Manscape

"Georgia is a sovereign nation and its territorial integrity must be respected." - George W. Bush on August 9th, 2008 http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/20...20080809-2.html ...............and we are to assume Iraq is a jingoistic American entitlement? Jim Jeffrey, President Bush's deputy national security adviser, says the U.S. has made it clear that "If the disproportionate and dangerous escalation on the Russian side continues, that this will have a significant long-term impact on U.S.-Russian relations." http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-08...ia_N.htm?csp=34 ..............and Apartheid Zionland? Did they suffer "long term impact" and risk "significant" and enduring damage to its relationship with the United States when they went HOG WILD "disproportionately" ravaging Lebanon?

See the desperation of a profoundly DESPICABLE Republican party............it BLOSSOMS all around you! http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...8080301430.html Fear Mongers Virginia's GOP tries to scare new voters away from the polls. IN VIRGINIA, as in other states, loads of first-time voters are registering to cast ballots in the fall elections. Through the first six months of this year, 147,000 people, almost half under the age of 25, registered in the commonwealth, a figure that election officials say is unprecedented. As registration drives accelerate, including those run by the Barack Obama campaign and its allies, it's no wonder that Republicans are increasingly anxious about retaining their hold on a state that GOP presidential candidates have carried since 1968. What is surprising is their utterly baseless charge of "coordinated and widespread voter fraud . . . throughout Virginia." That rhetorical hand grenade, lobbed the other day by the state Republican Party chairman, Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick of Prince William County, bears little relationship to the facts. Nor do Mr. Frederick's attempts to frighten prospective voters by warning that they could be victims of identity theft if they sign up to vote in registration drives by "a whole lot of groups out there that nobody has ever heard of." In fact, there is not even a whiff of evidence that identity theft is taking place in Virginia under the guise of registration campaigns. Mr. Frederick's message amounts to a classic attempt to suppress votes. The allegation of a "very serious and troubling trend" of registration fraud, identified by Mr. Frederick alone, is unsupported by election officials, police or prosecutors. It is couched in the toxic language of gauzy innuendo, insidious suggestion and simple fear. Virginians, he says, "have to wonder" about efforts to corrupt the vote in November by means of tainted registration. Anyone who signs up with a stranger to vote should "exercise extreme caution." Asked for proof of identity theft in voter registration drives, he told us, "I bet it exists somewhere." The instances he cites as proof of pervasive fraud include the following: · An affidavit from a woman in Richmond who says her name and phone number were submitted by someone to get a registration card. · The case of two teenagers and another young adult who are accused of falsifying names and Social Security numbers while canvassing for new black and Hispanic voters in Hampton, apparently to meet quotas and keep their jobs with their employer, the Community Voting Project. As it turns out, the faked forms were discovered by the employer, who promptly fired the three and reported them to authorities. Keep in mind that the alleged acts of fraud, while serious, would neither have opened the door for falsified votes nor prevented any legitimate voters from casting ballots. Election officials say they see no evidence that those instances amount to anything more than isolated incidents -- the kind of thing that can and does occur in any state and in any election year. They see none of the "coordinated and widespread fraud" that Mr. Frederick alleges. Similarly, his charge that the Community Voters Project is tainted by a "documented history" of fraudulent registrations is unsubstantiated. Undeterred, Mr. Frederick warns of "poisoning the process" and "jeopardizing the integrity of our elections." In fact, it is groundless accusations and cynical fear-mongering such as Mr. Frederick's that are injecting the real venom, and the true threat, into the elections.

The news flash of the day is NOT Paris Hilton's Mom, shmuck. It's Shotgun Dicky Cheney and his "NON-CAPACITY" at the Republican National convention.................imagine what a pitiful event of deadenders THIS affair is destined to be??!??!! http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2008/...rt-no-role.html Report: No role for Cheney at GOP convention The American Spectator reports that Vice President Cheney will not appear at the Republican National Convention. "Cheney has not sought a speaking slot at the convention, nor has his staff sought a role for him at the convention," the conservative magazine says on its Prowler blog, citing "sources in his office." Politico explored the "rocky" relationship between Cheney and presumptive GOP nominee John McCain in June, and said Cheney might not play a convention role. USA TODAY's David Jackson asked Megan Mitchell, a Cheney spokeswoman, about the Spectator report. "The vice president's schedule has not been set for next week, let alone next month," she said. "The vice president has, as recently as Friday, been out campaigning for Sen. McCain." Last month Congress Daily reported that several Republicans in high-profile Senate races would not be attending the Sept. 1-4 gathering in St. Paul.

