League St. Louis

Better than I could have put it

2006-09-27T15:50:00.000-07:00

Jim Moore of Town and Country wrote a letter to the editor to the Post Dispatch that puts my view of Religion so well, that I had to publish it on here. It starts out a bit dishjointed, but I'll bet that's the Post Dispatch's doing. He's obviously responding to a Krauthammer article, which I personally can't stomach to finish. Or even begin to read.
Anyway, onto the letter (with a little emphasis courtesy of moi):

What is missing in our discussions about religion is historical perspective. In the history of mankind, formal religion is a relatively new phenomenon, arriving on the scene in the past 2,000 to 3,000 years. It was then a man-made device to help control human behavior as we made our way from small tribes of friends to large societies of strangers. Today, it still is a man-made device to control human behavior and is, by design, mutually exclusive in membership and intolerant.

That Islam now is engaged in acts of violence is deplorable but, as Charles Krauthammer points out in his column "Violence to protest charge of violence?" (Sept. 24), not unique among the world's religions; it just may be Islam's turn at bat. Mr. Krauthammer's assertion that "Christiandom long ago gave (religious wars) up" assumes there will be none in the future; That's debatable.

I suspect that some time in the future, mankind will look back at religion and be mystified at how the world could have worshipped one God, but murdered each other over the way they went about it. Children will be taught about religion as part of their history studies and will probably think to themselves, "What the heck was that all about?"

Jim Moore | Town and Country

Jim answered his own question, really. It was all about the control of a population to meet a political agenda. I think the more pertinent question would be "Why would otherwise educated people allow this to happen?"
Maybe I just answered my own question...

PERA=Injustice

2006-09-26T16:32:00.000-07:00

I'm kinda glad I outed myself as an atheist. It gives me the perfect segue to address this abomination of a bill now in the House:

The U.S. House of Representatives will debate legislation TOMORROW, TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 26 that would penalize groups and individuals going to court in order to uphold the First Amendment by disallowing attorney fees and other costs. This would make it prohibitively expensive to end government practices which violate the separation of church and state! It means that even when courts find government at fault, attorneys in these cases cannot be reimbursed for their fees and costs.

The bill, H.R. 2679 is disingenuously labeled the "Public Expression of Religion Act." Legitimate religious expression is already protected under the First Amendment (so is our right to criticize religious belief). This measure is meant to discourage and even punish citizens who seek to hold government accountable, however, when it promotes, finances or advances a specific religion, or religion in general. Supporters of this unfair measure are disenchanted that courts frequently strike down or otherwise limit unconstitutional actions by the State in respect to the First Amendment.

In legaleze, "disallowing" means that lawyers would be BANNED from collecting fees to protect those who feel their 1st Amendment rights are being infringed upon.
Can you say "Imperialist"? How about "FASCIST"?
Hitler was a Christian, too. Go ahead, look it up:

Hitler wrote in his book,Mein Kampf: ". . . I am convinced that I am acting as the agent of our Creator. By fighting off the Jews, I am doing the Lord's work." He made essentially the same claim in a speech before the Reichstag in 1938.

Hitler considered himself a Catholic until the day he died. In 1941 he told Gerhard Engel, one of his generals: "I am now as before a Catholic and will always remain so." In fact, Hitler was never excommunicated from the Catholic Church, and Mein Kampf was not placed on the Church's Index of Forbidden Books.

I put that there for you, Travis. CALL ME CLOSED MINDED AGAIN.
I DARE YOU.
And by the way, fuck Godwin's law. It's nothing but a tool of censorship.
Now, I don't care about piddly-ass thing like the Pledge of Allegance or the the phrase "In God We Trust" on our currency. That is nothing but trivial.
However, if an agnostic or atheist is being harassed, bullied or is being denied their basic constitutional rights and wants to take it to the courts to have the culprits brought to justice, they have to find a lawyer that will work pro bono, or they're just screwed.
Have you heard of Dominionism? Thi is why PERA exists, and the REAL danger that people like Jim Talent (or a more obvious target, Todd Akin) pose to Freedom in our democracy.
I give Akin some credit, simply because he's honest about where he stands. Talent is more dangerous, simply because he is a so-called "moderate", and doesn't talk about the influence these "Dominionists" have on his office.
Or Kit Bond, for that matter.
Like it or not, America was designed to be a secular nation. Our Founding Fathers wrote the Bill of Rights to protect us from the political ambitions of religious institutions, no matter what they are. Look up what Jefferson said about priests and religion.
And, let me remind our Congressmen of St. Louis, Lacy Clay and Russ Carnahan, that I'm watching you and I know where you live.
MY freedom is at stake, as well as millions of Americans. If PERA passes, then expect a call for an all out Tax Revolt.
Think I'm kidding? Try me. I know my rights, and I will invoke them if pushed.
And Travis? You're a pussy, and your blog smells of fish.
Not to insult women. I'm sure that ALL female genitaila has more credibility than this jackass named Reems.

Reality Check; Put down that damn Rosary!!!

2006-09-22T17:38:00.000-07:00

OK it's been a loooong five years since the "War on Terruh" began. We've seen our country's founding principles attacked by hard-line Islamic nutjobs and our own Government via the Patriot Act, torture, and fear in general.
We have also seen in this span of time, the growing power of religious institutions within the United States, something I personally am adamantly oppesed to, since it runs counter to the 1st Amendment.
Full disclosure time: I am an Atheist. I have been for my whole life, and I grow more militant when it comes to my Atheism as thi War on Terruh rages on. I think that the concept of a higher being and the trappings that go along with it(AKA: Religion) will be the reason Humanity vanishes from the Earth.
Simply put, the Rapture is Crap-ture. Fer sure.
If the "End of times" comes, it will not happen because we were "sinners" or "less than Pious"; it will be because we were blinded by this same said piety.
It's at the center of the Rove strategy. Without religion, Karl Rove wouldn't have a leg to stand on.
I know that I will be attacked for publishing this; I may even receive death threats.
Frankly, I don't care. My life is inconsequential when it comes to the future existence of the human race.
As a matter of fact, I want the Christian nutjobs to attack me. That way I can show all people how STUPID they truly are.
Therefore, I feel it's my duty to expose St. Louis to Sam Harris. Sam Harris is an agnostic. He's also the author of one of my favorite books, "The End of Faith", and his latest (which I haven't had a chance to pick up) Letter to a Christian Nation.
Sam has recently weighed in on the "War on Terruh", and I think that everyone, liberal, moderate and conservative should read what he has to say.
Of course, as with us Agtnostic/Atheists, we don't agree on everything. I will insert my comments whether I agree or not, and add my $.02 where I feel like it:
Head-in-the-Sand Liberals
Western civilization really is at risk from Muslim extremists.
By Sam Harris
SAM HARRIS is the author of "The End of Faith: Religion, Terror and the Future of Reason." His next book, "Letter to a Christian Nation," will be published this week by Knopf. samharris.org.
September 18, 2006

TWO YEARS AGO I published a book highly critical of religion, "The End of Faith." In it, I argued that the world's major religions are genuinely incompatible, inevitably cause conflict and now prevent the emergence of a viable, global civilization.(Damn skippy!) In response, I have received many thousands of letters and e-mails from priests, journalists, scientists, politicians, soldiers, rabbis, actors, aid workers, students — from people young and old who occupy every point on the spectrum of belief and nonbelief.

This has offered me a special opportunity to see how people of all creeds and political persuasions react when religion is criticized. I am here to report that liberals and conservatives respond very differently to the notion that religion can be a direct cause of human conflict.

This difference does not bode well for the future of liberalism.

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold the phone, stop the presses! A

Liberal

blog says Liberalism is in danger? Say it ain't so, ya Bastid!
But alas, it's true. Read on...

Perhaps I should establish my liberal bone fides at the outset. I'd like to see taxes raised on the wealthy, drugs decriminalized and homosexuals free to marry. I also think that the Bush administration deserves most of the criticism it has received in the last six years — especially with respect to its waging of the war in Iraq, its scuttling of science and its fiscal irresponsibility.

Or maybe we should just try King George for betraying hi Oath of Office, Impeach his ass, and then send him to the Hague to be tried for Crimes against Humanity. However, that is only about Iraq. There i a larger problem we have to talk about. Let Sam spell it out for you:

But my correspondence with liberals has convinced me that liberalism has grown dangerously out of touch with the realities of our world — specifically with what devout Muslims actually believe about the West, about paradise and about the ultimate ascendance of their faith.

On questions of national security, I am now as wary of my fellow liberals as I am of the religious demagogues on the Christian right.

This may seem like frank acquiescence to the charge that "liberals are soft on terrorism." It is, and they are.

What-what-WHAT!?!?!?

Oh, it's SOOOOOO true:

A cult of death is forming in the Muslim world — for reasons that are perfectly explicable in terms of the Islamic doctrines of martyrdom and jihad. The truth is that we are not fighting a "war on terror." We are fighting a pestilential theology and a longing for paradise.

This is not to say that we are at war with all Muslims. But we are absolutely at war with those who believe that death in defense of the faith is the highest possible good, that cartoonists should be killed for caricaturing the prophet and that any Muslim who loses his faith should be butchered for apostasy.

Unfortunately, such religious extremism is not as fringe a phenomenon as we might hope. Numerous studies have found that the most radicalized Muslims tend to have better-than-average educations and economic opportunities.

As much as I hate to admit it, this has been true since the first Crusade. The moslems of that age were more advanced when it comes to science and knowledge in general. Unfortunately, the Pope wasn't lying when he said that Islam is a violent and ignorant religion, either.
Not that he wasn't playing politics, or that he isn't a Fascist. He is. (And fuck you too, Archbihop Raymond Burke) But that fact doesn't mean he wasn't telling the truth for once.
Let's get back to Sam's article:

Given the degree to which religious ideas are still sheltered from criticism in every society, it is actually possible for a person to have the economic and intellectual resources to build a nuclear bomb — and to believe that he will get 72 virgins in paradise. And yet, despite abundant evidence to the contrary, liberals continue to imagine that Muslim terrorism springs from economic despair, lack of education and American militarism.

Now, I don't agree with this statement 100%. I think that the poverty brought on with the culmination of the War in Iraq has a lot to do with the ability of terrorists to recruit new members in Iraq and Afghanistan, because of the desperation the extreme conditions that exist today have brought to the Iraqi people.
But, that does not excuse the Liberal denial that exists in America today:

At its most extreme, liberal denial has found expression in a growing subculture of conspiracy theorists who believe that the atrocities of 9/11 were orchestrated by our own government. A nationwide poll conducted by the Scripps Survey Research Center at Ohio University found that more than a third of Americans suspect that the federal government "assisted in the 9/11 terrorist attacks or took no action to stop them so the United States could go to war in the Middle East;" 16% believe that the twin towers collapsed not because fully-fueled passenger jets smashed into them but because agents of the Bush administration had secretly rigged them to explode.

Such an astonishing eruption of masochistic unreason could well mark the decline of liberalism, if not the decline of Western civilization. There are books, films and conferences organized around this phantasmagoria, and they offer an unusually clear view of the debilitating dogma that lurks at the heart of liberalism: Western power is utterly malevolent, while the powerless people of the Earth can be counted on to embrace reason and tolerance, if only given sufficient economic opportunities.

I don't know how many more engineers and architects need to blow themselves up, fly planes into buildings or saw the heads off of journalists before this fantasy will dissipate. The truth is that there is every reason to believe that a terrifying number of the world's Muslims now view all political and moral questions in terms of their affiliation with Islam. This leads them to rally to the cause of other Muslims no matter how sociopathic their behavior. This benighted religious solidarity may be the greatest problem facing civilization and yet it is regularly misconstrued, ignored or obfuscated by liberals.

Conspiracy theories aside (and I don't believe the official story for a minute), the unvarnished truth is that ther are PLENTY of moslems that feel they have a duty to destroy "the West". They're still mad that the Crusades happened a millenia ago, and all the injustices that have happened to their "homeland" ever since. They want revenge, pure and simple. More Sam:

Given the mendacity and shocking incompetence of the Bush administration — especially its mishandling of the war in Iraq — liberals can find much to lament in the conservative approach to fighting the war on terror. Unfortunately, liberals hate the current administration with such fury that they regularly fail to acknowledge just how dangerous and depraved our enemies in the Muslim world are.

Recent condemnations of the Bush administration's use of the phrase "Islamic fascism" are a case in point. There is no question that the phrase is imprecise — Islamists are not technically fascists, and the term ignores a variety of schisms that exist even among Islamists — but it is by no means an example of wartime propaganda, as has been repeatedly alleged by liberals.

In their analyses of U.S. and Israeli foreign policy, liberals can be relied on to overlook the most basic moral distinctions. For instance, they ignore the fact that Muslims intentionally murder noncombatants, while we and the Israelis (as a rule) seek to avoid doing so. Muslims routinely use human shields, and this accounts for much of the collateral damage we and the Israelis cause; the political discourse throughout much of the Muslim world, especially with respect to Jews, is explicitly and unabashedly genocidal.

Given these distinctions, there is no question that the Israelis now hold the moral high ground in their conflict with Hamas and Hezbollah. And yet liberals in the United States and Europe often speak as though the truth were otherwise.

And here, we see the cloth cut both ways; we can't say that Islam is a peaceful religion, nor can we say all moslems want peace. Neither statement is true. Nor do I give the Israelis a pass; they too killed civilians when they attacked Hizbollah in Lebanon. They also targeted UN checkpoints durin the latest military actions there. Ther really is no high ground for any of these religions to claim.
And so, I give you the money shot:

We are entering an age of unchecked nuclear proliferation and, it seems likely, nuclear terrorism. There is, therefore, no future in which aspiring martyrs will make good neighbors for us. Unless liberals realize that there are tens of millions of people in the Muslim world who are far scarier than Dick Cheney, they will be unable to protect civilization from its genuine enemies.

Increasingly, Americans will come to believe that the only people hard-headed enough to fight the religious lunatics of the Muslim world are the religious lunatics of the West. Indeed, it is telling that the people who speak with the greatest moral clarity about the current wars in the Middle East are members of the Christian right, whose infatuation with biblical prophecy is nearly as troubling as the ideology of our enemies. Religious dogmatism is now playing both sides of the board in a very dangerous game.

