Sunday
Friday
Guardian Unlimited | Columnists | Why is war-torn Iraq giving $190,000 to Toys R Us?: "Here is a small sample of who has been getting 'reparation' awards from Iraq: Halliburton ($18m), Bechtel ($7m), Mobil ($2.3m), Shell ($1.6m), Nestl� ($2.6m), Pepsi ($3.8m), Philip Morris ($1.3m), Sheraton ($11m), Kentucky Fried Chicken ($321,000) and Toys R Us ($189,449). In the vast majority of cases, these corporations did not claim that Saddam's forces damaged their property in Kuwait - only that they 'lost profits' or, in the case of American Express, experienced a 'decline in business' because of the invasion and occupation of Kuwait."
The Unofficial Paul Krugman Web Page: "The important point to realize is that these abuses aren't aberrations"
toledoblade.com: "They didn't take the box of petty cash or other computers. They bypassed portable radios, a television, and a microwave.
And a pop machine, illuminating an otherwise dark room in what would seem to be a beacon to any ordinary burglar, remained untouched.
Instead, what overnight thieves took from Lucas County Democratic Headquarters were financial data, volunteer rolls, Election Day strategy, and other sensitive information just three weeks before voters head to the polls"
And a pop machine, illuminating an otherwise dark room in what would seem to be a beacon to any ordinary burglar, remained untouched.
Instead, what overnight thieves took from Lucas County Democratic Headquarters were financial data, volunteer rolls, Election Day strategy, and other sensitive information just three weeks before voters head to the polls"
Thursday
Halliburton's Interests Assisted by White House "[A]n environmental engineer and 30-year EPA veteran in Denver, last week sought whistle-blower protection in an 18-page statement sent to the agency's inspector general and members of Congress. The statement alleges that the study's findings were premature, may endanger public health and were approved by an industry-dominated review panel that included a current Halliburton employee."
Tuesday
BBC NEWS Business BBC lifts the lid on secret BAE slush fund £60m slush fund used by the UK's leading arms maker, BAE Systems, to grease the wheels of the biggest arms deals in British history
Sunday
Thursday
Capitol Hill Blue: Politically-Timed Terror Alerts: The Real Terror Threat: Some believe the most potent weapon in the Bush campaign arsenal isn't an advertising nest egg the size of a Third World nation's gross national product, but the fear card. If the race tightens between now and Nov. 2, they say, another "high" alert might be forthcoming.
Monday
News: "The Republicans, naturally, deny the investigations are politically motivated. But even they acknowledge that a chill has spread through Orlando's overwhelmingly Democratic black voting community after a flurry of unannounced visits by armed state police to at least 52 homes whose mostly elderly residents had signed up for an absentee ballot with Mr Thomas's help.
The Republicans have been hard put to explain what exactly the two men have done wrong. The media has aired official allegations ranging from vote fraud to campaign finance irregularities to racketeering, but no charges have been brought, despite exhaustive investigations. A grand jury examining allegations concerning the firefighters' union concluded that no laws had been broken, which has not deterred the FDLE from pursuing the case."
The Republicans have been hard put to explain what exactly the two men have done wrong. The media has aired official allegations ranging from vote fraud to campaign finance irregularities to racketeering, but no charges have been brought, despite exhaustive investigations. A grand jury examining allegations concerning the firefighters' union concluded that no laws had been broken, which has not deterred the FDLE from pursuing the case."
Insiders Worked Both Sides of Gaming Issue (washingtonpost.com): "Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff and public relations consultant Michael Scanlon quietly worked with conservative religious activist Ralph Reed to help the state of Texas shut down an Indian tribe's casino in 2002, then the two quickly persuaded the tribe to pay $4.2 million to try to get Congress to reopen it."
...then exploit the financial crisis they were helping to create for the tribe by securing both the multimillion-dollar fee and $300,000 in federal political contributions, which the tribe paid.
...then exploit the financial crisis they were helping to create for the tribe by securing both the multimillion-dollar fee and $300,000 in federal political contributions, which the tribe paid.
