Jonathan Freedland: George Bush will soon be free to do what he wants

by Jonathan Freedland
The Guardian
Oct 29, 2008

We are about to enter the twilight zone, that strange black hole in political time and space that appears no more than once every four years. It is known as the period of transition, and it starts a week from today, the time when the United States has not one president but two. One will be the president-elect, the other George Bush, in power for 12 more weeks in which he can do pretty much whatever he likes. Not only will he never again have to face voters, he won’t even have to worry about damaging the prospects of his own party and its standard bearer (as if he has not damaged those enough already). From November 5 to January 20, he will exercise the freest, most unaccountable form of power the democratic world has to offer.

How Bush might use it is a question that gained new force at the weekend, when US forces crossed the Iraqi border into Syria to kill Abu Ghadiya, a man they said had been funnelling “foreign fighters” allied to al-Qaida into Iraq. That American move has touched off a round of intense head-scratching around the world, as foreign ministers and analysts ask each other the time-honoured diplomatic query: what did they mean by that? To which they add the post-Nov 4 question: and what does it tell us about how Bush plans to use his final days in the White House?

[…]

via Jonathan Freedland: George Bush will soon be free to do what he wants | Comment is free | The Guardian

h/t: CLG

who wrote:

From November 5 to January 20, he will exercise the freest, most unaccountable form of power the democratic world has to offer. [My money is on Bush getting the bird flu pandemic party started (Killer flu recreated in the lab). It will begin in a Blue state with a GOP governor –think California. Bush can then privatize (ration) health care; raid Medicare and Social Security to fund mandatory vaccines (HHS Declares ‘Health Emergencies’ to Limit Legal Liability for Anti-terrorism Vaccines, Drugs); fire up the KBR detention centers (KBR awarded Homeland Security contract worth up to $385M); fund a greatly expanded Blackwater role (Bush wants army to combat bird flu); invoke martial law (DoD to ‘augment civilian law’ during pandemic or bioterror attack); and stay in power because a transition to a new administration would be ‘impossible’ during a national crisis. The PentaPost, New York Times, MSNBC, CNN and not to mention, Faux–will follow like puppies on a leash. –Lori Price]

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Kucinich Questions the Timing of the Syrian Attack

Timing of Attacks in Syria Questionable by Dennis Kucinich

Report: US choppers attack Syrian town + videos (updated)

Mosaic News – 10/28/08: World News from the Middle East

Dandelion Salad

Warning

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This video may contain images depicting the reality and horror of war/violence and should only be viewed by a mature audience.

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“Syria Condemns US Attack,” Dubai TV, UAE
“Victims of US Attack Mostly Cement Workers,” Syria TV, Syria
“Another Activists Boat Heading to Gaza,” Al Jazeera TV, Qatar
“Israel Releases Longest Held Female Palestinian Prisoner,” Nile TV, Egypt
“Israeli Knesset Sets Election Date,” IBA TV, Israel
“Britain and Fatwas,” Press TV, Iran
“Iran Reaches Out to GCC,” Abu Dhabi TV, UAE
“Arab World and Water Shortage,” Al Arabiya TV, UAE
Produced for Link TV by Jamal Dajani.

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Kucinich Questions the Timing of the Syrian Attack

The Trail of Broken Promises By Matt Gonzalez

By Matt Gonzalez
Ralph Nader for President in 2008
Oct 29. 2008

Watching the Democrats in the final weeks of the presidential election has been a lesson in revisionist history. While they lament the terrible crimes perpetrated against the American people by George Bush and vow to keep fighting for our rights, they conveniently gloss over the fact that they have no standing to make such claims. Indeed, the Democrats, including Senator Barack Obama, have actually voted with President Bush’s agenda, making them complicit in his acts, not valiant opponents defending our liberties.

PELOSI’S PROMISE TO END THE WAR

Democratic Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi said that if she became the speaker of the House of Representatives she would end the war in Iraq. Remember that? The Boston Globe noted, “Pelosi vows no ‘blank check’ on Iraq funds.” (1/8/07). In her own words: “If the president wants to add to this mission, he is going to have to justify it. And this is new to him, because up until now the Republican Congress has given him a blank check with no oversight, no standards, no conditions.” Rick Klein of the Globe noted “Pelosi’s comments mark the first suggestion by a Democratic congressional leader that Congress could use its authority over the nation’s finances to hasten an end to the war. Her remarks point toward an aggressive stance on Iraq from Congressional Democrats in their opening days of control of the House and Senate.”

