Making politicians and media accountable to ordinary citizens since 2000.
Home | Unconservative Listening | Links | Contribute | About
Join the Mailing List | Contact Caro
5/15/08
|
T-Shirts, Tiles
and
Now Affliiated With
Buy the items
|
Top Story
In speech before Knesset, Bush compares Democrats to Nazi appeasers
While delivering an
address before the Israeli parliament commemorating the 60th anniversary of
Israel, President Bush said that Sen. Barack Obama and Democrats favor a policy
of appeasement toward terrorists. CNN reports that Bush was comparing Obama to
"other U.S. leaders back in the run-up to World War II who appeased the Nazis."
Did Bush get any
inside information on this from his grandfather Prescott Bush, who
helped the Nazis rise to power? Obama says he’s
not an appeaser.
A blast from the past:
The World
Two suicide bombings kill over 20 Iraqis
Two suicide bombings
left more than 50 people killed or injured on Wednesday in Iraq. A suicide
bomber blew himself up in a tent on a funeral site at the Zaidan village of Abu
Ghraib area, some 15 km west of Baghdad, an Interior Ministry source said. The
blast killed at least 20 mourners and wounded about 30 others at the funeral,
the source said.
Rocket attack on Israel hits during Bush visit
JERUSALEM — The
difficulties facing President Bush in securing a new
Middle East peace deal exploded Wednesday when a Palestinian rocket
crashed into a southern Israeli medical center as the
U.S. president joined world
leaders in Jerusalem to celebrate the nation's 60th anniversary.
Bush says world must not allow Iran to have nuclear weapon
Visiting U.S.
President George W.Bush on Thursday said in an address delivered to Israeli
Knesset (parliament) that the world must not allow Iran to have a nuclear
weapon. "Permitting the world's leading sponsor of terror to possess the world's
deadliest weapon would be an unforgivable betrayal of future generations," the
U.S. dictator said, adding that for the sake of peace, the world must not allow
Iran to have a nuclear weapon.
US billionaire: Allegations in Olmert case 'insulting'
JERUSALEM - A
Jewish-American billionaire questioned by police as part of a corruption
investigation into Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Thursday he has never given
money to the Israeli leader and called suggestions of any wrongdoing
"insulting."
Hezbollah says it will return Lebanon to normal
BEIRUT, Lebanon -
Hezbollah's deputy leader said Thursday that the militant group will return
things to normal in Lebanon after the government reversed key decisions that
triggered days of bloody conflict.
MI6 chief visits Mossad for talks on Iran's nuclear threat
The head of MI6, Sir
John Scarlett, is to visit Israel later this month as Britain forges closer
links with Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service. Iran’s nuclear programme is
expected to be high on the agenda in an intelligence-sharing process described
by Israeli officials as a "strategic dialogue". It is building on long-standing
cooperation between MI6 and Mossad, both of which have extensive spy networks in
the Middle East.
Jordan convicts 3 of plotting to kill Bush
Jordan's
military court convicted three militants Wednesday of plotting to assassinate
President [sic] Bush during a 2006 visit to the kingdom and sentenced them to 15
years in jail. The Jordanian men -- Nidhal Musleh al-Momani, Sattam al-Zawahrah
and Tharwat Darajs -- were arrested Nov. 28, 2006, the day before Bush landed in
the Jordanian capital
Amman.
13 Taliban, 2 police killed in Afghanistan
Clashes in southern
Afghanistan
have left 13 Taliban militants and two policemen dead, while a teacher was shot
to death in the north after giving a speech condemning suicide bombings,
officials said Wednesday.
Afghanistan seeks $50 billion in aid
Afghanistan
will ask international donors next month for $50 billion to fund a five-year
development plan, a presidential aide said, despite growing criticism that aid
money is being wasted. Afghanistan produces about 93 percent of the world's
opium, the raw material of heroin.
Generals dismissed over Afghan assassination bid
Eight senior
generals have been suspended from Afghanistan's armed forces and are being
questioned over last month's failed assassination bid on President Hamad Karzai.
Mr Karzai survived the April 27 'Taliban' attack on a military parade, which
left three other people dead including an Afghan MP.
Militant group claims it was behind India bombing
JAIPUR, India - A
previously unknown Islamic militant group claimed Thursday to have used
explosive-laden bicycles to plant bombs that tore through this historic Indian
city, warning in an e-mail of more attacks on popular tourists sites.
Myanmar refuses to bow to pressure as UN calls meeting
YANGON (AFP) -
Myanmar's military regime dug in its heels Thursday two weeks after a deadly
cyclone, saying it would not bow to pressure to let in foreign aid workers as
the United Nations called an emergency summit.
Australia mulls court action against Iran president over Israel: PM
SYDNEY (AFP) -
Australia is considering taking Iran's president to the International Court of
Justice for inciting violence against Israel, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said
Wednesday.
Latin American, European leaders gather for summit
LIMA, Peru -
European and Latin American leaders gathering for their fifth summit in a decade
this week plan to tackle climate change, high food prices and poverty.
Chavez tells Colombia not to build base for US
CARACAS, Venezuela -
President Hugo Chavez on Wednesday warned
Colombia
not to allow a U.S. military base on its border with Venezuela, saying he would
consider such an act an "aggression."
