Is Ron Paul crazy?

Is he crazy?

"I'd like to get rid of the IRS, I'd like to get rid of the Income Tax... abolish it."

Many republicans hate "big government"... (really they just hate government and regulation and accountability of any sort) but how often to we get to really see what would happen if we took good ol' Uncle Sam away?

Taxation, for the sake of taxation, is not good. Nor is spending for the sake of spending. What is considered prudent is a justifiable taxation to cover the appropriate spending in the country that will lead to maximized well-being of the economy. Jobs need to be created and inflation needs to be kept to a minimum.

Do people like Ron Paul have the answer? Here he is on Meet The Press with Tim Russert.

• Tim Russert: "What would happen to all those lost revenues? How would we fund our government?"
• Ron Paul: "We have to cut spending. We can't get rid of the Income Tax if we don't get rid of some spending. ... if we got rid of the Income Tax today, we'd have about as much revenue as had ton years ago, and the size of government wasn't all that bad ten years ago. And there's sources of revenue other than the income tax. You have tariff, excise taxes, highway fees, user fees, there's still a lot of money [coming in] but the real problem is spending. But, we lived a long time in this country without an income tax, up until 1913 we didn't have it."
• Russert: "But if you eliminate the Income Tax, do you know how much lost revenue that would be?"
• Ron Paul: "... um, a lot.. but uhh..."
• Russert: "Over a trillion dollars."
• Ron Paul: "... um, uh, that's good, I mean, but, we could save hundreds of millions of dollars if we had a sensible foreign policy. If you're going to be the Policeman of the World, you need that. "

Ron Paul has some good points, but he, along with many other Conservatives, seem to forget that Government has some responsibilities towards the people of the United States.

Let us ask, “What are the responsibilities of government?”

We can answer this question by first looking at the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution to determine the obligations of government.

The Declaration of Independence in 1776 provided the following foundation for the right of government to exist:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed....

The Declaration of Independence goes on to say that the new government would lay its foundation:

…on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

From this document it is clear that the Founding Fathers of our country saw government as an essential vehicle for citizens to

• achieve justice,
• obtain security,
• and to pursue happiness.

After winning the War of Independence our Founding Fathers gathered again in 1787 to write the Constitution for our new government. Their philosophy and role of this new government is stated in the first paragraph, i.e. the preamble, of the Constitution of the United States :

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

The specific responsibilities of the government of the United States are important enough, and misunderstood enough, to warrant repeating:

• Form a more perfect union.
• Establish justice.
• Insure domestic tranquility.
• Provide for the common defense.
• Promote the general welfare.
• Secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.

In determining if government is functioning in a responsible manner, we need merely compare current actions with those ideals and standards stated in these two historic documents.

An excerpt from the body of the Constitution might also be of assistance in determining whether government is acting is a responsible manner in specific situations.

Article I Section 8 states:

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes…to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States … (and)
To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States…

From both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution it is clear that the federal government has an obligation to do what it can to promote the general welfare of citizens, and to assure that future generations will inherit a nation that provides justice, liberty, and the protection of the general welfare. It is clear that Congress can levy taxes and regulate interstate commerce in order to fulfill these obligations.

Is government, our Declaration of Independence and the Constitution something that can be dismissed so flippantly that we are to consider putting an extremist into the White House?

Oregon Soldiers That Died In Iraq ... So Far

Total Dead US Soldiers: 3195

Total Oregon Soldiers Killed: 64

Some say the Surge is working. What they leave out is that it is only working in comparison to the recent months. Why don’t you decide? See for yourself. Notice where the last 2 months are with respect to the immediate preceding months, some would say that’s successful. Then compare the last two months to the last couple years. Is this success? Is this what we, as the mighty American military, (yes I served… as an Airborne Ranger) seek to accomplish? Is this the best we got?

As our troopies die, our politicians lie. While the right lies, the left waffles and fumbles. History, obviously, shows that we need to loose another 1,000 soldiers before the public stops turning a numb ear and eye to what is happening. 1,000 more soldiers have to die in order for the heat to be turned up before our politicians start acting in accordance with civility and honesty. 1,000 more will have to die before we really ever pull out.

Close to 60,000 U.S. soldiers died in Vietnam before we pulled out. As long as the public continues to stay ignorant we will continue to be on the receiving end of Blowback.

The right will never admit that the U.S. had anything to do with 9/11. They will never mention that we propped up the Mujadeen during the Soviet-Afghan war, that we supplied bin Laden with arms. That we were the one's who left Afghanistan in complete shambles after the Soviets pulled out in 1991.

The right will never mention that the U.S.'s "washing our hands" as we left pissed off bin Laden and the Freedom Fighters, otherwise known as "insurgents" who were fighting a hostile invading army. The right will never tell you what bin Laden's explanation was for 9/11. No, to do so points the finger back at us. There is no excuse for what happened, but if you are ignorant to history and our "enemy's" perception, then we are truly an empirical hubris society based on ethnocentrism.

Read your history people. Why did 9/11 happen? Do you really believe what the neo-conservatives tell you? That the fanatical Muslims hate us because we’re “Christians,” that they hate our “freedom.”

Enough of the Kool-Aide. Enough of the killing. Enough of the conservatives and their deficit spending for foreign policies that result in more Americans dying.

Oregon Total Killed In Action 64. Listed by city.

