Robert Scheer
Is Al Qaeda Just a Bush Boogeyman?
Wed Jan 12, 2005 15:05
64.140.159.97
Is Al Qaeda Just a Bush Boogeyman? --by Robert Scheer
"Is it conceivable
that Al Qaeda, as defined by President [sic] Bush as the center of a
vast and well-organized international terrorist conspiracy, does not
exist? To even raise the question amid all the officially inspired
hysteria is heretical, especially in the context of the U.S. media's
supine acceptance of administration claims relating to national
security. Yet a brilliant new BBC film produced by one of Britain's
leading documentary filmmakers systematically challenges this and many
other accepted articles of faith in the so-called war on terror."
Audit: Texas Improperly Spent Terror Funds --An audit of the state's
spending of nearly $600 million in federal anti-[pro]terrorism funds
found that some of the money was spent improperly, including to buy a
trailer that was used to haul lawn mowers to "lawn mower drag races."
Michael Newdow vs. America --by Hans Zeiger (conservative columnist
mentions CLG Founder/Chair, Michael Rectenwald, Ph.D.) "For fighting
terror in Iraq, Ralph Nader once called the president [sic] a 'selected
dictator.' Hartford Advocate columnist Alan Bisbort has a 'sense of Bush
as a despot' because the president is 'a sick man.' Michael Rectenwald
of Citizens for Legitimate Government claims to have lost all of his
rights (despite the fact he is a frequent user of the First Amendment)
in 'Bush's prison system known as the United States of America.' Bush is
a 'classic Old Testament tyrant,' writes bioethicist Gerry Lower. The
Bush administration 'is a dictatorship,' the author Gore Vidal told an
Australian TV network. And according to the mayor of London, 'Bush is
the greatest threat to life on this planet that we've most probably ever
seen. The policies he is initiating will doom us to extinction.'"
[Actually, this is a very good summary, as it stands. He should have
just left it right there,]
Allawi Admits Some Areas Unsafe to Vote --U.S.-installed puppet dictator
['Prime Minister'] Ayad Allawi publicly acknowledged for the first time
Tuesday that parts of Iraq probably won't be safe enough for people to
vote in the Jan. 30 'elections,' and he announced plans to boost the
size of the country's army from 100,000 to 150,000 men by year's end.
Rebels Kill 20 in Pre-'Election' Attacks in Iraq --Insurgents killed 20
people in attacks in Iraq Tuesday, and 'Prime Minister' Iyad Allawi
acknowledged what he called pockets of the country would be too unsafe
for 'voting' in a Jan. 30 'election.'
Fury As Hoon Sends More Scots to Iraq --Hundreds more Scottish troops
were sent to Iraq last night after fears of a bloody increase in
violence before the country's elections. Around 400 soldiers from the
1st battalion Royal Highland Fusiliers will be in Basra within days. The
announcement, by Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon, sparked a furious
reaction.
Witness: CIA, SEALs Beat Iraq Prisoners --A former Navy SEAL says he saw
fellow SEALs and CIA officials kick, choke and eye-gouge detainees at a
U.S. military base in Iraq.
Inmate Says Graner Laughed During Abuse --A Syrian inmate at Abu Ghraib
said Army Spc. Charles Graner Jr. was the Baghdad prison's primary
torturer who laughed while physically abusing him and threatened to kill
him more than once.
Detainees Depict Abuses by Guard in Prison in Iraq --Detainees narrated
the events captured on film using stark, vivid language, shaking their
heads and occasionally thumping themselves in the chest or the head to
punctuate the force of the soldiers' fists punching them... Their
testimony, videotaped last month in a courtroom at Camp Victory in Iraq,
capped the government's effort to portray Specialist Charles A. Graner
Jr. as a ruthless abuser who took delight in beating prisoners and
forcing them into sexually humiliating positions.
British detainees to be released from Guantánamo --The four remaining
Britons held at Guantánamo Bay are to be released within the "next few
weeks", foreign secretary Jack Straw announced today.
Health fears for 'torture victims' --The four Britons soon to be
released from Guantánamo Bay after up to three years in detention may
need months of care when they arrive back home, experts in treating
torture victims warned yesterday.
