Democracy Now!) noted that, "Thousand of soldiers are saying no. The Pentagon doesn't like to talk about this, but Lieutenant Ehren Watada being the first officer to refuse to deploy to Iraq is very significant." A third guest repeatedly interrupted Amy Goodman. For some stranger reason, he appeared to be wearing Mommy's Pantyhose on top of his head. He statements sounded as if they were indeed picked from the crack of his ass in his desperate attempt to unearth his brain. At present, his brain is still believed to be under many layers of s--t.

Meanwhile Gregg K. Kakesako (Honolulu Star-Bulletin) reminds that Watada is facing up to six years if he is convicted in the court-martial to be held next year.

Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"
"Ehren Watada on CNN last night"
"Other Items"
"Slow news day? WTF?"
"Curiosity (Ruth)"
"Iraq, the Who"
"recharge"
"A baby gas bag explains how (humor)"
"THIS JUST IN! BABY GAS BAG IGNORES IRAQ!"

---

THIS JUST IN! BABY GAS BAG IGNORES IRAQ!

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- DC.

 

AS THESE REPORTERS RAN AROUND THE CAPITAL TODAY.

 

THERE WAS PLENTY GOING ON WHAT WITH IRAQ BEING ADDRESSED IN THE SENATE.

 

THEN WE BUMPED INTO CHRISTY HARVEY WHO REGULARLY SPOUTS NONSENSE ON THE BABY CRIES A LOT SHOW. 

 

FORTUNATELY, NO ONE LISTENS TO THAT SHOW.

 

BUT IT'S NOT JUST A GIG FOR HARVEY AS SHE DEMONSTRATED WITH HER GREETING, IT'S A WAY OF LIFE.

 

"OMG!  I AM TOTALLY STOKED!  AT FIRST, IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE A BIG NEWS DAY: THE SENATE TAPPED SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY) TO BE THE NEW SENATE MINORITY LEADER (A POSITION PREVIOUSLY HELD BY BILL FRIST.) YAWN.  BUT THEN . . ."

 

HARVEY STARTED BABBLING ON IN THAT WAY WHERE A LOT OF WORDS ARE SUPPOSED TO TRICK EVERYONE INTO BELIEVING SHE'S SAYING ANYTHING. 

 

SHE WASN'T.  SHE WAS LAME BRAINING IT LIKE A TRUE STUDENT OF BABY CRIES A LOT.  SHE WAS FOAMING AT THE MOUTH ABOUT TRENT LOTT "BACK FROM THE DEAD."

 

SHE WAS REALLY PROUD OF HERSELF. WE REMINDED HER THAT GENERAL JOHN ABIZAID HAD TESTIFIED TO THE U.S. SENATE ABOUT THE IRAQ WAR.

 

"EEEWWW! GROSS.  WHO WOULD WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT?  DID YOU HEAR?  TRENT LOTT'S BACK FROM THE DEAD!  TRENT LOTT RISES AGAIN!"

 

THESE REPORTERS INFORMED HER THAT THE U.S. MILITARY ANNOUNCED THE DEATH OF SIX TROOPS TODAY.

 

"SO?"  SHE ASKED SIPPING ON HER BIG TREE ICED CHAI TEA  "TRENT LOTT IS BACK FROM THE DEAD!"

 

THESE REPORTERS REMINDED HER THAT 2859.U.S. SOLDIERS WOULD NOT BE RETURNING FROM IRAQ LET ALONE FROM THE DEAD.

 

"YOU TWO ARE TOO SERIOUS!  REPORTING IS LIKE FARTING THROUGH YOUR MOUTH.  THAT'S WHAT I DO.  WAR IS LIKE --   ME AND BABY CRIES A LOT LIKE US SOME WAR.  WAR!  WAR!  SEE IT'S FUN TO SAY.  BUT IT'S BORING TO TALK ABOUT.  WHO WANTS TO TALK ABOUT IT?  IT'S GONE ON FOR LIKE . . . AT LEAST A YEAR.  I'M BORED.  EXCUSE ME BUT I'M OFF TO HANDICAP THE REPUBLICAN HOUSE LEADERSHIP.  GET YOUR RACING FORMS!"

 

FILE HER UNDER DUMB AND DONE. AND GRASP WHO GIVES COVER TO D.C. TYPES WHO WANT TO AVOID TALKING ABOUT THE WAR.  THE ODOR THEY LEAVE CAN'T BLAMED ON THE DOG IN THE ROOM.

 

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

 

"It's time to tell the truth!  The American people want the truth.  The American people want the truth.  Tell the truth if you're capable of it."  Today, an honest discussion on Iraq took place but it wasn't in the US Senate.  On Democracy Now!, Amy Goodman hosted a discussion with former US senator and presidential candidate George McGovern, US House Rep. Dennis Kucinich and someone scraped off the bottom of the right-wing non-thought tank AEI.  The AEI-er appeared to be attempting some sort of homage to the character of Audrey with his constant whining.  (Clea Lewis intended to be humorous when she played Audrey on Ellen.)  He whined "Let me have my turn" repeatedly and also referred to Goodman as "Miss moderator" proving that Iraq wasn't the only thing he failed to grasp, he'd also missed the last forty years (try "Ms. moderator").  Meanwhile Kucinich challenged the AEI-er with, "It's time to tell the truth!  The American people want the truth.  The American people want the truth.  Tell the truth if you're capable of it."  The AEI-er, Joshua Muravchik, wasn't up to the truth and tossed around the usual (pre-9-11?) nonsense of 'blame America first' and 'blood is on your hand' but has no answers.  Goodman asked if he was "proposing staying in Iraq and bombing Iran?" to which he replied "Yes and yes." 