Sunday
Bush acceptance speech marked by anticipation:This one from the RNC slipped under the radar: Senator George Voinovich said that we were now "engaged in the fourth world war."
Is he admitting that the US's dozens of proxy wars against socialist and populist nations and movements in the '60s, '70s and '80s were, in fact, a unified World War III? Or what?
Is he admitting that the US's dozens of proxy wars against socialist and populist nations and movements in the '60s, '70s and '80s were, in fact, a unified World War III? Or what?
Saturday
Close race means more voters registering - zanesvilletimesrecorder.com: "The number of new voters has spiked significantly in Perry County, too, said Janie Dailey, director of the board of elections there. 'We've registered 1,500 new voters since the beginning of the year.'"
As of the 2000 census, the population of Perry County aged 18 and over was 24,494.
As of the 2000 census, the population of Perry County aged 18 and over was 24,494.
Friday
Demonstration of 5 voting system hacks using real software Black Box Voting Will a chimp steal the election? (Includes video of chimp)
Thursday
MSNBC - The Story That Didn't Run: CBS plays for the Bush team.
"In its rush to air its now discredited story about President George W. Bush's National Guard service, CBS bumped another sensitive piece slated for the same "60 Minutes" broadcast: a half-hour segment about how the U.S. government was snookered by forged documents purporting to show Iraqi efforts to purchase uranium from Niger."
"In its rush to air its now discredited story about President George W. Bush's National Guard service, CBS bumped another sensitive piece slated for the same "60 Minutes" broadcast: a half-hour segment about how the U.S. government was snookered by forged documents purporting to show Iraqi efforts to purchase uranium from Niger."
Tuesday
Why Americans Back the War: "To the mounting horror of the world, the United States of America is relentlessly bringing about the systematic destruction of a small, unthreatening nation for no good reason. Why has this not gripped the conscience of this country?
The answer goes beyond Bush to the 60-year history of an accidental readiness to destroy the earth, a legacy with which we Americans have yet to reckon. The punitive terror bombing that marked the end of World War II hardly registered with us. Then we passively accepted our government's mad embrace of thermonuclear weapons. While we demonized our Soviet enemy, we hardly noticed that almost every major escalation of the arms race was initiated by our side "
The answer goes beyond Bush to the 60-year history of an accidental readiness to destroy the earth, a legacy with which we Americans have yet to reckon. The punitive terror bombing that marked the end of World War II hardly registered with us. Then we passively accepted our government's mad embrace of thermonuclear weapons. While we demonized our Soviet enemy, we hardly noticed that almost every major escalation of the arms race was initiated by our side "
Insuring Controversy (washingtonpost.com): "While the costs of running a practice, including insurance premiums, have risen in recent years, physicians incomes do not appear to have dropped." That's the word from Page 3 of this story about how primary care doctors are asking their patients (whose health insurance premiums and co-payments aren't even mentioned in the story) for "donations" on top of their medical bills.
Friday
Tami Longaberger speaks out about state of company - zanesvilletimesrecorder.com: "'We continue to right-size the business,' she said," after announcing an additional 215 layoffs, a week after 784 workers were laid off.
And you thought "downsizing" was a euphemism.
And you thought "downsizing" was a euphemism.
t r u t h o u t - William Rivers Pitt | When the Rabbits Get a Gun Osama bin Laden went to King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, home of the holiest sites of Islam. The royal family was not to be found anywhere on bin Laden's list of friends at the time. A shrewd observer of local politics, bin Laden knew that the Saudi government enjoyed having the Palestinians living in squalor, bereft of homeland and hope, because it distracted the fundamentalists within Saudi Arabia from focusing on the inequities within their own country. With the crooking of a single oil-rich finger, the Saudi royals could solve the Palestinian problem. Their refusal to do so fed bin Laden's rage, for in his mind, they were aiding and abetting what he saw as an intolerable Israeli apartheid.