Chemical-arms disposal snagged --The Pentagon plans to delay building
two plants crucial to meeting international treaty deadlines for
destroying thousands of tons of U.S. chemical weapons, according to
documents obtained by USA TODAY.
E-Mail Shows Toll of Crash on Submarine and Sailors --The nuclear
submarine that ran aground Saturday in the South Pacific hit so
"incredibly hard" that about 60 of its 137 crew members were injured and
the sailor who died was thrown 20 feet by the impact, according to
internal Navy e-mail messages sent by a top admiral.
More reports of lasers being shot into airplane cockpits --The FBI is
investigating several more reports of lasers being beamed into aircraft
cockpits following a rash of similar incidents at the end of 2004.
Bush Picks Ex-Aide to Ashcroft for Homeland Security Post --Dictator
Bush on Tuesday chose federal appeals court judge Michael Chertoff to be
his new Homeland Security chief, turning to a former federal prosecutor
who helped craft the early war on [of] terror strategy. Chertoff's
resume includes stints as a federal prosecutor in New Jersey and the
Senate Republicans' chief counsel for the Clinton-era Whitewater
witch-hunts ['investigation']. [*See: Michael Chertoff: Ashcroft's Top
Gremlin --Spreading Mischief from DoJ to the Federal Bench --by Elaine
Cassel, June 11, 2003]
Bush Nominee Criticized Over Post-9/11 Policies --Michael Chertoff,
Dictator Bush's nominee to be secretary of homeland security, is widely
hailed for his intellectual heft and tireless work habits as a federal
prosecutor and judge. But he also faces criticism as an architect of
some of the most controversial elements of the Bush dictatorships
domestic war on [of] terrorism that followed the Sept. 11, 2001,
attacks.
Security Nominee Is a Hard Charger on Legal War on [of] Terror --In the
aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, senior Justice Department officials
were scrambling to find new ways to prevent 'terror' suspects from
slipping away. Michael Chertoff, a tough-minded prosecutor who was in
charge of the department's criminal division, pushed a new tactic -
declaring suspects to be "material witnesses" and locking them up
without charging them with any crime, just as Mr. Chertoff had done with
mob figures before.
Ten Things We Learned About 911 In 2004 (Rigorous Institution,
Blogspot.com) "1. The World Trade Center Black Boxes were recovered,
though officials perpetuate the lie that they weren't. 2. FEMA really
did arrive early in New York City, for the 'bioterror drill' Tripod II,
and Rudi Giuliani's testimony to that effect before the 9/11 Commission
is its only public testimony which remains officially untranscribed. 3.
The Total Information Awareness program was ready to roll out before
Sept 11, and John Poindexter's office was established in the Pentagon no
later than Sept 12."
Ruling gives cops leeway with GPS --Decision allows use of vehicle
tracking device without a warrant --In a decision that could
dramatically affect criminal investigations nationwide, a federal judge
has ruled police didn't need a warrant when they attached a satellite
tracking device to the underbelly of a car being driven by a suspected
Hells Angels operative.
Justices Rule Action Isn't Necessary to Prove Conspiracy --The Supreme
Court ruled on Tuesday that the government can obtain a conviction for a
money-laundering conspiracy without the need to prove that any of the
conspirators did anything concrete to carry out the scheme.
Oops! Another microbiologist dies in oh-but-another whacko Black Ops
murder set up.... that makes about... 20 ??? (since 9-11) Squad seeks
tips in death of researcher --A retired research assistant professor at
the University of Missouri-Columbia died of multiple stab wounds before
firefighters found in his body in the trunk of a burning car Friday...
Jeong H. Im was primarily a protein chemist. [*See New York Times
article, below, for possible motive.]
A DNA Success Raises Bioterror Concern --Researchers have made an
unexpectedly sudden advance in synthesizing long molecules of DNA,
bringing them closer to the goal of redesigning genes and programming
cells to make pharmaceuticals. But the success also puts within reach
the manufacture of small genomes, such as those of viruses and perhaps
certain bacteria. Some biologists fear that the technique might be used
to make the genome of the smallpox virus, one of the few pathogens that
cannot easily be collected from the wild.
