tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-133611742011-04-21T17:13:37.571-04:00Perusing Events of the Day... & Maintaining a Healthy Perspectivejbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.comBlogger1231100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-74735752959205564492007-07-17T07:53:00.001-04:002007-07-17T07:53:11.786-04:00

from The New York Times: Being without health insurance is no big deal. Just ask President Bush. “I mean, people have access to health care in America,” he said last week. “After all, you just go to an emergency room.”This is what you might call callousness with consequences. The White House has announced that Mr. Bush will veto a bipartisan plan that would extend health insurance, and with it

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-69739404027908746072007-07-17T07:45:00.001-04:002007-07-17T07:45:55.469-04:00

from The Baltimore Sun: As the nation’s top doc from 2002 to 2006, Dr. Carmona was ordered not to discuss embryonic stem cell research or the emergency contraceptive known as Plan B, he said last week in testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. He was ordered to water down a report on the dangers of secondhand smoke.He definitely couldn’t point out the failings of

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-78381779791017050642007-07-17T07:41:00.001-04:002007-07-17T07:41:24.615-04:00

from the Guardian: Carbon dioxide emissions from shipping are double those of aviation and increasing at an alarming rate which will have a serious impact on global warming, according to research by the industry and European academics. 90% of the world’s goods are carried by sea and world trade is increasing all the time. Separate studies suggest that maritime carbon dioxide emissions are not

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-83666347031587222042007-03-05T07:29:00.000-05:002007-03-05T07:30:38.866-05:00

from the Guardian: Carbon dioxide emissions from shipping are double those of aviation and increasing at an alarming rate which will have a serious impact on global warming, according to research by the industry and European academics.90% of the world’s goods are carried by sea and world trade is increasing all the time. Separate studies suggest that maritime carbon dioxide emissions are not only

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-84753717694682851752007-02-17T23:47:00.001-05:002007-02-17T23:47:23.478-05:00

Okay, so maybe I will give away a hint or two about 'seamlessness'...take this article, for instance, which reports that a carnivorous diet can be responsible for releasing more CO2 and other greenhouse gases than a daily commute. From Food for Thought on Global Warming: A November 2006 report published by the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) revealed that the livestock sector

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-72592816241920711832007-02-17T20:34:00.000-05:002007-02-17T20:46:46.172-05:00

A little while back, I came across a story about a poll done on the most annoying cliches. A quick google turned up this article, on CNN: At the end of the day, it's the most irritating cliche in the English language.That abused and overused phrase has topped a poll to find the most annoying cliche, the Plain English Campaign said Wednesday.Second place went to "at this moment in time," and

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-18006625034461980962007-02-17T20:04:00.000-05:002007-02-17T20:05:08.695-05:00

Here's a thought provoking piece from Sojourners. Do we have any idea what the true cost of our consumption is? Ignorance truly is bliss, as we carelessly drive our economy, the environment, and the living standards of hundreds of thousands of people - including ourselves - right to the brink. What if we had to pay the full cost of a product - any product? from Everyday low prices are part of

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1170300550731014402007-01-31T22:29:00.000-05:002007-01-31T22:29:10.876-05:00

from Bush Directive Increases Sway on Regulation: President Bush has signed a directive that gives the White House much greater control over the rules and policy statements that the government develops to protect public health, safety, the environment, civil rights and privacy.In an executive order published last week in the Federal Register, Mr. Bush said that each agency must have a regulatory

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1169566075789457942007-01-23T10:27:00.000-05:002007-01-23T10:27:57.170-05:00

Mikhail Gorbachev, former president of the Soviet Union, offers some thoughts on world affairs. from History is Not Preordained: A New Cold War Can Be Averted: A watershed in international relations has occurred in recent months. Indeed, the past year may well have seen the end of an entire era in world affairs - the post-cold war period of unilateralism and missed opportunities....There is a

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1169563963694977862007-01-23T09:52:00.000-05:002007-01-23T09:52:44.186-05:00

from Vegetarian is the New Prius: President Herbert Hoover promised "a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage." With warnings about global warming reaching feverish levels, many are having second thoughts about all those cars. It seems they should instead be worrying about the chickens.Last month, the United Nations published a report on livestock and the environment with a stunning

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1169562278521892162007-01-23T09:24:00.000-05:002007-01-23T09:24:38.723-05:00

While there certainly are many issues weighing on our nation's collective conscience (and many that Bush would like to weigh on us as a great distraction), the one issue American's have become increasingly united over is the war and our concern for it's quick end. Unfortunately, we will likely hear little about the war tonight, other than, perhaps, our need for patience (we can't let the

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1166810779527063522006-12-22T13:06:00.000-05:002006-12-22T13:06:19.613-05:00

There is little to worry about.Forget about the fact that the number of people without health insurance has been climbing for years.Forget about the increasing number of children who are living in poverty.Forget about the continual creep of prices on basic goods like gas and food.And forget about the fact that wages are at a 40 year low, that most people are working harder today and making less

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1166540723555094742006-12-19T10:05:00.000-05:002006-12-19T10:05:23.706-05:00

Nothing terribly new here, except for an interesting way to revisit a growing crisis that has been ignored for too long.from Santa Claus is Chinese or, Why China is Rising and the US is Declining: I know Santa Claus is Chinese because each Christmas morning after all the gifts are unwrapped and things settle down I systematically go through the presents to see where they are made. The results are