Astoria
Browning, Brian A.
Private 1st Class
06-Feb-2007

Beaverton
Nettles, Marcques J.
Petty Officer 3rd Class
02-Apr-2006

Bend
Newman, Randy Lee
Lance Corporal
20-Aug-2006

Brownsville
Moothart, Travis A.
Sergeant
27-Jan-2004

Clackamas
Jensen, Drew N.
Captain
07-Sep-2007

Coos Bay
Stacy, Steven A.
Lance Corporal
05-Jul-2007

Corvallis
Fennerty, Sean P.
Sergeant
20-Jan-2007

Corvallis
Blickenstaff, Joseph M.
Specialist
08-Dec-2003

Corvallis
McKinley, Eric S.
Specialist
13-Jun-2004

Corvallis
McMahon, Graham M.
Corporal
19-Sep-2007

Elgin
Zyla, Michael S.
Staff Sergeant
13-Dec-2005

Estacada
Loveless, Jeremy M.
Corporal
29-May-2006

Eugene
Thornton, Steven W.
Major
18-Apr-2005

Eugene
Whitman, Chase R.
Specialist
08-May-2004

Grants Pass
Schill, Juan M. Garcia
Lance Corporal
01-Jul-2007

Gresham
Rogers, Philip G.
Specialist
04-Apr-2004

Gresham
Plumondore, Adam J.
Sergeant
16-Feb-2005

Hammond
Mitts, David A.
Sergeant
04-Dec-2004

Hillsboro
Walton, Brett Andre
Private 1st Class
09-Apr-2007

Hood River/Ashland
Simpson, Jacob M.
Sergeant
16-May-2005

Hood River/Ashland
Lee, Marc A.
Petty Officer 2nd Class
02-Aug-2006

Independence
Kesterson, Erik C.
Chief Warrant Officer
15-Nov-2003

Independence
Wiens, Kory D.
Corporal
06-Jul-2007

Keizer
Hill, Ryan J.
Private 1st Class
20-Jan-2007

Klamath Falls
Van Leuven, Gary F.
Lance Corporal
17-Apr-2004

Klamath Falls
Kelly, Bryan P.
Lance Corporal
16-Jul-2004

Klamath Falls
Rodriguez, Dominic N.
Specialist
22-Jun-2007

La Grande
Warren, Mark C.
Sergeant 1st Class
31-Jan-2005

Lebanon
Davis, Kevin Dewayne
Staff Sergeant
08-Apr-2005

Madras
Tucker, Thomas Lowell
Private 1st Class
16-Jun-2006

Medford
Leckel, Daniel A.
Specialist
25-Jul-2007

Milwaukee
Jones, Robert L.
Specialist
17-Jun-2006

Multnomah County
Bradachnall, Travis J.
Corporal
02-Jul-2003

Newport
Wessel, Kevin S. K.
Private 1st Class
19-Apr-2005

Newport
Roberts, Bob W.
Lance Corporal
17-May-2004

Newport
Lightner, Nicholas J.
Sergeant
21-Mar-2007

North Bend
Elizalde, Adrian M.
Sergeant 1st Class
23-Aug-2007

Otis
Vaughan, Michael L.
Sergeant
23-Apr-2007

Pendleton
Stever, Robert Anthony
Staff Sergeant
08-Apr-2003

Portland
McCrae, Erik S.
1st Lieutenant
04-Jun-2004

Portland
Linden, Justin W.
Specialist
04-Jun-2004

Portland
Ramirez, William C.
Private 1st Class
11-Feb-2004

Portland
Wesley, Christopher Jude Rivera
Specialist
08-Dec-2003

Portland
Johnson, David W.
Sergeant
25-Sep-2004

Portland
Kent, Aaron A.
Seaman
23-Apr-2005

Portland
Tobler, Brandon Scott
Specialist
22-Mar-2003

Portland
Weisenburg, David J.
Staff Sergeant
13-Sep-2004

Portland
Henkes II, Richard J.
Sergeant 1st Class
03-Sep-2006

Portland
Haag, Chase A.
Corporal
01-Oct-2006

Redmond
Peterson, Dale G.
Lance Corporal
23-Apr-2007

Roseburg
Moore, James Lee
Corporal
26-Jan-2005

Roseburg
Bright, Dean
Private 1st Class
04-Oct-2006

Salem
Eyerly, Justin L.
Sergeant
04-Jun-2004

Salem
Jones, Derek W.
Lance Corporal
08-Oct-2006

Scappoose
Windsor, Nathanial Dain
Lance Corporal
11-Mar-2007

Sheridan
Isenberg, Benjamin W.
Sergeant
13-Sep-2004

Sherwood
Contreras, Aaron Joseph
Captain
30-Mar-2003

Stayton
Walker, Ryan D.
Specialist
05-Jan-2006

Tangent
Troyer, Tyler J.
Lance Corporal
19-Nov-2005

Tualatin
Gibson, Brennan C.
Sergeant
10-Dec-2006

Umatilla
Huston Jr., James B.
Lance Corporal
02-Jul-2004

Veneta
Kenny, Joseph P.
Specialist
23-Jun-2007

Warrenton/Cornelius
Leisten, Ken W.
Private 1st Class
28-Jul-2004

Winston
Rockholt Jr., Ricky W.
Specialist
28-Apr-2005

Charlie Wilson's War

A movie is coming out Friday called Charlie Wilson's War. Charlie's a Congressman who helps in the U.S. funding of the Afghan Mujahideen Freedom Fighters who are fighting the invading Soviets. Think of Mr. Smith goes to Ho Chi Minh to help fight Imperialist Americans, but with mustaches and Vodka.

Slate's review on the movie Staring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

You can read up on Charlie here.

For those of you who don't know about the U.S.'s connection and propping up of bin Laden, it might help for you to read some history.

• 1979 – US supplies Stinger missiles and tons of ammunition to fight the Russians, 6 months before the Russians invade.


• 1979 - USSR goes to war with Afghanistan after US manages to get the damn thing rolling. Those in Afghanistan are known as Islamic fundamentalist Mujahideen insurgents. (note key word… “insurgents”)


• 1989 February – Russians withdrawl.


• 1991 – The Soviet Afghan war leads to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Over 1 million Afghans were killed. Among the Afghans killed there were also 3 million Afghans maimed or wounded who were mostly citizens. There were also 1.2 million Afghans disabled consisting of Mujahideen as well as citizens.

Irrigation systems, crucial to an arid country like Afghanistan had been destroyed by aerial bombing and strafing. In the worst year of the war, 1985, according to a survey conducted by Swedish relief experts, well over half of all the farmers who remained in Afghanistan had their fields bombed, and over a 1/4 had their irrigation systems destroyed and their livestock shot by Soviet or Afghan Communist troops.

The population of Afghanistan's second largest city, Kandahar, had been reduced from 200,000 before the war to no more than 25,000 inhabitants, following a months-long campaign carpet bombing and bulldozing by the Soviets in 1987.

Land mines had killed 25,000 Afghans during the war and another 10-15 million land mines, most planted by Soviets and the Afghan government sources, were left scattered throughout the countryside to kill and maim.

The US decided not to help with reconstruction of the country and instead the US handed over the interests of the country to its allies: Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Pakistan quickly took advantage of their new charitable opportunity and forged relations with warlords and later the Taliban to secure trade interests and routes.

A more little history of the war

Bush signs bill to increase fuel efficiency

He thanks congressional Democrats for higher vehicle mileage standards, other measures. Future agreement on further energy-saving policies will be elusive.

President Bush on Wednesday signed an energy bill designed to cut U.S. dependence on overseas oil by imposing the biggest increase in fuel-efficiency standards in 32 years and mandating a fivefold increase in the use of home-grown biofuels.

"Today we make a major step toward reducing our dependence on oil, confronting global climate change, expanding the production of renewable fuels and giving future generations of our country a nation that is stronger, cleaner and more secure," Bush said in a ceremony at the Department of Energy.

People want fuel efficient vehicles that are good for the environment, good for the world and cheaper on our pocketbook.