Yet after she became the speaker of the House in Jan 2007, war appropriations actually went up by $50 billion, with no strings attached and no date for the withdrawal of troops. This year, 2008, they’ve gone up by another $25 billion for a two-year total of $350 billion, with no end in sight. So what happened to the promise of “no blank check?”

Third Party Debate 10.30.08 and VP Debate 11.02.08

Dandelion Salad

www.votenader.org/

It’s debate week!

Ralph Nader will appear tomorrow (Thursday October 30, 2008, 4:30 to 5:30 EST) in a Third Party debate at the City Club of Cleveland. Libertarian candidate Bob Barr and Constitution Party candidate Chuck Baldwin will participate in the debate. The three other electorally viable Presidential candidates have been invited.

Twelve Reasons to Reject Obama and Support Nader/McKinney

Dandelion Salad

By James Petras
October 29, 2008 “Information Clearinghouse”

The presidential elections in the US, once again, provide an acid test of the integrity and consequential conduct of US intellectuals. If it is the duty and responsibility of the public intellectual to speak truth to power, the recent statements of most of our well-known and prestigious public pundits have failed miserably.

Instead of highlighting, exposing and denouncing the reactionary foreign and domestic policies of Democratic Party candidate Senator Barack Obama, they have chosen to support him, ‘critically, offering as excuses that even ‘limited differences’ can result in positive outcomes,and that ‘Obama is the lesser evil’ and ‘creates an opportunity for a possibility of change.’

What makes these arguments untenable is the fact that Obama’s public pronouncements, his top policy advisers, and the likely policymakers in his government have openly defined a most bellicose foreign policy and a profoundly reactionary domestic economic policy totally in line with Paulson-Bush-Wall Street. On the major issues of war, peace, the economic crisis and the savaging of the US wage and salaried class, Obama promises to extend and deepen the policies which the majority of Americans reject and repudiate.

Twelve Reasons to Reject Obama

1.Obama publicly and repeatedly promises to escalate the US military intervention in Afghanistan, increasing the number of US troops, expanding their operations and engaging in systematic cross-border attacks. In other words, Obama is a greater warmonger than Bush.

“The Party’s Over?” by Cindy Sheehan

Cindy Sheehan for Congress

by Cindy Sheehan
Dandelion Salad
featured writer
Cindy Sheehan for Congress

Oct 29, 2008

The title for this piece was a very unfortunate statement that Nancy Pelosi made after she handed the banksters on Wall Street 700 billion dollars of our money. This was a whopper of a crime that bailed out fabulously wealthy people who took risks that made them rich on the way up and now again on their ways down. I don’t know about you all, but I could have a heckuva party with 700 billion dollars!

One of the corporations that has now received around 100 billion dollars in federal bailout funds is AIG. This firm has continued to party all over the country: treating its associates to fabulous retreats at taxpayer’s expense. Not only is AIG still partying hardy, but according to the Pelosi’s recent financial statement, they own between 250-500 thousand dollars in AIG stock. Can we all say, conflict of interest?

I think it’s about time that the establishment media here in San Francisco quit giving Ms. Pelosi a free pass on her unethical and non-progressive values and actions and start asking her some relevant questions. I think the new paradigm can begin this week when Nancy is on The Forum with Michael Krasny on KQED. We brainstormed a few questions that Michael could ask Pelosi…well more than a few!