A High Level of Alert for the Inauguration --Tom Ridge, the homeland
security secretary, said Tuesday that even in the absence of any
specific security threat to next week's presidential inauguration,
civilian and military forces had been ordered to an extraordinarily high
state of alert. "You can well imagine that the security for this
occasion will be unprecedented," Mr. Ridge said at a news conference.
Bush inauguration security will be extensive --Security for Dictator
Bush's inauguration — the first swearing-in since the Sept. 11, 2001
terrorist attacks — will be unprecedented with some 6,000 law
enforcement personnel, canine bomb teams and close monitoring of
transportation.
Donors lavish $18 million on inauguration -- so far --Campaign finance
loophole enables $40 million target --Californians have donated at least
$3.2 million of the $18 million that has been raised so far to pay for
Dictator Bush's coronation ['inauguration'] for a second term on Jan.
20, an affair that will feature nine black-tie balls and thousands of
Republican revelers.
Four North Carolina donors give $250,000 for Bush inaugural --Charlotte
banking giants Wachovia and Bank of America, Charlotte billionaire C.D.
Spangler's company and High Point businessman Dave Phillips each have
given the maximum $250,000 to help bankroll Dictator Bush's inauguration
festivities.
CBS' Cowardice and Conflicts Behind Purge --Network's Craven Back-Down
on Bush Draft Dodge Report Sure to Get a Standing Rove-ation at White
House --by Greg Palast "'Independent' my ass. CBS' cowardly purge of
five journalists who exposed George Bush's dodging of the Vietnam War
draft was done under cover of what the network laughably called an
'Independent Review Panel.' The 'panel' was just two guys as qualified
for the job as they are for landing the space shuttle: Dick Thornburgh
and Louis Boccardi. Remember Dickie Thornburgh? He was on the Bush 41
Administration's payroll. His grand accomplishment as Bush's Attorney
General was to whitewash the investigation of the Exxon Valdez Oil
spill, letting the oil giant off the hook on big damages. Thornburgh's
fat pay as counsel to Kirkpatrick & Lockhart, the Washington
law-and-lobbying outfit, is substantially due to his job as a Bush
retainer. This is the kind of stinky conflict of interest that hardly
suggests 'independent.' Why not just appoint Karl Rove as CBS' grand
inquisitor and be done with it?"
Motion to Delay Fails, Gregoire Certified As Governor --Rossi
Challenging the Election --A Republican motion to delay the
certification of Democrat Christine Gregoire as Governor failed Tuesday,
clearing the way for Gregoire to be sworn in on Wednesday.
Voters Challenging Election Results Drop Lawsuit --A group of voters on
Tuesday asked to drop their challenge of Ohio's presidential 'election'
results, saying congressional certification of the electoral votes last
week and the upcoming inauguration render the case moot. Chief Justice
Thomas Moyer of the state Supreme Court must still rule on the motion to
dismiss the case, although he is expected to go along with the request.
Purging of rolls, confusion anger voters 41% of Nov. 2 provisional
ballots axed in Lucas County (Ohio, of course...) Of the 3,122
provisional ballots from the Nov. 2 general election that were rejected
in Lucas County, 64 percent were bounced because the voter was 'not
registered.' Of those, 405 had been registered until they were purged
from the county election rolls in August. More than 28,000 voters were
purged from the Lucas County rolls last summer.
Dean to seek chairmanship of Democratic Party --Former presidential
candidate Governor Howard Dean, M.D., once the early front-runner for
the Democratic nomination, has decided to seek the party's chairmanship.
Investment pros see bonanza --Social Security proposal would add
billions to investments and fees --The prospect of 100 million Americans
each having $1,000 of their Social Security contributions to invest
every year has investment professionals salivating at the potential
financial bonanza. About $100 billion a year would be freed up for
stocks, bonds and other investments under a tentative plan Dictator Bush
has floated to fix the Social Security retirement system by creating
private investment accounts.
Age gap may be trouble for Bush --Dictator Bush will fight for the
signature goal of his second term with the support of age groups that
are at odds with those that re-selected him.
Bush Paints Grim Outlook to Sell Social Security Plan --Dictator Bush
warned younger workers on Tuesday of a grim future for their Social
Security benefits but critics accused him of exaggerating the retirement
system's problems to try and sell his plan to change it.
