DCDS DC DOME SHADOWS

To David

2011-05-05T08:03:00.000-07:00

There seems to be a problem with posting this comment to you. (Too Long)

This nation is seriously ill!

When this nation is so blood thirsty for Bin Laden death photos and burial video that it cares not the about the inciting repercussions, only its own drooling satisfaction of/for revenge and the Bush War Criminals in John Wayne quick draw fashion rally to the value of torture as the contributing factor in Bin Laden’s demise; we bear witness, yet again, to their attempts to justify their criminality as they bolster themselves from what will come to pass as the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts wind down, a confrontation of the USA with The Geneva Conventions and War Criminal Proceedings, even trials in absentia.

Wikileaks has already revealed our interference and manipulations against Spain’s Prosecutor Garzon on this matter.

That effort is not done and the Garzon path to the Hague, while complicated is not lost; in fact it gains strength and support abroad and with a very accomplished team within the USA. When war is over; then it hits the fan. The fan is whirling and America will have to learn someday that we are not above the law and that we are not free to do anything we damn well please.

That attitude and arrogance is characteristic, always present in criminal acts, be thmething Jey those of the common street criminal or those of the corporate and Government “elite”.

The Bush administration knew full well that it was in the wrong, was prepared to ignore the Geneva Conventions as it was prepared to consign our Constitution to the dumpster as an obsolete, irrelevant document of our past. They had legal staff prepare rationale of evasion of the law, a criminal act in and of itself.

Stop and ask yourself: “What rights to we have left”. Answer: only the 2nd Amendment right to “Keep and Bears Arms” currently has full force after the DC Case. Given the hateful nature of our discourse; what does that say for the future?

Are we so different and demoralized that further economic deterioration, the deliberate undoing of “The New Deal”, the equalization of rights, racial and women’s, the open assault on the Middle Class and Unions, Public Employees and factory workers, on the future of our young, that we will not rise up as folks have along the shores of Northern Africa? I think not!

Time and desperation are the sires of revolution and it might do Americans well to revisit soFK said: “Those who make peaceful evolution impossible, make violent revolution inevitable>” Off course David; there will always be those fools who believe the media: “That it can’t happen here.”

To David

2011-05-05T07:59:00.001-07:00

There seems to be a problem with posting this comment to you.

This nation is seriously ill!

When this nation is so blood thirsty for Bin Laden death photos and burial video that it cares not the about the inciting repercussions, only its own drooling satisfaction of/for revenge and the Bush War Criminals in John Wayne quick draw fashion rally to the value of torture as the contributing factor in Bin Laden’s demise; we bear witness, yet again, to their attempts to justify their criminality as they bolster themselves from what will come to pass as the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts wind down, a confrontation of the USA with The Geneva Conventions and War Criminal Proceedings, even trials in absentia.

Wikileaks has already revealed our interference and manipulations against Spain’s Prosecutor Garzon on this matter.

That effort is not done and the Garzon path to the Hague, while complicated is not lost; in fact it gains strength and support abroad and with a very accomplished team within the USA. When war is over; then it hits the fan. The fan is whirling and America will have to learn someday that we are not above the law and that we are not free to do anything we damn well please.

That attitude and arrogance is characteristic, always present in criminal acts, be thmething Jey those of the common street criminal or those of the corporate and Government “elite”.

The Bush administration knew full well that it was in the wrong, was prepared to ignore the Geneva Conventions as it was prepared to consign our Constitution to the dumpster as an obsolete, irrelevant document of our past. They had legal staff prepare rationale of evasion of the law, a criminal act in and of itself.

Stop and ask yourself: “What rights to we have left”. Answer: only the 2nd Amendment right to “Keep and Bears Arms” currently has full force after the DC Case. Given the hateful nature of our discourse; what does that say for the future?

Are we so different and demoralized that further economic deterioration, the deliberate undoing of “The New Deal”, the equalization of rights, racial and women’s, the open assault on the Middle Class and Unions, Public Employees and factory workers, on the future of our young, that we will not rise up as folks have along the shores of Northern Africa? I think not!

Time and desperation are the sires of revolution and it might do Americans well to revisit soFK said: “Those who make peaceful evolution impossible, make violent revolution inevitable>” Off course David; there will always be those fools who believe the media: “That it can’t happen here.”

The Wheels May Be Coming Off But Listen For The Sound Of Over Taxed Shredders And Click Of Zippos Opening:

2008-08-12T04:56:00.000-07:00

The Wheels May Be Coming Off But Listen For The Sound Of Over Taxed Shredders And Click Of Zippos Opening:

Secure The Evidence — NOW !

This Point Is Well Made And Well Taken!

August 11, 2008 – 9:18 am

Stephen P. Pizzo

The Bush administration’s days are numbered. That’s both a good and bad news story.

The good news is we are now less than six months away from the end of America’s longest nightmare.

The bad news is we have less than six months for congress and the courts to insure that, when these guys leave Washington on Jan 21, 2009, they leave behind an accurate and complete historical record.

George W. Bush, unpopular now in the extreme, comforts himself with the oft repeated hope that “history will vindicate our policies.”

Well, history can only vindicate — or condemn — if it has a complete historical record to work from. And as the days tick down to the end of this administration’s reign, it has become increasingly obvious that there’s a lot they have not wanted us to know, have not allowed us to know and are highly unlikely to let us know — unless the evidence is secured before it can be hidden behind the walls of a yet-to-be built Bush Library, spirited away by individual administration officials or — most likely — simply deleted, shredded and burned. (I know because I’ve been here before,)

I’m not going to waste the reader’s time listing all the high crimes and misdemeanors this bunch is now suspected of having committed over its eight years in power. (Here’s an excellent list though) Suffice it to say that they have made the Nixon administration’s look like choir boys and girls by comparison. But at least in case of the Nixon gang, Congress and the Supreme Court secured the relevant evidence, including the all-revealing Oval Office tapes.

And believe me, the Bushies noticed what happens when the evidence of crimes is left laying around rather than destroyed. Nixon later said his greatest regret was not destroying those tapes when he had the chance.

Who knows … maybe all us finger-pointers and accusers have been wrong all along. Maybe the Bush folk actually didn’t break laws at all. Who knows… anything is possible. And, if that can be proven, I will be the first one to admit I was wrong.

But before I — or history — can reach such a conclusion, we need a complete historical record.

Unfortunately this Democratic-controlled congress is so steeped in political game-playing aimed at November elections, they are not about to engage in anything that even approaches fulfilling their constitutional obligations, vis a vie impeachment or real hearings.

But one thing Congress could and should do, and do immediately, is compile a detailed list of every document the administration has refused to turn over on the grounds of executive privilege. Then issue individual subpoenas for each document as well as blanket subpoenas for all documents “disclosed and undisclosed,” covering specific areas of investigation; the war, the politicization of Dept. of Justice, energy policy meetings, Katrina response, etc.

Of course, if we’ve learned anything over the past couple of years it’s that we cannot depend on the Democrats in Congress to show much backbone. Which is why the courts need to get involved, and fast? Public interest legal groups, on both the right and left, have an obligation to their own principles and to history to turn their full attentions to preserving the complete documentary history of this administration.

Groups usually on the opposite sides of issues, should join forces on this one. They should get to federal court and make the case that this administration’s public record of either refusing to turn over documents, and refusing to testify under oath and of even destroying electronic documents (such as five million White House emails) establishes a prima facia case in favor of a court injunction against the destruction or removal from government offices of the following records be they physical or virtual:

All:

* - schedules,
* - meetings and meeting notes.
* - official memos,
* - official files,
* - official emails sent and/or received from any domain.
* - logs, including but not limited to, phone logs, visitor logs, Secret Service logs and official aircraft logs.
* - employment records, including interview notes and internal memos on would-be hires.
* - contracts, no bid and otherwise, including, but not limited to, all related notes, memos and emails

This federal court injunction must apply, not only to the White House, but to all and each cabinet-level agencies as well as the CIA, NSA, Office of Special Operations. (And, since it is public knowledge that Vice President, Dick Cheney, maintains his own secure document trove in his office, this injunction should make particular note of that safe as well. )

Sure, I know there are already laws against public officials removing or destroying official documents. But relying on those laws would be a serious mistake. This administration has shown many times that when an existing law or regulation gets in the way of their agenda, needs or schemes, the President simply issues an executive order that neuters the troublesome rule or law.

In this case all Bush would have do come early January is issue an executive order directing “all Executive Branch offices, agencies and employees to clear your files of any extraneous materials.” Such an order would provide all the legal cover needed for wholesale document destruction.

Federal court injunctions ordering all executive branch employees, including the President and Vice President, to secure all documents, would add a layer of legal risk — obstruction of justice — that George could not simply wipe away with a stroke of the Presidential pen.

Look, I understand none of this legal-beagle activity is as satisfying or as sexy as a juicy public impeachment. But, barring George or Dick being caught red-handed waterboarding Nancy Pelosi on the floor of the House, impeachment is simply not going to happen.

So, unless something else is done to secure the 8-year documentary record of this administration — or at least what’s left of it — Bush, Cheney and their army of sycophant accomplices will leave office, having wiped their fingerprints clean from the longest list of suspected crimes in office in American history.

From now on when you close your eyes at night, listen and you can almost imagine you hear that sound of hundreds of industrial-strength shredders warming up. It’s up to us to assure they are not used to between now and January to destroy the evidence needed to prove, or disprove, the suspicion that the Bush administration has been the most subversive and lawless in American history.

The Georgian Issue: All Sides!

2008-08-11T06:19:00.000-07:00

The Georgian Issue: All Sides!

LONDON (Reuters) - Georgia made a strategic miscalculation in trying to rapidly overrun South Ossetia, and as a result has probably lost the region for good, regional analysts say.

While Russian-backed separatists in the breakaway Georgian region helped provoke Georgia into action, it was the belief that its troops could secure a lightning victory that underpinned Georgia's decision to attack.

"The Georgians rolled the dice and they lost," said Michael Denison, an expert in Russian and Eurasian affairs at Chatham House, a London-based security think tank.

"It was not an unreasonable calculation to go for a rapid win, but in the end it was a miscalculation."

Georgia, which has several restless regions within its territory, has managed to quell low-level insurgencies on its turf in recent years -- notably in the Kodori Gorge and the Adjara region -- without provoking Russian reaction.

It calculated that, with the recent change of leadership in Moscow and by timing the attack to coincide with the opening of the Olympics, it could secure a quick and relatively trouble-free victory.

"The capital Tskhinvali is relatively small, no more than around 25,000 people, and they probably thought they could just take it and be done," said Denison.

"They may have calculated that some people would leave the region and flee north to North Ossetia, but the rest would stay and the problem would basically be resolved."

In hindsight, he said, the Georgians should have thought about blocking or blowing up the Roki Tunnel that links South Ossetia to Russia and gave Russian forces access to the region. But the Georgians needed to keep the tunnel open so that South Ossetians could escape north.

Denison and others note that South Ossetia's separatists had been provoking Georgia for some time, probably counting on Russia to come to their aid if needed.

"The Russians have been provoking for a long time and I don't doubt that they stoked up the separatists to start attacking," said Bruce George, a British member of parliament with a long-term association with Georgia.

"At the same time if you embark on a war, as the Georgians did, you have to work out what the consequences will be. It was inevitable that the Russians would react very heavily... and at this stage it seems uncertain that they will stop."

Denison, who was last in South Ossetia a few months ago, said Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's assertion that it was now very unlikely South Ossetia would ever be integrated into Georgia had all but sealed the region's fate.

"If the Russians hadn't intervened and Georgia had taken over, some South Ossetians would have fled, but most probably would have been okay, and South Ossetia probably would have been better off economically and culturally.