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1166482638216744362006-12-18T17:57:00.000-05:002006-12-18T17:57:21.433-05:00

Remember prior to the 2000 elections (was it during campaigning?) when then Governor Bush said, "I don't have a problem with a dictator, as long as it's me." [followed by his idiotic snicker]He spent his first six months as President doing nothing extraordinary at all; in fact, most of his activity seemed centered around differentiating himself from his two predecessors, daddy-Bush and Bill

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1166245446968870792006-12-16T00:04:00.000-05:002006-12-16T00:04:07.013-05:00

and from We Were All Children Then: In January of 1970 the Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent called a 21-year-old pre-theology student at Oberlin College, Bill Schulz, to supply our pulpit....That April our young minister organized discussions of "Institutional Commitments – Yes? No? Under Some Conditions?" about war, the draft, racism, environmental concerns. On Sunday, May 3, 1970, he

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1166243808484619342006-12-15T23:36:00.000-05:002006-12-15T23:36:48.606-05:00

[it was pointed out to me that I hadn't posted in a while... well here's one to make up for lost time...]from As Bush Loiters: A Christmas Toll: ...Those back-stories of young men’s lives [who died while fighting in Iraq] are all distinct and all the same. They’re all individuals and yet all, without exception, human beings with lives rooted in the lives of others—families, friends, enemies,

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1161121702641379912006-10-17T17:48:00.000-04:002006-10-17T17:56:48.750-04:00

from In Final Weeks, G.O.P. Focuses on Best Bets - New York Times: Senior Republican leaders have concluded that Senator Mike DeWine of Ohio, a pivotal state in this year’s fierce midterm election battles, is likely to be heading for defeat and are moving to reduce financial support for his race and divert party money to other embattled Republican senators, party officials said.PS - just found

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1161116321448959322006-10-17T16:18:00.000-04:002006-10-17T16:18:41.596-04:00

Talk about a sore loser - the election is still several weeks away, and, in a desperate move, Ken Blackwell is already acting like he lost the race for governor of Ohio! from And the Winner Is ... Me - New York Times: Voters in Ohio can be forgiven if they feel they have been beamed out of the Midwest and dropped into a third-world autocracy. The latest news from the state’s governor’s race is

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1160512777904197222006-10-10T16:19:00.000-04:002006-10-10T16:39:38.010-04:00

from an AP piece:"As a critic of the administration, I will be damned if you can get away with calling me the equivalent of a Nazi appeaser," [Keith] Olbermann [of MSNBC's "Countdown"] told The Associated Press. "No one has the right to say that about any free-speaking American in this country." ...His latest verbal attack, this past Thursday, criticized the president's campaign attacks on

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1160487437170538242006-10-09T09:37:00.000-04:002006-10-10T09:37:37.800-04:00

from Earth's Ecological Debt Crisis: [Humankind's] 'Borrowing' from Nature Hits New Record: Today is a bleak day for the environment, the day of the year when [humankind] over-exploits the world's resources - the day when we start living beyond our ecological means. So much for being good stewards of God's creation. We don't need to wait around for God's Armaggedon/Rapture/whatever the

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1159393562737808622006-09-27T17:46:00.000-04:002006-09-27T17:46:02.773-04:00

from Time to Move the Mississippi, Experts Say: Like many major rivers, the Mississippi has tributaries, which feed water into it, and distributaries, which carry water away from it as it nears its mouth. Its tributaries include the Missouri and Ohio Rivers; one way or another, every stream, storm drain and parking lot from the Rockies to the Appalachians drains into the Mississippi....Until

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1159391409540759802006-09-27T17:10:00.000-04:002006-09-27T17:10:12.133-04:00

from Little Girl, 3 Million Years Old, Offers New Hints on Evolution: If the fossil Lucy, the most famous woman from out of the deep human past, had a child, it might have looked a lot like the bundle of skull and bones uncovered by scientists digging in the badlands of Ethiopia.The paleontologists who are announcing the discovery in the journal Nature today said the 3.3-million-year-old fossils

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1158267147423873182006-09-14T16:52:00.000-04:002006-09-27T17:11:10.543-04:00

This is for those who think that US troops must stay in Iraq to keep it stable and out of the grasp of Iran's influence.from Juan Cole's Informed Comment (09/13/06): Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad had something of a lovefest at their press conference on Tuesday. Ahmadinejad expressed his complete support for the Iraqi parliament, political process and

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1158266512218037432006-09-14T16:41:00.000-04:002006-09-14T16:41:52.303-04:00

from The Real Link Between 9/11 and Iraq (Finally) Revealed, a good look at where things stand including these sad facts: *At least 3,438 Iraqis died by violent means during July (roughly similar numbers died in June and August), significantly more than the 2,973 people who died in the attacks of September 11, 2001....*By the beginning of September, 2,974 U.S. military service members had died in

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1158256753442152912006-09-14T13:59:00.000-04:002006-09-14T13:59:13.480-04:00

from Subverting Democracy with the Big Lie: If representative government were alive and well in America, President Bush would not have dared to give the speech he made Monday on the fifth anniversary of 9/11. In a blatantly partisan screed, the president ripped off a nation’s mourning for the 9/11 victims in order to justify his totally unrelated and disastrous invasion of Iraq.The president’s