This emphasis on biofuels and ethanol has raised the price of corn from $2.40/bushel to $4.00/bushel, helping out corn farmers. The ethanol industry helps out with the bottom line for farmers, allowing them to continue making a living.

But as we have all discussed, biofuels that are based on corn, a food source for biped mammals, is not an efficient fuel source. It puts us in a position to choose fuel over food. Not a good idea. Much better to have a fuel source that does not compete with the production of baby food. Corn is simply not the most efficient way to make ethanol. Switchgrass has consistently been referred to as a more efficient and viable source of biofuel.

On the surface, this is a move in the right direction. It's not often that we can see our government doing the right thing.

Unfortunately this will contribute to a lull or stall in the dependence of wind energy. A more productive energy bill would be all encompassing, including wind, solar and cow farts.

You can read about Bush's fuel efficiency bill here

ANd read what AlJazeera has to say about Bush

Bill Moyers Journal and Keith Olbermann

The Bill Moyers Journal.

Is Keith Olbermann doing the same Ad Hominem attacks that the right does? You betchya, he fesses up and explains why.

"I'm only going to report the Dodger scores when they win." Here is an awesome interview between Bill and Keith Olbermann. Left Right or Middle, you gotta see what he has to say.

Can you say "Scandal Fatigue?"

Part I


Part II

Sicko... a must see

As Fox News said... "Filmmaker Michael Moore's brilliant and uplifting new documentary, "Sicko," deals with the failings of the U.S. healthcare system, "

#1 - Michael Moore has put on a tremendous amount of weight. He has a perpetual frown on his face, as if Bill O'Reilly is in the room... permanently and just doesn't represent the U.S. all that well. Well, now that I think about it, since over 30% of our country is a bunch of fatties, I guess he does represent us.

#2 If you haven't seen this video yet, I highly suggest renting it. Although my experience, at Kaiser, has been nothing short of excellent, Moore shines a light on the many problems that are inherent in our health care industry. Primarily insurance companies who must decide between profit and helping people. They are the proverbial middleman that should be put to rest.

Not only is it about those without any health insurance, it's also about those with insurance who find out that they are ultimately not covered. The insurance companies are running a racket and they are more focused on maximizing profits for their shareholders, "the only way they can do that is by screwing their [memebers]."

Sicko presents, a simple “compare-and-contrast” exercise where he shows “our way, the American way”, and “another way,” i.e. Canada, France, Britain and even Cuba. The difference is that, in those countries, where much of the second half of “Sicko” takes place, the state provides free medical care.

Unfortunately, neo-conservatives of all walks of life blather on about buzz words such as "Socialized Medicine" almost as much as they do about Clinton's penis.

"Squaaak. Clinton's Penis, Clinton's Penis. Squaaak."

Moore draws a beautiful picture of the direct connection between politicians, yes he drags in the democrats too, and big money from insurance. The self serving acts of our politicians is so systemic it's enough to make one want to move to Canada, or even Cuba... I hear it's warmer there. Viva Che!

As Moore points out, our government seems to run the police, fire department, postal service and schools rather well, why not Universal Healthcare? Canada, England, France and even Cuba for Christ's sake all have Universal FREE Health Care, why not the U.S.? But for some reason, neo-conservatives continue to be in bed with big insurance companies because of their love (greed) of big money.

There is yet a candidate or politician that has the balls and conviction to stand up for the common man, to put an end to exploitive practices from organizations that choose profit over doing the right thing such as actually helping people.

The one thing that anti-government neo-conservatives fail to realize is a little tiny thing learned in econ 101 called Market Failure. It just so happens that nobody really likes to talk about the government's role in market failure, which is to actually step in for the betterment of everyone's welfare. The free market does not work for the betterment of society when our health care is based on the choice of profit over health.

As Rolling Stone put it: “First, Moore shows us how France, England, Canada and – yikes! – Cuba actually help sick people instead of letting them wither and die for lack of health insurance. Then he instructs us to loot those places for ideas. Anti-American? Hell, no. Moore argues that if another country builds a better car, we buy it. If it crafts a better wine, we drink it. Why not free universal health care?”

See 'SiCKO' for Free:
December 29th at 2:00 PM in Bonham, Texas

January 5th, Vaughan, Ontario, Canada

Sicko Movie Trailer

NO HOSPITAL BILLS. IT'S FREE


Moore on Bill Mahar!

Mike Huckabee Denies Evolution on Bill Maher

"Bill... I believe God created the heavens and the Earth. Now, how he did it, I don't know. I thought the question was utterly silly to be asked in a presidential debate. None of us are running in order to be an 8th grade science teacher. We're running to be president. It's really not a proper yes or no question. ..."

Bill is just AWESOME.



Huckabee, an ordaned minister, running for president, doesn't believe in evolution.


Republicans and evolution.

Right Wing Agenda O'Reilly and Fox

O'Reilly does a beautiful job of restraining any attempt of his viewers to take advantage of history and it's lessons.



But Phil is no Jeremy Glick.

Ron Paul and O'Reilly Factor Duke It Out

"... our policy is doing everything conceivable to enhance Iran. The invasion of Iraq has helped Iran. … you’re concerned about the wrong country right now because more than half of the Al Qaeda that are committing suicide in Iraq right now are Saudis. …

“.. the Al Qaeda is growing because of our national policy. Our national security is threatened because of our [foreign] policy. … We’ve been fighting the Iranians since 1953, we overthrew their government through the CIA in 1953, we were allies with Saddam Hussien in the 1980s and we encouraged him to invade Iran…”

“ . They [Iran] don’t have a weapon, they’re not likely to get one in 10 years and that’s according to our CIA… It’s our policy of pre-emptive, deliberate invasions of other countries that has jeopardized our country.”

Does Ron Paul Have A Point?

. "The [Republican] party has lost it's way because the conservative wing of the Republican party always advocated a noninterventionist foreign policy. No Nation Building, No Policing of the world. Republicans were elected to end the Korean War, Republicans were elected to end the Vietnam War [Nixon]. There's a strong tradition of being anti war in the Republican party, it's the Constitutional position, it is the advice of the founders to follow a noninterventionist foreign policy, stay out of entangling alliances, be friends with countries, negotiate and talk with them and trade with them."

"... our foreign policy has what the CIA calls Blowback, it has unintended consequences. You can go back to 1953 when we put the Shah into power, supporting Osama bin Laden and radicalizing the Islamics to go after the Soviets, and that comes back as blowback….”
“… Peace is a powerful message. Especially after the war has been going on and people wake up and realize how many people die and how much it costs. Logic tells us that you can make a better world in a much easier way than war.”

Ron Paul

Bill Maher on Jesus Camp

A wonderful discussion on Christianity in Bill Maher's camp.



Remember Reverend Haggard, buying meth from gay prostitute?


