"If you've got it--flaunt it!"

Marin County is the wealthiest county, by far, in the state of California. Its residents are strongly Republican, and by no coincidence, have a high percentage of residents who derive their income from something other than wages (read "work").

But, not content to sit back smugly and enjoy their wealth, they occasionally feel the need to "rub our noses" in it. You know--show the rest of us what they're made of. Sometimes in a very conspicuous way.

From NBC11.com (2/1/08)

MARTINEZ, Calif. -- The California Department of Fish and Game has confirmed to NBC11 that a 2.7 million gallon sewage spill has been stopped from leaking further.

Officials with the department said the clean-up operation had been finished by 10:30 a.m. This was after millions of gallons had already flowed into the bay.

State Office Of Emergency Services announced Friday that the partially-treated sewage had spilled along the Marin County shoreline.Marin County officials say the spill occurred when rainwater overwhelmed the South Marin Sanitation District's water treatment plant and an emergency alarm failed to alert operators. The facility is located at 450 Sycamore Avenue in Mill Valley.

The State Office of Emergency Services said it began alerting Bay Area cities and counties Friday morning.Chopper11 flew over Richardson Bay and showed a slick of what appeared to be oil in the water.The spill happened Thursday night between 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. -- and was reported shortly after 11 p.m.Both the California State Water Resources Control Board and the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board have been actively involved in this incident and are monitoring water quality in the Bay, a statement from the office said.

Sanitation officials said none of the spill contained chlorine used to treat sewage and the communities of Mill Valley, Sausalito, Tiburon and Belvedere were notified of the spill.

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There have been no reports of wildlife affected by the spill, according to Marin County sheriff's Lt. Doug Pittman.The public is being advised not to come in contact with the water, Pittman said.Officials have posted signs warning of possible contamination at beaches and waterfronts along Richardson Bay.The San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board reported that commercial fishing was unaffected by the spill and that it is safe to swim in Contra Costa County waters.The spill has not affected the Golden Gate Ferry system, spokeswoman Mary Currie said.

Environmental groups are outraged. A spokesman is quoted as saying "This is over the top even for them. It's the most outrageous display of effluence I've ever seen!".

Sunday boredom fighter

It's Friday, I'm lazy, and I'm overstocked on things to post, so I'm gonna help us both out--I get to reduce my inventory and you have something to read on Sunday while waiting for commercial breaks in the Super Bowl game.

Please note the brilliant segues.

Senators Pat Leahy (D-VT) and John Cornyn (R-TX) both accuse the Bush crime family of trying to eliminate the FOIA office, which is responsible for complying with citizen requests for government documents. With no impeachment in sight though, it doesn't matter much what they think, does it?They won't do squat.

And because they won't take the time away from the"nations business"to actually save the nation, Arlen Spector has time to to devote to browbeating the NFL over something really important.

In the meantime, Attorney General Mukasey screwed up at a senate hearing and admitted that George Bush would have been the "go to guy" to authorize waterboarding. (h/t-Progressive Daily Beacon) Again, so what? They've all got a free pass.

So, over at "Neocon Central", John Bolton has come up with yet another absurd slander, claiming the Mullahs in Iran want a Democratic President to win the election because they'll be more "pliable". Now there are only two ways Bolton could get that information--NSA wiretaps or diplomatic back-channels never closed after the Iran-Contra scandal( smart money is on the latter--the NSA sucks when it matters) Or, he's just full of shit as usual.

Speaking of Iran, everyone knows by now that Bush is determined to start a war with Iran, and has consistently painted Iran as the "greatest threat" in the world, but this essay might put his statements in their proper light--all lies.

Furthermore, it would appear that the new "greatest threat", at least to the U.S., may not be Iran at all, but Brazil! Carnival is getting underway, that annual revel celebrating wanton immorality (Jenna--you listening? Maybe you can hitch a ride on some televangelists jet--they're all heading down on to "spread the word". And some legs).

But that's only the "moral" threat--the real one--the one that could lead to a preemptive nuclear strike-- is this --Brazil is embarking on a program to add a nuclear submarine to its fleet! The implications are staggering. The clear threat to the security of the U.S. screams for a decisive response of the type that only George Bush isn't afraid to make. Of course, Brazil won't have its sub for years (about when Iran could pose a threat), but not attacking now, before the threat is real, is the worst sort of folly (at least if you apply Bush's Iran arguments). However, if Bush does wait to attack, the Mach 7 electromagnetic railgun under development may be ready for deployment, to blast that Portuguese (speaking) Man o' War out of the water before it can unleash death and destruction on our peace loving nation.

