Get In Their Face!

Am I Dreaming?

2008-11-04T20:47:00.000-08:00

Tracking The Results

2008-11-04T17:09:00.001-08:00

Tracking The Polls

2008-10-22T09:15:00.000-07:00

Be sure to visit Talking Points Memo to track every angle of this race.

A Funny Thing Inspired Me.

2008-06-28T17:39:00.000-07:00

A bumper Sticker!

It brought forth an Anthem. An orchestra of emotions ranging from Rage to Pride to Joy to Determination. So I decided To Blog.

Those of you close to me know that I am safely ensconced into The Working Class. I love what I do. I'm great at it. And I'm consumed by it.

For those who've wondered where I went... Nowhere. Just redirected. I chose a different course by which to steer my talents. I work hard. I'm happy.

But I still love to watch. To read. To learn. To observe and comprehend. To instigate and to influence. To reflect.

I saw a bumper sticker today...

The interesting thing about this bumper sticker is that it was placed right over where it's identical twin had previously resided. A place of honor on the back of an American vehicle that drove around a hard working husband and father of five. Two of whom are handicapped. A hard working American Father and Family man. A Working-Class White Man.

Apparently this bumper sticker so offended some bottom-dwelling, goose-stepping, fascist-enabling, race-baiting, backwards-ass 23%'er that couldn't stand the idea of some inspiring, confident, brilliant, scary black man In Charge. So offended that he was unable to contain his rage and decided to bash in the original bumper sticker and everything it represented of his own weaknesses and blind hate.

Two hours later, the new bumper sticker proudly replaced the old one on top of the banged-in yet wholly intact and undeterred spirit of the original sticker's bigger meaning.

Why did this inspire me? I'll let a Neo-Neocon--a scared and compromised little mann--pretending to be a True American and Passionate Progressive--break it all down for me.

So I wrote an Anthem. To remind myself. To Remember who We are. Who I am.

We are The Party of The People.

We are Pro-America.

We are the Pro-Constitution, Pro-Democracy, Pro-Education, Pro-Science, Pro-Independence, Pro-Liberty, Pro-Equality, Pro-Job, Pro-Family, Pro-Health, Pro-Active Party of PROtectors.

We are Democrats.

We are NOT Megacorps. Oligarchs. Barons. Moguls. Tycoons. Tyrants or Terrorists. That is THEM! They.

We are Democrats.

We are Proud, Loud, Liberal, Secular, Lefty PROGRESSives and We ARE The Majority!

We ARE Race. We ARE Veterans. We ARE Labor. We ARE Education. We ARE Peace.

We are Art... We Are Reason. We are Logic. We are Science. We are Reality.

We ARE Government. We DO Government. It IS us! We Govern Our Selves. We Determine Ourselves. We Rule Ourselves. We Respect Ourselves. Our Neighbors. Our Communities. Our Families. We even respect Our Enemies.

We Fight.

We Fight for Justice. We Fight for Progress. We Fight for Fairness. We Fight for Our Children. For Our Planet. Our Principles.

We Fight for Freedom. We Fight for Democracy.

We are Democrats.

We Pray. We Hope. We Believe!

We Believe IN Hope!

For We Are Democrats.

We Live Life.

We Rejoice!

We will WIN the Battle for America. For we are Right.

We WILL Win!

Why? Because we fight for what we believe in. And WE ARE what We fight FOR.

We are Democrats! Therefore We ARE... American!

And I believe in Democracy.

That's all I have to say for a little while.

4,000 - State of Our Union

2008-03-24T00:08:00.000-07:00

FUCK!

A Pox on all of your houses

Happy Easter to everyone else.

Tags: War, Iraq, Bush

One from the Genius Files - Five Stages of Conservative Grief

2008-01-27T14:33:00.000-08:00

From Hunter at The Daily Kos

Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 10:00:00 AM PST

In the year 2000, a devastating blow was dealt to conservative ideology. They were at long last given simultaneous control of all parts of government, and a chance to implement their philosophies.

The outcome proved, of course, to be a fiasco of monumental proportions. From budget surpluses to record deficits; unchecked pork; a tide of corruption, both moral and legal, that thinned their ranks like smallpox; mismanagement of even basic government tasks, such as emergency response capabilities; a national economy constantly teetering between mere sluggishness and outright recession; the entrance into a quagmire of a war, one with unclear initial purpose and even less clear strategies for exit. And those are just the highlights.

It would be enough to drive even the most sane person to despair; in fact, the more sane you are, the more likely you are to feel despair over any of these things. With the agonizing lack of grace of a faceplanting pole vaulter, and in every realm -- economics, oversight, foreign policy, etc. -- conservatism unleashed into the real world met, once again, with abject and humiliating failure. It seems there is no aspect of government that conservatism is actually good at, once the adherents are given any more responsibilities than being the besuited blowhards of Washington cocktail parties.

I thought it might be appropriate, at this point, to go over the five conservative stages of grief. They are taken directly from Kubler-Ross, and so are solidly backed by the best psychological modeling. In their moments of understandable despair over actually having finally been given the unfair and dastardly opportunity to put their signing pens where their mouths have been, as opposed the previous years of merely erupting, geyserlike, on Fox News every evening about what they could do if they were in charge, it is expected that most conservatives will at this point go through at least some of these stages of grief. Since we are not ogres, here, we will simply wish them well and pray for their speedy recovery.

Stage 1: John McCain. In the McCain stage of grief, a conservative is mentally aware of their surroundings but unable to emotionally process the information. The result is a mental short-circuit. Sufferers are especially prone to thinking that the Iraq War is going spectacularly well; they may even wander open-air marketplaces in which they are protected by a hundred or more fully armed United States soldiers, with helicopter gunship support, and remark aloud at how normal and stable and safe their location obviously is. Denial may also exist over the state of the economy, of their own party, or, especially, their own past actions.

The McCain stage of grief is known to last years or even decades. Fortunately, the sufferer usually loses all concept of time, such that they cannot differentiate between any particular six month period, and will eventually declare them all to be "a hundred years" long.

Stage 2: Rudy Giuliani. The Giuliani stage of grief is marked by constant, seething anger. Individuals may reduce their entire range of emotional responses to one, that of constant, self-righteous rage. The stage is usually accompanied by Napoleonic fantasies, declaring the fearsome breadth of their own inner fury to be the only salvation not just of themselves, but of the entire world in which they live. Every situation, every social interaction, and every problem is met with a frequently irrational and always militant response.

Long-term sufferers of the Giuliani stage may eventually suffer from a permanent bug-eyed expression and the onset of sociopathy. They may sometimes be mistaken for necrophiliacs.

Learn about the final three stages of grief: Romney Stage, Thompson State and ending tragically in the Huckabee Stage...

Tags: GOP

It's Time To Get ON MESSAGE!

2007-12-19T11:09:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Think Progress for the video.

Tags: Global Warming, Climate Change, Media

Sunday Funniez

2007-12-16T10:12:00.000-08:00

Tags: Oil, Iraq, Bush

GOP - Do As We Say, Not As We Do - Perfect College Sinners - The Documentary

2007-11-30T16:28:00.000-08:00

This is absolutely classic. What a perfect illustration of republican "values". This is a soon to be released documentary that is sure to cause a national firestorm within the evangelical Christian "family values" crowd. If there are a few of those in your family, this DVD might make the perfect Christmas Gift. :) Enjoy!

You can buy the full, unrated downloadable documentary from their website for just Five Bucks. Perfect College Sinners I'm saving mine for this weekend. If any of you buy it and watch it, give it a review in the comments thread. I'm personally looking forward to seeing a bunch of future George Bush's of the world. Talk about kids being born with a silver spoon up their ass.

Tags: Christian, Religion, GOP

Major hat tip to John Amato for alerting me to this one. I hope he puts it up on C&L soon.

Bill Moyers - FCC and Media Consolidation

2007-11-17T09:54:00.001-08:00

I found this great video at Rawstory's new video website called Rawstory Replay. It's worth checking out.

Who Killed The Electric Car? - Full Version

2007-11-05T14:41:00.000-08:00

It's probably a matter of days, maybe even hours until they take this down so watch it fast.

Fascinating

Electric Car

Watchdogs turned Lapdogs

2007-11-04T13:02:00.000-08:00

Bill Moyers about our modern media.

Tags: War, Iraq, Bush

2008's GOP sounds a lot like 2004's GOP

2007-10-28T03:32:00.000-07:00

The 2008 GOP Convention seems to be echoing their 2004 top hits. (just with more airport men's room jokes)

The Oil Factor - Full Version Documentary

2007-10-27T13:08:00.000-07:00

Interviews gathered throughout the Middle-East, Europe and the United States, including a Bechtel executive in Baghdad, expose who is cashing in on the tens of billions of dollars requested from congress by the current administration of G. W. Bush.

...and then there are Leaders

2007-10-26T20:36:00.000-07:00

Are there any heroes left? I can only hope.

Saturday Jamz - Inside Out - Eve 6

2007-10-13T13:08:00.001-07:00

I've always thought this was one of the catchiest songs ever. It's one of those tunes with just the right flavor of bass and electric ax to get my head pumping. The visuals drawn by the lyrics are on a different level. "Wanna put my tender... heart in a blender... Watch it spin around to a beautiful oblivion... Rendezvous and I'm through with you..." Absolutely delicious!

I'm sorry for not getting much done on this site. I'm actually still working on some good stuff. Anyone interested in the Draft Gore movement, get in touch. Especially if you've got web/blog skills. I own the DraftGore.TV URL plus some others similar to it and I need some help getting the site together quickly. I've been working seventy hours a week at a regular-type job but I'm ready to cut that in half and spend the other half working on building out a terrific, user-submitted web video channel in support of building a grassroots media center for Al Gore.

Enjoy and I hope to hear from people. We'll talk soon.
Nate

War Made Easy - The Full Movie

2007-09-30T15:35:00.000-07:00

War Made Easy reaches into the Orwellian memory hole to expose a 50-year pattern of government deception and media spin that has dragged the United States into one war after another from Vietnam to Iraq. Narrated by actor and activist Sean Penn, the film exhumes remarkable archival footage of official distortion and exaggeration from LBJ to George W. Bush, revealing in stunning detail how the American news media have uncritically disseminated the pro-war messages of successive presidential administrations.

Tags: War, Iraq, Bush

Saturday Jamz - Pink Floyd (plus a bonus for the kid in all of us)

2007-09-29T12:14:00.000-07:00

This Saturday I felt evocative and wanted to remember one of the songs of my youth that helped teach me about conscientiousness. Be sure to feed the light hearted child in yourself and your actual children with a little Holly Dolly in the video below this one.

Warning! Strong impulses to dance around like a childish goofball lay ahead...

Oh Sinnerman

2007-09-16T23:58:00.000-07:00

Marvelous video set to Nina Simone's finest found over at my favorite lakeside hangout... FireDogLake

Tags: War, Iraq, Bush

Bringing The Heat

2007-09-13T22:15:00.000-07:00

Job Opportunities in Bush's Amerika!

2007-09-13T17:38:00.000-07:00

NEW LISTINGS
67 Temp Positions: Personal Effects Specialist (FT Shifts to Aug. 17)

Tracking Code

3507028

Job Description

Participates as temporary full-time member (Personal Effects Specialist, or Photographer, or Administrative Speciaialist) on a Serco, Inc. team of 96 contract employees working on-site in a fast-paced operational/warehouse environment for the US Army Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Center at the Joint Personal Effects Depot (JPED). Receives, inventories, sorts, cleans, photographs, packages, and ships to family members (next of kin) all personal effects belonging to military service members and others, including defense contractors, who are killed or severely injured worldwide, especially incident to military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Performs other relevant administrative and logistics duties as assigned which may include data entry (Defense Casualty Information Processing System) and reports and correspondence management functions, as necessary.