 

McGovern reminded, "Well they were saying the same thing they're saying about Iraq. We were told all during those long years when I and others were trying to terminate our military involvement in Vietnam -- an intervention that the chief architects now say was a dreadful mistake -- and they said that if we pulled out, maybe it was a mistake, to go in, but if we pulled out  there would be a slaughter of people in Vietnam of indescribable dimensions, that Ho Chi Minh and his people would just slaughter everybody in the country that disagreed with him.  We also were told that the countries next door would start toppling into communism if we left Vietnam.  None of that happened.  There was no great bloodbath inside Vietnam and the Vietnamese became our friends almost immediately after we took our army out of their country.  They assisted us in trying to locate missing American soldiers.  They were ready for diplomatic relations.  We have no problem with Vietnam today and as a matter of fact none of the countries next door toppled into communism so those were the scare tactics that were used to keep us in Vietnam for about twenty years.  The president has said recently that maybe we have to stay [in Iraq] until the year 2010 and that's another four years during which time we'll probably kill several thousand more American troops and the terror now going on inside Iraq that began when we invaded the country will only get worse.  No country in the long term wants a foreign army lodged in their country."

 

Goodman asked: "How did, how did it ultimately end up that the troops were pulled out of Vietnam?"  McGovern replied, "Well, you know, we were finally forced out. You remember the pictures of the American ambassador being air lifted off the, off the roof of the embassy there and Vietnamese trying to cling to the helicopters that took him out?  I don't want to see that happen in Iraq.  I don't want to see us just kicked out.  I want to see an orderly withdrawal that would begin next month in December and be completed by June and we can do that.  Let me cite one poll that was conducted recently in Iraq.  It was conducted by our newspaper  USA Today, CNN -- the television network --  in cooperation with the Gallup polling organization, America's oldest polling.  And they asked the people of Iraq 'Do you regard  the Americans as liberators or as occupiers of your country?'  81% of the people said they didn't see us any longer as liberators, they see us as occupiers of the country and they made it very clear they want us out."

 

 

Kucinich spoke the words many shy from: Congress voting to cut off funding of the illegal war in Iraq.  "I believe that we're going to be able to get a consensus among progressives to cut off funds . . .  I think support is growing in the direction of getting out of Iraq and I think that we'll see a cut off of the funds, we'll use the money in the pipeline to have the orderly withdrawal that Senator McGovern so wisely spoke of.  People want a new direction.  They know that we have to involve the world community and they know that the direction has to be out of Iraq.  I mean, we're losing soldiers at an increasing clip , we're seeing the civil violence increase, the Iraqi people want us out, the American people by and large want us out of Iraq.  We need to take a new direction."

 

On The KPFA Evening News Monday, Mitch Jeserich interviewed US House Rep. Lynn Woolsey who stated she would consider cutting off Congressional funds but no one wanted to make that their first choice.  She also felt their support was for this option in Congress. 

(The interview may have been for Pacifica's Informed Dissent which Jeserich hosts or for WBAI's Wakeup Call where Jeserich is the news editor.)

 

The realities of Iraq were also explored . . . in Congress?  No, on  KPFA's The Morning Show today.  Philip Maldari spoke with Carl Conetta (Project on Defense Alternatives) and Natalie Goldring (Security Studies Program and Center for Peace and Security Studies at Georgetown).  They discussed the possibility that the US Congress would be inactive on the Iraq war and Goldring pointed out that this would lead to spreading the blame and allowing the GOP presidential candidate in 2008 to point to the Democratic controlled Congress as part of the problem with regards to the illegal war.  Concetta noted it would "tar the Democrats as co-signers" to the war.  Goldring noted that it wasn't clear how the administration or the United States "would bring stability to Iraq" and Concetta noted that the spin made "withdrawal . . . always on the horizon, two years in the future" that never seems to arrive. (Or 12 months, a favorite with the US military and tossed around by John Abizaid today -- we'll get to that shortly.)

 

[. . .]

 

Decked out like Janet Jackson on the cover of Rhythm Nation, John Abizaid, the general, blathered in Congress today.  Quote:  "Blah blah blah blah blah [karate chop with hand] blah blah blah."  CBS and AP report that Johnny says no timetables because they don't give him 'flexibility' and that he stated he "remains optimistic that we can stabilize Iraq."  The yearly physicaly doesn't include some sort of mental evaluation?  How bad was it?  So bad that John McCain had to declare: "I'm of course disappointed that basically you're advocating the status quo here today, which I think the American people in the last election said that is not an acceptable condition."  What may have prompted the battle of the Johns was that Abizaid didn't advocate for more US troops on the ground in Iraq -- something McCain favors.  Andrew Gray and Kristin Roberts (Reuters) report Abizaid declared, "I believe more American forces prevent the Iraqis from doing more, taking more responsibility for their future."  [The gut wrenching sobs you hear are Michael R. Gordon crying for all the war pornographers.]  Abizaid also saw 'progress' since August.  Apparently, no one handed him a copy of today's newspaper with the front page stories of the mass kidnappings yesterday in Baghdad?   To recap, Abizaid said, "Blah blah blah no withdrawal of US troops blah blah blah no timetables blah blah blah I need to be flexible blah blah blah watch me touch my nose blah blah blah."

 

AP notes US Senator Carl Levin's remarks: "We cannot save the Iraqis from themselves.  The only way for Iraqi leaders to squarely face that reality is for President Bush to tell them that the United States will begin a phased redeployment of our forces within four to six months."

 

 

 

Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"
"'Arrest of Iraqi Police Officials Ordered After Kidnapping' (John F. Burns and Michael Luo)"
"Other Items"

"Judith Miller, Law and Disorder"

"Myth of the Iraq Study Group "

"gyllenhaal, nora barrows friedman, mike lerner, te..."