"As it is, now they are looking at being a small outpost on the southern reaches of Russia."

“U.S. suggests Russia wants "regime change" in Georgia; I suggest that in addition to that factor; the Russians are sending a signal that they are prepared to act against “America’s stated interests” as a payback for our role in Kosovo and as a warning regarding Iran.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States suggested on Sunday that Russia was interested in "regime change" in Georgia after Moscow rejected Tbilisi's offer of a cease-fire in the separatist enclave of South Ossetia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that the president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili "must go," the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad, told the Security Council.

Khalilzad then looked straight at Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin and asked if Moscow was looking for "regime change."

"Is the goal of the Russian Federation to change the leadership of Georgia?" he said.

Churkin did not directly address the question but said there are leaders who "become an obstacle."

"Sometimes those leaders need to contemplate how useful they have become to their people," he told reporters later.

"Regime change is purely an American invention," he said. "We're all for democracy in Georgia."

Russian troops took the capital of South Ossetia earlier after a three-day battle as Georgian forces retreated and the Tbilisi government offered a cease-fire and talks. Continued...

Cheney: "Russian aggression must not go unanswered" BEIJING (Reuters) - Vice President Dick Cheney called Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to express U.S. solidarity in the conflict with Russia and told him "Russian aggression must not go unanswered," the vice president's office said on Monday.

"The vice president expressed the United States' solidarity with the Georgian people and their democratically elected government in the face of this threat to Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Cheney's office said in a statement.

It said Cheney, in a phone call on Sunday, told Saakashvili that "Russian aggression must not go unanswered, and that its continuation would have serious consequences for its relations with the United States, as well as the broader international community."

Cheney had remained in the United States while U.S. President George W. Bush, who spoke to Saakashvili earlier, was attending the Beijing Olympics.

Cheney's office released the statement as Georgia, a U.S. ally, offered Russia a ceasefire and peace talks after pulling troops back from rebel South Ossetia's capital, and mediators began a mission to end the internationally condemned fighting.

Some fighting still gripped parts of the Caucasus region, however, and Russia demanded an unconditional Georgian withdrawal.

Factbox-What Is Georgia's Rebel South Ossetia Region?

Moscow - Russia launched airstrikes yesterday deep inside Georgia and mobilized columns of tanks after Georgian forces embarked on a major offensive to reassert control over South Ossetia, a separatist province. Political leaders on both sides said that war had begun. The United States, an ally of Georgia, and other governments appealed for a cease-fire.

Georgian Army units quickly seized Tskhinvali, capital of the mountainous province, Georgian officials said.

But large numbers of Russian tanks appeared to be moving against them there. Russian television showed what was described as a Georgian armored vehicle burning on the city's streets. Local officials reported large numbers of civilians killed. Russian officials said that more than 10 of their troops had died.

Georgia, a former Soviet republic, became independent after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. South Ossetia then fought a war to break away from Georgia and has had de facto independence since 1992.

The province is dominated by an ethnic Ossetian population, many of whom have taken Russian citizenship. South Ossetia has received support from Russia, which is suspicious of Georgia's close links with the United States and its bid to join NATO.

Georgia's American-educated president, Mikhail Saakashvili, has made recovery of South Ossetia and another breakaway region, Abkhazia, a top priority.

"A full-scale aggression has been launched against Georgia," Saakashvili declared in a televised statement. He announced a full military mobilization, with reservists being called into action.

Georgian officials also said they would recall troops in Iraq to bolster forces against the Russians.

In an interview with CNN, Saakashvili called for unspecified US support for Georgia, comparing the situation to Soviet crackdowns in places such as Czechoslovakia and Afghanistan.

"This is not about a tiny separatist area inside Georgia," he said. ". . . This is not about Georgia anymore. It is about America, its values."

President Bush discussed the crisis with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin of Russia in Beijing, where both were attending the opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympics, US officials said. Putin told Bush that "war has started today in South Ossetia," according to Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

The Bush administration offered strongly worded backing for Georgia but avoided any mention of possible military assistance. In Beijing, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said "the United States supports Georgia's territorial integrity and we call for an immediate cease-fire."

The administration was urging "all parties - Georgians, South Ossetians and Russians - to deescalate the tension and avoid conflict," Perino said.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice - who spoke several times by telephone with her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov - was more specific.

"We call on Russia to cease attacks on Georgia by aircraft and missiles, respect Georgia's territorial integrity, and withdraw its ground combat forces from Georgian soil," her statement said.

The two major party presidential candidates - Senator Barack Obama, Democrat of Illinois, and Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona - called separately for the United Nations Security Council to help end the violence.

The administration and the European Union agreed to send mediators, an effort in which France appeared to take the lead. France, which currently holds the rotating residency of the European Union, issued a communiqué saying that envoys would be sent to Georgia from the EU, the United States, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

About 130 US military and civilian personnel are currently in Georgia, where they are training Georgian troops for deployment to Iraq as part of the multinational force there. US military officials in Baghdad said they had received no official word that half of Georgia's 2,000-troop contingent was being called home from Iraq, despite statements from Tblisi.

In New York, Georgia requested an emergency session of the UN Security Council to try to secure a cessation of hostilities and to press Russia to withdraw its military forces. The 15-nation council struggled unsuccessfully in a closed-door session to fashion a statement calling for an end to the fighting in South Ossetia, but the United States and Russian remained deadlocked over wording.

Russia's UN ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, said that Russia was compelled to intervene to protect Russian citizens from attacks by Georgian forces and that those responsible for violence would be held accountable. He said that Georgia's actions "calls into question the viability of Georgia as a state, their viability as a responsible member of the world community."

The two sides have long skirmished along the unofficial border between Georgia and the province of South Ossetia, where Russia has maintained a force of soldiers who are officially peacekeepers, but who Georgians see as allies of the separatists.

Georgian officials said their offensive was triggered early Friday after separatists continued to shell Georgian villages following the announcement of a unilateral cease-fire by Saakashvili on Thursday.

Television images showed Georgian rockets firing into the night sky. Reporters in Tskhinvali said many houses were engulfed in flames, a hospital was destroyed, and a university was on fire. One Russian peacekeeper told Interfax, the Russian news agency, that the city was "practically destroyed."

More than 10 Russian peacekeepers have been killed, and about 30 have been wounded in fighting in Tskhinvali, Colonel Igor Konashenkov, aide to the commander in chief of the Russian Ground Forces, told the Russian news agency Interfax.

Estimates of civilian casualties from the separatist government ran as high as 1,400. Civilians from South Ossetia were flooding to the border with Russia, according to news reports. Russian media said that paramilitary fighters were also streaming across the border from Russia, including from North Ossetia, a Russian republic that shares ethnic ties with the South Ossetians.

President Dmitry Medvedev of Russia, facing his first major crisis since coming to office in May, called an emergency meeting of Russia's national security council.

"We will not tolerate the death of our citizens," Medvedev said at the meeting. "Those guilty will receive due punishment."

War in the Caucasus: Towards a Broader Russia-US Military Confrontation?

Does anyone remember the Woodrow Wilson Principle of : “Self-Determination”?

MoveOn.org: Impeachment (If Not Now, When?)

2008-08-06T14:44:00.000-07:00

MoveOn.org: Impeachment (If Not Now, When?)

Moveon.Org Has A Lot Of Questions To Answer For Its Members If Expects To Keep Its Membership And Support!

And I am one of those members who will not ante up another dollar or make a move to support or join another street action in Washington DC until they do so.

I will not, as of this day, even post an announcement or a request from MoveOn until our questions are answered.

1) What is the organization’s official position on Impeachment?

(If not now, when?) ( are you going to continue burying the issue in confusing survey forms, the dating of which has given rise to the wide spread resurfacing of this issue as they seem to be little more than lazy Performa recycling of previous documents.) I am not prepared to pay for that form of advocacy.

2) Given the fact that the House Committee on the Judiciary has already conducted one hearing on the efforts of Mr. Kucinich and his supporters nationwide; is MoveOn prepared to join the battle and make a real difference.

An unwillingness or failure to do so would say to me that MoveOn is no longer an advocacy organization of the people but a submissive collaborator and wholly owned subsidiary of the Pelosi-Reid Democratic leadership.

3) Has MoveOn bought into the “spin lines” that it’s too late to do anything now, and that there are other things more important at the moment than the restoration of Constitutional Law in this land and Executive Accountability, (like doing anything controversial might endanger the election of Democrats in November regardless of whether they are worthy of election or reelection)?

4) Is MoveOn prepared to explore or support the exploration of the Suskind allegations?

5) Is MoveOn prepared to act on the clear fact that this administration has engaged in Torture, contrary to our own laws and in total arrogance and defiance of The Geneva Conventions?

6) Has MoveOn become a co-opted organization, co-opted by the Democratic Party leadership to the point where it will sit out any issue that the leadership deems to be uncomfortable and represent that position as the will of the membership of MoveOn as determined by survey techniques designed to provide cover for the leadership of the organization while it enjoys the fruits of the members donations?

These questions need and deserve candid “no spin” responses. In Google groups and organizations across America serious questions are being raised as to the value and integrity of MoveOn. When Members raise such questions; something is very wrong; trust has been lost.

I am not pleased to have to raise these matters in such a public forum.

But when you do not answer my email inquiries and I get a telephone run around after having to do some serious searching even to initiate some calls; I have no other choice.

Wal-Mart Enters The Political Arena With Political Intimidation Of Employees!

2008-08-02T17:24:00.000-07:00

Wal-Mart Enters The Political Arena With Political Intimidation Of Employees!

We couldn't believe the front page of today's Wall Street Journal. Have you seen it?

It’s Right Here: Wal-Mart Warns of Democratic Win - WSJ.com

http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB121755649066303381.html

Wal-Mart has been threatening employees to not vote for pro-worker candidates like Barack Obama in November because they support the Employee Free Choice Act. If passed, the bill would make it easier to form unions in stores like Wal-Mart.

Telling employees how to vote in a U.S. election is not only morally reprehensible, it's potentially illegal.

So we’re starting a petition to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), asking for an investigation into Wal-Mart’s electioneering. Can you sign on?

Ask the Federal Election Committee to investigate Wal-Mart’s potentially illegal intimidation.

Wal-Mart is stretching the bounds of legality with these outrageous tactics – it's illegal for companies to advocate for political candidates to hourly employees. Here’s how one Wal-Mart worker described the meeting:

"The meeting leader said, 'I am not telling you how to vote, but if the Democrats win, this bill will pass and you won't have a vote on whether you want a union,'" said a Wal-Mart customer-service supervisor from Missouri. "I am not a stupid person. They were telling me how to vote," she said.

Unfortunately for Wal-Mart workers, intimidation is par for the course at the world’s largest employer.

Wal-Mart threatens workers who try to form a union, flying in a unionbusting team any time there's a whiff of union activity. Workers at Wal-Mart face threats, propaganda, discrimination, intimidation, and even firings in retaliation for trying to improve their lives and working conditions.

But this is a new low – one that goes to the very core principles of our democracy.

We need to show Wal-Mart – and other anti-union companies – that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated. Ask the FEC to immediately investigate if Wal-Mart broke any laws.

All of America’s workers have the right to freely decide whom to vote for independent of employer pressure and intimidation. And all of America’s workers should have ability to form a union free of employer pressure and intimidation.

Please forward this message to friends and family and let them know what's going on. Thank you for helping us call attention to this latest outrage.

Ask the Federal Election Commission to investigate Wal-Mart’s electioneering.

Sign on to our petition to the FEC!

Sincerely,

Liz Cattaneo
American Rights at Work
www.AmericanRightsatWork.org

http://action.walmartwatch.com/page/s/voters

Let’s Have It All:

Wal-Mart denies that it told employees how to vote
The Associated Press - Aug 1, 2008
The Wall Street Journal cited about a dozen unidentified Wal-Mart employees who had attended such meetings in seven states as saying they were told that ...