After two Monkey boy Bush terms and America in the toilet, does this SURPRISE ANYONE? http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/05/us/politics/05flip.html?hp G.O.P. Drops in Voting Rolls in Many States Well before Senators Barack Obama and John McCain rose to the top of their parties, a partisan shift was under way at the local and state level. For more than three years starting in 2005, there has been a reduction in the number of voters who register with the Republican Party and a rise among voters who affiliate with Democrats and, almost as often, with no party at all. While the implications of the changing landscape for Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain are far from clear, voting experts say the registration numbers may signal the beginning of a move away from Republicans that could affect local, state and national politics over several election cycles. Already, there has been a sharp reversal for Republicans in many statehouses and governors’ mansions. In several states, including the traditional battlegrounds of Nevada and Iowa, Democrats have surprised their own party officials with significant gains in registration. In both of those states, there are now more registered Democrats than Republicans, a flip from 2004. No states have switched to the Republicans over the same period, according to data from 26 of the 29 states in which voters register by party. (Three of the states did not have complete data.) In six states, including Iowa, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania, the Democratic piece of the registration pie grew more than three percentage points, while the Republican share declined. In only three states — Kentucky, Louisiana and Oklahoma — did Republican registration rise while Democratic registration fell, but the Republican increase was less than a percentage point in Kentucky and Oklahoma. Louisiana was the only state to register a gain of more than one percentage point for Republicans as Democratic numbers declined. Over the same period, the share of the electorate that registers as independent has grown at a faster rate than Republicans or Democrats in 12 states. The rise has been so significant that in states like Arizona, Colorado and North Carolina, nonpartisan voters essentially constitute a third party. Swings in party registration are not uncommon from one year to the next, or even over two years. Registration, moreover, often has no impact on how people actually vote, and people sometimes switch registration to vote in a primary, then flip again come Election Day. But for a shift away from one party to sustain itself — the current registration trend is now in its fourth year — is remarkable, researchers who study voting patterns say. And though comparable data are not available for the 21 states where voters do not register by party, there is evidence that an increasing number of voters in those states are also moving away from the Republican Party based on the results of recent state and Congressional elections, the researchers said. “This is very suggestive that there is a fundamental change going on in the electorate,” said Michael P. McDonald, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and an associate professor of political science at George Mason University who has studied voting patterns. Mr. McDonald added that, more typically, voting and registration patterns tended to even out or revert to the opposing party between elections. Dick Armey, the former House majority leader and one of the designers of the so-called Republican Revolution of 1994, said: “Obviously, these are not good numbers for the party to be looking at. Democrats have always had extremely broad multifaceted registration programs.” But in terms of the presidential election, Mr. Armey said the tea leaves were harder to read. “I think the key in this one is, where do all these new independent voters break?” he said. “I think right now, you’ve got a guy in western Pennsylvania saying, ‘I am really disgusted right now and I’m not going to register as a Republican anymore, but I really don’t want this guy Obama elected.’ ” Those in charge of state Democratic parties cite a national displeasure with the Bush administration as an impetus for the changing numbers, which run counter to a goal of Karl Rove, President Bush’s former top adviser, to create a permanent realignment in favor of Republicans. “I think nationally and here, people are kind of tired of the way this administration has been conducting the policies of this country,” said Pat Waak, chairwoman of the Colorado Democratic Party. Yet while an unpopular war, a faltering economy and a president held in low esteem have combined to hurt the Republican Party, Democrats are also benefiting from demographic changes, including the rise in the number of younger voters and the urbanization of suburbs, which has resulted in a different political flavor there, voting and campaign experts said. The party has also been helped by a willingness to run more pragmatic candidates, who have helped make the party more appealing to a broader swath of the electorate. (Page 2 of 2) Among the 26 states with registration data, the percentage of those who have signed on with Democrats has risen in 15 states since 2004, and the percentage for Republicans has risen in six, according to state data. The number of registered Democrats fell in 11 states, compared with 20 states where Republican registration numbers fell. In the 26 states and the District of Columbia where registration data were available, the total number of registered Democrats increased by 214,656, while the number of Republicans fell by 1,407,971. The unsettled political ground has manifested itself in state and local elections. Twenty-three state legislatures are controlled by Democrats and 14 by Republicans, with 12 states with divided chambers (Nebraska has a nonpartisan legislature). After the 2000 election, 16 state legislatures were dominated by Democrats, and 17 by Republicans, with 16 divided. It is a similar story in governors’ mansions. After the 2004 election, there were 28 Republican governors and 22 Democrats; those numbers are now reversed. After the 2000 election, there were only 19 Democratic governors. Elected Democrats have made significant inroads even in places where Republicans have enjoyed a generation of dominance. In Colorado, for example, Democrats control the governorship and both houses of the Legislature for the first time in over four decades. Last year, Virginia Democrats gained a 21-to-19 majority over Republicans in the State Senate, the first time the party has controlled that body in a decade. In New Hampshire, Democrats are in control of both the legislative and executive branches for the first time since 1874. In Iowa, Democrats have taken over the statehouse and the governor’s office simultaneously for the first time in a generation. The changes in state government could have broad implications for Congressional redistricting and on policies like immigration, health care reform and environmental regulation, which are increasingly decided at the state level. In many states, Democrats have benefited from a rise in younger potential voters, after declines or small increases in the number of those voters in the 1980s and ’90s. The population of 18- to 24-year-olds rose from about 27 million in 2000 to nearly 30 million in 2006, according to Census figures. Mr. Obama’s candidacy has drawn many young people to register to vote, and some of the recent gains by Democrats have no doubt been influenced by excitement over his campaign. But even before Mr. Obama’s ascendancy among Democrats, younger voters were moving toward the Democratic Party, demographers said. Dowell Myers, a professor of policy, planning and development at the University of Southern California, also noted that a younger, native-born generation of Latinos who have a tendency to support Democrats is coming of age. Further, young Americans have migrated in recent years to high-growth states that have traditionally been dominated by Republicans, like Arizona, Colorado and Nevada, which may have had an impact on the changing registration numbers in those places. The changing face of many American suburbs has also had in impact both in voter registration and voting patterns. In many major metropolitan areas, suburbs that were once largely white and Republican have become more mixed, as people living in cities have been priced out into surrounding areas, and exurban regions have absorbed those residents who once favored the close-in suburbs of cities. “What we speculate is that density attracts Democrats,” said Robert Lang, director of the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech who has researched voting patterns. “It is not that people move to those areas and change positions. It tends now to be a self-selection of singles, childless couples,” who tend to vote Democrat more than their married with children counterparts. In the nation’s 50 largest metropolitan areas, Democrats carried nearly 60 percent of the Congressional vote in 2006 in inner suburbs, up from about 53 percent in 2002, according to Mr. Lang’s research. This trend is particularly evident in places like St. Louis, southern Pennsylvania and Fairfax County, Va., which President Bush won in 2000 but lost in 2004. Senator Claire McCaskill, Democrat of Missouri, who won her seat in 2006, picked up the large majority of voters in the St. Louis and Kansas City metropolitan areas, and Senator Jim Webb, also a Democrat, won his seat in a similar manner in Virginia, which has not voted for a Democrat for president since 1964. Democrats have also succeeded, at least in part, by running centrist candidates where they are most needed. Bill Ritter, the Democratic governor of Colorado and former district attorney of Denver, opposes abortion rights. Among the men who flipped three of Indiana’s eight Congressional seats in the midterm election in 2006, two also oppose both abortion rights and gun control. What the demographers, political scientists and party officials wonder now is whether the shift of the last few years will be sustained. “Major political realignment is not just controlling the branches of government,” said Mr. McDonald of the Brookings Institution. “It is when you decisively do it. We haven’t seen that in modern generations.”

You and your deadender cult are a relentless source of American brainwash and embarassment. Do your family a favor and stay anonymous! http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080805/ap_on_..._race_ap_poll_2 Obama leads McCain nationally in AP-Ipsos poll WASHINGTON - A new poll finds Barack Obama is leading John McCain nationally by 6 percentage points thanks to big leads he is enjoying among women, minorities and younger voters. The Associated Press-Ipsos poll shows that Obama is leading his Republican rival 47 percent to 41 percent. McCain has a 10-point lead among whites and is tied with the Democrat among men, but Obama is leading by 13 points among women and has huge leads with minorities and the young. The poll was released Tuesday following a week in which the two camps accused each other of bringing race into a campaign in which Obama is seeking to become the country's first African-American president

Is America addicted to presidential embarassments? http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080804/pl_nm/...ufmWPaY3o9h24cA Paris Hilton's mom calls McCain ad "waste of money" Mon Aug 4, 9:15 AM ET SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Paris Hilton's mother -- a John McCain donor -- on Sunday dismissed as a "waste of money" a television ad that used her daughter and Britney Spears to portray Democrat Barack Obama as more celebrity icon than chief executive. Kathy Hilton, the mother of the blond socialite-actress, lambasted the Republican presidential candidate's advertisement in a blog posted on the political Web site Huffington Post (www.huffingtonpost.com). "It is a complete waste of the money John McCain's contributors have donated to his campaign," Hilton wrote. "It is a complete waste of the country's time and attention at the very moment when millions of people are losing their homes and their jobs. And it is a completely frivolous way to choose the next President of the United States," she wrote. The McCain ad, titled "Celeb," asks viewers: "Is he (Obama) ready to lead?" Hilton and her husband, a scion of the Hilton hotel chain, donated $4,600 to McCain's November White House bid. McCain has portrayed himself as an independent-minded politician with a history of bucking authority and said last week that his rival has shown little more than strong speaking skills.