Thursday
Guardian Unlimited | Guardian daily comment | Far graver than Vietnam: "Most senior US military officers now believe the war on Iraq has turned into a disaster on an unprecedented scale "
Wednesday
No justice for Hicks in flawed trial: QC: "One member [of the tribunal] admitted during the hearing he had previously said the inmates at Guantanamo Bay were all terrorists."
Tuesday
Robert Novak Believes in Revealing Confidential Sources, After All:
"'HUNT: Robert Novak, you're saying CBS should reveal its source?
NOVAK: Yes.
HUNT: You do? You think reporters ought to reveal sources?
NOVAK: No, no. Wait a minute.
HUNT: I'm just asking.
NOVAK: I'm just saying in that case.'"
"'HUNT: Robert Novak, you're saying CBS should reveal its source?
NOVAK: Yes.
HUNT: You do? You think reporters ought to reveal sources?
NOVAK: No, no. Wait a minute.
HUNT: I'm just asking.
NOVAK: I'm just saying in that case.'"
Yahoo! News - U.N. Agency to Study Environment in Iraq: "The British government has given the agency detailed information on locations where it used 1.9 tonnes of depleted uranium in the south of Iraq, but the U.S. government hasn't come forward with the same information despite requests from the United Nations."
Sunday
Guardian | Colin Powell in four-letter neo-con 'crazies' row: "Colin Powell described neo-conservatives in the Bush administration as 'fucking crazies' during the build-up to war in Iraq."
USNews.com: A review of President Bush's National Guard years raises issues about the time he served (9/20/04): Left-wing whackos at US News & World Report? "The White House has said that Bush's service should be calculated using 12-month periods beginning on his induction date in May 1968. Using this time frame, however, Bush still fails the Air Force obligation standard."
Friday
Thursday
Sunday
Invoking 9/11 May Temper Views on Iraq War (washingtonpost.com): "'I think the administration is testing the theory that you can fool all of the people some of time,' said Richard C. Holbrooke, a senior foreign policy adviser."
TIME.com: A Web Of Intrigue -- Sep. 13, 2004: "U.S. intelligence and law-enforcement officials insist that U.S. intercepts of Iranian communications prove that secrets about U.S. code-breaking were gravely breached"
AlterNet: War on Iraq: The Bush Crusade: "Crusade. I remember a momentary feeling of vertigo at the President's use of that word, the outrageous ineptitude of it. The vertigo lifted, and what I felt then was fear, sensing not ineptitude but exactitude. My thoughts went to the elusive Osama bin Laden, how pleased he must have been, Bush already reading from his script."
Saturday
Conyers Calls for Hearings on Spy Case: "U.S.district attorney in charge of the probe, Paul McNulty, has ordered the FBI not to move forward with arrests that they were prepared to make last Friday "
....Mr. McNulty was only assigned the case by Attorney General Ashcroft last Friday when federal agents came to Aipac’s offices in Washington to request files and hard drives. “Ashcroft wanted to make sure this case was being handled properly,” the source familiar with the probe said. “I would not expect any action on this for at least three weeks.” This source added that a grand jury is now being selected, but it was likely the charges,initially reported as espionage, would be scaled back to the mishandling of classified information.
....Mr. McNulty was only assigned the case by Attorney General Ashcroft last Friday when federal agents came to Aipac’s offices in Washington to request files and hard drives. “Ashcroft wanted to make sure this case was being handled properly,” the source familiar with the probe said. “I would not expect any action on this for at least three weeks.” This source added that a grand jury is now being selected, but it was likely the charges,initially reported as espionage, would be scaled back to the mishandling of classified information.
TimesDispatch.com | Lawyers ask judge for access to papers McNulty is leading the pentagon investigation.
Friday
Thursday
Change at CDC Draws Protest (washingtonpost.com): "the move has drawn protests from virtually every occupational health and safety organization in the country, including some representing labor and others more aligned with corporate management -- groups that usually are at policy loggerheads but that have shared interests in good science."