Required Skills:

Detail oriented. Ability to remain calm during highly emotional or crisis situations. Ability to work well with others in a team environment. Mature self-starter with compassion for members of the US Armed Forces and the families of those killed or severely injured. Must be stable, dependable, and available for shift-work, overtime, and occasional weekend/holiday work consistent with the mission/operational environment. Must be able obtain and maintain a SECRET security clearance (Serco, Inc. will process the required application). Current or prior SECRET or higher security clearance is a strong plus.

H/T to Logan Murphy for the link

Tags: War, Iraq, Bush

Progress making Progress saying Progress... Clear?

2007-09-08T13:06:00.000-07:00

Bushco and their unholy army of pro-war media enablers will spend hundreds of millions of dollars through direct government expenditures, blatant media cheerleading and outrageous front groups selling whole scale global warfare for trillions in profit for the sole purpose of telling the world this week the same shit they've been trying to sell for five years. "We're making Progress!" I hope for the sake of our planet and our children that people are no longer buying.

Tags: War, Iraq, Bush

Fox Attacks: Iran - Don't Let It Happen Again

2007-08-22T11:49:00.000-07:00

Don't let this happen again. Do something!

Tags: War, Iraq, Iran, Fox, Cheney, Bush

Fun With Dick!

2007-08-03T13:36:00.001-07:00

Jay Leno finally gets some candor from Dick Cheney. Enjoy!

Saturday Jamz - Harder to Breathe - Maroon 5

2007-07-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

Ever have a song that starts to get you really pumped up? One that helps build you back to a place you wanted to be and never should have left. This one was just on the radio while I was driving home. Damn if it didn't punch me in the gut. I cranked it loud with the windows down and the sunroof open on a perfect 84 degree morning. I'll leave you with this kick'n jam and my heartfelt apology for stepping away so long. I'll be back doing what I should be and fighting as I should be very soon. That's a promise! ~Nate
(Crank up the volume!)

No End In Sight

2007-07-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

A documentary about the American invasion and occupation of Iraq from the ultimate insiders. Truly a must see. No End In Site page.

Tags: War, Iraq, Bush

Metaphors and Ironies

2007-07-01T15:24:00.000-07:00

WTF?

Bushes for Peace?

Since when?

In a just world a bolt of lightning from the heavens would strike between their split fingers for mocking something so noble as peace. A concept that family is incapable of comprehending.

A click on the picture will play a lovely movie from Peace Takes Courage that conjures up (for me anyways) the kind of mocking disdain a coward like George Dubya Bush must have for the very notion of Peace.

It would appear the Bushes can't even go fishing without getting hopelessly stuck and in need of competent human beings to rescue them.

Three generations of worthless shit heels, making fools of themselves as usual. They're like the Clampett's only they packed up their bags and they moved to D.C.

Tags: War, Iraq, Bush

Deeper Into Shadow...

2007-06-06T23:19:00.000-07:00

Clear. Concise. Powerful... Infuriating!

Blackwater

"Against all enemies, foreign and domestic..." so went the Constitutional oath that I, along with millions of other veterans swore.

Is this a new thing...? No. Only more insidious and more dangerous than ever.

Update: Welcome C&L visitors. One more video for you to watch about Blackwater while you're visiting:

Tags: War, Iraq, Bush

Saturday Jamz - War Pigs

2007-05-19T10:44:00.001-07:00

Found this great cut to Black Sabbath's timeless "War Pigs". Be back in a few days.

Thanks to Howie over at DownWithTyranny for finding it.

Tags: War, Iraq, Bush

Iraq For Sale - The War Profiteers (Full Version)

2007-05-17T22:36:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted a good full-length documentary and this one is superb. A while back I posted about it before its launch. Here is the full documentary. Watch it... Take it in... Pass it on...

Is it time to storm the castle yet?

Tags: War, Iraq, Bush

Will Congressman John Doolittle Do Time?

2007-05-03T11:17:00.000-07:00

I just read this great article. It is very informative about the future of Congressman John Doolittle and definitely worth a read. And the graphic is priceless.

Will Doolittle do time?

Does the downfall of a local congressman mean something more than the latest corruption of a politician? Read More...

Update: From ThinkProgress. Deflect much John?

A link in that article to another article about Congressman Doolittle's equally corrupt wife Julie Doolittle is also a must read. It has a full financial breakdown of how much money she's taken in graft and payoffs from the 15% cut she takes from all Doolittle's campaign donations to the pay-for-play blood money she took from Jack Abramoff and his gambling clients and sweat shop labor clients in US Micronesia. Read it...

Tags: Congressman, John, Doolittle

And The Winner Is... Charlie Brown!

2007-04-26T15:03:00.000-07:00

No, not of the special election that is bound to take place as soon as John Doolittle resigns in disgrace or is indicted while in office. Charlie has won the Democracy for America Grassroots All-Star selection. He is the first grassroots candidate that DFA is adding to their 2008 (or in Charlie's case likely sooner) grassroots fundraising page. Here is the notice I just received. Normally I wouldn't link to any ActBlue page other than BlueAmerica's as I'm a huge fan and a volunteer team member but in honor of DFA's efforts, today I link to them via Charlie's picture below:

Dear Nate,

Charlie Brown (CA-04)

Jump Start the Campaign
Please Contribute Right Now

Thousands of votes came in from around the country. DFA members pushed hard getting out the vote for all three Grassroots All-Star finalists -- generating incredible support for each campaign. In the end, there can be only one winner.

Lt. Colonel Charlie Brown is your 2007 DFA Grassroots All-Star!

Now it's up to us to back the endorsement up with real action. Please contribute to his campaign right now:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/2007allstar

After Charlie Brown came within 3% of winning the district last November, Karl Rove put eight-term Republican incumbent Rep. John Doolittle on his "Priority Defense" list. You can bet that Rove will pull out all the stops to keep this seat for the Republicans in 2008.

However, not all is going well for Republican Doolittle. Since the last election, the FBI raided his personal residence and has stepped up the investigation into his dealings with convicted GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Within a week of the raid, Doolittle stepped down from his position on the powerful House Appropriations Committee.

Ousting Doolittle from this rural California district will not be easy. Charlie Brown will need everything we've got and then some to beat back the GOP machine. Please contribute right now to jump start the campaign:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/2007allstar

Last year after you made Jerry McNerney your DFA Grassroots All-Star, you helped lead him to victory against so-called unbeatable Republican incumbent Richard Pombo. Now, if we work together, we will do it again! Victory in 2008 depends on you.

Thank you for everything you do,

Jim Dean
Chair

Personally I'm shooting for Victory in 07' after the special election that will follow the inevitable resignation and/or indictment of John Doolittle.

Tags: DFA, Charlie, Brown

The Music Is Playing John... Turn And Face It.

2007-04-24T11:34:00.000-07:00

Check out this new video from the DCCC. (Funny how they've grown some balls after the election)

Tags: Congressman, John, Doolittle

Congressman John Doolittle - All Star in the Corruption Hall of Shame

2007-04-19T01:19:00.000-07:00

Y'all just knew this one had to bring me back... In honor of California's dirtiest politician (and my rusty blogging skills) I thought I'd keep my post short and sweet. Sort of an homage to the best-of-the-best of John Doolittle's sleaziness.

As I'm sure most of you know, Congressman John Doolittle is the toad in the pot of water who's finally realizing that someone's been turning up the heat on the stove. It turns out that immediately after his former associate and former aide to Jack Abramoff, Kevin Ring abruptly resigned from his lobbying law firm on Friday... John Doolittle and his equally corrupt wife, Julie Doolittle's Virginia home was raided by the FBI.

UPDATE: John Doolittle has resigned his position as Ranking Minority member of the uber-powerful House Appropriations Committee. Of course he terms it "temporarily stepping down" to Boehner but figure the odds of him coming back into that powerful position ever again.

In the next few days this site will get a bunch of traffic from people Google searching for Congressman John Doolittle so I thought I'd make it easy for any of you that want to know all about him and the American Hero who nearly pulled off the impossible by defeating him in the last election, Charlie Brown. Let me provide you a short tour and introduce you to the criminal you folks Googled to get here. A sort of Virtual Walk of Shame through Congressman John Doolittle's low-lights. Let's start with my favorite (mostly cuz I made it) shall we?

John Doolittle supporting forced abortions and sex slavery
Be sure and visit the site it mentions to learn more about this bum. DoolittleFacts.org

Who could possibly forget John Doolittle's shameless humiliation at Charlie's hands during the one; closed-forum debate the cowardly Doolittle would agree to. (The first video is a must see compilation that shows John Doolittle for the little weasel he is) the rest of the videos are the entire debate broken into thirteen parts by a patient and patriotic CA-04th constituent.

And then there was the ad that asked the oh-so-relevant question in the news today...

Or how about when the draft-dodging John Doolittle tried to attack the patriotism of his combat-decorated veteran opponent while Charlie Brown's own son was departing on his fourth tour of duty in Iraq

Have you had enough of Congressman John Doolittle yet?

Then let's meet the BlueAmerican Hero who challenged John Doolittle (and came so close to kicking his whiny ass all over this blood-red district)

And in case you're wondering... Charlie's "Back in the Fight" again!

If you really want to know what kind of person Charlie Brown is (in case the decorated, patriotic, heroic life of service to our country didn't tip you off), then watch as he sits down at a kitchen table at 10pm on the Saturday night before the election, sparing some time from his family and friends, while his daughter (home for the week from college), his son (home visiting prior to departing for his fourth tour as a med-evac pilot in Iraq) his lovely wife Jan and Major Paul Hackett of Ohio sat and talked story by the fire in the next room, gave an audience for a video blog interview to yours truly. I remember the night well, not just because of the company but also because it was my birthday. Sorry for sucking so bad as an interviewer.

Charlie Brown is back and ready to step up and represent this great district. Doolittle is going down and down hard. Charlie is a hero and needs your help now. Go show a patriot your support for true leadership and character. BlueAmerica08!

And if you can spare a little more, help out at my PayPal button at the top right of this page. Help me make rent this month (which I don't have) and I'll get back all over John Doolittle's ass. I'll also help remind everyone who Charlie Brown is and what he's made of so we can raise him some money for the special election after Doolittle's inevitable Indictment or Resignation... Or hopefully both!

Nate

Tags: Congressman, John, Doolittle, Charlie, Brown, Justice, FBI, Corruption, Investigation

I Need To Wake Up!

2007-02-25T23:11:00.000-08:00

It speaks to my heart. Melissa also won an Oscar Award tonight just as Al Gore did.
I offer it to the woman I love.
And a message of love to all.

Tags: Global Warming, Climate Change, Al Gore, Melissa Etheridge, Academy Award

What A Month - Big Doings Going On

2007-02-18T19:02:00.000-08:00

Sorry to take an absence for so long folks but it has been well worth it. I needed to go to work full-time since our Nation's medical system is such a joke and completely unaffordable if you're not already wealthy or can't get your company to pay for it. My job is great though. I'm immersed in IP-based Video serving, encoding and hosting at multiple levels. State-of-the-Art switching/routing/serving stuff coupled with Class A Data Center and Fiber-Optic distribution. All of which is going to come in very handy as I build out a brand new Web 2.1 style video website at DraftGore.TV!