Ouch! Another Reverend lies and snorts and lies some more... right after having gay sex with a prostitute... not that there's anything wrong with it.

Mormons are even weird by other religious standards

Yes, the American Indians ARE the lost tribe of Israel. ... if you believe in DNA testing.

American Indians are Jews

What? You don't think so? Well it says it right there in THE BOOK OF MORMON.


And be sure to check out what these guys are up to ExposingMormonism.blogspot.com/

The Mormon Cartoon... Yes, You Too Can Be A God

For a brief run down on Mormonism and magic rocks click here. With an open mind, I'm sure you'll come to the same conclusion that most non Mormons have come to.



Remember what was buried in Joseph Smith's back yard? Let's see, it was a sword, a compass-like, a breastplate and two stones that Joseph Smith referred to as the Urim and Thummim. These were buried in a hill near his home. Now, posession of the Urim and Thummim, or... magic stones/glasses were to help Smith (or anyone) translate THE BOOK OF MORMON, which was written in Reformed Egyption, into English.


Who is David Whitmer? He's the one who said that Smith would, "Put the Seer Stone into a hat.. " in order to read THE BOOK OF MORMON. It's a chocolate colored egg shaped stone and suddenly... magic happens.

Don't you just love religion?

House passes ban on waterboarding - Congressman Jerrold Nadler speaks

In a nutshell... no more waterboarding. Looks like neoconservatives will have to find a new hobby.

Congressman Jerrold Nadler who represents New York’s Eighth Congressional district speaks on Waterboarding.

“This bill extends the interrogations standards in the U.S. Army field manual to all interrogations conducted in the custody or effective control of any element in the intelligence community.”



From the Congressman's own blog -- “On Wednesday, the House adopted H.R. 4156, the Orderly and Responsible Iraq Redeployment Appropriations Act. By passing this bill, we declared that the time has come for our troops to redeploy out of Iraq, and, just as important, we affirmed America's values and our respect for the rule of law. This measure includes language drawn from legislation authored by myself and Rep. Delahunt that would ensure a single, uniform, baseline standard for all interrogations conducted on persons in the custody or effective control of the U.S. Government.

Our bill, H.R. 4114, the American Anti-Torture Act of 2007, would extend the first part of the McCain Amendment, which requires the Department of Defense to comply with the interrogation standards set forth in the Army Field Manual, to all government agencies. This would include the CIA -- the agency reportedly responsible for carrying out the Administration's "enhanced" or "alternate" interrogation program and for operating secret overseas prisons. Simply put, this language says once and for all no more torture and no more waterboarding. No more clever wordplay, no more evasive answers, and no more uncertainty with regard to what is allowed and what is not.

We do not need torture as an available instrument of interrogation. At a recent hearing in my Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, expert interrogator Steve Kleinman, Col., US Air Force Reserve, testified that torture yields unreliable information and that the Army Field Manual provides sufficient guidance for effective interrogation. Other military experts, including General David Petraeus, similarly have spoken out against torture and in favor of the Army Field Manual's standards of conduct.

Torture, including practices like waterboarding, violates the legal and moral standards of all civilized nations. While the notion that torture works has been glorified in television shows and movies, the simple truth is this: torture has never been an effective interrogation method. The language we adopted last night helps restore the honor of the United States, and forces the Administration to act in a manner consistent with the Constitution. Torture fails to make us safe, but it certainly makes us less free.”

Congressman Nadler is the Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Mike Huckabee: Women's Role In Marriage... Submit To Their Husbands

On Dec. 10th, the Daily Kos reported: "In August of 1998, Huckabee was one of 131 signatories to a full page USA Today Ad which declared: "I affirm the statement on the family issued by the 1998 Southern Baptist Convention." What was in the family statement from the SBC? "A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ." "

Another Republican for justice. Another Republican religious wingnut for a staunch patriarchy.

Republican Huckabee Called for Quarantining Aids patients

"Isolating the carrier?" Does Huckabee dance around what he said or is everyone just trying to pin him against the wall?

Back in 1985 the center for disease control said that AIDs could not get aids by casual contact, yet he wanted to “barbwire” the dirty aids people and he even opposed federal funding to find a cure for aids. He also said gays were a sinful lifestyle.

Imagine that. I never thought a republican Baptist would ever say such a thing.

What ever happened to the ideals of Reagan?

Brave, Moral and Just Presidential candidates understand what it's like to nuke civilians.

Mr. 9/11 man

Thank God for Tom Tomorrow!

The difference between Pre-emptive vs. Preventive war

Let's make an important distinction between pre-emptive war and preventive war.

Pre-emptive war is what happens when a state targets an enemy that represents an imminent threat of attack. The Six-Day War was a pre-emptive war.

Preventive war is what happens when a state targets an enemy before they can become an imminent threat of attack. The attack on Pearl Harbor was a preventive war.

Here's why this is important:
The war against Iraq was justified primarily as a pre-emptive war. But now the WMD are nowhere to be found.

Am I glad that Saddam is gone? Absolutely. I was in favor of regime change before, during, and after the war. It was enough for me that he had links to that thug Arafat's terror organization. After all, the Bush Doctrine is clear: if you support terrorists, you are a terrorist.

Had POTUS sold it in those terms, I think the American public would have bought it.

But if it turns out that the intel on WMD was cooked, or if it turns out that top-level administration officials lied, or if it turns out that POTUS wanted a preventive war along, but knew we wouldn't buy it, then I fear we've lost more than we gained.



http://www.rubyan.com/politics/2003/06/the_difference_between_preempt.html

Don't tread on me - Sweet Emotion

Some awesome quotes from Paul.

Brothel Owner Supports Ron Paul

Well, you gotta love this story. The Bunny Ranch is raising money on line to support Ron Paul.

Republican Debates Nov. 28

Is Giuliani exploiting 9/11 to propel himself into the White House?



Gay General, ex Special Forces, served 42 years, asks why neocons have problems with fags in uniform. I love his answer after the candidates responded, "... with all due respect, I did not get an answer from the candidates... American men and women in the military are professional enough to serve with gays... Today, 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' is destructive to our military policy. Every day the Dept. of Defense discharges two people, not for misconduct...but simply because they happen to be gay. Doctors, pilots, surgeons..."



Here's a good question. Will the candidates repay the $2 Trillion borrowed from Social Security?



ok, well worth watching Romney and Rudy go at it over Mitt's illegal Mexican house cleaner.


More on the "American Dream" and illegal Mexicans.


Is Waterboarding Torture? Duhhhhh. Jesus Christ, Mitt looks good but he just does not answer the goddamn question and he acts like he just did us a freaking favor. Oh, but McCain rips him a new Mormon asshole!


How do they feel about the commitment to the people in Iraq?