Wal-Mart Watch Responds to 'Wal-Mart Warns of Democratic Win' FOXBusiness

Wal-Mart denies election meddling Washington Times

Wal-Mart denies vote coercion Toronto Star

Reuters - Huffington Post

all 445 news articles

World Can’t Wait Alert and Pelosi Site Taken Down Today Over Women’s Issue

2008-07-17T14:49:00.000-07:00

World Can’t Wait Alert and Pelosi Site Taken Down Today Over Women’s Issue

World Can’t Wait | http://www.worldcantwait.org

Earlier this week, when we heard that protest groups in Denver are not planning one march against the occupation of Iraq and the potential attack on Iran, we wrote this. I'm inviting you to sign on to the letter here.

16 July 2008: In six weeks, the Democrats meet in Denver.

As recent news makes clear, an attack on Iran could happen before the election, driving the Bush Agenda into the next administration, no matter who the president is.

Who will stop an attack on Iran?

Not the Democrats who secretly authorized military operations George Bush already has underway inside Iran. Not the Democratic leaders - including Senator Obama - who insist, again and again, that "all options" remain on the table for military action against Iran, including the use of nuclear weapons!

Not the Democrats who, in their majority, including Obama, not only sanctioned retroactive immunity for the large telecom companies who went along with Bush and spied on people, but have given them prospective immunity in expanded government spying.

This war now belongs to the Democrats no less than the Republicans. If it is left to McCain and Obama, the occupation will continue for years. It was wrong to go into Iraq, it's wrong to stay in Iraq, it's wrong not to get out now!

If there is not a strong showing from the anti-war movement against this whole direction outside the convention, it will signal those who make war and the victims of these wars around the world that the people of this country will go along with continued occupation, with McCain or Obama sending many more troops to Afghanistan, and with threats to Iran. The Bush regime promised a war to last generations. Are we against this, or not?

The anti-war movement must set a standard of resistance, not accommodate what is intolerable. Only the people - not the politicians - can force open debate over why the U.S. occupation must end now. Only we can act on our convictions, letting others know that an end to the illegal, unjust and immoral wars and occupations will not happen without massive mobilization of the people, and that putting all your hopes and energies into the elections will not bring the change millions desire.

Some people say protest does not work. They are WRONG! What does not work is passivity in the face of a government being more widely exposed as committing war crimes and a public increasingly sickened by what is being done in their name. If the anti-war movement was so ineffectual why did the New York Times have to call it the "other superpower"?

Whether one plans on voting for Obama or not, we all must be in the streets making our clear opposition to torture, bloody occupations and any new war against Iran vividly clear. People are traveling the country to campaign for Obama. With a strong call from the anti-war movement, some will be willing to bring an anti-war message to Denver.

Local Denver activists have gone to court for permits for political protest outside the convention, and have permits for nearby parks. Recreate68 plans a march against the war on Sunday August 24, the day before the convention starts. The Alliance for Real Democracy, another coalition, is currently not planning to join this march.

Whatever differences exist, they pale in comparison to the responsibility those of us who are not at peace with being at war have to stop the US occupation of the Middle East. The world needs to see us in the streets in Denver, marching together on the eve of the convention opening.

If you're concerned this protest will be too small, you're not alone. The people in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan & Pakistan whose lives may be lost to further US aggression share that concern. It is the responsibility of those of us who know the devastation and misery the continued occupation of Iraq and an attack on Iran would bring to the world to struggle to bring many more forward to participate in this.

This is a call to MARCH together with the demand Stop the war in Iraq/Afghanistan, and Stop an Attack on Iran! You could have separate rallies and speakers at different sites in the park, but call out the many thousands of people to march together.

We will join with others in mobilizing everyone who has ever been against this war, and all those who know in their hearts this is wrong, to be in the streets of Denver, standing with the people of the world and refusing to be party to these wars.

We the undersigned will do all we can to get people to Denver to participate.

Missy Beattie, Elaine Brower, Larry Everest, Ron Kovic, Dennis Loo, Cynthia McKinney, Dede Miller, Cindy Sheehan, David Swanson, Debra Sweet, Sunsara Taylor,Kevin Zeese Add your name to the letter here.

A Digg story that contained a link to a statement on the website of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reached the front page this morning, apparently sending so much traffic to Pelosi's site that it crashed completely.

The blog entry was a comment on a rule reportedly being drafted by the Bush administration's Department of Health and Human Services. The rule would threaten to cut funding to medical care providers which refused to hire personnel who preferred not to perform abortions for religious or moral reasons.

Commentators have noted that the proposal's definition of abortion is so broad that it could include, as the Times' Countdown to Crawford blog wrote, "multiple forms of contraception, including some birth control pills, IUDs and emergency 'morning after' contraception." (C2C also posted about this situation).

Pelosi's statement, reproduced here, reads in part:

If the Administration goes through with this draft proposal, it will launch a dangerous assault on womens' health.

The majority of Americans oppose this out of touch position that redefines contraception as abortion and represents a sustained pattern of the Bush Administration to reject medical and sound science in favor of a misguided ideology that has no place in our government.

Digg can send thousands of visitors to a website at a time, a level of traffic concentration that can bring down even large and relatively well-established sites. It's probable that the Speaker.gov site rarely gets spikes of this size, and so -- like many websites that get Dugg, Drudged, Slashdotted or even Yahoo! Buzzed -- they'll have to learn the hard way that there's no such thing as too much bandwidth.

When I called Pelosi's office, the spokesperson I talked to did not know there was a problem with the site. When he tried to load it himself, it did not come up. He said he'd look into it and call back.

UPDATE (12:19 p.m.): The site appears to be back up and running.

Re-Create “68” Oppose The DNC In Denver Update (Minneapolis Also A Target)

2008-06-18T13:12:00.000-07:00

Re-Create “68” Oppose The DNC In Denver Update (Minneapolis Also A Target)

The (It’s The Judiciary Committee Stupid) Tool Box Work Page

"Knowledge Is Power In The Right Hands"

(STREET TACTICS) Street Manual

“I will force my body to be my weapon and my statement so...”

-The Stranglers, “Death & Night & Blood”

Introduction Shields, Walls and Other Useful Tricks

Technology has changed the street protest. In centuries past, a mass of people wishing to express themselves could only be silenced by live gunfire. But the advent of riot armor, lachrymatory gases and “less-lethal” projectiles has allowed ruling establishments to squelch the voice of protesters with great ease, and even better PR.

It is the interest of this booklet to help preserve our freedoms of speech and public movement in expressing ourselves. The objective is not to ‘up the ante’ or encourage street battles. No one sets out to engage the police or the army. We are on the streets to be seen and heard, but find it ever more difficult as arrests and injuries from policing forces aim to shut our voices out of the general equation.

One benefit of our modern and wasteful mass consumption society is that it allows us to protect ourselves from these forces. We have the material and the means to defend our protests and to keep the police at a distance.

Our method is self-defense. We march with a mission and should those in power order others to stop us, we have a right to defend our bodies as much as our message.

This book was written to help preserve the freedom of movement and assembly. Most of this book was heavily inspired to the White Overalls movements in Europe who have a much longer history of effecting change through powerful demonstrations. We owe our thanks to them and hope that we in the Americas can also find such strength in our voices.

Planning Direct Actions

A direct action is a technique for directly intervening to change reality. It is about stopping/changing/starting an activity in the real world. Stopping a ship from dumping hazardous waste in the sea is direct action. Protesting outside a parliament against the
same dumping would be direct communication.

Effective and successful direct actions depend on many factors. The following is intended as a general guide to assist with planning.

1. Does the proposed action fit into your campaign strategy?

2. What is the target?

3. What do you want to achieve by taking action against the target?

4. Have you spent time considering how the action will end? Be prepared for the situation to change…know how you will end your activity and plan some contingencies in case it doesn't work out the way you thought it would. What back up plans are there if the action s 'foiled'?

5. Are all participants aware of the legal and/or health consequences?

6. What dangers are there and what safety precautions have been taken for personnel (i.e. equipment and training)?

7. What are the lines of communication?

8. What considerations/allowances have been made of the local response, e.g. workers at factory, etc?

9. Has legal support been arranged?

10. Is video/photo coverage necessary for safety reasons? If so, what arrangements have
been made?

11. Who is going to be responsible for internal communication (i.e. informing the group and supporters about the progress of the action)?

12. Do all activists involved share the ethic of non-violence?

13. Have you/your group budgeted for the action?

14. Who is the action co-ordinator?

15. Who is the legal liaison?

Briefing Before The Action

It is a good idea to come together before the event to discuss the campaign strategy, the target (what/why), the objective of action, the campaign messages, logistics (what happens on the day), safety issues, legal issues, media release and arrangements for media on the day.

Safety

Always prepare a list of everyone involved and their next of kin/contact phone numbers in case of mishap. Encourage activists to work in teams of two or more (do not go into a potentially difficult situation alone). Have people in your group with first-aid skills. The action co-coordinator should always know where everyone is at any stage during the action and be able to communicate with them should the need arise.

Ending The Action

This is without doubt the most difficult component of action planning. You can go into an action situation with clearly defined objectives and demands, yet as soon as the action starts various other factors come into play which forces you into situations where your objectives and demands may no longer be realistic. In deciding on a particular action you must be flexible enough to accommodate any outside influences beyond your control, and change your tactics accordingly. You should build into the action plan contingencies for situations that may arise.

Know Your Rights In The Streets!

The Nation Is On A Knife’s Edge!

The Democratic Party Is Far From Having A Lock On The 2008 Election

World Can’t Wait is endorsing the ReCreate 68 coalition, and forming our own working group for Denver.

http://www.ruckus.org/

http://dncdisruption08.org/

http://dncdisruption08.org/?p=74

http://www.unconventionalaction.org/

http://www.unconventionalaction.org/strategies/strategies.html

http://inthemiddleofthewhirlwind.wordpress.com/an-interview-with-unconventional-action/

Denver, Colorado: Unconventional Action Camp July 12-18 , we have published a zine

http://dncdisruption08.org/?p=91 Pepper Weapons and Plastic Bullets

Tuesday, June 17, 2008 Denver police are stocking up on guns that fire a pepper spray-like substance instead of bullets - a less-lethal weapon used to disperse crowds - in advance of the Democratic National Convention.

The department recently ordered 88 Mark IV launchers and projectiles at a cost “in the low six figures,” the company that makes the weapons stated in a news release Monday.

The request was for delivery in advance of the DNC, according to Louisville- based Security With Advanced Technology Inc.

The convention, scheduled for Aug. 25 to 28 at the Pepsi Center, is expected to draw thousands of protesters to sites throughout Denver.

The city received a $50 million federal grant for security. A senior adviser to Mayor John Hickenlooper has said the city plans to spend up to half that amount on equipment, with the rest going to pay officers.

But the city has refused to disclose how it is spending the money, prompting the American Civil Liberties Union last month to file a civil lawsuit.

The court filing alleges the city is violating the Colorado Open Records Act.

City officials say releasing the information is “contrary to the public interest” because it could disclose important tactical information, potentially jeopardizing security.

A city spokesperson could not be reached for comment Monday. Meanwhile, speculation about what the city is buying has run rampant.

Some organizers of protest groups believe police are buying extended-range Tasers and weapons that incapacitate people with high-intensity sound.

The Mark IV weapons the city ordered recently fire plastic balls filled with powder that’s “like a combination of cayenne pepper and baby powder,” the manufacturer said.

It can be fired from up to 100 feet away, said Ben Cook, director of Veritas, a subsidiary of Security With Advanced Technology.