That's right folks... I'm staking my horse for the 2008 race now. If I can help convince Al Gore that America truly needs a Global Leader of his power, gravitas, conviction and charisma to lead our great Nation, than I will sleep well at night knowing I've done a good thing for civilization at large. Of course I'll have to help get him elected as well once I do, but that's for later.

Hopefully, we'll have the site up and ready to go in the next few weeks. (All help welcome) The site will host videocasts, podcasts, whatever type media the world wants to upload to it. Whether it's Jane Smith's rural family in front of their webcam telling Al why they want him to run or professional street/studio interviews about Global Climate change. It will be the Web 2.0 Media answer to the growing and visceral Draft Al Gore movement.

Lately I've been working when I can with the folks over at AlGore.org. Great people all but they're not really seeing the future for how netroots-driven, ground-floor up-driven, interactive web communities work. That's ok... I'm going to build this one and then provide them as much content, traffic, support as I'm able. But this thing needs to move much faster than they're used to moving. They're a great bunch of folks and I look forward to seeing them get AlGore.org built into a high-powered constituent action portal. Until then though, web media moves fast and I want to be up around Oscar time.

Al is about to win an Oscar for his work on the documentary, An Inconvenient Truth... Al's got a new book coming out called The Assault on Reason... Al's orchestrating the largest summer rock concert series the planet has ever before seen... Al is on the Board of Directors of companies like Google and Apple... Al founded Current.tv. Al moves too fast for anything other than a giant team site, growing by the day, with enough servers and bandwidth to scale to ANY size and capacity.

So now you all know what I'm up to lately. I'm happy to provide additional info about the site in the comments or even private info about the insane lines of Video/Infrastructure products and services I know get at cost or below in email. I'm looking forward to hearing what everyone thinks...

Game on...
Nate

Tags: Al Gore, Climate Change, 2008

The Secret Government - PBS Bill Moyers 1987 - Full Length Video

2007-01-12T17:35:00.000-08:00

Some time back I posted a 25 minute condensed version of the 1987 PBS Documentary put together by Bill Moyers. The actual full documentary was an hour and a half and until now, wasn't available online. Without further ado, here is the full 90 minute documentary. It is powerful!

And in case you haven't watched Robert Newmans Video - History of Oil... What the hell are you waiting for? It is simply one of the most entertaining and informational videos to ever become available.

Tags: War, Iran, Iraq, PBS, CIA, Bush, Moyers, Secret, Government, JFK, Vietnam, Reagan, FEMA, Cuba, Guatemala, PNAC, Nixon, Democracy, Chile, Venezuala, Chavez, Allende, UK, NSC, Media, Press, NSA

Sir, No Sir! - Full Video Movie - Vietnam G.I. Underground

2006-12-31T00:32:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: Google Video yanked the full version offline so screw them, here it is. If you haven't seen it yet. Watch it! Learn how your fathers did it!

Tags: War, Iraq, Bush

Veterans For Peace

2006-12-28T22:32:00.000-08:00

The real Art of Peace is not to sacrifice a single one of your warriors to defeat an enemy. Vanquish your foes by always keeping yourself in a safe and unassailable position; then no one will suffer any losses. The Way of a Warrior, the Art of Politics, is to stop trouble before it starts. It consists in defeating your adversaries spiritually by making them realize the folly of their actions. The Way of a Warrior is to establish harmony. -Morihei Ueshiba

Another moving tribute from TomSongs.org

Tags: War, Iraq, Bush

Thanks For The Memories

2006-12-28T21:42:00.000-08:00

Eric puts the life and times of Saddam Hussein in a little perspective.

Thanks for the Memories!

Tags: War, Iraq, Bush

Get In Their Face - Site Update - What's Up All?

2006-12-15T04:47:00.000-08:00

Hello to anyone out there still keepin' an eye on me. It's been a long time since I spent any serious time on Get In Their Face work and I'm sorry for that. It will change now as I ramp up for 2007. In the podcast above I mention a couple of projects I'm getting myself involved in. First though, I'm finally adding the Podcasting center to this site as I've been threatening to do for many a day. I'll try to keep it current and timely and I'd love any feedback you have on the player and the idea of it. This podcast (the player embedded in this post) will be followed by many more and the "Podcast Network" on the right hand side of the site will contain them all in an easily managed order. Let me know what you think and get in touch if you want to add your own to your site. It is incredibly easy to do.

You'll also notice a banner under the podcast for the National Veterans Foundation. This is a non-profit veterans services and support provider like no other. Please click the link and learn more about them. They provide a service to veterans that has incalculable value. A perfect example of Veterans taking care of Veterans. You're going to learn a lot more about them in the near future if I can help it and hopefully you'll do me the honor of learning more about them.

Please throw me a comment if you've read this and have and questions, ideas, input of any type. I'd also be curios to know if I still have a reader or two left. :)

I'll talk to you again very soon and then I won't bail for any length again if it can be avoided.

Nate

It's been a while...

2006-11-20T20:42:00.000-08:00

And I have a lot to talk about still. Many things have kept me away but I'm back soon. So many things going on...

I will fill everyone in over the next day or two and until then here's a favorite quote that I remind myself of when I think I've got things tough.

I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself.
A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself.
-David Herbert "D.H." Lawrence (bio)

Until then,
Nate

P.S. If you haven't seen Kieth Olbermann's latest Special Comment, be sure and watch it. Another valuable lesson to be learned.

Tags: War, Iraq, Bush

46%

2006-11-08T09:24:00.000-08:00

That's the percentage of voters in the CA-04th Congressional District who voted for Lt. Col. Charlie Brown. In a district that has only 32% of its registered voters, registered as Democrats. What a feat. And it's not even close to over. That may not make sense to some of you and that's OK. I'll be telling you a lot more about that in the VERY near future but for now just know that it's a good story with lots of plot twists. Including such story lines as an impending indictment, another disgraced Republican Congressman and a California election law mandated Special Election.

I'm on my way out the door for the day but I promise to write a more detailed teaser for that story very soon as well as a full report about what an amazing election night party it was at Charlie Brown's last night. Those of you following my work Charlie Brown and the work I'm doing for him... Keep your game faces on and your engines idling. Charlie will be running again! Likely very soon.

46% - What a number!

Nate

Interview with Lt. Col. Charlie Brown CA-O4 Congressional District

2006-11-05T23:43:00.000-08:00

Important Links For Everyone:
Howie Klein gives a beautiful wrap-up of BlueAmerica's support for Charlie Brown!
LindaR at weighs in on this race over at DailyKos.
The slime & sleaze election and campaign tactics of John Doolittle.

Must See Videos:
FREEDOM!
James McMurtry - We Can't Make It Here Anymore!
State of our Union

Find your polling place here!

Charlie campaigning like the leader he is...

DO MORE THAN VOTE!

Tags: Charlie Brown, CA-04, Election

BlueAmerica Interview with Paul Hackett

2006-11-05T16:48:00.000-08:00

Still editing my interview with Charlie Brown. I'll have it online as soon as possible.

Tags: Charlie Brown, Paul Hackett, John Doolittle

John Doolittle - Bought and Paid For By Foreign Governments?

2006-11-03T16:36:00.000-08:00

It should be obvious to anyone paying attention that John Doolittle is one of, if not THE MOST corrupt members of the US Congress. His ties to convicted felons Jack Abramoff and Duke Cunningham... His support of the corrupt government of the Northern Marianas Islands... The fact that his wife takes a 15% cut off the top of every single donation to his campaign... All of these things illustrate a Congressman who only cares about his own enrichment. But now the Washington Post is reporting that Doolittle has taken multiple junkets to first class tropical resorts that were paid for by lobbyists who were fronting for foreign governments such as Malaysia. Trips costing nearly $30,000 and including such luxuries as private butlers and massages for Doolittle and his daughter.

From the article:

Early last year, two little-known nonprofit groups paid for Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-Calif.) and his 12-year-old daughter to travel to South Korea and Malaysia. Their last stop was the Berjaya Beach & Spa Resort on the Malaysian island of Langkawi, where they bunked at an oceanfront chalet staffed with a personal butler, got massages and rode water scooters on Burau Bay.

Doolittle's junket, which cost $29,400, was among the most expensive privately sponsored trips by members of Congress in recent years. The two groups that split the bills were not ordinary nonprofits. They were fronts for vigorous lobbying campaigns bankrolled by foreign entities and were operated by a Washington lobbying firm, Alexander Strategy Group, according to public records and people who worked with the firm.

and...

Some of the lawmakers on the trips were in positions to help other Alexander Strategy clients. Doolittle, who serves on the House Appropriations Committee, told The Washington Post this year that from 2002 to 2005 he sponsored $37 million in spending-bill earmarks that went to a firm controlled by a key Alexander Strategy client. The client, Brent R. Wilkes, is a target of the federal investigation stemming from the bribery case and guilty plea of former representative Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-Calif.). Doolittle's wife, Julie Doolittle, was hired by Alexander Strategy to help keep the books for the Korean nonprofit.

Read Full Article...

It's time for some honest and representative government for this great nation. It's time to get rid of crooks like John Doolittle. It's time for Charlie Brown!

Tags: John Doolittle, Abramoff, CA-04

John Doolittle - Charlie Brown Debate - CA-04 (Full Playlist)

2006-10-31T02:21:00.000-08:00

As per the many requests and Google searches leading to my site for debate videos, here is the compiled playlist broken up into YouTube segments with my favorite John Doolittle composition first:

This is a video playlist with sixteen individual videos. If you're not familiar with YouTube, just click the playreel on the side of the player to advanced to the next video segment.

Tags: Charlie Brown, John Doolittle, Congress, Debate, Mid-term, Election, BlueAmerica, CA-04, Vote

SHAME on John Doolittle - Charlie Brown CA-04

2006-10-30T20:20:00.000-08:00

Another great ad highlighting the differences between John Doolittle and Charlie Brown.

Only a couple more days to make a real difference and through BlueAmerica, you can still help.

VoteVets.org on John Doolittle's Fake Support for the Troops

2006-10-30T18:47:00.000-08:00

VoteVets.org has done a great job of highlighting Congressman who promote war using fake patriotic slogans like "support the troops" while intentionally and unconscionably screwing veterans by voting against programs for them. Only a morally bankrupt politician would line his own pockets while denying basic services to our Nation's heroes. Here's their recent ad about John Doolittle:

Charlie still needs your help! Donate to him at the BlueAmerica page!

BlueAmerica - Charlie Brown - CA-04 (Video Later Tonight)

2006-10-30T12:33:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone...

My apologies for my absence. It was unavoidable. I had to wrap up some family stuff and get healthy after catching my first big sinus infection/head cold in well over a decade. (I knew there was a reason I lived in Hawaii so long - No Winters!) I have finally converted my new computer system and I should be able to compile a good video update tonight and then I'll hopefully be able to do one a day until Election Day. Until tonight, I wanted to link you to two very telling articles from the past two days.

During the debate between John Doolittle and Charlie Brown, the cowardly, petulant, draft-dodging John Doolittle had the nerve to tell Charlie Brown, a Vietnam combat veteran rescue pilot who served in two wars during his 26 years in the USAF that people like Charlie and Jane Fonda and Cindy Sheehan are the reason we lost the war in Vietnam and the reason we're losing in Iraq. He then went on to try and explain his own draft-dodging and talked about how his own belief in Armageddon guides his Middle East policy voting. To Charlie's credit, he hasn't beaten Doolittle over the head about his lack of service and draft-dodging until Doolittle's campaign recently had the nerve to question Charlie's patriotism in a recent press release. Read Charlie's response: ABC News: Calif. Vet Slams GOP Congressional Foe

In my last video broadcast I also told you about the Townhall Meeting I attended with Charlie Brown and former Sen. Max Cleland at the Lincoln Veterans Hall in Lincoln, CA. Here is a letter to the editor from a mother in Lincoln, CA who heard about the event and decided to bring her 18 year old son and 12 year old daughter to hear what Charlie and the Senator had to say. Read her experience with the John Doolittle "supporters" who were standing out front. Lincoln News Messenger : Letters. Absolutely despicable! What morally bankrupt cowards...