While liberals should be the ones pointing the way beyond this Iron Age madness, they are rendering themselves increasingly irrelevant. Being generally reasonable and tolerant of diversity, liberals should be especially sensitive to the dangers of religious literalism. But they aren't.

The same failure of liberalism is evident in Western Europe, where the dogma of multiculturalism has left a secular Europe very slow to address the looming problem of religious extremism among its immigrants. The people who speak most sensibly about the threat that Islam poses to Europe are actually fascists.

To say that this does not bode well for liberalism is an understatement: It does not bode well for the future of civilization.

Religious lunacy seems to be the order of the day. It doesn't matter which religion it is anymore, or what way your church leans.
God is not peace. God is a metaphor for War. It's about time all of Humanity learn this lesson, before Bush and bin Ladin can commit Armageddon and destroy us all.

Talent's "Against it before I was for it" moment

2006-09-17T13:03:00.000-07:00

So, if you've been paying attention to what Jim Talent says, you know he's been crowing about his bill to cap interest rates that "payday loan" establishments charge our servicemen.
Now, that's all well and good, even though ALL Americans are being gouged seems not to worry him too much.
However, that's not the issue right at the moment.
Did you know Jim Talent is playing politics with the issue? "What! Preposterous" you say? Well check this out:

Back in 2005, when the credit card industry lobbyists were corralling Republican and Democratic lawmakers to vote for the corporate-written Bankruptcy Bill, Sen. Dick Durbin offered an amendment to preserve existing protections for troops serving in Iraq. National Guardsmen, for instance, sometimes are forced to take a pay cut from their regular jobs when they are called into service and deployed overseas. Lord knows our soldiers serving in Iraq have enough to worry about - and gutting their bankruptcy protections while they were deployed was something Durbin thought was unacceptable. Unfortunately, only 38 of his Senate colleagues agreed with him, and his amendment was defeated. Those voting against the amendment included Montana Sen. Conrad Burns (R), Ohio Sen. Mike DeWine (R), Virginia Sen. George Felix Allen, Jr., Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum (R), Missouri Sen. Jim Talent (R), Rhode Island Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R)...

Jimbo, Jimbo, Jimbo. Say it ain't so! But alas, it is. Mr. Talent had the opportunity to help these servicemen avert the crippling debt that comes from borrowing money from these sharks over a year ago, yet chose to vote down an amendment that would have done exactly that. This is from Jimbo official Senate website from a mere two days ago:

Currently, there is no federal law stopping predatory lenders from targeting active duty servicemembers who, in some cases, are now paying over 800 percent APR on a loan.

Yeah, and if you the rest of the republican corporate puppets had voted for Durbin's amendment, this wouldn't be a problem today.
Way to support the troops, dingus.

Fear Factor: The Jim Talent episode

2006-09-09T18:52:00.000-07:00

Man, I'd love to see Joe Rogan come along and make these Bush supporters tell their lies while forced to sit in a vat of maggots or something. Or how about forced to eat the maggots if it were proven that they were indeed lying to keep the American public in fear. That would be some compelling TV!
Speaking of compelling TV, Ol' Jimbo has a new ad out about "the War on Terruh". Of course, he's jumped on the National Security Agengy's eavesdropping program, and the Bush administration's flouting of the Geneva convention.
I think Jimbo made a huge boo-boo by doing so, too. Why? Because fmr. Secretary of State Colin Powell came out against the Bush policy on our handling of prisoners accused of being terrorists. Not only that, but Sens. John Warner, John McCain and Lindsey Graham, whom I am not normally fans of, have also bucked the party line on this as well. Check this quote from Powell out:

"The world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism."

Uh gee, ya think??? Well, if you go around gutting the constitution and ignoring International law a'la the Geneva conventions, you're gonna have your moral fortitude questioned. I have, since the day the Patriot Act was signed, as I consider the enactment of that law as a flag of surrender to the REAL culprits of 9-11, Osama bin Laden and Al Queda. Mussolini would have been proud of W and congress that day, yessiree Bob!!!
You know, the Shrub likes to say "the terruhists hate us for our freedoms", yet he thinks the way to win the "War on Terruh" is to take away our freedoms with bad laws like the Patriot Act.
Folks, our freedoms are the bedrock of our humanity, which is defined by our civil rights and liberties in the Bill of Rights. Every time the Bush administration condones "simulated" torture, or tells us that dissent "emboldens the terruhists", we lose the war a little bit more. If we do not extend the freedoms and rights enshrined in our Constitution to those that hate and want to kill us, our country's government looks like hypocrites. It's a recipe for global disaster.
I agree we need to fight and win the War on Terror, but it might be a better strategy to actually fight the terroristd intead of aiding and abetting them by rallying more people to their ranks in Iraq.
Remeber when the world stood with America right after 9-11? When a French newspaper said "We are all Americans now"? When Iran condemned the WTC attacks? Man, how times have changed.
A vote for Jim Talent is a vote against that global sympathy and support, for more anti Americanism sweeping the planet, and for more terrorist recruits. Since Jim Talent has taken on the role of puppet to Karl Rove and the Bush administration, he too is a hypocrite. Really, Jimbo is a wolf in sheep's clothing. He likes to portray himself as "Mr. Wimp, your Mild Mannered civil servant" when he's really a radical right-wing ideologue. Always has been, always will be.
So, while he plays the marionette to the White House, he now has to defend his stance against the Shrub's former Secretary of State's statement. I mean, if we did have the upper hand on moral fortitude, Iraq would not be in the deadly grip of civil war and Afghanistan would notlook like this:
(From the Louisville Courier-Journal)

Believers in "body counts" and other Vietnam-era tallies may be cheered by the weekend's reports that a NATO-led offensive in southern Afghanistan killed more than 200 Taliban militants.Almost everyone else, however, will realize that developments in that cursed country are bad and getting worse.
More significant than any battlefield outcome is the United Nations finding that Afghanistan's opium harvest this year is at record levels, an increase of almost 50 percent over last year's production.
The bountiful opium harvest is evidence of the Taliban's resurgent power. The Taliban, which once outlawed the opium trade for religious reasons when it was in power, now encourages and profits from opium production, which provides money as well as support from farmers.
There are many reasons why a war that once seemed won -- a war launched with overwhelming American public support against the Taliban regime that had harbored the al-Qaida plotters who hatched the 9/11 attacks -- has gone so badly amiss.
American attention and forces were diverted to an unprovoked war in Iraq. Deliveries of aid from the U.S., Europe and elsewhere have fallen scandalously short of promises, thus increasing resentment and anti-foreigner sentiments among Afghans.
Moreover, the Karzai government (which has made political deals of its own with warlords in the opium business) may be well-intentioned, but it has been weak and ineffective.
Getting Afghanistan back on track will be much harder than doing it right in the first place would have been.

Ain't that great? We've outsourced the real war on terror to NATO. Which, by the way, recently went begging for more troops and equipment. They got squat. Good job!
If Jim Talent were not a dangerous radical right-wing nutjob, he would acknowledge that Afghanistan is backsliding, Iraq was a distraction to the real War on Terror, spying on Americans is wrongheaded and counterproductive and "simulated torture" IS STILL TORTURE.
If Jim Talent wins this election, we will be assured a defeat in the War on Terror and in Iraq, plus our freedoms that King George loves to use in his rhetoric to defend his bloodlust will not exist for our children, and their children.
Joe Rogan says tell the truth, or eat some maggots. Take a big bite, Jimbo.

Jim Talent: Terrorist sympathizer?

2006-09-09T16:42:00.000-07:00

The original title of this post was "Things that make you go "Hmmm..."
Hi Senator Jimbo! It's me again. I got this question for you. It's about some of your campaign contributions, namely, from Halliburton, Occidental Petroleum and ConocoPhillips.
Jimbo, are you sure you want to take money from these people? Did you know Halliburton does business with terrorist states?
Seriously. Check it out:

Just last week a National Security Council report said Iran was a decade away from acquiring a nuclear bomb. That time frame could arguably have been significantly longer if Halliburton, which just reported a 284 percent increase in its fourth quarter profits due to its Iraq reconstruction contracts, was not actively providing the Iranian government with the financial means to build a nuclear weapon.

Now comes word that Halliburton, which has a long history of flouting U.S. law by conducting business with countries the Bush administration said has ties to terrorism, was working with Cyrus Nasseri, the vice chairman of the board of directors of Oriental Oil Kish, one of Iran’s largest private oil companies, on oil development projects in Tehran. Nasseri is also a key member of Iran’s nuclear development team.
“Nasseri, a senior Iranian diplomat negotiating with Europe over Iran's controversial nuclear program is at the heart of deals with US energy companies to develop the country's oil industry”, the Financial Times reported.

Oriental Oil Kish dealings with Halliburton became public knowledge in January when the company announced that it had subcontracted parts of the South Pars natural gas drilling project to Halliburton Products and Services, a subsidiary of Dallas-based Halliburton that is registered in the Cayman Islands.

Following the announcement, Halliburton announced the South Pars gas field project in Tehran would be its last project in Iran. The BBC reported that Halliburton, which took in $30-$40 million from its Iranian operations in 2003, "was winding down its work due to a poor business environment."

Halliburton, under mounting pressure from lawmakers in Washington, D.C., pulled out of its deal with Nasseri's company in May, but has done extensive work on other areas of the Iranian gas project and was still acting in an advisory capacity to Nasseri's company, two people who have knowledge of Halliburton's work in Iran said.

-snip-

Halliburton first started doing business in Iran as early as 1995, while Vice President Cheney was chief executive of the company and in possible violation of U.S. Sanctions According to a February 2001 report in the Wall Street Journal, "Halliburton Products & Services Ltd. works behind an unmarked door on the ninth floor of a new north Tehran tower block. A brochure declares that the company was registered in 1975 in the Cayman Islands, is based in the Persian Gulf sheikdom of Dubai and is "non-American." But, like the sign over the receptionist's head, the brochure bears the company's name and red emblem, and offers services from Halliburton units around the world." Moreover, mail sent to the company’s offices in Tehran and the Cayman Islands is forwarded to the company’s Dallas headquarters.
The SEC letters are aimed at forcing corporations to disclose their profits from business dealings rogue nations. Oil companies, such as Devon Energy Corp., ConocoPhillips, Marathon Oil Corp. and Occidental Petroleum Corp. that currently conduct business with countries that sponsor terrorism, have not disclosed the profits received from terrorist countries in their most recent quarterly reports because the companies don’t consider the earnings “material.”

Devon Energy was until recently conducting business in Syria. The company just sold its stake in an oil field there. ConocoPhillips has a service contract with the Syrian Petroleum Co. that expires on Dec. 31.

So, if you're so supportive of the Bush administration's strategy in Iraq and the War on Terror, then why are you taking money from rogue corporations who do business with nations who sponsor terrorism? Does that mean YOU support terrorist states?
Hmmm...

Bond: "A colossal waste of time."

2006-09-09T10:31:00.000-07:00

Has senility struck Senator Kit Bond? I swear, he must be losing his mind acting as Jim Talent's foreign policy proxy/mouthpiece. I say this because Jim Talent is afraid to talk about this issue, and Kit has no re-election campaign to worry about. So he says stupid shit, like the above quote. "A colossal waste of time" is how Misery's Senior US Senator described the Senate Intelligence Report on the use of intelligence in the run-up to the Iraq war. This is what the report says:

Saddam Hussein regarded al-Qaida as a threat rather than a possible ally, a Senate report says, contradicting assertions President Bush has used to build support for the war in Iraq.

Released Friday, the report discloses for the first time an October 2005 CIA assessment that before the war, Saddam's government "did not have a relationship, harbor or turn a blind eye toward" al-Qaida operative Abu Musab al-Zarqawi or his associates.

Of course, this was well known before the US invaded Iraq, but in our modern-day Faux News blustering bamboozler brigade that we call journalists, that salient fact was buried with the intent to sell the American population on Invading Iraq by equating Iraq with 9-11.
More than likely, Bond is playing politics to cover his own ass and our Junior Senator's re-election effort. Or he's both senile AND playing politics.
Or maybe he's afraid that he'll be impeached as well. It wouldn't be undeserving, that's for sure.
However, Kit is not too bright to begin with. He is very skilled at pandering to his puppetmasters (campaign contributors), and that's why he's a US Senator.
But, what do you expect from Republicans nowadays? For example, Jim Talent says he's for alternative fuels and energy independence, but he's taking oodles of cash from gas and oil interests. He says he wants to fix the health care system, but he cozies up to big pharma and the insurance industry, the heart of the problem, and he's against the stem cell initiative. He wants to protect members of our Military from predatory lenders, (which is laudable) but he doesn't support more pay for them, and he could give two shits about protecting you and me from predatory lenders. Or predatory bosses who are against raising the minimum wage.
But I digress. Back to the Iraq war.
Neither Bond or Talent have a real spine. Both are incapable of independent thought,
unlike these two Republican Senators, Chuck Hagel(NE) and Olympia Snowe(MA). It seems they want the American people to know the truth, and fought to get these reports out:

Senate aides said it took two Republican committee members, Chuck Hagel (Neb.) and Olympia J. Snowe (Maine), to force Roberts to act. Republicans on the committee readily conceded that Democrats would be able to pick through the chapters -- especially the INC portion -- to resurrect charges that the Bush administration manipulated intelligence to build a case for war. And Democrats appeared ready to do just that.

See that? That's backbone. I'm sure they'll both be vilified by their own party for their bravery, too. I wouldn't be surprised if they both end up leaving the Republican party, Jeffords-style. (Chuck and Olympia, come on over to the BIG tent!)
Of course, Kit Bond calls this a "politization" of intelligence by the Democrats, but as you can plainly see, it was Republicans that finally stopped the stonewalling that Committee Chair Pat Roberts was doing with the reports. The thing would have never seen the light of day otherwise.
What are you afraid of, Kit? Why do call the need to find the truth a "colossal waste of time"? Is it because you and Talent are both in it up to your necks on this one? That your lies are coming home to roost? Or maybe that the polls are now showing that the majority of Americans do NOT equate Iraq with the War on Terror? Or even that the REAL front in the War on Terror, Afghanistan, is going bad?