AND.. Davis Fleetwood sums up the entire evening. I like this guy. Scruffy, but he's ok.


And.. Where was Chuck Norris during the debates? I knew I saw him in one of the videos I saw. Swear to god. Watching Romney's hairsprayed head explode and then there's Chuck... "No way!" I'm thinking. Sure enough...

It Really, Truly Is Politics as Usual

You can't help but like what Gravel has to say. What he has to say is relevant to both sides of the party fence. In reference to Hillary and Obama, "they're not qualified." He's like our own Ron Paul. I can't stand neocons, but how can you not like Ron Paul on some of the issues? Would be great to get Gravel and Paul together in a debate.



Gravel's talking points: Gay Marriage and more...

WHAT A BUNCH OF LIARS... can't blame the necon's if they jumped all over this

Left or Right, Hippy or Fascist Neocon, you gotta get a load of what went down at the Vegas Democratic Debate. Wolf Blitzer continuously saying, "undecided voters," regarding the people who asked the questions... they were all planted there. Gotta give them credit for thinking along the Karl Rovian line, but Jesus... is there no honesty in politics? Is this the best we have on the left?

Fucking Liars.

power to the people vs give peace a chance

You find some of the most interesting things on Digg.com. Guess who Mike Gravel is.



... ok, the more I learn about this guy, the more I like him. Give the ol' Senator a listen. Yeah he's kookie, but they guy is man enough to call the rest of the sandbox gang liars... and lookie see at what the Democratic party did him, they 86d him. For what? Telling the truth?


Mike's website.

And for those of you who hate Hillary, here's Mike telling her "your lips are moving but your lying" and "she's ignorant, she's ignorant!" "You cannot take a country and say they're terrorists." ... this guy's worth listening to.



Here's an interview with Gareth Porter. You'll want to turn up the volume.

all that you give - cinematic orchestra with Fontella Bass

The Heroic Image of Giuliani is Not Giuliani

You can read the original post here at NewsAndPolicy.com.

The story of New York's city, of the falling crime rates and the rapid recovery from 9-11 has become Rudi Giuliani's story.

But it's a tale that New Yorkers argue simply isn't true.

Not for 100 years has a city mayor been elected president. Giuliani says his record in New York qualifies him to run the country but may become more of an embarrassment than a selling point.

He calls himself America's mayor and voters everywhere feel a personal connection to the man they think stood up for them and for the whole country on 9-11.

But he wants be a tough guy too. The one whose tough polices and zero tolerance policing slashed crime rates in New York.

Giuliani's campaign revolves around 9-11. He claims that other candidates underestimate the terror threat, that only he will keep America safe.

But, despite many warnings, he did almost nothing to prepare New York for an attack. He admits that on September 11 he didn't know who Al Qaeda was.

At Ground Zero today they are still digging the foundations for the new freedom tower. Before 9-11 the one thing Giuliani had done was to build himself, right next to this site, an emergency command centre

Giuliani spent $60m on the command centre in the World Trade Centre. He installed a humidor for his cigars, monogrammed towels in bathroom, even had private elevator which was handy when he brought his mistress here at the weekends. But he also installed a 600 gallon fuel tank which meant that when burning debris hit the building it went up like a blowtorch.

So Giuliani found himself wandering the streets because he had ignored advice to put his command centre safely underground in Brooklyn. Insisting instead it had to be near City hall.

The World Trade Centre was an obvious terror target. It was also bombed in 1993. Then fire-fighters found their radios didn't work inside the towers.

By 2001 Giuliani had not fixed the problem. So as the towers were collapsing, 121 firemen inside never heard the order to evacuate.

Fire-fighters promise that if Giuliani wins the Republican nomination they will follow his campaign around the country telling their side of the story. [you should really see the firefighter's video]

With his presidential bid so focussed on 9-11 they could do him serious damage.
New York is centre stage in this presidential election. The frontrunners in both parties are based here. So it is New Yorkers that know them best. That may not be to Giuliani's advantage.

Bush protecting America from Zombies. "They should be eatin' U.S. Beef!"

"They are a threat to your children David...."

Debate '08: Obama Girls vs Giuliani Girls

The "I Got a Crush... on Obama" video was first posted on YouTube in June 2007 featuring a young hottie seductively singing of her love for Senator of Illinois Barack Obama. Actress and model Amber Lee Ettinger lip-synched the song for the video, and Leah Kauffman (the girl behind the "My Box in a Box" video) provided the vocals.

The concept was the brainchild of 32-year-old advertising executive Ben Relles. "I Got A Crush On Obama" was co-written and produced by Rick Friedrich. Thank you Ben!! Now let's see some more... oh there's more, keep reading.


In May, 2007 Ben Relles placed an ad on the online Craigslist, seeking a music video director. The ad was answered by filmmakers Kevin Arbouet and Larry Strong. Filming began later that same day in New York. Arbouet and Strong co-directed and shot the entire video in about six hours, but the whole film project took about two to three weeks to complete.

The video hit YouTube and had over a thousand views within the first five hours of its posting. By the second day of its posting the American news media had taken notice of the video's growing popularity. Relles, Ettinger and Kauffman were featured on many television news programs.



When asked about the video by the Des Moines Register on June 18, 2007, Obama said, "It's just one more example of the fertile imagination of the internet. More stuff like this will be popping up all the time." Oh! COME ON BORAK... you got a hottie like this strutting around, (lip) singing a song to you in Daisy Duke shorts saying that she has a crush on you and that's the best you can do?

Of course Obama's campaign people have stated they had nothing to do with the video's creation. Well Duhhhh, politicians are usually pretty lame when it comes to marketing like this. Kauffman and Ettinger confirmed this during their June 15, 2007 appearance on Fox & Friends, where they said that the video was not made for support of Barack Obama in his campaign but rather for fun. They also expressed interest in making more videos of the same genre for other candidates of other parties as well. And boy have they EVER.. Keep reading and clicking!

The creators of the "I Got a Crush on Obama" sold two shirts and the red shorts used in the video in an eBay auction. One of the shirts garnered $1000. Proceeds from the auction were donated to the Philadelphia Committee to End Homelessness. ... I heard they bought a ton of twinkies and Ho-Hos! mmmmmm.... Ho-Hos.

Obama told the Associated Press that the Obama Girl video had upset his daughters and said, "You do wish people would think about what impact their actions have on kids and families." Yeah whatevah...



The new Obama Girl video was released on July 16, 2007. This video featured "Obamagirl" Amber Lee Ettinger (I'm in love with you Amber) and two of her friends, played by Amina Sade and Sena Khoda, debating through the song with a trio of girls, Adelina Kristina, Ashley Beach (granddaughter of Republican Senator James Broyhill and Rebecca DiPietro, supporting Rudy Giuliani. God it's a great vid! Way better than the first one. Check it out, you'll love it.

