NEWS BLITZ
March 13, 2004
Look Out World! Here comes Air America Radio! Bush: Return of the Wimp Factor -- Is Bush really a girl? funsnap.com Granny D, back on the road, "Waking Up the Vote". Jim Moore's new book Bush's War for Reelection is available from Amazon.com. Kerry strikes back in what CNN calls a "markedly combative race." Good. Take the fight to him. Greenspan, who was portrayed as a whiz when the economy under Clinton's deficit control was soaring, looks increasingly hang-dog as Bush's stooge. Now he lamely says, jobs will come back eventually. What bold, authoritative-sounding statements: "As our economy exhibits increasing signals of recovery, job loss continues to diminish. In all likelihood, employment will begin to increase more quickly before long as output continues to expand." "In all likelihood, employment will begin to increase"? Begin to increase? In all likelihood? "Job loss continues to diminish"? Does that mean the loss of jobs is slowing down? That's not too thrilling. Forbes The Associated Press tells us, "A state maintenance worker was suspended after he displayed a sign with the word 'traitor' on a snowplow while helping provide security for President Bush's motorcade, the Ohio Department of Transportation said." "The woman charged with working for the Iraqi spy agency is a distant cousin of President Bush's chief of staff, Andrew Card," says the Kansas City Star. Sidney Blumenthal, writing in The Guardian, says Bush may have already squandered the potential good will he had from 9/11
March 14, 2004
Howard Stern, with an audience of 8 million, a vocal supporter of the invasion of Iraq, an endorser of Republicans Christie Whitman and George Pataki, has now started going after Bush with a vengeance. The FCC crackdown following the Jackson breast fiasco was too much for Howard. Clear Channel tried to bump Stern off some stations. Stern has more listeners than the number that are watching CNN, Fox and MSNBC combined at any given time. Salon For information on how to support the verified voting acts see verifiedvoting.org. Environmental Protection Agency sued for falsely assuring people in Lower Manhattan that the air quality was safe after September 11. CBS Kerry refused to cave to Republican demands that he apologize for remarks about lying Republicans. ABC Kerry challenged Bush to monthly debates. Bush refused, of course. Boston Globe US media failed to challenge the administration on its claims to justify the attack on Iraq, according to a study by the University of Maryland's Centre for International and Security Studies. The Age. Conservative backlash? Pat Buchanan writes in the right wing World Net Daily, "They're calling it a jobless recovery. Wrong. Millions of jobs are being created. They're just not being created here in the United States. The reasons can be traced to these four acronyms: NAFTA, GATT, WTO, PNTR. These are the trade treaties and global institutions that have permitted the historic substitution of foreign labor for American labor, to the enrichment of the transnational companies that look upon the Congress as a wholly owned subsidiary... At a weekend conference on immigration and jobs hosted by The American Cause, which this writer chairs, one speaker blurted out that while he voted for Bush in 2000, he would never do so again. The room erupted in applause, though virtually all there were conservatives, and all had once been Goldwater-Nixon-Reagan Republicans." WorldNetDaily The sister of a 9/11 victim is petitioning members of Congress to require Bush to testify under oath about his behavior before and during the attacks. Tom Flocco. Michael Hasty, writing in the January 10, 2004, Online Journal, said, "Unless I'm paranoid, it doesn't make any sense at all that George W. Bush, commander-in-chief, sat in a second-grade classroom for 20 minutes after he was informed that a second plane had hit the World Trade Center, listening to children read a story about a goat. Nor does it make sense that the Number 2 man, Dick Cheney—even knowing that "the commander" was on a mission in Florida—nevertheless sat at his desk in the White House, watching TV, until the Secret Service dragged him out by the armpits. Unless I'm paranoid, it makes no sense that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld sat at his desk until Flight 77 hit the Pentagon—well over an hour after the military had learned about the multiple hijacking in progress. It also makes no sense that the brand-new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff sat in a Senate office for two hours while the 9/11 attacks took place, after leaving explicit instructions that he not be disturbed—which he wasn't. In other words, while the 9/11 attacks were occurring, the entire top of the chain of command of the most powerful military in the world sat at various desks, inert. Why weren't they in the 'Situation Room?' Don't any of them ever watch 'West Wing?'" According to Alan Cabal in the New York Press Speaking for the families of the victims, 9/11 widow Kristen Breitweiser put the following questions to Bush:
Why were 29 pages of the 9/11 committee report personally censored at your request?
Where are the "black boxes" from Flight 11 and Flight 175?
Where are the "voice recorders" from Flight 11 and Flight 175?
Why can’t we gain access to the complete air traffic control records for Flight 11 and Flight 175?
Where are the airport surveillance tapes that show the passengers boarding the doomed flights?
When will complete passenger lists for all of the flights be released?
Why did your brother, Jeb Bush, the governor of Florida, personally go to the offices of the Hoffman Aviation School and order that flight records and files be removed? These files were then put on a C130 government cargo plane and flown out of the country. Where were they taken and who ordered it done?
Her letter ends ominously: "I will prove this in a court of law!"
So many, many questions. Why did World Trade Center 7 collapse? No airplane hit that building, and before September 11, no steel skyscraper had ever collapsed because of a fire. Yet three fell–very neatly and virtually into their own footprints.