"The easily fooled Bully (humor)"

"THIS JUST IN! A VERY SPECIAL INTERVIEW WITH THE BULLY BOY!"

---

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THIS JUST IN! A VERY SPECIAL INTERVIEW WITH THE BULLY BOY!

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- DC.

 

THIS MORNING, THESE REPORTERS WERE CALLED BY CONDI RICE WHO ASKED IF WE COULD MEET WITH THE BULLY BOY THIS AFTERNOON?  IT WAS "SOMETHING THAT MAGS [MARGARET SPELLINGS, SECRETARY OF EDUCATION AND WORLD RENOWNED PRACTICAL JOKER] HAS BEEN WORKING ON." 

 

ASSUMING IT MIGHT POTENTIALLY BE HUMOROUS, WE QUICKLY AGREED. 

 

MUST CREDIT BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX!

 

BACKGROUND:

 

 

ON MAY 27, 1968, "12 DAYS AWAY FROM LOSING HIS STUDENT DEFERMENT FROM THE DRAFT AT A TIME WHEN AMERICANS WERE DYING IN A COMBAT AT THE RATE OF 350 A WEEK," THE BULLY BOY DECIDED HE FELT LIKE JOINING THE TEXAS AIR NATIONAL GUARD AND, NOT ONLY DID HE SIGN UP THAT DAY, HE GOT ACCEPTED AND SWORN IN!

 

SURELY SCORING 25% ON THE TEST ("THE LOWEST ACCEPTABLE GRADE") MADE THE AIR GUARD DECIDE, "SCREW ALL THESE MORE QUALIFIED PEOPLE WAITING TO SIGN UP, THIS IDIOT IS JUST THE IDIOT WE'RE LOOKING FOR!"

 

RIGHT?

 

WRONG.  POPPY BUSH, FATHER OF THE BULLY, PUBLICLY SUPPORTED THE WAR IN REMARKS AND IN THE U.S. CONGRESS.  BUT WHEN IT CAME TO BABY BULLY BOY, POPPY WAS BOUND AND DETERMINED THAT ONE OF HIS CHILDREN WOULDN'T BE CANON FODDER.

 

POPPY TALKED A BIG TALK WITH JIM LEHRER ABOUT HIS SUPPORT FOR THOSE FIGHTING IN VIETNAM 'BACK IN THE DAY,' BUT HE WASN'T ABOUT TO SEND HIS OWN SON OVER THERE AND YOU KNOW BULLY BOY WASN'T GOING.

 

SO THEY DID IT THE WAY THE BUSH FAMILY DOES EVERYTHING, THE SNEAKY COWARDS WAY. 

 

UNLIKE TODAY'S WAR RESISTERS OR THE WAR RESISTERS DURING VIETNAM, BULLY BOY DIDN'T HAVE THE GUTS TO SAY "I AM AGAINST THE WAR."  HE JUST RAN TO HIS WAR HAWK DADDY AND BLUBBERED, "SAVE ME, DADDY!  SAVE ME!"

 

 

AFTER POPPY FINISHED NURSING BULLY BOY AND AFTER POPPY BUTTONED UP HIS BLOUSE, THEY MADE SOME CALLS AND BINGO-PRESTO!  BULLY BOY'S IN THE TEXAS AIR NATIONAL GUARD.

 

BUT HE DID NOT SERVE AND HE DID NOT COMPLETE HIS SO-CALLED DUTY.

 

THEN ON JUNE 21, 2006, THE MAN WHO STARTED AN ILLEGAL WAR MADE A SURPRISING ANNOUNCEMENT:  HE WOULD BE GOING TO VIETNAM THE NEXT YEAR!

 

AND THOUGH 2006 IS NEARLY OVER, BULLY BOY IS AT LAST KEEPING A PROMISE!

 

HE WILL SHIP OUT TO VIETNAM TONIGHT.

 

MUST CREDIT BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX!

 

IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW, BULLY BOY SHARED SOME THOUGHTS WITH THESE REPORTERS.  HE APPROACHED US WITH A SMILE WHICH WE THOUGHT INDICATED THAT HE WAS IN ON THE JOKE.

 

 

"I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS," BULLY BOY CONFESSED.  "I'VE NEVER BEEN IN COMBAT BEFORE EXCEPT WHEN I WAS CARRYING AROUND A PLASTIC TURKEY.  DICK [CHENEY] THOUGHT THAT UP.  LAURA SAYS HE WAS MAKING FUN OF ME.  I GO, 'LAURA, NO ONE CALLS PEOPLE "TURKEY" ANY MORE.  THAT'S AS OLD AS YOUR POT HABIT.' "

 

WITH A TEAR IN HIS EYE, HE SHARED THAT HE HAD BEEN ROUGH ON LAURA "ABOUT THE TOKES, THE DIME BAGS AND THE BONGS BUT NOW I'M HOPING SHE'LL SEND ME A 'CARE PACKAGE' WHILE I'M STATIONED THERE.  IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN -- 'CARE PACKAGE.'  GET IT?"

 

NOTING THAT HIS HANDS WERE SHAKING, THESE REPORTERS ASKED HIM HOW NERVOUS HE WAS?

 

 

"THIS AIN'T NERVES!"  SHOUTED BULLY BOY.  "THIS IS COMMITTMENT!  THIS IS PASSION!  AND I ALWAYS PISS MYSELF WHEN I'M GETTING READY TO GO INTO BATTLE.  HELPS ME FOCUS!"

 

HOW HAD HE PREPARED FOR HIS TRIP?