Airport-style scanners on the streets
[London] Police are
to use hundreds of airport-style and hand-held weapon detectors in the crackdown
on knife crime… Assistant Commissioner Tim Godwin, head of territorial policing
in the capital, said officers would be deployed in areas blighted by stabbings
to stop and search teenagers suspected of carrying weapons. Police admit the "in
your face policing" is expected to raise community tensions in some areas. But
they say they are getting significant support from communities desperate for
them to crack down on the problem.
Italian Trial of CIA Operatives Begins With Torture Testimony
A long-delayed trial
of C.I.A. operatives and former top Italian intelligence officials moved forward
here on Wednesday, as a judge ruled that Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi could
be called to testify about the abduction of a Muslim cleric here in 2003.
Testimony also began Wednesday. The cleric’s wife, Ghali Nabila, said her
husband, Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, known as Abu Omar, was taken from Italy and
transferred to a prison in Egypt, where, she said, he was repeatedly tortured.
"He was tied up like he was being crucified. He was beat up, especially around
his ears. He was subjected to electroshocks to many body parts." "To his
genitals?" the prosecutors asked. "Yes," she replied.
Zimbabwe opposition says police ban runoff rally
HARARE (Reuters) -
Police in Zimbabwe have banned an opposition rally on Sunday at which Movement
for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai was going to kick off his
campaign for a presidential runoff, the MDC said on Thursday.
Zimbabwe introduces half-a-billion dollar note
HARARE (AFP) -
Zimbabwe has introduced a new half-a-billion dollar bank note in a bid to tackle
cash shortages fed by rampant inflation, the central bank said on Thursday.
Top UN official warns of increasing Darfur violence
UNITED NATIONS - The
U.N. peacekeeping chief warned Wednesday of an alarming increase in violence in
Darfur that has spread to the Sudanese capital and could escalate further.
Experts see no early end to world's food crisis
WASHINGTON — The world's deep hunger crisis could go on for years, and
in the long run it'll take a new scientific agricultural revolution to help
farmers in the poorest countries produce enough food, experts said Wednesday at
congressional hearings.
The Nation
Accused September 11 planners set for court on June 5
Khalid Sheikh
Mohammed, accused of masterminding the September 11 attacks, is tentatively due
to appear before a U.S. war [kangaroo] court judge at Guantanamo Bay for the
first time on June 5, a military official said on Wednesday.
Guantanamo official says he's not resigning
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - A
Pentagon official said Wednesday he will not resign as legal adviser to
war-crimes tribunals at
Guantanamo,
despite his removal from the trial of Osama bin Laden's driver because of a lack
of impartiality.
ACLU obtains new Defense Department docs on prison deaths in Iraq.
(Think Progress)
Through a Freedom of Information Act request, the ACLU “has obtained previously
withheld documents” from the Defense Department that “shed light on the deaths
of detainees in Iraq.”
One of the documents is a list of “at least four prisoner deaths” that were
investigated by the Navy, including one detainee at Abu Ghraib who died after
“his head was beaten with a stove”… The documents obtained by the ACLU are
here.
U.S. Forcibly Drugs Detainees
The U.S. government
has injected hundreds of foreigners it has deported with dangerous psychotropic
drugs against their will to keep them sedated during the trip back to their home
country, according to medical records, internal documents and interviews with
people who have been drugged. The government's forced use of antipsychotic
drugs, in people who have no history of mental illness, includes dozens of cases
in which the "pre-flight cocktail," as a document calls it, had such a potent
effect that federal guards needed a wheelchair to move the slumped deportee onto
an airplane.
To The Co-Conspirators Go The Spoils
(by Shane-O at Corrente)
Surprise! Verizon and AT&T Win Homeland Security Contracts. “Verizon Business, a
unit of No. 2 U.S. telephone service provider Verizon Communications Inc (VZ.N),
said on Wednesday it has won a contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security worth around $678.5 million over 10 years… AT&T Government Solutions, a
business unit of AT&T Inc (T.N), won a $292 million contract to serve as the
secondary network service provider in the Eastern and Western region.”And
nothing for Quest. Of course this makes sense as AT&T was a co-conspirator in
the Bush Administation’s illegal wiretapping program. Verizon too. But not
Quest.
Air Force Aims for 'Full Control' of 'Any and All' Computers
The Air Force wants
a suite of hacker tools, to give it "access" to -- and "full control" of -- any
kind of computer there is. And once the info warriors are in, the Air Force
wants them to keep tabs on their "adversaries' information infrastructure
completely undetected."
Air Force Colonel Wants to Build a Military Botnet
While most
government agencies are struggling to keep their computers out of the latest
Russian botnets, Col. Charles W. Williamson III is proposing that the Air Force
build its own zombie network, so it can launch distributed denial of service
attacks on foreign enemies.
Contractors, insurance firms gouging taxpayers, panel says
WASHINGTON - A poorly run Pentagon program for providing workman's
compensation for civilian employees in
Iraq and Afghanistan has
allowed defense contractors and insurance companies to gouge American taxpayers,
a House oversight committee said Thursday.
House to boost GI Bill as it passes war funding
WASHINGTON - President Bush wants more money for the wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan. House
Democrats are making him pay a price — increased education benefits for veterans
of those conflicts — to pass his long-stalled request.
