Nazifying the Geneva Conventions

Raw Story's a gold mine today.

The Bush administration has drafted amendments to a war crimes law that would eliminate the risk of prosecution for political appointees, CIA officers and former military personnel for humiliating or degrading war prisoners, according to U.S. officials and a copy of the amendments.

The amendments would narrow the reach of the War Crimes Act, which now states in general terms that Americans can be prosecuted in federal criminal courts for violations of "Common Article 3" of the Geneva Conventions, which the United States ratified in 1949.

The risk of possible prosecution of officials, CIA officers and former service personnel over alleged rough treatment of prisoners arises because the Bush administration, from January 2002 until June, maintained that the Geneva Conventions' protections did not apply to prisoners captured in Afghanistan.

As a result, the government authorized interrogations using methods that U.S. military lawyers have testified were in violation of Common Article 3; it also created a system of military courts not specifically authorized by Congress, which denied defendants many routine due process rights.

But Corn, the Army's former legal expert, said that Common Article 3 was, according to its written history, "left deliberately vague because efforts to define it would invariably lead to wrongdoers identifying 'exceptions,' and because the meaning was plain -- treat people like humans and not animals or objects." Eugene R. Fidell, president of the nonprofit National Institute of Military Justice, said that laws governing military conduct are filled with broadly described prohibitions that are nonetheless enforceable, including "dereliction of duty," "maltreatment" and "conduct unbecoming an officer."

Retired Rear Adm. John D. Hutson, the Navy's top uniformed lawyer from 1997 to 2000 and now dean of the Franklin Pierce Law Center, said his view is "don't trust the motives of any lawyer who changes a statutory provision that is short, clear, and to the point and replaces it with something that is much longer, more complicated, and includes exceptions within exceptions."

I never thought I'd see the day when the President of the United States would commit war crimes, permit, even encourage others to commit war crimes, get his Attorney General to say war crimes are OK, try to convince the public that war crimes are on their behalf and in their best interests, all the while knowing they're committing illegal acts, and only when all of a sudden there may be a shift of power in Congress, try to make war crimes legal so they all can't be prosecuted.

They'll all be divin' for the exits come November. Jail for the lot of 'em, I say.

Then there's that pesky Nuremburg War Crimes Trials decision about illegally invading another country. We'll get to that later, I hope.

Sorry about the capital 'P' on 'President'. I wasn't talking about Bush, just being theoretical, hoping for the day when we have a real elected President again.

Update:

Billmon says:

This is like letting John Gotti rewrite the RICO statute.

Almost exactly like that.

"We need ya, Joey"

Raw Story

Karl Rove, a close advisor to the President, has expressed interest in assisting Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman in retaining his seat, despite a loss in the Democratic Primary last night, ABC News has reported.

Rove was, according to the report, acting on behalf of President Bush.

This is a tricky dance for Lieberman. He needs to figure out a way to get the benefits of Bush support -- some votes from loyal Republicans -- without turning off the independents and moderate Democrats he needs to win. The safest course may be a polite "thanks but no thanks" to the White House offer.

Loserman's reply will probably be something like, "NOOOO! Just send money."

The Radical Center

A good editorial on why Lieberman lost in the Noo Yawk Times:

The rebellion against Mr. Lieberman was actually an uprising by that rare phenomenon, irate moderates. They are the voters who have been unnerved over the last few years as the country has seemed to be galloping in a deeply unmoderate direction. A war that began at the president's choosing has degenerated into a desperate, bloody mess that has turned much of the world against the United States. The administration's contempt for international agreements, Congressional prerogatives and the authority of the courts has undermined the rule of law abroad and at home.

Yet while all this has been happening, the political discussion in Washington has become a captive of the Bush agenda. Traditional beliefs like every person’s right to a day in court, or the conviction that America should not start wars it does not know how to win, wind up being portrayed as extreme. The middle becomes a place where senators struggle to get the president to volunteer to obey the law when the mood strikes him. Attempting to regain the real center becomes a radical alternative.

Lemme 'splain what happened yesterday in mechanics' terms: For almost six years, our country hasn't been runnin' right. It has deteriorated to the point that it's sputterin' and backfirin' and just not fun to ride around on. Matter of fact, it's embarassing to be seen on. Some of us noticed it right away, but most of us let it degrade to the point that it's now so obvious that it's runnin' so badly that it can't be ignored any longer and something has to be done. The diagnosis is pretty simple: Indifference, lack of maintenance, and constant abuse by the guys who hold the handlebars, whose motto seems to be "win or crash" as if it were their ride and theirs alone.