OK, there's no way I can segue into the rest of these gems, so it's "hopscotch" from here--

The Democrats are raising a lot more campaign cash than the Republicans, and that's a good thing, but this, and read it carefully, is a bad thing.

Here are a few articles shedding light on how our "populist" ex-President has been spending his time since leaving the White House. I will call them "The Making of a Profit" and "Hobnobbing With the Rich and Slimy". Can't wait to see him as First Lady.

And to close the show, ladies and gentlemen, I offer this, which is disturbing but rife with possibilities. If they can get away with this crap, then by God, so can we! Just think about it.

Dear Hillary, it's time to reap what you've sown

MoveOn.org has just endorsed Barack Obama. The endorsement was prompted by a poll of their 3.5 million members, who broke for Obama by 70%-30%. Here is their press release:

For Immediate Release: Friday, February 1, 2008

MoveOn Endorsement Throws Progressive Weight
Behind Barack Obama

3.2 Million Members Nationwide Mobilize to Get Out the Progressive Vote for Senator Obama

Group Has Over 1.7 Million Members In Super Tuesday States

In a resounding vote today, MoveOn.org Political Action's members nationwide voted to endorse Senator Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for President. The group, with 3.2 million members nationwide and over 1.7 million members in Super Tuesday states, will immediately begin to mobilize on behalf of Senator Obama. The vote favored Senator Obama to Senator Clinton by 70.4% to 29.6%.

Senator Obama accepted the endorsement stating:

"In just a few years, the members of MoveOn have once again demonstrated that real change comes not from the top-down, but from the bottom-up. From their principled opposition to the Iraq war - a war I also opposed from the start - to their strong support for a number of progressive causes, MoveOn shows what Americans can achieve when we come together in a grassroots movement for change. I thank them for their support and look forward to working with their members in the weeks and months ahead."

Eli Pariser, MoveOn.org's Executive Director, issued the following statement on the group's endorsement:

"Our members' endorsement of Senator Obama is a clear call for a new America at this critical moment in history. Seven years of the disastrous policies of the Bush Administration have left the country desperate for change. We need a President who will bring to bear the strong leadership and vision required to end the war in Iraq, provide health care to every American, deal with our climate crisis, and restore America's standing in the world. The enormity of the challenges require someone who knows how to inspire millions to get involved to change the direction of our country, and someone who will be willing to change business as usual in Washington. Senator Barack Obama has proved he can and will be that President.

"With 3.2 million members nationwide and over 1.7 million members in states that vote next Tuesday, we'll be able to immediately jump into action in support of Senator Obama's candidacy. We've learned that the key to achieving change in Washington without compromising core values is having a galvanized electorate to back you up. And Barack Obama has our members 'fired up and ready to go' on that front.

"We congratulate Sens. Clinton, Dodd and Biden, former Senator Edwards, Governor Richardson, Congressman Kucinich and former Senator Gravel on running tremendous campaigns. We thank them for their contributions to the important debate that has gripped our nation and for their ongoing engagement with our members. We're looking forward to working together to bring progressive values to the nation's capitol and to end this disastrous war in Iraq. MoveOn members are committed to putting a Democrat in the White House in 2008 and ushering in a new era of progressive values no matter who wins the nomination."

MoveOn members' comments in the vote reflect the reasons they support Senator Obama:

"Obama's grassroots organizing experience and unifying message combine to show he will work for working people and speak to a broad cross section of the American public. We need this," said Linda Blong of Penngrove, CA.

"There are defining moments in our nation's political history and this is one of them. Barack Obama appeals to the very BEST of the American Spirit," said Estina Baker, Hackensack, NJ

"Barack Obama represents CHANGE in so many levels. He brings HOPE that America can, again, be respected by the rest of the world and that Americans can be proud, again, of our leaders!" Isabelle Mollien, Denver, CO

"Obama has the ability to draw people to him, to energize people who generally don't vote, to create an atmosphere of long-overdue possibility around himself and what he could bring to the office. It is my belief that he can re-establish the lost connection between the American people and their leader, and put our country back on course to be a positive force in the world." Matthew Smith in Columbus, OH

MoveOn's endorsement means a fresh infusion of people-power for Obama in the critical days before Super Tuesday. MoveOn will immediately connect thousands of progressive activists into the Obama GOTV volunteer operation. It will also use the same cutting-edge computer-based phone program that made 7 million GOTV calls for Democrats in 2006 to allow MoveOn members to call other MoveOn members in Feb. 5 states and encourage them to vote for Obama.