 

"A LITTLE F-TROOP.  A LITTLE MCHALES' NAVY.  A LITTLE SOMETHING MY DAUGHTER JENNA SCRAPED OFF HER SHOE AFTER A NIGHT OF CLUBBING.  LOOKED JUST LIKE A CERTS BUT IT PACKED A WALLOP.  WOAH DOGGIES!  FIRED ME UP!  READY GO GET SOME KILLS NOW!  YEE-HAW!"

 

AS THE CONVERSATION CONTINUED IN THIS DIRECTION FOR ANOTHER THIRTY MINUTES, THESE REPORTERS STOPPED BELIEVING THAT THE BULLY BOY OF THE UNITED STATES WAS PULLING A PRANK ON THESE REPORTERS.

 

 

HE DID KNOW, WE ASKED, WHAT WAS GOING ON IN VIETNAM TODAY?

 

 

"OH YEAH, DICK SHOWED ME.  THAT ROCKER JUDY COLLINS IS STAGING A BENEFIT FOR THE VIETNAMESE.  COMMIE LOVER.  WELL SHE CAN THANK THE BRAVE MEN LIKE ME FOR PROTECTING HER AND THE WORLD FROM COMMUNISM.  IT'S 'THE CHECKERS THEORY.'  IF WE DON'T TAKE A STAND IN VIETNAM, ALL OF ASIA WILL LOOK LIKE A CHECKER BOARD."

 

 

WE ADVISED HIM THAT WE WERE PRETTY SURE HE MEANT "THE DOMINIO THEORY."  WE FURTHER ADVISED THAT THE VIETNAM WAR ENDED IN DECADES AGO.

 

"NO, IT DIDN'T.  DICK EXPLAINED IT TO ME.  MY DRAFT NUMBER GOT CALLED AND SINCE THE TWINS ARE DRINKING AGE, I GOT NO MORE DEFERMENTS LEFT."

 

OFF TO THE SIDE, WE SAW DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT, CONDI RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE, AND MARGARET SPELLINGS, SECRETARY OF EDUCATION, SLAPPING ONE ANOTHER ON THE BACKS AS THEY BURST INTO GIGGLING FITS.

 

"DICK SAYS COMBAT WILL MAKE A MAN OUT OF ME,"  BULLY BOY EXPLAINED STAMPING HIS FOOT.

 

AND THAT'S HOW THESE REPORTERS LEFT HIM.  BULLY BOY STANDING OUTSIDE AIR FORCE ONE, CONVINCED HE WAS HEADED OFF TO VIETNAM TO FIGHT A WAR, HIS CABINET OFF TO THE SIDE, LAUGHING AT HIM. 

 

 

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

 

Starting with KPFA's Flashpoints on Monday, Nora Barrows Friedman interviewed activist, journalist, author and vet Mike Ferner.

Nora Barrows Friedman: Mike, as a veteran, what can you say about the growing momentum of combat of soldiers who are starting to organize and are refusing to serve, refusing to go to Iraq and fight Bush's illegal war?

Mike Ferner: "I think it's one of the best developments we've seen happen. I hope it increases exponentially. And I hope hundreds and hundreds of soldiers will take a look at their comrades who are doing this and say: 'That's something I should seriously think about.' I hope that we get large numbers of these soldiers just plain refusing to be deployed. If they're thinking about doing it, they need to call the G.I. Rights Hotline [(800) 394-9544; outside the US, (510) 465-1472 -- additional numbers are at the site], the need to seriously considering doing it prior to being deployed because once you're there [Iraq] it's far more difficult. But I would love to see whole companies and battalions of people just sit down and refuse to board that plane to be taken back to Iraq. I got out of the Navy as a Const. Objector during the Vietnam war and at some point you just have to look into your heart and ask can i continue to do this and can I live with myself given the culpability that I'm going to have given that I'm following the orders of a government engaged in an illegal war."


War resisters? Has independent media bothered to note, forget cover, that Ehren Watada will be court-martialed? No. D.D. Delaney (Port Folio Weekly) reports that Watada is facing up to "eight-and-a-half years in prison for the charges the Army has brought" against him. Meanwhile another war resister, Mark Wilkerson, who awaits word on what the military intends to do with his case, notes e.e. cummings' "I Sing of Olaf Glad and Big" -- a poem about a man "whose warmest heart recoiled at war; a conscientiour object-or". Wilkerson served one tour in Iraq and then applied for conscientious objector status only to see that denied. Following the denial, Wilkerson self-checked out for a year-and-a-half before announcing August 31st that he was turning himself in. As Wilkerson told
Dennis Bernstein on KPFA's Flashpoints August 31st, when his c.o. status was denied, he at first prepared a rebuttal but was told it would be shelved until he returned from his second deployment to Iraq. In an echo of Mike Lerner's comments yesterday, Wilkerson told Bernstein August 31st, "I completely stand by my decision. For me this was a time in my life when I decided I had to make a stand regardless of whether [it meant] prison or death".

While many avert their eyes, the war drags on. Today in Baghdad, another mass kidnapping -- the sheer number of those kidnapped may generate some interest. Most press estimates agree to at least 100 and many go with 150. (Christopher Bodeen of AP goes with 130 based upon a later statement by the Health Education Ministry.) CBS and AP note: "CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer reports . . . that about 80 men in some kind of Iraqi police uniforms surrounded the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education building in broad daylight and then fanned out inside the building, according to witnesses. The abductors then led the men and women captives out of the building to waiting pickup trucks and left the area, all before the real Iraqi police showed up." Pedistrians outside were encourage to clear the streets, inside the four story building, women and men were separated with the women locked in a room and only the men apparently kidnapped by people claiming to be with the Iraq Public Integrity Commission (which does not exist). What appears to be blood was noted on the floor of an entryway, phone receivers were ripped from phones, ashtrays knocked over. CNN reports that a witness "saw the gunmen check identity cards, pick out Sunni employees, including a man 'who was just delivering tea'." Sam Knight (Times of London) reports that the kidnappers used "around 40 new camouflaged pick-up vehicles" and "[a]round 80 gunmen dressed as police commandos" were involved. Whether or not they were part of the Iraqi police force has not been established.