It's in the shop and up on the lift, finally.

What happened yesterday in Connecticut was the first rusty, frozen nut got broke loose, with a big screech. It's the very beginning of a complete overhaul.

Navel gazing

I rarely write about blogging and bloggers because, even though I've been blogging for over 2 years, I still don't get it. Well I do, but it's hard to wrap my head around the fact we're at a time in our history congruous to the days of our nation's founding, a time that would cause so much anti-government sentiment to come bubbling up to the surface, when people were so emboldened to make their voices heard. Until this administration came to power, I was never an activist, never felt inclined to confront our leaders with their mistakes and corruption. Now it feels as if it were my duty, defending my nation as I did on active duty. No, I'm not equating blogging with military service by any stretch of the imagination - trust me, sitting here in my office ranting and raving bears zero similiarity to getting shot at - but as last night's election shows, we on the Left are doing a good thing, the right thing, and we are representing the views of the majority of the American public. Yet, you wouldn't know it from our press coverage.

Yay!!!

Gord and AOB echoed my sentiments, so there's no point in me adding my $.02. What I will say is that the Dems are falling in line behind Ned. Hillary is the first, from C&L:

A check from Hillary Clinton's HILLPAC is being cut to Ned Lamont for five thousand dollars. She's the first one to be counted on and make good on her promise to support the winner of the Connecticut primary.

Do the rest of you Beltway Dems have to be dragged, kicking and screaming, to support Ned, or will you step up and do the right thing for your party and country? Think about it, won't you? Because, after last night, it's our party again and you too can go the way of Holy Joe. The 'insurgents' have indeed won.

Update:

Rain Bo in comments alerts us to the fact Evan Bayh has also thrown his support to Lamont.

How about shooting off an email of thanks to these two senators for doing the right thing.

Lamont Wins!!!

One brick in the wall down,lots more to go.

Now,this should inspire more of the same.Progressives,Liberals,even you supposedly moderate Dems,take note.It's ok to be "the opposition",if you're smart about it.We WANT you to oppose this bullshit.Snap out of it.

I love the smell of Democracy on a summer evening,don't you?

Thank you, CT Dems

Ned Lamont won the Connecticut Democratic primary. Good. Thanks go to the 52% of CT Dems who voted for him. You other 48% got 'til November to see the light, and I'm sure you will.

One point that struck me kinda funny was that after winning by four points, Mr. Lamont gave his acceptance speech (a good one, by the way) at the Four Points Hotel. Note to Ned: try and find a Forty Points Hotel by November!

What's-his-name is still going to run as an independent. Adios, Joe. Don't hit yerself in the ass with the door on yer way out.

Military theme park proposed

Once again, "military intelligence" proves to be an oxymoron. WaPo

The possibility of adding what county officials call a military theme park arises as about 22,000 employees prepare to be transferred to Fort Belvoir in the next five years because of the federal base realignment and closure recommendations, designed to save $49 billion nationwide.

The Army is considering the entertainment venue to help offset the cost of the $300 million museum, which a spokesman said is scheduled to open in 2013. No federal funds are being sought for the museum, but Fairfax has donated $240,000.

A Florida developer has submitted an unsolicited proposal for a military theme park that would include the "Chateau Belvoir" hotel and an entertainment district with bars like the "1st Division Lounge" and several "4D" rides.

"You can command the latest M-1 tank, feel the rush of a paratrooper freefall, fly a Cobra Gunship or defend your B-17 as a waist gunner," according to the proposal by Universal City Property Management III of Orlando. The company has no connection to NBC-Universal, which owns Universal Studios, a spokeswoman said yesterday.

Those things all sound like fun, but I'd add a few for a more authentic military experience:

Walk ten miles from your luxury accomodations in the rain. Sit in a rain-filled fightin' hole in a leaky poncho for about three days with no sleep, eatin' C-rations (or MREs*) that you pick back up out of the mud where you just know some other grunt took a leak, with an itchy butthole caused by not enough toilet paper, while listening to your rifle rust. That's all there is to it. Then, walk ten miles back.

*MRE = Meals Rejected by Ethiopians.

Don a 40-pound pack that makes you 16 inches thick and low crawl a hundred feet under 15-inch high barbed wire while the ride attendant, costumed as a short-timer PFC who's laughing like a fiend the whole time, tries to blow the excess off your back with a .30-caliber machine gun that ain't tied down too good. Hint: use your shirt buttons to dig down an inch.