Afghanistan needs 2,500 more troops, says general
By Michael Evans, Defence Editor

A NATO military chief asked yesterday for another 2,500 troops to be sent to southern Afghanistan to reinforce the Canadian and British battlegroups that have been under fierce attack by the Taleban for the past two months.

To add some irony to this post, read what Jim Talent says about Afghanistan (emphasis mine):

The U.S. military victory in Afghanistan was remarkable for its brevity, and for the ingenuity and courage of our servicemen and women. Despite their success, Afghanistan remains a work in progress. The challenge in 2005 remains for the U.S. to provide support to Afghanistan by continuing to push humanitarian relief into the provinces outside of Kabul, rebuild its infrastructure, train a viable Afghan National Army, and support President Karzai’s efforts to break the hold of regional warlords in the provinces. Like in Iraq, we must see this undertaking through to completion. Given how Afghanistan was only recently the sanctuary of Taliban and Al Qaeda terrorists, one of the best ways to ensure our security and win the war on terror is to support Afghanistan’s sovereign government.

Victory. Riiight. Heh heh, that's a funny one, Jimbo! If we were truly victorious in Afghanistan, then Osama bin Laden would be on trial, there would be no Taliban resurgence, and no call for more troops to be deployed there.
In other words, we screwed the pooch in Afghanistan. I mean, do you even remember the failure at Tora Bora? Probably not, since the Republicans were busy with the case to invade Iraq.
You know, lying their asses off. Kit Bond and Jim Talent included.

Memo to the McCaskill campaign RE: National Security

2006-09-02T12:54:00.000-07:00

Updated: I wrote this before reading the article about the race in the Post Dispatch

Auditor McCaskill;
Let me say that I think you've done a good job in your campaign to defeat Jim Talent in your bid for the US Senate. I think you've been very effective with the issues that matter to Missourians and who can better represent them in Washington.
Originally, I wanted to urge you to spend more time on issues pertaining to National Security, but as I began to think about it, I realized that this is only one piece of evidence as to why Jim Talent should be defeated in November.
But we'll get to that later.
Right now, I would like to direct your attention the the comments recently made by John Podesta and reported by the Wall Street Journal and TPM Cafe's Greg Sargent:

In both 2002 and 2004, Democrats, in league with top party consultants, made a strategic decision -- "a terrible mistake" -- not to engage Mr. Bush on national security, says former Clinton White House Chief of Staff John Podesta. "You just cannot concede the question; he is vulnerable on it," Mr. Podesta says. "Our D.C. leaders get it now, and the candidates in the states aren't shrinking from it."

Now, I've read your positions on National Security and Iraq, and generally I think you're going in the right direction with them. However, with the recent disingenuous rhetoric coming from President Bush, Secretary Rumsfeld, Vice President Cheney and Secretary Rice, I feel it's time, especially with the traditional campaign season about to start, that you take the fight to Jim Talent on the issue of National Security and the disaster in Iraq.
First, let's put to rest the misrepresentation of the nature of what the anti war movement is about. I am and always have been a staunch opponent of the Invasion of Iraq. I was not, nor have I ever been, an opponent of military action against Al Queda and our invasion in Afghanistan. As a matter of fact, Afghanistan is actually where the incompetence of the Bush Administration began. The adminitration never committed enough troops, became dependent on warlords and their existing militias, relationships and divergent self interests that the USA did not share, and how, instead of finishing the job in Afghanistan, the administration failed to capture Osama bin Laden, his lieutenants and allies in the Taliban so he could redeploy our resources to the then upcoming military action in Iraq.
I mean, come on. We all knew what Bush was about to do at that time. To suggest otherwise is disingenuous in its' own right.
How does this affect your race? Because the lapdog you're running against is guilty of this as well. Did Jim Talent use his office to question the administration about the Iraq invasion? Did he ever question the connection to 9-11 and Iraq? Did Jim Talent ever question the veracity of the accusations said connections or the "evidence" that led to the decision to topple the Iraqi regime?
No, of course not. As per the modus opperandi of Jim Talent, he mentioned nothing of this, except for some minimal equivocating language and then voted in lockstep with the president. So, which is the REAL Jim Talent?
It's...a character flaw, I guess.
It's how Jim Talent has always conducted business. Is he the worst kind of partisan, because while he doesn't use partisan language the way a Tom DeLay, Newt Gingrich or Todd Akin would? He speaks like he's bipartisan, but his voting record shows that he is anything but.
Is he a wolf in sheeps' clothing and could easily play the wolf impersonating Granma in a screen adaptation of "Little Red Riding Hood"?
This is why he has not taken a position on the minimum wage, stem cell research, or any issue of substance. The man stands for almost nothing if you believe what comes out of his mouth. Yet his voting record shows exactly what he is; a lapdog to those he owes his electoral success to; his fundraisers and donors.
So, this is your mision: find out who this man really is, and then find out why he's letting his buddies besmirch my name and misrepresent why Democrats are opposed to the war in Iraq.
See you on the campaign trail...

Of Progressive Democrats and the War on Terror

2006-08-14T14:15:00.000-07:00

In today's Post-Disgrace, David Broder's syndicated column talked about why he thinks anti-incumbency has come into play.
I would like to ask Mr. Broder this: do you even KNOW what you're talking about? Have you even talked to any REAL progressives about this issue?
Before I get into a full-blown rant, let me show you exactly what I'm talking about:

The usual political torpor of August was shattered this week by the news that three congressional incumbents had lost their races in a single day. There were special forces at work in the contests that saw the defeats of two Democrats, Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman and Georgia Rep. Cynthia McKinney, and Michigan Republican Rep. Joe Schwarz. But taken together, they are the strongest signal yet of voter dissatisfaction with the status quo in Washington.

Now we'll skip the paragraph about Ms. McKinney and Mr. Schwarz because neither of these races have truly national implications caoncerning progressives. They're just in there to muddy the waters.
The race that matters is the Lieberman defeat:

Lieberman had 18 years of Senate seniority and long service in state government, a reputation for personal integrity, prominence on both foreign and domestic issues, and the active support of his party leaders from Bill Clinton on down. But when I went to Connecticut three weeks before the primary, it was evident that he was going to be overwhelmed by the passion to "send a message'' through Lamont of frustration with the war in Iraq, the Bush presidency and Congress.

-snip-

Now, with former Lieberman supporters such as Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd and Rep. Rosa DeLauro closing ranks behind Lamont, the novice candidate will have an opportunity -- and an urgent need -- to moderate his stance and attempt to broaden his base.

DeLauro told me that Lamont has to be "more than an anti-war candidate,'' and said that he has to balance his calls for an early withdrawal from Iraq with other positions that demonstrate that he and his party understand the need for a robust military and a commitment to oppose terrorism. The Democrats simply cannot afford to be "McGovernized'' by the GOP charge that they would abandon the fight against those who have targeted the United States.

McGovernized. Pfft.
What, is Broder on the RNC payroll? Maybe the DLC's?
See, here's the thing about the "anti-war" wing of the Democratic party. We're really not 100% anti-war. Now, some are, some aren't, but the majority of progressive Democrats, the bloggers and other people that went to help Ned Lamont (and locally Jeff Smith and Maria Chappelle-Nadal) are anti IRAQ war.
Most of us were for the eradication of Osama bin Ladin, Al Queda and the Taliban. And, despite what Fox News says, Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with any of these organizations. The fact of the matter is that George Bush "cut and ran" from Afghanistan, let Osama, Al Queda and the Taliban get away because he wanted to redeploy the military for the Iraqi invasion. Had W. captured Osama, Al Zawahiri, Mullah Omar and the rest of the thugs oppressing the people of Afghanistan (and of course, the REAL culprits behind 9/11), George Bush's approval ratings would not be in the mid thirties and Joe Lieberman probably would be the Democratic nominee for the Senate race in Connecticut.
Instead, pro Iraq war Democrats and many Republicans are in danger of losing their seats because the war on terror should have never allowed to encompass Iraq. Also, the London terror plot probably would have never been planned, Hamas would have never taken over the Palestinian parliament, Iran would not be in a position of strength as they are now.
Sure, these are hypotheticals. However, you can't deny that if Bush hadn't cut and run from Afghanistan, America would at least have the credibility and sympathy of the world like we did immediately after 9/11. he could have claimed the legacy of Ronald Reagan in the lexicon of republican presidents. Instead, he gets his favorite Democrat beaten in Connecticut.
This is just one reason why Bush's presidency is a collosal and utter failure. It's definitely why his foreign policy is in shambles and he has to resort to using a phrase like "Islamic Fascists". (Which, by the way, is a horrible term. It accomplishes what Bush does best; it alienates more people and creates more terrorists)
There would be no Islamic Fascist movement if he had gotten the job done in Afghanistan.
David Broder, you must be going senile...

Settling Old Scores; Starting a New Era

2006-08-05T23:55:00.000-07:00

Anne has gone; so has the centrism of the League.
It's time to get pissed off!
First off, McClellan of the Post Disgrace is: A PLAGARIST.(Author's note: Since the Disgrace doen't keep these entries, I can't do a cut n' paste. Take it for what it is)
Yup, lifted right from this blog, even! He couldn't find the words to describe what was going on with the Bauer race awhile back, so he stole Anne's. His fat ass couldn't leave his cushy office, maybe? Too scared to leave the AC???
Anne didn't want to call him on it. She's gone, out!
But, what do you expect from the worst Daily in the NATION???
It's time to pay the piper: Bill McClellan, you are a lazy piece of shit.
Then again, what do you expect from the WORST daily in the US of A? That's what the PD is!!!!
Yeah, Lee publishing, we saw that report. Even the Mayor (whom we are no fans of) called you on your shit reporting.
Oh how long has drinking on rivers has gone on? Since before I could grow pubic hair??? That has been over 20 years.
Why do you waste inches on this shit when there are so many better stories out there? Stories that are relevant to people that live in this community?
Y'know, like the war.
The war YOU just went along with. Why relegate it to the back page? What are you afraid of the advertisers boycotting you?
Local news my ass! Distractions are what that shit is! You're so lucky "LIES" has not been graffittied on the Tucker side of your building.
You are nothing but liars that keep the status quo in power. You are the "non-news" news outlet. FUCK your human interest stories. It's crap. Yes, it doesn't even warrant a real expletive, like shit.
Crap is what it is. An ersatz synonym for fecal matter. Or the Post. It's interchangable, really.
Go ahead. Keep publishing stupid mundane stories that have no real affect on society. You know, like David Brooks, Michael Barone, and Kathleen Parker put out every day.
Keep lying. Keep printing ersatz fecal matter. It will put you out of business.
My mother, who used to work for the Post, is rolling in her grave.
And I will just keep on attacking.

St. Louis and race, Pt. 2

2006-07-16T11:06:00.000-07:00

Just read this on Arch City's site about our man Jeff Smith:

Perhaps alluding to the strangely worded press release sent out by Rep. Yaphett El-Amin's campaign, Smith said he was tired of people who insist on seeing St. Louis politics “through the prism of race.” In an apt metaphor for the West End, he said he wanted to eliminate the racial divide that is Delmar Blvd.. He pointed to the work he has done to reach across that barrier since his college days when he worked to establish a black cultural center.

Damn skippy. You know, I'm with Jeff and his dream to break this racial prizm, and he is absolutely right about Delmar; it is a part of our town's Mason-Dixon line. The difference between Jeff and I is that I like confronting this problem head on, while Jeff has to win an election.
I'd also like to compliment Sylvester Brown on his efforts to tackle the race question. He's written how people view his remarks as race baiting. I am definitely NOT one of those people. Those people are afraid of the conversation itself. They're threatened by it because they love their white priveledge this society gives them for harboring these hateful attitudes.
Ah, but you need two to do the race baiting tango, and as the old saying goes, if it walks like a duck and it talks like a duck...I suspect Yaphett and her faction want this fight to attract more attention to her campaign, just like how Derio is openly courting the South Side Nazi (nee:republican) base.
Y'see Lizz Brown, Yaphett, black nationalists, Ken McCoy (a sexist fuck whom I've personally heard advocate for all-out race war during the Roddy-Burchfield race!) and the homegrown radical muslim cab drivers, you're forgetting another age-old adage: two wrongs don't make a right. Vengeance is not justice, John Cross.
Yaphett, again like Derio, feeds off the Mason-Dixon politics. Now, I can understand why she does it and why it's very effective. I don't begrudge any African American resident in this city for being pissed off at the state the community, city hall or the state capital as it stands today. I mean, talk about getting screwed from all sides! Being born and bred in abject poverty makes people cynical, angry and jaded, regardless of the color of their skin.
Here's the real issue no one has addressed: the powerful pitting the powerless against one another for their own personal gain. It's happened soooo many times in the Lou it make your head spin! It goes back decades when the powerful wanted to employ cheap labor. Black people worked for less; white people feared for their jobs. It snowballed from there.
And those who use race baiting to win elections or to acquire power in any way are despicable. A far as I'm concerned, if you do this kind of crap, you hould serve time. Then again, I think corporate CEO's who swindle and defraud should get the death penalty.
But that's not the reality. Reality show us the Mason-Dixon line is alive and well in Mound City, and it's not going away anytime soon. Even if Jeff wins.
However, if Jeff wins, it will be a huge victory from the factions who thrive off its' existence. It can and will help heal this festering wound that holds our city back. Also, Generations X and Y view this the same way I do. Race baiting is vile and disgusting no matter whose casting the lure. It doesn't matter if it's Slay interfering with the St. Louis public schools or posturing about the police oversight board to appease the Fraternal Order of Police, or Yaphett calling Jeff a "known caucasian" (acrobat file).
Like it's a secret, you Dipshits.
Luckily, these attitudes are dying off, and it's a damn good thing. You know, you can be proud of your heritage and lineage without denigrating someone else's. All humanity is great and proud, not just YOUR heritage.
Race baiting is despicable, no matter who does it.
Right, John Cross?

So, about this St. Louis race thing...