The balls burst open on impact. While the powder will incapacitate a person like pepper spray, it doesn’t cause some of the more severe reactions, Cook said.

Anarchists Stalk Democratic Convention Published: January 24, 2008

Unconventional Action hopes to see the largest gathering of anarchists in American history in Denver in August. The group that may be the most prepared for the 2008 Democratic National Convention is also the least likely to be prepared. It doesn't represent labor unions or mainstream progressives, but anarchists. A loose coalition of anti-authoritarian factions from across the nation have formed an outfit called Unconventional Action, with the express goal of disrupting and shutting down the DNC and RNC. Activists say that anarchists in this country have never planned such a large-scale action so far in advance of a specific event, and certainly not with such openness and strategy.

The stylized website www.unconventionalaction.org includes mission statements, how-to guides and downloadable posters, maps and zines. "Only direct action will stop the war," reads one flier. "Start organizing to smash the conventions," says another. Resources includes a printable map of downtown Denver, with the Pepsi Center and hotels where delegates will be staying clearly marked, as well as such other potential targets as the offices of Halliburton, Northrop Grumman and Newmont Mining. In Minneapolis/St. Paul, where the RNC will be held, anarchists operating as the RNC Welcoming Committee are compiling maps, photographs of the city and timetables of political events where they may stage such disturbances as blockades, infiltrations and other actions.

American anarchists regard both Democrats and Republicans as enforcers of the same imperialist system, and their drive this time is fueled by disappointment with the 2004 convention protests. Though tens of thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of New York and Boston, many radicals felt the actions led by large liberal groups like ANSWER and United for Peace and Justice had little impact. So this election cycle, affinity groups such as the Black Bloc and Crimethinc are spurring the radical movement to take the lead.

"There's nothing better than the convention to encapsulate the essence of the Democratic Party and the two-party system," says Clayton Dewey, an organizer for Denver's Unconventional Action. "It is a sham democracy. The candidates have been chosen, the platform has essentially been chosen by the party leaders. They bring in some delegates, and really, all they do is cheer lead for these scripted events. The media fawns over it. It's a multi million-dollar party at the expense of taxpayers and Denver residents."

Chapters have been formed in San Francisco, New York and at least a dozen other cities. Since last August, planning conferences called "consultas" have taken place in St. Paul and Denver. Along with building a "horizontal, inclusive framework for protests," groups have even begun fundraising. Organizers estimate that each city will need $50,000 for convergence centers, legal costs and other expenses.

(A Comprehensive Link Below)

"We are not going to let the Democrats have a free ride," says Dewey.

Their theme: Anarchists Arise!”

Anarchists and Anti-Authoritarians: join us in Denver, Colorado, August 24th-28th as we engage in coordinated Direct Actions against the Democratic National Convention, its corporate sponsors, and the military/police occupation of public space. Respecting diverse tactics and the autonomy of affinity groups and individuals, Unconventional Action has created the following framework to maximize our impact as we disrupt the DNC.

Unconventional Action’s strategy at the Democratic National Convention will hold the Democratic Party accountable for promoting unjust policies: environmental degradation, the enforcement of arbitrary borders, attacks on the poor, complacency in war, and racist policing. We will expose to the nation that the Democrats and Republicans are two sides of the same coin, both parties funded by the same corporations and upholding the same unjust political system which fails to meet the needs of the vast majority of people. Anarchists and Anti-Authoritarians are urged to engage in a broad variety of tactics to disrupt fundraising events and prevent Democratic delegates from voting for no-choice candidates. Unconventional Action will honor and support autonomous actions while coordinating a highly publicized assault on the pageantry, violence, and abuses of the Democrats and the two-party capitalist system.

Unconventional Action will target a variety of the 1,500 proposed fundraisers, countless delegate hotels, and designated institutions perpetuating global injustice. Using space reclamation, street theatre, direct confrontation, positive action, and a broad array of other tactics, we will force the national media to question the Democratic Party’s failures, hold Democratic candidates accountable for their abuses of power, and engage in direct actions that reflect our ultimate goals of joy and liberation through creativity and confrontation.

Asked whether the Recreate ’68 will bring a repeat of the rioting and violence that gripped Chicago during the ’68 convention, Spagnuolo said:

"That will be up to the Denver Police Department. Any violence would be at the hands of the Denver Police Department."

Hey all you R-68ers, time for our “Do It In Denver!” e-news flash update about the

historic events that will be taking place at the DNC in Denver come this August! As the event comes closer, it will become more difficult to send out updates, so please begin to check the website regularly, which, yes, will be updated and be easier to navigate.

Remember to help us out by forwarding and posting this e-news flash to all of your
cyber-friends and activist lists you are aware of!

Topics for today’s e-news flash:

1. Legal update

2. National call-out to end the war!

3. R-68’s 12-step program to organize for the DNC

4. R-68 film series

5. Shirt designs

6. Activists networking tool for R-68

7. Tables/Training opportunities at the Festival of Democracy

8. “Come Up to Denver” video and website

9. Events

10. How to get involved

1. Legal Update:

As some of you are aware, R-68, with the help of the ACLU of Colorado and cooperating attorneys Steven Zansberg and Chris Neall, have filed a Federal Lawsuit against the City of Denver and the U.S. Secret Service.

In response to part 1 of our legal battle, the City of Denver has released their proposed parade route for the Convention. The City’s proposed route ends far away from being in sight and sound of the Pepsi Center (the location of the convention).

There are also many other problems with their proposed security plans for the convention. We will be back in Federal Court on June 30th. We are fortunate to have the services of some of the best attorneys in the nation protecting our civil liberties and freedoms. We need to show these defenders of freedom our support and solidarity.

Please make the time (sick days & vacations days from work can help) to attend the June 30th hearing. Location and time are listed below, in addition to a link to the ACLU site with additional information.

Judge Marcia Krieger,

Araj Federal Courthouse,

1929 Stout, 9th Floor, 8:30 am, June 30.

http://www.aclu-co.org/dnc/dnc.htm

2. National call-out to end the war!

R-68, Troops Out Now!, F.I.S.T. (Fighting Imperialism Standing Together) and over 100 other Peace and Justice groups across the country are putting out a national call for an Anti-war/End the Occupations March and Rally to take place on Sunday August 24Th to kick-off the week of events at the convention.

So plan on being a part of the largest march of its kind in Denver’s history as we march to end all illegal imperialist occupations in Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Hawaii, North America, and others. The Dems have the power to put an end to the United States’ illegal colonizing occupations and wars, but they will not without pressure from the people.

Join us as we create that pressure and say: NO MORE! NOT IN OUR NAME! BRING THE
TROOPS HOME NOW!

Below is a link to a flyer for the event.

http://www.recreate68.org

3. R-68’s 12-step program to organize for the DNC

R-68 receives e-mail requests from across the nation from groups who are planning to come to the Convention. Many individuals and groups request information on what they can be doing to prepare. R-68’s Organizing Committee has developed a very basic Twelve Step Program for your assistance. If you need more specialized information, you can contact us at info@recreate68.org.

Twelve Steps to Prepare:

1. Find a location and time for a meeting. Put out a call--with email, phone calls, flyers, etc.--for people who are interested in going to the DNC to attend the meeting.

2. See who's really committed to going to Denver. Get firm commitments. Then plan Transportation. Consider car pooling, renting a bus or other ways of spreading the cost.

3. When you have firm numbers, email R68 about housing needs and any other special
Help you may need. We will have an event calendar, maps, bus schedules and other
Information that you'll need when you get here.

4. Schedule regular meetings to discuss your group’s plans for when you do get to Denver. Check the website for logistic information to help you plan your trip.

5. Look at the events being planned by R68 and other groups like Unconventional Action. Decide how you want plug in to those events.

6. Raise funds for group for your trip to Denver--for transportation, food en route and while you're here, your creative actions, etc.

7. If you can, raise funds for R68 (for food, music, health clinic, legal collective, etc.). Hold various events--anything from a garage sale to a concert by local bands, use your imagination--and hit up your family and friends who can't go for money.

8. Organize yourselves in affinity groups--small groups of people who know and trust each other--to work together and look after each other while you're in Denver (if you're not familiar with the concept, just Google "affinity group” or go to our resource section of our website).

9. Make sure people at home know when you're going and when you expect to be back. Keep in touch with them regularly by phone and/or email.

10.If there are people in your area who can do "Know your Rights" trainings (to familiarize you with your Constitutional rights as protesters) and/or "Health and Safety for Protesters" trainings, (about how to take care of yourselves in a protest situation), take advantage of them.

If not, look for information on the Internet, and, if you can be here even a couple of days before the events start, let R68 know and we can arrange trainings when you get here. For travel cost, R-68 would be willing to come to your community and speak on the issues and provide trainings.

11.Make props and visual aids with anti-war and other messages to bring to make your participation in marches and rallies in Denver more effective. Anything that will get media attention is great: signs, banners, costumes, art objects, and big puppets. There's information on the Internet about that stuff. Also plan autonomous actions that will highlight some of the issues you care about. The more creative an action planned, the better (FYI, we have a pretty good legal team).

12. Check the R68 website regularly for updates. HAVE FUN!! Remember Emma Goldman: "If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution."

4. R-68 film series

Recreate 68 will be hosting a series of film screenings every Tuesday in July at 7pm at Hooked on Colfax, 3215 E. Colfax. The films will cover a variety of issues that will be the subject of actions during the DNC. Many films will be followed by a community conversation on the issue, usually facilitated by a special guest knowledgeable on the topic. For more information please e-mail planetofslums@gmail.com.

5. Shirt designs

The revolution is a shirt design away! Help R-68 design the T-shirts that will be made available for the protests. There’s nothing like seeing your design on hundreds of shirts that will be worn across the country to commemorate this important and memorable event in our nation’s history. Please send all designs to info@recreate68.org or better yet, bring them to the next R-68 meeting this Thursday at 6:30pm at the Gypsy House Café in Denver. Designs will be decided by June 22. If you think you have a killa’design that will not be finished by that date, e-mail us and we will try to make it work. If you have additional questions about your creative assistance, you can e-mail gspagnuolo@recreate68.org.

6. Activists networking tool for R-68

R-68 members have developed an activists networking tool for use leading up to, and
after, the convention. One of the best ways to get in touch with what is happening, aside
from going to our weekly working meetings and the website, is to go to http://www.mypopuli.com and get connected. Join today and be apart of our virtual
community.

7. Tables/Training opportunities at the Festival of Democracy

The Festival of Democracy will be a five-day event running in conjunction with the DNC
Convention. The Festival will include free music and performing arts, free food and free
institution building and political training. The purpose of the Festival of Democracy will be to share some fun and to work towards the development of programs and networks that will address our community problems, created by the people, without relying on the two-party capitalist system. If you are interested in tabling, please let us know. We are in serious need of groups willing to hold seminars/teach-ins on the issues that concern you. We are very interested in teach-ins that will assist other community members with knowledge that will aid them in their work as community organizers when they return home. In addition, we are open to bands with a political message. If you or your group is interested in being a part of this event you can e-mail info@recreate68.org.

8. “Come Up to Denver” video and website

“Come Up to Denver” is a project created by a member of R-68. Please check it out.
http://www.comeuptodenver.org

Graham Nash let us re-record his song "Chicago" that he wrote about the 1968
Democratic National Convention. This version, "Come Up to Denver" is a call to action
for citizens all over the country to converge on Denver to demonstrate for positive social
change and an end to war.

On the 40th Anniversary of the 1968 DNC in Chicago, it is a sad sign of the times that we
didn't have to change one word of Graham's song, except for the place.

As in 1968, we have a war to stop, and it is only the Power of the People that can do it.