Board a WWII attack transport ship and steam around in circles for three days due to a broken rudder. You and a thousand or so of your closest friends will be thrilled at going past the same sea turtle twenty times. You will eat a luxurious breakfast and immediately get in line for a luxurious lunch, etc. Your luxury accomodations will consist of a narrow bunk, one of bunks stacked five high. If you're lucky, you'll be in the top one where you won't be in the way of anybody above you who tries to add to the puke smell in your 200-man windowless up-and-down, back-and-forth movin' suite. You will exit this ride by climbing over the side and descending a cargo net, with a pack and rifle, into a small flat-bottomed boat that rises and falls on the sea swell. Hint: try to time your graceful descent so you don't get caught in the sag of the net between the boat and the ship as the boat rises, or let go too soon and fall ten feet into the boat as it falls. Hint No. 2: If you miss the boat and partake of the 'water feature', ditch the pack and rifle! and watch where you come up.

Climb into a genuine antique H-34 helicopter, just like a Marine in the '60s did. Be the last one in so you can sit facing the open door, or "hatch". The pack and rifle, necessary to get the full enjoyment of these rides, will prevent you from donning the life preserver or fastening the seat belt. You won't be able to lean back, as that's a pressure-operated escape hatch, so keep your eye on the ride attendant, aka the "crew chief", who sits across the helo from you next to the hatch. He is tied in securely, so make your best grab at him if an unforeseen sudden exit from the ride appears imminent, such as during an unexpected steep right bank. Hint: when you enter or exit this ride, you will be at sling arms as you will need both hands to get on or off. Make sure the muzzle of your rifle does not get caught in the top of the hatch, so you don't fall on your back on the unpadded sill halfway in and halfway out of the aircraft.

Stand in line in your underwear for 12 "shots" administered by very professional medical corpsmen. Watch as they crank up their air-operated shot guns to max pressure. Lift your arm after the shot and watch the blood drip down your side. Watch the corpsman grin.

That's enough for now. I encourage our readers to add their own ideas for "rides" that further present the "military experience".

Champagne and Xanax

David Sirota looks at four possible outcomes in today's Democratic primary in Connecticut.

1. Lieberman wins by more than 10 points: Champagne purchases in Washington, D.C. skyrocket, as the professional Democratic Party apparatus (ie. consultants, Hill staffers, think tankers, etc.) collectively celebrates the perception that they still do not have to worry at all about small-d democracy threatening their cushy lifestyles. [...]

2. Lieberman barely wins (less than 10 points): Again, champagne purchases in the Beltway are high, and Rothenberg, Roberts, Kagan, Beinart and the DLC crowd begin calling all of their reporter friends telling them in coded language that this means that ordinary voters still - thankfully - have no say in their own political process. [...]

3. Lamont ekes out a win (less than 4 points): Xanax and Prozac fly off the shelves of DC pharmacies, as the Democratic Party Establishment goes into a depression because it realizes it no longer gets to give orders from Mt. Olympus. [...]

4. Lamont wins big (by more than 5 points): Again, Xanax and Prozac fly off the shelves of DC pharmacies, though this time so does Immodium, because the Democratic Party elites get so scared, they collectively and uncontrollably begin soiling their pants. [...]

Gee, thanks for that visual, Dave! Heehee. That would be my pick.

Here's the deal folks: No matter what the outcome tomorrow - and I sure am hoping Lamont wins - we should all remember that last point: the fact that Ned Lamont and the progressive movement have mounted such a serious challenge to an entrenched incumbent with such a massive corporate-backed warchest is a HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT. In the course of just a few months, a guy who has never run for office took on one of the most well-funded, insulated politicians in America, who used all of his clout and cashed in all of his favors to get other Big Time members of the Establishment to help him. If Ned gets within 15 points of Lieberman, it is a display of real strength, and it is a major step forward in our movement.

Remember - movements take time. If Ned loses, the media and Democratic "strategists" will put out all sorts of stories patting themselves on the back and pretending that nothing serious really happened. The louder their claims like that, the more we should all know that we've already won a big battle - no matter what the outcome tomorrow. Again, it is crucially, crucially important for everyone to do whatever they can tomorrow to get as many votes out for Lamont - but don't forget what we've already accomplished: it's no small feat.

Mr. Lamont has accomplished a truly bi-partisan achievement: he's got both Republicans and Democrats shittin' 'n gittin', and on notice that things are going to change. Dinosaurs, meet Meteor.