Today's endorsement is the first time MoveOn.org has endorsed a candidate for President in the Democratic primary. Over the past year, MoveOn surveyed a rotating sample of 30,000 members each week to determine their membership's preference in the Democratic presidential primary. For months, MoveOn members were divided among many candidates -- as many waited to see who would take bold progressive positions on the issues. As the primary race has gained momentum, the polling showed a consensus forming and, with Senator John Edward's withdrawal from the race, members made their decision in favor of Senator Obama. The vote took place from Thursday, January 31st to Friday, February 1st.

###

You can take this as a sign that Barack Obama is the clear choice to save America, but I see it more as a repudiation of Hillary Clinton's record. Given what we know about Clinton-- her voting record, her refusal to shy away from supporting the interests of "big business, and the level to which her campaign has sunk attempting to smear Obama-- it's clear that she is a "known" we don't want to see in the White House if there's another choice. As much as anything, it's a character issue, and she's lagging badly in that race.

With both Dennis Kucinich and John Edwards having been forced from the race, progressives are left with Obama by default, as the "Great White Hope" to turn our country away from the brink of the abyss.

This is a case of supporting the "devil you don't know", but if you want to know a little more about the devil you do know, read this. Ann Coulter, of all people, flatly stated that if John McCain were the Republican nominee, she would actively campaign for Hillary Clinton, because she sees Clinton as more in tune with conservative values.

Coulter is an attention-grabbing conservative whore given to outrageous statements, and it's clear that she is bashing McCain, but for her to claim Clinton is more likely to govern the way conservatives want, is indeed "damning with faint praise". That's the way most progressives see Clinton, too.

So here's what we have --Barack "Kennedy Hope" Obama or Hillary "Bush Lite" Clinton-- and now you know why.

Rove on schedule--Dems,too

Karl Rove, who resigned last August as George Bush's political advisor, is following the schedule I predicted for him, here.

I said then that it wouldn't be long before he started doing analysis for Fox News, and guess what? Think Progress reports that Rove will be joining Fox as an "on-air" contributor through the "Super Tuesday" primaries.

I am at risk of doing serious injury to myself from patting myself on the back for my prescient observation.

I had also stated that Rove's real work would be advising the Democratic Leadership Council in ways to permanently fracture the Democratic party, suck up money from the really big donors, help with voter suppression tactics, and generally assist the total takeover of the political process by the Republican party and big business.

Look at what the Democrats have done so far this election cycle, including but not limited to: alienated Dem voters of two whole states (Florida and Michigan), effectively barring them from participating at the nominating convention, because their primaries were too early; didn't lift a finger to protest when the only true populist in the race, Dennis Kucinich, was shut out of several debates at the whim of the sponsoring networks; are raking in money hand-over-fist from the biggest special-interest donors they can sell out to; are backing all the "blue dog" Dems up for re-election; and are giving in to Bush on every legal and legislative front, to blur any distinction that voters might make between the two parties.

Considering that the top Democrats are doing their best to give the Republicans a good chance at retaining the Presidency, I'd have to say that Rove is right on schedule there, too.

It bothers me that I'm always right.

Hell on Earth is for the rest of us.

The headlines are full of the the looming "economic disaster" caused in part by the sub-prime lending fraud--"The Sky is Falling!","Markets in Turmoil"--but don't be fooled. It's not our economy they're talking about, but their economy.

Their economy is the economy of the bankers, financiers, hedge funds and investment firms, and their economy isn't suffering any more than a self-induced muscle spasm, which will disappear with a nice "money massage" from our government.

Our economy is the real disaster. Our economy is the one in which the rest of us live-- the one with decreasing jobs, increasing unemployment, higher costs for every basic necessity-food, energy and health care. The one will lowering income and a higher debt burden. The one with lowering educational standards and increasing hunger and homelessness. The one with a collapsing infrastructure and environmental degradation. Our economy is the one that heading into a death spiral, taking our quality of life and hopes for the future along with it, with little hope of recovery because the occasional bones thrown our way have already had the marrow sucked out. The one that is a stressful Hell on Earth for those struggling to cope.

And our economy, the one not mentioned in the headlines, is precisely the one created by their economy.

But there is no Hell on Earth awaiting these financiers and tycoons. It's a place they'll never visit--it's just an unimportant by-product of their activities--a place for the little people to stay, out of the way while the rich accumulate uncountable wealth. They don't care about their actions because they are immune to the consequences. There is no Hell on Earth for these people, because there is no law enforced, no governance, no check on their power and control. When their frauds and predations reach a crisis point (as now) and begin to affect their personal wealth, they have only to turn to the government(which they control) to give them enough tax breaks to ease their discomfort, and to the Federal Reserve(which they control) to increase the money supply to protect their personal fortunes, and to the Supreme Court (which they control) to protect them against any legal liability for the Hell on Earth they created for the rest of us.