Monday, March 15, 2004
My God. What a time we are in. The socialists in Spain ousted the conservatives, and it is being seen as a backlash against Spain's support of the U.S. attack on Iraq. (AP) The AP story sounded an ominous note when it said, "It was the first time a government that backed the Iraq war has been voted out of office. Incoming prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has pledged to bring home the 1,300 troops Spain has stationed in Iraq when their tour of duty ends in July." The story implies that this is a historic marking point, and may signal a trend. It also quoted a voter who said, "I wasn't planning to vote, but I am here today because the Popular Party is responsible for murders here and in Iraq." It's one thing for Spain to stand with the United States as an ally. But when the justification for war is a lie, it undermines the alliance. The exposure of the lie underlying the conquest of Iraq robs the U.S. of any pretense of moral authority. That knowledge is out there. It cannot be withdrawn. The malignance of perverted justice is catching up to the administration. The structure of power is unraveling. The Bushies have dazzled the world with their ruthless exercise of the most massive power the world has ever seen. They have tried to create the impression of invincibility. But they are not omnipotent. Even God can't beat a royal flush with four of a kind.William Rivers Pitt on "Three Days in Spain". "The reasons Aznar's government wanted to see the attacks connected to ETA instead of al Qaeda were found in the streets of Spain by the thousands on the Saturday after the bombs went off. Madrid was awash with protesters demanding answers from Aznar as to who was responsible. They thronged the streets holding signs reading 'Paz,' and carried a banner reading 'Your War, Our Corpses.' There were protests in Andalucia, Barcelona and other cities, as well. If the attacks could be connected to ETA, the resulting fury would be directed towards the Basque separatists. If the attack was perpetrated by al Qaeda, however, that fury would roar towards Aznar himself. He would be held personally responsible for those deaths because he involved Spain in the invasion of Iraq despite the disapproval of some 80% of Spain's citizens. If the attack was perpetrated by al Qaeda, it would be seen as revenge for Spain's role in Iraq. As the Spanish people wanted no part of that war, and as Aznar brought them into that war against their wishes, the blood of those people, according to those thousands of protesters, would be dripping from his fingers." And what about this?! Rumsfeld lies on television! What's the news? you ask. Indeed. This time, a reporter confronted him. Check out the segment from the transcript on Buzzflash, or see American Progress. Bush on the Defensive -- Washington Post: "In contrast to those previous runs for office, Bush's reelection campaign has been notable for its quick plunge into attacks on his Democratic rival, Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.), its defensive tone and the absence of a tight agenda of policy proposals that would animate a second term in office. His first positive ads were modest in describing Bush's accomplishments, and his first negative ad, which began airing Friday, surfaced far earlier than anyone outside his campaign expected." The article quotes Republican strategists explaining Bush's more difficult position now than in campaigns in the past. In the past he ran these simplified good-guy positive image campaigns. Now he's coming out swinging, months before incumbent presidents ever deign to address themselves to their lowly challengers. By doing so, he's giving up that aura of being above it that all the incumbent presidents usually draw out as long as they can. Republican strategists say he's been getting beat up by the Democrats in primary season. They suddenly have to face an opponent they weren't ready for (Why not? How hard would it have been to prepare for a campaign against other possibilities besides Dean?). They are having trouble even thinking up excuses. The Republicans discuss it all in terms of routine strategy maneuvers, but the underlying reality is they have a lousy product. Now they have a record. They can't just run on pretty promises. And that record is beyond abysmal. It's catastrophic. George's daughter Jenna seems to have inherited his good-time party spirit. Since she turned 21 she's making the scene at the hottest party spots, surrounded by Secret Service agents, of course. Recently it was New York, now it's Vegas. Review Journal
March 17, 2004
Bushes and Saudis guerrillanews.com Tom Flocco's latest update on the 9/11 hearings. "All facts indicate that Washington officials were well aware of the American 11 hijacking nearly an hour before Chief of Staff Andrew Card whispered in Mr. Bush’s ear at 9:06 am that "America is under attack." There are additional individuals who can corroborate the event chronology, but the Commission has failed to call any of them to testify publicly regarding when the hijackings commenced, as White House actions are indefensible within the context of the critical two-hour period on the CooperativeResearch.or timeline." SF Gate editorial: Bush's Medicare deceit Poll shows 56% say bush leading country in wrong direction. Also shows Nader destroying Democratic challenge to Bush. NY Times New York Times editorial: Spain election not a victory for terrorism, but a victory for anti-Bush, anti-war faction.
March 18, 2004
St. Patrick, rid us of these vipers! Niagara Falls Reporter Revolting developments -- Village Voice How the Bush 41 administration profited from selling chemical weapons to Iraq. Tom Flocco In Haiti as elsewhere, the U.S. backs the fascists -- "Andy Apaid, a U.S. citizen and sweatshop mogul in Haiti, is a leader of the opposition to Aristide. It’s easy to see why Apaid wanted to get rid of Aristide. Against strong opposition from the business community, Aristide doubled the minimum wage." Socialist Worker See Rumsfeld Lie. See Rumsfeld get caught. See Rumsfeld stammer. MoveOn.org