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20080423
 Barack
Obama -  Hillary
Rodham Clinton -  Karl
Rove -  Terrorism
-  Politics
- Osama
bin Laden
-  Television
- Ad
-  Money
-  History
-  Pennsylvania
-  Illinois
-  New
York -  Iran
-  Israel
-  US
-  Military
- 2008
Election
"The
Low Road to Victory." ... "The Pennsylvania campaign,
which produced yet another inconclusive result on Tuesday, was even meaner,
more vacuous, more desperate, and more filled with pandering than the mean,
vacuous, desperate, pander-filled contests that preceded it." ... "Voters
are getting tired of it; it is demeaning the political process; and it
does not work. It is past time for [2008 Election Democratic Presidential
Candidate and New York] Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to acknowledge that
the negativity, for which she is mostly responsible, does nothing but harm
to her, her opponent, her party and the 2008 election." ... "If nothing
else, self interest should push her in that direction. Mrs. Clinton did
not get the big win in Pennsylvania that she needed to challenge the calculus
of the Democratic race. It is true that [2008 Election Democratic Presidential
Candidate and Illinois] Senator Barack Obama outspent her 2-to-1. But Mrs.
Clinton and her advisers should mainly blame themselves, because, as the
political operatives say, they went heavily negative and ended up squandering
a good part of what was once a 20-point lead." ... "On the eve of this
crucial primary, Mrs. Clinton became the first Democratic candidate to
wave the bloody shirt of 9/11. A Clinton television ad — torn right from
Karl Rove’s playbook — evoked the 1929 stock market crash, Pearl Harbor,
the Cuban missile crisis, the cold war and the 9/11 attacks, complete with
video of Osama bin Laden. “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the
kitchen,” the narrator intoned." ... "If that was supposed to bolster Mrs.
Clinton’s argument that she is the better prepared to be president in a
dangerous world, she sent the opposite message on Tuesday morning by declaring
in an interview on ABC News that if Iran attacked Israel while she were
president: “We would be able to totally obliterate them.”"
-NYTimes
20080405
Noteworthy
-  Media
-  John
Yoo -  Mike
Mukasey
- Torture
-  Lawbreaking-  Surveillance
- Military
-  Intelligence
- Terrorism
-Political
-  Enforcement
- Barack
Obama - Pennsylvania
- US
-  Iraq
"The
U.S. establishment media in a nutshell." ... "In
the past two weeks, the following events transpired. A Department of Justice
memo, authored by John Yoo, was released which authorized torture and presidential
lawbreaking. It was revealed that the [Republican President Bush] Bush
administration declared the Fourth Amendment of the Bill of Rights to be
inapplicable to "domestic military operations" within the U.S. [United
States] The U.S. Attorney General [Michael Mukasey] appears to have fabricated
a key event leading to the 9/11 attacks and made patently false statements
about surveillance laws and related lawsuits. Barack Obama went bowling
in Pennsylvania and had a low score." ... "Here are the number of times,
according to NEXIS, that various topics have been mentioned in the media
over the past thirty days:" ... ""Yoo and torture" - 102" ... ""Mukasey
and 9/11" -- 73" ... ""Yoo and Fourth Amendment" -- 16" ...
""Obama and bowling" -- 1,043" ... ""Obama and Wright" --
More than 3,000 (too many to be counted)" ... ""Obama and patriotism"
- 1,607" ... ""Clinton and Lewinsky" -- 1,079" ... "And as Eric
Boehlert
documents,
even Iraq -- that little five-year U.S. occupation with no end in sight
-- has been virtually written out of the media narrative in favor of mindless,
stupid, vapid chatter of the type referenced above." ... "Think about it
this way: if you were a high government official and watched as -- all
in a couple of weeks time -- it is revealed, right out in the open, that
you suspended the Fourth Amendment, authorized torture, proclaimed yourself
empowered to break the law, and sent the nation's top law enforcement officer
to lie blatantly about how and why the 9/11 attacks happened so that you
could acquire still more unchecked spying power and get rid of lawsuits
that would expose what you did, and the political press in this country
basically ignored all of that and blathered on about Obama's bowling score
and how he eats chocolate, wouldn't you also conclude that you could do
anything you want, without limits, and know there will be no consequences?