Wednesday
The Unofficial Paul Krugman Web Page: "For a long time, anyone suggesting analogies with Vietnam was ridiculed. But Iraq optimists have, by my count, already declared victory three times. First there was 'Mission Accomplished' - followed by an escalating insurgency. Then there was the capture of Saddam - followed by April's bloody uprising. Finally there was the furtive transfer of formal sovereignty to Ayad Allawi, with implausible claims that this showed progress - a fantasy exploded by the guns of August."
Tuesday
Boston.com / News / Nation / 2d probe at the Pentagon examines actions on Iraq Besides Iraq, Feith & co. wanted war with Iran & Syria. Who would have guessed?
Politics News Article | Reuters.com: "Former Aide to N.J. Governor Will Not File Lawsuit" Anyone surprised?
Monday
Republicans successfully isolate delegates from protests: "After touring the city, we returned to our hotel, and I flipped on the TV. With surprise, I watched protesters and marches that had taken place. It seemed as if I were in a different city."
Saturday
KR Washington Bureau | 08/28/2004 | FBI espionage probe goes beyond Israeli allegations, sources say The Feith-based initiative comes under FBI scrutiny.
The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Editorials: "'I think I understand,' I said. 'The founding fathers were liberal in that they changed the form of government under which they were living.'
'A common misperception,' said my caller. 'The Fathers were actually very, very conservative. They were a land-owning, educated minority. Most of the population were illiterate and owned little.'
Confused, I asked if President Bush is a liberal since he had changed an established tax policy to help the more wealthy and spent billions on a war, or was he a conservative because he owned lots of land and is educated.
'Not exactly,' said my caller."
'A common misperception,' said my caller. 'The Fathers were actually very, very conservative. They were a land-owning, educated minority. Most of the population were illiterate and owned little.'
Confused, I asked if President Bush is a liberal since he had changed an established tax policy to help the more wealthy and spent billions on a war, or was he a conservative because he owned lots of land and is educated.
'Not exactly,' said my caller."
The Lie Factory: "the Bush administration set up a secret Pentagon unit to create the case for invading Iraq"
Thursday
Guardian Unlimited Politics | Special Reports | A cliche gone mad: "Since the concept of PC is mainly rightwing doublespeak anyway, you can make some reliable predictions about those instances where it is held to have gone mad."
Yahoo! News - Poverty rate climbs in US President Bush along with Treasury Secretary John Snow announced their new campaign: "Poverty Is Good For America!"
"With 35% of Americans living in poverty and 45 million without health insurance, we're turning the corner!" Bush said on a campaign stop attended by wealthy Republicans enjoying their tax cuts by paying $10,000 each to wipe their asses with the US Constitution.
"With 35% of Americans living in poverty and 45 million without health insurance, we're turning the corner!" Bush said on a campaign stop attended by wealthy Republicans enjoying their tax cuts by paying $10,000 each to wipe their asses with the US Constitution.
Wednesday
SI.com - Writers - Wahl: Iraqi soccer players upset about Bush campaign ads - Thursday August 19, 2004 5:03PM: "'Iraq as a team does not want Mr. Bush to use us for the presidential campaign,' Sadir told SI.com through a translator, speaking calmly and directly. 'He can find another way to advertise himself.'
Ahmed Manajid, who played as a midfielder on Wednesday, had an even stronger response when asked about Bush's TV advertisement. 'How will he meet his god having slaughtered so many men and women?' Manajid told me. 'He has committed so many crimes.'"
Ahmed Manajid, who played as a midfielder on Wednesday, had an even stronger response when asked about Bush's TV advertisement. 'How will he meet his god having slaughtered so many men and women?' Manajid told me. 'He has committed so many crimes.'"
Tuesday
Vietnam Issue Cuts Both Ways (washingtonpost.com) said one GOP strategist, who declined to be identified because of concerns about retribution from Bush's advisers.
Forbes.com: "The VA patients received appropriate care more often than managed-care patients and did better on two of the three outcomes. 'A nationally funded health-care system can provide excellent quality of care.'"