The closest any of them will get to Hell on Earth will be to view it from afar, like Bush flying over New Orleans looking for business opportunities.

Congressional theocracy pushers still at it

This is a battle that may never end. The quasi-religious leaders in this country who are relentless in their efforts to deny historical truths by claiming that the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation, are using their right-wing friends in Congress to legitimize their false claims. These legislators, unmindful of the oaths they took to uphold and defend the Constitution, have been pushing a series of thinly-disguised resolutions to force our lawmakers on record to make it seem as if they are in agreement that we are a Christian nation.

For God only knows what reason, they have met with some success, and are seizing on those successes to redouble their efforts. They will not stop unless and until they are so soundly rebuked that they dare not continue. But until then......

Here is a post reprinted from Crooks and Liars (1/21/08) describing the latest attempt in their quest to establish a national religion, with links you should follow for more background.

Last December, Republicans in Congress introduced a resolution noting the significance of Christmas and the Christian faith, which eventually passed, blurring the lines between church and state — and they’re at it again, attempting to rewrite American history and further the lie that America is a Christian nation.

Via Secular Coalition for America:

Jan. 11 - Flush with last year’s success in passing H.Res. 847, “Recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian Faith,” Christian nationalists — those who would have the United States be governed as a Christian theocracy — are pushing H.Res. 888, another resolution which promotes a false and distorted Christian nation reinterpretation of our history. Generally, we do not take action regarding resolutions because they are ceremonial in nature and express the non-binding opinion of one chamber. They do not have the force of law. Read on…

The resolution, which is supported by the likes of Reps Patrick McHenry, John Doolittle and Mean Jean Schmidt, calls for an “American Religious History Week” and rejects any attempt to remove religious messages or teachings from our public buildings and educational resources. There can be no doubt that during an election year, Reps voting against the resolution will be labeled anti-religion, but we can’t let them be bullied into signing this flawed resolution that goes against the very principles our country was founded on. Contact your Representatives and tell them to say no to H. Res. 888, (corrected) which further blurs the separation between church and state.

This simply cannot be permitted to continue. The danger to our democracy from these insidious attacks is simply too great.

Mike Gravel spoke out recently (the only presidential candidate to do so), generally on this topic, and spoke in a wonderfully blunt, candid and honest way about the dangers of "creationism" and correctly said that efforts to legislate morality indicated a failure of religion to teach morality . The following is from Wired.com (1/27/08) Video link to Gravel here.

While the rest of the raft of presidential candidates are busily proclaiming their firm belief in a Christian God, former Alaska senator Mike Gravel has recorded a delightfully frank denouncement of religion in politics.

The quirky Democratic presidential candidate says what's obvious to any student of history: That aligning specific religious views with politics is a dangerous exercise.

"I am deeply insulted that in some areas that not only is evolution is shunned but efforts are made to substitute it with creationism and all other kinds of teachings, which corrupt our youth," he says in a YouTube video recorded on Saturday. "There’s no foundation for this. I think it’s unfortunate. We’re regressing in these areas, and so I think we have responsibility to our children to provide them with the greatest scientific information available to all of us, and that begins with respect to evolution."

Gravel goes on to talk about morality, and how trying to legislate morality reflects a failure of the religious community.

Clearly pointing to former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, a Republican who recently suggested that we ought to amend the constitution to be brought in line with "God's standards," Gravel said: "I ... really exhort as public policy that we concentrate on keeping religion out of politics, and keeping a very, very strong separation between church and state. Otherwise you will take the oppressive nature of the state and marry it with the oppressive nature of religion, and that is the ultimate oppression of human beings."

I have never heard a public figure make comments as straightforward as these on this subject. Mike Gravel should be applauded for speaking out so clearly.

National Vote--pros and more pros

Progressive States Network (please sign up for their e-newsletter) believes that positive change in this country is best achieved at the state, rather than the national, level, and they have been doing a tremendous job attempting to get important legislation passed in state legislatures across the nation.

They also do excellent analytical work, designed to both educate the electorate and bolster their chances of legislative success.

Here is a link to their compelling analysis which describes all of the reasons why Presidential elections should be decided on the national popular vote rather than the electoral college. They also describe an initiative introduced in 47 state legislatures (and passed by two, so far), which would require that states electors give their votes to the candidate who wins the national popular vote.

This plan, if enacted, would correct many of the ills of our present system.

Please--get on this bandwagon with your full support. Call your state reps and senators, write the papers, tell your friends--all of it. This is too important to ignore.

Why Bush laughs

George Bush is comfortable enough to crack hilarious jokes concerning his illegal war and the dismantling of our democracy. His humor is legendary, and his audiences roll in the aisles at his wit, laughing uproariously while he make light of the very things for which he should be impeached.