James Baker puts Bush's Iraq policy into rehab

Washington Monthly

Amid the highly charged political infighting in Washington over what to do in Iraq, you might be excused for not noticing that a bipartisan commission quietly started work last spring with a mandate to help the Bush administration rethink its policy toward the war. Of course, anything labeled "bipartisan commission" seems almost guaranteed to be ignored by a highly partisan White House that is notoriously hostile to outside advice and famously devoted to "staying the course." But what makes this particular commission hard to dismiss is that it is led by perhaps the one man who might be able to break through the tight phalanx of senior officials who advise the president and filter his information. That person is the former secretary of state, Republican insider, and consigliere of the Bush family, James A. Baker III.

Since March, Baker, backed by a team of experienced national-security hands, has been busily at work trying to devise a fresh set of policies to help the president chart a new course in--or, perhaps, to get the hell out of--Iraq. But as with all things involving James Baker, there's a deeper political agenda at work as well. "Baker is primarily motivated by his desire to avoid a war at home--that things will fall apart not on the battlefield but at home. So he wants a ceasefire in American politics," a member of one of the commission's working groups told me. Specifically, he said, if the Democrats win back one or both houses of Congress in November, they would unleash a series of investigative hearings on Iraq, the war on terrorism, and civil liberties that could fatally weaken the administration and remove the last props of political support for the war, setting the stage for a potential Republican electoral disaster in 2008. "I guess there are people in the [Republican] party, on the Hill and in the White House, who see a political train wreck coming, and they've called in Baker to try to reroute the train."

As in everything the Republicans do, it's about the upcoming elections - staying in power and out of jail. If they have to try to convince the Chimp to change his policy, or, more likely, to change his talking points to give the appearance of a change on Iraq a little, so be it.

In any case, the Iraq Study Group won't issue its report until some time early in 2007. In a recent speech, according to a member of the task force, Baker said that to do something before the November 2006 elections would inevitably politicize the report, something that Baker desperately wants to avoid.

But with each passing day, the country is closer to the train wreck that Baker and others are said to fear. In the end, avoiding it might ride on the ability of Jim Baker to persuade the president that it's time to declare victory and exit.

"The object of our policy has to be to get our little white asses out of there as soon as possible," (my em) another working-group participant told me. To do that, he said, Baker must confront the president "like the way a family confronts an alcoholic. You bring everyone in, and you say, 'Look, my friend, it's time to change.'"

It's exactly confronting an alcoholic, one who's drunk on power, a (possibly) dry drunk* who doesn't have enough brain cells left to think for himself, who relies on deeply flawed advice from drinkin' buddies like Rove and Cheney, who got him in power in the first place. And no doubt remind him of it often, as in "we're the only ones who could have gotten a loser like you into the White House, and you goddam near lost a rigged election despite our efforts. You do what we tell you to do and shut the fuck up."

I'm all for it if saner, more realistic Republicans can get Bush to change his mind about Iraq. I think they're shovelin' shit against the tide, but if they get enough of 'em shoveling fast enough...

On the other hand, our nation's only real hope is the November elections so it suits me just fine if they just go ahead and have their train wreck. Whatever it takes to get rid of these bastards.

Don't get me wrong. I want to see our troops get out of Iraq as soon as possible, but I got a sneakin' hunch not much is going to happen on that front before November.

*Counterpunch, 10/11/02. Re-read this article about Bush if you haven't lately:

Dry drunk is a slang term used by members and supporters of Alcoholics Anonymous and substance abuse counselors to describe the recovering alcoholic who is no longer drinking, one who is dry, but whose thinking is clouded. Such an individual is said to be dry but not truly sober. Such an individual tends to go to extremes.

To summarize, George W. Bush manifests all the classic patterns of what alcoholics in recovery call "the dry drunk." His behavior is consistent with barely noticeable but meaningful brain damage brought on by years of heavy drinking and possible cocaine use.

Barely noticeable? Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!

See also "President Wet Brain".

Why the Lamont Campaign is important

I have some mixed feelings about alot of people from outside of any state coming in to work for state level campaigns. One,you run the risk of resentment from the people who actually live,work and vote in that state. Two,we've seen how the GOP does this(Brooks Brothers Riot anyone?Lieberman supporters at a certain Lamont campaign appearance quite recently?),and abuses the privledge. Three,if you don't handle this sort of thing correctly,you will alienate people,they won't just resent it,they'll loathe it.

Now,having said all that, as an outsider,even if Ned loses today,all is not lost.This is bigger than just Ned getting the Dem nomination in this primary.