The Iceberg Cometh --by Paul Krugman "Last week someone leaked a memo
written by Peter Wehner, an aide to Karl Rove, about how to sell Social
Security privatization. The public, says Mr. Wehner, must be convinced
that 'the current system is heading for an iceberg.' It's the standard
Bush administration tactic: invent a fake crisis to bully people into
doing what you want."
Fla. gov. eyes changes to state Medicaid --Gov. Jeb Bush outlined a plan
Tuesday to link Florida's Medicaid program to private insurance
companies that would set limits on health coverage.
Canada Finds Third Case of Mad Cow Disease --Canadian officials have
found a third animal infected with mad cow disease -- an almost
7-year-old beef cow with no known connection to the other infected
cattle. The cow was born after Canada banned the use of cattle feed that
includes animal parts to try to keep the deadly infection from
spreading.
U.S. sending team to evaluate new Canadian BSE case --U.S. agriculture
officials will send a team to Canada to evaluate the third case of mad
cow disease found in Alberta to determine whether the discovery will
halt plans to reopen the border to the import of Canadian cattle.
Asia Quake Impacts Va. Well-Water Levels --The South Asian earthquake
that spawned deadly tsunami waves also shifted water levels by at least
3 feet in a geologically sensitive Virginia well some 9,600 miles away
from the epicenter, researchers say.
[January 10 lead stories:] CLG presents . . . Updated! January 10
... UN-AUGURATION --On January 20, in D.C., the CLG is conducting an
Un-Auguration--a mock dethroning and 'Abu Ghraibing' of Bush in
effigy--for election theft and war crimes.
http://www.legitgov.org/012005/Unauguration05.html
Bush 'the king' blows $50m on coronation --Dictator's lavish
inauguration is 'obscene' when US troops are dying in Iraq war, say
critics --With a price tag of up to $50 million, Dictator George W
Bush's inauguration in 11 days' time will be an unashamed celebration of
Red America's victory over Blue America in last November's election.
[Uh, since there was no 'election,' there could be no 'victory.']
D.C. Says White House Won't Reimburse Inauguration Costs --City Will Be
Forced to Divert Money From Homeland Security Projects --D.C. officials
said yesterday that the Bush dictatorship is refusing to reimburse the
District for most of the costs associated with next week's inauguration,
breaking wit
"Is it conceivable
that Al Qaeda, as defined by President [sic] Bush as the center of a
vast and well-organized international terrorist conspiracy, does not
exist? To even raise the question amid all the officially inspired
hysteria is heretical, especially in the context of the U.S. media's
supine acceptance of administration claims relating to national
security. Yet a brilliant new BBC film produced by one of Britain's
leading documentary filmmakers systematically challenges this and many
other accepted articles of faith in the so-called war on terror."
Audit: Texas Improperly Spent Terror Funds --An audit of the state's
spending of nearly $600 million in federal anti-[pro]terrorism funds
found that some of the money was spent improperly, including to buy a
trailer that was used to haul lawn mowers to "lawn mower drag races."
Michael Newdow vs. America --by Hans Zeiger (conservative columnist
mentions CLG Founder/Chair, Michael Rectenwald, Ph.D.) "For fighting
terror in Iraq, Ralph Nader once called the president [sic] a 'selected
dictator.' Hartford Advocate columnist Alan Bisbort has a 'sense of Bush
as a despot' because the president is 'a sick man.' Michael Rectenwald
of Citizens for Legitimate Government claims to have lost all of his
rights (despite the fact he is a frequent user of the First Amendment)
in 'Bush's prison system known as the United States of America.' Bush is
a 'classic Old Testament tyrant,' writes bioethicist Gerry Lower. The
Bush administration 'is a dictatorship,' the author Gore Vidal told an
Australian TV network. And according to the mayor of London, 'Bush is
the greatest threat to life on this planet that we've most probably ever
seen. The policies he is initiating will doom us to extinction.'"
[Actually, this is a very good summary, as it stands. He should have
just left it right there,
Allawi Admits Some Areas Unsafe to Vote --U.S.-installed puppet dictator
['Prime Minister'] Ayad Allawi publicly acknowledged for the first time
Tuesday that parts of Iraq probably won't be safe enough for people to
vote in the Jan. 30 'elections,' and he announced plans to boost the
size of the country's army from 100,000 to 150,000 men by year's end.