House panel approves pay raise for troops
WASHINGTON - The House Armed Services Committee approved a bill early
Thursday that authorizes $601.4 billion in defense spending for next year,
including a 3.9 percent pay raise for troops.
New disaster-housing design wins applause
WASHINGTON — Post-Katrina trailers got awful reviews, but the
manufactured replacement housing that's going up in
Mississippi now is drawing
raves.
House approves farm bill by veto-proof margin
WASHINGTON — The House on Wednesday emphatically approved a massive
five-year farm bill by a veto-proof margin, setting up President Bush for a
major political embarrassment.
Senators near housing deal
WASHINGTON - Key
senators said they are close to a bipartisan deal on a homeowner rescue package
that could help a half million strapped borrowers get government-backed
mortgages.
Congress to Rove: ‘No justification’ for refusing to testify on Siegelman case.
(Think Progress)
Today, House Judiciary Committee leaders sent a letter to Karl Rove’s laywer,
Robert Luskin, rejecting Rove’s offer to answer questions on his involvement in
the Don Siegelman prosecution and other issues in writing. They wrote that,
considering Rove’s willingness to speak to the media on the subject, “we can see
no justification for his refusal to speak on the record to the Committee”:
Ex-officer tells court he covered up botched raid
A former Atlanta
police officer on trial for a botched drug raid that led to the death of a
92-year-old woman said he went along with a cover-up because he felt threatened
by his fellow officers. Kathryn Johnston was shot 39 times by plainclothes
narcotics officers busted into her house using a "no-knock" warrant on Nov. 26,
2006. During nearly eight hours of testimony, Arthur Tester said he was
instructed by two other officers after the shooting to memorize a cover-up story
that they had witnessed an informant buying drugs at Johnston's home.
Economy & Finance
Stocks turn higher after jobless claims report
NEW YORK - Wall
Street fluctuated in a narrow range Thursday as investors struggled to discern a
direction for the economy after reports showing a modest increase in jobless
claims and weakness in the manufacturing sector.
Job market soft, factories weak
NEW YORK (Reuters) -
The U.S. factory sector started the month on a weak note after declining in
April, according to data released on Thursday, while the number of workers stuck
on jobless rolls hit a four-year high.
Bernanke: Banks must get better at foreseeing risk
WASHINGTON - Commercial banks and other financial institutions need to
beef up their ability to detect and protect themselves against risks like the
credit and mortgage debacles, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said
Thursday.
Here's news: Fed report says gas price dropped in April
WASHINGTON —
Consumer prices rose only 0.2 percent in April, but the tame number masked an
ugly reality for poorer Americans — food prices rose almost 1 percent for the
month, the highest monthly jump since 1990, and by 5 percent over the previous
year.
US foreclosure filings surge 65 percent in April
More U.S. homeowners
fell behind on mortgage payments last month, driving the number of homes facing
foreclosure up 65 percent versus the same month last year and contributing to a
deepening slide in home values, a research company said Tuesday.
Toll Hikes Used to Boost Foreign Company Profits
Drivers in North
America are paying higher fees to cover the red ink of a Spanish infrastructure
firm. Global toll road giant Cintra announced yesterday that its first quarter
revenue had jumped 15.3 percent thanks in part to toll hikes on roads in the US,
Canada, Chile, Ireland and Spain… American motorists are now paying
significantly more as a result. In 2005, Governor Mitch Daniels leased the
Chicago Skyway to Cintra and the Australian tolling firm
Macquarie for the next 99 years. The consortium hiked tolls 20 percent
earlier this year, charging motorists $3 each to drive the 7.8 mile route.
But privatization
is GOOD for you, so take your medicine.
General Electric to Shed Appliance Unit, People Say
General Electric Co.
may sell or seek a partner for the unit that makes refrigerators and washers,
ending more than a century in an industry that helped make GE a household name,
people familiar with the situation said.
Media & Politics
Permanent link to MTA daily media news
Pat Racimora at No Quarter (reposted)
Follow the Money: Pringle: Curtain Time for Obama (Short Version Part 1)
(Rezko Watch)
Evelyn Pringle has written a condensed version of Part 1 to her
May 13, 2008, article
"Curtain Time for Obama"… In her introduction to Part 1, Pringle wrote:
“Republicans have enough damaging information against Barack Obama to knock him
off the ballot before the November election. Those at the top of the Democratic
Party know this by now and voters need to recognize that if they nominate him
they are throwing the election. Nothing else can explain why they would allow
this disaster to happen.”
By the way, I was
apparently wrong by saying Obama is beholden to both Illinois Democratic
machines. According to Evie, I wasn’t inclusive enough. He’s part of the
COMBINE that includes the Illinois Democratic machines AND Republicans. If
that’s not enough to give America pause, I don’t know what is. The Texas Mafia
will move out and the Illinois Mafia will move in, if Obama becomes president.
Curtain Time for Barack Obama - Part II
(by Evelyn Pringle, posted at Scoop, N.Z.)
Curtain Time Part II will show that Obama was the inside guy in the Illinois
senate as far as setting up the Health Facilities Planning Board to extort
contributions from companies in exchange for the approval of applications to
build medi[c]al facilities.
More of Evelyn Pringle’s
articles posted at Scoop:
Barack Obama - The Wizard of Oz
Barack Obama - Operation Board Games for Slumlords
Barack Obama - Subplots of Operation Board Games Part I
Curtain Time For Barack Obama - Part I
Clinton wins most West Virginia delegates
WASHINGTON - Sen.