Come Up to Denver!!! With strength in numbers, we can end the war and show the world how to live in peace!

9. Reminder of additional events

Below is listed some, but not all, of the events taking place at the Convention. This is a
solidarity movement so please plan on attending all of the events for maximum numbers. Additional actions are being organized by a group we whole-heartedly endorse and support, Unconventional Action, which can be found at http://www.dncdisruption08.org

Denver's Largest Anti-war Protest, Sunday August 24:
http://recreate68.org/album1_dnc_003.htm

Prisoner Rights March and Rally, Monday August 25:
http://recreate68.org/album1_dnc_007.htm

Poor People's "Shake Your Money Maker" event,Monday August 25: http://recreate68.org/album1_dnc_006.htm

Immigration Rally and March Tuesday August 26: Link to come soon.
"Doc's Place" Free Health Clinic: http://recreate68.org/album1_dnc_033.htm

Free Public Feeds: http://recreate68.org/album1_dnc_035.htm

The Festival of Democracy: http://recreate68.org/album1_dnc_004.htm

Housing for out-of-town activists (If you are able to help with space please let us know): housing@recreate68.org

There is no reason not to be involved. If you do not have the time, drop a dime and help with the fundraising!

10. How to get involved

The best way to get involved is to join us for one of our weekly planning meetings. Meet people who are volunteering on different committees and join a work group. All community members who attend have an equal voice, so come by and get involved. If you have an interest in becoming a Legal Observer, please email mcohen@recreate68.org and we can assist you with the necessary training.

R-68 “Working Meetings” every Thursday night at 6:30

Gypsy House Café

1290 Marion Street, Denver

It is important for all of us to make what contributions we can afford to this effort. We will be feeding, housing and providing medical care for a whole community, not to mention the protest and the Festival of Democracy. Anything you can spare would help.

Just skip a coffee for a day and send the spare cash to R-68. Listed below is the P.O. Box to send donations and a donation letter you can use to show friends in order to convince them to donate. This task is all of our responsibility.

Please Send Donations To:

P.O. Box:

Recreate 68

PO Box 6444, Denver, CO 80206

Prospective Donor:

Why Re-create 68? Re-create 68's mission is to restore real democracy in this country, by "re-creating" the spirit of mass political participation, and the ability of mass movements to bring about progressive social change, that existed in the 60s. A spirit of democracy that brought about profound changes in this country, changes that made it possible now for the leading candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination to be a white woman and a black man-something unimaginable in, say, 1958.

That spirit has been lost in recent decades, as the Right has tried to roll back the gains of the 60s. But the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq, and the disastrous economic
policies of the Bush administration, have raised awareness and opened new space for the recreation of a mass movement for positive change.

Recognizing this opportunity, Re-create 68 came together at the beginning of 2007 in anticipation of Denver being awarded the Democratic National Convention. The members of the group, all longtime activists in the Denver community, will use this national event as a catalyst to bring new people into existing social change organizations, and to involve more people in mass political activism.

Re-create 68 will sponsor and support mass demonstrations during the Convention, demonstrations calling for an end to the occupation of Iraq, for immigrant rights, for prisoner's rights, for combating global warming, for an affordable health care system and for real educational reform. We will also provide housing and other support services for people coming from out of town for these demonstrations.

But we will devote equal energy to creating a five-day Festival of Democracy, during which workshops, trainings, demonstrations, teach-ins and networking activities will help people create community-based alternatives to a failed two-party system, that will last well beyond the event.

During the festival, R68 will provide a free food program for the homeless, free entertainment, including national and local music groups and speakers, a free 24/7 health clinic for economically disadvantaged community members, legal support and a "Know Your Rights" legal clinic for oppressed communities and widespread coverage of the festival through alternative media. The other events at the Festival will be created and led by community-based organizations.

The experience of participating in democracy together for this major event will carry over past the Convention to allow these organizations to work together, and support each other, in the coming years. R68 will continue to work with these organizations to carry this work forward. We will also haveevaluation forms, on line and hard copy, for people to give feedback on the Festival and projects that come out of it. Groups who create community-run institutions will be invited back to Denver in a year's time to share their experiences.

Among the projects that will come out of this event, in Denver and other cities, are community health clinics, alternative schooling options, after-school activities, free breakfast programs for youth, alternative media opportunities, community centers focused on social justice issues, among others.

To accomplish these goals, R68 has:

• Helped train and create a team of street medics, and Doc's Place, a free 24/7-health clinics

• Worked with the National Lawyers Guild to create the People's Law Project, to provide legal observers and legal support during and after the DNC, and to challenge restrictions on First Amendment rights, in addition to creating a "Know Your Rights" legal clinic to help educate the public.

• Worked with Free Speech TV and other independent media to revitalize independent media in Denver and Colorado

• Held community meetings, coordinated with community-based groups throughout the metro area and nationally as well, and formed R68 groups in other Front Range communities and other cities around the country to mobilize for the convention and the Festival.

• Won endorsement and support from United for Peace and Justice, Code Pink, School of the Americas Watch, Troops Out Now and other national organizations. In keeping with its goals, R68 operates on the basis of participatory democracy. Committees work on specific projects, but report back to the larger group on a regular basis. A core-organizing group carries out day-to-day work, guided by the decisions of the larger group. R68 is incorporated as Colorado non-profit, but has no paid staff; all work is carried out by volunteers.

The energy, enthusiasm and time to create a successful event all exist. The remaining ingredient is, of course, money. We hope you will support Recreate 68 in moving forward a vision of real democracy in America.

Solidarity with a vision,

The R68 Organizing Committee

Until next time R-68ers, Hasta La Victoria Siempre! And remember “Do It In

Denver!!!!”

Free City Info

Out Reach Flyers

"Knowledge Is Power In The Right Hands"
(STREET TACTICS)

It is not a matter of no one being aware of a build up of protest elements in Denver, Minneapolis and across the country; it’s more a function of people not paying attention, more of the “it can’t happen ostrich syndrome: and simple damn dumb denial. It really doesn’t matter that within the protest elements and organizations that there has been a sifting out of those dedicated to non-violence from those either inclined to confrontation or violence, or at least suspected of that inclination, because when is all said and done, it’s a matter of over 100,000 people in the streets with a multiplicity of concerns, grievances and advocacies in the rarified Denver atmosphere, the heat of August and pent up frustrations of trying to gain access to exercise free speech, and whatever it is that folks have in mind.

There are elements of the far left and far right that will be close contact, police powers dealing with a situation that they have no experience with. All it takes is one mistake one flash and you have hell to pay. No reason or rationale for calm and preserving the victory that Democrats thirst for matters; some of these folks just don’t care; some of them want a revolutionary change within our party, and some are willing to allow, or even cause things to get worse in the hope that the inevitable reaction will usher in the paradigm shift in American politics that will truly right the ship of state.

There are too many accumulated issues, political, social, economic, philosophic, world-versioned and local all in the stew pot. That can make for a bad brew. I have said so often that such confrontations are the result of multiple movements and ferment coming together. We are there. Chicago “68” was labeled a police riot. It is so easy to drag that label and vitriol back out. Any act of resistance and arrest can suddenly became “police brutality” in the streets and the mob move into action!

See You In Denver (Ed.)

Footnote: The Group calling themselves “Resistance 08”continues to be closely guarded, close knit, independent furtive operation that I have little success in researching. I know after a 15 minute contact in a parking lot in Denver that they guard their anonymity and trust only their own. That does not include me…that was made forcefully clear…but I will continue listening and looking.

End Post....

Impeach Bush and Cheney.....They Have Broken Every Principle of Law and Defied every Precept of Decency

2008-06-18T12:18:00.000-07:00

Impeach Bush and Cheney.....They Have Broken Every Principle of Law and Defied every Precept of Decency Leaving This Nation and Its Reputation In A

Fore Closed Land Fill.

The (It’s The Judiciary Committee Stupid) Tool Box Work Page

CONFIRMED: U.S. Hid Detainees From The Red Cross

(It’s getting so bad that it would almost take George Bush being caught on tape by NBC, CBS and ABC getting a blow job from Ann Coulter on the front steps of the White House before anyone will Impeach the cretin, and FOX would argue that the film was faked…of course.)

http://www.alternet.org/

The U.S. military hid the locations of suspected terrorist detainees and concealed harsh treatment to avoid the scrutiny of the International Committee of the Red Cross, according to documents that a Senate committee released Tuesday.

"We may need to curb the harsher operations while ICRC is around. It is better not to expose them to any controversial techniques," Lt. Col. Diane Beaver, a military lawyer who's since retired, said during an October 2002 meeting at the Guantanamo Bay prison to discuss employing interrogation techniques that some have equated with torture. Her comments were recorded in minutes of the meeting that were made public Tuesday. At that same meeting, Beaver also appeared to confirm that U.S. officials at another detention facility -- Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan -- were using sleep deprivation to "break" detainees well before then-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld approved that technique. "True, but officially it is not happening," she is quoted as having said.

A third person at the meeting, Jonathan Fredman, the chief counsel for the CIA's Counterterrorism Center, disclosed that detainees were moved routinely to avoid the scrutiny of the ICRC, which keeps tabs on prisoners in conflicts around the world.
Read the full story »

The Greatest Story Never Told : http://www.nationinstitute.org/

It's just a $5,812,353 contract -- chump change for the Pentagon -- and not even one of those notorious "no-bid" contracts either. Ninety-eight bids were solicited by the Army Corps of Engineers and 12 were received before the contract was awarded this May 28th to Wintara, Inc. of Fort Washington, Maryland, for "replacement facilities for Forward Operating Base Speicher, Iraq." According to a Department of Defense press release, the work on those "facilities" to be replaced at the base near Saddam Hussein's hometown, Tikrit, is expected to be completed by January 31, 2009, a mere 11 days after a new president enters the Oval Office. It is but one modest reminder that, when the next administration hits Washington, American bases in Iraq, large and small, will still be undergoing the sort of repair and upgrading that has been ongoing for years.

Editor’s Note: Last week, Rep. Dennis Kucinich introduced 35 articles of impeachment against President George W. Bush. Not surprisingly, the major U.S. news media, which has never taken Bush’s abuses of power too seriously, largely ignored Kucinich’s act.

Given that vacuum – and the seriousness of Bush’s offenses – we are publishing excerpts from an interview between Kucinich and “Flashpoints” host Dennis Bernstein:

Bernstein: Let’s cut to the quick and tell us what you see as being at the core of your call to impeach the President and the Vice President….

Bring Back Patrick Fitzgerald : Serve Mr. Bush to Justice : by Gilles d'Aymery

Patrick Fitzgerald : Patrick J. Fitzgerald (born December 22, 1960) is an American attorney and the current United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. On December 30, 2003, after then-Attorney General John Ashcroft recused himself from the CIA leak grand jury investigation of the Plame affair due to conflicts of interest, Deputy Attorney General James B. Comey, acting as Attorney General in Ashcroft's place, appointed Fitzgerald to the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Special Counsel in charge of the investigation.^[1]^[2]

(You Have To Be Nuts!)

(Swans - June 16, 2008) Chances are that people who depend on the corporate media haven't heard of House Resolution 1258, which was introduced by Ohio Representative Dennis Kucinich late on June 10, 2008, and was read in full into the wee hours of the next day, thus becoming part of the Congressional Record. That Resolution addressed "articles of impeachment of George Bush, president of the United States." Like the Resolution Kucinich introduced last November to impeach Vice President Cheney, HR 1258 has been referred to the Judiciary Committee, where it's going to die, collecting dust until future historians research one of the most shameful and destructive American presidents the country ever elected or selected.