These will serve as examples: one new, and one older (video). Be sure to check out the link to the Alfalfa Club (can we join?). And for more on paper shredding, see this.

Former Representative Elizabeth Holtzman wrote an op-ed for the Philadelphia Inquirer (1/27/08), laying out (again) the reasons why Bush and Cheney should be impeached, and dismantles all of the reasons given why it isn't practical. Nothing new there, except it's a useful summary of things we already know.

Congressmen Dennis Kucinich and Robert Wexler have been laboring mightily to bring an impeachment resolution on Cheney to the House floor, but will never succeed because Nancy Pelosi, for reasons she will never tell, has steadfastly refused to allow it. I would love to know what kind of Faustian bargain she struck. Kucinich is also planning to introduce an impeachment resolution against Bush prior to his last State of the Union address, which will also go nowhere. Not only Pelosi, but other Democrats like Jerrold Nadler are blocking the efforts of Wexler and Kucinich.

Despite the clear evidence of numerous impeachable offenses, despite innumerable hearings in the House and Senate and lies and stonewalling at every turn, despite threats of contempt citations, nothing happens. It's all theater, and the decision to do nothing was made long ago in a place far away from the instructions in our Constitution and the will of the American people. It's so bad that it's pointless to worry about any more damned hearings. I guarantee you nothing will come of them.

So Bush laughs and jokes contentedly in full knowledge that he has a free pass. Neither he nor Cheney will ever be called to account for their treasonous acts.

And so the Bush starship "Illegal Enterprise" goes where no man in America has gone before--into a bankrupt country with no freedoms and citizen slaves--manned by helpful Democrats enjoying the ride.

Government for the people? No, definitely not.

Framing for the dupes

I've had this for almost two weeks, and every time I looked at it, didn't know if I should laugh or cry.Well, I finally figured it out--now when I see it, I'm pissed.

Re-printed from Think Progress (1/16/08)

Bachmann: I’m ‘Proud’ That ‘We Have People Working Two Jobs’ And ‘Longer Hours’

Topping Congress’s agenda as it returns this week is a plan to “jump-start the economy and try to shorten the slowdown that many economists say has already begun to take hold.”

Today, Rep. Eric Cantor (VA), the chief deputy Republican whip in the House, unveiled his proposal to stimulate the economy. His legislation — the so-called Middle Class Job Protection Act — does nothing for the middle class. Instead, it reduces the corporate tax rate by 28 percent.

At a press conference today unveiling the stimulus proposal, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) justified the conservative plan to give tax breaks to corporations — instead of working Americans — by arguing that people actually like working long hours:

I am so proud to be from the state of Minnesota. We’re the workingest state in the country, and the reason why we are, we have more people that are working longer hours, we have people that are working two jobs.

Bachmann’s version of the American Dream is apparently working two full-time jobs and struggling to get by.

Yesterday, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office concluded that corporate tax cuts, such as the one proposed by Cantor, “may be less cost-effective in the short term” and less effective than a stimulus plan consisting of “tax rebates, extended unemployment benefits and a temporary increase in food stamps.”

Bachmann may be taking her cues from her bosom buddy President Bush, who on Feb. 4, 2005, told a divorced mother of three: “You work three jobs? … Uniquely American, isn’t it? I mean, that is fantastic that you’re doing that.”

The name of the bill, The Middle Class Job Protection Act, is another masterpiece of Republican naming and framing. They have a gift for naming legislation to imply that it is intended to do the exact opposite of what it really does. The Help America Vote Act flies to mind as another example. The hypocrisy is infuriating, because it is so hard to see through for some people, who will assume that the Republicans are helping them and will unthinkingly support everything they do. These same dupes and gulls would support a Republican bill called "The Taking Care of Our Elderly Act"even if it called for the summary execution of everyone over 65 (unless they're rich).

The other thing that gets to me, aside from the corporate giveaway, is the absurd statement by that ditz from Minnesota. Do you know anybody-- anybody at all-- that likes to work two jobs, or three, to make ends meet? Do you know anyone in that situation that thinks it's a good thing? And yet the Republican base, glassy-eyed and slack-jawed, will nod robotically in agreement with her without giving it a thought. They will never consider why it should be necessary to work longer and longer hours to scrape by, and that's the most disheartening thing of all.

McDonalds helps cops nab Florida granny

Thanks to alert employees of a McDonalds in Clearwater, Florida, police were able to remove a potential terrorist from the streets for a short while, until she was released by a liberal judge or somebody. They didn't even have time to use any "enhanced interrogation techniques"to get a confession.