Hillary Rodham Clinton won most of the delegates in West Virginia's Democratic
primary Tuesday.
According to Obama, Hillary is Winning
(by Joyan and Bud White at No Quarter)
The Obama campaign has argued that Super Delegates ought to vote in accordance
with the “will” of the people. Really? Then let’s run the numbers. Under that
metric, who would have a lead in Super Delegates? The Super Delegate total from
the states that Hillary has won thus far (including FL and MI) is 418, to
Obama’s 372. If the MI delegates are split 50/50,
Clinton still wins 403.5 to
Obama’s 386.5. If Super Delegates are counted according to Barack’s formula,
Hillary wins the nomination. Period.
Click through to
see the state by state count.
The DNC Rules and the Case for MI and FL
(Operation Independent)
According to Rule 11,
Iowa
could hold its caucus no earlier than January 14,
New Hampshire no earlier
than January 22, and South Carolina no earlier than January 29… It is well known
by now that Florida
violated Rule 11 and moved the primary up seven days previous to February 5,
while Michigan moved their primary up 21 days early. The story we rarely hear is
that Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina also violate Rule 11 by moving their
caucuses/primaries up to January 3, January 8 and January 26 respectively… “… [T]he
Rules Committee stripped Michigan of its delegates, [but] waived the rules for
New Hampshire, Iowa, and South Carolina, each of which had also moved up their
primaries.”…
But here’s the crux of the
issue - even if the DNC and Dean can supply any reason for the failure to apply
the rules to Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina while stripping the entire
Florida and Michigan delegations, there is nothing whatsoever in the rules that
nullifies the popular vote totals in Florida and Michigan… The popular vote
totals in Florida and Michigan must be honored unless a revote is done. The DNC
has no, nada, zip authority to discount the popular vote. That the media, the
DNC and the Obama campaign have been complicit in this clear misrepresentation
of the rules and blatant attempt to silence voters is reprehensible and wrong.
New rules: Whatever is an advantage to Obama is what’s fair. Whatever is a
DISadvantage to Clinton is what’s fair. Because the objective is to get Obama
nominated, no matter who is kicked to the curb.
From a member of the
Hillblazers08 message group, via email:
Check out those
numbers - she beat B0 on all his constituencies:
College Graduates:
Clinton 57%, Obama
40%
Postgraduates:
Clinton 49%, Obama
49%
Independents (16%): Hillary 54%, Obama 32%
Liberals (35%): Hillary 66%, Obama 33%
Very Liberal (13%): Clinton 74%, Obama 24%
18-29 (12%): Hillary 57%, Obama 41%
Source
Analysis: Maybe Obama should worry
WASHINGTON
- Barack Obama is in hot pursuit of general election voters, hoping
America
won't notice he got his head handed to him in
West Virginia.
West Virginia
shows that we need a national revote for the Democratic primary. Too many
people in the early primaries didn’t know who Obama was when they voted for him.
Obama May Have His Work Cut Out for Him to Draw Independents
(Wall Street Journal)
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Barack Obama can't rest should he soon win Democrats'
presidential-nomination marathon. His next big challenge: to introduce himself
to the independents who may well decide the November election, and dispel the
doubts and misinformation that have taken hold among many. A focus group of
independent voters here Monday night suggested that the Illinois senator is
largely identified by his association with his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah
Wright Jr., whose much-publicized sermons have been called racially divisive and
anti-American. Yet Sen. Obama is also identified by many -- incorrectly -- as a
Muslim, and suspect for that as well… [A]ll but two voters cited the Wright
controversy as one of the most memorable things, and worried that Sen. Obama
might be influenced by his former pastor. Several noted Sen. Obama's gaffe
describing some small-town Americans as "bitter" at politicians' failed promises
and clinging to their guns and religion. They concluded he may be elitist.
3-1. Three to One. THREE to ONE.
(by ronkseattle at The Confluence)
74.3% to 25.7%. THREE to ONE. That’s how badly West Virginia rejected Barack
Obama, when John Edwards 26,000 votes are included. 173,000 votes, and counting.
That’s the raw margin by which
West Virginia
rejected Barack Obama... one number that sticks out like a sore thumb? That +37,
in among the +60’s, +70’s and +80’s. Obama’s margin among African-American
voters in Massachusetts. What’s special about Massachusetts? Deval Patrick is
what’s special. His campaign, his candidacy was a clone, an off-Broadway opening
run of the Obama candidacy. The same David Axelrod slogans, the same Change and
Hope and Yes We Can on the same short resume, the same old school ties and then
… dismal results in office. They’ve heard it before, they’ve seen it before, and
a lot of them have seen through it a long way back.
The Deeper Racism in Iowa: Beneath the White Obama Craze
(by Paul Street at the Black Agenda Report)
Barack Obama's January 3rd Democratic Caucus victory in Iowa demonstrated that a
Black man - or, at least, this particular Black man - could attract winning
numbers of white voters. The candidate's supporters claimed Iowa signaled a new
day, that "race doesn't matter" anymore in the United States. They are in a
fantasy of denial. Not only does race remain imbedded in American social
relations, but Iowa is especially afflicted with the compulsion to throw African
Americans in prison more frequently than any other state. "Liberal" Iowans,
proud that their state began a cascade of Obama victories, find it more
difficult than ever to face up to the racism that distorts all cross-racial
interaction in their cities and towns.