The Movement to impeach George W. Bush has steadily grown over the past two years, with legal scholars of both liberal and conservative trends supporting the constitutional procedure -- to no avail so long as the leadership of the Democratic Party keeps that constitutional duty "off the table." But there are other venues that can and hopefully will be pursued, from appointing a Special Counsel with plenary authority to investigate whether President Bush and his vice president broke the laws of the United States in the lead up to the Iraq War and whether the president violated his constitutional oath "to faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States"; to, as the renowned attorney and highly successful prosecutor, Vincent Bugliosi, advocates in his recently published book, The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder (Vanguard Press, May 2008, ISBN 978-1593154813), citizen-to-be George W. Bush may well be tried for murder in the future (there is no statute of limitations on a murder charge). And if none of the above works there will still be a consolation prize for people who understand that we want to remain a country of laws, not men (or women), however powerful they may be: They will be limited in their travels to other countries, especially in the European Union, for they will run high risks of being arraigned for the international crimes they allegedly committed. (More)

A House committee has subpoenaed FBI transcripts of interviews with President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney regarding their possible roles in the exposure of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame Wilson.

Plame, the daughter of an Air Force colonel and an elementary school teacher, was recruited by the CIA at 22, shortly after graduation from Pennsylvania State University. She was in the 1985-86 class of CIA officers trained at "The Farm" near Williamsburg, where the curriculum included learning to drive under fire, blowing up cars and handling an AK-47.

Her career postings are classified, but she was one of the elite clandestine spies -- an officer with nonofficial cover who works overseas in business or other jobs and has no diplomatic protection if detected or arrested.

In 2006, she will have 20 years with the agency. As such she qualifies for retirement but would not receive full benefits unless she stays with the agency until age 50.

After she was named in a syndicated column by Robert Novak, Plame had no chance of working again in her chosen field, her friends say, and the strain of remaining at the agency has taken its toll.

"For all intents and purposes out at the CIA, she's like a leper . . . she's radioactive," said Larry Johnson, a former CIA analyst and acquaintance of Plame's who was in her officer training class. "There are instances where some people at headquarters have shunned her. In other cases they don't know what to say. It's like someone whose child has died: What do you say to them?

"There are a variety of things she could have done at the agency. She could have become a station chief overseas and run espionage operations. It has destroyed her life on that front. What is she supposed to do now, wear a button saying, " 'Hi, I work for the CIA'?"

Rep. Henry Waxman, D-California, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, issued the subpoena on Monday to Attorney General Michael Mukasey in the latest chapter of a standoff over what Bush and Cheney told a special prosecutor about the case in 2004.

Earlier this month, the Justice Department denied Waxman’s request for a voluntary release of the interview transcripts on grounds that it “raises serious separation of powers and heightened confidentiality concerns.”

Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has turned over to Waxman’s committee “FBI 302 reports” of interviews with CIA and State Department officials and other individuals involved in the CIA leak, Waxman said in a letter to Mukasey last December.

But “the White House has been blocking Mr. Fitzgerald from providing key documents to the Committee," including transcripts of Fitzgerald’s interviews with Bush and Cheney, Waxman said.

On Monday, Waxman set a June 23 deadline for Mukasey to comply with the committee subpoena.

Finally, Congress Looks at Plame-gate
Five years ago, George W. Bush's White House set in motion the "Plame-gate" scandal, the exposure of a covert CIA officer after her husband blew the whistle on Bush's use of false intelligence on Iraq. Finally, Congress is holding a hearing. A Special Report. June 16, 2008

Libby Links Cheney to Plame Leak
In a newly disclosed FBI interview, Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff Lewis Libby says it's "possible" that his boss told him to leak the identity of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame Wilson. A congressional panel now wants access to Cheney's response. June 4, 2008

McClellan Suggests Plame Cover-up
As the Plame-gate CIA-leak investigation zeroed in on White House aides Karl Rove and Lewis Libby in 2005, the two men got together for an unusual private meeting, ex-White House press secretary Scott McClellan reveals in his new memoir. May 29, 2008

Bush's 'War Crimes' & Misdemeanors
In 2004, when the Abu Ghraib photos surfaced, George W. Bush assured Americans that he was as shocked and angry as they were. But a new Inspector General's report reveals Bush's White House turning a deaf ear to FBI complaints about nearly identical detainee abuses. May 22, 2008

Jail Time for Tenet?
If the U.S. political landscape shifts next year, former CIA Director George Tenet may face legal questions about his service to George W. Bush, including -- as former CIA analyst Ray McGovern notes -- Tenet's cover-up of how Bush bungled the pre-9/11 warnings. June 11, 2008

Senate Dems Won't Block Wiretapping Compromise
Posted on June 17, 2008 at 6:16 PM.

Senate Democratic leaders said Tuesday that they would not stand in the way of a compromise overhaul of the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), despite their concerns with the impacts of the sprawling measure.

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who also sits on the Judiciary Committee, said some Democrats are "not happy with that, but there may be enough to get a majority vote."

When asked if he would whip his conference to vote against it, Durbin said: "I doubt if it's going to be a caucus position."

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) predicted Tuesday that there is enough support within the Democratic Conference to approve a contentious overhaul of the FISA legislation. Read the full story »

Appeals Court Throws Out Key Conviction In Abramoff Case
Posted on June 17, 2008 at 6:06 PM.

A federal appeals court overturned the conviction of a former White House official Tuesday in a significant defeat for prosecutors who are overseeing the investigation into the Jack Abramoff influence-peddling scandal.

David Safavian was convicted in 2006 of four charges related to statements he made to officials who were investigating Abramoff, a former lobbyist who pleaded guilty to conspiring to bribe lawmakers and bilking his Indian-tribe clients out of millions of dollars.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit threw out two felony-concealment charges against Safavian, saying he had "no legal duty to disclose" details about his relationship with Abramoff to General Services Administration ethics and inspector-general officials. At the time, Safavian was the GSA's chief of staff and helped Abramoff attempt to buy two GSA-managed properties in the Washington area.

"Attorneys commonly advise their clients to answer questions truthfully but not to volunteer information . . . ," the court wrote. "The government essentially asks us to hold that once an individual starts talking, he cannot stop."Read the full story »

Rules of power tactics: Saul Alinsky's radical arts, just keep this in mind as the election campaign unfolds.

More Than Half Of 'Democrats For McCain' List Have GOP Ties
Posted on June 17, 2008 at 5:14 PM.

In an effort to demonstrate his broad political appeal, Sen. John McCain on Saturday released a list of "prominent Democrats and Independents" who were supporting his candidacy. The whole concept was disputed from the get-go.

Ben Smith, over at Politico, observed that one thing the names lacked was prominence. On Tuesday, moreover, Greg Sargent at Talking Points Memo noted that many names "have often supported Republicans in the past, suggesting that there's little if any meaning to their support for McCain over Obama."

Sargent highlighted seven such individuals, including Bill Veroneau, former mayor of Concord, New Hampshire, who originally had endorsed Republican Mitt Romney for president; former state Rep. Steve Wenzel of Minnesota, who worked on Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty's transition team; and former Massachusetts state Rep. Brian Golden, who endorsed President Bush in both 2000 and 2004.

It turns out that Sargent only scratched the tip of the iceberg. A review of the list of the new "Democrats and Independents" who have joined "Citizens for McCain" shows that more than half of the 30 members have either obvious ties to the Republican Party or are regularly touted by GOP politicians as Democratic defectors. Read the full story »

People will just say any damn thing anymore and we’re expected to simply believe it because we are obviously stupid!

On the June 17 edition of MSNBC Live, MSNBC political analyst Rev. Joe Watkins falsely claimed, "No matter what you think about the current administration, at least unemployment is at an all-time low. It's at 5 percent, and some points, less than 5 percent, which has been the lowest it's been in decades." Anchor Tamron Hall replied, "Yeah, but that doesn't mean the economy's in good shape." In fact, the current unemployment rate -- which is at 5.5 percent nationally, according to a June 6 release by the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) -- is more than double the lowest recorded unemployment rate since 1948, and 1.3 percentage points higher than it was when President Bush took office in January 2001.

According to the BLS, the lowest unemployment rate since 1948 was 2.5 percent in both May and June of 1953. The unemployment rate was 4.2 percent in January 2001.

http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet?data_tool=latest_numbers&series_id=LNS14000000

The Family's Values: America's Most Influential (and Secretive) Religious Organization

By ZP Heller, AlterNet. Posted June 16, 2008.

Jeff Sharlet's The Family will leave you stunned by the religious motivations behind seemingly every political decision in the last 70 years.

Jeff Sharlet's The Family is a hair-raising account that will leave you stunned by the religious motivations behind seemingly every political decision in the last 70 years. As the title suggests, Sharlet's book focuses on the Family, a highly secretive, elite fundamentalist organization that wields political power behind the scenes. The Family, also known as the Fellowship, believes in God-driven government whose precepts are spread by top level, "key men" throughout the world. This is creepy religious imperialism at its most harrowing, which Sharlet delivers through fascinating historical accounts blended with personal anecdotes of the year he spent living with the Family in its picturesque estate along the Potomac River, Ivanwald.

Having covered all manner of religious sects for Rolling Stone and Harper's, Sharlet's intentions for living at Ivanwald were innocuous at first. What he encountered was so disturbing, however, that he felt compelled to investigate the Family's shadowy role in shaping elite American fundamentalism into a highly effective political tool. The Family is much more than its National Prayer Breakfasts, which have been presided over by every President for the last 50 years since Eisenhower helped launch them in 1953. As Sharlet writes, "the Family's long-term project of a worldwide government under God is more ambitious than Al Qaeda's dream of a Sunni empire."

Make No Mistake: McCain's a Neocon
John McCain has stressed his differences with George W. Bush over military tactics in Iraq. But the bigger picture is that McCain is every bit the neocon that Bush is -- if not more so. June 8, 2008

McCain Parrots FOX Line on Habeas, Attacking Judges in the Name of National Security

McCain Defends 'Enron Loophole'
John McCain has vowed to fight the $300 billion farm bill because of alleged waste, but his chief economic adviser Phil Gramm also wants to block part of the bill that would regulate energy futures trading by closing what's called the "Enron loophole." May 19, 2008

McCain and the 'Unitary Executive'
John McCain's promise that he will follow George W. Bush's lead in appointing right-wing jurists, like Samuel Alito, to the U.S. Supreme Court means that Election 2008 could decide whether Bush's imperial presidency becomes the law of the land. May 13, 2008

John Mccain’s Wife Hiding War Profits, Untaxed Off-Shore Accounts?

According to a high-placed federal agent actively based in Washington, DC who spoke with federal whistleblower Stewart Webb, Republican presidential candidate and Senate Armed Services Ranking Member John McCain’s wife Cindy Hensley McCain’s multiple undisclosed federal income tax returns will reveal millions in Iraq War military procurement contract profits involving Hensley & Co. (Hensley Beer), Mrs. McCain’s large Anheuser-Busch beer distribution firm.

Executive or Imperial Branch?
Lost amid the news media's obsession over Rev. Jeremiah Wright has been any attention toward how George W. Bush has trampled on the U.S. Constitution. In this guest essay, Ivan Eland takes a stab at getting the public to pay some attention to the future of the Republic. May 7, 2008

Lost History: How the Neocons Did It
If you want to know how the neoconservatives got control of the most powerful nation on earth, Robert Parry’s Lost History is a must-read. (To read more, click here.)

If People really believe Bush and Company are this nuts; then all we really need is a one day hearing

2008-06-17T19:32:00.000-07:00

I Thought We Didn't Negotiate With Terrorists: If People really believe Bush and Company are this nuts; then all we really need is a one day hearing and send it off to The Senate.

And Then There is McCain…insane and the same.