Here are the stunning details as reported by Clearwater's Local6.com (1/21/08)

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- A 75-year-old woman was arrested at a Clearwater McDonald's drive-thru, because police say she wouldn't pull her car forward.

Authorities said Jean Merola, a grandmother of eight, was arrested for disorderly conduct after she refused an officer's orders to move her car while she waited for the coffee and fries she ordered at the drive-through window. Merola said the McDonald's employees told her to wait there for her food. Merola was handcuffed behind her back and put in the cruiser. Another officer arrived and took her to the Pinellas County Jail . Merola said she was searched, photographed and fingerprinted. Jail records show she was released about 90 minutes later on her own recognizance.

Just her good luck she escaped back into obscurity before the Guantamo shuttle could get there. This is another case of a heavy-handed response to an incident that shouldn't have been an incident, except for the complete lack of brains and tact by the McDonalds employees. Or maybe I'm wrong. It's possible that someone went out to talk to her, but when they saw she was elderly, decided to call in law enforcement, fearing that if she actually got her order she might spill her coffee in her lap.

In truth, it demonstrates the damage the pervasive "fear culture" does to innocent people. And it is becoming more and more common to hear of similar incidents of overreaction to simple problems. How sad for America. How sad for her, and all the other victims of irrational fear.

GET RID OF YOUR PET !

Relax, I don't mean your cat, dog, hamster, Kimodo dragon, snake, bunny, parakeet, narwhal or girl friend. I mean your PET--the chemical, Polyethylene terephthalate, from which all those plastic water and soda bottles are made. Quit buying anything that comes in that type of container.

Why, you ask indignantly? Because not only are the bottles themselves an environmental nightmare and health hazard( the PET leaches into the liquid inside), the manufacturers of this chemical are among the worst polluters on the planet. They're petroleum based, you see--every container requires about 1/3 it's volume in oil to manufacture--and every time you buy one you are contributing to the bloated profits of Shell, Exxon, ConocoPhillips, and BP, to name a few. And contributing to global warming. All for products you don't need anyway, but buying them in "convenient" plastic bottles takes "don't need" to a whole new level.

To give you an idea of the manufacturing and distribution chain, so that you know who's making the profits, the Polaris Institute published an in-depth study for you to well, study.

Now please feel free to disregard my admonition about using PET bottles, especially if you don't mind supporting the profit margins of these companies. However, if you care about the environment and your health even a little, maybe you'll find it within yourself to just tell these PET pushers to "can it".

Found--Cheney, Jr--The Saga Continues

This guy is a natural--he has every quality the Republican party cherishes. He's the Dick without the money, and the Republicans will miss a sure bet if they ignore his obvious appeal to their base. This man should be offered a spot on the ticket as the VP nominee.

He's a bona fide asshole and general prick. He's arrogant beyond belief, and a shady businessman to boot. He carries a Bible and prays, and exudes toughness. Look in the dictionary and his picture is next to "charisma". He bowls people over when he speaks.

This man is the hope, past and future of the Grand Old Party, and I pray he gets all the attention he deserves. Yea, I say unto you, it's not only the GOP that needs the services of this man, but our great nation as well, to maintain the status quo in these perilous times.

Tell the Republicans to DRAFT DOUGLAS BRUCE FOR VICE PRESIDENT ! Start calling today!

Exxon, "religious" hucksters,and the Supreme court

God only knows where Exxon be without the multi-billion dollar tax breaks? It is undoubtedly true that without those tax breaks promoting additional exploration (at precisely the time when we need to wean ourselves off of hydrocarbons), there would be mass suicides among their stockholders. As it is, however, Exxon is poised to announce record profits yet again. They are expected to announce 2007 earnings of $39.2 billion, or $75,000/minute. I am grateful that my fuel expenditures, coupled with the wisdom of the tax cuts, is actually saving lives.

The United States Supreme Court, in a backbreaking ruling, protected the profits of the banks who made fortunes colluding with Enron to defraud Enron's stockholders and customers of over $30 billion, when they dismissed a lawsuit brought by injured parties seeking the right to sue the banks. This Supreme Court, now dominated by hard-line right-wingers, is all pro business, all the time. Everyone else--you know, the ones who pay taxes-- can go screw themselves.

In an unrelated story, except that the perpetrators of this continuing fraud are tax-exempt, the televangelist "prosperity gospel" hucksters are raking in hundreds of millions to support truly lavish personal lifestyles by suckering the gullible and desperate out of their last dollars. And their free will. Here is an article from AlterNet that gives you an inside look at how they work.

Remember, tax free. No tax liability for these millionaires-- They're churches after all. And every dollar they don't pay in taxes is money that doesn't go into our treasury to reduce the deficit, or pave roads, or fund social programs. No sir, those are things that the rest of us have to pay for.