Maybe We Can't: The black case for Obama-skepticism
(by Cinque Henderson, The New Republic)
[L]et me fully disclose my predispositions. I disliked Obama almost instantly. I
never believed the central premises of his autobiography or his campaign. He is
fueled by precisely the same brand of personal ambition as Bill Clinton. But,
where Clinton
is damned as "Slick Willie," Obama is hailed as a post-racial Messiah. Do I
believe that Obama had this whole yes-we-can deal planned from age 16? No, I
would respond. He began plotting it at age 22. This predisposition, of course,
doesn't help me in making the case against Obama, especially not with black
people. But, believe me, there's a strong case to be made that he isn't such a
virtuous mediator of race. And it's this skepticism about Obama's racial
posturing that has led us, the 10 percent, into dissent.
Edwards Ups the Ante In Kentucky: Thread Four
(by Big Tent Democrat at TalkLeft)
John Edwards gave a great rousing speech … for Democratic values. He spoke very
gracious and respectful words of Hillary Clinton. And he endorsed Barack Obama.
It was a very impressive performance by John Edwards. There were some effects
though. Some intentional - to step on Hillary's huge win in West Virginia and to
vouch for Obama among white working class voters. One was not - upping the ante
in Kentucky. John Edwards, populist hero with a proven record of connecting with
white working class voters has vouched for Barack Obama. Does
Kentucky
buy it? The Kentucky contest, previously a foregone conclusion for the Media,
now becomes a test. For Barack Obama.
Okay, North
Carolina went for Obama, and that’s Edwards’ state. Obama has been saying that
Superdelegates should vote the way their constituents voted, and I agree.
Therefore, Ted Kennedy, Bill Richardson, and Jay Rockefeller, among others, must
switch to Clinton. Which puts her ahead among superdelegates. See below. Oh,
and add Edwards to the Losers for Obama tshirt.
Edwards Told Aides He Would Consider Veep Role
(Political Wire)
Though John Edwards said last month he would decline a vice presidential
nomination, the New York Times reports that "privately, he told aides that he
would consider the role of vice president and favored the position of attorney
general, which would appeal to his experience of decades spent in courtrooms as
a trial lawyer in North Carolina; and his desire to follow in the footsteps of
Robert
F. Kennedy, one of his heroes."
NARAL Endorses Sexist Obama
(by Truthteller at No Quarter)
Washington, DC, elites convinced yet another Democratic interest group, NARAL
“Pro-Choice” America, to endorse Barack Obama... And on the same day a group
that ostensibly supports the rights of women endorsed a male candidate for
President, that candidate decided to refer to a woman who holds the professional
title of Reporter as “sweetie.”
I Can't Imagine Why He Doesn't Do Better with Women Voters
(by BDBlue at Corrente)
Yeah, this guy is going to wear really well for another six months. Let’s see,
he’s insulted white working class voters, lectured pro-choice forces on about
how they don’t understand the moral choices of abortion, and now for the second
time, he’s called a woman he doesn’t know “sweetie.” I’d say not only is Obama
not asking for my vote, he’s going out of his way to make sure he doesn’t get
it. Update: Per the comments…, Obama has apologized. In doing so, he claimed
that he calls “all kinds of people” sweetie. By people, I’m betting he means
women. Because he sure wouldn’t call Mike Tyson “sweetie.” Also, while I saw the
link in some comments somewhere, this apparently or originated with Taylor
Marsh. So h/t to her.
He also called
Barbara Boxer
a “cutie.”
Pro-Choice Women's Group Says NARAL is Wrong
(by Jeralyn at TalkLeft)
Press Release from the National Women’s Political Caucus: (received by e-mail)
“The National Women’s Political Caucus is disappointed to learn of NARAL
Pro-Choice America’s endorsement of Senator Obama today. The Caucus knows
Hillary Clinton to be a clear leader and a consistent champion of the issues
that NARAL and NWPC have in common. We believe that this announcement at this
time will divide the choice community at a time when we need to stand united.”
Clinton supporters push back against NARAL endorsement
(War Room, Salon)
After a prominent pro-choice group endorsed Barack Obama on Wednesday, some
women -- including more than a dozen congresswomen -- strongly condemned the
decision.
Matthews: Clinton "almost like... the Al Sharpton of white people"
(War Room, Salon)
While interviewing Sen. Bob Casey Jr., D-Pa., a supporter of Barack Obama,
Matthews began to get worked up about elitism in the Democratic race… [H]e
referenced a recent interview Hillary Clinton gave to USA Today in which some
believed that she had implied the only "hardworking Americans" are "white
Americans." "How do we get back away from this, where these people like Hillary
Clinton so loosely say hardworking white workers?" Matthews asked Casey. "It's
almost like she's the Al Sharpton of white people. I mean, how do you get away
from that?"
Elitists Say the Darnedest Things
(Pagan Power)
Some elitist knucklehead named John Aravosis at AMERICAblog wrote one of the
stupidest things I have read in quite some time… In his stupid diary Go away you
horrible human being [Aravosis claimed that] Hillary caused a civil war in the
Netroots… The
Clintons don’t give a
damn about our party… [S]he’s hurting fundraising at the DNC… Message received
loud and clear. Coronation of Obama: Good. Voters having their full say in it:
Bad.