Rebels Kill 20 in Pre-'Election' Attacks in Iraq --Insurgents killed 20
people in attacks in Iraq Tuesday, and 'Prime Minister' Iyad Allawi
acknowledged what he called pockets of the country would be too unsafe
for 'voting' in a Jan. 30 'election.'
Fury As Hoon Sends More Scots to Iraq --Hundreds more Scottish troops
were sent to Iraq last night after fears of a bloody increase in
violence before the country's elections. Around 400 soldiers from the
1st battalion Royal Highland Fusiliers will be in Basra within days. The
announcement, by Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon, sparked a furious
reaction.
Witness: CIA, SEALs Beat Iraq Prisoners --A former Navy SEAL says he saw
fellow SEALs and CIA officials kick, choke and eye-gouge detainees at a
U.S. military base in Iraq.
Inmate Says Graner Laughed During Abuse --A Syrian inmate at Abu Ghraib
said Army Spc. Charles Graner Jr. was the Baghdad prison's primary
torturer who laughed while physically abusing him and threatened to kill
him more than once.
Detainees Depict Abuses by Guard in Prison in Iraq --Detainees narrated
the events captured on film using stark, vivid language, shaking their
heads and occasionally thumping themselves in the chest or the head to
punctuate the force of the soldiers' fists punching them... Their
testimony, videotaped last month in a courtroom at Camp Victory in Iraq,
capped the government's effort to portray Specialist Charles A. Graner
Jr. as a ruthless abuser who took delight in beating prisoners and
forcing them into sexually humiliating positions.
British detainees to be released from Guantánamo --The four remaining
Britons held at Guantánamo Bay are to be released within the "next few
weeks", foreign secretary Jack Straw announced today.
Health fears for 'torture victims' --The four Britons soon to be
released from Guantánamo Bay after up to three years in detention may
need months of care when they arrive back home, experts in treating
torture victims warned yesterday.
Chemical-arms disposal snagged --The Pentagon plans to delay building
two plants crucial to meeting international treaty deadlines for
destroying thousands of tons of U.S. chemical weapons, according to
documents obtained by USA TODAY.
E-Mail Shows Toll of Crash on Submarine and Sailors --The nuclear
submarine that ran aground Saturday in the South Pacific hit so
"incredibly hard" that about 60 of its 137 crew members were injured and
the sailor who died was thrown 20 feet by the impact, according to
internal Navy e-mail messages sent by a top admiral.
More reports of lasers being shot into airplane cockpits --The FBI is
investigating several more reports of lasers being beamed into aircraft
cockpits following a rash of similar incidents at the end of 2004.
Bush Picks Ex-Aide to Ashcroft for Homeland Security Post --Dictator
Bush on Tuesday chose federal appeals court judge Michael Chertoff to be
his new Homeland Security chief, turning to a former federal prosecutor
who helped craft the early war on [of] terror strategy. Chertoff's
resume includes stints as a federal prosecutor in New Jersey and the
Senate Republicans' chief counsel for the Clinton-era Whitewater
witch-hunts ['investigation']. [*See: Michael Chertoff: Ashcroft's Top
Gremlin --Spreading Mischief from DoJ to the Federal Bench --by Elaine
Cassel, June 11, 2003]
Bush Nominee Criticized Over Post-9/11 Policies --Michael Chertoff,
Dictator Bush's nominee to be secretary of homeland security, is widely
hailed for his intellectual heft and tireless work habits as a federal
prosecutor and judge. But he also faces criticism as an architect of
some of the most controversial elements of the Bush dictatorships
domestic war on [of] terrorism that followed the Sept. 11, 2001,
attacks.
Security Nominee Is a Hard Charger on Legal War on [of] Terror --In the
aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, senior Justice Department officials
were scrambling to find new ways to prevent 'terror' suspects from
slipping away. Michael Chertoff, a tough-minded prosecutor who was in
charge of the department's criminal division, pushed a new tactic -
declaring suspects to be "material witnesses" and locking them up
without charging them with any crime, just as Mr. Chertoff had done with
mob figures before.