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1158255595711751242006-09-14T13:39:00.000-04:002006-09-14T13:39:55.720-04:00

from Alarmed Scientists Warn: Even in Winter, Arctic Ice Melting: The vast expanses of ice floating in the Arctic Sea are melting in winter as well as in the summer, likely because of global warming, NASA scientists said Wednesday. ...And if the ice continued to melt at the current rate, Comiso said, it could have profound effects on all life in the Arctic and other consequences around the

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1158255223394251302006-09-14T13:33:00.000-04:002006-09-14T13:33:43.466-04:00

from World has 10-Year Window to Act on Climate Warming - NASA Expert: A leading U.S. climate researcher said on Wednesday the world has a 10-year window of opportunity to take decisive action on global warming and avert a weather catastrophe...."I think we have a very brief window of opportunity to deal with climate change ... no longer than a decade, at the most," [NASA scientist James] Hansen

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1157975257482119662006-09-11T07:47:00.000-04:002006-09-11T07:47:37.556-04:00

from Average Slice of Prosperity is Thin: Read all about it. The numbers say the U.S. economy has been robust over the last two years. The only problem is that the numbers don't equate to Herbert Hoover's 'a chicken in every pot.'Your chicken is most likely a McNugget.Since 2003, despite an economic expansion fueled by increasing worker productivity (longer hours), median pay for American workers

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1157938007609619042006-09-10T21:26:00.000-04:002006-09-10T21:26:47.693-04:00

from Even a Bag-Lady Can Teach Bush About Human Rights: At the last count, Bush has discreetly claimed the authority to disobey 740 laws enacted since he took office, asserting that he has the power to set aside any statute passed by Congress when it conflicts with his interpretation of the constitution.This state of affairs has gradually developed since the days of the Depression, when Roosevelt

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1157750408109539812006-09-08T17:20:00.000-04:002006-09-08T17:20:08.176-04:00

from Why Are We Suddenly At War With "Islamic Fascists"?: The Administration is aware that Americans are not sufficiently afraid, and that clear thinking will be its demise.

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1157248221614559662006-09-02T21:50:00.000-04:002006-09-02T21:50:21.623-04:00

from A Civil War, but Not Ours: With each passing day this week, the death toll has mounted - more Iraqi deaths, more American deaths.The only people, inside Iraq or out, who are seriously suggesting that circumstances are improving - or that they might improve anytime soon - are members of the administration and their dwindling circle of apologists.Do the president and his aides really believe

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1153492309261809822006-07-21T10:31:00.000-04:002006-07-21T10:31:49.320-04:00

A look at U.S. Senator John Kyl, Arizona (from an e-mail I received): Worst anti-choice votes- Twice co-sponsored amendments to the Constitution to outlaw abortion in almost all circumstances, including rape and incest.- Voted to deny women in the military the right to use their own private funds for abortion care at their base hospital.Home state facts- Arizona has not repealed its pre-Roe

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1153243445453346562006-07-18T13:24:00.000-04:002006-07-18T13:24:05.533-04:00

From Yes! Magazine: By what name will future generations know our time?Will they speak in anger and frustration of the time of the Great Unraveling, when profligate consumption exceeded Earth’s capacity to sustain and led to an accelerating wave of collapsing environmental systems, violent competition for what remained of the planet’s resources, and a dramatic dieback of the human population? Or

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1153241186315473182006-07-18T12:46:00.000-04:002006-07-18T13:56:41.726-04:00

What a surprise! From MSNBC.com: WASHINGTON - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Tuesday that President Bush personally blocked Justice Department lawyers from pursuing an internal probe of the warrantless eavesdropping program that monitors Americans’ international calls and e-mails when terrorism is suspected.The department’s Office of Professional Responsibility announced earlier this

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1152628158814153702006-07-11T08:01:00.000-04:002006-07-11T10:29:18.830-04:00

Okay, so I'm a week late. I just came across this thought, from Douglas McBain and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer: America, in its heart and soul, is little more than an idea. Any state, of whatever stripe, can have defined borders, an army, a currency and the machinery of government -- but America was born of something more than this sort of prosaic chemistry of nations. At its beginning,

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1144343202408112792006-04-06T13:06:00.000-04:002006-04-06T13:06:42.476-04:00

1) Because Saddam was the mastermind behind 9/11 - No, that's not right.2) Because Saddam had links to Al Qaeda - No wait, he had nothing to do with them.3) Because Saddam was an evil dictator in possession of weapons of mass destruction that would eventually be unleashed on America, or at least Israel - No, actually Saddam's arsenal of chemical & biological (he never had nuclear) weapons was

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1144337720675468822006-04-06T11:35:00.000-04:002006-04-06T11:35:22.010-04:00

from truthdig: The convener of a "War on Christians" conference held in the nation'’s capital outrageously depicted [Tom Delay] the former House majority leader'’s political plight as the unwarranted crucifixion of a Christ-like leader by God-haters. And, with his trademark gall, the infamously ethically challenged DeLay eagerly embraced this explanation when it was his turn to speak to the