Atheism is good because it's free of the GAWD bullsh*t you and your goombas seek to infect upon trusting and seeking human beings. The ACLU is good because even a cowardly scumbag like Rish Limpie who works to demise human unfortunates with such singular gluttony will find a safe haven within ACLU endeavors if the call beckons. Christian principles today mean killing WHOLESALE third world pitifully defended Muslims for the greater expansion of apartheid Zionland, while the same Zionistics secretly mock and disdain bleeding Jeezee. Wow............You have NO IDEA how glad I am to be me and not you, Guesteroo!

................and then there's Bulgeface........when you THINK about it........he's the PERFECT heir to the Bush Trainwreck! http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20080723...rg/a1qaunot5fts Bush Seen as Jinx as Republican Candidates Avoid Party `Brand' Laura Litvan Wed Jul 23, 12:01 AM ET July 23 (Bloomberg) -- In 2006, Republican Representative Marilyn Musgrave welcomed President George W. Bush to her Colorado district for a rally on the weekend before Election Day. In the run-up to this year's balloting, Musgrave has bucked Bush by voting to override his vetoes of Medicare and farm bills. In Oregon, Republican Senator Gordon Smith is running a commercial highlighting his support for federally funded embryonic stem-cell research, which Bush opposes. Even Kansas Republican Pat Roberts, who has been a loyal Bush backer in the Senate, is running ads promoting his work, over White House objections, to expand health insurance for children. As Bush nears the end of his presidency with one of the lowest public-approval ratings in polling history, Republican lawmakers striving to save their jobs are proclaiming their independence from the White House on issues from health care to the rescue plan for mortgage-finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. ``I'm hoping that people will look at us as individuals,'' said Musgrave, whose House Web site last year started promoting a ``Bipartisan Accomplishment of the Week.'' Bush's Jan. 20 departure reduces White House influence as Republican lawmakers make their own decisions about the political and policy consequences of legislation, said Oklahoma Representative Tom Cole, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. Thinking About Elections ``Members are thinking about elections, and they're also thinking beyond that to next year,'' Cole, 59, said. The president, he said, is ``not doing either of those things.'' Amid discontent about the Iraq War, $4-a-gallon gasoline and slumping home prices, only 24 percent of voters said they have positive feelings about Bush in a Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times poll of 1,233 adults surveyed from June 19-23. Bush's average Gallup Poll approval rating during 2008's second quarter slid to 29 percent, the lowest of his presidency. Musgrave, 59, a three-term member of Congress, said she has disagreed with Bush before, most notably in voting against his Medicare prescription-drug plan in 2003. With the Republican ``brand'' tarnished this year, Musgrave said, it's important to show voters she will stand up to her party when necessary to defend home-state agricultural or other interests. In Congress, scores of potentially endangered Republicans parted with Bush in recent legislative battles. Breaking Ranks Resisting pressure from the White House, 16 of the 18 Republican senators facing re-election this year broke with the president last month by joining an 80-14 majority to override his veto of a five-year, $289 billion farm bill. In the House of Representatives, where all seats are contested every two years, Musgrave joined 98 other Republicans in rejecting Bush's veto. When the Senate last week rebuffed Bush's veto of a measure blocking cuts in Medicare payments to doctors, Democrats were joined by 11 of the Republicans running this year. That group included Smith, Roberts, Norm Coleman of Minnesota, Susan Collins of Maine and Ted Stevens of Alaska. The House's 383-41 override had support from 153 Republicans, including Representatives Randy Kuhl of New York, Steve Chabot of Ohio and Dave Reichert of Washington, all facing tough races. Most notable was last week's reaction by House Republicans to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's plan for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, said Bruce Larson, chairman of the political science department at Pennsylvania's Gettysburg College. Fannie-Freddie Rescue Paulson proposed legislation to let the government make unlimited equity purchases and increase credit lines for both entities. While the secretary is seeking swift action to reassure financial markets, he met resistance from dozens of conservative House members, who insisted on a go-slow approach to examine the proposal's potential cost to taxpayers. After an emergency meeting with wavering Republicans late last week, Paulson said he expects action on the plan this week. Conservatives ``are just very naturally opposed to any kind of government bailout, but the opposition is still astonishing,'' Larson said. Representative Tom Davis of Virginia, a former NRCC chairman, said the once-unified Republicans had every-man-for- himself conversions after the party this year lost three special elections for vacant House seats in districts that had been represented by Republicans, including that of former Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois. Adding to the anxiety are polls showing discontent with Congress, Davis said. In a Gallup poll earlier this month, only 14 percent of the adults surveyed approved of Congress's job performance. ``This is one of those years where you're not sure where it's going to come out, because Congress is in such low repute,'' Davis, 59, said. ``You're just not sure how that's going to come back and bite you.'' Independent Identities Some Republicans are looking for political identities independent of Bush's policies and their party's traditional conservative positions. Illinois Representative Mark Kirk, who won his last election with 53 percent of the vote, has created a ``suburban agenda'' aimed at less-partisan voters in his Chicago-area district and other suburbs across the U.S. About a half-dozen House Republicans have signed on to the plan, which proposes expanded 401(k) savings accounts for children and mass-transit tax credits. Underscoring Bush's dwindling influence, Kirk, 48, didn't mention the president when he talked about ways to expand Republican influence. ``We need a post-Reagan voice,'' he said. To contact the reporter on this story: Laura Litvan in Washington at llitvan@bloomberg.net

Another TERRORIST ATTACK in America.............. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080728/ap_on_...rch_shooting_35 Police: Man shot churchgoers over liberal views By DUNCAN MANSFIELD, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 52 minutes ago KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Knoxville's police chief says the man accused of a shooting that killed two people at a Tennessee church targeted the congregation because of its liberal social stance. Chief Sterling Owen IV said Monday that police found a letter in Jim D. Adkisson's car. Owen said Adkisson was apparently frustrated over being out of work and had a "stated hatred of the liberal movement." Adkisson is charged with first-degree murder. Police say a gunman entered the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church during a children's performance Sunday. No children were hurt. The church is known for advocating women's and gay rights and founding an American Civil Liberties Union chapter.

Wow...that's some loss of Obama "luster" in Germany...while Bulgeface Quasi Moto seethes in his geriatric attack upon the stinging reality. Yeah........America will defeat Braack Obama's bid for POTUS and install a corpse instead.............YA..........it's obviously in the cards (of an idiot's dreams).........