• Why do you say that you are against the occupation of Iraq when you have given George Bush billions of dollars of “blank checks” to wage it?
• Why did you vote to give Bush the authorization to attack Afghanistan, when Afghanistan never attacked the US? Why did you vote for the freedom and Orwellian named stealing USA PATRIOT Act?
• What did you know about the administration’s inhumane and grisly policy of torture and when did you know it? Why did you allow it to continue?
* Why do you support the No Child Left Behind Act that is effectively destroying our education system and allows for the active recruitment of our young people by military recruiters?
• Why did you give telecoms and BushCo immunity from warrantless wiretapping? Why did you destroy our 4th amendment by the FISA Modernization Act?
• Why did you give the banksters on Wall Street 700 billion dollars when people are starving and sleeping on our streets?
• What is your plan to pump liquidity into the people’s economy to allow prosperity to gurgle up and no longer trickle up?
• Why did you take impeachment off the table when the Bush Administration have clearly committed high crimes and misdemeanors and why did you say on The View that you didn’t know of any crimes Bush had committed after Congressman Dennis Kucinich charged him with 35 impeachable offenses? What are and what will the implications be for allowing BushCo to slink off unpunished?
• Why did you cave into the Republicans and allow the ban on offshore drilling to expire?
• Why do employees in your companies not belong to labor unions? Why do you support free trade agreements that oppress workers and destroy the environment?
• Why are you claiming in campaign literature that you obtained federal funds to clean up the Hunter’s Point Naval station to help the community of Bay View, when the funds were to be used to decontaminate the area where you hope the new stadium for the 49ers will be placed?
* Why did your Congress not work to protect our elections from fraud and tampering of voting machines that can be easily compromised?
• Why haven’t you held a town hall meeting in the district since 2006 but you have the time to sell books and fund raise all over the country?
• Why won’t you debate your Congressional opponents? What are you afraid of?

I would love to tell Nancy Pelosi that her party is over, but I highly doubt that the establishment media here in San Francisco will suddenly grow some journalistic integrity and actually hold her feet to the fire where they belong.

I would also love to tell her this to her face, but like her best buddy, George Bush, she won’t face me and answer questions about issues that truly affect us all.

There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root. — Henry David Thoreau

see

Peace Activist Cindy Sheehan Seeks to Unseat Nancy Pelosi for Betraying the Constitution by Jennifer Fenton

Kucinich: It’s not a government of the banks, for the banks, by the banks

The Economy Sucks and or Collapse

Kucinich: It’s not a government of the banks, for the banks, by the banks

Kucinich2008

Dennis Kucinich on Fox’s Happy Hour 10/28/2008

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Dennis Kucinich on Americas Newsroom 10/28/2008

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Dennis Kucinich on America’s Scoreboard 10/28/2008

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What will YOU do about the worst capitalist crisis since the 1930s?

The “dirty little secret” of the US bank bailout by Barry Grey

The Economy Sucks and or Collapse

McCain-John

Palin-Sarah

Obama-Barack

Biden-Joe

Declaring Independence by Guadamour

GUADAMOUR

by Guadamour
featured writer
Dandelion Salad
Guadamour’s blog post
Oct. 29, 2008

Long  prominent national political consultant, Douglas E. Schoen makes the case of voting independent in his book Declaring Independence (Random House 2008).

A 2006 survey revealed that two thirds of Americans consider themselves “dissatisfied with the way things are going in the US.  With the current economic and financial crisis, one can only assume that number had greatly increased.

In recent polls, 60 to 80 percent of registered voters say they want an independent presidential candidate.

Independent voters now constitute the largest segment of the American electorate.

Schoen uses historical data to show how the major third party candidates in the twentieth century (Teddy Roosevelt, George Wallace, John Anderson and Ross Perot) though they did not win, had a major impact on policy.

With convincing facts Schoen demonstrated how the American public is fed up with party politics and interested in politicians who get things done for the good of the public and not for the bought party machine.  He uses as examples the Republican governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger in a predominantly Democrat state, Ted  Strickland of Ohio, a Democrat governor in a largely Republican state, and Michael Bloomberg of New York city who changed his party affiliation to get elected.

The system is rigged against Independents or third party candidates and Schoen shows this sad fact.  It is rigged by the Republicans and Democrats in conjunction with the media.

What Schoen illustrates is how the new paradigm of the internet is changing the political spectrum, and giving the independents a chance to really institute change.

Most people aren’t aware of how the Democrats systematically blocked Ralph Nader from getting on the ballot in many states in the 2004 for election through court challenges.  And yet they manage to call themselves Democrats!

Declaring Independence presents many arguments for voting third party.  The book concludes with the following three paragraphs:

A recent Battleground Poll made clear the focus of the American people.  By two to one, Americans prefer politicians who are committed to find “practicable, workable solutions” versus ones who are defined by the strength of their “values and convictions.”

Americans see threats from a broad and diminished expectations at home. They believe their children’s future will be less bright than their own.  Above all, they are not interested in confrontation and polarization.  They are more focused on solutions.  A third-party or independent candidate can drive that message home. He or she can run a campaign that focuses on ending corruption in Washington, crafting bipartisan solutions to the great challenges facing our nation, and strengthening the country’s international position. An effective third-party candidacy can generate important debates on these questions–as third parties have done in America for nearly two centuries.