The Lamont Campaign shows you what can happen when regular citizens get involved.And THAT is the larger lesson to take away from this.People are hungry,no,starving for a politician who will listen to them and address their needs.It's got little to do with the war,the war is just one aspect of the big picture.Lieberman is being backed by the GOP,Fox pundits,and he barely spends any time with his constituency.If Lamont hadn't been giving Joe a run for his money do you think for a second he'd be stumping around CT?Hardly.And that's the ONLY reason why he's in political trouble now,he forgot why he was elected in the first place.He forgot what his party stands for.He also forgot that it's The People who decide,not him,even if one of his bestest buddies is The Decider.To scold people for exercising their rights as citizens of this country and to act as though he's entitled to that Senate seat just because he's the incumbant isn't only arrogant,it's an insult to the people of CT.

The Lamont"machine"has been around for what?6 months?Lieberman has had 18 yrs to put his together.The progressive and people powered campaign Lamont has run hasn't had to resort to lies and dirty tricks,they don't treat CT voters like they're stupid and have no business participating in their Democracy,they opened their arms and included as many people as they could.This is why the pundits and GOP spokesmodels are wetting their expensive pants.Because if this thing,this participation in Democracy catches on,what has happened in CT will begin repeating itself all over the country.And if that happens,the pundits will look more idiotic than they do now(hard to imagine ain't it?).It's simple really,they know an informed and intelligent public is their biggest threat,it boils down to being about THEM,when in fact,it's not about them at all.

The Lamont Campaign,for all it's newness,has handled lies and the opposition's harassment with grace,and they've been focused on keeping the attention on real issues effecting the country.The voters in CT have seen all this stuff up close and personal,something the punditry and GOP party itself has ignored as they pontificate about the Dems having their own"civil war",or the"insurgency"of"radical liberals".What's with these people and their war imagry?Everything is war,war,war,all the time.People are weary of this crap.

In short,there's alot of lessons from how Team Lamont has run this whole deal.Lessons that could apply to ANY campaign anyplace in America.Lessons we are slowly remembering all across the country.People used to do this sort of thing,way back when,before we got too spoiled and comfortable,cocky even,thinking that politics is something far removed from our daily lives,and that "someone else"will take care of things and all will be well because this is America.We've learned,especially since 2000,that this sort of thinking leads to massive corruption,war profiteering,and needless death and suffering.That message hasn't been lost on everyone.

So,even if Ned were to lose today(and for the record,I think he's gonna win),all is not lost.The Lamont Campaign shows us how it's done,that there's room for adjustment as you go along,and mostly,that the voters matter most,not the politicians.

Much of this race in CT reminds me of Paul Wellstone and how he worked with the people he represented.Paul never forgot who he worked for,and never turned a blind eye to what was happening in his home state.He cared about what happened to his constituents,the farmer struggling not to lose the family farm,the single parent working two jobs to support a family,the worker who lost a job to outsourcing.It's why the people of Minnesota loved the man.This isn't rocket science.I miss Paul,terribly.

Lamont comes from money(BIG money,robber baron money,as in JP Morgan.Which makes his compassion all the more remarkable really.Money allows people to consider themselves better than everyone else.See also Bush,George W for a contrast),but he doesn't act like he does.He has genuine empathy and compassion for people,and it shows in how he conducts himself.That's hard to fake.It also drives wingnuts out of their minds.Since they don't give a flying load of monkey shit about anyone but themselves,they figure genuine concern for others is simply not real,it's faked because that's what they do.Fake it,and not very well I might add.It's arrested adolescence that's sinking the GOP ship.The whole world doesn't revolve around you,and not everyone is a failed attempt at being you,THIS is what the GOP and all their little minions will never understand.It also will be the ultimate downfall of today's brand of conservativism,which,as more and more people finally see,isn't conservative and certainly not liberal.It's greedy and insane,heartless and hateful,you can't hide that forever.

The big money will fight this people powered movement with all they have.The more power the people get,the bigger the hammer that will be used to try and crush them.It'll get alot uglier than what we've seen happen in CT.You see,for those in Power,the power can only flow one way-Up.Any challenge to that will be squelched by ANY means deemed necessary.The bigger the threat,the bigger the hammer.I say this not to frighten you,but to prepare you.It's something we ignore at our own peril.The GOP has"war rooms"(again with the war imagry,ick) and a slick,well oiled machine with lots and lots of training and practice.Progressives on the other hand have to work harder and smarter,where it counts,on the ground,often without much media support to get the word out.That's why the numbers of people involved matter so much.The more people involved,the better the chances of success and the easier it is to ferret out liars.It's truly the only way to fight the powers that be.And it's going to take decades to undo the damage and wrestle that power back into The People's hands. That's also why this little primary in a little state means so much.