Hate black people, do you? You've got lots of company comprising the racist's yoke upon America's neck. Try to bear in mind that Michele Obama holds a law degree while Mrs. Bulgeface is an admitted (and silver spoon forgiven) prescription drug thief and addict and an ambitious "trophy wife" most eager to displace Buljee's first disposible. Who can fail as badly as Monkey boy? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm? And Iraqnam? The government that exists there now is a US imposition.......a puppet entity enabled by our military might and the criminals that direct it. Did ANYONE really think what passes as a government in Iraqnam will just sail along without the provisions of America's EXPENSIVE lethal force? What a disgrace to the Cardinals that such a racist/bigot chooses "KHS" for a screen name.

1- What does the US Constitution have to do with Bulgeface not getting his spew printed in the NY Times? 2- Has it occurred to you that perhaps BULGEFACE is not worth reading? 3- Loonies is a term reserved for those deadenders that would vote to empower another Republican prezzy after two terms of Monkey boy's trainwreck..........and to prop up BULGEFACE McPain as a candidate is more America in the toilet. Sorry deadender........for all the pummelings you've taken and will take in this venue.........but just think.........the ACLU is on your side should you become a helpless victim of injustice..........

BULGEFACE!!!!!!!!!!! Naughty Naughty Naughty!!!! http://rawstory.com//news/2008/McCain_advi...Obama_0719.html McCain adviser on Iraqi PM's Obama endorsement: 'We're f**ked'RAW STORY Published: Saturday July 19, 2008 Senator John McCain ridiculed Senator Obama's timetable for Iraq withdrawal as a tactic aimed only at getting votes. For the Iraqi Prime minister, it apparently worked. The clear endorsement of Senator Barack Obama by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki Saturday morning came as a strong blow to the McCain campaign. McCain has claimed a superiority to Obama in matters of foreign policy as a major selling point to his candidacy for president, but that position is more difficult in the wake of al-Maliki's statement. After hearing of the announcement, a sometime adviser to the McCain campaign said in an email, "We're f**ked," according to Mark Ambinder of The Atlantic. A senior McCain campaign official responded to Ambinder about the development. "His domestic politics require him to be for us getting out," he said on the condition of anonymity. "The military says 'conditions based' and Maliki said 'conditions based' yesterday in the joint statement with Bush. Regardless, voters care about [the] military, not about Iraqi leaders." But it will be difficult for McCain to deny his own statement in 2004 that the United States would have to leave Iraq if the nation's leaders requested it. # QUESTION: Let me give you a hypothetical, senator. What would or should we do if, in the post-June 30th period, a so-called sovereign Iraqi government asks us to leave, even if we are unhappy about the security situation there? I understand it’s a hypothetical, but it’s at least possible. McCAIN: Well, if that scenario evolves, then I think it’s obvious that we would have to leave because — if it was an elected government of Iraq — and we’ve been asked to leave other places in the world. If it were an extremist government, then I think we would have other challenges, but I don’t see how we could stay when our whole emphasis and policy has been based on turning the Iraqi government over to the Iraqi people. # McCain's criticism of Obama as less able in matters of foreign policy has increased during the week leading up to Obama's trip overseas which began this weekend and will continue into next week. "This success that we have achieved is still fragile and could be reversed," McCain said to Reuters Thursday. "And if we do what Sen. Obama wants to do, then all of that could be reversed," and leave behind chaos and Iranian influence, he said. A ad released by the McCain campaign Friday sharply criticized Obama of shifting positions on Iraq "to help himself become president." An MSNBC story discusses McCain's attacks on Obama leading up to his trip to Afghanistan and other Middle East countries.

Everyone is the US government's enemy it seems..........do you DISAGREE with the government? Enjoy the label "TERROR SUSPECT"....... http://washtimes.com/news/2008/jul/18/mary...ctivist-groups/ Maryland troopers spied on activist groups Protesters added to database of terrorist suspects Shaun Waterman UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL Friday, July 18, 2008 Undercover Maryland state troopers infiltrated three groups advocating peace and protesting the death penalty — attending meetings and sending reports on their activities to U.S. intelligence and military agencies, according to documents released Thursday. The documents show the activities occurred from at least March 2005 to May 2006 and that officers used false names, which the documents referred to as "covert identities" - to open e-mail accounts to receive messages from the groups. Also included in the 46 pages of documents, obtained by the Maryland chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, is an account of an activist's name being entered into a federally funded database designed to share information among state, local and federal law-enforcement agencies on terrorist and drug trafficking suspects. ACLU attorney David Rocah said state police violated federal laws prohibiting departments that receive federal funds from maintaining databases with information about political activities and affiliations. The activist was identified as Max Obuszewski. His "primary crime" was entered into the database as "terrorism - anti govern(ment)." His "secondary crime" was listed as "terrorism - anti-war protestors." The database is known as the Washington-Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, or HIDTA. "This is not supposed to happen in America," said Mr. Rocah. "In a free society, which relies on the engagement of citizens in debate and protest and political activity to maintain that freedom ... you should be able to attend a meeting about an issue you care about without having to worry that government spies are entering your name into a database used to track alleged terrorists and drug traffickers." Mr. Rocah called the surveillance "Kafka-esque insanity." State police Chief Col. Terrence B. Sheridan said the agency "does not inappropriately curtail the expression or demonstration of the civil liberties of protesters or organizations acting lawfully." The surveillance of Mr. Obuszewski, of Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore, and another person came to light during his trial for trespassing and disorderly conduct in a 2004 protest outside the National Security Agency's headquarters in Fort Meade, Md. Documents released by the prosecution revealed that the protesters had been under surveillance by an entity called the Baltimore Intelligence Unit. The Maryland ACLU sued last month, claiming the state police refused to release public documents about the surveillance of peace activists. THE BALTIMORE SUN VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS ACLU staff attorney David Rocah (sitting left) was alongside organizer Max Obuszewski, whose name was entered into a counterterrorism database, at a press conference in Baltimore. The documents, which include intelligence reports and printouts from the database, show that several undercover officers from the state police's Homeland Security and Intelligence Division attended meetings of three groups: Mr. Obuszewski's group; the Coalition to End the Death Penalty; and the Committee to Save Vernon Evans, a convicted murderer who was slated for execution. The documents show at least 288 hours of surveillance over the 14-month period. The undercover officers attended at least 20 organizing meetings at community halls and churches and a dozen rallies against the death penalty, including several at the state's SuperMax jail in Baltimore. Included in the documents are references to a proposed sit-in at the offices of Baltimore County State's Attorney SandraA. O'Connor. However, they show no trooper reports of violence or threats of violence. Organizers repeatedly stressed the importance of peaceful and orderly demonstrations, the documents show. "There were about 75-80 protestors at the rally and none participated in any type of civil disobedience or illegal acts," said one report of a demonstration against the death penalty at the SuperMax jail. "Protesters were even careful to move out of the way for Division of Correction employees who were going into the parking lot for work." Still, information about the protesters and their activities was sent to seven agencies, including the National Security Agency and an unnamed military intelligence official. "Americans have the right to peaceably assemble with others of a like mind and speak out about what they believe in," Mr. Rocah said. "For state agencies to spend hundreds of hours entering information about lawful and peaceful political activities into a criminal database is beyond unconscionable. It is a waste of taxpayer dollars, which does nothing to make us safer from actual terrorists or drug dealers."