 

 

 

Recommended: "Iraq Snapshot"

"Mass kidnapping in Iraq (again)"
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"Jeanne 'Linda' Michel, Gregg Mitchell, Chip Pitts"
"flashpoints and more"
"Grab bag (Betty)"
"Rumsfled -- even his friends think he's nuts!"
"THIS JUST IN! MARTINEZ IS IN!"
"Melquiades"

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THIS JUST IN! MARTINEZ IS IN!

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- DC.

THIS JUST IN!

MARTINEZ IS IN!

IF HIS ABRAMOFF TIES DON'T OUT HIM!

AFTER BEING OUTED BY BILL MAHER LAST WEEK ON LARRY KING LIVE, KEN MELHMAN WAS ON THE OUTS WITH THE G.O.P. THINGS ARE SO BAD THAT TO HEAD THE G.O.P., THEY'RE ENLISTING A SERVING U.S. SENATOR, MELQUIADES RAFAEL MARTINEZ.

CONDI RICE STATED, "I DON'T KNOW HOW MELQUIADES DOES IT. I HAVE ENOUGH TROUBLE JUST TRYING TO SLACK OFF 1 JOB. HE'S GOING TO HAVE TO SLACK OFF 2 JOBS!"

IF HE CAN KEEP THEM!

BEFORE MARTINEZ WAS A SENATOR, HE WAS THE SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT (HUD) AND BACK THEN, CONVICTED FELON BOB NEY CAME CALLING. IN COURT TWO MONTHS AGO, FELON BOB NEY ADMITTED, IN WRITING, TO LOBBYING MARTINEZ AND THE THEN MARTINEZ HEADED H.U.D. "AWARDED ABOUT $4 MILLION FROM 2002 TO 2004" TO ABRAMOFF'S CLIENT WHICH RESULTED, IN 2004, IN A $250,000 CONTRIBUTION TO HIS SENATE CAMPAIGN THANKS TO ABRAMOFF.

THEN THERE IS HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH WILLIAM SCOTT DELOACH WHO THE FBI ANNOUNCED PLED GUILTY SEPTEMBER 28TH TO EMBEZZELING OVER $35 MILLION: "WITH RESPECT TO THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE CHARGE AGAINST DELOACH, COURT RECORDS REFLECT THAT IN 2004, DELOACH LEARNED THAT PBSJ SUPPORTED THE U.S. SENATE CAMPAIGN OF MEL MARTINEZ. DELOACH WROTE A PERSON CONTRIBUTION CHECK TO THE MARTINEZ CAMPAIGN AND ASKED FOUR PBSJ EMPLOYEES TO DO THE SAME. THE FOUR EMPLOYEES, AND TWO OF THEIR SPOUSES, MADE CONTRIBUTIONS TOTALING $11,000 FOR WHICH EACH WAS UNLAWFULLY REIMBURSED".

MELQUIADES!

IF HE CAN KEEP THE PRESS FROM TALKING ABOUT THE SCANDALS, IT SHOULD BE A PERFECT FIT. MELQUIADES HAS DEMONSTRATED HIS ABILITY TO RAISE FUNDS AND HE'S NOT GOING TO BUSY HIMSELF WORRYING WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM.

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

Last week (Thursday), the US military announced they were moving to a court-martial of Ehren Watada -- the first commissioned officer to publicly refuse to deploy to Iraq. The court-martial is expected to be held early next year. Sunday, Teresa Watanabe (Los Angeles Times) reported that Eric Seitz, Watada's attorney, is predicting the court-martial will "be a spectacle. It's going to raise a lot of issues that frankly I don't understand why the Army wants to raise." Ehren Watada refused to deploy to Iraq because his studies, encouraged by his superior, led him to realize the Iraq war is illegal. Courage to Resist quotes Ehren Watada explaining, "The reason I spoke out, I saw that what was being in terms of this war was so illegal and so immoral and not being checked. It was a danger to our troops and a danger to our country. So, I think what needs to be done is some kind of accountability in Washington, D.C. and also investigations into how this war started in the first place."

In the first place? The fact that many would rather talk fine-tuning, the reality that the war is illegal and built on lies is too little examined. Speaking with Joshua Scheer (Truthdig) last week, Congress member Dennis Kucinich declared, "We need to have hearings on Iraq again. We need to go over again why we went there. We need to review the statements and all the errors that were made, and from that we bring the country together to take a new direction. It's all fact-based. And then we start to heal our nation. But we cannot heal America if we continue with policies that are based on lies. We'll never be able to bring closure to this Iraq matter unless we tell the truth about what happened. So America needs a new approach of truth and reconcialiation." [Micah noted that yesterday.] In March of this year, Kucinich declared "Not One more Dime" noting: "After three years arrogance and incompetence, contempt and lies, death and destruction, Congress should say enough is enough and provide not one more dime for this Administration's ill-conceived, ill-advised, misguided and failed Iraq policy." Quite a bit more than many asked by Aaron Glantz on Countdown 2006 were willing to state. Writing for IPS, Glantz notes Pratap Chatterjee on the issue of stopping the war via the Congressional purse: "The main control Congress has is financial. Congress can refuse to pay for the war, which is what they did in Vietnam, but they can't really dictate how it's waged." For the article, Glantz also speaks with Tom Hayden who sees some hope in the public stance Democrats offered against the war but "[w]here they aren't so good yet is what to do about it, and they don't have that obligation yet because they aren't to take back the presidency -- if they ever do -- for two years. There will be an attempt by both parties to keep the war going and get rid of Iraq as a public issue, but that seems to me to be impossible." Writing at The Huffington Post, Hayden advises: "The peace movement needs to gear up for the 2008 elections, by establishing anti-war coalitions that no candidate can avoid in the primary states. The first four states -- Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina -- have large peace-and-justice constituencies."