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1143516999988250032006-03-27T23:36:00.000-04:002006-03-28T08:38:58.753-04:00

More Than 500,000 Rally in L.A. for Immigrants' RightsWhat an amazing image!"500,000+"(Bob Chamberlin / LAT)

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1142310628320328502006-03-14T00:30:00.000-04:002006-03-14T00:30:28.373-04:00

from Former the Guardian: Sandra Day O'Connor, a Republican-appointed judge who retired last month after 24 years on the supreme court, has said the US is in danger of edging towards dictatorship if the party's rightwingers continue to attack the judiciary.In a strongly worded speech at Georgetown University, reported by National Public Radio and the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, Ms O'Connor took

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1138811819765726232006-02-01T12:36:00.000-04:002006-02-01T12:36:59.806-04:00

from Cindy Sheehan, What Really Happened: ...I was never told that I couldn't wear that shirt into the Congress. I was never asked to take it off or zip my jacket back up. If I had been asked to do any of those things...I would have, and written about the suppression of my freedom of speech later. I was immediately, and roughly (I have the bruises and muscle spasms to prove it) hauled off and

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1138714383017389202006-01-31T09:33:00.000-04:002006-01-31T09:33:05.886-04:00

from the Los Angeles Times: Asked about Abramoff on the Sunday talk shows, [three] Republican lawmakers said the White House should release all records of its contacts with the now-disgraced lobbyist."I'm one who believes that more is better … when it comes to disclosure and transparency, so I'd be a big advocate for making records that are out there available," Sen. John Thune of South Dakota

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1138658782603122072006-01-30T18:06:00.000-04:002006-01-30T18:06:22.606-04:00

from the Columbus Free Press: The recent death of Gene McCarthy reminded me of a lesson I spent a long, long time unlearning, so now I have to re-learn it. It's about political courage and heroes, and when a country is desperate for leadership. There are times when regular politics will not do, and this is one of those times. There are times a country is so tired of bull that only the truth can

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1138658440406440112006-01-30T18:00:00.000-04:002006-01-30T18:00:40.523-04:00

from OneWorld.net: "It is astonishing that the Bush administration would align itself with Sudan, China, Iran, and Zimbabwe in a coalition of the homophobic," [said Scott] Long [director of the Human Rights Watch (HRW) program for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people]. When the final history of the NewCon / Republican attempt at creating a dictatorship is written, it is up to us

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1138627537724294942006-01-30T09:25:00.000-04:002006-01-30T09:25:37.740-04:00

from washingtonpost.com / MSNBC.com: Now that most scientists agree human activity is causing Earth to warm, the central debate has shifted to whether climate change is progressing so rapidly that, within decades, humans may be helpless to slow or reverse the trend. Finally, the conversation is turning an important corner! We're at the point where we need to squabbling with those unconvinved

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1136817025635676792006-01-09T10:27:00.000-04:002006-01-09T10:31:06.606-04:00

I can't even begin to summarize this article by John Pilger, appearing in the New Statesman: The Death of FreedomThe rights of ordinary people to speak out against an unjust war and atrocities unleashed in their name are being crushed. Fascism is at the door. Who else will fight it?

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1136815286942547192006-01-09T09:56:00.000-04:002006-01-09T10:01:26.943-04:00

from the AP: Embattled Rep. Tom DeLay decided Saturday to give up his post as House majority leader, clearing the way for new leadership elections among House Republicans eager to shed the taint of scandal, two officials said....DeLay is battling campaign finance charges in Texas and was forced to step aside temporarily as majority leader last fall after he was charged in his home state. He has

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1136814837364441612006-01-09T09:46:00.000-04:002006-01-09T10:02:16.836-04:00

from the Observer/UK Paul Bremer, who led the US civilian occupation authority in Iraq after the 2003 invasion, has admitted that the Americans "didn't really see" the threat coming from insurgents in the country.He also criticized President George Bush and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, saying they had not listened to his concerns about the quality of Iraq's army, and that ultimately the

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1136814007839680042006-01-09T09:28:00.000-04:002006-01-09T09:40:07.856-04:00

from InterPress Service: WASHINGTON - Resorting once more to controversial "recess" appointments, U.S. President George W. Bush has named two political cronies to key administration positions without Senate approval....Bush appointed half a dozen other officials Tuesday whose nominations had been held up in the Senate, but most, such as that of Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England, were less

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1136581770489654072006-01-06T16:36:00.000-04:002006-01-06T17:13:08.020-04:00

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year ...There, that about catches me up to date.Except so much has been going on!Unfortunately, major life changes (many!) are keeping me busy. So I'll be posting sporadically for a while. However, there are a couple thoughts I want to share right now...ALITOHere are a few good reasons to oppose the nomination of Judge Alito to the Supreme Court (and to

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1135177039806318982005-12-21T10:57:00.000-04:002005-12-21T11:03:03.083-04:00

from The New York Times: A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that it was unconstitutional for a Pennsylvania school district to present intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in high school biology courses because it is a religious viewpoint that advances "a particular version of Christianity." ...Judge Jones said the evidence in the trial proved that intelligent design was "creationism