What would be the incentive to stop doing all of that?" -By
Glenn
Greenwald -Salon
 Muckraker:
CIA's
Torture Tapes Timeline
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 Radio
Blog
AirAmerica.com
Jim Hightower
GreenwaldBook:
""Great
American Hypocrites: Toppling the Big Myths of Republican Politics""
Book
Excerpt BLOG On: David
Addington - Mike
Allen - Michael
Bloomberg - Kit
Bond - Gloria
Borger - Col.
Steven A. Boylan - David
Brooks - George
Bush - Tucker
Carlson - Richard
Cohen - Larry
Craig - Dan
Drezner,2
- Susan
Estrich - Dianne
Feinstein,2
- Tom
Friedman - Rudy
Giuliani,2
- Alberto
Gonzales,2
- Michael
Gordon - Hugh
Hewitt - Hillary
bus - John
Howard - Huckabee
- David
Ignatius - Fred
Kagan - John
King - Joe
Klein,3,2,1
- Charles
Krauthammer,1
- Bill
Kristol - Howard
Kurtz,2,1
- Michael
Ledeen - Joe
Lieberman - Rich
Lowry - Michelle
Malkin - Chris
Matthews - Megan
McArdle - John
McCain,6,5,4,3,2,1
- Mike
McConnell - Michael
Mukasey,5,4,3,2,1
- Peggy
Noonan - Barack
Obama - Mike
O'Hanlon - Padilla
- General
David Petraeus - Norman
Podhoretz - Ken
Pollack,1
- Glenn
Reynolds - Cokie
Roberts - Mitt
Romney - Brian
Ross - David
Vitter - Brian
Williams,1
- Jeremiah
Wright - John
Yoo,2,1
++ ABCNews,1
- ADL
- DC
Establishment - FISA,2
- Libyans
- Media
- Media
Coverage - Military
- MoveOn+AD
- "Nazis"
and "Hitler" - Neo
nepotism - NRO
- Surveillance
- Telecom
immunity - Time
Magazine,2,1
- Wall
St Journal- War
Propaganda - Zimbabwe
"Forcing
Larry Craig's resignation while embracing David Vitter."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HavenWorks.com+A-Z
BETA
PAGES:
BETA
PAGES
|
Democratic  
~~~~~~~~~~
|
20080214
 John
McCain - Torture
-Prisoners
- Food
-  Water
-  Medical
- Politics
- 2008
Election
"John
McCain Sells His Soul to the Right: Backs Off on Torture Ban."
... "Has there ever been a more repugnant example of political pandering
than [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain's decision
to vote against a bill banning
waterboarding, putting hoods on prisoners, forcing them to perform sex
acts, subjecting them to mock executions, or depriving them of food, water,
and medical treatment?" ... "That's right, John McCain, the former POW
[Prisoner Of War] who has long been an outspoken critic of the [Republican
President] Bush administration's disturbing embrace of extreme interrogation
techniques." ... "But that was before his desperate attempt to win over
the lunatic fringe that is running the Grand Old Party [Republican Party]."
... "Earlier this week, I showed how outdated the image of McCain as an
independent-thinking maverick had
become -- and called on the media and independent voters to snap out
of their 2000 reverie and see the 2008 McCain for what he has turned into:
a Rove-embracing Bush clone, willing to jettison his principles in his
hunger for the presidency." ... "And now comes this latest unconscionable
capitulation, which should drive a stake through the heart of the McCain-as-straight-talker
meme once and for all." -By Arianna
Huffington -HuffingtonPost.com
20080201
Terrorism
- Politics
-Rhetoric
- Psychology
- US
- Iraq
-  Afghanistan
- Military
- Law
-  Foreign
- Intelligence
- Surveillance
- Noteworthy
- Civil
Liberties
"Bush
legacy: Setting a standard in fear-mongering." ...
