The Blogging of the President: 2004 details are as follows: “The time of the show is Sunday, Jan 25, from 9pm-11pm EST (check your local listings to be sure). Guests include Atrios, Andrew Sullivan, Gary Hart, The list of the stations is here. If you don’t live in one of these areas (final list will be posted tomorrow), you can stream from a lot of these over the web:” It’s a call-in show so give the country your what-for. I’ll be recording the show with Audio Hijack Pro.

The highest grade (an "A+") went to U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), who said last May that he supports medical marijuana "without reservation." Following close behind in the grading were former Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun (D-IL) -- receiving an "A" -- and U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) -- with an "A-" -- both of whom indicated support for federal medical marijuana legislation. On the next tier were retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark (D-AR) -- earning a "B+" -- and the Rev. Al Sharpton (D-NY) -- earning a "B" -- who also pledged to stop the raids.

Front-runner and former Governor Howard Dean (D-VT) received a "D-."

originally posted by xowie

But George McGovern was right by James Carroll.

originally posted by xowie

Dennis Kucinich: the Kuro5hin interview.

originally posted by xowie

Terror Alert Level

Clark's net worth (between $3 million and $3.5 million, according to his campaign spokesman) is far less than the assets of Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), who, with his wife, is worth an estimated $500 million. According to news accounts, the net worth of other Democratic candidates ranges from $13 million to $60 million for Sen. John Edwards (N.C.); $2.2 million to $5 million for former Vermont governor Howard Dean; and $2,000 to $32,000 for Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (Ohio).

Clark's Earnings Are Way Up (washingtonpost.com). (Thanks, linus.)

Here's the story Arnold doesn't want you to hear. The biggest single threat to Ken Lay and the electricity lords is a private lawsuit filed last year under California's unique Civil Code provision 17200, the "Unfair Business Practices Act." This litigation, heading to trial now in Los Angeles, would make the power companies return the $9 billion they filched from California electricity and gas customers.

It takes real cojones to bring such a suit. Who's the plaintiff taking on the bad guys? Cruz Bustamante, Lieutenant Governor and reluctant leading candidate against Schwarzenegger.

Now follow the action. One month after Cruz brings suit, Enron's Lay calls an emergency secret meeting in L.A. of his political buck-buddies, including Arnold. Their plan, to undercut Davis (according to Enron memos) and "solve" the energy crisis -- that is, make the Bustamante legal threat go away.

How can that be done? Follow the trail with me.

While Bustamante's kicking Enron butt in court, the Davis Administration is simultaneously demanding that George Bush's energy regulators order the $9 billion refund. Don't hold your breath: Bush's Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is headed by a guy proposed by … Ken Lay.

But Bush's boys on the commission have a problem. The evidence against the electricity barons is rock solid: fraudulent reporting of sales transactions, megawatt "laundering," fake power delivery scheduling and straight out conspiracy (including meetings in hotel rooms).

So the Bush commissioners cook up a terrific scheme: charge the companies with conspiracy but offer them, behind closed doors, deals in which they have to pay only two cents on each dollar they filched.

Problem: the slap-on-the-wrist refunds won't sail if the Governor of California won't play along. Solution: Re-call the Governor.

Either Greg Palast is a liar or we've all been hoodwinked.

"I have the image of a guard on each side grabbing one arm and lifting both feet off the ground, and the legs are scrambling for purchase on the ground, and hence kinked like a frog's — but that's just my mental image," says Mike Agnes, editor in chief of Webster's New World Dictionaries.

Hop, Two, Three, Four: Frog-Marching Into the Lexicon (washingtonpost.com)

originally posted by xowie

There is a certain xenophobia operating within the United States, and this is just a part of it.

John Dean thinks Bush makes Nixon look good. Is lying about the reason for a war an impeachable offense?

originally posted by xowie

Back at the Factory, things are going well. We make cockroach-size crucifixes, recliner chairs, beer, pornography, weapons of mass entertainment, extortion contracts, legislation to prevent justice, boots, arm bands, bumper stickers, baseballs, moms, apple pies, potato chips, depleted uranium ammo casings, soda pop, paraquat, genocide-silencers, cotton candy, bunker busters, embedded reporters, Cheer, Joy, thalidomide, Snickers, cyclamates, saccharine and talking anchorpuppets.

originally posted by xowie

And now, Charlton Heston is stepping down as the High Lord Gunmaster Poobah (or whatever they called him) of the phallically righteous increasingly paranoid adorably manly National Rifle Association. They are sighing in tribute. They are hugging each other and giving reassuring pats though not in an icky scary gay way. They are raising their rifles in salute.

originally posted by xowie

"Mr. President, you're asking for $76 billion to pay for this war, and you'll probably go back to Congress to ask for more. Given the fact that there'll be severe deficits for as long as you are President, why not let your tax cut slide?"