Government for the people? No, definitely not.

Just gimme a dollar and we'll call it square

That is, basically, what the U.S. department of Education told a state-owned Pennsylvania company that makes and guarantees student loans. The Inspector General of the Department of Education found that the company had received improper subsidies of $34 million, and the Ed. Dept. not only ignored the findings of their own I.G., they decided that the amount was only about $15 million, and then told the state company to repay whatever they thought they owed.

From the New York Times (1/26/08):

The Education Department has brushed aside a finding by its own inspector general that a student lender improperly received $34 million in federal subsidies, and is instructing the lender to decide for itself how much money it should pay back.

In a letter sent Friday to the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, a state-owned company that makes and guarantees student loans, the department said it had estimated the overpayment at only $15.1 million, and said in a separate letter that it agreed with only some of the findings of the inspector general. But it told the agency to calculate for itself the amount it thought it had overbilled the government. Any final payment would require the approval of the Education Department.

The agency “must provide a detailed explanation of its plan to identify affected loans and to calculate overpayments,” which would be deducted from future reimbursement requests, wrote Patricia Trubia, a department official, in the letter.

Keith New, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania agency, said it was “very pleased” with the department’s letter, and that it would continue to negotiate with the department over any repayment obligation.

“We could wind up with zero liability,” Mr. New said. (emphasis mine)

Department officials declined to comment on what the resolution of the case could be.

The Education Department’s inspector found in November that the Pennsylvania agency overbilled the government by $34 million under a subsidy program enacted in the 1980s to make issuing loans to students more attractive at a time of high interest rates. Congress tried to rein in the program in 1993, as rates fell, but the loans ballooned as lenders exploited a loophole to keep receiving the subsidies.

Michael Dannenberg, director of the education policy program at the New America Foundation in Washington, sharply criticized the department’s decision to seek less than the amount identified in the audit.

“The department’s going after less than half of a fraction of the larger amount of improper billing that the Pennsylvania lending agency engaged in,” Mr. Dannenberg said. “The Department of Education’s failure to aggressively police the student loan industry has hurt taxpayers and students, and this is the latest example.”

Representative George Miller, the California Democrat who is the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee and a critic of the department’s oversight of student lending, also lashed out.

“Today’s action doesn’t erase the administration’s failure last year to recover hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars misspent by Nelnet,” Mr. Miller said Friday in a statement, referring to the large student lender based in Nebraska. Last year the department allowed Nelnet to keep $278 million in subsidies that its inspector general had concluded were improper.

“While I am disappointed that the department is not seeking to collect the full amount recommended by the inspector general,” Mr. Miller added, “I hope that this decision is a sign that the department is finally starting to take its role as the steward of our nation’s federal student aid programs seriously.

This is another example of a seven-year-long pattern of government agencies disregarding the findings and advice of their own employees to render decisions that fly in the face of reason. Can someone please explain to me why this is so? Couldn't be politics, could it? Or payback? Or the buddy system? Or just mind-numbing incompetence?

Government for the people? No, definitely not.

the plural of "stimulus" is "stimulies"

I can't say that my personal huge extra government check won't be appreciated--after all I've got bills to pay--but the boon I'm about to realize from the economic stimulus package that Congress passed, in one week with strong bi-partisan support, is a con that doesn't begin to address the underlying causes of the recession that we are now undeniably in.

Sure, we're all getting some cash to spend, and we're expected to spend it the day we get it, because the markets are in trouble. The problem is that that spending jolt will have little or no effect on the forces driving the financial markets into the ground. It is too little an amount to make a difference, although it could have a real impact if the entire amount of the stimulus package was distributed to the "little guys" (us), but the bulk of that $150 billion giveaway is going to the very people whose shady, shoddy, unethical, and criminal dealings precipitated this mess.

As usual, I'm posting links to several good articles on this subject:

Here, and here, and here.

And why the sudden rush to action, when all of us "commoners" have been in a recession for months and years? As David Sirota explains, it's the people and corporations who control our government that are the ones feeling pinched now, and when they snap their fingers, our legislators sit up and pay attention.

And who do you suppose is going to finance this addition to our budget deficit?? Can you say "China"?

Last, but not least, here's a really good rant. I like this guy!

Government for the people? No, definitely not.

Kucinich forced out of race

The only true "voice of the people", the only presidential candidate who advocated for the 99% of the citizens of this country who are suffering from a government serving the interests of "big money", has had to halt his quest to be the Democratic nominee for President.

Dennis Kucinich had been shut out of yet another debate (CNN), and lacking the funds to air enough ads to get his voice heard, has called it quits for this election cycle. Damn it!