http://www.aclu.org/pizza/

The following ACLU report comes TWO YEARS since the request for the Iraqnam war information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was made!! Wow. That's some government footdrag! I recall a hallmark of the Rudy Guilliani regime in NYC was that he complied with the rightful, legal disclosure of files to his colleagues in city government.........after they had to sue him in COURT for the damn things!! Rudy knew it would take even YEARS for his compliance to be forced, which was just as good as NON-COMPLIANCE to insulate and expand his little dictatorship. http://www.aclu.org/natsec/foia/35878prs20080702.html ACLU Releases Navy Files On Civilian Casualties In Iraq War (7/2/2008) Public Has A Right To Unfiltered Information About The Human Cost Of War, ACLU Says FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union today released thousands of pages of documents related to Navy investigations of civilians killed by Coalition Forces in Iraq, including the cousin of the Iraqi ambassador to the United States. Released today in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by the ACLU filed in June 2006, these records provide a vivid snapshot of the circumstances surrounding civilian deaths in Iraq. "At every step of the way, the Bush administration and Defense Department have gone to unprecedented lengths to control and suppress information about the human cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Nasrina Bargzie, an attorney with the ACLU National Security Project. "Our democracy depends on an informed public and that is why it is so important that the American people see these documents. These documents will help to fill the information void around the issue of civilian casualties in Iraq and will lead to a more complete understanding of the prosecution of the war." The ACLU obtained documents from eight Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) investigations. One of the files documents the investigation of the death of Mohammed al-Sumaidaie, a cousin of the Iraqi ambassador to the U.S, Samir al-Sumaidaie. In 2006, the ambassador accused Marines of "intentionally" killing his cousin and today's records shed light on al-Sumaidaie's NCIS investigation for the first time. Among the findings uncovered in this file are conflicting accounts of events, questions of credibility, possible command influence issues and cover-ups. "As these files remind us, many charges of war crimes in Iraq have not seen the light of day," said Michael Pheneger, a retired Army intelligence colonel who is also a board member of the ACLU. "There are many discoveries here that should bring pause to any American who cares about this country and hopes to restore the United States' respected role in the world. It is time to bring the facts about this war into the sunlight and end practices that go against our laws and national values." Through its FOIA project, the ACLU has made public information on Defense Department policies designed to control information about the human costs of war. These practices include: • Banning photographers on U.S. military bases from covering the arrival of caskets containing the remains of U.S. soldiers killed overseas; • Paying Iraqi journalists to write positive accounts of the U.S. war effort; • Inviting U.S. journalists to "embed" with military units but requiring them to submit their stories for pre-publication review; • Erasing journalists' footage of civilian deaths in Afghanistan; and • Refusing to disclose statistics on civilian casualties. Today's documents are available online at: www.aclu.org/natsec/foia/NCIS_log.html Attorneys involved in this project are Bargzie, Ben Wizner and Jameel Jaffer of the ACLU National Security Project. In a separate lawsuit, the ACLU sued for records concerning the abuse of prisoners held by U.S. forces in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantánamo Bay. To date, that request has resulted in the release of more than 100,000 pages, all of which are available online at: www.aclu.org/torturefoia

"I rest my case."

Do tell, DEADENDER...........are your "accurate polls" coming from voices (from god) inside your widdle head? http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080706/ap_on_...bbnzUE.NWEb.3QA Analysis: McCain struggles to regain footing By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer Sun Jul 6, 6:42 AM ET WASHINGTON - John McCain calls himself an underdog. That may be an understatement. The GOP presidential candidate trails Democrat Barack Obama in polls, organization and money while trying to succeed a deeply unpopular fellow Republican in a year that favors Democrats. McCain also doesn't seem to have a coherent message let alone much of a strategy despite securing the nomination three months earlier than Obama. "This is a tough race. We are behind. We are the underdog. That's what I like to be," the GOP nominee-in-waiting frequently tells donors these days, keenly aware not only of his woes but also his proven comeback ability: He won his party's nomination despite the implosion of his campaign last summer. One year later, and now in the general election, McCain's troubles are so acute that he recently gave senior adviser Steve Schmidt "full operational control" of the day-to-day campaign and, effectively, scaled back the duties of campaign manager Rick Davis. The shift in responsibilities came after weeks of Republican quibbling that McCain had not adequately made the transition for the fall. "The frustration is there's no big theme around which to build a winning campaign," said Steve Lombardo, a Republican pollster. "They need a big strategic message that will show the differences between the two campaigns, and allow for a win." Hope is far from lost: The election is still four months away. The national conventions and the presidential debates are upcoming. Conservative evangelical leaders skeptical of McCain are now coalescing around him. The race remains competitive. And, Obama's campaign is far from flawless. McCain also is beefing up his staff with more presidential campaign veterans under the guidance of Schmidt, a top aide in President Bush's re-election effort and the operative who led Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to a come-from-behind victory in California two years ago. The campaign will try to showcase its efforts to restore discipline next week when McCain announces a "jobs first" economic plan and tours competitive states. For now, GOP insiders are cautious as they watch for improvement — and they should be. The political environment is dreadful for the GOP, with Bush's approval rating at low levels as the country teeters economically and fights two wars. Asked Saturday what he thinks about McCain's apparent pride in underdog status, Obama told reporters traveling with him: "Two years ago, John McCain was the putative Republican nominee who has been part of the Washington establishment for years and who touts all his Washington experience, versus me. So the notion that somehow I'm the heavy favorite in this race belies recent political history and a lot of American history. So, we've got a lot of work to do." Still, compared with McCain's campaign struggles, Obama is seemingly skating along, visiting states Bush won four years ago and courting traditional GOP supporters with his core message: "Change We Can Believe In." Nonetheless, the Illinois senator says, "I'm going to have to be a better candidate" and is mindful of his own vulnerabilities. There are many, not the least of which is trying to become the first black president of a country where racism still runs deep. The GOP-fueled liberal elitist label also could stick on this Harvard-educated Chicagoan. And, Obama also may be undercutting his claim to be a straight-shooting, new-politics candidate as he repeatedly breaks with his liberal base on various issues to aggressively move to appeal to the center of the electorate. National polls vary widely, but they have one commonality: None show McCain ahead of Obama. And, on voters' most important issues, McCain trails on every subject but Iraq and terrorism. He also lags in key states, including Bush-won Colorado and Ohio. When it comes to message and strategy, McCain has appeared to flounder. He hasn't settled on one theme and can't seem to stick with a particular line of argument in favor of his candidacy for more than a couple days. His attempts to derail Obama are scattershot; the campaign simply takes advantages of openings Obama creates rather than creating a negative narrative against the Democrat. And, McCain's fundraising events have driven his campaign schedule, often putting him in solid Republican states instead of swing states likely to decide the election. As the sleepy summer pre-convention window opens, Obama is running TV ads in 18 states while McCain focuses on 11 for now and the Republican National Committee bolsters his efforts in the Great Lakes region. At the same time, McCain, 71, is working to match Obama's organization. For now, McCain's campaign is roughly 300-strong compared with Obama's 1,000-person plus operation. Obama had a campaign in just about every state during the long Democratic primary, and he has started bolstering the remnants of those existing networks. His aides also boast of a hefty grass-roots organization, a "persuasion army" of allies who will reach out to neighbors, friends and relatives. That's reminiscent of Bush's 2004 campaign. Conversely, McCain's ground-game operation has been slow-moving; staffers weren't dispatched in earnest to key states until last month — even though the GOP primary ended in March. The RNC has fewer than 100 offices with just about the same number of field staffers. The campaign, itself, has 11 regional campaign managers who, in turn, have brought on nearly 100 staff members as part of a much-maligned, decentralized structure. To return power to headquarters, Schmidt is hiring a national political director and a national field director to oversee ground-game efforts, and is promising to add hundreds more field staff and open more local GOP offices. But all that takes money, and here, too, McCain trails. Obama has 1.5 million donors and had raised more than $287 million by the end of May. McCain has far fewer donors and had raised $115 million. May was Obama's worst fundraising month of the year. He raised $22 million, to the $21 million McCain brought in during his best fundraising month. Still, McCain and Obama entered June with virtually the same amount of cash available for the rest of the summer, $33 million for Obama to $31.6 million for McCain. But McCain probably will feel the financial pinch this fall. Unlike Obama, McCain will accept nearly $85 million in public financing and the spending limits that come with it. The Democrat can raise and spend at will. Said Phil Musser, a former Republican Governors Association executive director: "There are a lot of miles to go before we get to Election Day, and McCain is in his finest form when he's the underdog." The candidate had better hope that rings true once again. ___ EDITOR'S NOTE — Liz Sidoti covers the presidential campaign and has covered national politics since 2003.