"You offered an attractive bribe to Turkey in exchange for permission to use Turkey as a base from which to invade Northern Iraq. Was the vote of the Turkish parliament to refuse the offer an example of the democracy you're trying to establish in the Middle East?"

"How did you expect to win international approval for your plan to invade Iraq when you have repeatedly told the rest of the world that the United States is ready to act alone in virtually every field, as witnessed by your withdrawal from international treaties and agreements having to do with the environment, war crimes and other matters that the rest of the world considers important?"

"Mr. President, at your news conference last month, you mentioned the Sept. 11 attacks no fewer than eight times, even though no one asked you about Sept. 11 -- they were asking you about the invasion of Iraq. The Sept. 11 attacks were carried out by al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden. Will you please elaborate on the connection, if any, between Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden, who, if his videotapes are to be believed, has about as much affinity for Saddam Hussein as you do?"

"Mr. President, you have spent billions of dollars on homeland security to see the nation's capital paralyzed by a North Carolina tobacco farmer driving his tractor onto the Mall. Did [Homeland Security] Secretary [Tom] Ridge miss a memo or two?"

"Does pre-emptive military action without provocation set a bad example for other countries who can claim actual provocation? India and Pakistan over Kashmir, for example. Greece and Turkey over Cyprus. South Korea, provoked almost daily by North Korea."

"And speaking of North Korea, Mr. President, who is the worse dictator -- Saddam Hussein or Kim Il Jong?"

"Kim is weeks away from turning North Korea into a nuclear power if he hasn't already done so. Saddam only dreams of becoming a nuclear power, so why is he a bigger priority than Kim? And why don't you send your so-called precision bombers to take out the one plant in North Korea that you know to be a potential source of nuclear weapons?"

"When I interviewed your wife, Mr. President, she said the best byproduct of ousting the Taliban from Afghanistan was the liberation of Afghan women. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told me the same thing when I asked him what the U.S. achieved in its war in Afghanistan. If the liberation of Arab women is so important to your administration, then why is the United States not invading Saudi Arabia?"

"Sir, would you say your policy of non-involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is working out? If so, for whom?"

"Is it possible that the war in Iraq will result in regime change in Great Britain?"

>>help save us. we're completely fucked.

Brother Jim,

I believe in you and your fellow citizens. I have met them and spoken with them and they are, like yourself, good people. Sure, you feel completely fucked right now but ask yourself this: how will they sell the invasion of North Korea or Syria or Iran to the American people after this? The Bush Administration has shot its bolt. My guess is that in two or three weeks time, Rumsfeld will be gone and a new set of priorities will emerge from a chastened White House.

I can understand how you would feel powerless in the face of the war party. The tide is flowing in their direction right now. Soon though, this will change. Reach over their heads to the people of the world - find a way to manifest that barn-raising tradition. Creative carterism is what we need now from the American people, to counter the belligerence of Bush and Blair. Don't give up your country to those people.

Love,
Brother Bill

originally posted by xowie

[....] a small number of anti-Muslim American soldiers endanger their brothers-in-arms and tarnish the reputation of American soldiers generally.

The New York Times: Channels of Influence, Paul Krugman.

Bushologists let out a collective "Aha!" when Clear Channel was revealed to be behind the pro-war rallies, because the company's top management has a history with George W. Bush. The vice chairman of Clear Channel is Tom Hicks, whose name may be familiar to readers of this column. When Mr. Bush was governor of Texas, Mr. Hicks was chairman of the University of Texas Investment Management Company, called Utimco, and Clear Channel's chairman, Lowry Mays, was on its board. Under Mr. Hicks, Utimco placed much of the university's endowment under the management of companies with strong Republican Party or Bush family ties. In 1998 Mr. Hicks purchased the Texas Rangers in a deal that made Mr. Bush a multimillionaire.