So buck up kids,we have a long road ahead.Just remember,Lamont's win or loss today is about possibilities,and what is possible when citizens stop sitting on their hands,roll up their sleeves and get to work.We may not always win,but the closer we get to winning,the more we learn about how to do it well.

V for Vendetta

I rented this yesterday,and wow.If you haven't seen it,you oughta.There's some very striking points in the movie that relate to what's happening now(one party rule anyone?).I liked the ending,but I won't spoil it for you.

Also on my movie menu for this week are:

All the President's Men(read the book years ago,never saw the movie)

The People Vs Larry Flynt(saw it when it first came out,decided to watch it again)

The Big Buy:How Tom Delay Stole Congress

Seen any good movies lately?

And just a note

For all you people still pissed at me [and have stopped linking to us] for crawling up Israel's ass over this whole Lebanon thing. Look, what's that going in the mail today? Could it be my yearly donation to the Israeli Ambulance Service? Why, yes it is. Now shut the fuck up.

Ned!

It's Primary Day in Connecticut. If you're a registered Dem in CT, it's time to step up and send Holy Joe on vacation. This is the beginning of a change that will hopefully carry through to November, but it won't happen if Lieberman stands for another term. Ned Lamont needs every vote and if you really do want change you'll have to get out and cast your ballot.

Ned on Ned.

Ned on the Issues.

Ned's blog.

Polls open in an hour [0600]. Get off your ass and get to it, dammit.

Repub "Legalize Weed" scam to register voters

Here's a scam that may be coming to a venue near you. From the Central Valley page of the S.F.Bay Area IMC.

The attractive young woman says to me, "would you sign our petition to legalize marijuana?" I don't have to think twice and say "sure, where do I sign?" That is when it got interesting. She says, "Do you have your ID with you?" "Well, yes I do, but what does that have to do with..." I say as she responds with "oh, we just have to verify your ID." Thinking that this has something to do with making sure they have valid names for a ballot initiative I comply.

As I'm filling out my name and address on the petition I notice that the young lady is filling out a very official looking form. Probably just the ballot initiative form, I think to myself. Then, she says "is it OK if I register you as a Republican?" "What?!?" I say "yes, I do mind! What are you doing?" She says that if I register Republican she will get an extra 10 cents. But, I complain, "I don't want to re-register." She explains that this is just to update the records for the County Clerks office. I repeat that "I do not want or need to update my records." I am repeatedly told that it is OK and that they just want to update my voter registration records. She also tells me that she is working for the Republican party, being paid hourly, and that the ploy about the "10 cent bonus" was not accurate.

This Republican party employee goes on to tell me that she is there to attract people to the table that is set up in Fresno's Courthouse Park, and that the legalize marijuana petition is just a prop. She confirmed that there is no ballot initiative to legalize marijuana. She said that the petition will be given to an elected official in Sacramento. I have my doubts about that.

No doubt in my mind. The "elected official" is probably the Sheriff of Sacramento County or the District Attorney.

At this point in the conversation, she called over her "boss" who was talking with someone a short distance away. I introduced myself as the editor of the Community Alliance newspaper and said I was interested in writing a story about the petition campaign and their registering people with the Republican party. I guess that wasn't the right approach to get him to open up to me. The "boss" gave me no information. He even refused to give me a copy of the marijuana legalization petition I had just signed.

Later that day I called Victor Salazar, the Fresno County Clerk. Salazar said that the process sounded deceptive and that I might want to call the Secretary of State fraud investigation unit. I called the number for the fraud investigation unit repeatedly today. Apparently, nobody was in the office today and all I got was an answering machine. I will continue to call.

I also went back to Courthouse Park today to see the Republican Party project was again in full operation. They seemed to have different approaches to different groups. To white men that looked like they might be attorneys, they asked if they were registered to vote. When Latinos walked by they would throw out the legalize marijuana angle.

A copy of a really lame - even for a phony - petition follows, along with a photo and some comments.

They're trying all kinds of tricks like this. Signing petitions for ballot initiatives is a good thing, but make damn sure what you sign.

Curmudgeons, Unite!

Give Jack Cafferty a Show by signing the petition.