What is the name of this professor from Yale who's quote you float in this forum, hmmmmm? Does your professor think WATER BOARDING is part of........" the basic decency and virtue of the American nation"? Here is the American Civil Liberties Union's webpage of water boarding articles: http://www.aclu.org/search/search_wrap.htm...15&page=110 And here is the YOUTUBE video via the "Vanity Fair" project subjecting Christopher Hitchens to water boarding: I don't always agree with everything the ACLU concludes but considering the famous Presidential Monkus Disastrous quote: "I told all four that there are going to be some times where we don't agree with each other, but that's OK. If this were a dictatorship, it would be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator".................... Thank your lucky stars the ACLU presence has NOT made it "a heck of a lot easier" for Monkey boy and his sick cult to unleash their lunacy.

100% Columbian rescue......Apartheid Israel and Monkey Boy Bush deadenders seek "KUDOS" in a thief's twisting......IDUN TINKZO!! http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080705/ap_on_...bia_hostages_56 Rescue video shows duped rebels, elated hostages By IAN JAMES, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 6 minutes ago BOGOTA, Colombia - Military intelligence agents posing as aid workers and a film crew flew to the jungle aboard a white helicopter, staging a mock humanitarian mission that rebels were told would ferry their hostages to another camp for talks on a prisoner swap. The would-be envoys had honed their accents in acting lessons: Italian, Arab, Caribbean Spanish, and Australian English — "identical to Crocodile Dundee," Colombian Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos said Friday as he explained how Columbia's military duped the rebels into turning over 15 hostages. Santos said military intelligence agents had infiltrated the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, so that guerrillas believed the hostages were being moved on the orders of top rebel leader Alfonso Cano for negotiations on a hostage exchange. To play their roles, some soldiers wore Che Guevara T-shirts. Video filmed during the rescue shows the hostages filing grim-faced toward the helicopter in a grassy clearing fringed with a coca field, then embracing and weeping with joy after they are aloft and realize they are free. Presenting the video at a news conference, Santos said that Wednesday's elaborate ruse intentionally mimicked two hostage handovers brokered by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez earlier this year, when Venezuelan helicopters carrying International Red Cross observers picked up six hostages. "In the last two handovers of hostages," Santos said, "there was always a cameraman sent by Chavez." The three-minute video presented at Colombia's military headquarters showed the mission was modeled after the Venezuelan operations down to the red T-shirt worn by a supposed journalist, who poses questions to a rebel while hostages' hands are bound with plastic handcuffs. The guerrillas' most famous hostage, former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, stands with an angry expression. American Keith Stansell nears the camera. "I love my family," Stansell, one of three Americans freed in the operation, tells the cameraman. "Pray a lot." The local rebel commander, alias Cesar, cheerfully refuses an interview. The video shows a line of rebels standing in the distance watching as the helicopter starts up. Cesar and another rebel came aboard the helicopter and, once airborne, were overpowered by the soldiers — a moment that was not filmed. The final images on the video capture the hostages' elation as they realize their captors are actually soldiers rescuing them. Betancourt, the French-Colombian politician kidnapped in 2002, cries with joy and astonishment, and hugs William Perez, a fellow hostage whom she later credited with nursing her through jungle illnesses. "We waited 10 years for you!" exclaims Perez, an army corporal who was captured by the FARC in March 1998. A lawyer for Cesar, whose real name is Gerardo Aguilar, told The Associated Press that his client was completely hoodwinked by the operation. Rodolfo Rios said his client, who is now jailed in Bogota, "only realized the deception when he was in the aircraft. ... He also told me he was hit and that, after they immobilized him, they applied various injections." Paraded past reporters on Friday, Cesar wouldn't say who had hit him. He had a black eye and bruises on his face. Armed forces chief Gen. Freddy Padilla told the AP that Cesar had been out of radio contact with his commanders, fearing intercepts by U.S. and Colombian eavesdroppers, and had been relying chiefly on human couriers to deliver messages — such as the order to move the hostages. A beacon and microphones were aboard the Russian-made Mi-17 helicopter, allowing those overseeing the rescue to monitor its progress, a U.S. official told the AP, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the subject's sensitivity. Santos said a U.S. surveillance plane was overhead monitoring the mission. He denied reports in international media that Israel was involved in the operation, saying it was "100 percent Colombian." "Not a single foreigner participated," he said. He also denied a Swiss radio report that Colombia had paid millions of dollars in ransom to rebels in exchange for the hostages. The government does offer rewards for information leading to the arrest of FARC leaders, but in this case, Santos said: "Not a cent has been paid."