John Aravosis is
a former staffer for Republican Senator Ted Stevens. I'm sure that his head was
filled with Clinton hate during that time. We see here how successful the
16-year multi-hundred-million-dollar campaign by the right wing against Hillary
Clinton has been. If Obama is nominated, it will be a victory for the right
wing, along with the Democratic elitists.
Nobama’s Response to a MyDD diary demanding, “We Gotta Pull It Together Dems”
I speak for millions of Hillary supporters when I say, forget about it. Obama
and his campaign behaved abominably toward the Clintons and Hillary's supporters
and we won't forget. The sleazy Chicago smackdown tactics, the
disenfranchisement of voters, the bullying tactics in the caucuses, the brazen
violations of the caucus rules, the appeals to Republicans to be a "Democrat for
a day" to vote for Obama, the busing of voters from other states--NO, these
tactics will not be forgotten or forgiven. The treatment of Hillary supporters
on the blogs won't be forgiven or forgotten, either. Bullying, name calling,
hounding, derision--NO, it won't be forgiven or forgotten. Obama's "friends" and
associates, his puny record, his collusion with Chicago scum--nope, we can't
support such a man. Obama is a liar or any synonym you want to use to describe
that character flaw. We can't support him because we don't trust him. First, we
don't think he'd ever get elected but if he were to get elected, he'd likely be
a horrible disaster. No thanks.
Obama Featured With Farrakhan MANY Times on Trinity’s “Trumpet” magazine cover (by SusanUnPC at No Quarter)
Obama on Zionism and Hamas (by Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic)
The Hamas leader Ahmed Yousef did Barack Obama no favor recently when he said:
“We like Mr. Obama and we hope that he will win the election.”… Obama and I
spoke [recently] about Hamas, about Jimmy Carter, and about the future of Jewish
settlements on the
West Bank. He seemed
eager to talk about his ties to the Jewish community, and about the influence
Jews have had on his life. Among other things, he told me that he learned the
art of moral anguish from Jews… And, speaking in a kind of code Jews readily
understand, Obama also made sure to mention that he was fond of the writer Leon
Uris, the author of Exodus.
Moral anguish is
an ART? And you LEARN it? It’s not innate? Notice the dog whistling.
Obama advisor: Jerusalem must be included in peace talks
(Haaretz)
Daniel Kurtzer, former ambassador to Israel and advisor of U.S. presidential
hopeful Barack Obama, said Tuesday that Jerusalem must be included in peace
talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. "It will be impossible to
make progress on serious peace talks without putting the future of
Jerusalem on the table,"
Kurtzer said in a conference organized by the Jewish People Policy Planning
Institute (JPPPI).
Isn’t this how they sold
George Bush?
Obama and the Cross
(by David Brody, Christian Broadcasting Network)
I have been telling Brody File readers for months that if Barack Obama becomes
the Democratic nominee he will make a pitch to win over independent/moderate
Evangelicals. Well, we now have evidence. Look at the flyer below:
Obama’s Iraq, Afghanistan Slip Ups
(The Page, Time Magazine, thanks to
No Quarter)
ABC News: The Illinois Senator incorrectly says Arabic translators deployed in
Iraq are needed in
Afghanistan (but Afghans don’t speak Arabic). Later corrected mistake. Obama
also stressed need for agricultural specialists in
Afghanistan
to help develop other crops than heroin poppies (but oil fields not poppy fields
are a major source of U.S. technical assistance).
DNC chooses its 'State Blogger Corps'
(On Politics, USA Today)
Fifty five blogs that will be embedded with the delegations at this summer's
Democratic National Convention have been chosen. Howard Dean, chairman of the
DNC, announced the news about the party's "State Blogger Corps" [Wednesday].
McCain will pledge to be bipartisan; sees most troops home in 4 years
(On Politics, USA
Today)
"If I am elected president, I will work with anyone who sincerely wants to get
this country moving again," presumptive Republican presidential nominee John
McCain plans to say today during an address in Columbus, Ohio.
According to excerpts
distributed by his campaign, McCain also plans to say that he will:
• "Ask Democrats to serve in my administration."
• "Hold weekly press conferences."
• "Ask Congress to grant me the privilege of coming before both houses to take
questions, and address criticism, much the same as the prime minister of Great
Britain appears regularly before the House of Commons."
McCain's merchandise goes 'eco-friendly'
(On Politics, USA Today)
There aren't any sandals made from
recycled soda bottles or shade-grown coffee beans on the list, but Republican
John McCain's presidential campaign is reinforcing his message of the week --
that something more needs to be done to protect the environment -- by offering
"eco-friendly" merchandise at its online shop.
GOP Stunned By Loss in Mississippi
In a major blow
to national Republicans, a Mississippi congressional seat that once voted for
President Bush by a twenty-five point margin elected a Democrat on Tuesday by a
54%-46% margin; a startling wake-up call for a party in dire straits.
Quinnipiac Poll: Dissatisfaction Rate Hits All Time High
(Political Wire)
A total of 82% of American voters are "somewhat dissatisfied' or "very
dissatisfied" with the way things are going in the country today, according to a
new Quinnipiac poll, while only 17% are "very satisfied" or "somewhat
satisfied." This is the lowest national satisfaction rate since Quinnipiac began
asking this question in 2003.