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1134241480393446972005-12-10T15:04:00.000-04:002005-12-10T15:06:29.723-04:00

from US Rep. Jean Schmidt's regular e-mail to her constituents: ... To fully understand where we are headed in Iraq, we have to understand where we have been. In just over two-and-a-half years, much has been accomplished in Iraq, including the removal of Saddam's tyranny, negotiation of an interim constitution, restoration of full sovereignty, holding of free national elections, formation of an

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1133964409168533982005-12-07T09:59:00.000-04:002005-12-07T10:06:49.183-04:00

Hey B,I just wanted to follow up a little on the topic you raised with your devotion last night. It was a good one! And I thank you for bringing it up. I have two basic reactions that I wanted to share with you.The first is, along the lines of what S. was saying, I don't believe the Hype. I simply don't believe there is a real move 'against' Christmas. Maybe there is a problem, and I

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1133834021267175572005-12-05T21:00:00.000-04:002005-12-06T09:45:04.033-04:00

On a late night run to Steak and Shake, while waiting forever for my food, I flipped through a stack of newspaper sections lying on a nearby table. I've been carrying around this gem ever since, just waiting to share. From the Nov. 17, 2005 Columbus Dispatch, page D5: The Kansas school board, in approving standards last week that cast doubt on evolution, might have helped boost an entirely new

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1133812465425147582005-12-05T15:49:00.000-04:002005-12-05T15:54:25.440-04:00

"Do not wait for great strength before setting out, for immobility will weaken you further. Do not wait to see very clearly before starting: one has to walk toward the light. Have you strength enough to take this first step? ... You will be astonished to feel that the effort accomplished, instead of having exhausted your strength, has doubled it - and that you already see more clearly what you

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1133479014023611322005-12-01T19:03:00.000-04:002005-12-01T19:16:54.046-04:00

Today is World AIDS Day, a day for raising awareness about the devastating pandemic that is HIV/AIDS. Want to do something helpful? From the Human Rights Campaign: ...In recognition of [World AIDS Day], the Human Rights Campaign is issuing our second annual report card to America's leaders, grading their response to the AIDS crisis....Take a moment to read America's report card, and then please

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1133452092701899762005-12-01T11:30:00.000-04:002005-12-10T15:09:37.240-04:00

It's been a little while, once again. I seem to be in this cycle of post a few, then take two weeks off. Of course, it doesn't help that I was on the road nearly all of last week (Yeah Holidays!). This isn't really the post I wanted to begin with, but I can't resist sharing these two lists. The first comes from an e-mail I received from Sen. Barbara Boxer via her PAC For a Change (slightly

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1131852215178271032005-11-12T23:02:00.000-04:002005-11-12T23:23:35.193-04:00

from the transcripts of Larry King Live, Sept. 28, '05, on the day Tom DeLay was indicted by a grand jury, King interviewed Dick DeGuerin, the defense attorney for Tom DeLay: ...KING: What did Tom say to you today?DEGUERIN: He said let's get out there and fight them. He's ready for the fight. He was hoping that he wouldn't be indicted because, you know, an indictment, Larry, is as bad as a

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1131722890901420552005-11-11T10:06:00.000-04:002005-11-11T11:28:10.920-04:00

from the Washington Post: Lawyers for Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) tried unsuccessfully in late September to head off felony criminal indictments against the then-majority leader on charges of violating Texas campaign law by signaling that DeLay might plead guilty to a misdemeanor, according to four sources familiar with the eventsThe lawyers' principal aim was to try to preserve DeLay's leadership

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1131663710249559572005-11-10T18:42:00.000-04:002005-12-15T10:51:55.346-04:00

from Coming soon to fight extremism in Britain: the Imam Roadshow and Islam Online:After years of watching radical Muslim groups teach violence in town meetings and on the Internet, Muslim leaders announced plans on Thursday to fight back by taking the message of mainstream Islam onto the road and out into cyberspace.A task force set up after July's suicide bomb attacks in London concluded that

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1131460182215067282005-11-08T09:29:00.000-04:002005-11-08T10:43:00.776-04:00

from American Chronicle, found on Zogby International: By a margin of 53% to 42%, Americans want Congress to impeach President Bush if he lied about the war in Iraq, according to a new poll commissioned by AfterDowningStreet.org, a grassroots coalition that supports a Congressional investigation of President Bush's decision to invade Iraq in 2003.The poll was conducted by Zogby International, the

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1131370296443719342005-10-26T08:31:00.000-04:002005-11-10T15:38:19.260-04:00

from CNN: "I think that she, as the mother of the new civil rights movement, has left an impact not just on the nation, but on the world," [U.S. Rep. John Conyers] told CNN in a telephone interview. "She was a real apostle of the nonviolence movement... [T]here was only one" Rosa Parks. *and this from Paul Rogat Loeb's Soul of a Citizen: Before the day she refused to give up her bus seat, Rosa

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1131369691537596982005-10-26T08:21:00.000-04:002005-11-07T09:24:20.680-04:00

U.S. death toll in Iraq reaches 2,000.Iraqi constitution passes, officials say.