The objective is to DEFEAT BULGEFACE and remove America from the meddling, bumbling, divisive, corrosive grip of another Republican regime. Not because the Democrats are saviors, cuz THEY AIN'T, but because the Republicans are like sand in the American crankcase TODAY. Barack Obama has a call from FATE, and he's needed in the clutch BIG TIME. What John McCain is or isn't remains an exercise for deadenders. All that matters is that Bulgeface is defeated and the reigns of this nation are given to Obama. Problems that arise from THAT POINT will be addressed AT THAT TIME. To reverse the profuse bleeding of America BEGINS with defeating Bulgeface John McCain! http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080705/ap_on_...state_of_play_3 Analysis: McCain struggles to regain footing By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer Sat Jul 5, 10:07 AM ET WASHINGTON - John McCain calls himself an underdog. That may be an understatement. The GOP presidential candidate trails Democrat Barack Obama in polls, organization and money while trying to succeed a deeply unpopular fellow Republican in a year that favors Democrats. McCain also doesn't seem to have a coherent message let alone much of a strategy despite securing the nomination three months earlier than Obama. "This is a tough race. We are behind. We are the underdog. That's what I like to be," the GOP nominee-in-waiting frequently tells donors these days, keenly aware not only of his woes but also his proven comeback ability: He won his party's nomination despite the implosion of his campaign last summer. One year later, and now in the general election, McCain's troubles are so acute that he recently gave senior adviser Steve Schmidt "full operational control" of the day-to-day campaign and, effectively, scaled back the duties of campaign manager Rick Davis. The shift in responsibilities came after weeks of Republican quibbling that McCain had not adequately made the transition for the fall. "The frustration is there's no big theme around which to build a winning campaign," said Steve Lombardo, a Republican pollster. "They need a big strategic message that will show the differences between the two campaigns, and allow for a win." Hope is far from lost: The election is still four months away. The national conventions and the presidential debates are upcoming. Conservative evangelical leaders skeptical of McCain are now coalescing around him. The race remains competitive. And, Obama's campaign is far from flawless. McCain also is beefing up his staff with more presidential campaign veterans under the guidance of Schmidt, a top aide in President Bush's re-election effort and the operative who led Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to a come-from-behind victory in California two years ago. The campaign will try to showcase its efforts to restore discipline next week when McCain announces a "jobs first" economic plan and tours competitive states. For now, GOP insiders are cautious as they watch for improvement — and they should be. The political environment is dreadful for the GOP, with Bush's approval rating at low levels as the country teeters economically and fights two wars. And, as McCain's campaign struggles, Obama is seemingly skating along, visiting states Bush won four years ago and courting traditional GOP supporters with his core message: "Change We Can Believe In." Nonetheless, the Illinois senator says, "I'm going to have to be a better candidate" and is mindful of his own vulnerabilities. There are many, not the least of which is trying to become the first black president of a country where racism still runs deep. The GOP-fueled liberal elitist label also could stick on this Harvard-educated Chicagoan. And, Obama also may be undercutting his claim to be a straight-shooting, new-politics candidate as he repeatedly breaks with his liberal base on various issues to aggressively move to appeal to the center of the electorate. National polls vary widely, but they have one commonality: None show McCain ahead of Obama. And, on voters' most important issues, McCain trails on every subject but Iraq and terrorism. He also lags in key states, including Bush-won Colorado and Ohio. When it comes to message and strategy, McCain has appeared to flounder. He hasn't settled on one theme and can't seem to stick with a particular line of argument in favor of his candidacy for more than a couple days. His attempts to derail Obama are scattershot; the campaign simply takes advantages of openings Obama creates rather than creating a negative narrative against the Democrat. And, McCain's fundraising events have driven his campaign schedule, often putting him in solid Republican states instead of swing states likely to decide the election. As the sleepy summer pre-convention window opens, Obama is running TV ads in 18 states while McCain focuses on 11 for now and the Republican National Committee bolsters his efforts in the Great Lakes region. At the same time, McCain is working to match Obama's organization. For now, McCain's campaign is roughly 300-strong compared with Obama's 1,000-person plus operation. Obama had a campaign in just about every state during the long Democratic primary, and he has started bolstering the remnants of those existing networks. His aides also boast of a hefty grass-roots organization, a "persuasion army" of allies who will reach out to neighbors, friends and relatives. That's reminiscent of Bush's 2004 campaign. Conversely, McCain's ground-game operation has been slow-moving; staffers weren't dispatched in earnest to key states until last month — even though the GOP primary ended in March. The RNC has fewer than 100 offices with just about the same number of field staffers. The campaign, itself, has 11 regional campaign managers who, in turn, have brought on nearly 100 staff members as part of a much-maligned, decentralized structure. To return power to headquarters, Schmidt is hiring a national political director and a national field director to oversee ground-game efforts, and is promising to add hundreds more field staff and open more local GOP offices. But all that takes money, and here, too, McCain trails. Obama has 1.5 million donors and had raised more than $287 million by the end of May. McCain has far fewer donors and had raised $115 million. May was Obama's worst fundraising month of the year. He raised $22 million, to the $21 million McCain brought in during his best fundraising month. Still, McCain and Obama entered June with virtually the same amount of cash available for the rest of the summer, $33 million for Obama to $31.6 million for McCain. But McCain probably will feel the financial pinch this fall. Unlike Obama, McCain will accept nearly $85 million in public financing and the spending limits that come with it. The Democrat can raise and spend at will. Said Phil Musser, a former Republican Governors Association executive director: "There are a lot of miles to go before we get to Election Day, and McCain is in his finest form when he's the underdog." The candidate had better hope that rings true once again.

"APPARENTLY" your beloved "FIX NOOSE" is "that naive" too!! http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,108140,00.html

Some nitwit in another thread had something disparaging to say about the "Daily Kos" (and me of course!)..............the subject matter that I posted from the "Daily Kos" wasn't addressed at all but yet I was chided for using it as a source...........that SUBJECT matter was honest and accurate from the "Daily Kos" if not palatable for mainstream American media (and the deadenders that glean from it) just as it is in the following webpage from that site. Here's the summary paragraph from the Daily Kos concerning Bulgeface's sudden growth in economics erudition: The Republican presidential candidate made his comments during an exclusive interview from Cartagena, Colombia, with "Good Morning America's" Robin Roberts, who asked McCain why he went abroad when the No. 1 issue for voters was the U.S. economy. "You have admitted that you're not exactly an expert when it comes to the economy," Roberts began. "I have not. I have not. I actually have not," McCain interrupted. "I said that I am stronger on national security issues because of all the time I spent in the military. Very strong on the economy. I understand it. I have a lot more experience than my opponent." But PLEASE be sure to visit the link below to view the video comparisons of Bulgeface McCain once more changing his story about himself, the shmuck that he is, banking on the STUPID American voter for another Republican administration to dictate America. http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/7/2...1781/684/545463 Don't slay the messenger. Think about the message.