Mobilizing took place Saturday in Chicago. Ofelia Casillas and Charles Sheehan (Chicago Tribune) report that Vietnam Veterans Against the War held a ceremony that brought out at least fifty and the closer was US war resister Kyle Snyder who stated: "I followed my conscience. And I'm being persecuted for that." Kyle Snyder self-checked out and moved to Canada after serving in Iraq. He returned to the United States last month and, on October 31st, turning himself in at Fort Knox only to self-check out again after discovering the military had lied yet again. As Courage to Resist notes, "At the risk of arrest, he is speaking out bravely on behalf of war resisters and active duty GI's." They are asking that you: "Call Ft. Leonard Wood Fort Leonard Wood Office of the Commanding General Major General William McCoy, Jr., 573-596-0131 and the Public Affairs Office, 573-563-4013 email: alleym@wood.army.mil -- Demand that the Army 'Discharge Kyle Snyder with No Punishment'."


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"THIS JUST IN! THE MAN WITHOUT A FACE IS DEAD!"
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---

Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta.

THIS JUST IN! THE MAN WITHOUT A FACE IS DEAD!

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- DC.

THIS JUST IN!

THE MAN WITHOUT A FACE IS DEAD!

COLD WAR SPY MARKUS WOLF IS DEAD, AT 83, OF APPARENT NATURAL CAUSES AFTER YEARS OF BEING KNOWN AS "THE MAN WITHOUT A FACE."

TO REPEAT, THE MAN WITHOUT A FACE IS DEAD.

TO UPDATE YOU . . .

THE MAN WITHOUT A HEART?

OL' DIRTY BASTARD HIMSELF, DICK CHENEY IS VERY MUCH ALIVE.

THE MAN WITHOUT SHAME?

DONALD RUMSFLED STILL HAS A PULSE, IT'S JUST HIS CAREER THAT HAS BEEN PULLED OFF LIFE SUPPORT.


THE WOMAN WITHOUT A CLUE?

CONDI RICE REMAINS ALIVE AND WELL AND QUITE BUSY. WHEN LASTED SPOTTED SHE WAS PLOTTING BETWEEN 5 AND 6 FUTURE WARS.

THE MAN WITHOUT A LIVING BRAIN CELL?

BULLY BOY REMAINS FOREVER THOUGHTLESS, SHAMELESS, HEARTLESS AND ALL THE "ESS" ENDING WORDS -- AS FRIENDLESS AS HE IS CLUELESS. HIS PARENTS HAVE WORKED VERY HARD, FOR MANY YEARS, TO ENSURE THAT.

THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE HOME OF THE BRAVE?

THOUGHT TO BE DEAD BUT THIS WEEK'S ELECTION RETURNS INDICATE THERE STILL MAY BE SOME LIFE IN IT.


FROM THE TCI WIRE:

Starting with news on US war resister Ehren Watada. In June, Watada went public with his refusal to deploy to Iraq because the war is illegal and deploying would subject both himself and those serving under him to war crimes. In standing up, Watada became the first US commissioned officer to publicly refuse to serve in the illegal war. On August 17th, Article 32 hearing was held. [For details on Ann Wright's testimony, click here, Dennis Halliday click here, and here for Francis A. Boyle.] Following the hearing on the 17th, the US military announced August 24th that the presiding officer of the hearing, Lt. Colonel Mark Keith, had made a recommendation, court-martial. Yesterday, The KPFA Evening News reported that the US military had decided to court-martial Watada. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that "Lt. Gen. James Dubik, agreed with the recommended charges of missing a military movement and conduct unbecoming an officer." Gregg Kakesako (Honolulu Star-Bulletin) reports that conviction during the court-martial ("held next year") could result in "six years in jail and a dishonorable discharge." Honolulu's KITV spoke with Eric Seitz, attorney for Watada, who stated, "Unfortunately the army does want to make a martyr out of him. They have told us they will not enter into any agreement that doesn't include at least a year of incarceration, and that's just simply something we are unable to agree to." Rod Ohira (Honolulu Advertiser) notes the following statements by Watada after learning of the recommendation to court-martial him:"I feel the referral of the charges was not unexpected and at this time, I'm moving forward as I always have with resilience and fortitude to face the challenges ahead. . . . I think as the recent elections show more and more Americans are opening their eyes, but we aren't there yet. It is my hope that actions such as my own continue to call for the truth behind the fundamental illegality and immorality of those who perpetrated this war."

Coverage of war resisters in the US independent media has been embarrassing and shameful. Rebecca checks in on several independent outlets only to find that none have anything on Watada this morning. He appears to getting the full-Brobeck from independent media. (CBS notes Watada here.) War resister Ivan Brobeck returned to the US from Canada to turn himself in Tuesday and he didn't even make the indy headlines. (Nora Barrows Friedman did interview him on Monday's Flashpoints.) It's not cutting it. Not for Brobeck, not for Kyle Snyder who's also been ignored after returning to the US and, on October 31st, turning himself in at Fort Knox only to self-check out again after discovering the military had lied yet again. Not for Joshua Key who learned that the Canadian government was denying him refugee status.