Why neocons loves them some Lieberman

Today's 'must read'. Glenn Greenwald

But the most noteworthy aspect of Kristol's column is what comes next, when Kristol plans Lieberman's post-Senate career:


There is a political opportunity for the Bush administration if the Democrats reject Lieberman. If he's then unable to win as an independent in November, he would make a fine secretary of defense for the remainder of the Bush years. . . . Is it too fanciful to speculate about a 2008 GOP ticket of McCain-Lieberman, or Giuliani Lieberman, or Romney-Lieberman, or Allen-Lieberman, or Gingrich-Lieberman? Perhaps. But a reinvigorated governing and war-fighting Republican party is surely an achievable goal. And a necessary one.


So, one of the most extreme neoconservative ideologues in the country not only supports Lieberman's candidacy, but appears to have Lieberman as his first choice for Defense Secretary -- the holy grail for war-loving neoconservatives -- and even for Vice President (alongside the likes of Newt Gingrich, George Allen or Mitt Romney).

The love which right-wing extremists have for Joe Lieberman isn't based on the fact that he's a "centrist." If Lieberman were a "centrist," extremists would not care about him. They would not be vigorously urging his re-election, or praising his potential appointment as Bush Defense Secretary, or touting him as a Vice-Presidential running mate for George Allen. They do that because he is one of them -- a neoconservative extremist who is with them on virtually every major issue of the day.

The United States is on the brink of extreme disaster in the Middle East, both in Iraq (where we have no viable exit strategy despite the rapid collapse of that country) and elsewhere (where we are poised to repeat the same mistakes on a much greater scale). And all of that has been used to justify unprecedented abridgments of basic liberties at home. The policies which brought us to this point were championed -- and still are championed -- by the Joe Liebermans and Bill Kristols and their neoconservative comrades. Where one stands on those issues is, far and away, the most important determinant of one's political character, and any residual doubts about where Lieberman fits on the political spectrum are fully resolved by reading Bill Kristol's full-scale defense and embrace of his candidacy.

Based on the discussion in comments, and even Gingrich's comments, there is another notable aspect to this race which is accounting for so much of the intensity on both sides -- the complete failure to demonize Ned Lamont as some sort of radical, subversive, Vietnam-era pacifist.

A Lamont victory -- indeed, Lamont himself -- provides a very visceral illustration of just how mainstream anti-war (and anti-neoconservative) sentiments are, which is a significant factor as to why a Lieberman victory has become so important for neoconservatives.

Lieberman - and anyone associated with the neocons - must go. Now. The future of the world, not just our country, is at stake.

The beginning of a return to near-sanity must begin tomorrow in Connecticut.

One Ring To Rule Them

Juan Cole has some disturbing thoughts on the "Peak Oil Theory" of why we're promoting the Israel-Lebanon war.

It doesn't make any sense.

Moreover, the Lebanese government elected last year was pro-American! Why risk causing it to fall by hitting the whole country so hard?

I've had a message from a European reader that leads me to consider a Peak Oil Theory of the US-Israeli war on Lebanon (and by proxy on Iran). I say, "consider" the "theory" because this is a thought experiment. I put it on the table to see if it can be knocked down, the way you would preliminary hypotheses in a science experiment.

The presentation got kind of freaky then. He said the US government wanted to stop state-controlled Iranian or Chinese (or Indian) companies from controlling the oil. JFR says the US Government is convinced that this battle will decide the future of the world. It sounded like he was talking about 'the one ring' in lord of the rings. he who controls Iran controls them all.'

China and India could get Iran, and Iran could get Lebanon, and as non-OPEC energy production decreases, the US and Israel could find themselves out in the cold on the energy front.

It may be that that hawks are thinking this way: Destroy Lebanon, and destroy Hizbullah, and you reduce Iran's strategic depth. Destroy the Iranian nuclear program and you leave it helpless and vulnerable to having done to it what the Israelis did to Lebanon. You leave it vulnerable to regime change, and a dragooning of Iran back into the US sphere of influence, denying it to China and assuring its 500 tcf of natural gas to US corporations. You also politically reorient the entire Gulf, with both Saddam and Khamenei gone, toward the United States. Voila, you avoid peak oil problems in the US until a technological fix can be found, and you avoid a situation where China and India have special access to Iran and the Gulf.

The second American Century ensues. The "New Middle East" means the "American Middle East."

And it all starts with the destruction of Lebanon.

More wars to come, in this scenario, since hitting Lebanon was like hitting a politician's bodyguard. You don't kill a bodyguard just to kill the bodyguard. It is phase I of a bigger operation.