And while we're at it....DOG BLESS Bulgeface John McCain...for keeping Americans safe just like Monkus boy does!! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/02/m...w_n_110354.html McCain Backer's Firm Pleaded Guilty To Funding Terrorist Group In Colombia The co-host of a recent top-dollar fundraiser for Sen. John McCain oversaw the payment of roughly $1.7 million to a Colombian paramilitary group that is today designated a terrorist organization by the United States. Carl H. Lindner Jr., the billionaire Cincinnati businessman, was CEO of Chiquita Brands International from 1984 to 2001, and remained on the company's board of directors until May 2002. Beginning under his tenure, Chiquita executives paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (known by the Spanish acronym AUC), which is described by George Washington University's National Security Archive as an "illegal right-wing anti-guerrilla group tied to many of the country's most notorious civilian massacres." Following a Justice Department indictment last year, Chiquita admitted to illegally funding the paramilitaries and agreed to pay a $25 million fine. Chiquita's payments to the AUC began in 1997 and lasted seven years; roughly half of the funds came after the group was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. State Department in 2001. According to the Justice Department, the payments "were reviewed and approved by senior executives" of Chiquita, who knew by no later than September 2000 "that the AUC was a violent, paramilitary organization." Late last week, Lindner co-hosted a $25,000-per-person fundraiser for McCain and the Republican Party in the wealthy Indian Hills neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. The event raised about $2 million; Lindner also serves on McCain's Ohio Victory Team. While Lindner was CEO of Chiquita, the company began sending money to the AUC through its shipping subsidiary Banadex. A report by the Organization of American States states that Banadex also engaged in arms trafficking, helping to deliver 3,000 Nicaraguan AK-47 rifles and millions of rounds of ammunition to the AUC in 2001. According to federal prosecutors, when company officials realized the arrangement was illegal, they switched to making the payments in cash. "We believe they saved people's lives," a Chiquita spokesman told Time magazine last year, alleging that the company was simply trying to avoid violence against their employees. Chiquita's funding of violent paramilitaries does not end with the right-wing AUC. The fruit giant "had been making similar payments to the leftist FARC and ELN guerrillas" since 1989, also on Lindner's watch. Those payments ended in 1997 as "control of the company's banana-growing area shifted" to the AUC, according to the Associated Press. McCain, who is currently visiting Colombia to promote free trade, has described FARC as "one of the worst" terrorist groups and accused his opponent, Sen. Barack Obama, of being unwilling to support Colombian President Uribe's anti-terrorist efforts. That the Arizona Republican is raising funds from a man whose company once paid that very same terrorist group seems likely to sully his charge. Aides to the Senator did not return request for comment, though they have repeatedly argued that the campaign does not have direct connections to companies represented by such fundraisers or advisers and, as such, should not be held accountable for their actions or presumed to be persuaded by their interests. However, in the past, McCain has done favors on Lindner's behalf. Last May, the Washington Post reported that in the late 1990s, McCain "promoted a deal in Arizona's Tonto National Forest involving property part-owned by Great American Life Insurance, a company run by billionaire Carl H. Lindner Jr., a prolific contributor to national political parties and presidential candidates." Moreover, McCain's chief political adviser, Charlie Black, lobbied for Chiquita on two separate occasions in 2001. According to records, Black was paid $80,000 to work on foreign trade issues. Black, as the Huffington Post reported on Tuesday, has represented other controversial clients with operations in Colombia. From 2001 through 2007, his work brought his firm more than $1.6 million in lobbying fees from Occidental Petroleum, a company whose security arm was accused of bombing a Colombian village and killing 17 civilians in 1998.

A most appropriate opinion piece for the 232th birthday of the USA.......... http://www.suntimes.com/news/greeley/10347...greel02.article Bush used phony patriotism to start war July 2, 2008Recommend (28) ANDREW GREELEY agreel@aol.com The Russians call World War II "The Great Patriotic War." The current longest of our wars could well be called the same thing. It is a war that originated in the orgy of patriotism ("U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!") that followed the attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon and has been sustained by the patriotism of those who support it ("Our soldiers are defending American freedom") and false promises of some latter-day prophets ("We are winning the war in Iraq.") It is likely to be revived by the Iranian attack that the McCainites see as their main chance of winning the election. The president was right in his spontaneous reaction when he first heard of the attack -- "This is war!" The subtext was, "Now I'll be a wartime president and people will forget about Florida and how Antonin Scalia stole the election." The Arabs had killed 3,000 Americans; we had to kill at least that many of them. The issue was: Which Arabs? The obvious target was Saudi Arabia. Most of the terrorists were from that country, indeed products of the religious education that the country provided for its devout young men. But the Saudi royal family has excellent relations with the American oil companies. So very early in the discussions the neo-cons in the administration began to promote the idea of attacking Iraq. The road to Jerusalem, they argued, is through Baghdad. The administration's neo-cons were (and are) very heavy thinkers. They write great memos. The days when the country was hesitating, some of them found a story about cooperation between al-Qaida and the Iraq government that seemed to legitimate an attack on Iraq. Some of their allies in the media, most notably the Wall Street Journal, insisted that this fable was true. Much of the literature on the Longest War finds it hard to explain how the decision was made to attack Iraq. Poor Scott McClellan had it part right in his book. The administration, influenced by the memos of the neo-cons, decided that toppling Saddam Hussein would restructure the Middle East to American advantage. But that was a thesis too complicated to sell to the American people. Therefore, the desire for patriotic revenge was used in combination with fear of Iraq's (as it turns out nonexistent) weapons to launch a great patriotic war. The Republican Party continues to rely on this lethal combination to win elections. National security means kill Arabs. We get our revenge by protecting our children. We start a patriotic war in the name of self-protection and spread patriotic gore by killing Arabs. Neat! It is not the first patriotic/revenge war on which the country has embarked. Remember the Maine. Remember the Alamo. Remember Fort Sumter. Remember Pearl Harbor. The psychology for whipping up revenge in the name of patriotism has always worked. World War II was a just war, but the mix of patriotism and revenge made it easy for the American military to firebomb out of existence 50 Japanese cities and to destroy a couple more with atom bombs. Are the American people guilty of a war crime because of the Iraq war? Surely the leaders who cooked up the excuses for the war are. So, too, are the national media that allowed patriotism to silence them. So, too, are those ordinary Americans who almost insisted on some kind of patriotic gore. On this weekend in which we glorify -- with good reason -- our patriotism, we might examine our conscience about what phony patriotism has caused us to do. A third of the American population supported the war and has now changed its mind. It might be wise for such folk to prepare answers to the kinds of questions God might ask about phony patriotism.