Lieberman Says Bombing Iran ‘Has An Appeal To It’
(Think Progress)
On right-winger Bill Bennett’s radio show [Wednesday], Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT)
expressed his openess to bombing Iran, saying that there is “an appeal to it.”
Discussing the West
Virginia primary
results, Bennett praised what he claimed was Sen. Hillary Clinton’s (D-NY)
transformation into his “style” of politician, which he said is someone who
“throws down a shot of liquor and bombs
Iran.”
Lieberman whole-heartedly endorsed the “appeal” of the hawkish caricature
Bennett had created.
Click through to
listen to the audio.
Bush Says He's Not A Golfer In Wartime
(Washington Post)
President Bush said [Tuesday] that he gave up golfing in 2003 "in solidarity"
with the families of soldiers who were dying in Iraq, concluding that it was
"just not worth it anymore" to play the sport in a time of war. "I don't want
some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander in chief playing
golf," Bush said in a White House interview with the Politico. "I feel I owe it
to the families to be as -- to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And
I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal."
Wait, wait! I
though it was
SWEETS he gave up in honor of the troops. Besides, this story about golf
isn’t even true. See below.
Bush’s golf story ‘doesn’t hold water.’
(Think Progress)
In an interview with Politico’s Mike Allen, President Bush claimed he gave up
golf after UN envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello was killed in Iraq. “I remember when
de Mello, who was at the U.N., got killed in Baghdad…I was playing golf — I
think I was in central Texas — and they pulled me off the golf course and I
said, it’s just not worth it anymore to do,” Bush said. De Mello was killed on
Aug. 19, 2003. The Washington Post’s Dan Froomkin reports today: “Bush’s story
doesn’t hold water“: “[T]he Associated Press reported on Oct. 13, 2003, that
he’d spent a ‘cool, breezy Columbus Day’ playing ‘a round of golf with three
long-time buddies… He hit a couple of practice balls before flaring his tee-off
shot into the right rough.”
Remember when he
mocked the seriousness of war so that he could get on to a golf game?
New Study Calls 'Embed' Program for U.S. Media in Iraq a 'Victory' -- for the
Pentagon
[S]ociologist
Andrew M. Lindner, writing in the spring issue of the American Sociological
Association's "Context" magazine describes what is billed as the only
sociological study to date of the substantive content of media coverage during
the first six weeks of the Iraq war. Lindner found that journalists embedded
with American troops emphasized military successes more often than they covered
consequences for Iraqi citizens. "The embedded program proved to be a Pentagon
victory because it kept reporters focused on the horrors facing the troops, not
the horrors of the civilian war experience," wrote Lindner
Fmr. Military Intelligence Officer Reveals US Listed Palestine Hotel In Baghdad
As Target Prior To Killing Of Two Journalists In 2003
(Democracy Now)
Army Sgt. Adrienne Kinne (Ret.) reveals she saw secret US military documents
that listed the hotel as a possible target.
NYTimes Cleanses Thor Hearne's Record, Scrubs Front-Page Reference To The GOP
Vote-Suppressor's 'American Center For Voting Rights'
(by Brad Friedman at The Brad Blog)
Paper Fails to Note Change to Article, Hearne's Ties to Bush/RNC, Discredited
Background as Partisan Operative
LAT pledges to do a better job describing think-tank sources
"I've been
unhappy for a long time that we unfailingly identify the right-wing ones as
'conservative' and usually say nothing about the center and left-wing ones,"
says Los Angeles Times reporter Paul Richter. Assistant managing editor Melissa
McCoy says the paper "should try, if there is any labeling necessary, to stick
with the individuals involved" and only describe their political leanings, not
the foundation's.
Resource:
A new look for OpenSecrets.org
The Center for
Responsive Politics says it is using its 25th anniversary to relaunch its
OpenSecrets.org website, giving it "a fresh, livelier look with more images and
graphics ... (and) innovative features designed to improve users' understanding
of CRP's unparalleled data and users' ability to share the information with
others."
Media Matters for America headlines
• Hannity, Rove revive false claims about Obama statement concerning Pakistan
• On MSNBC Live, Brewer did not note that McCain acknowledged soliciting Hagee's endorsement
• Wash. Post, Special Report reported Hagee's apology to Catholics, without noting his other smears
China eases Internet controls, and quake news pours out
BEIJING — Amid a
national outpouring of grief over Monday's huge earthquake, China has relaxed
its grip — perhaps only briefly — on the Internet and some media outlets.
Police warn editors on terrorism article
(AU) Police have
issued formal warnings to six editors and an investigative reporter over
coverage of the Operation Eight terrorism investigation. In what is believed to
be a legal first, a police investigation found that the seven journalists had a
case to answer over an alleged breach of Section 312K of the Crimes Act. The
section limits publication of information gathered using an interception
warrant. The Police investigation related to news reports published in Fairfax
Media newspapers and the Stuff website last November.
Inventor of the Web Wins $350,000 to Reform New Media Journalism
(by Mark 'Rizzn' Hopkins at Mashable)
Timothy Berners-Lee is the inventor of the Web... News [Wednesday] comes in from
the Wall Street Journal that Timothy, along 15 other grant applicants, have won
grants from the Knight Foundation totalling $5.5 million altogether. Timothy
Berners-Lee won his share based in part on what he was talking to Robert about
towards the end of the video - using semantic web and data portability concepts
to break databased information out and make it usable to more of the public at
large.
