October 18, 2006

THE THINKING SPOT

George Bush Will Live in Infamy for What He Has Done to Iraq - George Bush now threatens to go from one of the worst leaders in US history to one of the worst leaders in world history. Iraq had allowed the weapons inspectors back in, they were doing their job, Iraq had absolutely no weapons of mass destruction, the United States military was doing a fantastic job of containing Saddam Hussein, there was no sectarian hostility in Iraq, there was stability in the region - and we came in like a bull in china shop and turned the whole country upside down. For what?
http://tinyurl.com/yh7lc6

ALERT

Alarm Bells For Bush...
http://tinyurl.com/y796sd

Zogby: Bush Job Approval Dips to 37% --- Job approval for Congress drops below 20%
http://tinyurl.com/y265c6

Internet = A NEW CHILLING GAY-BASH WEAPON --- using the Internet to lure victims elevates attacks from random hate to premeditated evil is on the rise. Beware and pass the word. contact: hasani.gittens@nypost.com
http://tinyurl.com/y5xnjg

WAR

U.S. Confidence in War on Terror Falls to 31% --- Note the pathetic attempt to spin the numbers as meaning Americans don;t think Bush has gone far ENOUGH, as opposed to realizing that this war on terror is a total farce.
http://tinyurl.com/yzhgjp

November Surprise? --- The US-backed special tribunal in Baghdad signaled Monday that it will likely delay a verdict in the first trial of Saddam Hussein to November 5. Why hasn't the mainstream media connected the dots between the Saddam's judgment day and the midterm elections?
http://tinyurl.com/yehhhu

The worst in Iraq is yet to come
http://tinyurl.com/yj94xv

Troops will be in Afghanistan for next 20 years, says commander
http://tinyurl.com/y67uaa

A tell-tale little nuke --- A critical question, easily answered by Bush, is this: was the nuke that North Korea just tested a uranium-235 or plutonium-239 device? That difference, though seemingly technical, is of considerable geopolitical (and just plain political) significance.The answer indicates whether Bush's decision to pull out of the Bill Clinton-era Agreed Framework directly resulted in North Korea producing nukes from its plutonium assets
http://tinyurl.com/ygf3sy

THE WHITE HOUSE

Bush signs torture bill; Americans lose essential freedom --- By signing into law the Military Commissions Act of 2006, Bush has made it legal for the C.I.A. to continue operating torture facilities in undisclosed, foreign countries, and for the writ of habeas corpus to be suspended for individuals who are designated "enemy combatants" against the U.S. (Designated by whom? That question remains unanswered.)
http://tinyurl.com/yaeb7l

President Bush's Frat Boy Attitude --- As a veteran of this war in Iraq, I am sickened by the consistently flip nature of the President in the face of deadly serious issues. His ridiculous banter reflects poorly upon all Americans.
http://tinyurl.com/y679gp

BUSH DEFENSE POLICY OPENS POSSIBILITY OF SPACE-BATTLES...
http://tinyurl.com/y6xz43

POLITICS

About the fellow who is going to change the path of the US and the Iraq war: James Baker is NOT “the former Secretary of State!” He is an Enemy of the State! - James Baker has been in the news lately. He is being referred to as the “former Secretary of State” when in fact he should be referred to as the Senior Counsel for The Carlyle Group and a war profiteer. The Carlyle Group is the nation’s 10th largest defense contractor, with extensive ties to Enron, Global Crossing, Arthur Andersen, the Saudi Royal Family, and the Bin Ladens.
http://tinyurl.com/yh32ub

Ashcroft: Bush should be trusted not to abuse new powers. On the following MSNBC video, former Attorney General John Ashcroft says that President Bush should be trusted not to abuse new powers granted to him by Congress. (Just when you think you can't rely on Ashcroft to say something hysterically idiotic, the guy surprises you!)
http://tinyurl.com/yyj236

Sen. Reid amends his disclosure forms --- Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Monday moved to tamp down escalating GOP attacks on his ethics by filing amended disclosure forms with the Senate Ethics Committee addressing a $1.1 million land deal that Republicans had accused him of concealing. Reid's amended disclosures -- which preempt his request for the Ethics committee to decide whether they are necessary -- could help silence the RNC.
http://tinyurl.com/vwcun