2006-07-01T22:21:00.000-07:00

It's a tough issue. And one I've thought about a lot over the years. When I was with the Young Dems, I wanted to start a forum on the state of race relations going.
I made some headway, but it fell apart in the end.
I'm a honkey mofo that grew up in Overland (and Ann Purzner, what kind of idiot tells an Overland residnet to "Shut up!"? Are you that stupid? Do you not know your neighbors?)
I can tell you that there is a racist strain that goes through parts of Overland. It was infected by a Klan office that was open in Breckinridge Hills until the early 70's. I learned to loathe this psychosis once I hit 20. I know the culture TOO well.
I've lived in places all around the metro area. Now, I've almost always worked in the city. BTW, the 1% payroll tax is a necessary evil I don't mind paying. However, it's always the distrobution that bugs me.
I also have roots in like FIVE counties surrounding the city.
I have seen the double edged sword that cuts through our community up close and personal. I call it our Mason Dixon line.
And you know what racism really is? It's a bamboozle. Sure. In America (at least the one I grew up in) our differences are just that; differences. We agree on some stuff, we disagree on others. As with any other slight geneological difference, cultural differences also surface. Beyond that, we are all in the same boat. What boat is that? Well, it's not the Bushes' yacht in Kennebunkport. It's the damn leaky dingy trawling behind.
Racism, and bigotry in general, is a public relations mechanism. It's used for distraction from issues concerning the general welfare of....well, everyone!
Everyone but the 1%ers.
Unions and job security? Wal Mart and McDonald's killed that! Sustainable communities? What with mistrust and resentment wafting down Tucker Blvd?
And you know where the manifestation of this resentment resides? Our education system. It's why our public education system in St. Louis is, well...FUCKED.
(More power to you Donna and Peter. Keep a stiff upper lip!)
And you know what, it's always about the same thing; lack of capital. School budgets are overloaded, to say the least. They have new NCLB guidelines thrown at them, they don't get enough money from DC, and they have a population that don't like the idea that there is an influence from people who would never send their kids to public schools.
And when they reached the point of dyfunctionality, "vouchers" become an issue. What a snooker.
And this is where the rub lies. A culture clash, defined by votes, influence and dollars.
Then there's the Civilian Oversight issue. Now, I don't think the entire Police Force is racist. I've met many Policemen who've run the entire political gamut.
It takes real guts to serve like that.
However, with that responsibility comes power. Citizens need ot be assured that they have an avenue to hold that power accountable. Slay says that "we already have that" with the Jeff City based Police Board. Technically, he's right. However, how can you expect a police board created because , during the civil war, the pro slavery rural areas wanted to seize control of St. Louis?
Oh, baby Blunt has his appointees on there. I mean, how do you think the North Side will see it?
What Slay and the old guard don't realize is that the Police board would be an ASSET to St. Louis' "persona" to the rest of the country if not the world.
But of coure, the elite don't see it that way, so they have to spin it to suit their needs.
In every scenario, well you boil it down to INFLUENCE, the issue ends up being about GREEN, not black, white plaid, purple, Indian, or whatever. Big money uses this to divide us, the people. Poor from Middle Class, union from non union, episcopal from anglican, red from blue, and white from anyone of color; divisions define what we debate, while the big issues continue to go unresolved.
Why not just resolve them and go after the money hoarders?

The Libelous Lizz Brown

2006-06-11T13:52:00.000-07:00

Before we get started, this is the 100th posting on the League blog! Hooray for us!

Now, onto the biz of Lizz.
Blog St. Louis picked up on the latest LIES Lizz is trying to foist on the general public. Here's a snippet:

As to the hateful push poll by Jeff Smith--What was stated on my show was Jeff Smith conducted a phone push poll that asked questions about Yaphett El Amin and during the questions about Yahpett his poll workers asked the question “are you aware that Yaphett El Amin is Muslim?” This push poll was conducted with residents of the 4th ward. The pollster then asked about Jamila Nasheed.

Now, I know that slander would have been a more appropriate term, but it doesn't roll off the tounge nearly as well, so I went with libelous.
Let me also say that there is no bigger race baiter than Lizz Brown (with the possible exception of that scumbag Frank Weltner). It's sad really, because he could really make a difference in this city if she wasn't predisposed to inject her own brand of bigotry into an already racially charged political atmosphere in St. Louis.
Which the League of Pissed Off Voters is adamantly opposed to!
It's also very sad to see Irene Smith (whom the League ENDORSED for mayor in '05) acting as an accomplice in this latest attempt to fortify St. Louis' Mason-Dixon line. Unfortunately, the woman is too hateful and closed minded to be able to articulate anything else! It's her job to feed hate and resentment within the African American community o the powers that be can retain control of the halls of power. She doesn't want St. Louis' Mason-Dixon line to be destroyed. She makes her living off of it.
The League wants to destroy ALL RACISM AND BIGOTRY TO BE DESTROYED IN ST. LOUIS. That's why we're for Jeff Smith. He's the only candidate than has no investment in the preservation of St. Louis' Mason-Dixon line. As a matter of fact, his emotional investment is to bring equality to all, no matter your race, creed, religion, or sexual orientation is.
Go ahead, prove me wrong. I know you can't.
Unfortunately, Lizz can't say the same thing, and because of that, she WON'T talk about real issues, like POVERTY, UNEMPLOYMENT, CRUMBLING INFRASTRUCTURE OR CORPORATE WELFARE. WGNU would kick her off the air so fast you couldn't say Clarence Thomas! Why? Because like all other commercial radio outlets, it's all about the advertisers and the cashflow to keep the station on the air.
That and Chuck Norman had a man crush on Jim Talent. But, he's dead, and I digress...
You see, that's why Lizz engages in Payola. (BTW, New York's AG Eliot Spitzer is currently investigating NINE broadcasting companies, including Clear Channel, on the very ILLEGAL "pay to play" programming. Maybe Illinois' AG should do the same thing with Lizz and WGNU?)
Finally, a note to Yaphett and Rodney Hubbard:
I have met and I have a lot of respect for both of you and your records (aside from the vouchers issue), but if it is your intent to campaign in this scurrilious and dishonest manner by employing Lizz Brown to do a hatchet job on Jeff, then we have a real problem. Why? Because this would make you no better than Derio Gambaro or the Lebanese Mafia that got Francis Slay into the Mayor's office. That would make you scum, and if that's so, you'd better run! Go ahead, play the Black Nationalist card. They're nothing but the other side of the coin from Frank Weltner or the KKK.The League doesn't care if you're Muslim or not, a long as you don't take "killing of Infidels" in the Koran too seriously. This is America, after all. We are a Secular Nation, no matter what Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell think. That would mean you'd have to kill me. I am the lone Atheist here.
Wanna stoop to that level? BRING IT ON. You will lose.

What a Fein-d!

2006-06-05T17:47:00.000-07:00

Folks,
I HAD to share this with you:

Russ Feingold for President!!!

Now, you're probably saying to yourself "Big whoop. Some shlub in New England did a blog."

No. This guy is IN ST. LOUIS!!! He's also started "Missouri for Feingold", and there's a yahoogroup up already!

Peronally, I think if we the people are ever going to be able to reform the government, we're going to have to start with this guy as President.
What, you think Hillary can win? HA! What a joke! Gore or Dean, sure, but they're staying out. Who else we got, Biden, known plagurist and Senator from Du Pont Co.?
The dueling Johnnys, Kerry and/or Edwards? I smell grueling disappointment there. Warner the "Centrist"? I'd rather vote Green!
No, if Democrats know what's good for the country a well as the Party (and start acting like they're living in the 21t Century instead of 1978), people will support Russ Feingold in droves.
So, what are you waiting for? Go check out Russ already!!!

New Blog Alert

2006-05-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

Hey folks. I just wanted to drop a line out there and let you know that I've started a new blog targeted at the media. Come visit http://stlpunditwatch.blogspot.com/.
Oh, I'm still going to post here. I just felt that a media-specific blog was neccessary and so I don't bog down the League with all corporate media all the time.
Catch you on the flip side...
http://stlpunditwatch.blogspot.com/

Constitutional Obscenity, cont...

2006-05-14T10:03:00.000-07:00

Jo Etta over at Change for Missouri has the full scoop on this one, so pay her a visit. Also, The New York Times reports on electronic voting irregularities. Is the Missouri Rethuglican Leaderhip concerned about this? Of course not. They're after dogs and dead people...

Constitutional Obscenity: The Voter ID Bill

2006-05-14T07:56:00.000-07:00

So, as we all should be aware of by now, the Republican pushed this heinous attack on democracy through the legislature late Friday night.
You know, voter fraud is an issue that we should worry about. Unfortunately, the Rethuglicans' basis for their "reforms" is equally fraudulent. I mean, remember 2000? Remember how Kit Bond trotted out that dog who supposedly voted in the November election? The question is: "How do dogs and dead people vote?" Dogs in fedoras and trenchcoats, and corpses on strings a'la "Weekend at Bernie's"? Yeah, and they all have utility bills from addresses from vacant lots, too, and it' all run out of some clandestine operation from an "undisclosed location".
Please, don't make me laugh.
You know what else I remember about November 2000? 1000 disenfranchised voters outside the Board of Elections demanding their right to vote. You know, that echo of Florida we had downtown?
So, let's ask the question in a rational way; What's an easy way to conduct voter fraud? How does one vote without showing up in person?
That would be absentee voting. (Of course, this was before electronic voting. That's a whole new ball of wax, and we'll get to that later.)
My point is, that if you need to verify dogs and dead people are not voting, it should be as easy as running a query against death certificates or "red-flagging" all absentee voters named Fido or Spot. Two or three votes are isolated incidents. If there is "insider activity" a to where poll workers handling these ballots are intentionally overlooking the dogs and dead people, then that's a real problem. And yes, they did find that people did do that, and they were charged, tried and convicted. That's where sun should shine so the public will gain faith in the electoral process, with more openness and transparency at the various Boards of Elections.
Requiring a State-issued ID to vote is not only misguided and overkill, it's Orwellian. Oh, and I love the provision where 7 ID vans will be sent out to get people these ID's. I'm sure a state worker, knocking on doors wanting to take your picture, possibly with a Police escort in "rougher" neighborhoods, is going to go over great! As if we need more reasons to be supicious of a government the dienfranchised already feel repressed by. I feel for Mayor Slay on this one, because I bet the Legislature will put the onus (and many unseen costs that implementation may entail) on the city apparatus. And the counties.
On the other end of the argument, would 7 vans be enough cover the entire state, even if there was zero resistance, hidden costs, or logistical headaches galore? I doubt it.
I mean, if there is voter fraud, this is not the way to stop it. I am concerned about voter fraud, but I'm more concerned about the major flaws in electronic voting systems. I'm worried about hackers and the integrity of firewalls, backdoor access that software companies have, and so on.
I hope that there is a Federal Judge that will see the folly of this, and sensibly strike down this law as unconstitutional. If the courts are too blinded by partisanship to do that, then get ready because we'll have to fight it out in the streets by casting provisionial ballots on a massive scale.
Then we'll have to demand them to be counted.
Ain't democracy fun?

Hodgepodge

2006-05-10T16:26:00.000-07:00

Hi folks...
It's been awhile since I graced the blogosphere, and so much has been going on, I didn't know where to start. Lemme start by saying it's good to be back, and make sure you come out to the League Trivia nite up at MoKaBe's tonight, May 10th. It starts at 8.
Now, onto the hodgepodge...
Can't help but chuckle at the hijinks going on in good ol' Overland. I'm not surprised in the least, though. If you know me, you know I grew up there, so I'm very familiar with the players. Chief Herron is one of the few policemen I have tons of respect for. On the other end of the political saga, Ann Purzner is a jerkweed nutjob who got her start backing another jerkweed nutjob, Mark Brown, now a councilman in St. Charles. Ken Ownsby, a teacher who used to be employed by Ritenour School District (which he denies, but I remember him and his unsavory reputation with students VERY well) is her subordinate councilman and also a GUN SHOW DEALER. Loves the 2nd Amendment, has no respect for the 1st. In short, they're all unfit for office. Why people vote for them is beyond me.
Moving on...
Jennifer, Jennifer, Jennifer. What are we to do with you, Alderwoman Florida? The bubbly representative of the 15th has always been nice to me, but she also LOVES the redevelopers. Always has, and probably always will. So, it was no surprise to me when the McDonald's flak appeared. You know, maybe the good Alderwoman should abstain from her eagerness to help big, bloated corporations that shill poison masquerading as food. You have seen "Super Size Me", haven't you Jenny-poo? No wonder you pushed to get the recall reform initiative on the last ballot. Did you know this was coming down the pike? I can't say I'm all gung-ho for recalling her as many in the South City Journal's "Town Talk" are advocating, but this was a pretty boneheaded move in a city that has such a long and illustrious history of opposing robberbarrons and their greedy machinations.
Speaking of "Town Talk", there was an apparent Bush supporter who called in who wants the "Liberal New Media" to "shut up" about the high price of gas. Funny thing about Bush supporters like this guy; they have this annoying habit of ignoring FACTS. You know, things like W's the failed oil companies he's owned, his family's investments in the oil industry (The Carlyle Group for starters), the cozy relationship between the Saudis and the Bushies, and how Darth Cheney and the CEO's of the big energy companies rewrote the energy policies to hugely benefit their bottom lines, and so on.
Sure the GDP is up. I bet if you broke down the GDP company by company, you'd see that the huge mega corporations accounted for the lion's share of the GDP increase, and the mom & pop small businesses are struggling more that ever.
Oh, and unemployment? Yeah, Bush changed how the Government counts the unemployed so only those who are currently collecting are counted. Once you're off the rolls, you don't exist in the equation. In short, once your unemployment runs out, you're just screwed and left to starve in the streets. So we don't really know HOW many people are unemployed. It could be 10%, 20%, or even 50%. We just don't know.
That's all I got right now. See ya at Mo's...

Coming Clean...

2005-12-09T19:12:00.000-08:00

We've had some news from the 24th ward as of late...
First, let's talk about the appearance of the National Alliance. This appearance has sullied any credibility that Mr. Bauer may have had with the League.

I mean, this begs to ask the BIG questions a civilized society should ask:

Where do Mr. Bauer's ambitions lie? Where do Mr. Bauer's political motivations come from?

Face it, this, and the attack on Bill Waterhouse, is the the race/class war card being played by Mr. Bauer:
"Oh, Mr. Waterhouse, becasue he has some trivial BULLSHIT arrests againsty him, makes him 'below the integrity to hold the office'."