By almost any measure of civilised attainment, from Nobel prize-counts on down, the US leads the world by miles. You would think that a country with such resources, and such a field of talent, would be able to elect a leader of the highest quality. Yet, what has happened? At the end of all the primaries and party caucuses, the speeches and the televised debates, after a year or more of non-stop electioneering bustle, who, out of that entire population of 300 million, emerges at the top of the heap? George Bush.

originally posted by xowie

The Bush doctrine is built on two pillars: (1) The United States will do everything in its power to maintain its unquestioned military supremacy; and (2) the United States arrogates the right to preemptive action.

These pillars support two classes of sovereignty: American sovereignty, which takes precedence over international treaties and obligations, and the sovereignty of all other states. This is reminiscent of George Orwell's Animal Farm: All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. To be sure, the Bush doctrine is not stated starkly; it is buried in Orwellian doublespeak. The doublespeak is needed because the doctrine contradicts American values.

At his news conference last week, George W. Bush broke a 43-year tradition by failing to call on Helen Thomas, now of the Hearst Syndicate, who has been asking questions at presidential news conferences since 1960. Thomas is openly critical of this administration, and particularly of this war. Afraid to take a question from an 82-year-old woman? Bush has no class. Equally disgusting was the White house press corps' failure to respond to the insult. What makes that bunch of smug chumps think it won't be done to any one of them?

originally posted by xowie

In a carefully orchestrated move, the International Development Secretary contacted the BBC's Westminster Hour programme early yesterday afternoon to tell them she wanted to go on air. The delighted producers lined her up, but even Andrew Rawnsley, the show's host, could not believe the ferocity of her remarks as she warned darkly of the threat to Mr Blair's "future, position and place in history".

originally posted by xowie

When one of the protest leaders, Jodie Evans of Venice, Calif., tore off her full-length pink slip and presented it to Mrs. Clinton, the senator walked out.
"I am the senator from New York," she said, "and I will not put people's security at risk."
"But you are," the demonstrators shouted at her as she exited.

originally posted by xowie

Occasionally he would stare blankly into space during lengthy pauses between statements -- pauses that once or twice threatened to be endless. There were times when it seemed every sentence Bush spoke was of the same duration and delivered in the same dour monotone, giving his comments a numbing, soporific aura. Watching him was like counting sheep.

originally posted by xowie

He says he couldn't do anything with the Israelis and the Palestinians "because I'm against everybody and I can't take a side". Nor can the man who found so many snappy couplets and delightful tunes in impending nuclear doom see any toe-tapping inspiration in September 11, the invasion of Iraq, or the thing he seems most keen to talk about the Columbia space shuttle explosion. "They are calling it a disaster instead of a screw-up, which is all it was. They're calling these people heroes. The Columbia isn't a disaster. The disaster is that they're continuing this stupid program."

originally posted by daiichi

My long experience with human nature - I'm 80 years old now - suggests that it is possible that fascism, not democracy, is the natural state. Indeed, democracy is the special condition - a condition we will be called upon to defend in the coming years. That will be enormously difficult because the combination of the corporation, the military and the complete investiture of the flag with mass spectator sports has set up a pre-fascistic atmosphere in America already.

originally posted by xowie

"Congressman Kucinich has been at work thinking about a lot of these issues, and his votes reflect a thoughtful journey," said NARAL President Kate Michelman. "I do accept, and I do welcome, that he believes the right to choose is fundamental."

originally posted by xowie

Why does Bush pronounce it “nuc-yoo-ler”? (fark)

originally posted by daiichi

We should all take a nice long look at the Big Game on Sunday in San Diego -- because it may be the last one we'll see for a while, at least until the War ends ... Ho ho. That is a nasty thought, as thoughts go, but it is the melancholy truth. Certainly it will be the last peacetime Super Bowl for another five years, maybe more ... But by then we will all be wearing uniforms, of one kind or another, and only the "Trusted Travelers" among us will be allowed to come and go as we please -- within reasonable military limits, of course, as long as we don't make waves and never gather in groups of more than three, and don't spit.

originally posted by daiichi

Draft Impeachment Resolution Against President George W. Bush by Prof. Francis Boyle, University of Illinois School of Law.