SCANDAL

Fmr. Page: Foley “Didn't Reel Me In Until He Showed Up At My College”...
http://tinyurl.com/yz3qpn

WaPo Reporter : There Are Rumors Of A Third Page Scandal “Involving A 16-Year-Old Girl”...
http://tinyurl.com/wk2jn

Congress Aides Ignored Bribery Signs: Report --- Congressional aides ignored numerous warning signs about disgraced former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham's cozy relationship with contractors who paid him millions in bribes, according to an official investigative report. Committee staff helped Cunningham avoid competitive bidding rules to steer at least $70 million to two different contractors.
http://tinyurl.com/ueatd

Report Spells Out Abuses by Former Congressman - Former Representative Randy Cunningham pressured and intimidated staff members of the House Intelligence Committee to help steer more than $70 million in classified federal business to favored military contractors, according to a Congressional investigation made public on Tuesday.
http://tinyurl.com/ygff89

Hillary's brother targeted in new 'Pardongate' probe
http://tinyurl.com/y3bf4u

LEGAL ISSUES

Statement by Elizabeth Holtzman on Granting Immunity to President Bush Under the Military Tribunals Law
http://tinyurl.com/yaaqop

Former FDA commissioner Crawford to plead guilty after charged with lying about conflicts of interest - The government charges that Crawford and his wife owned stock in several companies that fell under FDA regulation, and failed to fully disclose that information as required by federal law.
http://tinyurl.com/yhb9o2

1040 Checkmate? --- In sum, the PRA requires that all government agencies display valid OMB control numbers and certain disclosures directly on all information collection forms that the public is requested to file. Government officials knew that if the case went to trial, it would expose the fraudulent, counterfeit 1040. They also must have known that a trial would expose the ongoing conspiracy between OMB and IRS to publish 1040 forms each year that those agencies knew were in violation of the PRA. That would raise the issue that the Form 1040, with its invalid control number, is being used by the Government to cover up the underlying constitutional tort -- that is, the enforcement of a direct, unapportioned tax on the labor of every working man, women and child in America.
http://tinyurl.com/nm5cx

Gay Congressman's Spouse Denied Benefits - Former Rep. Gerry Studds, the first openly gay member of Congress, was married to another man in Massachusetts at the time of his death, but the federal government will not pay death benefits to his spouse.
http://tinyurl.com/ymlcx8

ELECTION ISSUES

Political Scientists' Models Predict Democratic Takeover of House of Representatives
http://tinyurl.com/y4d3zp

FIRST BUSH-APPOINTED CHAIR OF U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION SAYS 'NO STANDARDS' FOR E-VOTING DEVICES, SYSTEM 'RIPE FOR STEALING ELECTIONS'! --- Soaries was appointed by George W. Bush as the first chair of the commission created by the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) in the wake of the 2000 Presidential Election Debacle.Soaries excoriates both Congress and the White House, referring to their dedication to reforming American election issues as "a charade" and "a travesty," and says the system now in place is "ripe for stealing elections and for fraud."
http://tinyurl.com/ylp647

Why don't Democratic politicians tell Americans how disappointing the economy has been for most of them?
http://tinyurl.com/y5rh86

Playing Offense on James Dobson's Turf --- Jay Fawcett, a decorated veteran and political newcomer, has spent months campaigning on the ground as an "independent fighter" who will buck Nancy Pelosi to "build consensus" across party lines.
http://tinyurl.com/yy4gvb

Rove: GOP To “Deploy” $100 Million In 21 Days Before Election...
http://tinyurl.com/yydksy

The blue wave of the future is clear --- All the pre-election indicators are for the war hawks to take a major drubbing. So, if they win, you know the election was rigged. Do what the Mexicans did.
http://tinyurl.com/ye3k6k

"Hacking Democracy" Debuts on HBO November 2nd - From a current congressional hearing to persistent media reports that suggest misuse of data and even outright fraud, concerns over the integrity of electronic voting continue to grow daily. And if our voting process is not secure, neither is America's democracy.
http://tinyurl.com/yfbl88

NC Debate Gets Racy: GOP Candidate Accuses Dem Of Importing Homosexuals, Supporting Porno For Teen Girls…
http://tinyurl.com/y35nma