A look at the Democratic candidates - Dennis Kucinich

Most people have no idea who the candidates are or what they stand for. The economic studies behind elections have shown that money doesn’t play as big a role in the result of elections as most people would expect. It actually comes down to a popularity contest.

However not all candidates can win a popularity contest. Well, let’s take a look at each candidate, one at a time, to see who they are and what they are about.

Dennis Kucinich

History - elected mayor of Cleveland in 1977 on the promise to save the city’s municipally-owned electric system which offered customers significantly lower rates than the private utility. A year later, Cleveland’s banks demanded that he sell the city’s 70 year-old municipally-owned electric system to its private competitor (in which the banks had a financial interest) as a precondition of extending credit to the city.

The attempted political blackmail failed as did several assassination attempts. He remembered his parents counting out coins on the dresser and refused to sell the people’s power. In an incident unprecedented in modern American politics, the Cleveland banks plunged the city into default for a mere $15 million despite being offered triple collateral to protect the loan.

The principled stand destroyed his political career. He lost his reelection bid. He was demonized as the mayor who threw Cleveland into default. Fifteen years later, the citizens of Cleveland - recognizing he had saved them hundreds of millions of dollars in municipal power bills and also forced the private utility to keep bills low to compete – voted him into the Ohio Senate.

Congressman In 1996, Dennis unseated a two-term Republican incumbent. He has followed that narrow victory by winning 60 to 70% of the votes in the following elections. Much of those vote totals were achieved because of outstanding constituent services and his successful efforts to save a local steel mill, two neighborhood hospitals and 10th District cities a dramatic - and disruptive - increase in train traffic.

At the same time his reputation as a progressive leader in the Congress grew. He was voted the chair of the Progressive Caucus because of his passionate commitment to peace, human rights, workers rights, economic justice and the environment.

In 2002 the second great challenge of his elected career occurred. After analyzing the “evidence” presented by the Administration in its rush to folly in Iraq and actually reading the National Intelligence Estimate, he stepped forward to help lead 125 Democrats in voting against the blank check for the President to wage an illegal, immoral and ineffective war.

Peace & War: Portrays himself as a “peace candidate” who differentiates between defense (Article 51) and offense (Iraq war). Dennis Kucinich is the only democrat running for President who has voted against authorizing the war in Iraq and against funding its continuation. He has proposed a bold, new policy to re-establish America's place in the world.

Health Care: He has HR-676 The Conyers Kucinich bill to establish a universal not for profit health care system. He says everyone else’s plans keeps Americans at the mercy of the insurance companies. Says it’s the single most important economic issue confronting American families which is lack of affordability and lack of access to health care.

Health care in the US is too expensive and leaves 46 million Americans without insurance and millions more underinsured. Dennis Kucinich is the only candidate for President with a plan for a Universal, Single-Payer, Not-for-Profit health care system.




IMPEACHMENT: Congressman Kucinich has also been trying to get VP Cheney impeached. House Resolution 333 accuses Cheney deliberately manipulating intelligence and deceiving the public to build support for the invasion in Iraq and now Iran. Democratic leaders say that impeachment is OFF THE TABLE, yet over 54% of the public would like to impeach Cheney.

The articles of impeachment site that Vice President Cheney lied about WMDs, citing that Iraq was related to Al Queda. The resolution is against Vice President Cheney and not President Bush because Vice President Cheney led the field of lies and if President Bush was impeached before Vice President Cheny, then we’re all screwed.

He says that there is no explanation on behalf of the Democratic leaders in the face of all the bullshit that’s gone on. Senator Kucinich repeatedly states that “The war was based on lies.” Yet, the democratic leaders do nothing about it. Why?





Dennis’ wife, Elizabeth Kucinich

Is not only a ftotal fox, she’s a total British fox! Being a Yank, I just totally love their arrogently proper and articulatly phrased speechin capabilities. She came from London and received her Bachelor's degree in Religious Studies and Theology and a Master's degree in International Conflict Analysis. Her final exam for her Master's was on "Conflict Resolution in World Politics".

In 1996 she went to India to volunteer at one of Mother Teresa's homes for India's poorest children. Upon earning her bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Kent, she spent 16 months in a rural Tanzanian village and worked as an advocate for regional development and then volunteered with a British Red Cross refugee unit.

Elizabeth, the red headed fox, earned a certificate in Peace Studies from Coventry University; and got a job as a fund-raiser for a seafarer's charity in London. Her volunteer work often brought her to the House of Lords. She married Dennis Kucinich in 2005.
Elizabeth has a great presence and would make an awesome first lady.

LAS VEGAS NEVADA CNN Democrat Debate.. more than just Hillary and Obama

Have you people been keeping up with the Democrat debates? Do you even know who's running other than Clinton, Edwards and Obama? And, who's the fox Campbell Brown? Did they pick her up from the Fox network?

Part I. Illegal Immigration, Clinton "asbestos pantsuit," Obama hits Clinton "not a straight shooter, Clinton again about universal health coverage, Obama again on health care, Clinton again... I think they are doing this on purpose so that the other candidates don't get any time on the air. Am I crazy? Look for yourself. Where were we.. oh, the big talk over each other, people applaud and yell from the audience,.. Obama defends on health care. Next is Edwards, slams Bush, applause, slams Clinton on the war, Social Security "not do anything about the cap" then "raise the cap," Clinton defends.. Biden shakes his head, see how it goes? they take up the time so the other candidates don't get a chance, then the "republican playbook mud throwing mud statement." Wolf FINALLY gets Sen. Biden to speak who comically plays up the victim part, understandably so, "American people don't give a darn about what's going on up here, sub-prime mortgage and son in Iraq." "I'm not going to criticize the three people who always get to talk at these things." people laugh. "It's about Action! Who's going to deal with Pakistan?"

Part II. Biden finishes his speech, "35 years experience, passed crime act..." people clap.. they like him. Clinton accused of flip flopping, yes on Yuka Mt., Yes on the war, Edwards defends "difference between saying two things at the same time" accuses Clinton of speaking with Forked Tongue. Edwards talks about rigged and corrupt elections, "35 million went hungry last year." Senator Chris Dodd, the older guy with the white hair, finally gets to speak. So far we've heard from 4 out of 8 people so far, Dodd's the 5th. "Going to have to get the job done" talks about "the job not being done." "Americans want a president who can lead the country, important to focus on the issues." Then Gov. Bill Richardson, Gov. of New Mexico, speaks. He's the darker one, black hair, Richardson is the Mexican (PAY ATTENTION TO THIS MAN, He's Well worth listening to and nobodies talking about him). Richardson jokes about him not getting any time, people laugh. He goes after all of them, "John wants to start a class war, Borack want's to start a generation war, Clinton doesn't want to end a war and all I want to do is give peace a chance." He questions our plans, on the war, on health care, economic growth. "Let's stop mud slinging, let's debate the issues." AMEN BILL! Wolf asks if they will support the Democratic nominee. Edwards - Yes, Chris Dodd - Yes, Clinton - Yes, Obama - Yes, Kucinich "only if they oppose war as an instrument of policy." Amen brotha! Richardson - Yes, Biden - "HELL No, I wouldn't support any of these guys." ... Biden's plan of joking is rubbing off on me. The next president (all presidents) are voted in by people that like them.. .not on the issues, not on the money. Likabilitynees is the key. Hottie Campbell asks Obama about illegals.