"When I [Richard A. Clarke, former leader of the National Security Council's
counterterrorism efforts,] left the [Republican President] Bush administration
in 2003, it was clear to me that its strategy for defeating terrorism was
leaving our nation more vulnerable and our people in a perilous place.
Not only did its policies misappropriate resources, weaken the moral standing
of America, and threaten long-standing legal and constitutional provisions,
but the president also employed misleading and reckless rhetoric to perpetuate
his agenda." ... "This week's State of the Union proved nothing has changed."
... "Besides overstating successes in Afghanistan, painting a rosy future
for Iraq, and touting unfinished domestic objectives, he again used his
favorite tactic - fear - as a tool to scare Congress and the American people.
On one issue in particular - FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act)
- the president misconstrued the truth and manipulated the facts." ...
"Let me be clear: Our ability to track and monitor terrorists overseas
would
not cease should the Protect America Act expire. If this were true, the
president would not threaten to terminate any temporary extension with
his veto pen. All surveillance currently occurring would continue even
after legislative provisions lapsed because authorizations issued under
the act are in effect up to a full year." ... "Simply put, it was wrong
for the president to suggest that warrants issued in compliance with FISA
would suddenly evaporate with congressional inaction. Instead - even though
Congress extended the Protect America Act by two weeks - he is using the
existence of the sunset provision to cast his political opponents in a
negative light." ... "For this president, fear is an easier political tactic
than compromise. With FISA, he is attempting to rattle Congress into hastily
expanding his own executive powers at the expense of civil liberties and
constitutional protections." -By Richard A. Clarke
"former head of counterterrorism at the National Security Council"
-Philly.com
20080130
Noteworthy
- Political
- Lawmakers
- Terrorism
"What
"bipartisanship" in Washington means." ... "Whenever
the mavens of "bipartisanship" attempt to do more than spout pretty platitudes,
they invariably reveal just how vapid and bereft of substance are their
slogans." ... "But more importantly, "bipartisanship" is already rampant
in Washington, not rare. And, in almost every significant case, what "bipartisanship"
means in Washington is that enough Democrats join with all of the Republicans
to endorse and enact into law Republican policies, with which most Democratic
voters disagree. That's how so-called "bipartisanship" manifests in almost
every case." ... "In almost every case, the proposals that are enacted
are ones favored by the White House and supported by all GOP lawmakers,
and then Democrats split and enough of them join with Republicans to ensure
that the GOP gets what it wants. That's "bipartisanhip" in Washington[.]"
... "On virtually every major controversial issue -- particularly, though
not only, ones involving national security and terrorism -- the Republicans
(including their vaunted
mythical moderates and mavericks) vote in almost complete lockstep
in favor of the [Republican] President [Bush], the Democratic caucus splits,
and the Republicans then get their way on every issue thanks to "bipartisan"
support. That's what "bipartisanship" in Washington means."
-By Glenn Greenwald -Salon
|
20080507
 Scott
J Bloch
- Criminal
-  Government
-  Computer
- Censorship
- Politics
-  Workers
- Law
-  Virginia
"Federal
Agents Raid Office of Special Counsel." ... "Nearly
two dozen federal agents yesterday raided the Washington headquarters of
the agency that protects government whistle-blowers, as part of an intensifying
criminal investigation of its leader, who is fighting allegations of improper
political bias and obstruction of justice." ... "Agents fanned out yesterday
morning in the agency's building on M Street, where they sequestered Office
of Special Counsel chief Scott J. Bloch for questioning, served grand-jury
subpoenas on 17 employees and shut down access to computer networks in
a search lasting more than five hours." ... "Bloch, who was nominated to
his post by [Republican] President Bush in 2003, is the principal official
responsible for protecting federal employees from reprisals for complaints
about waste and fraud. He also polices violations of Hatch Act prohibitions
on political activities in federal offices." ... "Bloch has long been a
target of criticism, some of it by his agency's career officials, but the
FBI's [Federal Bureau of Investigation's] abrupt seizure of computers and
records marked a substantial escalation of the executive branch's probe
of his conduct. Retired FBI agents and former prosecutors called the raid
an unusual, if not unprecedented, intrusion on the work of a federal agency."