GOP Sen Burns Debates Opponent: Bush And I Have An Iraq Plan And “We're Not Going To Tell You”...
http://tinyurl.com/yemjua

Blogger Says Anti-Gay Rights GOP Sen. Larry Craig Has Sex With Men…His Office Denies It...
http://tinyurl.com/yz3qpn

Union Leader Calls Santorum 'The Anti-Christ' - A local union official on Tuesday described Republican Sen. Rick Santorum as "the anti-Christ" on issues affecting working people.
http://tinyurl.com/yazgwj

Ohio Senate: DeWine's Imaginary Cash Advantage Over Brown
http://tinyurl.com/yzzjau

Sarah Evan's Porn-Loving Husband Gave Money To George Allen...
http://tinyurl.com/y3l6o9

ECONOMY

Economic Report: Factory Output Drops, Core Inflation Is Up - Core inflation – which excludes energy and food – jumped six tenths of a percent for September, the biggest increase in 20 months.
http://tinyurl.com/yjt6x9

Social Security checks to rise --- For senior citizens enrolled in Medicare, part of that increase will be consumed by rising health insurance premiums, which are deducted from Social Security checks.
http://tinyurl.com/ydwvro

NOTE: Over $35 billion leaving US and going to S.America.

Michigan Workers, Pushed Out of Auto Jobs, Lose Houses, Too Wayne County, home of Detroit and 35 surrounding municipalities, had the most foreclosed properties in the U.S. in the second quarter, according to Foreclosure.com of Boca Raton, Florida. Statewide, the number of homes in some stage of foreclosure tripled in September from a year earlier, a report by RealtyTrac of Irvine, California, shows.
http://tinyurl.com/yjrqsr

911

"Official" 9/11 story On Life support; The Truth is Taking Over - This growth appears to be striking nerves in the "debunker" community. They're no longer just laughing feebly and attempting to toss us into the imaginary dustbin of negative connotations with labels like "conspiracy theorists", "paranoid liberals" and "clown shoe conspiradroids" (which I'm sure somebody spent hours coming up with and thinks is really clever).
http://tinyurl.com/ykx75v

CONGRESS

Relatives have 'inside track' in lobbying for tax dollars - Members of Congress and their staffs are barred from using their positions for personal profit. But their spouses and other relatives can — and often do — cash in when lawmakers spend taxpayer dollars.
http://tinyurl.com/yff9k4

DOMESTIC

Moyers on America: "The Net at Risk" --- On PBS Wednesday night, Bill Moyers presents "The Net at Risk," a report on what could happen if a few mega-media corporations get their way in Washington and turn the gateway to the Web into a toll road.
http://tinyurl.com/

FTC Hangs Up on Telemarketers With New Ruling: Cindy Skrzycki - The Federal Trade Commission effectively slammed the phone down on the U.S. telemarketing industry earlier this month, rejecting a request to allow pre- recorded calls to consumers without their expressed consent.
http://tinyurl.com/yayzw2

Leader Has New View for Unions --- Andy Stern, president of the 1.8 million-member Service Employees International Union, has some provocative ideas, like ending employer-based health care and increasing worker ownership. Alan Greenspan warns of the growing gap between rich and poor threatening democratic capitalism.
http://tinyurl.com/y3vh48

Academia Signs Up for Tracking Down Dissent --- $2.4 Department of Homeland Security million grant to develop "sentiment analysis" software that will allow the government's "security organs" to sift millions of articles for "negative opinions of the United States or its leaders in newspapers and other publications overseas,"
http://tinyurl.com/yhb2mb

Battlefield 2142 comes with spyware --- A Computer Gaming World podcast reveals how retail packages of Battlefield 2142 come with a blurb to inform the buyer that the game comes with monitoring software that will be tracking your online activities.
http://tinyurl.com/y2cjdh

FBI director wants ISPs to track users - FBI Director Robert Mueller on Tuesday called on Internet service providers to record their customers' online activities, a move that anticipates a fierce debate over privacy and law enforcement in Washington next year.
http://tinyurl.com/yc8h5l