When our government allows a candidates voice to be kept off of the public airways by the media outlets sponsoring the endless phony debates, so that only candidates whose positions don't threaten the corporate control of America are heard, we lose our right to informed choice.

Five major corporations control almost all of the news that we are allowed to hear. A vigorous free press disseminating information , serving the public by acting as watchdogs on the government, and exposing corporate wrongdoings, is only a memory. They now have the apparent right to control our elections by controlling the information flow. Our democracy, which depends on a free press, is much weaker for it's lack.

Private control of the public processes vital to our democracy can lead to only disaster for our freedom.

UPDATE: I just wrote this post, then this showed up. You might find it interesting.

TREASON AND COVERUP

There are a few people, known to me personally, who tend to depend on my blog for their news. This is for them. To anyone else who learns something here, you're welcome.

Sibel Edmonds was a translator for the FBI just long enough to have uncovered a long-running operation involving the sale of nuclear secrets to other countries. The operation involved high-level State Department officials and others including members of Congress, and the coverup has been phenomenally efficient. Edmonds has been gagged by the government for the last five years from telling what she knows, and the media won't even acknowledge that she exists.

Edmonds finally has told her story to the UK Sunday Times, who broke it a few weeks ago. I'm going to post links to various articles about Edmonds and her revelations. Study them thoroughly and you will see a compelling case for treason against the United States of America. And no, it wasn't just the Bush administration involved here--it goes back farther than that, but they are covering it up for all they're worth.

I know that this is a cheesy way to post this story, but the information that we have to date is all here, and I can't expand it by putting it into my own words.

I'm not sorting these to establish a time line, and remember the links within the links:

Here, here, here, here, and here

Here, here, here, and here

Here, here, and here

Remember, this story is just beginning to unfold. Everyone in government who has a hand in this should be charged with treason and punished to the fullest extent of the law, regardless of station, status, position or reputation.

Government for the people? No, definitely not.

Virginia guns down reform, while arms race heats up in national parks

Remember Virginia Tech? C'mon- it wasn't that long ago. A troubled student bought some guns (one from a pawn shop and one from a licensed dealer) and murdered 32 students, which led to a public outcry to eliminate the loopholes in the laws regarding gun sales and purchases. Imagine that! Some people actually thought that guns shouldn't be made available to nutball sociopaths.

Well, their voices were heard loud and clear , and the Virginia legislature responded by referring the matter to the House Militia, Police and Public Safety Committee, which, after due deliberation, killed legislation that would have required unlicensed sellers to conduct background checks on people buying weapons at gun shows. The reason?-- The killer didn't buy his weapons at a gun show. Oh, OK then. I'm thinking that maybe Virginia isn't a good place to attend school. Or visit.

Meanwhile, it seems we have an arms race about to spiral out of control in our national parks.In September, I reported that the National Park Service had placed an order for 700 Tasers, and speculated why the Park Service would need such weapons. (I still don't know)

Now we find that Tasers may not be sufficient for whatever nefarious purposes the Park Service has in mind, because 47 (!?!) Senators have written to the Secretary of the Interior asking him to lift the ban on carrying ready-to-fire weapons in national parks and wildlife refuges.

If, beyond all reason, this is allowed, poor Ranger Bob with his puny little Taser is going to be hopelessly undergunned. In order for the good Rangers to keep our national parks a safe, enjoyable destination for families, they will be forced to upgrade their weaponry to include Hand grenades, CS gas, howitzers, Tech 9's, and anything else required to win a firefight with the gun-toters. The gun contingent, of course, will not cede superiority to the Rangers, and will respond in kind. And so the race is on.

The insanity is making me crazy.

The military budget and the bankrupting of America

Chalmers Johnson, Tomdispatch.com, 1/23/08, via AlterNet.

A critically important explanation of how our bloated defense expenditures are bankrupting our country. The statistics alone will stagger and sicken you.

Going Bankrupt: Why the Debt Crisis is America's Greatest Threat

Read it and send it on.

Iraq-- new news--old news-- new lies--old lies

I save too much stuff. Articles and essays I want to write just don't get written, at least not quickly enough to keep up with with the volume of things I save for reference. So instead, I'm just going to pass the links on to you. At least this way, I can tell myself that I did something.

You'll need four things--time, snacks, blood pressure pills, and a barf bag (large). The saga continues-- Let's here it now:

Here, here, here, and here for Petraeus's reward.

Here, and here just to piss you off some more. Oh, and how many of these men and women can we add to the casualty figures? And this is going on all over the country.

And the rest, for gravy on the cake--Here, here, here, here, and here.