I have a lot of work to do for the final week-long push. I will hopefully bring you an interview with campaign staff members and perhaps Charlie himself this week. In the meantime, I'm going to get to work on my new video update tonight. Sorry again for the absence. It will hopefully be my last.
Nate

Oh Dark Thirty Again...

2006-10-21T04:47:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone... Just wanted to leave a quick note thanking everyone for the great feedback from my video yesterday. Saturday and Sunday will be largely swallowed up with managing some life stuff but I will hopefully have another broadcast ready to go on Monday night and then I'll shoot for at least one every other day. I hope to be able to do some interviewing of campaign staff and volunteers next week and maybe even Charlie Brown himself the week after.

I want to also throw some big thanks out to the people who have really helped me get going here.

John... I couldn't have wished for a better work system. I truly appreciate it and I'll make sure I'm worthy of it.

egregeous... Thanks again for helping me get by out here. Your timing is perfect as I was fixing to hit a bit of a brick wall on some resources.

Many others who deserve direct thanks but I'm on my way home at 5am again.
Nate

BlueAmerica Campaign News - Charlie Brown (CA-04)

2006-10-20T02:17:00.000-07:00

(Leave me comments and let me know if you want more updates)

Doolittle Exposed Video - This is a montage I featured below compiled exclusively from the single debate between John Doolittle and Charlie Brown. If you could call it a debate. Watching the entire thing was a traumatic exprerience for me. Mostly because I couldn't envision anyone ever believing that John Doolittle was worthy of representing them to their government. Please leave a comment and a rating on YouTube to get it more play.

And the winner is... Charlie Brown wins the BlueAmerica "Have You Had Enough" "Adopt-a-district" contest on FireDogLake.com. The BlueAmericaPAC is buying a $5000 radio air time buy for the great "Have You Had Enough" musical ad found two posts beneath this one on the main page.

Justice Department Probe Targets John Doolittle - might need registration. If so, just google news search for it and you'll get hits from Washington Post to local coverage.

More soon but it's now 5am.
Nate

Tags: Charlie Brown, John Doolittle, Congress, Campaign, Mid-term, Election, BlueAmerica, CA-04, Vote

Doolittle Corrupt? Absolutely!

2006-10-19T01:15:00.000-07:00

This is a new ad highlighting John Doolittle's status as one of, if not The Most - corrupt member of Congress.

Tags: Doolittle, Congress, Abramoff, Corrupt, Investigation, Abortion

Congressman John Doolittle - Republican (CA-04th)

2006-10-14T22:34:00.000-07:00

Allow me to introduce everyone to Congressman John Doolittle, 8-term Congressman from the CA-04th District. A shining example of Republican sleeze. For those Republicans visiting my site who don't like Doolittle, please don't get me wrong. I'm not someone who hates on Republicans generally (although lately I've been thinking of it as some sort of character flaw). Once upon a time I used to call myself a Republican. Then I joined the military, owned a business, paid taxes and expanded my mental capacities to include critical thinking.

Before my next post, I wanted to take a minute and introduce everyone to John Doolittle as I see him and for what he's really about. This video put together by a loyal Charlie Brown fan is a great montage of John Doolittle's character compiled exclusively from video clips of the Brown/Doolittle Debate this past Wednesday.

I suppose when you have NO substance and NOTHING whatsoever worth listening to, it's best just to fall back on typical right-wing hate and fear mongering. Pay particular attention to his views on "Armageddon" and his work to help it along.

Tags: Congress, Doolittle, CA-04, Iraq, Abramoff

You're a Good Man Lt. Col. Charlie Brown!

2006-10-14T19:17:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a day... First thing I'm going to do is get two videos posted for everyone who may be following a link to this blog from FireDogLake or Crooks & Liars. For those of you who don't know, Charlie Brown won the BlueAmerica adopt-a-district contest on FDL this morning. As a result, $5,000 from the BlueAmericaPAC fundraising project is going to be spent on new radio ads in this district, the CA-04th to feature the great spot, "Have You Had Enough?" below.

I'm going to launch a series of posts starting tonight to catch everyone up on this race out here including video coverage of the debate held between Charlie Brown and John Doolittle on Wednesday. Here is a little sample of the local news wrap up about the debate. I can tell you it was a sight to see. In the history of rotten politicians, John Doolittle ranks towards the top...

More very, very soon...

Nate

Tags: Charlie Brown, John Doolittle, Congress, Iraq, Abramoff

Charlie Brown debate with John Doolittle Congress (CA-04) Live!

2006-10-11T20:00:00.000-07:00

Just About Back Online...

2006-10-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Sorry for the absence. It's been utter insanity trying to roll with this move and get fully into swing here in CA. I am nearly there and I'll be posting an excellent post tonight about a Town Hall forum for Veterans Charlie Brown held this weekend with Max Cleland there to speak with him. It was awesome and both Charlie and Max are the kind of heroes all good men strive to be. I'll tell you all about it and add some great Audio/Visual if my computer system (which FedEx just so kindly delivered) are still working and I'm able to convert them fast enough.

Talk to everyone later tonight and give y'all the full scoop.
Nate

Boots On The Ground...

2006-10-04T14:35:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update for everyone. I have safely arrived in California's 4th District and I'm blogging from a remote terminal. My system arrives tomorrow so I can get back to all my personal blogging and web tools. I'm going to go meet all the staff and volunteers down at Charlie Brown's campaign office tomorrow and I'm looking forward to it.

President Bush was in town yesterday stumping for John Doolittle. $2,000 per plate fundraiser to an exclusive list of wealthy donors hosted at a members' only golf resort. By contrast, Charlie Brown had the former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, (is it just me or is that the coolest job title ever?), Gen. Wesley Clark in town yesterday campaigning for him. It was an open campaign fundraiser where they requested a minimum of $20 however no one was turned away if they didn't have that money. Hot dogs and snacks were provided!

Which fundraising method would you call honorable?

-Nate

Into the Fight...

2006-10-02T17:03:00.000-07:00

I'm going dark for a few days while I move my life back to the mainland. Hopefully I'll be fully back online and ready to blog by Wednesday night. Lots to talk about once I'm back online. In the meantime, I'll leave you with this oh-so-fitting picture.

Damn I'm Going To Miss This Place!

2006-09-30T18:46:00.000-07:00

I'm flying out of Hononlulu in less than 72 hours and I'm already missing this place. What a sacrifice but so worth it in this case. A lot of you know why I'm leaving but for those of you who don't, I'm giving up my life in paradise after a decade and a half in order to move to California and help Charlie Brown kick John Doolittle's corrupt ass out of Congress.

Speaking of which, my ChipIn fundraiser just to the right of this post is only valid until the end of today. I only raised half of the funds I need and I'm still coming up short. If you need a good cause, this is a great one I'll be posting some more big news about Charlie Brown tonight but I'm literally sitting on my carpet in an empty condo with my monitor on a box and the computer on the floor beside me. Check out this article on RawStory.com. If you miss the ChipIn deadline, you can always use PayPal right above it. How about it? It will sure help me get there so I can make more videos and ads like this one! As well as joining the daily talking circuit and Get-Out-The-Vote drive. C'mon friends... Kick in a couple of bucks so I don't go broke as a result of my decision to uproot my life to help get a great man elected to Congress.

Nate

How To: Sell A War

2006-09-25T14:26:00.000-07:00

WAR I$ $ELL is a terrific one-hour documentary by Brian Standing that answers very important questions in this day and age. How do you sell a war? How do the techniques of government propagandists, public relations consultants and commercial advertisers work, and why are they so effective? How did the United States become a master of domestic war propaganda over the course of the twentieth century?

This is a fantastic bit of documnetary movie making that takes the "selling of war" to a gullible public and breaks it down step by step and piece by piece.

With: Amy Goodman, Alexander Cockburn, Robert Fisk, John Stauber, Sheldon Rampton, Nancy Snow, Rahul Mahajan, Mary Carpenter, Neil Whitehead.

War is Hell. War is Sell. Sell a War.

Tags: War, Iraq, Bush, Cheney, Rumsfield, Rove, Propaganda, Big Lie, Media, War is Sell, War is Hell, Sell a War

Case Closed

2006-09-24T08:10:00.000-07:00

One of my heroes has won a solid victory tonight in what has been one of the toughest challenges of his political career. Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI) has defeated Congressman Ed Case's primary challenge.

This was very much a Lamont/Lieberman race in reverse in another major state primary election.

The People's Will has prevailed again. Congressman Case has supported the war in Iraq since it was launched and Senator Akaka was one of only 19 Senators to vote against granting The Decider permission to play craps with the lives of hundreds of thousands of US Service Members and the stability of the entirety of human civilization for that matter.

Tags: Dan Akaka, Ed Case, Hawaii

Ava Lowery - Letter To America

2006-09-24T06:55:00.000-07:00

Ava Lowery is a brilliant light in a world of ever-darkening madness. The purest form of light in fact... Truth! Expression through the eyes of a chrystal clear girl of only fifteen years of age. A wisdom that speaks from the heart and soul to transcend even the bounds of time. Such a young spirit with such an old soul full of so much hope.

Tags: War, Iraq, Bush, Katrina, Peace, Courage

Ned Lamont - More Than Just 'Getting Rid of Joe'.

2006-09-24T05:12:00.000-07:00

I posted this video two months ago and according to iFilm it has been viewed less than 300 times. This is a 10 minute campaign movie about Ned Lamont. Why hasn't this been sent to every registered voter in CT with an email address?

My question for my favorite big blogs is: Why haven't you put this video in a major post yet? Often your fingers Fly Havoc... and let loose the Dogs of Snark! But it is frequently in the form of long-winded rants against Lieberman and his band of bumbling bafoons. Why hasn't any major Pro-Ned blog I frequent taken the remarkably simple act of copying the embed code from this excellent high resolution, full-length, ten-minute campaign documentary (click 'Menu' on player then copy embed code) and then posting it atop your next and inevitable "Ned" post...? Why not give the good people of Connecticut-and the Nation at large a clear, heartfelt and genuine look at the Good Man that IS Ned Lamont?

We live in a video age and every single family in Connecticut with an internet connection should be encouraged to watch this! Succeeding will mean that this has to be about more than telling the people what an idiot Joe is... We must also SHOW everyone the Good Man and Great Candidate they are hiring to replace his sorry ass! -Nate

P.S. The video world of the Blogosphere is bigger than just YouTube!

Tags: Lamont, Lieberman, Senate, Nedrenaline, Iraq, Bush

Because Its My Blog and I Can - So Shut Up!

2006-09-23T05:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks Poetry Man!

I'll be posting more about a band I just got back from jamming with called Buck-O-8. They kicked ass. I'll get you some of their jams up this weekend. Tonight I want to hear a master playing a piece from another master.

Sen Conrad Burns - Too Foul-mouthed For Television

2006-09-22T15:35:00.000-07:00

The Montana Broadcasting Association has warned TV stations in Montana that a new ad by the DSCC using Senator Conrad Burns' own words against him, is innapropriate for Montana television. Some stations have already pulled it. Here it is:

The article from Congressional Quarterly requires registration but you can find it's link and read many of the highlights at Raw Story.