The (It’s The Judiciary Committee Stupid) Tool Box Work Page

Diary Entry by George Washington

Yesterday, in response to an essay arguing for impeachment, I got the following comment:

"If anything, the start of impeachment proceedings might force Bush to start the war against Iran early or cause him to bring about the false flag attack you mention.

What better way to show the country how the Democrats engage in divisive partisan politics than to have them impeach him while the country is at war.

Bush could also use the threat of impeachment as a pretext for declaring martial law and sweeping aside all opposition. It's better to just let Bush leave office quietly than to risk the horrors that he could unleash on us before then."

What is he talking about?

Well, both Ralph Nader and attorney, longtime activist and 24-year public defender Bob Fueur say Congressman John Olver disclosed that Congress is terrified that -- if Bush or Cheney are impeached -- they might bomb Iran, declare martial law and suspend the 2008 elections.

Indeed, leading neocon Daniel Pipes said in a recent interview posted at National Review Online, that if Obama is elected in November, Bush will attack Iran in the remaining ten weeks of his term.

If what Olver or Pipes say is true, then Bush and Cheney are literally terrorists. And Congress is literally negotiating with them by saying - in essence - "please don't bomb Iran or declare martial law and suspend the elections, and we won't impeach you".

I thought we didn't negotiate with terrorists.

Impeaching, removing and convicting these guys is the safest approach. Covering up their crimes - which Congress is currently doing - is like telling a terrorist that we won't spill the beans on his last terrorist attack if he doesn't blow us up . . . an approach which will backfire and lead to more terrorism.

Disclosing their crimes, taking away their ability to carry out further mischief, taking away their base of power, and imprisoning them is the way to protect ourselves.

George Washington

Ducking Impeachment in Congress and the Newsroom

On Monday last week, something important happened in Washington. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, the Democratic representative from Cleveland, OH, who early in the primary season won some of the biggest applause lines in the Democratic presidential candidate debates, introduced 35 articles calling for the impeachment of President George W. Bush for high crimes and misdemeanors.

You'd be excused if you didn't know this happened. There was almost no reporting on the event that day or the next, which took several hours to accomplish, along with several hours Tuesday for the whole bill to be read into the Congressional Record. Kucinich's address to the House was broadcast live on C-Span. But it was not announced in advance or highlighted on the C-Span website, and there were not many news reports on the historically significant fact that articles of impeachment had been filed against the president during subsequent days.

A week later, it has still not been reported in the New York Times, the nation’s self-described “newspaper of record,” even though the Times had just days before Rep. Kucinich’s action, editorialized about the enormity of the president’s lies in tricking the country into invading Iraq—one of the crimes leading Rep. Kucinich’s long list.

House leaders report healthy finances amid economic slump ...
Reiten Television KXMB Bismarck - Bismarck,ND,USA
AP The reports show Speaker Nancy Pelosi is one of the wealthiest members of Congress. Her real estate magnate husband spent between 1 million and 5 million ...See all stories on this topic

Kellerman: Why Pelosi is No Role Model for Women Seeking Office
By Patrick McKiernan
OK, so let me ask you this: Would the response – both pro and con – have been so strong had I written not about Hillary Clinton but about Nancy Pelosi? In 2002 Nancy Pelosi was elected by her colleagues as Democratic Leader of the House ...Center for Public Leadership... - http://content.ksg.harvard.edu/leadership/BLOG

Poor Nancy Pelosi
By Shirley Vandever(Shirley Vandever)
If Democrats ever need evidence of a wealth gap in America, they can find it in their own House leadership. Rep. Nancy Pelosi made $212000 last year as House speaker. Rep. Steny H. Hoyer made $183500 as House majority leader. ...The Delaware Curmudgeon - http://delawarecurmudgeon.blogspot.com/

McClellan testimony may shed light on Niger forgeries
By sazzylilsmartazz(sazzylilsmartazz)
Former White House press secretary Scott McClellan’s testimony later this week before the House Judiciary Committee promises to reignite the debate over the “16 words” in President Bush’s 2003 State of the Union address that claimed ...The Conscientious Objector - http://journals.aol.com/sazzylilsmartazz/TheConscientiousObjector/

Column: Never too late to impeach

By Stephen Dick
THE HERALD BULLETIN (ANDERSON, Ind.)

ANDERSON, Ind. — “The president, vice president and all civil officers of the United States shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” — Article II, Section 4, U.S. Constitution

Iran Cited in House Resolution to Impeach George W. Bush
By Carah Ong(Carah Ong)
1258, “Impeaching George W. Bush, President of the United States, of high crimes and misdemeanors.” The resolution’s articles of impeachment include Article XXI, entitled “Misleading Congress and the American people about threats from ...Iran Nuclear Watch - http://irannuclearwatch.blogspot.com/

Um, wouldn't we have to impeach ourselves?
By Denney Clements
More than half the members of the US House of Representatives voted last week to send articles of impeachment against President Bush to the lower chamber's Judiciary Committee. Of course, most of the lawmakers considered their "yes'' ...The Opinion Blog - http://thesunnews.typepad.com/opinionblog/

It still matters
Brattleboro Reformer - VT, United States
Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, again introduced 35 articles of impeachment against President Bush. They were referred to the House Judiciary Committee, ...

Drive to impeach Bush 'to continue'
By Mr A
"It is imperative that members of congress have a thorough opportunity to read the articles of impeachment and study the documentation," Kucinich said in a statement. Embarrassing debate. But an election looms in which every House seat, ...I'm A Pimpin Turtle... - http://pimpinturtle.com

Is Fascism an Impeachable Offense?
By davidswanson
It's what got the Democrats elected to the majority in Congress in 2006. Now it's election time again, and every member of the House is up for reelection in November. The Democrats are no doubt worried what it will look like to many ...Democrats.com - The Aggressive... - http://www.democrats.com

‘Are American Voters as Stupid As Democrats Bank On?’
By Guest:
This is only 18 of the 64 DSA representatives currently serving in the US Congress. They are all recognizable leaders in today’s Democrat Party. You know their faces. They sit on top congressional committees and form American policy. ...

Default Site Weblog - http://americanewsjournal.com/index.php/site/index/

John Jenkel
3325 Gravenstein Highway North
Sebastopol, California, 95472

June 16, 2008

The Honorable John Conyers, Jr.,
Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary
for the United States House of Representatives,
representing Michigan's 14th District

Dear Mr. Conyers:

There is no funding for undeclared wars of congressional choice after Sept. 30, 2008. Congress is establishing justice, thanks to the House of Representatives, but not the Senate. United States killing for greed appears to be ending. Your good office can assure it. Will you?

For 61 years, undeclared United States wars of congressional choice, not necessity, have deprived over 10 million foreign persons of life, and ten times more foreign persons of liberty, or property, all without due process of supreme law in violation of the 5th Amendment to the Constitution for the United States. This has made we the congressionally betrayed people the most hated and feared people on earth.

The Number One problem facing America is getting Congress to recognize this fact.

Every member of Congress, including your Honor, is under oath and contract to support and defend due process of a declaration of war, or a declaration to cease fire in an undeclared war, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. In the past, most members have given only lip service to their patriotic duty. They danced for special interest dollars. Except just before elections, they betrayed we the people who empower them by giving aid and comfort to their domestic sponsors who finance their election campaigns and, thereby, protect corrupt agenda. These evil sponsors profit from human misery in unconstitutional wars. Those members of Congress who serve such domestic enemies commit treason.

http://www.fcnl.org/index.htm

The Supreme Court agreed to decide whether Justice officials must face a lawsuit claiming prisoners detained after 9/11 were subject to ethnic and religious discriminationThe Los Angeles Times’ David G. Savage relates.

Contrary to the official version, a Senate investigation has concluded that top Pentagon officials began assembling lists of harsh interrogation techniques in the summer of 2002, The Washington Post’s Joby Warrick reports — and see an unhappy related Wall Street Journal editorial.

Florida's Sun-Sentinel Is America's Pravda And The Laughing Stock Of America

by William Cormier

I thought I had seen it all, and then I received an email from Robert Wexler with a copy of the Sun Sentinel's Editorial titled "Impeachment not worth another minute of anybody's time."- When I first read the Editorial, I though it was a joke; since the Sun-Sentinel is in Southern Florida, I thought maybe Disney World was involved and Goofy was the Editor, or at worst, they had allowed the White House to write their Editorial. It was the worst take on our current situation that has ever graced (or tarnished) an American newspaper, and those of us who understand the crimes of the Bush administration were likely wondering if the Sun-Sentinel's Editorial Board were using some of that cocaine that Florida is so famous for "importing"- through it's many ports and hidden beaches.

To add insult to injury, the Sun-Sentinel ran a poll on whether Bush should be impeached, obviously sure their readership approved of their hypocrisy, but hands down, the readership themselves rejected their poorly crafted Editorial and gave them a smack-down they sorely deserved, and I applaud the inhabitants of Southern Florida for posting their opinions and rejecting an editorial that was ridiculous and unfortunately, exposed the Editorial Board of the Sun-Sentinel of rank partisanship and a failure to understand the mood of the American people - even in a Red state like Florida.

But first, these are excerpts from an editorial that appears as if it was written by Carl Rove or Dick Cheney, although if either of those had written it, I'm guessing that it might have made some sense, whereas as it was written, we have to ask ourselves if the Sun-Sentinel's Editorial Board was high or drunk when they attempted to "spin"- the obvious crimes of the Bush administration:

Vote McCain Vote Insane : Feed Him To The Squirrels!

End Post….

IMPEACHMENT:You Can Help Make It A Reality.

2008-06-17T11:48:00.000-07:00

IMPEACHMENT:You Can Help Make It A Reality.

The (It’s The Judiciary Committee Stupid) Tool Box Work Page

Today In The Shadow Of The Dome Tuesday, June 17, 2008 (Part II)

2008-06-17T11:26:00.000-07:00

Today In The Shadow Of The Dome Tuesday, June 17, 2008 (Part II)

Failure To Impeach Bush and Cheney Leaves Open The Door To An American Dictatorship.

The (It’s The Judiciary Committee Stupid) Tool Box Work Page

“The Bush-Cheney regime is preparing the nation for transition from democracy into dictatorship because a dictatorship will be necessary to control, in 5 years time, food and water riots.”

He said “the federal government, that part of Patriot II Act, the internal exile that the government is going to have to build now huge detention compounds on federal lands, probably in the West where the land is available, to potentially house 50 million or more citizens that will be in financial ruin.”

In 10 years time, whoever is left will be effectively starting again, he said. “More importantly, and I’m trying to think how we imply this or how we express this to the people, what extraordinary times we are living in and how the destruction of the planet has been engineered by the Bushonian Cabal from 1980 to 1992, and then from 2001 to present, which has effectively destroyed the economic liquidity of the planet,”

There will be “total collapse of public infrastructure, total collapse of medical care systems, all public pension plans, Social Security will collapse. All corporate pension plans will collapse.”

Julian Robertson Often called “Never Been Wrong Robertson”, the former head of Tiger Management (once the largest hedge fund in the world)

Bush and Cheney dictator and psychopath’s checklists are complete: time for impeachment

Witten by Roland Michel Tremblay Tuesday, 03 June 2008

George Bush: the great pretender

In an extract from a book that has rocked the White House, Scott McLellan, George Bush's former press secretary, accuses his boss of manipulating the truth to launch the Iraq war

Perhaps God’s greatest gift to us in life is the ability to learn from our experiences, especially our mistakes, and to grow into better people. I have written a book about the slice of history I witnessed during my years in the White House and about the well intentioned but flawed human beings — myself included — who shaped that history.

In my efforts on behalf of the presidential administration of George W Bush I fell far short of living up to the kind of public servant I wanted to be. As press secretary, I spent countless hours defending the administration from the podium in the White House briefing room. Although the things I said then were sincere, I have since come to realise that some of them were badly misguided.