Monday
The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Suppress the Vote?: "The long and ugly tradition of suppressing the black vote is alive and thriving in the Sunshine State."
Sunday
Saturday
Bikers asked to get close to Bush: "Pishney said he doesn't know what specific role the dozen or so motorcycle riders will play in Monday's event, although they've been instructed to show up in 'biker-oriented' apparel."
Thursday
Army Turns to Private Guards : "Two five-year contracts worth as much as $1 billion went to two small Alaska Native firms with little previous security experience. The firms, which operate under special contracting laws enabling them to avoid competitive bidding, subcontracted part of the work to two of the country's largest security firms: Wackenhut Services Inc. and Vance Federal Security Services."
Wednesday
TheStar.com - Kerry fails Iraq test: "Practical politics undoubtedly prompted Kerry's reply. He is loath to admit he cast a foolish vote in 2002. He does not want to alienate voters who were similarly duped, and who are not keen to be reminded of it. And he must not be seen as 'soft' on Saddam. "
The Unofficial Paul Krugman Web Page: "When Friday's dismal job report was released, traders in the Chicago pit began chanting, 'Kerry, Kerry.' "
Salt Lake Tribune - Opinion: "For Fox News, MSNBC and, most disappointing of all, CNN - the Network of Record - to be spending so much time hashing, rehashing and, most of all, speculating on the gory details of this single case is an excellent example of what's wrong with the mass media today."
Tuesday
Yahoo! News - U.S. Barred From Weakening Dolphin Rules
: "'The record is replete with evidence that the secretary was influenced by policy concerns unrelated to the best available scientific evidence,' Henderson wrote in a strongly worded 51-page opinion. 'This court has never, in its 24 years, reviewed a record of agency action that contained such a compelling portrait of political meddling.' "
Diplomacy Sidelined as US Targets Iran: "The US charge sheet against Iran is lengthening almost by the day, presaging destabilizing confrontations this autumn and maybe a pre-election October surprise. "
Monday
Telegraph | News | Iraqi judge orders arrest of American aide to Chalabi Regarding the current charges against Salen Chalabi, Francis Brooke says, "He wouldn't hurt a fly." And many US news services carry that quote. They don't tell us Brooke is on the lam just like his boss.
Yahoo! News - Unmasking of Qaeda Mole a U.S. Security Blunder-Experts: "The revelation that a mole within al Qaeda was exposed after Washington launched its 'orange alert' this month has shocked security experts, who say the outing of the source may have set back the war on terror. "
Yahoo! News - Iraq invasion a "tremendous gift" to bin Laden: CIA analyst: "It validated so many of the arguments he's made over the past decade,' 'Anonymous' said, particularly the claim by the Saudi-born al-Qaeda leader that the West seeks to occupy the Islamic holy places.
'We have the first one, the most important in the Arabian peninsula, we occupy that in their eyes,' he said in a reference to Saudi Arabia. 'We now occupy Iraq, the second holiest place, and the Israelis have Jerusalem, the third.
'The idea that we would smash any government that posed a threat to Israel -- that's validated by our actions,' he continued. 'And his claim that we lust after control of Arab oil; Iraq has the second greatest reserves in the Arab world.
'So it's been an astounding victory for Osama bin Laden"
'We have the first one, the most important in the Arabian peninsula, we occupy that in their eyes,' he said in a reference to Saudi Arabia. 'We now occupy Iraq, the second holiest place, and the Israelis have Jerusalem, the third.
'The idea that we would smash any government that posed a threat to Israel -- that's validated by our actions,' he continued. 'And his claim that we lust after control of Arab oil; Iraq has the second greatest reserves in the Arab world.
'So it's been an astounding victory for Osama bin Laden"
CJR July/August 2004: The List by Douglas McCollam Ahmad Chalabi’s defectors told stories to a lot of
reporters who now wish they’d kept their distance
How Chalabi Played the Press
reporters who now wish they’d kept their distance
How Chalabi Played the Press
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