originally posted by daiichi

"There are so many issues facing the gay community I don’t think a gun club is the answer or is even something that automatically gives us respect," says longtime local gay activist Randy Pesqueira. "I don’t think you necessarily project strength with a gun. In a way, you lose something; you’re becoming like the fanatics who hate you." Then he paused and continued, "That being said, I absolutely understand where this is coming from. I mean, myself, part of me has always fantasized about gays having this really cool vigilante group that would take care of all of our enemies."

originally posted by xowie

The Beast 50 Most Loathsome People in America, 2002

originally posted by daiichi

The Club has chosen to invoke its internal policing power mainly against members who have pushed for the Club to adopt more robust environmental policies: ending livestock grazing, mining and logging on public lands; backing Ralph Nader and the Green Party; or opposing the sell-out of Yosemite National Park to a corrupt firm linked to Bruce Babbitt.

originally posted by daiichi

In an edition of his Hop Hop Political Newsletter which is unfortunately not online, Davey D makes a crucial point about Trent Lott’s wildly offensive remarks at a birthday bash for Strom Thurmond.

It will be interesting to see how the media references his remarks when mentioning his name. In other words there’s a tendency to always make mention of past transgressions when speaking about African American leaders even if the events or remarks were made 20 years ago. I still read newspapers where Jesse Jackson’s off color 1984 ‘hymie town’ remarks are made mention. Al Sharpton and the Tawana Brawly case are seemingly always in the same sentence. The word ‘anti-Semite and NOI leader Louis Farrakhan are always made to go hand and hand. I’ve heard apologies and explanations from these individuals just like Lott and his folks are trying to explain his ‘poor choice’ of words. My question is will Trent Lott go back to simply being the Senate Majority Leader or will he be forever known as the Trent Lott the Senate Majority Leader the ‘Jim Crow Law Supporter’? Will we start referring to Trent Lott as a bigot or will he still be viewed as a distinguished United State’s Senator who leads the Senate?

Today's Democratic Party is less a party than an entrenched Washington apparatus, which operates as a sort of simulacrum of itself, bellowing the names of past icons, while it carries on the business of responding to the interests of one lobby group or another.

originally posted by daiichi

Direct from Phil Agre’s RRE, “several astounding articles about the coming election in Florida”

• [www.miami.com/mld/miami...](http://www.miami.com/mld/miami/news/local/4417139.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp)
• [www.bradenton.com/mld/brade...](http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/local/4416249.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp)
• [www.law.com/jsp/print...](http://www.law.com/jsp/printerfriendly.jsp?c=LawArticle&t=PrinterFriendlyArticle&cid=1032128852568)
• http://newtimesbpb.com/issues/2002-10-31/news2.html/1/index.html
• http://www.salon.com/politics/feature/2002/11/01/lists/print.html
• http://www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/11/01/elec02.florida.voters/

Ladies and gentlemen, we've done it. The Buy Bush a PlayStation Campaign has collected $370, enough to send the commander-in-chief a PlayStation 2 with all the trimmings. Thanks again to everyone who made this protest possible with your donations, ideas and support.

Over the next couple of days, I will begin the very serious business of buying the PS2, making the proper arrangements with the White House's office of presidential correspondence so that the Secret Service doesn't tear it apart, and turning the whole thing into a photo essay for your edification and amusement

Death in the Family by Judith Lewis.

originally posted by daiichi

How could a Ralph Nader story be interesting? He has been turned into the national scold, just as I am referred to as the national gadfly (I assume that's because 'intellectual' is too difficult a word to spell). He has been made the bore of all time.... But he's not boring, he's presented as a bore, as a nag. [The corporate media] have made him the bore of all time. [They] could just as easily have made him interesting, but it did not serve the purposes of General Motors -- the first big corporation to go to war against him -- so he's really marginalized.

Now when you get somebody really exciting who talks about change, like Jesse Jackson, they start playing hardball. Imagine smearing him as an anti-Semite? I can imagine as anti-white you might make a case -- but an anti-Semite is about as wild as you could get from Jesse Jackson. But the point is, "Eliminate him!", "Eliminate him!". You get rid of anybody who wants to make change.

George W. Bush just started campaigning under the banner of a new slogan, "Real Plans for Real People," the WP notes. Today's Papers can't help but notice the similarity to the Beef Council's old slogan, "Real Food for Real People." If the new Bush catchphrase doesn't work out, TP has a recommendation for another meat-inspired one: "Bush: The Other White Candidate."