Of Alderman? PLEASE. What a load of crap. Have you met ANY of our Alderman? What a joke.

It sounds like a guy who was only trying to make an honest buck being harassed for a dumb kid's mistake. Or just a dumb kid's mistake, period.
Notice that there are no dates on the pro-Bauer mailer about Mr. Waterhouse's "arrest record", courtesy of Mr. Ronald A Leggett.
By the way, THE LEAGUE REMEMBERS WHAT YOU DID TO RODNEY. It was the same fucking thing as what you're doing to Bill.
Now we see where yor loyalties lie, Mr. Leggett. Who are you, the Sherriff of Fucking Notting ham?

Fucking Racist.

Wait s minute! Maybe you and Bauer the source of it. The source of the survival of Jim Crow in the 'Lou.

Hmmm........ Hey it's a start. Maybe CAPCR needs to take a look at Mr. Bauer.

AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE, ASSEMBLE!!!

2005-08-23T15:18:00.000-07:00

This AHTF is about the Minister of Mean, Pat Robertson. Of course, I'm sure you've heard him call for a duly elected leader of a another sovereign nation to be assasinated by the US Government. Well, I got this from a fellow activist over at Instead of War, so I thought I should pass it along:

Complaints: fccinfo@fcc.gov
Chairman Kevin J. Martin: KJMWEB@fcc.gov
Commissioner Kathleen Q. Abernathy: Kathleen.Abernathy@fcc.gov
Commissioner Michael J. Copps: Michael.Copps@fcc.gov
Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein: Jonathan.Adelstein@fcc.gov

I would like to lodge a complaint against Pat Robertson, the 700 Club, anf the stations that choose to broadcast their programming.
Pat Robertson, in August 22nd appearance on his "700 Club" broadcast, has Publicly called for the United States Government to assasinate the President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez. I find this unacceptable, the public incitement to violence of the Head of State of a Foriegn Nation is immoral, unethical, offensive and illegal. I am outraged, and demand that you investigate this incident.

Documentation has been provided by Media Matters.

link: http://mediamatters.org/items/200508220006

Robertson called for the assassination of Venezuela's president

Pat Robertson, host of Christian Broadcasting Network's The 700 Club
and founder of the Christian Coalition of America, called for the
assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

From the August 22 broadcast of The 700 Club:

ROBERTSON: There was a popular coup that overthrew him [Chavez]. And
what did the United States State Department do about it? Virtually
nothing. And as a result, within about 48 hours that coup was broken;
Chavez was back in power, but we had a chance to move in. He has
destroyed the Venezuelan economy, and he's going to make that a
launching pad for communist infiltration and Muslim extremism all over
the continent.

You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he
thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought
to go ahead and do it. It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war.
And I don't think any oil shipments will stop. But this man is a
terrific danger and the United ... This is in our sphere of influence,
so we can't let this happen. We have the Monroe Doctrine, we have
other doctrines that we have announced. And without question, this is
a dangerous enemy to our south, controlling a huge pool of oil, that
could hurt us very badly. We have the ability to take him out, and I
think the time has come that we exercise that ability. We don't need
another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm
dictator. It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert
operatives do the job and then get it over with.

So, email them already!!!

Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Assemble!!!!

2005-08-17T11:19:00.000-07:00

I posted this on the NEW Change for Missouri web community:

Yes, I'm issuing a ATHF alert. It's for the Wake Up Wal Mart Action tomorrow, August 20th, and we're meeting up at 10 AM at the Carpenters' Hall on Hampton (You get off 40 @ Hampton and head South: You can't miss it).

It' also gives me a chance to tell you about Wal Mart's latest attack on our Economy: They want to open THEIR OWN BANK.

They call it an "Industrial Loan Corporation". The name itself makes me shudder. Anyway, here's a snippet:

Opening an industrial loan corporation is one of the few avenues open to a commercial firm like Wal-Mart for owning a financial institution. There are currently 58 industrial loan corporations, including one owned by Wal-Mart rival Target Corp., a regulatory official said.

Wal-Mart's application has rekindled fears that the retailing giant, which draws in more than 100 million U.S. customers each week, is seeking permission to open a special-purpose financial institution as a way to extend its dominance into banking.

"As the world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart could easily become one of the largest banks in the U.S., intensifying concerns regarding the mixing of banking and commerce," Sweeney said.

Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has expressed concern that the parent companies of industrial loan corporations do not face the same oversight as bank and financial holding companies. FDIC officials say their supervision of industrial loan corporations and their parents is adequate.

An official of the Independent Community Bankers of America said the trade association would file an objection to the retailer's bid.

OK, so if this doesn't make you sick, then you're a Republican. Get yer ass down to the Carpenters' Hall tomorrow, August 10th @ 10AM, and take this monster down...

While we are talking to people about why you shouldn't buy Back to School supplies at Wal Mart, your hard work on this day could be all that stops "The Bank of Wal-Mart" from opening all across the country. It's because Wal Mart acts runs their business ventures unethically, no matter what venture it is. They must be held stopped.

Wal-Mart sees "green" in the eyes of the millions of customers who pass through its stores each day. If Wal-Mart succeeds in Utah, "Bank of Wal-Mart" could soon become one of the largest financial institutions in the country, especially since Wal-Mart's lobbyists are hard at work trying to roll-back state and federal banking regulations to open the door to huge new profits.
So, what does a "Bank of Wal-Mart" mean to you? It means an even bigger, more dominant Wal-Mart. Most analysts agree, banking is one of Wal-Mart's most important strategies for future growth.

THAT is consolidation of Economic power, and we can't allow them to hijack the economy like this.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force, ASSEMBLE!

The War is Over?

2005-08-14T09:17:00.000-07:00

Think Globally, act locally: Help Cindy

Frank Rich often uses misleading headlines for his editorials, so I rolled my eyes a bit when I saw this in the New York Times:

Someone Tell the President the War Is Over
By FRANK RICH

LIKE the Japanese soldier marooned on an island for years after V-J Day, President Bush may be the last person in the country to learn that for Americans, if not Iraqis, the war in Iraq is over. "We will stay the course," he insistently tells us from his Texas ranch. What do you mean we, white man?

A president can't stay the course when his own citizens (let alone his own allies) won't stay with him. The approval rate for Mr. Bush's handling of Iraq plunged to 34 percent in last weekend's Newsweek poll - a match for the 32 percent that approved L.B.J.'s handling of Vietnam in early March 1968. (The two presidents' overall approval ratings have also converged: 41 percent for Johnson then, 42 percent for Bush now.) On March 31, 1968, as L.B.J.'s ratings plummeted further, he announced he wouldn't seek re-election, commencing our long extrication from that quagmire.

Hey hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today? That was the familiar refrain from Vietnam. If the polling historical context that Rich cites is indeed an accurate measurement, then ol' W and the rest of the Chickenhawk Crusaders (flash video) are drinking cases of Pepto in Crawford. They have good reason to worry, too.
Damn skippy. I love it that one "grief stricken mother" can lay siege on the highest elected leader in America.

And the rest of the Corporate lapdog Goopers are shitting their collective pants:

These are the tea leaves that all Republicans, not just Chuck Hagel, are reading now. Newt Gingrich called the Hackett near-victory "a wake-up call." The resolutely pro-war New York Post editorial page begged Mr. Bush (to no avail) to "show some leadership" by showing up in Ohio to salute the fallen and their families. A Bush loyalist, Senator George Allen of Virginia, instructed the president to meet with Cindy Sheehan, the mother camping out in Crawford, as "a matter of courtesy and decency." Or, to translate his Washingtonese, as a matter of politics. Only someone as adrift from reality as Mr. Bush would need to be told that a vacationing president can't win a standoff with a grief-stricken parent commandeering TV cameras and the blogosphere 24/7.

"Reading tea leaves" is the Republican version of the circular firing squad. The great lie is beginning to unravel for them, and they know this will lead to MORE questions. Questions many politicians will not want to answer.

Politicians like Rick Santorum, for example:

The endgame for American involvement in Iraq will be of a piece with the rest of this sorry history. "It makes no sense for the commander in chief to put out a timetable" for withdrawal, Mr. Bush declared on the same day that 14 of those Ohio troops were killed by a roadside bomb in Haditha. But even as he spoke, the war's actual commander, Gen. George Casey, had already publicly set a timetable for "some fairly substantial reductions" to start next spring. Officially this calendar is tied to the next round of Iraqi elections, but it's quite another election this administration has in mind. The priority now is less to save Jessica Lynch (or Iraqi democracy) than to save Rick Santorum and every other endangered Republican facing voters in November 2006.

That's right, it's all about winning elections for the Goopers. They have begun the process of spinning away from the Bush Administration in a lame attempt to save their own chickenhawk asses, not to mention the christian conservatives they pander to, and the corporate interests they protect.

The people who fund and run the GOP are nervous, too, because it's bad PR to support a President who lied to the American People like this one has. But that's another conversation altogether, and it's one this blog can devote more time to after Cindy Sheehan gets her Rosa Parks moment.

"RELY"

2005-08-10T19:29:00.000-07:00

As you may know, the League of Pissed Off Voters, along with DFA's Change for Missouri, the AFT, NEA, SEIU and UFCW have joined the Wake Up Wal Mart campaign.
A Press Conference and rally to lauch the local effort was held today. Over 100 people showed to express their displeasure with this Corporate criminal.

Of course, Wal Mart has already released a statement whining about the Labor Movement shedding light on their failing grades as a Corporate neighbor. Boo-hoo.

However, I saw an unusual use of verbage in this statement. Wal-Mart used the word "rely" to describe their relationship with teachers. Rely is an interesting word especially when these teachers are customers. The bigger moral question Wal-Mart is dodging is "Why should teachers have to rely on Wal-Mart for school supplies?"

If you rely on something, aren't you dependent on it? Isn't this really Wal-Mart equating teachers like they're crack addicts and not educators?

If Wal Mart and other Corporations didn't scam the system for tax kickbacks and actually paid their fair share of taxes like a GOOD neighbor would, teachers wouldn't be dependent on Corporate handouts to supply our schools. And then they get another tax break for that!!! It's ridiculous!!!

Committed to education, my ass. Wal-Mart, your lyin' ass is MINE.

That's not roses I'm smellin'...

2005-08-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, an email off the Young Democrats of Greater St. Louis (YDGSL) list caught my eye. I didn't really want to take sides on the issue, but this has already spilled over into the outside activist community to the point where it's being discussed all over the place, I felt I needed to share my thoughts with everyone. Now, I do think it's good that the community has more knowledge about local labor elections. However, how this particular campaign has been conducted from the outset has been sloppy, polarizing, and leaves me asking questions about the motivations and interests involved already.
It's also completely predictable in that South Side Shinola way. Let me demonstrate.

First, the start of Lori's email entitled "Fight Corporate Unionism":

Dear Fellow Activists,

As some of you may know, I am currently involved with a campaign to "take back" the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 655. This labor local represents over 13,000 members in the eastern half of Missouri, including employees of Schnucks, Dierberg's and Shop N Save, as well as the Registered Nurses at St. John's Mercy Medical Center. I'm sure you remember the grocery workers strike in October of 2003 and most recently the nurses strike this past winter.

It was not by chance or even bad luck that both of these strikes ended with terrible contracts for the members and the devastating "opt out" at St. John's where nurses were allowed to drop their union membership. The reason these strikes ended in disaster was because the leadership of the local failed their members. They failed to prepare their members and the community for what lay ahead.

Sheesh, just that snippet alone makes my stomach turn. Look, it was pretty well known in labor circles that St. John's Mercy was pushing the line about an "open" shop. They did it enough as to where "Bargaining in Good Faith" could have been invoked. This was most likely part of Mercy's bargaining strategy. What happens if the union is deemed not bargaining in good faith? The Nurses would need a new union to represent them, that's what. The Nurses would have risked the protection of representation if they had to find a new bargaining unit, or even risked decertification. Then the Hospital would be free to "pick off" the "rabblerousers" at will.

But wait, it gets better...

I could go into great detail about the many ways the current leadership at 655 has failed their members, but it can best be summarized by saying that "corporate unionism" has a firm grip on this particular union. While the great majority of their members struggle financially and live paycheck to paycheck, the leadership and union representatives make a handsome salary. How handsome? Try $147,000 for the president and the representatives average around $80,000 plus their car and a nice expense account. I can understand making a decent salary - if you do your job right. But the current leadership has failed to do their job to represent and provide services to their members.

Corporate Unionism? From the union that has been battling the biggest Corporation in the world, that is STILL fighting Wal Mart to this day?

GGRRRRR. Yeah, now I'm PISSED.

Since when was it OK to knock a Labor Union for paying a GOOD salary? Do you know how HARD it is to be a Business Rep and/or a Union Organizer? Do you realize the emotional and physical stress this type of work? Lori should know, and she shouldn't try to breed resentment over someone who is making a decent living! This is something UFCW should be able to BRAG about, not be ashamed of!!! They're practicing what they preach! ALL Unions should pay as well as UFCW does. Maybe the rest of the Labor Movement could keep talented organizers then.

Way to feed that downward spiral on the American Standard of Living. Fmr. MINORITY LEADER OF CONGRESS Richard Gephardt always talked about that! Too bad Lori can't remember that talking point.

Therefore, Lori is completely full of shit. Those strikes ended with contracts when they BOTH could have ended WITHOUT contracts, or even jobs for the strikers to return to. Both strikes lasted over 5 weeks, and it was cold during both strikes, AND the strikers were starting to experience too many financial hardships to sustain the lines. People would have had to look for other work very soon if an agreement wasn't reached. For BOTH strikes.

If you want to assess blame, try Labor Law or Corporate America or declining member rolls for all jurisdictions. 12% of the working population. That's it. They should feel lucky to have survived the "prodecure"!

Then there's the opposition. Lori draws a paycheck from the opposing slate. What's intersting about that is the candidate Lori works for is known to have personal financial hardships. The way I heard it, they don't have the capital on hand to personally finance this campaign.

So, where's the money coming from to pay Lori?

Who is feeding the opposition's cash flow? Sure, it could be completely innocuous, like a personal loan from a bank or something. However, Lori did work for Joan Barry, who was a Nurse, State Rep and one of the 10 congressional candidates in last year's primary for the 3rd US District. She also had ties to the Nurses Association, who have a history of RAIDING other unions for members.