This is the good part. Wolf asks Obama if he supports drivers licenses to illegals. Obama talks... blah blah blah, says the drivers license is a distraction, "they are here to work." Wolf tries again, Obama uses too many words, I understand what he's saying but Wolf wants an 8th grade answer, "this is the kind of question that's available for a yes or a no answer." The public goes wild with laughter. Wolf s

Part II. Wolfe asks Edwards on the drivers licenses for illegals. Edwards says... um, I missed his answer. Sen. Chris Dodd is next, talks... Wolf, "Is that a Yes or No?" .. I think it was a No. Wolf then goes to Obama, "Yes" Wolf tries to go on but Obama holds on. "Fighting for immigration reform." Clinton "No." Kucinich "take issue with the word 'illegal' they are undocumented, says to Cancel Nafta and renegotiate trade agreement with Mexico. Give people pat to legal immigration." Wolf presses, then moves on to Gov. Bill Richardson from NM, "Yes, and I did it. Congress failed to pass immigration. It's a matter of public safety, want more people to be insured. Before 33% of the Mexicans were uninsured, today it's 11%. Stronger relationship with Mexico." Wolf goes on to Sen. Biden, "No." people clap.

John Roberts asks Sen. Chris Dodd about problem with education, can't terminate bad employees because of teachers unions. "What's wrong with paying a good teacher more?" .. good question. Dodd differentiates between rich kids and poor kids progress and teachers who put in 150%. "This is the most important issue!" He's right. "We spend less than 5% of the National Budget on education!" He rants and raves about No Child Left Behind, people love it. He names off his track record. "We aught to have one single debate on education." He's right.

Wolf, goes to Kucinich, talks about the unions. Kucinich basically supports the unions... not an absolute. Unions do not represent workers, they represent themselves. That's not Kucinich speaking, that's me speaking. Wolf asks Gov. Bill Richardson the same thing. Richardson, "Minimum wage of $40,000/year, junk No Child Left Behind, Full Day Kindergarten, hire 100,000 math and science teachers, need college education policy that deals with these huge loans, wants to be the educational president." This man has a lot of good things to say!

Wolf goes on to "Merit Pay" for great teachers, asks Clinton. "I support school base Merit Pay." ... don't know what it means. .... She talks, blah blah blah. Wolf tries to get at the heart of the issue since they are always dodging. "Reward good teachers?" Clinton doesn't answer, says to weed out the bad. "Object to Bush administration." Wolf wants to hear Biden. Biden's wife is a teacher. "Should an excellent teacher be given Merit Pay?

hmmm, can't find part 4.

Part V. Sen. Chris Dodd says National Security is more important than human rights. Clinton agrees completely. (This is stupid, why should it be one or the other?) John Roberts asks Gov. Bill Richardson about Surge. Is it working? Bill Richardson says "No, we have 3800 dead, 60,000 wounded, get the troops out, leave no troops behind." Wolf asks Kucinich if surge is working. Kucinich says no. Says, "democrats in congress haven't done the right thing, not to give Bush another dime!" You Go Kucinich! Mentions how our role in Iraq has played into all of this violence.

Wolf asks Obama, "is Petraeus’ strategy working?" Obama uses more words again, but... "overall strategy has failed." "I will bring this war to a close, talk to friends and enemies." The Fox Campbell Brown asks Kucinich about toys from China, "do the people who voted to open trade relations in China bear responsibilities for what's going on?" Listen up... Kucinich gave an excellent answer, but it's late and I have to go have dinner. Just watch! He goes after John and says "he new better!" The audience loves it! Edwards sticks and moves, talks and talks... I liked Edwards more before watching this debate. He's giving stereotypical answers that politicians are known for.

Part VII. Can't find 6. Hottie Brown asks Clinton about the gender card. Clinton says "she is being attacked because "I'm ahead." The audience loves it. "I feel very comfortable in the kitchen..." Good answer.

Part 8. All the candidates are now seated. Now the voters get to ask questions. ... uh oh... first contestant is Christopher, an Iraq War vet, 3 tours, they ask about going to war in Iran. Chris agrees it’s a mistake to go into Iran. She wants to know what the democratic contenders think. Joe Biden goes first… lots of words for a mom who’s concerned her son. … I like Biden, but too many words. Slams Bush, but yaddy yaddy yaddy. Doesn’t answer her question. Clinton was the only one who voted for the resolution. … I don’t think Wolf likes Clinton. .. She talks… good God she keeps talking. Too many words for the common man. Edwards is next. “Thank you Christopher.” … he scores points. “It’s important to stop Bush, Cheney and the Neocons..” Amen Brotha! Obama is next… following in Edwards footsteps of thanking Christopher. … more words, these guys forget they’re talking to a mom who’s the average American. They don’t listen and they don’t address the specific issue. They answer with their prepared answers… which reminds me of what happened to Ms. Teen S. Carolina.

Can’t find part 9.

Part 10.

Part 11. Question about the supreme court and abortion. Good question and good answers.

Part 12. .. Diamonds or Pearls.

All good stuff. Do your due diligence and watch the debates.

"Dennis Kucinich, you voted against the Patriot Act" ...."Thats because I read it"

Although he received the least amount of time of any of the seven Democratic Presidential candidates during last night's CNN debate -- less than six minutes of the two hours -- Dennis Kucinich made the most of it with crisp answers to questions about the war in Iraq, China Trade, the Patriot Act and other issues.

This is well worth watching, whether you like the guy or not. In fact, it's good to watch all of the candidates in action.

Nutshell Issue - The United State's Next Attorney General

What's Going On

The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a Tuesday vote for the president's choice to be America's next Attorney General, retired federal judge Michael Mukasey.

The Issue

Mukasey's stance on torture. Some Democrats on the Judiciary committee say they will vote against Mukasey because of concern about his testimony regarding an interrogation technique that could be considered torture.