Perhaps Montana should worry more about their corrupt Senator with the Foul Mouth and complete lack of respect for the heroes of our country. Remember, this is the same Senator who flew first class while making his wife fly coach. "Get to the back of the bus Woman!" is apparently still alive and well in Montana

Tags: Senator, Conrad, Burns, DSCC, Montana, GOP

Have We All Become Such Cowards?

2006-09-22T14:04:00.000-07:00

By: Sgt Majors Myers
Thu Sep 21, 2006 at 02:26:35 PM PDT

During the course of my military career I received training on how to survive being a Prisoner of War (POW). In a very controlled training environment I was subjected to "torture" that included humiliation (being kept nude), physical abuse such as slaps, belly slaps, punching, sleep deprivation, hypothermia, threats of electrocution, and even water-boarding. We, I and my fellow soldiers, were exposed to this in training because it was made clear to us that as soldiers, should we ever become a POW we should be prepared for and expect this kind of treatment from the "bad guys".

This treatment was put upon us in a controlled environment and we knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that no matter what we would not be permanently or irreparably harmed in any way and yet it was still a life altering, horrendous and humiliating experience.

The training was particularly poignant to us in that it was conducted in conjunction with our training on the Geneva Conventions. It was made clear that we as American soldiers were expected to conduct ourselves in a morally upright and honorable manner no matter what ours or our comrades in arms treatment was at the hands of an enemy. We were given detailed in depth training on the Geneva Conventions and we were given extensive hands on training in how to treat prisoners of war should we be faced with that situation.

I believe that we all, to a soldier, learned our lessons well because I can say without equivocation that in the ensuing nearly three decades of my military career, which included several combat tours, I never treated a POW, nor did I personally witness a POW being treated in any manner that could ever be construed as inhumane.

As a young soldier that training taught me something much deeper than just how to expect to be treated as a POW or how I should treat a POW. It taught me that America was a nation founded on the rule of law and a nation that still strived to achieve and maintain the moral high ground no matter how the enemy conducted themselves. It taught me that we weren't a nation built on religious fanaticism but one built on human dignity and justice. We didn't gauge how we treated others by how we were treated but how we as human beings expected to be treated.

Read the full diary entry here...

Tags: War, Iraq, Bush, Torture, Geneva, Conventions, McCain, Graham, Powell

Iraq for Sale - The War Profiteers - Part Two

2006-09-19T00:05:00.000-07:00

I was going to let my previous post stand for a few days but this just has to be seen. Robert Greenwald brings us another powerful documentary called: Iraq for Sale. I posted about it back in June here. Watch this very disturbing trailer below.

I'll get back to making Republican Crook bashing attack ads tomorrow. Tonight watch this trailer and think about what we are becoming. Recall the prophetic words of men like Dwight D. Eisenhower. Men of Iron with patriotic spirits forged in fire.

Tags: War, Iraq, Bush, Blackwater, Halliburton, KBR

John Doolittle Facts - Supporting Forced Abortions and Sex Slavery

2006-09-17T05:13:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I have decided to leave Hawaii and move to California where I'll be volunteering for the Charlie Brown for Congress campaign in order to help him defeat one of the most corrupt members of Congress, John Doolittle. I have captured the audio from a new radio ad about John Doolittle and produced it into my first ever campaign video. John Doolittle Facts!

Please let me know what you think of it in the comments and if you like it, help spread it far and wide. (Especially in California). Then be sure and check out DoolittleFacts.org to learn more. There is a documentary out called "Behind the Labels" which I posted last month that is definitely a Must See video that explains and documents the atrocious human rights crimes being committed on American soil with the full sponsorhip of GOP crooks like John Doolittle.

Lastly, please see the post beneath this one and lend me a hand getting to California so I can help fight to get rid of the morally bankrupt John Doolittle and replace him with a true American Hero, Charlie Brown, Lt. Col. USAF (Ret)

Tags: John Doolittle, Sweatshops, Corruption, Marianas, Abramoff, CA-04th, Congress, Election, Charlie Brown

I NEED YOUR HELP...!

2006-09-16T16:17:00.000-07:00

As some of you may already know, after 15 years here, I'm leaving my island home in paradise to join the fight to put Congress back in the hands of sane people. In particular, I'll be joining the fight to help get Charlie Brown elected to the CA-04th. A seat currently occupied by one of the most corrupt politicians to ever walk the halls of power in D.C. I need your help to do this. I'm scheduled to fly out on Oct 3rd so anything you can do to help is appreciated. I've added this great tool from ChipIn.com to make it easy for you.

This is the "Good Fight" my friends and I'm one hell of a fighter. Please help get me into the ring. The CA-04th is considered the most conservative district in California but the race is a statistical dead heat. Send this veteran to help get another Democratic Veteran elected.

Tags: Congress, Democracy, GOTV

Princeton University Creates Virus That Hacks Diebold Accuvote-TS Machine

2006-09-14T02:09:00.000-07:00

ALERT: Breaking News!
This is MAJOR! Princeton University's Information Technology Policy Department has just put out their press release and built a web page complete with video about their findings. Watch the video and spread this far and wide!

Here is the website with the full report and findings including the downloadable Windows Media Video: Center for Information Technology Policy - Princeton University

Download the video and then upload it to every video hosting service you know. I've already uploaded it to Google Video and to YouTube above.

Other locations it should be uploaded to: LiveDigital.com, DailyMotion.com and any others you can think of. Please do me a favor and "Digg" this story and then send it to as many news outlets as you can think of. When you're done doing that, send it to your representatives in Congress and the Senate.

As you can see, this is just starting to get some news coverage but it is mostly on the technical side and nobody is linking to the video demonstration yet as this story and video are less than 10 hours old. Forbes Article from the AP, Engadget. And here is a related article that makes this all the more upsetting: USA Today - Election Watchers Predict Glitches. And then there is this from my friend Eric who submitted this article about his personal experiences yesterday at a Maryland polling station to Crooks & Liars.

Here is the Executive Summary of their findings:

Security Analysis of the Diebold AccuVote-TS Voting Machine:
Executive Summary

Ariel J. Feldman, J. Alex Halderman, and Edward W. Felten

The Diebold AccuVote-TS and its newer relative the AccuVote-TSx are together the most widely deployed electronic voting platform in the United States. In the November 2006 general election, these machines are scheduled to be used in 357 counties representing nearly 10% of registered voters. Approximately half these counties — including all of Maryland and Georgia — will employ the AccuVote-TS model. More than 33,000 of the TS machines are in service nationwide.

This paper reports on our study of an AccuVote-TS, which we obtained from a private party. We analyzed the machine's hardware and software, performed experiments on it, and considered whether real election practices would leave it suitably secure. We found that the machine is vulnerable to a number of extremely serious attacks that undermine the accuracy and credibility of the vote counts it produces.

Computer scientists have generally been skeptical of voting systems of this type, Direct Recording Electronic (DRE), which are essentially general-purpose computers running specialized election software. Experience with computer systems of all kinds shows that it is exceedingly difficult to ensure the reliability and security of complex software or to detect and diagnose problems when they do occur. Yet DREs rely fundamentally on the correct and secure operation of complex software programs. Simply put, many computer scientists doubt that paperless DREs can be made reliable and secure, and they expect that any failures of such systems would likely go undetected.

Previous security studies of DREs affirm this skepticism, but to our knowledge ours is the first public study encompassing the hardware and software of a widely used DRE. The famous paper by Kohno, Stubblefield, Rubin, and Wallach studied a leaked version of the source code for parts of the Diebold AccuVote-TS software and found many design errors and vulnerabilities, which are generally confirmed by our study. Our study extends theirs by including the machine's hardware and operational details, by finding and describing several new and serious vulnerabilities, and by building working demonstrations of several security attacks.

Main Findings The main findings of our study are:

1. Malicious software running on a single voting machine can steal votes with little if any risk of detection. The malicious software can modify all of the records, audit logs, and counters kept by the voting machine, so that even careful forensic examination of these records will find nothing amiss. We have constructed demonstration software that carries out this vote-stealing attack.

2. Anyone who has physical access to a voting machine, or to a memory card that will later be inserted into a machine, can install said malicious software using a simple method that takes as little as one minute. In practice, poll workers and others often have unsupervised access to the machines.

3. AccuVote-TS machines are susceptible to voting-machine viruses — computer viruses that can spread malicious software automatically and invisibly from machine to machine during normal pre- and post-election activity. We have constructed a demonstration virus that spreads in this way, installing our demonstration vote-stealing program on every machine it infects.

4. While some of these problems can be eliminated by improving Diebold's software, others cannot be remedied without replacing the machines' hardware. Changes to election procedures would also be required to ensure security.

Here is the
Tags: Diebold, Election, Princeton, Accuvote, Virus, Hack, Vote, Fraud, IT, Accuvote-TS, I.T., Mid-Term

Keith Olbermann 9/11 - Truth to Power

2006-09-11T19:40:00.000-07:00

Thank you Keith. Thank you!

A Huge "Thank You" to Crooks & Liars for getting this out so fast.

Tags: War, 911, Bush, Olbermann, MSNBC, Cheney

The Best War Ever

2006-09-10T15:46:00.000-07:00

Make sure to check out The Site!

Tags: War, Iraq, Bush

Republicans for Charlie Brown (D) CA-04

2006-09-08T16:13:00.000-07:00

Some of you might remember I did a post a month or so ago about a former Republican Congressman named Pete McCloskey whom I admire very much. That's why when I learned today that he has openly endorsed Charlie Brown, Lt. Col. (Ret) for Congress in his race against Jack Abramoff's little imp John Doolittle, I just had to come here and tell you about it.

It gladdens me beyond words knowing that honorable men and women with TRUE moral values are crossing party lines, stepping up to the plate and putting their support where their patriotism is. Such brave Americans who put Country before party will save this great nation of ours from the disastrous path upon which this administration and its band of fake conservative enablers have set it.

REPUBLICANS FOR BROWN LAUNCHES AT LINCOLN RALLY

Group Cites Corruption, National Security, Deficit Spending and Accessibility as Main Issues

LINCOLN: Yesterday afternoon, more than 50 Republicans gathered for a rally at the Lincoln Produce Market in Lincoln, joined by former Republican Rep. Pete McCloskey. Their mission, was to publicly announce their support for Lt. Col. Charlie Brown, the Democratic nominee in the fourth Congressional district.

"John Doolittle has 'gone Washington' on us," noted Republicans for Brown Chair Joanne Neft. "And in doing so, he’s abandoned traditional conservative values and made a mockery of the public trust that he swore to uphold."

Citing incumbent Congressman John Doolittle's inaccessibility to constituents in the district, ties to both Congressional bribery scandals, inaction on border security, growing disillusionment with U.S. policy in Iraq, and the largest deficit in American history, the group outlined its reasons for supporting Brown.

"We’re supporting Lt. Col. Brown because he stands for ethical leadership, for accessible and accountable representation, for a strong and smart national defense, and for responsible stewardship of our taxpayer resources," Neft added. "Most importantly, Charlie actually has his feet in Placer County, and won’t tell us to go hire some Washington lobbyist when we need help."

Many rally goers also expressed anger over Doolittle’s actions since he signed the 1994 Republican "Contract with America." "Whatever happened to term limits, balanced budgets, and smaller Congressional staffs," said Neft. "John Doolittle says one thing and does another!"

Brown renewed his pledge to remain actively visible in the 4th CD once elected, and to stay true to the values of hard work, frugality, responsibility and service that he was raised with in Iowa, and practiced for 26 years in the military.