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1129603629561791732005-10-17T22:47:00.000-04:002005-10-17T22:48:59.163-04:00

I close out the night with another article from The Progressive:Selina Jarvis is the chair of the social studies department at Currituck County High School in North Carolina, and she is not used to having the Secret Service question her or one of her students.But that's what happened on September 20.Jarvis had assigned her senior civics and economics class "to take photographs to illustrate their

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1129601624338874692005-10-17T22:13:00.000-04:002005-10-17T22:16:40.666-04:00

from The Progressive, Nina Siegal poses a straight-forward question that elicits a sharp response:Q: Are you anti-Bush, as the pundits say?Mortensen: No, I'm not anti-Bush; I'm anti-Bush behavior. In other words, I'’m against cheating, greed, cruelty, racism, imperialism, religious fundamentalism, treason, and the seemingly limitless capacity for hypocrisy shown by Bush and his

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1129597996387235362005-10-17T21:13:00.000-04:002005-10-17T21:26:45.296-04:00

from The Independent:The headline of the article gives its point of examination: "Are British troops at breaking point in Iraq?" Half-way through its investigation of this question is this curious statement:Recent comments by the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, that British forces might have to stay in an increasingly volatile conflict for up to 10 more years have exacerbated fears among British

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1129485639464981442005-10-16T14:00:00.000-04:002005-10-16T14:00:43.260-04:00

from Bush Told Blair of 'Going Beyond Iraq':George Bush told Tony Blair shortly before the invasion of Iraq that he intended to target other countries, including Saudi Arabia, which, he implied, planned to acquire weapons of mass destruction. Mr Bush said he "wanted to go beyond Iraq in dealing with WMD proliferation, mentioning in particular Saudi Arabia, Iran, North Korea, and Pakistan,"

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1129348018103560092005-10-14T23:46:00.000-04:002005-10-15T23:09:52.796-04:00

from the AP, Bush Teleconference With Soldiers Staged:"So long as I'm the president, we're never going to back down, we're never going to give in, we'll never accept anything less than total victory," Bush said.The President made these remarks in a "carefully scripted" teleconference, where Pres. Bush played the part of interviewer to a carefully selected and coached group of soldiers. My

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1128004266925608402005-09-29T08:31:00.000-04:002005-09-29T10:36:05.670-04:00

Pictures from the march in Washington, D.C. last weekend. Peace.To read the accompanying article, click here.Credits: 1st photo - AP Photo/Noah Berger; 2nd photo - REUTERS/Jason Reed

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1127868563896357272005-09-27T20:49:00.000-04:002005-09-27T21:01:01.466-04:00

from the Inter Press Service, "US Army Whistleblowers Describe Routine, Severe Abuse":Two sergeants and a captain in one of the U.S. Army's most decorated combat units have come forward with accounts of routine, systematic and often severe beatings committed against detainees at a base near Fallujah from 2003 through 2004.According to their testimony, featured in a new report by Human Rights

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1127827579043361842005-09-27T08:25:00.000-04:002005-09-27T09:26:19.046-04:00

from CNN - 'Intelligent design' debate back in court - Sep 26, 2005:"Intelligent design" is a religious theory that was inserted in a school district's curriculum with no concern for whether it had scientific underpinnings, a lawyer told a federal judge Monday as a landmark trial got under way....But in his opening statement, the school district's attorney defended Dover's policy of requiring

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1127339781604658042005-09-21T17:54:00.000-04:002005-09-27T09:25:22.643-04:00

An early morning reflection...As I sat here this morning nibbling my Eggo waffles and wondering what to write, a verse of scripture popped into my head: "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways." (1 Cor. 13:11) Uh oh, not a great way to start the day. And then another scripture came to mind: "

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1127336649583932002005-09-21T17:18:00.000-04:002005-09-27T17:31:21.406-04:00

Sorry for the time away ... I actually was well into this post yesterday when my computer restarted itself.Anyway: last Thursday, I listened to Jerry Springer talk about the very quotes I mentioned in the previous post. And he made the point: if God cared so much about putting an end to terrorism (as in Colson's, "God sent Hurricane Katrina to show that we're not prepared for the next big attack!

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1126734854627695892005-09-14T17:54:00.000-04:002005-09-14T20:08:43.286-04:00

from Media Matters, Robertson again proved capable of spewing hate and ignorance (oh, and some very anti-Christian theology):Religious conservatives claim Katrina was God's omen, punishment for the United StatesIn the wake of Hurricane Katrina, some religious conservatives have speculated that the storm was sent by God as an omen or as a punishment for America's alleged sins. Media Matters for

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1126640547940587122005-09-13T17:38:00.000-04:002005-09-13T15:42:27.946-04:00

Here's a story by two who were trapped in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina hit that is not to be missed. A highlight:We also suspect the media will have been inundated with "hero" images of the National Guard, the troops and the police struggling to help the "victims" of the Hurricane. What you will not see, but what we witnessed,were the real heroes and sheroes of the hurricane relief effort

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1126498141817635572005-09-11T23:45:00.000-04:002005-09-12T02:38:04.580-04:00

from a New York Times editorial:Revising 9/11On the first three anniversaries of Sept. 11, 2001, the nation had the grim luxury of uncluttered memory. We looked back on that day's events as the most terrible thing that could happen on American soil. Today, we are cursed with an unwanted expansion of that vision....[B]y the time [Hurricane Katrina] died down and the floodwaters stopped rising, it

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1126488507401137362005-09-11T21:28:00.000-04:002005-09-11T21:28:27.403-04:00