Some History

In 1984 the Convention Against Torture was created in order to set a global precident for the treatment of other human beings during a time of conflict. Their opening statement is as follows:

"Considering that, in accordance with the principles proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations, recognition of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world, Recognizing that those rights derive from the inherent dignity of the human person, Considering the obligation of States under the Charter, in particular Article 55, to promote universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms..."

135 Nations, including The United States, have ratified this precident. At the convention they have defined torture as "severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions."

These words... these statments were supposed to mean something when they were put forth. At the time, they were to help guide us during harsh times of war when we tend to forget such ideals.

Back to the Attorney General.

Alberto Gonzales was appointed to the post as Attorney General in February 2005 by President George W. Bush. Under Gonzales's leadership, the Justice Department and the FBI have been accused of improperly, and illegally, using the USA PATRIOT Act to uncover personal information about U.S. citizens.

Gonzales' inability to explain his role and influence in the dismissal of seven U.S. attorneys led several members of the United States Congress from both major political parties to call for his resignation. Through his testimony before Congress on issues ranging from the Patriot Act to U.S. Attorney firings, Gonzales commonly admitted ignorance.

For example, in response to a Washington Post article which stated that Gonzales was told about FBI violations involving the Patriot Act, Justice officials "could not immediately determine whether Gonzales read any of the FBI reports in 2005 and 2006"

On August 27, 2007 Gonzales announced his resignation as Attorney General, effective September 17, 2007.


Which leads us to the next Attorney General appointed by George W. Bush, Michael Mukasey. On September 16, 2007, various publications reported that Mukasey accepted Bush's offer to replace Alberto Gonzales as the Attorney General.

As of November 1, 2007 five senators –

• Christopher Dodd of Connecticut,
• Joseph Biden of Delaware,
• John Kerry of Massachusetts,
• Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts
• and Bernie Sanders of Vermont

had all announced their intention to vote against Mukasey's confirmation due to concerns about his stance on torture. Mukasey's confirmation as attorney general next week will apparently hinge on his refusal to state that water-boarding (drowning torture) is indeed torture.

The Senate Judiciary Committee vote on Michael Mukasey's nomination is scheduled for Tuesday, November 6, 2007. The announcement came a day after Mukasey replied via letter to the committee, to questions and requests for clarification.

Leahy and the other nine Democratic committee members had indicated the week before, via letter, to Mukasey that they were "deeply troubled by your refusal to state unequivocally that waterboarding is illegal during your confirmation hearing..."

By holding an unusual Oval Office meeting with journalists on November 1, 2007, President Bush signaled his concern that the nomination which was previously judged to be a sure bet, is in peril, primarily over what is and is not considered illegal torture.

Mukasey has refused to state an unequivocal legal position on the interrogation technique known as waterboarding

There are several concerns on multiple levels, the first and foremost being why does Mukasey not admit that waterboarding is torture? A follow up question would be why do so many people think it's acceptable for Americans to conduct torture when the history of our own country has shown that it is a deplorable act that the American people and historical American governments have defined as being unacceptable.

The CIA claims that they do not utilize torture, yet they still conduct water-boarding in the pursuit of their own goals. Yet, Senator John McCain, himself a torture victim during the Vietnam War, states that water-boarding is a "very exquisite torture" that should be outlawed.

Counterterrorism consultant Malcolm Nance trains soldiers on water-boarding so that they will know what to expect if they are ever captured. Nance states that water-boarding is indeed torture and goes against everything that the United States stands for.

... yet sycophants continue to parrot that it is ok to torture.

Yet what of our own Constitution? What of the Geneva Convention? What of the 1984 Convention Against Torture that the US has signed on board with?

Are ideals and morals something to be shelved when it is too inconvenient to grapple with as our cognitive dissonance prevails? Do we set these same values next to our coffee, to be pulled down and presented as virtues that we hold sacred only when we are pointing the fingers at others that are in the way of our economic growth?

How hard is it for us as Americans to walk the moral talk?

Torture And The Law. Which One Are Americans Above?

First, it would be prudent to question if our policies regarding torture come from a valid source? If we are going to be dismissive of such strong concepts as torture, would it not be proper to delve into the fundamental principles that hold our society together?

If this is the case, then we must ask, “should we or should we not adhere to the precepts that lie within the Geneva Conventions?” Below is Article 3 of the 1949 Geneva Convention document. It's rather interesting, care to look?

Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War
Adopted on 12 August 1949 by the Diplomatic Conference for the Establishment of International Conventions for the Protection of Victims of War, held in Geneva from 21 April to 12 August, 1949

Article 3
"In the case of armed conflict not of an international character occurring in the territory of one of the High Contracting Parties, each party to the conflict shall be bound to apply, as a minimum, the following provisions:

1. Persons taking no active part in the hostilities, including members of armed forces who have laid down their arms and those placed hors de combat by sickness, wounds, detention, or any other cause, shall in all circumstances be treated humanely, without any adverse distinction founded on race, colour, religion or faith, sex, birth or wealth, or any other similar criteria.
To this end the following acts are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever with respect to the above-mentioned persons:
(a) Violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture;
(b) Taking of hostages;
(c) Outrages upon personal dignity, in particular, humiliating and degrading treatment;
(d) The passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples.

2. The wounded and sick shall be collected and cared for.
An impartial humanitarian body, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, may offer its services to the Parties to the conflict.
The Parties to the conflict should further endeavour to bring into force, by means of special agreements, all or part of the other provisions of the present Convention.
The application of the preceding provisions shall not affect the legal status of the Parties to the conflict. "

Pretty powerful words. In fact, so powerful the they were accepted by all Western Nations at the time. ... at least in print. Gandhi had an intersting explanation about how Article 3 was to set standards for soldiers in the treatment of others on the battlefield.

As Gandhi said in reference to Article VI of the Geneva Conventions
“In general, common article 3 is implemented by setting standards in military manuals, by offering training to armed forces of humanitarian laws, enacting national legislations and by fixing accountability on individuals who are responsible for violating common article 3.”

Second, would it not be prudent to review the laws of our country? Should we or should we not adhere to the Articles within our own U.S. Constitution? Specifically Article VI.

The U.S. Constitution
Article VI
"... This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding.

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States. "

What this means is that since the United States took part in the Geneva Conventions treaties, "all treaties made... under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land" that we are then bound by these same principles.

With so much debate over Ballot Measure 50s infringement on Oregon's Constitution, one would think that the same adherents would be up in arms as to a violation of the US Constitution.

Is it appropriate to ignore Articles within the Constitution for the sake of argument when it is merely convenient? Are there any more principles that Americans still believe in and stand for? Do the words created by our founding fathers mean nothing? What are our values?

At present, at least one large and vociferous group of people have made it extremely clear where their morals, values and principles lie. Would it be prudent to examine our own values before making rash conclusions based on emotional currency?