"When I got sent to Vietnam, no one asked me what political party I belonged to," Brown said. My charge then is the same as it is now---to take care of the people I am privileged to serve. The problem is, we have a representative who cares more about the people who write him checks in Washington, Mississippi, and some distant U.S. Territory than the people who elected him in the 4th CD."

"This election is about bringing people together to solve problems, and focusing on the many issues on which we share common ground," Brown said at the rally. "As I've said many times, this election isn’t about right vs. left, it’s about right vs. wrong."

Charlie Brown, Lt. Col. Ret spent 26 years in the U.S. Air Force. He served as a rescue helicopter pilot at the end of the Vietnam War, and has flown reconnaissance missions in support of military operations around the world. He is also a credentialed California teacher, former professional staff-member at the Roseville Police Department, and Democratic Nominee for Congress in California’s 4th District

Tags: Congress, Brown, CA-04, Doolittle, GOP, Election

This Is Just TOO Rich!

2006-09-07T07:48:00.000-07:00

The blog over at Joe Lieberman's website linked to an internally-funded push poll conducted recently saying Joe's ahead. The delicious irony however is that less than two hours before they did, this article hit the wires:

Polling company owner pleads guilty to Fraud

September 7, 2006, 8:24 AM EDT

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP)_ The owner of a company that had done political and public opinion polls for several candidates has pleaded guilty to fraud for making up survey and poll results.

Tracy Costin, 46, of Madison pleaded guilty Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

I couldn't make this shit up if I tried folks!

Normally this is where I'd say "Go Ned!" but right now Joe's doing a better job of imploding his campaign than his opponent is so today I say, "Go Joe!" LOL

Update: The firm linked to on Lieberman's blog is not the same firm as the one who's CEO just plead guilty to wire fraud. If you read my post again, you'll notice that I never state that it is the same firm. What I found so 'delicously ironic' is the fact that barely an hour after a polling firm that boast Joe Lieberman and George Bush as it's former or current clients, the Lieberman for Lieberman campaign puts up a post bragging about a new poll they commissioned conducted by a notorious right-wing push-polling firm that boast Joe Lieberman and George Bush amongst their clients. However for clarity I'm posting this update. I still think it's hilarious though.

Tags: Lieberman, Lamont, Poll

I Knew Joe Was a Republican...

2006-09-06T02:09:00.000-07:00

But DAMN!

GOP secretly channeled millions to Lieberman

The White House funneled millions of dollars through major Republican Party contributors to Sen. Joseph Lieberman’s primary campaign in a failed effort to ensure the support of the former Democrat for the Bush administration.

A senior GOP source said the money was part of Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove's strategy to maintain a Republican majority in the Senate in November. The source said Mr. Rove, together with Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman, directed leading pro-Bush contributors to donate millions of dollars to Mr. Lieberman's campaign for re-election in Connecticut in an attempt that he would be a "Republican-leaning" senator...

Full Article

Tags: GOP, Lieberman, Lamont, Rove, Bush

Sunday Thoughts and Tunes

2006-09-03T07:35:00.000-07:00

Congress Slashing Funding for Troops Brain Injury Treatment. I'm going to let the article speak for itself and direct you down my site to the graphic on the right hand side titled: "Operation Helmet" Click on it and see how you can say, "Screw our impotent chickenhawk Congress" and then go "Support the Troops" in a meaningful way that doesn't involve buying a Made in China car magnet but genuinely makes a real difference in the lives of unsung heroes.

Tags: War, Iraq, Bush, Veterans

Sunday Morning Quote

2006-09-03T04:55:00.000-07:00

It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly American criminal class except Congress.

-Mark Twain

Pentagon Calls Bush a Liar - Or Vice Versa

2006-09-02T07:25:00.000-07:00

Two banner headlines for you this morning...

Bush Says No Civil War In Iraq

and the very next headline down on my international News Feed:

Pentagon Warns of Civil War In Iraq

Denial... It's not just a river in Egypt. My guess is it is only a matter of time until "the troops" start calling these assholes out. In public, on camera and in front of the world would be my recommendation brothers. Just Get In Their Face! and then stay there!

Tags: War, Iraq, Bush, Pentagon, Lies

Keith Olbermann Takes Donald Rumsfeld To Task!

2006-08-30T23:42:00.000-07:00

The Edward R. Murrow of our current batch of TV News Personalities, Keith Olbermann, addressed Donald Rumsfeld's recent assertion that those opposed to the war in Iraq are like Nazi enablers. The inestimable Crooks & Liars rushed out the video for download and thanks to the magic of webstreaming, here is the YouTube of it for you.

All I can say is, "Thank you Mr. Olbermann". And I suspect that a majority of our Great Nation thanks you as well.

Tags: Keith, Olbermann, Rumsfeld, Countdown, Nazi, Murrow, MSNBC, SecDef, Defense, War, WW2, Bush

A "Security Mom"

2006-08-30T22:25:00.000-07:00

With her take on George W. Bush. I found this over at SwimDeep's terrific blog and thought it made a great little lite bite.

Tags: TV, Stupidity, Bush

Why I Just Cancelled My Cable TV

2006-08-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

Un-fucking-believable!

24/7 Cable News in all its "journalistic" glory.

Found this picture over at ThinkProgress.org

I'm not sure which executive at MSNBC that Rita Crosby knows or blows, but whoever it is, they must be real senior to be able to make the case for keeping this empty-headed bimbo on the payroll.

You know what is the most troubling thing about this picture to me is though?

This "journalist" is all hot and bothered. She's smiling and excited, and she's looking in with what in her mind is probably professional zeal. I call it just plain "lust". Look at her! Look at that sickening smile on her face. Look how she's touching the glass oh so longingly, wishing for just a little touch of this man. The penetrating look into his inner soul with the baby blues. I swear she looks like she's sexually aroused and on the verge of tonguing the glass.

And the object of her lust... ? This 'hideous monster' as the media would have had us believe, is looking at Rita Crosby with what is obvious and abject scorn and contempt. And now we come to find out, rightfully so! I find myself looking at her with the exact same emotions to be honest. Don't get me wrong though. This guy may be one sick puppy and in need of serious help. But that's not why she's practically humping his car door.

As if this wasn't enough to convince me, I was over at Crooks & Liars and caught this YouTube today. Kyra Phillips from CNN can't quite figure out the On/Off button on her microphone and was live on CNN while in the bathroom. What made it more deliciously ironic is that it was smack dab in the middle of one of Dubya's Infamous "Pressers", this one giving a speech about all his Hurricane Katrina "Accomplishments"

So now you know why I have finally wised up and cancelled my Cable TV service. I'll just have to watch all my Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert on their sites and on C&L now.

That and I'm moving across an ocean in one month. :)

Tags: Media, Cable, News, CNN, MSNBC, Rita Crosby, Kyra Phillips, Journalism, Presser

Represent!

2006-08-28T01:02:00.000-07:00

I am a member of the Democratic Party. Know that!

Tags: DNC, Democrat, Democracy, America

Watch Video!

Rednecks Keep Falling On My Head... They Keep Falling!

2006-08-27T03:26:00.000-07:00

Frank Murkowski was a sleazy and corrupt politician who appointed his daughter to the Senate. I was quite glad to see him soundly lose his recent primary election contest to Sarah Palin. The guy is bought and paid for by big oil corporations raping the natural resources of Alaska and exploting Alaska's workforce to maximize their obscene profits. Opening up Alaska for unchecked, unregulated rape and exploitation by multiple Petroleum companies while making himself and his family filthy rich and powerful has always been his stock in trade. But I never quite knew just how big of a redneck cliche' he is. Below are two campaign songs he endorsed that a friend sent me. You're gonna love these! I've never seen someone so blatantly promote the fact that he's a redneck asshole...

Here comes my favorite of the two campaign songs though. I'm not sure which is scarier: A politician who thinks invoking Larry the Cableguy and The Clampett family makes a strong case for his policies is actually a good idea, or the fact that there might be people so backwards up there that this crap actually encourages them to vote for Murkowski. No wonder this backasswards rightard got his ass kicked so bad in the primary.

The first line on this guys Wikipedia entry reads:

Francis Hughes Murkowski (born March 28, 1933) is an American politician who is the current lame duck Governor of Alaska and a member of the Republican Party. (Amen!)

Like I said above, this guy appointed his daughter to serve as the Jr. Senator alongside of Ted "The Toobz" Stevens. The senile old coot who's currently leading the charge to rape and pillage the land in ANWR and to end Net Neutrality allowing the major Telcos to control what you read, watch and listen to on the Internets. His son, Ben Stevens was appointed by former Governor Tony Knowles to be the President of the AK State Senate. (Think Dad helped push that one through?) Knowles is running for AK Governor again this year.

The Murkowski/Stevens Petrochemical Crime Families have been working closely with the Bush/Cheney Petrochemical Crime Cartel for several years in a concerted effort to rape and pillage the natural resources of the entire State of Alaska. They exploit the workforce like a slave labor pool in order to provide earth-shattering profits for oil companies that couldn't give a damn about Alaska's environment. All for more money, more oil power and to further their master plan of turning Alaska into a redneck playground. Also known as Hell on Earth to someone who believes such a beautiful place should be protected and respected.

If you think that's too harsh of a description, watch this short video below to see the vision that these Republican crime family/cartels have for Alaska in the video below.

Trashing Alaska

And just out of curiosity, am I the only one who is creeped out by the thought that if Bush, Cheney and Dennis Hastert all keeled over tomorrow, Ted Stevens is our new President? Answer in the comments if you read this far. Also, if you're a member of Digg, del.icio.us, feed me links etc. Hook me up with some promos. I'm trying to get this kind of information out of places like Alaska and let the rest of the Nation and world for that matter know what kind of people we've got running things. It's the only way we're going to make real change; by turning on the lights and showing what's going on. Besides, it's always fun to watch the cockroaches scatter when you do that.

BlinkBits, Blogmarks, del.icio.us, de.lirio.us, Digg it, feedmelinks, RawSugar, reddit, Yahoo MyWeb

Nate

Tags: Alaska, Murkowski, Stevens, Senate, Oil, Chemical, ANWR, Redneck, Bush, Cheney, Election, 2006, Corruption, Nepotism, Environment

Congressional Election Nullified – Nobody Noticed

2006-08-26T03:48:00.000-07:00

Speaker of the House Nullified San Diego Congressional Race

By Michael Collins, "Scoop" Independent Media - Washington, DC

It appears the US media overlooked one of the great political stories of the year. In what is becoming something of a pattern, here’s a brief chronology:

On June 6, 2006 Republican Brian Bilbray allegedly slightly outpolled Democrat Francine Busby in the special election for California’s 50th Congressional District, despite Busby’s lead in the polls going into the election. There were immediate cries of foul following the election due to major irregularities, including electronic voting machines sent out to the homes and cars of volunteers for up to 12 days prior to the election, and irregular election results like huge mega-precincts of absentee ballots where turnout was thousands of percent more than registered voters.

On June 13, 2006, Bilbray flew to Washington, DC and was sworn in as a member of the United States House of Representatives by House Speaker Dennis Hastert.

On or about June 30, 2006, 17 days after Bilbray was sworn in as a member of the House, Mikel Haas, Registrar of San Diego County, officially completed the audit of election results required for certification, and officially certified the election of Bilbray over Busby based on 163,931 votes cast, of which 2,053 votes were said to be cast on Diebold TSX touchscreens, and the remainder scanned via Diebold Accuvote OS computers.

On July 31, 2006, the Contestants filed an election contest, seeking a hand recount and to invalidate the election on several grounds, not only including the affirmative evidence of irregular results, but also including the stonewalling of citizen information requests and the pricing of recounts at an estimated $150,000 that made it difficult or impossible for any citizen to tell who won the election.