E&P/Mediaweek Interactive Media Conference and Trade Show Kicked off
[Wednesday]!
The annual Editor
& Publisher and Mediaweek Interactive Media Conference and Trade Show, presented
by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in association with LinkedIn,
kicked off [Wednesday] at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas.
Pearlstine hire indicates Bloomberg plans to do something big
By hiring Norman
Pearlstine -- a guy with impeccable credentials and connections -- Bloomberg is
making a statement: It's poised to do something big, writes Jon Friedman. "Since
Dan Doctoroff arrived as president of Bloomberg, the company has made no secret
of its desire to grow aggressively. It clearly has major aspirations."
Thomson Reuters Plans 'Immediate Reduction In Headcount'
(Paid Content)
Exactly a year after the merger was announced, Thomson Reuters is finally
confirming some major job losses, as part of the "synergies" hinted at the time
of the deal. Markets CEO Devin Wenig (Reuters' former COO) wrote in a staff
email (via Guardian) the cuts would "eliminate duplication and generate
savings": "Over the next several days, we will communicate department by
department the impact of our integration ... these actions will mean an
immediate reduction in our headcount." More cuts may come later, "but they will
generally be tied to a specific decision to stop a business activity (such as to
shut down a product, technology or a process)".
'LA Times,' 'OC Register' Discussed Distribution Partnership
The Orange County
Register and Los Angeles Times spent months discussing a possible circulation
partnership in Orange
County,
but broke off the talks two months ago. One source said the negotiations hit an
impasse, at least in part, due to a class action lawsuit by Register newspaper
carriers. But Register Publisher Terry Horne says: "Never say never."
Jackson's 'Thriller' among cultural treasures
WASHINGTON - The
best-selling pop album on planet Earth and a disc sent hurtling into deep space
are among recordings the Library of Congress will preserve for their cultural
significance.
CBS Builds Another Comedy Night on Wednesdays
'New Adventures
of Old Christine' to Anchor Lineup of Midweek Sitcoms
CW Fills Schedule With the Rich and Pretty
Aims to Attract
Young Women With '90210' Remake, 'Filthy Rich'
Nickelodeon and Group M Close to Upfront Deal
$300 Million Pact
Would Include Kids and Adult Brands
CBS in $1.75B deal for online news site CNet
NEW YORK
(AP) - CBS Corp. agreed to buy online technology news and entertainment company
CNet Networks Inc. for about $1.75 billion, expanding its access to the
burgeoning Internet advertising market.
ComScore puts Google sites at No. 1 for first time
Google has surpassed Yahoo to become the most popular website in the
United States, according to
comScore's rankings by the number of unique monthly visitors.
Financier Icahn to run board slate for Yahoo: sources
NEW YORK
(Reuters) - Billionaire investor Carl Icahn has elected to move ahead with plans
to run a dissident board slate at Yahoo Inc., sources familiar with the matter
told Reuters on Wednesday. Icahn, who has amassed a large stake in the Internet
company, has lined up at least 12 potential board candidates and could announce
the slate as early as Wednesday night, the sources said. The deadline for
nominating a dissident slate is Thursday.
Google Maps New API, in Flash! (by Kristen Nicole at Mashable)
Here’s the moment all you map mashup junkies have been waiting for: Google Maps for Flash is now available for development through its new API. What a maptastic week it’s been. Flash graphics can be used for each title layer, maker and information windows, meaning you can create more dynamic map mashups. Even throw in some animation and video. For the user experience, however, the smoothness for things like zoom and drag functions are likely the most important new features to get excited about.
Google starts to blur faces in Street View photos
BOSTON (AP) - After privacy complaints, Google Inc. is beginning to
automatically blur faces of people captured in the street photos taken for its
Internet map program. Rolling it out will take several months, however.
Video Taunt Leads to Arrest: End of the Road for “Bird Road Rudy”
(by Jonathan Turley)
Rudy Villanueva, 31, known as Bird Road Rudy, had a brief but illustrious career
as a filmmaker. The gang leader made a clip for YouTube where he taunted the
Miami Police while holding guns, inviting them to “come and get some.” They did
and not Bird Road Rudy is going to jail for six years.
America’s dumbest
YouTube criminal.
Facebook Agonistes: Advertisers, Adults, Developers Pulling Back; Banking On
Global (Paid
Content)
While it looked as if Facebook might have rebounded quickly from its Beacon
debacle last fall, Fortune contends the revolution is steadily losing steam. The
site grew 12-fold since opening its membership to non-students in September
2006, but growth has lately hit a wall, with unique visitors hovering between
30-35 million, according to comScore numbers. Then Fortune adds its own
"anecdotal evidence" to suggest interest among the older users who were key to
the social net's continued rise is starting to wane.
Connecting Game Players to Build a Sense of Loyalty
On Thursday,
Disney’s video game division will open an online service and social network
meant to connect players of Disney games across North America.
Turner to Offer Marketers Way to Link Ads to Content
Turner
Entertainment is offering a new system intended to pair commercials with
relevant moments in the shows they interrupt.