ENVIRONMENT

Fewer pollinators mean trouble for crops - Honeybees and bumblebees have been infected by the introduction of a parasite, while destruction of cave roosts has led to a decline in the bat population, according to a report released Wednesday by the National Research Council.
http://tinyurl.com/yauos3

INTERNATIONAL

Foreign students begin to look away from US --- Would you particularly want to study in a country that had recently abrogated its Constitution and Bill of Rights through the passage and signing of the Military Commissions Act??
http://tinyurl.com/y73fcq

South American oil minnow Chaco is worth exploring --- The land grab project of US President George W. Bush in Chaco, Paraguay, has generated considerable discomfort both politically and environmentally. The bloc Chaco hopes to win sits on a geological structure that runs into Brazil, where it is already producing oil. Given this fact, it is very likely that the Paraguayan side will also prove to be a success for explorers.
http://tinyurl.com/yxrxem

C. Rice, in Asia, urges 'swift' enforcement of NKorea sanctions US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called for the swift and effective implementation of UN sanctions on North Korea and reassured jittery allies that Washington would defend them against attack. Memo to Secretary Rice: North Korea has just informed China that it will detonating another 3 nuclear ests. All the potential sanctions in the world will not stop this.
http://tinyurl.com/tuu8v

Russia warns US over missile system --- Russia has criticised the proposed deployment in Europe of a United States missile defence system near its borders. (Looks like the 'big chill' in US/Russian relations is getting colder by the minute.)
http://tinyurl.com/ya4a7w

MILITARY

Rumsfeld OKs Plan to Recall Battalions --- This would be the first time that reserve combat battalions - units of several hundred troops each - would be sent to Iraq for a second tour, although other types of reserve units and many active-duty units have done multiple tours.
http://tinyurl.com/y8sr4s

Four US Soldiers To Face Murder Charges For Raping 14-Year-Old Girl, Killing Entire Family...
http://tinyurl.com/wkn9c

EDITORIALS - OPINIONS

Striking the US where it hurts --- Puncture one vital point and the whole anatomy is affected.If America ever goes to war with China, say, over Taiwan, then America should be prepared for the following "acupuncture points" in its anatomy to be "punctured". Each of the vital points can bring America to its knees with a minimum of effort -Victor N Corpus/Asia Times
http://tinyurl.com/yd2sso

HEALTH

Poll: Costs, number of uninsured are biggest healthcare issues - Academics worry about the quality of care. The national media is absorbed with the government's new Medicare prescription drug benefit. But the public is most interested in more fundamental issues regarding their healthcare: skyrocketing costs and how to cover people who lack insurance.
http://tinyurl.com/yktx86

Newborns Have Dangerous Chemicals in Their Blood
http://tinyurl.com/yjz7ul

Women with late-stage breast cancer have lowest levels of vitamin D, study finds:
http://tinyurl.com/st8s3

Organic food market expected to surge over next five years as consumers demand chemical-free food:
http://tinyurl.com/ulkk5

Antidepressant drugs may cause aggressive, violent behavior in youth:
http://tinyurl.com/y3rspc

Women on hormone therapy regain emotion response Older women on hormone therapy are more sensitive to negative events, confirming speculation that age-related estrogen loss affects the brain's ability to process emotion, an Oregon Health & Science University study shows.
http://tinyurl.com/y2syhf

Trans fat restriction in Denmark offers example to similar initiative in New York City:
http://tinyurl.com/slw4b

SOME CHEMICALS ARE MORE HARMFUL THAN ANYONE EVER SUSPECTED - - New evidence is flooding in to suggest that many industrial chemicals are more dangerous than previously understood. During the 1990s, it came as a surprise that many industrial chemicals can interfere with the hormone systems of many species, including humans. Hormones are chemicals that circulate in the blood stream at very low levels (parts per billion, and in some cases parts per trillion), acting like switches, turning on and off bodily processes.
http://tinyurl.com/yanf4b

Diet products contain chemicals that stimulate hunger
http://tinyurl.com/y3gumo

FDA plans to approve milk and meat from cloned cows:
http://tinyurl.com/y8qwvu

SPECIAL INTEREST ITEMS

New Book: Joe Dimaggio's Sister Knew Who Killed Marilyn Monroe...
http://tinyurl.com/u56wn