... "Agents from the Office of Personnel Management's inspector general's
office, who have been investigating Bloch for more than two years, visited
his home on Stockade Drive in Alexandria [Virginia] yesterday. They left
carrying boxes of files." ... "Complaints from [whistle-blowers lawyer
Debra] Katz's clients and others ultimately prompted the inspector general
at the Office of Personnel Management to begin examining Bloch's treatment
of workers and his handling of cases involving whistle-blowers at other
agencies. During the probe, Bloch hired the technology service Geeks on
Call to erase his computer hard drive and those of two aides, giving rise
to new allegations that he was obstructing justice." (1, 2)
-By Carrie Johnson and Christopher Lee with contributions
by Stephen Barr and Daniela Deane and research editor Alice Crites
-WashingtonPost
Scott
J Bloch
-  Lurita
Alexis Doan - Illegal
- Political
- Government
- Workers
- Hatch
Act - Computer
- Censorship
- 2004
Election - Travel
"FBI
seizes Doan, Rice case files in raid of OSC chief's office."
... "About 20 FBI [Federal Bureau of Investigation] agents and administrative
investigators executed search warrants Tuesday on the U.S. [United States]
Office of Special Counsel in a daylong raid that appeared at least partly
focused on finding information on the office's high-profile investigations
into alleged illegal political activity by [Republican President] Bush
administration officials." ... "Last year, the OPM IG's office began looking
into Bloch's hiring of private computer technicians to remove files from
his office computer and those of aides. The files had been sought by investigators,
but Bloch has described the files as personal and not relevant to the probe."
... "But OSC employees said the grand jury subpoenas seek a wide range
of information that goes beyond Bloch's deletion of computer files or treatment
of agency employees." ... "Investigators have demanded all files on OSC's
investigation last year into allegations of improper political activity
by Lurita Doan, the former head of the General Services Administration,
who was forced to resign last week by the White House." ... "OSC found
that Doan, in a January 2007 meeting to discuss Republican congressional
races with the agency's political appointees and a White House political
operative, violated the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from using
government resources for partisan politics. But the finding generated criticism
from House Republicans, who accused Bloch of leaking results of the Doan
investigation to the news media." ... "During Tuesday's raid, investigators
did not seek files from the wider Hatch Act probe, but they subpoenaed
at least two OSC employees who are part of the unit looking into the suspected
political activities. They also sought Bloch's expense and credit card
records, information regarding his use of storage facilities or safety
deposit boxes and material related to testimony he has delivered at congressional
hearings." ... "In addition, investigators demanded documents related to
OSC's investigation into allegations that Secretary of State Rice used
federal resources to travel to campaign appearances supporting President
Bush's re-election in 2004. Bloch's office closed the case, finding no
violation by Rice." -By Dan Friedman
-CongressDaily
via -GovExec.com
Scott
J Bloch
- Karl
Rove - Criminal
- Government
- Workers
- Politics
- Hatch
Act - History
- Computer
- Data
- Censorship
"FBI
Raids Special Counsel, Seizes Data." ... "Federal
agents raided the Office of Special Counsel, a government agency involved
in several high-profile and politically sensitive investigations. The agents
seized computer files and documents from its chief, Scott Bloch, and his
staff." ... "Mr. Bloch, who was appointed by [Republican] President Bush,
has been under investigation since 2005 by the Office of Personnel Management
for employee claims that he abused his agency's authority, retaliated against
its staff and dismissed whistleblower cases without adequate examination."
... "The Justice Department joined the case as the inquiry was widened
last year to include possible obstruction of justice, which is a criminal
offense. The Wall Street Journal reported [November] Nov. 28 that in the
midst of the inquiry Mr. Bloch used an agency credit card to hire a commercial
firm, Geeks on Call, to erase data from his computer and those of former
staff." ... "The Office of Special Counsel, created in the 1970s in the
wake of the Watergate scandal, probes sensitive perso |