If the theory is even remotely correct, then global warming is not the only danger in continuing to rely so heavily on hydrocarbons for energy. Green energy--wind, sun, geothermal-- is all around us and does not require any wars to obtain it. Indeed, if we had spent as much on alternative energy research as we have already spent on the Iraq War, we'd be much closer to affordable solar. A choice lies ahead: hydrocarbons, a 20 foot rise in sea level, and a praetorian state. Or we could go green and maybe keep our republic and tame militarism.

"Taming militarism" is the key. As long as there is megabucksandpower in oil, it will be very, very difficult. The above is today's recommended read.

Update:

The Last Chance Democracy Cafe

Could Bush and the neoconservatives really be that cruel - destroying an entire country as nothing more than a chess move in the Great Game? Real men and women and, of course, real children too - lots of them - their lives spent as part of a Machiavellian scheme that is sure in the end to blow up in our faces anyway, just like everything else these would-be Churchills touch.

This would be so much crueler than even Iraq; the same pattern of lies, to be sure, but at least in Iraq they could claim to be trying to bring a better life to the Iraqis, even if that was never the actual goal. But how is Lebanon supposed to benefit from this? Where’s its supposed payoff for having its infrastructure (and citizens) blown to hell?

Could the neocons really be that cruel?

And if they are, when does bad policy at last become something more than bad policy? When does it become a crime? (my em)

It has already become a crime. The question is, when do they get held accountable for it? It better be soon.

A tip o' the Brain to Lurch for making me aware of this.

The Spy Who Shagged Us

Go see this video: The Story Of How The Neocons Were Duped By An Iranian Spy That Led Our Country Into The Iraq War And A Warning That The Same Fanatics Are Aiming For Additional Targets.

When you get done watching that, here's a link to Seeds of Doubt referred to at the end. A little lighter fare, like the pickle in a sandwich.

Also see Iran: The Next War by James Bamford at Rolling Stone.

The shift in official policy has thrilled former members of the cabal. To them, the war in Lebanon represents the final step in their plan to turn Iran into the next Iraq. Ledeen, writing in the National Review on July 13th, could hardly restrain himself. "Faster, please," he urged the White House, arguing that the war should now be taken over by the U.S. military and expanded across the entire region. "The only way we are going to win this war is to bring down those regimes in Tehran and Damascus, and they are not going to fall as a result of fighting between their terrorist proxies in Gaza and Lebanon on the one hand, and Israel on the other. Only the United States can accomplish it," he conclude

The neocons allowed themselves to be cornholed to get what they wanted. They passed it along and the United States is the one with the sore asshole. Watch out. They're fixin' to do it again. It'll be almost as easy this time if our heads are still in the sand.

November. Impeachment. Hangings. Many, many hangings. Send Bush and his neocons to Hell where they belong.

"The country's great debate is in their hands. "

Taylor Marsh on tomorrow's Connecticut senatorial primary:

It's really simple. The people of Connecticut, through the candidacy and voice of Ned Lamont, have found a way to stand up and push back. They're doing it with their voices, their blogs and on Tuesday they will be doing it with their votes. But they're not simply doing it for themselves. It's for all of us, every American who has had it with George W. Bush, the rubber stamping Republican incompetence, the Democrats who still can't say this war was wrong, and everyone in between who refuses to change course and do it now. Mind you, it's heartbreaking to think of withdrawal and the aftermath of this defeat. But the time has come for this great nation to admit her mistakes, make amends and begin repairing the incomprehensible losses this war of choice has cost. Unfortunately for Joe Lieberman, he is one of the mistakes we are attempting to make right, because he didn't have the courage to do it for himself.

Many of us have been behind the people of Connecticut and Ned Lamont, with blogs like DailyKos, MyDD and Firedoglake, as well as many local Connecticut blogs, leading the way, but we've all been behind this anti Iraq war whoop meant to get the job done because the politicians refused to correct the course themselves. We've tried to give the people of Connecticut whatever national megaphone we can to raise the entire country's collective voice about the Iraq war, so the voters and Ned Lamont would know they were not alone. That even though it was their state and their Senate seat we all had a stake in this shot. A shot to stop this war of choice in its tracks; a war that has plunged this country and the people of the Middle East into a political hurricane of uncertainty and carnage that has worldwide implications that could last for decades.

There are many issues, but life and death comes first. It's represented in the Iraq war. Connecticut is America this week. The country's great debate is in their hands.

Amen.