Ten Things We Learned About 911 In 2004 (Rigorous Institution,
Blogspot.com) "1. The World Trade Center Black Boxes were recovered,
though officials perpetuate the lie that they weren't. 2. FEMA really
did arrive early in New York City, for the 'bioterror drill' Tripod II,
and Rudi Giuliani's testimony to that effect before the 9/11 Commission
is its only public testimony which remains officially untranscribed. 3.
The Total Information Awareness program was ready to roll out before
Sept 11, and John Poindexter's office was established in the Pentagon no
later than Sept 12."
Ruling gives cops leeway with GPS --Decision allows use of vehicle
tracking device without a warrant --In a decision that could
dramatically affect criminal investigations nationwide, a federal judge
has ruled police didn't need a warrant when they attached a satellite
tracking device to the underbelly of a car being driven by a suspected
Hells Angels operative.
Justices Rule Action Isn't Necessary to Prove Conspiracy --The Supreme
Court ruled on Tuesday that the government can obtain a conviction for a
money-laundering conspiracy without the need to prove that any of the
conspirators did anything concrete to carry out the scheme.
Oops! Another microbiologist dies in oh-but-another whacko Black Ops
murder set up.... that makes about... 20 ??? (since 9-11) Squad seeks
tips in death of researcher --A retired research assistant professor at
the University of Missouri-Columbia died of multiple stab wounds before
firefighters found in his body in the trunk of a burning car Friday...
Jeong H. Im was primarily a protein chemist. [*See New York Times
article, below, for possible motive.]
A DNA Success Raises Bioterror Concern --Researchers have made an
unexpectedly sudden advance in synthesizing long molecules of DNA,
bringing them closer to the goal of redesigning genes and programming
cells to make pharmaceuticals. But the success also puts within reach
the manufacture of small genomes, such as those of viruses and perhaps
certain bacteria. Some biologists fear that the technique might be used
to make the genome of the smallpox virus, one of the few pathogens that
cannot easily be collected from the wild.
A High Level of Alert for the Inauguration --Tom Ridge, the homeland
security secretary, said Tuesday that even in the absence of any
specific security threat to next week's presidential inauguration,
civilian and military forces had been ordered to an extraordinarily high
state of alert. "You can well imagine that the security for this
occasion will be unprecedented," Mr. Ridge said at a news conference.
Bush inauguration security will be extensive --Security for Dictator
Bush's inauguration — the first swearing-in since the Sept. 11, 2001
terrorist attacks — will be unprecedented with some 6,000 law
enforcement personnel, canine bomb teams and close monitoring of
transportation.
Donors lavish $18 million on inauguration -- so far --Campaign finance
loophole enables $40 million target --Californians have donated at least
$3.2 million of the $18 million that has been raised so far to pay for
Dictator Bush's coronation ['inauguration'] for a second term on Jan.
20, an affair that will feature nine black-tie balls and thousands of
Republican revelers.
Four North Carolina donors give $250,000 for Bush inaugural --Charlotte
banking giants Wachovia and Bank of America, Charlotte billionaire C.D.
Spangler's company and High Point businessman Dave Phillips each have
given the maximum $250,000 to help bankroll Dictator Bush's inauguration
festivities.
CBS' Cowardice and Conflicts Behind Purge --Network's Craven Back-Down
on Bush Draft Dodge Report Sure to Get a Standing Rove-ation at White
House --by Greg Palast "'Independent' my ass. CBS' cowardly purge of
five journalists who exposed George Bush's dodging of the Vietnam War
draft was done under cover of what the network laughably called an
'Independent Review Panel.' The 'panel' was just two guys as qualified
for the job as they are for landing the space shuttle: Dick Thornburgh
and Louis Boccardi. Remember Dickie Thornburgh? He was on the Bush 41
Administration's payroll. His grand accomplishment as Bush's Attorney
General was to whitewash the investigation of the Exxon Valdez Oil
spill, letting the oil giant off the hook on big damages. Thornburgh's
fat pay as counsel to Kirkpatrick & Lockhart, the Washington
law-and-lobbying outfit, is substantially due to his job as a Bush
retainer. This is the kind of stinky conflict of interest that hardly
suggests 'independent.' Why not just appoint Karl Rove as CBS' grand
inquisitor and be done with it?"