More significant, however, is the larger story in which I played a minor role — the story of how the presidency of George Bush veered terribly off course…..

Preoccupied as we are with wanton and random bloodletting, rampant crime, spiralling food prices and football politics, major national issues in this crowded barracoon, interesting developments in the wider world could steal past us hardly eliciting a glance. Last week, David Davis, a very senior member of Britain's Conservative Party, shocked his colleagues and England by resigning his parliamentary seat over renewal of the "42-days detention" law. And in Washington the US Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision: detainees at the controversial Guantanamo detention camp are entitled to the privilege of habeas corpus.

Readers may well ask of Davis: who he? Until last Wednesday, he was the Tories' shadow home secretary-Britain's equivalent of our National Security Minister. True, his party is in opposition. But with ex-PM Tony Blair leaving the ruling Labour Party trailing the Conservatives in just about every poll, and worse, losing badly in recent local elections, the David Cameron-led Tories are smelling Whitehall blood. So potentially, Davis could be seen as Britain's home secretary-in-waiting.

Indeed, he is widely considered as prime ministerial material, having challenged Cameron for leadership of the party five years ago, and carrying 21 years of parliamentary experience under his belt. He cast aside what many saw as a dazzling political career on a principled stand. He felt the controversial law, which was extended by the narrowest of margins (some Labour members voted against it), which allows the police to detain "terrorist suspects" for up to 42 days without charging them, was part of a "slow strangulation of fundamental freedoms."

According to The Independent, "He thinks it is more important to make a stand now; that 42-day detention is such an infringement of our liberties. It may sound pious in the Westminster village but it may play well in the real world, where people have switched off from political parties…..

Bush's War Crimes Team Bellows About "Honor"?

By Bill Hare
05/31/2008 10:28:50 PM EST

The team that gave us a war based on deception to grab oil and expand empire, the team that has given us Abu Grhraib, waterboarding, rendition and unlimited torture and detention without trial, all of which are egregious criminal offenses under the U.S. Constitution dares lecture the rest of America and the world about honor!

In this case we are talking about more than "honor among thieves." It is not that this label does not apply in the wake of rushing to war after Dick Cheney and the New World Order corporate establishment divided up the profits of war even before the first Donald Rumsfeld "shock and awe" attack was perpetrated.

It is just that the massive excess of the Bush-Cheney international criminal enterprise has reached such suffocating lengths that the term "thieves" represents a classic understatement.

Scott McClellan has revealed no more than what any reasonably well informed willing to pay attention and face the ugly facts already knows. The big news is that an insider on the Bush-Cheney team has chosen to tell the truth, the same Scott McClellan who once questioned the patriotism and honor of Helen Thomas, the dean of White House correspondents.

This happened after she inquired about Bill of Rights massive violations by the Bush-Cheney team under Patriot Act legislation and a believed inherent right to take whatever actions the chief executive pleases under special and unlimited war time powers in fighting the war on terror.

McClellan's false and also tasteless response was that the administration was interested in fighting terrorism and that Helen Thomas apparently was not.

The use of such a broad and unchecked mandate is generally reserved for dictatorial tyrants. In this case it came from John Yoo of the Justice Department.

Had Yoo not been the willing servant of the moment can we reasonably doubt that the necessary legal justification to do whatever it takes by a crew of marauders willing to do anything to carry out its destiny of broad and sweeping rule by empire would have found another source to serve its ends?

The history of dictatorial regimes is to find appropriate sources to issue the correct directives, which they then expeditiously implement.

In this case a gang that cannot ultimately shoot straight and is marked by acts of the brutally obvious has reached the point of what, given less tragic circumstances, would register as the hallmark in comic opera, the kind that would have prompted Gilbert and Sullivan to turn green with envy….

U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Miramar, says President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney deserve to be impeached for what they’ve done to the nation. But he voted against an impeachment resolution because it’s not a fight worth pursuing with just seven months left in Bush’s term.

“Bush and Cheney should not only be impeached, they ought to be jailed for what they did to this nation,” Hastings said. “I feel there are high crimes and misdemeanors committed by the president of the United States.”

Even though he thinks they deserve to be removed, and many in the Democratic base would love the idea, he said it would be a mistake.

“It would tear this country apart, despite my ideological feelings about what has transpired,” Hastings said. “This nation is in a gut-wrenching death grip ideologically. To split it no matter what Cheney and Bush have done would leave us probably beyond repair in our lifetimes.”

What the ignorant fools and naive well-meaning of this nation do not understand is that if nothing happens before Denver and Minneapolis the odds are much better than even that this nation will be torn apart is the violence of blood, steel and fire in the streets. I just talked with a secretary last week in a local dentist’s office, and her unsolicited comment to me was: “I can feel real violence and bloodshed coming in America. The press won’t talk about it, but it is going to be worse than the 60’s and 70s because so many don’t see it coming.”

When Change Is Not Enough: The Seven Steps To Revolution : By Sara Robinson

"A revolutionary state of mind requires the continued, even habitual but dynamic expectation of greater opportunity to satisfy basic needs...but the necessary additional ingredient is a persistent, unrelenting threat to the satisfaction of those needs: not a threat which actually returns people to a state of sheer survival but which put them in the mental state where they believe they will not be able to satisfy one or more basic needs....The crucial factor is the vague or specific fear that ground gained over a long period of time will be quickly lost... [This fear] generates when the existing government suppresses or is blamed for suppressing such opportunity.

"Those who make peaceful evolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable."

— John F. Kennedy---

Turbulence of ’68 paved way for Obama, new revolution

Forty years ago, we were on the cusp of a bona fide revolution. Now, with the certain nomination of Barack Obama, we may be on the verge of another one.

Everything changed

It was as if a tornado suddenly descended on us in the midst of a perfectly warm and sunny day. Innocence was obliterated, sons took up moral arms against fathers, many of them proud World War II veterans who could not believe their boys were burning draft cards, marching in the streets and seriously thinking of fleeing to Canada. I was a young man in the early stages of a teaching career. Friends died, two students never returned from the war, and one of them fled to Paris. He is now a French citizen, still disenchanted with turbulent memories.

In September 1969, Paul Goodman penned an article published in The New York Times Sunday Magazine. It was titled “The New Reformation,” and the central thesis was that “the situation [in America] is very like 1510 when [Martin] Luther went to Rome. There is everywhere protest, revaluation, attack on the Establishment.”

As if it were a prophesy, eight years earlier, John Osborne wrote “Luther,” in which referring to corruption in the Catholic Church, the title character told a cardinal, ‘‘A withered arm is best amputated, an infected place is best scoured out, and so you pray for healthy tissue and something sturdy and clean that was crumbling and full of filth.’’

No obligation for a revolutionary to come up with a replacement program. Get rid of the pus within and take your chances. In 1968, the new revolutionaries felt the same about their government. Picture a situation in which two Jesuit priests, Philip and Daniel Berrigan, led a draft-burning party at the Selective Service Unit in Maryland.

I could cry; I could shriek because I know so many of you are blind to the growing reality that has served up warning from the shadows and like everything else you have you heads in the Ostrich Sand with your asses exposed saying over and over again peaceful protest and “It can’t happen”. Well it can and it is about to happen again!

There are those who argue that the “Impeachment Game” is over and the real race that is at the starting line is a race between American Fascism and a new American Revolutionary War though the streets of this nation.

This man is Lying S.O.B. spin master Neocon Sock Puppet, excuse Puppet Master!

Kristol asserted that "anyone arrested in" the U.S. has habeas rights -- but not under law he supports.

Today In The Shadow Of The Dome: Tuesday, June 17, 2008

2008-06-17T06:02:00.000-07:00

Today In The Shadow Of The Dome

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

The (It’s The Judiciary Committee Stupid) Tool Box Work Page

Gore Reflux, Corpstream Media and Taking Impeachment Local
OpEdNews - Newtown,PA,USA
Then ask, "How many of you think Bush has violated enough laws and the constitution so he should be impeached after Cheney?" Believe me, they will all agree ...
See all stories on this topic

Al Gore endorsed Obama last night, throwing in a strong kick in the pants to Dubya. A bit too late to mean much. It WAS a good speech and it made me, again, like gastrointestinal reflux makes you taste something you ate, hours ago, wonder what this world would be like if he'd found his voice before 2001. Some TV pundits commented how different the world and the nation would be if Gore had won, what a mistake the US had made.

It is tragic that the Democrats in congress refuse to do the right thing and impeach.

Perhaps, if the corpstream media talk more about the abject, horrific failure of Bush and Cheney, the Republicans will face the fact that history will look just as badly or worse upon them for not removing them from office and THEY will impeach them. How ironic if the Democrats blocked them from protecting the constitution? Would that show that the Democrats are NOT impeaching because they deem it politically advantageous to keep Bush dangling in the wind?

Constitutional Crisis Spurs Betty Hall To Take Petition To Commence Impeachment Procedures To NH State Senate

Brookline, NH - Brookline State Representative, Betty Hall, will introduce a Senate concurrent resolution to the State Senate to petition Congress to commence impeachment procedures if elected.

Declaring investigations 'vital' for the restoration of the integrity of our Constitution before the end of the President's term, the most recent charges outlined in Congressman Kucinch's impeachment resolution (HRes1258), Hall has charged both Democratic and Republican parties failing their constitutional responsibilities to hold our President and Vice President responsible and accountable.

Polls show most voters believe that Bush and Cheney should have been impeached long before now. Democrats and Republicans can run in their primaries against their incumbents who don't deliver, however, 'undeclared' voters have limited ballot access. There is a way for the growing number of independent-minded voters, but it is seldom employed and needs to be reexamined. By submitting sufficient number (750) nominating papers, candidates who wish to be unaffiliated can run as Independents. Hall has done just that by declaring her intent to collect nominating papers and challenge the parties to embrace impeachment procedures and other good government reforms.

Preventing future Presidents from assuming the powers that the current President and Vice-President have usurped, and holding them accountable is a fundamental tenet of the Founding Fathers, as written in the US Constitution. By jump-starting the pursuit of truth so that voters can know as much as possible before they have to vote, is vital. Presidential candidates also need answers to the questions being sought in Congress right now. The failure of Congress to get subpoenas honored and the failure to obtain a timetable for ending the Iraq occupation has brought on a 'Constitutional Crisis.'

Philadelphia Inquirer Editorializes on Impeachment
By davidswanson
The newspaper believes that impeachment is merited but should not happen. The Inquirer also argues that Congress is complicit in the crimes of Bush and Cheney. Of course many members are complicit in some of the crimes, while with some ...
AfterDowningStreet.org - Impeach... - http://www.afterdowningstreet.org

Kucinich makes waves with articles
Rutland Herald - Rutland,VT,USA
By introducing the 35 articles of impeachment of President George W. Bush, Kucinich has also confirmed to the country and the world that he heard the ...See all stories on this topic

Impeachment vs. 'get out of jail free' card for Bush, Cheney
By xoff
You know, I often get questions about impeachment at town hall meetings and I’ve said that is not something I think would be fruitful to pursue because I think that impeachment is something that should be reserved for exceptional ...
Uppity Wisconsin - Making Wisconsin... - http://www.uppitywis.org

News Tip - Presidential Impeachment - Attn: NBC, CBS, Fox News, AP ...
By Wolfrum(Melissa McEwan)
The mainstream media's outright boycott of Dennis Kucinich's effort to impeach Bush and Cheney has been an incredible success. Can someone try and make sure those writing the history of these times take note of it, though? ...
Shakesville - http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/

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2008-06-17T04:42:00.000-07:00

Welcome To DCDS Dome Shadows

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