Or, is the money coming from a Corporate source itself? The Schnuck and Dierberg families, or the Waltons (yes, of Wal-Mart infamy) would have a vested self interest to destabilize UFCW and Local 655. They have a lot of capital in the St. Louis area through THF Realty (Wal Mart's "personal" real estate developer and leasor), and the Walton family heirs Kronke and Laurie are active in "Civic Progress", own part or all of the Rams and the Blues, and give heavily to anti labor Republicans! For that matter, it could be that rotten SOB Archbishop Burke and St. John's Mercy. It's a longshot, but I never underestimate the power of the Catholic Church.

Again I ask, where's the money coming from? Too many questions, not enough answers.

All I know is that this whole scenario and the timing of it looks like a cheap imitation of Rovian spin tactics, and it stinks of deception and dollars.

Hopefully, cooler heads will prevail within UFCW's membership, especially with this unfortunate split the AFL CIO just experienced.

Break Down Barriers with OBS

2005-08-04T21:52:00.000-07:00

I've met and talked with OBS' Zaki Baruti on a few occasions. He's a Great guy who is always eager to talk about solutions to barriers in today's society, especially in St. Louis.

I think people misunderstand the Organization for Black Struggle and the Police Oversight Committee issue. I also think it's really too bad that the Fraternal Order of Police don't realize what a positive influence and image a duly elected Police board could bring to St. Louis.

I understand how the Police feel; I had an uncle who was a City cop. They want and should be able to protect themselves in the field, and they should be able to do that because bad people do indeed shoot at cops.

My uncle was shot six times in the line of duty.

The man lived through all of them but by no means were they just flesh wounds. However, that's a story for another day. My point is merely it is a dangerous job, and most of the time, the Police do it well. However, the relationship between the citizens of the City and the Police sworn to protect them is not a rosy one, and that's putting it mildly.

The recent conflict between the Fraternal Order and ClearChannel station 100.3 the Beat illustrates this, because if a positive relationship existed between the poverty stricken, predominantly African American population on the North Side, DJ Kaos wouldn't have said what he said. There would have been no forum or marketplace for this criticism to start.
Of course, there will probably be some fallout in the community for the Police. Another tiny cut in the death of 1000 cuts, metaphorically speaking.

A bit about DJ Kaos: Met him once. He's a "local boy done good" and worked the DJ curcuit and then up the ClearChannel Corporate system. I've heard him tick off the social conservative talking points like many other good little ClearChannel employees, and (if you remember this) he really said nothing worse than what G. Gordon Liddy said in the 90's on HIS NATIONALLY SYNDICATED TALK RADIO SHOW.

Liddy kept his job. Still on the air, I do believe.

But back to OBS and Police Oversight...
Factors like race, culture and poverty that divide us are certainly a big part of the issue, but the most important factor is trust. That's the beauty of how a duly elected Police Oversight Board works; the use of Democracy and electoral campaigns will naturally improve the Police Department's community outreach, and people will have a place to start building trust between the Police and the community. Police Officers will (most likely) run for office and, while many will bitch about it, it will create positive images through this outreach. People will be able to air their views, thus alleviating resentment that blocks the growth of trust in our Public Institutions. Accouhtability breeds trust, period.

Anyway, enough prattling from me. Here's the OBS contact info:

"Organization for Black Struggle
P.O. Box 5277
St. Louis, MO 63115
(314) 367-5959 Phone
(314) 367-5899 Fax
obs_onthemove@yahoo.com

New Weblog

2005-07-31T20:42:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,
Sorry it's been so quiet over here. I've been working on a "few" other projects you should check out:
Selling Armageddon- this is my own independent project.
SawBlog, because rock n' roll is still revolutionary!
Plus, we're still working on the Wake Up Wal Mart effort, and NORML's Cannabis Crawl because America needs to look at alternative fuel sources like Biodiesel and wind technology.
You know, BEFORE all the oil is gone!
We're working on more issues, so stay tuned and keep up the good fight!

Hey, Jimmy boy!!!!

2005-07-24T19:41:00.000-07:00

Senator Talent,
You want a religious theme to pander to for a campaign? How's this:

Yes, what would Jesus Christ do if he saw a naked man on a leash, being dragged on his hands and knees by a member of a occupying Military force? Tell me which Jesus do you believe in? Is it the one that condones the SODOMY OF CHILDREN?

That's a pretty extreme worldview, Jim. I don't want to put words in your mouth, but your actions (or lack thereof) lead me to assume that you may ascribe to some extremist cult-like sect.

Now, your boy Akin gets real close to Koresh/McVeigh territory already. You and your buddies Roy Blunt and Kenny Hulshof are worse, because you pretend to be moderates and then you refuse to see what's staring you right in the face; A BLATANT ABUSE OF POWER. You're nothing but stooges for a corrupt Political Party and this Administration. You allowed your religion, your "personal relationship with god" to be perverted to defend THESE types of incidents:

What, you WANT a Holy War? You want to extend our stay in Iraq? You want to see our Guardsmen put in harm's way at some pipeline facility out in the desert? Do you think feeding a monster and throwing money at Defense contractors will make this Islamic Fundamentalist outrage, bombings and uprisings go away?

See, this is what you get when you destroy the seperation of Church and State; man made Armageddon.

What did you say when Bush uttered the imfamous phrase, "Bring 'em om"? As I recall, it was a whole lotta nuthin'.

Way to go, Mr. Senate-Armed-Services-Committee-member-in-your-first-term-Jim Talent! Good job!!!

See, this is why the myth that Republicans are better on Foreign Policy is exactly that; A MYTH. They're blinded by their fealty to Corporate and religious dogma.

At least the Republican Chairman of that Committee doesn't feel the need for Presidential boot-kissin' anymore.

However, you host a fundraiser with your corrupt Party boss in attendance, whose ultimately resposible for these atrocities.

What a disgrace the both of you are.

WAKE UP WAL-MART

2005-07-24T09:22:00.000-07:00

Speaking of the biggest Corporation on the planet, The League of Pissed Off Voters is about to team up with UFCW 655, Change for Missouri and Jobs with Justice (just to name a few)to help launch local effort of Wake Up Wal-Mart's Back to School campaign.

Sure, it's great to save money, but that isn't what you do when you shop at Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is a Welfare Queen. They get so many property tax breaks from states and municipalities that it causes deficits for School Districts and impacts your property taxes to make up the difference.

How's that for savings?

I mean, come on. Did you know that the average teacher spends $500 to $600 of their own income on school supplies? Teachers aren't paid enough as it is, but now the Public School Districts are dependent on teachers supplying students with what they need to learn.

And that's just the tip of the Iceberg! In Robert Greenwald's upcoming film on Wal-Mart, you will see Wal-Mart's real face; one of a BAD NEIGHBOR.

Anyway, mark August 10th on your calendar. We're going to give Wal Mart a lesson in Keynesian economics 101 for Wake Up Wal Mart's "Back to School" campaign.

Sign up today.

"The Prize"

2005-07-24T06:42:00.000-07:00

The Prize is of course, OIL.

(Before I get started on what's wrong, let me point out a damn good alternative)

Oil has become more valuable than money. It creates more political power than the American Economy because without it, America wouldn't have an economy. Capital is dependent on oil, and oil is behind many decisions involving Foreign Policy for every nation on the planet.

That includes (as the New York Times reports) the People's Republic of China:

Oil is the ultimate geopolitical commodity - it is "The Prize," as Daniel Yergin titled his epic history of petroleum and international politics. And even if Cnooc fails to grab Unocal, the pursuit has pushed the two sides of the Chinese challenge together and into the spotlight of public debate. For China is both an engine of economic globalization and an emerging military power. In symbolic shorthand, it is Wal-Mart with an army.

Damn. If I were China, I'd feel a bit insulted. I guess that's the price of becoming the manufacturing supplier for Wal Mart's wares. But I digress...

Yes, China has been focusing and perfecting this form of Economic warfare since the Tiannamen Square crackdown. China's market based reforms were designed to undermine the free market economy from the inside. The Unocal buyout is only the latest and most extreme example of how Corporate interests can be and have been used to impede our rights, our individual liberties and also our National Sovereignty.

It's working for China, too. Their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has gone up roughly 10% the last two years. Oil consumption is up too, of course. That's why they need this particular Private Oil company; it's been around for awhile. If China is able to buy this company, they'll basically own part of the existing infrastructure the US gets a substantial amount of its' oil supply and distribution networks.

What's more is China will not have to really worry about the greed of Corporate CEO's skimming off the top or golden parachute retirement packages. They can align Unocal with their Foreign Policy and make it part of their economic warfare arsenal.

Hell, as a WTO member, China may have the upper hand if the US tries to block the sale of Unocal to China.

Now I know this may be very alarming to the reader, but I'm not pointing this out to be an alarmist. This is really a result of decades of failure of our policies at home, and evidence that the dogmatic pursuit of free market policies are hypocritical on their face.

It also shows that the Bush Foreign Policy is nothing but a total and abject failure, and it has been from the beginning.

We encouraged the Chinese to join the Market Economy and yet did nothing about how they run their government or treat their people. We allowed them to gain control of our economy without any meaningful response to Tiannamen Square.

Tiannamen Square happened on Bush 41's watch. Where was all that fuckin' compassion and the desire "spreading freedom and democracy" bullshit then? Oh that's right, it was focused on Panama and that OTHER Imperialistic Money Pit, the "War on Drugs", and the proliferation of Police State tactics at home and abroad to "manage" the situation.

You know, we need oil to keep that Military operation running, too...

Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Assemble!!!

2005-07-23T19:39:00.000-07:00

I found this thru Michael Moore's site, from the Must Read section:

It was the second time that Cheney has met with Senate members to tamp down what the White House views as an incipient Republican rebellion. The lawmakers have publicly expressed frustration about what they consider to be the administration's failure to hold any senior military officials responsible for notorious detainee abuse in Iraq and the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
This week's session was attended by Armed Services Chairman John W. Warner (R-Va.) and committee members John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.). Warner and Graham last week chaired hearings that explored detainee abuse and interrogation tactics at Guantanamo Bay and the concerns of senior military lawyers that vague administration policies have left the door open to abuse.

Then it occured to me that neither Sens. Bond nor Senate Armed Services Committee member JIM TALENT wasn't on this list.
Why don't you ask Ol' Jim why that is? Why don't you ask him if Jesus Christ would have condoned what's going on Guantanamo or Abu Gharib? Why don't you get your friends to ask him as well?

You could also ask him why he has all but ignored this issue, and you would like a little more than George Bush's reguritated talking points.

You know, a meaningful answer.

Unfortunately, I've never heard one come from Jim Talent, so you may have to contact the press as well.

"It's gettin' HOT in here..." Ain't it Jim?

Russ Carnahan-MORON

2005-07-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

I can't beleive that, considering what's going on in DC, any Democrat would be so ignorant to vote for such Orwellian bills.

Jeff Smith or Corey Mohn would have NEVER voted for extending these provisions. Thank you Russ, for voting to shred the Bill of Rights. Thank you, for handing another victory to Terrorism, FEAR, and institutionalized religious zealotry.

Why must we slouch toward totalitarianism? Why is it the Department of Homeland Security makes me feel LESS secure?

Instead, we should consider the very existence of the PATRIOT Act as a surrender to Al Queda itself. Why is that? A wise man once said, "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

We are not in London. We are not in Egypt. Denial is not a river in Egypt, either. We would be doing an injustice to future generations of all Nations if we fail to question that this could lead to the destruction of our personal rights, liberties and Freedom to think independently, and this threat has been produced by a culture of corruption, fear and timidity of our own elected officials. In the name of National Security, Russ, the DLC-types in Congress and the Republican-controlled Congress voted to give law enforcement agencies more "tools" to intimidate and disenfranchise the population it's supposed to protect.

Is this really what we should call "winning the war on terruh"? Not in my book.

Why is this man laughing?

2005-07-21T21:30:00.000-07:00

Karl Rove, co conspirator and war criminal.

About the war...

2005-07-21T20:26:00.000-07:00

As of this point, because of the conduct of our "leaders" and the actions they take to "protect" us, the very foundation of our society and the fabric of our civilization is threatened.

You know, it wasn't that long ago that you'd consider a person insane if they would say something that extreme. I would have been one of those people.

However, these are not ordinary times. Our former ally (and boogeyman) pictured here had nothing to do with YOU KNOW WHAT. Unfortunately, religious fanatics of all stripes and the Mega Corporations of the world have used tragedy to propel us to the brink of destruction. W is only their puppet.

Once, a great man warned us how fragile freedom truly is. He helped craft a document that made freedom and independence a reality. There were other leaders and authors that learned these ever so subtle lessons, and worked to preserve them.

These people understood that it was not fascism, communism, or feulalism that was unAmerican, it is totalitarianism in any form that we should guard against. They were warning us not to turn into them, for any reason.

False Alarm in London...

2005-07-21T19:00:00.000-07:00

While no one was killed in this latest bombing attempt, incidents like this can terrorize a population via the ensuing media frenzy.

Terrorism works, especially when the Corporate Media feeds it.

Coming soon and your $.02...

2005-07-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

We have a number of things coming up that I hope you come back for. Keep an eye out for an interview with a notable local author and a major announcement on an upcoming campaign against a very large opponent in the next couple of days. There will also be more info on the League activies in the near future, so keep checking in.

In the meantime, I dub this an open thread. What's on your mind? What should the League focus on? What do you think of where we're going? What do we need to do more of?

The request lines are now open...

El Scooperino

2005-07-14T16:29:00.000-07:00

I heard through the grapevine that Claire McCaskill has hired some DC-based fundraisers. That would be an indication that she is leaning toward the Senate.

And no, I will not reaveal the source. However, you can rest assured it was not THIS MAN.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force, assemble!!!

2005-07-10T18:05:00.000-07:00

First we have the Downing St. memo.Now, the noose tightens on Bush's Minister of Propaganda. This Administration's days are numbered.

Get involved, folks. The only thing we have to lose is our Freedom if we don't.