A list of war resisters within the military would include Watada, Key, Snyder, and Brobeck. It would also include many other names such as Darrell Anderson, Ricky Clousing, Mark Wilkerson, Camilo Meija, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Jeremy Hinzman, Corey Glass, Patrick Hart, Clifford Cornell, Agustin Aguayo, Joshua Despain, Katherine Jashinski, and Kevin Benderman. That's just the ones who have gone public. (Over thirty US war resisters are currently in Canada attempting to be legally recognized.) It is a movement and should be covered as such. Ehren Watada's father and step-mother are currently on a speaking tour (tonight they're in NYC) and details on that will be at the end of the snapshot.

Information on war resistance within the military can be found at Center on Conscience & War, The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline, and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Appeal for Redress is collecting signatures of active duty service members calling on Congress to bring the troops home -- the petition will be delivered to Congress in January.


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"THIS JUST IN! RUMSFELD TALKS!"

THIS JUST IN! RUMSFELD TALKS!

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- DC.

ROBERT GATES IS THE SECOND WIFE!

THE TROPHY WIFE!

I WAS USED LIKE A TUBE SOCK AND WHEN I COULDN'T STAND UP ABOVE HIS ANKLES ANYMORE HE HURLED ME INTO THE TRASH!

SO SAYS THE SOON TO BE FORMER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DONALD RUMSFELD IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW GRANTED WITH THESE REPORTERS ON THE CONDITION THAT (A) WE PAY THE BAR TAB AND (B) WE GRASP THAT WHEN HE SOBERS UP HE MAY DENY IT ALL.

MUST CREDIT BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX.

OVER OATMEAL STOUT, SECRETARY RUMSFELD REMEMBERED THE GOOD TIMES.

"SERVING UNDER DICK. YOU COULD LOOK UP TO DICK. YOU COULD FEEL DICK. DICK WAS JUST OUT THERE. JUST PUT IT OUT THERE," THE DONALD SAID, SLAPPING THE TABLE EMPHATICALLY AND ATTRACTING STRANGE GLANCES.

"DICK NIXON, GOT ME," HE EXPLAINED. "HE SAID I WAS 'TOUGH ENOUGH' AND A 'RUTHLESS LITTLE BASTARD.' I DON'T MEAN TO WUSS OUT ON YOU GUYS BUT I ALWAYS TEAR UP WHEN I REMEMBER THAT. DICK GOT ME. THOSE WERE GOOD TIMES.

HE SPOKE FONDLY OF THE DAYS OF SWINE FLU, CHATTING WITH SADDAM HUSEIN ("HE'S MUCH TALLER IN PERSON!"), AND STARTING PNAC.

ON THE LATER, IN HIS CUPS, HE WONDERED, "WE JUST WANTED TO DOMINATE THE WORLD AND CONTROL EVERYTHING? IS THAT SO BAD?"

POSSIBLY AFRAID WE WOULD SKIP OUT ON THE BAR TAB, THE WAY HE SWEARS AL HAIG ALWAYS USED TO, SECRETARY RUMSFELD DUCKED AWAY TO "VISIT THE HEAD" AND MOMENTS LATER WE SAW HIM STROLLING DOWN SEVENTH STREET.

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

Today, Trina received an e-mail from the family of a war resister which only underscored to Trina how "hideous" the lack of coverage on this issue is. Trina: "If you believe the war is wrong and needs to end, then you need to cover those who are saying 'NO!' loudly and clearly. The fact that most independent magazines -- even at their own websistes -- can't is beyond disappointing. People standing up need support and their stories need to be told."

US war resisters that should have been in the news in the last two weeks include Kyle Snyder, Joshua Key and Ivan Brobeck. Kyle Snyder returned to the US Tuesday October 31st to turn himself in at Fort Knox after self-checking out and going to Canada. The agreement between Synder's attorney and the military was trashed after the US military had Synder in custody. Snyder self-checked out again. Joshua Key was denied refugee status by the Canadian government this week. Ivan Brobeck returned to the US from Canada this week, on election day, and turned himself in. These stories have garnered very little interest by independent media. Brobeck's return has hardly been noted. (Hurt feelings over the fact that Nora Barrows Friedman got the exclusive interview with Brobeck?) The verdict in Key's case has been noted even less. It's not cutting it and independent media (print and audio) needs to stop kidding themselves that it is. It's shameful.

Information on war resistance within the military can be found at Center on Conscience & War, The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline, and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Appeal for Redress is collecting signatures of active duty service members calling on Congress to bring the troops home.

Ivan Brobeck, Kyle Snyder and Joshua Key are part of a movement of war resistance within the US military that also includes Darrell Anderson, Ricky Clousing, Mark Wilkerson, Ehren Watada, Camilo Meija, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Jeremy Hinzman, Corey Glass, Patrick Hart, Clifford Cornell, Agustin Aguayo, Joshua Despain, Katherine Jashinski, and Kevin Benderman. Their stories do matter. It's only the coverage that is lacking.

Which gets to a point Anthony Arnove made on yesterday's Flashpoints regarding the importance of knowing our history and how much energy is expanded to rob people of their history. History is all around -- it's just not getting the coverage. Arrnove and Alice Walker, both guests on yesterday's Flashpoints will be among those bringing history to life via a reading of Howard Zinn and Arnove's Voices of a People's History of the United States tonight (7:30 p.m.) at the Berkeley Community Theatre (1930 Allston Way) and along with Walker and Arnove, other participants will also include Mos Def, Steve Earle and Zinn himself.

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THIS JUST IN! RUMSFELD BECOMES RUMSFLED!

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIX MIX -- DC.

RUMSFELD BECOMES 'RUMSFLED' TODAY AS BULLY BOY ANNOUNCES HIS DEPARTURE.


WHILE KYLE SNYDER, IVAN BROBECK, JOSHUA KEY AND OTHERS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE RUMSFLED SAILS OUT ON THE SAME GUST OF ILL WIND THAT PREVIOUSLY BLEW AWAY THE THEN SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL.