Motion to Delay Fails, Gregoire Certified As Governor --Rossi
Challenging the Election --A Republican motion to delay the
certification of Democrat Christine Gregoire as Governor failed Tuesday,
clearing the way for Gregoire to be sworn in on Wednesday.
Voters Challenging Election Results Drop Lawsuit --A group of voters on
Tuesday asked to drop their challenge of Ohio's presidential 'election'
results, saying congressional certification of the electoral votes last
week and the upcoming inauguration render the case moot. Chief Justice
Thomas Moyer of the state Supreme Court must still rule on the motion to
dismiss the case, although he is expected to go along with the request.
Purging of rolls, confusion anger voters 41% of Nov. 2 provisional
ballots axed in Lucas County (Ohio, of course...) Of the 3,122
provisional ballots from the Nov. 2 general election that were rejected
in Lucas County, 64 percent were bounced because the voter was 'not
registered.' Of those, 405 had been registered until they were purged
from the county election rolls in August. More than 28,000 voters were
purged from the Lucas County rolls last summer.
Dean to seek chairmanship of Democratic Party --Former presidential
candidate Governor Howard Dean, M.D., once the early front-runner for
the Democratic nomination, has decided to seek the party's chairmanship.
Investment pros see bonanza --Social Security proposal would add
billions to investments and fees --The prospect of 100 million Americans
each having $1,000 of their Social Security contributions to invest
every year has investment professionals salivating at the potential
financial bonanza. About $100 billion a year would be freed up for
stocks, bonds and other investments under a tentative plan Dictator Bush
has floated to fix the Social Security retirement system by creating
private investment accounts.
Age gap may be trouble for Bush --Dictator Bush will fight for the
signature goal of his second term with the support of age groups that
are at odds with those that re-selected him.
Bush Paints Grim Outlook to Sell Social Security Plan --Dictator Bush
warned younger workers on Tuesday of a grim future for their Social
Security benefits but critics accused him of exaggerating the retirement
system's problems to try and sell his plan to change it.
The Iceberg Cometh --by Paul Krugman "Last week someone leaked a memo
written by Peter Wehner, an aide to Karl Rove, about how to sell Social
Security privatization. The public, says Mr. Wehner, must be convinced
that 'the current system is heading for an iceberg.' It's the standard
Bush administration tactic: invent a fake crisis to bully people into
doing what you want."
Fla. gov. eyes changes to state Medicaid --Gov. Jeb Bush outlined a plan
Tuesday to link Florida's Medicaid program to private insurance
companies that would set limits on health coverage.
Canada Finds Third Case of Mad Cow Disease --Canadian officials have
found a third animal infected with mad cow disease -- an almost
7-year-old beef cow with no known connection to the other infected
cattle. The cow was born after Canada banned the use of cattle feed that
includes animal parts to try to keep the deadly infection from
spreading.
U.S. sending team to evaluate new Canadian BSE case --U.S. agriculture
officials will send a team to Canada to evaluate the third case of mad
cow disease found in Alberta to determine whether the discovery will
halt plans to reopen the border to the import of Canadian cattle.
Asia Quake Impacts Va. Well-Water Levels --The South Asian earthquake
that spawned deadly tsunami waves also shifted water levels by at least
3 feet in a geologically sensitive Virginia well some 9,600 miles away
from the epicenter, researchers say.
[January 10 lead stories:] CLG presents . . . Updated! January 10
... UN-AUGURATION --On January 20, in D.C., the CLG is conducting an
Un-Auguration--a mock dethroning and 'Abu Ghraibing' of Bush in
effigy--for election theft and war crimes.
http://www.legitgov.org/012005/Unauguration05.html
Bush 'the king' blows $50m on coronation --Dictator's lavish
inauguration is 'obscene' when US troops are dying in Iraq war, say
critics --With a price tag of up to $50 million, Dictator George W
Bush's inauguration in 11 days' time will be an unashamed celebration of
Red America's victory over Blue America in last November's election.
[Uh, since there was no 'election,' there could be no 'victory.']
D.C. Says White House Won't Reimburse Inauguration Costs --City Will Be
Forced to Divert Money From Homeland Security Projects --D.C. officials
said yesterday that the Bush dictatorship is refusing to reimburse the
District for most of the costs associated with next week's inauguration,
breaking wit
Main Page - Thursday, 01/13/05
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