Progressive Populism

2005-07-10T17:34:00.000-07:00

Thank you Lara for forwarding the article. I have to say that Dave hit the nail on the head with it.
I don't think it was divisive to forward it either. We have to confront this problem if we are to build a winning tradition for democrats, especially progressive populist that can change the direction of our state and nation.
Now, the party has made progress since the 2004 debacle, but we are nowhere close to where we need to be to achieve these goals. Roger Wilson is NOT the devil incarnate, but he's not pressuring Claire enough to make a decision on the Senate race because she doesn't want to move to DC. Yet, she likes her name being out there, and the longer the speculation goes on, the longer it takes for us to get the name out of whoever will end up running for the Senate seat. And Wilson won't pressure the woman who got him the job of state chair without considerable pressure from us, the people who are active in the party and the issue based groups that align with the Party.
Personal ambition shoots the party in the foot again. *sigh*
I mean, we're talking about "serving your country" which is what public office really is. There is already a certain amount of sacrifice you have to be prepared to commit to, and we should be appreciative of the fact that Claire does win races and didn't decide to work in the private sector, and I appreciate her service. However, there are times when the constituents of a party need to persuade, and even cajole candidates to take on races they do not want to run in extreme situations. The US Senate race is that type of situation. Talent HAS TO GO. Our state party structure will not have any credibility if we lose that race, and it will be even harder to reverse our losses down the road.
This brings up another "problem" that our state party is currently experiencing, yet no one acknowledging: We have a leadership vacuum within the Democratic Party. That's what all this grousing is really about; jockeying for influence. We need to stick together or progressive and centrist will both lose out, and we need to build some trust between us. To the Democrats who consider this centrist or moderates; we ask for you to trust us that we are not out to destroy Christianity or dismantle capitalism as the opposition likes to tell you.
I mean come on. Do you think any American thinks it's right to tell you that you can't believe in something? When we talk about the Right wing religious influences and corporations, we are talking about the ones who use their influence to propagate lies to maintain their own power and control by avoiding accountability by any means. These are the 1/10 of 1% I am referring to.
The only thing I would ask the centrist and moderate who sometimes recoils at what some elements of the left say is to not let the extreme right vilify these elements without any criticism from you. We're supposed to be on the same team, you know.
This is where the current progressive wave of young Turks have momentum, and why we are calling for real, substantial change from the bottom up. Progressive can build a winning tradition around its' ideals and principles, and we think that the state party should be reorganized to facilitate this. Currently, the state party is organized to solely support the gubernatorial candidate and its' mission needs to be expanded. We need to have issue research, sustained grassroots outreach and encourage activity of the township committee system, more supportive involvement in state rep and senate races, and even negotiation in certain intra-party conflicts. We should also realize the potential to "cross market" progressive organizations that support our policies and encourage people to be active in those organizations as well. For example, why doesn't the state party work to encourage people to join labor unions? Why do we not advertise the positive aspects of what membership in a union can bring people on a more consistent basis instead of when the rights of workers are attacked? Why doesn't the state party have a link to the Missouri AFL CIO organizer or merely access to a way to get some authorization cards?
Why spend time wondering why union members vote Republican when they see that Democrats don't support and help facilitate union membership and growth in organized labor? No wonder many union members have a sense of betrayal when it comes to the Democrats.
Instead, we have Democrats taking money from companies like Wal Mart, who are bound and determined to drive down the standard of living for Missourians, Americans, and now because of their continued expansion overseas, the global population itself.
We have a massive problem when it comes to a lack of cohesive message on energy and environmental policy when it's sitting right under our very noses; biodiesel, wind technology and other eco-friendly solutions to our energy needs. Let's face facts: The oil is running out. We have no replacement technology.
There is a laundry list of other issues Democrats ignore. Here's my overall point; Society wants answers to problems and will look to the leaders who offer these answers. Progressives do have solutions, not compromises or softer versions of right wing confidence schemes, which is what we have today. We need clear choices defined through our solutions. We need to fight for the tenets of our freedom our constitutional rights against the forces of totalitarianism at home and abroad. We need to use the words Freedom Liberty and sovereignty on a day to day basis and as the reason why Democrats should be elected to office, not Republicans. Republicans, especially of the Nixonian school of politics, can't be trusted, period. They believe in totalitarian rule for America is the way to win the war on terror, and that their personal power needs to be maintained by any means neccessary.
Totalitarianism is what ALL Americans are vehemently against. It doesn't matter what brand is or political persuasion it may come from, Democracy will always be opposed to it.
totalitarianism can come in many forms, and any system of government is vulnerable to its' influence. America is not immune, and many progressives see too many warning signs present in modern society warning educated people that America's Democracy is in danger of collapse.
We need to confront the pro apocalyptic preachers in the right wing churches in rural America and discredit them as the charlatans that they are. We need to show Americans that Campaign finance reform is still a major issue, and we need to stop coddling corporate interests at the expense of the bill of rights and the safety of all good people on our planet.
The result of 2004 is that the special interests that got Bush elected now feel they have a right to impose their will on all Americans. The Communist Corporations and the pro-apocalypse Christian right, this 1/10th of 1% of our population, are vying for total control of our society.
Hence, American Totalitarianism is a real threat to our country and our party. This is where our future battle for Democracy will take place if the American way of life is truly to be preserved.
Benjamin Franklin once said that a people that trades its' liberty for security will receive nor deserve either. Is this the direction the Age of Terror is taking us? Is trading that Freedom and liberty to win the war against these islamic fanatics actually a loss for our way of life? That's what the Bush Administration would like you to believe, as would their Party elites and the people who supply the money and people power on election day for them.
It is our job, as the major opposing political force in America, to fight the current centralization of power that the forces of the Bush Administration have brought together to get elected, and we have to show people why these people should not be trusted. They have allowed the perpetrator of 9-11, Osama bin Ladin escape justice, and then they misled a nation to enter another armed conflict on less than honest claims.
Now, they try to cover up their corrupt ways, and their allies broadcast apocalyptic prophecies to keep people distracted from the truth that WE were lied to. Repeatedly, with each lie bigger than the last, and it was all to cover up the fact that the would be ruler of this new American corporate theocracy has no clothes and no foundation to stand on except his lies.

Conspiracy is hard to prove...

2005-07-09T08:58:00.000-07:00

In these trying times that are the Age of Terror, we as citizens have to ask ourselves hard and unpleasant questions about the nature of the World we live in and how it got as bad as it has. In my reply to friend, fellow patriot and Change for Missouri activist, Margarat Hasse I asked a few of the questions left unanswered after the London attacks:

Margaret,

Hold on hold on....
I know this looks suspiscious, and as much as I would like to pin this on the Military Industrial Complex, I don't think the evidence is there just yet. If anyone has gotten a hold of two reputable sources for this theory, then I will agree with you. This is still a developing situation so we need to slow down on London.
Let's talk about the nature of this conspiracy behind Iraq and the overall war for a minute.
I have a personal test that I've applied to information concerning an internal conspiracy to launch the war on terror. A big hurdle for the case is really if you can prove this was planned in the backrooms (of the Carlyle Group?) and an actual handshake deal was made to start it, or did BushCo and our Gov't just piss Osama and Al Queda off so bad from being burned after the US pullout of Afghanistan and the Unocal pipeline deal went sour? This is not out of the realm of possiblity because of the previous situation with Saddam Hussein and the "abrupt policy change" after he invaded Kuwait.

You see, this is the sneaky underhanded move I think happened: They get these former allies screw themselves. All you have to do is act like you're encouraging them to their face and the former allied despots get more ambitious in their ideological "mission" (conquer and oppress their people), and then let public opinion and the corporate press turn them into monsters to the general public. I think this is intentional move by BushCo and Karl Rove. It fits the way they do things, at least.

PT Barnum said "there's a sucker born every minute". BushCo and the Nixonites have developed this into a science. Osama and Saddam were both suckers, because they never were going to get the unabashed support of the United States even though both had deep ties to the Administration, established trade policies, etc. They get big heads, and the US picks when it just cuts and runs.

But, what can you expect from this pack of Corporate puppets? Osama, Saddam, Ollie North, Rush Limbaugh, G. Gordon Liddy and Ken Lay are all the same; cowards. Cowards always keep the back door open and find a way to deny what they have done.

It creates a means to deniability for BushCo and the Republiscammers. Bring on the smoke and mirrors...

"Oh, we didn't know these guys were bad people. We don't read "The Nation" or the liberal media. We had no idea they had the invasion of Kuwait/9-11/the overthrow of the Shah/insert your own hypocrisy here." The republiscumbags and the people who fund them think they have a right to commit war crimes in the name of this cowboy diplomacy because it's been going on since New York was stolen from the indians for a bottle of booze. To them, it is not a question of right or wrong, but what the result will be, and they can use such "precedents" to justify it.

This is what Karl Rove and Rupert Murdoch via' Bill O'Reilly tries to convince America to do every night; rationalize the slide into fascism by telling people we have a "tradition" of this behaviour. Sadly, we do in the south, and it was supposed to have ended with the Civil Rights movment, Watergate and the pullout of Vietnam. to the contrary, Rove has even BOASTED that he's a "Nixonite", and has already fallen off the media's radar screen. I'm sorry, but that tells me he believes that he has a right to break any law he wants to hold onto power. The Republicans use smoke and mirrors to keep Bush from going to the Hague, because if we were actually able to win in '06, get the impeachment process going AND get Bush charge Bush with Crimes against Humanity (the ol' trifecta!), we would cripple the forces that are behind BushCo and the republiscum propaganda machine.

The Republican platform is built on this corrupt foundation. It is a justification for this type of criminal mentality, and it gives America and Democracy a bad name. It makes our Democracy look hypocritical and pits the world against us. Yet we are the leaders of the Free World?

I of course think this is an immoral "policy", that the ends justify the means and we have a right to "spread democracy" by force. Civilized people shouldn't be engaged in this type of deceit, but it seems the republicans think Pre emptive Imperialism is a Family Value they have a right to implement.

Why is this diatribe relevant? Oh, yeah, they're still guilty even if they just suckered Osama and Saddam into action, but what would it mean to the prosecution in a court of law? Is the case strong enough? Would this deniability enough to cast doubt? Can the American people even accept this truth? Have they been lied to for too long?

Will the British be resilient or will they develop a bunker mentality? A lot rests on the people of England itself and what they will do. They have contradictory traditions: World War II and their anti-fascist resolve. Will Blair be strengthened or get a vote of no confidence in Parliament? Will there be new elections or will they "stay the course"? Will Paris "freak out" and start thinking "it could have been them" if they won the olympics?

All hard and unpleasant questions for the Age of Terror.

It's been a busy week...

2005-07-09T08:31:00.000-07:00

It's been a crazy week and I haven't had time to post. A belated Happy Independence day to one and all.
Liberals ARE Patriots, too...

Open Letter to Bill McClellan

2005-07-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

Bil McClellan think a presidential election won on lies and deception is a mandate.

It's time we stop condoning this particular style of coddling liars, and take on the corporate media whenever we can. This letter went to Bill in response to his latest Donnybrook appearance, where he continued the illogic that we should condone our government to act like a criminal organization and subvert the truth for political personal and financial gain.

Here's the letter:

Bill,
You know, you've said some stupid things over the years, but your comment that it's "crazy" to talk of impeaching Bush is possibly one of the most socially irresponsible statements I have ever had the displeasure to hear you utter.
I mean, come on; this is America where all men are equal in the eyes of the law. A President may be the head of the enforcement branch of the government, but that does not mean the President is ABOVE the law, especially in a time of war. Our founding fathers were very concerned with the mechanics of how the powerful could co-opt the government and use it for their own political, personal and financial gain. The framers of the constitution created the impeachment process to prosecute these specific types of crimes, and there is ample proof that this President, his administration and the political party apparatus that got him elected, defrauded the people through lies and deception.
You know I have a feeling that you are more worried about the perception of "political retribution" for Clinton, because that's how the republicans will frame the argument. What I don't understand is why you care. A lie is still a lie, no matter how many times you say it.
This is not a blowjob or a stained dress; this is a perversion of democracy that is reminiscent of the Harding and Nixon administrations.
This is why progressives have completely dismissed and now deride centrists on the question of impeachment; it is the depth, breath and sheer scale of corruption that this Administration and presidential campaigns of 2000 and 2004 has been a party to.
I mean, do I need to make a list for you? Downing St.and what the official line from the White House was at the date of the authorship of that memo, the very existence of the Carlyle group and the Project for a New American Century, the manpower shortages of the Afghan war and the subsequent "outsourcing" to local warlords, the escape of Osama bin Ladin, Fox News' "talking points", Enron, Halliburton, and all the political money donated to Bush/Cheney '04, the newly discovered "secret air war" in 2002 (when they should have been looking for Osama), the fact that the Taliban still exists as an organization, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Do you realize that there are former Watergate conspirators working in the White House today? You know, felons like Charles Colson and future convicts like Jack Abramhoff.
Why is it that centrists turn a blind eye when big moneyed interests try to inflict their will on the people? Centrists have this bad habit of ignoring common denominators and even patterns in history on issues like NAFTA and the Iraqi war vote. When both came to vote, it was politicians like the Clintons, Kerry and Lieberman who first championed them, and that were later deemed "bad ideas", when the evidence that these were bad ideas before they were passed was already there to begin with.
Thank you Captain Obvious. And that's just it. Centrists seem oblivious to the obvious because they are afraid of how they are "perceived". To me, that's crazy, because to suspend the truth so one can say they aren't "partisan" is a tacit validation of propaganda.
If centrists had just listened to their 10th grade history teacher, you would have figured out your first clue; the source of the ideas. The Republicans, the religious right and the boardrooms of corporate America told their lapdogs what to do.
This is what you don't realize; In the political climate of 21st Century American politics, "Bipartisan" now means compromised because the republican party has become a party of these centralized and increasingly imperialistic interests. Centrists don't have the good sense to see how these influences are working to consolidate power under the guise of "spreading" democracy. I know what Bush is shoveling when he says that, and it doesn't pass the smell test.
Are we destroying democracy in order to save it? Ben Franklin said that the man who trades his freedom for security will get, nor deserve, either.

Joe Bruemmer
http://stlleague.blogspot.com/
www.changeformissouri.com
St. Louis, MO 63116
314-910-0122

W.'s Reason...