On August 22, 2006 the defendants moved to dismiss, arguing that the swearing in of Bilbray deprives everyone else of jurisdiction including specifically the San Diego Superior Court because Art. I, sec. 5 of the US Constitution has been held to mean that the House and Senate are the judges of the Qualifications of their Members, one of those qualifications is supposed to be “election.”

There is some thing very wrong with this sequence. Elections are not complete, anywhere, until they are officially certified by local authorities. How can a citizen get sworn in as a member of the House of Representatives before his or her election is certified? Only Speaker Dennis Hastert, his team, and Bilbray have the answer.

In a filling in San Diego Municipal Court yesterday, attorney Paul Lehto outlined the core in stark terms:

Defendants are in effect arguing for the remarkable proposition that unilateral self-serving actions by a majority party in the House of Representatives to shuttle in a member of the same party can be effective, even if those actions do violence to and amount to circumvention of other sections of the US Constitution as well as the California constitution. Document available here.

Will Judge Yuri Hoffman carry on the emerging tradition of silence, or will he take us back to the courage and integrity shown by Judge John Sirica, a Republican appointee, who made history by demanding the truth from the Watergate burglars?

Lehto is one of the two attorneys representing citizens who are challenging the election. Shortly after the last vote was cast, citizens discovered disturbing facts. Prior to Election Day, several poll workers had taken home voting machines for periods of a day to a week at a time without supervision or even consistent tracking procedures. Other irregularities like vote switching on touch screen machines emerged. Brad Friedman of www.BradBlog.com conducted an extensive investigation that uncovered a series of sloppy procedures by County Registrar Haas.

The election became an immediate cause for citizens, supporters of the losing candidate, and national voting rights activists. The results were also challenged by Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

A suit was filed by two local citizens challenging the election. The initial filing relied on the right of citizens to know that their votes are and counted correctly in order to assure that the candidate designated as the winner is in fact the winner. Part of the suit is a request, denied to date, for a recount of the ballots cast on Election Day.

In response to the suit, the County of San Diego filed a response questioning the authority of the local court to decide the case since (a) membership in the house was the province of the House of Representatives and (b) the speaker had already sworn in Bilbray.

Lehto and Simpkins filed a withering response to this argument. They point out that elections are the province of local and state authorities for all elections including federal contests, unless otherwise specified in the constitution. The following is form the filing yesterday:

Clearly, the swift swearing in did not end the election in the 50th Congressional District, and it did not render everything, including the certification of results weeks later, nugatory and without “jurisdiction.” If this swearing in had this effect, then in the course of dismissing this case the Court would be bound to conclude that the certification of the results after the swearing in of Bilbray was without force and effect, without jurisdiction, and in contravention of principles of federalism, as Defendants argue. That conclusion, however, requires either an absurdity, or the conclusion that our Congressional election was canceled by decision of the Speaker of the House, before all the votes were fully counted, and well before certification. Document available here.

So there you have it. Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the United House of Representatives, called “the peoples’ House,” now has the authority to nullify elections simply by swearing in candidates and claiming federal privilege based on one narrow section of the constitution, while completing ignoring the others, including the one stating that members of the House shall be elected every two years “by the People,” and not selected in Washington DC. Once again, the country is faced with a Bush v. Gore style selection manufactured in Washington DC, and if only the people did not know which party benefited and which party was hurt by the selection, the country would be unanimous in denouncing this power grab.

Ongoing support and interference by the House of Representatives or persons associated therewith continues in San Diego. Paul Vinovich, Counsel to the House Administration Committee, Chaired by Bob Ney, R, of Ohio, had a letter delivered to San Diego Superior Court presiding Judge Yuri Hoffman, with a number of arguments in favor of the Judge dismissing the case. This type of communication with members of the judiciary, particularly when another government authority is involved, is covered by strict rules. One such rule is that the ex parte communication be provided simultaneously to counsel for all involved. In his own hand, Vinovich says to plaintiff’s attorney Lehto, “Letter delivered to court last evening.” Lehto received the fax at 8:56 a.m. Thursday morning, many hours after the letter was admittedly provided to the judge by Vinovich.

In the letter, Vinovich admits the time sequence of a July 13 swearing in followed by a July 29th certification of the election and then, through circular reasoning, tries to use the certification as justification for the swearing in ceremony. He fails to note that Speaker Hastert would have needed psychic powers on June 13th to know that the swearing in of Bilbray would be justified by a June 29th certification.

We’re clearly at the point where members of the ruling party are making up rules post hoc to justify whatever actions they wish to take. We are also at a point where there is little if any opposition to this. The House is silent. With the exception of local and national voting rights activists and Chairman Dean, the opposing party is silent. The Defendants literally argue that the Courts are powerless to stop them (without jurisdiction). Friday will reveal whether the courts are powerless to stop this abuse of power and premature termination of elections.

Will Judge Yuri Hoffman carry on the emerging tradition of silence, or will he take us back to the courage and integrity shown by Judge John Sirica, a Republican appointee, who made history by demanding the truth from the Watergate burglars?

Article Link

Tags: Bilbray, Hastert, Congress, Election, Diebold, Corruption

Lebanon Oil Spill

2006-08-25T14:56:00.000-07:00

A bleak and saddening look at some of the havoc and destruction that Israel has wreaked upon Lebanon and the world for that matter.

From Greenpeace: The worst effects of the oil spill have been seen along 150 km of the northern Lebanese coast. Around 15,000 tonnes of fuel oil has poured into the sea from the bombed power plant in Jieh south of Beirut, causing severe environmental damage to marine and shore-dwelling species including fish, crustaceans and turtles, whose hatchlings have been caught in the slick. Greenpeace has joined other environmental groups to document and assess the environmental impact, which the Lebanese Ministry of Environment estimates will cost $137 million to clean up. The spill is thought to be the Mediterranean's worst ever.

This has contaminated up to 150 km of the Lebanese coast north of the plant; however the full extent of the spill has yet to be fully assessed as aerial surveillance is still not possible due to an air and sea blockade. Ya think Israel is going to pay for the cleanup?

Be sure to check out my post "The Canary is Dead" about the Planetary Coral Reef Foundation and the short video documentary they put together about the state of Coral Reefs around the world. Focusing specifically on the "Canary in the Coalmine" of the Phoenix Islands.

Tags: War, Lebanon, Israel, Jieh, Oil, Greanpeace

Flashback...

2006-08-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

Tags: War, Iraq, Bush, Cheney, Saddam, Lies

A Day In The Life...

2006-08-25T02:54:00.000-07:00

Life at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, that is.

I spent my morning in the ICU at the largest military medical intestive care unit in Europe. This is the first critical stop for U.S. Military personnel (and coalition forces) injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. They come from the Bagdad ER, Ramadi and all the 'hotspots' in the Middle East. They all come here before going off to Brooke Army Medical Center for burns and/or prostetics, Bethesda Naval Hospital for brain injury and Walter Reed for rehab.

This morning I saw two Purple Heart ceremonies and thirteen wounded come in. I talked to several brave, young soldiers, unbearably stoic and upbeat for the conditions in which they find themselves. One of the Purple Heart recipients, a 22 year-old soldier who was thrown from a humvee after an IED went off under his vehicle, especially touched me today. He was reintubated this morning after not being able to breathe deeply enough to maintain adequate oxygen content. He suffered blunt force trauma over much of his body, severly bruised his liver, and lost his spleen. He looks beat-up but is remarkably alert and 'talkative', he wrote comments and answered questions on several sheets of paper. He wrote to me in a steady but pained hand, that in the explosion, his driver-buddy had died. He told me that when they came to pick him up off the street where the attack happened that guys from his own unit didn't recognige him. These young guys are so amazing in their display of bravado . I told him that there are many, many Americans hard at work on trying to get all of our people home and that we thank him for his service, bravery and love of Country. Read Full Post...

SwimDeep, aka HopeSpringsATurtle from FireDogLake is a disabled veteran who's husband is still on active duty flying medivac flights from Iraq to Germany.

Tags: War, Iraq, LRMC

Congressman Doolittle - Corrupt or Ineffective?

2006-08-22T16:06:00.000-07:00

From SourceWatch: John Doolittle, a Mormon is an "ardent opponent of casino gambling" yet he still held a fundraiser at a Wizards-Kings basketball game in "Casino" Jack Abramoff's skyboxes. These skyboxes were paid for by Abramoff's tribal casino clients. According to the Washington Post Doolittle was "particularly close to Abramoff" and later referred to him as one of his "closest friends." Doolittle was indeed close to Abramoff and he has had many problems related to that. Doolittle failed to report the skybox fundraiser in his FEC filings. (Sacramento Bee)

Doolittle's chief of staff Kevin Ring left Doolittle's office to work at Abramoff's lobbying firm Greenberg Traurig.

Julie Doolittle, the congressman's wife, has received intense scrutiny for her fundraising operation, Sierra Dominion Financial Services. Two of her clients were her husband's campaign committee and leadership PAC from which she received a 15% commission from every donation. The Washington Post provides and example of how she, and her husband, profit every time Congressman Doolittle receives a contribution. She has received at least $215,000 from Mr. Doolittle's various campaign committees since 2001.

This man is one of The. Most. Corrupt. men running around the halls of power in Washington DC. He is bought and paid for the legacy of convicted felon Jack Abramoff, disgraced corrupt Congressman Tom Delay and convicted-felon Congressman Duke Cunningham's war-profiteering benefactors.

It's time for a Representative who knows what it means to serve on behalf of "We The People!"

Support Lt. Col. Charlie Brown for Congress! Only a fool could believe that John Doolittle represents anyone besides those who are good for his own bank account.

[For The Record] I am in no way affiliated with the Charlie Brown for Congress campaign other than being listed on their websites' blogroll. (Thanks guys, I'm proud to be a part) I do hope to be helping them soon as I know the Real Deal when I see it!

Tags: Congres, Doolittle, Abramoff, Corruption, 2006 Election, Charlie Brown, Veteran

Democrat* - With an Asterisk (Updated to Independent)

2006-08-21T05:03:00.000-07:00

[Update] Not sure what time it changed but earlier today the DSCC altered its website to reflect Joe Lieberman's actual status as an "Independent". If you haven't read the post below, click on the picture to see how they had Joe "I lost a fair and open election and I can't take the hint" Lieberman listed on the Democractic Senatorial Campaign Committee's website this morning. They have him correctly idenditified now but they are still fundraising for him. He's not the Democratic candidate chosen by the People of Connecticut. That ship sailed and these asswipes are still treating him like some kind of entitled nobility who has some sort of claim on his throne and status within the party. The people spoke. You're fired! Get with the program guys or we're going to have a house-cleaning over the next thirty months.

The Carpet Bagger Report link below might explain one of the major reasons Joe is getting this kind of royal treatment even though he no longer has any claim to it. He has forsaked his party of his lifetime and turncoated on his shipmates.

HE. LEFT. THE. PARTY! He's Through!

-------------------------

[Earlier Post] The sackless, clueless, greedy, low-life, racketeering, ass-covering, protectionist, grab-asstic pieces of amphibian shit at the DSCC have this on their website as of this morning at 8am.

This one will definitely be getting a Podcast because striking every key I type with eighty foot pounds of pressure while I type out my blog posts just isn't cutting it anymore. Time to get louder...

It's 2am here though and I'm off to bed. Tomorrow I'll record a personal message, just for the DSCC. I'd just like to say to the head of the DSCC, Chuck Schumer of New York... You're an Asshole!