Cornel West writes about Hurricane Katrina & Race:In the end George Bush has to take responsibility. When [the rapper] Kanye West said the President does not care about black people, he was right, although the effects of his policies are different from what goes on in his soul. You have to distinguish between a racist intent and the racist consequences of his policies. Bush is still a 'frat boy',

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1126488252018904562005-09-11T21:24:00.000-04:002005-09-11T21:24:12.026-04:00

Norman Solomon, writing about the post-9/11 manipulation of America, reminds us of a NYT editorial published by Rumsfeld on 9-27-01 and other, more prescient warnings:Purporting to be no-nonsense, the message from the Pentagon's civilian head was expansive to the point of limitlessness: "Forget about 'exit strategies'; we're looking at a sustained engagement that carries no deadlines."…In late

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1126484840837272192005-09-11T20:27:00.000-04:002005-09-11T20:27:20.843-04:00

In a NYT piece that explains much about the response to Hurricane Katrina but is soft on examining competing claims, I came across this interesting tid-bit:Pentagon, White House and Justice officials debated for two days whether the president should seize control of the relief mission from Governor Blanco. But they worried about the political fallout of stepping on the state's authority,

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1126481461244865822005-09-11T19:31:00.000-04:002005-09-12T15:58:29.913-04:00

from an Agence France Presse report:A new draft US defense paper calls for preventive nuclear strikes against state and non-state adversaries in order to deter them from using weapons of mass destruction and urges US troops to "prepare to use nuclear weapons effectively."The document, titled 'Doctrine for Joint Nuclear Operations' and dated March 15, was put together by the Pentagon's Joint Staff

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1126467953546159682005-09-11T15:45:00.000-04:002005-09-11T15:46:42.243-04:00

"Brownie's" out of the picture, sort-of, but the disconnect continues; from The Independent (UK):...President Bush at first told his emergency management chief, Michael Brown, that he was doing 'a heck of a job', only to relieve him of his hurricane relief responsibilities on Friday.Mr Brown, and the administration, had endured days of intense criticism about the dearth of federal aid for days

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1126202764450178012005-09-08T18:06:00.000-04:002005-09-08T14:08:14.136-04:00

from one who knows his stuff:US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfield maintains that the US government can both take care of New Orleans and pursue the "global war on terror."Uh, Donald, let's look at this situation. First, much of New Orleans is under water. You stole money that should have been spent on its levees for the Iraq War, and you stole state national guards from Louisiana to fight in

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1126189892125963982005-09-08T09:31:00.000-04:002005-09-08T10:32:30.116-04:00

from Honor Their Sacrifice, Jonathan Schell writes:A majority of the American public now looks on the war as a mistake, but most of the leaders of the so-called opposition party have failed to articulate an antiwar position. In the resulting silence, only the deaths are speaking. The loss of soldiers' and civilians' lives is the price of the politicians' gutlessness.*emphasis mine

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1126151957971881382005-09-07T23:51:00.000-04:002005-09-07T23:59:17.980-04:00

I've found two time-lines, so far. One is from ThinkProgress and it lays out the details in black and white, referencing and linking to official statements by the Governor and the President as well as numerous news outlets and other sources.The second one is less detailed, but presents enough facts and legitimate sound-bites to convey the President's attitude. Oh, and it's in video format, a

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1126117869958781852005-09-07T18:27:00.000-04:002005-09-07T14:31:09.960-04:00

These headlines speak for themselves:Bush Launches Inquiry and Puts Himself in Charge of It*simply outrageousFEMA Blocking Photos of Katrina's Dead*hmm...sounds familiar - like their pattern of denialBarbara Bush: Houston Shelter is 'Working Very Well' for Poor*this one from the New York Post!

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1126117548967485722005-09-07T17:38:00.000-04:002005-09-07T23:30:30.856-04:00

I've resisted saying more about the disaster that was Hurricane Katrina - and the disaster that was the failure of our government to respond. I've resisted, because I've felt that the most important thing is focusing on those who need help, those still waiting for food, medicine, even rescue! I've also resisted, because our corporate media has awakened from its slumber and actually done it's

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1125617971704508082005-09-01T19:39:00.000-04:002005-09-01T19:40:21.890-04:00

from Decades of Denial: Guess who said it: The energy crisis is real. It is worldwide. It is a clear and present danger to our nation.Any guesses? Think someone recent, maybe a leftist climatologist or rogue oil executive? Nope - it was President Jimmy Carter, speaking in July, 1979. Twenty-six years later, we're still fiddling while New Orleans sinks and gas prices rise.The immediate cost is

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1125584207286079352005-08-31T08:00:00.000-04:002005-09-01T19:40:53.606-04:00

Several tragedies have hit across the world over the last week: in India, hundreds were killed by monsoon storms; the uneasiness in Iraq is so real, so palpable that a suicide bomb scare resulted in a stampede killing a thousand or more people; and in the southern United States, Hurricane Katrina brought widespread devastation. There is much pain and grief around the world and my prayers go out

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1125059801389385562005-08-26T08:36:00.000-04:002005-08-26T08:36:41.393-04:00

from Stagger On, Weary Titan: ...None of this is to suggest that the United States will decline and fall tomorrow. Far from it. After all, the British empire lasted for another 40 years after 1905. In fact, it grew to its largest extent after 1918, before it signed its own death warrant by expending its blood and treasure to defeat Adolf Hitler (not the worst way to go). Similarly, one may