Of course, there is and always has been an alternative.  The two-parties can wake up to this reality and respond to it themselves.  The choice and the solution are in their hands.  What they decide will go a long way toward determining the nation’s political future.  The ball is in their court.

Schoen’s book focuses too much on national politics and not on state and local politics.  The book does focus on Jesse Ventura, the Independent governor of Minnesota.  It does not, however, show how independent movements throughout the country can be brought together on a national level to bring a new focus to the country.

The case can be made, though it is not made by Schoen that one Independent candidate in a major race can change the face of American politics.   It should be noted that Independent candidate in 2008 is Cindy Sheehan challenging Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in San Francisco’s Congressional seat.

see

High Time to Boycott Elections by Reza Fiyouzat

Zinn Will Vote for Nader!

Peace Activist Cindy Sheehan Seeks to Unseat Nancy Pelosi for Betraying the Constitution by Jennifer Fenton

Open Letter to Hon. Ron Paul Supporters by Zahir Ebrahim

Ralph Nader Posts & Videos

McCain-John

Palin-Sarah

Obama-Barack

Biden-Joe

Kucinich Questions the Timing of the Syrian Attack

Vote it up on current

Kucinich2008

Dennis Kucinich on CNN 10/28/2008

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Timing of Attacks in Syria Questionable by Dennis Kucinich + Amateur footage of raid

Report: US choppers attack Syrian town + videos (updated)

Pakistan quake catastrophe

AlJazeeraEnglish

29 Oct 08

Rescue efforts are under way in southwestern Pakistan after a powerful earthquake hit the region. More than 150 people are confirmed dead. The 6.4 magnitude earthquake has flattened hundreds of mud and timber houses. The epicentre of the quake was 60km from Quetta near the valley of Zairat. Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder reports.

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McGhosts and Ogoblins by Rosemary and Walter Brasch

by Rosemary and Walter Brasch
featured writers
Dandelion Salad
www.walterbrasch.com
Oct 29, 2008

There are a lot of scary things in this world, but one of the scariest is that Halloween and the Presidential election are only five days apart. It’s hard to miss the parallel between tricks-and-treats and the promises-and-panderings of politicians masquerading as the most caring, most vital, most sincere candidate. While standing behind their lapel flag buttons, they are quick to dress their opponents in something less patriotic.

The Republican right wing wants to dress Barack Obama as a socialist terrorist, putting on him a large black beard, a kufi hat and abaya robe. Instead of handing out candy, these wing nuts have Obama handing out dollar bills, which he stole from hard-working conservative millionaires.

The Right Wing doesn’t say much about Joe Biden, knowing he’s sharper than any of the candidates about foreign affairs, but he does occasionally put a foot in his mouth. Maybe they can dress him as a podiatrist.

The Democrats want to glue John McCain to George W. Bush, and parade them door-to-door as conjoined twins. Assuming that isn’t acceptable to McCain—at least now—maybe the Democrats can dress McCain as a Mission: Impossible tape recorder, knowing at some point he’ll self-destruct.

It shouldn’t be too hard to find a costume for Sarah Palin. During the past two months, the Republicans spent $150,000 on clothes for her and her family, plus at least $23,000 for makeup. After figuring out that the nation is in a Recession, that most Americans don’t even earn $170,000 in three years—and that some outraged Americans found out about her shopping spree—Palin spun out and claimed that the clothes really aren’t hers and will be donated after the election, most probably to starving Republican day traders. For Halloween, and for a truly scary appearance, maybe Mooseburger could remove all the makeup and lipstick her handlers put on her to make salivating middle-aged men believe that outward beauty is an acceptable cover-up to inner vacuousness.

While large numbers of wolves, polar bears, and moose have been seen registering to vote, hoping that Palin wins and leaves their state, Palin is busy stalking Dick Cheney’s footprint, hoping to continue her mind-meld with him.

And speaking of Cheney, a nice costume for him might be a repaired heart, assuming he had one. But, since he has again suddenly disappeared from sight, he might be dressed as the Ghost of America Thankfully Past.