2005-06-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

...why he felt the need to address the nation from Ft. Bragg.
Keep running George, but we will catch you and IMPEACH YOU.

The Dissenting Supremes

2005-06-29T21:04:00.000-07:00

Media Matters has Bill O'Reilly in his crosshairs. Here's a snippet of the email alert:

...four Supreme Court justices took a similar, if somewhat less absolute, position in multiple dissents in Van Orden v. Perry. The five-justice majority in that case ruled that a Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol did not violate the constitutional separation of church and state. But Justice John Paul Stevens, joined by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, asserted in a dissent that "the Establishment Clause has created a strong presumption against the display of religious symbols on public property." Stevens added:

"The monument's permanent fixture at the seat of Texas government is of immense significance. The fact that a monument 'is installed on public property implies official recognition and reinforcement of its message. That implication is especially strong when the sign stands in front of the seat of government itself. The 'reasonable observer' of any symbol placed unattended in front of any capitol in the world will normally assume that the sovereign -- which is not only the owner of that parcel of real estate but also the lawgiver for the surrounding territory -- has sponsored and facilitated its message.' Pinette, 515 U. S., at 801-802 (STEVENS, J., dissenting).

A separate dissent in Van Orden by Justice David Souter, which Stevens and Ginsburg joined and which Justice Sandra Day O'Connor endorsed separately, stated a similar position:

If neutrality in religion means something, any citizen should be able to visit that civic home without having to confront religious expressions clearly meant to convey an official religious position that may be at odds with his own religion, or with rejection of religion. See County of Allegheny, 492 U. S., at 626 (O'CONNOR, J., concurring in part and concurring in judgment)
("I agree that the crèche displayed on the Grand Staircase of the Allegheny County Courthouse, the seat of county government, conveys a message to nonadherents of Christianity that they are not full members of the political community . ... The display of religious symbols in public areas of core government buildings runs a special risk of making religion relevant, in reality or public perception, to status in the political community" (alteration and internal quotation marks omitted).

In addition, O'Reilly's name-calling ignores core tactics of 20th century fascist dictators. Far from enforcing a rigid church-state separation, Benito Mussolini, Francisco Franco, and Adolf Hitler all attempted to solidify their power by co-opting religious institutions and their symbols; Hitler even attempted to create a state church by merging Nazi ideology with Protestant traditions.

You see, this whole idea that liberals want to destroy Christianity is as insane as Jack Van Impe. Bill O'Reilly is nothing but an opportunistic propagandist who would love to change the definition of fascism so they can defned their right to BE fascists.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force, assemble!!!!

2005-06-29T18:33:00.000-07:00

Our firend Jeff Smith has announced that he will run for State Senate to replace anti-choice, old guard pol Pat Dougherty.

Excerpt from Jeff's letter:

I will not play on anyone’s fears. I will instead appeal to our hopes and aspirations. This campaign will be about the future of the City, a City that will live or die as one. It is about One St. Louis, and win or lose, I will work to move our City’s politics toward a healthier place.

The people of St. Louis are ready to rewrite history – and they are willing to take chances on public servants who go into the neighborhoods, knock on doors, listen to people’s problems and put their best foot forward to solve them. In last year’s Congressional primary, St. Louisians sent a resounding message to their leaders that they are more concerned with the public interest than with the status quo. I’ll offer them that choice for the State Senate in 2006.

Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!!!

Aristocracy?

2005-06-27T23:21:00.000-07:00

Aristocracy. I've always felt that has always been the best example which shows the inhumanity of the so-called free market. The free market as it is defined today is anything but free. The term "Free Market" is really a bastardized version of laissez faire, which was also based on the concentration of wealth in the hands of the elites, or for this argument, the aristocrats.

See, if the market were truly free, Wal Mart wouldn't have the power to corner retail prices, wages, and drag down the economy with their greed.

See, competition ain't bad, but companies like Wal Mart don't believe in competition. They believe they have the right to dominate the world. So do the people who control the world's oil reserves. Both finance Bush and the Republicans.

One of the great presidents of our time, Franklin Delano Roosevelt:

"The liberty of a Democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their Democratic State itself. That, in its' essence, is Fascism-ownership of Government power by an individual, by a group or by any controlling power."

think about that, because this will be a recurring theme around these parts...

It's un-official, but...

2005-06-27T16:50:00.000-07:00

The League of Independent (a.k.a. Pissed Off) Voters has joined St. Louis area Jobs with Justice.
Seems they have some problems with the state of politics, too....

Eye on Corporate Media

2005-06-25T15:35:00.000-07:00

Deb Petersen's column is always an interesting read, simply because it's the only time the Post mentions what's going on in with the local broadcast media. She really has turned into Jerry Berger, too. That's not a good thing really.
I do find Allman's return to be disturbing, though. Smash has become increasingly polarizing figure whether he realizes it or not, and Allman has pretty much destroyed his credibility when he took the job with the Archdiocese.
There may be no better target for Progressive talk.org as a postor boy for real media reform in St. Louis.

"It looks like a Terrorist attack"

2005-06-24T16:08:00.000-07:00

A raging chemical fire led officals to shut down Highway 40.
I hope you enjoyed Rush Hour.

Media Reform Action Alert

2005-06-24T15:28:00.000-07:00

OK, if you're incensed over Karl Rove' s comments like I am, then you need to DO SOMETHING about it.

Dogtown Blues

2005-06-23T21:40:00.000-07:00

Things are looking grim for Alderman Tom Bauer...

And it gets...

2005-06-23T20:13:00.000-07:00

...better and better.

Desperate Military Goes Orwellian

2005-06-23T15:52:00.000-07:00

Hey, check this out from the Washington Post.

NORML's Cannabis Crawl on 9-11

2005-06-22T19:05:00.000-07:00

Now, you may think I'm just a big stoner that doesn't want to go to jail. Well, the Drug War is misguided at best and the civil liberties issues related to it are important, but that's not why I'm bringing this up. There's a National Security issue involved here. The elephant in the room that no one wants to mention; part of the reason the Arab world resents and hates us is because of the massive amounts of oil pumped out of their country and shipped to ours. American oil companies are very active in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it's been widely reported that Corporate entities employ soldiers for their own security.
There's another name for these private contractors; mercenaries. They pay these mercenaries $400 to $600 a day while GI's get like $600 a month. Why? Halliburton's Pipelines, which are guarded by these private contractors, are as big a target as Iraqi Police officers, American troops or other public sector workers.
The terrorists are aiming for our achillies heel; our addiction to crude oil.
Now, what does this have to do with the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws (NORML)? Hemp, the-non toxic, non-mood altering variation of the species has the potential to revolutionize the energy industry. If we are to really harness alternative fuels and lessen the dependence on fossil fuels, then it's stupid NOT to use Hemp as a source of energy in the 21st Century. Hemp IS Victory in the War on Terror. Hemp is Victory for the environment. Hemp is Victory for our society's addiction to fossil fuels.
There's an obstacle to this victory; The big oil money that controls this country. You know who I'm talking about. It's George Bush 41 and 43, it's Dick Cheney, it's Enron, it's Halliburton, it's the Republican controlled Congress, it's the 1/10 of 1% hyper rich of America.
Their financial foundation is based on the Petroleum based energy infrastructure. If they lose the profits of fossil fuels, they lose power.
They lose the ability to control society.
We, the people, gain more freedom.
I'll Have more on this topic in the months to come, but save 9-11 on your calendar for the St. Louis leg of NORML's Cannabis Crawl @ Wash U's quad.

Right for the jugular: Impeachment!

2005-06-20T23:21:00.000-07:00

I figured my first topic should be that of the Bush Administration's latest public relations nightnare; the Downing street memos. What the Corporate press isn't focusing on is the date that memo was written and correlating that with what the President and his administration's public statements were about the Policy with Iraq. Over and over, even before 9-11, senior Bush administration officials denied any prior plans to use military force against Iraq.
Well, except for the think tank that a number of these people belong to. You might have heard of it. It's called Project for a New American Century http://www.newamericancentury.org/. This group formed in the late 90's and released a report urging military intervention on Saddam Hussein and the best way to gain public support would be some sort of catastrophe, "like Pearl Harbor".
And before you go into what a piece of shit Saddam was, then why did the US do business with this man? Why did Rummy shake his hand? Why is the ambassodor of Saudi Arabia affectionately known in the West Wing as Bandar Bush?
And if you missed that fact, I should probably inform you that Saudis flew those planes into the World Trade Center, not Iraqis. Saudis were funding the extremist fundamentalist mosques that recruited these people to Afghanistan. Saudis invested millions in oil pipeline development in Afghanistan in the mid 90's, and they helped, along with the good ol' US of A, nuture a brutal dictatorship called the Taliban. This happy bunch first organized under the name Mujahaddin, and their mission was to topple Communist friendly government in Afghanistan. Financed by the CIA, armed by our military and an extremist religious doctrine endorsed by Saudi Arabia's prince Abdullah, these Mujahaddin spent decades fighting a guerilla war only to be stabbed in the back after the Soviets left, defeated. They then formed two organizations, Al Queda and the Taliban. Al Queda could best be described as Afghanistan's defacto foreign espionage unit, while the Taliban took in the role of the state. Both preached the same hatred, and they worked hand in hand to impose their will on the people.
And the realy sad part is Afghanisatan was at peace in 1978. Infrastructure, public schools, access to electricity and clean drinking water were all started by the government the USA financed the Mujahaddin to topple.
Of course, there are quite a few connections to big oil and the locations that this war is being fought. there's also quite a few to this administration and the Project for New American Century, and there's this oil and defense cartel contractor called the Carlyle group, too. All of these entities have Bushes, bin Ladens, and Saudi royals on the boards, and they have control of the only substance more valuable to our economy than money: OIL.
You know, I always found it striking that mass protests didn't come about when the United States launched operations in Afghanistan. Of course, no one on the planet except for Saddam and couple others would never have DREAMED to oppose that action. The general concensus was that the US was going after Al Queda, the proven culprit of the 9-11 attack.
But something was awry. The US didn't send a whole lot of resources or manpower. I mean yeah, it's positive from the perspective that the generals didn't want to commit the same mistakes the USSR did. However, we made other mistakes, like letting the entire leadership of Al Queda and its' leader, Osama bin Laden, get away. We had the forces, we had the firepower, we even had the support of neighboring Pakistan, but we were so busy building up troops to invade Iraq we couldn't divert the manpower or resources.
What does this have to do with the Downing St. memo? Premeditation of priorities and intent to deceive.
It was the cover up that brought Nixon down, and it was the lie that got Clinton in trouble. Impeach Bush!

SIgning in...

2005-06-20T19:47:00.000-07:00

I am the Rat Bastard. I am about to piss off a whole lotta people with this here new-fangled gizmo called a blog.
See, there are a lot of scumbags in this town that people should really know more about. Why? Because they think they own this town. They are the super rich of the Lou, and they use their money and power to screw us every chance they get.
NEWS FLASH: I'm Pissed Off about it!
Therefore, I am here to piss in their Wheaties. I will empty my bladder on a semi-regualr basis on this here thingamablog, and I will relish it.
Corrupt pols and Corporate fascists take heed; The Rat Bastard is coming FOR YOU.

Planned Parenthood Lobby Day

2005-03-07T11:11:00.000-08:00

Planned Parenthood of St. Louis is having a lobby day on Tuesday, March 15th. They'll have busses to Jeff city, it'll run from about 7:30AM-5:00PM. They're focusing on the State Family Planning Program, emergency contraception and comprehensive sex ed, all of which are worth dragging your ass out of bed for if you don't have to work that day. Should also glean us some useful experience with the inside of the statehouse. I'm going.

Interested parties should drop an e-mail to michelle.trupiano@ppfa.org.

ENDORSEMENTS!

2005-02-21T14:10:00.000-08:00

After weeks of research and preparation, the St. Louis League of Pissed Off Voters is proud to announce our endorsements for the March 8th municipal election. We have only endorsed selected candidates who we felt shared our vision of a progressive government in St. Louis.

For Mayor: Irene J. Smith

For Alderman of the 17th Ward: Rodney Birchfield

For Alderman of the 25th Ward: Steve Patterson

We are currently distributing our our endorsement slate throughout the city.

Our endorsements are largely based on responses to our candidate survey. Click below to see what our candidates wrote, or to see a blank copy of the survey.

Rodney Birchfield's Survey (1000K pdf file)
Steve Patterson's Survey (850K pdf file)

blank sample surveys:
Alderman (99K pdf file) | Mayor (99K pdf file).

PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO VOTE ON MARCH 8TH.

New School Budget in Jeff. City

2005-02-10T14:53:00.000-08:00

New education budget plan in Jeff. City. It sounds good to me (it would stop money allocation from being based on local property taxes and use a new method of assessment of individual student needs), but the article's pretty brief. We should try to find out more about this though.

Random bits

2005-02-09T15:16:00.000-08:00

Way to go Anne. Love the posts.

Here's a few links of my own:

-Article on Sherman Parker, African American state rep. from St. Charles County. Good to know there's some fightin' spirit out in the county. Sounds like a good name to keep our eyes peeled for.

-Blog entitled "BluntWatch." Watching Blunt is important. I'm glad there's someone making it easier for us.

-Midwest Grassroots Community Didn't have time to really check it out in depth, but I like the sound of it. Regional solidarity is important.

small update.

2005-02-04T10:14:00.000-08:00

candidate surveys are mostly handed out. the finished product never made it online, but here's the gist of it.

The state of stl politics today. Somehow getting rid of nepotism and adding term limits is a bad thing?

Mayor Slay's slightly saccharine re-election blog.

2005-01-27T15:25:00.000-08:00

Mayorial candidate, school board member Bill Haas threateans suicide.

read it firsthand at his blog.

long time stl activist Percy Green responds (courtesy Blog St. Louis)

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Arch City Chronicle hooks up three statements from school board candidates:

-Jennifer Allen
-Bill Purdy
-Frank Kriegel

The St. Louis American on four school board candidates: Peter Downs, Flint Fowler, Veronica O'Brien and William Purdy.

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The St. Louis American on the alderpeople races in the 1st, 5th and 17th wards.

2005-01-27T13:53:00.000-08:00

this is a test and we are live?