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1125058254539280412005-08-26T08:10:00.000-04:002005-08-26T08:11:48.910-04:00

from Oil Fat Cats vs. Hugo Chavez, by Juan Gonzales:...Last year, Exxon/Mobil, the world's largest corporation, posted the highest profits of any company in history - more than $25 billion. The oil giant, based in Irving, Tex., is on track to shatter that mark this year, with revenues that now approach $1 billion per day.Which brings me to Pat Robertson and Hugo Chavez.Robertson, the right-wing

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1125025716143882792005-08-25T23:08:00.000-04:002005-08-25T23:09:26.116-04:00

from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, by Rev. Rich Gamble:Give Me That Oldtime OppressionAs a Christian, I claim a particular historical perspective, namely that handed down by the Bible. The Bible stands as the most anti-imperial tome in human history. It is the story of a people at odds with empire from its inception. The Bible gives us a look at empire from the perspective of the victims. The

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1124818857859407802005-08-23T12:59:00.000-04:002005-08-23T15:02:51.746-04:00

*for my initial reaction, see the comments below this entryWhile listening to radio coverage of Robertson's plea this morning, I was reminded that this isn't the first insane thing he's said. In 2003, he stated that the State Department ought to be nuked. In Sept. 2001, he agreed with Jerry Falwell that the 9/11 terrorist attacks were really an act of punishment inflicted by God.As his words were

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1124748122573467732005-08-22T18:02:00.000-04:002005-08-22T18:48:30.606-04:00

this alert from Media Matters for America: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?

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1124039959357748462005-08-14T12:52:00.000-04:002005-08-22T22:59:44.003-04:00

from The Washington Post, U.S. lowers expectations for Iraq: Updated: 11:32 p.m. ET Aug. 13, 2005The Bush administration is significantly lowering expectations of what can be achieved in Iraq, recognizing that the United States will have to settle for far less progress than originally envisioned during the transition due to end in four months, according to U.S. officials in Washington and

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1123797387282002852005-08-11T17:56:00.000-04:002005-08-11T17:57:07.090-04:00

from GOP Paying Legal Bills of Bush Official: Despite a zero-tolerance policy on tampering with voters, the Republican Party has quietly paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to provide private defense lawyers for a former Bush campaign official charged with conspiring to keep Democrats from voting in New Hampshire.James Tobin, the president's 2004 campaign chairman for New England, is charged in

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1123542183785611782005-08-08T19:03:00.000-04:002005-08-08T19:03:03.816-04:00

from Chaos Under Heaven: After the London bombings and with the continuing chaos in Iraq -- no connections please ('Nonsense!' 'Discredited!' insisted Don Rumsfeld) -- it's hard not to feel that the Bush administration is summoning grim reality from somewhere deep in its wildest nightmares. Others might imagine that, under the circumstances, real policy alterations, actual changes in course,

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1122704067100336202005-07-30T02:14:00.000-04:002005-07-30T09:31:07.970-04:00

from The Cincinnati Post, "Breath of fresh air":In terms of their ideology and their approach to issues, Schmidt and Hackett present sharp differences.Schmidt, from what we can discern, would likely be a dependable vote for the Bush administration, particularly its foreign policy and Iraq.Hackett, in our view, is a gust of fresh air. If we had to put a label on him, it would be Libertarian

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1122676310640479642005-07-29T18:31:00.000-04:002005-07-29T18:32:59.803-04:00

from The New York Times, July 28, by Edmund L. Andrews, "How Cafta Passed House by 2 Votes":It was just before midnight on Wednesday when Representative Robin Hayes capitulated.Mr. Hayes, a Republican whose district in North Carolina has lost thousands of textile jobs in the last four years, had defied President Bush and House Republican leaders by voting against the Central American Free Trade

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1122671363722789872005-07-29T17:09:00.000-04:002005-07-29T17:09:23.726-04:00

from the New York Observer, by Joe Conason:Circled in a bristling perimeter around the White House, the friends and allies of Mr. Rove can soon be expected to fire their rhetorical mortars at Patrick Fitzgerald, the special prosecutor investigating the White House exposure of C.I.A. operative Valerie Wilson. Indeed, the preparations for that assault began months ago in the editorial columns of

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1122675511694953552005-07-29T16:22:00.000-04:002005-07-29T18:22:49.260-04:00

After being on the road for almost two weeks, and being completely cut-off from the news during that time, I have to admit my surprise that the very first topic of conversation on talk radio I encountered was none other than the Rove Plame-Out/Flame-Out. And some poor schmuck at Faux News / Fox Skews (can't decide which nickname I like better) had to spend hours of his life going through every

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13361174.post-1121346213022383932005-07-14T09:03:00.000-04:002005-07-14T09:05:47.963-04:00

As a person who believes in general in the high respect that should be afforded other cultures, as a former student of anthropology who believes that we learn more about our self and our common humanity by studying other cultures, and as a Christian who believes that learning our history informs, shapes, and enriches faith today, I find this story absolutely appalling. I had heard some of this

jbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076273253727026135noreply@blogger.com0