It gets even worse though. The Carpet Bagger Report has Lieberman staffing up with heavy-weights from Schumer's staff. Comment #4 from that post adds an even darker angle on the old game of "Follow the Money"... In this case back to Israel and a right-wing media company.

Tags: Lieberman, DSCC, Lamont, Dodd, Schumer, Clinton, DNC, DCCC, GOP

GOP = B2B - WTF?

2006-08-18T21:14:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have noticed that I don't have any significant revenue generating advertising on this site remaining largely ad-free was a conscious choice as I consider this blog more of a labor of love. I am still a member of an ad network called Commission Junction that I use for other sites I manage though. I was there today and out of curiosity I ran a search and could not believe my eyes when I found this:

Curiosly, this ad came up under the category of "Business-to-Business"; also referred to as "B2B". It turns out that as a political party, this is completely legal. Just as it is completely legal for 527 Organizations. Since this is in fact a legal and legitimate fundraising device for a party or an interest group, my question is this...

Why the hell isn't the DNC as well as every Liberal/Progressive 527 Organization and/or Interest Group doing this in order to take advantage of the growing power of the Blogosphere and the Netroots?

It seems to me that one of the biggest problems the Democratic Party is always suffering from is a failure to play with every card in the deck. If this type of network marketing style fundraising is in fact legal, then it strikes me that every single website/blog owner could earn a little bit of money while helping to raise a lot more money for those groups and causes that they wish to support. Would that not further empower the netroots as a greater force for progressive change? I know I would certainly make a point of adding some quality text or even banner ads for the DNC and many causes that I support.

It is my hope that this gets picked up and/or read by some of the bigger blogs and politicos out there in cyberspace. This should really get "looked into" and if it is a viable and legitimate fundraising device, then every liberal/progressive cause, party and interest group should consider this as a means of fundraising and marketing.

Side Note: If you are said liberal/progressive cause, party and/or interest group, I'm available for hire (I work cheap) as an internet marketing fundraising and promotions specialist. If your cause is grounded in justice, I can help! /end shameless begging and self promotion.

Tags: GOP, DNC, Fundraising, PAC, 527, Internet, Marketing, B2B

ImpeachBushco.com - Nuff' said

2006-08-18T01:59:00.000-07:00

Set to one of my favorite songs. What can I say, I'm an optimist!

ImpeachBushco.com

Tags: Impeach, Buscho, Bush, Iraq, Freeway Blogger

"Behind The Labels" - GOP Supports Slavery

2006-08-17T05:04:00.000-07:00

Jack Abramoff - The Republican lobbyist and now convicted felon, has become a household name in the United States. He made millions of dollars by promoting slavery inside the US, stealing from Native American tribes and bribing countless US politicians; including George Bush. However most people don't realize how far his tentacles reached into the halls of power before he was handcuffed and hauled off to prison.

Before reading more about him and the criminals in Congress who gladly took his dirty money, watch this fifteen minute documentary about how he has actively encouraged and enabled slavery here in America.

One of the primary recipients of his dirty money is a Congressman named John Doolittle. He's a vile and despicable example of all that is wrong with our current system of pay-for-play "politics". He is being challenged in this election by a twenty-six year Air Force veteran named Charlie Brown, Lt. Col. USAF (Ret). An honorable man with good ideas for that district of CA. The kind of person whom the residents of this district can be proud to call their representative.

I'll be blogging about him a lot more in the very near future and I plan on helping him with his campaign to rid our Government of one of the dirtiest, most corrupt leeches, currently bleeding the U.S. and all her citizenry dry.

Tags: John Doolittle, Charlie Brown, Jack Abramoff, Congress, Veteran, 2006 Primary

Weapons of Mass Distraction

2006-08-15T23:38:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, Aug 10th when the terrortainment ratings buffet about a new group of brown-skinned boogeymen determined to take down Western Civilization by increasing the absurdity of airline travel delays started breaking, I kicked out a post calling it for the pure bullshit that most thinking people knew it to be.

Watching the cable news line-ups of talking bobbly-heads and empty-headed Chatty Cathy dolls - scramble to explain what it all meant and why we should all be petrified in abject fear has given me a chronic migraine this week. How anyone is so stupid as to take anything these morons say as fact-based reporting is utterly baffling to me.

That's why when I watched Keith Olbermann's "Nexus of Politics & Terror" timeline on Countdown yesterday, it was like coming up for a breath of air after drowning for days in GOP-approved terrortainment talking points. It's nice to know that there is at least one TV News personality who hasn't sold their soul to Satan. Watch and learn...

Forged In Iron

2006-08-13T18:34:00.000-07:00

Guest Blogged by: MrEMan

Our Democratic Republic has reached a critical point in its relatively short existence. America is a ship without a rudder and it's veering perilously off course. Throughout history the greatest leaders were people of intelligence, compassion, integrity and vision. They learned from their mistakes as well as the failures of those who came before them. Our current President and his party have hijacked our country and are hell bent on perpetual war. Massive corruption, fraud, profiteering and incompetency have plagued our government and their faux war on terror.

Former President Dwight D. Eisenhower was indeed a man of true character and vision. He foresaw the dangers of the Military Industrial Complex and was relentless in his fight against perpetual war and those who would profit from it. In other words, the antithesis of George W. Bush.

Below are a few quotes from Eisenhower. His words eerily foreshadow the madness of King George.

"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist."

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron."

"Here in America we are descended in blood and in spirit from revolutionists and rebels - men and women who dare to dissent from accepted doctrine. As their heirs, may we never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion."

"I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity."

"Only Americans can hurt America."

"Controlled, universal disarmament is the imperative of our time. The demand for it by the hundreds of millions whose chief concern is the long future of themselves and their children will, I hope, become so universal and so insistent that no man, no government anywhere, can withstand it."

"A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both."

"How far you can go without destroying from within what you are trying to defend from without?"

"I deplore the need or the use of troops anywhere to get American citizens to obey the orders of constituted courts."

"I like to believe that people in the long run are going to do more to promote peace than our governments. Indeed, I think that people want peace so much that one of these days governments had better get out of the way and let them have it."

"If you want total security, go to prison. There you're fed, clothed, given medical care and so on. The only thing lacking... Is freedom."

"In most communities it is illegal to cry "fire" in a crowded assembly. Should it not be considered serious international misconduct to manufacture a general war scare in an effort to achieve local political aims?"

"Politics ought to be the part-time profession of every citizen who would protect the rights and privileges of free people and who would preserve what is good and fruitful in our national heritage. "

"This world of ours... Must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be, instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect."

"Though force can protect in emergency, only justice, fairness, consideration and cooperation can finally lead men to the dawn of eternal peace."

"When people speak to you about a preventive war, you tell them to go and fight it. After my experience, I have come to hate war."

With the exception of John Murtha, Russ Feingold and Ned Lamont, there are few voices speaking these truths today. If Eisenhower were running as a Democrat today, I have no doubt he would set the blogosphere ablaze and his Act Blue page would be overflowing with cash. We need Ike back, stat.

Guest Blogged by: MrEMan

Tags: Ike, GOP, Bush, War, Bush, Military, Congress, Leaders, Greatness

Henry Rollins - The Internet

2006-08-13T03:28:00.000-07:00

The Henry Rollins Show

Tags: Internet, Rollins, Bush, Rove, War

The Forest for the Trees

2006-08-11T05:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry my voice is tired and sounds emotional which doesn't reflect the fire and passion I really feel. It was almost 4:00am when I recorded it.

The journey begins here: TRex - Why It Matters. A very moving article written by one of my favorite bloggers about something he witnessed on the flight home from Connecticut after a weekend of volunteering for Ned Lamont. After you've read it, scroll down to comment #103 by HopeSpringsATurtle. Read through all of the comments or start there and read the next several dozen past it. HopeSprings is a disabled veteran whose husband is still serving and does medivac flights from Iraq. She's also known as Swim and it's been an honor and a pleasure helping her to find her very powerful voice online with her terrific new blog.

After going on this powerful and moving journey and learning the fate of the brave soldier at the epicenter of the story, I am nearly overwhelmed by how much it has touched me. It has really driven home for me just how small our global community actually is. How much we all feel and hurt and suffer and heal together. How closely we are all connected. How, if we let it, an event like this can inspire us to take even more action. The blogosphere and the internet at large have become the diamond lens through which the energy and light of those who would seek true Peace and Justice can shine. Shine brighter than the sun. Bright enough to light up the darkness of the abyss we find ourselves staring into.

I went to her blog to leave her a comment, share my thoughts and offer what support I could when I found this video Letter to America from Ava Lowery

Letter To America

What a powerful testament to the price we are paying for allowing evil people to chart a course of misery and darkness for our Nation and our World into this new millenium. No more! No more shall we inflict pain and suffering on the world. No more shall we be incapable as a Nation of tolerance or humilty. No more can we allow evil men of black hearts to bring misery to the entirety of civilization. Every time we don't shout down hate-driven rationalizations for death and more suffering from our government, media, clergy and next door neighbors - we allow it to continue.

No More! If the leaders won't heed our collective voices, then we'll fire all of their asses or throw them in jail. Or both! A very wise man once said that the only rank higher than a Five-Star General is a civilian. A friend reminded me of that recently. This is not their country. It's ours. Ours to protect for our progeny. To secure for their future. Is hell on earth the future we want to leave for them?

Nate

Tags: War, Iraq, Bush, Evil, Peace, Justice, Ava Lowery, Army, Courage

Luckily for Joe - We're ALL GONNA DIE!

2006-08-10T06:31:00.000-07:00

So he no longer needs to look like the loser that he is on a constantly repeating news cycle. Apparently a highly-organized team of uber-scary super-boogeymen were planning to launch a devestating attacking on the western world involving something to do with "fizzy drinks" or perhaps a "bottle of lotion" (at least according to Soledad O'Brian on the Panic News Network).

As a result of this new and massive threat to all of Western Civilization as we know it, we must all now be cowed into catatonic panic and revert to our normal "herd mentality" of petrified cowards, groveling at our governments feet to "Save Us, Save Us!... Oh Jesus-God Almighty....! Save Us!!!!!

Here's the story from Reuters in case you missed it playing on CNN, MSNBC and Fox News non-stop for the past ten hours, complete with comprehensive team coverage and plenty of aerial footage of random airports in the US and UK. (Super whiz-bang, high-intensity digital graphics coming soon to this terrortainment ratings extravaganza)

Sure is a good thing to... Otherwise we might have had to learn today about the suicide bomber who killed 30 people in Iraq, or take time to read all about the 1.3 Million people running for their lives from the most powerful typhoon to hit China in fifty years, or hear all about how the People of America are starting to take back their Government from the Corporate and Media Interests and their evil overlords who are leading us straight into Hell.

(Fair Warning: Do Not watch the "Hell" link unless you are prepared to actually glimpse Hell)

UPDATE: A late addition to this post but I just finished reading TRex's Late Nite FDL post: Why it matters from last night. He's just returning home from a long weekend up in CT volunteering for Lamont's campaign. It is incredibly powerful and it sums up so many of my feelings it's hard to express it in writing. Just go read it!

Tags: War, Iraq, Bush, Lebanon, Israel, Terror, China, Fear

Congrats Progressive Blogosphere!

2006-08-09T16:01:00.000-07:00

A great montage from The Gay Expat! I dig the Big Band Jazz.

Tags: Lamont, Blogosphere, Lieberman

A Republican Perspective

2006-08-09T01:01:00.000-07:00

I always like sane Republicans that I can relate to. I caught this call-in on CSPAN tonight during the coverage of the Lamont/Lieberman primary election. Have a listen...

Tags: GOP, Election, Bush