SECREATRY RUMSFLED WAS ASKED TO TENDER HIS RESIGNATION IN OCTOBER AND IT WAS IN A HOLDING PATTERN UNTIL THE ELECTION. PICTURED BELOW IN HAPPIER TIMES, RUMSFLED KNEW THAT HE WOULD HAVE A JOB ONLY IF THE U.S. CONGRESS REMAINED UNDER G.O.P. CONTROL.




ALREADY BULLY BOY HAS NAMED HIS INTENDED REPLACEMENT: ROBERT GATES WHO HAS A LONG HISTORY OF SHAPING 'FACTS' TO FIT CONCLUSIONS.

WHETHER THE SENATE WILL PROBE 'EDUCATOR' GATES' LONG HISTORY IN THE CONFIRMATION PROCESS AT THIS POINT IS, AS ONE SOURCE TOLD US, "AN UNKNOWN. LOOK, THERE ARE KNOWNS AND THERE ARE UNKNOWNS. THERE'S NO NEED TO GET ALL HENNY PENNY IN THE SKY ABOUT IT. WE KEEP SEEING THAT SAME CLIP OVER AND OVER ON TV AND THE AVERAGE PERSON WATCHING IS THINKING 'MY GOODNESS HOW MANY SECRETARIES OF DEFENSE DOES THIS COUNTRY HAVE?' IT'S JUST ONE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE."


OUR SOURCE THEN STATED, FOR THE RECORD (BUT NOT TO BE ATTRIBUTED), THAT "DONALD RUMSFELD WAS THE BEST DARN, ROOTIN', TOOTIN' SECRETARY OF DEFENSE THIS NATION WILL EVER HAVE. HE WAS SMART, HE WAS STRONG, HE HAD A HOT ASS. WHO COULD ASK FOR MORE? HE'LL BE FINE, THIS DONALD RUMSFELD IS A VERY STRONG FELLOW, TRUST ME. NOW YOU'LL HAVE TO EXCUSE ME BECAUSE CONDI'S OFFERED TO TAKE ME TO AN ACTUAL CAKEWALK SO I CAN SEE WHAT THAT'S REALLY LIKE."


FROM THE TCI WIRE:

For those looking for attempts to make sense of the election (something that really won't happen until all the votes are in and data crunched -- as opposed to skimmed) should refer to Amy Goodman's interview with Ralph Nader (Democracy Now!) and the Feminist Majority blog on the elections. [Feminist Wire addresses the failed abortion ban in South Dakota.] While the White House's message may have been lost on the puppet leaders, Nancy A. Yousseff (McClatchey Newspapers) reports that "Iraqis outside the world of politics saw no change, regardless of the results" as Matthew Schofield (McClatchy Newspapers) reports that the reaction was far different for Europeans who are now "a bit more comfortable with their partners across the Atlantic after five years of unease with Americans under the Bush administration." What is known is that the Democratic Party now holds the most seats in the US House of Representatives and may control the Senate provided the candidates in Montana and Virginia (Jon Tester, Jim Webb) hold their leads.

In Iraq today, Zalmay Khalilzad rushed to spin telling a reception in the heavily fortified Green Zone (reception made up of reporters, the puppet government, "American colleagues from the embassy," etc) that "Americans understand that Iraq is import. They understand that this region is important" blah, blah, blah. When even Zalmay-Take-Me-Away grew tired of his own voice, he signed off with "Thank you again for coming and my God bless the people of Iraq" which may not be the best way for American officials, supposedly wanting a secetarian government in Iraq, to conclude their 'official' messages. Reality absent in the rumored to be departing soon Zalmay's pontificating can be found in Missy Comley Beattie's latest (CounterPunch): "This historic smackdown of an arrogant president and his administration will not bring back my nephew, Marine Lance Cpl. Chase Comley, his fellow servicemen and women who have died during the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq, other dead coalition troops, and so many Iraqis. . . . Nothing can reverse the effects of madmen. The hearts of our dead cannot restart. Limbs can't be restored. Devastating brain damage won't heal."

[. . .]

In peace news, Chris Arsenault (The Dominion) takes a look at US war resister Corey Glass currently in Canada, at the War Resisters Support Campaign and notes that depite the petition with 35,000 signatures "demanding Canada treat Iraq War objectors the same way we treated Vietnam War resisters . . . the immigration and refugee board, whose mandate is different from the courts, has" refused to rule in favor of asylum for war resisters. Glass tells Arsenault: "I signed up to defend people and do humanitarian work filling sandbags if there was a hurricane; I should have been in New Orleans, not Iraq." Three other war resisters who went to Canada include Kyle Snyder who turned himself in at Fort Knox on October 31st only to self-check out again after the US military lied to him again, Joshua Key who was denied refugee status by the Canadian government and Ivan Brobeck who returned to the US yesterday to turn himself in.


Meanwhile, Gladys Tericho (Mennoite Central Committee) reports on the conference on conscientious objection held October 20-21 and bringing together groups "including Mennoite, Doukhobor, Quaker and Jehovah's Witnesses." She notes Harry Loewen (Professor Emeritus of Mennonite History and Studies at the University of Winnipeg") stating: "It is important that we deal with these issues now. . . . This principle must not be abandoned, it must be strengthened."



Recommended: "Iraq snapshot"
"Ruth's Report"
"Other Items"
"Resistance is futile -- or at least the independent media coverage is"
"Tuesday. If you don't know what today is, go to t..."
"gas bagging about the elections"
"Ivan Brobeck, Rolling Stones and a rip-off pig"
"THIS JUST IN! BULLY BOY STINKS!"
"See how they run, Bully Boy's done"

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