Ralph Nader, who has good ideas, hardly any media coverage, and absolutely no chance to be president, could wear a large fluorescent green leaf, and carry an organic sign—“Hey, I’m over here!”

Bob Barr is running for president on the Libertarian ticket. He is an NRA board member and was once a conservative Republican who led the impeachment of Bill Clinton. Lately, he’s been on an extended speaking tour for the ACLU. Perhaps we could dress him as the Statue of Liberty, a rifle in one hand and what’s left of a shredded Constitution fiercely clutched in his other hand.

There are more than 200 other third-party and independent candidates. It would be far too expensive to give them all individual costumes, so why not dress each of them as sheep on steroids, bleating to be free of the pack, and hoping to attract voters who are disgusted with the policies and candidates of the Democratic and Republic parties.

We’re not scared about the voters. They’ll do whatever it is that voters do for whatever reasons they do it. We’re scared about what happens to their votes after they’re crunched by pro-Bush Republican-dominated Diebold, the company that manufactures most electronic voting machines in the country.

Like 300 million other Americans and several billion in other countries, we’re scared about the economy. You know, the one that was spurred by a combination of greed, incompetence, and lack of governmental regulation. Children and their parents are all going to be trick-or-treating this Halloween, hoping there are still some families that have extra food to give to those who may soon become homeless.

Finally, we’re really scared that in a few months we’ll all hear George W. Bush and Dick Cheney tell us, “We’re Baaaack!”

[Rosemary Brasch is a former Red Cross national disaster family services specialist, secretary, union grievance officer, and labor studies instructor. Walter Brasch’s latest book is the second edition of Sinking the Ship of State: The Presidency of George W. Bush, available at amazon.com, bn.com and other stores. You may contact Brasch at brasch@bloomu.edu or through his website at: www.walterbrasch.com]

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Ralph Nader Posts & Videos

McCain-John

Palin-Sarah

Obama-Barack

Biden-Joe

The Economy Sucks and or Collapse

Voter Suppression Voting Rights

Obama: Change You Can Believe In–Not Part 2: Foreign Policy

by Kellia Ramares
Speaking Truth to Power
Oct 28, 2008

[In Part Two of her series on an Obama presidency, Kellia Ramares reveals appalling connections between Obama and his foreign policy advisors that spell anything but change in America’s imperial, geopolitical relationships.–CB]

What is behind US-Taliban talks?

Dandelion Salad

by Alex Lantier
http://www.wsws.org
29 October 2008

Yesterday the Wall Street Journal reported on US plans to open direct negotiations with Taliban leaders in Afghanistan. The fact that the Journal, a conservative financial paper, broke the story shows that it was not a journalistic exposé, but a deliberate public declaration of a shift in state policy.

According to the Journal, “The US is actively considering talks with elements of the Taliban, the armed Islamist group that once ruled Afghanistan and sheltered al-Qaeda, in a major policy shift that would have been unthinkable a few months ago.” It reported that such talks were included in a “draft recommendation in a classified White House assessment of US strategy in Afghanistan.”

These plans seek to address a serious deterioration of the US position in Afghanistan. Violence has spread through the country and into neighboring tribal areas of Pakistan, whose US-backed government has been discredited by its acquiescence in US bombings and ground incursions into Pakistan against Taliban militants. The US war on the Taliban has also antagonized important US allies that helped the US organize the Taliban militias in the interests of US pipeline politics in the mid-1990s: the Saudi clerical establishment and Pakistan’s powerful military espionage agency, Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI).

[…]

via What is behind US-Taliban talks?

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High Time to Boycott Elections by Reza Fiyouzat + Debate Remix

Dandelion Salad

by Reza Fiyouzat
Dissident Voice
October 28th, 2008

How long shall we allow the system to kick us in the head, take our money, insult us after taking our money, and still expect us to participate in its frauds? With every passing year, the differences between the two ruling political parties in the U.S. diminish further, and their outlook, conduct and even advertising campaigns merge so much so that their members can be mistaken one for the other.

Zinn Will Vote for Nader!

Dandelion Salad

Reposted with permission by the author, thanks, Manila.   ~ Lo

By Manila Ryce
The Largest Minority (no longer available)
Oct 28, 2008

Image by Dandelion Salad via Flickr

Zinn Won’t be Voting for Obama After All

This letter to Ralph Nader retracts Professor Zinn’s previous endorsement of Obama. He gave us permission to publish it.